Boom!!That one line hit the man in the black mask like a bolt from the blue, leaving him totally shell-shocked!His... His men!!?What did that mean!?Was he not just some commander's lackey, but the commander himself?That would mean he's...The Commander-in-chief of Pendragon!!The King Pendragon of Biskeland!The masked man had survived the massacre three years back, and he was filled with a mix of deep respect and terror for that commander, a man of almost mythical power!Since that day, Westernia has hailed him as King Pendragon!!The man in the black mask was completely lost, his mind a whirlwind of fear. Just the thought of tangling with King Pendragon's henchmen was enough to terrify him, but to actually come face-to-face with King Pendragon himself was unthinkable!That was the man who had once single-handedly decimated the Dark Web's headquarters, the same man who had effortlessly taken down the Dark Web's notorious founder, Raymond, in a blink.The pressure was
Barlow froze, then the message hit home. He scrambled to his feet, stammering, "Understood, understood... I'll tell them right away... Thank you... Thank you, Biskeland King Pendragon, for your mercy!"Liam just grunted, a dismissive sound that meant one thing: Scram.Barlow did not need to be told twice. He stumbled out of the courtyard, respect and fear written all over his face. Only when he was a safe distance away, beyond the reach of Liam's menacing presence, did he dare to breathe easy.He bolted to a black sedan by the curb, floored the gas pedal, and sped off toward the airport. He was airborne and out of Biskeland before dawn.With Barlow gone, Liam surveyed the wreckage of the courtyard wall and the chaos strewn about. He glanced toward Celena's room and let out a resigned sigh."Great, more cleanup tomorrow. I sure know how to keep myself busy," he muttered to himself.Then, with a final drag on his cigarette, Liam headed back to the bedroom.He checked on Celena and
Laird paused, pondering, before probing further, "Mr. Abbott, level with me, is the person you're after really just a regular Joe? If they were, why would anyone be so scared?"Wasyl was skeptical, thinking Laird was just making excuses. "Ordinary? You can't get more ordinary. It's a woman and a guy who's nothing but an ex-soldier. Laird, are these hitmen you're finding even legit? They're too chicken to take on this job? Or is it the cash they're sniffing at? Fine, I'll go straight to 150 thousand dollars. That kind of money could take out two people, and I'm just asking for an arm..."Laird listened to Wasyl's rant with growing annoyance. The job was a no-brainer, targeting the most average Joe imaginable, and yet someone had the nerve to send it back!If it were not for the hefty paycheck Wasyl was waving, Laird would have ignored the whole thing. Low-level gigs like that barely registered a blip on the Dark Web's radar.Laird stayed quiet, lost in thought, prompting Wasyl to pr
Laird had been navigating the shadowy corridors of the Dark Web for a good while, fully aware of the grave consequences of landing on its blacklist. However, what caught him off guard was the uproar a seemingly straightforward gig had stirred up, with the client's details then under the microscope. The Dark Web's task postings, though shrouded in council-grade encryption, were never impervious to the persistent, it was only a matter of time before the client's identity would surface. With that thought, Laird's anxiety spiked, and he bellowed, "Wasyl, for the love of God, I'm asking you again—tell me straight, is your mark really just some discharged jarhead? He doesn't have another side to him??" Wasyl looked like he had been hit by a truck, stammering, "Laird, I swear I'm not playing you. He's just an ex-soldier, that's all." "No way!" Laird was not buying it and exploded, "Bullshit! If he was just Joe Schmo, how in the world did he end up on the no-touch list? I've never seen
"How did it flop again!? Wasyl, what's the deal? You said your guy was top-notch. How could it go sideways like this? That Dark Web is a joke, a sham! Even so-called pros can't handle a simple beatdown!"Cheryl's tirade was fierce, but it was not enough to quell her fury. She hammered her fists onto Wasyl's arm, yelling, "Can't you find someone who can actually get the job done? It's just a beatdown, for crying out loud, and you botch even that. Ahhhh... It's driving me nuts!"Wasyl's face was a mask of misery. Cheryl's words echoed in his head, along with Laird's recent spiel, leaving him utterly confused.Was Laird playing him for a fool?He had heard all about the Dark Web, that notorious assassin's network with international clout. It was supposed to be a simple job, putting Liam in his place. However, then, it was a mess, way more trouble than it should have been. He had never heard of the Dark Web dropping the ball on a job.The more he thought about it, the more Wasyl was s
Wasyl pinned the partially undressed Cheryl under him, burying his face in her chest to kiss it.Cheryl put on a charming smile, wrapping her arms around Wasyl's neck, and said, "You're so naughty!"…By the time Celena woke up the following day, Liam was already occupied in the yard.Celena had a really deep sleep. Her body felt a little tired, but she was in great spirits. It was a long time since she had a good night's sleep like she did last night.She did not see Liam in the cottage after she got up. After she got to the yard, she saw Liam tidying up the fence that collapsed. Celena was a little confused to see that a part of the fence fell so she asked, "Liam, why did the fence collapse?"As Liam laid the bricks, he smiled and replied to Celena, "Nobody was staying in this cottage before us. I'm guessing the fence collapsed because it was too old. It's no big deal. I'll just fix it up.""Alright. I'll leave you to it, then. I'll make breakfast. I'm going out later." Cele
Celena did not notice the men's interaction, but Liam did. Liam saw the suspicious looks and the exchange they had. He frowned as a frosty glint gleamed in his eyes.One of the persons in charge looked at Liam and asked with suspicion, "Ms. Stone, this is?"It was only then Celena regained her senses. She smiled and explained, "Oh, I forgot to introduce him to you. This is my husband—Liam Cole."The person in charge immediately figured out who he was after they heard what Celena said. Their eyes started to be filled with disdain as they looked at Liam. One of them smiled and said, "Oh, I see. He's the loser who's depending on you financially."Celena got a little upset once she heard that. The man was very observant, so he corrected himself and said, "Oh, no. My mistake. I meant to say that this man is your husband."Celena eased up a little, but she was still upset.Things became a little awkward because of what that man said.Liam did not care that the men mocked him and rolle
Celena had a solemn look once she heard what Jayme said. Her eyebrows were locked into a frown as she asked with concern, "What materials? How are they used up so quickly?"As she said that, she walked toward the warehouse desiccated to store the materials. She opened the door, took a few glances, and realized there were less materials in there.That made Celena feel even more confused. She knew the quantity of the materials that were delivered. Based on a normal construction schedule, it would be impossible for the materials to be used up so quickly.Jayme saw that Celena was staring at the materials in the warehouse in a daze and finding it suspicious. He quickly explained with a smile, "Ms. Stone, you're not familiar with the actual situation on a construction site, so let me explain. "Some materials would be used less, and some would have a certain degree of scrap rate. Take the materials that we're lacking, for example. Their scrap rate is at twenty percent. That's why the ma