Adelyn really hadn’t heard him.
She had only caught the part where he ntioned being satisfied.
"What are you satisfied with?" she asked, confused
"You," he replied without hesitation.
Adelyn almost choked on her breath when she heard him.
Her?
He was satisfied with her?
But what had she even done to earn that?
"Haha ... you’re too kind, Mr. Warren."
Otherwise, there was no way he could be satisfied with almost nonexistent effort towards him.
But it was fine.
Sooner or later, his patience would run out.
And when that would happen, they would go their separate ways.
That thought comforted her—for now.
However, little did she realize that sowhere deep inside —
A small part of her was already beginning to dislike that outco.
Ignoring that faint discomfort, she glanced down at the food and quickly added,
"Thank you for the dinner. If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up now. The food is still warm —I wouldn’t need to reheat it."
On the other end, Dylan listened quietly, the corner of his lips lifting in faint amusent.
But he didn’t point anything out.
He simply humd and said,
"Go ahead and eat."
The mont she heard that, Adelyn didn’t wait even a second longer.
She hung up quickly and set her phone aside.
Then, looking at the neatly packed dinner in front of her, she murmured under her breath —
This al is too expensive ... it almost cost my peace of mind."
She exhaled deeply before pulling out a chair and sitting down.
As she took the first bite of the food, she couldn’t help but relish the taste.
It was exactly to her liking.
As if every pinch of seasoning had been adjusted with her preferences in mind.
She paused as a flicker of doubt crossed her mind —
But it didn’t linger.
After all, delicious als like this weren’t much of a luxury for people like Warrens.
——————
anwhile, on the other side —
After the call, Dylan returned to his desk.
Just as he settled into his chair, a gust of wind swept into the room.
To the naked eye, it would’ve been nothing more than curtains swaying in the breeze.
But Dylan noticed more.
A shadow slipped into the room —swift and silent.
He didn’t bother looking up.
Instead, he flipped open the file in front of him and spoke, as if he already knew who it was.
"Work on your facial expressions next ti. Especially when you’re around her."
Asher rely pursed his lips.
He didn’t argue.
"I’ll be more mindful next ti, Boss."
Only then did Dylan lift his gaze.
He studied Asher for a brief mont before turning his attention back to the docunt in front of him.
The cue was simple.
Asher lowered his head in acknowledgent and stepped back to leave.
Once outside, his fists clenched tightly at his sides, as if restraining sothing within.
Just then —
"You should start accepting it."
A voice ca from behind —familiar enough not to startle him.
"The sooner you do, the more at peace you’ll be."
It was Ford.
He stood not too far away —just close enough to have noticed Asher entering and leaving Dylan’s study.
Asher turned toward him, his brows drawn together in clear displeasure.
"Do you really think there will ever be peace with her around Boss?" he said coldly. "Their togetherness is destined for chaos. It was like that in the past —and it will be the sa in the future. How can we let it happen again when we already know where it leads?"
For a brief mont, Ford’s expression turned serious.
But then, slowly, a faint smile returned to his lips.
"Because even if we try, there’s no way to stop what’s ant to be," he said calmly. "If there had been, they wouldn’t have crossed paths again."
Asher frowned.
"I don’t believe that. If they were truly ant to be, they wouldn’t have separated in the first place. They wouldn’t have destroyed each other in the worst possible way."
His voice hardened.
"And now, as they draw close again, all I can see is another disaster in the making. And this ti ... it will be worse than before."
Ford held his gaze.
He understood the fears Asher wasn’t saying outright.
And to so extent, he shared them.
But there were things he knew that Asher didn’t.
And that gave him the hope —
That this ti, things might be different.
"The last ti she left, he was on the verge of irreversible collapse," Asher continued, his voice low. "Boss barely held it together because the essence preserved his sanity. But this ti ..."
He paused, his jaw tightening.
"With the essence already fading, it won’t just be chaos. It’ll be complete destruction."
There was more than concern in his voice.
There was fear —deep, restrained fear.
Ford’s expression shifted slightly —but he remained composed.
Stepping closer, he placed a hand on Asher’s shoulder.
"You are so focused on the chaos," he said quietly, "that you’re forgetting another possibility."
"Their togetherness might not only be destined to bring disaster," Ford continued. "It might also carry a blessing that’s not yet revealed. And more than ever, it’s that blessing we need now. Without it ... nothing will be able to counter the consequence of the fading essence."
Asher’s brows furrowed.
He understood what Ford ant.
But what he didn’t understand was his certainty.
The sa certainty Ford had shown the day that woman entered Dylan’s room at Imperial View.
He had been sure that only her presence could calm him.
And he had been right.
But ...
"How are you so sure it’s her?"
Ford’s gaze deepened.
He was certain —not out of evidence but instinct.
"I am not sure," he admitted. "But aside from her ... there doesn’t seem to be anyone else."
It had to be her.
Not far from where they stood —
Hidden within the quiet darkness —
Soone had been listening.
Unseen.
Unnoticed.
Still as a shadow.
For a long mont, the figure remained there, as if weighing every word that had just been spoken.
Then —
Without a sound, he stepped back.
The faint shift in the air was enough.
Both Ford and Asher stilled.
Their gazes snapped toward the darkness.
They watched.
Waited.
But when nothing revealed itself, they didn’t pursue it further.
And just like that —
The presence lted away.
Not even a trace left behind.
Only when he was far enough did the man take out his phone and dial a number.
The call connected shortly.
"Dylan Warren might have found a way to survive," he reported in a low voice. "Our last attempt against him probably failed because of it."
A brief silence followed.
Then —
A soft laugh ca from the other end.
Cold.
Unbothered.
"If he has found a way ..." the voice said slowly, amusent threading through every word, "then we’ll make sure to take it away from him."
With that, the person on the other end of the call said nothing more.
With the beep, the call disconnected.
And the line went dead.
But the man stilled mid-step.
Not because he didn’t understand the instruction—
But because he felt a presence behind him.
And even without turning—
He knew who it was.
"Show yourself."
Asher’s voice carried a quiet, lethal threat.
The man didn’t flinch.
Instead, his body shifted —
Weight lowering, muscles coiling like a drawn bow.
Then—
He moved.
His fist cut through the air, sharp and precise, aid straight for Asher’s throat.
Fast ... too fast for an ordinary man to react.
But Asher wasn’t ordinary.
He tilted his head just enough—
The strike missed by a breath.
In the sa instant, he stepped in, his counter swift and brutal.
Their movent blurred in no ti.
Each exchange was clean ... controlled ... deadly.
The air itself seed to ripple with the force of their strikes.
Their feet barely touched the ground—
Shadows twisted and snapped with every motion.
The man struck again —low this ti, aiming for the ribs.
Asher blocked, twisted, and drove his elbow towards the man’s spine.
It was relentless.
Precise.
Neither giving an inch.
For a mont, it seed evenly matched—
Until—
Another presence took the man off guard.
For moved.
Silent —so much so that he was invisible until it was too late.
His strike ca from the blind spot at the perfect ti.
The man faltered — just for a second.
But that was enough for Asher to seize the opening.
His hand shot forward, gripping the man by the neck.
"Spill it," he said coldly. "Why are you here? Who sent you?"
The man didn’t answer.
Instead, he stared back —calm and defiant.
As if daring him to try.
Asher’s brows furrowed. But before he could press further—
A sudden heat flared in his palm, sharp and burning.
Ford’s eyes narrowed instantly.
"Let go."
Asher released him at once. And the next mont—
The man’s body ignited.
Not in ordinary flas —but sothing darker.
As if his very existence was being erased.
Within seconds, he was gone —reduced to nothing but ash drifting in the air.
Silence followed.
Neither of them spoke.
But their expression darkened.
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