Chapter 58

• RICHARD'S POV
• The smoke still lingered in the air, a bitter reminder of the chaos that had just unfolded. The firefighters, their faces smeared with soot and sweat, were wrapping up, hoses coiling like exhausted serpents. My office, once the heart of my operations, now lay in ruins, charred and unrecognizable. The acrid scent of burnt paper and wood stung my nostrils, mingling with the bitter taste of dread in my mouth.
• "Mr. Richard, most of the documents are gone” a firefighter, his name tag reading 'Johnson,' said, his voice heavy with sympathy. "I'm sorry, man."