2026-07-22 18:43:10The rain had just stopped, leaving the asphalt outside the River City Financial District slick and black. So, I took the afternoon off from my guard rotation at Sterling HQ to run a personal errand. I walked straight into the showroom of Apex Motors.
The place smelled of fresh leather, polished marble, and absurd corporate wealth. Floor-to-ceiling glass wrapped around six hypercars, each worth more than a normal family earned in a decade. I was looking for something low-profile to drive on my off-hours. A dark sedan, maybe. Plain. Reliable.
"Lucas?"
A sharp, shrill voice cut through the soft jazz playing over the speakers.
I stopped. I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. The tone alone carried three years of venom and cheap betrayal. Anyway, I turned around anyway.
Clara stood near a metallic silver sports car, draped in a white fur coat that cost more than a small apartment. Her dark hair was styled into perfect waves, and her red lips were twisted into a familiar, haughty sneer. Standing beside her was a middle-aged salesman wearing a gold watch, practically drooling as he held open a vehicle brochure for her.
"I knew it," Clara said, stepping forward. Her heels clicked—no, her heels tapped sharply against the marble floor. "I told Julian I thought I saw you wandering near the gates this morning. What are you doing in a place like this?"
"Shopping," I said. My voice was flat, calm, and utterly devoid of weight.
Clara burst into a loud, artificial laugh that made two nearby salesmen glance over. "Shopping? Lucas, please. You work as a glorified security guard for Evelyn Sterling now. Everyone in the city knows it. Do you even know how much a tire costs on one of these machines?"
"I have a good idea," I replied, folding my arms across my chest.
She took three steps closer, her eyes scanning my simple dark suit. It was clean, well-fitted, but deliberately unbranded. To a superficial socialite like Clara, lack of a designer label meant lack of money. She had forgotten that true power doesn't need a tag.
"Three years in Black Iron Fortress clearly didn't teach you any common sense," she purred, leaning against the hood of a twenty-million-dollar phantom series coupe. "You used to have potential back when you worked for Julian's father. Now? You're just garbage floating at the bottom of River City."
"Are you done?" I asked.
Her sneer faltered for a fraction of a second, unsettled by the complete lack of anger in my brown eyes. She expected me to shout. She expected me to burn with rage over how she and Julian framed me, stole my family's assets, and threw me to the wolves. But why would a tiger get angry at a fly?
"I'm trying to save you from absolute disgrace, Lucas," Clara sneered, regaining her stride. She turned to the salesman beside her, her voice dropping into a loud, performative whisper. "Excellency, you might want to call your floor security. This man is a convicted felon. He was released from prison recently, and now he's trespassing in your showroom to play pretend."
The salesman's face hardened instantly. He adjusted his gold watch and stepped toward me, his brow furrowed with open disgust.
"Is this true, sir?" the salesman asked, his tone dropping all courtesy. "We cater to the top tier of River City society here. If you aren't here to buy, I'm going to have to ask you to leave immediately."
"I am here to buy," I said directly. "In fact, I'm looking at the inventory right now."
Clara laughed again, covering her mouth with a manicured hand. "Buy? With what? Your five-hundred-dollar bodyguard paycheck? Oh, this is absolute comedy. Please, try to buy one. Go ahead. Show him your bank card, Lucas!"
She crossed her arms, her eyes sparkling with malicious delight. She stood back, waiting with bated breath to watch the floor guards drag me out to the curb in front of the entire financial district. She expected me to be totally humiliated.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 170 The World Watches
The World Economic & Underworld Summit turns into a high-stakes arena as the Global Crown attempts to publicly break Evelyn Sterling. Lucas Vance steps out of the shadows, using his Sovereign Command Ring to turn the tables and seal the hall for absolute retribution.The grand ballroom of the Apex Palace looked more like a gilded cage than a summit hall. Crystal chandeliers hung low overhead, casting sharp glimmers across polished marble and three hundred of the most dangerous figures on Earth.Billionaires, shadow ministers, and syndicate bosses packed the floor. They wore custom suits and heavy jewelry, sipping champagne while discussing who would control global trade for the next decade.I stood two steps behind Evelyn, my hands resting behind my back. My plain black suit made me look like an ordinary hire. That was fine by me. Let them look right through me."Stay close, Lucas," Evelyn whispered, her voice tight. She kept her posture straight, her chin held high, but I noticed the
Chapter 169 Silent Positioning
The Global Crown tries stripping Evelyn’s trading permits at the summit, but I take total control of the island's defense grid using my Bloodhound lieutenants right under their noses.The salty ocean breeze swept through the grand glass foyer of the island resort, carrying the distant roar of crashing waves. I adjusted my plain black tie, keeping two steps behind Evelyn as she walked toward the main hall. She looked every bit the corporate queen, chin high, wearing a sleek velvet dress that matched her cold focus.So, tonight was supposed to be our public execution. That was the rumor floating around the marble corridors, anyway.The Master of the Global Crown had spent the last three hours whispering into the ears of every international delegate on this private French island. His plan was simple. Stripping Evelyn of her global trading permits during the opening session would crush Sterling Enterprises on the world stage. He thought he had bought every corrupt security chief and trade
Chapter 168 Heavyweight Arrival
Lucas and Evelyn arrive at a private island resort off the French coast for the World Economic & Underworld Summit. When a chief security officer tries to deny Evelyn entry, Lucas reveals his golden sovereign crest, instantly freezing the guards in terror. As they enter, the leadership of the Global Crown makes a grand entrance, declaring their intent to destroy Sterling Enterprises.The blue water of the French Riviera slapped against the hull of our private yacht. Sun glinted off the polished white deck, but my mind stayed focused on the harbor ahead. Evelyn stood beside me, wearing a sharp tailored suit that screamed corporate power. Her hand gripped the wooden railing. I could see the slight tension in her shoulders."So, this is where the real monsters play," she said, looking at the island rising out of the water."Pretty much," I said. "Island resort on the outside. Snake pit on the inside."Anyway, we had a job to do. The World Economic & Underworld Summit was no ordinary busi
Chapter 167 Calm Before the Storm
Lucas shares a quiet moment with Evelyn, revealing pieces of his past in the Black Iron Fortress before effortlessly disarming an assassin without breaking eye contact.The rain tapped against the thick glass of the high-rise suite, blurring the neon lights of the city below. Evelyn sat on the leather sofa, cradling a mug of tea with both hands. She stared at me, her eyes sharp and searching, trying to piece together the man standing by the window."You never talk about those three years," she said softly, her voice cutting through the quiet hum of the air conditioner. "The Black Iron Fortress. People don't just survive that place and come out looking like a standard security contractor."I took a sip of my coffee, feeling the heat radiate through my palm. "It wasn't a prison. Not really. It was a furnace. They throw you in to burn away everything soft until only iron remains."She set her mug on the glass table with a tiny clink. "And what did it burn out of you, Lucas?""My naivety,
Chapter 166 Pieces of the Puzzle
Evelyn confronts her rival, connecting the dots that Lucas solved all her crises, then demands the absolute truth from him.I held the thin manila folder in my hands, sitting behind my heavy mahogany desk while the evening rain tapped against the glass windows of Sterling Tower. So, everything finally made sense. I pulled out three years of financial ledgers, security logs, and legal notices, spreading them side by side.The pattern was staring me right in the face.First came the midnight dockyard raid six months ago. The police report said the armed gang mysteriously turned on each other and surrendered before my supply trucks suffered a single scratch. Looking closely at the time stamps now, I saw Lucas had signed out for a late perimeter walk ten minutes before the raid began.Then came the fifty-million-dollar emergency credit clearance from the Black Iron Treasury that saved Sterling Enterprises from bankruptcy. The wire transfer cleared at two in the morning. Ten minutes prior,
Chapter 165 Dominoes Fall
Lucas launches a ruthless 24-hour cleanup across three continents, stripping arrogant directors of their wealth and breaking the Global Crown's outer defense ring.Three continents in twenty-four hours. So, that was the schedule Ghost handed me over our secure line before sunrise. The Global Crown thought their international distance gave them armor. They figured a few ocean trenches could keep my reach away from their bank accounts and private estates. They were dead wrong. I stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of our Manhattan suite, taking a slow sip of lukewarm hotel coffee. Evelyn was still fast asleep in the next room, exhausted after yesterday's endless corporate press briefings. Outside, the morning sun reflected off the cold glass of Wall Street skyscrapers. The city was just waking up. They had no idea the financial map of the world was currently being torn to shreds behind closed doors.My phone vibrated against the dark wood table. I picked it up."London is clean," Ghos
You may also like
The rejected Son-in-law
Hunni97.9K viewsRevenge of the Secret Heir
Belladonna86.5K viewsRise of Power: Return of The Pathetic Commoner
Iwaswiththestars78.1K viewsTrillionaire Ex husband's Revenge
Jericho Chase95.6K viewsRevenge of the Disgraced Heir
Onaddict176 viewsSpun Out of Control
steven27 viewsInheritor of Shadow
Hi.ayana275 viewsReborn As A Useless Mage, But I'm Already The Angel Of Death
Light Pearl 33 views