Mortimer Blackwood was having lunch with two of his grandchildren. The ones he had called out from the meeting the other day. They were Christopher and Charlotte Blackwood, the children of Mortimer's fourth son whom he secretly had outside marriage years ago. The dining room was filled with silence as they ate peacefully. Christopher occasionally exchanged a look with his sister. His grandfather suddenly called them to dine with him which was surprising and suspicious. The old man hasn't been in a good mood since the last meeting the other day. They also haven't been able to contact Master Theo which made his mood worsen. But today, he suddenly asked them to eat with him. In the past, didn't the old man only dine with Keaton, the heir apparent and their second cousin, Kyle? But Keaton was terribly sick and could no longer accompany their grandfather. Kyle on the other hand had a fallout with the old man due to the previous incident. "Have you two heard about the Celestium min
On a luxurious golf course in Cascadia, three old men walked together, talking and laughing heartily as they made their way to the starting point of their game. A young caddy followed closely behind, assisting them with their equipment."Alright old men," The tallest amongst them tipped his hat when they got to the first tee. "Let's see who still has a good swing in them.""Don't be so confident, old man Carrington. I've been practicing," The second old man chuckled as he selected a driver from his bag.He took a practice swing, the sound of the club slicing the air sharp and controlled. The young caddy handed him the ball, and he stepped up to the tee, positioning it with care.His friends watched as he pulled back for a full, powerful swing. The ball soared into the clear blue sky, sailing far down the fairway before landing smoothly, rolling for several more yards.With a smirk, he turned to his friends. "Beat that."Next up was the patriarch of Windsor. He was the eldest of the th
It was late afternoon in Valoria Prime and the airport was usually busy at this hour. But surprisingly, it was quiet. Besides some airport staff moving around, there were no signs of passengers which was strange.However, if one looked further, one would be able to see the reason. Outside the airport, a hundred heavily armed soldiers were positioned in two straight-line formations, creating an imposing barrier.One could also see the armored cars parked nearby. The atmosphere was filled with a solemn tension. It seems like a very important person or rather people were visiting Valoria Prime today."Listen up!" a uniformed man barked, catching the attention of the other soldiers. "The heirs and representatives of the five greatest imperial families from Cascadia will arrive in eight minutes!"The soldiers exchanged a look while waiting for the next instruction which came very quickly, "We have received orders from above to ensure their safety! Block the airport entrance and exit until
"Long time no see Zeke Sterling.""Oh! Young master Christopher and Miss Charlotte are here too...""..."Orion greeted them with a warm smile. Some people responded while others like the Blackwoods gave him a cold shoulder. "Aiyo!" Orion clutched his chest playfully. "Why are you acting so cold? Aren't we all here to discuss investing in Radiance Gallery? Who knows? We might be partners in the future. Let's be more amiable."Some people scoffed. What investment? Hypocrite! They all knew what their goal in Valoria Prime was and contrary to what Orion is saying, they will be competitors not partners so it was better not to get friendly with the enemy!Seeing that the atmosphere had suddenly turned cold, Orion didn't continue speaking and kept quiet with a sly smile dancing on his lips.As the members of the Imperial families all descended and proceeded to leave, the commander suddenly glanced at Cody who was still standing still without making any attempt to welcome the imperial famil
The armed uniformed men surrounded everyone. Their heavy guns were pointed at all their heads!CLICK!The soldiers acted quickly and also cocked their guns, aiming back and waiting for instructions to make a move. But they were completely outnumbered by the other uniformed men.The faces of all the imperial families changed and they looked horrified. At this moment, Cody's smile had completely disappeared and he no longer needed to put on an act."So what if you are an heir apparent of the central region aristocratic family?" He asked Thorne with an aloof facial expression. "This is Valoria Prime and I am the county magistrate. Here, my words are the rules!"THUD!Taking a step forward, Cody's eyes narrowed as he added, ''Even if you are the governor of the Valoria Central region, in this city, you'd better watch your behavior. Apologize now, or I'll personally see to it that they take you away!''"Magistrate Cody!" This time, Thorne's uncle, Vaughn, completely lost it. "Are you seeki
Seeing that Thorne refused to take his hand, Cody retracted his outstretched palm and sighed, "I apologize, young master. I am just a small county magistrate whereas you are a mighty imperial heir apparent. I am not worthy of your handshake." What the heck! Everyone's faces twitched and they cursed at him inwardly. Does this man have a limit to his shamelessness? Cody on the other hand didn't give a damn about their thoughts. He deftly changed the topic and gestured, "Let's not waste anymore time. I have prepared my humble home for you all. Let's leave." Everyone exchanged a look but no one attempted to move. Cody arched a brow but acted oblivious to their reluctance. With a happy smile, he told them, "I know you have all come to Valoria Prime this time for the sole purpose of investing in Radiance gallery so I negotiated with the president of the gallery beforehand. I have booked the top floor of the Imperial restaurant so you can meet with the president of the gallery tonig
"Hello young masters and mistresses. It's my pleasure to meet you all," Master Theo lifted his head and gave them a smile that seemed harmless but filled them with fear.No one responded to his greetings. They were partially still reeling in shock. The Blackwoods actually managed to invite someone like Theo. No wonder Charlotte had spoken so confidently earlier.With someone like master Theo behind them who was the leader of the underworld emperors and also managed to eliminate a mighty general in the past with just five strikes, the Blackwoods didn't have to fear facing Kian.Master Theo could easily take Kian down with just one move. He could also force Kian to reveal the true identity of the mysterious tycoon behind the Celestium mine.But then, the other imperial families exchanged looks. With master Theo assisting the Blackwoods, how would they compete with them for the Celestium mine later?The other imperial families sighed secretly. Their heads suddenly ached thinking of this.
As the men pushed the heavy doors open, the delicious aroma of many delicacies wafted to the doorway. There was a huge banquet table in the middle of the room ladened with different appetizing meals and wines of every kind. There were many unfamiliar people sitting around the table. When Savannah, Kian and Oscar walked in, all eyes turned to them.THUD!The door slammed shut behind them and without noticing the sinister look exchanged, Savannah walked forward."Good evening everyone. I am Savannah, the president of Radiance gallery. I am honored to welcome you all to Valoria Prime."Savannah was very excited and even bowed to them severally. The first person to speak was Orion Hathaway. He stood up with a warm smile."One shouldn't really believe what rumors say. I see Miss Savannah is not only a business whiz but also an exceptional beauty. It's nice to finally meet you."He was about to make a move forward to give her a handshake when someone hissed loudly in the room, "Oh, shut up