The Sunday morning sun felt heavier than usual as it crept across the floor of the Zenith. Jake opened his eyes and immediately felt the dull, rhythmic throb in his right hand. He sat up, flexing his fingers experimentally. The knuckles were a mess of dark purple and blue, but the skin hadn’t split again overnight. He stayed there for a moment, sitting on the edge of the bed, just listening to the hum of the building’s climate control.

’I probably shouldn’t have hit him that hard,’ he thought, looking at the bruise. ’Not because he didn’t deserve it, but because I need this hand for more than just punching people.’

He forced himself out of bed. A workout seemed like a terrible idea given the state of his hand, but the thought of sitting still felt worse. He grabbed a fresh set of gym clothes and headed down to the fitness center on the lower floors.

The gym was nearly empty, the air smelling of ozone and high-end cleaning products. Ron was already there, leaning against a squat rack and scrolling through a tablet. The trainer was a massive guy, a former professional who had the kind of physique that made Jake feel like a work-in-progress every time they met.

"You’re early for a Sunday," Ron said, looking up with a grin. "I figured you’d be sleeping in after the big gallery night. I saw the news."

Jake walked over, rotating his shoulder to loosen it up. "I’m just scared of having a pear build, Ron. If I stop moving, the laziness might actually catch up to me."

Ron chuckled, setting his tablet aside. "Fair enough. But we’re going to have to adjust. I see that hand. What happened? Hit a door?"

"Something like that," Jake replied, not wanting to get into the details. "Can we keep it to legs and core today? I don’t think I can grip a barbell."

"Done. Let’s start with some lunges to get the blood moving."

For the next hour, they worked in a focused, steady rhythm. Jake kept his thoughts on the burn in his quads and the steady count of his reps. Ron didn’t push for conversation, which Jake appreciated. Every time his mind drifted back to the auction or the look on Sterling’s face, he focused on the physical strain instead. By the time they finished with a series of planks, Jake’s shirt was stuck to his back, but the mental fog from the night before had thinned.

Back in the penthouse, Jake stepped out of the shower and dried off. He felt a lingering restlessness. He kept thinking about what he had learned about Aliya and Alex. He needed to hear her voice, just to be sure she was actually okay. He picked up his phone and dialed her number as he walked toward the kitchen.

It took a few rings before she picked up, her voice thick with sleep and irritation.

"Jake? Do you have any idea what time it is?" she groaned. "I know you’re a billionaire and all now, but us common people need to sleep out our problems."

Jake pulled a carton of eggs from the fridge, a small smile appearing on his face. "Common people problems? That’s rich, Aliya. Especially since I’m the one paying for all your expenses. You don’t exactly have the typical student struggle."

"Yeah, whatever," she shot back, though she sounded a bit more awake now. "You inherited billions and you can’t even give your little sister a small portion? You’re just sitting on a mountain of money like a dragon."

Jake cracked an egg into a bowl, his eyes glinting. "Tell you what. You finish college with flying colors—no exceptions—and I might consider it."

There was a sudden, sharp rustling on the other end of the line, like she had just jolted upright in bed. "Wait... are you being for real?"

Jake grinned. He knew she was getting her part of the inheritance after graduation anyway, but if he could use it as a carrot to keep her focused on her studies, he wasn’t going to pass that up. "I’m dead serious. Get the degree, get the grades, and we’ll talk about your ’portion.’"

"Oh, I am holding you to that! Don’t think I won’t," she said, her voice full of energy now. Then she paused. "Wait, why did you even call me this early? You never call just to talk about my grades."

"I was just checking up on you," Jake said, his voice softening slightly as he whisked the eggs. "Just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I’m aight, Jake. Even if I’m not happy about my sleep being interrupted. I’m just a girl, you know? I need my beauty sleep."

Jake leaned against the counter and whispered softly, "Some girl you are."

"What was that? What did you just say?" Aliya shouted through the speaker.

"Nothing! Just don’t make so much noise, you’ll wake up your new roommate," Jake laughed.

"Ugh, goodbye Jake!" She hung up, and Jake chuckled, putting the phone down on the marble counter.

The sizzle of the eggs filled the quiet room as he cooked. As he waited for the toast to pop, he leaned against the counter, his eyes fixed on the Aurelia skyline.

’Sterling isn’t just going to take that loss,’ he mused. ’He’s got the liquidity from shorting the stock, so he’s not broke. He’s just wounded. And a guy like that, with that much cash and a bruised ego, is a dangerous combination. He’s probably spent all night talking to lawyers or worse.’

The phone on the counter buzzed, snapping him out of it. He picked it up to see his uncle’s name on the screen. Darius Rivers.

"Hey, Uncle Darius," Jake said, sliding the eggs onto a plate.

"Good morning, Jake. I hope I didn’t wake you?" Darius’s voice was professional, but there was a weight to it that made Jake pause.

"No, I’ve been up for a while. Gym and a call to Aliya are already done."

"I’m glad I caught you. I was hoping we could meet today. There are a few things I’d like to go over with you—some matters regarding the transition and some observations from last night." Darius replied. His voice was calm, but it had that professional edge he used when he was in CEO mode

Jake paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. ’Observations? That sounds like he wants to give me a lecture or a warning.’

"Is something wrong? Something with the Meridian?" Jake asked.

"Nothing urgent, Jake. I just think an in-person chat would be better than a phone call. The walls have ears, especially after the stunt you pulled with the equity."

Jake let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. "Alright. Do you want to come over to the Zenith? I’m free around 13:00. We can grab lunch somewhere nearby afterward."

"13:00 works for me. I’ll see you then," Darius said, and the line went quiet.

Jake stared at the phone for a second before putting it back down. ’He wouldn’t come all the way here just to say good job. He wants something, or he’s worried about what I’m doing with the company structure.’

He was about to finish his breakfast when the phone buzzed again. This time it was Catharine. He felt a genuine smile tug at his lips as he answered.

"Please tell me you aren’t already back at your desk," she said, her voice warm and playful.

"I’m actually eating breakfast. I just got back from the gym," Jake said, walking over to the large windows. "But the house feels way too empty today. I think I’m getting used to having you around to tell me to stop staring at charts."

"Oh, poor billionaire in his giant penthouse," Catharine teased. "Is it too quiet for you? Do you need me to come over and knock some sense into you?"

"Maybe," Jake said, his voice softening. "Honestly, after last night, I think I just need a bit of normalcy. Everything feels like it’s moving at a hundred miles an hour."

They stayed on the line for nearly an hour, talking about everything and nothing. She told him about a book she was reading and laughed at his description of Ron’s workout. For that hour, the 9 billion marks and the corporate war didn’t exist. It was the only part of his day that didn’t feel like a chess match.

When they finally hung up, Jake headed to his study. He sat down at the heavy desk and pulled out a fresh notepad. It was time to get organized.

’Golden Investments is a beast now,’ he thought, tapping his pen against the desk. ’I own the Meridian Hotel, the Crown, the Gallery, the Brewery, and Faceup. That’s nine billion marks in value. I can’t keep running this from my laptop with just Alice. If I don’t build a real structure, Sterling or some other vulture will find a crack and tear the whole thing apart.’

He began to sketch out a diagram, his mind working through the logistics.

’I need a CFO first. Someone who can handle the tax structures of five different industries without blinking. Then a COO. I don’t know the first thing about the daily operations of a brewery or a hotel chain. I need someone to be my eyes and ears on the ground.’

He wrote down the positions:

- Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

- Chief Operating Officer (COO)

- Head of Legal and Compliance

- Portfolio Managers for each subsidiary

’The Legal head is the most important right now,’ he noted, circling it twice. ’I need someone who lives for hostile litigation. Someone who makes Sterling’s lawyers lose sleep. I should check up with Samuel Carter for this one.’

He looked around his study, then thought about the small office at Apex Plaza.

’We’re going to need more space. If I hire even half of these people, we’ll be sitting on each other’s laps at Apex.’

He picked up his phone and drafted an email to Alice, listing the priority hires and telling her to look into renting the extra floors at the plaza or scouting for a new headquarters entirely. He hit send and leaned back, rubbing his eyes.

It was 12:00. He had an hour before his uncle arrived. Jake stood up and walked out onto the balcony, leaning his arms on the railing. The sound of the terrace waterfall was a steady, rhythmic pulse in the background. He watched the water spill over the edge, lost in thought.

’I’ve built the engine,’ he thought, watching a bird circle the city skyline. ’Now I just have to see if I can actually steer the car before it hits a wall.’

He stayed there, enjoying the brief moment of quiet before the next storm arrived.

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