Both sides of the main downtown boulevard were lined with hushed, curious onlookers.
Lila sat in the rear of a sleek black SUV, driving at a crawling, funeral pace. Following behind the vehicle, six personal bodyguards clad in black carried a heavy, custom black-lacquered casket between them. There were no flowers, no somber music, no mourners—only the silent procession.
To the bystanders on the pavement, the sight was surreal, chilling, and utterly bizarre.
Yet no one dared utter a whisper. The entire street fell into a dead silence, broken only by the soft, rhythmic hum of tires against asphalt. In the ruthless world of high finance, Lila Sterling wielded absolute authority and a terrifying aura. No one was foolish enough to invite her wrath.
The cortege wound its way slowly toward t
