"Especially since you've just committed murder," Darius said flatly.Marion blew out another mouthful of smoke. At the same time, she flung the cigarette and made it land neatly in the ashtray. Then, she smiled and said, "You know, I thought you'd say you thought I was long dead."Darius nodded. "Indeed, the thought did cross my mind. But I suppose the fact that you're standing before me is all the evidence I need."Marion raised an eyebrow, and her smile widened, making her look rather fanatical. There was also…a hint of admiration in her eyes. She stood up and said, "I honestly didn't expect you to return, Darius. What should I make of this? Should I say Henry's lucky he won't have to die today, or should I lament my misfortune?"Darius tucked his hands in his pockets and looked at her calmly. "Earlier, I thought you'd chosen to join my side; I thought I could trust you. I only returned to handle the problem with my records." He held his folder up.Marion's jaw dropped as she stared
"I can make it seem like nothing ever happened to your records." She sat on the floor, her hair messy and clothes disheveled. Her eyes were determined and confident, though. Marion felt her offer was one they couldn't resist, and she was stunned to hear Darius snort contemptuously."I thought I'd made myself clear, especially since you were standing so close to me the last time I said this, but it seems I overestimated you. I'll only say this once more, so listen closely. I couldn't care less about my records and Kingston University because I have enough money to buy the university itself. The same can't be said for your mysterious backer, though." He gave her a scornful look.Marion's breathing hitched as despair washed over her. She knew she was out of bargaining chips. Her eyes turned red as she shakily asked, "I-is there nothing I can do to salvage the situation?"Darius raised an eyebrow and looked at her like she was a fool. "I have to say, it's rare to meet someone as dumb as y
Darius was gone before Pearl knew it. She stared in the direction he'd left, then stomped her foot before turning to head to her dorm. Darius probably didn't need her anymore, and she'd probably be causing more trouble for him by hanging around here. Unfortunately for her, today was destined to be a day filled with annoyances—as she made her way to her dorm, two hooligans blocked her way. She looked at them in confusion. "I don't think we've met. Why are you standing in my way?"They burst into raucous laughter. "Drop the act and stop pretending you don't know us. Now, tell us where you've taken our boss to!"At their words, Pearl's confusion cleared up. Then, her expression turned scornful. "She's dead, and I doubt you two will end up any better than her." Her eyes were frosty, which only served to agitate the two hooligans more.They pointed at her angrily and roared, "How dare you wish death upon our boss! You're the one who deserves to die!" One of them rolled his sleeves up and
Edward didn't hesitate any longer. He ran in the direction Darius' life force was coming from, knowing it would lead him to Darius. When he was sure Darius was somewhere nearby, he called, "Mr. Reid?"Darius' voice immediately rang out from a nearby path. "I'm here."Edward looked around. When he was sure there wasn't a way for him to walk to Darius, he glanced around to make sure no one was watching him, then channeled his life force to his legs and levitated himself shakily. He landed before Darius a few seconds later and asked, "Mr. Reid, what happened?"Darius' face was frosty. Edward lapsed into silence when he saw this, feeling nervous. Darius sighed when he sensed Edward's nerves; he didn't want to stress Edward out, so he tried to keep his tone neutral as he said, "Pearl's gone. I don't know whether she's in danger now."Edward's breathing hitched. He turned to look at Darius anxiously. "What should we do now?"Darius took a deep breath. "She should be safe for now; I don't th
An idea formed in Edward's mind. It was wild, but it seemed to be the only logical explanation. As the Reid family's villa came into view, he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. Once again, he was in awe of Darius' speed. It would've taken them a full three hours to get from Kingston University to the villa if they'd driven. Zipping through the air with Darius had taken less than twenty minutes. In fact, Edward was positive that Darius would've moved faster if not for the fact that he had Edward with him.Darius landed on the ground, his expression frosty. He released Edward, who quickly moved to stand behind Darius. Edward knew Darius' blood was boiling, and he sucked in a deep breath, not daring to make a sound lest it pissed Darius off even more. Of course, he knew Darius wouldn't take his temper out on him, but he still didn't have the nerve to provoke him. He only relaxed when Darius said, "Alright, you don't need to be so on edge. My fury has nothing to do with you." T
The old man said politely, "Excuse me, Mr. Reid. There is indeed something down there, but we can't enter from here."Darius raised an eyebrow and turned to look at him. His voice was frosty and filled with fury as he said, "Give me a reason."The old man's expression turned awkward, and he clenched his jaw, seemingly afraid of Darius. Still, he forced himself to say, "Because the entrance isn't here, sir. And I'm afraid I don't know its exact location—that's not part of my job scope."Darius' gaze bore into the old man. It looked like he was merely appraising the old man, but Darius' rage was obvious to someone like Edward, who knew Darius well enough and could look past his exterior. And so, Edward decisively moved to stand before the only entrance to the storage shed so that no one could leave or enter.The janitor didn't seem to expect such treatment. He paled and crumpled to the floor as his knees gave away. Then, he looked at Darius pleadingly and said, "Mr. Reid, please let me
As someone who'd observed Darius for a long time, the janitor immediately detected the change in Darius' emotions. It gave him an ominous premonition, and he opened his mouth to warn his comrades. However, it was too late. Darius was already walking toward the passageway. The janitor shut his eyes in despair, then opened them again a second later to look at Darius. "You're truly powerful beyond everyone's imagination."Darius raised an eyebrow. "I don't need someone who only lurks in the shadows to compliment me." He descended into the basement without sparing the janitor another glance. On his way down, he clearly heard Pearl scream, "Let go of me! Darius will definitely be here to rescue me, and he'll kill you for treating me like this!"Darius frowned. Pearl had always been obedient and kind; she would never use death to threaten anyone…unless she had run out of options. At this thought, his frown deepened, and he turned to look at the passageway's entrance, which was still slow
Then again, Darius didn't really care. He shrugged nonchalantly with his hands still in his pockets and smiled mockingly. "You make me laugh. Your anxiety and nerves are fully on display, yet you're trying to make it seem like you're unafraid of anything. You might be hidden behind a surveillance camera somewhere, but there's no hiding the shakiness and tremor in your voice. It doesn't necessarily mean you're afraid, but it does mean your emotions aren't as stable as you'd like them to be." He started strolling around again as if the clapping hadn't bothered him.Whoever hid behind the camera obviously hadn't expected this, and his face darkened. He parted his lips to say something, but no words came to him. After a long silence, he sighed and tucked his hands in his pockets. "Alright, then. I'll appear before you so you can see whether you made the right call." The mastermind thought he'd see a mocking or fearful look on Darius' face, but Darius didn't even blink. All he said was,