2025-06-19 16:15:54
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CHAPTER 212
The heels came to a halt beside Javier.Silence thickened. Even the clinking of cutlery stopped. The maître d’, suddenly pale, straightened his posture.It was Valeria Everhart.She stood tall, composed, and radiant in a navy silk dress that fell perfectly against her frame. Her hair was swept back, her heels red-bottomed, her aura unmistakably commanding. The air around her shifted the mood in the room before she even spoke.“Thank you for waiting,” she said, her voice calm and low, directed at Javier.He nodded once, as if they’d merely been shopping. “Not at all.”Then her eyes moved—slowly, deliberately—to the maître d’.“I believe my husband was told to leave.”The man cleared his throat, already sweating. “M-Mrs. Everhart, I didn’t realize…”“You didn’t realize what?” she asked coolly. “That you insulted my husband repeatedly while pretending to guard the dignity of a restaurant built on pretense and overpriced wine?”The maître d’s smile collapsed. “There must’ve been a misunde
CHAPTER 211
The maître d’ didn’t even lift his eyes from the podium.“Reservation name?” he asked curtly, pen tapping against the guest list.“Everhart,” Javier said calmly.The man’s pen stilled for a moment, but he still didn’t look up. “Ever… what?”“Everhart,” Javier repeated.A pause. Then a scoff. “I don’t see that name. This is Aurum, sir. We don’t seat walk-ins, especially not during lunch rush.”Javier didn’t react. He stood quietly in front of the velvet rope, wearing his usual understated attire: grey blazer, crisp shirt, no tie. He looked clean, neat… but far too ordinary for the shimmering chandeliers and crystal glass of the restaurant’s clientele.“Maybe it’s under my wife’s name,” he offered. “Valeria Everhart.”At that, the maître d’ finally glanced up—and his lips curled.“Oh,” he said with a thin smile. “Her. Yes, of course. I remember now. Your wife dined here last week with Mr. Langley from the Sapphire Group.” He let the implication dangle in the air. “Alone.”Javier didn’t
CHAPTER 210
The alarm's shrill tone pierced the silence. Shoppers froze mid-step, and the boutique staff instinctively ducked behind counters. The steel shutters covering the mall’s exits had slammed down with mechanical finality. Lights flickered red. The giant LED screen above the central atrium flashed a warning in all caps:INTERNAL BREACH DETECTED – SYSTEM LOCKDOWN ACTIVE – ADMINISTRATOR OVERRIDE REQUIREDJavier’s gaze remained steady, but Valeria felt the subtle shift in his posture. Alert. Calculating. Not surprised—but ready.Simon Farrow, still inside the boutique, paled. “What the hell is this? A drill?”“No,” Javier said without emotion, his eyes scanning the screen. “This is targeted.”“Targeted?” Simon laughed nervously. “Please, who would target a... mall?”Javier didn’t answer.A voice suddenly echoed across the mall speakers—digitally distorted and grainy.“You never were good at staying hidden, Everhart.”The lights dimmed further. Valeria instinctively stepped closer to her husb
CHAPTER 209
“I just need five minutes, Javier,” Valeria said with a gentle smile as they walked into the upscale Armore Plaza Mall.“Take your time,” he replied, his voice calm, hands tucked in the pockets of his charcoal coat.The mall was buzzing with the midday crowd—polished tiles gleamed under chandeliers, designer storefronts boasted exclusive items, and the air smelled faintly of rich perfume and freshly brewed espresso. Javier looked like a quiet man accompanying his wife on an ordinary outing.And, in the eyes of most, he looked very much out of place.His clothes were neat but not branded. His shoes are comfortable but clearly not handmade. His watch was modest, silver-toned, without the gleam of status. To the public eye, he was just another middle-class man tailing a woman clearly dressed in luxury.They entered the boutique.Immediately, a tall sales associate glanced at them, then zeroed in on Valeria’s heels and handbag, then on Javier’s plain coat.“Good afternoon, ma’am,” she sai
CHAPTER 208
The ballroom fell into a suffocating silence.No light. No movement. Only the low hum of confused breathing and the soft clinking of someone dropping a wine glass.Javier stood still, feeling Valeria’s grip tighten around his arm. Her breath was shallow. Terrified. But he remained unmoved, calm as ever.“Show yourself,” Javier said. His voice wasn’t loud, but it cut cleanly through the dark. Steady. Level.The unseen figure laughed. “You really thought you could humiliate Kessler and just walk out of here?”There was a scuffle near the back. Someone pushed a chair. A woman yelped.“Don’t move!” the voice barked. “Unless you want someone to get hurt.”A faint green glow flickered from one of the emergency exit signs, casting dim shadows along the walls. Javier used it to track the general direction of the voice, opposite the buffet, likely near the tech booth.He scanned the room silently. No panic yet, but it was simmering. One scream, one wrong step, and it would erupt.“Valeria,”
CHAPTER 207
“Sir, are you sure you want to enter through the front?” asked the valet, his tone hesitant as he glanced at Javier’s simple black shirt, worn jeans, and unbranded shoes. “This is a private business gathering… for investors only.”Javier offered a polite nod, ignoring the insult implied in the man’s stiff posture.“I’m expected,” he said softly.The valet hesitated again before motioning lazily. “Down the hall, to the right. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. The people in there don’t like… freeloaders.”Javier said nothing and stepped forward into the lavish lobby of the Ardinox Grand Hotel.It was one of the most exclusive private investment summits of the year—gathering elite figures in tech, construction, oil, and private equity. All competitors, all hungry, all dressed in tailored suits and handcrafted watches that screamed dominance.Javier’s presence was a whisper among roars.He walked past a server carrying champagne, declined with a simple shake of the head, and entered the ma
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