Another loud bang came through the phone, and the call was interrupted.Austin's expression sank.He realized that Vincent must be referring to someone they both knew if he was calling his pursuers "them"."What happened, sir?" asked Ezra."Vincent is in danger." Austin then turned to Dahlia, Cecily, and Raquel. "I'm sorry, but I need Mr. Lockwood to head outside with me for a bit."Their expressions similarly sank while Ezra stood up from the dinner table.Cecily wanted to say something, but Dahlia quickly held her back by pressing on her shoulders.Dahlia then turned to Austin and Ezra and warned him. "Be careful."Austin gave a reassuring look at Cecily and then nodded at Dahlia.Dahlia waited until both Austin and Ezra had left before she turned to Cecily to explain her actions."I know that you're worried about Austin, but you need to understand that to become the head of the Campbells was a matter of survival of the fittest. Only one may reign as the winner, and someone
"Where is he now?" asked Austin.Yannis crumpled into a ball at the back of the car as she continued to cry. "I—I don't know! All I heard was about how they wanted to bury Vincent!" Austin frowned and his mind went into overdrive upon the mention of burying.He suddenly thought of a certain place. "Mr. Lockwood, we need to go to Nirvana Cemetery.""Are you sure that's the place, sir?""The cemetery's gotta be the only place they could bury someone. Besides, Vincent was one of the Redmonts themselves. I believe that they would at the very least not be burying their own flesh and blood in some random dishonorable hole."Ezra hesitated for a while before turning the steering wheel to head toward Nirvana Cemetery.He also contacted some informants to acquire surveillance footage around the area of the cemetery just in case.The car was dead silent throughout the ride.Yannis was visibly traumatized as she continued to curl herself into a ball at the back of the car.She tried he
Flocks of crows circled around the night sky. Their screams sounded as if the bells of death had been rung.Flashes of light could be seen in the forest near the cemetery where Vincent was tied to a big tree.His clothes were already in tatters, and his entire body was covered in blood.Two pairs of iron wires were nailed to the tree trunk above his head.It had passed through Vincent's shoulder blades, and the sharp hooks mottled with bits of flesh and splashes of blood were shining under the light.Vincent's body was twitching uncontrollably under the severe pain.His face had turned pale over his gradual loss of blood.The only sound he could make now were whimpers from the pain.His eyes, however, were still very much alive and burning with hatred.The sound of shovels digging into the ground could be heard nearby.Vincent could see silhouettes swinging the shovels somewhere in the forest.Suddenly, the man in front of him swung his blade onto his shoulders.Flesh and m
Sean stood up and pulled out his sword from the tree.Another swing placed a wound onto Vincent's left shoulder, and blood began to spray out.Vincent was determined to only let out a small, quiet whimper.The air was filled with the stench of blood.Even the dirt underneath Vincent had already turned muddy from his blood.The severe pain causing him to tremble uncontrollably was driving him crazy.And yet, the intense hatred gleaming in his eyes was still as bright as the stars."The head himself ordered 20 cuts before burying you… We have six more to go!"Sean sounded as cold as ever even though his right hand holding onto the sword was slightly trembling.He had gone through plenty of arduous experiences in life as a member of the Redmonts.But when Sean looked straight into Vincent's eyes, he still somehow felt fear and uneasiness. "I've already done you a favor and left the girl alone… Why do you still seem to hate me so much?"Vincent replied, "That's just… Because you
Sean was so surprised that he stopped his sword in mid-air.A loud thud could be heard as a stone flew through the air and hit Sean's hand accurately.The sword was sent flying to the ground, and the forest fell silent once more.Even the crows patrolling the night skies above had fallen deathly quiet.Sean stared at his empty right hand as a chill ran through his body.Vincent's eyes gleamed with hope as he slowly raised his head to find two silhouettes walking towards him through the darkness."Sorry, I'm late," said Austin as he appeared from the darkness with both his hands in his pocket.Austin's physique was already beyond the strength of any ordinary human thanks to the hellish training regimen with Aldus. Both the accuracy and speed of the stone throw were evidence of just how powerful of a strike it was.Vincent smiled. "You made it just in time."Sean snapped back to his senses and shouted, "This is a Redmont family matter, Austin. This has nothing to do with you."
A loud crack could be heard followed by blood-curdling screams as the man's arm was twisted and broken.Meanwhile, Ezra was slightly panicking as his opponent was standing back up.He smiled and explained, "Ever heard of respecting your elders, young man? You should learn to forgive them for their mistakes too! I wasn't aiming for your crotch on purpose, you know? Anyway, give me a moment to stretch my old bones, will you?"Ezra started to do stretches and warm-ups in front of Vincent and the Redmont henchman.Vincent was in disbelief. "Mr. Lockwood… Are you serious?"The next moment, Ezra's gaze turned fierce as he crouched down. "Here, watch and learn!"He leaped up with a tightened fist aimed toward the henchman's chin.The henchman screamed out in pain and took a few steps back.It was enough to make him cry out from the pain.The henchman was enraged after being tricked and humiliated twice by his opponent. "You're fucking dead, old man!"He decided not to play around an
Austin turned back to Vincent and replied, "I know."Bones could be seen on Vincent's tattered and bloody body.It was apparent that Vincent was being tortured.Austin would avenge his friend with an eye for an eye.Sean started to beg for mercy. "Let me go, Vincent. Please, let me go! I'm your uncle!"Austin was shocked by the sudden reveal, but his determination to kill did not falter."Uncle? So what?" Vincent chuckled, "I… Already said that… I'll destroy the entire… Redmont family!"Sean was so frightened that he no longer had the courage to even beg for mercy.His body went limp from despair.Austin looked around at the four remaining henchmen. "Do you guys still want to fight? Or would you like to join him in the grave?"The four henchmen were so terrified that they had completely forgotten about the pain from their injuries.The four of them looked at each other with hesitation and confusion.Suddenly, Ezra shouted, "Kill him, and we'll let you go. Or else, we'll hav
Austin made a fist and gently hit on Vincent's chest. "Hold on, my friend."…Three days later, Vincent was finally moved away from the Intensive Care Unit into a VIP ward in the hospital.Austin could finally let out a sigh of relief as he tore apart all of the letters from the hospital detailing Vincent's critical condition.Vincent was already awake when Austin visited him at the hospital.His entire body was covered with gauze like a mummy, and his expression still seemed relatively weak."You made it," said Austin.Vincent looked up at him and replied, "Thank… You…"Vincent's voice was so weak that it was difficult to hear anything clearly through the ventilator.Austin shook his head and sat down next to the bed before turning to Ezra. "Have you found anything yet?""No, sir. It seems that the Redmonts have kept it well under wraps. As for Sean… The Redmonts seem to not really care about him."Austin had Ezra utilize the Campbell family's resources to find out why Vinc
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