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Chapter 84
The elevator doors opened on Floor Forty, and Alexander immediately felt the difference. The lower floors had been competitive but chaotic—everyone scrambling, fighting their own battles.Here, there was organization. Structure. The kind of cold efficiency that came with serious money.The lobby was more elegant than anything below—marble floors, abstract art on the walls, soft lighting that cost more than most people's monthly rent. But what struck Alexander most was the people.They weren't competing themselves. They stood in small clusters, well-dressed and confident, while others—clearly their proxies—handled the actual challenges. The wealthy were spectating their own competition, treating it like a show."This place is different," Katarina whispered in her native language."More money, more arrogance," Alexander replied in the same tongue. "Stay close."They'd barely taken three steps into the lobby when the whispers started."Who let them up here?""Look at their clothes—defini
Chapter 83
Cornelius stared at his two proxies—men he'd hired specifically for their loyalty, their ruthlessness, their absolute obedience to him and only him—as they knelt before Vanessa Sterling like worshippers before a goddess."This is a joke," he said, his voice cracking slightly. "You're pulling some kind of prank, right? Marcus? Rex? Get up! Stop playing around!"The proxies didn't move. Didn't even acknowledge he'd spoken. Their focus remained entirely on Vanessa, waiting for her next command with the patience of machines."I said GET UP!" Cornelius's voice rose to a shout. "I'm your employer! You work for me! Do as I say!"Still nothing.Vanessa's smile was small and cold. "They can't hear you anymore, Mr. Goth. Or rather, they can hear you, but your words don't matter to them. Not while they're under the influence.""What the hell did you spray them with?" Cornelius demanded, his earlier confidence completely shattered. "What was that?""A gift," Vanessa said calmly, placing the canis
CHAPTER 82
Just stopped. Mid-stride, mid-motion, like someone had pressed a pause button on their bodies.For a moment, nothing happened. Cornelius sat forward, confused. "What the hell—"Then both proxies dropped to their knees in perfect synchronization. Their heads bowed. And in voices that were suddenly flat, emotionless, robotic, they spoke in perfect unison:"Command us, Mistress."The words hung in the air like a thunderclap.Cornelius shot to his feet, his chair clattering backward. "What? What the fuck did you just—Marcus! Rex! Get up! What are you doing?"The proxies didn't move, didn't acknowledge him. They remained kneeling, heads bowed, waiting for Vanessa's orders with the patience of machines."I said get up!" Cornelius's voice was rising toward panic now. "Stop this shit and grab her!"Still nothing. They might as well have been statues.Vanessa lowered the canister slowly, her expression still perfectly calm but with a hint of satisfaction in her eyes. "I told you, Mr. Goth. I d
CHAPTER 81
Cornelius watched Vanessa's hand slide into her bag with a moment of genuine wariness. Guns were banned in the Twin Towers—the security screening was too sophisticated to sneak them through. But knives, tasers, chemical weapons? All fair game under the competition's surprisingly loose rules about self-defense.Then Vanessa's hand emerged holding what was clearly a small aerosol canister—the kind you could buy at any pharmacy. Pepper spray.For a moment, there was absolute silence. Then Cornelius threw his head back and laughed—a genuinely amused sound that echoed through the bar."Pepper spray?" he managed between laughs. "After all that tough talk, all that posturing about being prepared—you brought pepper spray?"The two proxies joined in, their deep voices rumbling with mirth. One of them—a scarred brute with hands like sledgehammers—actually had to wipe tears from his eyes."Oh, this is rich," the proxy said. "Lady, I've been pepper sprayed by cops, by security guards, by angry ex
CHAPTER 80 PART 2
"Among other things." Cornelius's smile was cold. "The five families have ruled this city for generations, Ms. Sterling. We didn't get here by playing nice. We got here by being smarter, more ruthless, more willing to get our hands dirty than anyone else.""How inspiring," Vanessa said dryly."Mock if you want. But understand this—if you continue in this competition, if you pose a threat to the interests of the families, you will be eliminated. And not just you. Everyone associated with you. Your employees. Your business partners. Your... proxies."The threat was clear. They knew about Alexander, or at least suspected a connection."Are you threatening me, Mr. Goth?""I'm warning you," Cornelius corrected. "There's a difference. Withdraw now, tonight, and you walk away unharmed. Your businesses continue operating. Your people stay safe. But if you insist on competing..." He shrugged. "Well. Accidents happen. Especially on the upper floors."Vanessa set down her glass with deliberate c
Chapter 80 PART 1
Floor Seventy-Five had a private bar tucked away from the main common areas—an intimate space designed for quiet conversations and strategic alliances.Dark wood paneling, soft leather chairs, ambient lighting that cast everything in warm shadows.It was the kind of place where deals were made and enemies were identified.Vanessa sat at the bar nursing a glass of scotch, her mind running through the events of the day.The missing Stanford proxy. The whispered conversations among the five families.The growing certainty that someone in this building was hunting for Alexander.She'd positioned herself as a target, tried to draw attention away from the lower floors. But she couldn't shake the feeling that she was missing something crucial."Excuse me, barman," a commanding voice cut through her thoughts. "Why don't you take a break? Go have a smoke. Come back in fifteen minutes."Vanessa looked up to see Cornelius Goth standing beside her—patriarch of the Goth family, a man whose manufac
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