Arthur Hale sat behind his massive desk, staring at the information his investigators had gathered on Conor Grey.The file was strangely incomplete.Almost suspiciously incomplete.No meaningful employment history.No significant business records.No traceable source of wealth.No powerful relatives.No political connections.No obvious reason for the confidence he had displayed in front of the Hale Family.Arthur slowly flipped through the pages again.Nothing.It was as if Conor Grey had simply appeared out of nowhere.Arthur frowned.“Find everything.”His eldest son, Daniel, stood nearby with a puzzled expression.“Father, he’s just Olivia Nelson’s husband.”Arthur looked up.“Just?”Daniel hesitated.“I mean… he’s not from an influential family. He’s not a prominent businessman. As far as I know, he’s an ordinary man.”Arthur leaned back.“An ordinary man doesn’t sit in front of me while my bodyguards surround him and behave as though he’s sitting in his own living room.”Daniel

That night, far from the lights and noise of Golden Sparrow City, a black vehicle stopped outside a secluded private residence.The house stood alone behind tall iron gates.No nearby buildings.No visible guards.No signs that anyone lived there.The woman who stepped out of the vehicle wore a long black coat and carried a small leather case.She entered the house without knocking.Inside, a middle-aged man was waiting in a dimly lit study.The moment he saw her, he stood.“You’re late.”“I had to make sure I wasn’t followed.”The man frowned.“Were you?”“No.”She walked toward the desk and placed the leather case on it.The man stared at her.“What did you find?”The woman opened the case.Then she pulled out a photograph.She placed it face down on the table.The man looked at it suspiciously.“What is that?”“You should look.”He slowly turned the photograph over.The moment he saw the face, the color drained from his expression.His fingers tightened around the photograph.“No…”

The Norman Family’s collapse accelerated faster than anyone had expected. By noon, the first official notice arrived. Mark was in his office when his secretary rushed inside, her face pale. “Sir!” Mark looked up impatiently. “What is it?” She placed an envelope on his desk. “The bank.” Mark frowned. “What about it?” “They’ve frozen the family’s accounts.” His expression changed. “What?” “The notice came this morning.” Mark snatched the document from her hands and read it. His face gradually turned pale. “This can’t be right.” The secretary lowered her voice. “They said it’s effective immediately.” Mark slammed the paper onto the desk. “Call them.” “We already did.” “And?” “They refused to discuss it.” Mark stared at her. “Refused?” “They said the decision came from their senior management.” His jaw tightened. “Get me the bank director.” “He won’t take your call.” Mark stood abruptly. “Then get someone who will!” “Yes, sir.” The secretary hurried out.

Conor received the report later that night.He sat quietly in his study, one hand resting against the arm of his chair while Nick stood before him.“So,” Conor said calmly, “Carl and Emma are planning to fabricate evidence against Olivia.”“Yes, Boss.”Conor didn’t look angry.Instead, a faint smile appeared on his lips.“Let them continue.”Nick frowned.“Are you sure?”“Completely.”“They’re targeting Olivia.”“I know.”“They could cause serious damage if they release those documents.”Conor picked up his cup.“They won’t.”Nick stared at him.“How can you be so certain?”“Because they’re desperate.”Conor took a slow sip.“Desperate people make mistakes.”Nick nodded.“So you want us to monitor them?”“Monitor them.”“Nothing else?”“Nothing.”Nick hesitated.“Should Phoenix investigate the people helping them?”“No.”“Should we stop the financial manipulation before it begins?”“No.”Nick looked surprised.“Boss…”Conor placed the cup down.“Do not interfere.”Nick understood imme

Phoenix continued digging into the mysterious financial activity surrounding the Norman Family.By late afternoon, Nick returned to Conor’s study with a grim expression.“Boss, we found something.”Conor looked up from his tea.“What is it?”“Someone has been secretly purchasing the Norman Family’s debts.”Conor’s expression remained indifferent.“Who?”“That’s the problem.”Nick placed a tablet on the desk.“The buyer is anonymous.”Conor glanced at the screen.“Anonymous?”“Yes. The purchases are being made through different financial institutions, and the funds are passing through several shell companies.”“How many?”“We’ve identified nineteen so far.”Conor raised an eyebrow.“Nineteen?”“And we’re not finished.”Nick swiped across the screen.“Every company has a different registered director, different addresses, and different banking arrangements.”“But they’re connected.”“Yes.”“How?”“The money.”Nick opened another document.“We followed the transactions backward.”Conor l