Aron leaned in, equally curious and equally doomed. He, too, had become one of Cole’s supposed love rivals today.

Paulina looked at them both with something between sympathy and resignation. “Start packing,” she said flatly. “You’re being sent to Sundara for six months of training.”

“What?” Myles and Aron blurted in unison. “Why Sundara? Why now?”

Paulina sighed, rubbing her temples. “Right now, the two of you—and yes, even the driver—are like splinters under Mr. Evans’ skin. You’ve got one job: get out of his line of vision and survive the next half-year.”

The realization hit Myles and Aron at the same time. Cole saw them as romantic competition. Utterly absurd! They could protest, but what would be the point? With Cole in this state, logic had left the building.

Without another word, both men turned to pack, resigning themselves to their banishment. As they rushed off, Hugh remained behind, a smug grin spreading across his face. Those two were always ganging up to tease him, but now they were being exiled while he stayed behind, and he even had Mabel.

Hugh let out a mischievous chuckle, puffing out his chest like a pint-sized hero. “Don’t worry, Paulina! Myles and Aron may be completely unreliable, but fear not—you still have me, the last shining hope of the Fletcher legacy!”

Paulina couldn’t help but smile. With a soft laugh, she reached up and tousled his hair. She didn’t have the heart to chide him. Hugh was the baby of the bunch, and if he wanted to play the fool, she’d let him.

Later on, across town, Myles and Aron were already on their way to the airport, towing the thoroughly confused driver along with them.

The driver furrowed his brows. “Why do I have to go train in Sundara?”

Myles grinned and teased, “It’s a golden opportunity. Mr. Evans wants you to find love in the wilderness. Come back with a bride, and you might even earn a promotion.”

Aron laughed. “Better yet, return with a wife and two kids—Mr. Evans might throw you a party.”

Meanwhile, Cole remained unaware of the comedic chaos his pride had triggered. Just as Paulina exited, his phone buzzed.

“Cole,” came Manley’s voice, casual as ever. “Merlin’s finally back in town. Says he wants to get the crew together. Honestly, I think everyone’s tired of the Royal Club. Let’s switch it up. How about Nightfall tonight?”

Cole had no ions. With work out of the way, he headed off to Nightfall.

Inside a private room at Nightfall, Allan, Merlin, and Manley had arrived, but Cole had yet to show up. Merlin had brought Hailee along. Since hiring her as his personal secretary, he’d often taken her to oversee work at overseas branches, and they rarely returned to Ublento. His real goal, however, was to help her break free from that toxic environment and slowly heal from the shadow Boris had cast over her life.

The new surroundings and demanding work schedule had given Hailee little time to dwell on the past. Her mood had gradually lifted, and the pain Boris left behind had started to fade. Things were looking up—until the shocking news of Eliana’s sudden “death” arrived.

Hailee was devastated. Grief swallowed her whole, and she found herself unable to focus, tears coming without warning. Eliana had been her first real friend. She had pulled Hailee out of a dark place, saving her from a life weighed down by cruelty and chaos. To Hailee, Eliana was more than just a friend—she was a savior. The news of Eliana’s untimely passing was too cruel to believe.

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Content originally comes from Find_Novel(.)net