"Mr. Lloyd, I swear—I don''t know anything!" Mason threw up his hands, ying


    dumb.


    Andrew sneered. "You don''t know? I was attacked at your father''s funeral... on


    Ulrich family grounds. And you''re telling me you had no idea? Don''t you think


    that''s a little far-fetched?"


    Mason raised one hand, his face full of conviction. "If you don''t believe me, Mr.


    Lloyd, I swear. If I, Mason Ulrich, have lied to you in the slightest, may the


    heavens strike me down and may I die a horrible death!"


    A p of thunder exploded overhead. The sky had already been overcast, heavy


    with dark clouds. And right on cue, a light rain began to fall.


    Mason''s face froze. His jaw dropped, and he barely held back a loud curse.


    Andrew smiled faintly. "Even the heavens don''t buy your story. Looks like you''re


    out of excuses."


    Still refusing to budge, Mason insisted, "Believe it or not, Mr. Lloyd, I had no


    knowledge of any attack. If you''re still doubtful, I''ll swear on my dead father''s soul!


    If I lied, may I follow in his footsteps, may I die alone in a nursing home, unloved


    and forgotten!"


    Andrew sighed and patted him lightly on the shoulder. "You''re a ruthless one,


    Mason. Be careful, though. Sometimes wordse true."


    Deep down, Mason sneered.


    So, what if Andrew had taken Marcelo down? He did not have a single shred of


    evidence on him.


    That oath? He could swear hundreds of them, empty as air.


    Andrew turned to the rest. "Alright, let''s head out."


    Putting on a fake smile, Mason politely offered, "Mr. Lloyd, why don''t you stop by


    our home for a bit? You''ve had a rough day."


    Andrew smiled. "That sounds good. Alright, I''m sorry for the trouble! But you


    better watch your back, Mason."


    Mason frowned. "Watch out for what?"


    He had no fear. He had just sworn on the dead and would do it again without


    blinking.


    Andrew simply smirked. "Just watch out for Cillian not toe back to haunt you


    and knock you off your throne."


    Mason nearlyughed.


    Seriously? This guy still believed in ghosts?


    Cillian was dead, and he had personally arranged for that to happen.


    What could a dead man possibly do to him?


    Face full of contempt, Mason turned to lead the group back to the Ulrich


    residence.


    Logan and Tiana followed beside Andrew, and Rachel and Duncan came up


    behind.


    "Hey, Andy... Did Ryder get it done?" Logan asked in a low voice, grinning.


    Andrew replied calmly, "Everything''s


    been set up perfectly. If he still can''t


    pull it off, he might as well bash his


    own head into a wall."


    Tiana smiled. "Mason''s about to


    walk into his own house and realize


    he''s already been stripped of power.


    I wonder what that face of his will


    look like."


    Logan chuckled darkly. "Easy! He''ll look like someone who just got struck by


    lightning!"


    The group boarded their vehicles and headed back to the Ulrich residence.


    The moment they stepped through the gates, Mason knew something was wrong.


    At the entrance, two full rows of ck-suited bodyguards stood at attention, as if


    guarding against an intruder.


    Their formation was strict and defensive, like they were waiting for an enemy.


    What the hell was this? He had not given any orders for this kind of setup.


    "Ryder? Ryder, where the hell are you?"


    Mason stormed forward, frowning and shouting through the estate. Yet, no one


    responded.


    Then, one by one, members of the


    Ulrich family began to appear.


    However, the way they looked at him


    made his skin crawl.


    Their expressions were cold, unfamiliar. It was as if they were staring at a


    stranger.


    "Ryder! Where the hell did you go off to? Get out here, right now!"


    Mason''s unease turned into panic. He could feel something unraveling, and it was


    starting to scare the hell out of him.