The commotion came unannounced, the reason why Kagern couldn't guess where or who had started it. This forced him to raise his gaze. The first thing to come into his view was a waiter, then waiters and waitresses filled it. It was them.They came and surrounded his table, all of them happy and each saying his or her own words."Bro, Mr. Hako must be looking for a way to have you poisoned after what you did to him yesterday," said one waiter. "Hey! How come you're so rich, man? Is it true that you've won a lottery?" asked another guy.A girl punched the guy who asked this as she shouted at him, "Don't be stupid. Don't you realize that he is a scion from an aristocratic family who was just pretending to be a waiter?""Ouch! Gennie, you could have just said it. Was the punch necessary?"Kagern was relieved. No one was attacking them. Lydia was safe. He glanced at her and saw the panic on her face fading. Some waitresses she had befriended during her visits to this restaurant noticed h

The plush king-sized bed, a cloud of Egyptian cotton sheets the color of fresh snow, still swallowed Kagern and Bingle whole. Sunlight, softened by silk curtains the color of spun gold, streamed in, illuminating motes of dust dancing in the air like tiny ballerinas. A crystal vase overflowing with lilies, their fragrance sweet and intoxicating, sat on a bedside table crafted from a single slab of mahogany, its surface polished to a mirror sheen.Here, in this luxurious haven, Bingle cried. Tears, unchecked and glistening, traced tracks down her cheeks. Leaning against Kagern's broad chest, her sobs were muffled by the thickness of the down comforter that seemed to puff up around them like a protective cocoon. Kagern, his jaw clenched with an anger that mirrored Bingle's fear, held her tight. His voice, a deep rumble that sent shivers down her spine, promised comfort. "Don't worry," he vowed, each word a testament to his resolve. "Now that I know the truth, nothing is gonna happen to y

"I asked you, where did you get so much money? Don't tell me it's the script.""Linda, it's a secret," he replied, with a smile. "I'll tell you when I'm ready."It didn't take long for her shocked expression to disappear. Kagern was rich, so rich that he was going to buy the hotel, nothing else.Several minutes later, Lydia was done checking the contract. Others were still chit-chatting, Kagern with Bingle, Belinda with Mr. Bannet. She seemed to be enjoying the stories this man in his 40s was telling. Perhaps because he wasn't shy to answer the weird questions she was asking. "You said you run a club, right? I mean, a real club?" she had asked. The man, a bit confused, nodded his head. "And you get to see beautiful young girls dancing naked everyday."Mr. Bannet couldn't help but laugh. "They're not naked," he corrected. "They're almost.""Same thing!""Where are you heading with this?"Belinda chuckled and said, "Just trying to know why men like such things."Just then, Lydia's

"How dare you enter this building? Didn't I tell you never to return here, you bastard?"The woman's voice was laced with contempt, the beaming expression she wore on her face reminding Kagern how she would always smile at him while she bullied him back when he still lived with them. Today was different. He was not the same pushover who would avoid challenging her because she would kick him out of the Stanley Mansion if he did so. He was now a son to the richest man in Cereal City, a soon to be Golden Heart Hotel's solo owner. That's why he adorned a contemptuous smile of his and stepped toward her. "You have no right to tell me never to come here. That's the first thing I want you to know. Second, mind your language before you say something that you might regret besides calling me a bastard."As if his words were the greatest joke the woman had ever heard, she burst out laughing, so loud that Kagern shifted his gaze to the wall beside to avoid looking into her wide open mouth. "S

Kagern called Tharn and told him the situation. He then asked Lilyon to tell him the closest VIP restaurant and instructed Tharn to meet him there. Soon, he and Lilyon made it to a luxurious restaurant and entered, going deeper to sit in the far end corner, somewhere secluded and secure from the snipers. They didn't know what method Carolina would use to kill them. It was wise to make sure they were far from danger.But then again, knowing someone like Carolina and the words she just said, it was clear that she would want to torture them both physically and emotionally before killing them. So, the option was she would kidnap them.Whatever she was planning, Kagern wasn't afraid at all. Tharn and a few men occupied a few tables, pretending to order something to eat. They were looking for any sign of a kidnapper or a killer. Lilyon didn't know that. The convoy was also not far. A few men were with Lydia, others securing the perimeter. Carolina's lakies were in for a big surprise of