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The Return Of The Lame Son In Law. 309; Boundaries of power
Chapter 302: The Boundaries of PowerThe days following Chris’s unsettling meeting with the masked figure were a blur of activity and contemplation. The air around him seemed charged with an ever-growing sense of urgency, and the weight of the notebook in his hands never felt lighter. Each page he turned revealed more cryptic fragments of a grand plan, a dark scheme that he had never fully comprehended. But the words "Ascension" echoed in his mind with growing intensity.Stephany had noticed his distraction, but she said nothing. She had become accustomed to his occasional moments of introspection, though this time, there was a different quality to it—something deeper, darker. Chris tried to convince himself that it was just the pressure of the events unfolding, but the gnawing sensation in his gut told him otherwise.Tonight, he was alone in the study, his mind focused on the next steps. The Syndicate’s reach was vast, and the masked figure’s words had only added to his growing under
The Return Of The Lame Son In Law. The bitter truth
Chapter 303: The Bitter TruthThe sun was setting, casting an amber glow across the garden as Chris walked back into the house, his mind still churning from his meeting with the masked man. The word "Ascension" reverberated in his head, louder than the chirping of birds or the soft rustle of the wind. He had made a decision, but it was one that could cost him everything. In the coming days, his world would change irreversibly, but at that moment, there was still one thing he needed to confront—the woman who shared his life and had no idea what was truly happening around her.As he entered the living room, he found Stephany sitting on the couch, a book in her lap, looking peaceful, unaware of the storm brewing in his soul. Her eyes lifted as she heard him enter, a soft smile tugging at her lips."You're home early today," she said, the warmth of her voice like a balm to the rawness he felt. She stood up and walked over to him. "How was your day?"Chris smiled, though it didn’t reach hi
The Return Of The Lame Son In Law. 304: the reckoning
Chapter 304: The ReckoningThe silence that followed was thick, suffocating. Chris stood in the middle of the living room, his hand still hovering near Stephany’s arm, unsure of whether to touch her. Her eyes—those eyes he had always loved for their warmth and understanding—now looked at him with a mixture of confusion, hurt, and betrayal. She stepped back from him, her arms folding across her chest protectively.“You... you’re not who I thought you were,” she whispered, her voice barely audible, as if the words were too heavy to say aloud. “Chris, what is all this? What is happening?”Chris felt a sharp pang in his chest, the weight of his secret life crashing down on him. He had promised her that she would never have to be part of his world, that she would never see the dark corners he had to navigate. But the truth was out now, spilling like an unstoppable tide."Stephany," he said, his voice low but filled with emotion. "I never wanted to hurt you. I kept things from you because I
The Return Of The Lame Son In Law. 305; the calm before storm
Chapter 305: The Calm Before the StormThe next few days felt like a blur, a strange, surreal mix of tension and reluctant normalcy. Chris had expected things to feel different after Stephany discovered the truth about his hidden life, but the change wasn’t as immediate as he thought. They still sat together at the dinner table, still shared quiet moments, still acted like a married couple in the eyes of the world. But the air between them was thick, heavy with unspoken words and an undercurrent of uncertainty.Stephany’s resolve had been nothing short of remarkable, and Chris admired her strength. She was still processing everything he had revealed, but she hadn’t run away. She hadn’t turned her back on him, even though the truth was dangerous, even though it threatened everything they had built together.But Chris knew the storm wasn’t over. The Syndicate was still out there, watching, waiting. And the shadow cult—the group he had once thought of as a necessary evil—was becoming mor
The Return Of The Lame Son In Law. 306 unseen forces
Chapter 306: Unseen ForcesChris sat motionless for a few moments after the man had left, his mind racing with the weight of everything he had just learned. The man had been cryptic, elusive, but his words had struck a chord deep within Chris. The Syndicate was not the endgame. That revelation was unsettling, especially given how hard Chris had fought to get to this point. Now, he was left with more questions than answers, and his thoughts were consumed by the implications of the conversation.The small leather-bound notebook sat on the desk, mocking him. It was a tangible piece of the puzzle, but Chris wasn’t sure if he should open it. If he did, there was no going back. He had spent so much time trying to control his fate, trying to keep a firm grip on his life and the world around him. Now, it seemed like that control was slipping away, piece by piece. After what felt like an eternity, he stood up and walked over to the desk. He could feel the weight of the moment as he reached fo
The Return Of The Lame Son In Law. 307 The shadows invitation
Chapter 307: The Shadow’s Invitation The following morning dawned quiet and unassuming, the calm before an inevitable storm. Chris woke early, his mind churning with possibilities and strategies. The revelations of the previous day hung heavy in his thoughts. His wife’s surprising support had brought him some measure of comfort, but it also complicated his efforts to shield her from the dangers of his world. After their late-night conversation, Chris had made a decision—one that he couldn’t back out from. The notebook's secrets and the Syndicate's veiled threats demanded action, and he wasn’t about to let anyone use him or the people he cared about as pawns. Dressed in his usual understated manner, Chris slipped out of the house and into the city streets. He had arranged a meeting through a network of discreet contacts, hoping to secure an advantage before the Syndicate's machinations ensnared him further. He arrived at an unassuming café tucked away in a quiet alley. Insid
The Return Of The Lame Son In Law. 308; shadow clash
Chapter 308: Shadows Clash The factory’s hollow expanse became a battlefield as Kael’s tendrils of shadow energy lashed out toward Chris. The air hummed with dark power, thick and suffocating, like the weight of an oncoming storm. Chris stood his ground, his senses heightened, his inner energy thrumming in response to the threat. He had prepared for this moment, honing his cultivation techniques and drawing on his shadow cult training. Kael’s voice boomed through the chamber, a sinister echo. “You’ve stepped into a world far beyond your understanding, Brown. You’re nothing but a pawn in a game you can’t win.” Chris smirked, his stance relaxed but ready. “Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you.” With a flick of his wrist, Kael unleashed a torrent of shadow tendrils that snaked toward Chris, their edges sharp and deadly. Chris responded in kind, summoning his inner energy to create a barrier of shimmering light. The shadows collided with the barrier, sizzling on impact
The Return Of The Lame Son In Law. 308; shadow clash
Chapter 308: Shadows Clash The factory’s hollow expanse became a battlefield as Kael’s tendrils of shadow energy lashed out toward Chris. The air hummed with dark power, thick and suffocating, like the weight of an oncoming storm. Chris stood his ground, his senses heightened, his inner energy thrumming in response to the threat. He had prepared for this moment, honing his cultivation techniques and drawing on his shadow cult training. Kael’s voice boomed through the chamber, a sinister echo. “You’ve stepped into a world far beyond your understanding, Brown. You’re nothing but a pawn in a game you can’t win.” Chris smirked, his stance relaxed but ready. “Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you.” With a flick of his wrist, Kael unleashed a torrent of shadow tendrils that snaked toward Chris, their edges sharp and deadly. Chris responded in kind, summoning his inner energy to create a barrier of shimmering light. The shadows collided with the barrier, sizzling on impact
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363: The Echoes of Devotion
Chapter 363: The Echoes of Devotion The engine hummed beneath his fingers, but Chris couldn’t move. Not because of the pressure from the unseen force in the car, but because just before he shifted the gear, he heard it—faint, fragile… yet deeply familiar. “Master…” It wasn’t a voice. It was many. “Please, don’t leave us.”He was sure that was Jack stone’s voice. But it was so faint and strained among many others. “You showed us the way.” “They’ll find us, and we’ll die.” Their cries wrapped around his mind like tendrils of smoke—voices from the shadows, the ones he had liberated in the hidden planes, broken from slavery, given direction and hope. They were calling him. Not Connor. Not the council. Not the Ultimate. Him. And they were in pain. Chris gritted his teeth, hands frozen over the wheel. Whoever sat beside him, whoever had locked his body in place, didn’t speak again. It was as if this puppet master knew he was no longer the one in control. Chris’s
362; The Summoning
Chapter 362; The Summoning The roads blurred as Chris obeyed, his hands firm on the wheel though they no longer felt like his own. Each turn he took felt pre-determined, like the very city had been carved for this detour—a route pulled out of time and logic. Street signs began to fade into smoke. The sky above blackened, even though it was early evening. Then, the GPS on the dashboard flickered, glitched, then shut off entirely. His heart beat slower. Time seemed to still. Chris wasn’t just driving anymore. He was being summoned. The tires came to a halt in front of a crumbling cathedral at the edge of the old city—one that didn’t exist on any map. Stone gargoyles lined the archway, all facing forward except one. That one turned its head. Chris watched. Didn’t flinch. He stepped out of the car. The moment his foot touched the ground, the pressure vanished. His limbs were free, but the weight of what waited inside bore down on him heavier than ever. A cloaked figure sto
361: The Breaking Point.
Chapter 361: The Breaking PointThe had passed in slow motion.Stephany hd been a mess, for the past three days, she refused to eat, sleep or take a bath.She had been thinking about the turn out of events Chris didn’t show up on the news again. He didn’t call. Didn’t send messages. And yet Stephany knew he was watching. Somewhere in the corners of her solitude, she could feel his presence. She’d booked the hotel suite in a moment of desperation, barely hearing the receptionist confirm her room as she kept her dark shades on to hide the tears. She wasn’t crying anymore, though. She was empty. The whole world felt like a staged lie. Her father had manipulated her. Her mother had pushed her toward a man she didn’t know. Her best friend, Sandra, had stood by Chris’s side all this time, lying by omission. And Chris… Chris, the man she married thinking he needed saving, had never needed her at all. He was the storm in the shadows. And she was just… collateral. The wh
360; The Breaking Point
Chapter 360: The Breaking Point It’s the next day after Chris presented himself to the world in his full glory, the media has carried the news both far and near and the Preston’s were still in shock of the revelation. The Preston boardroom was unusually quiet that morning. Sunlight filtered through the tall glass windows, casting golden stripes across the dark mahogany table. The chairs were all filled—executives, advisors, partners from subsidiaries. But one seat at the head of the table remained empty. Stephany’s seat. Eleanor sat in her usual place, fingers steepled, a slight crease in her brow. She glanced at her watch again. Still no word. Still no daughter. Still no leadership. It had been two days since the gala. Two days since the world discovered that Chris Brown—the quiet son-in-law they mocked—was actually the president of MTD and the force behind Sterling Heritage. Two days since Stephany had vanished. “She’s taking time to think,” Eleanor said qui
359: Stephany’s Spiral
Chapter 359: Stephany’s Spiral Stephnay stepped our. And Chris followed her. The air outside the ballroom was colder than it should’ve been. Stephany’s heels clicked furiously against the marble as she stormed down the corridor, the silk of her gown swishing violently behind her. Her breath came in shallow bursts, not from exertion, but from the ache building in her chest, from the burn in her throat she couldn’t swallow. Everyone had lied to her. Everyone. Her father… who paraded around like he was the reason for the deal, when he was nothing more than a shadow. Her mother… who, for all her sharpness, had encouraged her to chase a stranger, unaware he was already sleeping in her daughter’s bed. Sandra… her friend, her confidante, who had stood by and said nothing while Stephany wept and doubted and begged. And Chris. Chris. The man she insulted. Defended. Hated. Loved. The man who, it turned out, had been ten steps ahead of her the entire time. She pushed
358; after the lights
Chapter 359: After the Lights The ballroom lights dimmed slowly, the last echoes of applause fading into the glittering hush of evening elegance. The crowd had dispersed into small clusters some lingering around the champagne bar, others whispering in stunned awe near the media walls. The air was thick with disbelief, admiration… and a new respect that hadn’t been there before. Chris Brown stepped off the stage like a man who had just laid his past to rest. His face was composed. His shoulders straight. But inside? A storm raged. He didn’t look for her in the crowd. He didn’t need to. He felt her. Stephany. And she was coming. Each step she took echoed like a countdown. He turned slowly to face her, meeting her eyes across the polished marble floor, under chandeliers that suddenly seemed too bright. Her heels clicked to a stop three feet in front of him. She didn’t speak at first. Didn’t blink. She just looked at him like she was seeing a ghost. No… like she was seei
357 the speech
Chapter 358: The Speech The ballroom, moments before electric with noise, now pulsed with stunned silence. The man everyone had ignored, mocked, and dismissed… stood before them. No longer in the shadows. No longer “just a son-in-law.” Chris Brown. The President of MTD Enterprises.If not because Sandra herself introduced him, no one would believe he was the owner of Sterling, the one calling the shots. The man who had, without the Preston name, without favors or inheritance, built a corporate empire that now stood at the helm of Preston Holdings’ salvation. He stepped up to the stage, his black tux catching the soft gold light of the chandeliers above. Calm, composed, magnetic. He didn’t need a grand entrance. He was the moment. The microphone felt cool in his hand as he brought it close. “Good evening,” he began, his voice smooth, quiet, but undeniably strong. The crowd leaned in. “I’ll keep this brief,” he continued. “I know the wine is flowing, and so
356; president on a bike
Chapter 356: The President on a Bike The Grand New York Ballroom shimmered with opulence. Glittering chandeliers hung like frozen stars above the gold-accented floor. Guests milled about in tuxedos and flowing gowns, laughter and polite applause filling the space as media crews tried to capture every angle. Business moguls, celebrities, and dignitaries gathered, sipping champagne and posing for press photos beneath the towering banners that read: “The New Preston Empire – Gala of Legacy and Innovation.” Charles Preston stood front and center, basking in the glow of attention. His tailored white suit gleamed under the lights, and he wore a practiced smile that hadn’t wavered since the event began. Every reporter, every business associate—he greeted them all with open arms and exaggerated humility. “I just did what any visionary would do,” Charles said during an interview, brushing invisible lint off his shoulder. “The expansion was necessary. And thanks to our trusted par
355; a night of glass And gold
Chapter 355: A night of glass and gold. Add her mother pushes her to welcome him The Grand New York Ballroom shimmered like a crown jewel in the heart of Manhattan. Crystal chandeliers dripped light onto mirrored floors, casting glittering illusions across a sea of tuxedos and couture gowns. The air was thick with cologne, champagne, and the sharp undercurrent of ambition. It was a night carved out for legends. And Charles Preston was ready to claim it. "Smile, Mr. Preston!" "Over here, Charles!" "The face behind Preston’s comeback!" Charles grinned wide, adjusting his cufflinks as camera flashes burst in succession. Reporters flanked the red carpet, microphones stretched forward like spears as he paused just long enough for the spotlight to settle comfortably on him. “Yes,” he said with polished ease, “we’re very proud of the progress Preston Holdings has made this year. Tonight is about celebrating that growth—and the vision that brought us here.”
