Elena's mother buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking with sobs."I'm so useless," she choked out between tears. "I'm completely useless, Mother."She looked up at Grandmother Cross with red, swollen eyes."After I married into the Morrison Family, I promised myself I would make you proud. I would give you a good life, make sure you were comfortable and respected. But I failed."Her voice cracked."Not only have I failed to give you a good life, but now I can't even protect my own daughter. I've let Elena suffer for years because I was too weak to stand up to Margaret and the others. I watched them marginalize her, humiliate her, destroy her future, and I did nothing."She pressed her hands against her face, trying to muffle her sobs."Some mother I am. Some daughter I am. I've failed everyone who ever believed in me."Grandmother Cross stood slowly and walked over to her daughter. She placed a gentle hand on her shoulder."Hush now," she said softly. "You haven't failed

Victor immediately took a defensive stance. His eight fighters moved to flank him, drawing their weapons."Protect the family!" Victor shouted. "Don't let him reach them!"The two groups clashed in the center of the room.Victor met Walter head-on, their fists colliding with a thunderous boom that shook the entire house. The impact sent shockwaves rippling outward, shattering windows and cracking the walls.But almost immediately, it was clear who was stronger.Walter's techniques were superior, refined by decades of training under one of the three great masters. Every move was precise, efficient, devastating.Victor fought with everything he had, but he was being pushed back step by step.Meanwhile, Victor's eight fighters engaged Walter's six men. The room erupted into chaos – fists flying, weapons clashing, bodies crashing into furniture.But Walter's men were better trained. More disciplined. Within minutes, three of Victor's fighters were down, unconscious or crippled.Elena's fa

His mind raced, trying to understand what he'd just witnessed.Even for him – a F-Rank fighter approaching E-Rank, someone who'd trained under one of the three great masters for over two decades – taking down six trained fighters in ten seconds would be difficult.Not impossible, but difficult. It would require focus, precision, and considerable effort.But this man had done it casually. Effortlessly. Like he was swatting flies.Which meant...Walter's throat went dry.This man was stronger than him. Significantly stronger.His earlier bravado collapsed like a house of cards.“You may have overpowered them. But you still can't beat me. Kneel now!”Navine ignored him completely. He walked over to where Grandmother Cross stood, leaning heavily against the couch, her hand pressed to her side where she'd been injured in the earlier fight."Are you alright?" Navine asked gently.Grandmother Cross looked up at him with wide eyes, still processing what she'd just witnessed."I... yes, I think

Elena and her family stood frozen, staring at the impossible scene before them.Thomas Morrison – one of the three great masters of Newton City, a living legend, a man who commanded respect from every martial artist in the region – was on his knees.His forehead pressed against the floor. His entire body trembling with fear. Begging for mercy from a stranger.Elena's father's mouth hung open in shock. Her mother had both hands pressed over her mouth, eyes wide with disbelief.Grandmother Cross leaned heavily against the couch, her legs barely supporting her weight as she tried to process what she was witnessing.Even Victor, who'd seen countless battles and fought in underground tournaments across three countries, looked completely stunned.But Walter Hayes was the most shocked of all.He lay in the wreckage of the wall where Navine's slap had sent him, staring at his master with absolute horror and confusion written across his swollen, bloody face."Master?" Walter choked out, blood

Thomas stood in the center of the destroyed room, that obsequious smile still plastered on his face, his hands clasped together in front of his chest."Please," he said, his voice thick with desperation. "Please, you must understand. I never involved myself in the clan's affairs. Not really."He gestured broadly, as if trying to encompass the entire situation."All of this – everything that happened to Miss Elena and her family – that was all orchestrated by Margaret Morrison and her faction. I had nothing to do with it."Thomas took a step closer to Navine, his expression earnest and pleading."Yes, I'm one of the three great masters. Yes, I'm technically part of the family. But I withdrew from family management years ago! I focused on my martial arts training, on teaching my disciples. I stayed out of politics completely!"His voice grew more insistent."Everything that was done to Elena – the forced marriage, the public humiliation, the schemes – that was all Walter and Margaret's