Chapter 286: It Seems They Won’t Last Much Longer

Chapter 286: Chapter 286: It Seems They Won’t Last Much Longer

One week later.

The courtyard was bathed in warm sunlight, its golden rays spilling over the wicker lounge chair.

Vesper Grayson leaned back languidly. On the small wooden table beside her sat a platter of plump, exquisitely cut fresh fruit.

Her eyes were closed, her slender fingers resting gently on her slightly rounded belly in a tender, loving gesture.

At four months pregnant, her waist was no longer flat. A gentle curve had emerged, hiding the soft new life within.

That morning, Renee Rhodes had taken her to a private hospital in Veridia for a prenatal check-up. All her vitals were normal, and the baby was healthy and stable. The morning sickness that had plagued her for so long had mostly subsided. Her appetite had been excellent lately; she ate three full meals plus snacks without any restrictions. Her cheeks had filled out with soft, tender flesh, and her skin was radiant and clear, full of fresh collagen, making her appear even more gentle and serene.

Jared Hawthorne had left for M-Country two days ago to handle some business. His trip was scheduled for a week, which meant he would be back just in time for Winston Hayes to finalize his delivery.

Once he returned, they could go back to Northolme.

"Miss, the materials you requested have all been ground."

Vesper Grayson slowly opened her eyes and rose to her feet. "Take me to see."

Two days prior, she had collected scraps of Agarwood from Winston Hayes. After air-drying and low-temperature baking to remove moisture, she had instructed the maid to process them finely that morning.

The raw material was repeatedly ground at a low temperature and passed through a 100-mesh sieve. The coarse residue was ground a second time, and the final powder was incredibly fine, soft, and completely free of particles—a top-grade product of exceptional quality.

This pure Agarwood Powder had a wide range of uses. It could be made into incense pellets, molded into fragrant tablets, extruded into stick incense, or even used in baths to condition the skin or be decocted into traditional scented balms.

’I’m pregnant now, so I shouldn’t use too much incense. I’ll store it for now and give some to Shiloh, Bonnie, and Gwen when we get back to Northolme.’

’They’ll definitely love it.’

"You’ve done a wonderful job. I can handle the rest. You may go back to your work."

The maid replied respectfully.

"Of course. Please call me if you need anything."

Vesper Grayson brought out several small, elegant white porcelain bottles and carefully dispensed the fine Agarwood Powder into each one, sealing them tightly.

Just as she finished, her phone suddenly rang. An unfamiliar number flashed on the screen.

She swiped to answer, and a deep, cool male voice came through the line.

"Miss Whitman, the week is up. I wonder what you’ve decided. Can you give me an answer?"

Vesper Grayson paused for a moment.

’I’ve been so busy these past few days, I almost forgot my arrangement with Seth Shepherd.’

"I can give you a bottle of the Agarwood Powder. Should I have someone deliver it to The Azure Gallery, or will you have someone pick it up?"

"Please have it delivered to The Azure Gallery."

"Alright. I’ll have someone send it over this afternoon."

She was about to hang up when the man’s voice sounded again.

"Miss Whitman, you mentioned before that the Agarwood can only provide relief but not cure my sister’s chronic condition. I was wondering if you might have a way to cure it?"

"I haven’t met your sister, so I don’t know the specific cause of her illness. The triggers for insomnia and palpitations are complex—it could be emotional distress, physical deficiency, or stagnation. I have no way to diagnose her condition, so I wouldn’t dare make claims about a cure."

’I only agreed to give him a bottle of the rare Agarwood Powder because I saw how dedicated and sincere he was about protecting his sister. But diagnosing and treating an illness requires the four methods of diagnosis. Making a judgment without any information is a major taboo for a practitioner.’

Seth Shepherd lowered his voice. "In that case, would you mind speaking with my personal physician for a moment?"

Vesper Grayson hesitated for a moment before giving a quiet assent.

"I can do that."

A moment later, a gentle and professional male voice replaced the other on the line.

"Hello, Miss Whitman. This is Derek Kane, Mr. Seth Shepherd’s private physician."

Derek Kane was concise, quickly detailing all of Seth Shepherd’s sister’s symptoms—chronic insomnia, recurring palpitations, and sleepless nights—along with her Western medical test results.

Vesper Grayson listened patiently. Drawing on the traditional Chinese medicine concepts of emotional factors and pathogenesis from deficiency, she offered detailed, practical advice for managing the condition. At the end, she added a stern disclaimer.

"I can only provide a general direction for her care. I can’t guarantee the results a hundred percent."

"You’re far too modest, Miss Whitman! I’ve learned a great deal from what you’ve just said!" Derek Kane’s voice was full of sincere admiration.

...

Vesper Grayson arranged for someone to deliver the properly sealed Agarwood Powder to The Azure Gallery on time.

As soon as the powder was handed to the gallery’s manager, it was immediately forwarded to Shawn Payne.

Shawn Payne clutched the small porcelain bottle and, without a moment’s rest, drove to see Seth Shepherd.

"Seth, I’ve got to the bottom of it. The people who infiltrated The Azure Gallery that day knocked out two new waiters, took their clothes, and snuck in."

"The two waiters were tied up and left in a basement storage room. According to them, one of the assailants was missing a finger on his right hand."

Seth Shepherd’s fingertips tapped lightly on the edge of the solid wood table. His long lashes were lowered, and when he glanced up at Shawn Payne, his tone betrayed no emotion.

"Since when did The Azure Gallery’s security become so lax?"

"It was my failure of oversight." Shawn Payne took full responsibility, his expression grave. "I’ve already overhauled the entire security system and am vetting all internal staff one by one. Something like this will never happen again."

Shawn then asked, "Any leads on the two who attacked you?"

Seth Shepherd’s thumb slowly caressed the side of the porcelain bottle. He lowered his head slightly, inhaling a wisp of the fragrance that escaped. The unique cool, honey-like scent of the Agarwood was rich and lingering, its aroma truly special.

A dark shadow veiled his eyes. His thin lips parted, and he uttered a single word.

"Dead."

Shawn Payne’s brow furrowed sharply. "How did they die?"

"Two unidentified bodies were pulled from the man-made lake on the outskirts of the city this morning. One of them had a distinctive birthmark on his neck that I’ve seen before. The other was missing a finger on his right hand, which matches the waiters’ description."

"Have their identities been confirmed?"

"The Azure Brotherhood insists they’re not their men. The bodies were clean—not a single item on them that could prove their identities."

Shawn Payne’s face turned cold as he instantly saw through the enemy’s intentions.

"The operation failed, so the mastermind behind it had them silenced. It’s a clear attempt to leave no witnesses." He looked up at Seth Shepherd. "So, what’s your next move?"

A bone-chilling glint swirled in the depths of Seth Shepherd’s eyes.

"Spread the word that I was shot, seriously injured, and am now in a coma."

’Only then will the person hiding in the shadows let their guard down and show themselves.’

’I want to see for myself just who is so determined to take my life.’

「The Middle East, Sarkhan Region.」

A tall figure stood before the floor-to-ceiling window. The man’s expression was grim, a half-smoked cigar held between his fingers. The smoke hazed over the greed in his eyes.

The door was pushed open gently. A subordinate walked in quickly, bowing his head to report.

"Mr. Shepherd, word has come in. Seth Shepherd was shot and is seriously injured. He’s been in a coma and it doesn’t look like he’ll last much longer."

At these words, the man spun around. A twisted, arrogant smile instantly stretched across his handsome face, which bore a strong resemblance to Seth Shepherd’s.

He strode forward and grabbed the subordinate by the collar, his grip so tight it was nearly suffocating.

"Is the information solid?"

"Absolutely. Derek Kane made a special trip to Veridia. I had my men follow him the whole way and saw with my own eyes that he went to a hospital to purchase a large quantity of life-sustaining emergency medication."

Rick Shepherd threw his head back and laughed maniacally, his eyes filled with an ambition that was certain of victory.

"Good! As soon as Seth Shepherd is dead, the Black Dragon Society will be entirely under my control! All the power and assets to his name will be mine!"

The subordinate seized the chance to flatter him. "Congratulations, Mr. Shepherd. From now on, no one in all of Sarkhan will be able to stand above you."

Rick Shepherd’s smile vanished. He asked in a low voice, "Those two men who carried out the job—have they been dealt with cleanly?"

"They’re as dead as can be. There’s no way it can be traced back to you."

’Seth’s trusted men are all fiercely loyal. If they develop the slightest suspicion and start digging, it would create countless obstacles for me when I take over the Black Dragon Society. I can’t leave a single loose end.’

"Take some money from my private funds and send it to their families. Consider it a consolation payment."

"I understand, sir. I’ll arrange it right away."

Just as the subordinate was about to leave, Rick Shepherd’s phone rang.

He picked it up nonchalantly and answered after seeing the caller ID.

"Hector?"

Hector Garland’s panicked and urgent voice came from the other end of the line.

"Mr. Shepherd, I’m in big trouble! I need you to save me!"

"Don’t panic. Tell me what happened, slowly."

Hector Garland was the head of the Black Dragon Society’s transit branch in M-Country. He had been with the society for over twenty years and was one of the members Rick Shepherd had secretly turned to his side.

"Over a decade ago, I secretly took on an assassination job. The target was the eldest grandson of the Hawthornes of Northolme. Now that ’kid’ is all grown up, and somehow he’s tracked me down. He’s already in M-Country with his men, hunting for me everywhere! You have to send someone to get me back to Sarkhan so I can hide!"

Rick Shepherd sneered, his tone laced with contempt.

"When did you become such a coward? M-Country is your territory. If they dare to come looking for trouble, just take care of them. Make sure they never leave."

"It’s not as easy as you make it sound! That Hawthorne kid is close with Jax Blackwood. Jax is a vicious madman. I can’t afford to provoke him!"

Jax Blackwood?

’I’ve met him. He really is an unpredictable psycho.’

’He kills without batting an eye. A truly ruthless character.’

’I haven’t successfully taken over the Black Dragon Society yet. I can’t afford to get on that psycho’s bad side.’

"Find a place to hide for now. If I bring you back here, it’ll only be easier for Jax Blackwood to find you."

"Where am I supposed to hide? His men are posted outside my building. I’ve been hiding in a cave for the last two days, but I can’t stay here forever! I need to eat and drink."

"I’ll send men to pick you up and get you out of M-Country first. Tell me your landing location."

"Okay."

Hector Garland was about to speak but, at the last second, held back, a flicker of suspicion in his mind.

He gave a different address.

After hanging up, Rick Shepherd’s eyes narrowed. He thought for a few seconds, then proactively contacted Jax Blackwood.

’How could I pass up such a good opportunity to get on Jax Blackwood’s good side?’

’If I can get Jax Blackwood’s help, taking over the Black Dragon Society will be twice as easy.’

’Even if some of Seth’s men remain loyal to him and refuse to submit to me, with Jax’s help, they’d be nothing to fear.’

’If Seth Shepherd is the underground king of Sarkhan, then Jax Blackwood is its entire sky!’

...

The scent of agarwood incense wafted through the tea room, its faint smoke curling around the wooden beams and drifting past the floor-length gauze curtains.

Jax Blackwood leaned back in a rosewood chair, one hand gently cradling a white porcelain teacup in which the clear, greenish tea rippled slightly.

His other hand methodically rolled a string of agarwood prayer beads, his knuckles stark and pale.

His dark eyes were half-lidded, his long lashes casting a faint shadow. All the ferocity he possessed was reined in beneath a calm exterior. Although his aura seemed almost gentle, it carried a chilling, oppressive weight that warned others to keep their distance.

His fingertips slowly flicked through the beads, the crisp sound of them clicking breaking the silence. His lips were set in a flat line, betraying no emotion, but deep within his eyes lay an unthawable chill, like a sharp blade hidden beneath the desert sand.

A soft knock sounded before the door was pushed open.

"Jax, it’s a call from Rick Shepherd."

The subordinate put the phone on speaker and placed it on the tea table.

Jax Blackwood’s eyes narrowed. "What do you want?" he asked coolly.

"Jax, I heard you’re looking for Hector Garland? As it happens, I know his exact whereabouts!"