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The Return of the Hades Not someone to be truffled with
69Darien straightened, meeting the man's stare evenly. "My name is Darien French. As for how I entered, let's just say your men proved...ineffectual." A flicker of irritation crossed the man's face at the jab against his guards. But he said nothing, waiting for Darien to continue. "I'm here because I need something you possess. A rare herb called Valeriana," Darien explained, keeping his tone respectful yet firm. The man arched a brow, clearly not used to strangers barging in and making demands. A tense silence stretched between them as he considered Darien's words.Finally, he spoke. "You've got guts, I'll give you that. Not many would confront me so boldly." A cold smile curled his lips. "But you'll have to do better than that if you want my cooperation." The mercenary leader stared down at Darien, his face a mask of incredulity and rising anger. "You beat my men?" he growled, disbelief painting his tone. "How dare you come into my home and lay your hands on my crew?"Darien me
The Return of the Hades Nightshade and Ironclad: Two beasts
70Viktor Kozlov, having witnessed Darien's unexpected prowess, let out a laugh devoid of any humor. With a dismissive flick of his hand, he summoned what appeared to be his final challenge. "You think you've won already? Let's see how you fare against my best," he sneered, a cold smirk spreading across his face.At his signal, the heavy door to the mansion creaked open, and two figures emerged, silhouetted against the dim light from inside. They were unlike any of the men Darien had faced so far; their presence alone seemed to thicken the air with tension.The mercenary stepped forward, presenting the duo with a flourish. "May I introduce the beast known as Ironclad, and his counterpart, the terror of the east, Nightshade."Ironclad, the first of the duo, was a towering mass of muscle, a beast. Muscles bulging under his tight shirt, his bald head gleaming under the courtyard lights. Next to him, Nightshade appeared slightly shorter but broader, with long, unkempt hair and a beard th
The Return of the Hades Capture Marco Gentile?
71"Why are you here, really?" Viktor finally asked, the fight gone from his voice. "What's so important about this herb?"Darien, catching his breath, walked over to Viktor, his demeanor shifting from the confident fighter to the determined seeker. "I need it for something very important," he said, his voice carrying a weight of sincerity that hadn't been there before. "I would have preferred to avoid this confrontation, but I am willing to face anything for the herb."The tense silence that had descended upon the courtyard was shattered by Darien’s voice, calm yet dripping with authority. “We had a deal, Viktor. Your men have fallen. Now, honor your word and give me the Valeriana herb.”Viktor, who had been momentarily lost in disbelief, recovered his wits with a sly twist of his lips. “Changed my mind,” he sneered, his eyes dancing with malice. “The herb stays with me. It's too valuable to just hand over." Darien clenched his fists, anger swelling in his chest. "You would go back
The Return of the Hades Invitation
72The ride home was a tense one, Darien's knuckles white on the steering wheel as he replayed the day's events in his mind. When he arrived, Lavinia took one look at his stony expression and knew something was wrong."What happened?" she asked, her brow furrowing with concern. Darien sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Viktor agreed at first, but then changed the deal. The only way to get the Valeriana now is by capturing one of his enemies, a man named Marco Gentile."Lavinia gasped. "A mafia boss? Darien, that's too dangerous. We'll find another way." But Darien was already shaking his head."There is no other way. I'm so close, Lavinia. If I get this herb, I'll only need 8 more. Please, try to understand." His eyes, usually so calm, were stormy with frustration. Lavinia saw the desperation in his face and knew arguing was futile. "Alright," she conceded reluctantly. "But promise me you'll be careful. This Gentile - who knows what he's capable of?"She pulled out her laptop
The Return of the Hades Arrogant bastard!
73Darien felt a flash of anger but kept his expression neutral, waiting for Eveline's lead."He's a friend," Eveline replied, her voice steady but Darien could sense the tension in her posture."A friend," Charles repeated, his tone suggesting anything but friendship. "Well, I must say, I didn't expect to find you in such... quaint company, Eveline."Eveline's jaw tightened, and Darien saw her inhale deeply, a clear effort to maintain her composure. "Darien has been a great help to my family. More than I can say for some," she retorted, her eyes flashing with a mix of anger and defiance.Charles's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Is that so? Well, I suppose everyone needs a pet project."The tension at the table spiked as Charles stood there, a smirk playing on his lips. Darien kept his cool, focusing on Eveline, who seemed to gather herself for the storm ahead."Charles," Eveline said, her voice icy, "what do you want?"Charles turned his smirk into a full-on grin, though it didn't rea
The Return of the Hades Say that again! I dare you!
74"Say that again! I dare you!" Charles growled.Eveline's hand reached out, touching Darien's arm lightly, a silent plea for restraint. Darien gave her a brief, reassuring glance before turning back to Charles, unflinching."As I said, respect goes a long way. You should learn it."Eveline stood up, placing herself between them. "Enough, Charles. Leave. Now."Charles's face was a picture of fury, his voice rising with each word. "I said, say that again!"Darien looked back at him, the picture of calm. "Respect, Charles. It's important."Charles sneered, not backing down. "You think you can make me?"Darien's lips twitched into a smirk. "Not worth the effort, honestly."Around them, the room buzzed with whispers."Did you see that? This guy is not even breaking a sweat," one patron murmured to another pointing at Darien."I'd pay to see Charles try something," another chuckled, sipping their wine.Charles, oblivious to the murmurs, jabbed a finger in Darien's direction. "You think yo
The Return of the Hades At the party!
75Once outside, the cool night air felt refreshing after the stifling tension of the restaurant. Eveline took a deep breath, seeming to shake off the encounter. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Darien. Charles... he's someone my family wants me to marry, but I can't stand him. He's arrogant and, frankly, cruel."Darien looked down at her, understanding dawning. "You don't have to explain. It's clear you deserve much better than someone like that."Eveline smiled weakly, her earlier vivacity dimmed by the encounter. "Thank you, Darien. For everything."He nodded, feeling a protective surge. "Anytime, Eveline."Eveline smiled up at Darien, though it did not reach her eyes which still showed traces of worry from the earlier confrontation. "Thank you again for your company tonight, I apologize our dinner was interrupted. I know this party on Saturday is rather last minute but it would mean so much to have you there. My family will be in attendance and it may help deter Charles from causin
The Return of the Hades Nailed him
76 With burning eyes, Darien drew himself to his full height and glared at Charles, his voice was laced with slight amusement while he spoke, “Is that supposed to be a threat Mr. Taylor? Are you threatening me in an open place?”, Darien folded his arms and lifted his brow in question, Looking Charles straight in the eyes, he asked again, with confidence, “Do I need to call my lawyer and inform him of a threat to my life?" Charles bursted into a loud chortle, with tears streaming down his eyes, as he laughed to his heart content, Darien's questioning sounded ludicrous to his ears and he couldn't help the laughter, Lifting his head to look at Darien, with the amused look still etched on his face, he stammered through the laughter, “Y-you’re more delusional than I thought, it's one thing to know what a lawyer is and another to be able to afford one. Sincerely speaking, I'm quite amazed that you even know what a lawyer is and their job as well.” Darien shook his head and scoffed a