“Where did that come from?!” Hero exclaimed in shock, clutching his neck as if he had been the one stabbed there.“He almost stabbed you with it earlier,” Zekiel said with a grin, especially when he saw Dylan and Hero frozen in place.He approached his wife and kissed her on the cheek.“So, you’re the only one who can make him confess,” Zekiel said, embracing her from behind.The other personnel present couldn’t help but admire them. Claire’s skill and fierceness hadn’t faded at all—in fact, she was even more terrifying now than their former boss, Zekiel.“If I hadn’t done anything, we would’ve known their whereabouts from the start. Since we’re about to return to Spain, we need to head there first. I’m sure Clarence is also in the same place as the twins.”TIME PASSED QUICKLY, and the next day, they traveled to Spain. Their family, including Mother Lucing, joined them since Clark and Francine’s wedding was approaching.The wedding couldn’t be postponed—too many people were already an
Francine went to Clarence’s room, intending to invite him to play. She knew her son would be bored since he now had his own room, and both she and Clark had been busy preparing for their upcoming wedding. But panic set in when she couldn’t find him there—even the maid had no idea where he was.“Clarence is missing!” she screamed as she burst into Clark’s office, where he was discussing politics with his father.Chaos erupted in the palace. Stefan took charge, instructing the maids and staff to prevent the news from leaking.With Zayne and Zoey already missing, if the public found out that Clarence—the future king—had also disappeared, panic would spread. The royal family was no longer safe.Stefan summoned his former loyal knight, Fin, along with his wife, Kaithy. Quinn also arrived at the palace with their three-year-old daughter, Queeny. They helped search for Clarence, but there was no trace of him.That’s when Quinn suggested informing Zekiel’s group. Timothy himself called his fr
Zekiel and Claire were busy with their respective tasks inside Zekiel’s office at Gray Company. The two of them were currently managing their business while also having given Dylan and Hero orders regarding the disappearance of the twins and the spreading rumors about their absence.Many had concerns and were curious about what had happened, especially since the missing children were the Princess’s heirs and the wealthiest individuals in the world. Claire had come up with an alternative idea—just yesterday, she had devised a way to make people believe the twins were simply away rather than in danger or that the royal family was collapsing.Since those who attended the twins’ graduation knew they hadn’t been present, they used that as an excuse for their disappearance. The public narrative was that the twins were upset and that their parents had been neglectful.They didn’t care what others thought of them, knowing full well that their supporters understood they were busy people."Hell
Zoey jolted awake as she felt the cold floor beneath her. A sharp pain throbbed at the back of her neck as she sat up, but with it came the return of her memories. Tears immediately streamed down her face, and she clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle her sobs.They had trusted Phil. They followed him, believing every word he said—only for him to stab them in the back.His words echoed in her mind—how he claimed to know where Francine’s mother was. Now, she wondered if their aunt’s mother was even alive or if he had just deceived them.The gunshot wound—likely staged—was all part of his scheme. The realization made her cry harder, reminding her of the text message she had received. That stranger had been right: Phil was a traitor!Zoey stopped crying when she remembered her brother. She finally looked around and realized she was in a cell. The area was dark, the only light coming from the hallway, barely reaching the edges where she was confined."B-brother… Brother! Brother Zayne!"
“ARGHH!”The twins froze in battle when they heard Phil’s weak groan.“Uncle Phil!” Zoey immediately rushed to Phil, who had already been grazed by a bullet in his side.“I-I’m okay… we need to leave this place.”Zoey glanced at her brother to figure out what to do. Zayne finished off one of their approaching enemies before turning to them.“He’s right, Zoey. There are more of them coming! Grab our gear—we’ll hold them off!”Zoey nodded at Zayne, though she hesitated at first, especially since Phil was injured. But as her brother said, she quickly gathered their scattered camping bags. She handed Zayne his bag and slung hers and Phil’s over her shoulder.“Ready!”Her shout earned nods from the two. Zoey moved to shield Phil, blocking him from potential gunfire.“I’ve got this, Zoey! Get Uncle Phil to safety!” Zayne yelled, and Zoey nodded in agreement.They couldn’t let him get hurt again—in this situation, they only had each other to rely on. Zoey didn’t realize how far she’d gotten
After that, they went to Catherine’s room. Yes, Catherine was the one suspected by Zekiel and even Clarence. She knew the children—she would cry endlessly and wouldn’t calm down until she saw the twins, which made Zekiel even more suspicious.They found Catherine and Fritz playing Scrabble."Mommy! Daddy!"Catherine smiled and immediately hugged her parents. Now they understood what Zekiel meant, and it seemed their suspicions were correct because Catherine was playing around as if nothing was wrong, unlike when the twins first went missing."Catherine, I know you know your older siblings are missing. Where are they?" Zekiel asked, standing at eye level with his daughter to look directly at her.Catherine avoided his gaze and closed her eyes, realizing she had failed to do what her siblings had asked of her."Sweetheart, please tell us. We’re worried about them," Claire said, also crouching to meet Catherine’s eyes."I don’t know, Mommy! They didn’t tell me where they were going!"The