Chapter sixty one.In a small village, a soldier lounged on a low chair, one leg propped up while the other rested on the ground. Two attendants fanned him as he watched the villagers being dragged before him. "Hand over your crops, every last bit," he growled. "Yes, sir," one of the villagers stammered, saluting nervously as he wiped away tears. An elderly man clung to a small portion of his crops, pleading, "Please, don't take everything. That's all I have." But the soldier attendant sneered, yanking the crops away. "Next time, you'll learn to be more diligent," he sneered, his voice dripping with malice. The man before him stretched out his hands, pleading, "Please, sir, give me...my wife just gave birth, and she craves this food. I'll endure any punishment, but please, let me go and give my wife this." The attendant snickered, clearly amused by the man's desperation. "You don't mind being punished, huh?" the soldier taunted. "I'll teach you a lesson. Strip," he barked, his

Chapter sixty seven.Ethan turned to Maria, his voice firm as he said, "We're getting married." Maria's face lit up with a smile, and she said, "Thank you."But Ethan's expression turned stern, and he hissed, "Let me finish." Maria nodded, her smile wavering."We're getting married," Ethan continued, "but there's one condition." Maria's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "What is it?" she asked.Ethan's words hung in the air as he delivered the ultimatum: "Transfer your family's wealth to my name." Maria's smile vanished, replaced by a calculating gaze as she freed herself from Ethan’s grip.Maria's eyes locked onto Ethan's, her voice laced with incredulity. "What did you just say?" she asked, her tone cautious.Ethan's smile seemed almost amused, his hands tucked casually into his pockets. "You heard me," he replied, his voice smooth.Maria's gaze lingered on his, confusion etched on her face. She knew Ethan didn't need her money, which made his demand even more baffling. Transferring

Chapter sixty five.The scene unfolded with desperate pleas from the villagers as the soldiers, led by Don, dragged their daughters away from an elderly man. Don's expression was cold and unyielding, his hiss accompanying the exhale of cigarette smoke as he barked orders. "Push everyone out, don't spare anyone, bring them out," he commanded, his voice devoid of empathy. The villagers watched in horror, their faces etched with pity and fear as they were forced to witness the brutal scene."You dare to sneak and report me to General Ethan?" Don barked, his voice rising in anger. "How many times do I have to tell you that I rule this city? General Ethan gave me permission for this, and you're questioning me?" The elderly man begged, his voice shaking with desperation. "Please, punish me, but spare my daughter. Don't do this to her." Don's response was a mocking laugh, his eyes glinting with cruelty. "You just heard what I said," he sneered, before slapping the man with enough force

The next morning, Maria washed her clothes and took it outside to dry.Maria was drying her clothes outside when her neighbor emerged from her house, laughing mockingly. "Someone's gone broke and now they're back to eating at their father's house," she said, clearly referring to Maria. Maria ignored the jab, continuing to hang up her clothes. The neighbor continued to taunt, "And didn't someone used to brag about never doing chores? Guess some people can't stay above manual labor after all." Maria remained unfazed, but deep down the words get to her.The neighbor leaned against the wall separating their homes, her voice dripping with malice. "I heard the Sawyer family kicked your husband out, and now he's begging for work. Your ex-husband, sorry my bad, General of West, won't give him a job," she said, trying to provoke Maria.Maria's anger simmered just below the surface, but she chose to ignore the woman, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reaction. Maria had previous

Chapter sixty nine.Don's eyes widened in shock as his man delivered the news. "The children's mother is missing?" he repeated, his voice laced with incredulity. He dropped the shisha he was smoking, the sound of it hitting the floor echoing through the room."What do you mean?" he demanded, his tone turning cold. "We haven't seen her in two days, and the husband keeps saying she's sick?" He listened as his man explained how they had barged into the house and found no one.The don's face darkened, his anger simmering just below the surface. "How dare they think they can deceive me?" he growled, his fist clenched. "Go get me the father now!" he barked, and the man bowed down, hastily retreating.The don turned to another of his men, his eyes blazing with fury. "Bring those bastards of children here now!" he spat, his voice venomous.The children were dragged in, their small bodies struggling against the men's grip. The don scoffed, standing up, his eyes cold and menacing. "Tie the