Se connecterOutside the VIP express lane of Sunset City, the afternoon sun poured down without restraint, warm and golden.
Leaning against Dominic's broad, steady arm, Avery looped her hand through his. Her cool eyes swept over the crowd gathered at the end of the lane. The old nobles of Sunset City had once kicked her when she was down. Now they were dressed in their finest formal wear, craning their necks with ingratiating, false smiles. They were desperate to catch a glimpse of her. Their faces
Night deepened. The narrow alleys of the old district were damp and cold. A chill wind swirled fallen leaves across the weathered brick walls. The air carried the faint scent of wet stone and distant rain. The streetlights cast weak, yellow pools of light on the uneven pavement. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked once, then fell silent. The silence that followed felt heavier than any sound.Standing on the balcony, Avery wore Dominic's coat. It still carried the faint scent of sandalwood. The fabric was warm around her shoulders, a quiet comfort against the night chill. Her cool eyes looked down through the night, past the black armored vehicles parked below, to the desperate figures gathered in the alley. Her fingers rested lightly on the railing. The metal was cold beneath her touch. She remembered a time when she had stood in shadows like these, afraid and alone. Now she stood in the light, with the most powerful man in the city at her side.Kneeling on the dam
Outside the VIP express lane of Sunset City, the afternoon sun poured down without restraint, warm and golden.Leaning against Dominic's broad, steady arm, Avery looped her hand through his. Her cool eyes swept over the crowd gathered at the end of the lane. The old nobles of Sunset City had once kicked her when she was down. Now they were dressed in their finest formal wear, craning their necks with ingratiating, false smiles. They were desperate to catch a glimpse of her. Their faces were painted with forced warmth, their hands clasped in front of them as if greeting a long-lost friend rather than someone they had once scorned. The desperation in their eyes was almost palpable."Dr. Clair! Oh, it has been so long! We heard you were coming back..." One of the leading old nobles pushed forward, trying to use their "old acquaintance" status to get close. His voice was oily, dripping with practiced charm.Before he could take two steps, a dozen black-suited elite
The dark night lay heavy over the ancient, somber ancestral hall of the Devereux family.Leaning against the carved antique wooden chair, Avery stood in her crisp white suit, arms crossed. As a witness to this final purge, she could clearly feel the suffocating tension in the air. It was the absolute pressure that preceded the arrival of Obsidian City's ruler. It was like the stillness before a storm. The elders' faces were drawn tight. Their eyes darted nervously, each one trying to read the room and find an escape that no longer existed.In the center of the hall, several of the most senior branch elders of the Devereux family huddled together. Their faces were dark with defiance. Their voices rose in a chorus of protest, each one trying to sound bolder than the last."Dominic! Victor is gone, but that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want! The family trust funds and core shares are still in our hands. Without our signatures, you have no legitimate claim!
The dark night lay heavy over Kessler Estate. The wind rustled through the bushes on the lawn. It carried a low, whispering sound through the still air.Leaning against the cool surface of the main control console, Avery watched the red dots moving across the surveillance screens. Her cool eyes gleamed with calm, calculated certainty. These were the last remnants of the overseas alliance's operatives.After tonight's complete PR collapse, after their carefully constructed lies had been torn apart before a global audience, they had finally lost their composure. Like cornered rats, they had crashed headlong into the carefully laid trap. Every move they made had already been anticipated. Every escape route had been sealed before they even set foot on the estate grounds. There was no way out for them now."They think they have found a security gap in the side entrance," Avery said. Her fingertip traced one of the infiltration routes on the screen. Her voice was low,
Before news of the overseas delegation's arrival could even stir Obsidian City, an overwhelming wave of public opinion had already begun fermenting across international networks. The headlines spread like wildfire. The story gained traction with every passing hour. By the time the delegation had cleared customs, the global chatter had reached a fever pitch.These so-called academic elites from the overseas alliance had, the moment they stepped off the plane, used multiple cross-border media outlets to publish an invitation for an academic symposium titled"Frontier Genetics and Mental Health."The announcement was carefully timed, designed to maximize impact before anyone in Obsidian City could mount a coordinated response.The invitation was draped in the banner of "human welfare," specifically requesting Avery's attendance as both a psychological expert and project inheritor. The entire event would be broadcast live to a global audience. They wanted witness
Inside the study of Kessler Estate, the heavy blackout curtains blocked most of the sunlight. Only a vintage desk lamp remained, casting a warm amber glow across the room. The air was thick with the faint scent of sandalwood, layered beneath the cool, lingering trace of gunpowder. The shadows in the corners held their silence, heavy with secrets that had been buried for years and had only now clawed their way back to light.Avery stood at the mahogany desk. Her cool eyes fixed on the letter with its distinctive encrypted markings. She dissected the logic behind the words almost instantly, peeling back the hidden motives and calculations buried within each line. The phrasing was deliberate, careful. It was the work of someone who had been playing this game far too long to leave easy traces.Though the Grand Elder had been dealt with, the letter he had left behind revealed another conspiracy, far more tangled and dangerous. St. John had been n
Avery was shoved into a car. The door slammed shut behind her.The cabin was dark. Dominic sat across from her.Before she could catch her breath, he spoke."Your daughter is with me."Avery's fists clenched. "What did you say?""Wenger's men grabbed her. I intercepted them." Dominic's voice was fl
Avery looked at him and didn't answer right away.Her mind was already working.Meant for her? With explosives?She wasn't a security expert, but she wasn't stupid. The villa's windows were bulletproof. The hallway had motion sensor lights. Every corner had cameras. If someone just wanted to kill h
Morning light poured through the floor to ceiling windows and spread across the cold grey marble floor. Pale. Like an operating room light.Avery sat up, her body aching. Her eyes swept the room.No photos. No plants. No decoration at all. Grey white walls, metal trim. So empty it made her chest ti
Before her appointment, Avery received an anonymous card.No signature. Just one line:"Experiment 047 is waiting for you. Don't disappoint him."She turned the card over and back again. No clues.047?A number for what?She didn't know what it meant, but the feeling of being calculated in advance ma







