All Chapters of Once Downtrodden; Now Divine: Chapter 91
- Chapter 100
119 chapters
Chapter 92
As soon as Donald shouted for the men to stop, his voice thundered through the dimly lit room like a sudden clap of thunder. The sharp command cut through the tense air, freezing everything in place. The two men who had been looming over the young girl turned abruptly. Confusion flashed across their faces as they stared at Donald, their eyes narrowing in disbelief. “Who are you?” one of them demanded, his voice rough with irritation. “Where did you even come from?” The other man glanced toward the door and then back at Donald, clearly unsettled. “How did you get into this house?” he added. “No one enters here without permission.” Donald stepped forward slowly, placing himself firmly between the trembling girl and the men. His posture was calm, but there was an unmistakable authority in the way he stood, as though he had every right to be there. “That doesn’t matter,” Donald said coldly. “Step away from her!” The men exchanged wary glances. This wasn’t how things were suppos
Chapter 93
Thomas stood with his hands clasped behind his back, pacing slowly across the upper floor of the house. Each step was measured, deliberate, as though he were counting them. Rage simmered beneath his controlled movements. Every thought he had circled back to the same name and the same insult to his authority - Donald Smith! A few feet away, Ivy knelt on the floor. Her wrists were bound tightly behind her back with the rope biting into her skin, but she refused to let the pain show. Her breathing was uneven, rising and falling too quickly, yet her gaze remained fixed and steady. She did not beg or cry. She would not give Thomas the satisfaction of seeing her break. Thomas stopped pacing. The sudden stillness was heavier than his movement. He turned sharply toward his men. “Take her,” he ordered. The men hesitated for no more than a fraction of a second. They had learned long ago that hesitation earned punishment. Two of them stepped forward, gripping Ivy by the arms
Chapter 94
Upon seeing that Ivy had been placed on the bed, Thomas clasped his hands together once, the sharp clap echoing against the walls. “So, this is where it ends for you,” he said, tilting his head as he studied her.“ Ivy’s breath trembled as she struggled against the restraints holding her in place. The ropes bit into her wrists with every movement, reminding her how helpless she truly was. Her eyes darted around the room in frantic search of any corners, walls, door, opening, or any flaw she could exploit. There was none. Everything about the room had been prepared with chilling intention. Thomas walked closer. With every step, the air seemed to tighten. He stopped just short of her, leaning slightly forward, with his voice dropping into something darker and something meant to cut rather than shout. “I’ll do whatever I want,” he taunted softly. “And I want to see who dares come and stop me.” The last of Ivy’s strength gave way. Her knees buckled as she slipped off the
Chapter 95
Meanwhile, downstairs, chaos had reached its peak.Donald stood between the terrified young girl and the four men who had been preparing to end her life. The girl was no more than sixteen, her face pale, her body shaking violently as she clutched the torn sleeve of her dress. Behind her, Donald suddenly noticed movement—another corner of the room where three more girls were huddled together, bound and sobbing quietly. Their muffled cries sliced through the smoke-filled air like knives.His jaw tightened.He hadn’t come here only for Ivy anymore.The four men circled him slowly, eyes cold, hands twitching toward their weapons. One of them spat on the floor and sneered. “You should have minded your business.”Donald didn’t respond. His focus was sharp, calculating. He shifted slightly, placing himself fully between the men and the girls.The first man lunged.Donald barely dodged in time as a blade sliced through the air where his chest had been a second earlier. The force of the attack
Chapter 96
Upon reaching the room where Ivy was being held, Donald knew instantly that he was already on borrowed time. The door was half open.A faint glow spilled out into the hallway, the light weak and uneven. Donald didn’t slow down. His instincts surged forward, guiding him the rest of the way.Inside, the room was dim, lit only by a single lamp positioned near the bed. Shadows stretched across the walls, distorted and threatening. Ivy was pressed backward, her movements stiff and panicked, her hands trembling. Her eyes were wide with terror, glistening with tears while Thomas stood too close.His jacket lay discarded, his posture was aggressive, and his presence dominated the small space as he loomed over her. He hadn’t noticed Donald yet. He was too focused on control.Donald’s vision went red.With a roar of fury torn from deep within his chest, Donald charged forward.Thomas barely had time to react. He turned just as Donald’s fist slammed into his chest with devastating force. The im
Chapter 97
Upon hearing Thomas’s furious threats echo through the room, the men exchanged uneasy glances.Fear crept into their eyes—not fear of Donald alone, but fear of what would happen if he escaped with Ivy.They all knew Thomas.If Donald succeeded, Thomas would not forgive failure. He never did.Even though they had surrendered earlier, even though Donald had already proven himself far stronger than any of them expected, desperation began to cloud their judgment. In their minds, Donald was still one man, outnumbered, distracted, trying to protect Ivy.That had to count for something.One of the men tightened his grip on a metal rod lying near the wall. Another picked up a heavy object from the floor. Without another word, they moved—quietly, swiftly—coming at Donald from behind.Thomas watched with a cruel smile, convinced that this time, Donald would fall.But Donald was already expecting it.The moment the air shifted behind him, he sensed the danger. His instincts—honed by years of sur
Chapter 98
The moment Ivy stepped through the door of her family home, the suffocating tension that had gripped the house for hours dissipated like smoke. Her parents rushed forward, tears glistening in their eyes, relief and disbelief written across their faces. Fred, Ivy’s father, was the first to reach her. He held her tightly, as if the embrace alone could shield her from all the horrors she had endured, as if he could will the pain and fear from her body through sheer force. Ivy’s mother, pacing nearby moments earlier in anxious despair, hurried forward, her hands trembling, and pressed her cheek against Ivy’s shoulder, whispering words of relief she could barely articulate. The rest of the family crowded around, filling the room with murmurs, questions, and a flurry of embraces. Cousins, aunts, and uncles jostled slightly as they tried to see if she was hurt, asking if she was hungry, if she needed rest, if she wanted water. Yet amidst the flurry of concern, Ivy’s gaze found Donald almost
Chapter 99
Donald sat at the long, polished table, savoring a dish that had been specially prepared for him. The aroma was rich and tantalizing, a carefully balanced blend of exotic spices and fresh herbs that seemed almost regal in its complexity. The colors on the plate were vibrant, each ingredient arranged with precision, a testament to the Harrington family’s wealth and sophistication. Yet for Donald, it wasn’t the taste or presentation that held significance—it was the warmth, the acknowledgment, the silent message that he had truly made a difference. The gratitude emanating from Ivy’s family was more nourishing than any delicacy could ever be.As he lifted the fork, ready to take another bite, Donald noticed Fred, Ivy’s father, moving deliberately toward the front of the hall. The elder man carried a folded note in his hand, his posture stiff but dignified, his expression a mix of pride and gratitude that softened the lines of age around his eyes. The chatter of the hall diminished slight
Chapter 100
The grand hall was thick with tension. Ivy’s family members and their friends were clustered near the front, their earlier celebration shattered in an instant. All eyes were locked on the horrifying scene unfolding before them as one of the masked men seized Fred from behind. The attack was sudden and brutal. Fred barely had time to react before he was yanked backward, his balance stolen, his body dragged with merciless force.The elder man struggled instinctively, his hands clawing at the arm locked around him, but the attacker’s grip was ironclad. Fred’s feet left the ground for a split second before he was slammed downward, his body driven toward the floor with crushing strength. A collective gasp swept through the hall, followed by stunned murmurs that quickly morphed into outrage. The polished elegance of the room now felt like a cruel contrast to the violence unfolding within it.As soon as Ivy’s family and friends fully grasped what was happening, fury ignited like wildfire.“L
Chapter 101
The shout that rang across the hall froze everyone in place.“What the hell?”The man who yelled took a step forward, his eyes widening as recognition struck him like a blow. His jaw tightened, and the air around him seemed to harden. He wasn’t just any random attacker. He was one of the men who had stood beside Thomas the night Ivy had been kidnapped. One of the men who had helped drag her into that nightmare. One of the men who had watched her plead.And now—here she was.“I know her,” he said slowly, his voice thick with venom. “That’s her.”The murmurs in the hall exploded into panic.Ivy felt her blood turn cold. Her body stiffened as every memory of that night crashed back into her—being surrounded, overpowered, threatened, helpless. Her legs weakened, but she forced herself to stay upright.Fred turned sharply, following the man’s gaze, and when he saw Ivy standing frozen among the crowd, his heart dropped.“No,” he whispered.The gang member took another step forward, a cruel