The skyscrapers of the city glistened in the night, but behind the polished glass and steel, fury simmered. Victor Draemont's silent takeover had not gone unnoticed. The wealthiest families, the ancient magnates who once ruled commerce, felt their grip slipping.
In one such tower, a meeting unfolded. Men and women of immense fortune gathered in secrecy, their faces tense with pride and fear. "Draemont is poisoning the markets," one snarled. "If we let him continue, he will own us all."
Another slammed his fist against the table. "We must move against him now. He hides behind Lucius Draxion, but he is still flesh and blood. Banks, corporations, contracts—we built these systems long before him."
They raised glasses in agreement, swearing a quiet rebellion. But none of them realized the Devil already knew.
At the estate, Victor stood before the council, his hands folded calmly behind his back. "The vultures stir. They think they are plotting in shadows, but their whispers travel faster than they imagine."
Silvio smirked as he laid a map across the table. "Three families. The Armitages, the Cavanaughs, and the Duvalls. They control shipping, real estate, and a small bank. Together, they think themselves untouchable."
Darius cracked his knuckles, his eyes gleaming. "Untouchable? Then let us touch them until they scream."
Ravenna giggled, twirling one of her knives. "Do they bleed gold? I would love to find out."
Cain stood silently in the corner, his axe gleaming under the dim light. He said nothing, but his presence was enough.
Victor tapped his cane against the marble floor. "No. Their destruction must be slow. I will ruin their fortunes first. When they are weak, you may break their bones."
Lucius entered, his crimson gaze making the council bow instantly. "Victor, you will lead this hunt. But remember, my empire is built on fear. Do not only strip their wealth. Strip also their hope."
Victor bowed deeply. "As you command, my lord."
The first strike came at dawn. Victor's shell companies moved quietly, buying up stocks the Armitages had carelessly left exposed. By noon, the family lost control of one of their shipping subsidiaries.
The Cavanaughs found their bank's investors withdrawing everything, spurred by rumors planted by Silvio himself. Panic spread in their halls, and within hours, they were bleeding money.
The Duvalls woke to discover their prized real estate holdings tied up in lawsuits Adrian Crowe had orchestrated. Judges ruled swiftly, seizing properties before the family could react.
By nightfall, all three families were crippled. They screamed into telephones, calling allies, demanding aid. None came. Fear had already poisoned their peers.
In his tower, Victor watched the collapse unfold with cold satisfaction. "They thought themselves kings. Tonight, they learn they were pawns all along."
But the magnates refused to fall quietly. Desperation turned to violence. The Armitages hired mercenaries to storm Victor's offices. The Cavanaughs paid politicians to denounce Lucius in public. The Duvalls reached out to old criminal allies, begging for blood in exchange for gold.
Word of this reached the estate. Darius's grin widened. "At last. Something to kill."
Lucius raised a hand, silencing the excitement. "Victor, this is your war. Show me that your shadow can strangle not only their wallets, but their wills."
Victor's expression hardened. "Then let them come. I will drown them in ruin."
The mercenaries attacked first, descending upon Draemont Tower under cover of night. Armed and reckless, they thought the Tycoon weak without his council.
But Victor had prepared. As the mercenaries breached the lobby, hidden defenses activated. Steel shutters slammed down, locking them inside. Armed guards loyal to Victor poured in, guns raised. The battle was swift, bloody, and one-sided.
Upstairs, Victor watched calmly through security feeds, sipping wine. "Money buys loyalty. Loyalty buys blood. And now their hired blades paint my floors red."
Meanwhile, Adrian Crowe unleashed his counterstrike in the courts. The politicians bribed by the Cavanaughs suddenly found themselves indicted for corruption, their names dragged through the mud. Public opinion turned viciously against them.
The Duvalls fared no better. Their criminal allies walked into an ambush prepared by Silvio. The Fox had anticipated every move, and within hours, the Duvalls' last hope was butchered in the alleys.
By the second night, the rebellion had collapsed. The Armitages lost their shipping empire, the Cavanaughs their bank, and the Duvalls their real estate crown. Broken, penniless, and terrified, they begged for mercy.
Lucius summoned them to the estate. Chains rattled as they were dragged into the hall, their once-proud faces now pale masks of despair.
Victor approached, tapping his cane, his voice calm but venomous. "You believed wealth would protect you. You believed your name had power. But wealth belongs to Lucius, and names mean nothing before him."
Lucius rose slowly, his crimson eyes blazing. "You tried to resist the Devil. For that, you will serve as examples."
The council watched as Lucius's shadow spread across the room, suffocating the last fragments of pride from the broken magnates. They trembled, unable to breathe beneath his presence.
Victor leaned close to the Armitage patriarch, whispering coldly. "I will not kill you. You will live. But every coin you touch from this night forward belongs to us. Your life, your legacy, your empire—it is already mine."
The families wept, broken beyond repair.
Lucius sat back upon his throne, his smile sharp and merciless. "Let the city see. Let them learn what happens when even the wealthy dare oppose me."
Victor bowed deeply before him. "The Tycoon's shadow has spread, my lord. Soon there will be nothing left that does not belong to you."
But high above the city, in hidden towers, other magnates watched with growing dread. Some planned to flee. Others whispered of alliances with powers beyond the city. The first rebellion had fallen, but greater storms gathered on the horizon.
And Lucius, smiling in the darkness, welcomed them.