Seeing the explosive device extracted from his own hospital elevator drained all the color from Mayhew's face. If Elias had actually suffered a fatal incident on his premises, his own fate would have been unimaginably grim. A lingering wave of profound dread washed over the hospital director as he stared at the lethal trap, silently thanking whatever higher power allowed the young man to detect and defuse it in time.Marcus approached with the dismantled device resting heavily in his palms. He reported that it was a remote-controlled explosive, though the detonator had already been safely neutralized by his engineers.Elias reached out, taking the device from Marcus. He examined it with a completely expressionless face, his cold eyes scanning the intricate wiring. "The exterior craftsmanship is rough, but the internal mechanics are highly precise. This was undoubtedly designed by a professional." He could easily deduce the bomb maker's background from the structural style,

Wesley Cole asked Warren Montgomery why he was so terrified of that young man. Warren immediately remembered the strict ban imposed by Ignatius Montgomery, which forbade anyone in the family from revealing the man's true identity to outsiders. Bound by this absolute order, Warren shook his head, explaining he could only say the man was someone he absolutely could not afford to provoke under any circumstances.Wesley was highly skeptical, asking if even the immensely powerful Montgomery family was afraid of a single person.Warren honestly replied that he did not know the full extent of the situation, but he strongly advised Wesley not to be overly greedy, as the city of Cresthaven had plenty of lucrative business to go around.Wesley suppressed his immediate anger due to Warren's sincere tone, but he grumbled that letting Lysander Lawson steal his business would make him look incredibly weak. He declared that since Warren had personally intervened today, he would let

The memory of the family cemetery being bombarded flashed through Felix's mind. He vividly recalled Julian being executed by a gunshot in front of Arthur's grave. The incident remained a bleeding wound in the Sterling family's hearts. Although they had suppressed the news, the memory still brought unbearable agony.Seeing the massive Lenco BearCat blocking the company entrance, Felix was overcome by dread. His legs began trembling uncontrollably."Tell me, does the guy fighting Sebastian have the last name Vance?" Felix demanded, grabbing Brennan's collar."Yes," Brennan replied instinctively.Felix let out a terrified yelp and collapsed to the ground, his entire body shaking."Felix, what's wrong with you?" Brennan asked, bewildered.Felix's bodyguards also turned deathly pale, remembering the horror at the cemetery."I have no strength left. Help me up and get me to the car immediately," Felix ordered, ignoring Brennan.Paralyzed by fear, Fe

Elias Vance settled into his chair, calmly watching the drama unfold as if he were a spectator at a play. Gideon stood by with complete indifference, caring only about executing Elias's commands.Ever since Ronan Cole had seen Elias's military identification, he had been summoned for a highly classified debriefing by Military Intelligence. The whereabouts of the Ares of the Federation could never be carelessly leaked. Despite numerous people probing for information, Ronan had not breathed a single word about Elias's true identity."Has the lawyer arrived yet?" Elias asked smoothly, pulling a cigarette from his pocket.Operating with robotic precision, Gideon instantly produced a lighter the moment the cigarette touched Elias's lips.Seeing the expectant gazes of his detectives, Raymond Keller cleared his throat and suggested they wait for Mayor Cornelius Hale to make the final decision. Although Raymond did not know Elias's exact identity, his survival instincts

Throughout the history of the Federation, no such cumbersome and intricate protocol had ever been established for the mere apprehension of a single individual.Elias Vance was the sole exception.During his decade of military service, Elias had spent a year imprisoned after falling victim to a malicious political conspiracy that abused special privileges to target him. However, during that precise period, the Federation Armed Forces suffered consecutive defeats across the front lines, and widespread turmoil erupted throughout the borderlands. Driven by sheer desperation, the higher authorities had no choice but to reinstate him immediately.Elias was hardly the type of man to be summoned at a whim and dismissed just as easily. To ensure such a catastrophic oversight never repeated itself, the leadership had specifically drafted and ratified an entirely new piece of legislation just for him. Therefore, his previous warning was not exaggerated in the slightest. Anyone a