Sitting in the chair, one leg draped over the other, Jedrick eyed his mother intently as she lay on the bed.
She had been silent ever since Ben brought her here. What surprised him, though, was her desperate plea—to take her to her son.
"You've been nothing but a troublemaker, Mother. And yet, even if I hate you..." His voice dripped with venom, sharp and bitter. "...I still can't bring myself to kill you."
Valeria flinched, her gaze finally flickering toward him.
She sat curled up on the bed, knees drawn to her chest, her fingers fidgeting nervously—just like always. But there was sothing disturbingly vacant in her expression. How had she even managed to convince Ben?
"T-Take to my son," she muttered, her eyes staring off into the distance, never quite eting his.
Jedrick's brows furrowed in confusion. She kept repeating the sa thing, over and over, and sothing in his chest twisted.
His eyes softened for a fraction of a second. Ever since he'd brought her here, she had never once acknowledged him. Until now.
Son.
The word sounded foreign coming from her lips. Because the son she was so desperate to see was sitting right in front of her—and she didn't even recognize him.
"You really know how to annoy , Mother," he said, a dry, humorless chuckle escaping his lips. But the smile faded just as quickly as it ca, replaced by a grim, hardened stare.
"One day, I'll punish you all for ruining my life."
His voice was low, heavy with promise.
Valeria's eyes widened. Her lips parted, but no words ca out. The look of disbelief on her face said it all. Sohow, she had understood the threat behind his words—and her heart began to race in terror.
Jedrick didn't flinch. He watched her face drain of color, the fear taking hold once more.
She had always been afraid of him. And he intended to keep it that way.
Jedrick stared at Valeria for a few monts longer before pulling out his phone. Without another word, he turned and swiftly exited the room, the door clicking shut behind him.
"Target achieved. Prepare the consignnts," he said coldly into the phone as he disappeared down the hallway.
Valeria watched his retreating figure in silence, her eyes blinking slowly as if trying to process what had just happened. Despite the trembling in her limbs, she kept herself composed.
Her fingers moved with cautious intent as she reached into the pocket of her cardigan. From it, she pulled out a small card.
Her gaze dropped to the printed text.
Dr. Sherlyn Norman.
***
The tense silence in the Miller Mansion was abruptly broken by the shrill ring of Jonathan's phone.
"Yes, Rick?" He answered, his voice sharp, drawing everyone's attention instantly.
Eveline watched her father closely, as did the other mbers of the household. With each passing second, the lines on Jonathan's face deepened, his expression darkening.
When he finally ended the call, his voice was grave.
"Jedrick got a nod from the mayor for the organ trafficking operation. He'll begin shipping soon—with the mayor's full support."
A gasp echoed from sowhere in the room.
Eveline shot to her feet and quickly excused herself, leaving both Jonathan and Erna confused.
However, it was now confird why Jedrick abducted Sherlyn in the first place.
***
anwhile, inside the Norman household, Sherlyn sat beside Kaden, her eyes fixed on the email displayed on her tablet.
"They don't want treating Valeria anymore," she muttered, rereading the ssage from Mr. Ben over and over.
They had anticipated this. With Valeria now living under Jedrick's roof, Sherlyn's access to her was essentially cut off. Jedrick would never allow anyone to breach his fortress—not even for sothing as routine as therapy. And so, the sessions had been terminated.
Just when it felt like everything was slipping through their fingers, Sherlyn's phone rang.
She frowned at the screen—an unknown number. It kept ringing, persistent and insistent. With a hesitant glance at Kaden, she finally answered.
"H-Hello?"
There was a short pause before a soft, shaky voice ca through.
"It's... it's . Valeria."
Sherlyn's eyes widened in shock at the na. But realization hit her a beat later, and she quickly straightened, composing herself.
"Valeria," she said gently, her tone instantly professional but laced with concern as she watched Kaden, who was equally surprised.
"There is sothing you need to know," she said, further intriguing Sherlyn as she quickly put the phone on speaker.
***
[Base]
Shortly after Eveline and Gabriel arrived at the base, the heavy sound of boots echoed down the hallway—Kaden had arrived.
He strode into the room with purpose, his jaw set and a fire burning behind his eyes. Without wasting a mont, he addressed the group.
"Our doubts were right," he said grimly. "Jedrick needed the mayor to get his consignnt through. Without Jeremy's political protection, the organ trafficking operation wouldn't stand a chance."
Eveline's fists clenched at her sides. "So, it's true. He bought the mayor."
Kaden gave a sharp nod. "He knows his past reputation has left him under constant scrutiny. Every move he makes is being watched. But with Jeremy's influence, the scrutiny disappears. No red flags. No audits. Just silence."
Gabriel paced the room, his expression dark. "And with that silence, Jedrick can keep running his operation—unchecked, invisible, and worth billions."
Kaden looked around at each of them, his voice tightening with controlled fury.
"He's not just trafficking organs. He's building an empire on blood and corruption. And now that he has the mayor in his pocket, the legal system won't touch him."
The room was quiet for a beat, the weight of his words sinking in.
Eveline stepped forward, her eyes fierce. "Then we don't go through the system. We go through him."
Gabriel turned to her, surprised. "You an take him down directly?"
She nodded. "We cut off the supply. Expose the network. And drag the truth into the light—whether the law wants it or not."
Kaden's lips curved into a grim smile. "Then it's war."
"Let's end his chapter once and for all."
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