"Just when you think the ghosts are gone, they knock louder."
---
The Letter that Shook the Tower
The silence in the office was unsettling.
Laurence set the letter on the mahogany desk between them, his eyes never leaving Charles. Clara's hand found Charles's without a word; her grip was warm, grounding.
"E.L.," Charles murmured again, more to himself than anyone. "Who signs off a threat like it's a wedding card?"
Laurence cleared his throat. "This… this isn't just a threat. This is a message. Someone powerful. Someone watching."
Clara straightened. "Then it means everything isn't over. Moorcroft was just the tip of the iceberg."
Charles nodded slowly. "And this iceberg has names we haven't even discovered."
---
Secrets in the Laurent Archives
They headed to the Laurent ancestral estate that same evening. Beneath the sprawling mansion was a secret vault only Charles and Laurence knew about—an underground archive built by Elias Laurent himself.
"The Watch Room," Laurence explained as they descended the marble staircase. "Your father was paranoid, Charles. He believed someone was after the company even before he died."
Inside the archive was a vault of old documents, security footage, personal recordings, and Elias Laurent's personal journal.
Clara flipped through the journal. One entry stood out:
> "I see now that it wasn't just Frederick. He was only ever a puppet. My brother grew careless, but there is a hand above him… silent, patient, educated. I named this one 'E.L.' not for myself, but for the man I fear most—he signs everything with those initials, as if mocking me. I think he's been watching me since college."
Charles looked at Laurence. "Wait… this guy knew my father back in university?"
Clara nodded, already typing on her tablet. "If we can get records from Elias's university years, we might find someone whose name or signature matches."
"And if we don't?" Charles asked.
"Then we provoke him to come out."
---
The Unraveling Web
The plan was simple: lure out the unknown figure known only as "E.L." by appearing vulnerable.
Charles announced in the press that he and Clara would be stepping away from company operations for a while—citing "personal rest and healing." In truth, they were digging deep into the history of Elias Laurent's corporate foundations, looking for anything or anyone that could be linked to this hidden threat.
They visited Elias's old law firm, his former university, his friends from the early 80s. Most remembered him as sharp, driven, and secretive.
But in one dusty university archive in Switzerland, they found something curious—a copy of an old student newspaper with an article written by Elias Laurent and another student listed as co-writer:
"Elijah L. Marlowe."
Clara's finger paused over the name. "E. L."
Laurence turned pale. "I've heard that name. Marlowe. He was Elias's closest friend. Until they split paths."
"And now?" Charles asked.
Laurence opened a folder from the university's donor registry.
"Elijah L. Marlowe is now the Chairman of a global biotech conglomerate—Marlowe Industries. Based in Monaco. Worth billions. And guess what?"
"What?"
"Four years ago, Marlowe attempted a hostile takeover of the Arken Group… but Frederick Moorcroft blocked the bid."
Clara's eyes widened. "Which means Marlowe might've used Frederick all along—groomed him to get close to the Laurent family and take control from inside."
---
Assassins in the Mist
Days after their discovery, someone tried to kill Charles again.
This time, it wasn't subtle.
While jogging through the estate gardens, two masked men emerged from the hedges, tasers and knives in hand. Charles barely dodged the first strike, and the second would've ended him—had Clara not appeared from behind the path with her father's old hunting rifle.
She didn't fire to kill—just to stop.
Two warning shots sent the attackers scrambling. But Clara caught one by the arm and slammed him to the ground like a falling tree.
The police arrived. The attacker refused to speak. But a tattoo on his neck gave away everything: the Marlowe family crest.
---
Confrontation in Monaco
Charles and Clara flew to Monaco under heavy protection, with Laurence at their side. Their mission: confront Marlowe directly and expose him.
They arranged a private meeting through an ally who still had contacts in Marlowe's company. It was dangerous. But calculated.
The meeting was set at a high-rise tower near the Monaco port. Marlowe arrived dressed in white, smiling as if he were greeting friends at a wine tasting.
"Well, well," he said, voice smooth. "The ghost prince and his queen."
Charles stepped forward. "Why are you trying to destroy my family?"
Marlowe's smile vanished.
"Because your father stole everything from me. The patents. The company. The legacy. He thought he was clever. But Elias forgot that not all snakes live under rocks—some walk upright."
"You tried to kill a boy to punish a dead man," Clara said coldly. "And you failed."
Marlowe chuckled. "Oh, my dear, this was never about killing. It was about erasing."
---
The Master Plan Revealed
Marlowe confessed—not because he had to, but because he wanted to.
Elias Laurent and Elijah Marlowe had once co-founded a biotech lab in college. But Elias registered all patents under his name, cutting Marlowe out of billions. The betrayal festered. For decades, Marlowe built a quiet empire, slowly influencing those close to Elias, including Frederick Moorcroft.
It was Marlowe who suggested Frederick gain Charles's trust.
It was Marlowe who sent thugs to Arkenvale Market that day to provoke the townspeople.
It was Marlowe who faked reports of Charles's death, hoping Clara would abandon the company.
And it was Marlowe who orchestrated every failed attempt on Charles's life.
"You didn't just inherit wealth," Marlowe said. "You inherited enemies."
---
A Deal in Darkness
But Charles didn't flinch. Clara stepped beside him, head high.
"You talk like a god," she said, "but you forgot one thing. We don't break easy."
Laurence pulled out a flash drive. "This contains everything—your confessions, the recordings, the documents from university, all the testimonies we've gathered."
Marlowe paled. "You can't—"
"I already did," Charles said. "Interpol is outside."
Sirens filled the air as agents flooded the tower. Marlowe was arrested, his empire shattered in one afternoon.
But the war wasn't over.
As Marlowe was dragged away, he looked at Clara. "They'll come for you next. I wasn't the only one Elias betrayed. Be ready, Miss Edevane."