The ringleader, Wilson, his hair a brassy yellow, sported a tank top that showed off a canvas of tattoos and a scar that looked like it was ripped straight from a horror flick. "Hey, Jonathan, how long are you gonna make us wait? When are you coughing up the cash? Our boss made it clear—today's your last chance. If you don't pay, we're trashing this pathetic fruit stand of yours!" he snarled.Jonathan, hearing the commotion, rushed out and tried to appease the man with a nervous grin. "I'm so sorry. I've been doing everything I can to get the money. Just give me a few more days, please? I swear I'll have it for you soon!"However, Wilson was not having any of it. He shoved Jonathan hard, sending him sprawling over his own fruit, then pinned him down amidst the scattered produce. "What's this crap? You think you're messing with me? More time? You gave me that line days ago!"Enraged, he signaled to his lackeys with a furious wave. "Wreck it all!" he bellowed. The thugs, eager for d
"Enough with the sob story. You think you can dodge debts and still send kids to school?"Just then, Lyla, Jonathan's high school-aged daughter, returned from school. Spotting the gang of debt collectors loitering at the fruit shop's entrance, she dashed forward, her small frame shielding Jonathan and Yazmine.Her eyes were ice as she stared down Wilson, "You're here for the cash, right? Take it and get out of our lives!"Wilson eyed the defiant Lyla, a smirk curling his lips. "Well, well, if it isn't Lyla. However, this pittance? Hardly covers what your old man owes. Here's a thought. Come with me, work off the debt at my boss's club. You could make a pretty penny, and pay off the old man's dues in no time. How 'bout it?"His words slithered out as his gaze lasciviously swept over Lyla's face, and without warning, he reached out and grabbed her chin, his touch a vile claim.Lyla was a knockout—her figure was the envy of many, with curves in all the right places. However, what rea
Liam twisted Wilson's hand with brutal force, snapping it clean at a right angle."Ah! My hand!!"The sickening snap of bone echoed, followed by Wilson's agonized howls as his hand was gruesomely broken for all to see.Wilson staggered back, clutching his mangled hand, his face a mask of pain and terror as he stared at Liam, the unexpected avenger."Who... who the hell are you? Do you even know who I am? You've got some nerve, meddling like this. You think I won't have you taken out for this?" Wilson bellowed in rage.Liam ignored the outburst, merely shooting a frosty look at Wilson and the thugs rushing to his aid, knives drawn and glinting with menace, ready to strike at any sudden move.Unfazed, Liam simply arched an eyebrow and turned to Calum. "Pay them," he ordered, his voice calm and commanding.Calum strode up with purpose, a sleek silver case in hand, and tossed it at the feet of a man known as Wilson. His voice was icy as he spoke, "Here's 60 thousand dollars. The deb
"Mr. Nevens, let's sit down and have a talk."With that, Liam guided Jonathan to a seat inside the shop, and they spent a long time catching up, with Liam learning about how Jonathan had been getting on those past few years.Meanwhile, Calum had taken care of Wilson and his gang of thugs and was then tidying up the chaos they had left at the door.Yazmine offered Liam a cup of water with a sheepish smile. "Lammy, please have some water. I'm sorry, we're out of coffee, just water."Liam rose swiftly to accept it, grinning. "No worries, Mrs. Nevens. Thank you."It took Jonathan a moment to grasp that that was not a dream. He dabbed at the tears in his eyes, his grip on Liam's hand unyielding, as he asked with a surge of emotion, "Lammy, now that you're back in Drunham City, what's your game plan?"Jonathan had a knack for reading people. The man at the door had an air of importance, and his allegiance to Liam spoke volumes about Liam's own standing.Without beating around the bush
"Pulling in various power players? Looks like the mastermind behind the scenes is no small fry, Lammy. You've got a plan up your sleeve, don't you?" Jonathan inquired.Liam flashed a knowing smile and nodded, then laid out his strategy, "Exactly. Snatching up the Cole group is just step one. That's why I'm here today, Mr. Nevens. I need someone I can trust to run the show, and that's you. With you in charge, I can focus on the next moves without a worry."Jonathan's expression flickered with concern, but after a brief silence, he gave a solemn nod and committed, "You got it, Lammy. You have my word."At that, Liam beamed, his grip firm on Jonathan's hand, eyes alight with thanks. "Mr. Nevens, I can't thank you enough."With a comforting pat on Liam's hand, Jonathan glanced at the chaos of the fruit shop and voiced his worry, "Liam, I'm just glad you're back in one piece. However, you went in hot today. "That Scarface guy, Wilson, is Daxton's associate, and breaking his hand? That
Lyla's heart was heavy with injustice. She had only spoken the truth, and yet Jonathan had scolded her, making her feel even more resentful toward Liam."At least you acknowledge it," she retorted.With a look that was both hurt and defiant, she said to Jonathan, "Dad, I was just stating the facts."Then, Lyla turned and dashed out the door with a frustrated stomp of her foot.Jonathan, concerned, called out after her, "Lyla, Lyla..."Lyla hesitated for a moment at the sound of her name but did not look back and kept on going.Liam watched the scene, a crease of concern forming on his brow. "Mr. Nevens, is Lyla upset?"Jonathan shook his head, his voice tinged with regret. "No, she's just got a lot on her mind. She blames me. I've failed her and her mother these past few years. If it weren't for my mistakes, Lyla wouldn't have to juggle school and a job to make ends meet at such a young age, ah..."Jonathan's eyes welled up again as he spoke of his eldest daughter, her maturity
With no one to challenge him, Daxton did not just climb to the top, he became the kingpin of Copper Alley.Daxton had clawed his way up to a level where he could hold his own against some of the city's heavy hitters. Yet, for all his hustle, the top dogs still snubbed him. To them, Daxton was nothing more than a street thug playing boss. He might have had the Copper Alley's nightlife in his pocket and a crew of over a hundred loyalists, but he was not seen as big-league material.However, Daxton was not one to sit still. He had rubbed elbows with some of Drunham City's elite and opened up hotels and businesses in his slice of the city. His success did not go unnoticed, and soon enough, the city's envious eyes turned toward his turf.Some of the more impatient ones tried to cut deals with Daxton, eager for a piece of the action. However, they bit off more than they could chew and ended up getting a reality check from Daxton himself. His move did not win him any friends, but Daxton
"Same here, I sent my people to Daxton, and it was a bust. Word is, Daxton's got his fingers in pies with some big-shot families, got himself some heavy hitters backing him. We can't even get a foot in the door for a slice of the pie!""Yeah, Mr. Wafer, cut to the chase, will you? What's the scoop? Don't tell me the big guns have stepped in..."Seeing the crowd getting antsy, Eaden cracked a smile and said, "What's got you all spooked? I've got something up my sleeve. Since when did you all turn into a bunch of scaredy-cats? Daxton's small potatoes."Let me lay it out for you. Daxton's gone and ticked off someone way out of his league, and right now, that big shot's over in Copper Alley, gearing up to take Daxton down. Anyone itching for a piece of that action, you're with me!"At that revelation, a wave of disbelief and shock washed over the faces of everyone in the room.Daxton crossed someone that powerful?!One person, doubt written all over his face, asked, "Mr. Wafer, you c
However, Andy was a smooth talker, so the eldest member of the Drayton family liked him. Because of that, the head of the family tolerated him. That was why Andy, who was just a member of the branch family, dared to be so cocky.Andy saw Howard standing at the side from the corner of his eye as he spoke. He thought of what Howard said earlier, and that made his blood boil.He pointed at Howard and bellowed, "Uncle Derrick, this Howard is trash as well. You have no idea. I told him I was a member of the Drayton family, yet he did not take our family seriously at all."Not only did he have his men capture me, but he said cockily that he wanted to lock me up forever, and nobody could stop him."Weren't you very cocky before this, Mr. Mosier? Go on. Continue acting cocky in front of my uncle now. Detain me and lock me up forever."Andy took a couple of steps closer to Howard as he said that. He extended his hands arrogantly and said, "Come on. I have my hands stretched out for you. Hu
Soon, Andy and the thugs from the nightclub yesterday were released.Andy saw Derrick standing at the entrance of the police headquarters at a glance. He got so excited that he shouted, "Uncle Derrick! Uncle Derrick!"Fletcher's subordinates were incredibly excited to see Derrick as well. All of them shouted, "Mr. Derrick Drayton!"One of the subordinates was in Drunham City because Derrick arranged for him to be there. After he was brought to Derrick's side, he smiled apologetically and said, "Thank you for saving me, sir. Don't worry. Fletcher's faction and properties are all here. I'll be able to rebuild the faction here very soon."In other words, even if Fletcher was out of the picture, he would be able to thrive in Drunham City and replace Fletcher.However, Derrick shot an icy glare at him and sneered. "Hmph! How shameless of you to say that? There are so many of you, yet you can't deal with a small loser who only married into the Stone family."If it wasn't because this w
Howard did not expect that the Drayton family would have a connection with the Carter family. They could even produce a token from the Carter family."Mr. Derrick Drayton, I didn't expect that your family and the Carters go way back. You even got the Carter family's token out," said Howard.Derrick sneered and said, "Enough with the nonsense. Howard, my family did the Carter family a favor back then, that's why the general of the Carter family gave this token to us. He promised us that we could take out this token if we were ever in a bind in the future, and they would help us!"I'm taking out this token today to tell you that I'm going to bail Andy out of here. I'd like to see who in Drunham City has the guts to stop me!"Howard was stunned, and then he fell silent.He did not think that Derrick would take out a token from the Carter family.The Carter family was the top family in Mirstone. Nobody in Mirstone would dare to go against the Carter family. Derrick became even more
Meanwhile, Derrick and his men were already at the entrance of the police headquarters.Derrick's eyes were burning with rage as he looked at the door that was shut tightly. A sneer appeared on his lips as he said, "Hmph. Looks like they already know I'm coming, so they are deliberately trying to assert dominance."Then, he asked his driver next to him, "Where are our men? Have they all arrived?"The driver nodded and said, "They're here, Mr. Derrick. They are all waiting at the side. We'll tear down the main door to the police headquarters once you give the command."Derrick nodded with satisfaction. Then, he shouted at the police headquarters, "Howard! You're just the chief of the police headquarters! How dare you lock me outside?""I'd like to see how powerful you are today, Howard! Come on, guys. Take it down!"At his command, a group of burly men rushed out of the black van next to him. They were all holding thick bats, and they rushed up to the door ferociously.Right at t
At first, Yafe and the rest of the Stone family were stunned after they heard what Liam said. Then, they all burst out laughing.Yafe looked at Liam with a mocking gaze and said, "Are you kidding me, Liam? You're going to get the Draytons to come and apologize in person? Come on, that's the Drayton family we're talking about! Do you think they are just some nobody?"Right now, I don't want to waste my breath anymore. As long as you're able to stop the Drayton family from targeting us, I'm more than grateful. Don't you forget that you're the one who wanted to leave the Stone family? So, stop dragging us into your mess."Liam shot the crowd with an icy glare and brought Celena out of the Stone Mansion.Celena was still in a slight daze after they got into the car. Liam put on her safety belt for her and asked, "What's the matter, dear? Are you still worried about the Draytons?"Celena nodded and replied, "Yes. After all, all these were caused by the conflict between Andy and us. Jus
Liam wanted to ask what the family heirloom was, but he had no choice but to let it be after he heard what Yonatan said.However, Liam heard Yonatan's voice again, saying, "I've never seen that thing, but I heard from the Drayton family members that it was from a big shot in the military."The military?Liam's eyebrows furrowed once he heard it had something to do with the military. Then, he kicked Yonatan away, making him land next to the thugs.Yonatan passed out because of that kick.Once the thugs saw their leader was out cold, they took a couple of steps back in fear.However, Liam did not care about them at all. He looked at Yafe and the others instead.Once the Stone family members saw that they were out of the woods, they became cocky again.Yafe and Sherah, in particular, were so cocky that they ran up to Liam and condemned him, "Look what you've done! You're bad luck! What else can you do other than cause us trouble? Do you know who that is? He is from the Drayton fam
Yonatan was infuriated and bellowed, "So this is how you're going to play! Alright! I'm not going to stop until I kill you today!"Yonatan was radiating an intense desire to battle. That was the air exuded by a fighter of Fourth Order War King caliber.The Stone family was so frightened by the air he exuded that their faces turned pale. All of them took more than ten steps back in fear, afraid they would be injured by mistake.Yonatan clenched his fist and charged at Liam like a ferocious beast. His fist was packing so much power that it created a sonic boom, cutting through the air and going for Liam's face.The punch was so powerful that it could kill a bull right away.The Stone family thought Liam was going to die. Nobody would be able to survive a punch like that.Yonatan thought the same. He was very confident in his ability. He looked into Liam and knew he used to be a soldier, as well as a good fighter. However, so what?No matter how skilled Liam was in combat, could he
The moment Liam stepped into view, the Stone family members lit up as if they had spotted their guardian angel. They pointed at him, their voices rising in a chorus of relief and accusation. "Mr. Yonatan, look over here! It's Liam! I said they weren't with us!""Exactly! Mr. Yonatan, see for yourself, Liam's not part of our family!""Mr. Yonatan, now that Liam's here, if you're looking to pin the blame on someone, he's your man!""Liam, you actually showed up. If you hadn't crossed the Drayton family, would we, the Stones, have ever been dragged into this mess?""Liam, Celena, you two are nothing but trouble. You've left the family, so why keep stirring the pot for us?"...The air crackled with the Stone family's collective outrage, their faces twisted in anger as if they were ready to rip Liam and Celena to shreds.Celena and Liam's arrival was pure happenstance. They were just in the neighborhood to check in on an old friend when they overheard Yonatan's boastful taunts.Lia
Yonatan did not even bother to look at him. He checked his watch with a chilling laugh and said, "You've got ten minutes for Liam to show up. Don't say I didn't warn you."The words sent a wave of shock through Yafe and the rest of the Stone family, who stared at Yonatan, panic-stricken.Yafe was a mess, desperate to explain, but the sight of Yonatan's henchmen, eager and ready for a fight, stopped him dead in his tracks."Mr. Yonatan, I swear it's the truth. Liam has nothing to do with the Stone family anymore. You've made a mistake!"Yafe's face was flushed with urgency as he tried to convince the unmoved man."It's true, Mr. Yonatan! Liam and Celena were kicked out of the Stone family ages ago.""That's right! He's got nothing to do with us anymore. If you're after Liam, go to the villa at Emerald Lake. He's there, not here with us.""Mr. Yonatan, if you head over to Drunham City and ask anyone, they'll tell you the same thing: Liam and Celena have no ties to us Stones anymor