He did not understand what she was saying; all he knew was that she was sad, and that made him sad too.Isabelle squeezed his hands desperately. “I wish you weren’t such a fool.” Her voice cracked. “I wish you could protect me. If you did, I wouldn’t have to marry Darren.”The black luxury car rolled to a slow stop in front of the skeletal remains of what was meant to be the Sinclairs' family’s pride — a towering corporate headquarters that was never completed.The air was heavy not just from the dust and the scent of old cement, but from the oppressive tension of failure.Waiting at the site were the rest of the Sinclair family. Their expensive clothes couldn’t hide the anxiety in their eyes.The driver stepped out, opening Isabelle’s door with quiet precision. She inhaled deeply, steeling herself.But before she could even walk around the car, Darren had already made his way to the rear side door where Lance sat.Without a word, Darren yanked the door open and grabbed Lance by the c

Lance’s boots crunched over the broken glass as he stepped forward, his voice low, dangerous, each word laced with power.“How dare you fools…” His electric-blue gaze swept across the groaning men, each one trembling in the dirt. “…lay hands on me?”He looked down at them with the calm arrogance of a predator who knew the fight was already over.His fingers brushed over the pendant at his chest, feeling the faint hum of power. His voice dropped to a whisper, more to himself than to anyone else.“Five years…” His eyes darkened. “Five years since I was killed.”His hand moved slowly over his chest, then to his face... feeling the contours of the body he now inhabited. The lines were different, the features altered… yet his soul was the same.A glint caught his eye.He stepped toward a jagged piece of glass lodged in a pile of rubble. Crouching, he pulled it free and held it up like a mirror.A stranger’s face stared back at him. But beneath it, he could see himself.A slow, knowing smir

“It’s me, Selene.” His voice was steady, but he knew she wouldn’t take it at face value.A dangerous silence followed. Then her voice cut in like a blade.“Code word.”Lance didn’t hesitate. “Red Ash.”The line went silent again.Selene’s breath caught in her throat.“… That code hasn’t been spoken in five years.” Her voice dropped lower, filled with emotion. “… General?”Lance’s tone was calm, but there was an edge in it that had been missing for five long years. “I’m back.”The silence that followed felt heavy, charged.“That’s… impossible,” Selene said, her words deliberate, as though saying them out loud could make sense of the moment. “I was there, General. I buried the reports. I saw the memorial. They burned your name into stone.”Lance’s jaw tightened. His eyes were like steel. “I will explain everything to you later, when I settle down.”Then her voice steadied, sharpened back into that familiar military crispness.“Understood, General. Do you want me to inform John?”Lance’s

Lance’s footsteps didn’t slow.If anything, his expression grew colder.Elena’s lips curled into a venomous smile, her voice dripping with satisfaction.“Yes… At last. We can finally get rid of him.”Her words sliced through the charged air like ice, drawing murmurs from the crowd.Isabelle’s eyes flashed, her voice cutting across the room before the humiliation could deepen.“There is no reason to disgrace him publicly,” she said firmly, stepping closer to Lance. “He has been part of this family for the past five years.”Elena scoffed, shaking her head. “Part of the family? He’s been a stain on our name since the day he stepped through our doors.”Georgia’s voice cracked like a whip, her voice filled with disdain.“He is useless!” she spat. “He has brought nothing but shame to this family. Meanwhile, Darren is going to raise us to the ranks of the elite families in Prescott.”Lance tilted his head slightly, a faint, dangerous smirk curling at the corner of his lips.For the first tim

She turned sharply toward her sister, her voice sharp and cruel. “Isabelle, I blame you for this. You should have locked him away in a psychiatric ward instead of dragging him into this family. But no…” Her eyes narrowed. “…you chose to marry a lunatic. And now? His madness is on full display for the entire city to see.”Georgia’s patience snapped. Her voice cracked through the hall like a whip.“Enough!” she barked, her eyes flashing with venom. “Enough of this nonsense!”She turned sharply, her voice rising so that every guest could hear.“This lunatic has embarrassed us for the last time.""Throw him out of this hall… immediately.”The order cracked through the air like a whip.Two Grayson guards moved at once, stepping toward Lance.But then—They stopped.The memory of broken ribs and twisted joints outside was still fresh. They’d seen what this man did to the other guards. His calm stance now felt more dangerous than any drawn blade.Lance’s gaze shifted toward them, slow and de