Damien sat in his dimly lit office, the sharp scent of coffee mingling with the stale air that hung in the room. The city outside rumbled with the usual noise, but inside, it was quiet. He didn’t mind the silence—he thrived in it. It was the place where all his thoughts gathered, a sanctuary for a mind always racing with possibilities.

A series of photographs lay scattered across his desk, each one depicting Sophia Burns in various mundane scenarios—her standing in front of a hospital, laughing with friends at a café, a family photo with a mother and father who appeared happy, or at least pretended to be. None of it made sense. She was just an ordinary woman, yet her death had been anything but ordinary.

Damien’s eyes flickered to a folder beside the photographs. Inside were the police reports, the autopsy results, and the information Rachel had retrieved about Sophia's family. The family. That was where the key lay, he could feel it. But how? What was the connection between this woman and the growing series of grisly murders?

He sifted through the paperwork, stopping at a photo of Sophia's father, a well-known businessman with a reputation for ruthless business practices. Thomas Burns—rich, powerful, and influential. The man had been involved in several shady dealings over the years, but nothing that suggested he had any connection to the recent murders. Still, Damien couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to this family than met the eye.

A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts. He didn’t need to look up to know who it was.

“Come in,” Damien said, his voice flat.

The door creaked open, and Rachel stepped inside, holding a tablet in one hand, her expression tight. She walked toward his desk and set the device down with a sigh.

“You were right,” she said. “There’s something off about this case. I just spoke to Sophia’s mother, Helen Burns. She’s... not what I expected.”

Damien raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

Rachel leaned against the desk, crossing her arms. “For one, she’s scared. Not just about the murder, but about something else. Something she’s not telling us.”

Damien took the tablet and scrolled through the interview transcript. Helen Burns had been on edge the entire time, avoiding certain questions and clamming up when the subject of her late husband, Thomas, came up. When asked about Sophia’s life, she had spoken little, but her answers were laden with guilt.

“I don’t like this,” Damien muttered, scanning the transcript further. “Her daughter is dead, and she’s worried about something else. What’s she hiding?”

Rachel sighed. “I don’t know. But I do know she mentioned something interesting during the interview. She kept repeating how she felt like someone had been ‘watching’ her family for years. She didn’t elaborate, but I think it’s worth investigating.”

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Damien’s mind shifted gears, connecting dots at lightning speed. "Someone watching them for years?" he murmured to himself. "This is more than just random violence. This... feels orchestrated."

He pushed away from the desk, his fingers drumming against the wood in thought. “Rachel, get me a list of everyone who has had business dealings with Thomas Burns in the last five years. Start with his colleagues, his competitors, anyone with a grudge. And check his financials. If someone’s been ‘watching’ them, it’s likely they’ve been involved with the family for a while.”

She nodded and grabbed her coat. “I’ll start pulling the records right away.”

Before she left, Damien caught her attention. “And Rachel…”

She turned back. “Yeah?”

“Keep an eye on Helen Burns. If she’s hiding something, it’s not just about her daughter’s murder.”

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It was hours later when Damien stood outside the Burns family mansion, the towering structure casting an imposing shadow over the well-manicured grounds. The storm from earlier had passed, but the city was still wrapped in a thick fog, the kind that made everything feel unreal, like they were all stuck in some endless cycle of uncertainty.

He’d requested access to the mansion in hopes of learning more about Thomas Burns and his family. The mansion itself was as cold and sterile as Damien had expected—a reflection of its inhabitants. The front door creaked open, and Helen Burns appeared, looking older than her years, her eyes hollow with exhaustion.

“Detective Blackwood,” she greeted him, her voice trembling slightly.

“Mrs. Burns,” he replied, giving a slight nod. “I appreciate you meeting with me.”

“Anything for Sophia,” she said quickly, almost too quickly. She stepped aside to let him in, and Damien followed her down a hallway lined with old portraits of the Burns family. The opulence of the place was suffocating. It wasn’t the kind of wealth Damien admired—it was the kind of wealth that came from something darker.

They reached the sitting room, and Helen motioned for Damien to take a seat. He did, but he kept his eyes on her. She looked fragile, like a woman on the edge of a breaking point.

“You said on the phone you had something to tell me,” Damien began, his voice calm, almost soothing. “Something about being watched?”

Helen’s hands gripped the edge of her chair. She seemed hesitant at first but then exhaled, as if deciding to share her burden.

“I... I didn’t want to believe it,” she said quietly. “But I’ve felt it for years. Ever since Thomas got involved with the Eastgate Syndicate.”

Damien’s gaze sharpened. The Eastgate Syndicate. That name was one he had hoped to never hear again. They were the shadowy figures pulling strings from behind the scenes—criminal masterminds who operated in silence, unnoticed, until it was too late.

Helen continued, her voice shaking now. “I don’t know what my husband got into, but he changed. He became obsessed with someone—a man. He wouldn’t tell me who. But I know it wasn’t just business. It was personal. And now... now, I think that person is connected to Sophia’s death.”

Damien leaned forward, his mind whirring. The Eastgate Syndicate, a name that could unravel everything.

“Do you have any idea who this man is?” Damien asked.

Helen swallowed hard. “No. But I know one thing. Whoever he is, he’s still here. Watching. And I don’t think he’s done with us.”

Damien sat back, letting the weight of her words sink in. Everything he had suspected was coming to light—and yet, the deeper he dug, the more he realized this case wasn’t just about the murder of Sophia Burns. It was a warning.

The Eastgate Syndicate had made their move, and now, it was only a matter of time before they came for him.