Since Marcus had no idea what was going on, he gave Xander a questioning look. “Mr. Washington sent you something?” he asked.Xander nodded. “Right.”Without wasting time, he quickly explained everything—how Tedmond had called him just minutes ago, how Adrian was actually Petros, and how he was staying in the very building they had unknowingly rented from him.Marcus’s eyes widened in disbelief as the pieces came together. “You’re saying Adrian—Mr. Washington—found him without even looking, and now he’s telling us about it?”“Yes,” Xander replied, typing a message to Tedmond before shoving his phone into his pocket. “And Kallista is heading straight to him.”Marcus gave a firm nod, finally piecing together what Kallista had been after all along.“Then what are we still doing here?”Without another word, the two of them turned and rushed out of the house, urgency driving their every step.They jumped into the car, and Xander floored the accelerator, tires screeching as they sped toward

Marcus glanced at the car’s GPS, which made locating the house difficult. But since his phone was with Kallista, tracking her was easy. All Xander had to do was follow her movements through Marcus’s device.“She’s stopped moving,” Marcus said, squinting at the glowing screen. “Looks like she’s at a fixed point now—must be the house.”Xander nodded, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. “We’re close. Just a few more turns.”The road narrowed as they drove deeper into the woods. Trees loomed on either side, casting long shadows across the van. The headlights cut through broken branches and gravel, but otherwise, it was silent.Too silent.Marcus leaned forward. “Are you sure this place is safe?”Xander didn’t answer immediately. His mind raced with worst-case scenarios.‘What if Kallista reached Adrian before the police? What if she’d already given him everything she stole?’Or worse—What if Adrian had already done something to her?“She’s the one who ran off to him,” he said final

So instead, she let Marcus lead her to the car.Tears streamed silently down her cheeks, her fingers trembling. Her chest ached, but the pain wasn’t physical—it was a shame.She had betrayed the one person who had always protected her. Lied to him. Hurt him.And for what?A man who had just been dragged outside like trash and couldn’t even lift a finger to defend her?The silence between her and Marcus was suffocating. He didn’t look at her once as they walked down the steps. He didn’t say a single word. Not even when she stumbled on the last step and instinctively reached for his arm.He simply let her go.The car door opened with a heavy creak. She got in. He didn’t.She watched him close the door behind her and walk back toward the house.A minute passed.Then two.She leaned forward, heart pounding, and saw Marcus standing on the porch, his back to her. He wasn’t moving—just watching.And then, Xander emerged from the shadows beside the house, fists still bloodied, shirt stained,

Immediately after Athena shoved Persis, she nearly lost her footing—but caught herself quickly, straightening with quiet strength.Athena’s face twisted in annoyance. She had expected her to stumble. To look foolish. Maybe even cry. But Persis simply dusted off her dress with dignity and looked her straight in the eye.Tedmond had seen enough.He stepped forward, placing himself directly between them. He glanced at Persis and gently took her hand, checking if she was alright. Seeing no bruises on her arm, he turned sharply to Athena.It wasn’t hard to understand what Athena was trying to do. But it infuriated him that she had gone after Persis the moment she arrived. Not only had she shoved and grabbed her, but she wore a hard, expectant look—like she wanted Persis to break. To lash out. To give her a reason to escalate things.She might be Aris’s daughter, but that didn’t mean she could lay a hand on his fiancée.“Touch her again,” he said without blinking. His voice was low and firm

Seeing Persis step closer, the woman was instantly terrified. She hadn’t expected Persis to laugh off her words like they were nothing. Not only was Persis unshaken—she wasn’t even remotely afraid of what might happen next.The woman’s gaze darted to the side, scanning the crowd. When she saw the frowns and curious expressions on their faces, a flicker of hope rose in her chest. Good. They were listening. Maybe even believing her. And now, no matter how untouchable Persis thought she was, she wouldn’t be able to get away with it.Her eyes shifted to Tedmond, and a smirk tugged at her lips. As long as Tedmond believed she was cheating, he’d discard her, and without his protection, Persis wouldn’t have the Washingtons behind her anymore.“Is that your play?” Persis asked, her voice deadly calm. “Fabricated rumors? Shadows and hearsay? That’s what you’re left with now?”She took another step. But this time, the woman didn’t flinch. She just held her head high, peering at Persis.Althoug