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
She did not get to finish her sentence before a sharp slap cut through the silence of the private room.Liam's slap, fueled by a surge of anger, knocked Brianna back several steps. She was dazed, her ears ringing. Her carefully made-up face instantly reddened and swollen, with her lip split and bleeding.With a gasp of shock, Wasyl and Cheryl swallowed hard, unable to believe what they had just witnessed.Liam had lost it, lashing out at Brianna in a fit of rage!He had completely lost his mind!Cheryl, seeing the gravity of the situation, her face etched with panic, yelled at Liam, "Liam! Are you out of your mind? Do you even realize what you've done? This is only going to make Trevyn more determined to come after you, and if this sets off the Stone family, how will you handle the fallout?"Cheryl was biting her lip with regret. If only she had thought it through, she would not have rushed in with Celena. If that mess ended up dragging the Stone family into it, and Reginald disc
Wasyl, in particular, had always tried to curry favor with Brianna. With Trevyn about to arrive, he was eager to show off and build a rapport with him, especially since he was on the verge of becoming a general.So, as he guarded Brianna, he berated Liam, "Liam, think about what you're doing. Don't act on impulse. Can't you see? This path leads straight to hell for you and Celena. Think about her, your daughter. Don't you care about them at all?"Sure enough, Liam froze. Wasyl, spotting the hesitation, felt a surge of triumph, mistaking it for fear. His voice rose with confidence as he added, "Listen up, you better straighten out. Trevyn is on his way, and once he gets here, you're toast! Out of respect for Cheryl, I suggest you make things right with Ms. Hughes. It might be your only shot at getting out of this alive."However, as soon as Wasyl finished his threat, Liam lashed out with a swift kick to Wasyl's chest, sending the self-appointed knight in shining armor sprawling.Che
Trevyn's forehead pulsed with a prominent vein as he sneered, revealing a scornful, icy grin. He whipped out a handgun and jammed it against Liam's forehead, his voice frosty with defiance. "Still feel like schooling my sister, Liam? You attacked her and assaulted a soldier from the combat zone. That's a death sentence. I could end you with a single shot right now."Liam, unfazed by the gun to his head, arched an eyebrow, his gaze icy and defiant. "Anyone who's ever pointed a gun at me is already six feet under," he retorted with a chilling calm.His words hung in the air, ratcheting the tension in the room to a breaking point.The thought of the Commander-in-chief of Pendragon with a gun to his head… If the higher-ups caught wind of that, there would be hell to pay!Trevyn's frown deepened, the lethal intent in his eyes flaring as he spat out, "You think I'm scared?"Brianna, then on her feet, pointed furiously at Liam, her voice breaking as she pleaded with Trevyn, "Bro, take hi
Trevyn's face was ghostly pale, his eyes betraying a flash of defiance. However, with Malcolm then a general and outranking him, he had no choice but to follow orders or face charges of insubordination. With a heavy heart, he holstered his gun, snapped to attention, and saluted Malcolm.Then, with a chilling look, Trevyn warned Liam and Malcolm, "General Lynch, I hope you're still around to watch his back next month! We'll see about that!"With those parting words, Trevyn, steadying the frail Brianna, led his team out of the lounge.Only after Trevyn's crew had cleared out did Wasyl and Cheryl come out of their stupor, still huddled in the corner.Malcolm himself had led the charge!They knew Liam had connections with Malcolm, but they never imagined that Malcolm would show up himself with reinforcements, especially not that late and with Liam cornered by Trevyn.Wasyl quickly plastered on a groveling smile and rushed over to Malcolm, fawning, "General Lynch, what an honor! Wasyl
Liam carried Celena out of the private room. Once he walked out of the hotel, he saw the soldiers Malcolm brought were maintaining the order of the crowd.The customers who were kicked out earlier were all standing behind the soldiers, craning their necks to watch the situation unfold. When they saw Liam walking out with Celena in his arms, they whipped out their phones and took as many photos as they possibly could. A spirited discussion immediately broke out.As the crowd watched on, Liam carried Celena into a military Jeep and drove her to the hospital.Celena was too severely injured and needed to be hospitalized. Liam was going to and fro the cottage and the hospital in the few days that she was at the hospital.Liam had chicken soup prepared at home early in the morning and brought it to the hospital. Before he even entered Celena's room, he heard an intense argument happening on the other side of the wall."Celena! Do you know how big of a trouble you've caused this time? I
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