2026-06-01 10:57:42
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
29. Negotiation on the Edge of a Knife
The atmosphere in the living room froze. The air felt incredibly heavy and tense.Audrey stared sharply at the small blue light blinking on the side of her laptop. Her genius brain instantly connected every point of irregularity. She took one step back. Her hand felt for the small drawer in the table near the hallway to the bathroom. She pulled the drawer open quickly.She pulled out a small, silver twenty-two caliber pistol. It was an emergency weapon given to her by her late father.Audrey aimed the muzzle of the pistol straight at Kai's chest. The girl's hand was trembling. Yet her gaze radiated not a shred of hesitation."Step away from my desk right now," Audrey commanded. Her tone shook but was laden with a lethal threat. "What did you plug into my laptop?"Kai was not surprised to see the firearm. Nor did he react with panic.Kai turned his head very slowly. His aristocratic face remained as cold as a sculpture of ice. His blue eyes looked at Audrey devoid of any emotional expr
28. A Lie Wrapped in Steel
The heavy door of the luxury apartment swung shut with a sharp, echoing click.Kai stepped inside first, moving ahead of Audrey. He moved with the absolute, terrifying silence of an apex predator. His dark eyes methodically swept across every single corner of the expansive living room. He meticulously checked behind the window curtains, quickly cleared the kitchen hallway, and made absolutely sure there were no dangerous blind spots hiding any potential threats.Audrey stood rigidly near the entrance. Her body was still trembling slightly. She dropped her leather bag onto the glass coffee table with stiff, robotic movements."The area is completely clean," Kai reported in a flat, emotionless tone. He turned around to face Audrey. "You are perfectly safe for the time being."Audrey collapsed heavily onto the plush sofa. She massaged her violently throbbing temples with both hands. Thick droplets of fresh blood from the mercenary leader were still splattered across the hem of her white
27. An Encounter on the Ground Floor
The air in the luxury apartment's underground parking garage felt incredibly stifling.Audrey Vance walked quickly past rows of neatly parked cars. The sharp click of her high heels echoed, shattering the silence. Her right hand tightly gripped the strap of the black leather bag on her shoulder. Inside that bag was a high-capacity data server. It contained copies of all her father's secret files.She had just come down from her top-floor apartment. Her instincts told her that her place was no longer safe after the tracing incident earlier. She planned to move to a safe house owned by her law firm.Audrey arrived in front of her silver sedan. She pressed the unlock button on her key fob. The car's lights flashed yellow.Suddenly, the harsh roar of a car engine echoed from the parking garage entrance.A black, unmarked SUV sped inside, crashing right through the automated barrier. The massive vehicle slammed on its brakes, skidding to a halt directly behind Audrey's car. The tires shrie
26. Targeting the Wrong Mark
Heavy rain continued to batter New York City without mercy. Lightning flashed, tearing through the night sky. The rumble of thunder drowned out the blaring car horns on the streets below.Inside the luxurious Aristhos Residence, the atmosphere was incredibly cold and tense.Isabella Aristhos stood in front of the large window in her study. Her blood-red silk dress swept the marble floor. She stared at the raindrops hitting the glass with a remarkably hard expression.In her hand, she held a smartphone connected to an encrypted line."You heard my orders, correct?" Isabella hissed into the phone. Her elegant voice had vanished completely. She sounded like a ruthless street thug. "I don't care what your fee is. I want that girl dead tonight."A raspy laugh came from the other end of the line. "Assassinating the daughter of a former Aristhos board member? That is not a cheap job, Mrs. Isabella. Especially when her father was just buried this afternoon.""I will pay triple your usual rate
25. The Scent of a Digital Trail
Audrey Vance slammed her apartment door shut. She locked the three heavy steel deadbolts on the main door. She was gasping for breath.The heavy rain outside pelted the giant glass windows of her luxurious Manhattan apartment. Audrey took off her wet black coat. She threw the coat carelessly onto the sofa.She walked quickly toward her desk. Her eyes were swollen but her gaze was incredibly sharp.Audrey placed a leather briefcase on the desk. She pulled out her father's thick laptop. It was a military-grade security laptop that she had secretly taken from Richard Vance's office before the police confiscated everything."You did not die from a heart attack, Dad," Audrey whispered, her voice trembling. "I will prove everything tonight."Audrey turned on the digital voice recorder on her desk. She always documented every step of her investigations."Audit log, day one," Audrey said into the voice recorder. "Focus of the investigation is on the consecutive deaths of the Aristhos Corp boa
24. The Collapse of the Aristhos Pillars
The giant digital screens on the Wall Street trading floor blinked bright red. The stock tickers plummeted at a terrifying speed. The shouts of stockbrokers filled the massive room. A mass panic was unfolding.News of Richard Vance's death spread like wildfire that morning.One of the most senior board members of Aristhos Corp was reported dead suddenly in his hotel room. Wild rumors immediately sprang up. The fall of Henderson Logistics, the death of Maxwell, and now Richard Vance. Three main pillars of Aristhos had been destroyed in succession in less than a week.Investors withdrew their funds blindly. The giant corporation's value took a freefall to its lowest point in the last ten years.By afternoon, a light drizzle soaked the elite Greenwood Cemetery.Hundreds of black umbrellas gathered around Richard Vance's open grave. Wreaths of white roses piled up around the mound of wet earth.Adrian Aristhos stood in the very front row. He held his umbrella with a trembling hand. Cold s
You may also like
The Greatest Martial Arts Cultivator
KidOO98.9K viewsJade the Conqueror
The Supreme writer 15.3K viewsMy Dragon Beast System
ECM_MANGA18.5K viewsLegend of Oasis : A tale of magic and mystery
Ramutshatsha Arikonisaho37.2K viewsThe God-Tier Beast Architect
Aurora Sky149 viewsThe Celestial Tyrant
Untamed man269 viewsSupreme God Reborn as the Disgraced Son-in-Law
Lone Writer1.2K viewsThe Fallen Ring
Inara72 views