Chapter 58

Leyla bolted off in an absurdly frantic rush, yet still found thespite to glance over her shoulder."Darnon,you might sneer at me, but who the hell even respects you? You're nothing but a useless cripple now!"

"Shut the fuck up! I must teach you a lesson!" Carl roared, charging after her.

She quickened her steps, her retreating figure flailing like some ridiculous sideshow act.

Carl was about to close the distance and fling more venom her way when Jordy's alarmed voice cut through the air. "Are you okay?"

Carl spun around and froze-Damon's hand was clamped to his chest, his face twisted in pain. The sight jolted him to the core.

He dropped the chase at once, rushing back to Damon's side."Damon, what's wrong? Is it your chest?" he asked urgently.

"I'm fine... I'll be alright in a minute," Damon answered, his voice thin and strained.

He knew exactly what was happening.

Aside from his legs, nothing in his body was truly failing-but the trauma he'd suffered had left deep psychological scars.

The tightness in his chest now was the same old ghost, a relapse that made it feel as if he couldn't draw air.Sometimes the mind could forge symptoms the body obeyed.

Not daring to leave him for even a second, Carl fetched the portable oxygen tank Damon had relied on before and quickly fitted the mask over his face, letting the steady hiss of oxygen soothe his breathing.

Damon finally felt the tightness in his chest loosen, his breaths evening out until he could draw air without aid.

"I'm fine now," he said quietly, slipping the oxygen mask from his face and setting it aside. A flicker of determination crossed his pale features. "Don't tell Mom-or anyone else-about what happened todiay.They have enough on their shoulders without me adding to it."

The strain already hanging over the family felt heavy enough to crush them, he refused to be another burden.

"Carl.Jordy.You heard me?"

Though both exchanged uneasy glances, they eventually gave stiff nods.

Once Damon was settled back into bed, his breathing steadier, Carl stepped out into the hallway. He pulled out his phone with a furrowed brow, an unshakable urge gnawing at him-Eliana needed to know.

At the factory Carl had given her, Eliana busied herself alongside the Onyx Syndicate members, directing the setup and overseeing the move.

The syndicate couldn't shift their entire operation in one go, so the relocation was happening in careful,staggered waves.

Seth arrived with the first batch, bringing along a few of her most trusted subordinates-not just for the work, but because it had been days since they'd last seen her.

The moment they stepped inside, the room warmed with the hum of greetings and laughter.

Among them was Kathy Vance, one of the organization's rare young women. Her eyes brimmed the moment she spotted Eliana. "I heard that when you went to see Janessa, that heartless bitch drugged you and nearly sold you off. I wanted to rush to your side right away, but without your say-so, I didn't dare."

With a gentle smile, Eliana reached up to brush a loose strand from Kathy's cheek."Don't cry," she murmured. "It spoils that pretty face. And look-I'm doing fine now, aren'tl?"

Kathy still shook her head, her brow knitting. "But you've gotten so thin..."

"Have I really?" Eliana blinked,caught off guard.

"Yes," Kathy said with conviction."Your waist is so tiny-your chin's sharper than ever." Eliana gave a light laugh. "That's just your imagination. If anything, I've actually put on a bit."

After she returned to the Murray family, Stella had deemed her far too slender and ordered Ashiey to prepare rich, varied meas for her every day-so many that Eliana often left the table uncomfortably full. At this rate, she half-feared she'd soon be waddling instead of walking.

"Anyway, without me fussing over you, you've gotten thinner. Stay for dinner-I'll put together a feast you won't forget," Kathy said with a warm but insistent smile.

As the youngest daughter of the illustrious Vance family-culinary royalty in the nation-she carried the legacy of a household famous for exquisite pastries and a chain of more than a hundred stores. Hef skill in the kitchen, honed from childhood, meant even her simplest dishes came out rich with flavor and irresistible aroma.

Yet, even with all her mastery, she still trailed a littlebehind Eliana's talent.

One unforgettable meal from Eliana had left Kathy so dazzled she'd pursued her relentlessly. In the end,Eliana finally agreed to allow her to join the Onyx Syndicate.

The syndicate was never short on brilliance-its ranks brimmed with experts from every imaginable field.

Because of that,they could take on nearly any assignment-so long as it didn't veer into anything illegal.

Even so, requests for her to cook were rare within the Onyx Syndicate, which was why, on idle days, Kathy often busied herself in the kitchen and whipped up meals for the members.

Her favorite to cook for was always Eliana, who never failed to share little tips that sharpened her culinary skills.

To Kathy, Eliana was a woman who could do anything.

"I don't think I can stay tonight. There's an exhibition I have to attend later. I'll be here for, lunch tomorrow,alright?" Eliana said.

Kathy nodded, her expression tinged with regret, and looped her arm through Eliana's. "Then make sure you're here at noon. I'Il hit the market early and bring back the best ingredients I can find." "Deal," Eliana replied with a small, knowing smile.

Eliana's phone chimed, and she saw Carl's name flash on the screen.

Handing a quick smile to Kathy, she told her to keep helping before slipping the phone to her ear.

"Lia, are you finished spending time with your friends?" Carl's voice came through, low and familiar.

"Not yet," she answered, a thread of curiosity creeping in. "Why? Did something happen?"

"Nothing urgent, just..." His tone dropped as he quietly described what had taken place earlier."Damon didn't want me to say anything, but you told me to keep you updated on anything at home-so I'm tellíng you now."

"You did the right thing," Eliana said warmly.

Carl's face lit up at her words, his grin wide with pride. Then he told her everything that had happened at home.

"How's Damon now?" Eliana asked, her tone turning earnest.

"He's stable. I've put him on an oxygen mask, and the color's back in his face,"Carl reported.

"Good. If his breathing falters again, let him use it right away. His body's fine-it's his mind that's weighing on him. Don't stress over it too much. I'll head back onceI finish up here," she instructed.

"Got it!" Carl replied with a firm nod.

Elianatilted her head, her tone laced with skepticism."Did Leyla really come all the way back just to grab a few clothes?"

She had already checked the bank records-Leyla still had over thirty million sitting untouched. The idea that she would return to her old room for nothing more than a handful of outfits struck her as far too suspicious.

"Yeah," Carl replied after a beat, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was half afraid she'd sneak something else into her luggage, but when I looked inside, it was only clothes. Nothing else." Eliana then warned, "Don't breathe a word of it to Mom-it'll only weigh on her."

"Understood," Carl said with a short nod.

When the call ended, Eliana kept the phone in her hand, her eyes narrowing in thought.

Concern for the Murray family tugged at her. That was why she'd had discreet cameras installed on every floor-two of them positioned in the dimlylit corridor on the second floor, their presence invisible to the casual eye.

She scrubbed through the footage to the moment Carl had mentioned and, sure enough, Leyla emerged on the second-floor feed.

Instead of heading to her own room, however, Leyla slipped straight into Carl's first.

There were no cameras inside the bedrooms-privacy rules saw to that-so all Eliana could do was watch Leyla vanish behind the door and reappear several minutes later.

What caught Eliana's attention was that Leyla came out empty-handed.

What on earth could be in Carl's room that was worth risking a lecture just to step inside?

After a thoughtful pause, Eliana decided the quickest way to get answers was to call Carl directly.

After hearing her words, Carl frowned in confusion. "What could she possibly want in my room? There's nothing in there except a few paintings I've sketched in my spare time."

"Paintings?" Eliana's tone carried a hint of intrigue.

"Yeah," Carl admitted with a small shrug. "It's the only hobby l've really stuck with."

Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, the gears turning in her mind.

A theory was taking shape, and she suspected it wouldn't be long before she proved herself right