Zeke's heart raced as the angry voice thundered through the phone, sweat beading on his forehead.He hesitated, then stuttered out, "Mr. Yach, it's not that I won't let him go. It's Mr. Mosier's orders. No bail for Yankel, no exceptions."Clarke paused, his brow furrowing. "You're saying this came from Howard?""Yes," Zeke replied.Clarke went silent for a beat, and then his voice dropped an octave. "I don't give a damn about Howard's previous orders. I'm telling you now, let him go. I'll deal with Howard."With that, he ended the call.Zeke stared at the phone in his hand, his back slick with sweat.Regaining his composure, Zeke passed the phone to Yousef, then turned to the police behind him, his face etched with difficulty. "Let him out," he said, his voice tinged with resignation.The police's faces twisted in anger, but they were trapped by their own insignificance. They were just rank-and-file officers, and the man on the other end of the line was a titan with deep pocket
As she ranted, Rebecca took in Liam's outfit, and her nose wrinkled in disdain at the sight of his bargain-bin clothes.Liam's brow creased as he took in Rebecca's flashy getup and the cloying cloud of perfume that seemed to follow her. The overpowering fragrance was enough to make anyone's head ache."You're Yankel's mom?" Liam asked, his tone edged with disbelief.Rebecca sneered, her face twisted with contempt as she towered over Liam. "Yes, I'm Yankel's mother. You've got some guts, plotting against my son. Listen up, release my son this instant and apologize to him. If you don't, I swear I'll have you broken. You dare cross my son? You'll regret it!"Liam listened to her bluster, his eyes narrowing, a chill settling in his stare.Mistaking his silence for fear, Rebecca's laugh grew louder and more obnoxious. "What's wrong? Scared? Better do what I say, quick, or you'll wish you had!"To Rebecca, Liam was just a nobody from the backwater town of Drunham City. She thought it w
Rebecca's complexion shifted from ashen to crimson, her emotions painting her face with strokes of fury until it settled into a deep, angry red. Her eyes bore into Liam with lethal intent as she hissed through clenched teeth, "You... you have the gall to mock me? You'll regret this, how you dare to mock me."Look, if you know I'm Yankel's mom, then you ought to know my husband runs the Bristow Group. He's the owner, the patriarch of the Bristow family. Our family's name carries weight around here, and you have the nerve to mock me and set up my son? You're asking for trouble!"Rebecca's fury had boiled over. Liam's icy smirk only fueled her rage. She jabbed a finger at his nose and yelled, "I don't give a damn who you are! Mock me, mess with my son, and I'll make sure you regret it! Hey, what are you waiting for? Grab this jerk! You useless cops, letting the real crook walk free and snatching my boy instead—what good are you?"Get him! Take him down! If you don't, I couldn't care le
The bystanders shook their heads, one after another."Captain, we didn't see a thing!""Nope, nothing!""I didn't catch Mr. Cole raises a hand. However, I think this lady smacked herself and now she's trying to pin it on someone else!""Seriously, the nerve!"Rebecca was fuming, her anger making her jump up and down as she pointed accusingly at the crowd. "You're heartless! A bunch of lowly police officers, and you have the gall to insult me? Just you wait!"With that, she turned to Yousef, her face red and swollen, and sobbed, "Honey, look at what they did to me. These worthless officers and that despicable Liam had the audacity to slap me and laugh in my face. I'm your wife! Are they trying to disrespect the Bristow Group?"Yousef's face had turned stormy the moment Liam had slapped Rebecca. As he listened to her, he locked eyes with Liam.With a mocking chuckle, Yousef straightened his collar and met Liam's gaze with a frosty stare. "You've got some nerve, kid. However, do y
In a flash, Yousef's hand cracked across Sunniva's face, leaving her reeling. As he glowered at her, he barked, "Have you forgotten everything I taught you? Is that how you talk to your mother?" Sunniva, still reeling from the slap, felt her cheek burn with pain and humiliation. She glared back at Yousef, her eyes brimming with bitter defiance. "Mother? Do you think she's worthy of that title?"Oh, father, you're quite the saint, aren't you? Hitting your own daughter for that woman? It's no wonder Mom spent her days in tears, dying from a heartbreak. And you? You couldn't wait to parade that woman around before Mom's body was even cold. Do you think she can fill Mom's shoes?"Listen to me, Yousef. Mom's gone. You drove her to her grave! And me? I despise you. I'll despise you for the rest of my days!"Sunniva held her reddened cheek, panting from her outburst at Yousef before whipping her head around to glare at Rebecca with icy, spiteful eyes. "Rebecca, if you value your life, st
Liam's eyes sparked with defiance. "Then brace yourself for the Bristow Group's downfall," he said with a calm certainty that belied the gravity of his words.Yousef's laughter was bitter, his eyes glinting with veiled menace. "You're quite bold, kid. However, remember, pride comes before a fall. You're the first to talk to me like this in years. Anyone can proclaim that, but let's see if you've got the chops to back them up."Liam's expression was serene, betraying no fear. After listening to Yousef, he let out a soft laugh and said, "Mr. Bristow, let me give you a friendly tip: think things over carefully, or you're going to end up with some serious regrets."The room went silent, everyone taking a sharp breath.Was that guy out of his mind?He was actually throwing down the gauntlet to the chairman of the state's Bristow Group, telling him to brace for bankruptcy and warning of regrets to come!That was the state's powerhouse family. Even the big shots from Drunham City's elit
The crowd gathered around, along with folks like Zeke, all started to talk Liam down from the ledge, trying to convince him not to make a move he would regret, especially not against the big-shot chairman of stateBristow Group."Kid, don't do anything hasty. That guy's the head honcho of the state Bristow Group. You're out of your league!" one onlooker said."Seriously, man, just drop it. If you tick him off, you're the one who's gonna end up in hot water," another chimed in."Money talks, doesn't it? His son's mixed up in an attempted rape case, and yet he's walking free on bail...""That's filthy rich for you. The almighty dollar flexing its muscles!""Listen to us, will you? Don't throw down the gauntlet..."They had all overheard that Clarke from state police headquarters had even stepped in, ordering the release of Yousef's son Yankel and demanding the capture of whoever set him up.Zeke, with a look of uncertainty, glanced at Liam and muttered, "I mean..."Despite the cro
Without another word to them, Liam pulled out his phone and found Howard's number. The moment the call connected, he got straight to the point, "I'm at Rectenwald Police Station. You know Clarke from capital police headquarters?"Howard, who had just stepped out of the headquarters and was about to slide into his car, saw Liam's call and quickly answered, standing attentively beside his vehicle.When Liam's icy question came through the line, Howard felt the intimidating force ripple through him, making his heart skip a beat. He was not sure what Liam was getting at and cautiously responded, "Mr. Cole, I do know Mr. Yach over at the capital police headquarters."Mr. Cole, is there something wrong?"A glint of frost appeared in Liam's eyes as he heard the question."Clarke just called, insisting that Rectenwald's police let Yankel go. You're telling me you're out of the loop on this?" Liam's voice was edged with disbelief.Howard's blood ran cold as if doused in ice from head to t
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