Zachary couldn't describe the sensations he was currently feeling.The weakness that had plagued him for months, the anemia from the transplant and the exhaustion from working like a slave for a woman who apparently never loved him, was incinerated in an instant.Crack. Crack. Crack.His shattered ribs knitted back together with audible snaps. His muscles, once withered from overwork, surged with a density that defied human biology.Boom!Something seemed to crash in his brain and a flood of information exploded in his mind, thousands of years of forbidden combat arts and profound cultivation techniques.It was a legacy of blood and power he didn't yet understand, but he felt the result immediately.When the tide of sensations finally simmered out, Zachary was left breathing heavily, mouth gaping as he sucked in harsh bursts of air.‘What just happened?’ he thought, swallowing thickly from the shock of it all.He looked down at his hands, the veins in his arms and what little he could

Zachary didn't have to turn around to know who they were.He recognized them instantly: Martha Vanes and her daughter, Chloe Vanes. Elise’s mother and younger sister.The women who had made his life a hell when he had been still been in that farce of a relationship with Elise.Martha marched up to the counter, ignoring Zachary as if he were a piece of furniture"I told your manager we were coming!" Martha barked at the clerk. "We want to purchase the Celestial Harmony Crystal immediately. It’s a congratulatory gift for Bennett Sterling."Chloe, spotting the back of Zachary standing at the counter, let out a disgusted huff. "Ugh, Mother, look at this. They’re letting beggars in to stare at the inventory now? This store has really gone downhill."Zachary slowly turned his head.The blood drained from Martha’s face, followed quickly by a mask of pure, unadulterated loathing."You?" she hissed, her eyes narrowing. "How are you still breathing? Bennett said he took out the trash."Zachary

‘That little parasite,’ she thought. ‘He thinks he can just move on and forget about me? He thinks he can replace me with some other woman? He's wrong. He's going to regret this. I'll make sure of it.’Outwardly, she kept a cool facade as she spoke to her mother. "Don't worry, Mother. We have everything under control. After I attend the Prism Dragon Group's anniversary celebration with Bennett tomorrow, I'll make sure to find Zachary and teach him a lesson he won't soon forget.""But I’m telling you, Elise! He was very different," Martha argued. "He was arrogant. And that Knowles woman... She treated him like he was some god. It was disturbing.""It’s pathetic, That’s what it is," Elise countered, her voice smooth as silk. "Zachary was always a good dog. He probably found some lonely executive who likes a project. But a stray is still a stray, no matter who holds the leash."After a few more assurances from her mother, she hung up and turned to Bennett, who was nursing a glass of scot

At the command , the other guards snapped out of their trance, their faces darkening as they drew their heavy batons, the steel sliding out with a series of ominous clicks.Then as one they all lunged. The air whistled as they swung their tactical batons, their faces contorted with the intent to maim. Bennett and Elise stood just outside the circle, their eyes wide with a jagged, frantic excitement."Don't hold back!" Bennett barked, his voice cracking with glee. "Break his legs! Let's see how tall he stands then!"Elise nodded sharply, her lips curled in a sneer that mirrored Bennett’s. "He asked for this. Make sure he remembers why he doesn't belong here."Around them, the crowd of socialites leaned in, a chorus of hushed mockery rising from the red carpet. "So reckless," a man in a silk shirt muttered, shaking his head. "To strike a guard at a Prism Dragon event... the boy has a death wish."Zachary stood at the center of the storm, his breathing slow and rhythmic. The encirclem

Bennett Sterling frowned at Zachary's amused face, stepping closer before speaking, “You really are something maggot.” he sneered, glaring daggers at the other male.Elise also walked closer and tilted her head in agreement, letting the chandelier light catch her earrings as she sized up Zachary. “You really think you belong here because you flashed some mysterious card?” Her tone dripped with contempt. “Newsflash, Zachary: smuggling yourself into a Prism Dragon Group gala doesn’t make you Bennett’s equal. You’re still trash playing dress-up.”Bennett chuckled. “Once I get the chairman’s signature, the Inkspire acquisition is sealed. I’ll toast the deal, and you can toast your own delusions—outside, where you belong.”Zachary’s voice stayed even. “The chairman won’t sign it.”“Cute,” Bennett snorted. “Did your tarot cards tell you that?”Guests nearby snickered.“He must think he is the chairman,” one man scoffed.“Maybe he forged the invitation like he forged his ego,” a woman added.