In a lab, Adrian Snow stood in front of the glass wall watching. The silence was thick in the air as people around did their thing while he watched. The wall of glass stretched from one end of the room to the other, overlooking a vast underground facility. Below, machines hummed softly, metallic arms moving with precision as they assembled something far more advanced than ordinary technology.Robots.Not prototypes or experiments. They were weapons. Weapons for the war that is to come. Adrian Snow stood with his hands tucked neatly into his pockets, his gaze fixed on the activity below.His expression was calm.But his eyes were sharp and calculating. He was watching everything.Behind him, a large digital screen flickered quietly.Data streams, surveillance feeds, movement tracking. And right at the center was Jasper Brennan.A live feed.Adrian’s lips curved slightly as he turned to watch Jasper. “So…” he murmured, voice low, almost amused. “You finally noticed.”The screen sho

The moment Jasper stepped into the house, the atmosphere shifted. It wasn’t the same calm, controlled environment he had left behind days ago. Now, it feels heavier. Tense. Like the walls themselves were watching.He suspected and couldn't help but blame himself. The system had asked him to remain in Ashford, but he still went back to Silverlake thinking Adrian was there. Sophia walked behind him but couldn't say a word. Jasper left for his room. He loosened his cufflinks slowly as he walked in, his expression unreadable. But beneath that calm exterior, his mind was moving rapidly trying to connect pieces, replaying events, dissecting patterns.Everything felt too sudden. Too rushed. Too hard. Adrian Snow.Now that he has a system as well, it would be difficult to take him down. Adrian knew his moves, Adrian acts like he owns Ashford. And that pissed Jasper off. He was glad nothing happened to Sophia. But how much can he protect her? “Boss.”Tiger’s voice broke through his th

One morning, Sophia stood by the window of her room. Her face carried so much sadness as she watched the city of Ashford with sad eyes. She hated that she had to comply with Jasper's wish without knowing what was really going on. He was supposed to tell her. If it involved her, she deserved to know. She watched as life continued for those in Ashford. They weren't locked up, allowed to do whatever it was they wanted to do. She wondered if this was ever going to end. At first, it was Elise who kidnapped her and now, this. She doesn't even know what she's up against this time around. With how cautious Jasper was, she suspected this was even worse than Elise. She could feel it.And what frustrated her the most wasn’t the danger—It was Jasper.The way he shut her out, not telling her anything. The way he decided everything without her. The way he looked at her last night…like she needed to be protected.Her fingers tightened slightly by her side. She could stand by him. She could f

Sophia got home. Jasper wasn't. She went straight to her room. Tiger stood at the door. He didn't speak to her neither did she ask if Jasper noticed her absence. Tiger called few minutes later,“She's in." " Hm” Jasper hummed. He knew. He watched her and made sure to follow until she was home safely. “What if she makes the same move tomorrow?” Tiger asked. " Let her.” Jasper replied. They found out Sophia had a secret door in her room. She has snuck out through that door, Tiger didn't know she was gone until later. He blamed himself so much that Jasper had to stop him from beating himself. Sophia was stubborn and that was no one's fault.As expected, the following morning, Sophia did the same thing. She left the house. Didn't take any guard and went straight to the Darlington's corp with Jasmine. Sophia sat behind her desk at Darlington Corp, her fingers lightly tapping against the surface as she reviewed the documents in front of her. Everything looked normal on paper—contr

It was late. Sophia was home. So was Jasper but he refused to step out of his room. She was stubborn. He allowed her to be. He had assigned a hundred and twenty guards to follow her in the shadows. He doesn't have anymore potions to save her. He cannot be reckless. But she was. Jasper stood alone in his study, thinking. His coat had been discarded somewhere behind him, his cuffs loosened, his tie slightly undone.But none of it softened him. He wasn't comfortable. His heart is heavy and he wondered what is causing such unease. His mind went back to the prison, the words that Elise had said that kept hunting him. “What you have… Adrian has it too.”Adrian’s voice over the phone.“I already know how this ends.”Even though he had not seen Adrian face to face as of recent, he believed the words from Elise. Adrian have a system now. He was too precise in his doing. Now steps ahead of him and even think of things before he does. The way Adrian dismantled his operations like he ha