2026-02-15 07:39:22Chris woke to warmth beside him and a dull, throbbing ache behind his eyes. For a moment, he smiled into the pillow, comforted by the familiar curve of a body pressed close to his.
The smaller frame of the figure backing him confused him but his mind was still foggy, slow to question anything.
“Charlotte…” he murmured, voice hoarse, reaching out blindly.
His fingers brushed the skin. Smooth. Warm.
He turned lazily, still half-smiling, ready to pull her closer till he froze.
The face of the naked body beside him was not Charlotte’s.
Chris sucked in a sharp breath, panic slamming into him so hard it knocked the air from his lungs. His heart began to pound violently as he scrambled backward, clutching the sheet to his chest.
It was Veronica and she was wide awake now, watching him.
His mouth opened, but no sound came out at first.
“What… what are you doing here?” his voice cracked.
“Where’s Charlotte?” he asked.
Veronica sat up slowly, calm in a way that made his skin crawl.
“Good morning, Chris.” She said,
“No way,” Chris thought, shaking his head. “No, no… Why is Veronica in my bed?” he stopped abruptly, memories crashing back in broken flashes.
The blindfold. The fog. The way his body had felt heavy, disconnected.
His stomach twisted.
He stumbled out of bed, fumbling for his clothes, hands shaking so badly he could barely button his shirt.
“This is a mistake.” He said frantically, more to himself than her.
“Charlotte… she was here. I was with my wife.” He said, confused.
The door burst open.
Charlotte walked in first.
Behind her were Lucas, Bianca, two men in suits carrying briefcases and several bodyguards.
Lawyers. Bodyguards. Chris felt his world tilt.
She looked devastated as she talked, “Chris! You slept with my step mom? You disgusting piece of shit!”
“No, no, no, Charlotte. Please listen to me. I had no idea what happened last night. I swear.” Chris tried to explain but before he could finish, Veronica stood up from the bed abruptly.
“Charlotte… thank God you are here. Your husband… he assaulted.” Veronica said.
“What!?” Chris exclaimed.
“Chris Greene, I want a divorce now.” Charlotte demanded.
“Wait… you gave me a drink last night, and then… wait, did you two set me up? Why? I thought we were fine last night, Charlotte.”
Charlotte smirked. Then she dropped the divorce paper on the table.
“You cheated. That’s all the court needs to hear.” She said with a smile.
Chris stared at the paper in disbelief then threw it on the floor.
“My stepdaughter deserves a man with power. Not… whatever you are.” Veronica said as she looked at Chris.
Charlotte took a cigarette from one of her bodyguards and moved closer to Chris, “You, Mr. fuckup, were never good enough for me.”
Chris picked up the paper, “Fine. You want a divorce?”
He took his pen and signed, “You got it.”
Charlotte and Veronica laughed mockingly at Chris.
“I’ve never seen anybody so happy to be broke.” Charlotte said as she grinned.
“What?” Chris was confused.
“Oh. I take everything. Not that you have much but the five million dollars for the app is mine now. You walk away with nothing.” Charlotte said in one breath.
“No, no, no, no. That’s not happening.” Chris said loudly.
“Boys!” Charlotte called out to her bodyguards.
“Make sure he agrees. Go the hard way if he struggles.” She finally said as she stepped back for the bodyguards to do their work.”
Chris tried to fight back but they outnumbered him.
He was sent out of the mansion, without his phone or clothes, looking badly bashed and injured.
Chris sobbed as he walked.
“Charlotte Wood, you didn’t just set me up. You took everything from me.” He said as he looked up to the sky.
Under a moon glowing with unnatural light, as birds sang at the wrong hour and the wind whispered like it understood him, Chris made a promise,
“Charlotte Wood, I swear on my fucking life. One day, I’m going to have you begging on your knees for what you did to me!”
As his words faded into the night, cars appeared as if summoned, lining up before him.
“That car… that’s the Godfather’s car.” He stared in disbelief as he looked at the car.
Chris stood rooted to the spot while a beautiful woman in a black suit and several men stepped out.
“The Mikaelson syndicate… They run this city and the Godfather, he is the king of every mafia in this city.” Chris muttered to himself in utter shock.
Together, they bowed to him.
Lynda, the beautiful woman spoke. “Mr. Greene, the Godfather wishes to see you.”
Chris stood frozen, his breath hitched as he stared at her in disbelief.
…
The study was lined with dark mahogany panels, the scent of burning oakwood logs rising from the stone fireplace behind him. The fire burned steadily, casting a low amber glow across the room and over the collection of antique brass clocks, ivory figurines, and framed relics arranged with deliberate care.
On the walnut desk in front of him lay two Beretta pistols, placed openly, as though they belonged there.
The Godfather stood tall, a hand-carved briarwood pipe between his fingers. Smoke drifted slowly from the bowl as he exhaled, the tobacco rich and heavy. His golden-grey hair was neatly slicked back. He wore a perfectly tailored black Italian suit, paired with a gold silk tie that caught the firelight.
Nothing about him was hurried. Nothing about him was uncertain.
Even without a word, the room obeyed him.
Lynda walked in and bowed respectfully, “Don Mikaelson, Mr. Greene is here.”
Chris was made to kneel in front of him.
A cold shiver ran down his spine.
What could the Godfather possibly want with a man who had nothing left to lose?
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Chapter 165
The black, armored SUV pulled to a stop near the main entrance of the Holloway Ridge mining facility. Chris stepped out into the heavy afternoon heat, his eyes scanning the perimeter. The area was quiet, almost too quiet, surrounded by chain-link fences and dense trees. Behind him, three heavily armed men from his personal security detail moved out in a tight formation, their hands resting near their weapons.Chris raised his left wrist, tapping the interface on his watch. "BODAS, do a quick sweep of the place. I want to know exactly what we are walking into before we move a step further.""Initiating security sweep, Mr. Greene," the AI’s calm, synthesized voice responded through his earpiece. "Accessing local satellite camera feeds now."On the small, high-resolution screen of his watch, a live aerial view of the entire Holloway Ridge facility flickered into focus. The digital camera feed tracked the main office, the heavy machinery parked near the primary dig site, and the transport
Chapter 164
Adrian stood up too, his hand gripping the edge of the table for balance. "Fine. If you’re going, I’m getting my gear. Give me ten minutes to get out of this sling and grab a vest.""No," Chris said. The word was short, sharp, and dropped like a heavy stone between them.Adrian frowned, stepping out from behind his lounger. He didn't stop moving toward the glass doors of the villa. "Don't 'no' me, Chris. I'm your Chief of Operations. If you're walking into an unmapped Holloway dead zone, I'm walking in with you. I can shoot one-handed if I have to."Chris stepped directly into Adrian’s path, blocking the walkway. His posture was rigid, but his eyes were wide and intense. "You aren't going, Adrian. Look at yourself. You can barely hold your glass without your shoulder locking up.""It's a scratch," Adrian snapped, his voice rising in frustration. "I've handled worse. I'm not sitting poolside sipping lime juice while you risk your neck because of a gut feeling about some old mainframe f
Chapter 163
The afternoon sun beat down on the private deck, baking the concrete around the infinity pool. Chris Greene lay back on a canvas lounger, his sunglasses pushed up into his hair. He held a cold glass of mojito, the condensation dripping down his fingers and onto his linen shorts. A few feet away, Adrian sat on a matching chair, his posture still slightly stiff from his recent injuries. His left arm was cradled in a dark medical sling, but the grey, exhausted look was finally leaving his skin.Chris took a slow sip through his straw, swallowed, and pointed the green glass toward Adrian. "See? I told you the sun would make you feel better. Your color is returning back to normal."Adrian let out a low laugh and shook his head. He looked down at his drink, then back at Chris. It was fascinating to watch the shift in his friend. With every major victory they secured against the legacy dynasties, a layer of heavy pressure seemed to lift from Chris's shoulders. Around the boardrooms and durin
Chapter 162
The fallout from the Judas Strategy was like an explosion that didn't stop. Within minutes of the files hitting the internet, the quiet streets of Onyx Harbor turned into a scene of chaos. The news was everywhere. It was on every smartphone, every office computer, and every television screen in every coffee shop.The press and media didn't just report the news; they hunted for more. News anchors were calling for immediate action. They didn't use soft words. They used words like "fraud," "murder," and "betrayal." Public outrage grew by the second.The most vocal groups were the clients of the Holloway jewelry line. These were wealthy, influential people who had spent millions of dollars on what they thought were rare, natural diamonds. Finding out they had been wearing synthetic "fake stones" made them furious. They didn't just want their money back; they wanted the Holloways in prison. Groups of them started gathering outside the Holloway flagship stores, shouting for justice.At the
Chapter 161
The CEO of Orixa-Tech, a woman named Funke, was just as tough."We’ve seen what happens when big firms move into Lagos," Funke said. "You’ll take our tech and move the headquarters to Europe. We want to stay here and build our local economy."Chris shook his head. "I want the tech, Funke, but I don't want to move you. I want you to be my regional hub.""That’s what they all say," Funke argued. "But then the contracts change. I cannot agree to a majority stake sale if it means my people lose their jobs."Again, they hit a wall. Adrian started typing on his laptop and then showed Chris the screen. He had drafted a "Local Autonomy Agreement" that guaranteed the headquarters would stay in Lagos for at least a decade and promised a massive budget for local hiring.Chris smiled and pitched the new deal to Funke. "I’ll sign a ten-year residency agreement. Orixa-Tech stays in Lagos. We will double your hiring budget specifically for local talent. I’m not here to erase you; I’m here to fuel yo
Chapter 160
The sun had barely started to peek through the curtains when Chris Greene opened his eyes. He didn’t linger in bed. There was too much to do. He went to his dressing room and skipped the tailored suits he usually wore for business. Instead, he pulled on a pair of dark jeans and a plain black t-shirt. He threw a light jacket over his shoulders and laced up his sneakers. Today wasn’t about looking like a CEO; it was about finishing a job.He grabbed his laptop from the nightstand and headed straight for the mansion’s medical wing. When he pushed the door open, he stopped in his tracks. Adrian was sitting upright in bed, his color looking a bit better and his eyes bright. He had two tablets propped up on his lap and a laptop on the rolling over-bed table.Chris shook his head in disbelief. "Adrian, do you even sleep? I’m starting to think you’re more of a machine than BODAS."Adrian let out a dry laugh that ended in a small wince. "Sleep is for people who don't have a world to conquer, C
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