Yvette raised her eyebrows, studying the clearly battered Joe. "Who sold you out to the underground auction house?"

Joe's frustration flared. He gulped down water and vented, "It was the Storm Wind! After you gave me that file, my grandpa cracked down on them. They wised up, though—their leader allied with Damian."

"Yvette, you probably haven't heard, but Damian publicly declared in Mysonna's underworld that he's cut ties with Braydon. Who knows what's really going on? Now, Mysonna's underworld is in chaos, with factions choosing sides. Grandpa wants to avoid their feud, and the Yoder family has made its stance clear. But those Goodman psychos won't leave me alone—they've been tailing me constantly. I let my guard down, and Damian ambushed me. Next thing I knew, I woke up at that awful auction house."

Joe paused, his expression hardening, a stark contrast to his usual nonchalance. "Once I'm back in Mysonna, Storm Wind won't get away with this. I'll make sure they pay, and my grandpa won't let Damian off easily."

He spoke with confidence. In Mysonna, if Carl were enraged, even Damian would tread carefully—which is why Joe had been careless and allowed Storm Wind to succeed. If not for Yvette and Jeremiah, he'd be missing.

Yvette lifted her gaze, her expression partly shadowed, chin raised. "Storm Wind going after you might not have been Damian's orders. What does Mr. Yoder say about the Goodman family's actions?"

Jeremiah tilted his head, his eyes sharp and thoughtful.

Joe hesitated. "Yvette, before the ambush, Grandpa warned me Damian was always scheming. Braydon is his favorite grandson, so he wouldn't genuinely cut him off. But we can't figure out why he's putting on this act."

Yvette's fingers tapped rhythmically on the armrest; a mocking smile played on her lips. "He wants to unify Mysonna's underworld as a foundation for Braydon's rise."

Hearing Braydon's name, Jeremiah paused. "Damian's announcement is a test—to see who's truly loyal to Braydon and who's fickle. Afterward, only the most reliable will remain. Clever."

Joe's understanding clicked into place. If Yvette's right, he thought, Damian's played a long game. He's using the entire Mysonna underworld to help Braydon. Ruthless. Those allied with Damian will be eliminated by Braydon. Most won't even realize they're pawns. What a plan!

Samantha, struggling to comprehend the discussion of Mysonna's underworld, thought, How many people does Yvette know? And now, a grandson of Carl? Who's next—the president of Mysonna, a king from another country? Anything seems possible. She didn't want to contemplate the vastness of Yvette's network.

Suddenly, Joe said, "Yvette, do you know Charles? It seems he's being hunted by Braydon. I've tried to track him, but found nothing. His trail is wiped clean. I'm sorry. I couldn't save him."

Joe hung his head, guilt evident. Charles was someone Yvette had personally mentored; his disappearance would devastate her.

A man's voice echoed from the doorway. "Who are you talking about?"

Joe spun around, disbelief etched on his face. It was Charles! He stiffened, glancing at Yvette, who sat nonchalantly on the couch. What the hell… Why is Charles here? He's working with Yvette! No wonder I couldn't find him, no matter how many hackers I hired.

Charles entered, placing a milkshake on the table. "Jeremiah asked me to get you a strawberry milkshake, Yvette."

He turned to Joe, who remained frozen. What's he doing here, and why is he dressed like that? Charles usually wore flashy outfits; today, he looked…dark.

Joe rushed forward, hugging Charles. Charles recoiled, distaste evident. What's with the heavy perfume?

Joe grinned. "If I'd known you were with Yvette, I wouldn't have wasted so much time looking for you, bro! I thought you were dead, killed by Braydon, left to rot somewhere! I lost sleep over this, even went to the wild mountains to find you!"

Charles gritted his teeth at Joe's theatrics. "I'm supposed to thank you, right? I'm still alive, bro." Joe awkwardly wiped away nonexistent tears. "Yvette, some from the Goodman family's Seventy-Two Chambers are getting dissatisfied with Braydon."

Charles's face darkened. Since leaving Mysonna, he hadn't paid much attention to the Goodman family or the Seventy-Two Chambers. "The Seventy-Two Chambers is led by Carson. He's always been adept at navigating both sides; he wouldn't mess up."

Joe slumped onto the couch, biting into an apple. "The Seventy-Two Chambers was originally trained by Yvette. They didn't move because you were there, but now Braydon's after you, it's no surprise they're complaining."

He assumed everyone knew Yvette had trained the Seventy-Two Chambers. As soon as the words left his mouth, the room fell silent. He realized his mistake.

Charles stared at Joe, speechless.

Emmett stammered, "What? Yvette's the instructor for the Goodman family's Seventy-Two Chambers? Isn't the instructor Deadlock?"

The apple core dropped from Eagle King's hand. What? Yvette is Deadlock?

Deadlock was a legendary figure in the underworld—a ruthless instructor who had shaped the Seventy-Two Chambers into an elite force that dominated Mysonna. She had once led them to wipe out three local gangs in a single night, establishing the Goodmans' power. The Goodman family's rise was attributed to Deadlock and her elite forces.

The Seventy-Two Chambers comprised about one hundred of the finest fighters, each with specialized skills, all taught by Deadlock. Their loyalty was absolute. Joe's revelation that Deadlock was Yvette stunned everyone.

Emmett felt his mind shutting down.