The interior of the Mercedes was dead silent as the vehicle cruised through the quiet, affluent neighborhood leading toward the Gable estate. The shattered passenger window allowed the cool night air to whistle sharply through the cabin, rustling the stained fabric of Serena’s school uniform.

Marcus was back in the driver’s seat, his face tightly clenched as he navigated the turns with his injured leg. He glanced sideways at Alexander, who was quietly holding his blood-soaked right shoulder, staring blankly out at the passing streetlights.

"Man, what the hell are you going to say to Ms. Gable?" asked Marcus, his deep voice dropping into a serious, concerned register. "She isn’t exactly known for being a deeply understanding person. And trust me, she has more than enough money and leverage to hire a dozen elite operators from the organization just to hunt you down and skin you alive."

Alexander let out a heavy, exhausted sigh, his dark eyes closing for a brief second.

The situation was far worse than it appeared on the surface. This was supposed to be a completely private, low-risk assignment—just drive a spoiled teenager around, keep her happy, and maintain a peaceful routine. What could possibly go wrong? Yet, in a single evening, he had managed to drag her straight into a lethal Sinclair crossfire, where she had been held at gunpoint and faced death multiple times.

"I’ll tell her the truth," stated Alexander, his voice cold, steady, and entirely grounded despite the throbbing agony in his arm. "The situation escalated far beyond the initial parameters. I will accept whatever consequences she deems necessary."

Within minutes, the car smoothly pulled into the grand driveway of the Gable mansion. The front doors didn’t just open—they practically flew apart. Ms. Gable stepped out onto the marble porch, her elegant features completely twisted into a terrifying, icy rage. She had already received word of the chaos, and the sight of the ruined Mercedes with its shattered window only fueled the fire.

The moment Alexander stepped out of the co-pilot’s seat, Ms. Gable marched down the steps, her high heels clicking aggressively against the stone.

"Are you completely out of your goddamn mind, Alexander?!" screamed Ms. Gable, her voice vibrating with a terrifying, venomous authority as she pointed a trembling finger straight at his chest. "I hired you to protect my daughter, not to drag her into a fucking warzone! Look at her! Look at the car! You completely exposed her to a gang shootout! You are completely fired, and I will make absolutely sure you never see the light of day in this city again!"

Alexander stood perfectly still, accepting the furious tirade without a single flinch or defense, prepared for the absolute worst.

"Stop it, Mother! Just shut up!" shouted Serena suddenly, swinging the rear door open and stepping out onto the driveway.

Ms. Gable froze, her furious expression instantly turning into a look of absolute, shocked bewilderment. "Serena...? What on earth are you—"

"Alex didn’t do anything wrong!" stated Serena, her voice loud, stubborn, and completely fiercely protective as she marched over and stood right between her mother and Alexander, pouting heavily despite the dried tears on her face. "It was an absolute emergency, and those bad men ambushed us! Alex was totally amazing! He shot the bad guys, drove like a literal racecar driver, and it was honestly... it was super fun! It was the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to me! Don’t you dare fire him!"

Ms. Gable stared at her daughter, completely speechless, her mouth opening and closing as she looked from Serena’s messy, ruined dress to Alexander’s stoic, bleeding frame, utterly defeated by her daughter’s bizarre, reckless logic.

Ms. Gable’s jaw practically hit the pavement as she listened to her daughter defend the very man who had nearly gotten her killed. She stared at Serena’s stained uniform, her messy hair, and the fierce, defiant glare in her eyes, completely bewildered by the girl’s sheer, reckless stubbornness.

"Fun?!" whispered Ms. Gable, her voice shaking with a mix of disbelief and absolute horror. "Serena, you were nearly killed! You could have—"

"I don’t care! I want Alex to stay as my driver, and I want him to take me out again another day!" shouted Serena, stamping her foot aggressively against the cobblestones as she crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "He is the best bodyguard I’ve ever had! If you fire him, I am never going to school again, and I’ll tell everyone you’re the worst mother in the world!"

Ms. Gable bit her tongue so hard she could practically taste the copper. A torrent of venomous insults and maternal fury swelled up in her throat, but she forced it all down, her manicured nails digging deep into the palms of her hands as she realized she was completely powerless against her daughter’s ultimate tantrum.

"Fine... fine, of course, sweetheart," stated Ms. Gable, her voice instantly shifting into a tightly strained, overly sweet melody as she forced a fake, trembling smile onto her face. "Whatever makes you happy, my love. Alex will remain right here for you. Now, please, go inside, wash up, and let the maids take care of that awful dress."

Serena gave a sharp, victorious huff, shooting a smug look over her shoulder at Alexander before turning around and marching proudly into the mansion, completely oblivious to the sheer gravity of the situation she had just survived.

The moment the heavy oak doors clicked shut behind her, the fragile, sweet facade on Ms. Gable’s face instantly vanished, replaced by an absolute, murderous expression. She turned her icy glare back toward Alexander, stepping close enough that he could smell her expensive perfume mixed with the metallic tang of his own blood.

"Listen to me very carefully, Alexander," whispered Ms. Gable, her voice dropping into a chilling, venomous register that was sharper than any blade. "You got incredibly lucky because my daughter is an absolute fool who treats a massacre like a theme park ride. But if anything remotely similar to this ever happens again... if a single scratch appears on her body, you won’t need to bother bringing her back home. Because I will personally come after her, and then I will come after you with everything I have. Do you understand me?"

"Perfectly," stated Alexander, his dark eyes locked onto hers with a cold, unyielding composure as he ignored the throbbing agony in his shattered shoulder. "It won’t happen again."