Liam was not taken aback by Kaison's comment, he was all too familiar with those little games, having played them himself seven years earlier. With everyone's eyes on him, he remained composed and spoke with a nonchalance that belied the tension in the room. "I wouldn't say it's all that grand. I'm a bodyguard with the Bristow Group here in Drunham City."The moment the words left his lips, Kaison clapped a hand over his mouth, his eyes wide with mock astonishment. "No way! You're a bodyguard for the Bristow Group in Drunham City? The Bristow heir is a pal of mine—I had no clue you were on their payroll! Man, you're something else. Hats off to you!"Kaison's performance was over the top, his gaze dripping with scorn. The crowd was savvy enough to see right through him, and they piled on with their jabs."Come on, Mr. Nasso, you're impressed by a mere bodyguard? Don't make us laugh. That's beneath someone of your caliber.""Exactly, Mr. Nasso. You're the big shot of the Nasso Grou
Liam was not bothered, but Corie was. She brought him there, and the crowd's ridicule was a direct hit to her pride.If word of tonight's fiasco got out, Corie would be the laughingstock of the whole town.That was something she just could not stand for.With a swift grab of her clutch, Corie whipped around to face Yennifer and Liam, her voice seething with frustration, "Yennifer, Liam, we're out of here!"Yennifer's expression was sour. She had no love for the petty games those spoiled heirs and heiresses were playing. At Corie's signal, she snatched up her bag, ready to bolt. However, to everyone's surprise, Liam, the butt of their jokes, did not budge. A smirk played on his lips as he nonchalantly replied, "Ms. Doyle, why rush off? Didn't we come for dinner? Let's not leave hungry. I mean, I've got nothing to eat back at home!"His comment threw the room into a stunned silence, which quickly erupted into raucous laughter."Hahaha! What's he even saying? No food at home? Is h
As his words hung in the air, the room erupted into raucous laughter once more.Qasim, the wealthy heir who first said hello to Corie, then stood up, grinning from ear to ear. He exaggerated his surprise as he spoke, "Ms. Doyle, I just can't figure you out. Why befriend a little bodyguard like him? Aren't you just dragging down your reputation? Look at the guy, he can't even spring for a meal without blushing with shame!""Mr. Calnan, that's a bit harsh, don't you think? The Royal Terrace Restaurant isn't exactly a diner off the highway. For a small-time bodyguard to snag a dinner here, he'd have enough bragging rights to last a lifetime!""Right? Hey, bodyguard bro, why don't you ask me for a favor? Forget about one more meal, how about we treat you to a week's worth of dining?"The taunts from Qasim sparked a wave of jeers from the other trust-fund kids. However, Liam? He just sat there, cool as a cucumber, as if their words were nothing but background noise.Liam might have bru
Wren was visibly taken aback by Corie's blunt dismissal, her face a picture of shock. The room was plunged into an uncomfortable silence. Corie, with a mocking laugh, gave everyone a chilly look and added, "Let me make this crystal clear one last time: I don't need anyone's approval for who I befriend. Sure, you all come from fancier backgrounds than Liam. He's just a bodyguard, but to me, he's worth ten of you. He's out there working hard to better himself, without any silver spoon. And you? What's the point of your fancy pedigrees if all you do is party your life away and mooch off your folks?"Corie did not mince her words, her candor cutting through the pretense. After all, most of the crowd lived off their wealthy families, aimlessly drifting from one social event to another, with no real purpose or ambition.They were all guilty of mooching off their folks, sure, but nobody had the guts to call it out in front of the whole crowd—until Corie did. Her words were like a slap in
However, when Wren looked at Corie, her eyes betrayed not just anger and envy but also a touch of scorn.What a laugh!"Everyone knew about Kaison's charm. Was there ever a woman who caught his eye that could resist him?No chance. Corie might maintain her composure, but it was only a matter of time before she would fall for him, too."Vincent, seeing Corie's irritation and previously too scared to cross Kaison, could not hold back any longer. He was smitten with Corie for ages, so he stood up to defuse the tension, lightening the mood in the room.With a warm smile, Vincent rose and teased Wren, "Ms. Engel, take it easy. You know how Corie is. Let's not sweat the small stuff, okay? Do it for me."It's worth noting that Vincent and Wren were classmates, though they hardly mixed in the same circles.Wren was not about to let Vincent off easy. With a cold huff, he taunted, "Really, Vincent, you could save yourself the trouble. You're like a satellite, always circling her, but does
Kaison finished his spiel, holding his glass aloft with an air of conceit, eyeing Liam.Corie might scorn those pampered trust fund kids, but Liam? He would surely come crawling for that three grand a month and the fancy title of department manager.However.Liam remained seated, a look of disbelief plastered on his face as he calmly addressed Kaison. "Mr. Nasso, right? Well, for Ms. Doyle's sake, I'll offer you a shot at redemption. Serve me coffee and apologize, and I'll let your earlier disrespect slide. How about that??"The room fell into a stunned silence at his words.Was that guy out of his mind??Did he have any clue what he was saying?Demanding Kaison to serve him coffee and apologize??The shock was written all over the faces of everyone in the room, including Corie and Yennifer, who were right next to Liam, staring at him in complete astonishment.Kaison's face darkened, his eyes sharp and icy as he glared at Liam, his voice a cold blade, "What did you just say?
Kaison, ever the gracious one, gestured dismissively. "Let it go, we all know he's just a bodyguard. Why stoop to his level? We're here for Ms. Engel's party—let's keep it civil for her sake."Kaison's actions effortlessly charmed the room full of trust-fund kids with a wave of flattery and applause. With Kaison's words hanging in the air, the rich kid had no choice but to back down, shooting Liam a venomous look. "You got lucky this time, kid," he sneered. "If Mr. Nasso wasn't so generous and above petty squabbles, you wouldn't be walking away so easily next time." Qasim, with a similarly menacing stare, added, "Watch yourself, boy. If you keep up that cocky attitude, I'll make sure you can't even set foot in Drunham City again!" Then, leading by example, Kaison raised his glass to signal a toast, grinning as he addressed the crowd. "Let's all raise a glass to thank Ms. Engel for her warm invitation. And I hear it's her birthday today—happy birthday, Ms. Engel! May you always s
If Kaison were not a little serious about Corie if he were to act according to his personality in the past, and if he were in the state, he would not have gone through so much trouble. He would have someone kidnap Corie and put her on his bed.She was nothing but a woman. It was her blessing that he took a fancy to her. How dare she embarrass him in this way!It was for Liam's sake that Corie did not lose her temper and kept holding back her anger. However, she did not expect that Kaison would have the guts to provoke her.She could no longer hold herself back anymore.Just as she was about to stand up and argue back, Liam grabbed her arm. Corie was taken aback, and she stared at Liam in confusion.After Liam glanced at her, he turned to look at Kaison with a bone-chilling gaze. His voice was frosty as he said, "Mr. Nasso, right? Who are you to demand respect? Why should she save you the embarrassment? Do you not know how to read the room? "Can't you tell that Ms. Doyle does not
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