"In other words…" Frank reared his head and leveled Glen a look of disdain. "Vicky is only worth fifteen billion dollars to you?""What, is that not enough for you?" Glen frowned in growing impatience—Frank really had an appetite!"No." Frank smiled, shaking his head. "In your world, money can buy everything… But for me, it's just scrap paper. I won't give up on Vicky no matter how much you pay me, because she's priceless to me.""Frank Lawrence!" Kendra flipped out right then, pointing at Frank as she snapped, "We've been playing nice, whippersnapper!""Be reasonable!" Glen bellowed at Frank too. "I've been extending enough olive branches endlessly, but if you keep being stubborn…""What?" Frank leveled a gloating look at Glen's furious glare."Retainers! Take him—we'll enforce our family's law!" Glen bellowed, giving up on all pretense since Frank was not giving in.He would kill Frank right here and now—they just had to make him vanish if he refused to give up on Vicky!"Wai
However, Glen could also see his father's tearful, miserable look.Eventually, he gritted his teeth and gave in. "I'll let you see Vicky if you cure my father completely, alright?!""I don't believe you." Frank smiled and shook his head."What—" Glen blurted.Frank raised a hand to stop him right then, his expression cool as he said, "I've already seen how you rose to prominence as a magnate—verbal agreements are clearly pointless since you won't honor them. Do you really think your words still hold sway over me? How cute."Frank's ruthless unmasking of Glen's true nature almost gave Glen a stroke, but he mustered himself for his father's sake and asked Frank stiffly, "Then what are your demands?""I want to meet Vicky right now," Frank said calmly. While Glen did not refuse him immediately, he shook his head and asked quietly, "Why should I trust you? What if you refuse to help my father after you meet Vicky?""Then it's pointless to discuss this." Frank waved him off. "Take
With those words, Frank laughed coolly and started to leave."Wait… Please wait!" George cried out in anguish, dropping out of bed with a thud as he crawled toward Frank. "Please, you have to help me! I don't want to die… Not like that!"His cries left Kendra panicking. She rushed up and grabbed her son by the arm as she begged, "Oh, just let him meet Vicky! It's really no big deal!""It's not as simple as you'd like to think, Mother!" Glen explained even as he struggled out of her grasp, his cheeks heating up like a kettle, "You know Vicky's temper—if he sees her and she decides to leave with him, do you think we can stop them? I had to go through great lengths just to convince her to accept the family's arrangement. What if she regrets it once she sees him?"Sighing, he added, "And don't forget that Titus is still outside. Do you think we can hide this from him? What would he think of us if he finds out? It's going to be a crisis!""B-But…" Kendra was dumbstruck. "But we can
Naturally, the woman was none other than Vicky.She did not hesitate to lunge at Frank as soon as she saw him, and as they locked gazes for several beats, she jammed her lips on his with passion that would leave anyone blushing."Ahem…"There was no telling how long had passed, and they finally pulled away when a servant cleared her throat."Madam Zims, could you cough elsewhere? I hate you!" Vicky rolled her eyes at the woman, staring daggers."Actually, Ms. Turnbull…" Madam Zims glanced pointedly nearby, and Vicky turned to find Titus himself standing there.The sinister look on his face was palpable—forget Vicky lunging at Frank and kissing him enthusiastically, the fact that she had to be told that Titus was there made it clear Vicky really did not care about him."I think I should remind you that we're getting married in three days, Vicky," he said darkly."Hah! Who wants to marry you?! I'm taking it back! I'm leaving with my darling!" Vicky snapped, her legs still wrapped
Vicky was an authority on that subject.However, she was not drawn to Frank just for his looks—it was his style, attitude, and measures which left Vicky profoundly enchanted.If she never met him, he might really have gone with the family's arrangement to marry Titus.But now that she had Frank, she could not care less about Titus.Moreover, Titus' accomplishment and current position was something he gained by riding his family's coattails, whereas Frank relied on himself to get where he was today.In time, he would outclass Titus by a mile—something which Vicky held in profound conviction.Leveling a solemn glare at Titus, she said, "I never believe in bullshit like fate—I'll take my life in my own hands, so I'll tell you this now: I'll never marry you. I love Frank and adore him, and he's the only one I'll ever marry. That engagement of ours? Hah! Fuck off!""Please, Ms. Turnbull!" Madam Zims dropped to her knees audibly, kowtowing endlessly, "Please reconsider! Every life in
Titus could see that he was achieving nothing too and got into his car.Before he left, he wound down his window and said quietly, "Vicky, it's all up to you—whether you're choosing my family's protection, or to let the South Sea Crow wipe out your family. I won't tell you what to do."Make up your mind in three days—during your family's annual dinner, an envoy from my family will send for you. If you refuse, consider the alliance between our families severed… at that point, you can really do whatever you like."With that, he reclined against his seat as he told his chauffeur to drive away.Vicky was left standing there, scowling.She was not stupid—if anything, she was quite smart. One did not become the most famous independent woman in Riverton by being a simpleton.In fact, she had already spotted Titus as soon as she saw Frank.That was why she instantly made up her mind to greet Frank so intimately while giving Titus the cold shoulder. It was her way of telling Titus that s
"Oh, right…"Vicky turned toward Frank, frowning as she remembered something. "Darling… Did Uncle Glen let you see me just because you asked? That's really not his style.""Oh, don't get me started…"Frank was about to promise Vicky that he would deal with the South Sea Crow, only for him to change the subject.As such, he had no choice but to tell her about the 'trials' he had to pass just to meet her.Vicky was stamping her feet in frustration just as he was halfway done. "I told him not to upset you whatever he did or threaten you with your family. He just wouldn't listen… And Uncle Zac too! Who on earth asks for a favor like that?!""Heh. Hold your horses—I haven't reached the fun part." Frank chuckled.Shaking his head, he told Vicky about the wager with Titus and Glen, the pain he went through with Professor Roberts just to treat George, and everything else.Vicky pursed her lips, almost cursing out loud. "Uncle Glen doesn't even care if Grandpa dies?! And it's your succe
Giving Frank a wistful gaze, Vicky asked, "When are you leaving, darling?""Not at the moment," Frank said after some thought. "I still need to treat your grandfather, and I estimate it'll take three days before I remove all the rot earwig eggs inside him. After that, I'll be handling your problem." "My problem?" Vicky was left a little stunned."Yeah." Frank nodded and smiled. "You said your family is on edge because of the South Sea Crow, right? I'm here now, and I'm not about to watch you suffer—I'll deal with her, and then we'll go back to Riverton together, okay?"His offered hand and earnest offer left Vicky spacing out for a moment. She put her palm on his warm hand, though she soon came to her senses and lowered her head so she could wipe away a tear without him seeing.Forcing a smile, she shook her head and said, "Darling, I know you're amazing and accomplished so much I wouldn't ever dream of… But the South Sea Crow is different. I don't want you to get in danger be
Frank was not only the smart guy out there in the whole right world. In other words, Mr. Creston had that in mind too!He was helping because he had felt insulted after Frank flexed on him earlier, and Dani was still useful to him—for now.When she handed over the company, however, he would not hesitate to kick her out! On top of that, he would make sure that she took the fall for all the dirty deeds they did together.In the end, she would not even be able to defend herself, while suffering lawsuits and public condemnation!Even so, she said, "I understand now. But it's never too late—I swear I'll change if you give me a chance!"Frank simply turned to Zein. "Actually, this man had the right idea—if he gave you a chance, who would give him one?"We're all adults here, so act your age. I'm sure you understand how a good opinion, once lost, is lost forever.""I get it!" Dani quickly said. "You don't have to keep me around, just—""No!" Frank snapped and crushed her left hand und
Dani was under the impression that even if the goons were not the best, they were on the cusp of reaching that level anyway.It turned out to be just her wishful thinking—when against the truly powerful, she was a lamb at the mercy of the butcher's knife, no matter how many people she brought! "To be honest, I'm curious as to what you're thinking." Frank snorted as he strode up to Dani. "Why dump a man who loves you dearly for some prick you don't even know? Being abused in that state and still thinking that you'd chosen wisely—do you actually have a brain?"Seeing her launching, he knew she was not listening, and he tore her ear off!The horrific pain jolted Dani to her senses, and she was left clutching what remained of her ear as she stared at the seemingly handsome man.She was under the impression that Frank would let her live even if she lost, but it was once again wishful thinking.He would kill her, and savagely at that!And she was certainly right, since Frank had ne
Drunken Moon quickly shook her head. "Don't worry about rewarding us. Nothing's better than getting you back on your feet. Did you know that you looked just like a zombie when I saw you again? You really gave me a scare there."Zein chuckled. "Can't help it—I really had no idea what I could do against them, so I could only flounder. But with this man recovering my mother's ashes, it's over for them."Turning to Frank, he nodded. "Don't worry, brother—I'm no ingrate. I'll definitely make this worth your while."Frank shook his head too.It was a simple thing for him to do, and he had volunteered in the first place. Why leverage grace for trinkets?Even as the thought crossed his mind, someone kicked open the door, and soon, a dozen goons stormed inside. With their black tank tops, machetes, and muscular figures, they were clearly not to be trifled with.And they were led by none other than Dani herself, striding inside like a queen, as if she had everything under control.Zein
"Argh!!! This place is haunted!!!"Horrified, Dani clung to Mr. Creston, eager to earn his comfort.Contrary to her expectations, Mr. Creston was much more knowledgeable and pushed her away, growling, "There's no such thing as haunting, only reckless brats. So tell me, who are you, boy?"Frank smirked. "I'm surprised you're that knowledgeable. But to be honest, who I am doesn't matter—what matters is that you're a subhuman piece of shit!"Then, as Mr. Creston and Dani looked on, the box of ashes vanished.While Dani screamed again, Mr. Creston was ready to call for help when he felt someone seizing his throat, and he could not make a sound."Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you—I'll just make sure your reputation would go up in smoke before you go to jail. That's the best either of you could hope for."As Frank's voice became distant, Mr. Creston could move again and promptly slapped Dani across the face.Amusingly, she did not get upset from that. In fact, she hung her head
It was superstition, as even fools knew that reincarnation was not real. But the richer they were, the more superstitious they got.Still, Drunken Moon said, "I'll get your mother's ashes back."Zein signed. "Thanks for the offer, but it's too dangerous. And she'd really do it if she's pushed too far."Drunken Moon would not want to bother Frank since this was her friend's problem and not hers, and he was not obliged to help. However, she honestly did not want to let people like Dani strut and leveled a pleading look at Frank.She simply did not know that Frank was always eager to help, and he had to agree that Dani was too sickening to be left at large.Putting a hand on his chest, he assured Zein, "Just tell me where the urn is. I'll definitely recover it for you."Zein was rubbing his brow as he said, "The people you're dealing with aren't as simple as they appear."Frank chuckled. "That applies to others too."And with those words, he disappeared.Zein—who had been lou
As Frank and Drunken Moon chatted, a thirtyish man opened the door. His tailored suit was draped lopsidedly, and stubble grew all over his chin.On top of that, there were wide dark circles under his eyes, both of which were bloodshot."Drunken Moon?" His eyes lit up when he realized who it was, but only for a second as his gaze soon dulled again.Drunken Moon turned to Frank. "Allow me to introduce you to a friend, Lugh Frankton. Lugh, this is my friend Zein Dunham. You can just call him Zein."After the men shook hands, Zein ushered them inside and made them tea.Then, he curled into himself as he sat on a couch, looking miserably insomniac."You don't look like yourself," Drunken Moon pointed out, puzzled. "Did you suffer some sort of trauma?"Zein smiled wryly. "You never know what could happen to you, I guess. Live and let live."Drunken Moon looked around and realized that all of Zein's wedding photos were gone.In fact, anything that had to do with Dani Farron, Zein's w
Damn their horrible luck! They would not be in this situation if Lanky Man was not eager to get himself a wife!Meanwhile, as Frank and Drunken Moon left, the latter giggled and asked, "Hey, could you come along while I visit a friend? It's rare that I can be out and about, so I'll just treat this as a holiday. That means I should properly unwind instead of going back right away."Frank nodded. He had nothing else to do anyway and followed Drunken Moon to a luxurious residential area.They could have entered directly, but since Drunken Moon did not know which house her friend lived in, she asked the security guard, "Do you know Zein Dunham? I'm a friend. Would you happen to know where he lives?"Though Drunken Moon was very polite, the security guard studied her from head to toe before scowling in contempt. "You can't go in without an appointment, lady, and I definitely can't give you any resident's address either—I'd get fired."Stepping out of the security shack, Drunken Moon ap
Lanky Man could not help flashing a thumb-up at Frank.However, the gesture changed just as Frank was not watching—with a flash of blue light, countless needles rained down on Frank!Nonetheless, Frank did not move.The needles continued toward him before clanging loudly as they came to a stop near him, as if striking a wall.Lanky Man could not help being stunned—that was his killing stroke, and he launched it at Frank when he let his guard down.However, the kid was somehow able to cast some barrier that nullified his attacks. What the hell was that even?!"Curious, aren't you?" Frank asked just then. "I'm sure the people you butchered would've been curious about your powers too. Now that the tables have turned, I must ask—has it ever crossed your mind that you're the same as them?"At those words, Lanky Man's knees buckled and he dropped to his knees.It was only natural that he imagined his defeat, but not one this pathetic.Frank never even broke a sweat, but nothing work
Despite Drunken Moon's agility, a needle struck her in the left shoulder after she dodged them multiple times.Gritting her teeth in pain, she smirked. "I'm surprised you're this strong."Lanky Man laughed. "It's not just you—I don't know why I'm this good either."Ever since I was a child, every person I've met, regardless of age or sect, could never win against me. It's really a pain being so strong—normal folk really wouldn't catch my eye, so I was hoping you'd change your mind, priestess."Drunken Moon sighed. "Then it's a shame that you've run into someone you shouldn't, or you might really have gotten your chance at showing off."And with those words, she chanted her incantation.Soon, blue light converged and formed a human silhouette.It was naturally Frank himself in the flesh!Even as Frank studied his own body, he actually found it interesting—in a way, he was able to teleport.In that case, would he not be making bank if he worked as a courier or pizza boy?"Who a