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As Adrian drove smoothly through the city streets, Lassen suddenly broke the silence, his voice calm but firm:
"Turn right."
Adrian, long accustomed to his boss’s unpredictable requests, obeyed without hesitation.
A quick glance in the rearview mirror confirmed his suspicions.
"We’re being followed."
The hacker, who had been casually admiring the nighttime view of Macro, jolted in her seat.
"What?! We’re being followed?!" she exclaimed, sitting up straight.
Adrian nodded, keeping his gaze on the road while discreetly watching their pursuer.
"Unmarked car. Driving way too carefully. He’s been matching our speed for several minutes. Not an amateur."
Lassen, on the other hand, looked amused.
"Oh, now this is getting interesting."
He turned slightly toward Adrian, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Despite the palpable tension in the car, Adrian remained composed, keeping his driving fluid while tracking the vehicle behind them. The hacker, still processing the situation, glanced nervously between Adrian and Lassen.
"Alright, so what do we do? Lose him? Confront him?" Adrian asked, his tone calm but ready for anything.
Lassen, however, was strangely relaxed. He absentmindedly adjusted his collar, his voice nonchalant.
"Pull over."
Adrian turned slightly, making sure he’d heard correctly.
"Excuse me?"
"I said, pull over."
Adrian raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. He knew better than to question Lassen’s decisions.
With measured control, he slowly eased the car to a stop along the roadside.
This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.
Lassen’s smile widened as he leaned back in his seat.
"So... how about we invite our stalker to have a little chat?"
The hacker’s eyes widened in disbelief.
"Wait, wait, wait… You’re not just gonna invite him in, are you?!"
Lassen shrugged, his smirk unwavering.
"Why not? If someone’s bold, or stupid, enough to follow me, I might as well extend them a formal invitation."
Adrian exhaled sharply, visibly less enthusiastic about the idea, but after a brief hesitation, he opened the car door and stepped out.
With calculated strides, he walked toward Jason’s car.
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When Monsieur X’s car slowed down and pulled over, a shiver ran down Jason’s spine.
His instincts flared. He quickly checked his mirrors.
Bad sign. Very bad sign.
He wasn’t naïve.
No one tailed a man like Monsieur X without him noticing.
And now?
Instead of trying to lose him, he was stopping willingly?
This stinks.
Jason’s training screamed at him to stay put, not to move suddenly.
This was no longer a simple tailing mission.
This was a chess match.
And he had just been found out.
Before Jason could decide his next move, the car door in front of him opened slowly.
And a man stepped out.
Big. Sharp. Controlled.
Jason immediately knew what kind of man he was dealing with.
Dark sunglasses. Confident stride. A presence that screamed professionalism and calculated danger.
Jason had seen men like this before.
Not just a driver. A henchman. An ex-military, perhaps. An executioner.
And he was walking straight toward him.
Fantastic.
Jason’s pulse quickened, but his face remained unreadable.
He took a slow, deep breath, keeping his hands relaxed.
Then, a soft knock knock echoed against his window.
He turned deliberately, rolling it down at a controlled pace.
"Can I help you?" he asked, his voice deceptively casual.
The man tilted his head slightly, his expression almost amused.
"Monsieur X would like to have a word with you. Get in the car."
Jason arched a brow, feigning mild surprise.
"Oh, really?"
He shrugged, his expression carefully skeptical.
"Usually, when someone that powerful wants to talk to me, they send a more… formal invitation. This? This feels more like an ambush."
The man shook his head, a subtle smirk playing at his lips.
"If this was an ambush, you wouldn’t still be talking, would you?"
Jason let out a slow breath through his nose.
Touché.
No point in playing dumb now.
"And if I refuse?" he tested, crossing his arms.
The man shrugged, his hand resting on Jason’s car door.
"You can. But…"
He glanced toward Monsieur X’s car.
"My boss doesn’t like people wasting his time."
Then, with a knowing look...
"Besides… you’re the one who followed us, right?"
Jason’s mind raced.
Running was pointless.
He had already played with fire just by coming here.
And the chance to sit across from Monsieur X?
It might never come again.
With a steady exhale, Jason slipped a hand into his jacket, quickly locking his phone (just in case), then opened his car door.
"Alright. Let’s see what he has to say."
His footsteps were slow, deliberate, as he approached Monsieur X’s car.
His gaze stayed straight ahead, betraying zero hesitation.
But internally?
Shit.
"What the hell did I just walk into?"
Jason exhaled slowly, steadying himself before pushing open his car door. His movements were controlled, precise, the kind of measured grace that came from years of high-stakes negotiations.
As he stepped out, he instinctively adjusted his jacket, not unlike a man preparing to enter a boardroom meeting rather than the vehicle of Macro’s most elusive figure.
Adrian, ever unshaken, gave him nothing more than a slight nod before turning and walking toward Monsieur X’s car.
Jason followed, his mind racing, running through every possible scenario.
A genuine invitation?
A setup?
Each step toward the vehicle stretched into eternity.
He felt eyes on him,from passersby, from the unseen security details monitoring the area.
But no one moved. No one interfered.
Of course.
Who would dare involve themselves in Monsieur X’s business?
As they reached the sleek, black vehicle, Adrian pulled open the rear door with a fluid, practiced motion, then stepped aside, wordlessly inviting him in.
Jason paused briefly, eyes flicking toward the dimly lit interior.
Then, with a deep breath, he slipped inside.
The door shut behind him, sealing out the world with an eerie finality.
And at last...
He was face to face with the Ghost of Macro.