Ryan reached into his pocket and pulled out a few notes, and without counting, he tossed it to the man. “Whatever he took, this amount should cover it.”The man’s eyes locked onto the money dropping at his feet. For a brief second, pride wrestled with his greed. Then he snatched the cash from the ground. “Hmph. Fine,” he muttered, avoiding Ryan’s eyes as he quickly counted through the notes.Ryan said nothing.With a final glare that lacked its earlier confidence, the man turned and pushed through the shop door, disappearing inside.The tension dissolved with him, and silence lingered for a moment before Ryan turned to the crowd. His gaze swept over them.“Show’s over. You can move along." His voice was calm but authoritative. Shifting their gaze from him to the boy, they slowly disperse, with some still glancing over their shoulder.Ryan exhaled quietly, then crouched in front of the boy. “Can you stand?” he asked.The boy nodded weakly, and Ryan offered his hand. After a brief hesit

The New Bridge police station smelled of old papers, sweat, and bad coffee. It was a place where time dragged and power could easily be abused in ways anyone could think of. Downstairs in one of the holding cells, Ryan sat on the metallic bench, with a straight posture despite the bruising ache in his stomach. He knew the aches weren't from the new bruises but the old spot from surgery. His eyes lingered on his wrists, which were still cuffs, and when he requested to be released, the officers laughed without giving him a valid explanation. Ryan was quiet, and despite the situation, nothing about him suggested submission; rather, he was patient. Marcus, on the other hand, grunted, sitting opposite Ryan, constantly wriggling his nose from moisture under their feet, and from it, odor was a mixture of urine and other unfriendly materials. “This is insane,” Marcus grunted, irritation creeping in. “They didn’t even process us: no statements, no charges, nothing, and they just thr

Branden stood there, with his mind struggling to process the reality unfolding in front of him. Ryan’s footsteps echoed as he moved towards the exit, yet the tension he left behind still clung to the walls like a stubborn shadow.For the first time since joining the force, Branden felt small, not because of the chief but because of the man who had just walked out of that cell without raising his voice.His gaze trailed toward the hallway Ryan had disappeared into, his throat dry. The image of the chief's face moments ago replayed in his mind. respect, caution laced with an unmistakable apology.He had never seen her look at anyone like that.“Mr. Wright!” He recalls her voice softened in a way that felt almost unfamiliar. It wasn’t authority speaking, and that alone sent a chill down his spine.Ryan's footsteps halt at the threshold, glancing across his shoulder to meet the chief's gaze.“Your father was a great man who supported this precinct. I hope these two foolish mistakes won’t

Ryan turned back. “Then it will activate the buyout clause.”Harrison nodded. “Your father put it in the charter. If the stock drops below a certain threshold, the majority shareholder can sell at a fair market price.”“Why?”“Because he didn’t want to destroy his legacy,” Harrison said, meeting his eyes. “He knew that if he fought the Volkovs openly, the company would be torn apart by lawsuits, investigations, and scandals. He couldn’t bear to see that happen. Even if he were gone.”Ryan nodded as if absorbing it. “So he gave me an escape route.”“He gave you a choice,” Harrison corrected. “Fight and risk everything or walk away with something.”Ryan looked down at his hands. “He knows I wouldn't walk away from this, not after what they have done to me. He knows that!” Ryan could taste the hint of anger that slipped out.Harrison nodded but said nothing, and after a few minutes of silence, Ryan let out a deep breath. Then he noticed Harrison hesitate; he paused. “There's more?”Harri

Ryan didn’t need to turn to know who it was. It was the woman. She stepped beside him, her reflection appearing in the glass.“That watch,” she repeated, pointing to the item on Ryan's hands. “Wrap it.”Ryan straightened his brow, furrowing at the authority in her voice. "I'm sorry, but I saw it first,” he said.Her brows lifted slightly, as if she couldn’t believe what she had just heard. “Excuse me?”“I’m buying it,” Ryan stated.The air shifted immediately, and a faint tension crept into the space. The salesboy who was watching from behind the counter hurried over, sensing the situation, but his attention went straight to the woman.“Ma’am, how may I assist you?" he asked, and the woman dropping her gaze on the badge on his chest scoffed.“I want this watch,” she said, her tone laced with finality.The salesboy nodded immediately and narrowed his gaze to Ryan. “Of course—”“I already claimed it,” Ryan interrupted, a bit of surprise appearing on his face at the salesboy's response.