*****“What—what did he just say?!” murmurs rippled through the crowd after a long moment of silence, then they exchanged bewildered glances, their disbelief palpable.“He—he really did just say that?” someone whispered in shock, their hearts pounding nervously in their chest, but realizing that the Lion King had really demanded what he just did and it wasn’t them hearing things, they all struggled to breathe, feeling terrified to the core.‘Has he gone crazy?!’ Several of the gangsters thought speechlessly.‘He already has the upper hand, why not ask for something more practical?’‘Why not just give him back his parents in exchange for him to leave us be? Why try to push him to the wall?’They felt like sobbing, knowing that Xavier would only be a fool if he were to take his life like the Lion King had demanded.‘Ah!!! What a deluded fool!’ Some of the thugs thought, feeling utterly weak and helpless. They wished to speak sense into the Lion King, but understanding how foolish
*****The Lion King, still not realizing anything flew like a bullet after Xavier’s attack and then crashed to the ground with a loud and heavy thud—right next to Jazzy’s carcass.Xavier’s body immediately moved instinctively, ready to pounce and tear him apart for his disrespect toward his mother. But then his gaze fell on Laura, and instantly, something inside of him seemed to shift.Her expression which was still filled with dread, helplessness, apology, and exhaustion made him stop, unable to care about the Lion King again for the time being.“Mother…” he called out with a softened voice, the fiery madness that had consumed him moments ago shattering like fragile glass.He took a step toward Laura, and as he did, the frozen time around them resumed.Everyone in the arena shuddered violently the next second, gasping as if they had just surfaced from drowning.Some of them nearly fainted in the next second as they finally reacted to the first surge of aura that had erupted fr
*****With all that had transpired, one might think an eternity had passed since Xavier had slipped out of the hospital, but that wasn’t the case. In reality, just a little over an hour had gone by which was little, considering the distance between the hospital and the underground fighting club.Presently, inside a dark-colored vehicle parked quietly some distance adjacent to the lively underground arena, the one-armed, heavily bandaged Frosh Junior and his elder brother were seated in the back, staring vacantly at the scene outside in complete stupor.The two brothers still couldn’t believe what they were witnessing, no matter how long had passed. In fact, they refused to accept it.They had reached the fighting arena before the authorities. But just as they were planning to gather together and barge in to demand Xavier, ready to destroy Jazzy's club in the process, law enforcement showed up, making them stop even though they weren't scared.…“But why would cops come into that
*****For a moment, Frosh Junior did not know how to react, hearing his brother and hearing the melancholy in his voice, but then his eyes narrowed and he quickly locked his gaze on Frosh, his breathing turning labored.“So, now that we know that jerk, who did this to me has such a close connection with a member of a second-rank family, does that mean that my revenge is only a mere fantasy?” he suddenly asked, his eyes reddening with frustration and unwillingness, dumbfounding Frosh for a moment.“That was not what I meant,” he hurriedly clarified, seeing his brother verging on panic. Before he could continue, however, intending to assure him, a soft knock tapped against the car’s windshield, startling the brothers.Frosh quickly rolled down the window beside him, recognizing the person— his newly promoted assistant from the previous day who presently appeared shocked and scared as though he just saw something scary.“What did you find?” he quickly asked, eager to know the truth
***** Frosh was dumbstruck for some time after hearing his brother and feeling the pain and desperation heavily laced in his voice, then he shook his head and released a soft sigh. “Why do you say that?” he asked, staring at him in confusion. He instantly saw the anguish on his brother’s face and understood his fear. The following second, Frosh couldn’t help but laugh, even amid the unsettling situation. “You—you think that weakling, whom even I, an F-ranked fighter could easily crush with a snap of my fingers, was the one who killed Jazzy?” he laughed so hard that tears sprang to his eyes. “How is that even possible? Do you know what it takes to become a ranked fighter, let alone an E-rank, which requires a miracle and divine intervention? Then the level above?” “But…” Frosh Junior began, only to be interrupted. “If truly Jazzy has reached the E-rank and was still
*****“Is something the matter?” Laura, whose mind was still in turmoil from all that had happened and the second near-death encounter she had had in just two days, suddenly blurted, gazing at Xavier, who had come to an abrupt stop, staring intently in a specific direction.“I…” Xavier blinked, startled back to his senses by his mother’s voice. He then shook his head in response to her question before his brows furrowed again, subconsciously glancing back at the departing black vehicle.‘Who could have been releasing that much murderous intent and hostility toward me?’ he wondered, his rarely wrong intuition alerting him of looming trouble that he deliberates on solving right there and then.Just as he was about to step forward, however, David’s concerned voice sounded beside him, breaking through his thoughts. “Are you sure you’re alright, son?” he asked, and only then did Xavier tear his gaze away from the car, deciding to dismiss the threat and intention to act, nagging at his
*****Although Grace had already been accustomed to various stares throughout her life, especially since she had embarked on the journey of being an entrepreneur, this one left her deeply uncomfortable, making her palms sweat for a reason she had no idea about.“I...I hope you weren’t hurt, Aunty?” she stuttered, uncertain of how to respond to the gaze she was receiving.At the sound of her voice, Laura trembled slightly before stepping forward with her mind a flurry of emotions.She kept her warm gaze on Grace and then gently took her hands once she reached her, leaving Grace, Dorothy, and Xavier utterly flabbergasted.The trio stood there in a daze, unsure of what had just transpired, while Laura, her heart overwhelmed with joy, failed to notice.‘This—this is my daughter-in-law. I’ve —I’ve finally laid my eyes on my daughter-in-law,’ she thought with a mind filled with butterflies, her eyes brimming with unshed tears of joy.Laura had thought she would never get the chance t
***** "Father! Father!!!" Lucius cried out, darting forward as if his butt had caught fire, then with not even the slightest trace of pity, shoved aside the two guards, who appeared to be trying to warn him, and then slammed open the grand door before him, storming inside. “This...” The bodyguards, who had just been roughly pushed aside without any care whether they fell or injured, exchanged uneasy looks. "Master specifically said no one was to enter—why does young master always put us in impossible situations?" one of them muttered, visibly shaken. The other forced a deep breath, trying his best to maintain his composure despite knowing the consequence of making their master mad. "I’m certain the master won’t hold it against us," he whispered hopefully, although his nervous expression suggested otherwise. He then cautiously closed the door that had been forced open by Lucius. As he did so, however, the guard sneaked a glance into the hall and saw Lucius standing motionless. The