"Why… Why am I here? What did you do to me?" she sputtered. Celena was frightened beyond measure. Her kidnappers had knocked her out with some drugs upon abducting her, and she was still feeling the effects of it. Her head was strangely heavy, and she felt weak, as though she was not in control of her body.Her mind was fuzzy as well. She could remember getting off work, but the moment she stepped out of the building, a van had pulled up next to her, and some masked men dragged her into it. She struggled to free herself, but her kidnappers had placed a towel over her face, and then everything went black. She could not remember anything after that.The next thing she knew, she had woken up right next to a leering Cirroc, wearing a dressing gown and staring down at her like she was a trophy. Celena was too terrified to think. The grin on Cirroc's face was so sinister that she could not help but feel that something terrible was about to happen. She instantly backed away from him, her
"Besides, have you even thought about it? What will people say about a married woman caught fooling around with other men behind her husband's back? If you're not scared of becoming the laughingstock of the town, you can go ahead and call the cops!" Celena's face fell at this. This was fear like she had never known before, and her entire body was shaking like a leaf. She knew full well that she, a defenseless woman, could not possibly stand a chance against a full-grown adult man like Cirroc. There was nothing she could do about it; Cirroc would have his way with her.Therefore, her only option was to stall him as much as possible and hope that Liam would come to save her. Celena muttered Liam's name over and over in her head, praying that he would be able to hear her cries for help telepathically somehow. She could not even begin to imagine how her life would become if Cirroc had his way with her. How could she possibly face her husband, her daughter, and the public after anoth
Fear was seeping through their veins like a relentless poison, clouding them until it was all they could feel. The next moment, two of the men who had been the first to attack—the leader and one of his subordinates—felt a strange warmth actually seeping through their chest. They lowered their heads and were horrified to discover the end of a quintuple-edged dagger protruding out of their respective chests! Blood was spurting everywhere like a gristly fountain. Thud!Thud!Their limp bodies crumpled to the ground amidst a pool of their own blood, their eyes wide and glassy. Even until the final moments of their death, they did not manage to see how Liam had attacked them.Liam towered over their limp, lifeless bodies and said coldly, "I already warned you what was coming. I offered to spare you only if you could divulge the true identity of your master, yet you did not heed my advice. Well, in that case, you had it coming!"Then, he turned to glance at the remaining two men, his
The pain was truly excruciating!Liam had broken at least three of his ribs and shattered his breastbone entirely. This, combined with the searing pain in his arm from where Liam had stabbed him, made him wish longingly for death as an escape. Liam released the man, letting his body crumple to the ground limply, then stepped a foot against his chest and snarled, "Where did you take my wife?"Despite the sheer agony, the man refused to reveal any information to Liam. He gritted his teeth, and his entire body shook like a leaf, yet he refused to budge.Liam scowled, then stepped harder down onto the man's chest. The renewed force shattered his already broken bones once more, and he howled in agony, "Ahhhhhhhh!"His screams echoed through the lot, but there was no one around to hear them. Liam had run out of patience. White-hot fury blazed in his eyes as he snarled, "I'm only going to ask you this one last time. Where did you take my wife?"The man could not stand it anymore. He
"Get away from me!" Celena shrieked tearfully. Her voice had gone hoarse, and her entire body was shaking like a leaf. "Get away from me! Don't you dare come near me! Don't you dare…"Cirroc, however, inched closer and closer to her, and she backed away from him, shouting, "Is anyone there? Help! Someone help! Someone help me…""Hahaha!" Cirroc cackled, tossing the scrap of fabric aside. The look of panic on Celena's face enraptured him, and his grin widened. "Shout all you want, gorgeous! You can shout all you want now, but save some of your voice because I'm going to make you scream even louder in a while! Hahaha…"He burst into a peal of evil laughter.Celena's throat felt like sandpaper, but still, she kept shouting at the top of her lungs, hoping that by some miracle, someone would hear her.However, the only sound that could be heard was the echo of her own anguished sobs and Cirroc's manic crackle. Celena watched in despair as Cirroc slowly moved toward her. The words see
Liam's eyes welled up with tears when he saw Celena's state. He quickly grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her exposed form."Honey, don't be scared. I'm here now. I've come to rescue you."However, Celena, out of her mind with fear, could not recognize him. She thought he was Cirroc, her attacker, and fought back desperately.Her voice was raspy from crying, and she screamed, "No, no, no, let me go... My husband will come after you, he'll save me... get away... don't touch me..."Liam's heart ached as he watched her struggle. Anger surged through him, but he was careful not to hold her too tightly, afraid of causing her more harm. He tried to calm her, "Celena, it's okay, it's me, Liam."Liam?Had Liam really come to save her?At the sound of his name, Celena's eyes snapped open, and she saw Liam's kind face. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sobbed, "Liam..."Still caught in the grip of terror, she clung to Liam's hands, her body shaking uncontrollably."Don't be af
His voice, chilling like a whisper from the depths of hell, lingered in Cirroc's ears.Their eyes locked, and Cirroc froze, petrified.The murderous fury in Liam's gaze sent a wave of terror crashing through Cirroc.Liam watched Cirroc's bewildered face, then suddenly released him, slamming him to the ground. He stood up and stomped down hard on Cirroc's chest.The stomp, driven by unbridled anger and a thirst for vengeance, was brutal. The floor tiles shattered under the force."Ahhhh!"Cirroc's screams of excruciating pain echoed through the hotel, his chest bone snapping under Liam's relentless assault, blood gushing from his mouth."You... cough cough... let go..."Despite the intense pain, Cirroc, his face contorted with agony, desperately gripped Liam's foot, trying to dislodge it.However, no matter how hard he struggled, Liam's foot was unyielding, pressing down like a massive stone, suffocating him, his face turning a sickly shade of purple."I'm warning you... you'd
Smack!The slap sent Cirroc reeling, his vision swimming with stars as he gaped at Liam, too shocked to react.Liam's gaze was dark and unfathomable, his voice icy. "The Yacano family is nothing to me. Did you really think I'd be scared?"Cirroc caught one look at Liam's dead-serious face and a chill ran down his spine, his eyes wide with fright. Out of the blue, Liam cracked a frosty smile. "You know, if you hadn't brought it up, it would've slipped my mind..."Cirroc's heart lurched. He did not get what Liam was driving at, but something told him it was bad news for him.The more he dwelled on it, the more terror crept in, and he blurted out threats, trying to drown out the panic screaming inside him.Cirroc's mouth was a mess, blood dribbling down his chin. Earlier slaps had left him with a few teeth missing, and then his face was as puffed up as a balloon."Liam, listen up. Beat it while you can. Once Mr. Quain shows up, you're a goner!" he warned, his voice hoarse.He sp
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
With that command, he strode into the restaurant."At once, my lord!"His men obediently echoed, herding Wilson and the others toward the private room where Liam and his party awaited.Karpos strutted ahead, his arrogance restored. Despite a hasty bandage job, his appearance was ragged.As Karpos led Clifford and his entourage into the restaurant, the owner and the servers shuddered in fear, their bodies quaking.Clifford shot the restaurant owner a frosty look that sent him scurrying over with a forced, fearful smile. "Lord Clifford, I had no idea you'd arrived. I'm so sorry for not greeting you at the door," he stammered out an apology.However, Clifford just gave him another icy stare and strode past, following Karpos up the stairs to the private room.The owner, too scared to utter another word, followed them up, his heart pounding.They reached the private room in no time. With a commanding gesture from Clifford, a dozen muscular men in combat gear stormed in.Liam and hi
How could someone from Biskeland throw away their pride like that, groveling for mercy? It was downright embarrassing. They were the ones who started it all, picking on her. Why should she be the one to grovel?The more Corie thought about it, the more her disdain for Wilson grew. "Wilson, if you're so eager to leave, then go. I'm not budging. This mess started with me, and I don't care how tough those guys are—I'm staying right here with Liam to face whatever comes," Corie declared, her voice icy. She grabbed a nearby chair and sat down with a defiant thud."Corie, you!" Wilson started, but she turned her head away, dismissing him with a cold shoulder that only served to stoke his anger. "Fine! Have it your way! However, you'll regret it when Clifford and his goons show up!" he snapped. With that, Wilson stormed out of the room, his entourage trailing behind him in a rush.Corie watched Wilson and his crew scatter like scared rabbits, and with a sneer of contempt, she spat out, "