Tycoons, moguls, and businessmen of the like, including the six heads of the most powerful families in the state, had all gathered at the airport in anticipation of their esteemed visitor. After all, this was 50 billion dollars, for God's sake! Who would, in their right mind, turn down a 50-billion-dollar business opportunity?With the prospect of such an attractive partnership, it was no wonder they were all willing to pick this investor up from the airport themselves!With all these influential people gathered in one place, the airport had no choice but to tighten its security. Naturally, these moguls had brought along their respective bodyguards, who all stood curtly around their masters, keeping a sharp eye out for any sign of danger. What a sight it was!All of a sudden, a man in a black suit darted into the airport arrival hall to open up a path. The next moment, a middle-aged man in an immaculate gray suit stepped in, followed a few paces behind by another middle-aged man a
Heston scowled and shot his son a murderous glare. "You better keep your mouth shut, son. Do you even have any idea how important this investor is? This is fifty billion dollars we're talking about, and that's even before the conversion rate! The cost of this project alone is five times our entire family's net worth!"I will never forgive you if you offend our esteemed guest with your callousness! You're going to become my successor in the future, so it's about time you start learning the ropes! Can't you act like your age? Look at your hair! Such a disgrace! Yorgos, you're already in your mid-twenties! It's about time you take up some responsibility! I can't always be around to clean up after your messes anymore…"Yorgos was tired of hearing his father's constant nagging, so with a nod, he interrupted Heston, "Alright, alright, Dad! I understand! Fine! This investor is very important, and I need to leave a good first impression on him! I understand, alright? No need to keep on buzzi
Nevertheless, there was only one exception!Heston was the only person who seemed able to see right through Cillian's slippery ways. According to the long-standing tradition of Luminous, any clan wishing to rise to the status of an aristocratic family must obtain the consent of the heads of the preceding families. When the Lovells sought to elevate their status, all five major families agreed, except for the Quantz family, headed by Heston.As a result, although the Lowells were regarded as among the wealthiest clans in the state, they were not officially recognized as an aristocratic family. The outcome of that vote strained the relationship between Heston and Cillian greatly, and though the two never openly quarreled, the tension between them was always palpable whenever they met!Instead of feeling offended by Heston's pointed remark, Cillian grinned and even chuckled. "Hahaha! You have a great sense of humor, Mr. Quantz! If I recall, the Quantz family is just as, if not more,
Upon stepping off the plane, Liam glanced at the airport building and asked, smiling, "How are things going?"Cirocco, walking just a few paces behind him, replied dutifully, "Sir, they're all waiting for you in the arrival hall. The heads of all the six major families, as well as most of the most esteemed businessmen and moguls in Luminous have gathered here to welcome you to their city."Liam's smile turned to a smirk as he glanced once more in the direction of the airport building. "Very well then! They can wait all they want! We shall take the other exit!"Also, let it be known that I am here in Luminous to seek a partner who will collaborate with me on a project worth hundreds of billions of dollars. I welcome all who are interested in fostering a partnership together, but ultimately only one will emerge victorious and be awarded the greatest esteem of working alongside me. Therefore, they must prove to me their drive and ambition in order to take up this much-acclaimed task!"
"What?" Heston's jaw dropped upon hearing this, but he soon followed this up with a flurry of outraged cries, "The investor arrived long ago? Well, why didn't he come out, then?"Cillian smiled and replied, "He didn't come out because he's already left via a secret VIP exit on the other side of the airport. Truth be told, I don't blame him. With so many of us here, we've practically blocked off the entire one side of the airport, so of course he wouldn't take this way out."With that, Cillian turned to leave, but not before Heston called out after him again, this time sounding a little panicked, "Mr. Lovell, do you know where the investor went?"Cillian glanced at him and replied, smiling, "Mr. Quantz, I'm afraid I'm just as clueless as you are. I don't have any idea where the investor went, so forgive me for not disclosing any information with you."Then, Cillian turned and dashed out of the airport, his men following higgledy-piggledy behind him before he could get bombarded with
The Quantz family, on the other hand, were not at all pleased by the development. Heston was sitting at the head of the table, surrounded by all of his immediate family. They all wore equally somber expressions on their faces. There were a few broken cups littered all around Heston's feet, a clear indication of how outraged he was by the situation at hand. "F*cking h*ll!" Heston growled, smacking the arm of his chair in fury. "That d*mned Cillian Lovell! He is getting more and more out of hand! He is not even a part of the six major families, and yet he struts about the place like he is better than all of us!"Hugo was just as incensed as his brother was. A glint of malice flashed through his eyes as he said, "Heston, it's clear that Cillian knew exactly where the investor was headed! He's keeping the information secret from us so that we won't stand a chance against him in the rat race! He wants this all for himself!"No businessman in Luminous could possibly say no to a busin
Heston considered this a moment. Then, a look of cold malice flashed across his face as he said, "Silence, everyone! There is no need to panic. I've already planted spies all around Cillian who will keep an eye on him 24/7. We shall be informed of his every move and can decide where to go from here!"Also, you better all look smart. The Yeagers have expressed their interest in this partnership and will be sending a representative to meet with us very soon. We shall come up with a plan of action very soon, but in the meantime, you are all forbidden to touch the Lovells without the Yeagers' approval. Trust me when I say this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and anyone who ruins this will not be punished lightly!"Everyone seemed stunned to hear this. "What? The Yeagers are getting involved in this as well?"As if on cue, the butler suddenly stormed into the room, looking frazzled. He bowed before Heston and declared, "Mr. Quantz, the representative that the Yeagers have sent is at
"You better be careful what comes out of your mouth! We can't risk offending the Yeagers!" Heston left one final warning for his brother before turning to follow Julian into the lounge. Julian had taken his seat at the head of the table, thus leaving Heston to join the rest of his family around their guest. Finally, after everyone had settled in, Julian glanced around at their expectant faces and said, "Mr. Quantz, I'll just cut right to the chase then. The Yeagers have sent me here with one intention only—to help you, the Quantz family, win Mr. Miller's favor and be awarded the fifty-billion-dollar business deal! This, of course, comes with a price. If we successfully get our hands on the deal, seventy percent of the profits shall go to the Yeagers, and the remaining thirty percent belongs to you all. Do you agree with this?""What?" Before Heston could even reply, Hugo leaped to his feet, his eyes as wide as saucers. His tone was laced with outrage as he shouted, "You must be kidd
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