เข้าสู่ระบบ“We can just…” Zeph began, his voice cold but touched with concern.“I’ll be fine,” Jacen cut in, holding Zeph’s eyes as if he wanted to remember them clearly. “Thank you.” He turned away before Zeph could finish and walked toward the cab waiting at the curb.“Don’t hesitate to call if you…” Zeph tried again.“I will. I will,” Jacen replied as he slid into the back seat. He shifted to settle himself, pulled the door shut, and leaned forward slightly. “Eastern Parkway. Near Franklin.”The driver gave a brief nod, one hand steady on the wheel as the other reached for the meter. The glass rose with a soft hum and clicked into place as the car pulled away, and Jacen’s attention moved forward, his chest tightening when he realized someone was already sitting in the front passenger seat.“Let me down now,” Jacen said sharply, fear creeping into his voice as the cab passed through the crossing without slowing and rolled into quieter streets.“Hey,” he said, his hand already moving to his pho
✦THE NEXT DAY✦“Are you sure this is where you want to pretend you are calm?” Jacen said, his voice light but strained as he glanced between Caleb and Asher while the afternoon heat pressed down on the driveway.Caleb smiled. “You are the one leaving with a suitcase full of plans and a head full of noise, Jacen, so if anyone should be asking that question, it is us.”Asher let out a quiet breath, his hand settling at the small of Caleb’s back as if grounding himself before speaking. “You guys should relax. I know it has been a long time since you last saw each other.”“Yeah,” Jacen cut in, grinning boyishly. “I really miss him, and those days we all stuck together with Will and Jesse.” He laughed softly, pausing as Caleb rubbed a palm over his cropped hair. “We are so grown now. This is life. Then, it felt like we would be together forever.”Caleb laughed, glancing at the Mercedes Maybach GLS parked a few meters ahead. “I miss you guys too. I cannot wait for a get-together. I would no
◈MINUTES LATER◈“Hey, darling,” Caleb said softly as he stepped into the room and crossed to the bed where Asher sat in silence. He stopped in front of him, studying his face, worry tightening his chest. “Darling.”Asher's gaze remained fixed on the wall ahead, his hands resting loosely in his lap. A photograph lay between his fingers, held so lightly it seemed he no longer knew it was there.Caleb moved closer and sat beside him. “Asher,” he said gently, but Asher remained still.Caleb’s eyes drifted to Asher’s hands and stopped. The picture of Henry caught his breath, the sight hitting him all at once, sharp and unsettling. His chest tightened as he looked back at Asher’s face.He reached out and cupped Asher’s cheek, turning his face gently toward him. When their eyes met, Caleb stilled. Asher’s gaze was glassy, tears threatening to fall, barely held back, and the silence hung between them, heavy and tense.Tears slipped free, tracing slow lines down Asher’s cheeks as his vision bl
“You are late,” Dahlia said, turning to Alex and Matteo as they stood before her. Dreon stood at her side, his gaze cold and unwelcoming.Matteo smiled faintly. “There is always traffic when a man does not wish to arrive.”Dahlia laughed softly. Dreon’s eyes met Alex’s, and Alex immediately looked away, blinking too fast to hide his unease.“Better late than never,” Dahlia said, turning the stand beside her chair. Her eyes dropped to the bottom at its center before she lifted her gaze back to Matteo.“What is your plan?” Matteo cut in. His lethal stare locked with Dahlia’s, and she met it without flinching as silence settled between them.“Right now,” Alex said, breaking the tension, “we have a cat that needs to be put back in the bag.”“No.” Dahlia interrupted him, her gaze sweeping to Alex and pulling everyone else with it. “Destroyed, and everything that’s his,” she said coldly.Alex swallowed, his eyes flicking to Dreon before returning to Dahlia.“There is only one way to bring C
“I’m at the location,” the biker said quietly, his voice low as if even the empty road could be listening. He paused, tilting his head slightly while he listened to the voice on the line.“Yes…” he murmured as he shifted his weight and scanned the deserted outskirts. “No one.” His tone grew flat and cold.“Okay. Ten minutes then.” He ended the call and turned around, but he never completed the turn as Amanda’s hand wrapped around his neck with sudden force.Her grip lifted him slightly off the ground, her cold eyes meeting his with an unflinching, razor sharp focus. He twisted and clawed at her fingers, yet her hold remained steady, immovable beneath his frantic efforts.His hand trembled as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small knife, driving it toward her stomach.Without breaking eye contact, Amanda slid her free hand down and caught his wrist. Her grip tightened with practiced precision, twisting until the blade hovered at his ribs, angled back toward him.His breath h
"Dahlia," Dreon said, his voice low, almost cautious, as her eyes followed the three men walking away. Her eyes lingered on them until they vanished, then snapped back to him. Silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating.“Took you a century,” she said, her voice calm and cold, each word slicing through the quiet."My apologies, Dahlia," Dreon replied, his tone steady. "What do you want me to do?"She rose slowly, each movement deliberate, and stepped toward him. Her hand grazed his cheek before sliding down to rest lightly against his chest. Dreon remained still, his eyes locked on her as her fingers traced the line of his abdomen. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, letting the contact linger, a soft breath slipping past her lips.Her hand slid lower, but Dreon caught it, his grip firm and unyielding, his eyes sharp and cold, holding hers with a dangerous intensity. Slowly, she met his gaze, neither flinching, both radiating control. She leaned closer, letting her lips







