Less than three hours later, the black car carrying Marc arrived in the courtyard of the Richmond manor.At that moment, a young woman in a deep crimson velvet uniform stood at the front door, her arms crossed over her chest. Her skin was smooth and flawless like jade, her facial features nearly perfect. Shoulder-length black hair and a long neck further accentuated her divine presence.But when she saw who stepped out of the car, a look of surprise and disdain instantly crossed her cold face.“Hendrix, who is this vagrant you’ve brought here? Weren’t you supposed to pick up Dr. Dixon from the airport?”Violet Richmond was the youngest daughter of Cora, Wesley’s eldest child. Though she had just celebrated her twentieth birthday, her sharp intelligence and calculated demeanor had earned her the responsibility of managing several family businesses.It was also thanks to her efforts that Samuel Dixon, a renowned doctor from the capital, had agreed to come to Cammont today to examine the

“This is the consequence you’ll face if you dare act so disrespectfully and insult me!” Samuel’s lips curled into a sly smile, and his eyes gleamed with excitement. Wasn’t making someone suffer for the rest of their life the best form of revenge? “Old man, can’t you see?” Marc looked at Samuel lazily. “Wesley is awake, so stop your nonsense.” “Awake, you say? Hahaha! Don’t call me a doctor if I’m wrong! This old man will never open his eyes again!” Samuel, too eager to destroy the young man before him, paid no attention to anything else. At the same time, everyone else in the room turned their gazes in the same direction. “Say what you want. But I’ll give you one last chance to end this now.” Marc wasn’t the type to hold grudges. Since he didn’t recall any animosity between himself and the doctor, he chose to forget their previous bet. “You fool!” Samuel spat, glaring at Marc with disdain. Without waiting for a response, he nodded toward Violet, signaling the young woman to summ

Blare, blare!The deafening sound of a trumpet filled the room. When Marc opened his eyes and glanced at the table, it turned out to be his phone ringing.“Master Tilcott, I know you have a packed schedule, but I’ve booked an appointment, and I sincerely hope you’ll keep it.”A woman’s voice came through the phone as soon as Marc hit the answer button. Her words weren’t rude, but her tone was sharp, impatient, and commanding.“Ma’am, you don’t need to worry. I’ll be there in two days as scheduled.”“Hey, who are you?” Marc was about to end the call when her voice suddenly grew louder. “Oh, are you Master Tilcott’s assistant?”“Tell your master not to reschedule as she pleases! I don’t care—I expect her here today!”Since there was no calendar in his new apartment, Marc quickly opened the calendar app on his phone. What? Have I been asleep for three days?The date clearly showed it was the 15th!“Ma’am,

Elsewhere.Closing his eyes, Marc focused all his attention on his ears. “It’s here,” he murmured.He could hear faint movements on the ground, drawing closer to him. But suddenly—“Aaargh!”A scream from the direction of the house shattered his concentration.“Damn it! Who opened the door from the inside?”Marc’s eyes snapped open. Without sparing a glance at Jonas, who was sprawled on the ground snoring, he leaped swiftly over the backyard fence in a single bound.“Get away from here!”At the front door, Newell stood pale-faced and trembling, frantically swinging a club in his hand at a small goblin inching closer to his unconscious wife.There’s nothing goblins love more than blood. That was why Marc had lured the creature by placing blood near the doors and windows. Once the goblins had their fill, they wouldn’t bother the mayor’s family.“And besides, you don’t have to worry,” Marc had reassured Newell earlie

Without realizing it, Marc's words had triggered a negative reaction from some people who happened to still be nearby.“Oh my, did I hear that correctly? That young man is going to pay fifty thousand for a fake painting? Unbelievable.” Sue Cook, a woman in her forties, adorned with jewelry from head to toe, shook her head.“Hey, how can you believe something like that just by looking?” chimed in her equally flashy, plumper friend, Dolores Sullivan. “Look at the shabby appearances of the two of them. They must be working together to pull off a scam.”One common trick used by deceitful traders was to pay someone to bid outrageously high on their goods, only to pretend to decline the offer. This way, when an actual buyer came along, they could sell the item for a price just slightly below the inflated one.Ordinary buyers might not realize this, but it was different for those with experience.“You’re absolutely right,” added another wealthy woman, Lala Mills. “I don’t understand how that