Night had settled over Solana City International Airport.
The Beckett Group's private jet touched down and taxied to a stop on the tarmac. The cabin door swung open, and the airstairs unfolded.
Jasper stood at the top of the stairs, tall and imposing. A biting night wind swept past, catching the hair at his brow and whipping his black tie wildly.
He descended step by step, with Xavier trailing close behind.
Xavier let out an irritated sigh. "Damn that Kings' Club. Even with endless money, you can't just walk through their doors-they vet you like you're applying for top- secret security clearance. And even after all that, they still won't give a straight answer. The wait is agonizing!"
After all, there was only one way to break through the darkness—to immerse oneself in it completely.
Alyssa had voiced those exact words over and over, long ago. And she had acted on them too.
That was why she had chosen to bury her deepest, most passionate love, enduring a bone-deep, agonizing hatred just to walk side by side with a devil like Justin.
Yet Jasper could never bear to let her face that darkness alone. She had thrown herself into the abyss without a second thought for the sake of the people she loved. He would follow in her footsteps just as unhesitatingly.
So he had traveled all the way to Mosgravia, pulling every string he had to secure a membership in the mysterious Kings' Club.
He knew that place was Justin's true lair. It was Justin's backing, his foundation, and the ultimate source of his confidence to wreak havoc in Solana City.
After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Jasper lifted his head, his dark eyes gazing up at the endless night sky. "The Kings' Club has not taken in new members in a long time. They're due for fresh blood. I don't think there'll be an issue."
The two men stepped off the stairs onto the tarmac, where an idling Rolls-Royce was waiting for them.
Jasper had now reached the
pinnacle of power at Beckett Group. As the corporation's chairman and sole heir to both Newton's and Javier's fortunes, he was a multibillionaire tycoon.
He recalled how he used to mock himself for riding Alyssa's coattails back when they were together. Now, he felt he could finally meet her the top and be worthy of stap beside her.
His driver held the car door open respectfully as a line of bodyguards gave him a firm, synchronized nod.
Just as Jasper was about to step inside, a black sedan came tearing toward them, screeching to a halt with a sharp, precise drift.
Jasper squinted. The bodyguards instantly went on high alert, several reaching back toward the holsters at their hips.
The sedan door flew open, and Dexter scrambled out, dashing toward Jasper.
"Stand down. He's a friend," Jasper said calmly.
His gaze softened, and with a wave of his hand, the bodyguards dropped their guard.
"J-Jasper!" Dexter panted, drenched in sweat and barely able to catch his breath.
"Dex, what are you still doing in Solana City?"
Confusion flickered across Jasper's eyes as he took in Dexter's frantic state. "Isn't Jonah leaving for Kontina tonight? Weren't you supposed to escort him out of the city? Why"
"Jasper, I've got insane news!"
Dexter wiped the sweat from his brow, looking at him with an intensely complicated expression. "You might not be able to handle this. But you have to—you have to brace yourself."
That dramatic buildup sent Xavier's curiosity straight through the roof.