The order to summon additional mercenaries had just been issued when the shrill blare of the air detector alarm in the corner of the command room screamed deafeningly.Callum immediately covered his nose with a handkerchief, staring at the ventilation panel that had begun spewing grayish smoke."Those people are really stubborn," Marcus muttered, pulling up the collar of his shirt to cover half of his face.The poisonous particles crept down the concrete walls, targeting the respiratory system of anyone trapped inside the room."I think this is a nerve toxin that was recently developed in secret by the Kane family's internal division," Callum said.Cowardly tactics like this had become an everyday occurrence from the Kane family's rebel faction, which refused to face their enemies head-on.Marcus grabbed a nearby metal chair and swung it into the main ventilation glass, smashing it to pieces.Shards of glass scattered across the floor, creating an opening for the airflow to sweep the

The echo of the wall clock's ticking in the cell block corridor rang out with agonizing slowness, accompanying the suffocating darkness that engulfed Quinn behind the iron bars.Around three hours after her arrest, the silhouette of a woman hurried down the deserted detention corridor.Selena wrapped her athletic figure in a dark gray business suit, disguising herself with the badge of a hired attorney pinned to the collar of her blouse.The formidable soldier stopped directly in front of Quinn's isolation cell, staring blankly at her mistress's pitiful condition through the rusted bars."Mrs. Quinn, please hold on. I came on behalf of your legal team," Selena whispered, lowering her voice.Quinn raised her pale face from where it rested on her knees, narrowing her eyes as she tried to recognize the stranger who had suddenly appeared carrying a glimmer of hope."You're from the company's law firm? Why didn't they send the head of the legal division here personally?" Quinn asked suspic

The sharp clink of coins striking the metal slot of the Eastmere Prison public payphone shattered the bleak silence of the inmates' recreation room.Quinn gripped the sticky plastic telephone receiver with her trembling hand.The woman dialed the long string of numbers she had memorized by heart, whispering a silent prayer just to hear her husband's baritone voice one more time.The ringing tone echoed for three seconds, making Quinn's heart pound painfully against her ribs.Yet instead of the warm greeting she had been longing for, the call was abruptly disconnected, replaced by the monotonous voice of an automated operator."The number you have dialed is currently out of service or has been permanently deactivated," the automated message declared, burying Quinn's hope alive.The receiver slipped from Quinn's grasp, swaying gently as it struck the wall of the phone booth.The tears she had been desperately holding back finally broke free, shattering the steadfast composure of the cor

The old judge adjusted his glasses as he stared at the stack of documents on his desk as though they were an irrefutable holy scripture."The court has heard all witness testimonies and examined the financial forensic evidence submitted by the prosecution," he declared."Your Honor, my client is entitled to be released on bail until we can present an independent auditor from the capital!" Quinn's lawyer argued desperately. "Every one of these transfer records has been manipulated and deliberately fabricated to frame Mrs. Quinn."The prosecutor laughed, straightening the collar of his suit as though he had just won an international lottery."What other auditor are you planning to bribe to cover up the corruption of this lowly executive, Counselor?" the prosecutor sneered. "The facts on the ground are already screaming the truth that the defendant used her position to steal the Sterling Company's funds.""Even our key witness has just provided a detailed account of the illegal flow of m

The private airport was almost deserted when Marcus and Callum walked toward the departure gate, with only the roar of the aircraft engines filling the silence of the night.Marcus had just finished taking care of his business in the capital, and the only thing on his mind now was returning to Eastmere as quickly as possible.To see his wife."Young Master Marcus."The voice forced him to stop before his foot touched the first step.He turned around and found Lucas, one of his father's trusted men, standing a few steps behind him, his breath slightly labored as if he had just run to catch up.Marcus narrowed his eyes . This was the same squad leader who had tried to stop him from going to Eastmare some time ago , and now he was doing it again.Lucas bowed briefly, respectfully before saying, "I have been tracking your whereabouts throughout the entire city all day."Marcus did not bother answering, even about to turn around when Lucas's voice once again stopped his movement."Master