Chapter 229

Simon pressed a smile onto his face, but there was nothing warm about it. "This won't be easy, I know.Going after Bennett Group is going to cost a fortune,no question. But come on, Mr. Sampson, you're not the type who sticks to the rulebook. Isn't the slow and steady approach a waste of your talents? You've got influence in places most people can't even imagine.Why not use some of those connections to solve this?"

His words curled around Luis, low and persistent.

After Simon finished laying out his plan, Luis let the silence settle between them, unbroken and tense.

The whole room seemed to freeze, the air thick with anticipation.

Luis locked eyes with him for what felt like forever, his stare hard and unyielding. He radiated the kind of power that made people shrink back.

He began to drum his fingers on the table, each tap sharp and deliberate, like a warning.

Despite trying to appear collected, Simon started to feel that silence pressing down on him, stealing his breath. Just when Simon was sure his request was about to be shot down, Luis finally spoke. "I've got no vendetta against Bennett Group, and lsaac and I stay out of each other's way. You realy expect me to waste everything I've built going up against someone like that, all because you asked? Simon Moss, that's just wishful thinking."

Luis narrowed his eyes, voice dropping lower."You found my sister, right? I can find her,too."

He rose from his seat and made for the door.

Watching him walk away, Simon's nerves snapped.The thought of losing his only leverage sent him into a panic.

He jumped up, voice rising with urgency. "Maybe you can find your sister, but let's be honest, you don't have a single lead right now. I know her name. I know her address. If you turn me down, I swear you'll never see her again. And if you ever do, she'll be a corpse,not a reunion."

Whoosh!

No sooner had Simon finished than Luis spun on his heel. In a flash, he snatched a knife from the table and pressed it hard against Simon's neck, the blade cool and unforgiving against skin. The sharp edge hovered right over his artery.

"Don't you think I can kill you before you even have a chance to lay a finger on my sister?" Luis spoke softly, but the threat in his voice could cut glass. His eyes locked onto Simon with a sharp, unyielding glare,burning with controlled rage.

Simon had never come face to face with this kind of menace before. For a split second, he stared down at the knife, real fear flickering in his eyes.

But the fear didn't last long.

He straightened, forcing a cocky grin, letting it twist into something far darker. "I know you could kill me in a heartbeat. Guys like you crush people like me without even blinking. Still, everyone's got a weak spot, don't they?"

His eyes glinted with unhinged malice as he continued,"Your sister is hidden so well you'll never sniff her out,and my men know what to do if I don't check in. I'm not scared to die. But can you really stomach the idea of her being so close, only to end up dead because you slipped? Wouldn't that be a tragedy?"

A muscle ticked in Luis' jaw, the tension visible in the lines of his face.

He swallowed his anger almost instantly, steadying himself in the moment.

Luis' eyes narrowed, as if he was already planning Simon's downfall.

Luis finally sank back into his seat. "Alright, I'll go along with it. But I need proof first. Tell me something about my sister. Without that, there's no reason for me to trust a word you say."

He flicked the knife onto the table and calmly wiped his hands with a napkin, like he'd just brushed off some dirt.

Simon eased himself back into his chair, quietly seething as he watched Luis, resentment churning under his skin.

Still, powerless against Luis, Simon bit back the anger brewing inside him.

Reading Luis' doubt, he reached into his coat and produced a photograph, already prepared for this moment.

"Take a look at this," said Simon, sliding the photo across the table. "I caught this picture by pure luck. It matches the one you put out on the missing persons notice."

The image focused tightly on a scar, its placement on the body impossible to guess. Luis' eyes widened, a spark of disbelief lighting his features before joy swept in to take its place.

A smile crept across his lips. His eyes gleamed,and his pulse thundered in his chest.

That scar was his doing-his memory couldn't be clearer.

He remembered how tiny his sister was back then.

She'd started fussing, and thinking she needed water,he had hurried to bring her some.

He hadn't realized the cup was filled with boiling water, and his grip slipped just as he neared her crib.

Water and glass hit the floor. Moments later, her cries broke his heart.

He recalled kneeling down to find the skin above her left knee red and blistered, already puckering.

That burn later healed into a butterfly-shaped scar-one he'd never forgotten.

The photo looked right, but Luis wasn't about to let his guard down.

He steadied himself, and then spoke with forced calm."I put word out everywhere. That scar's become famous. Anyone could fake it with a little help from a surgeon."

Simon expected as much. He gave a knowing nod."True. You spread the word far and wide, and plenty of people have seen that detail. But you never told anyone exactly where the scar was, didyou?"

"You really think you know?" Luis kept his voice even,not giving anything away.

With a smirk, Simon leaned in, eyes glinting. "If I didn't know the truth, I'd never dare sit here. That butterfly scar-it's justabove her left knee,isn'tit,Mr.Sampson?"

Luis' eyes snapped wide, shock flickering across his face as he stared Simon dowNn.

Catching that reaction, Simon couldn't help but let out a low laugh. "Still doubting me, Mr. Sampson?I think I've made it pretty clear your sister's the one I've got."

A lump formed in Luis' throat, but he kept silent for a moment.

There was no room for denial. He knew Simon was telling the truth.

She was his world-he could never walk away from her, no matter the cost.

If it meant putting his own life on the line,he wouldn't hesitate for a second.

The Bennett family ruled Akoitha's business world,leaving the Sampson family trailing far behind in that arena.

However, when it came to dominance in the underworld, the Sampson family stood unmatched at the top.

That said, crossing a powerhouse like the Bennett family would still leave scars on everything he'd built.

But for the chance to see his sister again, no risk seemed too great.

Fixing Simon with a cold glare, he silently promised retribution.

He would play along for now, but once his sister was safe, Simon wouldn't get the chance to gloat.

After wrestling with his thoughts, Luis finally gave a stiff nod. "All right. I'll do it. But if anything happens to my sister while you're holding her over my head,you'll regret ever crossing me. That's a promise."

Simon flashed a sly, self-satisfied grin. "Naturally. I look forward to working together, Mr. Sampson."

With a sharp, cold snort, Luis turned his back on Simon and strode from the room without another word. Simon couldn't have cared less about the contempt thrown his way. His expression revealed the dark pleasure he took in it all.

Suddenly, his voice cut through the silence,cold and smug. "Isaac Bennett, I've always said-no one takes what belongs to me."