And there it was.

  The attacker—the very same one Fei had been warned about—hovering behind her, a shadow blade formed in its grip.

  It let out a low, beastlike growl, its eyes locked onto Fei's body as she twitched helplessly on the floor.

  The sight shocked everyone.

  Everyone... except Sele and Muuey.

  Lara and Alcy tried to look, desperation pulling at them—but Luku refused to let them.

  He stepped fully in front of them, his body a firm barrier, shielding their eyes from the nightmare unfolding behind him.

  ...Sigh.

  "I already warned you not to do stupid things," Sele muttered, irritation clear in her voice.

  "Sele." Muuey called to her—quiet, firm.

  She knew exactly what that meant.

  "Ugh, why!?" Sele snapped, frustration spilling over. "She's the enemy, isn't she, boss?"

  Muuey didn't answer. He didn't need to.

  "Tch." Sele clicked her tongue sharply and shoved her chair back as she stood. Anger radiated off her as she marched toward Fei's dying body. "Move, dip sh*t! Geez—blood all over my shoes..." She grimaced, glaring down. "Damn it, boss. You owe me triple for this."

  The shadow withdrew—thinning, dissolving—until it vanished into nothingness.

  Sele rolled up her sleeves.

  Pure light bloomed from both her hands, bright and unwavering. She pressed them against Fei's open back, and a sharp hiss filled the room—like water striking a boiling surface.

  No one spoke.

  Everyone could only watch, frozen in place, a mix of shock and disbelief etched onto their faces as Sele calmly began restoring Fei's broken body.

  "Okay. There—get up."

  Fei snapped.

  She slammed her right fist into the floor with everything she had.

  "JUST FU*CKING KILL ME ALREADY!!"

  she screamed, her voice breaking apart.

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  "I CAN'T STAND THIS HUMILIATION ANY LONGER!"

  The outburst echoed through the room.

  Everyone—except Muuey and Sele—was left stunned, confusion and shock written clearly across their faces.

  "Don't you have kids waiting for your return?" Muuey said calmly.

  Fei froze.

  She stared at him in disbelief, her breath catching. "What... did you just say?" Her voice trembled. "Are you... planning to let me go?" Her right hand hung uselessly at her side, visibly damaged.

  "Damn it—stop making me heal you!" Sele snapped, irritation flaring as she grabbed Fei's hand and restored it in a burst of light.

  "S-sorry, I—" Fei started.

  "Enough." Sele cut her off sharply. "Sit down, Fei. So we can continue the meeting."

  Sele pulled her up from the floor—still slick with Fei's own blood. Her clothes were drenched, heavy with it.

  Fei didn't react. She ignored the blood, the pain, the humiliation, and quietly returned to her seat.

  Once both women were seated, Sele spoke evenly, as if resetting the room.

  "Okay, Mr. and Mrs. Stone—can we continue the conversation?"

  Just like that.

  As if no one had been sliced open.

  As if a life hadn't nearly been lost moments ago.

  Mr. and Mrs. Stone exchanged a long, silent glance.

  In that look, understanding settled in.

  They finally grasped the kind of people they were dealing with now.

  They both sat down.

  Gasilin returned to his position at the side of the table—the same side now drenched in blood. He ignored it, standing firm, ready in case anything else sparked another uproar.

  "Let the kids stay at a distance," Mrs. Stone said, only tilting her face slightly as she looked toward Luku.

  "Yes, ma'am," Luku replied.

  He guided Lara and Alcy toward seats farther back.

  "Wait!" Alcy protested. "He's the one that—"

  "Sir Alcy, don't!" Luku cut in sharply.

  Lara immediately understood. She covered Alcy's mouth and shook her head.

  Alcy hesitated—then nodded, realizing the situation. Obediently, he sat down.

  For a moment, silence settled over the table—heavy, suffocating.

  Then Muuey broke it.

  "Mr. Stone," he said evenly, "did you upset one of the Big Five?"

  Mr. Stone stayed silent. His jaw tightened, breath shallow, as if weighing every possible consequence. Just as he was about to speak—

  "I can't."

  Mrs. Stone's voice cut in.

  "Mrs. Stone?" Sele echoed, surprised.

  "I can't have a conversation with that beast sitting there," Mrs. Stone said sharply, her eyes flicking toward Fei.

  Fei didn't react. She didn't argue. She didn't even look up. She simply remained silent.

  "Mrs. Stone," Muuey said calmly, unwavering, "she is under my watch. Nothing will happen to anyone while I am looking after this."

  "I won't have it!" Mrs. Stone cried. "She hurt my babies!"

  A tear slipped free, trailing down her cheek.

  "Jane..." Mr. Stone murmured, reaching for her, trying to steady her trembling.

  "Mrs. Stone," Sele said firmly, cutting through the emotion, "she's a hired assassin. She isn't the one you should be worried about."

  The words settled in.

  Slowly, Mrs. Stone understood the weight behind them. She drew a shaky breath, straightened her posture, and gathered herself—her composure returning, piece by piece.

  "Okay," she said simply.

  A faint flicker of relief crossed Mr. Stone's face.

  "Alright," he continued, his tone turning serious. "What I'm about to say is classified information—but I trust you to keep this to yourselves."

  Suddenly, a mist of shadow wrapped itself around Fei's entire body, swallowing her in silence.

  "It's to make sure she doesn't hear anything," Muuey explained calmly, "and can't send word back to her boss."

  "I see," Mr. Stone replied, a trace of impressed disbelief in his voice.

  However, Muuey lied.

  Fei could hear everything—every word, every breath between sentences.

  She didn't react.

  She didn't expose it.

  Understanding Muuey's intentions, Fei remained calm and continued to listen in silence.