The warehouse loomed ahead, its broken windows staring down at them like dead eyes. He pointed to Marcel, then to the left side of the building. Marcel nodded and disappeared into the shadows with his squad. Ethan’s eyes swept over the remaining men. He didn’t need to speak. They’d done this dance before. He moved like a ghost, his footsteps silent on the wet concrete. Then, he crouched behind a rusted truck, his eyes narrowing on the men moving crates like ghosts in the dark. He raised a hand slowly. Knowing what he meant, the soldiers split up into pairs, blending into the shadows. He moved first and snuck up behind a man smoking near the loading bay. Ethan lunged, one hand clamping over the man’s mouth, the other driving a blade between his ribs. Then, Ethan lowered him to the ground without a sound. Another man turned. "What the—” Ethan's soldier’s arm wrapped around his neck from behind. The guard clawed at the arm, his face turning red, then purple. His legs kick

Back in Magnus’ living room, Lara had joined him, now sitting across from him on one of the couches. They had been in his study, discussing the car that had been used to spy on Ethan. Just as they were going over what next to do—because by the time the hacker finished tracking the car, it had already been found burned in a remote area, and all attempts to trace its ownership had hit a dead end because it was rented through a leasing company—the guards interrupted to inform Magnus that Damian’s father was outside, making a scene and begging to see him. She looked confused when Magnus told her to let the executives of Aurelius Pharmaceuticals Group and board members of Aurelius Conglomerate know about a meeting in two days where Damian would present the deal. "So you gave them another chance," she stated, not bothering to phrase it as a question. He sighed and leaned back on the couch. "That's what Ethan wanted. He already predicted something like this would happen before now. I do

Magnus stared intensely at Ethan, his eyes burning with anger. He didn’t look away for even a second until he finally spoke up. “Ethan, where are you and your soldiers coming from?” he demanded. A slight smirk tugged at Ethan’s lips as he realized his hunch had been correct. “We went to take care of some business,” Ethan replied, his voice casual. “What kind of business?” Magnus pressed, his frown deepening. Ethan shrugged. “Just some loose ends that needed tying up. Nothing you need to worry about, Dad.” With that, Magnus’ patience snapped like a broken wire. His voice rose, echoing across the driveway. “Are you seriously keeping things from me now?" He paused and smirked before taking a step closer to Ethan. Then, he let out a laugh of disbelief. “You know what… I’ve had enough of this, Ethan. Whatever you’re planning, whatever you’re up to and have been up to, I want you to tell me right now!” The men around them shifted uncomfortably. The tension was so thick you co

The silence stretched on—heavy and thick like fog—as Ethan stared at the dark TV screen where those haunting words had just disappeared. "You hunt rats while the wolf enters your den." His chest tightened as he remembered the display. His breathing became shallow upon realizing the Ghost had been here. For a moment, panic clawed at his throat do intensely that his hands started to shake. But then something shifted inside him. A strange calm washed over him like cold water. And with that, his racing heart slowed and his breathing steadied. And then he started laughing. It began as a quiet chuckle, but quickly grew louder. Soon, he was laughing hysterically, the sound echoing through the living room. “Brilliant,” he said between laughs, wiping tears from his eyes. "Absolutely brilliant.” Still chuckling, he walked over to his private wet bar in the corner of the living room. The mahogany cabinet gleamed under the soft lighting, filled with expensive bottles. He poured himse

The stakeholders widened their eyes in shock and confusion the moment Ethan walked in with Lara. "Wait... isn’t that—?" One of the executives of Aurelius Conglomerate stopped mid-sentence, his expression shifting from curiosity to unease. Damian stiffened. However, no one dared to acknowledge the storm that had just walked in, with Magnus' warning from the other day still fresh in their minds. Despite their efforts to stay composed, most of them couldn’t help but lean in and whisper to each other, wondering why Ethan was there. "This has to be a mistake," another whispered, glancing nervously at Magnus. However, with a confident stride, Ethan walked straight to the empty chair Magnus had reserved for him near Lara—which he had been instructing people not to sit in since the meeting began. Then, Ethan acknowledged Magnus with a slight nod before letting his gaze sweep the room. When Damian’s eyes met Ethan’s, his face twisted with a mix of disbelief and disgust, his knuckles whi