"We..." Hillary opened her mouth, but her voice caught in her throat. Her throat felt dry, as if the air around her had turned to dust that clogged her breath. She glanced at Stan and Gwen, hoping for support, but they looked away. Their gazes were blank, their faces slightly pale, as if they had just realized the fatal mistake they had made.In front of them, Erik Reinhart stood tall. His eyes were sharp, almost piercing, as if to expose their lies and arrogance. The silence that hung in the air was oppressive, making every second seem so long.Hillary wrung her fingers, trying to quell the anxiety that was starting to creep in. She knew that one wrong word could backfire. Erik Reinhart was not a random person. If he wanted, he could make Julius Claymore literally throw them out of this party. One more mistake, and they would be the talk of all Duskvale-not as the elite, but as an embarrassing joke. For the first time that night, Hillary realized that they had lost control of the sit

The sound of breaking glass echoed loudly in Stan's study, followed by a string of curses that broke the silence of the night. His harsh words echoed like thunder, filling every corner of the now cluttered room.The servants standing guard outside could only look down, their hands shaking. They had witnessed their master's anger many times, but never with such fury. Not a single one dared to approach, let alone go inside."Bastard!"Stan swung his arm brutally, throwing a large vase of flowers at the door. It hit the hardwood before shattering into pieces on the floor, water and flower petals splattering, creating a mess that mirrored his thoughts.His breathing was heavy, his chest rising and falling wildly. His eyes were red, full of unstoppable rage.The items in the room had been repeatedly smashed, but his anger remained smoldering, boiling inside him like an unquenchable fire.He clenched his hands so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "Damn it! Explain to me, Dany!"His ey

In a practice field on the border of Kaelvarion, the sound of a loud crash echoed out, mixed with heavy breathing. Boston's large body hit the ground with a loud thud, before quickly getting back up. Sweat dripped from his forehead, running along his temples, while his chest rose and fell rapidly.In front of him, Alex stood slightly hunched over, his hands resting on his knees as if exhausted. However, his eyes still blazed with enthusiasm, his lips bearing a faint smirk."Boston," he said, his voice sounding like someone who had just found an interesting challenge. "You're really hard to beat." He took a deep breath, then patted his thighs as if trying to soothe tired muscles. "I've been cornered a few times... You're great!"Boston's eyes narrowed slightly, considering Alex's expression. There was something in the way the young man spoke - as if the fatigue he was showing was just a trick.In fact, Alex's body remained dry, not a drop of sweat soaking his skin. Unlike Boston, whose

The sound of high heels clashing with the marble floor echoed along the hallway leading to the women's bathroom. Vanessa strides gracefully, her red dress swaying slightly with her movements.Once inside the bathroom, she walked to the sink and opened the faucet, letting the cold water flow between her fingers. Her slender fingers moved slowly, washing her hands as if to erase something that was bothering her.In front of the large, gold-framed mirror, Vanessa lifted her face. Her eyes traced her reflection-checking the makeup that had lasted all night. Has it faded? Was it still perfect?She moved a little closer, adjusting the position of her earrings, making sure their sparkle remained visible from any angle. Her fingers trailed through her hair that was neatly cut in a butterfly cut, tucking it behind her ear to make the jewelry more visible.However, her movements suddenly stopped. For a moment, she stared at her reflection in silence. The figure of the man from earlier came back

"You must be pretending to help me!" Vanessa stared at Harvey with piercing eyes, her breath catching. Even though she had just seen him take out her kidnappers with ease, she still did not lower her guard.Slowly, she backed away. Her movements faltered, her body was unsteady-her injured leg forced her steps to falter. But that didn't stop her.Her hand was raised, her fingers tightly gripping the pepper spray. When Harvey steps closer, she raises it, ready to spray him in the face.Harvey halts his steps. Letting out a long breath. "I'm just trying to help."Vanessa clucked her tongue, her jaw hardening. "Bullshit," she hissed, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "You're going to take me away soon, aren't you? You're going to kidnap me and do bad things to me."Her hands trembled slightly, but the spray remained firmly in her grasp. Harvey just stared at her silently. Harvey only slightly furrowed his brow, understanding the panic that surrounded the woman.When his hand moved slightl