(A Week Later)It had been a week since Jasper sent his men to Ashford.Too quiet of a week.He stood by the window of his office, phone in his hand, staring at the screen like it might suddenly explain itself. No missed calls. No new messages. Nothing from the team he sent to set up the branch.Jasper didn’t like silence when he was expecting movement.He turned away from the window and sat down, placing the phone on the desk. His expression didn’t change, but his mind was already running through possibilities. Delays were normal. Problems weren’t. And the problem was that he didn’t know which one this was.His phone buzzed.He picked it up immediately.It was Jasmine.He answered without hesitation. “Talk.”Her voice came through steady, but alert. “I wanted to update you.”“Go on.”“There’s been activity,” she said. “A lot of it.”Jasper leaned back slightly. “Which families?”She paused for a second. “Most of them. The Greens. The Wiltons. Even the Hawthorne family sent someone.”

Jasmine sat in the quiet of her temporary room, phone pressed to her ear. Jasper’s voice came through, calm and precise.“You need to listen carefully,” he said.“I’m listening,” she replied, her brow furrowed.“The Browns are getting desperate,” Jasper continued. “Their heir is critical. They’re thinking of acting, and you’re the easiest leverage.”Jasmine’s stomach tightened. “What do you want me to do?”“Follow my instructions exactly,” Jasper said. “Someone from the Palmer family will approach you with land in Ashford. Accept it.”“Why?” she asked, a hint of confusion in her voice.“Because it’s part of the plan,” Jasper replied. “When you accept, release the news that you’re grateful to the Palmer family for helping the miracle doctor.”Jasmine stayed silent for a moment, processing his words. The logic was sharp, simple, and yet precise. She trusted Jasper, and that was enough.“Alright,” she said finally. “I’ll do it.”“Good,” Jasper said. “Move quickly. Be quiet. Don’t draw at

The Next DayThey left the next morning as soon as possible.Not hurried, not delayed. Jasper believed urgency showed weakness, and delay invited suspicion. So they moved when the day was still undecided, when the city had not yet chosen a rhythm.Soon enough, the wonderful city of Ashford lay ahead.The road into the city was wide and clean, lined with low buildings that gave way to taller ones the deeper they went. Traffic slowed the moment their convoy appeared. It wasn’t loud, but it was noticeable. Black cars. Tinted windows. Security vehicles spaced just enough apart to signal intent without explanation.Jasper watched it all from the back seat.He didn’t look impressed. He didn’t look satisfied either. He simply observed. That had always been his way. Noise never meant much to him. Attention did. Attention meant pressure, and pressure made people careless.Sophia sat across from him, posture straight, eyes calm. She had dressed plainly, but there was nothing plain about the way

The morning air in Ashford carried a dry chill that hinted at the coming spring. Cars moved slowly along the main street, the occasional horn breaking the monotony. Pedestrians shuffled along the sidewalks, some with newspapers tucked under their arms, others with coffees steaming in paper cups. The city went about its business, unaware of the ripple that had already begun.On a small screen in the corner of Jasper’s hotel room, news tickers flashed rapidly. The headline read: “Warehouse Explosion Rocks Brown Family Holdings.” The words were simple, but the weight behind them was immediate. Comments poured in beneath the article—shock, speculation, rumors. People connected dots they didn’t understand, assuming the worst while only seeing the surface.Jasper stood by the window, arms crossed, eyes scanning the city below. The light was dim, softened by clouds that promised rain later in the day. He didn’t need to watch the reactions. They would come. Social media was only the echo of r

Night had settled over Ashford, heavy and still, when Jasper received the first message. The phone buzzed quietly on the hotel desk, breaking the silence in a way that demanded attention. He did not immediately pick it up. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head, listening to the faint hum of the city beyond the curtains. The streets below were mostly quiet. Occasional car engines, distant voices, the faint clatter of shutters being closed. Normal, or as close to normal as the city would get at that hour.Finally, he picked up the phone.“It’s done,” a low voice said. One of his men, calm, reporting exactly what he had anticipated.Jasper’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Explain,” he said, tone even.“They’ve been taken,” the man replied. “Jasmine and Sophia. Brown family. They moved fast. No casualties so far. But… they’re in their hands.”Jasper did not flinch. He had expected this. He had anticipated the Browns’ reaction. He set the phone down for a moment