Adam couldn’t shake the memory of the call he had on the previous day. That low, calm voice, the mention of a proposition.The only question that filled him... Who could it be? No one had ever offered him a way out, since his first time inti the adulthood race. He was used to being overlooked, dismissed, mocked by others. But the stranger’s tone was unlike anything he’d ever heard once before—a mixture of confidence and mystery, as if they knew something about him he didn’t even know himself well enough.All day, he wrestled with his thoughts. Should he go? Was it safe for him to make this decision? But when evening arrived, he felt a determination he hadn’t felt in years. He had nothing left to loose this time, since his life was have gone. If someone could give him a chance to escape this miserable existence, he had to at least hear them out.So, just before seven, Adam slipped on a jacket and left his tiny apartment, hoping that no one from the Taylor family would ask where he w

The next morning, Adam woke up feeling a mix of satisfaction and nervous anticipation within of himself. The café’s success yesterday had lit a fire in him, and for the first time in year's, he felt like he could actually build something of his own. But Marcus’s parting words lingered, a reminder that he’d just scratched the surface of whatever game he’d entered. He needed to prove he was worthy, to keep this momentum going, he needed to tell the world that he wasn't an unsuccessful man, who begs his wife family for food.As he unlocked the café and started setting up for the new day, his phone vibrated with an unknown number flashing on the screen. He hesitated, then answered without two thoughts.“Adam Reed speaking.”“Mr. Reed,” came Marcus’s calm, unmistakable voice. “I’m totally pleased with what you’ve accomplished at Rosewood Café. But if you’re serious about changing your life, you’ll need to tackle bigger challenges.”Adam swallowed, gripping the phone tighter. “I’m ready

Adam woke up the next morning with a new fire in his chest. His encounter with Richard Lawson the day before had only intensified his determination to work more harder. If anything, he now had a personal mission: to show everyone, especially Lawson, that he wasn’t someone to be dismissed or to be played with.At Rosewood Café, the familiar hum of customers and the rich aroma of coffee grounded him as he opened for business. The café had become his sanctuary, the one place where he felt in control of. But today, that peace didn’t last long. Halfway through his shift, Marcus appeared at the counter, looking like he owned the place.“Adam,” Marcus said, his gaze serious and Stren, sending a sharp warning. “We need to talk. Now.”Adam gestured to the back room, and Marcus followed him inside. Once the door closed, Marcus wasted no time at all.“I hear you had a run-in with Richard Lawson,” he said, his voice low and menacing.Adam’s stomach twisted with the mentioned name. “Yeah. I didn

After the small victory of clearing the inspection, Adam’s optimism grew. He’d faced Lawson’s interference and had come out on top, at least for now. For the first time in a long while, he allowed himself to imagine the café finally growing into something bigger, and his vision for the building finally coming to life.That afternoon, he met with Evelyn to go over the next steps for the renovations. She spread out blueprints and estimates on one of the empty tables in the café, her pen gliding over the papers as she explained the stages of work in detail.“So, the electrical rewiring should start in a week,” she said, tapping on a particular section of the blueprint. “But we’ll need a few more permits for the more intensive structural work. I’m working on expediting that process, but it could still take a little time.”Adam nodded, taking it all in. “I trust you, Evelyn. Just keep me updated on anything that needs my approval or signature.”She offered him a small smile, her eyes brigh

The coordinates burned in Adam’s mind as he stared at the scrap of paper he held. His instincts screamed for him to let it go, to shove the pendant, the key, and the note into a drawer and forget they ever existed or came by his own side. But he couldn’t just let's all this away. Whoever had sent this wasn’t just trying to rattle him around, but they were dragging him into something he couldn’t resist doing.By morning, Adam’s decision was funny made. He loaded the whole coordinates into his phone’s GPS, which pointed him to a location a few miles outside the city. It was a remote area near an abandoned industrial park. The rational part of him said it was a trap, but curiosity and a gnawing need for answers overrode his fear. The drive out was totally quiet. The city’s bustle faded behind him as the urban areas gave way to crumbling warehouses and overgrown lots. The area felt totally lifeless, like it had been forgotten by time. Adam parked his car near the coordinates, gripping t