Unrivaled In The World: Rise of Kaiden Blackwood

Chapter 8.

Kai stepped out of his car in the underground garage, shutting the door with a casual click.

The air was cool, the faint hum of luxury engines echoing in the dimly lit space.

He had barely taken a step when a sharp, familiar voice cut through the silence.

"You just can't let us have peace, can you?"

Kai turned.

Vivian Laurent stood a few feet away, arms crossed, her sharp eyes burning with fury. She was dressed impeccably, a designer coat draped over her shoulders, her heels clicking as she stomped toward him. The moment she saw his face, her expression twisted with disgust.

"Are you seriously here again?" she sneered.

"What is it this time? Did you finally realize what a loser you are and come to beg Astrid back? Or are you just here to make trouble because you can’t stand seeing her happy?"

Kai exhaled slowly. He had no intention of engaging, but this woman... She never knew when to stop.

Vivian scoffed, stepping closer. "Look at you. Still clinging to the past like a pathetic stray dog. Do you think lurking around here will change anything? Astrid is marrying Reginald. A real man. A powerful man. Someone who isn’t a stain on society like you."

Kai’s face remained unreadable.

Vivian smirked at his silence, thinking she had struck a nerve.

"Oh, and did you hear?" Her tone was laced with satisfaction.

"Elara Vasquez herself sent a wedding gift to Reginald. Do you know who that is? The owner of the No. 1 luxury mansion in the villa district. A woman so powerful, even your kind wouldn’t dare breathe the same air as her. She acknowledges Reginald. Respects him. And you?"

She laughed cruelly. "You're just a cockroach she wouldn't even step on."

Kai’s fingers twitched slightly.

Elara Vasquez? Sending a wedding gift to Reginald?

His lips curled at the absurdity of it all.

He was the owner of the No. 1 luxury mansion. And he had never sent any gift.

So, what the hell were they talking about?

Reginald Thompson was lying. Again.

That old geezer would never change.

Kai almost chuckled at the irony. The way they worshiped a man who built his empire on lies, while looking down on the one who actually held the power.

But he said nothing.

Vivian, mistaking his silence for humiliation, lifted her chin and let out a satisfied huff. "See? Even you understand now. You're nothing compared to him. If you have any dignity left, you’ll leave. Disappear. Astrid has moved on. So should you."

Kai looked at her for a long moment.

Then, without a word, he stepped past her.

Vivian flinched slightly, her bravado wavering as she felt the pressure of his presence. His silence was heavier than any words he could have spoken.

"You're wasting your time and mine, so scram and go live your delusional world with your family."

“You’re just pathetic,” she sneered, circling him like a predator. “I bet you don’t even have a decent job anymore. How do you even afford to eat? Oh...wait.” She gasped mockingly.

“Are you cleaning cars now? Is that why you’re in this garage?” She chuckled. “Maybe I should ask Reginald to throw you some scraps. After all, he’s got power now. You? You’ve got nothing.”

Kai’s gaze remained cold, unreadable. He could feel the tremor of her insults pressing down, but they didn’t sting. Not anymore. He was too tired for this shit.

Vivian wasn’t finished. “You should’ve been grateful Astrid wasted her time on you. A man like you? Pfft.” She shook her head, full of disdain. “You were lucky she even pretended to love you.”

Kai let out a low chuckle.

Vivian’s smile faltered slightly. “What’s so funny?”

Kai turned his gaze to her, his voice calm but laced with amusement. “You talk too much.”

Vivian stiffened. “Excuse me?”

“You run your mouth like a desperate salesman, trying to convince yourself of a lie.” His tone sharpened.

“Reginald is a fraud. You think he’s better than me? He’s standing on a foundation built on stolen wealth and empty promises. And you… you’re just another fool falling for his act.”

Vivian’s face contorted in rage. “You bastard...”

A shrill ringtone cut her off.

Her phone.

Vivian shot him a venomous glare before snatching it from her coat pocket. “What is it?” she snapped.

Astrid’s voice rang from the other end, tense and urgent.

Vivian’s expression shifted. “I’ll be right there.”

She ended the call and turned back to Kai with pure loathing in her eyes.

“I don’t have time to waste on scum like you,” she spat. Then, she gestured toward the uniformed security guards standing near the garage entrance. “Make sure he learns his place.”

With that, she spun on her heel and stormed off.

The moment she was gone, the guards straightened. One of them...a broad-shouldered man with a scar running down his jaw stepped forward. His voice was filled with mockery.

“Look at this deadbeat,” he sneered. “Thinking he can just walk around here like he belongs.”

Another guard cracked his knuckles. “The lady says we need to teach him a lesson.” He grinned. “I say we make sure he never walks in here again.”

Kai exhaled, tilting his head slightly. “You sure you want to do this?”

The scarred guard barked a laugh. “What, scared?”

Kai sighed. “No.” His eyes darkened. “Just warning you.”

The guard lunged.

Wrong move.

Kai sidestepped effortlessly, his foot sweeping out in a sharp arc. The guard barely had time to react before he was sent crashing onto the pavement, groaning in pain.

The second guard charged.

Kai’s fist met his gut before he could even land a punch. Air whooshed from his lungs as he staggered back, gasping for breath.

Another guard tried to grab Kai from behind.

A brutal elbow to the ribs sent him sprawling.

The last one hesitated, watching his colleagues groan on the ground. He raised his hands slowly, taking a step back. “I… I don’t get paid enough for this.

Kai adjusted his coat. His expression never changed.

Without another glance, he turned and walked out of the parking lot.

They weren’t worth his time.