Cracks Beneath the Surface
"I hired a lawyer. We negotiated a reduced sentence."
Hope flickered in Bear’s eyes, raw and desperate, like a drowning man catching sight of driftwood.
"And the bad news?" he asked, voice already trembling.
Evan’s expression did not change. Calm. asured. Almost indifferent.
"Even with the reduced sentence... you’ll still have about twenty years left."
Silence followed.
Not the ordinary kind.
The kind that presses against your ears and makes your heartbeat sound too loud.
Twenty years.
Bear’s legs gave out. His fingers slipped from the edge of the tal table, and he nearly fell off the chair. The guard behind him steadied him roughly, but his face had already drained of color.
Twenty years?
He—the eighth war general of the Obsidian Wing organization—was going to rot in a place like this for twenty years?
The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, cold and rciless. The walls were pale gray, peeling in corners. The faint scent of disinfectant lingered in the air.
At this mont, Bear deeply regretted coming to Europe.
Damn it...
If only he hadn’t ddled with that stupid hotel. If only he hadn’t underestimated Julian D’Aurelius.
His throat felt dry.
"I’ll keep trying to find a way. Don’t worry," Evan said calmly. "You might be out sooner than you think."
His voice was steady, reassuring.
But his eyes were calculating.
Once he had full control over Valemont, would it really be difficult to get soone out of prison?
The conquest of the four major households was already nearing completion.
The De Dominicis household had minor setbacks, but still within reach.
Things were progressing smoothly with the Valquin household. Results would surface soon.
With Liza Voss and a few other pawns embedded in the D’Aurelius household, their fall was only a matter of ti.
And once three households were in his grasp—
The weakest Aurevale household would crumble effortlessly.
In short—
The advantage was his.
Before he ruled Valemont entirely, Bear would simply have to endure.
Bear lowered his head and forced out a bitter laugh.
"Young Master Evan... I’ll trouble you then."
His voice cracked slightly.
"I hope I can get out soon and serve by your side again. Just like before. Making those little burgers for you."
Evan gave him a firm look through the glass.
"We’ll see each other soon, brother."
The word brother sounded warm.
But when Evan stood and walked away, there was no warmth in his eyes.
...
Antique Street, Valemont.
A shop called Ancient Pull stood quietly between two modern storefronts.
Its wooden plaque hung slightly crooked, darkened by years of wind and rain. The entrance curtains were embroidered with faded gold patterns. The faint scent of sandalwood drifted out into the street.
Inside, the lighting was warm but dim.
Glass cabinets lined the walls, displaying jade pendants, porcelain vases, carved seals, ancient bronze mirrors, and weathered scrolls. Dust motes floated lazily in beams of sunlight cutting through high windows.
Behind the counter stood Zain, a man in his late forties with sharp eyes and ticulous posture. He had been working for the D’Aurelius household since he was a teenager. Over thirty years.
His loyalty was unquestioned.
"Young Master Julian," Zain said respectfully, handing over a thick ledger bound in dark cloth. "Please take a look. This is last month’s revenue. Business has been quite stable these past few months."
Julian D’Aurelius, dressed in a simple dark shirt and tailored trousers, took the ledger with a casual smile.
"Thank you for your hard work."
His golden eyes skimd the neat rows of numbers. The faint scratch of paper under his fingers felt grounding.
He had only flipped through two pages when the shop bell chid.
Julian’s gaze lifted—
And instantly sharpened.
Evan walked in.
Beside him was Gwen Valquin.
Julian’s fingers closed the ledger quietly. He stepped behind a display cabinet, turning his back deliberately, blending into shadow.
Not today.
Funny thing was, he had zero patience for that whole Obsidian King charm routine.
Gwen didn’t shine the way she normally did.
A strand of golden hair slipped across her shoulder, yet it hung dull instead of glowing like before. Around those sharp blue eyes, shadows pooled heavily. Though she stood straight, sothing in her stance felt softer than normal. Gone was the bounce that usually lifted her step.
A soft cream blouse hugged her fra, slipped neatly beneath a structured skirt that traced the line of her shape. Her look held elegance, though sothing in her face suggested delicacy - a flower kept too long from the light.
The Valquin household had not known peace recently.
Nightmares.
Restlessness.
Servants quitting out of fear.
Bodyguards reporting strange occurrences in the corridors.
Those who left the mansion found relief imdiately.
Those who stayed suffered.
Naturally, suspicion had fallen on the house itself.
Black Magic.
Whispers of it had begun circulating.
Gwen had co to Antique Street hoping to find sothing to stabilize the energy of her ho.
And of course—
Running into Evan had not been coincidence.
The Obsidian King was either pursuing won—
Or on his way to pursue won.
"Miss Gwen," Evan said gently, watching her examine a jade carving. "I know a bit about Black Magic and taphysics. If you’re trying to improve your ho’s situation, you probably won’t find what you need in antique shops."
His tone was calm, modest.
Calculated.
Gwen paused and turned toward him, surprise flickering in her tired eyes.
"You understand Black Magic?"
She hadn’t known him long.
The first ti they t, a snake had sohow appeared inside her villa. She had scread in panic.
Evan had "happened" to be patrolling nearby.
He rushed in heroically, dealt with the snake, and comforted her afterward.
Since then, he had remained conveniently present in her orbit.
"Yes," Evan replied with a charming smile. "I’m quite skilled. The security guard job was only temporary. I needed sowhere to settle for a while."
First—
Establish mystery.
Then—
Reveal depth.
That was always his thod.
From behind the display cabinet, Julian almost laughed.
Of course you are.
Security guard by day. Obsidian King by night.
What a resu.
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