The next day, Samuel boarded his private ne and flew straight into Vermont.

As governor, Kelly Kingston had no choice but to greet him in person. She stood tall at the airstrip, forcing a diplomatic smile as the old war legend stepped down from the jet.

"Wee to Vermont, Governor of Lexington," Kelly said, extending her hand with poise. "It''s an honor to host a legend like you, Sir Samuel."

Samuel sped her hand firmly, his eyes narrowing as he studied her.

"I''ve been told you''re losing control. That the power you''ve gained is consuming you."

"What do you mean, Sir?"

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Kelly''s brow furrowed. "What are you suggesting, Sir?"

"You can throw the first punch if you want," Samuel said, his voice icy. "I don''t make a habit of striking a woman before she strikes me."

"Excuse me?" Kelly blinked in shock. "I have no intention of attacking anyone."

"Then forgive me. I''ve got a job to finish," Samuel growled and his fist snapped forward without warning.

He used only a fraction of his strength, yet the strike was blindingly fast and brutally precise.

Kelly barely managed to block, her training snapping into action.

She countered with a swift kick, but Samuel caught her leg effortlessly and flung it aside.

Kelly stumbled back, gasping for breath. "Sir, what are you doing?" she shouted. "I''m going to kill you right here," Samuel dered, unleashing another savage jab. The raw force ripped through the air, making her bones scream as if they were already splintering under the pressure.

Kelly''s guards sprang into action, drawing weapons. But Samuel''s elite men moved faster, intercepting them.

"Don''t even think about it," one of Samuel''s guards barked.

"Don''t try to stop us!" Kelly''s guards roared, charging forward.

But within seconds they were overpowered-disarmed, mmed to the ground, and restrained with brutal efficiency.

Kelly was left alone, struggling to defend herself. Her body screamed in pain, but she refused to back down.

“Sir Samuel, I''m holding back out of respect for you," she warned, her voice trembling with both fury and fear.

"Then stop holding back," Samuel said coldly. "Because you''re going to die today."

His fists and kicks came heavier, each one ripping a cry of pain from Kelly as she staggered under the assault.

Finally, she unleashed her full power, every ounce of strength zing. But Samuel blocked and dodged effortlessly, his movements honed by decades of battle.

Then came his devastating swing. Kelly braced with both arms, but the impact shattered them instantly.

Her chest cracked with a sickening snap as ribs broke under the force.

Blood trickled from her lips as she stumbled back. In front of the legend, she could do nothing.

"Sir Samuel, why?" she coughed, forcing herself upright.

"I told you already," Samuel said, his voice like steel. "You''ve lost your purpose. You''ve strayed. And when a dog loses its way, someone has to show it where it belongs."

Kelly''s eyes zed. "I am the Governor of Vermont. How dare you look down on me!"

Samuel''s boot mmed into her midsection,unching her thirty meters through the air.

She hit the ground hard, vomiting blood as her body convulsed from the shock.

"Believe me," Samuel said, his shadow looming over her broken body. "You''re not the governor anymore."

Kelly gasped through the agony, her organs screaming in pain.

"You''re just the governor of Lexington. You have no right to decide who governs Vermont."

"Exactly," Samuel barked, stepping closer, his fist cocked back.

"So tell me why the hell is the new governor of Vermont meddling in Paris state affairs? Why are you stirring up trouble for the entire country when you should be running your own state?"

Samuel sneered, his voice razor-sharp. "Do you really think you''re strong enough to y in that league?"

"That''s none of your business, Samuel."

Kelly''s smartwatch suddenly buzzed.fnc5ab Chapters first released on FιndＮovel/fnc5ab

Samuel halted, folding his arms across his chest. "You''d better take that call."

Her entire body throbbed with pain. All she wanted was a moment to breathe, and

if answering the phone bought her even a second of rest, she would take it.

"Hello?" Kelly rasped, blood still at the corner of her lips.

A cold voice came through. "This is the Home Secretary. I''m calling to inform you that, as of today, you are no longer the governor of Vermont. Jericho Kane has been re-appointed in your ce."

Kelly froze, disbelief cutting through the pain.

"What? How can this happen?" She had always believed her position was untouchable.

"Remember," the Home Secretary

the

said tly, "your authority was granted by the King to stabilize

Vermont But reports show you met

abused that power, using it to

destabilize the states for your own ends."

s

"Trying to spark a war with Paris and Chicago? You''ve really started thinking too

highly of yourself, haven''t you?"

The line went dead.

Samuel smirked, his voice dripping with contempt. “Looks like someone just got kicked out of the governor''s chair."

Kelly wiped her mouth, smearing the blood across her cheek.

"You''re scheming behind my back to steal my seat. Don''t forget—I''m a Kingswell agent. I''ll take this to the King himself!"

She almost felt victorious saying it—until Samuelughed, a deep, cruel sound.

He lunged forward, his fist hammering into her. The blow sent her body flying thirty meters, bones screaming as she crashed to the ground.

"You don''t understand," Samuel said coldly. "You''ve been fired from Kingswell. Not just you-Alfred Kingston as well."

Kelly''s vision swam. The pain was unbearable, but worse than the agony was the shock.

Alfred Kingston too? That could only mean one thing-the King had abandoned them.

"Impossible!" she gasped. "We served Kingswell faithfully. The King would never cast us aside!"

Samuel sneered. "Check your clearance. Your ess is gone. All your authority- blocked."

With trembling fingers, Kelly pulled up her smartphone. Her heart sank as the truth appeared before her eyes.

Her clearance was revoked. She was out.

"How... how can this be?" she whispered.

Samuel tilted his head. "I heard you reported your superior, Alexander. used

him of misusing Kingswell for private business, didn''t you?"

"He used it for Sophia Lancaster!" Kelly shouted, rage breaking through her despair.

"And what did he do?" Samuel snapped.

"He removed Guise''s family from power because they were bleeding the people

dry. That was the King''s purpose all along-to protect the citizens. Alexander followed the King''s will."

"But you? You and Alfred twisted Kingswell to spy on Sophia, just to push Charles Kingston into the governor''s seat."

Samuel grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her face up. His grip was iron, unshakable.

"You Kingston''s twisted Kingswell and the state for your petty

ambitions stealing information and

attacking Sophia. For what? To rum her? Just to push Charles Kingston into the governor''s seat?" Samuel''s eyes zed with fury.

belongs to s

"Do you really think the Kingston name makes you royalty daring enough to y

politics right in front of the King?"

"No..." Kelly struggled, her voice weak, but his grip only tightened.

"What do you mean, no?" Samuel''s eyes burned. "The records are clear. You and

Alfred are guilty of abuse. Both of you deserve prison."

"I... made no mistake..." she whispered.

Samuel''s fist crashed into her stomach. Kelly gagged and vomited blood, her

body folding around the blow.

"The King sent me here with one message," Samuel growled.

"Drop your arrogance. The state never belonged to the Kingston family or to you. It has always belonged to the King. Don''t you dare start a war over your greed-people will die because of you."  s

His words shed like des. "Know your ce!"

Kelly''s mind spun in chaos.

She remembered it all-how she had wielded her authority as governor and her

Kingswell rank to try and strip Sophia of her position.

And now it was she who had been stripped of everything.

''As you sow, so shall you reap.''

Her body gave out, crumpling to the ground, motionless.

Whether she was unconscious or dead, even she couldn''t tell.

But the regret burned on, sharper than any wound-regret was always the most

painful.