Chapter 50: The Hunt Begins
The city had long since fallen asleep. Only the glow of Liam’s laptop illuminated the small apartment. The clock on the screen quietly ticked past midnight.
Elana had gone to bed hours ago, leaving behind a cup of coffee on the table beside him. It had long gone cold. Liam didn’t notice. His eyes remained fixed on the endless stream of information scrolling across his screen.
Grace’s pale face lingered in his mind. The trembling smile she’d forced. The way she’d instinctively apologized for things that weren’t her fault. Most of all, the fear in her eyes whenever Harrison’s name came up.
Liam slowly closed his eyes. In his previous life, Grace had eventually resigned. Rumors spread that she’d suffered severe depression afterward.
No one knew the details. No one cared enough to ask.he thought that after helping her get her salary back that everything is slowly going to end and she will get to live a normal life.but it seems he was wrong.
In this life, he refused to let history repeat itself.His fingers began moving across the keyboard.
Hundreds of results appeared. Nothing interesting. A middle-aged supervisor. Worked for Sterling Commercial Group for nearly twelve years. Married. No criminal record. No lawsuits. No scandals. On paper, he looked almost spotless.
Liam wasn’t convinced. People who abused others rarely started at the top. Cruelty left footprints. You just had to know where to look.
He kept digging. Company records. Archived news. Supplier information. Property registrations. Tax filings. Employee complaints. Three hours slipped by unnoticed.
Finally, something appeared. Liam’s eyes narrowed. "...Interesting."
A supplier contract. The numbers weren’t large enough to attract attention. But they repeated. Again. Again. Again. Different suppliers. Same pattern. Prices slightly inflated. The differences were small, just enough to disappear inside normal operating costs. Someone was taking kickbacks.
Liam copied the files into a separate folder.
Then another discovery appeared. Several employee complaints. Anonymous. Bullying. Verbal abuse. Threats. Withholding salaries. Each complaint had mysteriously disappeared without investigation.
Grace wasn’t the first victim. She was simply the latest.
Liam leaned back in his chair. "So you’ve been doing this for years..." He wasn’t surprised. People like Harrison always believed power belonged to them forever. Unfortunately, power usually came from someone else.
He opened another tab. Family. A marriage certificate appeared.
*Harrison Cole. Spouse: Evelyn.*
Unlike Harrison, there were pages of information about her. Liam clicked the first result. His eyebrows rose slightly.
A judge...Not an ordinary one. A High Court judge. Highly respected. Recipient of multiple judicial excellence awards.
Frequently invited to legal conferences. Interviewed by national media. Her family’s influence stretched across both business and legal circles. Her personal wealth far exceeded Harrison’s.
Liam opened another article. Photographs. Award ceremonies. Charity galas. Legal forums. She carried herself with quiet authority. Elegant. Composed. Intimidating. The type of woman who rarely smiled in public.
"So," Liam murmured, "you married well."
That explained Harrison’s confidence. Employees believed he was untouchable because his wife stood at the top of the legal system. Few people would dare challenge him.
Liam continued reading. Then his mouse stopped moving. A small article buried deep inside a local society column caught his attention. Justice Evelyn attends the annual charity fitness marathon..."
Fitness marathon. Another article. Judge Evelyn sponsors youth wellness initiative alongside Titan Fitness Club...
Titan Fitness. Again. Another interview. Exercise helps me clear my mind before difficult cases.
Same gym.
Liam searched the name. Membership lists weren’t public. But photographs weren’t difficult to find. She trained there almost every weekday before work. Consistent. Disciplined. Predictable.
Liam made a note. Then he kept digging.
Every person had a weakness. Not necessarily a flaw. Simply a door. Harrison’s greatest strength wasn’t himself. It was the woman standing behind him the respected judge, the influential family, the reputation. Everyone believed Harrison’s power came from his wife.
Liam slowly smiled. "They’ve got it backwards." He closed Harrison’s file. "She isn’t your shield. She’s the pillar holding up your entire life."
He didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t need to.His fingers typed one final search. Titan Fitness Club. Membership. Facilities. Opening hours. Personal trainers. Guest policies. Location.
Everything appeared neatly on the screen. Liam studied it for several minutes. Then, without the slightest hesitation, he clicked Apply for Membership.
A confirmation email arrived less than a minute later. Application Received.
Liam closed the laptop. Outside, dawn’s first light slowly crept over the city skyline.Tomorrow, the hunt would begin.
The next morning, Liam woke before sunrise. His routine had changed dramatically over the past few weeks.
Ever since the system enhanced his body and he began taking better care of himself, he’d stopped wasting mornings in bed. A healthy body wasn’t built overnight. Neither was discipline.
After making breakfast with Elana and seeing her off to work, Liam changed into a plain black training shirt and gray sweatpants. Nothing flashy. Nothing expensive. Just clean and comfortable.
Before leaving, he glanced at the clock. 7:15 a.m. According to everything he’d gathered, Judge Evelyn Cole usually arrived between 7:45 and 8:00 every weekday.
Liam wasn’t planning to "run into" her. He hated forcing coincidences. Instead, he planned to become part of the same environment. If their paths crossed naturally, good. If they didn’t, there would always be another day.
The moment Liam stepped inside Titan Fitness Club, he understood why the membership fees were so high.
The interior was elegant rather than extravagant. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows filled the gym with natural light. Imported equipment stood in perfectly organized rows.
The air smelled faintly of disinfectant and fresh coffee instead of sweat. Most of the members were well-dressed professionals executives, entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, people who viewed fitness as another investment in themselves.
A receptionist greeted him with a warm smile. "Good morning, Mr. Sterling." She had already prepared his membership card. "I’ve scheduled your orientation with one of our trainers."Thank you.
Moments later, a young trainer walked over. "I’m Noah. I’ll be showing you around."
Liam nodded politely. For the next twenty minutes, Noah introduced the facilities. Weight room. Cardio section. Swimming pool. Private studios. Recovery lounge. Nothing felt rushed. The service alone justified the membership fee.
"So," Noah asked with a smile, "what’s your goal?"Strength.Bodybuilding?
Liam shook his head. No. I want functional strength.Noah smiled approvingly. "That’s actually a smarter goal."
Nearly an hour passed. Liam had just finished his second set of pull-ups when the entrance doors slid open. Several staff members greeted someone almost instinctively. "Good morning, Evelyn."
Liam didn’t turn immediately. Instead, he finished the last repetition before calmly stepping down. Only then did he glance toward the entrance.
She looked almost exactly like the photographs. Tall. Elegant. A simple white athletic jacket rested over a fitted black sports outfit. Her ponytail swayed gently as she walked.
No jewelry except a watch. No makeup beyond the bare minimum. Despite that, she still attracted attention the moment she entered. Not because she was trying to. Because confidence had become second nature.
She acknowledged the staff with a polite nod before walking deeper into the gym. Several members greeted her. She returned each greeting with the same calm courtesy. Professional. Reserved. Difficult to approach.
Liam looked away after only a few seconds. He had seen enough. The woman in the photographs and the woman standing here were the same. Disciplined. Careful. Someone who observed more than she spoke.
Several minutes later.
Evelyn had just finished a heavy set on the bench press. As she reached up to rerack the loaded barbell, one side caught awkwardly against the hooks. Before she could adjust it, a pair of steady hands lightly guided the bar back into place.
There. Liam stepped back immediately.
"Thank you," Evelyn said.
"You’re welcome."
Nothing more. He simply returned to his own workout, as though helping her had been the most ordinary thing in the world. No attempt to start a conversation. No lingering glance. No performance.
Evelyn continued walking. Yet for some reason, she remembered his face.
On the opposite side of the gym, Liam remained completely focused on training one set, another, then another.
He wasn’t here to flirt, nor to manufacture an encounter. He only wanted to leave an impression.
He picked up a dumbbell and began his next set. The game had only just begun.
After throwing away the empty cup, he picked up his gym bag and headed for the exit. As he passed the front desk, the receptionist called out.
"Mr. Sterling."He stopped.You left your membership folder in the lounge."
Oh. He accepted it with a smile. Thank you.
"My pleasure. Just then, a middle-aged man carrying a sports bag brushed past Evelyn.
"Oh, sorry."
"It’s alright," she replied absentmindedly.
The man continued toward the exit without looking back. Liam frowned slightly. The bump hadn’t looked accidental. Almost instinctively, his eyes fell to Evelyn’s handbag. It was slightly open.
Evelyn reached for it a second later. Her expression changed.My wallet...
Without changing expression, Liam turned toward the man. He was already walking through the automatic doors. Not running. Walking. Confident. Experienced.
Liam smiled faintly. "So that’s your game."
He adjusted the strap of his gym bag and followed at an unhurried pace. The thief glanced back once seeing Liam walking calmly instead of shouting, he relaxed. No one noticed.
Only after stepping onto the sidewalk did Liam speak. "Excuse me."
The man ignored him.
Liam sighed. "I was hoping you’d save us both the trouble."
The thief kept walking. Before he could take another step, Liam rested a hand lightly on his shoulder.The man turned, impatient. "What?"
"You forgot to return something."
"I don’t know what you’re talking about."
Liam smiled. "I see."Without another word, he caught the man’s wrist. A quick twist. A black wallet slipped from inside his sleeve and landed on the pavement.
Silence. Several nearby pedestrians stopped walking."Isn’t that her wallet?"
"I think he just caught a pickpocket.The thief’s face turned pale. "You"Liam calmly picked up the wallet before glancing toward the security cameras above the entrance. "I’m sure they recorded everything."
The man’s expression changed instantly. Without another word, he turned and ran. No one bothered chasing him. The crowd dispersed almost as quickly as it had gathered.
Liam dusted off the wallet before turning back toward the gym entrance, where Evelyn had already walked outside. He held it out to her.
"I believe this is yours."
Evelyn had already stepped outside. Her eyes briefly fell on the wallet in his hand before meeting his gaze.
He stopped a few steps away and held it out. "I believe this is yours."She looked down at it in surprise before instinctively checking her handbag. Her wallet was indeed gone.
For a brief moment, genuine astonishment crossed her usually composed face.
"...Thank you." She accepted it, opening it just enough to confirm everything was still inside. Nothing was missing.
Only then did she look back at Liam. "You handled that rather... professionally."
Liam smiled faintly. "I noticed the way he bumped into you. It didn’t look accidental."
Most people would’ve shouted.I prefer quieter solutions.
For the first time since they’d met, the corners of Evelyn’s lips lifted ever so slightly. "A sensible approach." She extended her hand. I’m Evelyn.I know.
The words escaped before Liam could stop them. A brief silence followed. He corrected himself almost immediately.
I mean... the staff greeted you when you came in.Understanding flickered across her face. "Of course." She accepted the explanation without dwelling on it. And you’re...?
"Liam."Liam. She repeated the name once, committing it to memory. "Thank you, Liam. Not only for returning my wallet, but also for resolving the situation without creating unnecessary trouble for the gym."
"It wasn’t worth making a scene."
"I agree."
Another brief silence settled between them. Neither seemed uncomfortable.
Finally, Evelyn glanced at her watch. "I should get going. So should I."
A tiny smile appeared in her eyes. "I somehow doubt we’re heading to the same place."
Liam chuckled. "Probably not."
She gave a small nod. "Have a good day, Liam."
"You too... Evelyn.
She walked toward the parking lot. Halfway there, she glanced back once. The young man had already disappeared down the opposite sidewalk. No attempt to continue the conversation.
No request for her phone number. No awkward excuse to walk with her. He had simply returned her wallet and left.
....Interesting.
She got into her car and drove away.
Far away, inside a luxurious office building, Harrison sat comfortably behind his desk, completely unaware that someone had already begun dismantling the foundations of the life he thought was untouchable..