Although Vincent was finally able to overcome the trauma that had been haunting him, he became a different person who was hot-tempered and antisocial. Toward the end of his book, Vincent warned his readers not to repeat his mistake of misusing the internet to acquire illegal intel. 'Stick by your principles so that you won't end up like me. Beware of the temptation of money, or you could end up being responsible for someone else's misery.'
Kingsley couldn't stop his hands from shivering, and his eyes were fixated on the words on the paper. Although Vincent didn't mention who the intel provider was, Kingsley was almost sure it was his father, Xavier. "My father… Is he an intel provider?" Kingsley murmured to himself. "The Nightingale Intelligence Agency… Nightingale…"
It was then that Kingsley was reminded of the time his father sang a song to him. Can you be my nightingale? Sing to me, I know you're there. You could be my sanity, bring me peace, sing me to sleep. Say you'll be my nightingale. Since Xavier used to sing and hum that very often, Kingsley could easily remember the lyrics.
At that moment, Kingsley recalled something that Mason once told him before. Before Jonah's brutal beating that severely impaired his mental capacity and turned him into a homeless rogue, he was the co-president of 24 companies across Qustia. People believed there were 24 golden hours in a day, and the number was thought to bring good fortune. Kingsley's father, Xavier, was the president of all those organizations.
Concurrently, Vincent mentioned more in his book about the Nightingale Intelligence Agency. 'The NIA provides intel that concerns almost the entire Qustia.' Hang on, they match perfectly! In that instant, it dawned on Kingsley that his father had been using the 24 companies as the NIA's disguise.
This is similar to how the Coliree Group was used as a disguise for Coliree Island. Similarly, the company in which Serena works is also a front for an assassination agency. That means my father was not the president of those companies; he was an intel provider.
At the thought of that, Kingsley smiled and conceded to his father's bold move. 24 golden hours in a day and a nightingale? Day and night, huh? That must be why it's said to be the brightest day and the darkest night.
Kingsley closed the book, seemingly understanding everything that was going on. Now, I know what happened back then.
Seventeen years ago, Xavier was an intelligence provider who kept a low profile in Cleapolis and made a living by selling intelligence to whoever needed it. Knowing he would make a lot of enemies due to his line of business, he went into hiding and made sure he concealed his identity well.
At that time, calculators and the internet were slowly gaining popularity, and that was when Xavier foresaw the prosperity of the internet world. Because of that, he decided to give it a try by getting into the business of selling intelligence.
However, little did Xavier know that his decision had ultimately led to his downfall, which was either due to the ineptitude of the hackers he hired or Vincent's extraordinary hacking skills. After all, Vincent was subsequently able to hack into the NIA with great ease. Blinded by his greed for money, he later spread Xavier's whereabouts all over the black market and even sold the intelligence to the latter's enemy.
In the end, Xavier was attacked by his enemies, including Randy, Matt, Jonah, and Felix. They relentlessly took down the NIA together. After taking over the 24 companies and sharing what was left of them, they burned the Nicholson Manor to the ground, killing Xavier and his wife in the fire.
At the thought of that, Kingsley squinted in anger, a cold look flashing across his face. At that moment, he was almost sure that Vincent was the mastermind in the shadows, deeming him an enemy instead of an ally.
Although Vincent didn't cause the fire that killed his parents, Kingsley's parents died indirectly because of him. Therefore, he couldn't forgive Vincent for what he did despite not being the murderer. Upon taking a deep breath, Kingsley changed his mind and decided there was no need for him to meet up with Vincent the next day anymore. Instead, he was planning to take down Vincent during the latter's new book launch, determined to make him suffer during a time he was supposed to be basking in joy.
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