The entire hall fell silent.
Everyone stared at Conor like they had seen a ghost. He…he actually hit a man from Titan Group. Emma’s face turned white with fear. Several Nelson family members stepped back quickly, afraid they would be dragged into trouble. Even the thug leader looked stunned for a moment. Then his face twisted with rage. “You bastard…” he hissed. Ronan suddenly swayed weakly. His cane slipped from his hand as he collapsed onto a chair heavily. “We’re finished…” he muttered in despair. His old face looked pale. “Titan Group will never let this go…” Panic spread through the Nelson family instantly. Some people already wanted to leave quietly. Others looked at Conor like he was a dead man. Carl’s eyes flickered nervously. Without making a sound, he slowly stepped backward into the crowd. His mind raced quickly. How could he escape this mess? How could he avoid being connected to Conor later? He definitely did not want Titan Group targeting him. But unlike everyone else— Olivia stood frozen. Her beautiful eyes stared at Conor’s back. Her heart was beating wildly. This man… The same man she had always disliked. The same man everyone mocked and looked down on. At the most dangerous moment— Only he stood in front of her. Only he protected her. The thug leader’s face twisted with fury. “How dare you touch Titan Group’s people!” he roared. With a violent wave of his hand, the remaining thugs rushed forward at once. “Kill him!” Heavy footsteps thundered across the marble floor. Emma screamed in fear. Several Nelson family members hurriedly hid behind the sofas. Olivia’s face turned pale. “Conor!” she cried out anxiously. But Conor did not move. His face stayed cold and calm. The first thug swung a fist toward his head— BANG! Conor punched him straight in the stomach. The man instantly bent over in pain before crashing to the floor. Another thug charged from the side. Conor grabbed his arm and twisted hard. CRACK! “Aaaahhh!” The thug screamed miserably as Conor kicked him flying across the room. Everyone watched in horror. Conor moved like a storm, fast and merciless. One thug after another fell to the ground screaming. Some crashed into tables. Others slammed into the walls. Nobody could even touch him. The thug leader’s confident expression slowly disappeared. Fear appeared in his eyes for the first time. “How is this possible…?” he muttered. BANG! The last thug was kicked heavily onto the floor beside him. The entire hall became a complete mess. Broken glass covered the ground. Painful groans filled the air. The thugs struggled to stand, their faces swollen and bruised. Then— The thug leader gritted his teeth and pointed at Conor viciously. “You’re dead!” he shouted. His eyes swept across the terrified Nelson family. “And so is the Nelson family!” He sneered hatefully. “You dared attack Titan Group’s men!” He slowly backed away while supporting an injured thug. “Titan Group will make all of you pay this debt tenfold!” After saying that, the group quickly fled the mansion while helping each other walk. The huge hall finally became silent again. Ronan shakily pushed himself up from the chair he had collapsed into earlier. Conor watched him with a calm smile. Seeing Ronan stand, he already knew what was coming: gratitude. “There’s no need to thank me,” Conor said evenly. “I only did what had to be done.” But instead of gratitude, Ronan’s words came out like a slap to the face. Ronan’s face turned red with fury. “WHAT HAD TO BE DONE?!” he roared, his voice echoing through the ruined hall. He pointed trembling fingers at the shattered tables and blood everywhere. “Do you even understand what you’ve done?!” Olivia flinched. The servants lowered their heads nervously. Ronan stormed toward Conor, no longer caring that Conor had just saved them minutes ago. “You idiot!” he shouted. “Those weren’t ordinary street thugs! They belong to Titan Group!” His chest rose violently with rage. “In this city, offending Titan Group is the same as digging your own grave!” Conor’s expression remained calm. But Ronan grew even angrier seeing that calm face. “You think you can fight?” he barked. “You think beating a few dogs makes you some kind of hero?” He jabbed a finger toward the mansion gates. “Titan Group controls businesses, underground forces, connections—everything! One word from them and the Nelson family will be finished overnight!” The fear in the hall deepened instantly. Everyone knew Ronan wasn’t exaggerating. Titan Group was a monster no ordinary family dared provoke. Ronan turned sharply toward Olivia. “And this is all because of him!” Then Ronan delivered the final blow coldly. “Olivia,” he said sternly, “from this moment onward, you will cut all ties with him immediately.” Conor stared at him in shock. So this old man’s response to being saved was to insult him? Wow… what a ridiculous person. Olivia was just as stunned. She had always known her grandfather disliked her—he had never hidden it—but she never imagined it ran this deep. “Grandpa!” she shouted angrily. “How can you treat him like this? If it weren’t for Conor, I would’ve been taken away!” Ronan’s expression remained cold. “That still would’ve been better than bringing ruin upon the entire family,” he replied without hesitation. His words hit Olivia like a knife. Devastated, she clenched her fists and yelled, “This whole disaster was caused by John! Are you really willing to sacrifice me just to save five hundred thousand dollars?” “Calm down, Olivia,” Ronan said, though even he sounded uneasy. “It may seem cruel, but this is only to appease the Titan Group for now. We would have found a way to rescue you later. Besides…” Ronan turned toward Carl. “Carl is here. Surely he can come up with a solution.” At once, every gaze in the room shifted to Carl, who had quietly been trying to slip away unnoticed. ‘Shit…’ he cursed inwardly. With no choice but to speak, he straightened his posture and forced out a confident smile. “You all know the Titan Group is powerful,” he declared proudly, “but with me here, the Nelson family will be protected.” The atmosphere in the room instantly changed. Relief washed over everyone’s faces, followed by endless words of gratitude. “Thank you, Carl!” “We’re counting on you!” “The Nelson family is lucky to have you!” Carl accepted every compliment with fake humility. Even Ronan looked at him with approval before turning to Olivia. “Olivia, hurry and ask Carl for his help,” he urged. Conor, however, let out a dismissive scoff. “Titan Group?” he said casually. “I’ve never even heard of them. One phone call from me would be enough to shut them down.” The room instantly fell silent. Olivia’s expression changed in panic, and she quickly tugged at Conor’s sleeve. “Conor, stop talking,” she whispered urgently.Latest Chapter
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Nick immediately shook his head. “No.” Conor looked at him. Nick stepped forward. “It’s obviously a trap.” “I know.” “Then you’re not going.” Conor gave him a faint smile. “I didn’t say that.” Nick frowned. “Boss…” Conor turned toward Olivia. She was still crying silently. He gently took her hand. “There’s something you need to know.” She looked up. “What?” Conor’s gaze became cold. “Your father’s death may be connected to the reason I disappeared five years ago.” Olivia stared at him. “And if we find the truth?” Conor looked toward the black crown on the screen. “Then we’ll finally know who started this.” The clock on the wall showed 10:47 PM. Just over an hour remained. And somewhere beneath the ruins of Facility Seven… Someone was waiting for the Ghost to return.The silence on the other end lasted several seconds.Then the voice changed.It became sharper.Almost disbelieving.“Conor?”Conor looked out over Golden Sparrow City.“Yes.”The man took a breat
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The underground facility fell into complete silence.Olivia continued staring at the frozen image on the screen.Her father stood beside Ronan.Behind them was a massive Phoenix insignia.She shook her head slowly.“No…”Conor looked at her.Olivia stepped closer to the screen.“That can’t be Phoenix.”“It is.”“How do you know?”Conor pointed toward the upper corner of the photograph.A small identification code was visible.“Every Phoenix facility has a unique designation.”Nick zoomed in.His eyes widened.“Facility Seven.”Conor nodded.“Exactly.”Nick stared at the photograph.“Facility Seven was destroyed five years ago.”“Officially,” Conor replied.Olivia looked between them.“My father was there?”“Yes.”“With Ronan?”“Yes.”Her breathing became unsteady.“But why?”Conor didn’t answer.Olivia turned toward him.“Conor, please.”He looked at her.“I need to know.”“I don’t have all the answers.”“Then tell me what you do know.”Conor remained silent for several seconds.Then
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The Hale estate remained completely dark.Not a single light came back on.The silence was almost unnatural.Daniel stared at his father.“What did you do?”Arthur didn’t answer.“Father.”Still nothing.Daniel stepped closer.“You said Ronan knew what you did.”Arthur slowly closed the old safe.“Enough.”“No.”Daniel’s voice hardened.“You can’t just say that and expect me to stay quiet.”Arthur looked at him.“You don’t understand what you’re dealing with.”“Then explain it to me.”Arthur’s jaw tightened.“Some truths are dangerous.”Daniel glanced at the photographs scattered across the desk.“Is Conor one of those truths?”Arthur looked at the photograph of the young Conor.“Yes.”“Was he really the Ghost?”Arthur nodded.“He was.”“And you knew?”“I suspected.”“You met him before?”Arthur remained silent.Daniel’s eyes widened.“You did.”Arthur finally sighed.“Years ago.”“How many?”“Six.”Daniel stared at him.“That was before he disappeared.”“Yes.”“What happened?”Arthur
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The room remained silent after the screen went black.Olivia stood frozen in front of it.For several seconds, she couldn’t move.Then she slowly turned toward Conor.“Twenty years…”Her voice was barely audible.“He said twenty years.”Conor nodded.“Yes.”“My grandfather has been building this place for twenty years?”“Apparently.”Olivia looked around the underground facility.Thousands of documents.Hundreds of photographs.Entire sections dedicated to powerful families.She walked toward one of the shelves and pulled out a file.Her fingers trembled.“Why would he do this?”Conor took the file from her and opened it.Inside were financial records.“Because this wasn’t just an information center.”Nick approached.“What is it?”Conor looked at the documents.“An intelligence operation.”Nick’s expression darkened.“Ronan was running his own intelligence network.”“Not just that.”Conor pointed at the records.“He was monitoring money.”Nick studied them.“These are bank transfers.
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The old Nelson warehouse stood at the edge of Golden Sparrow City, surrounded by abandoned factories and empty roads.It had been unused for years.No lights.No guards.No employees.Just a massive concrete building sitting beneath the darkness.Conor’s convoy stopped several meters away.Nick stepped out first.He immediately raised his hand.“Everyone stay alert.”Phoenix operatives spread out around the building.Olivia stepped out of the vehicle.Conor immediately looked at her.“Stay close to me.”“I will.”Nick approached.“Boss, there’s no movement.”Conor studied the warehouse.“That’s what worries me.”Olivia looked toward the dark building.“Maybe Ronan isn’t here.”“He was here.”“How do you know?”Conor pointed toward the ground.“His car.”Ronan’s vehicle sat abandoned beside the warehouse.The driver’s door was open.The keys were still inside.Olivia’s expression tightened.“Why would he leave his car?”“He didn’t.”Conor walked closer.“He was taken.”Nick immediately
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The room fell into a terrifying silence.Olivia stared at the screens.The words remained frozen against the black background.WELCOME BACK, GHOST.Her breathing became shallow.She slowly turned toward Conor.“Ghost?”Conor didn’t answer.“Conor…”His eyes remained fixed on the screen.“Who is the Ghost?”Still nothing.Olivia took a step closer.“Why did they call you that?”Conor finally looked at her.His expression was calm.Far too calm.Olivia’s voice trembled.“You knew this would happen, didn’t you?”“No.”“But you knew something was wrong.”“Yes.”“You knew about my grandfather.”Conor nodded.Olivia’s tears finally fell.“Why didn’t you tell me?”“Because I wanted to protect you.”“Protect me?”Her voice broke.“You kept something like this from me because you wanted to protect me?”Conor stepped closer.“Yes.”Olivia shook her head.“I have spent my entire life believing my grandfather was simply a difficult old man.”She laughed bitterly through her tears.“He was greedy.
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