"These trinkets are nothing. They don't befit a noble lady like you, Ms. Evie Graham. I've prepared something far better." As he spoke, he pulled out six vials from his storage band—their luxurious packaging alone made it clear they were of great value. "What are these?" Evie asked, curiosity lighting up her eyes. She couldn't read the intricate labels, but the casing alone told her everything she needed to know—only the rarest and most expensive materials could be used for such packaging. If the outside was this valuable, the contents had to be extraordinary. Damian explained with practiced gentleness, "These are high-tier serums extracted from Rank 9 beast cores by NexusPrime Tech. When taken, they can rapidly raise a therian's rank within three days—with no side effects at all. "I heard that since you came to Central Planet, several of your mates have tragically passed away. I was deeply saddened by the news and thought you might find these vials useful." More than ten mates, and within a matter of days, only five still lived. But Evie, busy entertaining new high-tier suitors, hadn't had the time or the inclination to mourn. The remaining mates, however, lived in quiet terror. Their brothers had died one after another under mysterious circumstances, and there was nothing they could do except grow stronger and pray they wouldn't be next. So when Damian mentioned the serums, their fear quickly turned to desire. "These can really raise our rank?" one of Evie's mates asked, unable to hide the hope in his voice. Damian nodded with a smile. "Ms. Evie Graham is under the Empire's direct protection. If I dared to deceive her, I'd be signing my own death warrant." Evie found his reasoning sound enough. A man of his stature wouldn't risk lying to someone of her importance. She took the vials and distributed them among herself and her mates. "I trust you, Mr. Voss," she said, lifting her vial with a self-satisfied smile before uncorking it and downing the contents in one gulp. The serum was exactly what she wanted. If she could boost her rank quickly, she'd have proof for the Empire's elite that her strength was real. The gift couldn't have come at a better time. Her mates, seeing her drink first, followed eagerly. Damian watched as each of them swallowed the serum, one by one, before their bodies went limp and they collapsed before him. His smile vanished, replaced by a cold sneer as he quietly counted the seconds until they would wake. … Five minutes later, Evie stirred. Her vision swam before settling on Damian, who sat calmly across from her. Her mates were also waking, looking just as confused as she felt. "What… what happened to us?" she asked, rubbing her temples. Damian's tone was calm, even pleasant. "Ms. Graham, you and your companions just tested one of our company's newest products—a formula that induces sleep and soothes mental turbulence. You've simply had a brief rest." An agent that calms mental turbulence? Evie frowned, glancing skeptically at her mates. But they nodded in agreement. "Ms. Graham, our mental power does feel steadier now," one of them said. Of course it did. Damian smiled faintly. He had indeed included a mild sedative to ease their mental strain—just enough to make his story believable. "These serums total 100 million star coins," he said lightly. "How would you like to pay?" "You… you're charging me?!" Evie stared at him, dumbfounded."Is there a problem?" Damian's voice was soft but firm. "You've just consumed NexusPrime Tech's latest high-tier product. I've already given you a 50% discount out of respect for your status, Ms. Graham." Evie was speechless. But before she could recover, Damian gestured toward the pile of jewelry and gadgets. "If you'd like any of those as well, I can offer you the same discount." Evie's jaw clenched. … Ten minutes later, she stormed out of the building, her heels clicking furiously against the polished floor as her mates trailed behind. Damian watched her retreating figure with a look of quiet amusement. Then he activated his lightcore and transferred Edric the money. 'Transferred one hundred million star coins.'The auto transaction alert popped up before he followed up with a text. 'Job done. Here's the money I owed you—plus interest.' After sending the message, he took out the last vial—the one meant for himself—and drank it down. Fortunately, Edric hadn't stripped him of all his memories. The serum only erased everything related to the Divine Flame, leaving his memories of Emma untouched. … At that very moment, Edric was dealing with Kael, who refused to leave. To his delight, the man showed himself before Edric could go looking for him—saving him the trouble. "When will I finally get to see Emma?" Kael demanded stubbornly, standing before Edric. "I've been waiting for Damian to contact me, but he's been ignoring me completely."