Bradley Vance stared down at the open pages on the glass table, his thick chest rising and falling in ragged gasps. The silver gun in his right hand began to shake violently, the barrel pointing down toward the floor. Cold sweat dripped from his chin onto his trench coat, soaking into the red provincial seal."This... this is all forged!" Bradley stammered, backing away from the desk with wide, terrified eyes. "You have no right to investigate a high provincial official! You are nothing but an unranked deserter who ran away from the northern mud!"He waved his shaking gun in the air, his voice cracking into a high, shrill screech that echoed off the walls. "A common soldier cannot touch a deputy commissioner! The Grand Council in Zenith City protects my name! If you touch a single hair on my head, the state police will hunt your family down!"Gideon stood with his arms resting at his sides, his dark eyes looking at Bradley like dirt on a boot. "The state police will not come to save y

At two o'clock in the afternoon, a long black luxury sedan pulled up to the front entrance of Dragon Bay Commercial Bank.Dominic Caldwell climbed out of the car, leaning heavily on his black wooden cane with a crooked sneer on his bruised face. Right beside him walked Cassandra Reed, wearing a tight new silk dress and heavy makeup to hide the scratches from the gutter.Just two hours earlier, she had crawled on her knees to Dominic’s office, weeping and begging for one last chance after the reporters ruined her in the street."Dominic, you know I only spoke to Gideon to spy on him," Cassandra whispered softly, holding Dominic’s arm with both hands as they walked toward the doors. "I wanted to find out his plans so I could help you destroy him."Dominic chuckled darkly, not believing a single word that came out of her mouth, but he kept her close for now. "Save your sweet lies, Cassandra. Today, you help me orchestrate Serena Ashford's total bankruptcy, or I will throw you back into th

The glowing gold numbers on the computer screen did not disappear. The five-billion-dollar balance flashed steadily, lighting up Chairman Julian Drake’s pale face with a blinding glow.Across the entire executive floor, not a single person breathed. The private bank clerks dropped their pens, their eyes wide with utter shock.Downstairs in the main lobby, the tellers stopped talking, staring at their own monitors as the massive transaction cleared through the central system.Julian rubbed his eyes with both hands, pressing his fingers into his temples until his skin turned red. He shook his head violently, praying that the bright screen was just a bad dream."Five billion dollars..." Julian choked out, his voice cracking into a high, dry whisper. "From the Northern Border Logistics Headquarters... it cleared in three seconds."Behind him, Dominic Caldwell stumbled against the doorframe, his wooden cane slipping from his sweaty grip and hitting the floor.Dominic clutched his broken ri

Gideon stopped right beside the open door of the dark sedan, his hand resting on the polished metal frame.He slowly looked down at the woman kneeling in the wet street before his combat boots.Cassandra’s trembling hands reached out through the cold air, trying to grab the hem of his dark wool coat.Black mascara and smeared red lipstick ran down her pale cheeks in dirty, ugly lines. Her expensive silk dress was ripped down the sides, soaked through with gray street mud and rainwater."Gideon, please look at me!" Cassandra wept, her voice breaking into a ragged, pitiful sob. "I am begging you on my knees! You cannot just walk away and leave me here in the dirt!"Gideon did not pull his coat away, nor did he step backward to avoid her muddy fingers. He looked down at her face with eyes as still and black as an icy lake in winter.There was no fiery anger on his face, no bitter hatred in his frown, and no desire for revenge in his gaze. There was only a vast, empty silence that felt co

Midnight bells tolled softly in the distance as cold rain tapped against the glass windows of St. Jude Military Medical Center.Inside the warm third-floor room, small yellow night lamps cast a gentle glow over the two clean hospital beds.Lily and Maya lay curled under their white blankets, breathing in a slow, peaceful rhythm that filled the quiet room.Each little girl held a soft brown plush bear tightly against her chest, the lovely gifts Serena Ashford had brought them earlier that evening.A tiny, sweet smile rested on Lily’s round pink cheeks, while Maya hugged her bear's fuzzy ear with her small fingers.Beside the large window, Martha Knox sat in a soft armchair, her hands moving with quiet, steady care.She held two wooden needles, knitting two matching red wool scarves to keep her daughters warm when winter arrived.Every few minutes, Martha paused her knitting and looked toward the beds, warm tears of pure thankfulness shining in her gentle eyes."My sweet angels," Martha