Eaden did not dare to lie and instead admitted truthfully, "Yes, sir. He's one of my subordinates, but I had no idea what he did. I did not know what he was up to today, and if I knew that he would do something to disrespect you, I would've killed him myself! Please forgive me, sir, I was completely in the dark about this!"Eaden kept banging his head against the ground as a desperate means of showing his sincerity. Even though the floor was heavily carpeted, he hit his head so hard that his forehead was beginning to bleed.Liam scoffed, then turned to Calum and said, "Bring him in!"Calum immediately dialed a number, and less than five minutes later, the sound of police sirens appeared outside the building. George stepped out of the vehicle with his men and brought a handcuffed Makson into the room."Thud!"Makson was then tossed onto the ground. His face was bruised and swollen beyond recognition, and when he caught sight of both his boss and the richest man in the city kneeling
George, on the other hand, slinked out of the room the moment he put Makson down and deliberately turned a blind eye to what was going on inside. He finally approached Liam when he came out of the room and asked, "Mr. Cole, is there anything else I can help you with?"Liam gazed up at the sky above him and replied, "Keep your mouths shut about everything that happened today! You should know what to answer if my wife's family asks about this."George immediately perked up. "Yes, sir, understood!"With that, George, Kolten, and the rest of the men watched as Liam strode away. It was only until Liam's retreating figure disappeared from view that they felt a wave of relief wash through them.George turned back to glance at Eaden, who was still wiping the sweat off his forehead. He did not say anything, and instead led his men out of there. He would leave Eaden to deal with Makson's dead body himself. Liam returned to Stone Mansion after this. Celena, who waited for him, came out of t
Wasyl's entire demeanor changed the moment he got off the phone, and Cheryl could tell that something had gone wrong. She quickly approached him to ask, "What happened?""Makson led his men to stir up trouble at your family's factory, but he was caught red-handed by the police commissioner himself and has been arrested. Your family's factory has resumed work as a result, so I need to speak to Mr. Wafer right now!"With that, Wasyl dialed his assistant's number and instructed him to prepare his car and three million dollars in cash."I'll go with you!" Cheryl said when she heard this. Wasyl and Cheryl soon showed up at Eaden's mansion in the hills, along with two briefcases stuffed full of cash."Who are you, and what do you want?" The guard immediately stopped them."I'm Wasyl Abbott, the heir to Abbott Group. I'm here to see Mr. Wafer. Please tell him I'm here. Tell him I'm a friend of Makson Reager's!"The guard shot Wasyl a cold look. "Alright. Wait here!"With that, he tur
A single slap left Cheryl speechless, her hand on her cheek as she stumbled to the side, too stunned to utter another word.Wasyl, his face a patchwork of bruises, managed to pull himself up. Spotting his chance, he lunged like a sprinter into his car, gunned the engine, and sped off.Cheryl, still shaking and clutching her face, watched Wasyl's car disappear into the distance. Panic-stricken, she took off after him, her voice laced with desperation, "Wasyl! Wasyl! Don't leave me! Wait up! I'm not even in the car yet! Wasyl, you jerk, how could you just ditch me like that?"And with that, the ridiculous spectacle came to an end.After his escape, Wasyl ended up in the hospital, enduring a lengthy bandaging process. When he finally emerged, he was a sorry sight—face battered, limbs swathed in bandages, one arm and one leg freshly cast, hobbling along.Settling into his car, Wasyl couldn't hold back his curses. "Damn that Eaden, he's like a rabid dog! I'm in agony!"Just as he was
Liam was just about to knock when he caught the sound of soft sobs coming from the room. His face fell, and he skipped the knocking, twisting the doorknob and stepping in. He approached the bed and gently took Celena's hand, his voice full of concern, "What's going on? Did something happen?"Celena sat up quickly, dabbing at her eyes, and managed a smile that looked more painful than any tears. "I'm fine. Let's go grab some dinner, okay?"At the dinner table, Celena was visibly upset, her gaze fixed on the noodles on her plate, picking at her food without much interest.Catching Liam's eye, Jovie got the hint. She put some veggies on Celena's plate and asked with innocent concern, "Mommy, why the tears? Did someone mean to hurt you? Tell Daddy, quick! Daddy can take care of the bad guys. He'll make sure they never bother you again!"Celena looked up, fighting back the tears, and gave a small laugh. She affectionately tousled Jovie's hair, "You're such a little rascal, Jovie. Ever
Jovie's lips turned down in a pout as she slipped from Celena's arms and cuddled into Liam. She planted a kiss on his cheek and declared, "Daddy, don't believe Mommy. She's fibbing, and fibbers will end up with piggy noses. Mommy's been missing you so much. She always tells me stories about you, how you're like a superhero, so strong, and that once you're back, you'll keep me and Mommy safe."Jovie clutched Liam's hand, her voice tiny and tentative, "Daddy, are you going to vanish again? Please promise me, don't leave me and Mommy, okay?"Her voice trailed off, her little face a mix of worry and hope, dreading the thought of being left behind.Liam's face softened, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears as he wrapped Jovie in a tight embrace, his voice muffled against her small neck, "I promise, sweetheart. No matter what, I'll always be here. Daddy's never going to leave you and Mommy. I'll keep you both safe, always."Hearing that promise, Jovie's face lit up with joy. She hugge
Inside the Stone family's factory at Rectenwald, the scene was tense.Factory manager Hayes Adams was a bundle of nerves, bowing so low his head might touch the floor, his face a mask of fear, sweat pouring down like he was caught in a storm.The factory floor was swarming with over a hundred toughs in black, their mere presence enough to send Hayes into a fit of shakes, his head bowed, too terrified to even look up.Hayes never felt so cornered, not since he became manager. In his wildest dreams, he couldn't have imagined facing off against Eaden's crew—the same Eaden who was a household name in Drunham City.There he was, the man of legend, standing right in front of Hayes, who was consumed by a paralyzing terror.Eaden's face was a mask of menace as he loomed over Hayes, his eyes glacial. "Hayes, you better start spilling the truth," he growled. "Or we can kick things off with a little game. What'll it be? An arm or a leg first?"Just ten minutes ago, Eaden got the call from C
"So, you're Hayes?"Liam settled into the chair, his formidable presence making it hard for Hayes to even breathe."Yes, sir, I'm Hayes," he stammered, drenched in sweat and shaking, desperate not to anger the man before him.Liam's gaze was frosty, his voice calm but loaded with a threat that sent shivers down Hayes's spine."Did I just hear that Yafe and Sherah have been messing with my wife?"Liam tapped the chair's armrest rhythmically, the sound echoing ominously. He was just sitting there, but the fear he inspired was palpable.Hayes's voice trembled with fear as he spoke, "Yes, yes! They approached me today, handed over a hefty sum of 50,000, and wanted me to conspire with them against Ms. Celena Stone. It just so happened that Ms. Celena Stone walked in on us, and a heated argument broke out. Sherah lost her temper and slapped Ms. Celena Stone, hurling insults at her."A wave of dread washed over Hayes. Celena was his wife, and that man—was he the so-called deadbeat, the
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
"Thank you, Uncle Leonardo." With that, Liam and Cirocco left the manor. They returned to the hotel to meet up with Calum and Sunniva. Liam and Cirocco were waiting in the hotel's presidential suite, going over their plans for the upcoming days, when Calum burst in, looking flustered. Liam was the first to notice how strangely nervous Calum seemed. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"Calum explained hastily, "Sir, Ms. Bristow was just taken away by a group of locals. She claimed that they were the businessmen we were here to meet. Since you weren't back yet, she decided to go meet them herself. She wants me to inform you that they have gone to the Saint Louisiana Hotel and that you can meet them there."Liam furrowed his brows at this. Calum asked, "Sir, are you going to check on them?"Liam considered this a moment, then grabbed his phone and stood up. "I think I should. You and Cirocco should stay here and go over our plans. I'll pop by the Saint Louisiana Hotel. If Jeffre
"Unfortunately, I cannot reveal to you the identities of the remaining five yet, but don't you worry—when the time comes, you will find out soon enough."Just remember, Liam, you are not alone! No matter what happens, the six of us will be here to help you the best we can!" Leonardo said, squeezing Liam's shoulder in reassurance. His expression was solemn, but there was a spark in his eyes. Liam was even more stunned to hear this. What was going on? Had his grandfather planned this for over twenty years ago? Did he somehow know that Liam would come searching for him?"Uncle Leonardo, what's going on here? Is Grandpa still alive?" Liam asked nervously.Leonardo's face fell, and he shook his head gravely. "Truth be told, I am just as confused as you are. I've been trying to track your grandfather down for years, but the last I heard, he was still being kept on Wraith Island. I haven't heard any news about him since, but I refuse to believe your grandfather would die on Wraith Island