Despite the smile plastered on her face, Carmela's scorn was evident. She kept glancing between Liam and Sherah with a look of contempt, then glanced at Cheryl and Wasyl, grinning. "You must be Cheryl's fiance, right?"Wasyl stood up from his chair elegantly, then nodded at Carmela and replied, "Nice to meet you, Aunt Carmela. I'm Cheryl's fiance. My name is Wasyl Abbott, and I'm the firstborn son of the Abbott family."Carmela nodded smugly. "Liam, Mr. Abbott, let me introduce you to my daughter, Yessica Naylor. She's Celena and Cheryl's cousin."Sherah could not help but notice the difference in the way Carmela addressed Liam and Wasyl, as though she was deliberately delineating the difference in the two's status. Sherah's expression darkened when she noticed this, and it was clear that Carmela was taunting them!Celena, too, realized this, and the color drained from her face. The entire atmosphere seemed to have gone cold, but all of a sudden, Yessica sneered and turned to Celen
Liam's touch seemed to instill a newfound reassurance within her, Liam furrowed his brows and turned to stare at Yessica coldly, "Yessica, Celena is my wife, and Jovie is our daughter. We had a rocky start because we were betrayed by the people closest to us and I ended up doing something to hurt her that I now deeply regret."With that, Liam shot a steely look at Cheryl, who was silent all this while, and then continued, "But I love Celena, and I will do everything I can to make up for what I did to her in the past. I will not hesitate to put my own life in danger if it means I can keep Celena and Jovie safe, and I will make sure that whoever hurts them will get the punishment they deserve. I do not need an outsider like you, Ms. Naylor, to make comments on my personal life, especially if you cannot empathize with our situation."The color drained from Yessica's face, and the horror was just as evident in Kayden, Theodore, and Carmela's expressions. Who would have thought that Li
Yessica feigned a horrified look as she stared at Celena, who was now soaked from head to toe in red wine. Despite the apology in her tone, her eyes were alight with glee. "Oh no! I'm so sorry, Celena. I lost my footing just now, and I didn't mean to pour this on you. Are you okay? I'm so sorry. I didn't do this on purpose! I feel so terrible, Celena."No matter how hard she tried, Yessica could not conceal the delight in her tone, and it was clear that she stumbled on purpose. Celena was frozen in shock as she stared down at her dress, soaked through with wine. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she took a deep breath and replied, choking, "I'm fine. Please excuse me."With that, she turned and sprinted out of the room.Liam felt his blood boil, and he wanted nothing more than to explode his rage all over Yessica at that moment, but his priority was making sure Celena was alright, so all he did was shoot Yessica a deadly glare before turning around and follow Celena out of the roo
The waiter soon arrived with their food, and soon the entire table was full of delicious, hot food. The arrival of the food seemed to dissipate the tension in the air, and everyone visibly relaxed. As soon as dinner was served, Kayden stood up, raising his glass, and declared, "This is a joyous occasion, and I'm so glad to have all of you gathered here today. Let's toast!"Everyone stood up, raising their glasses, except Jovie and Liam. Jovie was a child, so she was excused from the toast, but Liam's refusal to take part was unacceptable. He remained seated, his expression calm as though he did not hear Kayden at all, and he did not give his glass of wine so much as a glance.The color drained from the Naylors' faces, and Yessica was the most spiteful out of them all. She glared at Liam and snarled, "Liam, are you deaf? Didn't you hear my father say that we should toast? Why aren't you doing it?"Cheryl was just as outraged, and she immediately screeched, "Get up, Liam! How rude a
Kayden Naylor let out a disdainful snort, his face twisted with rage as he spat out, "Save your breath. Me, a lowly deputy chief of some small-town tax office, I'm invisible to the likes of them."Yessica Naylor, backed by Theodore Eaton, chimed in with a sneer, "Oh, Celena, what's your game? If you've got a problem with our family, just come out with it. No need for this fake niceness at the party, only to stir up drama. If it weren't for family ties, do you think we'd put up with Liam, that loser? Does he even deserve our time?""Celena, you've got it all wrong. We invite you over for a nice meal, and then Liam goes and shames us like this? Too far, don't you think? And let's not forget, my dad's your elder. Treating him like this, is that what your family taught you? Oh, my bad, I forgot—the Cole family fell apart seven years ago. Liam's got no one to show him right from wrong."Theodore's eyes were icy as he glared at Liam, his voice dripping with disdain as he grilled Celena, t
Liam grabbed a bottle of red from the table, filled his glass to the top, and slid it across the table with an icy stare fixed on Yessica.Yessica, sitting across from him, caught his frosty look and the generous pour. Her face twisted in rage, she snapped at Liam, "What's your problem? I told you it was an accident, and I've already said sorry to Celena. Why can't you let this go?""Oh? An accident, huh?" Liam chuckled darkly, stood up, and lifted his wine glass with a sardonic grin. "Then how about I 'accidentally' drench you in red wine? Don't worry, I'll apologize too. You wouldn't mind, would you?"Yessica panicked at the sight of Liam's threatening move, scrambling to hide behind Theodore. No way she was getting that wine on her. She was decked out in the latest, limited-edition designer gear from Louise Studio.That dress was her ticket to bragging rights at the next girls' night out. A red wine stain would ruin everything.Theodore wrapped his arms around his shaken wife
Theodore's warning was clear in his tone, and his eyes, once fixed on Liam, then turned to Sherah as he added, "My father-in-law might go easy on you because you're family, but don't expect the same from the rest of us Eatons."His words sent a chill down Sherah and Yafe's spines, their faces twisting with dread.Sherah was livid, her face warped with anger as she jabbed a finger at Liam and spat out, "You useless piece of trash! You good-for-nothing stray, what are you waiting for? Get over there and grovel for forgiveness from Mr. Naylor and Theodore. Or do you want to drag our family name through the mud again?"Yafe's expression was icy as he glared at Liam, barking, "Liam! When will you stop this nonsense?"However, Liam just stood there, calm as ever, with no sign of remorse.That's when Sherah and Yafe turned their fury on Celena, hurling insult after insult. She sat there, taking the verbal beating without a word, her eyes brimming with tears.The sight stabbed Liam's hea
"Yes, yes!""You're here? Great, I'll be right out to greet you!"After hanging up, Kayden was practically vibrating with excitement as he pocketed his phone.Yessica, noticing the change, asked, "Dad, who was that?"Barely able to contain himself, Kayden leaped to his feet and addressed Theodore and Yessica, "Theodore, Yessica, come on, quickly! Let's welcome Kolten, the top dog of Drunham City. He's a VIP, and we can't afford to keep him waiting."Theodore and Yessica exchanged looks of shock, quickly morphing into a mix of thrill and anxiety. "Dad, for real? The Kolten? The big shot from Drunham City?"Unable to mask his glee, Kayden nodded vigorously. "Absolutely. I've been in touch with him, hoping to introduce you. He's the big fish in Drunham City, and rubbing elbows with him could only help your business prospects there.""I tried to set up a meeting several times, but Mr. Reath's always swamped. Never imagined he'd show up himself tonight. Listen, when we meet him, you
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