Hospital.


    Flora hung up the phone and nced at the doctor next to her, her expression cool and collected. "Go ahead," she said.


    The doctor was taken aback. The Flora who had been sweet-talking on the phone seemed like apletely different person now! It''s true-when ites to love, women can change in the blink of an eye. With new urgency, the doctor quickly reced her bandages. The wound was still bleeding heavily-a sight that would make most people wince.


    But Flora didn''t even flinch.


    Connor had promised to be back in twenty minutes, and like clockwork, he returned, carrying a cup of chicken soup.


    The doctor had just finished changing Flora''s dressing.


    "Have a little something to tide you over, and then I''ll whip up something nice at home," Connor said, gently patting Flora''s head and setting the small table over her bed. His voice was as soft as a whisper. "Feed me," Flora said with a yful blink.


    "Sure thing." Connor carefully arranged two pillows behind her, making sure she wasfortable.


    Once the soup was finished, Connor took out the trash and asked the guard waiting outside, "Did anyone stop by while I was out?"


    The guard reported that quite a few people had visited Ms. Flora. The entire Falcone family showed up, Karter brought Adrian along, and Mr. Tanner dropped by with Felene and others.


    ...


    Lone Ind, Council Hall.


    The room was brightly lit.


    Among the four major families, only the Falcone family was absent. The River, White, and Mu families were all in attendance, along with several other notable families. They had gathered to figure out how to handle Connor.


    "Connor''s gonepletely rogue.


    He doesn''t respect us anymore. If we let him carry on, he''ll be a real threat to Lone Ind. We should''ve taken him out when he was stiff rising," Tommy fumed His anger was palpable, especially with Abbey still fighting for his life in the hospital. Connor''s shot was meant to kill, and if Abbey''s heart hadn''t been slightly out of ce, he''d be dead by now.


    "We''ve messed up once, but it''s time to fix it. We need to rally all of Lone Ind''s families to make sure Connor doesn''te back this time!"


    After he spoke, the room fell silent.


    Everyone seemed to be waiting for a leader to step up. Tommy turned to the chairman at the head of the table:Chairman, you''ve seen what


    Connor is capable of. What''s y 2.7€


    take?"


    The chairman remained silent, his gaze unreadable, fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest. "Why did Connor lose it today, Tommy? Don''t you know?" a voice suddenly challenged. Tommy frowned, turning to the speaker. "What are you getting at, head of the Reyes family?"


    "For years, Connor''s lived peacefully among us. Sure, he''s a bit aloof, but


    he''s never the one to start trouble.


    But now The head of the Reve


    ????


    family sneered, "You went after his fiancée, and you expect him to just y nice?"


    The room went quiet. The smaller families didn''t dare say a word. The Reyes and White families weren''t ones to be trifled with. With the two powerhouse families at odds, no one else dared to chime in.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Even the chairman couldn''t help but give Karter a surprised look.


    Karter, usually the peacemaker, was confronting someone head-on for the first time.


    Tommy, too, was caught off guard. He hadn''t expected Karter, normally the most agreeable person, to be the first to call him out.