LOGINEarly morning. At a private winery on the outskirts of Sunset City.The light was completely blocked by heavy velvet curtains. The room was thick with the mingled scent of medicinal herbs and cold leather—the smell of a man fighting a losing battle with his own body. The air was stale, heavy, carrying the faint metallic tang of blood and the sharp bitterness of the drugs that had become his only companions.Sweat beaded on Dominic's temples, sliding down the hollows of his cheeks. The nerve blocker was wearing off, and the knife-like pain in his skull was surging back with a vengeance, each pulse of agony sharper than the last. His fingers had gouged deep cracks into the leather armrest, the sound of tearing fabric barely audible over his labored breathing. The broken pen lay on his knee, a talisman he refused to let go of."Boss, Obsidian City swept three divisions last night. The remaining insurgents think you're injured and out of the city. They're planning to retreat to the west d
The morning after the storm, Sunset City was washed clean. A pale, watery light filtered through the dispersing clouds, catching the last droplets of rain still clinging to the leaves.The underground garage was still dim, the concrete floor slick with residual moisture. The air smelled of damp stone and exhaust.Evan had just opened his car door when two black sedans emerged from the intersecting passages ahead, one in front and one behind, boxing him in with surgical precision.The front vehicle's door opened. Drake stepped out, his expression unreadable, and pulled open the rear door.From the shadows within, Dominic leaned back against the seat. The black band across his eyes was impossible to ignore, even in the dim light of the garage. It wrapped around his head like a wound that refused to heal. Yet even sightless, the oppressive weight of his presence had not diminished by a single degree. His stillness was absolute—the stillness of a predator waiting.Evan rested his hand on
The violent impact of her back against the door sent a shockwave straight up her spine to the crown of her head. The cold wood pressed against her shoulder blades, unyielding and solid.In the pitch darkness, Avery instinctively curled her body and clenched her fists, every muscle primed for defense. Her knuckles were white, her nails biting into her palms as she tried to steady her racing pulse.A marine-scented cologne suddenly drew close. The scent was subtle—clean, restrained, carrying a faint, elusive herbal undertone that she had caught before in a different context.This scent… was familiar.Outside, a bolt of lightning split the night sky, illuminating the room in a stark, white flash. The brief burst of light revealed the sharp, refined face before her—those familiar features, those glasses she had come to recognize.Evan locked the door behind him with a soft click and released her arm, stepping back just enough to give her space."Don't be afraid. It's me."Evan leaned down
The morning of Sunset City was completely engulfed by a sudden, torrential downpour. Rain hammered against the streets, turning the gutters into rushing streams. At the entrance of St. George's Academy, the heavy rain battered the leaves into a frantic rustling, the sound almost deafening in the storm.Avery held Dorothea's hand tightly, watching as her daughter completed the complex and high-level enrollment procedures. When she saw the little girl being personally escorted into the teaching building by a Royal Fellow—a distinguished academic figure whose reputation spanned the entire Federation—the knot that had been lodged in her chest for days finally loosened. She had been carrying that anxiety for nights on end, barely sleeping, and now a weight she hadn't even realized she was holding finally lifted."Avery."A warm, familiar voice cut through the curtain of rain.Evan stood not far away, holding an umbrella. He was dressed in his usual refined manner today—a perfectly tailored
When Avery walked out of the hospital, night had fully fallen.Too much had happened in a single day—from the Kessler Group's explosive video that had shaken the Federation, to Evan Thorne's unannounced arrival. Each event landed on her chest like a heavy stone, pressing down until she could barely breathe. Her shoulders ached from the constant tension, and her temples throbbed with a dull, persistent pain that no amount of rubbing could ease.She dragged her exhausted body back to the rented apartment. As she turned the corner into the long hallway, a commotion reached her ears—the shuffle of hurried footsteps and the dull thud of heavy furniture being moved. The sounds echoed off the narrow walls, sharp and intrusive in the otherwise quiet corridor.The suite next door, which had been vacant for months, was now wide open. Several movers in matching uniforms were carrying in a pure black leather sofa. Their boots scuffed against the floor as they maneuvered the bulky piece through th
Half an hour after the inspection tour, the noise in the administrative corridor gradually faded.Avery returned to her private consultation room. She had just closed the door and hadn't yet had a chance to exhale when a soft click sounded behind her.On the patient chair, which should have been empty, someone was already seated.Evan Thorne had removed the gold-rimmed glasses that masked his true nature in public—the lenses that had projected that warm, gentle facade to the world. He was folding them slowly, methodically, before slipping them into his inner pocket. His posture was relaxed, yet every line of his body radiated controlled power.He leaned back in the chair, his impeccably tailored suit lending him an air of aristocratic elegance. His eyes, no longer obscured by glass, gleamed with unrestrained amusement—thick, almost syrupy, impossible to read."Long time no see." Evan let out a low, gentle laugh, his voice warm as silk.Avery's fingers tightened around the door handle.
Dorothea required two stitches on her forehead.Because she was so young, the local anesthetic had to be strictly limited. She trembled with pain throughout the procedure but never made a sound, her small hand simply crushing Avery's fingers in a desperate grip.Avery could feel every
Avery reached out and gently smoothed a stray lock of Sophia’s hair. "You said you were going crazy last time, too.""Last time was last time. This is different." Sophia set her cup down, her eyes sparkling with a curious intensity. "That Evan Thorne—the blind date I told you a
Dominic didn't move, but his fingers tightened around the armrest."The Thorne family..." he repeated in a low, dangerous murmur.The door of the center vehicle slid open. Evan Thorne stepped out, walked over, and tapped twice on the window on Avery's side. Dominic made no move to l
The banquet hall of the Devereux estate was grander than Avery had imagined. Crystal chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceiling, casting a warm, golden glow that made every face appear as though it were glazed in porcelain.Dominic held Avery close to him, a posture that made her skin crawl







