Chapter 1: The King Arrives
Chapter 1: The King Arrives
For three full seconds, nobody moved.
The shattered front doors of Ravenshore swung on broken hinges as cold night air flooded the ballroom.
Then the men stepped inside.
Not security guards.
Not police.
Twenty men dressed in black suits moved with military precision.
Silent.
Disciplined.
Terrifying.
Guests immediately recognized what they were seeing.
This wasn't protection.
This was power.
The kind of power that never needed permission.
The crowd parted instinctively.
And then he appeared.
Dominic Kane.
Six-foot-four.
Dark tailored suit.
Silver streak at his temple.
Eyes like frozen steel.
He walked through the grand entrance as if the mansion already belonged to him.
No one challenged him.
No one dared.
A senator lowered his gaze.
A federal judge took a nervous step backward.
Even the commissioner of police looked pale.
Because everyone knew the same thing.
Dominic Kane never showed up personally.
If he came himself—
someone had crossed a line.
Upstairs, Grayson Langford stared through the broken library door.
For the first time in years, genuine fear entered his eyes.
"How did he find out?" Paige whispered.
Nobody answered.
Because they already knew.
Harper.
Dominic stopped at the center of the ballroom.
His voice carried effortlessly.
"Where is Harper Langford?"
Silence.
Grayson attempted a smile.
The polished smile that had manipulated politicians for decades.
"Mr. Kane, there seems to be some misunderstanding—"
Dominic looked at him.
Just looked.
The smile disappeared.
"I didn't ask you."
The entire room went cold.
Then one of Dominic's men touched an earpiece.
"Library. Second floor."
Dominic nodded.
And began walking.
Straight toward the staircase.
Toward Harper.
May you like
Toward the truth.
And nobody tried to stop him.
