Chapter: Chapter 12: Embers and DeceptionsThe blast thundered through the room like a wild creature set free, tearing apart metal and rock. Alexander scarcely had a moment to respond before the shockwave slammed him into the wall. The force took his breath away, and for a frightening instant, everything around was still.Dust and grime choked the atmosphere, and soft moans pierced the heavy silence. Alexander's lungs ached as he pushed himself to keep going, every breath shaking in his chest. His sight became unclear, but his father's journal shone brightly among the debris. It lay partially buried beneath fragments of glass and metal, itsleather cover burnt but undamaged.Coughing, he moved toward it, disregarding the intense ache in his side. His fingers closed around the journal just as Mason’s voice cut through the haze.“Alexander! Are you alive?”Alexander clenched his jaw and rose, swaying as the room whirled. "I'm present," he said roughly. “Isabella?”A quiet cry answered him. He turned, straining to see through th
Last Updated: 2025-01-10
Chapter: Chapter 11: The Spirit in the ReflectionThe shadows of the vault appeared to draw nearer, encircling Alexander like a suffocating shroud. The ominous silence following the video feed was deafening. His mind raced as the face on the screen burned into his memory, a face he had trusted, a voice he once relied on.Mason was the first to speak, breaking the heavy stillness. “Alexander, we need to get out of here. If they know we’re in the vault”“They already knew,” Isabella interrupted, her voice trembling but steady. “That was a warning. Whoever’s behind this wanted you to see them.”Alexander’s eyes stood fixed on the empty screen. His jaw tightened, and his fists clenched firmly at his sides. “This was not merely a caution,” he stated icily. “This was a declaration of war.”Mason moved closer, his hand still resting on his weapon. “Then we’re sitting ducks. Let’s move before”Footsteps reverberated from the hallway beyond the vault. Loud, intentional footsteps that intensified with every second.“They’ve arrived,” Isabella
Last Updated: 2025-01-10
Chapter: Chapter 10: Shadows in the LightThe walls of Steele Enterprises felt colder than ever as Alexander paced the executive suite, the headline still seared into his mind. His enemies weren’t just attacking his reputation. They were dismantling his empire from the inside out. And the most damning part, they were using are his most trusted people to achieve their goals.Mason stood silently in the corner, his jaw clenched, watching Alexander like a coiled spring ready to strike. Isabella sat across from them, her face pale, and her hands trembling in her lap. She tried to explain, to absolve herself, but her words felt like smoke.“You’re telling me someone is framing you, Isabella,” Alexander said, his voice low and dangerous. “But everything I’ve seen says otherwise.”“I’m telling you the truth,” she whispered, her eyes darting to the folder on the desk, the folder she’d taken from Victor. “it isn’t what you think. It’s not about betraying you. I'm only trying to play along to gather more information. It’s about protect
Last Updated: 2025-01-09
Chapter: Chapter 9: The Betrayer's GameAlexander couldn’t sleep. Each frame of the video replayed in his mind felt like a punch to his stomach. Isabella, the woman he had promised to defend at any expense, was concealing more than just a scandalous story. The folder and that exchange with Victor were proof of something deeper, something darker.Slamming his fists onto the desk, he heard the sharp crack of wood echoing in the room. The ache in his knuckles tethered him to reality, though just a little.“Isabella,” he murmured, her name poisonous on his tongue. “What the hell are you hiding from me?” Unexpectedly, his phone rang. The shrill ring of his phone interrupted his thoughts. He snatched it up, his tone clipped.“Mason, tell me you’ve got something.”“I’ve got something,” Mason replied, but his tone carried a strange tone. “You’re not going to like it.”“Spit it out,” Alexander said.“We traced Greg’s final movements. Before he turned up dead, he made a call to one of Steele Enterprises’ secure lines.”Ale
Last Updated: 2025-01-09
Chapter: Chapter 8: The Shadows of DeceitThe envelope fell from Alexander's grasp, its contents falling to the ground like pieces of a broken truth. His thoughts moved quickly, each part of the mystery swirling in chaos while Isabella's trembling figure faced him.He repeated, his voice low and tense, asking for something darker. "What the heck is Isabella even trying to say?"She mouthed words but remained silent. Her silence was heavy and overwhelming, bearing down on him like a strong grip. Alexander's patience, already worn thin, gave way."Speak!" he snarled, holding her shoulders tightly.” No more playing around, no more withholding information. I require full knowledge.”However, just as Isabella was about to respond, the ballroom lights flickered, casting the room into temporary darkness. The crowd let out a series of gasps, causing the tension in the air to intensify. After the lights settled, Victor Kane had disappeared."Where has he disappeared to?" Alexander whispered while he looked around the room."I don’t kn
Last Updated: 2025-01-09
Chapter: Chapter 7: Unraveling the TruthThe atmosphere in the hall was extremely tense. Alexander kept his eyes fixed on Victor, his competitor from the past, who stood arrogantly at the opposite side of the room. The note in his hand burned with unanswered questions, the words etched into his mind. Who is the true mastermind?Victor was only a pawn, but the one orchestrating this game had remained hidden in the shadows, pulling the strings with chilling precision. Alexander could sense the ticking of the clock. As he breathed, he sensed the walls were closing in on him, the urgency growing with each breath he took.Isabella stood next to him, yet Alexander could feel her discomfort. She was not merely a bystander in this chaos, there was a side to her that she was not ready to disclose, and this he was aware of. Despite his patience, he could no longer afford to be patient.Isabella looked up at him, and their eyes met for a brief moment. The unspoken words lingered in the air between them, yet she immediately averted her
Last Updated: 2025-01-09