The rain over River City fell in heavy, endless sheets, washing over the sleek black glass of the Vance Tower.Inside the grand ballroom on the top floor, classical violin music flowed through giant crystal chandeliers, mingling with the soft clinking of expensive crystal glasses. Tonight was the third anniversary of Vance Enterprises’ initial public offering on the international stock exchange. The air smelled of vintage champagne, imported flowers, and absolute wealth.At the center of the room, standing beneath a towering banner decorated with gold leaf, was Julian Vance. He wore a custom dark tuxedo, his hair slicked back, a confident, arrogant smile resting comfortably on his face. Surrounded by politicians, foreign investors, and the city’s top media moguls, he looked every bit the master of the world.Beside him stood Evelyn Sterling. She wore a striking, diamond-encrusted red silk gown that hugged her tall frame. Her dark eyes sparkled with quiet ambition as she held Julian’s

The Imperial Hotel sat like a sprawling golden palace at the center of River City’s elite financial district. Its massive crystal facade towered forty stories high, casting a warm, brilliant glow over the rain-slicked streets below.Inside the Grand Ballroom, the atmosphere was suffocatingly grand. Heavy gold leaf decorated the high arched ceilings, while massive crystal chandeliers spilled soft light over hundreds of tailored tuxedos and evening gowns. Tonight was the annual Grand Maritime Charity Ball—a gathering where River City’s top business tycoons, corrupt politicians, and media moguls met to divide the city’s commercial territories over vintage wine.Up on the elevated auction stage stood Julian Vance.He had changed into a fresh, custom dark-blue tuxedo, though his face remained unusually pale. The humiliating scene at Vance Tower had shaken him, but standing here among his peers, surrounded by sixty heavily armed private security guards stationed along the walls, his arrogan

The morning sun over River City was pale and cold, piercing through the lingering grey mist like a dull blade.At the foot of Mount Solitude sat the Vance Family Ancestral Manor—a sprawling, sixty-acre estate surrounded by wrought-iron fences, ancient oak trees, and high stone walls. For over half a century, this manor had been the absolute symbol of power in the region. Within its halls, decisions were made that dictated the survival of shipping lines, banking firms, and local political dynasties.By seven-thirty in the morning, the cobblestone driveway was packed with over fifty luxury sedans.Inside the Ancestral Great Hall, the atmosphere was thick with suffocating tension. Dozens of branch family elders, senior corporate directors, and high-ranking shareholders sat along the long mahogany conference table. Everyone spoke in anxious, hushed whispers, their eyes darting nervously toward the heavy oak doors at the end of the room.At the head of the long table sat Julian Vance.He l

The rain had returned by nine o'clock, sweeping down from the jagged peaks of Mount Solitude to drown the northern outskirts of River City in cold grey fog.Nestled deep within a private pine forest sat the Grand Horizon Estate—a sprawling, fortress-like mansion built by foreign steel barons in the late nineties. Surrounded by twelve-foot stone walls topped with razor wire and high-definition infrared security cameras, it was designed to withstand a siege.Tonight, however, the estate’s outer perimeter was eerily silent.The eight private security guards usually stationed at the iron front gates were nowhere to be found. Inside the glass security booth, three monitors flickered with static, their feed lines cleanly severed. Shadows shifted beneath the towering pine trees along the perimeter fence—forty elite warriors of the First Shadow Battalion, clad in matte-black tactical gear, stood completely motionless in the downpour, forming an impenetrable, silent ring around the entire comp