The King Of War Returns (Jaden Rift) novel Chapter 134

Late That Night—Behind the Ruined Hotel

The rain fell in thin, icy sheets, casting a silver glaze over the shattered glass and charred bricks of what used to be Ravenmoor’s once-glorious Northpoint Hotel. Behind the ruins, under the muted glow of flickering streetlights, two figures stood beneath large, black umbrellas—their silhouettes sharp against the storm.

The taller man, with streaks of grey threading through his slicked-back dark hair, exhaled slowly, smoke curling from his lips. His name was Lucas Thornfell, the ruthless patriarch whose name alone once made families in Ravenmoor tremble. His face, angular and cold, looked carved from stone, with the sharp gaze of a man who’d survived countless betrayals.

By his side stood Michael Thornfell, his first son—the only remaining Thornfell heir who could still stand. His eyes burned with quiet rage, hands clenched tightly around the umbrella handle.

A black luxury car rolled to a stop beside them, tires hissing against the wet pavement. The door swung open, and out stepped Agatha Thornfell, Lucas's wife—her heels clicking sharply against the soaked asphalt as guards followed at her flanks.

Her expression was thunderous.

"You remember where home is, Lucas?" Agatha sneered, glaring at her husband beneath the umbrella. "You finally crawl back after the city burns?"

Lucas's lips curled into an unbothered smile. "When Ravenmoor's bleeding, of course, I return. The timing couldn’t be better."

Agatha scoffed, the rain plastering her hair to her cheeks as her guards exchanged uneasy glances. "Since that damn brat, Jaden Rift, showed up, it’s been chaos. he's overturned several major families in Ravenmoor, he has to be stopped!"

"That’s exactly what I wanted," Lucas interrupted, his tone calm, calculated. "The Bloodborne Trial is near. Chaos levels the field. I should send the boy a thank-you note for dismantling my obstacles."

Agatha's eyes blazed. "Your ambition blinds you, Lucas. Two of your sons are dead. The third—crippled beyond repair. Does their blood mean nothing?"

Lucas took a slow step toward her, rain sliding down the sleek lines of his tailored coat. His eyes were ice. "Did I send them to their deaths? Or did they die because they were weak?" He turned his back on her, dismissing the conversation like a deal gone cold.

"You—!" Agatha's voice cracked, fists trembling with fury.

Michael, his jaw tight, stepped forward, his voice low and burning with promise. "Don’t worry, Mother. I’ll bury Jaden Rift myself. For them."

Suddenly, the faintest sound—soft, barely audible over the rain—a shuffled footstep against broken glass.

Lucas froze, every muscle taut. His eyes snapped toward the darkened alley beyond the ruins.

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