“What?” Kyle said, the single word sharp as he glanced once at Adrian in pure surprise. James’s voice came back steady and stripped of any remaining distortion. “Yes. And I can even go on to link you to the one who murdered her.” Kyle went still for a long moment. His hands stayed locked on the wheel, knuckles whitening, while the city lights slid past in blurred streaks. He took the turn that led toward Adrian’s street without speaking, the silence inside the car thick enough to press against the windows. Even James stayed quiet on the other end of the line until Kyle finally asked in a voice low and controlled, “What do you want in return for this? And why do you think I should trust you?” A dry chuckle drifted through the speakers. “I don’t want trust from you, Kyle. We’ve known each other long enough for me to know you’d never give it.” “Yeah,” Kyle replied dryly. “You got that right.” James continued in a tone that was almost conversational. “Look. We both don’t like

The small smile that had been on Marcus’ face thinned until it nearly vanished. For a moment, the only movement between them was the faint shift of traffic noise from the street. Then the smile returned, wider this time, though it never quite reached his eyes. "Alright," he said as he reached into the inner pocket of his coat, drew out a plain white business card, and held it out.Kyle took it.“I’ll be free by nine tomorrow night,” Marcus said. “Call me, and we can speak over dinner.” He leaned in slightly, voice dropping. “It better be worth my time.”With that he turned, raised his arm once more, and this time a taxi slid to the curb. He opened the rear door, stepped inside, and the vehicle pulled away into the flow of afternoon traffic.Kyle rolled the plain white business card between his fingers, turning it over and over as if the thin stock might somehow reveal more than the sparse black print already offered. The card still carried a faint warmth from the man’s pocket, an

Dora continued after a moment, heaving a long, weary sigh that lifted her shoulders and let them fall again. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear with the back of her hand, eyes fixed on the half-empty plate between them.“Lena Park is reluctant to offer any settlement to the attorneys on the other side,” she said. “And that's because they happen to have a history of making settlements eventually go public. So the case will drag on. And…” She paused, shaking her head slightly, the corners of her mouth tightening. “This is one case I have high chances of losing.”She fell quiet again, the silence stretching until she lifted her gaze and offered him a small, crooked smile that never quite reached her eyes.“I would never measure up to your mother’s shoes,” she added softly.Kyle reached across the table and gently took her hand. His fingers closed around hers with careful pressure, thumb brushing once across her knuckles. The warmth of her skin was steady against his palm.“This

The lights in Vivian's office burned steadily against the dark glass of the windows, throwing long reflections across the polished floor.Outside, the city had thinned to scattering headlights and the distant glow of office towers still awake. But inside, the air smelled of coffee gone cold and the faint metallic tang of overworked electronics.Since the Zintech partnership had gone public, a steady stream of high net-worth investors had poured inquiries, term sheets, and preliminary capital commitments into Vivian Group.Expansion plans now included securing additional warehouse space on the industrial outskirts, fast-tracking the hiring of mid-level operation managers, reviewing supplier contracts for the new silicon production line, and preparing a revised five-year projection for the board.The work was relentless, and most of the employees had spent days and nights working. But tonight, Vivian had given them all a break. Only she and James would work till dawn."Made a hell of a

Kyle looked away from Eleanor and heaved a long, heavy sigh. His mind raced backward through the night's meeting with James, from the low voices to the exchange of the envelope thick with cash, and to the cold details James had laid out once he received the money.He kept his gaze on the folded blanket in his hands, shoulders slightly hunched."Let's just say I got to do something I didn't want to," he said at last. "For someone I love."Eleanor remained silent for several seconds. Her hands rested in her lap, fingers loosely laced."And I can see you don't want to talk about it," she said in a near whisper.Kyle slowly nodded. "I guess I don't."Eleanor's mouth curved into a soft chuckle. She reached out and gently took the blanket from his hands, her fingers brushing his for a moment."I understand that," she said. Then she rose from the couch, the blanket draped over one arm. "So long as you don't do anything illegal, I'll wait until you're ready to speak."Kyle bit down on his low