Gideon ckwood nervously twisted his designer watch as he sat across from Sebastian Hawthorne in the private room of Havenwood City''s most exclusive restaurant. The air between them crackled with tension as Sebastian''s cold eyes bore into him.


    "You''re certain Roman Volkov is the one distributing these pills?" Sebastian asked, his voice dangerously calm.


    I nodded eagerly, desperate to stay in Sebastian''s good graces. "Absolutely certain. I saw it with my own eyes. He''s be untouchable overnight—strutting around the city like he owns it."


    Sebastian''s fingers drummed methodically on the polished table surface. Each tap sent a fresh wave of anxiety through me. The Hawthorne family''s reputation from Shince City preceded them—ruthless, calcting, and utterly merciless to those who crossed them.


    "Three hundred dors," Sebastian mused, his lip curling in disgust. "He''s deliberately undermining the market. Ourparable products sell for thousands."


    I leaned forward, sensing an opportunity. "It''s causing quite the stir. Everyone''s talking about how essible cultivation enhancement has suddenly be."


    Sebastian''s eyes darkened. "This Roman... does he strike you as intelligent enough to develop something this revolutionary?"


    "Not even close," I replied quickly. "He''s just a middleman. Always has been."


    "Then someone is using him," Sebastian concluded, taking a sip of his wine. "Someone with considerable alchemical knowledge who wants to remain hidden."


    I remained silent, watching the calction y across his face. Sebastian Hawthorne had arrived in Havenwood only weeks ago, but already the power yers were scrambling to align themselves with him. The Hawthorne pharmaceutical empire was expanding, and our city was merely theirtest conquest.


    "This situation presents a unique opportunity," Sebastian finally said. "My family has been looking for a suitable demonstration of our authority in Havenwood."


    My heart quickened. This was exactly what I''d hoped for when I brought this information to him.


    "What will you do?" I asked.


    Sebastian''s smile was cold enough to freeze blood. "I''ll give this Roman Volkov a simple choice—surrender the pill''s form and distribution rights to me, or face consequences that will make him wish for something as merciful as death."


    I felt a chill run down my spine despite not being the target of his threat. <kbd ss="phantom-imprint">C*a$t#c-h the f.or+ma^tt.e.d+ v*e!rs%i%on% at *.</kbd>


    "And Gideon," he continued, fixing me with that prating stare, "in exchange for this valuable information, I''ll grant you exclusive agency rights for Hawthorne pharmaceuticals in the eastern district once we''ve secured control."


    My pulse quickened. The eastern district was wealthy, filled with cultivators desperate for advantages. "Thank you, Mr. Hawthorne. You won''t regret this partnership."


    Sebastian merely nodded, already shifting his attention to his phone. Our meeting was clearly over.


    As I left the restaurant, I couldn''t help but smile. Roman Volkov''s days as Havenwood''s newest celebrity were numbered. And I, Gideon ckwood, would rise from the ashes of his inevitable downfall.


    ---


    Miles away, I sat in my study, monitoring thetest reports from Roman. The Soul Nourishment Pill had exceeded even my most optimistic projections. In just forty-eight hours, it hadpletely disrupted Havenwood City''s carefully controlled medicinal market.


    "Everything''s proceeding exactly as nned," I murmured, scrolling through the sales data on my tablet.


    I wasn''t surprised when my phone rang with Roman''s number.


    "Liam, this is insanity!" His voice came through breathless with excitement. "I''ve never seen anything like it. People are offering triple your asking price just to jump the queue!"


    "Stick to the original price," I reminded him firmly. "That''s critical."


    "Of course, of course," he agreed quickly. "But I''ve been thinking—we should increase production. The demand is unprecedented."


    I leaned back in my chair, gazing out the window at Havenwood''s skyline. "Patience, Roman. Scarcity builds value, even at our price point."


    "There''s something else," Roman said, his voice dropping. "I''ve heard whispers that Sebastian Hawthorne is asking questions about us."


    I smiled. That was expected—inevitable, even. "Let him ask. The foundation has already beenid."


    "You don''t understand," Roman insisted. "The Hawthornes don''t ask questions—they eliminate problems."


    "I''m well aware of their reputation," I replied calmly. "Focus on distribution. I''ll handle anyplications that arise."


    After ending the call, I closed my eyes, envisioning the ripples spreading through Havenwood''s power structure. The Soul Nourishment Pill was never just about profit—it was about disruption. About changing the rules of a game that had been rigged for generations.


    The Hawthornes'' reaction was merely the first move in a muchrger battle. I had anticipated it, prepared for it.


    "Let theme," I whispered to the empty room.


    ---


    Across town, Alec Peterson straightened his tie as he entered the private dining room of the Crystal Pce. As one of Havenwood''s prominent businessmen, he''d been invited to this exclusive gathering of the city''s elite by Mayor Lee himself.


    The conversation flowed naturally between courses, but one topic dominated the evening—the mysterious Soul Nourishment Pill that had taken the city by storm.


    "I acquired mine just this morning," boasted Councilman Wilson, producing a small jade container from his breast pocket. "Had to send my assistant to wait in line for three hours."


    "Three hours for a mere pill?" scoffed another guest. "Is it truly worth such effort?"


    Mayor Lee chuckled, dabbing his mouth with a napkin. "I tested minest night during my cultivation session. The effects are..." he paused dramatically, "...extraordinary. My absorption rate improved precisely as advertised."


    I shifted ufortably in my seat, memories of a recent encounter with Liam Knight suddenly surfacing in my mind.


    "The most fascinating aspect," continued the Mayor, "is the price point. Three hundred dors for effects that rival products costing ten times as much."


    "Supply and demand will correct that soon enough," remarked the city''s finance director. "I''ve heard people are already offering thousands to skip the line."


    Mayor Lee smiled, producing his own jade container. "Which is why I secured several. At this price, they''re arguably the most valuablemodity in Havenwood right now."


    He ced the container on the table, and I found myself leaning forward instinctively.


    "May I?" I asked, reaching for it before the Mayor could respond.


    The small pill resting inside looked remarkably ordinary—a deep amber color with faint golden swirls. But as I examined it more closely, recognition dawned with horrifying rity.


    This pill... it was identical to the one Liam Knight had shown me weeks ago, when he''d offered me distribution rights.


    The same Liam Knight I had dismissed with contempt.


    The same opportunity I had arrogantly rejected.


    "Something wrong, Alec?" Mayor Lee asked, noting my sudden pallor.


    I barely heard him as blood rushed in my ears. The conversations around me faded to background noise as the full weight of my mistake crashed down upon me.


    "This pill," I managed, my voice hoarse. "Where did you get it?"


    "Roman Volkov is distributing them," the Mayor replied. "Though rumor has it he''s merely the front man for the actual creator."


    My fingers trembled as I returned the container. Liam Knight, the man I had treated with such disdain, was behind the most significant medicinal breakthrough Havenwood had seen in decades.


    "Are you feeling unwell?" someone asked.


    I couldn''t answer. My mind was racing, calcting the astronomical profits I had carelessly thrown away. Distribution rights to the Soul Nourishment Pill would have transformed mypany overnight, securing my position among Havenwood''s elite for generations.


    "I need some air," I mumbled, rising abruptly from the table.


    As I stumbled toward the balcony, one thought consumed me entirely: I had to speak with Liam Knight again. I had to somehow rectify this catastrophic mistake before it was toote.


    My face burned with shame and regret as the cool night air hit my skin. The Soul Nourishment Pill that was now the talk of the entire city had been within my grasp, offered freely to me—and in my arrogance and shortsightedness, I had tossed aside a fortune that others would kill to possess.