The King Of War Returns (Jaden Rift) novel Chapter 82

Meanwhile, back at the cliff — the icy sea breeze whipped against their skin, tugging at their clothes and hair. The first rays of the sun were already glimmering across the horizon, casting a bloody orange glow upon the dramatic scene.

Peter knelt on the gravel, phone in hand, knuckles white against its casing. His whole arm trembled, not from the chilly air but from pure fear. His breath was heavy and staggered as he pressed the phone against his ear.

“Butler… please… please listen to me… you… you don't know who these people are.” His voice faltered, threatening to break. “They’re not… not ordinary people. They’re… they're ruthless. They’re… monsters in human skin!”

The butler remained unfazed on the other side of the phone. “Master Peter, please calm down. Whatever trouble you’re in, we will resolve it. The Gravesend family is the most powerful in Ravensmoor. There’s nothing we can’t handle once you’re safely back in the city.”

Peter’s grip tightened. His knuckles were nearly bone white now. “No! NO! NO! You… you have no idea! Half the family’s fortune might not be enough… It might not be enough to buy my life back!”

“What?” The butler faltered briefly, disbelief creeping into his voice. “Half… the family’s fortune? Master Peter… please, be reasonable. Whatever this person wants, we can—”

Peter cut him off, nearly screaming into the phone. “Master Williams must come here in person… kneel… and apologize… That’s the only way… the only way… I might stay alive!”

Silence fell on the phone for a moment — a heavy silence, filled with disbelief and disbelief's twin, denial.

The butler sighed. “Master Peter… you must be confused. Fear is playing tricks on you. There’s no need for Master Williams to come in person. Whatever these people want, we can handle it ourselves. And when you return safely… we will make sure they pay a thousandfold for this insult.”

Jaden sighed — a deep, dramatic sigh — and pressed the phone close. “Your generosity… your black cards… your promises… are worth less than sand beneath my feet.”

He tightened his grip, knuckles threatening to crack the phone in two. “Your power means nothing here. Your family’s name means nothing to me. If Williams wants his son… he will come… in person… kneel… and beg… or I will send him back in a box.”

With those words, Jaden pressed a button and ended the call. The phone fell from his grip and struck the gravel with a sickening crack, its face spiderwebbing under the impact.

Peter remained kneeling, shaking, his breath now a weak rasp. His greatest fear was not the icy cliff beneath him or the man standing above him — it was the knowledge that the Gravesends were powerless against him. That the king of war was not someone to be bought… not someone to be manipulated.