Two days later, an opportunity arose. Dominic Haughland invited Dylan to meet at a quiet coffee shop near the Pacific Maritime headquarters. Dominic chose the spot specifically for its privacy, far from the city noise—perfect for a personal conversation.As Dylan stepped into the café, Dominic, who was already waiting, immediately spotted the bruises Dylan was trying to hide beneath his high-necked hoodie. Despite Dylan's attempt to act natural, the purple discoloration along his jawline told a different story under the bright café lights. Dominic stood up, his face hardening instantly. A suppressed rage began to simmer in his chest."Who did this to you?" Dominic asked point-blank before Dylan could even settle into his chair.Dylan forced a thin smile. "Just a small accident, Dom. I fell while trying to fix the antenna on the roof. Mom already patched me up, so you don't need to worry," he replied.Dominic narrowed his eyes, not buying the cliché excuse for a second. He knew the nat

After closing the door to the room where Dominic was being held, Caleb walked down the hallway with a slight limp. His eyes scanned the shadows for his youngest brother. Rage and greed churned in his chest, creating a volatile explosion of energy."Dylan! Where are you?!" Caleb roared, his voice echoing through the silent house.Dylan emerged from the bathroom at the end of the hall. His face was deathly pale, and he walked hunched over, clutching his stomach from Caleb's previous assault."Where the hell have you been?" Caleb snapped, his eyes narrowing with suspicion."The bathroom," Dylan answered in a raspy, weak voice. He looked at Caleb with a gaze that was cold yet resigned. "What? Did you think it wouldn't hurt getting beaten like that? I need a moment just to breathe without feeling like I'm going to pass out."Caleb snorted, indifferent to his brother's pain. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a high-end smartphone—Dominic's personal phone. He tossed it careles

It all started when Dylan's primary laptop was confiscated by Caleb. Caleb thought he had neutralized his younger brother, but he had no idea that beneath Dylan's desk lay a razor-thin secret drawer. In it, Dylan kept a modified tablet and a backup hacking rig that was far more sophisticated.Every time Caleb was preoccupied with his ambitions or meeting with Ava, Dylan moved in the shadows as "The Anonymous." He was actually the one actively weaving a protective strategy for Dominic. When Dylan met Dominic at the coffee shop the other day, he had intentionally applied extra makeup to his bruises to make them look more severe and dramatic—a calculated move to ensure Dominic stayed alert to the looming danger.Dylan had also intentionally brought up the visit from their mother even though Monica hadn't specifically asked. It was bait to make Dominic feel that something was off. Through his secret device, Dylan had intercepted Caleb's conversations and knew his brother had illegally ord

The engineering basement always felt colder than usual at night, especially when your face had just made hard contact with the rough concrete.Dylan Haugland spat. A thick splash of red landed right next to Vance’s thousand-dollar leather boots. Standing around Vance, three other students stood with their arms crossed, wearing the exact same mocking smirks Dylan had grown all too familiar with during his past year at college."Is that all you got, Haugland?" Vance chuckled, kicking a stray pebble at Dylan, who was still slumped on the floor. "You worthless errand boy. We tell you to grab some coffee and do our calculus homework, and you decide to go on strike? You think you actually have a choice here?""Your mom’s a criminal, Dylan. A convict," a blonde guy named Tyler chimed in. "You should be grateful we even acknowledge your existence on this campus. If it weren't for us giving you stuff to do, you’d be nothing but useless trash."Dylan didn't say a word. His dark eyes stared stra