Rise of The Abandoned Husband

I stood my ground despite the housekeeper's urgent tugs on my arm. "I'm not going anywhere until I understand what's happening here."

Fear clouded Kathleen's eyes. She glanced toward the window, then back at me. "Please, Liam. This isn't your concern."

"When my friend is terrified in her own home, it becomes my concern." I gently removed the housekeeper's grip from my sleeve. "Who is this Mr. Westwood?"

The sound of carriage wheels on gravel drifted through the open window. Kathleen's face went even paler.

"He's... he's from a prominent family in the region," she explained hastily. "They've helped us through some financial difficulties, and now—"

"Now he thinks he owns you," I finished, my voice hardening. I'd seen this pattern before—wealthy men using debt to trap vulnerable women. The memory of Isabelle's forced engagement to Dashiell Blackthorne flashed through my mind.

The Man with the Mustache moved to peek through the curtains. "Fancy carriage. Two armed men stepping out first." He turned to me with a raised eyebrow. "You want to handle this, or should I make us scarce?"

"We're staying," I declared.

Kathleen grabbed my hand. "You don't understand. The Westwoods have connections to the Sky Harmony League. They're powerful cultivators."

I couldn't help but smile at that. "The Sky Harmony League is gone, Kathleen."

Confusion crossed her face, but before she could respond, heavy footsteps approached the door.

The door swung open without a knock. A young man in expensive clothing strode in like he owned the place. His sharp features might have been handsome if not for the cruel set of his mouth. Two burly men flanked him, hands resting on their weapons.

His eyes narrowed when he saw me. "Who is this?" he demanded, not even looking at Kathleen.

I studied him with deliberate slowness, making no move to introduce myself.

Kathleen stepped forward, her voice slightly trembling. "Mr. Westwood, this is an old friend who came to visit. He was just leaving."

"Was I?" I asked mildly.

Westwood's gaze snapped to me, clearly not accustomed to being challenged. "Yes, you were." He flicked his hand dismissively. "I have private business with Miss Hansen."

"I think I'll stay," I replied, settling back into my chair and taking a casual sip of tea.

Rage flashed across Westwood's face. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

"Someone who apparently lacks basic manners," I observed. "Entering without knocking, failing to introduce yourself properly."

One of the bodyguards took a threatening step forward, but Westwood held up his hand. He turned to Kathleen, voice tight with controlled anger.

"My dear, perhaps you should remind your... friend... of your family's current situation."

Kathleen's shoulders slumped. "Liam, please. This isn't worth causing trouble over."

The defeat in her voice ignited something inside me. I'd heard that same tone from Isabelle years ago, when she believed she had no choice but to submit to the whims of powerful men.

I set down my teacup with deliberate care. "What exactly is your business with Kathleen?"

Westwood smirked. "Not that it's any of your concern, but the Hansen family owes mine a considerable debt. I've generously offered Miss Hansen a way to settle it—by becoming my companion."

"And if she refuses?"

"Then I'll be forced to seize their remaining assets." His eyes gleamed with malice. "Including this charming, if somewhat dilapidated, estate."

I looked at Kathleen. "Is this arrangement something you want?"

She couldn't meet my eyes. "I... I have responsibilities to my family."

"That's not what I asked."

Westwood's patience snapped. He grabbed Kathleen's arm roughly. "Enough of this nonsense. We have dinner plans to discuss our arrangement."

I was on my feet before I realized I'd moved. "Let her go."

The bodyguards immediately stepped between us, hands on their weapons.

"Or what?" Westwood sneered, his grip tightening on Kathleen's arm.

She winced in pain, and something cold settled in my chest. I'd come here as Liam Knight the friend, but perhaps Lord Knight of Heaven Gate needed to make an appearance after all.

"Last warning," I said quietly.

Westwood laughed and raised his hand, striking Kathleen across the face. "Know your place, woman. I won't tolerate disobedience."

The sound of the slap echoed through the room. Kathleen stumbled back, hand to her reddening cheek.

In the next heartbeat, I crossed the space between us. My palm connected with Westwood's face with enough force to send him crashing into the wall. Not enough to kill, but enough to hurt—badly.

"Liam!" Kathleen cried out in horror.

The bodyguards drew their weapons, charging at me from both sides. I didn't even turn to look at them. With a casual flick of my fingers, golden energy surged from my body. Both men dropped instantly, their hearts pierced by invisible needles of pure energy.

Westwood pushed himself up from the floor, blood trickling from his mouth and nose. Terror replaced his arrogance as he stared at his fallen guards.

"You... you killed them," he whispered.

"Yes," I replied simply.

He scrambled to his feet and backed toward the door. "Do you have any idea what you've done? My father will destroy you for this! The entire Hansen family will pay!"

I walked toward him slowly. "Here's what's going to happen. You have exactly one hour to return with your entire family—on their knees—to apologize to Kathleen."

He gaped at me. "You're insane! My father is a high elder of the Sky Harmony League!"

"One hour," I repeated. "Or I will personally ensure the Westwood name is erased from this kingdom."

Fury and fear warred on his face before he turned and fled, stumbling over his own feet in his haste to escape.

Silence fell over the room. The Man with the Mustache whistled low. "Well, that was dramatic."

Kathleen stared at me in shock, her gaze darting between me and the dead bodyguards. "What have you done? They'll come back with their entire family! They'll kill us all!"

I guided her to a chair. "No, they won't. But I need you to trust me, Kathleen."

"Liam..." Her voice trembled. "The Sky Harmony League controls half the kingdom. You can't fight them. No one can."

I exchanged glances with the Man with the Mustache, who shrugged. "Might as well tell her."

"The Sky Harmony League no longer exists," I explained gently. "Neither does the Crimson Flame Sect."

Kathleen looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "That's impossible. They've ruled Proseponia for centuries."

"Not anymore." I sat across from her. "I dismantled them three days ago. Heaven Gate is now the only power in Proseponia Kingdom."

Her mouth fell open. "Heaven Gate? What's that?"

"My organization," I said simply.

The Man with the Mustache snorted. "What he means is, he's now the most powerful man in the kingdom. Possibly the continent."

Disbelief etched across Kathleen's features. "But you... you were just a live-in son-in-law. How could you possibly...?"

"A lot has changed," I repeated, squeezing her hand gently. "I'm not the same man you knew."

She pulled her hand back, studying me with new eyes. "Clearly. You just killed two men without touching them."

"They drew weapons on me," I pointed out. "And they worked for a man who struck you."

The housekeeper, who had been silent until now, approached timidly. "What should we do with... them?" She gestured to the bodies.

"I'll handle it," the Man with the Mustache offered, producing a small formation disk from his pocket. With a murmured incantation, both bodies dissolved into fine ash that he collected in a pouch. "Never know when human remains might come in handy," he explained to Kathleen's horrified look.

I spent the next hour explaining some of what had happened since we'd last met—omitting the darker details about the golden cores and focusing instead on my rise to power. Kathleen listened with growing amazement, though I could see she still harbored doubts.

"Even if everything you say is true," she said as the hour drew to a close, "the Westwoods won't simply surrender. They're too proud."

I shrugged. "Then they'll die proud."

"Liam!" she exclaimed, shocked. "You can't just... execute an entire family!"

"I don't want to," I admitted. "But I won't let them threaten you either."

The sound of multiple carriages drew our attention. I moved to the window and counted three vehicles approaching.

"It seems they've made their choice," I remarked.

The Man with the Mustache joined me at the window. "More than I expected, honestly. Thought the kid might just run for the hills."

Kathleen wrung her hands. "Please, Liam. Let's just leave. I can go with you. We can figure something out."

I placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Stay inside. This won't take long."

I stepped out onto the front steps of the Hansen estate just as the carriages pulled up. The young Westwood emerged from the first one, followed by an older man with the same sharp features but gray at his temples. From the other carriages, several more men appeared—family members or allies, I presumed.

"That's him, Father!" the young Westwood shouted, pointing at me. "He killed Ryan and Dominic!"

The older man—clearly Cassius Westwood—approached slowly, studying me with calculating eyes. "You've made a grave mistake today, young man. Do you know who I am?"

"Someone who raised his son to think hitting women is acceptable," I replied coldly.

Anger flashed across his face. "You dare—"

"Your name," I interrupted. "Tell me your full name."

He straightened, pride evident in his bearing. "Cassius Westwood, High Elder of the Sky Harmony League's Western Division."

I smiled without warmth. "And I am Liam Knight, Master of Heaven Gate."

The effect was immediate. Recognition dawned in his eyes, followed by disbelief, then fear. "That's... impossible. You're—"

"The man who destroyed the Sky Harmony League," I finished for him. "I remember clearly that I killed all the people in the Sky Harmony League. How is there still a remnant like you?"