IN THE CAGE

148. MESSAGES

...NORMAL pov...

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"I've always believed, no matter what I do, if it were for you, I wouldn't have any regrets, Evan." Maximillian is calm. A pair of shady irises panned towards the prince only wayangnya with full softness.

"Therefore, when I prepare this position for you on the blood and suffering of others, I have no regrets at all. You deserve the best in the world."

"..."

Maximillian smiles. "You always knew that, right? If it was for you, I would do anything?"

Evan-talking Maximillian in the study room that smelled like jasmine tea was nodding faintly. "I understand, Father."

"This fight has been dragged on for too long" Max said. "No matter what I do, I can't prevent us from facing destruction."

"I'm sorry, Dad. All this happened because I was incompetent. Even when I had the chance to get rid of Ace, I was still not a dick in my duties."

"I won't blame you, Evan. You've done what you can. Ace only. At least now I understand why Harkin is afraid of his own son's potential. He's a monster."

But Max's words did not make Evan feel happy or relieved. Max's words only validate that Ace is an extraordinary figure. That, no matter how hard Evan struggled to become extraordinary, he was still unable to rival that man.

Evan hated that fact. He hated being an inferior figure to Arcelio Hunter. Why did the man become so extraordinary when they were both on the same path? Why should Ace be a prodigy whose existence is like a miracle when they start life on the same starting line?

Evan has always felt himself to be on par with Ace so far. He always felt that parallel in terms of ability and strength. Evan always felt he was capable of doing what Ace did, until finally today came. The day when they have been completely cornered.

Is this what Anggara felt when his father and mother blatantly compared him to Ace every day?

"Dad, I don't want to give up." Evan acknowledged the deepest desire of his heart. "I.., I was amazing before. I've led the Clubs to the equivalent of Diamonds, I believe I can still do something. There must be a way to win this fight."

Of course, there is still one way to survive. Speaking of it that way too, Max has not informed Ace of the offer that Ace gave him. Max doesn't want Evan's mind getting overburdened. Max still does not know what kind of decision he needs to make to deal with this problem. Max doesn't know if he should give up?

"I understand your wish, Evan. But I want you to think about yourself, too. Is this fight worth your life? You are a very special person to me. I want you to live long and be happy. If this fight makes you lose it all, then we better back off, Evan."

"Even if we retreat, Ace will not stop. You know why they started this fight in the first place, don't you?"

If this dispute is only based on competition and the desire to dominate each other, then it will be easy for Evan's side to give up their position. Just as Jem gave up on Ace, Caspian might be able to do the same.

But the problem is not there. The reason for this showdown was because Maximillian had removed Harkin from the game floor. He killed a very valuable figure in the Hunter family.

"Dad knows," said Max. If anyone knows the core of the problem, it's Max himself. He was the cause of this hostile fire blazing. He was also the only one who was able to put out the fire.

"German..." Max was about to continue his words when suddenly the door was knocked from the outside. Speech that was about to come out of Max's lips was immediately swallowed to the bottom of the esophagus. His attention was also on the door.

"Log in," Max's orders.

Not long after, Theo entered Max's study with awkwardness in his expression.

"Theo, what's wrong?" ask Evan first. He knows his bodyguard well. He was not the type of man who would show his expression easily. He always had a calm and quiet expression.

"Boss Evan..," Theo let out a voice, his gaze moving from Evan and Max with nervousness. "News has just come from the bodyguard who served at Rashid's residence,"

"Boss Evan, Today in the residence of Rashid, lord Anggara, miss Indira, lord Callum and his wife."

"..."

"...."

Evan's eyes widened. Right then, he felt as if he had been stabbed by an invisible spear. Did he hear wrong? Did Anggara really have....? Indira too...?

"W-how is that possible?"

That was the question, how could the mansion protected by a myriad of bodyguards be infiltrated that much? What did they do until the situation became what it is now?

"For the convenience of Anggara and his family, security is only tightened from the outside. The interior of the mansion was only guarded by a few Rashid family personal bodyguards. When the attack occurred, it seemed that the bodyguards guarding outside were not aware of the incident at all."

"How to-" Evan almost yelled until he finally felt a light pat on his shoulder. Maximillian was beside him, calming him down without a sound.

"Theo, do you know who did it?"

"Fawnia Alder" replied Theo. "It's possible that the intrusion there became very easy for him because he already understood the mansion's map well."

After all, Fawn spent her life working there. He lived a long time there to know every way in and out of the mansion.

"Are there really no survivors?" Max asked back. In his heart, he had little hope that someone he knew from the house could still be saved.

"I'm sorry, Boss."

"What happened to Indira?" Evan asked with trembling lips. He still has trouble processing that information. Indira of all his innocent wives, a figure he believed would accompany him until he aged.

"Miss Indira was found with a stab wound in her stomach, and lord Anggara, she downed the same poison that we had used to get rid of Ace. From the reports of the provisional investigation, it's possible that Mr. Anggara drank the poison after Fawn threatened him with Ms. Indira's life."

"Yeah..." Evan heard the report with a stifled breath. Without being able to control his reaction, Evan's eyes were inundated by a warm liquid that slowly obscured his gaze.

So this is Fawn's revenge on her? Because he had used the girl to get rid of Ace?

"Dad, what should I do?" Evan laughed with tears streaming down his left cheek. Anger melded with sadness on his face. "How could I give up when the situation becomes like this?"

"Evan, calm yourself first." Max breathed a long and heavy breath. It felt like a huge chunk of rock had fallen on his shoulder again. Adding an invisible burden on his aging body.

In Evan's eyes, Fawn's actions could be said to be revenge. But for Max who obtained the message from Ace, this was a warning.

He has to make a decision before Monday comes. He must make a choice between saving Evan or saving his own life!

"Evan," Max lowered his head and kissed his son's curl mane. "From now on, I want you not to be reckless and focus on protecting yourself."

"Huh?"

"Dad will try to save you, therefore." please, stay alive.

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