Chapter 192 ***

Chapter 192 ***
Third Person POV

The safe house was unusually quiet, its expensive furnishings doing little to hide the tension hanging in the air. Truman stood before one of the large windows with both hands clasped behind his back, occasionally pulling the curtains aside to glance outside.

Every passing vehicle made him suspicious, and every distant sound seemed louder than it really was. Ever since escaping the burning house, he had barely slept, convinced that someone was always one step behind him.

He finally turned toward his secretary, who sat calmly at the dining table with a laptop open in front of him, sorting through updates from several different sources.
"So," Truman said impatiently, "what's the latest information?"
His secretary adjusted his glasses before looking up from the screen with the same composed expression he always wore.

"The police are searching for you for questioning," he replied matter-of-factly.
"However, they still haven't obtained complete statements from Avery or her mother. Both women have regained consciousness, but investigators are waiting until they're medically cleared before conducting any lengthy interview."

Truman let out a slow breath, though there was no relief in it.He walked toward the bar cabinet and poured himself another drink, finishing nearly half the glass in one swallow.

"If only everything had gone according to plan," he muttered bitterly.
"There wouldn't be anyone alive to give a statement in the first place."
His secretary remained silent, choosing not to comment. Truman turned sharply toward him, his expression hardening.

"We're not waiting around for them to build a case against me."
His secretary finally spoke.
"What exactly do you have in mind?"
Truman's lips slowly curled into a calculating smile that carried no warmth whatsoever.

"Simple," he replied.
"We'll give the police someone else."
His secretary frowned slightly, waiting for him to continue.
"Create a fall guy,"
Truman said confidently.

"Plant evidence, fabricate a believable history, make it impossible for anyone to ignore. Physical evidence always carries more weight than witness testimony. By the time they're done chasing ghosts, I'll be halfway across the world."

The secretary slowly closed his laptop, his face revealing nothing despite the disturbing plan he had just heard.
"It can be arranged," he answered evenly. Truman nodded in satisfaction before taking another sip from his glass.

"Good. Once that's done, we'll disappear for a while. Money can solve almost every problem if you know where to spend it."
Neither man noticed the subtle change in the secretary's expression as Truman continued speaking.

The conversation was interrupted by hurried footsteps echoing through the hallway. A guard suddenly burst into the living room, breathing heavily as though he had sprinted across the entire property. His face was pale with panic, and sweat dripped down the side of his forehead.

"Sir..." he managed between ragged breaths. "Something's wrong outside."
Before Truman could demand an explanation, the guard staggered forward and collapsed onto the polished floor without another word.
Everything seemed to freeze.

Truman instinctively stepped backward while several remaining guards reached for their weapons. His heartbeat quickened as unfamiliar footsteps echoed through the entrance hall, each one slow, deliberate, and completely unhurried. Whoever had entered the house clearly wasn't afraid of being discovered.

Truman's instincts screamed at him to run. He turned toward the rear hallway, intending to disappear through one of the emergency exits he had prepared for precisely this situation.
He had barely taken two steps before he stopped abruptly. Standing directly in front of the hallway entrance was Joseph Styles.

His suit remained immaculate despite the circumstances, and his calm expression contrasted sharply with the panic spreading across Truman's face. Several of Joseph's trusted men quietly moved into the room behind him, positioning themselves around the exits without saying a single word. Their silent coordination made it obvious that this operation had been carefully planned long before today. Truman stared at Joseph in complete disbelief.

"Y-you..." Truman stammered, struggling to process what he was seeing.
"How did you find this place?"
Joseph smiled faintly, though there wasn't the slightest hint of amusement behind it.

"It wasn't nearly as difficult as you imagined," he answered calmly. His eyes shifted toward the secretary seated quietly near the dining table before he gave a small nod in that direction. "Sometimes the people closest to you know exactly when enough is enough."

Truman's expression changed instantly.
Slowly, he turned toward his secretary.
"You..." he whispered.

The secretary met his gaze without flinching.
Understanding dawned across Truman's face almost immediately, quickly replaced by furious disbelief.
"How dare you?" he shouted, taking a step toward him before stopping himself.

"After everything I've done for you?"
The secretary slowly stood from his chair and calmly buttoned his suit jacket.
"You paid me to work for you," he said quietly. "You never paid for my conscience."
Truman laughed bitterly.

"My conscience? That's what this is about?"
The secretary nodded once.
"I stayed because I believed you were ruthless in business."
His voice remained steady.

"But the day you decided a pregnant woman should become collateral damage, you crossed a line I couldn't pretend not to see anymore."
Silence settled over the room.

For the first time since Joseph had entered, Truman seemed unable to find the words to respond. His anger remained obvious, yet beneath it sat something far more unsettling. Fear. Before he could speak again, one of Joseph's men stepped forward holding a prepared medical syringe. Truman immediately tried to pull away, but several men calmly restrained him long enough for the sedative to take effect.

His struggles weakened within moments.
His eyelids gradually became heavy.
The room blurred around him.
The last thing Truman saw before everything faded into darkness was Joseph watching him with the same unreadable expression he had worn from the moment he arrived.

Joseph waited until Truman had completely lost consciousness before speaking again.
"Take him," he instructed simply.
His men nodded and carefully carried Truman from the living room while others secured the rest of the property. Joseph glanced once around the safe house, ensuring everything had been accounted for before reaching into his pocket for his phone.
Maria answered almost immediately.

"Honey?"
"It's done," he said quietly. "We found him."
There was a noticeable pause before Maria finally let out a long breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

"You've caught Truman?"
"Yes. I'm taking him to the warehouse first.”
Relief filled Maria's voice as she answered, "Good. I'll leave immediately."
Just as she was about to end the call, Joseph suddenly heard complete silence from the other end.

"Maria?"
A heartbeat later, her joyful voice burst through the speaker.
"Joseph!"
He straightened instinctively.
"What happened?"
Her laughter was mixed with unmistakable tears.
"Ethan's awake."

For the first time in many days, Joseph smiled without restraint. He closed his eyes briefly, offering a silent prayer of gratitude before slipping his phone back into his pocket. At least that part is solved.