The sound of shattering glass tore through the quiet night air as Daniel smashed the heavy metal briefcase directly through the car window. The driver shrieked in absolute terror, throwing his arms up to shield his face from the falling shards of sharp plastic and safety glass. His laptop flew off his lap, landing hard on the floor mats. In the driver's seat next to him, the second operative froze, his hands hovering over the gear shift, paralyzed by the sudden, violent attack. Daniel did not give them a single second to recover. He reached through the empty window frame, grabbed the driver by the collar of his jacket, and yanked him forward with sudden force. The man hit the metal frame of the door hard, gasping for breath as the cold air rushed into the car. "Who sent you?

The sudden blackout plunged the entire penthouse into absolute darkness, save for the faint, eerie glow of the phone screen still resting in Daniel's hand. At the end of the long hallway, the private elevator doors slid open smoothly. In the dim flicker of the emergency backup lights, a single figure stepped out into the open space. The sound of high heels clicking sharply against the polished floor echoed through the silent apartment like ticking clock hands counting down to disaster. Daniel did not move an inch. He kept his eyes locked on the dark hallway, his thumb brushing calmly over the unbranded black card in his pocket. The figure stepped closer, emerging from the shadows into the faint light coming from the floor-to-ceiling windows. It was Tricia.&nbs

The sound of the intercom crackling with static cut through the penthouse like a razor blade. Down in the lobby, heavy tactical vehicles smashed through the security gates in a cloud of thick gray smoke. Men in unmarked black armor poured out into the courtyard, raising heavy-duty breaching tools and automatic weapons toward the upper floors. The metallic voice on the speaker repeated its harsh demand: step out in five minutes or watch the entire building burn. Alexander gripped his communication device tightly, his face turning pale. "Young Master, they brought an entire tactical strike team. The perimeter defenses are already down. We need to move to the underground shelter immediately." Daniel did not panic. He s

The television screen in the boardroom flickered, showing live footage of a smoking armored transport truck in the middle of a crowded downtown intersection. Maya and Tricia stood side by side among the twisted metal and shattered glass, completely free from their handcuffs. Standing right beside them was a tall man in a clean gray suit, handing them both encrypted satellite phones. Daniel stared at the screen, his hand resting quietly on the edge of the mahogany table. He did not look surprised. He only looked focused. Alexander stepped closer, staring at the broadcast with a dark expression. "The federal prison transfer route was classified. Only someone with high-level clearance inside the ministry could have leaked the timing of that convoy." 

The sound of the elevator doors sliding open cut through the heavy silence of the atrium like a knife. Every eye in the room snapped toward the entrance. Standing inside the elevator car was an elderly man dressed in a traditional black robe embroidered with silver thread—the official uniform of the supreme elders from the global headquarters in Geneva. In his gloved hands, he held a heavy leather envelope stamped with the deep red wax seal of the absolute council. Maya and Tricia, who were being held by the security guards just a few feet away, stopped struggling instantly. Even the handcuffed man in the gray suit looked over with sudden curiosity. The elderly man stepped out of the elevator, his pace slow and steady. He did not look at the guards, nor did he look at