Nyx was a martial god-level assassin, and she was one of Andrew's people. That alone was enough to make any enemy feel a chill down their spine. After all, she had once saved the old martial god of the Cavendish royal family. Asher spoke up, "Mr. Miller, please, for the sake of my family, let this one go. Ms. Kerrigan is an honored guest of the Cavendish royal family. Be the bigger man here and stand down."Jakob's expression turned ugly. He let out a cold snort, ready to walk out entirely. He had already figured that the Cavendish royal family was siding with Andrew and Nyx. Even though he was a representative of the Divine Dragon Order, it did not matter.Andrew's voice cut through the tension, calm and flat. "Jakob, don't go yet. Sit down. I've got an important plan to lay out, and I'm going to need you to help execute it."Jakob spun around, fury rising in his voice. "Andrew, get this straight: I don't take orders from you. And you sure as hell aren't the supreme leader of Hol

Jakob crossed his arms and said, "Andrew, you just admitted yourself that this is a gamble. So if it's already a risk, especially one that involves sending our best people into a surprise raid, can we really just go ahead with it like it's nothing? What if we walk straight into a trap?"Andrew looked at him with undisguised contempt. "If everyone thought like you, second-guessing every move and shrinking back at the first sign of risk, nothing worth doing would ever get done. "Let me ask you something. You think pushing your limits in martial training isn't a gamble? You think breaking through to a higher level doesn't carry the risk of your body giving out entirely. So what's your alternative? Sit back, do nothing, and let the enemy take full control later on? Because waiting around to die isn't a gamble, right? Is that seriously your logic?"Jakob snapped his mouth shut, furious but out of answers. When it came to military strategy and warfare, he was completely out of his depth.

Nyx beat everyone to it with a cold laugh. "Something tells me 'close' is a serious understatement. It's more like they're close enough to have spent some time together, if you know what I mean." She was not normally the jealous type, but ever since arriving in Holtrien, the sheer number of women in Andrew's life had genuinely caught her off guard. She had slowly gotten to know each of them, warmed up to them, and things had finally started feeling like one big, comfortable circle. Yet now, out of nowhere, another one had shown up. Even with Nyx's easygoing nature, she could not help but wonder at the rate Andrew was going, would his body even hold up by the time he was old?Andrew let out a helpless smile and replied, "Cormac, Shiloh and I… Well, yeah, we're pretty close. She listens to me, at the very least."Cormac's expression went from puzzled to wide-eyed to fully impressed in about two seconds flat. "I'd heard the rumors that you've got more than a few remarkable women

Shiloh said, "I have something very important to take care of right now. Andrew, if the only reason you tracked me down was to ask me pointless questions like these, then I have nothing more to say to you."A flash of something dangerous crossed Andrew's eyes. His grip on her hand tightened as he said, "Shiloh, you haven't changed at all. You're still just as stubborn and self-righteous as ever. Do you still remember what happened between us at Swordhaven Keep, at the sword lake behind the mountain, almost three years ago now?" He continued, "What were you feeling toward me back then? If you truly felt nothing, then when I crossed that line with you, why didn't you just kill me?"His voice cracked on the last words, rising into something raw and barely controlled.…Downstairs, Nyx, Cormac, and Asher all went quiet at once, their expressions shifting. Nyx moved immediately toward the stairs. However, Joe stepped in front of her, shaking his head. He whispered, "It's better if

Andrew finally understood. He realized that what he had just said really did sound like something a clueless guy would say. Asking her directly whether she liked him was not exactly smooth. With Shiloh's pride and rebellious streak, there was no way she would admit her true feelings so easily."Shiloh, I like you, and I will treat you well from now on," Andrew said as he held her close.His warm hand slid to her waist. "Will you be my woman? Can we stay together for the rest of our lives?"Shiloh lowered her head and murmured shyly, "That's more like it."Andrew looked at her blushing face, and even the tips of her ears had turned red.After two years apart, she seemed even more gentle and feminine. Maybe after having a child, she had grown softer and more affectionate. Shiloh had always been stunningly beautiful, and although she carried a cool, distant air, she was obedient in front of Andrew.They said time apart made love stronger, and they had been separated for two full