Back at Michael’s cozy apartment in Metro City, I sat comfortably around the dining table with my old friends and their wives, enjoying the remainder of our evening.
"So, how many months along is the baby?" I asked, turning my attention toward Michael with a warm smile.
Michael chuckled softly, glancing at his glowing wife. "We still have two months to go."
"I see," I murmured, tapping my fingers lightly against the table. "I actually have a proposal for all of you. If you four don’t mind, I think it will make life a lot easier and more comfortable for everyone."
Tristan looked up from his plate, raising an eyebrow. "What is it, Julian? Just say it directly."
"Well," I began, keeping my tone steady and conversational. "As you know, Rhea is pregnant now, and in the future, Kiara will likely be expecting as well. Managing household chores while raising young children in a small apartment is going to be incredibly exhausting for them."
"We manage just fine," Tristan said, though there was a thoughtful crease in his brow.
"I know you do," I nodded. "But consider this: I’m moving my primary operations to River City next month, and I don’t plan on coming back here very often unless an urgent matter demands it. My Grandview Villa is massive—it has 24/7 staff quarters in a separate building in the back. Why don’t you four move into the main villa?"
The four of them froze, staring at me in absolute bewilderment.
"Think about it," I continued, gesturing gently. "The staff can handle all the heavy cleaning, cooking, and maintenance, allowing Rhea and Kiara to relax and focus entirely on their health and the kids. Plus, my father-in-law recently recovered from a serious illness and chose to stay behind in Metro City instead of moving to River City. Living in the villa with you all and the upcoming babies will give him some wonderful company so he won’t feel lonely."
For a long moment, dead silence filled the room as Tristan and Michael stared at me, their jaws slightly slack. Then, realization dawned on them, and they both gasped.
"Wait... you have a father-in-law?!" Michael blurted out, his eyes wide.
"Yes," I laughed. "And I even have a five-year-old daughter."
Both Tristan and Michael abruptly stood up from their chairs, walking over to place heavy, affectionate hands on my shoulders.
"Unbelievable," Michael groaned good-naturedly. "Back in school, you were always ahead of us in academic scores, and now... you’re miles ahead of us in actual life, too!"
I chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. "Just come over to the villa this coming Sunday. I’ll officially introduce you to my family. I’ll also dispatch a moving team to your apartments on Sunday morning so you don’t have to lift a finger. It’s not good for Rhea to strain herself during pregnancy, so just let us handle the logistics."
Though they hesitated at first, knowing the sheer scale of luxury involved, they saw the genuine care and concern in my eyes for their future stability, and slowly, they nodded in agreement.
Just as we were wrapping up our conversation, my phone buzzed quietly in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw a notification from an encrypted line—a direct message from the shadow chief. I immediately stood up.
The message was brief and urgent: Sir, there is an important piece of information you need to hear right away.
I looked apologetically at my friends. "I’m sorry, guys, but I have to leave."
All four of them blinked in surprise. "This early? It’s only 9:00 PM!"
"It’s important, otherwise I would gladly stay and talk longer," I explained, offering a reassuring smile. "Besides, you’re coming over on Sunday anyway, so it’s only three days away. Michael, make sure Rhea doesn’t do any heavy lifting. You three should start packing your essentials tonight so Sunday goes smoothly. I have to head out now."
After a quick round of goodbyes, I stepped out of the apartment building and walked toward my vehicle. Since I had enjoyed a small glass of liquor during dinner, I didn’t want to drive myself. A shadow soldier was standing quietly by the driver’s side, waiting for my instructions.
"Do you know how to drive?" I asked him.
"Yes, sir," the soldier replied crisply.
"Good. You drive, and I’ll sit in the passenger seat."
As the vehicle glided smoothly onto the night road, I turned to the soldier. "Is everything at the villa secure and quiet?"
"Yes, sir. Nothing unusual or problematic has been reported," the soldier answered.
I let out a quiet breath of relief. When I first saw the shadow chief’s encrypted message, a sudden spike of tension had gripped my chest, fearing that something might have threatened my family. But as long as the ladies and little Daisy were safe, everything else could be handled.
Looking over at the soldier, I gave a new directive. "Listen closely. I want you to assign ten shadow soldiers to protect these four friends of mine and their wives. Even if a literal god descends from the heavens, they must not be harmed. They are my family, too."
The soldier nodded instantly without a hint of hesitation. "Yes, sir, right away." He pulled out his encrypted tactical device, quickly compiling the detailed profiles of my friends and sending them to a local detachment of ten shadow operatives, instructing them to establish a discreet perimeter around my friends’ homes just like they did for the villa.
"Everything is done, sir. Ten elite shadow soldiers are now moving into position to protect your friends and their wives," the soldier reported a moment later.
"Good. How much longer until we reach the villa?"
"About fifteen minutes, sir."
"Alright. And make sure you coordinate with a professional moving company for Sunday morning so my friends’ relocation to the villa goes off without a hitch."
"Yes, sir. It will be handled perfectly."
True to his word, exactly fifteen minutes later, the car smoothly passed through the grand gates of Grandview Villa No. 1 and parked in the subterranean garage. The soldier vanished silently into the shadows as I stepped out and walked up toward the grand living room.
To my surprise, Belle, Clara, Sophia, and Seraphina were all sitting together on the couches, waiting up for me.
I walked over, a tender smile touching my lips. "Why haven’t you all gone to sleep yet?"
Clara looked up, her eyes soft. "How could we sleep before knowing you were back safely?"
"Go on up to bed now," I urged gently. "We’ll talk more tomorrow morning. I actually have a few things I want to discuss with all of you then."
I walked around the seating area, pressing a deep, passionate kiss onto each of their lips. "I love you all," I whispered.
They looked up at me with profound affection, their eyes shining. "We love you too, Julian." Though they lingered, clearly wanting to say a little more, I gently directed them.
I turned to Clara and winked. "Love, you can wait for me in my room. I know it’s your turn tonight. I’ll join you as soon as I finish taking care of a quick task downstairs."
With soft smiles, the ladies headed upstairs, while I turned around and made my way down the corridor to the ground-floor study, where the shadow chief was already waiting for me.
The shadow chief bowed respectfully the moment I stepped inside. "Sir, through the shadow surveillance we planted on Kim, our operatives have been eavesdropping directly on Karon Smith, the patriarch of the Smith family. We’ve uncovered some very deep and disturbing information regarding his recent moves."
I raised an eyebrow, taking a seat behind the executive desk. "Oh? Enlighten me."
"Sir, earlier today, Karon brutally murdered a lieutenant from his own family’s personal military force," the chief reported grimly.
I let out a low whistle. "Is that so? They are so utterly lawless that they murder their own men in cold blood, and no one even dares to whisper a word about it?"
"That’s correct, sir," the chief continued. "And the reason he did it was because that lieutenant dared to point out a harsh truth: that the Smith family elder council actually holds more political and military power than Patriarch Karon himself. Hearing that bruised Karon’s fragile ego. He first strangled the man, and then grabbed a heavy dining fork, stabbing him repeatedly until Karon’s own face was completely covered in blood."
"Fascinating," I murmured, leaning back with an amused smirk. "And I suppose his brilliant generals and advisers immediately crafted a master plan to wipe us out?"
"Indeed, sir," the chief nodded. "Not only have they figured out your identity, but Karon and his head general, Rey, have devised a specific strategy to dispose of you."
"Oh? Do tell. How do these clowns plan to get rid of me?" I asked, resting my chin on my hand.
"Sir, Karon Smith is planning to manipulate the elder council of the Smith clan, using their massive influence and military power to hunt you down. Their logic is that if they eliminate you, the mysterious ’Sir’—the powerful benefactor backing the Smiths from the shadows—will acknowledge Karon’s ruthless efficiency and elevate his status to match the great families like the Kensingtons and Harringtons."
Hearing that, I couldn’t help it—I threw my head back and burst into full, echoing laughter.
The shadow chief blinked in utter confusion, staring at me across the desk. "Sir... if you don’t mind me asking, why are you laughing? Aren’t they mobilizing against us?"
I wiped a faint tear of amusement from the corner of my eye. "I’m laughing because, based on your first sentence, I honestly thought Karon Smith and that general of his—what was his name again, Rey?—might actually be cunning, dangerous strategists. But that last part proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are absolute, brainless idiots."
"Idiots, sir?" the chief repeated, still looking puzzled. "How so?"
"They are playing right like blind pawns on someone else’s chessboard," I smiled coldly, leaning forward. "There’s no rush. Let me explain the whole picture to you..."