Rise of The Abandoned Husband

I paced the corridor of the Celestial Apothecary Guild, my heart hammering against my ribs with each passing second. The journey here had been a nightmare – three days of constant vigilance, pushing myself to the limit while cradling Isabelle's broken body against mine. Her breathing had grown more labored with each passing hour, her skin colder, her pulse weaker.

"Please, Isabelle," I whispered to the empty hallway. "Hold on."

The Pavilion Master had taken her immediately, her face grave when she saw Isabelle's condition. The extraction wounds, the countless needle marks, the sickly pallor of her skin – all testimony to the Veridia City Martial Guild's cruelty.

"I'll do everything in my power," Mariana Valerius had promised before whisking Isabelle away to the treatment chambers. That was twelve hours ago. Twelve hours of hell, of not knowing if the woman I loved would survive.

I slammed my fist against the wall, cracking the stone. Blood trickled between my knuckles, but I barely felt the pain. It was nothing compared to what Isabelle had endured.

"Master Knight." A young apprentice approached cautiously, eyeing the damaged wall. "The Pavilion Master asked me to tell you that the first round of treatments is complete."

I spun around. "And? How is she?"

The apprentice hesitated. "Stable for now. But... the Pavilion Master says her condition remains critical. The damage to her meridians is extensive."

My throat tightened. "When can I see her?"

"Not yet. The Pavilion Master is preparing for the second round of treatment."

I nodded stiffly, dismissing him with a wave. As he hurried away, I slumped against the wall, exhaustion washing over me. I hadn't slept since rescuing Isabelle. Couldn't sleep. Not while her life hung in the balance.

The memory of her body, punctured and drained like a resource, fueled the rage burning inside me. The Veridia City Martial Guild would pay for this. Every last one of them.

---

Across the city, Ms. Hayward sat in her dimly lit office, staring at the notification in her hands. Three days to recover Isabelle Ashworth, or face "permanent disciplinary action." The Council's euphemism for execution.

Three days to save not only her own life but Broderick's as well. He'd been implicated in her failure, his position now as precarious as her own.

"I won't let them hurt you," she whispered, thinking of Broderick's gentle smile, the only warmth in her cold existence.

A sharp knock interrupted her thoughts.

"Enter," she called, hastily wiping away tears.

A junior officer stepped in, bowing low. "Ms. Hayward, we've received intelligence. Liam Knight was spotted near the Celestial Apothecary Guild."

Her spine straightened. "When?"

"Yesterday evening. He was carrying someone, presumably Isabelle Ashworth."

Ms. Hayward's mind raced. The Celestial Apothecary Guild – one of the few organizations powerful enough to defy the Martial Guild openly. A direct confrontation there would be disastrous.

She needed leverage. Something – or someone – Liam Knight would respond to.

"The Ashworth family," she murmured. "Of course."

---

The following morning found Ms. Hayward standing in the lobby of Ashworth Enterprises, the family's sprawling business headquarters. Her formal Guild uniform had been replaced with civilian attire – a desperate attempt to avoid attention.

"I need to see Corbin Ashworth," she told the receptionist. "Tell him it concerns his niece."

Ten minutes later, she was escorted into a lavish office where Corbin Ashworth sat behind a massive desk of polished mahogany. Beside him stood his son, Dominic, his handsome face twisted in a perpetual sneer.

"Ms. Hayward," Corbin said coolly. "To what do we owe this... unexpected visit?"

"It's about Isabelle," she replied, cutting to the chase. "She's been taken from our custody."

Dominic's eyebrows shot up. "Taken? By whom?"

"Liam Knight."

The silence that followed was thick enough to cut with a knife. Corbin's face remained impassive, but his knuckles whitened as he gripped his armrest.

"This is Guild business," he finally said. "Why come to us?"

Ms. Hayward took a deep breath. "Because I need your help to get her back. Liam Knight has taken refuge in the Celestial Apothecary Guild. A direct Guild assault would trigger a conflict we can't afford right now."

"But family members requesting their daughter's return..." Dominic finished, understanding dawning on his face.

"Precisely."

Corbin leaned forward. "Why should we help you? The Guild took Isabelle without our permission in the first place."

"Because your family's agreement with the Guild benefits both parties," Ms. Hayward countered. "The protection, the resources, the political influence – all contingent on cooperation."

"And if we refuse?" Corbin asked.

"Then I'll be forced to reveal certain... irregularities in your recent dealings with the Eastern Provinces. Dealings the Emperor might find interesting."

Corbin's face darkened. "That sounds like a threat, Ms. Hayward."

"A statement of fact." She met his gaze unflinchingly. "We need each other, Mr. Ashworth. Three days from now, I'll either have Isabelle back in Guild custody, or I'll be dead. And I don't plan on dying."

Dominic stepped forward, placing a hand on his father's shoulder. "Father, this could be advantageous. If Isabelle is returned to us rather than the Guild..."

The unspoken implication hung in the air. If they recovered Isabelle first, they could control what happened next.

"There's something else you should know," Ms. Hayward added. "Something about Isabelle's condition."

She explained the blood extraction, watching their expressions shift from shock to calculation.

"Her blood contains properties we've never seen before," Ms. Hayward concluded. "With proper cultivation, she could become extraordinarily powerful."

"More powerful than...?" Dominic glanced at his father.

"Potentially more powerful than anyone in your family," Ms. Hayward confirmed. "Perhaps even more powerful than many in the Guild."

Dominic's face hardened. For generations, he had been groomed as the Ashworth heir, the pinnacle of the family's bloodline. The thought of his cousin surpassing him...

"We'll help you," he declared. "But we need her father's involvement to make this look legitimate."

"Harrison?" Corbin frowned. "He's always been soft when it comes to Isabelle."

"Exactly," Dominic said. "Which is why he'll be perfect. His concern will be genuine."

Ms. Hayward nodded slowly. "Can you convince him?"

"Leave that to me," Dominic said, a cold smile spreading across his face.

---

Harrison Ashworth sat in his study, examining business contracts when his brother Corbin entered without knocking.

"We need to talk about Isabelle," Corbin announced.

Harrison looked up, instantly alert. His daughter had been missing for weeks, with only vague assurances from Corbin that she was "safe" and "receiving special training."

"What about her? Have you finally decided to tell me where she is?"

Dominic followed his father into the room, closing the door behind him. "She's been kidnapped, Uncle."

"What?" Harrison shot to his feet. "By whom?"

"Liam Knight," Corbin said grimly. "We've just received word. He broke into the facility where she was training and took her by force."

Harrison's face paled. "Is she hurt? Where has he taken her?"

"To the Celestial Apothecary Guild," Dominic explained. "We believe she's injured. The reports suggest Knight had to carry her."

Harrison's hands began to shake. "We must go to her immediately."

"That's why we're here," Corbin said smoothly. "We're assembling a family delegation. As her father, your presence is crucial."

"Of course," Harrison said, already moving toward the door. "I'll have my carriage prepared."

As Harrison hurried out, Dominic turned to his father. "He believed every word."

Corbin nodded. "Harrison's love for Isabelle has always been his weakness. He'll play his part perfectly."

"And once we have Isabelle?" Dominic asked.

"We ensure she never develops her potential," Corbin said coldly. "The last thing we need is Isabelle becoming powerful enough to challenge our family's structure."

---

I was dozing fitfully in a chair outside the treatment room when a hand shook me awake. Blinking through exhaustion, I found myself looking up at an apprentice healer.

"Master Smith, there are people outside claiming to be from the Ashworth family and wanting to see you!"

I was on my feet instantly, fully alert. "The Ashworths? Here?"

"Yes, sir. A large delegation, including Corbin Ashworth himself."

My mind raced. How had they found us so quickly? And more importantly, what did they want?

"Tell them I'm coming," I said, quickly composing myself.

As I walked through the Guild's halls toward the entrance, I tried to prepare for whatever confrontation awaited me. The Ashworth family had never approved of my relationship with Isabelle. Corbin, especially, had always looked at me with thinly veiled contempt.

But I wasn't the same man they had dismissed before. I had grown stronger. Powerful enough to breach the Veridia City Martial Guild and escape with their most valuable asset.

I reached the massive front doors of the Guild and took a deep breath. Whatever the Ashworths wanted, they would not take Isabelle from me again. I would die first.

With that resolve, I pushed open the doors and stepped into the morning light.

The sight that greeted me stopped me cold. Not just Corbin and Dominic, whom I'd expected, but a full Ashworth family delegation. Guards, servants, and in the center – a man whose resemblance to Isabelle was unmistakable. Her father, Harrison Ashworth.

And standing slightly behind them, half-hidden in the shadow of their carriage, was the last person I expected to see – Ms. Hayward, the woman responsible for Isabelle's captivity and torture.

My blood turned to ice. This wasn't just a family visit. This was a trap.