The gilded invitations on the table caused the Stone family to shake excitedly. It was the invitation to the Max Group's dinner. Of course, the businesses that were invited were all top-notch. Not to mention, apart from Malcolm's appearance, the legendary King Pendragon would be in attendance as well! Any of the invited guests would be enough to make countless people go crazy, let alone the commander-in-chief of the Pendragon Warriors, who would be appearing in person!Obviously, many would kill to have a chance of attending the dinner. What an honor it would be if they could see King Pendragon in person! In the past, this was just a name that had appeared in the news. Nobody had even seen a photo of him before. This made a lot of people wonder if such a legendary man even existed.King Pendragon was a person that everyone worshiped fervently. People would die happy if they could just catch a glimpse of him from afar. Who would have thought that a man like that was actually sit
"Oh gosh! There's one for me too. That's fantastic. Thank you for your consideration, Wasyl," said Sherah.She had been eyeing the invitation for a long time. She figured one of them would be given to her, but she was afraid it would disappear if she did not hold on tight. At that moment, she could not stop beaming with it in her hands.Sherah became arrogant after she received the invitation. She thought of how Teresa had mocked her earlier. Then, she happily put the invitation in the most visible place next to her and said, "Teresa, you were right. It's good to have a keen eye when picking a husband. Anna should pick a good one when the time comes. Look at Cheryl. Anna should learn from her."Unlike Sherah, Yafe was able to keep his cool. He smiled and quickly picked up his glasses to toast Wasyl.The others simply looked at Yafe and his family of three in envy.How could Teresa stand Sherah's sarcastic remarks? Teresa had always despised the fact that Sherah used to be a mistre
"What the hell was that? Could I have misheard you? What did you say? Get a truck full of them? Go ahead. Get a truckload of invitations delivered now. Let us all expand our horizons," Sherah sneered and said sarcastically.Sherah almost could not contain her laughter. Celena was with Liam, so the more useless Liam was, the happier Sherah was.Cheryl was in stitches too. She hugged her stomach, wiped the tear at the corner of her eyes, and said, "Haha. That's too hilarious. What was that? Liam, you're really killing us. Do you think you're going to be that powerful just because you say so? Do you know how stupid you look? Both of you are truly a match made in heaven."She was a bitch, and he was a loser, one that loved to talk big and lie at that.After that, Cheryl looked at Celena provokingly and said, "Celena, you have a keen eye. You've got yourself such a good husband. I haven't congratulated you, have I? Congratulations on being with an idiot."Reginald suddenly slammed on t
Celena wiped the tears that kept streaming down her face. She continued complaining, "Why are you always lying? Why do you always let me be ridiculed and humiliated by them? I-I just want to live a peaceful life."Celena burst out crying with grievances. She punched Liam's chest with all her might and cried her heart out.She cared very much about the Stones' impression of her. Her mind was very weak, to begin with.Because of Liam, she had to endure being ostracized and insulted by the Stones over and over again. Everybody in the Stone family was laughing at her. She had been holding her emotions in, but she could no longer do it anymore.Liam was stunned after he heard Celena's words. He knew she had endured being treated with disdain and poked fun at a lot because of him.However, he never expected that these small actions and casual remarks could also bring her harm.Liam regained his senses and crouched next to Celena. He cupped her face and gently wiped her tears away. Then
Celena looked pale when the group of people ridiculed and insulted her.She plucked up the courage to look at everyone and said in a loud voice, "Liam said he can get the invitation, and I believe him. Also, he's not a loser. He's an outstanding man. He's not like what you guys made him out to be. The man I chose is not a useless person."Upon saying that, she held Liam's arm tightly. She was still a little scared and was shaking a little. However, she still held back her fear and looked right at everyone in the dining room with her head held high.The hall fell silent as soon as she said that. Then, they burst out laughing.Their mockery and disdainful expressions made Celena take half a step back in fear. She was still holding Liam's arm tightly. The fear and delicate look in her eyes left Liam incredibly heartbroken.Liam put his other hand over her freezing hands and smiled at her calmly. "Don't be scared. Don't worry. Trust me.""Did I hear that right? Did Celena say that th
After Qemal did that, Liam frowned and clenched his fist so tight that his knuckles popped.His gaze darkened as he looked at Qemal. At that moment, Qemal was nothing more than a dead man in Liam's eyes.However, Celena tugged at his elbow. She was ashen as she looked at him. She shook her head and signaled him with her eyes, asking him not to act on impulse.Liam did not move, so Qemal thought that he was chickening out. Qemal felt like he had vented a huge portion of his pent-up anger.He sneered and said, "Hmph. You actually made a call. Do you really think you're all that? What a loser."Wasyl was secretly cheering for Qemal. He smirked and said to Reginald, "Grandpa Reg, is there something wrong with Liam's head? Did he hit his head or something?"Reginald was furious too. He hit his walking stick on the floor and bellowed, "Celena! Liam! That's enough! This is the Stones' family dinner. It's not a place for you to cause a ruckus and do whatever you please. Get the hell out
During the dinner, Wasyl took the chance and asked, "Grandpa Reg, have the Stones gotten the collaboration deal between Celena and the Max Group?"Reginald was extremely excited at the mention of the collaboration with the Max Group. He smiled and said, "Of course! Celena has nothing to do with it at all. How can she collaborate with the Max Group? At the end of the day, she'll still have to rely on us.""That's great. I have an idea, Grandpa Reg. Both the Abbotts and the Stones have gotten some collaboration deals with the Max Group. Why don't both our families join hands, become partners, and grow together? Wouldn't it be better for us to grow in a win-win situation?" Wasyl suggested with a broad smile.Reginald was very excited after he heard about it. He had the same idea. He just could not find the right time to bring it up to Wasyl.After Wasyl suggested on his own, Reginald immediately said, "Great minds think alike. If the Abbott Group and the Stone Group join hands, then w
The butler could not hold it in anymore after seeing Reginald in a daze. He tried to probe by saying softly, "S-Sir, we… "Reginald immediately regained his senses. He stood up while looking anxious. As if he could not believe it, he asked again, "What did you say? A military truck here to deliver the invitations? And there's a truck full of them?"The butler nodded profusely and said, "Yes, sir. The truck is right outside our door. They say they are here to deliver the invitations. They asked us to send someone to collect them."Many of them could not stay put any longer and stood up together. Their sudden action caused the table and chairs to fall on the floor, creating a loud, piercing noise.Reginald quickly pulled a chair out of the way while holding his walking stick. The butler came up to help him, and they rushed toward the door of the Stone Mansion.Wasyl had an incredibly long face at that moment. He was extremely confused. He wanted to confirm if what the butler said wa
The new plan was a hit; every assassin in the room was on board.One of them, posing as a bellhop, stood at Liam's door, ready to knock.However, he never saw it coming. Before his knuckles could rap on the door, it burst open from the inside.Wham!The would-be knocker was sent flying, slamming into the corridor wall with a thunderous crash.The others barely had time to register what happened when Liam burst out, a quintuple-edged dagger in hand.He was a shadow among them, his blade a flash of silver that danced across their wrists, disarming them of their scimitars.In moments, the hallway was a cacophony of clattering blades and piercing screams that filled the hotel.The leader, clutching his bleeding wrist, stared at Liam in horror, leaning casually against the doorframe. Liam's dagger dripped crimson. He watched the fallen assassins with an unfeeling smirk."You think you can play assassins, skulking around in the dark?" Liam's voice dripped with scorn. With a casual f
Noel was a name that turned heads in Rasford City, especially since the Noel family ran a successful pharmaceutical business. In any place, those in the medicine game hold sway, and Noel was no stranger to the city's shadowy bigwigs. After all, nobody was immune to getting sick!Noel was quickly taken to the hospital for emergency care. Meanwhile, the assassin he had hired had pinpointed the hotel where Liam and Sunniva were hiding out.Sunniva was still visibly shaken when they reached the hotel. Too frightened to be alone, she could only gaze at Liam with watery eyes, silently pleading to stay in his room.Liam, left with little choice, let Sunniva take his room while he made do with the couch in the living room.After the night's earlier ordeal, combined with the alcohol and the drug slipped into her drink, Sunniva washed up and promptly fell asleep in Liam's bed.Liam, however, remained on the living room sofa, poring over the mysterious Arcane Manuscript.Out of nowhere,
"Thud!"Then, without missing a beat, Liam grabbed Noel by the throat and landed another punch on him. He struck him squarely on the chin, dislocating it and forcing a couple more of his teeth to fly out. "Ahhh!" Noel shrieked. His face was swelling up to twice its usual size, and he could not help letting out a cry of agony. Liam did not stop there, though. His fists rained down all over Noel without ceasing, his every punch striking where it hurt the most. "F*ck! You're going to pay for this!" Noel grunted. He would make this twat pay! What gave him the right to attack him? He was an heir of the great Noel bloodline, and he would make this cocky, self-righteous prat pay!Liam scoffed, then swung his fist and struck Noel squarely in his abdomen.Noel spat out a mouthful of blood, unable to utter another word from the sheer pain, but this did not stop Liam. The next moment, he grabbed Noel by the hair and bashed his head against the wall behind him.A sickening crunch alerted
The words had barely left her mouth when Noel lost his patience, swung Sunniva around and slapped her hard across the cheek. "D*mn it, you f*cking sl*t! What the f*ck are you shouting for? Let me tell you this—no one will come to save you, not even if you cry yourself hoarse!"The slap came so abruptly that Sunniva was momentarily stunned. Her cheek soon swelled up, and a bright red mark in the shape of Noel's palm began to take shape. Noel had hit her so hard that the back of her head struck the wall behind her, and all she could feel was an intense, throbbing pain that reverberated through her skull. Blood seeped out of the cut on the back of her head, and she could feel the warm liquid trickle down her neck. She suddenly felt strangely faint and stopped resisting. Noel seized the opportunity to strip her naked, grinning. "Ms. Bristow, I suggest you stop wasting your energy. You're mine tonight, and there's no running now!"He had long since heard of Sunniva's beauty, and he was
"Mr. Noel? What is the meaning of this?" Sunniva shrieked in alarm. Noel was wiping his face with a towel when she spoke, and upon hearing her voice, he slowly moved toward her. "Ms. Bristow, do I really need to spell this out for you? You're a gorgeous woman, and I admire you very much. There's nothing to be afraid of, darling. We're all adults here, so there's no need to be shy. I promise that I'll make this the most memorable night you've ever had. "Ms. Bristow, do you know how many women would die to be in your position? Women everywhere bend over backwards to keep me happy, and most of them are willing to please me just to get my business. If you still want this partnership, you better be a good girl and keep me satisfied. If not…"Noel trailed off, for at this point, he had already reached the bed and was just inches away from Sunniva. His flesh quivered with his every move, and he was so tall that he loomed over Sunniva's tiny body like a beast eyeing its prey. "You… you
Noel was not used to being rejected so outwardly. Sunniva's indifference infuriated him greatly. He scoffed, then brought his hand up to his nose and took a deep breath as if trying to catch a whiff of any scent that Sunniva had left on his skin. He sneered. "Ms. Bristow, it seems you are intent on challenging me?"Sunniva replied curtly, "So what if I am?""Very well then! You like to do things the hard way, eh? Let me make this clear—the moment you step out the door, the partnership will be called off! I will no longer do business with Bristow Group!"The audacity!With a smug grin, Noel cast Sunniva one last look before returning to his seat. He watched her coolly and made no move to stop her from leaving again, for he knew he had her cornered. Sunniva stood rooted to the spot, her brows furrowed in deep concentration. Noel knew he had Sunniva caught in a dead-end situation. He smirked and raised his glass to his lips. "How about this, Ms. Bristow? Just one last drink with
A glimmer of annoyance flashed through Noel's eyes, but he continued to reach toward Sunniva, grinning. "Ms. Bristow, I really, really admire you…"Sunniva froze. The next moment, she leaped to her feet, still holding her wine glass, and ducked out of Noel's reach. She replied, raising his glass in an attempt to disguise her nervousness, "Mr. Noel, I greatly admire your success as a businessman as well. Cheers to our partnership!"Noel's arm hovered in mid-air, looking awkward and forlorn as it dangled out of reach of its target. A strained silence fell over them. The tension lasted only a few minutes, though, because Noel soon regained his composure and drew his arm back. He clinked his glass against Sunniva's as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. The two of them had been drinking for quite some time now, and Noel was growing more and more inebriated by the minute. He was a pale man, and so the alcohol gave him an unnatural flush that made him look as though he was
"Thank you, Uncle Leonardo." With that, Liam and Cirocco left the manor. They returned to the hotel to meet up with Calum and Sunniva. Liam and Cirocco were waiting in the hotel's presidential suite, going over their plans for the upcoming days, when Calum burst in, looking flustered. Liam was the first to notice how strangely nervous Calum seemed. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"Calum explained hastily, "Sir, Ms. Bristow was just taken away by a group of locals. She claimed that they were the businessmen we were here to meet. Since you weren't back yet, she decided to go meet them herself. She wants me to inform you that they have gone to the Saint Louisiana Hotel and that you can meet them there."Liam furrowed his brows at this. Calum asked, "Sir, are you going to check on them?"Liam considered this a moment, then grabbed his phone and stood up. "I think I should. You and Cirocco should stay here and go over our plans. I'll pop by the Saint Louisiana Hotel. If Jeffre
"Unfortunately, I cannot reveal to you the identities of the remaining five yet, but don't you worry—when the time comes, you will find out soon enough."Just remember, Liam, you are not alone! No matter what happens, the six of us will be here to help you the best we can!" Leonardo said, squeezing Liam's shoulder in reassurance. His expression was solemn, but there was a spark in his eyes. Liam was even more stunned to hear this. What was going on? Had his grandfather planned this for over twenty years ago? Did he somehow know that Liam would come searching for him?"Uncle Leonardo, what's going on here? Is Grandpa still alive?" Liam asked nervously.Leonardo's face fell, and he shook his head gravely. "Truth be told, I am just as confused as you are. I've been trying to track your grandfather down for years, but the last I heard, he was still being kept on Wraith Island. I haven't heard any news about him since, but I refuse to believe your grandfather would die on Wraith Island