The Devil's Fortune

The words hit Marcel like a slap across the face. "I'm done pretending to love a loser." Olivia Hart stood in their cramped living room, designer bag slung over her shoulder, looking every bit the star she now was. The blockbuster contract papers sat on the coffee table between them like a death sentence. Marcel froze in the doorway, still in his delivery jacket, keys dangling from his fingers.He laughed.it sounded false" If this is a joke Olivia cut it, it's not funny"Olivia frowned "I'm dead serious Marcel, Im not doing this with you anymore" "What?" he managed, voice cracking.Olivia let out a sharp laugh, flipping her perfect hair. "You heard me, Marcel. I signed the deal today. Big studio, lead role, the works. I don't need you dragging me down anymore." He stepped closer, heart hammering. "Dragging you down? Liv, I've been paying for everything. Your classes, the auditions, that fancy wardrobe you said you needed. I work three jobs so you can chase this dream." She rolled

The phone call went straight to voicemail. Marcel stared at the screen in the pouring rain, thumb pressing redial again and again. Nothing. Just that cold automated voice telling him the number was no longer in service. Olivia had blocked him already. He wiped water from his eyes and muttered to himself. "This is not about my ego. Lily needs me. I just need a couch for one night. Tomorrow I hunt for new jobs. I can fix this." Marcel's feet moved before his brain caught up. He knew her new address from the times he had dropped off packages there. The fancy part of town with gated buildings and security that never looked twice at guys like him. He walked the whole way, soaked to the bone, shoes squelching with every step. When he reached the sleek modern house, lights glowed from inside. Marcel knocked on the heavy wooden door. No answer. He knocked harder. "Liv? It's Marcel. Please. I know you don't want to see me but I really need help." Silence. He moved to the side win

The silver RollsRoyce glided to a stop outside the hospital entrance like it owned the whole block.Marcel stepped out first, Aurora right behind him with her hand lightly on his arm. The automatic doors slid open and heads turned immediately. A nurse at the front desk dropped her clipboard with a clatter."Is that... Aurora Vale?" the nurse whispered loudly to her colleague. "The Aurora Vale?"An older doctor rushing past froze mid-step. "Miss Vale? What brings you here? Do you need medical attention? We'll clear the best room right now."Aurora smiled calmly and shook her head. "Not for me, doctor. This is Marcel Kane. His sister Lily is a patient here. We need the best care possible and we need it now."The doctor blinked rapidly, adjusting his glasses. "Of course, of course. But her case requires highly specialized hands. Multiple shattered bones, complex reconstruction. Our team is good but we might need to call in experts from out of state. This could take time to arrange."Anot

The lead surgeon stepped out of the recovery room with a tired but satisfied smile.Marcel stood up fast. "Tell me straight. How is she?"The surgeon nodded. "Lily's surgery was a complete success. The pins are perfectly placed. Bones are realigned. With proper rehabilitation she will walk again. No limp. No lasting damage. She is one tough young woman."Marcel let out a long breath but his face stayed cold and hard. No smile. No celebration. "Good. Who did this to her? I need names. Details. Anything."The doctor exchanged a quick look with his colleague before handing over a small plastic bag. "We removed this tracking chip from her body during the procedure. It had a strange symbol engraved on it. A black crown with seven serpents twisting around it. Never seen anything like it before. This was no random attack, Mr. Kane."Marcel took the bag and stared at the chip. The symbol looked evil. Deliberate. "Black Crown and Seven Serpents. They wanted her crippled forever. They will regr

Morning news exploded across every screen in the city.Three major production companies suddenly lost their funding. Olivia Hart's upcoming movie quietly lost its distributor. Boardrooms lit up with panic calls."Who is pulling out?" one executive shouted into his phone. "This deal was locked yesterday."Marcel sat in the private suite watching it all unfold on multiple screens. Marcus munched on breakfast beside him, fork halfway to his mouth."Bro, you destroyed her career before she even woke up," Marcus said.Marcel calmly sipped his coffee. "I did not destroy it. I just stopped protecting it."Marcus paused. "That sounds worse."Aurora walked in holding a tablet. She stood close to Marcel and showed him the full structure of Olivia's career network. Every investor, every sponsor, every hidden dependency appeared clearly."She is not powerful," Aurora said. "She is maintained."Marcel studied the screen. "So we remove the maintenance."Aurora smiled slightly. "Now you are learning