A Man Like None Other (Jared Chance) novel Chapter 6017

He closed his eyes.

Inside, the chaotic force roared like a river yet lay as deep as a star-strewn gulf.

A breath later he sheathed its light.

On paper, Julian’s upper-realm seventh grade should dwarf Jared’s eighth-grade celestial rank.

But chaotic force’s supremacy, welded to a lifetime of fights, made the gap feel bridgeable.

He felt ready to prove it.

Still, he knew every gain was bought with the tower’s stretched hours.

Without that, time would tighten again.

Beyond the chamber, scarcely two days had slipped by.

At the third dawn, pale light brushed the curtains.

Jared shrank Pentacarna Tower to a thumb-sized relic and slid it under his sleeve.

Hand in hand, he and Rania stepped into the corridor, spirits bright.

Their breaths synced; each exhale touched the other’s skin.

Servants saw nothing but a young couple in love, unaware of the fathomless strength hidden under their calm smiles.

A wave of cold fury swept in, harsh as a winter gale.

Pressure cinched Jared’s ribs and prickled the back of his neck.

He tightened his grip on Rania’s hand.

Frost filmed the railings.

Maids collapsed, foreheads to the floor, shaking so hard their bracelets clinked.

Julian stood at the threshold, purple-gold robe flowing, hands folded behind his back.

His face was iron-dark, his eyes cold lightning fixed on the pair.

The sight of Rania’s glowing cheeks and her easy closeness to Jared made the air twitch with rage.

Jared caught a flash of grim understanding in the lord’s stare; Elder Wood’s report about Rania breaking into the Library Pavilion with a strange man had clearly reached him already.

The nightly whispers about Jared sharing Rania’s room clearly fueled that storm.

In Julian’s eyes Jared must be the thief who slipped through every guard and stole the manor’s treasure.

Humiliation blazed behind that glare, hotter than any fire.

Rules and pride lay shattered at the man’s feet, and every shard was aimed at Jared.

Julian’s gaze swept over Rania as though weighing changes only a master could read.

His face tightened when he sensed her lost virgin energy and the unnaturally rapid surge in her cultivation.

He flicked back to Jared, eyebrows lifting at the mere eighth-grade aura he sensed.

Confusion knitted his brow; the numbers refused to match the threat he felt.

Unspoken questions churned behind the older man’s eyes.

"Father?" Rania’s voice cracked the hush.

She stepped in front of Jared, shoulders taut, as if her slight frame could shield him.

A vein pulsed at Julian’s temple as his jaw locked.

"Rania," Julian said, voice like iced steel. "Come here."

"Father, this is Mr. Chance—Jared—Mr. Fay invited him to help with the texts. He’s been invaluable to me..."

Her explanation faded, courage draining from her tone.

"I said, come here!"

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