The Angel And The Bastard

Illegal

Luke

I had spent the past few days trying to distance myself from Iris, but every fiber of my being resisted. It was for her safety, or at least that's what I told myself.

Adam's threats still echoed in my mind. If I stayed away, Iris wouldn't get hurt. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that as long as Adam was in her life, she would never be safe.

It was time to take action.

I stood on the balcony of my suite at the resort, looking out over the lush Thai landscape, the blue ocean beyond, and the bustling town in the distance.

My thoughts churned as I considered my options. The key to bringing Adam down was finding evidence—proof that he was involved in something illegal or morally reprehensible.

Something that would break his hold over Iris and give her the freedom she deserved.

I pulled out my phone and dialed a number I hadn't called in a while. It rang twice before a gruff voice answered. "Carson?"

"Hey, Dave. It's Luke. I need a favor."

"Long time no hear. What do you need?"

"Background check and surveillance. On a guy named Adam Sinclair. Think you can handle it?"

Dave chuckled. "You know I can. Send me the details."

I quickly sent over all the information I had on Adam.

Dave was the best private investigator I knew, and if anyone could dig up dirt on Adam, it was him. While I waited for Dave to get back to me, I decided to start my own investigation.

I headed down to the resort's business center and logged onto one of the computers. I began by searching for everything I could find about Adam Sinclair and Sinclair Industries.

Public records, business transactions, news articles—anything that might give me a clue about his activities.

Adam's public persona was pristine, but I was convinced there was something lurking beneath the surface.

After hours of digging, I finally found something interesting. A series of articles about a gambling scandal in Macau a few years ago.

Several high-profile businessmen had been implicated, but the investigation had been quietly dropped. Among the names mentioned was Adam Sinclair. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

I made a note to look deeper into the Macau scandal and decided to take a break. As I left the business center, I nearly collided with Naree.

"Luke! What are you doing here?" she asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Just doing some research," I said, trying to sound casual. "What about you?"

"Just grabbing a coffee," she said, holding up a to-go cup. "Have you talked to Iris?"

I shook my head. "Not recently. I'm trying to keep my distance."

Naree frowned. "She misses you, you know. And she needs you."

I sighed, feeling the weight of her words. "I know. But it's complicated."

"More complicated than letting her marry that man?" Naree asked, her voice low and serious.

"No," I admitted. "You're right. I need to do something."

Naree nodded, her expression softening. "Let me know if I can help."

"Thanks, Naree. I'll keep that in mind."

As she walked away, I felt a renewed sense of urgency. I couldn't just sit around and wait for Dave to get back to me. I needed to take action now.