All Chapters of Gold & Sand: Chapter 191 - Chapter 200

Arthur woke up to the weight of exhaustion pressing down on him. For a moment, he thought maybe—just maybe—last night had been a bad dream. But as his eyes adjusted to the dim morning light filtering through his blinds, the truth settled in. It hadn’t been a nightmare. It had been real. Cassidy. Arthur dragged a hand down his face, exhaling sharply. His mind was still struggling to process everything. The man he had fallen for, the one who had introduced him to his family, who had held him at night and whispered things that made him believe—was the same man he had spent years chasing. The same man he had seen that night. The Black Rose. And Cassidy had known. That part hurt the most. Arthur could handle being lied to, he could handle betrayal—but this? Cassidy had known from the start. He had known Arthur was looking for him. Known that Arthur was chasing the man with the black rose tattoo

Cassidy leaned back in the driver’s seat, one arm draped over the steering wheel, eyes lazily watching the entrance of the police station. Arthur wasn’t out yet. That was fine. Cassidy had patience. His phone vibrated against the console. A glance at the screen. Julliette. He exhaled, smirking slightly before answering. “Jules.” “You finally pick up?” her voice came through, half amused, half annoyed. “I was about to call the morgue and check if you were lying in a ditch somewhere.” Cassidy chuckled. “Nah. Still breathing.” “Barely,” she quipped. “You sound like you just woke up.” Cassidy hummed, letting the familiar warmth of their routine sibling banter settle over him. Juliette was one of the few people in the world who didn’t demand anything from him. Didn’t expect explanations. Didn’t know. “What’s up?” he asked. She sighed. “Just checking in. You’re impossible to track down, you know that? And don’t say you’ve been busy—I know your version of ‘busy’ means running

The party had begun winding down, laughter fading into softer conversations, and people were starting to say their goodbyes. Leah, had received more drinks than she could probably handle, and the table was a mess of empty glasses, half-eaten snacks, and crumpled napkins. Arthur leaned back in his seat, feeling pleasantly lightheaded. The buzz of alcohol made his thoughts a little slower, a little less sharp, and for the first time in days, he wasn’t carrying the weight of his own mind. Across from him, Ethan stretched, glancing at his watch before pushing his chair back. “Alright, Cooper. I’m taking you home.” Arthur, still in good spirits, blinked at him, processing the words a little too slowly. Ethan raised a brow. “Don’t make me say it twice. Get up.” Arthur chuckled, dragging a hand through his hair before getting to his feet. He swayed slightly but caught himself quickly. “Yeah, yeah, alright.” They both turned to their remaining colleagues, exchanging a few lazy waves a

Masahiro reached the office door and tried the handle.Locked.Again.His fingers stilled for a fraction of a second before he reached into his pocket, retrieving his key. Second day in a row.Masahiro unlocked the door, stepping inside with the same controlled movements as always. But as he set his things down on his desk, a nagging feeling settled in the back of his mind.Arthur was never late. He was punctual to a fault. Yesterday was one thing—he had been drinking, tired, maybe even deliberately avoiding work. Masahiro had let it slide.But today?Masahiro checked the time. 12:03 PM.Arthur should have been here hours ago.Masahiro exhaled through his nose, tapping his fingers against his desk. The station hummed around him—phones ringing, officers moving in and out—but he barely registered it.Where the hell was he?Reaching for his phone, Masahiro dialed Arthur’s number.One ring. Two. Three.Then—beep.“The number you have dialed is currently out of range.”Masahiro lowered the

Cassidy exhaled slowly. His pulse was steady, but beneath it, something simmered—dark, dangerous, demanding to be released. His fingers tapped against his thigh, slow and deliberate, before he turned to Nathaniel. "Did you know?" Nathaniel's stance didn't change, but there was a flicker—brief, barely noticeable—in his expression. A tell. Cassidy's gaze sharpened. "Don't make me ask again." Nathaniel sighed, glancing away for half a second. "I knew Houston was moving shipments under your businesses, yeah. But I didn't think—" "You didn't think what?" Cassidy's voice was silk-thin, dangerously even. He took a slow step forward. "That one day my boy might end up in the mix?" Nathaniel’s jaw clenched. "Arthur wasn't targeted, Sir. He was just… there. Wrong place, wrong time. The woman at The Black Hound saw an easy mark and picked him up. He’s just anothe