Alpha Damien's Trouble Maker (by Ruby Anne) novel Chapter 162

Chapter 162

Chloe

I froze.

I simply stared at him, unable to even blink.

There was unwavering confidence in his gaze. Not pity, or doubt

Trust.

He trusted me.

He wanted me to trust myself.

A small, broken sound escaped my throat, half laugh, half sob, and I felt a tear slide down mycheek.

They were right.

Noah. My grandfather. My uncle.

If there were people who believed in me, why was I letting the words of those who belittled me carve me open from the inside? Holding onto their insults was like pressing knives agains my own skin, pushing them deeper and deeper until I bled out from wounds no one else could see.

“Do you yield?” Caspian’s voice cut through my thoughts.

I turned my head toward him. My throat was still trapped in his grip, my air still scarce.

“F-”

His brow lifted slightly. “What?”

I met his blue eyes and smiled.

It hurt to force the words out with his hand crushing my throat, but I did it anyway.

“Fuck you, asshole.”

He froze.

For the first time since this match began, true surprise flickered across his face. I had always been polite, soft-spoken, and careful with my words.

Not anymore.

Before he could recover, I tightened my grip on my sword and poured everything I had into it. Every ounce of fear. Every ounce of doubt. Every ounce of anger I had swallowed for years.

“Light Blade,” I whispered hoarsely, “help me. Lend me your power!”

The weapon trembled in my hand, its surface glowing faintly.

“I am not doing this to prove them wrong anymore,” I muttered my gaze locking onto my brother’s. “I am doing this for myself.”

And this time, I did not feel weak.

As soon as the words left my mouth, the Light Blade responded

A brilliant glow burst from its edge, so bright it swallowed the arena lights and painted everything in white-gold. The energy surged through my art violently, like lightning forcing its way through fragile veins, and for a split second I thought it would tear the apart from the inside.

The Dragon Yang loosened.

Caspian’s whip recoiled from my body as if burned, the sharp edges peeling away from my ribs and arm, and I did not hesitate. 1 swung my blade at him with everything I had left.

This time, he was not lazy, and there was no indifference in his eyes.

He moved back immediately, his expression sharpening because he understood something very clearly, if that blade touched him, even he would not walk away unharmed.

The moment the strike left my body, my strength left with it. If the ground hard.

I hoped Caspian would keep his prome

Please don’t touch them. I prayed faith Don’t hurt Noth, and les

The whistle of the whip slicing through the air reached my or closed my eyes and braced for pain, but it never came Instead, the crowd gaped louder than before, all with all

Confused, I forced my eyes open and froze

Standing in front of me was Nand

His posture was relaxed, and lazy, as if he had simply stepped into block the sunlight rather than a lethal strike. He looked the same as always at first glance, but he was not the same. A sucating aura rolled of him, pressing against the arena. The air felt heavier. The hairs on my arms stood on end. Even the cafest warriors instinctively stepped back

To make it worse between two of his fingers, he was holding the Dragon Rang

Caspian’s whin the legendary weapon said to be unblockable, ne trapped effortlessly between Noah’s fingers as though it were nothing more than a ribbon

Caspian stared at him, genuine shock breaking through his composure.

His grip tightened on the handle. “You-who are you?”

Noah tilted his head slightly, his expression calm but his eyes cold in a way I had never seen before

“That is enough

“Touch her again,” he continued, his gaze locking onto my brother’s “and I will kill you.”

I blinked.

Noah was different.

He did not look calm anymore. Beneath that lazy exterior was something terrifying and ancient.

He was angry. And somehow, that frightened me more than the hip ever could