novelDen Chapter 515 A New King III
Chapter 515 A New King III
A few moments ago he had been acting like the king of the prison block. Now he looked like a man standing at the edge of his own grave.
Liam stared at him for a second.
"Hm."
Then he released him.
THUD!
Ivan crashed onto the floor.
"GAHHH!"
The moment his feet touched the ground he collapsed onto his hands and knees.
"HAAA... HAAA... HAAA..."
His entire body shook violently.
Air rushed into his lungs.
Every breath sounded desperate.
Like a drowning man who had finally broken through the surface of the water.
"HAAA... HAAA..."
His chest rose and fell rapidly.
His throat burned.
His vision still hadn’t fully recovered.
For several seconds all he could do was breathe.
The two injured prisoners watching from the corner didn’t say a word.
Neither of them had ever seen Ivan like this.
Not once.
This was the same man who had ruled this prison block for years through fear and violence.
The same man who laughed after breaking someone’s nose.
The same man who enjoyed watching people beg.
Yet now he was the one shaking.
The one terrified.
The one trying not to cry.
Liam casually walked over and pulled the chair Ivan had been sitting on earlier.
The legs scraped loudly against the wet floor.
He turned it around and sat down backward, resting both arms across the backrest.
His expression looked calm.
Relaxed.
As if nothing unusual had happened.
As if he hadn’t just lifted a grown man into the air with one hand.
"So tell me, Ivan."
His voice was almost friendly.
"What really happened twelve years ago?"
Ivan swallowed hard.
There was no pride left.
No arrogance.
No threats.
Nothing.
Only fear.
His hands trembled uncontrollably.
"I-I-I..."
He lowered his head.
"T-Twelve years ago..."
His voice cracked.
"I was approached by some men."
Liam remained silent.
Ivan continued.
"They told me..."
He stopped briefly.
The memory clearly made him uncomfortable.
"N-No..."
He corrected himself.
"They had an offer."
Liam nodded slightly.
"What kind of offer?"
Ivan looked down at the floor.
"They told me I had to take the fall for Governor Vladimir."
He paused.
"Back then he wasn’t governor yet."
"He was only a senator."
The bathroom fell quiet.
Water continued dripping somewhere in the distance.
Liam thought about it for a moment.
The pieces were beginning to fit together.
The newspaper article.
Tatiana’s story.
The man in prison.
Everything was slowly connecting.
"And in exchange for what?"
Ivan immediately answered.
"Money."
"How much?"
"Two hundred and sixteen million rubles."
Even Liam raised an eyebrow.
That was a lot of money.
Especially twelve years ago.
He leaned back slightly.
"Hmmm."
His expression became thoughtful.
"That should be around three million dollars, right?"
Ivan nodded quickly.
"Y-Yes."
Liam let out a low whistle.
Three million dollars.
A large enough amount to tempt many people.
Especially a criminal.
Especially someone who never expected to see that kind of money in his lifetime.
Ivan lowered his gaze.
"Vladimir also promised me something else."
Liam already knew.
"What?"
"He promised to get me out."
The words sounded bitter.
"He said once he became governor he’d make everything disappear."
The bitterness only grew.
"He said I’d only have to wait a few years."
Liam couldn’t help smiling.
The smile wasn’t kind.
It was the smile of someone hearing an old story with an obvious ending.
He slowly looked around the dirty prison bathroom.
The cracked walls.
The rusted pipes.
The stained floor.
The smell alone was enough to make most people leave immediately.
Then he looked back at Ivan.
"And how is that working out for you?"
The question landed harder than any punch.
Ivan’s face twisted.
For several seconds he couldn’t answer.
Because there was nothing to say.
The agreement had been simple.
Take the fall.
Keep your mouth shut.
Get paid.
Then eventually walk free.
Instead twelve years had passed.
Twelve.
Governor Vladimir had become one of the most powerful men in the region.
Meanwhile Ivan was still trapped inside a prison bathroom explaining himself to a stranger.
The realization hurt.
A lot.
His fists clenched.
"At first he kept saying there were complications."
His voice grew darker.
"Then he said the timing wasn’t right."
Another pause.
"Then he stopped making excuses altogether."
Liam wasn’t surprised.
People like Vladimir never intended to keep promises.
Especially promises made to disposable criminals.
Ivan rubbed his face.
"The worst part?"
His jaw tightened.
"I think he tried to kill me."
That finally got Liam’s attention.
"Oh?"
Ivan nodded immediately.
"I got stabbed twice."
His hand instinctively moved toward his stomach.
"Different incidents."
"Different attackers."
"But both happened after Vladimir became governor."
His eyes darkened.
"I survived both times."
He looked up.
"But I know where those men came from."
Liam didn’t interrupt.
"I know it was him."
Ivan’s voice became filled with hatred.
"He wanted me gone."
"He wanted the last witness buried forever."
The bathroom became quiet again.
For the first time Liam almost felt sorry for him.
Almost.
The man still took the deal.
Still helped cover up a murder.
Still played a role in destroying a little girl’s life.
But being betrayed by the very people he protected?
That part wasn’t surprising.
Liam finally stood up.
The movement alone made Ivan flinch.
Instantly.
Like a frightened animal.
He immediately began crawling backward.
"No..."
His voice shook.
"Please..."
Liam took one step forward.
Ivan took two steps backward.
It didn’t matter.
The difference between them was too great.
One was an ordinary human.
The other wasn’t.
Before Ivan could move again, Liam appeared directly in front of him.
Just like before.
One moment several feet separated them.
The next moment Liam was standing over him.
Ivan’s heart nearly stopped.
He still couldn’t understand how it was possible.
Liam grabbed the front of his prison shirt.
Ivan’s body stiffened.
"W-Wait..."
His voice came out weak.
But Liam wasn’t interested.
The answers he wanted were no longer here.
They were waiting somewhere else.
With someone far more important.
The next second the world blurred.
The bathroom.
The walls.
The floor.
Everything vanished.
And before the two injured prisoners could even process what happened...
Both Liam and Ivan disappeared from sight.