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
Liam shut the door behind him, his smile a bit forced. "Yeah, just stepped out for a bit. Had too much to eat and couldn't sleep, so I took a stroll."He approached Celena and crouched down, gently enveloping her refreshing, soft hand in his warm grasp. Celena blushed, her eyes darting away as she toyed with a lock of hair. "Alright then, since you're back, let's call it a night."Celena got up, put on her slippers, and walked over to the bedroom. Her hand was on the doorknob, about to close the door, when she paused. Her grip whitened as she fought with her decision, but finally, she said, "From now on, stay out of my business, please. I'm asking you for a favor. I don't want us to be too involved. Go to bed early, good night."After her words, Celena gently shut the door. As she turned away, tears broke free and streamed down her face. She missed the look of concern in Liam's eyes that lingered behind the door.Liam sat on the couch, staring at the closed bedroom door, his heart
With a mocking laugh, Cheryl spun on her heel and strutted out, her head held high with arrogance. She paused at the door, shooting a final glance back at Celena, who did not move an inch."Just so we're clear—if you even think about spilling this to Liam, I'll make sure you and your kid regret it."Cheryl's laughter echoed down the hall as she walked away. Only when the sound faded did Celena allow herself to crumble, tears streaming down her face as she crouched on the floor, overwhelmed by the encounter.After a few moments, Celena gathered herself, dabbing away her tears and wincing at the sting of a fresh slap mark. She rummaged through her purse, found her makeup, and managed to cover the red imprint before grabbing her bag and heading out to the Rectenwald factory.Meanwhile, Cheryl swaggered back into her office where her mother, Sherah, was anxiously waiting. Sherah rose to meet her, eager for news."Cheryl, what happened? Did you get that little tramp Celena to agree?"