Patrick slowly retracted his hand. He was still trembling, but he pursed his lips, looking indignant. "Darius, I know you're powerful, but so what? You're nothing but a vile person who only knows how to eavesdrop on others!" His chest heaved with agitation.Darius shook his head. He moved to stand before Patrick, then grabbed him by the collar and lifted him to his feet. Suddenly, the realization dawned on him, and he whipped his head around to glare at Stephen. "Stephen, you've been lying to me this whole time! You're already on Darius' side, aren't you?"Stephen broke his silence. "Didn't you already figure that out long ago? That's what you accused me of earlier, didn't you? I don't think you need me to answer you."Patrick pointed a trembling finger at him, his chest heaving with rage. "You're too cheap!"Darius frowned, finally out of patience. He said, "Now that I'm here, whatever you've planned for tonight is going to fall through. You cannot defeat me, be it in terms of brains
Patrick's expression turned into a gleeful one when he saw who was calling him. He gave Darius and Stephen a smug look, making the latter uneasy. Stephen glanced at Darius and reached out to tug his sleeve, but Darius put his hands behind his back. At the same time, he smiled and said, "You look pretty happy. What have you done this time? I can't wait to hear you brag about it!"Patrick's breathing hitched at Darius' words, and he gritted his teeth, giving Darius a hate-filled glare. He didn't know why Darius had seen through his elaborately laid plans so easily; there wasn't a trace of surprise or shock on his face. Patrick felt like a fool in comparison. He clenched his fists and breathed deeply, deciding to proceed with his plan. If he were to fail in this, he wouldn't have any way out. All his other plans had fallen through thanks to Darius' interference—this was the last thing he could do. He continued breathing deeply, trying to ignore Darius' amused gaze.When he finally rega
Patrick lowered his head and pulled his phone from his pocket. When he saw the notification on his screen informing him the livestream was over, an ugly look crept onto his face. He immediately ran after Darius, stood in his way, and glared at him menacingly. "I've tried being patient with you, but you obviously don't appreciate it. Do you know the sort of predicament you're in right now? You've been foiling my plans every step of the way! It looks like I'm gonna have to show you how meaningless you are to the Reid family!" He held his head high, looking proud of himself.Darius stopped, wanting to see what else Patrick had up his sleeve. At the very least, he wanted to see why Patrick was confident he could act this way. Darius tucked his hands in his pockets and looked at Patrick calmly. Patrick's nerves were too frazzled to pay attention to his surroundings. When he saw Darius had stopped, he blurted out, "You may have been announced as the Reid family's heir, but did you notice h
"You may have blocked off the signal earlier, but that's not gonna do anything. My people are right outside, and they're telling me the signal will be back soon. The livestream will return, and everyone will have heard everything you just said. Do you want to wager a guess what they're saying about you right now?" Patrick looked pleased with himself.Darius only found his chatter annoying. He raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't we be more worried about the fact that there are bombs around the banquet hall?"Patrick snorted. "Of course not! I was the one who had those bombs laid, so there's no way I'll be hurt by them."Darius smiled mockingly. "You do realize you're standing before me, right? If you want the bombs to do what they're supposed to, you have to detonate them. Before that happens, you must leave this place and find a way to keep me and Stephen here. Do you think that's possible?" His tone was gentle and cajoling, but it echoed in the empty banquet hall, adding an eerie vibe to i
Patrick's head flew up at Darius' words, and he widened his eyes in shock. He parted his trembling lips and stammered, "H-how did you know about that?"Darius tucked his hands in his pockets and gave him a scornful look. "Don't tell me you thought it was a secret exclusive to only yourself." Patrick gaped at him. Indeed, that was what he'd thought. To his shock, Darius showed him some photos and videos. Patrick didn't say a word when he saw them; he knew Darius would spread these photos and videos all over the internet unless he apologized immediately. Then again, there was no guarantee Darius would let him off the hook even if he were to do so—he knew he wouldn't. His breathing sped up as his gaze flicked between Darius' face and the phone. After a long moment, he rasped, "Why are you showing me this? What do you want now?"Darius' mockery grew. He casually sat on a nearby chair, crossed his legs, and smiled at Patrick. "I've wasted too much time on you. Now, I only need you to ans
Stephen's jaw dropped. Darius sensed his anxiety and turned to look at him, but he couldn't say a word. Darius raised an eyebrow and cajoled, "What's wrong? Talk to me."Stephen gulped and dropped his eyes to the floor. He said in a small voice, "I wanted to know whether everything's over. Is this all?"Darius shook his head. "Of course not. It's just that we can deal with this later. The important thing now is that your father is about to be here. Are you ready for that? Do you already know what you're going to do when you meet him?"Stephen's face turned red at his words, and he smiled. He saluted Darius and said, "Thank you, Darius. I'll use the rest of my life to make up for my mistakes. It may not be enough, but I'll do my best."Darius didn't expect to hear this. He sighed, then shook his head with a smile. "Alright, then. I'll be waiting to see what you have to show." With that, he turned and left the banquet hall with Stephen trailing him. In the blink of an eye, Patrick was a
He gave Darius a tentative glance, then exhaled and shut his eyes. "I know I've already failed my mission. Go ahead if you want to end my life."Darius had honestly wanted to help this boy, but he stopped when he heard this. "You're extremely calm about facing death, calmer than people much older than you. That's a surprise. Can you tell me why you feel that way?"The black-robed person raised his head to meet Darius' eyes. Because of how close they were to each other and the disparity in their height, Darius could clearly see his eyes. They were filled with tears, and he was obviously one step away from agreeing to Darius' request. Then, he lowered his head and shook it."No, my emotions and thoughts don't matter. The important thing is that I failed my mission, and my life is the price to pay for that. I can't take my own life, but you can do it for me." He looked at Darius again, this time resolutely.Darius was bemused and shook his head. The black-robed person obviously couldn't
"If you have any objection to that, you can get out right now. It wouldn't bother me in any way," Darius said coolly.The boy paled and shook his head vigorously. "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant." He took a shaky breath. "I'll step outside right now. From today onward, your every wish is my command." He ran off before Darius could say anything else, making the latter shake his head with a smile.Darius crossed his legs at the knee, gently tapping his foot as he leaned forward to pick up a glass of water from the coffee table. He didn't stop tapping his foot even as he drank his water, which showed how good of a mood he was in. Now that the wheels were in motion, he realized how long it had been since he'd last taken a break. He straightened up and tucked his hands in his pockets before strolling out of his room.There were people bustling around, cleaning up now that the family gathering was over. It was a little noisy, so Darius headed to the courtyard. The flowers there were in