The bodyguard, whose life was practically pledged to the Aldridge Estate, wasn''t too different from those ancient warriors sworn to loyalty until death. Even Kiran, upon entering the Aldridge family''s domain, knew better than to let his guard down. "I''m here. Aren''t you gonnae down and wee your guest?" he called out, breaking the silence around him. No response came, just an echo in the air.


    Then, suddenly, the elevator opposite him lit up. Kiran made his way over, and as if on cue, the doors swung open for him. As he stepped inside, the elevator smoothly glided up to the second floor.


    When the elevator doors parted on the second floor, Kiran stepped out into a dimly lit maze of corridors. He had barely set foot on the floor when a row of lights flickered on, guiding him to the left. He followed the illuminated trail, curiosity piqued.


    At the end of the path, arge door stood ajar. Inside, Gordon sat at his desk, greeting Kiran with a slight smile. "Mr. Angelo, nice to finally meet you. How did you like the wee gift I sent?"


    Kiran tossed a badge onto Gordon''s desk, frowning. "What''s this supposed to mean?"


    The badge bore The Silent Shadows emblem, its sun design representing enlightenment. "This badge, Mr. Angelo, was the one you lost in that car crash on the hillside five years back. I had it recovered and returned to you. A thank you would be in order, don''t you think?" Kiran''s eyes turned cold. The fact that Gordon managed to retrieve a badge lost five years ago said a lot about his influence.


    "Mr. Angelo, being a core member of The Silent Shadows, you must remember how Caelum tried, unsessfully, to steer you away from a dangerous path five years. ago. He had to stage that car crash. That''s when Kiran disappeared and Angelo took over. Now that you''re back in control, what are your ns? I''m quite curious." N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Gordon''s tone was casual, almost like they were just chatting. But the information he had was top secret. The Pord family would never allow any association with a group like. The Silent Shadows. The fact that Kiran was invited into The Silent Shadows was information no one should know. So how did Gordon get it?


    Kiran''s eyes narrowed as he pieced things together. "The identities of The Silent Shadows members are a well-kept secret. Even the Aldridge family''s intelwork couldn''t have this info. Are you trying to fish for confirmation on my identity, Mr. Gordon? Isn''t that a bit of a low blow?"


    First, they''d sent him the missing badge to show off Aldridge Global''s reach. Then, they brought up that ident from five years ago to coax him into revealing his connection to The Silent Shadows. Gordon was ying a careful game. Dealing with someone like Gordon required caution. One wrong move and Kiran could fall into his trap. While others might see Gordon as all-knowing, Kiran wasn''t buying it. These were just clever tricks ying on human nature, nothing truly terrifying.


    "Fishing for info, you say?" Gordon mused for a moment. "Mr. Angelo, maybe you''ve misunderstood something."


    "Oh?"


    "The intel I share is never wrong. Without solid proof, do you think you''d be here talking to me right now?"