James chuckled, shaking his head as he tossed his phone aside. He sunk back onto the mat, hands behind his head, staring at the tent ceiling until his eyes finally drifted shut. Ah, patience was finally bearing fruit.


    *n


    Meanwhile, Mirabe had just finished her call when Curtis approached. She calmly tucked her phone away and turned her attention to him.


    Curtis gave a slight nod, "Ms. Mirabe, here are the documents you wanted."


    He handed them over, and Mirabe thanked him, promptly diving into the contents.


    Curtis, having already gone through the documents himself, started exining, "Zach''s case is a bit of a tangle, involving the country''s leading pharmaceuticalpany and some issues with their medical equipment."


    Medical issues are notoriouslyplex, with tangled rights and interests. Mostwyers would steer clear of such cases to protect their own interests.


    Mirabe skimmed through, uninterested in the medical and equipment specifics. Her eyes stopped at thest name on the list.


    "Carl, huh?"


    Her voice dropped to a whisper, lips curling slightly as her eyes turned icy.


    Curtis, recalling James''s instructions, stole a careful nce at her and cleared his throat. "He''s at Emerald Gardens now. We''ve got eyes on him."


    Mirabe''s gaze softened as she returned to her usualid-back self.


    "Carl might have some strings to pull, but Ms. Mirabe, don''t lose sleep over him; he''s nothing but a lowlife," Curtis remarked, his face unreadable.


    Try messing with our family, and we''ll unravel even the deepest connections.


    Mirabe cast Curtis a quick look, thanked him, and stepped back into the hospital room.


    She exchanged a few words with Zach''s assistant, asking him to keep an eye on Zach and reassured him about the security, before she exited again.


    It was nearly eleven when Mirabe hopped into the car Curtis had brought around.


    Grady had stationed someone at the hospital, but she slipped past them, leaving the Davis family oblivious to her departure.


    Twenty minutester, they rolled up to Emerald Gardens.


    Emerald Gardens was a posh estate in Riverdale, where the wealthy wined and dined, with a night''s stay costing a small fortune.


    Curtis simply swiped a membership card at the gate, and the security guard waved them through.


    He parked outside the vi where Carl was holed up for the night.


    Despite thete hour, the vi was aze with lights, music spilling out into the night.


    Mirabe leaned back, watching the scene through the window with a smirk. Zach wasid up in the hospital, and here they were, partying the night away. How nice for them.


    As Curtis unbuckled his seatbelt, he informed her, "There are about ten bodyguards inside, the rest shouldn''t be a problem."


    He paused, opening the car door, "But they might be packing heat, so watch yourself."


    Mirabe let out a softugh and stepped out of the car.


    *n


    Inside the vi, Carl lounged on the sofa, a hefty gold chain around his neck, with two young women attending to him, cigar smoke curlingzily in the air.


    The room was thick with smoke and chatter, with a few others spread out on the surrounding sofas, deep in conversation.