Howard never thought he would see the day when his no-good son-in-law would actually give him money to spend—and quite a bit of it, too. Holding the cash tightly, he smiled and said, "Good kid." Then he hurried off to the bedroom to stash the money away.In the bedroom, there was a bookcase with a secret compartment behind a glass panel. Howard quickly opened it, pulled out a big dictionary, hid the money between its pages, and put it back in place.Once he closed the bookcase, he went back to the living room, where he found Lana had returned. He was a little nervous; it had been years since he had hidden so much money. If his wife found out, he would be in big trouble.Lana ignored him and snapped at Elio, "Why are you still here? Scram!"Could that really be his mother-in-law? She did not even treat him like a human being! Elio was frustrated but kept his cool. "Evelyn asked me to come back and stay," he explained."That doesn't matter. I'm in charge here, and I say you need to
Elio was happy to be back in the room he had lived in for three years, right next to his beloved wife's bed. He did not even mind his mother-in-law's mean looks.Evelyn knew her mom was wrong to bring home another man, Bennett, and expect her to date him. It was way too much. However, deep down, she was a little bit shaken. Bennett was a big deal at his company, lived in a fancy house, and drove a cool car.Elio? He had nothing, always got into trouble, and had piled up a ton of debt for them.Thinking about it made her go back to being cold to Elio, like an ice queen.After a tiring day, Evelyn put on her nightgown and went to bed early. Work was crazy, and home was not any better. Being a strong woman was just too hard.Elio came in with warm water and said gently, "Come on, wash your feet. It'll help you relax."Evelyn looked at him and felt annoyed. He was such a loser, only good for washing her feet. However, she thought, why not use him while she could? She would be getting
Wrapped in her fragrant embrace, Elio could hardly stand it. His face blushed bright red, and he unexpectedly felt shy.Even though he was brave enough to stand up to bullies and live on the edge, this close contact scared him more. He worried that one wrong move could make him fall too deep.There was a saying, wasn't there? They said women could be fierce.Elio quickly stepped back from the stunning beauty, his face still flushed, and said, "Let's not do this. We're not dating, so why call me ‘dear’?"Internally, he contrasted the two women in his life: his wife, always aloof and distant; his friend, warm and inviting, ready to embrace him. He worried that continued closeness might foster unwelcome feelings, a potential catastrophe.Seeing Elio's red face and ears, clearly flustered and so different from his usual cool composure, Yvonne found it even more entertaining. He might be married, but just like the rumors said, he was still untouched by Evelyn and quite naive when it ca
The captivating Yvonne not only surprised Elio but also flirted openly, her charm so irresistible that Elio found himself admiring her figure, swallowing hard. Yvonne noticed Elio's reaction and laughed, "Did I make your heart skip a beat? I'm just kidding with you. Don't take it seriously, and don't think I'm just any girl." Elio shot back unexpectedly, "When you act carefree, you're something else." "Hey, what are you saying, you little rascal? Are you looking for trouble? Watch how I'm going to handle you!" Yvonne, pretending to be angry, grabbed Elio and playfully punched and kicked him. She did not really want to hurt him; it was more like they were teasing each other, and she laughed happily, shaking like a dancing flower. Their playful fight drew the attention of many office workers in the building, who gathered at the windows to watch. They were curious to see a young man in plain clothes having such a fun time with the general manager, clearly sharing a special bond. E
Yarely saw that the young man was clever and quite the looker; it was no wonder Yvonne held him in such high regard. Though she came from a prestigious background, Yarely was down-to-earth and reached out her slender hand in greeting.Elio took her hand gently, noticing it was soft but oddly cold. Something felt off, and he hesitated to let go.Yarely's eyes flashed with a chill, and her pretty face turned sour. She yanked her hand away and huffed, "Enjoying yourself, huh? Feels great to keep holding on, doesn't it?"Yvonne frowned, upset at Elio. She thought he was too focused on looks and not respectful enough, considering Yarely was only shaking hands because of her. However, Elio just would not let go.Yvonne always stood up for Elio, no matter what trouble he got into. "Yarely, you've got it all wrong. He's just a kid, not at all what you're thinking.""What kid? He's big and strong!" Yarely snapped back, warning her friend, "Yvonne, don't be fooled by this guy. Stay away fro
Yarely was amazed. Elio was right. What was happening? "Don't worry about me. I've got an appointment with the best doctor in town. He'll be here any minute."So, Elio decided not to pry any further. He nodded and said, "You should get the right treatment for your illness, but it's not something just anyone can fix.""I've known that for a long time. I'll just go with the flow," Yarely replied, her voice tinged with a hint of sadness. She thought to herself, ‘Isn’t that obvious? If it were easy to fix, would she still be dealing with it after ten years?’Yvonne looked at Elio, confused, and asked, "Do you know medicine, too?"Elio smiled and humbly said, "I know a little, not too much."Yvonne felt hopeful, remembering some unusual things about Elio, and quickly said, "Then maybe you could check on Yarely and see if there's a way to help her?"Elio glanced at Yarely and shook his head. "She's too precious to let someone like me treat her. Let's not make things more complicated."
Elio was taken aback, his eyes fixed on the doctor in the white hat. Then it clicked. "Oh, it's you, Jackie's boyfriend. Dressed in a white coat, trying to act like a doctor. What can you possibly treat?"It was a surprise when the two bumped into each other at the Orchid Harmony Club!Tony was fuming. "I'm a respected doctor with five years of study abroad and the head of neurology. You think I don't know how to treat patients? And you, treating people without a license, you're just a fraud!"Everyone around could tell those two had a history. Facing off in that tight spot, they glared at each other like they were in a standoff, neither backing down.Just then, the club doors swung open, and in walked five young women, each one a knockout. They had their own style, dressed in designer clothes that showed off their figures, turning heads as they walked by.They were the stars of the gathering, top-notch in their fields, the real deal—rich and gorgeous. Along with Yarely and Yvonne
"Oh my!" Helen shivered, her eyes wide with shock. She stared at Elio, hardly believing it. "How did you know?"Elio just smiled and said lightly, "If I didn't have a bit of know-how, would I dare to butt in on someone's treatment? Too bad some folks don't appreciate a helping hand."That was a well-kept secret. His senses became incredibly sharp after mastering the fifth level of Supreme Transcendant Art. He could do things like moving instruments with just his energy and even check someone's health from a distance.In other words, if someone was not too far away, he could figure out what was wrong with them without them even knowing using vital energy, just like a doctor feeling a patient's pulse, but without actually touching them.Yarely's face turned a shade of stormy blue. She could not believe someone would be so rude to her. No one in Cloudsea had ever dared to treat her like that. That boy was really getting on her nerves!She felt like yelling at him right there and then
"What?" Charlie's anger boiled over, his face turning bright red as he yelled, "This is too much! I want to see your chairman! He needs to apologize, or he'll regret it when I trash this place!"Laird gave a cold snort, grabbed the ready walkie-talkie, and called out, "Security, get in here, quick! We've got someone trying to wreck the place."In a flash, four security guards in black suits rushed into the room, grabbed Charlie, and marched him right out the door.The poor Jones family heir thought he could throw his weight around, but instead, he got a beating from the guards and ended up tossed outside, his suit torn and his face a mess of bruises.He tried to get up, wanting to shout insults, but the angry stares from the guards scared him silent. He scrambled into his Audi and sped away.Afterward, General Manager Howe filled in the chairman on what had happened. Elio could not help but feel a rush of glee. 'Charlie, you think you can take me on? Look where that got you!' Elio
That night, the news about the Aerin Group taking on the shanty town makeover project was all over the Cloudsea TV show. It shook up the whole business world in the city. Bosses from real estate and construction companies were all on the phone, trying to get the scoop.The Aerin Group was pretty new and not well-known in Cloudsea. Now, all of a sudden, it was the talk of the town. The big project that everyone wanted had somehow ended up with them, and it was really weird.The project to fix up the old town was massive, and lots of companies wanted to work on it. If they got even a piece of the job, they would be rolling in dough. So, they all rushed to make connections, hoping to meet with the big boss of Evamor Group to talk business.What surprised all the big shots was that nobody knew a thing about the boss of Evamor. It was like a big secret. Clearly, that person liked staying out of the spotlight, pulling strings from behind the curtain.Who would have guessed that this amaz
York nodded non-stop, apologizing. "Got it. Please forgive me. I'm really sorry."With the bill canceled, Elio felt they had done enough. "Let's call it even. Time to go."They walked out, heads high, leaving the staff and the hostesses in awe. York sat on the couch, face grim, and gulped down the fake Louis XIII. It was liquor from some other brand, cleverly resealed to look like the fancy stuff. It tasted pretty good, and hardly anyone could tell it was not the real deal. However, somehow, that kid figured it out. Who was he, anyway?York was fuming. Ever since his shop opened, he had sold bottle after bottle of this top-notch liquor to all sorts of important people, and no one had ever called him out. Now, some nobody had caught him."That little troublemaker, causing a scene in my shop," he grumbled. "Just you wait. I'll take care of you."As the boss was getting worked up and ready to get even, one of the girls spoke up, "That Mr. Rinz seems pretty impressive. I heard he even
York asked with a friendly smile, "I don't think I've met this young man before. Can someone introduce him?"Yvonne replied with a grin, "This is Mr. Rinz, a dear friend of ours. He's the one who wanted to meet you."York did not know Elio's story, and he looked like an average guy. However, he had ordered three bottles of the fancy Louis XIII cognac and seemed to be friends with some pretty important people, including a famous TV beauty. York could not help but be impressed."Really? I'm super honored and happy to meet you, Mr. Rinz. Hope you'll come to hang out with us more," York said with a big smile. He's the kind of guy who knew just what to say and was ready to shake hands, showing lots of respect. However, Elio did not reach out his hand at all, which made York's smile disappear, and he felt really annoyed inside.Elio just frowned and said, "I think once is enough for this place." Yvonne and the others exchanged puzzled looks. They had no clue why Elio was upset and wh
"You think you can hit me and get away with it? I could ruin your family in an instant. Now, get out of here, do you hear me?" Tanner yelled at her."You..." Fear flickered in May's eyes. She was too scared to argue, worried about what he might do to her.Jenny let out a sigh, went over to help her friend up, and whispered, "Let's just go. We can't stand up to him. We've just got to deal with this bad luck."May knew the truth. She and Jenny might come from money, but they were nothing compared to Tanner's powerful family. What could she do? If she pushed him too far, she was afraid he might make her disappear for good.May had no choice but to follow her best friend, looking all messy and upset. She did not think she would end up like that, feeling so angry. She was mad at Tanner for messing with her feelings and even madder at Elio, thinking he had a big part in her troubles.The room was super quiet; no one wanted to talk. Tanner was in a bad mood—he got tricked by someone not
As Evelyn's figure vanished from view, May frowned deeply and sneered, "She's so hopeless. She can't even handle her husband. Being a woman like that is just embarrassing.""Come on, don't be so hard on her," Jenny said. "Evelyn's got guts. She was ready to divorce Elio to stand up for what's right. Friends like her are rare.""Hmph, what good does that do? She still didn't get the stuff back. I really thought she could handle that jerk, but it was a waste," May said, not hiding her scorn."May, just a heads-up," Jenny lowered her voice, "the divorce might be good for Evelyn, but it puts you at risk. I've noticed Tanner looking her way a lot. Be careful."May felt a chill, sensing trouble, but she pushed back, "No way. Tanner told me he only loves me. You're just worrying too much."Jenny could tell what her best friend was thinking but kept it to herself. "Okay, let's just say I didn't mention anything. Let's head back."In the private room, Tanner was eager to hear the news. Wh
Jenny and May were shocked, staring at each other and not knowing what to do.The couple was at a breaking point. May felt a rush of panic. Did that mean she would never get back the fancy watch and the big Benz? She quickly pulled on Evelyn's arm, trying to tell her friend not to say things she could not take back. However, it was too late."That's for the best," Evelyn snapped. "From now on, we're nothing to each other.""Let's just hope we're both happy from here on out," Elio said, trying to sound indifferent. However, inside, it felt like a thousand needles were poking his heart.Evelyn did not look back. She turned and walked away fast, a cold air swirling around her.Jenny and May ran after her, calling out, "Evelyn, wait up!""Don't leave, wait for us!"Evelyn felt a heavy sadness. They had been married for three years, together every day. To say she felt nothing would be a lie. Even though she never really respected Elio, going their separate ways was still hard to take
The Seven Fairies Team was a tough bunch, and except for Helen, each one had fought their way to success in the cutthroat world of business. They were not about to let anyone push them around.With a loud "smack," Jenny's cheek stung from a fierce slap. She let out a sharp cry and glared at Yvonne. "Ouch! How dare you hit me?""You insult us, and you think a slap is too much?" Yvonne spat back, her teeth clenched in anger.May was not lucky, either. She, too, got slapped, leaving a bright red mark on her face. Lydia, who did it, shouted at her, "Who are you calling names, huh?"Jenny and May were no pushovers, but now, with their cheeks burning from the slaps and surrounded by a group of fierce-looking girls, they were boiling with rage inside. Yet, they did not dare to strike back, appearing utterly defeated and powerless.It was not the super-tough opponents they needed to worry about. It was the teammates who messed everything up!Evelyn had been sure she could get back those
The women finally got it—the beautiful woman was Elio's wife. Yarely and the others stood up for a better look.A bunch of girls with eyes as wide as saucers were watching everything unfold, each one silently agreeing that Evelyn was the picture of perfection. It was no surprise that Master Rinz could keep his cool, even with all those stunning girls around him.Evelyn scanned the room, and it hit her—they were all gorgeous girls, and Elio was the only boy. It was just like the old saying: he was the lone rooster in the henhouse.When Yvonne tried to be friendly, Evelyn was not having any of it. She huffed, "Forget it. I just need to talk to Elio about something private. I'll be out of your hair in no time."That made Evelyn seem super stuck-up and hard to talk to. Yarely and the others felt put off, so they just sat back down on the couch.They were all tough cookies, top dogs in their own right. If she was going to act all high and mighty, why would they want to hang out with he