Cheryl looked triumphant at the sight of Celena's disappointment and defeat. She stepped forward with a stuck-up look and said, "You're just deluding yourself, Celena! What kind of majestic wedding do you think you and that b*stard can put on? It's going to be nothing more than two candles and a table full of cheap food! We Stones are one of the most prestigious families in Drunham City, so don't expect us to show up at such a lowly event!"With that, Cheryl paused, lifting her chin haughtily, and continued, "Let me tell you this, Celena; I'm going to be marrying the heir of Abbott Group, Wasyl Abbott, next month, and you'll get to see what a truly extravagant wedding is like! This will teach you that you should keep your eyes peeled when choosing a husband, and not settle for a good-for-nothing like Liam!" The rest of the Stones all froze for a moment, then erupted into cheers and applause. "Cheryl, you're getting married to Wasyl?""He proposed to you?""That's splendid news! Ch
Besides, with the Abbott family's clout, they were pulling out all the stops for their bash, roping in Drunham City's elite and big businesses and even reserving the city's three TV stations to broadcast the wedding live all day. That kind of show takes deep pockets and a towering reputation, two things Celena just did not have, and Liam? Even less so.Liam had blown through his entire military severance on Celena's new ride!Hearing Cheryl's spiel, Celena's confidence shriveled. She hung her head, cheeks burning with embarrassment, and murmured, "Cheryl, congrats on your engagement to the Abbott heir. I'm... I'm just not in your league..."While Celena was desperately searching for the right words, Liam yanked her aside, stepped up like a shield, and gave Cheryl, a proud peacock beside the venerable Reginald, a frosty stare."You want to throw down the gauntlet? Fine, let's do this! You're asking for it, so we'll take you up on that challenge. Our wedding, Celena's and mine, is on
Reginald's face turned a shade of stormy gray, and his icy gaze landed on Liam as he spoke with a voice that cut through the air, "Liam, Celena! Let me make myself clear, even if you go through with this wedding, I won't be caught dead there!""Exactly! Sending us invitations? Please, spare us the trouble. Who in their right mind would want to attend your little circus?""A lost cause and a nobody, you really think we, the Stones, would show up to your wedding? We have our reputation to think about!""You heard us! Don't bother holding your breath, we won't be attending!""What's Liam on about? His wedding would be grander and more lavish than Cheryl's and Mr. Abbott's? He should be ashamed, spouting such nonsense. Doesn't he have any self-respect?""Ha! Whether he's ashamed or not, I'm cringing enough for the both of us!"The Stone family relentlessly teased Liam and Celena, but Liam did not even bother to defend himself. With a dismissive wave, he showed them the door. As soon
The next day, Biskeland was a hive of activity. Every department, every war zone, was in overdrive, all hands on deck for the Commander's wedding.The buzz reached the central Grand Pendragon Department's Four Elders, and Secretary-General Ywain Darryl's face was etched with urgency as he bolted from his office to the main conference room.As Ywain made his way through the corridors, members of the Grand Pendragon Department could not help but notice the worry etched deep into their Secretary-General's face. They paused, whispering and peering around corners, convinced that something monumental must have happened.Reaching the grand doors of the main conference room, Ywain paused, inhaled deeply, and rapped lightly on the wood."Enter!"Quickly adjusting his rumpled suit, Ywain strode into the room.Inside, the Four Elders were deep in a clandestine discussion. The First Elder, Timothy, greeted him with a grin. "What's the rush, Ywain?"Standing tall and respectful beside the co
Chastened by Timothy's stern warning, Ywain fell silent, his head bowed, lost in the weight of the moment.The other three elders frowned in disapproval, their eyes fixed on Ywain. Geoffrey chastised, "Ywain, Liam has been our shield on the Biskeland frontier for seven years. He led hundreds of thousands in the Pendragon War Zone, faced death countless times, and held off the armies of eight nations. He's kept our people safe. Now, he's about to get married. What's so wrong about giving him a wedding fit for a hero?"The other elders nodded in agreement. Timothy, with a thump on the table, added, "He's right! Liam's a war hero, a guardian of our nation. A grand wedding is the least we owe him. Besides, when has a commander ever had anything less than a state wedding? It's been ages since Biskeland has seen such a celebration!"Ywain mopped his brow, nodding fervently. "Absolutely, I've got it!"Timothy, still a force to be reckoned with despite his retirement from the top brass, ra
Geoffrey's feigned disapproval could not fool anyone, least of all Michael and Jim, who could not help but tease him. "Come on, Geoff, you're one to talk about Timothy. Take a look in the mirror. Your grin's so wide it could wrap around your head!""Exactly, Geoff. You act all grumpy, but you're always quick with a jab!"Timothy shot back with a grin, "What's it to you if I'm happy, Geoff? That young man is as dear to me as my own grandson, and I worry about him just the same! And look at you, trying to play it calm while you're practically splitting your cheeks with that smile!"Remembering something, Timothy narrowed his eyes at Geoffrey and added, "And let's be honest, Geoff, you're the king of trash talk, and when it comes to playing favorites, you take the crown. Don't think I haven't noticed all the extra gear you've been sneaking into the young man's unit. The other four zones haven't even seen some of that stuff! If their commanders catch wind of this, there'll be hell to pa
In the Crystal Elegance Palace's main hall, a middle-aged man was bent over his work at a desk, a golden beaded curtain hanging before him, shielding his face. However, even that could not mask the powerful vibe he gave off."Your Majesty!"The moment Timothy and his crew entered the hall, they were hit by the man's formidable presence. It was a quiet kind of power, but it made them want to step back in respect. They made their way to the heart of the hall and bowed deeply."What's the matter?"A strong and commanding voice rolled out from behind the golden beads, filling the hall like a tolling bell."Your Majesty, the Commander, Liam, is getting hitched in a royal wedding!" Timothy announced with all due respect.The man behind the beads paused, pen in mid-air, and lifted his head. His face remained a mystery behind the curtain.Then, a guy in a suit, holding a pale golden scroll, descended the steps from the side of the platform and approached Timothy and the others, giving a
Timothy shot back, and the others quickly agreed, their faces lighting up as they made their way to their sleek cars.Meanwhile, a different scene unfolded in a long-abandoned villa on the outskirts of Biskeland Athenapolis.In the vast, dimly lit hall, a group of figures clad in black, their faces hidden behind masks, bowed in reverence.Dominating the room was a man in a black suit with a ghostly mask, his presence casting a bone-chilling aura over the silent assembly."Useless fools! You assured me that seven years ago, not a single soul from the Cole family in Drunham City was left breathing. So why are we seeing their remnants now?"With those words, the man in the ghost-face mask flung three photographs to the ground.One photo showed Liam with his arm around Jovie, shopping at the mall. The second was a clear shot of Jovie's face, and the third captured Celena.The leader of the black-clad men at the front picked up the photos, studied them for a few seconds, and then spo
Meanwhile, Celena and the group were taken out of the hotel and shoved forcefully into a couple of jeeps waiting at the entrance. They were whisked away to a nearby military base. Before they could even get their bearings straight, they found themselves being tossed into holding cells. Celena, on the other hand, was taken separately to a small, dark room, illuminated only by the barest sliver of light that peeped in through a tiny window. The room was entirely empty, save for a metal bed frame. A sour stench hung in the air, and it was clear this room had been abandoned for a very long time. A soldier shoved Celena roughly into the room, and before she could realize what was happening, the soldier slammed the door shut.The soldier had pushed Celena so hard that she fell onto the ground, but upon seeing that her captor was about to leave, she leaped to her feet and sprinted over to the door. "Sir, can you tell me what I did wrong? Can you please have mercy on me? Can you at least
Tristan seemed just as baffled as they were. He returned their puzzled gazes with an equally perplexed one of his own. "I… I have no idea…"The general glanced sharply in their direction, then gestured to his soldiers and declared sternly, "Take them away!"His soldiers obliged and stepped forward to restrain the members of the Drunham City Connoisseurs, who all shrieked in alarm, "Why are you taking us away?""General, what did we do wrong? We didn't do anything illegal, so why are you arresting us?""Mr. Xander, save us! They've got this all wrong!""What's going on here? Why are they arresting only us?"Celena's entire body was shaking like a leaf. She eyed the soldiers around her and asked, stammering, "General, what did we do wrong? Why are we being captured? Where are you taking us?"Tristan, stricken with panic, shoved a soldier aside and shouted at the general, "General, I'm the president of the Drunham City Connoisseurs, and I want to know why we're being taken away. Wh
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