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
Little Jovie was already weak. She could not help but watch her mother, Celena, take a beating. She wriggled and squirmed, trying to break free, her tears flowing as she cried out, "Stop it, stop it! Let me go! Don't hurt my mommy, you meanies! My daddy will come back and get you for this. You're all so mean... Please, don't hurt her... Mommy, are you in a lot of pain?"Celena, with one hand on her aching belly, managed to prop herself up. She looked at Jovie and, through the pain, mustered a smile that looked more painful than tears. "Jovie, honey, Mommy's okay, don't cry. Be a good girl. Mommy's here, everything's going to be alright..."Brianna, who had been watching with a scowl, could not stand Jovie's loud sobs. She marched over, her hand swinging out to deliver a stinging slap to Jovie's cheek. She barked, "Enough! Silence, you little brat! One more peep out of you, and I swear I'll chop you up for the dogs!"Jovie froze, her sobs caught in her throat, her face wet with tears
"Brianna, I swear I don't know where Liam's gone. Please, I'm begging you, let my little girl go. She's just a child. I'll do anything you want if you just let us go. You hate me, right? Just let us go, and I'll take her out of Drunham City so fast. Please, I'm begging you, I truly don't know where Liam is… " Celena's voice broke into sobs.Tears streamed down Celena's face as she shook her head in utter despair, wondering what it would take for Brianna to spare them.Brianna watched Celena with icy detachment until she heard her pleas. Then, with a burst of anger, she slapped Celena hard across the face and bellowed, "You think I'm an idiot? That I can be fooled so easily? You don't know? How could you not know? You expect me to just let you walk away, to take your daughter and run off to find Liam? Keep dreaming! So, you're set on playing tough, are you?"Brianna finished speaking and sharply turned to signal the bodyguard. He got the message and, with a swift move, lifted little
Trevyn marched in, his face a mask of ice as he shot Brianna a chilling look before his gaze fell on Celena, crumpled on the floor.Brianna, her delicate brows knitted in displeasure, shot back at Trevyn, "Bro! Didn't you promise she was mine to deal with? Why did you break your promises?""My word is my bond, and I'll keep my promises to you, but remember, I'm not a general yet. I can't afford any slip-ups. If Malcolm gets wind of this, my appointment might be on the line. Got it?" Trevyn laid it out plainly.Brianna clearly got the picture, but it did not sit well with her. Anger twisted her features as she shot Celena a venomous look and spat out, "Fine! Your daughter dodged a bullet this time, Celena. However, don't count on such luck again!"With that, Brianna huffed, flung her arms, and stormed off, leaving the small cabin behind.Inside, Trevyn stood with a distant, detached look, eyeing Celena, who was on edge on the floor. "You've got two days, Celena. Make up your mind a
The Second Lieutenant marched into the company lobby with his combat boots thudding against the floor. He planted himself in the center and shouted, "Get Eaden down here to see me, now!"The receptionist at the front desk was jolted by the soldier's sudden entrance. At the sound of the Second Lieutenant's commanding voice, she scrambled to pick up the phone and quickly dialed the conference room.Eaden was in the midst of strategizing a legitimation plan for the business with his gang leaders when the call from the front desk came through. His face drained of color, his eyes were wide with alarm.The men seated around him noticed Eaden's pallor and could not resist asking, "Mr. Wafer, what's going on? You look awful."With a deep frown, Eaden hung up and turned to his men. "Get out of here, fast. Keep your wits about you and leave the building by any means necessary! Once you're out, head straight to the Drunham City garrison and find Malcolm. Tell him the Wafer are in trouble, and
The glass shards dug into Eaden's face, and blood gushed forth. The searing pain locked his body in place. He balled his fists, his face and neck flushing a deep red from the agony, but he did not make a sound.The Second Lieutenant sneered at the sight. "Look at you, showing some spine! However, I get a kick out of breaking tough guys like you. Eaden, I'm well aware you're the big shot of Drunham City's underworld. However, today, you're nothing to me. Snuffing you out would be as easy as stepping on an ant!""Please, Officer, I honestly don't know what I did to tick off senior captain Hughes. If I'm going to die, at least let me know what for."Eaden was sprawled on the ground, his cheek pressed into the dirt, blood pooling around his face. Despite the searing pain, he mustered a weak smile and looked up at the Second Lieutenant.The officer stepped back, adjusted his collar with a flick, and said with an icy edge, "You haven't crossed our senior captain Hughes, but he wants a sp
Soon, everybody in the company was taken to the lobby. Seeing that more and more people crouched in the lobby with their hands on their heads, Eaden and the few gang leaders looked increasingly solemn. They had no idea if the young man was able to escape.At that moment, two soldiers came rushing toward the second lieutenant. They saluted him respectfully and said, "Sir, a man got away!""What?" the second lieutenant barked. Then, he pointed at the soldier who spoke and bellowed, "What the hell were you guys doing? How could you let one get away? There are so many of you, yet you can't even catch a person? What are you still standing here in a daze? Hurry up and go after him! You have to bring him back!""Yes, sir!" Both the soldiers shouted before rushing out to go after the person who escaped.The second lieutenant sneered. His expression darkened and his gaze was incredibly frosty as he scanned the people crouching on the floor. The anger in his eyes was clear as day. He was
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, "