Thiago watched Vespera walk back to her family's table. The moment her back was turned, the faint smile disappeared from his face. A sneer of contempt crossed his eyes. The Morgan family would never reflect on what they had done. He knew that now more clearly than ever. They wouldn't ask themselves why Thiago had finally walked away. They wouldn't remember how they had taken advantage of his kindness. They wouldn't remember the years he spent working, paying bills, cooking meals, cleaning their house, solving their problems, and sacrificing his own comfort for people who never truly regarded him as family. Instead, they would blame him. They would become even more resentful. They would tell themselves that Thiago had betrayed them. That he had become arrogant. That he had forgotten where he came from. That he owed them. That his money should belong to them. It was exactly how the Morgan family had behaved in his previous life. And that memory reopened an old wound. Thi

Thiago stared at Vespera for a moment then he smiled. It was not the nervous smile of a man who had been threatened. It was the relaxed, almost amused smile of someone watching another person walk confidently toward a trap. “Go ahead,” he said. Vespera's expression tightened. “What?” “I said, go ahead and try.” Thiago leaned back in his chair, completely relaxed. “You seem very confident, so I wouldn't want to ruin your confidence. File whatever application you want. Freeze whatever account you think you can freeze. Bring whatever evidence you believe you have.” His eyes gleamed with mockery. “Let's see how it goes.” Vespera clenched her teeth. She had expected him to panic. That was the entire point. If Thiago became worried about his money, perhaps he would be willing to negotiate. Perhaps he would agree to give her something substantial in exchange for withdrawing the application. Even better, perhaps he would finally realize that he could not simply walk awa

Thiago pushed open the narrow door and stepped into the dimly lit shop. The faded sign outside had given him little indication of what was inside. Neither did the interior. The room was small, poorly illuminated, and almost completely silent. Shelves lined the walls, but most were hidden beneath dark curtains or covered with boxes. There was an old counter near the entrance and another larger counter toward the back. Behind it stood a man. He appeared to be in his late thirties. Thiago's eyes immediately settled on what the man was doing. He was holding a weapon. More precisely, he was working on one. The man was so focused on it that he apparently hadn't noticed Thiago entering. Thiago stopped. He didn't announce himself. Instead, he walked toward the counter and knocked twice against its wooden surface. Knock. Knock. The man immediately looked up. His expression changed. The relaxed concentration disappeared, replaced by instant vigilance. His eyes moved over Thiago

Thiago noticed the greed in the muscular man's eyes. It wasn't subtle. The moment the man saw the gold, his entire attitude changed. He was trying to figure out how much was in the backpack, how much it was worth, and, more importantly, whether there was some way he could benefit from the situation. Thiago had seen that expression too many times. People became strangely honest when money appeared in front of them. But Thiago couldn't be bothered. He had no interest in getting dragged into unnecessary complications with a stranger simply because the man happened to be greedy. There were more important things to do. He turned his attention back to Bryan. “I'll make this simple.” Bryan raised an eyebrow. Thiago pointed toward the covered weapon. “I want the interception crossbow on the counter.” Bryan remained silent. “If that one isn't available,” Thiago continued, “then an Elite Crossbow or a Shadow Stalker will do.” The muscular man's expression changed slightly. Thiago

Thiago had no intention of getting into a pointless confrontation with Kent.He understood the type of man he was dealing with.Kent was a ruthless desperado who seemed accustomed to intimidating people and getting his way through threats. Men like that often tested others deliberately. They watched for hesitation, fear, and weakness. The moment they sensed someone was afraid of them, they became even more aggressive.Therefore, Thiago knew he had to remain composed. He couldn't appear nervous or act submissive.But he also couldn't behave recklessly. The best approach was distance.Let Kent understand that he wasn't an easy target while giving him no excuse to turn a simple transaction into a confrontation.However, Thiago had already made one decision.If Kent refused to back off and insisted on causing trouble, Thiago wouldn't mind killing him before the apocalypse began.He had no emotional attachment to the man.Kent wasn't family. He wasn't even a friend, neither was he someone