The hospital was unusually quiet when Marcus returned.The bright lights in the hallway reflected against the polished floor as he walked toward Williams’s room.His mind was still occupied with the conversation he had just had with Patricia.He had expected her to be difficult.He had expected denial.But he hadn’t expected her to remain exactly the same.After everything. Even After nearly losing her husband.She still cared more about pride than the truth.Why wouldn't her just given me want I wanted.Marcus stopped outside the room for a moment.Trying to fix his face.., trying to remove the disappointment all over his face.Through the small glass window on the door, he could see Williams lying on the bed.The older man looked weaker than before.He wondered if he would ever be strong again.But he was alive.And somehow, that mattered more than anything else.Marcus opened the door quietly.Williams’s eyes opened almost immediately.A tired smile appeared on his face.The smile

The streets were almost deserted.Marcus drove in silence while Sophie sat in the passenger seat.Neither of them spoke.The only sound inside the car was the steady hum of the engine.For Sophie, the silence was unbearable.Once upon a time, Marcus would have filled moments like this with conversation.He would have asked if she was comfortable.He would have reached for her hand at a red light.He would have smiled at her for no reason at all.Now...He kept both hands on the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.It was as though she wasn't even there.Finally, she broke the silence."Marcus..."He didn't take his eyes off the road."Yes?""I'm really sorry."Marcus remained quiet for several seconds before answering."You've already said that.""I know.""But I don't think you believe me."Marcus.. we shared something…even tonight, I could feel that you want me.Marcus let out a slow breath."I believe you're sorry."Her face brightened for the briefest moment."But bei

The moment they reached the car, neither of them spoke.Marcus waited until they had driven several streets away before finally slowing down.Only then did he let out a long breath."We were lucky."Sophie nodded."My mother almost caught us."Marcus's eyes remained on the road."No."His voice was calm."We weren't lucky."Sophie looked at him."We made a mistake."She frowned."What mistake?"Marcus tightened his grip on the steering wheel."I assumed the safe was the only thing your father wanted me to find."Sophie was confused."But wasn't it?"Marcus shook his head."No."He remembered Williams's exact words."Behind the painting, there is a small compartment."Williams had never actually said the evidence was inside the safe.He had only directed Marcus to the painting.Which meant...Marcus's eyes suddenly widened."I've been thinking about this the wrong way.""What do you mean?"Marcus pulled the car to the side of the road.He switched off the engine and turned to face her.

Morning came quietly. Quickly than expected.For the first time in days, Marcus had managed to sleep for more than a few hours.Not because his problems had disappeared.Neither the exhaustion he fells.He stood by the window of his apartment, coffee in one hand, watching the city slowly come alive.The day was beginning to get busy. So also were the thoughts in his mind.His thoughts returned to the locked drawer beneath the painting.A keypad. No key. No code.Whatever was inside had been protected deliberately.Someone had gone through great lengths to make sure it stayed hidden.His phone vibrated on the kitchen counter.Richard.Marcus answered immediately."Good morning, Grandfather.""You sound tired."Marcus smiled faintly."I've had better nights.""I heard about Williams."Marcus's expression grew serious."How is he?""The doctors say he's stable."Marcus released a quiet breath."That's good."Richard paused."I also heard you visited Mr. Williams residence."Marcus frowne

The conference room stayed silent long after Marcus made his promise. No one moved. No one spoke. His words seemed to hang in the air above the table, refusing to settle, and the tension in the room pressed down like something physical. Every board member had seen the headlines. Every one of them had heard the whispers circling the building for days. And every single person at that table understood, without needing to say it, just how much danger now surrounded Reid Corporation.Marcus stood at the head of the table, calm in a way that unsettled some of them more than panic would have. The newspaper still lay open in front of him, a small, silent reminder of the war waiting just beyond those walls.Finally, one of the older board members cleared his throat."Mr. Reid, with all due respect, this situation is becoming difficult." He hesitated, then pressed on. "It won't be solved by a promise alone. We have to do something about it."Marcus met his eyes without flinching.The man contin