Charles Kingston snapped awake on a grimy park bench, every muscle in his body screaming.
Bruises covered him.
His pockets were empty-robbed clean.
His so-called bodyguard and driver had done this, beaten him senseless, dumped him here like trash, and taken everything.
Then, his smartwatch buzzed violently against his wrist-an iing call.
They must have left his smartwatch because it was cracked-worthless to them.
It was still strapped to his wrist, a mocking reminder of the power he used to have.
"Mister Kingston." The voice from his smartwatch cut through his daze.
Hiswyer.
"What... what happened?" Charles croaked, throat raw.
"I need to inform you, sir. The court has temporarily seized all your properties."
Charles froze. His heart thundered in his chest. Losing his properties could only mean one thing: he had lost everything
"All... of them?" he whispered.
"Yes," thewyer said bluntly. "And I must resign as your counsel. You still owe our firm nearly a hundred thousand dors from your previous case—"
Charles ended the call before he could say more, blocking the number without hesitation.
Desperation wed at him as he tried Marco next.
The phone rang endlessly, no answer. Fuming, he fired off a text.
"I need to borrow a million dors."
The reply came back in seconds.
"What the hell? You already owe me forty million for Vermont National Life Group! Pay up or I''ll kill you."
Charles''s hands shook with rage.
No one had ever spoken to him like that.
"How dare you, you bastard!" he spat into the phone.
Marco''s textnded like a punch.
"What don''t I dare? You''re nothing now-just a broke nobody. Still think you''re the Prince of Kingston? You''re a thief. I''ll give you one week. If my money isn''t back by then, you''ll regret it."
Charles''s entire body went cold.
Even his own bodyguards hadn''t hesitated to beat him. He truly had lost everything he once was.
He stood there in the park, the wind rustling through the trees, the sun mocking him from a perfect blue sky.
"Where did I make the mistake?" he murmured, voice empty.
A sigh left his lips, heavy with regret.
"If only I hadn''t desired the head position..."
At one time, Charles had enough wealth tost a lifetime,
He could have livedfortably, working as an executive in Kingston with a high sry, or even assisting his father in controlling Los Angeles.
He remembered his father''s words: "Let Jasmine take care of Vancouver. When the timees, Los Angeles will be yours."
But he hadn''t believed him. He didn''t want to wait. He wanted Vancouver.
His greed had consumed him, driving him past reason, past caution. Desire ruled him, and it led him straight to ruin.
Now, only regret remained.
A man could spend decades building an empire, but a single mistake could bring it all crashing down.
Despair is the price one pays for setting oneself an impossible aim
"What have I done..." Charles whispered, a hollow ache settling in his chest.
He had nowhere to go. No home. No power. No escape.
With a heavy sigh, he pushed himself up, his body aching, every movementced with pain.
"Charles Kingston!"
A voice rang out, sharp and using.
Charles turned, squinting at the man approaching him.
"Do you remember Arianna?" the man asked.
Charles frowned. "Who?"
The man''s lips curled into something bitter. “A woman you slept with for a week, then kicked out."
Charles scoffed, shaking his head. "Sorry, I''ve slept with a lot of women."
Women always flocked to him. Some became obsessed, some wanted marriage,
but to him, it had all been a game. His bodyguards used to handle them, removing any who clung too tightly.
The man stepped closer. "Yeah, I figured you wouldn''t remember her."
Then, before Charles could react, the man''s hand moved-fast.
Pain exploded in Charles''s stomach.
A knife.
His breath hitched, his body tensing. Cold metal buried deep in his flesh.
Shock swallowed him whole.
2
"She says hello." The man twisted the de, a cruel smirk on his face. "And she wanted me to remind you-she swore she''d find a way to kill you if you broke her heart."
Charles couldn''t believe it. Couldn''t believe he was actually bleeding.
The pain was unbearable. His legs shook. His strength drained.
The man yanked the knife out, blood spilling over Charles''s hands as he clutched his wound,
With a chuckle, the man added, "She promised to let me sleep with her for a week if I stabbed you. Easy peasy."
XX
With that, the man walked away, leaving Charles kneeling on the old ground.
Pan blurred his vision, his breath shallow. Memories yed in his mind like a cruel film reel.
If only he hadn''t craved power. If only he hadn''t chased the head seat of Kingston. Maybe just maybe his life would have been different.
Meanwhile, at the Lancaster Building
Sophia Lancaster sat frozen, her face pale as death.
Just an hour ago, they had signed a contract with Charles Kingston Now, the
news had spread like wildfire-Charles had lost everything
Panic filled the room. The guests for the partnership had already left, leaving only the Lancaster family and their executives
behind
"What will happen to us?" Florence asked, her voiceced with fear. "If Charles Kingston has nothing, don''t you think Jasmine Kingston, as his little sister, should take responsibility for this contract?"
One of the Lancaster executives shook his head. "No. The contract clearly states that our deal was made with Charles Kingston personally, not with the Kingston family." He hesitated before adding, "And... there''s a possibility ourpany might be investigated too. Charles has been involved in illegal money dealings."
Florence mmed her fist on the table. "What kind of bullshit is this?! The Kingston family should be responsible for Charles''s
mess!"
Another executive spoke, his face grim. "I heard businesses like Vermont National
Life Group arepletely ruined. Their stock is worthless-might as well be tissue paper now. Because of Charles."
"What?!" Jack, Florence, and several family members gasped.
Their hands trembled-they had bought those stocks from Marco.
Someone quickly asked, "But if we bought the stock, can''t we im it from Vermont?"
The executive sighed, his expression even darker. "No. Vermont National Life Group just released a statement-they never expanded into Vancouver due to statew. They confirmed that anyone who bought Vermont National Life Group stock outside Vermont was 100% scammed."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Then, chaos erupted.
“That bastard!” someone roared, mming a chair.
"My money-my savings for ten years- gone!" Another voice cracked into sobs.
Sophia felt her stomach churn. Her face turned ghostly white.
She had put the Lancaster group''s money into that deal.
And just like the old saying-when misfortune strikes, it neveres alone. It kicks
down the door and storms in.
The room''s tension snapped as soldiers suddenly barged into the Lancaster
Building, their heavy boots echoing.
One of them stepped forward, his voice sharp andmanding.
"Who is Sophia Lancaster?"