Ansel fell silent here. He didn’t know what else to say.After a few seconds of silence, the person on the other end of the line burst into laughter. Ansel could sense the deep mockery in it. “Oh, my God! You’re hilarious! He raised me because of my mother—as his wife’s son, he had a duty to do so.” Bart sounded extremely proud of himself.Ansel shut his eyes and took a few deep breaths before saying, “You’re the ridiculous one. He wasn’t obligated to raise you. Your biological father’s the one who’s duty-bound to do so. He only treated you like his own because he loved your mother, and he’d be heartbroken to hear you say these things.” He trembled with rage.It hadn’t even been half an hour since Elton’s death, yet Bart was already calling him about this. How did he even know about this? “Look, I just want to know why you’re calling.” He didn’t want to say any more than necessary to his stepbrother because it was a waste of time.“I’m sure you already know the answer to that—I want h
“It’s not like he’s done anything to prove his loyalty.”Darius sighed and nodded. “You might be right, but he’s made it clear that he’s on our side. We can’t just stand by and watch him get himself into trouble—it’d be too heartless.” He looked calm. “We have to help him, no matter what. Anyway, I believe he’ll become better at his job in the future. After observing him for some time, I’ve noticed that he seems to be a fast learner.”Edward nodded. “If that’s the case, we’ll need to devise a detailed plan to help him. He doesn’t look like the brightest or most determined. The worst part is that he probably has no experience dealing with these things.”Darius smiled. “That’s exactly what I was worried about.” He shut his eyes. “I already have a rough idea of what to do.”Edward faltered for a second, then regained his composure and continued driving. He glanced at Darius and asked tentatively, “Sir, may I know what the plan is about?”To his surprise, Darius nodded firmly. “Of course
“That means Zack’s been exposed to the public, which puts him in grave danger.”Edward knew Bridget was right, so he shot to his feet and hurried toward her car. He moved so quickly that it seemed he had more than two legs. This was Darius’ first time seeing Edward in such a rush, and it made him want to laugh. However, he suppressed the urge because it was rude. Edward wasn’t as sensitive as Darius was, so he got into Bridget’s car and made his way to the hotel.On the other hand, Bridget sat down beside Darius with a frown. “Sir, are we going to set the plan in motion now?”Darius didn’t start the car. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and said, “No, we have to ask Ansel about this first.”Bridget nodded. Even if she disagreed with his decision, she didn’t say anything.Darius gave her a quick glance before looking down at his phone. Ansel answered Darius’ call almost immediately. “Sir, I think I may need your help.”Darius raised an eyebrow, surprised by how Ansel had addresse
“Because I once saw Patricia coming out of a hotel with a man I’ve never seen before, and they were clinging to each other in public. I’ve never seen anything like it. In fact, I can’t even be sure she gave birth to Bart. I helped her collect her medical report from the hospital before, and I know for a fact she can’t have kids right now. Of course, Bart was born many years ago, so perhaps her condition was different back then.”As he said this, both Darius and Bridget turned to look at him. Bridget couldn’t even bear to blink, afraid that she’d miss out on a single word. Darius leaned back, letting out a sigh. He didn’t expect things to turn out like this and pressed a finger to his temple. “It looks like we’ll be in for a lot of trouble once we get to the Brezinski villa.”No one dared speak because it looked like Darius was reconsidering his decision to help Ansel, and they didn’t want to disturb him. To their surprise, Darius soon said, “Now, I want to know about the Brezinski Gro
In general, people carried their weapons there. Despite Darius’ interest in the security guard, his tone turned grim. “It’s simple—I’m here to see the owner of this villa.”The security guard frowned, sensing he wasn’t someone to be trifled with. He could only force himself to summon every ounce of patience he possessed. “That’s fine and dandy, but I need to know whether you’ve made an appointment. No one’s notified me of a visitor at this hour.”Darius raised an eyebrow, looking amused. “You’re absolutely right… but I don’t have an appointment. And unfortunately for you, I’ll be making my way inside no matter what you say or do.”The security guard sighed. “If that’s the case, I’ll have to apologize in advance. The Brezinski family has never allowed visitors into their home past six in the evening unless it’s for an important banquet. Moreover, since you’ve already proved yourself to be an enemy, I have no choice but to treat you as one.” He pulled out a club and held it tightly.Da
He looked furious. However, he knew this wasn’t the time to deal with them—Darius was the threat here. He staggered to his feet and dashed toward Darius with a menacing look. “You’ve challenged me for far too long. I know you’re powerful, but that doesn’t mean we’re no match for you!” His eyes gleamed with a feral light as if he was an eagle who’d locked in on its prey.Darius frowned, looking annoyed at being stopped again. He narrowed his eyes and said, “You’re a great security guard, but I’ve also given you the respect you deserve by treating you with patience. Consider this a warning—if you don’t get out of my sight, I guarantee I won’t play nice anymore.”Bridget piped up, “Look, you’re just a security guard. You’re not part of the Brezinski family, so there’s no need for you to do so much for them. Mr. Reid is dangerous. If you make him mad, there’s no doubt in my mind that the Brezinski family will hand you over to him.”The lead security guard stopped, looking hesitant. Dariu
Her skin was fair but wrinkled and sagging.Darius raised an eyebrow. He didn’t expect the woman who had constantly defeated Ansel to look like this. He bit his lip, then turned to look at Bart, who wasn’t what he expected either. Bart was fat and slovenly, and his eyes had no hint of wit. In fact, he looked completely out of it. It reminded Darius of what had happened with him and Borisin when he first came to Almiron City.His eyes darkened, but he didn’t say anything. Among the four people, the youngest boy was the one who caught his attention. He looked familiar but didn’t resemble any of the Brezinskis, including Patricia and Bart. Darius bent down and gave him a friendly smile, saying, “Are you Richard?”The boy nodded, blinking his brown eyes innocently. At the same time, he nervously hid behind Patricia. Darius straightened up, sweeping his gaze over Patricia and capturing the annoyance in her eyes. He already had an answer to the question in his mind. “Before this, I couldn
Darius took a deep breath and leaned back, scrutinizing Richard. Based on the intel they’d gathered earlier, Richard was supposed to be eighteen, yet this child didn’t even look like he was ten. He glanced at Patricia. “Before we go into the nitty-gritty stuff, I want you to tell me about Richard.”Patricia’s face darkened, and she scowled, feeling infuriated. However, she didn’t dare let her anger show before Darius, so she ducked her head, trying to think of a way to explain things. When she came up short, she shut her eyes and took a deep breath, balling her hands into fists. There was no way she could admit to something so humiliating! So, she raised her head and looked at Darius fearfully, saying, “Before that, I think you should introduce yourself.”Darius raised an eyebrow, looking scornful. At the same time, he pulled his gun out and turned the safety off. “I’m guessing you heard the gunshot earlier, so I’m surprised you’re not shaking in your boots right now.” He sighed, cr
"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