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 room was stunned by his announcement—everyone except Liam, that is.The stocks had maxed out their value!?Liam's wild guess was spot on!?"150 thousand dollars? Show me! I want to see!"Sherah, snapping out of her daze, grabbed Yafe's phone with a look of sheer excitement. She might not have known the first thing about stocks, but she knew money when she saw it. The figures on the screen made her eyes pop.Yafe passed the phone to Sherah, his grin unwavering. That was his moment, especially after Kyros had been flaunting his luck in landing a great son-in-law. Yafe felt like he had evened the score.If Cheryl had not been tied up and absent, he would not have had to endure Kyros's mockery. Then, with the stocks through the roof, he was eager to see their reactions.Yafe mulled it over, then with a grin spreading across his face, he grabbed the glass before him and raised it to Liam. "Here's to us, Liam. Let's drink up!"Liam quirked an eyebrow, his expression a playful mix
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