Chapter 86
In the slums.
Quiana gripped a can of cold beer, making her way to the underground base. When she powered on her computer, a fow alerts popped up from her internal network.
[Code name: Enigmatic–elusive, gender and age unknown, shrouded in mystery, ranking third among Kyushu’s top ten mysteries.
“Damn!” Quiana muttered under her breath. The figure in black from the Liberty Star was Kyushu’s legendary Enigmatic.
Luckily,
, she managed to get the Core Stone.
She quickly typed a new directive: Continue tracking the locations of the remaining Core Stones.
Another message popped up from Edith: [Quintana has activated ShadowGrld to search for The Seraphic’s whereabouts, Julius is still on the hunt for Nightwolf. You’ve been showing up too frequently these past two years–watch your back.]
Quiana’s gaze narrowed slightly. No wonder Julius had been able to track her on the Liberty Star. But if he thought he could catch her, he’d need more than a little luck.
Then, another message from a day ago caught her eye.
Elder Gray: [You’re making waves again with that forensic work. Why not come back for good? I’m old, and someone needs to take over.]
Quiana’s fingers hovered over the keyboard before she typed back: (I still have unfinished business.]
Suddenly, a loud, rapid pounding sounded through the sensor from above.
She tapped a key, connecting to the surveillance feed.
It was Xavier, banging on her door as if he meant to break it down.
After knocking for quite a while with no response, he gave
the d
At the Larson residence.
door a frustrated kick and muttered a curse as he walked away.
After returning home, Winona locked herself in her room.
She’d smashed a few items in frustration and was now scrolling through the trending feed on her secondary account, her gaze dark and brooding
Winona had targeted Lena deliberately to get under Quiana’s skin and show her who was in charge.
But who would’ve thought Quiana would pull Julius into it, forcing him to disband the entire production? The audacity!
And Keith had withdrawn his investment without even informing Winona, leaving her humiliated–a complete joke.
But then… the Wilsons investing?
Winona furrowed her brow as she exited the treding feed and dialed a number.
Her tone shifted as soon as the line connected, soft and sweet. “Carole, do you have time to grab a meal together?”
The next morning.
1/2
Chapter 86
Winona was elegantly dressed and accompanied her parents to the Hawley residence.
When their arrival was announced, Joshua frowned. “What are they here for? Haven’t they done enough last time?”
“Let them in,” Derek spoke up.
Joshua
shot him a sharp look. “What’s that supposed to mean, Derek?”
Edward Hawley had three sons. The eldest was Donel, the second was Joshua, and the youngest, born much later in life, was Julius,
For years, Derek and Joshua had wapod a quiet battle over the inheritance, especially wary of Julius, who was gre
was greatly favored by their father,
But after Julius’s car accident had left him with a crippled body and fragile health, the brothers dismissed him as a threat and turned their competition solely against each other.
Derek replied evenly, “It means nothing–just that the Hawley family isn’t yours to rule over”
“Dad,” Joshua complained.
Keith had already brought the Larsons inside.
Edward looked quite lively today. Shane, who was Julius’s personal physician, is attending to Edward regularly now.
With a respectful demeanor, Simon carefully offered his apologies. “Regarding the matter at Riverfield, my apologies on behalf of Quiana. She was out of line and caused you unnecessary trouble. We assure you that the wedding date is yours to decide–Quiana will marry on time.”
In the head seat, Edward dressed sharply with his dragon–headed cane, looked as imposing as ever. His face, deeply lined with age, held a stern expression, his sunken eyes sharp and discerning.
Edward’s voice, thick with authority, resonated through the room. “Since you’ve decided to let Quiana marry, why bring a fake?”
The tone sounded displeased, with a hint of anger.
The word “fake” tightened Winona’s hand as her face paled, and she instinctively glanced toward Keith.
Keith frowned slightly, speaking up. “Edward, Winona is here to offer a remedy.”
AD
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