Daniel Royce didn't sleep.
By midnight, his confidence had begun to rot.
His phone lay on the desk, screen dark, untouched since the call with Lucien Blackwood. He told himself it meant nothing—Blackwood liked intimidation. Everyone knew that.
Still… the silence felt wrong.
At exactly 12:07 a.m., his laptop chimed.
An email.
Subject: Emergency Board Meeting – Mandatory Attendance
Sender: Royce Holdings Legal Affairs
Daniel frowned.
He hadn't authorized—
His phone rang.
Clara.
"Mr. Royce," she whispered, panic bleeding through her words. "The banks just froze our accounts."
"What?" Daniel shot to his feet.
"Our credit lines—every single one. The Singapore investors pulled out. And the audit committee—"
Another notification.
Regulatory Investigation Opened
Daniel's mouth went dry.
"This is impossible," he muttered. "Call legal. Call everyone."
"We did," Clara said. "No one's answering."
The line went dead.
Daniel stared at the screen.
Then another message appeared.
Lucien Blackwood is entering the call.
His blood ran cold.
The video window opened.
Lucien sat in a dark room, perfectly composed, hands folded, eyes sharp as glass.
"Good evening," Lucien said. "Or is it morning now?"
Daniel forced a laugh. "Is this some kind of joke?"
Lucien tilted his head. "You threatened my partner."
Daniel's jaw clenched. "She's not your—"
Lucien raised a hand.
The screen split.
New faces appeared.
Board members. Legal counsel. Government regulators.
And at the far corner—
Daniel's father.
Pale. Silent.
Lucien's voice cut through the chaos.
"At 11:43 p.m., evidence of witness tampering was submitted to the financial crimes unit," he said calmly. "At 11:58, Royce Holdings' offshore accounts were flagged for illegal transfers."
Daniel's heart pounded violently.
"You framed me," Daniel snapped.
Lucien smiled faintly.
"No," he said. "You framed yourself. I just removed the blindfolds."
Daniel's father finally spoke.
"What have you done?" he whispered.
Daniel turned. "Dad—"
Lucien leaned forward.
"Daniel Royce," he said, voice deadly quiet, "you threatened Ariella Mbeki's family."
Daniel swallowed hard. "It was a bluff."
Lucien's eyes darkened.
"I don't negotiate with men who bluff about mothers."
The regulator spoke. "Mr. Royce, we are issuing an immediate suspension of your executive authority pending investigation."
Daniel's world cracked.
"No—wait—"
The screen went black.
Disconnected.
Daniel stared at his reflection in the dark monitor, breath coming fast and shallow.
His phone buzzed.
Unknown Number
A single message:
Her family is safe.
Another followed.
Yours won't protect you anymore.
Daniel slid down into his chair.
For the first time in his life—
He understood what it felt like to be powerless.
Ariella stood on the balcony of Lucien's penthouse, the city lights shimmering below like a battlefield finally quiet.
Lucien joined her, placing a glass of wine beside her.
"It's done," he said.
She exhaled slowly. "He's finished?"
"No," Lucien replied. "But he'll spend the rest of his life trying to breathe underwater."
She looked at him. "You did this… in one night."
"I warned him," Lucien said simply.
Ariella turned fully toward him. "You didn't have to."
Lucien's gaze locked onto hers.
"Yes," he said. "I did."
Silence stretched between them—thick, charged.
Finally, she spoke softly. "You said you don't protect people who panic."
"And you didn't," he replied. "You stood."
Her chest tightened.
"From now on," Lucien said quietly, stepping closer, "no one touches you without my permission."
She met his eyes.
"And if I don't want your protection forever?"
His lips curved slightly.
"Then," he said, "I'll make you want it."
Her heartbeat thundered.
Below them, the city slept—unaware that a king had fallen and another game had just begun.