The Indomitable War God

Chapter 10

Victoria led Sebastian respectfully away from the stunned crowd, paying no attention to their whispers and hushed conversations.

They arrived at a gold-plated elevator at the far end of the lobby. Victoria pressed a hidden panel beneath the call button, and the doors slid open instantly, and they stepped inside.

The ride was smooth and silent, with Victoria standing just slightly behind him, her eyes fixed on his back. She studied his plain military uniform and saw nothing that suggested his importance.

He had no rank, no insignia and no stars, and yet Isaac Rutherford had called her personally and warned her to treat him better than royalty. She couldn’t understand why. Why was he so respectful to an ordinary soldier?

A few minutes later, the elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, revealing a private hallway that was lined with thick red carpets and warm golden lighting. At the end of the hallway stood a pair of double doors that was crafted with the finest mahogany, with two uniformed security personnel standing guard.

The two of them were surprised when they saw the plain-looking Sebastian, but the moment they saw Victoria walking beside him, they immediately bowed.

“Miss Sterling, welcome,” one of them said respectfully as he stepped forward to open the doors.

Victoria gave a simple nod and led Sebastian inside.

The suite was the very definition of luxury, with massive French windows that captured the glittering skyline of Cloud City. A grand piano sat in one corner untouched, while an entire section of the wall was dedicated to a private bar stocked with rare wines and exquisite liquors that most people would never taste in their lifetime.

Yet, Sebastian barely spared the room a single glance. Instead, he walked to the window and stood with his hands in his pockets, looking out at the city below with a cold gaze, as if the wealth surrounding him were nothing more than scenery.

Victoria watched him carefully, and she couldn’t help her shock. She had escorted very few VIPs to the suite over the years, and every single one of them had been wowed by the level of wealth displayed, but he wasn’t.

‘Who is this man?’

She stepped forward, her voice carefully measured. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Mr. Helios. President Rutherford has spoken of you often. He rarely praises anyone, so you must be quite extraordinary."

“You’re overthinking it.” Sebastian replied simply. His gaze remained fixed on the city below.

Before Victoria could respond, he walked away from the window and toward the bedroom. "I was told there would be a change of clothes."

Victoria blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift. Then she nodded quickly.

"Yes. President Rutherford anticipated your needs. The wardrobe has been prepared—everything from casual wear to formal attire. Please let us know if anything does not fit."

Sebastian gave a slight nod.

“Is there anything you require, Mr. Helios?” she asked calmly, a polite smile on her lips.

“No. That will be all.” Sebastian replied simply.

“Very well", she said, “If you need anything, the staff will respond immediately.”

Sebastian gave a slight nod, dismissing her without even turning around.

Victoria lingered for half a second longer before finally turning and walking toward the exit. As the doors closed behind her, the faint smile on her lips faded, replaced by a thoughtful look.

“Interesting…” she murmured under her breath.

*

Meanwhile, the snow continued to fall outside the Nine Dragons Pavilion, the cold night air biting against exposed skin.

Cameron stood beside his car, his face completely twisted with fury. The earlier arrogance on his face had long since disappeared, and it had been replaced by something darker and far more dangerous.

He clenched his fists tightly at his sides, his knee throbbing with pain as he replayed the scene in his mind over and over again.

“That fucking soldier!” Cameron cursed bitterly! “That damn fucking soldier!”

No matter how he thought about it, it didn’t make sense. A man like that—someone in a cheap, military uniform with no rank—should have been crushed the moment he stepped into a place like the Nine Dragons Pavilion. Yet things had gone completely the opposite.

“He just got lucky!” Cameron gritted his teeth. That had to be it. There was no other explanation.

Perhaps he had somehow gotten his card through some unknown means, or maybe he knew someone who knew someone. Maybe Victoria Sterling had mistaken something—a temporary lapse in judgement that would be corrected once Isaac Rutherford learnt the truth.

Still, none of them mattered anymore. Whatever the case may be, his luck would run out!

“How dare he humiliate me like this?!” Cameron cursed angrily. “I’ll make him pay, I swear!”

Cameron took a deep breath and forced his emotions back under control. His thoughts shifted, and soon, a faint sneer appeared on his lips.

Sebastian wasn’t the only target.

Amelia.

His eyes gleamed evilly as her image surfaced in his mind. The proud and distant CEO who had rejected him time and time again.

He had been patient with her – too patient it seemed.

He had poured thirty million dollars into her West District project and rescued her Rose Corporation from the South River crisis. He had done everything to court her short of getting on his knees and begging, and yet she still treated him like a nuisance.

“Fucking bitch," Cameron spat.

Cameron's expression turned vicious. The Nine Dragons Group had terminated all cooperation with the Vance family. The termination fees alone would cost him over thirty million dollars—even more than the amount he had invested in Amelia's project.

He had planned to take things slowly at first. He would get close to her, gain her trust, and then swallow the Rose Corporation piece by piece without her even realizing it.

But now? He wasn’t going to wait anymore. He pulled out his phone and dialled a number, and the call connected instantly.

“Prepare to move,” Cameron said coldly, his voice devoid of any warmth. “Terminate the current negotiations and withdraw all support we’ve offered the Rose Corporation. I don’t want them to have a single penny left.”

“Pressure every partner tied to the Rose Corporation, and if they dare try to be difficult, cut off their funding!” Cameron declared decisively.

There was a brief pause on the other end.

“Sir, all at once? Didn’t our timeline have another month? If we go ahead and do this, I’m afraid—”

“Shut up and do what I asked you to do! I don’t pay you to argue with me!” Cameron barked angrily, his grip on his phone tightening.

“I want them cut off completely. Their contracts, their supply lines, their investors—everything!”

"Sir, the Nine Dragons termination already has us exposed. If we move this aggressively—"

“Are you deaf?” Cameron’s voice was as cold as ice. “Just do as you’re told!”

“I want to see how long Amelia Lockwood can stand on her own.” Cameron sneered.

“…Understood.”

Cameron lowered his phone slowly, his gaze drifting back to the towering building behind him.

“Let’s see how long you can keep that pride of yours when your kingdom starts falling apart,” he muttered, his voice cold and mocking.

His fingers moved again, dialling another number—this time, one that few people in Cloud City would ever dare to call.

The line rang twice before it was picked up, and a rough, low voice sounded from the other end.

“What is it?”

Cameron’s expression hardened, but he dared not act rude because he was speaking to none other than Quide, the head of the Black Sharks, one of the most notorious gangsters in Cloud City!

“There’s someone I want you to deal with.”

There was a brief silence, then the response came.

“$2 million.”

Cameron’s eyes narrowed slightly, a dangerous glint flashing within them. $2 million was quite expensive, but when he thought about the humiliation he went through and the pain in his knee, he gritted his teeth in fury.

“Deal.”

“Send his details.” The voice on the other end gave an order, then the line went dead.

Cameron did as he was told and then lowered the phone, slipping it back into his pocket as a satisfied smile finally appeared on his face.

The snow continued to fall around him as the night wind blew past him, carrying with it a bitter chill.

He opened his car door and climbed inside, the engine roaring to life. As he pulled away from the curb, the Nine Dragons Pavilion grew smaller in his rearview mirror.

“Sebastian Helios,” Cameron sneered. “This time around, nobody will save you.”