Alphonsus turned at the last instant. The blow scraped his cheek instead of breaking his nose, but the force of it drove him sideways into a steel shelving unit. Metal rattled behind him. Victor followed, swinging again, furious that the man he had spent so long trying to crush was still standing.Alphonsus caught his wrist.For one suspended second, they stared at each other. Victor’s expression held more than anger. There was fear beneath it, buried but unmistakable.“Thus is the end of the road for you Victor snarled.“There he goes again empty threats”“Watch and see.Victor twisted free and drove his shoulder into Alphonsus’s chest. They crashed against the shelving. Pain flared through Alphonsus’s ribs. He answered with a short, hard strike that sent Victor stumbling back, but before either man could press the advantage, a sharp burst of gunfire cracked through the facility.“Sir!” one of Alphonsus’s men shouted. “We have movement outside!”The fight stopped being personal.Al

Alphonsus read the club's warning once more before handing it back to Cindy."Someone paid to keep you out," she said. "That means your presence threatens an interest they want protected.""Or someone wants me to believe that.""Either way, walking in without preparation would be foolish."Cindy had checked the invitation's origin and confirmed the liaison's identity through an independent contact. The meeting was legitimate. The person who had objected remained unidentified."Your security team will stay reachable," she told him. "I'll continue tracing the objection. Don't let anyone separate you from your own judgment."She also passed him a note from the finance team. The capital approved for tonight's contest had been independently verified, but it was a defined allocation, not permission to draw freely on the Williams accounts."Payroll, suppliers, and ongoing operations remain protected," Cindy said. "This amount is available for a new opportunity. Nothing beyond it is authorize

For several seconds after Victor's declaration, nobody spoke. Then Daniel Milton Williams leaned toward his camera. “You want us to unite against Alphonsus after everything that has happened? He survived your attacks. What makes you think bringing the entire family together will succeed where your men failed?” Victor's expression tightened. “Because your mistake is assuming I intend to repeat myself.” Marcelus, Victor's eldest son, folded his arms. Cecilia watched her father carefully, while Lilian remained silent, studying the faces appearing across the conference screen. Other branches of the Williams family had joined from private offices and residences. Marcel Holmes Williams sat beside his children, Jerry, Cara, and Kyla. Charles Monty's branch was represented alongside Lorraine Williams, Cara Williams, and Jenna Williams, whose children remained outside the camera's view. Daniel's three children listened without interrupting. Victor surveyed them. “Alphonsus has

The servant ran before Victor's men reached the corridor.“Stop him!” someone shouted behind the door.He abandoned the empty tray and raced toward the servants' passage, his heart hammering. Footsteps followed. At the junction, a guard stepped into his path, demanding to know why he was running.“Mr Jameson needs to know,” the servant gasped.The guard seized his arm.“Know what?”Before the servant could answer, another man appeared behind them. Recognizing Victor's associate, the servant twisted free and darted through a narrow doorway leading toward the kitchens.A household steward heard the commotion and intervened, demanding that the guards explain themselves. That brief distraction gave the servant enough time to reach Cindy.“They are going to lock the gates,” he whispered. “At midnight. From outside. I heard Victor's people discussing it.”Cindy's expression hardened.“Where is Victor?”“Not here. His voice came through a communication device.”She took the servant directly

The vehicle carrying Adrian vanished beyond the gates. Alphonsus watched until its taillights disappeared, then turned to Cindy.“Secure the evidence. Find out who authorised those men, but nobody leaves this estate alone.”Cindy handed the torn fragment to a trusted guard. “I’ll verify everyone assigned to the council chamber. The captured man stays separate.”“Good. Bring the family in.”The chamber filled with relatives whose anger had survived in the courtyard. Lydia, Lyla, and Yasmine took seats near Diana’s empty chair. Victor’s children, Marcelus, Cecilia, and Lilian, arrived together. Daniel Milton Williams entered with his three children. Marcel Holmes Williams came with Jerry, Cara, and Kyla. Charles Monty arrived with his own three children.The distant cousins joined them: Felicia, Anabella, Harrietta, Lily, Juliet, Tommy, Ethan, Edmund, Peter, Charles, and Rayson. Lorraine Williams sat with her only child near the chamber doors. Cara Williams, representing a separate bra