Leonard's calm broke, and that alone was rare enough to rattle Diego. He'd worked for Leon for years — assistant, fixer, friend — and he could count on one hand the number of times he'd seen him actually lose composure. But this? This was different.
The reason sat glowing on the table: a pristine tablet displaying an email that looked harmless if you didn't know better. But Leon did.
James Barnes. CEO of a company Leon couldn't care less about. His message? An "invitation" for the Barnes and Wayne families to share dinner, "talk alliances," and "get to know each other."
Leon didn't even need to read between the lines. Barnes wasn't slick enough to hide the real play: bring up his daughter and pitch her as Mrs. Leonard Wayne. Another tired attempt at chaining into the Wayne dynasty.
Leon scoffed and leaned back in his chair.
"Tell me this hasn't already been forwarded to my parents. Especially my mother."
"Nope. You're the first," Diego said, lounging on the couch with the kind of calm only he could pull off in Leon's storms. "Want me to intercept it?"
"Please. And send a decline while you're at it. The idea of Jessica Barnes makes my skin crawl."
Leon ran a hand through his thick hair, a dry laugh slipping out.
Diego grinned. "Can't even lie, I was shocked. I mean, who wouldn't want to bag the great Leonard Wayne? But Jessica?" He gave a fake shiver. "That's a comedy sketch waiting to happen."
Leon's expression darkened. His name wasn't just a name. The Waynes were an empire, a dynasty. Their legacy stretched across industries, their influence woven into every major deal from New York to Singapore. And Leon, almost thirty, wasn't just carrying the family name — he was amplifying it. Every move he made turned to gold. He was the crown jewel.
Which was exactly why people kept trying to sell their daughters to him like he was some prize at auction.
"Does Barnes think I'm stupid?" Leon muttered. "That I'd even pretend to entertain this crap?" His voice cut sharp, low.
Diego stayed quiet. He'd learned the art of letting Leon vent.
"She's a spoiled brat, Diego. Clueless about the real world. Doesn't know what it's like to work, to earn, to fight. She thinks life is one long tea party, and I should just show up as her crown. I'm not babysitting a grown child. I've got an empire to run."
His voice rose, then dropped again, cold and final.
"Never bring this nonsense to me again. Got it?"
"Crystal," Diego replied, already deleting the email and firing off a curt decline. Smoothly, he switched gears, sliding the conversation back to what actually mattered. "Quarterly reports just came in from Singapore. Fifteen percent increase. We're three points above projection."
Leon's mood shifted instantly. The storm passed as fast as it came, his focus snapping back to numbers, strategies, global markets. Jessica Barnes? Forgotten.
Meanwhile, across City F, Mira zipped up her old suitcase with shaky hands. The seams were stretched thin, her whole life stuffed into one piece of luggage.
She turned to Mrs. Maurice, who stood in the doorway like a protective shadow.
"I'm really going to miss you. And… thank you. For the 800,000. I'll pay you back, I promise."
Mrs. Maurice pulled her into a hug, warm and solid.
"Child, don't you worry about that. Just take care of yourself out there. City B is a whole different game."
Mira nodded, forcing a smile. But before she stepped out, she turned back.
"One last thing… if Levi Maxwell comes around asking, just give him my new number. Tell him I'll sort everything soon."
The older woman's eyes softened, her voice steady.
"I'll handle it. You go live your life."
She let herself reminisce as the car rolled on. The neighbors hadn't even bothered to hide their stares this morning. They tried to coax smiles at her through their windows, like they hadn't turned their backs on her after the last run-in with the loan sharks. Ever since Aliyah came by to talk to Mrs. Maurice about Mira moving to City B, gossip had spread like wildfire. The same people who avoided her now wore pity on their faces, their hypocrisy almost laughable.
Mira didn't bother waving goodbye. She kept her eyes forward.
The taxi ride out of City F felt surreal. Mira leaned her head against the window, watching familiar streets blur into the distance. Her chest ached with both fear and anticipation. She was leaving behind debts, whispers, and sleepless nights — stepping toward something new.
.
And then City B appeared.
It was another world. Skyscrapers rose like glass blades into the sky, sunlight bouncing off their mirrored walls. Streets thrummed with sleek electric cars and silent self-driving shuttles. Vertical gardens climbed the sides of buildings, spilling vines and flowers like living murals. Digital billboards flashed sharp, animated ads, while drones zipped overhead, delivering packages midair like it was nothing. The air itself felt fresher, cleaner, laced with the faint sweetness of blossoms from rooftop gardens.
Her cab pulled up to a towering condo that made her mouth go dry. Twenty-six floors of steel and glass, glowing under the city lights like it was alive.
Inside, the lobby was another universe: marble floors polished like mirrors, ceilings that soared high with golden lighting, and art that looked like it belonged in a museum. A soft waterfall trickled along one wall, and the air smelled faintly of vanilla and cedar. Everyone who passed her looked like they stepped off magazine covers.
Mira tugged her suitcase closer, trying not to feel too small. At the desk, she handed over the card Aliyah had given her.
"Hi. I'm Mirabelle Brown. Aliyah Marsh told me to bring this."
The receptionist flashed a professional smile, tapped a call, and nodded.
"Ms. Marsh says welcome. Here's your access card. Twenty-sixth floor, Room A."
Mira clutched the sleek card like it was a golden ticket. The elevator hummed upward, smooth as silk.
She caught her reflection in the mirrored panel: wide-eyed, curls slightly frizzed, nerves and hope mixing in her smile. She smoothed her shirt, inhaled deeply, and exhaled even slower.
The doors opened into silence. Just two apartments. Private, discreet.
Room A.
She swiped the card. The lock clicked. The door swung open.
Mira froze. Her jaw dropped. Her eyes widened.
Whatever she thought she knew about Aliyah's life in City B — she was wrong. So wrong.
And the sight in front of her made her heart slam against her ribs.