Chapter 184

There was something off about the whole thing—and Selena felt it in her bones.

She sat silently in her room, fingers lightly tapping her knee, mind turning over every detail of the morning's events.

Declan Raze showing up like that, practically begging? That didn't just happen. Not with a man like him. Not without someone pulling strings behind the scenes.

And the only one who could've done that... was Jaden.

But Jaden didn't have that kind of reach.

At least, not on his own.

Her lips pressed into a thin line as a name resurfaced.

Morix Sable.

That's the only thing that would make sense? he'd showed up at Mia's school and somehow had a close relationship with Jaden and even helped them deal with the Kranes, so if anyone could handle a man like Declan it'd be that same Morix. Maybe Jaden had find a way to reach out to him for help again.

She just knew if Jaden was truly asking favor from Morix then it wouldn't last forever, because one day he's going to disappoint them and they're going to be screwed. Someone like Morix always does things that would benefit him, and she's scared Jaden might brought trouble to their doorsteps, having a relationship with someone like Morix.

Meanwhile, at the Verrick Family Estate...

Tension hung thick in the private study like smoke from a long-extinguished fire.

Xander Verrick, the family patriarch, sat behind a massive mahogany desk. The carved edges and gold trim screamed wealth and power, but tonight, he looked like a man who hadn't slept in days.

His sons, Elias and Aiden, stood near the window, both equally tense.

"I still can't believe it," Aiden snapped, pacing. "That bastard Declan actually called us—us—to say he was walking away from the whole thing. Just like that. And he's still planning to do business with us? What the hell happened out there?"

"Declan isn't stupid,” Elias said calmly, though there was a bitter edge to his voice "He's a snake, net a martyr. He must've realized getting involved with Selena's lunati

boyfriend was a bad investment."

"You're calling that bum a lunatic? He's homeless trash." Aiden spat the words like

venom. "If Declan was scared of him, then he's gone soft."

Elias gave his brother a sharp look. "No. That's the problem. He's not scared of Jaden."

He took a slow breath, folding his arms.

"He's scared of who's behind him."

Aiden stilled, caught off guard.

Elias nodded once, grimly. "Declan wouldn't back off for some

unemployed street punk. But if that street punk had someone. dangerous someone Declan Knows not to cross-then yeah. He'd bend the knee."

Xander, who'd been silent the whole time, finally spoke.

His voice was low. Cold. Strained with disgust.

"It sickens me to the core whenever I hear her name."

His sons turned to him. His eyes were still fixed on the fireplace across the room.

"I raised this family with discipline, with legacy in mind. And she-my granddaughter-drags our name through the mud like it means mothing Public scandal. Private disgrace."

His hands curled into fists.

"She sides with some stray off the street, lets him poison her mind, and then turns

her back on everything we built. Everything I built."

He looked at both sons now, his expression tightening.

"What did I do to deserve this kind of shame?"