The armored SUV pulled up to the heavy gates of Lexington Federal Prison. As Ethan stepped out, the atmosphere was anything but tense. The guards on duty immediately straightened up, their faces lighting up with recognition.

"Well, look who it is! Did you come back to give the Director some private maintenance, Ethan?" said one of the guards with a playful wink.

Ethan let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "Maybe later. This time I'm just visiting to wrap up some pending business," Ethan said.

The scene was lively, almost as if a celebrity had arrived. Guards approached him, offering handshakes and well wishes. Rumors had spread like wildfire through the prison walls; everyone knew Ethan was now a heavyweight in the outside world. They knew about the prosecutor locked in a cell downstairs and the dead congressman who had dared to cross him. No one in their right mind had any intention of messing with him.

Ethan smiled and kept walking through the main hall. As he approached the administrative wing, a man in a sharp, professional suit emerged from the corridor. He was clean-shaven with a deeply penetrating gaze that seemed to analyze everything in its path.

The stranger walked directly toward Ethan. Ethan didn't recognize him, but since his [Celestial Qi Resonance Scan] detected no malice or killing intent, he remained calm and waited.

Ethan kept walking with a steady pace until the man in the sharp suit stopped just a few feet away. The air of professionalism radiating from him was unmistakable.

"Mr. Blake, do I presume? I've been expecting your arrival," said the prosecutor.

"You have the advantage of me. I don't recall seeing your face in the courtroom," Ethan said the leader.

"L. Brown, District Attorney. I'm Congressman Thompson's primary advisor. We haven't met, but I've spent the last forty-eight hours cleaning up the legal wreckage you left behind in the Vance case," said L. Brown.

Ethan stopped and looked at him over. The man was in his late fifties, with graying temples and a gaze that didn't waver. "So, you're the one making the bodies of my enemies look like a 'natural disaster' in the eyes of the law?" Ethan asked the young man.

"Let's just say I'm very good at making sure the truth doesn't get in the way of justice. Thompson spoke to me about you this morning. He was... uncharacteristically agitated. He told me, 'Brown, if you value your career and your life, don't let your stubborn pride get in the way when you meet Ethan Blake. I am terrified of him, and you should be too,'" the prosecutor said.

Ethan let out a dry chuckle. "He's a fast learner. And what about you, Brown? Are you terrified?" Ethan asked the leader.

"I am a pragmatic man, Mr. Blake. I don't need to feel afraid to recognize power. I've seen the files on Carter and Vance. I know what you're capable of, and frankly, I'd rather have you as a client than a target," said L. Brown.

"A wise choice. I have no interest in fighting lawyers as long as the law stays on my side," Ethan said the young man.

Brown reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a sleek black card with silver lettering. He handed it to Ethan with a slight, respectful tilt of his head. "This is my personal line. It doesn't go through a secretary, and it isn't monitored by the state. Whatever you need—whether it's a warrant that needs to disappear or a legal shield for your operations—you call me first," said the prosecutor.

Ethan took the card and flicked it with his thumb. "I appreciate the initiative, Brown. It's good to have a shark in the water who knows when to bite. Stay by your phone. I might have a very large mess for you to clean up in the Iron-Peak Mountains soon," Ethan said the leader.

"I've handled mountains of filth before, sir. Iron-Peak will be no different. I am entirely at your disposal," said L. Brown.

"We'll see if you're as good as Thompson says. But before I head in, what's the status of the paperwork on my desk?" Ethan asked.

"Everything is locked in, Mr. Blake. I have the files ready against Prosecutor Carter and his shadow, Vincent Halbert. We have the evidence, the witnesses, and a paper trail that leads straight to their front doors. We've even finalized the investigation into Vincent's son, Lucas. We can move on him at any moment," said the prosecutor Brown.

Ethan paused, his gaze darkening as the names hung in the air. "Wait. You probably don't know this—only a small circle does—but those two were the ones responsible for the death of my father," said Ethan.

"Carter and Vincent?" said Brown, surprised.

"No. Father and son. The Halberts," replied Ethan with a cold voice.

Brown's eyes sharpened with a cold, professional hunger. "In that case, I will personally ensure they are destroyed. I'll leave them utterly ruined, stripped of every cent, and buried under enough life sentences to keep them behind bars for three lifetimes," said the prosecutor.

"No. I have bigger plans for them. As for Vincent, lock him up and keep him in total isolation. I want him completely cut off from the world. No sunlight, no visitors, no hope," said Ethan.

"That will be simple. Since Director Hayes is a close friend of mine, keeping him in permanent solitary confinement won't be an issue. But what about Lucas?" said Brown.

"Send Lucas to a low-level facility or bring him here. But I want the charges prepared so they can be annulled at a moment's notice. I'm going to release him eventually," said Ethan.

Brown frowned, clearly confused by the apparent mercy. "You're letting him go?" said the prosecutor.

"Prison is too soft for what I have in store for them. I'm going to handle him personally on the outside. But first, I want to terrify him. Strip away everything he owns. Leave him and his family on the street, begging for scraps. I want to deal with them slowly, one piece at a time," said Ethan.

A faint, admiring smile touched Brown's lips. "I see. Consider it done. I'll freeze their bank accounts, seize their assets, and put a lien on both their companies immediately. What do you want me to do with the businesses once they're crippled?" said Brown.

"Buy them. Manipulate the market, tank their stock prices until they're worth pennies, and then swallow them whole. Future Technologies needs to pass into my hands immediately," said Ethan.

"I'll send a trusted auditor to begin the process within the hour. By the time they realize they're under attack, you'll already own the ground they're standing on," said Brown.

"Good. Now, I have an old friend in cell 4-B who's been waiting for a visit," said Ethan.

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