Chapter 320: Over the Edge (M)
The air was thick.
Hot.
Sticky.
It smelled like sex and sounded even worse with every wet squelch echoing in the room.
But more importantly it smelled of the fervent desire and passionate desperation of two beings who needed each other more than they needed air.
Riley’s hand was still on Kael’s wrist, fingers trembling, knuckles pale from how tightly he was gripping. He was the one moving. He was the one making Kael’s fingers go in and out of him with desperate, clumsy thrusts.
And Kael matched him.
Matched him stroke for stroke as he stroked himself harder, his own length flushed and leaking from the sight in front of him.
They were watching each other.
With terrifying focus.
Like nothing else existed.
Kael saw everything. Every twitch. Every little flinch in Riley’s thighs. He could feel the frantic vibration of Riley’s walls around his fingers. His mate was close. Very close. So close that the golden dragon didn’t even need to ask.
Riley’s head dropped back.
His neck arched in a graceful, vulnerable line. He was so dazed, so thoroughly consumed by the friction and the sight of his husband’s pleasure, that he could only gasp out a single word.
“Kael… Kael, please.”
He didn’t even finish his sentence. He didn’t have to.
The dragon lord knew exactly what that plea meant.
He took over the movement, gently but firmly dislodging Riley’s hand from his wrist so he could apply his own strength. He wanted to show his mate that he had learned everything from his twig’s frantic efforts.
And once he did, Riley had no escape.
Kael didn’t hesitate. His fingers moved with new force, curling just right, hitting that spot over and over like he had mapped it down to the millimeter.
The rhythm was both punishing and divine. He pushed in and pulled out, his thumb simultaneously grinding against Riley’s hip bone to keep him pinned as he finger fucked him earnestly.
It was brutal.
It was perfect.
It was terrifying how fast Kael learned.
But Riley didn’t have the time to think about that.
Because it hit him. The blessed golden husband hit that perfect, deep angle one last time and it sent Riley right over the edge.
Hard.
“Ah—!”
His body locked up. His back arched. He let out a sound so raw and loud that the walls likely heard it twice. His legs kicked—then wrapped around Kael’s waist—holding the dragon close as his insides clamped and pulsed in waves.
He was contracting.
Convulsing.
Cumming.
Yes. Riley was most definitely cumming.
And Kael?
Kael didn’t stop nor did he ever look away.
He drank in every second of his mate falling apart and followed him there.
With one more breath.
One more grunt.
One more desperate stroke—
Kael came with a shudder.
His seed spilled hot and thick across his stomach and Riley’s thighs, messy and real.
They stayed like that for a long time, tangled together in the quiet aftermath, breathing the same air until the world finally stopped spinning.
__
Not that the world ever stopped spinning for Riley.
Even now, while being gently cleaned and cuddled like someone who hadn’t just been wrecked twice in a row, he still felt like a live wire on the verge of frying his own circuits.
Honestly, he thought he’d be down for the count by now. As a human, he had limits. Kael knew that. He even respected them.
Which was why Riley, as a human, actually dared to tell Kael that he could continue even if he lost stamina somewhere in the middle.
It was probably an unconventional thing but the ex-mortal trusted Kael enough to know he likely cared more about his body’s welfare than he did himself. It was embarrassing, but true.
Back then it was something they had to talk about because even if he exercised like a star athlete, he would never be able to match the endurance and stamina of a dragon like Kael. It would always be Kael in the appetizer section while Riley was out there past the second dessert.
Unlike cases where a partner would only be doing something like that because of selfishness, Riley had opened the discussion because of sheer biology.
And later, when Riley got older? He’d probably be able to do even less. To him, it would feel gradual. But to immortal dragons, it would likely feel like they only had a short time together.
But surprisingly, or maybe unsurprisingly, Kael never pushed after Riley was exhausted.
Because in the eyes of the golden dragon, what was the point?
His pleasure was pleasuring his mate. So how could he find joy with Riley being unable to feel anything?
It was mutual or nothing. Which meant Kael got very good at recognizing Riley’s limits, especially in the early days of his transformation.
Yes, as a dragon, Riley was now an immortal. But he was rather flimsy at the moment. Like a newborn, he was tired with a capital T because his body was coping up with a kind of stress mortal shells normally never experienced.
So there had been a lot of cuddling instead. A lot of soft nights where nothing happened except whispering and falling asleep tangled together.
It was different when they were waking each other up. That was welcome. But Kael had learned from early on that he should watch out for signs of exhaustion.
So just as one would predict, he was extremely mindful of him today. Riley even learned that the golden dragon was even more mindful because of the pheromones.
It was apparently like caffeine.
He felt relatively energetic, extremely sensitive, and even ready to go which surprised even him, who really needed to improve his physical fitness. But apparently it was in part due to his growing mana reserves and the sudden presence of pheromones.
“If we continue, you’ll likely sleep the entire day tomorrow and maybe even the next.”
“!!!”
“What?!”
The ex-mortal thought about the horror of not being able to explain to the children why he didn’t wake up to see them.
How could he ever say they had frisky business and he ended up so tired because he believed he could still go on?
Riley shook his head and actually said to his mate in a decisive tone that okay, they should rest for today.
They would clean up and cuddle for the rest of the night.
While it may be hard to believe, Riley actually wanted to abide by his own words. He meant it when he said they should go to bed and cuddle.
But just because he said he was going to behave didn’t really mean his body would behave. Like when Kael was cleaning him up.
In reality, he, as a person with capable hands and an unusually robust body for today, should have been soaping himself up like a decent person. But every time he scrubbed anything, it was as if he wanted to touch more of himself.
What kind of self-discipline was that?
They had just done things and he already went to heaven twice and back! Was that not enough for someone still as flimsy as him?
Apparently not.
Unsuccessful with being good, Riley thought it would be best to have his mate do it for him.
But thoughts of it being a good idea lasted a whole three seconds before his ass began rubbing against his mate’s thigh.
But who wouldn’t rub up and down unconsciously when Kael reached for his chest from behind him?
Under the guise of washing up, he caressed him. Riley had to swallow his moan. More importantly, he had to pretend he hadn’t gotten stiff when Kael whispered from behind him.
“Are you okay?”
Really. The audacity of a hot man.
__
Riley wanted to scream that no, he was absolutely not okay, but all that came out was a pathetic, airy wheeze.
The golden dragon was being entirely too thorough.
It was as if Kael was the embodiment of focus, and currently, his singular mission was ensuring his mate was pristine. He lathered a soft cloth with scented magical oils and began to work it over Riley’s skin with a steady, rhythmic pressure that felt less like cleaning and more like a slow-motion massage.
The problem was that Kael’s idea of being “serious with his job” involved a level of physical contact that Riley’s pheromone-soaked brain couldn’t handle.
As Kael reached around to scrub Riley’s chest, his large, warm palms grazed those already aching peaks. Riley’s back hit Kael’s solid chest, and before he could stop himself, his hips did a treacherous little shimmy, rubbing his backside firmly against Kael’s thick thigh.
“I am… just making sure you are comfortable,” Kael murmured, his voice vibrating right against Riley’s damp spine.
He wasn’t teasing. That was the worst part.
Kael genuinely believed he was helping Riley relax. But as the dragon’s hand slid down to wash Riley’s stomach, his fingers brushed against the top of Riley’s length, and he prayed he wouldn’t think much of that traitor of a member.
Riley’s breath hitched. He tried to pull away, but the slickness of the water and the heat of the bath made him slide right back into Kael’s embrace. Kael’s hand didn’t stop; he moved to Riley’s thighs, his fingers kneading the tired muscles with a strength that made Riley’s toes curl into the bottom of the tub.
“Your muscles are very tense here,” Kael noted, his thumb pressing into the sensitive junction of Riley’s hip. “I should work the stiffness out so you don’t ache tomorrow.”
“Kael, wait—” Riley gasped, his head lolling back onto Kael’s shoulder.
He was supposed to be behaving.
He was supposed to be saving his energy for the kids tomorrow.
He really had a million things he ought to do and yet his first inclination was to ask the man behind him to move a bit lower.
Hello, Riley?
Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep
Chapters
- Chapter 393: Nothing Left to Save
- Chapter 392: A Fate Worse Than Death
- Chapter 391: Pulling the Strings
- Chapter 390: Unmasked
- Chapter 389: Fear of Irrelevance
- Chapter 388: The Worst Insult
- Chapter 387: Beyond Reason
- Chapter 386: Helpless Hands
- Chapter 385: Just Out of Reach
- Chapter 384: A Stroke of Fortune
- Chapter 383: Uncovered
- Chapter 382: Unnatural Silence
- Chapter 381: A Reckless Stand
- Chapter 380: No One Listened
- Chapter 379: Unexpected Guest
- Chapter 378: Cracks in Control
- Chapter 377: Among Us
- Chapter 376: Desecration
- Chapter 375: The Iron Crypt
- Chapter 374: A Twig’s Resolve
- Chapter 373: Something Just for Us
- Chapter 372: The First Move
- Chapter 371: A Dragon’s Edge
- Chapter 370: The Lord Walks In
- Chapter 369: Reality Calling
- Chapter 368: Sunlight and Shadows
- Chapter 367: Their Last Bet
- Chapter 366: Not Meant to Be a Hero
- Chapter 365: Unfit Blood
- Chapter 364: Crushed Pride
- Chapter 363: Ashes Before Answers
- Chapter 362: The Generous Dragon
- Chapter 361: The Price of Immortality
- Chapter 360: So About That Inheritance
- Chapter 359: Overflow
- Chapter 358: The Reflection (M)
- Chapter 357: Twenty Minutes (M)
- Chapter 356: The Estate Inspection (M)
- Chapter 355: Quality Assurance (M)
- Chapter 354: Playing With Fire (M)
- Chapter 353: The Hill He Died On (M)
- Chapter 352: Restraint (M)
- Chapter 351: The Inevitable Snap
- Chapter 350: Ancient Witness
- Chapter 349: The Last Rite
- Chapter 348: Full-Fledged
- Chapter 347: Giving Rise
- Chapter 346: Inheritance in the Dark
- Chapter 345: Shut It, Great Ancestors
- Chapter 344: The Line
- Chapter 343: Iltheran Logic
- Chapter 342: How Many Dragons Are Too Many?
- Chapter 341: By Popular Demand
- Chapter 340: Not the Sun
- Chapter 339: Safety Over Convenience
- Chapter 338: Screams, Slides, and Second Thoughts
- Chapter 337: Occupational Hazard
- Chapter 336: Aisle Diplomacy and Domestic Trials
- Chapter 335: The Great Supermarket Siege
- Chapter 334: Free Samples and Fragile Dragons
- Chapter 333: Designing Forever
- Chapter 332: Watchful Dragons
- Chapter 331: Not Here
- Chapter 330: Heirlooms in the Making
- Chapter 329: Dragons and Dessert Economics
- Chapter 328: Blind to Value
- Chapter 327: Layered Temptations
- Chapter 326: Retail Ascension
- Chapter 325: The Boxes
- Chapter 324: The Cost of a Bright Future
- Chapter 323: Practice Makes Panic
- Chapter 322: After the Night
- Chapter 321: Just a Bit (M)
- Chapter 320: Over the Edge (M)
- Chapter 319: Mutual Worship (M)
- Chapter 318: Instinct and Study (M)
- Chapter 317: Call and Answer (M)
- Chapter 316: Nature’s Oversight (M)
- Chapter 315: Hopeless Restraint
- Chapter 314: A Desperate Call
- Chapter 313: Each Other, Eventually
- Chapter 312: The Fragment That Chose
- Chapter 311: Hearts That Remember
- Chapter 310: Before He Hatched
- Chapter 309: Inheritance and Imbalance
- Chapter 308: Familiarity
- Chapter 307: A Crisis Beneath the Sheet
- Chapter 306: Two Is the Minimum
- Chapter 305: Witnesses That Mattered
- Chapter 304: Do Not Panic
- Chapter 303: Things That Feel Proper
- Chapter 302: Lawfully Ours
- Chapter 301: Everything Was Perfectly Fine
- Chapter 300: Choosing Each Other
- Chapter 299: A Very Inconveniently Good Day
- Chapter 298: Scandal and Sponsorship
- Chapter 297: Plural Admirers
- Chapter 296: A Regular Couple
- Chapter 295: Academic Circles and Dangerous Introductions
- Chapter 294: Academic Research Gone Wrong
- Chapter 293: Familiar Grounds
- Chapter 292: Passenger Princess
- Chapter 291: Metal Boxes and Immortal Pride
- Chapter 290: Passenger Panic
- Chapter 289: His Circuit
- Chapter 288: Engagements and Errands
- Chapter 287: Before Everyone
- Chapter 286: Bureaucracy vs. Ancient Power
- Chapter 285: The Heirloom Problem
- Chapter 284: The Best
- Chapter 283: Of Rings and Absolute Certainty
- Chapter 282: The Missing Promotion
- Chapter 281: Training Wheels Off
- Chapter 280: A Very Educational Touch
- Chapter 279: Coaxing the Impossible
- Chapter 278: Storms and Victories
- Chapter 277: A Very Bad Idea
- Chapter 276: Hope, Denial, and Right Knees
- Chapter 275: A Problem Called Progress
- Chapter 274: Control Without a Crown
- Chapter 273: Proof of Life
- Chapter 272: Come Again?
- Chapter 271: Trespass
- Chapter 270: A Sudden Claim
- Chapter 269: The Dragonling’s Curriculum
- Chapter 268: Uncanny Detection
- Chapter 267: Training Grievances
- Chapter 266: Learning the Hard Way
- Chapter 265: The Basics
- Chapter 264: Letters Before Legends
- Chapter 263: Midnight Snacks and Magical Problems
- Chapter 262: Unspoken Fears
- Chapter 261: What Makes a Family
- Chapter 260: Forbidden Flames and Old Truths
- Chapter 259: A Moment Too Late
- Chapter 258: The Unexpected Spot
- Chapter 257: Ashes of Loyalty
- Chapter 256: Treasures Left Behind
- Chapter 255: The Vassals’ Mandate
- Chapter 254: From Way Back
- Chapter 253: A Father’s First Miracle
- Chapter 252: The Price of Survival
- Chapter 251: The Mountain’s Fall
- Chapter 250: The Mountain’s Silence
- Chapter 249: Roots Beneath the Scales
- Chapter 248: In the Arms of Truth
- Chapter 247: Hearts and Histories
- Chapter 246: Past Grievances
- Chapter 245: Kisses and Claims
- Chapter 244: The Weight of Becoming
- Chapter 243: Unsealing the Impossible
- Chapter 242: Never Formed
- Chapter 241: Frozen Time, Shattered Realities
- Chapter 240: Mirror, Mirror
- Chapter 239: The Guardian’s Gamble
- Chapter 238: The Guardian’s Decision
- Chapter 237: The Seal’s True Question
- Chapter 236: Unexpected Strategy
- Chapter 235: The Hall of Illusory Vessels
- Chapter 234: The Hall of Unyielding Flames
- Chapter 233: Not in the Instructions
- Chapter 232: The Crucible Passage
- Chapter 231: Not a Good Idea
- Chapter 230: The Guardian’s Answer
- Chapter 229: The Guardian’s Silence
- Chapter 228: The Soft Launch That Wasn’t
- Chapter 227: High Definition Memories
- Chapter 226: The Dragon’s Aftercare
- Chapter 225: After the Storm (M)
- Chapter 224: The Edge of Trust (M)
- Chapter 223: Practice Makes Perfect (M)
- Chapter 222: The Devout Student (M)
- Chapter 221: I Want to See (M)
- Chapter 220: Bound by Hunger (M)
- Chapter 219: Brave or Crazy (M)
- Chapter 218: Diplomatic Immunity (M)
- Chapter 217: Yours to Mark (M)
- Chapter 216: His Turn (M)
- Chapter 215: The Edge of Control (M)
- Chapter 214: Hold Your Breath
- Chapter 213: The Dragon’s Lesson
- Chapter 212: Forbidden Curriculum
- Chapter 211: Says Who?
- Chapter 210: A Pressing Issue
- Chapter 209: Mates, Boyfriends, and Other Human Nonsense
- Chapter 208: A Toss
- Chapter 207: Before Thought
- Chapter 206: Of Predators and Patience
- Chapter 205: The Mate Dilemma
- Chapter 204: The Dragon Who Stayed
- Chapter 203: Kael Dravaryn, the Mad Dragon
- Chapter 202: The Lonely Search
- Chapter 201: Proof of the Living Bond
- Chapter 200: Proof of Madness
- Chapter 199: After the Inferno
- Chapter 198: Forbidden Flames
- Chapter 197: The Year of Peace
- Chapter 196: Buried by Time
- Chapter 195: The Oath
- Chapter 194: The Delinquent Dragon
- Chapter 193: Secrets of the First Bond
- Chapter 192: A Mate
- Chapter 191: With What?
- Chapter 190: The Dragon’s Accusation
- Chapter 189: Realization
- Chapter 188: Awkward Timing
- Chapter 187: A Lady’s Mercy
- Chapter 186: A Schedule of Madness
- Chapter 185: Someday
- Chapter 184: Cores and Consequences
- Chapter 183: Legends and Seals
- Chapter 182: One Too Many
- Chapter 181: Tiny Judges, Big Lessons
- Chapter 180: Lessons for the Living
- Chapter 179: His Concessions
- Chapter 178: Compensation and Consequences
- Chapter 177: Reckoning at the Ministry
- Chapter 176: For Reputation’s Sake
- Chapter 175: Accusations and Proof
- Chapter 174: The Acceptable Range
- Chapter 173: The Dragon Lord’s Diplomacy
- Chapter 172: All Dragons Are Late
- Chapter 171: The Dragon’s Crisis (M)
- Chapter 170: Daring Him
- Chapter 169: Until It Stops
- Chapter 168: Where Does It Hurt?
- Chapter 167: Things Left Unsaid
- Chapter 166: A Stranger in His Own Skin
- Chapter 165: The Dragon and the Matchstick
- Chapter 164: The Week He Slept
- Chapter 163: Hunger, Heroes, and Household Panic
- Chapter 162: Proof of Life
- Chapter 161: Of Blood and Fire
- Chapter 160: Not Enough
- Chapter 159: Desperation in the Archives
- Chapter 158: Shattered Stillness
- Chapter 157: No Other Way
- Chapter 156: His Last Stand
- Chapter 155: The Mosquito Bite
- Chapter 154: Death Flag
- Chapter 153: The Freshness of Blood
- Chapter 152: Blackmail or Bond?
- Chapter 151: Chains and Expectations
- Chapter 150: Cry Louder
- Chapter 149: The Hidden Vortex
- Chapter 148: The Shelter That Wasn’t
- Chapter 147: Conscience of a Twig
- Chapter 146: The Children of Silvara
- Chapter 145: Headlines of a Thief
- Chapter 144: Words He Shouldn’t Have Heard
- Chapter 143: Cursed Correspondence
- Chapter 142: Dread and Desperation
- Chapter 141: Fury and Relief
- Chapter 140: Rightful Claims
- Chapter 139: Twisted Reasoning
- Chapter 138: Shackles and Secrets
- Chapter 137: Forsaken Sanctuary
- Chapter 136: The Crazed Doll
- Chapter 135: That Idiot
- Chapter 134: Return to the Sanctum
- Chapter 133: The Value of an Hour
- Chapter 132: The Value of Options
- Chapter 131: Far From Home
- Chapter 130: Weight of Apologies
- Chapter 129: A Necessary Strategy
- Chapter 128: The Dragon’s Chest Trap
- Chapter 127: The Price of Silence
- Chapter 126: Plants, Crickets, and Madness
- Chapter 125: Urgency in Any Language
- Chapter 124: Leafy Greens
- Chapter 123: Acting Classes and Assassinations
- Chapter 122: Death Wish or Dinner Service?
- Chapter 121: A Coordinated Attack
- Chapter 120: Rowan’s Reluctance
- Chapter 119: One of Those Days
- Chapter 118: An Acceptable Duration
- Chapter 117: The Stairway to Doom
- Chapter 116: Giving Face, Taking Blows
- Chapter 115: The Elven Welcome
- Chapter 114: Locked In
- Chapter 113: Headlines and Headaches
- Chapter 112: Wrinkly Hypocrisy
- Chapter 111: A Living Fireball
- Chapter 110: The Dragon Lord’s Sleepless Night
- Chapter 109: Fine. Not Fine.
- Chapter 108: Of All the Ways to Die
- Chapter 107: The Reckless Aide
- Chapter 106: Peace of Mind
- Chapter 105: Twigs Snap Too Easily
- Chapter 104: Prepared? Not Really.
- Chapter 103: The Missing Moment
- Chapter 102: Just as Always
- Chapter 101: Kael’s Miscalculation
- Chapter 100: Gold, Gifts, and Glaring Matches
- Chapter 99: A Dragon’s Portion
- Chapter 98: More. More. More.
- Chapter 97: A Dragon’s First Wish
- Chapter 96: Birthday Revelations
- Chapter 95: Cause of Death
- Chapter 94: Epic Tragedy Rehearsal
- Chapter 93: Crumbs, Consoles, and Catastrophe
- Chapter 92: Multiplayer Mayhem
- Chapter 91: Conspirators Under Covers
- Chapter 90: Caught in the Middle
- Chapter 89: The Reluctant Dragon Lord
- Chapter 88: Pebbles, Flames, and Suspicions
- Chapter 87: Closet Confessions
- Chapter 86: The Real Issue
- Chapter 85: The Illusion of Safety
- Chapter 84: The Difference Between Them
- Chapter 83: Secondhand Feelings
- Chapter 82: The Sigil of Blood Warding
- Chapter 81: The Smell of Secrets
- Chapter 80: The Nest, the Artifact, and the Gall
- Chapter 79: The Curious Guardian
- Chapter 78: An Apology Too Many
- Chapter 77: The Forgotten Stunt
- Chapter 76: Of Ghosts, Biscuits, and Dragons
- Chapter 75: Invisible, Not Invincible
- Chapter 74: Chains of the Mad Dragon
- Chapter 73: The Grace You Despised
- Chapter 72: The Dragon Lord’s Tremor
- Chapter 71: The Selection
- Chapter 70: Signals and Shouts
- Chapter 69: Noisy
- Chapter 68: Human High School
- Chapter 67: Power Struggle
- Chapter 66: The Elder’s Trap
- Chapter 65: Path Meant for Him
- Chapter 64: Corridor of Regret
- Chapter 63: Clinging to Survival
- Chapter 62: Liam’s Discovery
- Chapter 61: Under the Table, Over the Moon
- Chapter 60: Orien’s Wisdom
- Chapter 59: News That Broke the Piggy
- Chapter 58: Aisles of Awe and Outrage
- Chapter 57: Solar Chargers and Slander
- Chapter 56: Traffic Clearance
- Chapter 55: Insolence!
- Chapter 54: The Extraction
- Chapter 53: An Alliance
- Chapter 52: Ambition in Red
- Chapter 51: The Scandal
- Chapter 50: The Face-Off
- Chapter 49: Temporary, He Said
- Chapter 48: Marked and Mocked
- Chapter 47: Public Relations and Private Mistakes
- Chapter 46: Lap of Luxury
- Chapter 45: Of All the Words
- Chapter 44: Scenic Route to the Gallows
- Chapter 43: Parking Lot Panic
- Chapter 42: Capitalism
- Chapter 41: Emotional Damage
- Chapter 40: The Breakfast Treaty
- Chapter 39: Power Struggle
- Chapter 38: When Worlds End
- Chapter 37: How to Train a Dragonling
- Chapter 36: Attempt at Reformation
- Chapter 35: Confiscated, Consumed, Confused
- Chapter 34: Unholy Acts of Service
- Chapter 33: The Silent Treatment
- Chapter 32: Dragons and Double Pay
- Chapter 31: The Twig Who Lived
- Chapter 30: How to Tend to a Dragon
- Chapter 29: The Mayflies
- Chapter 28: Congratulations, It’s a Life Sentence
- Chapter 27: The Truth Shall Set You Free
- Chapter 26: In the Presence of Dragons
- Chapter 25: Quiet Start of a Scandal
- Chapter 24: Political Crisis?
- Chapter 23: Something’s Fishy
- Chapter 22: Baby’s Day Out
- Chapter 21: The Gifts
- Chapter 20: Beneath the Staircase
- Chapter 19: Water
- Chapter 18: The Third Toast
- Chapter 17: Riley’s Suitors?
- Chapter 16: The Suitors
- Chapter 15: The Early Birds and the Late Comers
- Chapter 14: The Gala
- Chapter 13: Black Market
- Chapter 12: To be human
- Chapter 11: The Wasteland
- Chapter 10: Field Test
- Chapter 9: The Aftermath
- Chapter 8: Marking
- Chapter 7: Fly on the Wall
- Chapter 6: The Standard Package
- Chapter 5: Damage Control
- Chapter 4: The Bare Minimum
- Chapter 3: Welcome Back
- Chapter 2: The Contract
- Chapter 1: A Good-bye?