“I was sure Elias and the rest would find out about the Divine Pill from the doctor once something happened to Xander,” Jaden said, his voice steady, calm, certain. “That’s why I told you he’d come crawling back for it. Man’s pride doesn’t matter when death is at the door.”The room went quiet. A low, dawning realization flickered across Vane and Nora’s faces like they’d just cracked a code they’d been staring at too long.Nora blinked hard. “So that’s why you said it with such confidence…”Vane exhaled like he’d been holding his breath the entire time. “It wasn’t a guess. You planned for this.”Jaden didn’t respond. Selena, however, wasn’t so easily convinced. She narrowed her eyes at him, skeptical but shaken. The pieces fit a little too well. “You keep doing this,” she said, arms folded tight across her chest. “Like when you said Mr. Raze would show up with an apology—and he did. Now this? What exactly are you not telling us?”Jaden just leaned back in his chair, picking up Mia’s

“The problem is that Dad hasn't made a will, Williams.” Elias’s voice was low, but every word carried weight. He leaned back, pinching the bridge of his nose. Frustration simmered just beneath the surface. “If he dies suddenly without leaving anything official behind, Vane automatically inherits a third of the family fortune under inter-state succession laws.”Williams stared at him like he’d just been slapped. “A third? What the hell for?”Elias’s jaw clenched. “Because he’s Xander Verrick’s blood, same as you and me. Doesn’t matter if he’s been estranged. The law doesn't care about personal grudges.”“Bullshit,” Williams muttered, shaking his head. “That bastard’s done nothing for this family. How the hell can he just swoop in and take what we’ve bled for?”“That’s the law. Like it or not,” Elias said, voice tight. “Which is why Dad can’t die. Not yet. We need him alive long enough to make a will. One that leaves everything to you and me.”“And you think he’ll go along with that?” W

After wrapping up their lunch, Jaden and Selena’s family stepped out of Miracle Avenue with full stomachs and light conversation.About thirty meters away, a man leaned casually against a light post, flicking ash off a cigarette as he dialed his phone.“Mr. Verrick, Daniel. They’re coming out,” he said quickly, eyes locked on Jaden and the others.Bang! Bang!Williams and Daniel, flanked by more than a dozen of their men, exploded from the emergency staircase like a damn SWAT raid. Their footsteps thundered across the pavement, parting the crowd as they stormed toward the restaurant entrance.The shift in atmosphere was immediate. Vane stopped in his tracks and narrowed his eyes.“Well, well. What brings you here, Williams?” Vane asked, calm but clearly annoyed at the interruption.Williams didn’t answer right away. His nostrils flared, his eyes locked onto Vane with that same entitled glare he always wore. Only now, it burned hotter. That half-hour wait outside earlier had clearly go

His words stopped Williams cold. The man hadn't expected Jaden to know the market value of the Divine Pill.For a moment, Williams faltered. His face twitched—shock, panic, rage, all fighting for space. Then he snapped, spitting his words like venom. “I’ve been trying to be decent with you, kiddo. But if you want to die so badly, who am I to stop you?”He raised his hand and roared, “Daniel, grab the pill!”The shout cracked across the air like a whip. In a blink, Daniel and his gang lunged forward, their boots thundering against the pavement. A dozen thugs closed in fast, surrounding Jaden and Selena in a tightening circle.Daniel stepped out in front, lips peeled back in a twisted grin. “Time to break some bones, you little punk. Been itching for this.”Jaden didn’t flinch. His face stayed calm, like he’d already seen the ending. With quiet authority, he spoke two words: “Seize him.”That was all it took.Moni, who had been a silent shadow behind him until now, burst into motion. A

Elias made a move to kneel, desperation etched across his face. His knees were already halfway to the ground when Vane lunged forward to stop him.“Don’t—Elias, no,” Vane said, gripping his arm tightly. “Please, don’t do this.”Elias paused, panting lightly, the act alone draining what little pride he had left. His eyes shimmered with restrained panic, the guilt in his expression laid on thick.Nora let out a sharp, incredulous huff. “Well, would you look at that,” she snapped. “Mr. High-and-Mighty, on the verge of groveling. What happened? The wind blow your ego away, or is there something you’re crawling here to beg for?”Vane flinched. “Nora, come on. He’s already apologized. Can't we just—”“Can’t we just what?” she cut in, whirling on him. “Forgive and forget like nothing ever happened? Like he and his rotten father didn’t humiliate us, trample on us for years?”He raised his hands, trying to calm her. “That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just saying… maybe we can give him a chance.