The engine of Ariel's car hummed softly as they drove away from the party venue. The city lights blurred past the tinted windows, casting fleeting shadows across the leather interior. John sat in the passenger seat, his expression calm and unreadable, while Ariel gripped the steering wheel with both hands.The silence between them stretched on for what felt like an eternity. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it was heavy with unspoken thoughts and questions that neither of them seemed ready to voice.Ariel kept stealing glances at John from the corner of her eye. She had seen him fight off a gang of thugs without breaking a sweat. She had watched him diagnose her father's rare poisoning when the city's best doctor had failed. And now, she had just witnessed him accept a bet that could either elevate him to heights no one expected or destroy whatever reputation he had left."Who are you really, John?" she wanted to ask, but the words stayed trapped in her throat.Instead, she focused on the

The restaurant is the kind of place where money speaks in silence. John steps through the entrance and immediately feels the shift in atmosphere. No loud chatter. No clinking glasses or bustling waiters. Everything here moves with discretion. The hostess greets him with a practiced smile, her eyes scanning him briefly before gesturing toward the back."Mr. Gerald is expecting you. This way, please."She leads him through a maze of private booths, each one tucked away behind screens or curtains that screams secrecy. The clientele here aren't just wealthy. They're the kind of wealthy that doesn't want to be seen. Politicians. Business moguls. People who make deals that never make the news.Gerald sits at a corner table, already waiting. He looks different from their last meeting. Color has returned to his cheeks. His eyes are clear. Healthy. The man who was knocking on death's door just days ago now looks like he could run a marathon.He stands when he sees John, his face breaking into

The silence after Vincent leaves feels heavier than the confrontation itself.Mabel sits frozen in her chair, her hands trembling in her lap. Then the tears come. Soft at first. Just wetness gathering in her eyes. Then they spill over, streaming down her cheeks in silent tracks. Her shoulders shake as she tries to hold it together and fails.Ariel drops to her knees beside her sister immediately. "Hey, hey. It's okay. He's gone now." Her voice is gentle, soothing, but her own eyes are too wide. Still processing what she just witnessed. "You're safe. The baby's safe."Mabel nods but can't speak. Can't stop the tears. Her hands won't stop shaking no matter how hard she tries to still them.John steps back, giving them space. He moves toward the floor-to-ceiling windows that line the conference room, looking out over the city sprawled below. Skyscrapers pierce the sky. Traffic moves like blood through veins. From up here, everything looks ordered. Controlled.It's a lie, of course. Chaos

Traces from the pastJohn runs.His footsteps echo off brick walls, sharp in the narrow alley. Behind him, voices shout. Multiple people, getting closer.He doesn't look back. Looking back slows you down. Gets you caught. Killed.His instincts guide him through the maze of passages that wind through the old district. Left here. Right there. Under a fire escape. Past dumpsters that reek of rot. The streets twist and turn in ways that make no sense, but John trusts his feet to find the way.His hand closes around the pearl Kelvin gave him. The surface is smooth. Warm against his palm despite the cold night air. He grips it tighter, using it as an anchor. A reminder of why he's running.The alley opens suddenly onto a main street. Light. People. Not many at this hour, but enough.John slows immediately. Forces his breathing to steady. He walks with calm, trying to hide his growing panic. Just another person heading home late. Nothing to see here..Behind him, the voices fade. Either they

The Secret Unravels"Marcus."The name hangs in the air between them.John's expression doesn't change, but his mind immediately starts calculating. Marcus. That's Divo’s younger brother. Ariel watches his reaction carefully, worry evident in the way her hands twist together. "Marcus is different from Divo," she says quickly, as if defending him. "Gentler. Less ambitious version. He doesn't care about the family business the way Divo does.""How did they meet?""A charity function. Six months ago. Some fundraiser for children's hospitals." Ariel's voice softens. "Mabel said they talked all night. That he made her laugh in a way no one else had and that they started seeing each other in secret after that.""And Marcus doesn't know about the pregnancy?"Ariel shakes her head. "Mabel's been too frightened to tell him. She's worried his family will force her to terminate. Or worse, use the situation as leverage against us."John turns his attention back to the window. Rain continues to f