Chapter 1473
Hazel froze, her heart suddenly warming.
It felt as if something light and comforting had drifted down on his words, settling deeply into her soul.
She had seen more danger than most.
And she had heard her fair share of warnings.
But rarely had anyone told her so softly, so gently don’t push yourself too hard.
She looked at Julian, suddenly realizing that this man wasn’t just a great chef or a nice guy.
He was genuinely worried about her.
And he was worried about her supposed ‘friend p>
Hazel tightened her grip on the pastry box, flashing Julian a bright, brilliant smile as she waved.
“Don’t worry, Julian p>
Her expression was bold, her smile radiant. “I value my life way too much p>
With that, she turned and practically skipped down the hallway with her prize.
Julian stepped out of the kitchen after her, his eyes tracking her as she made her way down the long corridor toward the guest wing.
The night was heavy and dark.
The estate’s ambient lights caught the vibrant red of her hair, making it impossible to miss.
Like a dancing flame cutting through the dark.
He watched until her silhouette completely vanished into the shadows.
A few moments later, the lights in her guest room flicked on.
Only then did Julian slowly withdraw his gaze.
After a long silence.
He let out a low chuckle. “Good to hear p>
He stepped back into the kitchen.
Without Hazel, the room felt incredibly quiet.
The warm yellow light pooled over the dining table.
The empty pasta bowl still sat there, alongside the spotless dessert plate.
He cleaned the kitchen meticulously before finally heading up to his own bedroom. The door clicked shut.
He reached up and unfastened his cufflinks, slowly and methodically rolling down the sleeves of his dress shirt.
Whitecliffe Harbor.
Project Zero-Transit.
The Panacea.
Hazel hadn’t said much, but it was enough.
This avenue was far more dangerous than they initially calculated, and it led right to the very core of Black Sun.
He picked up a sleek black phone sitting on his desk and dialed a heavily encrypted number.
It rang three times.
Then connected.
An exaggerated, flamboyant male voice burst through the speaker. “Oh, my god! Joker! My dearest friend, it has been far too long since you’ve graced me with a call p>
The man spoke in rapid International English.
“What’s this? Finally remembered your poor, neglected buddy p>
“But Joker, considering the time over there, are you calling because you have a beautifully lucrative job for me p>
Julian stood in front of the
floor-to-ceiling windows. The
moonlight cast a pale glow over his
elegant, aristocratic features
making him look impossibly calm
and harmless.
His voice was smooth and polite. “I need a boarding pass for Project Zero-Transit.
The identity must be spotless, and the procurement channel completely invisible p>
The other end of the line went dead silent for a second.
Then, the voice shrieked in exaggerated shock. “Excuse me p>
“Wait, Joker. How do you even know about that hellhole, Project Zero-Transit p>
The broker sounded instantly
thrilled, his words tumbling out in a rush. “That is no ordinary cruise, my friend. Even veterans of the underground haven’t earned the right to hear its name. Do you have any idea where Project zero-Fansit drops anchor? And you’re casually demanding a ticket p>
“Joker, where did you get your intel? How come I haven’t heard a whisper about any
major plays happening on that ship p>
Julian’s expression didn’t change. “I have my own channels p>
“You just need to tell me if you can get the ticket p>
“I mean, I *can* get it.” The broker clicked his tongue. “But you know better than
anyone that this isn’t just some run-of-the-mill venue p>
“Project Zero-Transit is one of the hardest clearances to acquire in the global black market p>
“It’s not your standard black-market
VIP invite. Half the world wants on
that ship but the people who
actually get their hands on a
Raven Plume Pass are agonizingly rare. It takes more than just cash to step aboard.” sŵnovels
“Furthermore, you want a spotless identity and an invisible channel. That… makes things very tricky p>
Julian said flatly, “Twenty million dollars p>
The other end paused. “Joker, my friend, that really hurts my feelings. It’s not about
the money. It’s just that this item carries a massive risk p>