Reynold Draven sank slowly onto the edge of his sister’s bed, the marriage contract and papers in his hands trembling slightly as his mind raced.
Marriage contract.
That single thought echoed through his head over and over. His eyes flickered over the docunt again, but it still didn’t make sense. Why hadn’t Zephany told him?
Was this why she had been so distant lately? Was she being forced into sothing, or was this all part of so story she was digging into? The questions spun in his mind like a tornado, faster and faster, leaving him feeling dizzy.
He couldn’t stop thinking about the ti he’d called her, trying to reach out, but she never picked up. He didn’t know that, in those sa days, Zephany had been admitted to the hospital after failing a mission. Her phone had been off, and it was only when she woke up three days later that she’d turned it back on, fully unaware of the worry she had caused him.
He bit the inside of his cheek, a bitter taste of guilt creeping up on him. Why didn’t she tell ? His protective instincts were screaming at him, but he could never be sure with her anymore.
Marriage?
It felt wrong. A cold shiver crept up his spine as his fingers brushed over the paper again.
His gaze shifted, focusing on the fine print.
He could barely contain his frustration. Kendrick Montclair. That na. He’d heard of him, but he wasn’t sure where. But now, seeing it here, attached to his sister’s life like this—it made his blood run cold.
Zephany is now living under the sa roof as that man? The thought twisted in his gut. Was she forced into this? The papers didn’t lie, though. They were clear.
But why?
He paused, staring at the fine print, ntally making a note of Kendrick’s na. He couldn’t allow soone like that to hurt her. He wouldn’t.
His mind wandered again, a sinking feeling growing in the pit of his stomach as he considered everything else.
Is she that desperate for her journalist career that she entered this ridiculous contract just to keep it?
It sounded absurd. He couldn’t believe it, not for a second.
Why didn’t she co to for help?
He closed his eyes, pressing his fingers to his temples. A headache began to form at the base of his skull, pounding as the reality of the situation pressed down on him.
He never wanted this for her. Not this—whatever it was that had dragged her into this ss. He hadn’t been there for her as much as he should have been, always focused on his own work. Always too busy to notice how far Zephany had gone, how deep she was buried in this world of hidden truths and conspiracy.
The sharp creak of the floorboards pulled him out of his thoughts. He shook his head, standing up from the bed, pacing back and forth.
Cassius Varen. The na hit him like a blow. He stared at the paper in his hand, feeling the weight of it.
Cassius Varen—the mastermind behind the contract? The very man he had been investigating for years. The man whose role in his father’s death had never been fully uncovered. What could he possibly want with Zephany?
This wasn’t just about art theft anymore. This was personal. This had always been personal, and now, it was worse. His sister was in the middle of it all, caught in a dangerous web he couldn’t untangle on his own.
He let out a frustrated sigh, rembering the events from over a decade ago. Reynold rembered the day his father had passed away and the subsequent tragedy that befell his mother, who died of a heart attack upon learning of his father’s death.
His world had crumbled that day, but he had managed to compose himself, aware of his duty to care for his younger sister. Lost in thought, he inadvertently wandered into a restricted hospital hallway.
His focus returned when he spotted a group of n in black suits. Quickly, he hid from their view and eavesdropped on their conversation with a doctor and a woman nad Miss Sophia Sparkle.
The doctor inquired, "Are you Miss Sophia Sparkle?"
She replied, "Yes, that’s . What happened to Mr. Varen? How’s his condition right now?"
The doctor responded, "His condition is stabilized for now, but we’re unsure when he will wake up."
One of the n in black then approached the woman and the doctor, reporting, "Ma’am Sophia, according to our investigations, two individuals were completely burned in the incident. One was Soren Draven, and the other was Dr. Mystorium.
We also discovered substances that can trigger hallucinations and temporary amnesia. Therefore, we believe there’s a high chance that those involved in the incident won’t rember what happened."
Sophia issued a set of instructions, "Help get Mr. Varen out of here. No one must know his involvent in this incident. Wrap up the investigations and tell people it was due to a kitchen fuel leakage that the fire broke out and caused the explosion. The higher-ups want this case to remain hidden from the public. Mr. Varen’s involvent must remain confidential."
With that, they wheeled the unconscious man out of the room and through a secret door, leaving the hospital.
Reynold Draven, who was 16 years old at the ti, was utterly shocked by what he had witnessed and heard. Those revelations ignited his determination to beco a detective.
Ever since that day, he had relentlessly investigated Sophia Sparkle and Mr. Varen, longing to uncover the truth behind his father’s death.
But over the years, he had heard nothing about them. It was as if they had never existed. Now, however, the two were suddenly back and had even pulled his sister into the ss. He wouldn’t forgive them if they hurt her.
He rubbed his face, his mind now racing to find any way to protect her from whatever storm she had gotten herself caught in. She was too deep into this to back out now. He had to be there for her. He had to keep her safe, even if she didn’t understand the danger yet.
His phone buzzed, dragging him back to the present. It was Jeric.
He picked it up imdiately.
"Jeric, I need you to do sothing for . Call in so of our n. We need to secretly protect Zephany. She’s in danger, and I won’t let anything happen to her."
His chest tightened with a fear he hadn’t experienced in years. She better be okay.
After ending the call, he started typing a ssage to Zephany. Every minute felt like an eternity as he prepared to leave, his heart pounding in his chest.
Before it was too late, he had to find her.
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