Lucian thought it was over for him. He was already feeling like he was dying due to the searing pain coursing through him, and the Fiend’s cruel enjoyment only made it worse, drawing out every agonizing second.Then, out of nowhere, the girl charged forward, swinging the stick high and hard. With all her might, she brought it down onto the Fiend’s head. The sound of wood meeting skull was followed by a grunt of surprise from the demon. He staggered back, disoriented, claws retracting for a brief moment as he turned toward her in fury.“You…” the Fiend hissed, preparing to lunge at her. But before it could, Lucian mustered the last of his strength and shoved the Fiend hard, forcing it several feet back.Lucian struggled to catch his breath, glancing down to see his shirt in tatters, chest scorched and raw.The Fiend stumbled but quickly regained its footing, though the momentary distraction had given Lucian the edge he needed.Ignoring the throbbing pain, Lucian straightened, his eyes

The next morning, news reports buzzed with the story of an anonymous man who had heroically saved all the kidnapped girls, bringing them home safely.In her room, bathed in the soft morning light filtering through her curtains, Amber was on a call with Liz. She couldn’t contain her surprise. “Wait—are you serious?! You were the one who told him I was missing?”Liz responded, “I had to. You didn’t show up at school, and as usual, he came to pick you up. Your phone wasn’t reachable, and then your dad called…”“My dad called you?” Amber asked, stunned.“Yep. He sounded really worried, and that’s when I realized something was off. I’m not even sure why I thought to call Lucian. I just had this feeling he needed to know because he seemed worried too, and he seemed to care about you. It didn't even take too long, and you're already back home. He saved you.”Amber couldn’t help but giggle, shaking her head. “The moment I saw him there… I’ve never felt so relieved. And the way he just broke o

Lucian and Leah stepped out of the marriage registry building, marriage certificates in hand. It was official—they were now legally husband and wife.Just like that, Lucian had married a woman he barely knew.‘How… interesting,’ he thought to himself as they approached the car that had brought Leah there.“So, what’s next?” Leah asked, her excitement barely contained. “We should start living together now, right? I’d like to introduce you to my family as my husband.”Lucian shook his head, his expression calm but distant. “Let’s cross that bridge after the wedding.”Her smile faltered. “Oh, the wedding…” she murmured with a slight frown. “I RSVP’d, but I wasn’t sure if I’d actually attend. Why do you seem so interested about it?”Lucian gave her a faint, enigmatic smile. “You’ll find out soon enough,” he replied, sidestepping the question.Without another word, he opened the car door for her. “We’ll be in touch,” he added smoothly, gesturing for her to get in.Leah’s smile softened as

At Lucian’s office, Lino entered with a forced smile that did little to mask the miserable expression on his face.“I heard you wanted to see me,” he said, standing stiffly in front of Lucian’s desk.“And you should know why,” Lucian replied, his voice low and dangerous as his piercing gaze met Lino’s.Lino clenched his teeth, exhaling heavily as he lowered his gaze. “I’m back now, Lucian. I just had… unexpected matters to handle. But I’m here now.”Lucian’s hardened expression remained unyielding as he studied the man before him—the same man responsible for his godfather’s death. ‘Be glad you're still breathing, Lino. Be glad I still have use for you.”After a tense pause, Lucian spoke curtly. “Fine.” He shifted his attention back to his computer. “You can leave.”“Is there anything you need me to do?” Lino asked, his tone curious as he studied Lucian. “Has something happened lately? I know I’ve been late to work, but if you fill me in, I’ll do what I can to help.”Lucian shook his h