Traveling
CHAPTER 59
Night had already settled when Adrian returned to his residence.
The city lights below glittered like a distant sea, unaware of the storm gathering above it. Inside the house, everything was silent–too silent. The kind of silence that followed decisive moments, when the world paused before something irreversible.
Adrian loosened his coat and placed it over the back of a chair. His movements were unhurried, precise. Anyone watching would think nothing weighed on his mind.
But beneath that calm exterior, his thoughts moved steadily.
Seven days.
Twenty–one immortals.
The Ventress family.
Before he could sit, the door opened softly.
Isabella Reyes stepped inside.
She was dressed simply, but her presence filled the room immediately. Her expression was sharp, eyes carrying restrained anger beneath her usual composure.
“Young Master,” she said, bowing her head slightly. “I heard what happened at the Medical Center banquet.”
Adrian turned to face her. “That was fast.”
“The Ventress family made sure it spread,” Isabella replied coolly. “After Liam Wharton’s humiliation, one would think they’d learn from their mistakes.”
Her fingers tightened at her side.
“Give me the order,” she continued. “I’ll deal with the Ventress family tonight. One call, and their businesses will start collapsing before dawn.”
Her tone was calm–but deadly.
Banks withdrawing support. Supply chains freezing. Contracts dissolving. The Ventress empire didn’t need to fall overnight–just enough pressure would break it completely.
Adrian considered her words for a moment.
Then shook his head.
“Not now.”
Isabella’s brows knit together. “Young Master-”
“It’s not the first thing that needs to be done,” Adrian said calmly.
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She studied his face, searching for hesitation. There was none.
“You don’t need to attend this challenge,” Isabella said quietly. “There are many ways to show them you stand far above them.”
Adrian walked to the window, looking down at the city.
“This isn’t about being above them,” he said. “It’s about something simpler.”
Isabella waited.
“They don’t respect people they think are beneath them,” Adrian continued. “They threaten. They crush. They assume power gives them the right to decide who lives quietly and who doesn’t.”
He turned slightly. “If I withdraw and destroy their business now, after what happened to the Whartons… what do you think people will notice?”
Isabella’s eyes narrowed.
“Two powerful families collapsing within days,” Adrian said. “Anyone with half a brain would start connecting dots. My identity wouldn’t stay hidden for long.”
Silence stretched between them.
“You’re right,” Isabella said finally. “It would draw attention.”
“And that’s not what I want,” Adrian replied.
She exhaled slowly. “Then what do you plan to do?”
Adrian was quiet for a moment.
“I’ll wait,” he said. “And I’ll prepare.”
Isabella’s gaze sharpened. “And if those twenty–one are beyond what you can deal with?”
The question wasn’t doubt–it was concern.
Adrian didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he said, “I’m going to see my master.”
Isabella froze.
“…Now?”
“Yes.”
Her expression changed instantly. “If you go to him now, he’ll know you’re alive.”
“That’s the point.”
“And if word leaks?” she pressed. “If people find out he’s connected to you- this could go viral. It could shake far more than the Medical City.”
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Adrian met her eyes.
“My master is someone I trusted with my life,” he said evenly. “If there’s one person who won’t betray my existence, it’s him.”
Isabella hesitated, then asked carefully, “Do you want to go in grand fashion? I can arrange-”
“No,” Adrian interrupted. “I’ll go alone.”
She frowned. “That’s dangerous.‘
>>
Adrian smiled faintly. “So is everything worth doing.”
-Isabella looked at him for a long moment, then bowed her head.
“…Understood.”
She straightened. “I’ll keep the Ventress family under observation..”
Adrian nodded. “Good.”
As she turned to leave, she paused. “Young Master.”
“Yes?”
“You’re calm,” she said. “Too calm. It worries people.”
Adrian looked back at the city lights.
“Fear clouds judgment,” he replied. “I don’t allow it room.”
Isabella said nothing more and left.
The door closed softly behind her.
Adrian remained by the window, the city reflecting faintly in his eyes.
Seven days.
People thought this was a death sentence.
They didn’t understand.
This wasn’t about proving dominance.
This was about drawing a line–one the Ventress family could never cross again.
And somewhere far beyond the city, an old man was about to learn that his student was still alive—and walking straight into destiny.
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