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?"
The one in the lead, a towering figure with a bushy beard, was lugging a sack of cash. He shoved his way through the onlookers, marched up to Cheryl's office door, and kicked it wide open. He roared, "Ms. Cheryl Stone, Mr. Adams has a message for you: don't think you can do whatever you please just because you're rolling in dough. We're not for sale, especially not to a conniving woman like you. The boss of this operation is Ms. Celena Stone, and she's the only one we'll take orders from! You can kiss your dreams of bribing us to mess with Ms. Celena Stone goodbye!"With that, he tossed the bag of money at Cheryl's feet, where it landed with a thud. The group of factory workers glared at Cheryl and her staff with fury in their eyes, spat on the floor, and swaggered off.Cheryl and her family looked mortified, their anxiety fueled by the botched deal they had with Hayes.No sooner had the workers left than the company staff who was watching the spectacle burst into a frenzy of gossip
Cheryl didn't waste a second. She was already on the phone, sending someone to tail Celena and Hayes at the factory.At the factory, Hayes got the heads-up from Celena just thirty minutes before. He called a full stop to the day's work, ordering everyone to the front gates to roll out the red carpet for Celena.Hayes stood there with the management team and his secretary, all eager anticipation, as they waited for Celena to show.Celena battled through bus after bus to make it to the factory on time.Hayes caught sight of her from afar and plastered on his most ingratiating smile. He hustled over and bowed deeply before her. "Ms. Celena Stone, so glad you could make it! I'm truly sorry for any disrespect I showed you yesterday. Please, let's put it behind us. We're all ears for your guidance from here on out!"The workers behind her raised their voices together, "We're all in with you, Ms. Celena Stone!"Celena was taken aback. Hayes, who was so hard to deal with just yesterday,
Celena was no one's fool. The same man who looked at her with barely concealed contempt yesterday was now offering apologies with a bowed head. Without someone's intervention, such a sudden shift in attitude seemed impossible.And then there was last night. After waking from her sleep, she realized Liam slipped out secretly, which planted a seed of dread in her thoughts.Could it be that Liam's nocturnal escapade was to seek out Mr. Adams?Hayes's expression turned to stone when he heard her, momentarily caught off guard, but he quickly recovered, his smile returning as he hastily explained, "No, no one came to me! You're reading too much into it. I just had a change of heart. I realized Mr. Yafe Stone and his crew aren't exactly the best company. I figured I'd be better off throwing in my lot with you."Celena could read between the lines, but Hayes was holding back. However, she didn't press him, instead following him into the factory.Meanwhile, Cheryl made arrangements with a
Liam saw how his wife had to wake up early to take the bus every morning, and he felt sorry. He long planned to buy a car for Celena. It was just that too many things happened lately, so the plan kept getting postponed.When Liam carried Jovie into the big Mercedes-Benz showroom of the car dealership, the eight saleswomen were standing in a circle, chatting with each other. None of them noticed Liam.Liam did not either. He simply looked around with Jovie in his arms, and he took a fancy to a car. It would cost more than a hundred thousand dollars, which was not considered expensive.He walked around the car to take a look and was very happy with it. Just as he was about to open the door to give it a try, he suddenly heard a disdainful voice. "What are you doing? Who let you in? This is a very expensive car. How could you just try it as you wish? Can you afford to pay if you damage it?"Then, a young woman in a black uniform and heels walked over in an alluring manner. Her tone w
However, Andy was a smooth talker, so the eldest member of the Drayton family liked him. Because of that, the head of the family tolerated him. That was why Andy, who was just a member of the branch family, dared to be so cocky.Andy saw Howard standing at the side from the corner of his eye as he spoke. He thought of what Howard said earlier, and that made his blood boil.He pointed at Howard and bellowed, "Uncle Derrick, this Howard is trash as well. You have no idea. I told him I was a member of the Drayton family, yet he did not take our family seriously at all."Not only did he have his men capture me, but he said cockily that he wanted to lock me up forever, and nobody could stop him."Weren't you very cocky before this, Mr. Mosier? Go on. Continue acting cocky in front of my uncle now. Detain me and lock me up forever."Andy took a couple of steps closer to Howard as he said that. He extended his hands arrogantly and said, "Come on. I have my hands stretched out for you. Hu
Soon, Andy and the thugs from the nightclub yesterday were released.Andy saw Derrick standing at the entrance of the police headquarters at a glance. He got so excited that he shouted, "Uncle Derrick! Uncle Derrick!"Fletcher's subordinates were incredibly excited to see Derrick as well. All of them shouted, "Mr. Derrick Drayton!"One of the subordinates was in Drunham City because Derrick arranged for him to be there. After he was brought to Derrick's side, he smiled apologetically and said, "Thank you for saving me, sir. Don't worry. Fletcher's faction and properties are all here. I'll be able to rebuild the faction here very soon."In other words, even if Fletcher was out of the picture, he would be able to thrive in Drunham City and replace Fletcher.However, Derrick shot an icy glare at him and sneered. "Hmph! How shameless of you to say that? There are so many of you, yet you can't deal with a small loser who only married into the Stone family."If it wasn't because this w
Howard did not expect that the Drayton family would have a connection with the Carter family. They could even produce a token from the Carter family."Mr. Derrick Drayton, I didn't expect that your family and the Carters go way back. You even got the Carter family's token out," said Howard.Derrick sneered and said, "Enough with the nonsense. Howard, my family did the Carter family a favor back then, that's why the general of the Carter family gave this token to us. He promised us that we could take out this token if we were ever in a bind in the future, and they would help us!"I'm taking out this token today to tell you that I'm going to bail Andy out of here. I'd like to see who in Drunham City has the guts to stop me!"Howard was stunned, and then he fell silent.He did not think that Derrick would take out a token from the Carter family.The Carter family was the top family in Mirstone. Nobody in Mirstone would dare to go against the Carter family. Derrick became even more
Meanwhile, Derrick and his men were already at the entrance of the police headquarters.Derrick's eyes were burning with rage as he looked at the door that was shut tightly. A sneer appeared on his lips as he said, "Hmph. Looks like they already know I'm coming, so they are deliberately trying to assert dominance."Then, he asked his driver next to him, "Where are our men? Have they all arrived?"The driver nodded and said, "They're here, Mr. Derrick. They are all waiting at the side. We'll tear down the main door to the police headquarters once you give the command."Derrick nodded with satisfaction. Then, he shouted at the police headquarters, "Howard! You're just the chief of the police headquarters! How dare you lock me outside?""I'd like to see how powerful you are today, Howard! Come on, guys. Take it down!"At his command, a group of burly men rushed out of the black van next to him. They were all holding thick bats, and they rushed up to the door ferociously.Right at t
At first, Yafe and the rest of the Stone family were stunned after they heard what Liam said. Then, they all burst out laughing.Yafe looked at Liam with a mocking gaze and said, "Are you kidding me, Liam? You're going to get the Draytons to come and apologize in person? Come on, that's the Drayton family we're talking about! Do you think they are just some nobody?"Right now, I don't want to waste my breath anymore. As long as you're able to stop the Drayton family from targeting us, I'm more than grateful. Don't you forget that you're the one who wanted to leave the Stone family? So, stop dragging us into your mess."Liam shot the crowd with an icy glare and brought Celena out of the Stone Mansion.Celena was still in a slight daze after they got into the car. Liam put on her safety belt for her and asked, "What's the matter, dear? Are you still worried about the Draytons?"Celena nodded and replied, "Yes. After all, all these were caused by the conflict between Andy and us. Jus
Liam wanted to ask what the family heirloom was, but he had no choice but to let it be after he heard what Yonatan said.However, Liam heard Yonatan's voice again, saying, "I've never seen that thing, but I heard from the Drayton family members that it was from a big shot in the military."The military?Liam's eyebrows furrowed once he heard it had something to do with the military. Then, he kicked Yonatan away, making him land next to the thugs.Yonatan passed out because of that kick.Once the thugs saw their leader was out cold, they took a couple of steps back in fear.However, Liam did not care about them at all. He looked at Yafe and the others instead.Once the Stone family members saw that they were out of the woods, they became cocky again.Yafe and Sherah, in particular, were so cocky that they ran up to Liam and condemned him, "Look what you've done! You're bad luck! What else can you do other than cause us trouble? Do you know who that is? He is from the Drayton fam
Yonatan was infuriated and bellowed, "So this is how you're going to play! Alright! I'm not going to stop until I kill you today!"Yonatan was radiating an intense desire to battle. That was the air exuded by a fighter of Fourth Order War King caliber.The Stone family was so frightened by the air he exuded that their faces turned pale. All of them took more than ten steps back in fear, afraid they would be injured by mistake.Yonatan clenched his fist and charged at Liam like a ferocious beast. His fist was packing so much power that it created a sonic boom, cutting through the air and going for Liam's face.The punch was so powerful that it could kill a bull right away.The Stone family thought Liam was going to die. Nobody would be able to survive a punch like that.Yonatan thought the same. He was very confident in his ability. He looked into Liam and knew he used to be a soldier, as well as a good fighter. However, so what?No matter how skilled Liam was in combat, could he
The moment Liam stepped into view, the Stone family members lit up as if they had spotted their guardian angel. They pointed at him, their voices rising in a chorus of relief and accusation. "Mr. Yonatan, look over here! It's Liam! I said they weren't with us!""Exactly! Mr. Yonatan, see for yourself, Liam's not part of our family!""Mr. Yonatan, now that Liam's here, if you're looking to pin the blame on someone, he's your man!""Liam, you actually showed up. If you hadn't crossed the Drayton family, would we, the Stones, have ever been dragged into this mess?""Liam, Celena, you two are nothing but trouble. You've left the family, so why keep stirring the pot for us?"...The air crackled with the Stone family's collective outrage, their faces twisted in anger as if they were ready to rip Liam and Celena to shreds.Celena and Liam's arrival was pure happenstance. They were just in the neighborhood to check in on an old friend when they overheard Yonatan's boastful taunts.Lia
Yonatan did not even bother to look at him. He checked his watch with a chilling laugh and said, "You've got ten minutes for Liam to show up. Don't say I didn't warn you."The words sent a wave of shock through Yafe and the rest of the Stone family, who stared at Yonatan, panic-stricken.Yafe was a mess, desperate to explain, but the sight of Yonatan's henchmen, eager and ready for a fight, stopped him dead in his tracks."Mr. Yonatan, I swear it's the truth. Liam has nothing to do with the Stone family anymore. You've made a mistake!"Yafe's face was flushed with urgency as he tried to convince the unmoved man."It's true, Mr. Yonatan! Liam and Celena were kicked out of the Stone family ages ago.""That's right! He's got nothing to do with us anymore. If you're after Liam, go to the villa at Emerald Lake. He's there, not here with us.""Mr. Yonatan, if you head over to Drunham City and ask anyone, they'll tell you the same thing: Liam and Celena have no ties to us Stones anymor