The morning sun bled through the dusty curtains of the cramped living room of the Lawson family as Jeremy slumped on the faded couch, fingers idly scrolling through his phone. The notifications from unpaid bills were popping up like relentless reminders of his failures. Jeremy felt at 24 to be a shadow of a shadow. His brother Alan was the family pride, a corporate lawyer who had a clear, well-trodden route up the career ladder. Little sister Mia was a golden child-a university scholarship pupil, bound for great things. And Jeremy? He was the invisible middle child who nobody seemed to notice. No degree. No regular job. No prospects. No anything.The row started at breakfast, the same way they always did."You need to get your life together, Jeremy," his father barked, slamming his coffee mug on the table. "Alan is buying a house. Mia's on a full scholarship. What have you done?"Jeremy said nothing. His stomach twisted into knots. His mother's eyes flicke

The mountain road was unbearably dark, and the weak beams of his car headlights slicing through the mist were about all that lit it. Jeremy's knuckles went white as his grip on the steering wheel tightened; his mind churning over questions. Who exactly was Maverick? Why did he have to meet him in this godforsaken place? And who sent that ominous text urging him to turn back?The cabin materialized out of nowhere, nestled into the side of the hill like some forgotten relic. Its wood surface was weathered, the windows black as coal. Jeremy pulled in, turned off his car, and sat there, the weight of the mountain's eerie silence bearing down on him. He glanced at his phone-no signal."Here goes nothing," he muttered, stepping out.The creak of the porch beneath his weight made him wince. Before he could knock, the door swung open."Come in, Lawson.Jeremy froze. Maverick stood in the doorway-or at least, someone he assumed to be Maverick. The

Jeremy sat on the edge of his couch, the phone pressed tightly against his ear. His apartment was still in a shambles from the burglary, but that hardly impinged on him now. The detective's voice managed to cut through the spiraling nature of his thoughts."Are you there, Mr. Lawson?" asked the Detective with unyielding tone.Jeremy swallowed hard. "Yeah. I'm here. What's this about?There was a short silence until Carter replied, "We have reason to believe you've been involved in some of the same fraudulent activities as Victor Kane. This is a courtesy call before we escalate matters. We'd prefer you come in voluntarily to answer a few questions."Jeremy's heart started to beat faster. This wasn't just Victor playing games; this was the law."Fraud?" Jeremy asked, shaking. "I've done nothing illegal.“Then you’ll have no problem coming in,” Carter replied. “Tomorrow, 10 a.m., downtown precinct. Don’t make me come find you.”

The air in Jeremy's penthouse apartment was colder than it should have been; even the soft hum of the city outside did little to break the silence. He stared, mesmerized, at the trading terminal in front of him, his once-glistening fortune hanging on the verge of collapse. The screen flickered as a picture of his disastrous trades materialized on it-a testament to each red number a wound to his pride.He leaned back in his chair, staring at the glass walls that overlooked the glittering skyline. For a brief moment, it almost felt like the city was mocking him. He'd worked so hard, pushed past every obstacle, but here he was again-on the edge of losing everything."Damn it, how did I let this happen?" he muttered, rubbing his temples.A mean, flashing message from the brokerage firm seemed to bring it all into focus as such: Margin Call-Immediate Action Required. He had thought this day would never arrive, considering all his hard struggle, the sacrifices,

The men burst into the room like a storm, their heavy boots pounding against the cracked floor as they fanned out, weapons drawn. Jeremy's heart pounded in his chest, but his mind was focused. He had no time to second-guess himself. He grabbed Maya by the wrist and yanked her behind a pillar just as one of the men glanced over, his eyes narrowing as he took in the empty space.Move," Jeremy whispered fiercely, tugging Maya toward the back of the room. The heavy file tucked under his jacket felt like a weight he could ill afford to lose. They needed to get out-fast.The men were methodical in their search, methodically moving from one corner of the room to the next. As they neared the back, Jeremy's mind raced for an escape route. There was no window. No doors except the one they'd come through. He had no weapon. The only option left was to run.The lead man suddenly barked out an order. "Split up. Search every inch. He's here.Jeremy froze. He? Th