“Mother,” Sophia pleaded desperately. “Please don’t make me do this.”But Florence stayed on her knees, gripping Sophia’s hands tightly.“Sophia, for God’s sake, I’m your mother! I know what’s best for you, whether you see it now or not. One day, you’ll thank me for this.”Sophia's eyes filled with tears, blurring the world around her.The happiness she’d longed for was finally within reach—so close she could almost touch it—yet fate snatched it away like a cruel joke.Why did it have to be this hard? Why did love with Alex feel like a battle she was always destined to lose?Hadn’t she already paid the price in tears and silence? How much more did she have to bleed just to be happy?“Sophia, I will stay here on my knees until you agree,” Florence declared stubbornly.Jack also followed his mother and start kneeling.“Sister, are you really going to abandon your own family? Do you have no heart left to save us?”“We’re not asking you to die—we’re asking you to marry Gilbert Guise. He’s

Gilbert laughed cruelly, his eyes flashing dangerously, and without hesitation, he slapped Sophia across the face."You filthy little bitch, don't ever look at me like that again!"Unsatisfied with just a slap, Gilbert swiftly kicked Sophia in the stomach, driving the air from her lungs.Sophia doubled over, choking, nausea overwhelming her.But Gilbert wasn't done; he yanked her by her long, beautiful hair, forcing her to face him."Listen carefully," Gilbert hissed through clenched teeth, his face inches from hers."I enjoy a woman playing hard to get, but there’s a limit. Push me too far, and I'll destroy everyone you love."A twisted smile crossed his lips."Refuse me again, and your entire family will rot in jail, one by one. I'll start with your brother and won't stop until I've ruined anyone who's ever known you."Sophia stared back at him, eyes wide in horror, her head throbbing with pain and tears streaming down her face.The shocking truth of Gilbert's monstrous nature was l

“You lying bitch!” Gilbert roared, his face twisted with rage as his hand lashed out, striking Sophia so hard that she crashed onto the floor, her body crumpling painfully.“How dare you stand here and talk about loving another man! Are you trying to die?” he spat viciously, his eyes blazing with fury.Alex couldn't hold himself back any longer.Anger surged through his veins, propelling him forward until he stood inches from Gilbert's smug, sneering face.“What?” Gilbert taunted, his lips curling arrogantly. “I slapped my fiancée. What the hell can an outsider like you do about it?”“Plenty,” Alex snarled, delivering a brutal slap across Gilbert’s jaw.The crack echoed sharply in the room, and Gilbert tumbled onto the floor, spitting out three bloodied teeth.Sophia watched, horror flooding her heart. Gilbert would never forgive this.He’d kill Alex without hesitation.“Alex, stop it!” she screamed desperately, her voice trembling with fear.Alex shot her a fierce glare. “Stop? After

Word of the duel between Michael "The Thunder Fist" and Alex—the unknown underdog mocked as "the Loser"—had swept across Paris like wildfire.Crowds thirsty for blood and spectacle poured into the city, drawn by the promise of ruthless entertainment.Everyone knew Michael as the ruthless enforcer for the Guise family, the governor's personal executioner.No one had ever survived a fight after crossing the Guise clan.Eager to witness the carnage firsthand, spectators had arrived at the arena gates before dawn, waiting impatiently for entry.Alex stood at the front gate of the Paris arena, his eyes wide in shock. "I never expected such a massive crowd."Lyra stood beside him, shaking her head.“This place usually puts on dull fights just to keep the crowd mildly entertained.”“But when Michael enters the ring, it turns into a bloodthirsty spectacle. People pack the arena not to cheer—but to watch someone die. No one’s ever left alive after facing him.”"Seriously, no one?" Alex asked, d

“How... how the hell?” Bill stumbled to his feet, swaying like he’d been hit by a truck.His eyes were wide, panicked, searching for something that made sense.His jaw trembled, still stinging from the slap that had thrown him out of the arena like a rag doll.One hit. Just one.“This can’t be happening... this is impossible!”Alex didn’t flinch.His voice was steady, almost bored. “You’re out there, aren’t you? So it is possible.”“No! No! That was—no way!” Bill bellowed, veins bulging in his neck.His face twisted into something between fury and fear. “There’s no way you landed that hit! It had to be luck! Just dumb, blind luck!”With desperate fury, he leaped back into the ring.“You’re dead!” he screamed, throwing himself into a violent, reckless assault.Every blow was wild, each strike more vicious and desperate than the last.Yet Alex simply sighed, visibly bored.One hand slipped lazily into his pocket, the other snapping out with astonishing speed.His fist slammed brutally in