Max Knight sat in his office, the heavy gloom of the city's dawn pressing against the grimy windows. His cigarette smoke coiled lazily toward the ceiling, merging with the shadows that seemed to cling to every corner. The weight of the night's events hung heavy in the air. Novak was in custody, but Max knew it was far from over. The Puppeteer's web stretched farther and deeper than anyone could fathom.
Vivian was already up, nursing a cup of coffee as she sifted through a stack of files. Her eyes were red-rimmed, but sharp. Max admired her tenacity, her unwillingness to back down even when the odds seemed insurmountable. He took a drag from his cigarette, letting the acrid smoke fill his lungs before exhaling slowly.
"Viv, we need to dig deeper into Novak's connections. He's just a piece of the puzzle. There's more to this network, and I want to know who's pulling the strings."
