Somewhere in the city of Cloudbridge, Luka Vane pulled up in his Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach to the gate. The guards barely glanced before waving him through. They recognized him instantly... of course, nobody forgets a Vane's face, especially not Luka's. Tall, sharp-jawed, with a calm presence that made people lean in when he spoke.
The heir to Vane Group.
He stepped out and walked toward the door just as it swung open.
"Luka!"
An old man approached the gate from inside the large luxurious villa, smiling at his nephew.
"Uncle, you sent for me," Luka said, slightly bowing in greeting.
Uncle Kurtis heaved a rough sigh and nodded. "Yes. I need you to deliver something to your father," he replied.
It was Kurtis Vane, the man who had been impressed by Jayden's integrity back at the auction.
"Ugh, Uncle! Why didn't you just send one of your men to deliver it? You ruined my meeting with my friends," Luka complained, his face darkening.
"Oh, come on, boy! It's something quite important. I don't trust anyone to carry this one out," said Kurtis Vane.
"Come on in, come on," Kurtis said as he grabbed Luka's arm and led him inside.
The villa's interior was tastefully minimal... Expensive wood floors, cream walls, and wide windows that opened to the hills outside.
But today, everything felt slightly dimmer.
Maybe it was the man who lived in it because Luka had already noticed the unusual appearance of his uncle.
Kurtis Vane, one of the most capable corporate minds in the region, looked like he'd been wrung dry...
His eyes seemed sunken, his face slightly paler than before, and his weak steps made it clear.
It was as if he had just gotten out of jail.
"Uncle, what's wrong? You don't look fine at all," Luka had to ask.
They sat opposite each other in the sunken lounge, a golden table between them, with untouched wine glasses to the side.
Kurtis nodded and gave a slight smile, then his face darkened before he responded.
"I've been feeling… off lately," Kurtis said, massaging his temples. "Tired. The board meetings, the supplier issues, three new partners I don't fully trust... I haven't had a full night's sleep in two weeks."
"Why not delegate more?" Luka asked.
"Because I don't trust anyone to do it right," Kurtis said, then gave a weak chuckle.
"That's always been my problem, hasn't it?" he added after noticing Luka's head shake.
Luka leaned forward. "You look like you're burning out."
"Uhm, understatement of the year, Nephew! This feels worse than burning out," Kurtis muttered. "Feels like I'm aging a decade every two days. My body's weak. Energy gone. Even food doesn't help."
There was a pause. The silence in the room was heavy, filled only by the distant hum of the air conditioning.
Then Kurtis straightened up slightly, as if remembering something.
"Actually, there's this place I know... Monarch Café. Apparently, their brews are magical. Sometimes it feels like it's not ordinary, but it is."
"A café? Are you recommending some coffee to me?" Kurtis blinked.
"Yes, Uncle," Luka replied.
"Tsk! What brand of coffee haven't I had here? I have them all, even ones made with rare ingredients from Spania and Franch. I've drunk many liters of them, and they haven't helped even a bit," Kurtis said.
"I know about that, Uncle. But I promise you this one is different. I've tested it myself, and I can say it's superb. So unbelievable. Once you take one sip, all your limbs would be resurrected," Luka boasted.
Kurtis gave him a short stare for a moment and nodded. Of course, he wouldn't want to doubt him since he needed help.
"Uhh, okay then. I'd like to try one because I really need something to cure this fatigue! I'm willing to try anything that doesn't involve five pills and a hospital visit," Kurtis said.
Luka nodded and grabbed his phone to place an order since Monarch Café had already established a delivery service.
They didn't have an app yet since it had just gained fame some days ago, but the general manager, Melinda, had done well in creating a website where customers could easily place an order.
Luka might have heard rumors that Jayden was the owner of the café, but he hadn't believed it. After all, even Royce ended up thinking that Jayden definitely had nothing to do with the café's sudden transformation, and thus, they really hadn't stopped enjoying the miracle bread from there.
After placing an order for three cups, Luka continued the conversation with his uncle as they waited.
Soon, Luka brought out an envelope.
"Take this. Give it to your father. It's very important, and you shouldn't dare open it," Kurtis warned.
Luka hesitated before nodding and collected the brown envelope. He gave it a short look and then placed it in his suit pocket.
It took only about twenty minutes before their order arrived, as one of the bodyguards brought the box in. Luka had already paid for it online, so the delivery man didn't have to come in.
Luka collected it from the bodyguard and placed it on the table. He brought out a cup and handed it to his uncle, who quickly grabbed it and drank a whole mouthful at once.
"Hmmm," he reacted as he savored the aroma and taste.
Luka also took a cup, and they both drank.
Within a few minutes...
Kurtis froze.
He had clearly noticed a sudden change in his system...
Luka watched as his uncle's eyes widened slightly. Kurtis lowered the cup, blinked a few times, then looked at his hand.
His fingers had stopped trembling.
His spine was energized.
It was as if someone had used an energy spell on him.
"...Whoa," he said, his voice low.
"You okay?" Luka asked, sitting up.
Kurtis stood. Actually stood strong and straight... like someone had just flipped a switch in his core. He rolled his shoulders and flexed his arms.
"My god," he whispered. "I feel like I just slept for twelve hours and hit the gym afterward. What the hell is in this?"
Luka chuckled and took a careful sip from his own cup. The flavor was deep and complex, not like regular coffee. It hummed through his chest like a warm current, but not jittery like caffeine.
It felt… clean.
Kurtis laughed, genuinely this time.
"I can't believe this. This thing's legit. This... this is better than those IV vitamin drips the execs are obsessed with."
He pulled out his phone at once, his fingers flying. "What's the website??? I'm ordering enough for the entire staff meeting tomorrow. Hell, if this keeps people awake and focused, we might actually get through the entire Q2 presentation without complaints."
Luka smirked. "You sound like a man reborn."
"I feel like one," Kurtis said. "Monarch Café... whoever runs this place is either a genius or a magician."
"It's Monarch Café Service. You can order as much as you want," Luka said and stood. "I'll be heading back now. I don't want to miss my appointment with Royce Kingsley," Luka said and left.
Kurtis was just too taken by the magic of the coffee to even mind replying to his nephew, focusing on the order he was about to make.
...
When Luka stepped out of the building and drove off in his car, he reluctantly brought out the envelope to see what was inside.
He knew that Kurtis often sent his messages through letters to his father, since his father didn't use a phone or any means of mobile communication.
Every single time, Kurtis always sent his messages through one of his men to his father, and today, Luka wondered why it had to be him this time.
Opening the envelope, he saw a white sheet with a letter written on it.
"I knew it! It must be something they want to keep a secret," Luka muttered.
Quickly, he began to read the letter silently.
"Brother... Good news, we have a force to carry out our plan."
Luka became more engrossed after that first statement.
"Jayden Cole, son of Mr. Cole... yes, the one Gregory Kingsley accused of stealing 150 million dollars and later plotted his death. He has now become rich. I don't know how, but I can say he is a potent man at this point."
"He came to my auction party a few days ago, bought a Rolex watch for $1.1 million and left without collecting it. What would you say about such a youngster who is still just a student?"
Luka sighed.
"I think he'd be a good weapon for our plans. We should use him to bring them down as we planned... Raising his father's case and supporting him. With that, we can bring down Kingsley Group and make ours rise above them."
"Since Gregory wants to step on us and betray us, he needs to learn a lesson."
Luka's eyes widened after reading the letter, as he quickly placed it back into the envelope and drove off.
The last thing he wished in his life was to see the Kingsleys and Vanes alliance breaking.