Ruined

King expected Kane to be there when he regained consciousness, but the latter was nowhere to be found. 

His thoughts ran wild, and though he already had an idea of what might have happened, he refused to believe it right away. He quickly dressed, stepping out of the fortress with only one goal in mind—finding Kane. But when he searched, there was nothing. No trace of him. No sign that he had ever been there. 

King inhaled deeply, steadying himself before walking toward another fortress hidden within the mansion—this one concealed beneath Kane’s bed. 

He sat down in front of the massive screens that displayed real-time footage from the numerous CCTVs installed throughout the estate. Without hesitation, he rewound the recordings, his eyes scanning every frame for answers. 

Then he found it—the exact moment he was looking for. 

Kane wasn’t alone in the living area. Three others were with him. 

Stan, Ven, and Marco. 

King leaned closer to the screen, watching intently as the three men spoke to Kane. Their expressions were serious, their body language tense. It was clear they were explaining something—something important. 

Kane, on the other hand, looked furious. His brows furrowed, his fists clenched. Confusion flashed across his face before he abruptly turned and stormed out, the other three following closely behind. 

King let out a bitter smile, shaking his head slightly. He knew what this meant. His plan was ruined. 

"A month," he muttered to himself, voice barely above a whisper. "Was it really that hard to stay with me for a month?" 

Silence settled around him, his thoughts spiraling. 

He was only brought back to reality when his phone vibrated. A message from Raze. 

'Forgive me, King.

'I didn't know what else to do.'

His grip on the phone tightened. 

--- 

Meanwhile, Kane was on the road, traveling with the very same three people he had just confronted. 

Stan was behind the wheel, Marco sat in the passenger seat, while Ven was beside Kane in the back. 

The atmosphere inside the car was thick with tension. Kane's anger was palpable, his jaw clenched so tightly that none of the three dared to speak. Their last conversation on the island had not ended well. 

They had told him that King had been protecting him all along—that staying with him was the best for Kane.

Kane, naturally, had questions. But no matter how much he pushed, they refused to give him direct answers. 

Their evasion only fueled his frustration, leading to a physical altercation. A full-on brawl. But even with the three of them against him, none could match Kane’s skill. 

In the end, they couldn’t stop him. Their only choice was to go with him, following Raze’s orders to protect him at all costs. 

"Tell me," Kane finally spoke, his voice sharp. "I can handle it." 

The three men exchanged glances before finally sighing in relief. 

It was Marco who spoke first. "We have no right to tell you," he admitted. "Raze only informed us for the sake of the treaty, but he said you need to hear it directly from King—and you have to agree. We are not the ones who should tell you." 

Kane clicked his tongue in annoyance. 'Is it really that big of a deal?'

Did he even need protection in the first place? 

He had his own anchor. His own organization. 

It wasn’t as massive as King’s empire, but his organization had a clear goal—to help. Their methods, however, were far from clean. They dealt in the shadows, using tactics that weren’t exactly legal. 

There were only twenty members so far, but each and every one of them was a fighter. They operated with a deep sense of justice, each person having their own reasons for joining. 

Among them were Stan, Ven, and Marco. 

Ven, a doctor. 

Marco, a business tycoon. 

Stan, the son of the renowned retired Captain Suarez of Military Unit Batch 384. 

They were men who had been disappointed by the system, refusing to turn a blind eye to the injustice they had once believed in. 

And at the center of it all was Kane Soren Vitali—the leader, the alpha, the artist. 

The strongest among them. 

And yet… he had been kidnapped. Just like that. 

"You'll understand when the time is right," Ven said, breaking his thoughts. "But for now, you need to stay hidden." 

He patted Kane’s shoulder in reassurance, and after a long pause, Kane gave a slow nod. 

It was then that he noticed something. 

Stan wasn’t taking the usual route to his house. 

The road was unfamiliar, leading farther and farther away from the city. 

Kane didn’t need to ask—he already knew. 

His team was working with Raze. 

A bitter smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. 'Looks like I really can’t escape King’s reach, even after leaving that bastard alone on that deserted island.'

Not that King was truly stuck. 

He would be fine. 

King could get out whenever he wanted. 

His train of thought was interrupted when Stan picked up his phone. 

"Yes, he's with us," he said, casting a quick glance at Kane. "He's fine. We're on our way." 

A pause. 

"Copy." 

As soon as he hung up, he exchanged a look with Marco. 

"Someone's tailing us," Stan announced. 

Kane immediately turned to look out the rear window. Sure enough, a red car was speeding toward them, closing the distance fast. 

Stan was a skilled driver—they could probably shake them off. 

But that plan quickly fell apart when someone inside the red car pulled out a gun. 

A shot rang out. 

The bullet tore through their back tire, causing their car to swerve violently. 

Marco reacted instantly, drawing his own gun. With practiced ease, he rolled down his window, aimed, and fired. 

The first got to the window. 

The second got to the person. 

The bullet hit the driver square in the head. 

Marco grinned. "Bullseye." 

It wasn’t even a bulletproof car. 'How stupid of them.'

But their moment of victory was short-lived. 

Two more cars appeared behind the red one—both with reinforced engines and bulletproof plating. 

Unlike the first car, these ones were prepared for a fight. 

Kane reached for his weapon, ready to engage, but Ven stopped him. 

"Stay put," he ordered. 

Stan picked up his phone again. 

"Now," was all he said before hanging up. 

Then, he floored the gas pedal. 

The car shot forward at full speed. 

Everyone held their breath as the loud 'bang' erupted behind them. 

The two pursuing cars exploded into flames. 

Smoke and fire filled the night sky. 

Silence. 

Then, Kane exhaled sharply, shaking his head. 

"That was a little overkill," he muttered. 

Stan smirked. "You know King doesn’t take chances." 

And just like that, Kane was reminded—no matter how far he ran, no matter how hard he tried to escape—King’s influence was everywhere.