Zale trailed behind Jolene as they made their way through the mansion's lengthy hallway.During their stroll, he decided to ask, "Jolene, can I ask you something?""Of course, sir. I'm always available to answer your questions," Jolene responded with an assuring nod."Could you enlighten me about those old men who visited? Please, I want an honest answer," he inquired, observing Jolene's expression closely to see if she would lie."Of course, sir. They are old business partners of your grandfather. They came here to discuss business with your grandfather," Jolene responded, saying the same thing Ace had previously told him.Zale let out a weary sigh and pressed on, "I mean, can you provide more details about them? I know they were my grandfather's old business partners, but I want to know more about them."Jolene paused for a moment, seemingly pondering Zale's request. Eventually, she shook her head and replied, "I'm afraid I don't have much knowledge about them. Your grandfather only
Jolene looked closely at the portrait Zale was referring to and furrowed her brow in confusion. "This is strange. I don't recall seeing this person when I studied the portrait earlier. It seems that this portrait was added after my initial inspection."Zale was slightly taken aback by that response. Thus far, Jolene had proven to be knowledgeable about every single portrait in the room until this point."You mean you don't know this person or how this portrait got in here?" Zale asked, seeking clarity.Jolene nodded, confirming his understanding. "That's correct. I will speak to Ace later to find out if he was the one who brought in the portrait."As Zale continued to gaze at the portrait, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen the person somewhere before, though he couldn't recall the exact place. "I'm not sure, but I feel like I've seen this person before. His face seems familiar, but I can't quite remember where or when," Zale mused, trying to recall any relevant memories t
Meanwhile, in the sitting room, Zale's grandfather and his visitors were still holding discussions."I thought we settled everything we had in the past? We agreed to avoid crossing each other's paths; I'm displeased that you guys are here," Cyprus stated sternly."I know we agreed on that, believe me, I don't enjoy asking you for help. The only reason we came to you was that we had no other option. Since you left, things have changed, and the underworld has been facing challenges without its true ruler," Bane expressed, his tone filled with irritation.Cyprus furrowed his brow in anger upon hearing this. "Don't call me that; I have no business with the underworld anymore. You all can stay here and plead with me all you want, but my decision won't change. I won't interfere in anything related to the underworld," Cyprus asserted, his mind made up.Loki sighed wearily. He got up from his seat and walked towards Cyprus, stopping right in front of him.He leaned forward, coming very close t
However, at that moment, Zale's phone rang, prompting him to retreat to his room and quickly answer the call.The call was from Carolyn, and he already had an inkling of why she was calling."Everything has been done as you requested, sir. They have signed the contract, and I'm just about to transfer the funds to their account to initiate their part of the deal," Carolyn reported over the phone.Upon hearing this, a sinister smile spread across Zale's face, as the news filled him with immense joy. His long-awaited revenge was now within reach."Are you with me, sir?" Carolyn inquired when she received no response from Zale."Yeah, you've done well," Zale replied. "Now that you're done with this task, I have one more assignment for you. Once you've wired the money to Jenkins' company account, I want you to find a very skilled hacker. The hacker should contact me directly, and I'll provide them with further instructions. Understood?"Carolyn found herself somewhat puzzled by Zale's ambig
Ethan has been under intense family pressure following the unfortunate event. As the CEO of the family company, he bore responsibility for anything that transpired within the company. Despite his attempts to clarify that he wasn't involved in the incident, his family remained unconvinced. They were convinced that he might have unintentionally offended a significant individual, leading to revenge on the family business. Consequently, they urged him to reconcile with anyone he might have offended, knowingly or unknowingly."Unless you make Adair's Group partner with us again, I will disown you and erase your existence from this family. Stay away from my mansion until you fix the mess you caused. Don't forget, you're no longer the CEO of my company, clear?" Ethan's father's threatening words echoed through the last call before abruptly ending.Outside Adair Group, Ethan stood in utter misery, replaying Sasha's sharp remarks after he pleaded with her to intercede on behalf of his compa
After hearing Jolene's words, Cyprus took a moment to ponder before responding, "You know what to do. Tell him you couldn't find any information. I don't want him to know about the underworld just yet. He'll find out eventually, but not now."Jolene nodded respectfully, already aware of her course of action even without Cyprus explicitly stating it.Ace felt frustrated as he realized Zale was going to be deceived once more. He believed that Zale deserved to know the truth, and he couldn't bear to keep lying to him. However, he couldn't disobey Cyprus's orders, so he reluctantly decided to wait for the 'right time' as Cyprus had instructed.The meeting ended, and everyone went about their tasks, leaving Zale's grandfather alone in the chamber.Cyprus couldn't shake off what Ace had said. He knew deep down that Zale deserved to know the truth about everything that had been happening, but he couldn't bear to witness him suffer any further pain upon learning that his parents' deaths weren
Shortly later, Zale got a second call from Livia, who informed him that the money had been transferred as he requested.While Livia was speaking, Zale received a credit alert of $100 million."Well done, you've done an excellent job. That's all for now. I'll have Carolyn double your salary," Zale said confidently, and without waiting for Livia to reply, he hung up.He then put his phone down, and concentrated on driving, without any specific destination in mind.However, a thought suddenly crossed his mind. "Isn't it about time I have a decent haircut? I can't keep going around with this messy hair," Zale pondered.Consequently, he pulled over by the roadside, took out his phone, and began searching for the most luxurious hair salon in the city.Without much delay, he located one; situated about 129 miles away."Although it's a bit far, I can drive there." He then started his engine and swiftly set off.The journey to the salon lasted about an hour and a half, but he eventually arrived
Zale's face darkened upon hearing that. He tilted his head sideways and took in the appearance of the individual that dared to mock him.The person in question appeared to be a seemingly well-off and influential young man, roughly his age."Gasp!" The onlookers were shocked when they recognized the person that had just arrived."Could it be? Isn't that Xavier, the young master of Ashborne Group?!" Someone from the crowd uttered in a wide shock of disbelief."That's him. I can't believe my eyes. I have heard some much about him, but finally seeing him in person is surreal," another person exclaimed, visibly shocked.The crowd that had initially gathered to witness the confrontation between Zale and the middle-aged man, was now completely captivated by Xavier's arrival. Even the middle-aged man himself was taken aback by Xavier's presence. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Xavier. He trembled at the mere thought of standing before someone of such influence.As the heir to one of
As Zale and Ace ventured beyond the gate, the air hung heavy with tension. They arrived in front of the mansion, which was guarded by three security guards.The guards were slightly taken aback when they saw Zale and Ace.Their comrades at the gate hadn't informed them of the arrival of any guest, so they were confused.They didn't have the slightest idea of the fight that had taken place outside; they were completely oblivious.The guard, who appeared to the leader, stepped forward and asked, “Who might you be, sirs?” His voice was polite and respectful.He thought that if his companion had allowed Zale and Ace entry, it meant they were esteemed guests of honor.Ace glanced at Zale and upon seeing the hidden smirk on his face, he understood what was going to happen.“We are honorable guests of your boss. Should you really be standing here asking questions or just step out of the way?” Zale asked, his voice stern.The guard shivered slightly when he felt Zale's gaze on him. “I…I’m so
The guard's eyes widened in shock, his expression transforming into a lethal glare directed at Zale."Who the hell are you, you bastard?" Despite his astonishment, fury seethed in his voice.Zale chuckled softly before responding, "I'm just someone who wishes to see your boss. We can avoid all of this if you tell your colleagues to let me in."The guard's eyes ignited with rage as he retorted, "Bullshit! If you don't want to leave peacefully, I will make you leave myself."The tension escalated, drawing the attention of the other guards who became alert to the hostility emanating from Zale.They stood ready, poised to open fire at a moment's notice if the need arose.Ace moved in closer to Zale and whispered in his ear, "I don't know what you're trying to do, but these guys are well-armed. I trust your decisions, but I must admit we are clearly at a disadvantage here. The shadow guards are nearby. I can send them a message, and they will take out these guys."Zale nodded, seemingly in
In the aftermath of the charged meeting, Zale and Ace headed outside the building, toward the mansion.Zale's mind swirled with a mixture of determination and uncertainty, while Ace, ever stoic, maintained a vigilant presence.As they arrived in front of the mansion, Zale’s phone vibrated in his pocket. It was his grandfather."Zale," Oracle's voice resonated. For the first time in a long time, he called Zale by his name. "I've been monitoring the meeting. Bane's words have validity. Are you certain about this path you're taking?"Zale, undeterred, responded, "I've made my choice, Grandpa. This is a battle I must face, not just for myself, but for those who've suffered unjustly."The last part was talking about Oracle. The old man had gone through a series of emotional breakdowns after his son and his daughter-in-law died. It was one hell of a torture at that time.Oracle let out a sigh, a blend of regret and understanding in his simulated eyes. "I cannot dissuade you, but remember th
The following day, Zale gathered his closest allies in a private meeting. The meeting took place in one of the buildings in Oracle's estate.The atmosphere was charged with tension as he addressed them, laying out the challenges they faced and the imminent battle against Asper.A middle-aged man interjected, "I don't harbor personal grudges against Asper, but I'm willing to assist you."Another guest joined the conversation, expressing disdain, "That kid is a rude brat. I recall the first day he invited me to his place. He subjected me to the worst humiliation of my life. I can never forget that day. Count me in; I'm ready to join and bring him down.”"While I don't hold a personal grudge against Asper, many of his allies are my enemies. Participating in this battle, I aim to indirectly confront my enemies.” Gradually, each person in the room consented to join the battle.Zale sat at the table's forefront, wearing a smile.Once he explained the purpose of the gathering, he observed as
About an hour or so later, Zale arrived at Oracle's estate.Zale went straight to his room the second he entered the mansion.He freshened up and changed his clothes. When he was done, he headed downstairs and had his breakfast.“Where were you last night, sir?” Leia inquired as they strolled out of the dining room.As usual, they were the only ones in the dining hall. Ace was said to have gone out of the mansion early in the morning.Zale chuckled mischievously. “Why, you miss me?”“Cough!” Leia feigned a cough and changed the subject.“Anyway, how did last night go?” She asked, curious.“If you're talking about your performance, I must admit; you did….” Zale began, but Leia cut in."Not that, sir. Ace has already filled me in on that a million times," Leia interjected with a pout. "You know what I'm referring to.”Zale paused as if thinking about it. “Are you by any chance asking about what happened between me and my girlfriend?” His smile had taken a mischievous glint.Leia let out
Zale headed straight back to Oracle’s estate. He needed to have a serious conversation with Ace.He couldn't wait any longer. Asper had begun his move and he wouldn't just sit back and watch.“Now I have stopped to think about it, what later happened to Adams? I didn't see him again last night. I guess the security threw him out. After all, he had attacked me,” Zale muttered, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.‘Does this mean others now know about me?’ Zale mused excitedly.It was pretty easy to guess; Adams wouldn't keep what he saw last night to himself.Zale made it pretty clear last night that he was the one behind all of Jenkins's misfortune, so Adams would most certainly not keep quiet about it.“I’m glad things turned out this way. Although I doubt Adams' words would be enough to convince them.” Zale seemed pleased by the fact that he stumbled upon Adams last night.He didn't plan to suddenly show up claiming to be the new chairman of Adair Group. To him, that wouldn't be
The atmosphere in the room shifted, with Oracle grappling with the unexpected revelation. Zale, still chuckling, tried to ease the tension."Well, Grandpa, surprise! We kept it low-key for a while," Zale said, grinning. He wanted to gauge his grandfather’s reaction.Oracle sighed, shaking his head. "You always find a way to keep me on my toes. I hope you're serious about this, Zale."Zale's smile softened. "I am, Grandpa. Maya means a lot to me."Oracle studied Zale for a moment, then nodded. "As long as you're sincere and treat her well, that's what matters."Zale was a little taken aback when he heard that. He was confused, more like shocked.He had expected the old man to be greatly against the relationship but that didn't seem to be the case.“Seriously?” Zale couldn't help it. “Are you really not against our relationship?” He didn't expect such an outcome.“I mean, why?” Oracle pretended not to know anything.Zale gave the old man a dry look. “You're very bad at acting. You shoul
Before long, Zale was ready to leave. He intended to head directly to his family mansion to visit his grandfather.“I will get going now, darling. Take care. I will call you later in the day.” Zale gently planted a kiss on Maya's forehead before he departed.Maya arranged a car to drive him there, therefore as soon as he arrived outside, he entered the car and left the mansion.Maya’s head guard, despite having the urge to wave at Zale while he was departing, had decided against it.What if all of this was a ploy to make him let his guard down? He couldn't help but think.“I have to be completely sure he isn't going to harm my young Miss. Only after then will I be at ease around him,” the head guard muttered to himself.The journey was long and full of silence. Adams was occupied with his thoughts, and thankfully, the driver wasn't interested in striking up a conversation with him either, so none bothered to say a word to each other.“I don't think I will be able to enter the Adair ma
The room fell into a stunned silence upon hearing Elsher's speculation about Zale's possible connection to Adair Group. The family members exchanged bewildered glances, grappling with the implications of this unexpected twist. Azazel, breaking the silence, furrowed his brows and questioned, "Adair Group? What does that have to do with our troubles?"Elsher, maintaining her composure, explained, "Adair Group has substantial influence and connections. If Zale is indeed associated with them, it explains how he gained the resources and power to orchestrate our downfall.”"I discovered that Ace is aligned with the Adair family when I was researching the mysterious chairman of the Adair Group. Consider this – why would Zale have any association with someone like Ace if they weren't collaborating? It raises questions, especially regarding our acceptance of a contract from Adair Group. After mysteriously losing the contract funds, they still extended a substantial loan to us. Have you ever w