Blackline Tower – Private Floor 79
Inside a custom-built war room, Ethan stood before a massive touchscreen interface, surrounded by a live feed of markets, boardrooms, and surveillance clips.
One by one, every name that ever looked down on him was being crossed off the digital map.
"Next," he muttered.
VERA, the AI, responded instantly.
"The Langston Family. Real estate dynasty. Publicly mocked you in 10th grade after your eviction."
Ethan remembered.
How the son laughed when Ethan was forced out of class for not paying school fees. How the teacher looked away.
Now? That boy was a CFO.
"Buy the building Langston & Co. is headquartered in," he ordered coldly.
"Announce renovations. Evict them for safety protocol violations."
"Initiating hostile property takeover…" VERA replied.
"Estimated time: 2 hours."
Ethan turned to the window, watching neon light reflect across his suit jacket like stars bowing to a black hole.
"One by one," he whispered. "They'll all kneel."
📍 Elsewhere – Langston & Co. Headquarters
The fire alarm blared. Employees scrambled. Then came the men in black—silent, organized, professional.
The CEO stormed outside, demanding answers.
"Who the hell are you people?!"
A simple envelope was handed to him. Inside, just one word:
"Mine."
📍 Lila's Apartment – 3:21 PM
She hadn't left her room in 24 hours. Her messages to David went unanswered. Her heart had a strange weight to it. Something was wrong—deeply wrong.
She kept looking at the black envelope on her nightstand.
EVOLVE.
She opened it.
Inside was a single photo.
Ethan—standing before a board of ten men in suits, all bowing their heads.
He wasn't smiling.
He didn't need to.
His presence said everything.
He's on top now.
And I'm… not even in the same world anymore.
📍 Blackline Tower – Observation Deck
Ethan stood overlooking a skyline that now bent to his design.
The Blackline insignia had replaced a dozen corporate logos. His influence ran deeper than politics. Deeper than banks.
It ran through fear.
Silence.
And precision.
VERA pinged.
"Your net worth now exceeds $98.4 billion, sir. Do you wish to reveal your identity publicly?"
He chuckled, low and dangerous.
"No."
He picked up a black ring from the table and slid it onto his finger.
"Let the world keep guessing."
He was no longer a boy scorned.
He was a silent crown.