500 bucks. That number echoed in my eardrums.

Friday morning brought a heavy, gray mist that rolled off the Hudson River and settled over the sleepy dirt roads of upstate New York. The old Ford F-150 rumbled to life on the first turn of the key, its rusted exhaust pipe puffing a cloud of white smoke into the cold autumn air.

Dad and I drove into town to pick up supplies—just basic groceries, fresh coffee, and a Sunday paper.

When we parked outside the local diner, the bell above the door chimed softly as we stepped inside. The smell of bacon grease, frying eggs, and stale coffee filled the warm, dimly lit room. A few locals looked up from their morning paper, giving Dad respectful, quiet nods. They didn't know about Vanguard Holdings or the billion-dollar corporate takedown. They just knew Everett Sullivan as an honest, hard-working veteran who kept to himself and loved his daughter.

We sat in a vinyl booth near the back window. The waitress, a middle-aged woman named Sarah with kind eyes and a tired smile, walked over with a glass pot of coffee.

"Morning, Everett. Morning, Juliet," she said, pouring steaming black coffee into our mugs. "You folks see the news this morning? That big-shot family down in the city—the Pierces—lost everything overnight. Some mystery investor bought up their entire empire for pennies. Karma’s a real bitch, isn't it?"

Dad looked up from his menu, a slow, quiet smile touching his lips. "Guess so, Sarah. Guess people reap what they sow."

I took a sip of the bitter coffee, letting the warmth spread through my chest. Outside the window, the mist was beginning to burn off, revealing a clear blue sky over the rolling hills.

My phone buzzed in my jacket pocket. I pulled it out and glanced at the screen. A final secure message from Jackson: All assets transferred. Vanguard Holdings is officially the sole owner of Pierce Group real estate and holdings. Total valuation secured at 1.4 billion.

I locked the phone, slid it back into my pocket, and looked across the table at my dad.