2025-10-19 04:16:41At three o’clock, a sleek black car rolled up to the front of The Wave Estate Resort. Its tires whispered on the driveway; the engine was quiet but powerful.
The vehicle stopped.
The driver stepped out, adjusted his gloves, then straightened his jacket. With a practiced motion, he opened the rear door.
From the back seat, Zarek emerged, his coat flaring behind him like a shadow. He stepped onto the driveway, boots clicking against stone, gaze fixed on the sprawling resort.
Calm and composed, he took in the building; every detail was sharp in his eyes.
Turning slightly, he asked the man beside him, voice steady, “Is this the place? Can I find them here?”
The man swallowed and glanced nervously at the extravagant façade. “It’s… where we were told, sir. But it doesn’t exactly look like the Ashbourne family’s home.”
Zarek didn’t answer at once. His eyes stayed cold, scanning the estate as if calculating every possible move before stepping inside.
The man stiffened and dropped into a low bow, eyes down. “Understood, sir.”
Zarek gave no reply. With a single fluid motion, he strode toward the resort, his coat trailing like a shadow.
At the gate, he noticed it was wide open, unusual for a place like this. His gaze swept the entryway and landed on two guards lounging by the main door, clearly slacking.
They were cornering a woman, blocking her path.
She wore a short red gown that clung to her curves and left her shoulders bare.
One guard leered and stepped closer. “Oh, come on, don’t be so stiff. We’re just having fun.”
“I said no! Back off!” she snapped, shoving his shoulder.
The other guard chuckled. “Feisty… I like that. Maybe I’ll change your mind.”
“If you agree, we can let you in without an invitation,” the first added.
Zarek walked past them, coat flaring slightly as each step echoed.
One guard noticed him and froze, face twisting with anger. “Hey! How dare you walk in here without an invitation?”
“Yeah! Stop right there!” the other barked.
Zarek didn’t slow or glance their way.
The woman in red looked up as he passed; her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed.
The guards noticed immediately.
“She’s looking at him!” one hissed, jaw tight. “What is this?!”
“Don’t let him get away with this. Let’s teach him a lesson!” the other spat.
They rushed forward, shouting insults. “You don’t belong here!” “You’ve got no invitation!”
One lunged, hand reaching for Zarek. Whap! Zarek’s open palm slapped the hand away with a sharp crack; it skidded to the side.
“Don’t you dare touch me,” Zarek said, voice cold.
The guards stumbled back, stunned.
The one who’d been shoved scrambled to his feet, face red with fury. “How dare you hit me!” he yelled, drawing a baton. “We’ll teach you a lesson!”
He lunged, baton raised. Zarek caught it mid swing with one hand, twisted it, then drove a sharp punch into the guard’s belly.
The man flew backward and crashed into a parked car.
CRUNCH.
Metal groaned, and the car alarm began to wail, shrill and piercing.
The second guard’s eyes widened; panic replaced rage.
He dropped his baton and bolted, disappearing down the driveway.
Zarek didn’t chase.
He dropped the baton he’d held and walked inside.
The woman hurried forward and slipped her hand around his arm.
Her eyes were soft, a seductive glimmer as she leaned closer. “Do you have a partner for the party?” she asked, voice low. “Or… a girlfriend?”
Zarek removed her hand with a single motion, his gaze hard. “Leave me alone.”
Her smile faltered. “W-Why did you help me then, if you don’t want to be… with me?”
“I didn’t help you. Tone down your entitlement.” He turned and strode off, leaving her seething.
Zarek slipped past the gate and into the heart of the party. Music pulsed from hidden speakers; laughter and chatter filled the air.
The pool sparkled under the sun as women lounged and splashed; dozens turned as he passed, faces flushing with surprise and fascination.
He didn’t glance at them. He moved with calm, deliberate grace.
He reached a corner table, sleek and secluded, and settled into a chair, surveying the crowd with sharp eyes.
He scanned every face for the man he’d come to find, Darian Veyron, trusting his instincts.
A waiter placed a glass of white wine before him. Zarek swirled it, then took a measured sip; the crisp liquid slid down his throat, sharp and invigorating.
Whispers rippled through the guests.
A stunning woman near the pool, fiery red hair, emerald eyes, an hourglass figure, turned and murmured to a friend, “Wow… he’s really handsome…”
Her boyfriend, with a heavy gold chain around his neck, caught the comment mid-sip. His face closed like a trap.
“Who is that guy?” he barked to his entourage. “Find out—now.”
Six bulky men rose at his command, expressions hard, muscles taut.
“That handsome son of a—” one grumbled.
“We’re gonna mess his face up,” another growled.
They moved toward Zarek, a single, menacing unit.
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CHAPTER 463
The movement was slow, deliberate, carrying the heavy weight of an apex predator marking its territory."If you're trying to invent a connection between my operations and the ghosts of your past failures, you're reaching," Zarek said. "House Blackwood handles its business in the present. I don't care who you knew ten years ago, Director. It has nothing to do with why we are at this table."Vance didn't blink. He lowered the silver knife, letting the blade rest against the porcelain with a soft, ominous clink."Is that so?" Vance’s raspy voice dropped into a low frequency that vibrated through the grand hall. Ignoring Tinny, he kept his razor-sharp gaze anchored entirely on Zarek. The old director leaned back, a single finger tapping the metal handle of his cane. "You can play the ignorant upstart all you want, Mr. Blackwood, but it is entirely too obvious what is happening here. You brought your brother for one reason.”He paused, studying Zarek's expression.“You are using the boy
CHAPTER 462
Across from him, Zarek leaned back into the contoured leather of his seat, his posture radiating absolute composure. Beneath the calm mask, his mind ran high-speed algorithmic calculations.He had deliberately allowed Tinny to push Valerius to the brink. It wasn't a schoolboy tantrum; it was a calculated probe to see exactly how Director Vance would react. Zarek was mapping the corporate landscape. Years ago, the Vances had dismantled the Riggs family using a hidden asset, perhaps black-market regulatory leverage. Because House Blackwood operated on that same elite tier, a standard corporate chess match wouldn't cut it. He needed to know the nature of the teeth Vance had bared against the Riggs.Zarek’s dark eyes narrowed at the silent patriarch. ‘What are you waiting for, Vance?’ he thought, his fingers tapping a slow rhythm against his knee beneath the tablecloth. ‘Are you going to deploy that same power, or is your real backup already waiting in the shadows of this cleared
CHAPTER 461
A suffocating silence stretched across the grand dining hall. The security operators remained frozen, hands locked onto weapons, waiting for a single gesture from their director to clear the floor.Slowly, Director Vance pulled his eyes away from Tinny and focused entirely on Zarek, a bitter frown carving into his weathered face. He recognized Zarek’s tactical play. By walking in without visible backup, Zarek wasn't being reckless; he was broadcasting terrifying confidence, letting Vance know he didn't need an army to handle House Vance.With a sharp exhale, Vance deliberately leaned his cane against the table. The rigid tension left his features as he forced them back into a cold, corporate mask."Sit down, Zarek," Vance commanded, his low, raspy growl echoing off the crystalline chandelier. He flicked his wrist toward two empty leather chairs opposite his wall of guards. "We didn't come here to discuss my security budget. Sit, before I decide this meeting is a waste of my time
CHAPTER 460
A heavy, persistent dread settled deep into his chest. Zarek knew Director Vance wasn't a fool who wasted immense administrative resources on simple theatrical displays. Clearing an entire high-sector commercial block meant Vance was re-aligning his defensive lines, tilting the board before tomorrow night's dinner.But as the transport pulled smoothly to the curb of the vacant, high-end restaurant, Zarek’s frown ironed out into certainty.A trap, he thought, his eyes narrowing.It didn't matter what hidden assets or ambushes Vance arranged in the darkness. Zarek adjusted his tailored cuffs, his dark eyes flashing. He had survived through sheer force of will, and he knew he could handle whatever Vance pulled.“We are here, Boss,” Shaw announced, the vehicle door hissing open to reveal the dead-silent street.Zarek stepped out into the chilly air, his towering figure casting a long shadow across the pavement. “Keep the car ready to move. I don’t want Tinny injured, and keep an eye
CHAPTER 459
"But still..." Vance whispered, his teeth grinding as a ruthless shadow crossed his face. "The boy is entirely too arrogant. He thinks surviving the lower-sector turf wars under his brother's shadow means he can mock House Vance without consequence."Vance raised his head, locking his gaze onto his son with chilling intent."Tomorrow night, they will walk into my domain. Zarek thinks he has won because he holds a few transit lines, but he underestimates what a desperate house will do to defend its bloodline.” He paused, letting the weight settle. “I am going to teach that street rat a lesson in structural hierarchy he will never forget. By the time they leave my dinner table, Tinny Blackwood will know exactly what happens to parasites who try to wear our skin."Hearing those words, the suffocating humiliation that had crushed Valerius for the last hour evaporated, replaced by a spark of malicious vindication."So you're finally going to put them in their place," Valerius breathed, a
CHAPTER 458
"Don't look so miserable, Zarek," Tinny laughed, casually snatching the crisp, spare Blackwood tactical coat from Shaw's hands.He threw it over his shoulders. The heavy, high-density fabric instantly swallowed his lean, scarred frame, hanging down to his knees like an oversized cape."The plan worked perfectly. We wanted them to open the gates, right? Well, they're open. Wide open."Zarek didn't stop walking. His tall, imposing figure was already clearing the threshold of the principal's office, his measured steps echoing sharply down the quiet corridor. But his voice drifted back, laced with a cold, icy administrative bite."The objective was a subtle penetration of their domestic ledger, Tinny," Zarek murmured, his dark eyes fixed straight ahead as he navigated the glass-walled hallway. "It did not require you to reduce a multi-million credit, high-sector asset to gym shorts, or stand in your undergarments in front of an academic board.""Hey, adaptation is a lower-sector skill,"
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