LOGIN"I am done," Seraphina said upon opening the bathroom door. "Oh, alright." Nicolas rose to his feet and grabbed a few items before stepping in right after her. The bathroom door clicked shut, leaving a lingering scent of floral soap and steam in the air. Nicolas didn't waste a second immediately he was inside the space. He brought his phone out, typed in a few words and hit the video call button. Miles away, in the sanctuary of his bedroom, Saint leaned back against the headboard while scrolling through something on his phone. Right at that moment, the video call from Nicolas came through and he paused, letting his thumb hover the buttons as he blinked in surprise. Nicolas was with Seraphina, why would he be calling him? Probably for a good reason? Or did something happen? He swiped to answer. "Why are you..."Saint stopped mid-sentence. His jaw didn't just drop; it practically hit the chest of his silk robe. The camera wasn't aimed at Nicolas's face. It was propped up on
"Nicolas, please." Seraphina collapsed onto a nearby rock, chest heavy. "I can't take another step because if I do, you might have to carry an unconscious person down and I mean it this time." She exhaled heavily. "You were energetic earlier, sounding like you could walk the whole of Mississippi if it wasn't water." Nicolas smirked. However, he slowed his pace and circled back toward her. "I meant it twenty minutes ago too. I just had more pride left then." She accepted the water bottle he offered, drinking gratefully. Nicolas laughed, settling onto the rock beside her as he stared ahead. The evening light had cast long amber shadows across the trail below them. "You really have zero stamina, you know that?" "Yes, I am aware." She wiped her mouth, exhaling once more after attempting to gather her breath. "Some of us have not been trained for combat since childhood." "Fair point." He nudged her lightly with his shoulder. "How are you feeling now, though? Better?"Ser
Saint entered the living room and the first person he met was no other than Vincent. The man had his eyes glued to the television screen. Whether or not he was paying attention to the news, one could not have easily known that. He didn't spare Saint a glance for about two minutes after the man had positioned himself right beside him. About three minutes later, he pressed a button underneath the arm of his chair and it automatically turned slowly. Vincent looked at Saint and his brow lifted slightly at what he was seeing. "No mask." His eyes examined Saint's face, taking in the absence of contacts as well. "And no contacts either. What is happening? Why did you decide to go uncovered?" "I had a change of mind, father. I don't see the need for it anymore. I am more comfortable showing my face now."Vincent stared at him a moment longer, clearly expecting further explanation but none came. So he nodded. "All the best then"He gestured toward the sofa across from him and Saint
"I am actually so happy to have you guys here to keep me company." Diana beamed while putting a piece of meat on both Nicolas and Aaron's plates. "Thank you so much, Aunt." Aaron replied.Dominic wasn't around and his absence left the table looking less formal. Even after stating her feelings, Diana watched fondly as Nicolas and Aaron traded easy banter about a recent shipment complication. "...and honestly, I believe if Caleb's men hadn't botched the timing, we wouldn't have had to reroute the entire..." "Aaron." Diana called, setting down her fork and watching the young man with curiosity. "Yes, Aunt." He responded, bringing his glass of wine closer to his lips. "When exactly are you planning to settle down?"Aaron nearly choked. He coughed slightly before recovering. "Ma'am?" "I am talking about marriage." Diana smiled pleasantly. "You are not getting younger anymore. Surely there's someone you've had your eye on." "I appreciate the concern," Aaron cle
Simon arrived at the penthouse with Mike trailing a step behind him like a forgotten and scared puppy. The tension between Mike and Nicolas was completely evident the moment Simon and him stepped through the door. Nicolas offered Simon a polite nod of approval while deliberately avoiding so much as a glance in Mike's direction.Mike's shoulders sagged slightly at the cold reception though he said nothing. He sat on the far end of the couch as Saint gestured Simon toward a section of the sitting room.It was also the first time that Simon and Mike saw Saint without his mask but it wasn't the right time to talk about it. “It's Storm by the way.” Saint spoke up, feeling the need to clarify that out. “I thought as much. Your build easily convinced me that it was you.” “Hmm, you can call me Saint now. It sounds a bit informal. Let's reserve ‘Storm’ for my organisation.” He added. “No problem.” "So, what did you manage to find?" Saint asked, sliding into the seat across fr
Vincent stepped through the front door with Paul trailing a step behind him, papers tucked under one arm. He had barely crossed the threshold when Olivia appeared, arms crossed and her expression tight with barely restrained fury. "We need to talk." "I have work to finish." Vincent moved to step past her. "You will make time for this, Vincent! You have to." Olivia planted herself firmly in his path. "Seraphina had her graduation ceremony yesterday. She was named the best student in her entire class, Vincent. The top of her sprung and you couldn't even be bothered to show up. I thought she didn't inform you but it turned out she did try to pass the message across to you." "I had a meeting with investors." Vincent's tone remained flat, entirely unmoved. "Business doesn't pause for ceremonies." "Business? What kind of business was it that made you decide that attending her function wasn't worth it, Vincent? She is your daughter." "And you are her mother," Vincent







