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
How was that even possible?Liam was nothing more than a stray, a man who had married into the Stone family, a nobody!How could he be a commander-in-chief?The words that Malcolm and the warriors had just spoken shattered everyone's previous image of Liam!Cheryl's face was a picture of shock, her eyes glued to Liam, a mix of bewilderment and terror in her gaze. She blurted out, unable to believe her ears, "What!!? Isn't Liam a nobody? Has Malcolm lost his mind?"Qemal looked equally troubled, his eyes wide and mouth hanging open as he stared at Liam from afar, murmuring to his sister, "Did I just hear that wrong? Malcolm actually called Liam 'commander-in-chief' and spoke of himself as if he were a lowly subordinate... That's how you talk to a boss..."The rest of the Stone family were just as incredulous, murmuring their disbelief to each other.Reginald, with a troubled look, watched Liam's retreating figure, overhearing the endless whispers of his family. He hushed them ste
However, Andy was a smooth talker, so the eldest member of the Drayton family liked him. Because of that, the head of the family tolerated him. That was why Andy, who was just a member of the branch family, dared to be so cocky.Andy saw Howard standing at the side from the corner of his eye as he spoke. He thought of what Howard said earlier, and that made his blood boil.He pointed at Howard and bellowed, "Uncle Derrick, this Howard is trash as well. You have no idea. I told him I was a member of the Drayton family, yet he did not take our family seriously at all."Not only did he have his men capture me, but he said cockily that he wanted to lock me up forever, and nobody could stop him."Weren't you very cocky before this, Mr. Mosier? Go on. Continue acting cocky in front of my uncle now. Detain me and lock me up forever."Andy took a couple of steps closer to Howard as he said that. He extended his hands arrogantly and said, "Come on. I have my hands stretched out for you. Hu
Soon, Andy and the thugs from the nightclub yesterday were released.Andy saw Derrick standing at the entrance of the police headquarters at a glance. He got so excited that he shouted, "Uncle Derrick! Uncle Derrick!"Fletcher's subordinates were incredibly excited to see Derrick as well. All of them shouted, "Mr. Derrick Drayton!"One of the subordinates was in Drunham City because Derrick arranged for him to be there. After he was brought to Derrick's side, he smiled apologetically and said, "Thank you for saving me, sir. Don't worry. Fletcher's faction and properties are all here. I'll be able to rebuild the faction here very soon."In other words, even if Fletcher was out of the picture, he would be able to thrive in Drunham City and replace Fletcher.However, Derrick shot an icy glare at him and sneered. "Hmph! How shameless of you to say that? There are so many of you, yet you can't deal with a small loser who only married into the Stone family."If it wasn't because this w
Howard did not expect that the Drayton family would have a connection with the Carter family. They could even produce a token from the Carter family."Mr. Derrick Drayton, I didn't expect that your family and the Carters go way back. You even got the Carter family's token out," said Howard.Derrick sneered and said, "Enough with the nonsense. Howard, my family did the Carter family a favor back then, that's why the general of the Carter family gave this token to us. He promised us that we could take out this token if we were ever in a bind in the future, and they would help us!"I'm taking out this token today to tell you that I'm going to bail Andy out of here. I'd like to see who in Drunham City has the guts to stop me!"Howard was stunned, and then he fell silent.He did not think that Derrick would take out a token from the Carter family.The Carter family was the top family in Mirstone. Nobody in Mirstone would dare to go against the Carter family. Derrick became even more
Meanwhile, Derrick and his men were already at the entrance of the police headquarters.Derrick's eyes were burning with rage as he looked at the door that was shut tightly. A sneer appeared on his lips as he said, "Hmph. Looks like they already know I'm coming, so they are deliberately trying to assert dominance."Then, he asked his driver next to him, "Where are our men? Have they all arrived?"The driver nodded and said, "They're here, Mr. Derrick. They are all waiting at the side. We'll tear down the main door to the police headquarters once you give the command."Derrick nodded with satisfaction. Then, he shouted at the police headquarters, "Howard! You're just the chief of the police headquarters! How dare you lock me outside?""I'd like to see how powerful you are today, Howard! Come on, guys. Take it down!"At his command, a group of burly men rushed out of the black van next to him. They were all holding thick bats, and they rushed up to the door ferociously.Right at t
At first, Yafe and the rest of the Stone family were stunned after they heard what Liam said. Then, they all burst out laughing.Yafe looked at Liam with a mocking gaze and said, "Are you kidding me, Liam? You're going to get the Draytons to come and apologize in person? Come on, that's the Drayton family we're talking about! Do you think they are just some nobody?"Right now, I don't want to waste my breath anymore. As long as you're able to stop the Drayton family from targeting us, I'm more than grateful. Don't you forget that you're the one who wanted to leave the Stone family? So, stop dragging us into your mess."Liam shot the crowd with an icy glare and brought Celena out of the Stone Mansion.Celena was still in a slight daze after they got into the car. Liam put on her safety belt for her and asked, "What's the matter, dear? Are you still worried about the Draytons?"Celena nodded and replied, "Yes. After all, all these were caused by the conflict between Andy and us. Jus
Liam wanted to ask what the family heirloom was, but he had no choice but to let it be after he heard what Yonatan said.However, Liam heard Yonatan's voice again, saying, "I've never seen that thing, but I heard from the Drayton family members that it was from a big shot in the military."The military?Liam's eyebrows furrowed once he heard it had something to do with the military. Then, he kicked Yonatan away, making him land next to the thugs.Yonatan passed out because of that kick.Once the thugs saw their leader was out cold, they took a couple of steps back in fear.However, Liam did not care about them at all. He looked at Yafe and the others instead.Once the Stone family members saw that they were out of the woods, they became cocky again.Yafe and Sherah, in particular, were so cocky that they ran up to Liam and condemned him, "Look what you've done! You're bad luck! What else can you do other than cause us trouble? Do you know who that is? He is from the Drayton fam
Yonatan was infuriated and bellowed, "So this is how you're going to play! Alright! I'm not going to stop until I kill you today!"Yonatan was radiating an intense desire to battle. That was the air exuded by a fighter of Fourth Order War King caliber.The Stone family was so frightened by the air he exuded that their faces turned pale. All of them took more than ten steps back in fear, afraid they would be injured by mistake.Yonatan clenched his fist and charged at Liam like a ferocious beast. His fist was packing so much power that it created a sonic boom, cutting through the air and going for Liam's face.The punch was so powerful that it could kill a bull right away.The Stone family thought Liam was going to die. Nobody would be able to survive a punch like that.Yonatan thought the same. He was very confident in his ability. He looked into Liam and knew he used to be a soldier, as well as a good fighter. However, so what?No matter how skilled Liam was in combat, could he
The moment Liam stepped into view, the Stone family members lit up as if they had spotted their guardian angel. They pointed at him, their voices rising in a chorus of relief and accusation. "Mr. Yonatan, look over here! It's Liam! I said they weren't with us!""Exactly! Mr. Yonatan, see for yourself, Liam's not part of our family!""Mr. Yonatan, now that Liam's here, if you're looking to pin the blame on someone, he's your man!""Liam, you actually showed up. If you hadn't crossed the Drayton family, would we, the Stones, have ever been dragged into this mess?""Liam, Celena, you two are nothing but trouble. You've left the family, so why keep stirring the pot for us?"...The air crackled with the Stone family's collective outrage, their faces twisted in anger as if they were ready to rip Liam and Celena to shreds.Celena and Liam's arrival was pure happenstance. They were just in the neighborhood to check in on an old friend when they overheard Yonatan's boastful taunts.Lia
Yonatan did not even bother to look at him. He checked his watch with a chilling laugh and said, "You've got ten minutes for Liam to show up. Don't say I didn't warn you."The words sent a wave of shock through Yafe and the rest of the Stone family, who stared at Yonatan, panic-stricken.Yafe was a mess, desperate to explain, but the sight of Yonatan's henchmen, eager and ready for a fight, stopped him dead in his tracks."Mr. Yonatan, I swear it's the truth. Liam has nothing to do with the Stone family anymore. You've made a mistake!"Yafe's face was flushed with urgency as he tried to convince the unmoved man."It's true, Mr. Yonatan! Liam and Celena were kicked out of the Stone family ages ago.""That's right! He's got nothing to do with us anymore. If you're after Liam, go to the villa at Emerald Lake. He's there, not here with us.""Mr. Yonatan, if you head over to Drunham City and ask anyone, they'll tell you the same thing: Liam and Celena have no ties to us Stones anymor