Meanwhile, Liam, Celena, and Jovie returned to their house, where Liam had to console the two of them for quite some time before they finally stopped crying. Jovie was so exhausted that she fell asleep almost immediately, so Liam carried her into her room to tuck her into bed. When he emerged from the room, he was met with the sight of Celena sitting dazedly on the couch, staring into space as though she was zoning out. He sat down next to her, gently held her icy cold hand, and used his other hand to wipe the tears from her cheeks. The tears had clung to her fair, rosy cheeks like morning dewdrops on a leaf.Celena's dark eyes were etched with sorrow and worry. She was worried about Liam; she did not know what the Hughes was capable of doing, and at the same time, she was devastated at how cruelly the Stones had treated her. "Liam, I'm not scared of anything, and I'm not afraid even if we need to run away somewhere else. I've been through a lot throughout the past seven years, and
Jovie loved cakes, especially ones with whipped cream on top of them. Since she had gone through such a bad scare that afternoon, Liam decided to cheer her up with some of her favorite foods. After buying the cake that Jovie liked, Liam walked past a fridge with a beautiful strawberry shortcake sitting in it. He then bought it as well, knowing that Celena would love it. However, just as he was about to pay, his phone rang. He took his phone out of his pocket and was stunned to see that it was Sherah calling."Hello, Liam, where are you? Get back here as soon as possible! We need you here!" Sherah's shrill voice rang out the moment he picked up. Liam frowned at this but did not say anything.She immediately hung up. Liam was rather perplexed at this. He had never been so disrespected before in his life. The last person who had done the same to him was now buried several feet beneath the ground, but he knew he had to deal with it. After all, Sherah was Celena's stepmother, and he
As Sherah predicted, Liam's expression darkened the moment he heard this. A vein throbbed on his forehead, and he reached out to grab Celena's hand, pulling her back toward him as he snarled, "I object!"Of course, Sherah and Yafe would not go down without a fight. They immediately stepped forward to stop Liam, and Yafe shot him a murderous glare. "We're not asking your opinion, Liam; we're just notifying you! It doesn't matter whether you agree or object; I'm not marrying my daughter to you! She's my daughter, and she has to do everything I say!" Sherah added, "Yafe's right! Why don't you take a good look in the mirror at yourself, Liam? You're broke and have nothing to your name, and even after all this you still rely on the Stones to provide for you. How are you even going to afford to live by yourself, much less provide for a wife and daughter? How can you even provide them with a lifetime of happiness? Besides, now you've gotten yourself into quite a pickle with the Hughes, so
Everyone had gotten on Liam's nerves that entire day, and this was the last straw!The idea of Yafe and Sherah marrying his precious Celena off to another man was the final straw that broke the camel's back. Rage surged in Liam's entire being, and every last cell of his body began buzzing with fury. Liam's entire demeanor changed, and it scared Kayson so much that he instinctively took a step back in fear. "What are you trying to do? I didn't do anything wrong, did I? You have nothing to offer Celena, whereas she'll become the heiress of the Wheeler family once she marries me, and the same goes for Jovie. What do you have to offer them?" he said, trying to stand up for himself.Liam furrowed his brows at this. Before anyone could realize what was happening, Liam lunged forward and grabbed hold of Kayson by the collar. "The Wheelers, eh? Who do you think you are? How dare you show off your wealth and power to me? How dare you lay a finger on my woman and daughter?"The color drained
Sherah immediately screamed when she heard Liam wanted to come along, "What? What do you mean you want to go as well? What's the point? What does this have anything to do with you?""No, no, he can come if he wants! That way, he'll finally realize just how little he has on me and that he can't even compete against me!" Kayson said, sneering. He was already beginning to formulate a plan in his head. He would teach Liam a lesson once they arrived at their lunch venue later, and Liam would finally realize just how little he had compared against Kayson and give up trying to resist!When that happened, Celena would become his once and for all!The thought of the most beautiful woman in the entire Drunham City becoming his wife, the person he would spend countless nights with, made Kayson shudder with ecstasy. Upon hearing this, Sherah stifled her displeasure and forced out a meek smile. "Very well then, Mr. Wheeler. Since you've allowed him to, we shall bring him along to our lunch!"
Kayson stepped out of his Porsche and tossed the keys to the valet, then sauntered over to Celena's side and offered her his hand. "Celena, I've purposely booked a private room in the Quintessence Grill for you! This restaurant is known for its team of Michelin five-star chefs who cook only with the freshest ingredients flown in by air every single day! A private room here requires a minimum spend of fifty thousand dollars and has a waiting list that's subject to availability. I do hope that the food here will suit your fancy!"As he said this, Kayson glanced at Liam out of the corner of his eye and even deliberately raised his voice to make Liam realize just how rich he was and hopefully leave out of insecurity.To his surprise, Liam replied calmly, "Just fifty thousand dollars? That's not even that much."Kayson froze at this, then sneered and said, "What? Just fifty thousand dollars? Come on, Liam, you're already in your thirties, so stop acting like a child. Don't lie about thin
Celena stood off to the side, clad in a flowing white dress, cradling Jovie in her arms. They seemed to glow with an otherworldly charm, turning heads as they went. Celena, worried Liam might lose his composure, kept shooting him warning glances."Liam, please, keep it down. I know you can't stand the guy, and neither can I, but my folks... Let's just get through this meal quietly and head home, okay?" Celena murmured, her face etched with discomfort.Liam caught Celena's gaze, then shot a look at Kayson, who was smugly smirking and throwing challenging glances his way. He let out a heavy sigh, quelling the fire in his chest, and gave a slight nod."Fine, your call."Liam's composure made Kayson think he had backed down, which only made Kayson's sneer grow wider. With a snide chuckle, he strutted into the restaurant ahead of everyone else.Trailing behind were Sherah and Yafe with their trio, followed by Liam and Celena's little family. The sight of a family bringing their son-in-
Kayson always aimed to impress Celena with his gentlemanly charm, so he did not plop down in a seat right away when they entered the private room. Instead, he gave Yafe and Sherah a warm, inviting look, waving them over with a smile. "Go ahead, take a seat! Feel right at home!"Sherah's smile stretched from ear to ear, and she eagerly responded, "Mr. Wheeler, you're too much! So courteous and such a catch. If you were my son-in-law, I'd be over the moon!"While Kayson helped Yafe and Sherah get comfortable, Qemal wandered around the room, curiously inspecting everything. Kayson did not bother to call him over, and he outright ignored Liam.Sherah sank into a chair, her face lighting up with delight. "Oh, this chair is like sitting on a cloud! It's gotta be pricey, huh?""You bet. Each one's a grand, and they swap them out daily. Bet there are folks who couldn't even dream of affording a chair like this!" Kayson boasted, puffing up with pride. His tone was lofty, as if he owned ever
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