*****[ Bonus Chapter ]….The Myron family estate wasn’t as grandiose as those belonging to the first-rank families, nor as ornate, but it possessed a noble serenity. The sprawling grounds were a verdant paradise. Flowers of all hues blossomed alongside rare herbs, their fragrant mingling perfuming the air.Even a first-time visitor would immediately sense—this was the home of an herbalist family, a place where medicine and nature lived in perfect harmony.The moment the SUV stopped, two guards rushed forward and opened the doors respectfully.“Please be careful, sir,” Sage Myron said gently as he stepped out and turned to assist Xavier, acting more like a devoted steward than the sage of a renowned household.At this point, the guards had grown somewhat numb to the sight. Still, a corner of their minds screamed that none of this made sense.Sage Myron, however, paid them no attention.Once Xavier disembarked, the sage hesitated, a flicker of anxiety shadowing his expression

*****Everyone was stunned upon hearing Claudia’s accusation. But before they could react…“Their actual goal,” Claudia continued, “wasn’t just the Everdusk Bloom. That was only bait. Their true aim was to implant a sense of eternal indebtedness in you. Save you from death, earn your trust, then exploit that trust… gradually, relentlessly until you’re nothing but a puppet on strings.”Her brother picked up where she left off, his voice laced with disdain. “A favor you’d feel obligated to repay for the rest of your life, Father. A debt so profound that even after you die, we’d still be paying for it with our loyalty, our resources, and our freedom.”A heavy silence dropped like a shroud over the room.The siblings stood like prosecutors delivering their closing arguments—methodical, persuasive, and ruthless.Even Xavier felt his breath catch. It wasn't because he believed the ludicrous tale against him, but because their reasoning, as twisted as it was, sounded almost plausible.

*****[2nd Bonus Chapter]….A chilling silence gripped the room like an invisible vice upon hearing all of Claudia’s words, wrapping itself around every heart, pressing down with the weight of suspicion and betrayal.No one spoke.Not even a single breath could stir the suffocating tension, until—“But why would she do something like that?” Malcolm finally asked, his brows furrowed in deep confusion. “Wasn’t the Everdusk Bloom meant to save her father? To awaken him from his endless coma?”His question echoed through the room, as though each syllable were another nail hammered into Lyria’s chest.Claudia, however, was already prepared. Her lips curved into a venomous smile, and she answered with cruel satisfaction, “Because she doesn’t want her father to wake up.”Boom.The words exploded through the room like a thunderclap.Malcolm’s and their mother Ellen’s mouths dropped open in unison, horror blooming across their faces.As for Lyria, she stood rooted in place, her ey

*****Back in the room, while Mordek remained frozen in disbelief, staring at Xavier, Bloodfang Viper before him, his posture relaxed, his eyes seemingly bored and casual.Sage Myron watched him closely, trying to suppress the discomfort tightening in his chest.Meanwhile, Claudia’s voice sliced through the thick silence.“You may return to your station,” she told the guard with a radiant smile, dismissing him like a servant.She then turned to her father, her face alight with pride, as though she had just accomplished some great deed worthy of accolades.“Look, Father. That’s the physician we personally brought in to examine my brother’s condition. He’s reputed to be among the best in the nation.”She gestured grandly toward Bloodfang Viper, her smile deepening.Her tone practically dripped with self-satisfaction.But Sage Myron’s eyes narrowed.Something was wrong… terribly wrong.His instincts were screaming at him like a wolf sensing danger. To the untrained eye, Bloo

***** “You’ve… you’ve most likely invited a wolf into our flock of sheep.” Cassandra’s words struck like thunder, stunning the trio into a state of disbelief. They exchanged glances, the severity in her tone sinking in. This wasn’t an exaggeration. It wasn’t dramatic. Lyria was truly frightened. They turned toward Sage Myron, who stood silent, his jaw clenched tightly. “Husband,” Ellen asked, his voice low and wary, “is there something you're not telling us?” Sage Myron swallowed hard, the weight of truth heavy on his shoulders. His expression sagged, the wisdom and calm that usually characterized him replaced by something far more fragile—dread. “It was Nightforce Shadow’s mercenaries who ambushed us last night,” he confessed. For a second, no one moved. Cassandra, Malcolm, and Ellen stared at Sage Myron in stunned silence, their minds sluggish to process what they’d just heard. Then finally, as if struck by a lightning bolt, their eyes flew