Liora walked out of the restaurant, her vision blurry with tears, but she didn't let herself sob. Not in front of everyone.

She walked a few steps down the block, then sighed and sat on the concrete platform near the walkway, pulling her knees close and burying her face in them for a second.

Her fingers trembled as she reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone, and began scrolling through job listings.

Waitress needed — night shifts only. Hiring: Front desk receptionist. Experience required. Live-in nanny — full-time.

Her thumb kept swiping, eyes darting between listings, most of which either required years of experience she didn’t have or offered wages so low they were insulting.

She sighed, remembering the reason she's in this hopeless situation.

“That bitch,” she muttered under her breath, biting her lower lip hard.

Not even in another lifetime would she have imagined that Cassidy would be sleeping woth her boyfriend. She treated her nicely, gave her clothes, treated her to good meal and she's finding out that it was all a lie?? This is of not the biggest back blow she has ever received.

Getting married?

Her stomach twisted. How long had they been fooling around behind her back? Weeks? Months?

God, she felt stupid.

She gritted her teeth, dropping her head back against the wall behind her and closing her eyes, her phone still in hand.

As Liora sat there, still lost in the whirlwind of betrayal and job rejections, a sudden rush of footsteps jolted her.

A group of boys—no older than teens—ran past her, one of them snatching her phone straight from her hand, another grabbing her bag off the ground.

“Hey!! Give that back—it’s mine!” she shouted, scrambling to her feet and bolting after them.

They were laughing at her while she chased them. She tried to increase her tempo but her legs failed her.

She tripped on the curb and fell hard to the pavement, scraping her knees and palms. “No, no, no—damn it!”

She looked up, just in time to see the boys disappear around the corner—gone.

The few people on the street paused, stared at her, but no one helped. Just judging eyes, pitiful glances, and whispers behind her back.

Liora’s hands balled into fists as she hit the ground repeatedly, over and over. Her chest heaved. Tears streamed down her cheeks now, raw and helpless.

"Can my life get any worse!!!" she screamed at the sky.

But the sky didn’t answer her either.

--

~PARIS~ – CALLAHAN EMPIRE ~

The marble floors of the Callahan Empire gleamed under the soft, sterile lighting as Jace strode down the grand corridor with his signature calm ruthlessness. His pace was deliberate, every step echoing power and indifference.

Cole trailed beside him, flipping through a slim tablet, while Stella—dressed in a pristine suit that screamed executive sass—hurried along in her trademark red heels that had no business looking that good in a business environment.

“The board’s been waiting for over two hours,” Stella said, catching up to Jace with a slight smirk. “They're mad as hell. Reiner's CEO threatened to file a formal complaint.”

“Did you tell them I don’t care?” Jace asked coolly, not even slowing down.

“I might’ve added a smiley face in the email just to mess with them,” Stella said, shrugging dramatically.

Cole rolled his eyes. “This is why people think we run a criminal syndicate, not a real estate empire.”

They reached the massive boardroom doors, flanked by two suited guards. Cole pulled them open, and the thick air inside shifted as Jace entered without apology.

All twelve board members snapped their heads toward him, irritation bleeding off their tailored suits like sweat. At the far end sat Mr. Renzo Reiner himself, CEO of the Reiner Corporation, red in the face and gripping his pen like he wanted to stab someone—preferably Jace.

Jace didn’t sit. He stood at the head of the table, eyes level with the board, hands still in his pockets.

“So,” his voice sliced through the tension like a knife, “what’s the meeting about?”

Stella’s lips twitched as she took her place behind him. Cole stood a little off to the side, arms crossed, silently daring anyone to talk nonsense.

Renzo slammed his palm on the polished table. “You kept us waiting for two hours! This is not how you treat business partners.”

Jace gave him a look. Not anger, not arrogance—just a level, emotionless stare that somehow made Renzo’s outburst seem childish.

“If waiting bothers you that much,” Jace said, “then maybe you don’t value this partnership as much as you claimed in your email, Renzo.”

The room tensed further. A few board members shifted uncomfortably in their chairs. Stella casually adjusted her tablet screen like she was about to take notes for a thriller novel.

Renzo’s jaw clenched. “We’re here to discuss the estate joint development. We’ve outlined our terms clearly—60/40 in our favor. After all, we’re bringing in the permits and the property rights.”

Jace finally moved to sit, settling into the head chair with elegance that belied his ruthless reputation. He rested one arm along the table edge, fingers tapping lightly.

“No,” he said simply.

Renzo blinked. “Excuse me?”

“50/50. We’re providing the workforce, the engineering, and the infrastructure. And frankly, our name alone triples the project’s value. You're lucky I'm not asking for 70.”

“This isn’t how negotiations work!” Renzo barked, turning to look at the others for support.

But Jace leaned forward, voice colder than winter in Prague. “This is how they work when you’re doing business with me.”

Stella, still typing away, suddenly added in a sing-song tone, “Also, you parked in the CEO’s reserved spot. I’ve already ordered your car towed.”

Cole smirked and whispered under his breath, “He’s not kidding.”

Jace looked at the board. “If you want to work with Callahan Empire, you play by my terms. If you want to walk out, the door is behind you. I don’t chase deals. I build empires.”

There was a long, painful silence.

The boardroom exploded with noise. Heated voices rose in protest, papers were pushed aside, and Renzo stood up, his face an impressive shade of rage.

“If you don’t agree to our terms, we’ll withdraw our shares from the previous investment and cancel this joint partnership altogether!” Renzo threatened, slamming a folder shut.

He stood, adjusted the cuffs of his suit, and tilted his head slightly.

“Then do it,” he said, voice deadly calm. “I dare you.”