As those recent disasters replayed in his mind, Yankel's anger blazed hotter. In a fit of rage, he booted the coffee table, sending it tumbling.He rose, pacing the living room like a caged animal. Then, struck by a sudden thought, he snatched up his phone and dialed Woden with a vicious sneer.Yankel, since his embarrassing defeat by Liam, had benched Woden. The official line was to let him lick his wounds, but Woden knew the truth. He was out of the game.For days on end, the Woden had holed up in his dingy rental, nursing wounds and numbing his pain with cheap liquor. Liam was the thorn in his side, the reason he was in that mess to begin with.Then, out of the blue, his phone buzzed with a call from Yankel Bristow. A flicker of hope sparked in his chest as he answered, "Mr. Bristow, what do you need? You can rely on me. I'm ready to brave any storm for you!"Yankel's reply came with a sneer. "You know what it means when my own bodyguard gets bested by Sunniva's, don't you? How
Liam stood up and made his way to the bedroom door, easing it open with a gentle nudge. Darkness enveloped the room, but it was no match for Liam's keen eyes. He spotted Celena and Jovie, deep in slumber on the bed, and let out a relieved exhale before softly closing the door.As the door clicked shut, a wave of icy dread that Liam had been holding back surged forth, his gaze piercing the darkness as a sinister smile played on his lips.He returned to the couch and settled in; his ears tuned to the faintest rustle in the small courtyard, a fierce glint of malice in his eyes.Outside, the intruder, thinking himself undetected, crept to the door. With practiced ease, he drew his dagger and slipped it through the door's crack, deftly unlatching the old-fashioned bolt—a relic in the sprawling, antique-styled Stone family estate with its maze of courtyards.The intruder worked swiftly, and within moments, the door swung open, spilling a weak glow from a lantern tucked away in the courty
The sound of footsteps echoed in the dark living room, each sending a jolt through Woden's heart.He had his head bowed as he trembled uncontrollably, consumed by dread.A shadowy figure emerged from the darkness. The house was pitch-black inside, and only a faint glow from the courtyard's light reached the bottom half of the doorway.With each slow step he took, the Woden kept his gaze on the ground, spotting only a pair of cozy, fluffy slippers. He did not dare look up, his body rigid with tension.Suddenly, a stern, deep voice boomed from above, "Keep it down. If you disturb my wife and kid's sleep..."Woden's voice dropped to a whisper, his reply tinged with fear, "Absolutely, I get it..."He stayed hunched over, too scared to even glance at the person in the slippers, his mind racing with questions about the identity of this daunting figure.Yankel had called him earlier that evening with a job: to snatch Celena from the Stone family. However, none of the intel had hinted a
To Woden, the voice was like the tolling of a bell signifying his doom, sending a wave of terror and chilling dread through him. He was so scared that he lost all composure, bowing deeply in fright."Please, have mercy, sir! I'm begging you, you're known for being forgiving, please spare me... I had no idea you were here. Please have mercy, spare my life. If you let me live, I swear I'll be eternally loyal to you... Please, I'm begging for your mercy!"Terror was etched on Woden's face as he begged and profusely apologized. His pleas echoed eerily in the still of the night.Liam, realizing how loud he was, glanced at the bedroom door to make sure it was shut tight. Satisfied, he turned back, his intent to kill even stronger as he hissed, "Quiet down! I told you my wife and kids are asleep. Wake them up, and I'll have no problem ending you right here."The Woden clammed up at once, and that was when it hit him—the man before him was Liam himself!He remembered Liam mentioning his f
Liam let out a soft laugh when he heard Woden's eager promise."Here's the deal, I need you to tail a guy with a spooky mask. Dig all you can on him. However, be warned, he's no pushover, so if you make it back in one piece, I'll keep you on as my right-hand man."The words hit the Woden like a jolt of electricity. After the night's close call with death, he knew all too well the weight of Liam's power and the prestige that came with it.To work for Liam was a golden ticket, way better than slumming it with Yankel, the spoiled brat with more money than sense.Visions of a dazzling future lit Woden's eyes. He leaned back to show his gratitude to Liam, "Absolutely! Thanks a ton, Mr. Cole! I won't let you down!"Liam acknowledged with a nonchalant grunt, "Dismissed."After a few more grateful bows, Woden left the courtyard, his heart racing with excitement.He did not stop until he was out of sight, in a secluded alley by the Stone family's place. There, he finally caught his breat
"Just wait, Liam. I'll violate that bitch Celena right in front of you! I'll show you what you'll get for offending me! Mr. Miller, you like rescuing a damsel in distress, don't you? I'll take advantage of that bitch Celena, and let you rescue her, then."Yankel's bellows echoed through the entire mansion. He wrecked the whole living room, which was not enough to soothe his rage.…In the morning the following day, Liam brought Jovie out to get breakfast like usual. As soon as they returned after getting breakfast, they saw Sherah and Qemal sitting on the couch.Liam could not help but frown upon seeing the two uninvited guests. Then, he felt worried and looked at Celena, who was also on the couch.Sure enough, Celena's head was hung, and she looked rather upset.Seeing that, Liam gave Jovie a signal with his eyes, which Jovie immediately understood. With the milk they bought in hand, she ran toward Celena and presented it to her like it was a treasure."Mom, look! I got you mil
Sherah was upset to see Celena hanging her head, but she did not forget the purpose of her visit.She continued, "Celena, trust me, I won't harm you. Mr. Miller's gaze was filled with love when he was looking at you. You have to believe me. I've experienced it myself."Also, think about it. If he isn't fond of you, would he step up and save you from the awkward situation? "Listen to me. You weren't paying attention then, but I saw it as clear as day. He was wearing a mask, but the way he looked at the others was different from how he looked at you. Not only was his gaze gentle, but it was filled with affection."Celena, just do as I say and divorce Liam. You didn't have a wedding anyway. Both of you just got married at the town hall. Not many people would know about your divorce. You don't have to worry about other people gossiping about you."Don't worry. As long as you divorce Liam, I'll pull some strings and help you set up an appointment with Mr. Miller. He'll meet you. As lo
It was then Liam returned with Jovie after they got breakfast. That was what happened earlier.…After Liam placed the breakfast on the table, he returned to the living room and looked at Sherah and Qemal with a sullen expression. In a frosty tone, he asked, "Why are both of you doing here?"Sherah came to Celena early in the morning and spent a long time persuading her, yet Celena did not budge at all. That already made Sherah feel pissed off. Hearing Liam's words at that moment made her blow her lid.Glaring at Liam in rage, Sherah bellowed, "Who the hell do you think you are? This is Stone Mansion. I can come whenever I want to. Do I have to ask for your permission?"Liam's expression turned sour as soon as she said that. A frigid gaze instantly filled his eyes and the air around him became frosty.Sherah was so infuriated at that moment that she did not notice the change in Liam. She continued, shouting at the top of her lungs, "Enough! Liam, I'm not going to beat around the
However, Andy was a smooth talker, so the eldest member of the Drayton family liked him. Because of that, the head of the family tolerated him. That was why Andy, who was just a member of the branch family, dared to be so cocky.Andy saw Howard standing at the side from the corner of his eye as he spoke. He thought of what Howard said earlier, and that made his blood boil.He pointed at Howard and bellowed, "Uncle Derrick, this Howard is trash as well. You have no idea. I told him I was a member of the Drayton family, yet he did not take our family seriously at all."Not only did he have his men capture me, but he said cockily that he wanted to lock me up forever, and nobody could stop him."Weren't you very cocky before this, Mr. Mosier? Go on. Continue acting cocky in front of my uncle now. Detain me and lock me up forever."Andy took a couple of steps closer to Howard as he said that. He extended his hands arrogantly and said, "Come on. I have my hands stretched out for you. Hu
Soon, Andy and the thugs from the nightclub yesterday were released.Andy saw Derrick standing at the entrance of the police headquarters at a glance. He got so excited that he shouted, "Uncle Derrick! Uncle Derrick!"Fletcher's subordinates were incredibly excited to see Derrick as well. All of them shouted, "Mr. Derrick Drayton!"One of the subordinates was in Drunham City because Derrick arranged for him to be there. After he was brought to Derrick's side, he smiled apologetically and said, "Thank you for saving me, sir. Don't worry. Fletcher's faction and properties are all here. I'll be able to rebuild the faction here very soon."In other words, even if Fletcher was out of the picture, he would be able to thrive in Drunham City and replace Fletcher.However, Derrick shot an icy glare at him and sneered. "Hmph! How shameless of you to say that? There are so many of you, yet you can't deal with a small loser who only married into the Stone family."If it wasn't because this w
Howard did not expect that the Drayton family would have a connection with the Carter family. They could even produce a token from the Carter family."Mr. Derrick Drayton, I didn't expect that your family and the Carters go way back. You even got the Carter family's token out," said Howard.Derrick sneered and said, "Enough with the nonsense. Howard, my family did the Carter family a favor back then, that's why the general of the Carter family gave this token to us. He promised us that we could take out this token if we were ever in a bind in the future, and they would help us!"I'm taking out this token today to tell you that I'm going to bail Andy out of here. I'd like to see who in Drunham City has the guts to stop me!"Howard was stunned, and then he fell silent.He did not think that Derrick would take out a token from the Carter family.The Carter family was the top family in Mirstone. Nobody in Mirstone would dare to go against the Carter family. Derrick became even more
Meanwhile, Derrick and his men were already at the entrance of the police headquarters.Derrick's eyes were burning with rage as he looked at the door that was shut tightly. A sneer appeared on his lips as he said, "Hmph. Looks like they already know I'm coming, so they are deliberately trying to assert dominance."Then, he asked his driver next to him, "Where are our men? Have they all arrived?"The driver nodded and said, "They're here, Mr. Derrick. They are all waiting at the side. We'll tear down the main door to the police headquarters once you give the command."Derrick nodded with satisfaction. Then, he shouted at the police headquarters, "Howard! You're just the chief of the police headquarters! How dare you lock me outside?""I'd like to see how powerful you are today, Howard! Come on, guys. Take it down!"At his command, a group of burly men rushed out of the black van next to him. They were all holding thick bats, and they rushed up to the door ferociously.Right at t
At first, Yafe and the rest of the Stone family were stunned after they heard what Liam said. Then, they all burst out laughing.Yafe looked at Liam with a mocking gaze and said, "Are you kidding me, Liam? You're going to get the Draytons to come and apologize in person? Come on, that's the Drayton family we're talking about! Do you think they are just some nobody?"Right now, I don't want to waste my breath anymore. As long as you're able to stop the Drayton family from targeting us, I'm more than grateful. Don't you forget that you're the one who wanted to leave the Stone family? So, stop dragging us into your mess."Liam shot the crowd with an icy glare and brought Celena out of the Stone Mansion.Celena was still in a slight daze after they got into the car. Liam put on her safety belt for her and asked, "What's the matter, dear? Are you still worried about the Draytons?"Celena nodded and replied, "Yes. After all, all these were caused by the conflict between Andy and us. Jus
Liam wanted to ask what the family heirloom was, but he had no choice but to let it be after he heard what Yonatan said.However, Liam heard Yonatan's voice again, saying, "I've never seen that thing, but I heard from the Drayton family members that it was from a big shot in the military."The military?Liam's eyebrows furrowed once he heard it had something to do with the military. Then, he kicked Yonatan away, making him land next to the thugs.Yonatan passed out because of that kick.Once the thugs saw their leader was out cold, they took a couple of steps back in fear.However, Liam did not care about them at all. He looked at Yafe and the others instead.Once the Stone family members saw that they were out of the woods, they became cocky again.Yafe and Sherah, in particular, were so cocky that they ran up to Liam and condemned him, "Look what you've done! You're bad luck! What else can you do other than cause us trouble? Do you know who that is? He is from the Drayton fam
Yonatan was infuriated and bellowed, "So this is how you're going to play! Alright! I'm not going to stop until I kill you today!"Yonatan was radiating an intense desire to battle. That was the air exuded by a fighter of Fourth Order War King caliber.The Stone family was so frightened by the air he exuded that their faces turned pale. All of them took more than ten steps back in fear, afraid they would be injured by mistake.Yonatan clenched his fist and charged at Liam like a ferocious beast. His fist was packing so much power that it created a sonic boom, cutting through the air and going for Liam's face.The punch was so powerful that it could kill a bull right away.The Stone family thought Liam was going to die. Nobody would be able to survive a punch like that.Yonatan thought the same. He was very confident in his ability. He looked into Liam and knew he used to be a soldier, as well as a good fighter. However, so what?No matter how skilled Liam was in combat, could he
The moment Liam stepped into view, the Stone family members lit up as if they had spotted their guardian angel. They pointed at him, their voices rising in a chorus of relief and accusation. "Mr. Yonatan, look over here! It's Liam! I said they weren't with us!""Exactly! Mr. Yonatan, see for yourself, Liam's not part of our family!""Mr. Yonatan, now that Liam's here, if you're looking to pin the blame on someone, he's your man!""Liam, you actually showed up. If you hadn't crossed the Drayton family, would we, the Stones, have ever been dragged into this mess?""Liam, Celena, you two are nothing but trouble. You've left the family, so why keep stirring the pot for us?"...The air crackled with the Stone family's collective outrage, their faces twisted in anger as if they were ready to rip Liam and Celena to shreds.Celena and Liam's arrival was pure happenstance. They were just in the neighborhood to check in on an old friend when they overheard Yonatan's boastful taunts.Lia
Yonatan did not even bother to look at him. He checked his watch with a chilling laugh and said, "You've got ten minutes for Liam to show up. Don't say I didn't warn you."The words sent a wave of shock through Yafe and the rest of the Stone family, who stared at Yonatan, panic-stricken.Yafe was a mess, desperate to explain, but the sight of Yonatan's henchmen, eager and ready for a fight, stopped him dead in his tracks."Mr. Yonatan, I swear it's the truth. Liam has nothing to do with the Stone family anymore. You've made a mistake!"Yafe's face was flushed with urgency as he tried to convince the unmoved man."It's true, Mr. Yonatan! Liam and Celena were kicked out of the Stone family ages ago.""That's right! He's got nothing to do with us anymore. If you're after Liam, go to the villa at Emerald Lake. He's there, not here with us.""Mr. Yonatan, if you head over to Drunham City and ask anyone, they'll tell you the same thing: Liam and Celena have no ties to us Stones anymor