The long wait had caused Celia to grow impatient. She snapped, "What's taking the Heartless Clan so long? How can a deputy master be so inconsiderate and keep us waiting?""Shut up! Watch your mouth!" Vito was startled.He knew the Heartless Clan was a demonic clan known for their ruthlessness. Speaking ill of them, especially a supremely powerful figure like Jake, could easily spell death.It was rare for Vito to scold Celia, and she was not used to it. She retorted, "Was I wrong? It's the deputy master who's being rude. Who does he think he is?"Vito was on the verge of lashing out, but before he could, a cold, furious voice echoed, "How dare you!"Two figures descended swiftly. One of them, an elder, stepped forward and delivered a heavy slap across Celia's face.Celia was stunned. She was sent flying before she could even react. It was painful, especially since her face had only recently started to heal from previous injuries. The slap caused the wounds to reopen, making the
Although Jake was the deputy Heartless Master, everyone called him the Heartless Master—it was Kurt's demand.As Vito watched Celia's reaction, the woman finally snapped out of her daze. She recalled what Vito had said earlier and suddenly realized that the two figures before her were the powerful individuals they had been waiting for.She had insulted them, and after being slapped, she even uttered more disrespectful words.She knew how powerful the Heartless Clan was. After all, Vito had told her many times. She understood that while the Hoods were incredibly powerful in the eyes of ordinary people, they were nothing compared to the Heartless Clan. They could wipe out the Hoods with just a wave of their hands.She had been venting her frustration, thinking the guests were late, and typically, important figures made a grand entrance instead of appearing out of nowhere.Celia was not prepared for Jake and Jay's sudden appearance.Celia realized her recklessness. She quickly knelt
Upon hearing Vito's outburst, Celia realized that she had revealed more than she should have inadvertently. She tried to backtrack in a panic. "Please ignore what I just said. I was only rambling."Vito never thought his wife would utter those words; it was like trying to cover up a mistake but only making it worse.Jake was thoroughly exasperated, wondering if they were trying to fool him.Jay was equally frustrated, glaring at Vito and shouting, "How dare you not inform us about this, Vito!""Please—it's a misunderstanding!" Vito's mind raced as he tried to find a way out."I had no idea who they were when I first reported. Only today did I discover the person we offended was the Master of Golden Liberty."Jay considered that explanation. It made sense, after all. He had been Vito's contact point on behalf of the Heartless Clan and received plenty of benefits from Vito. So, he naturally hoped that would not turn into a disaster for him.However, Jake's expression turned icy as
Jay, noticing the pitiful state of Vito and his wife, could not help but suggest softly, "Master, Vito's actions are indeed inappropriate this time, but given his years of dedication, perhaps we can give him one more chance?""Who the hell is going to give me a chance then?!" Jake's voice was cold and angry as he glared at Jay, exuding an overpowering aura and pressure.Jay's face turned pale, and his body trembled involuntarily. He had never seen Jake so furious with one of his own.Unfortunately, Jay was unaware that Cesar, who had showcased extraordinary prowess at the Holy Clan Conference, was the Master of Golden Liberty. He would have understood why Jake was so enraged if he had known.Vito was utterly stunned, his body trembling under the immense pressure. However, he was confused and believed there was no reason for Jake to be so fearful. After all, Vito once witnessed Jake defeating a Grandmaster easily.At that moment, Celia had somewhat recovered, no longer in the excru
At that moment, Vito thought the same. Given that the Seven-Color Lotus had been stolen and the enemy, Henry, had arrived, Jake would certainly deal with him first. He assumed that Jake would personally take action to eliminate Henry.As Vito and Celia reveled in their excitement, Jake abruptly turned, dropping to one knee, and said respectfully, "Greetings, Master!""Greetings, Elder Stokes!"Everyone present was in shock. Even Jay, who had nervously and eagerly paid respects to Herwig, was momentarily stunned. He wondered if the young man beside Herwig was Master Murray.Regardless, Jay immediately knelt. He was drenched in cold sweat. He finally knew why Jake had been so enraged. He had never seen such fury before, and he realized the gravity of his previous actions.He had made a grave mistake and was fortunate that Jake had not acted against him. Vito's attempt to hide that truth had worsened the situation.Vito was utterly stunned. Despite overestimating Henry's status and
Celia could not accept what she witnessed. She mumbled, "This can't be true!"The thought of the 1.35 billion dollars that was supposed to be transferred but was not only intensified her fear. She looked at Jake, who had just stood up, and anxiously said, "There must be a mistake, Master! You must have the wrong person!""Shut up!" Vito snapped.Vito tried to think of a way to protect themselves. Despite having offended Henry, they had borne the brunt of the consequences so far, and Vito had carefully ensured the money Henry wanted was paid in full.There was still a chance, a way out of that mess. However, to his disbelief, Celia continued to court death.Despite his deep affection for his wife, Vito had no choice at such a critical moment. He quickly slapped her, sending her flying across the room.As she landed, the intense pain made her cry out, especially since the slap had come from her beloved husband. She felt hurt, confused, and deeply wronged.Vito knew full well that
Vito's face turned ashen, and his body trembled as he struggled to maintain his composure. The answer he was about to receive could determine whether they would live or die and whether the Hoods would continue to exist.He saw a glimmer of despair in Celia's eyes—she had most likely not transferred the money. However, where did the money go?Celia, already in immense pain and reluctant to move due to the severe swelling and agony from the repeated slaps, initially resisted speaking. However, she hastily stammered under the crowd's pressure, "I—I sent it!"Vito's face lit up with excitement. He remembered that the money had been sent, and Celia claimed it had been done. However, given that Henry had yet to receive it, something must have gone wrong.Henry quickly saw through Celia's lie. He asked calmly, "To which account did you transfer it?""To the same account we used to transfer the 150 million dollars last time," Celia replied.Vito quickly said, "We'd never go back on our w
"Show it to him, Vito," Celia said quickly, fearing that Vito might expose the truth.Vito hesitated momentarily, realizing that Celia planned to claim it was a mistake. While the idea was absurd, it was their only chance. He had no choice, so he nervously handed the phone to Henry.Henry noticed the couple's strange expressions and was intrigued by their audacity to pass him the phone. When he looked at the screen and saw the name on the transfer, he could not help but laugh.He had a file on the Hoods that had been prepared by his subordinates, which he had skimmed through. He knew Celia had a brother named Jayson.Did she transfer the money to her brother and call it a payment to him?"Mrs. Hood, I'm going to ask you again—are you sure you transferred the money to me?" Henry asked calmly."Yes, I'm sure!" Celia had already thought of a response."And do you know to whom you sent it?""Is it not the same account as last time?" Celia asked."No, the recipient's name on that t