***

June 23, 2015 10:00 Pm.

It was a quiet Sunday in Norway. Most of the shops had already closed, leaving the streets in a peaceful lull. I sat at Café Fjordhaven, a cozy corner spot with wooden tables and warm lighting. The scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the air as I sipped on my usual: a cup of rich, dark Americano. Yeah, judge me if you want, but black coffee has always been my go-to. There's something about the bitter, dark roast that just hits different.

As I sat there, lost in thought, my focus was interrupted by the sound of giggling nearby. Two girls, about my age, were approaching. The petite one, with wide eyes and a nervous smile, mustered up the courage to ask, "Are you waiting for someone?"

I smiled, trying to appear innocent, scratching the back of my head. "Yeah, actually."

Her friend nudged her, and with a playful grin, the girl asked, "Is it your girlfriend?"

I shook my head, chuckling softly. "No, it's just business."

She seemed to perk up. "So, you don't have a girlfriend?"

Inwardly, I was already trying to figure out how to escape the conversation. Romance wasn't even a blip on my radar right now. My focus was laser sharp—on building my empire, securing my future. Relationships, especially at this stage, felt like they'd only drag me down, distracting me from my goals. I had no time to be anything but relentless.

But instead of explaining that, I smiled and said, "Actually, I do."

I could see her face fall slightly, but I wasn't about to leave her completely deflated. So, using just a touch of charm, I added, "But, you're very beautiful. If I wasn't taken, believe me, I'd be asking to take you out."

I winked. It was harmless, just enough to lighten the mood.

She turned away, a little flustered, while her blonde friend smirked and said, "See, I told you he had a girlfriend."

The two of them walked off, still giggling, and I returned to my coffee, grateful to have dodged that conversation. I wasn't lying when I said I was waiting for a business meeting—but the truth was, I was waiting for something much bigger. Something that didn't leave room for distractions.

My empire was waiting for me.

As I continued sipping my coffee, the door to the café opened, and in walked Celine Mørk. She had her coat buttoned up and a cap pulled low to avoid recognition. Her eyes scanned the room nervously until I raised my hand, signaling her over. With a brief nod, she made her way toward me.

"Hi," I greeted her.

"Hello," she replied curtly, settling into the chair across from me. Without skipping a beat, she dove in, "So, what more do you know about my husband?"

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I leaned back, trying to diffuse the tension. "Hey, relax. I'll tell you everything. But first, have you eaten yet?"

Before she could answer, the waiter passed by. I raised my hand, signaling again, and she stopped by our table. "Are you ready to order?" she asked, smiling politely.

"Yes," I said, turning to Celine. "You have to try their Napoleon cake. It's to die for."

Celine hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "I'll have that and a latte, with sugar."

I thanked the waiter before turning back to Celine. "You can loosen up, you know. I'm just 16—no need to act like I'm some thug. I know my approach yesterday wasn't the most polite, but trust me, what I'm about to tell you about your husband... It's worse."

She narrowed her eyes. "Is that a threat? Great, now I'm getting blackmailed by a kid," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

I shook my head, keeping my tone calm. "If I wanted to hurt you, I wouldn't have picked this public café for our meeting. Think about it. I'm doing this because it concerns someone close to me, and when the people I care about get taken advantage of, it pisses me off. I know you might be in denial, but deep down, you've had suspicions about your husband for a while now, haven't you?"

A heavy pause followed. Celine sighed, her gaze dropping to the table. "So, what exactly did he do?"

Before I could answer, the waiter returned, placing the cake and coffee in front of us. The interruption filled the air with awkward silence. Once she left, I leaned in, speaking softly. "My friend—no, my colleague—lives in an orphanage. Your husband scammed them into signing an absurd contract, and now innocent kids are about to lose their home after the government cut their funding. And they're not the first. He's done this to others too."

Celine's face fell. "I... I didn't know that. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," I replied, keeping my voice steady. "But I need that contract. I need to rebuild the orphanage without interference. That's why I did what I did. So, for what it's worth, I'm sorry too."

Her face hardened. "That pig... I knew he was cheating, but this? This is disgusting." She took a deep breath, then met my eyes with a newfound intensity. "I think we got off on the wrong foot, kid. But... you're 16? Shouldn't you be in school or playing video games?"

I chuckled. "If I had a penny for every time I heard that, I'd be rich. What can I say? I'm a kid with priorities."

She laughed for the first time, wiping away a tear of frustration. "We really did get off on the wrong foot, didn't we, kiddo?"

I shook my head. "Dio, Mrs. Celine."

"Dio, then," she corrected herself. She took a bite of the cake, her face lighting up as she tasted it. A slight blush crept onto her cheeks. "This... is incredible."

"Told you," I said, grinning.

As she chewed, something shifted in her. The fragile, anxious woman who had walked in seemed to disappear. The Celine sitting across from me now had a fire in her eyes—a fierceness that hadn't been there before. She finished her coffee in one gulp and looked at me with a renewed determination.

"Alright, Dio. Joke aside, let me handle this. I'll fix the contract by tomorrow."

I raised an eyebrow. "So, what's your plan?"

She smirked, standing up and adjusting her coat. "You'll find out soon enough."

With that, she walked out of the café, leaving me both curious and impressed.

Dio Stat's Info:

Lvl: 15

Skill Count: 3 (Key selling point analyze) (Analyze) (Global Monitoring System)

Strength:35

Agility:24

Intelligence:28

Endurance:21

Charm:23

Dio influence, power & riches:

Money - 5million kroner.

Associate - 7

Asset - 0

Digital Asset - 250 BTC

Goons - 10

Car - 1

Guard - 0

Employers -25

Company - 1