She was determined to have Celena secure three of the finest villas at Emerald Lake, one for herself, one for Cheryl, and another for Qemal.That way, the entire family would settle into the lap of luxury in Drunham City's most prestigious villa community.Yafe shot her a piercing look, his thoughts suddenly crystal clear, and he said with an icy edge, "It all makes sense now. Celena's bold talk about ditching the Stone family... she knew something."That mansion, ringing in at a cool 150 million, outvalued the entire Stone fortune!Hayden inhaled sharply, "Dad, something's way off here. Liam's been down and out. Where'd he get that kind of cash?""We've got to dig into this, figure out the real story," Walter chimed in, nodding vigorously.Out of nowhere, a voice cut through the buzz of The Stone family, "What if Liam's mansion money is the old Cole family fortune?""That's got to be it! Why else would he show up here as a son-in-law if he wasn't hiding something bigger?""Tha
At the mention of the money and the posh King Mansion falling into the Stones' hands, the whole family could not help but smirk with thrill.Yafe and Sherah stepped up, eager to head over to the modest mansion neighborhood where Celena and company were shacked up to spread the word.Meanwhile, back at the mansion, Jovie was enjoying her break, and with Celena off from work, they were soaking up the sun, frolicking on the lawn.Out of nowhere, Sherah came in laughing, her voice filled with excitement as she made her way over to Celena.She affectionately grabbed Celena's arm, teasing her with a laugh, "Oh, Celena, are you having fun with Jovie?"And you! How could you buy a huge mansion and not even give your family a heads-up? You are not telling the rest of the Stone family, but at least your dad and I should have been in the know, right?"Yafe walked in, his face in all seriousness, and said with a heavy tone, "Celena, this is really irresponsible of you. Buying a house is a ma
"Celena, what's going on with you?"The smile on Sherah's face disappeared in a flash, her look turning stern as she stared Celena down. "You're not still playing dumb with us, are you? I've told you, we're onto you. It's no fun if you keep acting like this...""Sis, did I hear right that you snagged a massive mansion?"Right then, Qemal, who had been out having a blast, caught wind of the gossip and bolted back, not even inside the yard before he started hollering.Qemal charged in, his face lit up with excitement, mopping the sweat off his brow as he panted, "Sis, is it true? Brother-in-law snagged the King Mansion at Emerald Lake?"Good heavens! Emerald Lake's the top mansion neighborhoods in all of Drunham City, and that King Mansion? Top dollar, top luxury!"I can't believe you guys are the new owners! Sis, come on, I'm your bro. That place is huge; you can't fill it all. Count me in for moving over..."Qemal's excitement grew by the second, already picturing himself in tha
At that very moment, Cheryl barged in, fresh on the scene, and shoved Liam aside as she strode into the villa. "Dad's right. What's this got to do with you? You're just a lowly son-in-law. Do you really think your opinion counts?"Sherah caught on, quickly releasing Celena's arm and rising from her chair to berate Liam. "Mind your language and the way you address us. We're your elders, for heaven's sake. Is that any way to talk to us?"I want to know if you bought the King Mansion at Emerald Lake or not."The room buzzed with anticipation at the question, especially Qemal, who was gripping his pants with both hands, barely containing his excitement.That was big. It could mean moving into the coveted Emerald Lake mansions!Celena, anxiety written all over her face, turned to Liam and stood up quickly. "Liam, is it true? Did you really snag the King Mansion at Emerald Lake?"Before Liam could utter a word, Qemal, unable to hold back his eagerness, jumped to his feet and blurted ou
Celena was visibly touched, and even though the price tag read a cool 15 million, she could not help but think it was a bit steep.She chided gently. "We're not exactly homeless, you know. Why throw money away like that? Jovie's education is going to cost us down the line...""Don't sweat it. It's just one mansion. Plus, we've got to have a special place to start our married life, right?" Liam said with a comforting smile.With that, Celena's worries melted away, and she beamed with joy.Yafe, Sherah, and the rest of the crew could not hide their astonishment and thrill at Liam's words. They were floored that he could so casually refer to the top-notch King Mansion at Emerald Lake as merely a mansion!Liam's calm composure was a dead giveaway that he had to be sitting on a pile of cash. Who drops 15 million on a mansion without batting an eye?Qemal could not contain his excitement and blurted out, "If you're the one who snagged the mansion, does that mean we all get to live it
Yafe was stunned, and he looked at Celena in disbelief. He could not believe that she dared to talk back to him.It took Yafe a while to regain his senses. He felt a little embarrassed, but he could not lash out at Celena because of the money and mansion. All he could do was force himself to put on an awkward smile."Celena, that was truly a misunderstanding. You know that's the Yacano family. Our family would be finished if the Yacano family were to target us. Besides, it was because we had no other choice that we did that, wasn't it? Look at the big picture. Are we supposed to stand idly by and watch the Stone family—""Hmph!" Celena sneered before Yafe said anything. If she heard those words from Yafe in the past, she might have believed them.At that moment, however, she felt nothing more than a sense of endless hypocrisy and annoyance.Celena did not bother talking to them anymore. She turned to look at Liam with a gentle gaze and said calmly, "As for the mansion, Liam's the
"Oh yes, Liam, is it true that you bought the King Mansion at Emerald Lake?" Celena asked, staring at him through the corner of her eyes after she suddenly thought about it.Liam nodded with a smile and replied, "It is. I bought it for you as our marital home."Celena felt bad and said, "We have a place to stay now. It's too expensive to buy another mansion to make it our marital home. Can you get a refund on that?""What for? Don't overthink it. It's just a mansion. It doesn't cost that much," Liam replied.He knew she was concerned about the money. On top of that, she left the Stone family and was jobless. That was why she would overthink. He did not feel annoyed. His heart simply ached for her instead.Liam put Celena in his arms with a smile and chuckled before he continued, "Alright, darling. Don't worry about it anymore. All you need to do right now is just be ready to be a beautiful bride. Once the wedding is over, you'll be the lady of that mansion. You can spend the next
Xerxes looked at the three men with fury and a frosty glint burning in his eyes. His voice was frosty as he said, "Kill Liam, his wife, and his child, as well as the Stone family members tonight! Kill all of them! He had the guts to injure my son, so he should be prepared for the entire family to be annihilated!"Xerxes could not hold back his anger anymore at the mention of his son, Cirroc. He slammed on the table next to him, causing his cup to vibrate off it and shattering it as it hit the ground."Yes, sir!" The three top fighters of military king caliber got up at the same time and left the living room with a great desire to kill.Then, Xerxes glanced at the time. An eerie smile appeared on his face as he seemed to have thought of something. He left the living room after that.Half an hour later, Xerxes brought the core members of the Yacano family with him and rushed to the airport in Drunham City.A military jet landed right as they arrived.A dozen members of the Yacano f
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