The city shimmered below him, an ocean of glass and ambition that never truly slept. From the top floor of Mander Global Holdings, Cassian Mander stood before the wall of glass, the skyline mirrored in his grey eyes. His dark, wavy hair caught the faint light of the room, a sharp contrast to the ink that curled beneath the cuffs of his white shirt. Tattoos, reminders of where he began before the world started calling him a god among billionaires.
Cassian had been born into wealth, but not into power. His family’s money had been comfortable, respectable, static. He wanted more. So, he built it, an empire of corporations that spanned industries and continents, every company carrying his name like a signature carved into steel. Mander Global. Mander Tech. Mander Properties.
He had become what his family never dared to be: untouchable.
Yet the higher he climbed, the quieter it became.
“Mr. Mander?” His secretary’s voice came softly through the intercom, measured, careful, as if she could sense the weight of his silence.
He didn’t answer. Not at first. He let the moment stretch, staring at the reflection of a man who owned everything but peace. Somewhere in the distance, he could almost hear her laughter.
Elena Mander. His wife. His mirror and his mistake.
She had once been the spark in his chaos—beautiful, dangerous, impossible to ignore. But love had curdled into performance. Her affection came with receipts: designer clothes, lavish vacations, first-class flights with friends. She smiled for the cameras, kissed him when it mattered, and disappeared when it didn’t.
He’d tolerated it longer than he should have. Out of pride. Out of habit. Out of the illusion that loyalty could be bought.
His friends—the kind of men who measured success in billions—had stopped pretending. “Cassian, she’s bleeding you dry. Walk away before she takes more than your money.”
He reached for the intercom. His voice, when it came, was calm—steel beneath silk.
“Evelyn.”
“Yes, Mr. Mander?”
“Find me the best divorce lawyer in the country. Discreet. Efficient. Schedule it soon.”
“Yes, sir.”
The line went dead, leaving only the hum of the city far below. Cassian exhaled slowly and loosened his tie. For the first time in years, he felt something that almost resembled relief.
He had built empires, rewritten markets, and outplayed men twice as ruthless. Ending a marriage would be simple.
At least, that’s what he believed.
Because what Cassian Mander didn’t yet know was that this decision, the quiet click of a button and a single command, was the first domino in the fall of everything he thought he controlled.
He was in a meeting when his wife walked in to demand money or whatever she does. She even encouraged her best friend to hit on Cassian