After brief greetings and a few passing words, Adel straightened in her seat and said sharply, "Arbella… warned you. For the last time."
Kayden's shoulders stiffened. He raised a hand to his forehead, clearly exhausted, muttering,
"What did I do to deserve this headache?"
Silence lingered for a moment. Then he looked up at her, holding her gaze, and asked heavily,
"Is that all that happened?"
Adel slowly shook her head, as if replaying the scene, then said in a cold, almost indifferent tone,
"That's all… I just hit her."
Henry froze in place, the apple slipping from his hand and hitting the floor unnoticed. His eyes widened in shock as he held his head, as if the words had suddenly weighed on him.
In contrast, a wide grin spread across Colton's face—more like congratulations than surprise, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
"You hit her?! Why?" Kayden asked quickly, his voice jumping from caution to alarm in an instant. "That was reckless, Adel! It's dangerous!"
But Adel didn't flinch. She shook her head with a childish stubbornness that defied the world itself, then turned slightly toward Henry and gestured lightly.
"Henry… please don't drop the fruit."
She lifted her chin again, and her voice carried an unmistakable glint of pride.
"And I didn't even use my strength."
Henry kept staring at her in shock, his lips trembling before his voice finally came out weakly,
"Arbella… is weak?"
Colton clapped lightly, a short laugh accompanying the gesture as if celebrating a great achievement.
"No, she's not weak. But your sister didn't even give her a chance to open her mouth."
Adel stood up slowly, placing a hand on her hip and pointing at Colton with a theatrical motion.
"You… will receive a gift."
Colton pointed at himself with mock surprise.
"Me?" Then he laughed out loud. "Thank you, but I only said the truth… you're stronger than they think."
Her eyes gleamed with mischief, and her voice carried a tone rich with authority.
"Then you'll get another gift."
Kayden muttered to himself as he watched this strange exchange, his brows furrowed in quiet irritation,
"She's showing off her money…"
Henry nodded silently, as if resigned to the fact.
Adel stepped forward, her expression holding a delicious challenge, her voice calm yet soaked in both confidence and threat.
"I hit her, but it was nothing more than a light touch. I didn't even use one percent of my strength… and I think I could crush her and her little bird within minutes."
Kayden raised an eyebrow hesitantly, as curiosity overtook his concern.
"In your opinion… how strong is Arbella really?"
Colton answered without hesitation, as if he had the answer prepared from the start.
"Sixty percent."
Kayden exhaled slowly and leaned back as if the weight on his chest had grown heavier.
"Then… I'm afraid my loss would be quite pathetic."
Adel stepped closer and sat beside him on the floor, giving him a sideways look mixed with mockery and seriousness.
"And that's exactly why you have a brain… isn't it? To raise that percentage. Besides… you work with Ayrton. You must have met Adam?"
She paused briefly, then her lips curved into a sarcastic smile.
"You can hire him."
Kayden looked at her coldly, his voice sharper than she expected.
"Hire him… to kill?"
Adel nodded with admiration, speaking with unquestionable confidence.
"Adam loves money… he'll agree. Just hire him. And if you won't, I will. He's a seasoned devil!"
Henry's eyes widened in shock. He looked at Colton as if searching for an explanation to soften what he had just heard, unable to tell whether she was joking or serious.
"A devil?"
Colton smiled faintly, clearly enjoying the confusion, then muttered in a low voice like a sarcastic teacher,
"It's a metaphor, Henry… didn't they teach you that in school?"
Henry's expression shifted suddenly, disappointment showing more than understanding.
"Maybe… but still, that's normal. I'm still shocked."
No one noticed the shadow slipping into the room until a calm voice broke the air from behind,
"Adel… why all these gifts? And why didn't you bring me the paintings? And where's the perfume I asked for?"
Adel turned slowly, her side glance sharp as an arrow, her voice cold yet tinged with reproach.
"I brought the paintings. I placed them next to the gifts… don't you use your eyes?"
The room froze for a moment. Kayden and Colton exchanged an awkward glance, while the latter simply pretended indifference, as if his sudden presence meant nothing anymore.
Roger stepped forward confidently and greeted Colton as if he were an old acquaintance. Then he sat down after casually pushing Henry aside, as if his presence were an obstacle.
As the maid returned to place another plate of sweets, Adel smoothly retold what had happened.
Roger nodded slowly, his expression devoid of surprise, as if he had expected everything. Then he said coldly, almost cruelly,
"Then why didn't her teeth fall out? In fact… it won't change your fate. So next time, knock her teeth out, woman."
His gaze shifted toward Kayden and Henry, examining them as if weighing their souls on an invisible scale before adding,
"There are changes, yes… but let's hope no further changes appear anytime soon."
Roger suddenly stood up, a mysterious smile forming on his face. His voice sounded like he was inviting a friend on a casual stroll.
"Kayden, would you like to accompany me to deliver an expensive weapon?"
He ended with a sly wink.
Kayden felt irritated, realizing it wasn't an innocent invitation but an attempt to drag him into his game.
He wants us to go have fun…
He stood up quickly.
"Colton, stay with Henry and Adel. Don't leave."
After they left, a brief silence followed before Adel broke it with a voice that sounded unusually sincere.
"Colton… you're always welcome in our home. We grew up without real friends. Kayden and Henry too… Henry made some connections, but they're very shallow. Hardly anyone ever comes here. You're welcome anytime."
Colton smiled warmly, a different kind of smile than the one he usually hid behind.
"Thank you… I won't forget this."
Adel studied him for a moment, then asked with genuine curiosity,
"Where is your family?"
Colton lowered his gaze, his voice calm.
"I don't know… I've never met them. I'm an orphan. I wasn't born in this city—I grew up in the countryside."
A rare moment of sympathy crossed Adel's face. She shook her head slowly.
"You seem too young to تحمل such cruelty, countryside boy… how unfortunate. So much suffering comes without reason. Do you know the cause of suffering in this world? Men."
This time, Colton answered with unusual seriousness, free of his usual sarcasm.
"Poverty exists everywhere… and life is exhausting. But I worked hard. And I respect Kayden because he understood me, even though we live in different worlds. And… you're right about men."
Adel asked quietly, almost interested in a way unlike her usual self,
"And where do you live now?"
He sighed, a trace of restrained frustration appearing on his face.
"In a nearby hotel."
She didn't give him another moment. Suddenly, she turned and punched Henry in the arm. He gasped in pain and cried out,
"What was that for?!"
Adel waved her hand dismissively.
"Remind me to hit Kayden when he gets back. How does he allow his friend to stay in a hotel when we have a guest house? They have no manners."
Henry opened his mouth to respond but found nothing to say. Instead, he stood and rang the bell nervously. When Mavilda arrived, he said with theatrical seriousness,
"Madam… write this in the task list: hit Kayden when he returns."
Mavilda raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Should I hit him?"
Adel's voice rang out sharply, like a slap itself, shaking the room.
"I'm the one who will hit him!"
Mavilda froze for a moment, then composed herself.
"Miss, you shouldn't use the twins in training again. They might get seriously injured."
She left quickly, then returned shortly after carrying a small box. She placed it in Henry's hand and said calmly,
"This is a sedative. When she completely loses control… there's no other solution."
She left immediately, leaving behind a heavy silence. Henry and Colton exchanged uneasy glances before Henry said nervously,
"We didn't think about it… but I'll tell my father when I see him."
Adel suddenly pointed at Colton, her tone firm this time.
"He's still young… and living on the streets!"
"Young?" Colton thought, a wide smile spreading across his face as a fleeting trace of sarcasm crossed his mind.' I wish that were true'.
Then he said aloud, "Me? I'll be twenty-four this year."
Adel stood up, her gaze firm, her judgment absolute. "A child."
She raised a finger toward him sharply. "Stay here. Don't move."
Then she walked out with confident steps.
The moment the door closed, Colton let out a breath of relief, a small smile slipping onto his face. "Your sister… she's truly terrifying. Who do you think would win between us?"
Henry let out a short laugh, laced with both sarcasm and fatigue. "Would she scare the devil too?"
Colton tasted a piece of dessert, closing his eyes in clear enjoyment. "Extremely delicious. Your home's food is the best… honestly, I've been living here for a while, but your sister's presence makes it even better. I'll have more freedom moving beside my master… and yes, Adel is truly frightening."
Henry chuckled lightly as he handed him more sweets. "My sister scares everyone. Even my father doesn't argue with her."
Then his brows suddenly furrowed. "But… how did she believe you? How did Roger not notice anything?"
Colton let out a dry laugh and replied calmly,
"Everything was prepared in advance. The story was your brother's plan… as for me, I added a few touches and made my own version."
Inside the carriage, Kayden sat in complete silence as the wheels rolled steadily along the road.
Roger handed his servant a small piece of paper with an address written in elegant handwriting, without explaining or commenting.
He can't speak, Kayden realized but what caught his attention was that Roger hadn't distanced himself from him. Instead, he was drawing him closer than any of his other followers.
Kayden didn't ask about their destination perhaps because he trusted Roger… or because he had lost the desire to ask.
Roger broke the silence with a clear sense of pride.
"This weapon is very expensive… it's a scythe."
Kayden recalled the weapon he had seen earlier massive, darkly gleaming, as if black energy pulsed within it. It looked like a weapon only a killer who knew exactly what he was doing could wield.
"I expected it to be a scythe from the first glance…" Kayden said with cautious admiration. Then he added, looking out the window,
"I want a weapon too… but I haven't decided yet. Is a gun good?"
Roger smiled faintly and shrugged.
"Ask George. He might know what suits you. As for guns… they're good, but some people aren't stopped by bullets and that's annoying. Bullets were made to penetrate, not to be blocked by the bodies of those fools."
He fell silent for a moment, then murmured as if speaking to himself,
"That girl… she warned you more than once. What will you do?"
Kayden lifted his head, staring at the wooden ceiling of the carriage, searching for an answer only he could hear.
"I don't want to hurt anyone… and I haven't done anything worth attention. I just work with Mr. Ayrton…"
He paused, then continued in a tired tone,
"But… I don't think I can avoid what's coming."
He turned to look at Roger, studying him quietly for a moment.
His brother's hair was longer than he remembered, falling to his neck in soft strands brushing his coat collar.
"Why did you grow your hair out?" Kayden asked calmly, curiosity mixed with a faint smile.
Roger replied softly, as if he didn't want anyone else to hear,
"I wanted to be different… a little unique."
He gestured between their faces.
"Look at us—you, me, Henry, and George… we're very similar. I love that similarity, but sometimes it bothers me. You and Henry especially… you're like a curse. Two identical copies that can't be separated."
He laughed lightly, though a shadow of old bitterness lingered.
"George and I were in an endless race… competing over everything, as if winning would make our father notice us—love us more."
He exhaled slowly, caught between memory and regret.
"We did the impossible to prove ourselves. Climbed the ladder of power like madmen… chasing something we didn't even understand—until we forgot who we really were."
His eyes softened with genuine nostalgia.
"But in the end… we realized our father was proud of us from the beginning. He just didn't know how to show it."
He paused, then continued more quietly, as if reliving a memory carved into him.
"One day, I was training something dangerous and lost control. I was badly injured. George carried me all the way home on his back. When our father saw us… he didn't say a word. He just smiled. He treated me himself, then told us he had been watching us all along… and that he was proud of what we had become."
Roger let out a soft laugh, almost a whisper.
"That moment… was the beginning of me following fate."