The sharp crack of a sniper rifle split the night. Elena shrieked, her eyes wide with terror as the red dot on Ethan’s chest vanished. But there was no impact, no pain. A heavy thud sounded beside him. Ethan spun around. Leo, his stoic, ever-loyal assistant, lay on the cold rooftop, a crimson flower blooming on the front of his black suit. His face was a mask of agony, but his eyes were fixed on Ethan, burning with a final, desperate loyalty. “Sir…” Leo gasped, blood flecking his lips. “He… he saved you!” Elena sobbed, rushing to kneel beside him. Ethan was already there, his expression unreadable, a terrifying calm settling over him. He gently took Leo’s hand. “Who?” Ethan’s voice was a low growl. Leo struggled for breath, his life fading. “William… Vance… He wants the dynasty’s fortune… for himself…” His eyes glazed over, and his hand fell limp. A chilling silence descended. Elena looked at Ethan, whose face had transformed. The warmth he’d shown her was gone, replaced by the glacial fury of a king whose throne had been challenged. His jaw was clenched so tightly a vein throbbed in his temple. He slowly stood up, a terrifying aura radiating from him. “William,” he whispered, the name a curse on his lips. “You dared to touch my people.” An urgent voice crackled in his hidden earpiece. “Chairman, visual confirmed. The assassin is your uncle, William Vance. He’s on the move.” Ethan’s eyes narrowed into slits of pure hatred. He raised his wrist, speaking into his watch with a voice that promised utter annihilation. The time for hiding was over. The time for revenge had begun. He erupted in fury and mobilized the family's hundred thousand global mercenaries: 'Return to the capital. Raze William's estate to the ground!'

The Bullet and The Shield