Just then, a single, collective gasp rippled through the entire hall as someone shouted in alarm from the back row. Bella’s grip tightened around Jackson’s hand as her breath hitched. The shout was not just frightening, it sounded life threatening at the same time.Then, just as suddenly as it had gone black, the lights flickered violently, snapping off for a millisecond before blasting back on at full brightness as though someone had deliberately handled the switch to turn off and turn on the lights while everyone was busy admiring the display of love from both Jackson and Bella.The screen behind them sputtered, froze on an image of Jackson kissing Bella’s forehead… and then everything went eerily still.For exactly half a second, and that was because when Bella looked down, her entire body seized with terror.A body—an actual human body—lay sprawled on the floor directly beneath her and Jackson’s feet, as though it had materialized out of thin air during the blackout.And as if tha

The ride to the police station felt endless as none of them spoke neither did any of them even dared to breathe too loudly. A perfect day had just been ruined by something that no one had seen coming. And to make matters worse, there was no one to even stand up for them and make the police see that they had no hand in what had happened to Jonah. All they did was just to wait to see what had really happened to him, and how he had ended up in the theatre in the first place.The cruiser rumbled through the streets, the flashing lights reflecting off the metal bars in front of them. Bella rested her head on Jackson’s shoulder, trembling uncontrollably. Hailey held her hand while Nancy hugged herself tightly, eyes fixed on the floor.James and Andrew sat on either side of Jackson, both tense, both furious, and both confused.Jackson stared straight ahead, his mind racing.Everything felt wrong and staged and he could tell it was. But the only problem was how the hell was he going to prove

The area outside the station felt unnaturally still, as Copper and Whitaker entered as though the force of nature itself was pulling them without any show of mercy.The officers at the front desk straightened instinctively, their conversations halting mid-sentence. A rookie officer who had been laughing moments earlier swallowed hard, suddenly unsure whether he should remain seated or stand at attention.Seeing Mr. Whitaker walk in alongside Copper was enough to make them regain composure in an instant. Whitaker had made a name for himself in cleansing the CIA of their corrupt practices and with that, everywhere he went, there was always this respect that he commended even without saying anything.“Sir—good evening,” an officer managed, stepping forward nervously. “May we know—”“We're here for Jackson Hart,” Whitaker said, voice clipped, cold, and loud enough to reach the ears of every officer pretending not to listen. “Where is he?”The officer blinked. “Uhm—Sir—protocol says we nee

The drive back to Sky Tower was unusually silent as thoigh someone had passed a law that it ought to be so. No one spoke, annd no one even shifted in their seat. The weight of everything that had happened pressed down on them like a physical force. The flashing streetlights outside the tinted windows slid across their tense faces, highlighting the exhaustion, the fear, and the unspoken questions.When they finally arrived at the Sky Tower’s private basement entrance, Jackson felt his chest tighten even though being home should have felt comforting.But the truth was that, it didn’t—not with the image of Jonah’s lifeless body burned into their minds, not with the police breathing down their necks and definitely not with the unknown still lurking in the shadows.Whitaker and Copper led the way, their strides sharp and controlled, like men already preparing for the next battle. Back in the station, they hadn't waited to hear the full story of what happened at the Cinema before requesting

Copper let out a slow, steady breath, one that seemed to drag the room into a deeper stillness. He rubbed his hands together, as though warming himself against ghosts that only he could feel.“I thought I’d already told you this,” Copper murmured.As someone who had told Jackson so many stories about his past and his family lineage, he thought he had by chance told jackson the full story of Philip and Priscilia.Jackson shook his head faintly. “You didn’t. Or… maybe you did and I just forgot. A lot has happened since then.”Copper nodded, accepting that possibility. “Then listen carefully now. Because what I’m about to tell you… is the root of everything.”Jackson leaned forward unconsciously, Flameborn pulsing faintly beneath his skin, sensing the weight of whatever truth Copper was about to drop.Copper folded his arms, eyes distant—as though recalling a story buried beneath decades of secrets.As one who knew Philip so well before Philip's death, Philip had made sure he told Copper