Chapter 129 Generous Hospitality##James had a gentle look on his face as heextended both arms welcomingly. “I hope God blesses you with better things,young man.”Rudd never dreamed that he could enter theReid residence’s front doors. After all, the Reids were rich beyond belief—tothe point where someone like Rudd was unworthy of even mentioning their name.Now, alongside entering the residence, Rudd even got to experience suchgenerous hospitality.The excitement caused his chest to tighten,leaving him breathless again.Seeing that, James put down his arms andchuckled. “I suppose my presence might make things slightly awkward, so I’ll beon my way now.”He then promptly turned on his heel toleave with his walking cane in hand.Rudd’s jaw stayed agape for the longesttime. Never in a million years did he imagine tycoons like the Reid familybehaving kindly toward those with less wealth.Once Darius and Rudd were the only onesleft in the hallway, the latter spoke up in a meek t
Erin had not expected this to happen. Darius offered to support Lewis, which would undoubtedly boost the latter’s career. Those benefits would continue even if Lewis decided to leave Serene Hospital someday.Darius arrived at the office that Erin had set up for him. He noticed the gold plaque on the door, shining brilliantly, and exuding an aura of boundless wealth.He reached out to grab the doorknob, but once he made contact, the plaque fell. The crisp clanging that followed made him freeze. Looking down, Darius instantly noticed a silvery, metallic hue on the back of the plaque. A smile curved on his face as he commented, “It seems that there’s a thief in the hospital.”Only then did his gaze meet Erin’s.The latter held her breath ever since the plaque fell. She never imagined this would happen.Erin lowered her head and interlaced her fingers against her abdomen while formally apologizing, “M-My apologies, Mr. Reid! It’s my fault for not assigning tighter security.”“It’s all right.” Da
“Darius. Long time no see. I hear you’ve recently become rich,” George sneered.Darius' brows furrowed, forming a wrinkle on his once flawless face.“George Jennings? I never thought I’d see you here,” he replied with his hands still in his pockets. Darius was unperturbed, as though nothing had happened.Contrarily, sheer hatred exuded from a scowling George.“I assumed you’d always work for your previous boss. It seems you’re not as much of an asset to him as I thought,” Darius continued, unbothered by George’s nasty expression.A scoff came from George just then. “I left that job. My current boss made the right decision in hiring me.”“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be taking my leave now.” Darius still could not care less. He doesn't want to argue with him.He wanted to leave but could not as George, who held a tray full of food, blocked his path.A storm brewed in Darius' eyes. His rage was so intense that anyone watching would get goosebumps. “I’m very foul-tempered, especially toward those I disagreed
Alvin then reached for the pager attachedto his belt. “If you call for security now, I’ll makesure you lose your job, Mr. Kenyon,” Darius casually remarked, not taking thematter seriously even now.That was utterly unacceptable in Alvin’seyes.His cheeks burned with rage as he snapped,“Darius, you could’ve gotten prosecuted if I hadn’t let you off the hook! Howdare you ignore how kind I was to you in the past? Not only that, but you’rethreatening me now? Oh, how I regret showing you mercy back then!”Darius snorted before drilling his gazeinto Alvin. “It seems you haven’t realized how stupid you are now.”That only fueled the fire burning inAlvin’s chest. While glaring daggers at Darius, he snarled, “You’ll get what’scoming for acting this way!”“It seems your vision has worsened afterjoining this place.” Darius scrunched his face, sneering while intentionallybrushing dust off his clothes so Alvin could get a better look at them.Alvin noticed the expensive outfit butbec
Darius agreed with that statement, so he nodded while locking gazes with Erin. “You’re correct. This Jeremiah Locke guy seems efficient in monitoring his hotel’s affairs. Even I think he deserves a bonus for reacting so quickly.”Erin smiled but kept mum.Meanwhile, Jeremiah, who had yelled earlier, was nearing Darius.The latter made use of his advanced hearing to track Jeremiah’s footsteps. Once he determined Jeremiah was within his attack range, he dashed ahead and kicked Alvin. Alvin did not expect Darius to do that. Then again, Alvin couldn’t defend himself even if he anticipated the kick. Thus, he flew a distance away, landing on the ground next to Jeremiah with a blow. Jeremiah roared, alarmed at the sudden appearance of something near his feet. He then kicked Alvin out of instinct.Not a squeak came from Alvin, who blacked out immediately after. The only thing proving he was still alive was his subtle breaths.A smirk formed on Darius' face when he heard the commotion behind him, in
Jeremiah wanted to die at that moment. He knew Darius intended to make him pay until all his wealth was gone. Hopelessness clouded his eyes as he looked at Darius. “Must you be so cruel? You caused trouble for this hotel! Even if Dream Investment Group doesn’t take action against you, they’ll make your life a living hell.”“I’ve already heard similar threats like this multiple times today. Yet, no one has made good on their words so far,” replied a sighing Darius with his hands in his pocket.Jeremiah’s face darkened.He knew Darius' mind had been made, so there was no turning back. Thus, he got off the ground, glowered at Darius, and spoke through gritted teeth. “I’ll end my life if I lose all my wealth. Should that happen, I’ll make sure everyone knows you forced me to my death! That will spark endless public hatred toward you!”With every word, he grew complacent, his eyes lighting up with anticipation. He wanted to see the fear and regret on Darius' face as the latter begged for forgiv
“How is this possible? I must be dreaming!”Darius stopped in his tracks upon hearing that. He then looked at Adulayev, who was too afraid to speak, before saying, “I believe you’re aware of what has just happened.”Fear swirled in Adulayev’s eyes.He never imagined his new boss to be such a terrifying person. Feeling shaken up, he kept gulping, not daring to do anything else.Adulayev never once believed a person with so much money could exist. However, it did not matter what he thought, as the truth had now appeared before him. On top of that, he was the only member who survived the wrath of such an elite tycoon.He cautiously trailed behind Darius with his gaze on the ground, too frightened to straighten his back.Darius could sense Adulayev’s anxiety and fear, despite looking ahead. He then turned to tell the latter, “Don’t worry. You made the right choice.”A smile graced his face as he resumed, “You can stay here and watch what’s about to happen if you’ve got some spare time.”Adulayev
“Those who snickered will be sent to prison, where they’ll pay for all their previous wrongdoings. As for those who didn’t snicker, I’ll let you off the hook by only taking your assets as punishment,” Darius declared.All six members opposite him paled drastically.Their legs wobbled like jelly as they lost all their willpower. Desperate, they wanted to grovel at Darius' feet and plead for his forgiveness, but they did not do so.Their pride stood in the way. They clung to the hope that Darius had likely made many enemies. They felt one of those enemies would try to take Darius down. An example was Murray Hotel’s backer, Dream Investment Group, whom they figured could eventually get rid of Darius. Thus, they decided to wait for that to happen.Little did they know how wrong they were.Dream Investment Group would never do anything to Darius again as they knew they were no match for him. The company’s boss had also lost a competent bodyguard while trying to assassinate Darius. Although a new
"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