The entire Redmont family had been in low spirits for the past few days.Everyone within the family felt as if their throats were stuck as they were trembling from fear.They walked with their heads down and strutted at a quicker pace than ever.Everyone knew that the head of the Redmonts was on the verge of exploding from rage.And today, Morgan Redmont, the head of the Redmont family, finally left his room.He was all smiles by now and had no trace of anger left on his face.Morgan also ordered some family members to follow him as he left the house.They would arrive at the Basin City Airport an hour later.A dozen luxury cars drove onto the airport runway and lined up in a row at the edge of the runway.Morgan got out of his car and led the rest of his family toward the plane parked at the end of the runway.He then bowed and greeted, "Welcome to Basin City, Mrs. Campbell Senior!"The rest of the Redmonts quickly followed suit. "Welcome to Basin City!"The plane door ope
Austin rubbed his nose and smiled. "I get it now. I can also ask them what they'd like as gifts."Now that they were picking a date for the wedding, they had to also start looking into picking out gifts as well.Austin wanted to make sure that the wedding was a great success so as to not let Cecily down.Cecily stood on her tiptoes and kissed Austin on the cheek. "I'll be off to make the arrangements then. The venue to meet my parents will still be Mr. Newman's Tetra Club."Austin could still feel her warmth on his cheeks as he watched her leave.He suddenly felt extremely nervous. He had not felt so nervous even when he first met Cecily, and even when he proposed to her.It was Austin's second marriage, but he couldn't help but feel butterflies in his stomach because of Cecily.He took a deep breath and shook his head. "What am I getting nervous about? Cecily already gave me her hand in marriage… I need to man up!"…It was now 6:00 pm. Austin came out of his office to find E
A single question from Timothy had made the still-silent Cecily blush.She glared at Edward out of embarrassment. "Dad! What are you talking about?"Edward was startled for a second, and then he laughed. "Oh my, my daughter's angry now! Don't be angry, Cecily, it's not that your mom and I are snobs or anything. But everyone knows how much you and Austin love each other. You're both at that age now, and you're both already engaged. It's about time."Cecily did not refute his words as her face turned red with embarrassment.She knew that her father was indeed afraid that Austin might change his mind, but it was not the main reason he wanted the both of them to get married as soon as possible.The main reason was that both of them were no longer youngsters.Three years had passed since they graduated from college.It was just the right time for them to get married.If Cecily's parents were actually snobbish people, they would have never even bothered to show up in person, instead,
Dahlia pointed at Ezra and replied with a stern look, "We can always ask Ezra for help if we need an extra hand."Ezra smiled and nodded. "Madam Emerson is right."Austin realized he was not getting out of this.He turned to Cecily, and the both of them nodded in agreement at their parents' proposal.Austin then turned to Edward and Rachel. "Mr. and Mrs. Graham, about my gift to the bride…"Rachel smiled and answered, "You've already given us your gift to the bride, right? You could just count it as the gift you gave us last time!"Austin was startled for a second as he explained, "That couldn't possibly be considered my gift to the bride…""It's fine! We already considered it your gift to the bride!" replied Edward. "Besides, you've also made my dreams come true. It's already the best gift I could ever ask for.""But…" Austin tried to argue about the matter as his gift to the bride also represented his feelings and appreciation for Cecily.It was Cecily who had been waiting f
Cecily was still confused about what had just happened as Edward and Rachel made their leave.But Timothy knew that they were in a rush to head back to plan for Cecily Enterprise's future.Both Austin and Cecily finally realized what was going on after Timothy explained it to them.Dahlia and Ezra had already headed back inside the car to keep themselves warm from the chilly night breeze.Austin and Cecily, however, were taking their time walking through the Bamboo Parlor with their hands held together as they both slowly sobered up from alcohol.Austin suddenly spoke up. "Thank you, Cecily. And your parents, too."Cecily glanced at him and replied, "What are you thanking me for, silly? We're already a family."He laughed and replied, "I understand that Mr. and Mrs. Graham didn't want to make us nervous or anything."Cecily's happiness being the best gift of all was not simply just rhetoric.It was something that was simply just expected now that Cecily had married Austin.Th
Austin had been wondering about Sean for a long time.He always wondered why the Redmonts would remain quiet over the death of one of their major family members.Austin had already mentally prepared himself to face the wrath of the Redmonts the very night he rescued and sent Vincent to the hospital.What should have been a thunderous explosion coming from the Redmonts had been delayed up until now.And rather than taking matters into their own hands, the Redmonts had opted to make the news public first.Austin wondered if the Redmonts already knew what happened to Sean that night—and whether or not the rest of the aristocracy had also found out about what happened.He just could not comprehend the Redmont family's current actions.Ezra frowned and shook his head. "I also think that something's not right. Powerful families like the Redmonts often settle their grudges in secret, be it assassination or blackmailing to take revenge. I don't understand why the Redmonts had made it pu
Austin felt both a lump in his throat and a chill running down his spine as he pondered about Dorothy joining forces with the Redmonts.After bypassing Walter and the rest of the Campbells, Dorothy could utilize the Redmonts to do her bidding.The Redmonts were the richest family in Basin City, and they had basically become Austin's enemy after what happened to Vincent.If they were to join forces with Dorothy, their combined power may very well be extremely devastating.Austin lived with fear for the next few days, but he eventually managed to let go of it.He realized that he did not have to worry about something completely out of his control.Austin moved all of his energy and focus back onto his work, as well as preparations for his wedding with Cecily.Less than a month's time to prepare for a perfect wedding was certainly exhausting.But Austin couldn't change the decided date for the wedding either.Luckily, Ezra and Dahlia helped ease his troubles by handling the booki
Austin's voice sounded rather weak. Cecily rolled her eyes and replied, "Maybe the water was just too hot for the cup. It just happened to break into pieces the moment you picked it up. Why do I feel like you've been extremely nervous these days? What are you scared of?"Austin laughed as he realized that had been scaring himself for the past few days.Cecily pulled Austin into her arms. "Come on, cheer up! We're going to take our wedding photos soon, you're gonna look ugly in the photos if you're all depressed!"Austin finally laughed out loud.…The private jet finally landed at Harrington International Airport at ten in the morning.Ezra had already informed the nearby Campbell office of Austin's arrival before the flight.Austin, Cecily, Aldus, and Wolf left the airport in cars prepared by agents of the Campbell family and were brought to the Halle Bay Hotel.The presidential suite within the hotel included views of the beach and the sea.As a tourist destination, Harrin
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