Rival Forces Me to Crawl? I’m the Northern King

I stepped through the threshold of the Thorne family mansion.

In the living room, my girlfriend Elara was being held down by her family members.

Tear stains covered her delicate face, her eyes filled with despair.

"Sign it!"

Elara's father Alastair slammed a marriage contract onto the table.

His new wife Evelyn was toying with a sapphire necklace, her slender fingers caressing the gemstone as she looked at Emma with contempt.

That was a relic from Elara's mother.

"Be a good girl and sign, then I'll return this necklace to you." Evelyn's voice was saccharine yet venomous. "Otherwise, I'll throw it into the Hudson River."

Elara's tears fell onto the parchment, spreading into wet stains.

Behind her on the table lay engagement gifts sent by the Vance family.

Keys to a globally limited edition sports car, share certificates from Vance Corporation, mountains of luxury goods... each item gleamed with cold, greedy light.

Alastair gripped Elara's hand.

"Elara, marrying into the Vance family is a blessing earned over many lifetimes! Stop mixing with that pauper—what can he give you?"

That pauper—he meant me.

Elara wrenched her right hand free, shaking her head desperately, tears rolling down like broken pearls: "No... I'd rather die than sign! I only love Ethan!"

"You dare!"

Evelyn threatened, clutching the gemstone necklace: "This is your dead mother's only relic! If you don't sign, I'll smash it right now!"

Elara's face instantly turned paper white.

"Don't!"

Seeing this, I could no longer restrain myself and strode inside.

"Let her go!"

My voice wasn't loud, but it made everyone in the living room turn to look.

Seeing me, Evelyn looked at me like garbage, her face full of disdain: "Oh, look who it is—the toad dreaming of eating swan meat has arrived!"

Alastair directly pointed at my nose and cursed: "You bottom-feeding trash! Who gave you the guts to barge into my house? Get out!"

I ignored them, my gaze fixed on Elara being coerced by them.

"Elara, come with me."

"Think you can leave?" Evelyn sneered and gave a signal.

Two burly bodyguards who'd been waiting at the door instantly blocked my path like two walls, gripping my arms from left and right!

I forcibly suppressed the urge to fight back!

For the final deadline of my undercover mission, to avoid exposing my identity, and even more for Elara's mother's only relic!

I must endure!

Seeing me "not dare" to resist, Evelyn became even more arrogant. She twisted her waist and walked up to me, raising her hand with its scarlet nail polish and viciously slapping my face!

"Smack!"

A crisp sound!

My face burned with pain, blood seeping from the corner of my mouth.

But I still didn't fight back, my eyes cold as ancient ice.

"Worthless thing, you dare glare at me?"

Enraged by my gaze, Evelyn grabbed a glass of crimson wine nearby and threw it at my chest!

The icy liquid instantly soaked through my shirt, dripping down the hem in a miserable state.

They even began tearing at my clothes, as if I were filthy garbage.

"Hahaha! Look at that pathetic state!"

"This kind of goods thinks he deserves our Elara?"

Alastair and Evelyn's mockery and abuse pierced my heart like knives.

I clenched my fists tightly, nails nearly embedding into my flesh.

The Thorne family! The Vance family!

Just you wait!

"Stop! All of you stop!"

A shrill, anguished cry rang out.

It was Elara!

Seeing me humiliated, her heart breaking, she found strength from somewhere and violently broke free from her restraints, throwing herself in front of me like a wounded butterfly, spreading her arms to shield me.

"Don't any of you touch him again!"

Her back faced her family, but her tears flowed for me.

My delicate Elara looked at Alastair and Evelyn with unprecedented determination, declaring word by word:

"From today, I, Elara Thorne, sever all ties with you!"

"From this moment on, I have nothing to do with the Thorne family!"

Without hesitation, she grabbed my hand—it was cold, yet incredibly firm.

"Ethan, let's go! Leave this hell!"

Under the shocked and furious twisted gazes of the Thornes, Elara pulled me away, not looking back as we walked through that cold door.

Behind us were their exasperated curses.