Marla spat on the ground.

"Phtui! Ardenne, You have no right bringing that little bastard here and calling her family. If Emma pushed my son, then she deserves to be punished. Even if she dies."

Ardenne held her small girl tighter in her arms.

"That's enough, Marla! You're going too far. What, your son is made of gold? And my child is just dirt?"

Marla laughed. It was not a nice laugh.

"Shut up! How can that dirty child even be compared to my son? My son is the pride of the Sylver family. Your daughter... she's the child of a madman."

She stepped closer, her eyes full of cruelty.

"Everyone knows it. Six years ago you married some crazy man from a mental hospital. Who knows what kind of bad blood he had? Maybe your daughter will become crazy too. Maybe one day she'll run away and abandon you, just like her father did."

The words hit Cassian hard.

A madman!

Cassian suddenly stopped walking.

Six years ago...

While enemies were were after him , he hid inside a psychiatric hospital. He pretended to be mentally unstable so no one would suspect him.

That "madman" they were talking about...

It was him.

His eyes slowly moved to the little girl in Ardenne's arms.

He noticed the bruises.

Could it be...?

Emma coughed weakly. A little blood was still on her lips.

Cassian crossed the lawn in just a few steps and walked between the two women.

Marla barely reacted before he was already standing in front of her.

He spoke.

"Ardenne. Tell me the truth.Is she... my daughter?"

His eyes moved to the small girl shaking in her arms.

Her eyes met Cassian's face.

And she froze.

"You... you..."

Cassian moved closer. "Yes. It's me."

Cassian looked at the small girl in her arm and back to Ardenne again.

"Tell me the truth. Is she mine?"

Before Ardenne could say anything-

"WHAT?!"

Marla suddenly screamed.

She pointed at Cassian like he was something dirty.

"Who let this beggar into the estate?. Security! Throw him out right now!"

But then she looked at his face more carefully.

"...Wait."

"Cassian...?" She frowned.

Then her eyes suddenly widened.

"Oh! I remember now! Cassian Vale! That crazy man from six years ago!" sgesaid with a sneer.

"Dad! Grandpa! Come look!" she shouted. "Ardenne's mad husband is back!"

Soon people from the Sylver family started walking over.

But Cassian ignored all of them.

His eyes stayed on Ardenne.

"Ardenne,tell me the truth." he said more seriously this time.

He nodded toward the little girl holding onto Ardenne.

"Is Emma... my daughter?"

"Don't avoid the question," he added.Just tell me."

Ardenne held the child tighter and closed her eyes, tears slipped down her face.

She didn't say anything.

But that silence said everything.

Cassian's thoughts felt messy in his head.

Emma...

His daughter?

Before he could even process it,

A young man stood there with his arms crossed, looking at Cassian and started laughing nearby..

"Haha! So it really is that crazy guy, I didn't think he would dare come back after disappearing for six years."

Some people around him laughed too.

"How touching, look at that. The useless family is finally back together."a woman said with a cold smile.

Another young boy pulled the sleeve of an old man with silver hair.

"Grandpa, see? I told you they're all crazy."

He pointed straight at Ardenne and the small girl.

"Letting them come to Amara's birthday party is already embarrassing for the Sylver family, and now the crazy husband shows up too."

"Why couldn't you learn from your parents, Ardenne? They were smart enough to stay away. They knew showing up would just ruin the party."

"Yeah. Haven't you been humiliated enough these six years? Why come here again and make everyone see your shame?"

More voices joined.

Some laughed.

Some pointed fingers.

Ardenne shook all over. Her face went pale. She felt both anger and pain mixing together.

But she couldn't say a word.

Six years.

Six long years of this.

Insults.

Humiliation.

Cold, hateful looks.

Cassian stood frozen.

He would never have believed it f he hadn't seen it himself.

Who would believe that Sylver was supposed to be her family.

And yet... they treated her like garbage.

Just a little while ago, Emma had been slapped.

Ardenne herself had been pushed and humiliated in front of everyone.

What kind of crazy madness was this family hiding?

How could people be this cruel?

For six years...

How much pain had Ardenne and Emma gone through?

Cassian didn't even want to think about it.

People called him the Grim Sovereign.

The Lord Commander of the Obsidian Legion.

A man who had fought in endless battles and protected a whole nation.

And yet...

He couldn't protect his own wife.

Or his own daughter.

What a cruel joke.

He felt guilty.

And then... slowly... he lifted his head.

His eyes had turned cold.

Today...

The Sylver family would pay.

Every single person who insulted his wife and daughter... would regret it.

And these so-called powerful families...

They were about to find out... who the real king of the underworld really was.

Ethan shouted.

"Shut up!"

The courtyard went quiet.

Then Marla smirked. She wasn't scared. This was her ground and to her, Ethan was nothing but a crazy nobody.

"Who does he think he is? Telling us what to do like we're servants? That beggar makes my boy cry, I'll make his whole family disappear. Buried before nightfall. I swear it."

Ethan clenched his hands into knuckles.

He stepped forward.

"For Ardenne... for Emma.... I'll give you one chance."

"Kneel. Apologize. To my wife and daughter."

The courtyard went crazy with laughter.

"Did I hear that right?"

"He wants us to kneel? Apologize? Ha! That lunatic is soft now."

"Crazy guy. Always talking nonsense. Emma pushed our boy-shouldn't they apologize?"

"What if he loses it? Killing's nothing for a madman. Better watch out. Law won't stop him."

Cassian's eyes went cold. Hot anger popped out. Dangerous. Bright.

Sandra's voice shook. Tiny. "Grandpa-" she whispered, looking for the old man.

Lord Julan Sylver didn't care. Twisted his face. Speak to Ardenne? Dirty work. He didn't move. Didn't care. Humiliation had "done its job" already.

From the side, a fat man came forward-Trump Julan, Marla's dad.

He grinned like a predator. Loud enough for everyone.

"Justice? You call that justice? Ardenne tripped my grandson. She needed a lesson. Foolish people must know their place. Letting her and that ragged kid in our house? Mercy enough. Now she wants us to kiss her feet? Kneel, woman. Apologize to my grandson and maybe I'll spare you. Don't? I'll break the legs of everyone in your family today."

Marla went pale. Reached for Lord Julan like he could save her. "Please-" she cried.

Cassian moved. Fast. Shadow fast. One step, and he was in front of Marla and that fat sneering man.

His wife and daughter pressed behind him.

The last tiny thread of his patience snapped.

"Very well," he said. Low voice. Cold. Hard as iron. "So that's your answer. Noted."

He let the words hang.

"I gave you a chance."

He lifted his chin slowly. Like he was saying... yeah, I can stop. But I don't have to.

Then his voice dropped. Low. Quiet. Deadly.

"If you refuse... don't blame me. You said it yourselves-if I kill, it's not a crime. Remember what you said."

The words hit like ice. Laughter froze. Stuck in mid-air.

Before anyone could blink, Cassian closed the distance to Marla. Two fast steps.

She jumped back.

"Bastard!" she spat.

His hand moved faster than anyone could think.

Slap!

The sound cut through the courtyard. Sharp. Clear.

"That was for my daughter."

Marla stumbled. But before she hit the ground, a hard kick sent her flying back across the marble.

"And that... was for my wife."

The courtyard went silent. Dead silent.

People who laughed a second ago now stared. Mouths open. Eyes wide.

Their neat, perfect little world... smashed. One man. One moment.

Trump Julan's face went bright red.

"He wants to die!" he shouted. Panic and rage twisted his voice. "Guards! Grab him! Beat him to death!"

Cassian screamed. Loud. So loud the air felt like it was going to break.

The Sylver guards jumped. Twenty of them. Circling. Teeth bared. Hands ready. Hungry. Fast. Mean. Like wolves.

Cassian didn't move. Not a step. Not a flinch. Stood there like a wall. Solid. Alive. Unstoppable. The courtyard felt small. Tight. Claustrophobic. Like it was his. Twenty men coming at him? They'd hit the ground before they even got close.

He'd fought the Eight Legends five days ago. Won. Brutally. They were the strongest. And these weak, spoiled Sylver? A joke. Toys. Nothing. He could crush them all. Break the whole house in one second.

"Attack!" Lord Julan barked. Voice snapping like a whip.

The guards lunged.

Cassian moved. Faster. Machine-fast. Deadly. Smooth. Every motion perfect. Like a storm smashing over rocks.

Boom! One guard slammed into the wall. Like a ragdoll.

Boom! Another flew into the fountain. Water everywhere. Marble broken. Screams, splashes, chaos.

Boom! More guards fell. Sliding. Arms flailing. Legs twisted. Moans. Panic. Blood. Everywhere blood.

Everywhere he went-broken men. Pain. Fear. Chaos. One thing only-protect his wife. Protect his daughter. Nothing else mattered.

Less than a minute. The courtyard? A battlefield. Guards down. Some bleeding. Some worse. Blood on his hands. His coat. Face? Calm. Cold. Empty. Rage burning underneath.

He drew in a slow breath. Let it out. Voice low, sharp, ice.

"Who else?"

Silence. Thick. Heavy. Pressing down. Crowd stared at the ground. Mouths moved, no sound. Servants froze.

Ardenne's jaw dropped. Body shaking. Could this really be him? The man who vanished five years ago?

The "madman" she cursed? The one who left her? The one coming back like a hurricane? Merciless. Unstoppable. Deadly.

People whispered. Trembled. Ran to the edges. Some froze. Couldn't move. Too scared.

The courtyard smelled like sweat, blood, wet stone, fear. Broken marble. Every step he took made the crowd shrink. Smaller. Weaker.

Lord Julan's face went white. Mouth opened. Nothing came out. His guards-those still standing-shifted. Feet scraping marble. Weapons shaking.

"Stop him!" someone yelled. Guards rushed. Too slow. Cassian moved faster than they could blink. Kick. Splash. Scream. Silence. Grab. Slam. More bodies. Moans. Water dripping. Broken stone.

Ethan didn't flinch. Didn't breathe fast. Calm. Cold. Deadly. One purpose-wife. Daughter. Nothing else.

Ardenne clutched Emma. Tight. Trembling. Tears. She couldn't believe it. This was real. The man she thought lost... Back. Terrifying. Merciless. Unstoppable.

The Lannisters? Weak. Helpless. Pathetic. Laughing one second. Frozen the next. Mouths open. Eyes wide. Blood on marble. Broken men. Chaos. Panic. Everywhere.

Ethan looked around. Cold. Dangerous. Eyes sharp, cutting, slicing. "Who else?"

No one. No one moved. No one answered. Wind moved. Carrying screams. Splashing water. Courtyard was a tomb for the proud. Playground for the furious.

Cassian? Calm. Cold. Unstoppable. Ready. Ready to crush anyone who touched his family.

Seeing the fear on the Sylver' faces... seeing them small... tiny... finally... something hot and wild stirred inside Sandra.

She felt safe. Real safe. Protected. Like Cassian's arms weren't just arms. They were a sky. A wall. A storm shield. Nothing could touch them.

Emma clung to her mother, bruised, shaky, eyes wide like little moons.

"Mummy... is he really my daddy? My daddy's amazing," she whispered.

The courtyard froze. Chatter. Insults. Screaming. Threats. All of it stopped.

Then a new voice cut through. Calm. Deep. Bossy.

"What on earth is going on here?"

Heads turned. At the gate, an old man stepped in. Uniform. Silver star on his shoulder. Four officers flanked him, clean, sharp, scary professional. Walked like he owned the world.

Recognition hit the Sylver like a slap. Faces burned red. Humiliated by some "crazy man" before. Now... now someone real, someone with power, was here.

Trump Julan pushed forward, face pink, stuttering, voice oily with fake respect.

"Mayor Hargreaves! W-what... what brings you here? Surely you see this lunatic-he attacked our people!"

The man in uniform was Sir Malcolm Hargreaves. Mayor of S.City One word from him could ruin anyone.

Marla's face went pale, relief blooming like a flower. Two maids held her up as she whispered prayers, shaking.

Trump jabbed his finger, frantic. "Mayor! This insane beggar-he hit my grandson! Look at the guards! Beaten! Broken! He tried to kill! Arrest him! Make him pay! Make him an example!"

The rest of the Sylver joined in, loud like a nest of snakes.

"If he touches one security officer, he'll rot in prison!"

"Arrest him! The law must punish him!"

"Imagine the scandal! How dare he-"

Every finger pointed at Ethan.

The Sylvers thought... finally... maybe the Mayor would fix this. Maybe he would put that man, Cassian, back in his place.

But when the Mayor stepped into the hall, everyone froze. Quiet. Calm. Steady. He cleared his throat.

"I'm here today to give Mr. Cassian Vale the Certificate of Valor-for his bravery... and everything he's done for S. City."

The room went silent. Just for a second... then whispers, gasps, murmurs exploded.

One cousin blinked. Stupid look on his face.

"Wait... what? Did I hear that right? An award? For him?"

Another scoffed, voice shaking like they were scared.

"An award? Him? Are you serious?"

Scot Sylver, the oldest cousin, jumped up, face red, veins popping.

"Mr. Mayor! W-with all due respect-this must be a mistake! Cassian... he's... he's not... stable! How could he... do something brave? Um... um..."

The Mayor's eyes narrowed. Cold. Sharp. Didn't move.

"Are you saying I have bad judgment, Mr. Sylver? Or that our officers are dumb? That we can't see bravery when it's right in front of us?"

Trump Julan stepped forward, bowing a little, face forced polite.

"No, Mayor... we didn't mean... we just-"

Before he could finish, Julan Sylver, the patriarch, slammed his big hand on the table. BOOM! His voice shook the walls.

"If you can't talk properly, shut up! Fool-get out of my sight!"

Trump's face went dark. He stepped back. Pride crushed.

Julan turned to the Mayor, forcing a fake polite smile.

"Please, Mr. Mayor, have a seat. At least... let us offer tea."

The Mayor waved him off. No nonsense.

"No need. I'll just give the award and leave."

He nodded at his men.

"Bring it forward."

The Sylvers stared. Mouths open. Faces twisted. Their perfect little world... crumbling.

The man they mocked, laughed at, humiliated... the man they thought was crazy... was about to be honored.

Two officers came forward, holding a certificate and a red banner with gold letters. The Mayor gave a small smile, shook Cassian's hand, and handed him the award.

Swish.

In perfect unison, the Mayor and the officers saluted.

Cassian saluted back. Calm on the outside. Inside... he knew his aide had set all this up quietly.

The Sylvers froze. Mouths hanging open. Their smug, cocky faces melted into confusion.

"What... what's going on?" one whispered. "Could this... lunatic... actually be... heroic?"

The Mayor ignored them. Calm. Steady.

"Mr. Cassian," he said, voice smooth, "would you like a ride home? I happen to be going that way myself."

Marla screamed across the hall.

"He can't! He hit me! He has to pay! Arrest him!"

The Mayor's face darkened. Cold.

"Mr. Sylver... seems your family manners have improved since my last visit," he said.

Julan's face went red. He spun toward Marla, furious.

"Shut your mouth, girl! Haven't you embarrassed us enough?"

He forced a stiff, fake smile and turned back to the Mayor.

"Please, don't mind her rudeness. I will personally escort you."

The Mayor snorted. Didn't even care. Turned calmly to Cassian.

"Please."

Cassian nodded. Calm. Collected.

The Sylvers could only stand there, shocked. Mouths open. Eyes wide. Fury burned in their chests, but not one dared say a word. Humiliation had finished them.

Minutes passed. Footsteps faded. Guests left quietly, whispers chasing them out the doors.

Marla lay on the hospital bed in S. City Central. Bandages on her temple. Face tight with fury. Painkillers made the hurt dull, but the shame? Still sharp. She ground her teeth until her jaw ached.

Across from her, Gideon Sylver, her father's oldest son, slick in a sharp suit, all calm menace.

"You're smart, Gideon," Marla hissed. "You gotta do something. They can't get away with this. Ardenne... that lunatic... they have to be ruined. Our family's honor can't crack."

Gideon licked his lips slow, like a predator smelling blood.

"Of course," he said soft, polite, deadly. "Ardenne still works at the company. Plenty of ways to make trouble for her."

Marla's eyes flashed bright, vicious.

"Fire her," she snapped. "And let her whole family feel it. Call them. Now."

Gideon shook his head, smirked. "No. Too obvious. Too blunt. Let the vultures peck each other first. Let them fight over the 'madman' son-in-law. They'll tear themselves apart. When they're spent, we swoop in. Take the pieces."

Marla blinked. Then a cruel grin spread across her face.

"Perfect. Let them eat each other alive. Well done."

She grabbed the phone. Dialed. The line clicked, a fawning voice answered.

"Mrs. Sylver? It's late... everything alright?"

Violet's voice dripped with scorn.

"How dare you ask if you care?" she snapped. "Your granddaughter caused trouble-pushed my child, spat in our face. By the way, congratulations. Your 'mentally ill' son-in-law crawled back. He takes care of you now. You have nothing left in the Sylver family."

A startled cry came through the line. Someone tried to soothe, explain, plead.

"Madam, please-calm down... tell me what-"

Marla cut him off, sharp as a whip.

"An apology won't do. I want them to kneel. By ten tomorrow morning, Ardenne and her whole family will kneel at the company gates. Beg for forgiveness. Fail? They're done. No job. No home. Nowhere. Understand?"

The voice stammered, promising to obey.

Marla hung up. Spat. Muttered.

"Pathetic lot. Humiliate them. Make them bow every day. That's the price for defiance."

She paused. Fingers brushing her jaw. Her voice softened... almost tender.

"And... be gentle. Find me the best dentist in the city. I want this jaw fixed right."

The mayor's convoy dropped them at the edge of the southern district.

This wasn't shiny S. City streets. Narrow lanes, cracked pavement, walls streaked with grime. Rusted balconies sagged over alleys. The air smelled thick-diesel, rot, wet trash. Cheap, broken, forgotten. People learned to survive here when the world gave nothing.

Sandra led Cassian down a bumpy alley. Shoulders stiff, but steady. Cassian followed, coat scraping rusted railings. Heart heavy. Every step careful. He had expected hardship. Not like this.

Fifteen minutes later, they stopped at a tiny public park, overgrown and wild. Ardenne dug in her bag, pulled a small key, slid it into an iron door hidden behind the public toilets.

The door groaned open. A smell hit them.

Inside was one tiny room, no bigger than ten square meters. A lifetime of surviving crammed inside. Narrow bunk bed. Cardboard box as table. Glass jar of water. A couple battered toothbrushes. Blankets folded neat on the lower bunk. Clutter everywhere. Someone cared.

A gust rattled the door. Damp. Cold. Tired.

But Ardenne and Emma moved like it was palace halls.

Cassian's throat tightened. Vision blurred.

The truth hit harder than any blade. Sylver had wealth, marble, pride. Ardenne and Emma? They'd been living here. A cupboard of a room. Behind public toilets. While the Sylver feasted.

Blood rose hot in Cassian's mouth. He coughed violently, choking on iron and pain, spitting blood onto the floor.

"Daddy-"

Emma's small voice trembled. Swollen lips, wide fearful eyes, hope tangled with fear. She slid close to Sandra, clinging. Whispered,

"He's... he's my daddy, right? He's really my daddy?"

Cassian's chest tightened like a vice. He knelt, shaking, reaching for her. Voice breaking.

"Yes... Emma... it's me. I'm your daddy. Always."

Ardenne's eyes met his. No words. Just a trembling nod. Exhausted. Broken. But alive.

Cassian's tears didn't stop. Hot, ugly streaks running down his face. Years of holding in everything poured out now. Real men, the kind who fought wars, didn't cry over comfort. They cried over the wounds life carved deep inside.

Then-bam! A voice. Sharp, nasty, full of hate, cutting through the tiny, damp room like a knife.

"Lunatic! You come back here? Haven't we suffered enough because of you?"

From the yard outside, a man charged. Stocky. Red face. Gripping a wooden plank like he wanted to bash the world. Paid by someone? Poisoned by the Sylver? Doesn't matter.

He swung the plank high. Eyes wild.

Bang!

The wood slammed into the doorframe. Crack. Dust fell. Plaster chipped. Emma screamed, shrieking, clinging to Ardenne.

Cassian wiped his face. His muscles coiled like steel.

The man tried to push the door. Cassian didn't think. He moved faster than a normal person could.

One step. One motion. His fist shot out. Hit the man so hard he stumbled. The plank flew from his hands.

"Back," Cassian growled. Voice low, cold, dangerous. "One step closer... and you'll wish you never existed."

Bang!