Today marked the final day of Jillian's university entrance exam. She had braced herself for trouble, expecting Margaret and her clique to pull another stunt. But as she walked into the exam hall, everything was surprisingly calm. No snide remarks, no tripping attempts, no missing stationery—just silence.
She couldn't decide if that was more unsettling. Margaret sat in her usual seat, eyes forward, completely indifferent to Jillian's presence. The absence of hostility felt almost like a trap. Still, she pushed the thought aside and focused on the test in front of her.
As she filled in her answers, a nagging feeling remained—something was off.
Jillian pushed through the last section of the exam, her pen gliding over the paper as she double-checked her answers. The silence in the room was almost eerie, but she refused to let it distract her. This was her final step toward Tsinghua, and she wouldn't let paranoia ruin it.
When the exam ended, students began filing out, chatting about the difficulty of the paper. Jillian packed her things carefully, her senses still on high alert. As she stepped into the hallway, she expected Margaret and her group to be lurking, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. But again, nothing. No whispers, no glares. It was as if they had suddenly lost interest in her.
Dante and Leo were waiting outside the building. Leo raised an eyebrow. "No war zone today?"
Jillian shook her head. "That's what's bothering me."
Dante folded his arms. "They're planning something."
Jillian sighed. "Let them. I have bigger things to focus on now."
Still, as she walked away, she couldn't shake the feeling that the storm hadn't passed—it was simply waiting for the right moment to hit.
The wait for her results had begun, but Jillian knew she couldn't afford to sit idly by. Her future at Tsinghua hung in the balance, but so did the dangerous game she was playing against Harlond and Victor.
Each day felt longer than the last. While other students celebrated the end of exams and speculated about their scores, Jillian's mind was elsewhere. Dante and Leo kept tracking Harlond's movements, and Camilla continued feeding them information from inside the Smith estate. The silence from Victor was unsettling—he hadn't made a move yet, but they all knew it was only a matter of time.
******
After Camilla was taken away, the fight continued between Victor's forces and Harlond's men. The tension had already been at a breaking point, but now, with Camilla gone, Victor had nothing left to hold back. He struck first, launching a ruthless offensive against Harlond's allies, determined to send a message.
Harlond, furious at the bold attack, retaliated swiftly. His men, well-trained and equally ruthless, met Victor's forces head-on. The city's underworld trembled as power shifted unpredictably, each side trying to outmaneuver the other.
Meanwhile, Jillian and her team stayed in the shadows, watching the chaos unfold. They knew this was the perfect distraction—while the two titans waged war, they could move unnoticed, piecing together the last fragments of their investigation.
With the city in turmoil, Jillian knew this was the moment she had been waiting for. Harlond and Victor were too distracted by their war to realize she was closing in.
Dante and Leo focused on analyzing the files they had taken, looking for any weaknesses in Harlond's operations. Meanwhile, Jillian reviewed everything they had gathered so far, connecting the dots between hidden deals, betrayals, and long-buried secrets.
Harlond's growing paranoia was evident—security had doubled around his estate, and his movements had become unpredictable. He knew someone was after him, but he didn't know who.
Jillian wasn't going to give him time to figure it out. It was time to make her next move.
Jillian gathered her team in the dimly lit warehouse they had been using as their base. The tension in the air was thick as she laid out the latest findings on the table.
"Harlond is spiraling," she stated. "He's making mistakes. We need to use this to our advantage."
Leo glanced at the scattered documents. "We have enough to expose him, but we need one final push. Something undeniable."
Dante crossed his arms. "Then we take the risk. We force his hand."
Jillian nodded. "We need to hit where it hurts. His business, his connections… everything he's been trying to protect."
The plan was set. Tonight, they would strike.
That night, under the cover of darkness, Jillian and her team made their move. The shipment was their last chance to uncover what Harlond was truly hiding. Dressed in black, they moved like shadows, slipping past security and into the dimly lit docks where the cargo was being offloaded.
Leo worked fast, hacking into the manifest system while Dante and Jillian crept toward the containers. The air was thick with the scent of salt and metal, the quiet hum of machinery masking their footsteps. When they finally reached the marked shipment, Jillian's heart pounded. What was inside? Documents? Weapons? Something far worse?
Dante pried open the crate carefully, revealing…
…rows of neatly sealed black cases stacked inside. Jillian exchanged a glance with Dante before reaching for one, her fingers brushing against the cold metal latches. With a soft click, the case unlocked.
Inside, neatly arranged, were bundles of documents—contracts, financial records, and lists of names. But something else caught Jillian's attention. Beneath the papers was a velvet-lined compartment. She pulled it open, revealing small, unmarked vials filled with a dark liquid.
Leo, still at his terminal, whispered through their earpieces, "You won't believe what I found. This shipment—it's connected to some off-the-books medical trials. People have disappeared after being part of these."
Jillian's stomach twisted. This wasn't just about money or power. It was something bigger—something sinister.
But before they could dig deeper, the sound of footsteps echoed through the dock. Someone was coming.
Jillian quickly shut the case, signaling Dante and Leo to move. They slipped into the shadows just as two men entered the storage area, their voices low but urgent.
"Everything accounted for?" one asked, his tone sharp.
"Yeah, but the boss wants extra security on this batch. Too many eyes watching lately," the other responded.
Jillian's pulse pounded. If security was tightening, this was their only chance. She glanced at Dante, who nodded. They needed proof, and fast.
Leo, still at his terminal, sent a quick message: I'll distract them. Get what you need.
A sudden alarm blared across the dock. The two men cursed, reaching for their radios. Taking advantage of the chaos, Jillian and Dante grabbed the documents and a vial before slipping out through the emergency exit.
As they ran toward their getaway point, Jillian couldn't shake the feeling—this was bigger than they had thought. And if Harlond was tied to it, then she was in deeper trouble than she had ever imagined.