Chapter 49 (The Mortal Multiverse : Liam Raven Harper)

Chapter 49 - Building the Case (Part-7)

Liam Pov

My Sharingan flared alive—crimson red, a single Tomoe rotating slowly in the darkness of my iris.

Her gaze locked with mine.

The effect was instant.

The sharp panic in her face dulled, her body slackened slightly, her shoulders eased.

Her eyes grew hazy, unfocused, as if she was slipping into a trance.

Eve’s voice flickered in my head confirming that she was under

I lifted my phone discreetly, hitting record, and began.

“Seraphina… how long have you been working at Velvet Rose?”

Her voice came out soft, monotone.

“Four years.”

“And how did you see Marcus Hale?”

“Hale came to the club with the owner… Francesco Dorian about a year ago and he’s been a regular since.”

Eve hummed.

[So Francesco Dorian is the link between them]

I continued, tone steady.

“How is Hale connected to Victor Marino?”

At the mention of that name, her eyes flickered but the Sharingan kept her steady.

“Victor Marino was a close friend of Francesco and he… introduced Hale to him. Hale borrowed money from Victor Marino.”

“And then?”

“Hale lost it. All of it was gone. I saw him once—beaten, bruised and on the floor. Victor and Francesco were standing over him like they were going to kill him. Hale begged for his life… said he had a sure way to make big money.”

I felt Eve sharpen her tone. [Classic setup. Debt… leverage… then a new scheme]

“What happened next?” I pressed.

She drew a slow breath, her voice dragging.

“The Next time… I was serving drinks. In the VIP room. Marcus Hale’s face was still healing and he was introducing two people to Francesco Dorian, Victor Marino. It was Carlos Vega and… another man in an Expensive Suit and didn’t fit with them.”

“Who was he?”

“I don’t… know his name. Carlos said he was a distant cousin. Then I was sent out. Didn’t hear more.”

Eve murmured, curious. [Hale brought in Carlos and Carlos brought in this mysterious guy in suit]

“Did things change after that?” I asked.

Her head dipped slowly. “Two months later… all of them were making money. Lots of it. I heard yearns like… betting, sports, track races, hounds and horses.”

She coughed lightly, then continued. “One night… I heard them laughing. Talking about an upcoming boxing match. Roger Dexter. They said he would win for sure. I ended my shift, made a bet myself using my friend… and he won easily. I made money too.”

Eve’s voice sharpened again. [So they’re fixing matches and games. Dealing drugs in the side and rigged betting as primary but how are the able to win with guarantee?] she raises a question

Seraphina’s eyes glazed further, but she continued

“I stayed quiet. Tried to catch more info but nothing. Then… one night. A trainer… in track pants. Fought Hale’s outside the club. I heard Victor Marino and Hale whispering… they said… they were going to kill him. Victor said he would take care of it.”

I leaned forward slightly. “This trainer… was it Travis Keane?”

She shivered but nodded faintly. “Yes… him.”

“And after that?”

“They… they just kept making money. Betting and Hale… selling little drugs to his top clients. That’s… all I know.”

Her breathing slowed, her cigarette dangling forgotten between her fingers.

I turned off the recorder. My Sharingan swirled once more, and I gave the final command.

“You will forget everything you just told me. When I leave, all you’ll remember is that you refused to talk. Do you understand?”

Her lips moved faintly. “Yes…”

The crimson faded from my eye. My vision dimmed back to normal.

She blinked—her body tensed back up, confusion returning.

She shivered suddenly, hugging herself.

“I… I don’t know anything. Please. Just leave.”

I rose smoothly, pocketing my phone. “Understood.”

The door clicked shut behind me as soon as I stepped out. Locks turned rapidly.

I stood in the hallway, the pieces of her fragmented truth already aligning in my mind.

Eve’s tone came low, steady.

[Velvet Rose isn’t just a club. It’s a hub for Dorian, Marino, Vega, Hale and the mystery man in suit but the question still is how are they fixing?]

I adjusted my jacket, stepping down the stairwell and replied “The milk powder”

[What do you mean?] she questioned

“I think that this Lactose Powder is the key here but it’s just a guess”

This was no longer just about Hale.

The sharks were bigger, and I had just picked up the main pieces of puzzles but still few are still missing.

The air outside the apartment building was heavy, humid, carrying the faint stench of cigarettes and spilled beer from the alleyway.

I walked down the stairs without looking back, swung my leg over my bike and kicked the engine alive, the rumble masking my thoughts.

Eve’s voice broke the silence in my helmet.

[That was dangerous, Liam. If Seraphina talks even half of what she knows outside your control, she’ll be dead and they will come knocking at your door.]

I revved the engine once before pulling into the empty street. “She won’t. To her, it never happened.”

Eve’s tone was clipped, but thoughtful. [But the information… it changes everything.]

I cut through the streets, neon signs flashing past in blurs. “Let’s line it up.”

[Alright.] A holographic overlay shimmered faintly on the visor. [Point one: Hale isn’t just a small-time celebrity trainer selling powder on the side. He’s a cog, a visible one. The real operation is betting fraud and match-fixing. That explains the sudden wealth Marino, Vega, Hale and Dorian flaunt.]

“Fits,” I muttered, weaving past a cab. “And the drugs?”

[Side revenue or Vega’s main business?. Hale distributes to some of his clients—models, actors, the elite. Enough to keep him useful but it’s not the main machine. Betting is the core.]

I slowed at a red light, my mind ticking through it. “And the mystery man. Carlos Vega’s ‘cousin.’ Expensive suit. Doesn’t belong in their circle.”

[Someone higher. A sponsor, maybe. Someone giving cover. He’s the missing link. Until we put a name to that face, this puzzle won’t lock.]

The light turned green, and I surged forward. “And then there’s Travis Keane.”

[Yes.] Eve’s voice sharpened. [A trainer, no business with Hale, suddenly fighting him outside a club. He shouts ‘poison.’ Days later, he’s missing. That’s not coincidence, Liam.]

“No,” I agreed. “That’s a loose end and they tied him off.”

[Or they tried.]

I frowned. “Meaning?”

[We don’t have a body to prove, only a missing person report. He could be dead or hiding. Either way, he knew something—enough to spook Hale and Marino handled the problem.]

The DA building came into view.

I parked in the shadows, cut the engine, and walked up quietly, helmet under my arm.

I left my jacket draped over the chair, loosened my tie, and sat at my desk. My phone blinked—recording secure. I uploaded it to the Eve.

“Run it back,” I told Eve.

The audio of Seraphina’s hazy voice played back in the quiet room.

Every word aligned with the picture I’d suspected but now it wasn’t just hunches.

It was proof that my gut was right and something big is going on in the background.

Eve chimed in.

[You realize what this means, right? Hale’s isn’t the win. He’s the hook and the case doesn’t end with him—it begins with him.]

I leaned back in my chair, eyes narrowing at the ceiling. “Good. Because I don’t plan on stopping here.”

[You’re going after Marino, Vega, Dorian… and whoever the mystery man is.]

“Exactly.”

Eve let out a digital sigh that almost sounded amused.

[Bold. You realize Cameron won’t like this detour. He wanted Hale’s wrapped, tied, and filed. Done.]

“He’ll like results,” I countered. “And I’m going to deliver results he can’t ignore.”

There was silence for a beat. Then, Eve’s voice softened.

[Then we’ll need to build it step by step. Nexor’s lab upcoming report. Wick’s intel and proof and… we have to find Travis Keane. He’s the crack in their wall. If he’s alive, he’s the key witness. If he’s dead… the evidence of his death will point higher.]

I nodded slowly, a small smile tugging at the corner of my lips. “Then that’s our move.”

The End