The moment the words left the guard's mouth, the taxi driver's hands trembled visibly against the steering wheel, his heart pounding with a fear that seemed to seep into every corner of his body. He had heard enough. He did not need to be told twice that he had made a grave mistake by driving all the way to this particular gate, a place so heavily guarded, so deeply shrouded in mystery and exclusivity, that even the mere act of approaching it uninvited could be enough to destroy everything he had worked for."I'm very sorry," he stammered quickly, his voice shaking with genuine panic. "I'm sorry, I didn't know, I swear I didn't know. I will turn around right now. I will leave immediately."His hands fumbled toward the gear shift, desperate to put as much distance between himself and this gate as humanly possible, desperate to erase any trace of his involvement in whatever chaos was unfolding before him.But before he could shift the car into reverse, Marcus's voice cut through the tens

Marcus looked at him with an expression that was not unkind but was completely immovable."There is nothing to worry about," Marcus said calmly. "I understand that you are frightened, and I understand why. But I need you to hold on just a little longer. My mother is unconscious—you can see that yourself—and I would rather not put her through any more stress than she has already endured today."He held the driver's eyes steadily."Nothing is going to happen to you. You have my word."The driver stared at him for one disbelieving second, then burst out with a short, humorless laugh that contained no amusement whatsoever."Hold your word?" he repeated, his voice rising with barely restrained panic. "Hold your word for what exactly? I'm not blind. Both of my eyes work perfectly fine, and what they are telling me right now is that you are a man who showed up to a heavily guarded restricted estate in torn clothes with an unconscious woman, claiming to be someone called the Black Dragon, and

Without uttering another single word in Marcus's direction, without daring to meet his eyes directly, the two security guards stood frozen in place, their earlier confidence completely shattered, their bodies trembling visibly as the full weight of their catastrophic mistake pressed down upon them with crushing force.One of them finally gathered enough courage to speak, his voice shaking so badly that the words barely formed coherently."Please," he stammered, stepping forward with legs that threatened to give out beneath him at any moment. "Please, sir, let us help you carry your mother. We can carry her for you. Please, allow us to assist you."He reached forward hesitantly, his hands outstretched in a desperate gesture meant to demonstrate his willingness to serve, to atone, to somehow undo the damage they had inflicted through their arrogance and ignorance.But Marcus turned toward him sharply, his expression cold and utterly unforgiving."I don't need your help," Marcus said, his

They handled her as though she were the most precious thing in the world.And to Marcus, she was.Within seconds, they had secured her comfortably and begun wheeling her away toward the interior of the massive house, their steps synchronized, their expressions focused entirely on ensuring her safety and comfort.Marcus watched them go, his chest tight with emotion he could not fully name.The elderly woman—Penelope, as Marcus would soon learn—turned back toward him, her expression warm and reassuring."You have nothing to worry about," she said gently. "Your mother is in the right hands now. She will be cared for properly."She gestured toward the entrance of the house."Please," she continued. "Come with me."Marcus did not waste another second.He followed her immediately, walking beside her as they crossed the threshold into the estate's interior, leaving the assembled guards and maids behind them still standing at attention, their heads still bowed respectfully.As they walked thro

At that exact moment, Penelope straightened immediately, her posture shifting into something crisp and attentive, because this was precisely what she had spent her entire life preparing for. This was the exact purpose behind every year of training, every lesson passed down through her family's generations of service, every quiet hope she had carried that she might one day stand before the rightful heir and finally fulfill the duty entrusted to her bloodline.Her master had given her an instruction. Why would she fail?She would never fail an instruction like this."No problem," she said quickly, her voice firm with unwavering loyalty. "Anything you want, master. I will get it done as quickly as possible. You have absolutely nothing to worry about."Without wasting another second, Marcus spoke again, his tone measured and deliberate."The Bushman family," he said. "You know them, correct? Or at least you've heard of them."Penelope blinked, caught slightly off guard by the mention of t