Chapter 1165:
Karina lifted one stack and pressed it lightly to her face, as if savoring its presence. A pleased smile curved her lips as she leaned closer to him. “You’re being more generous than I expected,” she murmured.
Deandre turned his head aside, neatly evading her advance. His eyes were cold and unreadable. “Collect your payment. At nine tonight, an escort will take you out of Marinth,” he said flatly.
The warmth drained from Karina’s face. “Leaving?” she echoed slowly. “That was never part of my plan.”
A thin, humorless smile touched Deandre’s lips, his eyes sharpening dangerously. “This was a transaction — nothing more. I won’t fault you for ambition, but you overstepped. That book is the only reason you’re still breathing.”
A chill seized Karina’s chest as she met his gaze. Her breath faltered. “So this is who you really are…”
ѕ𝗍o𝘳𝗶е𝘴 yo𝘂 𝘸on’𝗍 𝗉𝗎𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝘯 оn 𝘨а𝘭𝗇𝗈𝘷𝘦𝗹𝘀.с𝘰𝘮
And it became painfully clear — every calculated move he had made, every performance, had been for that Eshean woman.
Deandre rose to his feet, his voice stripped of warmth. “Melany never needed to jump. You knew that as well as I did. Consider yourself fortunate — it was staged. If it hadn’t been, I would have abandoned you without hesitation.”
Detached, merciless, and absolute — this was the true face of the Costa Syndicate’s godfather.
Shivering despite herself, Karina seized two of the cases and left without another word, her steps hurried and unsteady.
With Marinth largely stabilized, Rylie began making preparations to return, ready to initiate the final stage of their strategy.
Just before she departed, Deandre stopped her. “When will I be able to see her again?” he asked quietly. “Where is she now?”
Rylie met his eyes steadily. “Deandre, you need to give her space.”
A flicker of anguish crossed his face. “I’m afraid she isn’t coping,” he admitted.
Rylie’s voice softened. “She’s family to me now. If she needs anything — anything at all — I’ll be there.”
Only then did Deandre finally give in. He nodded once. “I still have matters to conclude here. Contact me the moment there’s news.”
Brad’s survival was deliberately kept out of the public eye. No official confirmation was ever released. Media outlets speculated wildly, claiming the Eshean hero had been tortured so brutally by East Islet that not even his remains could be recovered — sparking nationwide outrage.
The release of East Islet’s so-called execution footage, followed by their shameless refusal to express remorse, poured fuel on an already raging fire. Public backlash erupted into widespread boycotts of East Islet products, while major corporations swiftly severed partnerships, crippling an economy heavily reliant on exports.
On the global stage, support leaned decisively toward Eshea, which formally labeled East Islet’s actions as outright aggression. Under Article 51 of the Eshea Charter, nations retain the inherent right to individual or collective self-defense until the Security Council takes measures to restore peace — a provision that allowed allied or strategic partners of Eshea to justify military involvement under the banner of lawful collective defense. In essence, any reckless move by East Islet could open the door for foreign powers to intervene, ostensibly to assist Eshea but in reality to seize strategic advantages.
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