Chapter 226

Night swallowed the city whole, and the wind howled through the streets like a warning bell. A sudden downpour struck, sending pedestrians scattering for shelter.

High above, on the top floor of a towering high-rise,rain pounded the windows in relentless waves, each impact sharp as musket fire.

Inside, a single floor lamp burned dimly in the living room, its hazy glow wrapping the room in a murky gloom that blurred the line between shadow and substance.

Thunder split the heavens,lightning flooded the room,revealing takeout boxes cluttering the coffee table, a trash bin spilling over, flies circling above it like vultures waiting on decay.

Simon sat motionless on the couch in a striped shirt,a dagger spinning lazily between his fingers.

His stare clung to a photograph on the table-the face in it was Isaac's.

A glint flickered in his eyes, cold and cruel, while the corner of his mouth lifted with the ghost of a smile.

Moments later, he picked up the phone and dialed a number so feared, most men would never dare breathe it aloud.

He waited. At last, the line clicked open.

A deep, glacial voice filled his ear. "If I recall, our deal is over."

No greeting. Only menace-like a devil rising straight from the pit.

Once, Simon wouldn't have dreamed of making this call.

But tonight was different. Fear no longer lived in his eyes.

His lips curved, chilling and deliberate. "Mr. Sampson,of course our deal is done. But this call is for something else-something greater. A piece of news that will astonish you... and I promise, it won't disappoint."

Far away, Luis Sampson leaned back in his chair, black trench coat draped loosely, a half-burned cigar between his fingers.

He squinted, silence holding for several beats before his voice uncoiled, slow and mocking. "Is that so? Then speak."

Simon's tone hardened, every word deliberate."You've searched for your sister for over ten years.I can tell you now-I know where she is."

At once, Luis surged to his feet. His eyes blazed, long -buried emotions tearing free.

"Where is she?" His voice trembled, urgency cracking through.

Yet even then, discipline pulled at his reins. "How do you know? Ten years without a trace-and suddenly you claim certainty?"

At this, Simon's chuckle slid low and dark. "Mr.Sampson, not all things can be explained. You scoured the world with empty hands, and I found her without even meaning to. Sometimes, fate mocks us with coincidence. And as for your sister-l'd never dare joke. Not with you."

Luis narrowed his gaze, knowing Simon wouldn't dare lie-not unless he longed for the grave.

Slowly, he sank back into his chair. The thought of his long-lost sister-the family he had longed for through years of sleepless nights-now dangled before him,setting his blood alight with hope. "Where is she?" His voice cracked again, hoarse.

"Where is my sister now?"

Simon could taste the hunger in his words. His gamble was taking root.

He lifted the dagger, letting its edge glint against the dim light.

"You want her?" His smile warped into something feral. "Then help me topple a man. We'll settle details face-to-face."

A heavy silence followed. Only static whispered faintly through the line.

For Simon to demand such terms meant one thing: he was certain Luis would accept. After all, this was the sister he had chased through more than ten relentless years. Everyone knew-his sister was the one chink in his armor.

Simon savored the moment, convinced the whole chessboard was his to command.

On the other end, Luis drew slowly on his cigar, and then released a perfect ring of smoke that floated upward.

The haze curled around his features, blurring them,sharpening the authority in his posture.

His chin lifted slightly, eyes glinting with lethal frost.Each word dripped with death's certainty-and none who knew him doubted. He never bluffed.

Yet Simon held his ground. Madness burned in his stare; his mouth twisted into a grin that bordered on delirium.

His laughter ripped through the room, jagged and shrill, a sound that scraped bone. Tears welled up in his eyes before he fell still.

"Of course, I know." Simon's bloodshot eyes dropped to the photo on the table. "By day, Mr. Sampson,you're the polished head of a glittering jewelry empire.By night, you rule the underworld with an iron hand-merciless and absolute. If I dare threaten you,it is because I no longer fear death, nor the hell you command. I desire only one thing..."

With a savage thrust, he drove the dagger through Isaac's photo. "Help me annihilate Isaac Bennett. Wipe him out so completely that not even his bones remain.Do that-and you'll see your sister."

A low chuckle slipped from his lips. "Refuse? Then take my life-l welcome it. But know this: your sister vanishes forever. For a man who has nothing left to lose, threats are weightless. Bribery, however, works. And you, Mr. Sampson, are wise enough to see it."

On the other end, Luis crushed his cigar out,jaw clenched hard.

Simon was pressing on the one wound he could never ignore-his sister.

Without this trump card, if Simon dared to threaten him like this, his -corpse would already be cold.

After a long silence, Luis rose, sliding his hands into the deep pockets of his coat. His eyes turned to ice,his tone deadly calm. "I'll hear you out. Face-to-face."

He ended the call. Then, with a flicker of command,he told the shadow behind him, "We're going back."

On Simon's side, once he heard the words, he hurled the phone aside.

In the dimness, his lips curled slowly, a cruel light kindling in his eyes.

For a moment, silence ruled. Then a low, eerie laugh crawled from his throat, thick with malice and triumph -as if a demon had been set loose.

Outside, thunder roared, rattling the windows,yet his laughter rose higher, nearly drowning the storm.

Lightning cleaved the sky, flashing across hisface- half shadow, half glare-turning him monstrous,his eyes wide and predatory.

In his mind, one refrain repeated endlessly-Isaac Bennett,your end is near.