Serena's bright eyes narrowed slightly.
Douglas continued, "And interestingly enough, the day after you snatched it, I heard the Ghost Alliance shook down the underground auction organizers for half a billion dollars in compensation."
He started laughing, the deep, rich sound filling the tight confines of the car.
"The timeline is too perfect. So, Serena, you're with the Ghost Alliance."
It wasn't a question; it was a statement.
Serena's long eyelashes fluttered, but she didn't confirm or deny it.
"Silence is admission?" Douglas saw her reaction and knew he had his answer. "Tsk, tsk. So young, yet you've infiltrated the most powerful syndicate in the Gray Zone! I thought you grew up in the country? How did you get mixed up with them?"
"Douglas."
Serena glanced at him sideways, her voice turning cold. "Curiosity kills the cat. Push any further, and you're crossing a line."
"Alright, alright, I'll drop it."
Douglas laughed loudly, his voice filled with a thrilled exhilaration. "You've got a lot of secrets, don't you?"
"No rush. Peeling them back slowly is much more entertaining."
The pink supercar pulled back into the hotel driveway.
As soon as Serena stepped out, she felt an intense, burning gaze locked onto her.
She stopped and looked up.
Standing by the hotel's revolving doors was a tall, imposing figure.
The man stood on the boundary of the shadows and the streetlights. His devastatingly handsome face was expressionless, but his dark, mesmerizing eyes swirled like a dangerous vortex, staring intensely at Serena... and at Douglas stepping out of the passenger seat.
The night breeze caught his coat, but it did nothing to disperse the suffocating tension radiating from him.
Two equally exceptional, dominant men locked eyes.
An invisible, explosive friction instantly sparked in the air.
Serena narrowed her eyes slightly. "Nicholas..."
The name barely left her lips before he strode forward on long legs.
He reached out and pulled her firmly into his arms.
The movement was aggressively possessive, clearly marking his territory.
Serena collided with his chest. She looked up and saw his eyes narrowing, dark emotions surging within them.
He glared coldly at Douglas, though his words were meant for Serena: "Where were you?"
"You promised to call me when you woke up. I didn't get a single text all day." Douglas looked at the man holding his niece. She wasn't struggling at all.
Clearly, they were close.
And clearly, this man had completely misunderstood who Douglas was.
Finding the situation hilarious, Douglas decided not to explain himself Instead, he shoved his hands into his pockets and gave lazy provocative smirk. Well look who's playing the strict boyfriend."
Seeing Nicholas's expression darken even further, Douglas's smile grew wider.
He deliberately winked at Serena, his
tone dripping with scandalous
l.ne
intimacy. "You went a little wild
today, Serena You must be
exhausted Get some rest,
"I'll pick you up in the morning, and we can go meet the family."
He dragged out the last few words, injecting them with deliberate ambiguity.
After successfully turning Nicholas's face as black as thunder, Douglas let
out a satisfied laugh waved at Serena, hopped back into the pink supercar, and sped off.
Nicholas's gaze was murderous as he watched the car disappear into the night.