“Impossible. Absolutely impossible!”Moments ago, Lydia Nolan had been mocking Adrian. Now, in the blink of an eye, he’d become the miracle doctor who’d earned Director Emerson’s esteem. Her pride refused to accept it. She had just felt a head above the rest, only to be flung back to earth.“That really was Director Emerson,” Philip Mason sighed. The job that had seemed within reach? Likely gone now. Worse still, the man he’d scorned—Adrian—was not only a deputy director, but a consultant as well.Lydia bristled, unwilling to yield. She turned on Daisy with a glare. “Daisy, what exactly do you think you’re doing?”Daisy looked genuinely puzzled. What did this have to do with her? “I don’t understand what you mean.”Lydia gave a derisive snort. “Director Emerson is a figure of real stature. He came himself with a contract for Adrian. Don’t tell me you don’t know him.”“And another thing,” she barreled on, self-righteous and indignant, “you knew Director Emerson and Adrian were connecte

From his first shot to now—less than a minute had passed.The spare magazine he’d ejected was still in his hand, not yet stowed in the pack. Damn it, the killer swore inwardly. But a top-tier assassin doesn’t concede.He jammed half the sniper into the bag, let it drop, and in the same heartbeat drew the sidearm from his waist.Bang—Adrian released his grip and slipped aside, the round whispering past. The handgun was a sleek silver piece—sharing the same weakness as the rifle.Sensing the advantage, the assassin fired in quick succession and moved to withdraw. He was one of Maple Country’s finest—supremely confident in both his kills and his exits.Then he saw it: every bullet he’d unleashed hung against an invisible barrier, frozen inches from its mark. His confidence faltered.This one was beyond him.Adrian’s energy surged, sheathing him. The bullets not only failed to touch him—they seemed to bristle, coiled and waiting.“What… what the hell?”Abandoning the sniper without a sec

“So long?”Crane Sage clearly had no patience for waiting that long, but Quentin Newman, ever cautious, stepped in to persuade him.“The Master can handle Adrian with ease, of course—but we can’t rule out that kid having other help,” he said. “They might not be able to hurt the Master, but a swarm of flies is still a nuisance. The people I’ve found are here to swat those flies for him.”Crane Sage considered it and had to admit the logic was sound. He nodded. “Very well. I’ll wait a few more days.”Tessa Dawson’s expression remained unreadable, though a flicker of regret crossed her heart. Adrian would have been a formidable ally—but since he’d refused the chance she offered him, then let him die.Adrian and the others knew nothing of Quentin Newman’s schemes. Three days later, at the Hill family villa—The Hill Group’s R&D had settled into a steady rhythm, and the company was busier than ever. To keep things running smoothly, Freya rarely left Daisy’s side.Tabitha Grant understood t

“It was just a couple of angry words—did you really take them literally?”Eleanor Davidson took a few steps forward and nudged Tabitha Grant with the tip of her shoe, earning a murderous glare from Freya. Eleanor spared them both a dismissive glance.“If I actually killed her, I’d have to sit in a cell, wouldn’t I? Better to carve up that pretty face.”Her tone turned glacial as her gaze fixed on Tabitha’s delicate features. Even if she ruined Tabitha’s face, at worst she’d pay damages.She flicked a look at her companions, and they immediately moved to drag Freya aside, hauling her away by force.“What are you doing? Don’t touch her!”Freya struggled to get up and shield Tabitha, but the women pinned her to the floor.“‘Don’t’? And who do you think you are?”Eleanor pulled a slim, sharp knife from her pocket and reached down to score it across Tabitha’s face.Just as the blade was about to touch skin, a hand closed like iron around Eleanor’s wrist.“Adrian!”Seeing Eleanor stopped sh

No one noticed when Adrian flicked a covert pulse of energy toward Eleanor Davidson.Once the Davidson family left, the mall slowly returned to order. As for the damaged storefronts and fixtures, the onlookers who had witnessed the whole debacle were unanimous: they would swear up and down it was all the Davidson family’s doing.It was simply bullying taken too far.They couldn’t intervene openly, but they could still contribute their share of justice.Adrian tilted his head. “Shall we keep shopping?”Tabitha Grant couldn’t relax, not after Adrian had tangled with them for so long. “Adrian, you didn’t get hurt, did you? Should we go to the hospital?”Adrian patted his chest. “They couldn’t lay a finger on me.”Only then did the two girls breathe easier.“Tired of walking? How about I take you both to eat on the fifth floor?”As soon as he said it, they realized how hollow their stomachs felt. The aromas drifting down from the fifth floor teased their appetites until they were practica