Harold instinctively reached for the curtain to see what was going on outside, but Olivia yanked him back, waving her arms frantically. They had no idea what was happening out there. If he pulled the curtains now, wouldn't they just become easy targets? Ghania clutched her chest, her heart hammering, while Nadia wrapped her arms tightly around Dominic, shielding him. Natalie and Cassian raised their rifles, and everyone's eyes stayed fixed on the front door, tense and silent. Time dragged on with no other sounds. The ringing in their ears slowly faded, but nobody dared to move. That noise had definitely been a bomb. They didn't know the details, but there was clearly someone dangerous outside. Natalie turned to Olivia. "That thing you mentioned on the radio earlier ... " Olivia rushed to explain. "No! That was just a lie to lure you here. Before that, there was nothing suspicious, no strange activity at all." Natalie gave a small nod. She'd suspected it the moment the proposal setup appeared—that everyone had planned the trick to surprise her. She just hadn't expected it to become real. An actual intruder had shown up, and worse, they threw a bomb. Suddenly, Nadia darted to Natalie's side, her hands shaking as she gripped her shoulders. "Roderick! Roderick's still out there!" Natalie and Cassian exchanged a frown. At the Mervyn Villa. The security chief had been on his usual patrol when he suddenly felt the urge to pee. Leaving the group, he slipped to a secluded corner of the property.As he adjusted his pants, a shadowy figure caught his eye, moving suspiciously through the fog. Quickly fastening his belt, he gripped his sidearm and crept closer, silent as a cat. But just as he was about to see what the man was doing, a deafening explosion ripped through the distance. He flinched, snapping his head toward the sound. Through the thick haze, all he could see was white. From the noise, someone's place had just blown up. The figure nearby stiffened. "Damn it! That bastard, Mark, set off the bomb without me? What's he thinking, setting it off early? If he draws them out before I'm ready, I'll kill him!" He muttered, patting his pockets frantically. "Shit, where's my lighter?" The security chief kept creeping closer, narrowing his eyes until he spotted what the man was holding—a tightly bound bundle of explosives. Every muscle tensed. With a swift kick, he sent the man sprawling. The stranger yelped in pain, dropping the bomb a few feet away. He scrambled for it, but froze when something cold pressed hard against the back of his skull. "Don't move, or you're dead." The man's stomach dropped. This was it. I've been warned—Ms. Eland told me the people in the villa were armed. Without thinking, he raised his hands. "Bro! Easy! Don't shoot—I mean no harm! None at all!" The security chief pressed the gun harder against his head as he bent to grab the explosives. "Stay still. Don't even twitch." He hoisted the bundle in one hand and jabbed the gun against the man's temple. "You show up with dynamite and want me to believe you're harmless?" The man's face turned pale. "N-no, it's not like that ... " The fog swirled thickly around them. The security chief scowled. "Save it. You'll explain to Mr. Mervyn. Get up!" With a gun pressed to his head, the intruder didn't resist. Shaking, he got to his feet and let himself be marched into the Mervyn compound. Other guards, seeing their security chief return with a prisoner, froze and looked at him. The security chief pushed the man forward, speaking in a sharp, clipped tone. "Keep patrolling. Stay alert. We've got terrorists on the Hillside Villa District." The guards had all heard the explosion, and the warning tightened every nerve. They snapped in unison. "Yes, sir!" Inside Mervyn Villa. Dave had been in the study, playing chess with Theodore, when the blast hit. He jumped up immediately. "Where did that come from?" Theodore ran to the window, eyes sparkling. "Is there a fight?!" "Damn this fog. I can't see a thing!" Dave's brow furrowed. "Wipe that grin off your face! You think this is funny?!" Theodore barely seemed to hear him, leaning lazily on the sill, muttering, "Whose place got hit? Maybe I should send Rae Rae to watch." Dave's temper flared. "Don't you dare! Didn't I tell you to stop all that nonsense? Shut down those ridiculous training sessions! And send that maid back to your mother right now!" Theodore just smirked, completely unfazed."Dad, you said the same thing when I pitched every new project—but tell me, which one of mine ever failed?" He curled his lip. "You fought me hardest on the biotech experiments too. If I hadn't pushed back, would you ever have made any profit—" Dave cut him off sharply. "That's not the same thing!"