Morning light washed over Star Harbor, soft and golden, as Miles drove out from Pearl Villa. The city was just waking up. Shops were opening their shutters, the sea breeze carried the smell of salt and fresh bread, and the roads were unusually calm.

Miles had barely crossed a block when he pressed the accelerator a little.

Suddenly, a white blur shot across the road.

A cat.

And right behind it, a girl.

Miles slammed the brakes.

The tires screeched, his heart jumped into his throat, and the car stopped just inches away. For a split second, the world felt frozen.

Miles was out of the car before the engine had even settled.

The girl was crouched on the asphalt, curled protectively around the cat, her eyes tightly shut, arms wrapped around the trembling little body. The cat let out a faint sound and went still.

Miles sucked in a sharp breath.

He stepped closer, his voice controlled but urgent.

“Are you alright?”

The girl slowly opened her eyes. They were wide, clear, and full of shock, but there was no panic in them. Just pure relief that she was still breathing.

“I thought I was done for,” she said softly.

Miles exhaled, tension leaving his shoulders. “I am really sorry for scaring you.”

He extended his hand toward her.

She looked at his hand for a moment, then up at his face. She looked about his age, maybe a little younger. Her hair fell loosely over her shoulders, dark and slightly messy from the sudden movement. Her features were gentle but striking, with expressive eyes that carried a quiet intelligence. There was something calm about her presence, even after such a close call.

She took his hand.

Miles helped her up carefully.

“Thank you,” she said. “I am sorry I stepped onto the road like that.”

“It is okay,” Miles replied. “You were just trying to save the cat.”

She glanced down at the cat, now peeking out from her arms. “You do not look like someone who would hurt a cat anyway.”

Miles smiled without thinking. “I never have.”

He noticed her accent then. Familiar, yet slightly different.

“I have not seen you around here before,” he said. “Are you new to the neighborhood?”

“Yes,” she answered. “I shifted here yesterday. From Citadel.”

Miles raised an eyebrow. “It is rare for people to leave Citadel and come to Star Harbor.”

She smiled faintly. “Is it? I find this city peaceful. Though I am here for work.”

“Work?” Miles asked.

She straightened slightly, a hint of pride in her voice. “My name is Olivia Pierce. I joined St. Patrick’s University as an assistant professor.”

Miles blinked, then chuckled softly. “I am Miles. I am an alumni. Nice to meet you, professor.”

Olivia laughed lightly. “You do not have to call me professor, Miles.”

“I was just kidding,” he said. Then he nodded toward the cat. “What is her name?”

Olivia looked down affectionately. “She is Noodle. Noodle, say hello to Mr. Miles.”

The cat let out a small meow.

Miles smiled wider. “She seems to understand you.”

“She does,” Olivia replied warmly.

“That is cute,” Miles said.

His phone buzzed in his pocket.

Miles glanced at the screen and sighed softly. “I should go. I live nearby at Pearl Villa. If you need any help, remember me.”

Olivia nodded. “Thank you.”

Miles got back into his car and drove off, the image of her smile lingering longer than he expected.

A second later, he tapped the dashboard. “What is it?”

Monica’s voice came through the speaker. “Son of Basil Jefferson.”

Miles’ expression shifted instantly. “What about him?”

“He just landed in Silverline City this morning.”

Miles smirked. “So Basil panicked.”

“Seems like it,” Monica said. “He called back his entire family. Looks like they are staying there for a long time.”

Miles exhaled slowly. “That is not too concerning. Monitoring all of Silverline will be difficult. Keep eyes on travel routes out of the city. Airport, buses.”

“We already have eyes there,” Monica replied.

“Good,” Miles said. “One more thing. We still own St. Patrick’s, right?”

“Yes,” Monica answered. “We handle the management of the college and the school you opened. Why do you ask?”

“Nothing,” Miles said calmly. “Just asking.”

There was a brief pause. “Alright. Also, I still cannot find anyone named Nora.”

Miles smiled faintly. “I figured. Leave it. I am destined to find out anyway.”

“I will keep trying,” Monica said.

“Take care,” Miles replied.

“You too, boss.”

The call ended.

Miles drove on, the city unfolding ahead of him.

Silverline City, Basil’s House,

Silverline City rested under a quiet morning sky, the kind that made everything feel temporarily safe.

In Basil’s house, laughter drifted softly from the garden.

A little girl was running in circles, her dress fluttering like a small flag in the wind, while her younger brother chased her with clumsy steps, determined and breathless. Their mother sat nearby on a wooden bench, smiling, occasionally calling out gentle warnings not to run too fast, not to fall.

Basil stood by the window, his hand resting against the glass.

He watched them without blinking.

The sound of their laughter felt distant, almost unreal, as if it belonged to another world entirely. One he had once believed he could never return to.

Behind him, his son Adam sat silently on a chair. His shoulders were stiff, his gaze fixed on the floor, hands clasped together as if holding himself in place.

After a long silence, Adam finally spoke.

“The moment I saw his happy family,” he said quietly, “I came back to reality. Whatever I was thinking before… it was wrong.”

Basil did not turn around.

“I did not want to hurt anybody,” Adam continued. “I did not want to make his family sad.”

His voice trembled slightly, but he went on.

“He sailed through hell and came back. He found his family after seventeen years. Seeing that… it made me more sad. I started asking myself what I was really doing.”

Adam lifted his head.

“I told him the truth. About the past. About everything. He understood me.”

Basil closed his eyes for a moment.

“So,” Basil said softly, “he knows about us.”

Adam nodded. “He knows about the incident. He knows about the treasure hunters. He wants to know about his grandfather.”

Basil exhaled slowly, the weight in his chest growing heavier.

“Son,” he said, turning around at last, “you could have told me what you were dealing with. I thought you were all right. I thought you had moved on.”

He stepped closer.

“If you still hate me, I am sorry,” Basil said, his voice breaking. “I could not save your mother back then. I regret it. Every single day.”

His eyes flicked back to the garden, where the children were now sitting on the grass, arguing over something small and meaningless.

“I do not want to lose you as well,” Basil said. “So please… never do something like that again.”

Adam swallowed hard. “I heard you were in a meeting in London. Did you join them again?”

Basil shook his head immediately. “Of course not. I have a responsibility to protect you all. If I do not go to those meetings, they will doubt me. They still do not know about Flinch’s death. I cannot let suspicion fall on us.”

He paused, then added firmly, “Believe me. I have nothing to do with them anymore. And I will stop them from getting to Miles.”

Adam nodded slowly. “I understand, Dad. I am sorry for the trouble I caused you.”

Basil’s expression softened. “You should stay here for some time. Let me take a good look at my grandchildren.”

Adam managed a small smile. “Hmm.”

Just then, footsteps echoed from the hallway.

A man entered the room and bowed slightly. “Master. Former General Wraithbourne is here to see you.”

Basil’s face stiffened instantly.

“Who?” he asked, disbelief sharp in his voice.

The air in the room seemed to tighten.

Cinder Square, Sterling Enterprises.

June sat beside Miles’s desk, her eyes on the screen, her expression sharp with curiosity.

“You should look at this,” she said. “This came on your work mail.”

Miles did not even look up at first. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

“Let me guess,” he said calmly. “It is from Elias Flinch.”

June blinked once, then nodded. “Yes.”

Miles finally stood and walked over to June’s desk. She slid her chair back to give him space, and he took the empty chair beside her, leaning in slightly as the mail glowed on the screen.

He read it in silence.

Then he smirked.

“Boss?” June asked, watching his face carefully.

“They agreed,” Miles said. “Looks like it is going according to our plan.”

June frowned. “How did they agree so easily?”

“They did not,” Miles replied. “They just think they can end me after they get what they need.”

June’s lips curved into a knowing smile. “Well, they think wrong.”

Miles glanced at her. “You get it now.”

June tilted her head. “Then how will you get the real key? The key our jeweller designed is not going to work, is it?”

Miles leaned back slightly. “There is no key.”

June let out a slow breath. “But they are after the key, right?”

“It took me a lot of time to understand how it is all connected,” Miles said quietly.

June rubbed her temples. “You are puzzling me now.”

“Honestly,” Miles replied, “it is a puzzle for me too.”

June stared at the screen for a moment, then sighed. “Do you need some coffee, boss? Because I really need some desperately.”

Miles chuckled. “Sure.”

The rest of the day slipped by without resistance, meetings blending into paperwork, silence broken only by the low hum of the city outside.

By evening, Miles was driving back toward Pearl Villa.

As his car passed a familiar house, his eyes shifted briefly to the side. Olivia’s place.

He slowed slightly, his thoughts drifting.

How rich is she, really, to afford a house in this locality and still work as an assistant professor? It felt odd. Not suspicious. Just… curious. He wondered if that life was something she truly wanted, or something she had chosen for reasons deeper than comfort.

The villa gates opened smoothly as he approached.

Miles parked the car and stepped inside.

“Where are my soldiers?” he called out casually.

“I am here, big bro,” Asher replied from the dining table, his head bent over his homework.

Miles smiled. “Where is your comrade?”

Asher pointed vaguely with his pencil. “She is talking to a guest.”

“Guest?” Miles repeated, his brows lifting slightly.

He turned toward the living area.

Elena, Daniel, and Hope were sitting together, engaged in warm conversation with someone familiar.

It was Olivia.

Elena noticed Miles immediately. “Son, meet…”

“Olivia,” Miles said before she could finish.

Elena paused, surprised. “You know her?”

The air shifted subtly, curiosity hanging between them, as Miles met Olivia’s eyes again.

The moment lingered.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep