Novels by Apex J.

Inside the taxi, Eric leaned back against the worn seat, his gaze unfocused, distant, and his heart was troubled because Calvin’s words really struck deep inside him.‘A heart carved out of stone.’Eric let out a slow breath through his nose.‘Why does he talk like he knows me better than I know myself?’The thought unsettled him more than he liked to admit.Then he remembered Landon and his team. The dungeon. The moment he crossed that line.The first time he killed someone… or people all at once.It was still clear as day in his memory.And the worst part?He felt no guilt at all and still don't.It also felt easy, like he had done it a lot of times.Calvin had been there. Calvin had seen everything. Maybe that was why he spoke with that smug certainty, like he had peeled Eric open and looked inside.‘Hell,’ Eric thought bitterly, ‘I don’t even know what’s inside.’His phone began to ring, snapping him out of the spiral.He looked down at the screen and saw it was Sheila.A tired s

Eric arrived at the address Calvin had given him and saw him standing in front of a tall building, partially concealed as he peeked out from its side.“Why am I here?” he asked.“Shhh,” Calvin muttered, pulling him further into the blind spot beside him. “This is the third C-rank gate to appear in Westford in two days.”Eric peeked out and saw the gate suspended in the air not far from where they were hiding, its surface rippling with unstable energy.Still puzzled, he looked at Calvin. “Alright. So why are we here?”Calvin straightened and met his eyes. “I went through the raid records yesterday and discovered that there are more teams like Landon Caroll’s who always take in last-minute additions. And in every single case, those additions die. Eric, after what happened to us, you can’t tell me that’s a coincidence. They’re offering them up to the magic beasts.”Eric grew more attentive and asked, “And why do you think they're offering people up?”Calvin shrugged. “I mean, the motive

“What happened to you?” Eric asked, alarmed by how she looked.Kim’s face was all swollen and purple, all bruised up like she’d been severely beaten up.“You get into a fight or something?”She whipped her head away, fingers digging into her sides, trembling. “Why do you care? It’s none of your damn business.”Eric frowned. “How’s it none of my business? I'm your brother…”“I said it’s none of your business!” Kim barked, cutting him off. Then she got up furiously. “And seriously, why are you even back? You're married now to the Patels. Weren’t you supposed to be at some ridiculous family meeting or whatever? Stay there.”Eric was speechless for a moment, looking at her like she had a few screws loose in her head.Then he scoffed, shaking his head in amusement. “Wow, you're something else, Kim. You always manage to tick me off, no matter what? Look at you. Tell me, who did this to you? You look like a damn mess. Someone actually beat you up, so who?”“And what are you going to do about

Outside the Patel family villa, Sheila’s fingers clung to Eric’s hand as if letting go would break something fragile. Her voice was low but insistent. “You should go home with me, Eric. Tomorrow, you can bring your things.”Eric sighed as he looked at her. “It’s not that simple, Sheila. I understand I signed a contract and I get all that comes with being a live-in son-in-law. But I cannot leave my father’s house, and my sister as well.”Then he gently removed her hand from his. “I’ll go home first, then we’ll talk later.”Sheila’s shoulders slumped. She wanted to argue, to insist, but she knew she couldn’t force him so she nodded reluctantly.Eric hailed a taxi and immediately headed home.Inside, his phone began to ring and he recognized the hunger to be Regan’s. They must be really curious.The moment he hit the answer button, Regan’s angry voice came through. “Are you mad, Eric?! Do I have to call you before you’ll know what you need to do?! This should better not repeat itself or

Eric stared blankly for a long moment, completely stunned by Kalex’s sudden revelation.‘Noir Group is mine? How is that even possible?’ he asked inwardly.‘It is possible. You simply do not know it yet,’ Kalex replied calmly.Xerxes’ voice followed. ‘This is actually very easy to understand. Have you never heard of Kalex Storm?’Eric’s good eye widened.Of course he had.Kalex Storm was a legendary name, whispered across Silverland. A presence that carried weight even among the elite.‘Then why didn’t I realize it?’ he thought, unsettled.Xerxes had said they had always been around. If that was true, then how were they sealed into the bands on his arm?He waited for an explanation.None came.Even Oracle remained silent.Eric let out a slow, frustrated breath. More mysteries. Always more mysteries.“Hey!” Brett snapped, waving a hand in front of Eric’s face. “Have you gone mute? Or are you rethinking your miserable life right now? Because let’s be honest, you’ll never afford a suit l

Eric had to settle for something simple. None of his suits fit anymore, his body having changed far beyond what they were tailored for. In the end, he wore straight black jeans, a plain T shirt, and a jacket.Outside the house, a black Range Rover waited by the curb.The door opened and an angry woman stepped out. The moment her sharp gaze landed on Eric, his presence visibly irritated her.“You… you…” she snapped, eyes scanning him from head to toe. “Why are you dressed so plainly? Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is? Wearing cheap things like that in public.”His mother in law, Elise Patel, spoke with ice in her voice.Elise was striking. She looked like an older version of Sheila, graceful and refined, carrying herself with effortless elegance.“Mom, please. Not now,” Sheila pleaded.Eric’s calm, indifferent expression only made things worse.“Are you deaf or mute?” Elise barked. “Look at you. A complete loser. My daughter marrying someone like you feels like we have hit

Rumors had painted Drex as short-tempered and merciless, a man who did not tolerate disrespect. But perhaps those rumors had been exaggerated.The sales assistants immediately set to work, carefully packing the twenty pieces of girls’ clothing.The saleslady who had earlier offended Drex approached him hesitantly. “Sir, I am truly sorry for my attitude just now. I should never have looked down on you.”“You’re fired,” Drex said coldly, not even glancing at her.Her heart sank as if it had plummeted into a bottomless pit.“Sir, please…”One glare from Drex stopped her in her tracks, and Dan immediately understood what he needed to do.He glared at the saleslady. “Shut up! You think you can beg? He said you’re fired, so you’re fired. One more word and you’ll be leaving here with bruises to remember it by.”Tears streamed down the woman’s face as she sobbed.Drex was satisfied. They do know how to instill fear.Then he looked at Harper, and said, "All of these purchases count as your sa

The moment the middle-aged couple met Drex’s piercing gaze, their faces drained of color, leaving them pale and shaking.Now, it wasn’t about whether Drex had proven them wrong anymore because their concern had shifted entirely. They were now more terrified of who he truly was and what he might do to them.If Drex was indeed an important person within Knight Group, even the slightest whim of his could cause their lives to fall apart completely, and the thought alone made their hearts pound in their chests. Should he decide to retaliate, there would be a legion of people ready to do his bidding, eager to curry favor and crush anyone who stood in his way."I remember,” Drex said, said, a subtle smirk playing across his lips. “both of you said that one of you would kneel down to apologize and the other would kneel down to lick my shoes if I could afford to buy all the clothes in this store.”The couple froze, their blood running cold. The very thing they had dreaded most was now unfold

"Honey, who is that?” the rich woman whispered with a frown. Her husband had always prided himself on his connections, yet the man in glasses had brushed him aside as if he were invisible. The dismissal stung more than she wanted to admit."That’s Dan Porter, the general manager of this entire mall,” the middle-aged man replied under his breath. “He answers directly to Knight Group.”The rich woman immediately understood. So he was one of those untouchable figures. No wonder he had not spared her husband a second glance or given him any face. Compared to Knight Group, their influence was barely worth mentioning.They had even tried to secure a store inside Blue Sky Mall before, but without the right connections, they never made it past the preliminary stage.“Do you think he’s here shopping for his children?” she speculated when she noticed Dan Porter heading toward the counter.“Most likely,” her husband agreed, nodding.But then, to their complete shock, Dan Porter stopped in front

“It looks like you’ve overplayed your hand, haven’t you?” the first saleslady mocked when she saw Drex staring blankly into his wallet. “Why aren’t you swiping your card? Go on. What’s stopping you?”From the very beginning, she had been very certain there was no way he could produce even a thousand dollars, let alone six hundred thousand. Not dressed the way he was. Now that he clearly could not find any card to use, she burst into laughter, shaking her head in ridicule.“There are still pathetic men like you? You ought to be ashamed of yourself,” she continued, her laughter ringing louder.The rich couples were finally able to breathe.Truthfully, the confidence in Drex’s eyes earlier had given them a fright.Afterall, they had made bold promises that as long as Drex was able to buy all the clothes in the store, one of them would kneel and apologize while the other would kneel and lick his shoes.Of course, there had never been any real intention of honoring those words. It would h

“You’re still insisting on trying it on?” the saleslady said, turning her nose up at Drex. “Are you really like she said, coming here to satisfy your vanity with things you can’t afford? Sir, as much as I don't want to say this, aren’t you afraid of setting a bad example for your child?”Drex’s jaw clenched, fury simmering beneath his calm exterior. “And who the hell told you I can’t afford it? They bought six sets at once, so what? Are you really that snobbish?”The middle-aged man who had been watching all along smirked. “Why, young man, are you trying to play a little game with me?”Seeing Drex fume brought him a perverse sense of satisfaction, a sense of superiority that he relished.Drex’s eyes narrowed as he turned to him. “Oh? And what kind of game do you mean?”Janice, seeing the tension rise, quickly grabbed Anna’s hand.“Anna, come on,” she said sharply. “Let’s leave. Mommy will take you shopping somewhere else. I’ll buy two sets for you.”If Drex wanted to stay and embarra

“Assistant, wrap this up for me,” the plump woman ordered curtly, not sparing the sales associate a second glance.The saleslady hesitated and looked toward Drex, clearly caught in an awkward position.After all, Drex’s daughter had chosen the dress first and was just about to try it on.“Daddy, I want it too,” Anna pleaded softly, tugging at Drex’s hand as she noticed someone else trying to take it.“I’m sorry,” Drex said calmly, turning his gaze to the woman. “My daughter selected this dress first, and she was about to try it on. Please choose another one.”“Try it on?” the woman scoffed, her eyes sweeping over him with open disdain. “It’s always poor people like you who come in here to touch and try on things you can’t afford, dirtying the clothes in the process.”Drex was dressed simply, and that alone seemed to confirm her judgment that someone like him could never afford clothing from a brand like this.“And how would you know if it fits without trying it on?” Janice snapped sha