Mark was stunned speechless when Veronica declined the offer. For a full two seconds, he stared at her like she had grown horns.Then he scoffed loudly.“You two can’t be serious,” he said, throwing his pen down. “You’re rejecting an offer this good because of your greed? This is the only life raft you’re getting.”Veronica placed the contract down slowly. “We’re rejecting your offer because it’s a scam,” she said, her tone sharp and cold. “Have you forgotten what I do? I’ve structured and managed deals ten times more complex than this for the last decade."She leaned forward, her eyes locked on him. "Even after my husband's early retirement, I still managed Sullivan Group with my sister-in-law. We are not amateurs, Mark. We can smell a rigged deal from a continent away. We’re not taking your offer. It’s not happening.”Mark’s irritation snapped like a whip.He leaned forward, both hands planted on the table. “Aren’t you two desperate? Don’t pretend. I know you’re as broke as a churc

Mark felt the room tightening around him like a noose on his neck. He had been caught red-handed. “How did you know about the hour glass of destiny?” he repeated in a croaked voice. Barry’s gamble had paid off far more than he had hoped. Mark’s reaction confirms everything about his nightmare.The Equalizers were in possession of the Hourglass of Destiny.Barry’s gaze sharpened. “Do not think for once that you can hide anything from me. There is nothing in this world I cannot uncover.”Mark’s throat bobbed. His mind spun violently.How? How did Barry know? The Hourglass was supposed to be a myth to outsiders. Mark's heart pounded painfully against his ribs. Only the Equalizers knew about the hour glass of destiny's existence. Barry was not supposed to have caught a whisper of it.“If you knew about the Hourglass,” Mark stammered, grasping for logic, “then why host this meeting? Why did you try to sell Sullivan Group?”It was Veronica who answered. “We never intended to sell anyth

An hour later, the keeper arrived at the penthouse. All heads turned as the door opened and he was ushered inside. He was in his mid-sixties, tall but slightly hunched, with a presence that sent chills in the hearts of men. He wore an old-fashioned black top hat and a worn charcoal suit that looked like it belonged to another century. His silver hair was neatly combed back, his eyes sharp—far too sharp for a man his age.This was no ordinary man. This was a wizard. One of the last of his kind in the modern world.In his right hand, he carried an aluminum containment briefcase which he handled with care. The moment the Keeper entered the penthouse, every member of the Equalizers instinctively rose to their feet.“It's the Keeper,” someone whispered.He didn’t acknowledge them at first. He walked past the table, then he stopped at the center of the room before turning slowly to face them."You summoned me," he said gravely. "Here I am."“What is happening?” the European banker deman

The Sullivan mansion was silent when Barry and Sebastian returned.The Sullivan family were still safely on the island leaving only Barry and Sebastian alone in the large mansion.They sat across from each other at the long dining table, two cups of coffee steaming gently between them. The clock on the wall ticked softly, each second loud in the emptiness of the room.Between them, resting on the polished wood like a sleeping beast, lay the Hourglass of Destiny.Barry stared at it for a long time. He took a slow sip of coffee, then set the cup down.“This thing is dangerous, Sebastian,” Barry said finally, his voice low. He didn’t take his eyes off it. “I don’t want it falling into the wrong hands ever again.”Sebastian listened without interrupting.“After we reverse what they've done,” Barry continued, lifting his gaze to meet Sebastian’s, “we'll destroy it.”Sebastian’s expression shifted subtly. He regarded the Hourglass, his mind racing. “I’m not so sure that’s wise,” he said ca

By the time Liberty City had become the envy of the world, Barry Sullivan’s twins were no longer little girls.Debby and Daisy were teenagers now.They attended Liberty City Private High School, the most prestigious academic institution in the city—known for producing future leaders, innovators, and heirs to respectable fortunes. Just as they had done when they were kids, Debby and Daisy blended in with the other kids.They brought no chauffeurs to school. Neither did they have any need for bodyguards or demand special treatment.To everyone else, they were just two scholarship students from a comfortable background. Their clothes were tasteful but never flashy. They laughed, complained about homework, and groaned about early classes like everyone else.Never for once did they mention their father in the midst of friends or classmates. They never had to.Instead of commuting from home, the twins lived in the school dormitories. Barry had insisted that they experience life outside a