Sella took a step back from Edi, her body trembling. She wasn't just jealous; she was afraid of herself. Afraid that she loved and desired this current version of her brother."You reject me, Edi. You reject the blood ties, the bond of our promise to Father. All of this for those three purple dots on your neck," Sella hissed, her finger pointing at the Lamia mark on Edi's neck as if indicating a traitor.Edi opened his mouth, wanting to explain. To explain the System, the Incubus Rage, the brutal need he was experiencing. But he couldn't. Lilieth had warned him—never reveal Desmond's secret to Sella, especially not in this emotional state."Sella, listen. I'll find another way to solve this. I'll take care of us. I promise. But that relationship... with a woman... it's complicated. It's necessary.""Necessary? For the Demon inside you?" Sella's eyes sharpened. She stepped forward, once again challenging the boundary. "Fine. You want proof of the 'ne

“Sorry, I didn’t get a chance to dispose of it,” Edi said.Mia looked at the shirt again, and suddenly her gaze froze, not on the odor, but on the bright purple color of the mark on the shirt’s shoulder. Then, her gaze shifted from the torn fabric to Edi’s neck.She leaned forward. Their distance narrowed to less than a foot. The smell of her body, a soft scent of vanilla mixed with a hint of exotic natural musk, flooded Edi.Edi’s heart pounded fast. If he transformed into Desmond now, he would surely pounce on Mia again. Edi forced himself to remain Edi, the awkward coward.Mia’s fingers, long and slender, now rose. They carefully touched the hickey on Edi’s neck—three perfect, deep purple spots flawlessly placed by the Lamia. The mark that Sella had already seen.“This…” her voice whispered, “This is very deep, Edi. Or should I call you Desmond when we are alone?&rdqu

“I’m sorry, Edi,” Mia said in a flat, cold voice that stabbed straight into Sella’s ears, “but you have an appointment in my snake pit, and you are terribly late.”Mia’s aura burst forth, carrying the scent of damp forest, dangerous reptiles, and pure desire. It wasn't an aura intentionally launched to harm, but rather a kind of territorial warning. Anomaly powers clashed in the narrow corridor.Sella was startled. Although she didn't recognize Mia as an Anomaly, the not-yet-fully awakened Nephilim senses inside her reacted to the primordial threat. Her grip loosened for a moment.That was all Edi needed.Edi capitalized on the momentum of Sella’s released grip and twisted his body. His physique felt incredibly light and strong, thanks to the wild DP surge Sella had just released.“Sella, stay inside!” Edi pushed Sella back with unexpected force, enough to send her staggering into her room

Two days passed, and Edi played the role perfectly. As Edi, he spent his time diving into public databases, scanning Amel’s company financial reports (easily accessible information for anyone with the right bank connections), and compiling a fake ‘intelligence report’ for Olivia.He only provided Olivia with data she already knew, or completely harmless information, while ensuring that all of ‘Desmond’s’ contacts with Amel were completely clean of any surveillance.On the third morning, Edi received a call from Olivia. Her tone was slightly friendlier—just slightly. Perhaps Olivia was starting to believe in the ineptitude of this enthusiastic ‘Edi.’“Your report is satisfactory, Edi,” Olivia’s voice came over the phone. “You found some small transaction anomalies, but nothing that leads directly to the gigolo.”“I’m just trying to do my best,” Edi said, t

“And Olivia?” Edi asked, returning to the bitter irony. “Amel’s daughter? You let her think I actually went in, and she almost caught us?”The Mentor laughed again, a dry, elegant sound. “That was the best part. We needed to know how the Demon would react to pressure from the Human he loves—or in this case, his Partner’s relative. You nearly unleashed your Incubus Rage just because you saw your own shadow.”Edi sighed. The stinging shame was now as great as the sudden rush of anger. The Mentor was right. Edi needed to learn to control his Demon, not the other way around.“What else do I have to do? I’ve learned this lesson. What other bugs need fixing?” Edi asked.The Mentor reverted to the Desmond Mimicry form, his face handsome and youthful again. He stepped forward. His terrifying neon purple eyes stared intently, piercing Edi. He touched Edi’s chest—exactly where his D