The Game Begins

At the far end of the rooftop, representatives of the most powerful families in Novan City—the Khans, Roscoes, Van Zants, LaRues, and Ansons—gathered.

Their quiet conversations were filled with veiled intentions and silent power plays. Behind the scenes, these families shaped the city, controlling industries like finance, media, politics, and energy.

But amidst these powerful figures, there was one guest who remained unknown, her identity cloaked in secrecy—Lena Volkov. Unlike the Great Families, whose influence was confined to Novan City, the Volkovs operated on a much larger scale, stretching their power internationally.

No one recognized Lena as an heir to the Volkov empire. To them, she was just another beautiful woman at the event, though none dared approach her. Lena exuded an aura difficult to describe—something sharp and untouchable, keeping people at a distance.

They could admire her beauty, but they could never get close.

Lena didn't mind. People often thought her striking looks were all there was to her, but that only worked to her advantage. She preferred to observe from the shadows, unnoticed, calculating her next move.

Her sharp gaze scanned the crowd, and soon, it landed on two familiar faces—Anton Petrova and her cousin, Nikolai Volkov. A chill ran down her spine as she watched them exchange hushed words.

Anton, with his smug, self-satisfied grin, was a known predator. Earlier, Lena had seen him preying on Jessica, making lewd remarks with that same twisted smirk on his face. Nikolai was feeding Anton information about Jessica, whispering in his ear like a snake.

Anton Petrova might have been seen as royalty in Novan City, but Lena knew better. In the grand scheme of the Petrova family, Anton was nothing special. He was somewhere in the middle, a moderate player with limited influence compared to the true powerhouses in his family. Yet here, in Novan City, the Petrova name held such weight that people treated him like a king.

The Great Families of Novan City clamored for Anton's attention, hoping to align themselves with him purely because of his last name. None of them knew the reality—Anton was far from the top of the Petrova hierarchy, but they didn't care.

The Petrovas were international power players, enough to make Anton a figure to fawn over in this city.

Lena's gaze flickered to her cousin Nikolai, who stood close to Anton, whispering in his ear. It wasn't surprising. Nikolai was desperate to gain an edge, aligning himself with Anton to disrupt Lena's plans for the Volkov empire. She had suspected this for a while, and now it was confirmed. Nikolai was here for her.

'Of course, you'd side with Anton,' Lena thought, her lips curling into a tight smirk. 'You're just as desperate for power as he is.'

'Let's see how far you get, cousin,' she thought, her smirk deepening. 'You have no idea what you're up against.'

As the elites of Novan City continued to shower Anton with praise and attention, Lena remained in the background, silently observing. Unlike her cousin or Anton, she had no need to make a spectacle of herself.

Power wasn't about being the loudest in the room but knowing when to strike.

And tonight, Lena would be watching. Waiting.

On the other side of the rooftop, David, Jessica, and Charles Weston, the manager of Novan City Bank, stood in a tense discussion. Ethan had just excused himself to prepare for his upcoming speech, leaving them to wrestle with the unfolding situation.

Charles' normally calm demeanor was shaken. His brow was furrowed with concern. "I can't believe this," he muttered. "David, you didn't brief Ethan about the Great Families?"

David looked uncomfortable. "I wanted to… I just didn't want to overwhelm him before the event."

Charles shot him a sharp look. "You didn't want to overwhelm him?" His voice lowered. "David, this is serious. The Great Families aren't just here for a business launch. They're here to measure him, to see if Ethan's a threat."

Jessica, usually calm and collected, looked pale. "I… I didn't realize it was this intense," she said, trembling slightly. "I thought this was about the launch, not..."

Charles turned to her, his tone softening. "It's more than that, Jessica. The Twelve Great Families run this city. If they see Ethan as disrupting their control, they'll crush him. And we haven't prepared him for this."

David sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. "I thought we had more time. I didn't think they'd move this quickly."

"Well, they have," Charles said firmly. "And now we need to get Ethan up to speed before they move."

Ethan had just finished a conversation with a city official when Charles, David, and Jessica approached, urgency clear in their expressions.

"Ethan, we need to talk," Charles said, his voice low but insistent.

Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Ethan led them to a quieter corner of the rooftop, away from the prying eyes and ears of the other guests.

"What's going on?" Ethan asked, his voice calm but focused.

Charles wasted no time. "The Twelve Great Families are here tonight, and they're not just here to celebrate NovaTech. They're here to evaluate you."

Ethan frowned, his sharp mind quickly processing the weight of the statement. "Evaluate me? Why?"

David stepped forward, his expression regretful. "It's my fault, Ethan. I should've told you sooner. I've been so immersed in NovaTech's launch that I didn't prepare you for this."

Ethan's expression softened. "No blame, David. But I need to understand—what's going on?"

David sighed. "The Great Families control Novan City—finance, energy, media, politics. Tonight, five of them are here: the Khans, Roscoes, Van Zants, LaRues, and Ansons. They don't see NovaTech as a threat yet, but if they think you will disrupt their power..."

"They'll try to destroy you," Charles finished his voice grave. "And they have the resources to do it."

Ethan's gaze flickered toward the gathering of elites, where cold, calculating eyes watched the event from afar. He realized now that tonight was more than just NovaTech's grand debut—it was a political test.

"Understood," Ethan said calmly, his face unreadable. A small, confident smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Thanks for the heads-up."

Charles nodded, though his concern lingered. "Just be cautious, Ethan. They're not your average businessmen. They don't like threats to their power."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ethan replied. His calm demeanor was unwavering, but inside, he knew he had to play this game carefully.

Just then, the host's voice echoed through the speakers. "Ladies and gentlemen, we would like to invite Mr. Ethan Cole, the CEO of NovaTech, for his opening remarks."

The crowd fell into a hush as the soft background music quieted, and all eyes turned toward Ethan. He stepped forward, every movement exuding confidence, commanding the entire rooftop's attention.

As he took his place at the center, he paused briefly, taking in the sight of the gathered elites, the tech world's rising stars, and everyone in between. This wasn't just a speech—this was a statement of intent.

"Thank you all for being here tonight," Ethan began, his voice clear and steady. "Tonight marks the beginning of something new—not just for NovaTech, but for the future of innovation."

His words hung in the air, and the crowd listened intently.

"At NovaTech, we believe that progress isn't just about following trends or playing it safe. It's about pushing boundaries, taking risks, and challenging what we know. Technology can transform industries and lives, and we're here to ensure it does exactly that."

Ethan's eyes scanned the crowd, careful not to linger too long on any one person. He could feel the scrutiny from the elites—their gazes like lasers, analyzing his every word. But Ethan knew that he couldn't shy away. Not tonight.

"This journey isn't just about NovaTech," he continued. "It's about all of us working together to create a future that benefits everyone. Innovation thrives when we collaborate and bring the brightest minds together to solve the challenges of tomorrow. Tonight, we take the first step toward that future."

Polite applause followed his words, though Ethan could sense the watchful eyes of the Great Families, sizing him up with every gesture. They weren't clapping out of admiration but calculating their next moves.

As Ethan stepped back from the microphone, Jessica, David, and Charles rejoined him. Charles still looked tense, glancing over at the elites who had been observing with quiet judgment.

"We should've briefed you earlier," Charles muttered, shaking his head. "But you handled that well."

Before Ethan could respond, a familiar voice cut through the crowd's murmur.

"Ah, there he is—the man of the hour."