As soon as Noel entered, he asked, "Is this your wine?"He was puzzled as to why someone would discard such a fine bottle of wine, mistaking it for a fake.Everyone was momentarily stunned by his question.Michael, however, felt a surge of excitement. He was regretful, but since the bottle of wine had been returned, he quickly answered, "Yes, yes, it's ours!"Noel frowned in disbelief. "Why would you think it's fake and want to throw it away? You're wasting a treasure!"Michael was at a loss for words. He was unsure if the wine was real, but it seemed legit based on Noel's reaction.Deric, however, could not stand it any longer. He sneered, "Old man, you're quite an actor. How much did this man pay you?"Noel's face darkened as he felt humiliated."Keep going, you're doing a great job," Deric mocked."Henry, why bother with the act? You're trying to fool everyone with a cheap bottle of fake wine?""I'm speaking the truth," Noel retorted angrily."Feel free to check the White
Noel's expression remained cold as he responded, "No need. I'm not worthy to hear such an apology."Deric was dumbfounded. He had not anticipated Noel to be someone so influential that even his uncle was terrified of him.Deric did not realize that Harvey's presence at that dinner was because he was from Redhoc. After all, the dinner was organized by Aden Whalen, the mayor, to welcome Aaron Clements, the wealthiest man from Redhoc, who was planning to invest there."Why are you standing there? Get over here and kneel!" Harvey barked, his face dark with anger.Deric was shocked. He knew he was in big trouble. He had always been in awe of his uncle, but kneeling in front of Cecilia and apologizing to someone else was something he could not stomach.Harvey, however, was beside himself with rage, ready to step in and force the issue. Realizing that kneeling was his only way out, Deric quickly knelt and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Ray. I didn't recognize you and spoke out of turn. Please for
After all that back and forth, the wine ended in Noel's possession, but it was not Deric's to give away. It also meant Deric had not paid any price for his actions.Harvey's expression darkened; Henry's action had harmed Deric. Harvey knew it was not the time to act, not before Deric got through that mess.Noel paused for a moment. He chuckled. "You're quite interesting. What's your name?""Henry. Henry Truman," Henry replied."Good, I'll remember that. I owe you one," Noel said.He could afford the wine, but he could not get one due to its rarity."Don't mention it, Mr. Ray," Henry replied nonchalantly.Noel said nothing more and was about to turn when he noticed the Maotai on the table."A 1958 Five-Star Moutai—impressive, young man.""It was a gift from a friend," Henry replied."That shows your connections. I'm getting more interested in you," Noel remarked.He then took out a business card and handed it to Henry, saying, "Here's my card. Let's have a drink together some
"And you, Cecilia!"Do you really think you're a goddess? I gave you a chance, but you refused it. Well, don't blame me for what comes next," Deric sneered coldly."Austin, blame your sister for this. Prepare 3 million dollars or get ready to go to jail."In his anger, he failed to think through what was really happening.Everyone's faces turned grim.Michael quickly pleaded, "Young Master Pierson, let's talk this through. That has nothing to do with us. We've always supported you.""Prove it then. Tell this guy to get lost right now," Deric said, pointing coldly at Henry.Michael looked at Henry, but before he could say anything, Cecilia exclaimed anxiously, "Dad, what's going on?"Michael did not answer but said, "Henry, you should leave. There's no way I'm letting you marry Cecilia. Young Master Pierson is the best match for her."Deric's face filled with smug satisfaction as he taunted, "See that? Did you really think bringing a couple of fake bottles of wine would make yo
Everyone was stunned by Henry's words. They thought he must be insane.The Piersons were rich and powerful, making them invincible in Michael's eyes.Deric was momentarily taken aback before bursting into laughter."You're utterly ignorant and brainless!"Do you really think you're in Mr. Ray's good graces just because he gave you a business card? He was just being polite because you gave him the bottle of wine."Do you know why, even though I insulted Mr. Ray, he couldn't do anything to me? It's because of my uncle—he's a high-ranking official in Eastonia!"And you think you're somebody just because of a business card? That's so funny; you're killing me here!"Get out of here right now, or you better prepare to die."Do it, or no one can save you!"He felt triumphant as if he had reclaimed all the dignity he had lost earlier.Michael and the others shook their heads in resignation, convinced that Henry was a dead man.However, Cecilia's expression softened slightly, though
Deric was smug as he watched everyone crumble under his control, especially Cecilia."Why did the amount go up again? I only borrowed 1.8 million dollars!" Austin could not help but fume.Austin realized he had been trapped, but he could do nothing about it.Deric sneered, "Don't you know that borrowing money comes with interest? I covered 3 million dollars for you for days—and 750,000 dollars in interest isn't that much. If it were someone else, I might've doubled it."Henry said, "Indeed. Doubling your money wouldn't be out of the question if you ran a casino like that. In fact, your family owns that casino, don't they?"Deric's face twitched, but he smiled coldly. "So what if we do? My family has the power to make money in no time.""Is it legal?" Henry asked.Deric's expression darkened momentarily, but he quickly regained his composure and retorted, "What can you do about it? Let me tell you, the Piersons make the law over here."Enough with the nonsense. Didn't you say yo
Everyone present was eager to find out who on the other end of the line could command Aaron."Master of Golden Liberty!" Aaron spoke in a deep, respectful tone.Everyone was momentarily taken aback. They had heard of the Master of Golden Liberty, but they never imagined that Aaron had such close ties to the group."I have a question for you," Henry asked calmly."Please, go ahead," Aaron responded eagerly."Are you familiar with Warcester? Do you know the Piersons, supposedly the wealthiest family there?" Henry asked casually.Deric overheard the conversation and smirked with disdain, thinking Henry would eventually get himself humiliated."Yes, Master. Their family leader is Tommy Pierson. Is there an issue with them?" Aaron asked cautiously.Tommy had often tried to curry favor with him to gain some advantages.Upon hearing his brother's name, Harvey's expression shifted slightly, and he felt uneasy."Hmm, if I wanted the Piersons to go bankrupt and be completely ruined, co
Everyone was furious, and Harvey was no exception.However, he understood the massive influence Aaron wielded in Redhoc. The Pierson would be finished if Aaron decided to move against them with full force.Yet, Harvey could not fathom how they had offended someone as powerful as Henry. The Piersons were not reckless—there was no way they would knowingly provoke such a figure.Just then, Aden's phone rang. It was Brad. He stood up instantly, addressing the caller with great respect. "Governor!""How's the progress with the partnership?" Brad inquired, aware of Aaron's immense wealth and his connections to the Golden Liberty. Aaron's investments in Eastonia would significantly boost the city's development and reflect well on Brad's future promotions.Aden quickly recounted the situation. "There's been an issue. Aaron has been arrogant and completely disregards us due to his connection to the Master of Golden Liberty. I reprimanded him harshly for his audacity."And as for that Mast