The villa door creaked open, and Kai stepped inside.

  The air smelled faintly of coffee, takeout, and something else — warmth.

  The moment his eyes met theirs, the silence broke.

  “Boss!”

  Evan was the first to greet him, grinning wide. Felix stood up from his desk, while Iris gave him a knowing smirk — pride flickering in her eyes. Mara and Lina were already off the couch, and even Jonah, usually reserved, nodded with quiet approval.

  They welcomed him back — voices overlapping, laughter filling the space.

  Kai’s lips curled faintly, a rare, genuine smile slipping free. “You did well. All of you.”

  Evan grinned. “We knew you’d check on us anyway. Had to make sure we didn’t disappoint.”

  Jonah added with a chuckle, “Honestly, we figured it’d get messy. Still can’t believe it went smooth.”

  Kai shook his head. “That’s because you all handled it right.”

  Evan clapped his hands, brightening the mood. “We thought a little celebration wouldn’t hurt.”

  He gestured toward the table, where bags of food and drinks waited — burgers, fries, sodas.

  Kai just laughed softly, shaking his head. “Alright. Let’s eat.”

  For a while, the villa was loud — laughter, the sound of bottles clinking, wrappers rustling, and the comfort of shared victory.

  They weren’t operatives or pawns tonight.

  They were just people — a team.

  And Kai let himself enjoy it.

  THE NEXT MORNING — THE VILLA

  Dawn’s light crept through the villa windows as Kai sat at the dining table, a half-finished cup of coffee cooling beside him.

  His phone buzzed. Leonard’s name appeared.

  Kai picked up, voice calm. “Morning.”

  Leonard’s voice came through, rough but almost… lighter. “Kai… I just wanted to say… you weren’t joking. You really pulled it off. In one night.”

  Kai stayed silent, letting Leonard speak.

  “I’ve worked cases way smaller that fell apart fast. But your team… you solved it, cleaned it, left no mess behind. That’s… impressive.”

  Leonard paused.

  “Can I ask… who are you really?”

  Kai smiled faintly. “Just people trying to do some good.”

  Leonard let out a breath — half disbelief, half respect.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  “Well… whoever you are, I owe you. Anyway — the client transferred the full payment. Five hundred thousand. Cleared this morning.”

  Kai’s tone stayed steady. “Where is it now?”

  Leonard hesitated. “Sitting in the agency account. Figured I’d check before moving it.”

  Kai leaned back, quiet for a beat. “Keep it.”

  Leonard blinked. “What?”

  Kai repeated it calmly. “Use it, Leonard. Pay off whatever’s chasing you. Clear your debts. Get your head above water.”

  The line went silent.

  “…I don’t know what to say.”

  Kai smiled. “Then don’t say anything. Just start over.”

  Another pause — then Leonard chuckled, soft and genuine. “Thank you.”

  Kai’s tone softened. “Good. Now listen — I need you for something else.”

  “Go on.”

  “We’re expanding. The villa’s getting too small,” Kai explained. “I want you to help us find a new building — something large enough to split.”

  Leonard’s brows lifted. “Split?”

  “One half is yours — the agency. The other half… mine,” Kai said calmly. “We’ll run operations out of it. Quiet, clean.”

  Leonard didn’t argue — he understood exactly what Kai meant. “Alright. I’ll start looking.”

  “There’s more,” Kai added. “You’ll need to hire a few new people — good ones. Not your usual type. People you trust.”

  After a pause, Leonard’s voice steadied. “Alright, Kai. I’ll handle it. You’ll have what you need.”

  “I know,” Kai said simply. “I’m sending Jonah your way later. He’ll work with you.”

  Leonard let out a dry laugh. “Looking forward to it.”

  Kai smiled faintly. “Good. Talk soon.”

  The call ended — quiet settling once more.

  The soft hum of the villa’s air vents was the only sound as Kai sat on the couch, staring at the sunlight creeping through the curtains. The place still carried the remnants of last night’s celebration — empty cups, half-eaten snacks, and a rare sense of ease.

  For a second, he forgot where he was.

  Kai blinked, sitting up slowly as the realization hit him — he’d fallen asleep here.

  A quiet sigh escaped him as he reached for his phone. There were no missed calls… no messages. But he knew better than to push his luck.

  He opened his messaging app and typed quickly.

  Kai: “Hey Mom. Slept over at a friend’s place last night. Sorry, forgot to text. I’ll be back later.”

  Simple. Believable. He stared at it for a beat, then hit send.

  A small weight lifted — one less thing to worry about.

  As his eyes drifted lazily around the villa, they landed on the secret door — the one only him ever used.

  A faint smile tugged at his lips.

  The human mind… it really is fascinating, he thought. How easy it is to rewrite a person… mold them… guide them without them even realizing it.

  His mind drifted — back to the very things he’d already done.

  Iris, once just another recruit, now moving like a professional mentalist — reading people like open books, twisting conversations to her will.

  Evan, reckless but skilled — now driving like he’d been trained by professionals, his reflexes sharp, instincts sharper.

  And Jonah… the most surprising. A man who never touched a piano in his life… now playing effortlessly, as if he’d practiced for years.

  All of it… because Kai wanted it that way.

  Because he’d seen it that way.

  Kai leaned back against the couch, staring at the ceiling as the thoughts spun — darker now, more ambitious.

  What else…? What else could he shape? What did they need?

  The team was growing — the organization expanding — but control… true control… required more.

  A strategist, maybe. Someone who could plan beyond instinct. Someone to handle logistics, cover stories, details he couldn’t always monitor.

  Or… a medic.

  Someone to patch them up when things went wrong — because eventually… things would go wrong.

  His eyes narrowed as the possibilities unfolded — each one more tempting than the last.

  How far could I push this? How much more could I create?

  Kai sat in silence, the sunlight barely creeping through the villa’s curtains. The memory of the mission still lingered — how close Darren and Marcus had come to dying that night.

  It gnawed at him.

  They were reckless… but loyal. I can’t afford to lose them.

  That’s when the idea struck.

  Without another thought, Kai stood and made his way to the secret door — the entrance sliding open with a faint hiss. The cold, familiar air of the hidden room washed over him.

  Kai sat, lit the candle, and slipped into the smoky space beyond — his breathing steady, his mind focused.

  The gray fog swirled until two figures appeared in front of him — Darren and Marcus.

  In the vision, they smiled — calm, confident.

  “We did it, Kai. No trace. Everything was smooth.”

  Kai’s lips curled faintly as he focused — imprinting that outcome deep into his memory, deep into theirs.

  The ritual took more out of him than usual. By the time he stumbled back into the real world, his vision blurred, and exhaustion crashed over him.

  He barely made it to the couch before sleep took him.

  A soft knock stirred Kai awake. Iris stood nearby, arms crossed.

  “You’re up,” she said.

  Kai sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes. “The others?”

  “Still asleep,” Iris replied. “Mara and Felix are waiting.”

  Kai nodded and made his way to the living room. Mara looked up from her spot on the couch, while Felix was already on his laptop.

  Kai greeted them with a faint smile. “Felix, call Marcus and Darren. Tell them to come — now.”

  Felix blinked. “Urgent?”

  “Yeah.”

  An Hour Later

  Darren and Marcus arrived — a little out of breath but alert.

  Kai didn’t waste time. “You two… I need you to do something today. No questions.”

  Both straightened, exchanging a glance but nodding.

  Kai’s voice dropped lower. “You’re going separate ways. Darren — you’re heading to Silvergate Corporate, downtown. Finance firm, mid-level employees, fast-paced. Blend in — like you belong there. No one should notice.”

  He turned to Marcus. “You — you’re going to Astrelia MedTech. Medical research company. Same job. Blend in, watch everything, interact… naturally. But by the end of the day, no one should remember your face.”

  Both tensed — but said nothing.

  “You’ll wear standard-issue gear — embedded cameras and mics. Felix will monitor you.”

  Darren spoke up, tone serious. “And if we’re caught?”

  Kai’s gaze was ice-cold. “You won’t be.”

  Silence fell. The weight of the task — the test — settled in.

  Finally, Marcus nodded. “Understood.”

  Kai glanced at Jonah. “You need to meet with Leonard. He’ll need your help on a task I gave him.”

  Jonah smirked lazily. “Finally… something for me.”

  He watched as Darren and Marcus grabbed their gear and left — no complaints, no hesitation.

  Only when the door closed did Kai exhale — the smallest flicker of a smile crossing his lips.

  Let’s see how the image comes true this time.”

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