Volume 9: Showdown on Wall Street
Synopsis: Jack has gathered enough evidence to launch his final strike against Richard's true mastermind. He will use every resource at his disposal to drag the hidden sins into the light of day.
Chapter 14: A New Beginning
Jack stood motionless inside the safe apartment arranged by John, staring through the floor-to-ceiling windows that framed a bleak, overcast sky above New York City. The image of Richard's gruesome death still lingered in his mind like a nightmare. And Henry Stanford—his name was etched into Jack's thoughts like a cold blade. Yet, instead of relief or satisfaction, Jack felt only emptiness and grief.
Isabella's face kept flashing before his eyes. Her smile—beautiful and fierce. Her concern—filled with love. That bullet she had taken for him burned in his chest even now, suffocating him with sorrow.
The apartment was sparsely furnished but spotlessly clean. A faint blue glow from the laptop screen caught his attention. Emily had just sent a new message:
"Richard's empire has been seized. Investigators have taken mountains of documents, and all digital servers have been confiscated. But Jack… some key electronic files seem to have been deleted or encrypted beforehand—including emails between Henry Stanford and Richard."
"Damn it!" Jack clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked. Without concrete evidence, bringing down Henry Stanford would be nearly impossible. The Stanford family's influence ran deep in New York. They had elite legal teams, countless political allies, and an army of power-hungry lawyers ready to tear apart any threat like vultures circling prey.
Just then, the door creaked open quietly. John entered, holding a steaming cup of coffee, its rich aroma cutting through the heavy silence.
"Drink this, son. It'll warm you up," John said, his voice steady and reassuring.
Jack accepted the cup with a bitter smile. "John, I feel like a cornered animal trying to fight a lion. It's impossible."
John sat down on the couch beside him, his piercing gaze filled with understanding. "You're wrong, Jack. You still have something—your intelligence, your courage, and your connections." He paused, then added solemnly, "Isabella gave her life for you. That's a debt no one can repay. But she left you more than memories. She left you a network—a powerful underground web of loyal allies who respected her and trusted her completely. Those people are your greatest weapon against the Stanfords."
Jack froze. He had been too consumed by grief to realize what Isabella had truly left behind. In the shadows of the world, she had built a vast circle of trust and loyalty. These people—her friends—were perhaps his only hope now.
"I understand now, John," Jack said slowly, determination returning to his eyes. "I'll use everything Isabella left me to bring Henry Stanford to his knees. I won't let him escape."
In the following days, Jack began moving in secret. Using the contacts Isabella had carefully cultivated, he reached out to key figures in the underworld—hackers, ex-special forces operatives, street fighters, and informants. Each had their own past, their own scars, but all shared unwavering loyalty to Isabella—and hatred for the Stanford family.
Jack revealed his plan without hesitation. He needed information—proof that could directly link Henry Stanford to his crimes, even the smallest clue.
"We've hated those bastards for years," growled a muscular man with a jagged scar across his face, stubbing out his cigarette violently. "Isabella saved my life once. Without her, I'd be dead in a gutter. For her, I'd give anything—even my life."
With their help, Jack's investigation gained real momentum. Piece by piece, he uncovered the truth—Henry Stanford hadn't just used Richard for money laundering. He was tied to multiple financial fraud schemes, each leaving behind a trail of broken lives and shattered dreams.
But as Jack closed in, Stanford struck back—harder and faster than expected.
Using his immense influence in politics and business, Henry launched a ruthless campaign to crush Jack and Emily. Emily's newspaper faced intense pressure; articles about the Stanfords were pulled, journalists threatened. Jack himself became a target—he received anonymous threats late at night, and suspicious figures loitered near his safe house, clearly trying to track him.
"It seems old man Henry is finally losing his cool," Jack muttered, leaning against the wall with a grim smile. He knew he had hit a nerve. The battle ahead would be brutal.
"Jack, be careful," Emily urged over the phone, her voice tense with worry. "Henry Stanford doesn't play fair. He'll do anything to win. Don't underestimate him."
"I won't," Jack replied firmly, though he knew time was running out. "I still have one last card to play. It's time Henry Stanford learned not to underestimate me."
That card was the partial evidence he had already gathered—enough not to imprison Stanford, but enough to draw the attention of regulators and force them to investigate deeper.
Jack decided to take a dangerous risk. He anonymously submitted the files to regulatory authorities through encrypted channels. At the same time, he leaked key details to several tabloids known for exposing scandals.
Within hours, the authorities quietly opened an official investigation into the Stanford family. Meanwhile, the tabloids published explosive rumors—no direct proof yet, but enough to shake public confidence and stir chaos.
Henry Stanford found himself in a storm unlike any before. Everything around him seemed to crumble. He threw millions at media outlets to suppress the news, bribed officials to halt investigations, and even sent men to intimidate investigators.
But it was too late.
Jack had lit the fire, and now it was spreading beyond control.
Under John's protection, Jack relocated to a more secure hideout—far from the city, surrounded by quiet woods, far away from prying eyes. There, he could regroup, plan, and stay one step ahead of Stanford's hunters.
At night, Jack stood by the window, watching the distant lights of the city, emotions churning within him. This wasn't just revenge—it was a war between justice and corruption. He had to win—for Isabella, for the victims, for the truth.
He took a deep breath, his eyes burning with conviction.
This was a new beginning.
And from here, he would show Henry Stanford that even a man once with nothing could shake the very foundations of Wall Street.
He would show the world that justice—no matter how long it took—would always prevail.