Mayor Gunderson leered at the girls for a few moments before he pitched in. "I've been around for a while in Springfield, Mr. Shepherd. I know the Damone family. Once upon a time, they used to be wealthy and influential. But now they are nobodies, about to be extinct. Old man Edgar is a husk of the man he used to be. His grandson, Victor, is even worse... A hopeless loser... A stubborn stain on the footpath."Derek guffawed and gulped his entire drink. "Oh, then he needs to pay for his arrogance. I'm going to demolish Victor's pride in public. Tonight if he comes to the forefront, I'll annihilate him!"***Victor entered the crowded auction hall silently. He wanted to take an inconspicuous seat without attracting attention. However, his wish was never fulfilled."Victorrr!" Claire called out from the VVIP area. "Come and sit with meee!" Apparently, the beauty had consumed a few glasses of wine and was enjoying herself with friends and acquaintances. Claire Holt was the owner of Mayfa

Derek leaned back and nodded a few times. "Yes, that makes sense. He's just a desperate and arrogant gigolo trying to satisfy his ego! So be it! Losing the Prometheus Dagger is okay because the rest of the exclusive set is still expensive. However, I need the seven-gems royal gown. After Angela Kaufmann's death, the price has skyrocketed. Within five years, it will ascend as a classic, worth over a billion dollars!"The appalling course of events shook Phillips Sotheby, but he got hold of himself in a minute. "The next and final item is the seven-gem royal gown made by the legendary art collector Angela Kauffman! She passed away recently; may God rest her soul in peace…"Carol recalled reading a newspaper headline that broke the news of Angela's demise. The cause of death was an unfortunate boating accident. After the information was leaked, the market value of all her creations ballooned exponentially.The billionaire gathering observed a minute of silence for Angela since she was a

"I'm just a simple bidder," Victor replied. "Now, do your job."Miller seemed like he was in a trance. He turned to the billionaire crowd slowly. "The bidder, Victor Damone's account, is legitimate. His financial credentials are genuine. Mr. Damone can pay for his bid of six hundred and twenty million dollars!"The assembly broke into gasps and squeals. Did Victor really own such inordinate wealth? If so, why did he live the life of a poor bodyguard?Derek and Sotheby's faces looked like bags of rice had hit them squarely.Carol was stumped as well. She could not imagine in her wildest dreams that her ex-husband had over six hundred million dollars! Where did Victor get the wealth from? Clearly, he refused the cards of the lady billionaires and insisted on getting his own card scanned. If the man was indeed affluent, why did he hide such a huge secret from his wife?Everyone else looked at Victor in admiration. Claire was speechless, while Rose and Julia's eyes were wide in shock. What

"He wants to destroy the world, and the Armageddon will start in Springfield. A place where he failed last time…"Victor's eyes peered into Derek's. The defeated villain drooled like a baby in a trance. "I see. So the Puppetmaster has finally changed his ways, making allies in the criminal world. He'll fail all the same as I'm going to stop him. Now tell me what he looks like! Where is he hiding?"Derek snapped out of his reverie for a moment and vomited blood. "It's too late, Victor Damone…" he spat. "He's sending your own blood to destroy you... All your loved ones will be killed… He will have no mercy!" Victor was about to put Derek under hypnosis again, but the Monolith leader started bleeding from his eyes, nose, and ears. He collapsed to the floor and went into a violent seizure. With a last convulsion, he frothed in the mouth and slumped dead.Victor kneeled and parted Derek's dead lips. "There was a suicide pill hidden in his tooth. It was activated remotely. We were being w

Dr. Sophia Baker was in the Hospital Director's office, poring over medical files. When Victor knocked, she jumped to her feet, looking as excited as a little girl. Realizing her break of character immediately, she cleared her throat and reined in the enthusiasm. "Come in…"Victor entered and offered her a thin smile. "I wanted to drop by and ask whether you were hurt in the Mayfair Lagoon incident."Sophia shrugged. "I'm alright. But why should you worry about me? I remember being asked to leave while you chose to stay behind with Claire and Haley. Apparently, they mean a lot to you. You'd be happy to die with them."Victor shook his head slightly. "Haley is not someone who listens to me, so asking her to run away would be pointless. However, Claire needed to face Derek Shepherd because he conspired to kidnap and kill her."Sophia raised her brows innocently. "Oh, I was not aware of that. I'm sorry…"Victor eyed her endearingly. She was a grown woman, a renowned surgeon at the top of