Chapter 65

After dinner, Jeremiah sent Yvette and Bonnie back to their dorm before he and Andrew headed home to their opulent, last-

minute acquisition–a sprawling 3,000–square–foot condominium in the city’s center.

They returned home at midnight. Andrew was so exhausted and had fallen into a deep sleep that even a storm could not wake him.

The mansion stood in serene silence, broken only by the soft, lonely glow of the study lamp, where Jeremiah stood by the floor–

to–ceiling windows, gazing out at Seacrity’s towering skyline. His eyes were as dark and unfathomable as the night sky that seemed to pierce the distant horizon.

The soft cigarette glow illuminated his sharp features, the shadows playing across his strong nose, giving him an enigmatic presence. Just then, the phone on the table rang abruptly. Jeremiah turned, picked up the receiver, and put it to his ear.

“Jeremiah, I traced the email address you gave me. We had three of the world’s best hackers on it for three days and finally pinpointed Siren’s last known location–Seacity, informed the person on the other line.

Jeremiah’s voice remained as icy as ever when he replied. “Noted. No need to dig any deeper. With that, he ended the call.

Jeremiah had come to Seacrity at James‘ request to investigate Siren. The moment he stepped into the Night Bar, he recognized her–the girl from James picture, now fending off some pushy guys. She was Siren’s only known connection, so Jeremiali discreetly followed her as she slipped into the alley behind the bar.

Jeremiah had a clear vision of his own path from a young age. His mother envisioned him taking over the family business and living a stable life, while his father pushed for a secure government job. He followed neither path, opting to join the army instead, where he had served to the present day. Little did he know he would fall for the girl, Yvette, one day and experience the consequences. A deep sigh echoed through the darkness of the night from the ever–resilient Jeremiah, who had never wavered.

The next day was painted with clear blue skies, the aftermath of a heavy rain shower that had passed overnight. Ethan stayed home, waiting for Daniel to return with good news about Yvette. He was hoping Daniel would tell him that Yvette had been taken to the police station and tortured.

Time passed as he waited, and Ethan was about to leave when the doorbell rang He opened the door excitedly, expecting Daniel’s return, only to be greeted by a line of uniformed prosecutors and police.

“Who are you two?” he asked. The visitors that day were the famous prosecutors from Seacrity. They had been hastily called into the office the night before as Daniel’s case was too significant to ignore. They had spent the entire night working with the other prosecutors and had only finished their work in the morning Daniel’s case involved a staggering total of 300 million dollars, excluding the embezzled city construction funds. It was the largest corruption scandal Seacrity had seen in the last decade. Headquarters acted quickly, issuing a search warrant to search Daniel’s home comprehensively.

With a respectful tone, the lead prosecutor asked, “Hello, is this Daniel’s residence?”

Ethan, lost in thoughts of revenge against Yvette, nodded absently and replied, “Yeah, what do you want?” Accustomed to his own arrogance and bolstered by Daniel’s support, Ethan did not take the group seriously.

In response to his rudeness, the prosecutors felt no need to play nice. After all, Daniel’s time as deputy mayor would be over by the end of the day, and his son would be nothing. This is standard procedure. Here’s the warrant. Please step aside,” the prosecutor said.

Erhan took the document and checked the official seal to confirm its authenticity. He stood there frozen as disbelief washed over him. A sudden thought struck Ethan, and he hurriedly grabbed his phone to call Daniel. He dialed once, twice, and three times, but each attempt went unanswered 1/2 11:03 Wed, Oct 9 B Chapter 6 The prosecutor, growing impatient, repeated. “Please step aside Ethan stood in the doorway, gripping the door frame tightly. He knew exactly what was hidden inside the house. His mind raced, thinking. They must not find them. If they do, Dad’s finished! Then, Ethan demanded, “What are you trying to find? Where’s my dad? He’s Daniel, the Deputy Mayor of Seacrity! Do you have any idea what that means?”

The lead prosecutor noted Ethan’s stubbornness and wasted no time informing him that Daniel had been arrested earlier that day “Mr. Ethan Brooks, you may not know this, but your father was arrested earlier today. As for the consequences. we’re just following the rules. There’s nothing for you to worry about.” With that, the prosecutor motioned for the police to take Fihan aside Two officers moved forward and grabbed Ethan, who, accustomed to a life of luxury, was no match for their strength. With minimal effort, they pulled him aside. He struggled desperately, but the officers were unyielding, pinning him to the ground. After a dozen minutes of futile struggle, he lay there, gasping for breath like a beaten animal.

Throughout the morning, the prosecutors removed several large boxes and five safes, and it was clear to everyone what might have been hidden inside. By the time they finished their work and feft, it was well after 1 pan.

Eventually. Ethan relented and stopped fighting. The police allowed him to sit in a chair at the mansion’s entrance. He could only watch as boxes were carried past him, followed by the heavy safes being loaded onto trucks.

Ethan’s color drained, thinking, What happened to Dad? The prosecutors wouldn’t be so bold as to search the deputy mayor’s house without solid evidence.

The prosecutor took one last look at the distraught Ethan as he left and mused, “It’s about time. Mr. Brooks has been abusing his authority for years. At last, someone has had the courage to bring him down. I don’t know who it is, but it feels immensely satisfying. Seacrity is finally rid of the corrupt figure.

After everyone left. Ethan returned to the mansion and picked up the landline to call Daniel, but there was no answer. His anxiety grew as he called government officials who often visited and had a close relationship with Daniel. He tried about a dozen times, but each call went unanswered. Ethan pondered, “Even if something happened to Dad, how could they all be in trouble, too?

Dad won’t expose these connections so quickly–they’re his trump cards!

Unbeknownst to Ethan, Jeremiah’s influence forced Wyatt to be more vigilant. Within an hour of returning to the office, Wyatt ordered everyone connected to Daniel detained for interrogation. The political scene in Seacrity was shaken, and Daniel’s party was completely removed from power because of the information Jeremiah provided.

Ethan’s hands trembled as he clung to his last shred of hope and made one last call. After several rings, the line finally connected, and joy flooded him. “Uncle, it’s me, Ethan. Can you tell me what happened to my dad? The prosecutors just arrived.” he said urgently On the other end, Ethan heard the sound of shuffling, like someone tidying up as they spoke, “Ethan, your dad’s finished. He’s been reported for corruption. You must leave Seacrity immediately, or it might be too late.”

The call was abruptly cut off before Ethan could push for more information. He sank back onto the sofa, clutching the phone that had just been cut off. A wave of confusion and helplessness washed over him as he struggled to understand who had been offended or how the report had come to light.