2025-02-12 16:10:02Zach stared at his hands, trembling with disbelief. The crumpled car hood bore the marks of his newfound strength. Since waking in the hospital, his body had felt different—stronger, sharper, as if some dormant power was clawing its way to the surface.
“Zach!” Mary’s tearful voice snapped him out of his daze. She threw herself into his arms, her small frame trembling against his. Her sobs were muffled against his chest as she clung to him tightly.
“You’re alive!” she cried, pulling back just enough to look at him. Her face lit up with joy, though fear lingered in her wide eyes.
“I thought you—” Her voice cracked, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
“I’m here, Mary,” Zach said softly, holding her close. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Her relief was short-lived as her gaze darted toward the group of men watching them. “You—You should run! They’ll kill you. Please, don’t fight them!”
Zach’s jaw clenched, his gaze shifting to the gang. The group of five men sneered, clearly unimpressed by his earlier display.
“Look at this,” one of them mocked, his voice dripping with disdain. “The poor little man miraculously survives. Too bad your mother didn’t have the same luck, huh?”
One of the men, a wiry figure with a crooked smile, chuckled. “Fight us? That little stunt was lucky, but luck runs out.”
Another, taller with a jagged scar across his forehead, spat on the ground. “Should’ve stayed dead like his old lady. He’ll join her soon enough.”
Zach’s eyes darkened at the mention of his mother, but he said nothing, keeping Mary shielded behind him.
The gang leader, a burly man with a scar running from his left eyebrow to his jaw, stepped forward. His cold, calculating eyes locked onto Zach, and a cruel smile twisted his lips. His presence screamed authority, marking him as their leader.
“We’ve wasted enough time,” the leader said, his voice rough. “The girl belongs to our young master, Darius. He wants the girl, and what Darius wants, Darius gets.”
At the mention of the name, Zach’s eyes narrowed, and Mary flinched, her fingers clutching his arm in fear. The Fitzroys. Zach had heard of them—an influential and ruthless family, even more powerful than Luke Harrington’s clan.
“You’re taking her nowhere,” Zach said, his voice cold and firm.
The leader chuckled, a dark, mocking sound. “Do you have any idea who you’re dealing with? Interfere, and I’ll make sure you join your mother in the afterlife.”
Zach stepped forward, shielding Mary. “She’s my sister. She’s my only family left. I won’t let anyone take her.”
“Do you want to go against Darius, a descendant of The Fitzroy family?" One scoffed in disbelief.
“They could squash the Harringtons like ants,” the leader continued, a smug grin spreading across his face. “And you think you can stop us? We’re taking the girl to Darius. You? You’re just a minor inconvenience.”
One of the men snickered. “He won’t be inconvenient for long.”
“Enough talk,” the leader barked, pointing at one of his men. “Ronan, take him out.”
Ronan, a hulking brute with tattoos snaking up his arms, stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. His grin was filled with malice as he sized Zach up. “This won’t take long.”
“Zach, no!” Mary cried, her voice trembling. “Please, just run!”
Ronan charged with a roar, his fists swinging like sledgehammers. Zach moved without thinking, his body reacting faster than his mind could process. He sidestepped, his hand shooting out to grab Ronan’s arm. With a swift motion, he twisted.
A sickening crack echoed through the air as Ronan’s leg buckled beneath him, twisted at an unnatural angle. He collapsed to the ground with a guttural scream, clutching his shattered limb.
The other men froze, their sneers replaced with wide-eyed shock.
“What the—” one of them stammered, stepping back.
Zach stood over Ronan’s crumpled form, his eyes blazing. He didn’t say a word, but the message was clear.
The leader hesitated, his bravado faltering as he glanced at his incapacitated man. The others exchanged uneasy glances, their confidence shaken.
For a moment, the only sounds were Ronan’s groans and the crackle of distant flames from Zach’s burned-down house.
Mary gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as she beheld the huge man now lying with a broken leg on the floor.
“Who’s next?” Zach asked, his voice calm but lethal, his eyes fixed on the leader.
The leader’s face darkened, his previous arrogance replaced with unease.
“You’ve made a mistake,” the leader growled, pulling out a knife. “The Fitzroys don’t take kindly to being defied.”
“Neither do I,” Zach replied, his body tense, ready for the next attack.
Mary clutched his arm. “Zach, please, let’s go!”
“Not until they understand one thing,” he said, his eyes burning with resolve. “No one touches my sister.”
The leader hesitated, his grip tightening on the knife. The rest of his men exchanged nervous glances, clearly second-guessing their odds.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
~184~
Months passed, and Barbara’s birthday arrived. That evening, Zach threw a grand surprise party on the wide green lawns of his Villa, fairy lights twinkling like stars strung across the earth.Barbara gasped when she stepped into the lawn, her hand flying to her lips as dozens of voices shouted, “Surprise!” She turned sharply toward Athena, narrowing her eyes playfully.“You knew about this, didn’t you?” she accused.Athena only laughed and pulled her into a hug. “I didn’t want to ruin the surprise by dropping hints earlier!”Barbara chuckled softly, still overwhelmed. “Thanks, Aunt… this is a lot,” she said warmly before her gaze found Zach.Walking up to him, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “You did all this?”“For you,” he whispered, his lips grazing her ear.Later into the night, Zach led Barbara to the center of the lawn, where the lights dimmed, and soft music began to play. He took her hands, his thumb brushing her knuckles tenderly.“The last six months,” he began, his vo
~183~
Zach’s entire world seemed to still.“My… what?” he choked, his voice almost inaudible.Athena’s tears spilled as she nodded, trembling as she cupped his face gently. “My son… my beautiful boy.”For the first time since he could remember, Zach smiled, broken, tentative, but real. He fell into her arms, wrapping her tightly as she sobbed against his shoulder.Nearby, Dawson stood frozen, guilt etched deep in his features. He stepped forward finally, his voice unsteady. “Athena… I… I’m so sorry. I should have protected you. I should have protected Logan too. I failed you both by not standing up against my father because I was a coward.”Athena looked up at him through tears, her voice soft but steady. “No. Lex was… a monster, Dawson. But you…” She paused, her voice trembling as she reached for his hand. “You weren’t. You were just… trapped.”Dawson lowered his head, overwhelmed by her forgiveness.The air outside was lighter now, as though the weight that had smothered them all for year
~182~
The ballroom had fallen into a quiet lull for Lex. Guests still laughed and chattered around him, but their voices were distant, muffled under the pounding of his heartbeat. His gaze flicked repeatedly to the grand staircase, where Dawson and Zach had disappeared minutes ago into one of the private rooms upstairs. Every tick of the ornate clock mounted on the wall stretched like eternity.Then, finally, his phone vibrated in his pocket.Lex fished it out hastily. On the screen, a message from Dawson glowed faintly:“It’s done.”Lex’s lips curved into a slow, satisfied smirk. Without wasting a second, he made his way upstairs. Each step was silent yet deliberate, his polished shoes grazing the velvet carpet as he approached the corridor leading to the rooms.When he entered, his gaze immediately fell on the sight before him.Zach lay sprawled across the bed, motionless, his chest unnaturally still. A shattered vase littered the marble floor, water seeping slowly into the rug, and a fai
~181~
Lex stumbled backward, his usually composed demeanor cracking like shattered glass. His breath hitched, and his sharp eyes darted around the crowded hall, scanning faces that blurred under the golden chandelier lights. Murmurs spread through the guests like ripples on disturbed water, confused whispers tangled with hushed gasps as everyone tried to make sense of his sudden reaction.Dawson’s brows knitted together, his gaze fixed on his father’s pale, frozen face. “Father?” he called softly, but Lex didn’t answer. Without a word, Lex turned and stormed out of the ballroom, his long strides cutting through the chaos as if the walls themselves might collapse if he stayed a second longer.Dawson hesitated for a heartbeat before following. Something in Lex’s expression, a raw, unfamiliar fear, had his stomach tightening.Upstairs, in the dimly lit expanse of his room, Lex paced back and forth like a caged beast. His breaths came harsh and uneven, and his hands shook slightly, clenching a
~ 180 ~
By dawn the following morning, Zach stood at the center of the dimly lit chamber, his gaze fixed on the unconscious figure lying on the bed, Grand Master Tom, his grandfather. Shadows danced across the stone walls as candle flames flickered, their golden glow glinting off the seven rare items carefully arranged before him on a small marble altar.The Nightshade Pearl, with its faint purple luminescence, lay beside the delicate Veilroot Herb, its translucent leaves veined with silvery streaks. The Heart of Solis pulsed faintly as though it carried life itself, while the Ashen Myrrh gave off a smoky scent that clung to the air. The Celestial Fang, a small shard rumored to be from a beast that hunted under starlight, rested beside the Obsidian Tear, which shimmered like trapped night. And finally, the Imperial Stone, ancient and engraved with runes, anchored the sacred set.Dr. Kieran, a man whose silver-streaked hair and weathered face spoke of decades of study in the mystical arts, bro
~ 179 ~
Rabiu attempted to escape through the side entrance, shoving past startled guests, but before he could make it far, Zach caught him by the collar and yanked him back with force.“You think you can mess with me and walk away?” Zach’s voice was low, dangerous.Rabiu stammered, “I-I know…”A sharp punch landed on his jaw, sending him stumbling against a parked car. Gasps erupted from the crowd.“Pathetic,” Zach spat, wiping his knuckles before stepping back.The tension was palpable, the heavy silence hanging between Zach, Rabiu, and Dafne like a sharp blade waiting to slice through the air. The ruined warehouse smelled of damp wood and metal, the faint crackle of fire from a broken lantern in the corner adding an eerie undertone. Shadows stretched across the floor, their shapes twisting under the dim light.Rabiu wiped the trickle of blood from the side of his mouth, his chest heaving as he spat on the ground. “I won’t succumb to you, Zach,” he said, his voice hoarse but laced with defi
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