In Beverly Hills, the night was unusually quiet—except inside a room in the Russell villa. It was fifty‑two minutes past ten in the evening, yet twenty‑seven‑month‑old Noel Dakola was still awake. Though his little body was dozing off, he stubbornly refused to sleep, waiting for Lilian. He waited until his patience broke into tears. He cried until his voice grew weak, his eyes swollen, but still refused to close them.
Meanwhile, Derek had rushed to Atherton. There, he searched and found Lilian's phone abandoned in the underground parking lot. He reviewed the surveillance footage, watching Lilian walk calmly to the car, drive to the airport, and board a private jet. Only then did he realize Lilian had willingly gone to meet Perry. She had even evaded the four bodyguards they had arranged for her.
Cayden looked at Derek, suspicion in his eyes. "What's going on? Clearly Lily dislikes that mother f…cker."
Derek's heart broke. "Almost certainly… maybe she's been threatened."
Cayden nodded. "That's the only explanation right now."
---
Regret weighed heavily in Derek's eyes. The brothers had agreed that if one of them was handling Morgan Jerome's issues, the other would remain close to protect their mate. But Derek had underestimated Perry's devices. He had entrusted Lilian's safety to their capable bodyguards and rushed to deal with company matters. He hadn't called her until lunch, when he phoned to say he was on his way to take her out.
No one answered.
Unease gripped Derek. He rushed to Lilian's company, where the secretary said she was inside her office. But when he entered, Lilian was gone. Only then did he notice the private door ajar. Following it, he reached the underground parking lot. Tracking her phone's location, he found it discarded on the ground.
He was certain Lilian had been abducted. But when they reviewed the camera footage, they saw her willingly walk to the vehicle, drive away, and even board the plane without resistance.
Derek couldn't understand. He had seen Lilian's determination to cut ties with Perry Jerome. She had sworn she would kill herself rather than be taken back by his men. So what happened now?
Even though they suspected Perry had threatened her, Lilian's facial expressions showed no sign of coercion.
---
After a tiring search, the brothers returned to their villa, exhausted. Cayden had flown back to Atherton as soon as Derek told him about Lilian's disappearance.
Meanwhile, Xander Campbell remained in Avaldos City, managing the company and secretly helping Mr. Asienwegher Kimberly strategize plans to deliver a fatal blow to the Morgans. He met with powerful families and influential figures, planning how to bring the Jerome empire down.
The final family whose support was crucial was the Wesley family. They still held grudges against the Kimberlys—not only against the patriarch, but also against Bryan Kimberly, who had overlooked what the family had done to his late mother and chosen to remain loyal to them.
The Wesleys were a prestigious military family for generations. Now, Bianca's younger brother, Shane Wesley, commanded the armed forces of Avaldos.
---
A date was fixed for the two families to meet, hoping to convince the Wesleys to join the alliance.
Soon, the Kimberlys, the Russell brothers, Xander, and other supportive families gathered in a VIP room of a seven‑star hotel. After being served their meals, they began eating.
General Wesley looked at Mr. Kimberly and Bryan Kimberly, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "I heard the Kimberly family has found their young miss—the one born by Lonnie and his lover."
Everyone was taken aback. Why would Old Master Wesley bring this up now?
Master Kimberly trembled, losing his composure. He almost choked on his food. Bryan suffered the same, quickly sipping water to steady himself. Derek was also taken aback, though he remained calm, carefully choosing his words to change the topic.
"Please," Derek said, articulating carefully, "let's focus on the scope of this dinner. We all know how Morgan Jerome has abused his power, supporting his son's illegal activities in the country. Let's place ourselves in the victims' position. If we were in their place, how would we feel? Certainly, we would feel devastated. So, let's take a moment and watch this short video clip."
---
All eyes turned to Xander as he quickly set up a projector. Soon, the screen displayed footage of Perry Jerome's auctions.
The room fell silent as they watched ugly, wealthy old men bargaining over young, beautiful women—most of them teenagers.
The most disturbing clip showed a girl, clearly a high school student or newly admitted university freshman, about seventeen years old. She was auctioned for fifty million dollars to an ugly, fat, short man. He slept with her the entire night. In the morning, the girl spat angrily in his face, calling him ugly.
Provoked, the man forced her to sleep with his horse. The act killed her.
---
Everyone shook their heads in disapproval, hissing in disappointment.
Shane Wesley fixed his eyes expressionlessly on the screen. No one could decipher his thoughts.
As the room filled with judgment and disdain, a sarcastic snort broke the silence. Everyone turned to its source.
Old Master Wesley sat disdainfully, his gaze sweeping across the Kimberly men. "And why should I support the Kimberly family?" he asked coldly. "If you can present to me any acceptable candidate, then I will be willing to support."