The team arrived at the warehouse on the outskirts of the city, its hulking structure silhouetted against the night sky.The area was eerily quiet, the air heavy with tension.“This is it,” Red Fang whispered.“Keep your eyes open.”Max led the way, his weapon drawn.“Emily, stay close to me. Red Fang, cover our flank.”They breached the main entrance, their flashlights cutting through the darkness.The warehouse was a maze of rusted equipment and stacked crates, the faint sound of dripping water echoing in the distance.“She’s here,” Max said, his instincts screaming.“We just have to find her.”As they moved deeper into the warehouse, Emily spotted a chair in the center of the room.“There!” she whispered urgently.Molly was slumped in the chair, her head down. Max rushed forward, but Red Fang grabbed his arm. “Wait.”They scanned the area and spotted thin wires running along the floor and walls.Red Fang crouched, tracing one to a device hidden beneath a nearby crate.“Explosives,”

Molly sat in the estate’s library, a warm cup of tea in her hands, though she barely noticed its heat.Max stood near the window, staring out at the rain-soaked grounds, his jaw tight with frustration.“You should rest,” Max said without turning. “You’ve been through enough.”Molly shook her head, her voice steady.“I’m not sitting this out, Max. Razor’s words weren’t just empty taunts. Someone in your family is behind this, and I’m going to help you find out who.”Max glanced at her, his expression softening slightly.“You don’t have to do this.”“I do,” Molly insisted.“If we don’t figure this out, Elliot wins. And I’m not letting that happen.”The war room was tense as Max, Molly, and Emily faced Leonard, the elder Emily had met earlier.The ledger lay open on the table between them, the evidence clear and damning.Leonard’s eyes darted nervously between the pages and Max’s cold stare.“I don’t know what you think you’re proving, Max.”Max slammed his hand on the table, making Leo

Except it wasn’t labeled openly. It was hidden under a false title: Financial Restructuring Plans, 1980–1990.“Clever,” Molly muttered as Max pulled the file.He opened it on a nearby table, revealing decades-old documents, photographs, and letters.The contents were damning.Max flipped through the file, each page painting a picture darker than the last. The Montgomery family had secretly funded illegal activities to maintain their grip on power:sabotage of competitors, bribes to government officials, and even orchestrated “accidents” for allies who became liabilities.“This…” Emily whispered, her eyes wide.“This is corruption on a massive scale.”Max’s hand froze on a photograph of his father with Nathaniel Stoke, both men shaking hands at the announcement of the pact.The caption read: Partnership for a New Era.“Look at this,” Max said, pointing to a memo dated weeks after the pact collapsed.“‘Ensure complete control by eliminating dissent.’” He clenched his fist. “This is pro

Victor stumbled out of the burning Montgomery estate, clutching his bleeding shoulder.His breaths came in ragged gasps as he glared back at the mansion.The mission had failed, but his anger burned hotter than his pain.“This isn’t over,” he muttered, disappearing into the shadows.Inside, Max leaned heavily against a pillar as Gerald reached down to help him up.“You’ve seen better days,” Gerald said dryly, gripping Max’s arm.Max winced but accepted the help.“What are you doing here, Gerald? Last I checked, you were locked away.”Gerald smirked faintly.“Let’s just say I know this estate better than the people who tried to keep me locked up.”Max pulled his arm free, his eyes narrowing.“Why should I believe you? You betrayed this family once. What’s stopping you from doing it again?”Gerald sighed, leaning against a nearby wall.“I didn’t come here to ask for your trust, Max. I came because I realized the truth—and because I owe you and your father more than I can ever repay.”Ma

Max turned to her, his voice low but firm.“Then we take him down. Expose everything.”Molly glanced up from the laptop.“That’s easier said than done. Reginald’s been covering his tracks for decades. And if he’s as powerful as this makes him look, he’ll know we’re onto him.”Back at the Montgomery estate, Max and his team regrouped in the war room, laying out the evidence they’d collected.The sheer scope of Reginald’s influence was staggering—bank accounts, property holdings, and a network of loyalists within the family council.“This isn’t just one man,” Gerald said, gesturing to the files.“This is an empire within the family. He’s been playing the long game, and we’re just now catching up.”Max stared at the ledger from the vault, now cross-referenced with the safehouse documents.“Elliot never realized he was being used. Reginald manipulated him just like everyone else.”Emily leaned against the table, her voice soft.“Max, if Reginald knows you’re onto him…”“He’ll come after m