The police arrived quietly. Lights flashed from patrol cars outside, reflecting faintly on the polished floors of the Brown family villa. Officers moved in systematically, speaking in low tones, coordinating their positions. Jasper watched from the doorway, his stance relaxed but deliberate. He didn’t need to rush. The law was already acting as his instrument.Inside, the Brown family members froze. Some tried to hide expressions behind forced composure. Others looked around frantically, realizing there was nowhere to run. Their pride had been built on wealth and influence, but that influence didn’t reach the law, not here, not now.“Everyone,” an officer called, voice firm. “You are under arrest for kidnapping and related charges. Cooperate, and this will go smoothly.”The room was tense. The old man of the Brown family, the patriarch, did not flinch. He remained seated, back straight, hands resting lightly on the arms of his chair. There was a faint smirk tugging at the corner of hi

Jasper did not linger after leaving the Brown family house.There was nothing left there that required his presence. The gates closed behind the convoy, iron sliding back into place as though nothing unusual had happened inside. The street outside looked the same as it always did. Clean. Quiet. Unaware.Jasper sat in the back seat, eyes forward, hands resting loosely on his thighs. Sophia and Jasmine were silent beside him. Tiger occupied the seat opposite, his posture relaxed but alert. The men followed behind in two vehicles, spacing precise, movements practiced.No one spoke.They didn’t need to.Ashford slipped by through the windows. Familiar roads. Familiar buildings. A city that had just shifted without realizing it yet.“Straight to the company,” Jasper said at last.The driver nodded. “Yes, sir.”The car adjusted course smoothly.Jasmine glanced at Jasper, hesitated, then looked away again. Her hands were folded tightly in her lap. Sophia noticed, but said nothing. She had le

Jasper’s drive back to Okaridge was quiet. The city sprawled beneath the late afternoon sun, streets busy with the usual rhythm of cars, people, and business. From the back of his car, he watched the motion of the city like a careful observer, noting which parts thrived and which parts still clung to old habits. There was no hurry in him. There never was. Timing, Jasper had always believed, was as crucial as action. Acting too soon often led to mistakes, acting too late meant losing control. He did neither.The hum of the car engine filled the silence, steady and calm. Outside, the city glimmered under the fading light, glass towers catching the sun’s final rays, reflecting them in brief bursts across the streets below. Jasper’s hands rested lightly on his lap. Thoughts moved quietly, deliberately, cataloging the successes of the day and the plans yet to be executed. Ashford was secure now, at least for the moment. The foothold he had established was strong, and the people he trusted

Jasper returned home just as the sun began to dip below the horizon, the warm light slanting across the streets, casting long shadows that stretched like fingers across the pavement. The moment he stepped through the gate, he saw Bai Zhe waiting. His posture was tense, shoulders squared, eyes alert—an image of someone who had endured more than his share but refused to show weakness.“Jasper,” Bai Zhe said immediately, voice low but edged with frustration, “things are getting worse. The Zhou family… they’ve gone beyond all limits.”Jasper’s brow furrowed. “Worse how?” he asked, calm, but the underlying tension in his voice betrayed the anger rising within.“They’ve… they’ve made attempts,” Bai Zhe said, pausing for a brief second as if weighing whether to continue. “Attempts on my life. On me personally. They think that if they remove me, they can win this fight once and for all. But it won’t be enough.”Jasper’s hands clenched into fists, though he didn’t move. The quiet control in hi

The compound was quiet after Antonio had left. The sun had long set, leaving the courtyard bathed in muted moonlight that barely touched the edges of the stone walls. Jasper remained near the front hall, hands folded behind his back, observing the shadows as they stretched across the ground. He did not speak immediately. He let the silence settle, allowing the weight of the night to press against them both.Bai Zhe sat on the edge of a chair in the sitting area, his posture tense, eyes tracking every movement, every flicker of light. There was unease lingering around him, the kind that comes from knowing danger is not just possible, but imminent. Jasper finally spoke, voice calm, deliberate.“There’s a high chance someone will try again tonight,” he said. “An assassin. One who wants to finish what was started.”Bai Zhe’s expression stiffened, a shadow passing over his face. “I thought as much,” he replied quietly. “It makes sense. They won’t give up that easily. They failed once, and