The next afternoon, Leo Vance stood inside a lavish executive office in the downtown district, standing before a massive desk. Sitting behind it was his uncle, Thomas Vance, the senior director of the Vance Corporate Group and a major ally to the Windgate family."Uncle," Leo said, bowing his head respectfully. "I wanted to update you on our progress regarding the village boy. The hunt is moving smoothly. I have successfully planted a desperate student right next to him. The target is being monitored twenty-four hours a day."Thomas Vance leaned back in his leather chair, blowing a thick cloud of cigar smoke into the air. "Good. Matt is losing his mind over this kid, Leo. The Windgate family is putting massive pressure on us to handle this quietly. If the boy is as strong as the reports say, we cannot afford a public brawl that involves the Smiths. Is your puppet reliable?""Completely," Leo smiled wickedly. "He's terrified, greedy, and completely trapped. I just handed him the toxin

The hanging lightbulb in the freezing underground dungeon swung back and forth. Samuel lay on the cold floor, gasping for breath. His body was covered in pain. His nose was broken, and dark red blood ran down his face, staining his torn clothes. He couldn't see well because his glasses had been smashed.Matt Windgate stood over him, wiping his hands with a cloth. He looked bored and disgusted. Next to him stood Leo Vance, who had a cruel smile on his face.Samuel rolled over, holding his aching ribs. He coughed up blood. "Please..." he whimpered. "Please, Matt... no more. I will do whatever you want. Just don't hurt my family. Leave my mother alone."Matt looked down at him with pure hatred. He dropped the dirty cloth onto Samuel’s chest. For a second, he raised his fist to strike again. Samuel flinched and pulled his knees to his chest, waiting for the blow.But Matt stopped. He let out a cold sigh and turned to Leo. "Look at him. If I hit him again, he will end up in the hospital. A

Three days passed quickly. The countdown was ticking away. Three days left.Samuel had spent every afternoon sitting with Mike and Baron, pretending to be a quiet, studious friend. He listened to them talk about classes and normal things. He realized, with a wave of guilt, that Baron was actually a good person. He was polite, and he had even helped Mike with a hard math problem the day before.But every time Samuel closed his eyes, he remembered Matt’s threats. He heard the promise of his mother and sister dying. I have no choice, he told himself. It’s his life or my family's.It was a busy Friday afternoon. The campus cafe was packed with students laughing and talking. The noise was very loud, providing the perfect cover.Baron, Mike, and Samuel sat at a small table in the back corner. In the middle of the table was an open plastic bottle of green tea that Baron had been drinking. It was his favorite drink while studying."Man, this assignment is impossible," Mike groaned, dropping h

"Oh, yeah, definitely! I’ll be right back," Mike said, completely buying the story. He turned around and quickly ran out of the cafe to get the water.The moment Mike was out of sight, the friendly look on Baron’s face vanished. He stood up, reached down, and grabbed Samuel tightly by the arm. He hoisted the crying boy to his feet as if he weighed nothing at all."Walk," Baron commanded coldly.Baron dragged the hysterical Samuel out the back door of the cafe and straight into a dark, secluded alleyway. The walls were tall brick, blocking out the sun, and the ground was dirty. The moment they were deep in the alley, Baron threw Samuel against the wall.Samuel slid down the bricks, covering his face with his arms. He was shaking violently, expecting Baron to use his cosmic strength to crush his skull right then and there."I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Samuel screamed out, the raw truth bursting from his lungs. He couldn't keep it inside anymore. The psychological pressure had broken him comp

Before Matt could even scream or run, the dark forest was suddenly illuminated by a blinding flash of white light.The roar of powerful engines echoed through the trees. From every single direction, a dozen massive, black tactical SUVs tore through the brush, circling the clearing. They slammed their brakes, creating an airtight perimeter around Matt, Leo, and the boulder. Their high-intensity high-beams flashed on all at once, completely blinding Matt and Leo, pinning them in a spotlight of pure white glare.The heavy armored doors of the lead SUV flew open. A squad of professional private security forces, armed to the teeth with high-grade tactical gear, stepped out, forming a wall of steel around the perimeter.Then, from the passenger seat of the main vehicle, a figure walked out into the light.It was Juliana Smith. She was dressed in a sharp coat, her expression cold, resolute, and completely furious. She didn't look like a victim anymore. She walked with the authority of the S