All Chapters of Sovereign of the Seven Armies: Chapter 1
- Chapter 8
8 chapters
The Awakening
"Sign the papers right now. Do it before I pull his life support."The harsh voice of Evelyn Lin cut through the quiet dining hall. She slammed a thick stack of divorce documents onto the table.Chloe Lin stared at the blank signature line. Her hand trembled around a heavy metal pen.She looked down at the man in the wheelchair beside her. Ryker Zhao sat completely motionless. His eyes were vacant and hollow.For three years he had been trapped in his own body. A vegetative state brought on by a catastrophic injury on the northern battlefields.Grandpa Lin had forced this marriage just days before he died. He entrusted his favorite granddaughter to a lowly soldier with no background and no wealth. Grandpa Lin had seen something in Ryker that no one else did.When Ryker returned from his final deployment in a coma the entire family rejoiced. They called him a piece of trash. They saw him as a broken puppet they could easily discard to claim the family inheritance.But Chloe never aband
The Vanguard Answers
"You are completely out of your mind." Preston spat a mouthful of blood onto the polished floor. "You expect me to believe you just bankrupt the Wu Group?"Preston cradled his mangled wrist against his chest. His face was pale but his eyes burned with pure malice."You have been eating through a tube for three years," Preston sneered. "You do not have the power to order a pizza. Let alone command a military financial strike."Evelyn stepped out from her corner. Her initial shock was quickly replaced by deep disgust."Are you proud of yourself?" Evelyn screamed at Ryker. "You broke a billionaire's arm. You just signed your own death warrant."She pointed her manicured finger directly at his face."I knew you were a violent brute. My father was an absolute fool to let you into this house.""Do not speak about Grandpa Lin like that," Chloe shouted back.Chloe stepped in front of Ryker. She spread her arms out widely to shield him from her mother."He was defending me," Chloe said. Her vo
The Commander Kneels
"Step away from the suspect right now or we will open fire."The harsh voice boomed through a heavy bullhorn from the front courtyard.The shattered dining room doors were kicked completely off their hinges. Nash Jung marched into the room with his service weapon drawn and leveled.Nash was the supreme commander of the City Tactical Unit. A dozen heavily armed SWAT officers filed into the room right behind him.Nash swept his gun across the dining hall. He completely ignored the kneeling Vanguard mercenaries. He locked his sights directly on Ryker."You have exactly five seconds to put your hands on your head," Nash barked loudly. "I will not repeat myself."Evelyn Lin peeked out from under the table. Her eyes lit up with joy when she recognized the city commander."Commander Jung," Evelyn screamed frantically. She crawled out from under the table and pointed a shaking finger at Ryker. "Shoot him right now. He is a terrorist."Evelyn ran toward the heavily armed officers. She felt com
The First Meal
Chloe Lin bolted upright in the massive bed. Her lungs gasped for air as panic flooded her veins.She scrambled backward until her spine hit the velvet headboard. Her hands frantically gripped the thick silk sheets.This was not her cramped apartment. This was not the drafty hospital ward.Massive floor to ceiling windows offered a sweeping view of the entire city skyline. Crystal chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceiling. Chloe swung her legs over the edge of the mattress. Her bare feet sank into a plush wool rug.Her heart hammered violently against her ribs. The last thing she remembered was the bloody dining room floor. She remembered Commander Nash Jung weeping like a beaten dog.Then the darkness had completely consumed her."My mother sold me," Chloe whispered to herself. The horrifying thought paralyzed her. "She finally sold me to Preston Wu."She desperately looked around the massive suite for a weapon. She spotted a heavy brass lamp on the bedside table.Chloe grabbed the
The Hostile Takeover
"Open the doors right now."Chloe Lin slammed her open palm against the thick glass of the main entrance. The electronic card reader on the wall flashed a bright red error code.Two heavy corporate security guards stood on the other side of the glass. They crossed their muscular arms over their chests and completely ignored her desperate shouting."My access is revoked," Chloe said. Her voice shook with rising panic. "This is my building. I am the chief executive officer."Ryker Zhao stood right behind her on the concrete steps. He placed a calm warm hand on her trembling shoulder. He did not say a single word yet.The heavy glass doors finally slid open with a soft mechanical hiss.Flint Lin walked out into the spacious lobby. He looked incredibly smug."You are trespassing on private property," Flint stated coldly. He adjusted his tie. "Take your hands off my doors.""You locked me out of my own company," Chloe demanded angrily. She stepped right past the security guards. "Grandpa b
Buying the Street
"That is a very nice plastic toy."Sterling Ho laughed so hard he had to wipe a tear from his eye. "Did you buy that novelty card at a cheap magic shop?"Sterling pointed a manicured finger at the solid black card in Ryker's hand. He turned to the two heavy corporate security guards standing by the entrance."Throw these two beggars out onto the sidewalk," Sterling ordered. "Break his legs if he resists."The security guards cracked their knuckles and stepped forward.Ryker did not even blink. He completely ignored the approaching guards. He slowly put the black card back into his shirt pocket.He reached into his trousers and pulled out a highly encrypted military phone. He dialed a single number."Vesper," Ryker said calmly into the receiver. "I am standing in the main lobby of the Lin Logistics Tower. Buy the entire building."Sterling snorted loudly in pure disbelief. He crossed his arms over his expensive tailored suit."Then initiate a total hostile takeover of the Ho Corporate
A Dress Fit for a Queen
"I do not care how much the black market broker wants. Pay the three million dollars for the banquet invitations right now."Evelyn Lin screamed into her gold plated cell phone. She paced violently back and forth across her extravagant living room.Her wrists were still deeply bruised from the heavy police handcuffs. She had just spent the last twenty four hours locked in a filthy holding cell. It cost her a massive percentage of her remaining cash to bribe the police chief for an early release.Flint Lin sat slumped on the expensive leather sofa. He held a bag of frozen peas over his swollen black eye."We have to get inside that banquet tonight," Flint groaned in pain. "The new supreme billionaire who bought my company will be there. We need to fall on our knees and beg him to give our assets back.""We will do exactly that," Evelyn sneered. She finally disconnected the call. "I will offer him whatever he wants. I will offer him our total obedience."“You don't think it is Ryker, do
The Viper's Den
"Did you hear she is living on the streets now?" Evelyn Lin laughed loudly while swirling her expensive champagne.She stood in the absolute center of the Grand Ballroom. The city elite gathered around her like desperate sycophants.Flint Lin stood right beside her holding a fresh drink. He wore a dark silk suit to hide the thick bandages wrapped around his broken ribs."My niece completely lost her mind," Flint told the group of wealthy investors. "She gave up a massive corporate empire to push a vegetative cripple around the city slums."The group of billionaires and socialites chuckled cruelly at the story."It is a pathetic tragedy," Evelyn sighed falsely. "But we must focus on the future. We are here tonight to welcome the new king of the financial district."Evelyn looked around the massive ballroom with greedy hungry eyes. Crystal chandeliers cast a warm light over the hundreds of wealthy guests.Armed city police stood at every single exit. Mayor Jett Ishii had spared absolute