The Xavier Group headquarters came into view less than twenty minutes later. Ethan's convoy passed through the security gates without stopping, and the black SUV came to rest beneath the private executive entrance. The Xavier building was unusually quiet for an organization that normally seemed alive at every hour.Ethan stepped out before a guard could fully approach the vehicle. Most of his disguise was already gone, including the false moustache, cheap glasses, and worn jacket. His shirt collar was loosened, the top button was open, and his sleeves had been pushed slightly upward after the exhausting evening.A security officer hurried toward him. “Miss Mira is waiting for you on the top floor, sir. She restricted access to the internal security systems immediately after your call.”Ethan headed toward the entrance. “Has anyone outside the emergency team accessed the equipment or transport records?”The officer followed beside him. “No, sir. Miss Mira personally ordered the systems

Ethan stepped away from the table. Leonard was not merely another household employee. As head steward of the Xavier household, he had spent years overseeing servants, organizing the estate, and protecting the privacy of the family he served.“Who confirmed his death?” Ethan asked. His voice remained controlled, but Mira could hear the anger beneath it.“Our medical personnel sir,” the chief replied. “They examined him immediately. There was absolutely nothing they could do.”Ethan glanced toward the dark windows. Steward Leonard had been alive when he (Ethan) left the estate earlier. Somewhere during those few hours, someone had crossed a boundary Ethan had always considered untouchable.Ethan tightened his grip on the phone. “Where was he found?”“Inside the estate grounds, sir.”That answer made Ethan stop walking. “Inside?”“Yes, Grand Master.”“Which section of the grounds?”“Near the eastern service quarters, behind the old staff residence.”“Was he alone when he was discovered?”

The security chief's silence lasted long enough to irritate Ethan. He had asked a simple question, yet the man on the other end seemed afraid to answer it. With everything that had happened tonight, Ethan had no patience left for careful words meant to protect his feelings.“I asked whether my wife knows anything about Steward Leonard's death,” Ethan repeated. His voice was controlled, but the warning inside it was clear. “Don't avoid the question because Selene is my wife. Tell me what you know.”The security chief finally answered. “I don't know that for certain, Grand Master. Lady Selene hasn't been around the household staff much lately, so I cannot honestly tell you what she knew before Leonard's body was discovered.”Ethan walked slowly toward the window. Avalora's lights stretched across the city below him, but he barely noticed them. “Then tell me what you do know. When was Selene last at the estate, and how much contact has she had with Leonard?”“Her contact with the househo

Almost immediately tears started running down his cheeks.“Before the title, before the Tribunal army, before people started standing when I entered a room.”Those words seemed to pull Ethan further into memories he had spent years leaving behind. Brookhaven had known none of his present authority. Back then, his name could not command soldiers or silence powerful men.Mira's voice softened. “So Leonard knew you before your grandfather brought you back into the Xavier family?”Ethan's eyes lowered. “He knew me when being a Xavier meant nothing to the people around me. More importantly, he knew what my life had become.”Then Mira asked quietly, “You mean he knew you when you were a lowlife in Brookhaven?”The name brought back memories Ethan had spent years trying to place behind him. Brookhaven had once been his entire world. It was where he had watched his company collapse and where he had remained trapped in a marriage to Yvonne Blake while shame slowly replaced whatever confidence

Her grip around his arm tightened slightly.Ethan glanced toward her. “Am I too heavy?”Mira immediately shook her head. “No. Just keep leaning on me if you need to.”“You don't have to carry me.”“I know,” she replied softly. “I'm choosing to help.”Ethan studied her for a moment, perhaps noticing that her concern had gone beyond the usual duties of an assistant. “You’ve already done enough tonight, Mira. You don’t need to spend the rest of it looking after me.”Mira kept her hand firmly around his arm. “Let me decide what is enough. Right now, you can barely walk without forcing yourself.”For once, Ethan had no answer. That silence made her heart beat even faster because the words affected her more than she intended.Mira quickly looked toward the elevator doors and drew a slow breath, forcing her emotions back under control.This was not the time to notice how different he looked without the title wrapped around him.He was her employer.He was married.He was grieving.And right