The girls snickered behind their hands, eagerly anticipating Master Rinz's response. They were all love-struck teens who had not yet had their own romances, and they were totally into this kind of gossip.Elio thought back to his own "marriage" – if you could call it that. He had been bunking on the floor, technically married but as untouched by love as he was on his wedding day. At twenty-five, he was still a bachelor, his first kiss yet to be claimed. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Man, it was complicated!Admitting the truth would be way too mortifying. So Elio puffed up his chest and boasted, "Oh, absolutely! My wife isn't just a knockout; she's sweet as pie. Every night, she starts with a foot wash, follows up with a massage, and let's just say... she's amazing in every way, if you catch my drift..."The girls burst into giggles, throwing out compliments like confetti. "Wow, your lady sounds like the perfect wife and mom. She's incredible!"Grinning, Nami Fujiwara said
Elio's suite was a stone's throw from his office, a combo of living room, bedroom, and study that screamed luxury—almost on par with a five-star hotel and way beyond the Jones family's place. It was like comparing the earth to the sky.Elio slipped into the study and nudged the towering bookshelf aside to unveil the secret safe tucked away behind it. He punched in the code and pressed his thumb against the scanner. With a heavy thunk, the towering safe swung open, revealing stacks of cash worth millions and a trove of property titles and assorted papers.Elio had eyes only for one thing. He reached into the heart of the safe and pulled out a small cloth bundle, then he carefully locked everything up again and slid the bookshelf back into place.He laid the bundle on his desk and unwrapped it, revealing a collection of thirty-three silver instruments, each about the length of his hand, and five gold instruments that were something else entirely. The silver ones were just your averag
Old Madam Jones was pushing seventy, her hair a crown of silver, her face smooth and her bearing regal. One look at her, and you knew she had been a knockout back in the day. She lit up with a smile when she saw Elio. Though she was the old master's wife, she had a soft spot for her grandson-in-law. Indeed, it was her decision to go against the grain and bless the marriage between Evelyn and Elio, welcoming him into the family with open arms.Fate has a funny way of bringing people together!Three years back, May, the housemaid, was out at the market picking up groceries when a pair of motorbike-riding thugs snatched her wallet. Elio, who happened to be making deliveries nearby, sprang into action. He chased the crooks down and got May's wallet back.Old Madam Jones got wind of Elio's heroics and would not rest until she had thanked him personally. She insisted on having him over for dinner, and Elio, with no way to politely refuse, showed up at the grand Jones estate for the meal.
Old Madam Jones could not help but laugh, playfully raising her hand as if to swat him. "You little scamp, always teasing your old grandma. Looks like someone's asking for a timeout. Let's see how I'm going to straighten you out."To everyone else, he might be the son-in-law who could not do anything right, but to Old Madam Jones, Elio was her golden boy. She might talk tough, but her eyes were soft with affection, just like he was her own flesh and blood.Ever since she got sick, which of her grandkids, besides Evelyn, actually took the time to drop by? Elio was there for her more than her own grandkids. Her heart was not made of stone; the old lady knew who really had her back.Elio grinned. "Grandma, you wouldn't really smack me, would you? After all, I'm the grandson-in-law you handpicked.""Hmph, always playing the charmer, aren't you? Evelyn's still sore at me, thinking I did her wrong by matching her up with you."Old Madam Jones teased, but then she softened. "Don't hold i
Elio nodded, deep in thought. "Got it, grandma. Do not worry, I've got all the Five Golden Instruments right here, and I know how to use them. I think they might help ease your sickness a bit. As for how much they will heal, I can't make any promises." "What, you have got all the Five Golden Instruments? Can I see them?" Old Madam Jones was even more amazed. She remembered the old healer saying that getting your hands on just one of those Instruments was a huge deal. How on earth did Elio have them all? It was incredibly weird."Absolutely," Elio said as he drew out four more shimmering gold instruments, placing them alongside the Buddha's Heart and passing them to Old Madam Jones.Old Madam Jones took them gingerly, letting May slip on her fancy glasses with the floral frames, and peered closely at the ancient seal script etched into the gold. She ran her fingers over the characters, whispering, "Tribulation, Salvation, Virtue, Healing, Justice... These are the legendary Five Gold
Zachary was tending to the flowers in the garden. He straightened up to greet them. “Miss Evelyn, you’re back!”"Uncle Zachary, whose car is that outside?" Evelyn asked curiously."That big jeep? Your husband drove it here. He's treating the Old Madam in the house right now." Old Zachary did not know what kind of car it was, so he called the SUV a jeep.Evelyn frowned. She was deeply in debt because of him, but he had borrowed yet another luxury car to parade around the city. If he damaged it, he would have to pay compensation. Why did he never learn his lesson?When she heard that Elio was looking at her grandmother, her heart skipped a beat. Something was wrong. He was going to cause more trouble again!Her grandmother had gotten her illness diagnosed at a large hospital ages ago. The specialists had already said that she could never get any better. At the most, her condition would not worsen, and she could live for a few more years.That clueless Elio, what if he made her cond
“Ah, the Old Madam can move her foot again! It’s a miracle! Master Elio’s treatment worked!" May shouted excitedly.Evelyn thought she was hallucinating, but May saw everything too. Was this actually happening? She shook her head and muttered to herself, "How is this possible?"Elio smiled calmly and said with increasing confidence, "Anything is possible in this world! Grandma, bear with it for now, okay? Don't move too much. After all, you've been paralyzed for too long, and you need a few more rounds of treatment."Old Madam Jones was overjoyed and practically idolized Elio now. She hurriedly agreed, "Okay, I promise I won't move. Elio, you really saved me! I’m so glad I was right about you!”Her voice choked up and tears flowed out of her eyes. After all, this illness was nothing short of torture. She used to be so graceful and elegant, but now she was left paralyzed and incontinent on the bed! To her, the affront to her dignity was worse than death!Evelyn knew very well the s
When they arrived in the room and saw the beautiful Evelyn, Tony could not take his eyes off her. He had thought Jackie was quite attractive, but Evelyn was in a different class altogether.He had believed that Jackie was elegant, but compared to Evelyn, she was like a yapping dog.When she noticed that her boyfriend was staring at Evelyn without blinking, Jackie fumed with jealousy and said, "Evelyn, you’re here too? Tony, let me introduce you. This is my cousin, Evelyn. She looks young, but she's already married to that good-for-nothing Elio over there. He doesn’t have a capable bone in his body, by the way. He's a professional freeloader."A cold light flashed in Elio's eyes. That wench must be crazy. What did he do to her to deserve an instant character assassination like that?Tony was disappointed to hear that. A beauty like Evelyn had been utterly wasted! What a pity. If she was still single, he would have dumped Jackie and pursued her instead.However, on second thought, h
"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