Charon.In ancient mythology, Charon was the ferryman who carried the souls of the newly deceased across the river Styx.With a codename like that, it was clear this person had to be from their territory.Sure enough, Ezra nodded."Yes, she's from our region. And she's a woman, but extremely mysterious. Mr. Campbell used the Campbell family's intelligence network, along with the Clark family, Cooper family, Redmont family, and Reed family, but they couldn't find much about her."Austin wasn't surprised.The dark web was rife with bloodshed and shadows.The Shadow Web Syndicate listed countless assassins, with the top 100 on the Death List being the most notorious. These individuals were ruthless killers in the dark web.But in everyday life, they blended in as ordinary people.Few would want their identities as top assassins to be public knowledge."Do you think she'll come for me?" Austin asked, his heart pounding.The Death List ranked the top 100 assassins, and anyone who
Cecily replied quickly."Alright, I believe you. Handle your business well, and I won't disturb you. Also, remember to miss me. I'm already missing you (heart). Good night."Austin chuckled softly, typing back, "Good night."Setting down his phone, he leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head.Just a few texts had eased his tension. With Cecily's comfort and encouragement, even the biggest problems seem smaller.Austin yawned as he stood up, ready to head to the bathroom for a shower before bed.But as he stood, a cool breeze suddenly blew into the room.It was already autumn, and the wind at this time of night carried a chill.Austin turned to close the window, but as he approached it, he heard a sharp whistling sound.His expression tightened, and in an instant, his scalp tingled with a strong sense of impending danger.Almost instinctively, he moved to the side, pressing against the wall by the window.At the same moment, a gleaming arrow whizzed past him like a lig
The night was cool as water. The moon was mostly hidden behind clouds.Through the bamboo grove, Austin could just make out the overhanging rock in the distance.But what was on it, Austin couldn't see clearly."Are you still there?" Austin muttered to himself, his expression complicated.Charon could have easily killed him with that arrow, but she had sent a message instead. This displayed her supreme confidence in her assassination skills.The message on the note essentially said that even if the rear cliff was guarded, Charon could still kill him. The only difference would be the increased difficulty.It was as if she was saying that only a heavily fortified target was worthy of her top-tier assassin skills.That arrow just now was pure luck.But Austin felt no relief, only a strong sense of defeat.He hated feeling this way, which is why he had opened the window.As soon as he spoke, he heard it again.Whoosh!A faint whistling sound in the darkness.Austin felt someth
Austin's pupils gradually contracted before returning to normal. His right hand was secretly clenched into a fist before relaxing again.He asked, "How's my dad's investigation into Grandma?"Ezra shook his head. "Not clear yet, but based on some initial information from contacts back home, it seems this may not be related to Mrs. Campbell Senior.""Not related?" Austin asked, surprised.Ezra explained, "Mrs. Campbell Senior recently moved into a church, reciting prayers and living a vegetarian lifestyle to calm her mind. She hasn't been in contact with anyone, and her closest associates didn't join her in the church. It's as if she's completely isolated from the world.”Austin rubbed his nose, his expression deepening. "If it's not her, then who could be guiding this assassination?""The Emersons? The Redmont family? Or perhaps some other enemies you might have?" Ezra suggested tentatively.Austin shook his head. "The Emersons are too foolish to pull this off, and the Redmont f
"It's not Charon!" Wolf said in a low voice.Austin and Ezra's expressions tightened immediately. They didn't linger and promptly left the bedroom.Austin's room faced the cliff, making it the best position for an assassin standing on the rock outcrop.Once they settled in the living room, Wolf turned and left, taking the bodyguard team to the back mountain cliff.Austin and Ezra exchanged looks."Mr. Lockwood, would the average assassin think of that rock outcrop?" Austin asked, frowning."In one week, we've had 18 assassination attempts, and not one happened from that rock outcrop," Ezra said, shaking his head, a peculiar glint of pride in his eyes.Even if a regular assassin thought of it, they wouldn't have the guts to slide down from the mountain to that rock."Austin was silent.Indeed, the rock outcrop directly faced his bedroom, making it the optimal spot for an assassination. But the outcrop was over 30 feet from the ground below and also over 30 feet from the top.I
"She's here!"Austin spoke in a low voice, releasing Ezra, "Mr. Lockwood, go to your room, shut the door, and don't come out. She's here for me, she won't harm you without reason."That night's urgent message had given him some insight into Charon's character.This woman was incredibly arrogant!As long as Ezra stayed in his room, Charon wouldn't lay a finger on him."Sir, I..." Ezra's face tightened, about to protest."I'm your master. Go back to your room!" Austin's stern command forced Ezra to swallow his words.He shot a glance at Ezra retreating to his room before gathering his thoughts, narrowing his eyes, and focusing on the courtyard outside the main hall.The arrow had come through the front door, so the shooter should be in that direction.Was this a diversion?The courtyard was dimly lit, making it hard to see beyond it.Even the security devices that Wolf and the bodyguard team had set up in the courtyard hadn't given any warning.Outside, the gunfire was relent
A sharp glint flashed in Austin's eyes as he stared in shock at the large door to his right.The door to the Bamboo Parlor was an old-fashioned, double-panel wooden door. Yet somehow, a line had been carved into it at some point.This was the highest-level residence in the Tetra Club, meticulously maintained, and it was impossible for any carvings to appear on the door.The content was: Death List No. 18, Gerard Lindsey.On closer inspection, Austin felt that the handwriting seemed familiar.Suddenly, his mind exploded with realization. Charon!Was this the handwriting Charon had just carved outside the door?"Sir, we need to move now!" Seeing Austin in a daze, the bodyguard beside him tugged at him.Austin snapped back to reality and quickly followed the bodyguard out of the courtyard, running toward the other side of the bamboo grove. But his mind was already a raging sea of thoughts and emotions.Death List No. 18, Gerard Lindsey. No wonder Wolf and the others couldn't stop
The remaining three bodyguards stepped back, tightly surrounding Austin in the center."Come back!" Austin shouted.He had already glimpsed the prowess of top assassins from the Death List through Aldus and Charon and knew how dangerous they were.Moreover, the figure before them was ranked 18th on the Death List.Walter's bodyguard team, though elite and highly skilled, was still no match for a top-tier assassin from the Death List.But…Bang!The four bodyguards opened fire simultaneously. Bullets streaked through the air, hitting the dark figure in the bamboo grove with precision."We hit him!" The four bodyguards rejoiced, excitement evident on their faces."It's not possible, it can't be that easy! Get back here!" Austin's scalp tingled, and every hair on his body stood on end as he roared with all his strength.But at that moment, the leading bodyguard suddenly halted, his face changing drastically as he cried out."It's not a person, it's a paper figure!"Almost simu
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