Vespera City.
The luxurious dining hall of the Mordecai residence remained unusually quiet tonight.
Soft instruntal music played sowhere in the background while servants carefully arranged the dishes and cleaned the table after dinner. The atmosphere looked peaceful from the outside, almost like a normal wealthy family finally enjoying a calm evening together after years of distance.
But only Corbin knew how heavy his mind truly was.
His wife sat beside their children helping with the dessert while Corbin's mother quietly poured tea into delicate cups.
Yet throughout the entire dinner, Corbin's phone continued vibrating again and again.
The sa unknown number.
Again.
And again.
He ignored it every single ti.
His wife finally noticed.
"You are not answering?"
Corbin forced a small smile.
"Just work."
But his mother quietly looked at him.
A mother always notices more than others.
After dinner ended, Corbin slowly stood up from the table and walked toward the balcony outside the dining hall. The cold evening wind touched his face as he finally answered the call.
"Hello?"
A woman's voice imdiately echoed from the other side.
"Hello there, Corbin. I have been trying to reach you for quite a while. Don't you care about your father anymore?"
Corbin's eyes imdiately beca cold.
"I know who you are."
There was no fear in his voice now.
Only irritation.
"And don't try contacting again."
A soft laugh ca from the other side.
Aveline Chevalier spoke casually as if discussing business over coffee.
"Your father and I had a deal."
Corbin closed his eyes for a mont.
"That man is not coming out anymore."
His voice beca firm.
"He is in for espionage."
A brief silence followed.
"And whatever you were looking for, you won't find it."
Corbin continued calmly.
"Kyle is dead. The laboratory in the factory burned down and the agency is already investigating everything. The weapons business license has been seized. Even the scientists were captured."
His fingers tightened slightly around the phone.
"So whatever ga you people were playing is over."
Aveline remained silent.
Corbin spoke one final ti.
"The Mordecais are done with shady business."
Then he ended the call imdiately.
"Damn…"
He rubbed his forehead slowly.
The balcony door opened behind him.
"What is it?"
His mother stood there quietly looking at him.
Corbin imdiately adjusted his expression and smiled.
"Nothing, mom."
But she sighed softly.
"Even after disappearing, he still won't let us live peacefully."
Corbin looked toward the distant city lights.
"He is not the one I am worried about."
His mother frowned slightly.
"Then what is it?"
Corbin remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he spoke slowly.
"Have you ever seen a single man slaughter dozens of ard n by himself?"
His mother froze slightly hearing the strange question.
Corbin's eyes beca distant.
The image of Miles fighting inside the abandoned naval base still haunted him.
The exhaustion.
The blood.
The way he still kept moving despite being surrounded.
Corbin quietly muttered to himself.
"That man is terrifying…"
…
Next Day- Star Harbor.
Pearl Villa.
The guests from Citadel had already left earlier in the morning.
The house returned to its peaceful rhythm once more.
Hope and Asher already left for school with Daniel, though the echoes of their loud morning chaos still seed to remain inside the hallways.
Miles sat comfortably in the living room today with June beside him.
Several files and reports were spread across the table while June carefully updated him regarding company matters. Even injured, Miles still occasionally reviewed docunts despite Monica repeatedly scolding him about resting properly.
Sunlight entered softly through the massive glass windows.
The atmosphere inside the villa felt calm.
A staff mber suddenly entered from the main hallway carrying grocery bags.
Miles looked up curiously.
"Didn't we already stock groceries yesterday?"
The woman smiled awkwardly.
"Sir, Mrs. Keller ordered more this morning."
Miles blinked slowly.
"Mom did?"
June lowered her eyes slightly trying not to laugh already.
Miles sighed dramatically before raising his voice.
"Mom."
No response.
He raised it louder.
"Mom!"
A few seconds later Elena hurried out from the kitchen wearing an apron, a little flour visible near one side of her sleeve.
"What is it son?"
Miles stared at her.
"Mom, what are you doing in the kitchen since morning? You should rest too."
Elena looked genuinely confused by the question.
"Oh, I am preparing so things for Flora."
Miles blinked.
"For Flora?"
Elena nodded naturally.
"She needs special food now. Superfoods."
Miles looked completely serious.
"...Is that actually a thing?"
June imdiately looked away trying not to laugh.
Elena folded her arms proudly.
"Yes it is."
Then her expression softened warmly.
"Normally these things are done by parents or family mbers. But those two don't really have anyone except us."
Her eyes beca emotional for a mont.
"I was very happy yesterday when they shared the news properly."
Miles smiled softly hearing that.
The warmth inside the villa sohow felt stronger lately.
"Then what are you making? Can I taste it too?"
Elena instantly laughed.
"Of course. I made plenty."
Then she suddenly looked toward June.
"I even prepared so for June to take ho."
June looked genuinely surprised.
"For ?"
Elena nodded happily.
"Yes dear. You are a growing woman too and you always help my son while handling so much work."
Her tone beca softer.
"That is the least I can do."
June smiled politely.
"Thank you Mrs. Keller."
Elena imdiately narrowed her eyes.
"What did I tell you again?"
June instantly corrected herself.
"Sorry Aunt Elena."
Elena finally smiled in satisfaction.
Miles chuckled quietly watching the interaction.
June looked unexpectedly comfortable here now.
Almost like family.
June adjusted her glasses lightly.
"I can deliver the food myself too. Dion and Flora are still at the office today."
Elena suddenly turned.
"They are still working?"
She imdiately looked at Miles suspiciously.
Miles instantly raised both hands defensively.
"Don't look at . I told them to take leave many tis already."
Then he sighed helplessly.
"I even told Dion he could manage things from ho if he was worried about work."
June nodded.
"Don't worry aunt. They are only finishing a few things before officially taking leave tomorrow."
Then she smiled slightly.
"On request, I already arranged Dion's office setup at ho too."
Elena visibly relaxed hearing that.
"Good."
Then she quickly rembered the kitchen again.
"Oh no, I left sothing on the stove."
She hurried back toward the kitchen almost running.
Miles watched her disappear before leaning back slowly.
"Pregnancy must be tough."
June finally laughed openly this ti.
"You sound like soone trying to prepare ntally for a future problem."
Miles imdiately looked at her.
"Absolutely not."
June laughed even harder hearing the instant response.
June adjusted the files on the table and suddenly paused as if rembering sothing important.
"Oh right, I forgot to tell you sothing."
Miles looked up from the report in his hand.
"What is it?"
"There was a strange mail we received this morning."
Miles frowned slightly.
"Mail? About what?"
June opened the tablet beside her and pulled up the details.
"There is a company called Tulip Corp from New York looking for investnt support. They requested a formal opportunity to pitch their idea to us."
Miles blinked once.
"To us?"
June nodded.
"Yes."
Miles looked genuinely confused.
"Did we suddenly open another investnt firm without telling ?"
June almost laughed.
"The investnt division is technically under Reaper Group, not Sterling Enterprises."
"Oh."
Miles leaned back slightly.
"What kind of company is it?"
June scrolled further through the report.
"They work in the animation industry. Entertainnt content mostly. They handled projects for several Chinese ga developnt and 3D animation companies recently."
Miles listened quietly.
"They are trying to enter the gaming industry now."
Miles raised an eyebrow.
"Ga developnt?"
June nodded.
"That is the proposal."
Miles thought for a mont.
"Who owns the company?"
"A woman nad Alice Robert."
Miles repeated the na softly.
"Alice Robert…"
Then he shook his head slightly.
"Sounds unfamiliar."
June looked at the profile again.
"It was originally a startup company. But their recent work quality is genuinely impressive."
She showed him a few images from the company portfolio.
"Several projects even received awards."
Miles looked carefully at the visual presentation.
The artwork quality really did stand out.
"What do you think?"
June crossed her legs slightly while thinking carefully before answering.
"The company itself looks genuine. But entering ga developnt is a massive step financially."
She paused.
"And investors are rejecting them."
Miles looked at her.
"If the company is good, why the rejections?"
June gave a small bitter smile.
"Because the business world is still unfair."
Miles quietly listened.
"It is already hard for startups to survive. But when a woman leads the company, people doubt even more."
Her tone beca calr but heavier.
"So investors demand unreasonable conditions. So cross ethical boundaries completely."
She closed the file slowly.
"And many people simply refuse to believe won can manage large scale business operations properly."
Miles sighed quietly.
"I believe you."
For a mont he remained thoughtful.
Then he spoke calmly.
"Send the complete file to Monica."
June nodded imdiately.
"And arrange an investnt eting through Reaper Investnts."
June looked slightly surprised.
"You are interested?"
Miles smiled faintly.
"If the work is genuinely good, then I want to hear their ideas personally."
He looked toward the screen again.
"Passion matters more than old businessn's opinions."
June smiled softly hearing that.
"I will reply to their mail then."
Just then Miles' phone vibrated on the table.
The screen displayed Monica's na.
Miles answered imdiately.
"Monica?"
Her voice sounded unusually energetic.
"I have news."
Miles chuckled softly.
"You sound happy."
"I am."
Miles relaxed slightly into the chair.
"Tell then."
Monica almost sounded proud now.
"Reaper Entertainnt officially signed multiple rising artists in South Korea today."
June imdiately looked up hearing that.
Monica continued excitedly.
"We are formally entering the South Korean market now."
Miles slowly stood up from his chair instinctively.
June imdiately looked alard.
"Boss."
Miles ignored her for a mont.
"You worked really hard for this."
There was genuine appreciation in his voice.
Monica laughed softly from the other side.
"I gave my soul to this project boss."
Then she groaned dramatically.
"It was a nightmare negotiating agencies, contracts, production rights, schedules, dia managent and approvals all together."
Miles smiled.
"Well."
He looked out toward the sunlight entering the villa.
"Congratulations."
Monica imdiately corrected him.
"Congratulations to us boss."
June smiled quietly hearing the conversation.
Then she suddenly stood up and carefully supported Miles by the arm.
"Boss."
Miles looked at her.
"You have muscle injuries in your leg."
Her voice beca firm.
"Sit down."
Miles sighed helplessly.
"I was only standing."
"Sit."
Monica instantly joined from the phone.
"Yes boss. Even my June is requesting now."
Miles looked betrayed.
"You two are becoming dangerous together."
June folded her arms.
"Sit down."
"Alright alright."
Miles finally sat back on the chair again.
June looked satisfied afterward.
Outside the windows, the peaceful skies of Star Harbor stretched beautifully toward the ocean.
Inside the villa, the atmosphere remained calm.
Warm.
Alive.
There were new opportunities approaching.
New people entering their lives.
New markets opening.
New growth for the empire his grandfather once lost.
And now.
Jax Mordecai would never walk free again.
The revenge that haunted generations of the Sterling family had finally ended.
Edward Sterling.
Timothy Sterling.
The blood debt had finally been answered.
Miles slowly closed his eyes for a brief mont.
The loud battles.
The blood.
The screams.
The gunfire.
The loneliness.
All of it suddenly felt far away from this peaceful room.
From Elena cooking in the kitchen.
From Hope and Asher laughing every morning.
From Daniel's warm smile.
From the people around him who genuinely cared.
Miles quietly wished only one thing now.
That this peaceful life would remain untouched forever.
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