15

Elijah sat in his dimly lit room, memories of the auction day flooding his mind.

"If only they had been careful," Elijah thought, his jaw clenched. "Charlie wouldn't have been sold to Xander."

He recalled his phone call to the Silver Market, explicitly stating his intention to claim Charlie at any price.

But the incompetent official had ignored the files, selling all the Petit men, including Charlie.

Elijah's anger simmered. "Unforgivable."

Across the palace, Cloud stood at his window, gazing out into the night.

"Why did the Prince reject me again?" Cloud wondered.

He thought back to his days in the Silver Market, where his beauty made him irresistible.

But Cloud's heart belonged to the Royal Prince of Moonlight Kingdom.

Whenever the Prince rejected his invitations, Cloud would feign illness, making himself unattractive.

But this time, the Prince had already purchased Charlie.

Cloud's thoughts turned bitter. "Fate conspires against me."

In their separate rooms, Elijah and Cloud nursed their wounded hearts.

Elijah's resolve hardened. "I'll claim Charlie, no matter the cost."

Cloud's eyes welled up with tears. "Perhaps I'll never find love."

The night wore on, the palace's silence punctuated only by the occasional creak.

Here's the continuation:

In the depths of the Silver Market, a dimly lit chamber housed the errant official. Master Clerk's expression twisted in disgust.

"You fool," Master Clerk spat. "Your incompetence has sparked a catastrophe."

The official cowered, trembling. "I-I didn't know, sir. I didn't read the files..."

Master Clerk's slap sent the official stumbling. "You've embroiled us in a conflict between two powerhouse factions. Elijah and Xander won't let this slide."

The official's pleas fell on deaf ears as Master Clerk summoned the Market's enforcers.

"Take him to the Holding Cells. He'll face the full weight of our disciplinary measures."

Guards dragged the official away, his screams echoing through the corridors.

Master Clerk's gaze rose to the Market's hierarchy. "We must appease both Elijah and Xander. Our very existence hangs in the balance."

Master Clerk's eyes narrowed. "Not yet. We'll keep that secret buried, for now."

The Silver Market's internal turmoil intensified, as the consequences of the official's blunder continued to unfold.

Elijah stood at his window, gazing out into the moonlit night. His thoughts swirled with memories of the auction day.

"How could they be so careless?" Elijah muttered, his fist clenched.

In another wing of the palace, Lucas settled into his bed, Drake's gentle snores a soothing background hum.

Lucas's mind wandered to the events unfolding around them. "Charlie's presence has ignited a firestorm," he thought.

Drake stirred, his eyes fluttering open. "Lucas?"

"Just thinking," Lucas whispered, his hand tracing Drake's jaw.

Meanwhile, Xander sat beside Charlie, watching his Baby sleep.

"Mine," Xander whispered, his heart filled with determination.

Charlie stirred, his eyes fluttering open.

"Daddy?" Charlie mumbled.

"I'm here, Baby," Xander replied, his voice soft.

In his room, Cloud paced, his thoughts consumed by the Royal Prince.

"Why did he reject me again?" Cloud wondered.

Elijah's resolve hardened. "I'll claim Charlie, no matter the cost."

The night wore on, each individual lost in their thoughts, the palace's silence punctuated only by the occasional creak.