Xavier Loid, the second son of the Loid family, sat across from his father, Alex Loid, in his father's private study, the air thick with the weight of the conversation.
Xavier tapped a finger against the armrest of the leather chair, his sharp eyes trained on a map spread out on the desk in front of them. Red pins dotted various locations across the globe, marking the places where strange earthquakes had begun occurring without any discernible pattern.
"There's no rhyme or reason to them," Xavier muttered, frustration evident in his tone. "One minute we get reports of tremors in isolated desert areas, the next it's coastal regions or major cities. And then there's the bird migration... non-migratory species flocking southward in droves. If this isn't some kind of prelude to a natural disaster, I don't know what is."
His father, Alex, leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled as he listened to his son. "The world's in flux. These kinds of signs don't just come out of nowhere. If I had to guess, we're on the brink of something catastrophic—earthquakes, unusual animal behavior... all of it points to something big."
Xavier nodded, his jaw clenched. "That's what I'm thinking. And if the military's satellite reports are accurate, this is global. Not just localized tremors, but a full-on shifting of tectonic plates. No clear epicenter, no warning... just chaos."
"You need to prepare," Alex said, his voice calm but firm. "Not just for your team in the Special Forces, but for this family. We can't assume we'll be safe from whatever this is."
Xavier sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I've already started. I have some contingency plans in place, but if this is the kind of disaster I think it is... we're going to need more than just basic preparations."
Alex nodded, his face unreadable. "Do what you have to do. Make sure your mother and sister are kept in the loop, but don't scare them unnecessarily. We'll deal with whatever comes, but I want this family protected. Understand?"
Xavier's lips pressed into a thin line, and he gave a curt nod. "I'll take care of it."
That evening, Xavier found his older brother, Daniel Loid, in the family's grand library, flipping through paperwork. Unlike Xavier, Daniel's approach to every problem was methodical and precise. Business came first, emotions second—if they came at all. But even Daniel seemed more concerned than usual as Xavier laid out the details of what he had discussed with their father.
Daniel set his papers aside, his sharp gaze locking onto Xavier's. "So you're telling me we're about to be hit with some kind of global disaster, and we have no idea what form it'll take?"
Xavier nodded, folding his arms. "That's about the size of it. We've got tremors all over the world, birds acting weird, and no clear sign of what's coming next. If I had to guess, it's going to be a massive shift in the Earth's crust or something equally catastrophic. But the point is, we need to be ready."
Daniel reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a sleek, black bank card. "Take this." He tossed it across the table toward Xavier, who caught it easily. "Make whatever preparations you think are necessary. I don't care what it costs."
Xavier raised an eyebrow. "You trust me with this much? Usually, you're the one counting every penny."
Daniel's expression didn't change. "This isn't about money. It's about survival. Do what you need to do. We can't afford to be caught off guard."
Xavier pocketed the card with a nod. "I'll take care of it. You've got my word."
As he turned to leave, he caught sight of his sister, Natasha, sitting alone by the large bay window that overlooked the estate's gardens. Her usually bright and energetic demeanor was gone, replaced by a quiet sadness. Her eyes were red, puffy from crying—no doubt over the same man who had betrayed her.
Xavier sighed, approaching her quietly. "Natasha."
She didn't look up, her gaze still fixed on the horizon.
"Forget him," Xavier said, his voice soft but firm. "There's a world out there waiting for you, and you're wasting time on someone who doesn't deserve it."
Natasha finally glanced up at him, her lips trembling slightly as she shook her head. "It's not that simple, Xavier. I... I can't just stop loving him. I just need more time to let it die."
Xavier crouched beside her, meeting her eyes. "You deserve better, Nat. But if you need time... just don't let it consume you. The world's about to get a lot more dangerous, and I don't want you caught in the middle of it while you're nursing a broken heart."
Natasha gave a small, watery smile. "Thanks, Xavier. I'll be fine. I just... need to work through it."
---
At the orphanage, evening had settled in, and the children were finishing their meals when Jax and Luis returned, looking a little worse for wear. They approached Alvin, who was sitting on the front porch of the orphanage, leaning back against the wall with a relaxed expression. The three children—Leo, Lily, and Ash—were huddled around him, eating what appeared to be a second round of ice cream.
Jax and Luis, carrying a stack of papers and looking somewhat disheveled, stood before Alvin, who gave them a lazy glance as they approached.
"Well, well, well," Alvin drawled, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Look who finally decided to show up. Thought you two might've gotten lost. Or did the concept of 'end of the day' confuse you?"
Luis wiped a bead of sweat from her brow, shaking her head. "It's not that. We found what you asked for—just took a little longer to finalize the details."
Jax nodded, handing over a thick stack of papers. "Villa's secured in a secluded area, just like you asked. Three rented warehouses, all ready for use. It cost us around 40 million, but we got it done."
Alvin raised an eyebrow, glancing through the documents. "40 million? Not bad. That leaves me with... let's see, 79 million left. Should be more than enough for the next phase of things." He handed the papers back to Jax with a nod of approval.
Luis and Jax exchanged a surprised glance as Alvin continued. "I'll make this easy. You've done well enough today, so here's 10,000 each." He handed them two envelopes filled with cash. "Get some rest, but don't get too comfortable. I expect you back here tomorrow for the next round of work."
Both Jax and Luis blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting the payment—especially not in cash.
"10,000?" Jax asked, raising an eyebrow. "Just like that?"
Alvin grinned, his expression playful. "Just like that. Now, don't spend it all in one place. Unless you want to, of course. I won't judge."
Luis laughed, though there was still an air of disbelief around her. "This has got to be the strangest job we've ever taken. You're... different."
Alvin gave her a mock salute. "I aim to be unique. Now, off you go. You both look like you could use a nap, and I've got more to-do lists waiting for you tomorrow."
With a nod, Jax and Luis turned and headed back toward their car. As they left, Alvin leaned back against the porch railing, watching the kids finish their ice cream.
"Father, do they work for you now?" Leo asked, licking the last of his ice cream from the spoon.
Alvin chuckled. "Work for me? Oh no, Leo. They work for themselves. I'm just helping them along the way."
--
Jax and Luis returned to the Velvet Club that evening, both looking more exhausted than when they had left. The moment they stepped inside, they were greeted by their co-workers, who eyed them with playful curiosity.
"So?" one of them asked, grinning. "How'd it go with Mr. Mysterious? Was he... demanding?"
Jax and Luis exchanged a glance before both sighed heavily.
"You have no idea," Jax muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "He's... exhausting."
Luis nodded, slumping into a chair. "And demanding. I've never worked for someone so... intense."
Their colleagues smirked, clearly taking their words the wrong way.
"Sounds like he kept you busy," one teased, wiggling his eyebrows.