Riven’s words carried no fear, no hesitation, and no panic. He stood in the middle of the blood-stained courtyard, his suit dusted with ash, looking at Lord Sterling as if the man were nothing more than a clown holding a wooden toy.Lord Sterling trembled with rage, his face twisting into a hideous sneer. "Arrogant bastard! You think I'm bluffing?! You were just a delivery boy who got lucky with a bit of strength! You don't even know what the Kaelen Clan represents! They are an ancient lineage that commands the underground of this whole continent!""Father! Break it!" Lysander shrieked from the ground, his eyes wide and bloodshot as he cowered behind Lord Sterling. "Break the token! Let Elder Kaelen rip his head off! Let's see if he can still act tough when a real lord of the Kaelen bloodline stands in front of him!"The surviving mercenaries gathered their courage, shouting insults from the edges of the courtyard."Yeah! Break the token!" a guard yelled, wiping sweat from his forehea

The black luxury cars of the Kaelen family convoy sped down the paved highway toward the center of the capital city. Inside the lead vehicle, Riven sat in the back seat, staring quietly out the window at the glowing neon lights of the massive skyline.Vanessa sat right beside him, her fingers tightly intertwined with his. Even though Riven was sitting right next to her, her face was pale, and she kept glancing nervously at her phone."Riven, we are entering the Whitemore family's main territory now," Vanessa said softly, her voice filled with deep concern. "The Imperial Hotel isn't just a place for rich people to eat and stay. It is the main headquarters for their family business. Every single security guard, manager, and waiter inside that building answers directly to the Whitemore elders.""I know," Riven replied smoothly. He did not turn his head away from the window. "Let them answer to whoever they want."Elder Malakor sat in the front passenger seat. He turned his head around, h

Lord Whitemore stood frozen in place, his face turning an angry shade of purple as his son, Drake, lay bleeding and groaning among the broken glass."You insolent, reckless stray!" Lord Whitemore roared, his hands trembling with rage as he pointed at Riven. "You came into my hotel, laid hands on my son, and humiliated my family! You think having a little martial skill makes you invincible in the capital?!"Sloane crawled out from behind the ruined leather sofa, her designer dress torn and covered in dust. She saw Lord Whitemore’s furious expression and felt a sudden spark of hope in her chest again. She dragged herself forward, pointing a shaking finger at Riven."Lord Whitemore! Don't let him trick you!" Sloane shrieked, her voice echoing through the ruined VIP room. "He's just an arrogant nobody from the lower city! He stole money, ruined my family business, and thinks he can walk over everyone! Kill him right now!"Riven didn't even turn his head to look at her."Linnea," he said c

Rain poured heavily over the dark alley behind the Imperial Hotel. Odette was on her knees in the mud, crying loudly and cursing the weather, while Sloane sat motionless against the damp brick wall. Her hands were raw, her head hung low, and the cold reality of her new life pressed down on her chest."Get up, you foolish girl!" Odette hissed, grabbing Sloane's arm and pulling her to her feet. "Sitting in the mud won't bring back our money! We need to find shelter before we freeze to death!"Sloane stumbled as she stood up, her high heels making it nearly impossible to walk on the wet ground. "Where do we go, Mother? Nobody in this city will take us in. Every single person who used to respect us knows Vespera Corp is gone."Before Odette could scream back, two bright headlights turned into the alley.A silver car moved through the rainwater and stopped a few feet away from them.The door opened, and a tall man holding an umbrella stepped out into the rain. He wore a gray suit, and his

At five o'clock in the morning, thick gray fog covered the central harbor docks. The cold morning air smelled of diesel and salt water.Giant iron cranes stood above the water like huge steel monsters. They were completely silent. At the main entrance of Terminal 4, more than thirty rough dockworkers and private security guards sat on wooden crates, smoking cigarettes and laughing loudly.Standing in the middle of the group was Master Corvan, a thick-necked man wearing a grease-covered leather jacket. He held a heavy iron wrench in his large hand.Far away, the deep horn of a huge cargo ship echoed through the fog. A massive ship carrying Zenchip Global's first shipment was slowly moving toward the concrete pier.Corvan spat on the cold ground and turned to his men with a cruel smile."Listen up, boys! Mr. Callow paid us well today. Nobody touches those crane controls. Nobody ties those ship ropes. Let that fancy ship sit in the water until the sun goes down!""What if their executive