The phone slipped from Bruce's grasp, clattering onto the villa floor. The sound echoed sharply throughout the spacious room.Isabella's hand flew to her mouth. "Bruce? What happened? You're as white as a ghost."Bruce didn't answer. He couldn't. His mind was racing, trying to process what he had just heard. Thomas Shepherd—his uncle was dead. A couple of years ago, he had exiled Thomas to China for conspiring against him and plotting to remove him as chairman of Shepherd Group. Exile was supposed to be the punishment. He had never imagined that Thomas would be killed."Bruce?" Isabella's voice pierced the fog clouding his mind. "Please, talk to me.""I have to go," Bruce said, his voice empty and hollow. He turned and headed toward his car, moving mechanically, his thoughts far away."Bruce!" Isabella called out after him, but he was already climbing into the driver's seat.The engine roared to life as Bruce sped away from the villa, the ocean blurring past him while he drove toward

Later that evening, the study of the Shepherd estate was filled with a heavy, somber silence. The golden light from the chandelier stretched long shadows across the room while Bruce sat at the head of the mahogany table, his golden mask worn on his face. Surrounding him were the key figures of his inner circle: Kenshin, Yuji, Oswald, and Alistair. Willow Shepherd sat to his left, her face pale and impossible to read. Beside her, Abigail Shepherd, his aunt, sat with her arms crossed, her keen eyes locked on her nephew. Bruce cleared his throat as he began. "I've called you all here because we've identified the killer of Thomas Shepherd. The Zenith clan is responsible for his death." Abigail stiffened in shock, her voice sounding thin. "The Zenith clan? I thought you dealt with them three years ago. I thought they were gone for good." Bruce met her gaze, his expression hidden behind the mask. "I wanted to establish a peace treaty with them. But they bolted and went into hiding. T

Lucy couldn't breathe. Luna's grip was like iron, her fingers digging into the soft flesh of Lucy's throat as she dragged her backward into the house. The door slammed shut behind them, and Lucy gasped for air as her vision blurred. A man entered after Luna, closing the door with the back of his foot. He was in his early twenties, young, with pale skin and cold, emotionless eyes. He came up next to Luna, moving lightly on his feet like a ghost. Luna smiled down at Lucy as she jerked her head toward him, her voice sharp. "Don't scream," she said, her grip tightening. "Or Damian here will go upstairs and make sure your son never wakes up again." Lucy's eyes widened in terror. She nodded frantically, her hands clawing at Luna's wrist. Luna released her, and Lucy collapsed to the floor, gasping for air as her lungs burned. She crawled backward, her eyes darting between the two intruders. Luna turned to Damian. "Did you get all of them?" Damian Zenith stepped fully into the light.

The faint crack of gunfire echoed through the halls of the Shepherd estate. Bruce's head jerked toward the window as his body stiffened. Before he could move, Yuji's hand went to his earpiece, his face draining of color."Master Bruce," Yuji said, his voice tight with strain. "The entire perimeter squad is dead. Every single one."Bruce's eyes opened wide in surprise. "What? "That's impossible," he said, turning to Oswald. "The Black Foot Clan are the strongest assassins in the world. How could anyone possibly take down an entire squad?"Oswald's face was pale. "I don't understand. No one should be able to—"Kenshin moved forward, his face showing curiosity instead of fear. "Perhaps this Damian Zenith is much stronger than we anticipated," he said, turning to Bruce with a measured tone. "Master Bruce, the Zenith clan's children possess abilities, do they not? Do you know what kind of ability Damian has?"Bruce's fists clenched at his sides. "No. I haven't met him yet. But I'm not goi

The room felt like it had been plunged into ice water. Bruce stared at the man standing before him. The man he had buried, whose death had sent shockwaves through the Shepherd family.Thomas Shepherd stood before him, alive and breathing, with a cruel smirk Bruce had never seen on his face before.Oswald staggered backward, his hand gripping the edge of the table to steady himself. His face had gone ashen, his composure shattered for the first time in decades."Master Thomas," Oswald whispered, almost out of breath. "That's... that's impossible. I saw the body with my own eyes. You couldn't possibly be alive—""What you saw was exactly what I wanted you to see," Thomas interrupted, maintaining steady eye contact with Bruce. "And as you can see, I am not dead."Bruce's mind raced as he struggled to process everything. "I don't understand. I saw your body. Your wife and your children buried and mourned you. We were all there at your funeral. You're not supposed to be alive."A cold chuc