A wave of gasps and muffled sobs broke out among the n. Ryan felt his heart hamr against his ribs. His family? His wife? He looked at the luxury towers and thought of the cramped, damp apartnt they had been forced to live in because her parents had cut them off.
"But that’s not all. The boss said a warrior needs more than just a roof. If you take the elevator down to the basent level corresponding to your unit, you will find a secondary gift waiting for you. Use your keys there as well" said Jason.
"Is this for real, Jason? All of this... for us?" said one of the older guards, his voice trembling.
"The boss doesn’t play gas. He saw who stood by him when the bullets started flying. This is the down paynt on your loyalty. Now, get moving! Your families have been worried sick, and you have a big day tomorrow at seven sharp!" said Jason.
Ryan didn’t wait for another word. He sprinted toward Building B, his legs—which only hours ago were supposed to be useless for life—carrying him with effortless speed. He burst through the lobby, ignored the startled look of the concierge, and took the elevator straight to the basent.
When the doors opened, he found a row of private, enclosed garages. He walked until he found the one marked with his number. He inserted the brass key, his hands shaking, and turned the lock.
The motorized door slid upward with a quiet hum, revealing a brand-new, charcoal-gray luxury SUV, its tallic paint shimring under the fluorescent lights. On the windshield was a simple note: A man who fights for his ho deserves a way to get there. — E.
"I... I don’t believe it" said Ryan.
He fell to his knees for a mont, the weight of the transformation hitting him all at once. He was no longer the "nobody" his mother-in-law mocked. He wasn’t the "mantenido" they despised. He was a man with a ho, a car, and a future, all because he chose to pick up a gun when everyone else ran.
He stood up, gripped the steering wheel of the car for just a second to feel its reality. He had to see her. He had to see his wife.
He scrambled out of the garage and practically flew up the stairs, his heart drumming a frantic rhythm against his ribs. He reached the door marked with his number and slamd the key into the lock.
The door swung open to reveal a living room that looked like sothing out of a designer magazine. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city, and the furniture was plush, modern, and pristine. But Ryan didn’t see the luxury. He didn’t see the marble countertops or the ambient lighting.
"Honey? I’m ho! It’s , Ryan! You won’t believe it, I’m okay!" said Ryan.
Silence greeted him. A cold, suffocating silence.
He ran into the master bedroom. Empty. He checked the guest rooms, the walk-in closets, even the balcony. Every room was perfectly prepared, the beds made with silk sheets, but there was no sign of life. No clothes in the drawers, no scent of her perfu in the air.
"Where are you? Please, don’t do this" said Ryan.
Panic, sharp and jagged, tore through his chest. He stumbled out of the apartnt, leaving the door wide open, and sprinted back down to the plaza. Most of the other n were weeping with joy, embracing their wives and children in the moonlight. Ryan scanned the faces, his eyes wild, until he spotted Jason talking to a couple of security guards.
He grabbed Jason by the shoulders, his grip tight and desperate.
"Jason! My wife! You said the families were moved! Where is she? Why is my apartnt empty?" said Ryan.
Jason’s expression shifted from professional calm to a look of deep, uncomfortable pity. He sighed, placing a hand on Ryan’s arm to steady him.
"Ryan, calm down. Listen to " said Jason.
"I can’t calm down! Where is she? Did sothing happen during the relocation?" said Ryan.
"We sent the extraction team to your old address three days ago, just like the boss ordered. We had the legal paperwork and the moving trucks ready. But when we got there... the place was cleared out. Not just her, but everything. We asked the neighbors, and they said a group of expensive black cars ca by a week ago" said Jason.
Ryan felt the world tilt on its axis. A week ago? That was while he was still unconscious in the hospital, fighting for his life.
"They told our team that she had gone on an ’extended vacation’ with her parents. They said she didn’t want to be reached. We tried to track the destination, but the mother-in-law’s family has enough influence to scrub the trail. We were hoping you might know where they took her" said Jason.
Ryan’s hands dropped from Jason’s shoulders. He took a step back, the luxury of the complex suddenly feeling like a gilded cage. He rembered his mother-in-law’s sneer at the hospital. My daughter deserves a man who can stand on his own two feet, not a burden.
"They took her because they thought I was a cripple. They thought I was dead weight, so they cut out while I couldn’t even crawl... They didn’t just take her. They stole her from because they thought I was a nobody" said Ryan.
Jason watched the young man’s transformation for a mont, then sighed, shaking his head.
"Look, Ryan, we didn’t want to overstep. The boss has a policy about not ddling in the private family affairs of his n unless they ask. We knew where the trail went, but we waited for you to decide if you wanted our help" said Jason.
Ryan froze, his head snapping toward Jason with a desperate, wide-eyed look.
"You... you can find her? You know where they took her?" said Ryan.
"Give a second" said Jason.
Jason pulled out his phone and made a quick call. On the other end, Ethan was already monitoring the situation through Crul’s vast network. In less than a minute, a digital ping echoed from the phone.
"Crul found her. She’s not out of the country yet. Her family moved her to a private estate in the Hamptons, heavily guarded by private security. They are preparing a flight to Europe for tomorrow morning" said Jason.
Ryan felt a surge of hope so strong it nearly knocked him over. He looked at the address displayed on Jason’s screen, his hands trembling as he morized it.
"Why didn’t you tell sooner?" said Ryan.
"Like I said, the boss respects his people. We didn’t want to intrude into your family life without your permission. But now that you’ve asked... you have the coordinates. What do you want to do, Ryan?" said Jason.
Ryan gripped the brass key so hard it dug into his palm. The sadness was still there, but it was being rapidly incinerated by a cold, sharp purpose.
"I’m going to get my wife" said Ryan.
"The SUV in your garage is fully fueled. The GPS is already loaded with the route. Just rember, Ryan: seven a.m. sharp tomorrow. Don’t be late for training" said Jason.
"I won’t be late. I’ll have more than one reason to be there" said Ryan.
He turned and sprinted back toward the basent. He didn’t need a suitcase. He didn’t need a plan. He had a miracle in his veins and the backing of a man who turned gravel into grace.
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