Chapter 40: Mr. Chairman!!
As the clock approached 3 p.m., Miles turned the wheel smoothly, his car gliding into the heart of the city.
And there it was—Cinder Square.
The pulsing heart of Star Harbor’s commercial empire.
Skyscrapers soared like steel titans into the sky, their glass facades catching the sun and shattering it into a thousand reflections. Digital billboards glowed with seamless animations—luxury fashion brands, upcoming tech expos, celebrity endorsements—flashing and flowing like a living river of light across the upper skyline.
The entire district buzzed with momentum. Businessmen in tailored suits walked with purpose, holding sleek tablets and phones; fashionistas posed under architectural marvels; delivery drones zipped above traffic like tiny guardians of the square.
Luxury cars purred as they parked beside curbs lined with palm trees and marble planters. High-end restaurants and designer boutiques gleamed behind floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Cafés spilled into the sidewalks, shaded by designer parasols, where the elite sat with minimalist coffee cups and million-dollar deals on their lips.
Towering in the center was the Cinder Axis, a modern obelisk of brushed black stone and chrome edges, engraved with golden inscriptions of the founding companies who once built the square. It was more than just a plaza—it was a symbol of power, ambition, and wealth.
At the far end stood a structure slightly apart from the glassy modernism: a beautifully preserved heritage building, now converted into an ultra-exclusive private club. The contrast only made the area more elegant.
A young violinist played a hauntingly beautiful tune at one corner of the plaza, her melody blending with the distant hum of the city and the laughter of tourists snapping pictures beside a cascading, programmable fountain that danced to symphonic cues.
Miles slowed the car and pulled up near the valet station.
People instinctively moved aside, the sleek car and the aura he carried turning a few heads—not because they knew who he was...but because some presences simply commanded the air around them.