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When Dustin faltered, his men quickly jumped in. Dozens of them surged forward to join the fight.

Zinnia, Tyler, King, and Vaughn all rushed in just in time, shing har

d with the attackers.

The casino turned into chaos. Tables splintered, chips scattered, and terrified patrons scrambled to escape.

Word reached Ignatius almost immediately. When he heard that the people fighting Dustin were named Caitlin and Sebastian, his expression darkened. Realizing the gravity, he snapped, “Quickly! Send reinforcements to support the manager! And listen–bring them in alive if you can!”

“Yes, boss!”

Once his orders were ryed, Ignatius quietly slipped out of The Seventh Door through a hidden

passage.

Inside, the fight raged for more than ten minutes. Finally, Sebastian drove his boot into Dustin’s chest, sending him crashing to the ground.

Caitlin rushed in, wrenching Dustin’s arm behind his back. “So this is where you’ve been hiding. Tell me- what is your connection with the Jonathan family?”

“N–no connection…” Dustin stammered, pinned and helpless.

But this was his stronghold. Reinforcements soon poured in, weapons drawn. At the front were Sable and Xian. Xian shouted, “You’re surrounded! Release the manager immediately!”

The fighting froze. Tyler, Zinnia, and the others tightened their formation around Sebastian and Caitlin, ready to protect them.

Sebastian hauled Dustin to his feet, twisting his arms behind him. Caitlin snatched up a weapon from the ground and pressed the barrel to Dustin’s temple. Her voice rang out sharp and cold. “Your manager is in our hands. Unless you want his brains sttered across the floor, all of you drop your weapons!”

Dustin’s face was bruised and bloody, his hands locked tight behind his back. Immobilized, he couldn’t order his men to stand down–yet without hismand, none of them would obey Caitlin.

She pulled back the hammer with a click and barked at Dustin, “Tell them to put their guns down!”

The bullet was chambered. One squeeze would blow his head open. With no choice, Dustin croaked, “Drop… your weaponsb…/b”

At his order, the men slowly lowered their guns.

Sebastian and Caitlin exchanged a look. Using Dustin as a hostage, they began forcing their way out.

The air was taut with tension. No one dared move without risking Dustin’s life. Sable and Xian were visibly anxious, whispering to each other, plotting a way to save him.

“Out of the way!” Sebastian barked.

b17:09 /bbSat/bb, /bbSep /b27

…

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The men blocking the doors reluctantly parted. Step by step, Caitlin and Sebastian’s group pushed through, dragging Dustin with them.

Once outside The Seventh Door, they hurried toward their van. But just as Sebastian tried to shove Dustin inside, the old fox lunged back, smashing his skull into Sebastian’s chest. With that sudden move, he broke free and bolted.

“Stop!” Caitlin raised the gun and fired.

Bang! The bullet tore into Dustin’s back, dropping him to the ground.

The moment he fell, Sable, Xian, and the rest opened fire in a hail of bullets aimed at their vehicle.

Bang bang bang!

Gunfire cracked. Metal screamed as bullets riddled the van, shattering ss. Outnumbered and outgunned, Caitlin’s group had no chance of holding their ground. Vaughn floored the elerator, and they sped away.

Inside the van, Caitlin twisted around. “Is everyone alright?”

“We’re fine,” Zinnia answered quickly.

But Tyler’s sharp eyes caught something off. Sebastian’s face had gone pale, his expression tight. When Tyler leaned closer, he saw blood seeping between Sebastian’s fingers as he clutched his left arm.

“Damn it! Mr. Vanderbilt’s hit!”

“Sebastian!” Caitlin’s heart clenched.

“I’m fine…” Sebastian ground out through his teeth. The pain was sharp, but he forced himself to endure it.

“Hospital, now!” Caitlin snapped. She switched seats with Tyler, then shouted at Vaughn, “Take another route, not the closest hospital.” fn5326 Read full story at FιndNovel/fn5326

Vaughn hesitated. “If we go to a hospital, The Seventh Door might hunt us down.”

“They may not catch us, but either way, don’t risk the nearby ones. Detour farther,” Caitlin insisted.

Zinnia nodded. “She’s right. Dustin was shot–his people will rush him to the nearest hospital. If we go there, we’ll run straight into them.”

Vaughn hit the gas, weaving through traffic.

Caitlin pressed a handkerchief tightly around Sebastian’s wound, her brows drawn. “I know it hurts, but hold on. I’ll stop the bleeding.”

He forced a faint smile. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll manage.”

Her chest ached. “This is my fault. If I hadn’t lost my temper, we wouldn’t be in this messb./bb” /b

“Don’t me yourself,” Sebastian murmured. “We needed to be sure it was Dustin. Without that

b17:09 /bSat, bSep /b27

confrontation, we wouldn’t have confirmed it.”

:

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“Exactly,” Zinnia added. “And now that we have, it’s clear Dustin is tied to the Jonathan family, right?”

“Yes,” Caitlin said firmly. “Forrest, Dustin, Carlos… they’re all connected to the Jonathans. We’ll have to keep digging.”

“And figure out our next move,” Zinnia added.

Caitlin’s voice hardened. “We’ve stirred the ho’s nest. Dustin’s wounded. The Seventh Door won’t let this slide.”

“Then we’ll need backup,” Zinnia said.

“Tyler, contact the Order.” Sebastian gave themand without hesitation.

“On it,” Tyler replied, already pulling out his secure phone to reach The Obsidian Order.

Vaughn finally pulled into a hospital on the far side of Regalis. Caitlin rushed inside with Sebastian.

As they waited in the corridor, a television mounted on the wall shed breaking news: the prince of Aureliana was arriving soon for a state visit. Security in Regalis was already on high alert.

“Magnus ising here?” Caitlin’s eyes lit up. “That’s perfect. With him in D Country, the authorities will be strict. The Seventh Door won’t dare make reckless moves.”

Sebastian agreed. “Once he arrives, we’ll reach out. It’ll give us cover.”

Their number was called. Caitlin stayed at Sebastian’s side as doctors removed the bullet, disinfected the wound, and stitched it up.

Once treated, they refused the IV drip. Instead, they collected the prescribed medication and left quickly.

Returning to the Regalis Grand Hotel was no longer safe. After their earlier encounter with Liliana at the entrance, their cover was too thin. They had to move immediately.

biAD /i/b