“Thought I left?”

Siren couldn't help but roll her eyes at Raven. She turned her attention to the breakfast spread before her and started to eat. Meanwhile, Aiden shot his father a narrowed gaze, clearly unamused by his antics.

Raven smirked at him and dragged a chair over to Siren's left and settled in comfortably. The maids, ever attentive to their master's needs, began serving breakfast with practiced efficiency.

Between sips of freshly squeezed orange juice, Siren casually asked him, "Didn't you have a meeting in Millburg today?"

Raven nodded, a wry grin tugging at the corners of his lips. "Indeed. The official proceedings start tomorrow, but there's some groundwork to cover today. Flight's at ten, so I decided to bid bye to my new wife” 

Unamused by his words, Siren silently continued to eat her breakfast ignoring him, on the other hand Aiden continued to look at his father in disdain.

Once breakfast was finished, Siren led Aiden outside to her bike, prepared to drop him off at school. She carefully positioned him in front of the bike and reached for the small black helmet that she gifted him yesterday. The small black helmet has delicate patterns adorned its surface with whimsical shapes dancing across the smooth exterior.

Aiden was delighted by the gift and cherished it dearly as it was the first thing his mother had gifted him.

Siren assisted him in putting it on, and Aiden gripped the fuel tank tightly with his hands. Once settled, Siren glanced back to see Raven, who had trailed behind them and now stood silently by the side with his hands tucked into his pocket. 

They stared at each other without words. Raven closed the distance between them and enveloped her in one arm hug. Siren didn’t flinch at his touch this time. 

“Keep yourself and him safe until I return” Raven said to her. Seeing her nod in acknowledgement he released her and went towards his son who was obviously not pleased with him hugging his mother.

"Don't be a spoiled brat and be obedient," Raven instructed his son sternly.

Aiden scoffed at his father's words, his stubbornness evident as he folded his arms defiantly. In a sarcastic tone, he retorted, "I've never been disobedient."

Raven narrowed his eyes at his son's defiance, but Aiden’s eyes softened, pouting and reaching out his arms towards his father. Raven approached him, and Aiden planted a kiss on his father's cheek, whispering in a low tone, "I will miss you, Daddy."

A smile touched Raven's lips and he patted his son's head, "I will too”

Siren silently watched the interaction between the father and son and couldn’t help but feel a strange warmth in her heart. She wished Raven a safe journey and started the bike to head towards the Imperial Academy.

As the bike vanished from view at the end of the road, Raven's expression turned serious, the warmth and playfulness turned steely. He turned to his guards stationed at the gate and issued his orders in a commanding tone, "Keep a close watch on her."

The guards nodded in understanding as they bowed in response to their master's command.

With a determined stride, Raven departed from the mansion, bound for Millburg. On the surface, the meeting appeared to be a mere collaboration with corporate entities, aimed at expanding his business ventures. However, hidden beneath this facade lay Raven's true agenda—to strike a deal with the Shadows, one of the most formidable gangs in the underground world.

Though Shadows' influence might not be as far-reaching as some others, Raven saw potential in their partnership. If the meeting unfolded favourably, he planned to assert his dominance within Shadows' ranks. However, should they dare to refuse his offer, he will remove the Shadows from the underground scene altogether.

In the ruthless world he traversed, hesitation and compromise were luxuries he couldn't afford.

Once Siren dropped Aiden off at school, she headed to the shed to tend to her work. To her surprise, she found two unexpected guests engaged in conversation with Alex. When Sam caught sight of his precious baby, he leaped down from the car's bonnet and hurried over to Siren, arms outstretched for a hug.

Siren as usual scowled at him and swiftly broke free from his embrace. Sam chuckled at her reaction and followed her into the work area, where Alex was engaged in a serious discussion with Ruth.

The topic of conversation, however, was far from serious. It revolved around the preferences of Alex’s new grandson, the way he drooled cutely when asleep, his favourite foods and snacks, and other endearing quirks. Despite the seemingly trivial nature of the conversation, Ruth listened attentively, as if committing every detail to memory for some important mission.

Ignoring them, Siren shrugged off her biker jacket, revealing a black t-shirt underneath. With purposeful strides, she grabbed her tablet PC and made her way towards the waiting Corvette C7 parked on the testing side. She slid into the driver's seat of the sleek sports car, her fingers dancing across the PC. With expert precision, she navigated through the intricate digital interface, her eyes focused intently on the screen as she delved into the car's systems.

Lines of code scrolled before her, a mesmerizing dance of ones and zeros as she sought to unlock the car's hidden potential. With each keystroke, she fine-tuned the engine parameters, adjusting fuel delivery, ignition timing, and turbo boost pressure with a deftness born of years of experience.

As she worked, the engine roared to life, its powerful rumble echoing through the garage. Siren's lips curled into a satisfied smirk as she felt the car's raw power surging beneath her fingertips.

With a final flourish, she saved her changes and stepped out of the car. Setting the device aside, she made her way over to the trio still engrossed in discussing Aiden's habits.

“What happened?” Siren asked Ruth.

Ruth silently tucked away the small piece of paper he had been using to jot down hints from Alex's conversation about Aiden. Turning to face Siren, he flashed her a charming smile.

"Just stopped by to wish you a happy married life," Ruth replied smoothly.