Michael kept standing near the entrance, watching the flow of people go in and out of the restaurant. It looked nothing like the disaster from before. This time, people were laughing, chatting, and even taking pictures. The shock from earlier had fully turned into excitement, and Michael felt a bit relieved. But he didn’t dare relax. He kept checking everything, from the kitchen to the seating area. After making one more round, he stopped near the counter and pulled out his phone.“It’s time to tell him,” he muttered to himself.He dialed Jasper’s number. It rang only once before Jasper picked up.“Michael,” Jasper said. “How’s it going there?”Michael took a breath. “Boss, it’s… something else. At first, nobody wanted to come. Everyone just stood outside staring. But then Sophia came. She walked in casually. And after she came out fine, a few bold ones followed. But the real miracle happened when Fiona and Evelyn came.”Jasper raised a brow even though Michael couldn’t see him. “They

By the time Jasper and Bai Zhe made it back to the house, the sky was already dark. The street lights were on, and the whole place looked quiet. Bai Zhe stretched his neck the moment he stepped out of the car. He had been tense since they left Evelyn’s place, and now he looked even more nervous for no real reason.Jasper opened the front door and walked in first. Bai Zhe followed behind him, expecting the house to be empty. But the moment they stepped inside, they saw Sophia standing near the dining table. She had her arms crossed and looked like she had been waiting there for a while.Bai Zhe blinked when he saw her. “Sophia?”Sophia looked at him briefly but didn’t say anything. Her eyes moved straight to Jasper.“You’re finally back,” she said.Jasper walked closer. “You were waiting?”“Yes,” she replied. “You didn’t say anything before leaving.”Jasper nodded. “I had something to handle.”Sophia glanced at Bai Zhe again before returning her gaze to Jasper. “I figured. I made dinne

Sophia was still staring at her phone after ending the call. She didn’t move for a while. She just held the phone in her hand and looked at Jasper like she couldn’t believe what he had said. His claim had sounded bold, but the confidence in his voice had been even bolder.Bai Zhe raised a brow. “She sounded scared.”“She is,” Sophia said. “But she tried to hold it in.”Jasper leaned back in his seat. “She’ll be fine when she gets here.”“That’s not what I’m worried about,” Sophia said. “If what she said is true, then the Brown family is already searching. And if they followed her today, they might find out she’s leaving.”Jasper didn’t look concerned. “Good.”Sophia frowned. “Good?”Jasper nodded once. “I want them to find us.”Bai Zhe’s spoon froze halfway to his mouth. “Uh… you want them to come here?”“Yes,” Jasper said.Sophia blinked at him. “You didn’t mean that. Tell me you didn’t mean that.”“I meant every word,” Jasper said.“Why?” Bai Zhe asked.“They’re desperate,” Jasper s

Jasper sat down on the couch after Sophia left the room. She had already calmed down enough to sleep, but he knew she would wake up tomorrow with the same questions again. It wasn’t surprising. Things were already moving faster than she expected, and Jasper could see the pieces shifting exactly the way he predicted.He leaned back and picked up his phone. The house was quiet. Bai Zhe had gone upstairs earlier. Jasmine had gone to bed after pacing around the living room for almost an hour. Jasper didn’t comment on it. She had every right to be nervous, and he wasn’t the type to comfort people with long speeches.He scrolled through his contacts and tapped Tiger’s name. The phone rang only once before Tiger picked up.“Boss?” Tiger’s voice sounded tired, like he hadn’t slept properly since the infiltration.Jasper kept his tone steady. “Be ready.”Tiger paused. “Ready for what?”“Things will go wayward soon,” Jasper said. “Once it starts, you don’t stay there. You leave the Brown family

A week passed quickly, and before anyone realized it, the day of the martial art tournament arrived. Jasper woke up early and ate with Bai Zhe and the others. No one looked too excited, but everyone knew today wasn’t a small matter. Bai Zhe stretched his arms after breakfast and said he felt ready. Jasper only nodded and told him to relax.When it was almost time, Jasper, Bai Zhe, and two of Jasper’s men got into the car and headed out. They drove straight to Old Man Sinclair’s place. When they arrived, the old man was already waiting outside. He smiled a little when he saw them.“You’re on time,” he said.Jasper nodded. “Let’s go.”The old man stepped into his own car, and they all drove out together. They left Okaridge and kept going until the buildings around them thinned out. After almost an hour, they stopped near a large abandoned industrial area. The place looked quiet, but when they walked inside, it was completely different.The inside was like a hidden arena. There were peop