2025-07-14 04:44:29“Shoot me,” he said calmly, “and you’ll be dragging your Nine Dragon Alliance into an all-out war.”
Jack didn’t care. His finger tensed again, but then a hoarse voice broke through the silence.
“Boss…”
Jack’s eyes flicked; his right-hand-man whispered next to him.
“Master Wilson told you, no killing in Seraine. Especially this man, he’s the chairman of Swan Observation Group!”
Swan Observation Group was one of the most powerful military companies in Calvaria. With elite gear, hardened troops, and the government’s full backing, they were built to make life hell for the Nine Dragons.
At the same time, the situation between the Swans and the Dragons was a fragile balance.
Both sides had chosen to hold back at least until the war on the Eastern Front was settled.
No one wanted to be the first to break the truce.
“You won,” Jack muttered, pulling back the gun and laughing bitterly. “You get to keep your face this time, Mr. Swan. Only because you're my future father-in-law.”
Suddenly, Serena stepped forward with face flushed red. She raised her hand and ready to slap Jack across the face.
But Lorenzo caught her wrist.
“Not now,” he whispered.
Serena bit her lip and stepped back. Anger still burned inside her chest, but after all, she understood.
The world didn’t run on justice—it ran on power, and a slap wouldn’t change anything.
“No one’s gonna marry you, Jack,” Serena hissed. “Even if you’re the last man on earth, I’d rather die than say yes.”
Jack’s lips curled. “Well, I have to say, The Nine Dragon Alliance just sealed a deal with Fox Company. Soon, we’ll be the strongest military force in the world. Swan Observation Group won’t scare us anymore. In other words, we will destroy you. And the only way to save your daddy’s company...” he leaned in, eyes glinting, “...is to marry me.”
Serena’s jaw tightened. One wrong move, and it wouldn’t just be her—it would drag the entire Swan Observation Group into ruin.
“Don’t be afraid of me. I promise I’ll treat you very, very gently,” Jack whispered against Serena’s cheek. “Besides, a beauty like you shouldn’t stay single forever. A ripe fruit should be picked before it rots. Don’t waste your body, sweetheart.”
Serena stayed still, her eyes sharp and burning with hatred. Jack’s fingers slid through her hair, his breath hot against her skin—it made her want to explode.
She could only murmur, “Go away… please.”
Curtis could feel her disgust. He knew she had the guts to smash her fist into Jack’s face, but she held back. There was nothing else she could do now but surrender and beg—go along with whatever Jack wanted, just to keep the peace.
With a quiet sigh, Curtis knew he might have to step in for her… one more time.
“Serena’s ending her single era, but not with you.”
Jack glanced sideways and saw Curtis step forward and pull Serena back gently.
“She’s marrying me instead,” Curtis said. “And I’ll give her what you never could. So, back off.”
Jack stared at Curtis in disbelief—caught between shock and explosive laughter.
“Are you for real?” Jack scoffed. “You just got dumped by Lynn, remember? You’re a sorry excuse for a man. Nothing but trash. You don’t even deserve to breathe! And now you’re bragging about marrying Serena? What kind of pathetic joke is this?”
Yet Curtis didn’t lose the confident smile on his face.
“This pile of trash will ruin your life in fifteen minutes. Choose your words carefully,” Curtis mocked. “Anyway, I might be willing to let you off this time, but if you don’t get down on your knees before Serena right now, I’ll change my mind.”
“Me? Kneel before her?” Jack pointed at Serena, barely suppressing a laugh. “Don’t joke with me. I’m the first son of the Nine Dragons Alliance’s leader. My status is far above anything you could compare to. There’s no way I’d kneel and beg for forgiveness!”
Curtis kept smiling as he replied, “Last five seconds. Think it over. You won’t get another chance.”
Jack spat on the floor and shouted, “I’d rather take a thousand slaps than kneel before anyone!”
Curtis nodded. “I’ll take your words,” he muttered.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and punched in a string of numbers. The line rang a few times.“Hello, Jasmine Young. How have you been?”
Jack frowned, puzzled. Who didn’t know that name?
Jasmine Young was the chief secretary of Fox Company, she regarded as the most influential woman in the entire country.
More than that, she was the public face of the elusive chairman of Fox Company, who never appeared before the media.
Every word that came out of Jasmine Young’s mouth was as good as the word of the Fox himself, capable of swaying the stock market.
This woman was power itself.
“It’s impossible you have any connection to Miss Young,” Jack spat, his voice trembling with fury. “You’re lying. Trying to scare me. Even if you really called her, she wouldn’t waste a glance on garbage like you.”
Curtis didn’t spare him so much as a look.
“I’m glad you’re well,” Curtis said, voice flat. “I need a favor. A man from the Nine Dragons Alliance laid hands on my childhood hero in the Seraine Capital Hall. He refused to apologize. You know what to do.”
On the other end of the line, a woman’s gentle voice answered without hesitation. “Understood, Master Fox. I’ll take care of this within fifteen minutes.”
Curtis ended the call with a smile that only grew wider.
“Jack, pick up your phone. Your father is about to call,” he said.
“Stop bluffing, bastard!” Jack snapped. “You just pretended to call Jasmine Young, the strongest woman in Calvaria State. And now you expect me to believe this lie too?”
“You think my father will call and tell me the Nine Dragons Alliance has collapsed, huh?”
“That will never happen, not even in your wildest dreams!”
Jack raised his hand high, ready to smash his fist into Curtis’s face, just a foot away.
But his body froze in place. Cold sweat broke across his temple.His phone was actually ringing.
Maybe it’s someone else, Jack told himself.
But the moment he picked up his phone, the act of pretending to be unfazed crumbled.
[INCOMING CALL FROM DAD]
His hand almost slipped, nearly dropping the device when he saw the name flashing on the screen.
“No way…”The call was from Rod Wilson. His father.
Jack had never felt fear like this in his entire life.
“Hello, Father? How are you?” Jack greeted, forcing his voice to sound warm.
“YOU BASTARD! WHAT KIND OF TROUBLE HAVE YOU DRAGGED ME INTO THIS TIME?!”
Jack swallowed hard.
“Father, what do you mean? Everything’s fine. I haven’t caused any trouble,” he answered quickly.
“No trouble? You dare say that to me? Stop lying, you useless brat! Do you even realize what you’ve done? You’ve dragged the Wilson family into ruin along with the entire Nine Dragons Alliance!”
Jack froze, sweat soaking through his clothes. His father had never been this furious. Never. The old man was usually calm as still water.
“Father, please… explain what’s going on. I really—”
“Still acting like you don’t know, huh?” Rod’s roar nearly shattered the speaker. “Fox Company just severed every last tie with the Nine Dragons Alliance! They pulled out all their support, all their protection. They’re gone! And now the other nine leaders are blowing up my phone, swearing they’ll kill me if I don’t fix this disaster. Damn it, Jack! You’re going to get your father killed!”
Jack rushed to defend himself. “Don’t just pin this on me. It could’ve been one of the other Nine Dragons leaders who offended Fox Company. There are plenty of possibilities. Why do you always blame me?”
Rod snarled like a starving beast. “Jasmine Young herself chewed me out, said I should’ve raised you better! Do you get that? Even she’s ashamed of you! You went and insulted someone Fox Company values, and you still dare to stand there acting tough?”
Jack’s eyes shifted to Curtis, who was still smiling broadly in front of him.
His body began to tremble. Suddenly, this man no longer looked like some retired soldier.Curtis was beginning to look like the angel of death itself, a harbinger of doom sent for him.
“Who… who are you?” Jack whispered.
Curtis didn’t utter a single word.
Rod Wilson, feeling ignored by his son, lashed out again. “Where the hell are you right now, you idiot?”
Jack knew answering would be signing his own death warrant, but he still replied, “I’m at the Seraine Capital Hall.”
“Stay right there. Don’t you dare move a single step.”
The call ended.
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Chapter 7
Curtis wiped the tears from Lynn’s face, his hand moving with a gentleness that felt almost cruel. His eyes softened, but the pity in them was sharper than any blade.“I don’t care whether Janson manipulated you or not. I don’t care if you chose betrayal or were pushed into it. None of it matters anymore.”His voice was calm, steady, as if every word had been decided long before this moment.“It’s over.”He let the silence stretch before speaking again.“We signed the divorce papers. In a few days, the court will close this chapter for good.”“I kept my promise to your father. I protected you as long as I could. That’s enough.”“You’ve grown, Lynn. You no longer need me to shield you. My duty ends here.”Curtis drew a slow breath, his eyes never leaving hers.“Go on with your new fiancé. Build your life with him. As for me, I’ll marry another woman. We both deserve happiness… just not with each other.”Lynn stared blankly at Curtis’s nose, as if her entire soul had been dragged down b
Chapter 6
The doors to the hall swung wide open.A young woman in a crisp white professional dress stepped in, standing at an imposing 175 centimeters (5’99”). Her strides sharp and commanding.Her jet-black hair fell in a sleek cascade that caught the light with every step, framing her face with an air of untouchable elegance.Her brown eyes gleamed like cutting jewels, refusing to glance at the people bowing their heads in respect. Indifferent. Dominant.Her lips, strawberry-red, were neither curved into a smile nor set into a frown.The steady click of her heels came to a halt the moment her gaze landed on Curtis standing at the center of the crowd.“Ah, there he is.”She quickened her pace, letting the elegance and cold poise slip away, like a child catching sight of a candy gift meant just for her.“It’s been a while,” she murmured softly. “Master Fox, we finally—”“Jasmine. You came.” Curtis cut in. “Tell your master I owe him.”Jasmine froze on the spot. With those words from Curtis, she
Chapter 5
“Shoot me,” he said calmly, “and you’ll be dragging your Nine Dragon Alliance into an all-out war.”Jack didn’t care. His finger tensed again, but then a hoarse voice broke through the silence.“Boss…”Jack’s eyes flicked; his right-hand-man whispered next to him.“Master Wilson told you, no killing in Seraine. Especially this man, he’s the chairman of Swan Observation Group!”Swan Observation Group was one of the most powerful military companies in Calvaria. With elite gear, hardened troops, and the government’s full backing, they were built to make life hell for the Nine Dragons.At the same time, the situation between the Swans and the Dragons was a fragile balance.Both sides had chosen to hold back at least until the war on the Eastern Front was settled.No one wanted to be the first to break the truce.“You won,” Jack muttered, pulling back the gun and laughing bitterly. “You get to keep your face this time, Mr. Swan. Only because you're my future father-in-law.”Suddenly, Seren
Chapter 4
Darius narrowed his eyes when he saw that most of Janson’s teeth were gone. Blood still poured heavily.“This brat…” Darius muttered under his breath. “Does he ever get tired of stirring up trouble everywhere he goes?”His gaze then shifted coldly toward Curtis.He knew full well that the one who started this mess was his own son.In fact, he knew his son was having an affair with Curtis’ wife.But he didn’t really care.They were the second most powerful family in Seraine, they free to do as they pleased.Anyone who dared lay a hand on a Matthew was, in essence, declaring war on him.“Mind telling me who you are?” Darius asked flatly.“I’m no one,” Curtis replied dryly.Darius exhaled. “So, Mr. No One, do you care to explain this mess?”Curtis shrugged. “A little advice, old man, keep your spoiled brat in line. He stuck his nose into another man’s marriage.”Darius’s jaw tightened.To him, Curtis looked like a puppy yapping at a dragon high in the ninth heaven.“You should know, the
Chapter 3
The ballroom stirred. Whispered gasps rippled through the peoples, their eyes turning to Lynn with sympathy.Curtis could feel those stares. Every single one.He was being made into the villain here; the troublemaker, the parasite who had kept Lynn trapped in misery.This wasn’t real.The whole world had lost its mind.“I gave you everything I had for the past five years,” Curtis clenched his jaw as the words tore out of him. “When you were hungry, I was the one in the kitchen no matter if it was three in the morning. When you were cold, I ran to the basement to get that goose feather coat. And when you didn’t want to sleep beside me... I spent every goddamn night on the cold, hard floor. It’s because I love you, Lynn!”“I call that nothing,” Lynn spat, her hand trailing across Janson’s shirt. “You wanna know what Janson gave to me? A villa in Long Beach. A Maserati. A rare Hermès bag. Vacations in Maldives. And love—real, endless love. Compared to what you gave me, it’s like heaven a
Chapter 2
Curtis stood before a tall luxury building as his gaze sharp and unwavering keep on it.Seraine Capital Hall.Everyone in the city knew this place, it was the most extravagant facility Seraine had to offer.Rising fifty stories high, it catered to every kind of indulgence the elite could dream of.Curtis moved toward the entrance, but two guards barred his way.“Hold up, pal. Barracks aren’t through here,” one said.“I’m Curtis Fox, husband of Lynn Feather, the host of tonight’s event.” he replied.They exchanged a glance, then laughed. “Lynn Feather married to some low-rank soldier? Nice try. Turn around.”Curtis stepped closer. “Give me five minutes inside and I’ll prove it.”The guards crossed their arms, unmoved. “Not a chance.”A supervisor strode over, “I escorted Miss Feather in with a gentleman half an hour ago. Her husband looked nothing like you.”Curtis’s jaw tightened.“She came with another man?”The words echoed in his head, cruel and slow.For a moment, everything blurr
