The Lawrence Grand Hotel hosts the annual New Harbor Elite Gala—a night where business sharks and big names flaunt their wealth and influence. Crystal chandeliers cast golden light across marble floors. Champagne flows endlessly. Designer gowns and tailored suits fill every corner.
The Sonars still attend, they are desperate to appear stable despite their collapsing company. They need to project strength, find new investors, convince everyone the rumors are exaggerated.
Charlotte wears her most expensive dress—midnight blue with diamonds at the throat. She forces smiles as she moves through the crowd, her face was a perfect mask. Lugar clings to her arm, pretending confidence he doesn't feel. Enid does the same, laughing too loud at jokes that aren't funny.
Then a new face arrives at the entrance.
He's wearing a sleek black suit, perfectly tailored to his frame. His stride is calm and measured. His expression was unreadable. He radiates power and wealth the way others radiate perfume.
The doorman checks the guest list. "Name, sir?"
"Mr. Phoenix," Mavis says smoothly.
Recognition flickers across the doorman's face. "Phoenix Holdings. Of course, sir. Welcome."
The room doesn't notice him at first, but Charlotte does.
She freezes mid-laugh, her champagne glass is halfway to her lips. Her eyes lock onto him across the crowded hall. For a moment, she can't process what she's seeing.
Mavis Donard.
But he looks... different, and stronger. His shoulders are broader. His jaw is set with confidence, his eyes are cold and alert. He's alive in a way he never was before.
It's impossible.
"No way," Lugar mutters beside her, following her gaze. His grip tightens on her arm. "He's supposed to be…."
"Dead," Charlotte whispers.
But Mavis is very much alive. He moves through the crowd effortlessly, shaking hands with investors. The same people who once mocked him at Sonar parties now nod respectfully. They fetch him drinks, they laugh at his comments. They treat him like he matters.
The System pings quietly in Mavis's mind:
[Social Manipulation Skill Active.]
Every word he speaks is calculated. Every smile precise. He knows exactly what each person wants to hear, and he gives it to them.
Charlotte sets down her glass and starts toward him. She needs to understand, and needs to know how this is possible.
But guards step into her path before she gets close. Two large men in dark suits, their earpieces were visible.
"Sorry, ma'am," one says politely but firmly. "VIPs only beyond this point."
Her smile falters. "Excuse me? I'm Charlotte Sonar. I'm on the board of…"
"We understand, ma'am. But this is Mr. Phoenix's private section. He owns the venue."
The words hit her hard. She couldn't believe what she's hearing. "Owns?"
"Yes, ma'am. The entire hotel."
Whispers ripple through the nearby crowd. People start turning, noticing the confrontation.
"Isn't that the Sonar's son-in-law?" someone says.
"The one they treated like a servant?"
"Oh, look. His ex-wife wants to cozy up to him now."
"How the mighty have fallen.
They laughed, but it wasn't sympathetic. It was mocking.
Charlotte's face burns. The humiliation is public and undeniable. She stands there, blocked by security, while people she considers beneath her, gossip and whisper.
Mavis turns slowly, meeting her gaze across the room. The hall seems to go quiet for that one moment. His expression is calm.
Charlotte forces her smile back into place and approaches as close as the guards allow. "So... you're still alive."
Mavis's lips curve slightly. "Unfortunately for you, yes."
Lugar pushes forward, his jaw tightened. "You think this little stunt scares us? You're playing with fire."
Mavis leans in slightly, his voice dropping low. "Not a stunt. Just a small reminder. Some debts are paid in cash. Others..." He glances at the crowd watching them. "Others are paid in public."
He nods toward the large projection screen at the front of the hall.
The lights went dim, as conversations fade and everyone turns to look.
A live financial report appears on the screen in red letters:
SONAR CORPORATION: STOCK –85%
CREDIT RATING: DOWNGRADED
BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDINGS: IMMINENT
The crowd gasps collectively. Investors murmur to each other, pulling out phones. Photographers snap pictures of Charlotte's frozen expression, Enid trying to hide her face behind her hand, Knuckles looking like he might collapse.
"That's not…." Charlotte starts, but her voice cracks.
"Real?" Mavis finishes. "Oh, it's very real. Phoenix Holdings called in every loan. Your company has fourteen days to pay three hundred million dollars. Can you?"
Everyone was silent with shock.
Lugar loses his temper. He lunges forward and grabs Mavis by the collar, pulling him close. "You bastard…."
Camera flashes erupt as every phone in the room is recording now.
Security swarms immediately. They pull Lugar off, restraining him professionally. He struggles, shouting, but they drag him backward.
Mavis adjusts his suit calmly, brushing invisible dust from his shoulders. He looks at Charlotte, and for the first time, she sees genuine coldness in his eyes.
"Three years, Charlotte. Three years crawling at your feet. Cleaning your toilets, serving your guests and being treated like I was less than human." His voice is quiet, but the coldness is undeniable. "This is me standing up. Consider it my wedding gift to you and Lugar. Best wishes for your new relationship."
He turns and walks toward the exit. The crowd parts for him automatically. Nobody stops him nor speaks.
As he steps outside, a luxurious black car pulls up smoothly. The driver opens the door, and Mavis slides into the leather interior.
His phone pings softly.
[Mission Complete: Public Humiliation Achieved.]
[Reward: Authority +3 | Reputation +10 | Vengeance Progress: 27%.]
[New File Unlocked: LEWINSKY – MASTER SYSTEM.]
Mavis stares at the last line. His practiced smile fades slowly.
"Lewinsky..." he murmurs.
The name from the file in The Vault. L. Holdings. The connection his father had marked as dangerous.
He opens the file. Information floods his screen—corporation structures, shadow investments, names of people who disappeared, and at the center of it all, is one name: Chucky Lewinsky.
[WARNING: Target possesses System variant. Threat level: MAXIMUM.]
Mavis leans back in his seat as the car pulls away from the hotel. Through the tinted window, he can see Charlotte standing in the entrance, looking lost.
"Guess it's time to dig up the real devil," he says quietly.
The System hums in agreement.