Alex took out his smartphone and pressed the fast call number 9.
“Good day, Mr. Leonhart. I am Julia, your First Royal Mastercard personal concierge. How may I assist you?”
“Do you know where I am right now?”
“Yes, your card has GPS. You are at Vancouver’s Noble Knight Club.”
“I want to become a member.”
“We are processing that now. You can use your Mastercard as the membership card,” Julia replied.
The glass door suddenly opened.
“Your membership has been approved. Do you need anything else, sir?”
“No, thank you.”
Alex put his smartphone in his pocket and walked into the club.
The guard hurriedly blocked his path.
“I think the system made an error. You cannot enter.”
“I am a member here,” Alex explained. “Why do you think the system let me in?”
The guard was confused but asked again, “Do you have a membership card? I want to check it. If you don’t have one, please leave.”
Alex took out his First Royal Mastercard.
The guard had never seen this kind of card before.
“Sir, I don’t think this is a membership card. You cannot enter.”
“Just scan it, or should I call your manager?”
The guard had a bad feeling since the card seemed so luxurious.
He was hesitant, not knowing what might happen, but when the manager came, it could turn ugly.
He chose to scan the card.
The scanner beeped and displayed the member's identity.
The guard was shocked.
He read
the identity, and his face turned pale.Without hesitation, he quickly knelt.
“I am really sorry for not recognizing such a top member. Please forgive me.”
The guard was paralyzed with fear; he had just mocked the top member.
He might get fired, and his family of five would suffer.
“You saw nothing, understood?” Alex said.
“Yes, sir, I saw nothing.”
“Tell me, where did the two girls go?”
***
Sophia and Lyra were warmly welcomed as they entered the club’s main hall.
They exchanged pleasantries until Lyra noticed the frightened guard guiding Alex into the hall.
“Damn,” Lyra whispered to Sophia, “It seems like the guard wants to get in our good graces by letting him in. Shall I call the manager to chase him out?”
“Let him be,” Sophia replied.
“You’re right, Chris will take care of him later,” Lyra said, and they pretended not to know Alex.
"Look! Chris has started his world rank competition online!"
Alex could see what seemed like a real virtual hologram: a man with a sword fighting a man with a spear.
The swordsman in the ring struck his opponent skillfully.
In just four movements, the spearman was cut in two, and the hologram destroyed.
“Chris wins the 1,467th Rank!”
The whole hall applauded.
“He is the best in Vancouver, pushing the 1,500 rank.”
“No one in Vancouver could pass this rank.”
“Yeah, from 10 billion people, he ranks more than 1,500.”
“He is rich, strong, and handsome.
Whoever marries him will be very happy!”“Yeah, who wouldn’t be crazy about him?”
Sophia also felt happy for Chris.
Chris walked from a room with a special combat suit that could connect him to any opponent around the world.
He spotted Sophia and approached her with a smile.
"Sophia, Lyra, I’m glad you’re here."
Just then, Chris’s eyes fell on Alex.
"So that is the scum?"
“Yeah, the riffraff I told you about, Alex." Lyra sneered.
A muscle ticked in Chris’s jaw as he stared coldly at Alex.
How did this loser dare marry his sweetheart?
"I see, so you’re the leech. Divorce Sophia now while I am being kind to you."
“Why?” Alex coldly asked.
“Isn’t it obvious or are you too stupid to realize? You don’t deserve her!”
“Well, my opinion is just the opposite. I believe that, in every way, I am deserving of her.”
Sophia’s eyes widened at Alex’s shameless remark.
“How naive! You don’t have any wealth that makes you fit for her.” Chris sneered.
“Believe me, you are poorer than me by at least a thousand times in terms of wealth.”
Chris frowned and eyed Alex disdainfully.
Indeed, this was an ignorant fool with no shame.
"You know what, if you’re a man, join me for a bout."
Alex shook his head.
"I don’t play with children. People will say I’m a bully."
"BOO! Shame on you!"
Some of Chris’s fans were angry.
“This coward doesn’t dare!”
"If you’re scared, just say it."
"Yeah, there is no need to deny it! Damn bastard."
"You are scared, aren’t you?" Chris mocked.
“Scared? Of you?” Alex laughed. “So cute of you.”
Chris’s eyes turned red with fury.
“A man can be destroyed but not insulted. If you dare, prove it then! Let’s fight there.”
“If you lose, I want you to divorce Sophia right now.” Chris added, revealing his final aim.
“What if I win?” Alex asked.
“You win?” Chris sneered disdainfully.
How could that be possible? He never considered that.
No one in Vancouver could beat him in virtual combat.
Meanwhile, a round of laughter erupted in the club.
"Oh my goodness! What shameless boasting and audacity!"
“Chris, teach that village boy some manners.”
“What do you want?” Chris scoffed.
“Do you have a house in Vancouver?
Put the biggest one up.”Alex looked at him expressionlessly and added, “Since you’re so eager to embarrass yourself, I’ll let you have your way.”
"You talk as if you can beat me. Who do you think you are, a grand master?" Chris said with a smirk, "I doubt you have ever played this kind of game."Chris was confident that only wealthy men could afford such expensive toys, and Alex definitely didn't look like he could."There’s a first time for everything, right?" Alex shrugged casually.Chris laughed with contempt.It looked like victory were already assured.He touched his smartwrist, and a 3D hologram of a big mansion appeared."This mansion in West Vancouver is mine. I bet on it. If you lose, you’ll divorce Sophia."Chris had bought that house with his personal savings, thinking it would be the perfect place to take Sophia to spent night together, not too far from her house.He was already imagining having two babies with her there. He was putting up his best house because he couldn’t fathom losing to a complete newbie."Deal," Alex replied with an air of calm."Then what are we waiting for? The sooner you divorce Sophia, t
When the system declared Alex the winner, the entire hall fell into stunned silence.They couldn’t believe their ears or eyes."How can a loser who barely knows the game win?" someone blurted out.Shock rippled through the room. Everyone had expected Alex to lose.After all, Chris was the highest-ranked player in Vancouver!How could a newbie win him? Impossible!"There must be a mistake, right?" another person muttered.As Alex exited the room, with Michelle following him, people noticed something unusual—his gaming suit.It’s the latest, most expensive gaming suit, equipped with AI assistance.A newbie could become a master by activating the AI. Originally designed for military use in war, it’s now a game-changer in the virtual world.Seeing that super expensive gaming suit for the first time, their surprise quickly turned to anger."You cheated! That suit must’ve boosted your fighting skills," someone shouted."Yeah, no way a newbie could win without cheating," another voice chimed
What the fuck?!!!"Here comes the king of braggarts again! Can’t you just stop boasting?" Sophia scoffed. "You’re only embarrassing yourself!"One of Chris's friends called out, “Hey dude, the banquet’s off. Know why? Because I wasn't invited, so they cancelled the whole thing.”His tone was so amusing that everyone burst out laughing.He sneered at Alex, “Boo! Shame on you, man! Trying to act like you know something.”“Listen, Alex, whatever you’re trying to pull, we’re not buying it,” Lyra said.Alex knew hardly anyone would believe him, but he tried to tell his wife anyway. It was up to her whether to believe him or not.Suddenly, Chris’s smart wrist device buzzed.“Hey, silence please,” Chris asked the group and shot a smug look at Alex. “My dad’s calling. Probably about the banquet.”The room went quiet as Chris switched on the speaker.They pricked up their ears to the latest news of the banquet while looking at Alex with a sarcastic expression.“Father,” Chris said politely, “I’
However, before Alex replied, his phone rang suddenly, catching everyone’s attention. He glanced at the screen and moved to a corner to take the call.A few others glanced over, and one burst into laughter."You guys won’t believe this,” someone said, chuckling. “That dude’s trying to scam all of us. Guess who just called him? Alfred Kingston! Can you believe that?”“For real? He went that far? Thank God we know he's just a king of scum.”Alex answered the call, his voice low and serious.“I’m sorry to disturb you, young master. My daughter's condition suddenly worsened,” Alfred Kingston’s desperate voice came through the speaker.“I don’t know what else to do except to ask for your help,” the voice continued, trembling with worry. “Pick me up. I’m at the Noble Knight Club.”“Yes, sure! Thank you very much, young master. I really appreciate your kindness. I’ll send someone to pick you up right now.”Alex ended the call and turned to Michelle.“I’m sorry, but I have to decline your in
A few minutes after Alex arrived at Kingston's mansion, the old butler, already waiting at the entrance, greeted him."Respected Sir Alex, Master Alfred asks for forgiveness as he has not returned home yet. He asked me to guide you in checking Miss Jasmine’s condition.""No problem, take me to her," Alex replied.The butler led Alex through the luxury long hallways. As they approached Jasmine's room, a sharp, sterile medical smell filled the air.An older woman was already pacing back and forth there anxiously.Upon seeing Alex, she immediately turned and rushed to him.It was Jasmine Kingston’s mother, Jessica Kingston."Doctor, please help my daughter!" Jessica pleaded desperately.“Calm down. No need to worry."Alex saw a young woman lying still on the bed, her breathing shallow and labored.She appeared to be in her early twenties, her once-beautiful features now overshadowed by a sickly pallor.Her face was ashen, her body trembling uncontrollably, and tears clung to her lashes,
Dr. Jenkin added.“Young lad, it’s fine if you lack ability, but you’d better not speak recklessly. Not only does it make you look foolish, but it also delays others.”“Doctor Jenkin, please treat my sister. Don’t listen to this bastard.” Charles snarled, pushing Alex away.“Who is this young man, anyway?”Charles looked at Alex with great disdain.“Never mind, Doctor Jenkin. He is just a scammer who scammed my father.”“You’re wrong. I came because Mr. Alfred asked me.” Alex calmly said, “By the way, do you want me to treat her or not?”Jessica hesitated, torn between her husband’s wishes and Jasmine’s condition.She glanced between Dr. Jenkin, who had treated many famous people, and the young man barely older than Jasmine.“You are still young,” she spoke. “Let Doctor Jenkin treat my daughter.”“You heard my Mom, right?” Charles said. “Now fuck off so Doctor Jenkin can start.”“Go ahead then,” Alex coldly stated.Dr. Jenkin sneered. "Listen, young man. If you think you can use me as
At the mansion entrance, the butler bowed to Alex, his posture respectful.“I’m sorry for your trouble. Please, don’t take it to heart.”“No worries,” Alex replied.Suddenly, two bodyguards rushed out.“Stop there and follow us back to the room, or we’ll shoot,” one barked, their hands reaching for their weapons.Without hesitation, the butler struck both bodyguards across the face.They staggered back, stunned.“Fools,” the butler growled.“This young man is Mr. Kingston’s guest. Mind your words, or I’ll kill you both.”The bodyguards turned even paler.They had never seen the butler this angry and didn’t even realize how they were struck.They had heard the butler was once a feared assassin.“We... we’re sorry,” one of the bodyguards stammered.“But Miss Jasmine’s condition is critical, and Dr. Jenkin said this man poisoned her.”The butler’s eyes narrowed, his voice icy. “So, that idiot made a mistake and now wants to blame someone else?”He turned to Alex and bowed deeply, his ton
When Dr. Jenkin and Charles were still trying to understand the situation, they were already taken out by the butler outside the room.“Butler!” Charles wanted to protest.Yet, the butler cut him off, “Young master, you better prepare what you will say to your father. He is already on his way here.”Charles turned pale.Inside the room, Alex, without hesitation, cut away Jasmine’s clothes, leaving her naked.This time, he didn’t ask for any permission from Jessica anymore, as her condition was already critical.He put Jasmine in the bathtub and then took out nine acupuncture needles.As Alex flicked his hand, the needles seemed to find the points by themselves and landed on Jasmine’s body with precision.The water in the bathtub turned visibly murky brown and foul-smelling at an alarming rate.It was as if the toxins from Jasmine were rapidly being expelled from her body and neutralized by the chemicals in the bathtub.Alex pour another palm of ingredients into the bathtub.The next m
That morning, the Lancaster mansion was anything but peaceful.In the grand living room, Florance stood in front of Justin, practically shaking with anger.“You’re worthless as a father!” she shouted. “All you do is sit around watching garbage on TV!”Justin frowned, more irritated than surprised. “What do you want from me?”“How about acting like a dad for once? Our daughter is in trouble over that massive loan. You need to help figure out a solution!” Florance’s frustration bled through her every word.Justin let out a tired sigh. “And what exactly do you expect me to do?”“Look at the bigger picture! Your brother is already waiting for Sophia to fail so he can give Mike her position in the company. We can’t let that happen!”Rolling his eyes, Justin scrolled aimlessly on his phone. “I don’t have that kind of money, and you know it.”Florance glared at him. “You’re good for nothing except your so-called manhood!”“Fine!” Justin snapped. “What do you want me to do?”“Marco Ashford,”
Sophia picked up the menu and glanced over at Lyra, her mind spinning with confusion.There was Lyra, practically leaning against Alex, an intimacy that would make any observer assume they were the married couple, not her and Alex.“Alex, I bet this is your first time here,” Lyra said brightly.“Sophia and I have VIP status at this place. Let me recommend a few dishes—I’m sure you’ll love them.”Alex managed a polite smile. “Thanks.”Lyra beamed, flipping through the menu. “Order whatever you like. Don’t worry about the bill, I’m covering it tonight.”Sophia nearly choked.Lyra—stingy, penny-pinching Lyra—offering to pay? For a man, of all people?Lyra never spent her money on men.Every luxury in her possession was typically gifted by them.This was the first time Lyra had ever offered to foot the bill for a man.Sophia narrowed her eyes. “Lyra… are you feeling alright? Did you forget to take your meds this morning?”Lyra raised a cool eyebrow. “What’s with the shock, Sophia? I’ve al
Inside the car’s quiet interior, Sophia leaned her head against the window, her mind drifting back to the stranger who’d come to her aid earlier.Could it be fate?Was this mysterious figure the soulmate she’d always dreamed about—the one who would stand by her forever?She breathed out heavily, shaking the thought away.She didn’t even know him.“You don’t look happy,” Alex said, breaking the silence.Sophia managed a faint smile.“On the contrary, I’m very happy. Someone paid a hundred million for me, clearing the loan that haunted me and the Lancasters.”Alex smiled, his heart lightening.He was glad to see his wife finally accept the help.Later this noon, as she drifted into sleep, he gently healed her and pulled a blanket over her, making sure she was warm and comfortable.Meanwhile, behind the scenes, he’d ordered Carlos to take control of the entire Black syndicate.Charles Cole, Cathy Black, Bruno Black—their fortunes and futures now lay quietly in his hands.“I’m glad you’re
Alex burst into Kingston’s penthouse office, heart pounding.Just moments earlier, Jasmine had called him in tears—something he never thought he’d witness from her.Inside, the tension felt thick as smoke.Jasmine was curled up on the plush leather sofa, her face buried in her trembling hands.Nearby stood Kelly, tapping briskly on her smartwatch.The instant Jasmine spotted Alex, she sprang from the sofa and flung herself into his arms, sobbing so hard he could feel the quake of it through his chest.This wasn’t the poised, controlled Jasmine he knew; this was someone shattered, clinging to him like he was her only lifeline.“Jasmine,” he murmured, fighting to keep his voice steady, “what happened?”She couldn’t answer, her sobs stealing her words.Instead, he turned to Kelly, who regarded them both with a cold detachment.“Kingston just lost about a billion dollars,” she said flatly.A billion?The number slammed into Jasmine like a punch. Her cries intensified, her grief pouring ou
A few minutes earlier, Bruno Black had been furious the moment he received the text message from his sister.“Who dares to threaten my sister? Do they not fear the Black Syndicate?” Bruno growled angrily, seated in the back of the limousine.He turned his rage toward his private bodyguard.“Brad, we need to show them who we really are and take control of Vancouver's underworld!”“Yes, Sir,” Brad replied meekly.“It’s because of your meek personality that people look down on us!” Bruno snapped, glaring at him.Brad nodded. “I am sorry, boss.”“You... If it weren’t for your big body, no one would hire you!” Bruno’s anger grew sharper. “Talking to you is like talking to a big, stupid bull!”“Yes, sir.”Bruno angrily slapped Brad. “Just shut your mouth. You’re pissing me off!”Brad only nodded again, silent as ever.If Brad weren’t over two meters tall and didn’t move like a freight train, Bruno wouldn’t have kept him around.The man could act as a meat shield when needed, and that was re
Alex hesitated. "But—""No buts. This is a family matter," Charles cut him off sharply."Alright," Alex sighed, stepping back, unwilling to get involved in what he now saw as a tangled web of domestic chaos.Charles turned his attention back to Cathy, yelling furiously, "Don’t you think I don’t know what you’ve done behind my back? You threatened and tortured everyone connected to me! Including my ex-girlfriend! You’re nothing but a sadistic monster!"His fists slammed into her motionless body, each blow carrying years of pent-up anger."Do you know how much pain you’ve caused me? You think money can fix this? What’s the point of money if I can’t find happiness?!"He picked up a vase from the corner of the room, his face twisted in pure hatred. "You think I’m your worker, your slave, your damn toy?!"With a final roar, he smashed the vase against her body, shards scattering across the floor.As the silence settled, Charles stood over Cathy’s limp form, chest heaving.The room was litt
Cathy Black laughed as she fired all of her shot, yet only to freeze in disbelief.Alex stood before her, unscathed—no bullet hole, not even a scratch."Impossible," she gasped, her eyes widening.She glanced at her gun, empty now, as the hollow click confirmed her worst fear.Alex’s lips curled into a cold smile. "You’re truly lucky, I don’t hit women."He turned away, striding toward Charles, who was trembling near the wooden table."But you," Alex continued, grabbing Charles by the shoulder, his grip firm as iron, "you hit my wife. Seems like you’re good at hitting women.""No! No, I’m not!" Charles stammered, his body quaking like a leaf.Alex’s voice dropped, a venomous edge creeping into his tone."Your wife hit my wife. Don’t you think it’s only fair you take the hit as payment?"Without waiting for an answer, Alex slammed his fist into the sturdy wooden table beside him.The deafening crack echoed in the room as the table split clean in two, the pieces scattering across the fl
“Who the hell are you?” Charles snarled, voice cracking into a shrill pitch.“If my wife says she’s going to die, then she’s going to die!”Alex stepped into the office, calm and deliberate.His eyes swept over the scene before settling on Sophia.Even from across the room, he could see her condition was anything but normal.She looked drugged, unsteady, and vulnerable.“Get your filthy hands off my wife,” Alex said quietly.His voice was steady and low, yet it carried a firm authority that made everyone pause.Cathy almost laughed out loud, disbelief flickering in her eyes.She prided herself on never feeling fear, but when she met Alex’s gaze, a strange chill gripped her.For the first time in years, her knees weakened, and her hands trembled.She released Sophia’s hair, letting the young woman slump back onto the sofa.“Good,” Alex murmured, moving closer to Sophia.Cathy studied him, unsettled.He seemed like any fit young man—handsome, maybe—but nothing special.Still, something
Tim, Cathy Black’s driver, was drenched in sweat beneath his thin cotton shirt.He gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.He could feel Cathy’s icy gaze boring into the back of his neck from the rear seat.Ever since Bernard’s warning call, Tim had prepared himself for something terrible—but this went beyond his worst fears.He slammed the gas pedal to the floor, weaving recklessly through Vancouver’s crowded streets.The usual thirty-minute drive to Cole Finance had to be cut down to ten, no matter the cost.Cathy’s voice still echoed in his ears:“Get me there in ten minutes, or you’ll be six feet under.”Her tone had held no trace of doubt.Up ahead, Black Syndicate enforcers on motorcycles roared through traffic, forcing cars aside with shotguns and sheer menace.They formed a path of chaos, snarling at anyone who dared slow them down.Tim followed in their wake, heart hammering, ignoring every traffic light, weaving between honking cars and shrieking ped