Chapter 10: Set up
Silas Kane stood on the rooftop of his Dubai high-rise, a glass of whiskey in one hand as he stared out at the glowing skyline of his new kingdom. His empire was no longer just about gold.
It was a financial force that stretched across continents. He controlled gold mines in Africa, diamond pipelines in the Congo, banking networks in Switzerland and weapons supplies from Venezuela to the Middle East.
Morrow had tried to kill him. And failed. Now, it was his turn to strike. But not with bullets. With power. With money. Because true kings didn't fight wars. They bought them.
Gold had always been the foundation of Kane's empire. And now, he was going to control every major gold supply chain in Africa. But there was one problem. The DeWitt Group. A powerful South African mining company controlled by billionaire Willem DeWitt.
DeWitt had influence over government contracts, owned several gold mines and had deep connections with European investors. And unlike Kane's usual business partners… DeWitt wasn't interested in dealing with criminals.
Which meant Kane had two choices, either to negotiate, or eliminate him. He chose both.
A week later, in a luxury Johannesburg hotel, Kane sat across from Willem DeWitt, who was dressed in a sharp gray suit, his expression cold.
DeWitt sipped his wine before speaking. "I know who you are, Mr. Kane. And I know what you do." Kane smirked. "Then this conversation will be much easier." DeWitt leaned back. "You think you can walk in here and take my business?" Kane's smirk never faded. He slid a folder across the table.
Inside were classified government documents, illegal tax records and offshore accounts tied to DeWitt. His face darkened. Kane took a slow sip of whiskey. "I don't need to take your business, Mr. DeWitt. You're going to hand it over to me."
DeWitt's hands clenched into fists. "You can't threaten me." Kane chuckled. "It's not a threat. It's business." He leaned in. "You can walk away with a retirement fund and disappear… or I can have your name on the front page of every financial scandal across Europe." A long silence.
Then, finally DeWitt exhaled and nodded. The deal was made. Silas Kane now controlled one of the largest gold mining networks in the world. And DeWitt? He was gone. Just like that.
While Kane was expanding his empire, one person was still trying to bring him down. Maya Raines had spent months tracking his movements, uncovering his offshore accounts, illegal arms deals and political bribes. She was close. Too close.
Sitting in her hotel room in Istanbul, she stared at her laptop screen. The story was ready. If published, it would expose Kane's entire network to the world. She reached for her phone ready to call her editor when she heard it. A click. Her body froze. Slowly, she turned. Jonas Wren stood in the doorway, gun in hand.
He sighed. "You should have stopped digging, Maya." Maya's heart pounded. "Killing me won't stop the truth." Jonas tilted his head. "Who said anything about killing you?" She frowned. "Then why are you here?" Jonas smirked. "To make you an offer." Maya narrowed her eyes. "I don't work for criminals."
Jonas chuckled. "You don't have a choice." He slid a USB drive onto the table. "That contains everything you want to know about Kane's enemies. Corrupt politicians. Drug lords. Dirty CEOs. You want to expose someone? Expose them." Maya hesitated.
Jonas leaned in. "Or you can keep chasing Kane… and disappear like all the others." A long silence. Then, slowly Maya reached for the USB. Because for the first time, she realized something terrifying.
Silas Kane wasn't just a criminal. He was untouchable. And now, she had to decide to become his enemy… or become his weapon.
Governor Elias Morrow had lost everything in his war against Kane. The ambush in Istanbul had failed. His assassins had been wiped out. And now, Kane was stronger than ever. Damian Holt, his security chief, slammed a thick folder onto the desk in front of him.
Morrow barely glanced at it. He already knew what it contained—reports of Kane's latest deals, intelligence suggesting his financial empire was untouchable, and the worst part… Kane was no longer just operating in the shadows. He was building something permanent.
Holt exhaled sharply. "Sir, we've lost every advantage. Kane's not just moving gold, he's buying governments. He owns banks. He owns politicians. If we don't stop him now, we never will." Morrow ran a hand over his face, exhaustion catching up with him. "I know." Holt hesitated. "Then we need to change our approach."
Morrow lifted his gaze. "How?" Holt didn't blink. "We go nuclear. We expose him completely." Morrow's breath hitched. This wasn't just about stopping Kane anymore. This was about dragging him into the light. Because if the law couldn't touch him, maybe the world could.
Morrow flew to Washington, D.C., under the cover of secrecy. His contact was waiting, FBI Deputy Director Raymond Sloane.
Sloane was a ruthless political strategist, a man who didn't care about morality.
Only results. Morrow sat across from him in a darkened government office.
"I need Kane exposed," he said, voice sharp. Sloane smirked. "You don't expose ghosts, Governor."
Morrow's fists clenched. "Then we make him real." Sloane leaned back, studying him. "What are you offering?" Morrow exhaled. "Access to every file we have on him. Every deal. Every secret. We feed it to the press, the governments and the intelligence agencies. We make him the most wanted man on the planet."
Sloane chuckled. "And what do I get?" Morrow's jaw tightened. "Power." Sloane's grin widened. "Now we're talking." He extended his hand. And just like that, Morrow lit the first match.
Because if he couldn't kill Kane in the shadows, he would drag him into the light and let the world tear him apart.
Silas Kane was sipping his morning coffee in his penthouse when Jonas Wren walked in, phone in hand. "We have a problem." Kane didn't flinch. "What kind?" Jonas tossed a tablet onto the table. Headlines flashed across the screen. "The Untouchable Criminal: How Silas Kane Built a Shadow Empire" Leaked Documents Reveal Kane's Global Corruption Network" FBI and Interpol Launch Joint Investigation into Kane's Empire"
Silas exhaled slowly, setting his coffee down. Jonas watched him carefully. "Morrow just made you the most wanted man in the world." Silas smirked. "Then it's a good thing I don't exist."
Jonas raised an eyebrow. "Boss, this isn't like before. This is every major intelligence agency coming after you." Silas stood up, stretching his arms. "So we make sure they have nothing to find." Jonas frowned. "And how do we do that?" Silas turned, his eyes cold, calculating. "We burn the evidence before they do."
Silas Kane's first target was Switzerland. His gold-backed financial network was the backbone of his empire. But now, the world was looking for it. He arrived in Geneva under complete secrecy, slipping into a secure bunker beneath a private Swiss bank. Waiting for him was Julian Mercer, a cyber-intelligence expert.
Mercer nodded as Kane approached. "The files have already been leaked, but we can still erase the digital trails." Kane's jaw tightened. "Destroy everything." Mercer hesitated. "You realize this will erase proof of every deal, every transaction. Even the ones keeping you safe."
Kane's expression didn't change. "Do it." Within minutes, every digital trace of Kane's network was being wiped. His enemies would see only ghosts. Because when the world went looking for Silas Kane's empire…They would find nothing.
As intelligence agencies swarmed his known locations, Kane did something no one expected. He vanished. The banks holding his assets? Wiped clean. His business partners? Gone underground. Every document linking him to his empire? Destroyed. Morrow thought he could trap him. But Silas Kane had just made himself untouchable.
Jonas stared at him as they sat inside a private jet bound for an undisclosed location. "You're really doing this, huh?" Kane smirked. "No one can catch a ghost, Jonas." Jonas exhaled. "So what's next?" Kane's eyes burned. "We let the world think I'm dead."And then?"
Kane's smirk deepened. "Then, we rebuild." Because kings don't die. They rise from the ashes. And Silas Kane? He was just getting started.