forward, chin raised and shoulders squared, like a general ready to bulldoze the world with nothing but his ego.“So you're Carl Donovan,” Marvin growled.Carl’s expression didn’t even twitch.“Yes.”A low murmur spread among the soldiers. Some of them stiffened, as if the name alone carried weight. A dangerous weight.Marvin’s eyes blazed.“Then everything makes sense. You’re the one responsible for my brother’s death.”Carl tilted his head slightly.“If you’re talking about Marcos… he did that to himself. I didn’t lay a hand on him before he—”“Shut up!” Marvin roared, spittle flying. “You think I’ll believe that? Don’t insult my intelligence! You killed him!”Carl’s jaw tightened, but his voice stayed dangerously calm.“If I killed him, do you really think I’d be standing in front of you explaining myself?”“Oh, don’t worry,” Marvin sneered. “You won’t be standing for long.”In a flash, they were chest-to-chest—Carl steady and quiet like a loaded weapon, Marvin trembling with fury

Carl sat inside the black van, jaw clenched as one of his men stitched up the fresh cut on his arm. The metallic smell of blood still clung to the air.Moments later, Nicholson climbed inside. His face had streaks of dried blood across it—clearly, he’d handled a few things himself.“It’s done, Sir. You don’t have to worry. None of this will reach the media,” Nicholson reported.Carl eyed him sharply. “You wouldn’t come here just to give me an update. What is it?” he asked.Nicholson wiped the blood from his cheek, almost casually, before cracking a small grin. “Of course, Sir. Well… we’re here to inform you that tensions are rising in the Arctic Region.”Carl’s brows furrowed. “What? Since when?”“It started last month. We tried containing it quietly. But we discovered the new president is tied to a secret crime syndicate. So the chaos… wasn’t surprising.”The Arctic Region was their team’s main base—Carl had chosen it himself because of one extremely important thing they were safegu

Sophia sat stiffly in the passenger seat, arms crossed, huffing every few minutes like the car’s air-conditioning offended her personally. Carl kept his eyes on the road, pretending not to notice. Experience had taught him that when Sophia was in a mood, silence was his best friend.They had just left the main district and were passing through a quieter stretch of road when suddenly—A black SUV swerved in front of them.“Carl!” Sophia gasped, grabbing the dashboard.“I see it,” Carl muttered, already stepping on the brake.The SUV screeched to a halt, blocking their way. Two more vehicles boxed them in from behind.Sophia straightened, panic flashing in her eyes. “What is happening?!”Carl didn’t answer. He just unbuckled his seatbelt with a disturbing sense of calm.He already knew.The driver’s door of the SUV swung open, and a man stepped out—brown hair, smug grin, casual arrogance dripping from every movement.Michael.Sophia recognized him instantly. “What does he want?!”Carl’

Sophia didn’t say another word as they drove toward the Carson mansion.Her mind was still replaying everything she had witnessed.Carl’s fighting skills weren’t new to her—she’d seen him in action before—but what happened earlier was different.Sharper. Faster. Almost… unnatural.“So, I know you’re skilled,” Sophia finally broke the silence, arms crossed. “But… how? As in, how did you do all that?”Carl glanced at her briefly.“I’m a soldier, Ms. Carson.”Sophia rolled her eyes. “Yes, obviously. I’m not stupid. But fine—keep your secrets.”She leaned back, huffing. At the end of the day, Carl was her bodyguard. As long as he could protect her, everything else was just extra mystery points on his résumé.A few minutes later, they reached the mansion.Carl parked the car by the grand entrance and helped Sophia down, his expression returning to its usual stoic calm.They headed to the second floor where Samuel Carson was waiting at the veranda, reading documents with a blanket over his

Marion straightened his coat as if he’d just won a national championship in “Being the Most Confident Man Alive.”“Alright then,” he said, flashing Sophia a smug grin. “I’ll take my leave. And Sophia—please, prepare my shares ahead of time. I’ll be claiming them soon.”Sophia didn’t even flinch.“Sure, Uncle. But do me a favor—stay in Velmora for the next three days, hmm? Just to be sure that you are safe.”Marion laughed loudly, almost theatrically.“Three days? My dear niece, do you think I’m going to faint on the sidewalk?” He shook his head. “I’m perfectly healthy. I don’t need babysitting.”He pointed at Sophia, wagging a finger.“You worry too much. You should focus instead on your fiancé. I’m telling you, he won’t be pleased if he finds out you’ve been running around with someone like him.”His gaze flicked toward Carl—full of disdain, like Carl was some stray cat Sophia suddenly adopted.Sophia raised an eyebrow, arms crossing coolly.“I can handle my fiancé, Uncle. I promise