Chapter 56: Hunting The CEO

Langley was a shadow—no official records, no confirmed locations, and no digital footprint. Even with the ten politicians and law enforcement officers working under me, finding him was like chasing smoke in the wind.

But now, thanks to the files we got from the King of Loan Sharks, we had a starting point.

I tapped the screen, zooming in on a single highly classified document. It detailed three safe houses, all listed under shell corporations owned by Langley's personal network.

"These are the only physical locations connected to him," I said. "If we're going to catch him, we need to force him into one of them."

Edward Olani leaned in, his sharp eyes scanning the data. "Langley won't go to any of these willingly. He's smart enough to know they're compromised."

"That's why we're going to flush him out."

I turned to Marcus, our logistics expert. "If we target his financial network, how long would it take before he realizes something's wrong?"

Marcus rubbed his chin. "Langley doesn't operate like normal businessmen. He uses offshore accounts, cryptocurrency pools, and untraceable cash flows. Cutting off his funds won't work."

Jonathan cracked his knuckles. "Then we make it personal. We hit his people."

I nodded. "Exactly."

Langley didn't work alone. He had trusted lieutenants handling his operations—financiers, smugglers, and information brokers.

Edward pulled up a list of Langley's closest associates.

"Carmen Velasquez," he read aloud. "Handles his offshore accounts and money laundering. Always operates out of Dubai."

"Too far," Marcus muttered.

"Zhao Wei," I added, scrolling down. "Arms dealer based in Hong Kong."

Jonathan shook his head. "We need someone local. Someone Langley will personally intervene for."

Then I saw it.

Name: Elias Carter

Role: Personal Bodyguard & Enforcer

Location: New York City

I smirked. "Elias Carter. If Langley trusts him with his life, then taking him off the board will make Langley show his face."

Edward frowned. "Carter is ex-CIA. He won't go down easily."

"That's why we're not going to kill him." I leaned forward. "We're going to kidnap him."

Langley was a strategist. He wouldn't respond emotionally unless he had no other choice.

By capturing Carter, we'd force Langley into a controlled environment—one of his own safe houses.

Jonathan grinned. "We let Langley think he's coming to rescue Carter. But in reality, we'll be waiting for him."

Marcus added, "We need to make it look like another criminal group took Carter. If Langley suspects it's us, he'll disappear again."

I nodded. "We'll stage a fake kidnapping. Make it look like one of his rival organizations hit him. That way, Langley won't be running—he'll be walking straight into our trap."

1. Lure Carter into an ambush.

• Carter was known to frequent an underground casino in Manhattan every Friday night.

• We'd stage a power outage, forcing him into a pre-selected escape route.

• That's where we'd take him.

2. Make it look like a rival group's attack.

• We'd use fake gang insignias to throw Langley off.

• Leak false information that Carter was being held for ransom.

3. Monitor Langley's movements.

• The second Langley made a move, we'd intercept him.

Edward exhaled. "This is risky. If Langley realizes it's us, we lose our only shot."

I met his gaze. "That's why we're going to make him believe he's still in control—until it's too late."

I tapped my temple. Even without my system, I still had my skills.

And if Langley was David's greatest creation…

Then I was about to destroy David's masterpiece.

Langley wasn't just a shadow—he was a ghost in the system. No traces, no direct connections, no way to pinpoint him. He was the kind of man who didn't just avoid being found; he erased his existence before anyone could even start looking.

But everyone has a weakness.

Langley's was controlled.

For a man who built an empire in secrecy, losing control would be his worst nightmare. And I was going to exploit that.

We had Carter—Langley's most trusted enforcer. The man had been trained to withstand interrogation, but that didn't matter.

I wasn't planning on asking him anything.

Instead, I was going to use him to send Langley a message.

Edward Olani stood beside me as I scrolled through Carter's confiscated burner phone.

"Are you sure this will work?" he asked.

I smirked. "Langley isn't just some underground criminal. He's a strategist, a perfectionist. If we make him think someone's outplaying him, he won't run—he'll move to correct the problem himself."

Edward sighed. "And that 'problem' is us."

I didn't respond. I was already typing a message into Carter's phone.

Message Sent to Langley:

You've been compromised. The Council isn't as untouchable as you think.

If you want him back, come and see for yourself.

– X

Edward frowned at the text. "You really think this will bring him out?"

I leaned back. "Langley's greatest strength is that no one knows what he looks like. But that also means he can't trust anyone to solve his problems for him. If his own bodyguard was taken, he won't risk delegating this to anyone else."

Jonathan, who had been listening in, chuckled. "We're challenging his ego."

"Exactly."

Marcus grinned. "And if Langley does show up, how do we make sure he doesn't just vanish again?"

I turned my gaze toward Carter, who was still unconscious, tied to a chair in the dimly lit warehouse we were using as our hideout.

I walked up to him, crouching down. Then, in a cold whisper, I spoke:

"When he comes… you're going to be my bait."

The response didn't take long. Langley had taken the bait.

A reply popped up on Carter's phone:

Unknown Number: Location?

I smirked. He wasn't asking who or why—he was demanding the location. That meant he had already made up his mind.

"He's coming," I murmured.

Edward exhaled. "How can you be sure?"

I locked eyes with him. "Because I made him afraid."

For someone like Langley, fear wasn't losing power—it was losing control. The moment I planted doubt that someone could infiltrate his perfect world, he had no choice but to step in personally.

Marcus cracked his knuckles. "So, where do we meet him?"

I tapped on Carter's phone, sending one last message.

Message to Langley:

Midnight. Warehouse 47, Dockside.

The docks were silent except for the sound of waves lapping against the wooden piers.

A single dim light flickered from the warehouse entrance, casting long shadows over the damp concrete.

We had Carter tied up in the center of the warehouse, blindfolded. The air was thick with the smell of rust, salt, and something more sinister—the feeling of an inevitable confrontation.

Then… footsteps.

A figure emerged from the darkness.

I felt it before I saw him.

The presence of a man who had never been out of control before.

Vincent Langley.

He wasn't tall, nor particularly intimidating at first glance. But the moment he stepped into the warehouse, it was like the air shifted—as if the space itself bent to accommodate him.

He was calm, calculating. The kind of man who had already thought of five escape routes before stepping into the room.

I smiled. He had no idea he was already trapped.

Langley's gaze settled on Carter, still unconscious in the chair. Then his eyes flicked toward me.

"Who are you?" His voice was smooth, unbothered—but I could hear the tension beneath it.

I stepped forward, slow and deliberate. "The man who just proved that even you can be reached."

He smirked, but his fingers twitched slightly. A crack in the mask.

"Is that what you think?" he mused. "That taking Carter was a show of power?"

I tilted my head. "No. Taking Carter was a message."

Langley's expression didn't change, but I could feel his mind racing.

So I kept going. Twisting the knife.

"I wanted you to realize that your control isn't as absolute as you believe. That no matter how deep you bury yourself, there's always someone who can drag you back into the light."

Langley's smirk faded. "And you think that someone is you?"

I leaned in slightly. "I don't think. I know."

The silence between us was heavy.

Then, I delivered the final blow.

"Tell me, Langley… does David Lawrence know that his perfectly crafted ghost is bleeding?"

A flicker of something dangerous crossed his face.

I had him.

His greatest fear wasn't death—it was failure in David's eyes.

Langley finally exhaled. "You have my attention."

I smiled. "Good. Because now… you work for me."