Lisa was one of the curious ones. Threatened by the possibility of losing out on projects from James, she began considering an alternative approach: getting close to this new project director. Maybe she could use her seductive body to sway him/her in her favor.At this point, Steve locked eyes with Luisa and gave a single nod, a clear signal for her to step up to the podium.Luisa was stunned. She never expected the CEO to give her such an honorable spotlight. Was this normal? And wasn’t she still in the dark about who had won the Dominion Group’s project tender?“Go on, step up,” Scott urged gently, giving her a light push on the back.With hesitant steps, Luisa moved forward, her head still lowered, unsure of what she was supposed to say.Nearly everyone in the room, including Lisa, stared at her in shock. Then, almost by instinct, Lisa cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted:"Hey, you slut! Know your place and get out of here! You belong in some filthy brothel, not here!"Li
Instantly, Francesca screamed in excitement, jumping up and down. She hugged John beside her, and the Ravenwood representatives were moved by their victory.Applause filled the room as representatives from other families offered their congratulations, though not all did so sincerely. Some, like the Beaumont and Vanderhelm families, shot hateful glances, unwilling to accept that Dominion Group’s tender had been won by the Ravenwoods.“Would the representatives of the Ravenwood family please come forward to accept our project tender symbolically?” Luisa said.Francesca took a deep breath, exhaling through her mouth as she tried to calm her overwhelming excitement. Moments later, she walked up to the podium, accompanied by resounding applause. A wide smile lit up her face. She could hardly wait to collaborate with Dominion Group’s top executives.On the podium, with a beaming face, Francesca expressed her gratitude for Ravenwood Group being chosen as the winning bidder for the Dominion G
“Let’s go, darling. We’re heading home,” Scott said, taking Luisa's hand and guiding her out, flashing a triumphant smile at Bobby and Jerry. Bobby and Jerry glared at Scott with hatred, their faces turning red. Scott ignored their reactions and continued guiding Luisa until they reached the elevator. They were alone now in the elevator that moved downward. Moments of silence passed before Luisa asked, "Scott, about what you said earlier... that I’m your wife..." "I just said that to make them stop badgering you. You don't like that?" Scott looked at Luisa carefully and asked. Luisa immediately turned her face away, shaking her head. Her cheeks were flushed. "No. It's not like that," she said. "It's just... a bit shocking for me. " Luisa explained. Scott smiled softly, gazing at Luisa gently, and said, "Then would you be my wife, Luisa?" Luisa choked, though she wasn’t drinking or eating anything. She turned to Scott, looking bewildered. "You’re asking me... to be your
Daniel explained to his mother, Linda, about Luisa, who was now, surprisingly, a project director at Dominion Group.He also shared Jacob's suspicion that Luisa might have a special relationship with Dominion Group’s new chairman.Daniel presented everything calmly and clearly, hoping his mother would understand.[So, the daughter you sold off to a brothel a few months ago is now working at Dominion Group in a strategic position, and she’s got a special relationship with the chairman?]“That’s right, Mom. And I’m convinced that if we can make this happen, the financial benefits to Grandier Corp. won’t just be in the billions but in the hundreds of trillions. I think we need to make it happen, Mom.”A brief silence followed. Daniel glanced at Jacob, who looked at him with a serious expression.[Okay. Then make it happen. The impact on our family business would be tremendous if we could establish a continuous partnership with Dominion Group. I’ll even increase the profit-sharing percent
“What did you just say?!” Scott snapped, his voice rising sharply.“Didn’t hear me? Fine, I’ll say it again,” the man replied coolly as he climbed the stairs. “The woman with you—I know exactly who she is. The Grandier family sold her off to a brothel. A whore like her has no place in a five-star restaurant like this!”Scott’s face reddened as he clenched his fists, ready to charge, but Luisa suddenly grabbed his hand tightly. Scott turned and saw tears welling up in her eyes.“Don’t, Scott,” Luisa whispered, a tear slipping from her left eye.“But Luisa, he’s insulting you,” Scott protested.Luisa squeezed his hand harder and shook her head, tears now streaming from both eyes.Scott took a deep breath, his chest tightening as he watched Luisa hold back her pain.“Why are you still standing there? Get lost! I’m disgusted just looking at a whore like you. You should throw yourself in a gutter. At least the stench of the brothel clinging to you might get masked by the sewer!” the man sne
Lombard shoved Kim with his foot, sending the restaurant manager tumbling down the stairs. Then, he locked his eyes on Jose.Jose took a step back, gasping. The look in Lombard's eyes was filled with simmering rage. He could feel the danger closing in on him.“Beat this guy down! Make him kneel and beg forgiveness from Mr. Scott!” Lombard ordered, pointing at Jose.In an instant, his bodyguards rushed down the stairs, some even leaping from the steps.“Jose, what's happening? How did it come to this? What do we do now?” Rose asked in a panic, gripping Jose’s arm tightly.Jose didn’t answer. He was clueless himself. This was the first time he found himself surrounded by people ready to gang up on him.As Lombard's men drew closer, Rose finally released her hold, stepping back slightly from Jose.Thud! Thud! Thud!“Argh...”Lombard’s men started pummeling Jose, knocking him off balance and sending him crashing to the ground. But it didn’t stop there. The other bodyguards kicked him merc
Scott and Luisa entered the main room of The Silver Crescent. It didn’t take long for them to find the table occupied by Lisa’s family.Seeing Scott accompanying Luisa, Lisa and her family glared at him with irritation, but they quickly shifted their focus back to Luisa.“Glad you finally here, Luisa. We’ve been waiting for you. Please, have a seat,” said Daniel, forcing a smile.Scott pulled out a chair for Luisa. The people at the table continued to act as if Scott wasn’t there.“You look quite different, Luisa. In that beautiful dress, you truly look like a princess,” Daniel continued.Luisa nodded, a shy smile on her face. She wasn’t used to such compliments, especially from someone like Daniel who had belittled her for so long.Scott noticed Luisa’s discomfort. He could sense something was off.“Why did you bring him with you, Luisa? I thought you’d come alone,” Lisa snapped.“Lisa, watch your tone!” Daniel reprimanded.He then turned his attention back to Luisa, saying, “But I’m
As Scott returned to the table where Daniel and his family were seated, the other diners in the restaurant couldn’t help but stare, their gazes filled with curiosity."Did you hear what he just said? Who is this guy, really? Is he actually that wealthy?""He looks the part, sure. But if he’s really some big-shot tycoon, wouldn’t we know who he is? At the very least, we should’ve seen him around.""As far as I know, there are only four top-tier families in this city: the Winterbournes, the Beaumonts, the Valderhelms, and the Ravenwoods. I doubt this guy belongs to any of them.""Or maybe he's from one of the richest families in another city? Like the capital?"These were just some of the whispers that filled the room. Scott heard them all but paid them no mind. Status and recognition from these people meant nothing to him. He kept walking forward. Reaching Luisa’s fallen chair, he bent down to set it upright."Scott, what are you doing? Why did you throw away that jewelry set?" Luisa
It took a few seconds for Lisa to regain her composure and finally dare to ask, "W-what do you mean, Dad?"Lisa's gaze at this time was a combination of confusion and anxiety. Her brothers also looked confused, although they didn't look anxious."Did you not hear my words clearly? I said starting today you are no longer part of this family. You are no longer my daughter," Daniel said.Lisa was no longer as stunned as before, but she was still very shocked. Her eyes blinked while her mouth was open. She couldn't believe her father was making such a painful decision for her, so quickly."B-but, Dad..."Before Lisa could finish what she wanted to say, Daniel suddenly stood up. With his gesture showing that he was the leader among them, he looked at each of his sons one by one and said,"I agree with you. We do have to formulate a plan to deal with this situation, but we'll talk about it tonight at home. Now let's just focus on our work tasks for the whole day. Imprint in your minds that
As agreed, Scott got out of the car not far from the Dominion Group office. He let Luisa drive his black McLaren, while he himself would take a taxi home later.On the sidewalk where people were passing by, Scott stood watching his black McLaren head towards and enter the Dominion Group office area. After making sure everything was safe, he turned his face, and also his body, towards the road. He felt like he was pretty hungry.Scott was about to look for a cafe or restaurant in the area through his phone, and it was only at this point that he realized his phone wasn't in his pants pocket.'Where's my phone? Did it fall in the car?' he thought.He tried to remember if maybe his phone had fallen out of his pants pocket while he was driving earlier, or when he got out of the car, but he couldn't get a clear picture of either.He then thought, maybe his phone was left at the motel, but he didn't remember if he had put his phone on the bedside table or in another place in the motel room h
Luisa was startled by Lisa's raspy voice, as if she had just been crying all night. But she was even more surprised by what Lisa said. Even though she didn't see Lisa's facial expression and the look in her eyes, she could feel the towering anger that was controlling Lisa.Hearing those words of threat made Luisa uncomfortable. Her hands suddenly trembled and her chest pounded. Finally, she decided to end the call. And, because she was worried that Lisa would call again, she decided to block Lisa's number.Right at that moment, Scott woke up. Slowly, his eyelids opened. Luisa quickly put Scott's phone on the floor, right next to Scott."Luisa? Why are you here?" Scott asked after blinking."Actually, I should be asking you that," Luisa said, smiling wryly. "Come on in. Continue your sleep inside."Luisa stood up first, gesturing for Scott to get up and follow her into the room.Scott quickly got to his feet, worried that Luisa would close the room door like a few hours ago. He looked
Olivia and her three sons were shocked by what Daniel did. They knew Daniel was temperamental and liked to be rough when he was angry, but they didn't expect him to go that far.After all, the one Daniel had just slapped was Lisa, his own daughter. And the slap he had just delivered was very hard. Lisa even tumbled off the sofa, falling under the table."You're not only useless but also stupid! And because of your stupidity, our family is now on the brink! What do you think will happen if we're all fired from Grandier Corp. and crossed out from the family lineage? Where will we get money from then? How can we meet our needs? Have you ever thought about that before executing this bad plan of yours?!"Daniel berated Lisa while leaning forward and yelling at her. His eyeballs looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets.Lisa didn't give any response. She didn't even raise her head and was busy wiping the blood coming from a small cut on the corner of her lip. Her tears flowed
At Daniel's family residence...Almost an hour had passed since the news broadcast about the sudden press conference held by the Mildenbrough Police Department. Right now, all the family members were gathered in the living room. The atmosphere was tense.'This is bad! This is so fucking bad! What are we going to do now?"Daniel asked that question in a high tone, with a flushed face and wide eyes.No one dared to raise their face, let alone look at Daniel. Even his wife, Olivia, chose to remain silent and turn her face away.And among those people, Lisa was the most visibly tense and scared. It was only natural. The misleading rumor about Scott and everything related to him, which had caused a stir throughout the city in the last 24 hours, was her doing. So when the current situation became like this, the person most to blame was Lisa."Why are you just staying silent like fools! Say something, god damn it!" Daniel cursed, almost yelling.His wife and children flinched. But still, the
Scott sighed wearily. Problem after problem kept hitting him. The night seemed like it would be very long.Just as Scott was about to leave that room to follow Luisa, Anne suddenly grabbed his hand and held him back. Scott turned, finding Anne giving him a very serious look."Scott, there's no guarantee I'll give you another chance besides this. Are you sure you want to waste it?" Anne asked.Scott shook his hand that Anne was holding, then left without saying anything.Anne took a deep breath while watching Scott's back move away and finally disappear. As she exhaled, she vaguely heard the sound of a police siren."Scott Goodman. An interesting man. One day I will surely conquer you. We'll see," Anne muttered, smiling slyly.Meanwhile, on the second floor of the motel...Scott had just stepped on the last step of the stairs and he saw the door of the room he was staying in slammed shut.Scott quickly approached his room, trying to open the door, but it was locked.Knock! Knock!"Luis
The woman whose hands and feet were tied with ropes to the ends of the bed was Anne. Scott could recognize her that quickly because they had just met this morning."You bastard! You're pretty brave, huh? You think you can push me like that without facing the consequences?"The big-bodied man got to his feet. He snorted while showing off the muscles in his arms, chest, and stomach. It seemed that he was someone who trained in weightlifting quite intensely. Even his wide neck looked stiff and hard.Scott ignored his surprise at seeing Anne there for now. He focused his attention on the big-bodied man and prepared to land a punch on his face.Whoosh!Scott easily dodged the blow, then launched a counterattack, punching the big-bodied man right in the solar plexus."Argh!"The big-bodied man vomited blood, his eyes widened. A moment later, his eyelids closed and he collapsed. Just one punch from Scott was enough to knock him unconscious.Now Scott turned his eyes to the bed, finding Anne
Luisa came out of the bathroom, wearing a kimono-shaped towel that covered her body up to her thighs. While tying a small towel around her hair, she asked Scott, "What was that just now? I thought I heard a scream.""There was someone screaming," Scott said. "It seems like it's downstairs.""The room renter?""Could be."The woman's scream was heard again. This time it wasn't a scream, actually, it was more like a yell.Neither Scott nor Luisa could hear it clearly. They exchanged glances and seemed to be guessing what the woman was saying, who she was talking to.At this point, the woman screamed again, almost as loud and shrill as before. Scott reflexively stood up. His jaw tightened."Do you want to check downstairs?" Luisa asked.Scott looked at Luisa, asking, "May I?"Luisa rolled her eyes, but then nodded. "Go ahead," she said.Scott then left their room. Luisa sighed. She knew she couldn't stop someone like Scott from staying quiet and pretending not to know when something happ
At the Batalion I military headquarters, in the center of Mildenbrough... "With this, everything is done," Xavier said. He was in Zach's office. Almost an hour ago, it was Scott who stood there and talked to Zach. "Yes, everything is settled. Thanks for the help, buddy," Zach said. "No problem. But you're not lying to me, are you, Zach? Are you sure he's the long-lost War God?" Xavier asked. "Of course, buddy. I'm not lying to you. Scott Goodman is the War God." "You don't believe me?" "It's not that. It's just that I was actually hoping to meet and talk to him tonight, here, but you said he was taking care of something else." "It's a shame, but that's the way it is, buddy. I hope someday you can meet and talk, in a better situation." There was no response from Xavier. He still looked disappointed. After all, he was really hoping to have a private conversation with the legendary War God. "You don't know when he'll be here again? If I stay here tonight, can I meet hi