Alex burst into Kingston''s penthouse office, heart pounding


    Just moments earlier, Jasmine had called him in tears-something he never thought he''d witness from her.


    Inside, the tension felt thick as smoke.


    Jasmine was curled up on the plush leather sofa, her face buried in her trembling hands.


    Nearby stood Kelly, tapping briskly on her smartwatch.


    The instant Jasmine spotted Alex, she sprang from the sofa and flung herself into his arms, sobbing so hard he could feel the quake of it through his chest


    This wasn''t the pised, controlled Jasmine he knew; this was someone shattered, clinging to him like he was her only lifeline. 1


    "Jasmine," he murmured, fighting to keep his voice steady "what happened?"


    She couldn''t answer, her sobs stealing her words.


    Instead, he turned to Kelly, who regarded them both with a cold detachment. "Kingston just lost about a billion dors," she said tly.


    A billion?


    The number mmed into Jasmine like a punch. Her cries intensified, her grief pouring out in ragged gasps. "How?"


    Kelly''s gaze hardened. "Chris Rnd stole Jasmine''sptop-the one with all the critical financial data." Alex frowned. "And the passwords?"


    "Bianca helped him," Kelly said, her tone clipped.


    "Jasmine''s own secretary. She''s been Chris''s devotee for years, following his every Knight Game. Apparently." Jasmine looked up, her tearstained cheeks flushed with betrayal yet she still looks really gorgeous.


    "I never never imagined she''d do this." Her voice wavered, raw and shaken.


    "Do you think it''s possible for the two of them to pull this off alone?" Alex''s brow furrowed.


    Kelly''s expression hardened. "No. This operation was too big for those two alone. Someone high up must have helped them. Maybe even someone from the Kingston family."


    "Are you sure?"


    "No," Kelly admitted, lowering her gaze.


    "Either someone close to the family betrayed Jasmine, or Chris and Bianca are smarter than we thought."


    His mind raced. "Where''s the money now?"


    Kelly nced uncertainly at Jasmine, who gave a tearful nod.


    "Crypto," Kelly answered atst.


    Chopter 93


    "They converted everything into Bitcoin and slipped it into digital wallets controlled by the Empire of the Earth. Chris stole the hard drive yesterday.''


    "Where''s Chris?" he asked, grim.


    "We''ve mobilized every Kingston resource to track him," Kelly sald, frustrated. "No hits so far. He might''ve skipped the city or even the country,"


    Alex tried to keep his voice calm. "Does your father know?"


    Jasmine shook her head vigorously.


    "Not yet. I''m the newly appointed CEO here in Vancouver. my father finds out I''ve lost a billion, it''ll look like I''ve already failed. I can''t let that happen, Alex. I have to fix this myself."


    Alex wasn''t so sur Alfred Kingston was in the dark.


    Men like him rarely missed a trick-more likely, he was working behind the scenes, giving Jasmine the space to handle it herself.


    Yet if Alfred truly knew, then part of the Kingswell group under him must have


    already been mobilized to find Chris


    But still, no trace of him. It didn''t add up.


    Alex''s gut tightened.


    Something about this situation felt bigger than it seemed.


    Chris Rnd-small-time and feeble-shouldn''t have been a real threat.


    But now, the issue was snowballing.


    Jasmine raised those bright, red-tinged eyes to him, desperate and vulnerable.


    "Without that money, every Kingston project here will grind to a halt. Please... do you have any ideas?"


    He hesitated. The simplest solution was to ask Alfred.


    A billion was staggering, but not beyond Kingston''s reach.


    "Your father would front you the money," he said gently. "It would be a loan, just to keep the projects alive."


    "No!" Jasmine''s voice cracked on the word. "I can''t give him that satisfaction. Not now."


    Alex sighed, running a hand through his hair.


    "You can borrow from me."


    Jasmine blinked, shocked. "You''re... wealthy enough for that?"


    He shrugged, trying to sound casual. “I''m not the richest man around, but I have enough."


    Tears welled again, but this time, they carried relief.


    She hurled herself at him once more, clinging tightly.


    "You''ve saved me," she whispered, voice muffled against his shirt. "You saved me before, again and again and now this. You must be my soulmate. Promise you''ll stay by my side."


    Alex rolled his eyes skyward. "Let''s focus on getting out of this mess first, okay?"


    From across the room, Kelly watched them. Her sharp gaze turned colder than ice, pinning Alex with a look that felt like knives in his back.


    In a different part of the city, at the cold, polished offices of Cole Financing, Sophia Lancaster sat waiting


    Carlos suddenly answered a call. He ended it with a respectful, "Yes, Master."


    Afterward, Carlos approached her with a polite bow. "Madane Sophia, unfortunately, my Master is unable toe. He still has pressing matters to attend


    to."


    Sophia tilted her head slightly.


    "Sir," she began, addressing him formally.


    Carlos interrupted, smiling gently. "No need for that. Just call me Carlos."


    Sophia''s lips curled into a faint smile. "Carlos, then. Do I know your Master?"


    "I''m sorry, I cannot say more," Carlos said politely, his tone firm but kind. "But he knows you very well, Madame."


    Sophia''s mind spun back to her modeling days, to admirers and sycophants who would''ve done anything for a nce of approval.


    But a hundred million dors was not a simple favor.


    This was beyond gratitude-this was power.


    Still, epting such a fortune without offering anything in return felt wrong.


    "Carlos," she began, voice soft and uncertain. "This is... enormous. I''m notfortable taking so much without understanding why."


    Carlos didn''t waver. "To you, it might be huge. To my master, it''s a negligible sum. He truly wants to help you. Please ept his sincerity."


    She stood there, stunned.


    Whoever this mystery patron was, he possessed a wealth and generosity that bordered on the unreal.


    A part of her dared to wonder if this was fate, if maybe, just maybe, her true soulmate was out there, pulling strings to support her, to lift her when she stumbled.


    When she exited the building, the brisk evening air cooled her heated thoughts.


    Just as she reached the curb, Alex pulled up, clearly in a rush.


    He jumped out of the car, his face apologetic.


    "Sorry. Traffic was awful. Ready to go home?"


    Sophia turned to face him, exhaling a heavy sigh.


    Her heart sank as she looked at her useless husband.


    He was nowhere to be found when she was in danger, and whenever she was in


    need, he could do nothing but add


    to her troubles.


    Her heart sank again as she pictured the unknown benefactor''s quiet strength, in


    stark contrast to Alex''s endless bragging.


    Fate had dealt her a cruel hand, she thought, as she climbed into the car beside


    him.


    What rotten luck she''d had in choosing him.