Chapter 132 Glow in the Dark
The hum of the air conditioner was the only sound in Lawrence's office. Papers were spread across his desk like a battlefield, some marked with red ink, others half-crumped, the remnants of long nights and bad moods. The man himself sat slouched in his chair, his tie loosened, his eyes bloodshot from staring at spreadsheets for hours.
He hadn't slept properly in days. Ever since that confrontation with Ethan, his entire world had shrunk into this suffocating space. He had withdrawn from the board, avoided social gatherings, and even stopped showing up to certain company meetings. Every move he made now was calculated, quiet, careful, all to keep from drawing Ethan's attention again.
For a man once loud and commanding, the silence around him now felt like a punishment.
He rubbed his temple, muttering under his breath, "This isn't how it was supposed to go."
Lawrence had been so sure of himself, so confident that he could outsmart Ethan Sinclair, the golden heir who thought power was inherited rather than earned. But one misstep, one rash move, had left him humiliated and on the defensive. Since then, he had been buried in damage control, working tirelessly to stay relevant and alive in a game that seemed to have turned against him.
The phone on his desk suddenly buzzed, cutting through the silence. Lawrence frowned. The number was unfamiliar, but something about it made him pause. He picked it up cautiously.
"Yeah?"
A voice came through the other end, low and urgent. "Sir, it's me. I've got something. You'll want to see this yourself."
Lawrence leaned back, his brows furrowing. "Who is this?"
"It's K, sir. You told me to keep my eyes open.... about Sinclair......"
Lawrence's posture straightened immediately. His voice dropped to a lower, more serious tone. "Where are you?"
K mentioned a location, a warehouse area on the far end of the city, quiet and barely used. Lawrence hesitated. He didn't like being summoned. Especially not by someone like K, a street-level informant who often exaggerated his finds just to stay useful. But something in the boy's voice this time sounded different, confident, almost breathless.
Lawrence checked his watch. It was nearly 9 p.m. He exhaled heavily, stood up, and grabbed his coat. "This better be worth my time," he muttered as he walked out.
The drive felt longer than it should have. The city lights blurred past the window as Lawrence's thoughts ran wild. He didn't like being kept in the dark. And if this was another one of K's empty leads, there would be hell to pay.
When he finally arrived, the air was heavy with the scent of oil and dust. The warehouse looked abandoned, its walls worn, a single flickering bulb hanging near the entrance. K was waiting near the doorway, pacing nervously until he spotted Lawrence's car.
"Sir!" K jogged forward as Lawrence stepped out, his polished shoes clicking sharply against the concrete.
"You better not be wasting my night, boy," Lawrence snapped, straightening his coat as he approached. "Do you even understand what kind of risk it is for me to be seen in a place like this?"
K lowered his head, wringing his hands. "I swear, sir, this time it's real. I've got proof, not guesses, not rumors."
Lawrence narrowed his eyes, unimpressed. "You've said that before."
"This time it's different," K insisted, his tone trembling slightly. "You told me to dig deep, to get you something solid. I did. It wasn't easy, I had to go through hell for this."
Lawrence's gaze softened slightly but only for a moment. "Then stop talking and show me what's so important."
K swallowed hard and handed over a worn folder. It was thin, but something about the way he held it made it seem heavier than it looked.
Lawrence snatched it from his hands and flipped it open. A few documents and a single sheet of paper were neatly r
K blinked in disbelief. "You mean... you're pleased, sir?"
"Pleased?" Lawrence chuckled, his voice deep and smooth, carrying an undercurrent of satisfaction. "This is beyond anything I expected. You might've just saved me months of work."
K let out a shaky breath of relief.
Lawrence closed the file, tapping it against his palm as if weighing its worth. "You said you went through hell to get this?"
"Yes, sir. I had to cross a few lines, but it was worth it."
Lawrence gave a slow nod, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then, unexpectedly, he smile, a rare, genuine smile. "Then I'll make sure you're compensated for it. Generously."
K's face lit up, though he knew better than to thank him too eagerly.
Lawrence tucked the file under his arm and stepped closer, his tone turning colder again. "You'll keep your mouth shut about this. Not a word to anyone. Not even a whisper."
"Of course, sir," K stammered. "You can count on me."
Lawrence studied him for another beat before walking past. "Good. Because if anyone else hears of this before I'm ready... I'll know exactly where to look."
Outside, the night air felt cooler, almost electrifying. Lawrence leaned against his car for a moment, letting the thrill of discovery settle in his veins. He hadn't felt this alive in weeks. Whatever was in that document, it was powerful enough to change things maybe even shift the balance between him and Ethan.
He pulled out his phone, his fingers tapping the screen before he could second-guess himself. The line rang twice before a familiar voice answered.
"Lawrence?"
"Vivienne," he said smoothly, unable to hide the excitement in his tone. "We've made a breakthrough."
There was a brief pause. Then her voice came alive, sharp with curiosity. "You're serious?"
"I've got something real this time," Lawrence said, his smile widening as he glanced down at the file. "Something that changes everything."
Vivienne let out a breathy laugh, the kind that carried relief and triumph all at once. "Lawrence, you've done a great job. Finally."
"I told you to trust me," he said softly. "You'll want to hear this in person."
"I'll be waiting," she replied. "Don't keep me too long."
Lawrence slipped his phone back into his pocket and looked up at the dark skyline, the corners of his mouth curving into a quiet, satisfied grin. For the first time in a long while, he didn't feel like the man hiding in Ethan's shadow.
He slid into his car, the file resting on the seat beside him. The engine purred to life, and as he drove off into the night, his mind was already spinning, calculating, plotting, anticipating the chaos that was about to unfold.
As Lawrence drove off, the file shifted slightly on the seat beside him, its edges brushing against his arm. He glanced at it once more, his grin fading into thought. Power came with risk, and this kind of secret could burn anyone who held it too tightly. Still, he tightened his grip on the wheel. He was ready to play with fire.