2025-06-20 06:30:34Seth strolled through the grand auction hall like he owned the place... which, ironically, he did. Not that anyone here knew that. Not yet.
The place was glowing in gold and glitter. A massive chandelier sparkled above like a disco ball for the one percent, and every corner was filled with whispers, false compliments, and expensive perfume. Wealth hung in the air like humidity.
He swirled the wine in his glass, scanning faces lazily, until he heard a familiar voice from across the room—nasal, pretentious, and dripping with arrogance.
'William?'
'Oh boy, this was going to be good.'
The weasel of a man was holding court with a few overdressed young businessmen, who looked like a bunch of over pampered spoiled brats.
"Gentlemen, gentlemen," William said, chuckling with faux modesty, "please, enough with the compliments, I'm only here because I secured a very rare opportunity. A one-on-one with the Goldmaster himself."
Gasps and intrigued nods could be seen all around.
"The Goldmaster? Seriously?"
"How the hell did you manage that?"
"He doesn't even show his face!"
William puffed out his chest like a pigeon overdosing on ego. "Well, when you're from the Ken Group, doors open. We're not just a business, we're a growing legacy."
There was a beat of silence, then the men burst out in laughter.
Their laughter was full of mock and disbelief.
The oldest among them dressed in a navy pinstripe suit and a voice as dry as a desert, scoffed, "Ken Group? You mean that barely solvent property firm that tried to get into tech?"
"I thought they went bankrupt last year."
"No, no, they just changed names to Ken Global to sound more futuristic."
The group erupted again.
William flushed crimson but fought to maintain the grin. "I know Mr. Lucas personally. He and I go way back. We played golf last spring."
That name hit differently, the laughter died down almost instantly.
One man leaned in. "Wait. Mr. Lucas? As in... Goldmaster's right-hand man Lucas?"
William nodded solemnly like a priest delivering communion. "The very same."
Murmurs spread as eyebrows raised. People were buying it.
And that was when Seth decided to casually ruin his evening.
He walked up behind William, quiet as a shadow, until he stood just inches away.
"Wow," Seth said. "Didn’t know you and Lucas were such close friends. You should call him over sometimes and introduce us.”
William turned, flinching when he saw who it was. 'Seth?'
The same man he thought he would never have to deal with again. The same man that humiliated him with his wedding with Emily.
"Y-You," William stammered. "What are you doing here? Did Rose sneak you in? You know you don't belong here."
The businessmen looked back and forth, unsure of what they were witnessing.
Seth shrugged. "Nah, I came for the free wine and the drama, but hearing this, boy, I can kiss your shoes if you could introduce me to him, I mean even my clients would be thrilled to meet him, we would pay you good money too."
William's nostrils flared. "You're just a leech. I bet Rose brought you as her gigolo." As their laughter echoed, Rose 's face raged with anger, she wouldn't have been getting such shame if only he didn't come.
That was when a sharp voice cut through the tension like a guillotine. "Of course he's her gigolo. What else could a man like him possibly be doing here?" Emily mentioned as she walked by.
She walked up slowly, her red dress clinging to her like pride. Her smile was full of venom and spite.
"Don’t be fooled, gentlemen," she cooed sweetly. "Seth here is just a gold digger with a pretty face and a silver tongue. He clung to me for years, hoping my family would make him relevant. Now he’s latched onto Rose Tyrel, the next best meal ticket."
Seth blinked slowly, then smiled. "You know, Emily, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re still obsessed with me."
There were a few gasps and fewer chuckles.
Her face darkened. "Don't flatter yourself, trash."
"Too late," Seth quipped. "You brought me up before I even said a word. I’m flattered."
Someone in the back snorted.
One of the men asked cautiously, "So... you’re not her guest?"
"God, no," Emily sneered. "He probably works in the kitchen."
Seth gave a theatrical bow. "I do like to cook, actually. Roast some married liars, grind egos... stir the pot."
That got a few laughs.
William stepped forward, trying to take control of the moment. "You shouldn't even be in this hall. Only selected elites are allowed at this level. Where's your pass?"
"Funny you asked."
Seth reached into his jacket and pulled out a black card with gold embossing. The symbol was unmistakable.
Gasps erupted again. But it instantly put Emily at ease—because she knew exactly what it meant.
“Looks like your forgery skills are just as cheap and pathetic as you are,” Emily sneered, pulling out an invitation from her designer purse. The pale gold paper shimmered under the lights.
“This is what a real Goldmaster auction invitation looks like. When Mr. Gabriel sent ours over, it certainly wasn’t some cursed-looking black thing.”
The moment she said it, the spell broke — everyone snapped back to their senses.
That's right—the one everyone got was the gold one!
“Exactly! This low-class wannabe doesn’t know his place. Maybe we should teach him a lesson!”
“Security! Where the hell is security?” The guests stirred again, voices rising with excitement.
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Chapter 153. Orders from the Top.
Ceres's POVThe summons comes an hour before the break of the dawn sun, and the runner who brings it does not look at my eyes and doesn’t tarry for any kind of questioning. “Summons and complaint,” the runner says, thrusting the letter, it is the High Council Chamber. I know what it is about already.I get dressed without thinking, slip on my jacket over a shirt that reeks of smoke, and slide out of my quarters with my jaw closed hard. Two of my personnel are dead. One died where the west wall collapsed. Another bled out waiting on evacuation that never arrived. Their names are still lodged in my throat.The hallway leading up to the higher levels is quiet in a way that is definitely orchestrated. No chatter from the patrol. No movement. Just the smooth walls and the lights that give the sense that calm has not been purchased with bodies.The doors of the chamber open readily.They are already seated.Five of them today, sometimes seven, sometimes three. Depending on their expectat
Chapter 152. The Girl Who Didn’t Speak.
Seth's POV.The first time I saw her was in front of a broken staircase, one hand on the railing as if she was weighing whether the rest of the structure was sound.She did not appear to be hurt. That was the first thing that registered. Everyone else showed their injuries. Limping legs. Bandaged arms. Weak gaze that kept darting to corners that no longer existed. She simply stood, stable and calm in a manner that did not belong in a situation like this.It had formerly been an outpost for Ceres’ relay. Reinforced walls. Heightened lines of sight. Good places to create choke points. It could have withstood. It didn't. The burn marks can tell far more about it than any survivor. Breaches in the walls of the west. Internal damage done. Fire was applied in places where a precision strike would have been better. Failure upon which layers of poor decisions are heaped.She was watching me as soon as I entered.I felt it. That subtle push against the eyes that means a person is paying attent
Chapter 151. What Shadows Don’t Say
Noel's POVThe base just didn't feel the same after the mission.It never did, especially after intense brawls, but this time it wasn’t because of damage, loss, or wear and tear. It was eerily quiet, as if the walls themselves were listening. Soldiers trooped along at a slower pace. Muttered conversations ceased as soon as someone walked into a room. Everyone was thinking, and no one wanted to be the first to open their mouth.I went to the locker room and sat down without removing any equipment.The smells of metal, oil, sweat, and disinfectant lingered. It was a familiar scent. One that should have been grounding. Instead, it made everything feel all too real.I closed my eyes and here it came once again.That shadow.I hadn’t counted on that. Now I understood that. During the struggle. While everything was mayhem. While orders were being barked out. While opposing abilities were erupting into vicious bursts. I’d felt it extend the wrong way. A.pull that was nonsensical. A presence
Chapter 150. The Cost of Standing Still.
Seth's POVA struggle like this lingered in me after the struggle itself.Not the movements. Not the blows. These faded quickly, stored away with the rest of the physical memories. But the sensation, the weight in my chest, the shakes long after the adrenaline left my system that stayed.I had raised my fists against my own people.No. That wasn’t true.I hadn’t fought them. I had fought the uniform, the orders, the situation.“That’s the lie I kept telling myself,” that's how I summed up... It was a quiet road from here to the castle. Too quiet. They drove along the road hugging the cliff, with the moonlit sea shimmering far below like a scattering of broken glass. The wind beat against the windows with a mournful, deep moaning noise, and I tried to hear what guilt sounded like when words failed.Ceres drove as if nothing had happened.One hand on the steering wheel, a relaxed posture, humming to herself as if after a successful training mission rather than a field where blood and sm
Chapter 149. The Shadow I Didn’t Chase.
Noel’s POVThe first thing I felt was pressure.Not fear. Not excitement. Pressure, like the air itself was leaning inward, compressing around my chest, reminding me that this wasn’t training anymore. This was real. Real enemies. Real blood on concrete. Real lives hinging on every wrong step.Velkor’s outskirts were burning.Floodlights cut through smoke in harsh white lines, slicing shadows apart and stitching them back together in ugly shapes. Government units moved with discipline, voices clipped, orders sharp and efficient. This wasn’t chaos. This was controlled violence.I stayed low, close to broken walls and overturned crates, my shadow stretching thin beneath me, alert, listening. Shadows always talked. Not in words, but in pressure, in direction, in that quiet pull that told me where danger lived.“Advance left,” Alex’s voice came through the comm. Calm. Too calm. “Noel, cover the rear.”“On it,” I whispered.I slid backward into the shadow of a collapsed beam, breath steady
Chapter 148. Lines in the Dark.
Seth’s POVThe car smelled like oil, metal, and something burned into the upholstery long before I ever sat in it. The engine hummed low, steady, like it had made this trip too many times to care anymore. Ceres drove with one hand on the wheel, relaxed, as if we were heading to a meeting instead of a battlefield.I stared out the window, watching the dark blur past, trees thinning into broken land and concrete scars. Camps like this were never placed somewhere clean. They thrived in forgotten spaces. Places no one would miss if they burned.“Where are the others?” I asked, keeping my voice neutral.Ceres didn’t look at me right away. “Redeployed,” she said. “Different camp with a higher priority.”That answer sat wrong in my chest.“Just us?” I pressed.“For this operation,” she replied. “Yes.”The silence that followed was thick, heavy. I didn’t like being alone with her thoughts. Ceres was dangerous not just because of her ability, but because she enjoyed watching people figure out
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