CiroThe room became unusually quiet the moment Mr. Hawkings finished signing his name, and for a few seconds, nobody said anything as the ink settled on the paper, making the agreement official.I looked down at the signature, then calmly reached for the contract and pulled it toward myself.The first part was done.The hardest part, however, was still ahead of me.I needed the Herb.Money had never been the problem, not really, and although one billion dollars was enough to make most people hesitate before spending it, I had already made peace with the amount before walking into this house, because there was only one thing I cared about right now, and that was getting what could save Natasha.I closed the folder.“Good,” I said quietly. “Then we’re done with the agreement.”Mr. Hawkings nodded, although I could see the tension still written across his face.“I suppose we are.”“You’ll receive the money immediately,” I continued. “The debt to the Reynolds family will be settled today

CiroThe man’s words hung in the air for a few seconds.“You’ve made a mistake.”I looked at him calmly.“Taking the Herb?”He didn’t answer.I walked closer until I was standing directly in front of him, then I looked at the other two men who were being held by Gregory’s men.“You came after me, followed me all the way here, and now you’re telling me that I made a mistake?”The man swallowed.“You don’t understand what that Herb is.”“I understand enough to know that you want it.”His eyes shifted toward the black case Catherine was holding.That was all the confirmation I needed.I turned toward Gregory.“Search them.”Gregory nodded.His men searched the three men thoroughly, taking their phones, wallets, and anything else they found on them.One of the phones immediately caught my attention.“Give me that.”Gregory handed it to me.The screen was still unlocked.I went through the recent calls first.There were several numbers, but one appeared repeatedly.I showed it to Catherine

I remained silent for a long time.The room had suddenly become too quiet, and even though everyone was waiting for me to say something, I couldn’t bring myself to speak immediately.Alexander Vale was dead.That was something I knew for certain.So how was a company that belonged to him being used to search for the Herb?I looked at the investigator.“Are you absolutely certain this company belonged to him?”“Yes, sir. We checked the registration documents, financial records and archived ownership papers. The company was established by Alexander Vale himself.”“When did it stop operating?”“Officially, fifteen years ago.”“Officially?”The man nodded.“According to the government records, the company was dissolved after his death, but we found financial movements connected to it several years after he died.”I frowned.“Someone kept it alive.”“Yes, sir.”Catherine folded her arms.“Then whoever did that must have known about Vale’s connection to the Herb.”“Exactly,” I said.She loo

The moment I stepped out of the facility, I knew I couldn’t afford to waste any more time.Forty-eight hours.That was all they had given me.I didn’t know who they were, I didn’t know what Blackwood was, and I still didn’t understand why my grandfather’s name kept appearing whenever I got closer to the truth, but I knew one thing for certain, whoever was behind this had made the biggest mistake of their lives by bringing Natasha into it.Gregory was already waiting beside the car when I walked toward him.“Supreme Regent.”“Is Natasha still at the hospital?”“Yes, sir.”“Has anything changed?”“No. Her condition is stable for now.”I stopped.“For now?”Gregory hesitated.“The doctors said her condition could deteriorate at any time.”I looked away for a moment.I already knew that.That was why I had been willing to spend a billion dollars without hesitation, why I had taken risks that I normally wouldn’t take and why I had walked directly into a situation I barely understood.I nee

Ciro had never driven so fast in his life, and it had nothing to do with the traffic or the possibility of arriving late at the hospital. He had spent years preparing himself for almost every kind of threat, but the thought of someone standing outside Natasha’s room while she lay unconscious was enough to make his hands tighten around his phone until his knuckles turned pale.“Gregory, how long?” he asked.“Seven minutes, Supreme Regent.”“Make it five.”Gregory glanced at him through the rearview mirror but said nothing. He knew better than to ask questions when Ciro spoke in that tone, especially when the matter concerned Natasha.Ciro opened the photograph again. The man in the dark suit stood beside the door to Natasha’s room, his face turned slightly toward a nurse who appeared to be answering one of his questions. There was nothing particularly threatening about his appearance. He looked like a wealthy visitor, perhaps a businessman who had come to see a patient, but Ciro had le