Iván threw the divorce papers in the face of his penniless wife, then slapped her hard and chased her out of the mansion—until a mysterious man appeared, saw her bruised wrist, and shouted, "Who made my sister cry?"

Inside the lavish private dining room at the Skyview Tower, Iván leaned back in his leather chair, swirling a glass of fifty-year-old scotch.

Beside him sat Chloe Vance, dressed in a backless crimson silk dress, dripping in diamonds that had been purchased using the funds Iván had stolen from his company's emergency reserves.

"I still can't believe you finally kicked that pathetic ghost out," Chloe cooed, wrapping her manicured hand around Iván's forearm. "She was holding you back, Iván. A penniless orphan from the gutters had no business sitting at the head of your dining table."

Iván smirked, taking a sip of his drink. "Elena served her purpose. She was quiet, obedient, and never questioned where the money went. But she was a nobody. Tonight, we secure the Morales Capital partnership. Once Rafael Morales signs that two-hundred-million-dollar liquidity injection, Apex Holdings will be unstoppable."

"Did she sign the divorce papers before she left?" Chloe asked, raising an eyebrow.

"She didn't have a choice," Iván sneered, remembering the look of terror in Elena's eyes when his palm struck her face. "I threw her out into the storm without a cent. By now, she's probably sleeping in a homeless shelter or crawling to some cheap motel. She's broken, Chloe. She won't ever bother us again."

At that exact moment, the heavy double doors of the private dining room opened.

A dozen men in tailored black suits entered the room, taking positions along the perimeter walls. Every single one of them carried themselves with the silent, dangerous precision of elite military operatives.

Iván immediately stood up, adjusting his tuxedo jacket, a broad, sycophantic smile spreading across his face.

"Ah! Gentlemen! Is Mr. Rafael Morales arriving?" Iván asked eagerly.

Julian Thorne stepped into the room, his towering presence immediately commanding absolute silence. He looked at Iván with a cold, detached gaze that made the air in the room drop several degrees.

"Mr. Iván," Julian said flatly. "Mr. Morales has arrived."

Iván smoothed his tie, holding out his hand as a imposing figure walked through the doorway.

Rafael Morales moved with the supreme confidence of a man who owned everything his eyes landed on. His charcoal tuxedo was flawless, his silver cufflinks gleaming under the crystal lights.

"Mr. Morales!" Iván beamed, stepping forward with his hand extended. "It is an absolute honor to finally meet you in person! Apex Holdings is ready to present—"

Rafael didn't even look at Iván’s outstretched hand. He walked right past him, pulling out the massive leather armchair at the head of the table and sitting down.

Iván’s hand froze in mid-air. His smile faltered slightly, but he quickly forced a nervous laugh. "Ah, a man of direct action! I respect that tremendously, sir. Allow me to introduce my partner and future wife, Chloe Vance."

Chloe offered her most charming, flirtatious smile, extending her hand. "A pleasure, Mr. Morales."

Rafael slowly raised his dark eyes, looking at Chloe as if she were a smudge of dirt on a marble floor. He didn't say a word.

The awkward silence grew heavy, suffocating the room. Iván felt a bead of cold sweat trickle down the back of his neck.

"Um... Mr. Morales," Iván began, clearing his throat nervously. "Regarding the terms of the investment contract... your team sent over a revised draft an hour ago, but the signature page required a co-signing signature from the Chairman of the Morales Family Trust."

"It does," Rafael said, his voice a deep, resonant rumble that sent shivers through the room. "And the Chairman is arriving now."

Iván exhaled a sigh of relief. "Wonderful! We are ready to sign immediately."

The grand doors swung open once more.

The sound of sharp, elegant high heels echoed against the marble floor.

A woman stepped into the light of the room.

She wore a custom emerald-green velvet gown that hugged her graceful silhouette, sweeping the floor with regal majesty. Around her neck was a breathtaking vintage diamond necklace worth tens of millions of dollars. Her hair was styled in soft, cascading waves, framing a face of ethereal, striking beauty.

Her posture was flawless, her head held high, radiating cold, undisputed authority.

Iván’s jaw dropped. The glass of scotch slipped from his fingers, crashing onto the carpet and shattering into a dozen pieces.

Chloe gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

"E... Elena?!" Iván choked out, his eyes wide with absolute horror and disbelief. "What... what are you doing here?! How did you get in here?!"

Elena stopped at the edge of the table. She didn't look like the pale, terrified, broken girl he had slapped into the rain twenty-four hours ago.

She looked like a monarch inspecting her subjects.

She looked directly into Iván’s bloodshot eyes, her expression devoid of any fear, warmth, or lingering affection.

"You're standing in my seat, Iván," Elena said smoothly.

Iván’s face flushed red with sudden, blind rage. "Are you insane?! Security! Get this woman out of here! She's my crazy ex-wife! She snuck in here to embarrass me!"

Not a single security guard moved.

Julian Thorne stepped up beside Elena, pulling out the velvet chair next to Rafael and bowing respectfully as she sat down.

"Allow me to clarify the situation for you, Mr. Iván," Rafael said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the polished mahogany table.

"You spent the last three years abusing, degrading, and stealing from a woman you believed had no power, no money, and no family to protect her."

Rafael’s eyes turned terrifyingly dark.

"You threw my little sister out into the freezing rain."

The room seemed to freeze entirely.

Iván felt the blood drain from his head. His knees buckled, and he grabbed the edge of the table to keep from collapsing onto the floor.

"S... sister...?" Iván stammered, his voice squeaking in absolute panic. "She... she's an orphan! Her name is Elena Morales! She had nothing!"

"My name is Elena Morales," Elena corrected coldly, leaning back in her chair and crossing her ankles. "And the Morales family owns eighty percent of the commercial debt currently hanging over your head."

Rafael gestured to Julian, who tossed a thick legal folder onto the center of the table.

"At 8:00 a.m. this morning," Rafael announced calmly, "Morales Capital purchased all outstanding mortgages, personal loans, and corporate liabilities tied to Apex Holdings. At 8:15 a.m., we called in those loans due to severe contractual fraud."

Iván's breath hitched. "Fraud?! What fraud?!"

"You used company funds to purchase offshore accounts and diamond jewelry for Miss Vance," Elena said smoothly, pointing her manicured finger at Chloe. "My legal team filed the audit reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission three hours ago."

Chloe turned pale, backing away from Iván. "Iván... what is she talking about?! You told me those funds were clean!"

"Shut up, Chloe!" Iván roared, before turning desperately back to Elena. "Elena... sweetie... please! This is a massive misunderstanding! I was stressed! I didn't mean to hurt you! We're married! We can fix this!"

He rushed forward, attempting to grab her hand across the table.

Before his fingers could even get close, Julian Thorne moved like lightning. He grabbed Iván’s wrist in a vise-like grip, twisting it back until Iván fell to his knees on the carpet, screaming in agony.