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
Jovie bit her lip, fighting back the tears, but the hurt was too much, and she began to cry softly.Someone had pushed Jovie to the ground that hard and had the audacity to throw money at Celena and Jovie's faces, shaming them both?The wife and daughter of the Commander-in-chief of Pendragon humiliated in such a way? It was unthinkable!Liam's face darkened, a flash of anger in his eyes that quickly disappeared as he composed himself and gently comforted his crying daughter,"Sweetie, Dad's here. I understand, and I'll make sure they're sorry for what they did. I'll get that boy to apologize to you, okay?"Jovie dabbed at her tears and asked timidly, "Really? But, Dad, Mom said that the boy's dad is an ambassador, and we shouldn't mess with him. Dad, is an ambassador more powerful than you?"Liam's head whipped around, a frown of confusion creasing his brow as he looked to Celena for an explanation.Celena, realizing the secret was out, spilled the beans. "The father of the boy
The mere thought of the Stone family getting entangled in a mess like the Hughes had before gave Celena a pounding headache.She felt helpless against Liam's fiery temper. She was beside herself with worry, watching his face set in a steely resolve, ready to confront Mr. Esper.Liam caught the panic in Celena's eyes and softened slightly. "Celena, don't fret. I've got this under control, and I won't do anything stupid. Besides, ambassador or not, this is Biskeland. We stand our ground here. His son shoved Jovie for no good reason and tried to shame us with his money. I'm not backing down without an apology!"Celena was on the edge of losing it. No matter how much she tried to reason with Liam, it was like talking to a brick wall. She shot him a withering look and snapped, "Why are you so stubborn? Why go out of your way to mess with people we can't handle? Jovie's got her heart set on that school. If you tick them off and they take it out on her, what then? If my daughter gets caugh
Celena had barely stepped out of the small courtyard when three olive-drab military jeeps from the Biskeland war zone pulled up at the Stone family's gate, each adorned with the Biskeland military insignia.The doors swung open and out stepped Calum, clad in his uniform, the gleaming gold stars of a general on his shoulders casting a brilliant shine. His face was stern, his aura commanding respect and exuding an intimidating presence.Calum, with utmost reverence and eyes filled with unwavering loyalty, cradled a richly decorated box as he stepped down from the jeep!That ornate box, crafted to house the esteemed green dragon battle robe of the Pendragon's Commander-in-chief, was carved from ancient, rare wood and was beyond value!Calum, box in hand, strode toward the courtyard. Behind him, four soldiers in matching uniforms marched, each gripping a rifle, their expressions serious as they followed in Calum's footsteps.Meanwhile, Liam was in the yard, gently pushing Jovie on a s
Liam swept the green dragon battle robe over his shoulders, and the embroidered creature seemed to stir to life. With each movement of the fabric, the dragon appeared to soar through stormy skies, commanding and fierce.At once, Calum and the armed warriors bowed deeply before Liam, then garbed in the symbol of his authority, and they cried out with reverence, "We, your loyal followers, salute you, Commander-in-chief of Pendragon!"Liam, adorned in a battle robe with a majestic green dragon and golden patterns, seemed to transform before their eyes. He exuded the commanding presence of the Chief of Pendragon, like a legendary God of War ready to shake the heavens and earth."To the Guiding Star School!"With Jovie cradled in his arms, Liam's powerful aura remained undiminished as he strode confidently toward the exit."At once!"Calum and the warriors rose swiftly, their faces etched with reverence as they followed their leader.The battle robe, with its embroidered dragon, seem
What would Liam do if he found out Prince Faber had captured his wife? Surely he would not hesitate to turn the entire city upside down to look for her?Prince Faber was more than familiar with Liam's fierce loyalty and could not help but begin to worry at the prospect of having to face his wrath. He stared at Keyon's leering face and asked with belated realization, "Mr. Yeager, you ordered me to capture all those people from the Drunham City Connoisseurs, but the truth is, your sole target has always been Liam's wife. Is that right?"Keyon nodded, smiling. "That's right. We could care less about those businessmen. All we wanted was to get our hands on Celena Stone!"I must admit I was very surprised when I found out that Celena Stone is the wife of the great King Pendragon. Not only that, but I made an even more shocking discovery—it turns out that Liam is none other than the lone survivor of the Cole family, the noble clan who were allegedly wiped out seven years ago!"The ment
After a few moments' hesitation, he finally decided to shoot his shot. "Mr. Yeager, there is something I don't understand. Why did the Yeagers order these businessmen's capture? I've looked into their backgrounds, and they are all honest businessmen who have not broken the law before. If the media catches wind of this, they will surely accuse me of abusing my power…"This was what Prince Faber had been worried about. He had already investigated the people whom the Yeagers ordered to be captured and did not understand why the Yeagers wanted them imprisoned. They were all civilians who had not committed any crime, and he dared not even imagine the consequences if the public found out he had ordered the incarceration of innocent citizens.Keyon understood immediately Prince Faber's concern. He smiled and replied in a reassuring tone, "Worry not, Prince Faber. We Yeagers have taken care of everything. We have made absolutely sure to cover up all your tracks, and no one will know you were
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