Dominic could see the worry in her eyes, and it filled his heart with warmth.

Earlier, Mila had tried to leave him and escape his world. She had hated him for locking her up and controlling her life. But now, she cared about him and even worried about his people.

The change in her was undeniable. And it only made him want to protect her more fiercely.

"Lucas is smart," Dominic said calmly. "He knows what he is doing. He’ll be fine."

But Mila didn’t share his confidence.

"You are too confident. He is alone among enemies. One mistake, and they’ll execute him."

Dominic only smirked faintly.

Mila frowned. She studied him carefully. There wasn’t even a trace of fear or hesitation in his eyes. All she saw was certainty, as though he had already won the battle before it had even begun.

"What are you smiling at?" she asked suspiciously.

Dominic smoothly changed the subject. "I just woke up, and you’ve been interrogating me nonstop." He pouted slightly. "I haven’t eaten since yesterday. I’m starving."

Mila let out a helpless sigh. No matter what, he needed food to regain his strength.

"Fine. I’ll cook something for you."

She walked out of the room and headed toward the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, she froze for a moment.

Eggs, milk, vegetables, fruits, chicken breasts — everything was neatly stocked.

Her brows lifted in surprise.

"Wow..." she murmured in disbelief. "Even a hidden safe house is fully prepared. These people are seriously capable."

Shaking her head, she took out the ingredients and began cooking.

Meanwhile, Dominic picked up his phone. The screen was cracked badly, but it still worked.

A new message from Lucas flashed on the screen.

Dominic opened it immediately.

’Everything is going according to plan. Victor believes you are dead. He is meeting Stephen Miller tonight. Stay there and recover for a few days. Let me handle the rest.’

Relief settled over Dominic’s expression.

He had never doubted Lucas’s abilities.

"Your game is almost over, Victor," he murmured coldly. "After that, I’ll destroy the core team one by one."

An hour before...

Victor carefully checked the photos and videos Lucas had sent him.

Every photo showed Dominic lying motionless on the dusty floor, his body soaked in blood.

Victor zoomed in repeatedly, inspecting every detail. Slowly, satisfaction spread across his face. Then he played the video again.

This was already the third time he had watched it. And every single time, his excitement only grew stronger.

In the video, Lucas was kicking Dominic’s body, slapping him repeatedly. But Dominic didn’t move at all. He looked dead.

Victor burst into laughter. "Dominic, the devil himself..." he sneered. "He is finally dead."

His eyes gleamed viciously.

"And the one who killed him was his own most trusted man." He swiped the screen and checked every photo carefully. His lips stretched into a satisfying smile.

He laughed again. "Now no one can stop me from becoming king."

Knock. Knock.

The sound interrupted him.

"Come in."

Victor set the phone down.

A tall man in a black suit entered and placed a file before him. "Boss, we checked the photos and videos," the man reported respectfully. "They are authentic. No signs of fabrication."

Victor immediately opened the file and flipped through the pages.

The detailed report confirmed the same thing. The evidence was genuine.

The last trace of doubt in Victor’s mind disappeared. "So Dominic is really dead..." he muttered with satisfaction.

The man hesitated briefly. "According to these, it appears so," he replied carefully. "But until we find the body, we can’t confirm whether he was truly dead or merely unconscious."

Victor’s smile froze. The suspicion returned instantly.

"Then find the body," he ordered coldly. "And contact Lucas. Bring him to me immediately."

His eyes darkened dangerously. "If he is deceiving me, I’ll kill him myself."

His eyes flashed dangerously. "If he is deceiving me, I’ll kill him."

Just then, his phone rang again.

Victor glanced down at the screen and stiffened slightly when he saw the caller ID.

Stephen Miller.

With a gesture, he dismissed the man. Once the office door closed, Victor answered the call.

"Mr. Miller," he greeted smoothly.

"Do you have any updates?" Stephen asked anxiously. "Tell me you have good news."

Victor leaned back confidently.

"There is good news," he replied. "Dominic is most likely dead. I still need final confirmation, but the photos and videos strongly suggest he is no longer alive."

"I want to see them myself," Stephen said immediately. "Let’s meet."

"Of course," Victor agreed. Then his tone shifted slightly. "But I want something in return."

"What is it?"

"I want to meet Mr. Mathius," Victor said. "Arrange it for me."

A brief silence followed.

"Meeting Mathius isn’t easy," Stephen finally replied. "He doesn’t meet people unless it’s necessary. But... once my wife and daughter are rescued, I’ll try."

Victor smirked.

"If Dominic is really dead, his gang must already be in chaos. His men will panic. This is the perfect chance to wipe them out completely and rescue your family."

Stephen clenched his fists tightly on the other end. "Meet me at the Blue Lagoon tonight," he said coldly. "I want to be there when Dominic’s empire falls."

Victor smiled in satisfaction. "Alright. See you tonight."

The moment the call ended, Stephen looked nervously at the man standing beside him. Sweat glistened across his forehead.

"He is coming to the Blue Lagoon tonight," Stephen said uneasily. "Now let me see my wife and daughter."

Lucas smirked inwardly, though his face remained expressionless. Finally, the time had come.

Tonight, Victor’s game would end.

"Once Victor dies, you’ll see them," Lucas replied calmly. "Just don’t make any mistakes tonight. Or you already know what will happen to them."

With that, Lucas walked out and locked the room from the outside.

~~~~~~~~~~

Evening arrived quickly.

Victor entered the Blue Lagoon with several armed men surrounding him. He headed straight toward the private room Stephen had mentioned.

The moment he stepped inside, he saw Stephen sitting stiffly on the sofa.

"Mr. Miller," Victor greeted with a smile.

But Stephen didn’t smile back. He looked tense. Sweat gathered across his forehead as his gaze briefly flicked toward the heavy curtains nearby.

Hidden behind those curtains, Lucas waited silently.

Victor noticed Stephen’s uneasiness immediately.

"What’s wrong?" he asked. "You seem nervous."

He sat down beside him. "Any problem?"

Stephen couldn’t let him suspect anything. Suppressing his restlessness, he threw him a glare.

"My wife and daughter have been kidnapped," Stephen snapped irritably. "Do you expect me to sit here smiling?"

Victor didn’t suspect anything.

"Relax," he said confidently. "Dominic can’t fight us anymore. Once he is gone, his entire gang will collapse."

Stephen glanced at the men standing around them. "Do they have to stand here staring at me?" he asked coldly. "Tell them to leave. I don’t like crowds."

Victor waved dismissively. "Wait outside."

The guards obeyed instantly and left the room.

When the last man walked out through the door, Stephen turned back to Victor.

"You mentioned photos and videos," he said. "Show me."

Victor immediately pulled out his phone. "There." His lips curled smugly. "Dominic is dead. Check yourself."

He handed the phone over.

Stephen stared at the images carefully. Even though Lucas had said that Dominic was alive, the photos said otherwise. Doubt still lingered deep inside him.

What if Dominic were truly dead? What if Lucas had lied to manipulate him?

For a terrifying second, Stephen considered exposing Lucas’s hiding place behind the curtain.

But fear stopped him.

If Dominic survived and Stephen betrayed him now, not only he but also his wife and daughter would die too.

Stephen swallowed, suppressing the urge. He couldn’t act recklessly yet. He forced himself to stay calm.

"What if he’s still alive?" he asked cautiously. "This is Dominic we are talking about. He survived a car crash. He even managed to escape the attack in the jet. We shouldn’t underestimate him. He is good at disguising himself. What if the whole thing is just a setup to make us believe that he is dead, so we will drop our guard?"

Victor scoffed confidently. "He is alone and injured. And his gang members are scattered and fewer in number. They won’t survive long. Don’t worry. Even if Dominic somehow survived, he can’t win against us anymore."

He never noticed the shadow silently approaching from behind.

"So confident." The deep, cold voice echoed through the room.

Victor’s entire body stiffened instantly.

Before he could even turn around, something hard pressed against the back of his head.

Click.

The unmistakable sound of a gun unlocking echoed beside his ear.

Victor’s breathing stopped. He didn’t dare move even an inch.

Stephen looked at Lucas, his face deathly pale. His pulse thundered wildly in his ears, and his breathing turned uneven.

Cold sweat trickled down his temples.

He wanted to run. Every instinct inside him screamed at him to get out of the room before the situation exploded completely. But he remained frozen on the sofa, too terrified to move.

He knew one wrong move could get him killed instantly.

Just then, gunfire suddenly erupted outside the private room.

Screams echoed through the Blue Lagoon. Chaos exploded everywhere.

At the same time, Victor reacted instantly. With terrifying speed, he grabbed Lucas’s wrist and twisted it violently.

Crack

"Uh—" Lucas groaned as pain shot through his arm. The gun slipped from his grip and clattered across the floor.

Victor slammed his elbow hard into Lucas’s ribs.

Lucas staggered backward, gasping.

But Victor gave him no chance to recover. His eyes burned with murderous fury as he lunged forward like a beast.

"You traitorous bastard," he roared. "You dared betray me? I will kill you."