Reginald's health had declined greatly over the past few days, and even if he was seated in his chair, one could make out how much weight he had lost. He looked pale and occasionally, he would let out deep, hacking coughs.After a few moments' silence, he turned to his family and said, "I'm sure all of you have seen the news. We were all so excited after finding out that Liam was the legendary King Pendragon in hiding. We were all so determined that this was our one ticket to success, a surefire way to fame and glory as we so rightly deserved…"Reginald had to pause here, for he erupted into another bout of deep, rasping coughs. His entire face flushed red from the effort, and it took him a few minutes to recompose himself. Finally, he felt well enough to continue, "Who would've thought that Liam would end up resigning from his position as commander-in-chief? We were all played for fools! We cannot count on him any longer!"Yafe's eyes were ablaze with cold, merciless fury as he lis
Someone from amongst the crowd could not help gasping, "The Wendell family? The esteemed Wendell family, one of the wealthiest names on this planet? I hear that they have an incredibly prestigious lineage and that investment companies under their name are among the best in the world!"Apparently, this company invested in so many projects that ended up making them even more money than they had already, and they skyrocketed to fame as a result!""I heard that too! The director of this company is named Maverick Black, and he has the sharpest eye ever known to man! He is so talented that he has obtained a net worth of over a billion dollars at the young age of forty from investments alone! He's one of the wealthiest men in the world!""The Wendell family are a family of aristocrats whose lineage can be traced back to centuries. If we can somehow partner with them, we will not only rise to fame here in Drunham City but perhaps even the entire capital!"The Stones exchanged excited tidbi
"Do you have anyone particular in mind?"Reginald seemed to agree with Yafe. He glanced around the room at all the expectant faces, unsure of who to pick for the task.Yafe seemed equally perplexed. Truth be told, he was not at all familiar with his nieces and nephews, and if he had to pick, he would certainly advocate his own daughter for the job. Yafe's gaze landed on Cheryl, and he asked, "Cheryl, you've proven yourself to be a remarkable leader and efficient at getting jobs done. Why don't… you give it a try?"Cheryl could feel everyone's eyes on her, and this made her blush. She returned her father a bashful smile and replied, "Dad… To be honest, I'd be all over this job opportunity if it were to involve dealing with someone local, but this is a foreigner we're talking about… I'm not particularly good at speaking their language, and I'm afraid that…"Reginald was just about to reply to this, but Yafe glared at Cheryl and cut her off before she could even finish, "How come yo
With that being said, though, she dared not voice her thoughts out loud because it would infuriate her father even more.Cheryl's silence only seemed to anger Yafe even more. Then, all of a sudden, something occurred to him, and he snarled, "Years ago, we hired a tutor to help you improve your foreign languages, so how dare you tell me you don't know how to speak the language? This is atrocious! Who else can we count on now?"A tutor?Cheryl scoured her memory for this tutor, and it did not take her long to realize who her father was talking about. A knowing smile crossed her face.The tutor Yafe had hired for her all those years ago was not only handsome but had a smoking hot body and great stamina to boot. How Cheryl came to know about that, though…Cheryl was thankful that she had her head bowed, for she could not even begin to imagine the outrage that would ensue if the rest of the Stones saw her expression.Yafe grew even more furious at Cheryl's sustained silence. He raised
This, as expected, made Reginald scowl. He, too, had been painfully reminded of an incident that he would rather not reminisce; the cold, hard fact that although the entire Stone family had attended Celena's wedding in earnest, her attitude toward them was frosty at best. It seemed that she had made up her mind. After some consideration, Reginald finally said, "Yafe, Celena is your daughter, so you should be the one to speak to her. Bring some gifts along with you as well."Yafe grinned at this, took out his phone, and found Celena's number. He replied with a look of scorn, "There's no need for gifts! Just you wait—Celena will certainly come trotting back to us like a homeless puppy once we tell her that her grandfather wants her back."Sherah agreed, nodding, "That's right. She'll certainly change her mind, just you wait. She will never even dream of leaving the Stone family. All it takes is one call, and she'll be back groveling!"The rest of the Stones murmured and nodded in ag
Celena used to just take it, always too scared to stand up to the Stone family. The thought of being kicked out was her worst nightmare.However, with Liam and Jovie by her side, she did not have to put up with The Stone family's bullying any longer.The Stones were all the same, greedy to the core, never really seeing her as family. When it came down to money or power, she was always the one they would throw under the bus.If she wanted a shot at a better life, she knew she had to get out and cut ties with the Stone family for good.Celena's newfound guts and the way she could then talk back to the Stones were all thanks to Liam.Just thinking about Liam made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. She glanced down at the papers in her hand, shook off the previous drama, and returned to reading.Meanwhile, Yafe stared at the dead phone line, totally gobsmacked. He could not wrap his head around the fact that Celena, who had always been so meek, had just given him a piece of her mind
Celena was lounging on the living room couch, engrossed in some paperwork, blissfully unaware of the storm heading her way.Minutes later, Liam walked in, arms laden with bags of groceries. He spotted Celena, still absorbed in her reading, and a soft smile spread across his face. "Honey, you're still buried in those papers? You've been at it all day. Time for a break.""Huh? Oh, you're home?" Celena glanced up, noticing the groceries, her favorites, and her smile widened. "Well, there's not much else to do around here, so I figured I'd brush up on some things. It might help when I go job hunting. Can't just sit around the house forever, right?"Liam set the groceries down and plopped beside her on the couch, wrapping an arm around her and planting a kiss on her cheek. "Forget job hunting. We should start our own business. You would make an amazing CEO, and hey, you could be the one bringing home the bacon! Plus, it would be a waste of your talents to work for someone else."The ide
Yafe let out a contemptuous snort, his eyes blazing with fury. "What are we doing here? Isn't it obvious? We're here to drag you back to the Stone family. Grandpa's laid down the law—you're coming home today, no ifs, ands, or buts about it."Celena stood her ground, responding firmly, "Go back to the Stone family? I've told you before, I'm done with the Stones. Their business is no longer my business."Sherah was just as furious, her voice shrill as she pointed accusingly at Celena, "You're out of control, Celena! When did you not listen to Grandpa? You're coming back to the Stones today with us. He's got things he needs you to do."Celena stared down Sherah with an icy look, her stance as unyielding as ever. "I'm not going back. I've already said it. The Stone family means nothing to me," she declared.Yafe's anger erupted in an instant, his eyes flaring with fury as he glared at Celena. "You won't go back? Fine. If you won't accept my offer willingly, then I'll just have to force
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