Chapter 41: No Loose Ends

Chris stood in the dimly lit office, his expression unreadable as he adjusted the cuff of his jacket. His mind was already working ten steps ahead.

The call, the trace, Wren's involvement—it was all too calculated. Someone was trying to lure him into the open.

But they had underestimated one thing.

Chris never walked into a trap.

He set them.

He turned to Ethan.

"Stay behind," he ordered. "Send a hundred convoys to the docks. Don't return empty."

Ethan arched an eyebrow. "That's overkill."

Chris's voice was cold. "Not if I want to send a message."

Ethan smirked but didn't argue. He pulled out his phone, issuing orders to the elite security teams under Blackwood's command. Within minutes, a full force of black SUVs and armed operatives would descend upon the warehouse.

But one question still burned in Chris's mind.

He turned back to Ethan, his eyes sharp.

"How did they know it was me?" His voice was low, controlled. "No one knows who I am."

Ethan leaned against the desk, arms crossed. "That's the problem. No one is supposed to know. But Wren? He's playing a different game."

Chris's jaw tightened. "Explain."

Ethan exhaled. "There's no official record connecting Chris Blackwood to Blackwood Enterprises. No photos, no digital footprint, nothing. But someone… someone has started putting the pieces together."

Chris's fingers tapped against the desk, a slow, deliberate rhythm.

"They're getting too close."

Ethan nodded. "And if Wren is involved, he's not working alone."

Chris was silent for a moment. Then he smirked.

"Good."

Ethan gave him a look. "Good?"

Chris's smirk widened. "That means we're finally pulling them out of the shadows."

He turned toward the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the city lights stretch endlessly before him.

"For years, they've been moving in secret. Watching. Waiting." His eyes darkened. "Now? They have no choice but to show their hand."

Ethan nodded, already understanding. "And once they do…"

Chris's voice was quiet but lethal.

"I'll make sure they regret it."

---

Warehouse – Hudson Docks

The air was thick with tension as the convoy of black SUVs rolled to a stop outside the abandoned warehouse. Armed men in tactical gear fanned out, moving in silent precision.

Inside, the warehouse was nearly empty. Only a few scattered crates, dim overhead lights, and the faint hum of electronics filled the space.

Then—

A single laptop sat on a table in the center of the room.

The screen flickered to life.

A voice, smooth and calculated, echoed through the speakers.

"Well, well, Mr. Blackwood. You do move fast."

Chris's men froze, weapons raised. But there was no one else in the room.

Just the voice.

"I was hoping you'd come yourself," the voice continued. "But I suppose you like to send others to do your work."

The screen glitched. A masked figure appeared, their face obscured.

Chris, watching through a live satellite feed, narrowed his eyes.

"Wren," he muttered.

The figure chuckled. "Ah, so you have been paying attention."

Chris's grip on his phone tightened.

"Enjoy the chase, Blackwood," Wren's voice taunted. "Because by the time you find me… I'll already be somewhere you can't reach."

The laptop sparked. Then—

Boom.

An explosion ripped through the warehouse, shaking the ground. Flames erupted, consuming everything in sight.

Chris watched as his men scrambled for cover, escaping just in time before the building collapsed in a storm of fire and smoke.

Ethan's voice crackled through the speaker. "We just got played."

Chris exhaled slowly.

"No." His eyes were cold. "We just flushed him out."

Because now, Wren wasn't hiding anymore.

And that meant Chris could finally end this.

Once and for all.