The Almighty Dominance

"Logan - your ego's getting too big. How about we settle this tonight, at your place?" a rough voice called from one of the governors.

Logan swung his head toward the speaker. "You old fool. I thought you were long gone. Last I heard, you only had the courage to hit a young woman."

"Man or woman — anyone with an ego that big needs a lesson," Samuel said, laugh dry as old wood.

"Little Logan — we've tangled a hundred times. You've never beaten me. But that pride of yours... looks like it's begging for a lesson."

Logan's face burned red, fury fighting to cover the crack of fear.

He carried the weight of a powerful army, his strength known across the states — yet Samuel was different.

Samuel was a legend, a man whose very name made soldiers uneasy. And deep down, Logan knew it.

Logan's warning came out low and clipped. "Stay out of things that don't concern you. You're too old to start trouble."

"Too old?" Samuel barked. "Old's never stopped me. Trouble keeps me alive."

"Jericho Kane was my oldest friend-now his daughter's getting bullied by a coward like you, and you expect me to watch? I'd love to walk up and slap that arrogance right off your face."

For a heartbeat, Logan's eyes went cold enough to kill. He wanted to strike, to end the old man's grin with his fist. He didn't.

He swallowed the urge and spat venom instead. "You old man-your coffin's practically parked outside. Mind your mouth."

Samuel smirked, amusement flickering in his eyes. "My mouth's mine. If yours needs a few knocks, I'll gladly oblige." He turned to the governors gathered nearby. "So what do you make of Bella's video?"

Governor José of Colombia unmuted his mic, his voice steady but sharp. "Bella's footage makes it clear-Kingston is butchering his own people and feeding the riots."

“The unrest is out of control. He came to us begging for help to put out the fire he lit, and now the blaze is devouring his whole state."

"I agree," Sophia said firmly. "As Governor of Paris, I won't stand by while Alfred accuses the king of harming his own citizens. There's no record-no precedent- of such brutality from a ruler here."

"In Paris, it's the Guise family exploiting and enslaving the people. And that, we cannot ignore."

Lyra leaned in, eyes sharp. "I believe what happened in Vancouver was Kingwell striking the Chicago Outfit — the criminals who crawled out of my state. And here's the funny part: that Outfit's been laundering money through Los Angeles."

"Alfred Kingston, your fortune exploded this year. Tell me did you cut a deal with them for cash?"

A few governors glanced at one another. Doubt had a way of spreading in a room full of power.

Samuel, Logan's old nemesis, watched with the calm patience of a predator. Around him, Logan's supporters sat powerless, their teeth pulled in this fight.

"What bullshit are you peddling?" Alfred snapped, face hard as flint. "I'm innocent."

"Sure, sure," Bella said, laughter like a knife. "You don't even have the guts to admit you poisoned my father."

Alfred's hand curled into a fist. "What kind of nonsense is that?"

Bella said nothing more. She hit play.

banquet footage filled the screen: Jericho Kane, smiling as he was sworn in as governor. A woman passed by, touched his arm

to his knees, breath collapsing out of him

on the woman's face until it swallowed the frame. Everyone could see her

Kelly Kingston.

rare poison -

Bella said, voice flat.

and furious and, under that, raw

How could there be a record of something like that?

that footage," Alfred

data. I've been told Kingwell will open an investigation. Consider this a warning: your old comrades will

pressed down like hot iron. Alfred's past flickered across

there would be nowhere left to

a storm of iron. Each burst sounded

we have to move - now!" the secretary screamed, voice raw. "They're at the gate. The guards

the governor's meeting

come

trouble was already inside the ring. He didn't argue. He rose, face hard, and

boots slapping stone. At the back

of rioters burst up from

shouted as bullets spat across the tarmac. Alfred ducked his head and charged for the plane's

seat, small dog tucked under her arm like

pilot to move. Now," Alfred

handful of seconds the engines

of desperate hands clawed at the wheel,

leaving shouts and gunfire

happen to us, Alfred?" Jessica asked,

his voice carried a brittle edge. "We'll get back to Los

she asked

should be safe at the Prime Hotel," Alfred lied to steady her, but his

pilot when the stewardess returned. "Head

"Why?" Jessica demanded

fight to take Los Angeles back. But if that fails, I'm

question barely left

closed his eyes. The doctor's words from

paralysis from the

complicated," Alfred said

told us... she may never recover.

The words died

was suffocating, heavy with everything they couldn't bring themselves to

them knew the truth: when the mob broke in with weapons, hunting every Kingston, Jasmine was likely already gone by the time they

up the hospital roof, breath burning, people chasing, voices rising like a tide

girlfriend cried, stumbling to keep up as

ragged. Charles didn't

the stairwell, Jungs burning. The lower floors were a sea of

s