Morning light spilled across the glass towers of the Vale Group headquarters, turning steel and shadow into gold.
Inside the top floor, the air was colder—quiet and controlled, the kind of silence that carried authority.
Adam Vale stood before his father's desk. The hangover from last night pressed at the back of his skull, but he forced his usual grin. Across from him sat Gregory Vale, a man whose calm eyes could unnerve a boardroom.
"Sit," Gregory said, without looking up from the report in his hands.
Adam obeyed. The room smelled faintly of coffee and expensive paper.
Gregory flipped a page and spoke.
"The Parks have agreed to move forward. Their tech subsidiary will merge its research division with Solaris Tech under the Vale brand. If it works, we gain the main family's investment. That means direct support from the Vale Empire."
Adam nodded slowly. "Then everything's going according to plan."
Gregory set the file down. "Almost. We still need stability. The main family doesn't back chaos."
His gaze lifted, sharp as glass. "That includes you, Adam."
Adam laughed once, trying to sound casual. "You mean the club, the parties? Come on, Father. Everyone knows image sells better when people are talking."
"This isn't publicity," Gregory said. "It's recklessness. The Parks are conservative. You're engaged to Lena Park. Behave like it means something."
The smile faded from Adam's face. "It's a business arrangement, not a marriage."
"Exactly. And business must look perfect."
For a moment, father and son stared at each other—the same eyes, different worlds behind them.
Gregory leaned back. "We get the Park partnership right, and the Vale Empire notices us. We get it wrong, and we're back to being a forgotten branch. Understand?"
Adam gave a small shrug. "Understood."
Gregory's tone softened, almost imperceptibly. "Don't underestimate them. The main family controls states, banks, and half the military supply chain in the U.S. If they back us, our influence doubles."
He paused. "Keep Lena Park happy, and keep any scandals away from her name. That includes your little feud with Ethan Iver."
Adam stiffened. "You heard about that?"
"I hear everything," Gregory said quietly. "Leave it alone, Adam. A street-level quarrel isn't worth what we're building."
Adam wanted to argue, but one look at his father's expression stopped him.
Gregory rose, ending the conversation. "You have your orders. I expect progress, not gossip."
Adam stood as well, buttoning his jacket. "Yes, sir."
He left the office with his usual confident stride, but inside, irritation burned. Leave it alone? His father didn't understand. Ethan Iver wasn't just a name—he was the reminder that someone once had what Adam wanted: Lena's loyalty.
Outside the tower, sunlight caught the sharp angles of Adam's face as he stepped into his car.
"If Father won't handle it," he muttered, "then I will."
The engine roared to life, and the city swallowed him whole.
Meanwhile – Park Residence
Soft morning light filtered through gauze curtains.
Lena Park sat at the edge of her bed, hair still damp from her shower, her thoughts a storm.
It had been two days since she'd hacked St. Helens Academy's records to fix Ethan's scores. A days since she'd touched the digital walls of the system that had tried to destroy him.
She'd told herself it was over. Yet she hadn't slept properly since.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him—
Ethan, standing beneath the casino lights, the quiet strength in his gaze. The way his hands had pulled her closer when she'd kissed him. The warmth that had felt safe, real, everything she'd been missing.
She pressed a hand against her chest. Her heart was racing again, too fast.
"Get a grip, Lena," she whispered.
But reason didn't help. Memories flooded back—Ethan's awkward laugh, the way he'd blush when she teased him back in school, the determination in his eyes when everyone else looked down on him.
He had changed. The boy she once protected had become someone different—stronger, steadier, untouchable in a way that frightened and thrilled her.
Maybe it was the hormones, maybe it was guilt. But every thought led back to him. She wanted to see him, talk to him, anything.
A soft chime pulled her out of her spiral. Her laptop blinked on the desk, a message flashing from her secure network.
PX: "System cleanup complete. No traces left at the Academy servers."
Lena sighed in relief, then closed the device.
If the vice principal tried to double-cross them again, she had enough evidence to bury him. For now, Ethan's grades were safe.
Still, peace didn't come. She stood, walked to the window, and looked out over the city. Somewhere out there, he was moving forward—building something, maybe smiling.
She smiled faintly to herself.
"Fine," she murmured. "If fate won't bring us together, I'll find him myself."
Pulling on a hoodie and cap, she left the mansion quietly, determination in her eyes.
Later – Hills District
By late afternoon, the heat of the city had softened. The wind carried the scent of rain as Ethan stepped out of his car in front of Seth's Kitchen once more.
The morning had gone well. He'd met with three contractors—two had agreed to start immediately, though the rush fee had nearly doubled the cost. It didn't matter. The faster the project moved, the faster he could finish the mission.
He locked the restaurant door behind him, running through calculations in his head. The system's mission timer ticked faintly in the corner of his vision: 6 days, 9 hours remaining.
That would be enough.
The drive back to Hills Estate was quiet. Clouds gathered above the skyline, brushing gold against gray as the sun began to fall.
When he pulled into the driveway, he noticed something immediately: the front porch light was on.
He hadn't left it that way.
Frowning slightly, Ethan stepped out, the faint hum of alertness already crawling across his skin. His perception had grown sharper since the last upgrade—enough to tell him someone was inside.
He pushed the door open.
"Hello?"
In the living room stood Faye. She looked different—still in the clothes from before, but her expression was calmer, almost resolved.
"Faye?" Ethan asked. "What are you doing here? I thought you were resting."
"I was," she said quietly. "But there's something you need to know."
Her tone carried a weight that cut through the calm of the house. Ethan closed the door behind him, curiosity sharpening.
"What is it?"
Faye hesitated, meeting his gaze. "It's about the people who attacked me… and about you."
Ethan felt the faint pulse of the system in the back of his mind, as if it too was listening.
Whatever came next, he could tell—the night wasn't going to stay quiet for long.