2025-10-07 23:43:06A month later, Andrew returned home from duty.
He had been assigned to the front lines missions that the veteran agents had failed to solve in the past five years.
Someone who had noticed his extraordinary skills at the agency recommended him to the higher ups.
Instead of taking the break he had planned to spend with Bella and Anna, he was assigned another official duty.
Within four weeks of the assignment, Andrew found the secret safe stolen by the famous art thieves, Julie and Thomas. He also apprehended them alive and brought them to the agency.
His superiors were so pleased with him that he was immediately promoted to a Special Agent, skipping about five ranks. Normally, it would take up to thirty years to reach the level of a special agent unless you were really skilled.
The position of the special agent came with a card that provided unlimited funding for his missions, gear, and even personal use.
It also came with access to advanced gadgets, stealth vehicles and constant elite training.
Every mission Andrew went on would now be backed by the best intelligence and global clearance.
He would be able access any location without being stopped even if it was for personal use.
His health was also a priority.
His new position came with medical benefits that covered top notch treatment and even top surgeons on call.
Safehouses and luxury bases worldwide were also available to him, with transport whenever he needed it.
His identity, wealth and freedom would always be protected.
This was a major milestone he had achieved; he could not wait to share it with his wife.
With this, he was certain that Bella would annul their divorce and drop the custody battle.
Now he could spend more time with his family and even provide for them without worrying about the bill.
He opened the door with his own keys, and saw that his wife’s car was in the garage and Gina’s was gone. It must have been her day off.
He didn't want to ring the door bell in case Bella was sleeping. He pushed the door open and saw his wife in the sitting room, she was sipping a glass of wine in a robe.
The only reason why she was home at this hour was clearly because Gina wasn't home. She rose from the chair as soon as her eyes met his.
His eyes followed her in the seductive dress she wore; part of him craved to see what was underneath it.
She bent down by the TV console giving him a tease show of her behind.
She pulled out an envelope and slapped it on his chest, “I suppose you came back to sign these. Hurry up and sign them. I will transfer some money to you so you can find another place to stay.”
It was the same one she gave to him on their wedding anniversary. “What is going on, Bella? We can talk about whatever is bothering you.”
He tried to persuade her. For some reason his sense of smell got sharpened; he could smell a male’s cologne in the room.
A man had just left the house before he arrived.
“There is nothing to talk about, I have found someone who can give me what you can never.”
“If this is about money, I can now afford to take care of you and Anna. I work hard solely for this reason.”
“Andrew, you are barely home to give me and my daughter the attention we need and deserve, and there is nothing to show for it. Yet you call that working hard.” She scoffed.
“Stand there talking about some money, when was the last time you spent quality time with me or your daughter? You put nothing on the table, I never complain, yet you stay distant. Just sign the papers and get out of my life,”
She spoke as if she ever let him get near her whenever he was around. He spent a lot of time at home, Bella was often cold to him.
Only their daughter warmed up to him until she too joined her mom in giving him the cold shoulder.
He hoped it was a one time thing because it would break his heart to see his little girl treat him like a stranger.
He was not going to argue with Bella but try to prove to her that their situation was now different.
“I am ready to make things right for us…”
She cut him short, “That is enough! I don't want to hear anything from you. Just sign the goddamn papers, I am going into the shower now, when I am back, I want them signed. I will pay you afterward.”
Bella turned on her heel and left for her room.
Andrew dropped his bag; he wanted to see his daughter.
It was past her bedtime, so he was going to see her face and leave.
The lights in her room were on so he just strolled in. "Uncle Jacob." she called without looking up from her tablet.
Andrew knew his gut feeling was right, a man had just been in their house.
He remembered the clothes his wife was wearing, another man had seen her that way.
When Anna saw him, she screamed. “Get out of my room,” She shrieked in horror as if he were going to harm her.
“Mummy!” she yelled on top of her voice.
Bella rushed into her room in a few seconds with murderous intent in her eyes.
Anna ran toward her mother. “Mom, please get that man away from me. I am scared of him. Look at the scar on his face. He is so ugly. Please make him leave and bring Uncle Jacob.”
Her body trembled as she clutched the towel her mom wrapped around her.
Andrew was heartbroken, his daughter didn't even refer to him as “Daddy.”
He had hoped things would be better.
Bella’s cold glare was back. “You have to leave now, Andrew. Anna is scared of you. The best thing you can do for her as her father is to leave.”
A tear escaped the corner of his eyes, he had not only completely lost his wife, he had lost his daughter too.
He thought Anna would have gotten over her behavior from the last time he came home but he was wrong, He picked his bag up and left.
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Chapter 160
The social atmosphere fractured cleanly down the middle.Half the room investors who had studied Andrew’s past dismantling and rebuilding believed he was too methodical to fall to something as inelegant as rumor. They saw structure where others saw speed. They trusted pattern recognition.The other half watched the accelerated audit and drew a different conclusion. No one reconstructs that quickly without pressure points. Capital always leaves fingerprints. They didn’t accuse him. They simply waited.That waiting created distance.Chad understood distance.He hosted a private dinner three nights later. Not extravagant. Not performative. A curated guest list five key stakeholders, two silent capital allocators, one legacy advisor who still influenced three boards. The tone was restrained. Warm lighting. Neutral wine. Conversation anchored around long-term stability.He did not mention Andrew directly.Instead, he floated a single idea: “In volatile climates, resilience matters mo
Chapter 158
Investors delay formalizing the urban redevelopment partnership. What had once felt inevitable now becomes conditional. Emails arrive with softened language: pending review, awaiting clarity, monitoring developments. The signatures that were expected within days are postponed without confrontation, without accusation just hesitation.The hesitation is enough.Chad regains social ground almost effortlessly. He does not push. He does not celebrate. He simply occupies space more confidently. At dinners and small gatherings, conversations gravitate toward him again. Stability feels attractive when uncertainty lingers nearby.For the first time, Andrew is not the automatic center of gravity in the room.It isn’t that he is dismissed. It’s that he is measured.Becca notices the difference in tone when investors greet Andrew now. There is still respect but layered with verification. Questions are framed carefully. Compliments are followed by pauses. The air around him no longer hums with
Chapter 158
Chad is energized. For the first time in months, Andrew’s movements feel reactive rather than predictive. The delay of the redevelopment announcement lingers in the air like a quiet concession. Investors who once leaned toward Andrew now lean back, cautious, measured. Meetings that were once fluid are postponed “pending review.” Liquidity conversations, once open and confident, become quiet and procedural.The shift is subtle but undeniable.Becca feels it immediately. The room has changed temperature. Andrew’s aura of untouchable control now carries a shadow. She watches how people phrase their questions differently less admiration, more verification. The balance has not collapsed, but it has tilted.Chad thrives in that tilt.He does not gloat publicly. He remains composed, sympathetic even. He speaks of patience, of prudence, of responsible pacing. But inside, adrenaline hums steadily. The audit even unproven, even procedural has disrupted Andrew’s rhythm. And disruption is o
Chapter 157
Andrew remained on the balcony longer than necessary. The night air was cool, almost cleansing, but he wasn’t there for comfort. He was there because distance sharpened perspective. The city lights below shimmered in indifferent patterns, but inside the penthouse, something far less beautiful was unfolding.Behind the glass doors, the rumor metastasized.It began as a quiet question between two investors near the bar. Then it became a cautious observation in the lounge area. A regulatory audit had been triggered regarding one of Andrew’s recovered assets. No one claimed certainty. No one cited a source. But the phrasing carried weight: triggered. Not scheduled. Not routine. Triggered.Strategic uncertainty settled into the room like perfume subtle, invasive, impossible to ignore.Investors began sending discreet messages to Andrew’s team. Not accusatory. Not confrontational. Just be careful. A request for confirmation on liquidity schedules. A polite inquiry about reporting structures
Chapter 156
Chad realized subtlety was failing him. Weeks of measured charm, quiet influence, and carefully staged appearances had not shaken Andrew. Each attempt to provoke or expose him had been anticipated, deflected, or reframed. Andrew thrived in calm environments, absorbing pressure like a man who had never learned panic. Chad’s patience once his advantage had become a liability.He decided to attack the one thing Andrew protected most: the rumor of reclaimed wealth. Not Andrew’s skill, not his intellect, but the story that formed the backbone of his aura. If he could seed doubt about the magnitude of Andrew’s fortune, about whether his resources were as real as whispers claimed, Chad might finally destabilize him socially and strategically.Weeks later, at a high-society after-party hosted in a private penthouse overlooking the city, Chad set the stage. The room shimmered with crystal and gold, the hum of champagne flutes and discreet laughter forming a warm backdrop. Beecroft investor
Chapter 155
Andrew read it.For the first time all evening, his composure shifted subtle at first, a micro-twitch at the corner of his eye, a barely perceptible pause in his hand movement. But it was enough. Enough to alter the rhythm of his presence, the otherwise flawless cadence he maintained like armor.Across the room, Chad noticed it instantly. His sharp instincts, honed over years of high-stakes maneuvering, caught the fraction of a shift, the tiniest hint that something had landed and landed strategically.Becca noticed too. Her eyes widened imperceptibly, pupils dilating with recognition. Something had arrived. Something Andrew had not fully anticipated. A flicker of vulnerability, the slightest crack in the perfect exterior.Andrew excused himself briefly, leaving Olivia mid-conversation with a small group of investors. He moved with purpose, stride measured, as though walking into an unseen chamber where calculations could be reconfigured.Minutes passed. The room continued its pol
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