In the dim-lit confines of the grand manor, the air crackled with tension as Xander, his eyes blazing with fury, interrogated his former mother-in-law, Lady Willow. His iron grip tightened on her frail shoulder, his voice a menacing growl.'I'll ask you one more time, where is Tobias!' he demanded, his words echoing through the opulent hall.Helena, Xander's ex wife, stood frozen on the staircase, her gaze fixed on the unfolding drama above. Despite the turmoil in her heart, she remained silent, her lips pressed tightly together. The recent rift between her and her mother had severed any shred of sympathy she might have felt for Lady Willow. It was time her manipulative mother faced the consequences of her treacherous actions.Lady Willow's gaze met Xander's, and she could not suppress a shudder at the fiery determination burning within his piercing blue eyes. Her voice trembled as she spoke, each word a desperate plea.'Tobias has a secret hideout underground, in the cellar of a poul

The oppressive weight of the iron door, thick as a tomb slab, pressed against Tobias's heart, a physical manifestation of the fear that had begun to gnaw at him. His mind, usually so sharp and calculating, was starting to scramble, his carefully constructed plan unravelling. He had anticipated every possible contingency, every threat, yet here stood Xander, a whirlwind of fury and determination, ready to shatter the illusion of Tobias's absolute control.A sickening thud echoed through the chamber, the sound of a man's body collapsing against the unyielding stone floor. Tobias's grip tightened on Lina's hand, his fingers sinking into her soft flesh, the pain a distant, irrelevant sensation. The man, a loyal soldier, had been a mere pawn in Tobias's grand scheme, a sacrifice to buy him precious seconds – seconds he was now desperately clinging to.He watched, frozen, through the intricate screen set into the door, as Xander, his face a mask of raw fury, gathered the raw power of the ri

The cellar, once a dank and shadowed space, had become a crucible of raw magic and chilling fear. The air hung heavy with the lingering scent of burnt flesh and ozone, a silent testament to the fiery ball unleashed by Scarface, lieutenant of the Dragon Group. Everyone present, with the exception of Xander, had braced for a gruesome spectacle. They envisioned a scene of charred flesh and bone, the young man reduced to nothing more than a smouldering husk. Instead, they were met with a stillness that felt almost unnatural, a quiet defiance that spoke volumes.Xander stood amidst the wreckage, his clothes unmarred, his face serene. A soft smile played on his lips, a smile that held a hint of victory, of an inner knowledge that was unsettling in its calmness. The silence stretched, punctuated only by the ragged gasps of those who had witnessed this impossible display of immunity. Even Scarface, his face still contorted with a mixture of disbelief and rage, faltered, his eyes fixed on the

The rage that had been simmering inside Xander since the first encounter with Scarface, the man with a face etched with cruel scars, bubbled over. The scene in the cellar replayed in his mind – the fear in Lina’s eyes, the taunts of Scarface, the taste of his own blood, the desperate fight against the Dragon Group. But then, the words of the old man, his mentor, echoed in his mind. The old man had said, 'Sometimes, forgiveness is the hardest choice, yet the strongest. It lets the poison go, not just for them, but for you too.'Xander turned to Lina, who was still trembling, her eyes wide with fear and disbelief. He knelt before her, his gaze lingering on the bruises that dotted her arms and the scratch on her cheek, his heart a knot of anger and concern. He wanted to tear Scarface limb from limb, to punish him for the pain he had inflicted on her, on him. Yet, the old man’s words resonated, a soothing balm on his burning rage.“I’ll let him live,” Xander said, his voice hoarse with th

The warm morning air carried the scent of jasmine and wisteria, a sweet, heady fragrance that danced around Xander as he stood on the balcony with Lina. He held her hand, her fingers slender and cool against his palm, and his gaze swept across the bustling city below. The vibrant lights of the city throbbed like a giant, pulsing heart, a constant reminder of the life he had built, the life he was about to build with Lina.The ring, a band of polished silver etched with intricate symbols, sat comfortably on his finger. It was the ring that had shielded him from harm, the ring that had made him feel untouchable, a beacon of power that he could draw on. The ring was a constant reminder of his escape, his journey from a humble, forgotten corner of the city to the heart of its power, a rise that was as unlikely as it was exhilarating.But as he watched the twinkling lights and felt Lina's closeness, he felt a different kind of power, a warmth that spread through him like a gentle flame. It