<h4>Chapter 575: The room to consider it</h4>


    "Denzel, you should head back to San Ravendale," Karmen said, the caring to a smooth halt as he applied the brakes. "Gabriel is unable to focus on anything else right now, so you need to keep an eye on thepany’s operations in his absence."


    "Sure. But what about the witch?" Denzel questioned, his brow furrowing with concern.


    "Well, Carlos has returned, and Gabriel believes we should involve as few people as possible," Karmen asserted. "In his past life, he lost everyone he held dear. He’s taking every precaution this time to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself."


    Denzel nodded slowly, understanding the weight of Gabriel’s trauma. "I’ll leave in the morning then. If things get sideways and you need me, just give me a call."


    "I will," Karmen promised. Denzel stepped out of the car, offering a quick wave before heading toward his parents’ house.


    Karmen reversed out of the driveway and began the drive back. He hadn’t gone far when he spotted a familiar figure on the curb. Aisha, looking frantic as she tried to g down a passing taxi. He pulled the car over and lowered the passenger window.


    "Get in," Karmen offered.


    Aisha didn’t hesitate. Escaping the biting chill of the wind, she quickly settled into the passenger seat.


    As Karmen pulled back into traffic, Aisha said, "I could not find any taxi on this route. It was a busy hour thanks to the weekend."


    "Did you go to work? I suppose it’s off on weekends," Karmen replied as he navigated the sluggish crawl of the evening traffic.


    "Well, I went to see my sister. Then, I decided to stop by a friend’s house," Aisha answered.


    "I see." Karmen kept his focus on the road ahead, his hands rxed on the steering wheel.


    "Were you workingte?" she inquired, trying to sustain the conversation.


    "No," he answered shortly. "I went to the pce to see Gabriel."


    "Oh." A silence followed. Aisha began to fidget with her fingers. Seeking a safer topic, she asked, "How is your mother?"


    "She is doing well," Karmen replied, checking his mirror before turning the car left into a quieter street.


    "You should see someone, Karmen. Your mother is eagerly waiting for you to get married," Aisha opined with genuine concern and lighthearted advice.


    Karmen chuckled, a dry sound that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He shifted gears and pressed on the elerator as the road cleared. "You’re suggesting I settle down while you yourself are running away from marriage?"


    Aisha’s face flushed, and she immediately regretted the turn the conversation had taken. "I didn’t mean to offend you," she rified quickly, her voice dropping. "I’m sorry if my words hurt you." She turned her head away, staring out at the blurred streetlights through the window. The interior of the car suddenly felt much smaller, and she felt awkward, wondering if she had made a mistake by epting the ride.


    "I haven’t found a woman whose thoughts align with mine," Karmen stated, his voice breaking the ice and pulling her back from her thoughts.


    Aisha turned to look at him, surprised by his honesty. "I suppose there are plenty of women out there."


    "I wonder if there is truly someone meant for me," Karmen said with another small chuckle, though this one felt more thoughtful. "But then again, I’m so upied with work and the safety of the prince that I don’t even give myself the room to consider it."


    Aisha hummed softly, her gaze drifting back to the windshield. "Prince Gabriel is safe, though," she added, almost as if she were trying to convince herself.


    Karmen remained tight-lipped. He couldn’t and wouldn’t reveal the vtile storm Gabriel was currently weathering, or the fact that the Moon Event loomed like a death sentence over him.


    Finally, they reached the apartment building where Aisha resided. He pulled the car to a smooth stop at the curb and watched as she gathered her things to step out. However, instead of closing the door behind her, she leaned back in, ducking her head low to look at him onest time.


    "I bought these muffins earlier... You should have them." She reached over and ced a small, crinkling paper bag onto the passenger seat where she had just been sitting.


    "No, thank you," Karmen replied automatically, his instinct to refuse any form of debt or softness kicking in.


    "Just keep them," Aisha insisted with a small, knowing smile. She didn’t give him a chance to argue further, shutting the door before turning and walking toward the entrance of her building.


    Karmen sat in the idling car for a moment. He looked at the bag before driving back to his home.


    ~~~~~~


    Casaio flipped through the report Estelle had handed him earlier, the pages rustling under the warm glow of thempshade. Earlier that day, he had met with a family whose lives had been shattered; they had lost their son to the crushing weight of huge debts.


    The creditor, a well-established moneylender in the capital with a reputation for predatory tactics, had coerced the family into signing a document that was clearly designed to be a trap. The legalnguage was intentionally convoluted, masked by "tricky" uses that effectively stripped them of everything they owned.


    "You are still awake," Zilia’s voice drifted from the doorway. She stepped into the room.


    "I thought it best to resolve this matter by tomorrow," Casaio answered. "I also have to meet Gabriel tomorrow," Casaio added, his eyes drifting from the papers. "Estelle mentioned that Carlos has finally returned. They are moving into the final phase to end Ophelia. I know Gabriel prefers to handle these things on his own, but I can’t help worrying about his safety. He carries too much on his shoulders."


    Zilia leaned against the edge of the heavy oak desk. "We couldn’t even make it to the pce today because that urgent matter pulled you away. I only hope Gabriel actually includes you this time. He has a habit of keeping us at bay whenever a situation bes personal to him."


    She tilted her head, reaching out to slide the report toward her. As she skimmed the predatory termsid out in the ink, her brow furrowed. "The moneylender was clever; he made this look entirely legal on the surface. In cases like this, where thew is on the side of the creditor, justice is notoriously difficult to find. How do you intend to handle it?"


    "There must be a loophole," Casaio replied.