Every head turned toward Karl, staring at him as though he had suddenly grown another head.
"Yes, you heard right," he confird. "I said I don’t agree with this."
Jasper took a slow, threatening step toward him. "Say that again."
Karl imdiately stepped back, nearly stumbling. "I — Jasper, don’t get wrong. I am not against the plan to cure Brother. It’s just ... why do we have to use her?" He pointed toward the suite. "She isn’t the last woman alive in this world."
Felix frowned at his words. "Do you know her?"
"I ..." Karl started, then paused.
Did he know her?
He didn’t —not really. But that brief encounter earlier had been more than enough for him to dislike her.
There was no way he would even accept her as his Sister-in-law.
"I don’t," he admitted stiffly. "But we can’t let any strange woman defile our brother. He is our brother, for God’s sake. How could we let him be—"
"Shut up!" Jasper snapped. "You dare to show your disagreent right now? By whose rit do you think we’re even stuck in this situation?"
Karl opened his mouth to defend himself. Yes, he might have overdone certain things —but hadn’t he planned everything carefully?
As long as the plan was followed step by step, wouldn’t everything have gone smoothly?
Brother wouldn’t necessarily have to be forced into anything by that wild woman.
"Karl, we don’t have much of a choice right now," Felix said calmly, suppressing the lingering hesitation inside his chest. "Don’t make this harder than it already is."
"We do have a choice," Karl insisted. He shot Jasper a brief glance before turning back to Felix. "I never intended to harm Brother; hence, I have already arranged everything. lissa will be here soon to help. Let’s just send her inside instead."
He quickly pulled out his phone and began dialing. "Wait. I’ll call her. She should already be here."
He was rather confused. Given what they decided, by now, lissa should be here. Why hasn’t she yet arrived?
The call rang —but no one answered.
His brows furrowed. Before he could dial again, Jasper’s voice interrupted him.
"lissa?" Jasper repeated, his jaw clenched as though restraining sothing fierce. "What made you think she is suitable for this?"
Karl frowned, feeling Jasper was being unnecessarily overbearing. Rolling his eyes, he replied, "Of course, she is suitable. I went through a lot of trouble to confirm she’s perfect. And aren’t you quite favorable towards her? She’s one of the leading artistes under your company. And —"
Jasper’s patience, which had already been at the edge, finally snapped.
"Since when does favoring an artist’s work an approving of their character?" His voice turned icy. "What absurd logic have you developed over the years? Are you even our brother? Because the way you think most of the ti makes doubt."
Karl blinked. He should be hurt by his words —and he way. But above all, he was more confused.
Had he misjudged sothing?
"That’s enough." Jasper turned away. "I don’t want to discuss this any further."
"But Jasper, lissa—"
"Karl," Jasper cut in sharply, "don’t force . Or, I will make sure you regret it."
Karl swallowed the rest of his words. He didn’t dare push further.
Pursing his lips, he glanced resentfully toward the suite. "Say whatever you want," he muttered under his breath. "But there’s no way I’ll accept that woman as our sister-in-law."
Ford, who had been standing quietly to the side, heard him.
He sighed inwardly.
If not her ...
Could there be any woman who would stand the chance?
At a distance, Asher stood quietly, concern etched across his face.
Ford walked over and placed a steady hand on his shoulder.
"Worrying about things beyond your control will only exhaust you."
Asher frowned, but said nothing.
—————
anwhile, inside the suite —
It was pitch black.
The curtains were drawn tight. Not a silver of light entered the room.
When Adelyn stepped inside, she could barely see anything. Her movents were already unsteady, slow —and the darkness only made it worse.
Her body felt burning.
She needed sothing ... anything ... to ease it.
But there was nothing.
Nothing ... that could help her in the state.
Her rationality was slipping away. She knew it.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have entered a suite like this without even checking if soone was inside.
It was dangerous.
She was putting herself at risk.
And she knew that too.
But she couldn’t control it.
Or the strange force that had led her here.
She took another step. And just as she did, her knee hit the corner of the table.
She nearly fell.
But at the last second, her fingers caught the edge, gripping it tightly to steady herself.
She exhaled shakily.
"I ... just want to ... rest," she murmured under her breath.
Her palm slid along the table’s surface as she moved forward blindly, relying on touch to guide her.
As if nature pitied her state, a faint breeze stirred the curtains, making them shift just enough to let a thin thread of light slip into the room.
Adelyn turned to look.
And in that brief glow, the faint outline of a couch erged in the distance.
Relief flickered through her fading awareness.
She reached for it, letting her fingers brush against the fabric.
Soft.
Safe.
She moved closer. Her knees felt weak, and her body tilted forward, ready to just surrender.
However, just as she was about to collapse onto it —
A shadow moved from the side.
Swift and silent.
Usually, she would have easily dodged it. But in her current state, she barely noticed it coming.
Before she could react, a hand shot out from the darkness. Cold fingers wrapping around her neck, tight enough to hold her hostage.
Her body froze.
Her breath hitched.
The grip wasn’t crushing.
But it was unyielding.
Possessive.
Dangerous.
"Who are you?"
A low voice, strained at the edge of restraint, cut through the silence.
And Adelyn paused —not just at the voice, but at the deep, dark pair of blue-amber eyes staring back at her.
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