“What are you even working on?” she asked.“What is it?” Jayson asked, joining her.“Are you sure this is going to work?” Zara asked, folding her arms.Sainz didn’t look up right away. She was still focused on Kendrick for a moment.“It won’t stop him completely,” she said quietly. “But it’ll slow him down.”When Kendrick finished, Sainz stood up and walked back to her desk. She closed the files and finally looked at all of them.“I’m filing an injunction today.”Paul frowned slightly. “Injunction?”“It’s a court order,” Sainz explained. “If the judge approves it, Victor and his people won’t be allowed to pressure the residents or make any more moves on that land for now.”Kendrick nodded slowly. “That gives us time.”“Exactly,” Sainz replied. “Time to gather more evidence and build a stronger case.”Jayson leaned forward. “And what if he ignores it?”Sainz gave a small, confident smile.“Then he’ll be breaking the law openly… and that’s exactly what we want.”Zara smirked. “You’re se

The next morning, a group of residents stood outside a tall, intimidating building.Victor Kane’s office.Some of them held envelopes filled with money. Others just stood there, nervous, shifting from one foot to another.The old man looked at them.“It’s now or never,” he said.They all nodded, even though fear was clearly written on their faces.They walked inside.The reception area was quiet and cold. A woman behind the desk looked up at them.“Who are you looking for?” she asked, glancing at all of them.“We’re here to see Victor Kane,” the old man said, speaking for everyone.The receptionist looked at each of them one by one, then let out a tired sigh.“Do you have an appointment?” she asked.“No,” the old man said. “But we need to see Mr. Kane. It’s important.”The receptionist studied them for a moment, then picked up the phone.A few minutes later…“Go in,” she said.They exchanged looks before walking into the office.Victor stood by the window in his office, holding his ph

Victor sat in his office, calm as always, a glass of drink in his hand. The city lights reflected through the window behind him.There was a knock.“Come in,” he said without turning.His assistant walked in, looking a bit nervous.“Boss… there’s something you need to know.”Victor took a slow sip of his drink.“You’ve been bringing bad news lately.” He said as his assistant gulped. “Should I just cut off your tongue so that you won't be able to speak again?”Then he sighed. “Speak.” That was when his assistant could finally breathe.“The residents that came earlier…” the assistant hesitated, “…they went to Kendrick Hale after leaving here.”Victor froze for a second. Then slowly, he turned around.His expression had changed.“Say that again,” he said quietly.“They went to Kendrick,” the assistant repeated. “All of them. They’re asking for his help now.”Silence. There was heavy silence.Victor placed the glass down gently on the table.Then suddenly…CRASH!He flung it across the r

The next morning, Victor sat in his office, calm as always, going through some documents.There was a knock. He sighed, knowing who it was.“Come in,” he said without looking up.His assistant walked in quickly, looking uneasy.“Boss… we’ve got a situation.”Victor didn’t react immediately. He flipped a page.“Speak.”“The NGOs and some reporters are on their way to the neighborhood,” the assistant said. “They want to talk to the residents about the land issue.”Victor paused.Slowly, he lifted his head.“And who invited them?” he asked.“Sainz Hale but Kendrick Hale accompanied her,” the assistant replied. “She filed reports and brought attention to the case.”For a few seconds, the room was silent.Then… Victor smiled.A slow, dangerous smile.“Interesting,” he said.The assistant frowned slightly. “Boss?”Victor stood up and walked toward the window, looking out at the city.“They think bringing outsiders will save them,” he said calmly. “They think attention will protect them.”He

Kendrick arrived at the neighborhood, his car skidding to a halt as smoke billowed into the sky. The acrid smell of burning metal and chemicals hit him immediately. People were screaming, running, or standing frozen in shock.He jumped out, surveying the chaos. “First responders, get the injured out of here! Ambulances, over there now!” His voice was firm, commanding, but calm enough to keep people from panicking.He ran to a group of survivors huddled near a fence. “You, help them move to the ambulance. And you, call in for more medics!” He gestured sharply, guiding residents and emergency workers alike.A reporter shouted over the noise, camera rolling. “Sir, can you tell us what happened? How many are injured?”Kendrick ignored the camera, his focus on the people in front of him. “Move them carefully! Don’t let anyone fall!”He noticed some of the NGO members he recognized from the neighborhood, badly hurt but alive. He knelt beside one of them, applying pressure to a bleeding ar