Frank (Brother of Mc’s Dad) POV
Frank Daelthorn leaned back on the sofa, glass in hand.
His fingers loosely wrapped around the stem like he might drop it any second.
The sharp scent of alcohol had long filled the room.
An opened bottle sat on the table in front of him, nearly empty.
The room wasn’t empty.
Two guards stood nearby.
One woman stood at the door, lean and athletic.
Her short black hair was tied back.
She wore a green jacket zipped up to her neck.
Shorts, boots, and twin pistols at her waist made her look more like a street merc than a professional bodyguard.
The other was a monster of a man standing by the window.
He had wide shoulders, thick arms crossed over his chest, and a deep scar cutting across his lower lip.
He hadn’t said a word in hours.
Frank ignored them both.
Beside him on the sofa sat a woman with pitch black hair that came up to her shoulders.
She looked just like Liana Ferndale. Both having same face, and same eyes.
Her name was Freya. Liana’s twin sister.
She poured another drink into Frank’s glass with a slight smile.
"She should be back soon," Freya said casually, as if reading his thoughts. "Liana might not be built for a head-on fight, but assassinations are her specialty. You can be rest assured. Her track record is flawless."
Frank didn’t answer.
He just stared at the ceiling.
His cheeks were flushed red from drinking, but his eyes were hollow.
He didn’t care if Liana succeeded or failed.
Honestly, part of him hoped she had failed.
It would mean Adrian had seen her. It would mean he’d finally understand what kind of person Frank really was.
Frank didn’t care about hiding his true ’face’ anymore.
He didn’t care about pretending to be the harmless younger brother that cared for Adrian.
All he wanted was for Adrian to suffer.
The rest didn’t matter.
Freya glanced at the other two guards. No one spoke.
All four of them, including Liana, were hired blades.
They’d take whatever jobs paid well, whether it meant killing, protecting, or tracking someone down.
Liana and Freya were dhampirs.
One was a silent killer.
The other was a frontliner who specialized in close combat with her Mountain Breaker Spear Arts.
The man by the window—Leon—was their shield, a veteran warrior built to take hits and buy time.
Vi, the woman near the door, was the scout.
Light on her feet, good with a bow and snipers, she was better with infiltration than she looked.
This job had come directly from Frank Daelthorn.
The Daelthorn name carried weight in the supernatural world.
They sat at the top of the world along with the Celestial Court, the Olympians and the Asgardians.
Frank Daelthorn had called Liana and her group personally.
He told them he needed someone removed after a long course of blackmailing and mental assaults.
The target was his brother Adrian Estenwald.
None of them had heard of Adrian’s name before.
The records showed the current head of House Daelthorn had four children, and Frank was the youngest.
Adrian’s name never showed up anywhere in official news or documents.
Still, they didn’t question it.
Mercs didn’t dig into family politics unless they wanted to disappear.
If Frank said Adrian was a brother and he a problem, then that was what Adrian was.
And for them, it meant opportunity.
A successful hit for House Daelthorn could change their lives.
A place under the Daelthorn banner, even as low-tier operatives, meant protection, power, and a steady flow of contracts.
Even if they were just shadows under a powerful name, that was better than being nobodies.
Leon broke the silence with a grunt.
"It’s been too long," he said, eyes still scanning the window. "We should’ve heard something from Liana by now. Since she hasn’t sent any message, it means she failed."
Freya’s smile froze. She looked at Frank.
"Does Adrian have supernatural guards?"
"No." Frank answered without turning. "He’s not allowed to have contact with anyone from the supernatural side. Those were Father’s orders. He cannot go against them."
"So there’s no supernatural backup?"
"No."
Freya frowned.
"Then why hasn’t Liana checked in yet?"
"That’s something for you to figure out."
Freya blinked, surprised by the casual tone.
Frank noticed her reaction.
He leaned forward, poured himself another glass, and spoke in a dry tone.
"If she failed the mission without any proper reason, then you guys should be prepared for the consequences."
Vi raised an eyebrow at that, but said nothing.
Leon didn’t look away from the window.
Freya stared at Frank a moment longer.
There was no way Liana would fail the mission unless there was a supernatural person involved.
Frank’s information had been wrong.
Her lips tightened, but she kept quiet.
She cared about her sister. That was obvious. But professionalism kept her in line. The mission came first.
Leon stepped away from the window.
"We should move. If Liana failed, Adrian knows you’re behind it now. Staying here would be a mistake. He might send his supernatural guard after you."
Frank finished his drink and stood.
"Fine. We’ll go to the safehouse."
He did not argue that there was no supernatural guard.
He didn’t seem angry, or even disappointed.
He seemed emotionless.
He left the room for a minute, returning with a hard black suitcase in one hand. Unlike before, he was wearing black gloves now.
The rest were already preparing.
The black SUV in the driveway was loaded and ready within minutes.
Vi took the front passenger seat. Leon drove. Freya and Frank sat in the back.
No one spoke much during the ride.
The city lights faded behind them as they headed out into the mountain roads.
Winding paths cut through dense forest.
The night sky above them was dark and heavy.
The world outside was silent, save for the occasional call of some distant animal.
Frank leaned against the window, head resting on the cool glass.
He stared at the passing trees.
Freya stared down at her tablet. Vi checked her comms.
Leon stayed focused on the road.
They were almost halfway to the safehouse.
The vehicle kept climbing, winding higher into the mountains.
The forest grew thicker.
Then, it happened.
Bang.
A sharp, deafening crack like a thunderclap rang right beside their ears.
Blood splattered across the windshield.
Leon slumped forward, lifeless.
His head was gone.
A clean shot had erased it, leaving nothing but a pulpy mess.
The SUV jerked hard to the right. Tires screeched.
Vi screamed and tried to grab the wheel, yanking it to the side.
But she was late. The SUV smashed through the metal railing and flew off the edge.
There was a second of silence.
Then the crash.
Metal twisted as they slammed nose-first into the slope.
The vehicle flipped, tumbled, smashed into trees, and finally landed on its side, crushed against a rock.
Smoke rose. Glass glittered in the grass.
Freya groaned. Blood streaked down her face. Vi wasn’t moving. Her leg was bent in the wrong direction, and her face was pale.
Frank was the only one left uninjured.
He smashed the door open with a kick.
Before he helped Freya and Vi out, he took out the suitcase he had brought.