Kyle had been almost certain that the one who carried WarHorse’s divine blessing would be Ava. From the very first meeting, he had sensed something off about her. She felt dangerous. The kind of person who found satisfaction in pushing others to their limits.

But not even once had he considered that Melissa, the sister Amanda spoke about so often, could be the one.

Both Ava and Melissa had come into contact with him recently, so there was no reason to doubt the gauntlet. It wouldn’t make a mistake.

Which meant...

The girl sitting across from him right now was the target.

’This is messed up...’

He had assumed it would be Ava, someone he could confront without hesitation. He hadn’t even thought about what would happen to a person once their blessing was taken away.

"Kyle," Amanda whispered, leaning slightly closer, "are you really okay? You’ve been staring at Melissa for a while."

Kyle snapped out of it and lowered his gaze.

"I don’t want to get involved in some triangle, so don’t end up falling for me," Melissa said casually, flipping through the menu.

Kyle let out a small, awkward smile. "Sorry about that."

He looked down at the menu as well, unsure of what to say next.

From everything Amanda had told him, and even from their brief interaction yesterday, Melissa didn’t seem like a bad person. She helped her father with work and preferred staying at home most of the time.

Then why...

Why were WarHorse and Aleda so urgent about removing the blessing from her?

[Host, for your reassurance, why don’t you try asking a few questions?]

Kyle silently agreed.

"Melissa, you don’t attend any university, right?"

Amanda chuckled lightly. "She thinks it’s a waste of time."

Melissa added without looking up, "And the job you two will eventually get after graduation? I already have one. So what’s the point?"

She raised her hand, calling the waiter over, and placed her order.

Kyle ordered something as well, though his appetite had faded ever since the gauntlet appeared.

He glanced at Amanda.

She was completely unaware.

And she was close to Melissa. Probably the only person outside her parents that she truly got along with.

Kyle had a strong feeling Amanda wouldn’t take this well.

And she would have every right to.

But at the same time, he couldn’t bring himself to act without telling her either.

So for now, he chose to ignore the faint golden glow on his arm...and focus on the moment he still had with the two of them.

....

Mathew sat in his office, a newspaper spread out before him, though his eyes barely registered the words printed on it.

The way his fingers tightened around the edges of the paper made it clear enough. The conversation with Blake still burned in his mind.

He had spent years trying to keep distance between the two, ever since Blake’s childhood. And yet, despite all that, Blake had grown attached to that brat.

Attached enough to stand against him. The patriarch. All for Kyle.

"Threatening me with his authority... for him?" Mathew let out a low, mocking snicker.

He already knew what kind of future awaited that reckless boy.

Kyle was one of the few regrets in his life. One he had never managed to erase.

But now that the boy had finally distanced himself from the family...

Knock.

Mathew’s eyes snapped toward the door.

His frown deepened as he saw a hooded figure standing outside.

Without hesitation, he reached beneath the table and pulled out a gun. "Who is it?"

The figure slowly removed the hood.

A red-haired woman stood there, waving at him with a casual smile.

Mathew’s eyes widened in recognition. He quickly stood up and moved toward the door.

"Miss Ava Klaus? What brings you here?"

Ava gave a careless shrug. "Just came to inform you of something."

Without waiting for an invitation, she walked past him into the office and casually dropped into a chair.

Mathew didn’t comment on her behavior and simply returned to his seat.

He was well aware of the authority the Klaus family held, especially now that Ava had joined the central government and become a member of the Alpha Team.

That was exactly why her sudden appearance here unsettled him.

Was this an opportunity for Astortia to take advantage of?

No... this was something far more interesting.

"I came to deliver this to you..." Ava said, extending a letter sealed with the official government stamp.

Mathew frowned slightly as he took it and skimmed through the contents. "A warrant for interrogation?"

She nodded. "Yes. And it concerns your younger son, Kyle."

Mathew stiffened. "Kyle? What does he have to do with any of this?" As far as he knew, Kyle wasn’t even awakened. Why would Ava take interest in him?

Her next words answered that question. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"He’s suspected of harboring the rogue Nightwalker who’s been active recently... or possibly being the one himself."

Mathew fell silent for a few seconds, the weight of her words settling in.

Kyle... and the rogue Nightwalker?

A faint snicker escaped him. "You must be mistaken, Miss. I know Kyle well enough to say he’d rather watch people die than step forward to help, even if he had the strength to do so. He’s far too weak, mentally, to fight monsters."

Ava remained completely unfazed by his words. "It’s only a suspicion for now. That’s why I’m here. What I need from you is your cooperation."

Mathew placed the envelope on the desk and intertwined his fingers, leaning back slightly.

"As a responsible citizen of this nation... I will do what I can."

Ava barely held back a smile before continuing, "I’ve been searching for your son for the past two days. I got his address from the university, but he hasn’t returned home since."

Mathew frowned, already pulling his phone out of his pocket.

But before he could dial, Ava raised a hand to stop him. "No, wait. If you call him now, he might grow suspicious. Your elder son already seems to know I’m after Kyle, and he’s actively protecting him." She let out a soft sigh, feigning disappointment. "At the very least, he should understand that I’m only doing my job."

Mathew’s frustration flared.

What exactly was Blake thinking? Interfering in the affairs of a central officer like this?

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Mathew said, "Then I’ll contact someone from Blake’s side. There’s a woman working under him... she should know where Kyle is."

Ava blinked, as if pleasantly surprised, before offering a gentle smile. "I truly appreciate your cooperation, Sir Mathew. You are an exemplary leader of such a renowned clan."

Mathew paused for a moment. Something he heard for the first time since this morning that actually didn’t stung.

His lips faintly curved as he dialed the number.

Ava, meanwhile, leaned back in her seat and with a cold gleam in her eyes she thought,

’I won’t let a single corner for you to hide this time. You are going to land on top of my palm soon.’

°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. Drop a comment and leave a review if you have been enjoying the story so far.