The last laugh.

FOUR: Who owned the sky.

They said I didn’t belong in their world.

That I was too loud. Too new. Too different.

But I didn’t care.

Because I wasn’t trying to fit in.

I was trying to build something they couldn’t ignore.

And I was winning.

But the thing about winning?

The higher you climb…

…the clearer you see who’s waiting to knock you off.

---

The Sky Summit

Every year, the richest people on earth gather in one place.

They call it The Sky Summit — a three-day event in a private city built on top of a mountain in Switzerland.

Not open to the public.

No press.

No cameras.

Just billionaires, heirs, CEOs, presidents, and quiet men with deep pockets and darker secrets.

This year?

For the first time ever…

I was invited.

---

Felix looked at the black envelope on my desk.

“This is them testing you again,” he said.

“I don’t care.”

“They’re not inviting you because they respect you.”

“I know.”

“They want to see if you’ll kneel.”

I looked at him.

“I don’t kneel. I land.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Land?”

I smiled.

“I’m not walking up the mountain, Felix. I’m flying in.”

---

The Grand Entrance

The Sky Summit didn’t allow planes or jets to land nearby.

Attendees were driven up in convoys.

But I wasn’t like them.

I came in my own private helicopter-jet hybrid, gold-trimmed, roaring through the icy wind like thunder.

The second I landed, cameras clicked — not news cameras, power cameras. People who mattered. Watching.

I stepped out in an all-black suit, dark glasses, and one glove.

The crowd turned.

Some stared.

Some whispered.

Some glared.

I just smiled.

Let them look.

---

The Ice King

The summit was held in a glass dome over a frozen lake.

Everything inside screamed money.

Chandeliers made of diamonds.

Floor tiles from Italy.

Guards in tuxedos.

But none of that impressed me.

Because I only cared about one man.

Magnus Wolfe.

The youngest trillionaire alive.

He made his first billion at 19.

Now he was 38, powerful, untouchable, and dangerous.

If the Gilded Table was a circle…

Magnus sat right in the center.

He didn’t hate me like Voss did.

He didn’t fear me like Evelyn did.

He just didn’t respect me.

And that’s the worse.

Magnus was standing at a tall glass window, sipping white wine.

I walked up beside him.

No words for five seconds.

Then he said:

“You made quite the entrance.”

“Had to make sure you noticed.”

He turned slowly.

“I notice movements. Not noise.”

“I’m both,” I said. “That’s the problem.”

He studied me like a lion studies a younger lion.

“You remind me of me. When I was hungry. Untamed. Sharp.”

“And now?”

He took another sip.

“Now, I own the sky.”

I leaned closer.

“Then you better learn to share the clouds.”

---

The Private Room

Later that night, he called for me.

Just me and him.

No guards.

No assistants.

The room was silent except for a fire burning in the corner.

He poured us both whiskey and sat down.

“I’ve been watching you,” he said.

“I figured.”

“You’re different. Smart. Bold. Charismatic. You’ve got the streets behind you.”

“Thanks.”

“That’s why I’m here to offer you something.”

He slid a gold chip across the table.

I picked it up.

No logo. Just weight.

“What is this?”

“A key,” he said. “To my world.”

I waited.

He continued.

“I’ll back you. Protect you. Fund anything you want. But in return… you end the Ash Circle. No more public games. You become one of us.”

I held the chip in my hand for a few seconds.

It was tempting.

One move, and I’d be untouchable.

But I didn’t come this far to become just another rich man sitting quiet.

I came to make noise.

So I placed the chip back down, carefully.

And said:

“I didn’t come here to join your sky.”

“I came to bring the storm"

Magnus didn’t yell.

He didn’t even look angry.

He just smiled.

“You should enjoy the spotlight while it lasts.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means I like you, Jason. I really do. But you don’t understand the sky yet.”

He leaned back.

“You think power is about being popular. Being loud. Being followed.”

I stayed silent.

“But real power?” he whispered.

“It’s quiet. It’s in deals made in back rooms. It’s in the names you don’t hear on TV. It’s in the shadows.”

He stood.

“And if you want to dance in the light too long, remember this—”

He looked me in the eye.

“Even stars burn out.”

Leaving the Summit

I didn’t say goodbye.

I didn’t shake hands.

I just walked back to my aircraft and flew out through the clouds.

But something was different this time.

I wasn’t flying out as an outsider.

I was flying out as a target.

---

Back in the City

Felix was waiting at the penthouse.

“Well?”

“They want to buy me.”

“And?”

“I told them no.”

He nodded.

“Then we better move fast.”

“Why?”

He showed me his screen.

A massive leak had just hit the internet.

Dozens of files.

Bank transfers.

Contracts.

Photos.

Fake stories that looked real.

All painting me as the new villain of the billionaire world.

Set up by Magnus Wolfe and his allies.

Overnight, things changed.

Deals started disappearing.

Partners pulled out.

Security threats increased.

Even some of my Ash Circle members started questioning things.

Fear crept in.

Doubt.

But I wasn’t afraid.

Because I’d seen worse.

I’d survived worse.

And I knew what was coming next.

Not silence.

Not surrender.

But fire.

The world was starting to turn on me.

News channels repeated lies every hour.

Commentators called me “unstable.”

Sponsors backed out.

My name went from “hero of the people” to “dangerous billionaire.”

Magnus Wolfe had moved first — and he moved smart.

But what he didn’t know?

I’d already prepared for this.

Because when you grow up with nothing, you learn how to move without a safety net.

---

Team Meeting – Ash Circle HQ

We met in a dark conference room under a former casino in Las Vegas.

Everyone looked serious. Tired. On edge.

Amber dropped a folder on the table.

“We lost four major investors this week.”

Deek added, “Three data leaks. All fake. All connected to Wolfe.”

Nova, our hacker, slid her laptop around. “He’s got deep code spies inside three of our systems. I’m scrubbing them, but it’s like chasing shadows.”

K-Six leaned back. “What’s the play, boss?”

I stood up and looked at them all.

“The world thinks I’m losing,” I said.

Felix raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t we?”

“No,” I said. “We’re just building up the punch.”

They all leaned in.

---

The Plan

Here’s what we did:

The Leak Before the Leak

Nova created a fake document — a “confession” claiming I paid to silence whistleblowers. We let Wolfe’s team steal it.

Then we exposed that document ourselves, showing how it was planted — live, on stream, with receipts.

Public trust flipped back instantly.

The Empire Ball

We announced a massive global event: The Carter Empire Ball.

One night. One city. All eyes.

An event celebrating vision, creativity, success — and the underdogs.

Not billionaires.

Not politicians.

People.

The invite list was wild — from tech geniuses in Ghana to viral dancers in the Bronx. Everyone who was told “you’ll never make it” was given a front-row seat.

The Wolf Trap

And finally, we sent Wolfe an invitation.

His own invite.

In gold foil.

No message.

Just a seat.

Let him see the world he's trying to bury.

---

The Night of the Empire Ball – Lagos, Nigeria

We held the event in Eko Atlantic, a shining island city built on the edge of the sea.

I rented out the entire skyline.

Over 5,000 guests.

Red carpets. Drone lights in the sky. Afrobeat legends performing live. The entire internet watching.

This wasn’t a party.

It was a statement.

I walked in with Kenny by my side. All-black suit. Calm face. Eyes straight.

The crowd roared.

I walked to the stage, took the mic, and said:

> “They told me I wasn’t born for this.

That people like me don’t get power.

But I didn’t come to fit in.

I came to flip the script.”

> “You don’t need to be born into the game to win it.

You just need to stop playing by their rules.”

The place went crazy.

Cameras flashed.

The internet exploded.

And just when the fire was hottest…

Magnus Wolfe walked in.

---

The Face-Off

He came alone.

No guards. No smile. Just power in his eyes.

The music paused.

Everyone turned.

I stepped off the stage.

Walked straight toward him.

We stood face to face in front of a billion-dollar skyline.

He spoke first.

“You’re louder than ever.”

“You showed up,” I replied.

“I wanted to see how far you’d go.”

“Far enough to make you sweat.”

He smiled faintly.

“You’re smart. You built something from nothing. But this?” he said, gesturing around. “It won’t last.”

“Why not?”

“Because crowds forget. Fame fades. And the moment you stop dancing, they’ll walk away.”

I leaned in.

“I’m not dancing,” I whispered. “I’m building. And even if they walk, the foundation stays.”

He said nothing.

Then, slowly, he walked out.

Not scared.

But shaken.

---

The Turning Tide

The next morning, every major headline read:

> "Jason Carter's Empire Ball Changes the Narrative."

"From Billionaire to Icon?"

"Magnus Wolfe Spotted in Rare Appearance, Leaves Without Comment."

Millions of young people posted videos thanking me for the inspiration.

Artists drew murals.

Influencers wore Empire Ball shirts.

And most important of all?

Investors came back.

New ones.

Big ones.

Because they saw what Wolfe couldn’t stop:

> I wasn’t just rich now.

> I was untouchable.

---

Back at HQ

Amber burst into the war room with a USB stick.

“Nova found it,” she said.

“Found what?” I asked.

“The leak that’ll burn Wolfe’s empire.”

I looked at Felix.

He just nodded.

It was time.

---

The Final Blow (Part 1)

We released a single photo.

Just one.

Magnus Wolfe shaking hands with a warlord.

A man wanted in five countries.

A man responsible for burning villages, trafficking weapons, and wiping out entire towns.

The photo was taken four years ago.

But the fire it caused?

Explosive.

Social media exploded.

Human rights groups demanded answers.

World leaders pulled out of Wolfe’s projects.

His brand value dropped $9.4 billion in 36 hours.

And all I did…

Was post a single word with the image:

“Interesting.”

---

The Call

Two nights later, Wolfe called me.

His voice was cold.

“You’ve made your point.”

“I haven’t even started.”

“You think you’ve won?”

I paused, then said:

> “I’m not trying to win.

I’m trying to wake the world up.”

He laughed, bitter.

“Then what happens next?”

I replied calmly:

> “You fall.

And I rise.

And the sky changes forever.”