Thea was shocked speechless. She could not believe that David had borrowed 800 million dollars from the loan sharks. Maximus left with his men in tow. Maximus Leviticus was originally a small-time gang leader. During this period, the truly powerful and influential men of the underworld in Cansington lived in seclusion and distanced themselves from worldly affairs. After the likes of Dawson and Nine Fingers went into hiding, Maximus seized the opportunity and rose to prominence in the underworld. He was now a loan shark. His gambling dens and businesses in the entertainment districts had been going swimmingly well. He was close to being the new king of the underworld. An underling of his asked, “Maximus, why didn’t you capture David? We could have forced the Callahans to pay up.” Maximus snorted maliciously. “You think it’s gonna be over after they pay up? I’m not letting them off the hook that easily.” “What do you mean?” His underling stared at him. Wearing a s
This money was supposed to be used as capital for her company’s recovery. “That’s right, she received this money from someone else. It never actually belonged to her in the first place. You’re not just going to sit back and watch your family get extorted by loan sharks, right?” David blurted desperately. “If the loan sharks don’t end up killing you, I will!” Infuriated at her son’s shamelessness, Gladys continued hitting David with the broom. “Thea, please. I’m your only brother.” “Please, Thea… Save Davie. He’s learned his lesson! He won’t repeat this mistake ever again.” The couple knelt at Thea’s feet and continued to plead. After giving David a beating, Gladys looked at Thea. “Thea, you have money on your card, don’t you? Why don’t you help them pay off the debt? You can earn back the money eventually. If you lose your brother, he’ll be gone forever.” “Mom—” Thea was put on the spot. This was not just a paltry sum. It was over a billion dollars they were t
Thea had no other choice. At this point, all she could do was fork over the money and get this over with. Since this money came from someone else originally, she did not feel as horrible about letting it go. Gladys calmed down when Thea gave in to their badgering. She sighed, “Thank you, Thea.” Turning towards David, she addressed him sternly. “From today onwards, you’re not allowed to leave the house without my permission.” “Yes, of course.” David knew he had no choice but to agree. After the heated discussion, Thea decided the best way forward was to pay off her brother’s debts. Knock! Knock! Knock! A knock came from the door. “Answer the door, Benjamin,” Gladys said to her husband. Benjamin answered the door. A man and a woman in their mid-twenties stood outside. The man was in a suit and tie. The woman was in a professional outfit. Benjamin looked at them and asked, “May I know who you’re looking for?” The man asked, “Is Thea Callahan here?” “Ah,
Gladys could only wring her hands anxiously. The whole family was in a state of panic. Just when they thought they were anxious enough, the Xenoses' lawyer’s letter arrived to make things worse. It accused Thea of unlawfully possessing the wealth of others and misappropriating 500 million dollars. It demanded that she return the funds within a certain time frame. Otherwise, she would be prosecuted in court. As the saying goes, when it rains, it pours. Before they could even pay off David’s debts, the Xenoses had transferred the money in Thea’s bank account away. The Callahans were in a full-blown crisis. They gathered. No one was able to utter a single word. The atmosphere was suffocating. “Think of something, mom.” Desperate, Alyssa broke the silence. There was nothing Gladys could do. What could she have done? They owed the Xenoses 500 million. Add that to the 800 million in loans and the interest. The final amount they needed was astronomical. Even if they so
The Callahans were up a creek without a paddle. They had to think of a way to resolve the problem. Putting the loans aside, they had to return the 500 million they owe to the Xenos as soon as possible. Thea still had 100 million in her company account she could withdraw. The villa the Black Dragon gave her as a present should be worth around 300 million. They should be able to easily sell it for 300 million even if they sold it below market price. However, they were still 100 million short. Where on earth could she get 100 million dollars? She wandered about aimlessly. Before she knew it, she arrived at the entrance of Majestic Corporation. She wanted to meet the mysterious Mr. Caden. There were rumors that he was in the Southern Plains fighting the twenty-eight-nations martial art gurus at Mt. Thunder Pass and was surrounded by an army of a hundred thousand men. Some said that the Black Dragon made it out alive. Others believed he died on the battlefield. She
If only her husband was not useless… If only James were a powerful and influential man, she would not be going through all these problems in the first place. Unfortunately, her husband was trash. James was just a good-for-nothing son-in-law of the Callahans. James relaxed after making the call. He tossed his phone on the table and asked, “How’s Henry’s condition?” Levi replied, “He’s still stable.” “Good. Watch his condition closely. Let me know immediately if something’s wrong.” “Understood.” “You may leave me now. I’m tired. I’m going back to sleep.” Levi left his commander to his rest. James got on the bed. He was bone-tired. He had used up a lot of his strength after his combat with the 28 fighters at Mt. Thunder Pass. To make things worse, he had to flee from the hundred-thousand-strong army for a whole night. His body was near its limit. Not only that, his operation on Henry took a full day too. He collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep. M
Thea had no other options. The only one who could save her and her family was Zavier. The two waited at a restaurant. Zavier came as quickly as he could. He arrived at the restaurant in just half an hour. He looked handsome and charming. He was wearing a designer suit and a luxury watch. Walking in, he greeted the two women, “Hello, Thea. Hey, Quincy.” Thea stood up immediately, “M-Mr. Watson.” Quincy remained seated. She sat by the side and gave him a small smile. She pointed to an empty seat beside Thea and said, “Have a seat, Zavier.” Thea took her seat. So did Zavier. The two were seated side-by-side. Thea adjusted her position to maintain her distance from Zavier. Zavier glanced at Thea and asked with a charming smile, “By the way, where’s your husband James?” “H-He’s on a business trip.” “Is that so?” Zavier shrugged while still keeping the smile on his face. He knew of James’ identity. Thea’s husband, James, was the owner of Majestic Corporation
Why did he have to steal from her? Why did he have to gamble? Why did he have to borrow so much? If not for David, none of this would have happened. After Zavier left, he immediately went to look for the Xenoses. The Watsons and the Xenoses were all part of the Five Provinces Business Alliance. Although they were from Cansington and North Cansington respectively, they maintained a close relationship. At the Watsons’ villa in Goodview Villa District, Zavier personally welcomed Zack, “Welcome, Mr. Xenos.” “It’s been a while, Zavier.” They hugged each other. At the foyer of the first floor of the villa, Zack grinned, “So what can I do for you today, Mr. Watson?” Zavier decided to get into the heart of the matter. “I heard that the Xenoses gave two billion dollars to Thea. I also heard you’ve taken back 1.5 billion and are owed five hundred million more.” Zack’s face clouded over. All three generations of his family suffered because of James. His father had even k