Russell Crow did not pause to look at Barry. He walked straight past him and planted himself in front of Jaden with every inch of his posture radiating control. For a man of his office, his voice should have been calm. Instead it was small and urgent.“Mr. Rift,” Russell said, all apology and hurry, “I know what happened here. I am sorry. This should not have happened in my city.”The effect was electric. People who had been leaning into the scene suddenly leaned away. The private room, which had been thick with swagger and threats, went quiet. Larry Black and Wade Trent stared as if someone had flipped a switch. Selena’s jaw dropped. She had never expected the mayor to treat Jaden like this.Jaden met Russell’s apology with a hard stare. He did not soften. “If you already know what went on,” he said, voice flat, “then tell me how you will fix it. I want the people in this room to get the kind of justice they sell in your posters—equal and public.”Russell’s face tightened. He straigh

Jaden smiled faintly, a glimmer of pride softening the sharp angles of his face as he glanced at Selena. "They're taking issues involving the children of officials very seriously these days," he explained, his voice calm but deliberate. "The higher-ups have been monitoring them closely. They worry these spoiled brats could cause chaos, and the Mayor recently set up a hotline specifically for ordinary citizens. Anyone who runs into problems like this can call directly. He’s handling these matters with extreme seriousness—ensuring no complaint goes ignored." Selena’s eyes widened, absorbing each word as though it were a revelation. Her admiration for Jaden deepened, almost tangibly, with every passing second. She had always respected his resourcefulness, but the ease with which he navigated this labyrinth of bureaucracy left her quietly in awe. Jaden continued, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "So, I called the hotline, thinking perhaps I’d get a token response—a bureaucrat who’d pas

The sniper, Hector Blade, blinked rapidly, his finger tightening unconsciously around the trigger guard as the impossible played out before his eyes. One second Jaden Rift was framed perfectly in his crosshairs, every line of his body steady and exposed. The next, the man simply… vanished. Hector’s breath caught. His brow furrowed as a guttural growl worked its way up his throat. "What the…? Where the hell did he go?" Beside him, sprawled flat on the rooftop with binoculars pressed to his eyes, Steve Zayne shifted uncomfortably. The seasoned spotter frowned, following the stretch of the amusement park through his lenses. "I don’t know," he admitted, voice even but taut. "He just… disappeared. One moment he was in the open, next moment he melted into the crowd like smoke." "Disappeared?" Hector’s voice sharpened into a bark. He slammed a gloved fist against the rooftop’s cold concrete, the sharp crack echoing against the rain-slick bricks. "That’s impossible! I had him. One more s

Just as Casper finished speaking, a shrill vibration broke the silence.A phone buzzed on one of the dead snipers, the sound unnerving against the quiet of the rain-slick rooftop. The screen lit up, flashing an incoming call.Number Three crouched and retrieved the device, glancing at the name flashing across the display. He didn’t answer. Instead, he turned the glowing screen toward Casper.Casper’s brows furrowed. His eyes narrowed, cold and calculating. "So. The killers weren’t working alone. Their commander wants answers."Number Three’s tone hardened. "We’ll need to report this to the General immediately. This isn’t over."Casper gave a short nod, already drawing conclusions. "Which means the real attack is still coming."…Down at ground level, Jaden Rift’s phone buzzed in his hand. A secure text appeared from Number Three:The immediate threat has been neutralized, but there are reinforcements. Do not leave the amusement park for now. We’re positioned and ready to provide cover

Most of the mercenaries carried only pistols tucked against their belts or daggers strapped to their thighs. A handful had submachine guns slung across their shoulders, but that was the extent of their firepower.The Wolves were used to much more. In Southeast Asia, their name carried weight. They were the kind of force that marched into jungles with armored vehicles, or swooped down on targets from helicopters bristling with mounted guns. But Karethwyn was different. This land was a graveyard for outsiders. Smuggling in heavy weaponry here on short notice was close to impossible, and every step they took felt like a fight against the terrain, the weather, and the invisible eyes of the locals.Still, Demonwolf wasn’t concerned. To him, Jaden Rift was just another target. Not a warlord. Not a high-value political figure. Just an ordinary man who had gotten under the wrong skin. Spending millions on logistics and hardware for a mission like this would have been wasteful.A few pistols.