Rachel Wang thought she knew what it meant to fight for justice, but the lines between hero and villain blur when she joins Nexus Law Firm. Being in dual roles as both a lawyer and a detective, she's told, "𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 24 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘭�...
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The shadows in my apartment felt heavier than usual as if they were trying to suffocate the light flickering weakly from the lamp in the corner. The glow illuminated the stacks of files strewn across my coffee table like a chaotic puzzle, pieces that had yet to form a coherent picture. I sank into the worn leather of my couch, a fortress of comfort amid the storm raging in my mind. Sleep had eluded me; nightmares of dark figures and piercing screams haunted me, intertwining with the reality of my investigation. Today had started like any other, but the weight of the cases I juggled pressed down on me. Ava's stab wound lingered in my thoughts, a stark reminder of how intertwined our lives had become. As I stared at the files in front of me, the cold grip of anger tightened in my chest. The more I dug, the more it felt like I was wading through murky waters each layer I peeled back only revealed a darker truth lurking beneath. I grabbed a folder labelled "Black Orchid," its contents worn and faded, a relic of the past I was desperate to understand. Black Orchid had been a name whispered in fear, a ghost that haunted Jinshi for years. Now, it was a shadow of its former self, reborn as something more insidious, a wolf in sheep's clothing. The very company I was investigating for its alleged ties to trafficking seemed to be a mere extension of something far more sinister. A chill crept down my spine as I thought of my grandparents, and their fierce determination to bring down Black Orchid. They had walked a path littered with danger, and for what? Their lives? Their legacy? I flipped through the yellowed papers, my eyes scanning for any clue, any hint that might connect the dots. A few sentences caught my eye, scribbled hastily in my grandfather's unmistakable handwriting: "Key player in Black Orchid is NLC... keep a close watch." My heart raced. Again. Once again, it's taking me back to NLC. Who was this player? And why had my grandparents considered them a threat? Suddenly, a realization hit me like a punch to the gut. I recalled the brief mention of a contact—someone who had once been part of Black Orchid, who had survived the transition to whatever it had become now. I flipped through the files, searching for anything that could lead me to this individual. The more I read, the more the pieces began to align, a constellation of secrets that had remained hidden for far too long. The truth was there, lurking just out of reach, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. I leaned back, allowing the weight of the revelations to settle over me like a heavy blanket. This wasn't just about Ava or the organization I was investigating anymore; it was personal. My grandparents' lives had been taken by this very entity, and I was determined to unravel the threads that tied them all together. A knock on the door jolted me from my thoughts. I shot up, my heart racing. I wasn't expecting anyone. It swung open to reveal Lu Si Cheng, his presence filling the doorway like a storm cloud. The air shifted, thickening with an unspoken tension. He looked at me, and for a moment, it felt like we were suspended in time, the chaos of the world outside fading into the background. OH. THAT. LITTLE. PIECE. OF– Never mind, I'm the little one here. 'What are you doing here?' I asked, my voice steadier than I felt. The last thing I needed was to complicate matters with him, not when I was so close to a breakthrough. 'Thought you could use some help,' he replied, his tone casual, but his eyes were sharp, probing. I rolled my eyes, trying to mask the flutter in my chest. 'I'm fine, thanks. Just doing some research.' 'Research? You mean digging into your family's past?' He stepped inside, the door closing behind him, sealing us off from the world outside. 'How do you know that?' I shot back, irritation flaring. 'Because it's written all over your face, Rachel.' He paused, his gaze softening momentarily before hardening again. 'You're trying to take on the world alone, and that's a damn fool's errand.' 'Maybe,' I replied, my defiance rising, 'but I can't just sit back and do nothing.' He stepped closer, his gaze penetrating. 'Rachel, you think you're invincible? Do you think you can handle this all by yourself? People get hurt when they take on too much.' 'Is that why you're here? To play the knight in shining armour?' I couldn't help the sarcasm that dripped from my words, but deep down, I felt the sting of his presence—a reminder of the night he saved me from those traffickers, a night that left marks deeper than just the physical. 'I'm just trying to be your friend, Rachel.' His voice was low and sincere, and for a brief moment, the walls between us crumbled. 'Let me help you.' I wanted to scream at him to leave, to stop pretending like he could understand. But instead, I felt a flicker of something else—something I couldn't quite place. I could never place that something. It just flicks for a split second before it's gone, forever. 'You don't get it,' I said quietly, the fight draining from my voice. 'You don't know what it's like to lose everything.' His eyes softened, and for a brief moment, the distance between us narrowed. 'I might not know your pain, but I know loss. I know what it feels like to watch someone you care about slip through your fingers.' My heart beating like a silent maniac inside the cage. Was it him? He knows the feeling of losing a loved one. Clamor. He's the last person I expected to say that. And why is he suddenly being nice to me? Is it because I'm suspecting him? Oh, hell nah, tall head. You can't manipulate the manipulator. Despite all those questions, silence enveloped us, thick and heavy, like a blanket wrapping around our unspoken fears. The reality of our situations hung in the air, unacknowledged yet undeniable. 'What do you want from me?' I finally asked, my voice barely above a whisper. 'Just... let me in. Let me help you.' His sincerity washed over me like a tide, pulling at the edges of my resolve. I opened my mouth to argue, but the words caught my throat. Perhaps I was tired of fighting. Perhaps I was tired of being alone. But the past had taught me that trust was a fragile thing, easily shattered. 'I'll think about it,' I said, my tone resolute. He nodded; his expression unreadable. 'That's all I ask.' As he turned to leave, the door creaked open, and for a fleeting moment, I felt a pang of regret. 'Wait, Lu Si Cheng,' I called, my voice cutting through the silence. He paused, looking back at me, a flicker of hope in his eyes. 'Don't just barge in here next time. Knock first,' I added, a teasing smile creeping onto my face despite the weight of everything hanging over us. He chuckled softly, a low rumble that sent warmth through me. 'Noted. But just so you know, next time I might not be so polite.' With that, he stepped outside, leaving the door ajar behind him. The cool night air brushed against my skin, bringing with it a sense of clarity. I returned to the chaos of my files, determined to uncover the dark secrets entwined in my family's history. I couldn't let my emotions cloud my judgment. I needed clarity. The truth was out there, buried beneath layers of deceit, and I was going to find it, one way or another. As Lu Si Cheng left, I pulled myself together and returned to the mountain of folders sprawled across my desk. The clock ticked ominously beside me, the eerie light from my table lamp casting long shadows, while an ethereal glow seeped from the kitchen. I could almost feel the phantoms of my past lurking around, but did that ever bother me? Not really. I lost track of time, my eyes blurring over the files, until a sudden creak jolted me awake. Instinct kicked in, and I could bet my life on it—someone was here. This wasn't just my imagination playing tricks; this was real. Oh, God. Was it the Black Spider? Luminar? My grandparents' killer? Or perhaps someone entirely unfamiliar? In just a few months, I'd made enough enemies to fill a graveyard, a special talent for us justice seekers. Our lives were always hanging by a thread. I checked my phone: an empty notification bar and the time—3:30 AM—glared back at me. OMG, THE DEVIL HOUR. I slapped myself for the sarcasm. Stupid, there's someone in here. 'Who's there?' I called, my voice steadier than I felt as I slowly rose to track down the source of the sound. I don't know why I acted like this; danger felt like a carnival I couldn't resist, the thrill tugging at me like a long-lost childhood memory. Then I heard it again, closer this time. Panic gnawed at my insides. No one should be here at this hour except thieves, killers, or maybe the devil himself. Oh, fuck it.
