"Hopefully this doesn't take longer than it should," Nelson muttered darkly. "I want Ren Blackdragon dead… and I want an excuse to kill my little half‑sister as well. I know she's a treacherous bitch."
Venasa watched him in silence, her expression perfectly composed.
Inside, her thoughts moved carefully, deliberately.
She had no interest in Nelson's anger or his impulsiveness. What mattered was position.
She was already planning how to place herself closer to Ren than anyone else—how to become indispensable, trusted, unquestioned. The one whose presence felt natural. Necessary.
Alexia would serve her purpose well.
Let her draw attention.Let Nelson fixate on her.
While they clashed and schemed, Venasa would move quietly ahead, laying her path piece by piece.
And by the time they realised what she had done, she would already be standing exactly where she wanted to be—
closest to Ren Blackdragon.
Then she would strike—kill him for Unity—and be rewarded for it.
I opened my eyes and looked at Mariko. She was already smiling, a knowing grin on her lips, as if she were weaving schemes of her own.
I sat in the vehicle as Nara drove, my eyes occasionally flicking to the news playing on the screen. The reporter spoke, their words filling the quiet hum of the engine.
I closed my eyes. As I spied on Alexia Warfare again, she was surrounded by other members of Unity—each one a leader in their own right. Venasa and Nelson were there as well, of course.
"So, we have traitors among our ranks," a woman's voice said, cold and calculating. "How dare they betray us after everything we've endured? Why would they turn against us? Have we not given them enough?"
Her eyes shifted to her two children—Nelson Ironside and Alexia Warfare—products of two failed marriages. "What matters," she continued, "is that we find out who it is… and quickly, efficiently."
She spoke again, her gaze sweeping over Nelson and Alexia, then lingering on Nelson's fiancée, Venasa.
"How are you three?" she asked, her tone deceptively casual. "How is it going… working with Ren Blackdragon, one of the Eternal Princes of the Eternal Empire?"
Nelson spoke first.
"Everything is going fine, Mother," he said calmly. "Ren Blackdragon suspects nothing… not yet. And even if he does, we'll kill him for Unity."
His expression hardened.
"After all, the Eternal Ten royal families took everything from us. Our titles. Our lands."
Venasa spoke next.
"Mother‑in‑law," she said smoothly. "Ren Blackdragon is a very intelligent man. It will take time before he fully trusts us."
Her gaze remained steady.
"But we are gaining from him. All three of us are. Even Unity benefits."
She paused, letting the words settle.
"Partnership. Influence. Stability. Our companies are performing well — efficiently, precisely as planned."
A faint, cold smile touched her lips.
"We'll make sure we take everything from him… before we kill him. For now, we're fine."
Alexia spoke next, her voice sharp and impatient.
"That's all well and good, but what about the traitor among us? I suspect there's more than one," she said, her eyes flashing. "After all, it was my group I led that was attacked. Not all of them were killed — thank God — but quite a few. I can't just stand here and do nothing about this."
She turned toward her mother and the other leaders.
"I'm leaving. This meeting is pointless."
Before she could move, her mother's voice cut through, cold and cutting.
"Daughter, you are not going anywhere. You are one of the leaders of Unity. Act like it. Figure out how you will make amends to the families who lost their Family members because of your incompetence."
"What do you think I'm about to do, Mother?" Alexia snapped. "I'm going to tell their families what happened. I'll promise them revenge — no matter what it takes. That is my word to them. Good day, Mother."
She turned to leave.
"I said sit down," her mother cut in coldly. "Those families aren't going anywhere right now. I need my daughter here. I need every leader here so we can discuss this properly. Do you understand me?"
Alexia didn't reply.
She stiffened… then slowly sat back down.
"It was the Blackdragon Legion that attacked you, was it not?" her mother asked coldly, her gaze fixed on Alexia.
There was suspicion in her eyes — sharp, probing. Almost as if she already knew the answer. Her intuition was rarely wrong. In truth, Alexia was the main traitor.
And her mother sensed it.
Not that she showed favour or doubt openly. She was like this with everyone in the room — cold, calculating, efficient. Every word measured. Every glance weighing guilt and loyalty alike.
"Yes, it was, Mother," Alexia replied. "Just as I said before — as everyone on my team confirmed. It was them who attacked us last night. They were too fast, too strong. None of us have undergone the Eternal Super Soldier programme like they have."
She hesitated for only a fraction of a second before continuing.
"Some of us survived only because they chose not to kill us. The general of the legion was there as well — Phawta Noknoi herself. She was the one who defeated me."
A pause.
"An unfortunate coincidence."
Every word was a lie.
Yet as she spoke, she felt her mother's gaze on her — cold, piercing, all-knowing. It had always been that way. Growing up under her mother's watchful eyes, Alexia had learned that nothing escaped her attention… even when she chose not to act on it.
Of course, luck was on her side — for now. Alexia's mother looked away, though her voice remained cold as she spoke.
"Tell me then," she said. "Have you enhanced the Eternal Super Soldier programme for Ren Blackdragon? How is it faring? Perhaps if you had gone through the programme, you would not have failed so spectacularly, daughter."
Alexia clenched her jaw before answering.
"It's progressing," she said carefully. "It isn't perfected yet, but the results are promising. I intend to undergo it myself first — before anyone else."
Her mother turned back to her slowly.
"Really?" she said.
The single word carried doubt, scrutiny… and quiet threat.
"Yes, Mother. Ren offered me that opportunity himself. It was part of one of our agreements when we were alone."
"You seem very close to him, daughter," her mother said coolly. "At least, that's what your brother tells me."
Nelson spoke, his voice sharp.
"If anyone here is close to Ren Blackdragon, it's you, sister. That makes you the traitor."
Their mother responded immediately, her tone cold and controlled.
"Do not point fingers, son. It does us no good. You have no proof."
Her gaze moved slowly around the room, lingering on each of them.
"But when we do find the traitor, they will be killed without a second glance."
Alexia spoke, her voice edged with disdain.
"You could be the traitor as well, big brother. After all, every time I see you with him, you're practically bowing — calling him by his full title. 'The Eternal Imperial Highness.'"
Her eyes narrowed.
"At least Venasa and I call him by his name. She did it without hesitation. I asked permission — and even then, you still insist on using his title, even though he's told you to call him Ren."
She leaned forward slightly, her voice cold.
"So tell me… who looks more like the traitor? You — or me?"
Disgust flickered across her face as she stared at him.
Before Nelson could respond, their mother cut in sharply.
"That's enough. Both of you."
Her tone left no room for argument.
"Do not embarrass me. Not here."
The mother turned her gaze to Venasa.
The mother turned her gaze to Venasa.
"You've been rather quiet, daughter-in-law," she said coolly. "What is it you're thinking so deeply about?"
Venasa smiled faintly.
"Nothing of great importance," she replied.
The mother studied her for a moment, then gave a slow nod.
But before Venasa could speak again, she continued.
"Tell me, then… do you believe he would be easy to seduce?"
Venasa answered without hesitation.
"From what I've seen of him, no. Ren Blackdragon is not a simple man. But that does not mean it would be impossible, Mother-in-law."
Nelson watched the exchange in silence, his eyes shifting between the two women. The usual sharpness in his expression had faded.
Finally, he spoke.
"Mother… you're not implying that my fiancée should sleep with him, are you?"
The woman did not respond immediately.
"No," she said calmly at last. "I am not ordering anything."
Her gaze moved briefly across the room before settling again.
"Venasa is her own woman. If she — or anyone — were to choose such a path of their own will, that would be their decision. I am merely asking whether Ren Blackdragon is the sort of man who could be seduced at all."
She paused.
"That is all."
"Also… you would break off the engagement if she ever did such a thing."
The room fell into an awkward silence.
Nelson and Alexia both felt the weight of the statement. Their mother was blunt — perhaps too much so.
Venasa reached out and held Nelson's hand, a quiet gesture of comfort. She only spoke because she had been asked, and even if the implication had been that she should sleep with Ren, she would never do that to Nelson.
Despite their occasional competition and the personal ambitions each harboured, there was still a sense of teamwork between them. Venasa had her own goals, and part of her plan involved getting closer to Ren first — and ultimately killing him — but she would not betray Nelson in the process.
The mother spoke, her voice calm but sharp.
"Forget about this, anyhow. You're my son — smart, not foolish like others can be. I know you'll make me proud and the right choices in life."
She paused briefly, then shifted her gaze.
"What about the other Eternal Nine families? Has anyone managed to get closer to them, or is it only the Blackdragon family?"
The room fell silent. Every leader remained quiet.
Then Alexia spoke.
"Venasa chose Ren Blackdragon because he is a direct descendant of the Blackdragon Emperor — the most feared ruler in the history of the Eternal Empire. However, I believe others have managed to grow close to members of the other families as well."
She paused, her gaze steady.
"But our focus should remain on him. If Ren is killed — if his family is destroyed — then the will of the other Eternal Royal families will collapse with him. His ancestor was the one who unified them all back in the year 2020. Without the Blackdragon line, the others will lose their centre of gravity."
The mother spoke, her voice calm but firm.
"Agreed, daughter."
At that moment, a tall man entered the room, followed by another woman. All eyes turned toward them as they made their way to their seats.
"You two took your time," the mother said sharply. "You've already missed quite a bit of what we've been discussing. Honestly, not all the leaders are even here yet."
The man gave a slight nod. "We all have our own business to attend to. I just finished mine."
The other woman spoke beside him, her voice sharp.
"Cornelia, still as authoritative as ever. We are all leaders here, are we not?"
"Of course, Guinevere," the mother replied evenly. "It is not my fault if others remain silent and dislike that I take a more authoritative role than them. That is their issue, not mine. But… I do apologise if it offends anyone."
Guinevere chuckled lightly.
"Thank you for the apology, Cornelia. It's much appreciated."
She turned her gaze to the man beside her. "Jaime."
"Even if not all the leaders are present, they can catch up — someone will fill them in on what's been discussed here, Cornelia. So… is someone going to tell us what's been discussed?"
Jaime smiled faintly.
The leaders in the room had gone over what had happened and filled in the gaps of what they had missed.
Jaime spoke, his voice calm but measured.
"I understand now. That is what happened. I'm sorry for what happened to your team, Alexia Warfare — truly unfortunate."
He paused briefly, then continued, his tone shifting to a more practical note.
"No matter. You are helping Ren Blackdragon develop a more advanced Eternal Super Soldier program. When you undergo it, your team will also be able to participate, since you know the formula. And that includes all of us here as well."
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