?Chapter 1531:


    A malicious smirk curved Arlo’s lips. The game was about to begin, and he could hardly wait to see William’s reaction when he received his gift. Since Arlo had seizedmand of the entire mercenary group, no one had dared refuse his demands. William was the first. He would teach him exactly what it cost to do so.


    Meanwhile, across the ocean in a luxurious hotel suite, another yer prepared to make her move.


    Nina stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, a silk robe draped across her frame and a ss of red wine cradled in her hand. Her gaze swept over the glittering cityscape far below. The wine swirled inzy circles within the ss, mirroring the cold calction gleaming in her eyes.


    Marc had be utterly useless. ording to hertest intelligence, he was drowning in alcohol and self-pity —pletely unreliable. The Carter family had suffered devastating losses under William’s pressure and was barely staying afloat. Lance was too concerned about Ste’s safety to risk any moves against the Briggs Group.


    Nina needed new allies. Or more urately, new pawns.


    Her fingers drummed against the rim of the ss as her thoughts churned. At this point, her only real option was Amon.


    As darkness settled over the city, she remained at the window, hatred and jealousy burning in her gaze. “Ste… why does William still care so much about you, even now?” Sometimes she wondered if Ste had somehow bewitched him. What other exnation could there be for his obsession? The question tormented her endlessly, stealing any chance at peace.


    She drained the wine in one bitter swallow.


    She could not afford to wait any longer. Arlo’s mounting frustration with William presented the perfect opportunity. If she could prove her worth — if she could help Arlo regain control over William, or better yet, deliver Ste directly to him — then her value to Arlo would eclipse William’s entirely. She had reached the point where only Arlo could help her now.


    Another face surfaced in her mind as the n took shape: Amon — William’s cousin and fellow member of the Briggs family. He was currently her most valuable asset, infinitely more useful than Marc had ever been.


    Nina crossed to the desk, opened herptop, and pulled up Amon’s number.


    J????? ?????? ????????u???t?? ???? ????l??????е????.сom


    The phone rang several times before finally connecting. A cold, irritated male voice answered. “I do not appreciate being disturbed in the middle of the night.” The immediate displeasure in his tone made clear he already knew exactly who was calling.


    Nina’s voice emerged soft andnguid, carrying a dangerous, seductive edge. “Amon, have you not been idle in Choria long enough? Are you ready for something more exciting?”


    Silence stretched across the line for several beats, sleep apparently forgotten. “Nina, are you not worried William might have our phones tapped?”


    Nina let out a derisiveugh. “William ispletely obsessed with Ste right now. He is not wasting time monitoring either of us.” She understood William better than most. In his eyes, she and Amon were already defeated opponents — hardly worth his attention. He might track Ste’s every move, but he would never bother with Amon.


    She cut straight to business. “Amon, I know you came back because you are tired of living in your cousin’s shadow. Marc has proven useless, and I am stuck abroad. That leaves only you.”


    Amon’s eyebrow arched. He let the silence hang for several seconds before responding, his voice dropping lower. “And why exactly should I risk my neck for you? The original n had me and Nina working behind the scenes while Marc served as the visible opposition to the Briggs Group. Now you want to throw Marc aside and put me in the crosshairs instead. Without substantialpensation, I am not interested.”


    Nina had anticipated exactly this response and came prepared. “Amon, it seems your financial situation is not quite what it used to be. The Briggs family cut you off long ago, and you are not exactly employed. Money must be getting tight.”


    Amon had kept his return to the country secret from the entire Briggs family, which meant none of the credit cards they had provided him were essible. Whatever funds he had taken when he fled abroad had likely run dry by now. For an ordinary person, that might be manageable — but Amon had grown ustomed to a life of luxury and excess, and his drastically diminished spending power must be eating him alive.


    A soft chuckle filtered through the line. “So, how much are you offering? Or more importantly — how much can you actually afford?”


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