*****
Inside a quiet, peaceful, and rough bedroom that has the appearance of a war aftermath, a sudden vibration sounded and the next second, two bloodshot eyes snapped open. Very lazy to the peak and still sleepy, Grace, not seeing her present appearance twitched, wanting to pick up the phone ringing. Just then, she felt a warm body against her skin, scaring her badly. She jumped back and stared with full alert, preparing to engage in case someone had intruded on her bedroom. The following second, however, she saw probably the most handsome body she’d seen in her life. Although the body was lean, it was well-built with no excess muscles or fat. Just as she liked it. Though her heart skipped a bit at the sight of this body, Grace was able to ignore it, instead, her gaze slowly turned cold in an instant and she was about to yell when; everything that happened the previous night came crashing into her brain. Her face paled the next second and she appeared to have done the most unforgivable thing of all time. “How could I?” She mumbled dumbly before eventually sighing deeply. The next moment, it was as though she wasn’t the one filled with deep regret just a moment ago—Her entire being turned emotionlessly cold in an instant. She then glanced emotionlessly at the handsome man sleeping beside her for a moment before slowly picking up her cell phone and holding it to her ear. “Where have you been, boss? Your grandfather, cousins, and uncles had long been waiting for you in the conference room.” “This…” The emotionless look on Grace’s face changed significantly and she panicked for a moment, having forgotten the important meeting she had that morning. “What time is it?” she thought to herself before quickly checking and upon realizing that it was already after nine in the morning, she felt like smacking herself on the face, wondering how she could have forgotten such an important meeting. She took a deep breath before returning the phone to her ear. “I will get be there shortly, keep them busy for me,” she said before hanging up the cell phone, not waiting to hear what the secretary was going to say. Without hesitation, Grace crawled out of the bed and then gave Xavier an icy cold glare. She felt like strangling the peacefully sleeping Xavier to death but then forced herself to breathe in again after which she bent over, wanting to pick up her scattered clothes. Just as she made this single movement, however, it felt as though a blade had sliced through her legs, causing her to wince in pain and break out in a sweat. Instantly understanding the cause behind this pain, she sent an even more hateful glare toward the still-sound-asleep Xavier, the urge to strangle him to death returning with a stronger force. Grace gritted her teeth hysterically against each other. ‘I should get out of here before I commit a murder!’ she thought before managing to finally pick up her dresses and quickly wearing them. Once done, she picked up her bag and walked out of the room without hesitation. **** The bedroom returned to its tranquil state after she was gone and this lasted for thirty more minutes until Xavier, who had been sleeping soundly twitched. The next moment, his eyes snapped open, and he let out a lazy yawn, following which he tilted his head to the side, producing a loud crack, and then sluggishly sat up. Just then, he saw the sun streaming through the window, and he was greatly taken aback, the look of laziness in his eyes vanishing. “Did I just sleep till the sun fully rose?” He muttered with disbelief while feeling as though he was dreaming, as he couldn't remember the last time he had slept for more than four hours. Xavier took a moment to process this before eventually shaking his head and trying to recall where he was. The next moment, however, his face went blank again, and this time a wry smile spread across his lips. “To think that, not only had the love of my life, whom I was imprisoned for, moved on upon my release, but she was also sleeping with the person who imprisoned me in my house, with all my possessions gone,” he murmured, his voice heavy with pain. He then chuckled self-deprecatingly after a moment as he remembered everything that had happened the day before, clenching his fists. Xavier had hoped that getting drunk would help him forget the pain, which was why he allowed himself to get intoxicated the night before. However, the pain remained just as fresh as ever. He heaved a deep sigh after a moment and got out of the bed while mumbling; “I should go and see my parents.” At that moment, something caught the corner of his eye, and he quickly turned to look. In the next second, his eyes widened in shock. “Blood?” He mumbled with confusion. “What’s blood doing in—in… wait!” Xavier' went into a daze, staring blankly as everything that had happened after he got drunk the night before came crashing back into him. “This!” His eyes widened as he couldn't believe the memories in his head. “Did I just share a one-night stand with someone I newly met?” He muttered in a stupor, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Eventually, Xavier let out a wry chuckle before shaking his head. "Considering how she left, it's clear she doesn't want any relationship with me, just as I want." As he uttered this, Xavier yawned lazily once more before gathering the bedding and putting on his clothes that were as well sprawled on the floor. After doing all this, Xavier gave the bedroom a last glance before stepping out. *** The room was on the second floor of the bar, and when Xavier reached the ground floor, he found it quiet and peaceful, a stark contrast to the chaos he had encountered the night before. He glanced around, and seeing no soul present, dropped a wad of cash on the cashier’s table before leaving without looking back and just a little over five minutes later, the bartender from the previous night entered the bar, pushing a trolley of wines. “Is he still sleeping?" she wondered and quietly made her way to the second floor to check the room where Xavier had been staying. Realizing he was no longer there, she felt unexpectedly heartbroken and lost in her thoughts for a few minutes until the sound of footsteps jolted her back to reality, then giving the room one last look, she heaved a deep sigh before exiting and scurrying back to the bar. “We’re not open yet!” she announced loudly upon arriving, but the next second, she was greatly taken aback to see the fierce and menacing figures standing there, each holding dangerous objects and glaring fiercely at her. ”Where is the bastard who castrated my brother light night?" the leader of the menacing group, one of the most notorious dons in Riverton City, asked coldly. ”This…” the bartender went momentarily daze, having never expected something like this. She continued staring blankly until she hurriedly shook her head to snap out of her reverie. “He has left,” she responded, stunning the people before her. “Left?” Jazzy inquired blankly for a moment before glancing at his men with a fierce glint in his eyes. “Did you guys hear that?” He inquired and immediately, a gang member hurriedly approached him. Boss, I suggest you let us tear this place apart. I refuse to believe this bitch won’t provide the bastard who dared to harm your brother!"***** The gangsters glared at the speaker before hurriedly looking at their boss with a fawning expression. “Boss, I suggest we take this b!tch to the base and turn her to your toy. I refuse to believe she won’t speak up in just a day” “No boss, just give me the go-ahead to deal with her. She will divulge the bastard’s location in less than ten minutes!” Without hiding their rivalry over their boss’s favoritism, the gangsters shouted out cruel ideas one after another, but surprisingly, the bartender, who heard all their wicked suggestions did not show even the slightest hint of fear; instead only frowned in annoyance. "Do you even know what your brother did to earn his punishment?" she abruptly asked, cutting off the excited gangsters and glancing at Jazzy, who immediately shot her dagger-filled eyes. "My brother went after a b!tch and some worthless nobody thought they could step in, making him choose to punish them—and so what?!" he sneered, his voice dripping with icy cont
*****"Is—Is this where my parents live now?" Xavier, gaping with eyes wide and jaw dropped with disbelief abruptly mumbled to himself. Following which he trembled all over, acting as though a jolt of electricity had suddenly coursed through him.He couldn’t believe his eyes, so he had to rub them fiercely before looking again; however, the scene before him remained unchanged.It was still the same half-rundown and dilapidated house that appeared long abandoned.This was Xavier’s childhood home, inherited from his grandparents by his father.Despite its livable condition and slightly aged appearance at that time, Xavier felt that the house no longer suited his parents which was why he moved them into a better apartment after he started earning money.Looking at this same apartment now, apart from appearing abandoned, it was surrounded by tall weeds, something nobody had been to in years.***After staring in a daze for a long time, Xavier finally shook his head vigorously with
*****Xavier’s eyes were currently bloodshot, looking as though he were going to commit a killing spree.His fists were also tightly clenched, and his breathing had become labored, listening to his mother’s recounting.Initially, Xavier hadn’t lost his sanity at Jennifer’s house because he believed his parents couldn't have had it worse, given that Jennifer had given them the remaining money from selling off his assets. However, he now realized how foolish he had been.Jennifer had really given his parents the remaining money as she claimed, but;"She—she really claimed that the remainder after selling off all my properties and paying for that bastard’s medical expenses is $100?" Xavier, refusing to accept the figure he just heard inquired with a strong tremor, his entire body feeling cold.Seeing her son like this, Laura sighed heavily and thought on the past, recalling how shocked she and her husband had been as well when they learned that Jennifer had sold their son's propert
***** “These demons are here again! Why?” Laura became terrified, hearing the playful and condescending roar. Trembling, she forced herself to her feet and rushed out with a panicky countenance. “Ma—master Frosh Junior, I—I had no idea you were coming today,” she stuttered nervously. Currently standing outside the dilapidated and partially collapsed house was a 17-year-old young man with a small build. He wore a brightly colored outfit consisting of baggy trousers hanging halfway down his butt, an oversized shirt three times his size, and a bandana tied around his head, exuding an air of arrogance. Standing proudly behind the boy was a group of gangsters, all presently glaring at Laura in disdain a disgust. "You old hag, why did you intentionally make elder brother waste his strength calling you? Weren't you supposed to have been out waiting for him?" one of the gangsters behind Frosh Junior abruptly asked as soon as Laura appeared, causing her to shiver from apprehension.
***** Not even in Xavier’s worst nightmares had he expected to witness the scene he saw upon his return. Standing motionlessly, his eyes turned crimson red in an instant, and his body trembled as he unconsciously unleashed a chilling killing intent that seemed capable of destroying the entire world. Although the massive wood he had just chopped and the axe he was carrying had already fallen, Xavier failed to be bothered. No, he did not even notice. He couldn’t believe that someone had dared to make his own mother kneel to them, even seemingly on the verge of hitting her. Shivering all over as if he had been locked inside an iceberg—a sensation he had never experienced even in Irondome prison—Xavier slowly stepped forward. He moved very slowly and almost unconsciously, yet he was already standing before his mother in the blink of an eye. “Mo—mother,” he stuttered, almost choking on his words as his eyes became blurry, staring at his mother kneeling pitifully. As soon as
****** “You lot made my mother kneel before you?" Xavier asked indifferently, finally having time for the gangsters, and unaware of the grave danger they were now in, the gangsters exchanged glances before bursting into laughter. “Yes, what will you do?” Frosh Junior, who was ten years younger than Xavier inquired arrogantly, leaving Xavier, stunned for a moment before his expression returned to being icy cold. “What was my mother’s offense? Why did you make her kneel?” he suddenly inquired, making everyone become astonished for a moment, Frosh Junior included before an even more playful smirk appeared on his lips. “Since you know your place and ask nicely, I will tell you if she hadn’t,” he responded arrogantly before sparing Laura a disgusting glance. “I am the king and protector of this district, meaning that everyone who sees me will need to knee to me, otherwise, they would be beaten to a pulp, the same way you would from now on if you refuse to knee,” he explained oppressive
***** “This…” Laura and Frosh Junior stared dumbly for a moment, refusing to believe their eyes before Frosh Junior‘s face changed. “What are you motherf*ckers doing?!” He growled, glaring ferociously at his fallen men. He became even more infuriated when he saw them trembling on the ground with fear, his eyes turning into the definition of rage. “Are you telling me you can’t even handle a single ex-convict?!” He barked and rushed toward the fallen gangsters, kicking them furiously on the ground. ”Get to your feet now and cripple that bastard for me!” he roared like someone who had lost his sanity, scaring all the gangsters badly. Tremblingly rising back to their feet, they exchanged affright gazes before cautiously grouping and moving closer to Xavier again. Although Xavier didn't say a word and appeared harmless enough for any of them to handle easily, they stared at him warily as if he were a demon king. “These retards. These useless bastards!” Frosh Junior, seeing his
***** “You—” Xavier froze in his tracks and his eyes widened significantly, seeing the scary scene before him. Unlike what Frosh Junior had dreaded that caused him to take Laura hostage, Xavier hadn’t even had him in mind. Instead, he had merely wanted to help his mother back to her feet, yet… Following Xavier’s shock, strong tremors coursed through his body and a cold sweat covered him. He then glanced urgently at his mother, only to find her trembling with a look of horror and helplessness, with sweat rolling down the side of her face as she cautiously watched the knife pressed against her neck. ‘How—how dare he?! How dare he?!! How—how dare he?!!!’ His thoughts raced with rage as he trembled frantically, fixing a death glare on Frosh Junior who has now become relieved—wearing a mockery expression on his face. Following Xavier’s rage, he released a terrifying aura and cast Frosh Junior a death glare that frightened him to the core. Frosh Junior felt another wave of tr
*****The atmosphere in the conference room was so stifling at this moment, the tension so thick it was almost tangible, as every eye remained locked on Lucius. “He… he is really young master Lucius?” one of the representatives stuttered.“What’s he doing here?” Another murmured in a daze.“Wasn’t he the one who ordered our various companies to pressure Sky Group?”“Or… could he be here to finish them off?”Murmurs spread among the representatives, their confusion evident in their wary glances at Lucius, trying to decipher the reason behind Lucius’s presence.Grace, however, remained outwardly indifferent, though her heart churned with a mix of nervousness, confusion, and suspicion.‘What’s he doing here again?’ she wondered, her cold gaze on him. ‘Didn’t I already make it clear to him yesterday that I would never have anything to do with him again?’Finally, Mason.He still appeared utterly dumbfounded right now. His earlier fury completely vanished, replaced by an overwhe
*****The atmosphere in the conference room was so stifling at this moment, the tension so thick it was almost tangible, as every eye remained locked on Lucius. “He… he is really young master Lucius?” one of the representatives stuttered.“What’s he doing here?” Another murmured in a daze.“Wasn’t he the one who ordered our various companies to pressure Sky Group?”“Or… could he be here to finish them off?”Murmurs spread among the representatives, their confusion evident in their wary glances at Lucius, trying to decipher the reason behind Lucius’s presence.Grace, however, remained outwardly indifferent, though her heart churned with a mix of nervousness, confusion, and suspicion.‘What’s he doing here again?’ she wondered, her cold gaze on him. ‘Didn’t I already make it clear to him yesterday that I would never have anything to do with him again?’Finally, Mason.He still appeared utterly dumbfounded right now. His earlier fury completely vanished, replaced by an overwhe
*****The tension in the conference room was suffocating at this moment, a taut silence following Xavier's nonchalant words. “Again?” one of the representatives whispered, their astonishment breaking the stillness.Suppose the representatives had initially dismissed Xavier’s earlier remarks as a slip of the tongue or some misunderstanding, his repeated references to Grace as his wife left no room for doubt, the weight of this revelation, striking them like a tidal wave.Their eyes instinctively turned to Grace, knowing that if she had failed to hear Xavier before, she must have heard him clearly now. To their shock, however, her expression remained composed—eerily calm.This lack of denial instantly deepened the representatives’ confusion, and they exchanged dumbstruck glances, as though they’d just stumbled upon a secret capable of shaking the very foundations of the world.‘Grace is married?’ all thought in unison, their hearts pounding at this revelation.Mason, Honey, and
*****The conference room was still as death right now, the air heavy with tension.All eyes continued darting between Mason, who currently stood in stunned silence, acting as though he had just eaten a bunch of flies, and the handsome newcomer, who had just casually stridden in, exuding confidence, his easy demeanor somehow commanding attention.Different thoughts went through the representatives’ minds and their confusion cackled like static in the silence.This continued for what felt like an eternity until finally;“Hmph!” Honey broke the spell with a derisive snort.“What’s a nobody like you doing here?” Her voice dripped with disdain, fury, darkness, and coldness.“Huh…” The representatives blinked, stunned.‘Was he really not the powerful backer that brat had been arrogant about?’They thought, the realization hitting them like a punch.In the next instant, all their attention swung back to Mason, whose face was now a shade of crimson—embarrassment, anger, and disbeli
*****“So, President Mason, you said we only needed to wait a minute. It’s been almost three hours now since then. What exactly are we waiting for?” One of the representatives asked without standing up, now showing his complete disregard for Mason and the entire Sky group as a whole.While the question sounded as polite as possible, it was tinged with simmering frustration and unhappiness.They had thought that having been made to return to his senses, Mason would at least try to address them now, but contrary to their thoughts;Mason, slouched arrogantly in the president’s chair, shot the speaker a venomous glare, his irritation still lingering from his earlier defeat in the video game.“Then get the hell out of my company if you can’t wait again!” he snapped, his tone as sharp as broken glass.“This…” Everyone flinched, following which a stunned silence fell over the room, the representatives staring at Mason, their jaws slack with disbelief.“P-President Mason…” one of them
*****Back in Sky Group.“President Mason, what exactly are we waiting for?”The voice of Praise, one of the representatives suddenly cut through the heavy silence that had settled over the conference room like an oppressive fog, her question echoing what everyone in the room had been thinking for the past hour as their patience eroded like sand in an unforgiving tide.As soon as her voice sounded, all eyes immediately darted toward Mason, who had returned over an hour ago only to slump lazily in the president’s chair, hunched over his cell phone, completely absorbed in a video game.That’s right.One would have thought he would have addressed the room after his return, but no. As though he wasn’t the one they were waiting for, he had been frantically playing the video game since his return, his thumbs clicking rapidly across the screen of his cell phone, sweat glistening on his brow, as though he were locked in a life-or-death struggle in the virtual world.….“Die! Just die
*****”Young… young master,” a trembling voice abruptly broke the silence inside a lavish hotel room.The speaker was a flushed, naked woman who was currently sprawled across a king-sized bed, gazing up with watery eyes, her breath shallow and uneven.Perched on the edge of the bed, Lucius—equally unclothed—was just setting down his phone.His sharp, cold eyes immediately flicked toward the naked lady, and in the next instant, his expression darkened with unrestrained disgust.“Snap out of it already, you whore!” he barked, his voice cutting through the intimate atmosphere like a whip.“This…” The lady jolted as though slapped, the haze in her eyes dissipating like the wind.She stared at Mason in bewilderment, unsure how the man who had just shared a heated moment with her—whom they were just planning another round together could transform so quickly.She couldn’t react for a moment, but then recalling that this was how Lucius always turned cold and dismissive after getting wh
*****For a brief moment after Mason shattered the palpable tension in the room, silence reigned, everyone staring dazedly at him, frozen in disbelief.This stillness stretched on, only to be broken by the nervous shuffling of the representatives, who hastily wiped the beads of sweat from their brows, their gazes flitting nervously toward Grace, her earlier icy demeanor still fresh in their minds.‘As expected of the Ice Goddess,’ they thought uneasily, recalling the sheer weight of the presence she had released from a mere question alone.‘No wonder no one else from the company dared come, no matter what bonuses were promised,’ some of them thought, swallowing hard.Grace, meanwhile, sat motionless, her gaze fixated on Mason with a mixture of confusion and incredulity.She had been moments away from taking control of the situation, fully prepared to salvage what she could—even when she knew perfectly well that she’d ultimately lose the company to Mason.‘Why would he do that?’ th
***** At first, Grace had been deeply shaken by the coordinated actions of the partner companies, whose perfectly timed decisions to cut ties and demand repayment of debts seemed almost too calculated. The coincidence had been heavily weighing on her mind, and this was what she had been trying to process when Mason's sudden accusation hit her like a bolt of lightning. His words left her momentarily stunned. But as she regained her composure, her gaze fixed on Mason, her eyes narrowing, and her expression turning cold and resolute. “You… seriously believe I’d sabotage the company I’ve spent my life building?” she asked, her voice sharp and frosty, cutting through the charged silence like a blade. “What will a desperate witch not do?” A derisive snort responded, drawing everyone’s attention to the speaker, Honey, who was currently glaring venomously at Grace, her lips curling with spite. Grace’s brows immediately knitted with dissatisfaction. “What do you mean?” She ask