Evren arrived at the Imperial Crest Manor at 3:15 PM.

Before heading to the main living quarters, Evren turned down the East Wing corridor, walking quietly toward Zephyra’s room.

He gently pushed the double doors open an inch to peer inside.

The room was quiet and warm.

In the corner, the Aegis-BioCare RX-9 droid was glowing with a soft amber light, operating in complete silent mode. On the marble table, the bowl of herbal broth was completely empty.

Near the sunlit balcony, Zephyra was curled up on the velvet lounge, tucked safely under the thick S-Rank Glacial Wyvern Mantle.

Her pale face was calm and relaxed, and her breathing was even. For the first time in four months, the violent nerve spasms in her wrists had subsided, and she was fast asleep.

Evren smiled softly, satisfied that the droid’s thermal pulse care was working. He pulled the doors shut without making a sound and turned toward the main villa.

Entering the sunlit kitchen, he saw Amber standing by the white marble island. She was wearing a soft ivory knit sweater and dark leggings, holding a knife as she sliced fresh peaches into a glass bowl.

Amber had seen Evren arrive through the courtyard windows, and she had watched him walk straight to the East Wing first.

She kept her eyes on the fruit, moving hesitantly; her usual bright smile was missing.

Evren walked up behind her, and without a word, he gently reached around, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her slender back against his chest.

Amber’s knife paused against the cutting board. She let out a quiet breath, leaning her head back against his shoulder.

"Mikay briefed me before you left," she said softly. "How was your meeting with Lord Prescott?"

"He tried to threaten our supply lines," Evren replied, resting his chin lightly on the top of her head. "I told him I’d buy his shipping docks and smelting foundries if he got in our way."

An amused breath escaped Amber’s lips, but the tension in her shoulders remained.

"And how is Zephyra?" Amber asked, her voice dipping slightly.

"Fast asleep," Evren said. "The broth you sent was finished, and the thermal therapy eased her nerve spasms."

"That’s good," Amber murmured. "She’s been through so much..."

Amber set the knife down on the board, staring at the bowl of sliced fruit. She hesitated for a long moment before speaking. This time, her voice was barely above a whisper. "Evren?"

"Hmm?"

"When you met me... I was paralyzed in a wheelchair. My family had discarded me, and I was completely useless."

Evren loosened his hold slightly and turned Amber around so she could face him directly.

Amber looked up into his eyes. There was no jealousy in her gaze, only a deep, raw vulnerability that she had kept hidden beneath her smile.

"Now you’re bringing home legendary S-Rank assassins like Zephyra," Amber whispered. "You gave me my legs back and built an entire empire for us... but what if one day you realize I’m not enough? What if I’m just a burden holding you back?"

Evren looked at her for a long second.

He reached up, cupped her warm cheek with his palm, and leaned down, pressing a tender kiss against her forehead.

"Look at me, Amber."

Amber met his eyes, her golden-amber irises shimmering with unshed tears.

"When I took you home from that hotel lobby, I had forty-two dollars in my bank account and nothing to my name," Evren said softly. "You didn’t look down on me. You trusted me when no one else in this city would."

Evren pulled her into a tight embrace.

"You are the Empress of Apex, Amber. You own forty-nine percent of everything I build. No one... not Zephyra, not an S-Rank titan, not anyone will ever take your place."

Amber buried her face into his chest, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. The doubt that had lingered in her chest melted away completely, replaced by a rush of warmth.

After a moment, Evren gently brushed a stray lock of hair from her cheek and smiled.

"You know what?" Evren asked with a spark of mystery in his eyes. "How about we go somewhere? I have a surprise for you."

Amber blinked, wiping a stray tear from her eyelash. "A surprise? Where?"

"Get your coat," Evren smiled. "You’ll see."

Twenty minutes later, Amber and Evren arrived at the Shadow-Bazaar’s secret entrance in Sector 1. Steam hissed from the pipes lining the dark walls as they reached the heavy iron doors of Master Tridon’s forge.

Thick blue smoke poured from the exhaust vents and the loud sound of a master forging hammer rang through the corridor.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

"This is... Master Tridon’s forge inside the Shadow-Bazaar?" Amber asked, recognizing the S-Rank blacksmithing crest engraved on the heavy iron doors.

"Let’s go inside," Evren said, taking her hand.

They walked through the heavy reinforced doors into the blazing heat of the grand forge.

Master Tridon stood in the center of the workshop. Sweat glistened on his muscular body, and his leather apron was covered in soot.

Beside him, two glowing blue S-Rank Glacial Wyvern Dragon-Bone ingots rested on the heavy anvil, shimmering with pure frost mana.

"Chairman Evren! Lady Amber!" Master Tridon boomed in his deep voice, setting down his massive iron tongs. "Right on time!"

Amber looked between the glowing dragon-bone ingots and the holographic blueprint hovering above the forge table... a blueprint depicting twin, razor-sharp crystalline curved sabers wrapped in frost-fire runes.

"Evren..." Amber’s breath caught in her throat. "Is this..."

"When you took the Stage 3 Pill and unlocked your full S-Rank Valkyrie core, this blueprint was waiting for you," Evren said, looking at her with a proud smile. "And as the Empress of Apex, you deserve a weapon worthy of your name."

Evren squeezed her hand gently. "I’m no master of weapon crafts, Amber. Tell Master Tridon exactly what you need. Whatever it takes, money is no object."

Amber’s eyes lit up.

She stepped up to the forge table, examining the holographic schematics and the glowing dragon-bone ingots.

"Master Tridon, I need the balance shifted two inches toward the handle for better control in the air. The blade curve needs a thirty-degree sweep for faster slashes, and I need a special spirit quench so the dragon-bone channels my Valkyrie mana instantly."

Master Tridon’s bushy eyebrows shot up in genuine admiration. He slapped his leather apron with a booming laugh.

"Spoken like a true S-Rank warrior!" Tridon grinned, rubbing his hands together. "For high-grade celestial quenching solvents, custom weight balancing, and full core-resonance tuning with dragon-bone? Five million dollars flat, Chairman."

Evren didn’t hesitate for a single second.

He reached into his pocket, pulled out his card, and tapped it directly against Master Tridon’s payment scanner.

"Five million. Done."

BEEP.

The moment the five-million-dollar transaction cleared, an explosive burst of golden light flashed directly behind Evren’s retinas:

[DING!]

[EXPENDITURE VERIFIED: $5,000,000.00 USD]

[TARGET: AMBER STERLING (HEROINE #1 — WEAPON ARMAMENT & CULTIVATION FORGING)]

[PERMANENT BASELINE MULTIPLIER ACTIVATED: 100x!]

[REBATE CALCULATION: $5,000,000.00 × 100 = $500,000,000.00 USD!]

[REBATE REWARD: $500,000,000.00 USD TRANSFERRED DIRECTLY TO YOUR MASTER APEX VIP ACCOUNT!]

[FINANCIAL STATUS UPDATE:]

*REAL-WORLD LIQUID BALANCE: $905,047,542.50 USD*

*SYSTEM SOVEREIGN VAULT: $200,000,000,000.00 USD (Transdimensional Reserve)*

Master Tridon’s account pinged with the five-million-dollar deposit, and his eyes lit up in excitement.

"Five million in full upfront! Stand back, Chairman! Lady Amber, channel your mana into the anvil’s resonance basin!"

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