Sovereign Son-in-Law: Rise from The Ashes.

CHAPTER THREE.

3.

Lying on the freezing marble, Finn Rowe felt blood trickle from his busted lip and a cut on his head. Rain, mixed with his sweat, had drenched his clothes, and his body throbbed from the beating he'd just taken. He felt heavy all over, each breath reminding him how badly he'd been humiliated. His chest heaved as he tried to take in the situation: the woman he'd loved for three years, the family he'd given everything to, now saw him as dirt.

Elara stood before him, her hair wet and stuck to her face, divorce papers in hand. She knelt a bit, holding up the thick envelope so he could see it. Her voice was steady, almost soft, but her words cut deep. Just sign. I'm done with you.

Finn stared, shocked, angry, and heartbroken all at once. His lips trembled. Elara, after all this time, you're really doing this? Three years of love, of being there for you, and you're ending it like this?

Elara smirked a little. There's nothing to save, Finn. You were never good enough, and now you're out of my life.

Regina's voice boomed from behind her, cold as ice. Did you hear that, Finn? Finally, we're getting rid of this loser, this bum of a son-in-law who's been mooching off our family for years.

Leonard shook his head slowly. We put up with your screw-ups for too long. You've embarrassed this family, and it's over.

Maribel stepped up, laughing like she was enjoying this way too much. Three years of her life wasted, and now she's free. You're nothing, Finn. Absolutely nothing. Everything you own came from us, and now you're leaving like the parasite you are.

Darius sneered, getting closer, fists clenched. You're a joke, Finn. Worthless, weak, and hopeless. You won't last a week outside this family. You'll come crawling back, begging us to take you back, and we'll laugh in your face.

Finn struggled to sit up on his elbows, his wet hair sticking to his face. His vision was blurry, but his voice was determined, with a quiet strength that hadn't been crushed. I'm leaving. I'm going. I don't need your pity. I'm leaving the same way I've been living, with my head up. I won't crawl. I won't beg.

The family laughed, their voices dripping with disgust. Head up? You're nothing, Regina hissed. You won't survive a day out there. You'll freeze, starve, and come crawling back. That's who you are, Finn. That's all you'll ever be.

Leonard shook his head. Do you even know how to live without us? You can't make it on your own. The streets will eat you alive.

Maribel's smirk stretched wider. We're doing you a favor, Finn. Freeing you from this dead-end marriage. You were never meant to have a life.

Darius's eyes went dark with anger. Enough talk. I'll make sure you leave right. He suddenly lunged at Finn, fists flying. Each punch landed hard, leaving Finn gasping, trying to protect himself, but too weak and beat-up to fight back. Blood poured from his mouth and nose, his head spinning from the blows and exhaustion.

You're a worm, Darius spat, hitting him again. A worthless, good-for-nothing worm who thought he was a man. Now get out and don't come back.

Finn got to his knees, coughing, blood mixing with the rain on his face. His body ached, his ego crushed, but something inside him refused to give up. He wiped the blood from his lips with a shaky hand and said, I'm leaving. On my terms, like always. I don't need your say-so.

Darius got even angrier. He grabbed Finn by the collar and threw him toward the door. Finn slammed into the doorway, falling out into the pouring rain. The cold hit him hard, and his soaked body shook like a leaf. He rolled over, coughing, tasting blood in his mouth.

Regina's voice rang out, loud and pleased. Don't even think about grabbing anything from this house. What you had belongs to us. You were nothing when you were here, and you're nothing now.

Maribel laughed like a witch. Maybe the rain will teach you a lesson. No more roof over your head, no more family, no more status. You're on your own. You're nothing.

Leonard shook his head sadly. This is your life now, Finn. You've been let go from something you didn't deserve.

Finn lay there on the wet ground, soaked, bleeding, and worn out. His thoughts raced. The betrayal, the beating, the insults it all weighed on him like a ton of bricks. He closed his eyes for a second, thinking about giving up. Life felt heavy, pointless, and awful.

Then, the roar of engines cut through the rain. Finn lifted his head, squinting. A line of black SUVs appeared, heading toward him through the downpour, lights shining. The cars surrounded him, a wall of black steel and chrome. They stopped a few feet away, and the doors opened at the same time.

Men in suits stepped out, holding umbrellas. In the middle of them, a man emerged. Tall, powerful, and demanding respect just by standing there, he walked toward Finn with confidence. The man's eyes were sharp, and his presence was powerful. Finn's heart raced as he recognized him.

The man stopped close to Finn, his crew forming a ring around him. He lowered his umbrella, showing a face that spoke of control. His voice called out, calm but firm. Finally, my grandson is here.

Finn stared, rain running down his face, blood mixed with the water, unable to believe what he was seeing. The man was huge in presence, showing wealth and power, but he looked at Finn with a warmth that was the opposite of the hate he'd just faced.

You're Finn Blackwell, the man said, looking Finn in the eye. You survived even when people thought you were gone. You're mine, and it's time the world knew.

Finn's mind was spinning. The family's insults, the rain, the blood, the betrayal it all faded away under the weight of this news. He was no longer just the loser son-in-law, the delivery guy, or the man they'd put down. Now, he was connected to power beyond his wildest dreams.

The men in suits stepped closer, forming a wall. Finn pushed himself up, his legs shaking, the cold and pain still there, but now mixed with awe and shock. The man in front of him, Darken Blackwell, the head of the Divine Group, had arrived. And everything was about to change.

Finn swallowed hard, his lips bleeding, his body shaking, but his eyes shining with a new light. This wasn't the end. It was just the beginning.

The rain soaked him, blood ran down his face, and his heart pounded. The world he knew his humiliation, betrayal, and pain was about to crash into the power and name of the Blackwells. Finn Rowe, the son-in-law thrown out, was about to be reborn as Finn Blackwell, the heir to a family that commanded respect, fear, and power.

And as the black SUVs surrounded him, the storm seemed to disappear. A new part of his life was about to start.