Revenge is Best Served… After Reborn

"Yeah, that makes perfect sense," Joseph nodded, adding a touch of urgency to his voice. "Let them search thoroughly. Whoever finds it will be rewarded generously, no doubt about that."

Colt chimed in with a confident grin, "Mr. Burke has been gearing up for this moment for ages. Now that we're on the brink of success, he's not about to sweat a few more hours. I'll head over and keep an eye on things." "Alright, you do that," Joseph replied, giving Colt a nod as he left.

James watched the exchange, unfazed. He'd long since figured out that Colt was in Joseph's corner. In fact, he was well aware that his memories of a past life were linked to Joseph's meddling when he was in the hospital-probably some kind of hypnosis, nothing too fancy.

Catching Harold's eye from across the room, James felt an unspoken understanding pass between them. Harold soon broke the silence, "I just remembered a place."

"Where's that?" Joseph asked, his curiosity piqued at the mention of a possible treasure location.

"I'm just speculating here," Harold shrugged. "Not sure if it's the right spot."

"Go on, tell me," Joseph urged, "I'll decide if it's worth checking out."

Harold continued, "My family has a double basement. When I was a kid, I was curious about it, but my parents and my brother kept it off-limits. It's a no-go zone for the Aldridge family. Maybe, just maybe, the treasure's stashed down there?" Joseph's brow furrowed at the thought. "Alright, let's take a look."

Seeing Joseph rise, Colt quickly interjected, "Mr. Burke, maybe I should go first, just in case it's a setup..."

"I've waited long enough for this moment. No more delays," Joseph insisted, leading James and Harold toward the double basement.

The moment they stepped into the elevator, alarms blared. Unfazed, Joseph pulled out a handgun and took out the camera, silencing the alarm.

After Harold unlocked the elevator

with his fingerprint, they descended into the double basement. As the doors opened, a stale, musty air greeted them, making all three wrinkle their noses.

The lighting was dim, casting an eerie glow over the concrete floor, adding to the overall chill. "Looks like this was once an Aldridge family intelligence hub from way back Joseph mused, a hint of disdain in

his voice. "Probably defunct by now."

With Colt and a few others joining them, Joseph ordered, "Search this place thoroughly. Let's find out if the treasure's here."

"Yes, Mr. Burke," Colt responded, wasting no time in organizing the search.

James's eyes lingered on a row of cabinets across the room. He quickly averted his gaze and said to Joseph, "I'll take a look around too." "Go ahead," Joseph replied.

The double basement was massive, stretching out in all directions. James traced the wall, stopping at a blank section. He tapped it lightly hearing a hollow sound. Moving on, he knocked on another partesolid as a rock. .Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

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"Something's off with this wall," James pointed out.

Joseph swiftly moved closer, his interest piqued. "Let me take a look!"