The Formidable Son in Law "Lucas Gray" - Updated by Moh96

moh96 · Mar 23, 2024

1301 Brotherhood

The following afternoon, when Lucas arrived at the Stardust Corporation’s headquarters, the seven families led by Norman had already transferred half of their assets to the Stardust Corporation.

Flynn was busy all morning and afternoon, so much so that he didn’t even have time for lunch, but he looked extremely excited.

Seeing Lucas arrive at the office, he walked over happily and reported, “Lucas, all seven families have completed the handover procedure. The Stardust Corporation has obtained a lot of properties and businesses! It didn’t take long for the news to spread, and the Stardust Corporation’s market value has risen by thirty percent. It’s expected to continue increasing, and it might even double!”

It was no wonder that Flynn was so elated. As the general manager, there was nothing more fulfilling than seeing the market value of the company rise significantly!

Lucas was calm because everything was already within his expectations.

“Give me a detailed summary of the businesses acquired today and then divide them into seven portions according to the comprehensive strength. I need them for something, and I won’t put them under the Stardust Corporation. I’ll arrange for other people to take them over.”

Flynn was slightly disappointed, but he knew that the Stardust Corporation wasn’t the only large enterprise that Lucas owned and that Lucas definitely had his own plans in mind for these companies. He didn’t dare to interfere, so he agreed immediately and then instructed his subordinates to summarize all the businesses as Lucas had ordered.

Sitting in the chairman’s office, Lucas made a call.

Soon, Jordan arrived at Lucas’s office. “Lucas, what’s the matter?”

Lucas cut straight to the chase and told Jordan about his plans to form the Dark Dragon Regiment together with the four families under him.

Jordan was surprised to hear this. Toward the end, his mouth widened in shock. “Lucas, did you call me here to appoint me as the leader of the Dark Dragon Regiment?”

“What’s wrong? Do you have any objections?” Lucas asked with raised brows.

Jordan frowned and said, conflicted, “Even though the people selected are the elites of the four families, aren’t they just a bunch of weaklings? The thought of having to train and lead such people makes me uncomfortable all over!”

He had been in DC for a while, so he was well aware of how competent the elites of the second-tier families really were. He could easily beat a hundred of them at once, so he really looked down on them.

Lucas said calmly, “If you really don’t want to, I’ll arrange for someone else to fill the position.”

Seeing Lucas looking a little sullen, Jordan hurriedly chuckled and said to make amends, “Lucas, I was just saying it for fun. Since you’ve decided to form the Dark Dragon Regiment, I naturally won’t reject you!

“Don’t worry, Lucas. I’ll definitely train them well. Even though they’re merely good-fornothings now, I’ll turn them into true experts under my training!”

Lucas nodded.

In fact, Lucas had his reasons for getting Jordan to be the leader of the Dark Dragon Regiment, apart from the fact that Jordan’s skill sets were very suitable for the role.

Jordan had been Lucas’s loyal follower for years. They had fought on the battlefield of Calico and braved through thick and thin together. Later, he had even abandoned all his status and glory in the Falcon Regiment for Lucas’s sake.

Thus, Jordan was very special to Lucas.

He was not only Lucas’s subordinate and comrade but his brother.

But because Lucas’s and Jordan’s history in the military was confidential, no one else knew about it and thought that Jordan was merely an ordinary subordinate of Lucas’s.

Even the Stones, the family of Jordan’s fiancée, Maddy, thought that he was just a peon. Although they had allowed Maddy and Jordan to get married due to the pressure Lucas exerted and the fact that Maddy was in love with Jordan, the Stones actually didn’t take him seriously at all.

Lucas had also once thought of giving Jordan some companies before, but Jordan had turned him down, saying that he just wanted to work by his side.

Thus, when Jonah brought up the idea of forming the Dark Dragon Regiment, the first person who came to Lucas’s mind was Jordan, whom he thought was the most suitable candidate for being the leader.

Lucas knew that this force would definitely become stronger and stronger in the future. Although the Dark Dragon Regiment was now composed of only some ordinary experts, he was sure that the regiment would definitely become an extremely terrifying organization that would be known to all in DC.

When the time came, Jordan, the leader of the Dark Dragon Regiment, would become an existence that everyone looked up to, and no one would dare to belittle him again.

After seeing Jordan agree and thinking about Stones, Lucas asked, “By the way, your wedding is soon, right?”

The mention of the wedding put a blissful smile on Jordan’s face. He was grinning so widely that his teeth were showing. “Yeah, Maddy and I are holding our wedding in ten days!”

To be able to marry the woman he had been in love with for years, Jordan felt as if he was dreaming. Sometimes, he even woke up smiling.

Seeing his friend’s happy but silly grin, Lucas burst into laughter. “It looks like you’ve really become silly. I’m very happy that you can marry the love of your life, my brother!

“How are the wedding preparations going? Do you need any help? If you need anything, feel free to look for me or Cheyenne,” Lucas said sincerely.

Jordan was an orphan who had relatives. Since it was going to be his big day soon, Lucas was worried that he might encounter some difficulties during the preparations.

After thanking Lucas, Jordan touched his head and chuckled. “Thanks a lot, Lucas. Maddy and I have agreed that the wedding doesn’t have to be too big or lavish. We’ve decided to keep things simple, and she has basically already planned everything. There’s nothing else for me to prepare.”

Seeing how foolish his friend was behaving, Lucas was at a loss for words.

Jordan had left the wedding preparations entirely to Maddy to handle. Didn’t he think he should help out more?

Lucas was just about to say something, but he kept quiet after giving it some thought.

Fortunately, Maddy wasn’t an ordinary woman, and she understood Jordan’s character very well, so she chose to plan the wedding herself.

This was the tacit understanding between them. As an outsider, Lucas decided not to get involved.

“Okay, since you’ve already prepared everything for the wedding, I’ll give you a great gift on your big day!” Lucas said with a smile.

Jordan waved his hands nonchalantly and smiled. “As long as you show up on my big day and bear witness to my marriage, it’ll be the greatest gift to me!”

Lucas patted him on his shoulders and said, “Okay, I’ll be your witness then. It’s settled!”

The two looked at each other and laughed happily.

“Lucas, I’m flying to Las Vegas to see Brett Hamilton later. I’ll get going now!” Jordan said after looking at his watch.

This was a matter that had been decided previously. Lucas nodded and said, “Okay, go ahead, but the Hamiltons aren’t simple after all. Just teach him a small lesson so that he behaves himself. Don’t go too far. Also, pay attention to your safety. This is the most important thing.”

“Don’t worry, Lucas. It’s just the Hamiltons. It won’t be too dangerous.” Jordan waved his hands suavely before leaving.

Lucas remained in his office to read some documents, but for some reason, he kept feeling uneasy.

But he didn’t know where this uneasiness stemmed from.

1302 False Accusation

It was now 4:30 p.m., and William had been waiting in front of Blue Sky Kindergarten, ready to pick Amelia up and go home.

Although it was very close to home, Amelia had only started attending this kindergarten a few days ago, so William planned to take her to and fro school every day.

After all, he had just resigned from his job and planned to stay home and look after Amelia, so he didn’t find it a chore.

Amelia walked out of the school gate in a neat line, saw William, and scurried over to him. “Grandpa, did you come to pick me up?”!!

Smiling, William caught Amelia and held her tiny hand. “Yes, how was school today? Did you get bullied? Is your teacher nice?”

Amelia smiled happily. “My new teacher is really nice, and she gave me a sticker today. She even praised me for being good at math! My classmates are nice too. No one bullied me! This school is great!”

She had joy written all over her face.

Seeing how happy Amelia was, William felt relieved and smiled heartily.

“Are we going home now, or do you want to walk around the area?” William asked Amelia gently.

Amelia’s eyes lit up. “Can we look around for a bit before going home?”

“Of course we can. We’ve just moved here, so it’ll be good to familiarize ourselves with the surroundings, lest you can’t find your way home in the future,” William said.

It was still early now, and Lucas had hired a nanny to cook their meals, so they didn’t need to hurry home.

It had only been a few days since they moved to DC. He and Amelia had never walked around the neighborhood before. They only knew that this residential district covered a huge area and had many amenities. So he wanted to see what offerings there were near the community and kindergarten, such as supermarkets, fruit stores, or other facilities.

“Great! Grandpa, do you hear that? It’s so crowded over there. It sounds like someone is playing the flute. Let’s hurry over and take a look!” Amelia had a sharp sense of hearing. She took William’s hand and pulled him toward the crowd.

After they passed by a lush and exuberant garden, many figures appeared in front of them.

It was an activity square in the community and covered an extremely large area. There were some pavilions and various stone tables and chairs in the pavilions. There were also some fitness equipment for public use and children’s play facilities, such as seesaws, swings, and slides. Many people were gathered here.

Some people were sitting at the stone tables and playing chess, some were chatting merrily, and some were playing musical instruments. There were also some people dancing and doing yoga, while others fished by the river.

Most of the people here were elderly and children, some of whom were playing and skateboarding in the park. It was extremely lively.

Seeing this scene, William was elated. “It looks like this is a place for the elderly and children in the community. Amelia, let’s go over too!”

“Wow! It looks really fun here, Grandpa! Let’s go take a look!” Amelia cheered joyfully and pulled William over toward the children’s play area.

“Hey, Amelia, slow down. Don’t fall! Also, we can only play for half an hour. We have to go home for dinner later!” William reminded while following behind.

But seeing how happy Amelia was, he merely shook his head and sighed, allowing Amelia to go play on her own.

Back in the Carters’ house, Amelia had been introverted and shy, and she didn’t dare to speak much. But since Lucas returned, took them away from the Carters, and doted on Amelia endlessly, she became bolder, bubblier, and loved to smile and laugh.

For example, half a year ago, Amelia would never have dared to run over alone to play with a group of strange children in a new environment within just two days or adapted so well to her new kindergarten.

Thinking of the changes in his granddaughter, William felt heartened. He sat on a chair in the park and smiled while watching Amelia quickly making friends with the children and playing joyfully. From time to time, he would chat with some elderly people around him.

Time passed by quickly. William looked at the time on his watch. It was already time for Lucas, Cheyenne, and Charlotte to get off work and go home, so he walked over to bring Amelia home.

But as soon as he walked over, he discovered that almost all the children who had been playing with Amelia had left. Amelia walked over with a frown and whispered to William, “Grandpa, Tommy got into trouble. All the other kids ran away!”

William asked with bewilderment, “Is Tommy your new friend? What trouble did he get into?”

Before Amelia could speak, a chubby boy ran over and said aggressively, “I didn’t get into trouble! You’re the one who broke the golden crown!”

It seemed that this chubby boy was Tommy.

“You did it, not me! Look, you’re still holding it!” Amelia retorted furiously after being slandered, pointing at the golden crown in the boy’s hand, her face as red as a tomato.

William looked at the object in the little boy’s hand and realized that the two children were referring to a trident-shaped car logo.

He looked around and found an extremely expensive Maserati car parked nearby, with its logo missing. It must be the item that the little boy was holding.

William understood his granddaughter’s character well. Amelia would never lie. She said that the boy named Tommy got into trouble, so Tommy must have broken the car logo.

Tommy was still holding the car logo tightly in his hand, so how could Amelia be the one who broke it?

William felt that Tommy seemed to have something wrong with his behavior and character. He even accused Amelia as soon as he spoke. The smile on his face faded.

“Tommy, you’re still holding the logo in your hand. How can you talk nonsense? If you’ve made a mistake and accidentally broke the car logo, you have to be brave and bear the responsibility instead of accusing others. Got it?” William said.

The little boy was stunned for a moment, but he suddenly charged over and stuffed the trident logo into Amelia’s hand. Immediately afterward, he started bawling. “Waahhh! She’s holding the logo. She’s the one who broke it. But you’re bullying me! I’m gonna get Mommy to teach you a lesson!”

1303 Unreasonable

William never thought that the little boy, who was only around five to six years old, would suddenly do something so shameless. He was so dumbfounded that he couldn’t say a word.

At this moment, a luxuriously-dressed young woman hurried over, grabbed Tommy’s hand, and asked anxiously, “Baby, why are you crying? Who bullied you? Quickly tell Mommy, and I’ll go settle scores with him!”

While crying, Tommy pointed at Amelia and William and complained loudly, “Mommy! They bullied me! Amelia broke the golden crown logo on your car, but she says I did it. The old man even tried to hit me! Mommy, they would have bullied me to death if you hadn’t come!”

Hearing what the little boy said, William was hopping mad.

What’s wrong with this boy? Lying, framing, slandering, and falsely accusing someone, he’s so familiar with this. It’s as if he’s done it countless times!

What kind of a family raised a child like this?

“Why have you become a chronic liar at such a young age?” William said with displeasure. He would have definitely taught this child a lesson if he was a child of his family.

William couldn’t berate Tommy too harshly since he was someone else’s child.

But his remark alone was enough to anger the young woman in her thirties.

She stared at Amelia and suddenly rushed forward, raised her arm, and slapped Amelia hard on the face, knocking the tiny Amelia to the ground.

“Where are you from, little bastard? How dare you bully my son? Are you tired of living? I have to teach you a lesson today!” Then she wanted to pull Amelia up from the ground and continued to slap her.

“Waahhh!” Amelia was only five years old. Suddenly slapped on the face by an adult woman so hard that she fell to the ground, she was in so much pain that she burst into tears.

William was about to blow his top. Seeing that the woman wanted to pull Amelia up and hit her again, he immediately rushed over, pushed the woman away, and shielded Amelia in her arms. “What’s wrong with you? How could you hit a child? Don’t you think it’s unreasonable for an adult to hit a five-year-old child?”

But unexpectedly, this woman was extremely arrogant. She glowered at them and cursed, “She’s just a little bastard! Since she dared to bully my son, I’m already being kind enough by not killing her! You’d better get lost, old fogy!

“How dare you say that about me? Do you know which family we’re from? My husband is from the Holmes family, and my son is their precious grandson. You must have a death wish for daring to bully my son!”

Tommy’s mother scolded incessantly. Then she ran over and used her sharp nails to scratch William’s face and body.

William was furious. This woman was behaving like a shrew. She was even more violent than Karen, his former wife. At least Karen wasn’t so crazy as to hit a five-year-old child.

But there was nothing he could do now, let alone fight with this crazy woman. He could only hold Amelia tightly in his arms to prevent this woman from catching her. But his face and body were already covered with scratches.

The ruckus soon attracted a crowd of spectators.

These people initially wanted to come forward to persuade them. But when they heard the woman say that her husband was from the Holmes, they immediately stopped in their tracks, not daring to intervene.

Most of the residents of the luxurious community were either locals or people who had lived in DC for a long time, so they all knew how powerful the Holmes were in DC.

The Holmes were a second-tier family that was second only to the eight top families of DC, and they held an important status among all the second-tier families. How could ordinary people afford to offend them?

The onlookers stood around them, not daring to go forward. William was alone and helpless. Before long, Tommy’s mother left numerous scratches all over his body. His face was bleeding, and his hair was messy.

Tired from all the scratching, Tommy’s mother finally stopped. With her hands on her hips, she said furiously, “Hmph, you two are going to be the death of me! Let me tell you, old fogey. My Maserati is the latest limited-edition model, and it was specially flown in from overseas. It’s worth at least ten million dollars!

“I’ve only driven it a few times, but now, this little bastard has broken the logo. How are you going to compensate me?”

William was taken aback by the price of the car. But he was enraged that she kept calling Amelia a little bastard.

“You’re a decent-looking adult, but why do you have such a foul mouth? How dare you call someone else’s child a bastard? What does that make your own child? You’d better watch your words!”

The woman laughed arrogantly. “I just want to call her a little bastard. What can you do to me? My son is the precious grandson of the Holmes. He’s far more noble and precious than your little bastard! No matter what I call her, you have to bear with it because you people are lowly beings compared to me. Do you understand?”

William retorted angrily, “Hah, given the way you behave and speak, you’re worse than a shrew on the streets. What right do you have to think that you’re superior to others?”

“Forget it. I can’t be bothered to talk to you, old fogey. I’ll get my husband to come deal with this. Let’s see if you still dare to argue then!”

The woman glowered at William. “To make things clear beforehand, my husband isn’t to be trifled with. Just get ready to die once he arrives!”

Then she took out her phone from her bag and made a call. She said deliberately in a coquettish voice, “Honey, your son and I were beaten up at the square near our home. If you consider yourself a man, immediately bring your people here and seek justice for us!”

“You’ll find out what happened when you’re here. In short, we got bullied right outside our door. This is blatant disrespect to you and the Holmes! Honey, hurry up and come here!”

After hanging up, Tommy’s mother smiled at William smugly and even deliberately pursed her lips in contempt.

1304 Not to Be Insulted

William was so enraged by the shamelessness and tyranny of the mother and son in front of him that he was speechless.

Tommy was clearly the one who broke the logo of his mother’s Maserati, which was a trivial matter in the first place. Given how much this woman pampered her child, she probably wouldn’t even chastise him, even if she found out he did it.

But Tommy had actually framed and slandered Amelia and even said that Wiliam and Amelia had bullied and hit him.

But before getting the facts right, this woman struck Amelia, a child. She even wanted them to compensate her for her losses, and it looked as though she wasn’t going to stop at this. She vividly expressed the words ‘arrogant and delusional’.

She was going overboard!

One side of Amelia’s face was flushed red, and there was an obvious palm mark on it. Although William was protecting her in his arms, she was terribly frightened, and her petite body was shaking slightly.

Amelia was only five and a half years old. Even though she was usually well-behaved and sensible, she was really scared now.

Holding the trembling Amelia in his arms, William felt his heart aching. At the same time, he was angry at himself for failing to protect Amelia well.

Some people couldn’t stand it anymore and persuaded, “Sir, you look like new faces. You’ve probably just moved here, right? And it seems you’re not DC natives either. I advise you to apologize quickly and beg her to let you off. Otherwise, you’ll be in deep trouble!”

“Yeah, since you aren’t from DC, you probably don’t know the status of the Holmes here. Anyway, they aren’t people that ordinary people can afford to provoke, so just let the matter go. Quickly apologize and make amends before disaster strikes. Otherwise, once the Holmes get here, things will get out of hand!”

“Yeah, those who go against the Holmes won’t end up well. We’re reminding you out of kindness. You… you’d better make a decision quickly!”

…

The people who spoke were the elderly people in the square just now. Seeing how disheveled William was from the scratches and that he was holding a five-year-old child in his arms, they couldn’t help taking pity on him and kindly persuading him.

Of course, they only dared to advise William to endure it, bear with the anger, and quickly apologize instead of arguing with the Holmes. They didn’t dare to persuade Tommy’s mother, who was obviously at fault.

They couldn’t afford to offend the Holmes.

This woman naturally heard what they said and could tell that they were scared and scrupulous of the Holmes. So her face had a haughty expression on it as she glanced at William with contempt and even harrumphed coldly.

William was boiling with fury.

He knew that the onlookers had only spoken out of goodwill, but when he saw the handprint on his granddaughter’s face and her trembling pitifully, he couldn’t suppress his anger.

If this woman had only bullied him and scratched his face, he would be willing to endure it and let the matter go.

However, Amelia clearly hadn’t done anything wrong, but she had been slapped unreasonably. If he apologized to this arrogant woman and got Amelia to apologize as well, Amelia would probably be scarred for life and would never be as cheerful and optimistic as she was now.

The matter would definitely traumatize Amelia, and it might even completely change her character. How could William accept this?

The family had never let Amelia suffer any mistreatment or aggrievements in Orange County. Why did they have to lower themselves and suffer when they came to DC, where they were supposed to lead a better life?

William gritted his teeth and said coldly, “You two are the ones at fault, but now you refuse to budge and want to blow this matter up? Do you think I’m afraid of you?”

Hearing this, the woman immediately let out an ear-piercing cackle of mockery. “Old fogey, you want to do things the hard way, huh? Hah, take a look at yourself! You’re just a bumpkin from another city, but you actually dare to be so aggressive to me. You really have a death wish!

“Let’s see what you can do! Go ahead and call someone over. I want to see how you’re going to settle this!”

The woman harrumphed coldly, clearly not taking William seriously at all.

“Hey, why are you so stubborn, buddy? Why didn’t you listen to my advice? Going against the Holmes will only bring death!”

“Tsk, tsk, I advised you to apologize, but you actually… don’t know any better. Is the person you’re going to call a match for the Holmes? You should give up quickly!”

The few surrounding people shook their heads with deep frowns. Clearly, they were speechless about William not heeding their advice.

Ignoring them, William took out his phone and made a call. “Lucas, Amelia and I were bullied in the recreational square in the middle of the villa cluster. Amelia even got slapped. Can you come over immediately?”

“What did you say?!” Lucas, who was still processing some documents in the Stardust Corporation, suddenly stood up with a drastic change in expression.

Amelia was his precious daughter, and he would never allow anyone to lay a finger on her.

Because Lucas hadn’t been by Amelia’s side for the past few years and failed to fulfill his duty as her father, he had always felt extremely guilty toward her and wanted to do everything he could to make it up to her so that she could live happily.

He instantly flew into a rage after hearing that Amelia had been slapped.

“William, I’ll head over right now, but please stay calm before I get there. Don’t confront that woman, lest she takes advantage of you. Please make Amelia’s safety your first priority.

I should be there in about ten minutes. Wait for me.”

While giving instructions, Lucas had already left his office and was walking quickly toward the elevator.

“Okay, rest assured. I will definitely protect Amelia with everything I have and make sure that no one hurts her!” William guaranteed.

After hanging up, Lucas immediately took the elevator down and quickly drove to the community. He sped through traffic, wishing he could reach Amelia as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Tommy’s mother pursed her lips in disdain after seeing William really make a call. Hah, this bumpkin is indeed ignorant. Does he think he can go against the Holmes just by calling someone over? He’s courting death!

Soon, a black Rolls Royce drove into the community and pulled over by the recreational square. The car door immediately opened, and a young man in his mid-thirties walked out.

“Honey, you’re finally here!” Tommy’s mother immediately scurried over when she saw the young man. She was no longer as arrogant and tyrannical as before. Instead, she now looked pitiful, and her tears were flowing freely. It looked as though she had really suffered a grievance.

1305 A Family of Bullies

“Honey, I feel so aggrieved! Tommy was playing here on his own, but some girl broke the logo of my Maserati and kept saying that it was Tommy who broke it! I wanted to reason things out with them, but that old fogey attacked me without saying anything and even hit Tommy. He is atrocious!

“Honey, you must do us justice! Otherwise, we will be bullied to death!”

The woman bawled incessantly. People who didn’t know the truth might really think that she had been bullied and that William and Amelia were so wicked.

As expected, after hearing what the woman said, the man flew into a rage. “Old fogey, you must have a death wish!”!!

The crowd was immediately shocked to see the young man’s face. “It’s Luther Holmes! It seems like this old man and his granddaughter are doomed!”

“Luther Holmes? Who is that? The name sounds familiar!”

“You should have heard of his name before. Luther Holmes is the only son of Norman Holmes, the helmsman of the Holmes. Norman favors him very much and will definitely hand over the position of helmsman to him. So, don’t you think he’s impressive?”

“Wow, he’s the heir of the Holmes. Indeed, he’s really not to be provoked. It seems the old man and his granddaughter are in deep trouble. Of all people, they provoked the Holmes. Tsk tsk!”

Everyone discussed among themselves in low voices while looking at Luther with awe and envy but at William and Amelia with pity and sympathy.

But they merely took pity on them without daring to step forward to help.

William also heard Luther’s identity. Seeing the fear and awe everyone had of Luther, he subconsciously felt nervous.

He didn’t know what the Holmes’ status in DC was, but judging from the reactions of the people around him, he knew that Luther was definitely a big shot that he couldn’t afford to offend. Even Lucas might not be able to deal with this matter.

To be honest, William didn’t know much about Lucas. All he knew was that Lucas had been kicked out by the Huttons in DC years ago and subsequently gained a high status in Orange County. But William had no idea how powerful and influential Lucas was in DC.

He held Amelia tightly in his arms, but deep down, he was already full of regret.

If he had known that he would offend the Holmes, he wouldn’t have brought Amelia here. If he had brought her home right after picking her up from kindergarten, this wouldn’t have happened.

While he was thinking about it, Luther had already walked over to William and said coldly, “Are you the one who bullied my wife and son? How dare you!”

William clenched his fists in anger. Although he did regret getting into a conflict with Tommy and his mother, he couldn’t allow them to twist the facts and slander him.

“I suggest you find out the truth first. I didn’t lay a finger on your wife and son. Instead, your wife slapped my granddaughter and left scratches all over my body. We aren’t the ones at fault,” William clarified.

Tommy’s mother immediately berated, “Old fogey, how dare you say that?!”

William had long known that Tommy’s mother was a shrew and that it was impossible to reason with her. So he said straight to Luther, “If you want to find out what happened, you can ask everyone else here. They witnessed everything.”

Hearing this, Luther narrowed his eyes, looked around at the surrounding people, and asked in a threatening tone, “This old fogey says that you witnessed everything that happened here. Is that so?”

As soon as the onlookers saw Luther’s threatening gaze, they didn’t dare to speak at all. Instead, they frantically waved their hands and retreated. Some even said that they didn’t see anything.

“Did you hear that? No one saw my wife hit anyone. You don’t have a single witness. What else do you want to say?” Luther smiled sinisterly at William, having long predicted this situation.

William was extremely disappointed, but there was nothing he could do if no one dared to step forward and be his witness.

Recalling that Lucas had asked him to bear with it until he arrived, William could only suppress his anger and ask, “I won’t argue with you. What do you want now?”

Luther tapped his foot on the ground and sized up William. “You should be a resident of this community too, right? I won’t make things hard for you. Since your granddaughter broke the logo of my wife’s car, shouldn’t you compensate for the damage?

“But instead of apologizing and compensating, you even hit my wife and son. In that case, shouldn’t you compensate for the mental trauma and injury you’ve caused them?

“My wife’s car is worth ten million dollars, so I won’t ask you for much. Adding up all the losses, you just have to compensate me with fifteen million dollars, and today’s matter will be over.”

He even pretended to be extremely magnanimous, as if asking William to compensate only 15 million dollars was giving him an easy way out.

William inhaled sharply. Fifteen million dollars?!

This amount was way beyond William’s imagination. He had never seen so much money in his life, let alone compensate someone with so much!

Hearing the compensation amount, the surrounding crowd also gasped, incredibly shocked.

Although the Maserati was indeed extremely expensive, only the logo was damaged. It shouldn’t cost more than ten thousand dollars to have it replaced with a brand new one.

Moreover, the golden trident logo hadn’t been broken by the little girl but by the woman’s own son.

Besides, William and Amelia hadn’t laid a finger on the woman and her son. Instead, the woman had slapped Amelia and scratched William. The scratch marks were still obvious on William’s face. He hadn’t fought back at all!

But Luther wanted William to compensate them with 15 million dollars. This was no different from extortion!

However, because the perpetrator was Luther Holmes, the others could only take pity on William and Amelia without daring to step forward to say a single word.

William was so angry due to the massive sum that he was shaking. “Fifteen million dollars? How can you ask for such high compensation? How can anyone afford that?”

1306 Rushing Over to Save His Daughter

Luther pursed his lips and said coldly, “I saw fifteen million dollars, so it’s fifteen million dollars. If you can’t afford it, why don’t you compensate me with the house you own in this community?”

This was an upscale residential district in central DC in a prime location, and a house here could easily fetch a price of tens of millions of dollars. Luther had asked for such a huge sum of money only because he saw that William was a resident here. Asking for so much in compensation, he clearly wanted to make William lose all his assets and his house.

This way, he would be able to chase away the family that his wife and child hated and also get a house worth tens of millions of dollars for free. At the same time, he could give the onlookers a warning and deter them from provoking him and his family in the future.

This wasn’t the first time Luther had done such a thing.!!

William was furious and flabbergasted by how greedy and shameless he was. But thinking that Lucas would be arriving soon, he said with great difficulty, “I can’t decide on this matter. When my son-in-law arrives, he can speak with you.”

Luther’s expression instantly darkened. “Do you know who I am? You want me to wait for someone here? You’re not worthy of it!”

His wife sneered. “Hah, you’re just a country bumpkin. How dare you make my husband wait? Old fogey, if you don’t hand over fifteen million dollars now, go home and bring the title deed back. Otherwise, I’ll abduct you and your bastard granddaughter, then get your son-in-law to pay off the ransom. As soon as he pays up, he can take you away!”

Luther burst into laughter. “Haha, great idea, Honey. What are you waiting for? Do it now!”

With his command, the two tall and burly bodyguards behind him walked straight toward William and Amelia.

“You… you, stop! Don’t move!”

Seeing the two muscular bodyguards walking toward him, William turned pale in fright and retreated incessantly with Amelia in his arms. But there was nowhere he could go.

The Holmes were simply horrid. They were clearly the ones at fault, but they were forcing William to compensate them with 15 million dollars and demanded that he pay for it with his home. Now, they even wanted to abduct him and Amelia to threaten Lucas. How vicious!

If they just wanted to abduct him alone, William might just leave at that and take it that he had bad luck.

But they even wanted to abduct Amelia. William would never agree to this!

Besides, given how the vicious woman had slapped Amelia without hesitation and would have continued if William hadn’t stopped her, Amelia would definitely suffer if she fell into her hands!

Amelia was only five years old. If this vicious woman ruined her, William would live in regret for the rest of his life and never be able to face Lucas and Cheyenne again.

William was holding Amelia in his arms. Sensing that his granddaughter was terrified to the point of turning pale and shivering, he could only suppress his voice and comfort her. “Don’t be scared, Amelia. Grandpa will protect you. No one can hurt you! Daddy will be here soon.

It’ll be fine in a bit!”

Tommy’s mother harrumphed in disdain. “Hah, she’s just a little bastard. I can do whatever I want to her. What can you do about it? Do you think you can protect her? What a joke!

“No matter who you’ve called, it’s useless. You’d better behave yourselves and don’t move around until you pay the compensation!”

She yelled at the two bodyguards, “What are you waiting for? Grab them!”

Seeing the two bodyguards reaching out for Amelia, William was so furious that he pushed a bodyguard away, quickly placed Amelia on the ground, and shouted, “Amelia, quickly run home. Wait for your daddy to come home! Run!”

While yelling, William grabbed the hands of the two bodyguards and tried his best to hinder them to buy time for Amelia to escape.

“Old fogey, you’re courting death!” One of the bodyguards kicked William in the chest, sending him flying away.

“Grandpa!” Before Amelia could run far away, she saw William getting kicked away. She couldn’t care about anything else and turned around to dash back toward William.

Clutching his chest in pain, William shouted, “Amelia, don’t bother about me. Hurry up and run home!”

At this point, he just hoped for Amelia to run away and get out of danger as soon as possible. As for himself, he didn’t have the luxury to worry.

But how could Amelia run away herself and let her grandfather, who had collapsed on the ground, be bullied?

Besides, at her age, there was no way she could escape.

As soon as she rushed to William, a bodyguard grabbed her arm and lifted her off the ground.

The source of this content is n0v/el/b/in[./]net’

“Let go of me! You are all bad guys! Let go of Grandpa and me!” Amelia struggled with all her might, kicking her legs in the air. But her efforts were futile.

Facing the tall and burly bodyguard, Amelia had no means to resist at all.

Seeing that she couldn’t break free and that the bodyguard’s hand was right in front of her, she immediately bit down on it.

“Damn it, brat! You deserve to die!” The bodyguard winced in pain and reflexively grabbed Amelia’s arm to slam her against the ground with all his strength.

“Amelia!” William’s eyes immediately widened in panic. He roared in despair and tried to get up from the ground to catch Amelia.

Amelia was only five years old. If she was slammed against the ground, she would definitely be seriously injured.

If she was unlucky and her head hit the ground, she might die on the spot!

The crowd screamed in shock and closed their eyes, not daring to see the tragedy that was about to happen.

Only Luther and his wife didn’t have the slightest change in expression. They were still smiling gloatingly, as if they were watching a good show.

In their opinion, Amelia and William were insignificant people. Even if their bodyguards killed them, it would be a trivial matter to resolve.

William was panicking so much that he was about to go crazy. He was desperately crawling toward Amelia to catch her. But he was seriously injured and couldn’t move much. All he could do was watch Amelia’s petite body move closer and closer to the hard stone ground…

At this critical moment, a figure quickly jumped out of a black Jaguar not far away and dashed over!

Immediately afterward, a pair of hands wrapped tightly around Amelia’s body, with one hand on her neck and the back of her head, and the other under her knees. Just as she was about to hit the ground, he picked her up in time!

The moment William saw the figure, euphoria appeared in his originally hopeless eyes. “Lucas!”

The person who caught Amelia in time at the moment of crisis was none other than Lucas!

1307 Compensation of 150 Million Dollars

Lucas was furious. He had rushed over as quickly as he could, and the moment he arrived, he saw his daughter being thrown against the ground. His heart had stopped beating at that instant.

His eyes were as sharp and as cold as ice. After he held Amelia in his arms, the first thing he did was grab the neck of the bodyguard who had tried to slam Amelia against the ground.

The tall and burly bodyguard, who weighed nearly 100 kilograms, looked just like a chicken being strangled by the neck in Lucas’s hand. He couldn’t resist at all. Then Lucas flung him away with all his might.

Bang!!!

The bodyguard landed heavily on the ground in front of Luther and his wife, and his eyes rolled backward. Before he could even make a sound, he had already passed out.

This sudden scene shocked everyone.

When Tommy’s mother saw the bodyguard lying unconscious on the ground in front of her, she screamed at the top of her lungs. “Ahhh!”

“Daddy!” Amelia suddenly felt the familiar embrace and opened her eyes. Seeing Lucas’s familiar face, she wrapped her arms around his neck and burst into tears. “Daddy, waah… you’re finally here! I was so scared! These bad guys bullied me and Grandpa. They even hit him. Waah!!”

She had been terribly frightened all this while, but she had been holding it back. Now that she finally saw her father, she couldn’t help venting all her feelings of fear and bawling loudly.

“It’s okay, Amelia. I’m here now. You don’t have to be scared anymore.” Lucas gently patted Amelia on the back and comforted her, but he had a sharp killing intent in his eyes.

He would never let off anyone who dared to bully his daughter!

William got up from the ground with great difficulty. With one hand on his waist, he limped over and said full of self-reproach, “Lucas, you’re finally here. Fortunately, you managed to arrive and save Amelia in time. Otherwise, I would have broken my promise and let her get hurt.”

He looked extremely guilty.

During the critical moment just now, if Lucas hadn’t saved Amelia in time after the bodyguard threw her, she would have been slammed against the ground. Minor injuries would have been the least of their worries. She could have even died.

Lucas looked at the blood stains on the corners of William’s mouth, the obvious scratches on his face, and footprints on his chest, and his eyes darkened. He asked worriedly, “William, how are you? Are you okay?”

William shook his head and said with gritted teeth, “I’m fine. They’re just minor injuries. Lucas, the other party has a powerful background, and they’re difficult to deal with. I heard people say that they’re from the Holmes family in DC. You have to be careful and don’t go hard against them!”

He was worried that the Holmes were too powerful and that Lucas might face a formidable enemy that he couldn’t afford to offend.

The Holmes? Lucas’s eyes glimmered. If the person who bullied his daughter was from the Holmes family, then he would never let them off!

“William, rest assured. No matter who they are, leave it to me,” Lucas said softly as his cold gaze swept across the man and the woman in front of him.

“Heh, are you that little bastard’s father?” Luther’s wife glanced at Lucas with disdain and rolled her eyes. “That little bastard of yours broke the logo of my car and had the audacity to slander my son, saying that he did it. And that old fogey even dared to talk back to me and hit my son. And now, you hurt my bodyguard. Tell me, how should you compensate us?”

Lucas’s gaze was ice cold. After hearing this woman scolding his daughter and father-in-law, he glared daggers at her.

Holding Amelia in his arms, he asked coldly, “In that case, how much do you want me to compensate you?”

For some reason, Luther’s wife felt a chill all over her body, causing her to shiver subconsciously. But she soon shouted angrily, “Just now, you only needed to compensate us fifteen million dollars for the damage done to my car and my mental damage. But now that you’ve beaten up my bodyguard so badly, you have to compensate us at least 150 million dollars! Otherwise, my husband won’t let you off!”

Then the woman glanced at Luther and said coquettishly, “Honey, don’t you think so?”

Staring straight at Lucas, Luther said coldly, “Yeah! How dare you injure my person? You must be tired of living! We’re already being kind enough by only making you compensate us 150 million dollars!”

Amelia wiped her tears and said aggrievedly, “Daddy, I didn’t hit Tommy, and I didn’t damage their car. It was Tommy who broke the golden crown!”

William said, “Yeah, that boy was holding the logo at first, but he stuffed it in Amelia’s hands and said she broke it. How could Amelia lie? Later on, this woman slapped Amelia and even claimed that I bullied them. They’re lying. I didn’t lay a finger on them!”

Lucas nodded, the gaze turning colder.

Lucas understood his daughter very well and knew that she would never lie. Since she said that Tommy broke the Maserati logo, he must have broken it.

He didn’t expect this mother and son to be so shameless. Not only did they falsely accuse Amelia and William, they even hit them and had the nerve to demand that they compensate 150 million dollars.

“Amelia, I believe you. Since you said you didn’t break the logo, you didn’t break it. Don’t worry.” Lucas touched Amelia’s head and asked William, “Can you still hold on, William?”

William touched his chest, which was still aching from the kick, and nodded. “Yeah, I can still manage.”

“Okay, then, please take Amelia home first. Leave the matter here to me.”

Just as Lucas was about to place Amelia in William’s arms, she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and frowned. She said with worry all over her tiny face, “No, Daddy, I don’t want to leave you! There are so many bad guys. I can’t leave you behind alone with these villains!”

Seeing how well-behaved and sensible Amelia was and how she was insisting on staying with him despite being frightened, Lucas felt his heart melt.

“It’s okay, Amelia. Trust me. I’m very strong, and I will definitely defeat these bad guys. Be good and go home with Grandpa. Wait for me at home, okay?” Lucas said calmly.

Hearing this, Amelia finally calmed down and said in a puerile voice, “Okay. But Daddy, you have to be careful and make sure you defeat the bad guys and come home safely!”

“Okay, I promise.” Lucas touched his daughter’s soft hair and placed her in William’s arms.

At this moment, a piercing voice suddenly sounded at the side. “You want to leave? Did I say you could leave?”

1308 The Holmes’ Family Meeting

Lucas glanced at the arrogant Luther and ignored him. He simply said to William, “It’s okay, William. Please go home with Amelia. With me here, no one will dare to stop you.”

Hearing this, William finally heaved a sigh of relief.

He knew that even if he stayed here, he would only be a burden to Lucas. Since he couldn’t be of any help, he might as well quickly take Amelia away so that Lucas wouldn’t have any other worries.

“Okay, then, be careful!” William hurriedly left with Amelia in his arms.

Luther immediately flew into a rage and ordered, “Stop them! Don’t even think about leaving!”

The remaining bodyguard immediately charged toward William and Amelia.

But as soon as his body moved, Lucas was already standing in front of him to stop him.

“Take one more step forward, and you will die!” Lucas said coldly.

The bodyguard shivered and looked at his coworker, who had been sent flying by Lucas’s kick and was now lying on the ground. His eyes showed obvious hesitation and scruples.

The young man in front of him could kick his coworker, whose combat strength was on par with his, into such a terrible state. In that case, he certainly wouldn’t be able to do much better.

While the bodyguard was hesitating going forward, William had already left with Amelia.

Luther’s face darkened.

He had said twice that no one was allowed to leave, yet Lucas actually had the audacity to disobey his orders and even threaten his bodyguard. This was simply intolerable for Luther.

“Punk, you’re really brave! Do you know who I am?” Luther stared straight into Lucas’s eyes.

Lucas glanced at him. “The Holmes, huh? How much did you say you want me to compensate you?”

Before Luther could answer, his wife said viciously, “Two hundred million dollars! Since you dared offend the Holmes, you should be prepared to pay the price! If you can’t compensate us the full sum, you can forget about leaving in one piece!”

“Two hundred million dollars? Hah, you’re really greedy.” Lucas sneered.

How brazen of the Holmes to demand so much money!

An ordinary middle-class person would never be able to make 200 million dollars in their lifetime, even if they sold all their assets. It seemed that this couple didn’t plan to leave a way out for him.

Luther didn’t respond to his wife suddenly increasing the compensation. Instead, he smiled smugly. “My wife is right. Two hundred million dollars! And not a penny less!

“I’ll give you two hours to prepare the money. If I don’t receive two hundred million dollars in two hours, you should know what the consequences will be.

“But if you really can’t come up with the money, you can use your house and your woman as collateral. Hah, your daughter looks good, so your wife should be pretty good too. I can make do with them and let you offset some of your debt.”

Lucas’s gaze was icy cold as he looked at Luther like he was a dead man.

Luther insulting Cheyenne completely stepped on Lucas’s bottom line.

“You want two hundred million dollars, huh? Okay, I’ll give it to you.” Lucas looked at Luther and took out his phone to make a call. “Transfer two hundred million dollars to the Holmes right now.

Lucas said, “In a few minutes, the two hundred million dollars will be transferred to the Holmes’ account. You can check it later.”

Luther snorted coldly with disdain. “Hah, do you think I’ll believe you just because you’ve made a call and said that you’ve transferred two hundred million dollars? Do you think I’m so easy to fool?”

“You can call Norman Holmes yourself to ask if the money has arrived and whether I’m fooling you. Oh yes, remember to tell Norman Holmes that my name is Lucas Gray.”

…

Meanwhile, in the Holmes’ mansion in DC…

The atmosphere in the mansion was very depressing, and no one dared to speak.

Norman, the family’s helmsman, was cooping himself up in his room and venting his anger by smashing everything he could in the room.

“You’re so angry! The Holmes finally managed to expand our businesses and reach our current scale, but we had to give away half of our assets overnight. I’m really indignant!

“Damn you, Lucas Gray! Damn the Parkers! You’ve robbed my family’s assets and businesses. When I get the opportunity, I won’t let you off! I will make you return everything to me one day!”

Norman had already brought the Holmes’ asset documents to the Stardust Corporation’s headquarters this morning and handed over half of his family’s assets. But the more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable and heartbroken he felt.

The assets were worth nearly 10 billion dollars! Yet he had to give them away for nothing. Norman felt extremely anguished.

But there was nothing he could do since Lucas was much stronger than the Holmes.

When Norman was almost finished venting in his room, someone knocked on the door cautiously. “Mr. Holmes, are you available? It’s almost time for the family meeting, and everyone has already arrived in the conference room.”

Norma looked at the time. It was indeed time for the family meeting. He suppressed his anger, adjusted his clothes, and walked out of his room.

He had to explain to the family why he had given away half of the family’s assets. He had arranged the family meeting today to clarify this matter.

After arriving at the conference room, Norman sat at the head of the long conference table, and the other important members of the family sat at their usual seats.

Norman looked around and suddenly discovered that someone was missing. “Why isn’t Luther here?”

Beside him, a steward of the Holmes said, “I was with Mr. Luther earlier, but something happened to Mr. Tommy, so Mr. Luther went to handle it. He should be back soon.”

Norman nodded and asked, “What happened to Tommy? Is it serious?”

Tommy was his only grandson, so he naturally cherished him and paid a lot of attention to him.

The steward said, “I heard it’s just a trivial matter. Mr. Luther has gone to settle it, so he should be able to resolve it soon.”

“That’s good. We won’t wait for him then. Let’s begin the meeting.” Norman looked at everyone in the conference room solemnly. “I’m sure everyone is already aware of what happened today. I know you must be upset and wondering why I handed over half of our family’s assets and businesses to the Stardust Corporation. The purpose of today’s meeting is to explain this matter to you!”

Next, Norman gave an account of how he had formed an alliance with six other families to deal with the Parkers, only to end up suffering a huge loss. He also mentioned how Lucas had forced him to hand over half of the family’s assets.

After hearing that their dignified family had been forced into such a situation by an unknown young man, many members of the family were displeased, thinking that it was all because Norman was too weak and incompetent.

However, after hearing that not only Holmes but the other sex families had also been forced to hand over half of their assets, the Holmes were at a loss for words.

This could only mean that the young man named Lucas Gray was indeed very terrifying!

1309 Two Hundred Million Dollars

Looking at the faces of his family members, Norman said with self-reproach, “This time, I indeed underestimated the abilities of the Parkers and Lucas Gray, which caused our family to suffer heavy losses. I’m sorry, everyone.

“But I swear that I won’t let this matter rest! One day, I will lead you to take back everything we’ve lost from the enemy’s hands!”

The Holmes knew that they couldn’t blame Norman for this, so they spoke one after another.

“Norman, there’s no need to blame yourself too much. We know you didn’t want this to happen either. Who knew we would encounter such a powerful opponent?”!!

“Yeah, Norman, this really isn’t your fault. Just as you’ve said, even Rayson Williams, the helmsman of one of the eight top families in DC, suffered at the hands of Lucas Gray. Even over a hundred of the Williams’ experts were detained by Lucas Gray. The Holmes are truly no match for this person.

“Norman, don’t worry. We will definitely bring the Holmes to glory again and take back everything we’ve lost!”

The Holmes had a rather peaceful and calm attitude toward Norman. They didn’t get upset or lose their temper with him because of this matter.

In all fairness, Norman had been performing well as the helmsman of the Holmes all these years. He managed to develop the family and help them rise from a low-ranking family to a second-tier family. Thus, as long as he didn’t commit an irreparable mistake, the rest of the family wouldn’t dare to do anything to him.

This was the prestige that Norman had in the Holmes family.

Suddenly, the accountant in charge of the Holmes’ finances received a text message about a deposit of 200 million dollars in their main bank account. He was so shocked that he stood up from his seat.

“What’s going on?” Farrer, the accountant, stared blankly at the text message on his phone. The Holmes weren’t expecting to receive so much money recently!

Farrer’s movements were too big, so he immediately attracted the attention of the others in the conference room, including Norman’s.

Norman looked at Farrer in puzzlement and asked, “Farrer, what’s going on?”

Farrer came back to his senses and suddenly said, “Mr. Norman, we’ve just received a deposit of two hundred million dollars in our main account, but it’s quite strange…”

“Two hundred million dollars?!”

Upon hearing the amount, even Norman couldn’t help being shocked.

After numerous years of development, the Holmes had amassed a total net worth of about 20 billion dollars. Their wealth included a large amount of real estate, stocks, and other assets. Their liquidity was less than 1.5 billion dollars, so the sudden influx of 200 million dollars was indeed a massive sum.

“Who transferred it to us?” Norman asked.

Farrer’s expression became even stranger as he said hesitantly, “It’s from the Stardust Corporation.”

As soon as Norman heard the words ‘the Stardust Corporation’, his expression also became strange.

The name of the Stardust Corporation was deeply etched in Norman’s mind now. Whenever he heard it, he felt excruciating pain throughout his body. The Stardust Corporation was where he had handed over nearly 10 billion dollars’ worth of his family’s assets this morning!

But this made things even stranger. He had just transferred half of his family’s businesses and assets to the Stardust Corporation this morning. Why did the Stardust Corporation suddenly transfer 200 million dollars to the Holmes?

What’s going on?

Could Lucas Gray and the Stardust Corporation not want to be known as robbers, so they deliberately transferred two hundred million dollars to the Holmes to make it look like they paid for the assets instead of robbing them?

For a while, Norman couldn’t figure out what Lucas was thinking.

Suddenly, Norman’s phone on the conference table rang. The voice of his only son, Luther, came clearly from the other end. “Dad, did someone transfer two hundred million dollars to our bank account?”

Norman hurriedly asked, “Luther, what’s going on? Does the two hundred million dollars have something to do with you?”

Luther sounded even more surprised than Norman. “What? Did he really transfer two hundred million dollars to our account? Dad, are you sure the money arrived?”

Norman’s heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly had an ominous premonition. He frantically asked, “Luther Holmes, what’s going on? Who transferred the money to us? Hurry up and tell me clearly!”

Luther didn’t notice anything amiss. He merely thought that he had gotten a lot of money. He had just mentioned it casually, yet the fool opposite him had really transferred 200 million dollars to the Holmes. He was elated!

“Haha, Dad, let me tell you. I ran into an idiot today and told him to give me two hundred million dollars as compensation. He actually really did it. If I had known he was so compliant, I would have asked him for more money. This is almost a few months of our family’s net profit!

“Oh, by the way, this idiot seems to know you. He even wanted me to tell you that his name is Lucas Gray. Do you think he was frightened silly by your reputation?”

Luther was still speaking proudly, but when Norman heard the name Lucas Gray, his body immediately trembled.

“What… what did you say? Did you say that his name is Lucas Gray? Is… is he a tall young man in his twenties?” Norman asked, his voice shaking.

Luther still had no idea what was happening. He glanced at Lucas and answered nonchalantly, “Yeah, he’s a young man in his late twenties. Dad, do you really know this idiot?”

Norman was so angry that he was on the verge of having a heart attack. He hollered, “Who are you calling an idiot?! You’re the idiot! And the greatest one at that!

“I don’t care what happened between you two and why he transferred money to us. In any case, immediately kneel down and apologize to him. Quickly beg him to forgive you. Do you hear me?”

Norman was practically shouting at the top of his lungs.

He never thought that his son would provoke Lucas!

The Holmes had ended up in this state and had been forced to hand over half of the family’s assets because of Lucas. Moreover, they were still discussing the matter just now. Although they couldn’t let Lucas off, they had to take him seriously. Before finding a backer who could rival Lucas, they definitely couldn’t provoke him again.

But what happened now?

Before the meeting even ended, Norman’s only son had encountered Lucas and offended him greatly!

As for Lucas’s compensation of 200 million dollars, Norman knew that his son must have extorted Lucas, given that Luther had done similar things in the past.

Otherwise, what could have happened to warrant a compensation of 200 million dollars?

After offending Lucas so terribly, could Luther return in one piece?

Norman didn’t dare to think about it anymore. He could only tell his son to kneel and beg for forgiveness. Perhaps this way, he might have a chance of survival.

1310 Greed

“Dad, are you out of your mind? You actually want me to kneel and apologize to this punk?” Luther’s voice of disbelief came from the phone. “Dad, are you kidding me? This punk… he’s just an ordinary person, while I’m the scion of the esteemed Holmes family. How can I kneel and apologize to someone like him?”

Luther had never suffered such humiliation before!

Norman flew into a rage. “I told you to kneel and apologize, so kneel and apologize. Why are you talking so much nonsense? Would I harm you? I’m doing this to save your life!

“Anyway, send me your current location, and I’ll rush over right now! If you still haven’t received Mr. Gray’s forgiveness by the time I arrive, don’t blame me for being merciless!”!!

Norman hung up furiously.

Luther, who was standing in the square, was staring at his phone, completely dumbfounded.

He couldn’t understand his father’s request at all.

Lucas looked like an extremely ordinary young man. He was wearing shabby clothes without a single designer item on his body. Moreover, he drove a Jaguar, which was too lowly compared to the cars of the wealthy scions in DC.

More importantly, there wasn’t a prominent family in DC with the last name Gray. He was the scion of the Holmes family. Why should he kneel and apologize to this person?

Luther’s wife had heard some of their conversation and asked in horror, “Honey, what did your father just say? How… how could he make you kneel and beg this idiot for forgiveness? Is there something wrong? Your father must have mistaken him for someone else, right?”

Luther came to a sudden realization. “Yes, that’s right. Dad must have gotten the wrong person! Maybe this guy just has the same name as a big shot named Lucas Gray! How can I kneel and apologize to someone like him?”

He was subconsciously only willing to believe this reason.

Initially, Luther had thought that since the 200 million dollars had already arrived in the account, he could let Lucas leave. But after giving it some consideration, he changed his mind. Since Lucas had so easily transferred 200 million dollars, he was obviously a rich idiot.

He had to continue extorting him.

“Punk, you’re indeed a man of your word. The money has arrived.” Luther looked at Lucas with malicious intentions. “This money is compensation for the damage to my wife’s car and for injuring my bodyguards.

“But don’t forget that your father-in-law also hit my wife and my precious son. We can’t just let this slide, can we? Tell me, how much do you plan to compensate me for their mental suffering?”

Lucas couldn’t help bursting into laughter.

He had never seen anyone so greedy and thick in the head.

“You wanted me to compensate you with two hundred million dollars, but your car is only worth ten million at most, which is not even a fraction of two hundred million dollars. This amount doesn’t include the so-called mental suffering?” Lucas retorted.

“Since I’ve told you to pay up, then pay up! What nonsense are you babbling? Besides, I clearly told you to compensate me with two hundred million dollars, but you transferred it to the Holmes’ main account. Did I get a single penny of it? Since I didn’t, it means your compensation doesn’t count. Do you get it?

“If you know what’s good for you, you’d better transfer two hundred million dollars to me right now, not a single cent less. Otherwise, you’ll get it from me!” Luther said greedily.

Next to him, his wife chimed in, “That’s right! Only the money paid in our account is considered our compensation. Who knows why you transferred the money to another account. It certainly doesn’t count! Anyway, transfer two hundred million dollars to my husband’s account right now. Otherwise, we’ll immediately call people over and make sure you don’t leave this place in one piece!”

In their opinion, Lucas was clearly afraid of the Holmes since he had compliantly transferred the massive sum of 200 million dollars to them.

This man could fork out so much money so easily. Clearly, he had a lot of cash in hand. Thinking that Lucas was wealthy but stupid and not from a well-known family, they decided to take advantage of this opportunity to extort more money from him!

In total, they would be getting 400 million dollars!

At the thought that they would acquire such a huge sum of money in just one day, Luther and his wife were over the moon.

Luther and his wife immediately shocked the onlookers speechless.

They were all ordinary people, and they had never seen anyone as shameless as Luther and his wife.

After extorting Lucas of 200 million dollars, they had the cheek to say that the compensation didn’t count since the money hadn’t been transferred to their account. They were even forcing him to transfer another 200 million dollars. Luther and his wife were the most thickskinned and shameless people the onlookers had ever seen!

The scion of the Holmes was actually so shameless, surprising many people and ruining their fantasies of the wealthy.

Of course, despite being shocked and disappointed, none of them dared to criticize the Holmes for going overboard out of consideration of their status and power.

Luther and his wife had already regarded Lucas as a fool they could extort. They even thought that Lucas would obediently transfer another massive sum of money to them again.

But unexpectedly, Lucas only stood still and said indifferently, “You want me to compensate you again? No, not a single cent!”

His words immediately angered Luther.

The man who had just transferred 200 million dollars without batting an eyelid actually said that he didn’t have a single cent left. Who would believe this? He must be taking me for a fool!

Luther shouted viciously, “Damn it! Punk, are you courting death? Let me tell you, I won’t let you off if you don’t compensate me!

“My father is Norman Holmes, the helmsman of the Holmes family. He’s on his way here with his subordinates. If you refuse to compensate me, you will be dead meat once my father comes! Do you hear me?”

“Is Norman Holmes coming? Okay, I’ll wait for him to come!”

Lucas sneered and made a call. “Bring some people to the leisure square in the center of my community. Come here as soon as possible.”

Hearing Lucas calling people over, Luther didn’t stop him. Instead, he said with disdain, “Hmph, fine, I’ll let you call people here. No matter who you call, it won’t matter to the Holmes!”

Lucas ignored him.

About seven minutes later, close to 30 black Mercedes-Benz cars charged over and stopped outside the leisure square.

Four or five burly men in black suits immediately jumped out from each car, totaling more than a hundred people. As they stood in the leisure square, their aura was astonishing, causing the surrounding crowd to hurriedly step back, for fear of being implicated.

Seeing so many people in front of them, Luther and his wife smiled smugly. “Our people are here. Punk, it seems like your end is coming!”

Lucas smiled strangely. “Is that so? Are you sure they’re your people?”

moh96 · Mar 23, 2024

1311 Who Is It?

After Luther heard what Lucas said, the smile on his face stiffened, and bewilderment flashed in his eyes.

His wife immediately shouted, “If they’re our people, are they yours, you bumpkin? You just moved here. How could you find so many experts within such a short time? You’re really shameless!”

Lucas remained calm and didn’t even look at the two of them.

The person leading the men in black was tall, burly, and dashing. He walked over to Lucas, got down on one knee, and reported, “Lucas, due to time constraints, I only brought a hundred people here. Are they enough?”

Lucas nodded. “Yes. Wait for me here.”

“Yes, Lucas!” the leader acknowledged. With a wave of his hand, the hundred people stood neatly behind Lucas, their momentum astonishing.

This scene shocked Luther and his wife speechless.

“This punk… called these people over? How… how is that possible?”

Lucas saw the Maserati parked by the roadside at a glance. The logo on the hood of the car was gone, so this must be the car that they had accused Amelia of damaging.

“Smash that car!” Lucas pointed at the Maserati.

“Yes!”‘ The muscular leader acknowledged and instructed, “Lucas wants us to smash that car!”

The next moment, the hundred people charged straight toward the Maserati.

After one punch landed, there was a huge dent in the hood. With the next punch, the glass windows of the car shattered.

“Stop it! Stop! This is my car! It’s worth more than ten million dollars! I’ll kill you if you dare to touch it! Stop! Do you hear me?!” Luther’s wife screamed hysterically and tried to stop them from smashing her beloved car.

But how could these people listen to her?

Even though these burly men were hitting the car with their bare hands, the effect was similar to using weapons. In just a few seconds, the ten-million-dollar luxury car turned into a pile of distorted scrap metal.

This scene stunned the onlookers.

This expensive car was smashed into a pile of scrap metal with bare hands just like that.

Seeing that her beloved car had turned into scrap metal, Luther’s wife was boiling with fury.

She lost her sanity on the spot and charged at Lucas while waving her long fingernails. “Bastard! How dare you smash my car? Compensate me for it!”

“Get lost!”

Before she could even touch Lucas, the person next to Lucas kicked her away. She fell to the ground in distress.

Lucas looked coldly at Luther’s wife lying on the ground. “Your car? I remember clearly that the two hundred million dollars you wanted me to compensate you includes the compensation for this car. In other words, this car belongs to me now, and I can smash it however I want. It’s none of your business!”

Luther’s wife was stunned. Only then did she remember that when she demanded compensation from Lucas, she had included the full price of the car. In that case, it wasn’t a problem for Lucas to say that the car belonged to him.

But she just wanted to extort him and make him give them more money. She didn’t really plan to give away her beloved car!

Her Maserati was the latest model and had been flown in from abroad. She had only driven it a few times and was already in love with it. Even though the logo had been damaged, it would cost only a few thousand dollars to get it replaced with a new one. In fact, she was planning to get it replaced after settling everything today!

But her car had now been turned into a pile of scrap metal. She was so furious that she almost vomited blood.

Seeing that his wife had been kicked to the ground, Luther flew into a rage. “Bastard, how dare you touch my woman? You must have a death wish! Just you wait. I won’t let you off!”

As soon as he finished speaking, a Lincoln limousine sped over and stopped outside the leisure square.

Seeing the familiar license plate, Luther felt confident and grinned smugly. “Bastard, my father is here. It’s time for you to die!”

The door of the limousine opened, and an elderly man in his sixties stepped out of it. It was Norman!

“Wow, take a look! It’s Norman Holmes, the head of the Holmes family! I had the honor to see him from a distance before!”

“Since Mr. Holmes is here in person, it seems that the matter today has already spiraled out of proportion. This isn’t going to end well!”

“Yeah, the Holmes are very powerful now. Since the Waltons left DC, a position among the eight top families of DC has opened up, and the competition is fierce. I heard that the Holmes are likely to take over this position!”

“Wow! It seems that the Holmes are really impressive. They’re definitely not people we can afford to offend! It looks like that young man and his family are doomed! Ah, speaking of which, they’ve really encountered a disaster today. They were living well before, but now…”

“Shh! Keep your volume down! Are you tired of living? If the Holmes’ helmsman hears you, we’ll be in trouble too!”

…

After Norman appeared in the leisure square, the surrounding crowd burst into discussion.

But their voices were extremely soft, for fear that Norman and the Holmes would hear them.

Seeing that their greatest backer had arrived, Luther and his wife instantly felt confident and weren’t worried anymore.

Luther’s wife even mocked Lucas. “Bumpkin, weren’t you very smug just now? Since you had the guts to hit my bodyguards and get your people to smash my car, I’ll see how you can continue being arrogant now that the helmsman of the Holmes is here!”

Luther mocked too, “Hah, you’re just a nobody. In front of my father, you’re nothing! My father is the helmsman of the Holmes. With a single command of his, a small fry like you will die!”

Lucas looked at the few people in front of him playfully and suddenly smiled. “Oh? Is that so? Is Mr. Holmes really here to confront me? I think your father is here to teach you, his unfilial son, a lesson.”

Luther snapped, “Damn it! You bastard, who are you calling unfilial? When my father sees how arrogant you are, you’ll die miserably!”

Lucas couldn’t be bothered to talk with him at all. He merely glanced at Norman, who was walking over with a mirthless smile.

1312 Regret

Because numerous cars were surrounding the leisure square, it took Norman more than 20 seconds to walk over, so he didn’t have time to say anything yet.

Luther stepped forward, supported Norman’s arm, and complained, “Dad, you’re finally here! Did you hear that? This arrogant bastard dared to scold me in front of you. He even got so many people to surround us, and they also smashed my wife’s car and hit her! You can’t let him off!”

His wife also hurried over to hold Norman’s other arm and complained with tears all over her face, “Norman, your precious grandson and I were bullied terribly! This bastard has a little bastard who bullied Tommy, and they hit us. If you don’t stand up for us, who knows what else they’ll do to us!”

“Shut up!” Norman roared angrily. He slapped Luther’s wife, who was crying and complaining, instantly dumbfounding her.

Immediately afterward, he slapped Luther hard on the face.

The two loud slaps stunned everyone.

Luther’s wife was dazed for a long time before she covered her face and yelled, “Norman, why… why did you hit me?”

“Who else would I hit if not you?! You’re the source of this trouble, you jinx. Of course, you deserve to be slapped!” Norman glowered at her, wishing he could slap her again.

On the way here, he had already roughly guessed what had happened. After learning what Luther’s wife had done, he wished he could kill her on the spot.

At first, Luther had been doing a good job handling his business, but this woman had called his son over, which eventually led to him offending Lucas.

Of course, Norman blamed it on her.

Luther was completely dumbstruck by his father’s slap.

All these years, he had been showered with love by Norman because he was the only son. He had never been slapped in public before.

“Dad, you actually slapped me? What mistake did we make? This bastard and his daughter are clearly the ones at fault!” Luther said in disbelief.

“Idiot, you’ve made a huge mistake, but you’re still unrepentant? I should just beat you to death!”

When Norman saw that his son was still being stubborn, didn’t know what mistake he had made, and even insulted Lucas, he was furious and flustered. He charged over and continously slapped Luther fiercely.

Covering his face and head with his hands, Luther wailed, but he didn’t dare to hit his father back. He could only shout frantically, “Dad, stop! Stop! You should be slapping that bastard. Why are you hitting me?”

Hearing this, Norman was on the verge of vomiting blood.

He had already instructed Luther to kneel and beg Lucas for forgiveness.

However, this imbecile not only didn’t obey his instructions, but he even insulted Lucas. He was courting death!

If it wasn’t for the fact that Luther was his only son, Norman would have abandoned a fool like him and left him to his own devices long ago!

There was also Luther’s wife. She was just a brainless woman who was nothing more than a pretty face and couldn’t get anything done properly. All she did was go around forming enemies and feuds.

Even though things had already come to this, this woman still kept insulting Lucas and his child. She was just adding fuel to the fire and causing the Holmes to end up in a more miserable plight.

The more Norman thought about it, the angrier he became. He didn’t stop hitting Luther.

If it wasn’t because she was his daughter-in-law and it wasn’t appropriate for him to hit a woman, he would have beaten this idiot couple together.

Lucas coldly watched the chaos between the Holmes without saying anything.

The hundred people stood behind him neatly, exuding a silent sense of oppression.

The surrounding crowd was utterly flabbergasted by the scene before them.

They had thought that after Norman arrived, he would definitely get his people to teach Lucas a lesson. There might even be a group fight between Norman’s people and Lucas’s.

To their surprise, the first thing Norman did when he arrived was to beat his son up.

This scene was completely beyond their expectations.

Norman was slapping Luther with all his might, leaving numerous red marks on his face and causing him to wail in pain. But due to his old age, he was panting after slapping him for a while and could no longer continue.

Panting heavily, he walked over to Lucas and bowed his head respectfully. He said in a shaky voice, “I am so sorry, Mr. Gray. I failed to teach my son well. I am so sorry that he offended you!

“Mr. Gray, please spare my son once on account that the Holmes have just submitted to you! From now on, I will definitely take him in hand and make sure he doesn’t make any more mistakes!”

Boom!

As soon as he said this, everyone was thunderstruck.

What did they just hear?

Norman Holmes, the helmsman of the esteemed Holmes family, actually apologized to a young man and begged for his forgiveness?

His attitude was so deferential and cautious, as if he was afraid of offending Lucas.

They even heard the word ‘submit’. Who submitted to whom?

Could the Holmes have pledged allegiance to this young man in his twenties?

They couldn’t believe it!

Luther’s jaw dropped, and his mind went blank.

Why… why couldn’t he understand what his father said?

His wife gaped with disbelief all over her face.

But seeing Norman’s expression, she had no choice but to believe it.

Suddenly, a chill surged up straight from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, causing her to be filled with fear and horror.

Could Lucas Gray really be some big shot that even Norman has to behave deferentially toward him?

When she thought of what she had done earlier, such as slapping Lucas’s daughter, calling her a little bastard, and extorting 200 million dollars from Lucas under the pretext of compensation, her face turned pale, and overwhelming regret flooded her heart.

If she had known that Lucas was such a terrifying figure, she wouldn’t have dared to offend him and his daughter!

1313 Settling Scores

Lucas just glanced at Norman and ignored his pleas. He said indifferently, “Just stand at the side and don’t make any comments. I will handle this myself.”

Norman’s heart skipped a beat. He knew that Lucas wasn’t going to let his son off easily.

He gritted his teeth and pleaded, “Mr. Gray, I know it’s my son’s fault for what happened today, but he’s my only son. Please spare his life!”

Lucas’s expression darkened, and the next moment, he gave Norman a resounding slap across the face.

“I just told you to shut up and stand at the side. If you dare to be nosy, don’t blame me for being hostile!”

He was really furious!

Everything Luther and his wife had done today, especially slapping Amelia, had completely angered Lucas.

Lucas had been holding back his anger and not flaring up, not because he wanted to spare Luther and his wife but because he had decided to deal with them in front of Norman.

Now that Norman was here, Lucas no longer needed to hold back his anger.

Unfortunately, Norman still couldn’t see the situation clearly and talked too much. Lucas didn’t have the patience for him.

Feeling the stinging pain on his face, Norman was completely flabbergasted by Lucas’s rage.

Back in the Parker residence yesterday, Lucas had been composed and indifferent, so Norman didn’t expect that he would face Lucas’s wrath so soon.

At this moment, Norman finally realized how terrifying this feeling was.

Even though he was the helmsman of the Holmes family and had a high status, his heart skipped a beat the moment Lucas lost his temper. He didn’t even dare to raise his head, let alone defy Lucas.

Lucas’s slap also caused the surrounding crowd to freeze on the spot.

They never thought that the helmsman of the dignified Holmes family would be slapped by a young man in public!

But Norman didn’t dare to retaliate or even show any anger.

This scene caused the jaws of countless people to drop.

Luther and his wife were the ones who were the most shocked!

They never thought that Norman would be slapped by Lucas like a junior getting scolded and being told not to be nosy.

How terrifying must Lucas Gray’s identity be?!

Even the head of one of the eight top families in DC wouldn’t humiliate his father in public!

Luther and his wife turned deathly pale. They realized that they had really made an irreparable mistake and offended a big shot they should have never offended!

“You said you wanted compensation, and I already paid it. Now, it’s time we settle scores for everything that happened today.” Lucas looked at Luther and his wife coldly. “Especially the matter about hitting my daughter.”

His gaze landed on Luther’s wife, and the coldness in his eyes was piercing.

Luther’s wife shivered uncontrollably, and her legs went limp as she dropped to her knees.

“I… I…” she stammered, her heart beating wildly. She couldn’t form a complete sentence.

“Bitch! This is all your fault! Hurry up and apologize to Mr. Gray!”

Knowing how terrifying Luca’s identity was and seeing him ablaze with anger, Luther couldn’t care about anything else. He fell to his knees in front of Lucas before slapping his wife hard and scolding her, “Keep slapping your face until Mr. Gray forgives you!”

At this moment, his wife couldn’t care about the humiliation. She just wanted to survive. After hearing Luther’s scolding, she raised her hands without a word and alternately slapped her face heavily on each side with each hand.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

While slapping herself loudly, she pleaded for mercy with Lucas, “I… it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have been so foul-mouthed. I shouldn’t have hit your daughter! Mr. Gray, please forgive me!

“I’m just a bitch who doesn’t know anything. I won’t dare to do this anymore. From now on,

I’ll turn over a new leaf and stop bullying people. Mr. Gray, please let me off!”

Luther’s wife was merciless with the slaps because she wanted to beg for Lucas’s forgiveness. Soon, her cheeks were swollen, and there were handprints all over her face.

Lucas looked coldly at the two people kneeling in front of him. “You two should know clearly what the cause is and what the truth is. You clearly knew that my daughter was innocent, yet you still hit her. She’s only five, but you actually hit her!

“To tell you the truth, I’m usually quite easygoing, but my family are the most important people to me. No one is allowed to harm them! But you people crossed the line and touched my taboo. How can I let you off easily?”

Lucas’s icy cold voice continued, “I’ll break the hand you used to slap my daughter. Does this sound fair? Also, you kept insulting my daughter. Since you have such a foul mouth, I don’t think you need to talk anymore. I’ll sever your tongue!”

Luther’s wife was scared soulless. She collapsed to the ground and instantly wet her pants.

Luther was terrified as well. His heart was pounding rapidly as he frantically kowtowed. “Mr. Gray, please spare me! I really know my mistakes. Please let me off!”

Lucas’s cold eyes fell on Luther. “Don’t worry. I won’t forget to settle scores with you too.

“You got your bodyguards to hit my father-in-law and even tried to kidnap him and my daughter. I won’t let you off easily.”

Luther was so frightened that he was shuddering while begging for forgiveness profusely.

But Lucas remained unmoved.

Lucas said, “You have to pay the price for everything you do. Since you got people to kick my father-in-law and caused him to suffer heavy injuries, I’ll pay you back in your own coin.

“I have a hundred people here. If you’re still alive after each of them kicks you once, then we’re even!”

Norman and Luther both had a drastic change in expression!

1314 Who Went Overboard?

Getting kicked by a hundred people?

Even if they were a hundred ordinary people, he would definitely die from all the kicks.

Moreover, the people Lucas had called over were all experts. They had just ruined the Maserati with their bare hands. If they kicked someone, let alone survive, this person would probably turn into a pile of badly mangled flesh.

Only now did Luther feel immense horror. He frantically shouted at his father, “Dad! Quickly come save me! I don’t want to die! If you don’t save me, I’ll be dead meat!”

At this moment, only his father could save him.

Meanwhile, another figure appeared next to Lucas. It was Jordan. “Lucas, I already know what happened. How dare this woman slap Amelia? I’ll make sure she pays the price!”

Jordan walked over to Luther’s wife and shouted coldly, “You’re the one who hit Amelia, huh? Stick out the hand you used to slap her!”

Luther’s wife was scared out of her wits at this point. Kneeling on the ground, she begged profusely, “It’s all my fault. I know my mistake now, and I will never dare do it again. Please let me off! I can apologize to that child… Her name’s Amelia, right? I can apologize to Amelia and seek her forgiveness. I’m willing to do anything as long as you don’t break my hand! Please!”

She was weeping bitterly, looking extremely miserable.

Jordan was utterly unmoved. “It’s too late for regret now! Amelia is only a five-year-old child, but you’re an adult in your thirties. How could you lay your hand on a child? Are you still human?

“Lucas is already being very kind. He only wants to cripple one of your hands. If you still beg for mercy, your hand won’t be the only thing ruined!”

Trembling in fear, Luther’s wife knew that she had really offended the wrong person this time and was about to face devastating consequences!

But she couldn’t bear to have her hand crippled!

“Norman, save me! You’re the helmsman of the Holmes, and I’m your daughter-in-law. How can you just stand by and watch them cripple my hand? Norman, I really know my mistakes this time. Hurry up and save me. I’ll definitely change! Norman!”

Norman’s expression was extremely gloomy. His hands were clenched tightly, and he was gnashing his teeth loudly.

How could he not want to save his son and daughter-in-law?

His daughter-in-law would have one hand broken and her tongue severed. If she really suffered this punishment, she would become disabled. How could she continue being a daughter-in-law of the Holmes and the wife of the future helmsman?

Moreover, if the hundred experts kicked his son, Luther would suffer horrendous injuries, if not die!

Luther was his only son. There was no way he could accept this outcome!

But he had no choice now!

“Do it!” Lucas ordered.

Jordan immediately grabbed Luther’s wife’s right wrist and squeezed it hard, crushing her wrist bones into bits.

Like this, it would be difficult for her wrist to ever recover.

“Ah! My wrist!” Luther’s wife shrieked, and her eyes rolled backward as she passed out in pain.

Meanwhile, Luther suffered a hard kick in the chest, which sent him flying in the air before falling hard onto the ground.

He screamed miserably and pleaded with Norman desperately, “Ah!! Dad, save me! It hurts! My bones are about to break! Tell them to stop, or I’ll die!”

He was the scion of the Holmes. He lived a sheltered life and had never suffered any injuries before. How could he withstand this beating?

After the first kick, Luther felt as if his chest bones were on the verge of breaking, and his organs were aching badly. He felt the fear of death.

But his pleas were futile. The person who gave the order was Lucas, and the people taking action were Lucas’s subordinates. As long as Lucas didn’t say anything, the hundred burly men would never stop hitting him.

Bang!

The second kick landed on Luther’s shoulder, causing him to clutch it and howl.

Bang!

The third kick landed on Luther’s waist, causing him to scream like a pig getting slaughtered.

Bang!

Bang!

…

The fourth kick, the fifth kick, the sixth… landed on his body, causing him to wail incessantly.

In fact, they had already lightened their blows. Otherwise, with their strength, Luther would have died after the first kick.

This scene shocked the crowd, and their eyes revealed endless horror.

Luther was the scion of the Holmes, yet he was being kicked mercilessly like a ball.

If they hadn’t seen this scene with their own eyes, they would have never dared to believe it!

“Enough! Stop!”

Hearing his son’s endless screams, Norman finally couldn’t stand it anymore.

Lucas looked at him coldly, “Now that your son is being beaten, you feel heartbroken? But did your son and daughter-in-law show any mercy when they were hitting my daughter and father-in-law?”

Norman gritted his teeth and said, “Mr. Gray, I admit that my son and daughter-in-law are at fault. I’ve apologized to you for this, but their mistakes don’t warrant death, right?

“My daughter-in-law deserves to have her hand crippled for hitting your daughter, and my son has been kicked more than ten times for hurting your father-in-law. Isn’t this punishment enough?

“Please spare them on my account!”

Norman was well aware that if he didn’t speak up and ask for mercy now, his son might really be kicked to death!

Lucas shook his head indifferently. “It’s not enough.”

Norman’s facial muscles twitched violently as he asked through gritted teeth, “Mr. Gray, must you really kill my son? He may have made a mistake, but he definitely doesn’t deserve to die for it. Please don’t go overboard!”

“Me? Overboard?” Lucas sneered. “Your dear son and daughter-in-law have done many worse things! They even ordered their bodyguards to take my father-in-law and daughter hostage and extorted two hundred million dollars for me. Before you arrived, they even forced me to hand over another two hundred million!

“They even wanted me to use my house and my wife as collateral. If you were in my shoes, would you be able to forgive such behavior easily?

“Since you’re saying that I’m being overboard, why don’t you think about how much worse they’ve been to others before?

“If I were just an ordinary person and wasn’t as powerful as the Holmes, would I be forced to part with my family and still have to suck it up?

…

“Tell me now, who went overboard!”

1315 Checking Surveillance Camera Footage

Lucas’s righteous accusation left Norman speechless.

Norman didn’t expect that his son and daughter-in-law had done so many things that even he thought were vicious.

But no matter what, it was his son. Norman could only try his best to find a solution for this conflict and protect him.

“Mr. Gray, I admit that they are at fault for making you pay two hundred million dollars in compensation. But at the end of the day, this conflict wouldn’t have happened if your daughter hadn’t damaged my daughter-in-law’s car. Isn’t that so?

“Besides, you were just talking about a hypothetical situation. The truth now is that your daughter only suffered a slap, and your father only suffered a kick. They didn’t suffer any other injuries, but my daughter-in-law has already lost one of her hands, and my son has been beaten up so badly. Maybe even a few of his bones have been broken!

“My son and daughter-in-law are in a much worse state than your daughter and father-inlaw. Can’t you just let them off? I can promise that such things won’t happen again!”

Norman spoke with red eyes.

Lucas was about to laugh out loud. “Hah, at this point, you actually still think that the cause of the conflict is my daughter damaging the logo of your daughter-in-law’s car? Okay, I’ll let you see clearly what happened!”

He instructed, “Go to the community’s security office and bring me the surveillance camera footage!

“Let’s see if my daughter really damaged someone else’s car but didn’t dare to take responsibility or if someone accused her and bullied her when they’re the ones at fault!”

Someone at the side immediately acknowledged, “Yes!”

He hurried to the security office of the community.

In this upscale community, there were definitely numerous surveillance cameras in the public area, especially in the playground of the leisure square, so as to avoid conflicts and disputes.

Lucas firmly believed that his daughter would never lie, so getting the surveillance camera footage was the best way to clear her name, lest the Holmes keep harping on Amelia.

Just because he didn’t pursue the matter earlier, it didn’t mean that he would allow others to slander his daughter!

Seeing how confident Lucas was, Norman suddenly became nervous.

Norman wasn’t present when the incident happened. All he heard was his son and daughterin-law’s one-sided claim that the conflict broke out because Lucas’s daughter had refused to own up to damaging his daughter-in-law’s car.

Thus, Norman kept thinking that Lucas’s family members were the ones at fault, so he had the confidence to argue with him.

But if the truth was as Lucas said, and Amelia didn’t damage the car, then his son and daughter-in-law’s behavior would be indefensible!

If Amelia had really been slapped when she hadn’t damaged the car, and his son and daughter-in-law had really forced Lucas to compensate them 200 million dollars…

Thinking of this, Norman felt his vision turn dark, and he was on the verge of breaking down.

No, I have to calm down. I can’t panic yet!

Before getting the surveillance camera footage, no one knows what the truth is. Maybe Lucas Gray’s daughter is the one lying!

Or what if the surveillance cameras were faulty and no footage was captured?

Norman could only comfort himself like this.

Unfortunately, Lucas’s subordinate soon returned with a young man in a gray suit. This person was Mr. Milton, the supervisor of the community’s property management office.

Milton knew that something major had happened here, but conflicts involving wealthy families like the Holmes were beyond his ability to meddle with.

It was a fight between giants, so he didn’t appear at all and just feigned ignorance.

But since someone had come to him and requested to check the surveillance camera footage, Milton could no longer feign ignorance and had no choice but to rush over with a laptop and the surveillance camera footage. Without a word, he immediately played the footage.

“Mr. Holmes, the surveillance camera footage is right here. Widen your eyes and take a good look!” Lucas said with a sarcastic smile.

Even though he hadn’t watched the surveillance camera footage yet, he believed that his daughter definitely wouldn’t lie, so he was certain that Amelia hadn’t damaged the car logo.

The surveillance camera footage began playing, and Norman was staring closely at the scene on the laptop screen, wanting to see clearly what the truth was.

But the more he watched, the paler he became, and his body even trembled uncontrollably.

Reason being, the scene in the footage was completely different from what he had imagined!

The logo of his daughter-in-law’s car had been broken by his grandson. From beginning to end, Amelia had never touched the car.

Afterward, his grandson even stuffed the broken logo into Amelia’s hand and then started bawling. Shortly after, his daughter-in-law appeared and slapped Amelia on the face, slapping her so hard that she fell to the ground. Even after Amelia fell, his daughter-in-law still wanted to continue hitting her.

Moreover, Lucas’s father-in-law hadn’t laid a hand on his grandson and daughter-in-law at all. All he did was protect his granddaughter in his arms, yet Norman’s daughter-in-law attacked him and left scratches all over his face.

What happened next made Norman even more ashamed.

His grandson and daughter-in-law were incredibly arrogant, so much so that they even forced William to sell his house to raise funds for the compensation. They even wanted to take William and Amelia hostage and almost threw her to her death. Worse still, they even had the cheek to make Lucas compensate them 200 million dollars!

When Norman saw these scenes, he was utterly speechless and filled with complicated emotions.

As long as he put himself in Lucas’s shoes and imagined his daughter and father-in-law being treated this way when they were clearly innocent, he would definitely want to kill the culprits too!

It was understandable that Lucas didn’t want to spare his son and daughter-in-law.

Thud!

Norman knelt in front of Lucas, guilt written all over his face. “Mr. Gray, this incident is indeed our fault. My son, daughter-in-law, and grandson have all made mistakes. The Holmes have indeed wronged you. We are truly sorry for offending you, your daughter, and your father-in-law!

“If possible, I would kill my son with my own hands to appease you! But he’s my only son, and I can’t let him die! If he dies, I don’t know what I would do. I… I really have no other choice!”

Norman pleaded tearfully, “Mr. Gray, please spare my son’s life on account that the Holmes have pledged allegiance to you! You can punish my family however you wish. I just beg you to spare his life!”

Norman prostrated on the ground and cried bitterly.

The helmsman of an established family actually knelt on the ground and begged a young man in tears with no regard for his dignity. This scene greatly shocked everyone present.

1316 Tenfold Return

Lucas wasn’t bent on killing Luther.

But Luther and his wife’s behavior truly angered him.

Since Norman had his heart set on saving Luther’s life, the Holmes would have to pay the price.

“You want me to spare his life? I remember your son and daughter-in-law like making people compensate them for their mental suffering, and they even demand hundreds of millions of dollars. In that case, it won’t be too much for me to ask for compensation for my father-inlaw’s and daughter’s mental suffering, right?”

Lucas looked down at Norman kneeling in front of him and said coldly, “Since they wanted two hundred million dollars in compensation, I won’t ask for much. You just have to compensate me with two billion dollars.

“Within five minutes, I want to see the money deposited in the Stardust Corporation’s account. Then I’ll consider today’s matter is over. Otherwise, the remaining ninety kicks are still waiting for your son.”

Norman’s eyes widened in shock.

Two billion dollars?!

This… this was a staggering sum of money!

The Holmes’ original assets added up to nearly 20 billion dollars, but they had just given half of their assets to Lucas this morning. Now, they only had about 10 billion dollars left, but Lucas was demanding 2 billion in compensation?!

He was simply asking for almost all of the Holmes’ liquid assets!

Two hundred million dollars… Two billion dollars…

Norman suddenly understood why Lucas had transferred the compensation of 200 million dollars to the Holmes even though he was so powerful. It turned out that he was waiting for them here!

He would make sure to get back everything he had been robbed of tenfold. This was Lucas’s style!

Norman knew that there was no way to turn the situation around. If he wanted to save Luther, this was the only solution.

Norman gritted and agreed, “Okay, I agree. I’ll get someone to transfer the money now!”

Then he took out his phone and made a call. “Transfer 2 billion, no, 2.2 billion dollars to the Stardust Corporation’s account immediately! Do it right now. The sooner, the better! We’ll talk about the reason when I’m back!”

The reason it was 2.2 billion dollars was that the 200 million dollars that Lucas had transferred earlier was still in the Holmes’ account, which Norman didn’t dare to accept.

The person on the other end said something, and Norman hollered angrily, “I told you to transfer the money immediately! I’m the helmsman of the family, and no one can question my decisions! Even if you have any objections, wait until I return!”

Clearly, the Holmes were displeased that Norman had transferred so much money multiple times today.

In fact, it made sense. The Holmes had been told that they had suddenly lost half of their assets in just one day, and now, they had lost another two billion dollars. They obviously couldn’t be calm.

Soon, Lucas received a call from Flynn. “Lucas, we just received a transfer of 2.2 billion dollars from the Holmes. May I know why?”

“We’ll talk about this later.”

After confirming that the transfer was completed, Lucas didn’t say anything else and simply said to Norman, “Okay, you can leave with them now.”

Norman seemed to have aged several years in an instant. He was furious, heartbroken, and helpless, but he could only wave his hand and leave with the other Holmes.

Seeing them leaving, Jordan said unwillingly, “Lucas, are you going to let them off just like that? I think the Holmes are definitely disgruntled and will most likely create some trouble in the future.”

Lucas said calmly, “Get people to keep an eye on their movements. If the Holmes really have a death wish, I’ll fulfill it.”

“Okay!” Jordan agreed.

After everything was settled, Lucas looked at Jordan and asked, “Didn’t you say this morning that you were going to Nevada to look for Brett Hamilton? You even said you were taking a flight there. I thought you were already there. Why are you suddenly back here?”

Jordan said with a depressed look, “Yeah, I planned to look for Brett Hamilton, but just as I was about to board the plane, I received news that something happened to the Hamiltons. So they’ve given up on conquering Oregon and Nevada and left the states this morning.

“Fortunately, I received the news before boarding the plane. Otherwise, I would have made a wasted trip and been even more annoyed.”

“Oh, is that so? The Hamiltons actually gave up on Nevada and Oregon?” Lucas was quite surprised.

The Hamiltons had gotten into a conflict with him in order to take over California. He remembered that the Hamiltons had almost taken over the states surrounding California. Why did they suddenly give up?

Jordan was also puzzled. “I’m not clear about the reason yet. According to my information, the Hamiltons were just about to subdue all the top families in Nevada and Oregon, but they suddenly left without warning. It’s very strange, and I’ve sent people to investigate this matter.”

Lucas felt that the matter was extremely strange.

Just a few days ago, the Hamiltons had sent more than ten suicide warriors to deal with Lucas. Clearly, they had been determined to take over California. Yet they suddenly gave up on the territories they were so close to obtaining. It was puzzling.

Lucas instructed in a deep voice, “No matter what, you should get people to keep close tabs on the Hamiltons and see where they went after leaving Nevada. Investigate what the other members of the Hamiltons are doing too.

“Especially if the Hamiltons appear in DC, inform me immediately!”

“Yes, Lucas!” Jordan immediately acknowledged.

Lucas didn’t dare to relax and lose his vigilance toward the Hamiltons because they had sent suicide warriors to assassinate him.

Their suicide warriors had failed to kill Lucas, but if they targeted his family, they would be in great danger.

…

When Lucas returned home, Amelia leaped into his arms and asked worriedly, “Daddy! Are you okay? Did those bad guys do anything to you?”

Lucas picked up Amelia and said gently, “Don’t worry, Amelia. Those bad guys are gone now. They won’t bully you again!”

He looked at the handprint on his daughter’s red and slightly swollen face in heartache.

Even though William had iced Amelia’s face and applied some ointment to it once they returned home, the slap mark on her face was still very obvious.

1317 Stepping Down

“Amelia, does it still hurt?” Lucas carefully touched Amelia’s swollen face as gently as possible.

Amelia hissed softly and said aggrievedly, “A little, but it should stop hurting soon! Daddy, don’t worry.”

Seeing how well-behaved and sensible his daughter was, Lucas felt warm and fuzzy inside.

At the same time, he was annoyed. He thought that he had been too kind to the woman who had slapped Amelia by crippling only one of her hands.!!

The kick William suffered wasn’t light either. There was an obvious bruise in the middle of his chest.

After seeing it, Lucas brought William to the hospital for a detailed checkup.

After all, William wasn’t young anymore. If he had sustained any internal injuries from the kick, it would be terrible.

Fortunately, the results of the checkup were good, and he had only suffered superficial wounds and bruises, which would soon recover.

…

Meanwhile, in the conference room of the Holmes’ manor…

Norman had left the meeting halfway to save his son, Luther. When he returned home, there was a large group of family members waiting for him in the conference room.

But compared to when his family trusted and supported him, the atmosphere in the conference room was much more solemn, and many of them were clearly displeased.

In particular, an elderly man who resembled Norman was furious and disgruntled.

After Norman took his seat, the elderly man immediately questioned, “Norman, shouldn’t you give us a reasonable explanation for what happened?

“The Holmes have already handed over half of our assets this morning, losing the efforts and hard work of countless people over the years! But you claimed that it was necessary because we accidentally offended a powerful enemy. Fine, we can understand your rationale here.

“But what happened now? You suddenly transferred 2.2 billion dollars from our family’s account to the Stardust Corporation out of nowhere. This massive sum of money is basically all of the Holmes’ liquidity! Don’t you think you owe us an explanation for this?”

The person who spoke was Richie Holmes, Norman’s cousin, who was about the same age as him.

Richie had a high status in the Holmes family, second only to Norman’s.

If Richie’s father had succeeded the position of helmsman back then, the current helmsman of the Holmes would be Richie, not Norman.

Now, apart from Richie, many other esteemed elders of the family were also extremely displeased with Norman.

After losing half of their family’s assets, they were already in a precarious position. But Norman suddenly transferred all of the family’s working capital, which made many people extremely upset.

With Richie’s lead, the others chimed in one after another, “Norman, quickly give us a reasonable explanation!”

“2.2 billion dollars is not a small sum. Even if you’re the family’s helmsman, you can’t squander our money away like that. You owe us an explanation!”

“That’s right, Norman. If you can’t give us an acceptable reason, we won’t accept it!”

…

The atmosphere in the conference room was getting tense, and Norman’s expression was extremely gloomy.

Over the decades that he had been the helmsman of the Holmes, he had done countless things for the family and had always been showered with compliments and respect. It was the first time he was facing so much doubt and criticism during a family meeting.

“What are you doing? As I’ve said, Lucas Gray from the Stardust Corporation isn’t someone we can offend. As the helmsman of the Holmes, if I had any other solution, I wouldn’t have transferred so much money from the family! What other explanation do you want from me?”

Norman refused to mention what had happened and merely said this, making it sound as if Lucas had forced him to transfer the 2.2 billion dollars.

Richie sneered. “Norman, stop fooling everyone here. The transfer has something to do with your incompetent son, Luther, right? If it wasn’t because of him, the Holmes wouldn’t have lost an additional 2.2 billion dollars!”

Norman’s expression immediately changed. “Are you stalking me?”

“Hah, must you call it stalking? This matter happened in public. As long as you take a look, you’ll know. Why would I have to stalk you?”

Richie snorted disdainfully. “Norman, stop covering up for your troublemaker son and his wife. We already know what they’ve done! If they hadn’t offended Lucas Gray, we wouldn’t have lost 2.2 billion dollars!

“Your son and daughter-in-law are the culprits, but you are to blame too!”

Suppressing his anger, Norman asked, “Since things have already come to this, what do you want me to do?”

Smack!

Richie slammed his hand hard against the table and said, “As the helmsman of the Holmes, you’ve actually caused the family to suffer such severe losses because of your son and daughter-in-law. I think you’re no longer fit to be the helmsman!

“Norman, it’s time for you to step down!”

Norman realized what was going on and nodded. He laughed. “Richie, is this your agenda? You just want to force me to give up my position so that you can take over as helmsman yourself!”

He had long known that Richie wasn’t as compliant as he pretended to be. He had always coveted the position of helmsman, and he only chose to express it now!

He finally showed his greed!

But Richie ignored what Norman said and sneered. “Cut the crap! The fact now is that you’re no longer qualified to be the helmsman of the Holmes! And now that I have the ability, you should step down!

“You’ve lost dozens of your experts and caused our family to suffer heavy losses. And now, you’ve lost the support of most of the family. What do you have to compete with me?”

Richie didn’t hide his intentions to become the next helmsman at all. He had indeed found the best opportunity to make trouble for Norman.

Norman had lost his sixty most powerful experts yesterday, so now he was no longer a match for Richie’s forces.

Norman had caused the Holmes to suffer heavy losses within one day, thus losing the prestige he had built up with great difficulty over the past few decades.

No one wanted him to continue being the Holmes’ helmsman.

At this moment, an esteemed elder of the Holmes said, “Norman, you’d better step down! I think it’s time for the Holmes to have a new helmsman.”

“I agree! It’s time the Holmes has a new helmsman!”

“Yes, we need a new helmsman!”

…

All of a sudden, everyone in the conference room chorused in unison, demanding that Norman step down so that they could choose a new helmsman.

1318 Change of Helmsman

Norman’s face was incredibly gloomy now. Sitting in the master seat and watching his family berate him, he wanted to kill people.

“Atrocious!” He smashed an ashtray against the floor, shattering with a loud bang, causing the voices of opposition to cease.

“I am the legitimate helmsman of the Holmes. I’ve worked hard for the family for years and made countless contributions, turning the Holmes into a second-tier family from a small one! Now that something so trivial has happened, you want to strip me of my position? How brazen of you!

“I refuse to step down. I want to see what you can do to me!”!!

Norman glowered at everyone in the conference room, gritting his teeth in fury. These ingrates!

If it wasn’t for him, the Holmes wouldn’t be enjoying their current glory. The people sitting here wouldn’t be so prestigious either.

Richie’s expression darkened, and he narrowed his eyes. “Norman, don’t make us do this the hard way! Now, everyone wants you to step down, so stop glorifying yourself and bringing up the past!

“The reason the Holmes could achieve our current accomplishments wasn’t only due to you! But the reason why the family suffered huge losses today is entirely due to you and your son! In this case, who are you to continue monopolizing the position of helmsman?”

Then he stood up and shouted, “Come in!”

Immediately, the door of the conference room was suddenly slammed open, and around 60 armed and burly men charged in and surrounded Norman.

Norman was shocked, but the moment he realized that these experts were unfamiliar, he pointed at Richie and hollered, “How dare you nurture your own forces?!”

As the helmsman of the Holmes, he had always understood their elite forces well, and he also knew that Richie had a group of personal subordinates by his side. But he had never seen these people before. Clearly, Richie had hidden his forces very well!

Richie smiled smugly. “Norman, so what if I have my own forces? You don’t have any other choice now, do you?”

Norman gritted his teeth with all his might. The current situation really didn’t allow him to resist anymore.

Richie was clearly well prepared. If he didn’t step down of his own accord, Richie would definitely force him to step down. If this happened, it would be uncertain if he could survive.

He had lost this battle!

“Fine, since you want the position of helmsman, you can take over the mess that the Holmes are facing now!” Norman said furiously, then turned around and left.

This time, no one stopped him. Even the experts that Richie called in voluntarily made way for him.

Finally hearing what he wanted to hear from Norman, Richie laughed. “Norman has already left. Now, I’m the new helmsman of the Holmes. Does anyone have any objections?”

What a joke. Richie’s people were still in the conference room. Who would dare to have any objections?

Besides, Richie was their only choice now.

Everyone nodded one after another. “I don’t have any objections. Congratulations, our new helmsman!”

“Congratulations, our new helmsman!”

“Congratulations, our new helmsman!”

…

Everyone congratulated Richie one after another, and the conference room was full of joy.

As for what Norman, the former helmsman, was thinking, no one cared.

They didn’t care at all about a helmsman who couldn’t bring them any benefits and would only cause major losses.

Meanwhile, Norman left the conference room listlessly and returned to his mansion in a terrible mood.

While resenting Richie for taking advantage of the situation to snatch the position of helmsman away mercilessly, he also hated his family for being ungrateful and heartless. He also hated his son and daughter-in-law for causing him so much trouble.

But Lucas was the one he hated the most!

If it wasn’t for Lucas, the Holmes wouldn’t have lost half of their assets, let alone compensate him another 2.2 billion dollars, causing him to be removed from the position of helmsman in such a humiliating manner!

“All of this is Lucas Gray’s fault! Damn you! I won’t let you off!” Norman cursed through gritted teeth. At the same time, he furiously smashed everything in his room against the floor.

“Are you Norman Holmes, the helmsman of the Holmes family?” A cold and abrupt voice suddenly sounded in the empty room.

Norman was startled and frantically turned around, only to discover that three strangers had appeared beside the window of his bedroom. They were incredibly muscular and obviously not to be provoked.

“Who are you?” Norman asked in a shaky voice while trying his best to suppress his fear.

Since they could quietly break into his bedroom, they were definitely martial arts experts.

Norman was now afraid that they had been sent to assassinate him.

He wondered if Richie, Lucas, or his other enemies had sent these experts.

One of the three figures took a step forward. He was decked out in branded apparel and exuded a noble aura. He was likely the leader of the three.

The other two people standing behind him were wearing long-sleeved white robes and gave off a vague aura that made others too scared to look them in the eye.

Experts!

The three of them were extremely powerful experts!

Norman immediately made this judgment. At the same time, he raised his vigilance to the highest level, his face full of tension.

The burly man seemed to notice Norman’s fear and sneered. “My last name is Hamilton.”

Hamilton? People from the Hamilton family? Could it be the royal Hamilton family?! This name caused Norman’s expression to change drastically, and he immediately asked, “Are… are you Jensen Hamilton, the third son of the Hamilton’s helmsman?”

Rumor had it that Jensen was a martial arts prodigy whose skills were almost on par with those of the Hamilitons’ experts. He was favored by the Hamiltons’ helmsman and was the most promising candidate for the next helmsman.

The man in front of him was noble, extremely skilled at martial arts, and had the last name Hamilton. Didn’t this match all the criteria?

Jensen nodded with a smile. “Yes, that’s me. Norman, you must be feeling extremely indignant to lose the position of helmsman, right?

“I can give you a chance to get back everything you’ve lost. It’s up to you if you want it or not.”

1319 Trap within an Opportunity

Norman’s face flushed red with excitement. Is… is this an opportunity bestowed by God?

Did God send me a savior to help me change my life?

He had just lost the position of helmsman and hit rock bottom in life, but now, he actually ran into Jensen, the third scion of the Hamiltons, one of the legendary royal family branches. Jensen was even giving him the opportunity to take everything back. Lady Luck was smiling at him!

“Yes, of course I want it! Thank you, Mr. Hamilton!” Norman nodded repeatedly while rubbing his hands eagerly.

Jensen smirked, seemingly having already expected this. He pointed at the two experts behind him. “These two behind me are the experts that the Hamiltons have trained. No one knows who they are.

“I can lend these two experts to you temporarily, and they will all obey your orders, even if you want them to commit arson and kill!

“This is the chance I’m giving you.”

Norman stared at Jensen in shock, unable to believe it.

Just by looking at them, he could already sense how terrifying these two powerhouses behind Jensen were. They were much stronger than the strongest experts of the Holmes, but Jensen actually said that he would lend them to him and allow him to order them as he pleased.

If he could really get the help of such powerhouses, Richie’s subordinates would no longer pose a threat to him at all, and he would easily be able to take back the position of helmsman from Richie!

Norman looked excitedly at the two powerhouses, as if he could already imagine the scene of himself becoming the helmsman again.

But Norman wasn’t a fool, and he knew that there was no free lunch in the world. Jensen definitely had a motive for lending two top experts to him.

In other words, he had to do something in exchange for the experts’ help.

Suppressing his excitement, Norman asked respectfully, “Mr. Hamilton, what do you need me to do?”

“Mr. Holmes, you are indeed a smart person.” Jensen smiled with approval. “What I need you to do is very simple and in line with your goal. I want you to deal with Lucas Gray!”

Norman was astonished. He never expected that Jensen’s request was for him to deal with Lucas!

He didn’t expect that Lucas had offended Jensen too.

“Norman Holmes, I only have one request. You must bring me Lucas Gray’s head!” A shocking murderous intent appeared in Jensen’s eyes.

It was the same for Norman. When he thought about how Lucas had robbed more than half of the Holmes’ assets, beaten his son to the extent that he was still lying in the hospital, and caused him to lose his position as helmsman, his eyes were full of maniacal hatred.

Seeing this, Jensen was very pleased.

The reason he had approached Norman and lent his experts to him to deal with Lucas was that he knew about Norman’s resentment toward Lucas.

As long as he hated him, he would be able to exert all his strength and go all out to take revenge against Lucas!

“Mr. Hamilton, please rest assured. With your help, I will definitely be able to behead Lucas Gray within two days and hand his head over to you!” Norman said confidently.

As long as Jensen lent the experts to him, Norman would no longer fear Lucas and be able to kill him.

As long as Lucas died, no one would ever know that he was the culprit. When the time came, not only would he have taken revenge, but he would also regain his position as helmsman. It would be wonderful!

When Jensen saw how confident Norman was, as if he had already obtained victory, he suddenly dampened his spirits. “Norman Holmes, I have to remind you that Lucas Gray is not easy to deal with. He’s extremely powerful, and even my two bodyguards might not be a match for him. You’re speaking too soon by saying that you can behead Lucas in two days.”

Norman had never seen Lucas fight and merely thought that he had powerful subordinates. He had no idea how terrifying his martial arts skills were. After hearing what Jensen said, Norman was in disbelief.

“Mr. Hamilton, that… that can’t be right. Lucas Gray is only in his twenties, which is even younger than my son. How could he be so good at martial arts? Shouldn’t your experts be able to kill Lucas Gray easily?” Nathan asked in shock and bewilderment.

Jensen sneered. “If Lucas Gray was really that easy to deal with, would I still need you to deal with him? I could have just gotten my bodyguards to kill him.”

Norman was speechless.

Indeed, if Lucas was really that easy to get rid of, Jensen could have ordered his subordinates to do it. He wouldn’t have had to go all the way to Norman and get him to deal with Lucas.

Could Lucas Gray be a top expert?

Seeing the expression on Norman’s face, Jensen continued, “It seems that you really don’t know anything about Lucas Gray! I’ll be kind and give you some information!

“Lucas Gray is an abandoned son of the Huttons, one of the eight top families of DC. He was kicked out by the Huttons two decades ago. Everything he has now, he attained through his own efforts. I’m sure you know without me saying just how terrifying a man like him is.

“In addition, Lucas Gray is incredibly skilled at martial arts. Even the third-ranked powerhouse of my family claims that he isn’t a match for him. Yet you dared to say that you could easily behead him and bring his head to me in two days? Don’t say such things again, lest you make others laugh!

“I want you to deal with Lucas Gray smartly, not recklessly. Think about it carefully!”

Hearing this, Norman was even more shocked.

He had assumed that Lucas was the scion of a certain prominent family, thinking that this must be why he possessed such strong forces. But now that he knew that Lucas was selfmade and that he had carved a career of his own at such a young age, his shock was imaginable.

The even more terrifying thing was Lucas’s martial arts skills!

The martial arts proficiency of the third-ranked powerhouses of the Hamiltons was beyond what Norman could imagine.

But even so, he was no match for Lucas. In that case, how terrifying must Lucas be?

In that case, How could he deal with Lucas?

At this moment, Norman finally understood what Jensen meant. He wanted Norman to take the rap for killing Lucas.

In other words, he wanted Norman to take the full blame for it.

In case he failed to deal with Lucas, Norman would be the only one responsible, and the Hamiltons would have nothing to do with it!

The thought of it made a chill surge in Norman’s heart, and his initial joy had long vanished.

Even the Hamiltons didn’t dare to offend Lucas openly. Who was he to deal with him?

Jensen’s request wasn’t a Godsend opportunity but clearly a massive trap!

This was definitely a path to death!

1320 Agreeing to the Conditions

Norman was drenched in cold sweat, and he only wanted to turn down Jensen, but he didn’t dare to do so.

Jensen smiled. “You don’t have to think too much about it, Mr. Holmes. It’s true that the Hamiltons have some reasons that makes it inconvenient for us to make a move ourselves and that Lucas Gray’s martial arts skills are impressive, but Mr. Holmes, you should try thinking about solutions yourself.”

Staring into Norman’s eyes with a compelling gaze, he said, “For example, you can think about what weaknesses Lucas Gray has and use them to your advantage…

“As long as you succeed and give me Lucas Gray’s head within a week, I can guarantee that we won’t take a single cent from the Stardust Corporation and the other assets under Lucas Gray’s name. You can have it all, Mr. Holmes.

“Mr. Holmes, you should consider it carefully before deciding to agree to my proposal or not. I can give you ten minutes to consider. If you decide not to accept my proposal, just take it that I was never here today.”

Norman was hesitant at first, but after hearing Jensen’s conditions, which included the Stardust Corporation and all of Lucas’s wealth…

These things added up to a staggering sum of money!

There was no way he could turn down this attractive offer!

His heart was pounding wildly, and he yelled without thinking, “I agree! Mr. Hamilton, I agree! I’ll definitely bring Lucas’s Gray head to you within a week!”

With a determined smile, Jensen said, “Okay, I’ll be waiting for your good news then.”

…

In the conference room of the Holmes residence…

After chasing Norman away, Richie took over the position of helmsman.

As they say, a new broom sweeps clean. Richie was sitting proudly in the master seat that belonged to the helmsman while making arrangements for the authoritative positions within the family and discussing what the Holmes should do now to rise again.

Creak!

Suddenly, the door of the conference room was pushed open from the outside, and Norman returned.

Richie looked at Norman as if he was relishing in his victory over him and said with a smile, “Norman, why are you back? You’ve already been stripped of your position, and you’re now only an ordinary member of the family. You don’t have the right to join the senior-level conference. You should be clear about this, right?

“Or are you not reconciled about losing, and you’ve returned to fight with me?”

He leaned back in his seat, looking at Norman with a mirthless smirk.

Before Normal could say anything, the others in the conference room spoke up one after another.

“Norman, you’ve already been removed from your position as helmsman. What are you doing here? Don’t you think you’ve harmed us enough?”

“Norman, you caused us to lose twelve billion dollars and almost caused our entire family to go bankrupt. But you still want to be the helmsman? You must be dreaming!”

“If you have any shame, hurry up and leave. Don’t humiliate yourself further! Richie is right.

You’re no longer qualified to attend the senior-level meeting!”

“Yeah, quickly get lost!”

The Holmes repeatedly ridiculed Norman and told him to leave, completely forgetting that they had been respectful toward Norman just an hour ago.

Norman looked at the people in front of him with a complicated expression, finding it really ironic.

He had just lost the position of helmsman, but the higher-ups of the family who could enjoy glory and wealth thanks to him had already started to treat him so drastically different.

It was because he had already lost all his value in their eyes that they treated him like this.

Hah, I’ll soon let them know how absurdly wrong they are!

Hearing the chaotic voices, Norman frowned and suddenly hollered, “Shut up!”

With his shout, everyone in the conference room quieted down.

Although they all knew that Norman was no longer the helmsman of the Holmes, they still instinctively obeyed his angry shout.

In particular, after Norman hollered, he exuded a domineering aura that was identical to what he had when he was the helmsman. In fact, it was even more aggressive than before, causing his family members to obey him subconsciously.

Richie narrowed his eyes with a gloomy expression.

He didn’t expect that Norman would be able to deter the family still, even though he was no longer the helmsman.

Didn’t this undermine his status and authority as the new helmsman?

“Norman, don’t push it!”

Just as Richie was about to instruct his subordinates to tie Norman up and assert his dominance, Norman looked at him coldly and said, “Kill him!”

Richie was puzzled, but before he could process what Norman meant, he saw two tall and burly figures in white behind Norman.

Before anyone could react, one of the men in white flashed and vanished. The next moment, he appeared next to Richie at the other end of the conference table. Then a cold light flashed in his hand.

Screech!

With a sound resembling something deflating, a red mark suddenly appeared on Richie’s neck. Immediately afterward, bright red blood sprayed into the air like a fountain, splattering everywhere.

Richie held his neck in pain and winced in horror before falling to the floor. After convulsing violently for a moment, he became motionless.

His eyes were wide open as he stared at the ceiling in despair, indignant about death.

Everything happened within an extremely short amount of time. It was so fast that the Holmes couldn’t react at all.

Everyone was dumbfounded and shocked by the sudden attack.

After a long time, screams sounded.

“Ahh!! He’s dead! The new helmsman… is dead!”

“Ah! Murder!”

…

All kinds of screams rang out in the conference room.

Everyone was deathly pale from the bloody scene and wished they could escape immediately.

Unfortunately, there was the other man in white standing at the entrance, preventing anyone from escaping.

The screaming and commotion became louder.

…

“Shut up!” Norman roared. Everyone in the conference room immediately fell silent.

They looked at Norman in fear, not daring to defy him.

Norman swept his gaze across these people indifferently and said austerely, “From today onward, the Holmes will obey me! If anyone dares to defy me even slightly, Richie Holmes’s fate will be your fate! Do you understand?”

“Yes!”

All the Holmes in the conference room immediately agreed respectfully while shuddering.

They didn’t want to have their throats slit and die horribly as Richie had!

Prodigy · Mar 23, 2024

moh96 said:
Chapter 251: I’m Drunk

When Lucas arrived in the private room of the restaurant that Lena had booked he saw her sitting alone in her seat.

Upon seeing Lucas Lena’s eyes immediately lit up and she stood up with a smile. “I’ve been waiting for you for a long time. You’re finally here.”

As she spoke she took the initiative to pull out the chair at the side and asked Lucas to take a seat.

Lucas frowned slightly. “Hasn’t Cheyenne arrived yet?”

Lena pouted her red lips slightly and said with some feigned dismay “Cheyenne got held up at the office because an important client suddenly showed up and asked to meet her. So she couldn’t make it and she wanted me to tell you to finish this meal on her behalf. Lucas you’re not planning to leave me here just because Cheyenne isn’t around are you?”

Lena had dolled herself up before coming. She was gorgeous in the first place and now that she was pouting she looked bubbly and delicate.

Cheyenne was the only beautiful woman that Lucas had ever paid attention to and he didn’t notice Lena’s makeup at all. He deciphered her words simply and understood that Cheyenne couldn’t make it because she was busy with work.

No matter what Lena was Cheyenne’s best friend and it would seem too childish of him if he just turned around and left. It was just a meal anyway. So Lucas shook his head and said with a polite smile “Why would I?”

Then Lucas pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down.

Lena smiled picked up the menu on the table and handed it to Lucas. “The food served in this restaurant is very special. I’ve just casually ordered a few of my favorite dishes. Place your order if there’s anything you’d like to eat!”

Lucas wasn’t very particular about the food he ate and would usually eat just for the sake of keeping himself full. After taking a look at the menu and seeing that Lena had already ordered several dishes he placed the menu back onto the table because he felt that the food ordered should be enough for two. “These will do.”

Lena called the waiter over and requested for the food to be served.

Soon the table was covered in plates of fragrant appetizing and delectable food.

Lucas ate very quickly. In front of another woman he didn’t say much and simply ate the food with his head lowered.

During the meal Lena was extremely enthusiastic and talkative. Every now and then she would ask Lucas if the food was delicious or ask him about his food preferences hobbies and interests.

But his answers were all very simple and brief as he would merely say ‘yes’ and ‘oh’ or simply nod.

After more than ten minutes even Lena who had been full of confidence and well-prepared couldn’t help but feel like she had suffered a huge blow.

“Lucas are your answers always so short? I’ve said so much but you’ve been giving me oneword replies. You’re being perfunctory to me aren’t you?” Lena once again pouted in dissatisfaction and complained “Is having lunch with me that boring for you?”

She initially thought that Lucas would at least explain a little. But to her surprise he merely nodded solemnly and said “I don’t have much to say to other women besides my wife.”

“…” Lena was speechless. Must he be so blunt and insensitive?

She wanted to say ‘You won’t get a girlfriend if you keep talking like that!’ but she immediately remembered that Lucas had long been married to Cheyenne and that they were parents to an adorable daughter. But the realization made her feel sour.

It seems that he’s indeed too insensitive. I can’t tackle him by starting with talking and then gradually escalating.

Lena quickly changed her strategy.

She asked the waiter to bring over a bottle of fine red wine poured it into two tall glasses and handed one of them to Lucas.

“Lucas if you hadn’t saved me last time I would be dead by now. Words are not enough to express my gratitude. Here’s a toast to you!”

“It’s just a small favor. Don’t mention it” Lucas said indifferently and then downed the red wine in his glass in one go.

He had trained himself to develop a good liquor level during his time in the military so the wine was just like an ordinary beverage to him.

Lena followed suit and downed her glass of red wine in one go.

But after she finished drinking them she immediately coughed a few times while her face became rosy.

Sitting in her seat she propped her hands on the table looked at Lucas and giggled.

Lucas immediately frowned and looked at Lena. Did she get drunk from half a glass of red wine?

He was already full but Lena barely ate anything because she kept talking to him just now.

“Have you eaten enough? We can leave after you’re full. Call someone to come pick you up” Lucas said.

Lena burped and stood up tipsily with her eyes glassed over. “I’m full. Let’s go!”

She stood up and walked toward the door. But when she passed by Lucas her legs went weak and she fell onto Lucas who had just stood up.

Lucas subconsciously reached his hands out to hold her.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine… I’m just a little giddy and lost my balance” Lena murmured while squinting and almost leaning all her weight against Lucas.

“Lucas I… I drove here alone. Can you send me home?” she asked coquettishly hugging Lucas’s arm tightly. The warm breath she exhaled permeated through Lucas’s thin shirt and landed on his chest.

Lucas was suddenly at a loss for what to do.

The feeling of having another woman hold onto him tightly and pressing her chest tightly against his arm was truly hard to describe.

If it were any other woman Lucas would probably have pushed her away without any hesitation but the woman in front of him was Cheyenne’s close friend. Besides he thought that she was acting out of the ordinary only because she was drunk and that she didn’t mean to behave this way. He couldn’t just push her away and leave a drunk girl alone at the restaurant.

“Okay let’s hurry up and leave.”
Lucas had no choice but to hold onto Lena as they made their way out. But he didn’t realize at all that Lena who was buried in his arms had a trace of triumphant joy in her eyes.

Soon after they walked out of the private room they bumped into a richly dressed young man in his mid-twenties.

The young man was about to walk past the two of them but he happened to see Lena’s face which was pressing against Lucas’s body. He immediately stopped and exclaimed in shock “Lena?!”

Chapter 252: Jeopardized Her Plan
When Lena heard someone call her she squinted a little to glance at the young man before closing her eyes again immediately. She muttered “Lucas let’s hurry and head back home!”

The young man’s expression instantly became hostile.

One reason was that Lena was actually lying so intimately in the arms of another man and completely ignoring him!

The second was that she even told this man to hurry and head back home.

Go home?! What home? Whose home?!

Immediately enraged and full of fury the young man walked over and grabbed Lena’s arm.

“Lena I’m Tristan Parker! Don’t you recognize me?” the young man said refusing to give up.

Tristan Parker… Hearing his name Lucas pursed his lips.

Lena cursed at him in his head. Her plan was going well at first but Tristan just had to interfere and sabotage her plan. Besides Tristan was someone she utterly detested.

But she had to pretend as if she just recognized him and spoke as if she had only come to a realization now. “Oh it’s you Tristan. Are you here for lunch too? Go ahead. We’re going home! Bye!”

Then Lena dragged Lucas away in a desperate attempt to leave.

“Wait a minute!” But Tristan held onto Lena’s wrist and refused to let go. Pointing his finger at Lucas he questioned “Who is this man?”

Lena shook his hand off in annoyance. “He’s my friend. It’s none of your business who he is!”
“Hmph. How is it none of my business? You are my fiancée yet you are hugging another man in public. Am I in no place to question you?”

Tristan was incredibly furious as he glared daggers at Lucas. “How dare you touch my woman? Hurry up and take your filthy hands off her!”

Lena was enraged and she seemed to sober up in an instant. “Who is your fiancée? Did I agree to your proposal?! Stop barking around here like a mad dog. If you want to throw your weight around go home!”

She glowered at Tristan threw his hand off and started walking away.

“Stop! Don’t go!” Furious Tristan stepped forward to stop the both of them.

He glanced at Lena with an affectionate gaze containing a trace of infatuation.

Lena was gorgeous to begin with and the exquisite makeup she had put a lot of effort into putting on as well as the rosiness on her face due to her tipsiness made her look even more delicate and alluring.

Tristan had carried a torch for Lena since he was young and he had been pestering his father to arrange for him to marry her. But when he grew up and was about to reach marriageable age she decided to stay abroad all year round so it was hard for him to meet her often.

Now that Lena was finally back Tristan actually chanced upon her hugging another man’s arm and behaving intimately with him. Moreover she was giving him the cold shoulder too. How could he accept this? This scoundrel who popped up out of nowhere must have deliberately seduced Lena!

“Punk let me tell you Lena is my woman. Forget about taking her away! Hurry up and get the hell away from her!” Tristan glared at Lucas with wide eyes.

“…” Lucas was quite speechless at this moment.

He had nothing to do with either of them but he had somehow been put in an awkward spot.

Seeing Tristan putting the blame on Lucas Lena naturally couldn’t stand it any longer. She stepped forward stood in front of Lucas to shield him and exclaimed loudly “I’ve already said I have nothing to do with you at all. It’s up to me to decide who I want to befriend. It’s none of your business!’
Tristan’s face instantly paled before reddening again. Any man would feel embarrassed to have his fiancée lash out at him and draw a clear line between them in public.

He didn’t want to vent his anger on Lena but he had already thought of Lucas as the cause of his humiliation.

“Hmph you’re just trying to get together with Lena for her money aren’t you? Come on. You want money right? I’ll give it to you!”

While speaking Tristan took out a bank card from his pocket and threw it at Lucas. “There are tens of thousands of dollars in here. I’ll give it all to you! Take the money and vanish!”

After hitting Lucas’s chest the light and thin bank card bounced off it and landed on the ground causing it to be stained with some dust.

Tristan stood still in an overbearing manner and said condescendingly “What are you waiting for? Pick it up.”

But he was destined to be disappointed.

Of course Lucas wouldn’t want that card let alone bend over to pick it up.

“Enough!” Incredibly angered by Tristan’s actions with which he intended to humiliate Lucas
Lena trembled in pique and hollered “Tristan Parker I don’t want to see you again. Get lost!”

With anger boiling within him Tristan reached his hand out and pointed at Lucas. “Lena are you falling out with me for this outsider? You even told me to get lost?”

“He’s not an outsider. He’s my friend. How many times do I have to tell you?! I’ve also told you several times that I don’t like you at all and I don’t want to marry you so please stop claiming to be my fiancé and coming to pester me!”

Lena was really livid. Not only had her plan been ruined but Tristan even accused Lucas time and time again so she was quite harsh with her words.

When Tristan heard her heartless words his pride suffered a massive blow and his face turned gloomy with resentment. “Fine you’ve decided to betray me for this gigolo huh? You bitch!”

Tristan raised his hand to slap Lena’s face unrelentingly.

Lena’s eyes widened immediately. She didn’t expect Tristan who often acted like a gentlemanly and noble scion would suddenly hit her!
His usually handsome face suddenly distorted into a hideous grimace as well!

Stunned Lena stood rooted to the ground and stared at the approaching hand that she couldn’t dodge!

“Enough!”

Just before the slap was about to land on Lena’s face a strong and powerful hand tightly grabbed Tristan’s wrist making it impossible for him to move.

Lucas despised men like him who resorted to violence after being turned down by women.

“Damn it you dog. Hurry up and let go of me!” Tristan yelled furiously and tried to pull his hand back from Lucas’s hand but to no avail because of how strong Lucas was.

He was struggling so hard that the veins on his forehead began bulging.

“I don’t care what kind of conflict there is between you and Lena but I just want to tell you that she’s just my wife’s close friend and that there’s no relationship beyond this between us. You guys settle your own affairs and don’t get me involved. But of course I won’t allow you to hit someone in front of me.”

After saying these words indifferently Lucas loosened his grip on Tristan’s hand.

Lena’s eyes dimmed when she heard Lucas say that there was nothing between them. Her heart was full of immense disappointment.

But thinking that it was only their second meeting today she felt that it was normal for Lucas not to have any special feelings for her. There’s plenty of time in the future!

“Your wife’s close friend?” After thinking about it Tristan suddenly said “Is your wife
Cheyenne Carter? Are you that infamous good-for-nothing husband?”

Chapter 253: The Parkers

Hearing that Tristan knew Cheyenne Lucas narrowed his eyes and said coldly “Yes.”

Very few people knew that Cheyenne and Lena were best friends because they rarely met and mostly communicated through emails or text messages.

The fact that Tristan knew exactly who Lena’s best friend was showed that he must have deliberately investigated it.
His overly-controlling behavior was truly terrifying.

Tristan tilted his head upward and guffawed out loud. “Haha I was wondering who it was that dared to covet my woman. I didn’t expect it to be you a good-for-nothing who freeloads off his wife! So are you thinking of hooking up with Lena and marrying her to become the live-in son-in-law of Ethan Sawyer just because Cheyenne Carter and her parents have been disowned by the Carters? Let me tell you forget about it! You’re not even worthy enough to kneel down and lick my shoes!”

“That’s enough! Tristan Parker don’t go too far! Lucas isn’t someone you can slander!” Lena was really exasperated because Lucas was the savior of her life and she felt that there was no reason for Tristan who had nothing except a wealthy family to belittle him.

In Lena’s opinion Tristan was just a rich second-generation heir who did nothing except idle about all day. Besides he was also extremely possessive of her. Since a long time ago he had been repeatedly trying to interfere with her life her friendships and her interests. It was to the extent that he wished he could lock her up for his sole possession.

There was once a boy who confessed his feelings to Lena. But he ended up having both his legs broken his tongue cut off and his body battered with bruises the day after.

So Lena had long developed a fear toward Tristan’s excessively possessive behavior so much so that she would shun and avoid him whenever she saw him.

The thought of marrying such a person and spending the rest of her life with him gave Lena the creeps.

There was absolutely no way she would marry Tristan!

Seeing how protective Lena was of Lucas Tristan flew into an uncontrollable rage. “Punk you’re really a freeloader and a coward aren’t you? You actually need a woman to protect you. Are you still a man?! I’m truly furious now! If you kneel down kowtow to me and swear that you’ll never show up beside Lena again I’ll consider sparing you this time. Otherwise I will make your life a living hell!”

Tristan was smiling sinisterly with a peculiar and terrifying expression.

Two tall and burly bodyguards walked over from behind Tristan to block Lucas seeming as though they would take action once Lucas disagreed with Tristan’s request.

When Lena saw the terrifying expression on Tristan’s face her heart sank and she immediately thought of the boy who had his legs broken and flesh badly mangled years ago.

A tremendous sense of disgust arose in Lena’s heart as she shielded Lucas and said coldly “Tristan get your facts right. This is Orange County not your family’s home ground in LA! If you dare to mess around and lay a finger on him I won’t spare you!”

At this moment the pretty Lena who had been behaving delicately like a dainty woman was giving off a menacing aura.

Even Tristan was somewhat subdued by her domineering aura. But a moment later his eyes were full of infatuation and zeal!

He had never seen such a side to Lena before!

She was much more attractive than before!

Sensing the disgusting gaze that Tristan cast on her Lena took out her phone and immediately dialed a number. “Uncle Alan it’s me. Send all the senior bodyguards of the Sawyers to The Loft now!”

As the most powerful family in Orange County the Sawyers naturally had tighter security measures for their family members than other powerful families in the county. They had a large team of competent bodyguards.

Lena actually called all the bodyguards over just to protect Lucas because Tristan wanted him to kneel and kowtow.

Tristan’s face became extremely sullen and he laughed mirthlessly before hollering “Fine Lena you’re really heartless huh?! I’ve been putting in my heart and soul for you all these years yet you’re treating me like this for another man!”

Looking heartbroken because Lena had let him down he said with great disappointment “Lena I truly didn’t expect you to treat me like this!”

Lena immediately rolled her eyes. “I’ve already repeated myself many times. I don’t like you at all and I’ve never had feelings for you either. I just want you to stop pestering me! Please stop acting like you’re so devoted to me will you?”

Since the beginning Lucas had been standing still seemingly completely uninvolved except when he stopped Tristan from slapping Lena.

He turned a deaf ear to Tristan’s insults and didn’t feel any emotions about Lena’s action to protect him.

After all regardless of what happened between them it had nothing to do with him.
The scuffle drew the attention of many patrons of the restaurant.

It happened to be noon and there were many patrons currently in the restaurant. Moreover they were arguing rather loud too so the patrons guessed that Lucas Lena and Tristan were involved in a love triangle. Besides the bodyguards were also present thus attracting even more attention.

They whispered among themselves and began speculating about the cliché scenes that usually only happened in movies.

“Shouldn’t love and marriage exist only between two willing parties? That girl has said several times that she’s not willing to be in a relationship with him but that man keeps pestering her. He’s really going overboard.”

“Yeah! That young man didn’t say anything yet the other man wants him to kneel down and kowtow to him. He’s really arrogant!”

“Yeah I heard he’s not even from this county. Why is he so arrogant? He’s acting like a king.”

“In my opinion that beauty is obviously fond of this tall and handsome young man. They were just having lunch and this person came out of nowhere to create such a ruckus. They might get into a brawl soon!”

…

When Tristan heard the chatter of the crowd his face became even more gloomy and sullen as he hollered furiously “Get lost! What are you looking at? I’m a Parker and we’re a top family in LA. You people are just nobodies. Get lost now!”

After being lashed out at for no reason the onlookers looked at Tristan like they were looking at an idiot.

But many people had heard of the Parkers before and they were indeed a wealthy family whom ordinary people like them couldn’t afford to provoke.

At the thought of this many onlookers snorted coldly before silently backing away.

Lucas narrowed his eyes slightly. “You’re one of the Parkers from LA?”

Chapter 254: I Like Kneeling Down

Hearing Lucas’s question Tristan immediately raised his head proudly and said smugly “Yes!
I’m one of the Parkers from LA and the current family head is Charles Parker my grandfather!
Are you afraid now punk? Hurry up and kneel down to kowtow to me twice. Once you make me pleased I might consider letting you off!”

Lucas smirked with some derision in his eyes.

Lucas was no stranger to the Parkers. Ever since he had acquired all of the Brookes’ businesses in LA he had assigned Flynn to handle and manage them.

During this period of time Flynn had been reporting to Lucas about his progress during which he had mentioned the Parkers several times.

On the day the Brookes left LA the Parkers had sent a junior of the family named Elliot over to try to create trouble for the Brookes. But Andrew had managed to trick him and fled.

Since then the Parkers had been very active in LA as they tried to use various means and methods to seize the major businesses the Brookes left behind.

Although the Parkers failed to succeed because Stanley protected them and Flynn was quite competent too it undoubtedly also brought a lot of trouble to Flynn and resulted in various disputes that almost got him killed.

If not for the fact that Lucas had instructed Stanley and Flynn not to get anyone killed Charles and the Parkers would have probably perished.

So once Lucas heard that the man who kept pestering Lena was one of the Parkers he couldn’t help but be amazed by how small the world was.

He hadn’t gone to LA to settle scores with the Parkers yet but Tristan Parker had already provoked him.

Tristan thought that Lucas would definitely be scared out of his wits once he brought up his family and immediately kneel to beg for mercy. But he never expected that Lucas would remain standing with a peculiar expression and a mirthless smirk making him really displeased.

“Punk what’s with that look on your face? Are you looking down on the Parkers?” Tristan snapped in pique.

Lucas smiled faintly. “It’s just the Parkers. I really don’t take you seriously.”

It was not that Lucas was arrogant but rather he was competent enough to get rid of top families like the Brookes. Besides his status and wealth were superior to the Brookes too.
In fact if the Parkers hadn’t repeatedly caused trouble in LA and coveted the remaining businesses of the Brookes while hindering Flynn from doing his work Lucas wouldn’t have even remembered who they were.

After hearing what Lucas said Tristan was infuriated. He was born and raised in LA and although the Parkers were not the top family in LA they were considered one of the few higher-status ones. He had gotten used to hearing praises and receiving the deferential treatment of others.

This was the first time a young man dared to mock the Parkers.

“Damn it. How dare you look down on us you fool? I must show you what we’re made of! Hit him! Make him kneel down and beg me for mercy!” Tristan hollered furiously. The two bodyguards beside him immediately pounced toward Lucas.

“Tristan Parker stop!” Lena shouted. But the bodyguards were Tristan’s subordinates so they naturally only obeyed him. Lena’s yelling meant nothing to them.

Facing the two aggressive bodyguards Lucas merely raised his leg when they were about to hit him without even looking at them.

Their vision blurred and before the tall and burly bodyguards could even see Lucas’s actions or sense his strength they were already sent flying by his kick!

Clang!

Whoosh!

One of the bodyguards crashed onto a potted plant near them which then shattered into pieces and stabbed into his arm.

The other bodyguard was even more unlucky. He fell into the cold water of the fountain in the center of the restaurant lobby. Not only did he knock the stone fountain over but he also turned pale in the freezing water and couldn’t get out for a long time.

Seemingly not hearing the shrieks Lucas walked over toward Tristan in a casual and relaxed manner.

Tristan was merely an incompetent scion of a rich family. When he saw Lucas clearly harboring ill intentions and walking toward him after kicking his bodyguards away he couldn’t help retreating repeatedly. But there was a wall behind him and he would soon reach it.
Pangs of panic engulfed him as he yelled in horror “What are you trying to do? Don’t come here! I’m warning you. If you dare to do anything to me the Parkers won’t let you off!”

Lucas ignored him and walked forward to grab his neck.

“I didn’t want to bother with a nobody like you but it seems you have a death wish.”

Lucas’s cold voice rang beside Tristan’s ears making his heart ricochet while a wave of fear suddenly surged within him. He tried to move Lucas’s fingers away from his neck but he couldn’t do it at all. He could only feel a massive force clamping down on his throat making it difficult for him to breathe.

“If… if you dare to do anything to me my grandfather won’t let you off! Hurry up and let go of me.” Tristan was flustered but he still threatened him.

“Hah I’ve already told you long ago that I don’t take the Parkers seriously at all. Why can’t you understand? Whenever something happens to you all you do is bring up your family. What else do you have apart from your wealthy and powerful family?

“Didn’t you ask me to kneel down in front of you several times? Since you like kneeling so much do so yourself!”

Lucas shook his head regretfully. Then holding Tristan’s neck he pushed him onto the ground causing him to kneel.

“Ah!” Tristan hollered loudly when his knees landed on the ground.

The physical pain was a minor issue but he would never stand being forced to kneel in front of everyone!

In the twenty-odd years of his life he had already made many people kneel down and beg him for mercy but he never knew how miserable it was to be forced to kneel. The sense of humiliation made him wish he could kill someone now!

“Bastard how dare you do this to me? The Parkers will never spare you!” Tristan barked while kneeling on the ground and struggling to break free desperately. He felt extremely humiliated and his eyes were bloodshot seeming like he wanted to devour Lucas.

Chapter 255: Where Is Your Confidence?

Lucas ignored the resentment in Tristan’s gaze and stepped on his ankle. “You’re still so arrogant now huh? It seems you haven’t learned your lesson yet.”
“Ah!” Tristan immediately shrieked in misery as a wave of fear surged in his heart. Lucas seemed to really have no fear of the Parkers and was also capable of doing anything. Now that his bodyguards were incapacitated he would have to suffer no matter what.

Tristan was extremely furious but he knew that he was now in a disadvantageous position and had no choice but to suppress his anger not daring to glower at Lucas. But deep down he wished he could kill Lucas!

At this moment Tristan had naturally long forgotten that if he hadn’t come looking for trouble with Lucas insulted him and forced him to kneel Lucas wouldn’t have done this to him.

“I’ve merely taught you a small lesson today. If you’re feeling indignant feel free to get Charles Parker to come look for me. Also from now on if I see you pestering Lena Sawyer again it won’t be as simple as making you kneel down!”

Lena stood at the side feeling touched and shocked.

She was shocked that Lucas actually dared to attack Tristan. In her opinion the Parkers were a top family in LA that held enormous power. Otherwise her father Ethan Sawyer wouldn’t have chosen to let her marry Tristan.

Since Lucas beat up Tristan and his bodyguards he was clearly going against the Parkers. In that case the Parkers definitely wouldn’t let him off!

Lena’s understanding of Lucas was limited to the fact that he was Cheyenne’s live-in husband who came from a poor family and practically struggled with poverty so much so that he couldn’t even pay for their wedding. This caused Cheyenne to become the laughingstock of everyone in Orange County so Lena had always had a bad impression of Lucas before.

But since the incident in Little Atlantis City where Lucas showed extraordinary composure and bravery when gambling against Tony Zander and the time when Lucas rescued her from the speeding motorcycle outside the Sawyers’ villa Lena changed her mind about him. She also secretly harbored some designs on him.

Lena had deliberately planned for her and Lucas to have lunch alone together today.

But just because Lena admired Lucas it didn’t mean that she felt that he was invincible. She wasn’t aware of how wealthy Lucas was nor did she know about his background. She merely felt that since he was an ordinary person he definitely wouldn’t stand to gain against the Parkers who were like a behemoth.

But Lucas beat up Tristan for her sake and even warned him not to pester her again…

Tears welled up in Lena’s eyes as she looked at Lucas intently with a gentle gaze. I mustn’t let go of such an excellent man who’s a hundred times better than a spoiled scion like Tristan Parker!

“Miss Lena are you alright?” At this moment Jim Baker the butler of the Sawyers hurriedly arrived at the restaurant.

When he received Lena’s call just now he was almost frightened to death.

Just a short while ago Lena had just encountered a premeditated assassination so the Sawyers had been extremely protective of her lately.

But Lena said she had an appointment with a close friend this afternoon and ordered all the bodyguards not to accompany her. Jim wasn’t aware of it at first. So when he received the phone call from her informing him that she didn’t have any bodyguards to protect her he was immediately stunned and afraid that she might have gotten into some mishap.

But the situation at the restaurant seemed rather bizarre now as he hadn’t seen any malicious thugs yet. On the contrary Jim even saw two people whom he didn’t expect to see.

One of them was naturally Lucas who was standing beside Lena expressionlessly. Jim had seen the Huttons coming to invite Lucas back to their family before as well as the time when Ethan sent gifts to the Carters to try and get closer to Lucas. He was very familiar with Lucas this powerful figure.

The other person Jim was shocked to see was Tristan Lena’s fiancé!

Of course it actually wasn’t that surprising that Tristan was here. But to Jim’s surprise Tristan was kneeling on the ground in front of Lucas and Lena!

“This…” All of a sudden Jim couldn’t figure out what was going on between them and he couldn’t ask in too much detail since there were so many people around.

Seeing that Jim had already arrived and Tristan had also suffered a loss under Lucas Lena didn’t want to continue getting involved in a scuffle with him. “Tristan I’ll tell you one last time. The engagement between us doesn’t count at all and I won’t marry you. You should go find another girl. Furthermore if you have any objections just come at me. Don’t vent your anger on other people who have nothing to do with this!”

Then she stopped looking at Tristan and said to Lucas “Let’s go.”

Lucas nodded. Soon both of them left the restaurant together.

Jim glanced at Tristan without saying anything. He merely nodded slightly and left together with Lena.

Behind him Tristan slowly raised his head and exclaimed with an intense and vicious gaze in his eyes “I won’t let you two off you adulterers!”

Only after leaving the restaurant did Lena snap back to her senses and realize that she had been pretending to be drunk before this to get Lucas to send her home. But after Tristan interfered and foiled her plans she could no longer continue pretending.

Lena simply stopped pretending stood still and apologized to Lucas “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t called you out for lunch today you wouldn’t have gotten into a conflict with Tristan and even offended him.”

Lucas shook his head. “It’s nothing. I really don’t care about the Parkers. If they’ve learned their lesson and don’t provoke me again I naturally won’t make things hard for them but if they refuse to give up and come looking for trouble they’d better not blame me.”

When Lena heard Lucas’s tone she felt that he really didn’t take the Parkers seriously. She couldn’t help wondering where he got his confidence from.

After thinking about it for a while Lena nevertheless gave Lucas some instructions “You’re just the live-in son-in-law of the Carters. You were lucky to win some money from Tony Zander last time but the Parkers are really not to be belittled. How about this? If they provoke you again just let me know and I’ll ask my father to think of a solution.”

Hearing this Lucas couldn’t help laughing. But thinking that Lena was just making this suggestion out of good intentions he nodded casually.

Jim was aware of Lucas’s background and knew that even Ethan had to think of ways to get close to him. In that case why would Lucas need their help?

Fearing that Lena’s words would upset Lucas he hurriedly said “Miss Lena Mister Sawyer is afraid that you have gotten into a mishap and is worried sick about you! You’d better go home quickly so that he will be at ease.”

“Alright.” Lena originally wanted to ask Lucas to take her home and invite him to her place for a chat. But when she heard that her father was waiting for her she could only give up.

“Lucas I owe you another favor for what happened today. I’ll treat you to a meal again!” Then she got into the car and left grandly together with her bodyguards before Lucas could even say anything.

Chapter 256: The Current State of the Sawyers

When Lena returned home she saw Ethan sitting on the couch with his brows furrowed in a frown. When he saw Lena enter he didn’t relax at all.

“Dad aren’t you busy today? Why are you home and waiting for me?” Lena asked pretending to be relaxed. She sat down beside Ethan. “I’m fine. I just got involved in a troublesome matter so I asked Jim to bring some people over to help me out.”

With a furious expression Ethan sneered. “Of course I know what happened. You just wanted our bodyguards to chase Tristan Parker away.”

Only then did she realize that her father had learned of everything that had just happened at the restaurant.

She pursed her lips and leaned back on the couch. “Dad since you already know I won’t beat around the bush with you. Tristan Parker is a good-for-nothing who sponges off his family. I won’t marry such a person! Dad just go to the Parkers and break off our engagement before it’s too late!”

“Outrageous!” Ethan flew into a rage and rebuked “You and Tristan Parker have been engaged for more than ten years and we were all just waiting for you two to grow up and hold the wedding. Why are you still so insensible? We can’t just break off the engagement like that.”

Extremely adamant about it Lena insisted “Dad Tristan is completely unacceptable! He suspected me of having an affair with a friend just because I had lunch with him. Just now he even tried to hit me! If I marry him I’d definitely face domestic violence! Dad can you bear to watch me get bullied? Besides I don’t like him at all and I don’t want to marry him!”

“He suspects you and gets jealous because he cares about you! Arranged marriages are common among families like ours. It’s all for the sake of carrying on the family bloodline and forming unions with other suitable families! Lena you are now in your twenties and no longer a child. Why don’t you understand this?”

Hearing the words ‘arranged marriage’ Lena felt particularly sour and upset. Feeling furious and disappointed she snapped “Not an arranged marriage again! Dad must I marry a goodfor-nothing? You’re now the richest man in the county and we have enough money and properties to last us a few lifetimes. Why must you make me marry someone of a so-called suitable background? Can’t you just let me be like an ordinary girl and marry someone I truly love?”

There was a trace of misery and heartache in Ethan’s eyes but he soon forced himself to stay firm to his decision. “Looks like I’ve spoiled you rotten all these years and let you live too well abroad so much so that you’re completely clueless about the situation we’re in now! Do you think we’re that glorious and glamorous because we are the richest family in Orange County? Let me tell you that’s just a superficial title!

“The economy has been developing rapidly in recent years and many small families have risen. We merely had a head start but many of our businesses have been impacted by various startups and small businesses! If we don’t work harder to strengthen our foundation and businesses they will be taken over by others sooner or later! By then do you think we will still be able to live in the lap of luxury with peace of mind?

“Lena I am your father. Which father doesn’t want his daughter to be happy and enjoy life the way she wants? But we can’t always enjoy the freedom of doing whatever we want. I hope you can understand my reasons for making you marry Tristan! Although he’s quite incompetent there are no major problems with him. Besides he has always been devoted to you and he genuinely loves you. So I hope you’ll stop rejecting him and get along well with him after you two get married!”

Ethan clearly stated the pros and cons of the marriage and decided to be honest with Lena. But his words were also realistic and cruel.

Lena bit her lips tightly and hung her head low to ponder about it for a long time. Just when
Ethan thought she had been convinced by him and was finally going to agree to marry Tristan she suddenly raised her head and looked him straight in the eye with a determined gaze.

“Dad now that I’m aware of the difficulties we’re facing. Don’t worry. I will stand by you. I’ve studied abroad for so many years after all and my knowledge of business management and other aspects should come in handy at times like this. I’m willing to shoulder the burden and face these problems together with you! But I’ll never sacrifice my own happiness and rely on an arranged marriage to secure our position and status!”

After saying these words decisively Lena stood up and headed upstairs to go to her room.

Sitting on the couch and watching his daughter leave Ethan sighed helplessly after a long time.

If possible he would of course want his daughter to find her own happiness. But she had been living a sheltered life where she was so well-protected that she had no idea that things wouldn’t always go her way in life.

Perhaps Lena would only understand the reasons for his decision today only after she had personally gotten a taste of the ruthlessness of society!

…
Meanwhile Lucas headed straight to the Stardust Corporation after leaving the restaurant.

Charlotte was presiding over the Stardust Corporation and was managing everything well without any major probleMiss

Lucas was just here to check on the progress and read some reports regarding the development and other information on the recent situation of the company. He also had to formulate plans for the upcoming developments.

But as soon as his car was near the Stardust Corporation he saw numerous people gathered outside the Stardust Corporation office building. Among them there were many firefighters and police officers. The police had even cordoned off the entrance.

Lucas frowned. He could tell that something must have happened.

He stopped his car nearby and got out only to see that many were craning their necks and pointing at the roof of the Stardust Corporation.

Lucas had always had sharp eyesight. Although the rooftop was high he managed to get a clear glimpse of the two people standing at the edge.

One of them was wearing a body-hugging business suit and standing there with a furious expression. It was Charlotte.

Lucas had seen the other person with a gloomy and maniacal expression standing across from her before. It was Declan Adams the scumbag Charlotte had a crush on back in college.

Lucas wouldn’t suspect anything if only the both of them were standing there and talking but the situation was clearly amiss. In particular Declan was holding a cold and shiny dagger!

Lucas’s pupils constricted as his face became cold and gloomy.

He pulled an employee of the Stardust Corporation who was wearing a lanyard with the company’s name tag over and asked coldly “What’s happening up there?”

The employee answered anxiously “I have no idea. I heard that that man is Miss Carter’s exboyfriend who suddenly sneaked into the office today. They somehow got into a conflict and then he forced Miss Carter to the rooftop of the building. He even wants them to die together!”

Chapter 257: Crisis on the Rooftop

A cold glint flashed in Lucas’s eyes!

Back in college Declan had completely disregarded Charlotte’s sincerity and devotion. Later on he managed to marry Estelle Brooke the daughter of a prestigious family in LA just because of his good looks. When Lucas had lunch with Charlotte before they happened to run into Estelle and Declan and they had even deliberately mocked Charlotte.

Afterward Declan had even gone to the Stardust Corporation to kick up a ruckus at the entrance during which he kept pestering Charlotte. As a result Lucas gave him a hard slap on his face without mercy. He even called Aston to come over and take Declan away to teach him a lesson.

He reckoned that the Brookes must have punished Declan later on.

But the Brookes no longer had a place in LA and the members of the family had already fled. Mercenary people like Declan who would suck up to the wealthy and powerful and undermine the weak naturally wouldn’t leave with the Brookes who had lost power. He had probably abandoned Estelle long ago to suck up to someone else who was more powerful.

It was no secret that Charlotte had now become the deputy general manager of the Stardust Corporation and was in charge of handling the duties of the general manager.

He reckoned that Declan must have scurried over to pester her to try and get back together with her after hearing about it.

But Lucas also felt that there was something amiss.

If Declan merely wanted to continue pestering Charlotte he should have countless methods to do so since he was an experienced freeloader. Why would he resort to such an extreme method of holding Charlotte hostage forcing her to the rooftop and threatening to kill her if she didn’t compromise?

It didn’t seem like something that Declan would do!

But now was not the time for him to stand here and figure out what was going on.
Regardless of whether someone had instigated Declan or not Charlotte was in an extremely dangerous situation now. She had a chance of falling off the roof or getting slit by the sharp dagger in his hand!

Even though the firefighters had laid inflatable cushions on the ground below she would have a slim chance of survival after falling from a great height of more than 30 floors!

Lucas was so anxious that he pushed the crowd apart and dashed toward the entrance of the Stardust Corporation with no regard for the fact that the police had already cordoned off the area.
“Hey! There’s an emergency situation here. You’re not allowed to enter…” When a police officer saw Lucas rushing in he hurriedly stopped Lucas. But before he could finish speaking Lucas had already vanished.

“Uh… Someone barged in just now… right?” the police officer asked the colleague beside him with uncertainty.

“That seems to be the case… but I didn’t see him clearly…” said another police officer who was just as dumbfounded and even doubted if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

At this moment there was great tension on the rooftop of the Stardust Corporation.

Declan was holding a sharp dagger in his hand while gripping tightly onto Charlotte with the other. He looked psychotic and maniacal.

“Get lost! Stay farther away from me. If you come over again I won’t be kind to her!” Declan waved the dagger in his hand and yelled at the few special ops police on the rooftop.

The police officers were afraid and worried that Declan would really do something in a moment of anger. So they had no choice but to retreat to the edge of the roof.

“Declan Adams calm down. Don’t do anything irreparable! Let’s talk things over calmly. You’re standing at such a dangerous spot. If you accidentally slip wouldn’t you have lived your life with regrets?” said a negotiator among the special ops police trying to dissuade him.

But Declan refused to budge and simply sneered. “Hmph don’t try that trick with me! I’ve decided to go all out today and I’m prepared to die! Anyway I’ll drag her down with me even if I die so that won’t be a loss for me!”

At this moment Charlotte’s heart was full of countless words that she wanted to curse out loud!

She had been sitting in her office and doing some work when the madman Declan suddenly barged in and placed a dagger on her neck without saying a word. He held her down and forced her to the roof where he tried to make her jump down with him in the name of love.

In the name of love?

To hell with that!

I no longer had anything to do with this lunatic since a long time ago!

But she was being held hostage at the edge of the rooftop of the tall building and the mere sight of the view below when she looked down was enough to put her on the verge of passing out. Furthermore Declan was holding a dagger and threatening her.

“Declan Adams what exactly are you trying to do? Let’s sit down to talk things over slowly alright?” Charlotte tried her best to control her body and avoid looking down while desperately trying to calm Declan down. She wanted to persuade him to leave this dangerous place.

“Shut up!” Declan hollered furiously and waved the dagger in his hand almost stabbing Charlotte. His action led to a series of terse shrieks of horror from the onlookers on the ground.

“When I came here to look for you to ask you to be my girlfriend last time you turned me down without mercy and let that damn brother-in-law of yours get the Brookes to take me home. The Brookes beat me up and even seized all my property I managed to get from that woman Estelle Brooke! If it weren’t for you I wouldn’t have become penniless again!

“The Brookes have now fled and I’m the only one left because they abandoned me like garbage! All the efforts that I put in for so many years have been in vain! Who do you think I should blame? If not for you how could I have been reduced to this plight?!

“So shouldn’t I be holding you responsible?!”

Declan’s eyes were bloodshot and his expression was menacing and terrifying.

Charlotte forced herself to suppress the horror and repulsion within her as she tried her best to sound as gentle as possible. “Okay I can take responsibility for that I’ll give you whatever you want as long as it’s within my means to do so. If you don’t have any money to spend now I can transfer some to you. If you need a job I can also recommend you to work directly in the Stardust Corporation. It’s up to you…”

“Hahahahaha!” Declan suddenly laughed hysterically before Charlotte could finish speaking.

As he laughed his face suddenly turned dark again and he glared daggers at Charlotte with a vicious gaze. “Hmph bitch are you taking pity on me and trying to give me a handout? Hah why bother acting all noble and mighty in front of me? Don’t forget how you tried to please me desperately and beg me to notice you!

“Let me tell you. Even if you’re capable now you are still just a bitch! Even if I pull you along with me and jump off this building what can you do to me?”

As he spoke Declan took a step closer to Charlotte and squeezed her hand tightly as if he wanted to pull her along to jump down the building with him.
A strong sense of fear and humiliation surged in Charlotte’s heart. No matter how many years ago it was anyone whose sincerity and devotion were disregarded undermined and trampled on by someone would definitely feel furious and upset.

Furthermore Charlotte also discovered that there was no way she could communicate with Declan now because he was just like a lunatic!

Even if Charlotte was highly competent in work she was only a young woman in her twenties. Being forced into this desperate situation by a lunatic like Declan made her feel helpless and hopeless.

“Declan Adams stop!”

At this moment an extremely familiar voice sounded near them. It was a tall and muscular man walking out of the small door on the rooftop. It was Lucas!

Chapter 258: Lucas Jumps Off the Building

As soon as Declan saw Lucas appear intense hatred appeared in his maniacal gaze.

Although he had been lashing out at Charlotte and cursing at her he was full of hatred toward Lucas!

If Lucas hadn’t beaten him up and gotten Aston involved he wouldn’t have been brought back to the Brooke residence to suffer a brutal beating. The Brookes had even seized all his money and the properties he had secretly bought!

The Brookes later fell because of Lucas!

If Lucas was the reason Charlotte rejected him he would be the cause of everything!

“Hah Lucas Gray. I hadn’t gone to look for you but you came looking for me yourself!” Declan hollered through gritted teeth. Deep down he felt extremely gloomy and resentful.

Charlotte was surprised and overjoyed the moment she saw Lucas. But she soon became worried and nervous after seeing the hatred in Declan’s eyes when he glared at Lucas.

Declan was now close to losing his mind. And in this situation he was capable of doing anything!

Lucas narrowed his eyes and sized up the environment around them. Declan was holding
Charlotte close to the edge of the roof. They were indeed in a very dangerous spot. The reason the special ops police officers hadn’t tried to shoot Declan was that they were worried he might jump off the building together with Charlotte the hostage.

With a profound gaze in his eyes Lucas squeezed the two coins in his pocket.

He was certain that he would be able to use the coins to kill Declan and still save Charlotte.

But there were numerous special police officers both on the roof and downstairs onlookers and many reporters paying attention to the progress. If Lucas used that method to save her he would undoubtedly expose himself and get involved with the law.

After thinking about it he gently waved his hand shook off the special police officers wanting to hold him back from going forward and then walked toward Declan and Charlotte.

“Declan now that you have been abandoned you must be feeling terrible. Is that why you’re behaving like a mad dog?” Lucas deliberately mocked him with a derisive smile.

Just as he expected Declan immediately became enraged and his expression became menacing. “Bastard! How dare you say that?! You’re the reason I ended up in this state today! It’s all your fault! You’re the one who deserves to die!”

Lucas raised his brows and kept walking over. “Yes I’m the one who destroyed all the plans you’ve had all these years but you don’t dare to do anything to me at all. All you dare to do is act mighty and formidable in front of a woman! Declan Adams you’re really such a coward! I’m standing right in front of you now. What can you do to me?”

His ruthless mocking was like a sharp dagger stabbing deep into Declan’s chest making him hysterical.

“Shut up! Shut up! Don’t talk anymore!” Declan hollered furiously at the top of his lungs with his dagger in hand.

“I’m standing right here. Do you dare to touch me? Even if I’m unarmed and you have a dagger in your hand I bet you won’t even dare to take a step closer to me!” Lucas said with a smug and contemptuous expression while standing composedly three meters in front of Declan.

Charlotte could already tell what Lucas was trying to do. She knew that he was deliberately angering Declan and spiting him into letting go of her so that he could deal with him!

Although Charlotte had seen Lucas getting into fights with others several times before and she also felt that Declan would be no match for him she was still worried that he might get hurt easily by the sharp dagger in Declan’s hand!
Charlotte looked extremely nervous and her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

“Who says I don’t dare?! Once I go over there you’ll be the first one I kill!” Declan was indeed agitated by his words and he hollered furiously. Holding the dagger he was just about to charge toward Lucas!

But he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

A few seconds later he seemed to have an epiphany and suddenly became cleared-headed. He burst into laughter and gibed “Hahaha Lucas Gray you’re just trying to provoke me so that I’ll deal with you and let Charlotte go right? Hehehe I won’t let you have your way!”

Lucas frowned slightly.

This dimwit Declan was just about to be fooled but he suddenly calmed down and figured out the trick that Lucas was using. Someone had to be giving him some pointers!

Lucas couldn’t help looking at Declan’s ear.

“I know Charlotte Carter is your sister-in-law so you definitely want to rescue her don’t you?
In that case your Achilles’ heel is now in my hands!”

With a smug grin on his face Declan dragged Charlotte over with one hand and put the dagger against her neck.

“Hmph he’s right. If I want to kill you I don’t have to walk over and attack you! If you want this woman to live you’d better come over here obediently and jump off this building!” Declan threatened furiously with a menacing expression.

The Stardust Corporation office building had more than 30 floors which was more than 100 meters high. If he jumped off from such a great height he definitely wouldn’t survive!

Charlotte’s expression changed drastically and she yelled in panic “Lucas don’t listen to him! This nutcase just wants to force you to die… Mmph!”

“Shut up!” Declan pressed the dagger against Charlotte’s throat in annoyance and forced her not to speak. When the sharp blade pressed against her delicate skin a crimson line of blood immediately emerged.

“Are you going to jump or not? I’ll kill her now if you don’t jump!”

Lucas’s pupils constricted as a terrifying cold glint appeared in his eyes!

But he didn’t ignore the fact that Declan implied that someone had said something to him.

It wasn’t the time to think about it now because this lunatic was still holding Charlotte hostage. Her life was in danger and she could die at any moment.

Lucas looked into Declan’s eyes and exclaimed coldly “Fine. I’ll jump but you must let her go first!”

Declan laughed out loud hysterically. “Haha do you take me for a fool? If I let this bitch off will you still jump?”

“Well then how am I supposed to believe that you will let her go after I jump?” Lucas had already walked to a spot near Declan and was still composed.

Declan barked arrogantly “Hmph you don’t have a choice! If you die I may let her go if I’m happy. But if you don’t jump now I’ll kill her immediately!”

He once again waved the dagger in his hand and enjoyed the wonderful feeling of being in control of someone else’s life.

Lucas looked deep into Charlotte’s eyes and walked toward the edge of the roof. He said lightly “I hope you’ll keep to your word.”

Then he jumped right off the roof!

Chapter 259: Interrogate Him Properly

Charlotte watched as Lucas vanished from the edge of the roof and screamed at the top of her lungs uncontrollably “Lucas!”

Two streams of tears rolled down her cheeks and she started bawling loudly feeling as if her heart was being stabbed by daggers.

In contrast Declan laughed out loud in great excitement. “Hahaha! What a dimwit. I managed to kill him so easily! I’m going to get rich again soon. Hahaha!”

The special police officers on the rooftop of the building couldn’t stop Lucas in time and could only watch as he jumped off the building. They all shouted in horror and regret.

At the same time the crowd of onlookers on the ground also shrieked loudly in amazement.

When Declan heard the commotion at the bottom of the building he guffawed hysterically with great smugness. Then he grabbed Charlotte by the collar and looked at the ground to admire the scene of Lucas’s badly mangled flesh after he fell off the building.
Suddenly there was a major change!

A pair of hands suddenly reached over from the edge of the roof and clamped down firmly on Declan’s ankle!

Declan was standing on the edge of the parapet and was caught off guard when the pair of hands dragged him off the roof with great force!

He screamed in horror and his face immediately turned pale. But the moment he fell off the building he grabbed Charlotte and dragged her down with him!

“Ah!”

“Oh my god! Both of them fell off the building!”

“Ahhh this is terrible!”

The reporters and onlookers below immediately shrieked and turned pale in horror. Countless eyes and cameras focused on the rooftop.

When Charlotte was dragged off the roof by Declan she didn’t feel any fear of death and was instead full of regret and misery.

I caused Lucas to die…

If he hadn’t tried to save me he wouldn’t have had to jump to his death!

If she had known earlier she would have dragged Declan and jumped off the building before Lucas did so that he wouldn’t have had to sacrifice his life for nothing!

It’s good that I’m dying now. At least Lucas won’t be dying alone…

Charlotte shut her eyes tightly and two teardrops trickled down her cheeks and into the air.

Just when Charlotte was ready to die her weightless body was suddenly caught by a strong arm!

Charlotte opened her eyes abruptly only to see a familiar smiling face.

“Lucas…” Charlotte looked at his face in shock and for a moment she couldn’t tell if she was hallucinating or not.

Lucas suddenly said “Don’t space out. Hurry and get up!”

Immediately afterward Charlotte felt a force on her waist as the strong arm thrust her body upward and threw her into a window.

Only when her hands and feet touched the cold solid marble floor did she finally realize that she was still alive! Lucas didn’t die either! Moreover he had once again saved her!

She raised her head to look at the window near her and saw that Lucas was hanging off the window with his knee bent and his calf inside. His body was still hanging outside the window!

“Waaa!” Charlotte yelled in terror. Lucas was in an extremely dangerous position as he was leveraging only on his calf to remain hanging on the window. The slightest carelessness would cause him to slip and fall!

She hurriedly dashed over to pull him up from the window. But his calf moved slightly and using the strength of his waist his entire body flipped over from outside the window and then leaped in from the windowsill.

Seeing Lucas finally safe Charlotte burst into tears of joy and she suddenly hugged him while wailing.

“Lucas… You scared me! I really thought you were dead just now! Uwu! I’m so scared!”

At this moment Charlotte was no longer the deputy general manager who often did a good job managing the company. Instead she was sobbing and wailing like a child.

Lucas was caught between laughter and tears. He patted Charlotte’s shoulder comfortingly and said softly “It’s alright. We’re safe now. You don’t have to be scared anymore.”

As Lucas comforted her Charlotte gradually felt more relieved. But at this moment she finally realized that she was hugging Lucas tightly. She was so frightened that she hurriedly let go and looked up at Lucas with tears in her eyes.

Bang!

Someone suddenly slammed the door open from outside and several special police officers hurriedly sprinted in. They immediately saw Lucas and Charlotte standing near the window and finally heaved a long sigh of relief. “Great! Both of you are fine!”

When they saw Lucas Declan and Charlotte falling off the roof just now they were terrified!

Fortunately the other special police officers waiting downstairs conveyed the news in time and informed them that Lucas didn’t jump down but had instead hung off the window of the floor below roof in an extremely dangerous position. He had even waited for the opportunity to pull Declan down and save Charlotte.

The leader of the special police officers looked at Lucas with self-reproach while feeling thankful that they had survived the ordeal. He said solemnly with excitement “Sir you mustn’t do such a dangerous thing again in the future! What would have happened if something went wrong?”

Lucas smiled faintly and ignored him. Instead he raised his hand that he had stretched out of the window. “I think you guys have to pay attention to this person.”

He was grabbing tightly onto a fancy spotted tie coiled around Declan’s neck!

Charlotte and the special police officers were dumbstruck.

It turned out that Lucas had not only grabbed Charlotte by the waist and threw her into the room but had also caught Declan while doing so!

But Declan had already turned pale with his eyes rolled back into his head because his weight was being suspended on the tie. He was about to suffocate to death.

Upon seeing this the special police officers rushed forward grabbed Declan over from Lucas’s hand and pulled off the necktie coiled tightly around his neck. Declan desperately gasped for air and the paleness of his face gradually faded.

But he hadn’t returned to his senses yet and was still in a daze.

“I think you have to interrogate this person properly” Lucas said coldly while looking expressionlessly at the rescued Declan.

Chapter 260: Unwind and Relax

In fact Lucas could have chosen not to catch Declan and let him fall to his death just now as he ought to reap what he sowed.

But the words Declan said earlier made Lucas suspect that someone was instigating him. So Lucas caught him and allowed him to stay alive to interrogate him and find out more from him.

But the matter of Declan taking Charlotte hostage and trying to jump off the building with her had alarmed almost all the police systems in Orange County. Many reporters had also hurried over with their cameras and equipment to get the firsthand news scoop.

In such a situation Lucas naturally couldn’t interrogate Declan personally. He simply handed Declan over to the special police officers for them to investigate.

The chief special police officer nodded and instructed his subordinates to send Declan to the hospital. After Declan came to they would bring him in for interrogation immediately.

Of course as the parties involved in the incident Lucas and Charlotte had to make a mandatory trip to the police station.

“Sorry. Although you two are the victims you need to cooperate and come with us to the police station to have your statements taken according to standard procedure.”

Charlotte had just had a hair-raising experience consisting of a series of frights and falling off the building. After finally being safe her calves were trembling slightly.

Lucas looked at her and was about to refuse when Charlotte held onto his hand and said firmly “Alright we’ll go with you now.”

Soon the two of them were taken to the police station where they were asked numerous questions such as how they met the suspect Declan Adams whether there was any conflict between them and so on.

There was nothing to hide regarding these things because they had already clearly explained everything.

But while the police officers were questioning Lucas the chief special police officer was especially curious about how Lucas had the guts and the shocking reflexes to do what he did. Lucas merely said calmly “I used to be in the military.” He didn’t say anything else afterward.

The chief officer admired Lucas greatly and wanted to take him under his wing but the latter turned him down without hesitation.

The chief was so curious about Lucas that he waited until after Lucas left before searching the database to find Lucas’s information and see how he had done in the military. But the result he got was that he didn’t have permission to check Lucas’s information at all!

Only then did the special police officer understand that Lucas’s background was probably much more terrifying than he had imagined.

Of course this was an afterword.

After Lucas and Charlotte had their statements taken and left the police station Charlotte’s face had already returned to normal and she seemed to be the same as usual.

But he had accidentally touched her fingers and only then did he realize that her fingers were terribly cold and clammy. Her pupils were full of fear and horror but she suppressed it and deliberately pretended to be fine.

In fact Charlotte was only a young girl in her mid-twenties. She had never experienced such a thing before and it was quite a remarkable feat that she could remain calm.

Lucas sighed and suddenly said “Don’t go back to work later. Is there anywhere you want to go? I’ll accompany you.”

Charlotte raised her head in shock and she forced a smile. “It’s alright. I still have a lot of things to do at the office. I…”

Lucas didn’t wait for her to finish before interrupting “Regarding what happened earlier there must be trouble in the office. Who knows how many reporters are waiting there? Just take it that I’m giving you half a day off to adjust your mood.”

Charlotte was stunned and her eyes were gradually full of joy. She smiled sincerely. “Okay! Since you’ve given me a day off I’ll definitely have to go and relax! To be honest you’ve really given me a great shock. Having lived for so long it’s my first time encountering such a matter. It’s really just… too crazy! It’s unlucky enough to run into a lunatic like Declan Adams once. I hope I never encounter such an unlucky thing again!”

At this point Charlotte finally returned to normal.

At this moment Charlotte’s phone started ringing. She took it out to look at the caller ID before sticking her tongue out. She smiled and said “Oh dear it’s a call from Cheyenne. She must have already found out!”

When she answered the call Cheyenne’s worried and anxious voice immediately filled her ears. “Charlotte are you alright? Are you hurt?”

Cheyenne had just seen on the news that the deputy general manager of the Stardust Corporation had been held hostage by her former boyfriend and he had tried to force her off the building. She was so frightened that she almost fainted. After seeing the news that Charlotte had been rescued she hurriedly called her to ask about her situation.

Charlotte quickly said “Cheyenne don’t worry. I’m alright now. It’s all thanks to Lucas coming to my rescue. That jerk has also been arrested by the police.”

Only then did Cheyenne realize that Lucas was involved in this incident. After hearing that Lucas had once again saved Charlotte she was so grateful that she didn’t know how to put it into words.

“Thank you Lucas! Thank you so much!” Cheyenne exclaimed. She meant these words from the bottom of her heart.

Lucas was standing right next to Charlotte so he naturally heard what Cheyenne said from the other end. He chuckled and said gently “There’s no need to thank me.”

Charlotte giggled. “Cheyenne don’t worry! You can cook us some delicious food tonight to help us recover from the shock! Oh by the way can I borrow Lucas for a stroll this afternoon?”

Charlotte decided to inform Cheyenne. Otherwise she would feel a strange sense of guilt.

“Of course there’s no problem! I’m too busy with work so let Lucas accompany you on a stroll to relax!”

Cheyenne didn’t hesitate to agree. Charlotte had just had such a traumatic experience. If it wasn’t because she had long made an appointment with two extremely important guests and couldn’t leave for the time being she would have definitely accompanied Charlotte and comforted her.

After hearing that Lucas was going to accompany Charlotte Cheyenne felt much more relieved.

After getting Cheyenne’s approval Charlotte no longer felt worried and said happily “Lucas let’s go ride roller coasters at the amusement park. There’s also the Viking ship drop tower pendulum ride and bungee jumping! Let’s go to them all!”

These were all thrill rides that would give an adrenaline boost. It seemed that Charlotte had been agitated by her near-death experience today and wanted to engage in heart-pounding activities to relieve some stress.

It was indeed an unusual way to relieve stress but it was exactly like something Charlotte would do.

“Okay you call the shots.”

Lucas smiled calmly and then accompanied Charlotte for the thrill rides.

While they were riding them Charlotte screamed nervously at the top of her lungs and laughed heartily. The horror within her gradually vanished in the sky above the amusement park.

They continued to play until the sun nearly set and Charlotte finally left the amusement park in high spirits together with Lucas.

They were about to drive to kindergarten to pick Amelia up but Lucas suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked at a bush near them.

“Wait for me in the car. I left something behind. I’ll be right back.”

Then Lucas walked toward the bush.

There was a young man squatting behind the bush and holding a camera. When he saw Lucas walking toward him he hurriedly turned around to run away. Crap I’ve been discovered!

Who could be the man taking photos,could he be sent by Preston Taylor

moh96 · Mar 24, 2024

Prodigy said:
Who could be the man taking photos,could he be sent by Prescott parker

It was all her plan

Prodigy · Mar 24, 2024

This man called William is quite responsible just like Jacob

moh96 said:
Chapter 261: The Person Who Sneakily Took Photos

The young man who seemed to be a famous paparazzi in the county scurried away quickly. But after covering only a short distance he discovered that a tall and phantom-like figure had appeared in front of him to block him from leaving.

“Still trying to run huh?”

The young man was flabbergasted because the person in front of him was the same person he had been secretly snapping photos of!

A few seconds ago this person was clearly more than ten meters behind him yet he was standing in front of him in the blink of an eye. How did he do it?!

Having been discovered and even stopped by the person he was secretly snapping photos of the young man got a little nervous and gritted his teeth. He then barked in a menacing voice “Why are you stopping me? Get lost!”

Lucas sneered and pointed at the camera the young man was holding. He asked indifferently “You’ve been tailing me all afternoon so you must have taken a lot of pictures right? Did you think no one could discover you when you’re so clumsy?”

Knowing that he had done something wrong the young man gripped onto his camera tightly and argued “What nonsense are you saying? Who tailed you and sneakily took pictures of you? I was just taking pictures of the scenery in the amusement park! There’s no rule against taking pictures here. You’re poking your nose too far into someone else’s business!”

“Is that so? Let me see your camera then.” Lucas reached out to grab the camera in the young man’s hand.

While trying to hide the camera behind him the young man yelled loudly “Damn it! Are you trying to rob me in broad daylight?”

Many tourists nearby who were unaware of the truth immediately looked over.

The young man was hoping to attract the attention of the passersby by yelling loudly and get them to come over so that Lucas wouldn’t be able to snatch the camera from him.

But he didn’t expect Lucas to ignore his yelling. Besides as an ordinary person he obviously couldn’t stop Lucas who had excellent reflexes.

The next second Lucas had already gotten hold of the camera.

“Hurry up and give it back to me! Or else I’ll call the police!” With a look of horror and panic the young man whipped out his phone and threatened Lucas.

“Go ahead and call the police as long as you’re not afraid of being arrested yourself” Lucas was not scared at all and his indifferent words immediately made the young man freeze on the spot.

The young man clearly knew what he had done. If the police got involved he would be the one in trouble!

Soon Lucas opened the man’s camera and saw the pictures he had secretly snapped.

In almost every picture Lucas and Charlotte were photographed on the various rides of the amusement park with Charlotte looking up at Lucas gleefully most of the time. There were also many photos of them walking side by side.

There were at least 200 photos in the camera all of which were taken soon after they entered the amusement park until they were about to leave just now.

Apart from some blurry and out-of-focus shots the angles they were photographed from were just right. If an outsider didn’t know how they were related and saw these photos they would definitely think that he and Charlotte were a couple in love.

“That’s mine. Quickly return it to me!” the young man hollered but lacked confidence.

The gaze in Lucas’s eyes was icy cold and a mere glance from him caused the young man to shudder in fear and not dare to continue speaking.

He had spent the entire afternoon secretly taking photos of Lucas who had been kind and gentlemanly toward Charlotte. But after the brief eye contact made with Lucas the young man was overwhelmed with immense fear as he felt as if he was facing a terrifying and menacing beast!

The young man realized that he had very likely provoked a big shot he couldn’t afford to offend!

But since he had already done so it was too late to regret it!

“Tell me who sent you to come take photos of us secretly?” Lucas asked indifferently while tossing the camera up and down in his hand twice.

“No one! I-I’m a photographer and I was just taking some random photos of the amusement park! Quick return the camera to me!” The young man refused to admit he had been taking photos of Lucas without permission.

Lucas sneered pulled out the camera’s memory card and crushed it into pieces in front of the young man.

“Ah! My memory card!” The young man immediately shrieked and wailed. The memory card being destroyed meant that the hundreds of photos stored inside were all gone! The photos he had taken after painstakingly spending most of the day finding the best angles to shoot from while hiding in trees and bushes were all gone!

“Compensate me for it! Compensate me!” The young man flew into a rage and charged toward Lucas while waving his fists to try and punch him.

But an ordinary person like him who had never trained in martial arts before was just like a weak chicken in front of Lucas. Lucas turned around to dodge and kicked him at the bend of his legs. He barely applied any force but he managed to send the young man flying far and falling hard onto the ground.

“You… you snatched my camera and even attacked me! I must call the police to arrest you!” Since the memory card had been ruined and all the photographic evidence was destroyed the young man had nothing to worry about anymore. While lying on the ground he started cursing loudly.

Lucas sneered and walked over. Standing in front of the young man and looking down at him from above he demanded “Drop the pretense. Speak up. Who instigated you to take photos of us without permission? If you don’t tell me I’ll make sure you can never be a photographer again!”

He raised a foot and stepped on the young man’s right wrist. As long as he applied a little more force his wrist would be crushed and he would never be able to hold a camera again.

At first the young man thought that Lucas was just boasting and trying to scare him so he continued to curse while lying on the ground. Only when Lucas stepped harder on his wrist did he feel the sharp pain that made him feel overwhelmed with fear.

This person in front of him might really cripple his right hand!

At the thought of this the young man broke out in cold sweat while his face turned pale. Without consideration for anything else he frantically yelled “I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you! Shortly after I had lunch someone found the contact number of my photography studio and asked me to help take pictures of his wife and his wife’s adulterous lover. He claimed that he wanted to collect evidence to sue you two for adultery! He gave me three thousand dollars and even promised to give me another fifteen thousand once he got the photos! That’s all I know!”

Fearing that Lucas would really crush his wrist in a fit of anger the young man spilled the beans and came clean about everything in a single breath.

When Lucas heard the words ‘wife’ and ‘adultery’ his face became even more gloomy. He continued to probe “Who’s the person who looked for you?”

On the brink of tears the young man said “I have no idea. He sent me a text message and was very quick to transfer the deposit of three thousand so I trusted that he would fulfill his promise and came here to take photos of you two. As for the rest I really have no idea!”

Afraid that Lucas wouldn’t believe him the young man hurriedly pulled out his phone and showed Lucas the chat history and transfer record.

“Look I’m telling the truth. I’m not lying to you!” the young man exclaimed pitifully.

Lucas noted down the number of the person who had sent the young man the message and finally moved his foot away from the latter’s wrist while dumping his camera onto the ground. “I’ll let you off this time. But if you dare to do something like this again the consequences will be heavier than this.”

“I won’t dare to! I won’t dare to do it again! Thank you sir!” The young man hurriedly picked up the camera and scrambled away in a panic as if he had received a pardon.

Meanwhile Lucas took out his phone and called someone. After informing the person of the phone number he said “Find out who owns this number!”

Chapter 262: Another Scuffle

In fact Lucas already had an idea about who the mastermind was but he just needed some evidence to prove it.

Ever since he had returned to Orange County and took over the Stardust Corporation there had secretly been a lot of unrest.

In particular after Flynn had appointed Charlotte as the deputy general manager Oliver Harvey the director of the sales department at the time stood out and vehemently opposed it. He even produced a large stack of digitally-doctored photos that implied an illicit affair between Charlotte and Flynn.

After the conspiracy was uncovered Flynn fired Harvey from the company and Harvey committed suicide by jumping off the building. A large number of media outlets quickly caught up to cover as much information as possible. They even misled the audience and caused the Stardust Corporation to face a major controversy and become the target of public criticism for a long time. Even until now it still wasn’t peaceful.

Lucas later found out that the person who secretly instigated or threatened Harvey into taking his own life was Dave Lewis who worked for the Huttons. Shortly after Lucas found him he died of a heart attack in his own home.

Although the trail of clues had been broken Lucas was certain that the mastermind must be someone from the Huttons.

Later on the Stardust Corporation became independent of the Huttons and word about it gradually spread. Thus many families in Orange County thought that the Stardust
Corporation had been abandoned by the Huttons and was no longer as powerful as before. This resulted in plenty of trouble.

Coupled with today’s incident of Declan going to the Stardust Corporation to hold Charlotte hostage and threatening to jump to his death Lucas was sure that someone had instigated him. It was also very likely that the Huttons were the mastermind.

The matter of the paparazzi taking photos without permission could also be part of the plan.

They only had two agendas for doing so. One was to kill Lucas and the other was to destroy the Stardust Corporation.

Lucas was well aware of this.

He didn’t intend to go back to the Huttons but some of the Huttons were extremely wary of him and they tried all sorts of methods to suppress him and even get him killed.

Lucas didn’t care nor was he afraid of those who were trying to kill him be it in private or public. But the Stardust Corporation was the only thing that his mother had left behind for him so no matter what he wouldn’t tolerate them touching the Stardust Corporation!

With a sharp and cold gaze in his eyes Lucas raised his head and looked distantly in the direction of the DC. “Hmph I don’t care who you really are. As long as you dare to reach your hand here I don’t mind chopping it off!”

When Lucas reached the amusement park entrance he saw Charlotte waiting here for him worriedly.

“Lucas what did you lose? Did you find it?” she asked curiously.

Lucas took out a bunch of keys from his pocket and said with a faint smile “I accidentally lost my keys. Fortunately I didn’t drop them too far away.”

Charlotte grinned and teased “I thought that you were invincible. It turns out there are times when you’re careless and end up losing your keys too! Haha!”

Lucas didn’t bother to explain. He merely nodded and said “Yeah so you can’t be careless like me. Okay it’s getting late. Let’s go pick up Amelia and go home!”

Charlotte nodded happily. Soon the two of them got into Lucas’s Jaguar and sped off toward Amelia’s kindergarten.

…

At this moment in a luxurious villa of the Huttons far away in DC…

A young man in his twenties was reclining on a soft leather sofa with a sullen expression.

There was a man in his thirties wearing a suit standing in front of him with his head hung low. The man was standing quietly with great respect not even daring to raise his hand to wipe the cold sweat covering his forehead.

“So your plans have failed?” the young man asked slowly without any emotion in his voice.

The man in the suit immediately got down on both knees and pleaded “Mister Leighton I failed to get the task done well. I’m incompetent! We initially found a perfect candidate and we told him to force Lucas to jump to his death. But to our surprise he merely pretended to jump. He even caught the person we instigated. I didn’t want to risk having that person spout any nonsense about this so I’ve sent someone to get rid of him. We definitely won’t be implicated!

“However I’ve indeed failed to complete the task well. Please punish me Mister Leighton!” The man in the suit pressed his forehead against the carpet.

Edward Leighton glanced at him uninterestedly. “What’s the point of reprimanding you and punishing you at this point? You’d better think of another solution to get rid of that person.”

Seeing that Edward didn’t hold it against him the man in the suit breathed a long sigh of relief. He then raised his head from the ground and said “Actually it’s not that difficult to get rid of Lucas Gray. I’ll send a few of my elite assassins. I’m sure we’ll be able to kill him without anyone realizing!”

Edward snorted coldly in disdain. “Dimwit! If it was that easy why would I need you to think of a solution? Sending hitmen to assassinate him is too straightforward and crude. Grandpa will definitely find out. When he does neither you nor I will be able to get away scot-free!

“Besides it’d be too easy for him if we just let him die like that! Doesn’t the Stardust Corporation mean the world to him because he thinks it’s something precious his mother left behind for him? In that case I’m going to destroy it bit by bit so that he can watch it get destroyed while being unable to do anything about it!”

There was a cold gaze of resentment and viciousness in Edward’s eyes.

The man in the suit shuddered and hurriedly said with his head hung low “Yes Mister Leighton I understand! I will definitely adhere to your orders and think of a way to destroy the Stardust Corporation!”

Edward finally glanced at the man in the suit and said with a faint smile on his face “That’s what you said yourself. Within a month I want the Stardust Corporation to be completely destroyed! Otherwise there’s no need for you to continue living in this world.”

The man in the suit shivered violently. Kneeling on one knee he answered loudly “Yes!”

…

Orange County…

Soon after Lucas arrived at the kindergarten with Charlotte and picked Amelia up he received a call from Jordan.

“Lucas I’ve checked up on that phone number you gave me. It belongs to an unregistered SIM card that can be bought off the market. The identity bound to it doesn’t serve any purpose. We’ve also tracked the positioning according to the network information and it shows that the user threw the phone into a garbage bin. For the time being there’s no other useful information. It was clearly premeditated.”

“Okay.” In fact the outcome was within Lucas’s expectations. Since the other party was so conscientious that he had concealed his identity and even chose to contact the photography studio via text message he definitely did so because he didn’t want to leave any clues.

“One more thing. Declan Adams regained consciousness in the hospital but he suddenly went berserk before the police could interrogate him. He then jumped out of the window of the hospital ward and has already… fallen to his death.

“After that the police and forensic pathologists recovered a tiny metal monitoring device from his left ear canal. The police are still investigating to find out if he heard any instructions through that device before his death.”

Chapter 263: Please Come With Us

Lucas frowned.

He didn’t expect Declan to die despite being in police custody.

But there were definitely potential loopholes everywhere. If it was really the doing of the force that Lucas guessed the police would likely be defenseless and unable to guard against their actions.

But Declan’s death was not in vain. At the very least Lucas was now certain that the mastermind who instigated Declan was more likely than not one of the Huttons or someone under them.

Otherwise Declan wouldn’t have died so easily.

“Okay I know.”

Lucas was about to hang up the phone when he noticed in the rearview mirror that there were several inconspicuous cars tailing his car. Their intentions were unclear but he knew that they had to be up to no good.

He frowned. They’re really everywhere. How annoying!

He wondered who sent these people to tail him.

They actually waited at his daughter’s kindergarten and subsequently shadowed him. It was obviously a provocation!

With a trace of murderous intent in his eyes Lucas hung up the phone and quickly made another call. “Come to Amelia’s kindergarten immediately!”

Lucas parked his car by the roadside and acutely discovered that the few cars tailing behind also pulled over nearby. He sneered.

Shortly after the tall and brawny Wade appeared in front of Lucas.

Charlotte who was holding Amelia in her arms and chatting with her in the backseat was stunned to see Wade.

As soon as Wade saw Lucas and Charlotte he lowered his head and sincerely apologized “Sorry Mister Gray. I failed to protect Miss Charlotte in the afternoon and ended up causing her to be frightened. Please punish me!”

Lucas had specially sent him to protect Charlotte. But in the end Charlotte was held hostage by the deranged Declan who even forcefully brought her to the roof of the Stardust Corporation office building where she almost fell to her death. Wade was laden with guilt and self-reproach.

Lucas knew that although he had ordered Wade to protect Charlotte secretly Wade would generally only protect her when she was at the office or at home. He naturally couldn’t follow her and stay by her side 24 hours a day.

Lucas shook his head. “What happened today has nothing to do with you. But from now on you must be more cautious and protect her as well as you can. Otherwise there’s no need for me to keep you around.”

Lucas’s words were not too stern or harsh but they made Wade’s heart skip a beat. It was obvious what Lucas meant—if Wade couldn’t do his job well as a bodyguard Lucas would no longer need him and he would have no choice but to leave. That was something that Wade could never tolerate!

“Mister Gray I promise that I will do my best to protect Miss Charlotte as much as I can. What happened today will not occur again in the future!” Wade hurriedly guaranteed.

Lucas merely chided Wade a little and didn’t intend to punish him. Seeing that he was much more conscientious now he nodded. “I still have some things to take care of now. Take both of them home.”

Since Lucas discovered that someone was following him he planned to let Charlotte drive home together with Amelia. But he was worried that someone would harm them. Charlotte was a vulnerable girl while Amelia was a five-year-old child. In case something terrible really happened to them Lucas would definitely regret it!

So he called Wade over and asked him to send them home.

This was how meticulous and cautious Lucas was.

Charlotte also sensed that something was amiss and asked worriedly “Lucas have you encountered trouble? Should we call the police?”

Amelia was also influenced by Charlotte’s nervousness and she stared at Lucas with worry in her large eyes. “Daddy…”

Lucas stroked Amelia’s soft hair and smiled. “I’m alright. I just have a few things to take care of at the office. Be good and stay in the car with Aunt Charlotte. This muscular uncle will take you home.”

He turned to say to Charlotte comfortingly “It’s alright. I just happen to have some things to handle. I’d feel more at ease with Wade sending you home.”

Charlotte finally felt relieved. Holding Amelia in her arms she said “Okay be careful and come home early!”

“Yeah got it.”

Lucas opened the car door and got out. After watching Wade get into the driver’s seat and drive the black Jaguar far away he finally looked away and walked toward the few small cars parked closely behind him.

The people in the cars seemed to be waiting for Lucas. When they saw him approaching they immediately opened the car doors and got out to surround Lucas. There were more than ten of them and they were rather burly.

They were obviously extraordinary bodyguards especially since they were so large and muscular.

Lucas raised his eyebrows and asked nonchalantly “Who sent you?”

The bald bodyguard who was their leader glanced at Lucas in surprise.

In his opinion the vast majority of people would panic and look nervous when suddenly surrounded by more than ten burly men. Yey Lucas remained composed and didn’t show the slightest trace of fear.

The bald bodyguard stopped being as contemptuous as he was when he first saw how lean Lucas was. “Mister Gray please come with us and you will naturally find out who the person who sent us is.”

He extended his arm and pointed at a Volkswagen Passat with a door opened gesturing for Lucas to get inside.

After taking a glance at him Lucas stepped foot into the Passat without saying a word or showing too much emotion. His actions were so natural that he was like their boss.

The bald bodyguard’s cheeks twitched a little. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration for Lucas’s ability to stay cool and collected.

About half an hour later the car pulled over at a clubhouse called Snowflake Entertainment.

The bodyguards asked Lucas to get out and then surrounded him again before taking him to the entrance of one of the most luxurious private rooms on the top floor.

“Boss Mister Lucas Gray is here” the bald bodyguard reported from the doorway.

“Let him in!” A familiar voice came from inside the private room.

Lucas raised his eyebrows. He could recognize the voice.

It belonged to Preston Taylor the most successful descendant of the Taylors and the one most likely to succeed as the next helmsman of the family. He was also the former owner of the Ocean Bathhouse. Lucas had just met him this morning and extorted a compensation of three million dollars from him.

Lucas was waiting for the Taylors to come looking for him but he didn’t expect Preston to be so impatient as to resort to such a method to ‘invite’ him over.

Watching Lucas step into the private room Preston who was sitting on the innermost couch snorted coldly with a fake smile. “Lucas Gray I’ve finally invited you to my turf.”

Preston deliberately emphasized the word ‘turf’ because he wanted to clap back at Lucas for saying that the Ocean Bathhouse was his turf in the morning and forcing him to compensate him.

“In that case are you trying to take revenge on me now Mister Taylor?” While speaking Lucas didn’t show the slightest bit of fear at all. He sat down on a random couch across from Preston.

Chapter 264: Return It to the Taylors

When Preston saw how bold and fearless Lucas was his facial muscles twitched a little as he gritted his teeth with great resentment and viciousness in his eyes.

With a hypocritical grin he said “Hehe why would I do that? Since I invited you here I naturally have something to discuss with you.”

He thought he had hidden his intentions well. But being a sharp and shrewd person Lucas had long seen through Preston.

“Mister Taylor don’t beat around the bush with me. If you have anything to say just say it.” Lucas couldn’t be bothered to exchange hypocritical pleasantries with him. He simply leaned against the couch and got straight to the point.

Seeing Lucas taking the lead in the conversation Preston was displeased and his face immediately turned dark.

He waved his hand and the few scantily clad beauties sitting beside him immediately walked out of the room.

Soon only Lucas Preston and a burly man who followed Preston wherever he went were the only ones left in the large private room.

Lucas glanced at the burly man and found that his muscles were bulging from underneath his clothes. He was brawny the skin above his joints was all covered in calluses and his temples were also slightly bulging. He was obviously a powerful elite personal bodyguard of Preston’s.

But he was powerful only in comparison to ordinary people. In Lucas’s opinion this bodyguard was mediocre and far inferior to Stanley Ray so he quickly looked away uninterestedly.

“Lucas Gray I asked you about your background in the Ocean Bathhouse this morning but you refused to tell me. However we’re in a modern society now and it’s a piece of cake for me to find out who you are!

“Six years ago you were just a poor college student who got embroiled in a scandal with Cheyenne Carter and subsequently you became a live-in son-in-law of the Carters. But you soon went missing to go join the military for six years. You were discharged only recently and then you returned to Orange County am I right?”

Preston stared at Lucas austerely as he spoke. At the same time he was also closely observing Lucas’s expression to try and find some traces of panic or nervousness.

But he was disappointed because Lucas merely remained sitting without even frowning as if Preston was talking about an irrelevant person.

“Hmph I also discovered that you’re one of the Huttons so you should have been named Lucas Hutton. Unfortunately you and your mother were both kicked out and you can’t even keep your family name! I’m right about that aren’t I?” There was a gloating gaze in Preston’s eyes.

Logically speaking it was unlikely for the Taylors to have found out about the family affairs of the Huttons and the incident that happened more than two decades ago. But it could be that the Huttons also utterly detested Lucas and thus told the person who the Taylors sent to scout for information everything about Lucas.

Initially Preston was astonished after hearing that Lucas was a descendant of the Huttons while also feeling a little scared. After all the Huttons were one of the eight top families in DC and they owned businesses in various industries all over the country. They could really be considered a whale. If he confronted Hutton Preston wouldn’t be the only one in trouble as he would implicate the rest of the Taylors too.

But Preston soon learned that Lucas this so-called member of the Huttons wasn’t even considered one of them. He not only wouldn’t be able to get any help from the Huttons but he had even ended up offending many of them. He was really considered an abandoned member of the Huttons who had no support or backer!

If Preston could go against Lucas and suppress him he might be able to win the favor of the Huttons and it was even possible for him to build connections with the aloof Huttons!

When Preston thought of this there was even more smugness on his face.

Lucas naturally knew that Preston must have had some help and encouragement from some people since he could find out so much about him. But Lucas wasn’t afraid at all.

There was no need to let someone like Preston know about the truth and whether or not he had been abandoned. Lucas felt that he would just keep it to himself.

“Did you investigate my background and identity just to show off your subordinates’ great potential for becoming paparazzi?” Lucas mocked indifferently.

Preston choked in exasperation and sneered. “Hmph Lucas Gray stop trying to play tricks by being a slick talker to me! Who are you to go against the Taylors? Listen up. I’m not a bumpkin like Joe who hasn’t seen much of the world. I won’t be intimidated by your scaremongering words!”

“Oh is that so? What do you want then?” Lucas asked indifferently seemingly not giving a hoot about Preston’s threats.

Preston felt like his attempts to intimidate Lucas failed every single time and he felt no sense of accomplishment at all. Instead he ended up being furious.

Lucas Gray is atrocious!

He’s just a punk who got kicked out of the Huttons when he was a child. Without no family backing him how can he still be arrogant in front of the Taylors?

Preston slammed his hand hard on the coffee table while hollering viciously “Hmph Lucas Gray since you don’t know any better I won’t waste my breath on you. At the end of the day the Ocean Bathhouse is a property of the Taylors. Calvin Pearce was just the owner-in-name.
He doesn’t have the right to sell the bathhouse at all! So if you’re smart enough give the Ocean Bathhouse back to me and I can pretend that nothing has happened!”

As if to play along with Preston the burly bodyguard took a step forward to approach Lucas while trying to appear as intimidating as possible.

Lucas smirked and stood up relaxedly. He then picked up a dice from the table fiddled with it in his hand and said with a faint smile “In that case are you thinking of snatching the Ocean Bathhouse away from me?”

“I’m not snatching it. I want you to return it to me!” Preston hollered smugly with great righteousness as he leaned against the couch.

The situation now was different from the morning. Lucas was now on the turf of Preston who also had an extremely powerful bodyguard by his side. There were at least dozens of other henchmen outside so Preston was confident that Lucas wouldn’t turn him down!

“I see.” Lucas smiled faintly and suddenly flicked the dice that he was fiddling with.

Whoosh!

The dice suddenly emitted a loud sound as it shuttled through the air. It then struck the spot on the wall beside Preston’s head with a loud bang.

“Waah!” Preston was so frightened that he shuddered shrieked in horror and sprang up from the couch.

The bodyguard beside him also shielded him as if they were facing a great enemy.

The two of them stared at the spot in the wall dumbfounded.

They saw that a huge hole had formed on the wall above the couch where Preston had sat which was originally covered in beautiful wallpaper. There were also several cracks in the hard concrete wall around the hole which spread all over the wall!

There was an extremely ordinary dice embedded in the center of that deep hole in the wall!

“Mister Taylor what did you just say? I didn’t get to hear you clearly” Lucas said indifferently as he leaned back on the couch with a smile.

Chapter 265: Small Request

Preston’s face was naturally extremely gloomy at this point.

Lucas was clearly trying to intimidate him!

It was just an ordinary dice but the power that emerged from Lucas’s hand when he threw it was not inferior to the power contained in a bullet shot from a gun!

Besides the dice Lucas shot had landed near Preston’s head. If Lucas had intended to kill Preston he would have probably been shot in the head by now!

At the thought of this Preston felt his entire body’s hair stand on end and cold sweat rapidly seeped out of his pores making him chilly all over.

And Preston’s elite bodyguard was also overwhelmed with shock.

As a bodyguard he should protect his employer’s safety in any emergency situation.

But the speed of the dice Lucas shot out just now was so quick that it wasn’t visible to the naked eye. In fact he only figured out what happened after hearing the terse and sharp sound of the dice shuttling through the air followed by the loud bang.

He couldn’t even react in time let alone protect his employer Preston from the dice full of thunderous power that had traveled at lightning speed.

The elite bodyguard subconsciously touched the bulge on his waist where there was clearly a hidden weapon. Lucas guessed that it was probably a pistol and as soon as Preston gave the order he would immediately pull it out and aim it at Lucas.

But a pistol was just like a toy to Lucas. It didn’t scare or deter him at all.

So Lucas was still smiling calmly and sitting on the couch as if he hadn’t noticed the bodyguard’s actions at all.

“Stand down!” Preston clenched his jaw and hollered loudly. Only then did his bodyguard put his hand down indignantly and retreated to stand behind Preston.

Seeing the calm expression on Lucas’s face Preston forced himself to smile and his attitude changed drastically. “Mister Gray I forgot to mention something just now. I’m not asking you to return the Ocean Bathhouse to me for free. Since you spent eight million dollars to acquire it I’ll give you sixteen million now. I promise you won’t suffer any losses. What do you say?”

Lucas shook his head. “Return to you? Mister Taylor you must have misunderstood! I bought the Ocean Bathhouse with cash and all the legal procedures for the purchase have been completed. What do you mean ‘return it to you’?”

Curbing his anger Preston clenched his jaw. “I shall rephrase my words. I’ll buy the bathhouse back from you at twice the original sale price!”

“No.” Lucas shook his head without hesitation.

“Triple the price! I’ll buy the bathhouse at three times what you paid!” Preston increased the offer. “Lucas Gray you purchased the Ocean Bathhouse from Calvin Pearce at only eight million and within a day you’re going to earn sixteen million if you accept my offer. This isn’t a deal that comes by all the time!”

In fact Preston was anguished as he felt the pinch of having to pay so much.

He was in charge of the Ocean Bathhouse in the first place and the businesses run in the bathhouse especially the one on the top floor was indispensable for the Taylors. Yet Calvin had sold it to Lucas at a low price of eight million dollars!

The Ocean Bathhouse was extremely important for the Taylors and even more so for Preston! If the old fogies of the family who had always been against him found out they would definitely strip him of his position as the successor!

Therefore Preston had to get the Ocean Bathhouse back before the rest of the Taylors found out!

At first he wanted to force Lucas to hand over the Ocean Bathhouse but he was intimidated by the scene when Lucas shot the dice. So if he wanted to get the bathhouse back now he would have to be resolute and buy it back with cash!

As for the extra 16 million dollars he would have to fork it out of his own pocket.

16 million dollars!

The thought of giving away such a large amount of money to Lucas for nothing made Preston feel extremely devastated!

But the 16 million dollars that made Preston extremely upset was nothing to Lucas.

Not to mention the immeasurable wealth that Lucas had Tony Zander had recently given Lucas 24 million dollars for nothing. So Lucas really didn’t care for this 16 million dollars.

“No. Even if you pay me five or ten times the price I paid I won’t sell it to you. I’m sure you know better than me the exact value of the Ocean Bathhouse.” Lucas shook his head adamantly.

Preston played dumb and said “It’s just a bathhouse. How much value can it have? The only reason I want it back is because it’s the place that built the Taylors’ family fortune. Mister Gray if you’re interested in such entertainment joints how about I trade Snowflake
Entertainment for the Ocean Bathhouse? This deal will definitely guarantee you a profit!”

Lucas sneered in derision. “Mister Taylor let’s be open and aboveboard. The Ocean Bathhouse is different from other entertainment joints and we both know it. Otherwise why would you be so insistent on getting it back?”

When Preston heard this his eyelids twitched.

Actually many members of the county’s upper class were aware of the business being run on the top floor of the Ocean Bathhouse. Otherwise how did their clientele come about?

But Preston didn’t expect that Lucas a person he thought was of insignificant status would find out about it and even harp on it insistently.

“Lucas Gray since you’re already aware of it you should know how important it is to the Taylors. I will lay my cards on the table. What exactly do you want before you are willing to hand over the Ocean Bathhouse to me?” Preston glared at Lucas. If he wasn’t afraid of Lucas’s impressive feat he would have long told his bodyguard to kill Lucas!

Lucas tilted his head and smiled. “Actually I’m not trying to be greedy and rip you off. To be honest I only have a small request. As long as you agree I can return the Ocean Bathhouse to you for free.”

“Do you mean it?” Preston was overjoyed but he soon sensed that something was amiss. He reckoned that if it was a request that could make Lucas give up easily obtaining a profit of millions of dollars it mustn’t be a simple one.

“What is your request? If you raise something that I can’t fulfill or is far beyond my means wouldn’t that be a waste of breath?” Preston asked conscientiously.

Lucas smiled faintly. “I have a simple request and it’s definitely something that you can fulfill. I’m very interested in the business that the Taylors are running on the top floor of the
Ocean Bathhouse. As long as you help me recommend some business I’ll give the Ocean Bathhouse to you for free. How does that sound?”

“What?!” Preston never expected that to be Lucas’s request!

Chapter 266: Gunshot

“No!” Preston refused resolutely. “This isn’t a small business. We’ve monopolized it in Orange County! If I recommend some clients to you won’t I be giving the Taylors a competitor for no reason?”

Lucas shook his head. “I naturally won’t run this business in Orange County and become your competitor.”

After giving it some thought Preston still didn’t believe Lucas. “Your roots are all in Orange County. Why should I believe that you would leave this county and go elsewhere to run this business.”

Lucas shrugged. “It’s up to you to believe me or not. Mister Taylor please get your facts right. I’m doing you a favor by asking you to recommend clients to me. Besides I don’t want to fall out with the Taylors either. To put it bluntly the Ocean Bathhouse is in my hands now and so are those beautiful women. Even if I take over the business directly now what can you do to me?”

Lucas’s words made Preston’s face turn gloomy again.

But this was really what the current situation was like. Since that bastard Calvin had presumptuously sold the Ocean Bathhouse Lucas was the dominant party. Since Preston wanted the bathhouse back he would have to be led by the nose by Lucas. This made Preston furious.

His face was unsightly and hostile.

Lucas stood up and said casually “Think this over properly and give me a firm answer before ten tonight. Otherwise I will change my mind tomorrow and the Ocean Bathhouse will belong to me forever.”

With that he turned around and walked toward the door of the private room.

“Hold it!” Preston bellowed in exasperation. The bodyguard beside him immediately drew the pistol from his waist and aimed the muzzle at Lucas.

Lucas turned around glanced at the bodyguard and the pistol he was holding and then turned to look at Preston again. He sneered. “Mister Taylor what do you mean by this?”

“Lucas Gray surely you don’t really think that I invited you here to negotiate the terms and let you bargain with me do you? Don’t forget. The place where you are standing now is my turf!” Preston started behaving smugly as usual again and guffawed loudly. “As the future successor of the Taylors what’s going to become of my reputation if I get threatened by a punk like you? It would be a huge embarrassment and insult to the Taylors!

“Punk I wanted to be kind and buy the Ocean Bathhouse back from you with cash in a fair and peaceful manner. But you’re being too disrespectful to me! Who do you think you are? How dare you say you will give me a few hours to consider? Do you really think that I’m afraid of you?”

The resentment and anger that Preston had been curbing for a long time finally erupted and he even felt that there was no need for him to be wary of Lucas and put up with his behavior previously. He decided to get his bodyguard to pull out his pistol and threaten Lucas to hand over the bathhouse. If Lucas refused to comply he would just have Lucas killed! Anyway it wasn’t like Preston hadn’t killed anyone before!

Lucas looked at Preston who seemed to have gained confidence and was emboldened. “Do you really think you can threaten me with a tiny pistol?”

Preston narrowed his eyes and mocked contemptuously “Yeah! I have a pistol so you are destined to die! I’ve put up with you for a long time now. If you kneel down and apologize to me now I will consider letting you leave this place in one piece. Otherwise hmph don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

“Is that so?” As soon as Lucas said this he suddenly vanished from the spot in front of Preston and his bodyguard!

“Where is he?” Preston blurted and his eyes widened in astonishment.

The bodyguard was shocked too. He had already aimed his gun at Lucas yet Lucas vanished right on the spot without a trace!

But the next instant a massive force struck Preston’s stomach!

“Argh!” Before Preston could even scream he spat out a mouthful of bile!

Preston’s abdomen and internal organs seemed to have been shattered. He was in so much pain that he convulsed incessantly and curled up into a ball while hugging his abdomen. It took him a long time to wail loudly “Ahhh! It hurts!”

The elite bodyguard was horrified and he hurriedly aimed the muzzle of his pistol at Lucas and shot without hesitation.

Bang!

The bullet pierced through Lucas’s head and struck the wall near the door.

The bodyguard was just about to heave a sigh of relief when he found that Lucas who should have collapsed after being shot by the bullet suddenly appeared in front of him. Lucas raised his hand and swiftly snatched away the pistol with immense strength that the bodyguard couldn’t resist.

Afterward the bodyguard and Preston were horrified to find that the small but hard pistol looked just like a clay toy in Lucas’s hands. He pinched the barrel and grip into a bizarre figure 8 and the entire pistol seemed to have become a ball of scrap metal!

Lucas actually managed to twist and distort the gun with his bare hands. This was simply beyond the imagination of Preston and his bodyguard!

The bodyguard was shocked and a wave of dread surged in his heart!

I should have shot Lucas Gray in his head just now. How did he appear in front of me unscathed…

No!

He didn’t manage to shoot Lucas at all. The bullet had merely pierced through Lucas’s afterimage!

The young man is incredibly fast!

The bodyguard’s eyes widened in horror and he suddenly felt an astonishing chill in his heart.

Bang!

“Mister Taylor are you alright?”

The door of the private room suddenly opened violently from the outside and more than ten burly bodyguards charged in. They were the same bodyguards who had brought Lucas here from the bathhouse.

They had been guarding outside the room and charged in when they heard the sudden gunshot. Although they were sure that the person who fired was definitely Preston or his personal bodyguard they decided to rush in after a moment of hesitation.

The scene that appeared in front of them was very different from what they had imagined!

They initially thought that since the person who shot was one of the Taylors the person wounded or even dead from the gunshot had to be the young man they had brought over.

But they never expected to see their employer Preston huddled up on the ground while clutching his stomach with cold sweat all over his forehead. He was in so much pain that he couldn’t speak at all. Moreover his personal bodyguard was standing still with a look of horror on his face as if he had seen a ghost.

Yet the young man was standing unscathed in the room with a ball of scrap metal in his hands and staring smilingly at the bodyguards who just entered.

Chapter 267: Can’t Make Him Stay

W-what’s going on?

The ten-odd bodyguards who barged in glared at Lucas like he was a great enemy.

On the ground Preston gritted his teeth resentfully as he struggled to raise his head to look at the bodyguards and ordered “Kill… kill him!”

The punch Lucas threw at his abdomen left Preston in so much pain that he was on the verge of throwing up all the food he had eaten for the past few days. The slightest movement made him feel intense pain in his stomach.

For the past few decades of his life Preston had never been beaten up like this or suffered such a huge loss before!

If Lucas could still leave Preston’s turf under the siege of so many bodyguards Preston would be thoroughly embarrassed!

The ten-odd bodyguards and Preston’s personal bodyguard acknowledged and immediately surrounded Lucas.

Lucas smiled coldly and raised his leg to kick the bald bodyguard who rushed in front of him sending him flying!

“Ah!” The bald bodyguard let out a miserable cry as his body was propelled upward before slamming hard against the distant wall. He then bounced off the wall and crashed onto the glass coffee table.

It was the same for the other bodyguards. Each of them got kicked in the chest and sent flying. In just a few seconds all of them were lying motionlessly on the ground and clutching their chests while wincing in pain. They couldn’t get up at all.

Even Preston’s personal bodyguard whose proficiency in combat skills was better than ordinary bodyguards was no match for Lucas at all. When facing Lucas whose power was way above that of ordinary people he couldn’t take a blow from him either. After taking a kick from Lucas he spat out a mouthful of blood and laid motionlessly in the corner of the room unable to get up at all.

Huddled on the ground Preston stared at the scene in front of him with his eyeballs on the verge of falling out.

He didn’t expect that the numerous bodyguards he had hired for so much money would be that useless. Lucas kicked each of them away effortlessly as though they were all inferior to ordinary people who didn’t know any combat skills.

“Good-for-nothings… Argh all of you… a bunch of good-for-nothings!” Preston seethed and then let out a low helpless roar of exasperation from his diaphragm.

Bang!

Bang!

Lucas walked towards Preston unhurriedly.

Preston had one side of his face lying against the ground and his pupils constricted as he watched Lucas approach him bit by bit. He felt as if Lucas was a ferocious beast walking over toward him unhurriedly in a bid to rip apart his already defenseless prey.

He desperately wanted to huddle up and retreat back even more but the space of the room was limited and he couldn’t move any farther because there was a large and heavy couch behind him.

“You… Don’t come over… I-I’m the successor of the Taylors. If you dare to lay a finger on me we won’t let you off!”

Overwhelmed with fear Preston broke out in a cold sweat and struggled to say something threatening while ignoring the pain in his chest and abdomen.

The pistol was useless against Lucas who had even twisted and bent it into a ball of scrap metal while the ten-odd bodyguards were completely defenseless when facing Lucas like children who couldn’t fight back. Preston no longer had anything to rely on and he was truly scared at this point!

Seeing how cowardly and terrified Preston was Lucas sneered and chuckled softly. Of course he wouldn’t choose to do something to him now. Rather he just wanted him to understand that he was not to be threatened or held back by force.

Lucas stood in front of Preston and looked down at him condescendingly. “Mister Taylor do you still want to hold me back forcefully?”

“N-n-no! I wouldn’t dare to!” Preston shook his head profusely. At this point he was afraid that Lucas would kill him in a fit of anger so how could he dare to continue to make things hard for Lucas?

“Okay in that case I can give you one more night to think about it. The condition I just raised will remain the same. Come to the Ocean Bathhouse at nine o’clock tomorrow morning and give me an answer. Do you understand?”

Preston obviously no longer dared to turn him down. He hurriedly nodded in a flustered manner.

Only when he saw Lucas leave the private room did he completely relax. His body was drenched in cold sweat and he shivered several times.

While Preston was furious and aggrieved Lucas called an Uber and returned to the villa in the middle of Pearl Lake.

At this time the sky was already completely dark and Cheyenne and her family had long since returned home.

“Lucas! You’re finally home!”

As soon as Lucas arrived home Charlotte scurried out and held onto his arm while grinning widely. “Cheyenne cooked a lot of delicious food today to celebrate us escaping unscathed and returning unharmed!”

Feeling the warmth on his arm Lucas subconsciously wanted to pull his arm away but Cheyenne happened to hear the noise and walked to the front of the villa too.

“Lucas you’re back!” The gaze in Cheyenne’s eyes flickered a little when she saw Charlotte hugging Lucas’s arm. But she soon walked forward with a beautiful smile and pulled Lucas away a little. “Hurry up and go wash your hands. Dinner is ready. We can dig in after you wash your hands.”

Lucas immediately said “Okay.” He then quickly retracted his arm and hurriedly strode toward the bathroom.

Soon all of them gathered at the dining table. Both Cheyenne and Charlotte were grateful that Lucas had saved Charlotte today so they kept helping him to the food.

Seeing this scene Karen was immediately displeased. “Hmph you’re just a good-for-nothing who sponges off of us. Who are you to let my daughters help you to the food?”

Karen glared daggers at Lucas before yelling at her daughters in displeasure “I’ve painstakingly raised the both of you but I’ve never seen you helping me to food at all. Yet you’re so caring towards an outsider huh?! You two are just ingrates!”

After hearing these words Charlotte immediately flew into a rage. She had had such a dangerous encounter today but Karen didn’t even show her any concern!

Ever since that incident in the hotel restaurant Charlotte had been completely disappointed in Karen who had broken her heart.

But deep down she still had a glimmer of hope that her mother cared about her.

So at first she had thought that Karen wasn’t aware of it. But she soon found Karen sitting on the couch and watching television on which there were news subtitles about the incident that she was involved in at the Stardust Corporation today!

Feeling aggrieved Charlotte asked “Mom why didn’t you ask me what happened to me today?”

But to her surprise Karen merely rolled her eyes at her while chewing on a snack before asking in displeasure “What’s there to ask? You came back in one piece didn’t you?”

Her words made Charlotte so furious that she almost questioned Karen if she was her biological mother.

She had never seen anyone like Karen who didn’t show any concern for her daughter who had been held hostage and had almost fallen to her death from a great height! Karen’s attitude was worse than that of a stranger!

Now Charlotte and Cheyenne were just helping Lucas to the food to thank him for saving her life. Yet Karen started making such sarcastic remarks leaving Charlotte speechless.

“Mom Lucas saved my life today. Can’t I help him to some food? Also don’t forget that you’re now living in Lucas’s villa. Why are you always so mean to him?” Charlotte asked in exasperation.

Karen immediately rolled her eyes again. “Hmph bullshit! This good-for-nothing didn’t buy this villa. It was a gift from Ethan Sawyer!”

Chapter 268: Revealing The Truth

In fact Karen didn’t know how the ostentatious and luxurious villa came about. But she subconsciously felt that Lucas was a good-for-nothing who certainly wouldn’t be able to afford such a villa.

It happened that she had created a misunderstanding in front of Ethan during the banquet at the Intercontinental Hotel some time ago. She had mistakenly thought that Ethan wanted Charlotte to be his daughter-in-law only to find out later that Lucas had inadvertently done the Sawyers a huge favor. Thus Ethan had decided to give Lucas many hefty gifts including a luxurious sports car and properties worth several million dollars.

So Karen also took it for granted that the villa was a gift to Lucas from Ethan.

Cheyenne couldn’t stand it any longer. She clarified sternly “Mom Lucas bought this villa and it has nothing to do with the Sawyers.”

But Karen didn’t believe her at all as she humphed in disdain. “Hmph do you take me for a fool? Six years ago he was just a penniless man who stole fifty thousand dollars from us while he was our live-in son-in-law! Now that he has returned from the military he’s suddenly able to afford a villa worth over a hundred million dollars. Who would believe that?”

When Lucas heard Karen once again accusing him of stealing 50000 dollars from the Carters his face turned gloomy.

Karen had mentioned that matter once when he had just returned to Orange County and went to the Carter residence to see Cheyenne. At the time he had even explained it. But unfortunately Cheyenne seemed to be the only person who suspected that the truth might not be like what they thought. The rest of the Carters refused to believe him.

“Karen shut up!” William flew into a rage threw his cutlery onto the table and said with a stern expression “I must make things clear today so that Lucas will no longer be falsely accused of this!

“Six years ago Lucas did borrow fifty thousand from me for the medical treatment of his seriously ill mother who was hospitalized at the time. Unfortunately he couldn’t make it in time to bring the money to the hospital and his mother passed away before he arrived. He didn’t use the money and returned the entire sum to me on the very same night.”

William glanced at Karen. “You are aware of this matter too. Back then you even had a huge fight with me because you were mad that I had lent the money to Lucas. You only shut up after you saw Lucas return all of it to me without a single cent less. Less than two days later your nephew wanted to borrow money from you and you lent it to him without even discussing it with me! Six years have passed and till now your nephew still hasn’t returned the money!

“After Lucas left at that time we encountered all sorts of problems including some financial difficulties. But you couldn’t tell Cheyenne and Charlotte that you lent so much money to your nephew who hasn’t returned it yet so you made Lucas the scapegoat and accused him of stealing the money before absconding with it!”

William revealed the truth of the matter in a single breath.

In fact he had been keeping it to himself for a long time. Especially after seeing how Lucas was wholeheartedly doing his best to care for their family he felt even more guilty for mistreating him at the beginning. He also felt really bad for accusing Lucas of stealing money in front of both his daughters.

So he decided to take the opportunity today to reveal the truth and clear Lucas’s name!

After hearing this both Cheyenne and Charlotte were astonished!

It wasn’t too bad for Cheyenne. After all she had been having doubts about the truth of this matter since she heard Lucas say that he didn’t steal the money. On the other hand Charlotte was flabbergasted because it was the first time she heard the truth about this matter.

Fortunately her impression and opinion of Lucas had changed drastically during this period of time. Otherwise she might still be one of the people who pointed fingers at Lucas and berated him!

At the thought of all the misunderstandings and harsh remarks she had made to Lucas in the past Charlotte couldn’t help but feel a strong sense of embarrassment as she blushed ashamedly.

But Karen wasn’t guilty nor embarrassed at all. After she heard William tell the truth the first thing she did was slam the table hard and holler furiously “Bullshit! William Carter what are you talking about? When did my nephew ever come to borrow money?”

William snorted coldly and retorted “You should know very well whether or not your nephew has taken fifty thousand dollars from you! Anyway Lucas definitely didn’t take the money so don’t put the blame on him!”

Seeing William also siding with Lucas Karen flew into a rage and snapped “William Carter you heartless thing! I’ve been married to you for more than two decades and throughout our marriage I’ve suffered so much hardship and worked hard every day to wash your clothes and cook for you. I even raised your daughters to adulthood! Even if I lent some money to my nephew what’s the big deal?! Don’t forget. That money was part of our matrimonial assets and it belonged to both of us. I have the right to spend it too!

“I really have such a miserable life. Not only did I marry such a useless man but he’s even reprimanding me to no end for lending money to my nephew! I did lend him some money so what? William Carter you scoundrel what else do you want?!”

Whenever something happened Karen would scream and yell at the top of her lungs like a shrew. Usually William Cheyenne and Charlotte would simply ignore her and let her rattle on.

Over time this trick had almost become Karen’s trump card as she mistakenly thought that everyone would be scared and not dare to provoke her as long as she yelled at them loudly.

But today William didn’t want to put up with her any longer.

“Throughout the years you’ve given a lot of money to your relatives to cope with their financial difficulties. But the fifty thousand you lent your nephew six years ago was a large sum of money that I had scrimped and saved to accumulate over the years. I intended to use it for Charlotte’s wedding and for Cheyenne and Amelia’s living expenses!

“But what about you? You gave the money to your nephew without saying a word! Your nephew didn’t even need the money for an emergency. He just squandered it! He even bragged about it to me!

“At that time Cheyenne was pregnant with Amelia and people would show up at the Brilliance Corporation to look for trouble every other day. Charlotte was still in college then so we really needed money for many things! You lied to them and said that Lucas stole the money from us because you couldn’t afford to cover those expenses! I told you to go to your nephew to urge him to return the money. Yet you vehemently refused and you even lashed out at me. You said that I’m stingy and disregarded kinship!

“I’ve really put up with you for so many years! When Cheyenne and Charlotte were kids I worked hard all day while you spent all your time playing cards with your friends. You didn’t cook or did any household chores. If my mother hadn’t come over to look after them every once in a while they might have starved to death when they were young!

“When both of our daughters were in college I gave you money to pay for their tuition laptops and cell phones because I didn’t want them to fall far behind other children. But what did you do? You took the money and used it to buy computers and air conditioners for your family! If I hadn’t asked about it afterward you would have squandered away all the money meant for their college tuition!

“Later on when the Carters snatched Cheyenne’s company away from her when she was late into her pregnancy she was so furious that she went into premature labor. But despite being her mother you stayed at home to take a nap every day and refused to go to the hospital to take care of her! Yet you have the cheek to say that you raised the both of them painstakingly?”

…

William had been bottling up these emotions within him for way too long. So he took the opportunity to vent his anger today revealing the truth of several incidents that he had never mentioned before in the past decade or so.

Meanwhile Cheyenne and Charlotte looked at Karen in utter shock and disbelief!

They were aware of some of the things William exposed but most of them were unheard of to them. In fact they never dared to imagine it either.

But they knew that William was telling the truth and the motherly image of Karen in their hearts was utterly ruined!

Chapter 269: How to Stop Someone Crying

Seeing William mercilessly exposing many of her secrets from the past and the look of disappointment in Cheyenne’s and Charlotte’s eyes Karen immediately felt a little flustered.

“Cheyenne Charlotte these are all just lies that William Carter made up to deceive you! I’m your mother. How could I have mistreated you? Even if I was negligent when I took care of you two in the past it was just an understandable mistake. I didn’t do it on purpose!” Karen said anxiously.

But when she saw her daughters still staring at her heartbrokenly she was furious and ashamed. She then yelled at William “William Carter what intentions are you harboring?! I raised both our daughters to adulthood and yet you’re making things up now to drive a wedge between me and them!

“Are you thinking of sucking up to your daughters now that they are old enough to support you? I’m no longer of any use to you right? You’re so evil and vicious. Why exactly are you doing this to me?!”

While speaking she reached out to scratch William’s face.

William blocked Karen’s hand and sneered. “You know better than I do whether or not I made up those facts just to sow discord!”

With that he directly stood up and left the dining table to return to his own room not giving Karen a chance to throw a fit at all.

There were many rooms in this villa that Lucas bought. Since William returned yesterday Karen hadn’t asked him anything about his two-week absence or shown him any concern which was very much to his disappointment. Thus he chose to stay in an empty room to be away from her.

After William left Karen again desperately pulled Cheyenne’s and Charlotte’s hands while weeping miserably and lamenting about how hard it had been for her to keep the family together while raising the both of them. She anxiously tried to convince them not to believe William’s words by claiming that he was lying.

But Cheyenne and Charlotte were now absolutely disappointed in Karen. They were no longer children and could tell right from wrong so they had already come to a conclusion about who was lying based on their own judgment.

They didn’t want to listen to Karen’s explanations nor were they in the mood to continue eating. They struggled to break free from Karen and then carried Amelia upstairs.

Soon only Karen and Lucas were left in the spacious dining room.

Lucas glanced at Karen coldly. He wasn’t even aware of many of the incidents that William had just mentioned. Although his mother had died at a young age due to her severe illness she had always exerted her utmost effort to teach him to be an upright person.

Lucas almost dared not imagine that Karen who was likewise a mother would have such a horrid personality.

Karen’s actions and behavior made her unworthy of being a mother at all.

After glaring at her coldly he stood up and turned around to leave the dining room.

“Hold it!” Seeing that everyone was ignoring her Karen got increasingly furious and she flew into a rage. She scurried to Lucas and stopped in front of him before raising her hand to slap him. “You’re the reason for everything that just happened you good-for-nothing!”

Karen had always been uncouth and tyrannical. She was clearly the one who started stirring up trouble and accusing Lucas while everyone was enjoying the meal just now which eventually led to William’s decision to expose her lies and the shameless acts she had committed in the past! Yet she refused to admit that it was her mistake and even put the blame on Lucas.

She dared to do so only because Lucas was her son-in-law who wouldn’t contradict her or hit her back whenever she berated and even hit him. So she had developed the habit of putting the blame on him for everything and venting her anger on him.

Just as she was about to slap Lucas he raised his hand and firmly grabbed Karen’s wrist.

With an icy cold gaze in his eyes Lucas said indifferently “You’re Cheyenne’s mother so I’m being tolerant to you for her sake. But that doesn’t mean that I’ll keep letting you trample all over me!

“Also this villa belongs to me and no matter how it came about my name is written on the title deed. This is the home I’ve prepared for my wife her family and our daughter. If you behave yourself and stop stirring trouble I won’t bother with you. But if you continue to wreak havoc at home every other day you’d better get lost from here before it’s too late!”

Then he stopped looking at Karen and turned around to leave.

Lucas was harsh with his words this time.

In fact it was the first time he had given Karen such a stern warning throughout the years that he had been married to Cheyenne.

Karen was so stunned by Lucas’s words that it took her a long time to react and realize what he meant. She flew into a rage and was fuming mad.

Bang!

Staring at Lucas’s back as he headed upstairs Karen clenched her jaw with all her might while she grimaced and grabbed her bowl to smash hard against the ground. “Lucas Gray how dare you speak to me like that? I must make you pay the price for it!”

…

When Lucas walked into the room Cheyenne was sitting on the edge of the bed and wiping her tears while Amelia sat beside her sensibly. Wiping Cheyenne’s tears with a piece of tissue paper Amelia said softly “Mommy don’t cry. Your eyes will hurt.”

Lucas sighed. Cheyenne is really unlucky to have a mother like Karen.

He walked over took his lovely daughter into his arms and patted Cheyenne’s back to console her.

Cheyenne raised her head and looked at Lucas only to have tears flow out of her eyes again. Gazing at him apologetically she said “I’m sorry. Mom has always been so harsh to you and we had the wrong idea about you for such a long time.”

Lucas shook his head. “We are a family. You don’t need to apologize to me. Besides Karen is your mother and you don’t have to apologize to me for her misdeeds. Take it easy. Some people just don’t care much for kinship. Don’t take it to heart.”

After Cheyenne heard his comforting words she felt touched and aggrieved and cried even more miserably.

“Uh…” Lucas was suddenly at a loss for what to do.

“It’s okay. I’ll be fine in a while.” Then Cheyenne hurriedly rushed into the bathroom and soon the sound of water gushing out of the faucet came.

“Ugh.” Lucas covered his forehead and let out a low sigh.

He had always been domineering and powerful. But whenever he faced the woman he loved he often felt powerless and clueless about what to do.

Just now he clearly wanted to comfort Cheyenne but he ended up causing her to weep even more which was truly terrible.

The intelligent and powerful captain of the Falcon Regiment was too inexperienced in dealing with women.

“Daddy” Amelia called out and suddenly raised her head while laying in Lucas’s arMiss She blinked and said “Daddy hug and kiss mommy later! She would hug me kiss me and comfort me whenever I cried and that made me not want to cry anymore!”

“…”

Caught between laughter and tears Lucas pinched Amelia’s little nose while thinking to himself that if he had done that to Cheyenne she might stop crying but she’d definitely beat him up and kick him out of the room!

Chapter 270: Move Out of the Villa

Soon Cheyenne came out of the washroom.

She just rinsed her face with cold water and stopped her tears from flowing but her eyes were still red. Besides despite being barefaced she was still incredibly beautiful now.

Lucas recalled what Amelia said just now and couldn’t help feeling a little uneasy. After coughing gently he looked away.

But Amelia tugged on Lucas’s sleeve in displeasure and urged “Daddy hurry up!”

Lucas was instantly even more shy.

Cheyenne had gotten a grip on her emotions and when she saw their strange behavior she couldn’t help asking curiously “What are you two playing?”

Amelia immediately looked at Lucas with her large eyes that seemed to have the ability to speak urging him to hurry up and coax Cheyenne.

Lucas sighed helplessly and pretended not to be bothered. “Amelia is telling me how to coax you!”

“Huh? Coax me? How?” Cheyenne asked curiously.

Lucas coughed a little. Of course he wouldn’t tell her what Amelia said. He merely glanced at Amelia to show that it was her idea.

Cheyenne sat beside Amelia and asked amusedly “Amelia you’re still a little child but you already know how to coax me?”

Hanging on Lucas’s neck Amelia grinned and said “Of course I do! Mommy I usually stop crying after you hug and kiss me! So I asked Daddy to hug and kiss you too so that you won’t cry anymore!”

Cheyenne froze in shock.

By the time she processed what Amelia said she immediately blushed shyly in amusement.

She finally understood why Lucas didn’t tell her how he was going to coax her.

Caught between laughter and tears and blushing shyly Cheyenne reached out to pinch Amelia’s soft and tender cheeks only to catch a glimpse of the redness on Lucas’s ears. Her heart skipped a beat and soon began ricocheting against her chest.

In an instant Cheyenne and Lucas both felt uneasy.

Sitting between Lucas and Cheyenne Amelia looked up at the both of them and asked in surprise “Dad Mom why are you two blushing? Is it because it’s too hot here?”

After hearing Amelia’s puerile voice they immediately felt even more embarrassed.

But the misery and aggrievance Cheyenne felt because of Karen’s behavior had unknowingly dissipated as a warm and fuzzy feeling arose in her heart.

Knock knock.

There was rhythmic knocking on the door of their bedroom.

Lucas held Amelia in his arms while Cheyenne immediately stood up and walked over to open the door. She saw William standing outside the room seemingly hesitant to speak.

“Dad it’s so late now. Is there something wrong?” Cheyenne hurriedly let William into the room.

After entering William hesitated for a moment before suddenly saying “Lucas Cheyenne I’ve already made up my mind. I will move out with your mother early tomorrow morning.”

Both of them were extremely surprised to hear this. But they knew that it had to be because of what Karen had just done during dinner that made William decide to move out with her.

Lucas quickly said “William you don’t have to think too much about it. This villa is huge and it’s more than enough for us. Why bother moving out?”

Cheyenne chimed in and tried to dissuade him “Yes Dad our old house is no longer habitable. Where can you move to now?”

William sighed held Lucas’s hand and said sincerely “Lucas I know you’re a great kid. Despite all the terrible things we’ve done to you in the past you didn’t hold it against us and even spared a thought for us in every aspect. You’re such a good son-in-law!

“However I can’t just take advantage of your kindness and good intentions and shamelessly pretend that nothing has happened. When I think about those things in the past I feel really sorry to have let you down. How can I have the cheek to continue living in your home?” Lucas hurriedly shook William’s hand and said very seriously “William let’s leave those things in the past. We are now a family. It’s good enough if we can live together harmoniously in joy. If you move out Cheyenne and I will be really worried.”

William shook his head and said bitterly “I know you’re filial but it’s because of how obedient you two are that I can’t bring myself to continue staying here anymore. I don’t want to let this mess affect and disturb your lives.

“Besides I’ve finally figured out a lot of things now and I want to try living on my own terms by relying on my own abilities. I’ve already made up my mind. I just looked at some properties for rent on the internet and the rent isn’t expensive. We’ll move out tomorrow.”

Lucas still wanted to continue persuading him to stay but Cheyenne suddenly stopped him and said “Lucas don’t try to stop Dad anymore. Since he’s already decided we should respect his wishes!”

Actually she could tell that while Karen was certainly one of the reasons William insisted on moving out it was also because he wanted to make some achievements with his own abilities after he came to his senses a while ago.

For example he wanted to work hard to sustain a livelihood for himself. Previously he lived in the old residence belonging to the Carters and now he was living in his son-in-law’s house. So he wanted to move out and rely on his own efforts to have a roof over his head. Even if he had to rent a place temporarily he had at least earned the money for the rent himself.

Hearing that Cheyenne understood his intentions William felt heartened and he said with a smile “Cheyenne understands me best. Don’t worry. Even if we move out we are still a family. We can visit each other when we’re free. That makes it more comfortable for all of us.”

Seeing that they had both made up their minds Lucas could only sigh inwardly.

In fact it was not that he didn’t understand what William was thinking. His luxurious villa did offer an excellent shelter and living environment but it didn’t belong to William at the end of the day. So he would inevitably feel uncomfortable about living under someone else’s roof.

In the past William probably would have never felt like that. All he used to want was to have a roof over his head a source of entertainment and a steady supply of alcohol while he muddled through life.

But William had now come to his senses and developed his own views and determination to achieve some of his personal goals. Thus all Lucas could do was give him his support.

Prodigy · Mar 25, 2024

moh96 said:
Chapter 281: Cuckold

Facing these people who had injured his father-in-law, Lucas lifted his leg to kick them viciously without any emotion.

“Ah!” The bodyguard shrieked as his body suddenly flew backward and slammed hard against the wall behind him with a loud thud. He then fell to the ground and passed out without saying a single word.

The remaining three bodyguards widened their eyes, clearly shocked to see this.

The fact that Lucas could kick such a strong and burly man away and knock him unconscious was a remarkable feat that no ordinary people could do!

They finally understood now that the slim young man in front of them was actually a tough nut to crack.

They stopped being contemptuous and instead exchanged glances with each other before rushing at Lucas!

One of the bodyguards reached his arms out toward Lucas’s arm to clamp down on it.
Another one focused on attacking Lucas’s lower body, half-crouching and trying to sweep Lucas to make him fall to the ground. And the last one wanted to go past Lucas to attack his vital points from behind.

These bodyguards usually trained hard and could coordinate very well with each other. Within a short period of time, they managed to execute three different moves in a bid to take down Lucas.

An ordinary person would definitely be flustered and end up being defeated when facing three professional bodyguards who had been through rigorous training and could coordinate very well with each other.

But Lucas was not an ordinary person. In his eyes, their coordination was just like child’s play. Besides, their strength and skills were so insignificant to him that they posed no threat at all.

Lucas stood still and watched them coldly. The moment these three bodyguards were about to surround him, he shifted his weight onto his left leg and threw a high kick into the air, sending all three of them flying away!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

With three thuds, the massive impact of Lucas’s power kick instantly swept the three tall and strong bodyguards away, as though a fierce gust of wind swept away fallen leaves. Their bodies slammed against the wall behind them one after another!

The moment they collided with the wall, their heads tilted, and their eyes rolled into the backs of their heads, passing out immediately.

“This…” Zach and the redhead, who hurried upstairs after Lucas, stared at the four unconscious brawny bodyguards lying motionlessly on the ground. Their jaws dropped in shock, and their mouths were wide enough to fit an egg. They were utterly dumbfounded.

Within the brief ten seconds t they took to go upstairs, Lucas had already dealt with the four professional bodyguards. This wasn’t something that ordinary people could do.

Even though they were already somewhat mentally prepared for Lucas’s powerful and domineering strength, his actions were continually changing the definition of ‘formidable’ to them.

Zach gulped as he looked at Lucas with great respect and awe in his eyes.

Now, he finally genuinely understood why Joe looked at Lucas with such a reverent gaze when he had arranged for him to tag along with Lucas earlier.

Joe is such a good boss. He has given me a godsend opportunity!

Lucas didn’t have the time to bother about what Zach and the redhead were thinking. He looked at the corridor and saw that only the room facing south was locked.

Sharon Hart and Chris Douglas were most likely in that room.

Lucas walked over and kicked the heavy walnut door, causing it to fall off its hinges and crash onto the ground.

Bang! The door collapsed, and Lucas was greeted with the scene inside the room.

There was a man and a woman lying stark naked on the large bed in the center of the room, engaged in an unsightly position while staring at the door in utter astonishment.

Lucas sneered in derision.

This adulterous pair, who was quite an eyesore, were Chris and Sharon.

After a fleeting moment of silence, Sharon immediately let out an ear-piercing scream. “Ah! Who are you? Quickly get lost!”

Sharon shrieked and frantically pulled the sheet on the bed over her fair body and wrapped herself tightly in it.

Chris’s face turned gloomy, and he bellowed furiously at the strangers who suddenly appeared at the door, “Get lost!”

Anyone who was suddenly interrupted by someone kicking the door off its hinges while they were performing an intimate act with their partner would definitely be displeased.

However, Chris couldn’t recognize Lucas, who was standing at the door.

Even though he had met Lucas previously, he had brought his younger brother, Gordon Douglas, along to apologize to Lucas to put the blame of causing trouble to the family on Gordon.

He actually didn’t give a hoot about whether the crisis that struck the Douglases at that time was because of Lucas or not. He didn’t care if Lucas was a bigwig or not either.

At that time, Chris was bent on clinching the position of the head of the Douglas family from Hugo’s son, Gordon. So he had painstakingly planned and created a series of premeditated accidents that caused Brad Douglas to die in the hospital. Subsequently, Chris had even fatally struck Hugo with an ashtray and claimed that the latter died from an accident. Eventually, he took firm control of the entire Douglas family.

Now that he had become the helmsman of the Douglas family and held great power and authority, he lived a happy, carefree life. So he naturally forgot about Lucas, a trivial pawn that he had once ‘used’.

Staring at the chaotic scene and the clothes messily strewn on the floor, Lucas mocked,
“The helmsman of the Douglas family really has such unique taste, eh? I wonder if James
Wilson knows that you’ve cuckolded him.”

Lucas was not trying to be mean. In fact, regardless of what kind of woman Chris wanted to sleep with, it had nothing to do with him at all. But it turned out that Chris had slept with the wife of James Wilson, who belonged to a top family of Orange County too. This just made things even more interesting and intriguing.

It seemed that he no longer needed to take action himself because Chris and Sharon had already done themselves a disservice.

After hearing Lucas mention James Wilson, Chris narrowed his eyes and glared at Lucas with a threatening gaze.

His personal bodyguards were the only ones who were aware of his adulterous affair with Sharon, and yet a young brat who popped out of nowhere had walked in on them. If word about this got out, the consequences would definitely be terrible, especially if James caught wind of it.

No man would allow himself to be made a cuckold, especially a man like James, who was extremely powerful and was the most promising candidate for the next successor of the equally powerful Wilson family. Of course, the reason Chris decided to have an illicit affair with Sharon was precisely that he enjoyed the thrill of sleeping with someone else’s wife.

The Douglases were currently in talks with the Wilsons for a major project. If this matter was exposed, the cooperation would definitely fall through, and they might even turn against each other to become enemies.

So Chris would never allow anyone to tell the truth about this incident today!

With the sheet tightly wrapped around her, Sharon screamed, “Chris, you must kill this bastard! Or else, if our affair is exposed, James will definitely not spare us! Quick, get someone to kill him!”

Chapter 282: What Is the Truth?

In fact, Chris was thinking the same thing. He decided that he couldn’t let this man leave easily!

But he now had lots of doubts within him.

In order to keep his affair with Sharon a secret, he had chosen to stay in this private villa away from the Douglases’ main residence. Not only were there a couple of bodyguards guarding the entrance, but there were also some of his personal bodyguards guarding the door to this room.

Yet this stranger actually managed to kick the heavy door of the room off its hinges and barge right in, while his bodyguards outside did nothing to stop him. Perhaps they were caught off guard. But now that Lucas was already standing in front of him and had said so many things to him, those bodyguards were still nowhere in sight.

That could only mean that his bodyguards had been incapacitated!

At this point, Chris was frightened.

His personal bodyguards were not weaklings but professional bodyguards that he had hired at great cost! If even they were incapacitated, it just went to show that the strength of this young man in front of him was not to be underestimated!

Countless thoughts crossed Chris’s mind, and he tried to be as calm as possible. “Who exactly are you? What do you want by suddenly barging into my villa?”

Lucas raised his eyebrows and smiled faintly. “Chris Douglas, now that you’ve become the helmsman of your family, have you forgotten that you personally brought that brother of yours, Gordon, to apologize to me not long ago?”

Hearing Lucas mention Gordon and the matter of the apology, Chris finally remembered who Lucas was. “Oh, it’s you! You’re the live-in son-in-law of the Carters, aren’t you? What’s your name again? I can’t recall your name now.”

With a much more relaxed expression, Chris picked up a bath towel that had fallen under the bedside table and wrapped it around his waist.

After learning that Lucas was just someone he thought was far inferior to him, a sense of superiority surged within Chris’s heart.

Sharon finally recognized Lucas too, and she hurriedly exclaimed, “He’s Lucas Gray, the good-for-nothing who got kicked out by the Carters!”

She absolutely abhorred Lucas to the core, and she merely failed to recognize him just now because she was overwhelmed with panic and nervousness.

During their first encounter at the kindergarten, Lucas had humiliated her in public and stopped her from hitting Charlotte. Following this incident was an altercation at the hotel restaurant, where Lucas had slapped her mercilessly and snatched away the top-quality bracelet that she had painstakingly obtained. She was even forced to swallow her pride and apologize to Karen, that uncouth shrew. In the end, her husband, James, even gave her several stern warnings.

These incidents were a huge insult to the snobbish and arrogant Sharon, and the cause of it all was the man in front of her!

Although James had previously warned her not to mess with Lucas or confront him, Sharon obviously couldn’t take it lying down.

Her husband had yet to gain complete control of the Wilson family, so he didn’t have enough authority or power at the moment. Others nitpicked on him all the time, but he had to bear with it. But Chris, who was beside her, was much different. He was already the rightful helmsman of the Douglas family, whom no one could disobey.

Sharon wanted to take advantage of Chris’s power today to get rid of Lucas completely!

Chris looked at Lucas and suddenly said with a grin, “So it’s you. I remember that my nephew, Brad, was severely injured by you and ended up dying during his hospitalization.

“That younger brother of mine, Gordon, also had his legs broken by my father because of you. Later on, he was grief-stricken by the death of his beloved son, and his injuries relapsed, so he passed away too.

“And my father, the former head of my family, also fell into shock and infuriation after hearing of the consecutive deaths of my nephew and brother. He accidentally had a fall at home and suffered a hemorrhage in his brain, causing him to pass away too.

“Within two days, three of my family members died, and you are the reason for it. Lucas Gray, I was planning to do justice to my family, but I didn’t expect you to come looking for me before I went to you.”

Chris spoke gloomily while staring at Lucas with a sinister gaze, as if Lucas was the one who caused those deaths.

Of course, if others heard Chris’s one-sided claim, it might really seem that he was telling the truth.

But Lucas had already thoroughly investigated Chris a long time ago. In fact, he also had evidence of Chris secretly sending someone to kill Gordon and Brad during their hospitalization.

So after hearing Chris’s accusation, Lucas couldn’t help bursting into laughter. “Mr. Douglas, have you been brainwashing yourself for too long and forgotten exactly how they died?”

Chris’s expression abruptly changed, and he narrowed his eyes while staring at Lucas in shock and apprehension.

Hearing what Lucas said, he wondered, Does Lucas Gray know my secret?

“I don’t understand what you mean,” Chris said after calming down, feigning ignorance. But he slowly reached his right hand under the pillow.

“Hah, you must be joking, Mr. Douglas. You’ve already done everything, and now you’re telling me you don’t understand? With Hugo, Gordon, and Brad Douglas dead, you would become the next successor in line. After their deaths, didn’t you, an illegitimate son with no blood ties to the Douglas family, succeed as the helmsman?” Lucas said nonchalantly with a derisive smirk.

He had long since asked Jordan to investigate everything thoroughly. Hugo had two sons, namely Chris and Gordon, but actually only Gordon was related to him by blood.

As for Chris, he was the child that Hugo’s wife had with her illicit lover.

After learning the truth, Hugo had been infuriated, and he had even thought of killing Chris, this bastard. But later on, he had no choice but to suppress those thoughts for the sake of maintaining the pride of the family and satisfying his desire for revenge. Not only did he not disclose Chris’s marred birth status, but he had even sung praises about Chris and told everyone that he would make Chris his successor.

Hugo’s decision to do that was just to promote Chris to a higher position and make him think that he would become the next successor of the Douglas family before ruthlessly shattering his beautiful dream.

But he didn’t expect that Chris had learned the truth a long time ago and had just been enduring it while making use of what Hugo said to kill him, his son, and his grandson to gain control of the family.

Hugo had been outwitted by Chris, who was ruthless, merciless, and vicious.
When Chris heard Lucas say the words ‘illegitimate son’, his facial muscles twitched fiercely, and the gaze in his eyes became sinister and dangerous.

Chris’s lowly birth status would forever be a thorn in his heart!

But not many people knew about this matter, especially since the three Douglas family members had died. So how did Lucas, a live-in son-in-law of the Carters, find out about it?

“Lucas Gray, who exactly are you?” Chris questioned domineeringly with a menacing expression as his hand reached out to grab something under the pillow.

Chapter 283: I’m Here To Look For Her

But Lucas ignored Chris and instead looked at Sharon, who was wrapped tightly in the sheet. He said coldly, “Call James Wilson now and get him to come here immediately!”

A trace of obvious panic immediately appeared on Sharon’s chubby face. The last thing she would do was to let her husband find out about her illicit affair with Chris. Why would she call him to come here?

With a vicious expression, she shrieked in a sharp voice, “Chris, quick, kill him!”

Chris was also wary and full of murderous intent toward Lucas. He suddenly pulled out the hand under the pillow. In his hand was a bright black pistol he aimed at Lucas.

Lucas was not surprised by his action at all because when he saw Chris reaching his hand under the pillow quietly, he already knew that Chris must have hidden something under it. He could tell what it was without even guessing.

The two people who followed Lucas, Zach and the redhead, turned pale as soon as they saw the pistol in Chris’s hand.

It’s a gun!

For low-level gangsters like them, the deterrence of a real gun in front of them was undoubtedly massive.

When Zach saw Chris pointing the terrifying pistol at Lucas, his heart pounded rapidly. He was overwhelmed with horror and fear even though he wasn’t the one being held at gunpoint. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

He looked around and suddenly fixed his gaze on a decorative shield hanging on the wall of the corridor outside the door. The shield was gold-plated and a standard size of 50 centimeters in height with a narrow bottom.

Not having the luxury of time to think about it, Zach dashed into the room as soon as he took the shields off the wall and stood in front of Lucas.

“Mr. Gray, leave quickly!” Zach used the shield to protect himself and Lucas, revealing only half of his eyes as he watched Chris’s movements nervously.

Lucas was slightly surprised.

He glanced at Zach in front of him, only to find that his hands were trembling while holding onto the shield, as well as his calves. He was obviously terrified and scared, yet he dashed in front of Lucas to shield him.

Zach’s actions honestly made Lucas change his opinion about him.

Chris looked at the few people in front of him and sneered. “Hah, rest assured. None of you can escape!”

Then Chris aimed the muzzle at Zach’s lower abdomen, which was not covered by the shield.

Although the shield covered the vital points of his upper body, there would also be extremely serious consequences if his lower abdomen was shot by a gun.

Once the ignorant person in front of him felt pain, he would naturally fall to the ground and curl up into a ball. By then, he would be able to deal with Lucas easily!

Zach watched as Gordon’s index finger pushed against the trigger, slowly sliding it back. His entire body stiffened, and his back was drenched in cold sweat.

At this moment, he had no idea why he had dashed out impulsively, nor did he know whether what he was doing at the moment was right or wrong. All he knew was that he might be on the brink of death now!

The trigger was just about to touch the bottom.

Bang!

There was a loud gunshot.

Zach shuddered and shut his eyes tightly. But after waiting for a while, he still didn’t feel any pain coming from anywhere on his body.
Did… he miss?

He mustered the courage to open his eyes a little.

He saw Chris in front of him had a wide-open mouth and a shocked expression.

“Ah.”

Lucas chuckled and casually tossed the copper bullet shell he was holding between his index and middle fingers onto the ground.

He then pushed Zach, who was holding the shield, aside and walked straight toward Gordon, one step at a time.

At this point, Gordon was more than astounded. His eyes couldn’t be any wider as he stared in horror and shock at the small bullet shell Lucas had casually tossed onto the ground.

Someone actually managed to catch the bullet he had shot from his pistol!

Was this something that ordinary people could do?

Is Lucas Gray even human?!

Gordon’s heart was full of horror as he watched Lucas approach him. He raised his pistol and pulled the trigger again to shoot Lucas.

He didn’t believe that Lucas would be able to block another bullet!

But before he could shoot, Lucas’s figure abruptly flickered, and he immediately appeared in front of Gordon even though he was more than two meters away a moment ago!

Gordon’s pupils suddenly constricted, and before he could even react, he felt an extremely excruciating pain in his wrist!

Snap!

The crisp sound of bones being broken filled the air!

“Ah! My hand!” Chris, who had been holding the pistol in his right hand, wailed in misery from Lucas completely ripping off his right hand, exposing his white bone and arteries!

Blood instantly gushed out from the torn arteries of his wrist. And in just a few seconds, it stained half of Chris’s clothes and half of the bed, soaking it in bright red blood.

“Ah! There’s so much blood! Murder! Someone’s committing murder!” Cowering on the other side of the bed, Sharon paled as she gaped and screamed in horror after seeing the gruesome and bloody scene in front of her.

“Shut up!” Lucas hollered. Sharon’s sharp, ear-piercing shriek immediately ceased.

She looked at Lucas with terror written all over her face, and she didn’t dare to make a single sound at all. She simply curled up even more, fearing that Lucas would tear off her hand too.

Drenched in sweat and seething and wailing in pain, Chris clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth to stop himself from making another sound after hearing Lucas’s holler.

He had lived for decades, but he had never suffered so much misery before!

But Lucas was now in a dominant position, so Chris didn’t dare to vent his anger anymore and could only bear with the displeasure.

“Chris Douglas, you wanted to shoot me, and I merely tore off your hand. I’m doing you a favor, aren’t I?” Lucas sat down on the couch near the bed and pulled out a few pieces of tissue from the tissue box on the desk next to him. He then slowly wiped away the bloodstain on his hand.

Chris turned as pale as a sheet, and he was shivering incessantly from the immense pain and cold sweat. He was struggling to say, “Lucas… Lucas Gray, what exactly do you want? How… how have I offended you?”

Sitting on the couch, Lucas said indifferently, “I didn’t come here for you today. My original intention was to look for this woman. Just over twenty minutes ago, she brought a few of your bodyguards and beat up my father-in-law, causing him to end up in the hospital. I’m just here to demand an explanation from her.”

When Chris heard this, he turned to glower at Sharon in fury, wishing he could kill her right now!

Chapter 284: James Wilson Arrives

Chris had been doing very well recently and focusing all his attention on acquiring all of the businesses, properties, and subordinates left behind by Hugo, so he hadn’t had the time to put the blame on Lucas yet. So he had wondered why Lucas had suddenly showed up.

It turned out that he had been implicated by this ugly woman, Sharon!
Earlier, she had called to tell him that she had been bullied while on her way to him and wanted to borrow a few of his bodyguards to help her get revenge. Chris sent his bodyguards over to help without hesitation, but who knew he would end up provoking this demon?!

At this moment, Chris was full of regret and wished he could strangle Sharon to death!

If it wasn’t for her, his hand wouldn’t have been torn off.

If his hand had been severed neatly by a knife, it might still have been able to reconnect to his arm given the current advanced medical technology. But Lucas had forcefully torn off his hand and caused his flesh, blood vessels, and nerves to be badly mangled. How could he not hate Sharon for getting him into this?

Seeing Chris’s terrifying expression that seemed to want to devour her, Sharon panicked and was at a complete loss for words.

She didn’t expect to end up provoking such a terrifying person after just teaching William Carter a lesson. She hadn’t even taken revenge on Karen and Charlotte yet.

Lucas Gray is just a good-for-nothing live-in son-in-law of the Carters. How dare he barge into Chris’s villa and even assault him like this? Chris is the helmsman of the Douglas family! Isn’t Lucas Gray afraid that the Douglases will take revenge?

But regardless of how much she didn’t want to believe it, the truth was clearly right in front of her.

“Call James Wilson immediately and tell him to rush here within ten minutes! Otherwise, don’t blame me for blowing things up.”

After saying this coldly, he said to the dumbfounded Zach beside him, “Go take some photos and videos of the current scene.”

“Huh? Oh… okay!” Zach took a long while to react and process the instructions that Lucas gave him. He then frantically pulled out his phone from his pocket to take several photos of Chris and Sharon on the bed. He even recorded a video of the both of them with the sheets wrapped tightly around them.

Sharon was terribly frightened and petrified. If those photos and videos got out, her adulterous affair would become a scandal that everyone knew. Given James’s character, he wouldn’t let her off the hook for cuckolding him!

From now on, she wouldn’t be able to face anyone in Orange County anymore!
Horrified and scared out of her wits, Sharon quickly scrambled out of the bed and kneeled in front of Lucas to beg him miserably with tears and snot all over her face. “Lu-Lucas. I was wrong. It was my fault! Please don’t take photos of me. Don’t send them to others!”

As she did this, the thin bedsheet she was covering herself with got caught on something and slipped away, revealing a large patch of her fair and chubby flesh.

Sharon was severely obese. Although she used to be a gorgeous woman, which was how she managed to marry James, she was now in her forties and flabby everywhere. She weighed over 100 kilograms, and now that she was kneeling in front of Lucas and begging with tears all over her face, she looked grotesque.

“Get lost!” Lucas shouted gloomily.

Sharon had a great fright. When she saw the disgust and disdain in Zach’s and the redhead’s eyes, she finally realized that the sheet she had covered herself with had fallen off her body. She hurriedly grabbed the sheet and curled up under it again.

“Call him now,” Lucas said indifferently.

With an ashen expression, Sharon dared not disobey Lucas and had no choice but to grab her phone with trembling hands and call James. She then put it on speaker according to Lucas’s instructions.

“Hello, Honey… I-I’m now in the Douglases’ villa in the Golden Palm Villa cluster… Could… Could you come over right now?” Sharon stammered in a shaky voice.

“What? What are you doing in the Douglases’ villa?”

Lucas could tell that the impatient voice coming from the other end indeed belonged to James.

With shifty eyes, Sharon couldn’t bring herself to tell the truth. She looked up at Lucas pleadingly in hopes that he would change his mind and spare her from having to come clean with James over the phone.

But Lucas didn’t waver.

Not to mention the things that Sharon had done before, the fact that she had slapped Cheyenne today and also led those bodyguards to William’s place to beat him up to the point of being hospitalized made Lucas decide that he wouldn’t let her off.

Now that she knows that it’s shameful, she’s begging me for mercy. Why didn’t she feel ashamed when she was cheating on her husband with Chris Douglas? Why didn’t she think of the consequences when she haughtily confronted William and brought those bodyguards to beat him up?

Lucas would never have any sympathy for a woman like Sharon.

“Tell him what you and Chris Douglas did today. Every single detail. If you dare to hide the truth and lie about anything, you know what the consequences are,” Lucas said with an icy cold expression.

Sharon shuddered, but she could only go all out. While trembling, she said, “Honey, I… I’m having an affair with Chris Douglas, and we… we’re naked now. Hurry up and come here immediately!”

Toward the end, Sharon closed her eyes and seemed to be saying her last words with all her might. By the time she finished, her body went limp, and she laid on the bed feebly, drenched in sweat. She had full-face makeup on when she arrived, but it was now smudged by her cold sweat, making her look like a mess.

“What?! You bitch, say it again!” James roared in disbelief. He never thought that his fat wife would have the guts to cheat on him. To make matters worse, her adulterous lover was Chris Douglas!

The more infuriating thing was she even had the gall to call him personally to tell him about her affair with someone else. Is she provoking me and mocking me?!

No man could tolerate something like this!

Hearing how enraged James was, Sharon was even more frightened. She shivered in fear and didn’t dare to say a single word.

“Bitch, just you wait! I’m going there right now. Damn it!” James hung up furiously.

Although Sharon didn’t say the exact address, the Wilsons were also a top family in Orange County, so it was naturally not difficult for him to find out where Chris’s villa was.

While Sharon was on the phone, Chris was gritting his teeth and secretly taking out his phone to call the police, the ambulance, or his other subordinates. Whichever was fine because he couldn’t hold on for much longer.

“What are you doing?!” Zach was right beside him. When he saw this, he hurriedly snatched the phone away from Chris’s hand.

Chris clenched his jaw and said feebly, “Mr. Gray… Please, can you let me go to the hospital first? I feel… feel like I’m about to die.”

Lucas had ripped off his hand and broken his arteries, thus causing a large amount of blood loss that made Chris turn pale and dizzy.

Lucas glanced at him and knew that Chris wouldn’t die soon. He said indifferently, “Let James Wilson decide if you die or not. Blame it on yourself for sleeping with someone else’s wife.”

As soon as Chris heard this, his face turned even paler.

James was not a good-tempered and tolerant person. He definitely wouldn’t let Chris off!

In fact, if Chris were in James’s place, he definitely wouldn’t forgive the man his wife cheated on him with!

Soon, the sounds of noisy and erratic footsteps came from downstairs, and James’s furious roar came from the hall downstairs. “Sharon Hart, Chris Douglas! You adulterers, get your asses out here!”

Chapter 285: Repeat Yourself

After Sharon heard his roar, she shuddered and wished she could stuff herself into the cracks of the bed.

But when she saw Lucas’s intimidating gaze, she could only speak up regardless of how unwilling she was. “I… I’m upstairs!”

Soon, James and several bodyguards rushed aggressively to the door of the room upstairs.

He had bloodshot eyes and anger written all over his face. As soon as he entered the room, he saw his wife wrapped in a thin bedsheet and cowering in the corner of the large bed in the middle of the bedroom. Only her arms were exposed, but anyone could tell that she was naked below the sheet.

The weak and feeble Chris, who was similarly naked, was beside her, but he only had a bath towel covering his lower body. Their clothes were strewn messily all over the ground, and it was obvious what they had been doing just now.

But they weren’t the only ones in the room. Lucas and two other people were present as well.

Among them, the most eye-catching one was Lucas, who was sitting leisurely on the couch across the bed, with the two roguish young men beside him.

When James glanced at Lucas, he naturally recognized him.

Previously at the hotel restaurant, he had brought his men with him with the intention to stand up for Sharon. But in the end, Lucas had single-handedly defeated all ten-odd bodyguards as soon as they fought.

Since then, James had been wary and scared of Lucas, whom he had added to his list of people not to be trifled with.

Although he didn’t know why Lucas had appeared where his wife and Chris were having an affair, James believed that Lucas was absolutely not one of Sharon’s adulterous lovers!

So he merely glanced at Lucas before venting all his anger on the shameless pair of adulterers on the bed.

“Chris Douglas, I’ve always respected you for being a prestigious figure. And when you succeeded as the head of the Douglas family just a while ago, I even personally went to give you an expensive congratulatory gift. Now, we’re also business partners. Is this how you f*cking treat me? You actually slept with my wife?! Damn it. Can’t you get another woman? Or are you deliberately trying to humiliate me? How have I ever offended you?” James cursed furiously with bloodshot eyes while wishing he could strangle Chris dead right on the spot!

Chris naturally didn’t know what to say, and he could only muster the energy to say with great difficulty, “James, well… I have nothing to say about this. I’ve indeed let you down. I’m sorry. I… I will… definitely make it up to you! Even if… even if I have to give you half of my businesses and assets, I will! Now, I just hope you can send me to the hospital as soon as possible… I’m really about to die…”

Only then did James realize that Chris’s face was terribly pale and that cold sweat covered his forehead.

He moved his gaze downward, only to finally notice the blood that had gushed out of Chris’s badly mangled wrist to stain half of the bedsheets and the hand on it.

The bloody scene made James’s pupils constrict. Someone had actually torn Chris’s hand off… But he soon felt the thrill of seeing Chris get his just desserts.

“Haha, you deserve this! Chris Douglas, having your hand torn off is what you get for sleeping with my wife! You actually want me to send you to the hospital? No way! Dream on!”

James was not a saint who would send the man who cuckolded him to the hospital to get treated.

He would never do such a lowly thing!

“What are you still standing there for? Beat him up!”

With James’s order, his bodyguards immediately charged toward Chris and hit him as hard as they could.

Having lost too much blood from his torn-off hand, Chris was simply powerless to fight back. To make matters worse, his face was bruised and swollen after getting beaten up by the bodyguards, making him unable to scream or shout.

At this moment, James stormed menacingly toward Sharon, who was trembling at the side. He grabbed her hair, dragged her off the bed, and kicked her hard. “Bitch! Have I ever mistreated you? I provide all your living expenses and put a roof over your head. Yet you dared to fool around with another man! I must beat you to death today!”

Sharon was being kicked so brutally that she kept shrieking, and she suffered several hard slaps that made her face burn with stinging pain. She wept incessantly and begged for mercy, “Honey, I know I was wrong! I won’t dare to do it again! Ah! Please forgive me, Honey!”

After giving Sharon a brutal beating, James finally vented some of his anger.

“Hurry up and put on your clothes, and then come home with me! I’ll deal with you again when we get home!”

No matter what, Sharon was still his woman after all, and it would be too embarrassing to continue hitting her in front of outsiders, as that would reflect badly on James too. He glared at Sharon viciously and thought to himself, Once we get home, I’ll teach this promiscuous and shameless bitch who had the guts to cuckold me a hard lesson!

Sharon shuddered and hurriedly put on her clothes. At this point, Chris had already passed out from the severe beating of the bodyguards.

With shaky limbs, Sharon cowered behind James. Suddenly remembering something, she pointed at Lucas. “Honey, he… Lucas Gray got his subordinate to take photos and videos of me… and Chris. What should I do…”

James was once again enraged.

But even though he was so furious that he wished he could strangle Sharon to death on the spot, he had to get those photos and videos from Lucas.

No matter what, Sharon was still his wife. If those indecent and explicit photographic content of her were leaked, Sharon would not be the only one getting humiliated. It would be a huge disgrace to James and his entire Wilson family.

James turned to face Lucas and demanded in displeasure, “Lucas Gray, hand me those photos and videos!”

Because he was burning with rage, he was displeased with everyone now and thus spoke to Lucas in a commanding tone.

Lucas naturally wouldn’t give in to James and allow him to talk to him scornfully. He remained seated and said, “James Wilson, why don’t you ask me the reason I took those unsightly photos of your wife?”

“I don’t care what the reason is. Those photos are of my wife, so you don’t have the right to keep them! Hurry up and give them to me. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being nasty!” James threatened with great animosity.

Zach immediately stood out and interjected loudly, “James Wilson, watch your tone with Mr. Gray. You didn’t even ask about what happened, but you’re just demanding that we hand the photos over?”

James glanced disdainfully at the row of ear studs on Zach’s ears, as well as the dragon tattoo on his arm, and sneered. “You’re just a lowly gangster. Who are you to speak to me? Your owner hasn’t even spoken yet, so what are you barking for? Get lost!”

“You!” Zach was so infuriated that he turned beet red.

Before he could say anything, Lucas’s figure suddenly flashed like a phantom and arrived in front of James in the blink of an eye.

Smack!

He gave James a loud, hard slap on his face.

Lucas narrowed his eyes while James stared at him with shock and disbelief in his eyes.

“Try repeating what you just said.”

Chapter 286: Not Allowed To Show Up
After receiving a sudden slap on his face by Lucas, James was naturally incredibly enraged. But when he saw Lucas’s cold gaze, he felt as though ice-cold water had been poured over his head, and his anger dissipated a little.

James finally regained some rationality, and he subconsciously recalled the several conflicts that he had had with Lucas, as well as the consequences that he had had to bear after each of them.

During the first dispute they had at Amelia’s kindergarten, Lucas kicked him away without mercy. And his subordinate Jordan, who was just as terrifying, managed to beat up James’s underlings all by himself. Until now, those underlings had still yet to be discharged from the hospital.

Later on, during the conflict at the hotel restaurant, Lucas had beat the living daylights out of James’s elite bodyguards, whom he had spent a bomb on. Since then, James knew that Lucas was not to be provoked.

But he had forgotten about all of this in a moment of rage just now!

Now, he had also figured out that Lucas must have been the one who tore off Chris’s hand into this gruesome state!

A sudden chill surged in James’s heart.

For someone who had the ability and was enough fearless to casually rip off the hand of the helmsman of the Douglas family, it probably would be a piece of a cake for him to deal with James!

“Damn it. You must have a death wish!” Seeing James being shamed in public, his bodyguards immediately surrounded Lucas.

“Stop! Get lost!” James hurriedly roared furiously and chased his bodyguards out of the room. Damn it. I would be in a worse plight if I let these foolish bodyguards get into a fight with Lucas Gray!

James finally had the time to think carefully about what Lucas had said earlier and figure out why he had kept Sharon’s photos and videos… It must have something to do with this shameless bitch!

James yanked at Sharon’s hair and slapped her face twice. He barked sternly, “Bitch, what exactly did you do to Mr. Gray? Have you provoked him again?”

Sharon screamed in a shrill voice. Her face had long become swollen, and her lips were also bleeding from the beating she got from James. At this point, she was full of fear and horror, but in the face of James’s angry questioning, she dared not hide a single thing.

“I… I ran into his wife and her parents, and we got into a scuffle. I-I was furious, and I couldn’t take it lying down, so I looked for Chris and borrowed a few of his bodyguards to go beat up his… father-in-law. His father-in-law passed out, and afterward… I have no clue what happened after that…”

Sharon stammered. James glared at her murderously while she shuddered, and her voice became softer. Toward the end, she was almost inaudible.

“As expected, you’re the cause of all of this again, you bitch! I’ve already warned you several times before not to provoke Mr. Gray and his family again. Why can’t you just listen to me?! Are your brains not working?! Damn it. If not for the sake of my son, I would have kicked you out a long time ago!”

James was livid. After berating Sharon, he turned around and apologized to Lucas softly. “Mr. Gray, I didn’t expect this bitch to be so unrepentant and actually have the nerve to provoke you and your family. I’ve clearly given her several warnings, and this matter is a result of my failure to take her in hand. I’m really sorry. I’ll pay for all the medical expenses of your injured father-in-law. As for this shameless troublemaker, you can kill her or do whatever you wish!”

James couldn’t be any more infuriated with Sharon. He had long fallen out of Sharon, whose weight had gotten out of control and whose family had declined to the point that they were no longer of any help to him. Yet she still went around causing trouble and giving him more problems everywhere. He had long wanted to kick her out.

James’s words made Sharon panic. Her family had already declined, and if James divorced her, what could she do for the rest of her life?

Besides, James was even intending to let Lucas deal with her as he pleased. The bloody scene of Lucas ripping off Chris’s hand resurfaced in Sharon’s mind, causing her to turn ashen.

Overwhelmed with fear, Sharon fell to her knees with a loud thud, no longer caring about her pride and dignity anymore.

Kneeling in front of Lucas, she wept and pleaded for mercy, “Mr. Gray, please spare me! I promise I will never dare to do anything like this again!”

Lucas didn’t pay any attention to her and simply said to James, “From now on, I don’t want to see this woman in Orange County again.”

Taken aback by his answer, James blurted out, “That’s all?”

“Do you think I should be harsher?” Lucas asked sneeringly.

“No, no.” James hurriedly shook his head. “Thank you so much for your generosity and magnanimity, Mr. Gray. I promise that this woman will never step foot into this city again, and she will never bother you anymore!”

Then James kicked Sharon with his toes and hollered, “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and thank Mr. Gray for being kind and magnanimous to spare your lowly life!”

At this point, Sharon finally recovered from her shock, and she realized that Lucas didn’t intend to give her any unbearable punishment and merely wanted her to never appear in Orange County again. Compared to all the gruesome and brutal scenes she had imagined just now, this was simply better than an amnesty!

“Yes, thank you so much, Mr. Gray. Thank you so much!” Sharon thanked profusely while still kneeling on the ground.

But Lucas no longer had the patience to argue with them. He simply walked out of the door, followed by Zach and the redhead hurriedly chasing after him.

When they headed downstairs and reached the entrance of the villa, they could still hear the noises coming from upstairs.

“You’re such a disgraceful bitch! Once we get home, pack up immediately and stay far, far away from Orange County. You’re not allowed to step foot here again!”

“Okay, I’ll go, I’ll go. But… our son is still so young. He…”

“Shut up! Bitch, trust you to have the cheek to bring up our son. Did you remember that you’re our son’s mother when you were getting intimate with Chris Douglas on this bed? Scram! You’re not allowed to see our son again either!”

“Ah!”

…

The redhead pursed his lips. Everything he had seen and experienced alongside Lucas today was a huge eye-opener for him and would always remain as an unforgettable encounter that he would talk about for the rest of his life!

As soon as Lucas stepped out of the villa, his phone suddenly rang. It was a call from Cheyenne.

“Hello, Cheyenne, how’s William?” Lucas asked concernedly after answering.

Chapter 287: Meeting by Chance at the Hospital

Lucas didn’t get to see William’s injuries for himself. By the time he had arrived at the fifth floor of Block 26 of Golden Garden Estate, William had already been sent to the hospital by Zach’s subordinates. He merely heard that William had been beaten up to the point of losing consciousness, so he reckoned that his injuries should be severe.

In fact, William was already in his fifties, so he must have been severely wounded after the harsh beating by the four strong bodyguards. Lucas was worried about him.

“Lucas, Dad woke up just now, and I accompanied him for a checkup in the hospital. He only suffered some abrasions and superficial tissue injuries. Although he still has to remain in the hospital to recuperate for a while, his internal organs and bones are fine. It’s a huge blessing!”

There was some relief and joy in Cheyenne’s voice, and she was immediately much more relaxed after learning that there was nothing major wrong with William.

God knows how worried she was when they were rushing to the hospital. She had even made mental preparations for the worst-case scenario.

Lucas finally felt relieved. “I’ve just finished dealing with the matters on my side. I’ll go to the hospital to pick you up now and visit William.”

“Is everything… okay on your side?” Cheyenne asked with some concern.

Previously, when they were outside William’s rented apartment, she had heard that Sharon, James Wilson’s wife, who had beaten William up, had gone to the Douglases’ villa. She was now a little worried that Lucas would get into trouble with both the Wilsons and the Douglases, two of the most powerful families in Orange County. She was also worried that Lucas might go overboard and get into more trouble instead.

Lucas naturally wouldn’t tell Cheyenne that he had already torn off Chris’s hand. He said to her gently, “Don’t worry. It’s settled. Everything will be alright. I’ll come to the hospital to look for you soon.”

After Lucas ended the call, Zach was smart enough to tag along and said subserviently, “Mr. Gray, I’m familiar with the route to that hospital. Why don’t I send you there?”

After experiencing everything that happened just now, Zach was already in awe of Lucas.

When Lucas slapped James just for cursing at Zach, Zach felt especially touched, and he even made up his mind that he would stay by Lucas’s side and work for him.

Seeing this, Lucas smiled and tossed his car key over to him.

Zach caught the key gleefully and immediately opened the doors of the Jaguar. After respectfully asking Lucas to enter, he walked to the driver’s seat and fastened his seatbelt.

He yelled at the redhead outside the car. “Go wait for me at the cyber cafe!”

Then he stepped on the gas pedal and drove off with Lucas.

Zach was quite a good driver, and they soon arrived at the entrance of Orange Coast Medical Center.

After Lucas alighted, he called Cheyenne and said, “I’m here. Which ward are you and William in?”

“We’re at Ward No. 15 on the ninth floor of the inpatient wing. Take the elevator up and walk all the way toward the left,” Cheyenne answered briefly.

“Okay, got it.”

After hanging up, Lucas walked toward the inpatient wing next to the outpatient wing of the hospital. Soon, he boarded the elevator to the ninth floor and found William’s ward.

In the ward, William was lying on a bed clad in a blue and white patient’s gown with his head wrapped in bandages. There were plasters and dressings on the various abrasions on his body, and the exposed skin of his body was bruised and swollen. He seemed to be in a miserable state.

Fortunately, William was quite energetic. When he saw Lucas enter with a bag of fruits and supplements in hand, he couldn’t help saying with some heartache, “You’re already taking time out of your busy schedule to visit me. You didn’t have to buy me anything. I’ve only suffered some abrasions. There’s no need for these health supplements.”

William’s speech was a little slow now, and his voice was very nasally too, probably because he had taken several painful punches to his nose.

Lucas put the fruits and health supplements on the bedside cabinet and said with a smile, “These things aren’t expensive anyway. You’re injured, so you should take more supplements to nourish your body so that you can recover sooner.”

As Lucas approached William, he carefully scrutinized William’s complexion and wounds. After seeing that there was indeed no major problem, he finally felt relieved.

William smiled bitterly. “Before you came, I told Cheyenne to hurry back to work and not end up disrupting her work for me.”

Lucas smiled. “William, don’t worry about it. You’re already injured. As your daughter and son-in-law, we should come here and take care of you. Family comes first. Besides, this isn’t taking up much time anyway.”

Cheyenne also smiled. “Exactly. I’ve said it several times before, but Dad keeps wanting to chase me away.”

“I… I’m just worried that I might hold you up!” William said awkwardly.

Cheyenne peeled an apple and a banana and cut them and a watermelon into smaller pieces to make a simple fruit salad for William. She then fed it to him using a toothpick.

They chatted for a while, and during the conversation, William asked about Sharon and the men she had brought over to beat him up.

In front of Cheyenne, Lucas chose not to mention that Sharon and Chris had cheated on
James Wilson with each other. Instead, he briefly said that he had found Sharon’s husband, James, and told him to take his wife in hand, as well as the fact that James had chased Sharon out of Orange County.

“In short, you no longer have to worry about that malicious wench in the future anymore,” Lucas said.

“Well then… Will the Wilsons take it out on you?” asked William, who had the same thoughts as Cheyenne.

“No, they wouldn’t dare to come after me,” Lucas said indifferently, his tone full of confidence and certainty.

Hearing this, William stopped asking questions. And deep down, he was even more satisfied with his son-in-law.

Cheyenne should be safe with a husband that even the Wilsons didn’t dare to provoke.

At noon, Charlotte also received the news and rushed to the hospital to see William. After William had lunch, he felt extremely uncomfortable, as if he had turned into a soft and feeble porcelain doll.

He racked his brains to think of a solution. But in the end, he sulked, and his daughters finally agreed to go to work and head back to the office.

But he couldn’t chase Lucas away.

“William, I have nothing to do this afternoon, so I’ll stay at the hospital to chat with you. If you want to rest now, I’ll take a walk around the hospital. If there’s anything, give me a call, and I’ll rush over immediately,” Lucas said insistently.

First, he indeed didn’t have anything important to do in the afternoon, and second, when Cheyenne just left, she was still particularly worried about William’s condition. So Lucas decided to stay here so that he could tell her about William’s condition from time to time in order to put her at ease.

William couldn’t convince Lucas, so he could only agree.

Soon, he fell asleep on the bed.

Seeing this, Lucas simply walked around the inpatient wing of the hospital.

When he passed by one of the wards, he suddenly heard a voice that sounded somewhat familiar.

“Dr. Jones, you must save my mother. I’ll try my best to get enough money for her medical bills as soon as possible. Please don’t terminate her treatment!”

Lucas stopped and turned to look over curiously, only to see a familiar face facing a doctor in a white coat and pleading with him miserably.

Chapter 288: Donation to the Hospital

The doctor in the white coat seemed to be in a difficult spot too. After hesitating for a while, she said, “Miss Keller, I understand the situation that you’re in, but your mother’s illness requires a long period of time and a lot of medication to treat. I can only say that I will try my best to help you and find a way to help your mother apply for some financial aid to reduce the pressure on you.”

Miss Keller nodded and thanked the doctor. “Thank you so much, Dr. Jones!”

Dr. Jones smiled. “It’s my duty.” Then she said some comforting words to Miss Keller and left.

Lucas was a little surprised because the familiar-looking Miss Keller in front of him now was none other than Grace Keller, whom Lucas had once met previously.

Just about a month ago, Scarlet had tricked Amelia into leaving the kindergarten with her for the sake of taking revenge on Lucas. Amelia had then been brought to Logan Hale’s villa, where there was another young woman whom Logan had abducted. She was none other than Grace.

In those few hours that Amelia was held in the villa, Grace took great care of her. And for the sake of protecting Amelia, Grace even gave in to Logan’s despicable request. If Lucas hadn’t arrived in the nick of time, Grace might have really been violated by Logan.

When they returned home from Logan’s villa, Amelia also sang praises about the gentle and beautiful Grace. So Lucas had been very grateful to Grace, who was willing to sacrifice her chastity in order to protect his daughter, Amelia.

For this reason, Lucas even specially gave Grace his business card and told her that she could seek help from him if she ever encountered any difficulties in the future.

However, it seemed that Grace was indeed encountering some difficulties, but she didn’t call him to ask for help.

After thinking about it, Lucas didn’t go up to greet Grace or ask about her situation but instead followed behind Dr. Jones to the entrance of an office.

“Hello, Dr. Jones,” Lucas greeted at the door.

Dr. Jones turned around and sized up Lucas before pushing her glasses up her nose bridge and asking in puzzlement, “Who are you?”

Lucas answered politely, “Dr. Jones, I’m a friend of Grace Keller. I overheard you talking to her just now. May I ask if Grace’s mother is suffering from some serious illness?”

Having a hunch that Lucas was an upright person because of the look in his eyes, and coupled with the fact that Lucas managed to say Grace’s name, Dr. Jones no longer doubted his identity. She sighed, pointed to a chair in the office, and asked Lucas to have a seat so they could talk.

Dr. Jones was a kind-looking female doctor in her late forties whose hair was graying a little.

After sitting down on the chair in front of her desk, she said, “Since you are Grace’s friend, I’ll be frank with you. Her mother has developed kidney failure due to excessive labor that has put a strain on her body. She needs a large amount of medication and dialysis for her condition to improve slowly. She is prone to developing uremia or even acute kidney failure, so her condition is not very optimistic.

“The best treatment for patients like her is a kidney transplant. However, it’s difficult to find a suitable donor, and the costs of treatment are extremely high as well. I’m afraid Miss Keller can’t afford it at all.”

When Lucas heard the words ‘kidney failure’, his entire body stiffened.

Six years ago, his mother had developed kidney failure precisely because of years of excessive labor and fatigue. She had only visited the hospital when her illness put her in a life-threatening situation several times. But by the time she was diagnosed, her illness had already developed to a critical stage.

At that time, Lucas was just a fresh graduate who didn’t have enough money for his mother’s treatment. Out of desperation, he had no choice but to go all out and seek help from the Huttons, only to receive their mockery and scoldings.

Later on, while he was working hard to earn money for his mother’s medical expenses, he somehow got involved in that scandal with Cheyenne, causing him to become the live-in sonin-law of the Carters. In the end, he swallowed his pride and borrowed 50,000 dollars from William to save his mother.

Unfortunately, by the time he rushed to the hospital, it was already too late. His mother had lost the fight to her illness.

This would forever be an agonizing memory for Lucas.

Now, he could easily afford the tens of thousands, but his mother would never come back to life.

A tinge of sorrow and misery appeared in Lucas’s eyes.

He suddenly said, “Dr. Jones, I would like to donate fifteen million dollars to the hospital specifically to support treatment for patients diagnosed with kidney failure. What are the procedures that I have to go through to make the donation?”

Dr. Jones sprung up from her chair immediately and asked in disbelief, “What did you say? You want to donate fifteen million dollars to the hospital to support treatment for patients diagnosed with kidney failure?”

Lucas nodded solemnly.

Lucas wasn’t short of this 15 million dollars now. But he knew very well how much pain people would be in after developing kidney failure, as well as how much pressure would be put on the family members of patients with kidney failure.

If he had been able to receive such financial help when his mother was ill, she would probably have survived.

But it was impossible to turn back time. If his donation could help more patients with kidney failure, he would feel much more relieved and heartened. He was certain that his late mother would definitely support his decision too.

After confirming that Lucas wasn’t joking, Dr. Jones was exhilarated. She immediately took Lucas to the director’s office to let them discuss this matter personally.

Fifteen million dollars was an enormous donation!

The elderly director of the hospital was extremely excited as well. He grabbed Lucas’s hand and praised him incessantly.

They were doctors whose duties were to save lives and treat the injured, so none of them were willing to watch their patients pass away due to their inability to pay for treatment. But the treatment of some diseases truly required a large sum of money, medication, and equipment. So sometimes, they really had no choice but to watch sadly as those patients passed away.

But now that Lucas was going to donate 15 million dollars, there would be hope for many patients suffering from kidney failure but couldn’t afford treatment!

Soon, the director called some people to his office for a brief conference to talk about Lucas’s donation. It was stipulated clearly that a special kidney failure foundation would be established and that the 15 million dollars Lucas was going to donate would be used to help those suffering from kidney failure and facing financial difficulties.

The director also invited Lucas to be the person in charge of the foundation, thus giving him the right to audit and supervise the usage of the funds.

Lucas didn’t want to interfere with the operation of the foundation, so he declined the offer. Instead, he made a small request. “I just want the money to be used for each and every person who needs help, and I also hope that the hospital will keep my donation confidential and not mention it to anyone.”

Chapter 289: Pestering and Threatening

Both Dr. Jones and the director were quite surprised by Lucas’s request.

In fact, in this society, there are many philanthropists who often did charity work and established all kinds of medical foundations. But most of them wanted the world to know about their kind deeds, and there were even quite a few foundations named after the donor.

It was their first time meeting a donor like Lucas, whose only request after donating such a large sum of money was for his identity to be kept secret.

Although such a request was rare, it wouldn’t affect anything, so the director naturally happily agreed to it.

After signing the donation agreement, Lucas quickly transferred 15 million dollars to the account number provided by the hospital.

After doing this, Lucas heaved a long sigh of relief and seemed to have suddenly felt a little less guilty toward his mother.

But when he thought of his mother, Lucas was inevitably reminded of the Huttons, who were far away in DC. A strong sense of hatred and resentment surged from the bottom of his heart.

No matter how much time had passed, Lucas would forever remember how cold and ruthless the Huttons were to him at the time.

If they were just strangers who stood by and left him in the lurch, Lucas wouldn’t hate them. But the Huttons had snatched the Stardust Corporation away from his mother and even drove them to Orange County. They had even suppressed his mother and made things hard for her whenever they could.

As a result, his mother had no choice but to resort to doing hard labor to make ends meet, which put a great strain on her body and eventually caused her to develop kidney failure. Without enough money for her treatment, she passed away.

Thus, the cause of all the problems was the Huttons!

Lucas had decided that he would one day return to the Huttons and make them pay for everything they had done!

Right after Lucas left the director’s office and was about to head back to William’s ward to check on him, he suddenly heard some people talking, and they happened to mention Grace’s name.

“Grace, regarding the matter I talked to you about previously, what’s your decision?

“I… I’m actually very sincere about this, and I’m sure you know that I’ve been carrying a torch for you for a long time. As long as you agree to be my girlfriend, I promise I’ll pay for your mother’s treatment and provide the best conditions for her. I can even help find a suitable donor for her and cover the expenses of her kidney transplant surgery! How does that sound?

“Why are you still hesitating? You know very well that your mother’s condition is deteriorating every day. And if you keep on delaying, it might be too late for regrets by then! Think this over carefully!”

Lucas immediately frowned.

The person who spoke was a man who sounded relatively young but somewhat frivolous. Besides, he was obviously trying to take advantage of Grace’s plight of her seriously ill mother to coerce her into becoming his girlfriend.

His last sentence, in particular, obviously sounded like a threat.

A few seconds later, Grace said with some fatigue in her voice, “Liam, I told you a long time ago that it’s impossible between us. We can only remain as ordinary friends. If you can help me and my mother today, I will be very grateful to you, and I’ll try my best to return the money to you as soon as possible. But if you’re here just to say these things to me, I’m very sorry, but I will not agree to it. I have to go see my mother now. Goodbye.”

Then Grace turned around to leave.

“Wait a minute!” Liam Wallace grabbed Grace’s hand and questioned loudly, “Why? Why do you reject me time and time again? What do you mean we’re not suitable for each other? That’s just your excuse! You’ve never tried dating me, so how are you so sure that we’re not suitable for each other? I’m at least the scion of the Wallaces and have a high status and great wealth. Is there any reason I’m not good enough for you?”

Feeling speechless, Grace struggled hard to break away from Liam and frowned. “Just as you said, you are the scion of the Wallaces, while I’m just a girl from a poor family. Our upbringing and values are different, so of course we’re not compatible with each other! Putting aside the other reasons, do you think you can marry me?”

“This…” Liam was immediately at a loss for words.

He wanted to woo Grace and make her his girlfriend only because he thought she was pretty. He never thought of marrying her before because it was simply impossible.

His status was far superior to Grace’s, and his parents would never allow him to marry a helpless woman from a poor family like Grace.

Seeing this, Grace said with a derisive gaze, “See, your identity as the scion of a rich family is precisely the reason you can get together with just any woman you like. All you want is to toy with them, not a serious relationship. But I’m different from you. I want a partner who genuinely loves me and will spend the rest of his life with me. Mr. Wallace, we’re not the same, so you’d better look for someone else!”

Grace was very clear about the situation she was in, and she knew that a scion like Liam was just a playboy who wasn’t serious about his romantic relationships. She knew that he just wanted to toy with her because she was pretty, and he was even willing to spend some money to help her pay for her mother’s treatment in order to court her.

But if Grace gave in, what would become of her? Someone who would be willing to become a man’s plaything for a small sum of money? Her pride and upbringing would never allow her to do such a thing!

If her mother knew that Grace had used such a method to get money to save her life, she would rather die than agree to it!

Liam hurriedly said, “I didn’t say I wouldn’t marry you. Who said I’m just going to toy with you? I really adore you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have courted you for such a long time, would I? I may be a wealthy scion, but I also have the right to pursue love! I’m not like those playboys who are just out to have fun! Grace, as long as you become my woman, I guarantee that I will make you the happiest you’ve ever been for the rest of your life!”

But Grace didn’t believe Liam’s frivolous sweet talk.

She was not a naive and childish young girl who would believe in fairytales such as Cinderella and Prince Charming. Besides, Liam was far from being a prince. He was just a rich secondgeneration heir who had a terrible personality and a penchant for toying with women.

In the two weeks that Logan had locked her up in his villa, he had also said countless similar things to Grace. So Grace had long seen through the tricks that these rich playboys would use to cheat women out of their feelings, which she absolutely loathed and found repulsive.

“You don’t have to say anything further. I won’t change my mind. Please don’t pester me again.” Then Grace turned around to leave.

Behind her, Liam’s face became hostile and menacing as he narrowed his eyes and revealed his true colors. He blatantly threatened, “Grace Keller, seems like you want to do this the hard way! Having a suitor like me is the greatest honor of your life, so you’d better not push your limits! No woman I fancy has ever been able to escape my hands!

“I’m telling you, you have to agree to be my girlfriend today, or I’ll make a call, and your sick mother will be thrown out of this hospital immediately! None of the other hospitals in this city will dare to admit your mother either! If you choose to reject me again, be prepared to watch your mother die in front of you!”

“How dare you?!”

Liam’s shameless words put Grace on the verge of tears, but she was also panic-stricken. She knew that with Liam’s status as the scion of the Wallaces, he was indeed capable of doing this.

“Hah, you’ll see if I dare to do it or not!” Liam threatened with a smirk.

Unable to tolerate it any longer, Lucas walked out from the corridor beside the stairwell, stood beside Grace, and stared at Liam sneeringly. “How despicable of you to be threatening a girl with her mother’s life!”

Chapter 290: An Item

Lucas’s sudden appearance surprised both of them, who were in the stairwell.

Grace turned around and immediately recognized Lucas. “It’s you!”

There was a trace of surprise in her gaze.

Since the time Lucas had saved her from the villa that Logan had locked her up in, she had been especially grateful to him. If Lucas hadn’t arrived in time that day, she would have been reduced to being Logan’s plaything.

Lucas smiled and greeted Grace, “It’s been some time since we’ve met.”

It had been a month since Lucas last saw Grace, and she looked about the same as before. Just like the previous time, she was similarly dressed in a simple outfit with her long and silky hair tied into a casual ponytail behind her head. She was barefaced but still as stunningly gorgeous as ever.

But compared to the last time they met, Grace seemed to have lost a significant amount of weight, and she now had dark under-eye circles. Clearly, she had been very stressed out by her mother’s condition lately.

After watching their interaction, Liam immediately narrowed his eyes and glared at Lucas antagonistically. He questioned with great displeasure, “Grace, who is this person to you?” Grace turned sullen and retorted hostilely, “What does that have to do with you?”

Liam glared at Lucas and then said to Grace, “Of course it has something to do with me! You’re the woman I fancy, so you’re not allowed to have anything to do with any one of the opposite sex! Do you hear me?”

Grace almost laughed after hearing Liam’s ridiculous words.

She said seriously, “Liam Wallace, I already told you that there’s nothing between us. I’m not your woman, and my affairs are none of your concern! Did you hear me clearly?”

Liam spat on the ground and roared, “Bullshit! I said I adore you, so you’re mine now, and you can’t go anywhere else! Tell me, are you in love with this pretty boy? You rejected me time and time again because you’re fond of him, and you two have long been having an affair, haven’t you?!”

Liam’s logic was truly strange and nonsensical. He was the scion of the Wallace family and had always gotten whatever he wanted, so many of his former girlfriends had either been after his money or had agreed to date him out of fear of his power. In short, none of them had rejected him, and even if a few of them had turned him down at first, they were just playing hard to get.

Grace was the only one who had outrightly rejected him so adamantly!

Liam would never be willing to believe that he just wasn’t charming enough to win Grace’s heart, especially since Lucas, who had just appeared, was obviously someone she knew. So he immediately attributed the reason for the rejection to Lucas.

Grace had always abhorred Liam, who had started pestering her insistently after meeting her once somewhere. Tried as she might, she couldn’t get him to leave her alone.

After hearing what Liam said, Grace wanted to lash out at him immediately, but she suddenly thought of something that made her change her mind.

She took a step to the side and suddenly reached out to hold onto Lucas’s arm tightly while smiling at him beautifully. She then turned to look at Liam. “Liam Wallace, since you already know, I’ll be frank with you. Yes, I like Lucas, and we became an item a long time ago! So I hope you’ll stop pestering me.”

Lucas froze for a moment and subconsciously felt an urge to retract his arm. But after catching the hint in Grace’s pleading gaze, he understood that she was just trying to use him as a shield to fend off Liam, who kept pestering her.

After figuring this out, Lucas played along and stood still, allowing Grace to hold his arm while he smiled.

But Lucas’s smile was an eyesore to Liam, who immediately became enraged.

Liam hollered, “Grace Keller! You’re indeed a bitch! So much for thinking that you’re a virtuous woman with a clean background! How dare you hug another man in front of me now? You don’t take me seriously at all, do you? Aren’t you scared that I’ll throw your mother out of this hospital in anger?”

Lucas frowned. “You’d better watch your words. Also, Grace’s mother is a patient, and she’s rightfully undergoing treatment here. You don’t have the right to throw her out at all.”

“Hmph, who are you to lecture me? If I demand that the hospital throw her out, they won’t dare to disobey me! If you don’t believe me, just give it a try now!” Liam pointed his finger at Lucas with an arrogant and menacing expression.

Lucas sneered. “Hah, you’re just a wastrel who sponges off your family and throws your weight around because of your family’s power. I suggest you stop putting on airs in front of me now, or else you won’t be able to afford to bear the consequences.”

“Damn it. How dare you insult me, you bastard?!”

Being threatened and called a wastrel was something that the arrogant Liam, who had always had a sense of superiority, obviously couldn’t tolerate at all.

He shouted in fury, clenched his fist, and swung it at Lucas’s face.

“Ah! Watch out!” Grace immediately shrieked in horror when she saw the ruthless expression on Liam’s face.

But Lucas would never take a small fry like Liam seriously. All it took for Liam to fall backward was a single kick from Lucas.

“Ah!”

But he fell right into an unfavorable spot by the edge of the stairs. He tried to prop himself up from the ground using his arms, but he failed to do so and lost his balance immediately. Then he rolled down the stairs while shrieking in pain.

Liam was in a terrible plight. His face became bruised and swollen after rolling down more than ten steps of the staircase, all the way to the bottom of the flight of stairs. He couldn’t get back on his feet for a long time.

Grace looked down worriedly and began to panic. “Oh dear! He’s had a really bad fall, so he’ll definitely hold a grudge against you. He won’t let you off! He’s one of the Wallaces! Lucas… run quickly! He doesn’t know your name and identity yet, so he definitely won’t be able to find you!”

She hurriedly pushed Lucas’s arm to urge him to run faster.

At this moment, Grace’s heart was also full of regret. She merely wanted to use Lucas as a shield to make Liam back off after knowing that she had a boyfriend. But she never intended for Lucas to get into a feud with Liam!

The Wallaces were a powerful family on par with the Sawyers, the Hales, and the Taylors!

If Lucas really offended a Wallace because of her, the powerful Wallaces would definitely not let him off the hook. She would be a great sinner then!

But Lucas smiled and comforted her. “Don’t worry. The Wallaces aren’t significant enough to harm me.”

Chapter 291: Cheyenne Gets The Wrong Idea

Seeing how confident and unfazed Lucas was, Grace froze for a moment. But then she suddenly remembered that Lucas’s subordinate, Jordan, had managed to break Logan’s legs and drag him out of the villa like a dead dog. He had managed to do so even though Logan’s family was one of the four most powerful families in the county.

Since then, she hadn’t heard any news of the Hales going to confront Lucas, who was now standing right in front of her, alive and well. This just went to show that the Hales hadn’t exacted revenge on Lucas.

In that case, Lucas was really fearless of the Hales and the other three most powerful families!

Who exactly is Lucas Gray… Grace suddenly became engrossed in her thoughts and froze right on the spot.

Lucas gently patted her shoulder and said, “Let’s go.”

He stopped paying attention to Liam, who was still lying in the corner of the stairwell and wailing in pain, and turned around to leave.

“Uh, wait for me!” Grace snapped back to her senses and immediately chased after Lucas. “I’m so sorry for what just happened. I-I didn’t mean to use you as a shield. I just… Liam Wallace keeps pestering me, and I can’t get rid of him no matter what I do. That’s why I resorted to that method. I’m really sorry!” Grace hung her head low with an extremely apologetic expression.

Lucas shook his head and laughed. “It’s alright. It’s just a trivial matter. Don’t worry too much about it. Speaking of which, I still have to thank you for going out of your way to protect my daughter, Amelia, at Logan Hale’s villa the other day. I’ve been wanting to thank you properly.”

Grace blushed. “Don’t say that. I actually didn’t even help much, and I have you to thank for rescuing me in time. Otherwise, I would have been doomed. Today, you’ve helped me once again. I really don’t know what to say.”

Lucas burst into laughter and said, “We should stop being so polite with each other. By the way, I heard Liam Wallace mention that your mother is ill. What happened to her?”

Although he had already inquired about Grace’s mother’s condition from Dr. Jones, he naturally couldn’t tell her the truth.

At the mention of her mother’s condition, Grace immediately seemed worried. “My mother developed kidney failure because of over-exhaustion, and she’s currently undergoing treatment here. The doctor said that it’d be difficult to continue with the subsequent treatments if I don’t have enough money to cover her medical expenses.”

“So that’s why that scoundrel tried to take advantage of the situation by threatening you with your mother’s condition and forcing you to be his girlfriend, right?”

“Well… yes.”

Lucas sighed. “Didn’t I give you my business card the other day and told you to come look for me should you ever need help with any difficulties? Why didn’t you call me?”

Grace lowered her head in embarrassment. “After all, the medical expenses for my mother’s condition are really high, and you and I have only met once… I… I couldn’t bring myself to ask you for money…”

In Grace’s opinion, asking to borrow money from someone was an extremely difficult task, especially since they weren’t blood-related. They had merely gotten acquainted after a brief encounter during an incident. Besides, she wasn’t clear about Lucas’s financial situation and naturally wouldn’t ask someone she had only met once for a loan out of the blue.

Her mindset might seem silly to others, but Lucas could tell from her thinking and actions that she was a kindhearted and down-to-earth girl.

“There’s no need to be so formal with me. I gave you my business card precisely because I was hoping that I could give you help when you needed some. Don’t think too much about it. Oh, by the way, I heard some good news from Dr. Jones. Someone has donated a large sum of money to the hospital specifically to help patients who suffer from kidney failure. I reckon that you’ll no longer have to worry about your mother’s medical expenses soon,” Lucas said with a smile.

“Really?” Grace’s eyes lit up, and she was so excited that she grabbed both of Lucas’s hands and asked again, “Is that true? Are you really not lying to me to make me happy?”

Seeing Grace overjoyed and excited but still a little apprehensive as she tried to confirm it with him, Lucas felt extremely emotional.

Back then, he had been in the exact same predicament as Grace. He had also gone around trying to borrow money from others with a glimmer of hope within him. Although his efforts were futile most of the time, he occasionally met some kind people who agreed to lend him some money. After each successful attempt, he would be extremely grateful but also in disbelief, for fear that he was just dreaming.

Now, he was finally able to help someone subjected to adverse circumstances and show her some kindness.

“Of course it’s true. Why would I lie to you?” Lucas smiled.

“Lucas, you… you guys!” A familiar voice sounded from a spot near him, and it was also full of disbelief and some shock and anger.

Lucas turned around abruptly, only to meet Cheyenne’s eyes that were full of astonishment and fury.

She was carrying a bag of things and had obviously just arrived at the hospital. She was now glaring at him and his hands furiously.

Only then did Lucas realize that Grace had unknowingly grabbed his hands out of excitement, and Cheyenne happened to see it!

Grace turned her head to the side to look at Cheyenne before looking down and realizing that she was still holding Lucas’s hands tightly. She cried softly, quickly let go of his hands, and stepped back to move away from Lucas.

But in Cheyenne’s opinion, Grace was just trying to cover up something, which made her even more furious. Fuming with anger, she turned around to leave.

Knowing that Cheyenne must have misunderstood, Lucas hurriedly ran after her and grabbed her arm. “Cheyenne, listen to my explanation. This is all a misunderstanding!”

“What misunderstanding? You two are already holding hands, and you even promised her that you didn’t lie to her. I saw and heard everything with my own eyes and ears. What else do you have to say?”

Then Cheyenne shrugged his hand off forcefully and dashed forward.

“Cheyenne, listen to me. We’re really not…”

“Shut up! I don’t want to talk to you right now! Don’t follow me!” After lashing out at Lucas, Cheyenne ran toward William’s ward while feeling extremely aggrieved and bursting into tears.

Lucas immediately felt vexed.

It was the first time in his life that he had caused such an awkward misunderstanding that left him at a loss for what to do.

He wanted to catch up to Cheyenne and explain to her, but she had already dashed into
William’s ward. So if he went after her now, he would definitely disturb William from resting. Besides, now that Cheyenne was piqued, she might not even listen to his explanation.

“Ahhhh!” Feeling helpless, Lucas could only let out a long sigh. He was the respectable leader of the Falcon Regiment, who could kill thousands of enemies without batting an eyelid. But now that he had encountered such a matter, he was completely powerless and at a loss.

Chapter 292: Yet Another Misunderstanding

“Lucas, is that lady… Amelia’s mother?” Grace didn’t know Cheyenne, but she made this guess based on Cheyenne’s reaction after seeing the both of them just now.

Lucas nodded. “Yes.”

“Uh, I’m sorry! It’s all my fault. I was so excited just now that I got carried away and grabbed your hands without realizing it. I caused her to get the wrong idea about us!” Feeling extremely guilty, Grace hurriedly tried to find a way to make things better. “Why don’t I go over and explain it to her?”

Lucas hurriedly shook his head. “It’s alright. You didn’t mean to do it anyway. Besides, you might make the situation even more complicated if you go over. Once she calms down later, I’ll go explain everything to her.”

“Um… okay then. I’m really so sorry!” Grace exclaimed, still overwhelmed with guilt.

“Mr. Gray… Ah, Miss Keller, you’re here too!” At this moment, Dr. Jones walked over from the corridor near them. She had seen Lucas from afar and so decided to come over to say hello.

“Hello, Dr. Jones!” As soon as Grace saw Dr. Jones, she immediately remembered the good news that Lucas had told her earlier. She quickly asked, “Dr. Jones, Lucas told me just now that a kind soul has donated to the hospital to provide free medical aid to patients suffering from kidney failure. Is it true?”

Grace’s eyes were full of eagerness and expectation, mixed with a tinge of vulnerable disbelief, for fear that she would hear some bad news from Dr. Jones.

Dr. Jones glanced at Lucas, well aware that he hadn’t told Grace that he was the donor even though he had told her about the donation. She naturally wouldn’t spill the beans and merely nodded with a smile. “Yes, Miss Keller, I came here especially to deliver the good news to you. That Samaritan donated fifteen million dollars to our hospital specifically to provide financial aid for patients who need treatment for kidney failure. You’ll no longer have to worry about the medical expenses for the treatment of your mother’s illness!”

Tears of joy welled up in Grace’s eyes. She was so agitated that she was at a loss for words. “Thank you, thank you, Dr. Jones! I’m so grateful to the hospital and to that Samaritan! I’m so glad my mother can receive treatment soon!”

Tears of gratification streamed down Grace’s cheeks. She felt as though a boulder had finally been lifted off her chest after a long time.

Dr. Jones looked at Grace’s excited expression with some empathy. As a doctor, she could understand the emotions of the family members of her patients.

After a long time, Grace finally realized that she had been overly agitated and lost her composure. She quickly wiped her tears off her face with her hand and said embarrassedly, “I’m sorry, Dr. Jones. I was just too excited. But I still want to ask you about that Samaritan.
Who is he? What is his name? I’d like to thank him in person!”

Dr. Jones subtly glanced at Lucas, who was standing beside Grace, and coughed twice before saying, “Miss Keller, I’m afraid I can’t agree to your request. That kind-hearted Samaritan has opted to donate anonymously and specifically instructed us not to disclose his personal information. I reckon he just wants to do some charity while keeping a low profile so that others won’t pay attention to him. So, I’m sorry, Miss Keller.”

There was some disappointment in Grace’s eyes. But she thought that since the Samaritan had specifically instructed the hospital to keep his identity a secret, she reckoned that he probably didn’t want to be disturbed.

There was nothing Grace could do about that.

Dr. Jones looked at Lucas and Grace, who were standing side by side and exchanging glances. She found them particularly compatible with each other, especially since Lucas was handsome and tall while Grace was gorgeous.

Recalling that Lucas had donated 15 million dollars to the hospital to help Grace with the treatment of her mother’s illness, Dr. Jones had a hunch that she discovered something. “Grace, he must be your boyfriend, right? You two are both so good-looking. You’re really a match made in heaven! When are you getting married? Remember to invite me to your wedding.”

Dr. Jones was in her fifties, and her children were also at marriageable age, so she usually liked encouraging young couples to get married.

Grace blushed and quickly clarified, “Dr. Jones, we’re just ordinary friends. It’s not what you think!”

Thinking that Grace was just being shy, she immediately looked at her as if to say, ‘It’s okay, I understand.’ She chuckled and said, “Okay, okay, I get it. I hope your relationship blossoms. Remember to inform me when you’ve settled on a date to get married!”

With that, she left smilingly with a folder of medical records in hand and headed to the wards downstairs to do her rounds.

Grace was shy and panicky, but she couldn’t rush forward to chase after Dr. Jones and explain it to her. She blushed in embarrassment.

She raised her head to look at Lucas, and for some reason, she suddenly felt her face getting warmer.

Lucas could tell how awkward Grace was feeling, so he changed the topic. “Let’s go visit your mother. You can also inform her about the good news so that she can relax and recuperate well.”

Grace immediately nodded and led Lucas to her mother’s ward.

Grace’s mother was also in her fifties. But now that she was wearing a hospital gown and lying on the white hospital bed, she looked even more haggard and aged, seeming frail and feeble.

“Mom, I’m here to see you. This is my friend, Lucas,” Grace said gently as she sat by the bed.

Grace’s mother immediately opened her eyes and looked at Lucas.

“Ma’am, how are you doing?” Lucas greeted.

Grace’s mother smiled gently and said softly, “Hello, Lucas. Have a seat!”

Grace took out a small stool from under the bed, put it next to Lucas, and asked him to sit down. Then she poured her mother a glass of warm water and placed it at the bedside table.

“Mom, I have a piece of good news for you! Dr. Jones told me just now that a Samaritan donated a large sum of money to the hospital today specifically to provide financial aid for patients diagnosed with kidney failure! That means you no longer have to worry about the expenses of your treatment!” Grace announced the wonderful news to her mother gleefully.

“What? Is… is this true?” Grace’s mother began to get agitated.

“It’s true! Dr. Jones told me personally. The hospital staff will probably come over to help us with the administrative procedures soon!”

“Wonderful! Grace, you can finally feel less pressured! You no longer have to go around borrowing money or worrying about my medical expenses! Thank God for that Samaritan!”

“Yeah!”

…

Extremely elated and excited, Grace and her mother hugged each other while laughing and crying.

Watching the touching scene in front of him, Lucas had mixed emotions that he couldn’t put into words.

After the two of them got a grip on themselves, Grace’s mother appeared to be in a better mood.

Lucas was just about to bid them farewell and take his leave, but Grace’s mother suddenly pulled him to stop him. She asked smilingly, “Lucas, where are you from?”

“I was born and bred in Orange County,” Lucas answered with a smile.

“How old are you this year?”

“I’m turning twenty-eight.”

“Oh, you’re a few years older than Grace. You’re not getting any younger. It’s time to get married soon. Lucas, who else do you have in your family? Are they all in Orange County?”

“…”

Only then did Lucas realize that Grace’s mother had also mistakenly thought that he was her boyfriend.

He was suddenly caught between laughter and tears.

I think Lucas is interested in joining Sex sect

Prodigy · Mar 25, 2024

moh96 said:
Chapter 293: Consecutive Slaps

At the side, Grace finally reacted at this moment. She was ashamed and hurriedly grabbed her mother’s hand to stop her from constantly probing about Lucas’s background. “Mom, stop asking Lucas such questions! What are you doing?”

Grace’s mother looked at Lucas with great satisfaction and then turned to look at her blushing daughter. She whispered smilingly, “I’m just concerned about you. When did you two start dating? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Grace felt even more embarrassed.

The ward was only that big. Although Grace’s mother spoke as softly as she could, she was certain that Lucas must have heard everything!

“Mom, don’t spout nonsense. Lucas is just an ordinary friend. He’s already married and has a lovely five-year-old daughter!”

“Huh? Lucas is already married?” Grace’s mother said with a look of extreme disappointment. What a fine young man. Why is he already married? How wonderful would it be if he could become my son-in-law!

Lucas couldn’t sit any longer and hurriedly got up to leave. “Ma’am, rest well. I gotta get going.”

Only after walking Lucas to the corridor outside did Grace finally stop blushing. She said embarrassedly, “Sorry, my mother is just like that. She’s always worried that I’ll be left on the shelf, so don’t take it to heart.”

Lucas smiled and was about to speak when he suddenly heard a rough voice coming from the other end of the corridor.

“It’s that bastard! Stop him!”

The two of them turned around and saw Liam, who had rolled down the stairs earlier, sauntering over aggressively toward Lucas with two burly bodyguards beside him.

“Oh no! Liam must have brought his men here to take revenge. Lucas, hurry up and flee!” Grace panicked and hurriedly tried to push Lucas away.

Although she already knew that Lucas probably wasn’t scared of the Wallaces, he was now alone, while Liam had brought two strong and burly bodyguards with him. She was afraid that Lucas would be outnumbered and overwhelmed.

“You want to flee? No way!” While speaking, Liam had already rushed over with his bodyguards and surrounded Lucas and Grace.

“Liam Wallace, what are you trying to do?” Grace yelled angrily.

“Hah, what am I trying to do? You adulterers ganged up on me just now and pushed me down the stairs. Someone has to be responsible for these injuries I’ve sustained!” Liam barked with a grimace.

His face was bruised and covered in abrasions from tumbling down the stairs earlier.

“We didn’t push you. You accidentally fell down on your own!” Grace rebuked furiously with reddened cheeks.

“Shut up!” Liam hollered, interrupting Grace. “Stay at the side. I’ll deal with him first before I settle scores with you!”

Lucas narrowed his eyes and scanned his surroundings. He saw that some people had been startled by the commotion and had come out of the wards to find out what was going on.

Lucas said, “This is a hospital, and the patients need to get their rest. If there’s anything, let’s go outside to settle it!”

But Liam was obviously not the type who would take others’ advice.

He wished he could make the commotion as rowdy as possible, especially since Lucas was his enemy. He thought that it would be best if everyone could witness the consequences that would entail after offending him!

“Cut the crap! Who the hell do you think you are? Guys, break his limbs!” Liam ordered loudly.

“Yes!” The two bodyguards immediately pounced onto Lucas.

“Ah!” Grace cried out in shock, her heart full of nervousness when she saw the aggressive bodyguards. What should I do? What should I do now?

At this moment, Lucas’s body flickered, and with two loud bangs, he hit the back of the necks of two bodyguards with his hands as though they were knives.

The two burly bodyguards’ eyes rolled backward, and they passed out without making another sound.

Liam’s eyes were so wide open that his eyeballs seemed to be on the verge of falling out. He didn’t expect the two bodyguards he had brought with him, who were extremely powerful among the Wallaces’ team of bodyguards, to be knocked out by Lucas even before they could lay a finger on him!

This is outrageous!

This thin young man actually managed to knock out my powerful bodyguards almost instantly?!

“I told you not to disturb the patients while they’re resting here.” Lucas took out a piece of tissue and used it to wipe his hands. He then looked at Liam and said calmly, “Now, can you follow me outside to settle this?”

At this moment, Liam was no longer as arrogant as he was just ten seconds ago. Without the protection of his bodyguards, he was just like a weak chicken.

After hearing what Lucas said, he instinctively felt that he would be in trouble because he had projected his own shortcomings onto others and was certain that Lucas was definitely going to take him outside to a secluded place and then beat him up severely to take revenge, just like what he had intended to do to Lucas.

“What… are you trying to do? I-I’m the scion of the Wallace family. If you lay a finger on me, you’ll be in trouble!” Liam shouted menacingly at Lucas to intimidate him. If the trembling of his voice wasn’t that obvious, he might have been a little more convincing.

Lucas sneered. “Hah, is that a big deal? I’ve already beaten up countless people like you.” Lucas was not bragging but stating a fact. Since he had returned to Orange County more than two months ago, the scions and members of various powerful families—like the Carters, the Wilsons, the Taylors, the Hales, the Brookes, the Douglases, and many others— who were all stuck-up snobs that put on airs and acted like tyrants by leveraging their families’ power and wealth all ended up getting beaten up by Lucas.

Thus, these so-called scions were the ones whom Lucas was the least worried about.

He had already beaten up many of them and long gotten sick of hearing taunts and threats like the ones Liam was issuing now.

But Liam felt that Lucas was bragging. He snorted and snapped, “Hmph, if you dare to touch me again, I’ll call my grandfather to come here and kill you! My grandfather is…”

Smack!

Before he could finish speaking, Lucas slapped him hard on his face. Soon, bright red fingerprints appeared on his face.

“What about your grandfather?” Lucas said indifferently as he stood in front of Liam.

“You!” Liam was boiling with fury!

He had never been slapped by anyone all his life!

It was simply a huge insult!

“Damn it. You’ve got some nerve. Just you wait…”

Smack!

Lucas gave Liam another hard slap on the other side of his face, and the fingerprints on his face now were perfectly symmetrical.

Liam was livid and in pain. To make matters worse, he felt a great sense of humiliation that emerged from within his heart, making him feel like vomiting blood!

He got slapped as soon as he started threatening Lucas. But unfortunately for him, his bodyguards had been knocked out by Lucas. So even if he wanted to threaten Lucas, he couldn’t do so. He was so frustrated that he was about to lose his mind!

“What are you waiting for? For me to give you another slap?” Lucas glared at Liam with a cold and hostile gaze, making Liam subconsciously shudder!

Chapter 294: The Donor

The commotion had alarmed many people in the wards at the very beginning. Due to the fact that the inpatient wing of the hospital was supposed to be kept quiet at all times in order to allow patients to rest and recuperate properly, the slightest noise would be heard clearly even if it came from afar. In particular, when Liam and his bodyguards charged forward to confront Lucas, his arrogant and furious bellowing almost resounded through the entire floor.

When they got into a scuffle, many people hurried out of the wards. They glared furiously at them for creating such a huge ruckus and wanted to demand that they quiet down.

But after hearing Liam announce that he was the scion of the Wallaces, many people dismissed the idea of going forward to confront him and tell him to keep his voice down.

They didn’t have a death wish, and no one was willing to offend Liam, a true scion of a wealthy family.

But after Liam announced his identity, many more people began to stand around him and discuss him from afar, including some patients who were not particularly ill, some family members of the patients interested in the gossip, and a few medical staff.

They didn’t dare to go forward to stop Liam. But deep down, they were lamenting and thinking to themselves that Lucas was going to be in trouble.

But the way things subsequently unfolded made their jaws drop in shock!

No one expected Lucas to be that powerful. Not only did he instantly knock down the two bodyguards, but he also slapped Liam hard twice on his face. He even looked as though he would continue to slap Liam for every nasty thing he said.

This was simply too flabbergasting!

Everyone was astonished. Compared to the cool and collected Lucas, Liam was hopping mad and on the verge of losing his mind!

He couldn’t beat Lucas, and there was nothing he could do about him at all. To make matters worse, a bunch of the surrounding onlookers were pointing fingers and making remarks about him, making him feel incredibly embarrassed!

“Bastard, you… just you wait!” Liam quickly said and then turned around to flee.

He decided that once he left the hospital, he would definitely call a large group of subordinates to come over and help him. Since two bodyguards couldn’t do anything to Lucas, he believed that 20 or perhaps even 200 would be enough! What could an inexperienced punk do to the Wallaces!?!

Hmph, I’m not being a coward. This is a tactical retreat!

“Hold it right there. Did I say you could leave?” Lucas suddenly stopped Liam and obstructed him from leaving.

“You… What exactly do you want?” Liam asked, feeling a little flustered. He started mentioning his family again, “My grandfather is the family head of the Wallaces, and there are so many eyewitnesses here. If you dare to do anything to me, my grandfather will definitely not let you off!”

“Have you said enough nonsense?” Lucas glanced at him coldly. “Good. It happens that there are so many people here now. I want you to swear in front of them that you will never pester Grace Keller again in the future, and then I’ll let you go.”

Liam’s face suddenly became even more sullen, and his expression kept changing.

Lucas was the first person ever to dare to force him to swear!

How dare this bitch Grace Keller get someone to humiliate me?!

All of a sudden, his eyes were full of hatred.

Grace knew that Lucas was doing this for her own good because he wanted Liam to drop the idea of ever pestering her again. But when she saw how livid Liam was, she was worried that he would hold a grudge against Lucas for it. Feeling uneasy, she whispered, “Lucas, why don’t we… forget about it?”

Lucas shook his head.

Liam had no choice but to grit his teeth and say while feeling incredibly humiliated, “Fine, I, Liam Wallace, swear that I will never pester this woman again! Is that enough?”

“Remember what you said today. Otherwise, I won’t let you off so easily next time! Now get lost,” Lucas warned, glaring at Liam sternly.

Liam felt extremely ashamed. He glowered at Lucas and turned around to leave, completely ignoring his bodyguards, who were still lying unconscious on the ground.

Grace felt uneasy because when she saw the look on Liam’s face when he was about to leave, she had a hunch that he wasn’t going to just let things end here. Besides, considering how haughty and prideful he was, she knew that he would certainly try to take revenge on Lucas by all means after suffering such embarrassment and humiliation today.

This matter had nothing to do with Lucas in the first place. But he got implicated because of her and even formed a feud with Liam, as well as the Wallaces. Grace felt incredibly apologetic and guilty.

“Lucas, I’m sorry for getting you involved in this dispute. Liam Wallace is a vengeful person who will surely come looking for you for revenge, so you’d better hurry up and leave. Find a safe place to lay low for the time being and wait for things to blow over,” Grace said worriedly.

“Got it. You be careful too. If anything happens, call me immediately,” Lucas said with a smile. Then he suddenly asked, “You still have my number, right?”

Grace blushed slightly. “Yes, I saved your number since you gave it to me the other day.”

“Okay, then remember to call me if you need anything. You don’t have to be so polite with me. I’ll get going now. Bye.” Lucas waved his hand smilingly and then turned around to leave.

Grace stood still on the spot, watching Lucas leave. Only after he vanished into the elevator did she look away and ponder for a while. She then turned around to walk toward Dr. Jones’s office.

After hearing the good news from Dr. Jones earlier, she hadn’t had a chance to thank her properly yet. Moreover, she also wanted to ask about the Samaritan who had donated the large sum of money.

The Samaritan’s kind gesture was a life-saving favor to her and her mother, so she was bent on expressing her appreciation. Even if it wasn’t convenient for the donor to reveal their identity, Grace still intended to ask Dr. Jones to send a small gift on her behalf to thank the donor.

After she entered Dr. Jones’s office and made her intentions clear to her, the latter seemed very conflicted.

“If it’s really inconvenient for you to disclose their information, I won’t impose on you any longer…” Grace said with her head hung low, her voice full of disappointment.

Just as she was about to say goodbye and leave, Dr. Jones suddenly sighed. “Actually, if it was someone else who came to ask me this, I would definitely insist on respecting the wishes of that kind donor and keep his identity a secret. However, this donation actually has a lot to do with you, so I thought about it and decided that I should tell you.”

Grace suddenly raised her head in confusion. “It has something to do with me?”

Dr. Jones nodded. “That’s right. In fact, the Samaritan who donated fifteen million dollars to the hospital specifically to provide financial aid to patients suffering from kidney failure is Mr. Lucas Gray.”

Grace’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Dr. Jones continued, “But he wanted to keep his identity a secret and told us not to reveal it to you. He’s probably afraid that you might feel burdened and pressured or indebted to him.

“However, I understand your character well. You’re a wonderful girl who knows to be grateful and insists on repaying every single tinge of kindness shown to you. You will never be at ease until you find out who that kind donor is, and I’m sure you’ll try to find him by all means to repay him. That’s why I just told you straight.

“Actually, both of you are good people who spare thoughts for others. I just don’t want to see you two getting embroiled in so much hassle because of this. That’s why I quietly told you despite of Mr. Gray’s request for us to keep his identity confidential. However, please keep everything I just told you to yourself. Don’t tell a single soul about it.”

Chapter 295: The Two Women Meet

Full of extremely complicated emotions, Grace nodded in shock.

It turned out that the person who had kindly donated that enormous sum of money and saved her mother’s life was also Lucas.

Furthermore, he even chose to keep his identity a secret for fear that she would feel pressured. Even when he told her the news just now, he didn’t mention that he was that kind donor at all.

Yet she had used Lucas in a bid to make Liam stop harassing her by pretending that Lucas was her boyfriend, causing him to be implicated in the end.

When she thought about this, Grace felt even more guilty and full of self-reproach.

“Ah, you youngsters just like being so secretive all the time. You secretly do these kind and touching gestures while choosing to hide your feelings from each other. Haha, I think you two should hurry up and make your relationship public! You’re both great people. Lucas is a fine young man. He’s handsome, rich, responsible, and very compassionate. You two will definitely live in bliss in the future!” Dr. Jones said smilingly.

But Grace suddenly looked a little sad. “No, Dr. Jones, it’s impossible between us…”

Thinking otherwise, Dr. Jones said, “How is it impossible? You’re a wonderful girl. You’re pretty, smart, kind-hearted, and strong. You’re the girl of every man’s dream. Don’t be so quick to jump to conclusions!”

Grace smiled bitterly. “Lucas is already married to a beautiful wife, and they also have a lovely daughter. They’re leading a blissful life.”

“Huh? Oh, I see…” Dr. Jones widened her mouth in surprise. After a long while, she finally sighed and said, “That’s such a pity.”

…

At this moment, Lucas had already walked to the door of William’s ward.

He pushed open the door and entered. Cheyenne, who was talking to William inside, turned to look at him angrily. With a harrumph, she quickly turned away and ignored him.

“Dad, it’s getting late. I’ll head back to the office now. I’ll come visit you again after picking Amelia up in the evening.” Cheyenne stood up and picked up her handbag.

“Don’t bring Amelia to the hospital late at night. Besides, I’m doing fine. I’ll be discharged in a couple of days, and I can go home then. So just stay home and rest with Amelia. Don’t go through such a hassle,” William advised.

After resting for most of the day, he felt much better and couldn’t wait to get discharged from the hospital so that he could go home.

Lucas hurriedly said, “Cheyenne, I’ll go with you to pick up Amelia. I happen to have something to tell you too…”

“I have nothing to say to you! Get out of the way.” Cheyenne sulked, brushed past Lucas, and quickly strode out of the ward without looking back.

Lucas was just about to chase after Cheyenne, but she suddenly turned around and snapped, “Don’t follow me!”

Then she strutted out in her heels and soon vanished around the corner of the corridor.

“…”

Recalling the look of repulsion and anger on Cheyenne’s face, Lucas couldn’t help sighing.

William was shocked to see their unusual reactions and conversation.

Since Lucas had returned to Orange County, Cheyenne and his relationship had improved tremendously, apart from the first two days where she had given him the cold shoulder. They had been getting along well and never had a major fight over anything.

“Lucas, what happened between you and Cheyenne? Did you get into a tiff?” William frowned. “When Cheyenne came in just now, her eyes were red. I asked her about it, but she merely said that something got in her eyes, and they turned red because she had been rubbing them.”

Facing his father-in-law’s question, Lucas answered helplessly, “There’s just a small misunderstanding between us. Everything will be alright after I explain it to her tonight.”

“You… didn’t do anything to let Cheyenne down, did you?” William suddenly asked apprehensively with some suspicions.

As someone who had experienced a lot in life, he was naturally very clear about his daughter’s character. He could tell based on how furious Cheyenne was that things definitely weren’t simple.

Besides, considering Lucas’s current status and the fact that he was no longer his live-in sonin-law but a mega-rich tycoon who owned several large corporations, William couldn’t help getting a little worried. He knew that men tended to go astray once they were rich.

Caught between laughter and tears, Lucas said, “Do you think I’m such a person? Cheyenne is my wife. How could I let her down? It’s really just a trivial misunderstanding.”

William finally felt relieved. “Okay then. If there’s any misunderstanding between you two, just clear things up. There aren’t any major issues with me now. I’ve only sustained some minor injuries. You’d better hurry back.”

“Okay. I’ll leave when it’s about time to pick Amelia up from the kindergarten,” Lucas said with a smile.

…

Meanwhile, Cheyenne was waiting to board the elevator when she suddenly heard a soft and gentle voice from behind her.

“Hello, Miss Carter.”

Cheyenne turned around and saw a familiar-looking and beautiful woman walking toward her.

She seemed between 23 to 24 years old, just a little younger than Cheyenne and about the same height. There wasn’t any makeup on her tiny face, but she was a natural beauty. She even exuded the aura of a classic beauty that made her even more gorgeous.

She was undoubtedly a stunning, ravishing beauty.

Even though she wasn’t wearing any makeup, her long hair was tied back into a simple ponytail, and she was dressed in cheap and simple clothes with signs of wear and tear at her sleeves, she was still very pretty.

Cheyenne naturally recognized the beautiful woman in front of her to be the one who had grabbed Lucas’s hands tightly and said that Lucas lied to her to coax her.

A surge of anger arose in Cheyenne’s heart as she wondered, Why is this woman here? To show her prowess? Or to thrash things out with me?

“Why are you looking for me?” Cheyenne questioned coldly.

Grace saw the hostility in Cheyenne’s eyes and hurriedly explained, “Miss Carter, please don’t get the wrong idea. I just came to explain to you clearly that there’s nothing between me and Mr. Lucas Gray. If I had caused any unnecessary misunderstanding to arise between you two, I’m truly sorry!”

Cheyenne pursed her lips and said with contempt, “Sorry? Misunderstanding? Are you trying to say that I have dim eyes and dull ears and that what I saw you two do and heard you two say was wrong? Besides, he even told you my name. How can you still have the cheek to say that there’s nothing between you two?”

Grace looked extremely anxious, and she hurriedly waved her hands while trying to clarify things, “No, no, Miss Carter, it’s really a misunderstanding! I’m really sorry about it! Mr. Gray wasn’t the one who told me your name but your daughter, Amelia!”

“What? You actually met Amelia? You… you guys are outrageous!” Cheyenne was exasperated and aggrieved. Amelia is my and Lucas’s daughter and also my precious baby! Yet he brought her to see this woman. What does he mean by that?!

Chapter 296: Grace Has a Mishap

Seeing that the situation seemed to be getting worse, Grace panicked and hurriedly said,
“It’s not what you think! My name is Grace Keller, and I was abducted by Logan Hale a month or so ago. Logan Hale kept me locked in an extremely remote villa, and later on, your daughter was somehow brought there too. Amelia and I spent a few hours together, during which she told me your name!”

Cheyenne was obviously shocked the moment she heard these words.

Of course, she wouldn’t forget this incident!

That day, Lucas and Amelia had come home late at night, and Amelia had kept mentioning an ‘Aunt Grace’ and complimenting her for being a nice person. Amelia had even said that she wanted to go to Aunt Grace’s place to play again, making Cheyenne upset because she misunderstood that Lucas was having an affair with another woman.

But afterward, Charlotte inadvertently revealed the truth of the matter. And only then did Cheyenne find out that her daughter, Amelia, had been taken away by Scarlet and brought to Logan’s villa, all because they wanted to threaten Lucas with Amelia’s safety.

Lucas naturally managed to find Logan’s villa in the end and successfully rescue Amelia. But during the few hours that Amelia had been held captive in the villa, she was accompanied by Grace, who had been very patient with Amelia and took great care of her. When Logan threatened to harm Amelia, Grace was even willing to sacrifice her own chastity!

Thus, although Cheyenne had never met Grace before, she had always been grateful to her for being so kind as to take such great care of Amelia and protect her. She had always wanted to thank Grace in person. But unfortunately, Lucas didn’t have her contact number, so she hadn’t had the chance to do so.

But she didn’t expect the woman in front of her was Grace!

“Are you Grace Keller? Great! I’ve finally met you!”

The hostility on Cheyenne’s face instantly vanished as she went forward and grabbed Grace’s hands. She said gratefully with excitement, “I know who you are! After Amelia came home back then, she kept telling me about how nice you were. You don’t even know my daughter, but you were willing to let yourself get violated in order to protect her. I’ll forever remember your kindness!

“I’ve always wanted to thank you, but I don’t know where you live. I didn’t expect to run into you in this hospital! Thank you, Grace! You’re mine and Amelia’s great benefactor!”

With shock written all over her face, Grace watched as Cheyenne grabbed her hands tightly and thanked her profusely. She had been anxious and eagerly trying to clear the misunderstanding, but she was now at a loss for what to do.

Of course, she understood that Cheyenne was extremely agitated and thankful because the matter concerned her daughter. Children always meant the world to their mothers.

But Grace felt ashamed when she saw how grateful Cheyenne was. “Miss Carter, please don’t say that! It’s only right for me to do what I did. Amelia is such an adorable little girl, and I believe anyone would want to protect her. Speaking of benefactors, your husband Lucas is the one who saved my life! If it wasn’t for him, I might still be trapped in that villa now, and who knows what would have happened to me. I should be thanking you guys instead!”

Grace shook Cheyenne’s hands earnestly.

While they were shaking each other’s hands, Cheyenne suddenly burst into laughter, and so did Grace.

The tension and hostility between them had vanished within minutes.

“Miss Carter, there’s really nothing between me and Mr. Gray…” Grace still tried to give a clear explanation of the matter to resolve the previous misunderstanding.

Cheyenne held Grace’s hands and stopped her from explaining further. She said with a somewhat awkward expression, “You don’t have to explain any further. I’ve actually already figured it out. I’ve really misunderstood you two. I’m so sorry for making such an embarrassing blunder.”

In fact, when Cheyenne had heard Lucas and Grace’s conversation and saw them holding hands earlier, a strong sense of jealousy and anger surged in her heart. But she soon figured out that she must have misunderstood something.

After all, given all that Lucas had done for her during this period of time, it was impossible that he would be unfaithful to her.

But after she stormed off in a fury, she was actually waiting for Lucas to chase after her and explain things to her clearly. Yet Lucas didn’t do so, so she remained in William’s ward for a long time. The more she thought about it, the more infuriated she was. And when she saw Lucas, she decided to give him the cold shoulder, and when she met Grace again, she was full of animosity.

But now that Grace had revealed her identity, Cheyenne believed that a kind girl like her wouldn’t have an illicit affair with Lucas.

Seeing that the misunderstanding had been resolved, Grace felt extremely relieved, as though a boulder had been lifted off of her chest.

Lucas had rescued her several times and was a huge benefactor to her. If she caused any misunderstanding or conflict to arise between Lucas and Cheyenne, she would definitely be overwhelmed with guilt.

But looking at Cheyenne’s beautiful face and her kind smile, Grace felt that Cheyenne and Lucas were simply a match made in heaven. At the thought of this, Grace felt a little envious.

Gazing at Grace, Cheyenne suddenly asked, “What are you doing at the hospital? Is someone in your family ill and hospitalized too?”

She asked out of concern.

She had already noticed Grace’s extremely plain and simple outfit just now, leading her to guess that Grace was probably facing some financial difficulties. So she wondered if Grace needed any help.

Grace answered, “My mother was diagnosed with kidney failure, and she’s receiving treatment in this hospital.”

“Kidney failure?” Cheyenne asked in shock.

Kidney failure was not an ordinary disease, and in some severe cases, it was fatal. As far as Cheyenne knew, the costs of treatment for kidney failure were extremely high, as it required expensive drugs and frequent dialysis. Many families collapsed because of such hefty medical bills.

With a look of concern in her beautiful eyes, Cheyenne asked, “Well then, is there anything I can do to help you?”

Grace hurriedly shook her head. “Not anymore. Uh… a kind person donated a large sum of money to the hospital and also set up a foundation specifically to provide financial aid for patients suffering from kidney failure like my mother. So all medical expenses my mother will incur will be provided for by this foundation, and I no longer have to worry about her bills.

“Speaking of which, Mr. Gray happened to be telling me about this piece of wonderful news at the time, and I got so worked up that I unknowingly grabbed his hands while asking him if it was true… Then… you happened to see us,” Grace said with some embarrassment.

After hearing this, Cheyenne came to a sudden realization. No wonder Grace asked Lucas if he was lying to her at the time. It turns out it’s because she heard this good news and got too excited.

Cheyenne immediately felt embarrassed and amused.

At the same time, she also suddenly became closer to Grace.

They exchanged numbers and then decided to board the elevator to go downstairs together, as Cheyenne had to head back to the Brilliance Corporation, while Grace had to go downstairs to get something for her mother.

“Grace, I’ll get going now. I’ll invite you to our place for dinner someday. Amelia has been missing you!” Cheyenne bade farewell to Grace smilingly.

“Sure, I’ll come over when I have time!” Grace answered with a smile.

They parted ways at the entrance of the hospital and went in different directions.

Suddenly, something happened!

Screech!

With the ear-piercing screech of car tires coming to a sudden halt, a pure black Passat suddenly pulled over beside Grace. The doors opened, and a pair of large hands reached out to grab Grace and drag her into the backseat of the car!

Cheyenne happened to see this in the corner of her eye and immediately exclaimed in shock, “Grace!”

Chapter 297: In Front of the Club

Everything happened way too quickly. Grace didn’t even have the time to scream. Before she knew it, someone swiftly covered her mouth and dragged her into the car. The next second, the car door slammed shut with a loud bang, and the engine of the black Passat roared before it sped off quickly.

The entire process lasted only a few seconds!

By the time Cheyenne reacted and chased after the car, she only managed to get a vague glimpse of the license plate number.

It was an abduction that actually happened in broad daylight!

Cheyenne was at a loss for what to do, and the only thing she could think of was to call Lucas immediately!

At this moment, Lucas was in William’s ward when his cell phone suddenly rang.

When Lucas saw that it was Cheyenne calling him, his expression immediately became serious.

Cheyenne had just left the ward angrily and given him the cold shoulder because of the earlier misunderstanding. She had even stopped him from following her and refused to give him a chance to explain himself. Now that she suddenly called him, he was certain that something serious must have happened!

Lucas immediately answered the call, only to hear Cheyenne’s anxious voice as she hurriedly exclaimed in panic on the other end, “Lucas, bad news! Someone forcefully dragged Grace into a car at the entrance of the hospital just now!

“It was a black Passat with the license plate AHT617, and it headed east.”

Cheyenne quickly told Lucas all the information she had and said anxiously, “Lucas, quickly find a way to save her!”

“Okay, I got it. I’ll go now!” Lucas didn’t have time to think about how Cheyenne got to know Grace. He simply sprung up immediately with a terrifying aura and strode out of the ward.

“William, I have something important to attend to now. Call me if you need anything!”

After informing William, Lucas immediately left the ward. At the same time, he made a call. While walking, he gave his instructions over the phone, “Quickly help me check this license plate, AHT617, belonging to a black Passat. It just left the entrance of Orange Coast Medical Center and is headed east. Hurry up and find out the current location of this car and the information of the people inside this car now! Keep a close tab on them!”

When he finished giving these instructions, he had already arrived at the elevator.

Lucas soon arrived downstairs and quickly ran out of the elevator. When Zach, who had been waiting near the entrance of the hospital, saw Lucas, he immediately walked over. “Mr. Gray, where are you headed? I’ll give you a ride!”

Zach had sent Lucas to the hospital earlier. At this time, Lucas couldn’t care less about politeness. He quickly got in the car and said to Zach, “Head east along the road in front of the hospital!”

Seeing the cold and austere expression on Lucas’s face and sensing his formidable aura, Zach dared not utter another word of nonsense and swiftly got into the driver’s seat. He started the black Jaguar and sped toward the main road right outside the hospital.

During the journey, Lucas’s phone rang. When he answered the call, Jordan said, “Lucas, I’ve got all the information. That car belongs to the Wallaces, and it has now pulled over in front of Club Splendor. It didn’t make any stops in between, so the people in the car should have entered the club too.”

Wallaces? The Wallaces again?!

Lucas’s gaze turned cold, and a murderous intent appeared in his eyes.

Liam Wallace had been pestering Grace, and after getting rejected by her, he had even put the blame on Lucas. Now that Grace had been forcibly taken away in a car belonging to the Wallaces, Lucas was absolutely certain that it had something to do with Liam!

A short while ago, he had just warned Liam not to harass Grace again. And yet, Liam was getting up to such a trick now. It seemed that the punishment he had given Liam was too light, so much that the latter didn’t take it seriously at all!

Lucas instructed Zach coldly, “Drive to Club Splendor immediately! As fast as you can!”

“Yes!” Zach was astonished. As a born and bred native of Orange County who also worked in that industry, he was naturally well aware of the businesses owned by some major families, just in case he accidentally offended someone he couldn’t provoke.

Club Splendor belonged to the Wallaces, one of the four most powerful families in Orange County. It was also an extremely famous entertainment joint in the city.

Judging from the solemn and murderous expression on Lucas’s face, Zach knew that Lucas had to be going to Club Splendor to deal with some trouble!

Lucas might be going to confront the Wallaces!

Zach thought about what happened this morning. He had followed Lucas to the Douglases’ villa this morning and witnessed with his own eyes Lucas ripping off Chris Douglas’s hand, followed by him slapping James Wilson to the point the latter had no choice but to succumb. He couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of pride, and he was even full of expectations!

Within just a day of following Lucas around, he had managed to witness many eye-opening events that he would never have been able to imagine in his entire life!

It’s too thrilling!

Zach was quite a good driver. After speeding up, the Jaguar sped through the endless flow of traffic on the streets of the bustling city and arrived at Club Splendor in just about ten minutes.

As soon as Lucas got out of the car, a young man who was just as tall as him walked over.

“Lucas.” The young man was none other than Jordan, Lucas’s best friend.

Lucas nodded at him silently.

Although Lucas didn’t ask Jordan to come here, being Lucas’s competent subordinate and close friend of many years, Jordan naturally understood that something must have happened. So after he reported to Lucas the information of the black Passat, he immediately headed to Club Splendor to meet him.

Lucas looked at Club Splendor in front of him.

There was a wide range of facilities offered in the club, including almost all entertainment services and amenities such as a swimming pool and a golf course. It was also extremely large and spacious, just like a manor.

At this moment, there were cars driving past the busy road in front of Club Splendor, and Lucas noticed that the majority of the vehicles parked in front of the club today were luxury cars of makes such as Maserati, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Porsche, and so on. There were almost no low-end cars in sight.

Lucas’s eyes narrowed, and a strange feeling arose in his heart.

Even if most of the customers of Club Splendor were wealthy, most of the clientele should mainly be of the upper-middle class since it was an entertainment joint. There shouldn’t be a fleet of solely luxury cars lined up at the entrance.

Unless… there was a special event in Club Splendor today, resulting in such a special sight. The cars parked at the entrance were all expensive cars that only the extremely rich could afford.

While Lucas was deep in thought, a fragrant scent of perfume wafted up to Lucas’s nose, and a woman dressed in an exquisite, strapless Chanel little black dress suddenly extended her fair arms to hold onto Lucas’s arm!

Chapter 298: He Bullied Me

Lucas frowned, stopped in his tracks, and swiftly dodged the woman attempting to hold him.

There was a trace of shock and some displeasure in the woman’s eyes.

This woman was about 25 to 26 years old and voluptuous. Her face was covered in thick, exaggerated makeup, with shiny eyeshadow covering a large area of her eyelids all the way up to her eyebrows. Her lips were also covered in bright red lipstick.

If she dressed like this at a banquet, she would definitely be a gorgeous stunner at the center of attention. Unfortunately, she now had a look of displeasure and annoyance on her face, making her look malicious and much less beautiful.

“Put on an act for me. I’ll pay you!” the woman ordered in a low voice.

Without further ado, she took out a wad of bills amounting to at least a few thousand dollars from her pearl purse and stuffed it into Lucas’s clothes.

She glanced at Lucas condescendingly with an arrogant gaze, as if Lucas was obliged to help her. After giving him the money, she leaned closer again to try and hold onto his arm.

“No!” Lucas refused coldly and then tossed aside the wad of bills stuffed into his pocket.

He was not a saint or a Samaritan, so he naturally wouldn’t help just anyone who approached him, especially since he was now worried about Grace’s situation and thinking about how to rescue her from Club Splendor. He naturally didn’t have time to pay attention to the request of this woman who had appeared out of nowhere.

“You! I’m Gisele Taylor, and I’m just asking you to do me a small favor! Are you even a man?” Gisele Taylor gritted her teeth and glared at Lucas viciously.

If that annoying jerk hadn’t started pestering her all of a sudden, and if she had been able to arrange a suitable candidate, she wouldn’t have pulled a random decent-looking man on the streets over and asked him to be her shield.

This idiot still seems so adamant and unwilling to help me out!

Hmph, I’ve already revealed my identity. I won’t believe this atrocious man still has the guts to reject me!

Except for the three other families just as powerful as the Taylors, most people in Orange County would rush to curry favor with them and try to get into their good books once they revealed their identity!

Unfortunately, Gisele was destined to be disappointed.

Even after Lucas heard her identity, his expression remained unchanged, and he even barked at her coldly, “Get lost!”
So what if she’s a Taylor? I’ve even taught the direct descendants, Scott and Preston Taylor, a hard lesson. What is a small fry like her to me?

Lucas would never be pressured by the power of someone else’s family, nor let someone use their family’s status to order him around!

Besides, he now had something urgent to attend to, so he obviously didn’t have the time to bother about a pointless trick pulled by a woman of a wealthy family.

After being rejected by Lucas mercilessly, Gisele retorted in rage, “Bastard! I’m doing you a favor by asking you to help me! How dare you talk to me like that? Are you tired of living?”

Lucas stared at her coldly like she was an idiot before turning around to leave.

“Gisele, you’re finally here!”

At that moment, the door of a Pagani sports car opened, and a scion with a greasy face and hair and wearing a suit came out of it. He then scurried toward Gisele with a smile on his face.

A look of disgust appeared in Gisele’s eyes for a fleeting moment before she quickly concealed it. Staring at the back of Lucas, who was walking away, she suddenly looked extremely aggrieved while pointing to the bills scattered all over the ground.

With pouted lips, she complained to the young man, “Kyle, that bastard… He bullied me and tried to take liberties with me. He even called me a hooker and threw money at me while demanding that I sleep with him for a night!”

Gisele even pointed her finger at Lucas, who had just left and was now a few steps away.

Kyle Kingston stared at the bills amounting to at least a few thousand dollars scattered all over the ground. When he got out of the car just now, he did witness Gisele talking to Lucas with a sullen expression on her face.

So Kyle immediately believed what Gisele said, and his expression became cold and austere.

He had been carrying a torch for Gisele for a long time. She was beautiful, and her family was one of the top families of Orange County. If he could marry Gisele, his position in his family would rise by a notch too!

Unfortunately, Gisele had always been indifferent and aloof toward him. She seemed to never pay attention to him.

But she was now pouting aggrievedly and complaining to him in a coquettish manner, making him feel a strong sense of accomplishment and a tremendous urge to protect her!

At the same time, he was overwhelmed with fury!

Damn it. How dare another man covet the woman I haven’t even gotten my hands on?! He even had the audacity to call my woman a hooker. He must have a death wish!

“Damn it. You’re trying to flee after bullying my woman? Stop right there!” Kyle was zealous and livid as he dashed forward to stop Lucas.

At the same time, two of Kyle’s bodyguards were getting out of the car behind his car. When they saw this, they immediately sprinted forward to form a triangle around Lucas, hindering him from leaving.

Lucas’s face immediately darkened.

Not far behind Lucas, Jordan had an aggressive and murderous gaze in his eyes. He squeezed his fingers and cracked his knuckles. How dare they surround Lucas? They must be tired of living!

Club Splendor was located at the intersection of two main roads, with many shopping malls and movie theaters in the vicinity. So there was generally quite high pedestrian traffic.

Seeing that a conflict was about to break out here, many people who enjoyed gossiping stopped to watch the commotion.

Some of them recognized Kyle and couldn’t help exclaiming in shock. “Oh my goodness, it’s Kyle Kingston! How dare that young man offend Kyle Kingston? This young man is going to be in trouble!”

“What? Mr. Kingston is here in Orange County too? The Kingstons are much more powerful than the four top families in this county!”

“Exactly. After all, they’re one of the top few families in the entire state!”

“Looks like that young man is in trouble!”

“Haha. He deserves it for having the guts to offend Mr. Kingston!”

…

Everyone soon found out Kyle’s identity and were all casting envious gazes at him.
In this era, the rich and powerful could do whatever they wanted. And for commoners who were far inferior to them, being able to witness such legendary scions confronting others with their very own eyes was quite a rare opportunity.

They obviously didn’t care about the cause of the conflict and who was at fault. They merely hoped that the commotion would escalate and things would blow up.

So they naturally praised and flattered Kyle while despising and undermining Lucas.

Well, it was all because Lucas was wearing ordinary clothes, and no one knew who he really was.

Hearing the chatter around her, Gisele glanced at Lucas with the pleasure of taking revenge. Hmph, how dare he turn me down and tell me to get lost? I must make this ignorant and brazen man pay the consequences!

Looking at the three people surrounding him, Lucas remained calm and said to Jordan, who was standing near him, “I’ll leave it to you.”

Chapter 299: Troublemaking Clowns

“Yes, Lucas!” Jordan had long been waiting impatiently at the side for a chance to strike. As soon as he heard Lucas’s instructions, his eyes instantly lit up, and he charged toward the three of them like an aggressive cheetah.

Kyle was a haughty scion himself, so his bodyguards were naturally similar to him. After hearing what Lucas said, they began to get into a defensive stance. But before they could react, they were hit hard in their stomachs by a powerful strike.

“Ah!”

“Argh!”

“Waaa!”

Along with three miserable cries, three figures instantly flew away from Lucas and landed heavily on the ground around five meters away.

The entire process took less than two seconds!

Some of the surrounding onlookers immediately shrieked, while many were still dumbfounded because everything had happened in the blink of an eye. Before they could get a clear glimpse of what happened, Kyle and his strong bodyguards had already been flung far away like rag dolls.

“What… what happened?”

“Oh my god! Kyle Kingston actually got beaten up!”

“Who exactly is that young man… How bold of him! That young man beside him has such terrifying combat skills! I just blinked for a second and missed everything! Can someone tell me how exactly he managed to kick those three men so far away at the same time?”

“I… I just saw him raise his leg, and afterward, Kyle Kingston and his bodyguards were flung far away! He’s unbelievably fast!”

…

Gisele, who had looked rather smug just now, gasped in disbelief. After seeing this scene, she almost couldn’t believe her eyes.

Kyle may be lousy, but what about his personal bodyguards? Are they wastrels who can’t take a beating too?

No, impossible!

This just means the young following that ignorant and ungrateful bastard is much better at fighting than Kyle’s bodyguards!

It also means that the real identity of that man I thought was just decent-looking but poor might really be astonishing!

While Gisele was overwhelmed by the shock, Lucas glanced at her coldly, sending a chill down her spine and making her shudder.

When she thought of what she had just said to Lucas and how she had instigated Kyle to deal with him, she was overwhelmed with fear and regret. Her legs turned into jelly, and she fell to the ground. Oh dear! I’ve offended someone I shouldn’t have!

But Lucas merely glanced at Gisele before turning away and ignoring her.

In Lucas’s opinion, Gisele, Kyle, and others like them were just annoying clowns out to cause trouble. He ignored them because all he wanted to do now was go inside Club Splendor and rescue Gisele.

Lucas and Jordan walked directly to the entrance of Club Splendor, but several security guards stopped them. “Excuse me. Please show your invitation cards.”
“Invitation cards?” Jordan frowned. “Isn’t this club an entertainment joint? Why do we need an invitation?”

The security guards looked at Lucas and Jordan, and the respect in their eyes turned into contempt. They said impatiently, “The entire Club Splendor has been booked for a grand auction tonight. No one is allowed to enter without an invitation! Please get out of the way and make way for the distinguished guests!”

Jordan was furious and was about to say something to the snobbish security guards when they suddenly heard a derisive voice coming from behind.

“Hey, I was wondering who it is. Isn’t this the famous live-in son-in-law of the Carters? Do you think Club Splendor is like a roadside restaurant you can enter as and when you please?”

“The Carters? Is there such a family in Orange County? Why haven’t I heard of them before?”

“Hah, it’s just a lowly third-rate family that almost went bankrupt recently. It’s not strange that you haven’t heard of them. The puzzling thing is that this shameless live-in son-in-law actually still has the guts to show up here. Doesn’t he know that this isn’t a place for him?”

“Hahaha. Maybe he’s just ignorant and fearless!”

…

These people were taunting and mocking Lucas. But among all of them, the person who spoke the most was someone with whom Lucas was the most familiar.

Lucas sneered and thought, Why are there so many self-righteous fools who like going around making a nuisance?

He turned his head and saw three young men walking over from the parking lot not far away.

The young man standing on the far left was about 23 or 24 years old, and he was now staring at Lucas with a resentful expression and a sinister gaze. If the look in his eyes could kill, he would have probably pierced Lucas countless times by now.

This young man was none other than Tristan Parker, from one of the most powerful families in LA, whom Lucas had met before.

When Lena Sawyer had invited Lucas to lunch at a restaurant called The Loft previously, Tristan had appeared out of nowhere and claimed to be Lena’s husband. He had even tried to teach Lucas a lesson.

Of course, his plan of pretending to be impressive ended up backfiring, as Lucas had knocked both his bodyguards away and even made him kneel down to apologize to him.

Lucas didn’t know the other two young men beside Tristan, but he reckoned they should also be rich second-generation heirs of prestigious families since they could hang out with Tristan.

Lucas glanced at him and said indifferently, “Seems like your knees are not hurting anymore, so you’ve gotten more brazen, huh, Mr. Parker?”

Tristan was the first person who started mocking him just now and also the one who mocked him the most, for fear that his friends wouldn’t know how ‘lowly’ Lucas was.

“You!” When he heard Lucas suddenly mention the matter of him kneeling in the restaurant and being forced to apologize to Lucas in public, he immediately felt insulted and humiliated again.

He even vaguely felt a faint, painful sensation in his knees, as if the feeling he felt that day had returned.

The moment he met Lucas’s eyes full of indifference, Tristan instantly recalled how Lucas had kicked away both his bodyguards effortlessly and even pinned him firmly to the ground. Regardless of how he had struggled, he hadn’t been able to break free.

Yes, he was now full of fear toward Lucas!

In fact, Tristan’s knees even began to tremble uncontrollably.

A rich scion beside him seemed to notice the horror within Tristan. He glowered at Lucas hostilely and suddenly said, “Tristan, did this person bully you in the past? Don’t worry. I’ll get back at him for you!”

Chapter 300: Invitation Card
The person who spoke had a buzz cut and was wearing a tight-fitting sports singlet that exposed his muscles, which were unlike that of typical men. It seemed that he should be a frequent gym goer.

The fact that he worked out regularly was the reason he wanted to taunt Lucas, who had offended his friend, after seeing how lanky he was. He thought that Lucas definitely wouldn’t be strong, so he tried to intimidate him with his muscular build.

After hearing what the muscular man with a buzz cut said, the other man laughed and said,
“Tristan, rest assured. I’m so muscular, I can easily beat this guy up!”
This man’s features were similar to that of the muscular man. But he was less brawny and merely toned. It seemed that they were siblings.

But after Tristan heard the supportive encouragement of his friends, his expression changed again.

His friend was indeed a fitness fanatic, who pumped iron all the time and was also the most muscular one in his social circle. During their outings, he would often attract the attention of the crowd and have compliments showered on him.

But Tristan was well aware that his muscles were only for show and his combat skills were actually inferior to a proper bodyguard.

On the other hand, Lucas had the ability to effortlessly send his bodyguards flying with a single kick and render them immobile. This fact alone was terrifying enough.

In short, there was no way the three of them could do anything to Lucas!

After a series of changes in his expression, Tristan gritted his teeth and said, “Forget it. Let’s go and get on with our business. Once we’re done, we’ll come back to settle scores with him!”

Since Tristan already said so, the muscular man could only say with great regret, “Okay then. We’ll let him off for now. That’ll save me the hassle of getting all sweaty before the auction starts.”

The few of them glowered fiercely at Lucas with warning gazes before walking past him to go to the entrance of Club Splendor.

The security guards who had stopped Lucas just now were all smiling respectfully at Tristan and his friends. But they nevertheless requested to see their invitation cards. “We hope to seek your cooperation. Please show us your invitation card.”

The muscular man and Tristan each took out a golden invitation card from their breast pockets and handed it to the security guard. But the man who seemed to be the younger brother of the muscular man didn’t do anything.

The security guard leader received the invitation cards respectfully with both hands, and after some careful scrutiny, he returned the invitation cards to them politely. “Mr. Callum Owen, Mr. Tristan Parker, there’s nothing wrong with your invitation cards. You may each bring yourself plus one. May I ask if this gentleman next to you is with you two?”
The muscular man, Callum Owen, nodded arrogantly. “Yes, he’s my younger brother, Elijah Owen.”

The security guards hurriedly greeted them respectfully and invited them in for some rest, treating them as distinguished guests.

Callum took the invitation card back and then suddenly said in an extremely loud voice, “Speaking of which, the auction here in Club Splendor tonight is very important. You guys have to tighten security and not let those hooligans who are unqualified to enter the club have a chance to sneak in!”

Then he turned around and gave Lucas a provocative glance. It was obvious what he was implying.

Since these security guards were arranged to check the invitations at the entrance, they were naturally not fools and were smart enough to catch Callum’s hint immediately.

“Rest assured, Mr. Owen. We’ll definitely check every invitation card properly and make sure that no hooligans can sneak in!”

Callum, Elijah, and Tristan looked at Lucas with smug and triumphant gazes as if they had won a battle. Then they entered through the glass doors.

Upon seeing this scene, Lucas and Jordan frowned slightly.

It turned out that even prestigious figures like Callum and Tristan had to have their invitation cards checked carefully before they were permitted entry. This just went to show that the rules at the auction in Club Splendor tonight had to be very strict. Or rather, the organizers of the auction had to be from a formidable background, so much so that even those scions dared not offend them and had no choice but to let the security guards check their invitations in accordance with the rules.

“Lucas, it seems it won’t be that easy to get into Club Splendor tonight,” Jordan whispered to Lucas.

In fact, if they used brute force, they would be able to enter even the heavily guarded Capitol Building if they wanted to, let alone a club guarded by just a few bodyguards!

But the purpose of their trip wasn’t to force their way into Club Splendor but to find Grace and rescue her. If this matter escalated, it would affect Lucas and some of his following plans.
At this moment, a security guard saw the two of them and noticed that they had been standing near the entrance without moving for a long time, so he went forward to chase them away.

“What are you still blocking the entrance for? If you don’t have an invitation card, hurry up and get lost! Don’t get in the way of others! Do you hear me? What are you waiting for? Scram!” the security guard said arrogantly.

A trace of murderous aura flashed in Jordan’s eyes, and he suddenly turned around, wanting to teach the security guard with a foul mouth a hard lesson.

“Shut up!” At this moment, a familiar voice full of anger sounded from behind them.

Bruce Hale was holding a cane made of rosewood with some gold details, which was some sort of a status symbol, and walking over at a pace that seemed a little quick for his age. He seemed furious. “Fool, how dare you stop and insult Mr. Gray? Do you have a death wish?”

The security guards were shocked and hurriedly bowed to Bruce. “Mr. Hale!”

But Bruce, the head of the Hales, simply ignored the security guards and quickly walked toward Lucas. Everyone watched in shock as Bruce bent forward a little and said to Lucas with the utmost respect, “Mr. Gray, had I known you were coming, I would have asked my chauffeur to pick you up and take you here!”

Everyone was taken aback by his words!

Everyone knew that the 70-odd-year-old Bruce, the helmsman of the Hales, one of the four major families in Orange County, had been a member of the upper-class circle for numerous years. It was safe to say that nearly no one in high society could compare to him in terms of age and seniority. Even the heads of the other families would have to show him great respect.

But why would such an esteemed and prestigious figure, who commanded great power in Orange County, bow slightly to Lucas, speak to him with so much respect, and even go as far as to chauffeur him over personally? This was way too shocking!

The security guards who had hollered at Lucas and told him to get lost couldn’t help but break out in cold sweat now!

If they still didn’t know that there had to be something extraordinary about Lucas’s identity, they would be complete idiots!

“Mr… Mr. Gray, we’re sorry. We… didn’t do it on purpose!” the few security guards stammered, their foreheads covered in cold sweat.

Although they had been hired by the Wallaces, the four top families still showed each other adequate respect on the surface. Once Bruce called the Wallaces and informed them that the security guards had offended him, the Wallaces would definitely punish them severely!

At this moment, Jordan asked with raised brows and a derisive smile, “So, do you still want to see our invitation cards now?”

“No, no, no, of course not!” The security guards immediately shook their heads profusely and then exclaimed respectfully, “This way, please!”

Lucas couldn’t be bothered to care about these small fries. He simply walked straight into the club while Bruce followed closely behind.

Only after entering the spacious hall did Lucas suddenly ask, “What’s the background of the auction tonight?”

After looking around and ensuring that there was no one else near them, Bruce said softly, “Actually, the auction is just a pretext. They’re not putting up items for auction tonight.
Rather, they’re putting up people for auction, and beautiful women at that!”

The Wallaces' are really brazen to use human as auction,they are really tired of living

Prodigy · Mar 25, 2024

moh96 said:
Chapter 301: Brazen

Lucas’s pupils constricted abruptly. Putting up beautiful women for auction? Aren’t they selling humans like objects then?

They were actually brazenly committing such an illegal and immoral act in public. It seemed that they had no regard for the law at all!

Lucas immediately thought of Grace who had been abducted and brought to Club Splendor. He reckoned that the reason they had done this wasn’t simple and it was very likely that she might be one of the beauties going to be put up for auction tonight!

The moment he thought of this possibility Lucas was awash with rage and a desire to kill. “How dare the Wallaces do such a thing?!”

Bruce hurriedly shook his head. “The auction venue may belong to the Wallaces but as far as I know this auction is held by the Kingstons.”

“The Kingstons? Hmph!” With a cold and terrifying gaze in his eyes Lucas snapped “It seems
I have to teach them a hard lesson this time or else they might think I’m a pushover!”

Bruce blinked unsure of what Lucas meant by that. Is he… referring to the Kingstons? But Lucas and the Kingstons… don’t seem to have had any dealings?

But Jordan standing behind Lucas immediately understood what Lucas meant and his eyes were full of excitement for some action.

The Kingstons indeed didn’t seem to have much to do with Lucas but he knew that the Kingstons were subordinate to the Huttons!

The person who had sneakily taken photos of Lucas and Charlotte at the amusement park back then was sent by the Kingstons.

The person who had spread the news of Lucas being an abandoned member of the Huttons and that the Stardust Corporation had long been disowned by the Huttons was also instigated by the Kingstons.

The Kingstons were also the ones who had secretly incited many families who owned major corporations and enterprises to create trouble for the Stardust Corporation.

They were just following orders given by the Huttons to suppress Lucas and make sure that he would forever be trapped in the doldrums in Orange County while watching the Stardust Corporation which he valued the most go bust.

They were on an invisible battlefield because the Kingstons had been doing these things secretly behind the scenes. If not for the conscientious and quick-witted people Jordan had sent it would have been very difficult to find any evidence against them.

But just because they didn’t openly harm him didn’t mean that there wasn’t any anger.

If Lucas hadn’t responded in time on several occasions and resolved their insidious scheming tricks they would have probably gotten what they wanted!

Thus Jordan genuinely detested the Kingstons for their unruly behavior and the fact that they were leveraging the power of the Huttons to be so arrogant.

But at this moment Lucas thought of another problem.

The auction today was organized by the Kingstons and women were going to be put up for auction like they were inanimate objects. Moreover there was also a mysterious organization that regularly supplied beautiful women to the Ocean Bathhouse which used to be controlled by the Taylors.

Is there a connection between these two matters?

Do the Kingstons play an important role in the supply chain of beautiful women for the illegal business formerly run in the bathhouse?

In fact ever since Lucas last communicated with Preston and learned that even the Taylors were clueless about the identity of the organization that provided them with the beautiful women for the business Lucas had actually already developed some suspicions.

The Taylors were one of the four top families of Orange County and the fact that even they couldn’t find any clues about the origin of the mysterious organization they had worked with for so many years just went to show that they probably weren’t from this county. Moreover they were most likely far more powerful than the four most powerful families in Orange County.

The most likely possibility was that they were one of the eight great families in DC or the top families in the state since they could have so much power and carry out the business with so much confidentiality.

However the businesses of the eight great families were massive and they had monopolized many key industries. They generated a massive amount of profit every single day and it would be an understatement to say that they were as rich as a country.

Thus although providing beautiful women was a profitable industry for most the profits were paltry in the eyes of the eight great families in the capital. Besides it was too distasteful and it would make them the laughing stock of the other families and cause them to be mocked for being so lowly that they would make such filthy money.

But such a profitable business meant differently to less prestigious families.

Of course at present these were just Lucas’s conjectures and there was no point in speculating further without any concrete evidence.

Besides in addition to these famous prestigious families there were also some deeply hidden families who kept extremely low profiles. They were possible suspects too making the range of speculation even wider.

Lucas narrowed his eyes as he looked at the ostentatious decor of the hall and the guests gathered in pairs or groups of threes he saw through the glass windows.

He said softly to Jordan “Go look for Grace.”

Jordan acknowledged the order and immediately got to it. Soon he disappeared from the hall.

Jordan had previously met Grace at Logan Hale’s villa so Lucas was not at all worried that Jordan would get the wrong person.

Bruce watched carefully from the side but he remained silent. Being a smart person he could tell from Lucas’s question that the reason Lucas suddenly came to Club Splendor today was not for the auction but for another agenda.

Of course Bruce had already pledged allegiance to Lucas together with his family so he naturally wouldn’t say anything else. Even if a conflict broke out between Lucas and someone in the club later he would still stand firmly on Lucas’s side.

“How is the relationship between your family and the Wallaces?”

Bruce was shocked to hear his question. Although he didn’t know why Lucas asked him this out of the blue he nevertheless answered conscientiously “The Hales and the Wallaces only engage in some ordinary business dealings and a few distant relatives of the younger generation are married to the Wallaces. But we’re not that close to them. It’s mostly the same for the four major families. We do have some connections but we’re restrained by the scruples we have for each other so we tend not to get too close.

“I’m here at the auction today only because I received an invitation from the Kingstons and couldn’t think of an appropriate reason to turn them down so… I-I absolutely have no intention to participate!”

While speaking Bruce felt that something was amiss and he immediately broke into a cold sweat.

He knew that Lucas was most disgusted by businesses revolving around vices such as gambling and drugs as well as prostitution and human trafficking which he hated the most! If Lucas misunderstood that he was at the auction to buy some beautiful women Bruce would be in deep trouble!

“Good that you don’t!” Lucas finally looked less austere but he warned again “You know what my temper is like. I may have handed the businesses of your family back to you to manage but if I find out one day that you’ve gotten involved in certain industries I hate I’ll take them back from you immediately!”

Bruce’s heart ricocheted and he hurriedly said “Rest assured Mister Gray. My family and I will eternally remember your admonishments and we will never get involved in those industries again!”

Lucas finally nodded. “Take me to the auction hall now!”

Chapter 302: Standing Up For You

Soon Bruce led Lucas to a spacious auction hall situated in the basement floor of Club Splendor.

The auction hall was indeed very secretive. Along the way they had to pass through several labyrinths of passages and doors guarded by professional security personnel before they finally reached the venue.

Lucas thought No wonder the Kingstons chose to hold the auction of beautiful women here in Club Splendor that belongs to the Wallaces. They’re probably aware that they should keep their sordid business away from the public eye. No wonder the security at the entrance was so tight.

If this matter was exposed the Wallaces and the Kingstons would be in deep trouble!

Although the auction had yet to begin officially many guests had already gathered in the auction hall. Apart from a small number of people from top families in Orange County whom Lucas had met before there were many fresh faces.

The eagle-eyed Bruce looked around the hall and then whispered to Lucas “Apart from some top families of Orange County many members of wealthy families from other big cities like New York City are among the guests here tonight. Those from families of lower statuses are not even worthy of being invited.”

Lucas nodded. Seems that these fresh faces are members of the top families from other cities.

In fact after seeing the fleet of luxury cars worth hundreds of thousands to several million dollars each lined up at the entrance Lucas already had a rough idea of how wealthy the guests of the auction tonight had to be.

“Hey Lucas! You’re here too!” At this moment a familiar voice with a tone of surprise came from behind them.

Lucas turned around and saw Lena strutting toward him gracefully. She was clad in an exquisitely-tailored red fishtail gown with a small and dazzling diamond clutch in hand.

She had some makeup on her face which was appropriate for a ballroom convention and made her look elegant and dignified. Coupled with a complete set of jewelry consisting of sparkling teardrop-shaped diamond earrings a necklace and a headpiece Lena was particularly ravishing and eye-catching tonight.

She was gazing at Lucas with joy in her big beautiful eyes. Only when she almost reached him did she realize that Bruce was standing near him.

After taking a look at him she got a great fright.

The esteemed head of the Hale family was actually standing half a step behind Lucas with his back slightly bent forward looking somewhat respectful and subservient to Lucas.

In fact Bruce’s behavior was actually not that obvious but Lena had studied micro expressions in psychology when she was pursuing her education abroad. So she could tell from Bruce’s subtle expressions and actions that he was deferential and reverent toward Lucas!

This immediately made Lena extremely curious.

“Mister Hale you’re here too!” Despite her shock and curiosity Lena still remembered her manners and etiquette.

She held up the corner of her dress and did a little curtsy to bow to Bruce in an elegant and ladylike manner.

Bruce chuckled. “It’s you Lena! It’s been some time since we last met and you’re all grown up now! You’re getting prettier and prettier! Is your father Ethan here today?”

Perhaps because Bruce was giving her a compliment in front of Lucas Lena somehow blushed coyly for a moment before answering with a smile “My father has gone on a business trip abroad and couldn’t make it back in time. So he asked me to attend the function today on his behalf and at the same time get an eye-opener for myself too.”

In fact Lena had interacted with very few people of this circle because of how overprotective Ethan had been of her. She had lived a carefree life overseas as well.

But since the last time Lena and Ethan had a tiff over the matter of her marriage to Tristan Ethan reflected for a long time and then decided that he should let Lena socialize more often and brush up on her interpersonal social skills. He wanted her to understand that the lives of wealthy families were not always as glamorous as they seemed to be on the surface and that the heirs and heiresses of such families did not enjoy absolute freedom to do whatever they wanted.

While they were chatting they unknowingly became the focus of attention of many people in the auction hall.

On the one hand it was because Lena was a stunning beauty bound to steal the limelight wherever she went. On the other hand it was naturally because of Bruce the head of one of the four top families of Orange County.

Most people didn’t know who Lucas was and there were also many who were curious as to why Lucas could stand next to Bruce. So there were many curious gazes cast on Lucas.

But Tristan Callum and Elijah who came in before them were not one of those staring at Lucas with harmless curiosity.

Tristan was standing near them and glaring daggers at Lucas and Lena. In particular when he saw Lena who had always been harsh to him beaming with joy and smiling at Lucas his expression was terrifyingly sinister and gloomy.

“How did that punk get in?” Callum was sullen too. He had previously instructed the security guards at the entrance not to let Lucas in but now that Lucas was there it was a clear insult to Callum because his instructions had been defied.

“Hmph that bitch must have brought him in! Atrocious!” Tristan gnashed his teeth.

Ever since the previous incident at The Loft where Lena had mercilessly said several times in front of so many people that she wasn’t interested in him and didn’t want to marry him but then went on to stand on Lucas’s side and go against him by calling her bodyguards over to stop him Tristan had developed a strong resentment and hatred toward Lena as well.

“Bitch? Do you mean Lena the daughter of the richest man in Orange County Ethan Sawyer?
She’s the one who’s engaged to you but has been refusing to come back from abroad right? Is she the one in the red gown over there?” Elijah asked in a gossipy manner.

Tristan nodded sullenly. “Yes it’s her! She’s clearly engaged to me since a long time ago but she’s been avoiding me like the plague and refusing to see me! Yet she’s so nice to that livein son-in-law of the Carters and she even scolded me for him! They’re a pair of adulterers!”

Tristan spat on the ground and his face which was usually handsome twisted into a grimace.

Elijah patted Tristan on his shoulder with some empathy and sympathy. No man would be able to tolerate such a thing.

“Rest assured. I’ll go deal with that punk and stand up for you now!” he said as though they shared a common enemy.

Then Elijah walked toward Lucas.

Chapter 303: Your Rights

“Wait!” Tristan hurriedly grabbed the arm of Callum who had been his best friend since they were children. Despite feeling aggrieved he said truthfully “Don’t underestimate that punk. He has extremely good combat skills. Previously he sent two of my personal bodyguards flying several meters away with a single kick and they couldn’t get back up on their feet for a long time. If not because of that I wouldn’t have suffered such a great loss. Callum don’t mistake him for a weakling!”

“Huh? Is that punk really that impressive?”

The muscular Callum was skeptical about it because Lucas was much leaner than him so he doubted Tristan’s claim that Lucas managed to kick Tristan’s bodyguards several meters away and render them immobile.

The bodyguards hired by top families like theirs were not incompetent weaklings but experts hired from professional bodyguard agencies at hefty prices!

Of course Callum was still mostly surprised and didn’t suspect that Tristan was deliberately putting him down by making Lucas seem impressive.

In that case it seemed that Lucas Gray was indeed not a simple person!

“Heh I can make him get lost from here obediently without having to get physical with him!” Elijah sneered and then walked toward Lucas and the others with him.

Since Bruce was an esteemed and prestigious figure there were naturally many people who kept approaching him to try and strike up a conversation with him.

Irked by the hypocrisy of the strangers Lucas couldn’t be bothered to entertain them and went straight to a relatively quiet place with fewer people. Lena naturally followed Lucas.

As soon as they sat down Elijah walked up to the two of them pointed at Lucas and hollered “I saw you forcing your way in at the entrance without an invitation just now! You’re just the live-in son-in-law of an insignificant family who sponges off of your wife. You’re not qualified to sit here at all! Tell me how exactly did you manage to sneak in?”

Elijah’s voice was extremely loud and clear and his tone was aggressive as well thus immediately attracting the attention of many people in the auction hall.

Due to the special nature of the auction held in Club Splendor today the invited guests were mostly from wealthy top families of various big cities. Even those who came from slightly inferior families wouldn’t receive an invitation at all let alone the live-in son-in-law of a small family of Orange County.

Many of them frowned in disdain especially after seeing the clothes Lucas whom Elijah was pointing at was wearing.

All the scions and members of wealthy families present at the auction were clad in designer suits worth at least tens of thousands of dollars each. And they paired them with exorbitantly priced luxury watches to flaunt their wealth and status.

But Lucas was wearing a simple and casual outfit which was obviously made with cheap fabric and poor workmanship in their opinion.

They thought that Elijah’s accusations were definitely right and that Lucas had to be someone of a lowly status who had somehow managed to sneak into the auction hall.

Many of them had clear displeasure in their eyes. All of them were of noble status yet they had to breathe the same air and be on an equal footing at the auction with a penniless man who had somehow sneaked in. This made many of them who had a sense of superiority feel extremely offended.

Seeing that Lucas had almost become the public enemy of the audience because of his words Elijah was naturally extremely smug and was just waiting for the Kingstons who were the organizers of the auction to kick Lucas out when they found him to be an eyesore.

But Lena was enraged. She sprung up from her seat to stand in front of Lucas and glowered at Elijah. “It’s stated clearly on the invitation card that every invited guest is entitled to bring two more guests with them! He’s my guest. Is that not allowed?”

Many people frowned.

There was indeed such a clause stated on the invitation cards. But due to the limited number of invitations each family would basically receive only one invitation card. But it would seem a little too strict if only one other member from each family was allowed to attend the auction. But if there was no limit on the number of extra guests the auction would be too crowded. So the organizers had decided to settle on this rule.

Elijah sneered and said confidently “Of course I’m aware of that clause but it comes with a restriction. In order to avoid making the auction seem low-class and prevent just any Tom Dick and Harry from entering the organizers deliberately specified that the invited guests could only bring members of their own family or a non-family individual whose personal assets exceed fifteen million dollars!”

“Miss Lena Sawyer this person is obviously not a Sawyer but a live-in son-in-law of a thirdrate family that has been on the verge of collapse several times. Therefore he doesn’t meet the criteria to be your guest. Even though you’re the daughter of the richest man in Orange County you’re not allowed to bring him in!”

After hearing what Elijah said many seemed to come to a sudden realization and began to look at Lucas gloatingly with greater contempt while Lena bit her lower lip tightly with a sullen expression.

Elijah wasn’t making things up because there was indeed such a restriction.

Moreover if Lucas was really just the live-in son-in-law of a lowly family that had been on the verge of bankruptcy several times it would indeed be impossible for him to own assets worth fifteen million dollars much less have the right to be here!

At this moment Lucas suddenly chuckled. “Are you that certain that I don’t have fifteen million dollars?”

From the moment Elijah came over to confront and accuse him Lucas had been keeping a straight face and remaining seated as if he was not the person Elijah was trying to chase out. He was acting as though the matter didn’t concern him at all.

At this moment he finally spoke.

In everyone else’s opinion Lucas was being overly composed and some even began to speculate whether he had some unexpected trump cards that gave him such confidence. Of course there were also some who felt that he was putting up a pretense.

Elijah glanced at Lucas in disdain and said derogatorily “Do you think we’re talking about monopoly money here? Even many descendants of top families can’t afford to take out so much money!

“You’re just the son-in-law of a family that’s about to face bankruptcy. Oh I heard that you’ve even been kicked out so you can’t rely on them anymore. If you can prove that you have fifteen million dollars I’ll give you my head!

“Also you’re just a lowly and penniless person. What is your motive for trying so hard to force your way into this auction? The organizers of the auction should do a thorough investigation on this punk and make sure he doesn’t sneak around to cause trouble!”

After saying this loudly Elijah glanced at Lucas provocatively with eyes full of malice.

Chapter 304: Checking Assets

Elijah actually intended for the Kingstons the organizers of the auction to hear his last sentence.

It wasn’t Elijah’s first time attending such a secretive auction like the one today so he knew what the greatest taboo for the organizers of such an auction was.

They were naturally afraid that some people with evil intentions might sneak in and expose the sordid business that went on here.

Indeed soon after Elijah spoke a man in his fifties dressed in a tuxedo slowly walked out from behind the curtain of the auction hall.

His face was extremely solemn and he had his lips pressed tightly together looking dignified and intimidating.

As soon as the guests in the auction hall saw this man they immediately seemed astonished and began whispering among themselves.

“It’s Russell Duncan! I’ve only seen him in pictures! I heard that he specializes in handling all matters related to the auctions held by the Kingstons but he usually works behind the scenes and rarely appears in public!”

“Yeah! My father was the one who told me about Russell Duncan. I finally got to see him in person today!”
“It seems the Kingstons really take this auction tonight very seriously. Otherwise they wouldn’t have sent Russell Duncan to personally keep an eye on the situation here. Hehe it seems that there must be some valuable beauties up for auction tonight!”

“Mister Russell Duncan has already intervened. It looks like that lowly and shameless punk is definitely going to get chased out!”

“Hmph he deserves to be kicked out. He ought to have realized that this isn’t a place for him!”

…

Russell’s sudden appearance immediately caused a huge commotion in the hall.

Elijah looked at Lucas with malicious intentions and suddenly mocked “Punk you’re dead meat! Russell Duncan is not to be trifled with. If you can’t give him a valid reason later the consequences will be far more severe than just getting kicked out. Hehe!”

With a straight face Lucas glanced at Elijah indifferently and even stood up fearlessly as if Elijah wasn’t referring to him at all.

Elijah was extremely disappointed and displeased with Lucas’s composed reaction as he cursed under his breath. “Hmph punk go on. Keep pretending! Let’s see if you can keep it up later!”

Lena looked rather worried when she saw Russell walking toward them.

Although she usually stayed out of the affairs between those major families she had heard of Russell’s name before.

In addition to his meticulousness and conscientiousness another reason that Russell was put in charge of handling all matters related to the Kingstons’ auctions was that he was very resourceful and authoritative. When necessary he would be ruthless. So he had managed to occupy an important role in the Kingston family for many years.

Keeping his eyes fixed in front Russell walked toward Lucas and said “Sir I’m Russell Duncan and I’m in charge of this auction tonight. I understand that you indeed entered this venue without an invitation so please cooperate and provide valid proof of assets.”

Russell’s tone was very polite and he didn’t get influenced by Elijah’s words and didn’t treat Lucas like someone of a lower class who came to cause trouble.

Of course if Lucas really couldn’t prove that he had 15 million dollars in assets and was found out to have a questionable motive Russell wouldn’t be so cordial toward him.

“Uncle Russell he’s my friend. Can you be a little more accommodating?” Lena put her palms together and pleaded.

Most people would more or less give in to the request of a beautiful girl like Lena especially since she was the daughter of the richest man in Orange County.

Unfortunately Russell didn’t waver and simply said expressionlessly “My apologies Miss Sawyer but these are the rules of the auction. Any accompanying guest of an invited guest who does not belong to a first-rate family must undergo an asset eligibility check. Otherwise I will have to send someone to ask this gentleman to leave immediately.”

Faced with the strict and impartial Russell Lena could only panic inwardly.

Although she had witnessed Lucas win over 15 million dollars from Tony Zander within just ten minutes in Little Atlantis City she heard later that there was internal strife in Little Atlantis City and that Tony had died in a power struggle. So she didn’t know if Lucas had obtained that sum of money or not.

Besides even if Lucas had gotten the money it had been more than two weeks since that incident and he might have already spent it. She thought that it was unlikely that he would keep such a large sum of money in his bank account for others to conduct checks on!

Even she the daughter of the richest man in Orange County didn’t have 15 million dollars sitting in her bank account!

This rule was clearly meant to make things hard for others!

“Uncle Russell this rule is clearly too overbearing…”

Lena frowned and wanted to continue to say something but Russell’s cold and emotionless voice interrupted her. “Miss Sawyer this is the rule of the Kingstons’ auctions. Please don’t interfere with our standard protocol! If you continue to do so don’t blame me for asking you to leave now despite your father’s status.”

Russell didn’t move his brow at all but the overbearing dominance in his tone was selfexplanatory.

Since Russell already said so Lena naturally couldn’t say anything else. She could only look at Lucas apologetically with some worry in her eyes.

Lucas suddenly developed an interest in Russell whom he didn’t take seriously at first.
Russell was domineering but he didn’t put on airs or compel others by throwing his weight around. Instead he was unusually austere and strictly went by the book with no room for compromise.

Lucas believed that Russell was not nitpicking on Lena and that even if the Kingstons pleaded with him he would likewise follow the rules and turn them down.

People like him were rare to come by.

The commotion over here had attracted almost all the guests in the auction hall. Bruce who was talking to someone at the other side of the hall naturally saw what was going on here. Feeling a little worried he hurriedly walked over and reached his hand out to Russell. “Mister Duncan this is Mister Lucas Gray who’s also my friend. I’m willing to vouch for him…”

Before Bruce could finish his sentence Russell raised a hand and interrupted him coldly “Mister Hale like I just said I’m only following the rules of this auction. If anyone else tries to interfere with my execution of the protocol I will have to ask you to leave even if you are the head of the Hale family.”

Bruce originally thought that Russell would do him a favor since they had met on several occasions but to his surprise Russell turned him down without any mercy.

Bruce began to look sullen.

Of course he was not worried that Lucas wouldn’t be able to prove that he had enough money. In fact even if Lucas needed his help he wouldn’t hesitate to transfer 15 million dollars to him now.

He just didn’t want to see Lucas become the target of criticism and nitpicking. After all the Hales had now pledged allegiance to Lucas so Bruce naturally didn’t want to see him get humiliated by others.

At this moment the guests standing around also began whispering to each other while looking at Lucas with curiosity and bewilderment.

They were quite confused as to why the daughter of the richest man of Orange County and the head of one of the four most powerful families of Orange County would speak up for Lucas if he was just a nobody as Elijah had said.

Could there be something more to this? They wondered.

Just as Bruce was about to say something else Lucas sat on a chair and suddenly said “You want to check my assets? Sure.

“However if I do meet the criteria shouldn’t the person who just smeared me and tried to stir trouble by being verbally provocative toward me be punished too?”

Chapter 305: Black Diamond Card

When Elijah heard what Lucas said his expression changed drastically because Lucas was obviously referring to him.

At first he merely intended to let the matter blow out of proportion so that the person in charge of the Kingstons’ auction would intervene and kick Lucas out. In his opinion this was the best way he could take revenge for his friend Tristan.

But it never crossed his mind that if Lucas indeed turned out to be qualified to stay at the auction all his previous words and actions would be deemed as slander defamation and deliberate provocation.

Elijah suddenly began to feel flustered.

Remaining expressionless Russell nodded. “As long as you meet the qualifying criteria and produce valid proof it naturally means that you are qualified to stand here. The person who slandered you will be blacklisted immediately for misconduct. He will also be kicked out at once and denied entry for all future auctions I’m in charge of!”

Elijah immediately looked extremely dismayed.

Russell publicly gave Lucas a promise to punish the defamer should there be one and the consequences of the punishment were heavy!

Although Russell said that the defamer would only be blacklisted from future auctions that he was in charge of everyone knew that Russell was in charge of almost all of the somewhat significant large-scale auctions organized by the Kingstons. It would be tantamount to being banned from all of the auctions held by the Kingstons in the future.

At this point Callum walked to Elijah patted him on his shoulder and said softly “It’s okay. That punk is just pretending. When he fails to produce any proof of owning fifteen million dollars he will be in deep trouble!”

Hearing this Elijah finally felt a little relieved and he glared at Lucas through gritted teeth.

After hearing Russell’s affirmative answer Lucas took out a black card from his pocket with a faint smile on his face and nonchalantly tossed it onto the table at the side. “Go ahead and check it!”

Russell glanced at the black card and his usually stern emotionless and robot-like expression suddenly changed drastically. He grabbed the black card eagerly and began scrutinizing every detail of the card.

The card was almost entirely black without any card numbers or bank logos. It looked just like an ordinary magnetic card.

But at the top right corner of the card was a golden mark in the shape of an extremely complicated and beautiful diamond!

This was the very mark that made Russell so shocked that he almost lost his composure.

The others standing nearby were somewhat bewildered and confused by Russell’s behavior.

In their opinion it was just an extremely ordinary card that a bank might not even issue. Does Russell Duncan have to get so worked up? they wondered.

When Bruce saw the black card his pupils constricted and he exclaimed in shock “The Black Diamond Card!”

“Black Diamond Card?”

The guests present were all from the wealthiest families of various cities. When they heard this they couldn’t help looking astonished in great disbelief.

The Black Diamond Card was a legendary card heard of by many but seen by few. There were even fewer who owned one.

Legend had it that individuals could not apply for the Black Diamond Card which the International Financial Center issued because it was specially catered for highly influential business tycoons and celebrities worldwide.

There was no credit limit on the Black Diamond Card but cardholders could withdraw up to five billion dollars at any time from any bank in the world with it.

In addition the cardholders would also enjoy countless enviable exclusive privileges and services such as a massive amount of annual membership bonuses invitations to some internationally renowned and highly exclusive events and various extremely private auctions and gatherings and so on. The card would even allow the holders to deploy the local armed forces to a small extent.

The Black Diamond Card could be considered the holy grail of everyone’s dreams because it was the symbol of supreme status!

Black Diamond Cards were extremely rare and there were currently less than 200 cardholders in the world. In the whole of the US the people who owned a Black Diamond Card were few and far between and there were definitely no more than ten people!

But Lucas managed to pull such a rare card from his pocket which was precisely the reason for Russell’s astonishment.

As long as it was a genuine card Lucas would definitely be able to produce a billion dollars let alone fifteen million.

The question now was whether the Black Diamond Card was genuine or not.

After Elijah saw Lucas take out the seemingly low-key but actually out-of-reach Black Diamond Card he was just as flabbergasted. But he instinctively thought that it wasn’t genuine at all!

“He must have fabricated that card! It must be a trick he specifically uses to deceive others!” Elijah yelled with great certainty while pointing at the card.

The other people around were also skeptical. Although they didn’t voice their doubts right there and then like Elijah did they were truly in disbelief mainly because mega-rich and powerful families like theirs weren’t even qualified to be issued a Black Diamond card. What right did Lucas this young man they had never seen or heard of have to own such a card?

Without further ado Russell solemnly handed the Black Diamond Card to a staff member behind him and ordered in a deep voice “Bring this card for inspection. Do not make any mistakes!”

“Yes!” After receiving the order the staff member received the card with both hands and hurriedly left the auction hall under the escort of several bodyguards armed with guns.

During the short duration the staff had gone to check the card almost everyone in the room had their eyes glued to Lucas.

There were all sorts of gazes being cast on Lucas which would definitely make any other person feel uneasy and jittery by now. But Lucas remained composed in his seat and looked extremely relaxed as if he wasn’t the center of attention but a totally uninvolved bystander.

Even Russell who had met countless types of people couldn’t help but secretly take a few more glances at Lucas and praise him in his head.

At the side Lena was gazing at Lucas with joy and surprise in her eyes.

Of course when Tristan saw this from a short distance away he was so enraged that he gnashed his teeth and silently cursed them calling them an adulterous pair.

Soon the staff member who just left returned. Holding the Black Diamond Card with both hands he quickly strode to Russell with a look of excitement and whispered eagerly “It’s genuine!”

A trace of shock appeared on Russell’s face!

Soon he picked up the Black Diamond Card very carefully with both hands walked to Lucas and said in an extremely respectful manner “Mister Gray you are our most honored and prestigious guest. I would like to offer my strongest apologies to you with utmost sincerity for our disrespectful behavior toward you just now. I hope to seek your forgiveness!”

Then Russell bent forward to apologize to Lucas with a deep bow.

This scene caused a huge uproar because it meant that Lucas’s Black Diamond Card was genuine!

“No this is impossible!” Elijah’s expression changed drastically as he looked at this scene in great disbelief. He suddenly blurted without hesitation “He’s just a good-for-nothing live-in son-in-law who was the laughing stock of everyone in Orange County a few years ago. How can he own a Black Diamond Card?!

“Besides even if this card is genuine there’s no way it belongs to Lucas Gray! He might have stolen it from someone or picked it up somewhere!”

Chapter 306: Blacklisted

“Shut up!” Russell hollered furiously while glaring at Elijah. “Are you doubting the Kingstons in addition to slandering Mister Gray?”

He had just instructed one of the staff members working for the Kingstons to bring Lucas’s Black Diamond Card for a check. Apart from verifying the authenticity of the card he had naturally also checked the name of the account and cardholder which wasn’t something someone could forge casually.

Elijah finally realized that he had a slip of the tongue and said something wrong in a moment of impatience. Shocked by the sudden realization he hurriedly explained “No no that’s not what I meant! I…”

Smack!

Callum gave his younger brother a hard slap on his face and said with a stern expression “Hurry up and apologize to Mister Duncan!”

Elijah touched his numb face and immediately lowered his head to apologize to Russell.
“Mister Duncan I’m so sorry. It was a slip of the tongue. I really wasn’t doubting you and the Kingstons!”

Russell snorted coldly and said austerely “You should be apologizing to Mister Gray instead!”

Elijah’s face immediately became extremely gloomy.

He apologized to Russell only because Russell worked for the Kingstons and held great power so he didn’t dare to offend him.

But in his opinion Lucas was just a nobody. Even though Lucas had an extremely prestigiouslooking Black Diamond Card he had a preconceived prejudice against him. Besides Lucas was about the same age as him and didn’t have the support of a powerful family so he wasn’t afraid of Lucas at all and felt no need to apologize to him.

Overwhelmed with fury and resentment Elijah glared at Lucas who was keeping a straight face and couldn’t bring himself to apologize.

When Russell saw his actions his face turned gloomy too.

At this moment someone interjected “Actually I don’t think Elijah has done anything wrong. There’s no need for him to apologize to Lucas Gray at all.”

In shock everyone turned to look at the person who spoke up for Elijah. It was Tristan Parker!

Although Tristan knew that by saying this he would be blatantly contradicting Russell and would likely cause Russell to be displeased he couldn’t care less about this now.

Elijah had insulted Lucas and attempted to get him kicked out of the auction hall only because he was trying to stand up for Tristan. But he ended up offending Russell and landed in a difficult spot.

If Tristan continued to standby quietly without helping Elijah out he was certain that Callum and Elijah would definitely sever all ties with him once they left the auction hall today! It might even affect the relationship between the Parkers and the Owens! If that happened his elders would never spare him!

Therefore he couldn’t care less even though he was temporarily offending Russell.
“What do you mean by that?” Russell’s face was sullen as he stared at Tristan waiting for him to give a reasonable explanation for what he just said.

Tristan pursed his lips while thinking about an excuse to give. After a while he finally said “Actually you can’t blame Elijah for questioning Lucas Gray’s identity and whether he’s qualified to enter this place or not. Well because he’s notorious in Orange County!”

Lena stood up and hollered furiously “Tristan Parker! Shut up!”

Tristan glanced at Lena sneeringly and completely ignored her. He then continued “Six years ago Lucas Gray was just a penniless man who just graduated from college! Later on he resorted to god-knows-what tricks and managed to seduce Cheyenne Carter who used to be called the most beautiful girl in Orange County. The two of them got involved in a scandal that spread around the entire country and in the end he had no choice but to become the live-in son-in-law of the Carters.

“Lucas Gray is just a penniless good-for-nothing who freeloads off of his wife! So I think it’s completely reasonable for Elijah to have suspicions about Lucas Gray’s identity and his motives for coming here. There’s no need to apologize for that at all!

“Many of the guests here tonight are from Orange County. Mister Duncan you can just ask any of them and you’ll know if what I said is true or not.”

Many of the guests present were indeed the local tycoons of Orange County who started discussing among themselves after hearing what Tristan said.

“Yes he’s not making things up. Back then that scandal indeed caused a huge uproar in the county and almost everyone knew about it. But I didn’t remember the name of the Carters’ live-in son-in-law and I only found out today that it’s this young man!”

“The Carters were probably just a second-rate family in Orange County at the time. I heard that’s precisely the reason he chose to become their live-in son-in-law. Unfortunately none of the Carters’ descendants are competent. They ended up offending one of the big shots of the Stardust Corporation not long ago and almost went bankrupt because of it!”

“Yeah but I also heard that they nevertheless disowned and kicked Lucas Gray’s wife and her family out even though they were on the verge of bankruptcy! I wonder what intolerable thing they did to warrant that. Logically speaking it’s impossible for someone like him to have a Black Diamond Card.”

“Yeah there’s something very fishy about this matter… I don’t believe it either!”

…
The local tycoons of Orange County started mentioning the things that they had heard about one after another immediately making many of the other tycoons of other cities gasp in amazement and also begin gossiping among themselves.

It was Russell’s first time hearing about these things and he couldn’t help but look at Lucas in surprise.

But what surprised him was that despite being the subject of gossip Lucas still maintained his composure and was rather indifferent. There were no signs of shame or anger on his face at all which was to the amazement of Russell who admired Lucas’s ability to keep his cool.

But regardless of what Lucas had done and who he used to be in the past it all meant nothing to Russell.

All Russell knew was that Lucas was a holder of a Black Diamond Card that truly belonged to him. This was enough.

“Be quiet!” Russell raised his voice and everyone in the auction hall soon fell silent.

They understood that there was a final verdict for the matter.

Russell looked at Tristan and asked “What is your name and which family are you from?”

His expression was much calmer than when he was sullen.

Seeing that Russell wasn’t angry due to his words and was instead being so courteous to him Tristan was overjoyed and hurriedly said “Hello Mister Duncan! My name is Tristan Parker and my grandfather is Damon Parker!”

Russell nodded and then turned to ask Elijah. “How about you?”

Elijah was just as delighted as he hurriedly answered “I am Elijah Owen from LA.”

Russell nodded and asked the rest “What about you?”

“Mister Duncan I am Eric Hank from Orange County.”

“My name is Larry Harold.”

…

Russell asked eight people for their names all of whom Russell had heard insult Lucas or speak about him derogatorily just now.
After asking them Russell said to a staff member behind him “Have you written down their names?”

“Yes Mister Duncan. There are a total of eight of them and I’ve written down all their names!”

Just as everyone was bewildered and confused Russell suddenly announced “From now on these eight people will not be allowed to enter the venues of all the auctions that I’m in charge of!”

Chapter 307: Obtaining Forgiveness

Russell’s words were like a stone leading to a thousand ripples causing the crowd to be flabbergasted.

Everyone got into an uproar and began discussing among themselves.

The eight people whose names Russell had asked for and thought that Russell had been impressed by them just now each had a drastic change of expression as they couldn’t believe what they heard at all!

Soon a staff member working for the Kingstons walked toward them and asked them to leave hostilely “Gentlemen you are no longer welcome at this auction tonight. Please leave immediately!”

After hearing this the eight of them finally believed that Russell was really blacklisting them and that they were getting chased out immediately!

Tristan was furious and disgruntled. In a moment of pique he stood out pointed at Lucas and bellowed “Mister Duncan why? Shouldn’t he be the one getting kicked out?”

But Russell’s expression remained unchanged and he merely glanced at the staff member behind him. “From now on all the Parkers will be blacklisted and banned from all auctions that I participate in or am in charge of!”

“…!”

Tristan was so furious that he froze right on the spot. He wanted to say something but couldn’t bring himself to. No I can’t say anything else. If I end up provoking Russell Duncan anymore he might punish me more severely and I’ll be dead meat!

All the auctions Russell was in charge of basically included all the important large and medium-sized ones organized by the Kingstons. The point of such auctions was not to really buy something but rather about flaunting your assets and family background. They were also opportunities for building and maintaining close relations with other wealthy families.

For example only top families would receive an invitation to enter an auction like the one held today. Obviously their statuses were naturally much higher than those of second-rate families. They might even get to meet new people and form connections with other wealthy tycoons to lay the foundation for the development of the businesses of their respective families.

So after receiving the invitation the Parkers had decided to send Tristan to represent them because they had groomed him well and believed that he could do a good job.

But he had now messed things up in a fit of anger. Not only did he end up on Russell’s blacklist but he even got his entire family implicated and banned from all future auctions held by the Kingstons. If the Parkers learned about this they definitely wouldn’t spare him!

The more Tristan thought about it the more frightened he was. Deep down his heart was full of fear and some regret. He could no longer be bothered about his pride and started pleading to Russell miserably “Mister Duncan I know I was wrong to have said that in a moment of anger! Please give me another chance and rescind your orders! Otherwise my family will definitely kill me!”

Russell looked at him coldly and remained silent.

Seeing this many people around them sneered and mocked Tristan.

“Wasn’t he very arrogant and mighty when he contradicted Mister Duncan just now? Why is he so cowardly now?”

“Exactly! Actually weren’t they the ones who started this? That young man named Lucas Gray was just sitting there quietly but those youngsters kicked up a fuss and tried to get him kicked out leading things to come to this.”

“Hah their plan to bully others clearly backfired. They brought it upon themselves. They clearly deserve it! At first they weren’t aware of Mister Lucas Gray’s identity but they should have stopped after questioning him a few times. Even after the Kingstons’ staff checked the authenticity of the Black Diamond Card and proved that it belonged to Mister Lucas Gray they continued harping on the matter and even insulted him. They really deserve it!”

“Yeah that’s right! Besides Mister Duncan has always been a man of his word. Since he’s already issued those orders how can he possibly rescind them?”

…
Tristan and Elijah paled when they heard the mockery and remarks of the people around them. Their eyes were even full of despair.

Suddenly Russell said “Actually you haven’t offended me but Mister Gray. If you can obtain his forgiveness I will let you off.”

Everyone was surprised because they just said that Russell wouldn’t change his mind but his actions now proved otherwise.

Lucas raised his brows and looked at Russell in surprise only to see the faint smile on his face. Lucas thought about it and soon understood Russell’s intentions.

If Russell let the people who had insulted Lucas off the hook it would be extremely disrespectful to Lucas.

If he insisted on kicking them out he would be keeping his promise to Lucas and giving him a fair explanation that no one could nitpick.

But the blacklisted and expelled people would target Lucas and settle scores with him because they wouldn’t dare to put the blame on Russell!

If not because of Lucas they wouldn’t have been kicked out. That was the logic most people would believe.

But Russell now gave Lucas the chance to deal with these people.

This way if Lucas chose to let them off they would naturally be grateful to him for his kindness. Not only would they not form a feud with him but they might even have some dealings with him.

Of course if Lucas was really furious and unwilling to spare them Russell would also blacklist them as Lucas wished. But Lucas would have to bear the ensuing consequences.

Although Lucas didn’t know why Russell was being so kind to him he nevertheless nodded at him.

Logically speaking Russell indeed gave him a reasonable solution and mediated the matter appropriately. But this request was unacceptable to Tristan and Elijah.

Begging Lucas for forgiveness was worse than having to die!

“Mister Gray I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have babbled nonsense and slandered you just now. I hope you’ll be kind and magnanimous. Please forgive me!”
“Yes Mister Gray. It’s all my fault for spouting nonsense despite not knowing the truth. I express my deepest apologies! If you can forgive me the Harolds will become your cordial partner in the future!”

“Me too! The Hanks are willing to form relations with you. I hope you will forgive us for offending you!”

…

All of a sudden all six other people besides Elijah and Tristan hurried toward Lucas and apologized to him in a bid to seek his understanding.

Chapter 308: I’ll Handle It

After a fierce inner conflict Tristan finally decided to swallow his pride and apologize to Lucas.

“Lucas I shouldn’t have misunderstood you and spoke rudely to you. I hope you can forgive me for my imprudent mistake!” Tristan said through clenched teeth feeling as though a sharp dagger was stabbing his heart. He felt miserable and humiliated! I swear I’ll hire some experts and take revenge on this bastard after today. I must make his life a living hell!

Seeing Tristan lower himself and apologize Elijah thought of the punishment he might face from his family later and had no choice but to apologize to Lucas reluctantly.

He actually had the same thoughts as Tristan. I have no choice but to bow down to Lucas Gray today due to the compelling circumstances. After today we’ll definitely take revenge!

Seeing that all eight of them had already apologized to him Lucas didn’t waste his breath on irrelevant things and simply said “Since you’ve apologized I’ll let you off.”

Everyone heaved a sigh of relief feeling as if a giant rock was lifted off their chests and they hurriedly thanked him “Thank you Mister Gray! Thank you!”

Tristan and Elijah seemed to be overjoyed. But they looked at each other and saw the resentment and disdain they felt toward Lucas in each other’s eyes. Hmph so what if he has a Black Diamond Card? He still has to obediently forgive us out of fear of offending us scions of top families.

But Lucas suddenly raised his hand and pointed at Tristan and Elijah. “I won’t forgive these two.”

Elijah’s and Tristan’s expressions immediately stiffened.

After realizing what Lucas meant Tristan flew into a rage and hollered furiously “Lucas Gray what the hell do you mean by that? Are you deliberately picking on us?”

Elijah rolled up his sleeves angrily and snapped at Lucas his and Tristan’s common enemy “Lucas Gray we apologized to you only for the sake of Mister Duncan. Don’t be shameless and take things too far!”

“Shut up!” Callum at the side yelled and slapped Elijah hard on his face. “Do not be rude to Mister Gray again! If you dare to speak so brashly again I’ll make sure you scram back home and get grounded!”

Elijah placed a hand on his burning cheek while feeling an urge to argue and defend himself after being slapped twice in front of so many people. But when he saw the fury in his brother’s eyes he didn’t dare to say anything else.

After all Callum was his brother and the successor of his family’s empire who had considerable authority in the family. Elijah dared not disobey him.

After Callum stopped his brother from continuing with his foolish behavior he walked up to Lucas lowered his head and bowed to him in apology. “I’m sorry Mister Gray. I failed to discipline my brother and allowed him to offend you. Please rest assured. When we get home I will definitely teach him a good lesson so that he’ll never make such a mistake again!”

With that Callum nodded at Russell and the members of other wealthy families then dragged the sulky Elijah out from the auction hall.

They had already embarrassed themselves greatly tonight and Lucas had already explicitly said that he wouldn’t forgive them. So instead of shamelessly insisting on staying before eventually getting thrown out they might as well leave on their own. By doing so they might get to save themselves from some embarrassment.

It was no wonder that the Owens made Callum the next successor. He was indeed smarter than his younger brother.

Seeing that the Owen brothers had left Tristan thought that there was no point in staying and continuing to let himself be humiliated further. He stared at Lucas sullenly before turning around to leave as well.

After they left everyone in the hall looked at Lucas in a different light.

He owned a rare and precious Black Diamond Card managed to earn the respectful treatment of the person the Kingstons had specifically appointed to take charge of the auction and even kicked two core members of top families out of the auction mercilessly. What exactly is the origin of this young man? they wondered.

But regardless of what they thought no one in the hall dared to say anything disrespectful to Lucas now after what happened to Tristan.

“Mister Gray are you satisfied with the way we handled things?” Russell asked with a smile.

Lucas nodded and smiled at him too. “Thank you Mister Duncan.”

Russell took a look at the time and scanned his surroundings in the hall. “The auction tonight is about to begin soon. Dear guests please return to your seats and get ready. I hope you will all have a great time and successfully acquire the items you take a liking to.”

Then he turned around to leave and returned backstage.

Just as Lucas sat down Jordan appeared silently beside him and reported very softly “Lucas I found Miss Keller but she’s locked up with many women and there’s no way to rescue her without alerting others. But I have confirmed that Miss Keller was abducted by the Wallaces and taken here by force. They’re going to auction her off as a finale item!”

Lucas’s eyes were instantly brimming with murderous intent.

He had actually mentally prepared himself for the possibility that Grace might be sold as an auction item. But he was absolutely disgusted by the fact that the Wallaces were trafficking living humans and selling them like they were objects.

“Lucas do you want me to…” Jordan slid his hand across his neck. Having worked for Lucas for so many years he was naturally familiar with Lucas’s preferences and habits. Besides the Wallaces’ unscrupulous practice was not only challenging the bottom line of morality but it was also against the law.

“No go back. I’ll take care of the rest” Lucas said indifferently with a wave of his hand.

Jordan sighed regretfully. “Okay then. I’ll wait for you outside Club Splendor.”

Then he soon vanished from the auction hall.

Sitting near Lucas Lena had been watching them quietly. After Jordan left she finally turned her head over slightly and seemed to be deep in thought.

Although it was the first time Lena saw Jordan she could tell from Jordan’s agile movements and light footsteps as well as his subconscious straightening of his back and the intimidating aura that he was trying to restrain but was still hair-raising that he was definitely not an ordinary person either. She knew so because she had learned psychology and microexpressions when pursuing her education abroad.

Besides it was obvious that he was subordinate to Lucas.

Lena felt that Lucas was like a treasure. The closer she got to him and the more she learned about him the more she could feel how impressive and terrifying he was. But at the same time he was just as attractive! Lucas Gray what kind of a person are you exactly?

At this moment Elijah was right outside Club Splendor. Feeling extremely frustrated he kicked a trash can at the entrance with so much force that it flew away.

“Callum are you sure you can tolerate this and let that punk humiliate us like that?” Elijah barked furiously and got increasingly enraged as he thought about it.

Callum sneered sinisterly a stark contrast from the image of a noble gentleman he portrayed in the auction hall just now. “Hah how can I let him off so easily? No matter who he is I won’t let him off for embarrassing us and humiliating our family in public!”

Chapter 309: Bidding For a Beauty

At this moment tonight’s auction officially began in the hidden basement of Club Splendor.

An elegant and beautiful woman clad in an exquisite red dress appeared on the auction stage at the front. She was the emcee of the auction.

She had a svelte figure and gorgeous good looks. There was a slit at the side of her bodyhugging dress that accentuated her curves and alluring long legs.

As soon as she made her entrance she sparked a small commotion as people started swooning and some playful guests even began whistling at her before she could speak.

The beauty in red bowed to the guests on the left middle and right with a charming smile on her face. She then said enthusiastically in a provocative voice “Hello everyone. I’m Megan the emcee of the auction tonight. This evening we will be presenting to you some extremely rare treasures. I hope that you will be able to acquire the treasures that you like! Next I will introduce the rules of this auction!”

Immediately afterward she announced the usual rules of the auction. Although everyone was already clear about them it was mandatory to go through them because it was part of the process.

Lucas patiently listened to everything she had to say. Then it was finally time for the emcee to announce the official start of the auction.

The emcee unveiled the curtain to reveal the first auction item and introduced it with great enthusiasm “Next up we’ll be presenting the first auction item for tonight. It’s an antique porcelain bowl that is fine exquisite and in pristine condition… The starting bid for this item is 1.2 million dollars! And the minimum bid increment is 15000 dollars. Bidding begins now!”

But there was a tinge of disappointment in Lucas’s eyes.

He thought that the beautiful women would be up for bid right after the auction began. But to his surprise they put up a smokescreen at the start.

“1.5 million dollars!”

“1.7 million!”

“2 million!”

…

“2.8 million!”

“Okay Mister Wales here has offered 2.8 million dollars. Is anyone going to offer a higher price?

“2.8 million dollars going once!

“2.8 million dollars going twice!

“2.8 million dollars going thrice! Congratulations to Mister Wales for winning the auction for this antique porcelain bowl! Congratulations!”

This first item was auctioned off very smoothly for more than twice the starting bid.

Next there were auctions for some local and foreign antiques paintings exorbitant gems and other precious items.

The distinguished guests invited tonight were from the top families of various major cities and had strong financial power. There were also many who would spend large amounts of money lavishly to flaunt their wealth and power.

Thus many collection items were auctioned off at staggering prices. And as the auction proceeded the beautiful emcee Megan sounded increasingly excited and enchanting.

With a tinge of impatience in his eyes Lucas leaned against the back of the chair while propping his head up.

“Hey aren’t you interested in any of those items?” asked Lena beside him who suddenly inched closer.

She was actually not very interested in the auction items either but she casually bought a few random ones for fun. But she was curious about Lucas’s disinterest in them as evidenced by the fact that he didn’t place a single bid.

Lucas merely shook his head and didn’t say anything.

During the intermission the emcee took a break for a while before announcing again “Now we’ll move on to the second half of the auction that all of you have been looking forward to the most! We’ll now have the staff members bring Beauty No. 10 up onto the stage!”

The guests in the auction hall got into a huge commotion and began clamoring while staring at the stage with glistening eyes. Almost all of them were interested and full of anticipation.

Lucas who had been leaning against the chair languidly suddenly sat up straight and kept his eyes glued onto the display case being pushed out from behind the auction stage by two staff members. The display case was nearly two meters tall and covered with a layer of red satin that concealed the contents inside.

Seeing that Lucas was finally interested but only because the word ‘beauty’ was mentioned Lena couldn’t help pouting and threatened softly “How dare you be interested in beautiful women. Watch out. I’ll go back and tell on you to Cheyenne!”

Caught between laughter and tears Lucas said “It’s not what you think.”

But he soon stopped talking to Lena because Megan was pulling the red satin cloth away from the display case on the stage. As she did so she said “Next we’ll take a look at what Beauty No. 10 looks like!”

Under the red satin was a glass display case in which there was a young girl who was scantily clad in clothes that covered only her private areas. She seemed to be only in her twenties and of course she was gorgeous.

But at this moment the girl’s beautiful eyes were full of panic and helplessness. The tears that had been brimming in them rolled down her delicate face.

However her pitiful appearance not only failed to arouse the sympathy of the guests present but it made them even more excited as their clamors and whistling got louder.

An intense desire to kill flashed in Lucas’s eyes. How dare they really put up living people for auction like inanimate objects. They really have a death wish!

At this moment the emcee began to announce the physical details of Beauty No. 10. “Beauty No. 10 is 19 this year 1.7 meters tall and weighs 52 kilograMiss Her bust waist and hip measurements are 36-24-35 respectively! And she’s still a virgin!

“The starting bid is 300000 dollars and the minimum bid increment is 15000 dollars. Bidding starts now!”

As soon as the emcee finished speaking the guests below began bidding.

“380000 dollars!”

“450000!”

“550000!”

“620000!”

…

Soon the bidding price of that beautiful girl soared to more than a million dollars.

“1.1 million dollars!”

“Okay Mister Chad here has offered 1.1 million dollars. Any higher bids?”

“1.1 million dollars going once!

“1.1 million dollars going twice!

“1.1 million dollars going thrice!”

“1.5 million dollars!” Just a second before the emcee was about to knock the gavel Lucas suddenly raised the sign in his hand and called out his first bid of the auction.

Moreover the fact that he raised the price by a whopping 400000 dollars in one go showed how determined he was!

All of a sudden all eyes were on Lucas and everyone stopped bidding.

The beautiful emcee Megan was the only one who looked excited. She exclaimed loudly
“Mister Gray has offered 1.5 million dollars! Is anyone going to offer a higher amount?”

Chapter 310: Beauty No. 1
The current bid for Beauty No. 10 had already quintupled from 300000 to 1.5 million dollars. It was indeed quite an enormous amount.

Many of the people in the auction hall actually just wanted to buy a beautiful woman and use her as a plaything but 1.5 million dollars was too expensive in their opinion.

Besides she was only the first beauty put up for auction and there were many more to come. Everyone felt that it wouldn’t make sense to spend so much money on a woman when they haven’t seen the others yet.

So almost everyone gave up and stopped bidding.

“1.5 million dollars going once!

“1.5 million dollars going twice!

“1.5 million dollars going thrice! Sold! Congratulations Mister Gray. You have successfully bought Beauty No. 10!”

Symbolic applause filled the air in the hall but many were looking at Lucas with bizarre gazes as if mocking him for being a wealthy but foolish dimwit.

Lena beside Lucas also looked at him in extreme disbelief. “You actually spent 1.5 million dollars on a beauty! Cheyenne will definitely be upset with you when she finds out! But that’s not the point. What are you going to do to her now that you’ve bought her? Is she going to be your kept mistress?”

Lucas smiled faintly. “So are you going to tell Cheyenne about this?”

“Uh…” Lena was stumped after hearing Lucas’s righteous tone.

Logically speaking Lena was Cheyenne’s best friend and now that Lucas had spent so much money to buy a woman she naturally should tell Cheyenne about it.

But if she really told Cheyenne about it it would definitely spark a conflict and a heated argument between Lucas and Cheyenne. Worse still it might even affect their family which was something that Lena didn’t want to see. What should I do? Should I tell Cheyenne?

While she was feeling conflicted another beauty Beauty No. 9 was pushed onto the auction stage once again sparking a commotion among the guests.

The reason being was that Beauty No. 9 was much more beautiful than Beauty No. 10.

It seemed that the beauties to be auctioned were arranged in ascending order in terms of their beauty and figures. Each beauty was prettier than the one auctioned before her.

In that case there should be eight more beauties to be put on display.

“The starting bid for Beauty No. 9 is 300000 dollars and the minimum bid increment is 15000 dollars. Bidding starts now!” the emcee once again exclaimed. The starting bid was the same as that for Beauty No. 10 but the bidding was even more intense.

“450000!”

“620000!”

“700000!”

…

“1.2 million!”

“1.5 million!”

When the bid price went above a million dollars Lucas once again bid 1.5 million dollars.

Everyone once again looked at Lucas this time with even more displeasure in their gazes.

He had just bought one beauty but he actually continued to bid for the second one too!

He seemed to be depriving others of a chance to bid for the beauties.

Of course the emcee on the stage seemed extremely excited. Since it was an auction the rule of highest bidder wins naturally applied. To them it would definitely be better if there were more guests like Lucas who generously offered high prices!

Only when there was fierce competition would the bids go higher. As the auctioneer they would then be able to make a greater profit!

Because the price Lucas offered was too high no one placed any more bids after him and he similarly bought Beauty No. 9.

At this moment Lena glared at Lucas with a hostile gaze.

“Lucas you actually bought a second girl! What are you trying to do? Are you trying to be like some of the rich and famous who like having orgies?” Lena questioned angrily.

Lucas looked at Lena speechlessly. Do I seem like such a person?

But the auction was still in progress so he couldn’t explain much to her at this point. He decided to keep mum and ignore Lena who glowered at him furiously before turning to the side.

Sitting on the other side of Lucas Bruce looked at him with various emotions in his gaze.

Bruce was well aware that Lucas was a morally upright person who would never touch anything related to the vices. And in fact he even abhorred them to the extent that he barred Bruce from operating any vice-related businesses.

Therefore he knew that Lucas definitely didn’t spend three million dollars so far on those two women for the sake of doing business with the Kingstons.

Next as Bruce guessed Lucas not only bought the first two girls but he bought the next seven put up for auction as well.

There were only ten beauties for auction in total and Lucas had already bought nine of them!

This made countless people who failed to win any exasperated.

During the process there were also some who were enraged and tried to raise the price to snatch a beauty from Lucas.

But he kept offering a much higher price than each bid they placed which far exceeded their limit.

After some time they had no choice but to give up despite being reluctant to do so.

There was nothing else they could do. They were just as hopeless!

In terms of family assets they did not necessarily have less than Lucas. But during an auction what mattered was liquid assets! No one could beat Lucas in this aspect.

Lucas had a Black Diamond Card that entitled him to withdraw five billion dollars from any bank. Who would dare to compete with him in terms of the amount of cash they had on hand?

At this point Lena finally discovered that something was amiss. Regardless of how lascivious Lucas was it didn’t quite make sense for him to buy nine girls at once.

Wouldn’t he be afraid of ruining his…? Lena blushed at the thought but she was relieved too.

Amid the bizarre tension that arose due to the indignation of many guests the auction progressed towards its end.

“Next let us welcome the final beauty of the night Beauty No. 1!”

As the emcee exclaimed loudly the last glass display case similarly covered with satin was slowly pushed toward the middle of the auction stage.

As the emcee introduced the details and measurements of Beauty No. 1 the red satin slowly slipped onto the ground revealing the ravishing beauty who was gorgeous and ethereal like a fairy who had descended to the mortal world!

Lucas suddenly narrowed his eyes with a cold and menacing gaze.

The ‘auction item’ in the last display case was naturally Lucas’s target Grace!

Unlike during the previous two occasions where Lucas had met Grace she was not barefaced and dressed plainly this time. Grace now placed in a glass display case like an object for sale had obviously been dolled up meticulously.

She had exquisite makeup on her face that coupled with her stunning features made her look like a classic beauty who walked straight out of a painting. With a flustered and timid look on her face she looked just like a princess in distress at this moment and she immediately aroused the desire of all the men present!

“The starting bid for our final beauty Beauty No. 1 is 1.5 million dollars! The minimum bid increment is 80000 dollars. The bidding starts now!”

The Wallaces' sure are in trouble

moh96 · Mar 25, 2024

1321 Deputy General Manager

At this moment, Norman regained the position of helmsman.

But this time, he used ruthless means, and anyone who defied him would face the wrath of the two experts in white behind him.

No one dared to show any dissatisfaction with Norman.

Lucas didn’t know about the changes with the Holmes and the fact that Norman had come into contact with Jensen.

…

The following morning, Cheyenne went to work at the Stardust Corporation as usual.

Currently, Flynn was still the general manager of the Stardust Corporation, while Cheyenne and Charlotte had been appointed as deputy general managers and were in charge of different departments.

But because Cheyenne had just joined the headquarters, there were still many matters that she still didn’t understand. So she put in extra effort and read various documents as soon as she arrived at the office, wanting to familiarize herself with the company’s matters in the shortest time possible.

Cheyenne was fully focused until a knock on her door interrupted her.

She raised her head and said, “Please come in!”

“Ms. Carter, are you still busy? It’s time for lunch.” The person who entered was Flynn, who smiled when he saw Cheyenne still buried in documents.

Seeing that it was Flynn, the general manager of the Stardust Corporation and her husband’s long-time helper, she hurriedly stood up and smiled. “Mr. Davis, what are you doing here? Is there something I can help you with?”

Although Cheyenne was Lucas’s wife, Flynn was the general manager, while she was only a deputy general manager, so she was extremely polite toward him.

Flynn waved his hands. “No, no, everything in the corporation is developing steadily, and there’s nothing to worry about for now. Ms. Carter, you’ve just arrived in DC, so you should just focus on familiarizing yourself with the company for the next few days. But don’t overexert yourself, and take it slow and easy.”

Cheyenne naturally understood that this was Flynn showing her extra concern on Lucas’s account, so she was a little embarrassed. “Mr. Davis, you don’t have to take special care of me. Feel free to assign me to any work. You don’t have to stand on ceremony.”

Flynn said with a smile, “It’s fine. On the contrary, Ms. Carter, if there’s anything you’re unclear about or need help with, feel free to come and talk with me!”

“Okay, thank you very much, Mr. Davis,” Cheyenne said politely.

“Alright, I’ll get going now. Go ahead with your work, Ms. Carter. Don’t forget to eat later.” Then Flynn walked out of the deputy general manager’s office.

Lucas had instructed him to take good care of Cheyenne in the company.

After seeing Flynn off, Cheyenne couldn’t help smiling wryly.

Ah, Mr. Davis is too polite. He always makes me feel like I’m the general manager. If this continues, I’m going to feel embarrassed. She sighed.

Cheyenne had been feeling a little uneasy for the past few days.

As soon as she joined the company, she directly became a deputy general manager. The company’s staff didn’t say anything, but she kept feeling as if she had joined through nepotism and was afraid that the other employees would have opinions about her.

Of course, as Lucas’s wife, it was impossible for her to start from the bottom as a junior employee.

But if she wanted to gain everyone’s approval as soon as possible, she had to do her best to make some achievements so that everyone wouldn’t just see her as a deputy general manager who only managed to get to her position through connections.

I have to work harder! I must make some achievements! Cheyenne perked herself up.

At this moment, there was another knock on her office door, and Cheyenne’s secretary entered. She asked respectfully, “Ms. Carter, Ms. Westwood of the Fly Corporation is here to discuss cooperating with the company. She’s waiting for you in the reception room downstairs. Would you like to meet her?”

Cheyenne’s eyes lit up, and she hurriedly said, “Please invite Ms. Westwood in!”

The Fly Corporation was no stranger to Cheyenne. Although she hadn’t cooperated with them before, it was among the top 100 corporations in the world, with a scale and ability that wasn’t any inferior to the Stardust Corporation’s.

Cheyenne had just wanted to make some achievements to prove herself, and now, the general manager of the Fly Corporation was here to discuss cooperating with her. It was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity.

If she could successfully clinch a deal, she would attain her first success in the Stardust Corporation and get off to a good start.

Soon, the secretary entered with an elegantly dressed middle-aged woman.

This woman was wearing a gray business suit. She was a mature and professional businesswoman, but the fine lines at the corners of her eyes revealed her age slightly.

However, her curly locks added a touch of youth, wisdom, and fashionability to her aura.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Carter. I am Dawn Westwood, the general manager of the Fly Corporation. I’m surprised by how young you are!” The middle-aged woman smiled as she reached her hand out to shake hands with Cheyenne.

Cheyenne was also surprised, as she didn’t expect the general manager of the Fly Corporation to be an extremely amicable-looking woman.

Most women with executive positions in the workforce tended to be uptight and stern.

There was also a smaller proportion of women among executives because women tended to have to work harder to attain these positions than men.

Women who could become senior executives of major corporations were mostly strongwilled, career-minded women.

Cheyenne was a career-minded woman herself, so she took a liking to Dawn and naturally felt a sense of relatability as soon as she met her.

She stepped forward and shook Dawn’s hand with a smile. “Welcome, Ms. Westwood. Please take a seat!”

Cheyenne brought Dawn to the reception lounge next to her office and asked her secretary to bring some tea.

Dawn carefully sized up Cheyenne and praised sincerely, “Ms. Carter, you’re such a gorgeous young lady, and you’ve achieved an impressive career at such a young age! I thought it was just a rumor that the deputy general manager of the Stardust Corporation was young, beautiful, and capable. I didn’t expect you to be even more amazing than I imagined!

“Fortunately, I’m a woman. Otherwise, I would have gotten really worked up after seeing you and have had my imagination run wild, thinking about how there could be such a beautiful woman in this world. Even top actresses can’t hold a candle to you, Ms. Carter!”

Dawn praised incessantly while holding Cheyenne’s hand.

1322 Pleasant Surprise

Hearing the praises, Cheyenne blushed shyly and smiled. “You’re really flattering me, Ms. Westwood. It’s my goal to be an intellectual and graceful woman with a successful career like you!”

They exchanged pleasantries for a bit before Dawn finally said, “I’m actually here to look for you today, Ms. Carter. I’d like to discuss a huge business deal with the Stardust Corporation. Are you interested?”

“May I know what you mean, Ms. Westwood?” Cheyenne asked.

Just as Dawn was about to speak, she suddenly raised her hand to look at the time on her watch. She said with a smile, “Oh dear, I rushed here as soon as I finished my work at the company and lost track of time. Since it’s already noon, how about we go out for lunch and discuss it over the meal?”

Cheyenne was stunned.

It was indeed common for business people to discuss business deals over a meal.

But Cheyenne didn’t like entertaining clients over wine because she was a woman. Later, she had managed the Brilliance Corporation, so she rarely had to socialize like this.

Seemingly afraid that Cheyenne was worried about something, Dawn added, “It will just be the two of us. No one else is coming.

“Actually, I really hate negotiating business over wine and food with those trashy men, but I have to put up with their smoking and drinking. Sometimes, I even have to listen to their nonsense and terrible jokes. It’s really annoying.

“It’s great that we’re both women. It will make chatting over a meal much more enjoyable!”

Dawn was quick, straightforward, and reasonable. After giving it some thought, Cheyenne realized that she was right. It would be fine to have a meal with Dawn since it’d just be like going out for a meal with a female friend. They could just discuss the cooperation after lunch, and there wouldn’t be any annoying things either.

“Alright, since you’ve said so, let’s go out for lunch! It’ll be a great opportunity for us to get to know each other better,” Cheyenne agreed as she stood up with a smile.

Ten minutes later, the two of them drove to a restaurant near the Stardust Corporation.

This restaurant was famous in DC for its delectable and unique food.

Cheyenne had just arrived in DC not long ago, so she wasn’t too familiar with these places yet. Dawn, who had lived in DC for years, had recommended this restaurant. It made Cheyenne, who was supposed to be the host, feel that she needed to know more about the food scene in DC.

Since she was already living and working in DC, she should familiarize herself with it and gain a better understanding, lest she makes her future partners and clients pick the place to dine at all the time.

“Ms. Carter, since we’re here, why don’t we try some of their signature dishes? I’ve been here a few times, and the food is superb!”

Dawn was more than ten years older than Cheyenne, and coupled with her warm and friendly attitude, she was just like a big sister to Cheyenne.

Cheyenne naturally agreed.

Thus, the two of them ordered some of the restaurant’s signature dishes.

When Dawn asked Cheyenne whether she drank alcohol or not, Cheyenne shook her head and politely declined, “No thanks, I don’t really drink.”

Dawn smiled and said straightforwardly, “Since it’s just us two today, let’s skip the drinks. We’ll order some beverages we like.”

Afterward, she ordered a pot of floral tea and a pitcher of freshly squeezed watermelon juice.

This made Cheyenne feel much more at ease. Dawn was indeed a very personable person. After just half an hour or so of chatting with her, Cheyenne had already formed a good impression of her.

While waiting for the food to arrive, Dawn took a sip of floral tea and said, “Ms. Carter, I’m a very straightforward person who doesn’t like beating around the bush, so I’ll get straight to the point.

“Not long ago, the Stardust Corporation bought a large plot of land in the eastern suburbs of DC. The company plans to build a Stardust City, right? I heard that it’s a major project with ample capital.

“Actually, the Fly Corporation is very optimistic about this project, so I came to discuss cooperating with you. I want to join the Stardust City project, and the Fly Corporation is looking at an initial investment of two billion dollars. Of course, we can invest more if more funds are required in the future.”

Hearing Dawn talk about investing in the Stardust City project, Cheyenne was stunned, but a look of disappointment soon appeared on her face.

The Stardust City project was the Stardust Corporation’s biggest project for the next few years. When Lucas bought the land, he had brought Cheyenne with him.

Lucas had no plans to attract any investors for the Stardust City project. He had sufficient funds, and he wanted the Stardust Corporation to have 100% control of the project.

If he let other companies invest, the corresponding percentage of equity would be diluted, and it wouldn’t be fully owned by the Stardust Corporation.

Thus, Cheyenne couldn’t agree to Dawn’s proposal.

“I’m really sorry, Ms. Westwood. The Stardust Corporation has no plans to have any investors on board the Stardust City project. I’m afraid I can only let you down,” Cheyenne said apologetically with a touch of disappointment.

“Oh, I see…” Dawn sighed with disappointment.

But she soon smiled again and said, “It’s okay. I understand. Since the Stardust Corporation wants to solely own and control the Stardust City project, there’s no way that investors can join.

“But putting aside the investments, the start-up and construction of this massive project should require a lot of building materials, right? There’s also the interior design, landscaping, and so on.

“The Fly Corporation owns subsidiaries that specialize in building materials, interior design, and landscaping. Would you be interested in cooperating in these aspects, Ms. Carter?”

Cheyenne was overjoyed and quickly said, “Of course! The Stardust Corporation indeed requires a large amount of building materials for the construction of Stardust City, and we’ll also need a lot of interior designing and landscaping. It would be wonderful if the Fly Corporation has suitable subsidiaries that specialize in these aspects!”

She originally thought that the cooperation with the Fly Corporation would fall through, but she was surprised to hear Dawn’s sudden proposal that turned the situation around.

In fact, the Stardust Corporation’s Stardust City project wasn’t going to be built only in DC. There were more than 20 that would undergo construction simultaneously across the country. The construction would require building materials such as cement, steel, and so on in tremendous amounts every day. Many small suppliers were already starting to find the demand a little overwhelming.

If the Fly Corporation could provide more cost-effective building materials, it would be a great help.

Dawn said with a smile, “Great. To be honest with you, I’ve already made a special application to the chairman of the Fly Corporation and gained his approval. If the Stardust Corporation is willing to cooperate with us, we can supply you with all the materials you need for the project at ten percent below the market price. Take it as a little token to commemorate our first cooperation.”

Cheyenne was pleasantly surprised, so much so that she was at a loss for words!

1323 Two-Faced

All the materials for 10% lower than the market price?

This was an unimaginably huge discount!

For example, if a 50-kilogram pack of cement cost 20 dollars, a 10% discount would amount to only 2 dollars less.

But the construction of all the Stardust Cities would require at least thousands of tons of steel, cement, bricks, and other building materials. A 10% discount for all the materials needed for the entire project could amount to at least a billion dollars!!!

Thus, Cheyenne became excited after hearing Dawn’s offer of a 10% discount.

“Ms. Westwood, you’re not kidding about the price, are you? Can the Fly Corporation really give us a price that is ten percent lower than the market price?” Cheyenne asked in disbelief.

Dawn smiled. “Ms. Carter, you don’t have to worry about this. The Fly Corporation is among the top 100 companies in the world, and I’m also very sincere about befriending you. Why would I joke about something like this?

“Actually, the reason why the Fly Corporation is willing to give such a huge discount is that the chairman is very optimistic about the development of the Stardust Corporation and hopes to form friendly ties with you. If there are other opportunities for cooperation in the future, we can give it a shot.

“In addition, we have a large and very mature supply chain of building materials. Despite supplying building materials to you at a price ten percent below the market price, we actually won’t lose any money. It only means that we won’t make as much profit.

“This is just a little token of sincerity from the Fly Corporation. You don’t have to worry about anything else, Ms. Carter.”

After hearing Dawn’s explanation, Cheyenne finally understood the reason. At the same time, she formed a good impression of the generous Fly Corporation.

“Ms. Westwood, thank you so much for the kind offer and sincerity. I will definitely relay this to the other executives. I will contact you to discuss the details once the company reaches a decision. What do you think?” Cheyenne asked carefully.

Although it sounded too good to be true, it was still a major project involving tens of billions of dollars. Cheyenne naturally wouldn’t take matters into her own hands and make decisions presumptuously.

No matter what, Flynn was still the general manager of the company, and she had to inform him about this.

Dawn didn’t mind it. She simply nodded and said, “Sure, no problem. I’ll wait for your news.”

The two of them looked at each other and smiled.

At this moment, the food they ordered was served, and the servers placed it on the table along with a pitcher of freshly squeezed watermelon juice.

After serving all the dishes, the servers left the private room, leaving space for the two ladies inside.

“Since we’re done talking about work, it’s time to set it aside and enjoy today’s food!” Dawn poured a glass of watermelon juice and placed it in front of Cheyenne.

“You’re being too polite, Ms. Westwood. Let me do it!”

Seeing that Dawn had poured her a glass of watermelon juice, Cheyenne quickly stood up to decline politely, but Dawn pressed her arm down.

“It’s okay, Ms. Carter. We’re friends now, so you don’t have to stand on ceremony with me. I just poured you some juice. It’s not a big deal. Actually, you don’t have to keep calling me Ms. Westwood. That’s too formal. How about we address each other by our first names?” Dawn said with a warm smile.

Hearing this, Cheyenne naturally couldn’t continue standing on ceremony. She nodded and said with a smile, “Alright.”

Although it was their first time meeting each other today, the meal was relaxed, and they got along really well, as if they were old friends.

Before she knew it, Cheyenne had already finished her glass of watermelon juice.

Dawn looked at the empty glass that Cheyenne had just finished drinking, and an inexplicable glimmer flashed in her eyes. She smiled even more brightly.

It was a meal between two women, and it proceeded quickly, especially since they didn’t drink alcohol. In less than an hour, they finished.

After walking out of the restaurant, Dawn said, “Cheyenne, I happen to be passing by the Stardust Corporation later, so I’ll drop you off!”

Dawn had driven the two of them over, so Cheyenne didn’t drive.

Hearing Dawn’s kind suggestion and considering the fact that the Stardust Corporation’s headquarters was nearby, Cheyenne agreed. “Okay, thank you, Dawn.”

After getting inside the car, Cheyenne smelled the faint scent of perfume inside and suddenly felt sleepy.

“Eh? Why do I suddenly feel… so… sleepy…”

Before Cheyenne could finish, she had already closed her eyes and drifted off.

“Cheyenne? Cheyenne Carter?” Dawn called out worriedly and even reached out to pat Cheyenne’s face gently, But Cheyenne had already slipped into a deep slumber and didn’t respond to her at all.

“Hah, it seems you’re just a fool with nothing but a pretty face! What qualifications do you have to be my friend?”

At this moment, the look of worry and kindness on Dawn’s face vanished. Only disgust and indifference remained on her face. She seemed to be a completely different person than she was just now.

If Cheyenne was still awake, she would probably be shocked by Dawn’s current behavior.

She was simply… two-faced!

One side of her was graceful, kind, and intellectual. But after dropping her facade, her true colors were terrifying and creepy.

Dawn glanced contemptuously at the unconscious Cheyenne.

Then she took out her phone and called someone. “Mr. Holmes, Cheyenne Carter is in my hands, and she’s inside my car now. What should I do next?”

“Bring her to the destination I told you before, and your task will be completed.”

The person on the other end was Norman, the helmsman of the Holmes!

“Yes.” After hanging up, Dawn started the car and drove away.

Of course, she definitely wasn’t going toward the Stardust Corporation.

Cheyenne probably never expected that the woman who had just had an enjoyable conversation with her like an old friend she had known for years would be someone sent by Norman Holmes!

Meanwhile, Dawn, who was rejoicing about finishing her task so easily, would never have expected that there was an inconspicuous black Mercedes-Benz following not far behind her car.

1324 Cheyenne in Trouble

At this moment, Lucas was still handling some matters at the Stardust Corporation’s headquarters.

Suddenly, his phone rang. It was Stanley calling.

Lucas had specially sent Stanley to protect Cheyenne, and he usually wouldn’t call unless… something had happened.

Lucas immediately picked up. “What’s wrong?”

“Lucas, Cheyenne just got into Dawn Westwood’s car, but something seems wrong!” Stanley said nervously.

Stanley was only responsible for ensuring Cheyenne’s safety. He wouldn’t monitor her every move. He usually just followed Cheyenne in secret from a distance, so he didn’t know the details of the situation.

But he noticed that after Cheyenne got into Dawn’s car, it wasn’t driving toward the Stardust Corporation.

More importantly, through the car’s windows, Stanley could see that Cheyenne seemed to have fallen asleep in the passenger seat, but he didn’t know if it was because she was drunk or if there was something more to the situation.

There seemed to be something amiss about the situation, but Stanley wasn’t entirely sure, so he called Lucas and described everything he had seen.

Lucas immediately frowned.

He didn’t think it was likely that Cheyenne was drunk.

He knew that she usually abstained from alcohol and would never drink with others unless it was a special situation, let alone drink until she passed out.

“Wait a minute. I’ll try calling her!”

Lucas didn’t hang up on Stanley. Instead, he called Cheyenne with the landline.

But after he called several times, she still didn’t pick up. Toward the end, her phone was even turned off.

In that case, there was indeed something very wrong with the situation!

“Stanley, keep following that car. Don’t lose it. Also, send me your current location and route. I’ll head over right away!” Lucas said with a grim expression. He stood up, grabbed his keys from the desk, and sped out of his office.

“Yes!”‘ Stanley knew that he couldn’t neglect this matter, so he immediately agreed.

But just as he hung up and was following the car in front of him while trying to send Lucas his location, an accident suddenly happened!

Boom!

A truck suddenly charged over from the side, seemingly out of control, and collided straight into the Mercedes-Benz that Stanley was driving!

With a thunderous sound, Stanley’s Mercedes-Benz flipped over and skidded on a road for a distance before crashing into the guardrails and stopping.

At this moment, the black Mercedes-Benz had already been ruined beyond recognition, and it would be hard for anyone to survive such a crash.

The terrible traffic accident dumbfounded the bystanders at the side. Immediately afterward, there were numerous screams mixed with the sounds of people yelling to call 911.

But everyone knew that the chances of the people in a car struck by a speeding truck surviving were incredibly low.

However, to everyone’s surprise, the door of the wrecked Mercedes-Benz was suddenly kicked open with a loud bang, and a bloodied man crawled out of the car.

After wiping away the blood covering his eyes, Stanley stood up with great difficulty while supporting himself against the overturned car. He almost couldn’t maintain his balance.

Fortunately, Lucas had had the Mercedes-Benz modified. Otherwise, given the violent impact, an ordinary Mercedes-Benz would have been totaled, and it would have been impossible for Stanley to survive.

But when Stanley tried to look for Dawn’s car, he could no longer find it.

Clearly, someone had discovered that he had been following Dawn. Or rather, the other party had long been prepared.

Moreover, the other party had actually been so vicious as to smash his car with a truck. This just went to show that Cheyenne was indeed in great danger!

The truck that crashed into him was stopped at the side of the road. The driver had long vanished and probably couldn’t be found soon.

“Damn it!” Stanley gritted his teeth, his eyes full of fury.

Now that he was heavily injured, he couldn’t look for Cheyenne anymore and had no choice but to take out his bloodstained phone from his pocket to call Lucas. “Lucas, bad news! A truck just hit me, and I’ve lost Cheyenne’s whereabouts!”

Hearing this, Lucas had a murderous look in his eyes. “No matter who did it, I will make them pay the price!”

After receiving Stanley’s location, Lucas immediately made a few calls.

The most important thing now was to find Cheyenne as soon as possible. So this time, Lucas didn’t conceal his strength and deployed all the forces he could use to search for her. He was determined to find her!

After he made the calls, all of DC was in an uproar.

…

In the Howard residence in DC…

After receiving Lucas’s call, Florence turned pale with fright. She immediately gathered all her people and ordered, “Get everyone in the family to search for Cheyenne Carter! We must find her quickly!”

Cheyenne was her biological daughter. Now that she was in trouble, she had to find her as soon as possible to ensure her safety!

…

In the Hutton residence in DC…

After hanging up, Michael Hutton had a grim expression. He immediately gathered the experts of the Huttons and ordered, “Seal all the routes in DC and find Cheyenne Carter at all costs. Report to me immediately once you have any news!”

Although Lucas wasn’t his biological son, he had always treated Lucas as his own because he was the son of the love of his life. So he also considered Cheyenne his daughter-in-law. He had to find Cheyenne at all costs. He couldn’t allow her to fall into the wrong hands!

…

The Smith residence in DC…

After receiving Lucas’s call, Tyson Smith immediately gathered all the Smiths’ top experts to search for Cheyenne. “No matter what, you have to do everything possible to find Cheyenne Carter. Whoever finds her will be rewarded handsomely!”

Tyson had already pledged allegiance to Lucas with his entire family. He didn’t dare to take Lucas’s order lightly at all.

The Howards, the Smiths, and the Huttons were among the eight top families of DC. The three families launching a large-scale search together and deploying all their forces was an extremely rare event.

In addition to these three families, the Parkers, the Coles, the Hales, and the Fullers, who had just pledged allegiance to Lucas, had all received a call and dispatched their experts to search for Cheyenne.

Countless people in DC were astonished and wondered if something major had happened after seeing so many second-tier families and top families taking action together.

“It seems like there’s definitely a major incident in DC! I’m afraid it’s a huge disaster!” many muttered softly to themselves.

…

1325 Refusing To Admit

At this moment, Lucas was furious after making the phone calls.

After taking a deep breath, Lucas barely suppressed his anger. Maintaining his last trace of composure, he sped through the streets in his Jaguar, searching for Cheyenne.

At the same time, countless thoughts flashed through his mind as he wondered who the mastermind behind Cheyenne’s abduction was.

Soon after Cheyenne arrived in DC, she had been spending her days reading documents in the company. It was impossible for her to form a feud with anyone. Without a doubt, the culprit had abducted her to get back at Lucas.

Lucas carefully recalled his enemies.

He first eliminated the families who weren’t strong enough.

Lucas had sent Stanley to protect Cheyenne in secret, so even she wasn’t aware of his presence.

Stanley had been discovered not long after he started following that car. This meant that the person who abducted Cheyenne had already known that Stanley was secretly protecting her and specially took measures to deal with him.

The heavy truck that suddenly sped over had almost killed Stanley. The driver had obviously been arranged by the culprit.

Lucas thought about it and found that the only possible suspects who were capable of doing this within a short time were the Hills, the Hamiltons, and the Peerless Martial Association.

According to Lucas’s understanding, even the eight top families didn’t have any powerhouses who were capable of discovering Stanley easily.

Although the Peerless Martial Association had had several conflicts with Lucas, and he and

Jordan had even killed a few of their experts, the head of the Peerless Martial Association’s US headquarters didn’t hold much animosity toward Lucas. They hadn’t reached the point of falling out with each other yet.

Thus, the Peerless Martial Association probably wasn’t the culprit.

As for the Hills and the Hamiltons, a long time had passed since the Hills’ conflict with Lucas. Besides, Ashton had suffered a huge loss because of him, but he didn’t dare to inform his family about it. So Lucas thought that it was unlikely for the Hills to be the culprit.

In that case, the only people who could do this were the Hamiltons!

After all, since the Hamiltons had dared send assassins to kill Lucas some time ago, it wasn’t impossible for them to go after Cheyenne this time.

It made sense for the Hamiltons to abduct the person Lucas loved since they couldn’t do anything to him.

At the thought that the Hamiltons dared to harm Cheyenne, almost uncontrollable murderous intent surged in his eyes.

“Get me Jensen Hamilton’s contact number immediately!” Lucas said to Jordan over the phone.

“Okay!”

Less than two minutes later, Jordan sent Jensen’s phone number to Lucas.

Lucas stared gloomily at the string of numbers on his phone and dialed it without hesitation.

Soon, the call connected, and Jensen’s voice came from the other end. “Who is it?”

It was Jensen’s private number, which very few people had, so he was a little surprised.

But immediately afterward, Jensen heard a voice that surprised him greatly. “Jensen Hamilton, you abducted my wife, didn’t you? Immediately send her back unscathed, or else I won’t let you and the entire Hamilton family off!”

It turned out to be a call from Lucas!

Moreover, Lucas’s voice sounded extremely cold and was full of murderous intent, making his heart jump.

Jensen was shocked. He had clearly done it very covertly and even gotten Norman to handle the matter. How did Lucas manage to find out that he was the culprit so quickly?

No, it’s impossible for Lucas Gray to know I asked someone to do it. He must be deceiving me! Jensen forced himself to calm down and pretended to be angry. “Lucas Gray, what nonsense are you saying? Since when did I do anything to your wife? If something has happened to your wife, go and look for her yourself. Don’t try to put the blame on me!

“The Hamiltons aren’t pushovers that you can accuse willy-nilly. If you want to slander us and threaten me, you can try coming at me. I’m not afraid of you!”

Jensen’s tone was furious, as if he had really been slandered by Lucas.

Hearing what Jensen said, Lucas felt puzzled. Are the Hamiltons really not the culprit?

Lucas indeed didn’t have any solid proof at the moment, but this didn’t mean that he would change his mind and think that the Hamiltons were innocent just because of Jensen’s words.

It was likely that Jensen had deliberately said these things and pretended to be righteously indignant about being accused so that he could make Lucas drop his suspicion.

“Jensen Hamilton, you don’t need to be so quick to deny it. Sooner or later, I will find out if you did it or not!” Lucas said coldly.

“If you hand her over now, I promise not to pursue the matter and take it that nothing has happened. But if you refuse to hand her over, you won’t be the only one who dies when I find her. Even if your family are royals, you will have to vanish!

“Don’t think I’m just threatening you. I’m a man of my word. If you don’t believe me, you can give it a try!”

Jensen’s heart tensed up, but he was angered by Lucas’s threat too. “Lucas Gray, don’t go too far! I said I didn’t do it. Stop talking nonsense! The Hamiltons aren’t afraid of you!”

With that, Jensen hung up with a sullen expression.

Well, it was true that he didn’t abduct Lucas’s wife. He had gotten Norman to do it.

He was certain that the Hamiltons wouldn’t be implicated even if Lucas found Cheyenne!

As soon as he figured this out, Jensen finally felt relieved and smirked coldly.

It was likely that his son Angus had died at Lucas’s hands, so getting Norman to abduct Cheyenne and kill Lucas was the price he had to pay!

Jensen had it all planned out long ago. Once Norman found a way to kill Lucas, the two experts he had lent Norman would kill Norman afterward.

Like this, there would be no clues to everything he had done, and no one would be able to trace it back to him.

Even if Lucas had the backing of a supreme commander of the four territories, there was nothing he could do.

Jensen gritted his teeth and said resentfully, “Lucas Gray, it’s time for you to die!”

1326 Silencing in Public

At this moment, Dawn was driving Cheyenne, who was sleeping in the passenger seat, to a large mansion in the suburbs of DC.

Under the effects of the drug, Cheyenne had been sleeping all this time. After Dawn dragged her out of the car, she remained unconscious until Dawn poured a basin of icy cold water on her face.

Her thick and lush eyelashes trembled as she slowly opened her eyes, only to find that she was in a strange place. She was even sitting on the floor with water stains all over her face.

Cheyenne was startled and looked around in panic. When she saw Dawn standing nearby, she immediately walked over to her as if she had found a family member and asked nervously, “Dawn, why… why are we here?”!!

Dawn sneered viciously, “Bitch, who are you to act close to me? You’re just a useless woman who’s nothing but a pretty face. The sight of you utterly disgusts me!”

Boom!

Like a bolt from the blue, what Dawn said stunned Cheyenne.

She never thought that Dawn, who was so graceful and friendly toward her like a big sister, would say this with such a malicious expression!

Was… Dawn putting on a front earlier? But what exactly is her motive?

Apart from being shocked, Cheyenne sensed that something was amiss and quickly scanned her surroundings.

She and Dawn weren’t the only ones in the large mansion. There were a few strange men standing at the door.

There was a man in his sixties standing in the middle and staring at her with hatred. Beside him were two martial artists clad in white long-sleeved shirts and white pants. They were obviously not to be trifled with.

These three people were Norman and the two top experts of the Hamiltons whom Jensen had lent him.

But Cheyenne didn’t know who Norman was.

Cheyenne’s heart sank, and she immediately realized that she had been kidnapped.

And the person who kidnapped her was naturally Dawn, whom she had thought that she had formed a good relationship with.

Cheyenne gritted her teeth, clenched her fists tightly, and asked, “Who are you people? Why did you bring me here? What’s your goal?”

Norman sneered without saying anything.

The two bodyguards standing behind him remained still and silent like puppets.

Cheyenne looked at Dawn again with fury in her eyes. “Ms. Westwood, why are you doing this? Today is the first time we’ve met. I shouldn’t have offended you before, right? Why are you doing this to me?”

“Shut up!” Dawn raised her arm and slapped Cheyenne hard on the face.

Smack!

With the crisp and clear sound of the slap, fingerprints appeared on Cheyenne’s fair face.

“Just be good and don’t move. If you ask me any more nonsense, don’t blame me for being nasty!” Dawn looked at Cheyenne disdainfully.

She despised women like Cheyenne, whom she thought had achieved a high position in her company only by virtue of her good looks.

She thought that Cheyenne was pretty but brainless. She had merely put on a show and pretended to be a graceful, kind, older sister-like friend. Yet Cheyenne had stupidly believed her, drank the juice she offered, and got into her car. Now, even though she had fallen into the hands of someone else, Dawn thought that Cheyenne had brought it upon herself and that it had nothing to do with her.

Cheyenne held her burning face with immense regret in her heart. I’m so stupid!

It was her first time meeting Dawn today, and they had only had a brief conversation, yet she let her guard down completely and fell into Dawn’s trap, eventually causing her to end up here.

If she had been more careful, didn’t agree to go out alone with Dawn, turned down the fruit juice she offered, and didn’t accept the car ride, she wouldn’t have ended up in this terrible situation!

Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets now!

“Mr. Holmes, I’ve already completed the task you gave me. Can I leave now?” Dawn asked carefully.

She had finished her task, and Norman didn’t tell her what the following plans were. She didn’t intend to continue being involved.

It definitely wasn’t something good. The less she knew, the safer she would be. Dawn had enough self-awareness to know this.

“Yes, you can leave now,” Norman said indifferently after glancing at Dawn.

Dawn secretly heaved a sigh of relief and turned around to walk out of the mansion.

But as soon as she took a couple of steps, she suddenly heard a loud, ear-piercing sound. At the same time, a bloody hole appeared in her chest, and blood spurted out of it.

“I… You…” Dawn widened her eyes in disbelief as she looked down at the bloody hole in her chest. Soon, all she could see was darkness, and her body fell to the floor limply.

Even at her very last waking moment, she still couldn’t believe that she had died just like that.

“Ahhh!”

Cheyenne had witnessed everything unfold before her eyes. Seeing someone who was alive and well just a few seconds ago turning into a lifeless corpse lying motionlessly on the floor, she couldn’t help screaming in horror.

Having lived for so many years, she had never seen a murder so directly. She was scared out of her wits.

Norman blew the smoking gun in front of his face and said indifferently, “Hah, since you already know about this, I can’t let you live. Dawn Westwood, you’ve always claimed to be smart. Didn’t you consider that this would happen? You’re still too stupid after all.”

Jensen had said that he had to do a clean job and make sure that no one could find any traces.

And only the dead could keep a secret.

Dawn knew what had happened and had even participated in it. As long as Lucas did some digging, he would easily be able to find out who took Cheyenne away. How could Norman let Dawn leave in one piece and risk having Lucas find out where they were?

Norman would get rid of anything that left evidence against him!

Cheyenne was truly frightened. Seeing Norman kill someone without batting an eye and holding the gun that had killed someone moments ago, she began trembling uncontrollably.

“Please… let me off, okay? I don’t know who you are and how I’ve offended you, but you probably aren’t thinking of just killing me after going to such great lengths to bring me here, right? My… my husband is Lucas Gray, the chairman of the Stardust Corporation. He has a lot of money, and I can give you enough money for the ransom. Please just let me go!” Cheyenne said in a shaky voice, forcing herself to stay composed as she negotiated for her life.

Generally speaking, people kidnapped others for money.

But after Norman heard what she said, his eyes suddenly burned brightly with hatred.

“Hah, of course I know who your husband is. He’s the reason you’re in this plight now!”

With deep hatred in his eyes, Norman barked, “It’s that damn Lucas Gray! He ruined my family and destroyed everything I painstakingly built. I must kill him, rip him into shreds, and make sure he dies horribly!”

1327 Unbearable Humiliation

Cheyenne was shocked.

She finally learned that this person was someone who had a grudge against Lucas!

In that case, his motive for abducting her was definitely not as simple as money. Rather, he likely wanted to use her life to threaten Lucas into submitting to him before eventually killing him!

Thinking of this, Cheyenne felt cold all over, as if she had been submerged in ice water. Boundless fear and worry welled up in her heart.!!

She knew that Lucas’s business endeavors would inevitably offend some powerful enemies.

And Norman was definitely one of the people who had a feud with Lucas.

Moreover, Norman was extremely ruthless and vicious!

Given how he had tried his best to get Dawn to kidnap her and then killed Dawn without batting an eye, she knew that he would definitely be merciless to Lucas!

If Lucas really came, he probably would fall right into his trap and wouldn’t be able to leave alive. It would be exactly what Norman wanted!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Cheyenne’s heart was pounding violently as she fearfully pondered how to save herself and Lucas.

But at this critical moment, she couldn’t think of a good solution at all.

“It turns out Lucas Gray has such a beautiful wife! Hah, don’t worry. It’ll take Lucas Gray a long time to find this place. Before that, I’ll collect some interest first!”

Norman looked at Cheyenne’s pretty face with an evil light in his eyes and deliberately ogled her from head to toe.

Cheyenne knew what Norman was thinking the moment she saw his gaze. She felt disgusted and desperately wanted to escape.

“Beauty, you’ve already fallen into my hands. There’s no way you can escape!” Norman smirked and ordered with a sinister laugh, “Stop her. Bring her back!”

For a time, there were numerous screams in the mansion…

…

Meanwhile, Lucas was on the verge of losing his mind in panic. He had already used all his connections to search for Cheyenne. And he himself was shuttling through the streets in DC to find any traces of Cheyenne’s whereabouts.

Suddenly, Jordan called. “Lucas! My people have already checked the footage of the traffic surveillance cameras in DC and found the location of the car that took Cheyenne away!”

“Where is it? Send me its location immediately!” Lucas shouted.

A moment later, the Howards, the Smiths, the Huttons, the Parkers, the Coles, the Hales, and the Fullers all received emergency orders to head toward a certain place in DC.

At the same time, in a villa in DC, Jensen received the news from his subordinates, which left an extremely gloomy expression on his face.

Only now did he know that almost half of the top families in DC had been mobilized to search high and low in DC for Cheyenne.

Lucas actually achieved such a great feat within an extremely short period of time!

Thinking of this, Jensen suddenly panicked.

Lucas’s power was far greater than he had imagined!

Once the matter of him sending people to abduct Cheyenne was exposed, the Hamiltons would have to face Lucas’s wrath. When the time came, Lucas’s declaration to make the Hamiltons vanish from the US would no longer be just a threat but a bloody reality!

No, he couldn’t allow this to happen!

As long as Norman used Cheyenne to kill Lucas, everything would be different!

So what if Lucas was so powerful?

Once he was dead, everything would be gone!

…

In a mansion in the suburbs of DC…

Cheyenne, who was trying to flee in panic, was caught by the two experts in white and brought to Norman.

“Hah, try running again! See if you can escape.” Norman smiled as he inched closer to Cheyenne.

Due to the short distance, his breath landed on Cheyenne’s face while he spoke, which was really nauseating.

Cheyenne looked away in disgust and struggled furiously while shouting, “If you dare to lay a hand on me, my husband will never let you off!”

Smack!

Norman slapped Cheyenne’s face viciously. “Bitch! How dare you mention that bastard Lucas Gray? You must have a death wish!

“Hah, do you think your husband is very impressive? Do you think he’ll come save you? You’re stupid and naive!

“But it doesn’t matter. I want to lure him here. But I won’t let him have a good time. I’m going to take revenge against him and make him watch you cry and struggle under me. I’m going to ruin everything he cherishes!

“And what can you do to me? What can your husband do to me? I’m going to make him watch this happen yet be too powerless to do anything. I want to make him feel agonizing pain! Hahaha, I’m really looking forward to it. The thought of Lucas Gray watching you cry while you’re under me makes me so excited!”

Absolutely thrilled, Norman laughed crazily with a ferocious and distorted expression.

He was simply crazy!

Cheyenne turned deathly pale, absolutely terrified.

If Norman really violated her, even if Lucas didn’t mind, she would feel incredibly filthy and too ashamed to continue living!

It would be even worse if Lucas watched it happen.

She would rather die than accept this unbearable humiliation!

“Dream on! I will never let you have what you want!” Cheyenne’s eyes glowed with despair and resolution as she took a deep glance at Norman, as if she wanted to etch his face deeply into her memory.

Immediately afterward, Cheyenne closed her eyes and bit her tongue as hard as she could!

Even if she had to kill herself, she would never let Norman’s despicable plan succeed!

Seeing Cheyenne’s despair and determination in her eyes, followed by the blood flowing from the corner of her lips, Norman instantly realized what was happening and shouted anxiously, “Stop her! Quickly, stop her!”

Cheyenne was his most valuable hostage, the best tool he had found to deal with Lucas. If she died here, how could he threaten Lucas later?

…

The two bodyguards in white knew that something was amiss, so they quickly grabbed Cheyenne’s jaw to prevent her from biting herself further.

Bang!

Suddenly, the roars of an engine sounded from outside. And immediately after, the gates of the mansion were slammed open from outside!

A black Jaguar crashed through the gates and charged toward the mansion!

1328 Death Threat

“Cheyenne! No!”

Lucas rushed over as quickly as he could and charged into the mansion, only to be greeted with the sight of Cheyenne being pinned to the floor, with her jaw clenched tightly as bright red blood flowed out of her mouth!

At this moment, Lucas’s heart seemed to stop beating as he let out a heart-piercing roar.

Cheyenne, who was stopped from biting her tongue and was in despair, immediately froze when she heard Lucas’s voice.!!

She opened her eyes and saw Lucas getting out of his speeding black Jaguar and rushing toward her. All of a sudden, she was so excited that her eyes filled with warm tears, and she couldn’t see Lucas’s face clearly.

She knew that her husband had rushed over to save her at her most critical and desperate moment!

The moment Norman saw Lucas, his pupils constricted, and his face was full of disbelief. “Hhow did you find this place? How could you come here so quickly? It’s impossible!”

He was in complete disbelief!

The place that he had found was extremely well-hidden, and there were no surveillance cameras around either. How did Lucas manage to find it?

Even if he had done a carpet search of the city, he shouldn’t have found it so soon!

Norman had expected Lucas to take at least an hour to reach this place at the quickest. During this time, he would have already violated Cheyenne. And by the time Lucas arrived, he would have only seen the violated Cheyenne. This would have been how he vented his anger!

But unexpectedly, before he had time to do anything, Lucas had arrived minutes after Cheyenne fell into his hands.

How… how did he do it?

“Honey…” Cheyenne stared at Lucas and burst into tears uncontrollably.

She had already prepared to kill herself to avoid being violated. But suddenly seeing Lucas coming to save her, she could no longer contain her emotions.

If she wasn’t under the control of Norman’s two bodyguards now, she would have jumped into Lucas’s and burst into tears.

When Lucas saw that Cheyenne could still speak and that things hadn’t reached their worst, his violently beating heart calmed down a little.

The moment he saw Cheyenne bleeding from the mouth, he had thought he was a step too late and that he had failed to save the love of his life.

Suppressing his agitation and anger, Lucas said as gently as possible, “Cheyenne, it’s alright. With me here, no one can hurt you anymore!”

Then he looked deeply at Norman and said, “Norman Holmes, if you let go of my wife right now, I can still spare your life. Or else I’ll make you die miserably!”

He really didn’t expect Norman to be the person who abducted Cheyenne.

A trace of aggression suddenly erupted from Lucas’s body.

At this moment, Lucas’s murderous aura was so terrifying that it was almost impossible to face him directly.

Even the two experts of the Hamiltons standing behind Norman could sense the hair-raising aura at this moment.

Although the two of them had long known that their target this time was extremely powerful and difficult to deal with, they only realized how terrifyingly powerful Lucas really was after meeting him.

This was simply… on par with the top powerhouse of the Hamiltons!

Under Lucas’s threat, Norman shuddered involuntarily, his legs went limp almost immediately, and he didn’t dare to look Lucas in the eye.

But he immediately recalled what Lucas had done to him and the Holmes, as well as his miserable experience earlier. Thinking that Lucas’s wife was still in his hands, he regained his confidence and didn’t drop to his knees.

“Lucas Gray, don’t forget that your wife is still in my hands. How dare you speak to me like that?” Norman grabbed Cheyenne’s hair and pulled her up. He placed her in front of himself, held his pistol against her temple, and stared at Lucas threateningly.

Cheyenne was being pulled violently, but she didn’t have the strength to resist Norman at all.

Feeling the cold, hard barrel of the pistol on her temple and thinking that this pistol had just killed Dawn, Cheyenne was overwhelmed with fear and trembled incessantly.

She tried her best to contain her emotions and stop herself from screaming and crying.

Seeing his beloved woman being treated like this, Lucas felt immense heartache. At the same time, he was brimming with endless anger and wished he could strangle Norman to death immediately.

But Cheyenne was still in his hands and being held at gunpoint. Lucas didn’t dare to act rashly, for fear that Norman would pull the trigger and kill Cheyenne.

Lucas clenched his fists tightly, trying his best to remain calm. “Norman Holmes, the feud between us hasn’t reached the point of no return yet. Let go of my wife, and I’ll let you and your family off. I won’t hold it against you!”

Hearing this, Norman suddenly cocked his head backward and guffawed maniacally.

“Hahahaha! Lucas Gray, do you take me for a child? Do you think I’d be deceived by your tricks? If I really let this woman off, I’m afraid I’ll be the first to die. You’ll let me off? Do you think I’d believe you?

“I’m telling you, since I dared to lay a hand on your woman, I’m already ready to die. Do you think you can still threaten me? Even if I die, I will kill your woman and drag her down with me. I’ll make sure you live in misery and pain for the rest of your life!”

Norman yelled crazily and even pressed the barrel hard against Cheyenne’s temple, forming a round, red depression on her fair and tender skin.

Lucas’s heart skipped a beat, fearing that Norman would kill Cheyenne out of agitation.

Lucas’s palms were already bleeding because of how hard he was clenching his fists, but he had to try his best to maintain his calm. “Norman Holmes, what do you need me to do before you let my wife go? I should be the person you hate, right?”

“Hahaha! Of course the person I hate the most is you! If it wasn’t because of you, how could I have possibly ended up like this? How could the Holmes have ended up in this plight? How could the others have betrayed me? It is all your fault, you bastard!”

With bloodshot eyes, Norman hollered lividly, “Lucas Gray, I want you to get down on your knees like a dog and prostrate before me to seek my forgiveness. I want you to beg me to spare your wife!”

1329 Saving His Wife

“Come on, get down on your knees and beg me!” Norman yelled maniacally.

Tears streamed down Cheyenne’s eyes faster and faster. She knew that Norman only dared to force Lucas to kneel because he had abducted her.

“Honey, don’t kneel! Don’t beg him! Even if you kneel and beg him, he won’t let me off!

“Honey, don’t bother about me. Just leave quickly! Protect yourself and Amelia well. Otherwise, even if I die, I won’t be able to rest in peace!”!!

Cheyenne shouted desperately as large drops of tears rolled down her cheeks.

She knew that she had become Lucas’s Achilles’ heel and was being used to threaten him. How could she watch Lucas being threatened and insulted?

She thought it would be better for her to die. At least Lucas could still live well, and Amelia would have her father to take care of her.

“Shut up, bitch!” Norman flew into a rage and strangled Cheyenne to make her shut up.

Lucas’s eyes were about to burst, and he wished he could charge over to rip Norman into shreds.

Vroommm!

Vroommm!

Vroommm!

At this moment, the roar of engines came from outside the mansion. Through the hole that Lucas had made in the gates with his car and the numerous windows in the foyer, the people inside the mansion could see a massive convoy streaming in endlessly and stopping outside.

Soon, the number of cars exceeded a hundred, and they still didn’t stop.

Four or five burly men immediately jumped out of each car and surrounded the mansion with weapons in their hands, forming a tight encirclement.

Soon, there were more than a thousand people surrounding the area. Then 2,000 people…

Norman’s eyes were wide open, and he was trembling incessantly.

Of course, he hadn’t arranged for so many people to come here. So the only possibility was that Lucas had gathered all these people!

This wasn’t all. In addition to the hundreds of cars surrounding the mansion, there were also the sounds of propellers rotating. There were several helicopters flying overhead, with numerous people looking down and watching closely.

At this point, Norman finally realized how powerful Lucas was!

He originally thought that as long as he could abduct Cheyenne, he would be able to control Lucas and have him be at his mercy.

But Lucas had gathered a few thousand people within such a short time and had them completely surround the mansion. There were helicopters flying above, leaving them with no means to retreat.

What made Norman even more horrified and uneasy was that since Lucas could deploy so many helicopters at once, would there be any snipers hidden on these helicopters?

If there were really snipers hidden in them, couldn’t they blow his head up in an instant?

Thinking of this, Norman felt extremely agonized, as if his heart was rolling around in hot oil.

He had thought that he could retreat unscathed without leaving any traces under the escort of the two Hamilton experts after killing Lucas.

But under the siege of a few thousand people, there was no way he could get out alive, even if he really killed Lucas!

The two bodyguards standing behind Norman had grim expressions on their faces. Looking at the people outside the mansion, they felt that the situation was terrible.

Their plan had been to help Norman kill Lucas, then kill Norman, get rid of all the traces, and report back to Jensen at the Hamiltons’.

But now, no matter how skilled at martial arts they were, there was no way they could leave under the siege of so many people.

In fact, they probably couldn’t even achieve the goal of killing Lucas either.

Norman knew that he was doomed this time and unlikely to leave this place alive.

Thus, he was now ready to go all out. He rubbed his gun hard against Cheyenne’s head, reminding the crowd that he had an important hostage at gunpoint. “All of you, get lost! I’ll immediately blow her head up if anyone dares to move closer!

“Lucas Gray, do you hear me? Tell everyone to move far away! Otherwise, I’ll kill her right now!”

Norman was holding Cheyenne hostage while yelling hysterically and dragging her farther into the mansion.

He was now in the foyer, and the numerous glass windows provided very little cover, so he felt that it was too unsafe, despite having Cheyenne as his hostage and shield. He wanted to retreat farther into the mansion. With more cover and fewer blind spots, he would feel much safer.

But before Norman could execute his plan and move deep into the mansion, a loud gunshot resounded, and a bullet penetrated the middle of Norman’s forehead, causing a bloody hole to appear.

Before Norman could even let out a sound, his arm holding the gun and his body fell limp, collapsing to the floor.

Cheyenne staggered away. As soon as she turned around, she saw Norman’s indignant face. She screamed in fright and fell to the floor. “Aahhhh!”

“Quickly!”

Seeing the situation going awry, the Hamilton experts who had been following behind Norman yelled and rushed toward Cheyenne to control her again.

Their mission was to find a way to kill Lucas, and Cheyenne was the best hostage and entry point. As long as she was in their hands, Lucas would be wary and full of scruples.

Now that Norman had been killed, Cheyenne was the deciding factor as to whether they could complete their mission and kill Lucas. They had to get their hands on her!

“Get lost!” The moment Lucas heard the gunshot, he was already charging toward Cheyenne as quickly as he could, leaving afterimages.

When Cheyenne fell to the floor in shock, Lucas reached out and held her in his arms.

However, the two experts were not to be underestimated. They immediately reacted and swung their fists at Cheyenne.

Bang!

Bang!

Two muffled bangs filled the air.

All of this happened in an instant. Time was tight, and Lucas could only try his best to protect Cheyenne in his arms since he couldn’t take her away now. He turned around and used his back to block the two fierce punches from the Hamilton experts.

These two experts were not ordinary people. The immense power contained in their punches was out to crush Lucas’s internal organs.

Lucas swallowed the blood gushing out from his throat and took advantage of the force of the impact to run forward more than ten meters with Cheyenne in his arms. Only then was he able to defuse the incomparable destructive force of the punches.

1330 Duel Between Experts

“Lucas!” Jordan yelled worriedly. He immediately went forward to stop the two experts of the Hamiltons and fought them.

All three of them were top experts, and their fight was incredibly intense. Their moves were precise and quick, shocking the people of the families gathered outside.

But Jordan immediately sensed something was wrong after exchanging a few blows with the two experts. He asked sternly, “Who are you two? You’re definitely not experts of the Holmes! Who sent you here?”

Jordan was now extremely powerful and skilled. When he fought with Hades, Kenzo, and other top experts of the Peerless Martial Association, Jordan had broken through his bottleneck and became much stronger than before.!!

But now, he actually felt that these two experts were not any weaker than him. In a one-onone battle, he might really be no match for either of them, let alone against two. He felt even more pressure.

These two experts were the toughest opponents Jordan had faced since he left Calico.

Among the people here, only Lucas could defeat the two of them!

Jordan had a grim expression, and his opponents didn’t dare to underestimate him either.

“Let’s kill him first!”

The two of them exchanged glances and unanimously used their strongest move against Jordan, attacking from the left, right, up, and down, clamping him in the middle. He was in an extremely dangerous situation.

At this moment, the helmsmen outside hurried in.

In particular, Cheyenne’s biological mother, Florence, was extremely anxious. She immediately ran to Lucas and asked, “How is Cheyenne? Is she hurt?”

Lucas handed Cheyenne over to Florence and said in a deep voice, “The matter isn’t over yet. I’ll hand Cheyenne over to you. You must make sure she’s safe!”

Florence held Cheyenne quickly, knowing that now wasn’t the time to talk. “Okay, I’ll definitely take good care of her. Rest assured!”

Michael walked over with some people and assured, “Don’t worry. With so many of us here, Cheyenne will definitely be safe!”

Lucas glanced at them, nodded, and then turned around to walk toward where the fight was taking place.

At this moment, Jordan had already taken several hits under the joint offensive of the two.

“Jordan, stand back. I’ll do it!” Lucas shouted with intense murderous intent in his eyes.

Hearing this, Jordan blocked one of their attacks and then took the opportunity to dodge and jump back, withdrawing from the battle.

He really wasn’t a match for them.

The three of them had only exchanged blows for merely ten seconds, but Jordan had already suffered several blows. If he wasn’t skilled himself and narrowly evaded multiple attacks to his vital spots, he probably wouldn’t be standing here anymore.

But even then, Jordan had sustained numerous internal injuries, leaving him with excruciating pain in his chest and blood surging in his throat.

“Lucas, they shouldn’t work for the Holmes. We have to find out where they’re from!” Jordan reminded with gritted teeth.

Seeing the murderous intent in Lucas’s eyes, Jordan was really worried that Lucas would kill them in a fit of rage. In that case, it would be difficult to find out where they were from.

The two top experts were definitely not people that second-tier families like the Holmes could train.

If the Holmes really had such experts, they would have long become one of the eight top families of DC and wouldn’t have been forced into such a terrible plight by Lucas.

In other words, the person who abducted Cheyenne was definitely not only Norman. There was definitely someone else behind him!

Lucas nodded slightly. Anyone who dared to harm his family would have to pay an extremely painful price!

The Hamilton experts also felt the intense murderous intent coming from Lucas, and they immediately became much more scrupulous. Soon, the three of them were embroiled in a scuffle, with Lucas facing two of them alone.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

All of a sudden, the sounds of a fight resounded, and the three of them were moving so fast that it was almost impossible to see how the battle was going.

Seeing Jordan withdrawing from the battle to let Lucas fight against the two experts alone, Florence became anxious. “Hey, Jordan, why did you come out on your own? Are you going to let Lucas fight those two people alone?”

In her opinion, Lucas was at a huge disadvantage fighting against two people alone, and two against two would make it a fair fight. So she was puzzled as to why Jordan retreated from the battle at this critical moment.

Michael was just as worried.

Watching the three people fighting, Michael knew that these two were definitely experts among experts and extremely tough opponents. It would be difficult to find such powerful experts even among the eight top families of DC.

He was skeptical about Lucas dealing with these two experts alone.

“Jordan, right? Hurry up and help Lucas! Those two are top experts!” Michael said worriedly.

With a bitter smile, Jordan clutched his aching chest and said, “Don’t worry. Lucas’s martial arts skills are unrivaled, and those two are no match for him!”

“And… I do want to help him, but I’m severely injured now. Even if I join the fight, I’ll only end up being a burden and get in his way.”

Hearing this, the several helmsmen were instantly stunned.

They had seen how skilled Jordan was at martial arts earlier, and they knew he was an extremely powerful expert. Even the top powerhouses of their family might be no match for Jordan.

But now, Jordan had only fought with the two of them for a few seconds, yet he was already severely injured.

In that case, how powerful were these two experts?

Would Lucas really be able to deal with such powerful enemies on his own?

Florence, Michael, and a few other helmsmen couldn’t help looking worried.

“Why don’t we get snipers to help Lucas deal with those two?” Florence suggested after some thought.

Staring closely at the situation, Michael shook his head. “No, they’re fighting too closely. It’s too difficult to distinguish between them, and the snipers won’t be able to lock onto the targets. They might accidentally hurt Lucas!”

Florence asked anxiously, “What should we do then? We can’t just keep watching them fight like this. Lucas is my son-in-law and your son. Can you bear to see him being in such danger?

“An expert like Jordan was severely injured by the experts. What if Lucas gets hurt too?”

moh96 · Mar 25, 2024

1331 Unable to Die

Florence still didn’t know that Lucas wasn’t Michael’s biological son. Only Lucas, Michael, and Jace knew about this. She still thought that Lucas was Michael’s illegitimate son.

Michael sighed, looking just as worried as Florence. He said softly, “Like you said, he’s my son. Of course I’m worried. But you can see what’s going on. No one can interfere in a fight between experts like them!

“Regardless of sending our people to help or using snipers, it’ll only backfire. Now, we can only bank on Lucas’s abilities and wait for an opportunity!”

Florence was about to say something, but she suddenly heard an exclamation from the side. “Look! Mr. Gray is about to win!”

Florence was startled and quickly looked over. The three of them had already separated, and there was only one person standing. The other two were flying through the air before crashing hard on the floor.

Of course, the person standing was Lucas.

The other two experts were struggling on the floor, but they couldn’t get up even after a long time. Instead, they collapsed to the floor and vomited a large mouthful of blood.

Victory had been decided!

Everyone was shocked!

Florence, Michael, and the others stared wide-eyed at the scene before them.

Although they had long known how extraordinary Lucas was, they didn’t know exactly how powerful he was. Only now, when they saw the two top experts who were far stronger than those of the eight top families lying on the floor, did they barely sense how strong Lucas really was.

Some helmsmen close to Lucas heaved a sigh of relief and immediately felt a sense of pride and honor.

They were extremely proud of Lucas’s formidable strength.

Tyson, the helmsman of the Smiths, looked at Lucas with even more awe as his heart tensed up slightly.

Back then, he had been rather indignant and unwilling to submit to Lucas because the Smiths were one of the eight top families of DC. However, he had had no choice but to do so because he needed Lucas’s help to defeat his cousin and secure the position of helmsman. Thus, he had agreed to pledge allegiance to Lucas.

Tyson wasn’t very loyal to Lucas and had been trying to find a suitable opportunity to break free from Lucas’s control.

But after witnessing Lucas’s terrifying strength, Tyson finally knew how ridiculous his thoughts had been.

If he really dared to betray Lucas, Lucas alone would be able to kill all the Smiths!

At the thought of this, Tyson no longer dared to harbor any other thoughts.

Florence’s jaw dropped, and she was stunned for a long time before muttering, “Lucas already… won?”

Although she knew that Lucas was very powerful, she never thought that he could win so decisively against two top powerhouses within such a short time.

Michael was just as shocked. He had never seen Lucas fight before. But when he thought about the fact that Lucas had been the captain of the Falcon Regiment in Calico, he felt much less shocked.

After all, the captain of the Falcon regiment was not a position that anyone could attain!

Looking at the crowd’s expressions, Jordan smiled helplessly. “See? I told you Lucas would definitely win. You really didn’t have to worry.”

There probably wasn’t anyone in this world who could defeat Lucas.

Lucas walked toward the two powerhouses on the floor while exuding immense pressure. They felt as though a mountain was pressing down on them.

The two Hamilton experts were absolutely horrified, and their bodies trembled uncontrollably.

They were experts that the Hamiltons had secretly trained hard since they were young, putting them through intense martial arts training for years. They had always been protecting the Hamiltons in secret and had never shown up in public.

Their martial arts skills were almost on par with the top expert of the Hamiltons.

But they had suffered a tragic defeat after joining forces to fight against a young man in his twenties!

Seeing how mighty Lucas was, they couldn’t help feeling a strong sense of defeat and despair.

In this world, was there really such an amazing genius who could easily destroy experts who had trained hard for decades?

Compared to Lucas, they seemed to have lived the past few decades in vain!

Standing in front of the two of them and looking down at them, Lucas questioned, “Who sent you? Speak up!”

The terrifying sense of oppression caused the two experts to be almost unable to get up.

“Go to hell!” The two powerhouses clenched their fists tightly and charged toward Lucas with all their might.

Bang!

Bang!

Their efforts were naturally futile.

Even when they were at their peak, they were no match for Lucas. Now that they were severely injured, how could they do anything to him?

Lucas moved just one leg and sent them flying several meters away with two hard and swift kicks.

If he hadn’t restrained his strength, wanting to keep them alive to question them, they would have died long ago.

“Let me ask you again. Who sent you?” Lucas asked again, the oppression in his eyes intensifying.

The two powerhouses were covered in cold sweat and were struggling to get up, only to find that several of their ribs were broken and that they couldn’t get up at all.

They laughed miserably without answering Lucas’s question.

At the same time, they moved their jaws slightly, seemingly about to bite something.

Oh no!

They had something hidden in their mouths!

Lucas immediately recalled the suicide warriors the Hamiltons had sent to kill him. They also had hidden poisonous capsules in their mouth that they would bite to end their lives almost instantly once they were captured. This would prevent them from being tortured and leaking who sent them.

As soon as Lucas thought of this, he quickly reached out to grab their jaws, his speed as quick as lightning, and dislocated their jaws.

This way, there was no way they could close their mouths to bite the poisonous capsules.

There was horror and shock in the eyes of the two powerhouses. They never expected Lucas to see through their intentions and react so quickly to stop them that they couldn’t even bite the poisonous capsules!

They wanted to resist, but Lucas stepped on their chests.

With ice-cold killing intent surging in his eyes, he suddenly said, “Even if you don’t tell me, I know that the people behind you are the Hamiltons, right?”

…

1332 City-Wide Search

After the two Hamilton experts heard Lucas’s question, their pupils instantly constricted, and their expressions changed.

Seeing their reactions, Lucas already knew what was going on without having to wait for these two experts to admit it.

“Heh, the Hamiltons! You people are really haunting me! Since you have the audacity to do this, then be prepared to face my wrath!”

With astonishing murderous intent in his eyes, Lucas stomped down hard, crushing the chest and organs of the two Hamilton experts, killing them on the spot.

…

At the same time, Jensen, who was hiding in a secret villa in DC, suddenly felt chilly for some reason, as if something incredibly dangerous was targeting him.

Could the matter with Norman Holmes have been exposed?

This thought quickly flashed through Jensen’s mind, and he soon shuddered, trying to get rid of this idea.

No, that’s impossible. Norman Holmes has already gotten hold of Lucas Gray’s woman. He’ll definitely die!

…

In the large mansion in the suburbs of DC…

Countless people had witnessed everything that just happened.

Lucas’s strength shocked and impressed countless people.

Looking at Lucas’s still figure, Michael’s eyes were full of infinite emotion.

Even though Lucas wasn’t his biological son, Michael had always regarded him as his own. Seeing how capable Lucas had become, he genuinely felt happy for him from the bottom of his heart.

Despite having driven Lucas and his mother out of the Huttons and DC back then, it wasn’t because he hated them, but rather, it was because he wanted to protect them.

Florence looked at Lucas in astonishment.

She used to dislike Lucas and had even tried to get him to leave Cheyenne. But after he surprised her with his abilities time and time again, she began to find him to be a rare gem.

She thought that her daughter was really fortunate to have such a capable husband who loved her so much!

At least she was much more blissful than Florence!

Lucas didn’t pay attention to the gazes of the people around him. After finishing off the two experts, he went straight to Florence and looked worriedly at Cheyenne in her arms.

At this moment, after being repeatedly shocked and stimulated, Cheyenne had already passed out.

Seeing Lucas’s worry, Florence said, “It’s alright. Cheyenne was just overly frightened and shocked, so she passed out temporarily. Also, the wound on her tongue isn’t too deep either. She’ll be able to recover after resting for a period of time.”

Earlier, Florence had been horrified when she saw Cheyenne suddenly faint while bleeding from the mouth, thinking that Cheyenne had really died from biting her tongue. Fortunately, Lucas had arrived in time to save her.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to accept watching her daughter die before they could completely reconcile.

Hearing this, Lucas finally felt relieved. He reached out, gently held Cheyenne in his arms, and carefully kissed her clammy forehead.

As soon as he thought that Cheyenne had been abducted and nearly died because of him, his heart ached as if it had been cut by a knife. At the same time, his heart was surging with hatred.

It was the Hamiltons again!

Lucas was now certain that Norman definitely didn’t have the guts to kidnap Cheyenne and threaten him alone. The Hamiltons must have instructed him to do it.

But now that Dawn, the woman who hsf deceived Cheyenne and brought her here, had been killed and silenced, Norman had been shot dead by a sniper, and the two Hamilton experts had died too, there wasn’t sufficient evidence to prove that the Hamiltons were the mastermind.

But so what?

Lucas had already come to a decision.

“Jordan, get people to find the whereabouts of the Hamiltons immediately. Report to me once you have information!” Lucas ordered in a deep voice.

“Yes, Lucas!” Jordan immediately acknowledged.

Everything here had come to an end for now. Lucas thanked the helmsmen of the various families who had come to help and then carried Cheyenne home without staying for long.

…

At night, Jordan called and reported, “Lucas, we haven’t found anyone from the Hamiltons for now. They’re really good at hiding. We need some time.”

Lucas had already expected this.

Since Jensen had used Norman to do such a thing and sent the two experts to help him instead of doing it himself, it was obvious that he wanted to stay hidden behind the scenes.

Now that his plan had failed, he would naturally go into hiding, not daring to appear in public.

If people wanted to hide in DC, it was really difficult to find them.

After all, Lucas didn’t have a search warrant, and he couldn’t possibly search all of DC and scour each house to find him.

“Since he refuses to come out of hiding, find a way to force him to come out! I don’t believe that he can stay in DC forever!” Lucas’s voice was icy cold.

Over the next few days, all of DC was tumultuous.

The top families related to Lucas were searching everywhere for the Hamiltons and put the major roads out of DC under strict control.

…

In a hidden villa in DC…

Jensen had been feeling incredibly vexed and furious the past few days.

The scouts of the Hamiltons had already found out the reason for the turmoil in DC these days and had reported the actions of the participating top families to Jensen.

Thus, Jensen already knew that these people were all searching for his whereabouts. Once they found him, they would definitely report it to Lucas.

It made Jensen feel incredibly indignant and stifled.

As a scion of the Hamiltons and the apple of the helmsman’s eyes, he had a promising future and would very likely become the next helmsman. But now, he was trapped in DC with nowhere to go.

As soon as he learned about Norman’s failure, he immediately wanted to leave DC, but he didn’t expect Lucas to put the major roads and exit points in DC under strict surveillance. He couldn’t leave at all.

Moreover, the latest news his subordinates reported made him furious!

…

Bang!

Jensen mashed a decorative vase on the ground and hollered, “Lucas Gray! You bastard, how dare you do this to me? How dare you mess with my family’s assets? I won’t spare you!”

1333 The Stardust Corporation Gets into Trouble

His subordinates had just reported that the Hamiltons’ businesses in DC were all embroiled in varying degrees of trouble. Either they were seized and sealed for non-compliance and violations, or the people in charge of the companies had absconded with the company’s funds, leaving huge messes behind, making Jensen furious.

“Lucas Gray, you actually used such means to force me to appear. You’re really something!

Do you think you’re the only one who knows to attack? Just you wait!”

Jensen gritted his teeth furiously and immediately made a call. “I want to see Lucas Gray’s Stardust Corporation suffer heavy losses or go bankrupt within five days!” !!

…

In Lucas’s office in the headquarters of the Stardust Corporation…

Lucas was handling some important documents at his desk.

Knock-knock!

Someone suddenly knocked on the door of the office, and Flynn rushed in with a nervous look on his face. He said anxiously, “Lucas, bad news. The Stardust City project is in trouble!”

Lucas frowned. “What happened?”

Stardust City was the Stardust Corporation’s greatest project in recent years. Lucas had already invested more than fifteen billion dollars. What could have gone wrong?

Flynn wiped off the sweat on his forehead and said, “It’s a problem with the building materials supplier of Stardust City! The Glory Group, the supplier we’ve always worked with, suddenly announced a unilateral termination of their contract with us and will no longer provide building materials for us. This means we won’t have enough building materials for the construction of Stardust City!

“I’ve tried to find other suppliers to replace the Glory Group, but the quantity of building materials we need is too large. There aren’t any suitable suppliers to take over the orders!”

Lucas said with a frown, “According to the contract we signed, the Glory Group is required to pay us a huge sum of money in liquidated damages for terminating the contract unilaterally, right?”

Flynn nodded. “At the time of signing, the contract terms indeed stipulated that the party in breach of contract would have to pay a huge amount of compensation. And now that the Glory Group is breaching the contract, we can only protect our rights through legal means. I’ve already instructed the legal department to follow up on this matter.

“But the entire process will take at least several months, which will cause immense losses for the Stardust Corporation. Without sufficient materials, we can’t start work on the site, but we can’t stop our expenses either. We’ll be losing a ton of money each day!

“In this way, even if the Glory Group compensates us for the breach of contract a few months later, the compensation amount agreed in the contract won’t be enough to offset our losses.

“This is a really important matter, so I came to ask for your advice.”

To be fair, Flynn was indeed very capable, and he usually wouldn’t bother Lucas unless it was an important matter.

Lucas found this matter really tricky too.

The Glory Group was the largest building materials supplier in DC, and it monopolized at least half of the building materials market in the city.

Of course, there were other building materials suppliers in DC. But as Flynn said, the amount of building materials needed for the Stardust City project was so enormous that small suppliers didn’t dare to take on the orders.

Lucas remembered that there were one or two other major building materials suppliers in DC, such as the company under the Fly Corporation, which Dawn Westwood, the woman who had duped Cheyenne, had worked for.

But Lucas found out later that the Fly Corporation had some ties with the Holmes, with whom he was currently on bad terms. So the Fly Corporation naturally wouldn’t supply his company with building materials.

As such, the sudden termination by the Glory Group really had a tremendous impact on Stardust City’s construction.

They would rather pay a huge amount in liquidated damages and sabotage the construction of Stardust City than supply building materials to Lucas. Such behavior probably wasn’t a decision by the executives of the Glory Group but by the Hamiltons.

Lucas thought of this almost immediately.

He knew that Jensen definitely wouldn’t be willing to sit back and do nothing like a coward.

And this method indeed seemed like something Jensen would do.

Lucas also considered importing building materials from outside of DC, but the weight and amount of materials needed were just too massive. If he imported them from elsewhere, the time needed and transportation expenses would soar. At that time, even if he could successfully import enough materials, the costs would be staggering, and it wouldn’t be economical.

Now, it seemed that the best solution was to deal with the Glory Group directly, which would naturally resolve any other issues.

“In this case, we might as well acquire the entire Glory Group!” Lucas said indifferently.

“What?!” Flynn was shocked.

After confirming that Lucas wasn’t joking, he said with a bitter smile, “Lucas, although this a great solution, the Glory Group is a large company that has been established for years, and its market value is far higher than the Stardust Corporation’s. It won’t be easy to acquire it.

“Besides, the Glory Group suddenly terminated the contract without prior notice. They obviously don’t want to work with us and even plan to be our enemy. In this situation, how could the chairman of the Glory Group possibly agree to sell the company to us? We won’t be able to acquire it no matter how much money we offer!”

Lucas knew that Flynn made sense, but he had his own solution. “Leave this to me. You just have to wait for the outcome.”

Hearing this, Flynn knew that Lucas had already made up his mind and could only keep his mouth shut.

Although he always knew that Lucas was very powerful, he wasn’t confident about acquiring the Glory Group, so he could only smile wryly.

He hoped that Lucas would be able to resolve this matter.

At night, Lucas slowly drove his black Jaguar into the parking lot of World Entertainment City and then walked to the sauna and spa center inside.

1334 Discussing the Acquisition

World Entertainment City was an entertainment joint operated by Roman, another illegitimate son of the Huttons. There were all sorts of entertainment facilities here, so naturally, there was a sauna center too.

The VIP guests here would opt for luxury private rooms. The rooms were spacious and clean, and beautiful women provided spa services without the disturbance of others. It was indeed a great place for the wealthy in DC to discuss business or just have a good time.

At this moment, in a luxurious private room in the sauna center, there were two middle-aged men in their forties soaking in a hot spring spa comfortably and enjoying the service of two scantily clad gorgeous ladies.

One of the middle-aged men, who was balding, rubbed the beautiful woman beside him a few times before asking the other middle-aged man, “Weston, I heard that the Stardust Corporation is in a major cooperation with your company. The contract amount of your first cooperation is more than three billion dollars. Are you really willing to stop cooperating with them?”

The middle-aged man named Weston sighed and then smiled. “Of course I’m not willing, but someone promised to give me greater remuneration. Money talks, so I can only say goodbye to the Stardust Corporation. Who can say no to money?”

The balding middle-aged man narrowed his eyes and asked tentatively, “Based on what you’re saying, that person must have offered you a price that you’re very pleased with, Weston. No wonder you agreed to give up such a profitable business with the Stardust Corporation and terminate the contract with them. I wonder who’s so generous?

“If you’ve really managed to form ties with a bigwig, you will definitely make a killing in the future through your connections with him!”

Weston smiled proudly and was just about to speak when the door of the private room was suddenly pushed open. A tall man walked in.

“We’re about to talk business. Everyone else, get out,” the man said indifferently.

Everyone looked up at the person who came in. But the hot spring room was full of steam, so it was difficult to tell who this person was.

The two beautiful women cuddling with Weston and the other middle-aged man immediately got up to leave when they heard that they were about to discuss business, thinking that the person who came was someone Weston knew.

Soon, Weston, the balding man beside him, and Lucas were the only ones left in the spacious private room.

Lucas closed the door and walked toward the two of them.

As he got closer, they naturally got a clearer glimpse of the person who came in.

The bald man looked at Lucas, then at Weston, and asked doubtfully, “Who are you? Did you get the wrong place?”

Lucas remained calm as he walked closer to Weston, who was soaking in the hot spring.

“Mr. Weston Barlowe from the Glory Group, right? I am Lucas Gray, the chairman of the Stardust Corporation.”

Hearing this, Weston and the balding man immediately widened their eyes in shock.

They didn’t expect that someone who claimed to be the chairman of the Stardust Corporation would suddenly show up in front of them right after they mentioned the Stardust Corporation.

Frankly speaking, although the Stardust Corporation had a great reputation in DC, and many people knew the company was developing well, the person who usually took charge of the company matters was the general manager. Almost no one knew who the chairman was.

This was because Lucas had never liked announcing his identity in front of outsiders.

Weston and the balding man sized up Lucas and suddenly burst into laughter. “Hahaha! This is hilarious! Someone actually came here and pretended to be the chairman of the Stardust Corporation!”

Weston glanced at Lucas’s handsome face hostilely and mocked contemptuously, “You look like you’re only in your twenties, and you’re good-looking too. You’re a male host hired by this sauna, right? Haha, we’re both interested in women, so you don’t have to waste your effort and make a fool out of yourself!

“Heh, to be honest, you’re really funny! But if you’re the chairman of the Stardust Corporation, then I’m the leader of the eight top families of DC! Anyone can dream.

“Kid, we’re in a good mood now, so we won’t hold it against you. Quickly leave, and we’ll take it that nothing has happened.”

The two of them mocked Lucas, thinking that he was a male host that someone in the sauna had hired to entertain them and attract their attention.

Weston and the balding man didn’t think that Lucas was really the chairman of the Stardust Corporation because he was too young and handsome.

The Stardust Corporation was developing extremely rapidly in DC and had entered the ranks of the Global 500. They didn’t think that such a large company could be helmed by such a young chairman.

Lucas ignored the misunderstanding and asked with a smile, “It doesn’t matter whether you believe me or not, Mr. Barlowe. But I really want to know what the Hamiltons promised you to get you to give up the cooperation with the Stardust Corporation and go against us.”

As soon as he asked this question, Weston’s expression changed drastically, and his face had shock written all over it. How does this kid know that the Hamiltons made a promise to me?

When the Hamiltons contacted him, they had specially warned him not to reveal anything and that he should only say that he didn’t want to cooperate with the Stardust Corporation anymore.

He didn’t even intend to tell Gregory, his close friend next to him, the truth.

So how did this young man get the news and come looking for him?

Gregory, the balding man, looked at Weston in shock.

He didn’t expect the bigwig that Weston had made contact with the Hamiltons!

These Hamiltons were definitely the royals, not an ordinary family!

Gregory could tell from Weston’s expression that the young man had hit the bull’s eye!

Weston was shocked, but he quickly denied it. “What Hamiltons? I don’t know what you’re talking about! I’m the chairman of the Glory Group, and I can decide not to work with the Stardust Corporation because I don’t want to. No one gave me any promise. Kid, you’d better watch your words. Don’t spout nonsense!”

Lucas smiled without intending to expose him. Instead, he said calmly, “It doesn’t matter if you refuse to admit it. I’m here today to discuss something with you.”

Weston didn’t want to talk with Lucas at first, but his curiosity was piqued. “What is it?”

Looking at the chairman of the Glory Group, Lucas smiled calmly and said indifferently, “Let’s talk about my acquisition of the Glory Group.”

1335 Waiting for You to Shrink

Weston was dumbfounded upon hearing what Lucas said.

Gregory widened his mouth in shock, utterly stunned.

After a long time, Weston finally realized what Lucas was talking about, and his face instantly darkened. “Punk, how dare you talk about acquiring the Glory Group in front of me? You’re really brazen! Are you trying to piss me off by cracking such a joke with me?!”

He stared at Lucas gloomily and narrowed his eyes threateningly.

He had painstakingly built Glory Group from scratch, and now that he had finally developed it to such a scale, holding a leading position and almost monopolizing more than half of the building materials market in DC, he wasn’t going to let anyone take it away from him easily!

What Lucas said almost made him lose his temper right on the spot.

But Lucas didn’t seem to notice his gloomy expression and even said with a smile, “Do you think I’m joking with you?”

Weston had no idea who Lucas was and didn’t care to find out his intentions. He simply hollered furiously, “The Glory Group is my life’s work. How dare you come here and say that you want to acquire my company? Hurry up and get lost, or else don’t blame me for being nasty!”

Lucas remained calm and said indifferently, “Seven billion dollars.”

This was the price he offered.

After hearing the amount, Weston snorted coldly with an extremely terrifying expression.

The Glory Group was a massive corporation worth at least 30 billion dollars. In fact, even if someone really offered to acquire the Glory Group for 30 billion dollars, he wouldn’t agree.

This young punk actually offered merely 7 billion dollars. He must be dreaming!

Weston was completely angry at this point. “Punk, you must be tired of living. Did you come here to court death? You want to acquire the Glory Group for just seven billion dollars? Hah, you’d better go home and keep dreaming!

“Immediately kneel and apologize to me. Maybe I’ll forgive. Otherwise, hah!”

Lucas smiled and continued, “Six billion dollars then.”

He seemed to be bargaining, but his new offer was a billion dollars less than his previous offer!

Weston was furious. He stood up from the spa, grabbed a towel, and tied it around his waist. Staring at Lucas, he sneered. “Punk, you must be tired of living. Did you come here to annoy me? Do you believe that I can make you die here with a single call?”

Gregory shook his head with a contemptuous smile. “This is my first time meeting someone with a burning death wish. Punk, Weston is not someone you can mess with. You’d better leave quickly, lest you anger him further.”

Seemingly not afraid of death at all, Lucas said again, “Five billion dollars.”

Weston was completely enraged. He pulled out a pistol from the pile of his clothes beside him and pointed it at Lucas’s head “Punk, since you want to die, I’ll grant you your wish!”

Lucas glanced coldly at the gun in front of him without any change in expression.

“It seems you’re not interested in discussing the acquisition with me properly. In that case, I’ll discuss it with you another day, Mr. Barlowe. I hope you can continue being so stubborn after the market value of the Glory Group plunges.”

With that, Lucas turned around and left without any fear or worry at all.

Weston aimed his gun at Lucas’s back for a long time. Only after Lucas left and the door of the private room closed again did he bark, “That ignorant punk! How dare he curse my company’s market value to plunge?! The next time I see him, I won’t be kind to him!”

He thought that Lucas was scared away by the pistol he was holding.

Next to him, Gregory stood up from the spa and said with a smile, “Weston, did you really want to shoot and kill that punk just now?”

Weston smiled and casually tossed his ‘pistol’ to Gregory.

Gregory subconsciously caught it and fiddled with it for a bit before realizing that it didn’t weigh much and was actually just a replica. He pulled the trigger, and a small flame sprang out of the muzzle. It turned out to be a pistol-shaped lighter.

Gregory laughed., “Geez, I thought it was the real thing. It turns out it’s just a toy you used to scare that punk.”

Then he looked at Weston and suddenly stopped smiling. He said seriously, “Weston, we’ve been friends for years. Tell me honestly. Are the ones who promised to give you benefits to cut off the cooperation with the Stardust Corporation those Hamiltons? The royal family branch?”

Weston knew that he couldn’t conceal this matter anymore. Now that Gregory had heard it and explicitly asked him about it, he would really be a bad friend if he still hid it and lied about it.

Thinking of this, Weston nodded in admittance and hurriedly said, “You must keep this a secret for me. The Hamiltons don’t want this matter to spread. If the Hamiltons find out I gave it away, not just mine, but even your family will be implicated!”

Gregory was shocked and frantically said, “Rest assured. I won’t tell anyone about this! But since you’re being so secretive about it, how did that punk find out?”

Weston narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, I also want to know how that punk found out. But I hope he can be more sensible. If he dares to provoke me again, I definitely won’t let him off!”

After Lucas left World Entertainment City, he immediately made a call. “Find a way to make the stock price of the Glory Group plunge. When the market opens tomorrow, I want to see the market value of the Glory Group shrink drastically.”

“Yes!” the person on the other end answered immediately without asking anything.

…

The following day, Weston arrived at the chairman’s office in the Glory Group.

Soon after he sat down, Gregory came to his office.

The two of them had been friends for years, and their companies were cooperating recently, so they were in frequent contact with each other.

“Weston, you’ve already terminated the supply of building materials to the Stardust Corporation. How much longer do you think the Stardust City project can last?” Gregory asked with a smile.

Weston smiled confidently. “Haha, without any building materials, I bet the Stardust City project will flop in a few days!”

1336 Who Goes Bankrupt First?

What Weston said immediately stunned Gregory.

“A few days? Th-this doesn’t seem possible, right? No matter what, the Stardust Corporation is a major enterprise worth tens of billions of dollars. It’s a Global 500 company. Surely it can last more than a few days, right?” Gregory asked in surprise.

Weston laughed out loud. “You have no idea. The Stardust Corporation’s market value has indeed exceeded twenty billion dollars, but they have invested way too much into the Stardust City project. As long as I cut off their building materials supply, they’ll have to suspend work on the construction site. For every day of suspension, the losses will be enormous.

“Furthermore, I’ve already gotten people to spread some news and rumors, such as cash flow problems are the cause for the suspension of work of Stardust City, the management of the Stardust Corporation absconded with the company funds, and so on. I guarantee that the Stardust Corporation’s stock price will plummet within three days! It might even go bankrupt!!!

“When the time comes, how will the Stardust Corporation be able to fill up the black hole that is Stardust City? As long as I have a death grip on their most important link, the Stardust Corporation will definitely die!”

Weston had a complacent look on his face.

Gregory clapped his hands while laughing. “As expected of you. What an amazing move! As long as the news of Stardust City’s suspension is true, who cares what the real reason is? As soon as the news gets out, the stock of the Stardust Corporation will definitely plummet! Amazing! Seriously amazing!”

Weston laughed proudly. Just as he was about to say something, someone suddenly charged into his office.

Weston’s secretary hurried in without even knocking on the door. “Bad news, Mr. Barlowe! The Glory Group is in trouble! The news just reported that a building under construction in the northern suburbs of DC collapsed due to the use of substandard building materials supplied by the Glory Group! Now, many reporters have come to our company to interview the company’s executives. They’re demanding an explanation!”

Weston’s face darkened as he hollered, “Who allowed you to come in without knocking?!

Where are your manners? What bullshit reporters? Collapsed building? Hurry up and get the PR department to deal with it! Get the legal department to sue all the troublemakers and those who exposed this! In any case, we will never admit it or take responsibility for this. Do you still need me to teach you how to deal with it?”

He glowered at his secretary.

Before Weston drove his secretary out of his office, the general manager of the Glory Group ran in, drenched in sweat. “Bad news, Mr. Barlowe! Some people are saying that there are problems with the building materials supplied by the Glory Group, and the government has come to conduct a random raid. They’ve sealed our largest warehouse!”

“What?” Weston widened his eyes and looked at the general manager in disbelief.

“Mr. Barlowe, bad news!”

Before Mr. Weston could ask anything in detail, the company’s CFO also rushed in and shouted, “Mr. Barlowe, just after the stock market opened, the market value of the Glory Group plummeted. Within just ten minutes, trading was halted on our stock. The situation is terrible!”

“Wh-wh-what’s going on?!”

After receiving three pieces of bad news in a row, each worse than the other, Weston slumped down on the couch in complete disbelief.

Everything was fine yesterday, and he had even become acquainted with a bigwig like the Hamiltons. The Glory Group should be rising to success. Why was it facing so many issues?

Be it the sealing of the warehouse, the public backlash for the collapse of the building under construction, or the news of the stock price plummetting, it was all terrible for the Glory Group. If he mishandled any of these matters, it would bring destructive disaster to the Glory Group.

It was incredibly difficult for a business to develop, but it could collapse overnight!

In particular, a large listed corporation like the Glory Group could easily have its stock price fluctuate with any random bad news. Moreover, the stock price fell so much that trading was halted on it. Weston knew how terrible the consequences would be without even having to think about them.

“How did things suddenly become like this? Everything was fine yesterday. How could this happen?!” Weston shouted angrily.

Gregory frowned and thought about it for a while before saying, “Such incidents happened one after another on the same day. No matter how I look at it, it seems fishy. Weston, I’m afraid someone is creating trouble for you on purpose and targeting the Glory Group!”

Weston’s eyes were bloodshot. He knew that this matter was definitely unusual. He gritted his teeth and roared, “Which bastard has the audacity to target me behind my back?! Once I find him, I’ll chop him up into pieces!”

The CFO wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and said gingerly, “Mr. Barlowe, our stock price is down ten percent today, which is equivalent to a loss of three billion dollars!

“The situation is terrible. If it wasn’t for the trading halt, I’m afraid we’d lose more than half of our market value today!

“But at this rate, even with the trading halt, the Glory Group won’t be able to last a few days!

“In particular, there’s great controversy around the Glory Group, and all the major social media platforms are talking about the collapsed building. If we can’t deal with this matter quickly, we might have to apply for bankruptcy and liquidation in a few days!”

Weston turned pale as large droplets of cold sweat gushed out of his forehead and drenched his clothes.

He never thought that after gloating to Gregory about how the Stardust Corporation wouldn’t be able to last for a few days and would go bankrupt due to plummeting market value, the Stardust Corporation was fine, but the Glory Group was now in great trouble and on the verge of collapse.

Gregory suddenly felt that something was wrong. With a flash of inspiration, he blurted out,

“Weston, is it possible that today’s incident is related to that punk we met yesterday in

World Entertainment City? You still remember what he said before he left yesterday?”

Weston thought about it carefully and recalled that the young man who claimed to be the chairman of the Stardust Corporation did say something after seeing his ‘pistol’ and ‘being scared away’.

Lucas’s original words were: “In that case, I’ll discuss it with you another day, Mr. Barlowe. I hope you can continue being so stubborn after the market value of the Glory Group plunges.”

When he thought of what Lucas said, his pupils constricted.

The market value of the Glory Group plunges!

These words were the perfect description of the troubles that the Glory Group had encountered today!

But Weston refused to believe that a young man in his twenties was capable of this.

“That’s impossible. That punk is just an ignorant greenhorn. How could he possibly make the Glory Group encounter so much trouble within a short time? This definitely isn’t his doing!” Weston immediately shook his head in denial.

But suddenly, a mocking voice sounded outside the office. “Mr. Barlowe, you should have already received the great gift I’ve prepared for you. Are you pleased with it?”

1337 Increase in Intensity

Weston and Gregory suddenly raised their heads and saw two figures standing calmly at the door of his office.

The young man standing in front was the one they had met yesterday in World Entertainment City!

Behind him was a middle-aged man in his forties wearing a black suit.

“Flynn Davis!?” Weston and Gregory exclaimed in shock when they saw the middle-aged man.!!

They recognized him to be Flynn, the general manager of the Stardust Corporation!

What is Flynn Davis doing here with this young man?

The two of them looked at Lucas with shock and uncertainty.

Lucas smiled slightly and said in an extremely gentlemanly manner, “Yesterday, both of you refused to believe me when I told you my identity. Let me introduce myself to you again today. I am Lucas Gray, the chairman of the Stardust Corporation.”

Boom!

These words struck them like lightning.

It finally dawned on Weston and Gregory that this young man, whom they had misunderstood, was really the chairman of the Stardust Corporation!

Otherwise, Flynn, the general manager of the Stardust Corporation, wouldn’t be following behind him so respectfully.

After finally understanding Lucas’s identity, Weston immediately figured out why the Glory Group suddenly encountered so much trouble today.

“Y-you’re the one behind everything that happened to the Glory Group today!” Weston glowered at Lucas with eyes full of anger and hatred.

Lucas smiled without answering directly. He walked into Weston’s office, sat on the guest couch, and leaned back leisurely. “Mr. Barlowe, if you’re willing to discuss the acquisition with me properly now, then my offer of seven billion dollars yesterday is still valid.”

“Dream on!” Weston immediately hollered before sneering. “Lucas Gray, don’t try to take advantage of the situation! I admit that the Glory Group has encountered some unpleasant business today, but a kid in his twenties like you is definitely not capable of doing it! You actually want to use this to threaten me into selling my company to you? You’ve made the wrong plans!”

Standing beside Lucas, Flynn sneered. “Mr. Barlowe, our chairman is only giving you a small warning by acting against the Glory Group. If you continue speaking rudely to Mr. Gray, the losses you’ll suffer will be far more than this.”

Weston immediately flew into a rage. “Damn it! Flynn Davis, who do you think you are? You’re just the general manager of a company. How dare you threaten me?”

Lucas frowned and ordered, “Flynn, since Mr. Barlowe refuses to believe it, let’s intensify his losses until he’s willing to believe it!”

“Yes, Mr. Gray!” Flynn acknowledged and made a call. “Continue with it. Intensify it!”

Weston’s face flushed red from anger, thinking that these two were just putting on a front in front of him. But deep down, he had a faint ominous premonition.

“Okay, I’ll wait here and see what you can do!” Weston said stubbornly.

Lucas just glanced at him with an indifferent smile.

Two short minutes later, Weston’s phone rang.

“Mr. Barlowe, it’s Kevin Truss from DC Commercial Bank. The bank thinks that the situation of your company, the Glory Group, is very worrying, and your repayment ability is insufficient for us to continue granting you a loan. Thus, we require you to pay off the loan of ten billion dollars today!” An indifferent voice came from the other end of the phone.

“What?!” Weston was in complete disbelief that the bank called him to urge him to repay his loan!

He panicked and frantically pleaded, “Mr. Truss, those are just tricks that some villains used to slander and harm the Glory Group! There’s nothing wrong with our operations. Once we resolve the matters at hand, we will definitely be able to repay the loan on time!”

It was commonplace for companies to take out loans from banks as working capital!

If the bank really insisted that he repay the loan of 10 billion dollars today, it would definitely result in a massive impact on the Glory Group and cause it to suffer major damages!

Keven said coldly, “Mr. Barlowe, don’t come to me for this. I won’t be able to help you. Out of consideration for our previous cooperation, here’s a friendly reminder. You’ve offended someone you shouldn’t have. This is an order from headquarters. There’s nothing I can do about it either. Take care.”

With that, Keven hung up indifferently.

Holding his phone, Weston was completely stupefied.

Keven had made it very clear just now that he had called on orders from the bank’s headquarters because he offended someone he shouldn’t have.

But what kind of a big shot could make the headquarters of DC Commercial Bank demand loan repayment from him?

Weston thought that he had always been careful and had never offended any big shot!

Of course, in Weston’s eyes, Lucas wasn’t a big shot at all, so he subconsciously forgot about him.

Wait! Weston suddenly recalled that he had received the call from the bank right after Lucas told Flynn to intensify the losses and Flynn called someone. Is this really Lucas Gray’s doing?

Did this young man really cause the Glory Group to suffer all these troubles today?

Weston couldn’t believe it at all!

Besides, if Lucas had really done this to make him sell the Glory Group to him, then Weston couldn’t let him succeed!

He wants to use the bank to pressure me? I won’t let him get what he wants!

“Gregory, on account of our friendship, please lend me ten billion dollars to help me tide through this ordeal. I won’t forget to share any benefits with you in the future!” Weston looked at Gregory and bit the bullet to borrow money from him.

At worst, he would borrow money to repay the 10-billion-dollar loan from the bank. He would see what Lucas could do to pressure him then!

Gregory smiled bitterly and said with an awkward expression, “Weston, I’m sure you understand my situation. My company isn’t as big as the Glory Group. If you can’t even afford ten billion dollars, how can I possibly afford it? You think too highly of me!”

“Then… how about you lend me some money, and I’ll try to cover the rest with help from others?” Weston had no choice but to reduce the amount he was asking to borrow.

“Uhh…” Gregory was hesitating with a conflicted expression, but he didn’t agree.

Suddenly, Gregory’s phone rang, and he answered immediately. Weston didn’t know what the caller said, but he saw the look of anxiousness on Gregory’s face.

“What did you say? That’s terrible! Okay, I’ll rush back to the company immediately. Wait for me!”

Then Gregory quickly said to Weston, “My company is facing an emergency now. I have to rush back to deal with it right away. I’ll see you another day! Goodbye!”

Before Weston could say anything, Gregory hurriedly fled.

“Hey, wait!” Weston subconsciously called out to Gregory. But he suddenly realized that Gregory was avoiding him!

Emergency at the company? See him another day? It was all just a bunch of nonsense!

1338 Going Overboard

Weston and Gregory had been friends for over a decade, yet when something happened, Gregory fled. It made Weston furious!

“Bastard!” Weston scolded furiously, but there was nothing he could do.

Seeing Weston almost stomp his feet in anger, Lucas said, “Mr. Barlowe, I mentioned acquiring the Glory Group previously. Have you considered it properly?”

“Don’t even think about it!” Weston hollered angrily. “Do you think you can force me to give in just by creating some minor troubles for the Glory Group? You’re dreaming! I can resolve all the troubles. You can forget about threatening me!!!

“On the contrary, you should be worrying about yourself, Lucas Gray. Without the building materials supplied by the Glory Group, the construction of your Stardust City will have to be suspended, and you’ll face massive losses every day. I’ll see how long you can last!”

Lucas smiled. “You don’t have to worry about that. I’ll definitely last longer than you, Mr. Barlowe.”

He turned around and instructed Flynn, “Since Mr. Barlowe thinks they are just minor troubles he can easily resolve, it seems the intensity isn’t enough. In that case, give him some more to satisfy him.”

Flynn nodded with a smile. “Yes, Mr. Gray!”

He made another call and instructed, “Take it up another notch!”

Weston stared at them furiously, wishing he could get someone to chase them out immediately.

In less than two minutes, the director of the HR department ran in and shouted in panic, “Bad news, Mr. Barlowe! Just now, several senior and mid-level managers of the company suddenly turned in resignation letters together and left. We couldn’t stop them at all!”

The director of the HR department anxiously pulled out a large envelope of resignation letters and handed them to Weston.

Weston took it with shaky hands. Seeing so many resignation letters from staff holding key positions in the company, including production managers, transportation managers, project managers, finance managers, and so on…

Weston dropped the resignation letters, and his footing became unsteady.

The people who resigned were all the backbone of the Glory Group!

Without these managers, everything in those departments would become disorganized and chaotic.

Moreover, the large-scale resignation of senior and mid-level managers was bound to cause shock and panic among the employees. Who would be able to work with peace of mind?

It was now the most difficult time for the Glory Group, and everyone needed to work together to tide over the crisis. Yet these managers decided to leave at the same time, leaving their subordinates anxious and panic-stricken. In this case, it would be difficult for the company to keep revolving, and the consequences were bound to be dire.

Weston suddenly had a premonition that if things went on like this, the company would collapse before the stock price fell to the point of bankruptcy.

Weston suddenly pointed at Lucas and questioned furiously, “Lucas Gray! Is this your doing?!”

Lucas spread his hands. “Have I denied anything? On the contrary, Mr. Barlowe, you have been refusing to believe that I did it. Now, are you willing to sit down and discuss the acquisition with me?”

“You… you’re going overboard!” Weston’s fingers were trembling incessantly as he glowered at Lucas menacingly. “You’re just doing those things to suppress the Glory Group. You’ve caused the Glory Group’s market value to plummet and even caused my company’s operations to be in jeopardy! I… I’m going to sue you for unfair competition!”

“I’m going overboard?” Lucas sneered at Weston. “The Stardust Corporation wanted to work well with you at first, and we signed a contract. We’ve never owed you half a cent of payment! Who was it that terminated the cooperation unilaterally without any prior notice and breached the contract?

“Who deliberately stopped supplying building materials to the Stardust Corporation to try and disrupt my project?

“Who spread rumors that the Stardust Corporation is facing cash flow problems and tried to shake the stock price to make my company go bankrupt?

“Mr. Barlowe, tell me who’s the one going overboard!”

As Lucas questioned, his voice became louder and louder, and Weston turned pale and speechless.

The fact that Lucas called him out on methods he hadn’t had time to implement yet made him absolutely horrified.

How does Lucas Gray know about these things?

Lucas stood up and stared at Weston coldly. “If you think I’m bullying you, go ahead and sue me. Let’s see if you can do anything to me!”

With that, Lucas strode out of the office.

Flynn glanced at Weston and sneered. “Mr. Barlowe, hold yourself together. I’m waiting to see the good news of the Glory Group’s stock price falling again tomorrow morning! I hope you can last a few more days and not go bankrupt so soon!”

Then Flynn hurriedly left to catch up with Lucas.

Watching the two of them leave arrogantly, Weston wished he could kill them right on the spot!

But Weston couldn’t worry about taking revenge now. The most imperative thing to do at the moment was to resolve the crisis the Glory Group was facing!

With a pale face, Weston made a call. “Mr. Hamilton, something has happened to the Glory Group, and I can’t handle it on my own. Please help me quickly!”

The other party seemed to have long known what was happening and didn’t ask him about it. Instead, he reprimanded coldly, “What a good-for-nothing! You swore that you would destroy the Stardust Corporation, but what’s happening now? You’re about to lose your own company! A good-for-nothing like you isn’t fit to be my follower!”

Weston’s blood instantly turned cold, and he was furious and ashamed. At the same time, he was so scared that he didn’t even dare to refute him.

The person on the other end was definitely not someone a small fry like him could afford to offend.

After a long time, the person said, “Forget it. On account that you’re working for me, I’ll get someone to help you. The Glory Group will be fine for the time being.”

Hearing this, Weston was overjoyed. “Thank you, Mr. Hamilton! Thank you so much. With your words, the Glory Group will be saved!”

1339 Rotten Ship

At this moment, Lucas and Flynn had already left the Glory Group and were on their way back to the Stardust Corporation.

While driving, Flynn asked, “Lucas, do you think Weston Barlowe will sell the Glory Group to us? He still seems very reluctant about it.”

Lucas said indifferently, “Tomorrow at the latest, he’ll come begging us to acquire the Glory Group without me having to say anything.”

Seeing Lucas’s confident expression, Flynn naturally wouldn’t think that he was boasting.!!

Since Lucas said he could make Weston succumb tomorrow and come to them for the acquisition out of his own accord, it would definitely be the case.

After such a long time, Flynn had already developed an extraordinary trust in Lucas.

At the same time, Flynn was shocked.

The Glory Group was a major corporation that was on par with the Stardust Corporation and even had a market value that was slightly higher than the Stardust Corporation’s.

Now, in just two days, the Glory Group was about to have a change of ownership and was destined to become part of the Stardust Corporation.

Now, the Stardust Corporation was already a Global 500 company, and its power would rapidly increase after acquiring the Glory Group.

Actually, after the alliance of seven families had handed over half of their industries the other day, they weren’t given to the Stardust Corporation. Flynn had merely been responsible for processing the paperwork. These businesses were eventually given to the Hales, the Coles, and the Parkers. Thus, the Stardust Corporation didn’t get much. Otherwise, the company would have already become a top ten or even a top five corporation in the country.

With the acquisition of the Glory Group, the Stardust Corporation’s development would definitely advance by leaps and bounds!

Flynn was looking forward to it!

…

The following day, when the stock market opened at 9 a.m., the stock price of the Glory Group once again plunged, and trading on it was soon halted.

Although it seemed that the Glory Group’s stock price had fallen by another 10% and that it had lost three billion dollars again, everyone with a discerning eye could tell that the losses caused to the Glory Group were far greater.

At the same time, DC Commercial Bank once again urged the Glory Group to repay its loan by issuing a harsh warning, stating that the bank would freeze all of the Glory Group’s funds and resort to legal action if the company couldn’t repay the loan within today.

The matter of the collapsed building under construction in the northern suburbs of DC due to the use of inferior building materials supplied by Glory Group was still causing the company to face public backlash. Numerous reporters were still outside the Glory Group’s office and were trying to find the people responsible for the incident to demand an explanation. But they hadn’t been able to find any of them.

There were heated discussions on the internet, with countless people commenting about the issue. As a result, the reputation of the Glory Group was completely tarnished.

This wasn’t all. The Glory Group was in chaos.

Yesterday, a large number of senior and mid-level managers had resigned, so there weren’t suitable people to solve the various urgent matters, and the company was in a mess.

The matter of the collective resignation of managers had also spread to the company, and the remaining employees were panicking. Thinking that the Glory Group was about to collapse, they also tendered their resignation and left immediately.

In just one morning, more than half of the Glory Group’s staff left, causing countless positions to be vacant.

The remaining employees were either rushing to write their resignation letters or running around headless, being of no help at all.

In just two short days, the Glory Group was reduced from a top enterprise on par with the Stardust Corporation to a rotten ship full of holes that was on the verge of sinking.

Weston was wearing a mask as he walked through the basement passageway to avoid reporters. He secretly rushed to his office, and his heart clenched up in pain when he saw the Glory Group’s current state with his own eyes, causing him to become disoriented.

He had no choice but to call the Hamiltons again. “Mr. Hamilton, the stock price of the Glory Group has fallen again, and today’s situation is even worse than yesterday’s! Also, DC Commercial Bank came to me again to urge me to repay the ten billion dollar loan today. What should we do now?

“Mr. Hamilton, you… you said yesterday that you’d help me and make sure the Glory Group is fine. Does your promise still count?”

Weston was so anxious that he was on the verge of crying.

On the other end, Mr. Hamilton hollered coldly, “Why are you panicking? Today is only the second day. Just hang in there. I’ll naturally settle this for you.”

Holding his phone in his hand, Weston stomped his feet on the floor a few times.

He had a reason for panicking.

Although it was only the second day, the Glory Group had already lost more than 6 billion dollars, and it was facing countless troubles. The bank was pressing the company to repay the loan, and most of the employees had left. Not to mention continue holding on, Weston didn’t even know if he and the company could last until tomorrow!

The Hamiltons had clearly agreed to help him resolve the crisis, but an entire day had passed, and there still wasn’t any improvement in the situation. In fact, the Hamiltons had only given him a verbal promise without any explanation as to how they would resolve the troubles. How could Weston not panic?

“Mr. Hamilton, it’s not that I want to panic, but given the crisis that the Glory Group is facing, I won’t be able to last another day without your help. How can I not panic?”

Weston said anxiously, “Now, I’m asking you, how are the Hamiltons going to help us? People from the bank are sitting in an office downstairs and demanding repayment. Why don’t you lend me ten billion dollars to repay the bank loan so that I can resolve this issue first?”

Weston was really panicking. At this moment, he shouted at the person on the phone with no regard for his prestigious identity at all.

“Barlowe, who do you think you are? How dare you speak to me like that?” Mr. Hamilton rebuked hostilely, clearly offended by Weston’s impolite words and tone.

Weston felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured on his head.

He finally snapped back to his senses and realized who he was talking to.

He was talking to a Hamilton, a royal!

As long as he was displeased, the Hamiltons would be able to easily destroy the Barlowes and the Glory Group. How did he have the guts to lose his temper at him?

“I’m… I’m sorry! Mr. Hamilton, I didn’t mean to do that. I… I was just too anxious, so I sounded a little harsh. I didn’t mean to offend you at all!” Weston frantically apologized.

Mr. Hamilton was finally less angry. He snorted coldly and said, “Okay, I know you’re timid. Look at how frightened you are. Okay, you don’t have to worry about anything else. You just have to continue dragging this out with the Stardust Corporation!

“Once the Stardust Corporation collapses, the Hamiltons will compensate you with twice the Glory Group’s losses and also give you some more benefits. Okay?”

Weston gritted his teeth and said, “Yes, Mr. Hamilton. Thank you so much!”

1340 Beg You To Acquire

After hanging up, Weston immediately slammed his phone on the floor and hollered, “Damn you, Hamiltons! Do you really think I’m a fool you can bully as you please?!

“Hah, double compensation? It’s all empty promises! Now that the Glory Group is in danger, you refuse to give me even a single cent or any help. All you’re telling me to do is go against the Stardust Corporation and hold on!

“Once the Glory Group goes bankrupt, my company and I will no longer be of any use to you, right? When the time comes, I’m afraid you won’t even bother to look at me again, let alone compensate me! Give me benefits? Bullshit!”

Weston wasn’t a fool. After the Hamiltons kept being perfunctory with him without giving him actual help and kept asking him to continue fighting against Lucas with only a promise to compensate him afterward, he became completely disappointed with the Hamiltons.

He knew that the Hamiltons weren’t reliable at all. They certainly wouldn’t help him!

At this moment, Weston felt deep despair.

No! I can’t just watch the Glory Group that I’ve built with my own hands go bust! I can’t turn from a billionaire into a bankrupt loser!

Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration. Right! I’ll go look for Lucas Gray now!

As long as I sell the Glory Group to him, I’ll be able to get at least a few billion dollars!

Weston shouted at the secretary, “Someone, help me get the phone number of the chairman of the Stardust Corporation! I need to contact him immediately… What? You can’t find his number? Then find the number of Flynn Davis!”

…

Meanwhile, Lucas was sitting in his office on the top floor of the Stardust Corporation’s headquarters and handling matters calmly.

He didn’t seem to care about the Glory Group’s situation at all and didn’t ask about it at all.

On his desk in front of him was a stack of design drawings spread out.

“Lucas, these are Professor Crawford’s latest designs. Not only has she made detailed plans and designs for each area of Stardust City, but she has even drawn some designs for the interior and exterior decor of some main buildings. They are very unique. Please take a look,” Flynn said with a smile.

Lucas looked through the drawings carefully and then said with a satisfied smile, “As expected of the top architectural designer in the country. Just by looking at Professor Crawford’s drawings, I can already imagine how incredible Stardust City will be once construction is complete! These designs are simply works of art! Flynn, since you recommended Professor Crawford to me, you deserve credit for it!”

Seeing that Lucas was pleased with the designs and even praised him, Flynn was overjoyed and laughed. “Lucas, this is all because you’re good at discovering talents and appointing the right people to get the job done! But speaking of which, we’ve had to suspend construction on Stardust City due to the stopped supply of building materials. Professor Crawford thought that we really had cash flow problems and that we would stop the project, so she panicked and almost strangled me to death.”

Recalling the elderly Gemma grabbing his collar anxiously and questioning him yesterday, Flynn still felt lingering fear.

Lucas laughed. “Didn’t you tell her that this is only temporary and we’ll be able to resume construction soon?”

“I did. I was almost out of breath trying to explain, but Professor Crawford refused to believe me no matter what. She insists on seeing the materials arrive on the construction site again and for construction to actually start before she believes it,” Flynn said helplessly while rubbing his sore cheeks.

Last night, he repeatedly and painstakingly assured Gemma for several hours. What he said last night was more than what he usually said in a week. It was simply terrible.

Lucas laughed again while also taking some sympathy on Flynn. “In that case, you should inform Professor Crawford that the building materials will be delivered to the construction site in the afternoon. Get the construction and engineering team to get ready too.”

“In the afternoon? So soon?” Flynn was shocked.

Weston of the Glory Group hadn’t compromised yet. He hadn’t agreed to sell the Glory Group to the Stardust Corporation. Could the matter really be resolved so soon?

It wasn’t that he didn’t believe Lucas, but it just seemed impossible no matter how he looked at it. After a few more days, when the Glory Group couldn’t hold on anymore, Weston would naturally compromise. But now, it seemed that the Glory Group hadn’t been forced to this point yet.

Suddenly, Flynn’s phone rang.

He excused himself and answered the phone. He immediately heard a familiar voice.

“Mr. Davis, right? I am Weston Barlowe of the Glory Group. Please inform Mr. Gray that I am willing to accept the acquisition by the Stardust Corporation! I agree with the purchase price of seven billion dollars, and I can meet with you to sign the contract right now!”

“…” Flynn was dumbfounded.

Weston actually agreed to the acquisition so quickly?

After returning to his senses, he told Lucas everything Weston said and handed his phone to him.

Lucas turned on the speakerphone and said, “Mr. Barlowe, if you had agreed yesterday, I would have acquired the Glory Group for seven billion dollars. But do you still think the Glory Group is worth this price today?”

Weston was stunned. After a long time, he realized that Lucas was taking the opportunity to lower the price. He was so furious that he wanted to hang up immediately.

The Glory Group had been worth over 30 billion dollars a few days ago! Even though its stock price had plunged two days in a row, and the market value had lost 6 billion dollars, it was still worth over 20 billion dollars!

He was now willing to sell the Glory Group to Lucas for 7 billion dollars only because he didn’t have any other choice. After all, he couldn’t afford to repay the 10 billion dollars to the bank.

He found it really difficult to accept that Lucas wasn’t even willing to pay 7 billion dollars and wanted to lower the price.

However, he really didn’t dare to hang up.

He knew better than anyone else just how terrible the situation of the Glory Group was now.

If Lucas refused to buy it today, the bank might freeze all the funds in his company’s account, and when the time came, he could only declare bankruptcy and liquidate the company.

The market value of a company was very different from its actual value.

At that time, the liquidated assets of the bankruptcy would just be some of the company’s fixed assets and materials piled up in the warehouses, which would be put up for auction. The proceeds from the auction wouldn’t amount to much, and he might not even be able to repay the ten billion dollars to the bank. He would still be in debt!

Weston quickly thought through it and could only gnash his teeth and ask. “Uh, then… how much money are you planning to acquire the Glory Group for?”

Lucas said with a faint smile, “Seven hundred million dollars.”

moh96 · Mar 25, 2024

1341 Full of Regret

“What did you say?! Seven hundred million dollars? You want to acquire the Glory Group for seven hundred million dollars?!” Weston’s voice became extremely sharp due to immense disbelief.

“Lucas Gray, are you out of your mind? Do you know what the market value of the Glory Group is? Thirty billion dollars! It’s a big corporation worth thirty billion dollars! But you’re telling me you want to acquire it for seven hundred million dollars? Are you joking with me?”

Weston was so infuriated that he was on the verge of breaking into hysterics. He even almost hurled vulgarities. Fortunately, he quickly stopped himself just as he was about to do so.

But he couldn’t calm down at all, and he felt a strong urge to kill someone.!!

Wanting to acquire the Glory Group for just 700 million dollars was outrageous!

Does this damn Lucas Gray think I have no choice but to sell the Glory Group to him? Is that why he dares to lower the price so much?

Flynn was also shocked to hear the price Lucas offered.

When Lucas said that he wanted to acquire the Glory Group, which had a market value of over 30 billion dollars, for 7 billion dollars, Flynn had felt extremely anxious and thought that it was unlikely.

Now that the market value of Glory Group had plummeted, and the company was in a terrible state, he thought that Lucas only wanted to lower the price a little and acquire the Glory Group for about 6 billion dollars or so.

He didn’t expect Lucas to offer only 700 million dollars!

Even Flynn was shocked by the price, feeling that it was truly unacceptable.

Lucas leaned back in his seat and said calmly over the speakerphone, “Mr. Barlowe, seven hundred million dollars is my final offer for the acquisition, not a single cent more. If you’re not satisfied with this price, you can continue being stubborn and wait for the Glory Group to go bankrupt and be liquidated today!

“Once that happens, will you be able to get back more than seven hundred million dollars?

“Of course, Mr. Barlowe, you don’t necessarily have to sell the Glory Group to me. You can try finding other buyers to see if anyone is willing to buy the mess that is Glory Group for so much money at this point!

“Also, the Glory Group isn’t the only building materials supplier in DC. The Stardust Corporation has nothing but money, and we can afford to drag this out with you. I can always find another supplier. Stardust City’s construction will go on, and the Stardust Corporation won’t be affected much.

“As for you, Mr. Barlowe, you’ve failed to ruin the Stardust Corporation’s project or cause me any substantial losses. This means you’re no longer of any value to the Hamiltons!

“When the time comes, forget about receiving compensation and help, the Hamiltons might even resent you for being incompetent, regard you as an eyesore, and kick you down even further. Mr. Barlowe, you’re in a dire situation now! You’d better consider it carefully!”

Then Lucas hung up without hesitation, not giving Weston any chance to respond.

Flynn had been anxious for a long time, but he didn’t dare to interrupt. Seeing Lucas finally hanging up, he hurriedly said, “Lucas, are you really… not going to acquire the Glory Group anymore?”

Lucas shook his head and said with a smile, “How is that possible? The Glory Group is already ours.”

Seeing that Flynn still seemed confused, Lucas explained, “The Glory Group has already become a rotten ship that’s bound to sink. Be it their reputation, financial situation, or employee loyalty, everything is terrible now.

“Now, almost everyone knows that the Glory Group has offended someone and that anyone related to the company will get into trouble. No one else in DC will dare to take over the Glory Group. Apart from us, Weston Barlowe has no other option.”

Hearing this, Flynn came to a sudden realization. At the same time, he was much more in awe of Lucas.

Indeed, just as Lucas said, Weston was now in a terrible situation.

He didn’t want to sell the Glory Group to Lucas for 700 million dollars, so he was now trying to find someone willing to buy his company.

But after making countless calls, he didn’t receive any good news.

Those close to him and about as rich as him all said that they didn’t have enough money to acquire the Glory Group as soon as they heard his intention to sell it. Even though they were rich, they didn’t dare to buy the Glory Group. Anyone could tell that Weston definitely offended someone he shouldn’t have. Who would dare to take over his company?

The wealthy families who were much stronger than the Barlowes simply couldn’t be bothered to deal with the Glory Group’s mess. It would be ridiculous to spend a lot of money on a lousy company and still have to handle a huge mess afterward.

Thus, Weston became even more hopeless after making so many calls.

Only now did he finally understand that no one else except Lucas could save the Glory Group.

Weston gritted his teeth and finally made a heartbreaking decision. Forget it. Seven hundred million dollars is better than nothing. It’s better than losing everything and ending up in debt!

Half an hour later, Weston personally brought all the documents of the Glory Group to the Stardust Corporation’s headquarters and asked to see Lucas.

“Mr. Gray, I’ve decided to sell the Glory Group to you for seven hundred million dollars! All the necessary documents are here. If you don’t have any objections, we can go ahead and immediately proceed with the transfer procedures!” Weston said to Lucas in a shaky voice while forcing himself to smile.

Hearing this, Flynn looked at Lucas with admiration from the bottom of his heart.

Acquiring the Glory Group, which had a market value of 30 billion dollars just yesterday morning, for 700 million dollars was a remarkable feat in the Stardust Corporation’s acquisition history!

Lucas wasn’t surprised by this result at all. With a calm expression, he instructed indifferently, “Mr. Davis, go handle the transfer with Mr. Barlowe.”

Lucas naturally didn’t have to handle such a trivial matter personally.

“Yes, Mr. Gray!” Flynn acknowledged respectfully, unable to hide his smile. He looked at

Weston with a great sense of superiority and said, “Mr. Barlowe, please!”

Weston felt incredibly disgruntled and depressed. The Glory Group, which he had painstakingly built and had been worth 30 billion dollars, would be acquired for merely 700 million dollars! From now on, the Glory Group would be someone else’s property and no longer have anything to do with him!

At the same time, Weston was chagrined and full of regret.

The Glory Group had been doing well and had a good cooperative relationship with the Stardust Corporation. He could have easily earned a few hundred million dollars a year just through the sales of building materials.

But due to his greed, he was tempted by the Hamiltons’ empty promise and mercilessly harmed Lucas and the Stardust Corporation, thinking that he had gotten into the good graces of a wealthy backer.

In the end, he lost everything and ended up in a terrible state!

Weston was full of regret!

But it was too late for regrets now!

1342 Request to Step Down

Soon, the paperwork for the transfer was completed, and the Glory Group completely changed hands, becoming part of the Stardust Corporation.

After taking over the Glory Group, Flynn immediately arranged for people to open the warehouses and transport the building materials, and the Stardust City project restarted construction.

As for the Glory Group’s mess, Lucas dealt with it easily.

With just one call, the bank naturally stopped pressing for loan repayment.

Almost all the senior managers had left, but this was even less of a problem. Lucas could just transfer some core management staff from the Stardust Corporation and hire some more staff, which would actually decrease corruption in the company.

As for the negative public opinion and the stock price, there was naturally special staff to deal with it, and the impact was soon reduced to nothing.

In just one afternoon, everything seemed to be back on track.

…

In a well-hidden villa in DC…

Jensen paced back and forth in the villa in frustration, feeling terrible.

He was still trapped in DC without any chance to leave.

Lucas and those wealthy families in DC were still searching for his whereabouts, so Jensen really couldn’t find a chance to leave DC.

If Lucas found him, with Lucas’s fearlessness, he might really kill him!

The more trapped he was here, the more frustrated he felt, and the more angry he was.

Now, a minor issue could trigger him and make him fly into a rage.

So for the next few days, the servants in the villa and the people around Jensen were all incredibly careful with their words and actions, for fear of accidentally angering him.

At this moment, Jensen received the news of the Stardust Corporation’s acquisition of the Glory Group. He was so furious that he smashed a glass ornament on the floor.

Bang!

With a crisp sound, glass shards scattered all over the floor.

“That idiot Weston Barlowe! I told him to deal with Lucas Gray, but he gave away the Glory Group to him instead. He really deserves to die! That bastard!” Jensen cursed, his face flushed and his chest heaving violently.

This had been a brilliant solution that he had painstakingly thought of. He had terminated the supply of building materials to the Stardust Corporation to cause the project that Lucas had invested a huge amount of money in to be halted so that he would suffer heavy losses.

If Weston had done a good job, he could have brought down the Stardust Corporation from this one incident, and Lucas’s company could have gone bankrupt.

But Weston was an idiot who couldn’t get such a simple thing done and had to come to seek his help for such a trivial matter. In the end, he failed and caused Lucas to gain such a huge advantage!

Jensen was infuriated!

While he was venting his anger, a middle-aged man in white walked over and said calmly, “Mr. Jensen, we’ve been in DC for too long. I’m afraid there will be tongues wagging in the family. We’d better find a way to go back soon!”

When Jensen heard this, his face became even more gloomy.

Indeed, he had been away from home for some time now.

Originally, his mission this time was to turn the top families of a few west coast states into subordinates of the Hamiltons, thereby taking over the states.

It was supposed to be a very simple task that even his son Brett could handle. Jensen didn’t even think about handling this matter personally at first.

But later, his son Angus suddenly went missing in Orange County, and Lucas led the wealthy families of California to foil his plans, thus resulting in the various matters that happened after.

Due to his intense hatred for Lucas, he went to DC, planning to kill him first before returning to the west coast states to take them over to give his family a satisfactory explanation.

But Jensen never thought that Lucas would be so difficult to deal with. Not only had he failed to kill Lucas, but he even became enemies with him. And now, he was trapped in DC and didn’t even dare to go out of the villa.

For Jensen, who had always gotten what he wanted, this matter was so upsetting that he was about to go crazy!

Moreover, after so long, he still hadn’t taken over California. If this matter spread back to his family, his two brothers, who had been eyeing his position, would definitely seize this opportunity to criticize him for his incompetence.

If he continued to be trapped in DC, he would likely fall out of favor with his father, and his status in the family would decline!

No, that mustn’t happen!

“You’re right. I really should find a way to leave DC now! Since Lucas Gray is in hot pursuit, then I’ll make all of DC chaotic. Let’s see how he can trap me then!” Jensen said through gritted teeth and then gave some instructions to the middle-aged man in white.

…

Over the next few days, everything was smooth sailing for Lucas. Because he had acquired the Glory Group, the overall market value of the Stardust Corporation increased greatly. It even advanced by numerous places in the Global 500. The employees of the Stardust Corporation were brimming with pride and smiling endlessly.

The better the development of the company, the better their future benefits would be, and the more motivated they were to work.

At this moment, Bruce and Edmund brought some gifts to Lucas’s office in the Stardust Corporation’s headquarters and smilingly congratulated him for the Stardust Corporation’s improvement.

Looking at the two of them, Lucas smiled and said, “You two are doing great too. Under your lead, the Hales and the Coles will definitely make amazing achievements!”

Edmund and Bruce looked at each other with embarrassed expressions.

Edmund took the lead and said, “Ahem, Lucas, we actually came today to talk to you about this matter.

“Both Bruce and I are in our seventies. As much as we hate to admit it, we are indeed old, and we can only leave the development of our families to our next generation. Therefore, I would like to inform you that I’ll be handing over my position as helmsman to my son, Clement, and have him take over for me.

“Clement may have been unruly before, but he has improved greatly after all the training he’s received. So I can hand the family over to him with peace of mind.”

Bruce said, “I share similar sentiments. Prior to this, I’ve already passed the position of the helmsman of the Hales to my grandson Connor. But Connor is still young and lacks experience, so I’ve kept an eye on him during this period of time. But I can’t be guiding him forever, and it’s time I step back and let him fully assume the responsibility of the head of the family!”

The two of them spoke emotionally.

Only then did Lucas realize that Bruce and Edmund had come to request to step down and hand over their power to their younger generation.

1343 Assassination Warning

Lucas looked at the two people who had followed him for a long time.

Frankly speaking, they were both indeed advanced in age, and their hair was already all white. Their faces were covered with wrinkles, and even their bodies were a little hunched.

In ordinary families, elderly people in their seventies would have long let go of the burden of work and concentrated on caring for their grandchildren and their health.

If not for their concern for their families’ development and their fear that their successors’ inexperience would cause problems, they would have already handed over their power to their successors. They wouldn’t have had to worry about so many things at their age.

Perhaps because the Hales and the Coles had already settled down in DC, and many things were already on the right track, they no longer had to worry. So they decided to inform Lucas of their intention to step down.

Lucas naturally wouldn’t be harsh to these two old men who had followed him for a long time.

He said smilingly, “Since you two have already come to a decision, just go ahead with it. You didn’t have to inform me about it. Speaking of which, I’ve seen the progress Clement and Connor have made. I believe that with your teachings, the Hales and the Coles will definitely prosper and become families on par with the Parkers and the other top families of DC!”

Bruce and Edmund smiled with relief, and their bodies relaxed as they laughed heartily. “Thank you for taking care of us, Lucas!”

Having put down their family burden, they seemed to have fewer wrinkles on their faces, and they were much more relaxed when speaking with Lucas.

It wasn’t that Lucas treated them harshly. But rather, Bruce and Edmund were the helmsmen of their families before, so they had to consider everything for their families. They were extremely cautious when speaking with Lucas, afraid of saying something wrong and offending him. Thus, they had always been very respectful and restrained when they were with Lucas.

After putting down the burden of their families, they were less restrained and closer to Lucas, speaking to him like they were friends.

The few of them sat on the couch and chatted leisurely. Suddenly Bruce’s phone rang.

He picked it up. “Hello. What’s the matter?”

The person on the other end said something that made Bruce’s expression change drastically. He suddenly sprung up from his seat and yelled, “What did you say?! Connor has just been assassinated and is severely injured? He’s now being transported to the hospital?!” Lucas’s and Edmund’s expressions immediately became solemn.

Connor suddenly being assassinated and his life being in danger was definitely not a minor matter!

Before Bruce hung up, Edmund’s phone in his pocket suddenly rang too.

For some reason, Edmund suddenly had an ominous hunch.

When he answered the call, he heard a terrible piece of news. “Mr. Cole, bad news. The new helmsman, Clement, has suddenly been assassinated and is now being sent to the hospital!”

Edmund’s body trembled, and he almost fell to the floor.

Clement was his only son. If something happened…

Lucas’s expression became even more gloomy. At this moment, his phone rang too.

It was a call from Damon.

As soon as he saw Damon’s phone number, his heart sank.

The Hales, the Coles, and the Parkers had pledged allegiance to him when they were still in California and had now followed him to DC.

Could something have happened to the Parkers too?

Lucas answered his phone. Sure enough, Damon’s worried and anxious voice came from the other end. “Lucas, my son Ray was just assassinated and stabbed in the abdomen. He’s now being resuscitated in the hospital!”

“Okay, I got it. Tell me what hospital he’s at, and I’ll send the best doctors there! I’ll talk to you in detail later. Be careful of your own safety for now.”

Everything had happened so suddenly, so Lucas could only give these instructions.

Immediately afterward, Lucas received three more pieces of terrible news.

Michael, the helmsman of the Huttons; Florence, the head of the Howards; and Tyson, the helmsman of the Smiths, had all been assassinated by assassins of unknown origin this morning. They were all seriously injured, and their lives were in danger. They were currently receiving emergency treatment at the hospital.

If only one family had encountered such a tragedy, it could be said to be by chance.

But now that the heads or successors of all six families related to Lucas encountered assassinations at the same time, it was definitely the doing of someone with malicious intentions!

Moreover, they were all heavily wounded and undergoing emergency treatment in the hospital. None of them died on the spot. Clearly, the mastermind was out to teach Lucas a hard lesson and give him a warning!

Edmund and Bruce had also heard the bad news, and they said through gritted teeth, “Lucas, it must be the Hamiltons behind this!

“A few days ago, we helped you search DC for Cheyenne, and we’ve been helping you search for the Hamiltons for the past few days. They must know that we have a close relationship with you, so they specially sent experts to assassinate the heads of our families to give you a warning!”

“They also deliberately made sure that the helmsmen were only seriously wounded and didn’t kill them. The Hamiltons are telling us to behave ourselves, but they don’t want to fall out with us completely. Otherwise, these people wouldn’t only be seriously wounded but would have died!”

Lucas’s eyes were full of anger as he nodded. “Okay, I know the Hamiltons are coming at me. Don’t worry. I will give you an explanation for this!”

Edmund hurriedly said, “Lucas, please don’t be mistaken. We definitely don’t mean to blame you. The people who did these things are the Hamiltons. It’s not your fault!”

Bruce hurriedly chimed in, “Yes, Lucas, this has nothing to do with you, and there’s no need for you to give us an explanation. We were more than willing to help find Cheyenne and search for the Hamiltons, so please don’t blame yourself! Besides, we have long stood on your side. As long as the Hamiltons still want to take revenge against you, they will definitely not spare us!

“Now, I think we have to come up with a solution to deal with the Hamiltons right away. Otherwise, if they get up to something like this again, it probably won’t be a warning but murder!”

Bruce and Edmund deeply felt the Hamiltons’ tyranny and viciousness.

Lucas was furious.

The Hamiltons had previously sent assassins to try and kill Lucas. And later, they had hidden behind the Holmes and instigated the foolish Norman to abduct Cheyenne in an attempt to force Lucas into submission.

And now, they had even attacked the heads of the families close to him. Lucas’s patience with the Hamiltons had completely run out.

Lucas suddenly said with a gloomy expression, “Alright, get your families to stop searching for the Hamiltons!”

1344 Courting Death

After hearing Lucas’s decision, Bruce and Edmund were shocked, thinking that Lucas had decided to compromise with the Hamiltons because of their warning.

“Lucas, you mustn’t compromise with the Hamiltons! The Hamiltons just want to warn us not to act rashly. If we really do as they say, we will be falling into their trap and letting their plan succeed! It will only make the Hamiltons even more arrogant!”

Edmund was from the military, so he absolutely hated the way the Hamiltons were acting. He persuaded anxiously, “Lucas, I think we should not only not retreat now, but we should send more people to find the Hamiltons in DC to teach them a lesson!”

Bruce thought it made sense, so he nodded in agreement. “Edmund is right. We definitely can’t let the Hamiltons get away with it and think that we’re pushovers who will succumb just because of a warning from them. We should seize this opportunity to do the opposite instead and capture them all in one fell swoop while they think we don’t dare to do anything to them!”

Although he wasn’t an aggressive person and the type to go head-to-head against big families, the Hamiltons had seriously injured his only grandson now, so he couldn’t tolerate it any further.

Of course, they weren’t proposing being bold in the spur of the moment. Edmund and Bruce knew very well that the reason they dared to make such a suggestion was that they had Lucas’s support. As long as Lucas was around, even though the opponent was a royal family branch, they weren’t afraid at all!

Looking at the two people in front of him, Lucas felt touched.

Previously, Bruce and Edmund were both full of awe and scruple toward the eight top families of DC and didn’t dare to go against them easily.

But now, the enemy they would have to face was the royals, who were far more terrifying than the eight top families of DC.

If ordinary people received a warning from the royals in the form of harming their kin, they would definitely be scared out of their wits and no longer dare to make enemies of them.

But Bruce and Edmund didn’t retreat at all and were instead willing to continue fighting against the Hamiltons with him.

It made Lucas’s heart feel warm.

But even though Bruce and Edmund said so, Lucas didn’t intend to do as they said.

It wasn’t that he was really afraid of the Hamiltons, but rather, the Hamiltons didn’t have a bottom line when doing things. So Lucas didn’t want to see those loyal to him getting hurt and having their lives in critical condition.

“Just do as I’ve said and get your people to stop searching for them.”

Before the two of them could reply, Lucas continued, “Don’t worry. I won’t let the

Hamiltons off. I know the reason they gave me a warning. They just want me to leave DC.

“If you continue sending your people to search for them, they might really go after your families again in a moment of anger. When the time comes, you and your family members will be in danger. I don’t want to see you in danger.

“So withdraw your people, and I’ll give the Hamiltons some hope of leaving DC. Then I’ll destroy that glimmer of hope and capture them myself!”

Lucas spoke resolutely.

Edmund and Bruce felt extremely touched. Indeed, Lucas told them to withdraw their people because he didn’t want them to be in danger.

“Lucas—”

“Okay, there’s no need to say anymore. We’d better hurry to the hospital to see how Connor and Clement are doing!” Lucas interrupted before they could finish and took the lead in standing up.

So many people had gotten severely injured this time, so Lucas wanted to go to the hospital to see how they were doing.

The safety of the wounded was of utmost importance. Edmund and Bruce stood up and left the Stardust Corporation with Lucas.

But as soon as they left the building, before they even reached the parking lot, more than ten Volkswagen Passats surrounded them. The car doors opened, and four or five burly men rushed out of each car and surrounded them.

The sudden change caused Edmund’s and Bruce’s expressions to change drastically.

They didn’t expect to be surrounded right outside the Stardust Corporation’s headquarters.

The burly men standing around them all looked ferocious and menacing. Clearly, they had come with ill intentions.

Edmund stepped forward and hollered furiously at the people around them, “Who are you people? This is the Stardust Corporation. Causing trouble and stopping us here, do you have a death wish?”

A young figure appeared from behind the burly men and said coldly, “Hah, how arrogant. How dare you speak to the Piers like that? You’re the one courting death, you old fogey!”

The Piers? Edmund was stunned and tried to recall any wealthy family with the last name Piers. When he thought of something, his expression suddenly changed.

“The Piers? One of the eight top families of DC?” Edmund asked in surprise.

Piers wasn’t a rare last name, and many people in DC carried it.

But there was only one wealthy family with this last name in DC—the one among the eight top families!

Thinking of the young man’s identity, Edmund and Bruce couldn’t help feeling a little scrupulous and worried.

They knew that Lucas wasn’t afraid of the eight top families of DC, but the situation now was different. The helmsmen of the three top families close to Lucas had all been attacked and were now hospitalized with severe wounds. Besides, the Hamiltons were hiding in the dark like a venomous snake, ready to attack them at any time.

Now, a young man from the Piers aggressively brought a large group of people to surround them. He was clearly out to harm them!

Lucas had recognized this young man to be Adam Piers, the grandson of the helmsman of the Piers family.

Previously, he had taken a liking to Cheyenne at the airport when she first arrived in DC to go to Felix Howard’s funeral. He had pestered her, but Lucas had kicked him away.

Later, at the Howards’, the Piers wanted to force Florence to marry into their family and force Cheyenne to marry Adam. At the time, Jordan had slapped him unconscious and almost killed him.

Lucas didn’t expect to run into him again and for him to behave so arrogantly in front of him. It seemed that he had forgotten his lesson.

Lucas stared at Adam with an ice-cold expression on his face and sneered. “Adam Piers, it seems like you’re really tired of living. How dare you provoke me. Are you so eager to court death?”

1345 Crisis of the Three Families

As soon as Adam saw Lucas’s face, he immediately remembered everything he had gone through at the Howard residence.

It could be said that he would never forget the humiliation he suffered that day!

Previously, the Piers were scrupulous of Lucas’s power, so they had no choice but to swallow their anger and endure not taking revenge on him.

But the situation was different now. The Piers no longer had to be afraid of Lucas. This time, he had to take revenge against him and return all the humiliation he had suffered!

“Lucas Gray, what are you being so arrogant for? Do you think you can do anything to me?” Adam shouted furiously.

Lucas looked coldly at him. “Immediately get lost with these people, and I can spare you and the Piers one more time.”

Hearing this, Adam immediately flew into a rage.

He hated that Lucas always behaved high and mighty in front of him, as if he was a god on a pedestal while he was just a nobody lying on the ground who could be manipulated by him!

The look in his eyes and the tone of his voice were extremely infuriating!

Adam gritted his teeth and roared angrily, “Damn it! Lucas Gray, you’re already at death’s door. Why are you still pretending to be a big shot?

“Do you think I don’t know? You’re just throwing your weight around in front of me because you have the backing of a few top families of DC!

“But now, Florence Howard, Michael Hutton, and Tyson Smith were assassinated, and their survival is still unknown. You’re about to lose your backers. Who are you to behave arrogantly in front of me?

“You’re the one eagerly courting death!”

Lucas immediately understood. No wonder this good-for-nothing Adam dared to show up in front of him and threaten him. It turned out that the Piers also knew about the assassination of the helmsmen.

Moreover, this probably wasn’t all. The Hamiltons should have something to do with this.

They first sent some people to assassinate the helmsmen close to him and then disclosed the news to the families with grudges against him. With some words to sow discord and promises to give them some benefits, families like the Piers would definitely jump out eagerly to deal with him.

One, they already had a feud with Lucas to begin with, so this time, they were taking advantage of this opportunity to exact revenge. Two, they were also using this chance to express their goodwill to the Hamiltons to get closer to them.

Noble families like the royals were usually disdainful of wealthy families, thinking that they were obsessed with money and feeling that it would be degrading to befriend them.

Now that the Piers could befriend the Hamiltons through this incident, they were probably overjoyed.

Looking at Adam, who was behaving as proud as a peacock, Lucas mocked him mercilessly. “Hah, how stupid! You’re being so smug and arrogant despite being led around by the nose by others. What a fool!”

“Damn it! Who are you calling a fool? You’re the greatest fool of all, Lucas Gray!” Adam immediately sprung up like a cat whose tail was stepped on. He retorted loudly, “Lucas Gray, you’re the biggest fool yourself! Do you know that three families are about to be removed from the ranks of the eight top families of DC?!

“Aren’t you friends with the Howards, the Huttons, and the Smiths? Hah, the helmsmen of these three families are severely wounded, and the other five families will soon jointly destroy them! When the time comes, I’ll see what you have to rely on to speak so rudely in front of me!”

Lucas frowned.

The other five top families would be joining hands to destroy the Howards, the Huttons, and the Smiths?

Prior to this, the eight top families of DC, who were at the summit of DC, had cooperation and competition between them, but they all maintained a delicate balance. So after all these years, they had rarely fought on a large scale, let alone have several families joining hands to destroy other families.

But the balance between the eight top families had been broken now.

Today, Florence, the head of the Howards; Michael, the helmsman of the Huttons; and Tyson, helmsman of the Smiths, had all been assassinated. They were now hospitalized and in critical condition.

These three families were not peaceful in the first place, and there was plenty of hidden competition and tension within their respective families. Once the three helmsmen were gone, no one knew what would happen.

Many people in these three families were probably already starting to take action, thinking about how to take the position of helmsman for themselves.

Moreover, the Hamiltons were sowing discord. As long as the Hamiltons misled them and promised to give them some benefits, the remaining families would definitely eagerly want to eradicate the three families and split their assets among themselves!

At that time, the Howards, the Huttons, and the Smiths might really be annihilated!

The Hamiltons had indeed formulated a great plan!

The murderous intent in Lucas’s eyes intensified. He had already decided that he wouldn’t let the culprit off easily once he caught him!

Of course, they had to go through Lucas first if they wanted to destroy these three families!

Lucas shifted his cold gaze onto Adam. “You really don’t plan on leaving with your people?”

Adam subconsciously shuddered in fear when he saw the cold and murderous look in Lucas’s eyes.

But when he saw the more than a hundred experts around him, and when he thought of the fact that Lucas’s backers would be annihilated soon and that he couldn’t be arrogant in front of him anymore, Adam felt courage surge within him again.

“Lucas Gray, how dare you threaten me? Do you really think I’m scared of you?

“Open your eyes wide and take a good look at the situation. My people are surrounding you! Even if each of them only punches you once, they’ll be able to break all your bones and make you wail loudly on the ground!

“Hahaha, I’ll give you a chance. If you immediately kneel, kowtow to admit to your mistakes, and call yourself a piece of garbage, I will spare your life for now. How about it?”

Adam raised his head and laughed arrogantly.

The experts of the Piers surrounding them also burst into laughter.

“Kneel down and apologize to Mr. Adam immediately! Otherwise, you’ll really be dead meat!”

“Everyone, get ready to teach this ignorant bastard a lesson. It’s his punishment for speaking arrogantly and looking down on the Piers!”

“That’s right. If you don’t kneel down and apologize, we will beat you up!”

…

The experts of the Piers spoke extremely arrogantly.

1346 Attacking My People

“You bastards!”

Seeing the Piers mocking and insulting Lucas unscrupulously, Edmund lost his temper.

Lucas had been the esteemed captain of the Falcon Regiment who was not to be offended. How could he, who had the title the invincible God of War, be insulted by these small fries?

Bruce was also trembling with anger. If he were in his thirties, he might have already rolled up his sleeves and charged forward to slap these bastards who had the audacity to insult Lucas.

But now, he was old and frail, so there was nothing he could do except stand in front of Lucas furiously to shield him.

Adam laughed smugly. “Lucas Gray, did you hear that? Even my subordinates know that if you kneel down in front of me and beg for forgiveness, I might spare your life. How about it? If you don’t want to die, hurry up and get down on your knees!

“Don’t think you’re that impressive. No matter how skilled you are at martial arts, you’re all alone. Can you beat the more than a hundred experts by my side?”

Lucas’s eyes flickered coldly. “You’re just a piece of trash. Who are you to make me kneel down and apologize?”

Adam’s expression changed, and he barked furiously, “Lucas Gray, don’t f*cking push it! I… Argh!”

Before he could finish speaking, Lucas’s body had already vanished on the spot.

Immediately afterward, a firm and steel-like hand was tightly clutching Adam’s neck, blocking the following words from leaving his mouth.

“Even if there’s a hundred or a thousand people like them, what’s the big deal?”

Lucas’s icy-cold words rang in Adam’s ears, causing him to be so frightened that he almost wet himself.

Adam originally thought that by bringing over a hundred people to besiege Lucas, he would definitely be able to take down Lucas perfectly and get back at him for the humiliation he had suffered at the Howards’. But he never thought that Lucas would be as swift as a phantom. Before he could even see his actions, Lucas was already strangling him and now had control over his life!

Lucas had clearly been over ten meters away from him. How did he manage to move so quickly behind him?

Was this speed really something that humans could achieve?

Everyone stared in shock and only returned to their senses when they saw Lucas strangling Adam to the point that his face had turned purple and he was struggling to breathe.

“Scoundrel! Hurry up and let go of Mr. Adam!” someone immediately hollered at Lucas.

They wanted to charge over to deal with Lucas, but he was still strangling Adam, causing them not to dare to act rashly.

Without even looking at them, Lucas stared at Adam coldly. “The Piers are merely small fries, yet you want me to succumb to you?

“You’re just a piece of trash from the Piers, yet you want me to kneel and apologize to you?

“You want to take me down with these people you’ve brought?”

Lucas questioned with a mocking voice.

With every word he said, Adam’s body trembled, and the fear in his eyes intensified.

At this moment, Adam was full of regret!

If he had known that Lucas was much stronger than he had imagined, he definitely wouldn’t have brought so many people with him to besiege Lucas.

If he had known earlier, he… he would have definitely gotten his people to act first while he hid far behind them. Before they caught Lucas, he definitely wouldn’t appear!

But it was too late for regrets now. Adam felt that his chest was on the verge of exploding from the suffocation. His brain was lacking oxygen, he was getting dizzy, and his vision started to blur.

Adam wanted to beg for forgiveness, but Lucas was clutching his neck tightly, causing him to be unable to make a sound. He was now full of endless fear.

Lucas’s terrifying speed astonished everyone around him.

The hundred or so experts of the Piers all had extremely gloomy expressions.

Lucas’s abilities were far beyond their imagination. Worse still, Adam was now in his hands!

If something untoward happened to Adam, they would be in deep trouble.

“Punk, quickly let go of Mr. Adam. Otherwise… otherwise, the Piers will never let you off!” A middle-aged man, the leader of the Piers’ experts, glared daggers at Lucas.

Lucas snorted contemptuously. “Is that so? I’d like to see how you won’t let me off.”

The middle-aged man looked extremely sullen. He didn’t dare to rush forward to save Adam, but he suddenly turned to look at Edmund and Bruce, who were standing in the middled anxiously. With a roar, he reached out to grab Edmund.

His idea was very simple. Since Lucas had captured Adam and made them too scared to take action, he would catch the two elderly men beside Lucas and force him to let go of Adam!

According to the information they had received, the two elderly men beside Lucas were the helmsmen of the Coles and the Hales, who had just arrived in DC, and were his subordinates. Even if Lucas didn’t care about them, holding them hostage would definitely affect Lucas’s confidence!

But despite his wonderful plan in his head, Lucas had already noticed his actions. How could Lucas allow him to get what he wanted?

“You have a death wish!”

With a cold glint in his eyes, Lucas swiped his free hand over Adam’s body, and two buttons appeared between his fingers.

Immediately afterward, Lucas flicked his finger, and the two buttons darted out like bullets, striking the middle-aged man in his outstretched arm and his thigh.

Pfft!

With the sound of something penetrating flesh, the two buttons pierced through the middle-aged man’s arm and thigh, causing him to shriek in pain. Clutching his wounded arm, he fell to his knees with a thud and wailed in agony.

“Ah! My… my hand and my leg… are both broken!”

All of this had happened within moments, and no one could react to what had happened. Before they knew it, the middle-aged man was already on his knees and screaming as blood gushed out of his arm and thigh.

“What?!”

“Does this punk have a gun? No, no way… He doesn’t have a gun in his hand at all!”

“What the hell is going on here?!”

The remaining experts of the Piers stared at the scene in front of them in panic, completely clueless about how their leader had suddenly suffered such injuries.

His wounds clearly looked like gunshot wounds, but they could clearly see that Lucas had one hand around Adam’s neck and the other hand empty. There wasn’t a single gun in sight!

This… this was simply incredible!

Lucas gripped Adam’s neck tightly and slammed him against the ground. Ignoring Adam’s screams, he stepped on his chest and stared coldly at everyone around him. “If you dare to attack my people again, I will kill this guy!”

…

1347 Urgent Situation

Lucas’s actions once again shocked everyone who was about to attack.

At this moment, Edmund and Bruce also realized that the two of them had just almost been held hostage. They panicked and hurried to Lucas’s side.

If they had been caught by the Piers, they would definitely have become bargaining chips for the Piers to use to threaten Lucas. They would have become burdens to Lucas!

What a close shave!

They only thought that the Piers had come to target Lucas this time, and they had never expected that the Piers would make a move against elderly men like them, causing them to almost fall into their trap.

Fortunately, Lucas’s reflexes were very fast, and he had rescued them at the critical moment!

Bruce and Edmund stood next to Lucas, looking warily at the Piers’ experts around them.

The rest of the Piers were naturally displeased. But one, Lucas’s skills were far beyond their imagination, and they still hadn’t figured out how he managed to form bullet hole-like wounds with his bare hand from so far away. The effects were even more terrifying than actual gunshot wounds. If anyone else went up, they would probably end up in the same state as their leader!

And two, Lucas was now stepping on Adam. As long as he exerted some force, he might stomp Adam to death right on the spot.

Thus, with Lucas’s warning, everyone stood rooted to the ground, not daring to act recklessly.

Lucas lowered his head, looked coldly at Adam beneath his foot, and mocked, “Adam Piers, I’m stepping on you with my foot now. What can your people do to me?”

At this moment, Adam was no longer as arrogant as earlier. He had painstakingly come to his senses after almost suffocating to death. Now, the only thought he had was to beg Lucas to spare him.

“Mr. Gray, ahem… it’s my fault. I won’t dare to go against you anymore. I’ll definitely avoid you when I see you in the future. Please… please forgive me this time! I won’t dare to do it again!” Adam frantically begged Lucas for forgiveness.

He no longer cared about his dignity at this point.

If not for the fact that Lucas was still stepping on him, rendering him immobile, Adam would have already gotten down on his knees and begged Lucas for forgiveness.

Hearing Adam begging for forgiveness shamelessly, the rest of the Piers looked extremely sullen.

At the same time, many of them felt relieved, knowing that they likely wouldn’t be blamed for not taking action since even their boss was spinelessly begging for forgiveness!

Lucas pressed his foot down a little harder and questioned, “Adam Piers, you’re just a goodfor-nothing. Who gave you the courage to bring so many people to besiege me? It definitely wasn’t your idea. Tell me honestly right now. What other plans do the Piers have?! If you dare to hide anything, I’ll crush you to death right now!”

Adam felt his organs aching due to the massive pressure on his chest. For a moment, he really thought that they would be crushed by Lucas and was frightened out of his wits.

Adam shrieked in horror and frantically yelled, “Ahhh! Mr… Mr. Gray, please spare me! I’ll tell you everything. No matter what you want to ask, I will definitely tell you the truth and not hide a single thing from you!

“You’re right. I’m indeed too timid to deal with you. My father sent me here to do this! He said that he doesn’t need me to capture you. He said that I just had to take the Piers’ experts here and trap you here for around an hour to stall for time!”

Lucas’s frown deepened, and he asked again, “The Piers sent you here to delay me? Who are you going to attack? Tell me quickly!”

“Yes, I’ll say it! My father said that Florence Howard is now lying in the hospital, and the rest of the Howards are in discord. If we take action immediately, we’ll be able to conquer the Howards in less than two hours!”

Adam frantically added, “And… we won’t be taking down only the Howards. The other families will be dealing with the Huttons and the Smiths. After tonight, the helmsmen of the Howards, the Huttons, and the Smiths will all be replaced!

“And… once these three families are gone, Lucas, no, I mean, Mr. Gray, your support in DC will be gone, and those families will come to deal with you at that time! So… I advise you to leave DC as soon as possible!

“I’ve already told you everything I know, so please spare my life!”

In order to survive, Adam really revealed everything he knew. He even advised Lucas to flee DC.

Lucas’s expression was extremely gloomy.

He didn’t expect the situation in DC to become so complicated within such a short time.

Without a doubt, the Hamiltons were the ones who colluded with the other families to launch an attack on the Huttons, the Howards, and the Smiths while their helmsmen were seriously injured and hospitalized.

Moreover, after the Hamiltons sent people to assassinate the helmsmen of the families close to Lucas, there was nothing else they needed to do. With just some efforts to sow discord, the families harboring malicious intentions would immediately take action.

The situation now was indeed terrible.

The incident happened all too suddenly, and the families close to Lucas were all in trouble at the same time. No matter how capable Lucas was, there was nothing he could do to save them since he didn’t have enough manpower.

“All those families should die!” Lucas sneered and kicked Adam’s head, knocking him unconscious.

Lucas looked around at the Piers’ goons and shouted coldly, “Inform Derek and Conrad Piers to leave the Howard residence immediately. Otherwise, their son and grandson will die here!

“What are you waiting for? Get lost!”

The goons were terrified and didn’t dare to stay any longer. They hurriedly left and proceeded to report the situation to the two most authoritative people in the Piers family.

Only then did Edmund and Bruce heave a sigh of relief, but their tension didn’t ease at all.

They had heard everything Adam just said.

“Lucas, the situation is very unfavorable. What should we do now?” Edmund asked with a grim expression.

Looking at the two of them, Lucas instructed, “Listen up. Immediately contact your family’s representatives. If any major family barges into your residence and tries to encroach on your properties, don’t resist! Just let them be! Prioritize the safety of your family first!

“Inform the Parkers to do the same!”

Edmund and Bruce were astonished.

Lucas had never compromised in the past, but this time, he actually told them to retreat and give in?!

1348 Continue to Search

Lucas didn’t have time to explain much to them and simply urged, “Didn’t you hear what I said? Get to it immediately!”

Edmund and Bruce quickly took out their phones and relayed Lucas’s instructions to their families.

Although they were disgruntled and confused, they didn’t dare to disobey Lucas’s orders.

Besides, they both knew that Lucas wouldn’t harm them and that he naturally had his own reasons for giving these instructions.!!

After the two ended their calls, Lucas instructed again, “Don’t go home tonight. Just stay in the Stardust Corporation. It’s much safer here. I’m going out to handle some things. Wait for my news!”

Then Lucas turned around and headed to the parking lot.

“Lucas, pay attention to your safety!”

Edmund and Bruce didn’t dare to ask what Lucas was going to do and could only remind him with worried expressions.

Who knew whether they could tide through the crisis this time…

After Lucas left the Stardust Corporation, he didn’t rush to the Howards, the Huttons, or the Smiths.

He knew that since the Hamiltons had already made arrangements, regardless of which family he went to, there was no way he could resolve the matter.

With his power alone, he couldn’t destroy the other five top families of DC immediately.

The most effective method and the most important thing to do now was to find out where the Hamiltons, the secret instigators behind the scenes, were hiding so as to shock the families working with the Hamiltons and scare them into not daring to act recklessly!

Along the way, Lucas sent Jordan a text message. Soon, Jordan called.

“Lucas, according to what you said, we’ve locked down all the routes out of DC. Be it train stations, airports, bus stations, or major intersections out of DC, they are all under the control of our people. There’s no way the Hamiltons can leave silently!” Jordan reported.

“Okay, get everyone to continue keeping an eye on the routes. Also, protect the Stardust Corporation and my family. I’ll go meet Jensen Hamilton myself and see where he’s hiding!” Lucas said coldly.

“Okay, I got it, Lucas!” Jordan immediately acknowledged.

Although he couldn’t join Lucas in this operation, Jordan knew that Lucas had given him the task of protecting the people who meant the most to him, which was an extremely important matter, and he couldn’t afford to be negligent at all.

…

After learning about the current situation in DC, Jensen smiled with satisfaction and finally left the hidden villa to head toward a train station in DC.

Generally speaking, big shots like Jensen usually traveled in their own private planes and rarely took commercial airlines, let alone mass public transportation like trains.

But now that the airports had been blocked off, Jensen couldn’t get to the Hamilton family’s private jet at DC International Airport.

To ensure that he could get back to the Hamilton residence in the shortest possible time, taking the high-speed train was the fastest way instead.

He thought that Lucas and his people would never have imagined that a person of such high status as him would choose to travel by train, a method only lowly civilians used.

Thus, taking the train out of DC was the fastest and safest way for Jensen.

But just before Jensen arrived at the train station, he received a phone call from his subordinates.

“Bad news, Mr. Jensen. We just found that there are many suspicious people searching the three train stations in DC. I’m afraid that the train stations are already under their control!”

Jensen was shocked. “How is that possible? Isn’t DC in complete chaos? Lucas Gray should be in a frenzy now. How could he still have the manpower to block all the train stations?”

His subordinate hastily replied, “I also just received the news that DC is indeed in chaos. But the families close to Lucas Gray are acting strangely. When those families attacked them, they didn’t resist at all and evacuated their homes, giving up everything.

“So those families didn’t suffer any losses, but sent all their people out to track down the Hamiltons in DC just like before! So there are still a lot of people at this train station, and they’re even searching more intensively than the last few days!”

“Damn it! This is outrageous!” Jensen flew into a rage and slammed his fist on the car seat!

“Lucas Gray, you still won’t let me go even at this point. Just you wait. I won’t let you off!”

Jensen was really about to explode with anger.

He was a scion of the Hamiltons and the favorite son of the helmsman. Even the heads of the eight top families of DC had to be respectful to him. Yet Lucas, a young man in his twenties, was forcing him to a corner, causing him to have to sneak around like a rat. It was really outrageous!

Now, he felt so aggravated that he wished he could immediately capture Lucas, skin him alive, pull his tendons, and make him die in agony!

An old man sitting next to Jensen also frowned and said in a deep voice, “Mr. Jensen, it seems that Lucas Gray has made up his mind to keep you from leaving DC. But the more this is the case, the more cautious we must be. We must not falter!”

“After all, Lucas Gray has united the forces of several families in DC, and they have more manpower than we do here. This is their territory, so there’s no need for us to fight him to the death.”

Jensen roared, “So, what do you think we should do now?! Lucas Gray’s people have blocked all the ways out of DC. How can I be trapped here by him?

“As you know, I have been away from the family for long enough, but I haven’t finished my task. Once the news spreads back to the family, my two brothers definitely won’t let go of this great opportunity to attack me. The chances of me inheriting the Hamilton family will be even lower!

“Tell me, what should I do now?

“Am I going to be stuck here because of a mere Lucas Gray and watch the position of helmsman be taken away from me?”

Jensen yelled in annoyance. If the car wasn’t still in motion, he might have smashed the car roof with his fist.

This feeling was too aggrieving and stifling!

1349 Removing His Mask

The elderly man next to Jensen sat still quietly until he finished throwing a fit. Then he said, “Mr. Jensen, just as you’ve said, the most important thing to do now is to leave DC.

“Since the train station is under strict control, I’ve thought of a solution. I know an amazing master of disguise who happens to be in DC. We can ask him to help us disguise our appearance. That way, no matter how many people Lucas Gray has arranged in the train station, they won’t be able to find you!”

Hearing this, Jensen was overjoyed. “There’s such an amazing person? What are we waiting for then? Let’s go look for him immediately!”

“Alright, Mr. Jensen.”

The car immediately turned and headed toward the address the elderly man gave.

…

At this moment, Lucas was also driving toward the train station.

Along the way, he called Roman. “Are you at the DC International Airport now? Immediately send your people there to the train station!”

Roman was the illegitimate son of Michael’s brother, and he had become the next successor of the Huttons with Lucas’s help. Michael was injured, so Roman was now in charge of all the Huttons’ people.

Hearing what Lucas said, Roman said with bewilderment, “The Hamiltons’ private jet is parked in the DC International Airport. Do we just ignore it? Or have you already gotten concrete news that Jensen Hamilton will definitely leave from the train station?”

Lucas said, “I don’t have any confirmed news, but I reckon that Jensen Hamilton doesn’t dare to leave from the airport. It’s very likely that he’ll take a train.”

“What about cars then? Is there a possibility that they’re going to drive away?” Roman asked.

Lucas shook his head. “Going by car is the first method I ruled out. According to the information I recieved, the Hamiltons are holding a family meeting in three days, and attendance for all key members of the family is mandatory. If Jensen Hamilton goes back by car, he definitely won’t make it in time, so his only option now is the train station.”

Roman finally knew why Lucas was so sure and immediately agreed to it. He left the DC International Airport with his subordinates and headed straight to the train station.

…

Half an hour later, two people entered the waiting hall of the train station.

One of them was an elderly man in his seventies with a head full of white hair and wrinkles all over his face. He had an unsteady gait, and he even had to support himself with a thick walking stick.

Beside him was a woman in her forties, holding his arm with a sad face. She had many wrinkles around the corners of her lips and eyes. She was carrying a small purse and looked like a middle-aged woman who was unhappy with her life.

The two of them looked like an extremely ordinary father and daughter belonging to a low social class. After entering the waiting hall, they found a seat near the corner, took out a small piece of bread and a bottle of mineral water from a bag each, and started eating and drinking.

In the waiting hall, burly men were shuttling in and out from time to time, scanning the face of every passenger. Of course, they also scrutinized the father and daughter.

But no one took a closer look at them.

Soon, a gentle female voice announced in the hall, “Dear passengers, ticket checking for Train G7073 will begin soon. Please take your ID and ticket with you and head to the ticketing gates of Platform 7 for the ticket check.”

After hearing the voice, the elderly man holding the wooden walking stick raised his head with a look of relief in his eyes. “It’s finally time for the ticket check. We can go home!”

The elderly man stood up shakily while the middle-aged woman hurriedly supported his arm, and they walked toward Platform 7.

At this moment, a figure suddenly stopped the two of them and said lightly, “I’m afraid you can’t leave.”

When the elderly man heard this voice, his pupils suddenly constricted in shock. It’s Lucas Gray!

Lucas actually stopped him!

At this moment, the middle-aged woman next to him asked, “Young man, we’re going to check our tickets. May you please step aside?”

Looking at the two seemingly ordinary people, Lucas smirked. “I said that you two can’t go.”

Others couldn’t recognize them, but Lucas could tell at a glance that the elderly man who looked to be in his seventies was Jensen!

As for the middle-aged woman next to him, she wasn’t a woman at all but the Hamilton expert who followed Jensen closely.

Although Jensen and the expert’s disguise and acting were good, so much so that ordinary people wouldn’t be able to tell at all, they couldn’t escape Lucas’s eyes.

Lucas could tell that there was something wrong with the two of them at a glance.

Pretending to be angry, the middle-aged woman pointed at Lucas and berated, “What’s wrong with you, young man? I’ve already said I don’t know you. Why do you want to stop me? People like us don’t have money, so even if you stop us, we don’t have any money to give you!”

As soon as she said this, countless bystanders looked over with peculiar gazes.

They wondered if Lucas was a gangster who was trying to extort the middle-aged woman who looked poor.

Under everyone’s gazes, Lucas acted extremely quickly. Before anyone could react, he reached out and ripped off the mask and wig that the middle-aged woman was wearing.

In an instant, the miserable-looking middle-aged woman suddenly turned into a thin old man in his fifties!

This scene caused many people around to exclaim in shock.

“What… what’s going on?”

“What is this? Role-playing? Cosplaying?”

Many people didn’t think that they were disguising themselves and only found the scene in front of them very bizarre.

Lucas actually ripped off the old man’s mask and revealed his true face. He roared angrily at Lucas, “Punk, you’re courting death!”

Then he leaned forward to grab at Lucas’s face.

Beside him, Jensen, the elderly man with an unsteady gait, saw that the situation was turning awry, so he immediately took advantage of the opportunity to turn around and make a run for the ticketing gates while the expert was stopping Lucas.

As long as he could get through the ticketing gates and onto the train, no matter how powerful and quick Lucas was, he would never be able to catch up with the high-speed train and stop him!

1350 Superb Acting Skills

Lucas’s eyes flashed coldly, and his lips curled up into a contemptuous smile.

Jensen was really naive for thinking that he could easily escape from his pursuit!

Facing the menacing grab of the Hamilton expert, Lucas raised his fists and punched him without being bothered at all!

Bang!

With the muffled collision sound, the expert felt an unimaginably massive force striking against his palm. The instant they came into contact, all the bones of his palm were crushed!

The expert immediately looked horrified. Before he could cry out in pain, the force had already gone all the way up his wrist and arm. With an immense force of destruction, it crushed his entire arm and managed his flesh!

“Ahhh!” Even though the elderly expert was a rare powerhouse, he couldn’t bear the excruciating pain and screamed in agony.

In the next instant, his scream came to a sudden halt because Lucas moved closer and punched him between his chest and abdomen, making him unable to breathe and fall silent amid the intense pain.

Lucas inched closer and said smilingly, “Sir, this is a public space. If you scream, you’ll be a nuisance to others.”

The expert turned deathly pale and covered his stomach, unable to make a single sound.

Staring at Lucas, his eyes were full of fear.

Lucas’s punch in his abdomen had struck him right in the diaphragm and rendered him incapable of moving!

In just two exchanges, Lucas had already crippled one of his arms and made him incapable of using the martial arts skills he had trained hard for decades!

From now on, he was crippled!

He was an old and disabled person!

Thinking of the pathetic state that he would be in from now on, the elderly man became even paler, and large droplets of cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

“Punk… you… How dare you cripple me? The Hamiltons will never let you go! You’ll definitely die miserably in the future!” The expert stared at Lucas with shaky hands and eyes full of murderous intent.

Lucas glanced at him and sneered. “Is that so? Then just wait and see.”

If it wasn’t because they were in a crowded place in public, the expert would have lost more than just an arm. He might have already become a corpse.

Lucas didn’t care at all about what such a person said.

He stopped paying attention to this crippled person. The first thing he had to do now was to find Jensen.

…

At this moment, Jensen had already rushed to the ticketing gates of Platform 7 to have his ticket and ID checked. He was now running toward the train he was supposed to board.

Currently, Jensen was extremely fearful and anxious. He had long forgotten about pretending to be an elderly man in his seventies with mobility issues. He was now hurrying toward the train, wishing he could fly there.

He was well aware that his expert couldn’t stop Lucas for long. He might not even be able to stall him for a minute. So Jensen could only seize this extremely short opportunity to hurry to the train!

He was really panicking now.

He originally thought that he could successfully pass off as another person under the disguise that the master of disguise had carefully put on for him. But just as he was about to enter the ticketing gates, Lucas recognized him!

Worse still, he had only brought his most powerful bodyguard with him and disguised themselves as a father and daughter for fear that he might arouse suspicion if he brought too many people with him.

If he had known earlier that Lucas would still recognize him, he would have gotten more people to disguise themselves with him. Even if Lucas discovered him in the end, he would at least have a few more people to hold Lucas back and buy him more time to escape!

Jensen was running on the stairs and staring at the moving train that was about to enter the station, his eyes full of expectation and excitement. Hurry up! Hurry up!

Jensen didn’t even have time to run to the passenger car that he was supposed to board. He just ran to the nearest car and rushed straight toward the front, completely ignoring the queues.

Suddenly, a devilish voice sounded in Jensen’s ears.

“Oh, the esteemed Jensen Hamilton is scurrying around like a street rat. How pathetic.”

Jensen’s heart skipped a beat, and it almost jumped out of his chest!

He already recognized that it was Lucas’s voice!

His nemesis had arrived so soon!

Jensen’s heart was pounding wildly, and he gritted his teeth hard while staring at the door of the passenger car right in front of him, contemplating if he should charge straight into it.

But he was horrified to find that there was a massive force pulling him by the collar, preventing him from taking another step forward!

Jensen wanted to escape, but to no avail, so he could only pretend to be weak and reprimand loudly, “What are you trying to do, young man? I’ve already told you that I don’t have any money. Stop hounding me for money. I really don’t have any money to give you!

“You’ve already forced me to my wits’ end, and I now have no choice but to return to the countryside to farm. Why won’t you let me off?”

Then he turned around and shouted at the bystanders around him, “Everyone, quickly help a poor old man out! This man refuses to let me off. I will definitely be beaten to death by him! Everyone, please help me!”

Lucas sneered. He didn’t expect Jensen to have such great acting skills. He really played the role of a poor old man being forced by a thug to turn to the public for help well.

With such acting skills, if Jensen joined the entertainment industry, he might be able to get an Oscar. He could definitely hold a candle to A-list actors.

Lucas sneered at Jensen’s performance, but many people around them were deceived and really thought that Lucas had come here to bully an old man.

“Young man, you’re able-bodied and young. There are so many things you can do. Why do you have to bully an old man?”

“Exactly! Don’t you have any parents and elders? How could you do this? You’re really too much!”

“Young man, we’re living in a lawful and civilized society. There’s no room for such nonsense. You’ve already forced this old man to this end and left him with no choice but to go back to the countryside to farm. Why are you doing this? Will you only be happy after driving this old man to death?”

…

All of a sudden, many people pointed fingers at Lucas and rebuked him. There were even some zealous young men who came forward and tried to pull Lucas’s hand away from Jensen’s collar.

emeka · Mar 27, 2024

moh96 said:
1341 Full of Regret

“What did you say?! Seven hundred million dollars? You want to acquire the Glory Group for seven hundred million dollars?!” Weston’s voice became extremely sharp due to immense disbelief.

“Lucas Gray, are you out of your mind? Do you know what the market value of the Glory Group is? Thirty billion dollars! It’s a big corporation worth thirty billion dollars! But you’re telling me you want to acquire it for seven hundred million dollars? Are you joking with me?”

Weston was so infuriated that he was on the verge of breaking into hysterics. He even almost hurled vulgarities. Fortunately, he quickly stopped himself just as he was about to do so.

But he couldn’t calm down at all, and he felt a strong urge to kill someone.!!

Wanting to acquire the Glory Group for just 700 million dollars was outrageous!

Does this damn Lucas Gray think I have no choice but to sell the Glory Group to him? Is that why he dares to lower the price so much?

Flynn was also shocked to hear the price Lucas offered.

When Lucas said that he wanted to acquire the Glory Group, which had a market value of over 30 billion dollars, for 7 billion dollars, Flynn had felt extremely anxious and thought that it was unlikely.

Now that the market value of Glory Group had plummeted, and the company was in a terrible state, he thought that Lucas only wanted to lower the price a little and acquire the Glory Group for about 6 billion dollars or so.

He didn’t expect Lucas to offer only 700 million dollars!

Even Flynn was shocked by the price, feeling that it was truly unacceptable.

Lucas leaned back in his seat and said calmly over the speakerphone, “Mr. Barlowe, seven hundred million dollars is my final offer for the acquisition, not a single cent more. If you’re not satisfied with this price, you can continue being stubborn and wait for the Glory Group to go bankrupt and be liquidated today!

“Once that happens, will you be able to get back more than seven hundred million dollars?

“Of course, Mr. Barlowe, you don’t necessarily have to sell the Glory Group to me. You can try finding other buyers to see if anyone is willing to buy the mess that is Glory Group for so much money at this point!

“Also, the Glory Group isn’t the only building materials supplier in DC. The Stardust Corporation has nothing but money, and we can afford to drag this out with you. I can always find another supplier. Stardust City’s construction will go on, and the Stardust Corporation won’t be affected much.

“As for you, Mr. Barlowe, you’ve failed to ruin the Stardust Corporation’s project or cause me any substantial losses. This means you’re no longer of any value to the Hamiltons!

“When the time comes, forget about receiving compensation and help, the Hamiltons might even resent you for being incompetent, regard you as an eyesore, and kick you down even further. Mr. Barlowe, you’re in a dire situation now! You’d better consider it carefully!”

Then Lucas hung up without hesitation, not giving Weston any chance to respond.

Flynn had been anxious for a long time, but he didn’t dare to interrupt. Seeing Lucas finally hanging up, he hurriedly said, “Lucas, are you really… not going to acquire the Glory Group anymore?”

Lucas shook his head and said with a smile, “How is that possible? The Glory Group is already ours.”

Seeing that Flynn still seemed confused, Lucas explained, “The Glory Group has already become a rotten ship that’s bound to sink. Be it their reputation, financial situation, or employee loyalty, everything is terrible now.

“Now, almost everyone knows that the Glory Group has offended someone and that anyone related to the company will get into trouble. No one else in DC will dare to take over the Glory Group. Apart from us, Weston Barlowe has no other option.”

Hearing this, Flynn came to a sudden realization. At the same time, he was much more in awe of Lucas.

Indeed, just as Lucas said, Weston was now in a terrible situation.

He didn’t want to sell the Glory Group to Lucas for 700 million dollars, so he was now trying to find someone willing to buy his company.

But after making countless calls, he didn’t receive any good news.

Those close to him and about as rich as him all said that they didn’t have enough money to acquire the Glory Group as soon as they heard his intention to sell it. Even though they were rich, they didn’t dare to buy the Glory Group. Anyone could tell that Weston definitely offended someone he shouldn’t have. Who would dare to take over his company?

The wealthy families who were much stronger than the Barlowes simply couldn’t be bothered to deal with the Glory Group’s mess. It would be ridiculous to spend a lot of money on a lousy company and still have to handle a huge mess afterward.

Thus, Weston became even more hopeless after making so many calls.

Only now did he finally understand that no one else except Lucas could save the Glory Group.

Weston gritted his teeth and finally made a heartbreaking decision. Forget it. Seven hundred million dollars is better than nothing. It’s better than losing everything and ending up in debt!

Half an hour later, Weston personally brought all the documents of the Glory Group to the Stardust Corporation’s headquarters and asked to see Lucas.

“Mr. Gray, I’ve decided to sell the Glory Group to you for seven hundred million dollars! All the necessary documents are here. If you don’t have any objections, we can go ahead and immediately proceed with the transfer procedures!” Weston said to Lucas in a shaky voice while forcing himself to smile.

Hearing this, Flynn looked at Lucas with admiration from the bottom of his heart.

Acquiring the Glory Group, which had a market value of 30 billion dollars just yesterday morning, for 700 million dollars was a remarkable feat in the Stardust Corporation’s acquisition history!

Lucas wasn’t surprised by this result at all. With a calm expression, he instructed indifferently, “Mr. Davis, go handle the transfer with Mr. Barlowe.”

Lucas naturally didn’t have to handle such a trivial matter personally.

“Yes, Mr. Gray!” Flynn acknowledged respectfully, unable to hide his smile. He looked at

Weston with a great sense of superiority and said, “Mr. Barlowe, please!”

Weston felt incredibly disgruntled and depressed. The Glory Group, which he had painstakingly built and had been worth 30 billion dollars, would be acquired for merely 700 million dollars! From now on, the Glory Group would be someone else’s property and no longer have anything to do with him!

At the same time, Weston was chagrined and full of regret.

The Glory Group had been doing well and had a good cooperative relationship with the Stardust Corporation. He could have easily earned a few hundred million dollars a year just through the sales of building materials.

But due to his greed, he was tempted by the Hamiltons’ empty promise and mercilessly harmed Lucas and the Stardust Corporation, thinking that he had gotten into the good graces of a wealthy backer.

In the end, he lost everything and ended up in a terrible state!

Weston was full of regret!

But it was too late for regrets now!

1342 Request to Step Down

Soon, the paperwork for the transfer was completed, and the Glory Group completely changed hands, becoming part of the Stardust Corporation.

After taking over the Glory Group, Flynn immediately arranged for people to open the warehouses and transport the building materials, and the Stardust City project restarted construction.

As for the Glory Group’s mess, Lucas dealt with it easily.

With just one call, the bank naturally stopped pressing for loan repayment.

Almost all the senior managers had left, but this was even less of a problem. Lucas could just transfer some core management staff from the Stardust Corporation and hire some more staff, which would actually decrease corruption in the company.

As for the negative public opinion and the stock price, there was naturally special staff to deal with it, and the impact was soon reduced to nothing.

In just one afternoon, everything seemed to be back on track.

…

In a well-hidden villa in DC…

Jensen paced back and forth in the villa in frustration, feeling terrible.

He was still trapped in DC without any chance to leave.

Lucas and those wealthy families in DC were still searching for his whereabouts, so Jensen really couldn’t find a chance to leave DC.

If Lucas found him, with Lucas’s fearlessness, he might really kill him!

The more trapped he was here, the more frustrated he felt, and the more angry he was.

Now, a minor issue could trigger him and make him fly into a rage.

So for the next few days, the servants in the villa and the people around Jensen were all incredibly careful with their words and actions, for fear of accidentally angering him.

At this moment, Jensen received the news of the Stardust Corporation’s acquisition of the Glory Group. He was so furious that he smashed a glass ornament on the floor.

Bang!

With a crisp sound, glass shards scattered all over the floor.

“That idiot Weston Barlowe! I told him to deal with Lucas Gray, but he gave away the Glory Group to him instead. He really deserves to die! That bastard!” Jensen cursed, his face flushed and his chest heaving violently.

This had been a brilliant solution that he had painstakingly thought of. He had terminated the supply of building materials to the Stardust Corporation to cause the project that Lucas had invested a huge amount of money in to be halted so that he would suffer heavy losses.

If Weston had done a good job, he could have brought down the Stardust Corporation from this one incident, and Lucas’s company could have gone bankrupt.

But Weston was an idiot who couldn’t get such a simple thing done and had to come to seek his help for such a trivial matter. In the end, he failed and caused Lucas to gain such a huge advantage!

Jensen was infuriated!

While he was venting his anger, a middle-aged man in white walked over and said calmly, “Mr. Jensen, we’ve been in DC for too long. I’m afraid there will be tongues wagging in the family. We’d better find a way to go back soon!”

When Jensen heard this, his face became even more gloomy.

Indeed, he had been away from home for some time now.

Originally, his mission this time was to turn the top families of a few west coast states into subordinates of the Hamiltons, thereby taking over the states.

It was supposed to be a very simple task that even his son Brett could handle. Jensen didn’t even think about handling this matter personally at first.

But later, his son Angus suddenly went missing in Orange County, and Lucas led the wealthy families of California to foil his plans, thus resulting in the various matters that happened after.

Due to his intense hatred for Lucas, he went to DC, planning to kill him first before returning to the west coast states to take them over to give his family a satisfactory explanation.

But Jensen never thought that Lucas would be so difficult to deal with. Not only had he failed to kill Lucas, but he even became enemies with him. And now, he was trapped in DC and didn’t even dare to go out of the villa.

For Jensen, who had always gotten what he wanted, this matter was so upsetting that he was about to go crazy!

Moreover, after so long, he still hadn’t taken over California. If this matter spread back to his family, his two brothers, who had been eyeing his position, would definitely seize this opportunity to criticize him for his incompetence.

If he continued to be trapped in DC, he would likely fall out of favor with his father, and his status in the family would decline!

No, that mustn’t happen!

“You’re right. I really should find a way to leave DC now! Since Lucas Gray is in hot pursuit, then I’ll make all of DC chaotic. Let’s see how he can trap me then!” Jensen said through gritted teeth and then gave some instructions to the middle-aged man in white.

…

Over the next few days, everything was smooth sailing for Lucas. Because he had acquired the Glory Group, the overall market value of the Stardust Corporation increased greatly. It even advanced by numerous places in the Global 500. The employees of the Stardust Corporation were brimming with pride and smiling endlessly.

The better the development of the company, the better their future benefits would be, and the more motivated they were to work.

At this moment, Bruce and Edmund brought some gifts to Lucas’s office in the Stardust Corporation’s headquarters and smilingly congratulated him for the Stardust Corporation’s improvement.

Looking at the two of them, Lucas smiled and said, “You two are doing great too. Under your lead, the Hales and the Coles will definitely make amazing achievements!”

Edmund and Bruce looked at each other with embarrassed expressions.

Edmund took the lead and said, “Ahem, Lucas, we actually came today to talk to you about this matter.

“Both Bruce and I are in our seventies. As much as we hate to admit it, we are indeed old, and we can only leave the development of our families to our next generation. Therefore, I would like to inform you that I’ll be handing over my position as helmsman to my son, Clement, and have him take over for me.

“Clement may have been unruly before, but he has improved greatly after all the training he’s received. So I can hand the family over to him with peace of mind.”

Bruce said, “I share similar sentiments. Prior to this, I’ve already passed the position of the helmsman of the Hales to my grandson Connor. But Connor is still young and lacks experience, so I’ve kept an eye on him during this period of time. But I can’t be guiding him forever, and it’s time I step back and let him fully assume the responsibility of the head of the family!”

The two of them spoke emotionally.

Only then did Lucas realize that Bruce and Edmund had come to request to step down and hand over their power to their younger generation.

1343 Assassination Warning

Lucas looked at the two people who had followed him for a long time.

Frankly speaking, they were both indeed advanced in age, and their hair was already all white. Their faces were covered with wrinkles, and even their bodies were a little hunched.

In ordinary families, elderly people in their seventies would have long let go of the burden of work and concentrated on caring for their grandchildren and their health.

If not for their concern for their families’ development and their fear that their successors’ inexperience would cause problems, they would have already handed over their power to their successors. They wouldn’t have had to worry about so many things at their age.

Perhaps because the Hales and the Coles had already settled down in DC, and many things were already on the right track, they no longer had to worry. So they decided to inform Lucas of their intention to step down.

Lucas naturally wouldn’t be harsh to these two old men who had followed him for a long time.

He said smilingly, “Since you two have already come to a decision, just go ahead with it. You didn’t have to inform me about it. Speaking of which, I’ve seen the progress Clement and Connor have made. I believe that with your teachings, the Hales and the Coles will definitely prosper and become families on par with the Parkers and the other top families of DC!”

Bruce and Edmund smiled with relief, and their bodies relaxed as they laughed heartily. “Thank you for taking care of us, Lucas!”

Having put down their family burden, they seemed to have fewer wrinkles on their faces, and they were much more relaxed when speaking with Lucas.

It wasn’t that Lucas treated them harshly. But rather, Bruce and Edmund were the helmsmen of their families before, so they had to consider everything for their families. They were extremely cautious when speaking with Lucas, afraid of saying something wrong and offending him. Thus, they had always been very respectful and restrained when they were with Lucas.

After putting down the burden of their families, they were less restrained and closer to Lucas, speaking to him like they were friends.

The few of them sat on the couch and chatted leisurely. Suddenly Bruce’s phone rang.

He picked it up. “Hello. What’s the matter?”

The person on the other end said something that made Bruce’s expression change drastically. He suddenly sprung up from his seat and yelled, “What did you say?! Connor has just been assassinated and is severely injured? He’s now being transported to the hospital?!” Lucas’s and Edmund’s expressions immediately became solemn.

Connor suddenly being assassinated and his life being in danger was definitely not a minor matter!

Before Bruce hung up, Edmund’s phone in his pocket suddenly rang too.

For some reason, Edmund suddenly had an ominous hunch.

When he answered the call, he heard a terrible piece of news. “Mr. Cole, bad news. The new helmsman, Clement, has suddenly been assassinated and is now being sent to the hospital!”

Edmund’s body trembled, and he almost fell to the floor.

Clement was his only son. If something happened…

Lucas’s expression became even more gloomy. At this moment, his phone rang too.

It was a call from Damon.

As soon as he saw Damon’s phone number, his heart sank.

The Hales, the Coles, and the Parkers had pledged allegiance to him when they were still in California and had now followed him to DC.

Could something have happened to the Parkers too?

Lucas answered his phone. Sure enough, Damon’s worried and anxious voice came from the other end. “Lucas, my son Ray was just assassinated and stabbed in the abdomen. He’s now being resuscitated in the hospital!”

“Okay, I got it. Tell me what hospital he’s at, and I’ll send the best doctors there! I’ll talk to you in detail later. Be careful of your own safety for now.”

Everything had happened so suddenly, so Lucas could only give these instructions.

Immediately afterward, Lucas received three more pieces of terrible news.

Michael, the helmsman of the Huttons; Florence, the head of the Howards; and Tyson, the helmsman of the Smiths, had all been assassinated by assassins of unknown origin this morning. They were all seriously injured, and their lives were in danger. They were currently receiving emergency treatment at the hospital.

If only one family had encountered such a tragedy, it could be said to be by chance.

But now that the heads or successors of all six families related to Lucas encountered assassinations at the same time, it was definitely the doing of someone with malicious intentions!

Moreover, they were all heavily wounded and undergoing emergency treatment in the hospital. None of them died on the spot. Clearly, the mastermind was out to teach Lucas a hard lesson and give him a warning!

Edmund and Bruce had also heard the bad news, and they said through gritted teeth, “Lucas, it must be the Hamiltons behind this!

“A few days ago, we helped you search DC for Cheyenne, and we’ve been helping you search for the Hamiltons for the past few days. They must know that we have a close relationship with you, so they specially sent experts to assassinate the heads of our families to give you a warning!”

“They also deliberately made sure that the helmsmen were only seriously wounded and didn’t kill them. The Hamiltons are telling us to behave ourselves, but they don’t want to fall out with us completely. Otherwise, these people wouldn’t only be seriously wounded but would have died!”

Lucas’s eyes were full of anger as he nodded. “Okay, I know the Hamiltons are coming at me. Don’t worry. I will give you an explanation for this!”

Edmund hurriedly said, “Lucas, please don’t be mistaken. We definitely don’t mean to blame you. The people who did these things are the Hamiltons. It’s not your fault!”

Bruce hurriedly chimed in, “Yes, Lucas, this has nothing to do with you, and there’s no need for you to give us an explanation. We were more than willing to help find Cheyenne and search for the Hamiltons, so please don’t blame yourself! Besides, we have long stood on your side. As long as the Hamiltons still want to take revenge against you, they will definitely not spare us!

“Now, I think we have to come up with a solution to deal with the Hamiltons right away. Otherwise, if they get up to something like this again, it probably won’t be a warning but murder!”

Bruce and Edmund deeply felt the Hamiltons’ tyranny and viciousness.

Lucas was furious.

The Hamiltons had previously sent assassins to try and kill Lucas. And later, they had hidden behind the Holmes and instigated the foolish Norman to abduct Cheyenne in an attempt to force Lucas into submission.

And now, they had even attacked the heads of the families close to him. Lucas’s patience with the Hamiltons had completely run out.

Lucas suddenly said with a gloomy expression, “Alright, get your families to stop searching for the Hamiltons!”

1344 Courting Death

After hearing Lucas’s decision, Bruce and Edmund were shocked, thinking that Lucas had decided to compromise with the Hamiltons because of their warning.

“Lucas, you mustn’t compromise with the Hamiltons! The Hamiltons just want to warn us not to act rashly. If we really do as they say, we will be falling into their trap and letting their plan succeed! It will only make the Hamiltons even more arrogant!”

Edmund was from the military, so he absolutely hated the way the Hamiltons were acting. He persuaded anxiously, “Lucas, I think we should not only not retreat now, but we should send more people to find the Hamiltons in DC to teach them a lesson!”

Bruce thought it made sense, so he nodded in agreement. “Edmund is right. We definitely can’t let the Hamiltons get away with it and think that we’re pushovers who will succumb just because of a warning from them. We should seize this opportunity to do the opposite instead and capture them all in one fell swoop while they think we don’t dare to do anything to them!”

Although he wasn’t an aggressive person and the type to go head-to-head against big families, the Hamiltons had seriously injured his only grandson now, so he couldn’t tolerate it any further.

Of course, they weren’t proposing being bold in the spur of the moment. Edmund and Bruce knew very well that the reason they dared to make such a suggestion was that they had Lucas’s support. As long as Lucas was around, even though the opponent was a royal family branch, they weren’t afraid at all!

Looking at the two people in front of him, Lucas felt touched.

Previously, Bruce and Edmund were both full of awe and scruple toward the eight top families of DC and didn’t dare to go against them easily.

But now, the enemy they would have to face was the royals, who were far more terrifying than the eight top families of DC.

If ordinary people received a warning from the royals in the form of harming their kin, they would definitely be scared out of their wits and no longer dare to make enemies of them.

But Bruce and Edmund didn’t retreat at all and were instead willing to continue fighting against the Hamiltons with him.

It made Lucas’s heart feel warm.

But even though Bruce and Edmund said so, Lucas didn’t intend to do as they said.

It wasn’t that he was really afraid of the Hamiltons, but rather, the Hamiltons didn’t have a bottom line when doing things. So Lucas didn’t want to see those loyal to him getting hurt and having their lives in critical condition.

“Just do as I’ve said and get your people to stop searching for them.”

Before the two of them could reply, Lucas continued, “Don’t worry. I won’t let the

Hamiltons off. I know the reason they gave me a warning. They just want me to leave DC.

“If you continue sending your people to search for them, they might really go after your families again in a moment of anger. When the time comes, you and your family members will be in danger. I don’t want to see you in danger.

“So withdraw your people, and I’ll give the Hamiltons some hope of leaving DC. Then I’ll destroy that glimmer of hope and capture them myself!”

Lucas spoke resolutely.

Edmund and Bruce felt extremely touched. Indeed, Lucas told them to withdraw their people because he didn’t want them to be in danger.

“Lucas—”

“Okay, there’s no need to say anymore. We’d better hurry to the hospital to see how Connor and Clement are doing!” Lucas interrupted before they could finish and took the lead in standing up.

So many people had gotten severely injured this time, so Lucas wanted to go to the hospital to see how they were doing.

The safety of the wounded was of utmost importance. Edmund and Bruce stood up and left the Stardust Corporation with Lucas.

But as soon as they left the building, before they even reached the parking lot, more than ten Volkswagen Passats surrounded them. The car doors opened, and four or five burly men rushed out of each car and surrounded them.

The sudden change caused Edmund’s and Bruce’s expressions to change drastically.

They didn’t expect to be surrounded right outside the Stardust Corporation’s headquarters.

The burly men standing around them all looked ferocious and menacing. Clearly, they had come with ill intentions.

Edmund stepped forward and hollered furiously at the people around them, “Who are you people? This is the Stardust Corporation. Causing trouble and stopping us here, do you have a death wish?”

A young figure appeared from behind the burly men and said coldly, “Hah, how arrogant. How dare you speak to the Piers like that? You’re the one courting death, you old fogey!”

The Piers? Edmund was stunned and tried to recall any wealthy family with the last name Piers. When he thought of something, his expression suddenly changed.

“The Piers? One of the eight top families of DC?” Edmund asked in surprise.

Piers wasn’t a rare last name, and many people in DC carried it.

But there was only one wealthy family with this last name in DC—the one among the eight top families!

Thinking of the young man’s identity, Edmund and Bruce couldn’t help feeling a little scrupulous and worried.

They knew that Lucas wasn’t afraid of the eight top families of DC, but the situation now was different. The helmsmen of the three top families close to Lucas had all been attacked and were now hospitalized with severe wounds. Besides, the Hamiltons were hiding in the dark like a venomous snake, ready to attack them at any time.

Now, a young man from the Piers aggressively brought a large group of people to surround them. He was clearly out to harm them!

Lucas had recognized this young man to be Adam Piers, the grandson of the helmsman of the Piers family.

Previously, he had taken a liking to Cheyenne at the airport when she first arrived in DC to go to Felix Howard’s funeral. He had pestered her, but Lucas had kicked him away.

Later, at the Howards’, the Piers wanted to force Florence to marry into their family and force Cheyenne to marry Adam. At the time, Jordan had slapped him unconscious and almost killed him.

Lucas didn’t expect to run into him again and for him to behave so arrogantly in front of him. It seemed that he had forgotten his lesson.

Lucas stared at Adam with an ice-cold expression on his face and sneered. “Adam Piers, it seems like you’re really tired of living. How dare you provoke me. Are you so eager to court death?”

1345 Crisis of the Three Families

As soon as Adam saw Lucas’s face, he immediately remembered everything he had gone through at the Howard residence.

It could be said that he would never forget the humiliation he suffered that day!

Previously, the Piers were scrupulous of Lucas’s power, so they had no choice but to swallow their anger and endure not taking revenge on him.

But the situation was different now. The Piers no longer had to be afraid of Lucas. This time, he had to take revenge against him and return all the humiliation he had suffered!

“Lucas Gray, what are you being so arrogant for? Do you think you can do anything to me?” Adam shouted furiously.

Lucas looked coldly at him. “Immediately get lost with these people, and I can spare you and the Piers one more time.”

Hearing this, Adam immediately flew into a rage.

He hated that Lucas always behaved high and mighty in front of him, as if he was a god on a pedestal while he was just a nobody lying on the ground who could be manipulated by him!

The look in his eyes and the tone of his voice were extremely infuriating!

Adam gritted his teeth and roared angrily, “Damn it! Lucas Gray, you’re already at death’s door. Why are you still pretending to be a big shot?

“Do you think I don’t know? You’re just throwing your weight around in front of me because you have the backing of a few top families of DC!

“But now, Florence Howard, Michael Hutton, and Tyson Smith were assassinated, and their survival is still unknown. You’re about to lose your backers. Who are you to behave arrogantly in front of me?

“You’re the one eagerly courting death!”

Lucas immediately understood. No wonder this good-for-nothing Adam dared to show up in front of him and threaten him. It turned out that the Piers also knew about the assassination of the helmsmen.

Moreover, this probably wasn’t all. The Hamiltons should have something to do with this.

They first sent some people to assassinate the helmsmen close to him and then disclosed the news to the families with grudges against him. With some words to sow discord and promises to give them some benefits, families like the Piers would definitely jump out eagerly to deal with him.

One, they already had a feud with Lucas to begin with, so this time, they were taking advantage of this opportunity to exact revenge. Two, they were also using this chance to express their goodwill to the Hamiltons to get closer to them.

Noble families like the royals were usually disdainful of wealthy families, thinking that they were obsessed with money and feeling that it would be degrading to befriend them.

Now that the Piers could befriend the Hamiltons through this incident, they were probably overjoyed.

Looking at Adam, who was behaving as proud as a peacock, Lucas mocked him mercilessly. “Hah, how stupid! You’re being so smug and arrogant despite being led around by the nose by others. What a fool!”

“Damn it! Who are you calling a fool? You’re the greatest fool of all, Lucas Gray!” Adam immediately sprung up like a cat whose tail was stepped on. He retorted loudly, “Lucas Gray, you’re the biggest fool yourself! Do you know that three families are about to be removed from the ranks of the eight top families of DC?!

“Aren’t you friends with the Howards, the Huttons, and the Smiths? Hah, the helmsmen of these three families are severely wounded, and the other five families will soon jointly destroy them! When the time comes, I’ll see what you have to rely on to speak so rudely in front of me!”

Lucas frowned.

The other five top families would be joining hands to destroy the Howards, the Huttons, and the Smiths?

Prior to this, the eight top families of DC, who were at the summit of DC, had cooperation and competition between them, but they all maintained a delicate balance. So after all these years, they had rarely fought on a large scale, let alone have several families joining hands to destroy other families.

But the balance between the eight top families had been broken now.

Today, Florence, the head of the Howards; Michael, the helmsman of the Huttons; and Tyson, helmsman of the Smiths, had all been assassinated. They were now hospitalized and in critical condition.

These three families were not peaceful in the first place, and there was plenty of hidden competition and tension within their respective families. Once the three helmsmen were gone, no one knew what would happen.

Many people in these three families were probably already starting to take action, thinking about how to take the position of helmsman for themselves.

Moreover, the Hamiltons were sowing discord. As long as the Hamiltons misled them and promised to give them some benefits, the remaining families would definitely eagerly want to eradicate the three families and split their assets among themselves!

At that time, the Howards, the Huttons, and the Smiths might really be annihilated!

The Hamiltons had indeed formulated a great plan!

The murderous intent in Lucas’s eyes intensified. He had already decided that he wouldn’t let the culprit off easily once he caught him!

Of course, they had to go through Lucas first if they wanted to destroy these three families!

Lucas shifted his cold gaze onto Adam. “You really don’t plan on leaving with your people?”

Adam subconsciously shuddered in fear when he saw the cold and murderous look in Lucas’s eyes.

But when he saw the more than a hundred experts around him, and when he thought of the fact that Lucas’s backers would be annihilated soon and that he couldn’t be arrogant in front of him anymore, Adam felt courage surge within him again.

“Lucas Gray, how dare you threaten me? Do you really think I’m scared of you?

“Open your eyes wide and take a good look at the situation. My people are surrounding you! Even if each of them only punches you once, they’ll be able to break all your bones and make you wail loudly on the ground!

“Hahaha, I’ll give you a chance. If you immediately kneel, kowtow to admit to your mistakes, and call yourself a piece of garbage, I will spare your life for now. How about it?”

Adam raised his head and laughed arrogantly.

The experts of the Piers surrounding them also burst into laughter.

“Kneel down and apologize to Mr. Adam immediately! Otherwise, you’ll really be dead meat!”

“Everyone, get ready to teach this ignorant bastard a lesson. It’s his punishment for speaking arrogantly and looking down on the Piers!”

“That’s right. If you don’t kneel down and apologize, we will beat you up!”

…

The experts of the Piers spoke extremely arrogantly.

1346 Attacking My People

“You bastards!”

Seeing the Piers mocking and insulting Lucas unscrupulously, Edmund lost his temper.

Lucas had been the esteemed captain of the Falcon Regiment who was not to be offended. How could he, who had the title the invincible God of War, be insulted by these small fries?

Bruce was also trembling with anger. If he were in his thirties, he might have already rolled up his sleeves and charged forward to slap these bastards who had the audacity to insult Lucas.

But now, he was old and frail, so there was nothing he could do except stand in front of Lucas furiously to shield him.

Adam laughed smugly. “Lucas Gray, did you hear that? Even my subordinates know that if you kneel down in front of me and beg for forgiveness, I might spare your life. How about it? If you don’t want to die, hurry up and get down on your knees!

“Don’t think you’re that impressive. No matter how skilled you are at martial arts, you’re all alone. Can you beat the more than a hundred experts by my side?”

Lucas’s eyes flickered coldly. “You’re just a piece of trash. Who are you to make me kneel down and apologize?”

Adam’s expression changed, and he barked furiously, “Lucas Gray, don’t f*cking push it! I… Argh!”

Before he could finish speaking, Lucas’s body had already vanished on the spot.

Immediately afterward, a firm and steel-like hand was tightly clutching Adam’s neck, blocking the following words from leaving his mouth.

“Even if there’s a hundred or a thousand people like them, what’s the big deal?”

Lucas’s icy-cold words rang in Adam’s ears, causing him to be so frightened that he almost wet himself.

Adam originally thought that by bringing over a hundred people to besiege Lucas, he would definitely be able to take down Lucas perfectly and get back at him for the humiliation he had suffered at the Howards’. But he never thought that Lucas would be as swift as a phantom. Before he could even see his actions, Lucas was already strangling him and now had control over his life!

Lucas had clearly been over ten meters away from him. How did he manage to move so quickly behind him?

Was this speed really something that humans could achieve?

Everyone stared in shock and only returned to their senses when they saw Lucas strangling Adam to the point that his face had turned purple and he was struggling to breathe.

“Scoundrel! Hurry up and let go of Mr. Adam!” someone immediately hollered at Lucas.

They wanted to charge over to deal with Lucas, but he was still strangling Adam, causing them not to dare to act rashly.

Without even looking at them, Lucas stared at Adam coldly. “The Piers are merely small fries, yet you want me to succumb to you?

“You’re just a piece of trash from the Piers, yet you want me to kneel and apologize to you?

“You want to take me down with these people you’ve brought?”

Lucas questioned with a mocking voice.

With every word he said, Adam’s body trembled, and the fear in his eyes intensified.

At this moment, Adam was full of regret!

If he had known that Lucas was much stronger than he had imagined, he definitely wouldn’t have brought so many people with him to besiege Lucas.

If he had known earlier, he… he would have definitely gotten his people to act first while he hid far behind them. Before they caught Lucas, he definitely wouldn’t appear!

But it was too late for regrets now. Adam felt that his chest was on the verge of exploding from the suffocation. His brain was lacking oxygen, he was getting dizzy, and his vision started to blur.

Adam wanted to beg for forgiveness, but Lucas was clutching his neck tightly, causing him to be unable to make a sound. He was now full of endless fear.

Lucas’s terrifying speed astonished everyone around him.

The hundred or so experts of the Piers all had extremely gloomy expressions.

Lucas’s abilities were far beyond their imagination. Worse still, Adam was now in his hands!

If something untoward happened to Adam, they would be in deep trouble.

“Punk, quickly let go of Mr. Adam. Otherwise… otherwise, the Piers will never let you off!” A middle-aged man, the leader of the Piers’ experts, glared daggers at Lucas.

Lucas snorted contemptuously. “Is that so? I’d like to see how you won’t let me off.”

The middle-aged man looked extremely sullen. He didn’t dare to rush forward to save Adam, but he suddenly turned to look at Edmund and Bruce, who were standing in the middled anxiously. With a roar, he reached out to grab Edmund.

His idea was very simple. Since Lucas had captured Adam and made them too scared to take action, he would catch the two elderly men beside Lucas and force him to let go of Adam!

According to the information they had received, the two elderly men beside Lucas were the helmsmen of the Coles and the Hales, who had just arrived in DC, and were his subordinates. Even if Lucas didn’t care about them, holding them hostage would definitely affect Lucas’s confidence!

But despite his wonderful plan in his head, Lucas had already noticed his actions. How could Lucas allow him to get what he wanted?

“You have a death wish!”

With a cold glint in his eyes, Lucas swiped his free hand over Adam’s body, and two buttons appeared between his fingers.

Immediately afterward, Lucas flicked his finger, and the two buttons darted out like bullets, striking the middle-aged man in his outstretched arm and his thigh.

Pfft!

With the sound of something penetrating flesh, the two buttons pierced through the middle-aged man’s arm and thigh, causing him to shriek in pain. Clutching his wounded arm, he fell to his knees with a thud and wailed in agony.

“Ah! My… my hand and my leg… are both broken!”

All of this had happened within moments, and no one could react to what had happened. Before they knew it, the middle-aged man was already on his knees and screaming as blood gushed out of his arm and thigh.

“What?!”

“Does this punk have a gun? No, no way… He doesn’t have a gun in his hand at all!”

“What the hell is going on here?!”

The remaining experts of the Piers stared at the scene in front of them in panic, completely clueless about how their leader had suddenly suffered such injuries.

His wounds clearly looked like gunshot wounds, but they could clearly see that Lucas had one hand around Adam’s neck and the other hand empty. There wasn’t a single gun in sight!

This… this was simply incredible!

Lucas gripped Adam’s neck tightly and slammed him against the ground. Ignoring Adam’s screams, he stepped on his chest and stared coldly at everyone around him. “If you dare to attack my people again, I will kill this guy!”

…

1347 Urgent Situation

Lucas’s actions once again shocked everyone who was about to attack.

At this moment, Edmund and Bruce also realized that the two of them had just almost been held hostage. They panicked and hurried to Lucas’s side.

If they had been caught by the Piers, they would definitely have become bargaining chips for the Piers to use to threaten Lucas. They would have become burdens to Lucas!

What a close shave!

They only thought that the Piers had come to target Lucas this time, and they had never expected that the Piers would make a move against elderly men like them, causing them to almost fall into their trap.

Fortunately, Lucas’s reflexes were very fast, and he had rescued them at the critical moment!

Bruce and Edmund stood next to Lucas, looking warily at the Piers’ experts around them.

The rest of the Piers were naturally displeased. But one, Lucas’s skills were far beyond their imagination, and they still hadn’t figured out how he managed to form bullet hole-like wounds with his bare hand from so far away. The effects were even more terrifying than actual gunshot wounds. If anyone else went up, they would probably end up in the same state as their leader!

And two, Lucas was now stepping on Adam. As long as he exerted some force, he might stomp Adam to death right on the spot.

Thus, with Lucas’s warning, everyone stood rooted to the ground, not daring to act recklessly.

Lucas lowered his head, looked coldly at Adam beneath his foot, and mocked, “Adam Piers, I’m stepping on you with my foot now. What can your people do to me?”

At this moment, Adam was no longer as arrogant as earlier. He had painstakingly come to his senses after almost suffocating to death. Now, the only thought he had was to beg Lucas to spare him.

“Mr. Gray, ahem… it’s my fault. I won’t dare to go against you anymore. I’ll definitely avoid you when I see you in the future. Please… please forgive me this time! I won’t dare to do it again!” Adam frantically begged Lucas for forgiveness.

He no longer cared about his dignity at this point.

If not for the fact that Lucas was still stepping on him, rendering him immobile, Adam would have already gotten down on his knees and begged Lucas for forgiveness.

Hearing Adam begging for forgiveness shamelessly, the rest of the Piers looked extremely sullen.

At the same time, many of them felt relieved, knowing that they likely wouldn’t be blamed for not taking action since even their boss was spinelessly begging for forgiveness!

Lucas pressed his foot down a little harder and questioned, “Adam Piers, you’re just a goodfor-nothing. Who gave you the courage to bring so many people to besiege me? It definitely wasn’t your idea. Tell me honestly right now. What other plans do the Piers have?! If you dare to hide anything, I’ll crush you to death right now!”

Adam felt his organs aching due to the massive pressure on his chest. For a moment, he really thought that they would be crushed by Lucas and was frightened out of his wits.

Adam shrieked in horror and frantically yelled, “Ahhh! Mr… Mr. Gray, please spare me! I’ll tell you everything. No matter what you want to ask, I will definitely tell you the truth and not hide a single thing from you!

“You’re right. I’m indeed too timid to deal with you. My father sent me here to do this! He said that he doesn’t need me to capture you. He said that I just had to take the Piers’ experts here and trap you here for around an hour to stall for time!”

Lucas’s frown deepened, and he asked again, “The Piers sent you here to delay me? Who are you going to attack? Tell me quickly!”

“Yes, I’ll say it! My father said that Florence Howard is now lying in the hospital, and the rest of the Howards are in discord. If we take action immediately, we’ll be able to conquer the Howards in less than two hours!”

Adam frantically added, “And… we won’t be taking down only the Howards. The other families will be dealing with the Huttons and the Smiths. After tonight, the helmsmen of the Howards, the Huttons, and the Smiths will all be replaced!

“And… once these three families are gone, Lucas, no, I mean, Mr. Gray, your support in DC will be gone, and those families will come to deal with you at that time! So… I advise you to leave DC as soon as possible!

“I’ve already told you everything I know, so please spare my life!”

In order to survive, Adam really revealed everything he knew. He even advised Lucas to flee DC.

Lucas’s expression was extremely gloomy.

He didn’t expect the situation in DC to become so complicated within such a short time.

Without a doubt, the Hamiltons were the ones who colluded with the other families to launch an attack on the Huttons, the Howards, and the Smiths while their helmsmen were seriously injured and hospitalized.

Moreover, after the Hamiltons sent people to assassinate the helmsmen of the families close to Lucas, there was nothing else they needed to do. With just some efforts to sow discord, the families harboring malicious intentions would immediately take action.

The situation now was indeed terrible.

The incident happened all too suddenly, and the families close to Lucas were all in trouble at the same time. No matter how capable Lucas was, there was nothing he could do to save them since he didn’t have enough manpower.

“All those families should die!” Lucas sneered and kicked Adam’s head, knocking him unconscious.

Lucas looked around at the Piers’ goons and shouted coldly, “Inform Derek and Conrad Piers to leave the Howard residence immediately. Otherwise, their son and grandson will die here!

“What are you waiting for? Get lost!”

The goons were terrified and didn’t dare to stay any longer. They hurriedly left and proceeded to report the situation to the two most authoritative people in the Piers family.

Only then did Edmund and Bruce heave a sigh of relief, but their tension didn’t ease at all.

They had heard everything Adam just said.

“Lucas, the situation is very unfavorable. What should we do now?” Edmund asked with a grim expression.

Looking at the two of them, Lucas instructed, “Listen up. Immediately contact your family’s representatives. If any major family barges into your residence and tries to encroach on your properties, don’t resist! Just let them be! Prioritize the safety of your family first!

“Inform the Parkers to do the same!”

Edmund and Bruce were astonished.

Lucas had never compromised in the past, but this time, he actually told them to retreat and give in?!

1348 Continue to Search

Lucas didn’t have time to explain much to them and simply urged, “Didn’t you hear what I said? Get to it immediately!”

Edmund and Bruce quickly took out their phones and relayed Lucas’s instructions to their families.

Although they were disgruntled and confused, they didn’t dare to disobey Lucas’s orders.

Besides, they both knew that Lucas wouldn’t harm them and that he naturally had his own reasons for giving these instructions.!!

After the two ended their calls, Lucas instructed again, “Don’t go home tonight. Just stay in the Stardust Corporation. It’s much safer here. I’m going out to handle some things. Wait for my news!”

Then Lucas turned around and headed to the parking lot.

“Lucas, pay attention to your safety!”

Edmund and Bruce didn’t dare to ask what Lucas was going to do and could only remind him with worried expressions.

Who knew whether they could tide through the crisis this time…

After Lucas left the Stardust Corporation, he didn’t rush to the Howards, the Huttons, or the Smiths.

He knew that since the Hamiltons had already made arrangements, regardless of which family he went to, there was no way he could resolve the matter.

With his power alone, he couldn’t destroy the other five top families of DC immediately.

The most effective method and the most important thing to do now was to find out where the Hamiltons, the secret instigators behind the scenes, were hiding so as to shock the families working with the Hamiltons and scare them into not daring to act recklessly!

Along the way, Lucas sent Jordan a text message. Soon, Jordan called.

“Lucas, according to what you said, we’ve locked down all the routes out of DC. Be it train stations, airports, bus stations, or major intersections out of DC, they are all under the control of our people. There’s no way the Hamiltons can leave silently!” Jordan reported.

“Okay, get everyone to continue keeping an eye on the routes. Also, protect the Stardust Corporation and my family. I’ll go meet Jensen Hamilton myself and see where he’s hiding!” Lucas said coldly.

“Okay, I got it, Lucas!” Jordan immediately acknowledged.

Although he couldn’t join Lucas in this operation, Jordan knew that Lucas had given him the task of protecting the people who meant the most to him, which was an extremely important matter, and he couldn’t afford to be negligent at all.

…

After learning about the current situation in DC, Jensen smiled with satisfaction and finally left the hidden villa to head toward a train station in DC.

Generally speaking, big shots like Jensen usually traveled in their own private planes and rarely took commercial airlines, let alone mass public transportation like trains.

But now that the airports had been blocked off, Jensen couldn’t get to the Hamilton family’s private jet at DC International Airport.

To ensure that he could get back to the Hamilton residence in the shortest possible time, taking the high-speed train was the fastest way instead.

He thought that Lucas and his people would never have imagined that a person of such high status as him would choose to travel by train, a method only lowly civilians used.

Thus, taking the train out of DC was the fastest and safest way for Jensen.

But just before Jensen arrived at the train station, he received a phone call from his subordinates.

“Bad news, Mr. Jensen. We just found that there are many suspicious people searching the three train stations in DC. I’m afraid that the train stations are already under their control!”

Jensen was shocked. “How is that possible? Isn’t DC in complete chaos? Lucas Gray should be in a frenzy now. How could he still have the manpower to block all the train stations?”

His subordinate hastily replied, “I also just received the news that DC is indeed in chaos. But the families close to Lucas Gray are acting strangely. When those families attacked them, they didn’t resist at all and evacuated their homes, giving up everything.

“So those families didn’t suffer any losses, but sent all their people out to track down the Hamiltons in DC just like before! So there are still a lot of people at this train station, and they’re even searching more intensively than the last few days!”

“Damn it! This is outrageous!” Jensen flew into a rage and slammed his fist on the car seat!

“Lucas Gray, you still won’t let me go even at this point. Just you wait. I won’t let you off!”

Jensen was really about to explode with anger.

He was a scion of the Hamiltons and the favorite son of the helmsman. Even the heads of the eight top families of DC had to be respectful to him. Yet Lucas, a young man in his twenties, was forcing him to a corner, causing him to have to sneak around like a rat. It was really outrageous!

Now, he felt so aggravated that he wished he could immediately capture Lucas, skin him alive, pull his tendons, and make him die in agony!

An old man sitting next to Jensen also frowned and said in a deep voice, “Mr. Jensen, it seems that Lucas Gray has made up his mind to keep you from leaving DC. But the more this is the case, the more cautious we must be. We must not falter!”

“After all, Lucas Gray has united the forces of several families in DC, and they have more manpower than we do here. This is their territory, so there’s no need for us to fight him to the death.”

Jensen roared, “So, what do you think we should do now?! Lucas Gray’s people have blocked all the ways out of DC. How can I be trapped here by him?

“As you know, I have been away from the family for long enough, but I haven’t finished my task. Once the news spreads back to the family, my two brothers definitely won’t let go of this great opportunity to attack me. The chances of me inheriting the Hamilton family will be even lower!

“Tell me, what should I do now?

“Am I going to be stuck here because of a mere Lucas Gray and watch the position of helmsman be taken away from me?”

Jensen yelled in annoyance. If the car wasn’t still in motion, he might have smashed the car roof with his fist.

This feeling was too aggrieving and stifling!

1349 Removing His Mask

The elderly man next to Jensen sat still quietly until he finished throwing a fit. Then he said, “Mr. Jensen, just as you’ve said, the most important thing to do now is to leave DC.

“Since the train station is under strict control, I’ve thought of a solution. I know an amazing master of disguise who happens to be in DC. We can ask him to help us disguise our appearance. That way, no matter how many people Lucas Gray has arranged in the train station, they won’t be able to find you!”

Hearing this, Jensen was overjoyed. “There’s such an amazing person? What are we waiting for then? Let’s go look for him immediately!”

“Alright, Mr. Jensen.”

The car immediately turned and headed toward the address the elderly man gave.

…

At this moment, Lucas was also driving toward the train station.

Along the way, he called Roman. “Are you at the DC International Airport now? Immediately send your people there to the train station!”

Roman was the illegitimate son of Michael’s brother, and he had become the next successor of the Huttons with Lucas’s help. Michael was injured, so Roman was now in charge of all the Huttons’ people.

Hearing what Lucas said, Roman said with bewilderment, “The Hamiltons’ private jet is parked in the DC International Airport. Do we just ignore it? Or have you already gotten concrete news that Jensen Hamilton will definitely leave from the train station?”

Lucas said, “I don’t have any confirmed news, but I reckon that Jensen Hamilton doesn’t dare to leave from the airport. It’s very likely that he’ll take a train.”

“What about cars then? Is there a possibility that they’re going to drive away?” Roman asked.

Lucas shook his head. “Going by car is the first method I ruled out. According to the information I recieved, the Hamiltons are holding a family meeting in three days, and attendance for all key members of the family is mandatory. If Jensen Hamilton goes back by car, he definitely won’t make it in time, so his only option now is the train station.”

Roman finally knew why Lucas was so sure and immediately agreed to it. He left the DC International Airport with his subordinates and headed straight to the train station.

…

Half an hour later, two people entered the waiting hall of the train station.

One of them was an elderly man in his seventies with a head full of white hair and wrinkles all over his face. He had an unsteady gait, and he even had to support himself with a thick walking stick.

Beside him was a woman in her forties, holding his arm with a sad face. She had many wrinkles around the corners of her lips and eyes. She was carrying a small purse and looked like a middle-aged woman who was unhappy with her life.

The two of them looked like an extremely ordinary father and daughter belonging to a low social class. After entering the waiting hall, they found a seat near the corner, took out a small piece of bread and a bottle of mineral water from a bag each, and started eating and drinking.

In the waiting hall, burly men were shuttling in and out from time to time, scanning the face of every passenger. Of course, they also scrutinized the father and daughter.

But no one took a closer look at them.

Soon, a gentle female voice announced in the hall, “Dear passengers, ticket checking for Train G7073 will begin soon. Please take your ID and ticket with you and head to the ticketing gates of Platform 7 for the ticket check.”

After hearing the voice, the elderly man holding the wooden walking stick raised his head with a look of relief in his eyes. “It’s finally time for the ticket check. We can go home!”

The elderly man stood up shakily while the middle-aged woman hurriedly supported his arm, and they walked toward Platform 7.

At this moment, a figure suddenly stopped the two of them and said lightly, “I’m afraid you can’t leave.”

When the elderly man heard this voice, his pupils suddenly constricted in shock. It’s Lucas Gray!

Lucas actually stopped him!

At this moment, the middle-aged woman next to him asked, “Young man, we’re going to check our tickets. May you please step aside?”

Looking at the two seemingly ordinary people, Lucas smirked. “I said that you two can’t go.”

Others couldn’t recognize them, but Lucas could tell at a glance that the elderly man who looked to be in his seventies was Jensen!

As for the middle-aged woman next to him, she wasn’t a woman at all but the Hamilton expert who followed Jensen closely.

Although Jensen and the expert’s disguise and acting were good, so much so that ordinary people wouldn’t be able to tell at all, they couldn’t escape Lucas’s eyes.

Lucas could tell that there was something wrong with the two of them at a glance.

Pretending to be angry, the middle-aged woman pointed at Lucas and berated, “What’s wrong with you, young man? I’ve already said I don’t know you. Why do you want to stop me? People like us don’t have money, so even if you stop us, we don’t have any money to give you!”

As soon as she said this, countless bystanders looked over with peculiar gazes.

They wondered if Lucas was a gangster who was trying to extort the middle-aged woman who looked poor.

Under everyone’s gazes, Lucas acted extremely quickly. Before anyone could react, he reached out and ripped off the mask and wig that the middle-aged woman was wearing.

In an instant, the miserable-looking middle-aged woman suddenly turned into a thin old man in his fifties!

This scene caused many people around to exclaim in shock.

“What… what’s going on?”

“What is this? Role-playing? Cosplaying?”

Many people didn’t think that they were disguising themselves and only found the scene in front of them very bizarre.

Lucas actually ripped off the old man’s mask and revealed his true face. He roared angrily at Lucas, “Punk, you’re courting death!”

Then he leaned forward to grab at Lucas’s face.

Beside him, Jensen, the elderly man with an unsteady gait, saw that the situation was turning awry, so he immediately took advantage of the opportunity to turn around and make a run for the ticketing gates while the expert was stopping Lucas.

As long as he could get through the ticketing gates and onto the train, no matter how powerful and quick Lucas was, he would never be able to catch up with the high-speed train and stop him!

1350 Superb Acting Skills

Lucas’s eyes flashed coldly, and his lips curled up into a contemptuous smile.

Jensen was really naive for thinking that he could easily escape from his pursuit!

Facing the menacing grab of the Hamilton expert, Lucas raised his fists and punched him without being bothered at all!

Bang!

With the muffled collision sound, the expert felt an unimaginably massive force striking against his palm. The instant they came into contact, all the bones of his palm were crushed!

The expert immediately looked horrified. Before he could cry out in pain, the force had already gone all the way up his wrist and arm. With an immense force of destruction, it crushed his entire arm and managed his flesh!

“Ahhh!” Even though the elderly expert was a rare powerhouse, he couldn’t bear the excruciating pain and screamed in agony.

In the next instant, his scream came to a sudden halt because Lucas moved closer and punched him between his chest and abdomen, making him unable to breathe and fall silent amid the intense pain.

Lucas inched closer and said smilingly, “Sir, this is a public space. If you scream, you’ll be a nuisance to others.”

The expert turned deathly pale and covered his stomach, unable to make a single sound.

Staring at Lucas, his eyes were full of fear.

Lucas’s punch in his abdomen had struck him right in the diaphragm and rendered him incapable of moving!

In just two exchanges, Lucas had already crippled one of his arms and made him incapable of using the martial arts skills he had trained hard for decades!

From now on, he was crippled!

He was an old and disabled person!

Thinking of the pathetic state that he would be in from now on, the elderly man became even paler, and large droplets of cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

“Punk… you… How dare you cripple me? The Hamiltons will never let you go! You’ll definitely die miserably in the future!” The expert stared at Lucas with shaky hands and eyes full of murderous intent.

Lucas glanced at him and sneered. “Is that so? Then just wait and see.”

If it wasn’t because they were in a crowded place in public, the expert would have lost more than just an arm. He might have already become a corpse.

Lucas didn’t care at all about what such a person said.

He stopped paying attention to this crippled person. The first thing he had to do now was to find Jensen.

…

At this moment, Jensen had already rushed to the ticketing gates of Platform 7 to have his ticket and ID checked. He was now running toward the train he was supposed to board.

Currently, Jensen was extremely fearful and anxious. He had long forgotten about pretending to be an elderly man in his seventies with mobility issues. He was now hurrying toward the train, wishing he could fly there.

He was well aware that his expert couldn’t stop Lucas for long. He might not even be able to stall him for a minute. So Jensen could only seize this extremely short opportunity to hurry to the train!

He was really panicking now.

He originally thought that he could successfully pass off as another person under the disguise that the master of disguise had carefully put on for him. But just as he was about to enter the ticketing gates, Lucas recognized him!

Worse still, he had only brought his most powerful bodyguard with him and disguised themselves as a father and daughter for fear that he might arouse suspicion if he brought too many people with him.

If he had known earlier that Lucas would still recognize him, he would have gotten more people to disguise themselves with him. Even if Lucas discovered him in the end, he would at least have a few more people to hold Lucas back and buy him more time to escape!

Jensen was running on the stairs and staring at the moving train that was about to enter the station, his eyes full of expectation and excitement. Hurry up! Hurry up!

Jensen didn’t even have time to run to the passenger car that he was supposed to board. He just ran to the nearest car and rushed straight toward the front, completely ignoring the queues.

Suddenly, a devilish voice sounded in Jensen’s ears.

“Oh, the esteemed Jensen Hamilton is scurrying around like a street rat. How pathetic.”

Jensen’s heart skipped a beat, and it almost jumped out of his chest!

He already recognized that it was Lucas’s voice!

His nemesis had arrived so soon!

Jensen’s heart was pounding wildly, and he gritted his teeth hard while staring at the door of the passenger car right in front of him, contemplating if he should charge straight into it.

But he was horrified to find that there was a massive force pulling him by the collar, preventing him from taking another step forward!

Jensen wanted to escape, but to no avail, so he could only pretend to be weak and reprimand loudly, “What are you trying to do, young man? I’ve already told you that I don’t have any money. Stop hounding me for money. I really don’t have any money to give you!

“You’ve already forced me to my wits’ end, and I now have no choice but to return to the countryside to farm. Why won’t you let me off?”

Then he turned around and shouted at the bystanders around him, “Everyone, quickly help a poor old man out! This man refuses to let me off. I will definitely be beaten to death by him! Everyone, please help me!”

Lucas sneered. He didn’t expect Jensen to have such great acting skills. He really played the role of a poor old man being forced by a thug to turn to the public for help well.

With such acting skills, if Jensen joined the entertainment industry, he might be able to get an Oscar. He could definitely hold a candle to A-list actors.

Lucas sneered at Jensen’s performance, but many people around them were deceived and really thought that Lucas had come here to bully an old man.

“Young man, you’re able-bodied and young. There are so many things you can do. Why do you have to bully an old man?”

“Exactly! Don’t you have any parents and elders? How could you do this? You’re really too much!”

“Young man, we’re living in a lawful and civilized society. There’s no room for such nonsense. You’ve already forced this old man to this end and left him with no choice but to go back to the countryside to farm. Why are you doing this? Will you only be happy after driving this old man to death?”

…

All of a sudden, many people pointed fingers at Lucas and rebuked him. There were even some zealous young men who came forward and tried to pull Lucas’s hand away from Jensen’s collar.

hahaha wonderful thanks for your good work

Prodigy · Mar 28, 2024

moh96 said:

Chapter 372: Making Guesses and Staying Vigilant

Charlotte had a righteous and vindictive character, and she hated those who liked harming others.

She now loathed the Turners and naturally didn’t want to continue staying here.
Lucas thought about it and said, “You’d better stay here.”

Before Charlotte could say anything, Lucas continued, “I know you won’t let your sister and Amelia be bullied by others, so I can put my mind at ease if you stay here.”

Charlotte was much feistier than Cheyenne.

In case something worrying happened, Cheyenne would more likely than not try her best to bear with it, but Charlotte would definitely retaliate and never let herself get bullied.

Seeing how serious Lucas was about entrusting Cheyenne and Amelia to her, Charlotte was really envious of Cheyenne for having such a caring husband who treated her so well.

“Okay. Don’t worry, Lucas. I’ll definitely protect Cheyenne and Amelia well. As long as I’m around, no one can bully her!” Charlotte solemnly promised.

Lucas squatted down, stroked Amelia’s head, and instructed, “Daddy has to leave for a while. You have to be good and listen to Mommy!”

After seeing Amelia nod sensibly, Lucas said to William, “William, let’s get going now.”

William nodded, and so the two of them calmly left the Turners’ home with various gazes cast on them.

Soon, Lucas drove to the city center in his Jaguar, together with William.

During the journey, William rolled down the windows to let some fresh air in and then said in bewilderment, “Had I known earlier, I would have stayed at home instead of coming here and getting provoked by them!”

Lucas smiled and comforted, “Just turn a deaf ear to their comments. Don’t let it get to you. Don’t bother arguing with them either, lest you get upset again.”
<

The Formidable Son in Law "Lucas Gray" - Updated by Moh96

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Chapter 2: Take You Back to Washington DC​

Chapter 3: I'm Back​

Supreme Grandmaster

1301 Brotherhood​

1302 False Accusation​

1303 Unreasonable​

1304 Not to Be Insulted​

1305 A Family of Bullies​

1306 Rushing Over to Save His Daughter​

1307 Compensation of 150 Million Dollars​

1308 The Holmes’ Family Meeting​

1309 Two Hundred Million Dollars​

1310 Greed​

Supreme Grandmaster

1312 Regret​

1313 Settling Scores​

1315 Checking Surveillance Camera Footage​

1316 Tenfold Return​

1317 Stepping Down​

1318 Change of Helmsman​

1319 Trap within an Opportunity​

1320 Agreeing to the Conditions​

Top Level Body Fusion Realm

Supreme Grandmaster

Top Level Body Fusion Realm

Top Level Body Fusion Realm

Top Level Body Fusion Realm

Top Level Body Fusion Realm

Supreme Grandmaster

1321 Deputy General Manager​

1322 Pleasant Surprise​

1323 Two-Faced​

1324 Cheyenne in Trouble​

1325 Refusing To Admit​

1326 Silencing in Public​

1327 Unbearable Humiliation​

1328 Death Threat​

1329 Saving His Wife​

1330 Duel Between Experts​

Supreme Grandmaster

1331 Unable to Die​

1332 City-Wide Search​

1333 The Stardust Corporation Gets into Trouble​

1334 Discussing the Acquisition​

1335 Waiting for You to Shrink​

1337 Increase in Intensity​

1338 Going Overboard​

1340 Beg You To Acquire​

Supreme Grandmaster

1341 Full of Regret​

1342 Request to Step Down​

1343 Assassination Warning​

1344 Courting Death​

1345 Crisis of the Three Families​

1346 Attacking My People​

1347 Urgent Situation​

1348 Continue to Search​

1349 Removing His Mask​

1350 Superb Acting Skills​

Ultimate Realm - Leader of Sex Sect

1341 Full of Regret​

1342 Request to Step Down​

1343 Assassination Warning​

1344 Courting Death​

1345 Crisis of the Three Families​

1346 Attacking My People​

1347 Urgent Situation​

1348 Continue to Search​

1349 Removing His Mask​

1350 Superb Acting Skills​

Top Level Body Fusion Realm

Chapter 2: Take You Back to Washington DC

Chapter 3: I'm Back

1301 Brotherhood

1302 False Accusation

1303 Unreasonable

1304 Not to Be Insulted

1305 A Family of Bullies

1306 Rushing Over to Save His Daughter

1307 Compensation of 150 Million Dollars

1308 The Holmes’ Family Meeting

1309 Two Hundred Million Dollars

1310 Greed

1312 Regret

1313 Settling Scores

1315 Checking Surveillance Camera Footage

1316 Tenfold Return

1317 Stepping Down

1318 Change of Helmsman

1319 Trap within an Opportunity

1320 Agreeing to the Conditions

1321 Deputy General Manager

1322 Pleasant Surprise

1323 Two-Faced

1324 Cheyenne in Trouble

1325 Refusing To Admit

1326 Silencing in Public

1327 Unbearable Humiliation

1328 Death Threat

1329 Saving His Wife

1330 Duel Between Experts

1331 Unable to Die

1332 City-Wide Search

1333 The Stardust Corporation Gets into Trouble

1334 Discussing the Acquisition

1335 Waiting for You to Shrink

1337 Increase in Intensity

1338 Going Overboard

1340 Beg You To Acquire

1341 Full of Regret

1342 Request to Step Down

1343 Assassination Warning

1344 Courting Death

1345 Crisis of the Three Families

1346 Attacking My People

1347 Urgent Situation

1348 Continue to Search

1349 Removing His Mask

1350 Superb Acting Skills

1341 Full of Regret

1342 Request to Step Down

1343 Assassination Warning

1344 Courting Death

1345 Crisis of the Three Families

1346 Attacking My People

1347 Urgent Situation

1348 Continue to Search

1349 Removing His Mask

1350 Superb Acting Skills