Laced with lies

pte

ies and

avily on her. Without saying a word, Michael had quietly dropped her off. The pistol lay locked in her drawer, untouched but undeniable. Every sound from the hallway now made her f

wandered to Allen-his smile, the way he had kissed her neck when s

Behind t

on. Manhattan gleamed beneath him, a monument to the kind of power that made men untouchable. His tailored suit, Italian

ultibillion-dollar empire-Miller Urban Holdings-and multiplied its value fivefold. He had turned decrepit districts into thriving neighborhoods, lau

homes. He was building re

youth empowerment-shielded him in the public eye. He sponsored orchestras, built churches, even helped post-hurricane rebuilds i

He had people like Cruz. in government databases,

l advisor, Collins tapped his fin

ng too close,"

o C

lins said.

e never did. Saying her name mea

to get curious," he mur

ed his glasses. "Yo

in, at the storm clouds

d when she realizes who she'

rous Man

es. At 22, he closed his first multimillion-dollar land deal. By 30, he had absorbed two major competitors. He wed t

ays several moves ahead of his enemies. One of his most brilliant plans involved the recovery of a stolen microchip containing classified government data. Disguised as a flamboyant art dealer, Collins infiltrated a

assination attempt to expose a shady member of the European Diplomatic Council. As chaos unfolded, the mole unknowingly contacted his handler, reveal

disappeared into the shadows, leaving only his signature, a silver lighter, as the two groups clashed. Cunning, charismatic, and dangerously unpredictable, Collins Miller thrived on risk. He transforme

a network. Hidden routes. Shell companies. Offshore connections. It

nseen. Cruz was laundering, yes-but more. It was a funnel, a gateway, a movement of peopl

Miller was

e. He had access. He ha

s a wildcard. She had once loved Allen, but she had once worked wi

have kept

ed loos

ark of

. Inside were banking statements, photos, handwritten notes. She fl

sh surged

harply dressed man who shook hands with Allen. He

r her phone. "You didn't tell me Coll

len

wasn't sure you

n't. But now

than we thought. He's the kind of man who doesn't make mistake

ned to Allen-if he's using people like the

talking a

d at the p

I'm talking a

black SUV again. Parked two blo

her curtain

er to know. That was the real threat-not a

buzzed. O

know what yo

na

a wa

deleted it. Her reflection in the dark

ime, Racheal was

as pre