Zane's expression shifted slightly before he sneered dismissively. "I've heard the rumors. He's back, is he? Good. Times have changed. The Snows have fallen, so Gideon's nothing now." "Mr. Farrell, do you want us to act?" the man inquired cautiously. Zane waved his hand dismissively and said, "No need. Instead, intensify the pressure on the Tate family. Within a month, I want Tate Corporation to go bankrupt and out of the picture. Let's see how Gideon feels when that happens." A cold smile spread across Zane's face as he leaned back into his chair. …Meanwhile, at the villa on Beaker Island, Waverly had awakened. Thanks to Gideon's meticulous care, her condition had improved dramatically. Her physical state was much better, and her emotions were finally stabilizing. The moment her gaze fell on Gideon, she became overwhelmed again. Her body trembled uncontrollably as tears streamed down her face. "I'm sorry," Gideon said, his voice laden with guilt. He leaned fo
The man sneered, "You know, your wife is quite the beauty. Selling her off might help clear some of that debt."Ronald erupted like a thunderclap, his face contorted with fury. "You bastard! You're courting death!" he roared."That little bastard Zane ruined my daughter, and now, he dares come for my wife? I'll kill you!" Ronald snapped.Ronald lunged at the man, fists flying.But the middle-aged man was no ordinary opponent. He sidestepped Ronald's attack effortlessly, his movements smooth and precise. With a cold smirk, he swung a fist at Ronald's head.Before it could connect, a hand shot out, catching his fist mid-swing."What the—" The man's expression twisted into shock.The next moment, a sickening crack echoed through the room.A sharp, guttural scream filled the air.The man's hand was crushed. His bones were shattered beyond repair. He staggered back, clutching his ruined hand and howling in agony."My hand! My hand! You've destroyed my hand!" he shrieked. His eyes
Gideon had spoken with unwavering confidence, his tone firm and resolute. However, Ronald remained skeptical. He sighed inwardly, disappointed by what he perceived as Gideon's lack of self-awareness. To him, Gideon's words were nothing more than empty bravado—a desperate attempt to maintain pride after the fall of his once-glorious family.Ronald understood. Anyone in Gideon's shoes would struggle to accept such a downfall. "Mr. Tate, you don't believe me?" Gideon asked, his sharp eyes fixed on the older man. Ronald shook his head gently, his expression weary. "Gideon, I understand how you feel. But the Farrells are an unstoppable force. Take your time. For now, you're far from being a match for Zane." After a pause, he added grimly, "This latest move from Zane of sending someone to buy out my company shows that he's eager to crush me completely. And now that you've injured his man, this won't end quietly. Both of us are in danger."Gideon's gaze hardened. "Mr. Tate, wha
"I'll repay you a thousand times over in the future," Gideon said, his tone calm but resolute. Rachel scoffed, crossing her arms. "If you were really that rich, why would you need to borrow money from me?" Her voice carried a hint of exasperation.She knew Gideon had a habit of making grand promises, often with no intention of following through.Gideon replied with a faint smile, "My money's tied up overseas. Getting it back isn't exactly quick or easy. How about I give you an IOU? Would that work?" "An IOU?" Rachel's sharp eyes glinted with interest. She twirled a pen in her hand for a moment, then shook her head decisively. "Forget the IOU. Instead, agree to one condition, and I'll lend you the money." "What condition?" Gideon leaned forward, curious. Rachel's serious expression betrayed a rare trace of pleading. With a soft yet firm voice and tinged with an unexpected vulnerability, she said, "I want to see my grandpa just once. I miss him so much. Can you make it
Ronald stood in stunned disbelief.He could never have imagined that Leopold and Nino, two of the most notorious crime bosses in Goldspire, would show up at his villa."Mr. Duran, Mr. Sullivan, why are you here?" Ronald asked, his voice trembling with both fear and uncertainty.Leopold gave a faint smile and said, "Mr. Tate, there's no need to be so nervous. We're not here to harm you. Quite the opposite, actually. We're here to save your life.""What?" Ronald's confusion deepened as his brows furrowed.Leopold explained calmly, "Rowan Wolfe, a criminal underling of the Farrell family, is on his way here with an army of men."The words struck Ronald like a thunderclap, leaving him visibly shaken.Nino added, his tone cold and resolute, "Don't worry, Mr. Tate. As long as we're here, Rowan won't leave this place alive."Ronald hesitated, still trying to process the situation. "Why would you save me?"The two men exchanged a knowing look before Leopold replied nonchalantly, "Rowa
"Get them!" Rowan shouted, his voice strained. His ribs were shattered, and his chest was in agony. He had little strength left to fight. Nino and Leopold had him completely outmatched.However, despite his cry, there was no movement outside.Nino smirked and said, "There's no point in yelling. We didn't come alone. We each brought three to five hundred men. He added, "While you have just over a hundred, we have over a thousand. They're all around you, and they're not going to move a muscle. There's no one coming to save you."At that moment, Rowan's face twisted with despair.Leopold walked forward, with a machete in his hand. Rowan pleaded as Leopold walked closer to him, "Mr. Sullivan, please have mercy. I'm backed by the Farrell family. You may have great power, but you surely don't want to cross the Farrells."Leopold's lips curled into a mocking smile. "The Farrell family? What's that to us? With a single word from our boss, the Farrell family would be reduced to ash."
There were two good news for Ronald.First, Zane had been taken into police custody. While it was unlikely that he would face a harsh sentence, at least it had delivered a significant blow to the Farrell family, and Zane had been humbled. Secondly, the promised 300 million dollars had finally been transferred into his account. The debts were settled. Now, his focus shifted to keeping the business afloat. In high spirits, Ronald drove to Gideon's villa in Beaker Island to meet Lucinda and Waverly. "Dad!" Waverly called out as he entered."Waverly," Ronald replied, his voice cheerful.Seeing Waverly looking thinner than before tore at Ronald's heart. Ronald nearly broke down in tears. He pulled Waverly into a tight embrace and comforted her, "It's over now. Don't worry. That bastard Zane has been arrested." "Really?" Waverly asked, her voice filled with hope.Ronald replied, his tone steady, "Yes. But don't get your hopes up. It's just temporary, and there's no guarantee
Brody let out a relieved sigh. Killing off street-level thugs wasn't a problem, but this… The underworld of Goldspire was about to undergo a dramatic shift. Brody knew it well. Zane's mention of Owen wasn't to be taken lightly.Owen was a top-tier assassin. He'd reportedly joined a world-class assassination organization, eliminating countless powerful figures. While Leopold and Nino were strong, even they would stand no chance against an international assassin of Owen's caliber. It was both tragic and ironic. Leopold and Nino had just wiped out the Yovarian Guild, strengthening their forces, only to meet an untimely end.The balance of the Goldspire underworld would be thrown into chaos.Brody said carefully, "Mr. Farrell, with Leopold and Nino gone, the underworld will be thrown into disarray. We could use this opportunity to gather power, unite forces, and create a new organization under the Farrell family banner."Zane scoffed, his voice determined, "Gather power? What n
Elara got into Damian's car."Ms. Seymour, where are you headed?" Damian asked."Home."Damian obediently started driving.Before long, she asked, "Mr. Horne, do you have cash on hand?""What's the matter? Are you short on money, Ms. Seymour?" he repliedShe said, "I've been eyeing a small apartment lately. The location is great, and I'm planning to buy it, but I'm a bit short on funds. Mr. Horne, could you lend me a little money?"He thought for a moment and asked, "How much?""300 thousand dollars," she said, holding up three fingers.Then, she added, "We may not have much of a connection, but for Gideon's sake, can you help me out just this once? I'll pay you back as soon as I can."Damian nodded. "No problem. It's 300 thousand dollars, not three million dollars. I can manage that. Let's exchange numbers, and you can send me your bank account details.""Thank you, Mr. Horne.""There's no need to be so formal," he replied casually while chuckling.For the Horne family, m
Elara was disappointed. Just a moment ago, she thought that the Horne family and the Snow family had genuinely established a strong relationship, which was why Damian had stepped in to help Gideon.She hadn't expected it was only because the Horne family was a shareholder in the clubhouse.Damian simply didn't want an incident on his turf. It wouldn't look good, after all."Get lost!" Damian barked coldly.Harold and the others didn't dare linger."Wait a minute!"Damian's sharp tone froze Harold in place. He shivered and braced himself to ask, "Is there anything else, Mr. Horne?""Take him with you." Damian pointed to the unconscious young man on the couch."Yes, yes, of course." Harold called out to his companions, and together, they carried the injured man out of the clubhouse.Elara also left with them.Once the room was empty, Damian dropped his intimidating demeanor and turned into an eager subordinate, grinning as he said, "How did I do, Gideon?""You're pretty quic
"Cuff him!" the officer shouted sternly.Harold and the others looked on, pleased, while Elara was at a loss for what to do.Gideon was visibly displeased. Just as he was about to react, a cold voice rang out from outside the room, "What are you doing here?"Everyone turned to look.Harold was stunned for a moment. Then, he hurried forward. "Mr. Horne, it's you!"The newcomer was none other than Damian, the eldest son of the Horne family.Damian had been passing by and glanced into the private room. When he saw Gideon surrounded by police officers, his heart skipped a beat.The last time Gideon was arrested, the entire Goldspire was thrown into upheaval. If something like that happened again, the consequences would be unimaginable.Without hesitation, Damian stepped in to intervene. He cast a sidelong glance at Harold.He had heard of him before. Harold was a young entrepreneur and owner of a company in Goldspire. Although he might have been a promising youth, Damian didn't
Elara's heart skipped a beat. For some reason, she suddenly felt a pang of guilt. She lowered her head and couldn't bring herself to look at Gideon.However, the rich heirs in the room were not about to let this slide.In the past, they had to look up to Gideon. Now that the Snow family had fallen, they were not going to miss the chance to humiliate him."Did I say you could leave?" One of the rich heirs stepped in front of Gideon to block his path."Move!" Gideon barked coldly.The heir was startled for a moment before flying into a rage. "Why the hell are you acting up? Do you think you're still the high-and-mighty heir of the Snow family?"With that, he swung his hand to slap Gideon across the face.Gideon caught the man's arm, and with a sudden, crushing grip, a loud crack echoed through the room as the man's arm shattered.The rich heir's scream, like the wailing of a slaughtered pig, filled the room.Everyone was stunned.They stared in shock at the man's mangled and tw
"You're treating me to a meal?" Gideon asked."You saved me and stopped Matthew from assaulting me. Isn't it normal for me to thank you by treating you to a meal? Let's go." Elara gestured for him to follow.Rubbing his nose, Gideon felt a little puzzled. He couldn't figure out what she was up to.Since when did she become so polite? She even knew how to show gratitude, huh?They entered a high-end clubhouse and headed straight upstairs to the sixth floor.As they walked, Gideon sensed something wasn't quite right. The clubhouse was extremely luxurious, and the costs were undoubtedly sky-high. Elara couldn't possibly afford a private room on the sixth floor.A cacophony of loud laughter and voices filled the air when the door was pushed open."Ella, you're here!" A well-dressed young man approached her with a smile."And this must be Gideon! Mr. Snow, right? I've heard so much about you." The young man extended his hand toward Gideon.Gideon shook his hand, thinking it wou
"Ms. Trott, what did you say? One billion dollars? Are you saying Ms. Avila is ready to invest that much in me?""No kidding!" Maggie rolled her eyes.Matthew was dumbfounded. Then, he immediately flushed with excitement, his body trembling.One billion dollars! Good Lord! If he were to just put it in the bank and live off the interest, he would be set for life!"I've said all I need to say. Think it over carefully. But remember my advice. Ms. Avila doesn't like delays. Act quickly, or you'll miss the once-in-a-lifetime chance to leap into greatness.""Okay, okay. Thank you, Ms. Trott. I'll treat you to a scrumptious meal sometime."Matthew hurriedly left the building and got into the car. He couldn't wait to call Jacob. "How did it go? Did it work out?" Jacob asked.From his tone, it was clear that Jacob was nervous, his voice slightly trembling with anticipation."Dad, file for bankruptcy immediately. Shut down the company and clear out all the junk."Jacob was stunned. "Y
"Ms. Avila, here is my proposal. Please take a look."In the office, Matthew handed the proposal to Rachel, waiting with eager anticipation.Truthfully, Rachel didn't have the slightest interest in looking at the proposal. She didn't even want to flip it open.However, for Gideon's sake, she decided to put some effort into putting Matthew and the Carter family through the wringer. Suppressing her impatience, she opened the proposal.Upon reading it, she found it to be complete garbage. The proposal that Jacob had arranged for someone to write had some level of competence, but unfortunately, it was entirely unworthy of Rachel's standards.For a second- or third-rate business owner, the proposal might have seemed decent. But for someone of Rachel's caliber and position, reading it was nothing but a waste of ten minutes.Matthew asked, "Ms. Avila, what do you think?""It's alright," she replied with a forced smile.Hearing this, he was overjoyed. "Ms. Avila, does that mean I've pa
Matthew was completely stunned after getting slapped. "Dad, what did I do?"Jacob roared, "What did you do? Because of you, the Lawson family has terminated all their collaborations with us."The company is already struggling, barely staying afloat with those projects from the Lawsons. Now that they've been cut, the company is completely paralyzed. We're one step away from bankruptcy!"Matthew finally understood. It had to be because he had embarrassed Kian at Avila Group earlier. That old man was getting his revenge."Dad, don't worry. The Lawsons won't be able to stay smug for long. Give it some time, and Kian will be kneeling in front of us, begging for forgiveness.""Bullshit!" Jacob slapped him again. "You little punk! Are you out of your mind? The company is on the brink of bankruptcy, and you're still spouting this nonsense! Have some shame!"Feeling wronged, Matthew protested, "Dad, I'm telling the truth! I was going to tell you yesterday, but I didn't come home.""Tell
Kian left Avila Group with a dark expression. On his way back, he wasted no time in contacting his company's project department to terminate all collaborations with the Carter family."That little punk. I want to see just how much of a splash the Carter family can make. I'll wait for you to come crawling back to me and begging to resume our partnership." He sneered coldly.He didn't believe for a second that Matthew could earn Rachel's favor. He knew exactly what kind of person Matthew was.…Meanwhile, Matthew was reporting the situation in Rachel's office. He started by mentioning that he had already canceled contracts with families like the Seymour family. Rachel nodded approvingly. "You've done a good job."Matthew was overjoyed. To be praised by Rachel felt like pure bliss."Ms. Avila, don't worry. I'll prove my abilities to you," he said eagerly. "By the way, when will you be investing in me?" he asked, his voice filled with anticipation.Rachel sneered inwardly, but her