In the northern region, near the border.
Elena Moore never imagined that her own brother would sell her off for 10,000 dollars to pay off his gambling debts.
This tech park she was trapped in was like the heart of darkness: phone scams, human trafficking, organ sales, brutal beatings, and cold-blooded murders. Life here was worthless.
With her good looks, the criminals forced her into prostitution. But she was defiant. She’d rather die than comply. Her resistance earned her a savage beating. Her clothes were torn to shreds, and bruises covered her body.
Elena was in so much pain, gripped by fear. In her despair, only one person came to mind—her husband, Adrian Blackwood.
“Please, don’t touch me... I can ask my husband to give you money, however much you want... please...” Her voice cracked, barely a whisper as she begged, making one last desperate attempt.
Extorting money was their specialty.
The gang leader, Tiger, looked thrilled. He motioned for his men to back off, stopping them from further assaulting her. Grinning, he handed her a phone. “Fine. Call him. Tell your husband to bring us two million. Not a penny less. Otherwise, you’ll be working for us nonstop, using your body to deal with our clients.”
Elena’s scalp tingled with fear. Her heart raced wildly, overcome by a deep sense of dread.The man she had secretly loved for three years, married for just a month, and barely spent even a day with—would he really spend twenty million to save her?
“Alright,” Elena Moore replied weakly. Turning to Adrian Blackwood for help felt like a desperate gamble, one where her life hung in the balance.
In seconds, the call connected, but a woman’s voice answered on the other end.
“Hello? Who’s this?”
At that moment, Elena’s heart sank, as if plummeting into a pitch-black abyss.
She gritted her teeth, forcing her bruised body to sit up. Her voice trembled with urgency. “I’m Adrian Blackwood’s wife, Elena. Please, can you let him take the phone?”
The woman’s tone was slow, almost lazy, “Adrian’s taking a nap right now. Whatever it is, you can just tell me.”
A bitter taste welled up in Elena’s mouth as she insisted, “Please, I need to speak to Adrian immediately. Hand him the phone.”
Ignoring her plea, the woman’s voice sharpened, her words cutting. “Elena, don’t think being married to Adrian makes you his rightful wife. The only reason he married you is because his grandmother forced him to.”
“Adrian loves me. You’re the one who came between us, not the other way around. A cheap, dirty little thing like you? Adrian can’t even be bothered to look at you. Honestly, it’s no wonder you’re stuck in this situation. Serves you right.”
Elena’s face went ghostly pale.
It felt as if a jagged blade had sliced into her chest, leaving her heart bleeding and raw, throbbing with an unbearable ache.The faint sound of Adrian Blackwood’s gentle voice filtered through the phone. “Amelia, who’s calling?”
“It’s just a scam call.” The woman quickly ended the call.
The men in the room erupted into mocking laughter.
“Looks like your husband’s got a woman on the side. Doubt he cares whether you live or die, let alone spend money to get you out of here.”
So, Adrian already had someone he truly loved. Those three years of silent longing? Nothing but a pathetic daydream on her part.
Her grandmother had lied, telling her that Adrian liked her, that he chose to marry her. She never realized her one-sided devotion had turned her into a homewrecker, breaking apart someone else’s relationship.
Elena Moore’s eyes slowly closed as tears glimmered, slipping down her pale cheeks. The pain in her chest cut far deeper than the bruises on her body ever could.
One of the men suddenly spoke up nervously, “Boss, she just mentioned her husband’s name. Could it be Adrian Blackwood, the leader of the Northern Army Group?”
In the North, Adrian’s name was practically legendary. Everyone had heard of him.
During the bloodiest days of a Middle Eastern war, he had led his forces, marching over the bodies of invaders, saving helpless villagers left homeless by relentless bombings. His fearless fight to drive out enemies had bathed his path in blood—but it had made him a hero.Adrian Blackwood—legendary war hero, a soldier who survived the brutal Middle Eastern wars, a name that brought shivers to anyone who heard it. That guy? And this fragile-looking woman in front of him was supposed to be his wife?
Tiger wasn’t buying it. He dismissed the thought with a smirk. “Relax, people. Adrian Blackwood? The guy’s practically untouchable. Just his name is enough to scare most people stiff. And his wife? Who’d dare even think of touching her? Last I heard, he wasn’t even married. Probably just someone with the same name. Keep trying to reach her so-called husband. Tell him to cough up two million if he wants her back.”
The men continued making calls.
Elena Moore sat frozen in the corner, her eyes shut tight, her hope shattered. She didn’t even care to move anymore.
Then, out of nowhere, it happened.
A deafening explosion shook the ground beneath them.
“Boom!” The entire building trembled as if an earthquake hit.
Elena flinched, her eyes snapping open.
The room full of men, previously lounging and playing cards, was now chaos. Their faces pale, their hands trembling.
Panicked voices rose from the outside. “Boss! Boss, it’s bad! The front gate—someone just blew it up!”
“What?!” Tiger’s expression twisted in fear. “Who the hell did that?”
“It’s…it’s the War Group! Adrian Blackwood’s people!” one of the men stammered, their voice shaking as they pointed toward the sky. “And there’s…there’s two attack helicopters circling above us…”"Are they really the military group that participated in the Palestine-Israel conflict? Oh man, we're screwed this time..."
At that moment, Elena Moore's frail figure was yanked up by Tiger. His face twisted with rage as he barked, "Is your husband really the leader of the military group, Adrian Blackwood?"
Elena weakly nodded her head.
Tiger immediately looked regretful, but gripping his gun tight, he pulled her towards the exit.
Outside the tech building, the scene was pure chaos.
Dozens of armored vehicles formed an impenetrable ring around the place. Hundreds of heavily armed soldiers, dressed in black tactical gear and wielding state-of-the-art rifles, stood in disciplined silence, waiting for orders. Above, two fighter jets circled menacingly, their snipers aiming at key targets from the cockpits.
The overwhelming show of force had many dropping their weapons, sinking to their knees with their hands on their heads, too terrified to make a move.
Tiger held Elena in front of him, his voice filled with desperation as he shouted, "Let me out of here, or she dies!"
Just then, the rear door of one of the vehicles swung open.
Out stepped a man exuding raw authority.
His chiseled features and sharp eyes were strikingly commanding. With his strong, upright posture and dressed in a fitted black military uniform, Adrian Blackwood radiated an unyielding aura of power and determination. His mere presence was enough to make hearts race and knees buckle.He emanated a chilling, powerful aura that made everyone around him feel like they were standing on thin ice.
The moment Elena Moore saw the man in front of her, her heart skipped a beat, pounding uncontrollably in her chest.
It really was Adrian Blackwood!
His sharp eyes were as cold as steel, and his voice carried a deadly edge, freezing the air around him. "Let her go."
Tiger's face went as white as a sheet, his hands trembling visibly. "Mr. Blackwood, I... I swear I didn't know she was your wife! Just—just let me go, and I'll release her, I promise!"
Adrian’s dark eyes gleamed with a terrifying intensity, every bit of humanity drained from his stare.
Not even once did his eyes flicker toward Elena.
Slowly, he raised his pistol, aiming it directly at Tiger. His voice was so icy it felt like it crawled out of hell. "If she dies, you’re going with her. Seven bullets—enough to turn you into a sieve."
