"Now that’s a true gentleman!" Mrs. Lancaster exclaimed."Oh, I’m just doing what I can to help," Chris responded humbly, though inside, his pride swelled at the praise.Meanwhile, Alex couldn't suppress a sneer.He turned to Chris."Do you even know what’s going on? Or are you once again claiming credit for something you had no hand in?"Jack shot back at Alex."You almost got us into more trouble with your reckless mouth. Chris was the one who scared off Trevor, so what are you even talking about?"Chris’s eyes widened at the mention of Trevor.Trevor?!They were talking about *that* Trevor, the feared underworld boss?No wonder the man had looked so menacing!Relief washed over Chris—he was glad he had shown up late and hadn’t made any bold moves.Phew!Still, he couldn’t help but wonder when he’d gained such influence over someone like Trevor.Maybe his father’s influence was far greater than he had ever imagined.He looked around, realizing no one held more power than him.Who el
Outside the Lancaster mansion, a modest car stood waiting, with the driver by its side.Alfred had chosen this low-profile setup, understanding it would help Alex stay unnoticed.As soon as the driver saw Alex approach, he quickly moved toward him."Sir Alex, I’m Morris, the driver sent by Mr. Alfred," he said politely, bowing as he opened the car door for Alex to enter.Inside the car, Morris handed Alex an electronic pad."Sir, inside that pad is 576 pieces of data on people named Jo from all over Vancouver, along with their pictures."He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw that Alex was already rapidly scanning through the files."Please select the one we should begin with, and I'll guide you there," Morris added, buckling his seatbelt as the engine roared to life."This one," Alex said suddenly, handing b
Alex walked to the car, noticing curious, predatory eyes already lingering on him.People in this place were always on the lookout, ready to exploit any weakness for their gain."Morris, take me to the Golden Mansion in Beverly Hills," he said as he stepped into the car."Yes, sir."Inside the car, Alex made a call."Good day, Sir Alex. Julia, your personal concierge, speaking. What can I help you with today?" she greeted him."Do you know where I am?""You’re in the slum area of East Vancouver, right by the wasteland," Julia replied."Great. I want to clean this place up. Make it greener, safer for the people. Provide jobs and education for the unemployed. Let’s say, a permanent social initiative. But I want it to be controlled for at least a year before we let it run on its own.""Thank you for your good intentions," Julia said warmly."There have been ten proposals from local experts and social workers over the last decade to transform that area.”“One proposal, written by a Vancou
Jasmine was inside the limousine when the thugs stopped her car.A group of them rushed out, attacking the vehicle brutally.The driver locked the doors in fear, frantically calling for help.She had already started to think she wouldn’t survive this time.But suddenly, the doctor who had treated her before appeared, coming to her rescue.Looking at the twenty scary men surrounding the doctor, Jasmine couldn’t believe he could save her.He would only get himself killed.Panic surged through her, and without thinking, she hastily opened the door, stepping out in front of Alex to protect him.“Stop it! I know you're here to kidnap me and demand money from my father!” she yelled.This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.Being the daughter of Kingston came with dangerous risks.“Just take me and let this doctor go,” she pleaded. She couldn’t bear the thought of this kind, brave doctor dying because of her.The whole group of thugs, including their leader, stared at Jas
As they fought to escape, desperate to save their own lives, Alex calmly waved his hand.A sudden, crushing aura exploded from him, engulfing the fleeing thugs.It was as if gravity itself had multiplied.Their legs gave out. Muscles refused to respond.Some dropped to their knees instantly, gasping for breath, faces pale.The weaker ones couldn’t hold back, wetting themselves in terror.Suddenly, from up ahead, the sharp crack of gunfire rang out.Ten bullets were fired straight at Alex from a black SUV that had been lying in wait at very front.Six armed men rushed to back up their fallen leader, and without hesitation, they opened fire, their mission clear—kill Alex.The thugs on the ground thought for sure Alex would be taken down.But just as the bullets closed in, they stopped, hanging in mid-air just centimeters from his body, frozen in place as though the laws of physics no longer applied.The thugs gasped.What the hell was this?Before anyone could process what had happened,
“I wanted to do it alone.” Jasmine replied“Then why not tell your father? He would’ve allowed it—with a team of bodyguards.”Jasmine shook her head.“He told me to rest because of my illness. I’ve told him a hundred times that I’m already cured, but he won’t believe it.”Alex gazed at Jasmine, captivated by her flawless complexion and radiant beauty.Her long, flowing hair framed her face, giving her an ethereal, angelic presence.Yet, behind that beauty, he glimpsed a fierce, untamed spirit flickering in her eyes.She found the courage to rebel in the most unexpected place."Next time, if you're planning to go in a place like this, try wearing something modest—something that won't draw attention," Alex suggested."I've definitely learned a lot from this experience," Jasmine replied cheerfully."You'd better!"“Alex, will you come to my banquet tonight?” she asked hopefully.“Let’s see,” Alex responded, glancing outside with little interest.Jasmine’s eyes lingered on his side profil
Chris Roland was seated at the dining table with the entire Lancaster family when Amelia, Sophia's grandmother, walked into the dining room.Her eyes lit up as soon as she spotted him."Chris Roland, how is your father, Jerry, doing?" she asked warmly."He's doing great, thanks for asking," Chris replied with a smile."I heard your father not only helped us secure three invitations to the Kingston banquet but also sent a gift to Sophia. I haven't had the chance to thank him personally," Amelia said, somewhat coyly."It's all right," Chris responded. "He's been very busy.""No," Lady Lancaster interjected firmly."It's impolite not to thank him directly. We have our manners to uphold. Please video call your father. I want to thank him personally, and Sophia should as well.""All right," Chris agreed, pulling out his phone and connecting the call to the large screen in the dining room so everyone could see.Jerry's face soon appeared, set against the backdrop of a hotel room."Father,"
Lady Lancaster shifted in her seat. "Let us think about it first.""Remember," Jerry pressed, "the banquet is tonight, so you’ll need to make a quick decision. And since you’ve already said Chris will marry Sophia, if you give me the money today, I’ll give tell Chris to give BioHealth Solutions to Sophia."The room fell into a stunned silence.The Lancasters were shocked—Chris’s company was significantly larger than their own business."Why?" Lady Lancaster asked, her voice shaking with both greed and disbelief."I’m in Los Angeles right now for the new Elegance & Co. branches," Jerry lied, "and I’ll need Chris’s help to build a new BioHealth company here.”“Since he’s my only son, who better to manage our company in Vancouver than his wife?"Sophia’s mother, Florence, leaned in eagerly. "Mother-in-law, this is a great opportunity for us."Meanwhile, Jerry was already calculating his next move, planning to take out every loan he could under BioHealth Solutions todays and dump the fina