"He can handle it," Valthera insisted coldly, her face showing no emotion whatsoever. "We don't have time for patience. The Syndicate is hunting us."But Thomas stepped forward, placing a firm, heavy hand on the table. His expression was incredibly stern as he glared at Valthera. "There are some lines we do not cross, Valthera. We are not going to drug an innocent seven-year-old child."Valthera let out a long, frustrated sigh, leaning back against the couch. "Fine. But he is the only solid lead we have to find the King. If we can't get any information from him yet, I guess I have no choice. I will have to set up a high-stakes meeting with the leader of the Outcast Gang." She paused, looking around at her team. "Even if the boy eventually talks, we are going to need a literal army if we are going to go up against the King's entire empire."She stood up, her voice turning into a strict command. "For now, everyone keep a very low profile. Don't draw any unnecessary attention to yoursel

Grace was currently facing the large living room window, sitting quietly in a comfortable wheelchair. She was staring out at the city view."Hey, Grace," Clara said gently, walking up beside her.Grace turned around slowly in her wheelchair. The moment her eyes landed on Clara, a faint, sweet smile broke across her weathered face. "Clara..." she muttered softly, her voice weak but full of warmth. "How are you, dear?""I'm doing fine," Clara whispered, leaning down to give her a deep, loving hug.When they pulled apart, Grace’s eyes immediately drifted down to Brian, who was still standing by the doorway, looking terrified. Grace looked at him, desperately trying to remember if this little boy was someone she had forgotten. "Who is this?" Grace asked softly."This is Brian," Clara explained, gently touching the boy's shoulder to pull him closer. "He is the son of a very dear friend of mine. She... she is no more, Grace. She asked me to take care of him and keep him safe."Grace’s eye

Xander let out a sharp, mocking laugh, running a finger over the back of her couch. "The Obsidian Syndicate never needs permission, Clara. We go wherever we want, whenever we want." He stopped pacing and turned around to look at her, his eyes narrowing. "This morning, we burst into a local church in search of a very specific target. But something unusual happened. Something that has never, ever happened to us before. Someone beat us to the location. Real pros." Clara's eyes widened. The fact that he was here meant he didn't have any proof it was them; otherwise, he would have already tried to kill her. Clara forced a small, polite smile to her face, acting as if she had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. "Wow. Sounds like you guys had a very rough morning." Xander walked up to her, closing the distance until he was standing right in front of her. The air between them turned completely tense. "Where exactly were you this morning, Clara? And what is this fresh injury

"They don't even bury the dead; they leave their victims' corpses out in the open fields for the wild animals to eat. To them, it's all about the performance. Their leader only asked to meet me here so he could have a good show."The leader, Alberto, has been itching for revenge for years. He would do anything to have Valthera's head on a spike, and now she was walking right into his den.As Valthera and Clara walked through the entrance of the main carnival grounds, the atmosphere turned completely hostile. Several heavily armed gang members, wearing bright, twisted clown masks and dark leather jackets, stepped out from behind the tents. They silently walked right behind them, closing in on them in a tight circle, cutting off any chance of escape.They glared at the one person who chased them out of the city.One of them had their blood visibly boiled.They could not wait to get a slice of her flesh.One of them, whom Valthera removed all his fingernails one by one for daring to fig

Alberto leaned forward in his wheelchair, his dark eyes fixed on Valthera. "My top lieutenant and oldest partner was taken prisoner by the Obsidian Syndicate," he explained, his raspy voice dropping into a serious growl. "They are transferring him tomorrow in a heavily guarded, bulletproof transport van. I want you to attack that convoy and free him."Valthera’s eyes narrowed instantly. "You know that is completely impossible, Alberto. That transport will be a moving fortress. Even the entire police force would not be able to get him out of there alive."Alberto let out a cold, mocking chuckle. He turned his wheelchair around, giving her his back. "Well, that is exactly why you are the legendary, almighty Valthera. I am completely sure you will figure out something to do." He gestured sharply to his son. "Now, get out of my sight. And do not dare to come back here without my partner. If you fail, I will hunt you down and throw both of you into that boiling oil myself."With a rough