The King Of War Returns (Jaden Rift) novel Chapter 190

Their thoughts were interrupted when Mia tugged at Jaden’s sleeve, her voice soft and tired. “Papa, I’m hungry. When can we eat? They had so much food on their tables earlier... It smelled so good.”

She was referring to the lavish spread at Xander’s seventieth birthday banquet. The dining hall had overflowed with rich aromas and elegant plating. Wagyu beef seared to perfection, foie gras on golden toast points, towers of lobster, caviar in crystal bowls, and abalone arranged like art. It wasn’t just extravagant—it was intimidating. Each dish looked like it could devour an entire month’s salary. Some, maybe an entire year’s worth. For most families, it wasn’t food. It was a warning.

Selena crouched beside her daughter, brushing back a strand of hair from Mia’s cheek. “Those meals are too expensive, sweetheart. Mama will make you something once we get home, alright?”

But Jaden didn’t even glance at her. His eyes were still fixed on the entrance of the hall. “Why do you think we can’t afford it?”

Selena blinked. “Jaden, we don’t have the money for—”

He cut her off, not with force, just calm certainty. “Let me pay for the meal. I’ve got a few pennies to spare.”

She paused. The way he said it—offhand, almost amused—didn’t match the weight of what they were talking about. But he wasn’t joking. And she knew that. Something about the way he carried himself had shifted in the last few days. Jaden had always been humble, never chasing wealth or recognition. But that didn’t mean he lacked it. He’d simply never cared. Tens of billions sat in accounts with his name on them. Numbers, that’s all they were to him. Digits on screens, paper in drawers. They held no power over him. As the King of war, Jaden is easily amongst the top three richest people in the world.

But for now he decided to hide all those and try to live a normal life until it's safe enough to reveal himself. He can't be wreckless as he was in Ravensmoor, he now has family, a daughter that he needs to protect, from his thousands of enemies.

They rode the private elevator, the one lined with dark marble and brushed steel, that moved silently to the top floor without a single stop in between.

Selena held Mia’s hand a little tighter, her fingers cold. Her parents trailed behind, quiet, taking in the sheer opulence of the building. By the time they stepped out into the reception foyer of Miracle Avenue, reality had begun to shift around them. Plush carpeting, minimalist art that probably cost more than their entire home, and a faint aroma of truffle oil in the air.

They hadn’t even seen the food yet, and they already felt the weight of it.

"Please don't embarrass us more young man, we've had enough already today."