Mag-log inLync scrambled backward on the mats, his hands trembling as he stared up at the man who had just launched him across the room. "Senior... Senior Commander Damien? You're here?"Damien didn't answer immediately. He stood with his hands loosely in his pockets, his posture relaxed, yet the air in the arena suddenly felt suffocating. His dark eyes locked onto Lync, filled with a freezing, dangerous mix of disappointment and anger. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ethan's badly injured state."You are abusing your power, Lync," Damien said, his voice smooth, low, and dangerously calm.Lync gulped, quickly trying to defend himself. "No, sir! I am doing exactly what you taught me. I am teaching him. A Blackwood soldier must learn through blood."Damien tilted his head, a ghost of a mocking smile on his lips. "Oh, really? In that case... get up." He smiled coldly as he stepped back, removing his tactical jacket and throwing it to the ground. "Let's battle. Come teach me."Lync’s fac
Cole looked at Ethan, terrified of what Lync might do to him. Cole had actually been trained by Lync before qualifying to be a bodyguard for the Blackwood family, so he knew exactly how strict and powerful Lync was. Everyone knew that the only person who could truly match Lync in a fight was Master Damien.Stepping closer to Ethan, Cole whispered urgently into his ear, "Sir, I highly advise you not to fight him. There is no need to prove anything here."But Cole’s warning only made Ethan more determined to fight. He patted Cole on the shoulder with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, pal. I'll be fine. Besides, isn't he supposed to be my teacher? He won't hurt me too much. Relax."Cole protested, "But sir!"Ethan ignored him and smirked at Lync. "Okay, teacher, let's get started. Where are we doing this? I'm sure Master Damien wouldn't want us destroying his living room."Lync didn't smile. "Follow me," he said coldly.Ethan raised his eyebrows, wondering where Lync was leading him. The
A guard stepped into the dim cell, dropping a tray of food onto the cold floor before locking the door again. The meal looked terrible almost completely rotten but Crain didn't care. He was too hungry. He rushed over, grabbed one of the plates, and shoved the other toward Sylvia."Hey," Crain muttered roughly. "They brought food."Sylvia didn't move. She kept her eyes fixed on the heavy metal door, staring at it as if she were in a trance. Crain shrugged. "Suit yourself," he grumbled, gobbling down the stale, cold meal.They had hardly been fed since they were brought here, and they hadn't been allowed to wash or bath either, they were literally living as animals. The entire cell stank of sweat and neglect. There was also the sharp scent of blood in the air, which was Sylvia’s blood. Every time Crain remembered that her failed plan had ruined his entire life, he took his anger out on her, leaving her bruised and weak.Sylvia lay on the floor, listening to Crain eat like an animal. She
Inside the bathroom, the air felt thick and suffocating. Ethan paced back and forth, the tiles clicking beneath his feet as his mind spiraled. The realization of his mistake was like a heavy weight in his chest. How could he have been so blind?"Ugh, how stupid could I be? Fuck!" he hissed, hitting his forehead with the heel of his hand. "How much did he hear? And as if that wasn't enough, I went and blocked him! What was I thinking?"The audacity he had felt earlier, the petty thrill of clicking that 'Block' button had vanished, replaced by a cold, sharp dread. He had essentially spit in the face of the man who had saved his life, all because he hadn't realized Damien was acting out of hurt pride.Outside, Cole shifted his weight, his brow furrowed in concern. The silence from the bathroom was lasting a bit too long. He stepped closer and knocked tentatively on the door. "Sir? Mr. Ethan? Is everything alright?"Ethan jumped at the sound, his heart racing. He quickly splashed cold wat
Elijah blinked, completely thrown off balance by the question. "Sir?"Damien frowned, his tone sharpening with irritation at Elijah's hesitation. "You heard me. How do you know if someone has blocked you?""Well, first of all, there will be specific signs on the app, sir," Elijah began, his analytical mind trying to process why the formidable CEO was suddenly interested in messaging app features. He gulped, curiosity getting the better of him. "Did... someone block you, sir?"Elijah stretched his neck, trying to catch a glimpse of the glowing screen in the older man's hands.Damien immediately yanked his phone away, tilting it out of his assistant's line of sight. "Of course not," he snapped, his face hardening into his signature arrogant expression. He cleared his throat stiffly, trying to regain his composure. "Who would dare block Damien Blackwood? I was merely asking to be sure."Damien leaned back in his leather chair, keeping his tone entirely clinical. "So, what are the signs y
Elijah arrived at the hospital quickly, as it wasn't far from the Blackwood Group headquarters. He headed upstairs toward Ethan’s ward, but his heart sank when he spotted Kristen standing outside."Not him again," Elijah muttered.Kristen was busy on a phone call, and Elijah hoped he could slip past unnoticed. He almost made it to the door, but just as he reached for the handle, Kristen called out, "Ah, Mr. Elijah! Is that you?"Elijah felt like disappearing. He took a deep breath, turned around, and forced a polite smile. "Oh, hi Kristen. How are you?"Elijah extended his hand for a professional handshake, but Kristen ignored it and went in for a hug instead. Having worked with the distant and cold Damien Blackwood for so many years, Elijah had grown to dislike physical contact. The hug felt stiff and awkward, and Elijah knew that if Ethan could see his pained expression right now, he would be laughing hysterically.As Kristen pulled away, he beamed. "You're here for Ethan, right? He







