Back in Silvermont City...

Morning sunlight streamed through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows of the villa, bathing the master bedroom in a warm golden glow.

For the first time in days, Lucas slept peacefully.

Lucas slowly opened his eyes and stretched lazily. The oversized king-sized bed felt so soft that he almost wanted to roll over and continue sleeping.

A grin appeared on his face.

"This is how rich people live..."

After lying in bed for a few more minutes, Lucas grabbed his phone from the bedside table.

The moment he unlocked the screen, his expression froze.

Twenty-three unread messages. All from Ivy.

"...Oh."

Only then did he remember. He had completely forgotten about her.

Two days ago, he had confidently told Ivy to wait for him. Then everything happened. The fight with Blake and Jade. The Vayne Clan. Bianca’s brutal training session. Xavier’s preparations.

By the time he remembered, two entire days had passed.

Lucas rubbed his forehead. He actually felt slightly guilty.

After all, Ivy had been waiting the entire time. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

He opened the chat.

Most of the messages were short.

"Busy?"

"When are you coming back?"

"Did something happen?"

"Are you alright?"

The later messages became noticeably shorter. Lucas could almost imagine her getting more annoyed with every passing hour.

Just as he was about to reply, his phone suddenly vibrated.

Ivy was calling.

Lucas immediately answered.

"Hello?"

The moment the call connected, Ivy’s voice came through.

"You finally remembered your phone exists?"

Her tone sounded calm. Far too calm.

Which somehow felt more dangerous.

Lucas laughed awkwardly.

"I’ve been busy."

"Busy?" Ivy repeated the word. "Lucas, you’ve kept me waiting for two days."

Before he could explain, she continued.

"You’re not planning on coming back to the hotel, are you? If that’s the case, just tell me honestly."

Her voice softened slightly.

"What’s going on?"

Lucas sat up. For a moment, he considered explaining everything. But after thinking about it, he decided against it.

The less she knew, the safer she would be.

So he casually replied, "I bought a villa recently."

There was silence.

Then Ivy spoke.

"...You bought what?"

"A villa."

Another few seconds of silence followed. Even through the phone, Lucas could feel her disbelief.

Finally, he chuckled.

"I’m still handling some things. When everything settles down, I’ll come find you."

Then he deliberately lowered his voice.

"And when I do... you’ll have to pay the price for making me wait so long too."

The teasing tone immediately made Ivy’s face heat up. Even though Lucas couldn’t see her.

"You..."

She bit her lip. A faint blush spread across her cheeks.

For some reason, hearing him joke around like this eased the worry she had been carrying for the past two days.

At least he sounded fine. Healthy. Normal.

After a few more casual exchanges, the call finally ended.

Lucas placed his phone down and exhaled.

Then he stood up and walked toward the balcony.

The morning breeze drifted across the river. The view was beautiful. Peaceful.

Yet for some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this peace wouldn’t last much longer.

---

Sebastian finally let out a long breath of relief.

For the first time in days, Jade’s condition had stabilized.

After receiving the best treatment the Vayne Clan could provide, the color had gradually returned to her face, and the injuries she suffered during the fight with Lucas were no longer life-threatening.

The hospital room was quiet.

Jade sat on the bed drinking warm herbal medicine while several clan physicians stood nearby discussing her recovery.

To anyone else, it would have looked like a happy scene.

But Sebastian couldn’t enjoy it. Not even a little.

The man looked absolutely miserable. His eyes were bloodshot. Dark circles hung beneath them. His beard had grown noticeably during the past few days.

He hadn’t slept properly since the incident.

Every time he closed his eyes, he imagined the Clan Leader’s expression when he learned the full story.

Beside him, Kai wasn’t in much better condition.

The father and son looked like criminals awaiting judgment.

Still, the fact that Jade had recovered brought them some comfort.

At least one disaster had been avoided.

The elders would no longer be furious over Jade’s injuries. That alone was enough to make Sebastian feel as though a massive stone had been lifted from his chest.

Unfortunately, the moment his eyes shifted toward another corner of the room, his relief vanished.

Blake sat in a wheelchair. Wrapped in bandages from head to toe.

One arm was immobilized. Several ribs were still healing.

Even sitting upright seemed difficult for him.

His swollen face still carried traces of the humiliation he had suffered.

Seeing Blake instantly reminded Sebastian that his problems were far from over.

Jade recovering was one thing.

But Blake being beaten into this state?

That was another matter entirely.

A much bigger matter.

Sebastian’s face turned pale again.

He suddenly felt that the little relief he had gained was meaningless.

The elders might forgive an accident. But they would never ignore failure.

Especially a failure this embarrassing.

As the thought crossed his mind, Sebastian almost wanted to cry.

He had even considered writing a will before returning to the mountain.

The thought had genuinely crossed his mind.

Unfortunately, after thinking about it for a while, he realized how pointless that would be.

If the Vayne Clan truly wanted his properties, they would take them regardless of whatever documents he left behind.

Who would dare stop them?

The answer was simple.

Nobody. Absolutely nobody.

"...Let’s go."

Sebastian forced himself to speak. His voice sounded weak.

Several clan physicians helped Jade out of bed while attendants carefully wheeled Blake toward the exit.

The journey back to the mountain was unusually quiet.

Nobody felt like talking.

Even Kai kept his head lowered the entire time.

The car moved steadily through the winding mountain roads.

Sebastian gripped the steering wheel tightly.

For perhaps the first time in his life, he obeyed every traffic rule perfectly. He didn’t dare drive fast. Didn’t dare take risks.

At this point, he felt that every second he remained alive was precious.

Eventually, the towering gates of the Vayne Clan came into view.

Sebastian swallowed hard.

His heartbeat accelerated instantly.

They had arrived.

Several disciples waiting at the entrance quickly rushed forward.

The moment they saw Blake’s condition, many of them sucked in cold breaths.

"What happened to Senior Blake?"

"How did he end up like this?"

"Who did this?"

Shock spread across their faces.

Blake was one of the strongest young disciples in the clan.

Seeing him reduced to this state was difficult to believe.

The disciples carefully carried him out of the vehicle.

Wrapped entirely in bandages, Blake looked more like a mummy than a martial artist.

Jade walked beside them silently. Although her injuries were lighter, her expression remained cold.

Sebastian stepped out of the car last.

The moment his feet touched the ground, he felt his stomach tighten.

Because he knew exactly what awaited him next.

The Clan Leader. The elders. The interrogation.

And possibly the worst beating of his entire life.

Looking at the massive clan compound ahead of him, Sebastian suddenly felt his legs grow weak.

For a brief moment, he genuinely considered turning around and driving away.

Unfortunately, he knew there was nowhere on earth he could run from the Vayne Clan.