Chapter 82

Amanda Chase jolted awake from his dream, yelling. The sky was just beginning to lighten, and when Chase glanced my way, his eyes lit up with joy as he lunged toward me. "Amanda! You're finally back!"

Of course, he dove right into thin air, crashing hard onto the floor. The impact jolted any lingering sleepiness from him. He rubbed his head, confusion evident on his face. Even though I was standing right there, looking down at him, his eyes reflected only the swirling curtains, not me. For a second, I thought he could see me, which truly spooked me.

Chase chuckled. "Amanda's still abroad. No way she could be standing here."

He checked the time; he'd only managed two hours of sleep all night. With a pounding headache, he rubbed his temples and dialed Mark's number, hoping for updates.

The call went unanswered for a while, deepening Chase's frown. Just before he was about to hang up, the call finally went through.

"Mark, what's happening now?"

"Mr. Reyes, we've hit a major snag. We didn't even reach the park before we ran into local factions clashing, and now… Boom!" A deafening explosion erupted from the other end of the call, leaving only silence in its wake.

"Mark! Are you still there?"

With no response after what felt like forever, Chase's mind was a tangled mess. He immediately ordered a deeper investigation. The findings were grim: chaos had broken out abroad. Shadowmoor, far from unified, was carved up by warring factions. Its strategic location and easy access to the sea had made it a global criminal hotspot.

There wasn't a day of peace; anything profitable was borderline illegal. It was dubbed the "City of Sin," and ruthless bosses traded human lives like commodities. Life was the cheapest currency.

Chase had thought enough cash would make bringing people back easy, but problems arose immediately.

He paced anxiously in his room until Gregory brought news.

"Mr. Reyes, Mark had terrible timing. He arrived just as the factions clashed. The area is sealed off, and we can't reach him. Plus, the conflict's only worsening. If we don't act fast, things might spiral out of control."

"I understand," Chase replied, hanging up. Internally, he was torn between his power and influence and the memories they shared.

So, what was he going to do?

Chase decided to visit the Kennedy family home.

When he arrived, they were in the middle of dinner. I watched my parents handle the dinnerware, unaware of its contents, and it was unsettling.

"Chase is here? Butler, set another place at the table for him."

My parents seemed much better than Chase, who looked worn out. It was the weekend, and both my brothers were there, treating Chase warmly.

"Hey, Chase, you seem down. Haven't found Amanda yet?"

"We've spoiled her since day one. Just hang in there a bit more. There's really nothing to worry about. She's a grown woman; she can't just vanish. Odds are she's hiding somewhere, sulking. She's like a kid, trying to cause a stir to get attention. Ignore her, and she'll calm down."

Snap! Chase slapped the fork he'd just picked up onto the table.