The room fell silent."I don't recognize you."The voice was calm. Too calm. It was the distinct kind of calm that usually belonged to incredibly dangerous people.Sawyer slowly turned around. The moment he saw the man standing in the doorway, he understood something immediately, this wasn't a merchant, this wasn't a clerk, and this definitely wasn't an ordinary guard.The man carried himself differently. He carried himself like a soldiera real one. He stood nearly a head taller than most men, possessing broad shoulders and a powerful, conditioned build. Several faded scars crossed his face, one ran jaggedly from his jaw to his temple, while another disappeared beneath his high collar. His leather-gloved hand rested casually on the hilt of a heavy sword. He wasn't acting threatening, nor did he seem nervous. He looked entirely comfortable, as if violence was something he dealt with every single day.Wang swallowed hard. Even Chi looked profoundly uneasy, which was saying something, th

The journey back to the Vance Estate was quiet far quieter than usual. Even Wang had stopped talking, which was perhaps the clearest sign that tonight had changed everything.The Midnight Market had been shocking enough, but the records had been worse. And the name hidden within those stolen ledgers... that changed the entire situation.The eastern sky was beginning to brighten when they finally arrived. The estate gates swung open immediately, Victor had clearly been waiting. The merchant was standing in the courtyard, still fully dressed, still awake, and still pacing.The moment he spotted them, relief flashed across his face, followed immediately by sharp irritation. "Do you know what time it is?"Wang blinked. "We almost died.""I was worried.""We almost died."Victor pointed a finger at him. "And whose fault was that?"Wang opened his mouth, then closed it, because he genuinely wasn't sure.The brewing argument ended abruptly when Victor noticed Sawyer's expression. The young m

Three days after the Midnight Market incident, Elena Vance was furious.Not visibly. Not loudly. Not in the explosive, dramatic way Wang threw a fit when a street vendor overcharged him for a bowl of noodles.No. Her anger was a silent, suffocating ice.It was the kind of rage that didn't scream. It waited in the dark, biding its time for the perfect, lethal opportunity.Someone had tried to take her life.It wasn't because of a deeply rooted personal hatred, an old family grudge, or a thirst for poetic vengeance. It was worse. They had targeted her simply because she was useful. A convenient pawn on a grand chessboard. A tactical target meant to break her father's resolve.The sheer arrogance of it infuriated her.Which was exactly why she now found herself sitting across from Sawyer in the dimly lit study of the Vance Estate, buried alive under a mountain of paperwork. Ledgers, trade reports, and merchant records were piled so high they could have suffocated a small army.Wang stare

Chapter 59 - Ghost MerchantThe merchants weren't complaining about empty shelves, shipping delays, or the outrageous price of imported silks.They were complaining about each other.Rumors had officially become Kanada City's newest, most volatile commodity.Every crowded marketplace stall. Every fragrant tea house. Every smoky tavern. Every dusty caravan stop on the city's outskirts. People were huddled together, shoulders hunched, whispering frantically about the exact same thing.Someone... was systematically manipulating the entire trade economy."What do you mean the Southern Route isn't actually dangerous?" An elderly spice merchant frowned across his wooden display stall, his hands pausing over a sack of crushed cumin.His customer leaned closer over the counter, darting a nervous look over his shoulder before lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "My cousin just came back yesterday through the valley. He said there weren't any bandits out there. He swears there neve

The morning after discovering the Alliance’s hidden warehouse, Sawyer did absolutely nothing.He didn’t sneak inside under the cover of darkness. He didn’t sabotage another high-value shipment. He didn’t even tell Victor to gather his personal guards.Instead... he drank tea.Wang stared at him, his expression a mix of sheer disbelief and growing anxiety, as if convinced the man had completely lost his mind."Aren't we supposed to be doing something?" Wang finally burst out, pacing the floor.Sawyer calmly lifted the ceramic cup, taking a slow, deliberate sip. "We are.""I don't see anything.""That's because you're looking at my hands."Wang frowned, crossing his arms. "What should I be looking at, then?"A faint, dangerous smile played on Sawyer's lips. "The city."For the past month, Sawyer had been quietly investigating the inner workings of the Voss Alliance. Then, he had started attacking their supply lines, striking them from the shadows.But now? Now it was time to make the en