The Zhao estate loomed in the distance, its grandeur tainted by the secrets it harbored. As they entered the main hall, Old Master Zhao greeted them with a forced smile. "Lin Tian, Zhao Yue, how kind of you to return."
Lin Tian's eyes narrowed. "Spare me the pretense. I know everything."
Old Master Zhao's smile faltered, but he quickly recovered. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't lie to me," Lin Tian snapped, his voice echoing through the hall. "I know about your pact with the Abyssal Order. I know about your betrayal of the Heavenly Dragon Clan."
The room fell silent. Zhao Yue stepped forward, her voice trembling. "Father, is it true?"
Old Master Zhao sighed, his expression hardening. "And if it is? Everything I've done has been for this family—for our survival. You don't understand the power the Abyssal Order wields. Defying them would have destroyed us."
"Your survival?" Lin Tian repeated, his voice low. "You sacrificed my clan for your own gain. And now you're willing to sacrifice me. How is that survival?"
Old Master Zhao glared at him. "You're just a tool, Lin Tian. A means to an end. Don't forget your place."
"My place?" Lin Tian's golden aura flared, his eyes glowing with power. "My place is reclaiming what's mine and destroying anyone who stands in my way—including you."
Old Master Zhao stepped back, fear flashing in his eyes. "You think you can challenge the Abyssal Order? You're a fool."
"We'll see about that," Lin Tian said, his voice like steel. "But first, I'll deal with you."
Zhao Yue stepped between them, tears streaming down her face. "Please, stop this. There has to be another way."
Lin Tian hesitated, his anger clashing with the faint glimmer of humanity in Zhao Yue's plea. "Your father betrayed everything I stand for, Yue. How can you ask me to spare him?"
"Because I still believe people can change," she said, her voice breaking. "Even him."
Lin Tian closed his eyes, his jaw clenched. After a long pause, he lowered his aura. "I'll spare him for now. But if he crosses me again, there will be no mercy."
Old Master Zhao's shoulders slumped in relief, but Lin Tian's gaze was cold. "You may have survived tonight, but your sins won't be forgotten. Remember that."
As Lin Tian and Zhao Yue left the hall, the tension between them was palpable. Zhao Yue's heart ached, torn between loyalty to her family and the growing admiration she felt for the man she had once dismissed. And Lin Tian's resolve only hardened—he would stop at nothing to destroy the Abyssal Order, even if it meant tearing the Zhao family apart.