After bidding Celena farewell with a tender kiss on her forehead, Liam moved to Jovie's bedside, brushed her forehead with a soft touch, and then strode out of the hospital room.Outside, a military Jeep was already idling, ready for departure. Liam hopped in and drove off from Drunham City without looking back.No sooner had Liam disappeared than the Yafe family showed up at the hospital's front steps.Sherah, ever observant, caught a glimpse of the departing Jeep and, with a puzzled expression, whispered to herself, "Did anyone else see that? The guy in the back of that Jeep looks a lot like Liam, didn't he?"Hearing her, Yafe halted and turned to stare at the receding vehicle, its special license plate shrinking in the distance. He shook his head, dismissing the idea, "What are you on about? There is no way Liam is on a military ride."Cheryl and her brother Qemal also glanced at the fading Jeep. Cheryl's face twisted into a sneer as she scoffed, "As if he'd ever be in there. T
Sherah's words grew more fervent, her finger tapping insistently on Celena's forehead as if trying to snap her out of a trance.Yafe looked equally distressed and asked, "Are you serious? Liam said he needed to leave Drunham City for a couple of days?"Celena nodded silently, her face growing somber. She had been so sure of Liam's statement, convinced he just had to take care of something for a short while. However, Sherah's outburst shook her, and doubt began to creep in.Was Liam really lying to her?Had he truly abandoned her and Jovie, just taken off without a backward glance?Celena felt torn, her mind a battleground where two voices fought for dominance. One voice reassured her, insisting that Liam was true to his word. He would not just leave her and Jovie behind, not after promising to cherish and protect them.Yet, a nagging voice taunted her, 'Wake up, Celena. Liam's played you for a fool. Men's vows are as flimsy as paper. It's too convenient, isn't it? Right when the
Sherah lost it again when she heard that, her voice rising in fury. "Why even care about them? You all thought Liam was Mr. Perfect, and now what? He ditched them and bolted. I warned her not to marry that deadbeat Liam, to give up being a rich lady for a nobody. Look, at the first sign of trouble, he's out. Serves her right. She's got no one else to blame!"Each of Sherah's barbs cut deeper than the last, and Celena felt her resolve shake. She was not scared for herself; it was Jovie who worried her; she was so young and vulnerable.Celena replayed Liam's last words, and the look on his face over in her mind, her heart aching with doubt. 'Liam, could you really have lied to me, leaving me and our daughter all alone?'Suddenly, the hospital room door was kicked open with a crash!A squad of battle-ready soldiers, armed to the teeth and faces set in grim determination, charged in, leaving everyone inside momentarily frozen in shock.Yafe was the quickest to snap out of it. He stepp
Sherah's fear escalated with every word until she was overwhelmed, bursting into tears and refusing to take another step.Qemal, too, was a picture of panic, inching toward Sherah as he sobbed, "Mom, help me, please! They can't take me away! Ahhh! Go after Liam, leave us alone; we've done nothing wrong!"Yafe, bombarded by the wails of his wife and child, was at his wit's end, unable to focus and devise a plan. With a scowl, he snapped at the weeping pair, "Enough with the crying!"Then, turning his fiery gaze to Celena, Yafe's anger boiled over. "Celena, this is what you wanted, right? We're all caught up in Liam's mess, suffering because of you. He's ditched you and run off, and you're still defending him!"Celena stood there, shell-shocked, at a loss for words, just being herded by the soldiers out of the ward.The family, looking nothing like criminals, was marched by soldiers from their hospital room to the entrance, drawing curious and concerned looks from onlookers."What
After her declaration, madness danced across Brianna's features. She had waited so long for that moment. That damn Liam, to think he would side with Celena over her! She was going to make sure Celena suffered, and Liam would rue the day he ever crossed her.Celena faced Brianna, defiance etched in her stance, her eyes a frosty challenge. "Do what you want with me, Brianna. I won't complain. However, my family and my daughter are innocent. If there's a shred of decency in you, you'll let them be."Sherah, desperate, fell to her knees, her voice breaking as she begged, "Please, Ms. Hughes, have mercy on us. We've done nothing wrong. Liam's the one you're angry with, not us. Take it up with him and Celena, but leave us out of it!"Sherah's plea to Brianna was devoid of any pride, and Qemal quickly followed suit, bending over with a sycophantic grin. "Ms. Hughes, have mercy on us. This mess is all Liam's doing. It has nothing to do with us. We're innocent. Go after Liam and Celena, but
Qemal backed her up, "Right! What's there to think about, Celena? Get on with the apology to Ms. Hughes. I sure don't want to die because of Liam's blunder. Don't let it hit me too!"Cheryl, silent until then, glared at Celena with venom in her eyes, her voice piercing as she spat out, "Celena!! You lowlife! Bow down and apologize, now!"Celena's heart was heavy with humiliation and a deep sense of injustice as she faced her family's harsh criticism. She glanced at her daughter Jovie, who was sobbing uncontrollably. With tears in her eyes, she mustered the courage to confront Brianna. "If I apologize to you and bow down, will you really let my family and my little girl go?" she pleaded."Yes," Brianna replied with a frigid, dismissive snort.With a heavy heart, Celena bit her lip and knelt before Brianna, swallowing her pride as she wept. "Ms. Hughes, I'm sorry. Please, I'm begging you, let my daughter and my family be. I'll take the blame for everything."Brianna's response was a
Jovie had been through the nightmare once already, snatched away and scared out of her wits. Liam had been her comfort, but then, in a cruel twist, she was in the clutches of those thugs again, paralyzed with fear. She clung to Celena, her sobs shaking her small frame. However, in a heartbeat, one of the assailants lifted his gun and brutally clubbed Celena on the back of her head with the butt."Ah!"A sharp cry escaped Celena as her world went dark, blood gushing from her wound. She crumpled to the ground, her head lolling to the side.With every ounce of willpower, Celena fought the encroaching blackness, her eyes wide with horror as Jovie was yanked from her protective hold. The gun was raised again, and with a sickening thud, it came down on Jovie's tiny head, blood matting her hair as she slumped over, unconscious.Hot tears streamed down Celena's face as she tried desperately to rise, to do something, anything, but her body was a leaden weight, unresponsive. She could only
"Yes, he is. Daddy's going to come for us, I promise!"Celena's nods were emphatic. Seeing Jovie's effort to speak, she soothed her, "Shh, Jovie, let's save our strength. Daddy made us a promise, remember? He said he'd protect us, and he will. You just need to hang in there. Don't be scared, and don't fall asleep. Stay with me, and we'll wait for Daddy together, okay? I'll sing for you... Just stay awake, alright?"Jovie summoned a feeble smile and gave a slight nod to Celena.In the shadowy room, Celena cradled Jovie, fighting back her own fears and tears, and began to sing with a soft, lilting voice."Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky...""Twinkle, twinkle, little star, when the blazing sun is gone, when nothing shines upon, then you show your little light, twinkle, twinkle, all the night...""Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are..."Her voice, tender and sweet, filled the room an
Celena was utterly terrified by the sudden turn of events. She stared pale-faced at the soldiers around her, not daring to move even a muscle. What was going on?All of a sudden, a man in a uniform stepped into the room. The badge on his shoulder indicated to everyone that he was a general. The heavy thumping of his boots echoed through the silent room with every step he took. All eyes were on him as he stepped onto the stage.He carried himself with great authority, and clearly, this man was not one to be messed with. He scanned the room as if searching for someone. Finally, he announced in a deep, resounding voice, "Do not fear, ladies and gentlemen. We are here on a routine check after receiving a tip-off regarding your conference. We will release you all once we have carried out our investigation, and the process will be quicker and smoother if you all cooperate. "Now, I would kindly request you get your documentation ready so that my men may confirm your identity."Everyone
Derek nodded earnestly and replied, "Of course it's true. My sources have never failed me. I wouldn't have trusted you with this information if I didn't think you'd be interested."Celena stared at him for a moment, then turned to glance in the direction of the people he had pointed. She could not help but be tempted by the offer. She considered this for a few moments, then accepted his offer. "Alright then, Mr. Duncan. I'll go with you. Thank you for inviting me."The smile on Derek's face widened. He could hardly believe his luck—Celena had agreed to go with him! Taking that first step was always the hardest, but he had done it!Unbeknownst to Celena, Derek already knew her long before their first meeting at the conference. Her name was known far and wide in Drunham City, not least because of her beauty, but because of her—in the eyes of the public—tragic marriage. Celena had earned herself a reputation as one of the most beautiful women Drunham City had ever seen, and although
The attention they received, however, was large due to Celena and her young, handsome companion, who was a man named Derek Duncan. Their attractive looks, both individually and combined, were easily the topic of discussion that night. Everyone who laid eyes on them admired both their good looks and brains, for certainly only the cream of the crop were allowed to attend this prestigious event. What made this feat even more impressive was the fact that they were both so young!Aside from her beauty, Celena's name was already known far and wide in the business world, not just because of her strong leadership but due to her association with Liam and her company's connections with many international corporations. She had started her business from scratch, but within a few short months, she had single handedly built it up to become one of the top ten grossing companies in Drunham City.There were hundreds of people gathered there tonight, and their seats had been allocated according to t
The moment Clifford left, Kastor turned to Liam with a wide grin, all hint of his hostility now gone. "Mr. Cole, thank God I arrived just in time."He raised his brows as he said this, and Liam took this to mean he was trying to claim credit. Truth be told, he would have been able to handle things on his own even without Kastor's help, but he decided this was a detail Kastor did not need to know. Instead, he returned Kastor's smile graciously. Kastor, like a child, burst into laughter at this. No further words were exchanged, but they understood the message nonetheless.Jeffrey also grinned. "Kastor, what brings you here all of a sudden?"Kastor replied, "Ah, you might not know this, Mr. Stein, but I actually own this very restaurant that you're sitting in right now. One of my employees called me for help, citing that a brawl was about to break out, so I rushed over immediately. I had no idea it would turn out to be you and Mr. Cole!""Ah, what a pleasant surprise, then!" Jeffrey
Clifford scowled upon hearing this. He cracked his knuckles menacingly as he stared at Kastor through narrowed eyes.Kastor did not seem at all intimidated by this. Instead, he brushed past him and approached Liam, smiling. "Mr. Cole, I apologize for the delay. I rushed over as soon as I heard the news, but I was late anyway. I'm so sorry for the wait."Liam's expression eased up slightly. He tugged the corners of his mouth into a strained smile but did not reply. Clifford's expression turned even more sour when he sensed Kastor's tone. He asked sharply, "What is the meaning of this, Kastor? Are you intent on making me your enemy?"Clifford's reputation was known far and wide, and many feared him, but Kastor was not one of them. He shot Clifford a look of utmost disdain and replied, smirking, "Yes, Clifford, that's exactly what I'm going to do. So what if we will be enemies from now on? What are you going to do about it?"He was confident that Clifford would not dare to retaliate
One of the muscle-bound goons stowed his submachine gun and drew a hefty machete, nearly a foot long, from his side. He advanced on Liam with deliberate steps.Calum and Cirocco were poised for a fight, ready to jump in at Liam's command and wipe out the roomful of petty thugs.However, Liam had other plans. He remained seated, an unfazed smirk playing on his lips, watching the approaching thug with the machete.The thug, mistaking Liam's calm for fear, grinned viciously and raised his machete, aiming for Liam's arm.However, in a flash, the scene changed.A figure hurtled through the air, and with a resounding crash, the thug was sent flying into the wine rack. The rack toppled, bottles shattering, their contents spilling and perfuming the air with the scent of alcohol.The thug hit the ground, blood spurting from his mouth, his eyes wide with shock. He lay there, lifeless, staring at Liam, dead before he hit the floor.The room plunged into a deathly hush.Corie clapped a h
Corie was also shaken, her fists clenched tight under the table as she watched Liam with wide, fearful eyes, barely managing to whisper, "Liam!"Liam stood there, steady as ice, without a trace of fear. "Don't worry, I've got this," he assured.Corie, seeing Liam's calm dismissal of the threat and recalling his proven strength, felt her fear ebb away.She could not explain it, but she had an unwavering faith in Liam.Across from them, Clifford lounged back, his legs thrown carelessly over the table, his gaze dripping with disdain. "You don't know who you're messing with, do you?" he sneered. "Karpos works for me, Clifford. And yet, you've got the gall to attack my men in broad daylight? You're in over your head!"Jeffrey was about to chime in, but one look at Liam's icy demeanor and he thought better of it, choosing instead to watch the scene unfold in silence.He was curious to see just how Liam would handle that.Liam chuckled, a sound as cold as the winter wind, and fixed Cli
With that command, he strode into the restaurant."At once, my lord!"His men obediently echoed, herding Wilson and the others toward the private room where Liam and his party awaited.Karpos strutted ahead, his arrogance restored. Despite a hasty bandage job, his appearance was ragged.As Karpos led Clifford and his entourage into the restaurant, the owner and the servers shuddered in fear, their bodies quaking.Clifford shot the restaurant owner a frosty look that sent him scurrying over with a forced, fearful smile. "Lord Clifford, I had no idea you'd arrived. I'm so sorry for not greeting you at the door," he stammered out an apology.However, Clifford just gave him another icy stare and strode past, following Karpos up the stairs to the private room.The owner, too scared to utter another word, followed them up, his heart pounding.They reached the private room in no time. With a commanding gesture from Clifford, a dozen muscular men in combat gear stormed in.Liam and hi
How could someone from Biskeland throw away their pride like that, groveling for mercy? It was downright embarrassing. They were the ones who started it all, picking on her. Why should she be the one to grovel?The more Corie thought about it, the more her disdain for Wilson grew. "Wilson, if you're so eager to leave, then go. I'm not budging. This mess started with me, and I don't care how tough those guys are—I'm staying right here with Liam to face whatever comes," Corie declared, her voice icy. She grabbed a nearby chair and sat down with a defiant thud."Corie, you!" Wilson started, but she turned her head away, dismissing him with a cold shoulder that only served to stoke his anger. "Fine! Have it your way! However, you'll regret it when Clifford and his goons show up!" he snapped. With that, Wilson stormed out of the room, his entourage trailing behind him in a rush.Corie watched Wilson and his crew scatter like scared rabbits, and with a sneer of contempt, she spat out, "