Both hitmen began to scramble backward on their knees, frantically shaking their heads and begging with everything they had left. "Please, sir! We told you everything! We gave you the unit manager's information! What are you going to do to us?!”Lord Dominic smiled softly, resting his hands gracefully over the silver handle of his walking cane."I have a very nice underground facility," Lord Dominic said, his voice smooth and pleasant. "It includes a specialized dog farm where my elite K-9 security units are trained."Hearing those words, the two hitmen swallowed hard, their faces turning completely pale. "S-Security dogs?" the second assassin stammered, his eyes wide. "What will we be doing with trained security dogs?""Come on," Lord Dominic chuckled lightly, waving a hand in the air. "Who said you'll be placed in the cage with the security dogs? You didn't even let me finish."He leaned forward slightly, his eyes cold and lifeless despite the gentle smile on his face."I also keep

Brian sat in the back seat completely frozen, his mouth hanging open slightly as his eyes darted from the massive, glowing residence to Kael's calm face behind the wheel. When he had initially complimented the house, he was 100% convinced it belonged to the Whitmore family. After all, Selene said her family were doing well, so a sprawling, multi-million dollar architectural masterpiece in Aurelia Heights made complete sense for her, but the second Selene casually dropped that it wasn't her house at all that it was actually Kael's, Brian’s brain had simply short-circuited. He hadn't even found the breath to react or express his sheer shock before Kael delivered the final knockout blow. Without a single word, Kael had raised his hand, pressed the sleek remote control, and watched as the heavy, automated security gates of the compound slid open with a smooth, expensive hum. Kael didn't just know the owner, he had full clearance. Kael drove the Mercedes GLE inside, the tires rolling s

Kael looked at Brian, listening quietly as the frantic questions tumbled out of his friend’s mouth. Facing Brian’s dead-serious gaze, a soft, amused smile touched Kael’s lips. It felt almost funny to hear everything laid out like that, but Kael wasn't surprised in the slightest. In truth, after everything that had unfolded throughout the night, he had been expecting Brian to ask him this for a long time.Kael gave a slow, calm nod. "I knew you were going to ask me this eventually, Brian.""I really want to know, Kael," Brian pressed, stepping closer, his voice dropping to an urgent whisper. "There is no way you just walked away from $1.1 million for Ms. Whitmore without blinking! There is no way you live in a high-end estate like Aurelia Heights driving a $100,000 Mercedes GLE that you swear isn't rented! Even if it were rented, keeping a machine like that would cost an absolute fortune every single day! You can't be just a poor guy from the countryside. Tell me, who are you really?

Kael looked at Brian, a subtle, easy smirk on his face as he offered a small shrug. "Well... my men are professionals," Kael said smoothly, his tone light and unbothered. "They probably had their own ways of handling things, or maybe they just have special access that allows them to move in and out easily no matter what." Even as Kael spoke the words out loud, he found himself briefly reasoning through it in his own mind. Aurelia Heights had some of the most ruthless perimeter protocols in the entire city, but the Black Shield operatives under Lord Dominic's system were a different breed entirely. If they wanted to transport four bound bodies through high-level checkpoints without raising an eyebrow, they certainly possessed the clearance and cold efficiency to pull it off without a hitch. Brian stood there, listening to Kael's calm explanation, his eyes widening even further in pure amazement. “Special access? Professional men who can just move people through Aurelia Heights wi

The sudden, brutal sound of the slap hung heavily in the air, sending a collective jolt of pure, icy fear straight through the hearts of the four bound men. They were shaking so violently now that the wooden chairs beneath them scraped against the stone floor in a frantic, rattling rhythm.Kael stood completely still, his face locked in a hard, dangerous frown as he stared down at the groaning bully.Brian swallowed hard, his throat tight. He stepped closer to Kael, his voice barely above a whisper. "Kael... I'm sorry, I really am, I shouldn't have lied to you about the card earlier..."Kael exhaled slowly, the sharp anger in his eyes softening just a fraction as he looked at his friend. He gave a quiet, reassuring nod. "It's alright, Brian, I'll keep this."With steady fingers, Kael slipped the sleek black Monarch Dining VIP card into his inner jacket pocket. He then turned his full attention back toward the center of the room."For now, these people need to be taught a lesson they w