"Maverick Black? "Liam's brow furrowed as he struggled to place the name. After a moment, it clicked. "I think I remember him. If I'm not mistaken, he's got the famous Wendell Family from the West backing him. He's their point man for foreign investments, right?""That's the one, boss."Liam gave a nod of approval. "Alright, shoot me over the details of his project inspection in Drunham City. Get in touch with him. I want a meeting set up pronto once he hits town.""You got it, boss!"The voice on the other end of the line was all respect as they hung up. It was not long before a flood of documents hit Liam's inbox.That investment team was not new to the game; they had a foothold in Biskeland Athenapolis and had projects scattered across numerous Biskeland cities. However, then, their sights were set on Drunham City's ripe market, ready to pour cash into building a mega commercial hub.With the Maverick investment team's clout and the Wendell Family's deep pockets fueling that
Maverick was scheduled to arrive in Drunham City in three days, but when he got the call from the Green Dragon Warriors saying Liam wanted a meeting, he changed his plans.He dropped everything, hopped on his private jet, and touched down in Drunham City, checking into a swanky house.After dinner at six, Liam exchanged a few words with Celena before leaving the villa to meet Maverick at his place.Four armed-to-the-teeth bodyguards stood guard at the mansion's entrance. As Liam approached, they straightened up, bowed respectfully, and chorused, "Good evening, Mr. Cole!"Liam gave a curt nod and walked into the grand house, styled like something from a bygone era. Inside, more bodyguards in sharp black suits and earpieces scanned the area with eagle eyes."King Pendragon!"Liam had barely stepped through the gate when Maverick sprang to her feet and hurried out of the house, her face lit up with excitement and awe. He walked up to him and gave a deep bow, saying with utmost res
Liam wore a small, knowing smile and said, "Well, it's my wife.""Oh, right, right, King Pendragon's wife, I..." Maverick's words trailed off as something clicked in his head. He froze, eyes wide as saucers, and stammered out, "Wait, did you just say... your wife?"Maverick's jaw dropped in utter disbelief as Liam gave a subtle nod. "Oh my God, King Pendragon, you're married? This is huge! Wait, does that mean I get to work with your wife?"When did the wedding bells ring for you, King Pendragon? There wasn't even a whisper about it. You know, if word got out, there'd be a whole parade of folks from our country lining up to celebrate with you!"And who's the lucky lady? She must be something special to catch your eye. Princess Ana from our neck of the woods has had the biggest crush on you since day one. She's gonna be crushed knowing you're off the market!"Oh shoot, where are my manners? Congratulations, King Pendragon! I'm sending all the good vibes for you and your wife to hav
In no time at all, they pulled up in front of a sleek commercial high-rise. Gazing up at the imposing building, Celena had a hunch about what was coming, though neither was completely sure.Liam found a parking spot and led Celena upstairs without delay. He ushered her into a vast, empty office space and, with a wave of his hand, announced, "Honey, this is the spot for our new company's headquarters."He then gestured to a particular office and added, "And that one's yours."Celena's eyes widened in astonishment as she took in the deserted office area and the room Liam was pointing to. "Hubby, is this really our new company?" she asked, her voice tinged with wonder.With a grin, Liam nodded. "That's right, you're so sharp! You caught on immediately, but you haven't quite hit the mark."What?Was she wrong?A puzzled frown creased Celena's face as she peered at Liam, confused. "What do you mean?" she asked.Taking her hand gently, Liam led her further into the office space. He l
Cindy glanced at the crowd, then at the freshly arrived Celena, who just stepped out of the car. With a hint of hesitation in her voice, she whispered, "Ms. Stone, do you think we'll get to see Mr. Black? The whole town's been buzzing about it. Every big shot and blue blood in Drunham City has been lining up for a chance to meet him, but nobody's cracked it yet. What about us?"Cradling the documents she prepared, Celena eyed the throng gathered at the Sunflower Hotel's entrance. She was not sure what to expect either. Taking a deep breath, she offered Cindy a reassuring smile. "Cindy, don't worry about the rest. If we don't even have the guts to give it a shot, what's the point? Even if we strike out, at least we gave it our all."Cindy drew in a deep breath, her fists tightening as she steeled herself. "Got it! Ms. Stone, I'm on board."While they talked, Celena gave the papers and Cindy's gift box a once-over. Everything looked good. They then made their way to the hotel.Just t
Cindy glared at Cheryl, her eyes rolling so hard they could have touched the sky.Spoiled rich girls like Cheryl, prancing around like they're the queen of the world, were revolting!Cheryl and Yafe were both taken aback when they heard that, staring at Celena with shock written all over their faces. They blurted out together, "What are you talking about? Celena, you've got your own company?"Yafe caught on in a flash, his face twisting with rage as he glared daggers at Celena and hissed, "Well, look at you, Celena! That explains the new attitude, thinking you can just walk away from the Stone family. You've been busy setting up your gig, trying to poach our clients, right?"So, you're here to cozy up to Mr. Black for a deal too, I see. Pfft! Take a good look at yourself. You start a little company, and so what? For a major deal like this, who's going to gamble on a greenhorn outfit like yours?"Cheryl's face darkened as she fixed Celena with a piercing stare, her laughter sharp a
Cheryl was beside herself with rage, stamping her foot and pointing after Celena. "Dad, can you believe her? Celena's got some nerve, treating us with such disdain!"Yafe's face was a storm of emotions, his skin shifting from pale to red in his anger. He glared at Celena's back, his eyes burning with fury. After a moment of thought, he spoke with an icy edge, "That's enough! Remember, we're in public, and everything we do reflects on the Stone family. Let's focus on meeting with Mr. Black about the partnership. The rest can wait."As for Celena, let her try her luck. I'm curious to see who would risk partnering with a newbie, with a company that's barely off the ground, like some tiny backyard operation. She'll learn the hard way that it's not as easy as she thinks."Yafe's fist tightened as he spoke, his eyes narrowing into slits as he watched Celena's back with a malicious gaze. "I can't wait to see her fall flat on her face. She'll come crawling back to me eventually."Cheryl ca
Ever since Celena came back to the Stone family, she threw herself into the family business, tirelessly working her fingers to the bone. She always put the Stone family first, often at the expense of her relationship with Liam.Celena felt the sting of the Stone family's cold treatment, especially with Yafe and Cheryl's biting words still echoing in her ears, sparking a fire of anger within her. However, she knew better than to let her temper show, that would only egg them on. The best way to handle their kind was to simply ignore them.Seeing Cindy stand up for her, though, warmed Celena's heart. She could not help but smile at Cindy's feisty demeanor. "Let it go," Celena advised gently. "We're here to see Mr. Black about a potential partnership, not to get into a spat that could spoil his impression of us."Cindy's fury cooled a bit with Celena's words, and her eyes shone with even greater respect. She gazed at Celena with the wide-eyed admiration of a true fan. "Wow, Ms. Stone, y
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