Chapter: CHAPTER 162The Dixon IT staff moved like a swarm of stung bees. Fingers danced rapidly across keyboards, screens filled with lines of constantly changing code. Some stood, some sat hunched too close to their monitors, cold sweat glistening on their temples. Every second felt expensive.In the middle of the chaos, Asher stood calmly behind them. His eyes were fixed on one main screen, on the graph that had surged earlier and now slowed, then stopped. The attack was contained. But Asher knew the person playing with him would not stop that easily.The corner of Asher’s lips lifted almost imperceptibly. It was not relief, but rather a recognition of who was behind the chaos.“So you’re still here,” Asher thought, calm yet sharp. The desperate sabotage felt deliberately meant to provoke him.Asher lowered his head, his thumb moving quickly across his phone screen. A short message was sent to Joseph.[Drag the rat who tried to disrupt today’s meeting. No matter what, bring them to me.]He slipped the
Last Updated: 2025-12-17
Chapter: CHAPTER 161Asher did not intend to eavesdrop, but Agnesry’s faint sentence earlier about her fear that the wedding would be canceled flowed clearly into his ears. He turned, seeing how the middle-aged woman gripped the edge of her cardigan, looking at Alicia with the worry of a mother who almost lost everything. Asher smiled a little, slowly, as if he wanted to calm the storm inside Agnesry’s heart. His hand held Alicia’s arm gently yet firmly, then he lifted his face to look at Agnesry. “About the wedding,” Asher said calmly, “you don’t need to worry. The Dixon family would still hold it. I would not cancel anything, because I knew Alicia never intended to run away from me.” Agnesry drew in a breath, relieved yet still uneasy. It was natural since in the last two days, the media tore apart her daughter’s name. Sensational news appeared: ‘Alicia Pervaz Ran Away on Her Wedding Day,’ and the most painful one compared Alicia with Aldric’s past—her husband. Asher caught a glimpse of that anxi
Last Updated: 2025-12-07
Chapter: CHAPTER 160Alicia blinked several times again, adjusting the intensity of the light so she could focus. Honestly, the light from the white lamp on the ceiling made her eyes sting. Once she realized her body was not free to move, she reflexively lifted her own hand. She wanted to touch herself, to make sure she was still whole. However, when she wanted to hold her head, her arm was pulled by a sharp sensation beneath the skin. It made Alicia wince. The feeling was slightly hot. Burning. Alicia gasped shortly again. Alicia lowered her gaze a little to see the thickly wrapped bandage on her left arm. Her eyes widened, lengthened, filled with confusion and a bit of fear that she tried to hide. The memory of the night she escaped from the kidnappers flashed by, even the sound of the gunshot that was originally aimed at Asher but ended up hitting her. Because Alicia had purposely run to embrace the man. Seeing Asher worried and even capable of being sweet made Alicia think of an idea she had neve
Last Updated: 2025-12-07
Chapter: CHAPTER 159Asher received a report from Joseph about who had been involved in Alicia’s kidnapping. Before confronting Kaylery, they had indeed planned to plant spies around his office. "So, Kaylery and Waldric stabbed each other?" Asher’s voice echoed, breaking the pause in his office. A thin smirk stretched across Asher’s lips. His fingers turned the wine glass slowly, letting the red liquid dance along with the movement of his wrist. The dim light reflected on the surface of the drink, giving it a dark gleam that somehow matched his mood that night. Like this, waiting for a report while sipping wine almost felt like enjoying entertainment he had ordered for himself. Asher lifted the glass, staring at its color again as if reading something inside its depth. Then, slowly, he sipped it. "Then how was Waldric’s condition?" Asher asked unhurriedly, his eyes never leaving the tablet screen that displayed the brutal fight at Kaylery’s hideout. He leaned forward slightly, watching the moments wh
Last Updated: 2025-12-07
Chapter: CHAPTER 158Asher lowered Alicia onto the rolling stretcher. The nurses and doctors were already lined up, as if they had been holding their breath waiting for their arrival. As soon as the stretcher moved toward the operating room, the hospital director, who was a former military doctor who had helped treat Alicia in the helicopter, immediately joined inside.When Asher was about to follow, a nurse raised her hand, stopping him politely yet firmly."Sorry, Sir. This is as far as you go."Asher stared at the nurse’s hand for a fraction of a second. He was not angry, not forceful. He simply stepped back half a step, let the operating room door close, then chose to lean against the wall. His hands folded across his chest, his expression remained flat. But from the outside, he looked calm, like the surface of a lake, even though a storm was raging inside.Other people might have paced around or cried in panic. Asher instead stayed silent, calm, observing every passing second as if he could control i
Last Updated: 2025-12-02
Chapter: CHAPTER 157Alicia’s face tensed, her breath rising and falling as fast as her heartbeat. Cold sweat streamed from her temple, making her hair stick to her skin. She backed away until her spine hit the damp stone wall. The dark figure stood before her—his face hidden behind a mask, but the intimidating aura dripped so clearly that the room felt as if it shrank.“Le–let go….” Alicia’s voice cracked, sounding more like a broken whisper of despair than a request.Her eyes were swollen, tears pooling, but she held them back.The masked man tilted his head, a small movement that made Alicia’s blood freeze. A faint smile—though unseen—felt present from the subtle shake of his shoulders. He reached for a knife on the table, its metal catching the dim light and scraping against the walls.“Hey! Come on… let’s play,” he said softly, hoarsely, his steps heavy but steady.He twirled the knife between his fingers, as if showing off his bad intentions. Outside the room came the sound of footsteps pacing, othe
Last Updated: 2025-11-14
Chapter: CHAPTER 26Caesar stopped behind Rafael, understanding. He stood still, only watching how Rafael vented that power.The first roar broke out. One of the monsters leaped, the ground splitting under its impact. Then Rafael began to move. Not hurried. Not hesitant.His sword was drawn in a single breath. A blackish-red light crawled along the blade, seeping like ink into steel. As the monster nearly touched him, Rafael twisted his wrist with a small, almost lazy motion.Slash.The creature’s head separated from its body before it could scream. Black blood sprayed, warm, splashing onto Rafael’s arm. The headless body collapsed with a wet sound.Seeing one of their kind killed, the others attacked at once. Rafael stepped forward. The sword that had become his legend seemed to dance beautifully, not wildly or brutally annihilating the monsters. Yet every swing struck its mark. Every slash severed tendons, joints, or spines. The second monster was split from shoulder to waist. Next, the third lost its
Last Updated: 2025-12-16
Chapter: CHAPTER 25Cold sweat dripped from Rafael’s temples, falling one by one onto the floor. The man’s breathing came in broken gasps, as if his lungs tightened every time he drew in air. Inside his chest, something pulsed. Not his heart, but a power pressing outward, gnawing from within.Rafael grabbed the edge of the table, his fingers gripping the wood until his knuckles turned pale. His stomach churned, nausea mixed with pain that spread to his spine. Every pulse made his head throb.“It seemed to have been too long,” Rafael thought. Too long he had restrained himself. Too long that power had been left without a target.The door opened in a rush. Footsteps struck the floor. The figure who had faithfully accompanied him approached.“Master!” Caesar stopped the moment he saw Rafael’s condition. The man’s face immediately changed. He hurried forward, supporting Rafael’s shoulders so the duke’s body would not fall. “Are you all right?”Rafael brushed Caesar’s hand away with the last of his strength.
Last Updated: 2025-12-16
Chapter: CHAPTER 24The title Duke of Darkness did not come from a royal ceremony or empty praise, but from the blood-soaked land in the northern borders, the place where Rafael learned to live, die, and kill. At that time he was only fifteen years old, but King Tremos threw him there without hesitation.“If you want to be recognized as my blood, prove it at the border,” his father had said. There was no affection. There was no explanation. Only a cold command that could not be disobeyed at all.Rafael went, not because he obeyed, but because he knew it was the only way to survive in a palace that hated him, also as proof that he still had noble blood.He spent the next fifteen years in a way no child was ever prepared for. He chose to break through barbarian hordes until his hands felt numb, splitting open monster skulls while laughing softly, and staring into the eyes of enemy soldiers until they froze in terror. He even often looked at a sea of corpses when war broke out. Those wounds shaped him, crea
Last Updated: 2025-12-13
Chapter: CHAPTER 23Inside the palace meeting room, the nobles and high-ranking officials sat in a tense formation. The light from the crystal chandelier sparkled above their heads, reflecting shadows on the tall stone walls. At the end of the long table made of dark mahogany wood, King Tremos sat with a grim expression.Across from him, Grand Duke Rathore Mcrelwyn, a middle-aged man with perfectly styled golden hair, stared straight at the king with an unreadable gaze. His eyes were sharp, almost piercing, and his look was full of skepticism he did not bother to hide."I still did not approve of appointing Rafael as crown prince, let alone giving the king’s throne to him," the Grand Duke finally said, his voice calm but weighty. "A leader could not simply appear from the shadows after years of disappearing, then claim the right to the throne without being tested first."The room was instantly filled with soft whispers. Some council members exchanged glances, while others lowered their heads, trying to h
Last Updated: 2025-12-07
Chapter: CHAPTER 22Rafael stood tall before the massive mirror adorning the wall of his lavish chamber. His broad shoulders were cloaked in an outfit tailored to perfection, befitting his new title as crown prince. A sleek black suit with modern cuts hugged his frame, paired with a long crimson mantle that shimmered subtly under the golden light. The royal crest of Carlies, a gleaming gold emblem, adorned his chest, a symbol of the authority now officially his. Servants moved swiftly around him, adjusting the folds of his suit, slipping white gloves over his hands, and ensuring every detail was immaculate. Rafael, however, remained calm, unfazed by the flurry of activity. His gaze in the mirror reflected the bearing of a leader, though beneath his composed exterior lay a flicker of satisfaction he couldn’t entirely mask. It wasn’t just the restoration of his rightful title that pleased him—it was also the ruin of those who had once dismissed him. "Frederick," Rafael murmured softly, his voice laced
Last Updated: 2024-12-08
Chapter: CHAPTER 21Three days had passed, and the devastation in Hurbret was undeniable. Small villages lay in ashes, fields were barren, and refugees filled the main roads with despair etched into their faces. The air reeked of smoke, blood, and death. Frederick stood on the balcony of his now-disheveled estate, his sharp eyes scanning the empty fields below, his jaw clenched tight.Inside the house, the chaos mirrored the destruction outside. His trusted secretary stood with his head bowed, clutching a stack of official documents. His voice trembled as he spoke, trying to deliver the news delicately.“Baron,” the secretary began softly but firmly, “I’ve just received a report from the royal envoy. The kingdom is planning a welcoming feast for the new crown prince.”Frederick froze for a moment, then slowly turned with eyes as sharp as daggers. “What?” he asked, his voice low and filled with menace.“A welcoming feast, sir,” the secretary repeated, swallowing hard before continuing. “The new crown prin
Last Updated: 2024-12-05
