Surrounded by Five Beast Lords novel Chapter 187

Chapter 187 Blame Still Lingers

Lucian nodded. “Someone in the military passed him a word.

“As long as he keeps insisting it was the Blackflame Trading Guild, someone will make sure he gets out.”

Rafe pushed up his gold-timined glasses, a thoughtful look flashing in his blue eyes.

“So the real question now is, who’s pulling the strings behind the scenes, how high up are they, and how deep does this for

he said.

“Exactly.” Lucian turned to Clive. “We need to make them let their guard down.

“Let them think they’ve won, and that’s when they’ll slip up.

“So…”

He paused, his tone tinged with a hint of apology.

“The Blackflame Trading Guild will have to take the blame for now

Tve already submitted the investigation report to the military

“The conclusion is that the Blackflame Trading Guild is suspected of smuggling, the mastermind. Boss Clove, has been captured, and the case is temporarily closed.”

Loren’s cat cars twitched, a chill flickered in his amber eyes.

“That’s not fair,’ he said.

“I know” Lucian said, holding his gaze steady.

Relax, everyone. The real investigation isn’t stopping

“They’ll drop their guard the moment they think it’s over

“And that’s when the true mastermind will finally crawl out of the shadows.”

Elmer muttered under his breath. “But what’s going to happen to the Blackflame Trading Guild now

Clive smiled out of nowhere.

It was a subtle smile, but it had a steady strength that made everyone feel a little safer.

“It’s alright,” he said.

He looked at Elmer, a rare warmth shining in his eyes.

Then he said, “back when Blackflame didn’t have any missions, we just kept our heads down, staying hidden among ordinary folks.

“People out there have no idea who Boss Clive really is.

“And nobody really knows who any of the Blackflame guys are, either.”

Rafe smiled.

There was both admiration and a sense of connection in his smile.

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Surrounded by Five Beast Lords

“That’s how things work in the underground,” Clive continued. “The deeper you hide, the longer you live.

“The Blackflame Trading Guild has survived in the underground for years, staying in the shadows a little longer is no big deal

!

Dora looked at him, her heart tangled with mixed feelings.

She grabbed his hand. “Clive”

Clive gave her fingers a gentle, reassuring squeeze, telling her he was fine.

“This kind of transformation was never going to happen overnight,” he said, his voice calm.

“This is the perfect time for the brothers to keep leveling up.

“Once those people slip up, we’ll step out into the open with our heads held high.”

Rafe nodded. “Clive makes a good point.

Laying low now means a bigger comeback later.”

Lioren curled his tail, staying quiet, but his eyes practically shouted, “You’ve got my approval.”

Elmer puffed out his chest, grinning, “Clive, just tell me what you need, I’m ready for anything!”

Clive glanced at him, a playful smile on his lips. “Just eat well, sleep tight, and make sure Dora’s safe. That’s your job.”

Elmer’s cheeks flushed. “Hey, I already do all that!”

The atmosphere in the living room felt a lot more relaxed.

Dora turned to Lucian. “So, what are you planning to do with that phony?”

Lucian said, “We’ll keep him locked up for now.

“When the people behind him make their move to bail him out, we’ll trace the line right back to the real masterminds.”

“How long will that take?” Dora asked.

“Hard to say,” Lucian replied, thinking it over. “Could be as little as a month, or as long as half a year.

“Those people are seriously cautious, they’re not going to stick their necks/out unless they have to.”

Dora nodded, then turned to Clive. “What will the Blackflame brothers do during this time…”

“Don’t worry,” Clive cut her off. “We’ve always lived in the shadows.

“Everyone knows exactly what to do.”.

He paused, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.

He said, “And thanks to you, they’ve got plenty of crystal energy food now.

“Whenever they get a chance, the guys are out hunting alien beasts to level up their supernatural abilities.

“Honestly, they’re loving the break from Blackflame Trading Guild missions.”

Dora looked at him and couldn’t help but smile.

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Surrounded by Five Beast Lords

“Alright,” she said. “Let those people gloat for a while.”

She stood up, looking around at everyone in the room.

She said, “For now, let’s just do what we always do.”

*****

Compared to the buzz at Dora’s place, the Shawn Residence felt like an ice cave, dead silent and freezing cold.

In the study, Regina sat in the main chair, her complexion ashen and her eyes deeply sunken.

She was once the Shawn family’s matriarch, always impeccably made up, exuding an intimidating presence.

But now, she looked like any ordinary old woman, worn down by the hardships of life.

Cassian sat across from her, looking just as worn out.

Dark circles shadowed his eyes, his lips were cracked, and his hair was a total mess.

He was nothing like the Shawn family’s golden boy now.

“Mom…” Cassian stood off to the side, his voice rough and strained. “Please, don’t stress yourself out. Your health matters…”

“Health?” Regina let out a bitter laugh. “The Shawn family is falling apart, what good is my health now?”

Cassian lowered his head, lost for words.

Kael pushed the door open, his face showing the same worn-out exhaustion as the others.

“So, what’s the situation?” Regina fixed her gaze on him. “What are the partner families saying?”

Kael paused for a few seconds, then said slowly, “They still don’t know the ore’s in trouble.”

Regina closed her eyes.

“We have to cover this up,” she said, her eyes cold and fierce as she opened them. “No matter what, we have to keep this hidden.”

That batch of illegal ore was way too much for the Shawn family to handle on their own.

There were dozens of partner families involved, like the Sterling family, the Howard family, plus heavy hitters from the military and government.

If those people found out the ore got raided, the Shawn family wouldn’t just lose all their credibility, they’d get ripped to shreds.

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