“Unfortunately I cannot.” Melinda decidedly said, not even mincing words as she gave her response.Gasps echoed and murmurs flew but none made her change her stance or even waver as she stood before Prince Maverick.Even Vincent was hardly surprised, after all, he knew Melinda's heart was elsewhere and she wasn't one who ever considered wealth or power when making such decisions.“I had heard you and Richard Smith are engaged. It would seem that is indeed the case.” Maverick remarked casually.“Yet you ask that I escort you?”“A test. If you weren't engaged, then lucky me, if not, one would be able to tell just how sincere you are with the arrangements. Richard Smith is indeed a lucky man.”Melinda managed a melancholic smile as she remarked. “Yeah, he is.”“Regardless, I hope we can be friends by the end of the evening. Is that alright?”“... Yes, Your Highness,” Melinda replied, deciding not to be too forceful to avoid causing the Prince to have it out for Richard.Satisfied with he
Once the party was in full swing, everyone quickly began to network, seeking the people capable of providing them with the most benefits.That was how most parties in the business world went.It was seen as an opportunity to make the next big deal or to form the next great alliance so it wasn't strange that it was happening in the Malcolm party hall as well.Most would notice that several wished to move to the VIP section as that was where the powerhouses gathered but unless invited, one would only be looking to embarrass themselves if they dared to approach.Regardless, the VIP section was also in full party mood as Marlon tried to get the prince interested in a new business deal he was working on while Chris tried to grab Melinda's attention with a series of topics though his attempt was futile at best.At this point, Richard was waiting for an opportunity to step out as under normal circumstances, no guard was to leave his patron’s side to start moving around, especially when it wa
They rushed out of the party hall, utilizing their various attributes to ensure they reached the main house on time.On their way, Richard realized that apart from cameras, there were also security guards who were cultivators, making use of broom artifacts to survey the entirety of the estate from the sky.It made him thankful that Vernon was helping since it would have been difficult to get past the flying guards without problems.Regardless, they soon arrived at the main house after almost five minutes of sprinting.Thankfully, most were cultivators so their running speed was even faster than most horses galloping.Only Arturo was human and even he had the help of Vernon so there was no problem.The vault was underneath the main house and was only accessible via an elevator which was constantly guarded by cultivators.“The Malcolm family are quite powerful to have all this.” Lolita couldn't help but comment as they looked for an opportunity to sneak into the elevator.Vernon casuall
In a certain room in the main house of the Malcolm estate sat an old man draped in sage clothing.He seemed to be meditating but soon had to end it as he noticed someone's approach.The door to his room opened and a middle-aged man entered, quickly getting on his knees in a show of respect.“Speak.”“Master, we detected traces of movements in the vault, and… it seems the vault door was opened a few minutes ago.”The old man remained silent for a moment before letting out a sigh. “It would seem we had a rude visitor. The fact they were able to get in without my knowledge and our perfect security shows that they aren't just any person but someone of great repute.”“What do we do master?... Do we tell the current head so he may search the guests?”“No, leave them. We can't do such a thing especially since an Imperial Prince is amongst the guests.”“So what do we do?”“Have you checked to see what was stolen?” The old man asked.The middle-aged man nodded. “Yes, master. The files related
Richard was awoken by the sound of his phone ringing in the wee hours of the morning.He lazily picked up the phone and checked to find that it was Vincent calling.“Hello, this better be good.”[It is. They found out]“Huh?... Who?”[Damn it, just turn on the TV and check the news. You'll understand everything.]Frowning, Richard did as instructed having known that Vincent wasn't usually so serious.Once the TV was on, he immediately understood what made the old man so tense.[Breaking news: Shocking discovery made by law enforcement. The Abbadon District fire wasn't an accident but was intentionally orchestrated and you would never have guessed it but the orchestrator is still alive and well, living with the Malcolm family as their family head. This morning, the Malcolm estate released a statement of apology saying they had no clue that Marlon was such a wicked man while also giving their word that they would not interfere in the subsequent actions to be taken against Marlon Malcolm
Richard could quickly tell that his grandmother had taken a liking to Melinda, considering how she could praise her and tongue-lash him.He was meant to be the favorite grandchild, damn it!Regardless, he didn't think too much about it and went over to sit at his grandma's side.“How are you feeling now, grandma?” Richard inquired.“Well, after everything you gave me, I feel wonderful but the Smithsonian can be quite lonely at times, you know. Even as there are family members still here, it's almost like there's no one at all. Most of them have already left, saying they could never work as servants to atone for their sins.”“That's good. Considering the Smithsonian will become my place of work, I guess it's best to empty as much space as possible.” “Hah, Isn't there a way to get the family back together again, Richard my boy?” His grandmother asked.Richard could understand why she wished for such a thing.The Smith family was one she had worked had to ensure that they remained toget
“After the meeting with the Assistant, the Golden Band has been silent, completely ignoring me as I've done as you instructed, taking over everything you had taken from the four Mafia families you destroyed. Currently, everything is under my Ramirez family's control and I can say without hesitation that we are currently the most powerful family in the city. The other Mafia families have to pay their respects and that's all because of you.” Lucia remarked while seated in a private room with Richard.She has set a wine bottle on the table along with two glass cups and even poured out a little for Richard to drink.At this point, one would think she was an attendant Richard had employed.“Is that why you poured so much praise on me in front of my grandmother?”“I told no lies, Mr. Smith. The Ramirez family and everything in it is yours to do as you wish as without you, we wouldn't be at the level we are at now.”“You had a hand in the growth as well. Anyway, try not to mention such thing
This wouldn't be Edith's attempt at embarking on a tour with her first stop being Riverdale.Of course, her first attempt wasn't a world tour but it didn't change the fact that she had come to Riverdale to perform.Back then, Alicia was the undisputed number 1 female artist in Riverdale with multiple deals and the likes falling on her lap.So imagine her shock when Edith began to threaten that position all because of one concert.One performance was enough to get people to fall in love with Edith's style of music which was both evocative and heart-wrenching, compared to Alicia was mostly vibes.Due to this, Alicia began to immediately plot Edith's downfall to ensure she would never take what belonged to her.At the end of the day, she ended up making up several false stories and paying people to slander Edith but even that wasn't enough as Edith never took any of their harsh words to heart and calmly responded to the stories, causing the media to love her even more.Without a choice,