Julian’s smug smile shattered, the color draining from his face as if gravity had just vanished. He stared at the pulsing blue interior of the Ferrari, then back at the scruffy kid in the frayed hoodie.
“That’s impossible,” Julian stammered, his voice cracking. “My father bought this car yesterday!”
“Correction,” Leo replied, his tone shedding any trace of youthful innocence, replaced by the razor-sharp edge of an apex predator. “Your father *financed* this car yesterday. Through Vanguard Trust. The same Vanguard Trust my shell company acquired at 9:00 AM this morning.”
Julian took a trembling step back, hitting a concrete pillar. The sycophant in the white hoodie behind him went dead silent, slowly backing away.
Leo tapped the obsidian screen again. A holographic projection flared to life on the Ferrari’s windshield, displaying a live breaking news ticker: *Vane Capital executes hostile takeover of city’s largest financial conglomerate. CEO assets frozen.*
“Your father didn’t just lose the car, Julian,” Leo said, stepping into Julian’s personal space, his eyes cold and merciless. “He lost the firm. The penthouse. The offshore accounts. Building a dynasty on toxic debt leaves you incredibly vulnerable to someone who actually knows how to do the math.”
The weight of reality crashed down. Julian’s legs gave out. The arrogant prince of the high-rise district crumpled to the oily pavement, landing squarely on his knees, his expensive silk shirt soaking up the garage grime.
“You see, Julian, true power doesn’t need to brag,” Leo whispered. He walked past the trembling heir and opened the Ferrari’s butterfly door, tossing a single twenty-dollar bill onto the concrete.
“Here,” Leo smirked, sliding into the driver’s seat as the engine roared to life with an earth-shaking snarl. “Buy a bus ticket. You’re in my parking spot.”