Chapter 5 The Edge Of The Knife

Evelyn's heartbeat thundered in her ears as she clutched the evidence in her trembling hands. The photograph of Damian Voss standing over her father's body burned into her mind.

She had spent years chasing shadows, searching for answers that never came. But now, the truth was staring back at her.

Voss had killed her father.

Her fingers tightened around the old crime scene photo, but something made her pause.

A strange feeling crept up her spine.

Her eyes flickered back to the grainy surveillance still, scanning every detail. The dim lighting, the position of her father's lifeless body... and then-Voss.

Her breath caught.

She grabbed another picture from the pile-one taken recently at a corporate gala.

Her stomach dropped.

Damian Voss.

The same sharp features. The same piercing silver eyes. The same cold expression.

Not a single change.

Thirty years apart, and he looks the same.

Her pulse pounded as she compared the photos side by side. There were no signs of aging-no wrinkles, no gray hair, no weight gain or loss.

It wasn't just unusual. It was impossible.

Her father's case had always felt unnatural, but now-now she was staring at something that defied logic itself.

She swallowed hard.

Voss wasn't just powerful. He wasn't just dangerous.

He wasn't human.

Ramirez shifted beside her. "Evelyn? What is it?"

She turned the photos toward him, her hands shaking. "Look."

Ramirez frowned, leaning in. A second later, his expression twisted into disbelief. "No way..."

Evelyn exhaled sharply. "Voss doesn't age, Ramirez." She looked up at him, her voice barely a whisper. "What the hell is he?"

Silence stretched between them.

Then Ramirez muttered, "We're in way over our heads."

Evelyn clenched her fists. "No. We're getting to the bottom of this."

But deep down, a chilling thought curled inside her mind.

If Voss had stayed the same for thirty years...

How long had he been around?

And how many had tried-and failed-to stop him?

Back at Voss Enterprises, the air was thick with tension. The dimly lit room smelled of expensive cigars and aged whiskey.

Damian Voss sat behind his massive desk, his silver eyes locked onto the three men standing before him.

"She has the evidence," one of them murmured.

Voss exhaled slowly, swirling the whiskey in his glass. "And?"

"She's taken it to Judge Carter."

A muscle twitches in Voss's jaw.

"She's getting too close," another man said. "We should end this now."

Voss set his glass down. The clink of crystal against wood was deafening in the silence.

Back at Voss Enterprises, the air was thick with tension. The dimly lit room smelled of expensive cigars and aged whiskey.

Damian Voss sat behind his massive desk, his silver eyes locked onto the three men standing before him.

"She has the evidence," one of them murmured.

Voss exhaled slowly, swirling the whiskey in his glass. "And?"

"She's taken it to Judge Carter."

A muscle twitched in Voss's jaw.

"She's getting too close," another man said. "We should end this now."

Voss set his glass down. The clink of crystal against wood was deafening in the silence.

"She has proof," Voss murmured. "But proof means nothing if she's not alive to use it."

One of his men, a tall, lean figure with calculating eyes, cleared his throat. "Killing her now would be a mistake."

Voss raised a brow. "Explain."

"If we kill her, the department will start digging. We don't need that attention." The man smirked. "But if we control her... show her how powerless she is..."

Voss leaned back, intrigued. "Go on."

"Judge Carter is one of ours. Have him dismiss the case. Make it look legal. If she watches the system crush her before she even gets started... she'll break."

Voss's lips curled into a slow, satisfied smile.

"Make the call."

Evelyn sat in the courtroom, tension coiled in her gut. She had given Judge Carter everything-the photos, the reports, the link between the missing officers and Voss. It was undeniable. It was the truth.

So why did she feel like she was already losing?

The judge adjusted his glasses, clearing his throat. He skimmed through the evidence, his face unreadable. Then, he closed the file with a soft thud.

His eyes met Evelyn's.

"This case lacks sufficient grounds for further investigation."

Evelyn's stomach dropped. "What?"

Judge Carter barely blinked. "Without concrete evidence directly linking Mr. Voss to the crimes, we cannot proceed."

She shot up from her seat. "That's a lie! The evidence is right there!"

Judge Carter gave her a slow, measured look. "The court has made its decision."

The gavel slammed.

Case dismissed.

Evelyn stood frozen, anger and disbelief warring inside her.

Voss had won. Not with violence. Not with threats.

With power.

With control.

As she left the courtroom, Ramirez caught up to her. "I don't get it. This was solid. Carter's never-"

"He's bought." Evelyn's voice was hollow. "They own him."

Ramirez exhaled sharply. "Then what do we do now?"

Evelyn clenched her fists. The answer was clear.

They couldn't fight this with just badges and law books.

They needed power. Real power.

Wealth. Influence. People who could stand toe-to-toe with Voss and win.

But Evelyn didn't know anyone like that.

And that terrified her.

Later that evening, just as Evelyn was trying to figure out her next move, her phone rang.

It was her boss.

"Detective Cross," his voice was unusually calm. "I need you in my office. Now."

Evelyn felt a sense of unease settle in her gut, but she grabbed her coat and left for the station.

When she entered the chief's office, he was already waiting, his expression unreadable.

"Close the door."

She did.

He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands together. "You need to drop the Voss case."

Her breath hitched. "Sir, you can't be serious."

He didn't blink. "Pick any other case. Hell, I'll even reward you handsomely for it. But this? This ends now."

Evelyn's stomach twisted. The way he said it, the way his tone never wavered-he wasn't just telling her.

He was warning her.

She stared at him, trying to read between the lines.

Her boss wasn't afraid of Voss.

He was working for him.

Evelyn clenched her jaw. She had always believed in justice. In the system.

But tonight, the system had shown its true face.

And she was standing alone against something far bigger than she had ever imagined.

Her boss sighed. "Evelyn... don't make this harder than it has to be."

She took a slow breath, forcing her expression to stay neutral.

"Understood, sir."

But inside, she was already planning her next move.

Because if the system was against her-

She would burn it down herself.