"Wasn't Celena shacking up with Liam? However, Liam had hit rock bottom and broke! How on earth could he afford a palace like this? Has Celena cozied up to some other rich tycoon?"The Stone family, gawking at the grandeur of the manor, could not stop buzzing with gossip. They were gobsmacked. They had come ready to sneer at Celena, thinking she should count her lucky stars for getting back in with the Stones, and there she was, not just talking the talk but walking the walk!Turns out, her digs were leagues above anything the Stones had!Reginald took one look at the sprawling Jade Manor and felt a jolt of shock.Cheryl, who was helping Reginald, and Anna Stone had eyes blazing with jealousy. Cheryl, in particular, was biting her lip so hard it might bleed, muttering, "Celena acting all poor and pitiful, but she's holed up in this fancy estate! The nerve of that witch!"Jealousy gnawed at her insides. Why did Celena get to live in such a grand and beautiful mansion and not her? W
Cheryl, who had always lived a luxurious life, regretted wearing her sky-high stilettos today. Her legs were screaming in pain after just a while standing, and the relentless sun above was no help. She kept bending over to rub her aching knees and calves in frustration.Reginald was having an even tougher time, the heat nearly knocking him down. He had to be helped by a servant to a nearby flower bed where he could sit and catch his breath.That was when Liam showed up, smiling, with little Jovie and Celena in hand. The trio seemingly without a care in the world."Celena! Liam! You are finally back. How could you let us wait like this? Look at Grandpa. He's practically cooked! Did you do this on purpose, Celena? I get it if you're mad at us, but Grandpa? You're distant, ignoring Grandpa like that!" Cheryl's face was a mess as she spotted Celena and started yelling at her and Liam.The rest of the Stone family chimed in with their own barrage of complaints."This is unacceptable! T
Suddenly, Liam's brows locked in a frown, his eyes turned cold, and he exuded a murderous energy. Cheryl backed away in fear after she saw the sudden change in him. Her face turned white, and she stuttered, "Wh-what do you want to do?" Cheryl ruffled Liam's feathers after attacking Celena multiple times. Just as Liam was about to teach the insolent woman a lesson, his hand was suddenly held back by Celena, who suddenly came to her senses."Liam, don't. You promised me! Don't act rashly!" Celena shook her head. Liam glared at Cheryl, then took a look at Celena's eyes which were filled with worry. He sighed resignedly and let go of his hand. Once Cheryl got away, she quickly hid beside Reginald. She massaged her wrist, which was swollen and bruised, and whined, "Grandpa, my hand hurts! Look!"She held out her hand toward Reginald and continued with her complaints, "Grandpa, Celena is getting more and more arrogant! She is even like this to me in front of you. She is so disrespe
The person who was backing the Max Group up was the mayor, Malcolm. If they collaborated with him, then nobody would dare to lay a finger on the Stone family in the future.This was the opportunity of a lifetime for the Stone family. Ever since Celena left, Reginald was never so hard on Cheryl. She glared at Liam and Celena with hatred. Her face was filled with unwillingness as she walked toward Celena. Her eyes welled up as she kneeled with much difficulty.She gritted her teeth and said, "Celena, I'm sorry. It was all my fault. I shouldn't have bullied you. I'm begging you on my knees to ask for your forgiveness. Please let the Stone family Collaborate with the Max Group."Celena was caught off guard. She frantically went forward to help Cheryl up and said in a panic, "Cheryl, get up quick. I'll do it. Hurry up and get up."Cheryl sneered and shrugged off Celena's helping hand with all her might. Without saying a single word, she backed to the side and glared at Celena with e
Tears welled up in Liam's eyes. As he watched Celena bawl at the top of her lungs, he felt his heart aching badly. Anna was looking at Celena as she cried her eyes out as well. Anna could no longer take it. She rushed out from the crowd, embraced Celena, and also started crying."Celena! Oh, how I have missed you, my dear cousin."Everyone there was looking at Celena with an icy gaze. Anna was the only one feeling sorry for her. Liam scanned through the crowd, and he committed everyone's expressions in his memory in silence.Sherah watched with an indifferent gaze as Anna and Celena embraced each other. She was smiling, but she was already plotting in secret about how to target Celena after she returned to Stone Mansion. She would never let Celena have it easy after she became a part of the family again, much less allow her to threaten her children's position in the family. With that, after a round of apologies, the Stone family was going to take Celena and Jovie back into the
Celena held Liam's hand and said excitedly, "Liam, let me give you a tour of my home!" Then, Celena happily showed Liam around the Stone Mansion. Lots of things have changed from what she could remember. The layout was quite different as well.Even so, Celena still walked around with Liam for a long time. Liam carried Jovie the whole time while following behind Celena. He watched her jovial expression under the sun. Her eyes were glimmering. This was the version of Celena he had in his memory—not having a worry in the world, growing up with the affection from her family, and having a twinkle in her eyes.Later that night, the Stones' family dinner began at the dining hall of the Stone Mansion. All of Reginald's direct line of descendants attended the dinner that night, so they filled up all the seats at one big table. Right then, Celena walked into the dining hall with Liam, who was carrying Jovie in his arms.All the others had a look of disdain when they saw the family o
Upon saying that, Cheryl sneered and turned around arrogantly. Then, she strode back to her seat in her heels with a sense of satisfaction. Her gaze was filled with an extreme sense of contempt.Not one of the guests voiced out to reprimand Cheryl. Instead, they were all eager to watch the drama unfold. They looked at Celena, Liam, and Jovie with a mocking gaze and started discussing them. "This bastard child should learn her place. We are already so incredibly gracious to let her attend our family's dinner. She should just behave herself. Does she think she has the right to our family's food?" "Exactly! Who does she think she is? Does think she can do whatever she pleases now that she's back at the Stone Mansion?""How would she know her place? He's a loser. She's a b*tch. And they gave birth to a little bastard. What a perfectly matched family!" "Hahahahaha."Anger filled Liam's heart as he listened to the words of insult. His hands tightened into fists under the table. He
Liam strolled closer to the Stones. They seemed like they had seen the devil from hell rushing toward them with thousands of demons behind him.The Liam before them was too horrifying!"Ah! W-What do you want?"Cheryl was so scared she let out a scream. Her arrogance and disdainful expression had earlier turned as pale as a sheet. Her whole body started shivering as she watched Liam inch closer toward her. She quivered as she continued to threaten, "I-I'm warning you! Don't do anything stupid, Liam! This is the Stone Mansion! If you dare to lay a finger on me, Celena would suffer!" Cheryl then turned to Celena with fear and shrieked, "Celena! Keep an eye on your man! This is the Stone Mansion. Is he trying to murder someone?" It was only then that Celena came to her senses. She shouted at Liam while holding Jovie, "Liam! Don't do it!" Liam's back was against her. She could only see Liam's foreboding silhouette. He looked like he had just come out of an endless bloodbath, whi
The new plan was a hit; every assassin in the room was on board.One of them, posing as a bellhop, stood at Liam's door, ready to knock.However, he never saw it coming. Before his knuckles could rap on the door, it burst open from the inside.Wham!The would-be knocker was sent flying, slamming into the corridor wall with a thunderous crash.The others barely had time to register what happened when Liam burst out, a quintuple-edged dagger in hand.He was a shadow among them, his blade a flash of silver that danced across their wrists, disarming them of their scimitars.In moments, the hallway was a cacophony of clattering blades and piercing screams that filled the hotel.The leader, clutching his bleeding wrist, stared at Liam in horror, leaning casually against the doorframe. Liam's dagger dripped crimson. He watched the fallen assassins with an unfeeling smirk."You think you can play assassins, skulking around in the dark?" Liam's voice dripped with scorn. With a casual f
Noel was a name that turned heads in Rasford City, especially since the Noel family ran a successful pharmaceutical business. In any place, those in the medicine game hold sway, and Noel was no stranger to the city's shadowy bigwigs. After all, nobody was immune to getting sick!Noel was quickly taken to the hospital for emergency care. Meanwhile, the assassin he had hired had pinpointed the hotel where Liam and Sunniva were hiding out.Sunniva was still visibly shaken when they reached the hotel. Too frightened to be alone, she could only gaze at Liam with watery eyes, silently pleading to stay in his room.Liam, left with little choice, let Sunniva take his room while he made do with the couch in the living room.After the night's earlier ordeal, combined with the alcohol and the drug slipped into her drink, Sunniva washed up and promptly fell asleep in Liam's bed.Liam, however, remained on the living room sofa, poring over the mysterious Arcane Manuscript.Out of nowhere,
"Thud!"Then, without missing a beat, Liam grabbed Noel by the throat and landed another punch on him. He struck him squarely on the chin, dislocating it and forcing a couple more of his teeth to fly out. "Ahhh!" Noel shrieked. His face was swelling up to twice its usual size, and he could not help letting out a cry of agony. Liam did not stop there, though. His fists rained down all over Noel without ceasing, his every punch striking where it hurt the most. "F*ck! You're going to pay for this!" Noel grunted. He would make this twat pay! What gave him the right to attack him? He was an heir of the great Noel bloodline, and he would make this cocky, self-righteous prat pay!Liam scoffed, then swung his fist and struck Noel squarely in his abdomen.Noel spat out a mouthful of blood, unable to utter another word from the sheer pain, but this did not stop Liam. The next moment, he grabbed Noel by the hair and bashed his head against the wall behind him.A sickening crunch alerted
The words had barely left her mouth when Noel lost his patience, swung Sunniva around and slapped her hard across the cheek. "D*mn it, you f*cking sl*t! What the f*ck are you shouting for? Let me tell you this—no one will come to save you, not even if you cry yourself hoarse!"The slap came so abruptly that Sunniva was momentarily stunned. Her cheek soon swelled up, and a bright red mark in the shape of Noel's palm began to take shape. Noel had hit her so hard that the back of her head struck the wall behind her, and all she could feel was an intense, throbbing pain that reverberated through her skull. Blood seeped out of the cut on the back of her head, and she could feel the warm liquid trickle down her neck. She suddenly felt strangely faint and stopped resisting. Noel seized the opportunity to strip her naked, grinning. "Ms. Bristow, I suggest you stop wasting your energy. You're mine tonight, and there's no running now!"He had long since heard of Sunniva's beauty, and he was
"Mr. Noel? What is the meaning of this?" Sunniva shrieked in alarm. Noel was wiping his face with a towel when she spoke, and upon hearing her voice, he slowly moved toward her. "Ms. Bristow, do I really need to spell this out for you? You're a gorgeous woman, and I admire you very much. There's nothing to be afraid of, darling. We're all adults here, so there's no need to be shy. I promise that I'll make this the most memorable night you've ever had. "Ms. Bristow, do you know how many women would die to be in your position? Women everywhere bend over backwards to keep me happy, and most of them are willing to please me just to get my business. If you still want this partnership, you better be a good girl and keep me satisfied. If not…"Noel trailed off, for at this point, he had already reached the bed and was just inches away from Sunniva. His flesh quivered with his every move, and he was so tall that he loomed over Sunniva's tiny body like a beast eyeing its prey. "You… you
Noel was not used to being rejected so outwardly. Sunniva's indifference infuriated him greatly. He scoffed, then brought his hand up to his nose and took a deep breath as if trying to catch a whiff of any scent that Sunniva had left on his skin. He sneered. "Ms. Bristow, it seems you are intent on challenging me?"Sunniva replied curtly, "So what if I am?""Very well then! You like to do things the hard way, eh? Let me make this clear—the moment you step out the door, the partnership will be called off! I will no longer do business with Bristow Group!"The audacity!With a smug grin, Noel cast Sunniva one last look before returning to his seat. He watched her coolly and made no move to stop her from leaving again, for he knew he had her cornered. Sunniva stood rooted to the spot, her brows furrowed in deep concentration. Noel knew he had Sunniva caught in a dead-end situation. He smirked and raised his glass to his lips. "How about this, Ms. Bristow? Just one last drink with
A glimmer of annoyance flashed through Noel's eyes, but he continued to reach toward Sunniva, grinning. "Ms. Bristow, I really, really admire you…"Sunniva froze. The next moment, she leaped to her feet, still holding her wine glass, and ducked out of Noel's reach. She replied, raising his glass in an attempt to disguise her nervousness, "Mr. Noel, I greatly admire your success as a businessman as well. Cheers to our partnership!"Noel's arm hovered in mid-air, looking awkward and forlorn as it dangled out of reach of its target. A strained silence fell over them. The tension lasted only a few minutes, though, because Noel soon regained his composure and drew his arm back. He clinked his glass against Sunniva's as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. The two of them had been drinking for quite some time now, and Noel was growing more and more inebriated by the minute. He was a pale man, and so the alcohol gave him an unnatural flush that made him look as though he was
"Thank you, Uncle Leonardo." With that, Liam and Cirocco left the manor. They returned to the hotel to meet up with Calum and Sunniva. Liam and Cirocco were waiting in the hotel's presidential suite, going over their plans for the upcoming days, when Calum burst in, looking flustered. Liam was the first to notice how strangely nervous Calum seemed. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"Calum explained hastily, "Sir, Ms. Bristow was just taken away by a group of locals. She claimed that they were the businessmen we were here to meet. Since you weren't back yet, she decided to go meet them herself. She wants me to inform you that they have gone to the Saint Louisiana Hotel and that you can meet them there."Liam furrowed his brows at this. Calum asked, "Sir, are you going to check on them?"Liam considered this a moment, then grabbed his phone and stood up. "I think I should. You and Cirocco should stay here and go over our plans. I'll pop by the Saint Louisiana Hotel. If Jeffre
"Unfortunately, I cannot reveal to you the identities of the remaining five yet, but don't you worry—when the time comes, you will find out soon enough."Just remember, Liam, you are not alone! No matter what happens, the six of us will be here to help you the best we can!" Leonardo said, squeezing Liam's shoulder in reassurance. His expression was solemn, but there was a spark in his eyes. Liam was even more stunned to hear this. What was going on? Had his grandfather planned this for over twenty years ago? Did he somehow know that Liam would come searching for him?"Uncle Leonardo, what's going on here? Is Grandpa still alive?" Liam asked nervously.Leonardo's face fell, and he shook his head gravely. "Truth be told, I am just as confused as you are. I've been trying to track your grandfather down for years, but the last I heard, he was still being kept on Wraith Island. I haven't heard any news about him since, but I refuse to believe your grandfather would die on Wraith Island