The man who stepped in had a hard look on his face, and everyone turned to watch him.Striding in confidently, he scanned Zarek up and down as if trying to analyze him.Just from giving Zarek one look, he could tell that Zarek was a powerful man, and his brows twitched.Before anyone could say a word, Darian’s eyes flicked toward the older man, and something in them shifted, and a flicker of hope appeared, almost desperate.For the first time since Zarek had struck him down, he seemed… human. Vulnerable.“Help me… please,” Darian croaked, his voice trembling. “He came here… he’s causing trouble… you have to—”The crowd stirred, murmurs rising like ripples across water.One man, craning his neck to see the newcomer, whispered, “Who is that?”“That’s Elder Veyron’s colleague. Way stronger than Elder Veyron himself. There’s no way that kid could beat him,” another replied, eyes wide. “It’s been years since we last saw him. Why is he here today?”“Does it matter why he’s here?”“He’s goin

Lucien didn’t waste any time getting to Zarek.Standing up there, he had been watching the entire event unfold downstairs, waiting to see how it would play out.First, Darian had been taken down by some guy he’d never seen before.And now, Elder Flynn was on his knees, frozen, pale, and clearly terrified.‘Or is he planning something?’ Lucien narrowed his eyes as he descended the stairs.Elder Flynn’s sudden submission didn’t make sense.The man wasn’t weak, far from it. He was one of the few Elders Lucien actually respected. For him to drop to his knees like that without a fight? It didn’t add up.‘Maybe he’s trying to lure the bastard into dropping his guard,’ Lucien reasoned, his jaw tightening. ‘Or maybe he’s waiting to hear what that man did before making a move. Yeah… that must be it.’And if Flynn was just trying to buy time and gather information, then Lucien’s lips curved into a smirk.‘That means I still stand a chance at beating him.’His gaze shifted to Darian.The man wa

Seconds ticked by, and still, Zarek hadn’t pulled Lucien up.The room went deathly still.The only sound was the violent splashing of water as Lucien kicked and twisted, his hands clawing desperately at Zarek’s wrist.Bubbles kept bursting to the surface, his muffled screams trapped under the water.Everyone’s mouths hung open.Not a single person dared to move.The sight was unreal—no one had ever laid a hand on a member of the Ashbourne family, much less tried to drown one right in front of everyone.Lucien’s kicks began to lose strength, the water settling into sluggish ripples. Hi

“What happened to him?” Mrs. Ashbourne demanded, rushing into the room where her son lay.She had been contacted about Lucien’s condition, and fury burned in her chest. Her brows knitted tightly, a deep frown etched across her face.The blonde man from earlier, who had helped Lucien, stepped forward, blocking her path.“Mrs. Ashbourne, please wait,” he said quickly, hand raised. “He’s not—he’s not in a good state right now.”“Move,” she snapped, voice sharp and cold. “That’s my son in there.”He hesitated, lowering his hand. “He doesn’t want you to see him like this. Please—give him a moment.”“Don’t you dare tell me when I can or cannot see my own child!” Her voice thundered down the corridor. “I want to see him now!”The blonde flinched and glanced toward the half-open door. “He’s… embarrassed,” he muttered. “He doesn’t want you to—”But she didn’t wait. With a hard shove, she pushed past him and entered.Lucien lay on the bed, pale and trembling beneath the blankets. His lips we

“I… I enjoyed the day I watched them kill your family. You wanted the land for yourself… Now look at it. You want to live where your family was killed? How cruel can you be?”Zarek glared at the man. Without hesitation, he grabbed him by the collar and began dragging him toward the building.“I said I had a question to ask,” Zarek said coldly. “Who ordered the killing of my family ten years ago? And where is my brother?”Zarek had left his brother on the train, and since then, he hadn’t heard from him nor been able to find him.It was as if his brother had vanished from the face of the earth. That was why Zarek came back early, to find him, to get him away from the people who took him. But now, from what he was hearing, those very people had his brother in their grasp.“How was I supposed to know?” Darian spat, coughing as Zarek’s grip tightened around his collar. “You think I was the one calling the shots? I was just a pawn—same as everyone else!”Zarek’s eyes darkened. “Then you’r