The baseline of their entire hidden society, the single ledger holding every dirty secret, identity, and wealth record of the world's elite had vanished. In a split second, the stunned silence turned into chaos.Elites screamed, bodyguards drew weapons blindly, and Heirs began shouting accusations at one another. The sanctuary of the Council had completely broken.Two days later, the dark storm hanging over the underworld had still not settled. Instead, the tension had grown into a suffocating cloud.It was a bleak, rainy afternoon, marked as the official burial day for the Titan Heir. But before that grand ceremony could even begin, Clara and Valthera stood alone in a quiet, secluded corner of the private Council cemetery. They were stopped in front of a tall, polished stone grave. Carved deeply into the cold marble was a name: ADRIAN LANCASTER."He is not actually dead, you know," Clara said quietly, her eyes staring at the carved letters.Valthera stood beside her, entirely unbothe

Henry let out a long, exhausted sigh, looking down at the floor. "We are no longer together, ma'am. She broke things off.""Hmmm. Interesting," Esther murmured, her sharp eyes scanning his heartbroken expression. She stepped closer and tossed the heavy case file onto his coffee table. "Clara is actively involved with an extremely dangerous group of people, Henry. I just thought it was my duty to let you know.""What?" Henry scoffed, shaking his head. "The Clara I know? She is just going through a lot right now with her brother. That's all.""Open the file," Esther commanded flatly.Henry hesitated, then reached down and opened the folder. His chest tightened instantly. Inside were high-resolution surveillance photos she had gathered about the Council. There were images of a massive armored truck parked in the middle of the city during the cruise ship incident, and right next to it was a crystal-clear photo of Clara actively working with Valthera and Kane.Henry’s jaw dropped in absol

Valthera’s fists tightened, her knuckles cracking in the silence.At the same time, Clara was furiously searching the files inside the dark van. After several agonizing minutes, her fingers brushed against a piece of paper with the matching ancient symbols. "Thank God," she muttered, pulling it out.But suddenly, a cold shadow fell over her. Clara turned around, and her eyes widened in absolute horror. Standing right behind her in the van was a man wearing a terrifying white mask. It was the same masked man who had stolen the safe from the cruise ship and killed the Titan Heir.The masked man didn't say a word. He simply stretched out his gloved hand, silently ordering her to hand over the paper."No," Clara breathed, clutching the paper to her chest.The man pounced on her with incredible speed. But Clara was fast. She ducked low, rolling underneath his massive arms, and ran out the back of the truck. She scrambled up a metal ladder, landing on the high construction scaffolding near

Clara let out a bitter hiss, turned around, and walked straight out of the office, slamming the heavy door behind her for the final time.Days later, the cold rain was pouring over the city streets. Clara spent forty-eight hours hiding in cheap motels, her mind racing. Finally, she found the immense courage she needed to go back to the only safe place she had ever known.She walked up the stairs of the apartment complex and knocked softly at Henry’s door.The lock turned, and the door opened slowly. Henry stood in the doorway, his hair messy and his clothes wrinkled. The moment Clara saw his face, all her strength dissolved. She threw her arms around his neck, burying her face into his chest. "Henry... Henry, I am so sorry for everything," she cried, squeezing him tight. "I promise I will explain it all to you. I missed you so much."But Henry did not hug her back. His arms remained at his sides. His chest felt like a solid block of stone.Clara slowly pulled away, looking up at him.

Clara’s eyes widened in absolute shock. Her heart dropped into her stomach."Don't ever underestimate me, my dear," Valthera said, gently swinging back and forth in her chair."How... how long did it take you to hack the watch?" Clara stammered, her voice shaking."About a day," Valthera responded casually, as if talking about the weather. "The dead-man's switch is now officially linked to my own heartbeat, not yours. If you die, the secrets stay safe. You have no leverage left."Clara was absolutely fuming, her fists shaking with rage."I also hacked your cell phone," Valthera continued, her voice turning sharp. "You spoke to a secure number routing from a prison outside the city. Who was that?""No one," Clara lied through her teeth, crossing her arms.Valthera watched her closely for a long moment before letting out a soft sigh. "Well, be very careful who you deal with, Clara. People in our world are rarely what they seem." She reached into her top desk drawer and pulled out a cris