Celine sat calmly at the bar, occupying the empty stool beside Sophia as if the seat had always been reserved for her. Her posture was relaxed, one leg crossed over the other, fingers resting lightly against the marble surface. The soft café lighting reflected on her composed expression, yet the smile she wore carried something sharp beneath its polish.Nathan stood behind the counter, still, alert. Sophia did not turn immediately. Both of them sensed it at the same moment—this was not a casual visit.Celine broke the silence first.“My name is Celine Hart,” she said smoothly. “We’re distant relatives, Sophia. I doubt you remember me well.”Sophia slowly turned her head. Her eyes narrowed slightly as memory stirred.“…Hart,” she repeated. “Yes. I recall seeing you once. A family gathering. Years ago.”Celine’s lips curved upward. “I’m surprised you stayed long enough to notice. You were never fond of Hart reunions.”“That hasn’t changed,” Sophia replied coolly. “I avoid gatherings fil

Nathan followed Wendy deeper into the Dagger headquarters, passing through corridors that no ordinary employee would ever see. At first glance, the building felt like a standard administrative complex—polished floors, muted lights, framed certifications lining the walls. Everything looked corporate, controlled, harmless.That illusion shattered when Wendy pressed her palm against an unmarked section of the wall.A low hum vibrated through the structure. Panels slid apart silently, revealing a descending platform hidden beneath the marble tiles. Cold air rushed upward, carrying a metallic scent mixed with ozone.“Welcome to the real Dagger,” Wendy said flatly.The platform lowered them into the underground chamber.Nathan’s breath caught.The space beneath the headquarters resembled something pulled straight from speculative fiction. Racks of advanced firearms lined reinforced walls. Sleek armored suits stood upright in magnetic frames. Hovering drones rested inside transparent capsule

Inside the abandoned building, chaos roared like a living thing.Gunfire cracked from outside, overlapping with panicked shouts and the sharp echo of boots striking concrete. Sirens wailed faintly in the distance, growing closer by the second. Smoke drifted through broken windows, blurring the line between escape and entrapment.Celine ran.Her heels slipped against dust and debris as she clutched the remaining folder to her chest, breath coming in ragged gasps. Jared was several steps ahead, barking orders into his communicator, urging the remnants of his men to cover their retreat.“Move!” Jared snarled. “This way!”They reached a side corridor littered with rusted pipes and fallen beams. An emergency exit sign flickered weakly above a steel door.Behind them, footsteps followed—measured, unhurried.Nathan did not run.He walked.His gaze stayed locked on their backs, his expression cold and unwavering. He raised his wrist slightly, fingers brushing against the embedded interface of

Since gaining access to the Aegis Tracking Node, Nathan’s nights had become shorter and his days longer. The device did not simply show locations; it revealed patterns—intersections of history, intent, and buried design. Each illuminated point felt deliberate, as if someone long ago had placed breadcrumbs across the world. Some coordinates aligned perfectly with fragments inside Alistair’s notes. One of them had been the Boulevard Apartment complex, now transformed into a public park. That confirmation alone told Nathan he was not chasing ghosts.Yet many other signals remained unresolved. They pulsed without context, detached from any written reference. Nathan spent days cross-checking maps, old property records, military zoning data, and infrastructure blueprints. The more he studied, the clearer one truth became: Alistair had never acted randomly. Every asset, every structure, every buried system served a broader design. Unfortunately, the final logic connecting those pieces remain

Amy Hart led Nathan into her office and closed the door behind them.Only after stepping inside did Nathan realize that Amy was not a junior staff member or administrative assistant, as he had initially assumed from their earlier encounter. Her nameplate, discreetly placed on the desk, clearly stated her role: Operations Manager – Astro Group.Nathan glanced at her, mildly surprised. “I didn’t know you were a manager here.”Amy smiled faintly, but the expression did not reach her eyes. “Most people don’t notice. Titles mean very little when a company is sinking.”She gestured for Nathan to sit, then lowered herself into the chair opposite him. The office was neat, almost sterile, with stacks of neatly arranged documents lining one side of the room. The atmosphere felt heavy, as if the walls themselves carried the weight of impending failure.“Astro Group is very close to bankruptcy,” Amy said quietly.Nathan did not interrupt. He let her speak.“On paper, it’s a cash flow problem,” sh