CLICK.The door handle turned, and the heavy hospital room door swung open.Both Matt and Serena snapped their heads toward the entrance, their voices instantly dying in their throats.Dustin stepped into the room. He was wearing his simple, dark casual jacket over a plain shirt, looking completely calm, collected, and ordinary. But if one looked closely, there was a faint scent of rain and gunpowder lingering on his shoulders, and his dark eyes were sharp, carrying the weight of a man who had just walked through a storm.He carried a small bag of warm food, his expression softening the moment his eyes met theirs."Dustin..." Serena gasped, stepping forward, her heart leaping into her throat.Dustin paused, noticing the absolute, frozen silence in the room and the intense, unblinking stares fixed directly onto him. He offered a gentle, reassuring smile."Hey," Dustin said softly, closing the door behind him. "Why is everyone looking at me like you've just seen a ghost?""Where were yo

The warm morning sunlight poured through the sheer curtains of the master bedroom, casting a soft golden glow across the king-sized bed.Dustin slowly opened his eyes, stretching his arms as he reached out to pull Serena into his chest like he did every morning. But his hand hit cold, empty bedsheets.He bolted upright instantly, his tactical instincts kicking in. His heart raced. "Serena?"He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up, looking around the empty room. Panic flashed in his mind. ‘Did Ferdinand's lingering men make another move? Did someone break into the villa while I was asleep?’Dustin rushed out of the bedroom and hurried down the staircase, his mind racing through worst-case scenarios. But as he reached the ground floor, a rich, mouth-watering aroma hit his senses. The scent of freshly brewed coffee, sizzling bacon, and sweet pancakes drifted straight from the kitchen.He paused, frowning in total bewilderment. He quietly walked toward the kitchen threshol

The central plaza of the Winchester Grand Mall was buzzing with shoppers, the soft hum of chatter and ambient music filling the bright, glass-roofed atrium.Dustin and Serena walked hand-in-hand past the high-end boutique storefronts. For the first time in what felt like forever, Serena looked genuinely relaxed, her arm looped tightly through Dustin’s."I can't remember the last time we just walked around like this without a crisis hanging over our heads," Serena murmured softly, looking up at him with a warm smile."Enjoy it, baby," Dustin replied, returning her smile. "Today is all about you.""Well, well, well... look what the cat dragged in!"A shrill, condescending voice cut through the air, instantly shattering the peaceful atmosphere.Dustin and Serena stopped in their tracks. Walking out of an exclusive jewelry store across the corridor was Lydia, dressed in a head-to-toe designer outfit, clutching a bright shopping bag. Her face twisted into a mixture of absolute disgust and

The midnight rain pounded relentlessly against the reinforced glass windows of the Supreme Military Headquarters command tower. Downstairs, the city slept peacefully under the quiet guard of the Red Eagle soldiers, completely unaware of the dark storm gathering in the high command chamber.Dustin stood in front of a giant wall-mounted holographic display, fully clad in his dark titanium tactical trousers and a simple black compression shirt. The dim red glow from the tactical screens cast long, menacing shadows across his sharp features.Behind him, Commander Calvin stepped through the heavy steel pressure doors, holding a sleek, encrypted military datapad in his gloved hand. Calvin’s expression was grimmer than usual, his jaw set in a tight, rigid line."Lord Supreme," Calvin spoke, his voice low and vibrating with intense gravity. "Our cyber intelligence unit has finally broken the multi-layered quantum encryption on Chief Collins’ private vault server—the one we seized after the Qu

Inside the ruined war room, Chief Collins hung in the air, held up by Dustin’s iron grip. The room smelled of ozone, copper, and burning metal."P-please, Dustin..." Collins choked out, his face turning purple as he clawed helplessly at the black leather glove gripping his throat. "I’ll give you everything! The money... the land... the names of the rest of the cabal! Just spare my life!"Dustin’s eyes burned with a dark, unyielding fire. "Twenty years of blood cannot be bought with money, Collins."BANG! BANG!Two thunderous gunshots shattered the quiet room.A sharp, violent shockwave burst straight through Dustin’s back. The armor was designed to withstand heavy fire from the front, but at point-blank range, the high-caliber armor-piercing rounds tore through the rear joints, plunging deep into his shoulder blade and lower ribs.Dustin’s eyes widened. A thick drop of crimson blood spilled from the corner of his lips.Behind him, a cloud of acrid grey smoke rolled off the barrel of a