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2024-10-29 19:42:56Victor Damone barged into his father-in-law's house, searching for his wife. "Where are you, Carol?"
Rushing into the living room, he saw her seated between her middle-aged parents, Ronald and Martha. Both in-laws made sour faces as soon as they saw him.Carol looked gorgeous as always, with her chocolate-colored hair and dark-brown eyes. Her brother, Josh, a chubby guy in a sports jacket, relaxed on a couch sporting a smug expression.The setup looked as if they were prepared to confront him. But he had had enough of their antics. This time they had crossed a line."Where is my money, Carol?" Victor asked, glaring at his wife."What is the meaning of this?" Ronald barked, getting to his feet. "How dare you come into my house without my permission?"Ronald Atelier used to be a billionaire, heir to his father, Reginald's company. But he lost most of his inheritance through bad investments and mismanagement. Moreover, making his spendthrift son the CEO was the final nail in the coffin. Josh made fresh holes in the sinking boat. The Atelier family was gradually fading into oblivion. Ronald had been desperately trying to squeeze money out of people and refinance his company. He had even tried to marry his beautiful daughter to billionaires in exchange for monetary help, but Reginald had insisted that she marry Victor."Have you lost your mind, tramp?" Josh raged at his brother-in-law. "Just because you are married to my sister doesn't mean you can stroll into our house as if it is a public park! You can't come and go as you please!"Victor's fists clenched and unclenched, but he digested his in-laws' insults without lashing out. He was already acquainted with their hostile behavior after three months of marriage. They always had visceral reactions toward him, no matter how much he tried to make them happy. The truth was that the Ateliers were facing financial trouble, having splurged most of their family fortune. They wished Carol were married to a billionaire who'd rescue them and bring back the family into the wealthy fold. Victor, who was middle-class and could barely give his wife any luxury, had disappointed them. Therefore, they nurtured this grudge and never shied away from publicly humiliating him.Carol hung her head in silence and did not come to her husband's aid."I'm asking you again," Victor grimly said to his wife. "Tell me the truth. I had eight hundred thousand dollars in my account yesterday. They were savings accumulated over five years of hard work in my grandfather's company. However, when I checked the balance today, only two thousand were left!" "Are you accusing my daughter of stealing, Victor?" Ronald spat back. "How dare you?"Victor ignored him and pushed his wife further. "Where is the rest? What have you done with it?"Carol bit her lip and spoke in a low voice. "I'm sorry, Victor, but I was left with no other choice. My brother needed the funds urgently to finance his new startup. Since you made me a joint account holder in your savings account, I took the liberty to withdraw and loan him the money. But I swear he'll pay you back."Victor furrowed his brows. "Carol, did you forget grandfather Edgar's surgery is due tomorrow morning? I needed six hundred thousand to pay for the surgery. What am I going to do now?"Ronald butted in. "Why are you bitching about the paltry amount of eight hundred thousand, Victor? I'm sure Josh will pay you back. Why don't you believe Carol? Didn't she just explain it was an urgent need?"Victor eyed his father-in-law with suspicion. Most likely, it was Ronald who manipulated his daughter and withdrew the money. Both husband and wife were greedy hyenas, while their useless son was a spoiled jerk. Together they made Carol dance like a puppet.Victor shut his eyes and massaged his temples, trying to think of a solution. "It's fine, Carol. I'll manage to pay my grandfather's surgery fee. I'll go to the bank right away and mortgage our new house. The bank can definitely give me a loan."Carol raised her eyes to her husband for the first time. She was a natural beauty with beady brown eyes and high cheekbones. In fact, she had won several beauty contests growing up. However, right now, guilt was written across her face."I've mortgaged our house already, dear," she said solemnly. "The balance in your account was not enough to finance Josh's startup. I needed another five hundred thousand. And you're right—the bank was more than willing to finance us."Victor took a step back in shock. He felt his head would explode. Half his savings had gone into purchasing a house in Carol's name the previous month. He had done it out of marital duty and to show his in-laws that he could provide for her.Was their marriage really doomed?
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The Peerless Man With a Thousand Gifts 002 Betrayed
Victor’s noble gesture had proved pointless. Carol had backstabbed him by taking his money and mortgaging the only precious asset born out of their marriage. The same house they lived in! And all that for her spoiled brother who never cared for her!Did she even care about their marriage? What sort of self-serving family had he married into? All he wanted was to live a simple life. But his circumstances had gotten worse with time."Isn't your grandfather over ninety years old already?" Martha muttered. She had been silent all along but decided to voice her opinion, now that she saw her son-in-law lose his bearings. "Let that old man kick the bucket. There's no point in patching him up at his age. Josh is young and can make better use of the money."Victor shot his mother-in-law a murderous glance, but she stared back at him defiantly. How could the hag say something so terrible? His mind raced, and he suspected something was definitely wrong. His in-laws appeared more aggressive than
The Peerless Man With a Thousand Gifts 003 The Setup
The doorbell rang, and Ronald hastened to open the door with enthusiasm. It was as if he had been expecting guests. An immaculately dressed man stepped in with two guards accompanying him. He wore an expensive Armani suit, and a gold Piaget watch jingled on his wrist."James?" Carol exclaimed, recognizing the stranger. "What are you doing here? You look… different."The billionaire put on a charming smile. "Hi, Carol. I'm so glad you haven't forgotten me. I came to this locality to sign a five-million-dollar housing project and decided to visit you while I am here."Ronald and Martha's eyes lit up. The billionaire talked about five million dollars so casually, which meant his net worth was several billion.James was heir to the Colberts, the fifth most wealthy family in Springfield city. Recently, he was made CEO of the company and now exerted much influence. In fact, they had invited him to their house that day to meet Carol."You are always welcome here, Mr. Colbert," Martha and Ron
The Peerless Man With a Thousand Gifts 004 Last Resort
Victor's mind was reeling, and his in-laws' insults gave him acid reflux. He had to escape the toxic environment before he did something terrible. He cast a sideways glance at his wife and rushed out of the house. 'I need to get the fee for grandpa's surgery somehow,' he thought, walking down the street. 'Perhaps I can borrow the amount.'Victor placed a call to his paternal uncle, George Damone. "Uncle, please help. I need six hundred thousand urgently for grandpa's treatment. Could you loan me the money, please?"He heard a high-pitched female voice from the other end. He recognized the voice as his aunt-in-law. "We don't have that kind of money!" she spat with contempt. "Especially for that old fart! He can die and stop being such a burden to everyone!" The call disconnected.Victor let out a cry of exasperation. George's wife despised the Damone family. At least whatever was left of it. Old man Edgar Damone's company used to be profitable. He had two sons and a daughter who inve
The Peerless Man With a Thousand Gifts 005 Against All Odds
A coded message was transmitted to certain chosen individuals across the globe.Somewhere in the Indian Ocean, a high-ranked general inside a war submarine received a low-frequency ping.A hard-boiled woman sitting in the back of a traveling truck in the Sahara desert found a message on her satellite phone.An elite commander leading a guerrilla team in the ganglands of Venezuela received a communication on his radio.A world leader delivering a speech to millions of followers read an urgent message on his phone.A beautiful woman on a private jet jumped for joy when her manager whispered the news to her. The exceptional individuals who received the message either mouthed or thought the same words. "Emperor Caesar is back!"***Victor decided to walk back home. He wasn't expecting Carol's return anytime soon. She was sensitive about her family and would go to great lengths to defend them. Moreover, she never realized that they wanted to exploit her. Victor had tolerated their abuse i
The Peerless Man With a Thousand Gifts 006 Did You Cheat On Me?
Carol's color faded, and her husband could see the guilt plastered across her face."I…""You were with the billionaire James Colbert, weren't you?" he barked. He grabbed a few rolls of notes and crushed them in his fist. "Is this his dirty money?" His wife shook her head in distress. "No, you have misunderstood, dear. I just went for a drink with him and left early. That's all. He was willing to pay for the treatment if I met him once. James is not as bad as you make him out to be, dear."Anger flashed on Victor's face. "Do you know why I married you, Carol? Because you were a virtuous woman with principles. You cannot imagine how devastating it is to see you pimping yourself out!"Tears welled up in Carol's eyes. "What are you saying, dear? Don't you trust me?" But her husband wasn't listening to her. He approached the fireplace, opened the bag, and emptied the money into the embers. The six hundred thousand dollars went up in flames. "Have you lost it, Victor??" she exclaimed, gr
The Peerless Man With a Thousand Gifts 007 Cold Treatment
Sophia Baker was one in a million. She was Harvard-educated, born into a doctor family, and had resounding success in the medical world at a young age. She was only twenty-seven years old but had already surpassed many big-league peers. The female doctor was a leading researcher and authority in cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery. An insider had leaked the news that she had performed surgeries on various royal family members across nations.Sophia was such a voluptuous beauty that TIME magazine featured her as the sexiest doctor of the decade. The bombshell had a million followers on I*******m. She was fashionable and filthy rich; even popular international brands signed her to promote their products.That international celebrity Sophia Baker would arrive in Springfield to treat a random elderly patient shocked the hospital administrators. Edgar Damone used to be a successful businessman, but now he was just an infirm old man whose name was relatively unknown in Springfield. Why was
The Peerless Man With a Thousand Gifts 008 Jealous Wife
Did Sophia perform the surgery for a charitable organization? Carol nodded to herself. That would make sense since Victor had no money to compensate such a top-notch doctor. Perhaps the same organization also paid the original six hundred thousand demanded by Springfield Hospital.Carol wanted to clarify this from Sophia but did not dare to ask. The female doctor had an intimidating personality which made her unapproachable. Moreover, she had just saved Edgar's life, and it would be rude and ungrateful to ask such intrusive questions. The celebrity doctor was at par with her in looks, but her confidence and attitude made her even more attractive."Can you hand me your husband's unlocked phone?" Sophia asked Carol. "I need to save my number."Carol was confused by the unconventional request. Why wasn't she directly asking Victor to save her contact number? Regardless, she obliged and handed his phone to her after unlocking it. Sophia was expressionless while she typed a number, gave a
The Peerless Man With a Thousand Gifts 009 Plan Foiled
When James Colbert reached the operation ward, he found Edgar’s surgery had already begun. He made sure Victor and Carol did not see him. James waited at the ICU corridor’s reception patiently. He flirted with the cute receptionist to pass the time. Not only was he a trustee of the Springfield Public Hospital, but his father had donated millions over the years. Therefore, every staff member treated him like royalty.Soon, Dr. Sophia Baker exited the operation theater and went to talk to the Damone couple. Then she returned via the corridor to take the elevator to the terrace. James rushed forward to talk to her. At first, he was tongue-tied to see how attractive she was. The female doctor was in a figure-hugging lab coat, and her long hair was curled fashionably. She had a hint of freshened makeup, and her skin was radiant. His immediate reaction was to try and impress her.“Miss Baker. I am an honored trustee of this hospital… My name is James-”“I don’t need to know you,” Sophia cu
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- The Peerless Man With a Thousand Gifts
267 Changelings
Victor checked the time on his Cartier watch. It was a Valentine's gift from Eva. He wondered what she'd be doing right now—probably still awake, waiting for her lover. Even though the duo were intimate just a few hours ago, he already missed her warm, slender body., and her naughty smile.Victor had spent all night hunting down criminals—drug peddlers, child traffickers, rapists, and burglars. They were petty offenders but still made Springfield unsafe. He would be back home already if he hadn't followed Kate to the abandoned asylum."First things first, Raven," Victor began. "Why did you call me a monster? What was that uncalled-for outburst all about?"Kate crossed her arms and gave him a quizzical look. Did Roadkill seriously not know? Was the psychopath clueless about his own murderous tendencies?"I will not fall for that," she replied defensively. "You're trying to find whether I have gathered any evidence to incriminate your brutalities. Once you know everything, it will be co
- The Peerless Man With a Thousand Gifts
266 Bird Hunting
Kate's grip loosened a bit on her knives. Did the stranger say he was Roadkill? Why was the name so familiar? A moment's reflection brought back her doubts and anxiety.Of course! The poster vigilante, Roadkill! He was so popular among the youth that cosplayers dressed up as him in comic-con. Teen girls loved him so much they got the tattoo 'R' over objectionable parts of their bodies. There were steaks and drinks named after him!Kate ground her teeth in disgust. The Raven used to be Springfield citizens' poster heroine and sole protectress. That ended when Roadkill arrived. However, the female vigilante wasn't really upset that he stole the limelight from her. She was more disturbed by how he did it.Kate went through the newspaper articles, online blogs, and witness reports of cases in which Roadkill was involved. Even though the police department publicly denounced him, they made no attempts to curb his vigilante activities. On the other hand, the Raven was painted as a hobbyist a
- The Peerless Man With a Thousand Gifts
265 The Raven
Kate jumped from rooftop to rooftop undetected in the darkness, her beastly green eyes glowing in the night. She was light as a feather and agile like a feline. She used parkour moves, advanced gymnastics, and physical resilience to traverse buildings.Kate was trying to put some distance between herself and the crime scene she had recently visited. Less than ten minutes later, she found a group of drunkards harassing an innocent lady. The latter was returning from shopping and somehow missed the curfew time.The villainous group ambushed her in an alley and surrounded her. After robbing the lady of her belongings, they went too far. Inebriated and stoned, they attempted to tear off her clothes and rape her.Luckily, Kate heard her cries and jumped down from the building for a rescue. She offered no warning to the perpetrators. Her powerful chops, jabs, and slams floored them in a minute. The end result was that the men needed hospitalization to survive.After making an anonymous call
- The Peerless Man With a Thousand Gifts
264 Eva’s Perfect Life 3 (18+ Warning)
Clearly unsettled, Eva tried to get up from the bed. But she failed because her legs and arms were bound. The young woman had been stripped and made to wear a hospital gown.What was going on? Didn’t she lose consciousness in the restaurant? Where the hell did they bring her? Or was she asleep, having a nightmare?Eva heard a few voices talking but couldn’t recognize them.“The fresh specimen has a bun in the oven, sir…”“What? Is the woman pregnant? Now, that sounds like good news. We can have both her grey matter and her uterus. Jackpot!”Eva’s heart froze in horror. What nonsense were the strangers blabbering? Then, the realization hit her. She had been abducted!“Where am I?” Eva called out to the voices. “What’s going on here? Answer me! I am the Mayor’s executive assistant! You guys are in a lot of trouble! The military police will barge in at any moment and gun you down!”Eva heard footsteps. Moments later, three smiling faces loomed over her. “Ah, the specimen is awake,” a mid
- The Peerless Man With a Thousand Gifts
263 Eva’s Perfect Life 2
Eva stopped eating her food and stared at the young man. He looked innocent, probably fresh out of high school, a college freshman. Was he a fan of Victor Cromwell?“How did you know it was me?” she asked apprehensively.“Please don’t be alarmed, ma’am,” he replied, joining his hands. “I am George. I am actually a big admirer of Mr. Victor Cromwell and the wonderful work he has been doing for Springfield. You’re always by his side in meetings, conferences, and photo ops. Therefore, it isn’t irregular for commoners like us to recognize you.”Eva was still unconvinced. “You are a fan of Victor’s work? Are you okay with military rule? Most of the city appears to be against it.”“Yes, of course they are against it!” George exclaimed. “Governments rise and fall all the time. Governance styles also change. Springfield is becoming a military-industrial complex, and people must get with the times.”Eva nodded, reassured that the boy was a modern arts student, an idealist. Why else would he tr
- The Peerless Man With a Thousand Gifts
262 Eva's Perfect Life
Eva Atelier stepped out of the shower, looking resplendent. She wore only a white bathrobe and smelled of lavender and honey. The beauty just had a long, warm, and luxurious shower. However, the timing could have been better since it was past midnight.Victor had gone out after an hour-long lovemaking session, leaving her yearning for a thorough cleansing. Perhaps he would return soon, and they could go at it again. She was already horny thinking about her man.Victor usually disappeared every night and returned before dawn. Eva never asked him about his whereabouts. She assumed he was meeting important people and hatching plans for Springfield's betterment. The girl equated herself with a superhero's girlfriend, never disturbing his high-stakes, clandestine nightlife.It had been a month since Eva started living with Victor at the Mayor's mansion. It was now public knowledge that the two were dating. The media picked up the news on the first day and played it until the entire city kn
- The Peerless Man With a Thousand Gifts
261 The Dark City Arc Begins
Haley B stumbled out of a high-end liquor store with a vodka bottle in her hand. She was clearly inebriated. The young, beautiful celebrity had fallen off the wagon and had been drinking every day since Victor died.Haley B had postponed all her movie and concert schedules indefinitely and wasn't accepting any more offers. All she wanted to do was bury her sorrows in alcohol. When her media team tried to convince her otherwise, she fired them.At the moment, with a liquor bottle in hand, and wearing a loose hoodie and track pants, Haley was in disguise. If the paparazzi found her intoxicated, she would be on national news, and the internet would break. Not that she cared much about her celebrity status anymore.Haley looked around at the pedestrians and drunkard crowds. Nobody gave her a second look. People probably thought she was a homeless woman.Her Mercedes stood outside with a chauffeur and two guards. Haley eyed them from a distance with blurry vision. Indeed, she had had a lot
- The Peerless Man With a Thousand Gifts
260 Note To Readers
Dear Readers, Thanks for staying with the story this far. You're all awesome. I have tested your patience with slow updates and such tests will be less frequent in the future. About the story: The Invasion Arc ends with the last chapter. It will be followed by the Dark City Arc, that will introduce new characters and spring many more twists. Victor Damone is now Victor Cromwell, the legal heir of a royal family. However, escaping his past won't be as easy as he thought. Let's see how the Peerless Man deals with the upcoming dangers. Stay tuned!
- The Peerless Man With a Thousand Gifts
259 The Cult
Victor recognized the vigilante named Roadkill because he was, in fact, Roadkill. When he first arrived in Springfield as Victor Cromwell, he immediately noticed the societal change. People were bolder, more outspoken, and political. On the other hand, something was uncanny about the steep rise of both crime and criminals.Even after the military boosted security and restored the economy, public order continued to worsen. It meant certain forces were actively inciting crimes. Robberies, burglaries, and murders were frequent.As soon as the sun set, a hush fell over the city. People were scared to go outdoors in the dark. Anti-social elements hung out in the alleys. Drugs, smuggling, and trafficking were at an all-time high. It was dangerous for women and children to go out alone after dusk.Victor decided to take matters into his own hands. He walked the streets and alleys himself to investigate the cause of this anomaly. Since he couldn't publicly reveal his identity and face, he dis