The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, warming the room as Andrew stirred awake. His arms were tightly wrapped around Eva, who remained fast asleep against his chest. Her soft breaths tickled his skin, and he couldn’t help but smile at the peaceful expression on her face.

Kissing her forehead gently, he whispered, “You’re my forever.”

For a moment, Andrew allowed himself to forget about the chaos that surrounded them, holding onto the serenity of having Eva in his arms. But his thoughts soon wandered to the unfinished business that loomed over them. He knew the road ahead wasn’t going to be easy, especially with Jessica and Alex still out there, causing trouble.

Meanwhile, at the Lotus Clan Base, Alex stepped out of his sleek black car with Jessica trailing closely behind. The tension in his movements betrayed the storm brewing inside him.

“You go inside and rest,” Alex ordered curtly. Jessica nodded and hurried into the building, glancing back nervously, knowing better than to test his patience further.

One of Alex’s men approached, his nervousness palpable. “Sir, everything is arranged as you asked, but... there’s an issue,” the man stammered.

Alex narrowed his eyes, pulling out his gun in one fluid motion and pointing it directly at the man’s head. “You’re telling me you didn’t follow through?”

“S-sir, someone is blocking the message from reaching the Dragon Clan,” the man stammered, his knees nearly giving out. “We’re trying to trace the IP address, but whoever it is... they’re good.”

Alex sneered, lowering the gun but not his guard. “Of course. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself,” he muttered. His mind raced as he considered the implications. Someone out there knows everything, but who?

“Find out who’s interfering and eliminate them. No excuses,” Alex barked, sending the man scurrying off. Alone in his room, Alex paced, his thoughts a jumble of strategies and suspicions.

“I can’t just confront Andrew directly, not yet,” Alex mused aloud. “And going to King’s mansion is out of the question. Grandpa will have my head.”

He hesitated before pulling out a spare phone and dialing a number he hadn’t used in years. When the familiar voice of Orion King, his grandfather, came through, Alex felt a pang of guilt he didn’t dare show.

“What is it now, Alex?” Orion’s tone was stern, tinged with frustration.

Alex quickly relayed his suspicions and updates about Jessica. “You can’t trust her, Grandpa. She’s dangerous.”

Orion huffed. “And you’re just now figuring that out? That woman is trouble. But so are you, Alex.”

“I know,” Alex admitted grudgingly.

“So when are you going to meet your brother and settle this mess?” Orion pressed.

“I’m not meeting that idiot,” Alex muttered, but his defiance didn’t carry its usual conviction.

Orion’s voice grew colder. “You’re as much to blame as he is, Alex. He warned you about those lowlifes you were hanging around, but you didn’t listen. And where are those so-called friends now?”

Alex’s jaw tightened, the truth of his grandfather’s words cutting deep. “Fine,” he muttered. “It was my fault. But I’m not ready to apologize.”

“You’d better make peace, Alex,” Orion warned. “Your mother’s here, and she’s been crying over you.”

The phone was suddenly yanked from Orion’s hand, and Vanessa’s tearful voice filled the line. “Alex, my baby. Do you hate me so much that you can’t come home?”

Alex’s hardened expression softened. “No, Mom. I miss you too.”

“Then come home, Alex,” Leonard pleaded, grabbing the phone too. “We’re all waiting for you. I’m so proud of you.”

For the first time in years, Alex allowed himself to feel the warmth of his father and mother’s love. “I’ll come back soon. I promise.”

Elsewhere, Jessica was plotting her next move. In a dimly lit room, she dialed her mother, Camilla, eager to share her twisted version of events.

“Mom, Andrew has been playing me this entire time,” Jessica said, her voice trembling with manufactured vulnerability.

Camilla, ever skeptical, replied, “That doesn’t surprise me. I’ve felt something was off from the start.”

Jessica’s lips curled into a sly smile. “Don’t worry, Mom. I have a secret weapon.” Before Camilla could probe further, Jessica ended the call and immediately dialed another number.

“I need your help again,” Jessica said curtly, but the voice on the other end didn’t offer the response she expected.

“I’m done helping you,” Robert Lewis said coldly. “No one knows I was behind the warehouse fire, but I won’t risk exposure for you.”

“Think carefully, Robert,” Jessica hissed. “I could expose you just as easily.”

“Do what you want,” he replied, ending the call.

Jessica’s scream of frustration echoed through the room as she threw her phone against the wall. “Useless, all of them!” she fumed, her mind churning with desperation and rage.