After the laughter subsided, I felt a vague sense of unease.I exchanged glances with Atlas, and I knew he understood my thoughts. However, with elders and a child present, neither of us could speak openly.From what I gathered from Atlas’s calls, Dylan was dealing with the aftermath of Ava's kidnapping. Although I hadn't asked, I could tell from his conversations that despite their efforts, Dylan and his team hadn't found the man.Even if he had been lucky, jumping from such a high bridge would not have left him unharmed. However, the fact that there was still no sign of him indicated he was skilled. Despite extensive searches by the authorities and Atlas's team, he had not been found. He must have escaped.As long as he was on the loose, the threat remained. He was a potential danger. Who was to say he wouldn't threaten us again someday?It seemed he was targeting me, or at least, I was his goal. But I was sure that I had never met him. Ava and Atlas's account of what happen

Atlas was probably surprised by my emotional outburst. He nodded and said, "Yes, that ‘Rory,’ who died in the plane crash with my parents, also had a snake tattoo."The news sent a shiver down my spine. "So you mean, the one who died in the crash wasn't Rory? Then who was he?"I couldn't explain why I was so intrigued by Rory. Whenever his name came up, I felt an urge to dig deeper.It was similar to the first time Grayson mentioned Lucille's name, and I felt a sense of déjà vu."This is the part I've always hesitated to make sense of, but one thing is certain. Rory didn't have that tattoo!" Atlas said, "Later, I managed to obtain the evidence from the investigation report.""Is this what made you suspect that your parents' crash wasn't just an accident?" I looked at Atlas. The awkwardness between us from earlier had dissipated, and I straightened up.Atlas brushed aside the stray strands of hair caught in the breeze. His eyes were deep, and his voice was low. "I spent a whole de

I asked Atlas to wait for a call from Dylan or Grayson. Then, I left Vanderberg Palace with Lauren and headed to Amethyst Apartments.Lauren was anxious on the way, saying, “Thank goodness you’re back. I was worried on my own. Oh, how’s Ava?”“She’s okay now, but Atlas thinks she might be traumatized. That’s why he arranged for my parents to stay with her for a while longer.”Lauren glanced at me while driving. “I had no choice but to call you. I’m sorry for disturbing your time with your family. You finally got a chance for a vacation, but…”“Don’t think that way. How could I ignore Ivanna? Anyway, it was about time I returned. After all, Atlas is a busy man, and I shouldn’t always expect him to be with me. Still, Ava’s very attached to him. She kept asking when we’d be back when we were leaving.”Lauren nodded approvingly and said, “I can see how much Atlas cares for Ava. He does more than Matthew.”I laughed at her statement, “Hahaha, Matthew seems to have forgotten he even ha

Although it was midnight, Foswood remained bright. The nightlife here was at its peak at this hour. However, we became increasingly restless as we waited at Vanderberg Palace. We knew Ivanna would face more danger with each passing minute.When Atlas’s phone rang, Lauren and I perked up and looked at him. When he answered, his furrowed brows relaxed, “Is it just Jared’s people there?”I guessed Jared had taken action when I heard that.Atlas hung up and looked at me, saying, “You and Lauren stay here. I’ll be back in a moment.”“Where are you going?” I urgently asked, “Did you receive any solid information?”Atlas explained, “It’s still uncertain, so just wait for my message. I’ll immediately inform you of any updates.”“What do you mean ‘immediately?’ That means you must tell me what you know now!” I stared at Atlas, refusing to yield.“Chloe, you know these people don’t care about consequences. This time—”I interjected angrily, “That’s why I have to come! Ivanna’s in danger,

I suddenly realized something and exchanged a glance with Atlas. We exclaimed simultaneously, “Upstairs!”We turned and raced back inside. When we burst into the lobby, we saw the elevator already descending. Immediately after, Atlas pressed the button for another elevator.As we, Dylan, and the others entered the elevator, my phone rang. I quickly answered and could hear Grayson’s urgent voice, “Trinity just left Vanderberg Palace and is heading toward Phantom now!”I looked nervously at Atlas, and he patted my shoulder, saying, “Don’t panic. Let’s find Ivanna first.”I clenched his hand, determined to get Ivanna out if she was up there. When the elevator reached the top floor, we hurried out. As expected, the other elevator had stopped on the same floor but was already empty.Atlas assessed the direction and pulled me to the left, where we found a secure passage. We rushed inside and headed to the rooftop. It was spacious and bright as day due to the lightbox on the building’s r