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Chapter 101

Author: Adam Carlos
last update Last Updated: 2025-01-13 10:30:51

Yumi answered on the second ring, her voice calm and professional even at such a late hour.

“Yumi, it’s Matthew. Masahiro—he’s been shot. Abdomen. I don’t think I should take him to a regular hospital. It’s… complicated.”

Yumi’s voice tightened, concern seeping through her composed tone. “Bring him to St. Haven’s Medical. It’s a private facility… we cater to cases where discretion is key. Nobody will ask questions. I’ll meet you at the emergency entrance. Drive safely and keep pressure on the wound.”

Matthew didn’t waste a second. He carefully lifted Masahiro into his car, securing him in the backseat with the towel still pressed to his abdomen. Masahiro’s breathing was shallow, but he was alive, and that was all that mattered.

St. Haven’s Medical, located on the outskirts of Middlesbrough, was an unassuming building—a nondescript facade tha

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  • Gold & Sand   Chapter 102

    Two days later, the news channels were buzzing with an unexpected shift in the narrative. Masahiro Payne, once accused of murdering his partner Lewis Howard, was now being hailed as a hero. The media spun a new story, painting him as a man who had been working undercover to expose a massive network of corruption and organized crime, with Lewis Howard as his loyal partner who had died in the line of duty. They claimed that Masahiro had been framed by the very people he had been trying to take down… Mr. K and his criminal empire.Reports claimed Masahiro had barely escaped an assassination attempt orchestrated by his enemies, and that he had been on the verge of uncovering explosive information before being betrayed. The narrative was being cleaned up, and the man who was once accused of being a murderer was now a martyr.Yumi stood at Masahiro’s bedside, her hands checking the monitors as she carefully adjusted the IV drip. The lights in the hospital room w

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  • Gold & Sand   Chapter 103

    The room was quiet, save for the faint hum of machines and the occasional soft rustle of fabric. Masahiro's eyes fluttered open, the dim light filtering through the half-closed blinds pricking at his senses. His body felt heavy, a dull ache radiating from his side. It took him a moment to register the familiar figure by the window… Yumi, her slender frame silhouetted against the soft morning light, holding a steaming cup of tea.Her movements were unhurried, calm, as if she had all the time in the world. She didn’t notice him at first, her focus elsewhere. Then, as if sensing a shift in the air, she turned. Their eyes met, and a faint smile flickered across her face as she approached, setting the mug gently on the bedside table.“You’re awake,” she said softly, her voice tinged with relief. She reached for his wrist, checking his pulse as her eyes scanned the monitors beside him.Masahiro’s throat felt dry as sand

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  • Gold & Sand   Chapter 104

    Masahiro moved toward them, his heart thudding against his ribs. As he reached the table, his voice came out strained, fighting against the panic rising in his throat. “Matthew,” he said, his tone sharp, demanding answers. “What the hell are you doing here? With him?”Matthew didn’t flinch. His eyes didn’t even widen in surprise. He just stared up at Masahiro with a coldness that felt like a slap in the face. No guilt. No warmth. Only an empty detachment that cut through him.Cassidy smirked, leaning back in the booth like he’d been waiting for this moment. “Well, well, look who’s come to join the party,” he drawled, his voice laced with mock amusement. “I didn’t think you’d be this predictable, detective.”Masahiro’s gaze stayed fixed on Matthew, searching for any sign of recognition, any trace of the man he once thought he knew. “Matthew,” his voice was tight,

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Latest chapter

  • Gold & Sand   Chapter 275

    The apartment door clicked shut behind them.Clark dropped his coat on the entryway bench with an exaggerated sigh and muttered, “I am emotionally exhausted. And not in a sexy, Victorian-tragedy kind of way. I mean in the ‘my feet hurt and my soul’s tired’ kind of way.”Adam, already heading for the kitchen, tossed back, “Then take your heels off, sweetheart.”Clark gave him a long, dry look. “They are Italian leather Oxfords. But yes, thank you, masculine voice of reason.”Adam opened the fridge, grabbed leftover rice, and dumped it unceremoniously into a pan. A beat passed, then the stove clicked to life. Clark wandered in behind him, slower, more graceful, toeing off his shoes like someone doing a product demo.“You’re cooking,” Clark said with a soft note of surprise.“I’m heating shit up.”“For you or for both of us?”Adam didn’t look up. “Depends. You gonna whine the whole time?”Clark leaned against the counter, resting his chin in his hand. “Maybe. Depends. Are you going to be

  • Gold & Sand   Chapter 274

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  • Gold & Sand   Chapter 272

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  • Gold & Sand   Chapter 271

    The trial day had ended with the defense soaring and the prosecution bleeding.Masahiro, Arthur, and Matthew stood in the hallway, a loose cluster of tension and exhaustion. Arthur clutched a half-empty water bottle, his fingers still shaking from the witness stand. Masahiro stood tall and unreadable, as always.Matthew looked like he’d just come out of a concert—buzzing, amused, and entirely too observant.Clark approached with that predator-still-in-courtroom calm, suit untouched, expression cool. Adam was behind him, one step back, hands in his pockets, saying nothing—like always.“Hell of a show,” Matthew said as Clark joined them. “You made that prosecutor look like she was reciting a grocery list under threat.”Clark only lifted a brow. “She wasn’t worth more than that.”Masahiro gave a nod. “Strong performance.”Arthur murmured, “Nathaniel might actually walk…”Clark nodded slightly. “Let’s not jinx it.”They stood there for a beat.The

  • Gold & Sand   Chapter 270

    The door shut behind them with a soft, echoing click.Clark didn’t speak. Neither did Nathaniel.For a long moment, they just stood there in the defense room—alone, away from the murmuring gallery and the jury’s blank stares.Clark finally moved.He set his notes down on the table, reached up, and took off his glasses. Not dramatically. Just… tired.His fingers pressed to the bridge of his nose like he could squeeze the tension out through his skull.Nathaniel watched him.Still in his seat. Back straight. Calm in the way someone learns from spending time around chaos.“You didn’t have to say all that,” Nathaniel said quietly.Clark dropped his hand. Didn’t look at him yet. “Yeah, well. I did.”“You made me sound like a hero.”Clark finally glanced up. The fatigue didn’t soften his tone. “No. I made you sound like a man who didn’t fire a gun.”Nathaniel gave a small, humorless laugh. “Still a lie.”Clark sat down slowly across from

  • Gold & Sand   Chapter 269

    The courtroom felt colder.Not physically—just… off.Like every breath Clark took was being measured in decibels.Like the walls were closer.The gallery buzzed with quiet anticipation—reporters in tailored neutral, pens ready to cut. Matthew sat on the far end, half-scowling. Arthur hovered near Masahiro, face unreadable.Nathaniel sat beside Clark—still, calm, like he didn’t feel the pressure digging into the back of his spine.And Clark?Perfect.Tie sharp. Glasses gleaming. Posture textbook.Only Adam saw the truth.His tie was straight, but his breath was shallow. That wasn’t confidence. That was survival.Adam watched from the last bench, arms folded.Motionless. But primed.At the front of the courtroom, Diana Halvorsen stood like she’d built the place.Flawless blonde hair, heels like blades, voice clear as verdicts.She turned to the jury with clinical poise.“Let’s talk about narrative.”“You want to paint Bishop as a savior’s assistant?” she asked, voice smooth. “Then tell

  • Gold & Sand   Chapter 268

    Arthur sat at his desk, staring at the clock.3:59 PM.He shifted in his chair. Cleared his throat. Glanced at the file in front of him, then at Masahiro—just across the room, seated, silent, flipping through a thick report with surgical focus.Arthur hesitated.Then looked again.Masahiro didn’t look up. Not immediately. Just turned another page with that same eerie calm.Then, without raising his voice or his head, he said, “I know exactly what you want.”Arthur straightened. “I—uh—what?”Masahiro looked at him now. Direct. Sharp. “You want to visit Cassidy.”Arthur’s ears burned. “Sir, I was going to—”“You’re allowed,” Masahiro interrupted. “Go.”Arthur blinked. “Really?”Masahiro returned to his file. “You’ll be back before shift ends.”Arthur nodded quickly, standing. “Yes. Thank you, sir.”Masahiro said nothing more.Arthur cleaned his desk—neatly, as always—then grabbed his coat and bag. He moved quickly but tried n

  • Gold & Sand   Chapter 267

    Adam got up from the couch and tugged the curtain back.Clark was outside on the balcony, sitting on the tile floor like it wasn’t cold, wearing nothing but Adam’s hoodie. Legs bare. Hair a mess. Staring at the skyline like it had wronged him.Adam slid the glass door open. Leaned against the frame.“You really gonna sit out there half-naked like a damn raccoon in a hoodie?”Clark didn’t look over. “What do you care?”“I don’t.” Adam stepped out. “Just don’t want to explain to Masahiro why you froze your ass off in my perimeter.”Clark exhaled through his nose. “I’m not cold.”“You’re barefoot on stone, dumbass.”Clark muttered, “I’m not here for a fashion lecture.”Adam didn’t rise to it. Just crouched beside him, arms on his knees, voice low. Calm. But with that steel under it.“You need a signal.”Clark blinked. “What?”“In public. Court. Crowd. Whatever. You’re too proud to say ‘help.’ So don’t. Just tap.”Clark stared at him.

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