Before the next day came, Adam met another man.
He was still in his old-man disguise, sitting across from one of Bruno's three friends in a quiet corner far from Bruno's usual hangouts. He had chosen a place where no familiar underworld face kept staring at them, and where leaving separately would be easy.
Adam knew this man from his previous life.
Bobula.
He was the one who had eventually exposed Bruno's secret to their boss back then. In the previous timeline, that betrayal had come much later, after Bobula's envy and suspicion had already ripened. Adam had only needed to reach him earlier this time.
Adam looked at him and placed both hands calmly on the table.
"I have a good job for you."
Bobula smiled at once.
"Of course. You already said you know one of Bruno's secrets. If I use it right, I can become the boss's right-hand man."
Adam smiled back, then pushed a sealed letter toward him.
A bundle of cash followed and landed on top of the envelope.
"I want you to deliver this letter to your boss," Adam said. "Bruno's secret is inside. This money is your compensation. But you will give him this letter only after twelve tomorrow. Not before."
Bobula's fingers moved to open the envelope immediately.
Adam's hand came down over it first.
Bobula froze.
"I'm not paying you for nothing," Adam said.
Bobula slowly pulled his hand back.
Adam's voice stayed quiet.
"If you want that position, then follow the conditions properly."
'If he opens it now and acts early, Bruno may move before I finish using him. The timing matters.' Adam thought.
Bobula did not really care who this old man was or why he was helping him. Outside, he acted like Bruno's friend. Inside, he had been burning with envy for a long time.
Bruno always stood closer to the boss, always got better access, better jobs, and better respect. Bobula had smiled through all of it, but each smile had only made his resentment deeper.
If there was a way to destroy Bruno and climb over his body, that was enough.
Adam watched that hunger settle in his eyes.
"You can't read the letter," Adam said, "but I can tell you this much. What's inside is the same thing you've already suspected about Bruno."
Bobula's expression changed.
For months, he had wondered why Bruno visited the boss's house so often. He had suspected something dirty was happening there, but suspicion alone had never been enough.
Now that suspicion hardened into certainty.
He swallowed, then nodded quickly.
"I'll definitely deliver it to the boss. But whose name should I say gave it to me?"
Adam's smile deepened.
"Don't worry. You don't need to use my name. Every proof inside can be presented under your name."
Bobula almost spoke again, but Adam cut in first.
"If you mention me," Adam said, "there's a good chance Bruno's position won't come to you."
Bobula stiffened.
Only then did he realize how close he had been to making a stupid mistake.
Adam stood up.
"After twelve," he repeated.
Then he left.
Bobula remained seated for a while, staring at the letter and the cash.
At last, the thing he had been waiting for was in front of him.
He still could not fully understand how Bruno had dared to do something this big without fear. If the affair was real, then Bruno had either lost his mind or grown far too arrogant under the boss's trust.
Then Bobula smiled.
'Why should I care? I just need to rise. One day, even the boss's seat can be mine.' Bobula thought.
For now, taking Bruno's place was the best first step.
He picked up the envelope and left.
The next day, Bruno stood with Bobula and the same two men from the hideout.
Bobula glanced at the jewelry being moved and asked, "I don't understand. Where did you get so much jewelry to sell?"
Bruno looked at all three of them and answered without hesitation.
"I told you already. The boss gave it to me."
The other two exchanged a glance and accepted that answer easily.
Bobula did not.
'He's doing too many things on his own. I'm sure the boss didn't personally hand this to him. What is the real truth?' Bobula thought.
That doubt irritated him more than he showed.
Still, he said nothing for now.
Bruno had given all three of them a share from his own three percent cut, and the money had been large enough to keep the other two satisfied. Even Bobula could not deny that the payment was attractive, which made openly questioning Bruno harder in front of them.
Bruno, meanwhile, was still annoyed by one thing.
The old man had already calculated the entire amount too accurately. There had been no room left for him to quietly shave off extra cash this time.
But after a second, Bruno smiled to himself.
'Fine. It doesn't matter.' Bruno thought.
Then he looked at the three men and lowered his voice.
"The boss has another job for you."
All three turned toward him.
Bruno continued, "You just need to wait for my signal. At a specific place, you're going to catch one old man for me. I'll tell you when."
The other two nodded at once.
Bobula, however, felt something strange at that description.
One old man.
Even the way Bruno said it carried a personal edge, as if this was not just a normal task but something tied to his own anger.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
'Is he talking about the same old man who gave me Bruno's secret?' Bobula thought.
The more he considered it, the less certain he became.
If they were the same person, then this job was no ordinary order, and Bobula needed to be careful about which side he stepped toward.
Maybe they were the same person.
Or they were two different old men.
He could not tell.