The moment they heard the robotic voice, all of them turned to look at Darius in shock. They could not believe their eyes at all.The young man was actually able to pay $270,000 without batting an eyelid. This meant that he surely had more than that amount with him!Vera, Director Yul and the onlookers in the hospital stared at Darius with a new light. Anyone who was able to bring out such amount of money on a whim was certainly someone impressive.Vera’s eyes shone with admiration as she looked at Darius. That moment, Darius was the most attractive person she had ever seen in her life, and his position in her heart soared drastically.Being the wise person she was, Director Yul immediately understood what Darius’ action meant, so her attitude took a complete 180 degree turn.“Pardon my rude behavior earlier. I was totally at fault.” Director Yul said meekly and shamelessly.Darius didn’t say anything to her and merely arched his eyebrows. Director Yul saw through his intentions and s
“Mr. Reid! There is trouble!” Erin yelled anxiously from the other end of the phone the moment Darius answered the phone call.Darius frowned at Erin’s anxious tone. Since he knew Erin, she had always been composed no matter the situation. Now that she was this anxious, he could guess that the matter wasn’t so simple.“Erin, calm down and talk to me. What is going on?” Darius asked steadfastly.Erin took a deep breath and exhaled before speaking slowly. As she spoke, the frown on Darius’ face grew increasingly prominent, and by the time Erin was done talking, Darius had a huge frown on his attractive face.“Okay. I got it. Thank you.” Darius said, and then ended the phone call abruptly. He then walked over to his bedside table and took the TV remote on the table before switching the TV in his room on.“…And coming next is news about the Chairman of the fast rising investment company in Capital City, West Atlantics Int’l.”The television station was the one of the biggest news channel
Meanwhile, Darius was already speeding towards Serene Hospital. Naturally, he had no idea about his grandfather’s plans. His thoughts were totally occupied with the old man’s death.After minutes of driving speedily, Darius arrived at the hospital. He parked the car neatly and then rushed to the old man’s room, without paying any attention to anybody.When he opened the door, Dr. Langhan was already waiting for his arrival with an expectant expression on his face.“Mr. Reid.” Dr. Langhan called out carefully.Darius ignored him and walked straight to the old man’s lifeless body on the bed. Darius didn’t say anything and stared at the old man’s body with a complicated expression on his face. Darius back was turned to Dr. Langhan, so he couldn’t see the expression on Darius’ face.The two of them maintained a period of silence for over five minutes, before Darius finally spoke up.“What happened exactly? Wasn’t his condition stabilized already?” Darius asked.Dr. Langhan sighed forlornl
[West Atlantics Int’l headquarters, Capital City.]The atmosphere in the company’s regal building was dull and tense. The workers were all moving about their daily activities with gloomy and forlorn expressions, unlike the usual bustling attitude they had previously.The employees were not to be blamed however, as they had already seen the negative news about the chairman of their company. They were seasoned employees, so they knew how detrimental the effects of such news could be to their company.The higher ups, such as Erin and Zack, were more depressed at the situation at hand. The company was still a very new one, so they were feeling aggrieved about the current turn of events. If their chairman was unable to resolve this issue, then it would be a huge setback in their already laid out plans.The news had been embellished greatly by the media, so it had succeeded in creating a false impression about the chairman of West Atlantics Int’l.The public didn’t know the full details reg
Erin and Zack both felt chills run down their spine as they looked at Darius who had a smile on his face. Although he was smiling, his gaze was extremely frightening.“Zack, bring me the list of companies that backed out from the projects we’re supposed to invest in.” Darius suddenly said.Zack jolted from his thoughts in shock before hurrying away to obey Darius’ instructions. Seconds later, Zack returned with a pile of documents in his hands which he then carefully handed over to Darius.Darius collected the documents and read through it, and just minutes later, he gave his verdict.“Remove Terra International, Venus Inc., and Sky Industries from our company’s database." Darius issued an unexpected command.“From now on, West Atlantics Int’l will not have or entertain any form of business with these three companies.” Darius concluded with a tone of finality.Both Erin and Zack looked at Darius in astonishment. They didn’t expect his sudden decision at all. It was way too rash!Dariu
[Sterling Corporations, Capital City]The Chairman’s office; 10:00 amA man in his late fifties sat behind a large mahogany desk in what appeared to be a slightly above average office. He had a bald head, beady eyes that appeared shrewd, and an average face. The mahogany desk was littered with numerous documents, and the man was busy scribbling on them.Suddenly, the door to his office opened abruptly, and an equally average man rushed into the office in a panicked manner.Hector Sterling, the current chairman of Sterling Corporation looked at the average man in distaste. The average man was of course his secretary, and his sudden entrance irked him greatly, as it interrupted his concentration. Just as he was about to rebuke his secretary, a loud voice cut him off.“There’s big trouble President Hector!” the average man shouted frightfully.Hector frowned slightly at his secretary words, and forced his reprimand down his throat.“What is it?” Hector asked, his tone dripping with disda
“Sterling Corporations are being investigated for tax evasion worth over $150 million.”Hector’s face became pale at the headline on the TV station. His eyes widened in shock at the news.Tax evasion!This was why the bank and loan companies suddenly demanded him to pay back his loans in twenty four hours time!“You’re completely incompetent, Mr. Hector.” The bigwig said, displeasure lacing his tone.“I can explain!” Hector said frantically, but the bigwig cut him short.“It was a pleasure doing business with you Mr. Hector. Sadly, our deal is off now.” The bigwig announced in a tone of finality before disconnecting the phone call abruptly.Hector looked at the phone in disbelief. He dialed the bigwig’s number the next minute. It rang only once before it disconnected again. The next time Hector called the number, it didn’t go through. He didn't have to be a genius to realize he'd been blocked.“F*ck!” Hector yelled angrily and scattered everything on his desk, before slumping back to
[West Atlantics Int’l, Capital City]Darius’ eyes shone when he heard Hector’s answer.The Gold Group!Darius had never expected that the person who was behind everything was the head of the Gold Group.“I see.” Darius replied calmly, despite the shock he felt.“I’ve told you what you wanted to know now. I hope you’ll fulfill your promise.” Hector said between gritted teeth from the other end of the phone. “Rest assured. I’ll keep my end of the deal.” Darius smiled and replied, before disconnecting the phone call.After disconnecting the phone call, Darius interlocked his fingers, rested his chin on his fingers and fell into deep thoughts.The Gold Group was Capital City's third largest business group, with a net worth in the billions of dollars. Of course, the Reid Consortium could easily crush them, but Darius had not considered this option.The Gold Group targeted West Atlantics Int’l, not the Reid Consortium; therefore he would go against the Gold Group using the strength of West
"If you hadn't picked on me, I wouldn't have ended up like this. No matter how wealthy I've become, I'll never be able to take these black robes off!" The mysterious man's voice was shaky. He was extremely agitated.James frowned at that. He said curiously, "You keep saying I've done you wrong, but everything I did to you was what you did to others. I only gave you a taste of your own medicine."The mysterious man's breathing sped up when he heard that. He barked out a laugh and sneered, "I'll be honest with you. I never thought I'd have the chance to meet someone as dumb as you again."He shook his head. "I find it hard to imagine what your grandson will do when he sees you like this." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the door was kicked open with a loud bang. The man was caught off guard. He looked at Darius as his body trembled violently.Darius frowned when he saw this. It was completely different from what he'd imagined. He narrowed his eyes at the mysterious man, his
Gabriel smiled and nodded. "Alright, then. I'll return to my workstation and prepare a proposal on what to do with Noah."Darius nodded and smiled. "Good. That's all I ever wanted." He turned to leave. "You need to get to work, and I need to return to my hotel to get some rest."Gabriel stopped. Darius' words made him hesitate. "I'm sorry to be asking this because I don't think it's my place, but it's probably better for me to ask anyway. I don't remember there being any hotels nearby."You should head home if you wanna get some rest. I don't understand why you're heading to a hotel to rest."Darius raised an eyebrow, looking surprised. He turned with his hands behind his back to look at Gabriel helplessly. "I don't know how to feel about what you've just said. You're making me think you're a little silly. Wouldn't I know how to search for a hotel?"It won't take you long to prepare a proposal, but it'll take me ages to get home from here." Darius turned and left.Gabriel's lips twitc
"Because you realized the risk was far greater than what you were comfortable with," Darius said calmly.But Noah started trembling. He looked at Darius in terror. He didn't expect Darius to see right through him after some simple back-and-forth. His eyes widened in fear.Everything that was happening now made him feel like he was dreaming. Noah had only been a step away from success, yet Darius had ruined everything.Tears filled his eyes as he gazed at Darius. "I've said everything there is to say. I'm the lowest rung on this ladder, and I only have one purpose for being here. It's to make you come under the authorities' control. Once you're here, my mission's accomplished."Someone else from the authorities will be here to deal with you, but that has nothing to do with me. They wouldn't have told me about it, anyway."Darius put his hands behind his back without saying anything. He turned to leave. Noah's eyes widened as he stared in fear at Darius' back.Darius didn't see this, bu
When Darius straightened up, his face became devoid of emotion. He said calmly, "I've wasted too much time on you. Now, I only want frank answers. Otherwise, I'll punish you for every lie that you tell me. I don't see any hope in your eyes, but let's see whether you prove me wrong."Darius paused, then continued, "I've already said something similar once. That was a chance I gave you. From this moment onward, I want you to know that I won't repeat myself because I believe you've had enough time to prepare yourself."Gabriel stood beside him and put his hands behind his back as his lips twitched. He'd thought about the various reasons for Darius repeating himself. But the one thing that hadn't occurred to him was that Darius had done it to give Noah time to prepare.Gabriel felt like applauding Darius, but the rational side of him stopped him from doing so. His rationality told him he'd be in for trouble if he were to do that, so he only looked at Darius with a smile.Darius sensed Ga
Darius raised an eyebrow and smiled. Then, he said, "You're too nervous, Gabriel. It makes it seem like you don't trust me. In truth, there's nothing for you to worry about."He stretched his neck and continued, "I know very well how bad the consequences of destroying this building will be. Aside from those silly regulations, I'll also need to pay for it. I might be wealthy, but that doesn't mean I'll enjoy forking out a huge sum of money as compensation."Darius spread his hands and shrugged. At the same time, he pointed at the window and turned to look at Gabriel. Then, he said, "Look. The windows are perfectly fine. They're not even scratched. That shows my life force is non-destructive."That's why you have nothing to worry about. You can put your heart back into your chest."Gabriel straightened up and sighed in relief. Then, he gave Darius an embarrassed smile.Darius grinned but didn't say anything in response. He put his hands behind his back and turned to look at Noah. He sai
"We're classmates from the same major, too! We were interns at Dream Investment Group, remember? And we got kicked out on our first day. You broke my legs because of a tiny argument we had outside the building! The surveillance cameras captured all of this!" Noah cried.Darius tucked his hands into his pockets and rolled his eyes. Then, he said mockingly, "You're the biggest fool I've ever met. Do you think you're the only one who can tamper with the surveillance footage? Any footage that can be tampered with can also be restored."Noah's eyes widened in shock. He gulped and tried to think of a way to explain away the injuries Darius had inflicted on him. Still, he couldn't think of anything. Before he had the chance to think any further, Darius spoke.He said, "There's one thing you got right, though. Gabriel is on my side, so he'll stand up for me no matter what you say."Gabriel's lips twitched at that. He subconsciously opened his mouth to say something in return, but Darius bea
"And I don't think it's my job to make you see sense," Gabriel continued. He put his hands behind his back. He gave Noah a look that was an odd mixture of gentle iciness. "I've given you more than enough time and chances."Gabriel sighed. "It's obvious that you don't care for that, though. And so I think it's time for me to treat you as an officer should." He sat down on the other side of the desk again.Noah's face was white with fear. Gabriel acted like he didn't see this, though. He smiled. "As I mentioned, I gave you plenty of time and chances, but you didn't appreciate them."His gaze turned frosty. "If that's the case, I'm sure you won't object to me doing this per our guidelines."Noah cried, "No, wait! I don't know what Darius has promised you to make you side with him unconditionally, but there's no way I'll let you two get away with this. You have to make sure you do everything by the book. It's a reasonable request, and you have no right to turn me down!"He trembled viole
Gabriel put his hands behind his back as he looked at Noah with a smile. "Now, you've piqued my interest."Noah looked up at Gabriel. His voice was deep and hoarse as he said, "If you help me, I'll give you half of the Reid Consortium's assets once I get my hands on them. You should know that without me, there's no way you'll get a dime from the Reid Consortium."Gabriel snorted with laughter when he heard that. He straightened up and slowly circled Noah. He sounded mocking as he said, "You've lost me there. I tried to puzzle it out, but it doesn't make sense at all."Why would I want to get my hands on the Reid Consortium's fortune? Even without it, I'm perfectly independent. I don't need it to survive."Gabriel crossed his arms and looked at Noah mockingly. "Or maybe you're different from the rest of us. Maybe you'll die without the Reid Consortium's wealth." He smirked and gave Noah a sharp gaze.Noah raised an eyebrow and smirked. "You're the one making me laugh now. I don't know
Gabriel sounded gentle, but everyone knew that was far from the truth. This was especially true for Noah, who sat across from him. He felt incredibly nervous. He shut his eyes and breathed rapidly.Noah never would've expected to still be in danger after being taken in by the authorities. He frowned and looked up at Gabriel. "So, are you determined to help Darius now?" His voice was shaky, and his eyes were wide because of his nerves.His emotions were clear as he looked at Gabriel. Gabriel bit his lip, feeling like he was about to laugh. To stop Noah from noticing, he quickly exhaled and sat down with one leg over the other. At the same time, he leaned forward to place his hands on the desk.He tapped his fingers on the desk quickly but rhythmically. Gabriel's eyes were devoid of emotion as he looked at Noah. "Tell me, Noah. What happened between you and Darius? Earlier, you said he was the one who injured you. Do you have any proof?"Because we checked the surveillance footage, a