"Look at you," Marlene said coldly. "So arrogant, so blind to your ce in this world. Now, you haven''t just offended the important people. You''ve offended me too."


    "So what!" Nikus snapped. "You have to return every contract with the Krugers, or we''ll sue."


    "What if I don''t?" Marlene asked, calm and dangerous.


    "Then you''ll watch the Eden Group get torn apart by the Krugers." Nikus''s pride red; he refused to look small in front of Annabe.


    Marlene smiled like a razor. "Fine. You go your way. I''ll go mine. Let''s see which one of us ends up destroyed today."


    Annabe exploded. "Who do you think you are, bitch? The Krugers built Eden up do you forget that? You want to kick them out now? Let''s see who falls because of that. Nikus, sue her. Make them pay for breaching the contract. Let them go bankrupt!"


    Nikus pressed his bracelet, voice cold. "You''d better change your mind before it''s toote."


    "I''ll warn you the same," Marlene said, fingers on her own bracelet. "If you sue us, you make an enemy of Eden Group. We''ll see who survives."


    "Nikus, this woman''s insufferable-let''s punish her!" Annabe cried.


    "You leave me no choice." Nikus tapped his bracelet and dialed. "I want to file an officialint with the government business ethics board. Eden Group is unterally cutting ties with the Krugers. That''s going to cause massive material loss. I want to pursue litigation."


    Marlene snorted, palm t against her bracelet. "Olivia-announce it now. Eden Group severs all ties with the Krugers. Notify every partner: anyone still connected to the Krugers after twenty-four hours is barred from working with us. Cancel their contracts on sight. From this moment on, they''re our enemy."


    Annabe curled her lip. "You think that intimidates Nikus? You don''t understand how big the Kruger family is. Nikus-sue them for a billion. Let''s


    bury them. We will burn this Eden Group to the ground."


    Nikus went white. "You-Eden Group—this is impossible. Just wait until I sue. I swear you''lle crawling back, begging me to drop it."


    "Keep dreaming," Marlene said, ice in her voice.


    "You''ll regret this! You don''t know what my fiancé capable of," Annabe spat,


    venomous.


    At that moment Nikus''s bracelet chimed. He fumbled for it. "Heree the results. You''re dead, Eden Group!" he crowed before the screen even loaded.


    The projected report blinked into life on the holo-crisp, official, merciless. "You are unable to sue Eden Group for terminating the coboration. Per the renewal use signedst year, Eden may unterally end the partnership without penalty."


    "What?" Nikus barked. "This-this can''t be. We would never sign that."


    The artificial voice in the bracelet was calm and final. "Scanningplete. Here is the scanned copy of your contract, including the use and its fine print. It is present and valid."


    Nikus stared as the use red back at him in microprint. His mouth moved but no sound came.<fnc3da> For original chapters go to find?novel</fnc3da>


    How had he missed this? How had Eden pushed such a use through during renewal, while both parties were profiting?


    Marleneughed a sharp, knowing sound. She had learned to write contracts in a way that left no room for loss, not even a fraction. She''d grown up in the dark corners of business deals, surviving on instinct and cunning.


    Every use, every signature—she turned them into armor. She wasn''t just a negotiator. She was a survivor.


    "Guards," Marlene called, voice t. "Eden Group has dered the Kruger family persona non grata. Remove him and hispanion. They don''t belong here."


    Two security androids snapped to attention. They moved like machines should— efficient, unhesitating. One stepped forward, seized Nikus''s wrist and wrenched it back until the joint protested.


    Pain shed across his face. He tried to pull free; the android tightened, clinical and imcable.


    The security androids seized Annabe before she could take another step.


    "You-how dare you! Do you know who I am?" she screamed, voice slicing through the air.


    The android didn''t care. With cold, mechanical precision, it mmed her to the floor when she tried to resist. Her scream echoed through the marble hall, sharp and desperate, as the machines dragged both her and Nikus toward the entrance like discarded trash.


    The ss doors hissed open, spilling sunlight and humiliation on them. People arriving in sleek flying cars turned to watch, whispering.


    The android shoved them out with clinical force, then stepped back and delivered the verdict in a t, automatic tone: "Do not enter this premises again. You are cklisted."


    The doors hissed shut behind them as they stumbled into the sunlight-


    humiliated, nked by curious onlookers.


    Nikus''s bracelet suddenly vibrated.


    He snatched it up-desperate. A holo-screen blinked to life, revealing the furious


    face of a middle-aged man. His father.


    "You idiot!" his father roared. "What the hell did you do? Eden Group just terminated every single project with us! Who did you offend in there?"


    Nikus''s face twisted in


    desperation. No, Dad, I didn''t offend


    anyone! only came to meet


    Countess Marlene Von Adler-but before even saw her, she used me of offending someone and canceled the contract on the spot. They must''ve faked


    something-they set me up!"  s


    "Set you up?" his father thundered. "Do you even hear yourself? We were making millions with Eden Group-millions! Now every contract is gone! You had the nerve to sue them, and because of that, our partners are abandoning us one by one! The banks are breathing down our necks, we''re drowning in debt-bankruptcy is right at our door! And it''s all because of you!"


    s


    "Father, please, it''s not my fault," Nikus stammered, panic in his voice. "This was one-sided!"


    But as the words left his mouth, one name shed through his mind-Alex.


    The only person he had insulted since setting foot in Eden Group.


    His stomach turned cold. He spun toward Annabe. "Annabe... this is about your cousin-inw, isn''t it? That loser-Alex! Does he have anything to do with Eden Group?"


    Annabe blinked, stunned. "What? Him? Don''t be ridiculous! He''s nothing but a half-ve-how could he possibly have any connection with Eden Group? He can''t even legally own his own pants!"


    "You''re right." Nikus''s nod felt hollow. He thought of his father''s fury and the ruined contracts. "I have to go home. Now."


    They both froze when Alex appeared, striding toward them in the crisp gray uniform of Eden Group. A polished name tag caught the light on his chest - ALEX GARDENER.


    He looked absurdly proud. "You two look like a mess," Alex said with a grin. "Just got hired at Eden." He lifted his chin as if the badge were a medal. "Gardener, right here."


    Nikus and Annabe didn''t know whether tough or hate him. Gardening was


    the lowest rung at a corporation that ran on machines-nting and tending were


    left to humans, usually immigrants or half-ves.


    The job was supposed to be humiliation, not triumph.


    Annabe''s smile cut like a de. "That suit fits you-like it was made for a half-


    ve. Don''t get cocky about it."


    "Ah, the higher soar, the smaller I appear to those who cannot fly. Like you." Alex''s grin widened. "You don''t get it do you just got mys


    myself


    new flying car. While you''re walking home in the dirt, I''ll be up there in the


    sky."  s


    He pointed to a sleek, expensive craft gliding into a parking bay. It shone like a coin in sunlight. Nikus''s heart thudded when he saw it-his car, unmistakable. "Keep dreaming," Nikus muttered, too tired to argue. He needed to tell his father what had happened—not trade barbs with a gardener.


    He walked to the car, bracelet already probing for the connection. The usual sync didn''t happen. The screen on his wrist blinked and a calm, official voice answered


    instead.


    "Please step away from this vehicle. This is not your car. Continued attempts to ess it will trigger a report to local authorities."


    "Stealing?" Nikus choked, staring at the screen. Annabe''s face went pale beside him.


    Nikus scowled, his patience snapping. "Open the door. This is my car."


    The vehicle''s system responded in a cold, mechanical voice, "Identity mismatch. This is not your registered vehicle. You have been warned twice. A third attempt will notifyw enforcement."


    Nikus froze, his pulse hammering.


    Alex leaned against the car, arms crossed, grinning wide. "Told you," he said with


    a mockingugh. "This beauty''s mine now. Didn''t believe me, huh? Remember our little bet?"


    He tapped the side of the car like it was a trophy. "Guess you''ll be walking home tonight."