Gordon''s study always had this subtle scent of herbal tea hanging in the air, something about it was just so calming, like a gentle hug for your senses when you walked in. Sophie wasn''t really into attending lectures, but during that time, Gordon was adamant about giving her some training. Afternoons were always the toughest, right when you''re about ready to nod off, but one correction from Gordon and she was instantly wide awake. "The usual thinking is to find a way out when you''re in a tight spot. But when you''re backed into a corner, you''ve got to think outside the box, draw your opponent out, and create a window for escape," he exined one day. "You mean like a diversionary tactic?" she asked, catching on.Têxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As Sophie snapped back to reality, she focused on the situation at hand. The Silent Shadows were after the raw gemstone that Odie had, but Kiran had different ideas in mind. They were trying to exploit Sophie and Colby''s marriage to break Colby down. But what was their real game here?


    Was it about tearing apart the four major families? Nah, that seemed too obvious. Even if they managed to weaken the families, the Aldridge Estate was still out of their reach. The real y was about Colby''s overseas assets and standing. By taking Colby out of the picture abroad, The Silent Shadows could extend their reach significantly.


    Kiran wasn''t really loyal to The Silent Shadows-it was more of a "you scratch my back, I''ll scratch yours" kind of setup. But alliances like that are shaky at best. The Pord family and Costello Corporation had been neck and neck overseas, after all.


    Kiran had his eyes on the Costello family''s influence too. By merging with the overseas branch of Costello Corporation, Kiran could rule the international scene. Once Sophie and Colby''s split was confirmed, and with Colby back in Devonport, Kiran saw an opening. With Colby preupied with local matters, Kiran nned to leverage The Silent Shadows to absorb Costello Corporation entirely.


    But Kiran''s big slip-up was sending Sandy her way. His love for Sandy turned into a ball and chain. Kiran wanted Sandy to spy on Sophie and Colby, but also wanted to grant his sister''s wish to see Sophie. This gave Sophie a chance to strike back. All she needed was to get Kiran distracted with Sandy, and then make her way overseas to rally Colby''s allies and dismantle Kiran''s operation.


    Kiran had burned through his


    ave on


    connections trying to locate Sandy, never guessing that Sophie, who supposedly had a fallout with Colby, could rally the Costello Group. He thought Colby''s absence in Devonport meant inactivity, not realizing Sophie, supposedly on the brink of divorce, would im the overseas territory.


    When Sophiended, the overseas members of the Costello family were there to wee her. She had been busy using the S&C nightclub~~ to dig up a lot of dirt, uncovering officials linked to The Silent Shadows. Cassidy and the crew had done their part, securing eighty percent of the intelligence abroad. Now, it was time to flush out the hidden members of The Silent Shadows.


    ""Ma''am, everyone''s in ce," a voice said.


    "Did we tip them off?" she asked.


    "Nope. Everyone stuck to the n, observing quietly. No one moved without your go-ahead."


    "Great." Sophie casually removed her sunsses, hooking them onto her shirt. "Alright, let''s round them up." "Got it." A bodyguard quickly passed on the orders at the airport.


    By evening, the Costello Group''s


    ???


    overseas operations were in full swing. Inside the S&C nightclub, Cassidy, looking sharp in a white suit, stepped out of a private room, signaled his team, and they began sweeping through the nightclub, rounding up all the targets they had scoped out.