Lawson Sultan threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing harshly off the cold steel walls of the slaughterhouse.“Enough of this melodrama,” he said, waving a dismissive hand. “If you refuse to cooperate, not even the deities you pray to will be able to save you.”He pursed his lips slightly.That was all it took.One of his subordinates stepped forward immediately, opening a black briefcase with practiced ease. Inside lay a neatly stacked set of documents. He pulled out a contract and walked toward Jaden Rift, stopping just short of arm’s reach.Lawson tilted his head, his eyes sharp and calculating.“This is the contract for transferring the manufacturing rights,” he said slowly. “Make Selena Verrick sign it, and I may consider sparing both of your lives.”His gaze flicked toward Selena, who was still bound to the chair, her face pale but her jaw clenched tight.Badan Dawn let out a low snicker from the side. “Don’t misunderstand,” he added casually. “That offer can disappea

Every step Jaden took ended with someone screaming. Bones cracked. Breath vanished. Bodies fell.The sheer number of enemies meant nothing. Not one of them could slow him down, let alone stop him. They rushed him in waves, confident in their numbers, confident in their weapons, confident that any man would eventually tire.They were wrong.Jaden moved through them like a machine built solely for killing. His breathing was steady. His eyes were cold. There was no hesitation, no wasted motion, no emotion visible on his face.Kaelus stood at the edge of the slaughterhouse with the Special Forces troops behind him. His expression remained unreadable as he observed the battlefield.A lieutenant leaned in and asked quietly, “Sir, should we move in?”Kaelus did not even blink.“There’s no need,” he replied flatly. “The General doesn’t need our help. He’s furious. Let him vent.”The lieutenant swallowed and stepped back.Jaden’s movements were fast, brutal, and precise. There were no flashy t

Two days earlier, the governor, Patrick Guru, had personally invited Leon Nagger to a private dinner.The purpose was simple. He wanted to mediate the escalating conflict between Jaden and Leon before it spiraled out of control. The South was already unstable. A direct clash between those two would be disastrous.However, Leon had never learned Jaden’s true identity.Believing himself to be untouchable in the South, Leon rejected Patrick’s goodwill outright. He spoke arrogantly, warning Patrick not to meddle in matters that did not concern him. The governor, despite his position, could only swallow his anger.Left with no other choice, Patrick went to Ironvale to seek Jaden in person.He hoped that if Jaden was willing to step back, the conflict could still be contained.But Jaden’s answer was cold and decisive.This was his affair with Leon. Patrick was not to interfere.Patrick did not dare argue.Even as the governor of the South, he understood one truth clearly. Disobeying Jaden’s

Neyo pushed his gold-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose and smiled, the kind of smile that never quite reached his eyes. “Dad, you’re talking about the matter of Jaden Rift killing two of your right-hand men and making you look foolish, right?”Leon’s face darkened like a storm rolling in from the coast. He slammed his palm against the mahogany desk, sending a crystal ashtray rattling toward the edge. “This isn’t just the matter of me looking foolish anymore,” he retorted, his voice dropping to something low and dangerous. “It’s a big slap in my face! Lawrence and Badan served me for fifteen years. Fifteen years! And now they’re cold in the ground because of some nobody who thinks he can walk through my city like he owns it.” He exhaled sharply through his nose and leaned back in his leather chair, jaw tight, fingers drumming an impatient rhythm against the armrest.The room was quiet for a moment. Carl stood near the window with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression

Selena and Jaden did not want to make things harder for Nora, so they restrained themselves. After presenting their gift at the registration desk, they followed Nora quietly into the hall.The banquet hall was brightly lit and extravagantly decorated. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, reflecting light off polished marble floors. Groups of guests stood around chatting and laughing, wine glasses in hand, their conversations full of business deals, family ties, and empty pleasantries.Yet the moment Nora entered, it was as if she didn’t exist.Some guests genuinely failed to recognize her after more than twenty years away. Others recognized her immediately but chose to look away, their expressions filled with indifference or faint disdain. Not a single person came forward to greet her.Nora led her family to a quiet corner of the hall and sat down.As she looked at those familiar yet distant faces, her heart tightened. These were people she had once grown up with, people she had