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
Without wasting a moment, Jeff whipped out his phone and dialed Finnegan, spicing up the tale as he went along."Liam's gotten too big for his britches. I went over there with gifts, trying to get him to come talk things out with the Knowles family."However, the guy's got no respect. He's making wild demands, giving you just three days to show up in Drunham City with Yarden to apologize, or else... He says if you don't show, you might as well bring a coffin for Mr. Virgil Knowles!"It's like he's spitting on our goodwill. Even when I dropped Mr. Yerik Knowles' name, it didn't faze him. Instead, he had his goons give me a beating!"In the town of Anneshire, the Knowles family was in an uproar. Finnegan, upon hearing the latest news, erupted in fury. "Fantastic! Just fantastic! He's nothing but a son-in-law who joined the Stone family, and now he thinks he can strut around because he's got a few pals in the Drunham City garrison?" The key members of the Knowles family caught on
"What?"Yerik's face was a mask of shock. "What the heck happened?"After a moment of heavy silence, Finnegan spoke, "The Drunham City garrison nabbed our third brother, Yerik. Time's running out. You've got to figure out a way to bust him out, or we're going to be picking up his corpse."Yerik's frown deepened, his face turning ashen. "What exactly went down? Why did the garrison take our third brother? And what's that got to do with Yarden's beating?"Bro, I need the full story if I'm going to save him."Finnegan went quiet. That whole mess traced back to Yarden.If only Yarden had not been chasing after looks, stirring up trouble with Liam's wife, none of that would have happened.However, that did not matter then. The priority was to rescue Virgil and fast.Finnegan's mind raced as he pieced together a plan, his voice heavy with concern. "Yarden had a run-in with the folks at Drunham City Development. They didn't take kindly to him and roughed him up."And your brother, we
The deputy riding shotgun presented his ID to the guard and stated, "We hail from the third division of Northern Biskeland's Lacindra district. Our leader needs a word with your garrison's person in charge, pronto!"The guard accepted the ID with a quick glance, then eyed the deputy commander for a moment before confirming the details. With a crisp salute, he addressed the man, "Good morning, Mr. Yerik Knowles! I apologize for the hold-up. I'll inform my superiors right away."The soldiers manning Drunham City's garrison were then mostly from the Pendragon War Zone, not the unfazed types like the previous guards who would barely blink at the sight of a big shot like Yerik.Yerik could not help but shoot them a curious look, his eyes widening slightly as he picked up on the guard's unusual presence, one that set him apart from the rank and file.It was not long before Liam's phone rang with a call from the garrison."Yerik's at Drunham City garrison and he's asking for me by name?"
Liam's face darkened upon hearing what Yerik said. He stared daggers at Yerik and asked in an icy voice, "Yerik, are you threatening me?"Yerik did not take Liam seriously at all. "That's right. I am threatening you. So what?" he replied."Perfect." A smile suddenly appeared on Liam's face before he clenched his fist and threw it hard at Yerik.Seeing that Liam had the guts to lay his finger on him, Yerik sneered with disdain and said, "Hmph! You've overestimated your ability! Since you have a death wish, I'll grant it to you!"Yerik was at the level of a God of War. He did not take Liam's attack seriously at all. He simply stood calmly in place, raising his hand to stop the punch.The commander-in-chief of the garrison in a city would be at the level of a military king at best. It would not be anything higher.Seeing that, the two assistants next to Yerik sneered at Liam. They seemed to be laughing at Liam for overreaching.However, what happened next stunned everyone present.
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