Xavier was reviewing documents in his study when his private phone suddenly rang.

Very few people possessed this number.

Seeing the unfamiliar incoming call, he frowned slightly before answering.

"Hello?"

The moment he heard Lucas’s voice, he immediately sat upright.

"Lucas?"

His tone became serious.

"What’s wrong?"

Lucas quickly explained the situation.

He told Xavier everything from Aria’s bullying, to the fight with Owen Foster, and finally how she had suddenly been taken away.

Before Lucas could even finish explaining, Xavier interrupted him.

"Where are you right now?"

"Dustford First High School."

Then Xavier replied calmly.

"Stay there."

The call ended.

Lucas lowered the phone slowly.

Although nothing had been resolved yet, a strange sense of calm settled over him.

For some reason, he felt that the situation was already under control.

Across from him, Principal Vincent Holloway noticed the change in Lucas’s expression.

The old principal sneered.

"So?"

"You made a phone call."

"Do you think some local gangsters can save you?"

His smile grew wider.

"You still don’t understand who you’re dealing with."

"The Mayor of Dustford isn’t someone an ordinary person can challenge."

Lucas didn’t respond.

He simply slipped the phone back into his pocket.

Seeing his silence, Vincent mistook it for fear.

A few minutes later, school security escorted Lucas out of the office.

Lucas offered no resistance.

There was no point.

Let them continue their little performance.

The higher they climbed, the harder they would fall.

As soon as he stepped outside, a convoy was already entering the school grounds.

Several police vehicles moved ahead.

Behind them was a black Cadillac Escalade.

The vehicle stopped.

The door opened.

A middle-aged man stepped out.

His expensive suit, commanding presence, and arrogant gaze instantly revealed his identity.

Mayor Richard Foster.

Behind him, Owen Foster was being helped out of another vehicle.

The young man’s face was swollen beyond recognition.

Blood stains still covered his clothes.

One side of his face looked as though it had been scraped across concrete.

His hatred toward Lucas was practically visible.

The moment he spotted Lucas, his eyes turned red.

"Dad!"

"It’s him!"

"He’s the one!"

The mayor glanced at his son before turning toward Lucas.

His expression remained calm.

Too calm.

The kind of calm politicians used before destroying someone.

"So."

"You’re Lucas."

Lucas stared back.

"Where is my sister?"

The mayor ignored the question.

Instead, he began speaking in the polished tone of an experienced politician.

"My son may have made mistakes."

"But violence is never the answer."

"You assaulted him in public."

"You endangered students."

"You disrupted school order."

Every sentence sounded righteous.

Every word sounded fair.

But everyone listening could hear the threat hidden underneath.

Lucas wasn’t fooled.

Neither was anyone with half a brain.

The mayor wasn’t here to investigate.

Lucas took a step forward.

His voice became cold.

"I asked you a question."

"Where is my sister?"

For the first time, the mayor’s smile disappeared.

The two stared at each other.

Then the mayor finally spoke.

"Don’t worry."

"You’ll see her soon."

A cruel smile appeared on his face.

"Because both of you will spend a very long time together."

"In jail."

The moment those words left his mouth—

THUMP!

THUMP!

A powerful sound echoed across the sky.

Everyone looked upward.

The sound grew louder.

Within seconds, panic spread through the school.

A helicopter.

A military-grade black helicopter was approaching.

Students began pointing.

Teachers looked confused.

Even the police officers looked shocked.

The helicopter descended rapidly toward the school’s sports field.

Dust and debris exploded into the air.

The powerful winds forced everyone to shield their eyes.

Mayor Foster’s confident expression slowly vanished.

Because he knew something.

No ordinary person summoned a helicopter like this.

The aircraft hadn’t even fully landed before a figure appeared near the side door.

A young woman dressed entirely in black tactical gear.

Her long hair danced wildly in the wind.

The moment her boots touched the ground, she moved with astonishing speed.

Bianca.

Behind her came several men wearing black suits.

Every single one radiated a terrifying aura.

Their movements were disciplined.

Professional.

Dangerous.

The atmosphere instantly changed.

The police officers exchanged nervous looks.

The mayor’s pupils contracted.

His political instincts were screaming warnings.

These people were not from Dustford.

And they definitely weren’t ordinary bodyguards.

Bianca’s eyes scanned the area.

The moment she spotted Lucas, she immediately walked toward him.

Without even looking at the mayor, she asked,

"Are you alright?"

Lucas nodded.

"I’m fine."

Bianca finally relaxed.

Then she turned toward Mayor Foster.

Her beautiful face became ice cold.

"You."

The single word caused everyone’s hearts to tighten.

The mayor frowned.

"And you are?"

Bianca didn’t answer.

One of the black-suited men stepped forward.

His voice was calm.

But every word struck like thunder.

"Mayor Foster."

"Mr. Xavier requests your presence."

The mayor’s expression instantly changed.

His face turned pale.

Because there was only one Xavier in the entire Southwest Region powerful enough to make him react like that.

And if that Xavier was involved...

Then he had just stepped on a landmine.

The atmosphere on the school grounds had completely changed.

Just moments ago, Mayor Richard Foster had been acting like a king ruling over the entire city. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Now he looked like a man standing on thin ice.

The moment Xavier’s name was mentioned, the arrogance on his face vanished completely.

Bianca stepped forward.

Her beautiful face carried no trace of the shy girl Lucas had met the previous night.

The blush was gone.

What remained was a terrifying coldness that made people afraid to meet her eyes.

She stared directly at Richard.

"Where is the girl?"

Her voice wasn’t loud.

Yet everyone heard it clearly.

Richard throat moved.

He felt genuine fear.

The dozens of black-clad men surrounding the area weren’t ordinary bodyguards.

The pressure they emitted alone made even the armed police officers nervous.

Nobody dared move.

Richard forced out a smile.

"There seems to have been a misunderstanding..."

Bianca’s expression didn’t change.

"Where."

"Is."

"The."

"Girl."

Every word felt like a hammer striking his chest.

Cold sweat appeared on Richard’s forehead.

His hands trembled slightly as he hurriedly pulled out his phone.

"Bring her here immediately!"

"No delays!"

"Now!"

Several men quickly ran toward the administration building.

The entire school had fallen silent.

Students watched from classroom windows.

Even the police officers remained completely quiet.

Nobody understood who these people were.

But everyone understood one thing.

They were far more terrifying than the Mayor.

Several minutes later, hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor.

Aria finally appeared.

The moment Lucas saw her, the tension in his body disappeared.

He immediately walked forward.

"Aria!"

Aria looked exhausted.

Her eyes were slightly red.

When she saw Lucas, all the fear she had been holding back instantly surfaced.

"Brother!"

She ran toward him.

Lucas caught her and checked her carefully.

"Did they hurt you?"

Aria shook her head.

"They dragged me away and locked me in an office."

"They kept asking questions."

"They wouldn’t let me leave."

Hearing this, Lucas’s eyes darkened.

Beside them, Bianca quietly removed her black mask.

The cold killing intent surrounding her disappeared slightly.

She crouched down and looked at Aria.

"Don’t be afraid."

"I’m your brother’s friend."

Aria blinked in surprise.

This beautiful woman looked completely different from moments ago.

Then chaos erupted again.

Several black-clad men dragged Principal Vincent Holloway out of the administration building.

The principal’s face was pale.

Bianca glanced at him.

"Apologize."

Vincent immediately lowered his head.

"I’m sorry."

"I’m sorry, Miss Aria."

"I’m sorry, Lucas."

"I was wrong."

His voice shook uncontrollably.

Nearby, Owen Foster was no better.

The young master who had acted arrogantly before now didn’t dare lift his head.

Even Mayor Richard Foster looked defeated.

Father and son stood there like criminals awaiting judgment.

Lucas looked at the scene silently.

A few hours ago these people had acted as though they controlled everything.

Now they couldn’t even breathe loudly.

Bianca then turned toward Lucas.

"You should take your sister home."

Lucas wanted to ask countless questions.

But looking at Bianca’s cold expression, he knew this wasn’t the time.

She simply nodded.

"I’ll handle everything here."

Lucas hesitated briefly before nodding.

"Thank you."

Bianca’s expression softened slightly.

"You’re welcome."

Soon afterward, Lucas and Aria left the school.

Neither of them noticed Bianca watching them leave.

Only after they disappeared into the distance did she look away.

Meanwhile, Lucas stopped a taxi.

The moment they got inside, silence filled the vehicle.

Aria sat beside him, stealing occasional glances at her brother.

The events of today had completely shattered her understanding of reality.

The helicopter.

The convoy.

The Mayor’s fear and the principal apologizing.

And the mysterious woman who seemed capable of commanding everyone.

None of it made sense.