LOGINThe 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.
In the rumors spreading through Obsidian City, it was said that the underground emperor with the surname Kessler had been killed.Whispers of "Dominic Kessler is dying" and "the Kessler dynasty has fallen" spread like oil thrown into boiling water, exploding across both the financial world and the underworld with explosive force.Countless greedy eyes fixed hungrily on the massive, unclaimed prize that was Kessler's empire, circling like vultures eager to tear it apart and devour the scraps.But the tyrant at the very center of the storm sat quietly against his headboard, a faint ember glowing between his fingers, the corner of his mouth curving into a sudden, sharp smile."How far have the rumors spread?"Drake stood with his head bowed, his voice taut with tension."Boss, several of the subsidiary families have already begun making covert contact with Keller's former associates. Tonight, they're even planning to jointly pressure the board, demanding that you... appear in person imme
Avery arrived at the sanatorium half an hour early.She needed that extra time—not just to review the records, but to steady herself before facing Julian. The corridors smelled of antiseptic and old wood, and her footsteps echoed too loudly against the polished floor.She went straight to the nurse
The rain stopped, but the sky stayed grey.Water dripped down the glass windows in thin, uneven lines. A cold draft slipped through a crack in the frame, carrying the smell of wet earth and dead leaves. Avery pulled her cardigan tighter, her fingers brushing against the rough wool.From the room at
The torrential rain had finally desisted.Beyond the tall panes, the sky remained choked beneath dense, heavy cloud cover, casting the study into an oppressive, twilight gloom. Dominic had refused to transition to the corporate headquarters. The attending clinicians had explicitly mandated
Dominic leaned his head back against the headrest, wearing a headset as he conducted a low call with an unidentifiable contact.Avery’s complete focus remained anchored on Dorothea. As she idly traced the contours of the child’s small hand within her own, her ears managed to ca







