Henry knocked on the door.
"Henry, my son. You are a quiet gentleman," Beast said from behind him, his massive frame looming over the threshold.
The door swung open to reveal Derek. "Mr. Henry, you should have entered without knocking. There's no need—"
Derek froze. His eyes traveled up, locking onto the giant standing just behind Henry. Beast offered a wide, toothy grin and extended a hand that looked capable of crushing a skull.
"Nice to meet you, kid," Beast rumbled.
Derek shook it automatically, his entire arm vibrating from the grip. He blinked, looking back at Henry. "Is this the fellow you were talking about, Mr. Henry?"
Henry gave a single, curt nod.
"I... I will show you to your room. Please follow me," Derek stammered, entirely overwhelmed by the giant's presence.
"That would be great," Henry said.
"Follow me," Derek repeated, turning back inside. As Henry and Beast stepped through the foyer, their eyes swept over the interior. It was a massive, stunningly beautiful villa.
As Derek led them toward the stairs, they passed the large, luxurious living room. Talia's family, along with Shane, his parents, and his sisters, were all gathered there. The moment Beast stepped into view, the entire room went dead silent. Every eye locked onto him.
Beast didn't seem to mind. He offered a casual wave to the stunned crowd, then kept walking up the stairs behind Derek.
The moment they were out of sight, the living room erupted into hushed, frantic whispers.
"Who or what was that?"
"I think he's Henry's teammate."
While the family gossiped, Talia's eyes drifted toward Shane. He was acting incredibly strange—nervously biting his nails, his right leg bouncing up and down in a restless, frantic rhythm.
Something is wrong with him, Talia thought. She stood up abruptly. "I am tired. I'm heading up to sleep."
The others murmured their agreements, too distracted by the newcomer to notice her sharp gaze.
Talia walked to the stairs and ascended quickly. Reaching the upper corridor, she caught sight of Henry and Beast just as they were about to enter their guest room.
"Mr. Henry," Talia called out.
Henry stopped, turning to face her.
Beast immediately poked his massive head back out of the doorway, his eyes darting between the two of them. Henry glanced at him, his expression flat.
"What am I missing out on?" Beast asked, a smirk playing on his lips.
Without a word, Henry planted a solid kick directly into Beast's chest, sending the giant stumbling backward into the room, and slammed the door shut behind him.
Henry turned back to Talia, perfectly composed. "Yes, madam."
"He told me on the phone that you figured out who sent the assassins after me," Talia said, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"The man who came out of the villa last," Henry said bluntly.
Talia's eyes widened in shock. "Shane? Why would he... why would he do that?"
She looked at Henry, desperate for answers.
"How could I know? It's your family," Henry replied, his tone detached.
Talia swallowed hard, nodding slowly. "Mr. Henry... you know a lot about how the world works." She watched his face closely, trying to read him, but Henry merely stared back, his gaze completely unreadable.
"Do you have any proof that Shane is the one?" she asked.
Henry shook his head. "I don't have it now. But I can get it."
"How?"
"You should leave that to me," Henry replied smoothly.
Talia hesitated, then nodded. "Can you arrange it by tomorrow?"
"Yes."
With a final, tense nod, Talia turned and headed down the hallway toward her own room.
Henry walked back into his quarters. Inside, Beast was sprawled out on a chair, lounging like a king on a throne.
"Welcome back, my kid," Beast chuckled.
Henry ignored the comment and sat in the chair opposite him.
"The summit begins at 8:00 PM tonight," Beast said, his tone shifting to business. "A few people contacted me earlier. They wanted to hire me for their personal protection."
Henry eyed him. "What did you tell them?"
"I denied them, of course. How could I leave you here by yourself, my kid?" Beast grinned.
"We are the same age," Henry pointed out dryly.
Beast burst into a loud laugh. "I always wanted a son."
"Are you even married?" Henry asked.
Beast shook his head. "No. What about you?"
"No."
Beast looked genuinely surprised. "All these years, and you stayed single?"
"Life moves very fast," Henry said softly, staring at the floor. "Everything moved too fast. Now, I am old."
Beast nodded, the humor fading into a rare moment of quiet understanding. "Henry... how is Japan? I always wanted to visit."
"Japan, hmm," Henry murmured, the name tasting distant on his tongue.
"I heard the scenery there is beautiful."
Henry nodded slowly. "It is."
Elsewhere, the night bled into morning.
The clock struck 6:30 AM as Ethan woke up. He freshened up quickly and headed straight toward Ms. Yuri's room to take over guard duty. Outside the door, Antonio patted Ethan's on the shoulder, his face worn with exhaustion.
"Your turn," Antonio grunted.
Julian gave Ethan a firm nod. "You got this." With their shift over, Julian and Antonio headed back to their quarters to finally get some rest.
Today is the day of the summit, Ethan thought, his chest tightening as he stood watch outside the door. I need to find a way to meet Jake the first chance I get.
At that very moment, the airspace over California was thick with private jets. Influential figures, billionaires, and powerful power-brokers from every corner of the globe were touching down.
Among them, a man in his late forties walked out of the terminal.
He wore a tailored black suit, his dark hair heavily salted with grey at the temples—a testament to a lifetime of high-stakes stress. A younger man, barely in his twenties, walked a disciplined step behind him like a shadow.
A sleek, pitch-black Rolls-Royce Limousine purred to a halt at the curb exactly as they stepped outside. The chauffeur immediately opened the rear door.
The older man stepped inside, the leather interior swallowing him.
"Let's go," the younger man ordered, sliding into the front seat.
The door clicked shut, and the limousine glided into the California traffic, heading towards it's destination.