2026-09-25 22:43:55
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter Nine
"I am not a criminal," Leo said, his voice flat and unbothered. "And if you keep going at this, I would have no choice but to—" "Do what?" Clara interrupted, taking a sharp step forward with a sneer under the sickly amber glow of the overhead hallway light. "Leo, you are just a thief! You know what? Maybe I should call the police and see what they have to say about you stealing!" She dragged out her words to stress the point, thrusting her phone aggressively toward his chest. Leo looked at her—and then started laughing. It wasn't a loud, boisterous laugh, but a low, rich sound of absolute amusement that echoed off the peeling wallpaper of the tiny hallway. Clara, who had been frantically tapping her phone screen to make the call, froze mid-motion. Her thumb hovered over the glass. "You think this is funny, right? You steal and then laugh about your own disgrace? Leo, remind me why I left you again, because the reasons just keep piling up!" "Give me my card back," Leo said. Clar
Chapter Eight
The yellow city taxi pulled up to the curb near the worn brick apartment complex Leo had called home for the past five years. Water from a recent downpour still glistened in the shallow potholes lining the narrow street, reflecting the sickly amber glow of a flickering streetlight overhead. Leo paid the driver with crisp cash from his pocket, stepped out onto the cracked pavement, and smoothed the front of his midnight-blue tuxedo. The fabric was immaculate, custom-woven from ultra-fine Italian wool that absorbed the dim street light around him. For five long years, he had walked down this alleyway in a mud-splattered delivery windbreaker, carrying lukewarm takeout boxes and heavy corporate parcels for pennies on the dollar. Tonight, the heavy silence of the alley felt different—not because the neighborhood had changed, but because the man standing in it was no longer bound by the chains of the Vance Sovereign Trial. As he turned toward the narrow iron gate leading into the cour
Chapter Seven
The grand lobby of Vance Tower fell into a suffocating, unnatural silence. Sunlight filtered through the sixty-foot glass facade, illuminating the pristine marble floor, but the atmosphere felt as heavy as lead. Evelyn stood inches from Leo, her manicured finger trembling in his face, her chest heaving as she waited for the heavy hand of security to slam onto his shoulder. "Well?!" she shrieked, turning her head toward the two senior building guards who had hurried over from the main desk. "What are you two standing there for?! Grab him! He's a trespasser! He broke into the upper VIP dressing suites and stole that tuxedo!" The two security guards—seasoned veterans wearing sharp obsidian-grey uniforms—did not move. Their eyes had already traveled down from Leo’s unbothered, commanding gaze to the immaculate cut of his midnight-blue suit. They knew luxury, but more importantly, they knew Vance Tower protocol. The hand-stitched silk lapels bore a micro-embroidered silver crest so su
Chapter Six
The heavy midnight assembly inside the penthouse lounge did not break apart immediately after the six regional directors bowed. As the brutal thunderstorm outside slowly spent its fury against the glass, the high-altitude sanctuary shifted into an exclusive, low-key gathering of the shadow syndicate’s core elite. Throughout the remaining dark hours, crystal glasses clinked softly against the backdrop of sweeping, rain-slicked city views. One by one, regional directors moved in silent rotation around Leo, offering understated nods of deference while quietly observing the young man who had survived ten years in the gutter. Leo stood near the massive floor-to-ceiling glass wall, sipping cold spring water from a crystal tumbler. His mind worked continuously to reconcile the stark, surreal contrast between his reality just hours ago—shivering in freezing rain, clutching a broken phone screen—and the quiet, unfathomable opulence surrounding him now. His hands, though scrubbed clean of en
Chapter Five
The heavy mahogany doors of the penthouse lounge seemed to absorb the low hum of the rain outside, leaving a stifling silence in the room."What is it?" Leo asked, his hoarse voice cutting through the quiet. His throat burned, a raw remnant of his desperate sprint up the concrete stairwell. His knuckles were still white, stained with grease and oil that no amount of rain could wash away.Butler Thomas didn't hand over a contract, nor did he present a grand ultimatum. Instead, a slow, knowing smile spread across the old man’s weathered face, softening the sharp, intimidating lines carved by decades of absolute authority within the Apex Association."Lets just say you already fulfill the major part..." Thomas said smoothly, his dark eyes filled with quiet, undeniable approval. "By standing here, surviving ten years in the dark without breaking, and keeping your iron will intact... the trial is satisfied."Thomas stepped around the massive mahogany conference table, his polished shoes ma
Chapter Four
The brushed-gold elevator doors slid open. Butler Thomas stepped out, his spine straight, his posture immaculate. The moment his polished leather shoes touched the dark Italian marble, Senior Analyst Victoria and the six regional executives around the table stood as one. In unison, they bowed their heads, breaking into a slow, measured applause that echoed against the glass walls. Leo stood frozen in his rain-soaked canvas jacket. Water dripped steadily from his elbows onto the pristine floor, forming a dirty puddle around his scuffed, grease-stained work boots. His chest still heaved from sprinting up the stairwell, his throat burning with cold air. "Young Master Vance," Butler Thomas said, stopping three paces away and bowing deeply from the waist. "Welcome home." Leo didn't clap. He didn't bow. His eyes darted with guarded intensity between the bowing executives and the old man in front of him. "What home?" Leo asked, his voice sharp and hoarse. "Are you... are you the
You may also like
I Made $900 Trillion In 24 Hours
Jericho Chase192.6K viewsThe Unexpected Heir
Estherace87.9K viewsFrom Trash Bag to Cash Bag
Zuxian126.9K viewsGod of War, Returned For His Wife
DoAj43285.8K viewsHELL UNIVERSITY
Chidezny73 viewsMy Wife Treated Me Like a Servant, Now I’m a Billionaire
Yahya181 viewsThe Campus Loser’s Billionaire System
Faith189 viewsThe Masseur Knows Too Much
Lighting100 views