“Mom, why does dad hate me so much? What have I done to deserve being treated like this?”Jenny sat on the edge of her bed with her knees drawn close to her chest. She had locked the door after Kristopher left, unable to bear the thought of seeing him again that night. Her cheek still hurt from the slap, but the pain that troubled her most was the knowledge that her own father had threatened to kill her if she failed to convince Ethan to help them.Marianne sat beside her daughter, struggling to find the right words. She had heard Jenny crying through the door and had spent several hours trying to persuade her to let her in. Now that she was finally inside, she could see how badly the day's events had affected her.“Please don't think you have done something to deserve this, sweetheart. Your father's actions are his responsibility, and you shouldn't have to carry the blame for them,” Marianne told her, gently touching her arm.“Then why does he treat me as if I'm nothing to him?” Jenn

“Could we move the tables near the windows a little closer to the garden setup? I want people to feel like they're sitting outside even when they're inside,” Ethan instructed the interior designer as he examined the layout of his new café.The designer glanced at the floor plan before looking towards the large windows. “We can do that, sir, but we'll need to leave enough space for the staff to move between the tables. Would you prefer smaller tables, or should we reduce the seating capacity?”“Reduce the seating if necessary. I don't want the place to feel crowded,” Ethan answered after looking around. “The whole point is to make it somewhere people can relax instead of rushing through their meals.”The café was still a week away from opening, and Ethan had spent the morning checking everything from the furniture to the menu. Natural wood, indoor plants, and soft lighting gave the place a peaceful atmosphere, while the garden outside made it feel separate from the busy streets beyond

"Have you found out who is behind the inquiries?"Ethan was seated in his room, going through a few documents on his desk when Orion entered. He placed a thin folder in front of him and waited until Ethan finished reading the page in his hand."I've managed to trace some of the people involved, Chief. The inquiries weren't made directly. Whoever initiated them used several intermediaries, making it difficult to identify the person giving the instructions."Ethan closed the document and opened the folder Orion had brought."What did you find?""Two of the intermediaries have separate connections to the same private business network. I looked into the companies involved and found several business relationships linked to the Caspian family."Ethan's attention shifted to Orion. "The Caspian family?""Yes, Chief. I haven't found anything proving that the family authorized these inquiries, but the connections are there. Someone with access to that network could have used it to gather inform

"I understand that this might come as a surprise, but his name has appeared in our investigation more than once. We have reason to believe he's involved in arranging part of the consignment."Ethan picked up the file.The first few pages contained photographs of shipping containers, transaction records, and details of several individuals who had been under surveillance. He went through them without interrupting, paying particular attention to the dates and names mentioned in the reports.Charlie had already managed to make a mess of his own life. After being expelled from the Carvendish family, he had lost access to the money and privileges he once enjoyed. Ethan had assumed he would spend the next few months trying to find a way back into his father's good books or looking for someone willing to finance his lifestyle.He hadn't expected to find his name in a military investigation involving illegal weapons."How did you come across him?" Ethan questioned, turning to another page."On

"It could become complicated, but there's no reason to assume that it will affect us.” Ethan gave an explanation in a calm tone. “General Hawke's team is handling the investigation, and I have no intention of interfering with their operation.""You're certain?" Scarlett pressed with a worried face.Ethan reached across the table and placed his hand over hers. "My love, I wouldn't dismiss your concern if there were a reason to worry. But I'm not going to bring unnecessary trouble into our lives.""I don't want you getting involved in something dangerous just because Charlie has made another terrible decision." Scarlett frowned. “That idiot really never let us live in peace, I wish I could get rid of him for good.” "Come on Scarlett, you know about me, I'll never involve myself in danger no matter what happens.” "Sometimes you behave as if you have to handle everything yourself. You can tell me when something is troubling you, Ethan. I don't want you keeping things from me because you