Chapter 378: The Ink-Stained Wrist

Clang!

The iron rod stopped inches from Winston’s skull.

It was not Winston who had caught it, but another hand that took the brunt of the blow, the skin reddened as veins bulged from the sheer impact required to stop the strike dead in its tracks.

"Such a nuisance," a cold, familiar voice grunted in displeasure.

Without breaking stride, the newcomer threw a brutal punch straight into the man’s jaw, rendering him unconscious instantly.

Jade gasped, her voice trembling in shock. "Owen..."

Owen’s gaze swept across the unconscious and groaning men before moving to Winston, then Milo, and finally settling on Jade.

The tension in his shoulders eased as he released a relieved breath. "Thank God I wasn’t too late."

Before Jade could ask a single question, Owen turned to the butler. "You need to get her out of here immediately and head straight to the Valentine Residence. My father is on his way."

Owen walked over to the shell-shocked girl, his voice dropping into a quiet murmur. "I told you to go straight home, didn’t I?"

He quickly unravelled the remaining ropes binding her hands before pushing her gently toward Winston’s vehicle. "Go, Jade. Right now."

"B-But brother, what about you?" Jade asked, her eyes wide with concern as her gaze dropped to his injured hand.

"I’ll be fine. I’ll deal with Father, but he cannot know that I helped you. Now go!"

Hearing the absolute urgency in his tone, Jade didn’t argue further. She scrambled into the back seat alongside Winston while Milo took the wheel. The sedan tore out of the shattered entrance and sped away into the night, leaving Owen standing alone in the quiet ruins of the warehouse.

He watched the taillights disappear before glancing down at his right hand. His skin was already turning a deep, painful shade of dark blue where he had intercepted the metal rod.

Ignoring the throbbing pain, he walked out of the warehouse with a calm, unbothered expression. Pulling out his phone, he dialled a familiar number.

"Owen?" Alec’s voice came through the speaker.

"Dad, you stop it immediately," Owen said calmly.

"What on earth are you talking-"

"There is no need to play innocent. I know what you were trying to do today," Owen interrupted him.

Alec went quiet for a beat before his tone hardened. "Careful, Owen. I hope you remember who you are speaking to."

"I know exactly who I am speaking to, which is why I am telling you to stop before you burn all the bridges."

"Don’t tell me you interfered!" Anger flared in Alec’s voice. "I finally had that ungrateful brat within my grasp!"

"It wasn’t me," Owen replied. "Do you honestly believe the men Gavriel assigned to protect her were incapable of defending her?"

Alec paused, caught off guard. "What? My men reported there was only an old butler and a chauffeur with her."

"And that was your mistake, Dad," Owen spat with restrained fury. "Gavriel would never leave Jade unprotected. After the stunt you pulled today, you had better pray he doesn’t decide to retaliate."

Silence fell over the line as Alec digested his son’s words, clearly weighing the risk of provoking Gavriel.

Releasing a heavy sigh, Owen softened his tone just enough to sound persuasive. "If you continue down this path, you will lose your daughter forever. So please... for the last time, I am asking you to stop."

Without waiting for a response, Owen hung up.

A quiet curse escaped his lips as he stared at the dark screen. "This man... I need to accelerate my plans before he creates a mess I cannot clean up."

....

Back in the Valentine Residence...

Silence had descended upon the study as all three of them processed what little information they were able to extract from Edith’s spirit.

It was far from complete, but it was considerably more than Aliana had expected to gain when the interrogation had initially looked so bleak.

"Cora Island..." Aliana repeated softly. "That is where she met her."

According to Edith, she had encountered the mysterious woman inside a cave hidden deep within a dense forest on Cora Island. At the time, she had felt as though the woman had been waiting for her.

Edith had never seen the woman’s face, but she could tell that she was young, or at least appeared to be. She had long black hair, while her eyes remained hidden beneath the hood of her cloak.

The woman had performed no magic in front of Edith, yet she had been able to read her like an open book. She knew Edith’s past and could even see her future. That was how she had foretold Aliana’s birth.

Nothing more.

Except for one tiny detail.

There had been a black mark on the woman’s wrist. Edith couldn’t make out exactly what it was, only that it looked like an intricate design smeared in black ink.

"The place we are heading to this coming week, Cora Island, is nearby," Gavriel’s deep voice cut through Aliana’s thoughts. "We can make a detour and inspect the cave Edith mentioned."

Aliana blinked in surprise. "We are... going to be nearby?"

That was news to her because Gavriel had been rather secretive about the location of their honeymoon.

He gave her a silent nod. "If there is anything left behind, I may be able to detect the woman’s residual magic."

Just then, Cillian clapped his hands together. "Perfect! You two can have a little adventure in the wild. Makes me feel left out. Can I join?"

"No." Gavriel’s response came so quickly and firmly that Cillian barely had time to finish.

The demon chuckled. "Relax. I was only joking. Do you really think I’m shameless enough to crash your honeymoon?"

Both husband and wife gave him a look that screamed, Absolutely.

Just then, they heard a car pull up outside.

Cillian immediately rose from his seat. "Ah, right on time. Our housemate is back."

Aliana watched him get up with such eagerness at the thought of Jade returning that it immediately brought back memories of the rather questionable roleplay she had once walked in on.

She hadn’t been able to bring it up with either Cillian or Jade. Or, to put it more accurately, she simply had no idea how to broach the subject, so she had wisely chosen to remain silent.

Noticing her stare, Cillian raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Nothing." Aliana quickly looked away as a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.

Unfortunately, that particular reaction did not escape her husband’s notice. He glanced between her and Cillian before settling on Cillian with a suspicious glare.

Seeking a quick exit, Aliana pushed herself up from her seat. "I should go meet Jade."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and headed out of the study, with the other two following close behind.

But the moment they descended into the entrance hall, a frown settled over both Aliana’s and Cillian’s faces.

Jade looked exhausted, while Winston appeared unusually dishevelled.

Aliana stopped midway down the stairs and stared at them. "Why do you both look like you’ve just fought a war?"

Jade let out a long sigh. "Come along. We have a lot to catch up on."