“This can't be possible," Nelson muttered, his voice dropping into a low, gravelly register that barely carried over the steady hum of the store's refrigeration units. "Why the hell does everything keep getting harder the closer we get?” Nelson’s hands tightened into white-knuckled fists against the worn surface of the counter. The veins along the backs of his hands and up his forearms rose, bulging under his skin as his blood pressure spiked. The ambient noise of the 24-hour convenience store—the low buzz of fluorescent lighting, the distant hum of traffic from the avenue, the rustle of plastic packaging—instantly faded into a dull, insignificant blur. His mind entirely narrowed down to a single, frustrating reality: every calculated move he made was being met with an immediate, exhausting roadblock. The trail wasn't just cold; it was buried under layers of deception. The young cashier looked at him, her eyes softening slightly as she took in the sheer desperation etched into h

*Ding-dong.* The clear, melodic chime echoed through the high stone archway. Nelson stood squarely in front of a massive, heavily paneled wooden door that looked like it belonged to a historic fortress rather than a residential building. The reinforced edges of the dark oak speak volumes of generational wealth; the intricate, hand-crafted scrollwork running along the perimeter highlights an ancient prosperity that time cannot erode. This was not the flash-in-the-pan luxury of modern corporate skyscrapers; this was old, untouchable power. He pressed the illuminated bronze doorbell once more, then stepped back onto the granite welcome mat. He waited for several seconds, the silence of the estate stretching out uncomfortably, before turning his head toward John. His partner was standing just half a step behind him, an image of absolute calm and elegant readiness, his long coat draped perfectly over his broad shoulders. “I hope we are at the right location, John,” Nelson murmured, his

“That’s right Nelson. Karlus has done enough and if nobody stops him now things will only get worse from here. Every day that man sits in that seat is another day he uses it to destroy everything your father spent his whole life building.” Nelson rubbed his chin slowly. The whole thing was settling in his mind piece by piece and none of it was landing in a comfortable place. He came into this house with one plan and was now sitting with something much bigger and much heavier than he had prepared himself for. He leaned back in the chair pressure hitting him every second John leaned close to his ear and spoke in a low voice, the warmth of the coffee still on his breath. “Sir. What about Edmund? That was the reason we made this trip.” Nelson blinked and sat up slightly. He had not forgotten Edmund but everything Mrs Salvador had just told him about Nathan had pushed everything else sideways in his head. A brother. His own blood was sitting behind prison walls for something Karlus

“Sir are you not going to rest at all? It is almost 12:00 and we have a lot to cover tomorrow. You need to at least close your eyes for a few hours.”Nelson laughed quietly without looking up from where he was sitting. He had been in that same position for a while now, his mind working through things that sleep could not compete with.“I hear you John. I understand what you are saying and I appreciate it. But I have to think this through properly because the decisions I am about to make are not small ones. Some of them might cost me more than I am ready to lose. Maybe everything I have left.”John sat up slowly from the bed and looked at him. Really looked at him. The kind of look that goes past the surface of a person and tries to read what is actually going on underneath.“Sir is it really necessary to go that far? I have watched you carry a lot since all of this started. More than most men would still be standing under. But sometimes the smartest thing a person can do is recognise

“This must be the building.” John slowed the car as they pulled up in front of a structure that looked like it had been built from the ground up by technology. Sleek and modern, the kind of building that announced itself without trying too hard. Nelson looked down at the camera sitting in the bag on his lap then looked back up at the logo fixed high above the entrance. Same design. Same mark. “That is definitely it. Let us go in.” They stepped out of the car and walked toward the entrance together. As they pushed through the doors different surveillance cameras rotated toward them from various angles around the ceiling and walls. It made sense for a company that built cameras for a living but it did not make it comfortable. John dropped his chin slightly and kept his face angled away from the lenses without making it obvious. “I do not like all these cameras pointing at us sir.” The building was still quiet. Not all staff had arrived yet. Just, a few ones — the person holding do