?Chapter 984:


    Three men circling around one woman—now that was a rare spectacle worth watching.


    He had every intention of staying to witness the fireworks. At least, that had been his n until his phone rang, snapping him out of his entertainment. Jayden’s voice came through, tense and clipped. “There is an emergency at theb. You need toe now.”


    The easy grin vanished from Jules’ face, reced by sharp focus. “Understood.”


    He ended the call, spun on his heel, and headed straight for his car without a moment’s hesitation.


    Meanwhile, across the street, Nate’s phone buzzed. Without breaking stride, he retrieved it and answered. Moses’ voice filled the line. “Nate, Research Institute 101 just released some new data. I’ll forward it to you now.”


    “Send it,” Nate replied, his tone calm, unaffected.


    There was a pause—just long enough for Nate to sense hesitation on the other end.


    Moses finally spoke again, his voice quieter this time. “Nate… are you really nning to take her to the Independent Continent?”


    Nate’s expression remained unreadable, his gaze fixed straight ahead as he walked. “Yes.”


    Moses drew a slow breath, clearly choosing his next words carefully. “I think you should reconsider this,” he said. “You know what it means to bring someone there. You of all people understand that better than anyone.” He paused, then pressed on. “Think about it. How long have you even known her? Can she really handle what life is like there? Does she have the skills to survive?”


    Nate’s reputation stretched far and wide. Even the Elder Council—the very entity that governed the Independent Continent—feared him.


    They avoided direct confrontation, preferring to operate from the shadows, but Nate was never truly out of their sights. For years, they had tested his boundaries, probing for weaknesses, always searching for something they could use to control him.


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    Corrine was a ring vulnerability. If Nate brought her into his world, there would be no turning back. The Elder Council would see her not just as Nate’s lover, but as a tool—a pawn they could use to manipte the man they could never quite control. And the assassins woulde for Corrine relentlessly.


    Even with Corrine’s remarkable abilities and impressive background, none of it held any weight in the eyes of the Elder Council or the Hopkins family.


    Inside the elevator, Nate leaned slightly against the ss panel, his gaze drifting toward the distant sun sinking below the horizon. His voice was low, almost a murmur, but resolute. “She has me.” His tone was calm, steady—a sea without ripples. No emotion broke the surface.


    Yet Moses, on the other end of the line, caught the subtle undertone beneath that unshakable calm. It was the rare blend of confidence and pride that belonged only to Nate.


    Moses felt his chest tighten, his pulse stutter for just a moment.


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