Michael sat in his cramped living room, staring at the local news broadcast on his phone. The reporter, a polished woman with perfectly styled hair, spoke excitedly about yesterday's incident. "In a shocking turn of events, Maxwell Medici was arrested last night following what appears to be a family dispute that escalated into alleged breaking and entering. The incident occurred at the apartment building of Michael Sullivan, the recently acknowledged illegitimate son of billionaire Frank Medici..."Michael switched off his phone. "Family dispute," he muttered. "That's what they're calling attempted burglary now?"Ava remained motionless in her charging position by the window, her silver-blue eyes dim and unfocused. She'd been in low-power mode for nearly fifteen hours now, and Michael felt uncomfortably lonely without her. The silence in the apartment was broken only by the occasional hum of her systems.A sharp knock at the door made Michael jump. He approached cautiously, peering t

Several hours after they'd found Tyler, they were positioned in the Grandview Hotel's elegant lobby restaurant. Michael and Ava sat at a corner table with a clear view of Tyler's booth, where he was deep in conversation with an attractive Asian woman. Even from a distance, Michael could see Tyler's practiced charm at work, from the way he leaned in to the carefully timed touches. The guy was good, Michael thought.Lizzy sat at the bar, nursing a wine she wasn't drinking and her phone positioned to record. Ava had already hacked into the hotel's security system and was simultaneously recording from multiple angles."He's doing the exact same things he did to me," Lizzy whispered into her phone, which was connected to Michael's earpiece. "Same smile, same gestures. God, I feel so stupid.""You're not stupid," Michael's voice came through her earpiece. "You're brave for doing this.""I feel like I'm going to throw up," Lizzy replied.Michael only chuckled.Lizzy stood up, smoothed her dr

The video call connected with a soft chime, and Michael found himself staring at what looked like a retired beach bum rather than a distinguished professor. The elderly man on screen wore a garish Hawaiian shirt covered in oversized palm trees and surfboards, his gray hair tousled as if he'd just woken up. Behind him, Michael could see a cluttered apartment filled with technical equipment and coral beads."Lizzy-chan!" Professor Nakamura's face lit up as his eyes found Lizzy. "It's been too long! How are your art studies going? Still painting those beautiful portraits?""I'm doing well, Professor. Thank you for taking the call on such short notice." Lizzy's voice carried a fondness that surprised Michael. "I have someone I'd like you to meet. This is my brother, Michael Sullivan."Michael leaned into the camera's view. "Hello, Professor Nakamura. Lizzy speaks very highly of you.""Ah, any brother of Lizzy's is a friend of mine," Nakamura said with a bow of his head. "Though I must say

The familiar aroma of freshly ground coffee beans and warm pastries greeted Michael as he pushed through the glass doors of the coffee shop. It had only been about a week since he'd handed ownership over to Mara, but the transformation was already evident. She'd changed the seating arrangement and placed flowers and aesthetic plants all around the place."Michael!" Mara's voice carried across the bustling café as she looked up from behind the espresso machine. She quickly finished preparing a latte for a customer and made her way over to him, wiping her hands on her apron. "I was hoping you'd stop by. Here, let me get you something." Without waiting for his response, she moved toward the counter."Just checking in on how things are going," Michael said, accepting the steaming cup she pressed into his hands. The coffee was perfect. "I see you've made some changes.""More than I ever dreamed possible," Mara said, her voice thick with emotion. "Michael, I can't thank you enough. Sales h

Michael's heart hammered against his chest as he heard the distant sound of something shattering from the building's lower levels. Professor Nakamura looked up from his workbench, his face creasing with concern."How many floors down?" Nakamura asked, his voice tight."Three," Ava replied, her optical sensors tracking movement through the walls. "They're moving fast. Coordinated breach on multiple entry points. Professional military formation."The sound of heavy boots echoed through the building's stairwells, growing louder with each passing second. Michael hissed in annoyance as the reality of their situation sank in. Whoever these people were, they weren't here for a friendly chat."Ava, can we get out through the roof access?" Michael asked, grabbing his jacket.She shook her head, her expression grim. "Negative. Thermal imaging shows three snipers positioned on adjacent buildings. They've planned this extensively."Nakamura was already moving, shoving some equipment and hard dri