"Miss, that guy you wanted us to look into is still in Goldridge right now!"


    Inside a teahouse in a bustling street in Goldridge, Rowan sat in her white dress listening to her subordinate''s report. She asked somewhat impatiently, "Where is he? Is he okay?"


    Her subordinate replied, "I don''t know if he''s okay or not. I just know he''s been captured and controlled by Mr. Fischer!"


    Rowan''s hand trembled slightly, spilling some of her tea as the porcin cup wobbled in her grip.


    Across from her, Evan took it all in silently. He said coldly, "Rowan, no matter how worried you are about him, it''s pointless now. He''s in Mr. Fischer''s hands. Do you really think he still has a chance?"


    Rowan did not answer. Her heart was a storm of chaos.


    She had not expected that after five years, they would finally cross paths again, only for that bastard to be at death''s door before they could even exchange a word.


    Evan sneered. "If you ask me, he brought this on himself. Who the hell dares ruin a n set by Mr. Fischer and the McCormicks? Letting Mr. Thornton go like that? What was he even thinking?"


    Rowan snapped, clearly irritated. "Evan, are you done running your mouth? If you''re done, then start thinking of a way to save Andrew!"


    Evan scoffed. "Andrew? So now you''re finally saying his name out loud? Well, let me be real with you: there''s no saving him. We Onyx Serpents can barely protect ourselves right now. And that guy? He''s in Mr. Fischer''s hands! You know what he''s capable of, don''t you?"


    He continued, "He alone is enough to keep the entire Onyx Serpents on edge. Now that the Southern Martial Union''s main headquarters has fallen into his hands... the worst for us is yet toe. We''re struggling just to survive, so how the hell are we supposed to help someone else?"


    Rowan fell silent. Right now, Henry and the McCormicks had officially seized control over the Southern Martial Union''s central headquarters. From here on out, they would control Goldridge andmand the entire Southern Martial Union. Those who submitted would be allies, little more thanpdogs. Those who resisted? They would be crushed without hesitation.


    This was the harsh truth of the martial world: the strong ones made the rules. And those weaker ones? They either bowed or got eaten alive.


    "What about Hidden Dragons and the Crimson Alliance? What are they doing?" Rowan asked, her brows tightly furrowed.


    Evan scoffed. "Those two? Spineless cowards, the lot of them. They''ve already started licking Henry''s boots."


    Rowan let out a helpless sigh. "Got it."


    Evan asked, "Rowan, why are you so hell-bent on helping Andrew?"


    Rowan answered nkly, "I''ve told you many times. Five years ago, he saved my life."


    Evan mmed the table. "Yeah? And five years ago, Onyx Serpents paid him back for that!"


    Rowan''s tone chilled. "Maybe Onyx Serpents did. But someone who saved my life deserves more than one paycheck."


    Evan scoffed. "Oh yeah? So what''s next? Are you going to risk your life for him? Or maybe... offer him yourself?"


    That was the final straw. Rowan flung the rest of her tea straight into Evan''s face and hissed, "You''re disgusting!"


    Then, she stormed out of the tea house, her dress whipping behind her.


    Evan licked the tea off his cheek and smirked. "You drank it, and now I''ve tasted it. That counts as our first kiss. Mmm... delicious."


    He was clearly a delusional and imaginative guy. Not only did he not get angry, but he actually seemed happy.


    Meanwhile, the front gates of the Cantrell family estate in Goldridge exploded inward.


    Henry, dressed head-to-toe in ck, stormed in with over 100 elite fighters behind him.


    Robert Cantrell, head of the household, looked furious as he snapped, "Mr. Fischer, what exactly are you doing?"