Chapter 387: Chapter 387: Betrayal

By the time she was done, a rough plan had already formed in her mind.

Satisfied, she turned and left. But…

As she passed by the path where Garrison had been taken earlier, something surfaced in her thoughts.

Something… unsettling. Her steps slowed slightly. ’His aura…’

She had noticed it earlier while confronting him.

It wasn’t normal.

There had been traces of silver, faint yet shimmering, mixed with hints of gold and white. But what stood out the most…

Was the thick, suffocating mass of blackness surrounding him. Lana frowned slightly as the memory replayed in her mind.

’Human auras are… confusing.’

She hadn’t understood it back then. So she had asked Mr. Crow.

“Silver aura,” Mr. Crow had said, his voice calm yet carrying a strange depth, “usually belongs to those standing between light and darkness… truth and deception. Grey.”

Lana had listened carefully, her curiosity growing.

“If it shimmers,” he continued, “it means they are about to make a decision. A turning point. They will either fall into complete darkness… or rise toward absolute light.”

At that moment, Lana had already formed her conclusion. ’Garrison… will fall.’

To her, there had never been any doubt.

He was someone who twisted truths, who manipulated emotions, someone who had already crossed too many lines.

But Mr. Crow hadn’t stopped there.

“As for the multiple aura around him,” he added, “that suggests his destiny is unstable. It’s changing… constantly.”

That had surprised her. ’Changing…?’

Mr. Crow had glanced at her then, a knowing smile playing on his lips. “Perhaps… your presence has already begun altering it.”

Lana had been genuinely impressed. But one thing still lingered in her mind.

“The black mass around him…” she had asked, her brows furrowing. “What is that?”

Mr. Crow’s expression had shifted slightly. “Influence.”

The word had struck her. “Influence?” she had repeated, shock flickering in her eyes.

Until then, she had always believed that Garrison acted entirely on his own will, that every cruel decision, every calculated move, was his choice.

But now…

’He’s being influenced?’

For a brief moment, doubt had crept into her heart. Had she misunderstood everything?

Mr. Crow seemed to read her thoughts instantly. He let out a soft chuckle. “You haven’t misunderstood.”

Lana looked at him, confused. “Influence doesn’t mean control,” he clarified. “It simply means… someone is subtly guiding his thoughts.”

He paused, his gaze distant.

“If he truly wanted to think clearly… he could still distinguish right from wrong.”

His tone grew quieter. “But humans are… complicated.”

Lana listened in silence. “Sometimes, they choose to see the truth,” he continued. “And sometimes… they choose to believe lies.”

A faint smirk appeared on his face. “Garrison… is no exception.”

Hearing that, Lana had finally understood.

She reached out absentmindedly and gently rubbed Mr. Crow’s head, her fingers brushing through his feathers.

“There’s something else,” she murmured softly. “Earlier… before Garrison left, you were muttering something. What was it?”

Mr. Crow chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Just a little curse.”

Lana blinked, slightly surprised. He didn’t elaborate.

But if she had pressed further… She would have known.

That in that moment, filled with quiet fury, Mr. Crow had whispered a curse upon Garrison.

Since you toy with the love of others… one day, love will toy with you.

And that curse… Hadn’t been ordinary. It had been amplified by his emotions, by the sheer depth of his hatred toward Garrison.

He despised him.

Despised the way he had taken Lana’s love, something pure, something sincere, and treated it like a possession… like an object to be discarded or claimed at will.

To Mr. Crow, that was the lowest form of cruelty.

Now, as he felt Lana’s warm hand gently patting his head, his expression softened.

A quiet smile formed.

’In this world…’

If there was anything that made existence feel worthwhile… It was her.

……………

Time passed.

A month slipped by quietly, like sand through fingers.

Lana returned to her university, continuing her journey as if nothing had changed, but beneath the surface, everything was moving forward.

And elsewhere… Garrison stood frozen, staring at the report in his hands.

His expression darkened. Just as Lana had said… His confidential files had been leaked again.

But this time… The culprit identified in the report was someone unexpected.

His own brother. Ashton.

“What is this…?” Garrison’s voice trembled slightly as he turned sharply, his gaze locking onto his assistant. He thrust the screen forward. “Is this true?”

The assistant didn’t hesitate. “Yes,” he replied flatly, his expression unreadable. Silence fell.

Garrison’s grip tightened as anger surged through him. “This is the result of your investigation?”

The assistant remained quiet. Not a single flicker of guilt crossed his face. Not even the slightest hesitation.

That… That was what pushed Garrison over the edge.

“You…!”

Rage exploded within him. Without thinking, he yanked open his drawer, pulled out a stack of documents, and hurled them straight at the assistant’s face.

The papers struck him sharply before scattering across the floor. For a brief moment, the assistant’s expression cracked.

Just slightly. But he quickly bent down, picking up the documents one by one. Yet… The moment he opened them… The color drained from his face.

His fingers stiffened ever so slightly. ’I’m… finished.’

Inside the documents, every detail was laid bare.

It described how the assistant had secretly siphoned confidential information from Garrison, how he had manipulated reports, twisted evidence, and redirected suspicion.

The words blurred slightly as the assistant’s vision wavered.

His legs turned weak, like jelly, unable to hold his weight, and with a dull thud, he collapsed onto the floor. Garrison looked down at him. Not a trace of mercy crossed his face.

“Do you have anything to say?” His voice was calm, but it carried a sharp edge that cut deeper than anger.

The assistant, Ben, lifted his head slowly.

His gaze shifted from Garrison… to the scattered documents… and then back again.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then… He laughed.

A sudden, broken laugh that echoed strangely in the room.

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