Chapter FORTY-TWO:Billy had barely closed his eyes the previous night when the phone rang, shattering the thin veil of sleep that had shielded him from the weight of his thoughts. The voice on the other end was Owen’s, tense, precise, and measured, “Billy, we’ve got a lead on the Luoshen. And it’s bigger than anything we expected.”Billy sat up immediately, every muscle in his body alert. He knew that “bigger” often meant dangerous. The Luoshen wasn’t just a painting—it was a map, a key, and a challenge all rolled into one. Its trails had led him down a labyrinth of deceit, betrayal, and calculated criminality. And now, the next chapter of that labyrinth was about to unfold.“I’m on my way,” he said, pulling on a jacket and grabbing his car keys. There was no hesitation. There hadn’t been in months. Billy had learned long ago that in his world, hesitation was a luxury that could cost him everything—sometimes more than money, sometimes life itself.As he drove through the early mornin

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR:The morning light filtered through the large glass windows of the safe house, casting angular shadows across the room where Billy and Owen were hunched over a detailed map sprawled across the table. Every mark, every coded notation on the Luoshen had been carefully transcribed, and now it was Billy’s task to decipher it fully before Monsieur could exploit it. The tension in the air was tangible, almost suffocating, but there was no time for hesitation.Billy ran his fingers over the patterns, the Go-like configurations etched into the painting, tracing them mentally as he recalled the lessons his father had instilled years ago. Each stroke, each alteration, each added piece held meaning. And now, with Monsieur having forced Billy to reveal part of the secrets during their last encounter, Billy understood the stakes better than ever. The mastermind’s greed was matched only by his relentless desire for revenge against Billy’s father, a vendetta that had lasted decade

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX:The city had grown quiet under the late evening haze, but inside Billy’s new penthouse, tension radiated like heat from a furnace. The Luoshen lay encased in reinforced glass, its intricate Go-like patterns catching the golden glow of the room’s chandeliers. Billy sat cross-legged on the floor, tracing the subtle strokes with his fingers, while Owen stood beside him, reviewing the latest intelligence files.“This isn’t over,” Owen said, breaking the silence. “Monsieur won’t stay idle. He’s biding his time, regrouping his forces. He’ll strike where we least expect it.”Billy’s jaw tightened. Memories of the countless near-death experiences—being injected with lethal substances, drowning in the river, Kira’s fall, Noah’s betrayal—flashed before him. Each memory was a scar, a reminder of how ruthless the mastermind could be. But tonight, Billy was prepared. Not just with strategy, but with allies, insight, and the determination to finally end the chain of manipulation

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT:The first rays of dawn barely touched the skyline when Billy stirred from his restless sleep at the safe house. Every muscle in his body ached from the previous night’s confrontation with Monsieur’s men, but exhaustion had no dominion over him. His mind raced through the sequences of events, replaying every detail of Monsieur’s calculated maneuvers and his own strategic responses. The Luoshen lay rolled carefully on the table beside him, its intricate patterns demanding scrutiny, and every time he glanced at it, a surge of both pride and responsibility surged through him. He was now not just a man seeking justice; he was the keeper of a centuries-old secret, a role his father had once entrusted to him, and that responsibility weighed heavier than ever.Owen was already in motion, tapping rapidly on a secure laptop, running through dossiers and tracking satellite feeds. “They’re regrouping,” Owen said without looking up, his tone sharp. “Monsieur isn’t finished. He

CHAPTER FIFTY:The night had settled over Parsippany-Troy Hills like a heavy velvet curtain, muffling the city sounds, leaving only the occasional distant siren and the whisper of wind through empty streets. Billy stood at the edge of the rooftop, overlooking the industrial district where Monsieur’s men were believed to have gathered. The Luoshen, safely stored in a reinforced case, rested against his chest like a talisman, a weight of history and responsibility that he could feel pulsing through him.Owen was beside him, calm and precise as ever, surveying the terrain with binoculars. “This is it,” he murmured. “They’re consolidating their resources for a major move. If we wait any longer, they could be gone. Tonight, everything changes.”Billy nodded, his mind replaying every lesson, every encounter, every betrayal that had led to this moment. He remembered his father’s words, the hours spent memorizing Go patterns, the painstaking effort to understand the Luoshen’s hidden codes. Th