The dining room of Arthur Fletcher’s home was filled with savoury aromas of a home-cooked feast, Arthur sat at the head of the table, his shoulders relaxed for the first time in weeks, wearing a genuine smile that reached his eyes. To his left sat Fabian, Raphael, and Jack Westlake, sharing lighthearted stories and clinking their water glasses in celebration of the sudden, sweeping changes at the harbour. Further down the table, Lilian and Naomi sat side by side, chatting animatedly and laughing as they helped pass around ceramic bowls of vegetables and steaming rice.The front door opened softly, and Gabriel stepped into the hallway, slipping into the final vacant chair near the end of the table just as the conversation hit a lull. He offered a polite nod to Arthur and the older men, sliding smoothly into his seat without drawing unnecessary attention to himself."Glad you could make it, Gabriel," Arthur said warmly, reaching across to pour a glass of water for the young man. "We w

Gabriel’s expression remained unreadable, though his jaw tightened. Veronica, on the other hand, couldn't help but force a smile. "Oh, Lilian, please don't look so alarmed," Veronica said smoothly, stepping back and turning toward the younger girl with a smile. "We were just having a very brief disagreement about city directions." Lilian blinked, her gaze locking onto Gabriel with a curious tilt of her head. "Gabriel? Do you two actually know each other?" Before Gabriel could formulate a response, Veronica smoothly cut in, her tone casual. "Not personally, no. But as it turns out, he’s a remarkably helpful gentleman. Or rather, he was two days ago." Lilian raised an eyebrow, looking back and forth. "Two days ago?" "Yes," Veronica explained. "My car tyre blew out on the western coastal highway right near the district line. Traffic was horrible, and I was stranded with no mobile reception. Gabriel happened to drive by, stopped, and helped me change the heavy spare tyre without ask

Several questions battered his mind.Why would an elite team from Solaria travel thousands of miles across borders to execute Zane Mitchell in a provincial city like Ironport? Had Zane been dealing with high-level factions inside the kingdom behind everyone's back? What secret could his father possibly hold that warranted a lethal purge by the royal shadow council?Slipping the bag into his inner coat pocket, Gabriel turned away and walked down the recovery wing toward Room 408.The private room was lit; Zax sat upright in a wheelchair parked near the window, his chest wrapped tight in white gauze bandage rolls. His face was pale, his eyes shadowed with exhaustion, but he remained alert, his posture rigid despite his severe injuries."Gabriel," Zax greeted softly, "I heard from the nursing staff that you brought us here yourself. Thank you for keeping us alive."Gabriel didn't take the chair. He stood near the foot of the bed, leaning his arm against the raised bedrail, his eyes lock