Adrian did not blink. Did not speak. He sat in silence, his gaze locked on Lucian as if he hadn’t heard a single word of the taunting.Lucian’s smirk faltered. He shifted uncomfortably under that still, cutting stare. Adrian wasn’t fighting back, wasn’t even acknowledging his defiance. It was as though his insults were dust carried on the air, weightless, meaningless.Why would he exchange words with a common criminal?If not that he would do anything for Clara he would not be here.“Do you even hear me?” Lucian barked, voice cracking. He slammed his chained fists against the table again, the clang echoing through the small room. “I said, why should I help you?”Adrian’s expression didn’t change. He leaned back slowly, his composure so absolute it was suffocating."Do you have the information I need or not?" Adrian finally said.Lucian’s sneer trembled, then finally cracked. He dropped his gaze, exhaled, and muttered:“…I know who has it.”Adrian’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he rema

The room echoed with the sound of a grown man sobbing like a child, the clink of chains punctuating every broken breath.Adrian was his only hope for salvation, he was sure that those goons were already counting down five minutes for him to return so that they could continue from where they stopped.Adrian stood at the door, his back turned against Adrian.His hand never wavered on the handle.Lucian’s sobs broke into hiccups of desperation, his chains rattling as he lost the last shreds of pride clinging to him. His legs buckled, and with a metallic crash, he fell to his knees.The sound echoed through the chamber.“Please…” His forehead touched the filthy floor, shoulders trembling, voice breaking under the weight of humiliation. “Please, Adrian… just give me a second chance.”The silence stretched, suffocating.At last, Adrian turned.His shadow fell across the broken figure at his feet. He looked down on Lucian, eyes carved in stone, expression harder than the prison walls themsel

Julia reached into the inside pocket of her tailored blazer and she drew out a black card.She placed it on the desk in front of him, the sound echoing in the stillness of the office.“This,” she said, her voice dropping to a near-whisper, “used to be Lucian’s.”Adrian’s eyes flicked to the card, then back to her.“When Rhein Group seized his assets after you dismantled his company,” Julia continued, “this was among them. I had it locked away in the secure archive. I never thought it would be of use. Until now.”She tapped the surface once, her gloved finger lingering on the strange emblem. “It’s an authentic invitation to Rootbinder’s masked auction. Gold-tier access.”Adrian’s jaw tightened while Julia leaned close. “You need this card if you're planning on getting into the party.” She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in.Adrian’s gaze lingered on the black card, the gold emblem catching the light like a predator’s eye.Julia inclined her head, the faintest trace of sati

Adrian slowly dipped his mad into his coat. He drew out the black card and held it between two fingers, letting the gold emblem catch the light.The man’s gaze lingered on the card… then on Adrian’s mask.There was a long pause and then he let out a grunt. “Go ahead.”The heavy door swung open with a low groan, spilling a sliver of golden light onto the pavement. Adrian crossed the threshold without a word, the door sealing shut behind him.The air inside was warm and thick with perfume and filled with the low murmur of masked voices.Adrian's eyes scanned the crowd. Every face was hidden behind a mask.Servants in black uniforms moved between them, carrying trays of crystal glasses, catching the golden light.Near the center of the floor, a small crowd had formed, laughter and murmured praise spilling from its edges.At the heart of it stood a man impossible to miss.Alfredo Bellington.A wealthy businessman who had some sort of fetish for collecting rare items and storing them in h

“One hundred twenty,” Alfredo opposed as usual.“Two hundred,” the baritone voice boomed again, his voice sounding stubborn.Alfredo exhaled as if this were a mere inconvenience. “Three-twenty.”Everyone turned to Alfredo, he could see the glare and admiration behind the mask.Some of them were annoyed that he did not leave an item for them, while some, especially newcomers, wondered how he had so much money."Three hundred and twenty million dollars going one... Two... Three." The MC said knowing fully well no one would dare to bid higher than that.“Sold to the sun,” the MC said as the gavel kissed the wood.Alfredo lifted his glass to no one in particular. “I wish I had a chanllenger fr.”Another cart slid in, its cube of soundproof glass humming faintly. Inside, a deep-blue flower that took at least two thousand years to grow.“Lot Four: The Echo Bloom. This flower allows to to hear echoes from the past.”The crowd leaned in, dazzled, hungry.Adrian’s gaze tightened. Adrian rela