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Chapter 45: Chapter 45 Khan
Surprisingly, it wasn’t a group of men that had come looking for Amanda; it was just one person, and even when Liam caught the man’s fist in mid-air, there wasn’t even a flicker of surprise on his face. Instead, he remained unnervingly calm, his lips slowly curling into a grin as he spoke in a voice that carried an air of confidence, as if everything was unfolding exactly as he had predicted. "I knew you’d be here," he said, his tone casual yet laced with something far more dangerous.
Liam had been worried about the wrong thing this entire time—Amanda had never been the true target of their visit. They had known she wouldn’t have missed a payment day without a valid reason, which meant someone must have been behind her newfound defiance. And who else could it be if not Liam Carter, the cocky bastard who always stuck his nose where it didn’t belong? It was clear now that the people Amanda owed money to weren’t just interested in making sure their debts were repaid—they wanted to send a message, and that message was going to be delivered through Liam’s broken body.
The man standing before him wasn’t just some hired thug; he was different, someone who radiated power and control, and Liam could tell that this was no ordinary enforcer. The fact that he had come alone spoke volumes. There was only one reason to send a single man instead of a group—it meant this man was more than capable of handling the job on his own. The boss must have wanted Liam dead so badly that he had sent one of his strongest men, and Liam was beginning to realize that this wouldn’t be a simple fight.
As Liam tightened his grip around the man’s fist, he suddenly felt the muscles beneath his fingers shift, and to his shock, the man began withdrawing his hand—slowly, deliberately, and with an almost effortless ease. Liam’s eyes widened in disbelief as he tried to hold on, but no matter how much force he applied, the man’s strength was on an entirely different level. It was as if he had simply decided he no longer wished to be restrained, and Liam could do nothing to stop him.
"You must be Liam," the man finally said, his voice even, controlled, yet carrying a weight of certainty that sent a shiver down Liam’s spine. "I am Khan."
Liam furrowed his brows, the name meaning nothing to him, and with a scoff, he replied, "And what the fuck am I supposed to do with that information?"
Khan merely smiled beneath his mask, his dark eyes gleaming with a predatory amusement. "That name," he said slowly, deliberately, "will be the last name you ever hear."
Liam smirked in return, though deep down, he felt a warning bell ringing in his head. Something about this man unsettled him in a way he had never experienced before, but he wasn’t about to show weakness. However, before Liam could even process his next move, Khan was already in motion.
With barely any warning, Khan raised his leg and sent a devastatingly fast kick straight toward Liam’s chest, the sheer force behind it creating a sharp gust of wind. Instinctively, Liam jumped back, barely dodging the attack, but even in that moment of evasion, he felt something cold creep down his spine—this man wasn’t just strong, he was fast. Faster than Liam had anticipated.
Stepping into the dim light of the living room, Khan’s appearance became clearer, and Liam took in every detail. His eyes were partially obscured by the shadow of a low-hanging black hat, but the rest of his face was hidden beneath a dark mask, giving him an almost ghostly presence. His long, black trench coat reached just past his knees, concealing his movements and adding to the eerie, assassin-like aura he carried. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and his posture alone spoke of experience, discipline, and the kind of confidence that only came from knowing that he had never lost a fight.
Every instinct in Liam’s body screamed at him to avoid this fight at all costs. Khan was dangerous, and something told him that this was a man who didn’t leave survivors.
But then Liam’s eyes flickered toward the staircase leading to Amanda’s room, and he clenched his fists tightly, pushing past the fear clawing at his mind. Running away wasn’t an option—not when Amanda was still sleeping upstairs, unaware of the danger that had just entered her home. He had promised her that he would take care of this problem, and if he turned his back now, then what kind of man would he be?
So instead of backing down, Liam planted his feet firmly on the ground, his hands curling into fists as his muscles tensed with determination. Khan might be stronger and faster, but Liam had one advantage that this man didn’t know about—the system.
And if there was one thing Liam was sure of, it was that he wasn’t going to die here tonight.
He didn’t hesitate this time—he wasn’t going to wait for Khan to make the next move, because if he did, he might not get another chance to attack at all. His instincts screamed at him to strike now while his determination burned strong, so without thinking twice, he pushed off the ground with all his strength, leaping onto Amanda’s couch in a single, fluid motion before springing upward like a coiled spring released at full force. In that moment, as his body soared through the air, he felt lighter than ever before, as if his muscles had shed all resistance and he had become weightless, nothing but a sharp, focused force aiming straight for his target. His entire body moved in perfect synchronization with his mind, no hesitation, no fear—just pure, calculated action.
As he reached the peak of his jump, his body twisted sharply midair, momentum carrying him into a spinning crescent kick aimed directly at Khan’s head, the force behind the attack strong enough to send a normal man crumbling to the floor in an instant. His eyes locked onto Khan’s masked face, expecting some kind of reaction—perhaps surprise, perhaps a slight step backward—but what he saw instead sent a shiver down his spine.
Khan didn’t move an inch, didn’t so much as flinch. His dark eyes beneath his mask remained calm, indifferent, almost as if he had expected this exact move from the very beginning. And then, in the next moment, his hands—previously relaxed behind his back—remained there as he suddenly lifted one leg with unnatural ease, bringing it up at an almost impossible angle to meet Liam’s kick with the effortless grace of someone who had done this a thousand times before.
The impact was brutal.
Liam barely had time to register what had happened before his entire body was sent flying backward, completely out of his control, as if he had just crashed into an invisible wall. The sheer force behind Khan’s defense sent him tumbling through the air, his limbs flailing helplessly as he tried—and failed—to regain his balance. His stomach lurched as gravity finally caught up to him, and before he could adjust his landing, Khan was already a step ahead.
Before his body could even reach the floor, Khan moved, stepping forward with eerie precision, his eyes never leaving Liam for even a second. And then, just as Liam was about to crash onto the ground, Khan’s leg shot out again, this time delivering a devastating kick straight into Liam’s midair form.
There was no time to react.
Liam barely managed to bring his arms up in a desperate attempt to shield himself, crossing them over his face to absorb the worst of the impact. The force of the kick exploded against his guard, sending a shockwave of pain down his arms and rattling his bones. It felt as if he had been hit by a wrecking ball, his body launching backward with terrifying velocity before crashing hard against the wall. The impact sent cracks spiderwebbing across the surface as a dull, throbbing ache spread through his back, his breath momentarily stolen from his lungs.
For a few seconds, he lay there, his body crumbling to the ground like a broken doll, his mind struggling to catch up with what had just happened. But he couldn’t afford to stay down.
With a grunt, Liam pushed himself back up, forcing his shaking limbs to cooperate as he staggered to his feet. His vision wavered slightly, but he shook his head violently to clear it, forcing himself to refocus. He clenched his fists tightly, ignoring the lingering pain in his arms, his fingers trembling against his will. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, his body had already felt the brunt of the damage, and the worst part was that Khan hadn’t even started taking him seriously yet.
Khan’s dark eyes flickered with amusement as he let out a soft, disdainful laugh, the sound carrying an unmistakable sense of superiority. "I expected more from you," he mused, his tone almost disappointed, as if Liam had already failed whatever test he had in mind. "But it looks like this will be over sooner than I thought."
Then, without wasting another second, Khan moved forward, his footsteps eerily silent despite the weight behind them.
Liam exhaled slowly, calming himself. There was no use in panicking, no use in letting fear dictate his next move—he had to think, had to strategize, had to find a way to break through Khan’s overwhelming strength. If he let himself spiral into fear, he was as good as dead.
The moment Khan’s leg shot forward again, aiming for another devastating strike, Liam acted.
Instead of blocking or attempting to counter, he shifted his weight at the last possible second, dodging to the side just as Khan’s foot tore through the air where his ribs had been a moment ago. But he didn’t stop there—he had noticed something, something important.
As Khan’s foot connected with the wall behind him, the sheer force of the attack tore straight through the structure, splintering the wooden frame and sending debris crumbling onto the floor. And in that brief moment where Khan’s leg remained stuck in the broken wall, Liam seized his chance.
With a burst of speed, he spun on his heel, his entire body twisting into a powerful spin kick aimed directly at Khan’s exposed midsection.
This time, the attack landed.
The impact was solid, the satisfying thud of his foot connecting with Khan’s torso sending a shockwave through Liam’s leg. Khan was knocked backward, his body crashing against the opposite wall with enough force to shake the entire room.
Liam landed smoothly, breathing heavily, his heart hammering in his chest. His arms still throbbed, his body ached, but he ignored it all as he kept his eyes locked onto Khan’s form.
For the first time since the fight had started, Khan had been forced to step back.
