Valery's accusations hit Felicity like a bitchslap. Her face twisted like a serpent when she was called out on her evil actions. The young woman gritted her teeth and spat, "How dare you claim I used that loser? Leonard is worthless! Taking his bone marrow was doing him a favor! "If it had stayed inside his pathetic body, it would have been as useless as the rest of him. But inside me, it became worth millions!" She jabbed a finger at Leonard, her eyes blazing. "By that logic, he actually owes me! He should be thanking me every single day for accepting his worthless bone marrow!" Valery stared at the wild woman in stunned disbelief. The twisted logic in her words left her speechless for a heartbeat. It was time to put an end to the drama. "Guards," she ordered coldly, her voice like steel. "Get this lunatic out of here immediately. Just listening to her is rotting my brain cells." "Yes, boss!" The guards surged forward, seizing Felicity by both arms and dragging her away to

The masculine voice cut through the night, carrying an icy authority that made the very air seem to thicken and freeze. Sophia's tear-streaked eyes snapped open. Through the haze of panic and terror, she realized the voice was familiar. "Let her go." The five thugs froze mid-motion. Their leader, Bruno, still positioned between Sophia's pinned thighs, turned his head sharply towards the newcomer. Sophia lifted her gaze through vision blurred with tears, her heart hammering so violently she could barely breathe. A lone figure stood silhouetted against the moonlight on the hillside path, his simple clothes catching the silver glow and giving him an almost ghastly outline. Sophia recognized him instantly. It was the same man she had defended at the gala. Leonard. For a split second, the gang was stunned. Then the tension shattered. "Hahahaha!" Bruno threw his head back, his laughter booming across the hillside. His men joined in, their voices dripping with mockery as they scanned

"Here." Leonard slipped off his coat without hesitation and extended it towards Sophia, deliberately turning his gaze away.Her elegant black dress had been savagely torn open and ridden up to her waist, leaving her almost completely exposed. The last thing he wanted was to add to her humiliation by staring.Sophia, still trembling from the nightmare, snapped back to reality at the sound of his voice.Her cheeks burned a deep crimson as she glanced down and realized how much of her body was on full display.Mortified beyond words, the young woman snatched the coat from his hand, wrapped it tightly around herself, and tugged the ruined gown down with shaking fingers."Thank you, Leonard. You saved my dignity tonight. I don't know how to repay you."Leonard shook his head dismissively and kept his eyes fixed on the distant city lights, giving her the privacy she desperately needed."I found this too," he added quietly, holding out the torn piece of fabric that had once been part of her

Valery froze in place with her mouth open. Her usual iron composure had shattered like fragile glass. For the first time in years, the unflinching CEO of the Eclipse Consortium, the right hand of the Gambino empire, felt truly exposed.She swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper. "Yes, sir… I am a virgin."She had never spoken on this topic to any man, let alone her master. Her entire life had been devoted to training, duty, and the Gambino family. Romance had never been part of the equation.Leonard studied her for a moment. The Reishi Royale bath continued to steam around him, the mystical herb's fragrance filling the room."Take your clothes off," he said flatly.Valery's heart almost stopped. "Take my…? Sir… I don't understand. Do you want me as your lov–""I've hit a roadblock in the path of cultivation," Leonard cut her off without noticing her mental spiral. "For the purification ritual to work, I need feminine energy in this herb water to balance out the masculine.""

The newcomer bodyguards froze the instant they heard the claim. Someone had the nerve to impersonate Miss Harrington's savior, that too right at the family estate's gates? The Harringtons were one of the most powerful families in Nexus City, closely tied to the influential Remingtons. What kind of madman would dig his own grave with such a bold lie? Amused by the sheer stupidity, they turned to see the fool who dared pull such a stunt. The moment their eyes landed on Leonard, recognition hit them like a lightning strike. Maclin, the head of the personal security detail, felt his stomach drop. Even in the darkness of last night, he had been close enough to memorize the young man's face. There was no mistake. This was the same stranger who had single-handedly saved Sophia from five elite thugs of Black Bill. Or at least he claimed to have. Shock flashed across Maclin's face for a split second. Then it twisted into cold disdain. This was the time to show Leonard his place. A mockin