?Chapter 1105:


    The man’s expression shifted in an instant. He shot to his feet, eyes burning with suspicion. “You brought backup?”


    Jasmine shrank back against her chair. Before she could even form a reply, the cafe door burst open. William strode in with several men behind him, the sudden force of their presence sending ripples through the quiet room.


    The man reacted fast—too fast. He bolted for the back door and vanished before anyone could block his path.


    “Get him!” William barked.


    Luca’s team rushed out, the sound of pounding footsteps echoing down the alley.


    William turned to Jasmine, his sharp gaze softening. “You okay to stand?”


    She nodded, still pale. “What I said back there… was it okay?” Her voice wavered. Though she’d practiced her lines with Ste over and over, the tension of the moment had nearly wiped her mind nk.


    From a shadowed corner, Ste stepped forward, calm and collected. She ced a reassuring hand on Jasmine’s shoulder. “You did great,” she said. “Now we know Scorpion and Drake aren’t working together.”


    If they were, Scorpion wouldn’t have panicked the moment things felt off.


    That evening, Ste and William sat in his study, the room dim except for the glow of the deskmp.


    “This time, Erebus saw you publicly call Jasmine your sister,” William said. “There’s no telling what their next move will be.”


    Ste leaned back in her chair, lost in thought. Erebus wasn’t a single enemy—it was awork of shadows, each one deadlier than thest.


    “Besides Scorpion, Amon, and Drake,” she asked finally, “how many others are in their circle?”


    William considered it before replying, “Aside from those three, there’s one more name that keeps popping up—Falcon.”


    Falcon?


    Ste’s brow lifted slightly, the name striking her as almost… amusing. “Do they all pick animal code names now?”


    Why didn’t Amon and Drake have code names?


    The corner of William’s mouth twitched. It was the first hint of humor he’d shown all day.


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    “The group believes powerful animals bring strength and luck,” he exined. “So most of them use animal aliases. Drake’s the leader, so he doesn’t bother. And Amon—well, he thinks using animal names is beneath him.”


    Ste gave a faint smile. The quiet stretched between them again until William said, “I’ll have people keep an eye on Jasmine.”


    Ste nodded. “Good.”


    She rose from the chair, intending to leave. The night had gone on long enough.


    But before she could take a step, William caught her hand. “Stel,” he said softly, “stay here tonight. You don’t have to share the same space with me—you can take the third floor.”


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