*****
Although Xavier tried appearing strong as he walked away from the house he had bought through his blood and sweat, he was very vulnerable. His mind was in complete disarray, and he felt like a wreck, recalling the memory he did not know if he would ever forget in his life. He was deeply pained, realizing he had wasted his love and emotions on someone who did not deserve them. In addition to his pain, Xavier felt a deep sense of guilt, knowing that he had also punished his parents, which weighed heavily on him. Although he knew his parents couldn’t have managed his company on their own, Xavier felt pained that he should have entrusted everything to them instead of the ungrateful woman. For this reason, Xavier did not immediately look for his parents after leaving Jennifer—He had one idea how he would face them after five years of denying them the right to see and be protected by their son. Xavier began to walk aimlessly around, various memories running through his head at the same time. After strolling around for what felt like an eternity, he eventually found himself walking into a bar filled with heavy music and the heavy smell of alcohol. “One of your strongest drinks, please,” he said to the beautiful bartender who appeared to have a weird countenance. The lady looked at Xavier in surprise, and her eyes lit up as soon as she saw his handsome appearance. “Hey, handsome. Seems you just suffered from a heartbreak. Do you need someone to talk to?” she asked loudly, but Xavier ignored her, making her instantly snort at the realization that Xavier was not interested in her goodwill. With this, her eyes flashed fiercely, and l without hesitation, mixed the strongest alcohol in the bar for him. ‘Let’s see if you’ll be able to ignore me once you’re drunk,’ she thought with a scheming smile as she handed the drink to him. Not knowing what she was thinking, Xavier accepted the cup and chugged the entire content without hesitation, badly startling the bartender. She stared at Xavier as though he were an alien, unable to believe that he had just downed the strong alcohol in a single gulp. “You—are you trying to kill yourself?” She gasped but before she could think much, Xavier handed his cup back to her. “More.” He demanded, almost causing the bartender to fall off her feet. “You—you—do you think getting yourself killed because a lady broke up with you is smart?” She inquired helplessly, hoping Xavier would reason and change his mind but he only stared emotionlessly at her. “Make it two cups,” he stated coldly. “You—you—” the bartender became frustrated before eventually becoming infuriated, realizing that Xavier was too arrogant. “Whatever," she snorted and complied with the request. After paying for the three cups he had ordered, Xavier took the two cups handed to him and turned to walk toward the back area of the bar when suddenly, his eyes went in a particular direction and he subconsciously became stuck in his tracks. Although Xavier had been in prison for the past five years, he had met more people than he could have in his entire life, including numerous world-class beauties, yet, compared to the woman he was currently staring at, all the beauties seemed to pale in comparison. But what really made Xavier stop in his tracks wasn’t this beauty herself, but instead, the expression she currently had on. She appeared heartbroken, helpless, exhausted—with an emotion Xavier could deeply relate to. The look of someone who wished to cease living. For some reason, Xavier’s heart ached, seeing this lady like this, especially when he saw the two men with sinister intentions beside her, continuously pouring more alcohol into her cup and persistently pushing it to her mouth. He understood at a glance that they were trying to take advantage of her, but… “What are you staring at, you brat?!” An aggressive voice abruptly broke through Xavier’s train of thought, and upon looking, he saw one of the two men glaring coldly at him. “Get your ass moving now before I gouge your eyes out of their sockets!” The other snapped and Xavier, hearing their unhidden threat, frowned slightly, however, what does anything have to do with him? ‘I have my own to deal with,’ he thought and then looked away after which he moved to the last seat in the deepest corner of the pub and sat. With that, he began to sip his alcohol, while wallowing in his misery. The more he reflected, the more regretful and pained he felt, and he came to realize just how much of a fool he had always been. ‘How could I have loved a girl so much to the extent of going to prison for her?!’ ‘To think I almost got killed the first few weeks of my time in prison, all because of love.’ ‘To think my favorite time in the past five years was the time I think about her and our meeting after serving my time.’ “Argh!!!” Xavier suddenly growled under his breath and then ground his teeth hysterically against each other. Perhaps the world would have been thrown into chaos if it knew that the renowned Master Xavier was currently sobbing and consumed by sorrow over a woman. However, since it remained unaware, Xavier, utterly devastated lost himself in basking in his grief until, suddenly… “Lea—leave me alone!” A weak cry broke through his thought. Xavier subconsciously looked toward the source and behold, it belonged to the jade beauty of earlier. She currently appeared totally wasted. “I’m—I’m not following you, evil men!” She uttered in her drunken state, pushing back the two men currently trying to make her follow them. Although it was in a less crowded part of the bar, there were still several people present. However, despite witnessing the vulnerable woman about to be taken advantage of, no one showed any intention of intervening. Instead, they laughed and mocked the lady, happily enjoying the scene. “Why don’t you follow the lion kings!” “Hahahaha! The two kings are going to take care of you!” *** Hearing the voices around them, the expressions of the two self-proclaimed Lion Kings, renowned for their dominating actions and their boastful claim of being the absolute ruler in their territory like the original Lion King, grew even more excited. “You heard the crowd, right, beauty? Why don’t you just quietly follow this king and become one of my Lionesses?“ “That’s right. This Lion King’s body is already full and given how this Lion had never seen such a beautiful as you before, just follow us already! I promise we will not hurt you!’ The second menace guy also urged, trying to pull the intoxicated lady up. One would think that since she was already wasted, she wouldn’t be able to resist after all the persuasion. But contrary, she strongly fought back “You are—you are both evil! I—I won’t follow!” she said, hiccuping “This…” the two lion Kings finally frowned with helplessness and frustration which eventually ended up turning to anger. “Whether you like it or not, you are following us tonight!” The second Lion King coldly uttered and then resorted to using force. “You—you… leave me!” the lady cried out in her drunken state, her face finally showing a hint of fear. However, too drunk to resist, she was unable to fend off the strong man's pull. Realizing this, the lady subconsciously threw the leftover drink from her cup into the guy’s face, and instantly, the area fell silent. Even the DJ, who had been excitedly hyping the two Lion Kings subconsciously stopped his music. No one could react for a moment, refusing to believe that someone had dared to pour a drink on one of the two evil Lion kings’ faces. This silence lasted for a moment before everyone began to heave cold sighs, and then started shaking their heads in pity for the lady, already knowing what her fate would be. With this, the few people around quickly ignored what was going on and returned to doing what they had been doing before. At the same time, the eyes of the Lion King who got himself drenched in alcohol flashed fiercely. “B!tch!” He suddenly growled, his voice booming within the bar and causing everyone to turn their heads. They immediately sighed, realizing that another beauty was about to suffer. As they watched the Lion King raise her hand to strike the woman’s face, they all felt a sudden pity for her. ”I will fucking kill you!” The Lion King roared, finally throwing the hand he had raised, making some people shut their eyes, unable to watch. Just as the palm was about to strike the now-terrified beauty on the face, with the club now in absolute silence, however, a gentle hand reached out and stopped it. “Please respect yourself,” a lazy voice sounded. For a moment, no one could react, unable to believe that someone had dared to interfere in the Lion King’s business. Everyone quickly turned their heads to see who dared to intervene, and a moment later, they were left dumbstruck, their mouths agape in disbelief, as they questioned whether they had seen correctly. “Had—had that weak-looking person just dared to involve himself in the Lion King's affairs?" “Is he tired of living?” These two questions popped up in everyone’s mind.Latest Chapter
Chapter 1139 – “They Are Being Sycophantic”
*****Most faces in the hall remained confused, some stunned, and only a handful showed dawning comprehension.And seeing them, a flicker of disappointment crossed the elder’s expression, but still, he continued.“Fine,” he said, raising one hand slightly. “Let us assume that was some elaborate scheme none of us has uncovered yet.”His tone shifted, sounding sharper now.“What about the Blackwoods?”That single question detonated in the hall.Brows jumped, eyes widened, and murmurs almost started…But he cut them off before anyone could speak.“At least,” he continued, “everyone knows the Harrison Family has historical dealings with Sky Group. So as shocking as their decision was… it wasn’t completely unimaginable.”He paused again, and this time…The silence felt heavier.“But…” he said quietly, almost every breath in the hall becoming strained.“Why would a first-rank family… one of the five strongest, most powerful, and most influential families in Riverton City, not o
Chapter 1138 – An Elder’s Speculation
*****As soon as the voice echoed, every gaze in the hall snapped toward the owner, and just then, the man rose slowly, his palms pressing briefly against his knees as if grounding himself before standing.His face remained tense, but his eyes carried the sharp focus of someone piecing together a puzzle under pressure.“I don’t know this Grace Sky girl,” he admitted honestly. “The only time I’ve heard her name was when the Harrison Family handed Project Echelon to her company.”No one responded.They already knew that, and their expressions made it obvious.But the elder continued anyway.“I didn’t take her seriously back then,” he confessed. “I believed she… and her family was merely a front for the Harrisons.”A faint murmur of agreement rippled through the hall, showing that all of them had also believed that.“I believed,” the elder continued, voice tightening slightly, “that Project Echelon had only been handed over on the surface… while the Harrisons retained full contr
Chapter 1137 – Tension In The Greystone Estate
*****On the western side of Riverton City stood an estate whose territory stretched so vast that it resembled a miniature kingdom rather than a residential compound.It featured a range of elegant architectural designs, meticulously maintained landscapes, private lakes, and security systems so advanced that they rivaled military installations, all clearly marking its boundaries.This was Greystone Family’s estate, one of the five five-rank families of Riverton City… a power whose influence could tilt the city and reshape political alliances.Yet at this moment…The atmosphere inside the estate was suffocating, heavy, and oppressive.It felt as though the air itself carried weight, pressing down on every chest, making even breathing an effort.Servants walked quietly, their footsteps cautious, sensing the tension like animals before a storm.Inside the largest hall…On the elevated platform, seated facing the front was the elderly Patriarch.At this moment, the man who had r
Chapter 1136 – Result of the Earth-Shattering News
*****Since the shocking revelation that the Sky Family had been renamed the Oriens Family… followed immediately by their immediate withdrawal of both their support and Project Echelon from Sky Group, the entire business sector of Riverton City had descended into utter pandemonium.No…Calling it “the business sector” alone was an understatement.The tremor had rippled through the entirety of Riverton’s upper echelon like a seismic shockwave, rattling every major household, boardroom, and private consortium in the city.Whether it was the third-rank families or the towering first-rank families that normally operated above the chaos, everyone had been equally stunned, equally baffled, and equally ravenous for answers.Conversations had erupted everywhere… private lounges, encrypted chat groups, and emergency board meetings, as people whispered theories.After all…A family changing its name?That alone was already unthinkable.Even ordinary, unranked families would rather go
Chapter 1135 – The Explosive Breaking News
*****At this moment, the man who had brought his cell phone earlier to check the Social Media was staring down at it with such intensity that his eyes looked ready to pop out of his skull.His mouth hung slightly open, his expression hovering somewhere between awe, terror, and the spiritual awakening of someone who had just realized his lottery ticket matched every number.It genuinely looked as though he had just seen a pig sprout wings and file for airport clearance.Instinctively, everyone guessed whatever he had discovered had to be connected to the chaos unfolding around them.Yet none of the people outside… the defectors, Sarah’s colleagues, or even Sarah herself, had the audacity to ask. After all, they had just finished stomping on Sky Group’s dignity like it was a welcome mat.Asking one of them a question now would require a level of shamelessness even they couldn’t quite reach.Fortunately…“Brother Jake,” one of the other loyal employees called, her voice tight wi
Chapter 1134 – ‘Why?’
*****People shouted over one another, spinning around in confusion, covering one ear, stumbling away, and colliding with others… the whole scene breaking down into loud, chaotic disorder.It was like a marketplace during a riot or a kindergarten where every child suddenly decided to scream at the same time.It was utter madness.“Is there an apocalypse?” a man who hadn’t received a call couldn’t help but mutter half-seriously, turning around in a daze.His heart was beating strangely fast in his chest, his unease crawling up his spine.Then suddenly, a thought struck him.Without hesitation, he pulled out his own phone… not to answer calls, since it wasn’t ringing, or to call, but to open his social media.Meanwhile, after a moment, the chaos around him gradually began to die down.One by one, people lowered their phones, frustration visible on their faces.Most hadn’t heard anything clearly; all they caught were fragmented words through the noise.Now silence slowly envel
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Reader Comments
nice good novel