Maya was breathing hard, with sections of her sleeves completely shredded.
The mont she saw Nina had stopped her assault, Maya didn’t waste a second. She quickly leaped toward Wilson, who was still suffering with his broken arm.
She crouched beside him, grabbed hold of the injured limb, and lifted it upward without warning.
"AHHHHH!" Wilson’s scream filled through the air, with his face contorting in agony as the broken bones shifted.
Maya’s expression remained completely emotionless. There was not a flicker of sympathy on her face as she examined the damage.
"You’ll heal," she said flatly.
Wilson grunted.
Maya released his arm and stood, turning just in ti to see Ethan slowly approaching, with Valerie and Francesca walking a few paces behind him.
Maya gritted her teeth in visible annoyance, which made Nina step forward, driving the tip of her longsword into the ground. Her gauntleted hand rested on the hilt, ready to resu the fight at a mont’s notice.
Ethan raised a hand. "It’s fine."
He walked past Nina, then turned his attention to Wilson and his sister.
"I think Valerie was seeing things," Ethan began. "Because tell how the fuck I get shot right in the noggin the exact mont you both show up at my house."
Before either of the Heydrichs could respond, Francesca’s voice cut in.
"I’m sorry for interrupting, Master Ethan, but who are these people?"
Ethan tilted his head toward Francesca and said casually, "These are the vampires that had kidnapped a few days ago."
Francesca’s eyes went wide.
"How DARE you abduct my young master?!" she yelled in a voice so loud it made Wilson flinch.
She looked furious. Veins nearly popped at her temples as she rolled up her sleeves with dramatic flair.
Magic energy flared around her body, like she was about to launch into round two with Maya herself.
Maya took a quick step back. "Look, we ca here to offer an apology, okay?"
Francesca kept edging forward, with an her expression that darkened with every step. "An apology will hardly fix that, darling. But stay right there, because these hands will."
Maya gritted her teeth, and her body tensed as she prepared to defend herself again.
Wilson, still cradling his broken arm, had sweat forming on his forehead.
But then Ethan, with a small smile on his face, placed a hand gently on Francesca’s shoulder.
"Hold on a second," he said calmly.
The atmosphere instantly shifted and Francesca froze mid-rant. "...Young master?"
She glanced at him, then back at Maya.
Her fists were still clenched, but with a sharp grunt, she thrust both fists forward in a dramatic punching gesture toward Maya’s face.
"Don’t think this is over!" she snapped.
Then, with so reluctance, she took a few steps back.
Maya heaved a sigh of relief, and Wilson slowly wiped the sweat off his forehead.
Ethan turned back to Maya. "An apology?"
He made a weird, confused expression.
"You’re from one of the seven families. Your pride should hardly let you utter those words. And your nature as vampires shouldn’t let you feel remorse either. So if you’re here with a so-called apology, it has to be for sothing else."
Maya was quiet for a mont because she knew Ethan was right.
She wasn’t here out of remorse, and it did hurt her pride doing this. But more than anything, she valued her life the most.
So she was here out of fear.
Fear of the person she still considered the most dangerous to ever exist.
Ethan’s butler, Eduardo.
She was afraid that if he was still even a fraction of who he used to be, then she’d be dead sooner or later at his hands.
That man never let a grudge go if you ever crossed paths wrongly against him.
In essence, the one she truly ca to offer the apology to was Eduardo, not actually Ethan.
But she noticed he wasn’t around or within the premises.
Instead, Maya replied to Ethan. "We just don’t want any problems with the Stark family. I also didn’t know you were a Stark either."
She tilted her head to the side and yelled, "Wilson!"
Wilson, with his head turned away, reluctantly muttered, "Accept my apologies, Ethan. Beatrice put up to it, but we’re done now. I don’t talk to that girl anymore."
Ethan stared at them both for a mont without saying anything.
Then finally, he sighed, turned away, and said, "You both should leave my house."
He had not walked long when Maya’s voice called from behind.
"There’s a hit on you, Mr. Stark."
Ethan stopped and tilted his head backward slightly.
Maya continued. "Judging by the trajectory, the bullet was fired by a ranger from a high elevation. The house in this compound is the only tall structure in the imdiate vicinity, so it could not have co from around here. That ans the shot originated from a higher vantage point sowhere deeper within the city."
She pointed in the direction she ant.
Ethan turned to face her fully now.
And Maya’s expression grew grim as she continued, "And there’s only one assassin in this country notorious for making bullet shots from that distance...
...Hitman X."
——
anwhile, in a fanciful room within the palace...
Isabella lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling for a brief second before rolling over to grab her device. She unlocked it quickly and her eyes moved to the ssage thread with Ethan.
All seven ssages had been delivered with a double tick. The last ssage she’d sent after a thirty-minute interval was: "Hey, are you there?"
But still, there was no reply.
She sighed heavily. This had to be the hundredth ti she’d checked in the last five minutes.
Why hadn’t he replied yet? she wondered.
Then suddenly, a voice ca from behind her.
It was deep, yet kind.
"Hello, sister."
Isabella’s eyes widened instantly. She knew that voice.
It made her bolt upright so fast she nearly dropped her Arcphone.
"Ray?!"
She spun around, and sure enough, standing near the doorway with a calm smile on his face was her younger brother, Rayleigh Van Tudor.
Without hesitation, Isabella shot off the bed and rushed toward him, throwing her arms around him in an excited embrace.
"You’re back!"
Rayleigh grinned, wrapping his arms around her in return. "I’ve missed you too, sister."
Isabella pulled back slightly, still holding onto his arms as she looked him over. "When did you get back?"
"Just now, just now," Rayleigh replied with a light chuckle.
Isabella fully released him, stepping back with a bright smile on her face.
Her younger brother was easily her favorite person in the entire castle. He had inherited nearly all of their mother’s traits, and on top of that, he was kind, perceptive, and irresistibly charming.
But then, Rayleigh’s gaze drifted downward, and he couldn’t help but notice the bracelet on her right wrist.
He chuckled and said, "There’s no way, Bella."
Isabella narrowed her eyes in amusent. "What?"
Rayleigh pointed directly at the bracelet. "You still haven’t told him yet?"
Isabella’s expression shifted imdiately. She sighed and turned her head away. "You’re such a bum."
Rayleigh laughed again. "Oh, co on, sister. It’s been three months already. When are you going to tell Father you’ve reawakened?"
——
ATTACHED TO THIS, IS MAYA’S PICTURE ART
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