For an entire year, Esther heard nothing from Chris.
Not a visit, not even a single phone call.
Today, as Esther saw Chris appear before her, she couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down her face.
Finally, she pulled her car to the side of the road, leaned over the steering wheel, and broke into uncontrollable sobs.
“Don’t cry. I’m sorry. It’s my fault.”
Hearing the voice, Esther froze. How could there be someone else in her car?
She turned her head and saw Chris, smiling at her.
With a cold snort, she said, “You bastard! When did you sneak in? Get out of my car!”
Chris chuckled. “Esther, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”
At those words, Esther’s tears flowed even harder.
Suddenly, her eyes fell on Chris’s empty sleeve.
Her face filled with disbelief as she asked, “Darling, what happened to your arms?”
Saying this, she reached out and grabbed his sleeve.
The realization struck her, leaving her frozen in place.
Where had Chris been for the past year?
In that year, Esther had imagined countless times how Chris would return to her.
But she never expected that when he did, he would be… like this.
Seeing Chris’s empty sleeves, her heart felt as if it were being ripped apart.
Regret washed over her.
Though she had been angry at Chris for disappearing for an entire year, the sight of his condition dissolved all her grievances.
Chris sighed softly. “Esther, I’m sorry. I know it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have left you for so long…”
Before he could finish, Esther threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Darling, how did this happen to you?” she cried.
Seeing her tear-streaked face, Chris couldn’t help but let out a bitter smile.
He hadn’t wanted this either. But if he hadn’t done what he did, he might never have returned at all.
Though he had lost both arms, at least he was alive.
Chris smiled gently. “Don’t cry, my love. Even though I lost my arms, I’m still here, alive, with you.”
Wiping her tears, Esther nodded. “Alright. I won’t blame you. Just promise me you’ll never leave us behind again without a word.”
Relieved by her forgiveness, Chris moved to the driver’s seat.
Esther raised an eyebrow. “Darling, you don’t have arms. How are you going to drive?”
Chris froze, then laughed awkwardly and quickly moved to the passenger seat.
The truth was, he had momentarily forgotten his condition.
Esther started the car and drove them back to the auction house.
When they arrived, she carefully helped Chris out of the car.
“Mr. Shelby!”
Suddenly, a beautiful woman approached them.
Esther looked at her with a puzzled expression.
The woman was none other than Mara Wainwright, whom Chris had brought back from Aethelgard.
Curious, Esther asked, “Darling, who is she?”
As she spoke, Esther scrutinized Mara closely.
Mara wasn’t just beautiful; she carried an otherworldly elegance, as if she didn’t belong to this world.
Chris hesitated, unsure how to explain.
He knew Esther’s temperament-she was incredibly jealous. If he didn’t explain this carefully, she would undoubtedly be upset.
Before he could respond, Mara smiled warmly and said, “You must be Mr. Shelby’s wife, Esther. You’re so beautiful! I’m Mara Wainwright, just a servant by Mr. Shelby’s side.”
“Servant?”
Esther raised an eyebrow and gave Chris a skeptical look.
Chris coughed awkwardly. “Alright, enough talking. Let’s go inside.”
With that, they entered the auction house.
The auction was still ongoing, but the moment Chris walked in, the room fell silent.
The host smiled at Chris and announced, “Now, I declare that Mr. Shelby has purchased this gemstone for one billion dollars as a gift for his wife, Esther!”
The announcement caused a wave of murmurs among the crowd.
Esther was the CEO of Chester Group, the leading corporation in Amerosia.
In Middleton, she was practically a household name.
At the same time, many in the room recognized Chris.
The sight of him made several faces pale.
No one had expected the “scourge” of Middleton to return.
Chris’s return to Middleton would undoubtedly stir up another storm of blood and chaos.
Within moments, the news began to spread: Chris was back.
The host looked at Chris and asked, “May I know your name, Mr. Shelby?”
Chris scanned the crowd and replied, “My name is Chris.”
Boom!
The name landed like a thunderclap, leaving everyone stunned.
A year ago, Chris had thrown Middleton into turmoil.
He single-handedly crushed the city’s ten noble families.
Two of them were even erased entirely because of him.
But then, one year ago, Chris had disappeared without a trace.
No one knew where he went or what had happened.
Now, a year later, he had returned.
The host personally handed the gemstone to Chris, who placed it around Esther’s neck himself.
With the auction over, Chris ignored the crowd and left with Esther and Mara.
But whispers about Chris’s return filled the room.
Chris was back.
The once-dreaded demon had returned.
What chaos would he bring to Middleton this time?
The reactions were mixed-some were gloating, others were furious, while some harbored deep hatred.
A year ago, Chris had dominated Middleton with ruthless force.
Now, he was back, but as a man with no arms.
What could a crippled man possibly do?
News of Chris’s return quickly spread across Middleton.
The ten noble families were the first to receive the news.
Among them, the Beiming family, the most powerful of the ten, reacted the strongest.
For the past year, the Beiming family had kept an unusually low profile.
And the reason for their caution was none other than Chris.