Darius moved like death itself—silent, inevitable, and utterly without mercy. His hand shot out from the shadows, catching the second assassin's throat in an iron grip before the man could even gasp.The other hand grabbed the assassin's weapon hand, twisting the wrist at an angle that made the suppressed pistol point harmlessly away.The assassin's eyes went wide with shock and terror, his mouth opening to shout a warning—but Darius's grip on his throat was already crushing his windpipe, cutting off all sound except a faint, wet gurgle.The struggle lasted less than five seconds.Darius applied precise pressure to the carotid arteries, cutting off blood flow to the brain.The assassin's eyes rolled back, his body went limp, and then Darius gave one final, brutal twist.CRACK.The sound of the assassin's neck breaking was barely louder than a twig snapping. Darius lowered the body to the floor with careful silence, making sure the pistol didn't clatter against the tiles.One down.Ups

Darius stood over the assassin's corpse, his expression unreadable as he studied the foam still bubbling from the dead man's lips. The acrid smell of cyanide hung in the air of his new villa, mingling with the metallic scent of blood. Beside him, Aria wiped her blade clean with practiced efficiency, her face as cold as winter frost."Amateurs," she muttered, nudging one of the other bodies with her boot. "Whoever sent these dogs didn't think much of us."Darius pulled out his phone, the screen illuminating his sharp features in the dim light. With quick precision, he snapped several photos of the dead assassins—their faces, their weapons, the tattoos marking their organization. His fingers moved across the screen, forwarding the images to a secure contact."Let's see who's foolish enough to send trash like this to my doorstep," he said quietly, his voice carrying an edge that could cut steel.They didn't have to wait long. Within minutes, Darius's phone buzzed with an incoming message

Within seconds, more security guards began pouring out of the boutique's various entrances.They came from side doors, from the parking garage, from inside the main hall.Ten, fifteen, twenty—the number kept growing until Darius and Aria found themselves surrounded by what looked like a small army of black-suited security personnel.Haley's confidence seemed to return with the reinforcements.She smiled viciously, her eyes gleaming with malicious satisfaction."Now let's see how tough you are when it's not just one guard, you filthy animals! You wanted to make a scene? Fine! We'll give everyone here a show they'll never forget—the sight of two worthless dogs getting the beating they deserve!""I'm actually recording this," Peter announced gleefully, holding up his phone."I want to capture every moment of your humiliation. I want to watch it again and again, seeing you two pathetic losers get destroyed. This will be my new favorite video!"The security guards closed in, forming a tigh

As the evening progressed, the banquet settled into a rhythm of false gaiety.People laughed too loudly, drank too much, and carefully avoided mentioning the elephant in the room—the disaster at the Ward-Reksar wedding just days before.Finally, after the dinner service and before the entertainment, Haley stood and clinked her glass for attention. The ballroom fell silent, all eyes turning to her."Thank you all for coming tonight," Haley began, her voice strong and confident. "I know recent events have been... unsettling. The incident at our wedding was unfortunate and embarrassing."A few nervous titters from the crowd."But I want everyone to understand something," Haley continued, her voice hardening. "That incident has been resolved. Completely. The blusterer who dared to humiliate us—who thought he could attack noble families without consequence—is GONE."More laughter now, less nervous, more relieved. People liked clear narratives where problems were solved and order restored.

Not with the desperate flailing of someone fighting for survival, but with the precise, economical movements of someone who'd transcended mere fighting into something approaching art.The first guard reached him, swinging a baton in a vicious arc toward Darius's head.Darius's hand snapped up, caught the baton mid-swing, and wrenched it from the guard's grip in a motion so smooth it looked choreographed.The baton reversed direction, striking the guard's knee with a sickening CRACK. The man went down screaming.The second and third guards came from both sides, trying to flank him. Darius dropped low, sweeping the legs of one while driving his captured baton into the stomach of the other.Both men hit the floor hard.A fourth guard drew a knife—foolish in a crowded room, but panic makes people stupid.Darius caught the knife hand, twisted until bones ground together, and the blade clattered to the marble floor.A palm strike to the guard's chest sent him flying backward into a buffet t