Surrounded by Five Beast Lords novel Chapter 144

08:47 Sat, Jul

Chapter 144

Chapter 144

Dora took a deep breath, then another.

“Th-thank you, Elmer,” she said, her voice a bit hoarse. “Let’s go downstairs and eat.”

Elmer watched her turn and head downstairs, and noticed the tips of her ears turning red. His eyes grew even brighter.

‘So this trick really works!’ Elmer thought.

He followed her happily, his white beast ears perking up and twitching with every step.

He practically radiated the cheerful energy of a puppy wagging its tail.

Downstairs, Seven was busy in the kitchen, and the smell of food was already drifting out.

The table was set, but only three figures could be seen.

“Morning,” Clive said, sitting at the table. His eyes swept over Dora, then paused for a moment when they landed on Elmer, who was standing behind her with his beast ears on full display.

Elmer stood up straighter, his ears twitching even more happily.

Lioren was lounging in a chair by the window, his cat ears still perked up. His amber eyes swept over Elmer, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

‘Childish, Lioren thought.

He snorted inwardly, but his gaze couldn’t help but linger on those white beast ears.

Then he glanced at Dora’s sparkling eyes, and a warning bell went off in his mind.

Dora slid into the main seat and looked around. “Where’s Rafe and Lucian?”

Seven popped her head out from the kitchen. “Master! Mr. Sterling said he had to run home for something, so he took off super early,

“Mr. Golding said there was some urgent business at the military, and the smuggling case needed more digging, so he left

too.”

Dora nodded.

“Did they leave any notes?” she asked.

“Mr. Sterling said he’d try to make it back today,” Seven replied. “Mr. Golding said he’d come back once he’s done.”

Dora just went, “Mm,” and started on her breakfast.

The atmosphere at the table was subtle and a bit awkward.

Elmer, with his white beast ears on full display, was busy serving Dora, piling food onto her plate, ladling out soup, and handing her napkins.

Every time he did something, his ears would twitch, and he’d look at her like a puppy waiting for praise.

Dora was struggling to keep it together.

She kept telling herself, ‘I have to maintain my dignity as the female leader. I can’t let myself be swayed by his looks… No, by

“But every un

them.

Clive ate his breakfast in silence, his gaze occasionally drifting to the top of Elmer’s head, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.

‘Dora’s got a real thing for those fluffy beast ears, huh?’ Clive mused.

He unconsciously ran his fingers through his own hair…

Lioren was lounging by the window, his cat ears twitching and his tail lightly swishing behind him.

His gaze drifted back and forth between Elmer and Dora.

Finally, his eyes settled on Elmer’s fluffy white beast ears, and he squinted slightly.

Elmer noticed the stare and lifted his head, his gaze practically broadcasting, ‘See? Mine are super cute too!’

Lioren shifted his attention, picked up his coffee cup, and took a sip, keeping his face utterly expressionless.

‘Childish, Lioren scoffed silently to himself, repeating the word in his mind.

Yet his grip around the coffee cup was a bit tighter than usual.

Dora was eating her scooping food, but without even meaning to, her gaze kept drifting back to those fluffy white beast ears.

Then she caught that Lioren’s cat ears were twitching even more than usual today.

Clive stayed quiet, but there was definitely something brewing deep in his eyes.

Elmer was just happily munching away, totally clueless about everything going on around him.

At the Shawn family estate, in the study, Regina sat behind her desk, her fingers tapping the surface with a steady, deliberate rhythm.

Cassian stood before her, head bowed, waiting for the storm of anger he knew was coming.

The Zone 32 operation was a total bust.

The kidnapped female was snatched back by what everyone said was Boss Clive’s crew, and the setup didn’t work either.

Their best men were wiped out, the ore vein was never found, and even the rare blueberry tree landed in someone else’s hands.

They walked away empty-handed, and the Shawn family lost all their dignity, and a ton of money.

Regina sat behind her desk, her face eerily calm, so calm it was almost chilling.

She didn’t blow up.

She didn’t throw anything.

She didn’t go off on him or scream.

Which only made Cassian’s nerves fray even more.

08:47 Sat, Jul 11 TO N

Chapter 144

“Mother…” he began.

Regina raised her hand, cutting him off.

The study was silent for a full three minutes.

Then Regina looked up, and there was the faintest hint of a smile on her face.

It was the kind of smile that sent a chill down the spine.

“Cassian,” she said, her voice unnervingly calm.

“What do you think was our biggest loss this time?”

Cassian froze for a second, caught off guard.

65 vouche

“Was it… losing our people? Or that the setup didn’t work?” he guessed nervously. “Or maybe because we never found the ore

vein?”

Regina shook her head.

“None of that,” she said, getting up and moving to the window, staring out at the endless drizzle.

“The real loss is that we missed out on that rare mutated blueberry tree.

“That tree, someone definitely managed to smuggle it out of Zone 32.”

Cassian froze for a second, then looked up at her.

Regina continued, “We kidnapped so many females and searched through countless Spatial Realms, and still came up empty-handed.

“That means the tree isn’t in the hands of any ordinary teams.

“Whoever managed to get it out alive must have some serious skills, and…”

She paused. “And since there’s been zero news about it, that means whoever has it is keeping things quiet.”

Cassian considered her words. “So you mean… the person who got the tree is hiding it too?”

“Exactly,” Regina said, a cold smile curling on her lips. “Either the tree didn’t make it and is already dead, or it survived, but whoever has it doesn’t have the power or influence to let anyone know about it.”

She stood up and walked to the window, gazing out at the rain-soaked flowers and trees in the courtyard.

“Cassian, do you know what this means?” she asked.

Cassian shook his head.

Regina turned to face him, her gaze sharp and full of calculation, colder than he’d ever seen before.

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