Liam shoved Celena back toward the car and said, "Just wait for me in the car. I'll join you soon."Once Celena got into the car, Liam returned to Stonehead's side and even took a few more steps away so that he was out of Celena's earshot. Then, he shot Stonehead a murderous glare. "I'm going to send my wife and daughter home first. Give me your address. I'll come to you once I've settled them down! As for my car…""Don't worry, Mr. Cole. I'll pay for the damages to your car, and you can drive mine first for the time being!" Stonehead replied eagerly. He took his car keys out of his pocket and handed them to Liam, looking like a frightened child who knew he had done something wrong and was trying to make amends. "Mr. Cole, here are the keys to my car. In fact, you can have my car. I'll give it to you as compensation for what I've done, and I'll send your old car back once I've gotten the windshield repaired!"Liam glanced at the shattered windshield on his precious BMW, then took th
"What the fuck is going on? Isn't that Stonehead? Who is he bowing to?""Who the fuck is that? Do my eyes deceive me?""I wonder who terrifies Stonehead so much that he'd be willing to wait for him outside and even bow to him like that?""Come on, be real! It must be some rich family's heir, but even I have to admit this is a sight I never thought I'd get to see in my life!"Most of the customers at Wallflower were gangsters and thugs not unlike Stonehead, so they were all rather awestruck at the sight of Stonehead showing this mysterious man such respect and began speculating about the true identity of this person.Liam stepped out of his car and could not help rolling his eyes at such a sight. He tossed the keys to Stonhead. "Let's just go in!"Stonehead took the keys from him, then gestured for Liam to enter and said, "This way, Mr. Cole! I've already booked a private booth for us on the third floor!"Liam nodded, then strode into the pub, followed by Stonehead and his men. E
Kayson froze when he heard this, then narrowed his eyes, trying to catch a proper glimpse of the man sitting on the couch in the middle of the room.What? It was Liam!"What the fuck? How dare you even sit on the couch like this? Get on your knees right now!" Kayson shouted. He still had not realized what was going on and thought Liam had been held captive by Stonehead. All of a sudden, he turned around and caught sight of Stonehead standing next to Liam, scowling, along with seven or eight of his best fighters. Kayson was rather puzzled but could not help feeling that something bad was about to happen. He shouted at Stonehead, "What the hell is going on here?"Stonehead scoffed, then stepped forward and gave Kayson a kick in his abdomen without warning. Kayson crumpled onto the ground, clutching his stomach, and wailed, "What the hell are you doing, Stonehead? Why the fuck did you hit me? I gave you four hundred thousand dollars to punish him, not me! Why did you capture him
Liam was unfazed. Instead, he stepped forward, bent down in front of Kayson, and said with a warning tone, "I'm going to say this one last time, Kayson! Don't you even try to lay a finger or even be within ten feet of my wife! Celena is my wife, and nothing can change that. This is your final warning. If this happens again, you won't be getting off so easily!"With that, he turned and strode out of the room, leaving Stonehead behind to take care of everything. The moment Liam left, Stonehead instructed his men to toss Kayson out of the pub, all the while watching idly as Kayson landed in a crumpled heap on the pavement. "Sorry, Mr. Wheeler, but this was not on me! You can go to Mr. Cole directly if you intend to seek revenge, but seeing as we've known each other for so many years now, I'd like to offer you a piece of advice. It's better not to mess with Mr. Cole! Or else…"With that, he turned and disappeared back into the pub without even finishing his sentence.Kayson stared dag
Jordan's expression was dark. A vein throbbed menacingly in his forehead, and he cast his son a pitiful look. "Who did this to you, Kayson? How dare he even lay a finger on my son?"Whoever did this was going to pay for this!This was Kayson Wheeler, the heir to the Wheeler family fortune! Who would dare to beat up someone so powerful? This was clearly a threat to the family name!Kayson feigned sorrow and replied, sobbing, "Dad, it was Stonehead from Wallflower! He was the one who had beaten me up?"Jordan was beside himself with rage. "Stonehead? Why would he do this to you? He must've been under someone's orders to do this to you?""It was Liam Cole! The good-for-nothing son of the Coles—the same useless man who married into the Stones!" Kayson replied through gritted teeth. Every word that came out of his mouth felt excruciating because of the injuries that he had sustained on his face. "Liam Cole? I would never have thought he could be capable of something like this. Very w
Because of this, Reginald had called for an emergency meeting the moment he arrived at the office!"Shut up! I've had enough of your nonsense! Everyone calm down and don't panic. This is all Liam's fault, so he should be the one to take care of this! Once the Wheelers arrive, we will simply hand him over, and all will be done. If anything, we can offer to pay for Kayson's medical bills as a gesture of apology!" Reginald declared, smacking his palm against the table to get everyone's attention. The entire room fell silent. As luck would have it, Liam and Celena arrived right that instant. They could sense the tense atmosphere the moment they pushed open the doors. Everyone's gaze immediately landed on the culprit himself.Celena had no idea what had happened, so when she felt everyone's hostile gaze on her, she turned to Reginald in puzzlement. "What happened, Grandpa? Why did you summon all of us here all of a sudden?"Reginald glared at Liam and bellowed, "What else could've
Did he screw up?Celena wiped her tears, stared at Liam for a few moments, then turned to Reginald and fell to her knees. "I'm sorry, Grandpa. I know this is all Liam's doing, but I was why he had even done this in the first place. This is all my fault! You should punish me instead!"Liam gaped at her. He did not expect her to still be willing to defend him in a time like this. Although Celena was utterly disappointed in him, it was clear that he still mattered to her. Otherwise, she would not have been willing to protect him. Warmth crept through Liam's entire body at this realization, and he could not help but smile. Reginald was furious at the fact that Celena still chose to defend Liam. He hit his cane against the floor and shouted, "How are you still able to defend him? Are you even a member of the Stone family? Do you honestly think punishing you will change anything? If punishing you can fix everything, why do I even bother calling a meeting to discuss this? The Wheelers w
Just as Reginald was contemplating this, an assistant burst through the doors and shouted, "Something terrible has happened! The Wheelers are downstairs right now, and they've brought a lot of men with them! They demand to see you, Mr. Stone!"Reginald leaped to his feet with a frightened look. "They're here already?"Then, he shot Liam and Celena with a murderous glare. "Look what mess you got us into!"With that, he led the rest of the Stones out of the meeting room and down to the lobby, where Jordan was sprawled across a sofa, waiting. There were a few dozen bodyguards dressed head to toe in black standing behind him. One look at Jordan was enough to tell that he meant business.Reginald silently cursed Liam once more, then forced out a smile and approached Jordan. He reached out his hand. "It has been a while, Mr. Wheeler!"Jordan ignored him entirely, and instead, his gaze landed on Liam. "Mr. Stone, I'll cut straight to the chase. I've already made it clear on the phone tha
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