The sky was a blanket of grey, casting a somber hue over the city.

On the corner of an old building labeled Ashwell Corporate Partnership, a young man in a gray suit stood on the third-floor balcony, gazing down at the bustling street below. His eyes were sharp, his expression cold. Hunter Jackson, then just twenty-six, was at the pinnacle of his business game in Europe.

But he wasn’t alone.

Inside the glass-walled office, a woman with dark brown hair sat leafing through a red folder. Her work dress was immaculate, her posture graceful—but her gaze was piercing. Sophia Joy.

“I’ve signed the merger deal with RoyalTech,” Sophia said bluntly....