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
The boy looked lost as he tried to figure out what Darius meant. On the other hand, the black-robed man trembled violently—it was visible even under his billowing robes. Darius straightened up and patted the boy. "Right; this has nothing to do with you, so you can step out for now." The boy's gaze traveled between Darius and the black-robed man. He was about to shake his head, but before he could, he was shrouded in darkness as Darius covered his eyes with his hand. "Stop looking around. It's time for you to go!"At this moment, Teivel's voice rang out again. "You're pretty patient with this kid, aren't you?" Darius raised an eyebrow at his sarcasm but didn't say anything. He kept one hand over the boy's eyes as he pushed him out of the room. Before the boy could even catch his balance, Darius shut the door with his life force. With all sources of light locked out, the room was shrouded in darkness.The black-robed man stood opposite Darius, and his fury was obvious even in the darkn
"It was a guess." Darius leaned back and pointed at his head. He then settled his gaze on Teivel, not wavering as he sternly stated, "However, I'm serious about speeding up your fusion."A moment went by as Teivel fell into deep thought. Then, he nodded, saying, "I'll be missing for a long time if that happens. You'll need to face any incoming dangers alone. Plus, I have a bad feeling about this.""I know." Darius nodded, complicated emotions clouding his eyes while he looked at Teivel. "But did you detect any familiar types of energy from that young fellow?" Confusion flashed past Teivel's face. He shook his head with his brows drawing close. "Did you detect a similar bearing or type of energy to mine from him?""Yeah," replied a sighing Darius. "Not only is it similar, but the energy feels inherited, unlike how your energy can sometimes linger on your opponent after you attack them."Teivel abruptly straightened his back. Then, his body shot all over the room like a balloon, rapidl
Kate's face turned paler, and her gaze grew bleak as she questioned, "Am I that undesirable to you? I could've sworn we were close and almost dated each other." Darius pivoted on his heel to meet Kate's eyes. He sighed, responding, "Yes, I can't deny I once had feelings for you—but that went away a long time ago." There wasn't a trace of warmth in his dark eyes. He parted his lips, wanting to say more, but Bridget's low voice sounded outside. "Sir, a man who claims to be Miss Kate's fiancé has brought a crowd. They're peacefully sitting outside the Reid manor, but they've blocked off the entire road. It's attracting a lot of attention." A remote frostiness seeped onto Darius' face just then. The news made Kate's knees go wobbly. She whipped her head toward Darius, lips parting but not a word leaving her mouth. She didn't know what to say, so she shut her eyes and lowered her head. Helplessness and disappointment tinted her cheeks red. Sighing lightly, Darius turned to say, "Stay
Darius arched a brow, raising his chin at the Reid manor's main entrance. "I've already made myself clear—I'm happy to oblige if you wish to enter my home, provided these other guys remain out here."With that, he crossed his arms and returned to the manor without sparing Billy another glance.That left Billy heaving with rage. He saw only red as it was his first time encountering someone unreasonable like Darius. Chest rising and sinking rapidly, Billy stepped ahead, only to get stopped by one member of his crowd. Fixating on the gate only five steps away, he frowned and thundered, "Let me go! You'll be sticking around here for a long time if you keep holding me back, and I'm sure you don't want that!"The person had never seen Billy in such a rage, so he trembled and quickly retracted his arm. He then sat on the ground with his other comrades to continue their silent protest against Darius. …Meanwhile, Darius returned to his study.Bridget had been behind him this entire time and