The reunion was at a high-end four-star hotel in Cloud City.On the way, Isaac reminded Emily to keep certain things about him a secret. It wasn’t because he wanted to stay lowkey but because he didn’t want Emily to get in more trouble.As the two of them exited the elevator and walked toward the private room, they heard an angry roar come from the room.“Just who do you think you are, Barry? How dare you go up against me? You’d better kneel right now.”Emily couldn’t help but shiver. She could tell that voice belonged to Rory. Did that guy lose big time at the sales office and run over here to vent?She’d forgotten that he’d chosen this venue for the gathering. He was the main character, so it didn’t come as a surprise that he was here.Meanwhile, Isaac’s face was scarily stormy. He reached out and pushed the door open.A luxurious room greeted his eyes. Twenty people were already seated at a huge round table in the middle of the room. Rory was standing off to the side with an
Rory gave Brett a cold glare and lifted his leg to kick Barry away. Then, he coughed, hacking up a wad of spit onto his own leather shoe.“100 thousand dollars, you say? No problem. If you lick the spit clean, I’ll give you double. How’s that?” A sinister look crept onto Rory’s face. He hadn’t expected Barry to turn up; this matter would paint a bad image of him in the eyes of his other classmates.Barry stared at the disgusting wad of spit on Rory’s shoe, and his body began to tremble even harder.But thinking of his son, he lay on the floor and closed his eyes, leaning toward the shoe.There were mixed reactions from the table. While some classmates at the table turned away, others sighed, watching with wide eyes. Another group of them snickered. In their eyes, Barry was nothing but a crass country bumpkin who didn’t deserve to sit at the same table as them.At that moment, a large hand suddenly clapped Rory’s shoulder.“Who the fuck…!” Rory roared angrily. But before he could
Rory’s expression was dark. He knew Isaac wasn’t easy to deal with—not even the second heir to the Martin family could handle him. Still, how could he get on his knees and apologize to an idiot like Barry? Especially with so many of his classmates watching them right now? How could he maintain his reputation after such humiliation?“Mr. Mandela, is this bastard crazy? How dare he ask you to apologize to that country bumpkin Barry? Since your family has shares in this hotel, you should call security and have them throw these two morons out!” Daniel said snidely, casting a look at Isaac.When everyone heard that Rory’s family even had shares in this four-star hotel, their expressions changed.“Emily, you were the prettiest girl in our class back then. Even if you’re struggling now, you don’t need to hang around a death row convict. Since when did you, the class beauty, sink to such levels?” said the sexy woman, taking the opportunity to attack Emily.Her name was Jasmine Smithers.
Mocking looks appeared on the faces of the other classmates.“Mr. Mandela, it seems like some people didn’t do their research before telling lies. I think you should get security to kick him out right away. It disgusts me to look at him.”“That’s right. Even after a murderer like him was released from prison, he still won’t look in the mirror and reflect on his morals.”“I feel like we should notify the authorities. We can’t be sure that he isn’t a fugitive who escaped.”After hearing Rory come clean about his family’s wealth, several classmates began to scorn Isaac.Isaac didn’t lose his cool. He gave Barry a comforting glance before handing him a cigarette. Then, he took a seat and began smoking.Half an hour later, the door opened, and Old Brooks entered with a stormy look. Behind him were four burly men. Not to mention, over 20 men in black were now waiting outside the door.“Mr. Garten, it’s done.” Old Brooks nodded.Some of the others recognized Old Brooks, and their eyes
“Kneel!” Brody roared at Rory. The atmosphere in the room suddenly became so tense that it felt hard to breathe.Everyone watched in shock as Brody picked up a heavy chair and slammed it into Rory’s legs, breaking them and causing Rory to howl in pain.They’d seen fathers beat their sons, but they’d never seen something this cruel.Only a father pushed to the edge of despair could do something as ruthless as breaking his own son’s legs.Rory rolled on the ground, wailing. Celeste knelt beside her son, sobbing uncontrollably.She didn’t dare to reproach her husband or even say anything. Brody had already warned her about how powerful this Mr. Garten was—he was someone who even had connections to the top leaders of Southland!“Mr. Garten, I’ve broken this little asshole’s legs, and I promise to leave Cloud City with my family, never to return. I–is that amenable to you?” Brody once again knelt before Isaac, his face ashen. “What about the 100 thousand dollars that he owes? Oh, it
It was around the time that Barry had lent the money he’d been saving up for a house to Rory. Times got tough; his wife couldn’t stand it anymore and abandoned their one-year-old child in favor of shacking up with the owner of a clothing business.After Barry finished speaking, he secretly wiped his tears. Only he knew the kind of life he’d led for the past few years.“It’s okay, Barry. Everything will pass.” Isaac patted his shoulder, hoping that he’d rise from the ashes.Barry shook his head. He choked up, saying, “I don’t know if my son can hold on. Yesterday, even the provincial hospital wouldn’t admit him.”At the back, Emily also quietly wiped away her tears. She never knew that Barry had been suffering for the past few years.“Oh, Barry, these are all small issues. Small issues, I say. It’s not as bad as you think it is. So long as he’s still breathing, then I can cure him,” Harry said loudly from the backseat while playing games on his phone.Barry smiled wryly but didn’t
Seeing his older brother’s mad behavior, Paul’s expression changed instantly. However, it was too late to stop him.Barry’s intention was simply to scare his future sister-in-law. He merely wanted to “kill” her by sticking his head out at her, but in a fit of rage, he had lost control and rammed his shoulder into Dahlia.Dahlia’s body slammed into the wall behind her. She screamed in pain, her face twisting with agony before her body slid to the floor.“Dahlia!”“Barry, are you crazy?” Paul roared at his brother as he ran over to Dahlia.Unexpectedly, Dahlia suddenly gritted her teeth and stood. She mustered all her strength to push other people away. Pointing at Barry, she sobbed, “Cox, how dare you hit me? This isn’t over.” Then, she ran out crying.Paul’s face turned pale, and he chased after her.Soon enough, Paul returned, his expression even darker than before. He turned to Barry with a furious expression.Barry knew he was at fault, and he averted his gaze. He had borrow
Barry’s home wasn’t far from town. It was only ten minutes by car, but the roads were difficult to traverse. They might not have been able to go in if it wasn't for the Jeep.The house was a single-story home with three bedrooms. Betty and Ronald went straight to the kitchen and got busy as soon as they entered.Soon after, the table in the living room was set with a few hearty dishes. Betty and Ronald didn’t eat; they merely greeted Isaac before leaving the house.“Emily, my family isn’t well-off. I’m sorry for subjecting you to this.” Barry knew from their schooldays that Emily had grown up wealthy and had been the prettiest girl in school. Hence, he felt a bit embarrassed right now.“Barry, we’re all old classmates. There’s no need to be so formal,” Emily said, shooting Isaac a smiling glance.Although Barry had spent the past few years farming in the slums, he’d graduated from school with flying colors. Being the quick-witted fellow he was, how could he not see the intention