The Handler, a man named Jerome, was celebrating.He was a mid-level fixer, typically coordinating smuggling runs and moving high-value assets.Receiving the commission to set a ten-million-dollar bounty from the Boss was the biggest break of his career.He sat in a slightly bright, private back room of a high-end bar, nursing a thirty-year-old scotch.His phone, a custom-encrypted device, rested on the polished wood table. It was his direct link to the largest bounty board on the dark web.Ten million.Enough to buy a nice retirement home in the Caribbean. The target was just one man, and the job was simple.He picked up his phone, grinning, and refreshed the bounty listing for confirmation, already planning how to spend his cut.The screen refreshed.Jerome’s grin froze. His eyes widened, his heart slamming against his ribs like a trapped bird.The amber liquid in his glass trembled, then spilled onto the table as his hand shook uncontrollably.The initial ten-million-dollar bounty

Cold dread, sharper than any blade, sliced through Sean’s relief.He had calculated every variable. He had hunted the kidnappers, neutralized them, and broken the thugs who dared to follow him. In his mind, the perimeter was a fortress of his own making.Yet while he was out dealing with those he could see, someone had slipped past him and come to see his sister, without his knowledge."Who?" Sean asked.The word was clipped, vibrating with an edge he couldn’t quite suppress.Fury burned beneath it.He hadn’t been able to stop them from taking her the first time, and now he was going to have to deal with another breach and find another building they could use, immediately.His sister’s hand trembled slightly in his."I don't know. Dr. Havel was outside, but he didn't stop them. He didn't even mention it to you?"A dark fury began to simmer in Sean’s chest.Havel had stood in the hallway, talked about showers and decontamination, and said nothing."Did they say who they were?" Sean lea

The crowd stopped instantly.Dozens of eyes fixed on the tall, dark-clad man who appeared to be wrestling a wallet away from a helpless, blind victim.They looked at Sean as if he were a criminal, someone daring to steal from a blind man, someone who might hurt him next.Noticing the hostile stares, Sean’s brows twitched, his eyes darkening softly. Though he was irritated by the man’s behavior, he still wanted to give him a chance to explain himself.“He’s taking it! Please!” the man screamed again, his blind eyes wide with a terrifying, calculated light.The old man didn’t stop. He threw his head back, wailing to the sky while his fingers remained locked around the leather.“Help! My life savings! He snatched it right out of my hand!” the man cried, his voice cracking with practiced desperation.Sean stood perfectly still.The noise of the city seemed to fade, replaced by the sharpening focus of a man who realized he was standing in a trap. He looked down at the stranger, his eyes co

Sean looked at the man. He was certain Dr. Havel had informed him that someone would be coming to inspect the buildings to evaluate whether they were suitable and finalize the purchase.Yet judging by the way the broker spoke and carried himself, it was obvious he hadn’t been paying attention to calls he should have answered.“No, but—” Sean began, his voice low.“Then we have nothing to discuss,” the broker snapped, cutting him off. “I don’t care how you heard about the Sterling property. We don’t deal with walk-ins, and we certainly don’t deal with people who look like they just walked off a construction site.”He looked Sean up and down, his gaze lingering on the damp coat and the clean hospital scrubs visible beneath it.To the broker, Sean looked like a common thief or worse, a corporate spy trying to hijack a deal already in motion.“You’re probably one of those opportunists who swoop in to steal deals from legitimate buyers,” the man continued, a sneer curling his lip. “That pr

The silence in the lobby was crushing, broken only by Alister’s ragged breathing. His face shifted from ghostly pale to a sickly, mottled red.“Genevieve! Honey, wait!” Alister stammered, his polished shoes skidding across the marble as he rushed toward her. His trembling hands reached out. “It’s a misunderstanding! A complete misunderstanding! I didn’t mean any of it—I was just… I was playing along with him!”He jabbed a shaking finger at Sean, desperate to redirect blame.“This man… he’s a criminal! He was trying to shake me down for the Sterling property. I was lying to fool him, to lower his guard! You know I love you. You know I’d never think those things about you.”Genevieve didn’t move.She stood like a pillar of salt, her gaze locked on him with terrifying intensity. Her jaw was clenched so tightly the muscles in her neck stood out.Alister mistook her silence for hesitation. His instincts kicked in… manipulate, charm, control.He grabbed her waist, fingers digging in as he