Chapter 331: A Devil’s Bargain
A Devil’s Bargain
A mocking smile slowly spread across his face.
"No grudge?"
He let out a cold laugh that carried not the slightest trace of warmth.
"Do you even know how to write the words ’no grudge’?"
The instant those words left his mouth, the fury he had buried deep inside erupted once more.
His fingers clenched tightly.
The veins on the back of his hand became visible.
The humiliation from that disastrous day had never truly faded.
It lingered like a scar carved into his pride.
His expression darkened.
The most miserable day of his life...
Had been because of Julian D’Aurelius and the Ashbourne household.
Even now, remembering it made his jaw tighten.
After escaping that day, he had been forced to crawl through a filthy sewer just to survive.
The foul water...
The unbearable stench...
The suffocating darkness...
Every second had been a nightmare.
When he finally crawled back into the open air, his entire body had been soaked in the disgusting odor of the sewer.
It clung stubbornly to his clothes.
His skin.
Even his hair.
No matter how much he washed himself, the smell refused to disappear.
It had taken three full days before the lingering stench finally faded.
Three days.
To anyone else, it might have been a trivial inconvenience.
To Steffan...
It had been unbearable humiliation.
He had once been hailed as the Martial Art King of Africa.
Wherever he went, others greeted him with awe and respect.
When had he ever suffered such disgrace?
The more he remembered, the colder his expression became.
Seeing the murderous look in Steffan’s eyes, Zyan felt his throat tighten.
He forced himself to speak despite the overwhelming fear pressing against him.
"But... wasn’t it you who first plotted against our family?"
His voice shook noticeably.
There was even a trace of helplessness and innocence mixed into his words.
From his perspective, everything had started because Steffan had secretly targeted the Ashbourne household.
Wasn’t his family simply defending itself?
Steffan’s eyes flashed sharply.
"How do you know there weren’t others causing trouble?"
His teeth ground together as he spoke.
It was true.
He had intended to make a move against the Ashbourne household.
But the truth was equally simple.
His plan had never even begun.
Before he could put it into action, Julian D’Aurelius had overturned everything.
If anyone insisted on blaming him...
At most, it could only be considered an attempt.
Yet somehow...
He had become the one hunted across the country.
His anger only deepened at the thought.
Before either of them could continue, Black Ghost glanced toward the road beyond the trees.
The distant sound of an approaching engine reached his ears.
His expression became serious.
"Steffan, let’s get in the car and change locations."
"A car is coming."
Steffan looked toward the road for only a brief moment before nodding.
"Alright."
Without another word, he grabbed Zyan by the collar as though lifting a child.
Ignoring the latter’s frightened struggle, he casually threw him into the back seat of his own vehicle.
The impact made Zyan gasp.
Steffan then turned his gaze toward Black Ghost and the Ashbourne household attendant.
"You two ride in the other car."
His voice left no room for discussion.
Keeping them separated would eliminate any chance of the attendant attempting a rescue while driving.
The engines started almost simultaneously.
One vehicle followed the other as they left the main road and disappeared into a far quieter area on the outskirts of the city.
Towering trees surrounded the abandoned stretch of land.
The air was still.
No pedestrians.
No passing traffic.
Only the rustling of leaves stirred by the wind.
After both cars stopped, Steffan opened the rear door.
Without any gentleness whatsoever, he dragged the terrified Zyan Ashbourne out by the collar.
Zyan stumbled several steps before collapsing onto the ground.
His breathing became ragged.
Looking around at the deserted surroundings, despair filled his heart.
There was nobody here.
Nobody would hear him if he screamed.
Nobody would come to save him.
A horrifying thought surfaced in his mind.
Steffan had brought him here...
To silence him forever.
The last trace of composure shattered.
An uncontrollable warmth spread down his legs.
His face turned ghostly white.
He had wet himself.
The sharp smell of urine quickly spread through the quiet clearing.
Black Ghost immediately covered his nose.
"Damn..."
"He’s got quite the temper."
Even Steffan frowned instinctively.
The unpleasant odor reached him almost at once.
He took several steps backward with obvious disgust written across his face.
For a brief moment, even the murderous atmosphere was interrupted by the awkward scene before them.
Steffan looked at the trembling Zyan with cold eyes.
"I’m not here to kill you today."
His voice was calm once again.
"I want to make a deal with you."
Those words caught Zyan completely off guard.
His frightened breathing gradually slowed.
"A... a deal?"
He swallowed nervously.
"What deal?"
The desperate hope of surviving made him instinctively cling to the opportunity.
Steffan folded his arms.
His gaze remained fixed on Zyan.
"I’ll help you become the head of the Ashbourne household."
"And you..."
"Will help me deal with that beast, Julian D’Aurelius."
The words echoed through the deserted clearing.
For a long moment, Zyan Ashbourne simply stared at Steffan, unable to process what he had just heard.
The wind whispered through the surrounding trees, carrying away the last traces of silence.
His heartbeat slowly steadied.
If Steffan truly intended to kill him, there would have been no reason to waste time talking.
That realization eased a fraction of the terror gripping his heart.
Still...
He didn’t dare lower his guard.
His clothes were stained, his body trembled uncontrollably, and the humiliation of moments ago still burned inside him.
Steffan watched every subtle change in his expression.
He knew exactly what kind of man Zyan was.
Greedy.
Proud.
Cowardly.
The easiest people to manipulate were never the brave ones.
They were the ones whose fear outweighed their principles.
Hearing Steffan’s proposal, Zyan’s brows slowly drew together.
"This guy... also has a grudge against Julian D’Aurelius?"