"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 on your