They were chatting lively while Xena remained silent. Sophia looked at her. "Xena, what are you thinking?"Xena sneered. "So she has always been in the Underworld Palace, not sold off into the mountains. She probably returned to take down the Martinez family and the Carsons. No wonder she went to great lengths to marry Hamish."Sophia frowned. "Could the Underworld Palace be aiming for sole dominance? Will they also target the Inferno Alliance?"Elijah said, "Underworld Palace has already captured many tycoons. It would be good if they also targeted Inferno Alliance. I fear they might join forces against us."Liam said, "So what if they join forces? Their subordinates are elites, and we aren’t weak either."After some thought, Sophia said, "I don't think that’s likely. Underworld Palace acts without principles, which we find unacceptable. Inferno Alliance probably feels the same."She looked at Andrew and said, "Didn't you say you wanted to find an opportunity to cooperate with I
It was already the second lap, but Sophia still had not found a chance to overtake Mary. Liam said, "I think we should let Mary win. It's too dangerous to overtake her."Elijah replied, "If she wins, she can advance. Do we want to let that ticking time bomb in?"Liam responded, "Isn’t it better to have her right under our noses than somewhere we can't see?"Xena interjected, "Her goal is to explore Black Den. Why would we let her in?"Liam suggested, "If necessary, we'll find an excuse to eliminate her."Xena questioned, "What excuse? If she wins, she'll almost have a perfect score to enter. She might even skip the investigation stage. You won't even have the chance to eliminate her."Andrew remained silent, not participating in their discussion. His eyes remained on the monitor. Suddenly, he exclaimed, "Wow! That's amazing!"Everyone turned to the monitor, only to find that Sophia had successfully overtaken Mary. The red car now dominated the blue one. Elijah was surprised, "Ho
The machine chimed, "Correct."Sophia was surprised, "Oh, he's pretty good."Liam remarked, "Hey, didn’t he participate in the finals last year?""Oh right, he's excellent with computers," Elijah said, "He’s your apprentice, right?"Sophia nodded. "Yeah, he helped design our Ourea’s Peak game cosmetics."Xena chuckled. "It looks like more participations offer more experience."Everyone laughed, thinking Xena was right because Onyx’s progress in the subsequent challenges went smoothly. Of course, he faced deductions, but they did not hinder his advances.Since the finals were next, Liam asked, “What do you think? Will he choose the individual or competitive mode?”Elijah said, "Probably individual. After all, he'll face Visage if he goes competitive."Xena smiled and looked at Sophia. "But wouldn't it be interesting if he recklessly chose competitive? Will you let him off easy?"Sophia said, "Why would he risk that? He has sixty-five points now, and getting fifteen more should
Ethan and Sophia arrived home simultaneously. Since he had been busy these past few days, she wondered what kept him occupied. Sophia asked, “Did you just get home?”Elliot waved her over and smiled as if something good had happened. “Come here.”Sophia got into the car, asking, "What's up? Where are we going?"Elliot said mysteriously, "I’m taking you to see a show.""What show?""Ethan's.”Sophia’s eyes lit up with excitement. “What, are you guys making a movie or something?”Elliot chuckled. “Kind of. I heard Ethan’s visiting Edmund’s grave and is even bringing a shaman to perform rituals for him.”Sophia laughed. “Are you planning to scare him?”“We’ve planned it all out. I found someone with a similar build as Edmund and prepared a mask for him to wear. We’ll scare Ethan all night with sound and lighting effects. Ethan went to see Scar in prison and probably doesn’t know that you can make such realistic masks.”Sophia chuckled. “Didn’t Ethan visit Janine? He did all the
Sophia noticed Elliot’s frown and pulled him closer, saying, “Let’s save the kisses for later and enjoy the show first.”As Ethan and his group walked up the hill, they noticed how much darker it was than usual that night. Meanwhile, Elliot and the others could not see how many people were coming up the hill. Finally, Ethan and his group became more visible as they approached.Leading Ethan and his bodyguard was the shaman Ethan had hired for the ritual. The former followed the yellow-robed shaman closely as the latter carried several items up the hill.Meanwhile, Ethan’s bodyguard, Logan, also carried various items as he trailed behind. Finally, the shaman’s assistant followed Logan while holding a yellow flag. Soon, the group reached Edmund’s tombstone and saw his picture on it.The graveyard was cold and lonely at that moment. Ethan kept his head down as he arranged the items he had brought to the tombstone. He dared not look at the photo.The shaman then instructed his assista
Ethan hurriedly explained, "Edmund, I admit I was wrong! Please spare me. You should haunt Elliot. He’s the one who tried to kill you—"The shaman hastily interjected, "His grudge is too heavy. We can't suppress it. You should seek help elsewhere, Mr. Ethan!"He then ran down the mountain with his assistant. Meanwhile, Logan wanted to help Ethan, but Edmund’s sudden appearance frightened them. He dropped his things and fled with the shaman and the assistant.Ethan saw the fleeing trio and cried in panic, “W-Wait for me!”He stood up and tried to run but saw two more ghosts ahead—they were Elliot’s parents. They floated toward him with the same miserable appearance as before they died."Ethan, we had no grudges against you. Why did you kill us?"Their voices were eerie and terrifying, scaring Ethan so much that he fell and trembled with fear. He then huddled up and held his head, shaking. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to harm you! I just wanted to be the head of the family—"Edmund i
Elliot and Sophia slept all night. After teasing Elliot with a kiss at the graveyard, she pretended as if she had forgotten about it.Elliot suppressed his urges along their journey home. When they finally returned, he carried her to the room and quenched his thirst for her. He knew he could never resist her and would take the chance to sleep with her whenever possible. Elliot wished just to hold Sophia and fool around with her constantly.He grew restless as he watched her sleep peacefully. Although he did not want to disturb her, he would occasionally touch and pinch her. He laughed when he woke her up and saw her eyes rolling."Are you awake?" Sophia was exhausted, but it was strange because Elliot did all the work. Although Sophia had woken up, she had trouble keeping her eyes open.Elliot watched her yawn and squirm under the covers restlessly. He thought his wife looked adorable as he leaned in and kissed her. "Do you want to hear something interesting?"Sophia mumbled a
Elliot said, "Don't worry, Aunt Beverly. My wife’s a doctor. Should I ask her to take a look at Ethan?""No need. I’ll follow the shaman's instructions first. We’ll call your wife if it doesn’t work.""Okay then, I'll take off now. Take care of Ethan.""I will, dear."Elliot then got into his car and video-called Sophia. When she answered, her delicate face appeared on the screen. "Elliot, you're coming home?""Yeah, where are you?"Sophia adjusted her phone's camera, saying, "I'm at Xena’s place."Elliot saw Xena's house through the video call and sighed. Indeed, Sophia insisted on bringing Xena along. He wondered if his wife would have time for him if Xena were around. Still, he said, "I thought you were home. I'll go to the office for now and then pick you up tonight.""Okay."…Hamish looked at Elliot in disbelief. "What? Xena’s going to Bermill?"Elliot glared at him irritably. "Of course she is.""Then I'm going too," Hamish said, "I'll take a week off.""No way!""
“Ah, no!” Sophia instinctively reached out to catch it, but the phone narrowly missed her fingers. So, she just watched as he tossed the telephone into the bushes.Sophia was infuriated. "Brother, you haven't sung for me yet?"Kyle looked at her. "Time's up.""Time's up for what? You big liar."As she spoke, she balled her fists and attacked him.Although she was no match for Kyle in martial arts, he couldn't fight her in such a confined space. So, Kyle found himself somewhat helpless in this narrow space.He grabbed both her hands with his big hands and pinned her legs with his, leaving Sophia unable to move her limbs.Frustrated, she aimed her head at Kyle and lunged forward. Kyle instinctively dodged. Sophia's little head directly hit his chest.Thud.It felt like a forty-pound hammer hitting his chest, causing Kyle to start coughing on the spot. He was truly at a loss. She was too much to handle, using every trick in the book.With one hand rubbing his sore chest and the
At that moment, it seemed like the world came to a standstill. The man and the woman at the door were so scared they hardly dared to breathe. How dare this woman. How could she slap Kyle?They sneakily glanced at Kyle's reddened face, wishing they could disappear. They were afraid they'd face his wrath, too.Kyle also couldn't believe what he was seeing. This little drunkard in front of him wasn't speaking gently or acting cute, and instead of calling him brother, she slapped him. He was furious. At that moment, he had already thought of where to bury this woman.However, Sophia didn't seem to realize the seriousness of hitting someone. She suddenly jerked her wrist and broke free from the man's grasp. Whether it was because she used too much force or because she was drunk and couldn't control her strength, she stumbled and fell on her rear.This fall was solid, and she couldn't help but cry in pain, "Ow!"Tears streamed down her face.Kyle was bewildered for a moment. The anger
Sophia felt helpless. This man's schemes ran too deep. He didn't reveal anything useful. The two drank one glass after another from seven in the evening until ten at night. Sophia's head was spinning.She had been trying to limit herself, taking small sips each time. Unfortunately, her tolerance for alcohol was quite poor. Her gaze was unfocused, and the man opposite her seemed to blur into duplicates. She knew deep down that she was drunk. It was frustrating. When would her tolerance improve?"Are you deliberately trying to get me drunk to see me embarrass myself?" Kyle lounged carelessly. "I didn't know your alcohol tolerance was so poor."Sophia snorted softly in her heart. Ignorance was truly unbelievable. She even suspected that this man had seen her drunk before. Otherwise, why insist on drinking with her? She needed to control herself now; otherwise, her stingy husband at home would be infuriated.So she just slumped onto the table, motionless.Kyle chuckled. "Are you dru
Kyle compromised, "Alright, I won't touch you."Sophia sternly commanded, "Get off."Kyle slowly got up from her.Sophia's piece of porcelain against his neck remained unmoved, her little face tense.Kyle sat up and waved to remove the hand threatening his neck, "Alright, if I bleed, you lose your life. Do you think I'm afraid of such a broken thing like you?"He knocked away the piece of porcelain in Sophia's hand, but she didn't pick it up. Instead, she said softly, "I know you're not afraid. As the top boss of the Netherworld Palace, what kind of woman can't you have? But it's not worth it to ruin the mood just to sleep with a woman, don't you think?"Kyle looked at her and smiled. Far from diminishing with Sophia's various rudeness, the interest in his eyes only intensified.He stretched out his long arm and grabbed Sophia's nape, pulling her closer. The two were close enough to hear each other breathe.There was a determined smile in his eyes. "I like smart girls."Sophia
Kylie smirked. "So, how else do you want me to repay you?"But Sophia couldn't shake the feeling that his smile seemed somewhat sinister.Kyle wasn't the kind of person to easily agree. Could it be true that she had saved him?After contemplating, she said, "For example, a substantial monetary reward, a direct increase in shares and equity, or at the very least, treating me to a meal would suffice.“But instead, you kidnapped me, restricted my movements, and now you're telling me it's repayment? Did I perhaps drown your son in a well in a past life, prompting you to repay me in such a unique way?"He was left bewildered by Sophia's rapid-fire words. What was this woman talking about?After a good while, he finally grasped the gist of her words. "Alright, let's go. I'll treat you to a meal."Sophia looked at him, surprised that he was so easy to persuade. She took advantage of the situation and added, "Then first, give back the phone to your lifesaving benefactor."Kyle replied,
Elliot searched the inside and out of the car. He indeed found a box of acupuncture needles tucked away in a corner. His wife always had a habit of carrying a box of acupuncture needles with her, not for self-defense, but for saving others.However, this box had yet to be opened, proving that the skills of the person they were dealing with surpassed hers. Otherwise, she wouldn't have missed the chance to use the needles.It seemed that this car was indeed the right one.He looked at the dirt road ahead, with tracks from two vehicles. One was a regular sedan, and the other looked like an off-road vehicle.But no more surveillance cameras were ahead, so they wondered if the cars had turned back or continued forward.He relayed the situation to Avery once again. Avery began to investigate, checking every detail of the vehicle information provided by Elliot. At this point, the police, Samuel, and his team arrived one after the other.Since there were no surveillance cameras in this a
Avalon said, "It perfectly matched the Meng family's expertise. They've been collaborating for several years, and my family even gave up some minor collaborations because they trusted in them.“But this time, under their instigation, my family paid an advance payment of 1.8 billion for goods, but the goods weren't delivered according to the contract date. They kept stalling, and when my family went to check, they found the company deserted.“After my elder brother had someone investigate, he found out the company was leased, and the company's CEO was nowhere to be found.“After reporting to the police, they kept investigating, but there was no result. That person disappeared. Helpless, my parents, elder brother, and second brother all went to find Patel.”“But Patel, apart from the initial matchmaking, wasn't involved in the subsequent cooperation. So, my brother and others didn't dare to do anything to him. But after struggling for a few months, the bank started demanding loan rep
"Mary," Paisley called out each word, but then her throat seemed to constrict, and she couldn't say anything more. Tears welled up in her eyes.Lucas also felt anguished. "We're sorry, Mary, but we haven't wronged you."Mary sneered, "If you haven't, how did I end up in this situation today? You both are incompetent parents. What's the point of arguing? You only have two daughters. Can't you treat us equally?"Paisley was truly enraged by her words. "How have I not treated you equally? Mary was just being clever. Perhaps I inadvertently praised her, but I never said you were bad, did I? Just because of this, you want to abandon Mary?“Are you even human? After you went missing, I couldn't eat or sleep peacefully. Every night was spent in tears. I knew you suffered a lot, and surviving wasn't easy, so when I found out it was Mary who made you disappear, I resented her deeply.“I did everything to make it up to you, even at the cost of hurting Mary. I sided with you unreasonably. Is
Xena viciously grabbed her by the collar, preparing to take her back for further interrogation. However, many policemen suddenly burst in through the door.The secretary followed closely behind, explaining, "Officers, hurry and arrest Xena. She forced her way in."Xena frowned. Assessing her situation, she forced Mary to sit in the boss's chair, a dagger held against her sister's neck. The room was marked with signs of struggle, with blood spattered across the floor.In this situation, she could hardly argue her innocence. But she instinctively explained, "She locked up my parents and wouldn't tell me where they were. I just wanted to question her."The police officers' expressions hardened, their tone brooking no refusal. "Take her away!"Two officers stepped forward and seized her. Xena complied, offering no resistance or excuses, obediently following the police.Another officer glanced at Mary. "Are you alright?"Mary seemed shaken, clutching her neck. After calming herself,