102 Chapter 102 – A Glimpse of Power, A Whisper of
Seduction
I watched from the safety of the car as Caspian Kane faced Elder Wei. The contrast between them was stark–Elder Wei in his battle stance, muscles tensed and ready, while Caspian stood casually with his hands still clasped behind his back.
“Last chance,” Elder Wei growled, his weathered face twisted with annoyance. “Step
aside or die.”
Caspian’s expression remained unchanged. “You bore me.”
What happened next occurred so quickly I nearly missed it. Elder Wei lunged forward, his fist carrying enough force to shatter concrete. Caspian sidestepped with fluid grace, moving just enough to avoid the strike. In the same motion, his hand shot out, fingers extended in a rigid formation.
There was no dramatic explosion of power, no flashy display of energy. Just precision. His hand pierced Elder Wei’s chest with surgical accuracy.
The world seemed to pause. Elder Wei’s eyes widened in shock before Caspian withdrew his hand, now slick with blood. The older man remained standing for three agonizing seconds before crumpling to the ground.
Dead. Just like that.
“My God…” I whispered, feeling Isabelle’s hand tighten around mine.
Asher Lane’s face had drained of all color. He stumbled backward, nearly falling over
his own feet.
“You… you killed him!” he sputtered, pointing a trembling finger at Caspian. “Do you know who he was? He was an Energy Gathering expert at the peak level!”
Caspian wiped his bloodied hand with a pristine handkerchief before tossing it onto Elder Wei’s corpse. “Was he? I couldn’t tell.”
The casual dismissal sent ice down my spine. I’d been struggling with all my might against Elder Wei, barely landing a meaningful hit, and Caspian had killed him with a single strike. The gap between us wasn’t merely wide–it was a chasm.
23:15
1/5
102 Chapter 102 A Glimpse of Power A Whisper of Seduction
Asher Lane fell to his knees, his previous arrogance evaporating. “Please… don’t kill me! Whatever Liam Knight is paying you, I’ll double it! Triple it!”
Caspian tilted his head slightly. “You misunderstand the situation. I don’t work for
him.
Lane’s eyes darted between us, confusion replacing fear for a moment. “Then why-”
“I serve Miss Ashworth,” Caspian replied coldly. “Your business with Knight is your own affair. However, endangering Miss Ashworth by extension…” He left the threat hanging.
Lane prostrated himself, forehead touching the pavement. “Please forgive me! I had no idea she was under your protection!”
Caspian regarded him with detached amusement. “Leave. Now. And should I hear you’ve caused further trouble for Miss Ashworth or her companions, our next meeting won’t be so pleasant.”
Lane scrambled to his feet and fled to his car, not even sparing a glance for his dead bodyguard.
Only when the sound of his engine faded did Caspian approach our vehicle. I tensed involuntarily as he stopped at Isabelle’s window.
“Are you harmed, Miss Ashworth?” he asked, his voice softening slightly.
Isabelle shook her head. “I’m fine, thanks to you.” She glanced at me. “Though Liam took quite a beating.”
Caspian’s eyes flickered toward me, assessing rather than concerned. “He’ll heal. Though I suggest finding someone to teach you proper combat techniques, Knight. Your form is abysmal.”
The criticism stung, but I couldn’t argue. What I’d just witnessed had shattered any illusions about my fighting capabilities.
“Who taught you?” I asked before I could stop myself.
A ghost of a smile crossed his face. “People who make Elder Wei look like a child throwing punches.”
Caspian stepped back from the car. “I’ve fulfilled my obligation. Miss Ashworth, please
23:15
2/5
102 Chapter 102 A Glimpse of Power, A Whisper of Seduction
–
remember our agreement.”
Isabelle nodded. “Of course.”
With a slight bow, he turned and walked away, leaving Elder Wei’s body lying in the street like discarded trash.
“We should go,” Isabelle said softly, squeezing my arm. “Before someone comes.”
I nodded, starting the engine with trembling hands. As we drove away, one thought consumed me: I needed to become stronger. Much stronger.
Later that evening, we checked into a modest hotel on the outskirts of town. After securing the room, I collapsed onto the bed, the adrenaline crash making every bruise and cut scream for attention.
Isabelle sat beside me, inspecting a particularly nasty cut on my forehead with gentle fingers. “You should have run when I told you to.”
“And leave you with them?” I scoffed, wincing as she dabbed antiseptic on the wound.
“Not a chance.”
She smiled, but her eyes remained serious. “You can’t protect me if you’re dead, Liam.”
“I’m not dead yet,” I replied stubbornly.
Isabelle sighed. “No, but you might have been if Caspian hadn’t shown up.” She paused, her fingers lingering on my temple. “You had no idea what you were up against.”
“I know that now,” I admitted. “Seeing him fight… it was like watching a completely different level of power. What is he? An Inner Strength Grandmaster?”
Isabelle nodded. “One of the youngest in Veridia City. The Kane family has produced prodigies for generations.”
I stared at the ceiling, replaying the fight in my mind. One move. That’s all it had taken. “I need to get stronger.”
“You will,” she said with surprising conviction. “But right now, you need to rest.”
She stood, stretching gracefully. “I’m going to take a bath. Try not to brood too much while I’m gone.”
23:15
3/5
102 Chapter 102 – A Glimpse of Power A Whisper of Seduction
I managed a smile. “No promises.”
As the bathroom door closed behind her, I closed my eyes, exhaustion tugging at my consciousness. But sleep wouldn’t come. My mind kept replaying Caspian’s effortless kill, the way he’d moved with such deadly precision.
Twenty minutes later, the bathroom door opened, releasing a cloud of fragrant steam. I opened my eyes–and promptly felt my brain short–circuit.
Isabelle stood in the doorway, her hair damp and tousled, wearing nothing but a simple white bathrobe that clung to her curves. The thin fabric left little to the imagination, revealing the silhouette of her body underneath. Droplets of water traced gleaming paths down her exposed legs.
“Feeling better?” she asked innocently, but the glint in her eyes suggested she knew exactly what effect she was having.
I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. A sudden warmth flooded my body, culminating in the most mortifying nosebleed I’d ever experienced.
“I–you-” I stammered, scrambling to pinch my nose while simultaneously trying to look anywhere but at her.
Isabelle laughed, a musical sound that only intensified my embarrassment. “You act. like you’ve never seen a woman in a bathrobe before.”
“Not one who looks like you,” I blurted out before I could stop myself.
She smiled, pleased with my response, and crossed the room to sit beside me on the bed. The mattress dipped slightly under her weight, bringing her closer. I could smell her freshly washed skin, a hint of jasmine and something uniquely Isabelle.
“You know,” she said softly, her fingers finding their way to my arm, trailing lightly across my skin, “you never have to be afraid to look at me, Liam.”
Her touch sent electricity through my body. Those delicate fingers that had tended my wounds minutes earlier now ignited a different kind of fire entirely.
“I–I’m not afraid,” I managed, though my racing heart suggested otherwise.
She leaned closer, her lips just inches from mine. The loose neckline of her robe slipped slightly, revealing the smooth curve of her shoulder and hinting at what lay beneath.
23:15
4/5
102 Chapter 102. A climpse of Power A Whisper of Seduction
“Then tell me she whispered, her fingers sliding up to trace my collarbone, “what do you want to do?”
