Clarity walked straight toward the windows, pulling the heavy curtains open. "The office is much clearer now," he said quietly.
He then stepped toward Eve and Aaron, placing a small wooden box onto the desk with a heavy thud. "And now... let’s make the truth clear as well. Aaron, here is the evidence I talked about. The proof that validates the Boss’s innocence."
Eve whispered, staring at him, "Why are you here?"
"I promised your brother Aaron that I would help him uncover the truth about the Boss," Clarity replied calmly. "Everything was going perfectly, but he rushed and shot the Boss... Rashness is truly one of his worst traits."
Aaron let out a ragged sigh, pushing the box away from him. "Just leave, please. I don't care about your damn evidence."
Clarity’s voice dropped to a low whisper. "Are you sure? Should I really leave?"
Eve tapped her fingers sharply against the desk, her gaze shifting to Clarity. "Are you saying this evidence proves Bruno’s innocence?"
"Yes, it does."
"Where did you get it? Did Bruno allow you to take it?"
Aaron interrupted them, his voice rising in frustration. "What on earth is going on here?! It looks as if you already know what this brat is talking about, Eve!"
"Yes, I know about this evidence," Eve snapped back. "So, if Bruno allowed you to use it, Clarity, then open it."
Clarity pulled the box back toward himself. "The Boss didn't allow it. I took the box myself... I know the whole truth now because Jake told me. I believe everything will be resolved once Aaron learns the truth, so with your permission, I will open it."
Eve stared intently at the box, her voice shaking. "Do it. I’ve wanted to do this for so long... Let this fool"—she threw a venomous glare at Aaron—"realize what he has done, and just how blind he has been. But I’m leaving... I feel suffocated all of a sudden, and I might choke further if I stay to watch his reaction."
With that, Eve turned on her heel and stormed out of the office.
Clarity stared at Aaron in silence for a few seconds before he began opening the box. He pulled out a notebook—its cover was a deep, pitch black, adorned with elegant golden lines.
The moment the notebook appeared, Aaron’s breathing hitched, his eyes widening in recognition. "This is Ari’s notebook! How did it end up here?!"
Clarity handed the notebook to Aaron. "Have you ever read its contents before?"
Aaron shook his head, his hands trembling as he began flipping through the pages, staring blankly at the ink.
Aaron knew this notebook better than anyone. Ari loved it dearly; she used to carry it everywhere they went. He knew she was constantly writing something in it... but she always forbade him from looking inside, making him promise never to open it. She used to smile, telling him she was documenting their memories together so they could look back on their happy past in the future. Aaron had always been consumed by curiosity to know what was hidden within those pages.
Suddenly, Aaron stopped flipping the pages. He slapped the notebook face-down onto the table, his voice defensive. "This isn't Ari’s notebook. I was mistaken."
"Isn't what’s written here... in her handwriting?" Clarity asked coldly.
Aaron averted his gaze in irritation, muttering, "Maybe it looks a little like it."
Clarity slammed his hand hard against the table, shouting, "Aaron! Stop acting like this!"
"How else do you want me to act?!" Aaron roared back. "You are showing me a notebook filled with secrets and transaction records of my father's companies! Bruno possessing something like this means he can destroy my father. How can this possibly be proof of his innocence?!"
"Because your fiancée, Ari, was the one who gave this notebook to the Boss," Clarity revealed, his voice sharp and unyielding. "She wanted to help him get rid of Konar... your father."
Aaron took a deep, shaky breath, trying to hold onto his fading composure. "You are talking absolute nonsense... If that’s the case, I’m leaving."
As Aaron turned to walk away, Clarity’s voice cut through his panic like a knife. "Didn't she always ask you to take her to visit your father's institutions and corporations? How else could she have gathered all this information if she didn't? Answer me... were you taking her to your father's facilities?!"
Slowly, the floodgates of Aaron’s memory swung open.
She really did want that...
She used to smile so brightly, asking him so sweetly...
"Let’s visit the southern commercial building..."
"What do you think about visiting the general institution, Aaron?"
"I’m dying to see the Capital building..."
She truly desired to go there. In fact, they had never gone to a regular park together. They had never taken a trip to the beach, or gone to an amusement park. All their adventures, all their dates... were strictly to his father's corporations and the palace. And whenever they arrived, she would always slip away from his sight, as if she were searching for something.
Realizing the horrific truth, Aaron stumbled toward the sofa, collapsing onto it. "Let’s say she wrote these notes and gave them to Bruno," he muttered, his voice tight. "But why? Are you suggesting she was working for him?"
Clarity walked over, handing him a separate stack of documents. "Your fiancée wasn't working for Bruno; she chose to help him because she wanted to destroy Konar just as much as he did. And these files contain the exact reason why."
Aaron tightly closed his eyes, whispering, "Just give it to me straight."
"I don't know all the details, as I haven't read everything written here," Clarity said softly. "But Ari’s father... he committed suicide by throwing himself from the Capital building two years ago. According to these papers, your father stripped him of all his assets until he was completely bankrupt, driving him to take his own life."
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Aaron bolted upright from the sofa, screaming, "Lies! Everything you’re saying is an absolute lie!"
Eve marched back into the office, her face twisted in annoyance as she yelled at him, "Fine! Get the hell out of here, and don't you dare come back until you’ve verified this 'nonsense' yourself!"
She then turned to Clarity, her tone urgent. "I want to go see Bruno. Will you take me?"
Aaron stared at them in a mix of fury and utter disbelief. Everything in this room had gone completely mad. He grabbed Eve’s wrist, shouting, "Why are you going to see him?!"
"Because I stand by Uncle Bruno," Eve said coldly, ripping her hand away. "And you... you better try to remove that dark shroud blinding your eyes. You’ve finally learned the truth, even though you are always, always too late."
Eve turned sharply and left the office, with Clarity following close behind.
Near the front gates of the institution, Eve walked with hurried, furious strides. Clarity quickly caught up, grabbing her arm to slow her down. "Have you lost your mind, Eve?!" he hissed, his tone strained. "You didn't even bother to tell me that you were secretly cooperating with the Boss!"
"Weren't my actions obvious enough?" Eve retorted, not breaking her stride. "I never intended to hide it from you from the very beginning."
"And the others? Is it fine if they find out?!"
"I don't care! I just want to see Uncle Bruno."
"Inside the gang's headquarters?!" Clarity blocked her path, his eyes wide. "Do you even know what kind of place that building is? Do you honestly think all of your uncle’s followers are like me and Jake? Absolutely not. That place is crawling with real villains... I won't allow you to walk in there."
"Don't call my uncle’s men villains!" Eve snapped. She slammed her hand against the concrete wall, her voice cracking. "My brother is the only villain here."
Clarity took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. "Wait here. I’ll fetch something from inside."
He returned two minutes later, holding his dark Cipher cloak, and handed it to Eve. She threw it over her shoulders, successfully concealing her form. Her face was still slightly visible, so Clarity reached up, pulling the deep hood further down over her eyes.
"How am I supposed to see where I’m going?" Eve muttered from beneath the fabric. "I’ll lift it just a bit, and I’ll wear my sunglasses and face mask. That’s much better."
"Do whatever suits you," Clarity sighed.
Eve raised her arms, inspecting the dark fabric of the cloak. A small, proud smile tugged at her lips. "What an elegant design, truly. But of course... since it’s my own design." She finished her sentence as she slipped her dark sunglasses over her eyes.
Clarity shook his head, a faint smirk appearing on his face. "It’s comforting to see the narcissistic Eve back again. Let’s move."
Meanwhile, Aaron walked out of Eve’s office, dragging his feet like a ghost. He stared blankly at the notebook and the heavy files clutched in his hands.
Maybe... maybe what they said was true. Ari hated my father completely, yet she always pretended otherwise whenever she stood before him... She was so mysterious, so distant. And I was nothing but a blind fool...
By the time night had completely fallen, Eve entered the gang's headquarters, with Clarity navigating the corridors just ahead of her. No one paid attention to her arrival; beneath the heavy Cipher cloak, she looked like nothing more than another high-ranking operative.
The two stopped outside Bruno’s room. Clarity quietly turned the handle and pushed the door open. Both medics were still inside, anxiously monitoring his condition.
The room was in complete disarray. Stains of fresh blood painted the floorboards and smeared across the sofa. Bruno’s clothes were heavily torn, his face deathly pale and drained of color.
Seeing him like this, a wave of agony and fury washed over Eve. "I’m going to kill you, Aaron," she whispered under her breath.
Clarity signaled for Jake to step aside, walking with him to the corner of the room. Jake stared at the cloaked figure in confusion, whispering, "Who is that? Is that a colleague of yours from work? I mean... isn't that a Cipher's uniform?"
"It is," Clarity whispered back, keeping his face neutral. "He is a colleague, and a highly important figure to the Boss... His identity is strictly classified. I can't tell you who he is."
Jake raised an eyebrow, a skeptical smirk playing on his lips. "Look at you, turning into the Boss’s keeper of secrets." He shook his head, letting out a soft sigh. "Fine. If the Boss ordered secrecy regarding him, I’ll leave you to it."
Jake turned and quietly exited the room, closing the door carefully behind him.
Eve immediately rushed to Bruno’s bedside, collapsing to her knees onto the floor. She gripped his hand tightly, tears welling up and shimmering in her eyes.
She looked up at the head medic, her voice trembling with panic. "How is he?"
The medic sighed heavily, his expression tight with worry. "I hope he will be alright. We have done absolutely everything within our power."
"What do you mean 'you hope'?!" Eve cried out. "Should he be moved to a hospital?! If that’s the case, let’s take him right—"
Suddenly, Bruno’s fingers tightened around hers, cutting her off. "Calm down a little," he muttered, his voice nothing more than a faint, raspy whisper.
Eve froze, slowly sinking back as she whispered, "Are you okay?"
Bruno forced a weak, painful smile through his pale lips. "I’m fine... I think. Well, my heart is still beating, at least."
"I’m so sorry, Uncle," Eve sobbed, bowing her head. "I should have controlled Aaron. I should have stopped him."
"Don't blame yourself," Bruno breathed heavily, his chest straining. "Konar completely poisoned his mind... Where is he now?"
"Let him go to hell," Eve spat out bitterly. "Don't ask about him. Besides, couldn't you have stopped him, Uncle?! Why did you just let it happen?!"
"Why should I have stopped him?" Bruno murmured, his eyes drifting toward the ceiling. "I have no desire to keep living anyway."
Clarity stepped forward, his brows furrowed as he spoke in a sharp, elevated tone. "What do you mean you have no desire to live, Mr. Bruno?! What about the men out there? You were supposed to lead us to victory! If you die now, every single one of us will either be executed or rot in a prison cell for the rest of our lives!"
Despite the burning pain in his chest, a smirk touched the corner of Bruno’s lips. "Look who’s talking... Didn't you abandon us before, brat? Don't worry about the men. I’ve already arranged everything for after my death."
"Mr. Bruno!" Clarity yelled, his patience snapping. "You need to find Yohan before you even think about dying!"
Bruno’s eyes snapped wide open, a cold shock piercing through his exhaustion. He slowly turned his head toward Eve, whispering, "How does this kid know my real name... and how does he know about Yohan?"
Eve froze, a cold sweat breaking out across her neck as she stammered, "He... he found out somehow. But don't worry, Uncle. He works for me at the institution."
Clarity instantly clapped both hands over his mouth, his eyes wide with horror. Damn it... the words just slipped out automatically.
Just stop talking, Clarity cursed himself in his mind. Shut up.
Bruno watched him, his sharp eyes narrowing as a faint smile returned to his pale face. "Interesting..."
Suddenly, Bruno’s mobile phone began to ring sharply on the bedside table. Clarity quickly picked it up and handed it to Eve. She looked down at the screen, whispering, "You don't save any names on this device... I don't know who it is."
Bruno cleared his throat with a painful gasp. "Are the last three digits 890?"
"Yes."
"Press answer and hold the phone to my ear," Bruno commanded, his eyes gleaming with a dark, sudden energy. "It's Eric."
Eve quickly pressed the green button and held the device against his ear. Several seconds ticked by in heavy silence. The Boss didn't utter a single word, listening intently to Eric’s frantic voice on the other end.
Finally, Bruno took a deep, steady breath. A slow, deeply cunning grin spread across his face as he spoke into the receiver, his voice dripping with authority:
"Make it vanish... behind our Red Mist."
Clarity’s eyes widened in sheer realization as he whispered to himself, "Behind the Red Mist...!"
At that exact moment, in the southern sector of the Capital...
Having received the direct order from the Boss, Eric slammed his phone shut. A massive, victorious grin broke across his face as he turned to his men, who had quietly surrounded the perimeter of the grand facility.
"Drop the canisters!" Eric roared.
A series of loud, synchronized explosions shattered the night air. Instantly, thick plumes of vibrant, crimson smoke erupted from the windows of the massive building. The heavy red mist expanded rapidly, rolling across the stone streets and engulfing the structure until every architectural detail vanished from sight.
A massive crowd of civilians quickly gathered, gasping and pointing in amazement. The crimson fog completely blanketed the area, illuminated by the streetlamps like a strange, mesmerizing display of fireworks. The children in the crowd cheered and laughed, entirely captivated by the beautiful, surreal sight.
But as the heavy crimson fog slowly began to dissipate... the truth became starkly clear to the entire city.
The Grand Southern Commercial District... now belonged entirely to the Red Mist Gang.