The phone rang so suddenly that both Jerry and Ned leaped in fright."It is the long ring!" Ned exclaimed, breaking into a sweat. The gate phone usually had short rings for communications with the hotel's security team. However, the long ring meant that the big boss was calling.Jerry pressed the receive button. "Hello? Mr. Anderson? This is Jerry from the main gate."Silas Anderson was on the other end and wasn't in a good mood. "I don't care what your name is. I just received a message that someone swiped the diamond access card. Who is it?"Jerry gulped anxiously. "Sir, please don't mind the notification. A bum who calls himself Tyler Grant found your lost diamond card. He tried to gain entry fraudulently. We've confiscated the card and will call the authorities right away. He'll be arrested for and thrown into prison."There was a suspenseful pause before Silas replied. "Fools!" he thundered. "Tyler Grant is my esteemed guest! Do you think I hand out diamond cards to every commone
Silas eyed Natalie sternly. “That’s enough, Nat! I won’t have you misbehave with our savior! The unthinkable would have happened if Mr. Grant hadn’t rescued Tony from that shady club! Besides, he took the trouble of bringing your brother here discreetly with great regard for our family’s reputation. How can you be so ungrateful?”Natalie silenced herself but settled on the couch, glaring at Tyler with murderous intent.Silas stepped forward and joined his hands. “I can’t thank you enough, Mr. Grant. You have already done me two great favors in one day. How can I repay you?”Tyler shook his head. “Don’t mention it. But I’d like to share my opinion about Tony’s mental health.”“I am all ears. To be honest, I have trouble understanding the boy. He’s been avoiding us lately and hanging out with outsiders. I tried offering him expensive gifts but to no avail.”The young man looked into Silas’ weary eyes. “If I may be blunt, you are smothering him with too much attention. Tony has just come
Tyler exited the washroom to see the beautiful Natalie on her knees. Her face was soggy with tears, and her lips quivered in anguish. Yet, the young woman looked angelic, her dark cascading hair strewn about her shoulders and her radiant skin glistening under tears and perspiration.On recognizing Tyler, the beauty stared at him with her moist doe eyes and blinked her perfect eyelashes in surprise."Are you okay?" Tyler asked, extending a hand to help her up. The young woman accepted his offer and slowly got to her feet. For a moment, she saw him for what he really was—powerful, reliable, and dashing.Natalie shook her head and moaned. "You're still here?"Tyler let go of her hand and turned to leave. "I just went to the washroom, leaving right now. You don't have to chase me out. I have no intention of overstaying my welcome.""Wait!" she called out. The young man turned around with a raised eyebrow. "What now? You're not done berating me?"Natalie mumbled through her sobs. "I need y
“Poisoned?” Natalie asked in shock.”Who would want to poison my father? He has no enemies!”Dr. Becker weighed in. “I tested Mr. Anderson’s blood for all common poisons. His toxicology report was clean. Perhaps you are mistaken?”Tyler shook his head. He was talking about a curse, to be precise. However, ordinary people would not believe or understand such things.Tyler never believed in the supernatural three years back. However, he discovered an entire world of spiritual growth while training with Butch Salvatore.“There is limited strength one can gain through the physical body,” the old man told him during one of their sessions. “Once you hit your prime, your growth will hit a threshold—the limits of the human body. However, the mystical world offers another dimension of strength and power, where there are no limits!”Tyler was told that there might be others like him practicing the martial and spiritual arts. Silas’ curse was clearly placed by someone versed in the same field.“My
The Owens were a third-tier family who had sworn loyalty to the Coopers. Even though they were not a big deal in Sapphire City, they took pride in their connection with Mark Cooper, the family patriarch. Tim Owen was especially aware of the downfall of the Grant family and Tyler's imprisonment.Melissa Brown was a stuck-up young woman who had a crush on Tyler during their college days. However, the latter chose Erica as his partner because of her humility. Now, Melissa felt she had the upper hand since she landed an Owen family member as her boyfriend."Do you even realize where you are, Tyler?" Tim asked, drawing up a chair opposite him. "You're sitting on a VIP table in the Marian Hotel, a hub for the wealthy and the mighty. It's not meant for filthy rodents like you!""Should we even speak to this man, Tim?" Melissa snapped. "He's an ex-convict who slipped into this party for free food and liquor. It's better if we call the guards before he bites us!"Tyler paid no attention to the
The volatile sequence of events happened so fast that barely anybody had time to react.Before the bodyguards could intervene, Tyler pulled Trent out of the soup and shoved him away. The petrified Cooper heir stumbled and fell on his butt. As soon as he was free, he let out a somewhat effeminate shriek. One could only imagine the pain of being immersed face-first into a bowl of scalding soup.The servants panicked and splashed cold water over Trent’s face to wash away the vegetables. Ultimately, he looked disheveled and ragged like a soaking wet tabby cat. His facial skin turned a darker tan.Erica ran to her fiance in tears. “Are you okay, darling?” she asked, trying to comfort him. The young man swatted her hand away and glared at Tyler with bubbling hatred.“You delinquent!” Erica hollered at his attacker. “Are you trying to kill my fiance?”Tyler returned to his seat and continued enjoying his meal as if nothing unusual happened.“If I really tried to kill him, he would already be
“Trust me, Natalie,” Trent explained. “I’ve known this guy since high school. He neither has any medical skills nor any other talent. His only gifts are lip service and grifting, to which my present fiance, Erica, fell victim. I sent Tyler to prison and rescued her from his entrapment.”The truth was—Trent had been pursuing Natalie romantically for years. It was public opinion that she was one of the most beautiful women in Sapphire City, definitely better-looking than Erica.Even Mark Cooper wanted Natalie to be his daughter-in-law so he could one day claim the Anderson conglomerate. However, Natalie never showed interest in Trent and repeatedly turned him down.“If Mr. Grant has inadvertently offended you, I apologize on his behalf,” Silas told Mark. “But he is under my protection. You may not threaten his life while I am alive.”Tyler sighed, dipping his hand in the finger bowl and wiping it on tissues. He was finally done with his meal.“Silas…” he said, turning to the billionaire.
The entire hall was shocked to hear Tyler's declaration. The Ice Princess, Natalie Anderson, had finally chosen a mate? Was she dating Tyler Grant? What was she thinking?Natalie herself was delirious, her gaze firm on Tyler as he held her by the waist in an intimate embrace. "She is my girlfriend," he repeated. "Anybody who wants to court her has to go through me first."Even Silas looked bamboozled. Personally, he was thoroughly impressed by Tyler's abilities and behavior. He wouldn't mind having someone like him as his son-in-law."What nonsense is this?" Mark thundered. "Silas! Is this true? Have you given consent to this relationship?"Silas took a deep breath before replying. "It is my daughter's choice who she wants to be with. I have no say in the matter."Mark turned to Natalie. "Is it true, girl? You can tell the truth. This miscreant is lying, isn't he? Why would a popular diva like you want to be with a wastrel like him?"Natalie's gaze shifted from Mark to Silas and then