James stepped out of the hospital, the brisk air hitting his face. Curtis had already pulled the car around from the parking lot. As James slid into the passenger seat, Curtis nced over, starting the engine. “Ms. Mirabe and her brother—are they okay?" he asked casually.


    James hummed in acknowledgment, still lost in thought. After a few moments, he turned to Curtis. "Oh, right. The invitation for the Evergreen Gallery. Can you prepare one for me?"


    "Sure thing... Is this for Ms. Mirabe''s dad?" Curtis asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.


    He remembered how, before Donald had left, he''d often briefed James on the preferences of Ms. Mirabe''s father.


    "Yeah," James replied, his gaze drifting out the window, his voice distant.


    After all, the Shepherd family ran the Evergreen Gallery; sending out an invitation was just a minor favor.


    Curtis scratched his nose, hiding his thoughts. James was definitely moving up in the world.


    Clearing his throat, Curtis shifted gears. "Got a message from the Aussie Alliance. They need you to head to the branch to reprocess your undergroundwork membership. Only then will the Ashford territory be officially ours."


    James''s eyes narrowed. "When''s the deadline?"


    "By the end of the month, at thetest," Curtis replied steadily.


    "Got it."


    Today was already the twenty-third; not much time left.


    Curtis drove in silence for a few minutes, then spoke up, more serious now. "To be


    safe, I think we need to think this through a bit more."


    "We''ll see," James said, closing his eyes, his voice rxed.


    Curtis nced at him in the rearview mirror but chose to stay quiet.


    The news of Leo''s car ident was blowing up online.


    Being a top-tier celebrity, the concern was astronomical. Fans flooded his Twitter with messages, and when they got no response, many headed over to Zach and Mirabe''s ounts to ask for updates.


    But that was just the start. Some fans even camped out in front of Leo''s talent agency, desperate for any news about their idol.


    After hearing Mirabe''s suspicions, Collins had the car inspected immediately. When it was confirmed that the brakes had been tampered with, he realized the gravity of the situation and decided not to disclose the specifics of Leo''s injuries.


    He had no idea who was behind it. The goal had clearly been to take Leo out, and since the attempt had failed, the perpetrator would likely go into hiding. Tracking them downter would be tough.


    So Collins had been swamped at the office for two days straight, dealing with questions from the higher-ups and keeping an eye on online chatter and relentless media hounding.


    In his office, Collins had just hung up from a call with a brand rep, barely catching his breath when his assistant rushed in. "Collins, we''ve got a problem."


    Collins rubbed his temples, feeling a headacheing on. "What now?"


    "Someone''s spreading rumors online, iming Juztin is on drugs, and that''s why the ident happened," the assistant reported, showing Collins the messages on his phone.


    Collins didn''t even want to look. "That''s absolute nonsense. Get PR on it."


    "I already did, but there are so many trolls stirring things up. Since we''re not releasing any details about Juztin, a lot of fans are starting to believe the rumors," the assistant added quickly.


    The assistant had rushed in so fast that the office door was left ajar. Collins was about to respond when he noticed someone standing at the doorway. His brow furrowed at the sight.