"The fact that the Bailey Family has such deep connections with the Zane Family... it is truly incredible," Tia Sutton breathed, her eyes wide with genuine admiration.
She stared up at the towering, iron-reinforced gates of the Zane Estate, feeling a profound sense of smallness. To the average citizen of Northriver, the Zane Family was not just a wealthy clan; they were a dynasty of power and steel.
Frank Zane, the patriarch, was a retired general whose influence still rippled through the military. His eldest son, Tom Zane, was a colonel in the Dragon River Military Command and the captain of the fearsome Fierce Dragon SF. His second son, Xavier Zane, controlled the financial lifeblood of the city as the President of Apex Bank.
It was a family of soldiers and bankers—a fortress of influ
