Gregory leaned back in his wheelchair and let out a slow breath.“He’s panicking,” he murmured to Isabella. “Robert thinks he’s cleaning up a mess, but every move he makes just leaves more evidence behind.”Isabella smiled faintly, admiration in her eyes.“He thinks he’s going after a broken man. He has no idea who’s watching him.”Across town, the SUV sped through the afternoon traffic.Julian kept his sedan three cars behind, using a delivery van to block their view. Eleanor sat beside him with a digital camera and a long lens. Whenever traffic slowed, she took pictures of the SUV’s license plate and the driver through the tinted window.“They’re not heading for the highway,” Eleanor said, checking the GPS on her phone. “If they wanted to take him out of the city, they would’ve used the northern expressway. They’re heading east, toward the commercial district.”“They want to move him somewhere crowded,” Julian said, keeping his eyes on the road. “It’ll be easier to move him without

The two-bedroom apartment on the second floor of the old brick building was quiet. It was already 12:45 a.m.In the living room, Mia sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her phone screen. The $500,000 balance notification was still there, glowing against the darkness.Beside her, her mother was sound asleep, exhausted after two days of endless crying.Mia took a deep breath and reached for her suitcase to finish packing her clothes.Gregory had told her to leave the city that night, but her mother had been too weak to travel. They had decided to take the early morning train instead.Thump.Mia froze.It wasn’t a loud sound, but in the silence of the night, it sounded like a heavy iron pipe hitting the door.She held her breath and slowly turned her eyes toward the front door at the end of the short hallway.Thump. Thump. Thump.Three slow, deliberate knocks echoed through the small apartment.They came at even intervals.Too calm.Too deliberate.This wasn’t a neighbor.And no ordin

The image of Maya lying on her living room rug, with her helpless baby crying just a few feet away, refused to leave Gregory’s mind.Robert didn’t just play dirty. He killed anyone who stood in his way without thinking twice.Thomas was dead.Maya was dead.Another innocent life had been cut short just to protect a rich man’s secret.Gregory’s hands tightened around the armrests of his wheelchair. The phantom pain in his severed left leg returned, but it was nothing compared to the rage burning in his chest.The old Gregory Watson—the patient, forgiving man who had sacrificed his career and dignity for a family built on lies—was gone. In his place was a man who would make Robert and Alice pay for every drop of blood they had spilled.“Julian.”Isabella’s voice broke the heavy silence.She walked quickly into the study, holding her phone, her brows furrowed in disbelief. She didn’t sit down. Instead, she stood beside Gregory’s wheelchair and turned the screen toward him.“You need to s

Shortly after, Gregory met Adrian Smith at a restaurant. They sat in a quiet corner, away from the other customers.Adrian reached into his briefcase and pulled out several sealed medical reports, investigator logs, and audio transcripts. He spread them across the table, his expression unusually serious.“I promised you I’d investigate everything surrounding your accident, your hospital stay, and Carnegie’s network,” Adrian began.“We pulled footage, subpoenaed pharmacy records from the night of the crash, and questioned three former staff members from the hospital where you were treated.”Gregory folded his arms and leaned back slightly. “Did you find a direct link to Robert’s fixers?”“Well, we found something far worse,” Adrian said.Gregory shifted in his seat, his curiosity growing.“Thomas’s attack caused severe spinal trauma and localized nerve damage. But the aggressive necrosis… the reason they gave for amputating your left leg?”Gregory’s expression changed immediately. His

Before David could turn Gregory’s wheelchair toward the exit, Gregory raised a hand. He had been silent until Giselle approached him again.“A three-year contract with Sovereign isn’t as guaranteed as you think, Giselle,” Gregory said, his tone unbothered. “Their legal board reviews a candidate’s background, personal conduct, and executive alignment down to the last detail before any money moves.”Giselle froze in her tracks, snapping her head toward the corner. She let out a sharp, incredulous laugh as she smoothed the thin strap of her emerald dress over her shoulder.“Are you actually trying to give me career advice, Gregory?” Giselle stepped back toward his table, leaning down until her heavy perfume filled the space between them. “In case your little brain hasn’t caught up with how the real world works, my cousin is a senior director in Sovereign’s talent acquisition division. She practically runs the screening board.”Her friends followed after her, crossing their arms with snee