The sun had already set by the time Nik, Alexei and Kelly gathered in the living room.
The space was softly lit, the warm glow of the lamp casting gentle shadows across the room.Documents and papers were scattered across the table.
silence hung in the air
From one of their agents within the police force, they had learned that the photos shown earlier had been sent late the previous evening by an unknown individual. The sender had not only provided the images but had also directly linked it to the organization. It was the first real lead the police had received, which explained their sudden boldness.
Their agent had attempted to trace the origin of the call but it had been impossible.
A few minutes passed in silence before Kelly who had been massaging her temple, suddenly spoke
" Hey, Nik..during the last meeting Jake mentioned something about the possibility of an informant in the organization, right?"
Alexei seated on the couch beside her, glanced up
"Now that you mention it, we haven't really looked into that. Not with everything that happened that day"
Kelly tapped her lips thoughtfully
" Is it possible..that our informant is the same person who sent those pictures?"
Nik who had been deep in thought, finally spoke. His voice was calm " There's a fifty-fifty chance"
He leaned back slightly " For now, we'll work with that assumption"
Kelly nodded and stood up from the couch. Picking up the remote, she pressed a button, and a large screen lit up across the room.
Another click-
A pyramid diagram appeared
"First," Kelly began, gesturing toward the screen "Whoever did this must have access to a device. That's assuming the informant and the sender are the same person."
Alexei adjusted his glasses carefully
"The only people without devices in the compound are the trainees" she continued.
"Which means our suspect is either a trainer, a member of the drug unit or one of the captains or vice captains." Nik said, pausing briefly as he continued " Though..there are still ways for a trainee to get access to a device"
With a frustrated sigh Kelly muttered, " This is so messy" then turned to the screen.
"But Nik, the pictures the police have- they're from inside the factory right? Where the drugs are proceed" Kelly asked.
Nik gave a small nod
"And as we all know" Kelly continued " Only specific people are allowed in there- captains, vice captains, production mangers, members of the drug unit and you," she said, her gaze shifting to Alexei.
"And of course, our bosses," she added.
"And the only way into the factory is through retinal access" Alexei said.
Nik's gaze darkened slightly " Which limits access even further"
Kelly crossed her arms, thinking " So if we keep assuming the informant is the one who sent the photos.."
She turned back to them
"....then we're down to production manager, captains, vice captains and Alexei"
" Fair enough" Nik said " They're the only ones with full knowledge of the drug formula and the freedom to move in and out without suspicion-"
He stopped mid- sentence
The sound of the mansion doors opening echoed through the hall.
Footsteps followed
Then a voice-
Dmitri.
****************
Ash locked the car and made his way toward the mansion, the gravel crunching softly beneath his shoes. Dmitri was already ahead of him, having gone inside without waiting.
As Ash reached the front door, just as he lifted his hand to open it, he heard a soft click. The door swung open to reveal a maid standing there.
"Sir," she greeted politely, giving a slight bow before gently taking the bags from his hands.
"Thank you," Ash replied quietly.
He stepped inside. As he followed the maid down the hallway, voices drifted toward him—ones he recognized immediately.
Dmitri… Nik… Alexei…
And then another voice.
Ash's expression tightened slightly.
Kelly.
As he entered the living room, the scene before him was nothing short of chaos. Documents were scattered across the table and floor, as if a storm had passed through. Dmitri and Kelly were laughing over something, their voices light and careless. Alexei was calm as ever, observing rather than participating.
Then Ash's eyes found Nik.
He was seated on the sofa, composed and unbothered, his attention fixed on his phone as though the disorder around him didn't exist.
For a moment, Nik looked up.
Their eyes met.
Just for a second.
But that single second sent an unexpected warmth spreading through Ash's chest, catching him off guard.
Ash lowered his gaze quickly and gave a small, respectful bow.
"Sir Nik. Sir Alexei."
Alexei acknowledged him with a slight nod.
Nik said nothing.
Kelly's attention shifted immediately, leaving Dmitri as her eyes landed on Ash. A playful smile curved her lips.
"Ash," she called, her tone light and teasing.
She walked toward him, heels clicking softly against the floor.
"It feels like forever since I last saw you," she said, stopping close—too close.
Before he could step back, she placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sure you missed me."
"Sorry, to disappoint you" he said flatly " but I didn't "
Kelly rolled her eyes, letting out a small scoff.
"You're so mean."
Dmitri chuckled from behind them before stepping forward the sound low and amused
Kelly turned to him, brows lifting
"What's funny?"
Dmitri blinked, feigning innocence.
" Was i laughing?"
Kelly huffed, rolled her eyes , before turning away, her attention shifting back to Nik and Alexei.
Dmitri attention shifted, his gaze settling on Ash. A faint smile touched his lips.
" You can go to your room " he said calmly
Ash gave a small nod, but before he could step away, Dmitri closed the distance between them. His hand came up, fingers resting against Ash's jaw , titling his face slightly.
"Thank you for today"
The words were quiet, but carried weight.
Ash held his gaze for a moment–Just a moment – before gently taking Dmitri wrist and lowering his hand.
"Just doing my job, Boss"
Dmitri lips curved faintly
Ash turned without waiting for a response, heading toward the staircase.