A Brother's Guilt

Anna looked at the private encrypted phone on the nightstand. 

She stared at the screen for 10 seconds, then set the device face down on the table without dialing.

At 2:00 AM, in the study of the Vanguard estate, Silas Vanguard sat behind his desk with his eyes fixed on the landline.

For years, Anna had checked in the moment an assignment cleared. Tonight, the phone had remained silent for over 3 hours.

Silas's expression hardened. Her silence confirmed his suspicion: she had aligned herself with Lawson...

He picked up a private handset and dialed a secure extension. "It's me. First thing in the morning, send a message to Anna. Tell her we have a confirmed lead on what happened to her father, Jincheng An."

2 floors above the study, Lucas paced his bedroom floor.

The memory of Liu Guoping folding in one punch, followed by Li San going down on the asphalt, kept him awake.