Lucas Dillon''s smirk made my blood boil as he drove me toward what I now realized wasn''t a standard detention facility. The rage inside me threatened to explode, but I forced myself to breathe deeply.


    "Think of Isabelle," I whispered to myself, her face materializing in my mind—the only anchor keeping me from unleashing my fury on this corrupt officer.


    "What was that, Knight?" Lucas taunted, eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror. "Praying already? You''ll need more than prayers where you''re going."


    I remained silent, watching unfamiliar scenery pass by. The buildings grew sparse, reced by dense forests and rocky terrain. After nearly two hours of driving, we approached a forbiddingpound surrounded by high walls topped with razor wire.


    A weathered sign read: "Martial Arts Association Prisoner Penitentiary – Shince City Branch."


    My stomach dropped. This wasn''t a regr detention center—it was one of those notorious ck sites where people disappeared.


    Lucas parked and yanked me from the backseat. "Wee to your new home," he announced, shoving me toward the entrance. "Hope you weren''t nning on seeing daylight again anytime soon."


    The heavy iron gates creaked open, revealing a grim courtyard patrolled by guards whose uniforms bore little resemnce to standard patrol attire.


    Lucas marched me into an office where a heavyset man with a perpetual scowl sat behind a desk, fingers inteced before him.


    "Mr. Mcbride," Lucas greeted him with unusual deference. "Special delivery as requested."


    The man''s eyes swept over me with cold disinterest. "This is the one Conrad Thornton wants contained?"


    "The very same," Lucas confirmed, then puffed out his chest. "By the way, I''m the Vice President here now. Conrad arranged itst week."


    Mcbride nodded curtly. "Then I''ll leave him in your capable hands, Vice President Dillon."


    Lucas''s grip on my arm tightened as he leaned close. "Hear that, Knight? I''m not just some patrol officer. I practically own you now."


    He dragged me down a dimly lit corridor that stank of mildew and despair. The sounds of distant moaning echoed off stone walls. We descended a spiral staircase, each step taking me further from any hope of rescue.


    At the bottom, Lucas stopped before a rusty metal door. "Special amodations for a special guest," he sneered, unlocking it.


    With a violent shove, he pushed me into darkness. I stumbled forward, barely catching myself before hitting the floor.


    "Enjoy your stay," Lucas called, mming the door shut with a deafening ng.


    As my eyes adjusted to the gloom, I took in my surroundings—a barren ten-by-ten cell with nothing but a thin mat on the floor and a filthy bucket in the corner. The only light filtered through a tiny barred window near the ceiling, too high to reach.


    I slumped against the cold wall, the reality of my situation sinking in. This wasn''t a simple arrest—it was a calcted move to make me disappear. Conrad Thornton had engineered my imprisonment in a facility few knew existed and fewer ever left.


    "Damn you, Conrad," I muttered, tugging uselessly at my restraints.


    Hours passed in that lightless hole, each minute stretching painfully. My thoughts wandered to how I''d ended up here—crossing the wrong man, underestimating his connections, believing my own growing influence would shield me.


    I''d been a fool.


    ———


    In the Thornton family mansion, Conrad Thornton lounged in his leather chair, swirling brandy in a crystal ss. The heavy scent of Cuban cigars filled his private study as he lifted his phone.


    "Uncle Shane," Conrad said into the receiver, "ensure the news of Liam Knight''s arrest spreads throughout Eldoria. I want everyone to know the Thornton family caught the ''notorious killer'' who''s been terrorizing our provinces."


    "Consider it done, Master Conrad," Uncle Shane replied, his voice obsequious. "Shall I emphasize the family''smitment to public safety?"


    Conrad chuckled darkly. "Yes, and make certain all business partners understand the message—cross the Thornton family, and you''ll disappear just like Knight."


    "Brilliant strategy, sir. This will solidify our position as the dominant force in Eldoria."


    "Indeed." Conrad sipped his brandy. "Knight thought he could challenge me. Now he''ll rot in that hellhole until I decide he''s suffered enough—then he''ll simply vanish."


    After ending the call, Conrad gazed out his window at the sprawling city below, a satisfied smile ying on his lips. Everything was proceeding exactly as nned.


    ———


    Within days, news of my capture spread like wildfire through Eldoria''s business circles and beyond. Whispers of the once-rising Liam Knight now imprisoned for heinous crimes filled every café and boardroom.


    Some believed the fabricated charges, while others suspected the truth but dared not speak it. The power of the Thornton family cast a long shadow, and no one wanted to stand in it. <q ss="meta-ref-static">Find the trantion on MV&LEMPYR.</q>


    William Vance paced anxiously in his living room as his daughter ra watched with tearful eyes.


    "You have to help him, Dad," ra pleaded. "Liam doesn''t belong in that ce. We both know those charges are lies."


    William ran a trembling hand through his gray hair. "I know, sweetheart. But Conrad Thornton—"


    "I don''t care how powerful Conrad is!" ra interrupted. "Liam has helped our family when nobody else would. We can''t abandon him now."


    William''s shoulders slumped. The weight of obligation warred with his fear of the Thorntons. "I''ll speak with Conrad," he finally said. "I''ll remind him of our years of partnership, appeal to whatever decency remains in him."


    ra embraced her father tightly. "Thank you, Dad. Please bring him back."


    ———


    The following morning, William Vance stood outside Conrad Thornton''s office, straightening his tie nervously before the secretary ushered him in.


    Conrad didn''t bother rising from his desk. "William, what an unexpected visit. I thought you''d retired to a quiet life."


    "Conrad," William began, struggling to keep his voice steady. "I''vee to discuss Liam Knight."


    Conrad''s expression hardened. "What about him?"


    "I believe there''s been a misunderstanding. Knight is innocent of those charges. He''s been a valuable associate to many businesses in Eldoria, including my own family''s."


    Conrad''sugh was cold and brittle. "Come now, William. You''re too intelligent to believe that. The evidence is overwhelming."


    "Evidence manufactured at yourmand," William countered, finding courage in his conviction. "I''m asking you, as an old friend and business partner, to reconsider."


    "Reconsider?" Conrad stood slowly, his imposing frame casting a shadow across the desk. "You daree into my office and use me of falsifying criminal charges?"


    William held his ground. "I''m asking you to show mercy. Whatever grievance you have with Knight can surely be resolved without destroying the man''s life."


    Conrad''s lips curved into a cruel smile. "Your retirement has made you soft, William. The Vance family no longer carries the influence it once did. Your daughter''s pretty face can''t save you from irrelevance."


    "This isn''t about influence," William insisted. "It''s about doing what''s right."


    "Right?" Conrad spat the word like it tasted foul. "What''s right is protecting my family''s interests. Knight interfered with those interests. He pays the price."


    William made onest attempt. "People respect you, Conrad. They fear you. Isn''t that enough? What does breaking a man like Knight prove?"


    Conrad circled his desk, standing ufortably close to William. "It proves that no one—not you, not Knight, not anyone in Eldoria—can challenge the Thornton family. That lesson is worth more than Knight''s freedom or life."


    William''s face paled. "His life?"


    Conrad''s eyes gleamed with malice. "Also, let me tell you, not only do I want to lock Liam Knight in, but I also want him to die in there!"


    William stepped back, finally understanding the depths of Conrad''s cruelty. There would be no appeal to reason or decency—Conrad Thornton had be a tyrant drunk on his own power, and Liam Knight was merely histest victim.


    As William turned to leave, the weight of his failure crushing him, he wondered if anyone could stand against the Thornton family now—or if Liam Knight was truly beyond saving.