"Mom, I told you-if you want to leave, just go. Don''t worry about me."


    Disappointment clouded Ada''s eyes. After everything she''d been through, battered and bruised, her own son Simon hadn''t once called out Michael for it. The coldness stung more than any wound.


    "Simon, can''t you see it? Your dad''s useless, a total waste, and Dn is dangerous. If your father ever does something stupid and messes with Dn, we''re all done for. Dn won''t let us off the hook."


    She couldn''t bring herself to tell Simon that Dn had shown upst night. With Simon''s temper, she was afraid he''d do something reckless.


    But Simon just scoffed. "Honestly, I hope Dad does try to take on Dn. The Ferguson family should never end up in his hands anyway."


    Ada''s heart plummeted as she caught the bitterness and ambition in Simon''s eyes. It was over.


    The Ferguson family-so toxic, so messy-had finally pulled Simon down with it.


    She had to find a way out. She had to get her son away from all of this.


    After all these years in the Capital, she''d seen how the game was yed. People worshipped power and crushed the weak. If you lost, you lost everything— especially if you lost to Dn. There was noing back from that.


    She didn''t say another word.


    Simon, growing impatient, shot her a look. "Don''t call me unless it''s important. I''m busytely."


    Ada just gave a tired, forced smile and let the housekeeper help her tend to her wounds.


    Simon left the house, lit up a cigarette, and tried to shake off the frustration churning inside him.


    He pulled out his phone and called Megan. "Still nothing from ra?"


    Megan sounded tense. ra had suddenly gone to see Beck, which made Megan


    uneasy. Then ra vanished, and Megan had no idea if she was plotting


    something else. The uncertainty was driving her crazy.


    "Nothing," she said.


    edat


    Simon kicked at a pebble on the sidewalk, taking a long drag. "I staked out Palm Bay all night. People at Ferguson Corporation say Dn hasn''t shown up for three days. He''s a workaholic-this isn''t like him. I''m starting to think he''s


    keeping ra at Palm Báy."


    If that was true, Dn had it bad for her. ying the respectable guy on the


    outside, but doing something this intense in secret.


    And Grandfather was still busy picking out wives for him.


    The thought made jealousy re up in Megan''s chest.


    Why ra? Why did it have to be her?


    ra didn''t deserve Dn. Not even close.


    Megan''s grip tightened around her


    eDidn''t you say Walter wants


    him married within two weeks? Why not go remind Walter again?"


    She tried to sound casual, but deep down, she wasn''t so sure. Dn''s ce in the Fergusons was too solid.


    A darker suspicion crept in.


    "Mr. Simon, do you think there''s a chance he''s already married ra in secret?"


    He''d kept his feelings hidden for years, always holding himself back. A guy like Dn-would he really marry someone else?


    Megan couldn''t shake the feeling. Dn was the kind who''d tie ra to his side, no matter what she thought of it.


    When he got obsessed, nobody could predict what he''d do.


    Simon brushed off the idea. "No way. Dn wouldn''t dare-he''d never hide something like that from the family."


    Besides, the marriage deadline had already been announced to Grandma, She hadn''t been to the


    Capital in years, and back then,


    nearly tost her life for Dn,


    There


    was no way he''d keep her out of the loop.


    Still, something didn''t sit right. He finished his cigarette, got in his car, and muttered, "I''ll go check out Palm Bay again."