Dalton stared at Delilah, his eyes gleaming with mockery."What do we want from you, Mr. Archer? Don't you think you owe us an apology? If you had arrived at the Reilley family's place on time, we wouldn't be in this mess!" Delilah demanded, and her eyes were red as she glared at him."Delilah, shut your mouth! Mr. Archer has already explained himself. This was not his fault—it was just Matthias' dumb luck," Stuart snapped.He could not believe how thoughtless Delilah was being.Did she not realize that she was speaking to Dalton, a New Avalbourne military warlord?They should be grateful he even offered an explanation."Why should I? If he had shown up, would we be in this state? Would I be crippled?" Delilah shouted, sounding almost hysterical.The other family heads in the room could not help but frown at her outburst.Dalton let out a cold laugh. "Who do you think you are? Last night's operation was mine to decide. You're nothing. Do you think you deserve an apology from me
Stuart's face instantly lit up as he complimented Dalton. He had been worrying about getting an invitation to the Hero's Banquet just days ago. Yet, there he was, face-to-face with the guest of honor.Of course, he could not help but think how much better things would be if the Reilley family had never crossed paths with Matthias.Meanwhile, Matthias stayed close to his family as the Unbreakables gradually arrived in Reirmunt. He had already informed Russell, so the higher-ups in New Avalbourne were not too worried. Even so, Reirmunt's defenses were on high alert.That afternoon, Russell sent him an invitation to the Hero's Banquet.Matthias took the invitation, shaking his head in disbelief. Russell was being overly formal. After all, it was just dinner.In their room, Leona's curiosity was piqued when she heard about the invitation."Mr. Bridges sent you an invitation to the Hero's Banquet? Are you serious?" Leona asked skeptically.In her mind, Russell was an actual big shot.
The following evening, the Imperial Grand Hotel in Reirmunt was a dazzling spectacle of lights and excitement.Hotel staff lined up in two rows, warmly welcoming the arriving guests. Their faces beamed with excitement, especially when they spotted one of the legendary VIPs. Not only that but soldiers also patrolled the streets, keeping curious onlookers at a distance. Only those with invitations were allowed near the hotel.Luxury cars pulled up to the entrance one after another, and elegantly dressed men and women stepped out, their faces beaming with joy.That night, almost every notable figure in Reirmunt was there to attend the Hero's Banquet. As Dalton had imagined, it was his night to shine. All of Reirmunt's elite families had gathered to celebrate him, and he was the star of the show."Look at all those fancy cars! Even the cheapest one must cost hundreds of thousands of dollars! All the big shots in Reirmunt are here. What's going on at the Imperial Grand Hotel tonight?"
As Matthias and his group approached the hotel entrance, a figure hurried toward them."M—Mr. Lowell," Brock stammered. He was in Reirmunt for a performance review and had been assigned by Russell to greet Matthias.Bowing slightly, he continued in a hushed tone, "Mr. Lowell, you should've notified me of your arrival. I would've arranged a proper welcome at the entrance.""It's Brock, right? No need for such formalities. We're just here to look around. You can go about your business. We'll head in and take a look," Matthias replied.Inwardly, Matthias chuckled at Russell's excessive courtesy, sending a governor to act as a doorman."Of course, Mr. Lowell. Please don't hesitate to call on me if you need anything," Brock responded respectfully.He knew Matthias did not want to be disturbed, so he quickly made his exit.Nadine watched Brock leave, feeling like she should recognize him but unable to place him. She assumed he must be Matthias' friend who had given him an invitation,
At the Imperial Grand Hotel entrance, the Reilley family surrounded Matthias and his group, their faces contorted with anger.Matthias glanced at Stuart and calmly retorted, "Who's really out of line here? I'm here to attend the banquet. What's that got to do with the Reilley family?""You're here to attend the banquet? Who do you think you are?" Delilah spat, glaring at Matthias.With venom in his voice, Carlile said, "Matthias, if you're smart, you'll break your legs and beg for forgiveness right now. Otherwise, you'll suffer a worse fate when Mr. Archer arrives!"Nadine's face paled at those words, but she remained silent. She had already given up on Carlile and the Reilley family.Matthias narrowed his eyes, his gaze cold as he addressed the Reilley family. "It seemed like breaking one of your hands wasn't enough. What? Do you want to kneel before me in public tonight? Do I need to grind you under my heel to make you behave?"As Matthias finished speaking, Alpha grinned menac
[The first commander of New Avalbourne's military, Mr. Russell Bridges, cordially invites Mr. Matthias Lowell to attend the Hero's Banquet that will be held in your honor!]That was what the invitation card read.William felt insulted. Even if someone were to forge an invitation, they could have at least made it more believable. While Russell had indeed organized the Hero's Banquet, the actual invitations were nothing like that—they simply mentioned the recipient without any additional content.The idea that someone of Russell's stature would personally write an invitation, addressing the recipient so respectfully, was laughable to William."So it's a fake invitation, after all," Delilah mocked; she looked satisfied."It looks like you're really here to cause trouble. Matthias, are you really this stupid? You know Mr. Archer is looking for you, yet you dare to come here with a fake invitation? Your audacity is unbelievable!"The rest of the Reilley family joined in, hurling insul
As Alpha effortlessly took down all the guards, William's face turned red with anger."How dare you resist! You're challenging the war department!" William shouted.Stuart's expression was grim, but his eyes gleamed with excitement. "Matthias, you've gone too far! The Hero's Banquet is hosted by the military. The Imperial Grand Hotel represents them. Aren't you afraid of the consequences?"However, what happened next stunned everyone present.Alpha grabbed William by the throat, lifting him off the ground."P—Put me down this instant! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" William roared, disbelief written all over his face at being humiliated in his own territory.The Reilley family started shouting criticisms, amazed at the audacity of Matthias' group. Even though they knew it was a military event, they still dared to act that way.The Reilleys shouted, "Matthias, tell your man to stop! You can't act like this here!"Matthias turned to them, his eyes cold as ice. "I don't kn
"Shut up, you ignorant fool!" Brock snapped at William, shooting him a fierce glare. Then, he hurried to Matthias' side and bowed deeply, his face pale. "Mr. Lowell, I'm terribly sorry. I never imagined this to happen!"William's mind went blank as he witnessed that scene. His body began to tremble, and he broke out in cold sweat.It was unbelievable that the honorable Brock was speaking so respectfully and bowing in apology. William realized he was doomed for tearing up Matthias' invitation and ordering the security to capture them.Suddenly, everything became clear to William—the torn invitation was genuine, personally written by Russell himself!"Sir, I deserve to be punished with death for my ignorance! I didn't recognize your importance!" William cried out, his voice trembling."Silence, you fool! You're not worthy to apologize to him," Brock scolded. He wished he could smack William there and then.He turned to Matthias, his tone respectful but nervous. "Mr. Lowell, I deepl