*****“Why would you say that?”Sarah’s voice was impossibly soft as she looked at Little Lola, deep concern flickering in her eyes.The little girl, however, remained oblivious to any oddity in her words. Instead, she simply smiled brightly, innocently, and with utter contentment, her small face flushed with genuine happiness and relief.“Because… Little Lola feels that this might be the only best day of her life,” she answered honestly, her voice light as if she had just shared a simple fact.“This…”Sarah and David’s gazes locked across the table, and in that silent exchange, an unspoken understanding passed between them.Then, as though making up her mind, Sarah turned to Xavier.“Come here,” she said gently.Without waiting for his response, she stood and walked toward the living room and the utterly confused Xavier followed closely behind.“Is something the matter, Mother?” he asked carefully, watching as his mother furrowed her brows, deep in thought.For a moment, S

***** Xavier clenched his jaw, looking away. David let out a slow breath, rubbing his temples as if to ease the ache growing inside him. Sarah, on the other hand, could feel her heart breaking into pieces. ‘This child.’ ‘This tiny, precious child…’ ‘Had she truly believed that the only way to be loved… was to serve?’ A lump formed in Sarah’s throat and just then, David and Xavier glanced at her, waiting to see how she would respond. For a moment, Sarah felt helpless. Then, suddenly, an idea struck her. In the following second, as though it was the best-ever idea in the world, her eyes lit up. She looked at the little girl and, with a warm, teasing smile, said: “Well… since you’re too little to be my child…” The room grew so silent that even the sound of breathing felt loud. Xavier arched a brow and David frowned slightly in confusion. But before either of them could react, Sarah beamed and declared: “How about you be my grandchild instead?”

***** “Bloodfang Viper is one of the Bloodfang League’s most powerful assassins and one of their few top-tier, hidden assets.” Mistress Ayra muttered to herself and then tapped her fingers lightly against her arm, her mind rapidly trying to connect the pieces. “But since Bloodfang League has hundreds of lunatic assassins who could easily finish the mission, why did they send one of their absolute best?” Her brows furrowed deeper in contemplation and perplexity. “Why are they taking this target that seriously?” “… could it be that they had already done their research and realized something I haven't, that no lesser assassin could handle him?” Several thoughts popped into her mind and the more she thought about it, the more questions arose in her mind, and the more questions that arose, the greater her unease became. Before she knew it, a strong headache crept in. Ultimately, Mistress Ayra couldn't help but rub her temple before exhaling a sharp breath. “…The

*****“I’m really confused, though,” an elderly man muttered as he drove along the outskirts of Riverton City, his voice tinged with curiosity. His hair was a full head of gray, a testament to his years of experience, yet his expression showed genuine uncertainty at this moment.Beside this old man, in the passenger seat, sat a lean man who didn’t seem to be older than thirty-five.His appearance was painfully ordinary—neither handsome nor ugly, the kind of man who would blend seamlessly into any crowd and whom no one would spare a second glance.But to those who truly looked… who paid attention to him, they would notice that there was something off about him.A casual smile was permanently plastered on his face, an unsettling contrast to the cold glint in his eyes.His aura was also very calm yet laced with something far more sinister, a constant whisper of bloodshed that tainted the very air around him.And lastly, his demeanor was playful, even relaxed, but beneath the surfa

*****“I’m really confused, though,” an elderly man muttered as he drove along the outskirts of Riverton City, his voice tinged with curiosity. His hair was a full head of gray, a testament to his “This…”Hearing Victor’s response, the Soldier, who had remained impassive from the start, faltered for the first time.His rigid and cold stance instantly wavered, and then, before he could stop himself, his eyes widened with shock and disbelief.“You…” he pointed at Victor and asked with a voice heavily edged with uncertainty. “You are heading to Villa Number One?”On the other hand, the arrogant Jennifer’s heart couldn’t help but skip a beat. In the next instant, it swelled with pride, understanding what was going on.‘Of course, he’d behave like this,’ she thought smugly. ‘Villa Number One is the most prestigious, most luxurious villa in the entire Oceanview Estate, after all, and we are its visitors.’Thinking this, Jennifer’s arrogance intensified, oozing out from each of her po