Ochieng sat in his dimly lit study, his fingers tracing the serpent tattoo on the assassin's wrist.
A symbol he hadn't seen in years.
Celeste leaned against the desk, watching him closely.
"What is it?" she finally asked.
Ochieng exhaled slowly.
"The Ouroboros Syndicate."
Her expression darkened.
"They don't leave loose ends, Ochieng."
"Exactly."
This wasn't just an assassination attempt.
It was a warning.
A whisper from the past—telling him that the real game had just begun.
---
The morning came too fast.
Ochieng stepped out onto his penthouse balcony, the city stretching beneath him.
A call from his financial team had woken him.
Massive stock movements. Shifts in offshore accounts.
Someone was playing with his empire.
And that someone knew exactly where to hit.
His mind worked fast.
If this was the Ouroboros Syndicate…
They didn't just want him dead.
They wanted to erase his legacy.
---
Later that evening, he met her.
Valeria De Luca.
The woman who ruled hearts as easily as she destroyed them.
She stepped into his office, wrapped in silk, eyes full of mischief.
"Ochieng," she purred. "I hear you have a problem."
He studied her.
Dangerous. Seductive. Unpredictable.
And, worst of all…
Exactly what he needed.
"Tell me what you know," he said.
Valeria smiled.
"Only if you pour me a drink first."
---
That night, they drove to the outskirts of the city.
A private auction—where secrets were sold to the highest bidder.
Ochieng had been here before.
But this time?
His own name was on the list.
Somewhere in this room, someone was auctioning off his secrets.
And if he didn't stop it…
Everything he had built would burn.
---
Valeria walked beside him, her heels clicking against the marble floor.
Men turned to stare.
Ochieng ignored them. His focus was on the stage, where the bidding had begun.
Then—his pulse slowed.
A file appeared on the screen.
Labeled: "The Hidden Billionaire's Past."
A shadow moved behind him.
The real game had begun.
---