Alice and her family found it nearly impossible to accept the truth—Benjamin had truly fallen. The thought that Chris could be responsible for such a massive downfall, without so much as a phone call or even stepping out of the office, was baffling.
As Karen and her daughter tried to make sense of what had just occurred, Benjamin lunged forward, grabbing Chris by the collar.
"You son of a bitch! You did this, didn't you?!" he shouted, rage pouring from his eyes as he raised his fist to strike. But Chris caught his hand mid-air with unflinching strength.
"What do you think you're doing?" Chris asked, his palm locking Benjamin's fist in place like iron. Benjamin gritted his teeth, clearly in agony.
"Let go of me, you bastard! How the hell are you this strong?" he groaned, trying to pull free, but Chris's grip was immovable.
"I'll leave you here today, a beaten fool," Chris said coldly. "Just like your pathetic brother rotting in jail—you're nothing to me. Good luck sorting out your $7 trillion debt."
Without another word, Chris released him. Benjamin collapsed to the floor. Chris turned without hesitation, seized Alice's hand, and started walking away.
Karen was about to follow when Benjamin, weak and trembling, clutched at her ankle.
"Please, Mrs. Nile… don't leave me like this. I'm ruined. Help me fix this—help me clear the mortgage…"
Karen yanked her leg away in disgust. "Let me go, Benjamin! You're beneath me now. Can't you see you're not in my league anymore? Don't come near me or my daughter again!"
She kicked his hand aside and stormed off without a backward glance.
---
The scene left both Alice and Karen stunned—particularly Alice, who hadn't stopped watching Chris since. As much as she tried to convince herself he wasn't behind Benjamin's downfall, the memory of Chris's threats and the fury in his eyes told a different story.
Eventually, she looked away, deciding it had to be someone else.
But at that very moment, Chris turned his gaze toward her, recalling the moment he used his Soul Racer to connect with Miss Poison.
The Dragon Group possessed a powerful relic: a sapphire-shaped pendant known as the Soul Racer. It was a symbol of absolute authority, carried only by the Dragon Lord. After Chris completed his training in prison, the elderly mentor had regurgitated the pendant and handed it to him.
"This pendant allows soul connection between the Dragon Lord and his followers," the old man had explained. "Once attuned to the Dragon Oracle, it links your mind, body, and soul. It is your true power."
As Chris replayed those words in his mind, his phone vibrated. A new text message from Miss Poison lit up the screen:
"Zack is back. He heard about Mr. Jones—Edward's father—and flew in from the States."
Chris's jaw tightened, and his hands clenched into fists. Zack. That name alone brought back memories from twelve years ago.
"You don't have what it takes to run Falcon, Chris. I'm taking it from you, period."
"But Falcon's the only company my late father left me. Mr. Jones promised I'd have it when I turned 18. Why are you taking it?"
"Because I turned 18 first. So I get to manage Falcon first!"
The fury surged again. Zack had stolen the company and never looked back. Now he was back? Chris smirked darkly.
"So, you've returned. Perfect. Now, you'll regret ever becoming Falcon's CEO," he murmured.
The car jerked to a stop. Chris looked outside and saw they had pulled up in front of an eatery.
"Why are we stopping here?" he asked the driver, puzzled.
Karen turned slightly. "I'm hungry. We're grabbing something to eat."
They stepped out, and Chris lifted his head to see the name boldly printed on the sign above: Falcon Tour.
His eyes narrowed. This was it. His father's legacy—right before him.
"What's the holdup, Chris? Let's go," Alice said, already heading inside. Chris forced himself to calm down, to bury the fire swelling in his chest.
Just then, a voice whispered inside his head, "Stay silent. Defend your integrity, not yourself, my Lord."
He recognized that voice. The old man's voice. In prison, he'd said, "The Soul Racer will guide you. Always listen to its words."
Chris gave a subtle nod to himself and entered the eatery.
He headed toward the table where Karen and Alice were already seated—a table for four. As he pulled back his chair to sit, someone yanked it away.
He crashed to the ground.
Chris's fists clenched once more as he looked up to see Zack—Alice standing beside him, her hand gliding across his abdomen.
"Well, well," she purred, "long time no see… my ex-husband."
Her fingers trailed up Zack's chest, and Chris's eyes burned with fury.