The room erupted in protest at the suggestion. "Mr. Zwick, Mr. Gabrick's right on the money. Liam's made us a joke to every Martial Arts Association in the neighboring states. How can we even think about bringing him into our league?" one member argued. "Exactly! We can't recruit him. Liam took down Mr. Nasso. He's practically slapped us all in the face!""Spot on. He's insulted us all. Our martial arts league can't just roll over. We need to come down hard on this nobody son-in-law!""Mr. Zwick, I'm dead set against letting Liam join our martial arts league. Some son-in-law from the Stone family in Drunham City—what right does he have to step foot in our state league? And after he's openly disrespected us? No way we can let him in!""Definitely, definitely, definitely! There's no way we're letting him into our Martial Arts Association. He's turned us into a joke among the martial arts community. If we go out of our way to bring him in now, the state Martial Arts Association will
With that, Quenten's composed gaze swept over the assembly, taking in the varied expressions of the representatives and members, finally landing on Virginio, who was clearly struggling to hide his discontent.The room, previously abuzz with low chatter, fell silent under Quenten's watchful eyes. Everyone turned their attention to him.Quenten spoke calmly, "Folks, since Mr. Zwick has made his decision, we'll follow his lead. Putting aside his issues with Mr. Nasso for now, let's consider Liam. To be so skilled at such a young age, he's truly a prodigy among prodigies!"Let's not forget why we started this Martial Arts Association. I want us to look beyond the here and now. On that note, Mr. Zwick has set an excellent example."In the presence of such extraordinary talent, their priority should not be to hold it back but to welcome and bring it into the fold! Just think, when was the last time their state's martial arts association got a shot of new energy?Quenten also took this i
With that, Quenten, Cambria, and an assistant made their exit from the conference room.Icarus, with a respectful nod, joined the rest of the room in a silent, reverent farewell as they watched their leader depart.After Quenten had exited, the conference room buzzed with the allies of Virginio, their voices rising in heated debate."Mr. Gabrick, what's Mr. Zeller getting at? Are we really going to let our state's martial arts association be pushed around by some guy who just married into a family?""Exactly! Liam's made a fool out of us, turned us into a joke among the neighboring martial arts communities, and we're supposed to make nice with him?!""We're the martial arts authority in this state. Are we expected to bow to some nobody son-in-law from Drunham City?""Right! It seems Mr. Zeller's lost his edge, too old to stand up to even a lowly son-in-law.""Mr. Zwick, sure, our association needs new blood, but not from that son-in-law Liam!""Absolutely! He took down Mr. Nass
Icarus watched Virginio storm off, a mix of ice and scorn in his eyes. He had never had much respect for the guy.Virginio was all pride and swagger, thinking a little talent gave him the right to walk on air.However, what Virginio did not realize was that there were always bigger fish, plenty of them. He had just been a big shot in the tiny pond of state and had not yet met his match.Once Virginio and his entourage had cleared out, the other association members trickled out of the room, leaving Icarus with just two middle-aged men.One, a wiry guy with a questioning look, peered up at Icarus. "Is this Liam really all that? You think he's going to dazzle everyone at the annual Martial Arts Convention for Drunham City?"The other man, all stern and no-nonsense, chimed in, "Mr. Zwick, none of us have seen Liam in action. Can he live up to the hype?"Icarus chuckled, then his face took on a grave cast as he looked at the two men. "You've seen it for yourselves. The Martial Arts As
A shiver ran through the room as the middle-aged man spoke of the Yeager family, one of the Four Ancient Families. His eyes were a storm of emotions. Virginio's boldness, his brazen challenge to Icarus, was all because he had the Yeager family, with their deep roots and vast influence, standing behind him.Icarus was not the least bit startled or scared, and with a grin, he said, "Mr. Wadder, I'm well aware, and that's exactly why I'm going to..."Radwen Wadder gave a small nod, understanding, and offered, "Whatever happens, Icarus, if you're ever in a bind, just holler. I'll be there for you, come hell or high water."At the same time, outside the martial arts association's towering building.Quenten, his crew in tow and his granddaughter Cambria by his side, descended to the lobby and slid into his limousine. The engine had not even purred to life when Cambria's curiosity bubbled over.With a skeptical look, she quizzed, "Grandpa, is this Liam guy, the one married into the Sto
In the quaint courtyard of the Stone family...Liam and Celena had just stepped back into their cozy courtyard when Celena fixed Liam with an odd, piercing gaze.Liam felt a twinge of alarm but kept his cool, feigning ignorance. "Honey, what's with the intense stare?"As he spoke, Liam moved to plop down on the couch beside her, but Celena's sharp command froze him in his tracks. "Hold it right there!"Perched on the sofa like royalty, Celena surveyed him with a queenly air, arms folded and chin lifted.Liam tensed, then flashed a sheepish smile. "What's up, hon? Why the sudden inquisition?"He did not get to finish. Celena's eye roll cut him off as she demanded, "Liam, spill it. Are you keeping something from me?"Liam felt a jolt of nerves but quickly masked it with a goofy grin and a scratch of his head. "You're imagining things, love. I've got nothing to hide. Remember my seven years in the service? Training in martial arts with my mentor, teaching the troops—it made handlin
"Celena, I'm aware of the pain you endured seven years ago because of me and Jovie too. Our time together may have been brief, but it's been profound."You and Jovie mean the world to me. Celena, I can't thank you enough. After the tragedy with the Cole family seven years ago, I was left without a home. You gave me a new beginning."Celena, please know this—I, Liam, promise to guard you and Jovie with my life. As long as I draw breath, I'll shield you both from any harm."Liam's declaration was filled with unwavering conviction, his demeanor grave. Celena could see the truth in his eyes.Moved to tears, Celena's eyes glowed with gratitude as she nodded emphatically. "Yes, Liam... I trust you, and I'm deeply thankful for all you've done. You've been my rock in the toughest of times, and you've always treated me with such kindness.""Silly girl, you're my wife. Who else would I be good to, if not you?"Liam's smile was a gentle balm as he brushed away the tears from Celena's eyes.
Reginald, surrounded by the buzz of everyone's opinions, wore a look of deep concern. With a gentle tap of his cane on the floor, he commanded silence. Once the room fell quiet, Reginald turned to Yafe and inquired, "Yafe, what's your take on this?" At the mention of Liam, Yafe's expression darkened with a glint of malice in his eyes. "Dad, to be frank, Liam just doesn't fit with the Stone family anymore. It's bad enough he's been a constant source of trouble, but the guy has zero respect for authority. He's been insolent to his elders, even gone so far as to get physical with them. If we let him stay, we'll become the town's biggest joke!"If anyone was itching to kick Liam and Celena out of the Stone family, Yafe would be leading the charge with arms enthusiastically raised. Liam had crossed him one too many times, challenging him and even getting physical. Yafe was seething, fantasizing about giving Liam a taste of his own medicine.Sherah quickly joined in, playing to the fam
Meanwhile, Celena and the group were taken out of the hotel and shoved forcefully into a couple of jeeps waiting at the entrance. They were whisked away to a nearby military base. Before they could even get their bearings straight, they found themselves being tossed into holding cells. Celena, on the other hand, was taken separately to a small, dark room, illuminated only by the barest sliver of light that peeped in through a tiny window. The room was entirely empty, save for a metal bed frame. A sour stench hung in the air, and it was clear this room had been abandoned for a very long time. A soldier shoved Celena roughly into the room, and before she could realize what was happening, the soldier slammed the door shut.The soldier had pushed Celena so hard that she fell onto the ground, but upon seeing that her captor was about to leave, she leaped to her feet and sprinted over to the door. "Sir, can you tell me what I did wrong? Can you please have mercy on me? Can you at least
Tristan seemed just as baffled as they were. He returned their puzzled gazes with an equally perplexed one of his own. "I… I have no idea…"The general glanced sharply in their direction, then gestured to his soldiers and declared sternly, "Take them away!"His soldiers obliged and stepped forward to restrain the members of the Drunham City Connoisseurs, who all shrieked in alarm, "Why are you taking us away?""General, what did we do wrong? We didn't do anything illegal, so why are you arresting us?""Mr. Xander, save us! They've got this all wrong!""What's going on here? Why are they arresting only us?"Celena's entire body was shaking like a leaf. She eyed the soldiers around her and asked, stammering, "General, what did we do wrong? Why are we being captured? Where are you taking us?"Tristan, stricken with panic, shoved a soldier aside and shouted at the general, "General, I'm the president of the Drunham City Connoisseurs, and I want to know why we're being taken away. Wh
Celena was utterly terrified by the sudden turn of events. She stared pale-faced at the soldiers around her, not daring to move even a muscle. What was going on?All of a sudden, a man in a uniform stepped into the room. The badge on his shoulder indicated to everyone that he was a general. The heavy thumping of his boots echoed through the silent room with every step he took. All eyes were on him as he stepped onto the stage.He carried himself with great authority, and clearly, this man was not one to be messed with. He scanned the room as if searching for someone. Finally, he announced in a deep, resounding voice, "Do not fear, ladies and gentlemen. We are here on a routine check after receiving a tip-off regarding your conference. We will release you all once we have carried out our investigation, and the process will be quicker and smoother if you all cooperate. "Now, I would kindly request you get your documentation ready so that my men may confirm your identity."Everyone
Derek nodded earnestly and replied, "Of course it's true. My sources have never failed me. I wouldn't have trusted you with this information if I didn't think you'd be interested."Celena stared at him for a moment, then turned to glance in the direction of the people he had pointed. She could not help but be tempted by the offer. She considered this for a few moments, then accepted his offer. "Alright then, Mr. Duncan. I'll go with you. Thank you for inviting me."The smile on Derek's face widened. He could hardly believe his luck—Celena had agreed to go with him! Taking that first step was always the hardest, but he had done it!Unbeknownst to Celena, Derek already knew her long before their first meeting at the conference. Her name was known far and wide in Drunham City, not least because of her beauty, but because of her—in the eyes of the public—tragic marriage. Celena had earned herself a reputation as one of the most beautiful women Drunham City had ever seen, and although
The attention they received, however, was large due to Celena and her young, handsome companion, who was a man named Derek Duncan. Their attractive looks, both individually and combined, were easily the topic of discussion that night. Everyone who laid eyes on them admired both their good looks and brains, for certainly only the cream of the crop were allowed to attend this prestigious event. What made this feat even more impressive was the fact that they were both so young!Aside from her beauty, Celena's name was already known far and wide in the business world, not just because of her strong leadership but due to her association with Liam and her company's connections with many international corporations. She had started her business from scratch, but within a few short months, she had single handedly built it up to become one of the top ten grossing companies in Drunham City.There were hundreds of people gathered there tonight, and their seats had been allocated according to t
The moment Clifford left, Kastor turned to Liam with a wide grin, all hint of his hostility now gone. "Mr. Cole, thank God I arrived just in time."He raised his brows as he said this, and Liam took this to mean he was trying to claim credit. Truth be told, he would have been able to handle things on his own even without Kastor's help, but he decided this was a detail Kastor did not need to know. Instead, he returned Kastor's smile graciously. Kastor, like a child, burst into laughter at this. No further words were exchanged, but they understood the message nonetheless.Jeffrey also grinned. "Kastor, what brings you here all of a sudden?"Kastor replied, "Ah, you might not know this, Mr. Stein, but I actually own this very restaurant that you're sitting in right now. One of my employees called me for help, citing that a brawl was about to break out, so I rushed over immediately. I had no idea it would turn out to be you and Mr. Cole!""Ah, what a pleasant surprise, then!" Jeffrey
Clifford scowled upon hearing this. He cracked his knuckles menacingly as he stared at Kastor through narrowed eyes.Kastor did not seem at all intimidated by this. Instead, he brushed past him and approached Liam, smiling. "Mr. Cole, I apologize for the delay. I rushed over as soon as I heard the news, but I was late anyway. I'm so sorry for the wait."Liam's expression eased up slightly. He tugged the corners of his mouth into a strained smile but did not reply. Clifford's expression turned even more sour when he sensed Kastor's tone. He asked sharply, "What is the meaning of this, Kastor? Are you intent on making me your enemy?"Clifford's reputation was known far and wide, and many feared him, but Kastor was not one of them. He shot Clifford a look of utmost disdain and replied, smirking, "Yes, Clifford, that's exactly what I'm going to do. So what if we will be enemies from now on? What are you going to do about it?"He was confident that Clifford would not dare to retaliate
One of the muscle-bound goons stowed his submachine gun and drew a hefty machete, nearly a foot long, from his side. He advanced on Liam with deliberate steps.Calum and Cirocco were poised for a fight, ready to jump in at Liam's command and wipe out the roomful of petty thugs.However, Liam had other plans. He remained seated, an unfazed smirk playing on his lips, watching the approaching thug with the machete.The thug, mistaking Liam's calm for fear, grinned viciously and raised his machete, aiming for Liam's arm.However, in a flash, the scene changed.A figure hurtled through the air, and with a resounding crash, the thug was sent flying into the wine rack. The rack toppled, bottles shattering, their contents spilling and perfuming the air with the scent of alcohol.The thug hit the ground, blood spurting from his mouth, his eyes wide with shock. He lay there, lifeless, staring at Liam, dead before he hit the floor.The room plunged into a deathly hush.Corie clapped a h
Corie was also shaken, her fists clenched tight under the table as she watched Liam with wide, fearful eyes, barely managing to whisper, "Liam!"Liam stood there, steady as ice, without a trace of fear. "Don't worry, I've got this," he assured.Corie, seeing Liam's calm dismissal of the threat and recalling his proven strength, felt her fear ebb away.She could not explain it, but she had an unwavering faith in Liam.Across from them, Clifford lounged back, his legs thrown carelessly over the table, his gaze dripping with disdain. "You don't know who you're messing with, do you?" he sneered. "Karpos works for me, Clifford. And yet, you've got the gall to attack my men in broad daylight? You're in over your head!"Jeffrey was about to chime in, but one look at Liam's icy demeanor and he thought better of it, choosing instead to watch the scene unfold in silence.He was curious to see just how Liam would handle that.Liam chuckled, a sound as cold as the winter wind, and fixed Cli