The city never truly slept. Even at this hour, headlights painted ribbons of gold across rain-darkened streets, conversations drifted from open storefronts, and the aroma of freshly ground coffee spilled from the little café tucked between aging brick buildings.

It was the kind of place people wandered into without thinking twice. Simon Riley did not.

In the light he owned a very wealthy security company... In the dark he was known as Ghost. He ruled one of the city's most feared criminal organizations from the shadows. His name was spoken quietly, his face rarely seen, and the rumors surrounding him were enough to make grown men reconsider their loyalties. He didn't waste time on cafés, pleasant conversations, or ordinary afternoons. Every step he took served a purpose.

Until today.

He'd entered the café for nothing more than black coffee before another meeting. Two of his men lingered outside beside a sleek black SUV, keeping watch while the city unknowingly carried on around them.

The bell above the door chimed. Ghost looked up. And the world... seemed to hesitate.

Guest stepped inside, shaking the chill from their clothes before joining the line. There was nothing flashy about them. No expensive suit. No armed escort. No hint that they belonged anywhere near the darkness Simon inhabited.

For reasons he couldn't explain, Simon couldn't look away.

He'd stared down rival bosses without blinking. Ordered executions with a steady voice. Walked through gunfire without a second thought. Yet somehow, a stranger ordering coffee had managed to leave him standing perfectly still.