Wasyl heard this and added, "Cheryl's right. Don't be nervous, Celena. He's already on his way here and will arrive soon. Just be patient."At the same time, a black Bentley pulled up at the entrance of the Abaraham Hotel. The door swung open, and a dazzling woman in an elegant red dress stepped out. Two soldiers wielding guns soon joined her. This sight naturally caught the attention of all the guests and waitstaff milling about near the entrance, and soon, someone recognized the woman. "That's strange. Why is she here?""Hey, who's that? She looks gorgeous, but why is she with those two soldiers? She must be someone very important!""I know who she is! She's Brianna Hughes, the heiress of the Hughes family. What is she doing here?""Brianna Hughes? If she's here, does that mean Captain Hughes is somewhere here as well?"Brianna overheard this and tilted her chin arrogantly, casting her contemptuous glance across everyone staring at her. Finally, she turned and sauntered into
Brianna just so happened to step in at that exact moment, catching all three of them by surprise.Celena was so stunned by this that her entire body froze in shock as though she had been struck by lightning.What was Brianna doing here?Celena and Brianna's history went way back. She, Brianna, and Clora were the best of friends, and Brianna had a crush on Liam for the longest time. However, Liam was Clora's fiance at that time, and since the Hughes was not as powerful as the Walkers, there was nothing Brianna could do about this, so she kept her crush a secret and never tried to win Liam over.Brianna and Clora had plotted against Celena, leading to her unfortunate 'affair' with Liam and subsequently their downfall. Even though she had betrayed Celena and helped Clora set Liam up, she still harbored vengeance toward Celena because Celena was the one who had ended up with Liam instead of him.Celena's long-hidden anger, rage, and sorrow surged through her entire body and made her s
The mere mention of Liam sparked a wildfire of hatred in Brianna's eyes. Her face turned stormy as she spat out, "Liam vanished for seven years, and I never thought he'd dare show his face again. However, what really blows my mind is you lowering yourself to marry that loser, Liam."And you know what I'm dying to know? After that disaster, after the humiliation you faced, how do you just waltz around like it's all good? How do you even have the guts to keep going? I've heard you've been groveling to anyone who'll listen to help Liam out, and here you are, begging me for mercy. For old times' sake, I'll throw you a bone. Grovel, apologize to me, and if I'm feeling generous, maybe I'll say a few sweet words to my brother on your behalf."With those words, Brianna crossed her arms, chin tilted up in pride, her gaze dripping with scorn. That was the final nail in the coffin of their friendship.Tears welled up in Celena's eyes as she faced Brianna, a storm of defiance and hurt swirling
Celena's heart pounded as she stared at Brianna's unhinged sneer. She stumbled backward, head shaking in disbelief. Fear clawed its way up from her gut. Brianna had snapped, as chilling as a demon's."You've lost it. You're completely out of your mind! I'm out of here. I need to get away from this nightmare."She could not bear another second in that room. Snatching her purse from the nearby chair, Celena bolted for the exit, her only thought to flee the horror of the private room.Brianna watched with a smirk as Celena frantically tugged at the door, which refused to open. Celena's tears flowed freely, and with them, a tide of utter hopelessness.Who would rescue her then?Brianna casually took a seat, her laugh icy. "Trying to leave? In your dreams. My crew's got the place surrounded. Think you can dodge me without groveling? Fat chance. I'm not letting you off the hook that easily. Kneel and say you're sorry."Cheryl and Wasyl had been spectating in silence, not uttering a sin
Then, Brianna shouted toward the entrance with an icy tone, "Someone, get in here." The door to the room swung open, and a soldier Brianna had brought along stepped inside. "Give this foolish woman a lesson she won't forget. Hit her hard, and keep going until she's begging for forgiveness." On her command, the soldier moved toward Celena. As he got closer, Celena's attempts to break free became more desperate. He reached her in no time and, with a swift motion, slapped her across the face. The force of it split her lip, leaving a vivid red mark.Brianna watched, a twisted smile of satisfaction on her face, as she icily demanded, "Well, Celena, are you going to apologize or not?" Celena, her hair a mess and face wet with tears, glared back at Brianna with fierce eyes and hissed through clenched teeth, "Keep dreaming, Brianna. You're the real villain here. I'd die before I grovel to you." Brianna's anger flared at the defiance. "You think you're tough? Keep hitting her!" she screame
Celena met Brianna's gaze with defiance and shouted back, "Dream on!"She knew better than to stoop and apologize to Brianna. She was certain Brianna had no intention of helping her. That was all about humiliation.Brianna's fury boiled over. She turned to the soldier and then to Celena and Wasyl, bellowing, "You think you're tough? We'll see about that. The three of you, beat her until she begs for mercy."Brianna's command took Cheryl and Wasyl aback. Neither moved to act. After all, Celena was Cheryl's own sister. Despite her feelings of resentment, Cheryl could not bring herself to harm Celena, not like that.Wasyl was on edge, knowing full well that Celena had the Stone family and Max Group's big project in her hands. He could not quite figure out where Max Group stood with Celena, and the last thing he wanted was to cross her and inadvertently pick a fight with the corporate giant behind her. Racking his brain for the right words, he finally blurted out to Brianna, wiping the
The soldier lifted his belt once more, ready to strike. Celena knew that could be the end. As the belt hurtled toward her, she closed her eyes, surrendering to despair.Just then, the private room's door was kicked open with brute force. A soldier at the entrance was hurled inside, smashing the door off its hinges and sending it crashing down in the center of the room with a sharp, echoing crack.A tall, imposing figure stood in the doorway, eyes red with fury, radiating a terrifying intent to kill that seemed to herald the arrival of the Grim Reaper himself. He bellowed, "You all deserve to die!!"Liam advanced into the room, an overwhelming aura of vengeance rolling off him, paralyzing the onlookers with fear.The soldier who had been lashing Celena with a belt turned to face the intrusion, gripping the belt tightly and lashing out at Liam.However, his efforts were futile. Liam was quicker, confronting the soldier before he could even react, seizing his belt-wielding hand in a
Cheryl's heart swelled with a newfound courage as she thought about Trevyn's upcoming promotion to general and his return to Roselle City. Liam, with all his bluster and Malcolm's backing, suddenly did not seem so fearsome. Trevyn would soon be Malcolm's peer, and that changed everything. No longer skulking in the shadows like Wasyl, Cheryl boldly stepped up behind Brianna and jabbed a finger at Liam, her voice ringing out, "Oh, Liam, what's your game? Haven't you figured out where you stand yet? This is the Abaraham Hotel. Ms. Hughes is Captain Hughes' darling little sister. Cross her, and you're signing your own death warrant!"Wasyl, drenched in a chilling sweat, bobbed his head eagerly in agreement. "Right on, right on, Liam, don't you start any trouble. Offend Ms. Hughes, and you won't just be in a world of hurt. You'll drag down the whole Stone family with you. Remember, Celena's one of them. If the Stone family goes down, Celena and your daughter won't walk away unscathed."Ho
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