Vlad returned to his island retreat empty-handed. But as soon as he reached his lakeside villa in the hills, he was greeted by a group of armed men in high-collared crimson coats.“I didn’t expect such a special reception,” he scoffed. “What brings you here? Trying to take a vacation from your work?”“Major Monroe wants to see you,” the oldest one, carrying the oversized LMG, informed and gestured toward the back. “This way.”If it were anyone else, Vlad wouldn’t have thought twice before getting into a firefight, but he knew these crimson coats were from Valheim. And even the slightest smartness could get him killed or put on a bounty list forever.Thus, realizing his position, Vlad had no option but to comply like a docile pet.The men escorted Vlad around the villa and brought him to the garden in the backyard, where a man sporting a bushy brown beard and dressed in a military outfit was waiting for him, lounging on a wooden deck chair.A dozen different medals lined the man’s jacke

All of Alex’s perfect plans crumbled from within as that distasteful name rang in his ears. He had been expecting his past to catch up to him someday, but not so quickly.“Use every resource at your disposal to track him down, Godrick. Let me know when you have more updates.”“Already on it, Commander!”As Alex disconnected the call and turned to Dr. Lucy, she read his eyes even before he could speak.“Something’s wrong, isn’t it?” She asked in a quivering voice, her happy smile fading as her lips tightened. “Who was it?”“It was just Godrick. I promise you have nothing to worry about. It’s just business,” Alex replied reassuringly.But she didn’t fall for his unconcerned voice. His troubled eyes had already revealed everything.“I thought you said no more secrets. Then what are you doing now?”Alex sighed and shook his head as he realized his lie had been caught.He held Dr. Lucy in his arms and looked deep into her eyes. “Lucy, I am really sorry for ruining your night again. I guess

Vlad Karlenko and Tatiana Ludovich were the same assassins Valheim had sent after Alex three years ago, following the bioweapon attack.Back then, Alex had narrowly escaped death owing to Raziya’s swift intervention and Captain Williams’ unwavering loyalty.That dark, cold December evening was still etched in Alex’s mind as an indelible memory.He had watched his closest elite guards get slaughtered like dogs, and his soldiers turn on him, incited by one of his most trusted Generals.The taste of betrayal was still raw upon his tongue, but his painful experiences had taught him to be cautious and patient.Three years ago, the God of War, Commander Xander Payne, had disappeared from the face of the earth like a ghost and traded his old life on the battlefield for the quiet comfort of a warm household.The man who had survived that attack had stepped into the role of a docile and subservient househusband to escape this enemies and start afresh with a clean slate.But now that his happy

Under the Governor’s orders, the city officials worked tirelessly to prepare for the grand procession. And by evening, all the arrangements were complete and the parade ready to begin.Tatiana Ludovich arrived ten minutes before the proceedings could start, and blended with the crowd, pretending to be a tourist who was there to watch the festivities.Alex had intentionally advised the Governor to loosen the security arrangements just to lure the assassins to the venue without raising any alarms.And his plan had worked flawlessly.Unaware that this whole parade was nothing but an elaborate trap, Tatiana stepped right into it.“Good people of Glenmonte, welcome to the first Grand Memorial Day Parade. Today, we remember and celebrate not just the sacrifices of our brave soldiers, but also aspire toward a brighter future!” the Governor proclaimed, lighting a ceremonial torch to set the proceedings underway.Tatiana flitted through the crowd of eager onlookers, cautiously making her way t

Godrick had already incapacitated Vlad, and Captain Williams’ elite commandos had taken him into custody. However, it only solved half their problem.As long as Tatiana was still out there, she posed a serious threat to not just Alex, but to the innocent and clueless residents of Glenmonte as well.Unlike Vlad Karlenko, Tatiana was a cold, emotionless killer, and left to her own devices, she could easily prove to be a loose cannon with limitless potential for destruction.Following Alex’s orders, Captain Williams turned the surveillance van around and switched on the roof-mounted advanced signal disruption unit.“Step on the gas. The target is getting away!”The driver put his foot on the pedal and accelerated up the open road, following Tatiana’s speeding bike.Even though Tatiana had bypassed the barricades and broken out of Godrick’s signal-jamming dome’s area of influence, the surveillance van tailing her functioned as a mobile signal jammer, preventing her from connecting to her