~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For 40 advanced chapters, visit my Patreon:
Patreon - Twilight_scribe1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Henry didn't continue down the path of mystical speculation. Instead, he said, "There's no need for you to know things that can't be verified. All you need to know is this—Jas Arden and Lilith Arden are missing. No bodies. No blood. That's all."
The lawyer repeated blankly, "The Ardens are missing. No bodies. No blood."
Henry spoke with sharp emphasis, "No, no—you didn't understand . The Ardens are missing. No bodies. No blood.
"If you can't get out today, you need to relay this information to Mr. Tony Stark as quickly as possible.
"And even if you don't directly manage the Arden family's foundations, if you know anyone who does, you should understand how valuable this information is."
The lawyer murmured again, "The Ardens are missing… no bodies… no blood…" His eyes began to light up.
Henry smiled. "Good. Now you understand."
The lawyer sprang to his feet. "I'll report to Mr. Tony Stark imdiately. Mr. Brown, if Prosecutor Will or the police return, just remain silent. I'll have you back ho resting today."
Henry nodded. He knew the battlefield had shifted—it was no longer about him. What followed would be a spectacle of human nature at its finest… or worst.
On that battlefield, even a Kryptonian like him had no say. Not even Tony Stark could fully control it. Everything would be decided by greed.
It didn't take long before Henry walked out of the interrogation room like a victor.
anwhile, the bodyguards who had served as "witnesses" hung their heads in defeat. Not only were they now defendants for making false accusations, but they also had to answer for opening fire on Henry.
Just because he hadn't been killed didn't an shooting at a bulletproof man was legal. Attempted murder charges—every shooter would be held accountable.
But no one really cared about these small players anymore.
Because those with the power to care had their attention drawn to a far greater storm.
---
In Europe and Arica, the truly wealthy often follow a practice similar to Jewish financial traditions—not holding assets in their own nas, but distributing them across foundations, trusts, and various legal entities. This both avoids taxes and disperses risk.
So those so-called "richest people in the world"—were they truly the richest?
Anyone familiar with that circle would confidently say: absolutely not.
If Forbes could estimate your wealth, you weren't truly rich—you were just a fat target for governnt scrutiny… and a fool.
With assets spread out like this, the wealthy rely heavily on lawyers and accountants to manage their fortunes.
But who could guarantee these professionals wouldn't dip into their clients' wealth?
Stories of Hollywood stars and athletes being swindled by their own lawyers or accountants were common.
They were easy targets because they lacked financial expertise and didn't pay close attention—their money ca too easily.
The truly wealthy, however, were far more cautious. Even in death, their estates were structured to pass smoothly to designated heirs.
Usually, the lawyer handling the will was different from the one managing assets—so they could check each other.
But what if a wealthy individual simply disappeared—neither declared dead nor willing to show up?
Then things beca… interesting.
---
In corporate boards and foundation managent etings, those present—following legal procedures—could bypass absent mbers and make decisions on their own.
This rule was originally ant to prevent shareholders from paralyzing operations by refusing to attend or delegate votes.
But in practice, it was often weaponized.
For example, if a board eting convened to remove soone—and that person was delayed elsewhere—then even if they held 51% of shares, their absence ant they were counted as having no objection.
And just like that, they could be voted out.
Of course, real operations were more complex—but the principle stood: majority ownership did not guarantee immunity from sches.
---
Back to the Arden family.
Assets directly under Jas and Lilith Arden couldn't be touched without their consent—or their official declaration of death.
But in reality, that portion was nearly nonexistent.
The wealthy avoided estate taxes by transferring personal assets long before death.
What remained were foundations and boards.
And as long as there were other decision-makers, the absent Ardens would be treated as having forfeited their rights.
Would their interests still be protected?
Unlikely.
Had they appointed secondary administrators, there might have been safeguards.
But after becoming vampires, believing themselves immortal, they had eliminated all such redundancies—ensuring total control.
And now, that decision dood them.
---
The first to strike was Stark Industries.
Any foundation or board—directly or indirectly tied to Jas or Lilith Arden—beca a target for acquisition.
Even if they couldn't seize everything, they would carve it up with other stakeholders.
The goal: leave nothing behind.
The second wave ca from the Ardens' own lawyers and accountants.
Leveraging their familiarity with the system, they quietly siphoned off assets under their managent—unchecked in the absence of their clients.
Most people, however, were too focused on Stark Industries' aggressive moves to notice these quieter thefts.
By the ti anyone realized, many foundations were already hollow shells.
---
What remained fell into two categories:
Assets beyond Stark's reach, or those co-managed by other families—harder to plunder through legal maneuvering alone.
The so-called "old money" families had always been tightly knit through cross-shareholding.
You hold part of , I hold part of you—shared prosperity, shared loss.
That was why they stayed united.
It was also why a financial tycoon once told Tony Stark that the Stark family wasn't truly part of their circle—because Stark stood alone, without entangled interests.
Such networks were usually built through marriage—shares flowing through generations of alliances, creating webs too complex for outsiders to decipher.
---
But now?
With much of the Arden fortune already devoured—so by Stark, so by insiders—what about the rest?
Would the old-money families honor their supposed unity and safeguard it?
The answer was simple:
They joined the feast.
Because everyone believed—if they didn't take it, soone else would.
So why not take it themselves?
A textbook prisoner's dilemma.
---
The remaining Arden family mbers could only watch helplessly as their fortune was torn apart by countless scavengers.
Their patriarchs couldn't be declared dead. Even declaring them missing or incapacitated required ti.
And in that gap, those without authority were powerless to act.
If those two vampire patriarchs hadn't clung so tightly to power, things might have turned out differently.
But now, the living could do nothing.
---
At this point, who still cared about Henry Brown?
Even those benefiting from the chaos would do everything they could to prevent a murder case from being filed.
As long as the Ardens remained missing, it served everyone's interests.
And only now did many realize a crucial blind spot:
The laws of capitalism might serve the wealthy—
But they were never designed to serve vampires.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
🎉 Power Stone Goal Announcent! 🎉
I'll release one bonus chapter for every 500 Power Stones we hit!"
Let know what should I do
Your support ans everything—let's crush these goals together! Keep voting, and let the stones pile up! 🚀
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
User Comments
0 comments from readers