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
As Paul ran inside the house, they heard urgent footsteps from outside. A man yelled angrily, “Cox, you sure are ballsy. How dare you hit my sister?”A burly man with a shaved head wearing a black wife beater stormed inside aggressively, a gold chain hanging from his neck. Behind him was Dahlia, whose face was streaked with tears, and five blonde thugs.Barry’s expression instantly changed as he began panicking. “Jerry…”Dahlia’s older brother Jerry’s real name was Jerome Goyle. He had a few cafes and casinos in town and was known for being the big boss of the nearby towns.Jerome glared at Barry. When he saw the alcohol and food on the table, his expression soured further. However, in the next second, he was stunned. His gaze was fixated on Emily, unable to move. Paul was so scared that he couldn’t utter a word at that moment. Blood had drained entirely from his face.“Fuck, how can you eat and drink after you beat up my sister? Get up!” Jerome’s gaze hardened. He stepped forwa
Dahlia was so infuriated that she began to shake. Even though the back of Emily’s hand still stung, she couldn’t help but laugh.“J–Jerry, that asshole just called me a she-devil. You must avenge me!” Dahlia tugged on Jerome, bursting into tears.“I’ll show you just how strong these fists are.” Jerome gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and charged toward Isaac.The second he swung his fist, Isaac raised his leg and kicked him in the abdomen.“Ah!” Jerome cried out. He collapsed onto the ground, curling up like a shrimp. He was in so much pain that cold sweat poured down his body.Isaac stepped forward, planting his foot on Jerome’s cheek. He looked down on him and said coldly, “Punk, I’ll leave whatever you did to the Coxes before today in the past, but from now on, if you dare come here again to cause trouble, the consequences will be severe.”“P–punk, if you have dare to go against me, let me call my men over.” Jerome was panting like a bull, and his face was stuck to the
Isaac’s mouth twitched; this answer tickled him. He turned to look at Paul, who lowered his head shyly and nodded.“Dahlia said that if I didn’t spend my life with her, she would make my family’s lives hell. But to be honest, she treats me quite well.” There was a complex mix of emotions on his face.Although Dahlia could be pretty unreasonable, there were some upsides to being with her. Whether it was in town or in their small community, getting things done was relatively easy. After all, her brother had quite the reputation. Not to mention, Paul didn’t have much of an academic background, nor did he ever want to start a career in the city, so Dahlia didn’t seem like a bad choice in his eyes.“Are you saying you want to marry her?” Isaac said, squinting at Paul.If he did, then did he just break up a couple that was to be wed? “No way. Look at what happened. I’ll never let a woman like that marry into the family.” Barry knew his brother’s intentions, but he couldn't bear it wh
“And where did you come from? How dare you call Mac by his name…”Before Jerome could finish speaking, Mac kicked him in the back. “Get lost.” Then, he quickly went over to Old Brooks.“Old Brooks, who is this?” Mac smiled respectfully at Isaac.“He’s my bro,” Old Brooks said breezily.Suddenly, Mac’s knees weakened, and he knelt abruptly.Jerome and Dahlia were astounded, and the Coxes were also shell-shocked. Emily couldn’t help but suck in a gasp.She’d thought that Isaac was wealthy and had government connections, but she’d never expected that the biggest mafia boss in Cloud City would refer to him as his bro!“Old Brooks, i–it’s my fault. I didn’t know better. I was blind and deserve to die for it.” Mac raised his hand and slapped himself over and over again. The sharp slaps rang through the room.Jerome, who’d just gotten up, felt his legs shake and fell to the floor once again.Even Mac was kneeling, so what chance did he have?“Mr. Garten, how should we deal with this
Isaac was stunned. He turned to find Emily blushing with her head lowered.The meaning behind her words was apparent, but Isaac simply shook his head and said, “You can sleep here alone. I’ll be fine.”Watching Isaac walk out the door, Emily smiled wryly. But immediately after, a steely resolve flashed in her eyes, and she turned around and entered the room.In the middle of the night, in a private restaurant room located next to Aurum County Hospital, Horace and an old man donning a blue garment sat opposite each other. The old man was the elder of the Azure Sect who’d come to visit Patrick before, Silas Deek.“Elder Silas, didn’t you say that once the Astraeus get involved, that bastard Isaac will undoubtedly die? So why is he still alive and kicking? He even came to Aurum County today,” Horace said to Silas.Horace was harboring a ball of fury within him. He’d already gifted a box of gold bars to a few of the major elders of the Azure Sect, but there were still no results. Si