Emerald City never slept, but tonight, it held its breath.
At the center of it all—Ochieng.
He walked through the golden doors of the Seraphim Hotel, the most luxurious building in the city.
A place where billionaires whispered secrets over champagne.
Where kings of industry played games of power.
Where no one entered unless they belonged.
And yet, as Ochieng stepped inside, all eyes turned to him.
He didn't just belong.
He owned the room.
Women paused mid-conversation, their breath catching.
Men straightened their ties, instinctively recognizing a predator among prey.
From the top floor, Kieran Blackwood watched. His grip on his whiskey glass tightened.
"He's making his move."
Lucas smirked beside him. "And we're ready."
But were they?
Because Ochieng wasn't here to play.
He was here to take everything.
---
Serena's heart raced as she entered his office.
The door clicked shut behind her.
Ochieng stood by the window, his back to her, the city lights casting shadows along his sharp features.
"You shouldn't be here." His voice was deep, steady.
Serena swallowed hard. "Then tell me to leave."
Silence.
She took a step closer. Then another.
The tension between them was a living thing.
Electric.
Unstoppable.
She placed a trembling hand on his arm. "Ochieng..."
He turned to her then.
His gaze burned.
"You don't know what you're asking for."
But the truth?
She did.
And she wanted it anyway.
---
Deep beneath the Blackwood Estate, in a room no one knew existed, Kieran and Lucas stood before her.
Elena Blackwood—the hidden queen of the empire.
Their sister. Their secret weapon.
And tonight—
She would change everything.
"You want Ochieng out of the picture?" Elena asked, her crimson lips curving into a deadly smile.
Kieran exhaled. "For good."
Elena picked up a glass of wine, swirling the liquid.
"Then let's give him a reason to fall."
She turned to the screen, where a single image flashed.
Serena.
Her eyes gleamed.
"Men will burn the world for love. Let's see if Ochieng is one of them."
---
As the city moved like chess pieces around him, Ochieng sat in his penthouse, fingers steepled.
A storm was coming.
He could feel it.
But storms didn't scare him.
He was the storm.
And when he was done—
Emerald City would belong to him.
No matter the cost.