The Unbroken Warlord

Chapter 5

Thirty minutes had passed. Troy and Steve were locked in a brutal fight inside a circle scratched onto the ground. The rule was simple. If either of them stepped out of the circle, they would be shot.

Blood soaked their clothes. Their breathing was ragged. Both had suffered fatal injuries, and it was impossible to tell who would win.

Callen waited impatiently, glancing at his watch.

"Hurry up and finish. My daughter is waiting outside," he muttered.

Beside him, Jade sat tied up with his mouth gagged. He didn't want to watch the bloody fight, so Callen forced him to.

Callen's men pried Jade's eyes open, making sure he watched every second. His heart pounded in his chest, terrified because he knew he was next. Troy and Steve were treated this cruelly, so what would happen to him, the one who committed the worst offense?

He didn't dare imagine it. Regret consumed him. He should never have kidnapped Lily. If only he could turn back time and cancel everything.

Troy and Steve clashed again, swinging their knives without mercy, fighting for their lives.

Then, Steve's foot crossed the line.

Bang!

A bullet tore into his leg.

As Steve screamed in pain, Troy lunged forward and stabbed him in the stomach. Steve growled in rage, grabbed Troy's arm to stop him from pulling back, then stabbed him repeatedly in the shoulder.

With every spray of blood, Jade grew more unstable. When a splatter hit his cheek, he started thrashing and sobbing.

Callen's face showed no satisfaction. He extended his hand, and one of his men handed him a pistol.

Two shots were fired.

Troy and Steve collapsed instantly. Callen had deliberately avoided their vital points, letting them bleed out slowly.

"You broke your promise…" Troy muttered with a hoarse voice.

Steve said nothing. From the start, he knew he would die. He was well aware of how ruthless Callen was with soldiers who broke the rules.

Callen covered his mouth as he yawned.

"When did I ever make a promise? Besides, I got bored watching your fight. Don't you agree, Jade?"

Jade's body jerked. He stopped struggling. His turn had come. He would die soon.

Callen stood in front of him. "Well, Jade. Gun or blade? How do you want to die? Or should I just beat you to death instead? Go ahead, pick."

He smiled casually, like offering a menu at a restaurant.

"Oh, right. Take the gag off his mouth," Callen ordered.

His men obeyed immediately.

"Now choose, quickly!" he said again.

Silence.

Callen tilted his head. "Why aren't you answering? I was kind enough to let you choose."

Still, Jade said nothing. His eyes were blank, his expression empty. Callen waved his hand in front of his face, but there was no reaction. Even saliva dripped from the corner of Jade's mouth.

"Did he… go insane?" Callen asked.

It looked like the events earlier had broken Jade's mind. He couldn't bear the mental weight.

Callen kicked him. No response.

"He really went insane?"

He gritted his teeth and kicked again, this time knocking Jade to the ground.

"Damn it! Who told you to go insane?" Callen shouted, furious.

He kicked Jade repeatedly, over and over. The soldiers held their breath. None dared to move. They were terrified.

"Dad! What's taking you so long?" Lily's voice suddenly called out, stopping Callen mid-kick.

His expression shifted. He turned quickly toward the door. Luckily, Lily was still outside and hadn't seen anything. He didn't want his daughter to witness his dark side.

He straightened his uniform.

"Clean everything up. As for Jade, take him to his family's front gate. Make sure the Collins family apologizes to Ivy today.

"After that, strip them of their wealth and drive them out of the city. Let them live on the streets. I'll leave on my own from here."

"Yes, General!" the soldiers shouted in unison.

Callen walked outside. Lily was waiting, arms crossed and frowning.

"Hmph! You're so slow, Dad!" Lily stomped her foot in frustration.

Callen gently stroked her head and crouched down.

"Sorry, sweetheart," he said softly.

"What about the bad guys?"

"They've been punished," he replied with a smile. "Let's go home."

Lily nodded.

"Yeah, let's go home! Mom must be very happy to see you!"

At Ivy's house. A harsh slap landed on Ivy's cheek. The sound echoed through the cramped room. Her head turned to the side. Her hair was a mess, and her cheek burned red.

Standing in front of her was Camila Carter, her face twisted in anger.

"Have you lost your mind?" Camila snapped. "Do you even realize who you just rejected?"

Ivy took a deep breath and stared at her mother sharply.

"I know. And I don't regret it."

Camila scoffed.

"You're so stupid! Jade is the heir of the Collins family! One of the richest families in Avenfall. Do you think a date offer like that comes every day? You should've said yes!"

"Mom, he hurt my daughter," Ivy replied coldly. "I can't let that slide. Besides, Jade's a Playboy. He only wants me for my body. Once he gets bored, he'll throw me away."

Camila laughed bitterly.

"So what if he does? That's your chance! Use your body to make him obsessed with you. Who knows? Maybe he'll fall in love and marry you!"

Ivy stared at her mother in disbelief. Her tongue felt numb.

"You really just said that?"

Her eyes began to tear up, not because of the slap, but because the words came from her own mother.

Five years ago, when Ivy was cast out of the Carter family over a false accusation, Camila was dragged down too. Since then, Camila has blamed Ivy for all their suffering.

And now that the Carter family had become very wealthy, Camila had grown obsessed with returning to them, forcing Ivy to chase wealthy men.

"You need to understand," Camila said sharply. "The only way we get back into the main family is if you catch a rich man. Use your face and your body!"

Ivy turned away.

"I'm not interested in being with any man right now," she said firmly but tiredly. "I just want to focus on raising Lily."

Camila's face twisted with irritation. "That girl again! How long are you going to use her as an excuse to turn down every opportunity?"

Tired of arguing, Ivy stayed silent.

With her arms crossed, Camila's tone grew even sharper.

"Or maybe… you're still hoping that soldier will come back to you?"

Her voice dripped with mockery. Ivy clenched her jaw.

"No!" she replied quickly. Her eyes, usually soft, now blazed with anger. "He's nothing but my past now."

"Good. I don't want a common soldier as a son-in-law."

"Mom, please stop pushing me to date," Ivy said sincerely.

"What do you mean? I'm doing this so we can go back to the family!"

The chair scraped loudly as Ivy suddenly stood.

"I don't want to go back to the family that threw me away," she said with finality. Without waiting for a reply, she left.

Camila's angry yelling followed behind her.

But Ivy shut it all out. She checked her phone. She remembered Jade had sent a message before she argued with her mother.

Her hands trembled as she read the short text: If you don't come and kneel, be ready to lose your precious daughter.

Below it, a photo came in. Lily tied to an old chair, mouth taped, face filled with fear.

Without thinking, she ran outside. She rushed to her old scooter. Her hands shook as she tried to start it, but the engine didn't respond. She hit the handle in frustration.

"Please, just work this once," she whispered with tears in her eyes.

She reached for the starter again, but before she could try, a small voice called out from the gate.

"Mom!"

It was Lily's voice. Ivy looked up. The little girl ran into her arms and hugged her tightly. Ivy hugged her back, crying freely.

"Lily… Are you okay?" Her voice broke. Her hands gently checked Lily's face, every inch of her skin. "Did they hurt you? Tell me. I will—"

Her words stopped as her eyes caught sight of the man standing in front of her.

"Callen?" Her voice trembled, a mix of shock, anger, and disbelief.

Callen stood stiffly, his face tense. His fists clenched as he looked at Ivy's worn-out appearance. Her faded clothes. Her thin body, so different from five years ago. His heart felt like it was being pierced by nails.

"Ivy, I—"

Before he could take a step, Ivy pulled Lily closer, moving her away from him. Her gaze was sharp and filled with rage.

"Why did you come back?" She asked coldly.