Chapter 535 Two Paths, One Heart

bAvery /bstood frozen on the training field, gripping his phone tightly. His thumb brushed bagain /band bagain /bbover /bthe photo case–a picture of the five band members taken backstage at the Grammys bst /bbyear/bb. /bbIn /bbit/bb, /bbTessa /bwas shing a peace sign with a bright smile, while he stood beside her, grinning like a fool, bhis /bbsmall /bfangs peeking out.

The words he’d said earlier–icutting /iities/i–were like a thorn lodged in his throat. It stung just thinking about it. He knew he’d acted like a jerk. He only wanted to protect his brothers, but the words that came out had been like a de, cutting deep.

Would Steven and the others really leave? Would Tessa think he’d lost his mind?

The phone screen dimmed, then lit up again. He opened Tessa’s contact, his finger hovering over the bcall /bbutton, unable to press it. He’d rehearsed his apology a hundred times in his head, but when it came to saying it out loud, all he had left was clumsy regret.

Just as he took a deep breath, ready to make the call, the screen lit up again–with an iing call.

From Tessa.

Avery jolted, nearly dropping his phone.

He stared at it, making sure it wasn’t his imagination, then frantically swiped to answer, his voice tight. “Hello?”

“What were you doing? Took you long enough.” Tessa’s voice came through the speaker with a hint of a smile. “I just thought of a way for you to keep the corps iand /ireturn to the band. Wanna hear iit/i?”

Avery froze, then awkwardly rubbed at his burning ears.

So… some things didn’t need to be said out loud. She’d already understood.

“Yes! What is it?” Avery’s breath quickened with hope.

Could there really be a way to have both?

Tessa didn’t waste time. Sheid out the n: support an internal sessor while providing crystals to help improve the corps‘ formation.

There was silence on the other end for a long time–so long she wondered if the signal had dropped. Finally, Avery’s voice came through, thick with emotion.

“You’re saying… I can really go back to making music?”

“Only if you help me find someone solid inside the corps,” Tessa teased. “If you pick a dud, Mr. Xavier’s not going to buy it.”

“I already have someone in mind, but I need to double–check the records.” Avery’s voice turned serious. “There’s a guy named Scarface. Fought alongside my dad for ten years. He led the Crimson Valley mission -solid rep,mands respect. Bit blunt, though… I’ll need to check the files and talk to people who’ve worked under him.”

He spoke in a steady stream, his excitement impossible to hide.

In the days that followed, the two of them worked in perfect sync.

14:47 Man 14 JU

Chapter 535 Two bPaths/b, bOne /bHeart

bAvery /bimmersed himself bin /bbthe /btraining grounds and archives bof /bbthe /bColdfang bCorps/bb, /bbbing /bbthrough /bfive byears /bbof /bScarface’s mission reports. bHe /bcasually chatted bwith /bover a dozen bmercenaries /bbwho’d /bbserved /bbund- /bbhim/bb, /band the picture became clear: not only had the veteran shown brilliant leadership bin /bbthe /bboutnumbered /bbvictory /bat Crimson Valley, but he’d also carned a quiet reputation among the ranks bas /bsomeone who looked out for the younger ones–always setting aside extra pay for injured rookies after missionsb. /bbHe /bbwas /bbthe /bsafestb, /bmost reliable candidate.

Meanwhile, Tessa tapped into the Nightshade Pack’s intelligencework and sourced three bcrates /bof bhigh- /bpurity energy crystals–each with an 80% purity rating. More than enough to fuel Xavier’s boverhaul /bof bthe /bcorps‘ core battle formation.

Just as their n was beginning to take shape, the day of Ysabel’s albumunch arrived.

True to her word, Tessa showed up arm in arm with Landon at the event venue.

Backstage, Ysabel had already changed into her gown and finished her makeup. Nathaniel stood nearby holding her purse–and a thermal cup clenched tightly in his hand.

“I told you to drink more water, but you wouldn’t listen. Don’t you know how important your voice bis /bbas /ba singer? Come on, one more sip,” he nagged with the earnest concern of a fretful parent.

Ysabel gave him a helpless side–eye. “Nathaniel, it’s just aunch. Do you really need to be this nervous?”

“I’m not nervous,” he insisted, though his grip on the thermos betrayed him. “I just don’t want your throat going dry on stage.”

Watching his reddening ears, Ysabel’s tone softened.

“Thank you… for always being there.”

In that moment, it felt like she’d truly grown up.

合

2.8K