All Chapters of Gold & Sand: Chapter 281 - Chapter 290

Allan stood near the entrance, phone to his ear, eyes scanning every corner like he expected gunfire.“This place wasn’t cold,” he said tightly. “They were here. Recent. Maybe minutes ago.”“Call it in," Masahiro said Allan was already doing it.“Ambulance. Crime Scene. Full sweep.”He hung up and turned, jaw locked.Matthew shifted beside Masahiro, voice low.“You’re sure he wasn’t supposed to die here?”Masahiro stood up.“No. He was supposed to be found.”Matthew looked down at Nathaniel, eyes dark.“A message.”“A warning,” Masahiro said. “To Cassidy. To us. To anyone who thinks you can burn Hudson and walk away clean.”The sirens grew louder.Boots crunched gravel outside.Masahiro’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, then at Matthew.“Arthur?” Matthew askedMasahiro’s eyes hardened.“I will just Ignore it.”“He’s going to find out.”“When we’re ready,” Masahiro said. “Not while he’s unguarded. Not while Cassidy’s locked in a box and just waiting for an excuse to burn this

The guard barely glanced up when Clark walked through the checkpoint.He flashed his ID. “Clark Brown. My client, Mr. Cassidy Hills, requested legal counsel.”The guard nodded stiffly. “Room five.”Clark adjusted his tie, not because it was crooked, but because control mattered. Presentation mattered. In a place like this—where men like Cassidy could kill with a word—image was armor.He was led through two steel doors and into a small, empty visitation room. No glass. No guards inside. Just a table, two chairs, and a ticking clock that sounded too loud.He sat down. Didn’t cross his legs. Loosened his shoulders, but not too much.Ten minutes passed before the door opened.Cassidy strolled in, cuffed but walking like he owned the building. His shirt was unbuttoned at the throat, sleeves rolled. He looked like someone who’d been dragged through fire and made the fire apologize.Clark didn’t stand.Cassidy sat.“Nice suit,” Cassidy said, voice sm

Arthur returned to the precinct in silence.His boots clicked over tile, shoulders tighter than when he’d left. He hesitated at the office door.Masahiro was stiil inside. Alone. Leaning against the edge of the desk, arms crossed, unreadable.Arthur opened the door anyway.He didn’t speak. Just shut it behind him.Masahiro watched him for a moment.“You left without a word.”“I know.”Masahiro’s tone didn’t rise. “During work hours.”Arthur nodded.Masahiro tilted his head. “Wanna tell me where you went?”Arthur didn’t flinch. “To see Cassidy.”A pause. Not surprise—just confirmation.Masahiro’s voice was calm. “What did you go there to do?”Arthur swallowed once. “I asked him not to retaliate.”Masahiro blinked slowly. “That’s what you think your job is now?”“I asked him to wait,” Arthur said. “To give us a chance to fix this through the system. I told him I’d do everything I could… by the law.”Masahiro looked at him for a long beat. Then pushed off the desk and walked toward the

The panic room had gone quiet.The gas had settled. The lock was still sealed. But for the first time in an hour, no one was yelling, bleeding, or threatening to kill someone over sarcasm.Clark sat near the far wall, his head resting on Adam’s shoulder, tie loosened, wrist still trembling.Adam didn’t say anything.Just held a water bottle in one hand, and Clark in the other.He glanced down. “Drink.”Clark sighed, voice hoarse. “You’ve said that three times.”Adam pressed the bottle into his hand. “And I’ll say it a fourth.”Clark took it. “You’re very annoying.”Adam’s smirk was faint. “You like annoying.”Clark: “I like expensive wine and emotional distance.”Adam: “And still end up in my bed. Funny how that works.”Across the room, Cassidy had planted himself against the wall, legs stretched out, one arm wrapped around Arthur, who was tucked against his chest. Arthur hadn’t spoken in ten minutes.Cassidy ran a hand through Art

The car rolled to a stop in front of Arthur’s building. The street was dim, washed in the orange flicker of old lamps. Arthur hesitated for a second before unbuckling. “Thanks for the ride,” he said quietly, eyes a little too wide, hands still trembling from the night. Masahiro nodded once. “Goodnight, Cooper.” Matthew gave him a small wave from the passenger seat. “Text Masa if anything weird happens, yeah?” Arthur nodded and got out, closing the door softly. He walked up to the building, pulled his keys from his pocket, and glanced back just once. They waited. Arthur opened the gate, disappeared inside, and only when the door shut behind him with a faint click, did Masahiro start the engine again. Silence. It stretched for blocks. Then Matthew let out a sigh, dragging a hand through his hair. “This whole thing’s a mess.” Masahiro didn’t respond immediately. He kept his eyes on the road, jaw tight. Matthew kept going. “Six people. And somehow we’re all tangled up