My Life Changed with the Unlimited System

Jessica cried as she shook her head.

"Please… don't hurt them," she pleaded, her voice breaking. "I'll pay you whatever you want. I'll find a way to get the money. Just don't hurt them any more!"

Donald laughed like a real villain, clearly amused.

"Do you think I want your money?" he asked, showing his contempt. "This isn't about money anymore. We're way past that."

He stepped toward her, his boots making loud sounds on the concrete floor.

"You know right that your money means nothing," he said in a low, threatening voice. "What I want is Ethan."

Jessica froze, her breath hitching as his words sank in.

"Ethan?" she whispered, her mind racing. "But why?"

Donald crouched down to her level, his smile twisting into something even more sinister. "I want the man who embarrassed me and made me a joke in Brooksville. I want to let him suffer."

He then looked right at Jessica eyes and added, "And you, my dear, are the perfect bait."

Jessica shook her head, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. "No… please… leave him out of this. I'll do anything, just—"

Donald's expression grew serious as he stood up and interrupted her.

"Let me remind you... I'm not open for negotiation," he said coldly.

He turned to Joseph, who was barely moving and delivered a brutal kick to his head. The loud thud echoed in the warehouse.

"Dad!" Jessica screamed and lunged forward, but Kaida quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back easily.

"Let go of me!" Jessica shouted, struggling against Kaida's iron grip.

Jordan, despite the pain coursing through his body, managed to glare at Donald.

"You coward," he spat. "You don't even have the guts to face Ethan yourself, so you hide behind these goons."

Donald laughed, a harsh, grating sound.

"Say what you want, kid. Ethan will come running as soon as he hears about this. When he arrives, he'll have to follow my rules."

His smile grew wider, and his eyes shone with malice.

Jessica cried as she looked between her father and Jordan, feeling overwhelmed. She had thought she could manage this herself, but now she realized she was hopeless and helpless.

The atmosphere in the warehouse was tense. Every breath felt heavy with fear and uncertainty.

Donald's triumphant sneer twisted further as he relished the despair in Jessica's eyes and the pain etched on Jordan's face. His control over the situation was absolute, until the sudden echo of deliberate footsteps cut through the silence.

Lucien stepped into the warehouse with a presence that instantly commanded the room. His sharp suit and cold demeanor stood in stark contrast to the chaos unfolding. His gaze swept over the scene with quiet disdain before settling on Donald.

"Enough, Donald," Lucien said, his voice calm but carrying an edge that silenced the room. "You've made your point."

Donald turned to face Lucien, his irritation flickering into unease for a brief moment before he forced a scoff. "What's this about, Lucien? You're always meddling where you're not wanted."

Lucien ignored the jab, his piercing gaze now focused on Jessica. "I never gave you permission to do as you pleased with her."

Jessica and Jordan blinked in surprise. They had seen his photo shared by Ethan.

"Lucien?" they said in unison and confusion.

They knew well that this would only make their trouble worse. Donald and Lucien were both considered enemies of Ethan and Nova Tech.

Donald's expression twisted into anger.

"This isn't fair!" Donald snapped, his voice sharp and rising. "You get what you want—but I don't get Ethan? How the hell is that a deal?"

Lucien didn't flinch. A faint smile played on his lips, calm and cutting.

"Are you sure about that?" he said softly. "Isn't his dog already here?"

The words dropped like a stone into still water. For a moment, the room went quiet.

Jessica and Jordan exchanged a look. Their fear didn't vanish, but something shifted—just a flicker of hope lighting behind their eyes.

They had never planned to drag Ethan into this. They wanted to protect him from it all.

But maybe… just maybe, he had already known.

Before anyone could react, the warehouse door creaked again.

Footsteps entered, slow and deliberate.

Steve walked in.

He didn't say a word at first. The sound of his boots against concrete was enough. The weight of his presence rolled through the room like a wave.

He came alone.

But it didn't feel that way.

The air thickened with every step he took, his aura pressing down like an invisible storm. He didn't need to introduce himself.

His sharp gaze swept across the room, at Jordan's bloodied shirt, Jessica trembling beside him, Joseph lying bruised near the wall… and the three Ascendants now frozen in place.

Donald's smirk wavered. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple.

He recognized that pressure.

"Steve," he muttered, voice low with dread. "One of the Five Ghosts of Nemesis…"

Kaida and Dravik, both standing guard near Joseph, shifted uneasily. Their bodies tensed. Verran's cocky expression disappeared.

Steve stopped just a few steps inside. He didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to.

"Good," he said calmly, locking eyes with Donald. "So you know who I am. Now let them go."

"Let them go?" Donald tried to laugh it off. It came out dry and shaky. "And what, you think that's enough to give orders here?"

Steve took another step forward.

The air around him grew heavier, dense with intent.

"You know exactly what I'm capable of," he said coldly.

Every Ascendant in the room felt it, the difference between talent and mastery. Between risk… and certainty.

Lucien stayed silent. His arms folded, his expression unreadable. He didn't move to stop anything. Instead, he watched with interest, like someone waiting to see how a chess match would end.

His eyes flicked between Steve and the three Ascendants on Donald's side, as if silently weighing the odds.

Kaida released her grip on Jessica without a word.

Jessica stumbled back a step, then quickly rushed to Jordan, who was still holding his side, blood soaking through his shirt.

She grabbed his arm and helped steady him, her own body shaking from adrenaline and fear.

But for the first time since they arrived… there was hope.

Steve stood tall, silent and watchful, like a storm barely held back.

The rules of the game had changed. And everyone in the warehouse knew it.