The manager ended his call with Michael and stared at his phone for a long moment before dialing his ex-girlfriend's number. It rang once, twice, three times, then went to voicemail."Maya, it's me again. I know you don't want to talk, but please, just listen. There are people who might try to use you to get to me. Michael's arranging protection for you whether you want it or not. Please, just... be careful."He hung up and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat with a frustrated sigh. There was no point trying again—she'd made her position clear.The manager grabbed his laptop bag and the files Michael needed, locked his apartment, and headed to his car. The drive to the safe house would take about forty minutes, and he wanted to get there before dark.As he merged onto the highway, he noticed a black sedan in his rearview mirror. Nothing unusual about that—the road was busy. But when he changed lanes, the sedan changed lanes. When he exited and took a surface street, the sedan fol

Michael's phone rang just as they were preparing to leave the safe house. He glanced at the unknown number and answered cautiously."Mr. Thompson? This is Roberto Diaz."Relief flooded through Michael. "Mr. Diaz! You made it safely. Where are you?""I've just landed at the airport. I took precautions as you suggested—no one from the company knows I'm here except you.""Perfect. Stay exactly where you are. I'm sending my security team to pick you up immediately. Don't talk to anyone, don't accept rides from anyone except the men I'm sending.""Understood. How will I recognize them?""They'll show you a photo verification on their phones—a picture of you and me from last year's Singapore conference. Don't go with anyone who can't produce that.""Smart. I'll wait in the international arrivals lounge, second floor near gate 7.""My men will be there in fifteen minutes. Thank you for coming back, Roberto."After hanging up, Michael turned to Santiago. "Get your best team to the airport now

The luxury sedan glided through the city streets, carrying Mr. Diaz further from the airport with each passing mile. He watched the familiar landmarks disappear, replaced by less recognizable neighborhoods."Silas, where exactly are we going? This doesn't look like the route to any hotel I know."Mr. Shen kept his eyes on the road, his expression calm and friendly. "We're taking you to a safe house, Roberto. With everything in chaos right now, Michael thought it best to keep you somewhere secure and off the radar.""Chaos? What chaos?""Oh, you haven't heard?" Mr. Shen shook his head sadly. "The company stocks have been fluctuating wildly. There's been scandals, accusations, public relations disasters. It's been quite the mess.""I saw some news reports, but I didn't realize it was that serious.""It's very serious. In fact..." Mr. Shen paused as if choosing his words carefully. "Roberto, I need to be honest with you. I'm on Michael's side—you know that. But I have to say, a lot of th

Mr. Shen got into his car and started the drive home, his mind racing through alternatives and contingencies. The account manager would have to be the priority now. If they couldn't control Diaz, they'd need to compensate elsewhere.As he turned onto his street, he noticed something immediately wrong. Multiple cars were parked in front of his house—expensive vehicles that didn't belong to his neighbors. Strange men loitered near his front door, their postures suggesting they were guards rather than visitors.Panic seized him. He threw the car into reverse, but before he could back up, the automatic gate behind him slid shut with a mechanical clang, trapping him."No, no, no," he muttered, looking around frantically for an escape route.There was none.Santiago appeared from behind one of the parked cars, a pleasant smile on his face that didn't reach his eyes."Mr. Shen! What perfect timing. Please, come inside your own home. We've been waiting for you."Mr. Shen's hands trembled as h

Mr. Shen's face went from pale to ghostly white. "How... how did you—""How did I track it? I have very good people working for me. People much smarter than you.""Mr. Thompson, I can explain—"Suddenly, Mr. Shen's composure crumbled completely. Tears began streaming down his face. "I've been trying to find it! Ever since they took it!""Took what?""My laptop! When I was kidnapped—you remember, the thugs who beat me—they stole my laptop! I've been looking for a way to trace it, to get it back, but I didn't want to alarm anyone or cause a panic—""Why didn't you report it stolen?""I was going to! I swear I was! But I wanted to find it first, make sure nothing sensitive was accessed. You know how much confidential information is on there."Michael studied him for a long moment. "So you're saying Isaac's men stole your laptop and used it to upload that video?""Yes! Exactly! It has to be them!" Mr. Shen wiped his eyes, his voice desperate. "I would never betray you, Mr. Thompson. Never