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Chapter 476 106.3 - A small talk

I initiated the call, but the connection failed. The same automated message played, stating that her smartwatch could not be reached.

\'Figures,\' I thought, a bit disappointed but not entirely surprised.

Senior Maya….. Her situation was kind of weird. I had never heard of Evergreen\'s family or anything like that, but at the same time, she had immense amounts of resources to which she could have access.

That is why it was not hard to judge that she was some sort of important person as well.

\'Now that I think about it, maybe I can obtain the information from this place.\'

It was a natural thought, but that was for a different time.

I didn\'t want to leave things hanging since I know that she can be a bit hard to handle sometimes.

\'Let\'s hope that nothing goes wrong. I had spent a lot of time getting those blood bags ready.\'

It was a decision that I had made once, and now, I am going to see the end of it. There is nothing that can be done other than this.

I switched to the voice message function and recorded a short message.

"Senior Maya, it\'s your Junior, Astron. I\'m in the middle of some secluded training, so if you can\'t reach me, that\'s why. I just wanted to let you know that things are going well, and I\'m making progress. Take care, and stay safe."

I ended the message and sent it off.

\'This should suffice.\' At least, I hope it does.

******

Jeremy Hawkins stood frozen, his extended hand slowly dropping to his side as Irina gracefully turned away, her attention fully captured by the call. The lightheartedness in her tone, the ease with which she dismissed him, stung more than he cared to admit. For a moment, his charming facade faltered, his smile wavering as he watched her retreating figure. The way she had so effortlessly excused herself felt like a slap in the face, and the sting of humiliation burned hotter as he noticed the amused glances from the other heirs scattered around the banquet hall.

They weren\'t even trying to hide their amusement, their eyes gleaming with barely concealed laughter. A few whispers flitted through the air, subtle enough to avoid overt disrespect but loud enough for Jeremy to catch their derision. He knew what they were thinking: The great Jeremy Hawkins, heir to the mighty Hawkins family, just got publicly snubbed.

The realization made his blood boil. But Jeremy was nothing if not composed under pressure. He forced a smile, his expression betraying nothing of the storm brewing inside him.

With a casual shrug, he adjusted the cuff of his tailored suit as if the encounter had been of no consequence at all. He lifted his chin slightly, meeting the amused gazes of his peers with a cool indifference as though their opinions were beneath him.

But inside, rage simmered. \'How dare she humiliate me like this?\' The thought gnawed at him as he made his way back to where his friends were lounging, their smug expressions making it clear they had witnessed the entire exchange. As soon as Jeremy reached them, the jabs began.

"Well, well, well, looks like our smooth-talking Jeremy isn\'t as irresistible as he thought," one of them drawled, a sly grin spreading across his face.

"I could have told you Irina wouldn\'t fall for that charm of yours," another added, snickering as he took a sip of his drink. "But you were so confident, weren\'t you? What was it you said? \'No girl can resist the Hawkins allure\'?"

Jeremy\'s jaw tightened, but he kept his composure, forcing a laugh to match theirs. "She\'s just playing hard to get," he replied smoothly, though the words felt hollow. "I\'ll get her next time."

Oh, sure," one of them jeered. "You keep telling yourself that, Jeremy."

The taunting continued, each word chipping away at his pride. They had made a bet earlier in the evening, a foolish wager born out of Jeremy\'s overconfidence.

He had been so sure of himself, so certain that Irina would fall under his spell like so many others before her. But now, standing there with his friends mocking him, the taste of failure was bitter on his tongue.

Jeremy\'s mind raced as the mocking laughter of his friends faded into the background, becoming nothing more than a dull hum in his ears. The bitterness of his failure was quickly overshadowed by a growing sense of unease. Why didn\'t it work? He had been so certain that Irina would be just another conquest, another piece in the puzzle that his family was carefully constructing across the Federation. His charm, honed and amplified by his family\'s secret skill, had never failed him before.

Father said it was foolproof, Jeremy thought, a bead of cold sweat forming at the base of his neck. \'It was supposed to work on everyone of this age, especially someone like her.\'

The memory of his father\'s stern, calculating face flashed in his mind. His father had been explicit—this skill was their family\'s trump card, a guarantee of influence and control. It was a subtle power woven into the very fabric of Jeremy\'s being, passed down and perfected over two generations. It wasn\'t just charisma; it was a force, an innate ability that bent the will of others to his own.

\'Is she that strong now?\'

The question gnawed at him. Irina, being a member of the Emberheart family, had always been formidable, but this was different.

If she had resisted his charm so easily, it meant one of two things: either his power was weakening, or she had grown far stronger than anyone had anticipated. Neither option was comforting.

The Hawkins family had made its fortune through cunning and manipulation, and their deals with the demons ensured their rise to power.

The skill Jeremy had inherited was a direct result of those dark pacts—an ability to subtly influence the minds of others, making them more agreeable, more pliable.

It was a tool of seduction and persuasion, one that had brought countless benefits to the Hawkins name. Contracts signed, alliances forged, and rivals eliminated—all with a smile and a few well-placed words.

But now, standing in the glittering banquet hall with the sting of failure fresh on his mind, Jeremy couldn\'t shake the growing fear that something was wrong. Very wrong.

\'What if others find out?\' The thought sent a chill down his spine. If word got out that his ability had failed, it could unravel everything. His family\'s carefully constructed web of influence could start to fray. And his father… his father would not be pleased.

Jeremy\'s friends continued to banter around him, oblivious to the storm brewing in his mind. He forced himself to laugh along, to maintain the facade of carefree confidence. But his thoughts were elsewhere, spiraling into a dark place filled with doubt and paranoia.

I need to understand what happened. Jeremy resolved, his mind shifting from panic to action. He had to find out why his charm had failed—why Irina, of all people, had been immune to his influence. And more importantly, he had to make sure it never happened again.

\'Is it possible she\'s come into contact with something—or someone—that could shield her?\'

The thought of demonic interference crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. While there was more than one demonic organization in the human federation, the Emberheart Family was not the one to do such a thing.

No, this was something different. Something closer to home, perhaps. There were rumors and whispers of Irina\'s growing strength, but at the same time, something about her also reached his ears.

\'Is that him?\'

He remembered a certain picture. It was taken by a student of Arcadia Hunter Academy, and it had fallen onto the internet not long ago.

Jeremy\'s mind raced as he replayed the image in his head—Irina with that young man. The memory of the photograph was as clear as day: Irina\'s unmistakable fiery red hair, even partially hidden beneath a mask, and the young man beside her. Black hair, a fair-shaped face, and a presence that seemed almost forgettable—almost, if not for the striking purple eyes that set him apart.

\'Who is he?\' Jeremy\'s thoughts spiraled back to the rumors he had heard, whispers of Irina\'s growing strength and her mysterious associations. The boy\'s face had seemed familiar, but only in the vaguest sense, like someone he had seen in passing but never given much thought to. But those purple eyes had a strange intensity, though for a person like him, there was no way a random person like him could do anything.

But that wasn\'t the point. No, the point was that Irina, who had effortlessly shrugged off his influence, was seen in public with this boy. Jeremy\'s gut told him there was a connection, something crucial that he was missing.

Jeremy turned to his friends, who were still bantering and mocking him, oblivious to the shift in his demeanor. He didn\'t have time for their jobs right now.

He had a plan in his mind.

He first called one of his subordinates to investigate this boy, and not long after, he got the name.

Astron Natusalune. Arcadia Hunter Academy student rank 1071. Orphan, no parents. \'Heh….You bitch.\' Jeremy\'s mind buzzed with the new information: Astron Natusalune. An orphan, a low-ranking student at Arcadia Hunter Academy, with no apparent ties or support. The perfect target. The fact that this nobody had managed to capture Irina\'s attention—enough for her to publicly associate with him—only fueled Jeremy\'s anger. How dare she?

As the pieces of his plan began to click into place, Jeremy strode purposefully toward the balcony. His friends were still caught up in their banter, oblivious to the storm brewing inside him, and he had no intention of dragging them into this—not yet, anyway.

The cool night air greeted him as he stepped outside, the soft glow of the moon casting a silver sheen over the terrace. There she was, standing at the edge of the balcony, her back to him, gazing up at the moon with an almost serene expression. But Jeremy knew better. That serene exterior was nothing more than a facade, a mask hiding her true intentions.

So, you ditched me with a fake call, Jeremy thought, a sneer curling at the corner of his mouth. You really think you can play me, don\'t you?

He forced the anger down, schooling his features into a pleasant, neutral expression as he approached her. No need to let the mask slip just yet. He needed to play this carefully to make sure she understood just how much control he had over the situation—and over her.

"Irina," he called out, his voice smooth and composed, as if nothing had happened earlier. He watched as she turned her head slightly, acknowledging his presence but not fully facing him. "Enjoying the view?"

Irina didn\'t respond immediately, her gaze still fixed on the moon. The silence stretched out for a moment before she finally turned to face him, her expression calm and unreadable.

"I needed some fresh air," she replied, her tone equally measured. "And some space."

Jeremy smiled, though it didn\'t quite reach his eyes. "Of course. Everyone needs a break now and then." He took a step closer, his posture relaxed, but his eyes never left hers. "But I couldn\'t help but wonder if there was something more to it."

Irina raised an eyebrow, a slight smirk playing on her lips. "And what exactly are you implying, Jeremy?" n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

He let out a soft chuckle, the sound low and almost conspiratorial. "Oh, nothing too serious. Just that I noticed you\'ve been spending time with a rather... interesting individual lately." He paused, watching her closely for any reaction. "A certain Astron Natusalune, if I\'m not mistaken?"

Her expression didn\'t waver, but Jeremy caught the briefest flicker in her eyes. A small victory, but a victory nonetheless.

"I see my reputation as a gossip has spread," Irina replied her tone light but with an edge of warning. "What of it?"

Jeremy\'s smile widened, though it remained as cold as ever. "It\'s not the gossip that concerns me, Irina. It\'s the company you keep. You see, Astron isn\'t exactly someone you\'d want to be associated with. An orphan with no connections, no power... barely scraping by at Arcadia." He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "You\'re playing a dangerous game by involving yourself with someone like him."

"And what exactly are you threatening me with, Jeremy?" Irina\'s voice was sharp now, her eyes narrowing as she met his gaze head-on.

Jeremy\'s smile never faltered, but there was a gleam of malice in his eyes as he continued, his tone dripping with false concern. "I\'m just looking out for you, Irina. After all, you never know when something is going to happen to someone like him."

Jeremy\'s words trailed off, the malice in his voice hanging in the air like a dark cloud. He leaned in closer, the sinister threat on the tip of his tongue. "He could suddenly dis–"

But before he could finish, a searing heat flared up right in front of his eyes.

Then came the pain.

"AAAAAAAAAH!"