The moment the call connected, a man's annoyingly cheerful voice burst through the speaker, tangled with whistles and laughter from what sounded like a rowdy party.
Selene didn't hesitate. Her finger moved straight for the hang-up button.
As if anticipating it, the voice hurriedly dropped its playful edge.
"Selene, sweetheart—wait! Don't hang up. I swear, this is serious."
Her hand paused mid-air. She lifted the phone back to her ear, her voice cool and sharp.
"Talk."
On the other end, Aaron Cole grimaced.
The notorious leader of the Silver Crane—a man who made others bow with a single glance—was reduced to cautious obedience in front of Selene.
He still vividly remembered the first day she'd become his instructor. A shattered ego, a bruised face, and a broken leg followed shortly after. Resistance had only taught him one lesson: never test her patience.
"Selene…" Aaron dragged out her name theatrically. "How could you be so heartless? You just disappeared. What's so great about Ashvale anyway? Lions? Tigers? You left me here to suffer under the old man's constant nagging. I can't eat properly, can't sleep properly—hell, I can't even flirt in peace anymore. Life's tragic."
Selene didn't hang up—not because she was entertained, but because she knew him. Aaron never called this late without a reason.
"Two minutes," she cut in smoothly. "Get to the point."
His tone sobered instantly. "Alright. Liam came looking for you."
"He did?" Selene's voice remained even, though her interest sharpened.
Lately, Aaron had been under pressure from all sides—his grandfather's endless discipline on one end, and Liam's relentless pursuit on the other.
That man only behaved like a rational human when Selene was involved.
"Yeah," Aaron sighed. "He's been acting unhinged. Keeps asking where you went. Tried to buy the information off me—offered next-gen weapons, even a ten-percent cut from a deal worth billions. I stayed loyal, obviously. Otherwise, he'd already be knocking on your door."
He paused, then added with faint satisfaction, "Good news, though. His family's tied up right now—some messy internal conflict. He should be occupied for a while."
"Thanks."
The word came softly. Selene rarely said it.
She knew how much pressure Aaron must have been under. Keeping her location secret wasn't easy—not when even Henry Cole, his formidable grandfather, wouldn't accept excuses lightly.
There was a beat of silence before Aaron chuckled.
"You know… you owe me big this time."
Selene let out a quiet laugh.
"Owing is a stretch," she said. "But I'll send you the internal files of the Iron Tide."
Aaron nearly shouted in delight.
Those files were worth more than any fortune.
The Iron Tide had been the Crimson Union's greatest obstacle in the South American sector for over a decade—an endless cycle of bloodshed with no clear victor. With those records, Aaron could finally end it.
Selene listened as his excitement spilled through the phone. She hadn't handed those files over before—not because she couldn't, but because she hated getting dragged into endless conflicts.
Still, she never left debts unpaid.
She ended the call and, after a brief pause, dialled another number.
It was answered within three seconds.
"This is Selene."
The voice on the other end stiffened instantly, disbelief bleeding through the line.
"S-Selene? Instructor Foster?"
"Put your boss on."
There was no hesitation. Orders regarding her were absolute.
Within seconds, a deep, controlled voice replaced the trembling one.
"This is Ethan Reed."
Selene stood by the window, moonlight spilling across her features, sharpening her already unreadable expression.
"Keep him under control."
Ethan knew exactly who she meant. His younger brother, Liam, had been tearing through the city in his obsessive search.
Even their father had started treading carefully around him.
Ethan exhaled. "You know what he's like.
Even Dad can't rein him in anymore."
Selene's voice turned glacial.
"Whether you can or not isn't my concern," she said coldly. "If he crosses the line—"
Her gaze hardened.
"—I won't hesitate to put him in the ground."