THE VENGEANCE OF THE WAR GOD

Chapter 20

The room was a chaos of shouting and finger-pointing. Serena groaned, pressing her palms against her temples. The bright hospital lights made her vision swim.

"Enough!" Serena’s voice was weak, but it cut through the noise. "I have a massive headache. Can you all just keep it quiet for one minute?"

The room fell silent. Mrs. Morgan rushed to the bedside, smoothing Serena’s hair. "Of course, darling. We’re just trying to make sure this... this peasant doesn't take credit for Ferdinand’s hard work."

Serena looked at Dustin, then at Ferdinand. Her memory was hazy, like looking through a foggy window. "Dustin... I remember him coming into the room. I remember his voice. If Ferdinand called his father for backup too, then I’m grateful to both of you."

She stopped there. She didn't mention the cold shiver that ran down her spine when she looked at Ferdinand.

She hadn't forgotten the night at the party months ago when Ferdinand had trapped her in the hallway, his breath smelling of whiskey, trying to force himself on her. She had escaped then, but the skin-crawling memory remained. She wasn't ready to thank him properly, but she was too tired to fight.

Suddenly, a thunderous sound echoed from the hallway.

"SIR!"

The shout was synchronized, loud, and disciplined. It was the sound of professional soldiers saluting a superior.

Ferdinand’s heart began to hammer against his ribs. This was it. The moment of truth. If his father had truly pulled this off, he was about to become the most powerful man in the family's eyes. If not... he pushed that thought away. My father is rich, he told himself. Who else could it be?

Dustin, still leaning against the far wall, let a small, dark smirk play on his lips. ‘Go ahead, Ferdinand,’ he thought. ‘Dig your own grave.’

The door swung open with military precision. A man in a crisp uniform stepped in. He had three stripes on his arm—a Sergeant. Two armed soldiers stood behind him like statues.

Dustin blinked. He expected Calvin. This was not Calvin.

"You must be Ms. Serena’s family," the Sergeant said, his voice like gravel.

"I am Sergeant Riley. Commander Calvin and the Red Eagle squad received an emergency dispatch and had to depart immediately. I was sent to finish the security detail and check on the patient."

The Sergeant’s eyes swept the room. He looked right past Dustin, his gaze landing on the man standing most prominently at the foot of the bed: Ferdinand.

Ferdinand saw his opening. He stepped forward, hand extended, his face glowing with fake humility. "Sergeant! Thank you so much for saving my woman! My father mentioned he was reaching out to the top brass, but I didn't expect the Red Eagles!"

Sergeant Riley paused, looking Ferdinand up and down. He had been told that a very important "Young Master" was responsible for the alert. Seeing Ferdinand’s expensive suit and arrogant posture, he made a quick assumption.

"Ah," Riley said, his expression softening into one of deep respect. He snapped a sharp salute toward Ferdinand.

"Then you must be the Young Master I was told to respect. My apologies for the delay, sir. We handled the targets at the hotel as per the request."

Ferdinand felt like he was floating. It was true! Or at least, the soldiers thought it was true, which was just as good.

"Yes, it’s me. You did a fine job, Sergeant. I’ll be sure to tell my father."

Mrs. Morgan let out a triumphant look. "I knew it! Dustin, did you hear that? The military just thanked Ferdinand! Do you have anything to say now, you little liar?"

Mrs. Earnshaw laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. "He’s gone quiet! Look at him! The 'hero' is actually just a tag-along!"

Ferdinand walked over to Dustin. He was taller than Dustin, or at least he felt like it at that moment. He looked Dustin in the eye, his lip curling in a snarl.

SLAP!

The sound of the strike echoed in the sterile room. Dustin’s head snapped to the side.

"Remember what you said?" Ferdinand hissed, his voice trembling with malicious joy.

"You said I should slap you if it turned out I was the one who saved her. Well, the Sergeant just confirmed it. You’re a fraud, Dustin. A pathetic, low-life villager trying to play dress-up in a world of giants."

Dustin’s hand balled into a fist. Making up his mind to drill it in his face for what he just did.

He wanted to reach out and snap Ferdinand’s wrist.

He wanted to show them what a "village boy" could really do.

"Dustin, stop!" Serena yelled from the bed. "Will you really start a fight in a national hospital? While I’m lying here sick?"

Dustin took a deep breath, forcing his muscles to relax. He looked at Serena, then at the mocking faces of her Grandmother and Mrs. Morgan.

"Fine," Serena sighed, looking at Ferdinand. "It’s clear now. Dustin, you were there, and I’m glad.

But obviously, you don't have the power to move the Red Eagle squad. It had to be Ferdinand. Dustin... you should show some gratitude. He saved my life."

Dustin looked at his wife, the woman he had burned through a city to protect. "Gratitude? For him?"

Dustin shook his head. "No. I won't do that. Because soon enough, the truth will be revealed. And when it is, I want you all to remember this moment."

"Oh, shut up!" Mrs. Morgan screamed, imitating his voice. "'The truth will be revealed!' You sound like a bad movie. Why don't you go find a field to plow?"

"He’s probably going to go cry in the hallway," Mrs. Earnshaw added, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. "Poor little husband. So useless."

Ferdinand, feeling like he owned the world, turned back to Serena. He softened his voice, putting on his best "reformed man" act.

"Serena," he said, taking a step toward her bed. "I want to apologize. For... before. For the night I tried to take advantage of you. I was wrong, and I’ve regretted it every day. I hope that what I did today—bringing the military, saving you from Roland—can be enough for you to forgive me."

Serena looked at him for a long time. The memory of his hands on her still made her sick, but the presence of the soldiers and the rescue was a massive weight on the scale.

"I'll forgive you, Ferdinand," she said quietly. "But that doesn't mean things go back to how they were. You saved me, and for that, the debt is paid. But you have to keep your distance. Do you understand?"

Ferdinand nodded quickly, he was so sure he didn’t mean it. "Of course, Serena. Whatever you want."

He turned and looked at Dustin, throwing him a wink that said: I won.

Dustin just stood there, his face was cold, he felt so disappointed in what just happened . He knew Commander Calvin was coming back.

He knew the Sergeant had made a mistake.

Dustin then received a call from his burner phone. He excused himself to pick it.

“Ohh look at him, poor piece of shit, he's ashamed.” Mrs. Earnshaw exclaimed