The abandoned warehouse sat at the edge of an industrial lot in Hunts Point, Bronx. Rusted steel walls. Broken windows covered with black tarp. A single fluorescent light hanging from the ceiling that flickered every few seconds. The kind of place where nobody asked questions because nobody came looking.Simone stood at the center of the warehouse with a map of Manhattan spread across a metal table. Garrett, Reeves, and Dutton sat on folding chairs around him, each one studying the routes and locations Simone had marked with red circles.Garrett leaned forward and tapped the map near Alex's apartment building. "Easiest hit is right here. Wait for him to step out in the morning. Two shots from across the street. Clean and fast."Simone shook his head immediately. "No. Mia lives in that building. She leaves around the same time every morning. If something goes wrong and she gets caught in the crossfire, I will kill you myself before the cops even show up."Garrett raised both hands. "Al

The stretch of road near the Whitestone industrial zone in Queens was dead quiet at seven forty in the morning. Cracked pavement. Rusted fences. Abandoned containers stacked three high on both sides. Not a single person in sight.Simone crouched inside a van parked behind a row of containers, his fingers wrapped around the Glock resting on his thigh. Garrett sat behind the wheel while Reeves and Dutton waited in a second vehicle blocking the road ahead."He should be here in two minutes." Simone's eyes were glued to the road. Every muscle in his neck was pulled tight like rope.Garrett tapped the steering wheel. "And you are sure the assistant is not with him today?""I watched him leave the apartment myself. He is alone.""What if he takes a different route?""He won't. I have been tracking this cockroach for six days. He takes this road every time he goes to Brooklyn." Simone's jaw shifted. Today that insect dies by my hands.Garrett nodded but his fingers kept drumming. He glanced

The questions had been piling up inside Mia's head for weeks. She did not write them down. She did not talk about them out loud. But every night, when the apartment was quiet and Alex was asleep in the next room, she lay awake staring at the ceiling, turning them over one by one.How did Alex destroy the Greene family with a single phone call? How did he buy a government bureau in under an hour? How did Jace appear out of nowhere with an army of trained men every time something went wrong? How did a former firefighter who once lived on a basic salary suddenly command the kind of power that made senators and billionaires run for cover?She trusted Alex. That had not changed. But trust did not erase curiosity. And Mia's curiosity had grown teeth.On Tuesday afternoon, Mia came home early from the office. Sarah had handled the remaining meetings for the day, so Mia had the apartment to herself. Or so she thought.As she stepped through the front door and set her bag on the counter, she h

Lisa pressed her lips together. "Their representative canceled two hours before the meeting."Howard threw his hands up. "So every single investor you have approached has either run away or gone silent. Does that not strike you as suspicious?""Of course it does." Lisa's voice hardened. "But accusing people of conspiracy without evidence does not solve anything. We need to focus on finding new capital, not chasing theories."The meeting ended with no resolution. Board members filed out one by one, their faces carrying the kind of grim certainty that comes before a funeral.Ben was waiting in Lisa's office when she returned. He stood up the moment she walked in."How bad was it?"Lisa dropped into her chair and pressed both hands against her temples. "Every investor I have contacted in the past two weeks has either declined or disappeared. It is like someone locked every door in the city before I could reach them."Ben pulled a chair closer and sat down. "I made some calls this morning

The office on West Twenty Third Street had changed considerably since the first day Mia rented it. New desks lined the floor. A glass conference room had been installed near the back. Three additional staff members occupied the front area, handling calls and sorting documents. It was still modest compared to the Vinda Corporation, but it was alive. It was hers.Mia stood in front of a whiteboard covered in client names, delivery timelines, and revenue targets. Sarah sat at the desk behind her, typing rapidly."The Henderson contract is fully signed." Sarah looked up with a satisfied grin. "They sent the final documents this morning. We are officially operational."Mia capped her marker and turned around. "Good. What about the meeting with the Grayson Group tomorrow?""Confirmed for ten AM. Their representative sounded enthusiastic." Sarah paused and tilted her head. "You should be smiling right now, Mia. This is a big deal.""I will smile when the money hits our account." Mia set the