Chapter 34

Brenda carried the bloodline of Zach White.

From Eighvale, Zach had waged war against the Onyx Syndicate for years, striking both in the open and from the shadows.

He'd even been the first to formally petition the government to erase the syndicate entirely.

When the biggest blows against them landed, his hand had always been in it.

No wonder the name Brenda rang a bell-she was Zach's one and only treasured daughnter.

Eliana's gaze sharpened, a predator's glint in her eyes."In that case,it's time to settle both old scores and new ones."

Carl blinked, startled. "Old and new? What are you talking about?"

Realizing she'd said too much, Eliana muttered,"Nothing important."

Carl's brow furrowed. "Lia, whatever's running through your head, don't go charging in. Our family isn't what it used to be. The Whites could crush us with a single move. We wait until Dad's out before doing anything,understood?"

"Relax," Eliana replied with a faint smile. "I know where the line is. I'm not about to lose my head over this."

Carl finally let out a long breath. "Right now, nothing matters more to this family than keeping you safe. As long as you're fine, we can all breathe easier. Just promise me you won't let anything like that mess with the Clarke family happen again. You were lucky to cure Miguel, but if something had gone wrong,you could have..."

Eliana's lips curved into a gentle smile. "I understand,Carl. Don't worry."

She knew his concern for her was genuine and she appreciated it.

But the feud with the White family went far beyond Damon. It was a matter that touched the Onyx Syndicate as well. That grudge had been written in her mind long before this, and now there was simply another tally added to the list.

There was no reason for Carl to hear any of this. For people like him, knowledge wasn't protection-it was a liability.

Footsteps sounded from the staircase, drawing Eliana's attention.

Sawyer appeared, dressed in clean clothes that gave him the look of an effortlessly charming young gentleman.

The dark smudges beneath his eyes betrayed the exhaustion he couldn't hide. Still, his gaze lit up the moment it landed on her. "Lia, I'm Sawyer. When you were little, you'd always sneak off with me to the supermarket for candy..."

While he spoke, he pulled out something from behind his back as if by magic-a candy curved into two tiny rabbits locked in a tug-of-war over a carrot. The detail was so vivid it almost looked alive.

"Lia,you loved rabbits when you were little. This is for you," he said, his eyes bright with quiet anticipation.

Eliana wasn't that child anymore, and sweets had long since lost their charm for her. Still, she valued his thoughts.

Earlier, Damon's excitement had nearly sent him tumbling from his wheelchair. Now, it was clear Sawyer's care for her ran just as deep.

That thought warmed her enough to accept the gift with a smile. "Thank you, Sawyer."

"Go on, taste it," he said gently.

Eliana gave a small nod, studying the delicate design in her hands, unsure where to even begin without ruining the artistry.

Carl caught her hesitation and let out a chuckle. "Lia,don't hold back. Sawyer learned how to make this just for you. Anytime you want one, he'll do it. If you don't believe me, check his room-it's practically overflowing with tools."

That revelation stopped Eliana cold. She'd assumed Sawyer had simply picked up the skill by chance,never imagining he'd learned it with her in mind.

"I was awful at it before, and you never liked what l made," Sawyer admitted, his smile warm and unhurried."But I've gotten better. I just hope it's good enough now."

Her chest tightened as her lips curved upward. There was even a faint shimmer in her eyes when she murmured, "Thank you, Sawyer."

"My pleasure," he replied earnestly. "From now on,I'll make one for you every single day."

"Alright..." she responded softly, nodding before taking a bite. The sugar melted on her tongue. Sweet enough to seep past her guard and into her heart.

"How's Dad doing?" Carl finally asked.

Eliana's gaze shifted toward Sawyer as well.

Sawyer let out a weary breath. "It's a mess. Damon and I tried everything, but we couldn't even get close to him. They kept us in for questioning the whole day..We'll have to come up with another approach."

Carl hesitated before saying, "Tell me honestly,Sawyer-did Dad really do something wrong?"

A deep crease formed between Sawyer's brows.course not. I know him. He would never."

"I believe that too," Carl admitted, "but if nothing happened,why won't they let us see him?"

"He's being framed," Sawyer said without a flicker of doubt.

Carl fell quiet. He'd always been wrapped up in his art,never bothering with business or politics.

Moments like this only reminded him how useless that made him now.

His hands tangled in his hair. "I'm no help to anyone...completely useless." "Don't say that," Sawyer replied, his tone softening as he turned to Eliana. "Finding Lia was already a huge service to our family."

Carl's gaze dropped to the floor. "That's only because everyone else was tied up with Dad's situation, and l happened to be the only one free..."

He knew perfectly well that anyone in the Murray family, given access to the database, could have tracked Eliana down.

His role had been more of a messenger than a real contributor.

Eliana reached over and gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. "Carl, don't take this on yourself. You're not to blame for not being able to do more. None of us could have predicted this, but I believe Dad's going to be fine."

Even if things ggot worse, she had no intention of letting harm come to him.

Heat crept into Carl's cheeks. Eliana had only just stepped into this world and should have been the one feeling unsettled-yet somehow, she was the one reassuring him.

"I won't let it get to me, Lia," he said quickly Before Sawyer could add his own reassurance, the sharp trill of his phone cut through the moment. One glance at the caller ID made his brow tighten.

"Another problem with the project? Alright, I get it. I'll head over right now."

Once the call ended, Sawyer turned to them. "Carl, Lia,let Mom know I need to step out for a bit. I won't be long."

"Where are you off to? Did something go wrong with that project you put money into again?" Carl asked,his voice tinged with worry.

"Yeah... but it's nothing major. Just don't mention it to Mom-I don't want her stressing over it," Sawyer said.

He reached over to gently ruffle Eliana's hair. "I'm heading out now. Tomorrow, I'll make it up to you with something good to eat."

"Alright," Eliana replied with a small nod, her gaze following him as he walked away.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Carl let out a long sigh. "Sawyer's had a rough run too. He used to have the Midas touch with investments, but these last couple of years... one failure after another."

He stopped there, catching himself before he piled more worries onto Eliana's shoulders.

Carl quickly shifted his tone. "But this time, I'm certain there's nothing to worry about. This project is a guaranteed win."

"Yeah..." Eliana murmured, giving a small nod.

"It's late. You've been through a lot today. Go get some rest," Carl said with quiet warmth.

"Alright." She nodded again and started for the stairs.

Passing Sawyer's room, she noticed the door standing slightly open and couldn't resist a quick glance inside.

The sight stopped her-rows of creations and tools neatly arranged, the room looking more like a candy art workshop than a bedroom.

A thought took shape in her mind, and she turned away, heading straight for her own room.

Once inside,she pulled out her phone and dialed Seth."I need you to dig into why my brother Sawyer's investments have tanked over the past two years," she instructed.

"Got it," Seth replied without hesitation.

True to the Onyx Syndicate's reputation, results came fast. Before long, Seth's voice was back on the line.confirmed it-someone's been sabotaging him from the shadows."