Xander grabbed his phone immediately, his sharp eyes never leaving the cars surrounding them.

"Teddy," he said the second the call connected.

"Boss!" Teddy’s tense voice came from the other side along with the faint sound of engines roaring in the background. "We saw the hit. We’re already behind you."

Xander glanced through the rearview mirror again. The black SUV was still tailing them closely while another sedan attempted to move alongside Ivy’s car.

"How many?" Xander asked calmly.

"Three vehicles," Teddy answered instantly. "Percy already locked onto the SUV. Nico and Benny are moving to cut them off."

Another screech echoed behind them.

Ivy tightened her jaw and swerved around a truck before muttering, "Your life is seriously insane."

Despite the situation, Xander almost smiled.

"Take the left ahead," he instructed instead.

Ivy immediately turned the wheel, speeding into a narrower road.

Behind them, headlights flashed aggressively as the SUV followed without hesitation.

"Teddy," Xander continued, his voice turning colder, "don’t engage near us."

"Understood."

"We’ll distract them first."

The call ended quickly.

Ivy shot him a quick glance before focusing back on the road. "Distract them? That sounds very concerning."

"You drive well under pressure," Xander replied.

"That’s not an answer."

"You’ll survive without one."

Ivy scoffed despite the tension.

Another car suddenly appeared from the opposite lane, attempting to corner them.

"Seriously?!" Ivy cursed loudly before slamming the brakes just enough to avoid crashing.

The tires screeched sharply against the road.

"Steady," Xander said calmly, one hand gripping the side handle while watching the approaching car carefully. "Don’t panic."

"I’m not panicking," Ivy snapped. "I’m trying not to die."

The corner of Xander’s lips twitched faintly at her response.

Even now, she still argued with him.

"Good," he murmured. "Now accelerate."

Ivy stepped harder on the gas pedal.

The engine roared as the car shot forward again.

Behind them, the black SUV tried to close the distance, but suddenly another pair of headlights appeared from the adjacent road.

A familiar black vehicle slid between them aggressively.

"Teddy," Xander muttered.

The SUV behind them was forced to slow down instantly.

Inside Teddy’s car, Benny leaned out slightly with an excited grin.

"Got you now, idiots."

"Sit down before you get shot," Percy warned lazily from the backseat while reloading his gun.

Meanwhile, Nico skillfully maneuvered their second car beside the attackers, blocking their path long enough for Ivy to gain distance.

"What are they doing?" Ivy asked breathlessly after noticing the chaos behind them.

"Buying us time," Xander answered.

For the first time since the chase started, Ivy realized how coordinated his people were.

No panic.

No confusion.

Everyone moved like they had done this countless times before.

"You deal with this often?" she asked quietly.

Xander’s expression darkened slightly.

"Often enough."

The answer made Ivy’s grip tighten on the steering wheel.

The mansion gates were still several minutes away.

"Take the highway exit ahead," Xander instructed.

Ivy nodded immediately.

As they turned onto the larger road, the remaining stalker vehicle attempted to catch up again, but Teddy’s car sharply cut in front of it.

The sudden maneuver forced the SUV to brake violently.

"Nice!" Benny shouted proudly.

"You sound way too happy about this," Nico muttered while steering beside them.

Back inside Ivy’s car, the atmosphere remained tense despite the growing distance.

Xander kept checking behind them carefully until finally the pursuing headlights disappeared one by one.

Only then did he lean back slightly.

"We’re clear."

Ivy exhaled shakily, not realizing until now that she had been holding her breath the entire time.

"That was your version of a peaceful night?" she asked incredulously.

Xander glanced at her.

"To be fair," he said calmly, "the evening started with ice cream."

Ivy stared at him for a second before letting out a disbelieving laugh.

"You are unbelievable."

A few minutes later, the massive gates of the mansion finally came into view.

The second the guards recognized the car, the gates opened immediately.

Ivy drove inside quickly while Teddy’s car followed close behind.

The moment the vehicle stopped, Teddy rushed out.

"Boss, are you hurt?" Teddy asked instantly.

Xander stepped out calmly. "I’m fine."

Then his eyes shifted toward Ivy as she got out from the driver’s side.

Her hands were still trembling slightly from the adrenaline.

Xander noticed it immediately.

But instead of pointing it out, he simply walked toward her and said quietly "You did well."

Ivy looked at Xander silently, her eyes filled with conflicted thoughts.

There was a time when she had never feared death.

Back then, risking her life had almost felt normal to her. But ever since the incident on the cliff—ever since she had woken up in Ivy’s body—something inside her had changed without her realizing it.

Her emotions no longer felt as detached as before.

And tonight, during that chase, for the first time in a long while, she had genuinely felt afraid.

Not for herself alone— but for the person beside her.

The sound of another car pulling into the driveway snapped her out of her thoughts.

Nico’s vehicle came to a stop behind them.

"Boss," Benny called immediately as they approached.

Xander’s expression remained calm, though the coldness in his eyes hadn’t disappeared yet.

"Did you get them?" he asked.

The three exchanged glances before shaking their heads in disappointment.

"They escaped before we could catch them," Percy answered grimly.

Benny clicked his tongue in frustration. "Those bastards knew the roads too well."

For a brief second, silence settled over the group.

Xander’s expression darkened slightly, the sharpness in his gaze turning dangerous. However, he didn’t lash out or say anything further.

That alone told everyone around him how serious the situation was.

"Inform Hunter about today," Xander finally ordered.

Teddy nodded immediately. "Understood."

Without another word, Xander turned toward Ivy.

She still stood beside the car quietly, her thoughts seemingly elsewhere.

Then, to everyone’s surprise, Xander reached for her hand naturally.

His large fingers wrapped around hers firmly yet gently before leading her toward the mansion entrance.

The action stunned the others into silence.

Benny’s mouth practically fell open.

Percy blinked twice as if questioning whether exhaustion was making him hallucinate.

Even Nico looked caught off guard.

Teddy, however, simply sighed to himself like a man who had already accepted his fate long ago.