2026-02-20 21:11:40
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CHAPTER 464
Steven’s voice came cold. “You are not negotiating your freedom.” A beat. “You are negotiating how much of yourself survives the outcome already set in motion.” Silence. Deep silence. Outside, the city lights shimmered across Riverage City. Inside, Al-Hakimi stood still for the first time since arriving. Because now he understood. This was not the moment he saved himself. It was the moment he was allowed to believe he still could. And somewhere beyond that belief… Steven Kahuna had already begun the next phase. The silence in the room stretched longer than anyone expected, not tense, not hostile. Just… unresolved. Al-Hakimi stood still, waiting for the final blow that never came. Steven Kahuna remained by the window, hands in his pockets, expression unreadable as Riverage City shimmered beneath him. Princewill watched both men carefully, sensing something unusual unfolding. This wasn’t collapse and it wasn’t conquest this was hesitation. Finally,
CHAPTER 463
The question hung in the air like a blade suspended above a neck. “Which would you choose?” His mind became like a rollercoaster of emotions, his empire or freedom, his status or life outside cages. Al-Hakimi didn’t answer immediately, not because he didn’t understand the question but because he understood it too well and he had no answer for it. He was dumbfounded and perplexed by every option before him. Steven wasn’t negotiating at all instead, he was simply defining the shape of the remaining years ahead Princewill shifted slightly in the background, watching carefully. Even he knew this wasn’t business anymore, this was judgment, one that came quickly than they expected but as always, Steven thought ahead than everyone else. Al-Hakimi finally spoke. “My empire…” He stopped, swallowed and then corrected himself. “…isn’t just mine.” Steven’s expression didn’t change, that wasn’t an answer to him that was deflection a familiar pattern, one he knew too well.
CHAPTER 462
For the first time in many years... Al-Hakimi found himself speechless. Not because he lacked answers. Not because he lacked intelligence. But because the man standing before him had completely shattered every assumption he had made. He had traveled thousands of miles to Riverage City believing he understood the situation. Believing he could still negotiate. Believing he could still salvage something. Now he wasn't so sure. The room remained silent. Steven stood near the fireplace. Calm. Unmoved. Almost indifferent. Princewill remained by the side, observing quietly. His face revealed nothing. But internally? Even he was surprised. Because in all the years he had worked with Steven... He had never imagined seeing Al-Hakimi walk into Riverage City personally. The man was infamous for his pride. Infamous for his arrogance. Infamous for making others come to him. Yet here he was. Standing inside Steven's estate. Seeking an audience. See
CHAPTER 461
The first sign of breaking pride is silence. And for Al-Hakimi, silence had become unbearable. For days, he had watched his empire shift beneath him like unstable ground. Nothing had collapsed outright. Nothing had been publicly exposed. Nothing had been officially taken. And yet everything felt… lost. Accounts monitored. Partners distancing. Legal structures quietly activated. Invisible pressure tightening from every direction. It wasn’t a war anymore. It was a slow suffocation. And Al-Hakimi hated suffocation more than defeat. He stood in his office long after midnight, staring at the black chess king on his desk. That single piece had done more damage than any threat. More damage than any lawsuit. More damage than any gun or accusation. Because it had done something far worse. It had made him uncertain. And men like him did not survive uncertainty for long. The decision came quietly. Not in rage. Not in fear. But in calculation. If Stev
CHAPTER 460
Al-Hakimi removed the chess piece from his desk, slowly and carefully. As though it might burn him should he remove it any other way. The black king felt heavier than it should have. Or maybe it was just his mind playing tricks on him. He turned it over, there was nothing, no tracking devices, no hidden message. Just a perfectly carved piece of wood. Which somehow made it worse. Because it meant someone had physically placed it there. Inside his home, inside his office, past his guards, past everything he had built to feel untouchable. His jaw tightened. "Find out who delivered this." His voice was calm, too calm. One of his security heads nodded immediately. "We are already reviewing footage, sir." "Good." But even as he spoke, Al-Hakimi already knew what they would find. Nothing useful. Men like Steven Kahuna didn’t leave obvious footprints. They left consequences. Only consequences. Al-Hakimi leaned back in his chair. For the first time i
CHAPTER 459
Al-Hakimi didn't sleep that night. The phone call lasted less than ten seconds. Yet those ten seconds refused to leave his mind. "Mr. Kahuna sends his regards." Nothing more, nothing less, there were no threat. No demands, no warnings. Which somehow made it worse, far worse. Because men like Steven Kahuna didn't waste words. If Steven wanted to threaten someone, he could. If Steven wanted revenge, he would take it. The fact that he had done neither unsettled Al-Hakimi more than he cared to admit. By sunrise, he was already inside his private office. Three security chiefs stood before him. All of them looking nervous. "Double the perimeter security." The men nodded. "Yes, sir." "Review every employee." "Yes, sir." "Every contractor." "Yes, sir." "Every visitor." The three men exchanged glances. They knew something was wrong, very wrong because this wasn't normal, not even for Al-Hakimi. After they left, the office became silent once mor
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