After Vera landed the helicopter on the top courtyard of the villa, she said to Charlie, “Young Master, please come with me. I will prepare the ink and paper for you to write on Master Marcius Stark's portrait.”Charlie asked curiously, “You want me to write the caption on it?” “Yes.” Vera said with a smile, “If Fleur sees my handwriting, she might suspect that we're bluffing.”Charlie was perplexed and asked, “You haven't met for centuries. How would she recognize your handwriting?”Vera pursed her lips and said with a smile, “After you saved me last time, I left her a few words before leaving Northern Europe. So, it's safer for you to do the writing.”Charlie nodded and said, “Okay. I’ll do it, then.”After entering the study room on the first floor, Vera approached the long desk and prepared the ink for Charlie. Charlie picked up a brush and then wrote about Marcius’ life on the top right corner of his portrait.After he was done writing, he chuckled in a self-deprecating ma
Vera also felt relieved when she saw Charlie looking so confident. She glanced at the time and said, “Young Master, it's almost eight o'clock now. When do you plan to go home?”Charlie said, “My father-in-law usually leaves for the Calligraphy and Painting Association at nine o'clock. It's quite close to my home. Miss Lavor, there's no need for you to send me back. The helicopter makes too much noise in the downtown area, so I'll go back by myself.”Vera insisted, “Young Master, how can I let you go back alone? Why don’t you let me drive you back instead?”Charlie hurriedly declined, “It's really not necessary. I can walk by myself.”Vera sighed softly and said, “Young Master, if you leave like this and pass by the courtyard downstairs, the servants might misunderstand when they see you leaving my courtyard in the morning.”Charlie asked awkwardly, “What do you think is appropriate then, Miss Lavor?”Vera said, “Young Master, please wait a moment. I'll make the arrangements.”Ch
Mr. Raven nodded excitedly and said, “Miss, you can rest assured. I understand! I completely understand!”As he said that, he could not help but look at Charlie and say in an excited tone, “Mr. Wade, if I may be so bold to speak up, you are the only outsider that Miss has truly opened up her heart to in over three hundred years…”When Mr. Raven realized that his words did not sound right, he hastily explained, “What I mean is, you are the only adult that Miss has opened up her heart to in all these years. The rest of us were raised and have served by Miss since childhood, and Miss only gradually revealed her secrets to us after seeing our good nature and loyalty.”Charlie smiled awkwardly. He was unsure of how to respond, so he diverted the topic, saying, “Mr. Raven, you don't need to address yourself as a servant in front of me. I am truly unworthy…”Mr. Raven responded without hesitation, “No, no, no. Since my enlightenment, I vowed to stay by Miss's side for a lifetime, to serve
Upon hearing Mr. Raven’s words, both Logan and Emmett were so shocked that they couldn't speak at all. They instinctively stood up, and Emmett looked at Mr. Raven and blurted out, “Mr. Raven, you said Miss has fallen in love. Who has she fallen in love with?”Mr. Raven whispered, “Do you remember what our biggest wish used to be?”Logan replied without hesitation, “Of course! It was for Miss to find her true love, settle down, and not be so lonely for the rest of her life!”Emmett sighed and said, “That’s right! For decades, I've been thinking that before we turned ten, Miss played with us. When we were between our tens to twenties, we played with Miss, and even as we matured, Miss remained forever seventeen. We hoped that one day she'd find her life partner. Later, when we left Miss's side, for many years, sometimes without knowing her whereabouts, I still held onto that hope…”With that said, Emmett looked at Mr. Raven and asked, “Mr. Raven, you mentioned Miss falling in love. Is
The three of them had similar personalities, good characters, and virtues. Even though they had chosen different paths in life, they had grown up together around Vera since childhood. This deepened their bond, making them feel like siblings.Emmett had held high positions before, and Logan had inherited a vast fortune. Both of them were very successful in life. On the other hand, Mr. Raven had stayed by Vera’s side as her butler for almost ninety years. This was seemingly without much achievement, but both Emmett and Logan admired him greatly.Over the years, Vera had adopted many children, but very few could stay by her side.Both Emmett and Logan had expressed their desire to stay with Vera, but she hadn’t agreed to it and eventually sent them away. Logan had taken over Vera’s business in Southeast Asia, whereas Vera had seen Emmett’s patriotic spirit and supported his return to serve their country.For the three of them, Vera’s identity and role were extremely special. In thei
A few minutes later, all the servants of Scarlet Pinnacle Manor returned to their rooms. Mr. Raven, who was extremely attentive, even asked Logan to order the temporary shutdown of all surveillance in the villa. After all, this concerned his young lady’s reputation, so he naturally couldn't leave any risks.Once everything was arranged, Mr. Raven called Vera to report to her. Vera then said to Charlie, “Young Master, Mr. Raven and the others have already prepared everything. Shall we go downstairs?”Charlie nodded politely and said, “Thank you, Miss Lavor.”Vera smiled sweetly and sad, “Young Master, you don’t have to be so polite with me.”After putting away the painting that was completed with the calligraphy, Charlie walked out of the top courtyard of the villa with Vera. As they reached the courtyard gate, they saw three elderly people standing respectfully side by side at the end of the long stone steps below.To Charlie’s surprise, one of them was Emmett Sandsor, a prominent
So, he spoke up and said, “Gentlemen, I still have some urgent matters to attend to today. After I resolve them, I will come to visit you again. By then, I will prepare some pills that can improve your health. I believe it will be helpful for you.”The three men were a bit stunned. They didn't know much about Charlie and they only knew that he was the miraculous benefactor mentioned by Vera. So, they didn't know what effects Charlie’s pills would have.At this moment, Vera, who was beside them, smiled and said, “Mr. Sandsor, I told you before that your opportunity lies in Aurous Hill. It seems that everything depends on Mr. Wade. Why don't you hurry and express your gratitude to Mr. Wade for saving your life?”Emmett suddenly widened his eyes with an incredulous expression. Vera then turned to the other two and said, “Mr. Raven, Mr. Carrick, Mr. Wade is giving both of you opportunities as well. What are you still waiting for?”At the same time, the three men suddenly came to their
When Charlie returned to Thompson First, Jacob was arguing with Elaine. Charlie had just walked in holding the scroll containing Marcius’ portrait when he heard Jacob complaining, “You do nothing all day long, and you do not even prepare breakfast. It’s fine if you don't want to cook, but you should at least order some food for me when you get some for yourself. You don't leave anything for me at all after you’ve eaten your fill. I'm in a hurry to go to the association. You can't let me go hungry, right?” Elaine retorted confidently, “Haven't you heard of the phrase ‘Those who don't work don't eat’? Why don't you get up early and make breakfast for me, then? You must be dreaming if you want me to cook for you. Besides, do you think that I don’t need money to order food? If you give me eighty to a hundred thousand dollars a month as pocket money, I'd definitely arrange three meals a day for you without fail!”Jacob was annoyed and said angrily, “All you care about is money!”With
Ares LLP was the biggest law firm in the States, and only the best of the best were recruited as associates.If Jimmy got to pick ten of their partners, he was basically taking a huge chunk out of their human resources.Moreover, the partners' salaries would be very expensive. With Jimmy included, eleven of them meant over a hundred million US dollars at minimum. Ares would definitely be maimed if they had to pay that much money while losing ten of their elites! Naturally, Jimmy didn't feel confident about achieving that, and he asked Charlie, "Mr. Wade… Don't you think it's too much? Would Nate even agree to that?"Charlie shrugged. "Of course he won't agree if you're the one asking, but he would definitely say yes if it were Julien."Julien almost rolled his eyes.The man was truly ruthless, ready to inflict so much damage at the drop of a hat.Worst of all, he was going to play the villain for Charlie.Still, he said confidently, "Don't worry, Mr. Wade! I will pressure him
However, Jimmy realized something important even as he sighed in relief. "Wait, Mr. Wade… I know I should settle things in the family Stateside, but won't I be arrested upon arrival?""That's Julien's department," Charlie chuckled and turned toward the man. "Tell your butler not to send the evidence to the feds. If it has reached them already, ask to have it back and tell the feds they saw nothing."Julien promptly nodded. "I'll text him right now. You have nothing to worry about, Mr. Wade."Jimmy remained worried. "But sir, I think Nate's not going to let this slide. The man is cunning—he deliberately dug a pit so we'd fall into it, and he gathered all the dirt he could on us to be used as leverage when necessary."Charlie shook his head. "That's no big deal. Julien can make sure that you're fine even if the feds get the evidence."Julien nodded nearby. "Don't worry, Mr. Wade. The decision remains in your hands, either way. Just say the word, and it's 25 to life… otherwise, not e
The fact that Jimmy was a partner in Ares LLP already meant he had skill, while Matilda had herself been retired for years and definitely had lost her touch a little. So, having someone like Jimmy who had stayed on the frontlines all this while would definitely be no issue.And in turn, it was a good thing for Jimmy as it was better than the kennels either way.Charlie then asked Jimmy pointedly, "You say you're interested, but are you sincere about it?"Jimmy nodded without hesitation. "Yes, absolutely!""No regrets? We're talking about ten years here.""None, absolutely none!""Do you know what to say if anyone asks?""Yes, of course! I chose to further my career here in Oskia, and it was absolutely voluntary! That's what I'd say even if my family asked!"Charlie nodded. "Good. Then, you will have two weeks. Go home and set your affairs in order and report in for work afterward.""No problem!" Jimmy nodded repeatedly, actually surprised and grateful that Charlie would let hi
And yet, Julien was suddenly clapping his hands, and exclaiming excitedly, "Yes, right! We should get his wife and son over too for a happy reunion!"He then paused and quickly corrected himself, "Wait, no! I mean, they should each be caged with one empty cage separating each of their cages. They can see each other and talk, but there will be no touching. How dare he flex on me—I gotta teach him a lesson to remember!"Jimmy dropped limply on his rump, and Matilda beckoned for Paul to help him up while turning toward Julien as she pursed her lips. "Please, Mr. Rothschild… Even if you don't accept his apology, don't bring his family into this. It's against Oskian tradition—you'd insult your family's name!"Julien shrugged, not hesitating to retort, "What do your traditions have to do with me? If I mean to hurt him, forget his family—I'll drag his dogs over too!"Seeing that Julien was so furious, Charlie decided to stop him, or he might actually go through with it."That's enough, J
Holding up a thumb at Charlie, Julien exclaimed in approval, "You're right, my friend! That's far more exciting than having him jailed!"Just hearing that he would be sent to a kennel, Jimmy knew nothing would come of it—even if he didn't know the details, it was so obvious that Julien was thrilled by the very idea!Turning nervously toward Charlie, he was sobbing as he asked, "Mr. Wade…? What's this about a kennel…?"Julien chuckled coolly even before Charlie said a word. "A kennel is where you keep dogs, of course. Though there are literal dogs and metaphorical dogs, and you are the latter."Oh, don't worry. It's a really nice place where you get your own cage, and you'll be fed every day. You don't even have to work, so just sit tight and keep eating until the day you die."Jimmy's soul left his body in that instant.He was going to be locked in a cage?! That was way worse than being locked up and sent to jail! Where was the humanity around here?!Even as the thought struck h
Matilda was actually caught off guard by Jimmy's pleas, and even Paul found it hard to watch.Turning to Charlie, he said, "Please, Mr. Wade—my uncle can be a little despicable, but he is my father's brother. Please, let him have a chance to turn over a new leaf, seeing that he's earnestly repenting."While Paul spoke with Charlie, Jimmy was still confused and wondered why Paul would plead his case with Charlie instead of Julien. If there was anyone Paul should ask, it was Yolden since he was Julien's friend. So, why would he ask some young man instead of Yolden?That was when Charlie asked in curiosity, "You want to let him off? After he tried to take away your parents' legacy?"Paul smiled awkwardly. "I mean, I know the guy. He made sure to travel all this way to make a scene because he had nothing legal that could help him claim Smith Group Corporate Law from us. Otherwise, he'd have already filed the lawsuit in the States. Sure, it's a dirty move, but that's basically a des
As Julien finished, he realized something was wrong and turned toward Charlie before he knew it.Charlie held his gaze in turn, his expression quizzical and amused.Julien cleared his throat right then. "See, there are people who can order me around, but they have my utmost respect. However, a third-rate lawyer like you? Who do you think you are?"That was when Julien's butler called, and he reported respectfully as soon as the call was answered, "Sir, I've spoken with Nate Ellis, the owner of Ares LLC. He has since agreed to fire Jimmy Smith right away as well as disbar him nationwide."Julien asked, "Good. Anything else?""Well, Mr. Ellis also delivered some documents that can be used as evidence against Jimmy Smith, which he claims is enough for a lifetime sentence. If you deem it necessary, we can have it sent to the FBI.""Yes, let's go with that!" Julien replied, his tone satisfied. "And ask the director to handle it personally—I want this prick to never set foot stateside
Jimmy was sweating profusely in fear, but he argued back before he knew it, "That's impossible! Everything you say is bullshit! Gaiman simply thought he had a fair chance of winning and didn't want to pay Ares that much, and I have no idea who he partnered with, and I'm certainly not involved. Don't you try to slander me!"Nate chuckled. "Come on, Jimmy. We're all adults here, so there are things we shouldn't have to be so direct about. Mills Gaiman and your old classmate met in private many times, not to mention the private conferences you three had in secret, discussing your overall strategy and decisive points. Just so you know, Gaiman recorded every conversation, and I have the tapes with me."Jimmy's heart was left pounding as he blurted, "B-Bullshit! That's impossible!""Grow up, Jimmy," Mr.Goodman chuckled. "Every partner in every law firm always strives to rise higher, so I'm going to need as much leverage as I can. Otherwise, I'm not about to let them advance any further, e
Although the ringtone and vibration frequency were the ones Jimmy always used, this call somehow felt more urgent, leaving him exceedingly uneasy.When it abruptly stopped and left a missed call on his log, Nate Ellis soon sent a text: [Answer your damn phone this instant!]Just seeing the text left Jimmy feeling like his throat had gone dry, and as he gulped, it felt like his throat was being ripped, leaving him hurting.Still, he couldn't care less as his boss called again.Having seen the text, Jimmy didn't hesitate this time and promptly answered, watching Julien's smug face as he started tentatively, "Y-Yes, boss...?"Nate immediately yelled at him hysterically, "What the hell did you do?! Why did the Rothschilds call to complain about you?! And the complaint was from their heir apparent, at that! I worked hard for them and always toed the line for years, and I still haven't gotten a chance to meet the man, so how the fuck did you upset him?!"Jimmy's heart sank to rock bott