Sherlyn sat across from Ernest, fuming and pouting adorably. "Humph! Grandpa, you don't care about me anymore. You're not standing by my side." Ernest, relaxed in demeanor, handed her a cup of coffee. "Do I not care about you? Otherwise, would I have sent Jairo to accompany you? "You're getting more and more mischievous. After all, they're conducting an official operation. Do you think that just because I or your father is involved, they'll let you off unconditionally? What do we need laws for, then?" While she understood his point, Sherlyn was still upset. "I finally managed to come back, and I can only hang around for two days. I was looking forward to having dinner with Felix to bond with him, but the Phoenix Legion intervened. How can I be in a good mood?" Taking a sip of coffee, Ernest said, "You know Felix's situation. Everyone has a breaking point, and I suspect he's about to explode this time. The reason I had you go is to give someone a chance, but it's a shame." Ern
"Dad! Did he confess?" Outside, Sasha sat in a wheelchair with Nattie beside her, both of them looking expectantly toward the door. Of course, Belle was present, too. It was her idea to send Warren in, hoping to leverage their relationship to break Felix's psychological defenses and force him to confess, which would make everything easier."No, Sasha. Let's go home. Can we start over?" Sasha was stunned upon hearing Warren's words. Then, she immediately erupted in anger. "Excuse me? Are you even my father? Your daughter is now a disabled person, needing a wheelchair to go out, and you still have the audacity to lecture me about starting over?"Seeing Sasha's tears flowing, Nattie became furious. "Are you even a man? You can't even protect your daughter! I was blind to marry you!"Unexpectedly, Warren suddenly raised his right hand and pointed sternly at Sasha. "Do you dare say you're innocent? Sasha, look me in the eyes and tell me you did nothing wrong! We've come this far, and
Belle burst out laughing."You're already a prisoner under arrest, and you still think you can kill me? Given my status, don't you know that just saying that is already a crime?"Unfazed, Felix asked, "Since you say I'm going to be sentenced to death, can you tell me why you hate me so much?"Belle's eyes nearly turned red with rage. Crossing her arms, she said, "Why? It's simple. You're not worthy of Ms. Summers. You should have broken off the engagement and gotten lost!"However, you act so high and mighty, as if nothing can truly catch your attention. You rely only on your status as a member of Dragon Alliance and your martial prowess. "Ms. Summers is kind-hearted and doesn't want to go against her grandfather's wishes, so of course I must eliminate obstacles for her. Ms. Summers's future husband should be an outstanding man. You, on the other hand, are nothing!"With that, Belle stormed out. Felix said nothing, only concluding that she was delusional, having completely ima
"What!"Belle stared in disbelief. She thought she had misheard."You... You said the Warlord of the East is here?"Oh, my God! Why would the Warlord of the East appear out of the blue? Usually, visits like these were always announced in advance. There was no way anyone would be caught off guard like this.Moreover, Xena was attending a meeting in Yartford. Belle had never welcomed such a high-ranking figure alone, and she was nervous."Hurry up! Lead the way!" she urged.As they rushed outside, the subordinate, feeling slightly calmer, quickly said, "Ma'am, I'm sorry! I got too excited and misspoke. It's not Mr. Downy himself. It's his deputy, Lady Leia."Was it Leia Woods? It didn't calm Belle. This was no trivial matter, either. Why would someone like Leia visit without warning?Just like how she represented Xena in Yartford, Leia represented the Warlord of the East. Even if it wasn't as overwhelming as Hunter's own visit, her presence was similarly intimidating.She strode
"Then, Dr. Zeller, if you have no other agenda, shall I begin?"Felix nodded calmly."Go ahead."At that moment, Belle regained her composure. Though her voice trembled, the fact that she could form complete sentences proved her mental resilience."Lady Leia, I… I didn't know you knew Felix. I believe this whole thing was a deliberate frame-up by Sasha. It was all due to my misplaced sympathy. When Lady Summers returns, I will ask for her forgiveness."Leia's gaze sharpened, and her voice turned icy. "You are the deputy of the Phoenix Legion. You should make decisions based on evidence. How can my mere presence acquit Dr. Zeller of wrongdoings?"Belle was in a panic. She couldn't comprehend how Felix could have ties not only with Leia but seemingly even with Hunter. Even Felix's former status as a member of Dragon Alliance was far from enough for him to make such a connection.Before she could say another word, the person who had left earlier returned. He brought with him the tw
The student of the miracle doctor!Belle's eyes filled with rage when she heard Felix's words. She staggered a few steps back, suddenly understanding everything.All the previous incidents in which she thought Felix was involved now made complete sense. It also made sense now that Hunter had sent his deputy to deal with this matter."Miracle doctor! Felix is the miracle doctor's student. The person Lady Summers has tirelessly searched for... turns out to be a rural doctor we all looked down on! What a joke!" Belle laughed.She began to act weirdly, crying and laughing at the same time. She muttered to herself nonstop, causing Leia to frown.It was clear that the shock had gotten to her mind.Outside, Felix walked calmly, just in time to see Xena approaching from the side. Their eyes met for a brief moment, but neither said a word as they continued in their respective directions."Felix has been released?"A terrible foreboding swelled in Xena's chest. She quickened her steps.
"Yes. Is there a problem?"Jack's expression turned a bit strange when he heard that."Two hours ago, Warren asked to withdraw from Stellar Group's city-within-a-city project. According to the contract, he has to pay a hefty penalty fee. The amount is so large that even selling his entire company wouldn't cover it. But all Warren told me was to talk to you about it."Withdrawal? Felix sighed quietly and drank the full cup of water. He knew full well why Warren was backing out. The entire family was most likely preparing to leave Yartford for good.Although Felix said nothing, Jack continued, "This matter was too important for me to decide on my own since I'm still new to the role. So I consulted with the president. Surprisingly, she approved it. "Not only did she waive the penalty, but she also reserved the project slot for you."Having met Yvonne, Jack wasn't too surprised by the situation. At most, he was just curious."Well, it's her decision. I won't interfere."Jack nod
Felix's expression changed. Leslie was coming, too? Averill was already enough for him to deal with. If Leslie joined in, he couldn't imagine how things would turn out."But don't worry. I've sent Leslie away for now. If you cooperate and compromise with me later, I'll not only help you out but also make sure that Leslie won't bother you for a while."Although those words calmed Felix a bit, he knew very well that "cooperating" with Averill wasn't going to be as simple as it sounded.Jack couldn't stop gawking at her as Averill walked closer. Then, sure enough, she sat directly next to Felix and gave him a kiss on the cheek."Darling, sorry that I'm late."What?Jack nearly lost his balance and had to grab the chair to steady himself.Every man seeing this scene could practically hear their heart shattering into pieces. How could Felix get such a perfect woman?Even Felix couldn't help but laugh at Jack's reaction."Jack, is it really that shocking?" he teased.Taking a few d
Isabella gave an awkward laugh and put away her compact mirror. She had good principles, so she had never gotten involved with wealthy customers at the dealership. But people like Felix were truly rare. Soon after Felix arrived, he got straight to the point. "To be honest, Isabella, I need to buy something from Darren. I need your help."Having been warned by Nelly, Isabella thought for a moment before responding, "Felix, it's not that I don't want to help, but I've turned Darren down a few times already." Felix smiled. "You must have some feelings for him, right? Otherwise, you would have blocked his number by now." Isabella did not deny it. "Yes, I do. But marriage and life together need to be practical, you know? Darren's a good person and nice-looking, too, but he only has that one massage parlor. He can't even afford a decent house in Gray City, let alone anything else. "I'm not being materialistic, but there are basic living standards to consider." It was just as Felix
Darren frowned. "Didn't you hear what I said? Why are you still making offers?" Three years ago, Darren would have jumped at any offer and been terrified that they would change their mind. He would have sold it for even a few hundred thousand dollars, let alone millions of dollars. But back then, no one was interested. He hadn't known the value of the Nightshade Discipline or even that martial artists existed. Now that he knew, he wouldn't sell even if people were making offers. He often marveled at life's ironies. "When I say a building, I mean any building in Gray City. Name it." Any building? Darren almost laughed. Who was this guy trying to impress? "What if I said Summit Tower?" Summit Tower was a prime office building in downtown Gray City. Construction alone had cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and its value had skyrocketed since. Buying it outright would cost over a billion dollars, and that was assuming the owner would even sell. The rental income alone prov
"Why are you so fired up this early in the morning?" Felix asked.Melissa was still fuming. "Boss, haven't you seen what happened to the shop next door? It turned into a floral wreath boutique overnight!" A floral wreath boutique? Felix hadn't noticed earlier. He only remembered there being a beauty salon next door that was not doing well and was looking to sell. How did it become a floral wreath boutique? "Here's to good business! Looking forward to being neighbors." Billy walked in with a grin, which sent Melissa storming to the back room with one last comment, "That stupid fatso is the one who opened the boutique!" No wonder Melissa was so angry. No business would want a funeral flower shop next door. "Billy, what's your deal here?"Billy grinned and said, "Nothing. I quit my job at Sixview Peak and need to make a living somehow. Since this is all I know, I figured I'd scrape by with a funeral shop. You know better than anyone how effective my merchandise is against spir
In the private room, Clement was incredibly nervous. He never imagined Felix's contact from Concord Bank would be Dorian Yardley, the prestigious branch manager himself. "Dr. Zeller, I wasn't trying to keep secrets from you." After sitting down, Dorian smiled. He would have been in hot water if he had messed up this encounter. "It's fine. Status isn't important to me since you're all my patients." Dorian's smile widened. "No wonder your medical skills are so extraordinary at such a young age, Dr. Zeller! Few people could maintain such principles these days." Felix waved it off and turned to Clement. "Let me introduce my friend, Clement Parson. He's the one I mentioned earlier who's facing some troubles. I'd appreciate it if you could help, Dorian." Clement rushed over to shake hands as Dorian spoke, "That's a small matter. Dr. Zeller saved my life, after all. I'd look like an ungrateful person if I couldn't help with something this simple." By this point, Clement was too ha
Before Douglas could respond, Vernon jumped in, saying, "Oh, Clement, look at the company you're keeping! If this gets back to Mr. Yardley, you won't be able to survive anywhere in Gray City. You know the consequences." Clement was dumbfounded. He even started to wonder if Felix was just dropping names. After all, Dorian's status was on a completely different level.Douglas went even further by turning to Clement and saying, "Either you slap him twice, or you're blacklisted at Concord Bank after tonight. Your choice."He had been looking for an excuse to put this arrogant brat in his place. How dare someone try to get a loan while bypassing him, the lending director? Felix had just handed him the perfect opportunity. "Whew! Dr. Zeller, I'm so sorry that I'm late!" Just as Clement was about to throw them both out, heavy breathing came from the doorway. A man appeared, bent over and red-faced, clearly having run quite a distance. Before Felix could speak, Douglas and Vernon tur
In the other private room, Felix had already arrived and was sitting with Clement. "Don't worry. Someone has hit the back of his car. That's what's holding him up." Felix was telling the truth. When he had come up in the elevator, Dorian had called to apologize. He even sent a WhatsApp video of the accident scene as he was worried Felix might be angry. That was how driving was. No matter how good he could be behind the wheel, he could not control other drivers. Given Felix's status at the bank, Dorian would not dare stand him up even if his life depended on it. "No problem at all. Guests can be late, and it's perfectly normal. I really can't thank you enough for all this trouble, Felix." Clement was socially smart enough to show the right attitude when asking for help. If he could not even tolerate someone being late, what was the point of further discussion? "How big is your company's funding gap? How much are you looking to borrow?" Hearing this, Clement thought Felix was w
"Clement?" a middle-aged man with a huge belly stepped out and called out when he spotted Clement."Oh, Vernon. Are you having dinner here, too?" Clement forced a smile and kept his tone polite, though he actually could not stand the sight of the man. Vernon Parker had been one of his company's veterans. After he took over when his father passed, he quickly discovered Vernon's shady dealings behind the scenes. If left unchecked, those schemes would have eventually bankrupted the company. So, Clement had fired him without hesitation. Life had a twisted sense of humor, though. Vernon's nephew had struck it rich, which meant Vernon was now doing quite well himself. He would use his new power to undermine Clement's company whenever possible. As Vernon walked over, his smile dripped with contempt. "Drop the act. We both know where we stand." Clement maintained his composure. "Whatever happened, you were still one of our first employees. It's only right that I show you proper respec
At the Tranquil Clinic, a man walked in. "How can I help you today?" Melissa greeted him but immediately felt something was off. The visitor's gaze wandered shamelessly over her body. Even though she was fully dressed, she felt an urge to cover herself with her arms. "You fatso! What's wrong with you? What the hell are you looking at? Get out!" Melissa was not one to hide her feelings. Even if the fat man was actually sick, she would not be polite since he was being way too inappropriate. The man cleared his throat and finally looked away. "Is Felix here? I'm his brother!" Brother? Melissa was startled and quickly changed her attitude. "Oh, you're my boss' brother! Please, come in." Just then, Felix's voice rang out, "Like hell he is!" After just coming out of the bathroom, Felix was instantly annoyed when he heard those words. When he saw it was actually Billy, the supervisor from Sixview Peak, he became even more irritated. "Come on, Felix. I must be a few months older
Felix pretended to think for a moment before saying, "I treated someone who works at a bank. We're on good terms, though I'm not sure about his position there or if he can help." Willow's eyes instantly brightened up. "Really?" But she quickly became self-conscious. "No, we shouldn't burden you with using your connections. Just forget I mentioned it." Felix smiled. "They say good neighbors are like family. It's fate that brought us together as neighbors—and Queenie, too. If there's any trouble, of course, I'll help if I can. I'll make a call tomorrow and contact Clement if it works out." At this point, Willow could not refuse. Besides, the company was nearly at a dead end. Felix was not really an outsider anymore, and he had proven himself trustworthy, though they hadn't known each other long. …The next morning, Clement called just as Felix arrived at the clinic. "Felix, please don't listen to Willow's rambling. She sometimes speaks without thinking, so don't take it seriou