Niccolo smirked as he leaned against the receptionist desk, his presence oozing with the sort of confidence that Joshua secretly despised. He hadn’t expected his uncle to come running down from his office just because the receptionist called and mentioned his name was waiting. But Joshua had, in his pressed navy suit, tie slightly slant, irritation barely hidden behind his stiff posture.“You wanted to see me?” Joshua asked, his tone clipped.Niccolo’s smile widened. “Ah, wow, I'm honored. I can't believe the great Joshua Martin ran all the way down to greet his nephew.”Joshua’s eyes narrowed. “What do you want?”Niccolo folded his hands together. “Want? That’s a funny question. I was meeting the rest of the family and thought— why not pay a visit to my dear uncle? Family bonds are very important, you know.”Joshua forced a smile, though his jaw tightened. “Is that so? Well I'm honored.” He knew they couldn't be the only reason Niccolo came to see him. He wanted to know what game he

The days blurred into each other as Niccolo prepared for the family meeting. Every morning was filled with quiet anticipation, every night restless with thought. His grandmother seemed both nervous and eager, and though she never said it out loud, Niccolo could tell she was imagining a reunion that might heal old wounds.When the day finally arrived, Niccolo took extra care with his appearance. He wore a tailored charcoal suit, sharp enough to make even his harshest critics pause before dismissing him. For his grandmother, he had gone out the day before to buy her a soft blue dress with pearl buttons, dignified but comfortable. She smiled when she tried it on, her wrinkled eyes shining with something close to pride.“You look like a man of your word,” she told him as they left the apartment.By the time they arrived at the family home, the driveway was already lined with expensive cars. The mansion loomed high and proud, the kind of place built to remind outsiders of the wealth and le

Niccolo sat in the dimly lit office of the mayor’s long-trusted lawyer, Crawford. Files lay scattered across the mahogany desk, filled with names, numbers, and damning evidence. The scent of old books and fresh ink clung to the air.Crawford adjusted his glasses, flipping through the last folder. “There’s no question about it,” he said firmly. “These offshore accounts are linked directly to Joshua. The wire transfers, the shell companies, the timing—it’s all airtight. And this—” He tapped a sworn statement on the desk. “—this testimony from one of his former employees is gold. The man says he personally helped move funds under Joshua’s orders. We can bury him in court.”Niccolo leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled together, his expression unreadable.Crawford studied him carefully. “My advice? Hand it over to the police. They’ll have everything they need to drag him into custody.”For a long moment, silence lingered between them. Then Niccolo shook his head slowly. “Not yet. If

The air in Joshua’s office was suffocating, though not from heat —at least, not yet. Niccolo sat across from him, calm and collected, his documents spread neatly across the table like playing cards in the hands of a seasoned gambler. Every page, every word, every revelation carried the weight of truth sharpened into a blade.“Tell me something, Joshua,” Niccolo began, his tone deceptively conversational. “Do you have any children?”Joshua raised a brow, leaning back in his chair with deliberate arrogance. “Why?”Niccolo’s lips curved into a smile that chilled the room. “Because I’d like to apologize to them, because I'm about to ruin their father’s career.”The silence that followed was razor sharp. Gregory shifted uncomfortably in the corner, and the woman by Joshua’s side glanced at him in disbelief. Joshua, however, chuckled as though it were all a joke.“You have nothing,” he said flatly.Niccolo ignored him. He pulled a document from his folder and placed it on the desk. “This sa

The silence in Joshua’s office shattered with the shrill, panicked bang of a gunshot.Niccolo’s body jerked once, twice, his phone tumbling from his hand as crimson spread across his shirt.Gregory stumbled backward, his face pale as ash, and the woman beside him screamed, her trembling hands covering her mouth.Joshua stood frozen for a moment, his own breath loud in his ears, the gun heavy in his grip. His eyes to Niccolo’s shocked face, then back to the blood pooling beneath him.And then, he did something no one would have ever expected. He began to laugh.The sound was jagged, unhinged, echoing through the office as he stepped forward and loomed over Niccolo’s crumpled body.“Well, Niccolo,” he sneered, his lips twisting into a mocking grin. “Still planning to call the police? I'm waiting!”He raised the gun again and fired three more shots into Niccolo’s chest, unaware that every word, every action of his was being broadcased for the whole city to see. Each crack of the trigger