For several long moments Sebastian stayed silent, staring at his father's emotional letter in his hand. The rain outside continued tapping against the window but inside the room it was only silence.His eyes returned to the sentence that had struck him the hardest.I would rather have a son who hates me than a son who dies because of my mistake. His vision blurred slightly. As a child, David Kane had never been an affectionate father.He wasn't the type to hug him after school or shower him with praise. Instead, he taught through actions.“Always check twice before believing once.”“Facts don't care about opinions.”“The easiest answer is usually the one someone wants you to believe.”At that time Sebastian had thought they were simply lessons from an investigator but now…He wondered if his father had been preparing him for something far bigger. His fingers tightened around the letter.“You already knew this day would come…” Sebastian's voice cracked as he got all emotional.The real

“..Mr. Kane…someone else came asking for Box 417 this morning.”For a brief moment, Sebastian forgot to breathe. His fingers tightened around the brass key resting on the marble counter. “What did you just say?”The gray- haired bank manager studied him carefully before motioning toward a private office.“Please, this is not a conversation we should have in the lobby.”Sebastian hesitated only a second before following. The office door clicked shut behind them, muffling the sounds of the bank outside.The manager remained standing. “My name is Arthur Collins,”he said calmly. “I have managed this branch for twenty-three years.”Sebastian nodded but remained silent as Arthur continued.“At eight forty this morning, a gentleman arrived requesting access to Safety Deposit Box 417.”Sebastian's heartbeat quickened. “Did he have the key?”Arthur nodded once. “He did.”Sebastian instinctively touched the brass key in his pocket. “So…he had a copy.”Arthur frowned. “A Copy?”Sebastian immedi

The Black Sedan disappeared into afternoon traffic without once looking back. Sebastian still stood on the sidewalk, watching until it vanished between the buildings. Beside him, Evelyn folded her arms.“They were not trying to kill you.”Sebastian glanced at her. “You sound certain about it.”“They have had dozens of opportunities already.” She adjusted the strap of her satchel. “People who intend to eliminate someone don't usually announce their presence first.”That somehow matched his own conclusion. First the man outside his apartment, then the stranger sending him his photo and now this black sedan. Sebastian had already noticed it all. Different people and their different methods. Some wanted him alive while someone else wanted to frighten him. Meanwhile, one person wanted him to avoid and forget about BOX 417.There were too many players who had already joined the game alongwith him still he had got no answers or response from any of them. Evelyn broke the silence between the

The first gunshot shattered the upper warehouse windows. The broken glass rained onto the concrete floor. Sebastian hid behind a thick support pillar as another bullet slammed into the rusted steel where he had been standing a few minutes ago.CRACK !The sound of the gunshot echoed through Warehouse 18 and it meant that whoever was outside wasn't firing wildly. Their every shot was controlled, professional and deliberate. The three asset hunters reacted to it instantly. The broad shoulder leader threw himself behind an overturned forklift while his two companions crawled behind stacks of old wooden pallets.“Sniper !” One of them shouted.“No…” the leader snapped after a quick glance toward the broken sunlight. “Two shooters.” He noticed.Sebastian frowned. “Two ?”Suddenly another bullet ripped through a hanging chain only a few feet away from his head. The metal links crashed onto the floor.As Sebastian's breath hitched witnessing death from an inch away from him but he tried to

The apartment was silent as Sebastian could hear his own breathing that time. He closed the door behind him, leaned against it for a moment and then slowly exhaled.The conversation with Nathan still replayed inside his head. He walked to his old couch and sat on it, closing his eyes for a brief moment.After that he emptied his pocket onto the small wooden table and finally his eyes landed on Nathan's sealed envelope. His eyes settled on the familiar handwriting across the front.For Sebastian.His chest tightened as he brushed his thumb across the unbroken red wax seal. Nathan hadn't opened it and that means whatever was inside had remained untouched since his father sealed it.For several long seconds he kept staring as opening the envelope felt strange like breaking the seal meant accepting his father would never speak to him again. His fingers trembled slightly and finally then he broke the seal.The first item that caught Sebastian's attention was a worn black notebook. Its leat