Thick smoke billowed.Shattered pieces of debris and glass scattered across the ground.It was utterly chaotic.The overwhelming and pungent smell of leaking gasoline filled the air."Austin!"Cecily's face turned pale as she screamed in horror.She vividly felt a powerful force propelling her forward when the crash happened.Meanwhile, Austin, who was holding her, crashed through the Bugatti Veyron's windshield with a loud bang.He bore all the brunt of the impact.Austin had already let go of Cecily.His face was covered in blood. He was even bleeding from the nose.The sight terrified Cecily and instantly brought tears to her eyes."I-I'm fine..."Austin managed a wry smile.Just then, the doors of the two BMWs swung open simultaneously.Austin's expression turned solemn as he quickly warned, "Cecily, run! T-They must be from the Redmonts. Don't worry about me."While speaking, Austin turned around and forcefully kicked open the Bugatti Veyron's windshield before pul
Finally, Austin released his grip.The knife remained lodged in the attacker's abdomen. Shocked, the attacker slowly collapsed to the ground.The sudden turn of events sent the remaining seven men into a panic.Ignoring Austin and Cecily, they quickly lifted the stabbed man and carried him back to the BMWs. Then, they sped away in the damaged cars.In the blink of an eye, only Cecily, Austin, and the battered Bugatti Veyron remained on the desolate street.Thud!Austin's body swayed, and he slumped to the ground in exhaustion.Blood gushed out from the wound on his back.The collision and stabbing rendered him into a mess. His face was drained of color.Cecily stood frozen in place.She covered her lips with her hands to stifle any screams.Seeing Austin drenched in blood and his back marred by a gruesome wound, she felt as if she was struck by lightning.All her previous doubts vanished in an instant.If the guy before her wasn't Austin, why would he risk his life to prot
As soon as Brian finished his sentence, thunderous cheers erupted in the once-silent hall."Fantastic! Brian, you've got to beat that arrogant brat to a pulp!""Hahaha... Brian is taking matters into his own hands. Austin is as good as dead now!""My goodness, who would have thought that the almighty Brian would personally join the fray?"…In The Grave Prison, it was a rule that management personnel shouldn't interfere during the prisoners' recreational time.Of course, if a staff member decided to step into the arena, the inmates would never stop them.In fact, they welcomed it.The staff usually held authority over the prisoners.Everybody in The Grave Prison was evil. They would love to seek revenge against the staff as long as there was an opportunity.Yet, the firm and authoritative approach of the staff members kept them in check.This led to simmering resentment among the inmates. They could never find the right moment for retaliation.Now, Brian had volunteered to
Suddenly, Brian narrowed his eyes. His gaze became incredibly strange.Swoosh!Brian rushed toward Austin in just seconds. He then launched a powerful roundhouse kick at Austin. A whooshing sound rang out.Austin planted his feet firmly on the ground. Using the momentum to step back, he then swiftly changed angles and lunged toward Brian like a fierce tiger.In an instant, the two of them collided.The sound of fists hitting flesh echoed throughout the area.The fight between the two heightened the atmosphere in the entire hall.A fight between an inmate and a guard was a rare spectacle in the prison.The inmates' cheers filled the entire hall.Face flushed red, all the inmates were nervous.In the ring, Austin and Brian exchanged blows relentlessly.The intense fight made the inmates' blood boil.Austin was not thin or weak. In fact, he had quite a strong build.Yet, compared to Brian, he appeared much smaller.Brian exuded immense power each time he moved. He gave off a
In an instant, Austin's expression turned blank.He was shaken by Brian's words. He couldn't snap out of it.The deafening cheers and roars in the hall seemed to have vanished into thin air.At this moment, Austin's gaze was fixed solely on Brian's smug and arrogant smile.Locked in this intense gaze, Austin felt as if Brian could see right through him. He began to panic."You're spacing out again." Suddenly, Brian sneered. His eyes shone brightly.Once again, the thunderous roar of the inmates filled Austin's ears.He shuddered violently, his eyes wide with terror.Before Austin could react, Brian exerted his power. His arms tensed up, and his muscles bulged. It looked like there were two pythons on his arms."The Python Trap!"With a loud roar, Brian forcefully swung his arms outward.Austin's face paled as he felt an immense force collide with his legs. He couldn't resist it.Instantly, Brian threw Austin's legs off his neck with brute force.Following that, Brian wra
Austin seized the opportunity to break free. He stumbled a few steps away from Brian.The sudden turn of events silenced the bustling hall.All the prisoners were dumbfounded.They wondered if they were dreaming.Brian had unleashed his ultimate move, The Python Trap. Yet, the battle wasn't over.One should know that the inmates in The Grave Prison were no saints. Many of them were experienced fighters.Only three people in this building could rival Brian.Even those few wouldn't have been able to handle Brian's Python Trap as effortlessly as Austin had."Phew…"As soon as Austin escaped Brian's grip, he gasped for breath. His lungs were almost at their limit from the pressure. Finally, he felt the oxygen running in his body again.He was relieved.However, his eyes were filled with softness and gratitude as he stared at Brian.He knew Brian had shown mercy to him just now!Otherwise, he wouldn't have escaped.Austin knew clearly that it wasn't because Brian was too worn
Aldus?Austin was utterly shocked.At this moment, the entire hall seemed to fall silent.All the shouts, cries, and jeers vanished abruptly.Austin stood there dumbfounded. He stared in horror at Brian, who had already descended from the ring.He had been suspicious after seeing Brian's wrestling techniques earlier.After receiving confirmation from Brian, Austin felt like he was in a daze.Did Brian just say that the person who walked out of The Grave Prison 10 years ago was Aldus?How was Brian related to Aldus?He wondered why Brian and Aldus had the same wrestling techniques.Not to mention he was even more proficient and formidable than Aldus.One after another, these questions swarmed Austin's mind. Soon, Brian's voice rang out again. "Oh, by the way, today's the first!" Austin felt like lightning had struck him. Instantly, he snapped to his senses. The first?Did that mean there were only 14 days left until the 15th? At this moment, he suddenly felt a
They had to admit that Austin was indeed powerful.At least, none of the people in this cell could compare to him.In the law of the jungle, the weak ones could only bow down to the strong ones."Nashville."Austin, whose eyes were closed, suddenly opened his eyes.His sharp gaze made Nashville tremble. Nashville felt a sense of fear creeping into his heart. Terrified, he looked at Austin. "Mr. Campbell, h-how can I help you?"They began to address Austin with respect. "Come here," Austin said.A hint of panic flashed across Nashville's eyes, but he still cautiously approached Austin.He hadn't fully recovered from the injury that Austin had given him. Hence, he was struggling to walk. His mouth twitched with pain as he moved forward."Mr. Campbell."Nashville respectfully stood before Austin.Austin asked, "What's the way to leave The Grave Prison?"Nashville was utterly taken aback. The four prisoners, who were standing in front of the door, were dumbfounded too.
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