The night had already settled deep over Arthur Palace when Elijah returned.The sky was an inky black, moonlight barely peeking through the thick clouds.He entered silently, his footsteps soft against the marble floor as he made his way upstairs.His mind was filled with the satisfaction of the night’s events, but the dark shadow of concern for Sophia loomed larger than his vengeance. He stepped into Sophia’s room, where the soft beeping of machines echoed against the stillness.Elijah’s eyes fell on her frail form, still unconscious but showing slight signs of improvement.Her breathing was steadier, and her color had returned to a shade closer to normal. He approached her bedside, checking her vitals once more. "You're fighting," he whispered, brushing a loose strand of hair from her forehead. "Good. Keep fighting."Elijah sat down by her side, the weight of the past weeks pressing on him.He had done everything he could—used every ounce of his medical knowledge, every herb, ever
Elijah stood by the window of the room, staring at the darkened sky.The photograph of the mysterious man—cloaked in shadow, lurking near Sophia—was spread out on the desk in front of him. His thoughts raced, but his face remained an impenetrable mask of calm.“We need to find him, Doug,” Elijah said, his voice low and cold.“Whoever this is, he’s linked to the syndicate, and he’s watching Sophia. I want him found, no matter the cost.”Doug, standing at attention beside him, nodded.“We’ve already increased the surveillance around Arthur Palace, Marshal,” Doug replied. “I’ve also put more men on Sophia’s protection detail. No one gets near her without us knowing.”Elijah’s jaw tightened. "Good. But I want more than just eyes. Set up traps, gather intelligence. If he slips up, I want to be there to crush him."Doug nodded again, his eyes reflecting the same steely determination. "Consider it done, sir."As Doug turned to leave, Elijah’s phone buzzed on the desk. The name ~Olivia Winter
Elijah walked into the upscale restaurant, the dim lighting and quiet hum of conversation creating an air of exclusivity.He was dressed in his carefully crafted disguise as ~James Hamesworth, his hair slightly longer grayish, his beard neatly trimmed to give him a rugged but polished look, additionally, his makeup was set like his previous meetings with Olivia.His clothes— a tailored dark suit with an open-collared shirt—fit the persona perfectly, adding to the mystery he projected. As he entered, his sharp eyes scanned the room. Olivia Winter sat at a corner table, dressed in an elegant black dress that hugged her figure. Her hair was pulled back in a sleek bun, and her makeup was immaculate, emphasizing her sharp features and ice-blue eyes.She saw him immediately and waved, her smile warm and almost seductive.“James,” she called him with a light laugh, standing to greet him with a kiss on the cheek.Her perfume lingered in the air, sweet and intoxicating.“You look dashing, as
Elijah sat in his study, the dim light casting long shadows across the room. His eyes were locked on the small tracker he’d pulled from his car.The device was sleek, professional—far too advanced to be some run-of-the-mill gadget. He knew it had to be connected to something bigger. He pulled out his laptop, connecting the tracker to a secure line. His fingers moved swiftly over the keyboard, running the signal through multiple encryption layers.As the minutes ticked by, the screen filled with information, slowly tracing the tracker’s origin.Elijah’s face hardened as the results came in.The signal led back to a syndicate—a notorious group with ties to none other than Zack Shaw and the underground network he had once ruled.It was becoming clear that this was the same group responsible for Sophia’s attack and the threats against her life.His phone buzzed, breaking his concentration. It was Doug.“Marshal,” Doug’s voice came through, calm but urgent.“I’ve been digging into the tra
Elijah stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the cufflinks on his tailored suit. His reflection stared back at him, a man ready to slip into another identity.Tonight, he would be James Hamesworth once more, playing his part to perfection to extract the information he needed from the Winters.His mind was razor-sharp, focused on the goal, but his heart held a flicker of unease.Sophia had begun to notice the growing distance between them.She wasn’t blind to the tension that lingered in his movements, the long absences he couldn’t fully explain.The accident had shaken her, but her strength was returning, and with it, her determination to help him.He knew she wanted to be part of the investigation, to fight alongside him, but he couldn’t let her.Not now, not with how dangerous things were becoming."Marshal," Doug’s voice cut through Elijah’s thoughts as he entered the room, his tone respectful as always."Everything’s set. We’ve got eyes on the event, and I’ve posted guards aroun
Elijah kept his composure despite the sudden appearance of his old military acquaintance.The man’s shocked expression lingered in the background as Elijah smoothly turned his attention back to William Winter, masking his unease with a practiced smile.Every second felt like a balancing act. His cover was still intact, but it wouldn’t take much for it to crumble.William, ever the charming host, continued to boast about his family’s growing influence, unaware of Elijah’s internal turmoil.“As you can see, we’re positioning ourselves to control a significant portion of the city’s assets,” William said with a sly grin. Elijah entered Arthur Palace in the dead of night, his footsteps quiet as he moved through the grand hall.The cryptic warning from earlier echoed in his mind, a constant reminder that he was being watched.He had always known the risks of his double life, but now it was becoming clear that the game was far more dangerous than he had anticipated.The message was specific, precise: “The closer you get to the Winters, the deeper the quicksand.”It wasn’t just a threat—it was a promise that someone, somewhere, was monitoring his every move. And worse, they were watching Sophia too.Elijah made his way to his study, where DouThe Unstoppable Dragon Marshal 59. The Cobra
The air was thick with tension as Elijah navigated the dimly lit streets of the city’s underbelly.He kept his hood low, moving swiftly through the alleyways until he reached the abandoned warehouse where the meeting with The Cobra was set to take place.It was a dangerous part of the city, one where even the bravest souls wouldn’t tread alone. But Elijah was no ordinary man, and this meeting was too crucial to pass up.The moon cast long shadows across the empty streets, and the only sounds were the occasional clink of metal or the shuffle of stray animals.Elijah’s footsteps echoed softly as he approached the entrance, guarded by two hulking figures. They nodded at him, recognizing his presence as expected.Inside, the warehouse was sparse and cold. A single flickering light bulb illuminated the space, casting eerie shadows on the rusted beams and old crates scattered around.Sitting at a table in the center of the room was The Cobra—a figure cloaked in darkness, his face obscured by