Chapter 16 - The Return of the Ghost
The morning paper carried a small, inconspicuous headline on page four, noting that Sterling & Associates had entered unexpected receivership following a sweeping internal audit. Sadi folded the newspaper, placed it neatly on the marble kitchen island of Vincent’s penthouse, and watched the steam rise from her freshly brewed coffee.
For weeks, life had settled into a rhythm of profound, unimaginable peace. The cafe flourished under her careful management, its copper sign catching the midday sun as streams of loyal patrons filled the wooden chairs. Vincent remained a constant, unyielding anchor, visiting every morning precisely at 8:15 AM. Yet, peace in their world was always a fragile illusion, balanced delicately on the edge of a blade.
Late that afternoon, a shadow fell across the cafe's glass door just as Sadi was locking up for the day. A man stepped out from the twilight, his collar turned up against the chilly autumn wind. It wasn't an enforcer, nor a corporate hitman. It was someone Sadi thought she would never see again—Tommy.
Her younger brother stood under the streetlamp, looking thinner and visibly shaken, his eyes darting anxiously toward the empty street. Sadi dropped her keys with a sharp clatter against the concrete, rushing forward to grab his shoulders.
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"Tommy? What are you doing here?" she gasped, her heart leaping into her throat. "I thought you were safe in Oregon. What went wrong?"
"I couldn't stay there, Sadi," Tommy whispered, his voice trembling as he stepped inside the dim sanctuary of the closed cafe. "Someone tracked me down. They know about the O'Connors, and they know about Vincent. They left a message on my door last night, and it wasn't a warning. It was a countdown."
