They ascended the staircase cautiously, each step echoing through the silent house. The air was thick with unease, and every creak of the wooden floorboards seemed amplified in the tense silence. The door upstairs had not been properly closed when Brielle had emerged earlier, leaving just a thin gap. Peering through it, they glimpsed the chaos inside—the room was in disarray, with overturned furniture, shattered glass, and traces of struggle scattered everywhere.With careful hands, they pushed the door open, their eyes widening at the scene within. Lord Hammer lay motionless on the floor, his body sprawled unnaturally. Blood matted his clothes, and his face was pale, drained of life. The Armands froze, a wave of disbelief washing over them.“Why… why have Mr. Marlowe and Tessa gone?” Gerald’s voice quivered, a mixture of fear and confusion coloring his tone.Before anyone could respond, a shadow shifted behind them. A figure stepped into the doorway silently, and Brielle let out a sh

Lazarus had no idea that Winda and Hammer were still alive. Julian had deliberately told him that he had killed both Lord Nyra and Lord Hammer.It wasn’t the truth. Winda still drew breath, but Julian had already decided her fate. In his twisted mind, there was no difference between killing one or killing two. Either way, the Supreme General would not spare him once word spread. Since he was doomed regardless, he might as well wring out every last drop of pleasure before the end. To him, Winda’s body was just a prize to claim before discarding.When Lazarus heard the words, he froze, unable to process them.“What?” Whitney’s voice sliced through the silence, sharper than any blade. Her usually calm demeanor cracked as disbelief painted her face. “Julian… went too far. He actually slaughtered two of the Supreme General’s Gods of War? Do you understand what this means, Father? The Supreme General will never—never—let him live!”Lazarus exhaled slowly, his hands trembling on the armrests

Julian had originally wanted to savor the moment, tearing Tessa’s clothes away piece by piece, making her humiliation last as long as possible. But his lust had grown too wild, too consuming. With an impatient snarl, he ripped off his own shirt and tossed it aside. His hand shot forward, fingers curling around the fabric of Tessa’s blouse, ready to rip it away in one violent motion. He leaned closer, his hot breath brushing her cheek. “I’ll strip you bare, right here, in the wildest way you can imagine,” he whispered, his voice hoarse with frenzy. But before his fingers could tear the fabric, he froze. A chill unlike anything he had ever felt before washed over him—a suffocating, murderous intent that seemed to stab into his very bones. The hairs on the back of his neck rose as if he were prey being targeted by a predator. Julian’s body stiffened. His hand trembled for a fraction of a second before he ripped it away from Tessa and scrambled to his feet, spinning around to face th

Julian’s face twisted with rage as he staggered back to his feet. His right arm trembled, veins bulging as he clenched his fist with all the force he could muster. With a furious roar, he drove his punch toward Adam, the air around his knuckles whistling from the sheer power behind it.He was a middle–stage pinnacle grandmaster. A blow like this could shatter stone, could pulverize steel. To him, Adam should have been flattened by it.But Adam didn’t flinch. His expression remained calm, detached, almost bored. At the very last moment, he leaned to the side with effortless precision. Julian’s fist struck nothing but empty air.Before Julian could even react, Adam’s counter came. His fist shot forward like lightning, slamming into Julian’s opposite shoulder.A sharp crack split the night.Julian’s scream tore through the silence—high, broken, and blood-curdling. The sound echoed across the empty surroundings, chilling enough to raise the hair on anyone who heard it.His body crumpled a

Tessa kept quiet, her lips pressed into a thin line. Her silence spoke louder than words—she didn’t believe Adam. No one in Coastal Flair would.The Marlowe family wasn’t just wealthy; they were a pillar of power, prestige, and influence. Generations of dominance had cemented them as untouchable. To go against them was to court certain destruction. For as long as she could remember, that truth had been carved into her bones.Adam ignored her doubts. He didn’t waste his breath explaining himself to anyone. Instead, he crouched beside Winda, gently lifting her limp form into his arms. Her face was pale, blood trickling from the corner of her lips.His jaw clenched. She had endured too much.Placing a pill between her lips, Adam channeled his energy through her meridians, stabilizing the damage and knitting her internal wounds back together. A faint glow pulsed from his palm as warmth spread through her battered body.Minutes later, her eyelids fluttered. Winda blinked, confusion flashin