---The inner living room remained occupied by the Hale men while Ross quietly stood nearby. The moment Levi mentioned Julian and Bianca's name and connected them to the bloody gift, anger instantly flashed across Elsa's face.Her brows knitted tightly together."They sent the bloody gift?"The image of the mutilated baby doll immediately resurfaced in her mind.Her fists slowly clenched.The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.Levi immediately noticed the change in her expression."Hey..."He stepped closer, gently placing both hands on her shoulders."Calm down."His voice softened."It seems that way, but from everything we've gathered, it doesn't look like the gift was actually meant for you."He paused before adding,"It was meant for Grandpa."Elsa blinked.Her anger slowly subsided as confusion replaced it.She turned toward William."Yes..."She nodded thoughtfully."Now that I think about it, Julian really did show an unusual interest in both... the Guillotine

HALE GROUP The Hale Group headquarters was unusually quiet that afternoon.Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the CEO's office, casting long streaks across the polished floor. Seated behind his desk, Levi remained completely focused on the documents spread before him.Since learning Julian's true origins the previous night, he hadn't stopped digging.Ross had gone off to investigate Carlo Moretti's whereabouts while every piece of information relating to Julian had been forwarded to him.Business registrations.Financial statements.Company acquisitions.Board members.International partnerships.Everything.Yet, despite the mountain of information before him, something refused to sit right.Levi's gaze settled on one particular page. Julian's company name.Aethelred Mechanics.He frowned."Aethelred.......Why does that sound familiar?"He leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers slowly against the armrest.He had definitely heard that name before.But where

HALE MANSIONLevi sat in the private living room adjoining his bedroom, a tablet resting comfortably on one knee while several confidential documents scrolled across the screen. Even though his eyes moved over every line, his mind was elsewhere.Julian.Carlo.The Moretti family.Nothing seemed to add up, and yet everything somehow connected.The soft sound of the bedroom door opening pulled him from his thoughts.He looked up just as Elsa walked in carrying a tall crystal glass filled with Fixed fruit juice.She walked straight toward him with an innocent smile before holding it out."Here."Levi didn't take it immediately.Instead, his eyes narrowed suspiciously at the drink."...What's that?"Elsa blinked."Fruit juice.""What fruit?"She frowned."What kind of question is that?""Please tell me what fruit?"She sighed dramatically."I honestly don't know. Kaitlin just asked me to bring it to you."Levi slowly leaned back against the sofa."And that's exactly why I need to know wha

TWO DAYS LATERThe charity gala had finally arrived.Thanks to Levi, Governor Grimshaw had agreed to move the event to Saturday, forcing everyone invited to rush weeks of preparation into only two days. Despite the short notice, nothing about the event looked rushed.The grand ballroom shimmered beneath enormous crystal chandeliers that hung from the high ceiling like frozen waterfalls of light. Fresh flowers decorated every corner, while round tables draped in expensive white linen stretched across the hall, each marked with elegant name cards reserved for the city's most influential figures.Waiters dressed in spotless black-and-white uniforms moved gracefully through the crowd carrying trays of champagne, wine and expensive delicacies.The hall was overflowing with power.Heads of Families, CEOs, Politicians, International investors, Media moguls, Generals, Judges.People whose signatures could make or destroy billion-dollar empires.Even local celebrities had fought desperately fo

Julian chuckled softly, though there was a slight edge behind the sound.“This feels like an interrogation, sir.”William leaned back comfortably, studying him with an amused expression.“I believe you're not very familiar with meeting important figures,” he said. “Because if you were, you'd know that timing is everything. When an important person such as myself asks about you, you're supposed to take the opportunity and use it to your advantage. Our time is precious.”Julian stared at him for a few seconds before he couldn't help but scoff under his breath.“Important person?” he muttered.William's brows lifted.“What was that?”“Oh, no, it's nothing.” Julian quickly smiled. “Well, I'm not from here. I was born in Italy and came here to expand my business. That's all. It's the reason I need to partner with important figures, as you call them, to help my company grow and establish itself.”“And your family?”“My father is late.”William's expression softened slightly.“I'm sorry to h