Not expecting Selena to be so alert, Retro’s practiced grin faltered for the first time that afternoon. In his head a curse flickered—damn, misread that one—but his face didn’t betray the slip. Quick as a practiced pickpocket, he produced a wallet and flashed it with exaggerated surprise.“Miss, I found this on the floor a moment ago,” he crooned, voice honeyed, as if confessing a minor civic duty. “Thought you might have dropped it?”The gesture was too smooth—too rehearsed. Selena’s eyes narrowed a fraction. She took the offered wallet with a politeness that was all edge. Up close she could smell the expensive cologne clinging to Retro’s sleeve and see the little smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. Even so, she kept her voice level.“That’s not mine,” she said slowly.At that moment Jaden walked up the corridor, having followed her with casual attention when she excused herself. The minute he caught her expression he understood. The air around him tightened; something in the w

Among the people in the room, Retro’s uncle Douglas Hayes held the highest rank. He was Captain of the Reserve Guards. That title made him the most powerful man inside the tense little chamber.Retro stared at his uncle with a mix of desperation and prayer. “Uncle, you have to help me on this,” he said, voice tight.Douglas folded his hands, then gave a slow, measured nod. His face softened for a second, only to harden again with the weight of responsibility. “I know,” he said, low and steady. “I will do something about this. If I do not, I will never be able to face your mother again.”He turned his attention to his son, Patrick. The command in his voice left no room for argument. “This is yours to handle. Get revenge for your cousin.”Patrick straightened, the set of his jaw shifting from posture to purpose. Douglas’s authority in uniform carried beyond the barracks and into places where people feared uniforms more than men. He was a commander in every sense. His words landed like o

Patrick sneered, voice flat and contemptuous. "We are not here to eat or drink. We are here for someone. Move, dog."The word landed like a blow. Morix felt his jaw tighten. Pride flared hot and sharp. He wanted to end the man on the spot. Instead he scanned them. These intruders stood too straight, too regimented. Their uniforms were cheap, but their posture was not. That kind of discipline is trained, not bought on a street. It told him someone had invested in them.Morix swallowed the anger and answered with measured calm. "Who are you looking for?"Patrick lifted his chin like a king issuing a command. "Tell Jaden Rift to come out here."Jaden stepped forward with the Elite Eight behind him. They moved like a line set in stone. No swagger, no bluffing. Just the quiet surety of men who could take a room and hold it.A half smile touched Jaden's mouth. He spoke without needing to shout. "Who are you?"Patrick zeroed in on him, venom in his words. "You broke my cousin's arm. Come qui

The clock on the hospital wall ticked softly. The room was quiet — until the door flew open with a violent bang.A man stumbled in, half-bent, his face swollen and bloodied. His shirt was torn, his right arm hung limply at his side.It was Patrick.Douglas Hayes shot to his feet instantly. “Patrick?” His voice echoed through the room. “What in God’s name—”Retro jerked awake on his hospital bed, startled by the sound. Lazarus Ortega, seated by the window, merely raised a brow, watching with mild interest.Patrick swayed on his feet, breathing hard. Sweat and blood mixed on his face as he muttered, “Dad…” His voice cracked, thick with humiliation and pain.Douglas’s face darkened. “Show some damn decorum,” he snapped. “You’re a commander, not a street thug. Straighten up and speak properly. I thought you went to get revenge for your cousin. What happened?”Patrick gritted his teeth, trembling with rage. “Dad, I got beaten up.”The silence that followed was heavier than a gunshot.Dougl

Jaden Rift did not rise to Douglas Hayes’s bait. He kept his voice steady, calm enough to be dangerous.“I don’t care who you are,” he said. “Look at this rationally. Rationality is the root of any real success. Without it, you make mistakes that cost you power and lives. Let’s not pretend this is about pride. Tell me which outcome you want: more chaos, or a clean resolution that leaves everyone standing.”Douglas barked a laugh, sharp and contemptuous. “You sound like a schoolmaster. Fine. Then tell me how rational it is for you to beat my nephew and my son like this.” He leaned forward and pointed at Morix with a finger that trembled with anger. “Explain that to me.”Jaden’s face remained composed. “Your nephew was reckless. He flirted with my wife right in front of my men. He ordered a thug to break me. That is a clear provocation. I broke one bone. That ends the immediate threat.” He paused so his words landed. “Your son came with a dozen men to smash up a restaurant and threaten