By the time the lecture hall emptied out, a small crowd had already gathered around the main notice board in the hallway. Dean Rasheem Casey had personally pinned up a fresh sheet of paper, and in bold, unmistakable lettering, it listed the dates for the final examinations.Graduation was close now. Closer than it had ever felt before.Nelson stood in front of the board with his hands tucked into his pockets, staring at the date circled at the top of the page.Hibino wandered up beside him, staring at the same sheet."I guess we'll actually graduate soon," Hibino said, almost to himself. "And this'll all be over."Nelson nodded slowly. "Yeah… I'm running out of time, Hibz, I can feel it."Hibino turned to him, his easy expression shifting into something more guarded. "Running out of time for what?"They started walking, side by side, out of the building and into the afternoon sunlight and heat rays."My mom," Nelson said finally, his voice quieter than usual. "If I don't get her help

The city had already started shifting into its nighttime skin by the time they pulled out of the parking garage of Primas Geo building— neon signs flickering on one by one, the streets thinning of the usual daytime crowd and filling instead with the kind that only came out after dark. Nelson kept his eyes on the road, both of his hands steady on the wheel and his mind already several steps ahead."I really appreciate the idea of walking into anything without a plan," he said finally, breaking the silence that had settled over the car. "And right now, I don't have a single one… All I've got is 'confront Teca and Aldridge' and figure out the rest as it comes.""That's basically NO PLAN. But, it's my plan too," Hibino said from the passenger seat, cracking his knuckles like he was warming up for a physical confrontation. "Walk in, find the guy, remind him what happens when he messes with us."From the back seat, Maya leaned forward. "It's a fight club, Hibino. An underground one… That m

The days that followed the raid moved fast, each one stacking neatly on top of the last as the embassy deal finally started taking real shape.Nelson and Hibino personally extended the invitation to the King, and within a week, a small, exquisite convoy of black SUVs pulled up outside the Primas Geo Contractors building. Surprising to Nelson, it was considerably less flashy than the villa's fleet, but unmistakably royal all the same. The King came without Seraphina his wife this time, he was flanked only by two of his usual guards and the same business secretary Nelson had once cornered over the phone, but now he was looking noticeably more careful with his words in person.They gathered in the main conference room. Nelson, Hibino, Maya, the King, and his secretary took their time laying out contracts across the polished table. Numbers were debated back and forth for the better part of an hour: material costs, labor projections, timeline penalties, contingency margins. Maya handled m

For a moment, Nelson simply stood there, Dr. Ortega's hand still resting in his own while the noise of the ballroom behind him reduced to a distant and formless audio feedback, like sound pressed underwater."Nelson?" Maya's gentle voice cut through it first.He blinked, realizing he'd been holding the handshake a tiny bit too long than a normal handshake should take, and then he let go, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Sorry. It's… it's an honor, Dr. Ortega… Genuinely."Ortega's expression softened slightly, looking at Nelson, he could tell he was deeply troubled and his presence at the event meant the world to him. "Maya reached out to me a few hours ago," he said. "She was… very persistent. I don't usually make time for events like this while I'm in the city, but she made a fairly compelling case that persuaded me to come see you.""I only said what was true," Maya said quietly, and for the first time all night, her composure cracked just slightly at the edges; almost apologetic in

The waiting room at St. Marguerite's was so quiet that it pressed against your ears; soft classical music piped in from somewhere overhead, plush chairs arranged in tasteful clusters, a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the city skyline. Nelson had barely settled into one of the chairs, Irene curled up beside him with her knees pulled to her chest, when a nurse in crisp white scrubs approached and asked him to step down to the front desk to finalize payment arrangements before the procedure could officially proceed.Nelson nodded, patted Irene's shoulder, and made his way down to the lobby.It wasn't until he was standing at the marble reception counter, reaching automatically for his wallet, that the realization hit him like a slap.He'd left his card at home.In the chaos of getting his mother here — the rushed morning, Irene subbing in the passenger seat, his own mind spinning through worst-case scenarios — he'd grabbed his keys, his phone, and nothing else.The woman behind the