[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-2603222E6F78-140":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},140,42,"Chapter 42: He Called Her Miss Harrison","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maximus Anderson received yet another package from the Salazar Syndicate. The video was shorter this time, but far more brutal: a group of men circling Rose Harrison, their boots connecting with her ribs, her body curling into a fetal position as they beat her.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maximus’s knuckles turned white. His ink-black eyes were clouded with a storm of blood-red fury, and his jaw locked so tight he thought his teeth might shatter. He couldn’t wait any longer. The Salazar Syndicate was a nest of vipers—desperate, lawless men—and he couldn't gamble with Rose’s life for another second. He grabbed his phone and made the call to the Hughes family.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Rose had always been close with the Hughes, and at this point, protocol didn't matter. He had no other way to ensure she walked out of that hellhole in one piece. He could only pray that Caspian Hughes would come through for him.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The drop-off point was an abandoned factory on the outskirts of Night Haven. It was a desolate wasteland, devoid of human life or light. Once Maximus confirmed that Caspian Hughes had received the signal and was closing in, he finally let out a ragged breath. He deployed his men in a perimeter, a silent trap meant to ensure no one escaped the factory doors, and then headed in with his closest brothers, his resolve cold and sharp.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">In the center of the derelict floor, Ryker Salazar sat waiting, perched on a rusted chair like a king of trash.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Ryker, good to see you,\" Maximus said, his voice flat, weaving a layer of forced civility over his rage.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Don't give me that, you little rat,\" Ryker spat, his voice grating. He had to admit, he’d underestimated the man. Maximus Anderson was bold—or perhaps just stupid—to show up here with so few men. But then again, wasn't that exactly what Ryker had liked about him back in the day? It was a shame the kid had grown a conscience and let his stupid moral compass snap their partnership in half.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Ryker shook off the irritation and gave a chilling smirk. \"What’s the matter? Turns out you really do care about your little damsel?\" He flicked his chin toward the shadows. \"Bring her up.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">His gaze never left Maximus, hunting for a crack in the armor, a flash of weakness, any sign of fear. Maximus stood like a statue, his dark eyes pools of nothingness. He gave away nothing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A moment later, Rose was dragged into the light. Maximus didn't flinch, though his peripheral vision caught every agonizing detail. She was covered in filth and dried blood, her face bruised and unrecognizable. Every fiber of his being screamed to rip those men apart, to carve them up for every second they had laid a hand on her, but he didn't let a muscle twitch.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Ryker watched Maximus’s indifference and felt a cold prickle of realization: he’d grabbed the wrong leverage. He panicked, desperate for a way out.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He turned to Rose, his tone dripping with mock apology. \"My mistake, Miss Harrison. We seem to have grabbed the wrong person. Now that Mr. Anderson is here, why don't you have him explain it to you himself?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maximus knew the game had reached its climax. He couldn't afford a single slip.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Miss Harrison,\" Maximus said, his voice dropping to an icy, detached register. \"I apologize. I was only using you for my own ends.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*Miss Harrison?*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The words echoed in Rose’s head like a death knell. *Apology? Using me?*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A bitter, hollow laugh bubbled up in her chest. How pathetic. Rose Harrison, who had poured her entire soul into a love that meant absolutely nothing to him. Was he laughing at her right now? At how easily he had led her by the nose with a few cheap crumbs of affection?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*Fine, Maximus. You win. You really are that cruel.*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She didn't have the strength to fight back. She hadn't eaten in two days, and her body felt like it was made of lead. If this was the end, so be it. A trace of a cold, self-deprecating smile pulled at the corner of her lips. It was a perfect epitaph for the love she had been foolish enough to believe in.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maximus waited. Silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating. He felt as if his heart were being shredded by needles, the agony coming in relentless, jagged waves. Yet, he kept his mask on. He couldn't show a flicker of concern. Not now.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*Just a little longer,* he told himself, bracing against the crushing weight of his own lies. *Just a little longer.*\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272922873]