A Price for Trust.The rain slicked city streets reflected a dull, silver light as Silas, Eleanor, and Violet huddled in the backroom of an abandoned warehouse. Shadows twisted along the concrete walls, their jagged edges mimicking the sharp tension in the air.Legs crossed, Violet sat rigidly on a splintered box, her fingers fiddling with a silver locket that gleamed with each movement. She measured Silas with her dark eyes, gauging the gap between loyalty and treachery. Her voice was low, like a thread about to break, and she stated bluntly, "I can give you everything on Hartwell's offshore accounts." "Account numbers, bank names, the soiled paper trail." Eleanor leaned forward, her auburn curls spilling over her shoulder. “But there’s a price.”Violet had a very narrow grin. "Protection." After this, Hartwell won't allow me just go. I need a fresh start, a new identity, and safe travel.Silas's mouth tightened. Dealing with ghosts was not something he enjoyed. Particularly those w

The Hidden Photos.The photos scattered across the table like jagged pieces of a puzzle Eleanor wished she didn’t have to solve. Her husband’s face stared back at her, a frozen smile twisted by grainy shadows. But it wasn’t the smile that hollowed her chest, it was the briefcase.In the photo, he stood under a flickering streetlamp, hand outstretched, the dark leather case bridging the distance between him and Hartwell. No hesitation. No fear.“Eleanor, look at his posture,” Silas said, leaning over her shoulder. “He’s not being forced.”She sucked in a breath, throat tight. “You don’t know that.”Silas’s jaw flexed. He pointed to another photo, her husband glancing over his shoulder, his eyes sharp, calculating. “That’s not a man under duress.”Eleanor’s mind reeled, clinging to the memories that suddenly felt slippery, his late nights, the cryptic phone calls, the way he brushed off questions with tired smiles.She muttered, "I…..I have to think he didn't know what he was doing." V

Secrets in the Shadows.The door groaned open on rusted hinges, revealing a room swallowed by shadows. Dust swirled in the thin shaft of light from a single overhead bulb, flickering like a dying star. Eleanor’s breath caught in her throat. This wasn’t just a hidden room, it was a vault of secrets.Metal filing cabinets lined the walls, each drawer labeled with cryptic initials and dates. In the center stood a heavy oak desk, its surface littered with folders, ledgers, and an old rotary phone that looked like it hadn’t rung in decades. The air smelled of aged paper and ink, tinged with something metallic, blood, maybe, or just rust.“Looks like Hartwell kept his skeletons in here,” Silas whispered, stepping inside.Eleanor followed, her heels making soft clicks on the concrete. “Let’s hope one of them buries him.”She crossed to the desk, her fingers trembling as she flipped open the nearest file. Lines of numbers, wire transfer codes, and names leaped off the pages. Names she recogni

Assassination PlansThe ballroom buzzed with a dangerous energy, champagne glasses clinked, conversations were layered in coded intentions, but beneath the glittering surface, the weight of death hung heavy.Eleanor ducked into a shadowed alcove, tugging Silas close as Margaret’s voice crackled through the earpiece.“Change of plans. The target’s not Marek. It’s Dominic Kane.”Silas cursed under his breath. “Kane? The syndicate enforcer?”Margaret’s fingers flew over the keyboard on her end. “Yeah. He’s meeting Hartwell privately in twenty minutes. My guess? Hartwell’s cutting him loose.”Eleanor’s stomach twisted. Dominic Kane wasn’t just another thug; he was a power broker with leverage buried in secrets. “If Kane’s out of the picture, Hartwell tightens his grip.”Silas ran a hand through his hair, his jaw taut. “Or… we use Kane before he’s dead.”Eleanor paused. "We're not going to make this a bigger mess."However, Silas's thoughts were already racing. "He's filthy, Eleanor." He i

A Deal with the FBI.Rain poured relentlessly over the city, its heavy drops drumming against the metal roof of the deserted parking garage. Eleanor adjusted the hood of her trench coat, its dark fabric slick with moisture, while Silas stood a few feet away, the dim glow of his cigarette the only light in the gloom."Are you certain he will arrive?" Eleanor's question was hardly audible above a whisper.Ash was flicked onto the damp ground by Silas. "We're in serious trouble if he doesn't." A car engine echoed in the distance. Headlights cut through the darkness, illuminating the concrete pillars before the vehicle stopped a few feet away. The driver’s door opened, and a tall man in a gray suit stepped out, his badge flashing briefly in the low light before he tucked it away.“Agent Rhodes,” he introduced himself, glancing around cautiously before approaching.Eleanor stepped forward, clutching the flash drive tightly in her gloved hand. “This has everything, Dominic Kane’s recording