That single word hit hard, and the neighborhood went ghost-quiet.‘Commander.’The laughter outside the Bennett Villa slowly faded.The passersby stared with wide eyes. Even the reporters who had followed Asher from the military headquarters looked confused.Elaine's confident smile abruptly vanished.Serena blinked in confused surprise.Only Lily smiled brightly, her little face lighting up with excitement."I knew it!" she shouted with brightened cheeks: "Daddy is still a hero!"The man standing at the front of the group kept his head lowered. He didn't dare look Asher in the eye. The others behind him remained in the same respectful posture, waiting for his next command.Asher looked at them calmly.He feigned a serious expression and mouthed: "You've mistaken me for someone else."His voice was steady, no panic, just calmness. The suited man raised his head slightly."Our apologies..."He quickly corrected himself."Mr. River."He reached into his coat and carefully brought out a

The word ‘Young Heir' still resounded in Asher's ears as he maintained surprised eye contact with everyone kneeling before him.Less than twenty hours ago, he was disgraced and stripped of his military portfolio, and within a twinkle of an eye, he was being honored by people who saw him as their own.General Hale didn't lead Asher toward the grand hall. Instead, he took a narrow stone path behind the estate.Neither of them had spoken since the last unexpected exaltation. A loud silence filled the room. It was the silence between people protecting the same memories. They stopped before a small wooden house.It was old. The paint had faded with time, and vines had climbed across one side of the wall.Asher stared at it for several seconds and finally widened his lips: "It hasn't changed."General Hale smiled: "No. We weren't allowed to change it."Asher slowly pushed the door open. The room was exactly as he remembered.A bookshelf stood against the wall. A worn sofa faced the fireplac

The Bennett Villa had never been this lively. Luxury cars filled the driveway, and well-dressed guests walked in and out of the mansion with smiles on their faces. Crystal glasses clinked together as waiters moved through the crowd.Everyone was here for one reason: to witness the Bennett family's biggest business deal.Elaine Bennett stood in the center of the living room wearing an expensive burgundy dress, accepting one compliment after another."Congratulations, Mrs. Bennett. I heard Blackstone Development personally chose your family.""The Bennett Group is about to become one of the city's biggest developers."Elaine laughed proudly: "It was only a matter of time. My family deserves this."One of her sisters smiled knowingly: "You also made the right decision."Elaine raised an eyebrow: "Huh? What decision?""Driving that useless son-in-law out."The room burst into laughter."If Asher were still here, Blackstone would've walked away the moment they saw him. Who would work with

The Bennett Group headquarters, for the first time in years, felt like a sinking ship. The reception area, once crowded with clients and investors, was almost empty.Employees whispered among themselves about the loss of historic contracts. A big hit so far that questions have been raised on the sustainability of the establishment.Some of the staff members quietly updated their résumés for openings in other firms while others refreshed their email inboxes every few minutes, hoping for good news that never came.Apparently, inside the boardroom. Elaine Bennett slammed a folder onto the table, her voice cold as ice: "There has to be a mistake!"She glared at every executive present: "Three investors don't withdraw on the same day without a reason. It hardly happens!"One director cleared his throat and leaned a little further: "We've contacted all of them. They all gave the same answer."Elaine’s throat tightened: "What answer?"The man hesitated: "They said… they're no longer interest

Chapter Ten: The Second Major DoseThe smell of smoke still hung in the air, with burnt vehicles blocking the road while emergency teams rushed to help the wounded.Nathan Cole dusted off his suit before walking toward Asher. For a long moment, he stared at him: "I owe you my life."Asher shook his head: "You owe your men. They bought us enough time."Nathan looked at the injured officers being carried into ambulances.His eyes softened."I won't forget their sacrifice."Before Asher could reply, a black SUV sped toward them. The vehicle hadn't even stopped when an intelligence officer jumped out."Young Heir!"General Hale frowned and moved his lips faster: "What happened?"The officer swallowed hard: "The explosion wasn't random."Asher's eyes narrowed: "Report.""The mountain communications relay… has been destroyed."Everyone froze.Nathan's expression changed instantly: "The relay station? Impossible, that's one of the most secure facilities in the Eastern region."The officer no