I didn''t waste a second. With one powerful kick, I sent the office door flying open.


    Two men in suits whirled around, their hands instinctively reaching inside their jackets. Their eyes widened when they saw me.


    "Knight?" one gasped.


    I moved before they could react. A swift uppercut to the first man''s jaw sent him crashing into the wall. The second man managed to pull out his gun, but I was already on him. I grabbed his wrist, twisting until bones crunched. He screamed as the weapon ttered to the floor.


    "Liam!" Elder Hansen''s voice broke through the chaos. He sat behind his desk, face pale with relief. "Thank heavens you''re alive!"


    I mmed the second attacker''s head against the desk, knocking him unconscious.


    "What happened here?" I demanded, surveying the ransacked office.


    Elder Hansen''s hands trembled as he adjusted his sses. "After your arrest, Caldwell sent these thugs. They said you were dead."


    My jaw tightened. "And Roman?"


    "They took him," Hansen''s voice cracked. "Caldwell''s been forcing me to produce medicine for him. Said he''d kill Roman if I refused."


    White-hot rage surged through me. First they''d tried to frame me, and now they were threatening my allies.


    "Where''s Roman now?"


    "A warehouse on the west side of Riverbend Town. It used to be an herb storage facility," Hansen exined. "They''ve been holding him there for days. The conditions... they''re brutal, Liam."


    I checked my watch. If I left now, I could reach the warehouse within the hour.


    "Stay here," I told Hansen. "Lock the door. Don''t let anyone in until I return."


    The elder nodded. "Be careful. Caldwell has consolidated power quickly. Most of Roman''s men have switched sides."


    "They chose the wrong side," I said coldly.


    ---


    The warehouse stood isted in a dpidated industrial zone. Two guards lounged outside, smoking cigarettes with casual arrogance. I recognized them—former members of Roman''s security team.


    I approached openly, hands in my pockets.


    "Boss?" One squinted, then his eyes widened in recognition. "Holy shit, you''re supposed to be dead!"


    "Disappointed?" I asked, still walking toward them.


    The second guard fumbled for his gun. "Stay back! Caldwell runs things now!"


    I didn''t break stride. "So you betrayed Roman for Caldwell?"


    "It''s just business," the first one said, raising his weapon. "Nothing personal—"


    I struck before he finished speaking. Two precise blows, and both men crumpled to the ground. I relieved them of their guns and ess cards.


    The warehouse door clicked open with the swipe of a security card. Inside, the air was thick with the musty scent of dried herbs. Shelves lined the walls, filled with wooden crates and jars. Despite the disuse, I recognized some incredibly valuable medicinal ingredients.


    So Caldwell had been hoarding rare herbs. Interesting.


    A muffled groan drew my attention to the back of the warehouse. There, chained to a support beam, was Roman Volkov.


    My blood ran cold at the sight. His face was barely recognizable beneath the bruises and dried blood. His expensive suit hung in tatters, revealing more wounds across his chest and arms.


    "Roman," I called softly, approaching him.


    His swollen eyes struggled to focus. "Knight?" His voice was a raspy whisper. "Are you real, or am I hallucinating again?"


    I knelt beside him, quickly examining his injuries. "I''m real. And I''m getting you out of here."


    The chains were secured with a heavy padlock. I searched the unconscious guards and found the key tucked into one''s boot.


    As I unlocked the chains, Roman sagged forward. I caught him before he hit the ground.


    "Easy," I murmured, helping him to a sitting position. "Let me see those wounds."


    I pulled out a small emergency kit from my jacket. The injuries were severe but not life-threatening. I cleaned the worst cuts and applied a healing salve from my personal collection.


    "That should help with the pain," I exined. "Can you tell me what happened?"


    Roman winced as the medicine touched his raw skin. "After your arrest, Caldwell moved fast. imed you were executed for treason against Veridia City."


    "And your men believed him?"


    A bitter smile twisted Roman''s battered face. "Most did. Or pretended to. Money talks, and Caldwell was offering plenty."


    I helped him drink some water from a bottle I''d brought. "How did he get you?"


    "Ambush. My own driver sold me out." Roman''s eyes darkened with remembered betrayal. "Caldwell didn''t just want my men—he wanted my connections, my suppliers. Said he''d keep me alive as long as I was useful."


    "How long have you been here?"


    "Five days, maybe six. It all blurs together." Roman attempted to stand but swayed dangerously. I steadied him with a firm grip on his arm.


    "Take it slow. The medicine needs time to work."


    He nodded, leaning against me. "Caldwell''s taken over everything. My businesses, my properties. He''s established himself as Riverbend Town''s new economic power."


    "Where is he now?" I asked.


    "There''s a vi on the north side of town. Used to belong to the mayor until Caldwell convinced him to sell." Roman''s voice strengthened as the medicine took effect. "He''s holding some kind of meeting there today. Forming a new trade association with himself at the head."


    I helped Roman to his feet. "Then that''s where we''re going."


    ---


    Across town, in an opulent vi surrounded by perfectly manicured gardens, Caldwell raised his crystal champagne flute. Around him, Riverbend Town''s most prominent business ownersughed and clinked sses.


    "To new partnerships," Caldwell announced. "And to the bright future of our trade association!"


    The assembled businessmen echoed his toast enthusiastically. Their nervous smiles betrayed their true feelings—these weren''t willing partners but coerced participants.


    "Mr. Caldwell," one man ventured after several drinks had loosened his tongue. "I heard a strange rumor today."


    Caldwell raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What kind of rumor?" <samp ss="ref-219bc4">Visit My Virtual Library Empire (*) for more.</samp>


    "That Liam Knight is alive. And that the Thornton family has submitted to him."


    A tense silence fell over the gathering.


    Caldwellughed, dismissing the im with a wave of his hand. "The Thorntons, bowing to Knight? Impossible. As for Knight himself, I have it on good authority that he''s been dealt with permanently."


    "But what if—" the businessman persisted.


    "Even if by some miracle he survived," Caldwell interrupted, "he''s no threat to us now. I control his assets, his businesses, even his allies." He turned to a broad-shouldered man standing nearby. "Isn''t that right, Franklin?"


    Franklin Duval stepped forward, a cruel smile ying on his lips. His reputation as an enforcer was well-earned—his knuckles bore the scars of countless brutal encounters.


    "Don''t worry," Franklin assured Caldwell. "If Liam Knight really isn''t dead, I''ll go kill him myself."


    Little did he know, at that very moment, Liam Knight was approaching the vi, with a newly healed and thoroughly furious Roman Volkov at his side.


    The day of reckoning had arrived for Caldwell and his cohorts. Their stolen empire was about toe crashing down around them.