“You don’t know me, but I know you, and I once knew your father.” Joe looked at the man in front of him, and his eyes narrowed. “How do you know my father?” Joe asked, in a low voice. He dug his hand into his jacket pocket and handed Joe a small, weathered photograph. Joe’s heart skipped a beat as he looked at the photo, recognizing his father’s face. Beside him was Mr. Atlas, looking younger and carefree, with his arm around a woman. “That’s my mother,” the man said, pointing to the woman. “She and John Atlas were together. She named me after him.” Joe studied the photo, his thoughts racing. ‘Mr. Atlas never mentioned I had a cousin. Neither did Mr. Adam,’ Joe muttered to himself. “Look, I know this is a lot to take in.” The man spoke up, gaining Joe’s attention. “But I promise you, I’m telling the truth. After my mom passed, I went looking for John's atlas… and that’s when I found out about you, the new head of the Whitmore empire, and I found out about my father’s dea

“You did it!” Joe yelled as he pulled his phone from his ears. His bright smile perfectly highlighted his eyes. “Actually, we did!” John said with a wide smile. They were both seated at Joe’s office on a Friday. John had curiously watched Joe on a call with Mr Leon, hoping that his plan would work out. Hearing that, it did bring him both relief and joy. “So how do we celebrate this?” Joe asked, drawing John out of his thoughts. “I have no idea,” John said, looking at Joe sheepishly. Joe shook his head; “are you sure?.” John didn’t say anything for a while, and that caused Joe to speak up. “Since you are finding it difficult to answer I would do it for you; you are going out with me and Timothy tonight.” John furrowed his brows, and that caught Joe’s attention. “You don’t like the idea of going out because if that’s the case. I could always think of something else. I only picked that because you were quiet.” “I do like it,” John said with a firm tone. “It’s just that I don’t

“This is just the beginning. “ Joe reread the words on the paper. “Watch your back.” His heart was beating rapidly as he carefully placed the pictures back into the box. Whoever had done this wasn’t just some random intruder. Joe’s mind swirled with questions. Could it be the person he had seen Mr. Adam talking to recently? Or could it be Rosie? When that thought crossed his mind, he dismissed it almost immediately. Rosie had too much at stake to take such a risk. Joe’s thoughts shifted back to the stranger talking to Mr.Adam. He was sure his boss was behind this. And if that was the case, Joe knew he had to get to the bottom of it. With a quick decision, he closed the box, left his room, and headed straight to his car. He navigated down the darkened streets. Joe knew what he was doing was risky, maybe even foolish, but he couldn’t just sit around waiting for another cryptic message or another hit to his company. As he pulled up near the warehouse he had visited before, mem

“John!” Joe called out as he realized who the figure standing close to his car was. “What are you doing here?” Joe asked, not removing his eyes from Him. John looked at Joe pulling himself away from the car. “I went by your office to check on you. They said you were here, so I thought I’d drop by.” Joe raised an eyebrow, unable to hide his surprise. “So, you came all the way here?” John smiled slightly. “I did. Actually, I wanted to take you out for a bit and help you relax. You’ve been through a lot lately, and the last thing you need is to stay cooped up in the office.” Joe considered his words and at that moment , he realized that Timothy was right. The weight of the break-in, the tension with Mr. Adam, and everything else had started to wear on him. A break might actually do him some good. “You’re right,” he admitted. “So, where do you have in mind?” “There’s a place I know at Walters. It’s a cozy spot, nothing fancy, but they have an amazing rooftop.” John said. “Sounds

The hard-faced man Joe assumed was Puck walked towards him. At every step, he glared over his shoulder until he got closer to Joe’s car. He tapped the window, and Joe opened it. “Puck!” Joe said slowly, and the guy nodded. “You must be Jerry’s friend.” He said. “Yes, I am,” Joe replied. “I called you about Victor.” “I remember vividly,” Puck said. “So, what type of business do you want with him?” “I’m searching for a supplier,” Joe said in a slow tone; he knew he had to be careful with his words; any wrong word he said would send the puck back to his hiding spot. “You know, you don’t have to go to the big guys to get the good stuff,” Puck said. “I have anything you need.” “I prefer Victor,” Joe said with a straight face. “Since you won’t help me find him, I would be on my way.” “No, wait!” He said, calling Joe’s attention. Joe shifted uneasily as he faced Puck through the open car window. "I’d help you," Puck said, a sly smile creeping onto his face. "But it comes with a