"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
The woman, all curves and allure, noticed Thoth's uplifted spirits and snuggled closer into his embrace, her body brushing against his with every subtle movement. She looked up at him with playful eyes and purred, "Thoth, what's got you in such high spirits?"Reclining on the plush sofa, Thoth savored her teasing caresses. He drew on his cigar leisurely and exhaled a cloud of smoke over her face, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "Darling, the real question is how you plan to keep me this pleased," he teased."Oh, Thoth, you're terrible!"Feigning a cough from the smoke, she nestled closer, her delicate hands wandering with intent. "Could it be that I haven't quite hit the mark yet?" she whispered seductively.Her voice was a gentle murmur, her touch a deliberate provocation. Thoth's restraint snapped. The cigar tumbled from his grasp as he rolled, pinning her beneath him with a predatory ease."Show me if you can," he challenged, his hands already seeking the hem of her dr
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