Chapter 1

His Return

After five long years, the exile had finally come to an end. The warlord was back, ready to reclaim his rightful place in the world. For half a decade, he had been forced to live a life of humility, existing as a mere shadow of the powerful figure he once was. But today, everything was about to change.

As the helicopter descended on the helipad of his sprawling estate, the warlord's heart swelled with pride and excitement. His sharp eyes took in the sight of his men, his loyal secretary, and elite soldiers, all bowing in unison, welcoming him back with a respect that had never wavered, not even in his absence.

“Welcome back, sir,” his secretary, James, said, stepping forward with a broad smile. His voice was full of reverence. “Everything is as you left it. We’ve been waiting for this day.”

The warlord, known to them as Victor, nodded, his face a mask of composure. “Thank you, James. It’s good to be home.”

Victor looked at the mansion as he got out of the helicopter. It was supposed to be a location of only happy recollections for him. Rather, it had served as the background for his existence as a "live-in son-in-law," a moniker that had followed him into his union with Maria. However, Maria was the reason he survived to this day. He would have died five years ago if she hadn't saved him, and he would always be appreciative. He was able to bear what he had gone through because of his thankfulness.

Today was special for another reason. With a wave of his hand, Victor gestured to James. “Bring me the necklace.”

James nodded and retrieved a velvet box from the armored car parked nearby. The box was opulent, a deep crimson lined with gold, and inside it lay a necklace, a stunning piece of jewelry adorned with rare diamonds that sparkled like the stars. It was worth a fortune, the kind of fortune only a warlord could afford.

Victor took the box, his hands firm but his heart softening as he thought of Maria. She had been the light in his darkest hour, the one who had pulled him back from the brink. Today, he would repay her kindness. Today, he would shower her with the wealth and luxury she deserved.

He could hardly wait to see the surprise on her face.

As he walked through the grand halls of his estate, memories of the past five years flickered through his mind. How she had nursed him back to health, the way she had looked at him with those eyes full of warmth… Even when she seemed distant, he had always believed it was because of the circumstances they were forced to live under.

Now, that would all change.

When Victor reached the door to their bedroom, he paused. His hand tightened around the box, and he took a deep breath. He was nervous. It was a strange feeling for someone who had faced death so many times without flinching. But this was different. This was personal.

He pushed the door open, his heart pounding with anticipation.

But what he saw inside froze him in his tracks.

Maria was not alone. In their bed, where they had shared countless nights, she was entangled with another man. And not just any man, Mark, the son of the influential XX family.

Victor’s blood turned to ice. The velvet box slipped from his fingers, the sound of it hitting the marble floor barely registering in his mind. His world crumbled before his eyes.

Maria and Mark broke apart, startled by the sudden intrusion. Maria’s eyes widened when she saw Victor, and for a split second, guilt flashed across her face. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a look of disdain.

“Victor…” she started, but there was no warmth in her voice. Only cold, hard indifference.

Victor’s voice was low, trembling with a mix of hurt and anger. “Why? Why, Maria?”

Maria rolled her eyes, a cruel smirk curling her lips. “Why? You want to know why?”

Mark, who had been lounging in the bed like he owned the place, chuckled. “I don’t think you’re going to like the answer, Victor.”

Victor ignored him, his eyes fixed on Maria, searching for some sign that this was all a terrible mistake, a misunderstanding. But the look in her eyes told him everything he needed to know.

“I married you because my grandfather wanted to keep you around as a servant,” Maria said, her voice dripping with contempt. “You were never my husband. You were a tool, a way to satisfy my grandfather’s silly wishes.”

Victor’s breath caught in his throat. “A tool? Is that all I ever was to you?”

Maria leaned closer, her words a whisper that cut deeper than any knife. “Did you think I could love someone like you? You were pathetic, a loser. The only reason you’re still alive is that my grandfather didn’t want the hassle of dealing with your corpse.”

Victor recoiled as if she had struck him. “But you… you saved me. You took care of me…”

Mark laughed again, louder this time. “You bought that, didn’t you? She wasn’t even there when you were ‘saved.’ If she had been, she would have let you die like the dog you are.”

Victor’s world spun. His mind raced to make sense of what he was hearing. “So… you never loved me? Not even a little?”

Maria’s laughter was cruel, echoing in the room. “Love? Don’t make me laugh. You were just a means to an end. And now that end has come.”

Victor’s heart shattered. Everything he had believed in, everything he had hoped for, was a lie.

Mark, sensing Victor’s despair, decided to twist the knife further. “Maria, why don’t you show him what a real gift looks like? The necklace I gave you.”

Maria grinned and reached over to the nightstand, pulling out a jewelry box. She opened it to reveal a necklace encrusted with jewels, far more extravagant than the one Victor had brought. “This is what a real man can afford, Victor. Not the cheap trinket you probably got at a pawn shop.”

Victor’s fists clenched, his nails digging into his palms. “I brought you something too,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Maria’s eyes flicked to the box on the floor, the one she had heard fall when Victor first entered. She stepped over and picked it up, opening it with a mocking smirk. But when she saw the diamonds inside, her smirk faltered, replaced by shock.

“This… this is…”

Mark snatched the box from her hands and examined the necklace himself. His face darkened with jealousy as he recognized its value. “Where did you get this?” he demanded.

Victor didn’t answer. He simply stared at Maria, his heart breaking all over again as she threw the necklace to the ground, her face twisting with rage.

“I don’t care how much it’s worth!” she screamed. “I don’t want anything from you! I never did! I never wanted to marry you! I never wanted to be with you!”

Victor flinched at the venom in her words. “If you didn’t want me, then why did you save me?” he asked, his voice cracking with emotion.

Maria’s laughter was bitter and hollow. “Save you? I would have let you rot in that hellhole if I had been there. But I wasn’t, and now I have to deal with the mess you’ve made of my life.”

Victor felt like he had been struck by lightning. Every word she spoke was like a dagger to his heart. The woman he had loved, the woman he had believed in, had never existed. It was all a facade, a cruel illusion.

Mark, growing impatient, stood up and pulled Maria close to him. “It’s time for you to leave, Victor. This is my house now, and Maria is mine. You’re nothing but a memory, a bad one at that.”

Victor looked at Maria one last time, hoping against hope that she would show some sign of regret, some indication that she cared about him, even a little. But there was nothing. Her eyes were cold, empty.

But as Mark pulled Maria closer, something snapped inside Victor. He wasn’t the man who had been forced into exile five years ago. He wasn’t the powerless "live-in son-in-law" they had mocked and belittled. He was Victor, the warlord, forged in the crucible of war and betrayal.

His eyes darkened as he took a step back, his expression hardening into something Maria and Mark had never seen before. There was a cold, calculating fury in his gaze, a promise of retribution that sent a shiver down their spines.

“You’ve made your choice,” Victor said, his voice cold and unyielding. “And now, you’ll live with the consequences.”

He turned on his heel, walking out of the room with purpose, leaving Maria and Mark stunned by the sudden shift in his demeanor. They hadn’t expected this, hadn’t anticipated that the man they’d belittled and betrayed would walk away so calmly.

But as the door closed behind Victor, Mark’s confident smirk returned. “Let him go,” he sneered. “He’s nothing.”

Maria forced a smile, but unease gnawed at her. Something about the way Victor had looked at them, the way he had spoken, made her stomach churn with a sense of impending doom.

Outside, the sky had begun to darken, ominous clouds gathering on the horizon. Victor strode toward the waiting helicopter, his face a mask of grim determination. He knew what he had to do. The time for playing the fool was over.

As the helicopter lifted off, carrying Victor away from the estate that had once been his prison, he glanced back at the mansion, now a silhouette against the stormy sky. He would return, but not as the man they remembered.

He would return as the warlord they had forgotten.

And when he did, they would all pay for their betrayal.

The storm was coming.