Chapter 5 The Sovereign's Debt

Julian's guards dragged Cole away, beating him bloody before shoving him into a holding cell, while Julian personally shoved me into the grand ballroom.

The room was blindingly lit by crystal chandeliers. Two dozen men in dark, tailored suits lined the walls—the Blackwood security detail.

Seated at the head of the marble conference table was Tristan Blackwood.

He was impeccably handsome in a cold, predatory way, with slicked-back dark hair and eyes like polished obsidian. A long silver signet ring gleamed on his right hand as he tapped his fingers impatiently against the table.

"You're late, Julian," Tristan said, his voice smooth as silk and twice as deadly.

"My apologies, Tristan," Julian said quickly, bowing his head slightly. "We had a minor internal security matter to address."

"A minor matter?" Tristan laughed, a dark, humorless sound. "My chief enforcer—the man who executed your rebellious nephew—was found slaughtered in your high-security vault three hours ago. And my father's bitterest enemy, Damon Thorne, was somehow released from your secret dungeon."

Tristan stood up, stepping slowly toward us. The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.

"You brought us here under the promise of a merger and a sacrifice," Tristan continued, his gaze drifting over me with disgusting appraisal. "And instead, you offer us broken security and excuses."

"The girl is still yours!" Julian insisted, grabbing my arm and shoving me forward. "The merger stands! Lydia will fulfill every duty required of her as your wife!"

Tristan stepped closer, reaching out to cup my chin with his cold fingers. I jerked my head away.

"She has spirit," Tristan smirked. "Though I hear her brother had spirit too right before Gideon put a bullet in his forehead. He cried like a child at the end, you know."

A violent surge of rage burst through my chest.

I glared at him, my eyes burning with absolute hatred.

Julian saw my expression and panicked. "Apologize to your betrothed, Lydia! Show some respect!"

"No," I spat.

Julian's hand cracked across my face.

The force of the slap snapped my head sideways, sending me stumbling against the marble table. Pain exploded across my cheek, and the taste of metallic blood filled my mouth.

"You will obey!" Julian shouted, his voice shaking with desperate rage.

I wiped the streak of blood from my lip with the back of my hand. I straightened my spine, turned slowly, and looked Tristan Blackwood directly in his obsidian eyes.

"He didn't cry," I said, my voice echoing clearly through the silent ballroom. "And Gideon won't be attending our wedding."

Tristan's eyes narrowed. "What did you say?"

"I killed him," I said loudly, stepping toward Tristan. "I stole the master keycard, walked into your enforcer's cell, and slit his throat with a stiletto. I watched him drown in his own blood, and I would do it again a thousand times over."

The ballroom went dead silent.

Julian turned the color of ash. "Lydia, shut your mouth—"

"So do whatever you want with me!" I shouted, staring Tristan down. "Marry me! Lock me up! Break my bones! Nothing you ever do will change the fact that I executed your brother's favorite murderer, and none of you can bring him back!"

Tristan's face twisted into sheer, unadulterated fury. He reached for the heavy pistol holstered inside his jacket—

BOOM!

A thunderous explosion blew the reinforced mahogany ballroom doors off their hinges in a shower of splintered wood and twisted steel!

Thick black smoke poured into the hall. Before anyone could react, high-caliber automatic gunfire shattered the crystal chandeliers, sending showers of glass cascading down onto the screaming guests!

Blackwood guards drew their weapons, firing blindly into the smoke, but shadows moved through the fog with lethal efficiency. Gunfire cracked. Bodyguards dropped like stone.

Chaos erupted!

Julian grabbed my hair, trying to pull me behind him as a human shield. "Get down, you fool!"

A towering figure stepped through the smoke.

Julian raised his handgun, but the invader moved faster than humanly possible. A long, silver blade flashed through the fog—dicing through Julian's wrist before plunging straight through his chest.

Julian gasped, his eyes wide with shock, before collapsing onto the blood-soaked floor.

I fell to my knees beside his body, frozen in terror.

The invader stepped over Julian's corpse and reached down, grabbing my wrist with an iron grip, pulling me to my feet. He wore tactical black armor, his face covered by a dark ballistic mask.

"Cole?" I whispered frantically. "Is that you?"

The man slowly reached up with his free hand and pulled down his mask.

Piercing, icy grey eyes stared down into mine. Sharp, sculpted jawline. A cold, wicked smirk.

Damon Thorne.

"I told you in Vault Zero," Damon whispered into my ear, his breath warm against my neck. "I never leave debts unpaid. You gave me my freedom... now you belong to me."