Chapter 269: Another factory??
Miles’ smirk deepened, the rain sliding down his face as if even the storm itself was reacting to the moment.
"Oh... I did."
On the other end of the call, silence lasted for a fraction of a second, but it was enough to shift the atmosphere completely. Jax Mordecai’s voice returned, sharper now, cautious, no longer casual.
"Who are you... and why do you have this phone?"
Miles tilted his head slightly, his eyes falling on the trembling man kneeling in front of him, then back to the horizon as if the question itself amused him.
"Two questions... hmm..."
His tone carried a strange calm, almost playful, yet something beneath it felt heavy.
"Let me answer them one by one."
He took a step forward, gripping the man’s collar and pulling him up just enough to keep him conscious.
"I am someone... who has been patiently waiting to settle a very old grudge with you."
The rain intensified slightly, droplets striking against the ground in uneven rhythm.
"And as for why I have this phone..."
Miles glanced down at the man in his grip.
"Why don’t you ask the owner yourself?"
He yanked him forward.
"Come on... talk to your boss."
The man groaned, his body weak, his voice stuck somewhere between fear and pain.
Miles’ expression hardened instantly.
A sharp slap echoed through the rain.
"I said talk."
The man flinched violently, his lips trembling as he forced words out.
"M... Mr. Mordecai..."
Jax’s voice came immediately, anger rising.
"What the hell did you do?"
"S... sorry Mr. Mordecai... this man... this man is too strong... we... we could not finish the task..."
Miles’ lips curled slightly.
On the other side, Jax snapped.
"You are all useless... feeding on my money and doing nothing... I will kill you myself when I see you again."
Miles let out a quiet breath.
"Who said... you are going to see him again?"
He loosened his grip for a second, then raised the wooden sword slowly.
The man’s eyes widened in horror.
"No... no... please... don’t..."
Jax’s voice sharpened instantly.
"Hey... hey what are you doing..."
A loud thud followed.
Miles brought the wooden blade down with precision, striking the man’s neck just enough to knock him unconscious.
The body dropped.
Silence.
Only the rain remained.
Jax’s voice returned, now filled with raw fury.
"You are going too far... I will end your entire family... I will destroy everything you have."
Miles’ expression changed.
The playful tone vanished.
What remained was something colder.
Something far more dangerous.
"Oh... really..."
His voice lowered, each word slow and deliberate.
"Do you even have the courage for that, Jax Mordecai?"
A flash of lightning tore through the sky, followed by thunder that echoed across the empty stretch of road, as if nature itself was responding.
Miles stepped forward slightly, his eyes dark.
"A man who could not handle his own son... his own nephew... is threatening me about my family?"
His grip on the wooden sword tightened.
"The same man who could not even protect his own factory... is talking about destroying what belongs to me?"
His voice dropped even further.
"Listen carefully, Jax Mordecai."
"I dare you."
"Come here."
"I want to see... how much weight your words actually carry."
There was a pause.
Then Jax replied, his voice filled with restrained rage.
"We will see... whose words carry more weight... and it is good that you admitted you were behind the factory incident... I am already preparing fuel... to burn you to ashes."
For a moment...
Miles said nothing.
Then
He laughed.
Not a normal laugh.
It was sharp, unrestrained, almost unsettling.
The sound echoed in the rain, sending a chill down the spine of everyone present.
Inside the car, Gordon, David, and Birdie felt it clearly.
That laugh was not human in that moment.
"Ashes...?"
Miles repeated, almost amused.
"Why don’t you call your fake currency factory... and ask them what ashes really mean?"
Silence.
On the other end, something shifted.
Fear.
A faint, unfamiliar fear crept into Jax’s mind.
"What...?"
Miles’ smile faded into something colder.
"Take your time, Jax Mordecai."
"I am the Chairman of Sterling Enterprises."
"Find me... if you have the courage."
The call ended.
Miles looked at the phone for a second.
Then crushed it under his foot.
Fragments scattered across the wet ground.
"Ashes... huh..."
Before the moment could settle, the distant sound of engines approached.
Multiple vehicles.
Sterling Security.
Black vans arrived one after another, stopping around the area with precision.
Doors opened in sync.
Armed agents stepped out swiftly, moving with discipline and efficiency.
Within seconds, the fallen men were restrained, cuffed, and secured without unnecessary noise.
Miles exhaled slowly.
The tension left his shoulders.
His expression softened.
As if nothing had happened.
As if the man who stood there now was completely different from the one a moment ago.
He turned and walked toward the car.
David unlocked the door quickly and stepped out into the rain.
"Are you alright?"
Gordon and Birdie followed closely behind.
Miles looked at him, his expression calm, almost innocent.
"I am fine, uncle David."
His gaze shifted between them.
"You all are fine, right?"
Gordon nodded, his voice filled with relief.
"Thanks to you... no one got hurt."
Birdie stood still for a moment, her thoughts scattered, her heartbeat still uneven.
Miles noticed.
"You are alright, aunt?"
She blinked, coming back to reality.
"Oh... yes... yes... thank you... I was really scared..."
Miles gave a small nod, his tone gentle.
"I am sorry... that your first impression of the city turned out like this."
He gestured toward the car.
"Let us go home now."
"I promise... you will feel comfortable there."
His voice carried warmth now.
A complete contrast to the storm from moments ago.
"Come on everyone..."
He opened the door.
"Let us get into my car."
The rain continued to fall softly, as the chaos slowly faded behind them.
....
The car moved steadily through the rain washed roads of Star Harbor, its headlights cutting through the mist as the city slowly revealed itself in fragments of light and shadow.
Gordon had taken the front passenger seat this time, sitting upright with a thoughtful expression, while David and Birdie sat together in the back, their hands still tightly held as if letting go might break the fragile calm that had just returned.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Only the soft hum of the engine and the rhythmic tapping of rain against the windows filled the space.
Gordon finally exhaled and spoke, his tone measured.
"Looks like Jax has become very vigilant now."
Miles kept his eyes on the road, his hands steady on the steering wheel.
"Do not worry, Grandpa Gordon, everything is under control."
There was a quiet confidence in his voice, not loud, not forceful, but certain enough to ease the tension in the car.
David leaned forward slightly, still processing everything that had happened.
"How did you even find us in the first place?"
Miles smiled faintly.
"I replaced the security team of the ACE automobile office with my own company’s personnel," he said calmly. "The driver who was supposed to pick you up was actually one of our men. Unfortunately, those attackers intercepted him on the way and managed to outnumber him."
His expression remained composed, but there was a slight hardness beneath it.
"He got injured, but he still managed to alert the base. I received the signal and reached there as fast as I could."
Gordon’s brows furrowed with concern.
"That poor driver... is he alright now?"
Miles nodded without hesitation.
"He will be fine. He is a soldier. Soldiers recover faster than most."
Gordon let out a breath, visibly relieved.
"That is good to hear."
Birdie, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke, her voice still carrying traces of disbelief.
"Those moves you used... I have never seen anything like that before."
David nodded in agreement.
"Yes, seriously. A wooden sword against that many armed men... it did not even look real."
Miles gave a small, almost shy smile.
"Thank you for the compliment, aunt," he said. "I trained in multiple combat styles during my time in the Army."
David blinked, surprised.
"You were a soldier?"
Miles nodded once.
"I was. I am retired now."
Gordon chuckled softly and reached out, patting Miles on the shoulder with pride.
"What a remarkable young man."
David and Birdie exchanged a glance, both clearly impressed, their earlier fear now replaced with admiration.
David leaned back slightly, his thoughts shifting.
"That factory you mentioned... and the one that burned earlier... I heard about it before as well."
Miles’ gaze remained fixed ahead, but his tone carried a quiet edge.
"It is what happens when someone forgets their limits," he said. "The last time, he interfered with my late grandmother’s family. This time, he tried to touch you."
There was a brief silence before he continued.
"When someone plays with burning charcoal, they should be prepared for the fire that follows."
David’s chest rose slightly, a sense of pride filling him as he looked at Miles.
Birdie smiled gently, her fear now completely replaced by warmth.
Gordon let out a short laugh.
"Illegal currency... Seriously? His hands were already stained with poison. This was bound to happen sooner or later."
Then his expression softened slightly.
"Just take care of yourself."
David nodded in agreement.
"Yes, that is the most important thing."
Miles gave a small nod.
"Do not worry. I will."
Gordon’s gaze drifted toward the rain outside, his expression turning a little distant.
"Silvey told me about your grandfather... about big brother’s condition."
His voice lowered.
"I wish I had been there for him."
Miles responded calmly, without looking away from the road.
"I understand how you feel. I wish the same."
There was no bitterness in his tone, only quiet acceptance.
"But maybe fate had different plans for all of us."
He paused briefly, then added with a faint smile.
"And I do not think he would want his younger brother to be sad when you finally meet him."
Gordon looked at him for a moment, then smiled gently, the heaviness in his heart easing just a little.
Outside, the car turned into the upscale neighborhood, the surroundings growing quieter, more refined, the rain softening into a gentle drizzle.
....
At the same time, far away in Vespera City, chaos was brewing.
Inside the Mordecai mansion, the television screen flickered with urgency as breaking news filled the room.
Jax stood in front of it, his face dark, his hands gripping the edge of the table tightly.
The anchor’s voice echoed sharply.
"This is the second time an incident like this has occurred. Earlier, authorities declared that the previous factory fire was an unfortunate accident caused by illegal criminal occupancy."
The screen shifted to visuals of flames devouring another structure.
"But now, another facility owned by Mordecai Industries has caught fire. This time, it was a printing press responsible for newspaper and magazine production."
The footage showed smoke rising into the sky, emergency services rushing, chaos spreading.
"Authorities are investigating whether this is another accident or a deliberate attack targeting Mordecai Industries."
The room fell silent.
Jax’s breathing grew heavier.
His fingers tightened.
"Damn..."
His voice came out low at first, then rose with fury.
"Damn it... damn it..."
He slammed his hand against the table.
"That son of a bitch..."
His eyes burned with rage, veins visible on his forehead.
"Wait for me..."
His voice dropped into something dangerous, something promising destruction.
"I am coming."