I stood by the towering window of N&E’s Aurethia headquarters, the city sprawled below me like a puzzle that had forgotten its master. Every flickering light, every distant honk, every glowing billboard—it all belonged to me, if I wanted it.
I exhaled slowly, watching the pulse of the streets, and let my mind drift to the Graysons. Evelyn. Her empire might have survived her father’s rule, but it was fragile. Reginald’s death hadn’t slowed them. It had only pushed them to act faster, bolder.
A faint smirk tugged at my lips. Ambition without teeth was just noise.
I turned away from the window, letting the air of command settle around me. “Good,” I murmured, more to myself than anyone else. “Let them come. Let every overconfident fool step into the light. By the time they realize the trap,
