As the car came to a stop, Mr. Caldwell stepped out, and the security personnel lined up in a straight formation, bowing their heads in greeting.“Welcome back, sir,” their voices echoed in unison.“Yeah…” Mr. Caldwell muttered, his gaze sweeping across the company grounds.Immediately, his expression darkened. “Why are there so few people at work?” He scanned the inside from where he stood, quickly realizing that more than half of the workforce was absent.Before the head of security could respond, the company’s manager hurried outside.“Good morning, sir,” he greeted, bowing his head.Mr. Caldwell ignored the formalities. “Where is everyone?” he asked, his voice laced with curiosity and frustration.Ethan followed closely behind, but his presence went unnoticed by the others.The manager hesitated before answering, choosing his words carefully. “Actually, these are the remaining employees who received at least a small tip. Most of the others left because they believed the company wo

A few hours later, Jude and June arrived at the shop.As soon as they stepped inside, Elena quickly stood up and walked to them.“Did you guys find out who sent the potbellied man?” she asked curiously.“Not exactly,” Jude replied in a calm voice. “But according to what they confessed, the person who sent them is probably around here somewhere. He told them that he could see everything they were doing, but they didn’t believe him—until he described exactly what they were eating. That’s when they realized they were dealing with someone dangerous, someone who might be watching from nearby but is only using them as pawns.”“Sophia, can you describe the man you saw at this shop yesterday?” June asked as he sat down. “The Street Monkeys have their eyes on everything now. They promised to help us figure this out, so they’re sticking around to watch over us.”“I don’t know how well I can describe him, but I’ll try.” Sophia sighed before continuing. “But we need to be more careful this time.

After a few moments, Elisabeth decided to go to her uncle office in the hotel.As she walked through the lobby, every worker greeted her with the respect due to the CEO’s niece. She moved with deliberate steps, her posture exuding pride, but she ignored them all and headed straight for her uncle’s office.Without knocking, she pulled the door open and walked in.Her uncle barely glanced up, already knowing she was the only one who would enter his office so boldly.“Elisabeth, what is it?” he muttered before finally looking at her.She remained silent until she reached his desk, pulled out a chair, and sat down, her gaze locking onto his. When he simply smiled and returned his attention to his computer, she let out a sigh.“Can you just tell me the truth about that guy?” she asked quietly.Her uncle barely reacted. “Which guy?” he replied casually.“Ethan.” Her voice cracked slightly as she spoke his name.He looked up again, amusement flickering in his eyes. “What’s your interest in h

“So, you really think you can fool me, huh? What a clever thought.” Mr. Caldwell smirked.He leaned forward and took a sip of the coffee on the table, trying to steady his pounding heart.“So tell me, what does the past of Caldwell Horizon mean to you? Why are you so determined to take on the challenge of getting $2 billion in ten days? There has to be more to it than what you’re telling me. And if you’re not honest, I can’t tell you anything either. If you think I’ve been hiding some secret, then be direct—tell me exactly what you want to know, and I’ll tell you how it all happened. I have no secrets from my past.” His words were deliberate, each one measured as he tried to maintain his calm demeanor.Ethan didn’t respond immediately. The breeze from the balcony swept through the room, but it did nothing to ease the tension that had settled in Mr. Caldwell’s chest.I’ve tried every strategy on this old man, but he still won’t open up… Ethan thought, his gaze fixed on the city beyond

“So, it was just me and some few others back then when we just started. That was how we became friends,” Mr. Caldwell began, his voice carrying the weight of old memories. “As time went on, we grew bigger, renting a small office space to keep things running. We poured everything we had into making the company work. Then, one day, it all started to fall apart because of a man named Reynold.” He paused for a moment, his fingers tightening slightly against the armrest. Ethan remained silent, watching Mr. Caldwell intently. His expression was unreadable, but his sharp eyes absorbed every word as if he were deciphering the past straight from the older man’s lips. Mr. Caldwell coughed dryly, clearing his throat before continuing. “Reynold suddenly announced that he wanted out of the business. Not only that, but he also demanded a sum of money—claiming it was for all his efforts and personal investments that helped bring the company to where it was.” He shook his head, a bitter scoff