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but his intent was crystal clear to everyone in the room.Liam, once the revered commander-in-chief of Pendragon, had been replaced by Prince Faber and was then just a regular Joe with no title to his name.Sergey, the Deputy Chief of the Drunham City Police, had all the means to make life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
Boom!The room might as well have been hit by a bomb. The revelation left everyone slack-jawed with shock.How on earth was Liam the new head honcho of the Drunham City garrison?Raidon's legs buckled, and he hit the floor hard, his eyes wide with horror, staring at Liam, his mind refusing to accept what he had just heard.Sergey was just as gobsmacked, his gaze flicking between Liam and the captain in utter disbelief.The rumor mill had churned with news of the garrison's change in leadership, with whispers of a transfer from the Pendragon War Zone. However, Liam? It was beyond anyone's wildest guess.Sergey's forehead beaded with sweat as panic set in.The news hit him like a bolt from the blue, leaving him reeling, his thoughts a tangled mess. Liam acknowledged the captain with a subtle nod before rising to confront Sergey, his gaze dark and fathomless, chillingly fixed on him. "Sergey, you really think your title shields you from consequences?" With a thunderous impact,
Sergey's face drained of color as he heard what Liam said. "No, you can't do this to me, you can't!" he howled.However, his protests were useless. The soldiers had him, and they were not letting go.Raidon, Kemuel, and a few others were rounded up at the same time, all shackled and carted off by the troops.Sergey was on the verge of being hauled out of the interrogation room when he fought back with everything he had, twisting around to bellow at Liam, "Liam, you can't lock me up! Do you have any idea who's got my back? Let me tell you, the Yeager family won't take this lying down. You grab me today, and I swear, you'll regret it!"Liam's brow furrowed deeply at these words, his gaze icy as he watched Sergey being led away by the soldiers.Once the room was cleared, Liam, still frowning, turned to Howard and asked in a low, serious tone, "How's Sergey mixed up with the Yeager family?"Howard exhaled a long, resigned sigh. "I don't have all the details, but Sergey's one of the Y
The phones at the police station were ringing off the hook as citizens rushed to report Sergey's litany of crimes.With the flood of evidence pouring in from all corners, there was no need for Liam's input; Sergey was as good as done.Back at his villa, Liam spotted two figures waiting by his front gate. The man in charge was all sharp suit and slicked-back hair, an aura of wealth about him, with an assistant by his side clutching an ornate box.Liam sized them up with an icy gaze as he walked up, met by their own evaluating stares.Breaking the silence, the man in the suit flashed a smile. "I take you must be Mr. Liam Cole?"Catching the edge in Liam's look, he added, "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cole. I represent the Knowles family from Anneshire. The name's Jeff."With a nod, Jeff signaled his assistant, who promptly stepped forward, presenting the gift box with both hands.Liam's eyebrows knitted together as he ushered the pair into the villa.Settling into an armchair, Liam
As Jeff spoke, he and his assistant by his side wore looks of pride while eyeing Liam.Liam's brow creased as he met their gaze, his voice icy, "Does the Knowles family have someone of their own in the war zone?""Absolutely!"Jeff boasted, "And what's more, our Knowles family has a veritable God of War! So, Mr. Cole, are you ready to sit down and talk terms with us now?"The assistant piped up, "Mr. Cole, we've come to you in good faith, hoping you'll join us for a sit-down. If you're not on board, things could get ugly, and that won't do you any favors."Jeff did not add anything else, but the smugness plastered across his face said it all.In the past, no matter how tough the nut, just dropping the name of their war god general had others backing down from a fight with the Knowles family.He was sure Liam would fold just the same.However, Liam just snorted, his contempt plain as he shot back, "A god of war general? That's supposed to impress me? Go tell Finnegan he's got th
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