Nevaeh shot him a cold look, then strode over to Howard and chirped, "Hello, Uncle Howard!"Howard nodded, a look of adoration spreading slowly across his face.Raidon's jaw dropped, and his entire body froze as if he had been struck by lightning. What was going on? Why did this female cop call Mr. Mosier 'uncle'? Were they related?Oh no!Panic surged through Raidon's veins as a million thoughts raced through his mind. He had never considered the possibility that Nevaeh had connections to someone of higher authority as well, just like he had. The same realization had struck Sergey, who shot his nephew a glare so murderous that Raidon shuddered. Their shocks, however, were nothing compared to the disbelief on Lyle and his men's faces. They all gaped, slack-jawed and wide-eyed, at Nevaeh as she walked past. Despite having worked alongside her for so long, none of them knew she was related to the chief of police himself!Their expressions did not escape Nevaeh's sharp eyes. Sh
"Captain Davis, I order you to seize this man right this instant! He deserves to be sentenced to death! How dare he commit such crimes to an esteemed police officer? If he resists arrest, shoot him right on the spot!"Kemuel was one of Sergey's most trusted aides, and he was fiercely protective of his men. Not to mention that Liam's attack on Kemuel was an act of disrespect toward his authority, and he could not live down the dishonor. What would people say if they found out a scrawny twat could get away with attacking one of the most seasoned police officers underneath him?No matter how loudly he shouted, though, Lyle dared not to move a muscle. He would be an idiot to abide, for Howard was watching, and he had to be careful not to make the wrong move!It was at this point that Raidon finally stopped vomiting and felt well enough to intervene. A glimmer of delight flashed across his face when he heard his uncle's furious cries. He stormed over and shouted, pointing an accusato
Howard was so infuriated that he gave Lyle a sharp kick and shouted, "You fool! Release him right this instant!"Lyle shuddered but made no move to uncuff Liam. Instead, he turned to glance at Sergey.Howard scoffed at this. "What is this? Do all my commands have to go through Deputy Chief Brin now?"His tone was pointed, and everyone understood immediately what he was implying. Sergey scowled. He did not appreciate being called out by Howard in front of so many people. As displeased as he was, though, he could not allow his annoyance to show. He glanced at Liam, then at Kemuel, and muttered, "Mr. Mosier, I'm afraid this is rather inappropriate."Howard shot him an icy look and asked sharply, "Inappropriate? Would you care to enlighten me? What makes you deem this inappropriate, Mr. Brin?"Sergey decided there was no point beating around the bush anymore, so he locked eyes with Howard and replied loudly, "Mr. Mosier, it is quite obvious that you and the perpetrator know each oth
His fingers had barely brushed the metal when Liam moved his hands out of his reach. Lyle froze at this. He mustered all the strength he could to lift his head and meet Liam's gaze, but the moment they locked eyes, he felt a chill go down his spine. Liam was gazing at him calmly, but the malice in his eyes was unmistakable. He smirked, his demeanor that of a predator about to strike. He had not even spoken a word, but he did not need to."King Pendragon, I… I… " Lyle stammered, his hands trembling violently, but he seemed to have lost the ability to string together a coherent sentence. Liam sneered. "Captain Davis, didn't I warn you to choose wisely? Didn't I warn you that you would come to regret your foolishness? Did you heed my warnings?"Fear coursed through Lyle's veins, fear like he had never experienced before. His entire body shook like a leaf in a rainstorm, and beads of cold sweat were sliding down his pale face. This seemed to be the final straw that broke the camel'
Without a moment's hesitation, Sergey stepped forward and slapped Raidon across the cheek, roaring, "Shut your mouth right this instant!"Then, for good measure, he gave his nephew a sharp kick and hissed, "You fool! You ignorant, half-witted buffoon! Didn't I always tell you to keep your head low and stay humble? Didn't I warn you not to use your connection with me as a shield for your nasty crimes? You betrayed my trust! God knows what else you did using my name! Just you wait! Your father will hear about this, and he'll give you the beating of your life!"He slapped Raidon a few more times. In a matter of minutes Raidon's face had swollen to twice its size, and a couple of his teeth had fallen out from the impact of Sergey's slaps, so forceful were they. Despite that, no one tried to stop him, for they all felt Raidon deserved it.Raidon tried to plead for mercy at the start, but soon, his cheeks were so swollen that he could not utter even a word anymore. After what felt like
"Let's not forget, I'm the Deputy Chief of Drunham City's finest, which means I've got a bit more power and standing than you do right now. Pushing this too far might just leave us both looking bad."It was a threat, pure and simple.Sergey Brin's words were veiled, but his intent was crystal clear to everyone in the room.Liam, once the revered commander-in-chief of Pendragon, had been replaced by Prince Faber and was then just a regular Joe with no title to his name.Sergey, the Deputy Chief of the Drunham City Police, had all the means to make life difficult for an ordinary citizen like Liam.The crowd's faces were a mix of reactions as the words hung in the air.Raidon, nursing a face that looked like it had gone ten rounds with a sledgehammer, found a glimmer of confidence and shot Liam a venomous stare.Howard's face turned to stone as he heard the audacity in Sergey's voice. "Sergey! The gall you have, speaking to the Commander-in-chief of Pendragon like that and using yo
The rest of the folks in the interrogation room kept silent, but their thoughts mirrored the sentiment.A former commander-in-chief of Pendragon, now without a shred of authority, how could he possibly oust a deputy chief?They all dismissed Liam's words as sheer fantasy.However, Howard saw it differently. Sure, Liam was not the commander-in-chief anymore, but if he was bold enough to make such a claim, he must have something up his sleeve.Still, toppling Sergey from his perch would not be a walk in the park.Howard replied honestly to Liam, "Mr. Cole, Sergey holds the position of deputy chief at Drunham City Police Headquarters. To remove him from his post, we would need the state's approval."Also, we'd need solid evidence of misconduct to detain him. Without it, we can't just lock him up on a whim."Sergey knew the rules well, which only made him more brazen. He shot a challenging look at Liam and sneered, "King Pendragon, or should I say, the ex-King Pendragon, sometimes i
However, Sergey was not fazed by Howard's rank or his fury. Even though Howard outranked him, he knew Howard's hands were tied.Dealing with lower-ranking officers was a piece of cake for Howard—a simple command would do. However, at their level, they had to get a nod from the state headquarters for any major move.Without the state's paperwork, Howard was powerless against Sergey.Sergey had that all figured out, which was why he was so brazen, completely disregarding Howard's threats.With a mocking laugh, Sergey retorted, "Oh, Mr. Mosier, you think a few words from you will scare me? If you want to take me on, you'll need the state's blessing."Howard's face turned a shade of livid. Sergey always played that card, rarely taking the headquarters seriously, constantly challenging Howard, and yet Howard was stuck without a way to retaliate.If it were not for the web of complications and the lack of evidence against Sergey's sly schemes, Howard would have put him in his place lon
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
"Thank you, Uncle Leonardo." With that, Liam and Cirocco left the manor. They returned to the hotel to meet up with Calum and Sunniva. Liam and Cirocco were waiting in the hotel's presidential suite, going over their plans for the upcoming days, when Calum burst in, looking flustered. Liam was the first to notice how strangely nervous Calum seemed. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"Calum explained hastily, "Sir, Ms. Bristow was just taken away by a group of locals. She claimed that they were the businessmen we were here to meet. Since you weren't back yet, she decided to go meet them herself. She wants me to inform you that they have gone to the Saint Louisiana Hotel and that you can meet them there."Liam furrowed his brows at this. Calum asked, "Sir, are you going to check on them?"Liam considered this a moment, then grabbed his phone and stood up. "I think I should. You and Cirocco should stay here and go over our plans. I'll pop by the Saint Louisiana Hotel. If Jeffre
"Unfortunately, I cannot reveal to you the identities of the remaining five yet, but don't you worry—when the time comes, you will find out soon enough."Just remember, Liam, you are not alone! No matter what happens, the six of us will be here to help you the best we can!" Leonardo said, squeezing Liam's shoulder in reassurance. His expression was solemn, but there was a spark in his eyes. Liam was even more stunned to hear this. What was going on? Had his grandfather planned this for over twenty years ago? Did he somehow know that Liam would come searching for him?"Uncle Leonardo, what's going on here? Is Grandpa still alive?" Liam asked nervously.Leonardo's face fell, and he shook his head gravely. "Truth be told, I am just as confused as you are. I've been trying to track your grandfather down for years, but the last I heard, he was still being kept on Wraith Island. I haven't heard any news about him since, but I refuse to believe your grandfather would die on Wraith Island