"How many men did he bring?"


    "Two," his subordinate replied respectfully, then added after a moment''s thought, "But we don''t have a count on aerial support."


    Borealia was Sigma Network''s turf, with Era City as its nerve center. And with one of their main bases just a stone''s throw from Liberty Ind, the memory of their helicopters raining down munitions was still fresh in his mind.


    Warren considered it for a moment, then said with a casual air, "Let him in."


    He had Specter now. He had all the leverage he needed.


    In the main hall, Warren sat with his long legs crossed nonchntly, his deep eyes narrowing dangerously as he watched the approaching man.


    Shanley wore a long trench coat, his legs looking impossibly long and straight in matching trousers. His features were cold and severe, and he was surrounded by a powerful aura that warned others to keep their distance.


    "Warren. We meet again,” Shanley said, stopping a few feet away. His eyes fixed on Warren''s face as his lips slowly curled into a semnce of a smile. His tone was perfectly calm, betraying no hint of panic.


    "I hear you wanted to make a deal with me?" Warren didn''t move from his seat, not offering Shanley an ounce of respect. “You know the whereabouts of my wife''s family?"


    "That''s right," Shanley said, taking a seat and resting his fingers casually on hisp, his deep-set eyes half-lidded. “But before we trade, I want to see Specter.”


    "Hah,” Warren scoffed, a humorless smile ying on his lips. "Let''s get something straight. This is Liberty Ind, not the Sigma Network. You have no right to make demands here. Besides, we just had Specter skip a couple of meals. He won''t die."


    "Skipped a couple of meals?" Shanley''s brow furrowed. His fingers curled slightly as he suppressed a wave of anger, his voice dropping to a low growl. "You dare?"


    Warren''s expression turned icy, his eyes filled with hostility. What was the big deal about a few missed meals? If Specter wasn''t still useful to him, he would have made Specter pay for the past in full.


    Shanley pressed his lips into a thin, frustrated line. There were two things you never, ever messed with when it came to Juniper: her money and her food. She got cranky if she missed a snack on a normal day, let alone being starved for two whole meals. This was practically a death sentence for her sanity Warren was, practically tap-dancing on herst nerve-first kidnapping, now starvation.


    "Warren, I''m giving you some


    advice," Shanley said, pinching the bridge of his nose and forcing- himself to be patient. If you don''t


    want this to get incredibly


    humiliating for you, let Specter go."


    He himself had made the mistake of offending Juniper''s siblings on multiple asions. But he never imagined someone would make a bigger fool of themselves by going directly after Juniper.


    She was Juniper, for God''s sake. The one they all protected.


    "What are you talking about?" Warren''s brow twitched, and he shot Shanley a detached look. "Tell me where to find Celine''s family, heal her, and I will naturally release Specter. Otherwise—"


    Warren lifted his chin, his eyes like chips of ice. "I would sooner burn Liberty Ind to the ground than let you take Specter."


    "Show him out!"


    With that final threat, Warren rose to leave.


    He had only taken a few steps when Shanley''s deep, maic voice drifted slowly across the hall.


    “Have you ever stopped to wonder why Celine took to Specter so quickly?"


    Hearing this, Warren froze. He turned around slowly.


    Their eyes met. A roar filled Warren''s head as a horrifying possibility began to dawn


    on him. It couldn''t be...