Seth Knight did not act like the original owner of this body—timid, submissive, and trembling with fear.
Instead, he leaned back comfortably in the passenger seat, a playful glint flashing in his eyes.
He cleared his throat, deliberately lowering his voice.
Using an incredibly gentlemanly, magnetic, and even slightly apologetic tone, he said,
“My deepest apologies, darling.
“The roads in the Underhive are a bit bumpy.
“But I’ll be there soon.
“Would I have the honor of having you personally welcome me at the banquet gates?”
Silence fell over the other end of the line.
Yulia was clearly taken aback by this sudden, effortless composure.
When had this useless trash ever dared to speak to her in such a tone?
“Are you out of your mind? Get your ass over here right now!”
*Beep, beep, beep.*
The transmission cut out.
“Baldy.”
“Floor the engine. I’m in a hurry.”
“Right away, Commander!” the bald adjutant roared with excitement.
The battered Chimera Armored Transport erupted into a deafening roar, tearing through the wealthy district.
***
Outside the luxurious estate of the Spencer family.
Both sides of the wide, white marble driveway were lined with sleek anti-grav luxury vehicles.
Melodious classical music drifted from the banquet hall.
High society elites in glamorous attire held crystal wine glasses, chatting in small groups.
Atop the estate’s white marble steps, Yulia stood coldly with her arms crossed.
Tonight, she wore an incredibly lavish, custom-made, deep-V dark red evening gown.
The sheer fabric clung tightly, accentuating her mature, voluptuous curves to perfection.
Around her elegant neck hung a pigeon-blood ruby necklace.
*Rumble—*
The harsh, shrieking roar of an engine violently tore through the elegant atmosphere outside the estate.
Caked in Underhive filth, its chassis dented and scarred, and still bearing patches of dried blood, a Chimera Armored Transport aggressively barged into the driveway.
With a screeching of brakes, it ground to a steady halt right in front of the main steps.
The massive momentum kicked up a plume of dust.
Several socialites who failed to dodge in time shrieked, covering their noses and mouths as they stumbled backward.
The arriving nobles paused, waving their silk handkerchiefs in disgust.
“Whose vehicle is that? Absolutely no manners.”
“Look at the plate. It’s a piece of scrap metal from the PDF Underhive garrison.”
“Ah, I remember now. Today is Lady Yulia’s family banquet. The person inside must be that famous Underhive live-in husband.”
“Tsk, Lady Yulia is waiting at the door for him?”
“I think she’s planning to skin him alive.”
Mocking whispers spread through the crowd.
Inside the compartment, the bald adjutant and eight soldiers gripped their lasguns tightly.
Through the viewing slits, they could clearly see the disdain in the eyes of the aristocrats outside.
The soldiers’ eyes blazed with fury.
How could their commander—whom they revered like a living god—tolerate the insults of these Mid-hive parasites?
Yulia clicked down the steps in her high heels.
Her face icy, she marched up to the armored transport’s hatch.
She raised her right hand, clad in a black velvet glove, high in the air.
The moment that sniveling trash crawled out of the vehicle, she would deliver the loudest slap of his life in front of all the guests.
This would assert her dominance and wash away the shame this peasant had brought upon her family by being late.
Yulia raised her chin, her palm tensed and ready to strike.
Yet, there was no scrambling or crawling.
There were no pathetic pleas for mercy.
Seth Knight stepped out.
Standing tall and straight, his muscular physique practically strained against his uniform.
He didn’t even look at Yulia’s raised hand.
Instead, he looked down at her, his eyes scanning unapologetically from her collarbone all the way down.
A surge of possessiveness flared within him.
Seth licked his lips, thinking to himself: *This freeloading live-in husband really scored.
She’s a stunning specimen.*
Yulia shivered under his intense gaze.
Her raised hand froze in midair, completely of its own accord.
An unprecedented shiver surged violently up her spine.
She felt her knees go weak.
*What is going on?*
*He went to the Underhive and came back a completely different person?*
*That look, that overwhelming pressure…
there’s no way it could belong to that useless trash!*
The laughter of the surrounding nobles, who had gathered to watch a comedy, was instantly choked out.
The banquet security and guards frowned, instinctively reaching for the weapons at their waists.
The murderous aura radiating from this peasant was suffocating!
He felt like a demon freshly crawled out of the Warp!
“You… you filthy peasant!”
Yulia forced down the panic rising in her chest.
Being intimidated by her own pet dog humiliated her, driving her into a furious rage.
“How dare you look at me like that?!”
“Kneel!”
She shrieked, swinging her open palm down hard toward Seth’s cheek!
*Crack!*
A blunt impact rang out.
But it wasn’t the sound of a slap landing.
Seth’s right hand shot out like lightning.
His fingers, clamped like iron pincers, caught Yulia’s slender wrist dead in midair!
“How impudent! Let go of me!” Yulia gasped in shock, struggling desperately.
But she found his hand unyielding as stone.
Her bones began to creak under the crushing pressure.
“Darling, you certainly have quite the temper today,” Seth sneered.
Instead of letting go, he yanked his arm back, pulling her violently into his embrace.
“Ah!”
Yulia let out a terrified shriek.
Instantly losing her balance, her high heel snapped, and she crashed chest-first into Seth’s rock-hard chest.
Immediately after, before the horrified, disbelieving eyes of the crowd, Seth swept his arm around her waist, lifting the proud noble heiress like a lamb to the slaughter, and spun around.
He dragged her bodily into the rear compartment of the armored transport, which reeked of engine oil and dried blood!
*BANG!*
The heavy armored ramp slammed shut with a hiss of hydraulics, sealing Yulia’s shrill screams inside the steel cage.
The entire courtyard fell into a dead, suffocating silence.
Even the classical music drifting from the banquet hall seemed to falter for a moment.
“He’s crazy! He’s absolutely insane!”
“That’s Lady Yulia!”
Nobles and security guards alike felt their jaws hit the floor, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
Was this really the same useless live-in husband who didn’t even dare to raise his voice?!
In broad daylight!
In front of everyone!
He had violently abducted the eldest daughter of a Count?!
What kind of maniacal audacity was this?!
“My Lady!”
The Spencer family guards finally snapped out of their shock.
With eyes burning with rage, they drew their lasguns and rushed down the steps.
*Clack!
Clack!
Clack!*
Around the transport, the bald adjutant sneered.
Along with the eight burly soldiers, he racked his weapon as they fanned out in a defensive perimeter, locking down the entire armored vehicle.
“PDF on official military duty! All civilians stand back!”
“Cross this line and you will be shot!”
These eight soldiers, fed on Terran carbs, knew this was their moment to show loyalty.
If anyone dared disturb their commander while he was handling business, they would happily turn them into Swiss cheese!
Stopped dead in their tracks by this suicidal bravado, the estate guards stood frozen on the steps.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, they began shouting frantically into their vox-communicators:
“Guards! All armed guards to the main gate immediately!”
“Steve is mutinying! Inform the Count at once!”
***
While chaos reigned outside, the interior of the transport was dim, lit only by the faint red glow of the emergency overhead lights.
Yulia was tossed roughly onto the metal floor.
Before her head could stop spinning, Seth stepped forward.
He pulled out several high-tensile tactical zip-ties and grabbed her arms roughly.
“Have you lost your mind?! You suicidal trash!”
“Let go of me!”
“I’ll have my father chop you into pieces and throw you into the nutrient paste recycler! I will—”
Like a furious tigress, Yulia thrashed wildly, scratching and clawing.
Seth didn’t have the patience for her screeching.
Swiftly and efficiently, he bound her limbs, securing her to the metal seat in a spread-eagle fashion.
Her custom-made evening gown tore during the struggle, creating a stark visual contrast between her luxury attire and the crude, brutal restraints.
Eyes burning with fury, Yulia hissed, “You Underhive-born bastard! You are dead—”
Seth pinched her delicate jaw in a vice grip.
The sheer force forced Yulia to choke back the rest of her curses in pain.
“Shut up.”
“Keep screaming, and I’ll stuff you into the turret barrel and fire you out.”
Yulia froze completely, tears of fear welling up in her eyes.
She finally realized that the man in front of her might not be Steve at all!
Seth’s gaze fell upon her chest, where her violent thrashing had torn open her low-cut gown, exposing a wide swath of fair skin.
He had caught a fleeting glimpse of something when they were outside.
Releasing her jaw, Seth grabbed the collar of her custom gown and ripped it downward!
*Rip!*
The fabric tore apart.