en. Thud-dum. Thud-dum. Through warm liquid it traveled, light but sure against my skin. Then - something shifted. Suddenly, those beats echoed a different tempo buried deep in memory

rushed toward me. Knees met earth. That pricey scotch tumbler slipped right out of my grip, smashing on the marble - same way Elena's broke just before. Yet what froze me wasn't Victor turning against us. It was how Sophia responded. She stood close by throughout it all. Surprise? Panic? Sorrow, perhaps? None showed up. Calm settled over her face instead, cool and sharp. Each stumble I made seemed logged inside her gaze, measured like test results ticking forward. Breathing became hard when Sophia moved closer. Not once did she ask if I was okay. Concern never showed in her eyes. Into my coat pocket went her hand, steady as ever. Out came the encrypted access key - control over every server in Vale Corporation. While looking at it, a small smile stayed on her lips. Killing me wasn't enough for them. Everything I'd made was taken, gone before my eyes. Deep in the dark space, small limbs shook as the past slipped away. Those moments weren't mine now, yet the feelings hit hard. Fire raced through thinking without warning. Muscles moved on their own when the wave came crashing. A rush of stress chemicals flooded my veins. Through the lifeline tied to Elena, adrenaline mixed with cortisol moved fast. Right then, her muscles tensed under the shift. Before long, a calm pulse turned into quick beats. Air pulled sharply in and out as strange signals twisted through her limbs. It hit me suddenly how my feelings were reaching her. Not just noticed - felt. Inside her body. A sharp breath came from up above. That quiet rage of mine? It lived in her now. Rising and falling with each panicked pull of air. Sheets crumpling under unsure hands. Maybe even trembling. Without looking, I could tell. It hit me how my chaos lived inside her now, rippling through each nerve. This made me question what really happened when I died. Things started making sense in a way that chilled me deep down. Killing me wasn't just about cash. He wouldn't have gambled everything for mere wealth. A shape loomed beneath his moves. Not random. Set in motion well before the shot cracked through air. The Bloodline Project. Dr. Graves mentioned it once, calling it routine science work. Now the truth tilted into view. Victor aimed higher than pushing me aside. Something shifted when he tried to erase me. Dying wasn't the end - it was just what came before everything else. Out of Adrian Vale's thoughts, the one who shaped a massive empire through quiet decisions, they formed someone new. Not born, but made - a young form meant to live only by their rules. An heir? Never

ithout delay... since waking early