After the Second Sunrise

---- Chapter 6 | watched the whole drama unfold on the casino's backstage monitors. Remembering the wild desperation in Chester's eyes, | failed to fight back a laugh. The moment he laid eyes on "Tania's he was bound to lose it even more. lifeless body, Of course, what was the point of love that came too late? | mused. "Seen enough?" Eric Hoffman locked eyes with me. " You shouldn't waste your gaze on garbage." In the depths of his eyes, | saw only my reflection. " Just observing the last pathetic flailing of a desperate fool.

It won't be long before Larson Group's cash flow dries up, all thanks to you snagging those secret accounts from the international bank." Eric's laugh was a low rumble. "You promised me a shot at winning your heart. Consider this my down payment." ---- Heat crept up my ears as | instinctively stepped back, only to be pulled into his steady embrace. "Are you pleased with my gesture of devotion?" | nodded, letting myself lean into the comfort of his arms. He ruled San Henrico's underworld as a feared Mafia don, yet with me, he showed a faint, almost childish possessiveness.

Three years back, Juliana's scheming left me trapped in a forsaken warehouse, inches from being burned alive. Eric was my savior. Fresh from a brutal showdown, blood still seeping from his shoulder, he draped his coat over me and rasped, "Come with me, and you'll never be harmed again." Our paths crossed again in New Cordova, and he had been my constant shadow ever since. Despite understanding his feelings, the wounds from my past in Chester kept me from risking my heart once more. ---- Still, he stood by me, a silent sentinel, until | was ready to take a chance on him-on us.

The hurt | endured was carved into my soul, and | was done waiting. Three days later, at "Tania's" funeral, each guest discovered an unexpected package waiting for them. Confused, they opened the box and found it stuffed with photographs and damning evidence. The photos told a chilling story: a young Juliana, only 10 at the time, shoving me into a pool, trying to end my life in its watery depths. Years later, she lived a double life, secretly supporting a kept man, her nights filled with wild revelry, her true, unflattering self captured in those images.

There was also a detailed account of her fraudulent schemes, pocketing a fortune from Larson Group's business partners. Then there was the truth about "Tania's" mysterious death... ---- Juliana's complexion turned a sickly pale as the evidence of her crimes surfaced before she could destroy it. Reporters descended like vultures, eager for the scandal. Her mask of virtue was ripped away in a heartbeat. Two shadowy figures in black had materialized beside her. Juliana's eyes bulged with terror. Her instincts screamed to flee, but she was swiftly escorted away by the duo.

Eric said offhandedly, "Don't worry; her end won't come too quickly. After they're done having their fun, they'll put her to work, wringing out every last drop of her worth. "I'll make sure to collect every debt owed to you, with interest." The fallout from Juliana's scandal was swift and devastating. The Larson family's partners dwindled rapidly, and even the Kane family retracted their port dealings with them. Months later, Eric pounced on the opportunity to take over the Larson family's core businesses, reducing ---- them to a mere joke in the criminal underworld.