The King Of War Returns (Jaden Rift) novel Chapter 81

Jaden smirked. "So you want redemption? since you're not their biological child I'll give you a chance."

Jaden pressed his phone against the side of his face, a mischievous spark glimmering in his piercing eyes.

“Here’s your chance at redemption, Peter.”

Peter nodded weakly, nearly trembling as much from fear as from anticipation. His hands were shaky, knuckles white against the gravel beneath him.

Jaden tossed the phone toward him casually — a small black rectangle spinning through the air — and it fell into Peter’s hands with a soft thud.

“Call him. Call your… ‘father’.”

Peter swallowed hard. His thumb hovered over the phone’s touchscreen. His pulse pounded in his ears.

For a moment, silence fell — the kind of oppressive silence that seemed to squeeze the soul. Then, with a shaky breath, Peter pressed the call button.

Meanwhile, back in the sprawling Gravesend Mansion — a place filled with rich carpets, dark wooden furniture, and a heavy, oppressive atmosphere — the 35th anniversary celebration was in full swing. The grand hall was a riot of flowers, wreaths, and well-dressed guests.

Some pressed forward with condolences — “My deepest sympathies for your son, Lord Williams.” —

others nodded solemnly, offering promises of loyalty and service.

Flutes of champagne flowed; rich food was plated and passed; the mood was a paradox — a festive gathering veiled by tragedy.

At the center of it all stood Williams Gravesend, a man whose piercing black eyes seemed to cut through the crowd, a permanent scowl furrowing his brow. His grip tightened on his glass. His knuckles were white beneath the rings of power that adorned his hands.

“It must be about the money.” His voice was quieter now, more gravelly, filled with rage barely kept in check. “Today… today is meant to be a day of remembrance… a day of honoring… instead… instead we have this.”

He sighed, deep and heavy, then drew a sleek black card from his inside pocket — a card made of a metal composite, engraved with the family crest in silver — the Black Card of the Gravesends.

He turned back toward his butler. “Take this.”

The butler’s hands trembled as he accepted it. His eyes widened. “Master… this… this is the Black Card… the symbol of ultimate power… a pass that can cut through all departments, all institutions… There’s nothing it cannot resolve in Ravensmoor.”

Williams nodded, reluctantly. “Use it. Give it to the kidnapper if you must… Whatever it costs… bring back my son.”

The butler pressed the Black Card against his chest, nodded, and rushed off without another word.