The moment they entered the shopping complex, the atmosphere shifted.Bright lights reflected across the polished marble floor as customers moved between jewelry stores, boutiques, and restaurants. The mall looked busy and successful at first glance.Maverick noticed the difference immediately. A dark storefront sat near the eastern corridor. A leasing banner hung behind glass. Several shops offered large discounts, and a restaurant had too many empty tables. He saw the things ordinary shoppers ignored.Claire walked beside him and spoke quietly. “You’re studying the mall again.”Maverick glanced at her. “Just looking around.” She nodded and said nothing more.Several steps ahead, Diane Mercer was already admiring the stores. “Oh, this place is beautiful. Look at how clean everything is. The lighting alone makes the jewelry look expensive.”Emily’s mother stood nearby with her arms crossed, still carrying residual anger from the park. She glanced around with a cold expression. “Jul

After a long, agonizing moment, Daniel’s shoulders dropped. He gave Julian a bitter look, then slowly raised his arms and began to flap them awkwardly.Julian followed a second later, his movements stiff and full of shame.They pecked at the air. They scratched at the polished marble floor with their shoes. The soft background music of the mall made the whole scene feel even more absurd.Maverick watched them for only a few seconds before pulling out his own phone.“Louder,” he ordered as both men froze for a moment. “I said louder. Flap properly. A chicken doesn’t move like it’s ashamed of itself. Scratch the ground. Peck. Make the sound.”Daniel’s face burned. Julian looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him. But with Claire still holding her phone and Maverick now recording as well, they had no choice.They flapped harder. They pecked at nothing. They scratched the polished floor with the tips of their shoes and forced out weak, broken chicken noises that only made the humilia

She looked up at Maverick. “Someone knows we were down there. This message came only a few minutes after we left the hidden floor.”Maverick glanced at the screen, then handed the phone back to her. “Don’t reply. Don’t engage with them at all.”Claire frowned. “Shouldn’t we try to find out who sent it? If someone is watching us this closely, ignoring it might not be the smartest move.”“No,” Maverick said firmly. “Replying only tells them we’re rattled. Leave it.”He looked up toward the ceiling of the corridor. A small CCTV camera was mounted high on the wall, angled directly toward the maintenance door they had just used. Maverick’s eyes narrowed.“So that’s how they knew.” Claire followed his gaze. “The camera?”“Yes. They’ve been watching this entrance the entire time.”He picked up a long metal pole that had been left beside some maintenance equipment and walked beneath the camera. Then he looked straight into the lens.“I see you,” he said quietly. “Next time, don’t leave your e

The sound of the broken glass echoed across the enormous underground floor. The man staggered, dropped to one knee, and blood began running down his face. For a moment, nobody moved. The basement beneath the shopping mall was vast. Rows of concrete pillars stretched into the distance. Service areas, metal storage cages, electrical rooms, and loading sections filled the space. Several wide passages led deeper into the structure. The five men had plenty of room to surround Maverick. Victor stood several meters away with his arms folded, watching. “You’re making a mistake,” he said. Maverick glanced at him, then at the four men closing in. “No. I think you are.” One of them charged. Maverick stepped back, let the punch miss, and drove his fist into the man’s stomach. The man doubled over. Maverick grabbed the back of his neck and slammed his face into a concrete pillar. He collapsed. A second attacker came from the right. Maverick blocked the punch, but the force still push

Victor helped his men to their feet one by one. None of them spoke. They were limping, bruised, and moving slowly. Maverick walked over, opened the basement door, and stepped out with them. He walked alongside the group as they made their way down the service corridor, seeing them off himself. None of them looked at him. Maverick kept a faint smile on his face the entire time. A few minutes ago they had walked in thinking they owned this place. Now they worked for him because the alternative was death. --- The mall was still busy. Soft music played through the speakers while shoppers moved between the stores, completely unaware of what had happened beneath their feet. Maverick stepped out of the elevator with Claire beside him. His clothes were slightly disheveled. A thin cut crossed his lower lip, and a faint trace of blood remained at the corner of his mouth. Claire noticed it immediately. Her eyes moved to his lip. “What happened to your mouth?” Maverick wiped the corner of