For Me,There Is Only You |18+|

52. A Compromise

It was around ten at night when I came downstairs to grab a water bottle from the fridge.

The house was quiet, and I was ready to head back to my room when the sound of someone coming down the stairs made me pause.

At the same time, I heard the front door creak open.

"Where are you going so late?" Phoebe's voice called out, sharp but curious. She must have just returned from outside.

I stayed hidden in the dim light of the kitchen, when Karson's voice replied, low and weighted with exhaustion. "Nightfell Pack."

Phoebe snorted, a sharp sound of disbelief. "Well, aren't you being obedient for someone who refused to do this in the first place?"

Karson didn't rise to her teasing. His voice remained steady but frayed at the edges. "It's either this, or we find Ansel dead before we even defeat those Shadow Weavers—from exhaustion, stress, and lack of sleep."

The words hit me like a blow, reigniting the concern I'd been suppressing since the basement incident.

For two days, I'd tried to shove it aside, telling myself that Ansel would handle it, that he always did. But hearing Karson's blunt admission made my chest tighten with dread.

I clutched the water bottle in my hand tightly.

When I returned to my room that night from the basement, I dreaded the thought of what could happen if he lost control.

But Ansel... his restraint had surprised me.

Nothing had happened since then, but the fact that I hadn't seen him in two days after that made it impossible to shake the growing unease.

Even Karson, who seemed to care about no one but himself, sounded worried.

"What do you mean?" Phoebe's tone shifted, now tinged with worry. "Didn't you and Ansel divide the scouting duties for Nightfell territory? Three days each? And didn't you just get back yesterday?"

"He called me back," Karson replied flatly. "He's heading to the company headquarters."

"Why?"

There was a pause before Karson answered, his voice quieter but no less grim.

"There was a fight with the Reinhardts."

"Reinhardts?" Phoebe echoed; her voice sharp with alarm. "Stefan Reinhardt?"

They trade with the Reinhardts?

"More like his son, Karl Reinhardt," Karson corrected, his tone carrying a hint of irritation.

"What's that jerk doing here?" Phoebe asked, her distaste evident in the twist of her lips. "I thought his older brother was handling the arms deal this time."

Karson let out a dry, humorless laugh, his exhaustion clear. "Just because you've been away from the company for months doesn't mean you should be this out of touch, Phoebe," he said, the sharpness in his voice betraying his frustration.

"Karl's older brother is dealing with a mess. His fiancée ran off or something and the guy's gone crazy searching for her. And did you forget what happened with Stefan Reinhardt last time? He flew here from Hamburg to personally meet Ansel—our beloved CEO—and finalize the billion-dollar deal for our new high-tech arms. A deal that could've cemented our long-term partnership with the Reinhardts."

Karson's voice lowered with barely contained anger. "And what did Ansel do? He ditched him. Just dropped everything and ran off to attend his half-sister's engagement. To a pack that despises him, no less. And why? Because he wanted to see his mate?"