2025-10-09 22:59:34The massive conference room was silent with rows of officials standing at attention while the holographic projection of the President filled the space.
“Adrian Kane.”
The President’s voice carried authority “For years you’ve bled for this country. You’ve done missions no other man would dare. Today, we salute you.”
Every official saluted at once “General Kane, thank you for your service!”
The sound echoed like thunder while Adrian stood tall with his expression steady. His prison uniform was gone, replaced with a military one freshly pressed. On his chest, the badges shone under the light.
The President lifted a hand “By the authority vested in me, I now bestow upon you the title of Five-Star General; the highest rank in the military.”
Applause broke out, but Adrian didn’t move instead he only gave a slight nod as a guard stepped forward and handed him the golden insignia which he clipped it to his chest without a word.
For a moment, his chest tightened; years of sacrifice, betrayal, and bloodshed finally meant something. Maybe he could disappear now, retire with honor, and rest.
But the President’s hand went up again, and the clapping stopped instantly.
“Everyone else, step outside” the President ordered.
Chairs scraped as the room emptied, and soon only Adrian and the President’s hologram remained.
“Adrian,” the President’s voice dropped low “I know you’re tired. I know what you’ve given. But there is one last mission. Only you can handle it.”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed “…One last mission?”
A black file slid across the table.
“This is highly classified,” the President said with his tone grim. “It involves a certain individual. The details are inside. From this moment, you have the highest clearance. Mobilize any resources. No one will deny you.”
Adrian rested his hand on the file but the weight of it made his palm feel heavy.
The President softened slightly “I know you want retirement. You’ve earned it. But just this one last time… the nation needs you.”
Adrian closed his eyes with his breathing slow but when he opened them again, his gaze was hard “Yes, sir.”
The hologram blinked out and Adrian tucked the file under his arm and walked out.
The corridor was empty while Adrian’s echoing footsteps were steady until a sudden yell cracked the silence.
“Adrian!”
Before he could react, a blur of auburn hair and fiery curves slammed into him while slim arms locked and squeezed around his waist.
“Adrian Kane! You’re finally out! I knew the day would come!”
Guards sprinted down the hallway with panic etched on their faces “General, forgive us! We tried to stop her, but she…”
Adrian lifted one hand, silencing them. “Enough. Stand down.”
Adrian sighed, prying her arms loose “You still act like a child, Seraphina.”
Seraphina Doyle; daughter of his former subordinate and current CEO of Starlight Group, a woman feared in the business world but notorious for her boldness.
“Child? Hmph! Don’t call me that!” she huffed, though her arms refused to let go. “I’m a full-grown woman now, thank you very much. And I’ve been waiting for this day.”
Adrian sighed, prying her arms off gently “Waiting to ambush me in a government building?”
Her grin widened “If that’s what it takes!”
Adrain fixed her with a steady look “Seraphina, what are you doing here?”
“What do you think?” she shot back, hands on her hips. “I heard about your divorce. Everyone’s talking about it. The great Elena Hart finally threw away her useless husband. Tsk, tsk. The gossip is everywhere. But me? I rushed straight here to welcome you back. And guess what I found out? You were being released today!”
Adrian’s gaze darkened “Enough with the gossip.”
Seraphina leaned closer, lowering her voice “I only brought it up because it pissed me off. She divorced you like you meant nothing. And you… you just let her walk away? Really, Adrian? That’s not the man I know.”
His jaw flexed “What do you expect me to do? Chase after someone who already decided I’m a burden?”
“Anyway!” She clapped her hands, tone bright again. “I came to celebrate. You’re out. Finally. So tonight, dinner’s on me.”
Adrian already feeling the headache brewing “Seraphina…”
She leaned in closer while lowering her voice “Don’t worry, I am not here to cause trouble. I just want to spend some time with you because you have been locked away for so long, or don’t you think you deserve a little… freedom?”
Adrian’s headache grew “I don’t have time.”
“You always say that.” She pouted dramatically. “Work, work, work. What are you even planning? Go home and stare at your walls? Come on, Adrian. You deserve at least one night of fun.”
He exhaled slowly “Look, Seraphina… I appreciate your concern, but I have work to do. A dangerous work that you shouldn’t get involved...”
She cut him off, stepping close enough that her perfume wrapped around him “Adrian, I’m not taking no for an answer, and if you don’t agree, I’ll follow you everywhere today until you give in. Do you really want that headache? One dinner. That’s all I’m asking.””
He pinched the bridge of his nose “You haven’t changed.”
“Exactly,” she said cheerfully. “So stop fighting me and say yes.”
Adrian exhaled slowly seeing the determination blazing in her eyes that she wasn’t going anywhere.
Finally, he muttered, “One dinner. Nothing more.”
Her grin was instant, bright as fire. She looped her arm through his “Deal! And don’t worry… I’ll make sure it’s a night you won’t forget.”
Adrian shook his head with his lips tightening; trouble, that’s what Seraphina Doyle had always been. Trouble wrapped in beauty and charm.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
The Wedding
The sound of the ocean came first soft, steady and endless.It rolled against the private island like a promise with waves brushing the white shore beneath a sky washed in gold as the sun slowly descended while the Palm trees swayed gently with their shadows stretching across the marble pathways that led to the grand pavilion built just for this day.Everything was alive inside.Assistants moved in careful precision, straightening linens, adjusting crystal centerpieces, and whispering into earpieces, while the scent of jasmine and roses hung in the air, delicate but undeniable and Light caught on glass and gold reflecting elegance rather than excess.This was power but refined and controlled and at the center of it all stood Seraphina.She faced a tall mirror with her hands trembling slightly as she smoothed the lace of her gown while the fabric hugged her gently flowing instead of constricting designed not to overpower her but to frame her yet her breath felt shallow.“This is real”
Preparations For the D-day
Morning light spilled through the tall glass windows of Adrian’s penthouse washing the marble floors in gold while the city below was already awake with cars moving like veins of light and buildings humming with ambition but inside the apartment was a different kind of energy filled the air though not urgency and not danger but Anticipation.Seraphina stood by the balcony with her fingers resting lightly on the glass as she stared down at the city and from up here everything looked distant, controlled and unreal while she exhaled slowly her chest tightening.“So this is the world you live in” she murmured more to herself than anyone else.Heels clicked sharply against the floor behind he “Correction” Rhea said briskly with a clipboard tucked under her arm, “this is the world you’re about to rule.”Seraphina turned startled “Rhea… please don’t say it like that”Rhea raised a brow “Like what? Honest?”Seraphina laughed nervously and shook her head “You make it sound… heavy”“It is heavy
The Proposal
The night had fallen softly over the city with the kind of quiet that made every streetlamp look like it had been placed just to hold back the darkness while Adrian stood on the balcony of his penthouse looking down at the city below though his mind wasn’t on the lights or the traffic but was on Seraphina.Adrian felt the weight of everything that had passed- the battles, the betrayals, the danger and the lies but all of that faded into something quieter and something personal tonight.He heard footsteps behind him and didn’t need to turn around because she always had that timing and that sense of knowing where he was without being told.“Adrian?” Seraphina’s voice was soft and tentative.He turned letting a small and almost shy smile tug at his lips “Hey.”“You wanted to see me?” she asked while coming closer with her eyes cautious but curious.“I did” he said, “I… I needed to talk to you alone.”Her eyes widened slightly at the seriousness in his tone “Alone?”“Yes… no cameras, no i
A Public Revelation
The conference room at the Ministry of Justice was filled long before the announcement began while Cameras lined the walls, and microphones crowded the podium with reporters whispering urgently to one another with phones glowing and feeds already live.Adrian stood at the back of the room away from the lights while Rhea stood beside him with her arms folded and eyes sharp as she scanned the crowd “You sure you don’t want to stand up there?” she asked quietly.Adrian shook his head once “Not my style.”“You realize this will still be about you” she said, “Whether you like it or not.”“I know”The Attorney General stepped to the podium at the front.“Ladies and gentlemen” the man began, with his voice firm, “today, we formally announce the charges against a criminal syndicate that has operated in secrecy for years led by Cortez, with several high-level accomplices”A murmur rippled through the room while Adrian’s jaw tightened slightly.“These individuals” the Attorney General continued
Closure after Remorsefulness
Elena sat alone in the small counseling office with her fingers twisting a tissue until it tore while the walls were a calm beige and the kind chosen to soothe people who had lost control of their lives, meanwhile Soft instrumental music hummed faintly in the background while the therapist had stepped out briefly to get water.Elena barely noticed because her mind was on Adrian, on everything she had done and on everything she had lost, and then the door opened but it was not the therapist this time.Adrian stepped in.Elena looked up sharply startled “Adrian… I didn’t know you were coming.”“I told them I wanted to speak with you before the session” he said calmly closing the door behind him.She swallowed “Are you… are you here to…”“To make sure you’re set up properly” he said, “Nothing more.”She nodded slowly bracing herself while Adrian pulled a chair and sat across from her, not too close, and not too far because the distance was deliberate.“I’ve arranged long-term support for
The Paternity Test
The envelope sat on Adrian’s desk like a loaded weapon; white, plain and sealed, and it had arrived less than an hour ago, hand-delivered, confidential and stamped with authority though Adrian hadn’t opened it immediately but had stood by the window instead with his hands clasped behind his back staring out at the city as if the truth might reveal itself without him touching the paper.Rhea had noticed “You’re pacing again” she said softly from the doorway.Adrian didn’t turn “I know.”“That means you’re afraid.”He exhaled slowly “No. That means I’m preparing.”“For what?”“For the end of something”Rhea stepped closer but didn’t touch him “Is it the test?”“Yes”Silence stretched between them before Rhea broke it “Do you want me here when you open it?” she asked.Adrian shook his head “No. But… don’t go far.”Rhea nodded once “I’ll be right outside.”When she left, Adrian finally turned back to the desk when she left, he sat while the envelope felt heavier than it should have when h
You may also like
The Heir's Revenge
Twine Twin79.4K viewsTHE UNDERESTIMATED HEIR
Victor Amos Regannez71.6K viewsRise From Prison: Married To A Beautiful CEO
Rex Magnus178.9K viewsThe Ultimate Commander Cassian
AFM31157.7K viewsFrom Ruin To Reckoning
GIN ROSE339 viewsTHREE YEARS FOR NOTHING
Drew Pen186 viewsTHE UNEXPECTED DOMINANCE OF RICHARD PAYTON
Black Phoenix212 viewsEMPIRE OF CHANCE
Stanterry386 views