The Despised Son-in-law Is The Shadow Monarch

0002: Order From The Dark

Rain was running down Catherine Flower's face. Her expensive coat was soaked. She was still on her knees in the cold, dark mud. In her hands, she held a small silver box. Inside was a heavy black ring with a golden dragon and a blue stone in the middle.

"Lord Sovereign," Catherine said loudly over the helicopter noise. "The Emperor's Ring knows your hand. Your 3 years of silent vow are fulfilled."

Lloyd stood still in the rain. His wet hair was stuck to his head. He did not take the ring right away. He only looked at his mother in his arms. She was barely breathing.

"Save her," Lloyd said quietly, with no emotion. "Everything else can wait."

Catherine snapped her fingers. "Medical team, now! VVIP!"

Two big vans opened. Four doctors in blue clothes ran into the mud with a metal bed that had life-support machines. They carefully moved Mary Wallace onto the bed.

"Her pulse is 32 and weak!" the main doctor shouted over the engines. "Kidneys failing, lungs full of water! Get the regen chamber ready!"

"Get her in the air," Catherine ordered. "The best hospital is cleared. The top 8 surgeons are waiting in Operating Room One."

Lloyd watched as they put the bed into the helicopter. The doors closed. The helicopter went up, making wind and wet leaves fly, and disappeared into the dark storm clouds.

"My Lord," Catherine said softly, opening the door of a big black car. "Please come inside. It's freezing, and you are hurt."

Lloyd got into the warm, quiet car. It smelled like leather. A doctor in a white coat came with a warm towel, but Lloyd raised his hand to stop him.

"Just wrap the ribs," Lloyd said coldly and took off his wet shirt.

On his chest and body, there were many old white scars from fights long before he lived as a normal man. On his left side, there was a big purple bruise from a heavy box at the docks 2 weeks ago, where he worked extra for his ex-father-in-law, Mr. Ruze Charlton.

The doctor put medicine on it and wrapped a tight bandage around his chest. Lloyd did not move or make a sound. He leaned back and looked out the dark window.

Catherine sat in front of him with a glass tablet. She tapped it, and a light picture of charts and company names appeared. In the middle was the Charlton Logistics Group logo.

"While you were fulfilling your vow, my Lord, Nirvana Group maintained passive surveillance," Catherine chimed in.

"The Charlton family made all their recent money from your free work. The trade routes you made 3 months ago made them 4 million dollars profit."

Her eyes were angry. "They threw you out like trash tonight while partying with money you earned for them on a dog. Say the word, Lord Sovereign. One phone call and I can freeze their business license, stop their ships, and take all their money. By morning, the Charlton family will be broke on the street for insulting your mother."

The mood in the car became heavy. The doctor's eyes bulged, feeling a cold, scary pressure from Lloyd.

Lloyd looked at his right hand. There was a pale white line where his wedding ring had been for 3 years. He moved his fingers slowly, feeling his old power come back.

"No," Lloyd said.

Catherine was surprised. "My Lord? You want to let them go?"

"Huh? Let them go?" Lloyd turned his head slowly and let out a dangerous smirk. His eyes were so cold that Catherine's breath hitched.

"If I destroy them tonight, what will they feel? They will think it's just bad luck. A market crash. They will look at their empty bank and think they were unlucky."

He put his elbow on the armrest. "They called my mother a dead peasant. They said her life is worth less than a dog's diamond collar. They threw divorce papers in the mud at my feet because they think they are about to become billionaires."

His voice became colder, like ice on metal. "If a person falls from the first step of a ladder, they stand up and wipe their knees. But if you carry them to the top of a very tall building, let them taste delusional power, and then slam them to the floor, the fall breaks all their bones. They can never stand again."

Catherine shivered and bowed her head. "I understand, Lord Sovereign. What should we do?"

"The shipping license," Lloyd said calmly. "The one I finished last night using my old codes before I left their office. Is it still waiting for approval?"

"Yes, my Lord," Catherine said, checking her tablet. "It needs a final signature from the Commerce Bureau. It's waiting in line."

"Approve it," Lloyd ordered. "Approve it right now in the Charlton family name. Give them the multi-million-dollar contract. Let their company value go up. Let them borrow huge loans from the bank against it. Let them celebrate their so-called bright future."

He looked out the window as the cars started moving. "Allow them to build their castle out of paper. I will personally tear down the pillars when the time is right."

Back in the big ballroom of the Charlton house, everything smelled like perfume and champagne. The big doors were closed, so you could not see the rain and mud anymore. Three maids were on their knees cleaning the white floor with bleach to remove Lloyd's dirty footprints.

"Clean that whole corner!" Madam Helen shouted from the stage, fanning herself. "A dirty peasant stood there! I can still smell the sickness!"

Beside her, Mr. Charlton poured himself a fresh glass of 50-year-old whiskey. "Forget him, Helen. The trash is gone. Tonight is about our dog, Princess, and our glorious future!"

Jane stood near the dog, holding her champagne glass. At the bottom of the yellow liquid, the simple gold ring Lloyd dropped in was lying silently. She stared at it and felt a strange, tight feeling in her chest.

For 3 years, that quiet man cooked for her, washed her clothes, and sat quietly in family meetings while her mother insulted him. She really thought he was a useless man with no dreams.

[Three years of devotion. Settled in full.]

His last cold words echoed in her ears. The ice in his voice when he signed had scared her.

‘No,’ Jane thought, shaking her head. ‘He was just acting because he was desperate. He is nothing. He is nobody.’

Suddenly, a loud ding came from Mr. Charlton's pocket.

The room became quiet. Mr. Charlton took out his golden phone. His eyes got big. His hand with the whiskey glass started shaking.

"Dear?" Madam Helen frowned. "What is it? Did that loser call the police?"

"No... no!" Mr. Charlton shouted with crazy excitement. He grabbed Jane's arm and pulled her to the microphone. "Look! Look at the message from the Commerce Bureau!"

Jane read the big red text on the screen:

[Notification: Regional Maritime Trade License #8809 has been officially approved. Charlton Logistics Group is granted exclusive shipping rights. Estimated contract value: $45,000,000.]

Everyone gasped.

"Forty-five million dollars!" Mr. Charlton screamed into the microphone, his face bright with joy. "The trade license is ours! We did it!"

The room exploded with clapping. Rich businessmen and elite ladies ran to the stage, raising their glasses and shaking hands.

"Congratulations, Mr. Charlton! You are now in the top tier of the city!"

Madam Helen laughed loudly, taking a fresh champagne glass. "I knew it! I knew it!" she shouted so everyone could hear. "That broke, cursed ex-son-in-law was holding our fortune back! The minute we threw those divorce papers at him and kicked him into the rain, our luck became good!"

"To cleaning out the trash!" Mr. Charlton cheered, raising his glass high. "To throwing out the trash and welcoming 45 million dollars!"

"To cleaning out the trash!" The crowd shouted back and drank.

Jane felt very proud and happy. All doubt left her mind. Her mother was right. Lloyd was a leech, a dark cloud over their house. The second she cut him off, God blessed her family with huge wealth.

Smiling, Jane took out her phone. She took a clear photo of Princess the dog wearing the $200,000 diamond collar next to a plate of caviar.

She posted it online with a proud caption for all her rich friends to see:

[Threw out the bad luck, and our company immediately hit a historic high. 45 million dollar trade license secured! Success follows the elite, while trash stays in the mud.]

In seconds, the post got hundreds of likes and jealous comments from the city's richest people. Jane held her phone to her chest and smiled with blind pride.

Three miles away, inside the dark black car, a quiet ping came from the tablet.

Catherine picked it up, looked at it, and showed it to Lloyd. "Jane Charlton just posted online, my Lord. She is taking credit for the license you finished."

Lloyd looked at the glowing screen. He saw the photo of the dog and the arrogant words.

Lloyd's reaction was unpredictable; he did not snap into anger, nor did he frown.

Slowly, he reached out his hand, pressed his thumb on the screen, and turned it off. The car became dark and quiet again. A tiny, cold smile came to his lips as he looked out into the rainy night.

"Let her celebrate," Lloyd whispered. "The higher she climbs, the more beautiful her fall will be. Trust me.”