Luna had met Cato online, and she thought him handsome from his photos.She was certainly hoping to hook up while building a business relationship, only for things to turn out like this."You?" Cato turned in disdain toward Luna right then, grinning. "Why don't you take a good look in the mirror, pig?! I wouldn't even have bothered with you if it wasn't for your money!"His venomous retort left Luna thunderstruck."Be careful who you meet online, I guess." Frank chuckled nonchalantly, perfectly calm enough to joke around even though he was up against a dozen thugs, as if it was just a walk in the park."What do we do, Frank?" Helen asked anxiously."Don't worry. No one will lay a finger on you as long as I'm around."Cato could hear him brag and snapped right then.He threw the wrench at Frank while bellowing furiously, "Go! Kill that bastard, but spare the chick. Whoever lays a finger on him will answer to him!"The goons all grinned in understanding.On the other hand, Fr
Frank somehow floored those dozen over men with relative ease without breaking a sweat.There was no doubt about it—the man was a martial artist!How unlucky could he be?! Martial artists were far and few between… but he somehow ended up messing with one, and it had to be some backwater bumpkin at that!Cato certainly knew he had messed up big time now.At the same time, Frank dropped to a crouch before Cato and grabbed him by the hair, impassive even as he asked, "You were saying you're going to have some fun with my girl, weren't you?""Frank!" Helen rolled her eyes in the distance, exasperated.Was that the only thing Frank heard?Frank simply ignored her as he flashed a sickly sweet smile at Cato. "So? Are you still going to do it?"Cato shook his head so violently his neck could break, already scared out of his mind."Well, you certainly can talk…" Frank sighed, his eyes flashing sharply as he suddenly snapped, "I've never even had fun with her myself, y'know!""Please!
Luna was heartbroken, not because Cato tried to cheat her of her money, but because Cato would rather kidnap Helen than lay a finger on her even though she was basically offering herself up for him!"Is there really so much difference between me and Helen?" she mused miserably even as she drank herself silly at the bar.Meanwhile, Frank and Helen took a booth seat and were waiting for someone. Around half an hour, Ned arrived. "Mr. Lawrence." He was no longer his meek self from before, and was brimming with energy even as he took a seat.Seeing Helen sitting beside Frank right then, he asked hesitantly, "She's…?""My ex-wife, Helen Lane," Frank smiled as he made the introductions. "And I've asked you here because she needs a favor.""Ex-wife?" Ned appeared stunned for a moment, but got up and shook Helen's hand politely. "You really are dazzling, Ms. Lane—I actually wondered for a moment if some top star graced this bar."Then, shooting Frank an upset look, he sighed in disap
"Oh, right!" Ned chuckled as he added, "My family will foot the bill for materials and construction service up front. You can pay everything at once after the acceptance test.""Asking for payment after you finished construction? What even is this godly business?"Helen could hardly believe that there was a subcontractor company that was this reliable. Did Ned not care that he might not be paid?Seemingly seeing Helen's confusion, Ned smiled. "I understand that you might be confused, but I can tell you that it's Mr. Lawrence's character that I trust. His judgment is above question, and he vouches for you—not to mention that you're his ex-wife. And given my partnership with Mr. Lawrence, a billion is really nothing. Hell, I wouldn't mind footing ten!"Helen's mouth was hanging wide open, understanding profoundly how reliable Frank was just then."In that case, I must thank you before all else," she exclaimed, ready to bow.Ned quickly stopped her, chuckling. "Please, Ms. Lane! N
"However!"Luna then reached out to smack Ned repeatedly on the cheek, chuckling. "There's one other family that one must never underestimate too… and that's the Janko family. Rumor has it that they're ready to replace the Lawrences, who are falling into decline."Leveling a look of pity at Helen, Luna grinned. "So, do you really think that the heir to such a grand dynasty of enormous influence would go out of his way to help you with something so frivolous? That's what I've been saying all along… you've been scammed!"Luna then clapped Ned on the shoulder while sneering, "You really know how to put up an act, kid. How much did Frank spend hiring you? Honestly, did you forget about bringing bodyguards? I guess those clothes must have cost you your entire budget, huh?"Ned smacked her hand away before she could reach his shirt and turned toward Frank. "Who is she, Mr. Lawrence?""Helen's cousin. Just ignore her," Frank said, shooting Luna a look of contempt."Oh, you're going to k
The fact that Ned offered to take payment after building the mansion already disproved Luna's insistence that it was a scam. If anything, asking for a single full payment after the acceptance was a gesture of faith—that they really were not eager for their money.If anything, Luna was obviously trying to harass Frank, as she was taking out on him the disdain Cato showed him.Though Frank was the one who saved her from that conman, she somehow considered Frank the reason her love life went up in smoke.She wanted Frank to suffer because she did!"In that case…"Frank was just about to take up Ned's invitation to visit Janko Gardens and disappoint Luna when Helen's phone rang."Sorry, I have to take this." Helen smiled apologetically at Ned as she hurried away.At the same time, Luna was still rambling on. "Hah! Just look at you pigs… I can tell you're all involved in this scam, refusing to show proof… I'll call Mommy! I'll tell her that you ruined my love life and harassed me—"
Talnam was a country neighboring Draconia down south. Things had always been hostile between them, and border conflicts were frequent.In fact, if not for the intimidating presence of the Lord of the Southern Woods in Southdam, one could expect more skirmishes and intrusion into the country. After all, he was the most feared Draconese in Talnam.As such, this kidnapping was utterly bizarre—what could possibly have driven the Talnamese to sneak into Morhen, the very heart of Draconia?And being the Lord of the Southern Woods' son, Frank, had no reason to ignore the kidnapping, whether it was for Gina's sake or his inherited distaste for the Talnamese.After some thought, he nodded. "In that case, I'm going over. The fact that the Talnamese are showing up in the country means things are probably more complicated than we think."Ned nodded in turn. "Then I'm coming with you."Frank agreed reluctantly—he would rather not, but he needed directions or he would have trouble finding th
Helen certainly did not understand why Frank would go all out, even sending for bodyguards."It is." Frank nodded solemnly, and he was concerned over none other than the Talnamese's presence here.The only person who had a connection with them was most likely Frank himself. After all, the Talnamese still held a grudge for the time when the Lord of the Southern Woods led an insurgency into Talnam and almost abducted their king.As the only son of the Lord of the Southern Woods, Frank was worried that the Talnamese were after him.And those folks were known for their savagery—if they really had Gina, Frank would not risk letting Helen get caught by them too.And most of all, he would not allow himself to be used as a bargaining chip against his own father. He would rather die than allow himself to get involved with that man again, especially if it was because of his own competence.With that, Frank brought Ned along in his Maserati and drove straight to the outer reaches of South M