The city never truly slept. Its pulse beat like a steady drum, its streets still slick with rain as Matthew walked through them, his mind racing. The weight of what had happened still sat heavily on his shoulders—Moretti, the truth, Serena. All of it felt like a dream, one where the rules didn't quite apply, where every move mattered, but nothing ever felt right.
It wasn't over. He knew that. The world didn't just turn on a dime because one man had been taken down. It never worked like that. But something had shifted. A crack had appeared in the system that no one could ignore.
Matthew stopped in front of an old diner. It was a place he and Charlie had frequented—back when they were partners, back when life had been simpler, in a twisted, dangerous way. Now, it just felt like another reminder of what had been lost.
Inside, the warmth was comforting, the hum of conversation a stark contrast to the chaos outside. The bell above the door jingled as he stepped in. His eyes scanned the familiar faces, but there was one seat he was looking for.
"Your usual?" the waitress asked, her voice steady as she wiped a glass with a cloth.
Matthew nodded, sliding into the booth that he and Charlie had shared countless times. The waitress didn't ask questions. She just went about her business, probably not caring whether Matthew was alone or not. That was the beauty of places like this—no one bothered you if you didn't want to be bothered.
A plate of eggs and toast was set in front of him, the familiar comfort he'd grown to rely on. He pushed it aside, lost in his thoughts.
The door opened again, and this time, Matthew didn't need to look up. He knew who it was before the familiar footsteps reached his ears.
"Mind if I join you?"
Serena slid into the booth across from him, her uniform still slightly disheveled, but her presence unshaken. She looked him over, as if measuring how much he'd changed.
"Thought you might be here," she said, her tone low. "They're putting the final touches on Moretti's downfall. It's done. The charges are stacking up. His empire's crumbling."
Matthew didn't answer. Instead, he picked up his coffee cup, letting the steam cloud his thoughts. He hadn't had the time to process everything. Moretti's empire was falling, but what about him? What about the truth?
"What happens now?" he finally asked, his voice rough.
Serena hesitated, her eyes flicking to the door. "You know what they say, right? There's always a vacuum when someone like Moretti falls. Someone's gonna fill it."
"Not my problem," Matthew replied, his voice sharp.
Serena's lips twisted into a half-smile. "Maybe not. But it might be. You've got a name again. People are gonna start asking questions."
Matthew leaned back, taking in her words. She wasn't wrong. People would be watching him now, for better or worse. But he wasn't sure if he was ready to step back into that world. Maybe he'd had enough.
"Charlie's dead, Serena," Matthew said quietly. "It doesn't matter what we uncovered. It doesn't bring him back."
Her expression softened. "I know. But it matters. You know it does."
There was a long silence. Outside, the city continued, oblivious to the battles fought and won in its shadows. Matthew could feel the weight of everything he'd lost—the friends, the partner, the man he used to be. The guilt of it was something he'd never shake. But maybe… just maybe, the truth was a step in the right direction.
"Maybe you're right," Matthew finally said, lifting his coffee to his lips. "But I'm done chasing ghosts."
Serena didn't push him. She simply nodded and slid out of the booth. "Take care of yourself, Matthew."
She walked toward the door, and for a moment, he thought she might turn back, say something else, but she didn't. The door closed behind her, the bell chiming softly as it did.
Matthew sat alone in the booth, the diner's soft lights flickering above him. The world outside hadn't changed. It never did, not really. He knew that now. There would always be corruption, always be shadows. But maybe he didn't have to be a part of it anymore.
Maybe it was time to walk away.