Chapter 3: Bloodbath At Worldview Estate

After everyone had left, Kayden pushed Taylor toward the car, ready to drive back to the Jauncy family home. Just as they were about to get in, his phone rang. Kayden answered, exchanged a few words, and his face froze. The phone slipped from his fingers and hit the pavement with a clack. Taylor's brow creased. "Kayden, what happened?" When Kayden spoke, his lips trembled, and he clenched his jaw so hard it was audible. "The bodies of Nettle's fallen had just been buried, and the Wokey family invited all the top families to a banquet at Worldview Estate. They've also seized Jacqueline!" "What? Jacqueline?" Taylor's eyes went wide, reddening with rage. Jacqueline was Taylor's maid, adopted by the Jauncy family when she was little and given the name Jacqueline Jauncy. Though they weren't equals, they'd grown up together and were very close. For the Wokey family to snatch his personal maid at such a critical moment made their intent plain: they wanted to crush the Jauncy family and declare themselves the strongest family in Nettle. "Damn it! Dragon Legion has been wiped out, and I can't even save Jacqueline. I'm useless!" Tears burned in Kayden's eyes. He lifted a hand and slapped himself. "Kayden!" Taylor cut in quickly. "This isn't your fault. Go back. I want to spend some time at my grandfather's and father's graves." He spun the wheelchair and set off toward the cemetery. "But, Taylor..." "I said go back," he barked the order without breaking stride. Kayden still wanted to speak, but in the end, nothing came out. Taylor was the Jauncy family's last living heir, Lord Nettle himself. He had every right to give orders. A few hundred meters from the cemetery, a young woman with a delicate, fine-boned face stood watching. A teal robe rippled around her in the wind, making her lithe figure look taller, more poised. She was the daughter of Tucker, master of Alchemist's Haven. Her name was Laurel Goodison, Valia's foremost female doctor, a renowned healer. "Dad, take everyone back to Alchemist's Haven. I'll take care of something and head back." A short while earlier, she had been close enough to Taylor to see him clearly. Though they hadn't touched, her practiced eye caught the color in his cheeks and the strength in his posture. He didn't look paralyzed from the waist down at all. He looked vigorous. Perhaps he had recovered and was hiding it intentionally. So she decided to stay and watch. If nothing was amiss, all the better. But if Taylor faced danger, she wouldn't just stand by. "Alright, my girl. If you get the chance, make contact with Taylor first. Having the inside track helps the Goodison family." With that, Tucker led his people away. ***** The Worldview Estate, Nettle's largest hotel-style estate,  was the flagship property of the most powerful family, the Wokeys. Today, the Wokey family was hosting Nettle's elite here. The banquet was set for eight in the evening, yet a little past seven, the luminaries were already pouring in. The parking lot glittered with luxury cars. "With the Dragon Legion wiped out and the Jauncy family finished, the Wokey family is about to rule Nettle." "Right, and grabbing Jacqueline shows they're stepping on the Jauncys' necks." "I heard Mr. Enzo is recruiting, not only building a private army, but bringing in a top-tier fighter, Seth Zorn." Around the manicured lawns and corridors, guests murmured. Several families within the Nettle Tiger Legion had never truly accepted the Wokeys, but at the name Seth Zorn, the room fell silent. Seth was not only terrifyingly strong, but he was vicious. The people he killed were rarely left in one piece. If he chose to make a move, the target had no chance of surviving. With Seth on their side, the Wokeys' rise looked unstoppable. Just as the banquet was about to begin, a gust tore through the grounds. Yellowed leaves sprang into the air. A young man in a wheelchair rolled up the access ramp beside the estate's front doors. A dead leaf skimmed across his cheek, scratching a faint line, yet not so much as a flicker crossed his icy face. On his way to the Wokey estate, Taylor had intended to walk in under his own power. For the safety of the Jauncy survivors and the remnants of the Dragon Legion, he chose not to. This was not as simple as it looked; there might well be a hidden hand behind it all. For now, he would not reveal that he had recovered. Inside the banquet hall, the place was packed and humming. "Mr. Enzo, from here on, the Wokey family stands unrivaled in Nettle. I'd like to present an Ivory Scepter as a token of respect." "Haha, we'd appreciate your support. The Lyson family offers a Golden Statue." "Sorry I'm late, Mr. Enzo. I've had a yacht prepared for you; please accept it." Enzo Wokey, seated at the head, nodded with a small smile. He looked to be in his early fifties, dressed in a traditional jacket. Authority settled on him without a raised voice; he carried himself like a man born to command. He was the current head of Nettle's strongest family. "We are all of the Nettle Tiger Legion," he said, lifting his chin a touch. "I'll look out for you." "By the way, Mr. Enzo, the Casson family asked me to convey their congratulations. They send a masterwork Imperial Green landscape sculpture." Imperial Green was the pinnacle of jade; even a small plaque could fetch over $100,000. A carved landscape was rarer still, and worth far more. Even so, Enzo's brow pinched. "Oh? Why didn't Mr. Casson come in person? Heh. Maybe he's got an issue with me?" At the hint of anger, faces blanched. A single whim from someone at the top could wipe out a family. The head of the Warth family hurried a step forward, hands clasped in a respectful salute. "It's like this, Mr. Enzo. For the past two years, the Casson family's affairs have been run by Ms. Casson. Today, she went herself to the Martyrs' Mausoleum to break off her engagement with the young scion of the Jauncy family." Enzo nodded slightly. "So that's it. Sometimes picking a side matters more than what you say." Guests exchanged looks, then let out the breaths they had been holding. They all heard the subtext. Enzo was calling them to heel. "Haha, no need to be nervous," Enzo added with a lazy smirk. "I was just saying." He turned to the young man at his side. "Kenneth, take the gifts." The young man was clean-cut, with a scholarly air tinged by a hint of wickedness. He was Enzo's only son, Kenneth Wokey. As the Wokey family rose to the summit, this spoiled rich heir had become the top dog among Nettle's rich heirs. At his father's word, Kenneth signaled for the gifts to be moved to the back hall. Just then, a man in a suit jogged up. "Mr. Enzo, Taylor Jauncy is here!" "What?" People froze. The Jauncy family was finished, and the Wokeys held the reins. What was a cripple doing here? He was walking into his grave. Kenneth chuckled. "Dad, let me handle this one." Enzo nodded. "Good he came. Saves us the trouble of visiting the Jauncy Manor. Kenneth, keep the venue clean. No blood in the hall." "Don't worry. I have plenty of ways to mess with him." Kenneth set off toward the entrance. Several other heirs, hungry for a show, trailed after him. Soon, he stood over Taylor's wheelchair. He stepped forward and planted his foot on the armrest. "Mr. Jauncy, I hear your whole family is dead. Instead of staying home to mourn, you rushed over to throw yourself at our feet?" They laughed even harder, mocking Taylor's plight and the fall of a man who had once stood above them. That was the power of status. When the Jauncys ruled Nettle, even if Taylor had been crippled, Kenneth would not have dared step out of line. Now the roles had switched. Taylor lifted his head. His voice was flat. "Where's Jacqueline?" "Jacqueline? Your little maid, is it?" Kenneth's grin turned oily. "Then you should head home; try checking your bed. What are you doing here?" They laughed even harder. "Hand her over!" Taylor's face darkened. "Hahaha, struck a nerve, did I?" Kenneth threw his head back and laughed, then his expression iced over. "Fine. I'll stop teasing you. Jacqueline is right here. But for me to hand her over... do you think you have that right?" "You cripple, how dare you give Mr. Kenneth orders?" "Still think the Jauncy family runs Nettle? Wake up." "She's right here. If we don't hand her over, what are you gonna do about it?" The heirs chorused their scorn. For them, this was the perfect moment to pick a side. Taylor's face stayed calm. He leaned back against the chair, eyes narrowing. "If you don't, I'll turn Worldview Estate into a bloodbath." As soon as he said it, the place went silent.