"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
"Liam! You've got some nerve showing up here!"Patrick's face was a picture of icy menace as he ascended the stage, looming over Liam with a glint of murderous intent in his eyes. "Liam! Today, I'm going to make you suffer. Look around! Your wife and daughter are being treated like animals, chained and caged, sold off like they're nothing but objects!"It's all your fault, and soon, I'll have someone ruin Celena right before your eyes, and I'll send your daughter off to the mountains. I'll make sure you die drowning in your own regrets!"Brianna's face was an icy mask, her arms folded tightly across her chest as she sneered at Liam. "Can you believe it? That nobody Liam dragged in here actually had the nerve to threaten us, saying he'd wipe out the Hughes family. He even had the gall to demand that we bow down and apologize to that tramp Celena!""Pfft, the guy's living in a fantasy world!"Patrick's eyes flashed with a deadly chill, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "Oh, Liam,