Chapter 553: Fire With Fire Karen had just returned from meetings with the local police, carrying reports gathered from the neighbourhood, and she couldn’t believe what she was reading. There were no signs of an increase in crime. Shops along the front street, and even those a few streets over, weren’t reporting anything unusual. Their operations hadn’t changed, foot traffic was steady, and there was no evidence of vandalism or theft beyond the ordinary. That meant one thing was clear. They were being targeted. The question was by who, and why? Karen sat back in her office inside the department store, staring at the reports spread across her desk. As the days passed, the numbers continued to drop. Vendor interest was declining, contracts were being delayed, and no matter how many meetings she arranged, she couldn’t convince new businesses to move in. "What do I do?" Karen said aloud, rubbing her temples. "I even put special clauses into the contracts. Vendors can cancel early if there’s any increase in crime, or if their stores are affected in any way." She let out a frustrated breath. "I was confident in those guards I hired. We increased security more than enough, and then this happens." Her voice rose as the frustration poured out. "I’m losing money every single day. I’ve paid for promotions, events, special campaigns, anything to attract vendors. I even hired a contact provider just to speak directly to the CEOs of these companies, and they still won’t budge. All they care about is their damned money!" Karen swung her arm, sending the reports scattering across the floor. She stood there, breathing heavily, fists clenched, before slowly forcing herself to calm down. She needed to focus. There were two things she had to figure out. First, who was behind this? ’Is it another member of the Stern family?’ she thought. ’Have they finally decided to move against me? Or is this a competitor trying to corner me in a different way?’ The police had been useless so far, offering no real answers. That alone bothered her. ’Who has more connections than me in Notting Hill?’ There were plenty of wealthy people in the area, but not many who would openly go against her. The list was short, and most of the names on it belonged to her own family. If that was the case, she wasn’t sure how she could fight them directly. For now, she decided to focus on dealing with the immediate problem. ’If guards aren’t enough to stop these criminals, then maybe I’m going about this the wrong way,’ Karen thought. ’Maybe I need to fight fire with fire.’ That evening, Karen brought her assistant Veronica along, along with two members of the store’s security team. They were guards who hadn’t yet been involved in any scuffles with the attackers. Night had fallen by the time they reached their destination. They had ventured into an unconventional part of the city, far removed from the polished streets and luxury storefronts Karen was used to. Near the edge of an unpopular stretch of the sea, there was a cluster of bars, pubs, and small restaurants packed tightly together. The clientele here was rough around the edges. This place was the complete opposite of the crowd that normally visited her department stores. "Are you sure we should be doing this, ma’am?" Veronica asked quietly. They stood outside one of the drinking establishments. Several men were already eyeing them, beers in hand, sitting on crates or leaning against the walls. The group stood out immediately. Karen was flashy as always, dressed immaculately. Veronica wore her fitted suit, and the two guards stood stiffly beside them. They didn’t belong here, and everyone knew it. "Look at that," one of the men chuckled. "Did royalty come to visit us or something?" Ignoring the stares and comments, Karen stepped forward and entered the establishment. The smell of alcohol hit her instantly. She scanned the room until she spotted a group of men wearing the same ripped denim shirts. They sat together, spread across tables and stools, laughing loudly. "They look like the perfect fit," Karen said as she walked toward them. If criminals were the ones interfering with her business, then she would simply hire criminals to put an end to it. Karen approached a man sitting at the bar. He appeared more relaxed than the others, leaning back casually, a drink untouched in front of him. She had noticed men dressed like him coming and going, and she assumed he was either the leader or someone high up in the group. "Are you the one in charge of this..." Karen paused, glancing to the side as a few of the men nearby shoved each other in what looked like a friendly scuffle. "...delightful group?" "I am," the man replied calmly. "And it’s clear you’ve never stepped foot in this place before." He turned slightly toward her. "To save time, I think it’d be best if you said what you came here to say, then leave quickly. And it better not be a waste of our time." As he spoke, he pulled out a dagger and drove it straight into the countertop. The blade sank in with a sharp thud. Karen didn’t flinch, though she despised people like this. Right now, they were exactly what she needed. "I’m willing to pay you and your group more money than you’ve ever seen before," Karen said evenly. "If you’ll do a job for me and protect my department store." The moment those words left her mouth, the room grew quieter. Several of the men turned their heads toward the man at the bar, waiting for his reaction. "This department store of yours," he said slowly, "it wouldn’t happen to be the one on Front Street, would it? Right by the sea?" Karen wasn’t surprised he knew the store, it was well known, but she was surprised he guessed it so easily. She nodded. "I think you should leave," the man said. "And a word of advice, if I were you, I’d give up on that department store." Karen frowned. "There isn’t a single group in all of Notting Hill," he continued, "that would be willing to protect it."