As to their training, they were taught to always trust their instinct. Instincts were always right. That was one of their guiding principles. Even if they followed their instincts and later found out they were wrong, it was still considered the right choice because instincts were meant to be trusted before logic could catch up.That same principle was what had guided David through years of successful service. And now, standing at the entrance of The Love Spoon Elite Restaurant, his instincts were tingling.In that moment, David frowned at the dark van parked in the far corner of the lot.There was something off about it.In Velmoria, it was not common to see a van just sitting there in a place like this. The common people here preferred trucks or sporty cars if they could afford them. Women leaned toward SUVs or sedans and hatchbacks. Vans were unusual.And when vans were used, they were usually for official purposes. Police squads used them when heading out in large numbers or when m

Isla arrived at the hotel room Micah had sent the address to.To celebrate the acceptance of his proposal, they planned to spend the night there and do all the wild things they'd fantasized about. It was supposed to be a night of passion, of sealing the promise they had just made to each other. Yet, from the moment she stepped in, Isla’s heart sank a little.She hissed softly as she dropped her bag onto the bed and looked around the hotel room. This wasn’t her ideal setting. The curtains were heavy and dark, the room too dim, the air filled with the strong scent of expensive cologne and disinfectant. She obviously didn’t like that she was here. Not tonight. Not under these circumstances.She was supposed to be in her villa, alone in her own room, contemplating the next phase of her life. Thinking about the right path to take, the right man to trust. But Micah had always been part of her fallback plan. One of the only sure options she had when all else seemed uncertain. She couldn’t rej

  David smiled all of a sudden.Perhaps there was finally an explanation for all of this.In Velmoria, there had been an increased crime rate among the younger generation. Statistics showed a steady rise by 7% in the last five years. The streets weren’t just getting dangerous; they were changing. Young men were no longer hustling the traditional way. Many of them were growing unusually comfortable in the world of cybercrime. They were cashing out through email scams, fake cryptocurrency deals, and online identity theft.Even though Interpol and the national police had arrested many of them, confiscating every luxury and asset those boys had acquired from their fraudulent activities, there were still others who hadn’t been caught. Some of them were clever

Via the housefly camera, Donald saw and heard the system blare in the house. A red alert signal flashed briefly, echoing through the villa’s network of hidden surveillance devices.It was not that he had not expected this. He did. This was Adrian’s Villa, a place no stranger to elite technology. There was bound to be a very powerful, highly sophisticated security system equipped with layers of detection.Still, he felt a hint of relief knowing he had made the right call. If he hadn’t used the housefly drone, if he had dared to use the car drone or even one of his more visible standard surveillance drones, it was almost certain he wouldn't have gotten this far. He would’ve been caught before crossing the perimeter.But the housefly drone was different. It was very tiny, practically invisible, and couldn’t even be detected unless someone placed more than 100% attention into surveilling the villa. That level of scrutiny was rare, even here.He had already driven the housefly drone to a v

Donlad gulped the whole beer down into his stomach, feeling the bitter liquid slide past his throat and settle with heat. He slammed the bottle down on the counter, his mind racing. Something didn’t sit right. He had spent weeks trying to connect the dots, but now those dots were forming a picture, and it wasn’t pretty.He then grabbed his car key, stepped into his vehicle, and zoomed out of the house. The engine roared to life like it shared his urgency.As an investigator who had cracked several high-profile cases, the kind that sent other detectives running in circles, Donlad had made a name for himself. He wasn't rich by any means, but he could afford the basic comforts of life and then some.Aside from the van he used for field investigations, he kept a sleek black sedan for personal use. A well-maintained machine, its polished tires gleamed underneath the streetlights, reflecting a mirror-sharp shine even against the dark veil of night.He drove with intent, eyes fixed, mind pac