The War Gad's Revenge Story | Read Free Preview

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Chapter 1 — I'm Back

The autumn wind whistled through the streets, marking the arrival of fall in Fregend.
Pedestrians moved in small clusters, hurriedly tightening their coats and hunching their shoulders against the chill, their footsteps brisk and purposeful.
Amidst it all, a young man, dressed plainly, stood out. Around 6 feet tall and just over 20 years old, he strolled unhurriedly along the streets blanketed with golden maple leaves.
From time to time, he furrowed his brows, smiled, or paused to take in his surroundings, appearing unique and independent.
Despite his plain attire, the young man carried an indescribable aura that gave off a mysterious vibe.
His features were well-defined, and beneath his sharp eyebrows were a pair of bright eyes with a hint of sharpness, deep and unfathomable.
As he walked, the young man shook his head and muttered to himself, "Three years ... Fregend is still the same old Fregend, but I, Ryan Howell, am no longer the man I once was. I'm back. The Kanes, are you ready? And you, Abigail ... "
Beep, beep, beep ...
The sound of a car horn rang out.
A taxi pulled up beside Ryan. Behind the wheel sat a man well past middle age, his receding hairline forming a noticeable bald patch. Thick glasses perched on his nose, and a lit cigarette dangled from his fingers as he tapped off some ash. He looked at Ryan. "Where are you going, young man?"
Ryan paused for a moment, then smiled warmly and brightly. "The Kanes Residence."
It had been three years since the old man had saved him. Since then, most of his days had been spent in the solitude of the mountains.
Occasionally, the old man would send him down the mountain to treat people, but only in a few places like Aetheria or Demonia. He had never returned to Fregend, until now.
Fregend was no longer the same. The Howell family was a thing of the past, and he had no home to return to.
So why not go straight to the Kanes?
Revenge waits for no one, does it?
"The Kanes? That Kanes?" The middle-aged driver raised an eyebrow, surprised. After all, the Kanes were a prominent name in Fregend. "So, you're a distant relative of the Kanes? On your way to Mr. Joel's wedding? It's not exactly nearby, and with the traffic, it'll take about an hour."
Ryan opened the car door and got in. "A wedding? Joel and Abigail's?"
The middle-aged driver started the car and glanced at Ryan through the rearview mirror. "Kid, be careful how you speak. Mr. Joel and Ms. Xander are names we don't just mention casually."
Ryan smiled but didn't reply. However, a cold, penetrating chill flashed in his eyes, so intense it seemed as if it could freeze everything.
That coldness tugged at his memories, pulling him back to three years ago.
Three years ago, the Howells were the undisputed top family in Fregend, a true powerhouse.
The Howells nearly monopolized Fregend's shipping, fishing, and glass industries. At their peak, their assets exceeded ten billion.
At that time, the Kanes were a small, third- or fourth-tier family in Fregend, merely distant relatives of the Howells. Because of this distant connection, the Howells had always looked out for the Kanes.
Ryan had known Joel Kane since childhood. They attended the same private elementary school and were even seat mates.
After graduating high school, Joel skipped college and went straight to work at the Kanes' company to gain experience.
Because of his lack of experience, Joel was tricked and made a huge mistake in business, resulting in a loss of 60 million in funds that he needed to pay back in a short time.
The Kanes couldn't come up with this amount!
In the end, Ryan turned to his father, pleading for the money. His father provided the 60 million to help Joel out of the crisis.
That same year, Joel organized a company trip, a team-building retreat, to Firesoul Mountain on the outskirts of Fregend.
True to his nature, Joel didn't opt for the usual, well-traveled routes. Instead, he chose a secluded trail on the mountain's less-frequented backside.
As a result, the group got lost halfway up, and Joel, in a stroke of bad luck, ended up wandering off and getting separated.
When the news reached the Kanes, it felt like the sky had fallen. Desperate, they turned to the Howells for help, crying and pleading. The Howells, however, weren't willing to get involved, as it was troublesome.
Once again, it was Ryan who, shouldering the weight of the entire Howell family's pressure, devoted considerable time, effort, and money to the rescue. He arranged for more than ten helicopters and over a hundred drones to search the back of Firesoul Mountain.
In the end, after three days of searching, they found Joel near a massive boulder on a cliff, half-starved and barely clinging to life.
In short, he considered Joel a brother, a friend he'd trust with his life!
It was that absolute trust in Joel that led to the events of three years ago.
That night, as a freshman in college, Ryan took time out of his schedule to represent the Howells in a business negotiation with Violet Fyre, the heir to the Fyres of Aetheria.
Because the 19-year-old Ryan was participating in the family business for the first time, he was very cautious and well-prepared.
The meeting went smoothly. In the teahouse, Ryan and Violet sat across from each other, discussing business while enjoying tea. The conversation was pleasant, and they quickly reached an agreement.
Although Joel wasn't there that evening, the teahouse had been arranged and reserved by him.
With his early entry into the business world, Joel was familiar with all the key spots in Fregend—teahouses, cafés, and restaurants commonly used for business meetings. It made sense for Ryan to rely on him for the arrangements.

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Chapter 2 — Betrayal

However, Ryan never could have imagined that Joel had secretly bribed the teahouse owner and staff, and added drugs to the tea that night.
After finishing the tea and concluding the business deal, Ryan drove Violet back to her apartment. She had studied in Fregend and owned a place there.
When they reached the apartment building, the effects of the drug kicked in. Ryan and Violet lost control, their senses clouded, and they ended up in her apartment in a daze. They were alone in the apartment ... And he took Violet's virginity!
How could Ryan touch her, the legitimate daughter of the Fyres?
Even though the Howells were the top family in Fregend at the time, Fregend was just a small city. How could they compare to the Fyres, one of Aetheria's eight great families? It was like comparing an ant to an elephant.
Moreover, Ryan had openly gone to Violet's apartment, and left only the next day. With the Fyres' influence, it didn't take long for them to find out. There was no way to hide it.
Furious, the Fyres didn't give Ryan a chance to explain, nor did they give the Howells any time to react. In a single night, the Fyres nearly destroyed everything the Howells had built in business.
However, thanks to Violet's intervention, the Fyres didn't go to extremes. They spared the lives of the Howells, choosing not to escalate the situation.
At that moment, the Kanes took full advantage of the situation.
Relying on their careful preparation and the stolen business secrets from the Howells, the Kanes effortlessly consumed what was left of the Howells' shattered industries—fishing, shipping, glass manufacturing, and more—sweeping them up completely.
What made it even worse was that after the Kanes had completely taken over the Howells' businesses, Logan Kane, the head of the Kanes, brought his son Joel to their doorstep, relishing in humiliating and mocking them.
Unable to bear the blow, Ryan's father suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and passed away.
At his funeral, not a single one of his friends, associates, or even relatives who had benefited from the Howells' kindness showed up. Only a handful attended, leaving the family to mourn in solitude.
After a desolate funeral, Ryan's mother hanged herself, following her husband in death.
His younger sister, Lily Howell, with blood and tears in her eyes, looked at him with a mix of hatred and sorrow. Pointing at his face, she screamed three words, "I hate you!"
That night, Lily left a suicide note and jumped into the sea, and her body was never found.
As for Ryan, Joel had him brutally beaten, his limbs broken, and buried alive in the forest near Firesoul Mountain, close to Fregend.
Had it not been for the old man's timely arrival and his miraculous healing skills, Ryan would have perished, no matter how many lives he had.
Ryan vividly remembered that night, heavy rain pouring down, as if the heavens were crying.
Joel was burying him alive, stomping on his broken limbs with a ferocious face, and repeatedly banging his head with a shovel!
What stayed with Ryan the most was Joel's cruel grin, his mocking, victorious laughter echoing with each word he said.
"Ryan, my dear Mr. Howell, my good buddy, your father died because of you, your mother followed him, and your young sister even jumped into the sea to take her own life!
"You, the fine gentleman of Fregend, killed your own parents and sister, you're the first in history to do so, hahahaha ...
"And just so you know, it was me who bribed the tea house owner to spike your tea with drugs while you and Violet were there. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be where you are now.
"Heh, when the Fyres family came to investigate, they traced everything back to me. But I cried and swore it was all because you had ordered me to bribe the tea house owner to spike your tea, since you had improper intentions towards Violet.
"I couldn't refuse you, after all, I'm your best friend. You saved my life, and the Kanes owe their existence to the Howells. If I didn't listen to you, you'd have killed me and wiped out the Kanes.
"The Fyres family believed me without question and didn't bother to waste time with someone like me, a nobody. They gave me a few slaps and moved on, only interested in taking revenge on you, the ‘mastermind'.
"And as for how quickly the Kanes devoured the Howells, well, that's because I relied on my relationship with you to steal the core business secrets of the Howells.
"Ryan, I admit it, you've been good to me, like a real brother. You've saved my life more than once!
"I had nothing before, but by following you, I gradually gained wealth, status, and everything I never dared to dream of.
"But I just can't stand it! It's our first time being humans, so why do you get to be born noble, the first gentleman of Fregend?
"Why do you get to have someone like Abigail Xander, the most beautiful woman in Fregend, fawning over you? Why is it that when I try to talk to her, she ignores me?!
"I hate it, I can't accept it. So I'm going to destroy you, not just you, but your whole family, the Howells. And guess what? I did it!
"Look at you now, like a dead dog. Even asking for a quick death is a luxury. Pathetic and disgusting!"

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Chapter 3 — Your Woman Is Mine Now

"Ryan, just go, don't worry. I'll help you inherit the Howells' business, and Abigail, I'll take care of her. Hahaha ... "
...
Ryan's thoughts were in turmoil, and before he realized it, he clenched his fists.
It had been a long, long time since he had felt such emotional turmoil.
For three years on the mountain, he had soaked in medicinal baths every day, followed the old man in practicing the The Celestial Mastery of the Soul, and studied The Golden Needle of the Ghost Sect, The Grand Compendium of Herbal Lore, etc.
He had long become a cultivator, with a calm mind and spirit, traits that should have been ingrained in his bones.
But it wasn't until this moment that Ryan realized it had all been an illusion.
He would take his revenge!
...
Fregend.
Southeast Global Hotel.
The most luxurious five-star hotel in all of Fregend.
In the hotel's backstage area, Abigail sat before the mirror as a makeup artist carefully applied her makeup.
She wore a stunning wedding dress that highlighted her tall, graceful figure.
Her long, slender legs were encased in nude stockings, subtly veiled by the gown, creating a soft, almost dreamlike allure.
Abigail had an oval-shaped face, with thick, jet-black hair and pale, flawless skin. Her features weren't exactly striking on their own, but together they formed a unique beauty that carried a cool elegance.
Yet at this moment, she seemed distracted, her mind not fully present.
"Why, at this moment, am I still thinking of you?" Abigail thought of Ryan.
Even after three years, his face remained vivid in her mind.
Perhaps this was why she had remained single for the past three years. Despite Joel's sincere pursuit, she had never agreed, even ignored him.
It wasn't until recently, with her grandfather's severe illness, the company's major crisis, and the relentless pressure from her father and uncle—her mother even resorting to begging and threatening to commit suicide—that she could no longer hold on and had reluctantly agreed to marry Joel.
Despite all the reasons, in the end, she still agreed to marry him.
It was just like three years ago, during the darkest days of the Howells, when the family was on the brink of collapse, and when Ryan needed comfort the most ...
She couldn't be by his side for all sorts of reasons. She couldn't offer him comfort or help him. She watched helplessly as his parents died, as his sister jumped into the sea, and as he walked toward his death.
Although there had been countless reasons at the time, the result was that Abigail had done nothing. Nothing at all.
Just then ...
Knock, knock, knock.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Abigail, may I come in?" A voice called from the other side.
It was Joel's voice—polite and warm, like a gentle spring breeze, comforting. But if you listened closely, there was a subtle quiver of anticipation in his tone.
"No," Abigail replied coldly. "I'm in the middle of my makeup."
A pause followed outside the door.
A flicker of anger twisted Joel's refined face, framed by his gold-rimmed glasses, before he quickly masked it with a smile. "Alright, take your time with your makeup. I'll go greet the guests. If you need anything, just call me."
His teeth ground together, the sound of them gnashing faintly audible.
For three years, ever since the Howells' downfall and Ryan's death, he had devoted himself entirely to pursuing Abigail.
Like a lovesick fool, he had tried every trick, and poured all his effort into winning her over.
But he couldn't win her affection.
If it weren't for all his effort to secure Abigail's grandfather's and parents' support—behind the scenes even targeting her family's business, pushing them to the brink—Abigail would never have agreed to marry him.
What made it even more frustrating was ...
Even though Abigail had agreed to marry him, she didn't see him as her fiancé.
It was painful and almost laughable to admit, but the truth was, despite the wedding being just hours away, he and Abigail hadn't shared a single moment of intimacy. Not even the most basic touch. He hadn't even held her hand!
"Ryan, Ryan ... You're still thinking about him?! That b*stard who's been dead for three years, what's so special about him?! Why can't you just move on?! D*mmit!"
Joel was furious, and he wanted to rush into the dressing room and beat up this b*tch whom he had longed for three years but had never touched once.
But, of course, he still had some restraint.
He couldn't do that.
After all, the Xanders were powerful. While the Kanes had rapidly grown in power over the past three years by taking control of the weakened Howells, and now they were one of the top families in Fregend, the Xander family was still a top-tier force.
"Once the wedding's over, Abigail, you'll be my wife. By then, I want to see how you can still be cool and arrogant. I can play with you however I want!"
Joel took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. After three years of waiting, what was one more day?
"Hehe ... Ryan, after I sleep with Abigail tonight, I'll make a trip to Firesoul Mountain, to the place where you were buried. I'll light a candle for you and let you know, your woman is mine now."

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