"The gate's open... you four are free to go."The heavy gates of Prison slowly creaked apart as Jerome, Hailey, Sally, and Jenny stepped outside one after another.For the first time in these days, there were no prison walls surrounding them.No guards ordering them where to stand…. No steel bars separating them from the outside world.Fresh air greeted them, yet none of them smiled.Freedom felt strangely hollow.Only now did they begin to understand what Ethan had endured.They had spent merely a week behind those prison walls, yet it had been enough to leave scars that would never completely fade. Ethan had survived that same hell for three long years.Even then, their suffering could never compare to his.They had one another to lean on, someone to share the fear, the loneliness, and the uncertainty with. Ethan had no one.Every insult, every act of humiliation, every beating, every sleepless night, and every moment of despair had been endured alone, without a single person believ

"We'll wait." Jerome gave a quiet nod. “No matter how long it takes, we can wait here, I'm sure he'll come to meet us.” Scarlett didn't respond, she just turned around and walked back toward the elevator....Rain continued falling without mercy, while thunder and lightning struck together at the sky.Minutes turned into an hour and the four of them remained outside the entrance without moving.Security approached several times, offering umbrellas, and each offer received the same answer."No, thank you."Water soaked through their clothes until every strand of hair clung to their faces.Passing pedestrians glanced at them curiously before continuing on their way.Inside the penthouse, Ethan stood beside the living room window, his eyes rested on the figures standing below.They're the very same people who didn't want him to live under the same roof as them, but today they're waiting for him in front of his house as if they deserve the chance to speak to him.They didn't care back th

"Repeat that."Ethan was taken aback after hearing to what Orion had earlier said, but he tried his best to remain composed and asked in a steady tone in order to make sure he didn't mishear it.Though Ethan had tried his best to hide everything suspicious from his tone, yet Orion immediately recognized the subtle shift in Ethan's voice. The founder of Black Oracle rarely reacted to information, but whenever he requested something twice, it meant every detail had suddenly become significant."The client requested information regarding the Carvendish Legacy," Orion repeated without any unnecessary info, just straight to the point. "Nothing more, nothing less.” Ethan rested one elbow against the desk, his fingers lightly touching his chin. “All of a sudden why is someone looking into information about Carvendish Legacy? Is this a good sign or another problem?” However, he didn't voice those doubts, just asked Orion. "Was there any supporting document?""Only a single sentence." Orion

"Orion, have you informed the client of our decision yet?" Ethan asked calmly."Not yet, Chief," Orion replied without hesitation. "I've been waiting for your instructions."Ethan gave a slight nod before saying, "Then inform the client that Black Oracle accepts the commission.”The command echoed through the hidden command room beneath the Penthouse.For a brief moment, absolute silence filled the encrypted conference channel.Scarlett slowly turned toward Ethan, genuine surprise crossing her face.She had expected him to leave for Blackstone Prison the moment they finished discussing Charlie. Instead, he had led her straight into his hidden study, activated the concealed command center, and summoned Black Oracle's senior executives from across the world.One by one, encrypted holographic screens illuminated the dark room.Every executive appeared only as a black silhouette with a distorted voice.No names…. No faces…. No identities.That anonymity was one of the rules Ethan himself

"You keep coming back, yet every visit ends the same way. Aren't you getting tired of wasting your time?"Charlie leaned back in the metal chair, the chains around his wrists clinking softly against the table as he watched the man seated opposite him. The prison's visitation room was as cold and lifeless as ever, with thick reinforced glass separating the other visitors from their loved ones. Here, however, there was no glass. Only two armed guards stood outside the steel door, close enough to intervene if necessary, yet far enough away that they couldn't hear every word.The man across from Charlie wore a charcoal-gray suit that looked tailored to perfection. Black leather gloves covered his hands despite the warmth inside the room, and his face remained partially hidden beneath the shadow cast by the brim of a dark cap.Charlie had never learned his name, not because he hadn't tried, but because every visit began the same way, and every visit ended with more questions than answers