Xareny's eyes were as wide as saucers. The next moment, her heavily made-up eyes narrowed into snakelike slits as she pointed at the child and screeched, "Who do you think you are, you little twat? How dare you speak to me this way? Didn't your mother and father ever teach you manners? I'll give you a good spanking, and that'll teach you to behave!"Jovie, however, was not at all intimidated by the deranged woman before her. With one arm slung around her father's neck, she stuck her tongue out at Xareny and said innocently, "Don't be rude. I'm not a little twat. My name is Jovie Cole, and this is my Dad, Liam Cole, and my Mom, Celena Stone."She then tossed Xareny a withering look and added, "I have a name, madam, so please call me that. I'm not a little twat—you are!"Liam had been silent all this while, and although his expression was unfazed, there was a hint of a smile in his eyes.Celena, on the other hand, was horrified by this. She tugged on Jovie's arm and said, "Jovie, you
Celena could not help but shoot a stern look at the chattering father-daughter duo, especially Liam. She rolled her eyes dramatically at him and chided, "Really, Liam, you're supposed to be the dad here. How could you set such an example for Jovie? Kids need to learn manners, and you're leading her astray!"However, no sooner had she scolded them than a giggle escaped her, muffled behind her hand. Liam joined in with a chuckle, and they shared a moment of silent understanding.Not too far off, Xareny caught the sound of their family laughter. She glanced back, saw the joy on Celena and Liam's faces, and frustration bubbled up inside her. She clenched her teeth and stomped her foot in a fit of rage."That damn witch! She'll get what's coming to her!"With that, Xareny spun on her heel, determined not to give them another glance. She was afraid she might lose her composure and do something unbecoming of her status. She reminded herself over and over that she was the esteemed daughter
As the dinner party's host, Kyros watched everyone find their places before lifting his wine glass with a grin. "Yafe, it's been too long. Let's toast to old times."Yafe's laughter boomed. "Indeed, it's been ages. Come on, let's have a drink together!" He clinked glasses with Kyros and took a hearty swig.Then, turning to the young man at Kyros's side, Yafe inquired with a chuckle, "And who might this be, Kyros?"Caught off guard, Kyros looked at the young man, pride shining in his eyes. "Oh, where are my manners? I haven't made introductions. Everyone, this is my future son-in-law, Kaiden, a sharp mind in the finance and securities world."Kaiden Tacker, with impeccable politeness, raised his glass to Yafe, his smile warm. "Mr. Stone, a pleasure to meet you."Kaiden's charm was undeniable. Dressed to the nines in a designer suit, sporting a luxury watch, he carried himself with an effortless grace that caught Yafe's admiring eye.Yafe did not hold back on the compliments. "Kaid
With that, Xareny turned to Celena, her tone shifting to one of concern tinged with pride. "Celena, as your cousin, I shouldn't really say this, but I can't stand by and watch you settle. Finding the right man is like getting a second chance at life. You've got to be picky. Take me, for example. I snagged a catch like Kaiden, and now I'm set for life. And just look at this rock on my finger—ten carats of pure sparkle."In the midst of the conversation, Xareny casually waved her left hand, showing off the massive diamond that glittered like a pigeon's egg, catching the light and dazzling the onlookers. Celena's eyes lingered on the ring, not because she coveted it, but because it was undeniably stunning—a sentiment any woman could understand when faced with the sparkle of a diamond.Xareny, basking in the attention, noticed Celena's gaze and could not hide her smugness, a sneer briefly crossing her features. "See, Celena? You can tell how much a man cares by this—a diamond ring symbol
Kyros and Melaine did not seem to care either. Given the Stone family's not-so-stellar reputation in Drunham City, a wedding thrown by them was not likely to draw any big names. Why bother with a dull affair? Besides, everyone knew Celena and Liam were not exactly the Stone family's darlings, which made the idea of their wedding even less appealing.Sherah's eyes rolled with a touch of scorn before she broke into a warm smile, addressing the crowd. "Oh, and just a heads up, the 28th of this month marks the big day for our Cheryl. She's tying the knot, and you'd better not miss it!""Sherah, your Cheryl's getting hitched? On the 28th, too? Who's the lucky guy?" Melaine's voice bubbled with curiosity.A genuine smile crept onto Sherah's face at the mention of Cheryl. "Yep, Cheryl's beau is none other than Wasyl Abbott, the heir to the Abbott corporate empire in Drunham City. They're set to wed on the 28th."The Abbott family's reputation preceded them. Melaine's smile froze for a mom
"Listen, the stock market isn't a game, it's all about the analysis. You seem to be all about the flash, just posing and posturing without a clue. Mr. Stone, don't fall for his act. I've seen the stocks you've picked up, and trust me, with my years in the game, they're going nowhere fast. You'd better dump them quickly and cut your losses—that's what really counts!" he lectured.Kyros chimed in, backing up his son-in-law with a grave tone, "Yafe, my boy's been in the trenches of this business long enough to know the score. If he says those stocks are duds, you can take that to the bank. Better to sell now than bleed more cash."After his piece, Kyros shot Liam a frosty smirk, his eyes dripping with scorn. "Kid, let me give you some elder's wisdom: put in the work, don't just mooch off others. And if you're out of your depth, keep your mouth shut. You don't want to make a fool of yourself, especially with the Stone name on the line."Sherah and Yafe's expressions soured instantly, th
"Quiet! What do you know about it!?"Celena barely got a word out before Yafe's expression turned stormy. With a thunderous slap on the table, he fixed her with an icy stare sharp enough to cut. "Enough, Celena. Quit embarrassing yourself. Everyone here knows the score with Liam, including you. Keep quiet, or I won't hesitate to kick you out," he snapped, his voice a blade of frost. With that, Yafe's scowl flipped to a grin as he turned to Kyros and Kaiden. "Sorry about the drama. Don't mind them—let's move on."Liam, off to the side, watched the exchange with a calm detachment. He pulled out his phone and shot a text to Kolten, then leaned in to murmur to Celena, "Don't worry about it."Meanwhile, at Jerden Group, Kolten was burning the midnight oil when Liam's text came through. He buzzed his secretary without missing a beat. "Get our securities analysts in here, pronto. And round up some reps from the stock agencies while you're at it.""Right away!" The secretary saluted and
Yafe's outburst sent a jolt through everyone there, especially Sherah, who was right next to him, gazing longingly at Xareny's diamond ring. She almost let it slip through her fingers."What the heck, Yafe? You nearly scared me to death!" Sherah snapped back to reality and gave the ecstatic Yafe a good thump on the back.Across the table, Kyros and Kaiden were giving Yafe the eye, clearly baffled."Yafe, got some good news?" Kyros asked, raising his glass for a sip and grinning, "Come on, share the joy with me here. Let's all get in on the celebration!"Xareny could not resist a playful jab, chuckling, "Hey, uncle, what's got you over the moon? Did that stock you were just talking about actually pay off? It's maxed out?"As Xareny's words hung in the air, Kaiden, Melaine, and Kyros could not contain their laughter. Kaiden, in particular, was in stitches, his eyes glistening with tears of mirth."Xareny, what are you even saying? Seriously, I've checked out that stock, and from wh
The entire meeting room was in absolute chaos. The remaining three Elders were equally vexed, and they all scowled, cracking their knuckles in fury."These people are getting out of hand! How can they possibly frame Liam's poor wife for such an atrocious crime?""We must get to the bottom of this! We must find out who's behind this! He or she cannot go unpunished!"Timothy nodded in agreement and roared at his cowering assistant, "Go find out what truly happened! Find out which filthy scum ordered Celena's arrest and what could possibly delude them into thinking she is a spy against our country!"His assistant squeaked a reply, then sped out of the room as fast as his legs could take him. He did not stop until he reached the front door of the Grand Pendragon Department, where he stood, panting and trying to catch his breath. His expression was wild with fear. He had never seen the Four Elders so furious before. Clearly, whatever had happened to Celena was something very serious ind
Keyon could see right through Prince Faber's apprehension. He replied with a smile, "Prince Faber, why are you so scared of that Liam fellow? Have you somehow forgotten that you are the commander-in-chief now? You have hundreds of thousands of soldiers at your beck and call. Why does it matter what Liam thinks? He has been deposed and is no longer in power! Besides, you have the Yeager family backing you, and there is nothing he can do to harm you!"You don't have to worry about a thing; the Yeagers have this all taken care of. We are just doing this to lure Liam out of hiding. If he dares to touch so much as a hair on your head, he'll be falling right into your trap."Prince Faber furrowed his brows at this. He could not help but question the validity of Keyon's claims. Keyon, sensing this, added, "Prince Faber, you must remember that stripped of his powers, Liam Cole, is now nothing more than an ordinary civilian! If he dares to harm you, he will be sentenced to death for treason a
What would Liam do if he found out Prince Faber had captured his wife? Surely he would not hesitate to turn the entire city upside down to look for her?Prince Faber was more than familiar with Liam's fierce loyalty and could not help but begin to worry at the prospect of having to face his wrath. He stared at Keyon's leering face and asked with belated realization, "Mr. Yeager, you ordered me to capture all those people from the Drunham City Connoisseurs, but the truth is, your sole target has always been Liam's wife. Is that right?"Keyon nodded, smiling. "That's right. We could care less about those businessmen. All we wanted was to get our hands on Celena Stone!"I must admit I was very surprised when I found out that Celena Stone is the wife of the great King Pendragon. Not only that, but I made an even more shocking discovery—it turns out that Liam is none other than the lone survivor of the Cole family, the noble clan who were allegedly wiped out seven years ago!"The ment
After a few moments' hesitation, he finally decided to shoot his shot. "Mr. Yeager, there is something I don't understand. Why did the Yeagers order these businessmen's capture? I've looked into their backgrounds, and they are all honest businessmen who have not broken the law before. If the media catches wind of this, they will surely accuse me of abusing my power…"This was what Prince Faber had been worried about. He had already investigated the people whom the Yeagers ordered to be captured and did not understand why the Yeagers wanted them imprisoned. They were all civilians who had not committed any crime, and he dared not even imagine the consequences if the public found out he had ordered the incarceration of innocent citizens.Keyon understood immediately Prince Faber's concern. He smiled and replied in a reassuring tone, "Worry not, Prince Faber. We Yeagers have taken care of everything. We have made absolutely sure to cover up all your tracks, and no one will know you were
Meanwhile, Celena and the group were taken out of the hotel and shoved forcefully into a couple of jeeps waiting at the entrance. They were whisked away to a nearby military base. Before they could even get their bearings straight, they found themselves being tossed into holding cells. Celena, on the other hand, was taken separately to a small, dark room, illuminated only by the barest sliver of light that peeped in through a tiny window. The room was entirely empty, save for a metal bed frame. A sour stench hung in the air, and it was clear this room had been abandoned for a very long time. A soldier shoved Celena roughly into the room, and before she could realize what was happening, the soldier slammed the door shut.The soldier had pushed Celena so hard that she fell onto the ground, but upon seeing that her captor was about to leave, she leaped to her feet and sprinted over to the door. "Sir, can you tell me what I did wrong? Can you please have mercy on me? Can you at least
Tristan seemed just as baffled as they were. He returned their puzzled gazes with an equally perplexed one of his own. "I… I have no idea…"The general glanced sharply in their direction, then gestured to his soldiers and declared sternly, "Take them away!"His soldiers obliged and stepped forward to restrain the members of the Drunham City Connoisseurs, who all shrieked in alarm, "Why are you taking us away?""General, what did we do wrong? We didn't do anything illegal, so why are you arresting us?""Mr. Xander, save us! They've got this all wrong!""What's going on here? Why are they arresting only us?"Celena's entire body was shaking like a leaf. She eyed the soldiers around her and asked, stammering, "General, what did we do wrong? Why are we being captured? Where are you taking us?"Tristan, stricken with panic, shoved a soldier aside and shouted at the general, "General, I'm the president of the Drunham City Connoisseurs, and I want to know why we're being taken away. Wh
Celena was utterly terrified by the sudden turn of events. She stared pale-faced at the soldiers around her, not daring to move even a muscle. What was going on?All of a sudden, a man in a uniform stepped into the room. The badge on his shoulder indicated to everyone that he was a general. The heavy thumping of his boots echoed through the silent room with every step he took. All eyes were on him as he stepped onto the stage.He carried himself with great authority, and clearly, this man was not one to be messed with. He scanned the room as if searching for someone. Finally, he announced in a deep, resounding voice, "Do not fear, ladies and gentlemen. We are here on a routine check after receiving a tip-off regarding your conference. We will release you all once we have carried out our investigation, and the process will be quicker and smoother if you all cooperate. "Now, I would kindly request you get your documentation ready so that my men may confirm your identity."Everyone
Derek nodded earnestly and replied, "Of course it's true. My sources have never failed me. I wouldn't have trusted you with this information if I didn't think you'd be interested."Celena stared at him for a moment, then turned to glance in the direction of the people he had pointed. She could not help but be tempted by the offer. She considered this for a few moments, then accepted his offer. "Alright then, Mr. Duncan. I'll go with you. Thank you for inviting me."The smile on Derek's face widened. He could hardly believe his luck—Celena had agreed to go with him! Taking that first step was always the hardest, but he had done it!Unbeknownst to Celena, Derek already knew her long before their first meeting at the conference. Her name was known far and wide in Drunham City, not least because of her beauty, but because of her—in the eyes of the public—tragic marriage. Celena had earned herself a reputation as one of the most beautiful women Drunham City had ever seen, and although
The attention they received, however, was large due to Celena and her young, handsome companion, who was a man named Derek Duncan. Their attractive looks, both individually and combined, were easily the topic of discussion that night. Everyone who laid eyes on them admired both their good looks and brains, for certainly only the cream of the crop were allowed to attend this prestigious event. What made this feat even more impressive was the fact that they were both so young!Aside from her beauty, Celena's name was already known far and wide in the business world, not just because of her strong leadership but due to her association with Liam and her company's connections with many international corporations. She had started her business from scratch, but within a few short months, she had single handedly built it up to become one of the top ten grossing companies in Drunham City.There were hundreds of people gathered there tonight, and their seats had been allocated according to t