A few seconds later Jane's eyelids flickered open, her eyes gazing into Jack's. She creased her eyebrows, feeling pain from the bruises all over her body. There was also a contusion on the right side of her head, causing excruciating pain.Jack heaved a sigh of relief, saying, “It's good you're still alive. I was scared for a moment.”Jane’s eyes darted around, catching sight of the car which was some meters away from them. She groaned, asking, “You came… for me?”“Yes,” he replied. “I couldn't allow my personal assistant to die.”Jane inhaled and got up slowly, clutching her head in pain. She looked around, searching for the hardware flash drive she'd used as a bridge to copy Night Garden’s data. But there was no sign of it. Her pupils dilated, afraid her boss would berate her for that carelessness.“What's wrong?” Jack asked, narrowing his eyes.“The bridge…” she answered, lowering her head. “It's gone.”The statement almost shattered his heart, causing his facial muscles to twitch.

Puffs of smoke billowed out through the woods, bright crimson flames burning with hard crackles. Ten corpses lay on the ground, the flames licking at them. It was only a matter of time before they were reduced to ashes.Jack’s eyes drifted from Josh to the entire woods, resting finally on the Night Garden perched atop the plateau. Although it was at least a kilometer away, he could still see the resplendent light from the building and surroundings.A cold smile played at the end of his lips as he turned around. “Let's get out of here,” he said. “The others are definitely heading here.”The gunfight had lasted for five minutes, enough time for Winston's henchmen to rally themselves and head down to the woods. Hence, the best option was to leave the Night Garden's vicinity.It took a couple of seconds for Jack to realize his car had been destroyed. Bullet holes perforated its body, tyres burst and the engine was aflame. A thick acrid smoke trailed out of the bonnet, clogging up his brea

The SUV’s headlights glared through the night as the vehicle veered across the highway into Jack's estate. It didn't slow even when it approached the towering perimeter gates, its engine revving softly. The infrared sensors embedded in the stone pillars flared to life, detecting the massive heat signature and the heavy steady approach of the SUV. With a long hiss that echoed through the quiet acreage, the gates began to retract. The sensors were so advanced that the gates were fully opened before the SUV’s bumper reached the threshold. The vehicle didn't even have to tap the brakes as it surged onto the estate, its tyres transitioning to the silent, premium pavement of the long winding driveway.Behind them, the sensors registered that the ‘object’ had passed, and the heavy iron wings hissed shut, sealing the world out once again.Jane said to Jack, “I'll get professionals to reset this mansion’s system. We'd need biometrics instead of sensors from anyone…’“Yes, it makes sense,” Jack

Jack left the safehouse, escorted by Jane and Kate. He was driven to the mansion where he alighted from the vehicle and walked into the building. Jane followed him, while Kate drove back to the safehouse.After walking a few steps to his bedroom, Jack realized Jane was following him. She was walking so lightly, he didn't even hear her footsteps.Turning around, he asked, “Why are you following me, Jane? You're supposed to be resting.”“Your life is more important,” she replied. “We can't underestimate Winston or any of his allies… Even the most powerful people have been assassinated across history.”He opened his mouth to refute—to remind her it's only been a day since he humiliated Winston. When would the man find time to hire assassins? Then he realized he'd planned an infiltration a few hours later…So, he kept shut and nodded. “But don't overwork yourself,” he said. “If you feel tired from your task, you can tell me. We can always wait.”Jane felt something fuzzy and creased her b

The black sedan cut through the heavy downpour, its tyres splashing through oil-soaked puddles as it swerved into the industrial wasteland of the Gang District. The streetlights were like resplendent stars, illuminating the night. There were very few vehicles on the highway, the soft revving of the car echoing for dozens of meters.Winston sat in the back, his head resting against the cold glass. Every vibration of the car on the cracked asphalt was nightmarish, a jarring shockwave sent straight to his shattered jaw.He grimaced, touching his jaw with his right hand. “He really dared to arrest me…” he said in a muffled voice, feeling a sharp sting. “And the cops… they didn't dare accept my bribe.”He couldn't help but wonder what had gone wrong. He had people in the police, yet they had arrested him brazenly, asking him to leave his mansion for good. It seemed Jack had more powerful allies than he did, even though he had been in the business for years.“I'll have to find out what make