Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Inside the quiet confinement of Sean's room, Laura sat on the edge of the bed, her wrists bound securely with Sean's silk tie. A dull ache throbbed in her hands, matching the heavy, suffocating fear weighing on her heart.

Yet, as she sat there in the silence, she realized she wasn't actually afraid that Sean would physically harm her. She knew him well enough to know he would never cross that line. What tore at her soul was the sheer cruelty of what he was doing—forcing her to exist side by side with the one person in this world she despised above all others, the man who had stolen her life away.

The heavy oak door unlocked and clicked open. Sean stepped inside, closing it quietly behind him.

He looked at Laura, his expression softening into something painfully gentle. As he took a slow step toward her, Laura instinctively tried to back away, pressing herself as far back against the sofa cushions as she could go.

When he reached her, he knelt down and carefully untied the knot around her wrists. He gently turned her hands over, his eyes darkening with regret as he saw the angry red bruises left behind by the silk.

Gently, he brushed his thumbs over her skin, soothing the marks. He leaned forward and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her wrist, his voice breaking. "I'm sorry... God, Laura, I'm so sorry I did that to you."

Laura pulled her hands away, looking up at him with bitter defiance. "You make me lose my mind."

Sean remained silent for a long moment, letting her words sink in, before speaking quietly. "Why do you hate me so much? Why won't you just listen to me?"

"Because you destroyed my life!" Laura snapped.

"All I ever wanted was for you to listen to me and give me a chance!" Sean pleaded, his voice rising in frustration. "Is that really so much to ask?"

"I will never give you a chance," Laura whispered fiercely, her eyes blazing. "I won't even let my heart look at you. I will never, ever listen to you."

Sean's composure cracked. A surge of desperate anger swept over his features as he shouted, "Fine! I won't ever ask you to give me a chance again! But I am also not going to give you a chance to run away from me. You are going to stay right beside me forever, even if you never accept me!"

Laura stood up, towering over him with indignant fury. "You despicable coward!"

"Call me whatever you want," Sean muttered, standing up to block her path. "I don't care what you think anymore."

Acting on pure adrenaline, Laura bolted toward the door. But Sean was too fast; his tall, broad frame instantly blocked her exit. She threw her small, weak fists against his chest, trying desperately to shove him aside, but it was like hitting a brick wall.

Without another word, Sean slipped past the threshold, stepped out into the hallway, and locked the heavy door firmly behind him.

***

Hours earlier...

When Bill finally reached the grand gates of the Northern Family Palace, he hammered frantically against the wood until the chief servant opened the door with an irritated scowl.

Before the servant could speak, David appeared behind him, his expression cold. "What do you want?"

"I met a girl on the road a while ago," Bill blurted out, catching his breath. "She said her name was Laura Winsolat. She's from your family, isn't she?"

David's eyes narrowed instantly. "Yes. What happened to her?"

"A man with brown skin and red hair kidnapped her," Bill explained urgently. "She tried to get away from him, but she couldn't. He threw her into his luxury car and drove off toward the South family estate!"

David's face drained of color, replaced by cold fury. "What did you say?"

Kevin, who had been listening from the courtyard, stepped forward. "Didn't you say those are the exact traits of the Southern Family?"

"Yes," David said, his jaw clenching. "What on earth would the Southern family want with her?"

"Could her insane story actually be true?" Kevin muttered. "Is Sean really hunting her?"

David scoffed, crossing his arms. "Are you an idiot? Open your ears—"

"It was him!" Bill interrupted, desperate. "She kept shouting his name! She called him Sean!"

Kevin froze, staring at Bill with dead seriousness. "Are you entirely sure of that name?"

"Yes, positive!"

David stared at them both, a cold dread pooling in his stomach. "What is going on here? Is this some kind of sick joke?"

"Nobody plays a joke by getting themselves kidnapped by psychopaths from that syndicate," Kevin pointed out sharply.

"We're going," David decided instantly. He turned to the head servant. "Sound the horn. Gather the men and bring the cars around. We're marching on the South family estate."

"Right away, sir!"

"I'm coming with you," Kevin insisted. "This is getting interesting."

"You are staying right here," David shot back. "You aren't even a full member of this family."

"My mother was," Kevin argued.

"The discussion is over. Stay put."

***

A convoy of sleek black luxury vehicles roared to a halt outside the heavily fortified gates of the Southern Family palace.

Before anyone could stop them, the lead car—driven by one of David's top enforcers—rammed straight through the iron gate rails, shattering the barrier as the rest of the convoy poured in behind it.

Car doors slammed shut in unison as David stepped out, his face like thunder.

Peter, the young head of the Southern family, emerged from the grand entrance flanked by a dozen armed guards. He offered a cool, mocking smile. "Well, well. If it isn't the president of the Northern family. Did you come here to declare war, or did you just miss our hospitality?"

David didn't bother playing games. "Drop the act. Bring our girl out before we turn your entire palace into a graveyard."

Peter raised an eyebrow in feigned confusion. "What child are you talking about? I have no idea what you mean."

"Ten minutes," David warned, his hand resting casually near his holster. "If Laura isn't standing right here in front of me, you and every single man you brought with you will drown in a sea of bullets."

Peter let out a heavy sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah... you mean that girl?"

David glared at him. "Are you mocking me?"

"No, seriously," Peter defended himself, holding up his hands. "She has the face of a child, but her age... man, she claims she's nearly a hundred years old. It's bizarre."

"One minute left," David snapped. "Move fast."

From the shadows of the portico, Sean stepped out into the light, slowly clapping his hands together. "Impressive. The Northerners are still as arrogant as ever. I honestly thought you had all gone soft over the decades, trading your blades for business ledgers."

David locked eyes with him. "And who the hell are you?"

"Did she really not mention me?" Sean smirked, stepping closer. "I'm the famous Sean. Laura must have talked about me endlessly. She loves me so much."

David let out a dry, sarcastic laugh. "From what I've heard, she despises you with every fiber of her being."

Sean's smirk vanished, his expression twisting into pure fury. "Shut your damn mouth, you bastard!"

"Not until you hand Laura over."

"I won't," Sean hissed. "She's my girl. I'm never letting anyone take her away from me again."

"She doesn't belong to you," David countered coldly.

"She is mine! I decided that ninety years ago!"

David shook his head, a humorless smile playing on his lips. "You really are completely insane. I can't believe I wasted time listening to her crazy stories."

"Believe whatever you want," Sean replied, his voice dropping an octave. "It's time for you to leave."

Up above, on the second-floor balcony, Laura heard the commotion and threw open her window, crying out at the top of her lungs, "David! Save me! He trapped me in this house! Please, David, get me away from him!"

David looked up, his gaze locking onto her window. "I'm not leaving without you, Laura."

"You won't be taking her anywhere," Sean warned.

Without warning, David drew his sidearm and leveled it straight at Sean's face. "If you value your life, don't move an inch while my men go inside and get her."

One of the Northern guards darted forward to enter the palace, but Sean moved with terrifying, superhuman speed. In a literal blur, he intercepted the guard, striking him with a crushing blow that knocked the man unconscious before he even hit the ground.

David stared, completely stunned by the impossible velocity of the attack. "What... what are you?"

"I told you," Sean replied smoothly. "I'm the famous Sean."

"Let's see if your legendary speed can outrun a bullet," David muttered, his finger tightening on the trigger.

Bang.

The gunshot echoed across the courtyard. The bullet struck Sean square in the shoulder.

David didn't flinch. He watched coldly as blood began to seep through Sean's shirt, showing no signs of remorse. "Go ahead. Heal from that one, monster."

Sean slowly raised his head, a dark, unsettling smile spreading across his face. "Who said I was afraid?"

In front of David's eyes, Sean reached up, dug his fingers directly into the fresh bullet wound, and pulled the deformed slug out. He tossed it casually onto the pavement at David's feet.

As the ragged hole in Sean's flesh stitched itself back together in seconds, David's cool facade finally cracked into genuine astonishment. He stared at the unblemished skin in silence. "It's... it's real. I didn't believe a word of her stories, but seeing supernatural magic with my own eyes..."

"I've met stranger things on my long journey," Sean replied coolly.

"You're definitely the strangest thing I've ever met," David admitted. "Regardless... I'm taking her with me."

"I said no."

"You don't have a choice," David said, gesturing behind him.

Two Northern guards emerged from the palace doors, flanked by Laura. The moment she saw David, she cried out and sprinted toward him.

Before she could take three steps, Sean vanished from his spot and reappeared beside her, wrapping a heavy arm around her waist. "You're not going anywhere."

Laura struggled against his grip, sobbing. "Let me go!"

"Leave her alone, Sean," David demanded, raising his weapon again.

"Never."

"Sean, please," Laura begged, tears streaming down her face. "I want to live with my family. Please don't deprive me of this again!"

"I don't trust you," Sean growled. "If I let you go with them, you'll just run away from me again."

Laura stopped struggling. She turned her head, looking up at him with heartbroken, tear-filled eyes. "I promise... I swear on my life I won't run away. But please, don't take away my chance to finally be happy with my family. You took it from me once—don't be a monster and do it again."

Sean stared down at her, his rigid exterior finally crumbling beneath the weight of her tears.

"If I let you go back with them," Sean whispered harshly, his voice trembling, "you cannot leave this city, and you must never, ever go near another man again."

"I won't," she choked out. "Just let me go."

"I swear..." Sean swallowed hard, his grip loosening. "Fine. Go."

He dropped his hand from her arm.

Laura stumbled back, but before she could even take a step toward Sean again, he added coldly, "And mark my words, Laura—if you break this promise, I will drag you to the ends of the earth, and I will never let you lay eyes on a single member of your family ever again."

Laura pulled her arm away, her voice shaking with bitter finality. "Understood."

She ran past him, rushing straight to David's side. David put a protective arm around her shoulders, offering Sean a smug, victorious smirk. "You really tried your best, didn't you? But no matter what you do, she'll never want you. She hates you."

"Stop teasing him, David. Just let's go," Laura urged, grabbing David's hand.

They climbed into the luxury car, and the convoy sped away from the Southern family estate, kicking up dust in their wake.

Standing on the steps, Peter watched them leave with a whistle. "Well, look at that. You just let her walk away after all that uproar."

Sean pressed a hand to his face, his fingers trembling slightly as he tried to hide the profound, crushing sorrow etched into his features. "I had to... The last time I forced her to stay, I found her crying day after day until her heart finally gave out and she slipped away from this world. Seeing her in that kind of agony... I realized what a monster I was being. I won't do it again—unless, of course, she breaks her promise."

Peter smirked. "So in the end, you're still not going to actually let her go for good, are you?"

"Of course not," Sean muttered darkly.

Peter chuckled. "Well, at least you're honest with yourself."

Sean slowly turned his head, fixing Peter with a gaze so dark, cold, and lethal that the family head instinctively took a step back. "And if I ever catch you looking at her the way you were earlier... I will gouge your eyes out with my bare hands."

Peter swallowed hard, breaking into a nervous sweat. "Jesus Christ... you really are terrifying."