?Chapter 403:


    Her hand hovered stiffly above her tablet, the gap between her half-finished attempt and Maia’s polished brilliance painfully clear. A chill of dread slithered up her spine.


    Was she going to lose? No, she wouldn’t let it happen! She would never lose — not to someone like Maia.


    Fingers clenched tightly around her stylus, Mariana battled rising panic, determined to finish despite the fear gnawing at herposure.


    Not far away, udius stood frozen…


    Wide-eyed, fixated on Maia, Kolton’s expression hardened into a deep scowl as soon as he saw the designs. He realized — toote — just how badly he had misjudged Maia. At that very moment, Maia and Mariana simultaneouslypleted their final renderings.


    Discreetly, Kolton gestured toward hidden agents dispersed within the crowd.


    Maia had barely set down her tools when the lights abruptly went out.


    “A ckout? What’s happening?”


    A heavy, ominous darkness smothered the entire estate. For the average attendee, vision waspletely stolen. But Kolton’s top-tier covert agents, trained for secretive missions, adjusted seamlessly to the gloom and sprang into action immediately.


    Amid the disarray, muffled impacts echoed faintly.


    In under sixty seconds, the mansion was illuminated again, casting vivid light across the hall.


    Yet the sight awaiting them made every onlooker stiffen in disbelief. Several figures writhed on the floor beside Maia’s table, grimacing in agony — some clutching shattered limbs.


    What… in the world just happened?


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    The attendees stood frozen, thoroughly mystified.


    Maia arched an eyebrow ever so slightly at the spectacle.


    Kolton, in contrast, simmered with rage. His elite team was supposed to be invincible — how had they been overwhelmed in mere moments?


    His shaking pupils darted across the assembly, scrutinizing every individual present.


    “Who’s responsible for this?” Kolton muttered inwardly.


    His focus ultimately drifted to Chris, loungingzily on a nearby couch.


    Could it be Chris…?


    Kolton’s scowl deepened.


    No way. That cker couldn’t possibly be behind this.


    Just then, the butler hurried in, bowing and stammering his apologies. “We sincerely regret the earlier ckout. The technical fault has been corrected and won’t trouble us again. Please forgive the inconvenience…”


    Before he could finish, the charged atmosphere froze him mid-sentence. His gaze fell on the injured operatives sprawled across the floor, his face paling with panic. Overwhelmed, he turned pleadingly to Kolton.


    Seeing no other option, Kolton swallowed his fury and barked curtly, “Clear these fools out! No one is allowed to disturb thepetition!”


    Guards quickly moved in to haul the wounded away.


    Drawing in a steadying breath, Kolton turned to the crowd, forcing a strained grin. “It appears some insignificant foes of the Cooper family slipped in and caused trouble. We appreciate your understanding.”


    The guests exchanged subtle, knowing nces.


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