Carl parked across the café Jasmine frequented—a quiet, polished place where the coffee was expensive and the conversations were even more guarded. Through the glass windows, he spotted her immediately. Jasmine sat alone near the corner, scrolling through her phone, her posture composed as always. Elegant. Untouchable. The kind of woman who knew how to survive rooms filled with sharks. Carl took a breath before stepping inside. She noticed him the moment he approached the table. Her fingers paused mid-scroll, eyes lifting slowly until they met his. “…Carl?” Her brows knit together. “What are you doing here?” “Good afternoon to you too,” he said lightly, pulling out the chair across from her. “Mind if I sit?” She hesitated, then nodded. “I guess not.” For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence wasn’t awkward—but it was loaded. “I didn’t expect to see you again,” Jasmine said at last. “Especially after everything.” “Same,” Carl replied. “But I figured we had unfin

Carl quietly observed the guests around them. He could already recognize several well-known figures—especially those connected to politics.Jasmine, meanwhile, was busy conversing with a few of them. Carl stayed silently at her side. He didn’t trust leaving her alone—not with this kind of crowd.If the intel was right, high-ranking members of powerful syndicates would be present tonight.“I heard you’re the one developing the smart district in Velmora, Ms. Garcia,” one male guest said.Jasmine offered a modest smile. “Yes. I was fortunate enough to secure a partnership with the Carsons.”“But you still did,” the man—Mayor Reyes from another city—replied. “That means you have great potential. Maybe… I’ll call you someday for a partnership.”Jasmine paused, then restrained her smile with effort.“Of course, Sir. My office is always open.”Her smile widened after that. For the first time that night, her nerves eased.“Carl?”Both Jasmine and Carl turned toward the voice.It was Sophia.H

Carl stepped out of the room, the image of the tattoo still weighing heavily on his mind.He was certain he had seen it before—he just couldn’t remember where.Laughter and music filled the ballroom as he passed by. The guests were still enjoying themselves on the dance floor, completely unaware of the storm brewing nearby.He was about to leave when a sudden commotion caught his attention.Then he heard a familiar voice.“Please stop it, sir!” Jasmine pleaded.Carl immediately turned, alert.Jasmine was struggling to pull her arm away from the man gripping her. As she tried to re-enter the ballroom, an older man had blocked her path.One look at him was enough to tell—he was drunk. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes dull and unfocused.“Come on, miss,” the man slurred. “Just give me one night. I’ll make sure you’re well paid.”Jasmine narrowed her eyes. “Do you really think I need that?” she snapped. “I’m not a woman you can buy!”The man’s expression darkened.“You’re rejecting me?!”

Carl sat quietly at the back of the vehicle. His hands were cuffed, his posture calm, his gaze steady despite the rough road jolting beneath them.Two soldiers sat across from him, their eyes glued to his every move—as if he might suddenly snap the cuffs and turn the transport upside down.He almost laughed at the reason they had given for his arrest.National security?Who were they kidding?Carl shook his head slightly.He was certain this had nothing to do with that excuse. There were no Miranda rights, no warrant of arrest. He had been taken like a walking threat—swift, silent, and dirty.And he knew one thing for sure.Rafael Domingo alone didn’t have the power to pull this off.A few moments later, the vehicle began to slow.Carl glanced out the window and saw heavy steel gates looming ahead. Tall floodlights bathed the area in harsh white light, revealing a stark gray facility wrapped in razor wire. There were no signs. No names. Just armed soldiers standing in perfect, unnervi

Sophia was already bored.For a while now, she had wanted to leave—to look for Carl, to talk to him—but she couldn’t bring herself to abandon Richard. She was certain that doing so would only deepen his suspicions.“I’ll just go freshen up,” Sophia said casually.Richard merely glanced at her. She didn’t wait for his response and stood up at once.Every second she spent beside him felt suffocating. Yet she couldn’t do anything about it—he had her by the throat, figuratively and painfully so.Someday, I’ll finally have a reason to leave you.She refused to stay bound to an agreement she never wanted in the first place.When she reached the restroom, she first made sure she was alone. Then she locked the door.Her hands were trembling as she pulled out a cigarette stick from her handbag. She lit it and took a drag.Sophia wasn’t a smoker. But whenever the stress became unbearable, she always ended up taking at least one.She was nearly halfway through the cigarette when her phone sudden