All Chapters of The Loser Is the War Commander: Chapter 181
- Chapter 190
216 chapters
CHAPTER 121 PART 1
Alessia was still standing in the doorway of Darius's study when his phone began ringing on the desk. All three of them—Darius, Aria, and Alessia—looked at the screen.JOSH ROMANO."Speak of the devil," Aria muttered.Darius glanced at both women, his expression thoughtful, then picked up the phone and answered. "Josh.""Master Darius!" Josh's voice came through, respectful and eager. "I hope I'm not disturbing you. I wanted to personally extend an invitation to dinner tomorrow evening at my family's estate.""Your sister just mentioned that," Darius replied neutrally. "She said you called her first.""I did," Josh confirmed. "But I wanted to speak with you directly as well. To make sure you understood how much it would mean to me—to my whole family—if you would accept. My father is very interested in meeting you.""Is he?" Darius's tone was carefully neutral, revealing nothing."Yes, Master," Josh said. "I've told him about your incredible skills. About how you've agreed to take me a
CHAPTER 121 PART 2
"I shouldn't have to," Alessia replied, frustration creeping into her voice. "I should be able to go to university, make friends, study, live a normal life. But instead, I'm constantly watching my back, analyzing people's motives, wondering who's genuine and who's trying to use me.""Welcome to the world of being connected to powerful people," Aria said bluntly. "It's not fair. It's not right. But it's reality. People will use you to get to Darius. Will pretend friendship to gain access to your family. You can either learn to navigate that or become a victim of it.""I choose to navigate it," Alessia said firmly. "I'll be careful. I'll watch everyone—Josh, Emma, anyone new who tries to befriend me. And I won't make the same mistake twice.""Good," Aria said. "That's the attitude that keeps you safe."By this time, Darius had finished his call with Josh and turned his attention back to the two women."Well?" Alessia asked. "What did Josh say?""He was respectful, eager, clearly wants t
CHAPTER 122 PART 1
Josh stood on the balcony, his mind racing as he tried to understand what his father was really after.Why was Raymond so insistent on knowing the exact details of what happened at the university? Why the intense interrogation about a simple dinner invitation?What is Father planning? Josh thought nervously. Why does he care so much about this?The incident at the university was shameful—Josh being defeated so thoroughly, being forced to his knees, begging for mentorship in front of hundreds of witnesses.It was the kind of humiliation that Josh had hoped to keep private, or at least minimize when discussing with his father.But now Raymond was demanding the complete truth.And Josh knew his father well enough to recognize that determined look in his eyes—Raymond Romano didn't ask questions unless he already suspected the answers.If I tell him everything, Josh worried, Father will be angry. Disappointed in me for losing so badly. And worse—he might decide to retaliate against Darius.
CHAPTER 122 PART 2
Raymond was silent for a long moment, his eyes never leaving his son's face. "You're protecting him," he observed. "This 'brother' whose name you won't say. This martial arts master you admire so much.""I'm telling you the truth," Josh insisted. "About what happened and why it happened.""But not who he is," Raymond said. "Not his full identity or background. You're leaving things out. Important things."Josh said nothing, caught."Let me guess," Raymond continued. "This isn't just Alessia Jackson's brother. This is someone important. Someone connected. Someone you're afraid I'll target if you tell me too much.""Father—""Is he military?" Raymond asked. "Active duty? Special forces? Someone with government protection?"Josh hesitated, then nodded slightly. "Something like that. I don't know all the details. But yes, he's not just some random martial artist. He's... significant. Important. Someone it would be very unwise to make an enemy of."Raymond's expression grew more suspicious
CHAPTER 123 PART 1
The next evening, Darius and Aria arrived at Skyline Elite just after eight o'clock. The club was located in downtown Duskfort's most exclusive district—a sleek, modern building with understated elegance that screamed wealth without being ostentatious.A valet took their car keys. A doorman in an impeccable suit checked their names against a list—Darius had called ahead to arrange guest passes under false names—and then opened the heavy glass doors with a professional smile."Welcome to Skyline Elite," the doorman said. "Enjoy your evening."They entered into a sophisticated lobby with marble floors, subtle lighting, and expensive artwork on the walls. Soft jazz played from hidden speakers. Well-dressed patrons moved through the space with the quiet confidence of people who belonged in exclusive places.A hostess approached—young, beautiful, wearing an elegant black dress. "Good evening. May I show you to the main lounge? Or would you prefer one of our private rooms?""The main lounge
CHAPTER 123 PART 2
"Then we move to Plan B," Jack replied. "But I don't think that will be necessary. From what I've learned about Darius Kane, he's curious. Investigative. He came here looking for answers. We'll simply give him the opportunity to find some."He leaned back in his chair, still watching the screens showing Darius and Aria sitting at the bar. "Besides, bringing someone like the War God down requires strategy. Patience. You don't just attack him head-on—he's too skilled for that. You manipulate the situation. Control the environment. Put him in a position where his skills don't matter.""And the woman with him?" the specialist asked."Aria Sullivan," Jack said, having reviewed their intelligence files. "Former military. Highly trained. Loyal to Kane. She's dangerous too, but less so than him. If things go according to plan, we'll separate them before making our real move.""And if the plan fails?" one of the men asked nervously.Jack's expression hardened. "It won't fail. We've planned thi
CHAPTER 124 PART 1
Darius and Aria exchanged a brief glance as the well-dressed man waited for their response. The invitation seemed innocent enough—just a friendly chess game in a private room. But both of them had been in dangerous situations enough times to know that "innocent" was often a carefully constructed facade.Still, they'd come here to investigate. To learn more about Skyline Elite and its connection to the base attackers. Sitting in the main lounge nursing drinks wouldn't reveal anything useful. If there were secrets in this club, they'd be hidden in the private areas, not displayed openly for casual patrons."Lead the way," Darius said finally, his tone casual but his eyes alert."Wonderful!" the man said, gesturing down the corridor. "Right this way. I think you'll find our gaming rooms quite impressive."They followed him through the elegantly decorated hallway, past several closed doors with brass plaques indicating "Private" and "Members Only." The sounds of the main lounge faded behi
CHAPTER 124 PART 2
"Exclusive," Darius replied, mirroring the knight move. "High-class. A place where important people gather for business and pleasure.""Important people," Jack repeated, his smile sharpening slightly. "Interesting choice of words. Do you consider yourself important, Darius?""I consider myself curious," Darius deflected, moving a bishop. "About many things. Clubs like this, for instance. How they operate. Who they serve. What purposes they fulfill beyond just chess and cocktails."Jack's eyes gleamed with something—amusement, maybe, or recognition that Darius wasn't just making idle conversation. "Clubs like this serve many purposes. Networking. Social connection. Privacy for those who value discretion in their business dealings."He moved his queen forward aggressively. "Some people come here to escape scrutiny. To conduct business away from prying eyes. Government oversight. Unwanted attention from... law enforcement, for example."Aria tensed slightly beside Darius, her hand moving
CHAPTER 125 PART 1
Jack stared at the chessboard, his breathing heavy, his face flushed with disbelief and rage. The checkmate position mocked him—pieces arranged in a configuration that showed not just defeat, but complete tactical superiority."No," Jack said, shaking his head violently. "No, this isn't right. This can't be right."He looked up at Darius with wild eyes. "You cheated! You MUST have cheated! There's no way—no possible way—you could have beaten me legitimately!""I didn't cheat," Darius replied calmly. "You played poorly. I played better. That's all there is to it.""LIES!" Jack shouted, slamming his hand on the table. "I've beaten grandmasters! Professional players! I'm the undisputed champion of this entire region! I don't LOSE to random military grunts who probably learned chess last week!""Then explain the board," Aria said coldly, gesturing to the checkmate position. "Explain how he 'cheated' his way to trapping your king with no possible escape moves."Jack opened his mouth, then
CHAPTER 125 PART 2
"Better than me?!" Jack's voice rose to a roar. "I am JACK REEVES! I run this city! I have power you can't even imagine! And you think some washed-up soldier and his attack dog can just waltz in here and disrespect me?!""We don't think it," Darius said calmly. "We just did it. And we're about to walk out of here while you explain to all these people how the 'undisputed king of chess' lost to a 'military grunt' and then broke his word like a coward.""You're not walking ANYWHERE!" Jack shouted, gesturing to his men. "Kill them! Both of them! Right here! Right now! I don't care about the mess! I don't care about witnesses! Just KILL THEM!"The eight men closed in tighter, forming a circle with no apparent gaps. Several of them pulled weapons—knives, brass knuckles, one man producing a telescoping baton.Aria assessed the threats quickly, her body already shifting into combat stance. "Darius," she said. "Let me handle this."Darius glanced at her. "All eight of them?""All eight of them