Chapter 130 James got really mad. He looked straight at Williams, who just grinned back at him, like he was making fun of James. Lana was surprised. This wasn't part of the plan. It was supposed to be a date for two couples. "Why did you invite them?" she asked Williams. Williams smirked and said, "I thought it would be more fun with more people." James blurted out, "What are they doing here?" But Ellen tapped him to calm down. Williams went up to them and said, “Hey Jaxon! Hey Alisha! It's nice to see you both. Come join us for the celebration." Jaxon was furious when he saw James, and Ellen, but he calmed down when he saw Lana. She's the only reason he'd stick around. Williams had promised to set him up with Lana. “Thanks, Williams,” he said. Alisha was also surprised. She thought it was just a date with Jaxon. But now she saw James, her ex, Lana, Ellen Princeton, and even Williams, her cousin. She felt embarrassed and annoyed at once. “Jaxon, I thought this was our date. Why
Chapter 131Just as Williams left the table, six hefty and mean-looking men entered the balcony and began scattering people's tables and chasing them away. They approached them and began scattering their tables.“What do you want?” James asked, standing up.But before anyone could know what was happening they all rounded James up and began to beat him up. James bent aside and dodged the blows but they were coming from six different men.Just as the commotion began people began to run helter-skelter out of the balcony. Tables tumbled and chairs broke.“What the heck!” Lana screamed. “What's going on here?” She tried to rush towards the men but one of them stopped her.“Don't come close if you love your life.”But Lana didn't mind. She scurried forward and was barely dragged back by Jaxon. “What are you doing?” He asked. “Do you want to injure yourself?” Jaxon was really enjoying the show. He didn't know what was really going on but he felt happy as he saw them beating James up. ‘This i
Chapter 132"Hey Lana, sweetheart, it's not what you're thinking," Williams said, placing a hand on Lana's shoulder. "She was just a bit shaken up, so I was calming her down. Nothing serious," he fibbed.Lana's eyes widened with concern. "James is in trouble. We need to get security to help him. He's being attacked," she exclaimed."No worries. You two go get security while I lend a hand to James," Williams assured, rolling up his sleeves before leaving.Meanwhile, Lana and Alisha exchanged awkward glances, each unsure how to broach the topic with the other."So, uh, are you and Williams, like, a thing now?" Alisha tentatively inquired. “Are you guys dating?”Lana's response was sharp. "What, are you trying to snatch him from me too?" she retorted.Alisha quickly shook her head. "No, no! Williams is my cousin. We've known each other forever. He disappeared for a while, and now he's suddenly rich," she explained. "But listen, I have this feeling he's hiding something. You shouldn't tru
Chapter 133 Ellen was rushed to Sky Care and her parents came when they heard the news. They were worried. Jonathan and Helen Princeton were furious. “My only child!” Helen sobbed. "We want to see those thugs!" Jonathan demanded. "That's not necessary, Sir. They've all been taken to the police station. They must face justice." James said. Jonathan was adamant. "They must face my own justice!" he declared, picking up his phone to call some military men. He is a retired general and he has authority in the military. His voice was tense as he spoke. "Hello, Arnold! This is Jonathan Princeton. My daughter was attacked by thugs, and they're being taken to the police station. But I need the military to intervene immediately." The person on the other end of the line replied respectfully, "Yes, Sir. I'll send some men to the police station right away to handle the situation." Jonathan nodded, satisfied with the response. "Make sure they get there quickly," he instructed before ending t
Chapter 134The next day news of the attack soon spread through the whole of Emerald falls.EMC all the workers were talking about it. Most especially about how James and Williams single-handedly beat up the thugs.Jonathan Princeton's men had already intervened and taken the thugs who attacked them to the barracks for questioning."Oh, so it's true now. The PA to the director of finances is dating Ellen Princeton," people gossiped as they heard the news."Yes, yes, how lucky can one person be," another person chimed in. "Wasn't he the one who got promoted a few days ago and now he's driving a Bugatti and dating the daughter of a famous politician?""So, between James and Williams, who do you think has more power?" Elton asked his friend."I think it's James. He's much more successful," his friend replied."No, it's Williams. He has access to the control unit. Do you know what that means?" Elton asked."What does that control unit do?" his friend asked, intrigued."It basically gives
Chapter 135“Oh I see!” Alisha replied.“Yeah. So what do you want to talk to me about? He asked her.“Oh it's about some junior staff members who were also finding it difficult to access the new password. I was hoping that you should change it. I guess Morris is not the only moron here.” She lied and smiled.She was feeling remorseful for saying bad things about Williams to Lana and had wanted to confess to Williams and ask him to forgive her, but now she just noticed that Williams is not really who he said he's.“But that's the most easy and secure password that anyone can memorize.” Williams said. “Ask them to come to my office and I will show them how to memorize the password easier.”“Oh no problem, that's not a problem at all. I think I can handle it,” she said and got up to leave.“All right bye then.”As Alisha left his office, she contemplated everything that's going on. She knows that EMC is under attack but by who?She could have clearly discarded William's story because sh
Chapter 136After rushing back to the office, Eric found Williams pacing anxiously in the waiting room to his office."What's going on, Williams? Who did you find out?" Eric demanded, his heart racing with anticipation.Williams turned to face him, his expression grave. "It's worse than we thought, Mr. Wood. The hackers responsible for the virus attack on our system… it is an Asian organization, like I said and the mastermind behind it all is no other than, our director of finance, Mrs. Lee"Eric's eyes widened in shock. "Mrs. Lee? You can't be serious.”“Take a look at this.” Williams said as he dug his hands inside his pocket and brought out his phone and gave it to Eric.Eric took it and saw a screenshot message between Mrs. Lee and an unidentified user. He froze in his position.“No, you're mistaken. You know the consequences of wrongly and intentionally accusing someone? You'd be facing a jail term of 50+ years," Eric told Williams sternly, attempting to gauge his sincerity. But
Chapter 137The board members had arrived, except for Mr. Sterling.They were seated and eager to hear what the CEO had to say.Eric was already seated, with Mrs. Lee across from him and Williams standing nearby."Tell me you've removed the virus from the system," Mr. Thompson whispered to Williams."No, it's far worse than that," Williams replied solemnly.“Can we begin now?” Mr. Thompson asked as he took his seat.“Mr. Sterling is not here. I think we should wait for him.” Eric said.“No need sir,” Williams whispered to him. “It's better to begin now and Mr. Sterling may join us later.”Eric cleared his throat, "Well, members of the esteemed board, I'm afraid I have some troubling news to share," Eric began, his voice grave. "As you all know, our company has been dealing with a severe cyberattack on our system. We've conducted a thorough investigation into the matter," Eric continued, "and unfortunately, we have discovered that the source of the cyberattack traces back to someone wi
Chapter 397Morning broke with a dull glow, illuminating the quiet safe house nestled deep in the woods. Inside, tension hung thick in the air. Williams was standing near the window with a phone pressed to his ear, speaking in a calm but calculated tone.“We’ve got your son, Charles,” he said, his voice steady. “But we haven’t located Jaxon.”On the other end of the line, Mr. Sterling’s voice cracked with emotion. “Charles? Is he safe? Are you sure?” Relief flooded his tone, but it was quickly shadowed by anxiety. “What about Jaxon? Did you find him? Is there anything—anything—leading up to him?”Williams let out a quiet sigh, one that sounded more like practiced patience than genuine concern. “That’s all we could manage,” he replied. “The men who took Jaxon still have him, and from what we’ve gathered, they plan to kill him if there’s any interference.”Mr. Sterling was silent for a beat, processing the grim news. Then, his voice rose, tinged with panic. “What do I do now? How do I
Chapter 396James and Gregor stepped out of their concealed position in the underbrush as the taillights of the SUV disappeared into the darkness. The cool night air was eerily silent now, broken only by the faint rustling of leaves and the muffled sounds of wildlife in the distance. The ground beneath their boots crunched softly as they moved toward the aftermath of the chaos they had just witnessed.Gregor’s eyes scanned the scene, his face expressionless as he took in the lifeless bodies sprawled across the area. Three of them, including Ben they once held, lay motionless, their weapons discarded and their blood staining the dirt beneath them.Gregor crouched beside one of the bodies, briefly checking for a pulse, though he already knew there was none. Standing, he shook his head and muttered, “Well, that’s the life they’ve chosen for themselves.”James, standing a few steps behind him, remained silent for a moment, his sharp eyes darting around the scene. The faint glow of the moo
Chapter 395The shadows of the dilapidated bunker stretched long under the moonlight as Williams and his team lay in wait. They had taken up position hours earlier, tucked inside Jaxon’s sleek sports car, the dark, polished metal blending seamlessly into the night. The air inside the vehicle was stifling, thick with tension and the faint metallic tang of gun oil. Every man was armed and ready, their nerves wound tight, waiting for the right moment to strike. Williams sat in the driver’s seat, his hands resting casually on the steering wheel, though his eyes never left the rearview mirror. Beside him, Kane sat rigid, one hand gripping Jaxon’s arm firmly while the other rested on the stock of a shotgun lying across his lap. In the cramped sports car, Tom and Dorian crouched uncomfortably in the trunk, their weapons at the ready, waiting for Williams’ signal.The silence inside the car was shattered when headlights cut through the darkness. A single car approached, its rumbling engine e
Chapter 394The dense canopy of the forest loomed overhead, casting long shadows over the makeshift campsite where James and Gregor had been holed up for days. The air was damp, thick with the earthy scent of moss and pine, and the distant call of nocturnal creatures echoed through the stillness.Gregor sat cross-legged on the damp ground, his eyes glued to the small tablet in his lap. A blinking red dot pulsed steadily on the screen—the nano tracker they’d planted on Ben’s phone.For three grueling days, they’d followed that dot from one hideout to another, staying just far enough away not to be detected. They’d spent their nights in the car or in the bush, catching only brief moments of sleep between shifts of surveillance.Tonight was no different, and Gregor’s tired eyes burned as he watched the screen, hoping for any sign of movement.James lay stretched out on the ground beside him, his jacket pulled over his face to block out the faint moonlight filtering through the trees. Hi
Chapter 393Jack paced back and forth in the dimly lit room, his gun laid out on the table as he meticulously assembled and armored it. Each metallic click echoed in the stale air, punctuating the tense atmosphere.They had to switch hideouts when Ben rejoined them, in case he was being tailed. Jack carefully considered the situation and concluded that bringing him back into the operation as an additional resource would be a wise decision, just in case they encountered any unexpected challenges but he made sure they switch hideout from time to time. But their main exchange point was still the old bunker because it has a lot of escape routes and underground tunnels.Ken was nearby, double-checking their supply of ammunition, while Denver and Ben lounged on an old, battered couch, their excitement barely contained.“Finally, we’re getting out of this shithole with a bundle of millions,” Denver said to Ben, leaning back with a smug grin. He flicked a discarded cigarette butt into the cor
Chapter 392The evening sky was a dusky orange, streaked with long trails of purple as the sun dipped below the horizon. Williams parked the sleek, black car that Mr. Sterling had secured for him—a high-profile Lamborghini that was both remarkable and practical for what was about to go down.The tinted windows gleamed faintly in the fading light as he stepped out, dressed in a dark hoodie and jeans. He adjusted the baseball cap on his head and pulled it lower to obscure his face further.Kane was already waiting near the edge of the gravel lot, leaning casually against a rusted lamp post that barely flickered to life. His stance was relaxed, but his eyes darted around, sharp and alert. A few paces away, Tom and Dorian lingered by the entrance to the abandoned warehouse, their conversation low but punctuated with short laughs.Williams approached Kane with purposeful strides. Without a word, he gestured for Kane to follow him a short distance away from the others.“They ready?” William
Chapter 391Andrew’s pen hovered over the page. “Eric Wood? The CEO of EMC?”“Yes,” Sterling said, his voice steady now, laced with conviction. “He’s had a vendetta against my family for months. He’s jealous of our success, our influence. And now, with everything happening at EMC, I wouldn’t put it past him to stoop this low. My two sons were kidnapped in a sparse of a few weeks. Is it not strange?”Andrew tilted his head, his expression skeptical. “That’s a serious accusation, Mr. Sterling. Do you have any evidence to support this?”Mr. Sterling sighed heavily, as though burdened by the weight of his own claim. “Not concrete evidence, no. But think about it. He has the resources, the motive. And I heard through some… private channels that he’s been meeting with unsavory characters lately. People who could easily pull off something like this.”Andrew jotted a few notes, his pen moving quickly. “I see. I’ll look into it. But you understand we can’t act on hearsay alone.”“Of course, of
Chapter 390As soon as Mr. Sterling ended the call with Williams, he hurried to his closet, throwing on a sleek navy suit and matching tie. His hands trembled slightly as he adjusted the knot, but he steeled himself, taking a deep breath.This wasn’t just a favor for Williams; it was a calculated move to get his two sons back. Grabbing his keys, he rushed out of his mansion, the elevator ride to the ground floor feeling agonizingly slow.When he finally stepped outside, the cool morning air bit at his face, but he paid it no mind. His black sedan waited at the curb, and he climbed in, starting the engine with a growl. As he sped toward Sky Suite, he rehearsed the lies he might need to tell to retrieve Jaxon’s car.The towering Sky Suite hotel loomed ahead, its modern glass facade gleaming brightly under the early morning sun. As Mr. Sterling approached the entrance, his stomach tightened. The sight of two patrol cars parked near the lobby entrance made his pulse quicken. Uniformed off
Chapter 389As soon as Kane received the message from Tom that Jaxon had finally broken under the pressure and confessed, he immediately pulled out his phone and dialed Williams. His tone was sharp, clipped, and direct as he relayed the crucial information.“He finally talked,” Kane said without any preamble. “He’s given up Jack’s location—some bunker near the old docks.”Williams, on the other end of the line, didn’t respond right away. The faint sound of tapping, likely his pen against his desk, filled the silence. “Good,” Williams finally said, his voice steady but tinged with calculation. “Did he say anything about how many men Jack has with him?”“Yeah,” Kane replied. “Three, including Jack himself. He said one of them ran away. It’s a small crew.”Williams let out a low hum of approval. “That’s manageable. We’ve got the numbers, four to three. Here’s the plan,” he said, leaning forward in his chair. “You’re going to prep Jaxon to lead you straight to the bunker. He’s our key. Ma