Chapter 20
Morning at the Velor family mansion unfolded as usual–quiet, orderly, and steeped in protocol. Servants cleaned the gardens, the soft echo of guards‘ footsteps resonated through the main corridors. But inside the small pavilion on the eastern side, the atmosphere was far from ordinary.
Aliana sat before a large mirror, her expression blank. Her hair had been neatly brushed, her face clean, but her silver eyes remained dim. Her right arm still ached. A thin bandage lay hidden beneath the sleeve of her pale blue blouse. Nothing seemed amiss on the outside–as though the previous night had never happened.
The identity of the Goddess of Death will be uncovered.”
That line echoed in Aliana’s ears like an invisible chant refusing to fade.
Her instincts were never wrong. Someone was already hunting Nyx.
And this time, Aliana was certain–they were not ordinary enemies.
A soft knock at the door broke her thoughts.
Miss Aliana?” Elena’s cautious voice came from the hallway.
“Come in, Elena.””
Elena entered carrying a tray with a light breakfast. Her face held worry, but she restrained herself from asking questions. She knew her place—and Aliana had always made that line clear.
Still, Elena could no longer contain herself.
“I’ve pressed your coat. But… are you sure you don’t want that wound checked by a doctor? Injuries like that can get infected.”
Aliana turned to her, her gaze gentle but firm.
“I can take care of it. Thank you, Elena.”
Elena nodded.
“Then I’ll tidy up the sitting room.”
Once Elena had left, Aliana set down her coffee and opened her laptop again.
She needed to know who the hooded figure assisting Julian was.
And the only ones likely to have that answer were her former contacts–The Silence Network, the shadowy community where Nyx once operated.
She opened a secret terminal window, inputting a long passphrase composed of ancient Greek, numbers, and personal codes.
Within seconds, the screen changed–dark, with a faint world map and glowing red nodes.
[Greetings, Nyx. It’s been a while. Looking for intel, or covering your tracks?]
Aliana typed quickly:
I want to know who’s working with Julian Crane. Last location: Red Hook. Time: last night. Send all surveillance data and signal patterns from the dark web in that area.
[Processing started. Results in 4 hours ]
Aliana closed the laptop and exhaled deeply.
Four hours–that gave her just enough time to fulfill her social duty as the wife of Titan Group’s CEO.
Suddenly, there was another gentle knock at the door.
“Miss Aliana,” Elena’s voice returned, slightly hesitant. “Mr. Albert from the main mansion is here… He brings a message from Mr. Andrian
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Chapter 20
Aliana turned quickly.
“A message?”
Elena opened the door, revealing the elderly but impeccably dressed Albert, the chief butler of the Velor family. He bowed politely.
“Miss Aliana, Mr. Andrian requests your presence for breakfast in the main dining room this morning.”
Aliana furrowed her brow.
This was unusual—especially after a night like the last. But if Andrian had sent Albert himself, it meant this wasn’t mere courtesy.
“Very well,” Aliana replied calmly.
“Tell him I’ll be there.”
0)
A few minutes later, Aliana walked toward the main mansion. She wore a simple cream–white dress that covered the wound on her arm neatly. Her steps were calm, but her mind stayed alert.
The main dining hall was bathed in morning sunlight streaming through the tall windows. As usual, everything was arranged meticulously and formally. But today, the air felt different–quiet and tense.
Andrian was already seated at the far end of the long table, sipping his tea. He looked sharp in a gray suit, his hair slicked back flawlessly. But his eyes looked darker than usual–perhaps from lack of sleep.
Aliana briefly glanced around, noting the absence of Bianca, who was almost never missing from the breakfast table. But today, she wasn’t there. Only Andrian, alone at that long table.
Aliana raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised, but said nothing. She sat down across from him in silence.
Several attendants began serving breakfast.
Minutes passed in quiet, broken only by the clinking of silverware.
Then Andrian finally spoke, his voice low and sharp.
“Aren’t you going to explain yourself?”
Aliana turned her head.
“About Lady Charlotte?”
Andrian stared at her for a moment, then calmly set his teacup down.
“I’ve heard your explanation about that. What I really want to know is what you did after dinner. You left with a man. Who was he?”
The question made Aliana pause mid–stir. She looked up at Andrian, eyes cold.
“You’re spying on me?”
Andrian let out a dry breath.
“It’s not hard to monitor someone. You know that.”
“So now you’re interfering in my life?”
“Not interference. Protection. I don’t care what you do out there, Aliana. But if it endangers my position as CEO of Titan Group, I’ll act -without concern for your comfort.”
Aliana stood.
“You’ve crossed the line.”
“Then explain. Who is the man?”
“None of your business.”
“You’re my wife”
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“On paper!”
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The tension snapped taut.
In the corners of the room, the servants lowered their gazes, pretending to be busy.
Andrian rose from his seat, striding toward her, his expression sharp–not with jealousy, but with the fear of scandal.
“If it weren’t for this marriage, Titan Group wouldn’t have saved Zavier Corporation from collapse,” he said with biting precision.
“And now you’re sneaking off with a man after a political dinner. Do you even realize how damaging that looks?”
“Are you accusing me of having an affair?” Aliana’s tone sharpened.
Andrian took another step, voice low but cutting.
“I don’t care whether you are or not. What I care about is my name. My reputation. If you ruin it, Aliana, I won’t stay silent. You’re nothing without your family name.”
Aliana clenched her fists, jaw tight.
But she didn’t speak. Not yet.
Andrian narrowed his eyes.
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in
a proper dress with polished manners, people will forget where you really
“Don’t think that just because you’re sitting at this left behind. And it shows.”
came from. You weren’t raised by the Zaviers—you
Aliana drew a slow breath, forcing herself to remain calm. Her gaze turned to ice, her voice controlled.
“Careful, Andrian. Don’t play too close to the edge.”
She folded her arrns, turning her face away to restrain her a
Andrian scoffed.
“Perhaps… this is the true nature of the Zavier family.”
Aliana turned quickly, her glare sharper now.
Andrian continued, his voice growing more condescending.
“Alicia seemed sweet and soft, but the truth? She liked to play games. Surrounded herself with men. Full of secrets.”
Aliana froze.
His tone left no room for misinterpretation.
“Are you accusing Alicia?”
Andrian shrugged.
“I’m just repeating what some people said. Who knows… maybe she really was pregnant. Couldn’t handle the shame and chose death instead.”
“SHUT UP!” Aliana screamed, her body rigid, eyes blazing with fury.
“Shut your mouth.”
Andrian raised an eyebrow.
“Angry? Because I said something that might be true? You never really knew your sister. You just believe what you want to believe.”
Aliana glared at him. Her breathing was uneven, jaw clenched tight. But she didn’t respond.
She was too furious to speak
Andrian picked up his tablet from the table, glancing at Aliana one last time.
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“I don’t need a wife desperate for validation. If you can’t behave like someone worthy of the Velor name, then maybe you should leave.”
Without waiting for her reply, Andrian turned and walked out, leaving Aliana alone in the dining room.
“Bastard!”
Aliana slammed her palm onto the table–loud and sudden.
The glass in front of her trembled and spilled.
Her breath was still heavy. Her eyes sharp with rage, but her gaze was distant.
She stood motionless, her body frozen. But behind her calm exterior, fury surged in waves.
“You’ve gone too far, Andrian Velor! I will make you pay for speaking ill of my sister.”
Hours later, in her private study, Aliana received a response from The Silence Network:
[One active signal found under codename “Kestrel.” Last known location: docks. Linked to Julian’s activity. Identity unknown. Tracing transactional routes and digital metadata. Full data uploaded to your secure server.]
Kestrel.
The name wasn’t unfamiliar.
Aliana had come across it in old intelligence reports–a shadow figure known as a professional executor, with no fixed identity. Specialist in infiltration and system sabotage.
High–paid. Never failed.
If Kestrel really was working with Julian… this wasn’t just personal anymore.
Π
This was part of something much bigger.
m
Before Aliana could open the full files on the server, her phone buzzed.
A message from Rafe.
“Julian spotted. Abandoned warehouse near the northern export route. Isolated location. Minimal surveillance.”
Aliana opened her digital map.
A red dot blinked on the northern edge of the city.
She knew the place–too strategic to be a coincidence.
Another message from Rafe:
“Monitoring from distance. Target appears alone, but location is too exposed. Possible hidden threats. Should I move in?”
Aliana typed back quickly
“No. Hold position: Send coordinates and camera access. I’ll move in tonight.”
Rafe replied within seconds:
“Data sent. But this place feels like a trap. We need to be careful
Aliana closed the message window and stared at her screen.
Kestrel’s name still hovered in the network logs.
Julian had surfaced–and Kestrel had been detected at nearly the same time.
Aliana stood.
Time to move.
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Chapter 20
Elsewhere…
Bianca sat in the private lounge of a hotel café.
Across from her, a young woman around Aliana’s age sat nervously.
Derek stood behind Bianca, calmly surveying the room.
Without preamble, Bianca placed a tablet on the table and played a short video clip–footage of Rafe and Aliana together from the previous night.
The woman went still. Her eyes fixed on the screen, then narrowed.
“I know him,” she murmured.
“He used to show up a lot back when we were in college. Always near Aliana. But he wasn’t just a friend… he was more like a bodyguard.”
Bianca narrowed her eyes.
“Name?”
The woman hesitated, then replied softly,
“Rafe. But everyone said… he’s not just anyone.”
Bianca looked at the frozen frame of Rafe’s face on th
Then smiled.
“Interesting. I’ve finally got you.”
==
tablet screen.
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