Anna was an important part of Richard's life and after listening to Richard speak about her, Melinda couldn't help but accept that without her, she wouldn't be able to lay eyes on the Richard Smith of today.Back then, Richard was broken and incapable of doing anything by himself.It was Anna who gave him the strength to move on, even giving him the drive he needed to realize that the Martinez family would never change no matter what he did.After hearing how much she had suffered at the hands of her adoptive family, Melinda grew even more sympathetic to the young lady.In any case, the conversation soon ended when they arrived at the jewelry store.***Merry Jewelry was a known brand in Riverdale.Known for dealing in gold and diamond jewelry, they were headed by the Stone Family who were said to have gold and diamond mines in the Far East.Their products were expensive and naturally not meant for the everyday man.But that didn't prevent them from making hundreds of millions as they
As the secret overlords of Barracuda City, certain members of the Lopez family didn't try to hide it as they utilized their authority wantonly.As far as they were concerned, what would happen to them?... Report to the police, report to the government… it would result in the same thing, a simple slap on the wrist.That was the result of being born into the right family.If one didn't like it, one might as well go touch grass or something.Dario grinned as he stepped into Merry with his subordinates clearing out the establishment.Now that he and his woman were around, how could ordinary citizens stay in the same place as him?As a member of the Lopez family, Dario considered himself someone deserving of priority service. It would be unacceptable to drag attention with some mundane dogs so might as well chase them out till they are done with their shopping.The manager of Merry on hearing of his appearance, immediately rushed out to greet Dario, worried that if he didn't, Dario might
Richard made eye contact with Dario with the latter staring back with clear annoyance.'So that's the one with the killing intent. Must be a trigger-happy person.’ Richard thought to himself as he tried to calm Marco. “Just take a breather, nothing will happen.”“Hah, what nothing will happen?... Don't you know who the Lopez family is?... They are the overlords of Barracuda. Do you think your meager funds would be able to stand against them?... Don't kid yourself.”“Still, calm yourself. It's no excuse to try and beat up your worker.”Just then, Dario remarked. “Bold of you imbeciles to keep on speaking while I'm here.”Marco clenched his fist as he muttered. “it would have been better if I beat her than Dario does it. She won't survive.” The terror that Marco felt was shared by all workers in the store causing Richard to accept that his words would not affect them.So he shifted his attention to the root cause.“May I help you?” Richard inquired calmly as he stepped forward to meet
“What are you still doing here?” Melinda asked as she stared at Bianca cowering in the corner.“I…”“Just get out of here already.” Bianca didn't need a second warning before she fled with her tail between her legs, her previous demeanor all but gone.Snorting derisively, Melinda finally glanced at Richard who had returned to his seat.“You didn't have to be so harsh.”“Hmmph, the idiot just wished to cause trouble. In any case, such guys only respond to unrestrained violence, nothing else would keep them in check.”“Hah, I guess you're right.”At this point, Marco and the rest of his staff, along with Lyra, were still standing in place, shocked by the incredible display of might Richard had given them.Now they understood why he wasn't the least bit fazed when Dario first arrived.He was also a powerhouse in his own right!Marco could only feel bitter realizing he had nearly offended such a figure.Gulping nervously, he turned to face Richard.“Sir…”“I understand your situation. Da
With the situation concluded Richard waited an additional three hours before he got his hands on the pendants he'd asked to be customized.Then he bought the necklaces and finally left the store with Melinda.Though Marco and the other workers had been kind enough to provide some more snacks for the wait, Richard and Melinda were famished and so, headed to a restaurant to sate their hunger.There, they were introduced to the delicate cuisine of Barracuda which consisted mostly of fish.It was a delight for both involved as they enjoyed their meals, reveling in the explosion of taste the dishes brought to them.By the time they were done, the day was mostly spent with a few hours left before night would fall upon the city.On their drive home, Richard got a call from Lucia.“Talk to me.” He remarked as he put the phone on loudspeaker.[I have spoken with the Assistant and she has tried getting across to the Lopez family to facilitate a meeting with Anna but… there's a problem]Richard'
The situation at the bar quickly garnered the attention of clubgoers close by as they began to murmur amongst themselves.“Aren't those guys members of the Green Gang?” “I think so too. Look at the tattoos on their right arms.”“Damn, poor guy, I haven't seen him here before so which means this is his first time here. Imagine coming to have fun only to end up having your girl taken from you.” “Hah, serves him right for coming in here without some backup. Everyone knows that first-timers have to go through a sort of ritual to get them acquainted with the air in here. Next time, he'd be smart to do the right thing.”“I agree. I mean, just look at the chick he's with. She is smoking hot. I wish she could spend a night with me.” “Stop dreaming you fool!... If you want her so bad, why not go and ask the Green Gang guys for permission?... I'm sure they'd be willing to listen.”“No thank you.”As the murmurs continued, Richard found himself torn between passing by quietly and making a sce
Judging from the King's physique, it was clear he was most likely a Combatant cultivator, which meant those who focused more on offensive skills when cultivating.He sat across from Richard and scanned him briefly before shifting his attention to Melinda.His gaze lingered on her for a moment, a lustful thought crossing his mind as it did before he returned to face Richard.“My boys told me you are a High-risk Individual. I rather doubt it so I'm here to test it out.”Before Richard could offer a response, he unleashed a powerful spiritual wave, intending to suppress him. However, his pathetic attempt at asserting dominance was met with a raised brow from Richard as he inquired.“What was that?”The King shook inwardly at the unexpected question.Was his spiritual energy so weak it was considered lesser than air by this new visitor?Now he understood why the bartender had labeled him High risk and he dared to antagonize him just now.Coughing awkwardly, the King remarked. “A rite of
Once Richard had left, the King let out a sigh as he muttered. “Let's hope this doesn't get me into trouble with the Lopez.”Just as he got to his feet to return to what he was doing before the meeting, another door leading into the room opened and a thug rushed in holding a piece of paper.“What is it?” The King asked, rather annoyed at the fool's entrance.“Sorry, boss, but it's urgent. Alejandro has a request.”“What request?”“To search for someone.”“What?... If it's about Anna, let him know that we are doing the best we can. He would have to exercise patience.”“No, boss, it's not about the missing lady though he didn't sound quite pleased when I told him we hadn't found her yet.”“Then?” the King raised a brow.“He wants us to look for a man. The man dared to beat up some of the Lopez thugs and humiliated them in public. Alejandro wants to find the man and put him in his place… which would most likely be six feet under.”The King's frown softened as he grew curious. “Who is thi