Just as he had breathed his sigh of relief, a figure flashed out. It moved so quickly that he didn't even see it, so it was a sudden shock when he leaned back and fell silently to the ground. To a bystander, it would have looked like he had simply fainted, as there were no signs of fight on him.
Alex took a deep breath and turned, continuing his slow walk down the road, leaving Celia and Ethan stunned. Alex showed no evidence of being in a fight either, as if everything had just been a dream. There were no wrinkles on his clothes, not even a trace of blood, and there was no sadness or joy on his face.
"What about these men? If the police find out, he'll be in big trouble," Celia said in a low voice.
"Just forget it. Let's go home." Ethan pulled Celia's hand, which was cold to the bone.
After they had left, a few people ran out from the darkness, looked around, and then started to clean everything up.
"We need to call the director and secure this area. No news of what has happened here can be leaked. Do you understand?" the leader said.
"Yes sir." They nodded and got to work. It was going to be a long night.
**
It was also a sleepless night at the Mitchell's garden villa.
Dominic held a glass in his hand in one hand, the other resting in his pocket as he looked out at the bright stars outside of his window. Behind him stood the man who Alex had seen with Wesley at Celia's dinner, along with other men in expensive suits and shoes.
"Connor," he called, "has Wesley started to move?"
"Yes, father," the man stepped forward confidently. "The fifteen million dollars has been paid to Wesley's account in France. He has collected the evidence of the Ambrose Group's tax evasion and other illegal dealings in Baltimore from the last few years. I instructed Wesley to report to the government tonight so we wouldn't lose any more time."
Dominic was satisfied. "What else?"
Connor continued. "At present, we have purchased many shares in all listed companies of the Ambrose family. We will sell them when the time is right, and it will send ruptures through the entire stock market. No one will be able to recover, and the Ambroses' destruction will be inevitable."
"Well, the Ambrose family will be surprised that we have such a strong fund. They have always underestimated us. We will certainly win this time." Dominic smiled.
Dominic couldn't wait to see the Ambrose empire fall. He had been wanting to pull the family down from their pedestal since he was a child and bring his family to the top to replace them.
"And what is this I hear about the other families?" he asked. He had reached out to the Chapmans, Palmers, Robinsons and Baldwins, to see if they would assist the Mitchells with their plan.
One of his executives stood up. "Uncle," he said, "the four big families say that the Ambrose family has been in Baltimore for too long and need to be replaced. They have responded to the Mitchell family's call and agreed to work together to dismantle all the Ambrose family's affairs in Baltimore. The only family whose position is unclear is the Steadmans."
Hearing about the Steadman family, Dominic's face darkened.
"Between us and all the other families, we have enough to get what we want. Who says the Mitchell family can't destroy the Ambrose family without the Steadmans?
"Lincoln is old. He can't adapt to modern times. If he's smart, he'll give up his position as soon as possible," Dominic said coldly, then settled to think.
After a while, he asked, "What about the Black Hand?"
"Master, don't worry," Theo, the Mitchells' housekeeper, stepped forward. "The leader of the Black Hand told me that he will personally deal with the Ambrose family." The old man gave Dominic a reassuring smile. He had been with the Mitchell family for more than fifty years and had practically raised Dominic himself.
"Good, very good!" Dominic's face brightened.
The Black Hand was a well-known dark organization in Baltimore. They were powerful and had killed many people and destroyed various organizations and companies. They had agreed to participate in the fight and discretely deal with the important figures of the Ambrose family.
"This time, we will wipe out the Ambrose family from Baltimore," Theo finished.
With that, Dominic clenched his free hand into a fist and looked out the window again. His face was solemn and his eyes fierce as he stared at the stars.
He concluded the meeting and dismissed his people to begin sorting out the next steps of his plan. At the same time, Wesley was reporting the information to the government about the Ambrose family and their crimes, including tax evasion and how one particular family member, Aiden, had been using his position to embezzle state assets.
The police responded very quickly and immediately launched an investigation into the Ambrose family's finances. With no time to prepare, the Ambrose family found all their companies and assets blocked, and key members of the family being arrested. Lincoln had felt that something was wrong, as did Justin, which was why he had called Alex in the first place. However, they had underestimated how serious the situation would become.
By the next morning, everything had changed. The Mitchells' plan was more complex than Nathan's had been. This wasn't just a simple attack against the richest man in Washington DC, but a battle of millions and billions worth of money.
The Ambrose Group's accounts were blocked and investigated, and other big, listed companies were struggling to avoid getting in trouble too. The stock market plummeted, and the investors who bought Ambrose's shares complained and felt extremely depressed. Aiden and other members of the Ambrose family tried to call them to reassure them, but they were rejected and ignored. They were losing more friends and allies by the minute. Soon, Aiden was taken away by the police.
**
Alex's walk was interrupted by his ringing cell phone. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw that it was Justin. "Brother," Justin choked out, trying not to cry. "We are finished." There was no way Alex could save them now. The Ambrose family was doomed.
All the banks associated with the Ambrose family had become cold and unfriendly, demanding that the Ambrose family repay all their loans immediately. Companies from up and down the east coast that had business ties with the family cancelled contracts. In an instant, the entire Ambrose family was in a state of ruin.