When the man entered the messy dining hall with a style, everyone was taken aback.“James Carnegie?” a classmate called out in surprise.If one asked who was the richest and most powerful in their collage’s class, the answer would undoubtedly be the Honourable James Carnegie.His father was Viscount Carnegie, belonging to the first rank wealthiest family with legal lands granted by the Empire.James, as the first son, was the primary heir. People treated him like a celebrity because of his immense wealth and power.James's friend inquired, "Never thought you would be joining this spontaneous reunion?""Absolutely, I had to be here," James replied, stealing glances at Sophia, the love of his life."I would have been here sooner if I didn't have to sort out this mess." He gestured towards the clutter around them."Was it you who chased after the thugs?"The crowd looked at him with keen interest, eagerly awaiting his response.***James previously arrived late and found a several thugs
James had deeply fallen in love with Sophia during their college years, trying almost everything to catch her attention but ultimately failing.At that time, Sophia was still actively involved in modeling, surrounded by a queue of elite young men vying for her affection, and James always seemed to end up last.Despite his wealth and noble born, he also known for his notoriety for his calculated behavior—stingy—he was fundamentally an economical person.He lived by the principle, "use the smallest expense to achieve the highest result and profit," which meant his gifts often the cheapest compared to others.One day at college, he confessed his feelings to Sophia. However, Sophia laughed it off, “You must be kidding. I come from just a fourth-tier wealthy family while you belong to the nobility and are a first tier. I’m really not suitable for you. A more beautiful and kinder woman would be a better match for you.”James realized that this was Sophia’s gentle rejection, sweetened to spa
Inside the tense atmosphere of the dining hall, the smell of mixed food lingered underfoot amid the broken tableware.The people stared at Alex, their expressions tense with disbelief.Sophia grabbed Alex's hand warily. "Did you say all of that and make him mad?""Will you believe me if I say that I didn’t say anything to him?" Alex replied.Sophia glared at angry James. "No.""Then I have nothing to say," Alex said, knowing James had been their classmate for at least four years, unlike himself, who was new to the group.No one would believe him.Alex stepped forward, coming face to face with James, just a step away from each other."Listen, James," Alex said, locking eyes with him. "I didn’t hit you just now."With that, Alex clenched his fist and delivered a hard blow to James's cheek, causing him to stumble and see stars.The classmates were shocked to witness Alex's audacity. No one had ever dared to hit James, a member of the noble and wealthy first-rank family."But this time, I
Some of the classmates on James's side walked to crowd around Alex with angry face."James," one of the men, eager to suck up to James, said. "Just give us a command, and we will handle him. Even though he is ex-military, I won't be afraid."James's face turned joyful as he figured about six males supported him; he believed Alex couldn't fight seven people including him. "Alex, I will show you who I am!"Suddenly, his device started ringing. He picked it up happily and quickly. "Father! Have you put him on the wanted list?""James," his father said, "listen carefully word by word as I don't want to repeat this anymore."“Yes?”"Let the man hit you a few more times. And you must not harm him under any condition. If you dare to do something stupid and harm him, I will kick you out of the Carnegie family and will kill you myself. Do you understand?"<
There is no party without an end. The reunion event soon wrapped up and people began returning to their hotels. Some even took the night flight back to their cities.James Carnegie sat with his friend on the night aircraft. His best friend leaned over and asked, "James, did you really make Alex your big brother?"James tapped his fingers on the armrest of his first-class seat.He was uncertain about Alex, but his father had warned him not to stir up trouble with him.In the dining area earlier, he cleverly chose to address Alex as "big brother" instead of getting hit in front of everyone, which would have been a severe blow to his reputation.In politics, there are no permanent enemies or friends, only permanent interests."Have you got any information about him?" James inquired."He's an ex-construction worker and also an ex-military man with some commendations from his time during the war," his friend added. "But all military honors have their limits."James had just spoken with his
On the night after reunion event, Sophia stood on the balcony of her penthouse, her gaze lost in the city lights below feeling the cold of wind around her hair.It seemed she had a lot on her mind. Alex entered the balcony, two cups of hot ginger tea in his hands, which he placed on the table beside her."What are you thinking about?" Alex asked gently."Alex," Sophia started, unable to contain herself any longer. "About the wedding, my friends are already asking questions. What's on your mind? I can't stop worrying about it."Alex paused, debating whether he should keep the wedding location a secret since the day was fast approaching."Alex, do we have enough money for the wedding? I can help if you need," Sophia offered earnestly.Instead of answering directly, Alex picked up a piece of paper from the table and scribbled down an address and a date."Our wedding will be held here, and everything is already arranged. You don’t need to worry about anything," he assured her, handing her
The next day, at the entrance of the twelfth-floor building."Carlo Gotti," Jerry called out to a man who was once among Sophia’s fans.They had met in a nightclub about three years ago, and Carlo was known both as a playboy and as the Gotti’s mafia family's second son, who's now in charge of overseeing the Gotti’s mafia branch on Blackwood.At that time, Carlo had asked Jerry to help him connect with Sophia.However, since Sophia was at college in the capital city, it never happened. Since then, Jerry had tried to avoid Carlo, as he didn't like being associated with him.But now, he needed Carlo to help him marry Victoria.Carlo glanced at Jerry and then at the beautiful woman by his side."Oh my, goddess, you are so beautiful. You must be an angel from heaven," he exclaimed.Adorned with numerous gold rings and necklaces, and wearing dark sunglasses, Carlo quickly removed his glasses to get a clearer view of Victoria's face and body.He politely took Victoria's hand and kissed it wh
Carlo Gotti laughed harshly. "Come on, Victoria, you can't just cancel things like this. Do you realize I've prepared for 200 people at today’s event? Can you even fathom how much it costs for them to stay here?”“I will pay you,” Victoria retorted, her voice trembling slightly still trying to appear tough. “Just tell me how much you want.”“Come, sit down first. We can talk about the money later. We all friends, for now, give me Alex’s number; let me call him this time.”“I don’t want to.”Carlos stood abruptly and slammed a wine bottle near Victoria’s feet. The glass shattered on the marble floor, and the red liquid spilled around Victoria's feet. "You'd better sit back down while I'm still being polite," he warned.Fear swiftly enveloped Victoria, spreading through her body like a chilling wind. She walked back to the couch.“Be a good girl,” Carlo said forcefully as he took Victoria’s smartphone from her hand and dialed Alex using the recent calls list, this time opting for a vide