Trevon, faced with Lydia's frail and pale figure, finally got to his feet. They headed to an old coffee haunt, only to find it closed.Lydia's face fell. "I'd forgotten, it's not open round the clock."Trevon regarded her with a detached air. "There's a hotel nearby. I'll walk you there."Lydia's eyes brimmed with tears. "You won't even let me stay one night?"Trevon looked at her, his expression serene. "It's not right for us to live together, not being married and all. You know how Madeline is—she can't stand even the smallest fault. I don't want to give her the wrong idea."Her words cut Lydia deep. Her voice spiked with emotion. "Why are you so good to her? She doesn't deserve it! She's the one who ruined what we had! If it weren't for her, we'd be together by now! She's to blame for everything!"But Trevon was the picture of calm, his voice steady. "You're wrong. The reason we're not together is that you left the country."Lydia had fled overseas when she heard Trevon had f
"You know, we're practically family. Just beg me for forgiveness, and I might just let you off the hook this time."Jack's face twisted into a malicious grin, eyeing Trevon like he was nothing more than a helpless stray dog, ready to be kicked around.Trevon shot him a dismissive look, not in the mood for idle chatter. What really got under Jack's skin was Trevon's air of superiority, as if he considered everyone else beneath him, mere garbage.With a venomous spit, Jack slammed his baseball bat against the ground and barked, "Give him a beating he won't forget!"In an instant, the gang closed in like a pack of thugs.Lydia shrank behind Trevon, her grip on his arm unyielding, "Trevon, what do we do? I'm terrified."Trevon's lips tightened into a thin line as he faced Jack, "This is between you and me. Let her go."Jack let out a sharp, mocking laugh, his eyes lingering on Lydia. After scrutinizing her for a moment, he burst into a loud, derisive laugh. "Well, if it isn't Ms. Sa
Jack licked the blood splattered on his face and sneered, "I didn't want to. But you wouldn't give up, leaving me no choice. "Don't worry, I won't let you die quickly. I'll carve you up slowly, slice by slice, until you're bled dry, then I'll send you off."I told you, for this stab, you're going to pay back a thousand times over!"He advanced with a wicked laugh, his knife poised to strike again.Lydia, fighting through her pain, suddenly grabbed Jack's legs. "Please, I'm begging you, don't kill him, don't do it!"Jack, Jack, let him go. He's your cousin, your own flesh and blood!"Jack paused, knife in mid-air. He crouched down, tilting Lydia's face up to his, "Let him go? When he ruined my family, why didn't he spare me, treat me like kin?"Trevon's expression darkened, he moved to pull Lydia away but Jack's knife swipe kept him at bay. Trevon glanced at his sliced clothes, his voice steady and unyielding. "The car crash, it was your dad's doing. You've been in jail, you shoul
Irritation flickered in Jack's eyes, and he spat out bitterly, "You're really laying it all on the line for him!"Facing him head-on, Lydia's expression was one of unwavering determination. "I love him! And I'd do anything for him, willingly. I've given you my word, now let him go!""Fine, fine, fine!" Jack repeated the word, his gaze dripping with disdain as he looked at Trevon. "Never thought I'd see the day, Trevon, when you'd be so low as to hide behind a woman. Pathetic."Trevon's face turned to ice. "I don't need your pity. Come at me if you dare!""No! Let him go!" Lydia's grip on Jack's leg was unyielding.Jack stood, pulling Lydia up with him and drawing her close. "Trevon, you know I've never been able to say no to Lydia. She's asked, so I'll give her that much respect."What he did not say was that he had already gotten word that the cops were on their way."Because of Lydia, I'll let you off this time. But just this once."He flashed a chilling smirk. "Just be caref
Lydia's slap landed fiercely on Jack's cheek."I told you to act, not to actually kill him!"Jack's head snapped to the side from the impact. He tasted the sting on his cheek and laughed mockingly, "Can't stand the thought of him hurt? You're so naive, he doesn't love you. You think playing the hero will make him love you again? Trevon's nothing but a heartless jerk!" Lydia snapped back, her hand raised in defiance. "You can't talk about him like that!" But that time, Jack caught her wrist in an iron grip. "Enough with the screaming," he growled. "You think you're still Redenbaugh City's darling princess? Without Trevon, you're nobody." He leaned in close, his voice a menacing whisper. "You'd better wise up."Lydia's eyes blazed with anger. "You're using me!"Jack's laugh was cruel and icy. "What a perfect chance to get rid of Trevon, right?" Lydia's fury turned to a desperate struggle, but Jack was too strong, he shoved her to the ground and pinned her down, his hand cruel o
Finding their seats, Madeline and Dallas settled in just as the lecture was about to kick off.Madeline caught sight of Sadie trailing behind Yash, a familiar presence. It clicked—both were Fergusons, likely kin. It had been ages since Madeline had soaked up a talk on oil painting, and Sadie soon faded from her focus as she was swept up in Yash's words."The transformative journey of Mandorla oil painting through history..."Yash was in his element, a true maestro of the brush, unveiling secrets and techniques that even made Madeline sit up and take notice.It was a reminder that no artist was an island, engaging with peers was key to growth and inspiration. The lecture wrapped up in what felt like a blink, and it was time for questions.But before Yash could pick the first inquirer, the doors swung open and in came a lively bunch. They were a group of foreigners, one of them clutching an object shrouded in black fabric.Madeline's memory jogged—it was the same group that had vie
Dallas leaned in close to Madeline and whispered, "Rocky really gets Mandoria culture, doesn't he? He talks like he's one of us."Madeline caught his drift.Rocky must have done his homework on Mandoria's ways, showing up just to give Yash a hard time, taking a jab at the whole oil painting scene.That tussle with Trevon over the Edo ceramic was not just for kicks either.Sadie could not bear to watch her great-uncle get pushed around as she snapped, "If you're clueless, then zip it!"Yash's face turned to ice, letting Sadie's sharp words fly.He had thought Rocky was there in good faith, looking for a painting fix. However, it was clear the guy was bad news.The lecture was not a closed-door affair. It was out there for the world to see.There were hundreds of people in the hall, and possibly thousands more glued to their screens. The oil painting big shots and the up-and-comers were all tuned in.If Yash flubbed that restoration, it was not just his name on the line—it would
Rocky went on."Mr. Yash Ferguson, I like it. Straight to the point. My buddy's a huge fan of Mandorian oil paintings, and he loves digging into the art of restoring the old ones. He's proposing to broadcast your restoration work live, inviting art lovers worldwide to tune in. If you're up for it, he's willing to promise that, no matter the outcome, those three paintings are yours to keep."Rocky smirked as he locked his gaze onto Yash with a casual ease.Was that really about not caring how Yash handled the restoration? It seemed more like a clever trap, pushing Yash to deliver flawless results or risk embarrassing Mandoria on a global stage.Yash frowned with concern—a clear sign he was aware of the challenge ahead.The seasoned experts in the room cast anxious glances his way, fully understanding the task's difficulty.Rocky, unfazed by the wary eyes on him, flashed a grin. "Mr. Yash Ferguson, if you're ready, why don't we get started? If you need a hand, just let me know. I c