Just as Reginald was about to call the meeting to an end, a familiar voice rang out from a corner of the room.Liam stood up then, pulled a bewildered-looking Celena out of her chair, and asked, "Celena, you are the mastermind behind this project, so are you going to allow someone else to take it out of your hands? No one else can take anything away from you if you don't let them, and I won't allow them to do so either!"The entire room fell silent. Cheryl immediately leaped to her feet and pointed indignantly at Liam and Celena, "Liam, this has nothing to do with you! You have no right to dictate what our family does! You're just an outsider, and you shouldn't stick your nose into our business! Besides, what does Celena know about this project anyway? She shouldn't take over something she's not familiar with!"Sherah, too, stood up in fury and snapped, "Shut up, Liam Cole! You're just an orphan, and it's already kind enough of us Stones to take you in, so you'd better stick to on
A determined look crossed Celena's face at this realization. She squeezed Liam's hand in appreciation and took a deep breath before stepping forward and gazing at Reginald. "Grandpa, I don't agree with your decision to hand the project over to Cheryl! I was the one who obtained this opportunity in the first place—Max Group chose me because they believed in me! Therefore, you shouldn't put Cheryl in charge of this project. I demand to be included as well!"When they heard this, both Teresa and Samatha, Sawyer's mother, piped up unanimously, "Anna should be involved in this as well!""I think Sawyer deserves a chance too!"Cheryl's face was twisted in an angry grimace. She stomped over to Celena, her heels click-clacking furiously on the ground, and pointed at her rudely as she snarled, "You don't agree with Grandpa's decision? Have you gone crazy? You know nothing about business, so how can you even ask to be included in this project? Are you planning to ruin everything?""I can lea
"I've never seen anyone with such audacity! Celena doesn't know any better, so she can't possibly compare to Cheryl, who's been working in the company for years now. How can you possibly come up with such an idea, Dad? You might as well just announce that Cheryl has won! It's a no-brainer!" Teresa said curtly. Reginald slapped the table and turned to Teresa with a scowl. "Teresa, are you questioning my judgment?"Everyone was terrified of Reginald, so naturally Teresa shook her head furiously, blushing. "Of course not, Dad-"However, Teresa was not the only one thinking this. Everyone else at the meeting thought the same; Reginald wanted only Cheryl for the job but did not want to appear cruel for not giving Celena a chance. However, Cheryl would no doubt win this competition, and there was no going around it, so everyone kept their opinions to themselves. However, they were still displeased over this. They could not understand why Celena was offered a chance when their children
"Really?" Celena lifted her head to stare at Liam in disbelief. Liam was momentarily stunned by how beautiful she looked at that moment.He did not reply to her instantly and instead gently pressed a kiss on her rosy lips. Then, he smiled and said, "Of course! I'd never lie to you!"The scent of Liam's perfume lingered around her, and before Celena could even realize what was happening, Liam already kissed her. In an instant, all her worries and shame were forgotten, and instead, all she could think of was Liam's kiss. Her face flushed red and she stammered, "You- you-"Liam could not help but feel even more mesmerized by her when he saw how much she was blushing. He chuckled, and his laughter echoed through the empty room. Celena lifted her head to meet his gaze. The sunlight peeked in between the cracks of the curtains and just so happened to land on Liam's chiseled face, basking him in a warm glow. He was staring at her with a tender look.Celena snuggled even closer to Liam a
Celena turned to stare at him with a look of bewilderment. When she saw how overjoyed he was, however, she wrapped her arm around his neck and nodded, her eyes brimming with tears of joy. She was grinning from ear to ear. She took the marriage certificate from him and scrutinized it. Liam was so happy that he spun Celena around in his arms, the two of them giggling in sheer elation.Although it was a split-second decision to get married, neither of them regretted it even one bit!Celena still refused to put down the marriage certificates even after they returned home. "Where have you been, Celena? I've been looking for you for ages!" All of a sudden, Sherah emerged out of nowhere, followed closely behind by Qemal. Celena quickly hid the marriage certificates behind her and stared at Sherah and Qemal with a puzzled look. "What are you doing here? Why were you looking for me?"Sherah immediately caught sight of Celena hiding something behind her back. She thought Celena had take
Liam's blunt words set Sherah off like a firecracker!She was never so disrespected in all her years, except by Liam, who had the nerve to challenge her time and again since he came back."What did you just say? So what if I'm her stepmother? I'm still an elder in this family, and by law, I'm her mother! And who are you to challenge me? Do you think you can just marry her without my blessing? Over my dead body!" Sherah was livid, her voice rising with each word.She had plans, big plans, to introduce Celena to the rich and powerful men of Drunham City.Celena, a single mother with a beauty that turned heads in Drunham City, would be a catch for any rich man looking for a younger wife, and they wouldn't bat an eye at her having a child.There were plenty of childless tycoons in Drunham City, and Celena with her kid would fit right in.Liam had no time for Sherah's tantrums. He grabbed the marriage certificate from her grip and, with Celena in tow, strode past her.That's when She
Liam could only shake his head at their retreat. Turning around, he caught Celena's intense gaze, so straightforward it made him self-conscious."Is there something on my face?" he asked, touching his cheek.Celena giggled behind her hand, her voice soft as she said, "Thank you, Liam."His wife's gratitude brought a smile to his face. "You're my wife. It's my job to protect you, to keep the bullies at bay," Liam said.He quickly added, "And I won't let anyone bully you ever again."Celena blushed, her head bowed, her heart skipping like a deer in the woods.That's when Jovie popped up, leaning in the doorway, a big grin on his face. "Hahaha, Dad, look! Mom's blushing! She's blushing!"Celena, feigning indignation, chased after Jovie, "Oh, Jovie, you little fibber, you're going to get it now!"Truth be told, Jovie wasn't the least bit frightened. With a mischievous glint in her eye, she launched herself into Liam's arms, giggling, "Oh no, Daddy, Mom's gonna get me!"As she nest
"Give it up, Celena. My proposal's a shoo-in. What could you possibly have whipped up in four days? That's not even enough time to get the lay of the land. If I were you, I'd cut my losses and head home—save the humiliation. And it's not just the Stone family watching this time, but the entire board, the whole upper crust of The Stone Group!" Cheryl's voice dripped with scorn as she threw Celena a sidelong glance."And I'd skedaddle if I were you, to dodge the shame! What can a washout like you come up with? You're living in a fantasy!" Sherah chimed in, standing triumphantly by Cheryl's side, her earlier grievances with Celena in the little courtyard long forgotten in her moment of gloating.The Stone family members lingered at the entrance, their faces twisted in scorn as they sneered at Celena. They already made up their minds about which proposal they had back, having pored over both documents beforehand. One proposal was a masterpiece of precision, while the other was laughably
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