The night in Seoul was suffocating, thick with the smell of rain-soaked asphalt and neon fumes. Ethan Cross stood at the top of the glass-walled office of Cross Holdings, his reflection fractured by the city lights below. His aura pulsed faintly, almost imperceptible—but anyone with the right instincts would have felt it, a subtle pressure that twisted the air itself.
Tonight, he would begin the first wave of his revenge, but not in a way anyone would see coming. Subtlety, precision, and terror were his weapons tonight.
Across town, Michael Carter lounged in his penthouse, a glass of expensive whiskey in hand, smug and unthinking. He had no idea that within the next twelve hours, the foundation of his empire would start crumbling.
Ethan had spent weeks planting seeds: false tips to the market, silent acquisitions of Carter's smaller partners, and whispers that painted his rival as unstable. Every move had been calculated for maximum effect with minimal exposure. Tonight, the storm would be visible.
The first strike wasn't financial—it was psychological. A group of Carter's lieutenants found themselves trapped in a high-rise boardroom with every exit electronically locked. Screens that usually displayed stock charts now broadcast Ethan's message in bold crimson letters:
"Every betrayal has a price."
Chaos erupted. Phones rang incessantly, security guards scrambled, and Carter himself had no idea that the first threads of his empire were already severed.
Meanwhile, Ethan didn't appear anywhere physically. His presence was enough. Employees reported feeling a cold weight pressing down on them, a chill that made their thoughts scatter. One by one, panic and confusion rippled through Carter's network.
Hana Seo watched from a secure location, a small smile tugging at her lips. She had anticipated this, but even she had never witnessed the pure, calculated terror Ethan could evoke without lifting a finger.
By midnight, the media had picked up the story. Headlines screamed of mysterious corporate sabotage and inexplicable resignations. Carter was cornered, his empire destabilized, but Ethan remained in the shadows, almost untouchable.
As Ethan returned to his office, he poured himself a glass of black coffee, watching the first pieces of his vengeance fall into place. A faint streak of satisfaction crossed his face. This was only the beginning.
"Let them taste fear," he murmured. "Let them remember who they betrayed. Let the world feel the weight of my rise."
Outside, the city continued unaware, but shadows lengthened, and the storm within Ethan's empire was just beginning to break.