"Understood, Sir!" the suited man responded smartly. He promptly grabbed his phone to contact the head of security and the remaining commander of the Shadow Viper squad.In under fifteen minutes, the courtyard of the main Aryawiguna estate erupted into frantic activity. Three heavy-duty black SUVs sat idling in front of the main portico, their engines humming. Over a dozen burly men clad in tactical gear with concealed sidearms scrambled into the convoy.Hendrawan strode through the main entrance, his expression dripping with murderous intent. Without wasting a second, he climbed into the rear cabin of the middle SUV."Move out now! Do not let the target slip away again!" Hendrawan ordered coldly from inside the vehicle.The engines roared as the convoy of black SUVs sped away from the main estate, sweeping through the massive iron gates that now stood wide open.The front courtyard and parking sector—previously teeming with tight security—instantly fell quiet, leaving behind only two

"Damn it, Boss!" Ucok screamed, sprinting toward Samson’s collapsing form as the rest of the crew swarmed Hendrawan and the few guards left standing.Fresh, crimson blood oozed rapidly between Samson’s fingers as he tried to put pressure on the gaping hole in his left chest.A horrifying chill seeped into his veins, accompanied by a sharp, burning agony that seared through him from the inside out. For the first time in years, his supernatural defense had failed. Whatever poison or specialized dampener Shadow Viper had used, it had stripped away his physical invulnerability in an instant."Boss! Stay with me! Don't close your eyes!" Ucok yelled frantically, pressing down hard on the gunshot wound. His face turned deathly pale as he watched Samson’s shirt turn soaked and dark with blood.Across the alley, a brutal brawl erupted. Gopar and the veteran gang members went wild like hungry wolves.Seeing their legendary leader struck down by a coward's bullet, Gopar vaulted over a pile of gr

Nearly two hours bled away in a suffocating silence—an agonizing span of time that felt like an eternity to everyone waiting—until the soft hum of the operating room’s automatic doors finally broke the tension.The red sign reading SURGERY IN PROGRESS went dark, switching to a steady green.CLICK.Rose shot up from her seat instantly. Her fingers dug tightly into the blood-stained backpack in her grip as she hurried toward the doors.Gopar, Ucok, and Bejo surged forward in unison, holding their breath with pounding hearts as they stared at the figure in surgical scrubs stepping out into the corridor.Dr. Handoko pulled down his surgical mask, revealing a pale, exhausted face glistening with sweat. His scrubs were noticeably splattered with blood."Doctor! How is Samson?!" Rose asked, her voice trembling violently as she braced for the answer that would decide everything.Dr. Handoko let out a long, heavy exhale. He looked at Rose and the three men standing behind her, one by one, befo

"I'm sorry," Samson whispered, reaching out with his uninjured hand. Using his thumb, he gently wiped the tears running down Rose's cheeks. "Don't cry because of me, Rose.""Why are you apologizing?" Rose asked softly."I'm sorry for making you cry and scaring you like that," he replied tenderly.The gentle touch of Samson's rough yet warm thumb against her cheek caused Rose's tears to spill over even more. Rather than subsiding, her tears flowed faster, wetting his fingers.The ice-cold woman who always wore a impassive mask now allowed her defenses to collapse completely in front of him."Don't ever do something like this again, Sam. Promise me you'll put your own safety first," Rose begged, placing her hand over Samson's as it rested on her cheek.Samson looked deep into Rose's swollen eyes. The wall he had spent so long building inside himself finally crumbled. He could no longer hide how he felt—not when seeing Rose looking so fragile before him."I promise, Rose," he answered wi

Samson offered a subtle smile, deeply moved by Bianca’s affection. She gave him a sense of family that had been missing ever since his mother passed away. Samson had been all alone in the world, so being regarded as a father figure by a twenty-year-old girl at thirty-seven wasn't something he minded in the slightest."Oh! I brought some fruit pudding. Titi and I made it earlier!" Bianca declared enthusiastically, turning toward Itari.Itari smiled gently, watching Bianca’s mood shift so rapidly from tearful hysterics to bright excitement. She reached into her shopping bag and pulled out a transparent container filled with fresh, layered fruit pudding, topped with neatly arranged strawberry and grape slices."That's right, Sam. Ever since she heard you woke up, Bianca refused to leave until she finished making this pudding," Itari said, setting the container on the bedside table. "She insisted her father needed to get his strength back."Samson looked at the container, then shifted his