"Isabella!" Elizabeth spoke the moment the line connected, her voice trembling with restrained fury. "They just took Master Reid!""What?" Isabella Heart’s sharp, commanding voice cut through the speaker, instantly alert. "Who took him?""It was the military—the Seventy-Second Division!" Elizabeth reported, her eyes burning with resolve as she looked at the wooden box of silver needles resting on the passenger seat. "They claimed he was colluding with terrorists!"A heavy, dangerous silence hung on the other end of the line before Isabella let out an icy breath."The Seventy-Second Division belongs to General Andre Lucario… does this mean the Lucario family are involved with the Elite World Group?” Isabella muttered.“We have to do something before Master Reid is harmed. I know we don't usually see eye to eye but we need to work together.” Elizabeth said.“I understand. I think I understand why Master Reid was picked up. Meet me at Adam Smith's manor. We'll discuss our next course of

On the other end of the line, Marianne’s light chuckle vanished, replaced by a sudden, calculating silence."Alistair Reid?" Marianne murmured, her tone shifting into a sharp, predatory intrigue. "Oh, isn't that the man that managed to defeat the men I sent to pick you up a while back? Why does he need your help now? I'd reckon a man as powerful as him would be able to easily subdue a thousand mortal men.”Isabella’s throat tightened, a cold sweat breaking across her back.She had almost forgotten—Alistair had casually broken the bones of Marianne’s elite enforcers a few days ago when they first tried to drag her back to the Capital.To Marianne, Alistair was not a helpless victim; he was an anomaly."He's staying within the law," Isabella lied smoothly, forcing her voice to remain ice-cold. "He hasn't used force because he understands the political weight behind a military arrest. But if he is pushed too far—if the Seventy-Second Division tries to break him—he won't stay passive. And

Over at the Smith Manor, Adam turned to Elizabeth and Isabella with a wide, bright smile, lowering his terminal."Master Reid just called me personally," Adam announced, the relief evident in his posture. "He is completely fine and uninjured. The military is escorting him back to his villa as we speak, and he expects all three of us there."Elizabeth’s face instantly lit up, a brilliant, excited smile breaking across her features. "I knew it! I knew they couldn't hold him!"Beside her, however, Isabella Heart completely stiffened.Her heart dropped like a stone into her stomach.Marianne moved that quickly? Isabella thought, her jaw clenching as a wave of icy dread washed over her.She really used the Snow Clan's military influence to release him... which means my trade is sealed. I have to leave Haven.The realization tasted like poison.To fulfill her promise, she would have to gather her younger brother, pack her belongings, and return to the golden cage of the Capital to marry a m

“So not only do we still not know where Cassandra is, but Alistair Reid has been released?” One of the men remarked.“Apparently, Terrence didn't have a choice. The Southern Heavenly General got involved.”“The Southern Heavenly General?” Another person said. “Just who is Alistair Reid for someone like that to intervene?”“That is what we are still trying to understand. Currently, the Lucario family is being investigated by the Southern Heavenly General so we have to stop all contact with them for the time being.”“What about Alistair Reid? What do we know about him?” “Nothing much. Not too long ago, he was the live-in son-in-law of the Connor family. He has nothing to his name and is honestly supposed to be an easy man to deal with. However, that doesn't seem to be the case.”“So what now? We have to find Cassandra and figure out where she hid the ledger otherwise we are in trouble.”“Perhaps there might be a way to force Alistair Reid to tell us where Cassandra Hawthorne is hiding.

Donovan’s jaw clenched tightly, a vein pulsing at his temple. "You arrogant bastard... you dare ignore me?!""Sir, step back immediately!" the head security guard of the Grand Imperial Spire barked, rushing over with three armed guards, their tasers drawn. "Mister Klein, is there a problem?""This peasant just assaulted Rebecca Hathaway right in front of the venue," Donovan spat, flexing his fingers as a vicious smirk touched his lips. "Break his legs and toss him into the alley. I'll cover whatever damages it takes to keep this quiet."The security guards didn't hesitate for a second.Knowing the immense financial weight of the Klein family, the lead guard stepped forward, reaching out to grab Alistair’s shoulder. "You heard him. Come with us quietly, or—""Touch me," Alistair interrupted, his voice dropping into a quiet, sovereign register that seemed to freeze the surrounding air, "and you will not live long enough to regret it."The absolute, bone-chilling weight behind Alistair's