The auction hall had never been this quiet.Not the polite, expectant silence of wealthy bidders weighing numbers in their heads but something heavier. Suffocating. As if the air itself had been pulled tight.On the massive screen, Amelia’s image remained frozen, cropped just enough to be “acceptable,” yet intimate enough to make her stomach churn. A ripple of murmurs had died moments ago when the auctioneer’s assistant rushed in and whispered something urgent.The auctioneer straightened, adjusted his cufflinks, and raised his gavel.“And yes… ladies and gentlemen,” he said, voice sharpened with restrained excitement, “a sky lantern has just been lit.” He repeated.For a second, nothing.Then the meaning hit.A sky lantern.One hundred billion.No bidding war. No second chances.An outright claim.A collective gasp swept through the hall. Heads turned instinctively toward the VIP section, searching, calculating who would dare?Then they saw him.Cedric.Seated in composed stillness,

Zack sat still, elbows on his knees, fingers loosely interlocked as if that alone could keep his thoughts from spilling out.It had been too long since Jennifer heard from him. There was no way to tell her where he was. And that bothered him.His gaze lifted slowly, scanning the room again. There was still no sign of William.The door creaked open.Zack’s head snapped up just as Victoria stepped in, carrying a tray. She walked in like she belonged there and placed the tray on the table in front of him. There were cakes and pies on the tray.“Eat,” she said.He didn’t move. Instead, his eyes narrowed just a fraction. “Why am I here?”Victoria didn’t respond immediately. She adjusted the tray, straightening the spoon like that was more important than his question.Zack exhaled through his nose, patience thinning. “What do you want from me?”Still nothing.His voice dropped, sharper now. “Where’s William?”That got her attention.She glanced at him briefly, then away, as if measuring how

Amelia had barely left when Noah dialed Mike’s number.“Where’s Kai?” he asked immediately.“At a bar,” Mike replied.“Send me the address. I’m coming over right now.”“Yes, sir.”Noah paused, then added, “Where are you?”“I’m at the bar too,” Mike said respectfully. “I didn't want to leave him. So, I haven't taken my eyes off him one bit just as you instructed.”“Alright then, I will meet you there soon,” he assured before he hung up.Just as he settled his bill and stepped out of the restaurant, his phone rang. It was Jennifer.“ Boss, where are you?” she asked. “There's something I need to show you.”Noah sighed. “Can't it wait? I'm on my way to the bar to meet with Kai.”“No,” she said.“It can't wait, but what if I meet you at the bar as well?”“That's fine. Meet me there.”“Alright, I will be expecting the address,” She said and the phone went off.A message came in at that moment. It was from Mike. Noah quickly forwarded the address to Jennifer.He walked out of the restaurant a

Zack let out a long breath, the tension in his jaw visible before he even spoke.“You didn’t know?” he said, looking straight at Victoria.Her eyes narrowed. “Know what?”“It’s already all over the news. If you hadn't collected my phone, I would have shown you but well, you have a means to connect to the internet, right?" He didn't wait for a reply before he continued. ”You can search the Internet for it. Cedric has taken over.”That landed differently than any accusation or argument.Victoria didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she retrieved a phone from her pocket, her fingers tightening slightly as she unlocked her own device. The signal bar had only just returned,she’d been disconnected from the outside network the entire time she’d been keeping watch.As soon as the internet loaded, everything changed.Her eyes scanned. Zack was right. Cedric was in the news. The after party, the dance, and recently, the auction. Cedric was indeed alive and he was back.The name sat across multi

Morning came quietly over the Giles estate, sunlight spilling through the tall dining room windows in long, golden streaks. The table was already set with polished cutlery, crystal glasses, and plates arranged with the kind of precision that came from years of routine.Breakfast, as always, was elaborate.Fluffy buttermilk pancakes stacked high with maple syrup dripping down the sides. Crispy bacon and sausage links. Scrambled eggs folded with cheese and herbs. Golden hash browns. Freshly baked biscuits with butter and jam. A bowl of cut fruits which was strawberries, blueberries, melon, sat at the center, alongside a jug of orange juice and a silver pot of coffee still steaming.Their personal chef had outdone himself.Yet the atmosphere didn’t match the warmth of the meal.Kyle sat at the head of the table, his presence steady, commanding even in silence. Beside him, Cynthia maintained her usual composed posture, while Adam leaned back in his chair like he had nowhere better to be a