“You’ve grown, Clark Williams.” A voice came smooth and strangely nostalgic. “Would you believe… I helped deliver you in the labor room?”Clark blinked, trying to focus. His head throbbed. The dim room spun slowly, lit by a single hanging bulb that swayed above him. He sat slouched against a damp wall, one arm bound tightly in bandages, pain pulsing with every breath.Across the room, a familiar face stepped into view and it was Doctor Chong. He was older now, lines carved into his face, but the glint in his eyes hadn’t changed.Clark struggled to sit straighter. “Where… where am I?” His voice rasped. “What is this place?”Doctor Chong moved calmly across the room, hands folded behind his back as if giving a lecture. “Somewhere no one will ever find you. Somewhere safe… for now.”Clark narrowed his eyes. “And Jack? Emilia? What did you do to them?”Doctor Chong let out a dry laugh, like the creak of rusted metal. “Jack’s alive. My men made sure he wouldn’t die,yet. But he won’

Jack’s voice came out low, trembling with rage. “Why did my uncle kill her?”Scott Benjamin looked up from the rim of his wine glass. His expression darkened, the earlier smirk vanishing. He set the glass down gently on the table between them and leaned forward, his voice a low murmur.“She was only trying to clean the mansion.” Scott said. “Doing her job, just like always. She went into his private quarters,she didn’t know she wasn’t supposed to and she accidentally knocked over a glass-encased artifact. A statue... one of those rare Eastern jade pieces from the Shang Dynasty. Worth over eighteen billion dollars.”Jack’s eyes narrowed, his body stiffening.Scott’s gaze dropped to his hands, as if trying to avoid the memory. “When your uncle got home and saw what she’d done, she tried to confess. She held up the broken pieces, apologized... begged, even. But he didn’t listen.”Scott took a breath. “He pulled out the Serpent Fang,you know, that ceremonial dagger he keeps in the gl

The tires of the black Range Rover crunched over fallen twigs and damp leaves before easing to a stop beneath a thick canopy of trees. Moonlight barely pierced through the overgrowth, casting the vehicle in shifting shadows. Without a word, Jack flung the door open and dropped into a crouch, boots sinking into the soft forest floor. Lord Leo and Scott followed swiftly, their movements sharp and quiet.Jack's eyes scanned the surroundings like a hawk. Then he froze. Above them, half-hidden in the branches of a crooked tree, a small red light blinked a security camera. Worse, it was already swiveling toward them."Camera!" Jack hissed, spinning around with a sharp hand signal.Lord Leo and Scott dropped low instantly. Without hesitation, Scott reached back into the SUV, popped the center console, and pressed a small green button hidden beneath a panel. Instantly, the vehicle’s exterior shimmered like oil on water and began to blur into its surroundings.The car disappeared beneath the

IN THE MANSION –SECURITY ROOM – NIGHTThe steel door creaked open with a groan as the Head Henchman stormed into the security room, his boots stomping against the tiled floor. The flickering monitors cast a dull blue glow across the nervous face of the young guard sitting at the panel.“What the hell’s going on?” The Head Henchman barked, his voice sharp and thunderous.The guard jumped to his feet, sweat already gathering at his temples. “S-Sir! We’ve got a breach… someone just broke into the boss’s restricted chamber. Room 9-Delta.”The Head Henchman’s eyes narrowed. “How many?”“Three, I think. They came in posing as exterminators.”“Send units. Now.” He slammed a clenched fist against the desk. “Tell them to shoot on sight.”Without delay, the guard grabbed the walkie and barked out a coded message. Outside the room, boots pounded on marble as armed men mobilized toward the west wing.MEANWHILE, IN THE SECRET ROOM – UPPER FLOORJack stood near the window, scanning the hallwa

The morning sun spilled golden light through the wide glass panels of Jack's bedroom, casting long shadows over the marble floor. Birds chirped outside, the sky a mellow blue streaked with early wisps of cloud. Jack slowly opened his eyes, sat up from bed, and stretched his limbs with a low groan. Without hesitation, he slipped down onto his knees by the edge of his bed."Thank you, Lord, for waking me up this morning." He whispered, eyes closed, hands clasped tightly. "Thank you for guiding us through yesterday, for bringing Clark back to us alive,help me find out who’s really behind these attacks, and give me strength to face whatever comes next. Let justice prevail, and grant me wisdom. Amen.”He opened his eyes and inhaled deeply, then pushed up to his feet. With a grunt, he dropped to the floor and began his morning workout. Each push-up was clean, his breath controlled, muscles flexing rhythmically. By the fifth rep, he was already sweating. He didn’t stop until he hit fifty