"Are you okay, Dad?" Zayne went forward to help Howard. Howard's face was pale, and he clutched his chest in discomfort.He waved his hand and said, "Mariam, I never thought you would be one to hit us while we're down!""Dad, you've misunderstood me. I came to you with good intentions. I can't fork out the money for no reason, right?"Cedric disagreed.Howard scoffed. He pointed at the door and shouted coldly, "I have nothing else to say to you. The door is there. Show yourself out!"Mariam snorted and stomped her feet angrily. "Be stubborn all you want, Dad. Even if Ripley Group has all the power in the world, it will never be a match for the royal family of Faldoria. By then, you will lose even your retirement fund. Ripley Group is about to meet its demise!""Get out! Get lost!" Howard bellowed in anger.However, he was so emotional that it triggered a heart attack. He clutched his chest as his body twitched. He muttered, "My medicine…""Dad, wait for me! I'll get your medica
As Cedric and Mariam spoke, they suddenly felt like someone was hiding in the bushes and instantly became more alert.Mariam's expression turned cold as she inched closer to the source of the sound. Suddenly, they heard the vibrating sound in the bushes.Joey, who was squatting in the corner, covered her mouth. Sweat broke out on her forehead as she panicked, unsure of what to do. All of a sudden, a stray cat jumped onto the grass. It looked at Cedric and Mariam, meowed at them, and ran off."Mom, it's just a cat.""Oh, thank goodness. I thought someone overheard our conversation!" Mariam patted her chest and said, "Let's go, Cedric.""Okay."Their footsteps slowly faded away. Through the gaps, Joey watched as they got into the car, and she let out a massive sigh of relief. She lay on the ground like a deflated balloon.Joey wiped the sweat off her forehead and said, "What does Mariam have against the Ripleys? Why do they need to get their revenge on them? Why didn't I know ab
Tobias was in Faldoria, clueless about what was happening at Ripley Residence. He was even more oblivious about Ripley Group's status. He had been unconscious for two days and had just woken up. Peter's face lit up with joy when he noticed that Tobias was awake. "Tobias, you've finally woken up!"Tobias asked, "Where am I? How long have I been sleeping?" His voice was gruff, and his throat was dry and uncomfortable.Peter said, "You had a fever and have been unconscious for two days. I'll run a full-body examination on you. Your body is adapting extremely poorly to the weather in Faldoria. I'll try my best to help avoid aggravating the condition even more."Tobias' head was throbbing violently. He listened to Peter's explanation and nodded, but his eyes fell on Finn, who was taking a call by the window sill.Finn was on a call with Zayne. As he took the phone call, the expression on his face turned more serious. He instinctively looked at Tobias. Tobias noticed the emotions h
Anabella could sense Tobias' fury. She was sure she was in the right, but somehow she felt guilty when she looked at him.Tobias' voice was frosty, like a glacier. "Your Majesty, you are the Queen of Faldoria, feared and respected by many. "Tell me, if word got out about the comments you made earlier, do you think you would still have the trust and admiration of your people?"Once he finished speaking, he waved his hand and revealed a voice recorder.Anabella was reddened with rage. She furiously looked at him. "How dare you record this?""You threatened me, so why can't I record our conversation?" Tobias sneered and lowered his head to fiddle with the recorder. He looked like a mature, steady, and domineering champion."You have two options—discuss it with me, or I will publicize the recording!"Anabella scoffed. "How dare you threaten me on my turf? Do you think you'll be able to walk out of here alive?"A cold glint flickered in her eyes as she said, "Guards, take the recor
While Tobias was negotiating with Anabella, Lucy was busy too. She traveled high and low to the quiet mountains to seek help from Benedict.The mountain trail was uneven, and she almost passed out from how much the wheelchair shook as they went up the mountain.When she reached the wooden house, her face was pale, as if her soul had left her body.A casually dressed old man came out to get some water. However, he saw three women standing at the door from the corner of his eyes. Initially, he thought it was weird—why would three women come to such a rural area?"Mr. Jones!" Lucy addressed him sweetly.Benedict blinked; he thought he was dreaming and rubbed his eyes and pinched his cheeks. "Lucy? I can't believe it's you! Why did you suddenly come here?"Benedict stared at Lucy's cast; his expression turned serious. "What happened? Why do you have a cast?"Lucy laughed lightly and said, "I'm okay, Mr. Jones. I can remove them in less than two weeks.""How can you let someone ru
Back in Faldoria, Tobias' suggestion left everyone looking at each other and whispering to each other. The atmosphere became tense.Anabella scoffed and said, "Why should I give you a three-day grace period, Mr. Ripley? How does that benefit me?"Tobias said, "Your Majesty, everyone poured their blood, sweat, and tears the whole year to plan for your birthday party. Every outfit, hair accessory, pair of shoes, and hat—every single thing was intricately designed. "I believe you wouldn't want to take everyone's effort as a joke. Plus, the birthday party is going to be held soon. "Do you think it's more important to waste your time fighting a lawsuit against me? Or is it more important for you to show up as the most beautiful woman in the world?" Tobias gave Anabella two options.Someone advised, "Your Highness, the birthday party is around the corner. Why don't we give Mr. Ripley a chance? As they say, it's better to let someone off if the opportunity arises."Everyone started ta
"This matter is excusable, and we shouldn't be so graceless. Don't you think, Your Majesty?" Albert might have posed his statement as a question to Anabella, but his tone and attitude seemed flinty, implying that he would fight with her if she didn't agree to it.Why was Anabella so terrified of him?In his early years, Albert had been a famous politician in Faldoria. He was an influential minister who had supported the late king's rise to power. After helping the late king secure his throne, he had given all his power to the late king.His generous attitude had earned him the respect and admiration of many!The late king had died young due to sickness. Since the country had become unstable afterward, Albert had supported Anabella's rise to power and helped her secure the throne.He had not been in politics for a long time, but the political circles would always tell his legacy.So, as long as he was in the palace, everyone would pay him respect, including Queen Anabella.Anab
When Tobias left the meeting room, he almost fainted as a cold wind blew toward him. Thankfully, Finn was waiting for him outside. He noticed the ghastly look on Tobias' face and quickly went to hold him out.Tobias covered his mouth and coughed violently. He felt as if he were about to cough his lungs out. Finn caressed his forehead and shrieked, "Oh, my god, you're burning, Mr. Ripley. Let me take you to the hospital."Tobias waved his hand and said, "It's not that bad. Take me back to the hotel and get Peter to administer an IV drip. Ask the professional team to come to my room, and we will discuss the next steps."Finn felt helpless but could only comply. "Okay."…After a string of events, Tobias was finally resting on his hotel bed. Once Peter had administered an IV drip, he checked Tobias' vitals and reprimanded him. "Tobias, you're burning at 104 degrees yet still working so hard. You really don't take care of your health enough!"Tobias felt his head throbbing violen