Chapter 252 | Let’s Go Girls

Wayne lowered his head slightly before beginning his report.

"Our spy sent another dispatch today."

Michael remained seated on the sofa, his crimson eyes resting calmly on Wayne. The blood pool behind him had resumed its slow rotation, crimson wisps rising from the surface like steam from a heated spring.

"The old man still hasn’t given Violette the key," Wayne continued. "Which means she still doesn’t possess complete authority. Officially, she hasn’t become the leader yet."

Michael said nothing.

His fingers rested against the arm of the sofa while the three attendants remained completely silent around him. They had returned to their positions after the earlier outburst, their heads bowed, their presence barely noticeable.

Wayne continued. "According to our sources, the old man’s condition is worsening. He’s growing weaker by the day. Everyone expected him to retire and transfer authority to Violette long ago."

Michael’s eyes narrowed slightly. "But he hasn’t."

"No."

"Why?"

"That is precisely what we’re trying to understand."

Wayne straightened slightly. "The authority transfer ceremony should have begun already. Violette is the obvious successor, and from everything we’ve gathered, the old man originally intended to hand everything over to her."

Michael tapped one finger against the armrest. Tap. Tap. Tap.

"Yet he still possesses the key."

"Yes."

The chamber fell silent.

Behind them, the enormous pool of blood continued rotating slowly, crimson wisps occasionally rising from its surface. The metallic scent of it hung in the air, thick and cloying.

Michael glanced toward it but said nothing.

Wayne understood that as permission to continue.

"There is something else."

Michael looked back at him.

"Our sources reported that Violette and the old man recently had a falling-out."

The tapping stopped.

Michael’s expression finally changed. "A falling-out?"

"Yes. We haven’t discovered exactly what caused it, but considering the timing, we believe it may be related to the key and the authority transfer ceremony."

Michael leaned back.

That certainly made things more interesting.

Violette had spent years preparing to inherit that position. For the old man to suddenly delay the transfer now... Something must have happened.

"There was also a name mentioned during their disagreement," Wayne added.

Michael’s gaze sharpened. "What name?"

Wayne hesitated. "Dexter."

The atmosphere changed.

Michael slowly turned his head. His crimson eyes locked onto Wayne with an intensity that made the air itself feel heavier.

"Which Dexter?"

Wayne suddenly felt uncomfortable. He had expected Michael to react to Violette’s name. But not like this.

"Dexter Ashford."

BOOM!

An invisible pressure erupted throughout the chamber.

The sofa beneath Michael cracked. The three attendants were instantly forced to their knees, their previous composure vanishing beneath the overwhelming pressure. Wayne’s expression changed dramatically. His own knee slammed against the floor.

Boom!

His entire body trembled.

Even the blood inside the enormous pool began churning violently.

Michael slowly rose. His long crimson hair shifted behind him despite there being no wind inside the chamber.

"Dexter..."

The name escaped his mouth almost like a curse.

Wayne remained kneeling. He didn’t dare interrupt.

Michael’s hand slowly curled into a fist.

Crack!

The air around his fingers distorted.

His expression, which had remained calm throughout the entire report, had become frighteningly cold.

"Not only did you take her from me..."

His fist tightened further.

"...now you’re involved in this matter too?"

The pressure intensified.

Wayne gritted his teeth. He could barely breathe. Yet what frightened him wasn’t the pressure itself. It was Michael’s reaction.

He had known there was history between Michael and Dexter. But this? This was hatred. Deep hatred.

Michael closed his eyes.

Several seconds passed.

Then the terrifying pressure disappeared as suddenly as it had arrived.

Wayne gasped quietly. The attendants remained kneeling. Michael opened his eyes again. His expression had returned to normal. Almost.

"Continue watching Violette."

Wayne immediately lowered his head. "Yes."

"And Dexter?"

Wayne waited.

Michael’s crimson eyes seemed to become several shades darker.

"Find out why his name was mentioned."

"Yes."

"I want to know what connection he has to the key, the old man, and the authority transfer."

Wayne nodded. "Understood."

Michael turned toward the blood pool.

"And Wayne?"

Wayne froze. "Yes?"

Michael glanced at him over his shoulder. "Don’t let Dexter know we’re watching him."

Wayne lowered his head. "I won’t."

Michael said nothing else.

Wayne understood. The meeting was over. He stood, bowed once, and left the chamber.

Click.

The door closed behind him.

Michael remained standing silently.

Dexter Ashford.

After all this time, that name had appeared before him again.

His eyes slowly narrowed. "Dexter..."

---

Morning arrived.

And while forces hidden throughout Stargate City were beginning to move around his name, Dexter knew absolutely nothing about it.

He was busy cooking.

Two large sets of meals occupied the kitchen. The first consisted of Grade One meals. Dexter had deliberately prepared plenty of them because of what Tessa had told him the previous night. The neighborhood festival was essentially a massive picnic, and exchanging food was part of the tradition.

Naturally, Dexter couldn’t bring his best meals and hand them out indiscriminately. Not because he was stingy. Grade Five meals were simply far too valuable. Giving them away at an ordinary neighborhood festival would attract more attention than he wanted.

So the Grade One meals were perfect. Good enough to impress people. Low enough in grade not to cause absolute chaos.

The second set of meals was completely different. Grade Five. Those were exclusively for his wives.

Dexter smiled as he finished the final dish. "Done."

He turned off the heat and began washing his hands. Then he felt someone behind him. He didn’t turn around.

"Good morning, Lyra."

Silence.

To anyone watching, it would’ve appeared as though Dexter had greeted an empty kitchen.

Then a sweet, melodious voice sounded directly inside his mind. "Good morning, Dexter."

Dexter smiled. Lyra stood quietly behind him.

"I slept well," her voice continued inside his head. "How about you?"

"Pretty well."

Dexter dried his hands. He remembered waking up with Selene wrapped around him and decided that perhaps pretty well was an understatement.

He turned toward Lyra. "How are the others?"

Lyra blinked. "They’re almost ready."

"Almost?"

"They’re still dressing."

Dexter glanced toward the hallway. Lyra smiled. "I’ll tell them to hurry."

"Thanks."

Lyra nodded brightly. Then, before leaving, her eyes wandered toward the food. Dexter noticed.

"Lyra."

Her hand stopped. She looked at him innocently.

Dexter looked at the small snack already in her hand. Then back at her. Lyra silently took another bite.

Dexter sighed. "At least leave enough for the festival."

A beautiful smile spread across her face. Then she turned and hurried toward the girls’ room.

Dexter shook his head. He couldn’t even be angry.

With the cooking finished, he packed everything into two separate coolers. One contained the Grade One meals meant for sharing. The other contained the Grade Five meals reserved for himself and the girls.

He carried both outside. His Type 6 vehicle was already waiting. Dexter opened it and carefully secured the coolers inside.

"That’s everything."

Or at least he hoped so. After double-checking the vehicle, Dexter returned to the house. He pushed open the front door.

Then stopped. Completely.

Three women were waiting in the living room. Lyra. Selene. Mira.

For several seconds, Dexter genuinely forgot why he had come back inside.

They were wearing the dresses he had bought for them weeks ago. The same dresses they rejected was what they were wearing right now.

Lyra stood slightly to the left. Her dark hair flowed beautifully around her shoulders, contrasting with the elegant dark gown she wore. The dress carried a quiet elegance that suited her perfectly, making her already delicate appearance even more striking.

Then there was Mira. Even sitting in her wheelchair, her presence was impossible to ignore. Her gown possessed a deep color somewhere between crimson and dark orange. Under different angles of light, it seemed to shift between the two. Dexter wasn’t entirely sure what color he should call it. But he knew one thing. It suited her. Perfectly. The fiery shade complemented her hair and gave her a fierce elegance.

Then Dexter noticed something else. The necklace. His eyes paused. Mira was wearing the necklace he had given her. For some reason, seeing that affected him even more than the dress. She had accepted it. And she had chosen to wear it today.

Finally, Dexter’s eyes moved toward Selene. Her gown was pure white. Combined with her silver-white hair, she appeared almost otherworldly. A delicate necklace rested around her neck, accompanied by matching earrings.

The three women were completely different from one another. Lyra possessed a quiet, mysterious beauty. Mira was fiery and commanding. Selene carried an icy elegance.

Yet standing together... Dexter had only one thought.

Beautiful. Far too beautiful.

His brain temporarily stopped supplying useful words.

The girls noticed.

Lyra’s cheeks slowly became pink. Selene looked away, a faint blush appearing across her face. Even Mira seemed slightly uncomfortable beneath the intensity of his stare.

Still, none of them said anything. Neither did Dexter.

Several seconds passed. Then more.

Eventually, Mira couldn’t take it anymore. "Have you seen enough?"

Her voice finally dragged Dexter back to reality. He blinked. Then looked at her.

Without even thinking, he answered honestly. "No."

Silence.

Lyra covered her mouth. A tiny laugh escaped her. Selene also failed to completely suppress her smile.

Mira stared at Dexter. Her eyes narrowed.

Dexter blinked again. Then realized what he had just said.

"Oh."

Mira’s glare intensified.

Dexter cleared his throat. "I mean..."

He looked at the three of them again. No. Actually, he had meant exactly what he said. His lips curved upward.

"You three look beautiful."

Lyra’s blush deepened. Selene lowered her eyes. Mira looked away.

"Obviously."

Dexter chuckled. Of course that would be Mira’s answer.

Still, he couldn’t stop looking at them. Not simply because they looked beautiful. The dresses meant something to him. When he had first given them the clothes and jewelry, he hadn’t been sure how they felt about the gifts. Now they were wearing them willingly.

It was a small thing. Perhaps ridiculously small. Yet to Dexter, it felt like proof that the invisible distance between them was slowly disappearing.

He didn’t mention it. There was no reason to ruin the moment.

Instead, Dexter pulled out his phone. 10:30 a.m.

His eyes widened slightly. "Right."

He slipped the phone back into his pocket.

Mira raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"We should probably leave before Tessa starts accusing me of deliberately hiding food from her."

Lyra tilted her head. Selene looked confused. Mira simply stared at him.

Dexter laughed. "Long story."

He walked toward the door and opened it before turning toward the three women.

"All right, girls."

Dexter smiled. "Let’s get moving."

And one after another, the four of them finally stepped out of the house for the festival.