Alex opened his eyes slowly.
His vision was blurry. The lights above him looked like stars scattered across a foggy sky. For a mont, he thought he was in a hospital. But as his sight beca clearer, he noticed sothing strange.
Bookshelves.
Paintings.
A soft leather couch.
This wasn’t a hospital.
Confused, he looked around carefully. The room was silent, calm, almost too calm for how his heart was racing inside him. His body ached all over, and when he tried to sit up, sharp pains rushed through his ribs and chest. He winced.
Then he heard a voice. Familiar, steady.
"You’re awake..."
Alex turned his head slightly, his weak neck protesting the movent. There, sitting on a chair beside the bed, was Raymond Carter, looking worried, and beside him, standing tall and quiet, was Thomas Finch, the sa man who had rescued him. The sa man he once knew as nothing more than an old beggar at the market.
Alex blinked twice, unsure if he was dreaming.
"Wha... where am I?" he managed to whisper.
Raymond leaned closer and said softly, "You’re safe now. Don’t move too much. The doctors are on standby. We had to set up a small clinic right here in my office to treat you. Your body was in bad shape."
Alex tried to speak again, but Raymond stopped him gently.
"Mr. Finch told everything," he said, nodding toward the older man. "I had no idea what you were going through, Alex. I’m sorry. Truly. I was here, while you were out there fighting for your life."
Alex, eyes now welling up, nodded slowly. The pain was still fresh, both physical and emotional.
He swallowed hard and asked in a raspy voice, "The company... Did they succeed? Is it really gone?"
Raymond’s expression changed. His jaw tightened. He stood up, walked slowly toward the window, and then turned back to face Alex.
"Don’t worry about the company now," he said carefully. "Just focus on getting better."
"No," Alex said firmly, despite his weak voice. "Please. I need to know. Did they succeed?"
Raymond sighed and walked back to him. "Alright. Yes... ADIG Constructions was sold."
Alex’s heart dropped.
He looked crushed, like all the air in his chest had been pulled out.
"So... they won?" he said, almost whispering.
Raymond’s lips curled slightly. "No, not quite. You see, I didn’t sell to Sasson Group."
Alex blinked fast. "What?"
"I said, I didn’t sell to Sasson," Raymond repeated. "Even though they were the highest bidder."
"But... how?" Alex’s eyes widened in disbelief. "They offered more than anyone else. Why would you reject it?"
Raymond chuckled bitterly. "Because I knew sothing wasn’t right. I’ve been in this ga for too long, Alex. I slled a trap. That kind of offer, more than the company’s actual worth? That’s not generosity. That’s setup. So... I pulled out."
Alex looked stunned. "Then... who did you sell it to?"
"The second bidder," Raymond replied calmly. "The deal closed at $2.55 billion. It’s not as high as Sasson’s offer, but it’s a clean deal. No hidden motives."
Alex smiled faintly, relief washing over him like cool water. "So... they lost?"
Raymond nodded. "Yes, this ti... they did. But we didn’t win either. Not when soone inside was working against us all along."
"I still can’t believe it. I trusted him. Had big plans for him, you know. And then... this." Raymond said with a low voice.
Alex looked up, more awake now. "Right, Philip, Where is he now?"
Raymond’s eyes darkened. "Gone. Disappeared the mont you walked into the building. It was almost like he knew the ga was over. We’ve reported him to the authorities. The police are now involved. What he did was more than betrayal, it was criminal."
The room fell quiet for a few seconds. Finch hadn’t said a word, just stood there like a silent protector.
Then Raymond spoke again, more gently this ti. "Alex... about you, I don’t want you worrying anymore. You’ve done enough. You’ve risked more than anyone. Right now, I need you to rest. Heal. Because we’ve got a lot to deal with. And I need you at your best."
Alex turned his head to the side, looking out the window. His eyes were wet again, but not from pain.
From exhaustion and frustration.
"I... I don’t think I can do this anymore," he whispered.
*****
CRASH!
The sound echoed like thunder in the grand marble hall of the private mansion. A thick, heavy glass had just flown across the room, fast, sharp, and shattered against Philip’s head, cutting deep into the side of his forehead. He staggered back, clutching his face, as warm blood trickled down from the gash near his left eye.
"I’m sorry, Father..." he muttered, his voice trembling. "I’m sorry I couldn’t make this go through..."
He didn’t even try to stop the tears now. His knees felt weak under the weight of failure. He had seen anger from George before, but not like this. Not with glass. Not with blood.
George stood a few feet away, breathing heavily, his eyes wild with fury. His fists were clenched, knuckles pale. "Sorry?" he spat. "Sorry? Not only did you fail to complete the mission, Philip, you made it worse."
"Now the whole plan has collapsed. You’ve been discovered. You’re exposed. A target. And because of you, I am now a target too." George pointed a shaking finger at him.
He stopped pacing, his voice now a low, angry growl. "You think Raymond won’t co after us? After ? Do you think he’ll just sit back and let this go? That man is more dangerous than you can ever imagine. He won’t rest. He’d do anything to find us."
Philip wiped the blood from his face with his sleeve. "I still know things about the company," he said weakly. "I have docunts... files... plans they haven’t even changed yet. I still have access..."
George snapped.
"Access? Do you think you still have access? Raymond isn’t a child, Philip. He’s not going to just leave the doors open for you to waltz back in. He’s already cleaning the house, scrubbing every inch. By now, your na has been blacklisted across every division. You’re locked out. You’re dead to that company."
He pointed at Philip again, his voice shaking from the intensity. "You do not know Raymond. He’s not just so CEO. He’s also a hunter."
Philip stood silent. He couldn’t argue. He had nothing.
Then George turned slowly, his face even darker now.
He fixed his eyes on David, the man standing quietly behind Philip all this ti. "And you..." George said, coldly. "You... allowed the boy to escape. A boy, David."
David’s eyes widened in panic.
George stepped closer. "How can you, of all people, let soone like Alex slip through your fingers? What happened to your reputation? What happened to being the best? Is this the best?"
David imdiately dropped to his knees.
"I’m sorry, sir," he said quickly. "I swear, I don’t know how it happened. Soone must have helped him. We’re doing everything we can to find out who..."
George cut him off with a loud shout. "You better pray you find whoever helped him. Because if I don’t get my hands on him, then my anger will fall on you. Every ounce of it."
He walked over to the fireplace, picked up a poker stick, and slamd it down hard against the marble edge. The loud clang made both Philip and David flinch.
"You people have no idea what you’ve just done," George hissed. "You don’t understand the scale of what’s coming."
He turned to both of them.
"This... is war."
Philip looked up, eyes wide.
David remained kneeling, frozen.
"I don’t care how we do it... I don’t care how many people we have to destroy, but we have to win" George continued.
He turned, stord across the room, then stopped and looked back one last ti.
"You both better get ready. Because what’s coming next... is big."
He walked out, leaving blood on the floor, glass on the wall, and fear hanging heavy in the air.
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