Chapter 351

Howe staggered out of the room, dragging his injured leg behind him. Isaac remained rooted on the sofa,his expression unreadable and his eyes icy and unblinking,as if nothing could disturb the calm beneath the surface.

He reached for his phone on the glass table, the glow from the screen outlining the hard lines of his face.

A few taps, and he was dialing without a pause.

The call barely rang before someone picked up. Isaac wasted no time on small talk. "Luis, you're pretty close to Sherwood, aren't you? I need to know what he's got his hands in right now. Which project is taking up all his attention, and what major investments has he made lately?"

On the other end, Luis arched an eyebrow, surprised to hear Isaac prying about someone else's business. That wasn't his style-especially not when it involved someone like Sherwood,who hardly crossed his path.Maybe Isaac already suspected Sherwood was a danger to Verena and was gearing up to move first.

No one needed to be told twice just how much Verena meant to Isaac. Anyone daring enough to lay a hand on her would have to answer to him, and he'd never back down from a fight. She was his wife-protecting her came as naturally to him as breathing.

Luis took a second to process Isaac's unusual questions, and then quickly collected himself.

He spoke in a steady, thoughtful tone. "If you want the truth, Sherwood's got his eyes locked on building that new energy industrial park. He's dumped a fortune and half his workforce into it, determined to see it through. And if you're talking about recent big moves,he's also thrown his hat into the smart city upgrade.He's teaming up with some of the industry's top players, all in the hope of carving out a huge piece of the action for himself."

Isaac kept his silence, his face unreadable as he weighed every word Luis shared.

Occasionally, he gave a slight nod, the movement so subtle it almost seemed accidental.

With his gaze sharpening, shadows from his lashes masked the full intensity of his stare.

The moment Luis finished, Isaac continued,his tone unwavering, "I need you to do something else, Luis.Get me a complete list of everyone holding senior roles in Sherwood's projects. Send it to me as soon as you can."

He looked up, his features hardening in the low light,his mouth set in a determined line.

Less than twenty-four hours later,an email from Luis appeared in Isaac's inbox, the requested names all accounted for.

By early morning, a thick layer of mist hung over the edge of the city, where an abandoned steel mill stood -its hulking shape lost in gloom, giving off a chill that seeped into the bones.

A suffocating haze of rust and old metal hung in the air,stinging the lungs with every breath.

Henson Griffiths was forced down by two hulking mercenaries. Each one pinned a shoulder, making escape impossible as he lay sprawled against the unforgiving gravel.

Sharp stones dug mercilessly into his skin, scraping his face raw until streaks of blood mixed with dust and painted jagged marks down his cheeks.

Fear stretched his eyes wide,his whole body quivering with dread.

Still, a stubborn streak drove him to shout, "Do you have any idea who l am?" A voice as cold as steel cut through the air. "Just another one of Sherwood's lackeys."

Instinct made Henson look up. Isaac stood only a few feet away, the tails of his black coat flicking in the stale wind, his stare colder than ice, devoid of sympathy.

Before Henson could move, Isaac closed the distance.

He leaned down slightly, locking eyes with the shivering young man.

Then, without warning, Isaac drove his boot hard against Henson's cheek.

A strangled cry burst from Henson as the blow landed.

Isaac's mouth twisted into a frigid, mocking smile."You think being loud makes you untouchable