Volume 6: The Flame of Vengeance
Synopsis: Jack has uncovered crucial evidence against Richard's criminal empire and begins meticulously planning his revenge. He not only intends to reclaim everything that was taken from him but also to send every betrayer and tormentor straight into hell.
Chapter 5: Emily's Secret Operation
Jack sat in a café on Fifth Avenue, his eyes fixed across the bustling street at the revolving glass doors of Carter Group headquarters. He stirred his long-cold coffee absentmindedly, the bitterness mirroring the frustration boiling inside him. Mark Li's death had made one thing clear—what he'd received from that mysterious figure was a dead end. If he wanted to bring down Richard, he needed to go deeper. And there was only one person who could help him from within: Emily.
Emily—their broken past aside—was once a senior legal advisor at Carter Group. Despite the rift between them, Jack still believed she had a conscience. She wasn't like Richard, cold and ruthless. She had ideals, ambitions. There was still hope buried somewhere beneath her guarded exterior.
At last, the door turned. A familiar figure stepped out. Dressed sharply in a professional suit, heels clicking against the pavement, she moved with precision. Her expression was serious, eyes scanning the street cautiously.
Jack took a deep breath, rose from his seat, and crossed the street toward her.
"Emily!" he called softly—but firmly enough to cut through the city noise.
Her body stiffened immediately. She turned, saw him, and for a brief moment, her eyes flickered with something complex—surprise, disdain… and perhaps, just beneath it all, concern?
"Jack? What are you doing here?" Her voice was icy, distant, a wall already rising between them.
"I need to talk to you," Jack said, keeping his tone steady. "About Richard… about what he's done."
Her face darkened instantly. "I have nothing to say to you. We're over, Jack. Please don't contact me again."
She turned to leave.
He reached out, gently grabbing her arm—not forcefully, just enough to stop her. "Emily, I know you're not like this. You must've noticed something off about Richard. The illegal fund transfers, the missing records… you couldn't possibly know nothing!"
She jerked away, stepping back, her eyes wide with fear. "Stop it! Don't make things up! I don't know anything—and I advise you to stop digging too, or you'll get yourself killed!"
Without another word, she hurried away, disappearing into the crowd.
Jack remained rooted to the spot. He knew Emily hadn't lied entirely. She did know something—but she was afraid to speak. Richard's grip on her was tighter than he had imagined.
He had to find a way to make her believe him—to show her that only together could they expose Richard for who he truly was.
In the following days, Jack didn't contact Emily directly. Instead, he watched from the shadows. He noticed that she often worked late and frequently entered Richard's private office. It was clear she was involved in something secret.
That gave Jack a spark of hope. Maybe Emily was investigating Richard behind his back? Perhaps she, too, was looking for a way to take him down?
He decided to take a gamble.
One night, when Emily left the Carter Group building after working until late, Jack followed quietly. He trailed her taxi from a distance until it stopped in front of a modest apartment building.
Jack didn't approach. He waited. If Emily was truly involved in something covert, she would act soon enough.
And indeed, an hour later, she emerged again—this time wearing casual clothes, a baseball cap pulled low over her face. She carried a black briefcase and looked around nervously before walking off.
Jack knew this was his chance.
He followed silently through the dim streets, watching as she entered a dusty old bookstore in the Lower East Side. The place looked abandoned, its windows yellowed with age, the light inside barely glowing.
Inside, Emily went straight to the farthest bookshelf. She scanned the rows carefully, then pulled a worn-out volume from the shelf. From its pages, she retrieved a small USB drive and quickly slipped it into her pocket.
Jack held his breath. He knew immediately—this was something she had risked everything to obtain. This might be the key to exposing Richard's crimes.
He decided it was time to confront her.
Stepping around the shelf, he stood before her.
"Emily, I know what you're doing," he whispered.
She jumped, spinning around. When she saw Jack, her face paled.
"You… how did you find me?" Her voice trembled, eyes filled with shock and fear.
"I've been following you," Jack replied calmly. "I know what you took. Emily, believe me—I know exactly what Richard has done. And I need your help to bring him down."
Emily fell silent, fists clenched tightly as if wrestling with a decision.
"Jack, you don't understand how dangerous this is," she finally said. "Richard has too much power. We can't fight him. I don't want you to get hurt either."
"I do understand," Jack insisted. "But I can't give up. I won't let Richard walk free while he destroys lives. Emily, I need you. Together, we can expose him!"
Looking into Jack's determined eyes, Emily finally relented.
"Alright," she sighed. "I'll tell you everything. But promise me—you'll be careful. Richard won't let us go easily."
From her pocket, she pulled out the USB drive and handed it to Jack.
"This contains detailed records of Richard's money laundering network," she explained. "Offshore accounts, transaction logs, and a list of key individuals involved. This is everything I could gather."
Jack took the drive, holding it tightly. He knew this tiny device carried the weight of vengeance.
"Thank you, Emily," he said sincerely. "I'll protect you."
She shook her head. "Don't thank me. I'm just doing what's right."
With that, she turned and walked away, vanishing into the night.
Jack watched her disappear, gratitude swelling in his chest. He knew this moment—Emily's actions—would be the turning point in his plan for revenge.
But what he didn't know was that, during their conversation, a shadow had been lurking in the corner of the bookstore—silent, unseen.
This figure was none other than Richard Carter's spy. Immediately, he pulled out his phone and dialed.
"Sir, Emily Clark and Jack Morrison have met in secret. She gave Jack the USB drive."
A cold, calm voice responded from the other end.
"I see. Let them play their little game. They'll reap what they sow."
The flame of vengeance was ready to ignite.
And the cost of this war would be far greater than Jack could ever imagine.