Location: Secret Hideout – Night
I pulled the jacket tighter around , feeling the comforting weight of the beastcore crystals stitched into the lining. Adjusting the sleek, matte-black mask over my face, I stepped out into the freezing Shanghai air.
The stars above blinked faintly, as if winking at the chaos about to unfold.
"Luxembourg..." I muttered, voice low and sharp like a blade unsheathed.
"Ti to pull the first thread."
I hailed a private jet through one of my old rcenary contacts — under the alias Hunter Croix. Within two hours, I was in the air, the city lights shrinking behind as the engines roared.
While cruising at 30,000 feet, I opened my encrypted tablet.
One by one, the layers of Willam's precious offshore empire lay bare before . Each account a monunt to his greed, each company a fake smile painted over the scars he gave others.
"NovaCap, FalconRise, Azure Horizon..." I read aloud, lips curling in disgust. "All of it's coming down."
---
Sixteen Hours Later – Luxembourg Financial District
The wind was colder here, sharper, cutting through the thick city haze like a knife. I moved between glass towers and marble walls, blending perfectly with the steady stream of executives.
Inside the FalconRise Ventures building, polished floors and fake smiles filled the lobby. I stepped up to the security checkpoint, flashing a forged ID that listed as Inspector Croix from the Luxembourg Financial Authority.
"Bienvenue, Monsieur Croix," the receptionist said sweetly. "Your eting is on the 17th floor."
I smiled underneath my mask.
Good. Right where I want to be.
---
17th Floor – Executive Offices
I kicked open the door to Marcus Doyle's—no, Andrew Yates's—fake office.
Andrew sat behind the mahogany desk, feet propped up, tossing a stress ball lazily in the air.
"You're not with the Authority," he said with a bored expression. "Who the hell are you?"
I closed the door behind with a soft click.
The temperature seed to plumt.
"?" I chuckled darkly, stepping forward. "I'm the ghost your father forgot to exorcise."
Andrew froze.
I yanked him by the collar before he could even blink, slamming him into the reinforced glass wall hard enough to make spiderweb cracks.
"Start talking," I growled. "Where's the contingency account?"
Andrew whimpered, pale as a corpse. "I-I don't know what you're—!"
I pressed a clawed fingertip — just lightly enough — to his throat.
"You're lying. Try again."
Fear cracked him open faster than any encryption ever could.
"There's a vault... under Azure Horizon Bank. Dubai. Father keeps everything there! Nas, bribes, insurance policies—everything!"
I smiled coldly.
"Good boy."
---
Minutes Later – As alarms blared across FalconRise Ventures
I casually walked through the panicked lobby, blending in with the fleeing crowd, slipping out before the local police even knew where to look.
Above , the sky rumbled.
Clouds swirled into an ominous vortex.
A sign.
The world was shifting.
And I was the storm coming to tear it all apart.
---
[System Notification]
Quest Progression: "Shatter the Yates Empire" - Stage 1 Completed
Stage 2 Unlocked: Infiltrate Azure Horizon Vault in Dubai
Rewards for Stage 1: 10,000 EXP | Beast King Reputation increased among Shadow Brokers
---
I smirked beneath the mask.
"Willam... enjoy your last days on top."
I turned my back on the burning building behind and vanished into the night.
The hunt had only just begun.
________________________________________
Location: Luxembourg Streets – Early Morning
The dawn mist rolled low over the cobblestones as I weaved through the winding alleys.
The streets were quieter at this hour, except for the occasional murmur of life stirring awake — café owners setting up tables, the scent of fresh bread sneaking through the cold air.
I tugged the brim of my cap lower, keeping my face hidden.
No need to draw attention right now.
I crossed the small plaza near Place d'Ars, moving fast, eyes locked on the tram station ahead.
That's when I felt it.
A gaze — sharp, familiar — like a thread trying to catch and pull back.
I glanced sideways, and sure enough...
There she was.
Yvette Jennings.
Standing beside a luxury black sedan, dressed in a sleek grey coat, hair tied up in a loose bun, sharp and effortless like she always was.
Her eyes widened the mont she recognized — a glimr of disbelief flashing across her face.
"Owen?" she called out, her voice cutting through the crisp air like a song I didn't want to rember.
My steps didn't slow.
I simply shifted course, blending into a passing group of tourists, my head low.
She started to move toward , hesitating, as if unsure if it was really or so ghost haunting her.
I didn't turn around.
Couldn't.
Not now.
Not when so much was at stake.
Not when my hands were already dirty from pulling the first threads loose.
I heard her voice behind again — quieter this ti, almost wounded:
"Is it really you...?"
I clenched my fists inside my jacket pockets.
Don't look back, Owen.
Not yet.
Instead, I disappeared into the misty crowd, letting her vanish behind like everything else I'd sacrificed.
---
[Inner Thoughts]
I'll face you properly soday, Yvette.
But not today...
Today, I have a kingdom to burn to the ground.
---
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