Chapter 25: Chapter 25: The Ghost's Debt

The Weight of Captivity

Nani woke up to the feeling of cold steel against his skin.

His wrists burned from the tight cuffs, the metal digging into raw flesh. His body ached—a dull, radiating pain that told him Jason’s men hadn’t been gentle. His head throbbed from the sedative they must’ve used, his thoughts sluggish but sharpening by the second.

He was still alive.

That meant Jason wanted something.

Slowly, Nani opened his eyes.

The room was dark—windowless. The damp air clung to his skin, carrying the scent of mold and metal. A basement? A warehouse? He wasn’t sure yet.

His instincts screamed don’t move.

Don’t let them know you’re awake.

But it was too late.

-------

Jason Blackwood had believed Nani Hirunkit was dead.

For three years, he had been certain.

No body had been recovered. No whispers in the underworld. No loose ends.

Laurent had confirmed it.

And Jason had moved on.

Until, a name resurfaced in hidden networks.

A trace of a ghost.

At first, Jason dismissed it. A mistake. A coincidence.

But then—Laurent provided proof.

Nani was alive.

And that?

That was unacceptable.

------

A Grudge That Never Died

The moment Jason saw Nani’s unconscious body dumped onto the cold cement floor, something inside him burned.

Not just satisfaction.

Rage.

Because this man—this damn ghost— had cost him everything.

Jason had built his empire with precision, controlling international trafficking routes, laundering billions through untouchable channels.

And then, three years ago—

It all collapsed.

His operations were hit from every angle.

His trade routes intercepted.

His money seized.

It wasn’t just bad luck.

It was sabotage. Systematic. Precise. Ruthless.

Jason had torn his network apart, hunting the leak.

Was it his men? His rivals? A mole in the ranks?

For months, he had interrogated, tortured, killed.

But the truth had been worse than he imagined.

The leak wasn’t from one of his men.

It was from Thupa’s inner circle.

And not just anyone.

Nani.

Jason had nearly laughed when he first heard it.

The trusted right hand of Thupa? The man who helped build their empire?

A spy? A cop?

It seemed impossible.

Jason clenched his jaw, eyes narrowing at Nani’s unconscious form.

Laurent had delivered Elias first—that pathetic Interpol agent who had fed information to Nani.

And then?

Laurent gave up Thanom.

Nani’s beloved handler.

Jason still remembered the last moments of that mission.

A rain-soaked alley.

Gunfire in the distance.

Thanom, bleeding out, dragging Nani’s unconscious body through the dirt.

Jason had watched from afar.

And then, when Laurent gave the signal—

Jason’s men opened fire.

They had killed Thanom that night.

And as far as Jason was concerned—Nani had died with him.

Until now.

Jason exhaled slowly.

The rage that had simmered beneath his skin for three years came alive again.

His fingers tightened around his glass.

He had been cheated of his revenge.

But now?

Now, he would finish the job properly.

---

A slow, mocking voice filled the room.

"I was beginning to think you'd never wake up."

Nani's breath hitched.

Jason.

The last time he saw Jason Blackwood…

Thanom was still alive.

Jason stepped closer, swirling a glass of whiskey in his hand. His suit was pristine, his expression unreadable.

But his eyes burned.

"You're looking well, Ghost."

Nani's pulse spiked.

That name.

That damn name.

Jason hadn't forgotten.

The room felt colder.

But Nani refused to flinch.

His voice was hoarse but steady. “If you’re gonna kill me, get it over with.”

Jason chuckled. “Kill you? Oh, no. That would be too easy.”

He leaned forward.

"You're going to suffer first."

Nani felt his stomach twist.

Jason took a slow sip of his drink, savoring the moment. "Do you know how much you cost me?"

Nani didn’t answer.

Jason’s smirk vanished.

"Three hundred million dollars."

The words were sharp. Precise.

Jason swirled his drink, voice almost conversational. “I always suspected I had a mole. My shipments were getting intercepted, my networks were crumbling, and money was disappearing before I could move it.”

His eyes met Nani’s.

"In a matter of weeks, you and your pathetic Interpol friends dismantled an empire it took me a lifetime to build."

Jason exhaled. “For months, I didn’t know where the leak was coming from. I suspected my own men. I killed dozens for nothing.”

He took a slow sip.

“Until Laurent gave me Elias.”

The words hit like a punch.

Nani’s chest tightened.

Laurent.

The man who had pretended to be their ally.

The man who had sent them to their deaths.

The man who had executed Thanom in cold blood.

Jason tilted his head. “Tell me, Nani. How does it feel knowing you put your trust in a traitor?”

Nani’s breathing was sharp, uneven.

Jason’s smirk widened. “Elias begged, you know.”

Nani flinched.

Jason laughed. “Thanom fought harder. But in the end? It didn’t matter.”

Nani felt his vision blur.

Memories flashed violently.

Blood pooling in the dirt.

Thanom’s last breath against his ear.

The echo of Elias’s scream.

A fire burned through his chest.

Jason’s voice was smooth, taunting. “Did you ever wonder what their last thoughts were? Do you think they regretted trusting you?”

Nani’s fingernails dug into his palms.

He couldn’t breathe.

Laurent.

Laurent gave up Elias.

He had suspected it. Had known it deep down.

But hearing it from Jason’s mouth felt like a blade twisting deeper into an old wound.

Nani swallowed the bile rising in his throat. “You’re wasting your time, Jason. You already won. What do you want from me?”

Jason smirked. “Closure.”

Nani frowned. “…Closure?”

Jason gestured with his glass. “You think I just want you dead?”

His smile didn’t reach his eyes. “No, no, no. Death is too quick. Too easy.”

He stepped closer.

“I want you to understand.”

Jason’s voice was eerily calm. “I want you to feel what it’s like to lose everything. To know that no matter how hard you fight, no matter who you trust—”

He crouched down, leveling their gazes.

“—you can’t win.”

Nani’s stomach twisted.

Jason wasn’t just going to kill him.

He was going to tear him apart first.

Piece by piece.

Until there was nothing left.

---

The Scapegoat

A rustling sound broke at the moment.

A second prisoner—handcuffed, bruised, and furious.

Nani was not alone in captivity.

A low groan broke through the haze of his consciousness.

Thupa.

The old crime lord was slumped against the opposite wall, wrists bound, a deep cut along his temple. His usually sharp eyes were clouded with pain, but when he saw Nani, something flickered across his face.

Relief.

Not anger. Not hatred.

Just relief.

Jason tilted his head. “See, Nani. There’s another person who’s very upset with you.”

Thupa spat blood onto the floor. “Go to hell.”

Jason crouched in front of Thupa. “Funny, isn’t it?” He smirked. “You spent years building an empire, and now you’re just another disposable piece on the board.”

Thupa exhaled through his nose. His expression was tired, resigned—but not broken. "You talk too much, Blackwood."

Jason’s smirk twitched.

Thupa wasn’t afraid of him.

That alone irritated him.

Nani forced himself to sit up, jaw tight. "Why is he here?"

Jason tilted his head, as if the question amused him. “Come now, Nani. You really don’t get it?”

He stood, pacing slowly. “Thupa betrayed me.”

Thupa scoffed. "You stole my empire, son of bitch."

Jason chuckled. "Stole? No. I simply took what was already falling apart."

He turned back to Nani. “You see, Ghost, your little stunt three years ago didn’t just ruin me.” His voice darkened. “It ruined Thupa, too.”

Nani’s breath caught.

Jason continued, gesturing lazily. “Thupa was too blinded by loyalty to see what you really were. When I finally gave him the truth—that his most trusted man was an undercover cop—” He smirked. “Well. Let’s just say, he had to make a choice.”

Thupa didn’t flinch. “I never hesitated to kill Elias.”

Nani clenched his fists. He knew.

He knew Elias had been executed the moment he was exposed.

Thupa exhaled. "But Nani…" He met Nani’s gaze, something complicated in his expression. "I never wanted you dead."

Jason laughed.

“And that’s why you lost.”

Thupa’s jaw tightened.

Jason’s smirk widened. "You were weak. You should have killed him the second you knew."

He turned back to Nani. "And yet, despite your betrayal, Thupa still hesitated. He still saw you as his own."

Nani felt his stomach twist.

Jason was right.

Even when Thupa had every reason to end him—he didn’t.

But it didn’t matter anymore.

Because Jason had won.

He had taken Thupa’s empire.

He had taken Nani’s freedom.

And now?

He was going to kill them both.

Jason exhaled sharply, as if bored. "The truth is, I don’t need Thupa anymore. I only kept him alive so he could take the blame."

Nani’s blood ran cold. "Blame for what?"

Jason’s smirk turned razor-sharp.

"For your death, of course."

Nani’s stomach dropped.

No.

No, Jason wouldn’t—

Jason’s voice was smooth. “When I kill Nani, the world will believe it was your doing.”

Thupa froze. “…What?”

Jason swirled his glass. “It makes perfect sense. You had every reason to want revenge. After all, he betrayed you first.”

Nani’s breath came shallow and sharp.

Jason was going to frame Thupa for his murder.

And then?

Jason would wipe out Thupa’s remaining empire.

Erase his name from the underworld.

Thupa realized it too.

His hands clenched into fists. “You slimy son of bitch!”

Jason just laughed it off.

---

Trust and Desperation

Nani’s heart slammed against his ribs.

Jason wasn’t just planning to kill him.

He was planning to make Thupa take the fall.

A perfect cover-up.

The world would believe that the once-powerful Thupa, out of revenge, had executed the traitor in cold blood.

A final betrayal.

And when the news broke, Interpol would stop hunting Jason.

The case would be closed.

Nani would be just another body dumped in an unmarked grave.

And no one would know the truth.

No one would know that Jason Blackwood had won.

No.

Nani’s breath came sharper.

He was not going to die here.

Not like this.

But time was running out.

-----

Jason turned to Thupa, casually taking another sip of his drink. "Don’t worry. I’ll make sure they kill you painlessly."

Thupa chuckled, shaking his head. “You really think I’m scared of death?”

Jason smirked. "No. But I think you're scared of being forgotten."

The words hit harder than any bullet.

Thupa’s eyes flickered with something unreadable.

Nani gritted his teeth.

Jason was playing a game.

And Nani was running out of time.

He needed to stall.

Needed to think.

Needed a way out.

Then Jason came to his side, crouched in front of him.

Nani’s wrists ached from the restraints, but he refused to show weakness.

Jason studied him for a moment, then smiled. "You know, I used to respect you."

Nani stayed silent.

Jason tilted his head. "But then, you made me bleed."

His voice turned sharp, cold. “So now, I’m going to make you watch as I burn everything you love.”

His fingers wrapped around Nani’s chin, forcing him to look up.

"Starting with your team."

Nani flinched.

"I let them live this long because I wanted you to have hope."

He leaned in. "But hope is a lie, Ghost."

His fingers tightened.

Nani felt his pulse pounding.

His mind flickered to his team.

To Sky.

A bitter laugh built in his chest.

Did he trust them to save him?

He had spent so many years learning to rely only on himself.

Surviving alone.

Fighting alone.

But now—now he wasn’t alone anymore.

He had Sky.

He had all of them.

And he knew—if anyone could find him… it was them.

His squad—Sky—would come for him.

Right?

Doubt crept in.

Had they even survived the ambush?

What if Jason’s men had already taken them out?

What if—

Nani forced himself to breathe.

Sky wouldn’t stop.

Even if he had to tear the world apart—Sky would find him.

Jason’s smirk hadn’t faded. “I wonder how long it’ll take before they come for you.”

Nani’s lips curled.

“They’re already coming.”

Jason tilted his head. “Confident?”

Nani met his gaze. Unflinching.

“Always.”

Jason chuckled. “Good.”

His eyes darkened. “That’ll make breaking you even more satisfying.”