LOGINRafael's racing car that had been flying smoothly down the track suddenly lost control, its speed dropping in an instant.Gritting his teeth through the unbearable pain, he instinctively slammed on the brakes and wrenched the steering wheel. Drawing on years of elite racing experience, he forced the car back under control and brought it to a hard stop in the middle of the track, just a few feet from the finish line.The car screeched to a halt, its tires grinding against the asphalt with a piercing shriek as smoke curled up once again. The roaring stadium fell silent in an instant.Everyone froze, and the cheers and shouting stopped abruptly. Spectators in the stands stared in shock, while the staff, judges, and racers who hadn't yet crossed the line were left stunned. They stared at the silver-black car, which had stopped just short of the finish, unable to understand what had happened.Rafael slumped back in his seat, drenched in cold sweat. His racing suit clung tightly to his b
Rafael stood at the center of his private lounge doing his pre-race warmups. He wore a fitted black racing suit. The tailored cut emphasized his tall, lean build, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist shaped by years on the track. His arms and calves were defined with the kind of strength and control built for explosive performance.His short black hair was tied back simply, with a few loose strands falling over his forehead. Sweat had slightly dampened them, pressing them against his smooth skin. This only made his dark eyes, straight nose, and sharply defined lips stand out more.Unlike his usual arrogant, dominant presence on the track, Rafael felt completely different that day. The aura he gave off had changed drastically.The scandal that framed him for murder had felt like hell. It dragged him from the top of his career into public condemnation. He was met with doubt, slander, and rejection everywhere.Even after the truth came out and his name was cleared, the experience l
Warren and Titus wouldn't question or probe Aria or Landon. Instead, they kept their worries and hopes to themselves. They only protected Aria and Landon with unwavering acceptance. The Carver residence's gates slowly closed behind Aria and Landon. It shut out the gentle warmth of the courtyard sunlight, the lingering scent of sandalwood, along with Warren's and Titus' silent care and concern. Landon opened the rear car door, carefully shielding Aria's head as she got in. Once she was seated, he leaned in to close the door gently before getting into the car on the other side.The engine rumbled to life, low and steady. The black sedan pulled away from the narrow alley outside the Carver residence, merging into the flow of traffic and heading off into the distance.It was quiet inside the car. The faint rush of wind outside and the distant hum of passing traffic were muffled by the closed windows, fading into nothing more than background noise.The air conditioning inside the car
Aria came back to herself slowly. She turned her head to look at Landon, but even that small movement seemed to feel heavy and difficult. The cold resolve in her eyes had finally dulled just enough to let her vulnerability and pain bleed through. The rims of her eyes had gone red when her gaze found his. And when she saw the worry and the care on his face, the wall she'd been bracing for so long gave the faintest shudder. Her hands still hadn't stopped trembling. After a moment of silence, she drew in a long breath and shoved the tide of emotion back down. She forced herself to sound composed, but the tremble running through her words betrayed her anyway. With eyes full of determination and grief, she looked up and met Landon's gaze. As she spoke slowly, it sounded as if she was forcing all those words out. "The person we tried to look for in the Netherrealm and couldn't find any traces of him at all was my mentor from my past life." Her throat tightened on the word "mentor", a
Sylas spoke to Thayne. "What's the matter? You got scared when I mentioned Hollowlight Sect, didn't you?" His voice was low and rough, laced with the kind of cold that only came from the deepest parts of the Shadowsteel Realm. Every word hit Thayne's soul like a hammer blow. "You've been sitting in that cage playing mute for a thousand years, and now you finally decide to move? Too bad. You could scream yourself hoarse, and she'd never hear you. "And even if she did, she couldn't save you. All you'd accomplish is giving me one more leash to yank her around with." Thayne's soul convulsed. The faint pulse of energy around him spiked wildly, and more threads of spirit began unraveling from the cracks. He locked his eyes on Sylas with intense hatred, and he poured every last shred of strength he had into his throat. What came out was barely a whisper, but it was hoarse with fury and heartbreak. "Sylas, you monster! This is between you and Hollowlight Sect. You want someone to com
Aria caught herself against the tree trunk to stay on her feet. Her other hand hung at her side in a tight fist, nails buried so deep in her palm that blood had started seeping out. It dripped from her fingertips and left faint red spots on the grass below, but she didn't feel any of it. The agony in her chest had swallowed every other sensation whole. All color had drained from her face, leaving it ashen but steely. Whatever grief had been pooling in her eyes a moment ago was gone now, frozen over and replaced by killing intent. Nearly a thousand years' worth of hatred had been smoldering inside her, and this was the moment it all caught. But she hid all those emotions behind her eyes, refusing to let even a flicker of them show. She knew better than to fall apart right now. Panic and grief were exactly what Sylas wanted, so the more she gave him, the easier she'd get manipulated. She needed to stay calm so that she could get answers and find an opening. It took a long momen
In the moonlight, nobody could see Vulture's face, but he knew he'd walked into a trap. He spoke in a low voice. "People in my line of work call me Vulture. And you are?" "Hmm, a vulture? I wonder if that's edible." The figure stepped closer, letting the moonlight reveal his face. It was Sam.
Eleanor said to Aria, "I'll call you Ms. Carver then. I'm Eleanor Hollerith. Just call me Eleanor." "Sure." Aria nodded slightly. "I had someone make some medicine syrup for you. Let me grab it." She got up and walked outside. She noticed that Sam had prepared the syrup and was about to bring it
Landon arched his eyebrow with amusement. He said, "You've always been an amazing woman. No matter how complicated things get, you'll always find a way out." Aria's voice carried a hint of laughter. "That's only because you're always by my side." She turned to Sam. "Sam, come here." Sam heard
Chauncey yelled at Aria, "You!" He gritted his teeth. "Very well. I'll make sure you remember what happens when you cross me." Aria ignored him and stared straight at the host. "It's been a while since we placed that 250 million bid. Are you going to bang that gavel or what?" The host paused.







