The night was unusually quiet.No waves crashing loudly. No distant music from the resort strip.Just a heavy, unnatural stillness over the island. Alessandro stood in his suite, fully dressed again, as if he hadn’t bothered to rest at all.He hadn’t. His eyes were fixed on his phone. Waiting. Not for comfort. Not for reassurance.For damage control. The lawyer’s message still sat unread at the top of his screen.“He made a decision.”That was all it said. No explanation. No context. Just enough to destroy peace. Alessandro finally called. The lawyer answered instantly.“I was going to call you.”“I don’t like delays. Speak.”A breath on the other end. “He accessed everything.”Alessandro’s expression tightened.“Everything?”“Yes. The full archive set. Not partial searches anymore.”Silence hit like a blade. That was different. That was escalation. “He found something?” Alessandro asked slowly.“I don’t know.”That answer again. Alessandro’s patience cracked.“You always say that.”“A

The abandoned storage building stood alone on the far side of the island. Years of neglect had left rust creeping across the metal walls.Broken windows allowed sunlight to spill onto the dusty floor.Silence filled every corner.Only the footsteps of investigators disturbed the stillness. Lorenzo entered first.Peter followed close behind, carefully avoiding a loose wooden plank."It smells like old socks and bad decisions," Peter muttered.One investigator chuckled."I've been in worse."Peter glanced around."That doesn't make this better."Several members of the team spread out. Gloves covered their hands. Cameras documented every inch of the building.No one wanted to overlook even the smallest clue. Lorenzo crouched beside a trail of fresh footprints."They're recent." An investigator nodded."Less than twenty-four hours." Peter folded his arms."So our nervous friend definitely came here.""Looks that way." Another investigator called from the far corner."Sir."Everyone turned

The first rays of sunlight stretched across the island, but Alessandro felt no relief.He had spent the entire night pacing across his suite.His untouched breakfast had already gone cold. Coffee sat forgotten beside the window. His thoughts remained fixed on one person.The associate. For years, the man had followed every instruction without hesitation.Now... Silence. Defiance. Distance. His phone finally vibrated. The lawyer. Alessandro answered immediately."Did you find him?""I know where he is.""And?""He's still inside the villa." Alessandro exhaled slowly."Is he alone?""As far as we can tell.""As far as you can tell isn't good enough." The lawyer ignored the criticism."He hasn't left since last night.""What about visitors?""None."Alessandro walked toward the balcony."I want eyes on him every second.""We already have them.""If he leaves...""We'll know."The call ended.Even so, Alessandro's uneasiness remained. Something was changing. He could feel it. Inside the a

Morning arrived beneath gray clouds that blanketed the island.The sea looked restless. Strong waves repeatedly crashed against the rocky shoreline.Inside his suite, Alessandro hadn't slept. The empty coffee cups scattered across the table proved it.His eyes remained fixed on his phone. Every passing minute increased his frustration.nThe associate had answered once. Then disappeared again.The silence was becoming unbearable. His phone finally rang. The lawyer. Alessandro answered instantly."Talk.""We have a problem."His expression darkened."What happened?""The associate left the villa." Alessandro stood so quickly that his chair crashed onto the floor."When?""Twenty minutes ago.""Where is he going?""We're following him.""You'd better not lose him.""We won't."The call ended.Alessandro grabbed his jacket without another thought.His pulse refused to slow.One sentence repeated endlessly inside his mind. Don't let him talk. Across the island, a black SUV moved through the

The rain showed no signs of stopping. The associate's SUV made a slow U-turn along the deserted coastal road.Inside the surveillance vehicle, an investigator immediately grabbed his radio."Target changed direction."Lorenzo answered at once."Destination?""Unknown."Peter leaned closer. "But he turned around?""Affirmative." Peter smiled."I'll take that as progress." Lorenzo remained calm."Stay behind him.""No contact?""Not yet." The radio fell silent. Everyone inside the vehicle understood. One wrong move could destroy weeks of work.Inside the SUV, the associate rested both hands on the leather bag. His breathing had become steadier. The driver looked into the rearview mirror."Sir... are you sure?""No."The answer surprised him."But I'm tired.""Tired?""Tired of looking over my shoulder."The driver nodded quietly.bNeither man spoke again. Only the sound of rain filled the vehicle.Meanwhile, Alessandro paced across his suite. Back and forth. Again. Again. Again. His lawy