From Ex-con To Supreme God Of War

Chapter 3. Safe Haven & The Vow

Thomas drove quietly through the empty streets of Valmoria. Next to him in the passenger seat, Mia sat wrapped in a thick, warm blanket.

She held a warm cup of tea with both hands, her fingers still shaking from horror.

The swell on her left cheek had turned purple, but the bleeding had stopped completely.

Every few seconds, she glanced sideways at Thomas, as if she was afraid he would vanish into thin air if she closed her eyes for even a second.

"Are we really safe now, Thomas?" Mia whispered, her voice tiny in the quiet car.

"The cruel men in that warehouse...they said high-society people bought me. They said normal people like us cannot fight against rich men in this city. They said money rules everything in Valmoria."

Thomas pulled the car into the underground garage of a private, high-security apartment building on the quiet side of town.

The building belonged to a secure network controlled secretly by Ethan.

No one in Valmoria knew this place existed.

Thomas parked the car, turned off the engine, and turned toward Mia.

He reached out and gently brushed a damp lock of hair away from her bruised cheek.

"No one will ever put a hand on you again, Mia," Thomas said softly, his voice warm and steady.

"I told you seven years ago that I would come back for you. I meant every word. You do not need to fear rich men, corrupt politicians, or anyone else in Valmoria. As long as I am breathing, you are safe."

Tears welled up in Mia’s soft eyes, spilling down her pale skin.

"When you went to prison seven years ago, my world fell apart, Thomas. The Johnson family came to the orphanage twice. They told everyone you were a filthy criminal who hit an innocent woman with a car. They made sure I lost my job at the bakery. They made sure no landlord in the city would rent a tiny apartment to me.”

“I had to sleep on cold floors and eat leftover bread for years just to stay alive. And when war broke out, Alice Johnson came to me with an evil smile. She laughed in my face and said you were going to die on the frontlines like trash."

Every single word from Mia felt like a rusted dagger twisting deep inside Thomas’s chest.

The Johnsons had not just framed him and thrown him into the meat grinder of war; they had actively hunted down the only innocent person he cared about, trying to starve her to death in the shadows.

His fists tightened on the steering wheel.

"They made you suffer because they wanted to wipe away every trace of my existence," Thomas said, his voice dropping into a dark, quiet pitch.

"They thought I would die on the battlefield like a nameless dog. They thought no one would ever come back to hold them accountable for what they did to us."

He brought Mia up to the top-floor apartment. The room was warm, clean, and stocked with fresh food, warm clothes, and medical supplies.

Once Mia was comfortably settled on the soft sofa with a warm towel, the doorbell rang twice in a short, code pattern. Thomas opened the door to reveal Commander Ethan, dressed in a simple black civilian suit with no military badges or shiny medals.

Ethan bowed his head respectfully, stepping inside the entryway. He kept his voice low so Mia would not hear the dark details of the report.

"General, the dockyard site has been cleared completely. All evidence connecting you to the warehouse has been erased. Local police think it was a brutal gang war between rival human traffickers."

"Good," Thomas replied quietly, leaning against the hallway wall.

"What did you find out about Edward Johnson’s connection to that illegal auction ring?"

Ethan pulled a thin leather folder from inside his jacket and opened it.

"Edward Johnson is not acting alone, Sir. Over the past three years, the Johnson Financial Group has been laundering money for a massive underground network called the Shadow Syndicate.”

“Edward buys helpless young women from traffickers and uses them as bribes to win government construction contracts and business favors from corrupt officials in Valmoria.”

Thomas’s jaw tightened. "So the money Alice and her family use to buy designer clothes and luxury cars comes from selling human lives."

"Yes, General," Ethan said, his face cold with disgust.

"And there is a deeper connection you need to know. The master bank accounts funding the Johnson family's sudden expansion do not belong to William Johnson. They trace directly back to the Hill Development Corporation."

The air inside the hallway suddenly felt like it dropped ten degrees. Thomas’s eyes snapped onto Ethan's face with lethal intensity.

"Jack Hill?"

"Yes, Sir," Ethan confirmed, nodding grimly.

"Jack Hill—the man who was your father’s best friend and business partner twenty-six years ago. The man who stole your family’s land, assets, and wealth after your parents and younger sister were murdered in cold blood.”

“Jack Hill is the real chairman behind the Shadow Syndicate. The Johnson family are merely his loyal hunting dogs in Valmoria."

A dark, terrifying picture finally formed inside Thomas’s mind.

Everything was connected in one giant web of evil. Twenty-six years ago, Jack Hill slaughtered his family and stole their legacy.

Seven years ago, the Johnsons used Thomas as a scapegoat to protect Edward, then threw him to the warzone.

And today, Edward and Jack Hill worked hand-in-hand in the darkest corners of the city, using Mia as merchandise.

"Jack Hill built his entire empire on the blood of my family," Thomas murmured, his eyes glowing with a cold, terrifying light.

"And the Johnsons are feeding on the scraps from his table."

"How do you wish to proceed, General?" Ethan asked, his posture rigid.

"I can order an immediate asset freeze on the Johnson Financial Group tonight. We can cut off their funding in five minutes."

"No," Thomas said smoothly, shaking his head. "If you freeze their assets from the shadows, they will think it is just a bank error or a legal delay. They will not feel the terror. They will not know why they are falling. I want to crush their pride with my own hands."

Mia walked softly out of the living room, holding a warm blanket around her shoulders.

She looked at Thomas with deep worry in her eyes. "Thomas... where are you going? I heard you mention the Johnson family. Please do not go near them. They are rich and powerful now.”

“William Johnson has private guards, and Alice's new fiancé, George Smith, belongs to one of the top families in the city. You just got out of the battlefield prison... you have no money and no power against them. If they see you, they will throw you back in jail."

Thomas walked over to Mia, placing his large, warm hands on her shoulders.

He looked down into her frightened eyes with absolute calm. "Mia, do you remember what I told you when we were kids at the orphanage?"

Mia blinked back tears, her voice small. "You said... justice always comes, even if it takes a long time."

"Justice is standing right here," Thomas said quietly.

"Stay here with Ethan. He will guard you with his life. I am going to the Grand Valmoria Hotel to return a debt that is seven years overdue."

Thomas turned, put on a simple dark jacket over his plain shirt, and walked out of the apartment into the rainy night.

He did not drive a luxury sports car or travel with a convoy of military vehicles. He took a simple black sedan, driving straight toward the shining gold towers of the Grand Valmoria Hotel in the center of the city.

The Grand Valmoria Hotel was illuminated by thousands of bright golden lights. Dozens of luxury cars—Ferraris, Rolls-Royces, and Lamborghinis—were parked neatly near the grand entrance under a long glass canopy.

Crystal chandeliers shone through the tall glass windows on the top floor, where Alice Johnson and George Smith were hosting their high-society engagement party, celebrating Edward’s major new business deal.

Thomas parked his simple sedan down the street, stepped out into the light drizzle, and walked up the grand marble stairs toward the hotel entrance.

His wet boots left muddy tracks on the clean white marble. His clothes were plain, dark, and simple. He looked like a broke man who had just walked out of a prison cell.

Two tall security guards in sharp suits stepped forward at the top of the stairs, crossing their arms arrogantly to block his path.

"Hold it right there, buddy," one guard sneered, looking down at Thomas's plain clothes with disgust.

"This is a private VIP event for the Johnson and Smith families. Homeless trash and ex-cons aren't allowed inside. Turn around before we toss you down the stairs."

Before Thomas could answer, the glass automatic doors slid open.

Edward Johnson walked out onto the marble terrace, wearing a three-piece suit and holding a glass of expensive red wine. He had four personal bodyguards standing behind him.

Edward was sweating slightly, his face pale from the terrifying phone call he had received thirty minutes ago at the dockyard.

Edward looked down the stairs, his eyes locking onto Thomas's tall figure.

His shocked face instantly twisted into a disgusting, arrogant sneer as he realized Thomas was standing there completely alone, wearing cheap clothes, with no weapon in his hand.

"Well, well, well," Edward laughed mockingly, taking a slow sip of his wine as he stepped down the stairs toward Thomas.

"Look who finally crawled out of the gutter. Thomas Green… the pathetic little dog who took the fall for my car crash. You actually survived the warzone and came back to Valmoria?

“And you dared to threaten me on the phone?"

Edward tossed his wine glass onto the marble stairs, shattering the glass at Thomas’s feet.

Red wine splashed over Thomas’s boots like fresh blood.

"Did you really think you could come here and scare me?" Edward barked, pointing his finger right at Thomas’s nose.

"You're nothing but a broke ex-convict who spent seven years bleeding in the dirt while my family grew richer every day. My sister Alice threw you away like trash, and tonight she's marrying George Smith.”

“You came here alone, Thomas. You have no money, no status, and no power. If you take one more step up these stairs, my guards will beat you until you can never walk again."