Everyone turned to stare at Liam when they heard this. What was wrong with this man? How could he blatantly disrespect the heir of the Bristow family like this? This was unacceptable!They knew better than to offend Yankel, who was not only the heir of the Bristow family fortune but also the manager of Bristow Group. Besides, there were rumors circulating around about Yankel and Sunniva's feud over the family inheritance. Apparently, the stakes were so high that all of the employees of Bristow Group had already started to take sides. The fact that Liam, who had been employed as Sunniva's bodyguard, was standing up to Yankel meant that things were about to turn very ugly soon!The color drained from Yankel's face, and his assistant was equally horrified. She snapped, "How dare you speak to me like this! Do you have any idea who you're dealing with here? Mr. Bristow here is the manager of Bristow Group, so how dare you treat him like this? Do you have any idea what you've gotten your
Linda was absolutely seething at this point, but as humiliated as she was, she did not dare to stand up to Sunniva, as convincing as her previous claims were. Everyone gasped at this. Was a war about to break out?Sunniva was a strong woman. Just one slap had Linda's cheek swollen as though she had been stung by a wasp. She clutched her cheek, returned to Yankel's side and cozied up to him, whimpering, "It hurts, Mr. Bristow, look! She hit me! How can she punish me when all I was trying to do was defend you?"Yankel's expression was dark, and he shot Sunniva a cold look. "What is the meaning of this, Sunniva? Linda is my assistant, and how can you slap her in front of everyone else? This is unacceptable! Besides, I'm the manager of this company, so who else would have the right to fire anyone in this company if not me?"Sunniva glared at Yankel and Linda, refusing to relent. "Consider this your last warning, Yankel. Keep an eye on your assistant. How dare she tell me what to do? S
Liam's words hung in the air as he turned on his heel and strode away, quickly catching up with Sunniva, who was already ahead.Yankel and Linda were left rooted to the spot, stunned by the commanding presence Liam had left in his wake. His gaze had been chilling, his aura so formidable that they found themselves holding their breath, a sheen of cold sweat coating their skin.Only after Liam's figure had disappeared did Yankel snap out of his daze. He spun around, his eyes narrowing as he watched Liam's retreating back, plotting his next move.Linda, clutching her reddened cheek, leaned into Yankel, her voice quivering, "Mr. Bristow, can you believe that? A lowly bodyguard, thinking he can get away with treating you like that just because Sunniva's taken a shine to him. It's outrageous! You're not just our company's general manager, you're the Bristow family's heir. He's got no respect!"Her eyes burned with spite as she watched Liam and Sunniva leave. Accustomed to adulation at th
Celena had done her homework, but the numbers coming out of the guard's mouth still sent a shock through her.Fifty thousand dollars?! That was no drop in the bucket. Even if she scrimped and saved on her modest salary of 1050 dollars a month, there was no way she could afford that in a year without starving herself.Despite the shock painting her face, Celena pressed on, inquiring about the school's facilities and teaching standards.The guard, already pegging her as out of her league, answered her questions with thinly veiled impatience.Undeterred by his attitude, Celena stood firm at the service window, ready to dig deeper into the school's offerings, when Jovie's cries pierced the air behind her."Waaah... Mommy, it hurts, it hurts so much..."Celena's heart sank. Jovie was on the ground with tears streaming down her face. Towering over her was a boy in the crisp uniform of Guiding Star School, and behind him, a sleek Maybach stood parked, its driver in a sharp black suit wa
As she spoke, the woman was a mask of arrogance, her eyes scornfully sweeping over Celena and Jovie.She might have been just a nanny, but thanks to Mr. Esper's special status, she was treated with high regard in Drunham City. The difference she was accustomed to had inflated her ego, making her look down on everyone as if they were beneath her.Celena's heart skipped a beat as she took a good look at the boy before her. His features were fine and delicate, and his light golden-brown hair shimmered subtly. He was clearly biracial.The middle-aged woman's words echoed in her mind. That was Ambassador Mr. Esper's son. Celena knew well enough that people like her could not just cross paths with the high and mighty without consequences.She glanced at Jovie, whose hands were smeared with blood, and felt a pang of pain. They were not to blame for that mess. The fault lay squarely with the other side.So Celena stood her ground, her voice firm as she confronted them. "Being the ambassad
The boy, however, seemed far from ready to leave. He was actually amused by the spectacle, his eyes alight with mischief as he glanced between Celena's distressed face and Jovie's tears.Pointing at Jovie, he barked at the woman, "Throwing money is fun! I want to do it too. I want to throw until she's done for!"The woman hastily grabbed another bundle of cash from her purse and presented it to the boy with a bow. "Here you are, young master. Whatever makes you happy. Just be careful not to overdo it."Grinning from ear to ear, the boy snatched the money, about $1,500, and threw it in Jovie's face, laughing cruelly. "You're pathetic! A blubbering fool! All you do is cry. You're an embarrassment. Let's see if I can throw you to your end!"Money flew and slapped Jovie's face, followed by the little boy's stinging insult. Tears streamed down Jovie's cheeks as she sobbed, her hands covering her face. "I'm not a dummy, Mommy... I'm not..."Celena's blood boiled at the cruelty. She neve
The smile vanished from Sunniva's face, replaced by a look of serious contemplation. "You know, for someone with your moves, it's weird I never heard about you back in Drunham City. You've got me curious, where'd you pick up all these tricks? Your file says you're ex-military, right?"Liam's expression did not waver as he answered, "Yeah, that's right. I'm a vet. Picked up a thing or two in the field."Sunniva's eyes narrowed skeptically as she tossed the papers onto the coffee table, her gaze icing over. "Liam, you're not telling the truth! There's no way you're just a vet. I know what Woden can do. He is at least a Three-Star War King, and if you took one down with a single move, you're even stronger! Someone with your skills would be a high-ranking officer, not retiring from the front lines to play bodyguard. So, spill it, who are you, really?"Her stare was icy, her recent clashes with Yankel had her on edge, and she could not afford to let her guard down. If Liam were Yankel's
Curiosity sparked in Sunniva's eyes, but she did not press further. "Sure thing, no sweat."Liam offered a few words of gratitude, then spun on his heel and strode out of the office.Sunniva lounged on the couch, eyes tracking Liam as he left the room. She flipped through the file on Liam, her expression a mix of wonder and intrigue."It's bizarre. Who is this Liam, really? To think Drunham City hides such a VIP. Why's he got me spinning tales to his wife with all his cash?"Once Liam departed, he beelined out of the office.While flagging down a cab to head back to the Stone residence, his phone buzzed with Celena's name. Her voice, laced with sobs, fought against the clamor in the background."Liam, hurry over. Jovie and I are at a clinic by Guiding Star School. She's hurt and won't stop crying for you. I can't soothe her," Celena choked out.Jovie injured? Liam's heart raced. "What happened? Is it bad? Hang in there, Celena. I'm coming right now!"He caught the first taxi in
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