Chapter 219 The Right Decision##“Don’t do things that irk me anymore if you’re that terrified of me. Otherwise, I can’t promise you’ll still be breathing when you leave this place today,” said Darius.Bilgi trembled even more. He looked up and saw Darius smiling, yet the latter did not seem genuinely happy. That only worsened Bilgi’s fear, causing his teeth to chatter from his increased trembling. He knew Darius was not kidding.Getting killed was an outcome Bilgi did not predict for himself, and he was unsure if he could stop Darius from making it a reality. Thus, his knees wobbled like jelly once more, unable to support the weight of his body. His brain then went blank for some time. Only when his knee bashed into the ground, igniting a sharp sensation in his leg, did he finally snap out of his daze. As that happened, Bilgi could not help but let out a shrill that made everyone’s skin crawl. His alert gaze fixed on Darius, yet the latter ignored him and strolled toward the couch
The security guards’ leader panicked. He bowed deeply, explaining, “I’m terribly sorry, Mr. Reid. We wanted to toss him out of the hotel, but the hotel’s previous lobby manager, Samantha Williams, phoned us and gave strict orders not to harm this man. She also told us to set him free.”As the leader spoke, he cautiously eyed Darius before instantly looking down at the ground.Darius had noticed the former’s actions but did not voice his complaints. After all, he knew the security guards had no say in the matter, so they were innocent. He placed both hands on his hips, sighing. “So, as the head of security, you should be able to make your own judgments.”The leader could not help but tremble just then. He could sense the aggression behind Darius’ words and felt he had made the wrong decision earlier, endangering his current position. There was nothing else he could do except appease Darius so he could keep his job in the long run.“All right, Mr. Reid. I know what I have to do,” he s
、Chapter 221 Frightened##Alicia now looked like a strong career woman. Darius locked eyes with her and was about to speak, but she suddenly ran in his direction. It sparked a grin across Darius’ face as he knew Alicia was still the same, innocent girl at heart. As he stood there and stared at her, his clenched jaw loosened.All the while, Erin stood next to him. She paid attention to his shifting expressions, bitter disappointment forming in her heart. Yet, Erin did not verbalize her feelings or show them on her face. She knew such things would often occur in the future, especially if she wanted to stay beside Darius as more than his secretary. She needed to get used to him being popular among women.Regardless, Darius did not have the slightest idea of what Erin was thinking, and neither did Alicia.At that moment, Alicia had arrived before Darius and was formally bowing to greet him and Erin. “Thank you, Mr. Reid and Miss Erin. I don’t know what kind of life I’d be living now if
A sigh slipped out Darius’ lips when he saw Erin behaving that way. He reached over to press the autonomous driving function before speaking up. “You need to calm down and park the car along the road. We’ll continue this conversation then.”Erin began taking many deep breaths.After she parked the car, Darius continued, “The mistakes you’ve made today aren’t because you messed up—it’s because your mentality has changed. You’ve become more arrogant, thinking we can use money as a crutch to do many things because we’re rich now.”In under a second, Erin’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out. She turned to look at Darius, a whoosh sounding from her sudden movement. Her widened eyes soon met Darius’ blank ones. She could not deny that Darius was right, and that this mentality was a mistake that she never realized she was making. Before she could respond, a loud bang sounded. Their car violently jolted forward and began driving on its own. There was nothing Erin could do to stop
You’re saying I’m not wealthy? Do you see this shirt I’m wearing? It’s by a small designer from Ioblia, worth 3 million dollars. I’m 28 this year, and it’s the first time I’ve been called poor. Honestly, your accusation is hilarious. Everyone in Almiron City knows me because I’m a member of the Gillette family!”While speaking, the man cockily jutted his chin at Erin. He could already picture Erin groveling at his feet for forgiveness. Should that happen, he was more than ready to claim her as one of his women.Yet, that did not happen, much to his dismay.Erin merely stood there with her eyes wide. “The Gillette family?” she said before letting out a frosty chuckle. “Oh, I know all about that family—they’re filthy rich.”A smirk curled on the man’s face.However, it quickly vanished as Erin placed her hands on her hips. She thundered, “I’ve heard plenty about that family, like how they used improper means to acquire massive wealth. Likewise, I know they’ve continued to utilize unscr
“Darius!” Erin’s amplified cries filled the air. Then, she heard Thomas muttering a curse, which sent a chill down her spine. She did not dare stand and see what had happened to Darius. Instead, she remained frozen on the ground.“I’m so sorry, Mr. Reid. I got here too late,” a familiar voice suddenly spoke.“Bridget!” Erin thought, rising to her feet at an inhumanly fast rate. She then looked over the newly arrived car next to her, where a woman got out from the other side. Pressing her aching chest, Erin stumbled onto the ground again. Her legs had given in, and her mind went blank. All her body could do was breathe at that point.On the other hand, Bridget saw Erin from afar and wanted to speak with her. Before she could, she saw Erin collapse onto the ground. Bridget assumed Erin had gotten hurt, so she dashed over to Darius, stopping before him briefly to bow. “Mr. Reid.”While she had not risen from her bow, her eyes continued to examine the other side of the car for Erin.Seei
Following the navigation system’s direction, Darius drove Bridget and Erin to the location of the banquet.Sometime later, Erin finished fixing her makeup in the backseat. She felt awful for letting Darius, her boss, drive them all to the event, so she cleared her throat twice to speak. “Mr. Reid, based on my investigation, the banquet will occur at a location that the Gillettes are familiar with—Remnard Estate, their family home. According to tradition, their family gathers in that estate for significant events throughout the year. Earlier, when we encountered Thomas Gillette, I searched for photos of the Gillette family’s events online and did not see him in any of them. Thus, I firmly believe that man has ulterior motives. Not to mention, it’s quite an uncanny coincidence that he’s showing up now. The Gillettes have always been arrogant. The family’s focus isn’t on their money. Instead, the Gillettes are more concerned with whoever poses a potential threat to them. It’s always bee
Darius could tell Erin was still nervous. Even so, he no longer criticized her opinions nor spoke anymore. All he did was drive in silence.Stifled by the sudden tension, Bridget regretted riding shotgun just then. She complained in her heart, “No wonder Edward refused to join us!”Pin-drop silence filled the car. Such a void was something Bridget had never experienced before, so it suffocated her. She opened her mouth but then kept quiet out of fear, giving up after failing to speak a few times. Not wanting to focus on the awkwardness any longer, Bridget decided it was better to look through the map on her phone instead. That way, she could concentrate on ensuring Darius’ safety.When she scanned every last detail on the map, she felt the car slow down.Numerous expensive cars had parked in the space ahead. Yet, none cost nearly as much as the car Darius drove. Thus, when he arrived at the road before Remnard Estate, everyone halted in their tracks, eyes glued onto his pricey vehicl
"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