Ushered in by their gracious host, Alex and Dr. Lucy entered together. The guards flanking the cobbled path bowed as they walked by, and even their barking terriers turned quiet.The Warrington Estate was sprawled across 500 acres of lush green land, stretching through miles of rural countryside, untouched by the urban hustle.Their ancestral farmhouse stood at the heart of it all, allowing the Warringtons to keep their watchful gaze on their surroundings while cherishing the warmth and comfort of a homely hearth and a place to rest their tired legs.As Alex and Dr. Lucy stepped inside the farmhouse, Edgar Warrington greeted them with a broad smile and lifted his silver-headed cane energetically.“There you are! I was starting to wonder if you had gotten lost in the woods,” he joked, embracing Alex lightly and then turning to greet Dr. Lucy with a nod. “We have been waiting for over an hour now. But I sure am glad you finally showed up before we went to bed, or we’d have to send Josiah

The next morning, Felicia opened her eyes in a deluxe suite on the 13th floor of Chrysler Bluffs. Her head was still reeling from all the champagne she had downed last night at the engagement, and the constantly buzzing phone gave her a headache.“Who is it so early?” she mumbled.As she looked through her squinted eyes, 50 unopened messages appeared on her phone along with 20 missed calls.“What the hell…”She checked the call log to find that most of the calls were from her mother and immediately dialed back.“Good morning. Is everything alright?” she mumbled, still yawning on her queen-sized bed.Mrs. Rashford’s voice rang like a siren from the other end.“Is everything alright? Are you serious?” she mocked. “Have you watched the news? Did you even read the morning paper?”“Stop giving me a headache and just tell me what happened,” Felicia mumbled back, pressing her temples.”“Just read the damn news and call me back!”As Mrs. Rashford disconnected the call, Felicia climbed out of

Later in the afternoon, Josiah Warrington accompanied Alex and Dr. Lucy to Greenville, where their largest greenhouse was located. It was a state-of-the-art agricultural facility, equipped with automatic irrigation sprinklers, humidity control, and an advanced temperature regulation system. “We call this greenhouse Demeter. Named after the Greek Goddess of Fertility. It is a completely automated enclosure that requires minimal human intervention. Everything you need can be controlled with the touch of a button, and we have sensors monitoring all environmental conditions within, eliminating the need for daily visits.”Alex was impressed by what he was seeing. But he still looked at Dr. Lucy for confirmation.“Will this work?” he asked.Dr. Lucy had to admit this greenhouse was even better than the control labs in Kronos Tech and could easily produce ten times the yield. “This is perfect. We can grow the herbs quite easily here.”Josiah was intrigued by their conversation and couldn’t

Seeing the raised wine glasses around him, the young guy in the viper mask turned anxious. He had never expected to see such enthusiasm about a duel. All the people in the room were supposed to be a part of the city’s elite upper circle, but none of them seemed to care about money or even the rare relics on offer. To them, watching a duelist kill another was the best form of entertainment.“If the bidders are ready, then I request them to walk over to this stage,” Paul Sanchez announced, clearing space for the challengers. Alex and the Red Viper climbed onto the stage and stood three feet apart with Paul acting as the mediator.“I would like to remind everyone that this is a highly exclusive establishment, and we are all civilized folk here. So, before we begin the duel, I will ensure it is completely impartial.”Like a magician performing a street trick, he pulled out a set of ten cards and held them face down before the two challengers.“First, we must choose a location. Please pi

Inside a luxurious private resort on the island of New Haven, Felicia was standing on the porch and gazing out into the sunset. But instead of enjoying the natural beauty, her mind was focused on something else.Robert had tried to get her to sit down on the hammocks and take a drink, but she remained adamant in her refusal.“We came here to relax. You should at least try to enjoy the view,” he spoke timidly.Felicia barely heard a word as she was too distracted by her own thoughts.It wasn’t until Robert touched her lightly on the shoulder that she finally reacted.“What?” she snapped at him without warning. “What do you want me to do? Should I cook dinner for you? Or perhaps iron your clothes?”Robert was shocked by the sudden change in her behavior. He had never seen her act out so rudely in front of him, and it made him reconsider his approach.“I was just saying you should enjoy the view and forget all worries for now. We are at a private resort. Let’s enjoy our time off and spen