Reginald was heartbroken to have to make this decision. On the one hand, this was his firstborn son and daughter-in-law, and on the other hand, he had his entire family and bloodline to consider! He could not possibly sacrifice the entire family just to save two people!This was a classic of the Stones. Blood was thicker than water, but none of that mattered in the face of greed and livelihood!Even though Reginald had raised Yafe to be the heir to his legacy, he would not hesitate to sacrifice Yafe if it meant he could save the rest of the Stones, and frankly, himself. Even if Trevyn had forced him to choose between Celena and the Stone family, Reginald would undoubtedly choose to save the Stones. Celena was no longer useful to him, so what was the point of keeping her around?After a painful few minutes of contemplation, Reginald had come to a decision. He shook his head. By this point, Sherah and Yafe were already knee-deep in dirt. Fear and devastation crossed their faces wh
Celena could no longer think straight anymore. She was driven by an instinct to survive, and she knew that her only chance of making it out alive was to continue pleading for mercy, even at the cost of her own life!Trevyn was rather displeased by this. He thought that Celena would have given in by now; who would have thought this woman would be so stubborn? He scowled and said curtly, "Very well then! I guess I have no choice but to do this, Celena! I'd like to know what sort of spell Liam has put you under. He's a good-for-nothing, a tramp who was lucky enough to survive the Cole family's downfall, and yet you're so devoted toward him that you're willing to sacrifice your own life and the lives of the people around you! Since you're not willing to give up Liam's whereabouts, I shall put you and your daughter up for bid! I have no use for either of you, and with your beauty, it won't be hard to find a keen buyer!"With that, Trevyn turned to gaze out at the audience beneath him: an
"You monsters! Let go of my daughter! She's still a child! How can you do this to her?" Celena screamed as she lunged toward Jovie's direction. The adrenaline rush in that moment, powered mostly by a mother's unconditional love, allowed her to break free of the soldier holding her. She shoved the soldier aside, then pulled Jovie into her arms and sobbed, "Jovie, are you okay? Mom is here… Mom is here with you, Jovie… Don't be scared…"The audience erupted into a roar of laughter and applause. Someone shouted from amongst the crowd, "Wow! What a pleasant surprise, General Hughes! I can't believe you're really placing these two up for bid!"Everyone agreed. "I want them! A hundred dollars!""Two hundred dollars! Don't you dare try to steal from me!""What a splendid surprise! Shut up, all of you! They're going to be mine, and no one's going to stop me!""Hey, what gives? She's the most beautiful woman Drunham City has ever seen… I'd like to get my hands on that!""Come on, who woul
Little Jovie, at the tender age of seven, was already facing a world of pain.Why could not fate cut them some slack? Why did she and her daughter have to shoulder all that heartache and hopelessness?Celena's ears rang with the chilling bids of heartless men, and their sleazy chuckles sank her deeper into despair.Jovie, nestled in Celena's embrace, squinted through her tears to see her mother's tear-streaked face. With a shaky, scarred hand, she reached out to dry Celena's tears, but her strength failed her, and her arm fell limp."Mommy... don't cry...""Daddy... I miss Daddy so much. Mommy, where is he... Didn't you say Daddy would come to save us? Daddy... why isn't he here yet..."Jovie called for Liam and her questions about her absent father broke Celena's heart into a million pieces, and tears stained with the blood of her sorrow trickled down her face."Jovie, I'm so sorry... I'm sorry I couldn't keep you safe... Daddy's not coming back... It's all my fault, Jovie, all
Trevyn's soldiers had their guns trained on Liam, their eyes sharp and alert to his every move.The banquet guests had been ushered to safety on either side, leaving only the stage and Liam, who moved toward it with deliberate steps.Trevyn stood high on the stage, looking down at Liam with a sneer of arrogance. His eyes were frigid and mocking, and a cruel smile played on his lips. "Liam, I never thought you'd have the guts to come back," he said with icy disdain.Liam was a mere ten meters from the stage, flanked by rows of armed soldiers, their weapons loaded and pointed at him. Red laser dots swarmed over him like angry bees.One wrong move, and he would be shot to pieces.Liam halted, his gaze fixed on Celena and Jovie, who were chained on the stage like animals. His fury rose like a tidal wave, threatening to obliterate everything in its path. His eyes, red with rage, took in their injuries, and he ground his molars in silent fury.He had been gone for only two days, and th
"However, really, what does it matter? You might want to take a closer look, Liam. My brother's a general now, and we've got three thousand warriors guarding the Hughes estate. You think you can take us? You think you can make us pay with our lives?"Her face twisted with scorn. She sized Liam up with a sneer. "Dream on," she spat.She had despised Liam since school. After Liam had a fight with Clora, Brianna tried to console him, only to be harshly rebuked. However, when Celena stepped in, Liam's reaction was the complete opposite. He did not lash out, and he actually thanked her.Since that fateful day, she could not shake off the resentment she held against Celena and Liam. Celena had given herself to Liam, and without a hint of shame, she comforted him, aided him in dodging his pursuers, and later bore his illegitimate child!Just days ago, Liam had the nerve to strike her, all for that wretched Celena, leaving her battered and bruised. Then, as Brianna laid eyes on Liam, her f
The guests were all buzzing about Liam, looking at him with faces twisted in mockery and chilling laughter. They were scoffing at his self-delusion, laughing at his absurd behavior!To him, Liam, who had supposedly left Drunham City, was then back at the Hughes residence, which was akin to walking straight into a trap!In the crowd, Reginald and the Stone family members reacted with shock at the sight of Liam, the instigator of their troubles. Some were agitated, others panicked, but most were seething with anger.Cheryl's face lit up with excitement when she saw Liam. His presence meant her parents would be safe. However, then, remembering that it was all because of Liam that her parents had nearly met with disaster, her excitement quickly turned to fury. She could not help but sneer as she watched Liam make his outrageous claims."Grandpa, look closely at Liam. He's totally out of his league. Can you believe he's still running his mouth at a time like this? As if he, the good-for
Trevyn's words were as frosty as his stare, fixed on Liam as he continued his frigid tirade. "Now, tell me, Liam, what makes you think you can take down the Hughes family? Why should we siblings lower ourselves to that trash, Celena? Is it because you're the Cole family's reject or because you're just a nobody who married into the Stone family? In my eyes, you're nothing more than a bug!"Trevyn's voice thundered through the grand Hughes estate, his rage reverberating in the ears of the stunned guests. They all watched, eager for a spectacle, as Liam was on the brink of reaping the bitter consequences of his pride.However, then, an unexpected voice cut through the tension at the entrance."Who has the authority? I do! The commander of the Drunham City garrison and the Mayor of Drunham City, Malcolm!"With that, Malcolm charged in, leading a troop of over a hundred soldiers decked out in full gear, guns at the ready.Malcolm, radiating a fierce aura of wrath and a chilling intent