2024-07-22 05:55:37
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chapter 125
The metallic buzz of the lock disengaging was the only warning before the door creaked open.Detective Harper stepped in, his coat still damp from the morning rain. No cuffs. No theatrics. Just his usual calm intensity, and a folder under one arm.Bryden sat at the table, eyes hollow, arms crossed but no longer defiant. The bruised pride was still there — barely — but the cocky smirk that once danced on his lips was long gone.Harper pulled out the chair and sat down across from him. “Didn’t eat your breakfast. Again.”“Maybe I’m not hungry,” Bryden murmured.Harper leaned forward. “Or maybe you’re realizing you were never Zain’s golden boy.”Bryden’s eyes flickered, but he didn’t look up.Harper placed a photograph on the table — a grainy shot of Zain leaving Kova Holdings last night, flanked by bodyguards. He looked untouchable. Unbothered.“I know you’re not stupid,” Harper said quietly. “You’ve been sitting in this cage, bleeding loyalty for a man who hasn’t so much as sent you a
chapter 124
The evening had arrived wrapped in a moody breeze. The estate grounds were dimly lit, save for the warm glow emanating from the lanterns along the stone path. Aiden stood alone on the terrace, a tumbler of whiskey in hand, his mind preoccupied.He had just tucked Zia into bed with Silvana by his side — another chapter of fairy tales read, another night of calm he feared wouldn’t last. The world outside the mansion was growing colder. So was the one within.Aiden turned at the soft crunch of footsteps behind him.Detective Harper.In a charcoal jacket, collar turned up, eyes sharp and serious.“You came in through the garden gate?” Aiden asked dryly.Harper offered a faint smirk. “Didn’t want your cameras to log me on the front porch. Or Amelia’s paranoia to flare up.”Aiden motioned toward a chair. “You said this couldn’t wait.”Harper sat, placing a sealed folder between them.“It’s Zain.”Aiden’s jaw tensed. “What now?”Harper opened the folder — inside, two photos and a thumb drive
chapter 123
The light above Zain’s leather desk glowed low, casting long shadows across the rich mahogany floor. Outside, the city flickered like a restless machine, unaware that behind the bulletproof glass, a storm was forming.Zain leaned back in his chair, a glass of aged bourbon in one hand and a thin cigar smoldering in the other. His sharp jaw twitched slightly as he read the encrypted message that had just flashed across his secured tablet.> “Harper has traced Amelia’s communication logs. The connection to Aurex has been verified. He’s compiling a brief. Intel suggests Felix Romanov has been alerted.”— from Cipher OneZain slowly set the tablet down.The room went silent.His gaze drifted toward the abstract painting on the wall — an image of black cracks spiderwebbing through white marble. A metaphor for control. Once the surface broke… chaos seeped in.Amelia.That foolish girl.He’d never trusted her entirely, but she was supposed to be manageable — a means to pressure Aiden’s image,
chapter 122
The mansion was silent except for the tick of the antique wall clock and the occasional flick of flames from the hearth. Aiden stood by the tall windows, his arms folded tight against his chest, staring out into the inky blackness beyond the glass. His mind was racing.Silvana sat opposite Amelia, who was curled in the corner of the velvet couch, her coat still on, the half-zipped travel bag by her feet. Her mascara was smeared, her eyes red from crying. But the tremble in her hands hadn’t stopped.Aiden turned, his voice cold but steady.“You tried to run. You were willing to vanish without saying goodbye to your daughter. That alone tells me this isn’t just about lies—it’s about fear. So talk, Amelia. Now.”Silvana leaned forward gently. “Tell the truth. The real truth.”Amelia looked up at them, broken, ashamed, and desperate.“You think you know everything,” she said shakily. “You don’t.”Silvana’s voice stayed calm. “Then help us understand.”Amelia wiped at her eyes. “I didn’t c
chapter 121
The soft rustling of pages and the sweet scent of Zia’s cherry shampoo filled the air.Aiden sat on the floor beside Zia’s bed, the storybook open across his lap. Silvana leaned against the pillows on the other side, her hand gently stroking Zia’s hair, the little girl nestled between them under a sky-blue duvet.“—And the dragon, instead of burning the village, gave the princess a crown made of stars,” Aiden read with a soft smile.Zia giggled. “I like this story. The dragon is not mean like the ones on TV.”Silvana grinned. “That’s because this dragon was misunderstood. Like most creatures with a roar.”Aiden turned the final page. “The End.”Zia clapped softly and yawned, her eyelids drooping. “Can we read another one tomorrow?”“Of course, my love,” Silvana whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Now sleep. You’ve got school in the morning.”As Zia drifted off, her breathing evened out in moments. Aiden and Silvana waited a while longer, ensuring she was fast asleep before th
chapter 120
The cold sea breeze swept through the moonlit alleyway just off Pier 9, where rusted shipping containers lined the docks like forgotten bones. The rhythmic sound of water lapping against concrete was broken only by the faint hum of engines pulling away into the night.Detective Harper sat in an unmarked sedan, watching.His eyes were fixed on a man — hood up, tall, muscular, walking fast but controlled.Braise.Harper narrowed his gaze. This wasn’t the first time he’d seen Braise in this sector. It was the third. Each time unannounced. Each time within twenty minutes of some suspicious incident — a tampered traffic cam, a vehicle reroute, an encrypted message spike.And this time, Harper had backup.He adjusted the radio on his vest. “This is Hawk-3. Subject is moving southeast along Dockline 4. Confirm interception path.”A voice crackled through. “Confirmed. Unit 2 approaching from south tunnel.”Harper stepped out of the vehicle, moving silently along the edge of the shadows, hand
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