NovelEnglishLucas Lampard, "I caught Jay with sshadowy figure once when | skipped class and headed back home. Just happened to see
him usher this person out, and he was all, like, submissive and stuff. That guy's entourage? Man, they had a fleet of black SUVs
lined up, must've been seven or eight."
"And | caught a glimpse of this weird tattoo on one of the bodyguard's hands. It was a coiled-up serpent, pitch black, right here."
A black serpent? A chill crept up Astrid's spine, "You sure about that?"
"Dead sure. | hid behind sbushes 'cause something felt way off. Those goons drove off, and | got a clear view of his hand on
the steering wheel, no mistaking it."
A black, coiled serpent on the back of his left hand, that was the mark of an enigmatic international syndicate known as Viper
Mirage.
If the price was right, they'd take any gig. They were behind a bunch of high-profile incidents globally, yet they'd managed to stay
out of the crosshairs.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAstrid couldn't fathom why Jay would be mingling with the likes of Viper Mirage. Was he hiring them for ssort of job?
Who was the target? Her? Elio? Or could it be Roman?
After pondering for a while, Astrid lifted her gaze to Lucas, "Why ctowith this? Why not go straight to Elio?"
Lucas pursed his lips, "l saw your live stream. | get the feeling you've got sheavy hitters backing you. I'm not sure if my
uncle's got what it takes to stand up to those creeps, but I'm convinced you've got the muscle."
Astrid's mouth twitched, "Kid, you're puttingon a pedestal here."
Lucas shook his head, "No, it's a man's intuition, call it the sixteenth sense."
"Astrid, you gotta dig up the dirt on these guys. Keep Roman safe, keep this family safe."
"If it weren't for my uncle, | would've been history as a kid. In Jay and Johnnie Lampard's eyes, | was less than nothing, but here,
with grandma and grandpa, with my uncle, they've always been the real deal. If there's ever anything | can do for you, just say the
word. I'd lay it all on the line."
Seeing the resolve in the young man's eyes, Astrid was momentarily taken aback.
Seconds later, she cracked a smile and gave his shoulder a reassuring pat, "Buddy, you didn't back the wrong horse."
Lucas’ tension eased at the sight of her amused smirk.
After re-dressing Lucas' wounds and giving them a once-over—thankfully, the Lampard family's doc had done a fine job and there
were no serious complications—Astrid headed downstairs.
As soon as she did, Roman rushed over and clung to her legs, a pout forming on his face, "Mom, why'd you and Lucas have to
whisper for so long? Roman wants to whisper with Mom too."
Astrid bent down, ruffled his hair, and hoisted him up, "Mom wasn't whispering with Lucas. He's just got snasty scrapes, and |
was patching him up."
"Try to go easy on him for a bit, let him heal up, okay?"
Roman pouted, "Okay, Mommy, I'll do whatever you say."
"By the way, Mommy, wash up for dinner, and afterward, I've got something super cool to show you."
"Alright." Astrid looked at Roman's excited little face, planted a kiss on his cheek, and began her meal.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmNo sooner had she finished and was cleaning her mouth with a napkin, Roman stood in front of her, his voice soft, "Mommy, do you
love Roman?"
Astrid nodded, "Of course, Roman is Mommy's favorite."
Roman leaned in closer, "More than you love Elio, right?"
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