Thiago’s silence was answer enough. “The Circle.” Emiliano spat the name like venom. “You called him for me.” Thiago didn’t deny it. “It was the only way.” “Do you even hear yourself?” Emiliano’s voice rose, trembling with rage. “You went to those monster! Do you know what kind of debt you’ve put us in?” Thiago’s eyes flashed. “I know exactly what kind of debt. I’ve paid worse to keep this family breathing.” Raphael spoke softly from the corner. “He saved you, Emiliano. That’s all that matters.” Emiliano ran a hand through his hair, frustration spilling out. “Maybe I didn’t want saving. Maybe I wanted to stand on my own for once.” Thiago stepped closer, his tone controlled but sharp. “Then learn how to stand without falling.” The room fell into heavy silence. Only the sound of rain outside filled the space between them. Finally, Thiago exhaled and said quietly, “You’re my blood, Emiliano. You have your mother’s fire, but you must learn to control it. The world doesn’

The sea was gray and endless, carrying with it the kind of wind that whispered of things buried too deep to name. The rain came slowly and deliberately like it had nowhere else to fall. Raphael Andreas stood at the edge of the dock, coat flapping in the wind, eyes locked on the lonely island ahead. It had no name on the map... not anymore. To the world, it was an abandoned property under a forgotten registry. But Raphael knew better. Some ghosts didn’t haunt; they hid. The boatman said nothing as they reached the pier. It looked lifeless, but he knew someone waited there. Someone he shouldn’t be meeting. Raphael handed him a wad of cash and a warning look. The boatman gave him a wary glance. “No one lives there anymore,” he muttered. “Someone does!” Raphael uttered sternly. The old sailor nodded once and turned his gaze away. He had ferried enough dangerous men to know when not to remember faces. Men like Raphael didn’t need their names or faces rememb

“That’s exactly the problem,” Kahuna said. “Sometimes I wish I wasn’t.” Princewill’s tone softened. “That’s not happening. You took the chair, Kahuna. You don’t get to step out of it when it gets heavy.” Kahuna’s voice dropped. “I didn’t take it for glory. I took it to fix what was broken.” “And you are,” Princewill said. “But you can’t fix anything if you vanish.” Kahuna turned his gaze to the window, city lights flickering in his reflection. “Do you ever wish things were different, Princewill?” “Every day,” Princewill replied. “But wishing doesn’t change what we are.” Kahuna let out a quiet breath. “You sound like my conscience.” Princewill gave a half-smile. “That’s because I am.” Kahuna chuckled softly — the first real smile since stepping off the jet. “Annoying, but true.” Princewill leaned back. “Good. You still remember how to laugh.” “Barely,” Kahuna said. Princewill looked at him for a moment, the tension easing. “Next time, you tell me before you disa

The smell of stew began to fill the room — onions, spice, the kind of scent that felt like belonging. “Eat,” Joanne said softly. “You look thinner than last week.” “I’m not dying yet,” Elias teased. She smiled, shaking her head. “You’ve been hiding long enough, Elias. When will you return?” He was quiet for a long while before he answered. “When the time is right. When the Circle begins to eat itself, because I know it will.” Joanne frowned. “You think that’s coming anytime soon?” Elias looked out into the deepening dusk. “Power never stays pure. Kahuna is brilliant, but brilliance burns. I only hope he remembers the light I gave him before the darkness consumes him entirely.” She didn’t argue, she had seen what that kind of world did to men. After a while, she said softly, “And Raphael? Will you tell him the rest?” Elias shook his head. “Not yet. He carries too much already. But he will have a part to play when the circle tightens again. Whether he wants to or n

Helen’s tone softened. “We’ll be careful, Mother.” Harry’s eyes, old but still fierce, fixed on Helen. “And if he disrespects this family again?” Helen looked toward the window, where the city lights shimmered in the distance — Riverage glowing like a restless dream. She spoke quietly, almost to herself. “Then he’ll learn the Miltons don’t bow twice.” The silence that followed was long and heavy. Jackson finished his drink, placed it on the counter, and said lightly, “Thursday it is, then. Let’s see if the king grants us an audience.” ***** Somewhere in the distance, the tower of KE Headquarters stood untouched, its windows dark and unbothered. Inside that tower, a light flickered on in Princewill’s office. He already knew they would return, they were desperate indeed and just like Kahuna' himself has predicted, they will come. All he had to do was wait. Well, he didn't have to wait for long. The very next Thursday afternoon arrived faster than expected. The Milton car