Andrew’s thoughts spiraled into dangerous territory. He had half a mind to hunt Josh down that very night. Killing him isn’t the right solution, Andrew reminded himself, though the thought gnawed at him. But if that bastard crosses the line one more time... no one will be able to save him.

Before either of them could say more, Andrew’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen. It was Evander.

Andrew answered with an exasperated sigh, “What now?”

“Andrew,” Evander’s voice was grim. “The warehouse is on fire. We lost most of the garments. They’re burned.”

Andrew’s heart sank, and a wave of fury surged through him. “This day can’t get any worse,” he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m coming.” He ended the call without another word and turned toward the door.

Eva watched him leave in a rush, her brow furrowing. “Where is he going now? And why is he in such a hurry?”

When Andrew arrived at the warehouse, chaos greeted him. Fire trucks surrounded the building, their lights flashing urgently as firemen battled the roaring flames that devoured what was left of the structure. Smoke billowed into the night sky, thick and dark, leaving an acrid scent in the air.

Evander stood nearby, his expression grim, as James directed workers to carry the salvaged garments out of the building.

“Take them to the safe house,” James ordered.

“No,” Evander interrupted sharply. “Reroute them to my company’s basement. Nobody knows about that place. It’s safer.”

Andrew approached, his face hard with anger and disbelief. “What the hell happened?”

Evander shook his head. “We don’t know yet. There’s no sign of how it started.”

Andrew’s mind raced, trying to process the disaster unfolding in front of him. “No one says a word to my father about this,” he ordered, his tone brooking no argument. “And make sure the media doesn’t catch wind of this.”

A group of police officers, standing nearby, gave a nod. “We’ll keep this under wraps for now and continue our investigation quietly,” one officer assured him.

Andrew’s jaw tightened. “Good.” He turned to Evander, his eyes sharp. “I want every CCTV camera in the area pulled. Check if anything’s been deleted, and if it has, restore it. We need to find out who did this.”

Evander gave a curt nod. “I’ll handle it.”

It was nearing two in the morning by the time Andrew finally returned to the mansion, exhaustion pressing down on him like a weight. As he stepped inside, the house was dark and silent, save for the soft hum of the night.

In the dim light, Andrew spotted Eva curled up on the couch, her breathing soft and even as she slept peacefully. His heart softened at the sight of her, and the tension of the day began to ebb away.

He approached quietly and gently scooped her into his arms. Eva stirred slightly, her head resting against his chest as he carried her upstairs.

“When did you come?” she mumbled sleepily, her voice barely above a whisper. “You left without telling me anything…”

“I just got back,” Andrew murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Go back to sleep.”

He laid her down on her bed, pulling the blanket over her. As he turned to leave, Eva’s hand shot out, gripping his sleeve. “Stay,” she whispered.

Andrew hesitated for only a second before climbing into the bed beside her. He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her and feeling the stress of the day melt away in her warmth.

In her sleep, Eva shifted, draping her leg over his, making Andrew chuckle softly. “Even in sleep, you cling to me,” he whispered, a smile tugging at his lips.

He leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. “I’ll never let you go,” he murmured, his voice filled with a rare tenderness.

Content, Andrew closed his eyes, breathing in the soft scent of her hair as sleep pulled him under.

Meanwhile, in a dim, smoke-filled room far away, a shadowy figure sat behind a desk, listening as his subordinate nervously gave a report.

“Sir, I did exactly what you told me to,” the woman stammered, shifting uncomfortably under the weight of her employer’s gaze.

“Excellent,” the figure purred, his voice low and sinister. He leaned back in his chair, a wicked grin spreading across his face. “With that warehouse gone, I’ll have no competition.”

He slid a thick envelope of cash across the table to the trembling subordinate. “Here’s your payment. And remember—if you so much as whisper a word of this to anyone...” The man’s grin darkened, his eyes gleaming with malice. “Well, let’s just say it won’t end well for you.”

The subordinate gulped, grabbing the money and scrambling out of the room as quickly as possible.

The figure leaned back in his chair, chuckling softly to himself. “Everything is falling into place,” he whispered, his laughter growing darker by the second.

The flames that destroyed Andrew’s warehouse were only the beginning.