The tension in the car was thick as Jalen sat in the back seat, staring out the window but not seeing anything. Fiona sat beside him, tapping her fingers nervously on her phone. The call from Malik had been brief, urgent, and disturbing. Something was wrong at the company, and Jalen could feel it crawling under his skin.The moment the car stopped in front of the company building, Jalen stepped out without waiting for anyone. He was moving fast, his long strides slicing through the air like he was chasing something. Fiona struggled to catch up, almost jogging after him.At the entrance, Malik was already waiting with a man Jalen barely knew—David, the company’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Malik’s face was pale, the kind of pale that spoke of panic masked as calm. He rushed forward.“Sir, I’ve been trying to reach you. There’s a breach.”Jalen didn’t slow down. “How bad?”David, the CISO, responded, adjusting his glasses as they followed Jalen down the hallway. “We j

The knock on the large black door echoed faintly in the quiet compound. Aisha stood still, her arms folded across her chest, her heart pounding. The door creaked open a few seconds later, and there stood Carlos, with a smug expression resting carelessly on his face, as though he’d been expecting her all day.“You took your sweet time,” he said flatly, stepping aside to let her in.Aisha walked in slowly, trying not to show the dread buried deep in her chest. The last thing she wanted was to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much power he had over her.Carlos shut the door, turned around, and threw himself into the brown leather chair in the centre of the room. The curtains were drawn, the lights dim, and the scent of cigar smoke still lingered in the air.“What’s so difficult about the simple job I gave you?” he asked, eyes fixed on her like a hunter watching its prey.“I’m working on it,” Aisha said softly, choosing her words with caution. “But I need time. You told me to ge

"I'm so sorry for taking longer than we arranged," Jalen was saying into the phone, his voice calm but layered with the pressure of time. As he balanced the device between his shoulder and ear, his hands worked to pack files into his leather briefcase. The call was from one of his most significant clients, and the gravity in Jalen's tone wasn’t just businesslike, it was personal.Just then, Fiona stepped into the office, tablet in one hand, a slight frown on her face. She had sensed the rush from outside the glass door and came in without being summoned. Before she could say a word, Jalen glanced up and gestured quickly for her to assist. She understood immediately and walked over to the shelf, beginning to gather the materials for the meeting.After the call, as she handed him his laptop, Fiona broke the silence. "Sir, there’s no meeting on your schedule for today. At least not from what I saw this morning."Jalen glanced at her briefly but offered no immediate response. His expre

The siren shattered the night air.Loud and urgent, it sliced through the thick tension on that dark, lonely street, coming closer by the second. The flashing red and blue lights appeared from a few blocks away, piercing the shadows. The three gunmen froze, exchanging quick glances, then immediately hid their weapons beneath their jackets. They bolted, rushing into a nearby black SUV and speeding off without a backward glance.Jalen didn’t move at first. His knees nearly gave way, and he had to grab the edge of the car for support. His breath came in loud gasps. For a moment, he genuinely thought that was going to be the end—he would fall right there and become one more headline.Aisha ran toward him, her eyes filled with concern and fear. “Are you okay?” she asked, reaching for him.He looked at her like she was a stranger. “Who are you?” His voice was low, broken, and heavy with disbelief.He remembered how those gun men froze immediately they saw her. How they hesitated to shoo

The door blasted open with a force that echoed through the entire room.Carlos’s arm froze in midair, the blade in his hand trembling, his breath sharp and uneven. His men turned in alarm, but it was already too late.Inspector Dennis stepped in with three armed police officers, all dressed in black tactical vests. The weight of the law filled the air like a thunderstorm about to break.“Carlos Arturo,” Dennis’s voice boomed, resolute and unshaking, “you are under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, corporate fraud, financial crimes, unlawful possession of state documents, and involvement in illegal mining and gold trafficking operations.”He took a step forward as the room fell into stunned silence. The officers raised their weapons.“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law,” Dennis continued, eyes locked on Carlos who stood frozen, the knife still in his hand.“Drop the weapon,” one of the officers ordered.