## Liam's Perspective
The elevator ride up to Harrison Ashworth's penthouse office felt like ascending to face judgnt day. My heart hamred against my ribs, not from fear but sheer determination. The man had no idea who I'd beco since the days he'd dismissed as worthless.
I adjusted the jade pendant resting against my chest. The familiar weight grounded . Sixteen days remained until Isabelle's forced marriage to Dashiell. Sixteen days to prevent the woman I loved from becoming a prisoner in her own life.
The elevator doors slid open with a soft ping. No receptionist, no security—just an empty antechamber leading to massive double doors. Harrison must be confident in his power to dismiss basic precautions.
I didn't knock. I pushed the doors open and walked in.
Harrison Ashworth sat behind a massive ebony desk, phone to his ear. His eyes widened montarily before narrowing to slits.
"I'll call you back," he said curtly into the phone before hanging up.
He didn't stand. "You have exceptional nerve coming here, Knight."
"We need to talk about Isabelle," I said, my voice steady despite the rage building inside .
Harrison's face hardened. "There's nothing to discuss. My daughter will marry Dashiell Blackthorne in sixteen days. The arrangents are finalized."
"Arrangents?" I took a step forward. "She's your daughter, not rchandise."
"You speak as if you understand our world." Harrison scoffed. "This union secures the future of both our families. The Ashworth na will gain unprecedented power."
"At the cost of Isabelle's happiness."
"Happiness?" He laughed, the sound cold and hollow. "What would you offer her? A life of obscurity with a man the world has discarded?"
The golden light of my Saintly Body Skill flickered beneath my skin. I fought to contain it.
"I didn't co to argue about my worth," I said. "I ca to warn you."
Harrison raised an eyebrow. "Warn ?"
"Call off this wedding," I said, each word deliberate and clear. "Because I will stop it. One way or another."
Harrison's face flushed with anger. He stood slowly, hands flat on his desk.
"You threaten in my own office?" His voice rose. "Do you have any idea what Dashiell has beco? He defeated Ernesto Ross in single combat. The dia calls him the youngest Martial Marquis in history!"
"I don't care what they call him."
"You should." Harrison circled his desk. "Because when you interfere—and I know you will—he will destroy you. And I will personally ensure you never rise again."
I didn't back down. "Where is Isabelle now?"
"Safe. Protected from your influence."
"Imprisoned, you an."
Harrison's fist crashed down on his desk. "Enough! You think you're untouchable because you've had a few victories? Subduing the Ascendant Saints Order? Challenging the Veridia City Martial Guild? These actions have consequences!"
I blinked in surprise. He'd been tracking my movents.
"You've drawn attention to yourself, attention you cannot handle," he continued. "My family has stood for generations. We will not be undermined by a nobody with delusions of grandeur."
"A nobody," I repeated softly. "Is that still how you see ?"
Harrison sneered. "What else would you be? A troublemaker who refuses to accept his place."
"My place?" The golden light beneath my skin intensified, impossible to contain any longer. It burst forth, bathing the room in its glow.
Harrison stumbled back, shock replacing his arrogance.
"This is my place," I said, my voice deadly calm as the light enveloped . "Standing between Isabelle and anyone who would harm her. Including her father."
For the first ti, fear flickered across Harrison's face.
"You can't stop this," he said, but his voice lacked conviction. "The arrangents are made."
"Then I'll unmake them." I stepped closer, the floor cracking slightly beneath my feet from the pressure of my energy. "Tell where she is."
Harrison regained his composure. "Never. Guards!"
The doors burst open. Six n in tactical gear rushed in, weapons drawn.
I didn't move.
"Remove him," Harrison ordered. "By any ans necessary."
The first guard charged. I sidestepped, caught his arm, and sent him crashing into the wall with minimal effort.
The second and third attacked simultaneously. I blocked, deflected, and disabled them without breaking a sweat.
The remaining three hesitated, looking to Harrison for guidance.
"What are you waiting for?" Harrison shouted.
They ca at together. Fifteen seconds later, all six guards lay unconscious around the office.
I turned back to Harrison, who had backed against the wall.
"I'll ask one more ti," I said quietly. "Where is Isabelle?"
"You'll never find her," he hissed. "And if you continue this path, the consequences will destroy you both."
I sighed, disappointed but not surprised.
"I didn't expect you to help," I admitted. "I just wanted to see if any part of you still cares about your daughter's happiness."
Harrison's expression hardened again. "I care about her future. Her legacy. Sothing you could never provide."
"Legacy," I repeated. "Is that why you're sacrificing her to the Blackthornes? For a na?"
"You understand nothing of our world," Harrison spat.
"I understand more than you think." I moved toward the door, stepping carefully over the unconscious guards. "Tell Dashiell I'm coming for him. Tell him nothing will stop from saving Isabelle."
"You're a fool, Knight," Harrison called after . "This path leads only to your destruction."
I paused at the doorway, turning back one last ti.
"Maybe. But I'd rather be destroyed fighting for what's right than live comfortably knowing I abandoned her."
As I reached the elevator, my communication talisman vibrated. Mariana was calling.
"Liam," her voice ca through, urgent and tense. "Where are you?"
"Just leaving the Ashworth Tower," I replied. "Harrison was less than helpful."
"You confronted him directly?" She sounded alard. "That was reckless."
"I needed to see his face," I said. "To confirm what I already knew."
"And what's that?"
"That he's beyond reasoning with. The only way to stop this wedding is to take direct action."
Mariana sighed. "The Dark Abyss of Sorrow—did it help?"
I smiled grimly. "More than I expected. The Man with the Mustache didn't lie about that, at least."
"You've advanced?"
"Half-step Martial Marquis," I confird. "But it ca at a price."
"What price?"
I looked down at my hands, rembering the darkness that had flooded my system, the searing pain as it integrated with my golden light.
"We'll discuss it when I return," I said. "Have you found Isabelle's location?"
"Not yet," Mariana admitted. "But I've narrowed it down. The Blackthornes own three compounds outside the city, all heavily guarded."
"Start with the most isolated one," I suggested. "They'll want to keep her away from prying eyes."
The elevator reached the ground floor. I stepped out into the lobby, aware of security caras tracking my movent.
"There's sothing else," Mariana said hesitantly. "Evelyn woke up."
My heart leapt. "Is she okay?"
"Physically, yes. But, Liam... she's changed. The attack affected her mind sohow. She keeps talking about shadows and masks."
A cold feeling settled in my stomach. "The Masked Woman?"
"Possibly. You should return imdiately."
"I'll be there soon," I promised, ending the communication.
Outside the Ashworth Tower, I felt eyes on . Looking up, I saw Harrison watching from his window, his expression unreadable.
Let him watch, I thought. Let him see what's coming.
My phone buzzed with a news alert. I opened it to find Dashiell Blackthorne's face plastered across the screen, standing triumphantly over a defeated opponent. The headline read: "BLACKTHORNE HEIR CONFIRMS MARTIAL MARQUIS STATUS IN SPECTACULAR VICTORY."
I pocketed the phone. Dashiell's new strength didn't concern . After the Dark Abyss, I carried power he couldn't comprehend.
As I walked away from the tower, Harrison's voice ca from above.
"Knight!" he called out. "This isn't over!"
I didn't look back. "You're right," I said, knowing he couldn't hear . "It's only just beginning."
---
## Isabelle's Perspective
I sat by the window, watching rain streak down the glass. I'd lost track of the days since they'd confined to this suite. Luxury prison was still prison.
The door opened without a knock. I didn't turn.
"Isabelle." My father's voice.
"Leave alone," I said quietly.
"We need to talk." His footsteps approached. "About Liam Knight."
That got my attention. I turned to face him.
"What about him?"
Father's face was tight with anger. "He ca to my office today. Threatened to stop the wedding."
My heart raced. Liam was still fighting for .
"Good," I said, unable to hide my smile.
"Good?" Father's voice rose. "Do you have any idea what you've gotten involved with? The man is dangerous."
"Dangerous to whom?" I challenged. "To your plans? To the Blackthornes?"
"To everyone!" He paced the room. "He's grown powerful, yes, but reckless. Subduing the Ascendant Saints Order, challenging the Veridia City Martial Guild—"
I gasped. "He did what?"
Father stopped, realizing his mistake.
"You didn't know," he said slowly.
"No," I admitted. "I've been kept isolated, rember? No news, no visitors." This chapter was uploaded by the team at *.
"For your protection."
"For my imprisonnt," I corrected. "Tell about Liam. What has he done?"
Father hesitated, then sighed heavily.
"He's beco a force to be reckoned with," he admitted reluctantly. "After you were taken, he systematically dismantled the Ascendant Saints Order—a group that has existed for centuries. He threatened the Veridia City Martial Guild directly. He's gained allies in high places."
Each revelation made my heart swell with pride. The timid man I'd first t had transford into soone extraordinary.
"And today," Father continued, "he disabled six of my best security personnel in seconds."
"Good," I said again, more firmly.
Father's eyes flashed with anger. "You encourage this behavior? This defiance?"
"Defiance?" I stood, my own anger rising. "Is that what you call fighting for soone you love? Is that what you call refusing to bow to injustice?"
"It's disruption of order. Of tradition."
"Tradition?" I laughed bitterly. "Like selling your daughter to strengthen business ties?"
Father's face reddened. "You know nothing of the pressures we face. The Blackthorne alliance will secure our family's position for generations."
"At what cost?" I moved closer. "My happiness? My freedom? My very soul?"
"lodramatic nonsense," he dismissed. "You'll adapt. Won have made such marriages for centuries."
"And you think Liam should just accept this?" I asked. "Step aside and let it happen?"
"He should know his place."
"His place?" My voice rose. "Do you actually want Liam Knight to smile in the face of your oppression, would that satisfy you?"
Father's expression went cold.
"You've changed," he said. "This isn't the rational daughter I raised."
"You're right," I replied. "I've finally found my voice. And like Liam, I won't be silenced anymore."
"This wedding will happen," he said with finality. "Liam Knight cannot stop it. Dashiell has grown too powerful. He defeated Ernesto Ross publicly—he's being hailed as a Martial Marquis now."
"And you think that scares Liam?" I shook my head. "You still don't understand him at all."
"I understand that he will die if he interferes," Father said bluntly. "Dashiell will see to that personally."
A chill ran through . "If anything happens to him—"
"What?" Father challenged. "What could you possibly do, locked away here?"
I t his gaze directly. "If Liam dies because of this forced marriage, I will never forgive you. I will spend the rest of my life making you regret it."
Father stared at , montarily speechless.
"You would choose him over your own family?"
"I would choose love over tyranny," I said simply. "Sothing you've forgotten how to recognize."
Father turned away, moving toward the door.
"Your security will be doubled," he said without looking back. "No one gets in or out without my explicit permission."
"It won't stop him," I said confidently.
Father paused at the doorway. "For his sake, I hope you're wrong."
The door closed behind him, the lock clicking into place.
I returned to the window, but this ti with a smile on my face. Liam was coming for . He had grown stronger, bolder. And nothing—not my father, not Dashiell, not all their combined power—would stop him.
"I'm waiting," I whispered to the rain-streaked glass. "I've always been waiting for you, Liam Knight."
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