THE KING RETURNS FOR WAR!

The prison gates groaned open.

Adrian Kane stepped into the blinding sunlight, squinting against the brightness he hadn't seen in years. Five years. Five years of cold cells, of being treated like garbage, of watching the world move on without him.

They thought they'd broken him.

They were wrong.

He walked forward slowly, feeling the unfamiliar weight of freedom. His movements were controlled, precise. Prison had taught him discipline. But more than that—it had given him something.

Something far more valuable.

"Kane! Adrian Kane!" A guard shouted from behind. "Don't forget your belongings!"

Adrian turned back, his face blank. He took the small plastic bag. Everything he owned fit in one bag. Pathetic.

The guard smirked. "Good luck out there, convict. You'll need it."

Adrian said nothing. He simply walked away, his expression cold and indifferent.

Five years ago, his foster brother Derek had framed him for theft. The Stone family—the people who took him in as a child—had believed Derek without question. They'd let Adrian take the fall. Let him go to prison for a crime he didn't commit.

And Elena... his wife. She was the only one who believed him. The only one who stood by him.

For that, she'd lost everything.

***

The apartment building was run-down. Paint peeling off the walls. Broken windows on the first floor. The neighborhood reeked of poverty.

Adrian climbed the stairs slowly, taking in every detail. This was where Elena lived now. Because of him. Because she'd chosen to stand by a convict instead of living comfortably with her family.

Third floor. Door 304.

He knocked gently.

Footsteps shuffled inside. The door opened a crack, and then—

"Adrian?"

Elena stood there, her eyes wide with shock. She looked exhausted. Her clothes were simple, worn from too many washes. Her face was thinner than he remembered. But her eyes... they still held that same warmth.

"I'm home," Adrian said quietly.

For a moment, she just stared. Then she pulled the door open fully and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest.

Adrian held her carefully. His expression remained calm, but his hand trembled slightly as it touched her hair. He could feel how thin she'd become. How much she'd suffered.

Because of him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "For everything."

Elena pulled back, wiping her eyes quickly. She tried to smile. "Don't apologize. You're here now. That's all that matters." She glanced back at the apartment. "Come in. I know it's not much—"

"It's home," Adrian said simply. "As long as I'm with you, that's enough."

Elena's eyes glistened, but she smiled and pulled him inside.

The apartment was tiny. One room that served as bedroom and living area. A small kitchen corner with an old stove. Furniture that looked like it came from yard sales. But everything was clean, organized. She'd made it a home despite having nothing.

"Sit," Elena said, moving toward the kitchen. "I'll make tea. Are you hungry? I have some rice and vegetables—"

"Elena." Adrian caught her hand gently. "Stop. You're exhausted. When did you last rest?"

"I'm fine," she insisted, but her voice wavered. "I just... I want to take care of you. You've been through so much."

Adrian pulled her to sit beside him on the old couch. "You've been working double shifts again, haven't you?"

Elena looked down. "The bills—"

"I'm back now," Adrian said calmly. "You won't have to struggle anymore."

Elena smiled sadly. "Adrian, I appreciate that, but finding work as an ex-convict won't be easy. We'll manage together, okay? We always have."

Before Adrian could respond, the door burst open without warning.

A woman stormed in, her face twisted with disgust and rage. Patricia Bennett—Elena's mother. She wore expensive clothes and jewelry, a stark contrast to the shabby apartment.

"Look who we have here. The fool is finally out," Patricia's voice was shrill, filled with venom. "Wonderful. Just wonderful. Now sign these."

She slammed papers onto the small table. Divorce papers.

Elena stood quickly, her face pale. "Mother, you can't just—"

"Quiet!" Patricia snapped. "I've had enough of your stupidity!" She whirled on Adrian, her eyes blazing. "You! You ruined her life! Five years! Five years she wasted waiting for a criminal! Do you know what people say about her? About our family?"

Adrian remained seated, his posture relaxed. His face showed nothing. But his eyes had gone cold.

"I'm not signing anything," he said quietly.

Patricia's face went red. "You have no choice! Look at you! No job, no money, no future! You're a convicted thief! Elena deserves better than trash like you!"

"Mother, stop!" Elena stepped between them, her voice shaking. "Adrian didn't do anything wrong! Derek framed him! You know that!"

"I know nothing of the sort!" Patricia shot back. "Derek is successful, respected, wealthy! He offered to help you, to give you a real life! But you chose this... this convict instead!"

Elena's hands clenched into fists. "I chose my husband. The man I love."

"Love?" Patricia laughed harshly. "Love doesn't pay bills, you foolish girl! Love doesn't erase the shame you've brought on our family!"

Adrian stood slowly. His movement was calm, controlled. But something about it made Patricia take a step back.

"Mrs. Bennett," Adrian said, his voice quiet but firm. "I understand your concerns. But I'm not going anywhere."

Patricia sneered at him. "We'll see about that. Tomorrow night—the Stone family banquet. Derek personally invited us. Elena will see what she gave up. She'll see how pathetic you are compared to him."

She pointed a finger at Elena. "You're coming. Both of you. And when this... this nobody embarrasses himself in front of everyone, maybe you'll finally see sense."

Patricia stormed out, slamming the door hard enough to rattle the frame.

Silence filled the small apartment.

Elena sat back down, her shoulders sagging. "I'm sorry. She's... she's been like this since you went to prison. She won't listen to reason."

Adrian remained standing, staring at the closed door. His expression was calm, but his eyes had darkened considerably.

"Don't apologize," he said quietly. "Tomorrow night, we'll go to the banquet."

Elena looked up, surprised. "What? Adrian, you don't have to—"

"I want to," Adrian said. He turned to her, and for just a moment, a cold smile touched his lips. "The Stone family banquet. Derek wants to humiliate me in front of everyone."

His eyes turned colder.

"Let him try."

The Stone family. The people who'd thrown him away like garbage. The brother who'd betrayed him and stolen his life.

Tomorrow, they'd see him again.

But they wouldn't see the broken boy they'd sent to prison.

They'd see something very different.

Adrian's phone buzzed in his pocket—the cheap prepaid phone the prison had given him. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen.

His expression didn't change, but something flickered in his eyes. A message. Just a few words.

He read it once. Then his lips curved into a faint, cold smile.

He deleted the message and slipped the phone back into his pocket.

Elena was watching him. "Everything okay?"

"Perfect," Adrian said simply.

Adrian sat beside her. "Get some rest. Tomorrow will be interesting."

Elena leaned against his shoulder. "I don't care what they say about you. I know who you really are."

Adrian said nothing. He just held her hand.

But his eyes remained cold as he stared at the wall.

Tomorrow, the Stone family would learn something important.

They'd broken the wrong man.