"Hmph! Dustin got nerves of steel. He actually dared provoke us? He's asking for death!" Alistair's expression was grim, and a murderous glint flashed in his eyes. These days, the Welchs had mobilized all their resources to turn Rejuvenaid into a hot-selling item.They flooded the market with advertisements, offers, and discounts. They had invested lots of money into it. The original plan was to use this opportunity to build its reputation, make substantial profits, and expand their network. Little did they expect Dustin to spoil their plans from the very beginning. It was infuriating!"Eleanor, didn't I ask you to deal with Dustin as soon as possible? Why is he still alive?" Joanne suddenly turned to her daughter, her tone scolding. "I—" Eleanor was at a loss for words. Faced with her mother's sharp gaze, she shifted the responsibility onto Ezra instead."Actually, Ezra has been the one handling this matter."Ezra's lips twitched, and he could only respond in resignation.
"Hey, hang the banner a little higher. Put them where they're most eye-catching!""And the red carpet on the ground, unroll it outside!""Are the performers here yet? Have them get ready quickly. We're starting soon!"Lana kept giving out orders from time to time. She was very detailed in her work, going through everything herself to ensure things were done right. Nothing could go wrong today, so she needed to see to it that everything was on the right track."Lana!"Just then, a Maybach pulled up by the curb. Then, Matteo, who was all suited up, came out with a smile."Dad! You're here!" Lana stopped what she was doing and went up to him."So how is it? Are things going well?" Matteo looked around, pleased with what his daughter had achieved."Of course they are. What problems can there be with me personally handling everything?" Lana smiled confidently."Good." Matteo nodded before he continued, "I've talked to a few of my friends, and they're interested in the Dew Balm. T
"Why are they here?" Lana exchanged a look with Matteo. Their expressions turned grave.The people who had just gotten out of the cars were not guests who were here to congratulate them on the launch. Instead, they were people from the Welch and the Swanson families. They clearly did not come bearing good intentions. However, Dustin did not seem to show much of a reaction. He seemed to have expected this. With how the Welch and the Swanson families were, they would not have allowed the Camron family to benefit from what they believed was theirs. They would surely send people over to mess up the launch."It's been a long time, Mr. Camron. How are you?" Alistair approached with a group of his men following behind him. There was an insincere smile on his face."Welcome, Mr. Welch." Matteo, too, had an insincere smile on his face."I heard that the Camron family has recently developed a miraculous remedial medicine and will officially launch today. Is that true?" Alistair asked w
"Had I not noticed it in time, I would have been a dead man by now! "I've helped you so many times, but you, Welchs, repay my kindness with ingratitude! You went back on your word!"So tell me, who's the shameless one? Huh? Who's the heartless one?"Dustin's voice got louder as he spoke, knowing that he was in the right. As the onlookers whispered among themselves, Alistair's expression darkened.It was indeed embarrassing to have their underhanded actions exposed publicly like that. He thought they should not have let Dustin leave the Welch residence in the first place had they known this would happen."You … That's nonsense!" Eleanor shouted, upset. "Don't think that I don't know what you're up to, Dustin. "You harbor feelings for me and hold a grudge against me after I rejected you! This is your way of getting revenge! How despicable of you!""I harbor feelings for you? Do you think you're worthy of of my feelings?"Dustin smirked in disdain. "Look at your face. Look at yo
The hearse was a sleek, black vehicle.The Camrons frowned at the sight of the hearse pulling up in front of them.They clearly weren't here to congratulate them on the launch! Instead, they were cursing them! It was a sign of disrespect to have a hearse there!As the hearse pulled up, two other vans followed suit.The doors opened, and dozens of people who were all dressed in black swarmed out. At the same time, an intricately designed coffin was carried out and placed at the entrance of the building with a loud thud."Which one of you is the developer of the Dew Balm? Get the hell out here now!" Just then, a middle-aged man who was suited up in all black came forward and yelled angrily."Who are you? And why have you brought this here?" Lana stepped forward and asked coldly. "Of course, I'm here to get an explanation from you, evil bunch!"The middle-aged man looked anguished as he said, "This Dew Balm you're selling is toxic! My father passed away after using it last nigh
A group of the deceased's family members, who were all dressed in black, began to wail and clamor.They shouted, cried, and roared. The commotion attracted a huge crowd around them.Some who didn't know the full story began commenting based on what they saw. They reached for their cell phones and began recording videos of what was happening, ready to post them on social media.The place descended into utter chaos!Lana frowned. Her expression didn't look too good. She had expected that things would not run smoothly for the launch, but she didn't expect it to get so messy.She couldn't get violent with them or scold them for what they were doing. There also wasn't much point in explaining things. So, she was at a loss for how to handle the situation."Lana, I had thought that the Dew Balm was some sort of miraculous ointment. But it turns out that it's a poisonous substance!"Eleanor said sarcastically, "I thought the Camrons was a decent and reputable family. "Who would have k
"Hmph! You're trying to go against us, are you? You're just making things difficult for yourself!" Seeing Lana in such a mess, Eleanor smirked.Business was a warzone. The Welch family was familiar with using underhanded tactics to make things go their way. In the past, those who failed to show proper respect and refused to align themselves with the Welch family were destroyed. Clearly, it wasn't going to be any different for the Camrons."Those are just rumors! Nothing but fabricated lies!" Matteo stepped out when he saw that Lana couldn't handle the crowd. He stated solemnly, "I guarantee with the Camron family's reputation at stake that the entire production of Dew Balm adheres strictly to regulations. "There can't possibly be any problems with our products. What happened today is because someone is out to frame us!""That's rubbish! I have concrete evidence that you are the reason my father died!" the man bellowed.As he said that, a woman rushed up to the corpse and bega
Dustin said calmly, "You claim you're from the Food and Drug Administration, but you don't even have an arrest warrant. So, on what basis are you arresting her?""That's true! You can seize the drugs, but you have no right to arrest her!" Matteo was quick to react.Every department had its responsibilities. It was true that matters of medical products were under the control of the Food and Drug Administration. However, they had no authority to arrest people."You've broken the law. As a governmental department, we are responsible for taking charge!" the bald man declared."Oh, drop the act, will you? We didn't break any laws. Besides, even if we did, it's not your place to arrest us." Dustin remained cool as a cucumber."How dare you?" The bald man glared at Dustin, feeling his authority challenged. He shouted in frustration, "Hey, bastard! I'm warning you, you better not obstruct us, or we'll arrest you too!""Arrest me? Do you have the authority to do that?" Dustin scoffed.
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