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last update2025-03-30 22:51:29

Samuel stood in his dimly lit study, his fingers tightening around the crystal glass of whiskey in his hand. His reflection on the windowpane stared back at him—a man at the edge of a war, a battle he never sought but was now forced to fight. His trusted advisor, Damon, stood beside him, his expression unreadable.

“They made their move,” Damon said finally, placing a file on the desk. “The Brooks aren’t just playing games anymore. They hit one of our shipping routes. Three of our men were injured. One is missing.”

Samuel exhaled sharply, the grip on his glass tightening before he placed it down carefully. “And no one saw this coming?”

Damon shook his head. “They were careful. No digital traces, no loose ends. But we have a name—Luca Brook.”

A smirk flickered across Samuel’s lips. “Of course, it’s Luca.”

Luca Brook had always been unpredictable, reckless, and driven by a need to prove himself to his family. Unlike his elder brother, Vincent, who preferred strategy over brute force, Luc
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  • BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES   150

    The aftermath of the Paradigm incident sent shockwaves through the underworld. Samuel had made his move, and now, everyone was waiting for the Brook family’s retaliation. It wasn’t a matter of if, but when.Samuel sat in his private office, the city lights flickering behind him. Damon stood nearby, scanning his phone. “Luca’s still alive, but he’s been quiet. Too quiet.”Samuel leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled. “Vincent won’t let this slide. He’s the real threat, not Luca.”Damon nodded. “Agreed. We need to be prepared.”Before Samuel could respond, the door burst open. Rafael, one of his trusted men, stepped inside, his expression tense.“We have a problem,” Rafael announced. “One of our warehouses was just hit. It’s gone.”Samuel’s jaw tightened. “Casualties?”“Three dead, five injured. They knew exactly where to strike,” Rafael said grimly.Damon swore under his breath. “Vincent.”Samuel’s gaze darkened. “He’s escalating. Then so will we.”Vincent Brook sat in his family’

  • BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES   151

    Samuel stood in his office, staring out at the city skyline, the weight of war pressing heavily on his shoulders. The Brook family had made their move, attacking both his empire and his reputation. If he didn’t act fast, he would lose everything.Damon entered the room, his expression grim. “Vincent’s next move is already in motion. He’s leaking more documents to the media, trying to frame you as the mastermind behind a money-laundering scheme.”Samuel clenched his jaw. “And the authorities?”“They’re sniffing around, but they don’t have anything concrete yet. We’ve cleaned up well over the years, but Vincent is determined. He’s working with someone inside the system.”Samuel turned to face Damon. “Then we need to find out who.”Before Damon could respond, the door swung open, and Rafael rushed in. “Boss, we have another problem. One of our offshore accounts was frozen. That’s not a coincidence.”Samuel’s grip on the edge of his desk tightened. Vincent wasn’t just playing dirty—he was

  • BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES   152

    Vincent Brook paced his office, fingers digging into his palms. His men had failed him. Caldwell was in Samuel’s hands. The files—everything—were gone.A deep voice cut through the silence. "We have a problem, Vincent."Vincent turned sharply. His second-in-command, Leo Vargas, stood in the doorway."No kidding," Vincent growled. "Tell me something I don’t know."Leo’s expression was grim. "It’s worse than you think. Samuel just leaked some of the documents."Vincent froze. "What?"Leo handed him a tablet. "It’s all over the dark web. Offshore accounts, bribery schemes, your connection to Judge Harrington, and even the money laundering through Oakridge Industries."Vincent scanned the screen, his fury boiling over. His name wasn’t directly tied to the documents—Samuel was smart enough to leave room for doubt—but the damage was already done. People would start asking questions.He gritted his teeth. "Samuel is playing dirty."Leo nodded. "And he’s winning."Vincent slammed the tablet o

  • BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES   153

    Samuel’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the phone. Evelyn’s scream echoed in his head like a relentless drumbeat. He barely registered Damon shaking his shoulder."Samuel!" Damon’s voice was sharp, urgent. "We don’t have time to freeze up. Where would Vincent take her?"Samuel forced himself to breathe. Think. If Vincent had Evelyn, he wasn’t going to kill her immediately—he’d use her as leverage. That gave them time, but not much."Vincent won’t risk moving her too far," Samuel said, his voice tight. "He knows I’ll come for her. He wants me to."Damon nodded. "Then let’s not disappoint him."Samuel grabbed his gun and checked his ammo. "Call Rafael. I need eyes on every possible location Vincent could be holding her."Damon was already dialing. "Rafael, change of plans. Vincent has Evelyn. We need surveillance now."Samuel turned to Caldwell, who was sitting on the couch, pale and trembling. "You know Vincent’s operations better than anyone. Where would he take her?"Caldwell he

  • BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES   154

    The tension in the car was suffocating. Samuel’s grip on the steering wheel was tight, his knuckles white under the dim glow of the dashboard lights. Evelyn sat beside him, silent, staring out the window at the passing city lights.Damon sat in the backseat, arms crossed. "So what now?" he finally asked.Samuel didn’t answer immediately. His mind was still stuck in the warehouse, the gunshot echoing in his ears. Vincent was dead. His empire would crumble, his men would scatter—but that didn’t mean they were safe."They’ll retaliate," Samuel said at last. "Vincent wasn’t the only snake in that pit."Evelyn turned to him, her expression unreadable. "Then we end it before they have the chance."Samuel glanced at her. There was something different in her eyes now. A cold determination."You’re not a part of this," he said.Evelyn scoffed. "I was tied to a chair with a gun to my head. I think that makes me a part of this."Damon smirked. "She’s got a point."Samuel exhaled sharply. He didn

  • BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES   155

    .The city was quiet, but Samuel knew it was the kind of silence that came before a storm.They had taken out Leo, ended Vincent’s empire—but that didn’t mean they were safe. Power vacuums didn’t stay empty for long. Someone would rise. Someone always did.The car ride back to the safe house was tense. Evelyn sat in the passenger seat, staring at her hands. Damon was in the back, his usual cocky smirk absent."We should leave town," Damon finally said.Samuel didn’t respond. He kept his eyes on the road.Evelyn let out a quiet breath. "They won’t stop coming, will they?""No," Samuel admitted. "Not unless we stop them first."Damon sighed. "Man, I was hoping you’d say something like ‘let’s go to the beach and disappear forever.’"Samuel’s grip on the wheel tightened. He wanted to. He wanted to take Evelyn away, to forget about all of this. But he knew better.Evelyn turned to him. "Then we finish it. No more running."Samuel met her gaze. There was steel in her eyes. She wasn’t afraid

  • BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES   156

    The safe house felt colder than usual. The air was thick with tension, the kind that settled in your bones and refused to let go. Samuel sat in the corner of the dimly lit room, his fingers lightly tapping against his knee. Evelyn was across from him, tending to Olivia, who lay on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her.Damon paced near the window, his agitation barely contained. “This doesn’t feel like a win,” he muttered. “We took out Vincent, got Olivia back, but something feels... off.”Samuel knew exactly what he meant. The words of the dying man at the warehouse still echoed in his mind. There are worse monsters coming.“We don’t have time to celebrate,” Samuel said finally. “Vincent may be dead, but that doesn’t mean we’re safe. Power like his doesn’t just disappear—it shifts.”Evelyn looked up, her expression tired but determined. “Then we make sure no one else takes it.”Damon scoffed. “That’s a nice thought, but how? We’re just four people against an entire city of crim

  • BENEATH THE MASK: REVENGE OF SAMUEL HAYES   157

    The safe house felt colder than usual. The air was thick with tension, the kind that settled in your bones and refused to let go. Samuel sat in the corner of the dimly lit room, his fingers lightly tapping against his knee. Evelyn was across from him, tending to Olivia, who lay on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her.Damon paced near the window, his agitation barely contained. “This doesn’t feel like a win,” he muttered. “We took out Vincent, got Olivia back, but something feels... off.”Samuel knew exactly what he meant. The words of the dying man at the warehouse still echoed in his mind. There are worse monsters coming.“We don’t have time to celebrate,” Samuel said finally. “Vincent may be dead, but that doesn’t mean we’re safe. Power like his doesn’t just disappear—it shifts.”Evelyn looked up, her expression tired but determined. “Then we make sure no one else takes it.”Damon scoffed. “That’s a nice thought, but how? We’re just four people against an entire city of crim

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