Luis didn’t move an inch despite Anna’s outburst. The two guards behind him stood just as still, their postures rigid like their bodies were carved out of steel. The air in the room grew heavy, thick with tension pressing against the four walls.Luis turned his gaze toward Tyson. It was difficult to read somewhere between a subtle threat and a quiet warning. Then, a faint smile curved his lips. On the surface, it looked polite, even gentle, but beneath it lurked something cold and poisonous.“Mr. Tyson,” he said softly, his voice cutting through the air like a thin, sharp whisper, “surely you know what choice is wiser in a situation like this.”He paused, leaning slightly forward. “To surrender and comply… or to resist, and cause unnecessary trouble.”The threat wasn’t shouted or crude, yet it lingered in the air, sharp and unmistakable, like the edge of a blade waiting to strike whoever dared to defy him.Tyson stared back without a word. His eyes were cold, unreadable.Anna, who had

Mateo glared at Tyson, his breathing heavy, but what truly made his blood boil wasn’t the words that came out of Tyson’s mouth, it was his expression.Calm. Flat. Not a trace of fear.Once, that boy would always lower his head, silent like a shadow afraid of the light. The moment Mateo raised his voice, Tyson would bow immediately, apologizing even for things that weren’t his fault. And now, that same person stood before him without the slightest hint of submission, as if all the power Mateo once had over him meant absolutely nothing anymore.“Honest?” Mateo repeated, his tone low, a venomous whisper. “You don’t even know what that word means.”His steps were heavy as he moved closer, stopping just inches away from Tyson.“You talk as if you have the right to. As if you still deserve to be here.”Tyson looked at him blankly, as though he couldn’t understand what exactly was making the older man so furious.“I’m not talking about what’s deserved,” he said evenly. “I’m just saying what

“So... what’s your role now?” Tyson’s voice was quiet, but sharp enough to slice through the silence. “Did you come here to make sure I don’t die in this room? So tomorrow morning you can say you tried to help me?”Kaylee stared at him, startled. “I didn’t mean it that way.”Tyson let out a small, humorless laugh. “No need to lie, Kaylee. I’m used to it.”He lowered his gaze slightly, looking at his trembling hands resting on his knees. “I used to think you were different from them. But it turns out you just learned how to hurt people in a softer way.”For a moment, there was no sound.Kaylee stood frozen, her face paling. Maybe for the first time in a long while, she didn’t have words to make herself look kind.Then, with a deep breath, she whispered, “I... I just wanted to help.”Tyson lifted his head, meeting her eyes directly. “If you really wanted to help,” he said coldly, “you should’ve done it when I still had hope left for anyone in that house.”His voice was flat, but fill

Anna let out another sigh this time longer. She lowered her head for a moment, her hands clenched tightly on her lap before she lifted her gaze back to him.The narration slipped quietly into her thoughts. She didn’t even know why she had waited last night. Didn’t know why, when she saw Tyson unconscious from a high fever three days ago, her heart had pounded too fast and her body had moved before her mind could think.She hadn’t weighed the risks. She hadn’t analyzed. She simply didn’t care. As if something inside her, something stubborn and irrational, had pushed her to protect that man.But Tyson didn’t know that. He didn’t need to know.“My kindness isn’t for you,” she said finally, her voice low but sharp. “It’s because you’ve already dragged me into this.”Her gaze locked with his, unwavering and defiant, but beneath it lingered a faint trace of unease.“And since I’ve been involved from the start,” she continued, her tone firm, “I might as well stay involved until the end.”Ann

Tyson didn’t answer right away. His gaze remained fixed on Anna, yet there was distance there, not the kind measured in space, but a thick layer of caution.After several encounters, he’d learned that Anna was good with words, always knowing how to place herself even in the tensest situations. But that was exactly why he couldn’t fully trust her.The decision to “become allies” had come too easily… especially from someone who had always lived between shades of gray.Still, he didn’t refuse either. If Anna truly intended to deceive him, Tyson would find out. He only needed time to see which direction she would take.Silence crept between them. The ticking of the clock grew louder, echoing in the small room filled with unspoken tension.Both remained quiet, assessing each other inwardly, trying to read what hid behind those calm expressions.Until finally, Anna broke the silence with a light tone, shifting the topic. “So… do you have enough capital to start that business?”Tyson looked