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
"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
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
"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
There on the hospital bed, surrounded by beeping devices, laid a little girl who was covered in blood. Her life was hanging by a thread. Her mother, Celena Stone, was sitting next to the bed, holding her hands tightly. Celena was covered in tears. She forced herself to endure the pain deep down and comforted her daughter, "Be a good girl, Jovie. Your father will come back to see us as long as you're a good girl.""Mom, it hurts so much! Am I going to die soon? I want to see Dad. I'm not a bastard. My father is very powerful—"Before Jovie could finish, she started shaking all over because of the pain.After Celena saw Jovie fainted, she frantically took out her phone. While she cried and instinctively dialed the number she memorized for years, she said, "Be good, Jovie. I'll tell your father to come and see you now. Don't fall asleep, alright?"Once the call was picked up, Celena did not wait for the person to say anything. She immediately said, "Liam, I'm Celena. Could you com
A sense of guilt and rage washed over Liam.Upon hearing Liam's bellow, his subordinate accelerated without hesitation, flying them to Drunham City at top speed.Liam kept repeating Celena's and Jovie's names over and over again in his mind.He used to be the heir of the Cole family from Drunham City. Tied with the Walker family, they were the top families in the city.Seven years ago, Liam was married to his childhood friend, the eldest daughter of the Walkers.On the day of the wedding, the Walkers drugged his drink behind his back and dropped him in Celena's lounge. Celena's family—the Stones—were relatives of the Walkers.Later, both the Walkers and the Stones joined forces to make a fuss. They said they wanted to seek justice for Celena and the Walker family's daughter. They then took the opportunity to gobble up the Cole family's properties.The Cole family collapsed overnight. Their businesses were divided and properties were taken away. The Stones even wanted to take L
At that moment, a few men in black barged into the emergency room of Drunham City Hospital and kicked out all the doctors who were checking up on Jovie.When Celena saw that, she lost her mind and rushed forward to stop them. "Who are you? What are you trying to do?"She was no match for those bodyguards at all. She was grabbing a man, but with a wave from him, Celena was shoved to the side and fell to the ground.She could not be bothered with the pain she felt. She wailed and begged on her knees, "I'm begging you, please. Please save my daughter! I'm willing to pay any price. Just save her!""Oh? Any price will do?" a man outside the emergency room answered Celena's plea.Celena could hear the sound of the leather shoes tapping on the floor. It sounded like Death was approaching, and it made Celena's heart sink with every single tap it made.Then, a young handsome man opened the door and walked into the emergency room. He sneered as he looked at Celena, who was on the floor.T
After saying that, Trent took out his handkerchief and helped Celena up. As he gently wiped the blood stain off the corner of Celena's face, she did her best to endure it as she had no guts to resist.Trent ordered, "I'll give you ten minutes to clean yourself up. I'll wait for you outside. Don't even think about pulling any tricks. Just think about it carefully. Who else in the entire Drunham City would dare to help you if you do."Upon saying that, he leaned in and whispered into Celena's ears, "I really can't wait to have the most beautiful woman in the city under me, begging me for mercy. Hahaha."Trent left the emergency room, feeling satisfied. He told his subordinates at the door, "Keep a good eye on the emergency room later. Nobody's allowed to go in and save that b*stard!""We understand, Mr. Walker!"Celena was kneeling next to the bed in the room. She gently wiped off the teardrops at the corner of Jovie's eyes and comforted her, "You're a good girl, Jovie. Don't be sca
"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
No words could even describe the utter shock Liam was experiencing at that moment. He stared, dumbstruck, at the letter in his hands, unable to believe how naive he had been. His grandfather was right; there was far more to this world than he could even begin to imagine!The Dragon Blade that his grandfather had mentioned in his letter, he had heard of from Elder Norton himself, but he had no idea where the sword had been hidden until now. Who would have thought that all this while, it was being kept in a secret hiding spot underneath the Crystal Elegance Palace!His grandfather's letter had unraveled some of the mysteries that had been swirling in his mind for the past couple of days, and Liam suddenly had an unmistakable feeling that he was getting closer and closer to discovering the truth!One thing was certain, though—his grandfather had known all this for years now, and perhaps even decades! In fact, his grandfather had been preparing for this moment, and had been fostering
Liam forced himself to continue reading. [By the time you are reading this letter, you would've found out all you need to know about the Arcane Manuscript. Our family, the Coles, have been the guardians of the Arcane Manuscript for thousands of years. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to take back what was stolen from us and guard the manuscript fiercely.[Remember, son. You must protect the Arcane Manuscript as if your life depended on it! It must not fall into the wrong hands, because aside from holding the most precious secrets within its pages, the manuscript also contains knowledge crucial to the survival of Biskeland, and even the entire world!]Liam could not help but frown at this. What did his grandfather mean? What sort of knowledge could be crucial to the survival of the entire world? And why would it be contained within the Arcane Manuscript? Although the Arcane Manuscript was indeed an important record of ancient knowledge, he could not but wonder if his grandf