Chapter 423: Two evils meet.

Not a single guest appreciated Bullet’s antics. In the end, Bianca confiscated all off his guns for her own peace of mind. Zyra was about to resume her walk down the aisle when Achilles’s eagle cut it. The bird strutted proudly down the aisle with a flower in the beak like the most dramatic flower girl in history.

Guests chuckled, finding the unusual scene hilarious. It took an even more absurd turn when a wolf grabbed a bouquet and sashayed after the eagle, tail swishing with flair. Then Squirrel followed, with a blazing tail.

A bear beast lumbered after Squirrel with roses clenched in his paws, stomping like it was a runway show. Soon, the aisle became a parade of beasts flaunting petals, each trying to outdo the other with exaggerated walks.

Laughter erupted, the ceremony stalled, and Zyra stood frozen, forced to wait as her "flower procession" spiraled into chaos.

Only after Alessa slapped a snow leopard on the butt did the show come to an end.

Finally, Zyra made it to the arch. The Grand Elder handed Zyra’s hand over to Hunter. The old man wiped a fat tear from his wrinkled cheek with his sleeve. "If you ever hurt my little girl, Hunter, I don’t care that you are my grandson, I will break your legs."

"I would hand you the stick myself, Grandfather," Hunter said earnestly, taking Zyra’s soft hand in his.

Zyra looked up through her sheer veil and caught Hunter staring at her with pure, unfiltered adoration. "What?" she whispered mischievously. "Is my face too white or bronze? Your aunt Alessa was in charge of makeup."

"You are breathtaking," Hunter murmured back, his voice thick with emotion.

The magistrate stepped forward, clearing his throat loudly to get everyone’s attention. "We are gathered here today under the heavens..."

[More like under the beast sky.] Beauty chimed in.

"Shut up." Zyra hissed in her mind.

The ceremony moved quickly, but every word felt heavy and deep. When it was time for the vows, Hunter held both of Zyra’s hands, looking straight into her eyes.

"Zyra, I’ve chased thrills my whole life," Hunter said softly, his voice echoing in the quiet courtyard. "I thought my path was always going to be dark and lonely. But then you showed up. You’re my home now. No matter where we go. I will protect you, hold you, and love you forever. From now on, you are the only thrill I will chase."

Tears pricked the corners of Zyra’s eyes. She squeezed his hands tight. "Hunter, you are the most stubborn man I have ever met. But you are also my whole heart. I promise to stand by your side through every battle, every thrill, and every silly scheme you drag me into. I’m yours."

"I now pronounce you husband and wife!" the magistrate declared. "You may kiss!"

Hunter didn’t hesitate for a single second. He pulled Zyra by the waist, dipped her slightly, and kissed her deeply.

The crowd erupted into wild cheers!

"WOOOOOOOO! That’s my brother!" Achilles roared at the top of his lungs, jumping up on top of a marble table and waving his arms in the air like a madman. "Finally! The deal has been sealed! No second, third and extra husbands."

Alessa immediately grabbed his ear and yanked him back down to the ground. "Ow, ow, ow! Mom!"

"Look at them!" his mother scolded, pointing a finger at the happy couple. "Hunter is almost your age and he’s already married! Look at you, still single and jumping on tables like a monkey! Why don’t you take a leaf out of his book and bring me a daughter-in-law for once?"

"Mom! Not in front of everyone, you are ruining my reputation!" Achilles groaned, rubbing his red ear while the guests laughed.

The rest of the night turned into a glorious, chaotic party. Drums beat, wine flowed like rivers, and guests danced until their feet ached. Hunter barely let go of Zyra’s hand the entire evening, stealing kisses whenever nobody was looking.

It wasn’t a standard, boring noble wedding_ it was loud, funny, full of love, and absolutely perfect.

*****

Logan’s transport beast touched down heavily on the polished docks near the rows of luxury ferries at Honey Bay. Its padded wings flapped, kicking up a cloud of salty dust before the beast let out a low, tired grunt.

Logan hopped down, brushing off his coat. He was a corrupt mayor, sure, but he certainly wasn’t stupid enough to come alone just because some blackmailer told him to in an anonymous text message.

The moment he had received the instructions specifying where to deliver the high-grade energy stones, he had secretly dispatched Sawyer and a team of mercenaries to surround the area. Their orders were simple: as soon as the blackmailer showed his face, take him out quietly at his signal. Just in case that plan somehow tanked, Logan had put a few extra, lethal measures in place to ensure this nuisance vanished off the face of the world forever.

And this was something Samuel_ hiding inside one of the luxury yachts nearby_ had absolute zero clue about.

Samuel was peeking through a set of tinted glass windows, clutching a spyglass with trembling hands. When he saw Logan land with a transport beast practically sagging under the weight of massive leather saddlebags packed to the brim with glowing energy stones, his greed spiked through the roof.

He had spent literally every single stone in his savings account to buy this sweet luxury ferry. His plan was magnificent: take the stones, sail across the high seas, relax on the ocean for a few weeks, and then release the murder video anyway. Once the scandal destroyed Logan and wiped out his mayor title, Samuel planned to stroll back into the Capital as a filthy rich, retired master mind and live his best life. He knew Logan was a ruthless snake who wouldn’t just let him live even if he handed over the original recording. So speed was key.

Samuel pulled out the burner phone and sent a quick text: Fly the beast to Ferry 32 and drop the bags on the deck. Do it now.

Logan checked the newly received message, hissed a foul curse, and spread his arms wide, shouting toward the quiet docks. "Are you out of your mind?! Do you think I’m stupid?! I want the original video first! Show yourself!"

Inside Ferry 90, Samuel’s phone buzzed with Logan’s angry refusal.

Samuel let out a heavy, stressed-out sigh. Ugh, why is this taking so long? Seeing all those sparkling energy stones sat right in front of him had completely fried his sense of caution and basic human judgment. The urge to grab the loot and flee was making his blood boil.

Losing his patience, Samuel slammed the cabin door open, stepped out onto the upper deck, and leaned over the gilded railing.

"Don’t you dare try anything stupid, Mayor!" Samuel yelled down, trying to sound like a mastermind villain in an opera. "I have a contingency plan! I set an automatic timer on the video. I have to enter a password into my phone every six hours to stop it from leaking. If I miss even one check-in, the video is automatically sent to all media houses and your father-in-law."