Liam smiled when he found himself surrounded by throngs of concerned faces. He patted the shoulder of every person he brushed past, and finally, he turned to see the red-rimmed eyes of Black Rose, who was on the verge of tears with worry. He stroked her hair reassuringly, smiling. "Don't worry! I'm fine! You should be more worried about Calum, you know!"Black Rose immediately sprinted to the jeep to check on Calum. She almost fainted when she laid eyes on the injuries Calum had sustained. It seemed that no inch of his skin was left intact, and although Liam had tended to them the best he could, he still warranted a consultation with the military doctor.The military doctor soon arrived and brought Calum to the Pendragon War Zone hospital. Liam, too, had been forced to visit the hospital to get his wounds checked out. He had sustained some scratches on the exposed skin of his body, and just when he thought there were no more, he removed his uniform and was met by the horrifying sig
Liam chuckled at this. "You're right, sir. Biskeland isn't what it used to be in the past. We're much more powerful now!"He soon arrived at his new home, and he was so excited to be back that he flung the door open, grinning from ear to ear. "Celena, Jovie, I'm home!"To his surprise, he was met by silence.Was no one home?Liam frowned at this and searched the entire house, but Celena and Jovie were nowhere to be found."That's strange. It's a holiday today, so where can they be if not home?" he muttered to himself as he took out his phone to dial Celena's number. Celena picked up after a few moments, but she sounded surprised and puzzled. "Liam? Are you home already?"A surge of warmth coursed through Liam, as did the sound of his dear wife's voice. Although he had gotten out of Grand Pendragon Hill unscathed, there were plenty of moments where he had been just inches away from death, and he was incredibly grateful to be alive to see his beloved wife and daughter again. He
"I'm sorry about that, Kendrick," Celena said, letting out a sigh. She shot Kendrick an apologetic look. Kendrick, however, had his mind on something else entirely. He smiled courteously at her and replied, "It's fine, Celena! We're friends, so there's nothing to worry about!"Meanwhile, Liam leaped on his scooter as soon as he hung up and sped toward the Manor House Kitchen. He drove so fast that he arrived within 20 minutes and caught sight of the happy trio the moment he stepped in. Celena and Jovie were sitting across from Kendrick, the three of them smiling as they chatted merrily. Kendrick was feeding Jovie, with the child occasionally cracking up as though she had heard a hearty joke. Celena, on the other hand, wore an expression of tenderness as she watched Jovie being fed so patiently.The three of them looked like a perfect little family, and that made Liam's blood boil."Jovie!" he called out.Jovie turned at the sound of her name, and the moment she caught sight of
"Besides, it's been ages since I've seen Celena. Now that I'm back and we've bumped into each other, I just want to treat her to a meal and catch up. The cost isn't a big deal!"Kendrick's words were loaded with unspoken meaning.He was practically saying that when it came to dining with Celena, money was no object.Any regular guy would have blown his top if he heard that, but Liam was anything but regular.Liam just gave a cool "Oh," then feigned confusion about Kendrick's intent, asking, "So, Mr. Hyde, you're saying I can order anything I fancy since you're footing the bill today?"Caught off guard, Kendrick still nodded with supreme confidence, casually assuring Liam, "Absolutely, Liam, take your pick. Anything goes. I'm covering it all today!""Well, Mr. Hyde, since you're being so generous, I won't hold back either!"Liam let out a sly chuckle and then instructed the waiter to bring one of every signature dish on the menu!He did not stop there, he ordered the priciest wi
The meal ended in an eerie silence.When the bill arrived, Kendrick's attempt to play the cool, collected gentleman in front of Celena crumbled. His face twisted in agony. The food alone, not counting the drinks, had racked up a bill of over 75 thousand dollars!Sure, splurging on Celena would not have made him bat an eye, even if it cost ten times more. However, blowing that much cash on Liam, that freeloader, was a bitter pill to swallow.To add insult to injury, Liam, who could not hold a candle to Kendrick, had somehow managed to sweep Celena off her feet. It gnawed at Kendrick's pride.However, with Celena watching, Kendrick bit back his frustration and reluctantly pulled out his card to settle the astronomical bill.Celena caught sight of the bill's total and winced. The dinner had cost a fortune, and Liam had ordered most of it. She felt a wave of guilt wash over her. "Kendrick, I'm so sorry..." she began, her face etched with remorse. She hesitated, but then her sense of
The man in the gray suit, flanked by his bodyguards and the armed soldiers, ushered middle-aged man, Lukas Rhodes, into the Manor House Kitchen.That display caught the eye of everyone nearby, from the pedestrians on the street to the patrons inside the restaurant.Even Kendrick and his companions, who were just about to leave, found themselves rooted to the spot, captivated by the unfolding drama.Kendrick's eyes widened in shock and excitement when he recognized the middle-aged man in the crisp military uniform. "Isn't that Mr. Rhodes, the commander-in-chief of our state garrison??" he blurted out, his face alight with recognition.Celena, on the other hand, looked on with confusion, not knowing the man. "Kendrick, is that Mr. Rhodes from the state garrison?""Yes, it is!""Celena, hang tight for a sec. I need to go say hi to them!"Brimming with eagerness, Kendrick made a beeline for the man.However, before Kendrick could get anywhere close, he was blocked by two guards, th
Kendrick strode up to Celena with the eagerness of a boyfriend, while Liam might as well have been invisible."Celena, come on, come on! Let's get inside quickly. I'm gonna introduce you to someone really important!"However, just as Kendrick reached out for Celena, Liam stepped in, blocking his hand."Mr. Hyde, remember who you are. Trying to take my wife's hand right in front of me? That's not exactly cool, is it?"The friendly look on Liam's face was gone, his features twisted into a scowl, his eyes icy as they locked onto Kendrick.Kendrick snapped back to reality, flinging Liam's hand away. The thrill on his face was gone in a flash, replaced by a frosty glare."Liam, I let it slide just now, but don't think for a second I'll put up with your nonsense!"Kendrick's face was stormy as he jabbed a finger toward the armed soldiers. "Liam, see that? That's Mr. Rhodes, a bigwig from the state. I'm about to introduce Celena to him!"He sneered at Liam, "And you are a good-for-not
"And another thing, do you even know who we're talking about here? Celena meeting someone as influential as this can only be good for her. And you're trying to stand in her way? "Kendrick finished speaking and gave Liam the cold shoulder, not bothering to hold Celena's hand any longer. With a meaningful look, he said, "Celena, let's not dawdle. We should head inside.""Sure." Celena cast a lingering glance at Liam, then nodded to Kendrick and turned to make her way to the restaurant.Liam's face twisted into a scowl, his eyes icy as he stared down Kendrick. "So what if he's a major general in the state garrison? Think he's a big deal? My wife needs to rub elbows with the high and mighty, and I can introduce her to bigger fish than you!"Kendrick was caught off guard for a second, then his expression turned stormy, and he gave Liam a look of pure disdain. "Really? I must be hearing things."Liam, are you trying to be the comic relief here? I know all about you. You're nothing but