The air in the prison visiting room was thick with the smell of disinfectant and stale hope. Tommy Becker sat hunched over the metal table, his usually slicked-back hair now matted and dull. Across from him, Bobby, his twin brother, leaned back, trying to project an air of indifference, but the twitch in his jaw gave him away. A guard opened the door, and Andres Becker stepped in. He was impeccably dressed, a stark contrast to the drab uniforms of his cousins. A tailored suit, a silk tie, and a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He carried himself with an easy confidence, like he owned the place, even here, behind bars."Well, well, well," Andres began, pulling out a chair and sitting down without being invited. He crossed one leg over the other, adjusting the cuff of his expensive shirt. "Look what the cat dragged in. Or rather, what Max Lucky dragged in."Tommy’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowing. "You got some nerve showing your face here, Andres."Andres chuckled, a low, s

"At what cost?" Nathan pressed. "You give up control, you give up your position, you give up the very thing Max fought to give you. Do you think he'll truly let you walk away with nothing? Or do you think he'll just keep you on a leash, dependent on his 'generosity'?"Andres chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. "Nathan, you're being melodramatic. I'm offering a fair deal. A solution.""A solution for you, perhaps," Nathan shot back. "Not for Lena. She's the head of the Becker family now. By blood. By Max's decree. You don't just hand that over because someone smiles nicely and promises you a quiet life. There's always a catch with a Becker, Lena. Always. And with Andres, the catch is usually sharp enough to cut you."Lena looked from Nathan to Andres, the fragile hope beginning to crack. Nathan's words, sharp and logical, cut through the haze of temptation. She remembered Max’s gruff lessons, his insistence that she learn to navigate this world, to stand on her own. He hadn't put her in

"He's not just playing," Nathan muttered, looking at the complex financial charts on his screen. "He's bringing them into our world."He ended the call and immediately dialed another number, this time to a contact in Interpol, a former colleague from his own shadowy past. "I need everything you have on The Scorpion's Tail, specifically their current operations in Western Europe and any known associates who might be operating under the radar. And anything on a new player, Andres Becker, if he's popped up on their radar."The response was quick and unsettling. "The Scorpion's Tail has been making moves, Nathan. Big moves. They're trying to muscle into shipping, logistics, taking over existing networks. We've been tracking a few of their key lieutenants, but they're slippery. As for Andres Becker... interesting. He's been seen in the company of a known Scorpion's Tail enforcer in Prague last month. Nothing official, just a surveillance photo. But it suggests a connection."Nathan leaned

“She will,” Anya agreed, her expression grim. “But by the time she realizes, we should be well into the hills. And the festival will provide a good cover for our initial escape. The confusion will buy us precious hours.”Just as Max was outlining a contingency plan for if the hidden passage was blocked, a sudden, sharp rap echoed on the chamber door. All three froze.“Princess Anya? Are you in there?” a gruff voice called out. “Guard Captain Kael. I heard… voices.”Anya’s eyes widened in panic. Max’s hand instinctively went to the small dagger he kept hidden in his boot. Trisha’s breath hitched.“Voices?” Anya called out, her voice remarkably steady, though a tremor ran through her. She quickly scooped up the map, stuffing it under a cushion. “Why, yes, Captain. I am speaking with my lady-in-waiting, Elara. We were discussing the arrangements for the Festival of Whispering Winds.”“Elara?” the Captain’s voice sounded skeptical. “I did not see her enter. And the voices sounded… deeper.

The stale air in the cramped Tokyo apartment pressed down on Bucky and Sarai. The city hummed outside, a constant, indifferent presence. They’d been holed up for a day, moving only when absolutely necessary, living off convenience store food. Sarai sat hunched on a thin futon, tracing patterns on the dusty floor with her finger. Bucky stood by the window, peering through a crack in the blinds at the neon-lit street below.“We can’t stay here,” Sarai said, her voice flat, tired. “They’ll find us. It’s only a matter of time.”Bucky turned, his face a mask of grim resolve. “And we can’t leave. Not yet.”Sarai finally looked up, her eyes dark with a mix of fear and anger. “What do you mean, ‘not yet’? We’re done, Bucky. We got the information. Max has what he needs. We need to get out.”“No,” Bucky said, his voice low but firm. “Max needs Kaito gone. Completely. Not just a piece of paper. Not just a temporary setback. Kaito’s network is too big, too deep. If we leave now, he’ll rebuild. H