The Emperor

Velvet Noir

"Shut your filthy mouth!” Christopher’s patience snapped. He seized her by the collar, and with a swift motion, hurled her toward the gate.

Bang!

The woman’s body crashed onto the floor with a loud thud. She lay there unconscious.

The guards nearby froze in place.

His mind raced as he stared at the ground where the maid had fallen.

Anna… you begged me for help, and this is where I find you? In filthy clubs, surrounded by men?

For five years, he had carried her memory in his mind. Through every mission, every battle, her face had anchored him to the last piece of humanity he had left. And now… this?

Did I misjudge her all these years?

Was everything between us a lie?

He looked down at Faith, clutching his coat as though it were her last lifeline.

“Sir… did I do something bad?”

Christopher’s heart sank instantly. The anger in his chest faltered.

“No, Faith,” he said softly. “You did nothing wrong.”

“You’re coming with me now. I’ll take you to your mommy.”

Faith nodded faintly. Christopher adjusted her in his arms, shielding her from the sight of the unconscious maid, and strode toward his waiting car.

The black vehicle door opened automatically as his attendant rushed forward. Christopher settled Faith gently in the backseat, wrapping his coat around her small body to keep her warm.

“Drive,”

“To where, sir?” the driver asked quietly.

“To Velvet Noir.”

Velvet Noir was the most extravagant entertainment venue in Lisle City. A place where wealthy men squandered fortunes to drown in pleasure.

When Christopher’s car pulled up to the grand entrance. He stepped out, holding Faith gently in his arms.

“Hold it right there!” a gruff voice barked.

A bulky security guard swaggered forward, scanning Christopher from head to toe with disdain. “You think you can walk in here? This isn’t your kind of place. Get lost before I make you.”

Christopher’s jaw tightened. His voice came out low and sharp. “Move.”

Another guard stepped forward, sneering. “How dare you talk to our supervisor like that, you bastard!”

“I said—move,” Christopher repeated, his tone dropping to an icy calm.

“Or what?” the tattooed guard barked. “You’ll cry for your mommy?”

When Christopher didn’t respond, the man swung a kick at him.

Bang!

In an instant, the guard was thrown several meters away, crashing into a pillar with a sickening thud. The others froze. Christopher hadn’t even shifted Faith in his arms.

“This brat’s here to cause trouble!”

“Get him!” one shouted, raising his walkie-talkie. “Call for backup!”

Within minutes, the heavy doors of Velvet Noir burst open, and a swarm of men in black rushed out.

The head of security smirked, cracking his knuckles. “Let’s see how long you last, tough guy.”

Christopher didn’t bother arguing. He pulled out his phone and dialed a single number.

“Leon,” he said flatly, “mobilize the men.”

“Understood, sir.”

The moment he hung up, the ground began to tremble.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

From the distance, five military Humvees thundered toward the club. They screeched to a halt at the entrance, and dozens of fully armed soldiers leapt out, forming tight formation behind Christopher.

The metallic clack of rifles echoed through the air as barrels lifted in perfect unison — all aimed at the terrified security guards.

“On your knees!” Leon’s voice roared.

The tattooed guard’s face went pale. He dropped to his knees instantly, his whole body trembling. The rest followed, their confidence shattered. The stench of urine spread through the air — someone had lost control.

Leon approached quickly, saluting. “My Lord, forgive me for being late.”

Christopher nodded coldly. “Stay here. No one gets in or out.”

“Yes, sir!”

In seconds, the elite soldiers sealed off the club completely.

Faith, peeking out from Christopher’s arms, looked around in wonder. “Sir, are they… making a movie here?” she asked, curiously.

Christopher’s expression softened. For the first time in years, a small smile tugged at his lips. “Yes,” he said quietly. “A movie. Let’s go find your mommy.”

He stepped through the grand double doors of Velvet Noir, his daughter clinging to his neck as the soldiers snapped to attention behind them.

Leon watched his master disappear inside and swallowed hard. What kind of child could make the emperor smile like that? he wondered. And why did His Lordship, who rarely showed emotion, look… gentle?

Inside Velvet Noir

In a private room upstairs, soft jazz mingled with the clinking of glasses. Anna sat across from a chubby man in a silk shirt, his thick fingers glittering with diamond rings. His name was Marco Vance, the notorious mafia boss of Lisle City — a man everyone feared, and no one crossed.

Even in her old, ill-fitting clothes, Anna’s beauty shone painfully bright.

“Mr. Vance,” she said quietly, her voice trembling. “Please… I need a hundred thousand dollars. My daughter’s sick. She needs heart surgery.”

It turned out that when Faith was born , she was diagonised with congenital heart disease and needed surgery before the age of six or her life would be in danger! Now that Faith was five years old, there was no time to delay. For 3 days Anna had asked everyone she could for help, but no one was willing to lend a hand. With no other options left, Anna had to return to the mafia boss, putting her hope in the high interest loans from the mob as the last resort she could think of.

Vance leaned back in his chair, swirling his glass lazily. “A hundred grand, huh?” His lips curled into a smirk. “That’s a lot of money, sweetheart. What’ll you give me in return?”

“I—” Anna forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I’ll work to pay you back. Every cent. I promise.”

He chuckled, eyes glinting with mockery. “Work? You think I need a broke woman’s promises?”

His gaze dragged slowly down her body, lingering shamelessly. “You’re still beautiful, Anna. I’ll lend you the money, and you won’t even have to repay me.”

Her breath caught. “Wh-what do you mean?”

He leaned forward, his grin widening. “Be my mistress. That’s all I ask.”

Anna shot to her feet, eyes burning with humiliation. “Mr. Vance, please show some respect. I’m a married woman.”

“Married?” he laughed darkly. “You mean the man who vanished right after your wedding? He’s probably dead in a ditch somewhere. You really want to play widow for the rest of your life?”

As he spoke, his hand reached for her thigh.

Anna flinched backward, “Don’t touch me!”

Seeing Anna reject him, Vance’s eyes glinted with icy cruelty. He sneered. “So, you still think you’re the high and mighty Miss Lancaster, huh? Wake up, Anna. Everyone in Lisle City knows your precious family threw you out like garbage. You’re nothing now but a woman any man can buy for a night.”

Anna’s body stiffened, her face draining of color.

“I offered you a chance to live comfortably — to be my mistress, to eat and dress like the rich again — but you’re acting all righteous and pure? Fine. I’ll just take what I want.”

The words made Anna’s blood run cold.

She took a trembling step backward, forcing herself to stay calm. “Mr. Vance… I’m sorry. I don’t want the money anymore. I’ll leave.”

She turned toward the door, but Vance’s cold laughter stopped her mid-step.

“You wanna leave? Did I say you could go?”

He lunged forward in one swift motion grabbing her wrist.

“Let me go!” Anna cried, struggling violently. “What are you doing?”

“What do you think?” he hissed. “Don’t be in such a hurry — after I’m done, I’ll call in the brothers. They’d love a turn with you.”

Then he yanked her toward him, his other hand tearing at her blouse.

“Help! Somebody helps me!” Anna screamed with desperation.

“Scream all you want. No one dares step into this room unless I say so—”

Bang!

The door exploded open.

“Mommy!”

That voice?

Anna froze. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

“Faith?”

Faith stood by the doorway, trembling, her big eyes brimming with tears.

“Don’t hurt my mommy!”

Something inside Anna snapped, she twisted free and slammed both hands into Vance’s chest. He stumbled backward. Anna’s fists rained down on him in blind fury.

“Don’t you dare touch me!”

“Bitch!”

Slap!

The blow cracked across her face. Anna fell to the floor, the sting burning her cheek. Vance towered above her, breathing heavily, his expression was savage.

“You think you can fight me?” he growled, tearing at her dress again.

Faith screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Stop! Don’t hit my mommy!”

The little girl darted forward and bit his leg with all her strength.

“Ah! You little brat!” Vance howled. “Just like your whore of a mother. You're worse than your mom! Get off me!”

He raised his leg, ready to kick Faith across the room—

Boom!

A heavy punch smashed into his jaw before his foot even landed.

Vance screamed as his body flew backward, crashing into a glass table that shattered beneath him.

Faith clung to her mother’s torn dress, crying uncontrollably.

Standing before them, his chest rising and falling with fury, was Christopher.

He looked down at Vance writhing on the floor, then turned to Anna, his eyes were burning with restrained rage.

Seeing Faith in another man’s grip had been enough to make him furious — but seeing Anna here, in a place like this, with that man… it made him angrier.

He bent down, lifted Faith gently into his arms, and reached for Anna’s hand. “Let’s go.”

Anna yanked her hand free, she looks Panick. “Who are you?! Let me go!”

Due to the dim lighting, she hadn’t recognized him.

Christopher turned his head slowly. “Anna,” he said quietly, “Look at me.”

Anna froze. That voice—

When she finally looked up and saw his face clearly, her whole body went still.

“...Christopher?” she whispered.

Tears flooded her eyes. “It’s really you… You’re alive…”

Her knees nearly gave way as she stumbled toward him, her voice breaking. “Why didn’t you come back? Why didn’t you come back to us all these years?”

Christopher’s chest tightened, but the anger burning inside him wouldn’t let him speak kindly.

He pushed her back slightly, his face hard. “Come back? Do you even deserve to ask me that?”

Anna’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Do you know what our daughter’s been through? Do you know she was beaten by the Lancaster servants? Starved? Left to wander while you were here flirting with scum like him?”