The gym was alive with the sound of fists striking pads, the occasional grunt of exertion. Alfred and Maxwell circled each other on the mat, their movements practiced and precise.Maxwell was unusually sharp today, and Alfred was starting to notice. His footwork was tighter, his punches landed with more force, and his stamina had improved noticeably. Normally, Maxwell’s energy would start to wane halfway through their sessions, but today he was holding his own.“You’ve been working on something,” Alfred asked as he parried a swift jab and countered with a hook. Maxwell smiled ducking under the blow. “What makes you say that?” he replied.“Because you’re not wheezing like an old steam engine,” Alfred said, stepping back to reset his stance.The session continued with an intensity that left both men drenched in sweat. Alfred, always the more disciplined of the two, found himself impressed by Maxwell’s progress. By the time they wrapped up, he was genuinely curious.“You’ve improved, wh

Lenox leaned back in his leather armchair, his sharp eyes fixed on the man standing before him. The spy, a tall man dressed in all black clothing, standing firm under Lenox’s intense gaze. His updates had been reliable so far, and Lenox expected no less today.“Well?What do you have for me?” Lenox asked with a calm baritone voice, quite intimidating.The spy cleared his throat. “Katherine, the woman Maxwell’s been seeing, is a restoration artist. She’s been working on his ancestral manor. It seems she’s recently become more involved in his life,” the man began.Lenox placed his hand underneath his chin as he stared at the man,“Go on,” he said. “She was spotted leaving Maxwell’s apartment building earlier this evening.She looked quite happy. Blushing, even,”the man continued.Lenox raised an eyebrow, his posture changed as though he heard something that amused him yet his face remained unchanged. "Blushing, you say? Like someone who’s been thoroughly charmed?” Lenox asked. “Exactly,”

James leaned back in his leather chair, the weight of his latest decision pressing against his chest. The soft glow of his office lamp illuminated the stack of documents on his desk. Each page contained strategies and plans to dismantle Omega Industries, a chessboard where every move had to be precise. But James was confident. Lenox had crossed a line, and now, James would retaliate.What he didn’t realize was that the line Lenox had crossed wasn’t impulsive—it was deliberate. Within the walls of James company, Lenox had planted seeds of betrayal. Among James’ most trusted advisors, there were spies men and women whose loyalty belonged not to James but to the very man he sought to destroy. Lenox had spent a heavy sum in buying their loyalty. Every whispered plan, every calculated strategy, had already made its way to Lenox's ear.Lenox sat in the dimly lit study of his estate, the cigar he was smoking between his fingers. The room smelled of rich leather and smoke, his private sanc

Maxwell put a call out to Alfred as soon as James was out of sight. He held the phone tightly as he listened to the steady ringing on the other end. When Alfred finally answered, his voice was as composed as ever.“We have a situation.James came to see me today,” he said skipping all pleasantries."As expected, but I didn't think James would move this fast,” Alfred replied, his voice remained calm, but Maxwell could sense the faint anticipation for details in his voice.“Yes. He claims to have information about Emma and where Lenox is keeping her,” Maxwell continued. Alfred’s tone sharpened. “ Good, very good. Did you confirm it?” he asked.“Not yet. But he seemed desperate, almost frantic. He swore he wanted to help bring Lenox down,” Maxwell replied.For the next twenty minutes, the two men analyzed every detail of Maxwell’s interaction with James. They debated the possible motives behind James’s sudden turn, the likelihood of a trap, and the risks involved.“I don’t like being sid

Emma opened her eyes slightly as her world was foggy, and her body in pain. Slowly, as if fighting her way to the surface, she moved her head. A blindingly bright light overhead caused her to squint, and her breath caught in her throat. The white paint of the room was bright and unfamiliar.Beeping filled her ears, with a steady and mechanical, rhythm. Her head ached. She tried to sit up but quickly realized her hands were restrained by tubes running into her arms. She began to panic and fear filled her.Two armed men stood at the foot of her bed. Dressed in dark uniforms with holstered weapons. Beside her, a nurse adjusted an IV line, glancing briefly in her direction before returning to her task.Emma’s chest tightened, her breathing pace increased. The sight of the guards reignited her worst fears, Lenox. Was she still his captive? Had she only imagined the brief moments of escape?"Where am I?" She said with her voice cracked. The nurse looked up, her face was kind and soft