LOGINThe office door opened slowly, and three men stepped inside with uneven, limping strides. Their faces were bruised, one of them with a split lip. Another held his ribs, struggling to hide the pain every time he breathed. None of them dared lift their heads too high.The spacious, dark-toned room sud
The car cut through the increasingly quiet streets of the night. City lights flashed past the windows, but Naomi didn’t see any of it. Curled up in the back seat, she wrapped both arms around herself, still trembling from head to toe. Every few breaths caught in her throat before breaking into stifl
Naomi stumbled back against the wall, gasping for breath, able only to stare with wide eyes.The man who had slapped her seized her again, yanking her close as a shield. “Don’t come any closer!”Liu looked at him without blinking. “Let her go.”“Or what?”Liu moved so fast Naomi barely saw it.In on
BANG! BANG! BANG!The pounding on the apartment door felt like a hammer striking directly against Naomi’s chest. Her fingers trembled as she held the phone to her ear, waiting for the call to connect. But before anyone could answer, she heard the sound of metal being forced from the outside. The doo
Naomi said nothing more. She walked to her unit, pushed open the apartment door, and stepped inside. Before closing it, she noticed Liu still standing in the hallway, watching until the door was fully shut and locked.The room was small, cramped, and far from comfortable, yet tonight it felt like th
“Thank you,” Naomi said, bowing her head slightly to Liu, who had escorted her home that night. Her voice was soft, nearly swallowed by the whisper of the night wind slipping through the corridor of the old apartment building where she lived. The hallway lights glowed dimly, casting long shadows acr
Oscar slowly lifted his head. His breathing was ragged, his chest rising and falling unevenly.“If you refuse,” Cale continued—his voice calm, stripped of any overt threat, which somehow made it far more terrifying—“you never should’ve thought about refusing in the first place. You do remember your
“Once you’re inside,” Oscar continued, his voice dropping even lower, “Callister Group will be paralyzed. The board of commissioners will scramble to save themselves, including Bret, who personally gave me my orders. Domestic and foreign investors will start pulling out. I think it began a few days
Riana smiled warmly. “That’s wonderful. It means the more you practice, the better your drawings will become.”Nathan nodded in agreement. “Hard work always shows results.”Grace smiled proudly, then went back to focusing on her toast.Josh finally set his spoon down. He looked at Riana with an expr
Silence filled the room once more as Noel’s question hung in the air. The fluorescent lights reflected off the steel table, casting his pale face into stark clarity—no place to hide, no shadows left to shield him.Cale crossed his arms over his chest. “Now tell me everything,” he said flatly. “Don’t







