"Huh?" Dexter, who had been firing shots, saw something flash before his eyes. Dustin suddenly reappeared in front of him. He was unbelievably fast, given the fact that he was already quite far away when he pulled the trigger."You … are courting death!" Dexter's expression changed when he heard a cold and stern voice beside his ear. He lifted his gun and wanted to fire another shot. However, before he could pull the trigger, Dustin held his wrist and gave it a tight squeeze. With a loud crack, Dexter's wrist limped downward immediately, and his fingers let go of the gun lifelessly."Ah!" After he recovered from his shock, Dexter let out a loud cry. Dustin gave him another punch in the stomach as he wailed.He spit out another mouthful of blood. Dexter was like a ballistic missile when he was sent flying several yards away. He then slammed into the wall heavily, and it cracked in several places upon impact. His body was stuck to the wall momentarily before sliding down slo
The fear of death enveloped him."Don't … don't kill me … Today was a misunderstanding," Dexter croaked and spoke with great difficulty. At that moment, he was really scared. When death was upon him, he couldn't care less about his status and dignity anymore. If he could live, he would gladly renounce all those. He still had a good life before him, and he could enjoy endless riches. He didn't have to risk his life unnecessarily."Mr. Dexter, don't be afraid! That guy wouldn't dare do anything to you. He's just trying to intimidate you!" Harper tried to comfort him."Intimidate?" Dexter's mouth twitched, and he was almost tempted to start swearing. His chest was this close to being crushed by Dustin. How was that just intimidation?"Mr. Dexter, please hold on! I've already called for backup. When they arrive, Dustin won't be able to escape!" Harper continued to encourage him."Stupid motherfucker! Could you please shut up?" Dexter swore in his heart. His life now depended on
Dexter took big gulps of air as he broke out in cold sweat. He felt as if he had survived an apocalypse. Never in his dreams did he think that Natasha's boy toy could be this strong. He was also ruthless and had no fear of the Fallon family. Was he ignorantly arrogant? Or did he have a powerful backing?"Mr. Dexter, are you alright?" At this time, Cody and Harper finally dared to walk up to him to check if he was alright and to show him their loyalty. They shouted at Dustin just to please him. If they could take this opportunity to become his confidantes, they would finally have the chance to join the elite social circle. They were very close to living the easy life they had dreamed of for so long!"Mr. Dexter, there was nothing you should be afraid of. You could have continued fighting till the very end. I don't think he would have done anything to hurt you!" Harper pointed her chin toward Dustin with an arrogant and disgusted look. In her opinion, he was just feigning bra
This had never happened before.Cody and Harper were speechless. They looked at each other in defeat. They had no idea that Dexter, the person they'd been trying their best to bootlick, could be this useless. He actually apologized publicly because the boy toy threatened him.What an embarrassment! It looked like the Chaos Demon was nothing but a title. Natasha quietly observed the whole event unfolding with a smile on her face. It was true that Dustin was unyielding. He'd never let these rich playboys have their way."How do you propose to compensate me for my emotional distress?" Dustin asked. "Why don't you give me a price?" Dexter replied."I can see that the Fallon family is quite wealthy. How about three million?" Dustin said calmly."What? Three million? This is daylight robbery!" Harper yelled in surprise."Dustin Rhys! You're asking for too much!" Cody said with a gloomy expression.Was this guy crazy? Besides injuring Dexter, he was now asking for a compensation
Dexter was confused by the sudden slap. He was too shocked to react. Everyone else present was astounded as well. They had no idea what was happening. Didn't Dante come to protect Dexter? Why would he slap his nephew as soon as he saw him?"Uncle Dante, why did you slap me?" Dexter looked aggrieved as he held his burning cheek. Out in public, he was the Chaos Demon. However, he was just a terrified mouse before Dante. After all, his uncle was the one who gave him everything he had today."Hmph! Don't you have the faintest clue why I slapped you? How many fucking times have I told you? You can do whatever you want outside, be it picking a fight or finding faults."Whatever it is, the sky is practically your limit because you have the backing of the Fallon family! My only request is to never lose a fight!"The Fallon family will not tolerate losers nor cowards! You're a freaking Four-star Marshal, and you let a boy toy defeat you? "You're such an embarrassment to the Fallon f
"Have we? I don't remember anything." Dustin replied calmly."Let me ask you, do you know who I am?" Dante asked another question."I just found out you're Dante Fallon, a Cardinal Dragon Marshal," Dustin replied."If you already know my title, why aren't you afraid?" Dante was a little curious. Normal people would be trembling in fear whenever they saw him. And yet, this guy before him was calm and collected. It was as if he didn't care about him. Was he a fool? Or did he have a strong backing?"Why should I be afraid?" Dustin replied calmly, "Oakvale is not a lawless place. Your nephew wanted to fight, and he lost. Everyone here witnessed it. "Besides, the Fallon family is an ancient house in Oakvale. Are you trying to turn the heat on me based on your status?""Haha, smarty pants." Dante narrowed his eyes. Then, he said, "But you're right. Dexter lost because he was useless. The Fallon family will not intimidate the weak just because we're strong. Nevertheless, I can't
Cody and Harper were taken away, howling. It didn't matter how much they explained or how much they begged for mercy.Dante was already upset, and these two idiots provided him a channel to vent his anger. Cody and Harper only had themselves to blame. They met him at a bad time.There was nothing to fight about. But they just had to stand up and pick a fight. Without a doubt, they brought it upon themselves. Eighty strokes from the military whip were anything but fun. Even a sturdy army personnel would be out sick for at least two weeks after the punishment.Needless to say, for a normal person who had never undergone training, it wasn't rare for them to be crippled or dead after the punishment."Dear, those two seem to hate you a lot. Have you ever upset them?" Natasha asked curiously when she saw Cody and Harper being taken away forcefully."They're just two crazy dogs. Let them be." Dustin shook his head.Harper and Cody were typical bullies who looked down on the powerless
Natasha smiled and took Dustin by the elbow. "Let's go. I'll show you around, and we'll drop by Dash Corporation."…In South City, the Swanson family room was bright and spacious. Ezra sat across Eleanor at the table, talking and eating dessert."Ezra, why is Sir Crane still not here? Do you think he stood us up?" Eleanor looked at the time, appearing upset. She'd been waiting for an hour, but no one showed up."Eleanor, be patient. Sir Crane is a very busy man. Let's wait for a little longer. He should be here soon." Ezra flashed her a charming smile.As soon as he was done talking, someone opened the door. Soon, an old man dressed in an all-black suit with a stern and cold expression strode in. The old man had his hands behind him. His facial expression was icy, and his gaze haughty. He had this mysterious air around him."Sir Crane, you've finally arrived." Ezra's eyes lit up, and he stood up to welcome him."Have you prepared what I requested?" Theodore sat down slowly. H
At the Ballard estate, Dustin was warmly welcomed to stay after dinner. This was the first time Natasha had brought her boyfriend home, so the Ballards made a big deal of it.Simon personally accompanied the young couple and invited them to the study to chat over tea. With his sharp eye, Simon could tell Dustin was no ordinary martial artist. His manners, speech, and broad knowledge set him apart from most people."Dustin, I fully support your relationship with Natasha. Your background or status doesn't matter. What matters most is that you two are happy together." Simon paused and said earnestly, "I want you to understand that she's been pampered all her life and hasn't faced much hardship. Now that she's with you, I hope you'll take good care of her.""Don't worry, Mr. Ballard. I would never let her down," Dustin replied sincerely.Though they had known each other for some time and hadn't yet taken their relationship to the next level, they had already made their feelings clear
After hearing Nathaniel's words, Tristan's expression darkened. His brow furrowed as he sank into deep thought.It seemed he had underestimated the situation. He had assumed it was just a simple rivalry between brothers; he hadn't anticipated Seamus seizing the chance to further his own agenda.Seamus already wielded considerable influence. Under the guise of supporting Matthias' ascension to the throne, he had been forming alliances and recruiting talents. His influence had grown to rival the royal family's.If Seamus really supported Matthias' ascension, he'd overshadow the king, and no one would be able to stop him. The worst-case scenario would be Seamus using Matthias as a puppet to overthrow the House of Linsor."Nathaniel, is everything you said true?" Tristan frowned."Absolutely. Every word," Nathaniel replied solemnly. "Of course, if you don't believe me, you can send someone to investigate.""I believe you. But… taking down Seamus won't be easy. Do you have a plan?" Tr
An hour later, Nathaniel quietly entered a private mansion wearing a disguise.Inside the living room, Tristan had already prepared tea and refreshments. He looked as if he had been waiting for a long time."Sorry to have kept you waiting, Tristan." Nathaniel took off his coat and walked forward with a smile."No need to apologize. I'm happy that you made the effort to arrange this. A few extra minutes are nothing, especially since it's rare for us to meet." Tristan gestured for him to sit while he poured two cups of tea and handed one to his brother.Nathaniel accepted the cup and discreetly set it aside. Whenever he was out, he was always cautious about food and drink—this wariness had become second nature."You asked to meet me on short notice. Is this about official matters or something personal?" Tristan took a sip from his cup and got straight to the point."Both," Nathaniel replied, still smiling."Oh?" Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Let's hear it, then.""Given how things
In another luxurious mansion in the Inner City, a female spy dressed in black, cloaked in a hood, was reporting the results of her investigation to Nathaniel."Your Highness, the Moseys have been particularly active recently and are rallying allies. Many of the eight great families and other influential factions have already allied with them. If left unchecked, they'll pose a serious threat to us," she said, kneeling with her head lowered slightly."So the Moseys are backing Matthias, huh?" Nathaniel sat quietly, his expression unreadable."The Moseys have grand ambitions. While they claim to support Prince Matthias, they're merely setting him up as a puppet to rise to power and expand their own influence," she revealed.She had been infiltrating the Moseys' mansion for years and had gained a deep understanding of their operations, from the smallest details to the key players.Though Seamus appeared as a benevolent philanthropist, it was all a façade. Behind closed doors, he was r
That night, two young men sat playing chess inside a secluded mansion in the Inner City. On the left was Anders, who had visited the Ballard estate earlier. Across from him sat Matthias, a broad-shouldered man dressed in richly adorned robes.The game was intense, with fast moves followed by moments of deep thought. About ten minutes later, Anders finally conceded defeat."Anders, you've really improved since we last played. You almost had me there," Matthias said, stroking his beard in mild surprise."You flatter me, Your Highness. My chess skills are nothing compared to yours. If you hadn't gone easy on me, I wouldn't have lasted half as long," Anders replied with a modest smile."You're as smooth with words as ever." Matthias let out a hearty laugh with a look of smug satisfaction. Winning was in his nature—whether in war or on the chessboard, defeat was not an option."Well, we've eaten, and we've played. Let's get to business." With a wave of his hand, he signaled his men t
"Honestly, we shouldn't waste time debating who's better suited to be king. We just need to figure out who's most likely to take the throne," Jensen said matter-of-factly.As a businessman, he only cared about maximizing profit. To him, it didn't matter who sat on the throne but who had the best odds. He felt that backing that person would be the wisest choice."Who's most likely depends on who has the strongest backing," Jonathan said thoughtfully."Oh, right! I forgot to ask—who are the Moseys supporting?" Jovian asked, smacking his forehead. They'd been discussing this for so long but still hadn't figured out where the Moseys stood."My guess is Prince Nathaniel." Jensen narrowed his eyes as he analyzed the situation. "He's close to Anders. With his immense potential and the king's favor, the Moseys might see him as their best bet.""Anders' personal ties can't speak for the entire Mosey family," Jovian countered, shaking his head. "Family interests outweigh personal relationsh
Even without the king's involvement, the ambitious individuals would tear the Ballard family apart and leave nothing behind.If Simon chose the right side and it prevailed, his family could enjoy a century of stability and prosperity. But if he backed the wrong prince, everything could fall apart in a single night.At that moment, he didn't know what to choose. This was a critical decision—one mistake and the entire family could be ruined."Regarding this matter, I need to think it over carefully. I can't give you an answer just yet," Simon said. He knew the stakes were too high. A single misstep could lead to disaster, so he had to be cautious."I understand," Anders replied with a faint smile. "This isn't an easy decision. Still, I hope Your Lordship can decide soon.""Your Lordship, the forces seeking a marriage alliance with the Mosey family aren't limited to your family alone," Zack added coolly. "Don't think you can afford to wait for the highest bidder. Time is running out,
"In response to Your Lordship's question, this marriage alliance between our two families isn't my decision alone—it's also my godfather's and the entire Mosey family's," Anders said with a smile."According to the established rules, marriages between royal bloodlines are forbidden. Have you forgotten?" Simon replied coolly. "Sticking to outdated rules only holds us back," Anders said, shaking his head with a smile.He continued, "Right now, Dragonmarsh is going through a turbulent time—internally and externally. I've also heard the king's health is deteriorating. There are rumors he plans to name a successor and step down soon."With that, Oakvale will likely be in turmoil. When that happens, all the powerful families—the four ancient houses, the eight great families, and other factions—will be dragged into the chaos."That's why I'm hoping our families can form a marriage alliance to navigate the coming crisis together."Simon remained calm and said, "It's natural for the king
"Dad, what do you think?" Jonathan asked, turning to Simon."A guest has arrived, so we can't be rude. Invite them to the living room so we can discuss things properly," Simon replied calmly.Anders represented the Mosey family, and regardless of his intentions, Simon couldn't simply turn him away. As for the proposed marriage alliance, it was a matter that required thorough consideration."Understood," the butler replied promptly before leaving."Go on with your meal. I'm going to meet with Anders," Simon said, excusing himself from the table.Jonathan, Jensen, and Jovian exchanged glances and, without hesitation, followed their father. They were curious to see what the Mosey family had in mind."Alright, let them handle it. Let's focus on our meal," Gemma Letcher, Natasha's grandmother, said with a smile and signaled everyone to continue eating.…Three minutes later, in the Ballard family's living room, Simon sat at the head of the table near the entrance. Jonathan and his b