In the dimly lit master bedroom, Marcus stood facing the vanity mirror, removing his worn leather jacket in one motion before placing it on the hanger.In another corner of the room, Quinn sat leaning against the headboard, silently observing her husband's every movement.They had shared this room for the past few weeks, dividing territory like business partners living side by side.Marcus calmly stepped toward the worn-out sofa in the corner of the room, which had been his domain every night.However, the air temperature suddenly dropped sharply through the gap in the window right behind the furniture.The man slowly bent his legs, trying to find a suitable position in the narrow space without complaining.The sofa was so small, even only as long as his knees and only able to accommodate three-quarters of Marcus’s large body.Seeing her husband's stiff posture, Quinn’s grip on the edge of the blanket gradually loosened.Memories of how the man's broad back had blocked Dominic Vance’s

The oppressive silence that replaced the scorching heat of that bright afternoon only further fueled the Sterling family's malicious intent to provoke the quiet man standing before them.Feeling that her string of verbal insults had done nothing but crash against a wall of steel without drawing any reaction, Seraphina's slender fingers suddenly tightened their grip around the plastic cup of iced drink in her right hand.The fashionably dressed woman raised her hand while curling her lips into a crooked smile, then deliberately splashed the entire dark-colored liquid across the front of Marcus's body.The brownish, strong-smelling stain along with chunks of ice immediately seeped into the fibers of the simple clothes they had mocked from the very beginning.The cold drink trickled down from his collar to the hem of his shirt, creating a filthy sight amid the grandeur of the elite shopping district.A shrill laugh of satisfaction instantly cut through the crowd from behind Seraphina's b

"Look at this cheap melodrama, two dogs from an inferior breed have finally come together to lick each other's wounds in the trash!" the woman mocked, pointing straight at Moran's wrinkled face."Maybe we should give them a street stage so they can beg for coins together after this," Alexander added, spitting onto the sidewalk.Moran trembled in fear, clutching Marcus's sleeve while forcing himself to take short breaths."G-go, Marcus... leave this old man here before you lose your life as well," the old man whispered with the last of his strength.Marcus merely gave the back of Moran's hand a gentle pat."No one is leaving, Moran, and no one is going to lay a finger on you again today," the man replied.That statement instead drew a disgusted snort from Seraphina, who raised her left hand and waved her fingers through the air."Teach these two homeless bums a valuable lesson so they know where they should bow their filthy heads!" she ordered.Five large men dressed entirely in black

Only a few seconds after the sedan carrying Moran disappeared around the corner, the screech of another car's tires tore through the silence.A black SUV came to an abrupt stop just inches from the tip of Marcus's shoes.The driver's door swung open, revealing Callum, who immediately strode toward his superior with a face etched in tension."The situation in the capital has just taken a turn for the worse," Callum reported, getting straight to the point without bothering with a greeting. "We can't delay any longer.""Our headquarters was reduced to ruins by a series of bomb attacks half an hour ago," the man continued. "Hundreds of our troops have been brought down by a nerve-paralyzing toxin."Marcus's jaw slowly tightened, his expression darkening within seconds."This all happened because two of our executives decided to betray us." Callum let out a harsh snort, his face growing even gloomier. "The two of them unlocked the security code for the defensive gate, allowing those rebel

The sound of firm footsteps echoing away from the apartment door became a temporary farewell bell, seeing her husband off toward the battlefield.Quinn hugged the pillow that still carried her husband's scent for several minutes, unwilling to let go of the lingering warmth from their heated struggle the previous night.The brown-haired woman finally gave in, forcing herself to throw back the thick blanket before straightening her slightly wrinkled nightshirt.She slowly turned the doorknob to her bedroom, stepped out into the living room while casually tying up her hair.At that exact second, the guest room door at the end of the hallway creaked open as well, breaking the apartment's silence.Diane emerged from behind the door wearing pajamas, tidying her curled hair as she looked around."Who just left? Your husband?" Diane asked with a frown.Quinn stopped in the middle of the hallway, glancing at her mother expressionlessly.The squeak of wheels scraping against the floor followed,