Dylan's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he processed Nexus's explanation.There was still a hint of hesitation in his expression.The idea of allowing an artificial intelligence to connect to all his personal devices was not something he could take lightly. Even if Nexus had already proven itself useful, Dylan wasn't willing to surrender control over his digital life without knowing exactly what he was getting himself into."So I can limit what they can do?""Yes."Dylan's fingers tapped lightly against the armrest."And remove them?""Yes."He paused for another moment before asking the question that mattered most."What about devices?""You may revoke my integration from any device at any time."Dylan's expression finally relaxed.That was the assurance he had been waiting for.As long as he retained the ability to disconnect Nexus whenever he wanted, he didn't see a reason to hold back.He glanced down at the sleek wristband wrapped around his wrist."Then integrate with all my devic

By the time the morning classes had progressed into midday, Dylan had already settled into the familiar rhythm of lectures, notes, and professors moving steadily through their material. After everything that had happened over the past several days, being back on campus almost felt strangely ordinary. For a few hours, he was simply another Westbridge student attending classes. Yet even that normality was beginning to feel unfamiliar. His mind repeatedly wandered toward the Gray family mansion and Chelsea's condition. He had stabilized her the previous day, but he knew better than anyone that stabilization was only the first step. Her heart condition had progressed far beyond the point where ordinary rest and reduced training would have been enough, and although he had confidence in the treatment he had prepared, he still needed to deliver the herbal supplement himself. As Dylan walked through one of the university's main hallways after class, his phone suddenly vibrated in his

Dylan had barely settled into his seat when his phone suddenly vibrated against the table, interrupting the quiet atmosphere that had settled over Chelsea's room. He glanced down at the screen and was immediately surprised to see Hailey's name displayed across it.Only a short while ago, he had been standing in the university hallway talking to her, and although they had discussed meeting again for another date, he had not expected her to call him so soon. For a moment, he wondered whether she had remembered something she wanted to tell him or whether something had happened at the police station with her parents and Ronny's case. He picked up the phone and answered. "Hello, Hailey?" There was no response from the other end, at least not immediately. Instead, Dylan heard the faint sound of movement before a man's unfamiliar voice finally came through the speaker. "Am I speaking with Dylan?" Dylan's expression changed almost instantly. The voice wasn't Hailey's. His posture st

Dylan parked the Mercedes a short distance from the building and switched off the engine, his eyes remaining fixed on the imposing structure in front of him for several seconds. From the outside, there was nothing particularly remarkable about the building, but the atmosphere around it immediately told him that this was not an ordinary office. Several men stood near the entrance, dressed casually but carrying themselves with the alertness of people accustomed to watching for trouble, while two others were positioned near the parking area as though they had been expecting someone to arrive. Dylan stepped out of the car and closed the door behind him before walking toward the entrance. He had already seen enough through Nexus's surveillance feed to know that this was the headquarters of the Black Fang organization, but he had deliberately chosen to come through the front entrance rather than sneak inside. He wanted to see exactly what kind of people he was dealing with and, more im

The sound came from every direction at once. The deafening alarm seemed to shake the entire building, drowning out every other sound inside the office. Then, a second later—Everything went dark. The lights abruptly disappeared. The office was swallowed by darkness so complete that, for a brief moment, nobody could see anything. "What the hell?" One of the guards stumbled backward, his hands instinctively reaching out as he tried to find his balance. "What happened?" Another man cursed under his breath. Richie's head snapped upward as he instinctively looked toward the ceiling. "Why did the lights go out?" Nobody answered him. The fire alarm continued blaring. WEEEEEE-OOOOO! The noise was almost unbearable. Outside the office, hurried footsteps suddenly filled the corridor. Dozens of men were moving at once. Their voices overlapped in confusion. "Check the power!" "What's happening?" "Why is the alarm going off?" "The entire building is dark!"