"A chance? How?" Elena perked up instantly. With disaster looming for both their families, who else could save them? "The Spanners may be powerful, but they don't have absolute control. Also, the Moseys are still the most powerful among the four ancient houses."Eleanor said seriously, "Don't forget that Dustin killed Scott. Even if the Spanners back him up, the Moseys won't just let him get away with it. "That is why we can work with the Moseys to turn the tables on Dustin. We won't only protect ourselves that way, but we can also exact revenge. It'll be a win-win situation!""You're right, that's a great idea!" Elena lit up. Why hadn't she thought of it earlier? Despite pressure from the Spanners, there might still be a chance for them with the Moseys' support. "Eleanor, I'll call Dahlia immediately and ask her to find a way to help us through this crisis." Elena picked up her phone and was about to make the call when Eleanor stopped her. "Wait! Calling Dahlia may not h
"Don't worry, I won't die for now. Considering the gravity of the situation, I won't be able to rest well anyway. If I visit while in a wheelchair, I'll also appear more sincere," Elena said. "Alright then, let's pay a visit to Jadeleaf Manor." Eleanor didn't delay and quickly had someone bring a wheelchair over. After helping Elena into it, they got in the car and headed straight for Jadeleaf Manor. … It was late at night. Anders was at Jadeleaf Manor. He was in his study, poring over some documents in his hands with a serious expression.Ever since Dustin created a scene at Jadeleaf Manor earlier in the day, he had mobilized all available resources to investigate him secretly.After several hours of effort, he finally got his hands on some information. It was revealed that Dustin was originally from Swinton and had a prior marriage with Dahlia. Initially, Dustin was just an ordinary individual with a basic knowledge of medicine. However, after his divorce, he transformed
"Logan Rhys?" The confidant's eyes widened in disbelief. "That's impossible. Wasn't he reported dead?""He just disappeared. That doesn't necessarily mean he's dead. At least we haven't found a complete body so far," Anders said solemnly. Ten years ago, the chaos happened suddenly and ended abruptly. After that night, Logan, who had all eyes on him, mysteriously disappeared. The only thing the authorities found was a charred body that they suspected to be him. However, the body was so badly burnt that it was impossible to identify. Due to the official announcement, many people came to believe that the body was indeed his. Only the sharp individuals were skeptical, as there were inconsistencies and uncertainties surrounding this issue. However, people gradually accepted this outcome as time passed without any news of Logan. It only came to his mind because he found a striking resemblance between Dustin and Logan. Not only were they both young and exceptionally talented,
"My Lord, they claim that they can help you deal with Scott's murderer and hope that you'll meet them," the guard said. "Oh, is that so?" Anders raised an eyebrow. After considering it briefly, he nodded. "Very well, let them in.""Understood." the guard acknowledged and promptly left.Soon, Eleanor and Elena were brought into the room. Eleanor appeared relatively fine, only her cheeks were slightly red. On the other hand, Elena appeared pale and disheveled. She struggled to move in her wheelchair and coughed occasionally. She looked especially weak. "Greetings, Sir Anders!" Eleanor bowed immediately upon seeing Anders. Elena struggled to get up from her wheelchair but was stopped by Anders. "All right, that's unnecessary. Please, both of you, straighten up.""Thank you, Sir Anders." Eleanor stood up straight and lowered her gaze, maintaining a respectful demeanor.Elena, on the other hand, couldn't help but steal glances at Anders from time to time, her heart racing. H
The night passed quickly.The next morning, Dustin suddenly received a phone call from Eleanor."Hello, Dustin. We'd like to talk with you. Can we meet?" Eleanor sounded gentle. "There's nothing for us to talk about. You can only blame yourselves for everything that happened," Dustin replied coldly."Dustin, I know I was wrong. I'm very regretful of my decisions. Please give me a chance to make amends." Eleanor pleaded. "Give you a chance? What about Lana? She didn't do anything wrong, but because of you, she's dead. Did you ever give her a chance?" Dustin remained unfazed."You've misunderstood the situation. Lana's death has nothing to do with us. I swear that I knew nothing about it at first," Eleanor spoke earnestly."Did you think I would believe you? You and Scott are birds of a feather," Dustin said coldly.Dustin had already experienced her cunning and selfish nature and how she never meant what she said. She would never have softened her stance if she hadn't been pu
After spending time with Dustin, she had gained a good understanding of him. Leaving aside other aspects, the way he treated his friends was admirable. "Look! He's here!" Right then, Elena seemed to have noticed something and pointed at the entrance.Eleanor followed her gaze and saw Dustin walking in slowly, dressed in white. To their delight, he had come alone. This would make it easier for them to execute their plan."Dustin, you're here? Please have a seat." As Dustin approached, Eleanor quickly greeted him with a warm smile. Her enthusiasm made it seem like they were reuniting old friends. Dustin just sat down without much courtesy and said coldly, "I'm here now. Just go straight to the point.""There's no rush. Let's have some drinks first, and we can talk slowly," Eleanor said with a pleasant smile as she poured Dustin a drink.However, Dustin remained seated quietly without any signs of movement. "Are you worried that I poisoned the drink? I'll drink first to prove
No one could deny that the woman was gorgeous and was considered an exceptional beauty. It wasn't only her looks. Her most striking feature was her seductive charisma that entranced anyone who gazed upon her."The Art of Seduction?" Caught in a momentary daze, Dustin swiftly snapped out of it. The woman in red had exuded a subtle, entrancing fragrance as she descended gracefully, enough to draw in anyone who inhaled it. That was just a small part of it. Her true strength lay in her gaze. Her every glance radiated a subtle light capable of stealing one's soul. This was one of the mystical arts of the martial arts world—the Art of Seduction. Clearly, the woman in red was far from an ordinary figure. "It's Holly Hudson! She's appeared!""As expected of one of the top ten beauties ranked on the Beauty Ranking, she is truly breathtaking!""If only I could spend one passionate night with Holly, I would die a happy death!""Holly is Grace Brothel's best card, but the only thing
Dustin had seen all kinds of beautiful women. A mere seduction art would not ensnare him. Did they really think he was controlled by instincts only? "Dear gentleman, why are you so mad?" After her descent, Holly wore an enchanting smile as she approached Dustin. She poured two glasses of wine and remarked, "Guests are always welcome here, and it's an honor to have you visit Grace Brothel. Allow me to raise the first toast."She lifted a glass from the table and downed the wine in one shot. Dustin grunted in acknowledgment and took a sip from his glass out of politeness."Dear gentleman, I'm friends with Ms. Welch and Ms. Forrest. I heard that there may have been a misunderstanding between both sides. "I'll be extremely grateful if you could overlook any past grievances," Holly said with a smile."Ms. Hudson, there's no need to involve yourself in our fight. It won't benefit you," Dustin said indifferently. "Since you appear to be a talented gentleman, I'm certain you also
"Your Highness, you mustn't speak such nonsense." Langdon put on a righteous front.He continued, "I've always prided myself on my integrity and never done anything dishonorable. I've never betrayed the prince's trust or let the people down, and I have nothing to hide.""Such lofty words," Austin scoffed. "If you have nothing to hide, why not let the enforcement team investigate?"Langdon's face tightened, and a flicker of unease crossed his eyes. After all, what official didn't have some skeletons in the closet? A full investigation would likely turn up something, no matter how small. Even if the offenses weren't serious, the damage to his reputation would be permanent.With so many officials watching, Langdon couldn't afford to back down. If he did, he would lose his standing in the political world—and his claim to integrity along with it."Go ahead and investigate." He raised his chin and said confidently, "I've lived an honest life and never engaged in anything illegal. No m
Austin sat in his chair and silently watched the royal advisors put on their pretentious act. He slowly sipped his tea as if he couldn't be bothered by their so-called accusations.His nonchalant demeanor made Langdon and the others frown. Their once-outrageous voices began to falter.They had stormed in full of righteous fury earlier, only to be met with complete apathy. What was the point of arguing when he wasn't even listening?"Are you done?" Austin finally spoke once the room had quieted down. "If not, go ahead and keep talking. Say as much as you need to until you're satisfied.""Your Highness, we're here to discuss serious matters. Your dismissive attitude is truly disappointing," Langdon said sharply."Serious matters?" Austin let out a short laugh.He went on, "You barge in here without even understanding the full picture and spewing accusations like they're facts. As far as I'm concerned, you're no different from clowns putting on a show.""You… How dare you!" Langdon
"Are you even qualified to sit while speaking to me?"Austin's words struck like the blow of a hammer. They were sharp and unrelenting, and they left no room for retort.Langdon sat frozen and was momentarily speechless. He hadn't expected a brat like Austin to have such a sharp tongue.If he admitted he had come for personal matters, he would keep his pride intact, but he would lose control of the conversation. Everything he had prepared—and all the accusations he meant to throw—would be meaningless.But if he insisted it was official business, he would have to show proper respect and offer a formal greeting. No matter how he answered, he would be conceding ground."I'll ask one more time. Are you here on official or personal matters?" Austin asked coldly."O-Official matters." Cornered, Langdon barely managed to get the words out."Well? Is this how an official conducts himself?" Austin pressed.Langdon had no choice but to rise and offer a deep bow. "Your Highness, it's an h
After a night of chaos, some of the Red Legion's members were killed, others were captured, and the entire force had been wiped out.But the fallout didn't stop there. The Prescott estate was also raided. All embezzled wealth was confiscated, and those found guilty were thrown into prison.Anyone connected to the Prescotts was placed under house arrest and subjected to rigorous investigation.And the man behind it—Warrick—had become the kingdom's most wanted fugitive.Until he was captured, Celestria remained under lockdown. Major roads were sealed off, and patrol teams scoured every corner to ensure Warrick had no way out.Austin's crackdown sparked outrage among senior officials who didn't know the full story. They voiced their dissatisfaction, with some even gathering outside the castle gates in protest. They stomped their feet in outrage, just short of openly cursing him.To them, Warrick had made great contributions to the nation. Even if he had committed crimes, he didn't d
Austin's words were calm and almost casual. Yet, they struck like thunder and echoed in the hearts of the three assistant generals of the Red Legion.If they answered Austin's questions, there might still be a slim chance of survival. But if they refused, death was the only outcome.After all, who would willingly choose death when they had worked so hard to achieve their wealth and status? Yet, pride and dignity held them back. They didn't want to be branded as traitors.Now, they were caught in a dilemma. Which was more important—their honor or their lives? It was an impossible choice."You have ten seconds left. If you don't speak, you'll lose your chance." Austin's voice was utterly devoid of emotion.His words seemed to pierce their souls, and the three Red Legion assistant generals broke into a cold sweat.As the countdown neared its end, Auron finally couldn't hold back. "Your Highness! I'll talk—I'll tell you everything."Dropping to his knees, he scrambled forward and wa
Axel swallowed hard, shock written all over his face. He had always known the Draken Guardians were formidable, but he had never expected them to be this lethal.He had pushed himself to his limit just to hold his own against Connor and Dave, only to end up seriously wounded. Yet, when the Draken Guardians arrived, they wiped them out—along with several dozen Red Legion soldiers—without losing a single man.If Axel hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that the Red Legion, a force renowned for its elite soldiers, could be so easily crushed. Or perhaps it wasn't that the Red Legion was weak, but that the Draken Guardians were far stronger than anyone had imagined.Even their most ordinary members were strong enough to become a mighty general. As for those at the level of captain, their strength was far beyond Axel's. The lethality of a team made up of such skilled experts had reached the point of being an overwhelming force."Mr. Cruz, please arrange some
"Damn it! This punk's tougher than I thought. We're in real trouble if this keeps up," Connor said, swinging his twin blades relentlessly. Every strike was aimed at Axel's vital points.But Axel was quick. He weaved in and out of reach and avoided direct confrontation. It was obvious he was just stalling for time."Sir Prescott should be far enough by now. There's no point dragging this out. Let's fall back."Sensing the futility of their efforts, Dave considered retreating. He didn't fear death, but he wasn't about to waste his life for nothing.Since Warrick had escaped, their interception mission was also completed."You guys hold him off. The rest of you, fall back with me."Connor was decisive. Realizing they weren't making any progress, he quickly ordered a retreat and left a few decoys behind to buy time.They had barely run a hundred yards when a wave of soldiers suddenly appeared at the alley's entrance. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, filled the narrow space and comple
"This punk's a real pain in the ass!"Connor glanced over his shoulder and noticed Axel was still hot on their trail.The squad he had sent to intercept Axel was completely outmaneuvered, and they couldn't get anywhere near him.To Connor's dismay, Axel kept shooting off signal flares as he pursued them. Each flare gave away their position. At this rate, it didn't matter which direction they ran—they were bound to be intercepted."Connor! Dave! Make a move and swat that damn fly," Warrick ordered decisively."If we leave, who's going to protect you?" Connor hesitated.Warrick was in bad shape. Without them guarding him, a single attack from an expert could be fatal."If you don't take out that fly, I'll be in even more danger. Get moving now!" Warrick snapped."Yes, sir!"Connor and Dave exchanged a glance before splitting up with their squads to surround Axel.They both knew what was at stake. If they didn't take Axel down quickly, their entire force would be stranded and do
"Kill them all!"At Warrick's command, the Red Legion charged without hesitation. Blades flashed as they stormed toward the elite enforcement unit.This time, nearly a thousand Red Legion soldiers arrived. With their sheer numbers, they launched a pincer attack from both flanks, leaving the enemy with no way to fend it off."Form the Shield Formation!" Axel shouted upon seeing the dire situation. His men immediately sheathed their blades and raised their shields to form a defensive line. Their pursuit had cut them off from the main force. Since they were up against an enemy ten times their size, forming a defensive line was their best option.If they could stall for even a moment, reinforcements from the castle would arrive, and the tide would turn in their favor. Once that happened, the thousand-strong Red Legion would be the ones on the defensive.After a brief charge, the two forces collided.Warrick had personally trained the Red Legion. He selected only the most loyal and