Chapter 86 Morgan's Backup Plan

Chapter 86 Morgan's Backup Plan
With the precision of a perfectionist designer, Elena began matching the sketch draft of 'Memory's Crown' with the natural facets of the legendary gemstone. The pale winter sunlight streamed through the second-floor VVIP showroom glass, reflecting a magical pink glow onto her beautiful face.

Beside her, Elijah stood as still as marble, wearing his signature loose red plaid flannel shirt. His right hand moved nimbly, helping adjust the LED spotlight angles so the light refraction hit the ten-carat diamond's core precisely.

"This Gothic arch curve needs to be supported by a thin platinum setting, Elijah," Elena murmured, her brown eyes focused on the stone's precision.

"Grandfather always said the best jewelry doesn't cover a stone's flaws, but must embrace every natural facet as part of its memory."

Elijah stared at Elena's side profile with sapphire blue eyes dimmed by absolute possessive obsession.

"A beautiful concept, Ángel. I'm sure your grandfather would be very proud to see his granddaughter's fingers capable of subduing the Sterling clan's legendary stone."

Elena looked up, flashing a sincere smile that increasingly locked their fate together.

"This is all thanks to your help, always keeping my studio calm, Elijah. It feels strange... since yesterday, the SoHo district suddenly feels so sterile from disturbances."

Elijah only replied with his most charming lopsided grin, hiding his highest predator side perfectly behind his innocent face.

Yet, right behind Elena's back, Elijah's encrypted smartwatch vibrated softly with an emergency frequency. A private cyber notification from Marcus appeared on his satellite screen.

\[Young Master, Apex Sovereign satellite has detected movement activity from three long-range shooter agents from the Red Viper syndicate who just landed at Queens' private port using fake documents. They are moving on covert dark funds from London.\]

Instantly, the remaining warmth on Elijah's handsome face vanished without a trace. The highest dragon's firm jaw tensed perfectly, and his eyes dimmed, emitting a thick, icy-cold murderous glint.

His mastermind nerves immediately locked into tactical calculation. Morgan Valdez in London was apparently truly challenging death by sending physical executors to his perimeter.

Meanwhile, in a stuffy safe house in the remote industrial area of Long Island City, three burly men with red venomous snake tattoos on their necks were unpacking tactical cases containing heavy-caliber sniper rifles.

On an old wooden table, a satellite device was placed with its speaker on. Morgan Valdez's voice flowed from across the ocean, full of hatred, cold calculation, and lingering doubt in his mind.

"Listen carefully," Morgan hissed from his Mayfair office.

"Silas Blackwood swears that the bastard beside my Elena is Elijah Blackwood—the sole crown prince of the main clan."

"However, I still can't fully believe that Wall Street's highest ruler would stoop his noble bloodline to become a hired gigolo and poor IT technician for a full year just for a discarded woman!"

"We don't care about his true identity, Mr. Valdez," the Red Viper team leader replied in a hoarse voice.

"Elijah Blackwood or just a genius-IT-brained gigolo, our target remains the same. Once he steps out of the SoHo studio perimeter tonight, one .50 caliber bullet will ensure his head is destroyed on the Manhattan snow."

"Good," Morgan replied with his most disgusting parasitic grin.

"Elijah or not, that man is the only cyber shield protecting Elena. Once he's dead, Apex Sovereign in New York will lose its head."

"I'll let Silas tremble on the Upper East Side, while I myself will fly to New York to reclaim my Elena and cash in all of Grandfather Maximillian's inheritance!"

The satellite call ended. The professional assassins immediately loaded magazines into their rifles, ready to move toward the SoHo district as soon as night fell.

They never realized that every decibel of sound and satellite frequency had been directly intercepted by the world's highest cyber network.

...

Elijah stepped back slowly toward the back bar counter after making sure Elena was once again focused on sketching 'Memory's Crown' with her digital pen. He touched the encryption button on his smartwatch, connecting a private communication channel with Marcus through the wireless microphone hidden in his moss-green flannel shirt collar.

"Marcus," Elijah called, his low, deep baritone voice flowing so stiffly yet laden with absolute death threats.

"Have you tracked the positions of those three Eastern European rats?"

"Yes, Young Master," Marcus replied with military alertness from behind the steering wheel of the Rolls-Royce parked half a block from the studio.

"They're in Long Island City and are preparing a firing position from the roof of the building across from the SoHo studio for tonight. Do you want the Apex Sovereign perimeter team to eliminate them now?"

"No," Elijah hissed, his sapphire blue eyes narrowing sharply, glinting with the absolute dominance of a supreme ruler whose territory had just been violated.

"Morgan Valdez wants to play a certainty drama about my identity? Then I myself will give a concrete answer right before the assassins' eyes. Empty a two-block radius from the SoHo studio at exactly nine tonight. Turn off all street lights, and let them aim at me."

"B-But Young Master, that's too dangerous for your safety!" Marcus choked out in panic.

"Nothing is dangerous for a Blackwood on New York soil, Marcus," Elijah cut in coldly, a very cruel and deadly predator's grin beautifully etched on his handsome face.

"I want Uncle Silas and Morgan Valdez to watch from London how all their trillions of funds only end with these corpses returning in iron coffins."

Elijah turned off his communication, then looked back at Elena, who was smiling at her beautiful sketch.

Elijah took a deep breath, rearranging his emotional ripples before walking toward Elena's designer table.

When his handsome face was within Elena's line of sight, his most charming, warm, and gentle lopsided smile was perfectly in place. He placed a new cup of espresso coffee, still emitting a rich aroma, on the right side of the main computer.

"Drink your coffee first, Ángel," Elijah said, his baritone voice once again flowing softly, sexy, and full of calming protective vibrations.

"You've been staring at that digital screen for three hours without blinking. I don't want my best designer to get eye strain before this tiara is finished."

Elena looked up, leaning her back against her ergonomic chair with a wide smile.

She reached for the coffee cup, inhaling its aroma, then looked at Elijah with eyes full of love and dependence that increasingly locked their fate together.

"Thank you, Elijah. You really are the best assistant I could have," Elena teased, taking a small sip of her lover's brew.

"By the way, after I finish these Gothic arch details, I plan to work late tonight to design the micro-setting for this ten-carat diamond."