Liam watched Celena, sensing she was onto something. Despite the flutter of panic within, he kept his composure and said, "What is it? Whatever you want to ask, go ahead."He flashed a reassuring smile and swiftly steered the conversation elsewhere. "Honey, you're not yourself right now. You need to rest. Forget the office today. I'll call in sick for you, alright?"However, Celena's eyes remained fixed on Liam, her question earnest and grave. "Tell me, who are you, really? Are you truly just a regular guy who's served his time in the military, or is there more to it?"How could a former soldier have such impressive skills?How could a former soldier track her down so swiftly?As she pieced together the recent events, all roads lead to Liam, each coincidence too perfect to ignore.Liam's expression froze for a moment, and he inhaled deeply. Though his heart raced, his voice remained steady. "Honey, what are you talking about? I'm just me. Who else would I be?"With that, Liam se
Nearby, there was a gruesome sight of flesh crushed, the room a chaotic mess, reeking of blood."Sir!" Waylon cried out, rushing Cirroc to the nearest hospital.Thanks to Waylon's quick actions, Cirroc did not bleed to death.His life hung by a thread, and he was in for a series of surgeries due to the grave injuries.Waylon stood outside the operating room, his face dark with fury, a barely contained rage emanating from him, his hands balled into fists at his sides.He had warned him time and again about the dangers of underestimating Liam, but Cirroc, ever headstrong and impulsive, had not listened to anyone's counsel. Then, they were all paying the price.Cirroc, the golden boy of the Yacano family, groomed from birth to take the reins one day, was then broken. That was no small matter. It shook the very foundations of the Yacano dynasty.For Xerxes, the news was a gut punch.The family would hear about it soon enough, that was certain.Waylon's brow was a battlefield of wo
Once Xerxes had hung up, Waylon wiped the sweat from his brow and exhaled a deep, weary sigh.He turned and made his way back to the operating room's entrance while on the phone, swiftly executing Xerxes' commands.Within the walls of the Yacano family's old house, Xerxes, fury coursing through his veins, flung his cell phone across the room after ending the call."Who is it? Who dares to injure my son? Whoever you are, if I find you, you'll wish you were never born!"With teeth gritted in anger, Xerxes snatched up the landline and barked orders into the receiver."Get someone to bring Dr. Doyle here to tend to the young master's wounds. And I want a name! Find out who did this to my son!!"...Simultaneously, on the highway leading to Drunham City, a sleek stretch of Lincoln glided toward its destination. Inside, a man in a bespoke black suit cradled a crystal glass, his gaze dark and stormy as he watched the landscape blur by.The tranquility was shattered by the shrill ring
The Yacanos might have their roots in Drunham City, but their old house was not in the city proper. It was nestled in a private estate right where Drunham met the state line, surrounded by the top of the city's clans.Excitement shone in Jaxon's eyes. He knew tonight the Yacano household would be anything but peaceful.His moment had come at last! He had bided his time, long and hard.While Cirroc wasted his days in a haze of luxury, Jaxon had been the picture of dedication, quietly building his empire, never stepping on any toes.All to cast a stark light on Cirroc's failings. Then, after years of playing the long game, he had the Yacano family's favor tipping his way.However, mere scraps were not going to cut it. He was not after a sliver of the pie.He was after the whole thing—the entire Yacano empire!Then, at long last, his chance had come. The scales were tipping in his favor.When Xerxes dragged him back to the Yacanos, he was nothing but a sob story to them, a nobody,
Outside, the rain was coming down in sheets, but inside the hotel room, Celena was out like a light on the bed.Her sleep was restless, though. Even a cup of chamomile tea could not keep the nightmares at bay. She kept seeing Cirroc in her dreams, his face twisted and creepy, his icy smirk sending shivers down her spine.Liam was her constant bedside guardian. Each time Celena woke up with a start, she would see him there and just collapse into his arms, sobbing her heart out.She would cry until exhaustion took over, and she would drift off again, only to be jolted awake soon after.That cycle went on until the first light of dawn, and finally, Celena sank into a deep, undisturbed sleep.When she woke up later, Liam was nowhere to be seen in the room.She looked around and caught sight of him on the balcony, stretching out those muscles, shirtless.Even from a distance, Celena could make out the golden tan of his skin, the sleek lines of his body, and the solid build of his m
Not only was Celena beautiful, gentle, and kind, but she had the perfect figure.Thinking that he was having a morning run with his wife got Liam a little excited like a teenager.They both ran around the hotel for half an hour before they went head to the hotel for breakfast.Celena took a hot shower after breakfast and felt much more comfortable. It so happened that their room was facing a man-made lake that had quite a good view. She then sat on the rattan lounge on the balcony, appreciating the view outside the window while resting her chin on her hands.Of course, Liam was by Celena's side, telling her jokes and interesting stories from time to time to amuse her.Liam was giving his all. He even used hand gestures and facial expressions. However, Celena only had a faint smile on her face. She was not in a good mood.What both of them did not know was that a young woman in a black strappy top, fishnet stockings, and shorts was watching them through the binoculars in the gaz
There was nothing strange about the lake. Feeling the ray of light on him, Liam quickly locked his target on the yacht on the river outside the hotel, which was 1,000 meters away from him.In the next second, Liam flipped himself over and did a clean side roll while hugging Celena. He smashed the glass door on the balcony and rolled into the room with Celena in his arms.Liam scanned the room and locked on a blind spot in the room quickly before hiding Celena there.Meanwhile, a bullet hit the position that Liam was previously at, piercing through the back of the lounge chair and hitting the glass door behind it.The entire glass door was shattered, and glass shards were all over the floor.Celena's face turned pale and was covered by a look of terror after she witnessed that.She was so frightened when the glass door was shattered that she hid in the corner of the wall, hugging her head, screaming in fear.Liam had a solemn look and was going to rush out of the room.Celena no
Celena wanted to get up, but she remembered what Liam told her earlier. She was concerned about Liam's safety, but she still hid in the corner and did not move about.What she needed to do at that moment was to stay put and make sure she was safe. That would be the best help she could give to Liam.After Liam jumped off the balcony, he did not fall and ended up a pile of bloody mess like the others would.He landed on the balcony downstairs on the seventh floor with great agility instead. He kept jumping and climbing from balcony to balcony, moving so quickly like the superheroes in action movies.Within half a minute, Liam arrived on the first floor.Once he landed, he rushed right toward the river.Zana was on the yacht at that moment, and she saw Liam rushing toward her. She was shocked and was no longer as calm as before.Liam did not die!Not only that, but he knew her location, and was running toward her with great speed!While Zana was shocked, she picked up the rifle n
Liam saw Sunniva was up and wasted no time, saying. "Ms. Bristow, we've got gang trouble at the hotel. It's not safe. We're bailing to a new place," he said.Without skipping a beat, Liam and Sunniva were out of there, speeding off to another hotel in the car.Little did they know, as soon as they left, a convoy of black SUVs pulled up ominously at the hotel's grand entrance.The streets surrounding the hotel suddenly buzzed with the arrival of several new cars. Their occupants spilled out, pacing the perimeter with a clear intent to surveil.From the lineup of rugged SUVs at the hotel's entrance, a squad of men clad in black, brandishing weapons burst forth. They stormed the hotel, their presence ominous and unchallenged.The receptionists, staff, and patrons were petrified, cowering in corners, none daring to confront the intruders.The men made a beeline for Liam's last known location, only to find the room deserted.The ringleader cursed under his breath, "Damn it! He's slip
Each victim was marked with a triangle tattoo, a calling card that did not go unnoticed. Someone had snapped a picture of it before the hotel staff even showed up and had split.Liam passed the photo to Cirocco and Calum, and it hit them like a ton of bricks. Calum scrunched up his face and said, "Sir, this is Alpha's tag. They're big-time hitmen around Rasford City."They're known for their love of curved blades, and that triangle is their signature."Cirocco had been doing some digging too and came back with chilling news about Noel. "Sir, we got the why. Someone's put a three million dollar price tag on your head, right there on the hit list!""Moreover, the bounty was so colossal that it had all the shadowy players in Rasford City licking their chops. A coalition of forces was now banding together, plotting a takedown that had you in their crosshairs."Cirocco's face was a mask of ice as he spoke, and Calum's features were twisted in a scowl.Liam chuckled darkly, the quint
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