POISON IN THE EMERALD HALLS

The warehouse exploded into chaos. Henderson instinctively reached for his sidearm, but a flashbang detonated near his feet with an ear-splitting bang, sending him crashing against a stack of wooden crates. Victor cursed, shielding his eyes from the blinding spotlights, and swung the gun toward Julian.

Julian dove beneath a heavy iron workbench just as Victor fired a frantic shot, the bullet ricocheting off the concrete with an angry whine. Before Victor could adjust his aim, two tactical officers tackled him to the wet floor, pinning his arms behind his back and forcing his face into the grime.

Mark, Julian’s private security chief, walked through the chaos, flanked by two federal prosecutors. He extended a hand and helped Julian to his feet.

""Clean capture, sir,"" Mark said calmly. ""We intercepted Henderson’s encrypted comms forty minutes ago, just as you predicted when you forwarded the message.""

Julian adjusted his coat, brushing the dust from his shoulders. He looked down at Victor, who was thrashing against the handcuffs, spitting curses.

""You set me up!"" Victor snarled, his face pressed against the dirty concrete. ""You knew!""

""Clara gave me the receipt three days ago in code, Victor,"" Julian said cold, looking down at his brother with pure disgust. ""She wasn't trying to hide the truth from me. She was buying me enough time to build a federal wire fraud case against your dummy corporations. She risked her life while you crawled in the gutters.""

Julian turned to the lead federal agent. ""Take them both into custody. Ensure Victor is booked under his real name. The ghost is officially resurrected—and going straight to federal prison.""

As the officers hauled the two men out into the torrential rain, Mark handed Julian a ringing phone. ""It’s Dr. Chen from St. Jude’s Hospital, sir. It’s urgent.""

Julian snatched the receiver, his heart pounding in his ears. ""Doctor Chen? Tell me she's alive.""

""Master Vance,"" Dr. Chen’s voice came through, strained and urgent over the static. ""The gastric lavage was successful, and we administered the antidote in time. Mrs. Vance has stabilized, and the neurotoxin levels are dropping.""

Julian closed his eyes, leaning against the metal workbench as overwhelming relief washed through him. ""Thank God.""

""However,"" Dr. Chen continued, his tone turning somber. ""You need to come to the hospital immediately. During the comprehensive toxicology screening and ultrasound, we discovered something else.""