Daniel suddenly widened his eyes, his breathing turning rapid and uneven. He clamped a hand over Jonas's mouth, scanned their surroundings warily, and whispered,"Jonas, don't spout nonsense like that. What if someone with bad intentions overhears?"
Luckily, there was no one nearby—otherwise they would truly be finished. Daniel let out a long breath and released his hand. The moment he did, Jonas refused to stay quiet. His eyes were red as he spoke,
"When you were talking with Grandma, I heard every single word."
Jonas nodded, the hatred in his eyes still not fading."So don't lie to me anymore—I've always known. You two don't dare do anything to him, so I can only do it myself. After all, he was my father… and also your real older brother, Third Uncle."
Daniel lowered his gaze. The atmosphere suddenly fell silent. Only after a long while did he look up and say,
"Jonas, this isn't a trivial matter. Don't bring it up again in the future. Go deal with the capital flow issues—don't let Captian catch any weakness. Your second uncle only had one son—you. You must stay safe, understand?"
Jonas let out a bitter laugh."I'll deal with the money. But I'll never forgive what happened to my father."
With that, Jonas clenched his fist and turned to leave. No matter how capable Captian was, no matter how terrifying the Anderson family might be, he would have his revenge. A blood feud for killing one's father—one that could only end in death.
As he turned away, he didn't see the dark, unfathomable glint in Daniel's eyes.
…
Captian's POV:
Inside the moving Rolls-Royce, I sat in the back seat with my legs crossed, slowly turning the exquisite pistol between my fingers. The cold metal reflected the streetlights sliding past the window—beat after beat, like a heart forced to remain calm.
"The situation just now," I lifted the gun slightly, my voice low and cold, "what did you think?"
The air in the car instantly grew heavy. Being addressed, Hunter stiffened and took a beat before answering,
"It was quite chaotic. Everyone had their own calculations… but at that moment, there was something off about Jonas's expression."
I set the gun down on the armrest. The dry sound of metal against leather tightened the pressure in the cabin.
"You suspect Jonas?"
Hunter swallowed, cold sweat trickling down his spine."I… found that a very large sum was recently withdrawn from his account. But it's far beyond what Jonas could manage on his own—unless someone is backing him."
I stared at him. My eyes were so dark they reflected none of the city lights.
"You're saying," I spoke slowly, "it's not just Jonas?"
Hunter hesitated. He knew very well which lines shouldn't be crossed."This is too complicated. I don't dare jump to conclusions."
I leaned back, tapping my fingers lightly against the seat in a steady rhythm.
"The Anderson family," I said evenly, cold enough to chill the blood, "is a place that devours people without leaving bones. No one there is simple."
I turned to look out the window. The night scenery rushed past like a black river. But what churned in my eyes was anything but calm—bloodlust, a hunger so familiar it needed no concealment.
The cabin fell into suffocating silence again. Hunter gripped the steering wheel tightly, the back of his shirt soaked through. After a moment's hesitation, he asked in a lowered voice,
"Then… should we deal with Jonas first?"
I curved my lips faintly. Just a small motion, but enough to reveal cold, ruthless cruelty.
"Leave him," I said. "Don't touch him. Once the bait is cast, you wait… to reel in the whole catch."
Hunter nodded immediately, not daring to ask another word.
The car drove straight back to the villa. Only when the wheels finally stopped did the atmosphere ease slightly. I stepped out, the night wind brushing my coat. In that instant, I thought of something—or rather, someone.
The killing intent around me withdrew. The oppressive, icy authority dissipated as well. Hunter behind me took a deep breath, as if his air had just been returned.
I didn't turn back. I simply walked into the villa lights, already holding a plan for the next move on the board.
…
Rosy's POV:
I was about to head out to the yard to play with the German Shepherd when, just stepping out of the living room, I saw Captian standing there. The late-afternoon sunlight fell in scattered patches over the lawn, his shadow stretching long—tall and cold. I froze for a second, then instinctively smiled, my voice softening.
"Captain, you're back?"
My familiar scent seemed to dissolve into the air. I saw him lower his head slightly, his previously cold gaze lifting quickly to catch my eyes. Those eyes—deep and dark—reflected my smiling face. I sensed his breath settle rapidly, as if something inside him had just been locked away. When he replied, his voice was lower, no longer as sharp as usual.
Hunter, standing nearby, was almost stunned. I didn't even need to look to imagine his expression. Just moments ago, this man had been carrying bone-chilling killing intent—yet now… Hunter was perceptive enough to turn and leave immediately, leaving the quiet courtyard to just the two of us.
I tightened my fingertips, hesitated a little, then still spoke:
"I was going to find the German Shepherd to play. Would you… like to come along?"
I regretted it the moment the words left my mouth. I'd hoped he would refuse. But he didn't.
"Let's go."
He stepped to my side. The familiar, faint scent of mint drifted over. I pouted inwardly—too late for regret now, since he'd already headed toward the backyard.
The German Shepherd had been napping, but the moment it caught our scent, it sprang up, tail wagging like it might fly off. It rushed over, so enthusiastic my heart melted. I squatted down and patted its head a few times.
"You little thing, why are you so excited today?"
I'd originally wanted to ask Captian about the old estate, but then thought that sometimes, pretending to be oblivious made life easier. I shrugged and kept petting the dog. Just then, Captian's voice sounded beside me, low and very close.
"You like it that much?"
I looked up at him and answered honestly,"Of course. Soft, and so enthusiastic—who could resist?"
He gave a soft scoff. I wasn't sure whether he was laughing at the dog or at me. But in the next second, as if sensing something, the German Shepherd flattened its ears, tucked its neck, whimpered softly, then turned and ran straight back to its nest, curling up and refusing to come out. Its survival instinct was clearly strong.
"Huh? What's wrong with it?" I asked, surprised.
Captian's lips moved slightly, his voice dropping."Maybe it wants to rest."
I believed him immediately. Nodding reflexively, I brushed off my clothes and stood up.
"Then let's go inside."
He nodded, expression blank, but his eyes had softened considerably, no longer as sharp as before. I didn't know that in that moment, he'd just felt jealous of a dog—jealous because it'd received my touch without a shred of wariness.
The air around me suddenly turned cold, then warmed again just as fast—like ice and fire overlapping. I shivered, telling myself to speak less if I wanted peace.
As soon as we entered the living room, the smell of stewed chicken soup drifted over. Nanny Lenka was busy in the kitchen, saying it was to nourish us—after Ravenholm, after cold rain and blood, after his injury. I turned to Captian and smiled.
"Nanny Lenka made chicken soup today, Captain. You're really blessed."
He looked at me and nodded lightly.
Just then, my phone vibrated. A message from Hezze. I opened it—Hathaway College was about to welcome a transfer student, reportedly a beauty from Ravenholm. I wasn't interested, replied casually, and put the phone away.
"What were you looking at?" Captian asked immediately.
Startled, I explained reflexively,"Hezze texted. She said there's a new student at our school—a beauty from Ravenholm, apparently."
He glanced away, clearly uninterested. I shrugged, finished my bowl of chicken soup, then pulled him over to check his wound. The incision had closed quickly, new skin pale pink—clearly healing well.
"Recovery's great, but you still can't exert yourself," I said as I applied medicine and rewrapped the bandage. "And remember to avoid greasy food."
At that moment, I completely forgot how dangerous he was. To me, he was just an uncooperative patient.
He looked at my curved lashes and answered silently.
After finishing, I hugged my medical kit and went back to my room. He'd been unusually quiet these past few days, making life in the villa comfortable—almost unfamiliar. I only hoped such days would last a little longer.
Two or three days passed, and the scratches on my body healed completely. I decided to return to school. But the moment I reached the gate, my heart suddenly tightened, as if something were about to happen. A sudden, inexplicable sense of panic made me frown, but no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't figure it out.
In the end, I could only bite my lip, carry that feeling with me, and walk into class.
The moment I entered, Hezze slung an arm around my shoulders, her complaining voice ringing in my ear:
"Rosy, you haven't come these past few days—I've been bored to death!"
I hurried to apologize, forcing a smile."My fault. Probably jet lag—only just feeling better now."