However, Theodore secretly praised his son-in-law for his cunning scheme. Naturally, he was biased toward Tiger. "There was no rule in the agreement that forbids the use of weapons, so there was no foul. Continue the match."Tiger’s weapon was called the Serpentine Swordwhip, and he had spent a lot of money on it. The hilt was carved in the shape of a golden serpent’s head that could also serve as a belt buckle. The blade was densely covered in scale-like patterns. It was usually inserted into the flexible sheathe and acted as the body of the belt, but it could be whipped out when needed.Now that he had a weapon in hand, Tiger was brimming with confidence. He brandished his sword and rushed at Elio, swinging it repeatedly. He was trained in swordsmanship, too, his attacks devoid of any openings.Elio was forced to fall back again and again. Having lost the initiative, he was now in danger. Suddenly, he took a diagonal step forth, closing in on the blade at a dangerously close dista
The usually arrogant boss of Southshire Tiger was in trouble now. He was no match for Elio, and now he was pinned to the ground by a halberd, blood flowing from his wounds. It was a terrifying sight.Elio released his grip on the halberd and asked viciously, "Do you admit defeat, pig?"His father-in-law and Cloudsea’s underground big shots were all watching as Tiger was utterly humiliated. His reputation was in tatters. All he could do was endure the pain and roar, "Kill me if you dare! I’ll never admit defeat…"He had already thought things through. They were in Leisure Tower, surrounded by his father-in-law’s men. Tiger was sure that Elio would not do anything to him, lest he incur Theodore’s wrath.However, he had underestimated Elio's guts. Elio glanced at him with a fierce glint in his eyes. "Arrogant to the end, are you? Alright, I'll fulfill your wish."Elio was not bothered by Tiger’s threats. He had been through hell in the three years since he married into Evelyn’s famil
Sensing everyone's gazes on him, Theodore wanted to kill Elio with one punch, but he had to consider his status and reputation. Swallowing his anger, he nodded. "That's right. Don't worry, Master Rinz. You will collect your dues one way or another."Of course, Theodore thought to himself, ‘But you may not be alive to spend the money after you receive it!’"Good. Everyone here is my witness." Elio walked over casually and said, "Where's the contract? Give it to me. It’s my evidence, after all. I have to keep it."Todd quickly gave Elio the contract, but his tone was slightly insidious. "This came at a very high cost, Master Rinz. Keep it well."There was a faint threat in his words. As if Elio would be scared of the old coot! Elio glared at Todd, scoffing, "Don't worry, I won't lose it. I have other matters to take care of, so I’m heading off now. Goodbye."Theodore gritted his teeth. "Safe travels."The brat was about to leave, and her father had no intention of avenging her husb
The convoy sped down the freeway with the imposing Hummer in the lead and ten Land Cruisers following behind. Everyone else on the road gave them a wide berth. Inside the Hummer, Sam asked worriedly, "Master Rinz, are you really going to demand the ten million dollars?""Of course. I earned it. What’s the problem?" Elio shot back."If you ask me, you're not short of money. You should let the ten million go and hope Theodore won't pursue the matter anymore. Otherwise, we'll become his sworn enemies for sure. No one in the Cloudsea underworld can compete with that old man. The risk is too high." Sam analyzed the power dynamics logically. He did not want Elio to take the risk. The money was not worth it.Elio smiled calmly. "We’re already enemies. Even if I give up on the earnings Theodore won't let me go so easily. It’s only a matter of time, so I'm already prepared to fight that old man."Since Elio had decided, Sam had no reason to hesitate anymore. He said with a solemn expres
The Hummer turned at the intersection ahead and headed for the hotel Elio had mentioned. In the meantime, Elio called Sunny, his assistant, and instructed her to help him prepare a birthday present.More than a dozen people had gathered in the hotel room to celebrate Evelyn's birthday. Among them were her best friends and former classmates who were still staying in Cloudsea. It was a lively gathering.The hosts were her two best friends, Jenny and May. They had gone to great lengths to dress up for Evelyn's birthday. They had even invited a special guest. It turned out to be Bennet Zaccone, the deputy general manager of Dixon Company and Evelyn’s former suitor.As it turned out, Bennet's sister was Jenny’s classmate. In order to win Evelyn's heart, he asked Jenny to arrange an opportunity for him to get close to his crush. He had even come fully prepared for the birthday banquet.Evelyn had no idea about any of this. Because she was busy with the company, she had even forgotten it
Hotel Hayspring was luxuriously decorated. When Elio rushed to the elevator, he saw a stylish young woman walking inside. He put on a burst of speed and held the elevator doors open, darting inside before it closed.The woman was quite pretty, but her makeup was a little too thick. The sequined dress wrapped around her slender body, and her black stockings could make any man's imagination run wild.Even though they were the only people in the elevator, Elio did not look at the pretty young woman. He just wanted to join his wife as soon as possible and celebrate her birthday. In his eyes, no woman was as perfect as Evelyn.The woman was annoyed at Elio for barging in so suddenly. She pushed up her sunglasses, placed them on her head, and looked at Elio with eyes filled with disdain.Elio’s cheap clothes irritated her even more. She snapped, "Are you crazy? Rushing in like that, are your pants on fire or something? You completely ruined my mood!”Her rudeness ticked Elio off. He fro
He was smart enough to tailor his approach according to his target. Evelyn was a career-minded woman. She was focused on her company and wanted to pay off her grandfather's debt as soon as possible. That was why she was very interested in Bennet's suggestion. After all, more connections meant more opportunities.Evelyn said softly, "Thank you in advance, Mr. Zaccone."Bennet smiled. "There's no need to be so formal. You can just call me Bennet. Don't worry, I'll do my best to help you."Just then, a newcomer entered the private room and attracted everyone's attention. It was Elio.He was covered in sweat, and his hair was greasy. He wore a cheap T-shirt with a big hole in it. He almost looked like a migrant worker who had just returned from the construction site.Despite all the people gathered in the room, Elio's eyes locked onto Evelyn instantly and lit up. She was beautiful as always!However, he then saw the man sitting next to her. Elio had seen Bennet at his in-laws’ house
The beautiful woman was Evelyn's high school classmate, Natalee Scott. She used to famous in their school. Afterward, she joined a music academy and participated in various talent shows after graduating. Some good reception gave her a minor celebrity status as a singer.She and Evelyn had been close at school, and she knew Jenny and May too. Now that she had returned to Cloudsea for the next stage of her career, she reconnected with everyone. When she heard about Evelyn's birthday party that night, she rushed over to attend.Unexpectedly, Natalee bumped into Elio in the elevator. She did not know that he was Evelyn's husband.As a self-proclaimed celebrity, she was rather arrogant and self-important. She resented the “trash-collecting peasant” for wasting her time, so she insulted him without a second thought.Unexpectedly, he had pointed out her body odor instead. It was the fatal flaw she refused to face, so she flew into a rage out of humiliation.Natalee had been suffering fro