warehouse awning, his sharp eyes fixed on the s

ect him at all. While other people collapsed und

re straight and alert, completely out of p

al market movements for th

r usually meant a military contract o

off his calculations. A single woman wa

d another heavy crate of medic

d her hands were wrapped in thick white bandages

y blank. Her eyes were colder than ice, filled with a strange, hyper-foc

strial-grade water filtration units. Heavy-duty solar panels.

d rows upon rows of military-gr

h supplies for hundreds?" Adrian tho

g of a rich civilian scared by the

ght distribution and quick accessibility. She was prioritizing

tening as he watched her secure a final strap aroun

that ordinary citizens

ad seen the classified files. He knew about the secr

quarantine zones. He had believed he was one of the very few indiv

ute, terrifying certainty. It was almost as if she

r's seat of the moving truck

loud of dark exhaust before the truck slowly pulled out

walked smoothly over to his matte-blac

nto the shimmering heat waves of the main road,

he was taking a fortress's worth of supplie

oning of a high-end restaurant did absolutely no

der in the waitress's hand as if it h

im a polite but increa

wkwardness. "The premium card has been declined again. I tried run

the candlelit table, swirlin

at is taking so long? This is so embarrassing. I thought you said w

lights. "Hold on. There must be a glitch with the bank's server," he mu

app, his thumb shaking so badly he me

finally loaded, the breath

was empty. The high-yield

s and emergency funds had

k at him like a digita

ver him. Elena hadn't just changed

ally emptied every single bank

t cards. She had stripped him of ever

sive corporate salary backing him u

ing right now," Ryan thought, a hys

up on the screen: "Time is up, Ryan. You owe us fifty thousand dollars for the luxury jewelry and the sports car

. He felt a sickening surge of vo

ssive amount of cash from a ruthless

mond bracelet and fund their expensive sec

t because he knew Elena's inheritanc

the next month to pay off the debt, just like he

ough cash to pay for the expensive steaks sitting on their plates,

ked number. Ryan frantically swiped the screen to

age. She slammed her drink down onto the glass table, her sweet, loving persona c

the table. "Why are you shaking like a leaf? Just pay the b

He couldn't even bring himself to meet her gaze. He kept his eyes glued to

took it? You told me that money was yours! You told me you had her comple

fensively, his panic making him reckless as th

She transferred everything out into a private lockbox. Ev

ugly line. For the past six years, she had stayed wit

, and promised her a lifetime of effortless luxury while a stupid,

Ryan was a brilliant maste

pletely terrified over a standard dinner bill... Sophia fe

sn't a powerful mastermind. He

of your own?" Sophia's voice was dangerously quiet,

hands. "I just need a few days! I'll find Elena and force her to give it back! She l

ands away from his reach, loo