I Am the Devil of This Hell

Chapter 070

The heavy silence in the office of Ocean Manor felt thick with invisible webs of suspicion. Dixon Jace, leaning back with his habitual mask of cold detachment, watched Kane Adler as the young leader stared out at the sprawling Larkspur skyline.

"As for the six individuals we’ve identified," Dixon continued, his voice dropping into a low, analytical rasp, "until one of them actually slips up, I believe it would be a catastrophic mistake to vocalize our suspicions. If we start casting shadows without proof, we’ll do the government’s work for them. We’d be a house divided, a target ripe for the picking. My recommendation is to maintain a state of relaxed surveillance. We watch everyone, but we keep our eyes on those six a little more closely than the rest. If there is a rat, it's burrowed deep in the foundation."

Kane nodded slowly, his reflection in the glass looking older than his years. "Rex Dalton… before they transferred him to the Confinement Death Ward, he spent weeks in that military hospital. The Deep State must have made a move then. They would have offered him something, or threatened him with something even he couldn't ignore. Then there’s Ethan Skyler. When he and Nathan Black arrived to swear fealty, the story about fulfilling his 'destiny' seemed almost too perfect. It was a clean narrative, perhaps a bit too manufactured for a man with his history. And Silas Rivers? He is a black hole. His past is a locked vault; we know nothing of the man he was before the scars. And Marcus Grady and his team…" Kane let out a weary breath. "If the rot has reached them, if my own shadow is the enemy, then I’m already sleeping in a grave."

"Do we begin the counter-measures?" Dixon asked, his hand instinctively moving toward the files on the desk.

"No," Kane replied, his voice hardening with resolve. "If Frank Sterling has planted a mole, that person is a professional of the highest caliber. They will be looking for any shift in my behavior. If we change the routine now, we trigger the alarm. I brought you into this loop so you could prepare the Execution Unit for the worst-case scenario. We need to be ready to move, but for now, we play our parts. The Shadow Eagle Clan is too fragile for a civil war."

"I understand," Dixon said, standing straight.

"One more thing," Kane added. "I need you to pull two veterans from the Execution Unit and ten of our best elite prospects. Their sole mission is the protection of Yolanda Finn. She’s currently in the middle of the corporate purge I ordered—taking over the assets left behind by The Brotherhood. The business world can be just as lethal as the streets, and a woman in her position will attract predators. I want her shielded by men who know how to handle a threat before it draws a breath."

"I’ll see to it personally," Dixon promised. "She’s a vital asset for our long-term financial stability."

"The Execution Unit is going to be swamped," Kane said, dismissing him. "Get the new recruits through the g**g rules and the orientation. Dismissed. Hank, you’re with Dixon."

As the door clicked shut, Kane slumped into his chair. He felt a weight on his chest that no amount of power could lift—a profound, bone-deep exhaustion that seemed entirely out of place on the face of a teenager.

Two weeks later, the morning sun broke over Larkspur with an uncharacteristic clarity. Inside the penthouse of Ocean Manor, Kane woke up to find himself physically pinned to the mattress. Tia Valentine and Sienna Summers were entangled with him like a pair of clingy octopuses, their breathing soft and rhythmic.

Since their arrival, the domestic life of the Shadow Eagle Clan leader had become a battlefield of a different sort. Victoria Vance had initially tried to maintain her territory, but the twins were relentless. According to the "Peace Treaty of the Penthouse," the twins and Victoria were supposed to rotate nights sharing Kane's room. However, Tia and Sienna had no concept of fair play. On Victoria's nights, the twins transformed into agents of chaos—blaring music at midnight, knocking on the door with "emergencies," or orchestrating "Midnight Prank Calls."

Eventually, Victoria, citing her need for sleep to prepare for the upcoming Capital University entrance exams, had surrendered. She moved to a private suite on the second floor, leaving Kane to be entirely monopolized by the "Twin Terrors."

Kane gently nudged their heads, trying to disentangle himself without starting a riot. Tia groaned, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. "Why is the sun so loud today?" she grumbled, her hair a wild halo.

Kane caught a glimpse of her white lace lingerie, while Sienna, rolling over, revealed her own matching set in black. He felt the familiar, uncomfortable heat of a morning reaction and took a sharp, stabilizing breath. Being a young man in his prime, sharing a bed with two devoted, alluring girls who treated him like a human pillow, was a form of psychological t*****e he hadn't been prepared for in the Death Ward.

Sienna opened one eye, saw the look on his face, and let out a mischievous giggle. She wrapped her arms around his neck, playfully rubbing her leg against his. "Hubby, you have to stay pure," she teased.

"It’s a natural reflex," Kane muttered, though his heart was hammering. "If you keep this up, I’m going to end up in a cold shower for the rest of my life."

Just as the tension in the room reached a fever pitch, Victoria Vance swept into the room carrying a shopping bag. She made a face at the twins and looked at Kane. "Winter break starts today. Get up; I need you at the school to help me clear out my locker and move my projects."

"Excuse me?" Tia said, springing to her feet on the bed, her hands on her hips. "He promised us the amusement park today!"

"Yeah, you 'Bad Woman'!" Sienna added, crawling out of the covers with a pout. "Stop trying to steal him!"

Victoria didn't blink. She gave them a triumphant smirk. "Look, little kids, I’m not even going to fight with you today. Kane, get dressed. We have company."

Tia threw on a silk robe and marched toward the door. "I don't care if the President is here! I’m not letting you take him!"

Sienna followed close behind. "Kane is ours today!"

Kane sighed, realizing his morning of peace was officially over. He pulled on his clothes and stepped into the living room, but the atmosphere he encountered was far from the usual bickering.

Victoria was sitting on the sofa with a look of smug satisfaction. Tia and Sienna, however, were standing perfectly still, their backs to Kane, wringing their hands like nervous schoolgirls. Facing them was a woman who radiated an aura of effortless elegance and sharp intelligence.

"Hubby, come here," Victoria said brightly. "I’d like you to meet Miss Claire Valentine, the eldest daughter of the Valentine Dynasty."

The woman stood up. She was breathtaking. Her face was a perfect oval, her eyebrows long and elegantly arched. Her skin was as pale and smooth as fresh porcelain, and her eyes held the clarity of a mountain spring. She wore a white cashmere sweater that highlighted her grace, and a small, delicate mole near the corner of her mouth added a touch of flirtatious charm to her otherwise scholarly and refined air. She looked remarkably like an older, more sophisticated version of Tia.

Kane felt a jolt of genuine surprise. This was the legendary Claire Valentine, the woman behind the curtain of one of the most powerful families in the United States.

"So," Claire said, her voice like silk, "you’re the infamous Kane Adler who has managed to enchant my sisters."

Kane regained his composure, shaking her hand politely. "I’m Kane. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Valentine."

Claire tilted her head, studying him with a clinical, yet not unkind, intensity. "Thank you for looking after these two. I’ll be honest—my first impression of a 'g**g leader' was quite low. But they’ve been living with you for six weeks, and I’m informed they are still quite... untouched. That speaks volumes about your character, or perhaps your self-control."

Kane rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a rare flush of embarrassment. "I appreciate the vote of confidence."

Tia timidly pulled on Claire's sleeve. "Sister, he has so many good qualities! He’s not like the other guys!"

Claire laughed, a light, melodic sound, and ruffled Tia's hair. "You’ve already started calling him 'Hubby'? Oh, you girls are hopeless."

"Miss Valentine, to what do I owe the honor of this visit?" Kane asked.

"I’m here to take them home," Claire said simply. "They’ve been running wild for nearly two months. It’s time they returned to the family."

"WHAT?" the twins screamed in unison. They spun around to glare at Victoria. "You did this!"

Claire's expression darkened slightly. "Tia, Sienna, watch your tone. Where are your manners? Our parents miss you terribly; Mother has worried herself into a state. You’re fifteen years old—don’t you think it’s time to be a little more considerate? Is this 'Husband' of yours more important than your own blood?"

The twins bit their lips, looking dejected. "They’re both important," they whispered.

They turned their watery, pleading eyes toward Kane. He felt a pang of guilt and cleared his throat. "Well... Miss Valentine..."

"Don't even try," Claire interrupted, her tone firm. "I’ve allowed this for ten days longer than I should have. They are leaving today. And don't blame Victoria; I would have found them regardless. Now, girls, you have thirty minutes to pack your things. Go."

The twins knew that when their older sister used that specific tone, the debate was over. They trudged toward the bedroom, casting glances of pure heartbreak over their shoulders at Kane.

"Hurry up," Claire prodded.

"Fine..." they moaned, sticking their tongues out at her before disappearing into the room.

Half an hour later, the twins stood by the door with their designer suitcases, tears streaming down their faces.

"Hubby, you have to think about us every day!" Tia wailed.

"Every hour! Every minute!" Sienna added.

"And you have to call us every night!"

Kane knelt down and patted their heads, giving them a reassuring smile. "I promise. I’ll think about you every day. Go home, be good for your parents, and try not to drive Claire too crazy."

"We’re always good!" they insisted.

"Oh, wait!" Tia said, reaching into her bag. "We have a special gift for you. You have to sleep with this every night."

Kane smiled. "I will. I’ll keep it right next to me."

However, as Tia handed him the "gift," Kane's smile froze into a mask of pure awkwardness. Claire's face turned a visible shade of pink, her eyes widening in disbelief.

Kane stared down at the gift in his hand: a pair of delicate, lacy panties embroidered with his own name. To make matters worse, they were still faintly warm.

"Remember... sleep with them every night!" Tia chirped.

"Think of us!" Sienna echoed.

Kane cleared his throat, his face burning. "I... uh... I will. Definitely."