Of course, Lukas and Gustav already knew what to do with this information.

But being mindful that they might be watched, they parted ways that night and headed back to their hotel separately. To others, it would appear that neither of them left again until the following morning.

However, that was only what people believed.

Because that very night, after returning to their respective rooms, Gustav and Lukas used different exits and methods to leave the premises unnoticed. They were not sure whether anyone was actually watching them, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

They could not afford for whoever had sent that invitation to Lukas to discover that he had already sang like a canary. Otherwise, they would lose this opportunity.

So, even in the middle of the night, the duo met again in Dominion’s new neighborhood — specifically, right outside Lucian’s home.

*****

Meanwhile, that same night, Lucian sat at the edge of the bed, feet planted on the floor, one arm resting on his leg while the other wiped down a pistol.

Behind him, Ashley slept soundly.

Even though Lucian had already told her about the situation, it still wasn’t enough to let him sleep peacefully. He had managed to fall asleep earlier, but only for an hour before waking up again.

"Lucian."

Suddenly, Ashley’s sleepy voice echoed from behind him.

She rubbed her eyes as she propped herself up on one elbow, staring at his back. Then her gaze dropped to his hands. Specifically, the pistol he was cleaning.

"What are you doing?" she asked groggily, her voice becoming slightly clearer. Her brows knitted together as she looked at him. "Cleaning a gun at this hour is concerning."

Lucian drew a deep breath and let out a faint huff. He reached for the drawer, pressed against the hidden compartment beneath it until it lifted, and slid the gun underneath.

"I thought you were already asleep," she muttered as he climbed back into bed beside her.

Resting against the headboard, Lucian stroked her hair gently.

"I was," he replied. "But I woke up."

"Can’t sleep again?" she frowned, hugging him lightly.

He didn’t answer immediately, continuing to stroke her hair as though trying to lull her back to sleep. But Ashley yawned and shook her head slightly, forcing herself to stay awake.

"Water?" she suggested.

"No. Do you want some?"

"Nope." Ashley scooted closer to him until she was leaning lightly against the headboard beside him, one arm still wrapped around his body. "But Lucian... cleaning a gun at this hour is worrying."

"Is it?"

"Do you want to talk more about it?" she hummed softly.

Lucian remained silent for a moment, though his hand never stopped stroking her hair.

"It’s alright," he finally said. "I just have a few things to think about."

"Like flying out of the country?"

He nodded. "That’s one."

"Lucian, if you’re going, I won’t stop you," she muttered. "You used to go on business trips and stay away for months."

That was true.

Lucian gazed down at her quietly, studying her face.

But back then, he had kept his distance intentionally. He had created that space because he was afraid of suffocating her with his presence. Afraid that staying too close to her for too long would make him lose control and make mistakes.

Now, however, she wanted him close, and there was no longer any reason for him to stay away from his family for extended periods.

"We can stay on call," Ashley suggested with a small smile. "Just do what you need to do... and come back home."

She didn’t ask where he was going because the answer was already obvious. Lucian suspected a political shakeup, and wherever he intended to go would undoubtedly involve Dominion’s highest circle.

A place where politics ran deep.

Even an organization like Dominion — or perhaps especially an organization like Dominion — had its own advantages and disadvantages. Considering that Dominion was no longer merely an underground organization but also a massive business entity, its internal structure was far more complicated than most people imagined.

Even the Di Carpios had structure and hierarchy, but nothing as sophisticated as Dominion’s.

"Or..." Ashley hesitated slightly. "Should I just come with you?"

"Primo still has school," he reminded her.

Ashley smacked her lips lightly.

"Right." She sighed. "If only we knew who was behind all of this and where the leak was coming from, things wouldn’t be this difficult."

Lucian thought the same, but he had no desire to dwell on it further.

"Go back to sleep," he said.

But then his phone lit up on the bedside table.

Lucian’s brows rose slightly. Very few people would dare call him at this hour. He glanced at the screen to see whether the call was worth answering.

It was Lukas.

"Hm?" Ashley perked up a little as he reached for the phone. "Who’s calling this late?"

Instead of answering, Lucian simply showed her the screen.

"Lukas?" she hummed. "Why is he calling you at this hour?"

This time, Ashley sat up completely. Deep down, she knew Lukas would never disturb Lucian without a valid reason.

"I’ll find out," Lucian said before answering the call.

Curious, Ashley quickly scooted beside him and pressed her ear near the phone. Feeling her practically cling to his side made Lucian glance at her.

He could have simply put the call on speaker mode, but seeing her shamelessly eavesdrop so closely made the corner of his lips curl upward instead.

So, he let her.

"Master, apologies for calling you at this hour," Lukas began the moment the line connected. "But this is something that cannot wait until morning."

"What is it?"

Lukas did not answer immediately.

"We’re outside your home," he finally said. After a brief pause, he added, "Gustav is with me."

Hearing that, Ashley slowly pulled away, and the couple exchanged a look. Neither of them spoke, but their eyes already understood each other perfectly.

"I’ll get the door," Lucian said before ending the call.

"I’ll stay upstairs," Ashley replied before he could say anything else. "Talk in the living room."

With that, the two stepped out of the bedroom. Ashley stopped at the top of the stairs while Lucian headed downstairs to open the door for Lukas and Gustav.

The moment the two men entered, they did not even wait for Lucian to sit down before immediately telling him about the secret meeting.

And more importantly... that only Lukas had received the invitation.

While listening from upstairs, Ashley quietly nodded to herself before shrugging inwardly.

I honestly don’t blame whoever invited Lukas, she thought. If I were planning to conspire behind Lucian’s back, I’d invite him too. He just looks like the type.

Regardless, a plan was formed that very night.

Lukas would attend the meeting alone, all while the conspirators remained completely unaware that Lucian himself would secretly fly out and personally meet the people attempting to remove him from power.

And deal with them... personally.