The Charismatic God of War

Thayer collapsed at Hendrix’s feet during his lavish birthday party at an upscale restaurant in New York City.

“Please, I’m begging you, lend me some money, Grandpa. Melody, your great-granddaughter, she really needs it. I swear I’ll pay you back as soon as I can. She needs a heart transplant. If not… she won’t make it.” Tears streamed down Thayer’s face. His wife’s family was his only hope left.

The Lennox family looked at him with disgust.

“How did you even get in here?!” Irene, Hendrix’s daughter, barked.

“How dare you crash Mr. Hendrix’s special day!” Jonas, Hendrix’s son, shouted.

The wealthy family glared in fury. They were dressed in fine tuxedos and elegant gowns, a sharp contrast to Thayer’s shabby, dirt-stained clothes. His skin was tanned and rough from long days working under the scorching sun.

Hendrix, head of Lennox Corp, slammed his utensils onto the plate.

“You convinced Arabella, my granddaughter, to marry a penniless man like you and dragged her out of my mansion. And now you dare come begging? Let her die. That’s her punishment for choosing a poor man as her husband. If she had accepted the arranged marriage with the conglomerate man, she wouldn’t be suffering like this.”

Laughter filled the table.

Hendrix gave a brief glance to her guards. “Throw him out. I don’t want to see his face ever again.”

Two bulky men grabbed Thayer and dragged him out, shoving him through the gate until he fell into a puddle.

“Get lost, trash!”

Thayer slowly got up, disappointment written all over his face.

“What a pathetic fate Arabella ended up with after marrying you, buddy.”

Thayer froze when he heard that familiar voice. “You?” His expression hardened as he remembered the man who never stopped meddling in his marriage. “What are you doing here?”

“What do you think?”

Of course—he must’ve been invited by Hendrix.

“My offer still stands.” Mateo smirked, eyes gleaming with malice. “Divorce Arabella, and I’ll cover all your daughter’s medical bills—”

“No. Thanks,” Thayer cut him off sharply. Mateo’s reputation as a womanizer was no secret—he was constantly in the tabloids, spotted leaving hotels with models, actresses, businesswomen, and more.

Mateo chuckled mockingly. “For someone so broke, you sure have a lot of pride.”

Thayer forced a thin smile. “No fool would hand his wife and child over to a playboy like you, bro.” He tried to stay calm.

“Looks like you don’t have a choice.” Mateo shot a sly glance at the six bodyguards waiting behind him. “Do it.”

Thayer stepped back in alarm as the men in black suits advanced toward him.

“What the hell are you trying to do?”

“You already know,” Mateo said with a wicked grin.

Realizing he was outnumbered, Thayer tried to run, but they caught him easily. The guards beat him mercilessly, giving him no chance to fight back.

By the time they were done, Thayer lay motionless on the ground, covered in blood. His face was almost unrecognizable.

***

A private jet landed smoothly on the runway. A broad-shouldered man stepped out, his presence radiating authority, followed by a team of bodyguards dressed in sleek tuxedos.

As Thayer walked toward the exit, every pair of eyes turned his way, filled with awe and disbelief. Because of his arrival, every other flight was delayed.

“Who is he?”

“He must be rich.”

“He must be someone important.”

Thayer ignored the whispers and stepped into his gray Rolls-Royce. The car drove off, leaving the airport behind.

A smile curved on Thayer’s lips. Finally, after seven long years on the battlefield, he could breathe American air again. He had missed his wife and daughter terribly.

He couldn’t wait to see the shocked faces of those who had thrown him into the hell of war. It had all started when his daughter, Melody, was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. The Lennox family refused to lend him money, even though his daughter needed urgent surgery.

With no other choice, Thayer enlisted in the military. But the Lennox family threatened that if he went to war, he would never see his wife and daughter again. His father-in-law even planned to marry Kira off to a billionaire. With no power to fight back, Thayer let them go and devoted himself to becoming a soldier worthy of survival.

Fate, however, had other plans. Through his relentless dedication and victories, he rose to the rank of God of War, rewarded with unimaginable wealth from the President himself.

“How about it, Abner? Are my wife and daughter still living in the Lennox mansion?”

Abner, his loyal commander, sat beside him. “According to the intel I gathered, yes. Your wife hasn’t remarried. And your wife’s family has invited you to their company’s anniversary celebration. They begged for you to attend, even promised me a generous reward if I could convince you to show up.”

A mysterious grin touched Thayer’s lips. “Tell them the God of War will attend. But keep my identity hidden.”

“Yes, General.”

Meanwhile, chaos filled the ballroom of the Lennox family’s five-star hotel.

“Breaking news! The God of War is coming!”

The guests gasped.

“Really? That’s incredible!” one of them exclaimed.

The women began gossiping excitedly.

“I never thought the Lennox family actually knew the God of War. I always assumed they were bluffing, because rumor says it’s almost impossible to meet him.”

“You’re right. I heard even companies far bigger than Lennox Corp had their proposals rejected before the God of War even looked at them.”

Irene Lennox, Hendrix Lennox’s eldest daughter and wife of Kane, joined in with an arrogant smirk. “Of course. We’re not liars. We’re close to him, like family.”

“That’s amazing!” the women gushed, their tones instantly flattering. “I’m sure Lennox Corp will become even more successful with his support.”

“Absolutely.”

“Is it true you managed to invite that man?” Hendrix asked his eldest son-in-law, Kane, eyes gleaming with ambition.

Hendrix had spent millions of dollars to ensure that the honorable man would attend. If the God of War appeared, his dream of landing massive projects could finally come true. He wasn’t about to waste this chance to build a powerful connection.

“Yes, Dad. All thanks to me.” Kane smiled politely, though pride flashed in his eyes. His bribe to Abner had clearly paid off.

Jonas, Hendrix’s youngest son and Kane’s brother-in-law, glared. Out of all the emails he had sent, why had only Kane’s been answered? That would strengthen Kane’s position as CEO of Lennox Corp, even though he was just an in-law.

Jonas refused to lose. He would win over the God of War and secure the family fortune for the real heirs, the sons, not the sons-in-law.

“I heard one of the Lennox sons-in-law used to be a low-ranking soldier,” one woman sneered, bitterness dripping from her voice.

“He’s dead,” Vivian said coldly. “Now, several billionaires are lining up to marry my daughter.”

Irene chuckled mockingly. “And yet, your daughter rejected them all, still waiting for that poor fool of a husband. Good thing I’m not that stupid. I married Kane, who’s smart and rich, a real blessing to this family.”

Arabella froze at the mention of her husband. The insults stung, but what hurt more was the uncertainty. Was Thayer even alive? She hadn’t heard from him in seven years.

“Hey, what are you standing there for? Fill these plates!” Ivy, Jonas and Kira’s daughter, barked. “You don’t contribute anything to the company, so you don’t get to eat for free. You’ve already wasted Grandpa’s money on your daughter’s hospital bills. Have some shame!”

Arabella nodded quietly. She was the only one in a worn-out dress, walking back and forth serving food at her own family’s party. The others looked like royalty, laughing, drinking, and enjoying their wealth.

Then the doors opened.

Everyone froze as a tall, muscular man in a tuxedo entered, smiling faintly.

“Nice to see you all again.”

“Thayer?” The Lennox family gasped.

“You’re alive?”

“What are you doing here?!” Jonas shouted.

“I’m here to take my wife and daughter,” Thayer said calmly. “Where are they?”

Tears welled in Arabella’s eyes. She dropped the dirty plates and ran toward him, but Vivian grabbed her wrist.

“If you dare go near him, don’t ever call me your mother again,” she hissed.

“But he’s my husband, Mom,” Arabella pleaded.

“Husband? You mean the man who abandoned you and your child to die? Your father and I were humiliated because you married him! We even owed your grandfather millions for your daughter’s treatment, that’s why your father never got a position in the company! And now you want to embarrass me again?” Vivian snapped.

“Grandpa won’t hesitate to throw us out if you accept him back! Do you want to live on the streets?”

Arabella’s lips trembled. She couldn’t fight her mother’s cruelty.

Seeing the scene, Thayer stepped closer. “Mom, I’ve come back. I just want to take my wife and daughter. I promise I’ll make them happy.”

Theodore, Arabella’s father, glared at him. “You have no right to them! If you want to take them, pay off all our debts to Mr. Hendrix!”

Jonas laughed. “That’s impossible! You’re just a worthless soldier.”

The guests looked at Thayer with disgust.

“After abandoning his family, now he wants them back?”

“I’ll pay the debt,” Thayer said evenly.

Laughter erupted across the ballroom.

“You? Pay that? Even if you worked seven years straight, you couldn’t earn that kind of money!”

Thayer’s eyes darkened slightly.  “What if I can afford to pay it?”

"I will lick your shoes."