Philip was getting frustrated.
He had spent the entire day digging, searching every file, every dusty book, every corner of the internet he could reach, looking for sothing, anything, that would give him dirt on Raymond. He even went through old archives, press releases, reports from organizations Raymond had worked with, including the ADIG files. But it was all the sa. Not a single crack nor a single piece of scandal
Perfect man. Powerful and kind... It was always praise.
He leaned back in his chair, exhaling deeply. He rembered what Dahlia had told him from their last conversation: "If you want to find sothing dark in soone, look at their past. Everyone has one."
But what if Raymond didn’t?
Suddenly, his phone buzzed. It was David.
"You’re needed in the Top Room," David said plainly. No greetings, just the usual clipped tone.
The Top Room... That’s what they all called George’s office. It was on the topmost floor of the building, isolated and surrounded by tinted glass windows that overlooked the entire city.
Philip didn’t hesitate. He left everything on his desk and entered the elevator, his mind racing. He hadn’t been called to the Top Room for days now.
When he reached the floor and pushed the glass door open, the cold blast of the AC hit him first. The room slled of fresh paper and cologne. George was seated at his usual spot behind the wide, dark desk. David sat opposite him and Next to David was a girl Philipe had never seen before.
She was slim, her skin pale, her face sharp. George looked up and gave him a slight nod. "Philip. Good. Co in."
Philip walked in slowly, glancing at the girl, then at David. George gestured at the chair in front of them.
"Sit."
He obeyed.
"This," George began, turning slightly toward the girl, "is Selina."
Philip’s eyes flicked to her again. She didn’t smile. Just gave a small nod.
"She’s a tracker," George continued. "One of the best we’ve seen in years. Specializes in digital trails, movent history, psychological profiling, and..."
"She can find a man even if he’s hiding in the dark," David added dryly.
George gave him a quick look but didn’t correct him.
"She’s new," George said, "but very good. You’ll be working closely with her from now on."
Philipe leaned back a little, intrigued.
George continued. "You’ll assist her. Share what you’ve found. Help her get access to all the files and anything else she needs. And she’ll fill in the blanks you’ve missed."
Then George tapped his fingers on the table lightly. "That’s all for now. Selina, David, you can go."
David stood imdiately. Selina followed. And they walked out.
"..."
George didn’t say anything for a few seconds. He sat back in his chair, staring at Philip like trying to read his thoughts. Philip shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
Finally, George spoke.
"So... how far have you gone?" he asked calmly, folding his hands. "Are you making any progress? Anything at all?"
Philip nodded slowly. "Yes, there’s progress... but honestly, it’s little for now."
George exhaled sharply and leaned forward. His expression was clearly disappointed. "Little? Hmph. Should I have expected more from you?"
Philip didn’t say anything. He knew better than to interrupt.
George raised an eyebrow. "Alright then, let’s hear it. What is this ’little’ progress?"
"Well," Philip began, trying to stay confident, "I’ve been digging into his background... trying to find sothing, anything, about his past. Sowhere he’s gone wrong. Maybe a hidden mistake. An event he’s covered up. But so far, I’m yet to find anything."
George blinked, then chuckled dryly. "Ah... the DarkPast thod."
Philip looked up.
George nodded slowly, as if the idea now made sense. "Not bad. Not bad at all. Especially for soone like Raymond... who’s suddenly walking around with a clean slate, like he’s a saint. Why didn’t I think of that myself?"
He paused, then leaned forward with a smirk. "So... you really think you’ll find his secrets just lying around in books and websites?"
Philip hesitated. "I had to start sowhere."
George gave him a hard look. "Co on, you should be smarter than that. If you really thought you’d find anything out there, on the surface, you were joking. And you’ve been wasting your ti."
Philip clenched his fists slightly. "Then how do I find his past? Where do I look if not online? Everything is clean. Wiped."
George stood up without another word.
He walked slowly across the office, past the large windows that gave a view of the city lights. Then he stopped in front of a tall wooden bookshelf. Without a sound, he placed his hand on one side of the shelf and pushed.
To Philip’s shock, the entire bookshelf slid to the side, revealing another hidden shelf behind it. This one was smaller, dusty, and filled with boxes. George scanned them for a mont, then reached for one near the bottom.
It was a simple, old, grey box.
He placed it on the table in front of Philip. On it, written in thick black letters: RAYMOND CARTER.
Philip’s heart skipped a beat.
George stared at the box and said quietly, "You were searching in the wrong places. You should’ve told earlier you were using the DarkPast thod."
Philip swallowed. "What is this?"
George looked up. "This... is exactly what you’ve been looking for."
He tapped the lid gently.
"This box contains files, docunts, photos... everything Raymond did back when he was still sheltered by The Circle."
Philip’s eyes widened. "Wait, he was with us?"
George nodded. "Oh yes. Raymond was once part of the system. A well-trusted mber. Brilliant, secretive, dangerous. We trained him. We gave him power. But sowhere along the line... he disappeared."
He paused, voice growing darker.
"Left without a word. Cleaned up everything. Left no trail. That’s why you couldn’t find anything out there. Because his sins aren’t public. They’re in here." He tapped the box again.
"..."
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