LOGINBefore the icy dread in my stomach could take root, the sharp, throat-rumbling purr of a custom dual-exhaust engine vibrated through the porch steps. A matte-black military transport truck pulled onto the gravel, parking directly behind Sebastian’s vehicle.Even through the morning fog and heavy tension, my eyes briefly darted past the massive transport to Sebastian's car.It was a sleek, crimson-red Mazda MX-5 Miata convertible—compact, low-profile, and impeccably styled. It was the exact kind of high-response, light-chassis roadster I had admired for years, and a tiny part of my vehicle-loving brain fell in love with it at first glance.The reinforced doors of the military transport slammed open, shattering my brief distraction. Two tall, muscular figures stepped out into the crisp air, hefting tactical duffel bags over their shoulders.Alexander and Francis had finally come home.They took one look at the scene—Sebastian trembling against the side of his Miata, Victor with his hand
I thought I would finally get a single hour of rest, but the moment I stepped back into the foyer, two unyielding gazes locked onto me.Victor and Nathan stood side by side with their arms crossed. Victor looked thoroughly bewildered, his brow furrowed, while Nathan glared at me as if I had just handed top-secret intelligence directly to our enemies.A cold, uneasy prickle danced down my spine. Forty unbroken hours in the lab had left my nerves frayed, and the sudden weight of their scrutiny made my chest squeeze with a sharp twist of guilt.Victor took one slow step forward, his voice deceptively soft. "So, little one... when were you planning to tell us that you bought a house?""Did you rent it?" Nathan chimed in. "What house was Ethan screaming about on our driveway?"Before I could drag enough air into my lungs to answer, Nathan interjected again, his voice dripping with heavy sarcasm. "Because it would never be that you bought a house to play happy little family with Ethan, but
The drive back to our compound was an exercise in pure, tactical focus. The moment Victor pulled the SUV into the garage, Nathan met us at the threshold, sterile gloves already pulled tight over his hands and his jaw set in a hard line. "We have to move fast," Nathan said, taking the bio-transport container directly from my grip without missing a beat. Inside the basement lab, time completely lost its meaning. Nathan and I fell back into our military-honed extraction protocols, operating in seamless, wordless synergy as the world outside ceased to exist. We calibrated the cold centrifuge, ran multi-stage purity assays, and carefully separated the active enzymes from the silver-veined plant matrix. When Victor finally slipped into the lab to set down fresh bottles of water and a tray of sandwiches, I rubbed my bloodshot eyes, feeling the brutal ache behind my temples. "How long have we been down here?" I asked, my voice dry. "You've been locked in here for almost two days," Victo
Without a doubt, I chose the plant. The mutated milk thistle was something that could save Brandon's life—would save him. My history, where I came from? Not knowing was not going to kill me. "The plant," I said, my voice dead firm. "I need the plant." Madam Marsh raised an eyebrow, her face flicking with surprise as if family history was somehow more important than someone's life. "You're not curious about your family?" "Of course I am, but my brother's life is more important." "They are not your brothers, Jasmine," she said coldly, her tone sharp enough to cut glass. "It's best for you to make that clear now, before they start looking to gain benefits using the Marsh name. A line must be drawn." Oh, the nerve. They had saved me. They had made me into who I am, while the Marsh family had brought nothing but problems to my door. An image of Noah flashed through my mind for a split second, but I did my best to ignore it. Seeing I had no intention of speaking with her—there was
My phone buzzed in my hand just as I stepped into the marble vestibule outside the ballroom. Seeing Nathan’s caller ID, I answered before the second ring."Is something wrong with Brandon?" I asked, my voice dropping into a tight, quiet register."No, he's stable," Nathan assured me, his tone noticeably lighter than it had been all week. "He's resting. But Jasmine... did you see the military program's official release?""I saw it," I said, pausing under the high archway. "Vivienne was dropped for intellectual theft, and Ethan was barred for his attitude.""He tried to cheat during physical trials," Nathan revealed, a dry chuckle vibrating over the speaker. "The idiot literally hid in the storage facility to avoid the five-mile run. Thermal sensors picked him up in ten minutes. He set a speed record for getting thrown out."I shook my head, a disbelieving laugh escaping my throat."Just hurry home when you can," Nathan said, his voice softening. "We’re holding down the fort.""I'm on m
I hated galas. Too many people, too much noise, and far too many unwritten rules nobody bothered explaining. "Stop pulling at your dress," Victor murmured beside me. "It's uncomfortable." "You look beautiful." "That doesn't make it comfortable." He smiled, a quiet flash of warmth in his sharp military posture, and offered his arm. I’d agreed to step into this high-society shark tank for one reason: Brandon needed the mutated milk thistle Madam Marsh had promised, and I wasn't leaving without it. The moment we entered the grand ballroom, camera shutters flashed like blinding lightning. Noah Sterling approached through the crowd, looking annoyingly handsome in a tailored black suit. "Hello, fiancé," I greeted. A low laugh escaped him. "Getting used to the title?" "Not particularly." "Neither am I." He offered his arm, and I took it after receiving a reluctant, protective nod from Victor. "Let's get this over with," I muttered. "Such enthusiasm," Noah murm







