The rain came down in heavy curtains, turning the city of Everhaven into a restless blur of neon and shadows. Javier Everhart’s name glowed across every financial screen—hailed as the man who dismantled corporate betrayal with surgical precision.But far from the skyline, in a hidden corner of the city, a very different kind of meeting was taking place.A long marble table gleamed under a single strip of light. Five figures sat around it—faces obscured by shadow, voices low and deliberate.“Adrian Vale was sloppy,” one of them said, his tone bored but sharp. “He underestimated Everhart’s reach.”Another voice—a woman’s, cold as winter—replied, “Everhart didn’t just destroy him. He humiliated him. Every ally Adrian had has already gone underground.”“So,” a third voice drawled, tapping his fingers against the table, “we agree then. The usual methods won’t work on Everhart.”Silence followed.Then the eldest among them—his ring glinting in the dim light—spoke. “The man dismantles enemie

Night blanketed the city in mist and quiet dread. Beneath the surface of glittering towers and elegant streets, something began to stir — silent, deliberate, merciless.Javier Everhart was no longer defending.He was hunting.Roman Dax’s safehouse was hidden beneath an abandoned textile factory on the outskirts of the city. Inside, the air smelled faintly of dust and oil, humming with the rhythm of encrypted servers and faint electronic chatter.Javier stood before a vast digital map, its blue glow cutting sharp angles across his face. Roman leaned against a metal table, flipping through a dossier marked CONFIDENTIAL.“These are the Syndicate’s channels,” Roman said, his voice gravelly. “They’ve built a network through dummy corporations—importers, charities, even medical grants. Evelyn Kincaid controls the public side. Marcus and Adrian handle the financial laundering. Osric? He’s the brute—they use his construction firm to clean cash.”Javier’s eyes narrowed as lines of data cascade

Roman entered quietly, his face grim. “You need to see this.”He placed a file on the table — unmarked, thick, sealed with a crimson wax insignia: a serpent coiled around a crown.Javier didn’t touch it immediately. His gaze lingered on the symbol.“Where did you get this?”Roman hesitated. “Delivered by hand. No courier, no name. Just… appeared at the front desk. Guard said the man was wearing gloves.”Javier broke the seal. Inside were a single sheet of parchment and a small, silver card.The note read only one line:“You’ve burned my house. Now I will visit yours.”Valeria appeared at the doorway just then, pale and wide-eyed. “Javier—”He turned, eyes sharp. “You read it?”She nodded slowly. “The Patron?”Roman crossed his arms. “That’s what it looks like.”Javier stared at the card. It was embossed with coordinates — a private estate outside the city limits. Beneath it: Tomorrow. Midnight.A direct summons.Roman swore under his breath. “It’s a trap.”Javier’s voice was calm. “Of