2025-10-09 23:01:39“Boss!”
The security guards straightened like soldiers caught slacking while their earlier arrogance vanished in a heartbeat as they bowed, voices trembling with respect.
Ryan Hart froze, staring at the woman who had just stepped to Adrian Kane’s side “Boss? Wait… did you just call her boss?”
The guards didn’t dare answer.
Seraphina flicked her wrist impatiently “Shut your mouths. You don’t have the right to call me anything in front of these clowns.”
Her words silenced the whole place while the guards shrank back as if whipped.
Margaret Hart’s smile faltered and she turned slowly toward Adrian, with suspicion clouding her eyes “Adrian… who is she? Don’t tell me… don’t tell me this woman actually has something to do with you?”
Adrian’s expression didn’t change. Hands behind his back, he said nothing.
Seraphina smirked, tilting her head “You really want to know who I am? Don’t waste your brain cells. All you need to remember is this, insult Adrian in front of me again, and you’ll pay a price you can’t afford.”
For a second, Margaret Hart’s throat tightened because she had no idea how Adrian, a supposed ex-con just released from prison, had ties with a woman like this. Seraphina wasn’t just any random woman and Margaret Hart knew it instantly, and right now, she was standing beside Adrian Kane, the man that everyone thought was just a disgraced ex-convict.
Ryan barked out a laugh, forcing bravado into his voice “So what if you are a big shot? Big deal. Adrian’s still a worthless ex-convict! What’s a woman like you doing with trash like him? Don’t tell me you actually—”
“Watch your tongue” Seraphina’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
Ryan puffed out his chest “Or what? You think I’m scared of you? Please. My sister is the CEO of Phoenix Corporation. My brother-in-law-to-be is Victor Blackwood, heir of the Blackwood family! Do you dare touch me? Hah! You’ll regret it!”
The crowd gasped at the names; Phoenix Corporation, and the Blackwoods were Heavyweights.
Adrian, who had been silent, finally moved. His gaze snapped to Ryan, cold and sharp “Victor Blackwood?” His voice was low but carried.
Margaret hurried to pull her son back “Adrian, don’t misunderstand! This is all just just a mix-up. We don’t want to make this ugly. Here…” She tugged at the necklace around her neck with shaky hands. “I’ll return this to you. See? Let’s not blow things out of proportion.”
Adrian’s eyes darkened. That necklace was his mother’s last keepsake, but before Margaret could hand it over, Ryan snatched it from her.
“Return it? To him? Never!” His face twisted with spite. “If we can’t have it, then neither can he!”
“Ryan, no…!”
CRASH!
The pendant smashed against the marble floor and scattered into tiny pieces.
Adrian’s body stiffened that he couldn’t breathe for a moment. His hands trembled as he crouched, carefully gathering the shards.
Ryan smirked “Look at him! Picking trash off the floor like a beggar. Pathetic!”
“Shut up!” Seraphina’s roar cut through the hall like thunder.
She snapped her fingers “Take them down.”
In seconds, her bodyguards moved and Margaret and Ryan were slammed to the ground with their faces pressed hard against the marble.
“Let me go!” Ryan howled. “Do you know who I am? My brother-in-law is Victor Blackwood! My sister is Elena Hart; CEO of Phoenix Corporation! If you dare lay a finger on me, you’re finished!”
Margaret’s voice shook “Please, Miss Doyle! Please! This is a misunderstanding. My son… he’s just a child. He didn’t mean…”
“Child?” Seraphina sneered. “He’s what, twenty? Old enough to know exactly what he’s doing. Old enough to lie, steal, and smash something priceless. Don’t insult me with excuses.”
Ryan thrashed, red-faced “Stop talking to her, Mom! She’s nothing but a spoiled heiress throwing her daddy’s name around. And Adrian?” He spat the name like venom. “He’s filth! A jailbird! Why are we even wasting words on him?”
The crowd buzzed and whispers filled the lobby.
“Did he just insult Seraphina Doyle to her face?”
“Is he crazy?”“And calling Adrian trash right in front of her… does he have a death wish?”Seraphina’s eyes flashed like fire, she stepped forward and slammed her heel into Ryan’s chest.
THUD!
Ryan gasped, coughing violently as the air whooshed out of his lungs.
“You think Victor Blackwood can protect you?” she hissed. “He’s not even worthy to polish my shoes. And Phoenix Corporation? Don’t make me laugh. If I decide it, both your sister and your brother-in-law will be nothing more than street beggars by tomorrow morning.”
The guards and bystanders froze, but no one doubted her words.
Ryan’s bravado cracked for just a second. His face paled, but he quickly forced another sneer “Empty threats! You think I’m scared? Do it then! Let’s see if you dare! Victor will destroy you!”
“Ryan, please, stop talking!” Margaret begged, with tears spilling. “You’re making it worse!”
“Worse?” Ryan shouted at her “You’re the one embarrassing me! Crawling on your knees like a dog! Pathetic!”
He turned his glare back on Seraphina “You think you’re so great? You’re just hiding behind bodyguards! Without them, you’re nothing!”
SLAP!
The sound cracked like lightning and Ryan’s head snapped to the side, a red handprint blooming across his cheek while the lobby fell silent.
Adrian stood over him with his hand still raised “That’s for your sister” he said coldly. “For raising a spoiled brat who thinks the world owes him everything.”
Ryan gawked at him, stunned “Y…You hit me?”
Adrian leaned closer, voice sharp enough to cut steel “You’re young, Ryan. But already rotten. Lying, bullying, throwing your family’s name around like it makes you untouchable. You disgust me. I’ll let you off this once for old times’ sake but listen carefully, I won’t show mercy if I ever see you again.”
Ryan’s lip trembled, rage and humiliation twisted his features, but no words came.
Adrian turned away with his fists clenched tight, and began walking toward the exit.
Seraphina gave Ryan one last look of pure disdain before following, while the crowd parted like water as the two of them strode out side by side.
Ryan staggered back to his feet with his chest heaving, while his cheek burned where Adrian had struck him, and his pride screamed louder than his pain.
“You useless ex-con!” he shouted after Adrian’s retreating back. “Don’t think one slap makes you a man! Come back here and fight me if you’ve got the guts! Stop hiding behind a woman! You hear me? Adrian Kane, you’re nothing! NOTHING!”
Adrian didn’t look back even once
Margaret rushed to her son, trying to cover his mouth with her trembling hands “Enough! Ryan, enough! Don’t provoke them anymore…”
“Get off me!” Ryan shoved her away with his chest heaving with fury while his eyes burned with hatred as he glared at the shattered necklace pieces still glimmering on the floor.
“Just you wait, Adrian” he muttered, teeth clenched. “Just you wait…”
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Latest Chapter
The Reconciliation
The sunlight slanted through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Adrian Hart’s home brushing against the dark polished floors and catching the faint dust motes that danced lazily in the quiet air and for the first time in weeks, Adrian felt the silence which was somehow almost gentle.He breathed slowly deliberately letting the cool breeze wash over him because it had been days since he left the hospital and since Elena had convinced him to take refuge in her home but his heart still carried the faint echo of a wound that refused to fully heal despite the calm because Seraphina’s name lingered in his mind like a ghost he could neither summon nor dismiss while the grief though tempered now by Elena’s unwavering care still throbbed under the surface.Adrian’s phone buzzed on the countertop and he glanced at it but didn’t answer because he didn’t need messages right now, not from associates; not from colleagues and not even from Elena but just wanted to move in silence, to think, and to brea
Renewed Promises
Adrian woke up long before dawn and before the sunlight had the chance to slip through the blinds and for a few seconds he simply lay there staring at the ceiling with a calmness that felt unfamiliar although it wasn’t fully peace but it was close enough that he exhaled and whispered into the early morning stillness “Whatever is meant to be… will be”He wasn’t sure if he was speaking to God, to fate or to the version of himself who still feared getting hurt but he needed to say it and claim it.The house was quiet while Elena was asleep beside him curled slightly with her breathing soft and steady and For months he had watched her tossing with guilt, with anxiety and with the fear that she would never be trusted again be trusted but this morning she looked different, calmer and lighter.Adrian sat up slowly being careful not to wake her, but she stirred anyway with her voice groggy “You’re up early.”“Couldn’t sleep” he replied softly.Elena blinked the haze from her eyes and studied
A Comfort Zone
Adrian woke to the soft glow of morning light slipping through Elena’s guest-room curtains not the sterile whiteness of the hospital, not the cold shadows of Cortez’s compound and not the suffocating darkness of grief where he’d been drowning for days but it was warm, quiet and soft.He blinked slowly easing back into the world and felt a strange heaviness, less from pain and more from exhaustion that still lived in his bones, but he was stronger than yesterday and his chest didn’t burn as much when he breathed but the bruises along his ribs didn’t stab as sharply as they had after Cortez’s men battered him.He exhaled, long and steady but he was alive.A faint movement from the corner of the room caught his attention as the door was slightly open, and footsteps padded closer, and a moment later, Elena stepped inside carrying a small tray with tea, fruit, and the medication his doctor had strictly instructed.Her hair was tied back in a loose knot and her clothes were simple and nothi
The Hospital's Flames
Adrian barely remembered the moment the flames rose because he was lying on the hospital bed one minute drifting between exhaustion and pain and the next minute, the hall was filled with smoke, alarms wailing violently, nurses shouting instructions and people running in panic. Everything happened too fast for his weakened body to process and he had tried to sit up but his ribs screamed while the heat crawled under the door like a living thing hunting him.He thought that was it and he also thought Seraphina’s death was going to be his death too.But then a nurse had burst in with her face blackened by smoke and eyes determined while dragging him out despite his weight, and despite the smoke thickening around them.Firefighters rushed in moments late flooding the corridor and shouting directions., while Adrian barely remained conscious long enough to be placed in an emergency van outside.As the flames swallowed more of the building, only one thought pulsed faintly under the haze in hi
The Hospital's Peace
The first thing Adrian felt was dragging and sinking weight pressing against his chest and limbs while pain followed next crawling slowly through every bone like something raw and sharp was being dragged under his skin.Adrian had felt pain before and he wasn’t a stranger to it but this felt different because it came with memory - Cortez, the blows, the helplessness and the rage.His eyelids twitched because the room around him too bright and at first everything blurred into white; a ceiling, a harsh light, faint smell of antiseptic and a steady beep somewhere near his ear.It was a hospital, and he blinked again harder this time as something moved beside him; A hand adjusting his blanket and he shifted painfully as his vision finally focused - Elena.Elena was right beside him with her hair tucked behind her ear and her jacket folded neatly on the nearby chair while her face marked was with exhaustion that didn’t belong to someone who had only stayed a few minutes. Her eyes were red
The Silent Attack
Adrian didn’t hear the rain when he slipped out of the house and didn’t hear the creak of the old gate or the distant hum of traffic, and not even the cold wind that slapped against his skin felt muted like the world had gone underwater. All he heard over and over was the news of Seraphina’s death replaying in his mind and the memory looped so violently he thought it would split his skull.He walked faster.He didn’t take his car, he didn’t tell Elena or Rhea and he didn’t even change out of the clothes he slept in but only carried a gun that he hadn’t cleaned and a heart that felt like it had been shattered with a hammer.He couldn’t sit still anymore, couldn’t breathe anymore and couldn’t think about anything except one truth ‘Cortez still lived but Seraphina didn’t.’So he kept walking toward Cortez’s safehouse because grief had stripped him of logic, strength, and self-preservation and all he had left was rage, and even that burned low and weak inside him.Adrian didn’t hesitate w
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