"Huh?" Oliver was floored. The idea that Maria, whom he had met and even saved a long time ago, was the daughter of the man he had travelled to New York to see was beyond surprising. He turned to Maria and inquired, "Where's your dad?".Maria frowned, clearly agitated. "My dad? What about him? You barge into my room and now you're asking about my dad?"Oliver's patience was wearing thin. "Maria, cut the long talk. Where is your dad?"Maria's frown deepened. "What business do you have with my dad? Who let you people in?"Oliver's face tensed, his voice laced with irritation. "I'm only talking to you because I know you. Don't push me too far."Maria, also angered, put down her bag. "I'm still speaking to you only because you saved me before. Leave my room before I call my men."Vespera interjected, "Master, let me deal with her. I can get her under control."Oliver shook his head. "I'll handle this." He advanced a few steps. "For the last time, Maria, where's your dad?"Puff!"In a swi
"Open the door yourself; I'm waiting for you," Oliver retorted. The men outside began pounding on the door, each strike louder than the last, but to no avail. The door stood firm. Inside, Oliver smiled and remarked, "If you can't even break down the door, what makes you think you can defeat me?"From behind the door, one of the men shouted, "This is a door made of strong wood! How dare you lock it? Break it with a kick let's see.``Frowning, Oliver approached the door. He reared back his leg and unleashed a powerful kick. With a resounding "Boom!" the door shattered into pieces, the force of the impact hurling some of the men backwards, leaving them injured and screaming. Some of the men had fallen, leaving only seven standing defiantly before Oliver. With a slight smile, Oliver turned and walked back into the room, which further incensed the remaining men. They glanced inside and saw Maria lying on the bed."What have you done to the young madam?" one of them shouted, charging at
"Sorry but this isn't Maria, this is someone else." A voice came through. "This isn't Maria, then who is this?" Maria's dad asked, his face twisted into a frown."Well, who did you want dead? Because that's who I am," Oliver's voice came through the phone.Maria's dad's frown deepened. "What nonsense are you talking about? How did you get hold of my daughter's phone?"Oliver chuckled. "Your daughter has been kidnapped here in New York, and you're in Canada doing what? Looking for an assassin?"Maria's dad jumped to his feet, panic washing over him. "What? Who are you, and how dare you kidnap my daughter? Is this a prank?" he yelled."Hey!" Oliver shouted back. "Keep yelling, and I'll just leave her bleeding until she dies."Maria's dad instantly calmed down, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "Can I see my daughter's face?" he asked softly."Now you know how to speak calmly, but you were acting like a pig lost in the woods. Turn on your face cam; let me show you," Oliver retorte
Meanwhile, Vespera drove to an isolated location that seemed to be a hideout tucked away in the mountains. The area was shrouded in mist, and the rugged terrain made it inaccessible for most. Dense trees added an additional layer of secrecy, making it an ideal hideaway."Where is this place? Why are we here?" Oliver asked as he got out of the car and surveyed the surroundings."Master, this is my hideout. No one will find Maria here until everything is settled," Vespera replied.Given her line of work as an assassin, having a secret place like this was essential. It allowed her to escape from police tracking and lay low between jobs."Alright, I understand. So what's the next step?" Oliver inquired.Vespera opened the back seat, gently lifted Maria out of the car, and said, "Follow me, Master." She led him toward a cave entrance.Oliver followed her into the cave. Inside, the atmosphere was markedly different; it was cool and damp, the walls covered with a layer of moisture. Sparse li
Vespera nodded and lifted her head from the ground. Oliver warned her, "This will hurt, so try to bear the pain." He then took the dagger and started to carefully cut away the scar tissue. Vespera clenched her teeth and let out soft moans as her face became bloody. A sore spot formed where the scar used to be.Oliver then went to a nearby stream and scooped up some water. He came back and gently poured it on Vespera's face, washing away the blood.Ahhh"My face really hurts, Master," Vespera said."I know, but try to bear it. I'll heal you now," Oliver replied.He closed his eyes and began to chant softly, "Riwo, siro, tera."As he chanted, his palm started to glow. It glowed brighter and brighter, and his hand shook a little. Oliver kept chanting, his palm changing from white to red and red to white. As Oliver continued his chant, his palm glowed with a mix of white and red light. Carefully, he placed his glowing hand on Vespera's sore face.Ahhhhhhhh! She let out a scream so loud i
"I want your dad's life," Oliver said, his eyes locked onto Maria's."What? My dad's life? Are you serious? What's wrong with you?" Maria screamed, disbelief written all over her face."Are you done venting? Whether you believe it or not, I intend to take his life," Oliver said, unflinching.Maria tried to mask her panic. "Do you even know who my dad is? Do you know what he's capable of?"Oliver casually crossed his legs. "I don't know who he is or what he's capable of. Enlighten me."Maria sneered, "You want his life, but you don't even know who he is. My dad is Arshad Khan. Ever wonder why we have the surname 'Khan' despite not being Indian? Well, let me tell you. My dad is an ex-mafia don. Even other mafias feared him. He didn't just cross the Indian border; he conquered half of the Indian underworld. People who met him lowered their heads in respect and called him 'Bhai,' which means 'brother' in Hindi, and 'Anna,' which means 'brother' in Telugu. He was given the name 'Khan,' wh
"Do you know what it means to defy the laws of physics? To exist as a paradox within the world's natural order?" He paused, allowing the weight of his words to sink in. "I've been in fights where I've defied gravity itself. I can launch myself through the air, suspend myself in nothingness, just to deliver a strike. Hey Maria, I'm a living, breathing contradiction to the rules of this world."Oliver paused, his gaze still unyielding as he looked at Maria. "In simpler words, your father may be a lion among men, but I am a dragon among lions. So tell me, do you still think your father's might will be enough?"Gasp!"The room felt like it was closing in, as if even the walls were leaning in to listen to Oliver's audacious claims. Maria, even with her initial boldness, found herself grappling with uneasiness. "What has my dad done, what do you mean by you want his life? And who are you?" She asked"Good, this is what you should have asked for. I'm Oliver Storm, son of Garcia Storm," Oliv
Meanwhile, outside the cave, Vespera's eyes fluttered open. She found herself staring at the sky, feeling as if she had been drained of energy. Slowly, she sat up and looked around, realizing Oliver was nowhere in sight.Her hand trembled as she reached up to touch her face, specifically the spot where her scar had been. Her fingers glided over smooth skin, no bump or ridge to indicate a scar or sore. Confused, she moved her hand to the other side of her face, thinking maybe she'd touched the wrong spot. Again, her fingers met only smooth, unblemished skin. Shocked, both of her hands flew to her face, frantically searching for any sign of the scar. But it was gone, completely disappeared, as if it had never existed."What?" Vespera screamed, her voice echoing through the empty landscape. "Where's the scar? Did Master really make it disappear like he said he would?" She ran her fingers over her face again and again, as if expecting the scar to reappear any moment. But her skin remaine