Sebastian set down his coffee cup, a polite smile on his face. "Mom, as a matter of fact, I do have two friends here in Goldspire."One is in the business world and runs a sizable company. The other comes from a powerful underworld family and is the heir to a prominent faction."His words instantly elevated the room's atmosphere. Maisy and Kristian beamed with pride. Sebastian's connections bolstered their social standing, after all. Even Arnold couldn't help but feel impressed—Sebastian truly lived up to his reputation, rubbing shoulders with the elite from both business and underground circles.Meanwhile, Marion seethed silently, her frustration aimed squarely at Gideon. She could barely contain her disdain for Gideon, who had embarrassed her to no end. Her anger boiled alongside Elara's. Their thoughts aligned—Gideon was dead weight. Divorce was the only option to save their family's dignity.Arnold, oblivious to the tension, praised Sebastian, "Sebastian, you're quite rem
Arnold noticed the tension brewing and quietly pulled Gideon aside. "Gideon, this doesn't look good. I think Sebastian's trying to stir up trouble. You should just leave. There's no point staying here."Gideon smiled faintly. "Dad, don't worry. I'm not so useless that I'd let them walk all over me. Besides, what's the worst they can do? Eat me alive?"Arnold sighed heavily, unsure of what to say.Moments later, a commotion sounded outside the private room. A young man's voice rang out, loud and confident, "Sebastian, I'm here!"Sebastian rose and opened the door, greeting the newcomer with a broad smile. "Dawson! It's been a while.""Sure has," Dawson Hobbs replied with a laugh. "You've been so busy lately that I didn't think I'd catch you here in Goldspire."Turning to Kyla, Dawson grinned. "And this must be your wife. Stunning, as expected! You're one lucky guy, Sebastian.""Greetings, Mr. and Mrs. Seymour and Mr. and Mrs. Morin," he added, greeting the elders in the room with
After downing over a dozen glasses, the difference between the two drinkers became glaringly obvious.Sebastian's face was flushed, and sweat dotted his forehead. His movements also grew unsteady. In stark contrast, Gideon remained composed, his expression calm, as if he'd been sipping water the entire time.It wasn't lost on anyone—Gideon was winning.Sebastian, noticing the imbalance, felt a surge of unease. Gideon's drinking capacity far exceeded his expectations. If this continued, he'd be the one hitting the floor."Sebastian," Gideon said, his tone even but with a faint hint of mockery, "I'm feeling a bit lightheaded. Should we keep going?"Hearing this, Sebastian's confidence reignited. So, Gideon was finally feeling it. He was just good at hiding it. Sebastian grinned slyly. "Of course, Gideon! Tonight, we drink to our hearts' content. Here. Take this bottle.""A full bottle?" Gideon raised an eyebrow. "Straight up," Sebastian declared, uncapping a bottle of high-pr
"What are you doing? Are you really calling Rachel?" Elara looked at Gideon with skepticism.Gideon didn't reply, his calm demeanor unnerving. His silence made both Marion and Elara suspicious. Could he really have Rachel's number? They couldn't entirely dismiss the possibility. After all, Gideon was once the most prominent of Goldspire's Four Elites, while Rachel was among Goldspire's Three Beauties. A connection between them wasn't entirely far-fetched.But as Gideon dialed, his confidence wavered. The call didn't go through."What's wrong?" Arnold asked, noticing Gideon's momentary hesitation."She didn't pick up," Gideon replied. "She's likely in a meeting or dealing with something important."The change in Elara's and Marion's expressions was immediate—disdain and fury painted across their faces.For a brief moment, they had entertained the idea that Gideon might actually pull this off. Now, they felt utterly humiliated for even considering it.Even if Gideon once had
Dawson froze, Terrence's furious words still ringing in his ears. "You ungrateful brat! I've told you countless times to keep a low profile, but no. You had to flaunt yourself everywhere! "And now look at what you've done—our entire family is ruined! The Hobbs family is done for! Decades of hard work are gone overnight…" "Dad?" Dawson shouted, panic overtaking him.The call abruptly ended. Dawson's hands trembled as he stared at his phone, his entire body cold as ice. It felt as though the walls were closing in, suffocating him.Dawson slumped to the ground, his face pale and lifeless. His mind raced, trying to comprehend what had just happened.He wondered who did this. He racked his brain, desperate to identify the culprit. But in recent weeks, he had been careful to avoid offending anyone of importance. He had no enemies powerful enough to orchestrate something of this magnitude.Then, a face flashed in his mind."Gideon!" He gasped.But he quickly shook his head, dism
"What did you just say?" Rachel asked."Ms. Avila, our corporate account suddenly has five billion dollars deposited into it! What should we do?" The finance director was practically in tears, overwhelmed not with joy but with sheer panic.Five billion dollars wasn't just an astronomical sum—it was liquid cash. Even at its peak, the Avila family had never come close to handling this much cash. The finance director was terrified. Money of such a scale would undoubtedly attract attention from the banks, law enforcement, and regulatory authorities, making a joint investigation inevitable. How could they explain it? This wasn't just a financial windfall. It was a potential disaster."Ms. Avila, please think of something!" the director pleaded, nearly jumping out of his skin."Calm down," Rachel said, waving him off. "You can leave the room for now."The finance director hesitated but ultimately complied, shutting the door behind him.Rachel let out a long breath, staring at Gid
Maisy tried to console Sebastian, "That's right, Seb. That trash Gideon must be completely finished by now.""Sebastian!" At that moment, a burly young man strode into the room."Cameron!" Sebastian's eyes lit up.This man was his friend from the underworld, Cameron Mitchell, who came from a family with considerable influence. Rumor had it they commanded a force of 800 men, making them a mid-tier power in Goldspire's underworld.Cameron asked with concern, "Are you alright, Sebastian?""I'm fine," Sebastian replied dismissively with a wave of his hand. "Where's Dawson? Isn't he with you? Have you dealt with Gideon yet?"Cameron hesitated, his expression awkward. "Not yet."Sebastian frowned. Cameron went on to explain, "Something happened. The Hobbs family suddenly suffered a devastating blow. And their company is on the verge of collapse.""What?" The Morins were immediately alarmed. Sebastian asked, "What's going on?""I'm not quite sure," Cameron replied. "All I know is
The only solace Sebastian felt when answering the call was that it wasn't from his father—just an unknown number. He forced himself to remain calm and answered, "Hello, who is this?""Is this Sebastian Halton?" a cold and formal voice replied."Yes, it's me," Sebastian said cautiously."This is the Governmental Accountability Office of Aloport. We've received reports that you're involved in multiple instances of corruption and misconduct. You are hereby summoned for investigation. Where are you currently located?"The words hit Sebastian like a thunderbolt. His face turned pale, and his body trembled. No official could remain composed upon hearing from the Governmental Accountability Office—it was a bureaucratic nightmare capable of ending careers overnight."T-There must be some mistake," Sebastian stammered. "I'm—""No need for explanations. The office has issued an official summons. Where are you right now?" the voice interrupted."I-I'm in Goldspire, Verdura," he managed
"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
The butler left to make arrangements.Not long after, news came back. The butler reported, "Mr. Carter, everything at the Snow residence seems normal.""Are you sure?""There's no doubt about it."Matthew frowned, cursing internally at Fisher for playing games.Could it be that Fisher didn't even take anyone to the Snow residence or follow through on his task? That damn idiot!"Find Fisher. I'm going to skin him alive! That bastard dared to mess with me!"Matthew was furious.…The next morning, the butler rushed into Matthew's room, panicked. "Mr. Carter, something big has happened!""What could be so important? Let me sleep.""Mr. Carter, wake up. Fisher has been arrested. It's not just him, but every single one of his men has been caught, too.""What?" Matthew bolted upright.The butler continued, "This is the latest information, and it's from a reliable source. They say soldiers were mobilized yesterday to arrest Fisher and his 300 men. They've all been taken to the de
With police cars, fighter jets, and soldiers, it was a lineup and display these gangsters had never seen before. Their legs went weak, and they began trembling uncontrollably.Fisher's face turned ashen.Even the Snows were terrified, thinking they must have committed some grave offense for the government to come knocking."What's going on?"Elara was filled with confusion and unease. She had never witnessed such a scene before and didn't dare to even breathe too loudly.Suddenly, a thought popped into her head. She turned to look at Gideon, who was still sitting in the main living room, as though nothing had happened. He continued to sip his coffee leisurely.Could it be…Did he summon all these police cars, fighter jets, and soldiers?That was impossible. How could Gideon possibly have such influence? Elara didn't want to believe it.At this point, the police cars stopped, and several hundred officers got out. Three thousand soldiers also halted, their gazes fixed on Fisher