They were stepping into a dream when the gemstone was real. Kiran woke up earlier than the others, and after snagging the gemstone, he must''ve found a moment to stash it away or handed it off to someone else. It was all nned out. "If that''s the case, then Ms. Sophie and the others are in real trouble," Rick realized, piecing together that one of them must be part of The Silent Shadows. With them hoarding all these rare gems, there was definitely some shady business going on. "Let me think... really think about this," Gordon said, his hand instinctively pressing against his forehead. Noticing Gordon''s difort, Rick jumped in, "Is it your head again? William said you shouldn''t be stressing yourself out now! I''ll grab your medicine." "Come back!" Gordon frowned, "I''m not taking the meds right now."


    "But you have to! The doctor said you''re overthinking things, and now that you''re abroad, away from all that chaos, and with Mr. Colby looking out for Ms. Sophie, you can finally rx!" That was Gordon''s n too. With him gone, Colby could handle Devonport, and Sophie could stand on her own. The Aldridge family backing Sophie meant she should be safe.


    But The Silent Shadows were more of a handful than he''d thought, their influence was like a tangled web. One wrong move could unravel everything they''d worked for.


    "Just leave me be, I''ll rest soon," Gordon said. Rick hesitated, "Sir, the doctor warned if you keep this up, there might be no turning back."


    "Go!" Gordon''s tone sharpened, and his eyes shed with the pain of his headache. Knowing Gordon''s temper, Rick knew better than to argue. So, he left.


    Gordon, rubbing his temples, knewConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    that if things yed out like he expected, the road ahead would be even tougher. He wanted to hang in there a bit longer, but time was


    slipping away.


    en


    In his past life, he faced death with calm, but now, he found himself pleading for just a little more time. A year, even six months, would be enough.


    The Silent Shadows were way beyond what Sophie and Colby could handle. The dangers were far greater than he''d imagined.


    Suddenly, something clicked in


    Gordon''s mind. He jumped up,


    forgetting his cane, and stumbled to


    the door. Rick, waiting outside, saw Gordon clutching his head and


    rushed over, "Sir! Where are you off to?


    "The dinner... Sophie needs toe back! She can''t go!" "But... our folks..." Rick was puzzled by Gordon''s urgency.


    Then, Gordon copsed, losing consciousness. Rick shouted, "Doctor! We need a doctor here!"


    Meanwhile, in a castle abroad,


    Sophie slipped into a white gown and a masquerade mask. Before leaving, she knew there was only one ticket. Among the three of them, only one could go in. If it wasn''t Reece, then it had to be Colby. If Sophie wanted to get inside, she''d have to y dirty, find a random guest, knock them out, and take their ce.