The city had never looked so cold.
Adrian stood in front of the shattered glass wall of his office, staring out at the skyline that once symbolized everything he had built.
Now, it looked like a battlefield.
Behind him, the room was in ruins.
Broken glass covered the floor like a layer of ice.
A large screen flickered on the far wall, its display glitching between financial charts and system errors. Papers were scattered everywhere contracts, reports, agreements all now meaningless.
Everything he had spent years building…
It was collapsing.
And yet
Adrian felt nothing.
No panic.
No fear.
Just a sharp, controlled focus that settled deep in his chest.
"They've frozen three of our major accounts."
Daniel's voice cut through the silence as he stepped into the office.
Adrian didn't turn.
"They've also blocked the international transfer lines," Daniel continued. "We can't move money across borders."
Still no response.
Daniel hesitated, then added,
"And two of our biggest partners just pulled out."
That got Adrian's attention.
Not because he was surprised.
But because it confirmed what he already knew.
"They're moving faster than expected," Adrian said quietly.
Daniel frowned.
"Faster? Adrian, this isn't pressure anymore. This is a full-scale attack."
Adrian finally turned.
His expression was calm.
Too calm.
"That's exactly what it is."
Daniel ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated.
"Then we need to slow them down. Negotiate. Buy time"
"No."
The word was sharp.
Final.
Daniel froze.
"No?" he repeated.
Adrian walked past him, stepping over broken glass like it didn't exist.
"They don't want negotiation," Adrian said. "They want control."
"And you're just going to give it to them?"
Adrian stopped.
Slowly, he turned back.
"They took her."
The room went silent.
Daniel understood immediately.
This wasn't about business anymore.
This wasn't about money.
This was personal.
"And what are you planning to do?" Daniel asked carefully.
Adrian's gaze hardened.
"I'm going to take everything from them."
A chill ran down Daniel's spine.
"You can't be serious."
"I've never been more serious."
"Adrian," Daniel said, lowering his voice, "you're talking about the Laurent family."
"I know exactly who I'm talking about."
"They don't lose," Daniel pressed. "They don't get exposed. People who go against them"
"Disappear?" Adrian finished.
Daniel didn't answer.
He didn't have to.
Adrian let out a slow breath.
"Good," he said.
Daniel blinked.
"Good?"
"If that's how they play," Adrian continued, "then I'll play the same way."
He walked over to his desk and picked up his phone.
"What are you doing?" Daniel asked.
"Starting something they won't be able to stop."
He dialed a number.
The line rang once.
Twice.
Then
"Cole."
The voice on the other end was calm, slightly amused.
"You don't call unless it's serious."
"It's serious."
A pause.
"How serious?"
Adrian's eyes darkened.
"Laurent serious."
That got a reaction.
A brief silence.
Then
"Well… that's unfortunate."
"I need everything you have on them," Adrian said. "Financial records, offshore accounts, internal conflicts, anything that can hurt them."
"That's not a small request."
"I'm not asking for small."
Another pause.
"You understand what you're doing, right?" the voice said. "If you go after them like this, there's no coming back."
Adrian's grip tightened around the phone.
"They already crossed that line."
Silence.
Then a quiet sigh.
"Alright," the voice said. "I'll send what I have."
"That's not enough."
"You want more?"
"I want everything."
A low chuckle came from the other end.
"You're starting a war, Adrian."
Adrian looked out at the city again.
"It's already started."
He ended the call.
Daniel stared at him.
"Who was that?"
"Someone who knows how the Laurents operate."
"And you trust him?"
"I trust his information."
Daniel exhaled slowly.
"This is insane."
"Maybe," Adrian said. "But it's necessary."
He walked back toward the shattered window.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Daniel said quietly,
"What if she's already…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
He couldn't.
Adrian's expression didn't change.
But something dark flickered in his eyes.
"She's alive," he said.
"You don't know that."
"I do."
"How?"
Adrian turned slightly.
"Because if she wasn't… they wouldn't need to attack me like this."
The logic was cold.
Precise.
And terrifyingly accurate.
Daniel swallowed.
"So what's the plan?"
Adrian's gaze sharpened.
"We hit them where it hurts."
"And where is that?"
"Their foundation."
Daniel frowned.
"You mean their money?"
Adrian shook his head.
"No."
"Their secrets."
The word hung in the air.
Dangerous.
Because families like the Laurents didn't just have secrets.
They were built on them.
"If we expose even a fraction of what they're hiding," Adrian continued, "their entire empire becomes vulnerable."
"And if we don't?" Daniel asked.
Adrian's lips pressed into a thin line.
"Then we burn trying."
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Daniel looked around the destroyed office again.
At the cracks already forming in their empire.
At the storm that was just beginning.
Then back at Adrian.
"You're not backing down," he said.
It wasn't a question.
Adrian didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he walked over to his desk and opened a drawer.
Inside was a small object.
He picked it up.
A simple silver pendant.
Eva's.
She must have dropped it during the attack.
He stared at it for a moment.
His expression softened just slightly.
Then hardened again.
"No," he said quietly.
"I'm not."
Daniel watched him carefully.
And in that moment, he realized something that made his chest tighten.
Adrian wasn't just fighting to win.
He was fighting because he had nothing left to lose.
"Then we need to prepare," Daniel said.
"Agreed."
"For what?"
Adrian slipped the pendant into his pocket.
"For retaliation."
Outside, the city lights flickered like distant flames.
Inside, something far more dangerous was igniting.
Because Adrian Cole had made his decision.
And once he moved
There would be no stopping him.
The Laurent family had taken Eva.
Now…
He was coming for them.