Cheryl froze at the suggestion, her response automatic and skeptical, "That's absurd! Liam's not the big shot at Pendragon anymore. He's not even a blip on the official radar, definitely rubbing some VIPs the wrong way. How could he possibly-"The more Cheryl mulled it over, the less sense it made. She pressed on, "Dad, remember, Mr. Black's an international player with the Wendell Family's muscle behind him. Liam's just Joe Average now. Even if he still called the shots at Pendragon, there's no way they'd just hand Celena the deal!"Cheryl's gaze swept over Drunham City's elite entrepreneurs fawning over Celena, and it nearly sent her through the roof!Those admiring glances should have been hers. What gave Celena the right to snatch what was hers?After her outburst, Cheryl awaited Yafe's response, but silence hung in the air. Turning to him, she caught Yafe's icy stare locked on Celena, soon melting into a smile that hinted at deeper schemes.Cheryl's face twisted in annoyance
"Celena, my dear daughter, I haven't had the chance to congratulate you! Landing a deal with Mr. Black from the Wendell Family's foreign affairs—what an achievement!"Yafe beamed as if he struck gold himself, his face a garden of creases from his broad smile.Cheryl strutted alongside, chin up, pride etched on her face. Yet, even then, she could not swallow her pride enough to offer Celena a simple congratulations.Yafe's brazen display left the onlookers speechless.As he drew near, they recoiled as if avoiding a stain, their faces twisted in distaste, sidestepping his approach.Celena's smile waned a touch when she caught sight of Yafe, and with a nod that bordered on obligatory, she said, "Thanks, Mr. Yafe Stone."At that, Yafe hastily gestured with his hands, "Hey, no need for thanks between us. I'm your dad, and we're family. 'Thank you' just puts distance between us!"Listen, to celebrate your big win with the project, I want to treat you to dinner. Let's have a family cel
What made Yafe lose it completely was that he had no comeback, the crowd was speaking the truth, and many were guests at the wedding.Cheryl lost it. Her face twisted with anger, she yelled, "What the hell are you saying?"She was ready to throw punches, and the crowd was just as eager to engage, social norms be damned.Yafe saw someone move toward Cheryl, and rage overtook him. He lunged to defend her, fists ready.Suddenly, the room erupted into chaos, with fights breaking out and others trying to break them up.As the tension threatened to boil over, Liam's voice cut through the chaos, "He's right, Yafe is my father-in-law. Let's all take a breath and put our fists down."His words cast a sudden hush over the once rowdy crowd.Yafe's lips curled into a smug smile as he taunted the onlookers, "You heard him! Liam said it himself—I'm Celena's dad. What's it to you people?"Turning to Liam with a grin plastered across his face, Yafe added, "You hit the nail on the head, Liam. W
Liam watched her with icy disdain and let out a mocking laugh. "You have the nerve to show up? If I'm not mistaken, you were the one who bet that if my wife landed the deal, you'd bow down and apologize to her in front of everyone. Well, she's clinched it, so it's time for you to make good on that bet!""What?! What are you talking about!?" Cheryl's voice was a mix of shock and rage.Cheryl's eyes bulged as she stared at Liam, her anger boiling over. "Don't push it, Liam! Celena hasn't even said a word. Why are you making such a fuss? It's just a business deal. We can walk away from it!"She yanked at Yafe's arm, ready to leave in a fury, but Yafe stood still.Confused, Cheryl turned to her father. "Dad? Let's get out of here. They're being unreasonable. It's just a deal, what's the big deal?"Yafe withdrew his hand and, with a swift move, grabbed Cheryl's arm, forcing her down as he hissed, "Apologize to Celena!"Cheryl froze, her eyes wide with shock. "Dad??" she gasped.Yafe
The crowd already dispersed, leaving Cheryl shouting into the void. Those who lingered cast scornful glances her way, their eyes dripping with derision.Cheryl, red-faced and seething, snapped at the onlookers, "What's the gawking for? Haven't you seen beauty before?"Her outburst was met with a biting comeback from someone in the crowd, "Oh, give it a rest. You? A beauty? Maybe take a good hard look in the mirror before you say that. It's downright shameful!""Exactly! A real beauty is someone like Celena—gorgeous, poised, and talented. She even landed a deal with Mr. Black!""Absolutely! And then there's you, Cheryl. What do you even compare to? Next to Ms. Stone, you're nothing!""Now that Celena's gone, you puff yourself up again. Weren't you just groveling and apologizing to her?""I'm telling you, when I get home, I'm warning all the youngsters to steer clear of Cheryl. Otherwise, they'll be the laughingstock of the town!""You're right, I need to do the same. Can't have m
In the past, Cheryl could not wait for Celena to pack her bags and go, leaving her without a rival. However, then, with Celena's cooperation needed, Cheryl's commands fell on deaf ears.Yafe, after a moment of contemplation, swung the car door open and settled into the driver's seat. He turned to Cheryl, who was still lost in thought and said sternly, "Listen up, next time you pick a fight with Celena, be smart about it. However, first things first, we need to race back to the Stone family and report this to your grandpa."Cheryl snapped out of her daze, nodded in agreement, and climbed into the car.Back at the Stone family estate, Reginald and the others pacing the hall in a state of high anxiety since Cheryl and Yafe's departure. The sound of the car's arrival cut through the tension, and the two returned with stormy expressions that spoke volumes.Reginald pressed urgently, "What happened? You're back already? Did you get to see Mr. Black?"Yafe's face was a storm of emotion
Yafe bolted to his side, yelling in panic, "Dad, what's happened to you? Dad! Come on, wake up, don't do this to me!""Grandpa! Don't do this, wake up, please don't scare me like this!"Cheryl, who was nearest, jumped in shock, crouching next to Reginald, her cries piercing the air."Oh my God, what's wrong with you?""Someone help! Call a doctor quickly, he's passed out!""Come on, wake up, please!"...In an instant, the Stone family was in complete disarray. The shock of Reginald's sudden illness overtook their anger toward Celena's betrayal.Reginald was rushed to the hospital for emergency care, with Yafe and the rest of the family pacing outside the ER.Yafe, frantic, dialed Celena's number and yelled, "Celena, get to Drunham City Hospital now! It's serious, your grandpa might not pull through."Celena and Liam, who just got home, were stunned by the call. "What? Grandpa's that sick?"Without a second thought, Celena hung up and dragged Liam out, yelling, "Honey, we'
Sherah was having none of it when she heard Liam scolding Cheryl. She pushed her way through the crowd, jabbed a finger at Celena's face, and let loose a torrent of anger. "Celena, you've crossed the line! It was your fault Dad got sick in the first place, and now you want to go after Cheryl while Dad's fighting for his life?""Yeah, Liam! Dad's barely hanging on, and here you are, going after Cheryl like some kind of bully!""Right! Cheryl's just worried about the old man, so cut it out, Celena, and get Liam to back off!"With everyone rallying to her side, Cheryl's confidence surged. She fixed Celena with a glare, her voice thick with scorn. "What are you playing at, Celena? Grandpa's in there because of you, and now you're egging Liam on to take a shot at me while he's on the edge?"Celena's response was immediate, her head shaking vigorously. "No, that's not it at all. I'm really worried about Grandpa. The moment I got the call, I came as fast as I could.""Hmph!"Cheryl's sn
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