2026-07-21 21:37:30
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ONE HUNDRED-SIXTY-FIVE: THE HALE GAMBIT
HALE MANSIONLevi sat in the private living room adjoining his bedroom, a tablet resting comfortably on one knee while several confidential documents scrolled across the screen. Even though his eyes moved over every line, his mind was elsewhere.Julian.Carlo.The Moretti family.Nothing seemed to add up, and yet everything somehow connected.The soft sound of the bedroom door opening pulled him from his thoughts.He looked up just as Elsa walked in carrying a tall crystal glass filled with Fixed fruit juice.She walked straight toward him with an innocent smile before holding it out."Here."Levi didn't take it immediately.Instead, his eyes narrowed suspiciously at the drink."...What's that?"Elsa blinked."Fruit juice.""What fruit?"She frowned."What kind of question is that?""Please tell me what fruit?"She sighed dramatically."I honestly don't know. Kaitlin just asked me to bring it to you."Levi slowly leaned back against the sofa."And that's exactly why I need to know wha
ONE HUNDRED - SIXTY-FOUR: THE MORETTI LEGACY
Three hours later...Levi was back at Hale group working on both company affairs and Julian's possible threat.Then.....The office doors burst open.Vanessa walked in much quicker than usual, a thick file clutched tightly against her chest.Levi immediately noticed her expression."You found something.""I did."She placed the file on his desk."You were right."Levi gestured for her to continue."I traced Aethegard Dynamics beyond Italy."She opened the file."Aethegard Dynamics wasn't the beginning.""It was only a continuation."Levi remained silent.Vanessa slid an old corporate registration across the desk."This company....was registered in San Francisco over fifty years ago."Levi looked down.Across the faded document was printed an unfamiliar name.Moretti Corporation.His pupils narrowed.Vanessa continued."It belonged to Don Lorenzo Moretti. It wasn't part of his underground organisation. It was one of his legitimate businesses, while the underground network generated inf
ONE HUNDRED - SIXTY-THREE: A NAME THAT REFUSES TO DIE
HALE GROUP The Hale Group headquarters was unusually quiet that afternoon.Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the CEO's office, casting long streaks across the polished floor. Seated behind his desk, Levi remained completely focused on the documents spread before him.Since learning Julian's true origins the previous night, he hadn't stopped digging.Ross had gone off to investigate Carlo Moretti's whereabouts while every piece of information relating to Julian had been forwarded to him.Business registrations.Financial statements.Company acquisitions.Board members.International partnerships.Everything.Yet, despite the mountain of information before him, something refused to sit right.Levi's gaze settled on one particular page. Julian's company name.Aethelred Mechanics.He frowned."Aethelred.......Why does that sound familiar?"He leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers slowly against the armrest.He had definitely heard that name before.But where
ONE HUNDRED - SIXTY-TWO: A WAR BORN FROM MERCY
The Hale family sat in stunned silence, every face frozen by the truth William had just revealed.The room was so quiet that even the ticking of the grandfather clock sounded unusually loud.Questions flooded every mind, but no one dared to ask them.Perhaps they feared the answers.Leonard, looking more shaken than everyone else, was finally the first to break the suffocating silence."What do you mean, Father?"William leaned back slightly and let out a long breath before speaking."Remember what I told you about my father, Richard? How he took power from the men he once worked for? The men who helped us reclaimed our family's first hotel and settle the debts my granduncles buried us under."Levi's brows drew together."This is the story you told me during my time in England."William gave a small nod."Correct. Although I wouldn't call it a story."He looked around at them."It is our origin."Levi remained silent."And if I remember correctly," Leonard continued, his voice rising,
ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-ONE: AN OLDEST ENEMY
---The inner living room remained occupied by the Hale men while Ross quietly stood nearby. The moment Levi mentioned Julian and Bianca's name and connected them to the bloody gift, anger instantly flashed across Elsa's face.Her brows knitted tightly together."They sent the bloody gift?"The image of the mutilated baby doll immediately resurfaced in her mind.Her fists slowly clenched.The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.Levi immediately noticed the change in her expression."Hey..."He stepped closer, gently placing both hands on her shoulders."Calm down."His voice softened."It seems that way, but from everything we've gathered, it doesn't look like the gift was actually meant for you."He paused before adding,"It was meant for Grandpa."Elsa blinked.Her anger slowly subsided as confusion replaced it.She turned toward William."Yes..."She nodded thoughtfully."Now that I think about it, Julian really did show an unusual interest in both... the Guillotine
ONE HUNDRED - SIXTY: MISSING PIECE
HALE MANSIONDusk had settled over the Hale Mansion.The excitement from the baby shower had long faded, replaced by a heavy silence. Vanessa had already done her part, erasing every trace of the disturbing video from the internet before it could spread any further. The media had also gone quiet, exactly as ordered.Inside the inner living room, however, the investigation was only beginning.William, Leonard and Levi sat together while Ross stood before them with a tablet in hand, reporting everything his men had uncovered."Sir," Ross began respectfully, "we traced the sender's address to an apartment on Malcolm Street."He paused before continuing."But after investigating the current occupants, none of them appear to have any connection whatsoever to the gift."Leonard folded his arms."None?"Ross nodded."In fact, the couple living there don't even know who Lady Elsa is."He glanced at his report."The only exception is their twelve-year-old granddaughter."William frowned."And?
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