The sharp sound of the paper shredder roared through the massive office. White strips of paper fell into the plastic bin like snow. The fifty million dollar loan was completely gone, cut into tiny pieces in less than ten seconds.Richard Sterling stared at the shredder, his eyes wide open in pure terror. His face turned dark red, and he clutched his left chest with his thick hand. He staggered back three steps and collapsed heavily into the leather chair behind him."My loan... my company..." Richard gasped out, his voice weak and raspy. "You just destroyed my life work in five seconds!"Lucas sat back in his executive chair, completely unbothered. He smoothed the sleeve of his dark suit jacket with a calm hand."Thomas," Lucas said in a cold, clear voice. "Issue an immediate notice to every commercial bank in this city. Freeze every single line of credit extended to Sterling Enterprises starting right now.""Understood, Young Master," Butler Thomas replied with a crisp bow. He typed

Chloe held the black silk invitation card with shaking fingers. Her heart was beating so fast inside her chest that she could barely breathe. The gold stamped letters seemed to shine like a bright light in the dark room.This invitation was her family only hope of survival. The supreme head of Grand Dragon Financial was holding a private party tonight to pick a new business partner for the city. If she could convince this powerful billionaire to invest in Vance Logistics, her family would be saved from total ruin.She ran upstairs to her bedroom and opened her big closet. She pulled out her finest velvet evening gown, a deep red dress that cost ten thousand dollars. She spent two full hours fixing her hair and putting on thick makeup to hide the dark circles around her swollen eyes. She sprayed her most expensive perfume and put on a pair of shiny crystal earrings. She needed to look like a high class businesswoman who belonged among the richest people in the state.When she walked do

The grand ballroom clapped and cheered as Lucas raised his gold glass. Smooth music played again, and waiters carried trays of fine food to the rich guests.Chloe sat alone at the small table in the back corner, her body shaking as tear after tear fell onto her velvet dress. She looked at Lucas standing among the most powerful people in the state, knowing that she had thrown away a life of pure gold for a man lying in the mud outside.Outside the hotel, the rain poured down hard on the dark pavement. Julian lay in a dirty puddle, his torn suit soaked in black mud. Flashbulbs from news cameras kept popping in his face. Every major television station in the city was showing his humiliating fall live on television.A heavy black car pulled up to the curb with a loud screech of tires. The door flew open, and Richard Sterling stepped out into the storm. His face was red with pure rage, his teeth clenching so hard his jaw looked like stone. He saw his son lying on the wet floor like a beate

The morning sun had barely risen when a loud noise woke up the Sterling household. Richard Sterling opened his front door and let out a horrified scream.Spread across his neat green lawn were five bruised men, tied up with thick rope and groaning in pain. Sitting on top of Julian shiny red sports car was a white paper pinned with a sharp knife. The written warning read four simple words: play stupid games, win stupid prizes.Julian stood behind his father, his face turning paper white as he recognized the leader of Black Snake hitmen lying broken on the grass. He knew right then that Lucas was a force he could never defeat with street fights or dirty tricks.While the Sterling family fell into complete chaos, another storm hit Vance Logistics.By eight o'clock in the morning, three major truck fleets refused to move their loads. Supply lines across the state stopped working completely. Raw materials were stuck at the harbor, and local factories began calling the main office, screamin

Chloe held the phone to her ear as her mother shrieked like a crazy woman. She dropped her cardboard box right on the pavement and ran toward her car.Her heart pounded against her ribs like a heavy drum. Every single thing her family owned was disappearing into thin air, torn away piece by piece by the husband she had treated like dirt.She drove across the city like a wild person, blowing through yellow lights and making her tires squeal. Twenty minutes later, her red car pulled onto the quiet street of the Vance family private neighborhood.The scene on her front lawn made her blood freeze inside her body.Three big black bank trucks were parked along the stone driveway. Four police officers stood by the front entrance, keeping back a crowd of curious neighbors who were taking pictures with their phones. Two men in formal dark suits were wrapping thick yellow tape across the heavy iron gates and putting big white legal stickers over the shiny golden door handles.Beatrice stood rig