Kyle moved through the main room, keeping his shoulders loose, his steps unhurried, and his eyes scanning without staring. The low murmur of conversation washed over him—soft laughs, the quiet click of ice in crystal, the occasional scrape of a chair leg against polished stone. Nathan stayed half a pace behind, matching the pace, both of them trying to look like they had every right to be there.A server in a black waistcoat drifted past with a tray. Kyle took a short glass of amber liquid and a thin cigar without breaking stride. Nathan did the same. They found an empty pair of leather chairs near a low table and sat, the seats accepting their weight with a soft sigh. Kyle rested the glass on one knee and slipped the other hand into his pocket, fingers brushing the edge of the gold card. The cigar stayed unlit between two fingers. He did not raise it to his mouth.The room breathed around them. At the far tables men in tailored jackets leaned in over papers or cards. A woman with

Kyle’s recognition hit him hard. His eyes widened and the words he had been about to speak died in his throat. Harlan Voss. The name alone was enough to freeze him in place for a full second.Nathan noticed only the sudden silence. He stepped forward, eyes fixed on Harlan.“You have no legal right to buy the secrets of another firm in your line of business," he said.Harlan’s eyes had stayed on Kyle the entire time. Now he chuckled softly and turned his attention to Nathan.“And on what authority are you telling me this?”“It doesn’t matter the authority,” Nathan answered at once. “If you proceed with this deal, Transcorp will press charges.”Harlan laughed softly again. "I see."The thread that had been holding Raymond's anger suddenly snapped, and he slammed a hand down on the table hard enough to rattle the crystal.“This is bullshit!”He shoved his chair back and rose to his full height, locking eyes with Nathan. “If you don’t get the hell out of my space right now, I’ll shove y

The courtyard went still.Kyle slowly nodded once, the name settling into place like a missing gear finally locking.James. Of course. He shared a single glance with Adrian, then nodded again.“Let’s go,” he said.They turned together and walked toward the waiting car without looking back. Behind them Raymond stood frozen, the gun still raised but suddenly purposeless, and the night air cooling the sweat on his ruined face.Nathan had the rear doors open before they reached the vehicle. Kyle slid in first, Adrian right behind him. The doors shut with solid thumps. Nathan quickly put the car in gear and pulled smoothly away from the curb, tires whispering over the stone.Only when they had joined the thicker flow of nighttime traffic did Nathan speak. His eyes stayed on the road, but his voice carried an edge.“What the hell just happened back there?”Adrian gave a short, dry chuckle. “We pressed him until he told us who was really behind the deal.”Kyle nodded. “That’s right.”Nath

Still dumbfounded, James could only watch as the bruised and battered Raymond shoved past him into the apartment. The wooden bat tapped lightly against Raymond’s open palm with each step, a slow, deliberate rhythm that filled the quiet space. Then Raymond turned, filling the narrow hallway, one eye nearly swollen shut, and lip dark with dried blood. The rest of his face was a map of fresh purple and yellow.James finally found his voice. “What the hell is going on?”Raymond cursed under his breath, the sound low and guttural. He let the bat drop with a dull clatter against the hardwood. "You bastard!" he roared as he lunged at James. His thick hands closed around James’s collar and drove him backward until his shoulders slammed hard into the wall. Foam from the toothpaste still clung to the corner of James’ mouth, and Raymond’s breath was hot against his face.“I swear to God,” Raymond snarled, “I’ll make you feel extraordinary pain right now if you don’t tell me the goddamn tru

Where could she be at this hour?Kyle pulled out his phone, thumb already hovering over her contact, when the screen lit with a missed voice message. The timestamp was from just after nine. He played it, and Eleanor’s voice came through quiet and steady. “Kyle… I’ve gone to see my therapist. I won’t be coming home tonight. Don’t wait up.”The message ended. He lowered the phone and stared at the darkened hallway.Guilt settled in fast and heavy. He had walked out that morning without asking a single real question. And he had judged her ownsership of the card without seeking proper explanation.Now, he wanted more than anything to call her. Instead, he locked the phone, set it on the kitchen counter, and forced himself upstairs. Tomorrow morning would be better. He would speak to her then, face to face.Later, when the house had gone completely still and he finally closed his eyes, Dora’s face rose behind his lids. Olivia’s words from earlier also echoed with uncomfortable clarity.