"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
"Mr. Cole, what a pleasant surprise to see you here."The whole room was in shock, Kayden and the others could only gape at the unfolding scene, their eyes wide with disbelief.What was going on there?Were they seeing things?Kolten was no ordinary man, he was the richest guy in Drunham City, a titan of industry known far and wide!People of power and prestige would bend over backward to get on Kolten's good side, and yet there he was, blatantly ignoring Kayden and instead making a beeline to greet Liam, the Stone family's so-called 'good-for-nothing' son-in-law!Kayden, still with his hand awkwardly suspended in the air, watched the scene unfold, his face betraying his shock.However, Liam? He was the picture of calm. Holding Jovie, he did not reach out to reciprocate Kolten's handshake but simply offered a subtle nod.The crowd was left speechless, sucking a collective breath of cold air.Kayden, in particular, turned pale as fear washed over him, his forehead beading with
Kolten was lying in the crowd, on the verge of spilling the beans about Liam's true identity, when Liam suddenly coughed."Mr. Reath, let's not get into our history. I'm just a small fry. If you and Mr. Naylor need to hash things out, we'll just get out of your hair," Liam cut in, his voice icy.Kolten caught on in a flash—Liam did not want his identity revealed to Kayden and the rest.Quick as a wink, Kolten nodded, his expression dark as he turned to Kayden and his family, who were grinning sheepishly. "Mr. Naylor, I came here to talk about a potential investment with your new company. However, now? I don't see the point."That one line sent Kayden's family reeling.They could never have guessed that Liam, the nobody they wrote off, was chummy with Kolten, a real mover and shaker. To think they were old buddies!Kayden's brow was slick with a sheen of clammy sweat. His years navigating the treacherous waters of politics honed his instincts, and he knew instantly that Kolten was
Their apologies were hollow, and it showed.Liam, cradling Jovie in his arms, gave them an icy stare. "Apologize to me? You owe an apology to my wife, and her family, not me!"Yessica, unable to contain her outrage, burst forth, jabbing a finger at Liam. "The nerve! What are you implying? Listen here, Liam, don't get too cocky. You're just a deadbeat who lucked into the Stone family. Riding on your thin ties to Mr. Reath, you think you can strut around and give orders? Who do you think you are?""Liam, who do you think you are, asking me to apologize to that brat Celena? Look at me—I'm not just anybody. My husband's the deputy chief at the state Tax Bureau, and my son-in-law is the heir to the Eaton family empire.""Apologize? Like you're even in our league! I'll tell you this—we'd shut down the business before we'd ever say sorry!"At the scene, only Carmela and Yessica were still fuming with rage. Kayden and Theodore, of course, were not about to abandon their plans for the comp
With Sherah's response, Kayden finally turned to Liam and inquired, "Liam, does that settle things for you?"Liam's gaze, however, was on Celena. In a gentle voice, he asked, "Celena, what's your take?"All eyes were on Celena then. She felt a touch awkward but managed a smile, "Liam, they're family, and they've both said their sorry. Let's just put it behind us."Hearing Celena's words, Liam had no further qualms. He turned to Kolten and said, "Mr. Reath, my apologies for the spectacle. Family drama, you know how it is."Kolten caught on quickly, flashing a knowing smile as he shook his head. "Mr. Cole, what's this talk about? We're practically family here, so no worries. Mr. Naylor, let's get back to our chat about your new company's investment deal, shall we?" His words were a breath of fresh air to Kayden and Theodore, who practically beamed with delight, their faces plastered with ingratiating grins. They were all nodding and bows as they ushered, "Absolutely, Mr. Reath, if
Sure enough, the black sedans revved up and bore down on them, abruptly cutting off Liam's car. In a flash, a gang of club-wielding ruffians spilled out from the vehicles, ready for trouble.The ringleader was a towering brute covered in tattoos, with a gold chain as thick as a thumb hanging around his neck. He had a cigarette clamped between his lips and was swinging a steel pipe like a club. He bellowed at Liam, "Damn it! Do you think you can run? Everybody out of the car, now! Move it, or I swear I'll end you!"He then brought the pipe crashing down on the hood of the car, leaving a deep dent and sending the vehicle rocking on its wheels.Inside, Celena held Jovie close, her face ghostly pale with fear. "Liam, what's happening? Who are these guys? They look like trouble. Shouldn't we call the cops?"Liam quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to reassure the shaking Celena, "Don't worry, it's going to be alright. I'll check it out. You and Jovie stay put, okay? No matter what
With a thunderous crash!The thug slammed into the hood of a black sedan, leaving a deep dent. Blood spilled from his mouth as he fell unconscious.The laughter that echoed from the thugs was suddenly cut short as they froze, eyes wide with fear, staring at Liam.Could anyone be that formidable?Just knocked a guy unconscious?Liam scooped up the steel pipe one of the thugs dropped and advanced on the rest, his presence chilling, like the Grim Reaper himself, sending them stumbling backward in terror.Liam's voice, icy with a hint of menace, cut through the tension. "One more time, who sent you? Talk, and maybe I'll let you slide."The thugs exchanged nervous glances, the danger rolling off Liam in waves keeping them rooted to the spot.Their burly, tattooed boss, frustrated at seeing his crew dominated by a single man, kicked one of the thugs forward and roared, "The hell with this! Are you all chicken? Get him, take him out!"Spurred on by their leader's command, the thugs,
Liam towered over the man, a flicker of frustration crossing his face as he shook his head. Words were useless then. With a swift motion, he brought his foot down hard on the tattooed brute's right wrist, giving it a sharp twist."Ah ah ah ah ah!"The snap of breaking bones rang out, and the man's scream tore through the air. His wrist, then brutally crushed, throbbed with agony, his eyes bloodshot and face flushed a deep red.Fear gripped the tattooed man as he stared up at Liam, pleading desperately, "I'll spill it, I'll spill it. Please! Sir, have mercy. Ahh, I'll spill everything."Liam stepped back, his voice icy, "Why didn't you speak up earlier? You had to go through some hardship before saying anything.""Right, right, right."The man clutched his mangled wrist, nodding frantically.That man was like a demon incarnate, his mere gaze enough to make him quiver. Amidst the terror of Liam's presence, he stammered, "It was Thoth. Sir, I've said it all, please! Spare me!"Lia