Chapter 184After checking out, Liam and Kai stepped outside. They got into the car, which smoothly pulled away from the curb and merged into the evening traffic.As they continued driving, Kai glanced in the rearview mirror and noticed the same car from earlier trailing behind them. “That car is still following us," he said.Liam turned slightly to peer out the back window, confirming Kai's observation. "Looks like we have a persistent follower. Let's see how serious they are."He directed the driver to take a series of random turns. They wound through busy streets, quiet residential areas, and even a couple of alleys, but the car remained close behind, mirroring their every move."This is getting interesting," Liam muttered. "Whoever it is, they're not giving up easily. Should we confront him?" Liam asked, glancing at Kai.Kai considered the suggestion for a moment before shaking his head. "Not yet. It'll not be easy to confront whoever it is right now," Kai said, his tone decisive.
Chapter 185It was around 6:30 pm when Alisha drove down to Azul Bistro for her date. Unknown to her, someone had been following her car since earlier that day, a street stalker hired by Williams.She drove for a few minutes before noticing a particular SUV trailing behind her. She didn’t recognize it and had no idea who it was. She contemplated confronting the driver but decided against it, fearing it might be dangerous.Finally, she arrived at the upscale restaurant where Liam had asked her to meet him. She glanced at her rearview mirror and saw the stalker still behind her. Trembling for a moment, she took out her phone and called Liam."Hello, I'm at the restaurant now. Where are you?""I'm inside. Come to the table nearest the back exit. You'll find a man in a white T-shirt and blue chinos; that's me," he laughed."Okay..." she stuttered. "I don't know, but someone has been following me ever since I left home, and I thought I should let you know." Her heart was pounding."Followi
Chapter 186How about you, Liam?" Alisha asked. "Anything interesting happened at your job today?""Actually, yes," Liam said, smiling. "I had several meetings with potential new clients today.”"Oh really care to share about it?" Alisha asked him.“One wants us to develop a marketing campaign for a product launch. They have some really innovative ideas, and it could be a big account for us." Liam lied, trying to act much more professional."That sounds exciting," Alisha said. "What kind of product are they launching?""It's a new line of eco-friendly household cleaners," Liam explained. "They're made from all-natural ingredients and come in recyclable packaging. The company is really passionate about sustainability.""That's fantastic," Alisha said, impressed. "It's great to see more companies taking environmental issues seriously.""Absolutely," Liam agreed. "It's one of the reasons I'm excited about this project. It's nice to work on something that aligns with my values."Alisha no
Chapter 187Just as Kai got a text from Liam, he made his way back to the front of the restaurant to confront the stalker.He had casually sat by the side of the restaurant and kept an eye out, waiting for the guy who was stalking them to pull up but found no sign of him. Instead, he had seen other cars pull up and pedestrians walk in, but there was no sign of the SUV that had been following them.He had looked away and given up hope, thinking the stalker might have retreated. Now Liam had texted that Alisha just arrived and said someone was stalking her. Kai immediately thought it was the same stalker who had been following them earlier. To further confirm his suspicion, he had asked Liam for a description of the car, and it matched the vehicle that had been trailing them. He was convinced it was the same person.He casually stood up and walked to the front of the restaurant. He approached cautiously, his instincts honed by years of training with the Shadow Lotus.There were a lot o
Chapter 188**NEXT DAY:**Williams was in his office when he got the shocking news that a street stalker was killed in an upscale restaurant, Azul Bistro, the previous evening.He quickly took out his anonymous phone to contact the street stalker he had sent to monitor Alisha, but the phone rang without an answer. This made him believe that the street stalker was indeed the one who had been declared dead by gunshots to the head in his SUV Mercedes.Williams leaned back in his chair, his mind racing. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath. He knew this was going to complicate things. He had sent the stalker to keep tabs on Alisha discreetly, and now this mess had erupted.He pondered who could have taken down his man.He needed to find out and fast.He decided to hack into Azul Bistro’s customer log from the previous day.Seeing that it was just a restaurant, it didn't take him long to break into their system.He went through the IDs of their customers from yesterday. As he scrolled,
Chapter 189Williams made a mental note to dig deeper into Liam's recent activities and any potential connections he might have with EMC.Williams picked up his phone and called his most trusted investigator. "Greg, I need you to gather everything you can on Liam Carter. I want to know his movements, his business dealings, his personal connections – everything. And do it discreetly."Greg responded promptly, "Understood, sir. I'll get right on it."Williams hung up and stared at the screen, deep in thought. Liam Carter's involvement added a new layer of complexity to his plans. He had to proceed with caution, but also with urgency. This was not a man to be underestimated.He stood up, walked over to the window, and looked out over the city, deep in thought.After some time, he went back to the images the CCTV staff had shown him, scrutinizing every detail.He focused on the interactions Liam had aside from those with Alisha. There was no one else except a man wearing a face mask, sli
Chapter 190It was around noon when Williams got back to the office. His mind was still reeling from the morning’s revelations. Without wasting any time, he headed straight to Mr. Sterling's office. He needed to inform him about the new developments and plan their next move.Williams knocked on the door and waited for the familiar "Come in" before entering. Mr. Sterling was sitting behind his large mahogany desk, going through some paperwork. He looked up as Williams entered, raising an eyebrow."What's the urgency, Williams?" Mr. Sterling asked, leaning back in his chair.Williams closed the door behind him and took a seat opposite Sterling. "We have a problem," he began, trying to keep his voice steady. "A few days back, I began suspecting that some guy called Liam Carter was onto us. I know because I saw him at the party, and he had a conversation with Alisha which made me suspect him further. After that, I began noticing that someone was trailing my car and following me everywhere
Chapter 191Just as Williams left Mr. Sterling's office, he quickly called Morris Huggo to come down to his office right away.A few minutes later, Morris knocked on the door and entered. "You wanted to see me, Mr. Sterling?""Yes, Morris, come in. I want to share a proverb with you," Mr. Sterling said, leaning back in his chair. "They say, 'The eagle that soars in the upper air does not worry about how it will cross rivers.'"Morris furrowed his brow, clearly puzzled. "I'm sorry, sir. I don't quite understand."Mr. Sterling sighed, then leaned forward, looking Morris directly in the eyes. "Tell me, Morris, what would you do if you found yourself in a room with a snake and a mouse?"Morris blinked, taken aback by the question. He hesitated for a moment before answering, "Well, sir, I'd probably get rid of the snake first. It's the more immediate threat."Mr. Sterling studied Morris's face carefully. After a tense pause, he nodded. "Good answer. It shows you understand prioritizing thr
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