He gave Darius a tentative glance, then exhaled and shut his eyes. "I know I've already failed my mission. Go ahead if you want to end my life."Darius had honestly wanted to help this boy, but he stopped when he heard this. "You're extremely calm about facing death, calmer than people much older than you. That's a surprise. Can you tell me why you feel that way?"The black-robed person raised his head to meet Darius' eyes. Because of how close they were to each other and the disparity in their height, Darius could clearly see his eyes. They were filled with tears, and he was obviously one step away from agreeing to Darius' request. Then, he lowered his head and shook it."No, my emotions and thoughts don't matter. The important thing is that I failed my mission, and my life is the price to pay for that. I can't take my own life, but you can do it for me." He looked at Darius again, this time resolutely.Darius was bemused and shook his head. The black-robed person obviously couldn't

The boy looked lost as he tried to figure out what Darius meant. On the other hand, the black-robed man trembled violently—it was visible even under his billowing robes. Darius straightened up and patted the boy. "Right; this has nothing to do with you, so you can step out for now." The boy's gaze traveled between Darius and the black-robed man. He was about to shake his head, but before he could, he was shrouded in darkness as Darius covered his eyes with his hand. "Stop looking around. It's time for you to go!"At this moment, Teivel's voice rang out again. "You're pretty patient with this kid, aren't you?" Darius raised an eyebrow at his sarcasm but didn't say anything. He kept one hand over the boy's eyes as he pushed him out of the room. Before the boy could even catch his balance, Darius shut the door with his life force. With all sources of light locked out, the room was shrouded in darkness.The black-robed man stood opposite Darius, and his fury was obvious even in the darkn

Kate's face turned paler, and her gaze grew bleak as she questioned, "Am I that undesirable to you? I could've sworn we were close and almost dated each other." Darius pivoted on his heel to meet Kate's eyes. He sighed, responding, "Yes, I can't deny I once had feelings for you—but that went away a long time ago." There wasn't a trace of warmth in his dark eyes. He parted his lips, wanting to say more, but Bridget's low voice sounded outside. "Sir, a man who claims to be Miss Kate's fiancé has brought a crowd. They're peacefully sitting outside the Reid manor, but they've blocked off the entire road. It's attracting a lot of attention." A remote frostiness seeped onto Darius' face just then. The news made Kate's knees go wobbly. She whipped her head toward Darius, lips parting but not a word leaving her mouth. She didn't know what to say, so she shut her eyes and lowered her head. Helplessness and disappointment tinted her cheeks red. Sighing lightly, Darius turned to say, "Stay

The group of bodyguards Billy had brought could barely keep calm, so they panicked even more when Bridget entered the room. It felt like the air had grown denser, requiring extra effort for the men to breathe. Many struggled to inhale and were on the brink of asphyxiation. Only the emotional Billy, working Darius, and fearless Bridget were unaffected.A smile crept up Bridget's face, causing Billy's arms to pebble with goosebumps.Darius didn't respond to Billy even then, so the latter directed his rage toward Bridget. "Who do you think you're glaring at? What gives you the right to look like that?" His voice tore through the air and reverberated like a beastly roar. "You're nothing more than Darius' mutt! Besides, you might even be more than a mutt; I bet you're providing sexual services to him too!"Bridget's brows furrowed deeply. Her voice soon rang out, frosty and unemotional like always. "Does that mean all these men working for you also provide special services to you too?"He

A hopeless look filled Billy's face just then. He shut his eyes and took a deep, long breath to calm his nerves. Yet, even when he reopened his eyes, he behaved humbly and dared not meet Darius' eyes. Even though he was unwilling, he forced himself to speak politely. "Darius, half a million dollars may not be a big deal to you, but it means a lot to me—that's all my wealth."His eyes narrowed with the most desperation he had ever shown toward Darius. Yet, his voice packed more of a snarl. He knew Darius was strict when conducting deals and punishments, but he never imagined the latter would be so greedy. Nonetheless, he continued to speak hopelessly. "Handing over my fiancée and half a million dollars means surrendering everything. I can't do anything more, even if that doesn't satisfy you."Upon saying that, Billy slumped to his knees as all his energy had vaporized. He didn't even have the strength to look at Darius anymore. Kneeling silently, he was willing to accept whatever out