Austin was shocked to see the two families present.He was completely caught off guard.He shot a sideways glance at Jacob, who quickly approached him with an awkward smile. "Mr. Campbell, I'm really sorry about this.""You can leave now."Austin nodded.Although it was a simple response, his words caught the attention of Terrence, Yannis, and Jennie. They were all surprised.Austin spoke as though he was commanding someone inferior to him.Their gazes changed as they stared at him.Once Jacob left, Terrence stepped forward and approached Austin. "Mr. Campbell, please take a seat.""Yes, Mr. Campbell. Please take a seat."Yannis smiled brightly. Her demeanor was now warm and inviting. It was a stark contrast to how she behaved earlier.Austin was speechless. He stole a glance at the woman on the opposite.He wondered why she was so indifferent.Faced with both Terrence and Yannis' insistence, Austin had no reason to refuse. He took his place between them at the head of the
Under the pressure from Terrence and Yannis, Jennie also took a few sips. Her face flushed slightly.While Austin was eating, Terrence seized the opportunity and cast a sidelong glance at Jennie.Then, he exchanged a meaningful look with Yannis. Suddenly, his gaze turned determined.He then chuckled and said he needed to use the restroom before getting up to leave.No one noticed anything unusual, not even the vigilant Aldus and Wolf.Once outside the pavilion, Terrence stretched lazily and breathed a sigh of relief. His breath reeked of alcohol.At that moment, his eyes were clear, and his expression was calm. He didn't seem drunk at all.Terrence glanced back at the pavilion with a firm gaze and strode away."Now, it's time for desperate measures. Jennie Cooper, you might be able to defeat Yannis, but you're no match for me. Tonight, you will lose!"In no time, he had Jacob bring him a bottle of Romanee-Conti.After Jacob left, Terrence retrieved a small packet from his poc
As Aldus spoke, the atmosphere inside the pavilion suddenly became tense."We're in the pavilion. How could there be the smell of blood here?"Feeling secretly pleased, Terrence chuckled and cast a sidelong glance at Austin.It seemed everything was falling into place. Just one final step, and they would succeed.Austin's dizziness grew worse. The spinning sensation was overwhelming him.He shook his head. Then, he spoke up with his last shred of rationality. "Go check it out. Trust Aldus."Aldus was once a mercenary king and was now the head trainer of the Campbells. He was more sensitive to the scent of blood than anyone else.Without hesitation, Wolf gravely approached the main gate.Aldus instinctively moved a step closer to protect Austin.The sudden interruption made Terrence and Yannis furrow their brows slightly. They felt somewhat annoyed.On the other hand, Jennie frowned, too. She wrinkled her nose slightly.She was perhaps the most sober person in the pavilion ap
Austin cursed inwardly. His remaining sanity made him aware of how dangerous the situation was.He wanted to flee, but he couldn't!His body felt limp and numb, and he was about to lose consciousness. He couldn't control his limbs."Take Mr. Austin away and run!"Aldus kicked away an assailant and rushed to Wolf's side.Wolf was furious. "You won't be able to hold them off without my help!"Wolf would never hesitate, even if they were armed and fighting against a dozen armed normal people.But he knew all too well how terrifying a dozen armed professionals could be.Aldus could get killed if he faced all these people alone!"I don't care if I die. I want Mr. Austin to live!"Aldus' expression was grim as he grabbed Wolf's collar. He was ready to throw him out of the wall."Watch out!"Wolf shouted and grabbed Aldus' arms before using his momentum to kick at the assassin sneaking up behind Aldus.Feeling the chilling wind graze the back of his head, Aldus narrowed his eyes.
Austin let out a grunt of pain.Meanwhile, Aldus and Wolf, who were engaged in the battle, were horrified. Their eyes were bulging. "Mr. Austin!"The dagger, originally aimed at Jennie's back, found its mark in Austin's back as he flipped her over at the critical moment.As blood gushed forth from Austin's back, he exerted all his strength and attempted to shield Jennie before dodging.However, a large hand suddenly gripped his neck. He then felt the dagger in his back viciously twisting. "Get lost!"With a stern expression, Jennie suddenly shouted.Seemingly fragile, she threw a powerful punch and struck the assassin squarely in the face.The assassin grunted and stumbled backward. At that moment, Aldus and Wolf finally arrived."Wolf, escort Mr. Austin out of here!"Enraged, Aldus looked like a raging beast. He hoisted the assassin up around the waist.Then, he wielded him like a club and charged into the group of assassins. Bang! Bang! Bang!A series of muffled fo
The incident occurred at Emerald Retreat. This was his territory. If he couldn't clear his name immediately, Austin might kill him!Aldus and Wolf sneered but remained silent. Jacob probably wouldn't have the guts to do something like this. But the two were too exhausted now. Jennie had already left with Austin. They wouldn't want to risk saying too much and inviting further trouble. Jacob was frantic. "Find him! Find Mr. Campbell, even if it costs you your lives!" Jacob angrily glared at Aldus and Wolf. "Send them to the hospital immediately, and do not allow any leaks to the press. We need to investigate tonight's events thoroughly!" It happened on his turf. He not only needed to clear his name but also find out the truth to give an explanation to Austin and the Campbells.Jacob was extremely agitated. His eyes turned red, and he felt like banging his head against a wall. He had just given Austin the Blue Tears Diamond. How could things turn into such a mess in the
Screech!The Porsche 911 suddenly swerved on the road. It emitted a piercing sound as Jennie slammed on the brakes.After swerving for a few meters, it finally regained stability.Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Jennie sat upright in the driver's seat.Her expression was full of fear, and sweat dripped down her forehead.That was close!If she hadn't reacted quickly, they might have crashed. Taking a deep breath, Jennie looked apologetically at Austin beside her. "I'm sorry, Mr. Campbell. You forced me into this. I really only wanted to talk business with you."Austin was leaning his head against the seat.His face was flushed, and he was unconscious.Austin reacted after the drug took effect in his body, and Jennie panicked. She decisively knocked him unconscious.Everything happened in the few seconds the car swerved.In the chaos, Jennie couldn't think of any other way to stop him.She couldn't just let Austin act recklessly.After all, she wasn't Yannis."Yanni
Although Austin was already feeling weak last night, he stubbornly took the attack for her.He had to have strong instincts to be able to do that.After a while, the door to the ward was pushed open.Cecily dashed in.Cecily's eyes instantly welled up with tears when she saw Austin lying unconscious on the bed. She rushed to the bedside and softly called out, "Austin..." Ezra entered afterward, his face dark and somber.The newcomers' sudden appearance startled Jennie.She hurriedly asked Cecily, "Excuse me. Who are you?" "She's Mr. Austin's fiancée."Ezra glanced at Jennie. "Are you Ms. Cooper?" "I'm Jennie Cooper, and you are?"Jennie looked at Ezra with confusion. "I'm Ezra Lockwood." Ezra smiled slightly. "I'm the Campbell family's servant." "Nice to meet you, Mr. Lockwood." Jennie hurriedly greeted him. At this moment, Cecily stood up. Her eyes were filled with concern for Austin.She then nodded gratefully at Jennie. "Thank you for saving Austin."On the way
Austin never expected that Nancy would come back.As he returned to the Tetra Club, he remained sullen, his eyes dark with unresolved anger.Seeing Austin like this, Cecily felt a pang of sadness.She gently tried to comfort him, "It's all in the past now, isn't it? I'm here with you, and we have our baby on the way.""I can't just let it go," Austin shook his head."The best I can do is not seek revenge against them, but to truly forgive and forget—I can't do that."The actions of Nancy's family were still fresh in his memory.Austin wasn't someone who sought revenge for every slight, but he was far from the kind of person who could simply forgive and forget, moving on with a carefree "Hallelujah."Dahlia's despair as she lay in bed, the arrogance and cruelty of the Welch family…In the eyes of the Welch family, Dahlia's life wasn't worth as much as Harvey's wedding.Even when the time had passed and he was about to finally be happy with Cecily, the Welch family not only dem
After leaving this city, Nancy put in a tremendous amount of effort to "rebirth" herself.Meeting Ethan had shown her a different side of life.While he wasn't part of the uppermost echelons of wealth and power, he had enough. Most importantly, he treated her with the utmost respect.She understood Ethan's background, which made that respect all the more valuable.A man of his stature could have any woman he wanted in his bed the same night.Yet Ethan had shown her incredible patience, making her question whether the rumors about him were true.Tonight, returning to this city was her way of bidding farewell to the past and embracing the future.After all, people need to look forward, don't they?Meanwhile, Ethan was feeling more dejected than he'd ever been.Lying in his luxurious bed in Brook Villa, he couldn't sleep, tossing and turning restlessly.He had hoped to establish a connection with Austin. A figure like him would be incredibly valuable to have on his side.He tho
The river breeze was cool, and the lights reflected on the water flickered softly.The figure in front of them wore a long black coat, standing quietly by the railing. Her fair, delicate profile, partially obscured by a few strands of windblown hair, carried a hint of melancholy."Sir, Mrs. Campbell, is something wrong?" Aldus noticed the change and quickly stepped forward to inquire."Let's go home," Austin suddenly said, his previously cheerful expression now somber, with a touch of disdain.Go home? They had just arrived.Aldus was surprised and quickly followed Austin's gaze. When he saw what Austin was looking at, he immediately understood.Without a word, he turned to leave with Austin.But a soft hand gently grabbed Austin's arm."It's been so many years, aren't you going to say hello?" Cecily asked."I have no desire to greet her," Austin said, his disdain clear and unhidden.Three years of marriage, filled with nothing but pain.Even when Dahlia was gravely ill, Nan
After a busy day, just as Austin was about to finish up, a new invitation appeared on his desk."Who delivered this?" Austin asked."Ethan," Wolf replied.Austin chuckled, didn't bother opening the invitation, and instead tossed it directly into the trash."I've got to get home to Cecily."When he returned to the Bamboo Parlor at Tetra Club, Raquel had already prepared a delicious dinner.The dishes were beautifully presented, with vibrant colors and enticing aromas.After dinner, Austin and Ezra stepped out into the courtyard."Mr. Lockwood, any news from the Campbells about my dad?" Austin asked, the text message from Walter still weighing heavily on his mind.Considering the Campbells' efforts to find Walter, and given their intelligence resources, they should have been some leads by now.But Ezra shook his head. "Nothing, Not a trace.""The Campbells' intelligence network has never been this weak, has it?" Austin frowned, speaking in a low tone.Ezra gave a wry smile. "
"Childhood?"Austin stopped his workout, wiped the sweat from his face, and smiled bitterly.His childhood had been bleak.Only Dahlia had brought some light into the darkness.Seeing Austin's pained smile, Aldus immediately realized his mistake.He quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, Sir. I spoke without thinking. You don't need to answer that.""It's fine," Austin replied, gesturing towards a nearby bench, and inviting Aldus to sit with him.Once they were seated, Austin slowly began to speak. "There's not much to tell about my childhood. It was mostly just being called an 'illegitimate child' and living day to day, never knowing where my next meal would come from."If it weren't for my mom fighting tooth and nail to raise me, I'd probably be dead by now."With just a few simple words, he conveyed a world of suffering.Aldus felt a wave of guilt. He had only been trying to find clues from Austin's past that might explain his exceptional combat instincts and incredible physical
Austin's gaze softened as warmth flooded his heart.Who hasn't longed for a light left on just for them in a sea of lights? But in reality, how many actually have that?Cecily did that for him.Given her background, the fact that she went to such lengths truly surprised Austin.In the three years he spent in the past, he had never experienced something like this.His nose tingled with emotion as he pulled Cecily into his arms, speaking softly, "Thank you. Marrying you is the greatest fortune of my life.""Alright, alright, I asked Raquel to prepare breakfast earlier this morning. You go to the dining room, and I'll have her bring it over," Cecily said as she gently slipped out of Austin's embrace, her graceful smile lighting up her eyes."Doesn't Bamboo Parlor have a kitchen?" Austin asked, curious.Cecily gave him a playful look. "The chairs in the living room are so hard, and you spent the whole night on one—how could you have slept well? If Raquel had been clattering around
The room fell into a heavy silence."Deactivating the phone number… was Dad trying to prevent me from tracking his location?" Austin murmured with a frown.Ezra pondered for a moment, his voice low and serious. "Perhaps he was more concerned about someone else tracking him."Austin's eyes widened in realization.Of course—if Walter could send him a message to let him know he was safe, he wouldn't be worried about Austin tracking himDeactivating the phone was likely to prevent others from tracing his location."But who is he trying to avoid?"Ezra shook his head, remaining silent.Having followed Walter for many years, he knew the man's temperament and habits. But this time, he was truly baffled.He couldn't even begin to piece together a clue.Taking a deep breath, Ezra forced a bitter smile. "I'm afraid I'm at a loss this time, sir. There's no sign of anything unusual from the Campbells either."This statement only deepened Austin's confusion.If there were anyone who cou
Austin knocked softly on the door.Almost immediately, he heard the sound of shuffling from inside.Ezra opened the door, his face full of curiosity. "Sir, what's going on?"Austin quickly made a shushing gesture, worried about disturbing Cecily.Then he gently pushed Ezra back into the room."Sorry to bother you so late, Mr. Lockwood," Austin said.Ezra smiled. "It's no trouble at all. The older you get, the less you need. I was just reading."Austin glanced at the book on Ezra's bedside table and couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated.This old rascal!Ezra blushed and quickly shoved the book under his pillow.Austin sat on the bed and pulled up the text message from Walter, showing it to Ezra."I just received this message."When Ezra read the text, his eyes lit up with a sharp gleam, and he was overjoyed. "This is from Mr. Walter!"Austin nodded, his expression serious. "But I've sent several messages back, and there's been no reply. I called twice—once it was immedi
"The underground king of Eastbrook bows down."This news swept through Eastbrook like a storm.Ethan knew that by doing this, he would become the laughingstock of the entire city. But he also knew he had no choice—he had to do it!Even if he became a joke, he would remain the underground king. But if he refused to lower his head, he would end up a dead man.He understood the situation perfectly.In fact, that very night, a message was released from Brook Villa.No one is to compete for the land!This is a clear warning to all real estate companies in Eastbrook. It was also a gesture of goodwill toward Austin.But Austin didn't pay it much mind.If not for Derrick's involvement, he had no idea how Ethan would have responded—but Austin knew his response would have been much tougher.A mere city's underground king? He didn't even compare to the richest man in Basin City or the capital—he wasn't even worthy of carrying their shoes!After leaving Brook Villa, Austin didn't linger