The Net Begins to Close
Zyan Ashbourne walked toward his father’s bedroom with the steaming bowl of medicinal potion balanced carefully in both hands.
Stopping outside the door, he gently knocked before speaking in a warm, respectful voice.
"Dad..."
"Your medicine is ready."
His tone was calm, almost affectionate.
Anyone listening would have believed he was nothing more than a devoted son worried about his father’s recovery.
Taking a steady breath, he pushed the door open and entered the room.
The faint scent of medicinal herbs still lingered in the air.
Dario Ashbourne remained resting against the headboard, his complexion noticeably healthier than before.
The agonizing pain that had tormented him for days had already eased considerably after the medicinal ointment Julian had prepared was applied to his affected manhood. Although he still looked somewhat exhausted, the deep lines of suffering across his face had softened significantly.
As Zyan approached the bedside, however, he noticed something unsettling.
His father wasn’t looking at the medicine.
He was looking directly at him.
Those aged eyes remained fixed on him without blinking.
They were calm.
Too calm.
"Dad... what’s wrong?"
For the first time since beginning his plan, uneasiness crept into Zyan’s heart.
Something felt terribly wrong.
Dario slowly reached forward.
Without saying a word, he accepted the bowl from Zyan’s hands.
For one brief second...
Zyan secretly relaxed.
Then—
Splash!
The scalding medicinal potion was suddenly thrown straight into his face.
"Ahhh!"
A miserable scream echoed throughout the bedroom.
The boiling liquid splashed across his face, neck, and clothes, burning his skin instantly.
Instinctively, Zyan turned and rushed toward the bathroom, desperately trying to wash the burning medicine away with cold water.
He had barely taken two steps.
Two sturdy bodyguards standing behind him moved simultaneously.
Each grabbed one of his arms.
Their grips were as solid as iron.
With overwhelming force, they slammed him onto the floor.
Bang!
"What are you doing?"
"Have you all lost your minds?"
"Do you want to die?"
Pinned helplessly against the ground, Zyan roared in fury.
His face twisted with both pain and panic.
Yet the two bodyguards didn’t respond.
Their expressions remained completely emotionless.
Neither loosened their grip.
Neither answered a single word.
They were simply carrying out the orders of the Ashbourne Household Patriarch.
Only then...
True panic began spreading through Zyan’s heart.
His breathing became uneven.
His pupils shrank.
Slowly raising his head, he looked toward his father.
"Dad..."
"What... what are you doing?"
"If I’ve done something wrong, just tell me."
His voice carried genuine fear this time.
Dario stared coldly at the son kneeling before him.
There wasn’t a trace of affection left in his eyes.
Only disappointment.
And anger.
"See for yourself."
Without another word, Dario picked up a phone resting beside the bed and threw it onto the floor in front of him.
The phone slid across the polished tiles.
Confused, Zyan hurriedly picked it up.
The moment the screen lit up...
His face instantly lost every drop of color.
The footage displayed security camera recordings.
The kitchen.
Every movement.
Every action.
Including the moment he dismissed the servants.
Including him taking out the hidden packet.
Including him pouring the mysterious powder into the medicinal potion.
Every single detail...
Had been recorded perfectly.
His entire body went cold.
His mind became blank.
How...?
How could there be a camera in the kitchen?
Realization struck him like lightning.
Julian...
This had all been planned from the beginning.
His lips trembled violently.
Coming back to his senses, he immediately threw himself onto his knees.
"Dad!"
"Please let me explain—"
"Explain?"
Before he could finish speaking...
Dario exploded.
The bedside vase was lifted with both hands before being hurled directly at his son’s face.
Crash!
The heavy ceramic vase shattered upon impact.
Blood trickled from Zyan’s forehead.
His vision spun violently.
Stars filled his eyes.
The force of the blow sent him collapsing backward.
Before losing consciousness, he heard only one furious roar.
"You ungrateful beast!"
"I never imagined..."
"The traitor hiding inside this family..."
"Would be my own son!"
"You actually joined hands with outsiders to murder your own father!"
Zyan’s consciousness faded.
His eyes rolled backward.
With a dull thud...
He collapsed onto the floor completely unconscious.
The room fell silent.
Dario’s chest rose and fell violently with rage.
His fists trembled uncontrollably.
He had survived countless business wars throughout his life.
He had guarded the Ashbourne Household for decades.
Never...
Not even once...
Had he imagined someone would try to kill him.
Least of all...
His own flesh and blood.
After taking several heavy breaths, Dario finally forced himself to calm down.
Looking toward the bodyguards, he spoke in an icy voice.
"Take him away."
"Lock him up."
"I’ll personally deal with this beast after my health recovers."
"Yes, Patriarch."
The two bodyguards immediately dragged the unconscious Zyan from the room.
Only after the bedroom became quiet again did Dario look toward Julian.
His expression softened slightly.
"Dear Nephew Julian..."
"You were right."
"This child truly colluded with Steffan?"
Julian nodded calmly.
"Yes."
"I’ve had a longstanding conflict with Steffan."
"So I’ve been secretly investigating his movements."
He briefly summarized the situation without revealing unnecessary details.
Hearing the explanation...
Dario slowly clenched his fists.
There was no reason for him to doubt Julian anymore.
Everything had already been proven.
Grinding his teeth, he said coldly,
"So that bastard Steffan is hiding somewhere inside my household right now?"
"That’s right."
Julian nodded.
"His real target is you, Uncle Dario."
"After dealing with you..."
"I’d be next."
His golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"So..."
"It’s time."
"We can finally close the net."
A cold silence settled over the room.
Dario slowly closed his eyes before letting out a long, exhausted sigh.
"What a tragedy..."
"What a disgrace for the Ashbourne Household."
After several moments, he turned toward Felberta.
His expression regained the dignity of a household patriarch.
"Felberta."
"Mobilize everyone."
"Have the entire household cooperate with Dear Nephew Julian."
"This time..."
"We absolutely cannot allow Steffan to escape."
Felberta nodded immediately.
"I understand."
Without another word, she left the bedroom alongside Julian and the accompanying bodyguards.
Meanwhile...
Elsewhere inside the Ashbourne estate...
Steffan remained hidden inside a restroom, dressed from head to toe in an ordinary servant’s uniform.
His disguise was nearly flawless.
Unless someone looked carefully, no one would recognize him.
Ten minutes earlier...
He had received a message from Zyan.
Everything was proceeding smoothly.
Seeing those words had put him completely at ease.
The poison he had personally prepared was extraordinarily potent.
Once Dario drank the detoxifying potion...
The conflicting medicinal properties would erupt instantly.
Within fifteen minutes...
Death would be inevitable.
Steffan leaned casually against the restroom wall, silently counting the passing minutes.
Once enough time had passed...
He intended to emerge from hiding.
With the Ashbourne Household thrown into chaos, he could easily guide everyone into blaming Julian.
Then...
Taking advantage of the confusion...
He would join forces with the household members and eliminate Julian once and for all.
A cold smile slowly appeared on his lips.
Even if Julian happened to be somewhat stronger than expected...
He wouldn’t survive being surrounded by an entire household.
Five more minutes quietly slipped away.
Gradually...
Steffan frowned.
Something wasn’t right.
Zyan hadn’t sent another message.
Not a single update.
At the same time...
The footsteps outside the restroom became noticeably more frequent.
Groups of people hurried past one after another.
Orders were being shouted.
Doors were opening and closing.
Based on years of experience...
This no longer sounded like an ordinary household.
It sounded like...
A coordinated search.
An uncomfortable sense of danger slowly crept into his heart.
His instincts screamed that something had gone wrong.
Without hesitating any longer...
Steffan decided to take the initiative.
After all...
He was disguised as an ordinary servant.
As long as he remained calm...
No one should recognize his true identity.
With that thought in mind, he slowly reached for the restroom door handle.