Gregory’s hand trembled as he stared at the phone screen. His father’s name glowed in stark contrast against the darkness of the car’s interior. The world outside the window blurred as his mind froze, unable to comprehend the reality of the situation.He had been trying to avoid this call for years. It was the last thing he wanted, and yet here it was. A reminder that there was no escaping the past, no matter how hard he tried.The young man driving the car shot him a glance, his expression unreadable. “You going to answer that?” he asked, his voice flat.Gregory’s finger hovered over the screen, his thumb trembling. He could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on him. If he answered, he knew it would mean going back. Going back to the man who had abandoned him, to the world that had been the cause of his misery for so long.But if he didn’t answer, what would happen? Would his father send someone after him? Would he be forced to run again, to disappear into the shadows? “Yo

The days that followed were a blur. Gregory couldn’t remember how he made it back to his apartment. His mind was clouded with his father’s voice, the coldness of the call, and the threatening words that echoed in his ears. The weight of his family’s legacy loomed over him, suffocating every breath he took.He tried to focus on something, anything to block it out, but it was impossible. His father’s words played on an endless loop in his mind. You belong to me. It was as if he had been dragged back into the life he had spent so long trying to escape. The past was a shadow, and no matter how fast he ran, it would always catch up to him.Now, in the dim light of his apartment, he sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the phone in his hand. The message from his father still haunted him. Don’t make him wait too long. Gregory didn’t know what that meant, but he could feel the urgency behind it.The reality was that his father would stop at nothing to have him back. He had made that clear.

The men froze, their eyes flickering between the mysterious stranger and Gregory. The armed guards had their weapons ready, but none of them dared to make a move. It was as if they were waiting for a signal, a command, something to break the stalemate.The stranger’s eyes were cold and calculating as he slowly surveyed the scene. His gaze lingered for a moment on Gregory, then shifted to the group of men surrounding him. There was no fear in the stranger’s demeanor, just a quiet, dangerous confidence that seemed to seep into the very air around him.Gregory felt a strange sense of calm wash over him, even though his heart was still pounding in his chest. The man before him was an enigma dangerous, but somehow… trustworthy.“Who are you?” the man who had been holding Gregory at gunpoint demanded again, his voice less certain now. “What do you want?”The stranger didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he stepped forward, his boots crunching against the dry leaves beneath him. The silence

Chaos erupted in the garden. Guards scrambled into formation, shouting orders into radios as Gregory and Ethan remained crouched behind the stone bench. The fallen guard groaned in pain, clutching his bleeding shoulder, while the other dragged him to safety.Another shot cracked through the air, this one embedding itself in the marble statue behind them. Close. Too close. “Stay down!” Ethan growled, yanking Gregory lower. “Sniper’s still active.”Gregory’s mind reeled. One second, he was confronting the brother he thought had died. The next, someone was trying to assassinate their father. “Where is he?” Gregory asked, his voice hoarse.Ethan scanned the rooftop lines, his eyes sharp and calculating. “Inside. Still in the library, most likely.”Gregory didn’t wait, he sprinted back toward the house, weaving between hedges and statues while bullets cracked behind him.The doors flew open as he burst into the hallway. Maxwell was on the floor, two guards shielding him.He was alive.Bare

Ethan didn’t wait for Gregory to ask questions. He turned back to the safe embedded in the wall and inserted the silver key. A hiss of air escaped as the metal bolts unlocked. Inside was a sleek, matte-black briefcase.“What’s in there?” Gregory asked.Ethan snapped it open. Inside were four USB drives, each labeled: Equinox, Genesis, Hydra, and Exodus.“Encrypted data,” Ethan said. “Each drive holds different layers of the company’s deepest secrets. Financials, blackmail, surveillance, off-the-record operations,stuff so nuclear it could bring down half the board.”Gregory stared, realization dawning. “This is why they want us gone.”Ethan handed him the drive labeled Exodus. “This one’s the dead man’s switch. The ultimate insurance policy.”Gregory’s fingers curled around the drive. He didn’t feel powerful holding it, he felt hunted. Suddenly, the security monitor flickered again.Now the men from the SUV were inside the house. “I know a way out,” Ethan said. “Back tunnel through the