Just as the police began filing out and the air started to settle, a sudden burst of movement shattered the moment.One of Phantom’s men — the same one who had once tried to rob Elijah that night — stepped forward, his face twisted with rage. He couldn’t hold it in anymore.“How dare you say our boss is under you?!” he snarled, eyes burning as he charged at Elijah.“I’ll teach you a lesson, you arrogant—”But he didn’t get far.Phantom moved like a lightning strike.His hand shot out and snatched the man by the collar, jerking him back mid-lunge. Before the thug could even speak another word—SMACK!SMACK!Two brutal slaps landed across the man’s face — loud, raw, devastating. The second one sent him sprawling sideways, a sharp crack echoing as a tooth flew out and hit the ground.The man staggered, blood dripping from his mouth, his cheeks flushed red and swelling rapidly. He stumbled to his knees, groaning.Phantom towered over him, seething.“How dare you?” he growled, his voice li

Elijah said nothing at first. The faintest breeze swept past them.Just as Elijah was about to respond to Phantom’s question, his phone buzzed sharply in his pocket — cutting through the tense silence like a knife.He slid it out and glanced at the screen.Sierra.A flicker of softness touched his otherwise unreadable face. He answered with a quiet tap and brought the phone to his ear.“Sierra.”Her voice came through, gentle but laced with concern.“Where are you? Are you okay?”She hesitated, then added,“It’s almost 8 p.m… and food’s ready.”Elijah’s gaze drifted toward the edge of the compound, his voice lowering as the weight of the evening finally began to settle behind his calm exterior.“I’m fine,” he said. “Just had a meeting. I’m on my way back now. I’ll be there soon.”There was a brief pause on the line, then Sierra replied softly,“Okay. I’ll keep it warm.”Elijah ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket.He turned to Phantom again — the moment from earli

Celeste looked ahead for a moment, then turned back to Elijah with a gentle shake of her head.“No, please,” she said softly.“Just drop me down the street. I’ll get a car from there.”Elijah glanced at her, brow slightly raised.“You sure?”She nodded, her tone reassuring.“Surely. Thank you, though. I really appreciate the ride.”Elijah gave a small nod, saying nothing more as he guided the car smoothly through the street.A minute later, he eased the car to a stop near a quiet corner just as she’d asked. The soft glow of nearby streetlights spilled onto the pavement.Celeste unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for the door. As she stepped out, Elijah leaned slightly toward the open window and said calmly,“Take care of yourself.”Celeste smiled warmly, clutching her bag.“I will. You too, Elijah.”With that, she closed the door gently, gave him one last glance, then turned and walked off into the night.Soon, Elijah arrived at the estate. The iron gates opened silently as the black

Just as Felix stepped out, Sierra walked into the parlor with Betty beside her, both of them dressed and ready for the day. Sierra held her bag loosely in one hand, her other resting lightly on her hip.She walked up to Elijah, her expression soft but slightly apologetic.“I’m sorry,” she said, “I couldn’t prepare anything for you this morning. I—”Elijah looked up from his laptop, the faintest smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Don’t be silly,” he said gently, waving it off. “Why are you worrying about that? I’ll get something when I’m hungry.”He leaned back slightly, scanning her from head to toe. The crisp blouse, fitted pants, and the subtle scent of her perfume that lingered in the air — she looked hot, effortlessly.“You both are heading out for class, right?” he asked, his eyes lingering just a second longer than usual.Sierra nodded, adjusting her bag strap.“Yes. I missed the last lectures, so I really can’t skip today.”Elijah gave a small nod, the warm look still in

Sierra quietly slid her books into her bag, zipped it up, and rose from her seat. Betty gave her a concerned glance, but Sierra simply offered a soft smile and whispered,“I’ll be fine.”She adjusted her scarf, gave a respectful nod to the lecturer, and made her way toward the door. Whispers rippled faintly across the class again as students watched her leave, unable to hide their curiosity because it was hard for you to be called by the administrator. And if you were called, it's for one reason, either you were about to be suspended.Once outside, the sun hit her face gently. She took a calming breath and started down the paved walkway toward the administrative building.She reached out, pulled the door open, and stepped inside the cool, air-conditioned lobby, her eyes scanning the front desk.Ahead of her were two desks, placed side by side but angled just enough to separate their occupants.On the left sat a man, likely in his early forties, dressed in a sky-blue button-down shirt