Chapter: CHAPTER 171Asher arrived right on time. Mac & Mocz Restaurant stood quietly behind tall glass walls, and the scent of peppermint mixed with expensive wine greeted him as soon as the door opened. Asher had not gone far when Jonathan appeared from the opposite direction. They stopped almost at the same time, looked at each other for a moment, then shook hands. Jonathan’s grip was firm, without hesitation, as if this meeting had been calculated from the very beginning. They entered the private room that had already been reserved. The door closed tightly, leaving behind a silence that felt expensive. Meanwhile, their secretaries waited outside, exchanging greetings and having lunch together. Jonathan welcomed him with a warm smile. “I did not expect us to meet again after such a long time,” Jonathan said as he sat down. “It is just unfortunate that we meet during a project crisis like this.” Jonathan’s tone sounded light, but his eyes were far too calm to be called mere small talk. Asher returned
Last Updated: 2026-01-23
Chapter: CHAPTER 170Asher stared at the files in front of him with a cynical gaze. Unexpectedly, the real estate project that Jonathan collaborated with was on the brink of collapse due to its own directors’ actions. These rats were truly greedy—already holding positions with fairly high salaries, yet still searching for scraps that could endanger their own jobs.“Was the person responsible for this real estate project Joshua Herbzy?”After remaining silent for a while, Asher finally spoke while looking at Kailos, who was seated across from him.Kailos nodded as he answered, “Yes, Mr. Herbzy was responsible. He also managed the supervisory team, but there was something suspicious in the selection of construction materials.”Kailos handed several sheets of paper to Asher so his boss could see how the real estate project was progressing.“Had Jonathan contacted us before?” Asher asked without lifting his face, his eyes deeply focused on the sentences and data written on the papers.“I had already contacted
Last Updated: 2026-01-23
Chapter: CHAPTER 169Asher sat leaning back in a chair beside Joseph’s gurney. His hospital clothes had been replaced with a white shirt and dress pants. The pain in his upper arm had eased, although he still needed medication to recover fully. His arms were crossed over his chest as he waited for the man lying there to open his eyes. Asher’s mind was very busy. He was guessing whether his other men were able to capture Waldric or not. There had been no message yet about Waldric’s arrest. There was only one message from Aberon regarding the relationship between Aldric and Kaylery. “Si–Sir!” Joseph’s startled voice pulled Asher back to reality. He looked toward Joseph, who was trying to sit up from his lying position. However, Asher quickly stopped him and made Joseph lie back down. “Don’t push yourself, Joseph,” Asher said as he sat back down, adjusting his position. “Yes, Sir. I’m sorry for troubling you,” Joseph said, feeling embarrassed. “Focus on healing yourself first,” Asher said, his gaze sti
Last Updated: 2026-01-01
Chapter: CHAPTER 168“You trusted your father, right?” Asher spoke, even though Aldric was like that, the middle-aged man Asher had met several times truly loved Alicia. Asher was certain that Aldric was now trying to clean up the chaos that had happened. He was even sure that Aldric would not stay silent if he was kicked around in political circles. Aldric surely held keys or secrets of the elites.Alicia fell silent; she did not know either. She used to believe in him, even made her father her role model. However, since the infidelity scandal surfaced, her trust had declined.“Just trust your father. He would try for you, don’t think about other problems. Heal yourself first, after that let’s live together,” Asher replied soothingly while holding Alicia’s hand.A warm and calming feeling settled in Alicia’s heart. She looked at Asher with admiration. The man she once met by the roadside, the stiff man who only talked about business, now spoke so gently and attentively.While Asher was feeling a butterf
Last Updated: 2025-12-29
Chapter: CHAPTER 167Asher’s body felt stiff, pain slowly spreading every time he unconsciously shifted his fingers. His eyelids fluttered before finally opening, slowly adjusting to the overly bright white light. The smell of medicine immediately rushed in, cold and bitter, making his chest rise and fall more deeply. “Asher… Asher!” The voice was faint, but familiar enough to pull Asher fully back. His vision blurred for a moment, then Alicia’s figure appeared at the edge of his sight, standing beside the bed, her face pale but real. “Alicia…” Asher’s voice sounded hoarse, almost inaudible. He tried to sit up. His muscles resisted, sharp pain flaring instantly. Alicia reflexively held Asher’s shoulder, but before she could push him further, the door opened. A doctor and a nurse entered with quick steps—the emergency call had been pressed by Alicia seconds earlier. “Stay calm,” the doctor said after a brief examination. A small flashlight was directed into Asher’s eyes, then toward the monitor beside
Last Updated: 2025-12-29
Chapter: CHAPTER 166Satisfied with the discussion with his father, he left and returned to his room only to change his clothes. The suit was replaced with a dark jacket, and the watch was adjusted one notch. A few minutes later, he was already sitting in the car with Joseph. The engine started, city lights were left behind, and the road led toward a pier far from home. Toward a place where iron and saltwater mixed.Rows of shipping containers stood like steel graves. The giant boxes were rusted at the corners, large enough to swallow a human in silence, cold, and indifferent to the activity outside. Asher stepped into one of the blue containers.Inside, the hanging light cut through the darkness. The smell of metal and faint antiseptic mixed together. Waldric sat tied to a chair, his face already treated—bandages neatly attached—though the swelling had not fully gone down. Waldric lifted his eyes, greeting Asher with a smile that was far too calm for someone in that condition.“You are already very pitif
Last Updated: 2025-12-27
Chapter: CHAPTER 26Caesar stopped behind Rafael, understanding. He stood still, only watching how Rafael vented that power.The first roar broke out. One of the monsters leaped, the ground splitting under its impact. Then Rafael began to move. Not hurried. Not hesitant.His sword was drawn in a single breath. A blackish-red light crawled along the blade, seeping like ink into steel. As the monster nearly touched him, Rafael twisted his wrist with a small, almost lazy motion.Slash.The creature’s head separated from its body before it could scream. Black blood sprayed, warm, splashing onto Rafael’s arm. The headless body collapsed with a wet sound.Seeing one of their kind killed, the others attacked at once. Rafael stepped forward. The sword that had become his legend seemed to dance beautifully, not wildly or brutally annihilating the monsters. Yet every swing struck its mark. Every slash severed tendons, joints, or spines. The second monster was split from shoulder to waist. Next, the third lost its
Last Updated: 2025-12-16
Chapter: CHAPTER 25Cold sweat dripped from Rafael’s temples, falling one by one onto the floor. The man’s breathing came in broken gasps, as if his lungs tightened every time he drew in air. Inside his chest, something pulsed. Not his heart, but a power pressing outward, gnawing from within.Rafael grabbed the edge of the table, his fingers gripping the wood until his knuckles turned pale. His stomach churned, nausea mixed with pain that spread to his spine. Every pulse made his head throb.“It seemed to have been too long,” Rafael thought. Too long he had restrained himself. Too long that power had been left without a target.The door opened in a rush. Footsteps struck the floor. The figure who had faithfully accompanied him approached.“Master!” Caesar stopped the moment he saw Rafael’s condition. The man’s face immediately changed. He hurried forward, supporting Rafael’s shoulders so the duke’s body would not fall. “Are you all right?”Rafael brushed Caesar’s hand away with the last of his strength.
Last Updated: 2025-12-16
Chapter: CHAPTER 24The title Duke of Darkness did not come from a royal ceremony or empty praise, but from the blood-soaked land in the northern borders, the place where Rafael learned to live, die, and kill. At that time he was only fifteen years old, but King Tremos threw him there without hesitation.“If you want to be recognized as my blood, prove it at the border,” his father had said. There was no affection. There was no explanation. Only a cold command that could not be disobeyed at all.Rafael went, not because he obeyed, but because he knew it was the only way to survive in a palace that hated him, also as proof that he still had noble blood.He spent the next fifteen years in a way no child was ever prepared for. He chose to break through barbarian hordes until his hands felt numb, splitting open monster skulls while laughing softly, and staring into the eyes of enemy soldiers until they froze in terror. He even often looked at a sea of corpses when war broke out. Those wounds shaped him, crea
Last Updated: 2025-12-13
Chapter: CHAPTER 23Inside the palace meeting room, the nobles and high-ranking officials sat in a tense formation. The light from the crystal chandelier sparkled above their heads, reflecting shadows on the tall stone walls. At the end of the long table made of dark mahogany wood, King Tremos sat with a grim expression.Across from him, Grand Duke Rathore Mcrelwyn, a middle-aged man with perfectly styled golden hair, stared straight at the king with an unreadable gaze. His eyes were sharp, almost piercing, and his look was full of skepticism he did not bother to hide."I still did not approve of appointing Rafael as crown prince, let alone giving the king’s throne to him," the Grand Duke finally said, his voice calm but weighty. "A leader could not simply appear from the shadows after years of disappearing, then claim the right to the throne without being tested first."The room was instantly filled with soft whispers. Some council members exchanged glances, while others lowered their heads, trying to h
Last Updated: 2025-12-07
Chapter: CHAPTER 22Rafael stood tall before the massive mirror adorning the wall of his lavish chamber. His broad shoulders were cloaked in an outfit tailored to perfection, befitting his new title as crown prince. A sleek black suit with modern cuts hugged his frame, paired with a long crimson mantle that shimmered subtly under the golden light. The royal crest of Carlies, a gleaming gold emblem, adorned his chest, a symbol of the authority now officially his. Servants moved swiftly around him, adjusting the folds of his suit, slipping white gloves over his hands, and ensuring every detail was immaculate. Rafael, however, remained calm, unfazed by the flurry of activity. His gaze in the mirror reflected the bearing of a leader, though beneath his composed exterior lay a flicker of satisfaction he couldn’t entirely mask. It wasn’t just the restoration of his rightful title that pleased him—it was also the ruin of those who had once dismissed him. "Frederick," Rafael murmured softly, his voice laced
Last Updated: 2024-12-08
Chapter: CHAPTER 21Three days had passed, and the devastation in Hurbret was undeniable. Small villages lay in ashes, fields were barren, and refugees filled the main roads with despair etched into their faces. The air reeked of smoke, blood, and death. Frederick stood on the balcony of his now-disheveled estate, his sharp eyes scanning the empty fields below, his jaw clenched tight.Inside the house, the chaos mirrored the destruction outside. His trusted secretary stood with his head bowed, clutching a stack of official documents. His voice trembled as he spoke, trying to deliver the news delicately.“Baron,” the secretary began softly but firmly, “I’ve just received a report from the royal envoy. The kingdom is planning a welcoming feast for the new crown prince.”Frederick froze for a moment, then slowly turned with eyes as sharp as daggers. “What?” he asked, his voice low and filled with menace.“A welcoming feast, sir,” the secretary repeated, swallowing hard before continuing. “The new crown prin
Last Updated: 2024-12-05
