*****Grace’s casual expression finally faded away as soon as she heard Xavier still insisting on owning a villa in OceanView Estate.She stared blankly at him for a moment, half-expecting him to suddenly break into a grin and admit he was merely joking. After all, who wouldn’t laugh at such an absurdity of an ordinary person claiming to own a house in OceanView Estate of all places? Yet, there he was, staring back at her, his expression steady, as if he had just casually stated the most obvious fact in the world.She had already been frustrated with him for telling his parents about their marriage—something meant to be a mere business arrangement—without giving her any warning. Now, however, he even dared to boast about something so obviously untrue.‘I thought you were a bit different, maybe even honest, based on the background check I did. But it seems I was wrong,’ she thought, any trace of lingering goodwill she might have had for Xavier vanishing entirely as if it had never
*****Although Grace’s expression didn’t change after seeing Xavier incapable of responding to the question he was asked, her fists clenched slightly with so much fury as she suddenly regretted the mistake of giving her first time to him.Though she had regretted this from the moment it happened, she had kept trying to convince herself that he was at least better than the other men who were only interested in her looks. Especially recalling how he had stood up for her at the bar, and everything she’d learned about his past before he was sent to prison. But now, however, seeing him for what he really was—a liar, a braggart, and a shameless fraud, on top of being an ex-convict—she couldn't help but despise herself to the core, and suddenly... suddenly, she thought Xavier might have planned the incident at the bar.Though this was only a fledging thought, it grew stronger and stronger until finally, it became so believable that she couldn't take it off her mind again.In the next sec
***** "I knew you were somewhat different and mysterious from the first interaction I had with you, “ the figure of a beautifully shaped lady, seated behind a desk inside a dimly lit, shadowed room suddenly mumbled to herself, her expression distant and contemplative with a smug smile on her barely visible lips. Eventually, she snapped back to reality and lowered her gaze to the monitor in front of her, whose screen was providing the only light in the otherwise dark room, and carefully reread the oddly typed, somewhat encrypted message on it before finally, she couldn’t help but release a small sigh. “Never have I imagined that your level of secrecy and mysteriousness actually extends to having the strength needed to eliminate an E-rank fighter...” she whispered with a voice filled with awe, her eyes gleaming with a light that could make one’s skin crawl. Looking at the way she was muttering to herself, lost in her own thoughts, inside the dimly lit office that appeared empty save f
*****"Have you heard the news?” A man in his mid-thirties, who currently has an indifferent expression on his icy face abruptly asked, slowly raising his head.Just at that moment, the door to the grand and somewhat dark-themed office, which radiated power and influence opened, and then Frosh carefully entered, looking extremely wary and deferential, a stark contrast to his usual arrogant, rude demeanor in the outside world.“Boss,” he first bowed his head respectfully to the man in the fine, expensive, and black suit, sitting behind the massive desk with a large cigarette between his fingers.“Yes boss, I just got the news that Jazzy was killed,” he cautiously reported with his head still bowed, but in the following second, a fleeting, calculating glint flashed in his eyes—something the man before him did not notice.The thirty-something authoritative man is Dominic, one of the terrifying and feared rulers of the underground network of Riverton City; Jazzy and Frosh’s boss.He
*****The silence in the office seemed to last an eternity before finally, Dominic, broke it.What did you just say?” he asked, his initial indifferent and icy expression crumbling.Heheheh!’ Frosh laughed inwardly at this but maintained his awkward demeanor.“It—it was Miss Grace. Grace Sky, Boss.”“This!” Dominic finally lost his composure, springing to his feet and glaring at Frosh, who instantly panicked.Who doesn’t know who Grace is to Dominic? She was the woman he had been slowly courting for some time now.Though he could have long gotten her by now if he wanted, he hadn’t because he desired not just her body but her heart, soul as well, and everything.But now…“Why would she do that?! Did that bastard Jazzy offend her?” he growled, his voice dark, menacing, and fierce, causing Frosh’s grin to pause.‘Huh!!!!’ he was dumbstruck by the latter part of his boss’s question.He stared dazedly at his boss for a moment, wondering how much he must have loved Grace to have
*****Located at the very heart and core of Riverton City stood a breathtakingly gorgeous estate, one that seemed plucked straight directly from a fictional fantasy realm. Its magnificence was so extraordinary and magical to the extent that it seemed unreal even to the ones who saw it.It was surrounded by a softly glowing, luminous blue sea whose surface was impossibly smooth, like polished glass, reflecting a perfect mirror image of the sky above.This was OceanView Estate whose entire villas are so priceless and highly coveted by the most powerful elites in Riverton City that no one outside this exclusive circle could afford it.Its value, however, wasn’t solely due to its breathtaking beauty. What truly distinguished this estate, according to the public knowledge was a combination of factors, chief among them being its unparalleled security, which could render even the most notorious criminals and weakest entities invincible.There were also rumors that this estate maintained
*****“Should… should I lower it?” Dorothy asked nervously, her eyes darting to Grace, whose calm facade was beginning to crack under the mounting pressure.She swallowed slightly, but finally nodded her head, her voice steady despite the tension. “You should.”Dorothy stared at her more but then she gritted her teeth and moved her hand toward the car’s door, lowering the windows with a trembling finger.In the next instant, they were met with the fierce, contemptuous glare of the arrogant-looking middle-aged man.Edgar peered into the car, and in the next moment, the sight of the cramped space filled with anxious, panicked faces made the anger on his face gradually fade, replaced by pure disgust and contempt.“How many times do you filthy peasants need to be warned to stay away from this place?” he sneered, his voice dripping with pure disdain. “Are you lot trying to taint the air with your presence?”“This…” Edgar’s words instantly sent shivers through the car, causing everyo
***** Initially, Xavier hadn’t given much thought to Oceanview Estate, despite his previous fascination with it like everyone else before his prison sentence, thinking it was yet another overpriced, overhyped place by wealthy people who don’t know what to do with their money. This assumption, however, swiftly faded even before they reached their destination, as something had already begun to stir within him. By the time they arrived, his vague stupor had transformed into absolute astonishment and disbelief, which lingered long even after everyone else in the car had snapped out of their own amazement. Xavier had remained frozen, his mind swirling with discoveries no one else in the car could have comprehended, which continued until Grace noticed his dazed expression and scoffed, utterly convinced by his look that he was merely a delusional fool, claiming to own something he hadn't even seen before in his life. While everyone else had been shocked by the breathtaking scen