Chapter 2: The House of Cards

Chapter 2: The House of Cards

The Apex Group’s annual gala was the event of the year, and Cersei and her mother were practically glowing. Now free of her "embarrassing" husband, Cersei was being toasted by high society.

Suddenly, the music stopped. The giant LED screens in the ballroom flashed.

The CEO of Apex Group stood on stage, beaming. "Tonight, we unveil the future of clean energy: The Helios Engine! A patent we recently acquired that will change the world!"

Cersei gasped, gripping her mother's arm. "Mom... that’s the technology I’ve been trying to develop for two years! Someone stole my data!"

"Relax, darling," Eleanor whispered, though her face was pale. "We still have our $50 million funding. We can buy them out."

Right then, Cersei’s phone started vibrating violently. It was her CFO. She answered, her chest tightening. "What is it?"

"Cersei! We're ruined!" the CFO screamed over the phone, sounding hysterical. "The $50 million credit line... it was just revoked! Worse, all our suppliers just canceled their contracts simultaneously. They said they received orders from 'The Ghost'—the shadow billionaire who built our supply chain! Cersei, we are defaulting in two hours!"

Cersei’s blood ran entirely cold. "What?! Who is The Ghost? Find him! Beg him!"

Before she could process the panic, the grand doors of the ballroom kicked open.

The crowd parted as a squad of security guards in pristine suits walked in, followed by a man who looked like royalty. He wore a bespoke, midnight-blue tuxedo that cost more than a Vance Corp employee's annual salary. His hair was slicked back, his posture commanding, powerful, and terrifying.

Cersei blinked, her heart stopping. "Si... Sion?"

Eleanor scoffed, stepping forward. "How did you get in here, you cockroach? Did you steal that suit?!"

Sion ignored them entirely, walking straight past them as if they were ghosts. He stepped up onto the stage, took the microphone from the stunned Apex CEO, and looked out at the crowd.

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"The Helios Engine doesn't belong to Apex Group," Sion's voice boomed through the speakers, dripping with absolute authority. "And it certainly doesn't belong to Vance Corp. It belongs to me. And tonight, I’m showing the world exactly what happens when you steal from the shadows."

Cersei stared, her mind spinning into a chaotic abyss. This couldn't be happening.