Joe’s heart raced as he listened to the phone on the other line. His hand trembled as his breath catching in his throat. “I see you’ve been ignoring my calls. I’m here to remind you that not attending to my demands will cost you dearly.” The voice said in a bitter tone. Joe’s stomach dropped, his hand tightening around the phone. “What do you want?” he managed to say, after forcing his lips to uncurl. “You know what I want.” The voice said, “and you keep wasting my time. Do you know what happens when my tone is wasted Joe?” Joe didn’t say anything and the line went quiet for a moment before the unmistakable sound of a gunshot echoed through the call. Joe froze, his blood running cold as he heard a sharp cry of pain and wincing on the other end. “My leg!” a familiar voice screamed. Joe’s heart sank further. He knew that voice anywhere. It was Mr. Adam. “Mr. Adam?” he called out unable to hold back this realization. During that moment, Joe leaned forward in his chair, his kn

When evening finally arrived, Joe got ready. He headed to the bathroom, and quickly took a shower putting on his usual black outfit. When he was done, he realized how fast time had gone. Joe couldn’t believe that he spent that much time in the bathroom. He just hoped that Xavier wouldn’t notice that he was calling late. He headed to his drawer where his phone said and he picked up his phone and dialed Xavier’s number. His nerves were building up as the phone rang, but he forced himself to stay calm. Xavier answered on the second ring. “You’re late,” Xavier said curtly, his voice carrying a sharp edge. “I’m sorry, I’m just calling,” Joe replied quickly, “Where should we meet?” Xavier sighed audibly. “There’s a gas station on the edge of town, near the highway exit. Be there in thirty minutes. Don’t make me wait longer than that.” “Got it,” Joe said, hanging up. He peered at his jacket at the corner of the room. He contemplated whether or not to take it. In the end, he gr

Joe sat at his desk, his eyes glued to his computer screen as he buried himself in work. Numbers, contracts, and endless reports were his refuge, keeping him from dwelling on the failed mission and the nagging fear that Mr. Adam might never be found. As Joe left his office later that afternoon, heading toward his car, something unusual caught his eye. A small parcel was perched neatly on the hood of his vehicle. His two bodyguards, who always stayed close, exchanged a glance and moved swiftly toward it. “Stay back, Mr. Whitmore,” one of them said firmly, waving him away. Joe nodded, keeping his distance as the guards carefully inspected the parcel. They dismantled the wrapping with precision, ensuring it wasn’t a threat, while Joe’s unease grew by the second. Finally, one of them called out, “It’s just pictures.” Joe stepped closer, his pulse quickening. He peered inside, and his breath hitched at the sight. Spread across the small box were a series of photographs. The first

“It’s John He’s working with Ken Sanchez.”Joe said staring straight into Lady Penelope’s eyes. Lady Penelope’s eyes narrowed. “Ken Sanchez? The gang leader?” “Yes,” Joe replied, running a hand through his hair. “I met with that guy that told me he has answers, his name is Dexter Harrison. He used to be part of the Sanchez gang. He showed me evidence—pictures, recordings—proving that John struck a deal with Ken. He’s been working to take me down.” Lady Penelope leaned back, her face darkening. “Well, that explains why he has been acting weird recently” she said quietly. Joe shook his head, the betrayal still raw. “I trusted him, lady Penelope. I treated him like family. And now... now I don’t know what to do. I don’t even know if I can trust this Dexter guy. What if he’s playing me too?” Lady Penelope reached out, placing a reassuring hand on his arm. “You’re right to be cautious. Don’t trust Dexter fully, but use him. If he’s telling the truth, he’s your best chance at getting

With John behind bars and the chaos finally settling, Joe began to lean on Dexter more. The man who had once been a stranger was now an ally, and slowly, Joe found himself trusting him. One day, as they sat in Joe’s office after a meeting, Joe asked, “Dexter, have you thought about what you’d like to do.” “You know workwise, I mean?” Joe added. Dexter looked thoughtful for a moment before replying, “If I could choose, I’d want to work with Mr. Adam. He seems like someone I could learn from, and... I’d like to be part of keeping you safe.” Joe smiled. “I’ll talk to him. I think he’d be glad to have you on board.” True to his word, Joe brought it up with Mr. Adam the next day. “Mr. Adam,” Joe said, stopping him in the hallway. “Dexter wants to work with you and your security team. What do you think?” Mr. Adam considered it briefly. “I think it’s a good idea. I’ll assign him to my team and keep him close. He’s earned our trust.” As days passed, Dexter took to his new rol