《The Consortium's Heir》 Chapter 1 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 1 It was ten o¡¯clock at night at the male dormitory building in the university campus. Four boys were lying on their dormitory beds talking to each other and having fun. Suddenly, the door to their dormitory room opened and a person rushed in. ¡°Hey guys! Come take a look at this! David Lesley is proposing to Sarah Ginn! It¡¯s being broadcasted on the school ount on Groove!¡± He said, waving the phone in his hands. Immediately, three of the four boys who were having fun rushed towards the neer and sat around him, eager to know the oue of the proposal. As to the reason for their eagerness, it was very simple. Sarah Ginn was widely acknowledged as one of the campus top beauties. Although she didn¡¯t make it into the top 5 in the list of beauties in the campus, she was still among the top 10. David Lesley, the person who was proposing to Sarah Ginn was widely known around the whole Kingston University. He was tall, handsome and most importantly very wealthy. He came from a wealthy background and his family; the Lesley family owned and managed a variety of business. As proof of his wealth, the car he drove on campus, a Porsche Carerra GT was reportedly worth a whooping sum of 2 million dors. That went to show how much wealth his family had. Many students were on Groove, a popr streaming tform the moment they got wind of the news. This could be the birth of a power couple, a rich and handsome man with a beautiful girl. Who would want to miss such a proposal? However, as the members of the male dormitory were eagerly watching the live stream, another male remained where hey on his bed. The members of the male dormitory present were all dressed decently. Although they were not overly wealthy, it was obvious at a nce that they were well to do. However, the male who remained on his bed was dressed differently from them. At a single nce, one could tell that he was very poor, as his outfit was very subparpared to his dorm mates. The male was none other than Darius Reid. Darius Reid was a 20 year old male who was in his third year of university. He was tall at 191 cm, and was very handsome. However, his good looks and height werepletely overshadowed by his poverty. He was a well known peasant in the university. As someone who had no idea who his parents was and grew up in an orphanage, Darius had been poor from the start. He had worked very hard when he got to 18 years of age and his stay at the orphanageN?velDrama.Org owns this. expired. He set his sights on Kingston University, the top university in the country. Because he was very smart, he was able to pass their entrance examinations and make it into the university. He was even given his first choice of study, Business Management. As he was the one sponsoring his self, he had little time for himself and always worked numerous part time jobs to make ends meet. It was at one of his part time jobs that he met Sarah Ginn, one of the campus beauties. He was instantly smitten when he saw her, and started courting her, disregarding his initial goal of making it big before being in a rtionship. He had courted her for 6 months before she finally agreed to be in a rtionship with him. She made a condition of never making their rtionship open, and made him swear to keep it private. She convinced him to do so because she wanted to keep their rtionship away from prying eyes. However, their rtionship hadn¡¯t evensted a month before this situation happened. Darius was skeptical at first when he heard the name Sarah Ginn, but waved it off. Even if the richest guy on campus proposed to her, he believed that Sarah would turn him down. After all, their rtionship was not based on material wealth but on true love. However, he still brought out his phone and logged in to his ount on Groove. He wanted to see for himself how the proposal would turn out. The stream started ying and the video came on. It showed a very luxurious background, with Sarah and Charles dining there. Darius checked thements in the live stream and was shocked at what he saw. ¡°Woahhh. Isn¡¯t that the Sky Golden Hotel? The only 7-star hotel in the whole of Mayflower district?¡± ¡°Yes it is. I heard that a single meal cost at least $10,000 there.¡± ¡°Wow. So expensive. Sarah must be lucky huh. Do you think she¡¯ll reject the proposal?¡± ¡°What? Of course not. Or else where would she find another guy as rich and handsome as David in this campus?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. She¡¯ll definitely ept the proposal.¡± As Darius went through thements on the stream, his heart started beating fast. He never knew that such an expensive ce existed! How could a single meal cost at least $10,000? That waspletely ridiculous. In all his years of part-time work he had never made up to $1,000 talk less of ten times the amount. Darius felt his trust in Sarah beginning to waver after reading thosements. He had taken Sarah out for meals on several asions, and he had never spent up to $50 on a single meal. Although she neverined, Darius felt thatpared to what she was receiving now, he was nothing worth mentioning. The stream went on for a few more hours, and it included the scenes where two of them ate luxurious foods, drank luxurious drinks and even talked about trivial things together. Finally, the moment they were all waiting for arrived, and David asked Sarah to be his girlfriend. Everyone, including Darius felt their hearts stopping. From the stream that he had been watching, Darius already felt Sarah slipping through his hands, but was still optimistic that she would reject David. However, it was all for naught. Sarah agreed to be his girlfriend. Darius felt his heart wrenching out when two of them shared a deep kiss on the stream. Including the six months he had courted her for; there had been very little physical touch between the two of them. Yet, not even a minute had gone by after she agreed and she already shared a kiss with him. Darius felt tears escaping his eyes, but his dorm mates never noticed as they were too focused on the live stream. After a few seconds, Darius wiped his eyes and stopped crying. He left the dorm and started walking towards the Sky Golden Hotel. He was going to ask Sarah why she agreed to date another person while they were still in a rtionship. It was ten o¡¯clock at night at the male dormitory building in the university campus. Four boys were lying on their dormitory beds talking to each other and having fun. Suddenly, the door to their dormitory room opened and a person rushed in. ¡°Hey guys! Come take a look at this! David Lesley is proposing to Sarah Ginn! It¡¯s being broadcasted on the school ount on Groove!¡± He said, waving the phone in his hands. Immediately, three of the four boys who were having fun rushed towards the neer and sat around him, eager to know the oue of the proposal. As to the reason for their eagerness, it was very simple. Sarah Ginn was widely acknowledged as one of the campus top beauties. Although she didn¡¯t make it into the top 5 in the list of beauties in the campus, she was still among the top 10. David Lesley, the person who was proposing to Sarah Ginn was widely known around the whole Kingston University. He was tall, handsome and most importantly very wealthy. He came from a wealthy background and his family; the Lesley family owned and managed a variety of business. As proof of his wealth, the car he drove on campus, a Porsche Carerra GT was reportedly worth a whooping sum of 2 million dors. That went to show how much wealth his family had. Many students were on Groove, a popr streaming tform the moment they got wind of the news. This could be the birth of a power couple, a rich and handsome man with a beautiful girl. Who would want to miss such a proposal? However, as the members of the male dormitory were eagerly watching the live stream, another male remained where hey on his bed. The members of the male dormitory present were all dressed decently. Although they were not overly wealthy, it was obvious at a nce that they were well to do. However, the male who remained on his bed was dressed differently from them. At a single nce, one could tell that he was very poor, as his outfit was very subparpared to his dorm mates. The male was none other than Darius Reid. Darius Reid was a 20 year old male who was in his third year of university. He was tall at 191 cm, and was very handsome. However, his good looks and height werepletely overshadowed by his poverty. He was a well known peasant in the university. As someone who had no idea who his parents was and grew up in an orphanage, Darius had been poor from the start. He had worked very hard when he got to 18 years of age and his stay at the orphanage expired. He set his sights on Kingston University, the top university in the country. Because he was very smart, he was able to pass their entrance examinations and make it into the university. He was even given his first choice of study, Business Management. As he was the one sponsoring his self, he had little time for himself and always worked numerous part time jobs to make ends meet. It was at one of his part time jobs that he met Sarah Ginn, one of the campus beauties. He was instantly smitten when he saw her, and started courting her, disregarding his initial goal of making it big before being in a rtionship. He had courted her for 6 months before she finally agreed to be in a rtionship with him. She made a condition of never making their rtionship open, and made him swear to keep it private. She convinced him to do so because she wanted to keep their rtionship away from prying eyes. However, their rtionship hadn¡¯t evensted a month before this situation happened. Darius was skeptical at first when he heard the name Sarah Ginn, but waved it off. Even if the richest guy on campus proposed to her, he believed that Sarah would turn him down. After all, their rtionship was not based on material wealth but on true love. However, he still brought out his phone and logged in to his ount on Groove. He wanted to see for himself how the proposal would turn out. The stream started ying and the video came on. It showed a very luxurious background, with Sarah and Charles dining there. Darius checked thements in the live stream and was shocked at what he saw. ¡°Woahhh. Isn¡¯t that the Sky Golden Hotel? The only 7-star hotel in the whole of Mayflower district?¡± ¡°Yes it is. I heard that a single meal cost at least $10,000 there.¡± ¡°Wow. So expensive. Sarah must be lucky huh. Do you think she¡¯ll reject the proposal?¡± ¡°What? Of course not. Or else where would she find another guy as rich and handsome as David in this campus?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. She¡¯ll definitely ept the proposal.¡± As Darius went through thements on the stream, his heart started beating fast. He never knew that such an expensive ce existed! How could a single meal cost at least $10,000? That waspletely ridiculous. In all his years of part-time work he had never made up to $1,000 talk less of ten times the amount. Darius felt his trust in Sarah beginning to waver after reading thosements. He had taken Sarah out for meals on several asions, and he had never spent up to $50 on a single meal. Although she neverined, Darius felt thatpared to what she was receiving now, he was nothing worth mentioning. The stream went on for a few more hours, and it included the scenes where two of them ate luxurious foods, drank luxurious drinks and even talked about trivial things together. Finally, the moment they were all waiting for arrived, and David asked Sarah to be his girlfriend. Everyone, including Darius felt their hearts stopping. From the stream that he had been watching, Darius already felt Sarah slipping through his hands, but was still optimistic that she would reject David. However, it was all for naught. Sarah agreed to be his girlfriend. Darius felt his heart wrenching out when two of them shared a deep kiss on the stream. Including the six months he had courted her for; there had been very little physical touch between the two of them. Yet, not even a minute had gone by after she agreed and she already shared a kiss with him. Darius felt tears escaping his eyes, but his dorm mates never noticed as they were too focused on the live stream. After a few seconds, Darius wiped his eyes and stopped crying. He left the dorm and started walking towards the Sky Golden Hotel. He was going to ask Sarah why she agreed to date another person while they were still in a rtionship. Chapter 2 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 2 Darius heart was filled pain as he walked towards the Sky Golden Hotel. He couldn¡¯t believe that someone he loved and put his whole heart for could betray him like this. He had loved Sarah with his whole heart, and he thought she loved him as well. He needed to find out what went wrong with their rtionship. After walking for 30 minutes, Darius finally got to the Sky Golden Hotel. As a 7-star hotel, the building was very luxurious and imposing. Everything about it screamed wealth and Darius found his self intimidated by the opulence of the building. He was still admiring the building when he saw Sarah and David walking out of the luxurious building. Darius felt his heart tugging painfully when he saw David putting his arm across Sarah¡¯s shoulders. He was very angry at David and wanted to punch him right in the face. He however controlled himself. He was here to ask for answers, not to fight or make a scene. Darius took a deep breath before walking over to where the two of them stood,ughing and smiling with each other. Darius could not recall thest time Sarah smiled like that when they were in a rtionship. It wasn¡¯t clear at that time, but he was now seeing clear signs that Sarah was never happy with their rtionship. Yet he still went forward. He needed to hear an exnation from Sarah herself. Sarah was stillughing at what David whispered to her when she saw a familiar figure walking towards her. It waste at night so she couldn¡¯t get a clear look at the face unless the figure came closer. David noticed that Sarah had stoppedughing and was now looking in a certain direction. He turned his gaze towards that direction and saw the figure walking closer to them. After a few seconds, the figure finally came close enough for them to get a clear look at it. Sarah eyes widened when she saw who the figure was. It was none other than her boyfriend, Darius Reid! Sarah¡¯s heart started beating wildly. Why on earth was her boyfriend, or should she say ex-boyfriend here at Sky Golden Hotel. She had never told anyone that she was going out on a date with the richest guy on campus David Lesley. How did he know that she would be here? Unknown to Sarah, her dinner date with David Lesley had been streamed live on Groove. Everyone who followed the stream on Groove now knew that she was in a rtionship with David Lesley. Even now, it was still being streamed so everyone could clearly see what was happening. Darius walked up to Sarah and David and looked at the both of them before speaking. ¡°Sarah, why did you do this to me?¡± David looked at Darius and frowned. He didn¡¯t know who the person was, as he never interacted with people he deemed below his level. From the brief look he took at the stranger¡¯s outfit, he could tell that the person was very poor. The cost of his total outfit weren¡¯t even up to $30, so it was no surprise that he didn¡¯t know him. He was however curious to know how the poor boy knew Sarah. From the way he spoke to Sarah, it was clear that he was a bit close to her. ¡°Darling, do you know this peasant?¡± David asked, tightening his grip around her shoulders in a disy of possessiveness. Darius noticed this and felt his eyes turn red with anger, but still made no move. He only came here to hear Sarah¡¯s exnation. Sarah was very embarrassed when she Darius asked her that question. She looked at his outfit and even felt more embarrassed. This person really had no shame,ing to a 7-star hotel in such an outfit. Moreover, he was even trying to expose their rtionship with each other to David! Sarah had met Darius when he was working at one of his part time jobs. She had fallen for him because of his good looks and honest character. However, there was one fatal w he had. He was very poor. Sarah didn¡¯t want to date him, because he could barely afford to take care of himself, but Darius was persistent. He kept on pestering her for a rtionship and after six months, she could no longer bear it. She agreed to be in a rtionship with him under the conditions that he kept it private. As one of the top beauties on campus, she could not allow her rtionship with a peasant like Darius to be public; otherwise it would be a huge stain on her reputation. Although their rtionship hadn¡¯t gotten to a month yet, Darius had already confirmed her fears. He could not take care of her expensive needs as he could barely feed himself. He was unable to get her the designer bags she wanted and luxury cosmetics she wanted. In a single night, David had spent more than $25,000 on her. Darius could never do such for her. He could barely feed himself, so how was he supposed to take care of her needs? As she was having second thoughts about their rtionship, her prince charming in David Lesley came and swept her off her feet. She was going to break up with Darius secretly after her date with David ended, but Darius had found his way here. She sighed. His presence didn¡¯t change anything. What was supposed to happenter would only happen earlier. ¡°Darius, I¡¯m sorry to say this but I¡¯m breaking up with you.¡± Sarah said. And with those words, Darius world came crashing down Darius heart was filled pain as he walked towards the Sky Golden Hotel. He couldn¡¯t believe that someone he loved and put his whole heart for could betray him like this. He had loved Sarah with his whole heart, and he thought she loved him as well. He needed to find out what went wrong with their rtionship. After walking for 30 minutes, Darius finally got to the Sky Golden Hotel. As a 7-star hotel, the building was very luxurious and imposing. Everything about it screamed wealth and Darius found his self intimidated by the opulence of the building. He was still admiring the building when he saw Sarah and David walking out of the luxurious building. Darius felt his heart tugging painfully when he saw David putting his arm across Sarah¡¯s shoulders. He was very angry at David and wanted to punch him right in the face. He however controlled himself. He was here to ask for answers, not to fight or make a scene. Darius took a deep breath before walking over to where the two of them stood,ughing and smiling with each other. Darius could not recall thest time Sarah smiled like that when they were in a rtionship. It wasn¡¯t clear at that time, but he was now seeing clear signs that Sarah was never happy with their rtionship. Yet he still went forward. He needed to hear an exnation from Sarah herself. Sarah was stillughing at what David whispered to her when she saw a familiar figure walking towards her. It waste at night so she couldn¡¯t get a clear look at the face unless the figure came closer. David noticed that Sarah had stoppedughing and was now looking in a certain direction. He turned his gaze towards that direction and saw the figure walking closer to them. After a few seconds, the figure finally came close enough for them to get a clear look at it. Sarah eyes widened when she saw who the figure was. It was none other than her boyfriend, Darius Reid! Sarah¡¯s heart started beating wildly. Why on earth was her boyfriend, or should she say ex-boyfriend here at Sky Golden Hotel. She had never told anyone that she was going out on a date with the richest guy on campus David Lesley. How did he know that she would be here? Unknown to Sarah, her dinner date with David Lesley had been streamed live on Groove. Everyone who followed the stream on Groove now knew that she was in a rtionship with David Lesley. Even now, it was still being streamed so everyone could clearly see what was happening. Darius walked up to Sarah and David and looked at the both of them before speaking. ¡°Sarah, why did you do this to me?¡± David looked at Darius and frowned. He didn¡¯t know who the person was, as he never interacted with people he deemed below his level. FromThis content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. the brief look he took at the stranger¡¯s outfit, he could tell that the person was very poor. The cost of his total outfit weren¡¯t even up to $30, so it was no surprise that he didn¡¯t know him. He was however curious to know how the poor boy knew Sarah. From the way he spoke to Sarah, it was clear that he was a bit close to her. ¡°Darling, do you know this peasant?¡± David asked, tightening his grip around her shoulders in a disy of possessiveness. Darius noticed this and felt his eyes turn red with anger, but still made no move. He only came here to hear Sarah¡¯s exnation. Sarah was very embarrassed when she Darius asked her that question. She looked at his outfit and even felt more embarrassed. This person really had no shame,ing to a 7-star hotel in such an outfit. Moreover, he was even trying to expose their rtionship with each other to David! Sarah had met Darius when he was working at one of his part time jobs. She had fallen for him because of his good looks and honest character. However, there was one fatal w he had. He was very poor. Sarah didn¡¯t want to date him, because he could barely afford to take care of himself, but Darius was persistent. He kept on pestering her for a rtionship and after six months, she could no longer bear it. She agreed to be in a rtionship with him under the conditions that he kept it private. As one of the top beauties on campus, she could not allow her rtionship with a peasant like Darius to be public; otherwise it would be a huge stain on her reputation. Although their rtionship hadn¡¯t gotten to a month yet, Darius had already confirmed her fears. He could not take care of her expensive needs as he could barely feed himself. He was unable to get her the designer bags she wanted and luxury cosmetics she wanted. In a single night, David had spent more than $25,000 on her. Darius could never do such for her. He could barely feed himself, so how was he supposed to take care of her needs? As she was having second thoughts about their rtionship, her prince charming in David Lesley came and swept her off her feet. She was going to break up with Darius secretly after her date with David ended, but Darius had found his way here. She sighed. His presence didn¡¯t change anything. What was supposed to happenter would only happen earlier. ¡°Darius, I¡¯m sorry to say this but I¡¯m breaking up with you.¡± Sarah said. And with those words, Darius world came crashing down Chapter 3 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 3 ¡°You¡¯re breaking up with me?¡± Darius asked, still unable to believe what he just heard. ¡°Yes Darius, I am breaking up with you. This rtionship is over.¡± Sarah said without an ounce of emotion evident in her voice. ¡°As you can see, I am now in a rtionship with a wealthy and handsome man who can take care of me. I wish you all the best Darius.¡± Sarah said with a tone of finality. She had broken off whatever rtionship they shared with each otherpletely and made her stance clear. Unknown to Darius and Sarah, the stream was still being broadcasted, so this little episode was known to the whole student body watching the stream. Thement section was blowing up. ¡°What does this mean? Breaking up? Does this mean that Sarah was in a rtionship with someone before?¡± ¡°I doubt that. Look at the person outfit. I bet that they don¡¯t even cost up to $30. How can such a person be in a rtionship with Sarah Ginn?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Wait, Isn¡¯t that Darius Reid?¡± ¡°Darius Reid? Who¡¯s that? You know him?¡± ¡°Of course! Wow, I never knew that he was this kind of person. He is the poorest student in our Business Management department.¡± ¡°What? Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. He can¡¯t even afford a $100 meal. I can¡¯t believe that he has the gall to im that he was in a rtionship with Sarah of all people.¡± ¡°Right. It¡¯s obvious he¡¯s just lusting for what he cannot get. Otherwise why would he wait until Sarah agreed to date David before showing up?¡± Thements kept on flooding in, and soon everyone on the stream started seeing Darius Reid in a new light. His dorm mates however were in shock. They had no idea when Darius left the room and went to the Sky Golden Hotel. If they did, they would have tried to stop him. They also didn¡¯t know which side to believe, as they had no idea if he really was in a rtionship with Sarah or not. Darius naturally didn¡¯t know what was going on in the comment section, and was fully focused on Sarah and David. Right after Sarah said she broke up with him; David left his spot and stood in front of Sarah protectively. It didn¡¯t matter if they were in a rtionship before. Sarah was now his, and he¡¯d be damned if he let a peasant like Darius get close to her. ¡°You heard her bud. Now beat it. She doesn¡¯t want your poor broke ass anymore.¡± David said, rubbing salt on Darius wounds. Darius ignored him and tried to move closer to Sarah, with the intent of begging her. He wasn¡¯t willing to let their rtionship end like this. However, David was having none of this. He pushed Darius backwards, keeping him away from Sarah. At that moment, Dariuspletely lost it. He pushed David backwards, and then the altercation caused a fight. As Darius was poor and always worked numerous jobs, he had developed a physically fit and stunning body. He was physically fit, and had substantial raw power in his body. David was from a wealthy family, so it was mandatory for them to learn various self defense martial arts like Taekwondo, Kick boxing, Krav Maga and the likes. So he always felt confident that he would be on top if a fight broke out. However, from the brief exchange of blows, David was surprisingly on the losing end. It was no surprise however, as David never took such techniques serious. He was a strict follower of the doctrine that Money solves everything. He believed as long as he had money, there was no one or nothing he could not conquer. However, such blind faith in that doctrine hade to bite him in the ass now. He was on the losing end of the fight against a peasant like Darius. David was the one who arranged for the date to be streamed live on Groove. He wanted to improve his standing as the most popr student in the campus, so he arranged for the date to be streamed live. His n was to show the whole school how he proposed to one of the school beauties and boost his poprity. However, he figured out that his n would all be in vain if he couldn¡¯t redeem his reputation here. ¡°Sarah! What are you standing there for! Call the security now!¡± David yelled. Sarah quickly got moving. They were still close to the Sky Golden Hotel so the security team was not far away. It would be terrible if David lost to her ex-boyfriend Darius in a fight on the first day of their rtionship. Sarah quickly called the security team over. They responded quickly as they had seen David and the girle in an expensive looking sports car. They got to the scene and saw Darius beating up David. They rushed to where Darius was and pulled him off David. Before Darius knew what was happening, two hot psnded on his face. He looked around for the person who pped him but when he saw Sarah ring at him, his heart squeezed painfully. The ps seemed to calm him down and he let the security drag him away. Sarah rushed to where David was on the ground and pulled him up. ¡°Oh my God David are you okay?¡± Sarah asked, worry evident in her tone. David didn¡¯t reply. His gaze was fixed on where Darius was being taken away by the security. From that moment, he grew a very intense hatred for Darius. His whole n had been ruined because of that measly peasant! He had spent over $50,000 in a single night to make his proposal perfect, only for it to be ruined by that measly peasant! He swore to show him hell when he got back to campus. He turned and walked towards his car with Sarah following closely. He got into the driver seat with Sarah entering the passenger¡¯s seat before driving out of the parking lot. ¡°You¡¯re breaking up with me?¡± Darius asked, still unable to believe what he just heard. ¡°Yes Darius, I am breaking up with you. This rtionship is over.¡± Sarah said without an ounce of emotion evident in her voice. ¡°As you can see, I am now in a rtionship with a wealthy and handsome man who can take care of me. I wish you all the best Darius.¡± Sarah said with a tone of finality. She had broken off whatever rtionship they shared with each otherpletely and made her stance clear. Unknown to Darius and Sarah, the stream was still being broadcasted, so this little episode was known to the whole student body watching the stream. Thement section was blowing up. ¡°What does this mean? Breaking up? Does this mean that Sarah was in a rtionship with someone before?¡± ¡°I doubt that. Look at the person outfit. I bet that they don¡¯t even cost up to $30. How can such a person be in a rtionship with Sarah Ginn?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Wait, Isn¡¯t that Darius Reid?¡± ¡°Darius Reid? Who¡¯s that? You know him?¡± ¡°Of course! Wow, I never knew that he was this kind of person. He is the poorest student in our Business Management department.¡± ¡°What? Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. He can¡¯t even afford a $100 meal. I can¡¯t believe that he has the gall to im that he was in a rtionship with Sarah of all people.¡± ¡°Right. It¡¯s obvious he¡¯s just lusting for what he cannot get. Otherwise why would he wait until Sarah agreed to date David before showing up?¡± Thements kept on flooding in, and soon everyone on the stream started seeing Darius Reid in a new light. His dorm mates however were in shock. They had no idea when Darius left the room and went to the Sky Golden Hotel. If they did, they would have tried to stop him. They also didn¡¯t know which side to believe, as they had no idea if he really was in a rtionship with Sarah or not. Darius naturally didn¡¯t know what was going on in the comment section, and was fully focused on Sarah and David. Right after Sarah said she broke up with him; David left his spot and stood in front of Sarah protectively. It didn¡¯t matter if they were in a rtionship before. Sarah was now his, and he¡¯d be damned if he let a peasant like Darius get close to her. ¡°You heard her bud. Now beat it. She doesn¡¯t want your poor broke ass anymore.¡± David said, rubbing salt on Darius wounds. Darius ignored him and tried to move closer to Sarah, with the intent of begging her. He wasn¡¯t willing to let their rtionship end like this. However, David was having none of this. He pushed Darius backwards, keeping him away from Sarah. At that moment, Dariuspletely lost it. He pushed David backwards, and then the altercation caused a fight. As Darius was poor and always worked numerous jobs, he had developed a physically fit and stunning body. He was physically fit, and had substantial raw power in his body. David was from a wealthy family, so it was mandatory for them to learn various self defense martial arts like Taekwondo, Kick boxing, Krav Maga and the likes. So he always felt confident that he would be on top if a fight broke out. However, from the brief exchange of blows, David was surprisingly on the losing end. It was no surprise however, as David never took such techniques serious. He was a strict follower of the doctrine that Money solves everything. He believed as long as he had money, there was no one or nothing he could not conquer. However, such blind faith in that doctrine hade to bite him in the ass now. He was on the losing end of the fight against a peasant like Darius. David was the one who arranged for the date to be streamed live on Groove. He wanted to improve his standing as the most popr student in the campus, so he arranged for the date to be streamed live. His n was to show the whole school how he proposed to one of the school beauties and boost his poprity. However, he figured out that his n would all be in vain if he couldn¡¯t redeem his reputation here. ¡°Sarah! What are you standing there for! Call the security now!¡± David yelled. Sarah quickly got moving. They were still close to the Sky Golden Hotel so the security team was not far away. It would be terrible if David lost to her ex-boyfriend Darius in a fight on the first day of their rtionship. Sarah quickly called the security team over. They responded quickly as they had seen David and the girle in an expensive looking sports car. They got to the scene and saw Darius beating up David. They rushed to where Darius was and pulled him off David. Before Darius knew what was happening, two hot psnded on his face. He looked around for the person who pped him but when he saw Sarah ring at him, his heart squeezed painfully. The ps seemed to calm him down and he let the security drag him away. Sarah rushed to where David was on the ground and pulled him up. ¡°Oh my God David are you okay?¡± Sarah asked, worry evident in her tone. David didn¡¯t reply. His gaze was fixed on where Darius was being taken away byThis content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. the security. From that moment, he grew a very intense hatred for Darius. His whole n had been ruined because of that measly peasant! He had spent over $50,000 in a single night to make his proposal perfect, only for it to be ruined by that measly peasant! He swore to show him hell when he got back to campus. He turned and walked towards his car with Sarah following closely. He got into the driver seat with Sarah entering the passenger¡¯s seat before driving out of the parking lot. Chapter 4 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 4 Meanwhile, after David and Sarah left, Darius was handed over to the police by the security staff. They cuffed him and put him in their car before taking him to the police station. On the ride to the police station, Darius was silent all through. His mind was still upied with thoughts of the break up he just went through. There was no longer any doubt in him. Sarah had ended their rtionship. It was all over now. When they got to the police station, Darius alighted from the vehicle with a nk stare on his face. They guided him to a room in the police station and told him to seat down. After five minutes, a policeman came into the room. ¡°Darius Reid. Am I correct?¡± Darius nodded his head. He didn¡¯t feel like speaking. ¡°You are charged with three offenses for your behavior this night. You are charged for assault and battery, disruption of business, and violence.¡± Darius eyes widened. He didn¡¯t know that he was charged with so many offenses! ¡°To pay for your crimes, you have to pay a sum of $5,000 or you¡¯d spend the next three days in jail. That will be very bad for you isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re a student at Kingston University. They don¡¯t ept students with criminal records. Such records on your files will surely get you expelled.¡± Darius felt his head spinning wildly. Five thousand dors? Where on earth was he going to get such a huge sum of money? As if the policeman saw through his worries, he spoke again. ¡°If you don¡¯t have such amount of money on you now, I¡¯ll give you your phone to make some calls now. However, you have only an hour to pay up. Otherwise I won¡¯t be able to help you.¡± ¡°Thank you very much!¡± Darius said as he stretched his hands, collecting his old phone from the police man outstretched hands. The policeman sighed. At a single nce he could tell that the offender was very poor and that there was no way he would be able toe up with such a huge amount of money on his own ord. He really hoped that he had people that would be able to pay the fine; otherwise he would have to spend 3 days behind bars. Darius felt his heart beating fast as he went through his contact list on his phone. The phone had suffered terribly from his fight with David. The screen had cracked in numerous ces, and the visibility of the screen of the phone had reduced greatly. As Darius scrolled through the list on his phone, he let out a bitterugh. He didn¡¯t even have up to 30 contacts listed on his phone. It was expected though, as Darius always worked part time. Therefore he didn¡¯t have time for school meet ups, asions, fundraisers and the likes. Finally he decided to call his dorm mates. Although they were not as wealthy as David, Darius was sure that they would be able to pay the sum. He dialed the number and ced the phone on his ears. On the third ring, the person picked up the call. ¡°Hello Darius! Darius is that you?!¡± ¡°Yes Rudd. It¡¯s me.¡± Darius replied. Rudd let out an audible sigh of relief. They had watched the whole live stream and found out the truth. Sarah and Darius were actually in a rtionship before. They had prepared to bring Darius back to the dorm when they found out the truth but the stream went off when the security staff pulled Darius off David. After that they had no idea where Darius went, which put them at a loss. They were very d to hear from Darius, until they heard that he was actually in the police station and would not be released without paying a sum of five thousand dors. They all knew that there was no was way Darius would be able to afford such an amount. Rudd promised to be there in twenty minutes before disconnecting the call. He looked at his ount bnce and saw that he only had around $2,100 left. It was the money remaining from his monthly allowance. He sighed, and turned to his dorm mates. After pooling all the money they had, they finally got the required amount for the bail. They left the dorm immediately and hailed a cab to the police station. After greeting the policemen stationed at the entrance they made their way to the room Darius was detained. They made the required payment and thanked the policeman for his kindness before leading Darius out of the station. When they got outside the station, Rudd was the first to break the silence. ¡°What were you thinking Darius?! How could you go and fight with the richest student on campus? Are you looking to get killed?!¡± Rudd shouted,pletely agitated. ¡°Yeah Darius. If you wanted to fight him then you should have told us what happened. We would have helped you.¡± Another of his dorm mate, Marcus added. Darius looked at his dorm mates and felt his heart warming up. He was very grateful that despite his poverty he was able to get good and trustworthy friends like them. He felt extremely grateful, as if it weren¡¯t for them, he would have ended up behind bars, and most likely expelled from the university. Darius turned to face them and bowed deeply, expressing his sincerity. ¡°I¡¯m very grateful for the help you offered me now. I know I can¡¯t do much to repay it now, but in the future, I¡¯ll be sure to repay this favor tenfold.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it Darius!¡± Rudd said. He was happy that Darius was grateful to them, but he didn¡¯t want Darius to put an unnecessary burden on himself. It was good that they were able to raise the required sum and bring him out. His sincerity was all they needed. Darius stood up after being persuaded by his three dorm mates. He walked with them for a little bit before speaking up again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry guys, but I¡¯d like to be alone for some time.¡± Without waiting for their response, Darius started making his way away from the group. Rudd was about to speak up but Greg, the third dorm mate held him back. ¡°Leave him be Rudd. We can¡¯t help him with everything. He has to go through this alone.¡± Greg said. Rudd looked like he wanted to argue, but he didn¡¯t. He knew deep down that Greg was right. He sighed. He hoped that Darius would be able to ovee this hurdle on his own. The trio watched Darius until he was no longer visible in their line of sight, before turning and walking towards their dorm. Meanwhile, after David and Sarah left, Darius was handed over to the police by the security staff. They cuffed him and put him in their car before taking him to the police station. On the ride to the police station, Darius was silent all through. His mind was still upied with thoughts of the break up he just went through. There was no longer any doubt in him. Sarah had ended their rtionship. It was all over now. When they got to the police station, Darius alighted from the vehicle with a nk stare on his face. They guided him to a room in the police station and told him to seat down. After five minutes, a policeman came into the room. ¡°Darius Reid. Am I correct?¡± Darius nodded his head. He didn¡¯t feel like speaking. ¡°You are charged with three offenses for your behavior this night. You are charged for assault and battery, disruption of business, and violence.¡± Darius eyes widened. He didn¡¯t know that he was charged with so many offenses! ¡°To pay for your crimes, you have to pay a sum of $5,000 or you¡¯d spend the next three days in jail. That will be very bad for you isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re a student at Kingston University. They don¡¯t ept students with criminal records. Such records on your files will surely get you expelled.¡± Darius felt his head spinning wildly. Five thousand dors? Where on earth was he going to get such a huge sum of money? As if the policeman saw through his worries, he spoke again. ¡°If you don¡¯t have such amount of money on you now, I¡¯ll give you your phone to make some calls now. However, you have only an hour to pay up. Otherwise I won¡¯t be able to help you.¡± ¡°Thank you very much!¡± Darius said as he stretched his hands, collecting his old phone from the police man outstretched hands. The policeman sighed. At a single nce he could tell that the offender was very poor and that there was no way he would be able toe up with such a huge amount of money on his own ord. He really hoped that he had people that would be able to pay the fine; otherwise he would have to spend 3 days behind bars. Darius felt his heart beating fast as he went through his contact list on his phone. The phone had suffered terribly from his fight with David. The screen had cracked in numerous ces, and the visibility of the screen of the phone had reduced greatly. As Darius scrolled through the list on his phone, he let out a bitterugh. He didn¡¯t even have up to 30 contacts listed on his phone. It was expected though, as Darius always worked part time. Therefore he didn¡¯t have time for school meet ups, asions, fundraisers and the likes. Finally he decided to call his dorm mates. Although they were not as wealthy as David, Darius was sure that they would be able to pay the sum. He dialed the number and ced the phone on his ears. On the third ring, the person picked up the call. ¡°Hello Darius! Darius is that you?!¡± ¡°Yes Rudd. It¡¯s me.¡± Darius replied. Rudd let out an audible sigh of relief. They had watched the whole live stream and found out the truth. Sarah and Darius were actually in a rtionship before. They had prepared to bring Darius back to the dorm when they found out the truth but the stream went off when the security staff pulled Darius off David. After that they had no idea where Darius went, which put them at a loss. They were very d to hear from Darius, until they heard that he was actually in the police station and would not be released without paying a sum of five thousand dors. They all knew that there was no was way Darius would be able to afford such an amount. Rudd promised to be there in twenty minutes before disconnecting the call. He looked at his ount bnce and saw that he only had around $2,100 left. It was the money remaining from his monthly allowance. He sighed, and turned to his dorm mates. After pooling all the money they had, they finally got the required amount for the bail. They left the dorm immediately and hailed a cab to the police station. After greeting the policemen stationed at the entrance they made their way to the room Darius was detained. They made the required payment and thanked the policeman for his kindness before leading Darius out of the station. When they got outside the station, Rudd was the first to break the silence. ¡°What were you thinking Darius?! How could you go and fight with the richest student on campus? Are you looking to get killed?!¡± Rudd shouted,pletelyThis content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. agitated. ¡°Yeah Darius. If you wanted to fight him then you should have told us what happened. We would have helped you.¡± Another of his dorm mate, Marcus added. Darius looked at his dorm mates and felt his heart warming up. He was very grateful that despite his poverty he was able to get good and trustworthy friends like them. He felt extremely grateful, as if it weren¡¯t for them, he would have ended up behind bars, and most likely expelled from the university. Darius turned to face them and bowed deeply, expressing his sincerity. ¡°I¡¯m very grateful for the help you offered me now. I know I can¡¯t do much to repay it now, but in the future, I¡¯ll be sure to repay this favor tenfold.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it Darius!¡± Rudd said. He was happy that Darius was grateful to them, but he didn¡¯t want Darius to put an unnecessary burden on himself. It was good that they were able to raise the required sum and bring him out. His sincerity was all they needed. Darius stood up after being persuaded by his three dorm mates. He walked with them for a little bit before speaking up again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry guys, but I¡¯d like to be alone for some time.¡± Without waiting for their response, Darius started making his way away from the group. Rudd was about to speak up but Greg, the third dorm mate held him back. ¡°Leave him be Rudd. We can¡¯t help him with everything. He has to go through this alone.¡± Greg said. Rudd looked like he wanted to argue, but he didn¡¯t. He knew deep down that Greg was right. He sighed. He hoped that Darius would be able to ovee this hurdle on his own. The trio watched Darius until he was no longer visible in their line of sight, before turning and walking towards their dorm. Chapter 5 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 5 Darius walked without aim for over an hour. After such a long walk, he was tired. The fatigue from the fight, the break up with Sarah, and his detention at the police station finally caught up with him. He looked around his surroundings and saw that he was now at an empty park. The moon shone brightly on the park, creating a peaceful and serene atmosphere. Darius checked the time and saw it was past twelve o¡¯clock in the morning. He sat down on a bench and closed his eyes. The day¡¯s events started running through his mind and a myriad of emotions ran through his heart. Darius had never actually regretted being poor in his life, but he regretted being poor today. How cool would it be if he had an abundance of wealth? If it were so, no one would be able to look down on him anymore. He wouldn¡¯t lose Sarah to someone like David. Besides if he was very rich, beautiful women would be the least of his problems. He sighed. It was just wishful thinking. He wasn¡¯t special neither did he have an abundance of wealth. He was just Darius Reid, a poor university student. Darius sat there in silence, staring at the silver moon and numerous stars scattered across the sky. He was still star gazing when his phone rang. Due to the fight he had with David, his phone screen had cracked in various ces, so he couldn¡¯t get a clear look at the caller ID. After contemting for a while, he decided to ignore it. It might have been his dorm mates who were worried about him and decided to call him. After a few rings, the call ended. Darius was about to go back to star gazing when his phone rang again. He ignored the call again, and went back to what he was doing. However, the caller was persistent. After the fourteenth call, Darius finally picked up. ¡°Hello? Do you have any idea what time it is now? Don¡¯t you know how to take a hint?¡± Darius spoke angrily into the phone. He didn¡¯t care who the caller was. His dorm mates weren¡¯t so desperate to keep calling someone who ignored their calls fourteen times! ¡°Hello, is this Darius Reid?¡± The caller asked in an authoritative tone, ignoring the annoyed tone Darius voice disyed. ¡°Yes this is Darius Reid and I swear to God if you don¡¯t have a good reason for calling me persistently at this time of the night I¡¯m going to find you and beat you up!¡± Darius yelled, transferring all the anger he had umted some hours back to the caller. ¡°Pardon my impudence Young Master Reid. I apologize.¡± The caller replied. His voice was now respectful which confusedThis content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Darius. ¡°Young Master Reid?¡± Darius asked, utterly confused. ¡°Yes young master Reid. Please pardon my impudence. I have a lot to tell you which I cannot do over the phone. Would you kindly tell me your location? I¡¯ll arrive there shortly to pick you up.¡± The caller said. Darius kept mute. Suspicion was written all over his face. He had no idea who the caller was so how did he expect him to reveal his location just like that? What if he was a kidnapper who was looking to kidnap him? Darius suddenly laughed at himself. Kidnapper? As if. He was as poor as a church rat. Kidnappers usually did their research. They would never waste their time on someone as poor and miserable as him. He let out a sigh before deciding to give the caller his location. He had nothing to lose anyway. If the callers were really kidnappers then when they arrived he was sure that they would let him be. He didn¡¯t have a single penny on him anyway. ¡°Alright young master Reid. I¡¯ll be there as soon as I can. Please don¡¯t go anywhere.¡± The caller said before disconnecting the call. Darius looked at his phone before sighing. He was ruling out the idea of it being a kidnapper and actually being a prank. After all, what kind of kidnapper would call their victim ¡®young master Reid?¡¯ Darius closed his eyes and rested his head against the bench, enjoying the cool breeze blowing against his skin. He sighed again. It didn¡¯t matter if it was a prank or not. When he got his mind back in the right direction again, he would leave the park and go back to his dorm. While he might be poor, he wasn¡¯t homeless, and he certainly did not want to be mistaken as one. 40 minutes after the phone call, Darius heard the sound of car moving. He opened his eyes and his mouth dropped down in shock. It was expected, as he never expected to see something like this. A white and gold car came to a stop a few feet away from where Darius sat on the bench. Although Darius was poor, it didn¡¯t mean he could not tell an expensive car from a nce. After all, he attended Kingston University, a top university that had a lot of rich kids attending it. The door opened and a man stepped down from the car. The man looked to be in histe 40s and was dressed very luxuriously. His white three piece suit hadyers of expensive jewelry littered around it, and they sparkled in the night. His hair was ck, but there were already traces of white in it. However, it was neatly styled. Darius looked at the man in confusion. He wondered what a big shot like him was doing here. Every step the man took screamed opulence and Darius found himself sweating profusely. What if this man was David Lesley father who hade to take revenge on his son¡¯s behalf? It made sense if he thought about it like that. After all, no rich and wealthy man would like a peasant like him manhandling and beating their own sons. When the man came closer to Darius, Darius quickly knelt down and ced his head on the ground. ¡°Forgive me Mr. Lesley! I was at fault. It was all my fault. Please forgive me.¡± Darius begged. If it were before he was taken to the police station, Darius would never have begged no matter what. However, someone like him who was unable to pay $5,000 to bail himself could not afford to offend someone as wealthy as Mr. Lesley. He really needed to graduate, otherwise all his efforts would be for naught. ¡°Mr. Lesley?¡± The man said, sounding confused. However when he saw Darius kneeling down; he knelt down without minding his expensive and clean suit and helped Darius up to his feet. ¡°Young Master Reid, are you trying to get me killed?¡± The man asked; his voice agitated and fearful. Darius looked at the man in shock. ¡°Young Master Reid?¡± The man nodded, and Darius could make out faint tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve finally found you, young master Reid.¡± Darius walked without aim for over an hour. After such a long walk, he was tired. The fatigue from the fight, the break up with Sarah, and his detention at the police station finally caught up with him. He looked around his surroundings and saw that he was now at an empty park. The moon shone brightly on the park, creating a peaceful and serene atmosphere. Darius checked the time and saw it was past twelve o¡¯clock in the morning. He sat down on a bench and closed his eyes. The day¡¯s events started running through his mind and a myriad of emotions ran through his heart. Darius had never actually regretted being poor in his life, but he regretted being poor today. How cool would it be if he had an abundance of wealth? If it were so, no one would be able to look down on him anymore. He wouldn¡¯t lose Sarah to someone like David. Besides if he was very rich, beautiful women would be the least of his problems. He sighed. It was just wishful thinking. He wasn¡¯t special neither did he have an abundance of wealth. He was just Darius Reid, a poor university student. Darius sat there in silence, staring at the silver moon and numerous stars scattered across the sky. He was still star gazing when his phone rang. Due to the fight he had with David, his phone screen had cracked in various ces, so he couldn¡¯t get a clear look at the caller ID. After contemting for a while, he decided to ignore it. It might have been his dorm mates who were worried about him and decided to call him. After a few rings, the call ended. Darius was about to go back to star gazing when his phone rang again. He ignored the call again, and went back to what he was doing. However, the caller was persistent. After the fourteenth call, Darius finally picked up. ¡°Hello? Do you have any idea what time it is now? Don¡¯t you know how to take a hint?¡± Darius spoke angrily into the phone. He didn¡¯t care who the caller was. His dorm mates weren¡¯t so desperate to keep calling someone who ignored their calls fourteen times! ¡°Hello, is this Darius Reid?¡± The caller asked in an authoritative tone, ignoring the annoyed tone Darius voice disyed. ¡°Yes this is Darius Reid and I swear to God if you don¡¯t have a good reason for calling me persistently at this time of the night I¡¯m going to find you and beat you up!¡± Darius yelled, transferring all the anger he had umted some hours back to the caller. ¡°Pardon my impudence Young Master Reid. I apologize.¡± The caller replied. His voice was now respectful which confused Darius. ¡°Young Master Reid?¡± Darius asked, utterly confused. ¡°Yes young master Reid. Please pardon my impudence. I have a lot to tell you which I cannot do over the phone. Would you kindly tell me your location? I¡¯ll arrive there shortly to pick you up.¡± The caller said. Darius kept mute. Suspicion was written all over his face. He had no idea who the caller was so how did he expect him to reveal his location just like that? What if he was a kidnapper who was looking to kidnap him? Darius suddenly laughed at himself. Kidnapper? As if. He was as poor as a church rat. Kidnappers usually did their research. They would never waste their time on someone as poor and miserable as him. He let out a sigh before deciding to give the caller his location. He had nothing to lose anyway. If the callers were really kidnappers then when they arrived he was sure that they would let him be. He didn¡¯t have a single penny on him anyway. ¡°Alright young master Reid. I¡¯ll be there as soon as I can. Please don¡¯t go anywhere.¡± The caller said before disconnecting the call. Darius looked at his phone before sighing. He was ruling out the idea of it being a kidnapper and actually being a prank. After all, what kind of kidnapper would call their victim ¡®young master Reid?¡¯ Darius closed his eyes and rested his head against the bench, enjoying the cool breeze blowing against his skin. He sighed again. It didn¡¯t matter if it was a prank or not. When he got his mind back in the right direction again, he would leave the park and go back to his dorm. While he might be poor, he wasn¡¯t homeless, and he certainly did not want to be mistaken as one. 40 minutes after the phone call, Darius heard the sound of car moving. He opened his eyes and his mouth dropped down in shock. It was expected, as he never expected to see something like this. A white and gold car came to a stop a few feet away from where Darius sat on the bench. Although Darius was poor, it didn¡¯t mean he could not tell an expensive car from a nce. After all, he attended Kingston University, a top university that had a lot of rich kids attending it. The door opened and a man stepped down from the car. The man looked to be in histe 40s and was dressed very luxuriously. His white three piece suit hadyers of expensive jewelry littered around it, and they sparkled in the night. His hair was ck, but there were already traces of white in it. However, it was neatly styled. Darius looked at the man in confusion. He wondered what a big shot like him was doing here. Every step the man took screamed opulence and Darius found himself sweating profusely. What if this man was David Lesley father who hade to take revenge on his son¡¯s behalf? It made sense if he thought about it like that. After all, no rich and wealthy man would like a peasant like him manhandling and beating their own sons. When the man came closer to Darius, Darius quickly knelt down and ced his head on the ground. ¡°Forgive me Mr. Lesley! I was at fault. It was all my fault. Please forgive me.¡± Darius begged. If it were before he was taken to the police station, Darius would never have begged no matter what. However, someone like him who was unable to pay $5,000 to bail himself could not afford to offend someone as wealthy as Mr. Lesley. He really needed to graduate, otherwise all his efforts would be for naught. ¡°Mr. Lesley?¡± The man said, sounding confused. However when he saw Darius kneeling down; he knelt down without minding his expensive and clean suit and helped Darius up to his feet. ¡°Young Master Reid, are you trying to get me killed?¡± The man asked; his voice agitated and fearful. Darius looked at the man in shock. ¡°Young Master Reid?¡± The man nodded, and Darius could make out faint tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve finally found you, young master Reid.¡± Chapter 6 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 6 ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t have the wrong person?¡± Darius asked in a skeptical tone. He waspletely puzzled as to why a wealthy person would act so respectful and call him ¡®Young Master Reid¡¯. ¡°Of course not, Young Master Reid.¡± The man answered with a tone of certainty. He had searched for a long time and finally found the young master here. There was no way he could mistake him for another person. Darius looked at the man again. At first he had thought the phone call was a kidnapping case, andter chalked it off to a prank. However, it seemed that he was far from the truth. There was really a wealthy man who was calling him young master Reid. ¡°Pleasee with me, young master Reid. My master has been waiting to meet you for a long time now.¡± Darius looked at the middle aged man again. Everything was happening so fast for him. It hadn¡¯t been even a day yet since his break up with Sarah and now someone he had never seen was here iming that an unknown master wanted to see him. Darius sighed before nodding his head. ¡°Alright, take me to see this master of yours.¡± Darius said. ¡°Of course young master Reid!¡± The man said, bowing deeply to Darius. Darius paid the man no heed however. He was curious to know who the master was and why he had sent someone to meet him. The man led Darius to the expensive looking car. A man dressed in a ck suit hurriedly rushed out from the car and opened the passenger seat for the duo. Darius didn¡¯t know much about cars, but from the symbol on the car he could tell that the car was a Rolls-Royce car. He knew that Rolls-Royce cars of this model were very expensive, even more than David Lesley¡¯s Porsche. He wondered what the identity of the master was. After all, anyone who could afford such a car was definitely a big shot. The duo entered the car, and the man in the suit closed the doors before rushing to the driver¡¯s seat. In a few seconds, the car zoomed off. The ride was silent as neither side spoke to each other. The middle aged man who identified himself as Bruce asked Darius some questions but ultimately decided to keep quiet when Darius refused to answer majority of the questions. After 4 hours, the car finally came to stop in front of a majestic gate. Darius found himself wowed at the demeanor of the gate itself. He had never seen something so luxurious and majestic as this. The towering gate seemed to be made of pure gold, as they gave out a brilliant gold shine. There was the name ¡®REID¡¯ written in beautiful style on the gate. Darius found himself smitten by the opulence of the gate itself. He wondered what was beyond the imperial gates. After a series of very advanced security checks, the Rolls-Royce made its way past the gates. At this point, Darius found himself at aplete loss for words. He was unable to form a coherent sentence, and waspletely tongue tied. Whaty beyond the luxurious gates was a mansion that seemed straight out of a movie. The whole mansion screamed opulence. There were gardens with rare and beautiful flowers. Some flowers even shone brightly under the moonlight! There was a beautiful fountain in the middle of the mansion, and a beautiful sculpture lay atop the fountain. The water sprouting from the fountain was sparkling under the moonlight, and Darius found his self mesmerized. Darius was too lost in his shock to notice that Bruce had signaled the driver to slow down. The Rolls-Royce drove slowly around the whole mansion, giving Darius a clear view at everything he wanted to see. Finally, the Rolls-Royce stopped at the entrance to the doors of the mansion. The driver came down and opened the doors for the duo, before getting back into the car and driving off. Darius stared at the Rolls-Royce longingly. Bruce noticed this and tapped on his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Young Master Reid. That car is not worthy of your attention.¡± Darius nodded and kept mute but was grumbling in his heart. Was this how the rich thought and behaved? ¡®Not worthy of my attention? Hell it¡¯s still a dream that I am actually at a ce as luxurious as this!¡¯ Bruce didn¡¯t see anything wrong with Darius response and smiled. He bowed his head before gesturing his arm forward, like a butler will do to their master. ¡°This way, young master Reid.¡± Darius nodded and started walking past the luxurious hallway with Bruce following closely. Unlike before, when he was in the Rolls-Royce, he didn¡¯t gawk at the luxurious hallways and abstract paintings hung on the wall. He was way too nervous to do so. As someone who had been poor for as long as he could remember, this was something he could never imagine. Although Darius was very nervous, he still asionally paid attention to the paintings on the wall. He was soon attracted to a picture on the wall. The image depicted two adults in theirte twenties who looked strikingly simr to Darius. Darius didn¡¯t know why, but looking at their photo filled him with a deep sense of loss. He stared at the photo for about a minute before averting his sight and continuing his walk down the luxurious hallway. They walked for a few more minutes, passing several paintings and luxury items beforeing to stop in front of aContent held by N?velDrama.Org. door. Bruce stepped forward and knocked twice on the door. There was a brief silence before a tired voice replied to the knocks. ¡°Come in.¡± Bruce stepped backwards and bowed again. ¡°After you, young master Reid.¡± Darius however paid little attention to Bruce behavior. His heart was beating very rapidly as he stood there. He didn¡¯t need to be a genius to know that the person behind that door was the master Bruce kept talking about; the master that sent Bruce to find him and bring him all the way here. Darius took a deep breath and exhaled loudly before steeling his resolve. He opened the door and stepped inside the room. It was time to meet that master. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t have the wrong person?¡± Darius asked in a skeptical tone. He waspletely puzzled as to why a wealthy person would act so respectful and call him ¡®Young Master Reid¡¯. ¡°Of course not, Young Master Reid.¡± The man answered with a tone of certainty. He had searched for a long time and finally found the young master here. There was no way he could mistake him for another person. Darius looked at the man again. At first he had thought the phone call was a kidnapping case, andter chalked it off to a prank. However, it seemed that he was far from the truth. There was really a wealthy man who was calling him young master Reid. ¡°Pleasee with me, young master Reid. My master has been waiting to meet you for a long time now.¡± Darius looked at the middle aged man again. Everything was happening so fast for him. It hadn¡¯t been even a day yet since his break up with Sarah and now someone he had never seen was here iming that an unknown master wanted to see him. Darius sighed before nodding his head. ¡°Alright, take me to see this master of yours.¡± Darius said. ¡°Of course young master Reid!¡± The man said, bowing deeply to Darius. Darius paid the man no heed however. He was curious to know who the master was and why he had sent someone to meet him. The man led Darius to the expensive looking car. A man dressed in a ck suit hurriedly rushed out from the car and opened the passenger seat for the duo. Darius didn¡¯t know much about cars, but from the symbol on the car he could tell that the car was a Rolls-Royce car. He knew that Rolls-Royce cars of this model were very expensive, even more than David Lesley¡¯s Porsche. He wondered what the identity of the master was. After all, anyone who could afford such a car was definitely a big shot. The duo entered the car, and the man in the suit closed the doors before rushing to the driver¡¯s seat. In a few seconds, the car zoomed off. The ride was silent as neither side spoke to each other. The middle aged man who identified himself as Bruce asked Darius some questions but ultimately decided to keep quiet when Darius refused to answer majority of the questions. After 4 hours, the car finally came to stop in front of a majestic gate. Darius found himself wowed at the demeanor of the gate itself. He had never seen something so luxurious and majestic as this. The towering gate seemed to be made of pure gold, as they gave out a brilliant gold shine. There was the name ¡®REID¡¯ written in beautiful style on the gate. Darius found himself smitten by the opulence of the gate itself. He wondered what was beyond the imperial gates. After a series of very advanced security checks, the Rolls-Royce made its way past the gates. At this point, Darius found himself at aplete loss for words. He was unable to form a coherent sentence, and waspletely tongue tied. Whaty beyond the luxurious gates was a mansion that seemed straight out of a movie. The whole mansion screamed opulence. There were gardens with rare and beautiful flowers. Some flowers even shone brightly under the moonlight! There was a beautiful fountain in the middle of the mansion, and a beautiful sculpture lay atop the fountain. The water sprouting from the fountain was sparkling under the moonlight, and Darius found his self mesmerized. Darius was too lost in his shock to notice that Bruce had signaled the driver to slow down. The Rolls-Royce drove slowly around the whole mansion, giving Darius a clear view at everything he wanted to see. Finally, the Rolls-Royce stopped at the entrance to the doors of the mansion. The driver came down and opened the doors for the duo, before getting back into the car and driving off. Darius stared at the Rolls-Royce longingly. Bruce noticed this and tapped on his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Young Master Reid. That car is not worthy of your attention.¡± Darius nodded and kept mute but was grumbling in his heart. Was this how the rich thought and behaved? ¡®Not worthy of my attention? Hell it¡¯s still a dream that I am actually at a ce as luxurious as this!¡¯ Bruce didn¡¯t see anything wrong with Darius response and smiled. He bowed his head before gesturing his arm forward, like a butler will do to their master. ¡°This way, young master Reid.¡± Darius nodded and started walking past the luxurious hallway with Bruce following closely. Unlike before, when he was in the Rolls-Royce, he didn¡¯t gawk at the luxurious hallways and abstract paintings hung on the wall. He was way too nervous to do so. As someone who had been poor for as long as he could remember, this was something he could never imagine. Although Darius was very nervous, he still asionally paid attention to the paintings on the wall. He was soon attracted to a picture on the wall. The image depicted two adults in theirte twenties who looked strikingly simr to Darius. Darius didn¡¯t know why, but looking at their photo filled him with a deep sense of loss. He stared at the photo for about a minute before averting his sight and continuing his walk down the luxurious hallway. They walked for a few more minutes, passing several paintings and luxury items beforeing to stop in front of a door. Bruce stepped forward and knocked twice on the door. There was a brief silence before a tired voice replied to the knocks. ¡°Come in.¡± Bruce stepped backwards and bowed again. ¡°After you, young master Reid.¡± Darius however paid little attention to Bruce behavior. His heart was beating very rapidly as he stood there. He didn¡¯t need to be a genius to know that the person behind that door was the master Bruce kept talking about; the master that sent Bruce to find him and bring him all the way here. Darius took a deep breath and exhaled loudly before steeling his resolve. He opened the door and stepped inside the room. It was time to meet that master. Chapter 7 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 7 Darius stepped inside the room and entered what seemed to be a study. There was a huge and neat mahogany desk in the room and behind the desk sat an old man. There were some documents littered on the table, and it seemed that the old man was going through them before Bruce knocked on the door. Darius always expected the master to be someone who was high and haughty with plenty of beautifuldies hanging around his arm. After all, he knew that the person behind this kind of wealth was far from being a simple person. However, his imagination was a little too wild andpletely off the mark. The master was no high and haughty person, but a simple old man. He was the kind of person you¡¯ll feel obligated to help to cross the busy roads on the street. As Darius was staring at the master, the master was also doing the same. He narrowed his eyes and adjusted his sses a few times as if studying Darius like a specimen. After a few seconds of studying Darius he turned to Bruce who had just entered the room and asked him a question. ¡°Is this Darius Reid?¡± ¡°Yes master. He is indeed young master Reid.¡± Bruce answered, bowing deeply to the old man. The old man eyes shone and as if he had finally been offered the item of his dream he stood from his chair and rushed over to Darius. ¡°My God! Is it really young Darius?!¡± The man said, touching Darius all over his body. Darius felt ufortable at first, but decided not to move the old man away from him. He could tell that the old man was having a moment as tears fell continuously from his eyes. After a few minutes, the old man was finally satisfied with touching Darius. He held Darius hands, showing no regards for his poor clothes and undesirable outfit. Although Darius didn¡¯t know the old man, he felt really warm in his heart at that treatment. It was nice to see someone not judging him because of his outfit. The old man led him to a chair in the study before sitting down in another chair opposite his. Bruce followed them and stood behind the old man he called his master. ¡°After 16 years we¡¯ve finally found you, Darius Reid.¡± Darius didn¡¯t understand what they meant. He was never missing, so why would they say that they had found him? The old man noticed the confusion in Darius face and sighed. ¡°I know that you are very confused right now. You must have been very perplexed at the phone call you received from Bruce and our current behavior, so I¡¯ll exin what really happened to you.¡± Darius nodded. He really needed an exnation for all these. The old man sighed again before speaking. ¡°You see, 16 years ago, when you were just four years old, my son Tristan Reid and his wife Diana Reid was making a trip to the family vi in Eastgreen Estate with you. We all thought that it would be a very smooth trip, but that was not the case.¡± Darius could see that the story the old man was about to tell him was a very painful one for him. But he needed to hear the story, no matter how painful it was for the old man, so he kept quiet. ¡°There was a terrible car ident, and my son and his wife died in the crash.¡± The old man said, and Darius could make out tears in the corner of the old man¡¯s eyes. Although it happened 16 years ago, it still seemed like yesterday to him. Darius had never cared about his parents before. He was too focused on his part time jobs to care about what he thought were trivial things, but when he heard the story of what happened to his parents, he felt a huge sense of loss overwhelm him. ¡°We thought you died in the car crash with them, but there was no record or traces of your corpse found at the scene. Because of that, I strongly believed you were alive.¡± ¡°I had my personal assistant Bruce search the world constantly for you. We didn¡¯t know if you were alive or not. Finally, after 16 years, we were able to find you.¡± The old man said; tears of joy visible on his face. Darius looked at the old man with warmth in his gaze now. It turned out that his parents had died in a car crash, and his body was not at the scene of the crash. He remembered what the matron at the orphanage had told him. She had told him that a middle aged man was the one who brought him to the orphanage, and told her his name. She was repeatedly warned never to change his name for any reason, which she obeyed. Darius remembered the picture of two people he saw in the hallway and asked a question. ¡°Then the picture of those two people in the hallway is my parents?¡± ¡°Yes. They are Tristan Reid and Diana Reid, your parents.¡± The old man nodded. Darius remained silent. Everything was too much for him to take in at the moment. It still felt so unreal to him. After a few seconds of silence, the old man spoke again. ¡°Darius, I know this is a lot for you to take in, but I hope you can understand. We did want to find you sooner, but we never expected it to take this long. I heard from Bruce about the life you lived. It was solely because of our negligence. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The old man said with sincerity. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, old man. There was no way you could have found me so soon. If anything I should be the one grateful to you.¡± Darius replied. The old man nodded. After all these years of shouldering such a huge burden, he was finally liberated. He looked at Darius again before speaking, and there was a different gaze in his eyes as he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s time for you, Darius Reid, to put that life behind you and im your proper ce as the Reid Consortium¡¯s heir.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. Darius stepped inside the room and entered what seemed to be a study. There was a huge and neat mahogany desk in the room and behind the desk sat an old man. There were some documents littered on the table, and it seemed that the old man was going through them before Bruce knocked on the door. Darius always expected the master to be someone who was high and haughty with plenty of beautifuldies hanging around his arm. After all, he knew that the person behind this kind of wealth was far from being a simple person. However, his imagination was a little too wild andpletely off the mark. The master was no high and haughty person, but a simple old man. He was the kind of person you¡¯ll feel obligated to help to cross the busy roads on the street. As Darius was staring at the master, the master was also doing the same. He narrowed his eyes and adjusted his sses a few times as if studying Darius like a specimen. After a few seconds of studying Darius he turned to Bruce who had just entered the room and asked him a question. ¡°Is this Darius Reid?¡± ¡°Yes master. He is indeed young master Reid.¡± Bruce answered, bowing deeply to the old man. The old man eyes shone and as if he had finally been offered the item of his dream he stood from his chair and rushed over to Darius. ¡°My God! Is it really young Darius?!¡± The man said, touching Darius all over his body. Darius felt ufortable at first, but decided not to move the old man away from him. He could tell that the old man was having a moment as tears fell continuously from his eyes. After a few minutes, the old man was finally satisfied with touching Darius. He held Darius hands, showing no regards for his poor clothes and undesirable outfit. Although Darius didn¡¯t know the old man, he felt really warm in his heart at that treatment. It was nice to see someone not judging him because of his outfit. The old man led him to a chair in the study before sitting down in another chair opposite his. Bruce followed them and stood behind the old man he called his master. ¡°After 16 years we¡¯ve finally found you, Darius Reid.¡± Darius didn¡¯t understand what they meant. He was never missing, so why would they say that they had found him? The old man noticed the confusion in Darius face and sighed. ¡°I know that you are very confused right now. You must have been very perplexed at the phone call you received from Bruce and our current behavior, so I¡¯ll exin what really happened to you.¡± Darius nodded. He really needed an exnation for all these. The old man sighed again before speaking. ¡°You see, 16 years ago, when you were just four years old, my son Tristan Reid and his wife Diana Reid was making a trip to the family vi in Eastgreen Estate with you. We all thought that it would be a very smooth trip, but that was not the case.¡± Darius could see that the story the old man was about to tell him was a very painful one for him. But he needed to hear the story, no matter how painful it was for the old man, so he kept quiet. ¡°There was a terrible car ident, and my son and his wife died in the crash.¡± The old man said, and Darius could make out tears in the corner of the old man¡¯s eyes. Although it happened 16 years ago, it still seemed like yesterday to him. Darius had never cared about his parents before. He was too focused on his part time jobs to care about what he thought were trivial things, but when he heard the story of what happened to his parents, he felt a huge sense of loss overwhelm him. ¡°We thought you died in the car crash with them, but there was no record or traces of your corpse found at the scene. Because of that, I strongly believed you were alive.¡± ¡°I had my personal assistant Bruce search the world constantly for you. We didn¡¯t know if you were alive or not. Finally, after 16 years, we were able to find you.¡± The old man said; tears of joy visible on his face. Darius looked at the old man with warmth in his gaze now. It turned out that his parents had died in a car crash, and his body was not at the scene of the crash. He remembered what the matron at the orphanage had told him. She had told him that a middle aged man was the one who brought him to the orphanage, and told her his name. She was repeatedly warned never to change his name for any reason, which she obeyed. Darius remembered the picture of two people he saw in the hallway and asked a question. ¡°Then the picture of those two people in the hallway is my parents?¡± ¡°Yes. They are Tristan Reid and Diana Reid, your parents.¡± The old man nodded. Darius remained silent. Everything was too much for him to take in at the moment. It still felt so unreal to him. After a few seconds of silence, the old man spoke again. ¡°Darius, I know this is a lot for you to take in, but I hope you can understand. We did want to find you sooner, but we never expected it to take this long. I heard from Bruce about the life you lived. It was solely because of our negligence. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The old man said with sincerity. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, old man. There was no way you could have found me so soon. If anything I should be the one grateful to you.¡± Darius replied. The old man nodded. After all these years of shouldering such a huge burden, he was finally liberated. He looked at Darius again before speaking, and there was a different gaze in his eyes as he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s time for you, Darius Reid, to put that life behind you and im your proper ce as the Reid Consortium¡¯s heir.¡± Chapter 8 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 8 Darius struggled to make sense of what his grandfather said. He was still yet to ovee the shock of finding the identity of his parents, yet his grandfather had dropped another bomb on him. He wondered how many times he would be surprised before he would be able to take a break. ¡°The Reid Consortium¡¯s heir?¡± Darius asked. ¡°Yes, you are the Reid Consortium¡¯s heir.¡± Darius grandfather answered. Darius was shocked once again. As a student of Business Management, he naturally understood what a consortium was. It was safe to say that anyone who imed to own a consortium was immensely wealthy! What was a consortium? You only qualified to say you owned a consortium when you had more than 50% shares in all the affiliated businesses involved! Darius looked at his grandfather differently. This revtion exined why everything here was so luxurious and why his grandfather butler was able to drive a car as expensive as a Rolls-Royce. However, there was a major w with what his grandfather told him. Even if he was the heir to the Reid Consortium, why had he never heard of anypany bearing the Reid name? The fact that he was poor didn¡¯t mean that he was ignorant. He knew many of the toppanies in the world, and knew some prominent consortiums too. In fact, David Lesley father was even in charge of one of the 5-star restaurants in the Mayflower District. ¡°Grandfather, you said I¡¯m the heir to the Reid Consortium?¡± Darius asked. ¡°Yes, you are.¡± His grandfather replied ¡°But howe I¡¯ve never heard of any toppanies in the world bearing the Reid name? As a student of Business Management I¡¯ve done a lot of research regarding toppanies and I¡¯ve never seen apany bearing the Reid name.¡± His grandfather however sighed when he heard his grandson¡¯s question. However he didn¡¯t me him. It was expected, as only the heirs to the Reid Consortium knew how much power and wealth they controlled. His grandfather didn¡¯t answer his question. Instead he stood up and walked over to the mahogany desk where several documents were littered. He picked up two of the documents and walked back to the chair he was seated before. He handed over the documents to Darius before speaking. ¡°Thepanies listed there are all under the Reid Consortium. I have more than 90% shares in each of thosepanies. As a student of Business Management, you should have seen most, if not all of thosepanies.¡± DariusThis content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. looked at his grandfather briefly before turning his gaze to the documents in his hands. However, not even a second had passed before Darius jaw dropped. He was utterly bbergasted! He had thought that nothing would be able to shock him again, but what he saw hadpletely blown his mind away. In the documents were several toppanies in the world, with the leastpany ranked 70th in the world, and their yearly revenue. Groove Inc. was ranked 17th in the world with a yearly revenue of $300B! Darius never knew that the streaming tform where his ex-girlfriend¡¯s dinner date with David was streamed live belonged to his family. Nix Inc. was ranked 7th in the world with a yearly revenue of $600B! That was twice the amount Groove Inc. made! Darius knew a lot about Nix Inc. He even made a research about them in his second year of university. As the leadingpany in technology and electrical gadgets, they were a globally acimedpany. Their ranking alone spoke volumes about the wealth they had. They were also the tenth wealthiestpany in the world, yet this document said that the Nix Inc. belonged to the Reid Consortium! There were also several widely acimed businesses on the list. The Reid Consortium didn¡¯t just consist ofpanies alone. Wealthy districts, globally acimed luxury stores, top certified 10-star hotels, and several mineral mines and oil wells were all part of the Reid Consortium, with the Reid Consortium having more than 90% shares in each one of them! Darius felt his head spinning when he looked at the yearly revenue each of the businesses listed in the document. Hell some of the oil wells even made close to 1 trillion dors yearly! Darius suddenly stopped looking at the list. He turned to his grandfather and asked a very important question. ¡°Grandfather, what is the worth of the Reid Consortium?¡± His Grandfather smiled before answering. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since Ist bothered to check. The worth keeps on increasing by more than 10 times the previous worth the next day anyway.¡± Darius nodded. Basically his grandfather was saying that it was useless to ask. Their wealth was quite literally unlimited. Darius grandfather noticed that Darius had finished going through the documents he handed over to him. He cleared his throat loudly, drawing Darius attention to him. When he saw that Darius attention was fixated on him, he spoke up. ¡°Darius, all thosepanies are no longer registered under my name.¡± Darius eyes widened. ¡°What do you mean by that Grandfather?¡± Darius asked agitatedly. ¡°Calm down Darius. Thepanies and businesses were under my name, because your father who was supposed to inherit them passed away too soon. Now I am just an old man, who wants to rx and look after his health.¡± Darius was surprised again. ¡°What do you mean look after your health? You¡¯re very healthy Grandfather!¡± His grandfather sighed again. ¡°I am tired Darius. I have been the head of the Reid Consortium for over 40 years now. It¡¯s time for you to take your rightful ce. There¡¯s no reason for you to try and change my mind. I have already transferred all the shares I own in thosepanies and registered them under your name. You now own 90% of the shares in each of thosepanies.¡± Darius was tongue tied. All these were happening too soon. However, his grandfather continued speaking. ¡°I know that it¡¯s very sudden, and I wish I could continue as the head until you¡¯re ready to head the Reid Consortium, but my health won¡¯t let me.¡± His grandfather stood up from the chair he was seated on and continued speaking. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have notified every manager of those businesses that you are the new head of the Reid Consortium now. Once you tell them your name, they will treat you with the utmost respect.¡± Darius was about to speak again, but his grandfather beat him to it. ¡°I¡¯m sure that you are very tired. Freshen up and take some rest. Tomorrow we¡¯ll conclude our discussion.¡± His grandfather said, before exiting the study with his butler, leaving Darius alone in the study. Darius struggled to make sense of what his grandfather said. He was still yet to ovee the shock of finding the identity of his parents, yet his grandfather had dropped another bomb on him. He wondered how many times he would be surprised before he would be able to take a break. ¡°The Reid Consortium¡¯s heir?¡± Darius asked. ¡°Yes, you are the Reid Consortium¡¯s heir.¡± Darius grandfather answered. Darius was shocked once again. As a student of Business Management, he naturally understood what a consortium was. It was safe to say that anyone who imed to own a consortium was immensely wealthy! What was a consortium? You only qualified to say you owned a consortium when you had more than 50% shares in all the affiliated businesses involved! Darius looked at his grandfather differently. This revtion exined why everything here was so luxurious and why his grandfather butler was able to drive a car as expensive as a Rolls-Royce. However, there was a major w with what his grandfather told him. Even if he was the heir to the Reid Consortium, why had he never heard of anypany bearing the Reid name? The fact that he was poor didn¡¯t mean that he was ignorant. He knew many of the toppanies in the world, and knew some prominent consortiums too. In fact, David Lesley father was even in charge of one of the 5-star restaurants in the Mayflower District. ¡°Grandfather, you said I¡¯m the heir to the Reid Consortium?¡± Darius asked. ¡°Yes, you are.¡± His grandfather replied ¡°But howe I¡¯ve never heard of any toppanies in the world bearing the Reid name? As a student of Business Management I¡¯ve done a lot of research regarding toppanies and I¡¯ve never seen apany bearing the Reid name.¡± His grandfather however sighed when he heard his grandson¡¯s question. However he didn¡¯t me him. It was expected, as only the heirs to the Reid Consortium knew how much power and wealth they controlled. His grandfather didn¡¯t answer his question. Instead he stood up and walked over to the mahogany desk where several documents were littered. He picked up two of the documents and walked back to the chair he was seated before. He handed over the documents to Darius before speaking. ¡°Thepanies listed there are all under the Reid Consortium. I have more than 90% shares in each of thosepanies. As a student of Business Management, you should have seen most, if not all of thosepanies.¡± Darius looked at his grandfather briefly before turning his gaze to the documents in his hands. However, not even a second had passed before Darius jaw dropped. He was utterly bbergasted! He had thought that nothing would be able to shock him again, but what he saw hadpletely blown his mind away. In the documents were several toppanies in the world, with the leastpany ranked 70th in the world, and their yearly revenue. Groove Inc. was ranked 17th in the world with a yearly revenue of $300B! Darius never knew that the streaming tform where his ex-girlfriend¡¯s dinner date with David was streamed live belonged to his family. Nix Inc. was ranked 7th in the world with a yearly revenue of $600B! That was twice the amount Groove Inc. made! Darius knew a lot about Nix Inc. He even made a research about them in his second year of university. As the leadingpany in technology and electrical gadgets, they were a globally acimedpany. Their ranking alone spoke volumes about the wealth they had. They were also the tenth wealthiestpany in the world, yet this document said that the Nix Inc. belonged to the Reid Consortium! There were also several widely acimed businesses on the list. The Reid Consortium didn¡¯t just consist ofpanies alone. Wealthy districts, globally acimed luxury stores, top certified 10-star hotels, and several mineral mines and oil wells were all part of the Reid Consortium, with the Reid Consortium having more than 90% shares in each one of them! Darius felt his head spinning when he looked at the yearly revenue each of the businesses listed in the document. Hell some of the oil wells even made close to 1 trillion dors yearly! Darius suddenly stopped looking at the list. He turned to his grandfather and asked a very important question. ¡°Grandfather, what is the worth of the Reid Consortium?¡± His Grandfather smiled before answering. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since Ist bothered to check. The worth keeps on increasing by more than 10 times the previous worth the next day anyway.¡± Darius nodded. Basically his grandfather was saying that it was useless to ask. Their wealth was quite literally unlimited. Darius grandfather noticed that Darius had finished going through the documents he handed over to him. He cleared his throat loudly, drawing Darius attention to him. When he saw that Darius attention was fixated on him, he spoke up. ¡°Darius, all thosepanies are no longer registered under my name.¡± Darius eyes widened. ¡°What do you mean by that Grandfather?¡± Darius asked agitatedly. ¡°Calm down Darius. Thepanies and businesses were under my name, because your father who was supposed to inherit them passed away too soon. Now I am just an old man, who wants to rx and look after his health.¡± Darius was surprised again. ¡°What do you mean look after your health? You¡¯re very healthy Grandfather!¡± His grandfather sighed again. ¡°I am tired Darius. I have been the head of the Reid Consortium for over 40 years now. It¡¯s time for you to take your rightful ce. There¡¯s no reason for you to try and change my mind. I have already transferred all the shares I own in thosepanies and registered them under your name. You now own 90% of the shares in each of thosepanies.¡± Darius was tongue tied. All these were happening too soon. However, his grandfather continued speaking. ¡°I know that it¡¯s very sudden, and I wish I could continue as the head until you¡¯re ready to head the Reid Consortium, but my health won¡¯t let me.¡± His grandfather stood up from the chair he was seated on and continued speaking. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have notified every manager of those businesses that you are the new head of the Reid Consortium now. Once you tell them your name, they will treat you with the utmost respect.¡± Darius was about to speak again, but his grandfather beat him to it. ¡°I¡¯m sure that you are very tired. Freshen up and take some rest. Tomorrow we¡¯ll conclude our discussion.¡± His grandfather said, before exiting the study with his butler, leaving Darius alone in the study. Chapter 9 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 9 Darius woke up after a long and refreshing sleep. He had taken a very long time to shower, admiring the luxurious and exquisite decorations in the bathroom, as well as the beautiful bathtub and full wall mirror. After taking his long shower, he draped a white bathrobe around his body andid on the king sized bed. He was unable to appreciate the softness of the bed as he was very tired. He fell asleep almost secondster,pletely spent. Darius got up from the bed and walked towards the window. He pulled the expensive ck curtains and looked outside the window from his room. Luckily today was a Saturday so there were no lectures or sses being held at the university. Darius looked at entirety of the Reid mansion from his window. He hadn¡¯t seen it well at night, but seeing it now reminded him of the wealth that his family had. Darius recalled everything that had happened yesterday night. His whole world literally turned upside down. From being bailed for being unable to pay $5,000 to owning several toppanies and businesses in the world. It was unbelievable. He was still looking at the mansion when there was a knock at his door. ¡°Come in.¡± The door opened and Bruce, his grandfather¡¯s butler came in. He had changed his suit from white to blue, but it still had one simrity. It was insanely expensive. ¡°Young Master Reid, my master wants to speak with you.¡± Bruce said; his tone overly respectful. Darius nodded. ¡°Alright give me a minute. Let me change my outfit to something appropriate. I¡¯ll meet with him in the study.¡± Bruce bowed lightly before exiting the room. Darius changed from his bathrobe to his poor outfit before exiting the room. He had no other outfit, as he never expected to spend that he was the heir to the Reid Consortium. He joined his grandfather who was already in the study and took his seat. He greeted his grandfather lightly to which his grandfather nodded his head. ¡°Like I told you yesterday, you are now the head of the Reid Consortium. I¡¯m very proud that you were able to make it into Kingston University. Although it was not my best choice, it is still a top university.¡± Darius nodded. He however wondered what his university had to do with their conversation. ¡°You need a certificate of graduation from Kingston University; otherwise people might look down on your capabilities as the head of the Reid Consortium. While they would never dare to say such, it is still better for you to get your certificate of graduation.¡± ¡°As I have transferred ownership of the Reid Consortium to you, you need to monitor the progress of thosepanies monthly. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be a lot for you to handle as you are still a student, so you¡¯d need a personal assistant.¡± ¡°Normally, I would have employed one for you, but as the new head, you need to do such things by yourself. After all I would not always be there to give you a helping hand.¡± Darius nodded. He saw sense in what his grandfather said. He could definitely not handle the intricate details of the Reid consortium and still be a top student. What he needed was a capable and honest personal assistant who he could trust with such intricate details of the Reid consortium. The assistant would handle everything regarding the consortium and all he would need to do was go through the summary and sign some documents. However, he could not just hand over such delicate job to anybody. He needed to find someone he could really trust, and although his grandfather didn¡¯t tell him, he knew that such person in his life was his butler, Bruce. ¡°I understand, Grandfather.¡± Darius said. His grandfather smiled. Now everything regarding the handover wasplete. He could finally take his well deserved rest after 40 years. His grandfather looked at the pitiful outfit his grandson was wearing and sighed. How could the new head of the Reid consortium be wearing such a pitiful outfit? It would be a disgrace if he was seen like this. ¡°Darius, how much do you have in your bank ount?¡± His grandfather asked. Darius shrunk slightly. He had no money in this ount and even owed his dorm mates a sum of $5,000. His grandfather didn¡¯t need Darius to say anything else. He knew that his grandson had been living a poor man¡¯s life and didn¡¯t have money. He motioned for Bruce toe closer and whispered something in his ears. Bruce nodded in affirmation before hurrying out of the study. Darius grandfather, James Reid, turned to his grandson and brought out his phone. He typed away on the phone for a few seconds before putting his phone down on the study table. Darius looked at the phone with shock. There were only 10 of those models in the world, and the starting price for each one was $100,000! What was even more shocking was the fact that the phone looked different from the usual model of that phone. The back of the phone was white and the letter ¡®R¡¯ was written stylishly on the back of the phone. Darius knew at once that it was a customized phone from that same model. James Reid noticed his son staring at the phone with an intense gaze and smiled. ¡°By the way Darius, I heard that your phone is broken. I¡¯ll tell Bruce to get you a new one soonest.¡± James said. Before Darius could reply, the door opened and Bruce walked in. He walked straight to the mahogany desk and slid an item across the table to where Darius sat. Darius took the item and saw that it was a stylish ck card. He studied in detail and saw the same stylish ¡®R¡¯ in the centre of the card written in gold. ¡°Darius; that is a debit card made exclusively for the head of the Reid consortium. There is over 10 billion dors in that card. Use it in any of thepanies listed under the Reid consortium. That should be enough for you to change your outfit and get a good ce for you to stay in school.¡± ¡°10 billion dors?!¡± Darius screamed. ¡°Yes.¡± James answered. ¡°You are the head of the Reid consortium now. That much money is nothing.¡± Darius shook his head. He was as poor as a church rat just a day ago. How could he suddenly have over 10 billion dors in his ount?! ¡°Also, I have transferred some pocket money to your regr bank ount. You are the head of the Reid consortium. You should behave like one.¡± James continued. Darius kept mute. He still could not wrap his head around the amount of wealth he now controlled. He suddenly thought of Sarah and felt a sharp pain in his heart. She had left him for someone she felt was richer than him, but now he now owned several toppanies and businesses in the world. Even the business that the Lesley family when owned whenpared to his wealth was likeparing a grain of sand to a vast desert. He thought about going to Sarah and telling her that he was now rich and could buy her all the luxury items she wanted, but it was only for a fleeting second before he thought otherwise. She didn¡¯t even date him for a month before dumping him for another person. It was obvious that she never loved him at all. He had given his all for the rtionship, but was ultimately rejected. He sighed. Some things were not just meant to be. Darius woke up after a long and refreshing sleep. He had taken a very long time to shower, admiring the luxurious and exquisite decorations in the bathroom, as well as the beautiful bathtub and full wall mirror. After taking his long shower, he draped a white bathrobe around his body andid on the king sized bed. He was unable to appreciate the softness of the bed as he was very tired. He fell asleep almost secondster,pletely spent. Darius got up from the bed and walked towards the window. He pulled the expensive ck curtains and looked outside the window from his room. Luckily today was a Saturday so there were no lectures or sses being held at the university. Darius looked at entirety of the Reid mansion from his window. He hadn¡¯t seen it well at night, but seeing it now reminded him of the wealth that his family had. Darius recalled everything that had happened yesterday night. His whole world literally turned upside down. From being bailed for being unable to pay $5,000 to owning several toppanies and businesses in the world. It was unbelievable. He was still looking at the mansion when there was a knock at his door. ¡°Come in.¡± The door opened and Bruce, his grandfather¡¯s butler came in. He had changed his suit from white to blue, but it still had one simrity. It was insanely expensive. ¡°Young Master Reid, my master wants to speak with you.¡± Bruce said; his tone overly respectful. Darius nodded. ¡°Alright give me a minute. Let me change my outfit to something appropriate. I¡¯ll meet with him in the study.¡± Bruce bowed lightly before exiting the room. Darius changed from his bathrobe to his poor outfit before exiting the room. He had no other outfit, as he never expected to spend that he was the heir to the Reid Consortium. He joined his grandfather who was already in the study and took his seat. He greeted his grandfather lightly to which his grandfather nodded his head. ¡°Like I told you yesterday, you are now the head of the Reid Consortium. I¡¯m very proud that you were able to make it into Kingston University. Although it was not my best choice, it is still a top university.¡± Darius nodded. He however wondered what his university had to do with their conversation. ¡°You need a certificate of graduation from Kingston University; otherwise people might look down on your capabilities as the head of the Reid Consortium. While they would never dare to say such, it is still better for you to get your certificate of graduation.¡± ¡°As I have transferred ownership of the Reid Consortium to you, you need to monitor the progress of thosepanies monthly. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be a lot for you to handle as you are still a student, so you¡¯d need a personal assistant.¡± ¡°Normally, I would have employed one for you, but as the new head, you need to do such things by yourself. After all I would not always be there to give you a helping hand.¡± Darius nodded. He saw sense in what his grandfather said. He could definitely not handle the intricate details of the Reid consortium and still be a top student. What he needed was a capable and honest personal assistant who he could trust with such intricate details of the Reid consortium. The assistant would handle everything regarding the consortium and all he would need to do was go through the summary and sign some documents. However, he could not just hand over such delicate job to anybody. He needed to find someone he could really trust, and although his grandfather didn¡¯t tell him, he knew that such person in his life was his butler, Bruce. ¡°I understand, Grandfather.¡± Darius said. His grandfather smiled. Now everything regarding the handover wasplete. He could finally take his well deserved rest after 40 years. His grandfather looked at the pitiful outfit his grandson was wearing and sighed. How could the new head of the Reid consortium be wearing such a pitiful outfit? It would be a disgrace if he was seen like this. ¡°Darius, how much do you have in your bank ount?¡± His grandfather asked. Darius shrunk slightly. He had no money in this ount and even owed his dorm mates a sum of $5,000. His grandfather didn¡¯t need Darius to say anything else. He knew that his grandson had been living a poor man¡¯s life and didn¡¯t have money. He motioned for Bruce toe closer and whispered something in his ears. Bruce nodded in affirmation before hurrying out of the study. Darius grandfather, James Reid, turned to his grandson and brought out his phone. He typed away on the phone for a few seconds before putting his phone down on the study table. Darius looked at the phone with shock. There were only 10 of those models in the world, and the starting price for each one was $100,000! What was even more shocking was the fact that the phone looked different from the usual model of that phone. The back of the phone was white and the letter ¡®R¡¯ was written stylishly on the back of the phone. Darius knew at once that it was a customized phone from that same model. James Reid noticed his son staring at the phone with an intense gaze and smiled. ¡°By the way Darius, I heard that your phone is broken. I¡¯ll tell Bruce to get you a new one soonest.¡± James said. Before Darius could reply, the door opened and Bruce walked in. He walked straight to the mahogany desk and slid an item across the table to where Darius sat. Darius took the item and saw that it was a stylish ck card. He studied in detail and saw the same stylish ¡®R¡¯ in the centre of the card written in gold. ¡°Darius; that is a debit card made exclusively for the head of the Reid consortium. There is over 10 billion dors in that card. Use it in any of thepanies listed under the Reid consortium. That should be enough for you to change your outfit and get a good ce for you to stay in school.¡± ¡°10 billion dors?!¡± Darius screamed. ¡°Yes.¡± James answered. ¡°You are the head of the Reid consortium now. That much money is nothing.¡± Darius shook his head. He was as poor as a church rat just a day ago. How could he suddenly have over 10 billion dors in his ount?! ¡°Also, I have transferred some pocket money to your regr bank ount. You are the head of the Reid consortium. You should behave like one.¡± James continued. Darius kept mute. He still could not wrap his head around the amount of wealth he now controlled. He suddenly thought of Sarah and felt a sharp pain in his heart. She had left him for someone she felt was richer than him, but now he now owned several toppanies and businesses in the world. Even the business that the Lesley family when owned whenpared to his wealth was likeparing a grain of sand to a vast desert. He thought about going to Sarah and telling her that he was now rich and could buy her all the luxury items she wanted, but it was only for a fleeting second before he thought otherwise. She didn¡¯t even date him for a month before dumping him for another person. It was obvious that she never loved him at all. He had given his all for the rtionship, but was ultimately rejected. He sighed. Some things were not just meant to be.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Chapter 10 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 10 Darius was still reminiscing about his rtionship and breakup with Sarah when his grandfather spoke up again. ¡°Darius, you don¡¯t have a car yet. Do you?¡± His grandfather asked. Darius didn¡¯t respond, but the corners of his eyes were twitching madly. Of course he did not have a car! How was he supposed to afford a car when he was as poor as a church rat?! James Reid smiled with warmth when he saw his grandson¡¯s eyebrows twitching. It reminded him so much of his son. His son Tristan Reid eyebrows would always twitch when he was annoyed. ¡°Well that won¡¯t do. You have to live like a Reid now. Bruce, take him to the garage and let him select two cars of his choice. Customize the cars to his taste and deliver them to him as soon as possible.¡± James stated authoritatively. ¡°Yes Master James.¡± Bruce answered, bowing lightly. He turned to Darius who had his mouth open like a gaping fish before speaking. ¡°Young Master Reid, this way please.¡± Darius sighed. From receiving a card worth $10B to being gifted two cars of his choice from the garage. There was no way he could refuse such a gift. His grandfather would never allow him to refuse it anyways. Darius stood up and exited the study. He was curious to see the garage anyway. Since there was a very expensive Rolls-Royce already, he wondered what kind of cars would be present in the garage. Darius and his grandfather¡¯s butler Bruce walked for a few minutes in the luxurious hallways beforeing to a stop. Bruce went to a door and scanned his fingerprint and his left eye for security purposes before opening the door. It turned out that behind the door was an elevator. Darius entered the elevator and Bruce input a floor number before pressing the close button. The elevator started descending and moved downwards for about two minutes before stopping. Bruce opened the door and stepped aside, waiting for Darius to exit the elevator first. Darius not being used to such treatment ignored Bruce behavior and stepped outside, after which Bruce followed. However, Darius walked for only ten seconds before stoppingpletely. It seemed that he would never stop being shocked and surprised as long as he stayed in the Reid mansion. Darius expected a normal garage which had a few cars that were all expensive, but this was completely out of his imagination. However, he should have expected it when Bruce brought him to an underground garage. At a single nce, Darius could count over 40 cars, and they were all made from different automobilepanies! There were various Rolls-Royce cars, Bentleys, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bugattis, Porsche, Koeniggseggs and even Limousines! Darius felt his mouth go dry at the sight before him. So many expensive cars! He didn¡¯t dare to wonder how much this entire underground garage was worth. Darius walked around slowly, admiring the beauty of the cars. There were some vintage and outdated cars present in the underground garage, but Darius knew that as outdated as they looked, they probably cost more than twice the amount of some other cars there. Darius smiled. He didn¡¯t know that his grandfather was a lover of vintage cars. Then again, he just met his grandfather yesterday. There were so many things he didn¡¯t know about his grandfather. Darius walked for a few minutes beforeing to a stop. After careful contemtion, he still could not decide which two cars to take for himself. He suddenly smiled, as if he had just gotten a very important discovery. He turned to Bruce who was standing just behind him and spoke. ¡°Do you know how much each of these cars cost?¡± Darius asked. ¡°Absolutely, young master Reid.¡± Bruce answered respectfully. ¡°Brilliant!¡± Darius eximed. Bruce looked at his young master skeptically. He wondered why the young master suddenly asked him such a question. However Darius could care less about Bruce. Since he was now the head of the Reid Consortium he should start acting like one. There was no need for him to be prudent! ¡°Now Bruce, lead me to the two most expensive sports car in this garage.¡± Darius said. The solution was very simple. He would just pick the most expensive cars. If he didn¡¯t like anyone of them, he would go for the closest most expensive sports car present. A simple and straightforward solution! Bruce smiled. Now the young master was finally starting to act like a Reid. As a Reid, you should only go for the best! Anything else was not worthy of his attention. ¡°Of course young master Reid. This way please.¡± Bruce replied before leading Darius to the ce the most expensive sports car were parked. They walked for only a few seconds beforeing to stop in front of a ck sports car. Darius immediately fell in love with the ck sports car at once. It was extremely stylish, and exuded elegance and masculinity at the same time. The design was also top notch. ¡°What car is this?¡± Darius asked. ¡°This is a Bugatti La Voiture Noire. It is the most expensive car that the automobile company has ever produced.¡± Bruce answered. ¡°Oh? How much is it?¡± Darius asked. He was curious to know how much the most expensive car in this garage cost. ¡°20 million dors, young master Reid.¡± Bruce answered. Darius turned to look at him in shock. ¡°20 million dors for a single car?!¡± Darius eximed. ¡°Yes young master.¡± Bruce replied. Darius sighed. He was rich now. He could buy 100 of such cars if he wanted now. As the head of the Reid Consortium, he couldn¡¯t let things like this move him anymore. ¡°Alright I¡¯ll take this car.¡± Darius said. He liked the design of the car and wanted it for himself. ¡°Okay young master Reid. Is there anything you¡¯d like me to customize about the car?¡± Bruce asked. Darius looked at the car and shook his head. There was nothing he needed to change in the car. He liked the car the way it was. Bruce nodded his head in affirmation, before leading Darius on another tour. After showing Darius a few more expensive cars which Darius rejected, they finally stopped in front of another car. ¡°What car is this?¡± Darius asked. ¡°This is a Lamborghini Veneno Roadster, young master Reid.¡± Bruce answered. ¡°Oh? How much is it?¡± Darius asked. ¡°6 million dors young master Reid.¡± Bruce replied. Darius looked at the yellow sports car. He very much liked this one. And it was also a reasonable price range. If he drove it to school it would be very much eptable. Although he didn¡¯t like the yellow colour, he could arrange for it to be customized. As if Bruce read his mind, he asked him a question. ¡°Okay young master Reid. Is there anything you¡¯d like me to customize about the car?¡± Bruce asked. ¡°Yes. Change the colour to something more masculine. That should be all.¡± Darius answered. ¡°Alright young master Reid.¡± Bruce answered respectfully. ¡°Right, how much would it cost to customize these cars?¡± Darius asked out of curiosity. ¡°The Bugatti would cost 60 million dors while the Lamborghini would cost 18 million dors.¡± Bruce answered. Darius sucked in a cold breath. So expensive! It was a bit rming that Bruce was speaking about such huge amount of money in such a nonchnt tone. ¡°That will be all Bruce.¡± Darius said. He had obeyed his grandfather and picked two cars. It was just yesterday that he couldn¡¯t afford a taxi to the Sky Golden Hotel, but he now owned two super cars of his own choosing. ¡°Alright young master Reid. The cars will be delivered by me personally to you as soon as the customization is done.¡± Bruce said. Darius nodded his head before heading towards the elevator. It was already mid afternoon and he wanted to get some rest. Darius was still reminiscing about his rtionship and breakup with Sarah when his grandfather spoke up again. ¡°Darius, you don¡¯t have a car yet. Do you?¡± His grandfather asked. Darius didn¡¯t respond, but the corners of his eyes were twitching madly. Of course he did not have a car! How was he supposed to afford a car when he was as poor as a church rat?! James Reid smiled with warmth when he saw his grandson¡¯s eyebrows twitching. It reminded him so much of his son. His son Tristan Reid eyebrows would always twitch when he was annoyed. ¡°Well that won¡¯t do. You have to live like a Reid now. Bruce, take him to the garage and let him select two cars of his choice. Customize the cars to his taste and deliver them to him as soon as possible.¡± James stated authoritatively. ¡°Yes Master James.¡± Bruce answered, bowing lightly. He turned to Darius who had his mouth open like a gaping fish before speaking. ¡°Young Master Reid, this way please.¡± Darius sighed. From receiving a card worth $10B to being gifted two cars of his choice from the garage. There was no way he could refuse such a gift. His grandfather would never allow him to refuse it anyways. Darius stood up and exited the study. He was curious to see the garage anyway. Since there was a very expensive Rolls-Royce already, he wondered what kind of cars would be present in the garage. Darius and his grandfather¡¯s butler Bruce walked for a few minutes in the luxurious hallways beforeing to a stop. Bruce went to a door and scanned his fingerprint and his left eye for security purposes before opening the door. It turned out that behind the door was an elevator. Darius entered the elevator and Bruce input a floor number before pressing the close button. The elevator started descending and moved downwards for about two minutes before stopping. Bruce opened the door and stepped aside, waiting for Darius to exit the elevator first. Darius not being used to such treatment ignored Bruce behavior and stepped outside, after which Bruce followed. However, Darius walked for only ten seconds before stoppingpletely. It seemed that he would never stop being shocked and surprised as long as he stayed in the Reid mansion. Darius expected a normal garage which had a few cars that were all expensive, but this was completely out of his imagination. However, he should have expected it when Bruce brought him to an underground garage. At a single nce, Darius could count over 40 cars, and they were all made from different automobilepanies! There were various Rolls-Royce cars, Bentleys, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bugattis, Porsche, Koeniggseggs and even Limousines! Darius felt his mouth go dry at the sight before him. So many expensive cars! He didn¡¯t dare to wonder how much this entire underground garage was worth. Darius walked around slowly, admiring the beauty of the cars. There were some vintage and outdated cars present in the underground garage, but Darius knew that as outdated as they looked, they probably cost more than twice the amount of some other cars there. Darius smiled. He didn¡¯t know that his grandfather was a lover of vintage cars. Then again, he just met his grandfather yesterday. There were so many things he didn¡¯t know about his grandfather. Darius walked for a few minutes beforeing to a stop. After careful contemtion, he still could not decide which two cars to take for himself. He suddenly smiled, as if he had just gotten a very important discovery. He turned to Bruce who was standing just behind him and spoke. ¡°Do you know how much each of these cars cost?¡± Darius asked. ¡°Absolutely, young master Reid.¡± Bruce answered respectfully. ¡°Brilliant!¡± Darius eximed. Bruce looked at his young master skeptically. He wondered why the young master suddenly asked him such a question. However Darius could care less about Bruce. Since he was now the head of the Reid Consortium he should start acting like one. There was no need for him to be prudent! ¡°Now Bruce, lead me to the two most expensive sports car in this garage.¡± Darius said. The solution was very simple. He would just pick the most expensive cars. If he didn¡¯t like anyone of them, he would go for the closest most expensive sports car present. A simple and straightforward solution! Bruce smiled. Now the young master was finally starting to act like a Reid. As a Reid, you should only go for the best! Anything else was not worthy of his attention. ¡°Of course young master Reid. This way please.¡± Bruce replied before leading Darius to the ce the most expensive sports car were parked. They walked for only a few seconds beforeing to stop in front of a ck sports car. Darius immediately fell in love with the ck sports car at once. It was extremely stylish, and exuded elegance and masculinity at the same time. The design was also top notch. ¡°What car is this?¡± Darius asked. ¡°This is a Bugatti La Voiture Noire. It is the most expensive car that the automobile company has ever produced.¡± Bruce answered. ¡°Oh? How much is it?¡± Darius asked. He was curious to know how much the most expensive car in this garage cost. ¡°20 million dors, young master Reid.¡± Bruce answered. Darius turned to look at him in shock. ¡°20 million dors for a single car?!¡± Darius eximed. ¡°Yes young master.¡± Bruce replied. Darius sighed. He was rich now. He could buy 100 of such cars if he wanted now. As the head of the Reid Consortium, he couldn¡¯t let things like this move him anymore. ¡°Alright I¡¯ll take this car.¡± Darius said. He liked the design of the car and wanted it forThis content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. himself. ¡°Okay young master Reid. Is there anything you¡¯d like me to customize about the car?¡± Bruce asked. Darius looked at the car and shook his head. There was nothing he needed to change in the car. He liked the car the way it was. Bruce nodded his head in affirmation, before leading Darius on another tour. After showing Darius a few more expensive cars which Darius rejected, they finally stopped in front of another car. ¡°What car is this?¡± Darius asked. ¡°This is a Lamborghini Veneno Roadster, young master Reid.¡± Bruce answered. ¡°Oh? How much is it?¡± Darius asked. ¡°6 million dors young master Reid.¡± Bruce replied. Darius looked at the yellow sports car. He very much liked this one. And it was also a reasonable price range. If he drove it to school it would be very much eptable. Although he didn¡¯t like the yellow colour, he could arrange for it to be customized. As if Bruce read his mind, he asked him a question. ¡°Okay young master Reid. Is there anything you¡¯d like me to customize about the car?¡± Bruce asked. ¡°Yes. Change the colour to something more masculine. That should be all.¡± Darius answered. ¡°Alright young master Reid.¡± Bruce answered respectfully. ¡°Right, how much would it cost to customize these cars?¡± Darius asked out of curiosity. ¡°The Bugatti would cost 60 million dors while the Lamborghini would cost 18 million dors.¡± Bruce answered. Darius sucked in a cold breath. So expensive! It was a bit rming that Bruce was speaking about such huge amount of money in such a nonchnt tone. ¡°That will be all Bruce.¡± Darius said. He had obeyed his grandfather and picked two cars. It was just yesterday that he couldn¡¯t afford a taxi to the Sky Golden Hotel, but he now owned two super cars of his own choosing. ¡°Alright young master Reid. The cars will be delivered by me personally to you as soon as the customization is done.¡± Bruce said. Darius nodded his head before heading towards the elevator. It was already mid afternoon and he wanted to get some rest. Chapter 11 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 11 Just like that, the weekend passed in the blink of an eye and it was Sunday evening. Darius checked his schedule and confirmed that while he did not have sses on Monday, he would need to resume sses on Tuesday. This meant that he could no longer stay at the Reid mansion, and that his time here was over. Over the weekend, apart from receiving the ck card and two new super cars, Darius grandfather James Reid also gave him a new phone. The phone was thetest phone produced from the leading technologypany Nix Inc. The phone was ck in colour and also had the stylish ¡®R¡¯ written on the back in gold colour which proved that the phone was also customized. Also, apart from the 10 billion dors in the ck card, his grandfather had transferred an additional $5,000,000,000 to his regr bank ount, which meant he now had a total of $15B on his person. His chaotic weekend was finally over and he would be leaving the mansion now. He went from being dumped by the girl he dated for less than a month to bing the head of the Reid Consortium. He also met his grandfather and heard vital news about his birth parents. All in all, it was a good weekend. After a brief farewell, which James shed some tears, Bruce offered to drop him at his dorm in the university, but Darius declined. He had checked thements about school after getting a new phone and knew that he was now the subject of ridicule. David had even promised to make his life hell for him when he returned. He knew that Bruce idea of dropping him off was driving him to school in a Rolls-Royce car that was probably three times the amount of the most expensive car on their campus. It would only bring unwanted attention to him and perhaps the ire of the whole student body. What he needed to do was to stay away from prying eyes until the rumors died down. That way he could slowly reveal his wealth without cing much attention on himself. After bidding his final farewell to his family, he turned and left the mansion. Bruce and James kept watching Darius until he was no longer visible in their line of sight. James sighed before turning back and started walking towards the entrance to the mansion, with Bruce following closely. They had done their job and finally found the heir to the Reid Consortium. Everything was up to Darius now. Darius boarded a cab that took him back to his dormitory. He had to constantly look at the phone in his hand to remind himself that he was no longer a poor peasant but a rich man. Darius smiled. He was no longer going to live a pitiful life anymore. The cab stopped him outside his dormitory. As it was a Sunday evening the dormitory was slightly deserted. It was normal, as during this time of the day the rich people in his campus were taking the girls out on dinner dates or the couples were doing their thing. Darius sighed. If it were before he found out his true identity he would also be among the people taking their girlfriends for dinner dates with the miserable amount of money he had. Darius got to his dorm room thinking about it and opened the door. However, he was greeted by several bro hugs which broke him out of his reverie. ¡°Darius!¡± Rudd eximed, giving Darius a very tight hug. He had missed Darius and worried everyday about him. ¡°Rudd.¡± Darius responded lightly. However he was d that his friends missed him. Greg and Marcus also gave Darius friendly and warm bro hugs before separating from him. They too had missed their dorm mate and friend. They had been really worried when he left them at the police station after his abrupt break up with Sarah and went AWOL for two days, but after seeing him now, they were now rxed and their hearts were at ease. ¡°I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t eaten since.¡± Rudd said. He walked to the table in the dorm and brought out a wrapped baggage then handed it to Darius. ¡°That is your favorite meal I got from TFC.¡± Rudd said, smiling widely. Darius remembered TFC, which was short for ¡®Tasty Fried Chicken.¡¯ It was a top foodpany that was ranked 67th globally. Darius could barely afford a single meal there before and would have to save up his money from part time work for months before he could afford his favorite meal there, as it cost $200. As a result, he only treated himself to TFC meals when he had achieved something noteworthy, and felt the need to congratte himself or times like this when Rudd or his dorm mates bought it and gave it to him. However that was then. He remembered seeing TFC on the list ofpanies under the Reid Consortium with yearly revenue of around $90B, which meant he was indirectly the owner of TFC now. He could now afford the most expensive meal at TFC without any problem. Darius smiled and collected the meal from Rudd¡¯s outstretched hands. He was eternally grateful that he had like these three who did not care about his background and poverty. He thought about telling them about his identity as the head of the Reid Consortium, but ultimately decided against it. There was little chance that they¡¯d believe him anyway. It was best to keep things under wraps for now. The rest of the night was spent in a fun manner. The four boysughed and joked around as Darius ate; and after he was done eating, they set up video games which they took turn ying. After ying video gameste into the night, they were finally tired and decided to call it a night. Darius climbed unto his dorm bed and stared at the white ceiling. However, his thoughts were upied with various things. Now that he was rich, he figured out that it was time for him to change his outfit. After all, he had received 10 billion dors from his grandfather just for that purpose. He couldn¡¯t keep on wearing rags in campus anymore. If he wanted to change his status as a pauper he needed to stop behaving like one. After concluding his schedule for the next day, Darius drifted to sleep peacefully. Just like that, the weekend passed in the blink of an eye and it was Sunday evening. Darius checked his schedule and confirmed that while he did not have sses on Monday, he would need to resume sses on Tuesday. This meant that he could no longer stay at the Reid mansion, and that his time here was over. Over the weekend, apart from receiving the ck card and two new super cars, Darius grandfather James Reid also gave him a new phone. The phone was thetest phone produced from the leading technologypany Nix Inc. The phone was ck in colour and also had the stylish ¡®R¡¯ written on the back in gold colour which proved that the phone was also customized. Also, apart from the 10 billion dors in the ck card, his grandfather had transferred an additional $5,000,000,000 to his regr bank ount, which meant he now had a total of $15B on his person. His chaotic weekend was finally over and he would be leaving the mansion now. He went from being dumped by the girl he dated for less than a month to bing the head of the Reid Consortium. He also met his grandfather and heard vital news about his birth parents. All in all, it was a good weekend. After a brief farewell, which James shed some tears, Bruce offered to drop him at his dorm in the university, but Darius declined. He had checked thements about school after getting a new phone and knew that he was now the subject of ridicule. David had even promised to make his life hell for him when he returned. He knew that Bruce idea of dropping him off was driving him to school in a Rolls-Royce car that was probably three times the amount of the most expensive car on their campus. It would only bring unwanted attention to him and perhaps the ire of the whole student body. What he needed to do was to stay away from prying eyes until the rumors died down. That way he could slowly reveal his wealthN?velDrama.Org owns this. without cing much attention on himself. After bidding his final farewell to his family, he turned and left the mansion. Bruce and James kept watching Darius until he was no longer visible in their line of sight. James sighed before turning back and started walking towards the entrance to the mansion, with Bruce following closely. They had done their job and finally found the heir to the Reid Consortium. Everything was up to Darius now. Darius boarded a cab that took him back to his dormitory. He had to constantly look at the phone in his hand to remind himself that he was no longer a poor peasant but a rich man. Darius smiled. He was no longer going to live a pitiful life anymore. The cab stopped him outside his dormitory. As it was a Sunday evening the dormitory was slightly deserted. It was normal, as during this time of the day the rich people in his campus were taking the girls out on dinner dates or the couples were doing their thing. Darius sighed. If it were before he found out his true identity he would also be among the people taking their girlfriends for dinner dates with the miserable amount of money he had. Darius got to his dorm room thinking about it and opened the door. However, he was greeted by several bro hugs which broke him out of his reverie. ¡°Darius!¡± Rudd eximed, giving Darius a very tight hug. He had missed Darius and worried everyday about him. ¡°Rudd.¡± Darius responded lightly. However he was d that his friends missed him. Greg and Marcus also gave Darius friendly and warm bro hugs before separating from him. They too had missed their dorm mate and friend. They had been really worried when he left them at the police station after his abrupt break up with Sarah and went AWOL for two days, but after seeing him now, they were now rxed and their hearts were at ease. ¡°I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t eaten since.¡± Rudd said. He walked to the table in the dorm and brought out a wrapped baggage then handed it to Darius. ¡°That is your favorite meal I got from TFC.¡± Rudd said, smiling widely. Darius remembered TFC, which was short for ¡®Tasty Fried Chicken.¡¯ It was a top foodpany that was ranked 67th globally. Darius could barely afford a single meal there before and would have to save up his money from part time work for months before he could afford his favorite meal there, as it cost $200. As a result, he only treated himself to TFC meals when he had achieved something noteworthy, and felt the need to congratte himself or times like this when Rudd or his dorm mates bought it and gave it to him. However that was then. He remembered seeing TFC on the list ofpanies under the Reid Consortium with yearly revenue of around $90B, which meant he was indirectly the owner of TFC now. He could now afford the most expensive meal at TFC without any problem. Darius smiled and collected the meal from Rudd¡¯s outstretched hands. He was eternally grateful that he had like these three who did not care about his background and poverty. He thought about telling them about his identity as the head of the Reid Consortium, but ultimately decided against it. There was little chance that they¡¯d believe him anyway. It was best to keep things under wraps for now. The rest of the night was spent in a fun manner. The four boysughed and joked around as Darius ate; and after he was done eating, they set up video games which they took turn ying. After ying video gameste into the night, they were finally tired and decided to call it a night. Darius climbed unto his dorm bed and stared at the white ceiling. However, his thoughts were upied with various things. Now that he was rich, he figured out that it was time for him to change his outfit. After all, he had received 10 billion dors from his grandfather just for that purpose. He couldn¡¯t keep on wearing rags in campus anymore. If he wanted to change his status as a pauper he needed to stop behaving like one. After concluding his schedule for the next day, Darius drifted to sleep peacefully. Chapter 12 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 12 Darius woke up the next morning in a happy mood. He had slept really wellst night. The fact that he was also a rich man also contributed to his happiness. He didn¡¯t have to struggle for money to get food to eat anymore. He looked around the dorm and saw that his dorm mates had already left for sses. They were in a different department from him, the Broadcasting and Media department, so they had sses today. Darius took his bath and freshened up before putting on his poor outfit. His stomach grumbled reminding him that he was hungry. He almost went to the school cafeteria out of habit but ultimately decided against it. He was no longer poor now. After getting new clothes, he would dine at the Sky Golden Hotel. Darius took a cab to the biggest shopping mall in the Mayflower district, the district where David Lesley father owned a restaurant. Mayflower district was a very popr district, as it had several top businesses andpany there. Only the rich and well to do could afford the things that were sold in Mayflower district, so Darius had never had the chance or opportunity to go there. He was a pauper so there was nothing he could afford there. However, that had changed now. The cab stopped him a fair distance from the shopping mall. Darius was the one who told the cab driver to do so as he wanted to take a look at the Mayflower district. He now owned the whole Mayflower district, so it was only right he took a look at how well his business was doing. After sightseeing for over 30 minutes, he finally got to the shopping mall. When Darius got there, he could make out several expensive cars parked in the parking lot. The wealth of the Mayflower district could not be over emphasized, which was why David Lesley was able to afford a car worth 2 million dors. Darius would have been greatly intimidated if he came here when he was still poor, but it wasn¡¯t the case now. After all, he now had two super cars. Compared to that, the cars here were nothing worth mentioning to him. He walked nonchntly and leisurely to the entrance to the shopping mall. The security guard that was stationed at the door saw Darius walking towards the entrance and frowned. At a single nce, he saw that Darius was incredibly poor. He wondered what someone like him was doing at an expensive ce like this. He looked like he couldn¡¯t even afford a single item sold in the mall. The security guard scanned Darius over again before sighing. It was none of his business anyway. If he wanted to enter the mall he was free to do that. He was only here to quell all disturbances and maintain peace in the shopping mall. All that matter was that at the end of the month, he would receive his sry. Darius greeted the security guard stationed at the entrance of the building with a wide smile. The security guard nodded his head as a reply to his greeting, and then scanned Darius to make sure he wasn¡¯t carrying any dangerous items on his person before granting him entry into the mall. Darius smiled at the security guard again before entering the shopping mall. Darius admired the grandeur of the interior of the shopping mall as he walked, before finallying to a stop at the entrance to a famous clothing store, Louis Vuitton. Darius smiled again before entering inside. The inside of the store really lived up to its designer name. Luxury was the right word to describe it. There were several types of clothing present, ranging from casual wears to luxurious wears. Darius was still looking at the various clothing when a salesdy rushed up to him. ¡°Hello sir. How may I help you today?¡± The salesdy asked politely. She had found the customer first so she hoped that he would purchase some clothes. After all she always receivedmissions for each sale she made. ¡°I¡¯m here to purchase some clothes.¡± Darius responded. ¡°Okay sir. Which type of clothes are you looking to purchase?¡± The salesdy asked. Darius looked around the clothing store for a few seconds before replying the salesdy. ¡°I¡¯d like some casual wears.¡± Darius answered. After careful consideration, he decided to buy casual wears. He just wanted to look good and presentable. Dressing in overly expensive clothes would only draw unwanted attention to him, which was something he didn¡¯t want, at least not now. ¡°Add some suits as well.¡± Darius remarked. He required outfits in case he was required to wear one for any asion. After all, he couldn¡¯t go everywhere in his casual attire. The salesdy smiled and nodded in affirmation before leading Darius to the sections of the clothing store where casual wears and suits were disyed. Together the two of them selected several casual outfits and three different suits. Darius was satisfied with the outfits the salesdy had selected. Although they were not shy, they still exuded a bit of luxury. It was the type of clothes that you¡¯d pay little attention to if someone wore the outfits on the road. The suits however were more luxurious than his casual outfits. They were all three piece suits, and they exuded splendor. Darius was very satisfied with the suits as well. Because the two of them had selected quite the number of outfits, as Darius didn¡¯t have much outfits prior to this, they were both carrying a lot of shopping bags which the outfits were ced inside. Right before they got to the counter where Darius would make his payment, Darius bumped into someone, spilling some of the shopping bags he carried on the floor. Darius knew that he was at fault, since his eyesight was hindered due to therge amount of shopping bags he was carrying. However, before he could offer an apology to the person he bumped into, the person spoke up. ¡°Hey! Are you stupid? Can¡¯t you see properly? What kind of an idiot are you?!¡± the person shouted angrily. Darius frowned. He was not frowning at the insults directed at him, but at the fact that the voice sounded very familiar. He dropped the remainder of the shopping bags neatly on the ground before turning to face the person. However, immediately he did so, a huge frown instantly appeared on his face, for the person who he bumped into was none other than David Lesley and his ex-girlfriend Sarah Ginn. Darius woke up the next morning in a happy mood. He had slept really wellst night. The fact that he was also a rich man also contributed to his happiness. He didn¡¯t have to struggle for money to get food to eat anymore. He looked around the dorm and saw that his dorm mates had already left for sses. They were in a different department from him, the Broadcasting and Media department, so they had sses today. Darius took his bath and freshened up before putting on his poor outfit. His stomach grumbled reminding him that he was hungry. He almost went to the school cafeteria out of habit but ultimately decided against it. He was no longer poor now. After getting new clothes, he would dine at the Sky Golden Hotel. Darius took a cab to the biggest shopping mall in the Mayflower district, the district where David Lesley father owned a restaurant. Mayflower district was a very popr district, as it had several top businesses andpany there. Only the rich and well to do could afford the things that were sold in Mayflower district, so Darius had never had the chance or opportunity to go there. He was a pauper so there was nothing he could afford there. However, that had changed now. The cab stopped him a fair distance from the shopping mall. Darius was the one who told the cab driver to do so as he wanted to take a look at the Mayflower district. He now owned the whole Mayflower district, so it was only right he took a look at how well his business was doing. After sightseeing for over 30 minutes, he finally got to the shopping mall. When Darius got there, he could make out several expensive cars parked in the parking lot. The wealth of the Mayflower district could not be over emphasized, which was why David Lesley was able to afford a car worth 2 million dors. Darius would have been greatly intimidated if he came here when he was still poor, but it wasn¡¯t the case now. After all, he now had two super cars. Compared to that, the cars here were nothing worth mentioning to him. He walked nonchntly and leisurely to the entrance to the shopping mall. The security guard that was stationed at the door saw Darius walking towards the entrance and frowned. At a single nce, he saw that Darius was incredibly poor. He wondered what someone like him was doing at an expensive ce like this. He looked like he couldn¡¯t even afford a single item sold in the mall. The security guard scanned Darius over again before sighing. It was none of his business anyway. If he wanted to enter the mall he was free to do that. He was only here to quell all disturbances and maintain peace in the shopping mall. All that matter was that at the end of the month, he would receive his sry. Darius greeted the security guard stationed at the entrance of the building with a wide smile. The security guard nodded his head as a reply to his greeting, and then scanned Darius to make sure he wasn¡¯t carrying any dangerous items on his person before granting him entry into the mall. Darius smiled at the security guard again before entering the shopping mall. Darius admired the grandeur of the interior of the shopping mall as he walked, before finallying to a stop at the entrance to a famous clothing store, Louis Vuitton. Darius smiled again before entering inside. The inside of the store really lived up to its designer name. Luxury was the right word to describe it. There were several types of clothing present, ranging from casual wears to luxurious wears. Darius was still looking at the various clothing when a salesdy rushed up to him. ¡°Hello sir. How may I help you today?¡± The salesdy asked politely. She had found the customer first so she hoped that he would purchase some clothes. After all she always receivedmissions for each sale she made. ¡°I¡¯m here to purchase some clothes.¡± Darius responded. ¡°Okay sir. Which type of clothes are you looking to purchase?¡± The salesdy asked. Darius looked around the clothing store for a few seconds before replying the salesdy. ¡°I¡¯d like some casual wears.¡± Darius answered. After careful consideration, he decided to buy casual wears. He just wanted to look good and presentable. Dressing in overly expensive clothes would only draw unwanted attention to him, which was something he didn¡¯t want, at least not now. ¡°Add some suits asThis belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. well.¡± Darius remarked. He required outfits in case he was required to wear one for any asion. After all, he couldn¡¯t go everywhere in his casual attire. The salesdy smiled and nodded in affirmation before leading Darius to the sections of the clothing store where casual wears and suits were disyed. Together the two of them selected several casual outfits and three different suits. Darius was satisfied with the outfits the salesdy had selected. Although they were not shy, they still exuded a bit of luxury. It was the type of clothes that you¡¯d pay little attention to if someone wore the outfits on the road. The suits however were more luxurious than his casual outfits. They were all three piece suits, and they exuded splendor. Darius was very satisfied with the suits as well. Because the two of them had selected quite the number of outfits, as Darius didn¡¯t have much outfits prior to this, they were both carrying a lot of shopping bags which the outfits were ced inside. Right before they got to the counter where Darius would make his payment, Darius bumped into someone, spilling some of the shopping bags he carried on the floor. Darius knew that he was at fault, since his eyesight was hindered due to therge amount of shopping bags he was carrying. However, before he could offer an apology to the person he bumped into, the person spoke up. ¡°Hey! Are you stupid? Can¡¯t you see properly? What kind of an idiot are you?!¡± the person shouted angrily. Darius frowned. He was not frowning at the insults directed at him, but at the fact that the voice sounded very familiar. He dropped the remainder of the shopping bags neatly on the ground before turning to face the person. However, immediately he did so, a huge frown instantly appeared on his face, for the person who he bumped into was none other than David Lesley and his ex-girlfriend Sarah Ginn. Chapter 13 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 13 Sarah and David on the other hand were also as shocked as Darius. They didn¡¯t expect to run into someone like Darius in a ce like this. David Lesley had taken Sarah out today to spoil her with luxurious gifts. He had already bought them for her and wanted to get a few more outfits before they called it a day. However, they did not expect Darius to be here as well. Slowly, the expression of shock on Sarah¡¯s face slowly morphed into one of anger. She was instantly irritated when she saw Darius. David too was brimming with anger at the sight of Darius. He could never forget the humiliation Darius had caused him on the night he asked Sarah out. He hadpletely ruined the popr image he was trying to build for himself. Since that night, he had hated Darius guts. He had promised to deal with Darius, but Darius had been nowhere to be found since that night. Who would have thought that he would finally find him here? ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± Sarah asked; anger evident in her tone. Darius felt his heart tug painfully when he heard the tone with which Sarah questioned him with. This wasn¡¯t the Sarah he knew and courted for six months. He never knew that a person could change to such extent because of money. ¡°I asked you a question. Answer me! What are you doing here?¡± Sarah asked again. She didn¡¯t know why, but she was very agitated when she Darius. Darius sighed before answering her. ¡°I don¡¯t have to report my every action to you now, do I?¡± Darius said. ¡°What problem do you have with my being here? Last I checked this was a mall that everyone could enter.¡± Darius stated. Although he was hurt when he saw both of them together, he didn¡¯t want to waste any time exchanging words with them. He just wanted to pay for his outfits and leave. Sarah had an ugly expression on her face. She didn¡¯t like the way Darius talked back to her. She was about to give her reply when she saw therge amount of shopping bags ced neatly on the floor. ¡°Oh? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re here to purchase some clothes.¡± Sarah said mockingly, and a vicious expression could be seen on her face. Darius didn¡¯t like her mocking tone. He didn¡¯t do anything to her so why was she picking on him? ¡°Please excuse me.¡± Darius said. He didn¡¯t want to waste anymore time talking to them. Besides, people shopping in the store were already beginning to pay attention to their small squabble. ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere you peasant!¡± Sarah shouted. She too had noticed that people were beginning to take notice of their squabble so she wanted to use the opportunity to put Darius down as much as possible. Darius frowned, but decided to stay back. He wanted to see what Sarah had under her sleeve this time. However, Sarah didn¡¯t talk to him. She rather fixed her gaze on the salesdy beside Darius and spoke in a loud voice so that everyone watching them would hear her clearly. ¡°Why are you attending to this peasant? Can¡¯t you see the outfit that he¡¯s wearing?¡± Sarah started. The sales lady frowned when she looked at Darius again and noticed his outfit. She was a new salesdy here so she didn¡¯t pay attention to Darius outfit. She just wanted to attend to him so that she could gain her commission from the sales. However, it seemed that it was a huge oversight on her part. The person she wanted to sell the outfits to was dressed so poorly. He looked like he could barely afford to feed himself! Sarah noticing that the salesdy was beginning to waver and doubt Darius continued talking. ¡°Do you really believe that someone dressed as poorly as him would be able to afford all these clothes?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°Let me even tell you. I know this guy personally and he is really really poor. He can¡¯t even afford a $100 meal for his self talk more of buying this much outfits from Louis Vuitton!¡± Sarah eximed. That seemed to convince the salesdy as she now looked at Darius in a new light. Truthfully speaking although Darius was tall and handsome, it did nothing to hide the cheap clothes that he was wearing. It seemed absurd that someone whose total outfit didn¡¯t cost up to $30 wanted to buy so many clothes at Louis Vuitton. ¡°I suggest you call the security to throw him out. He might be here to steal these outfits instead of pay for them after all.¡± Sarah concluded, crossing her arms and looking smug. Darius could no longer keep quiet and bear the insults and usations that Sarah heaped on him. He noticed that the people present were beginning to look at him strangely. He did not care about what people thought about him, but he could not bear to be insulted like that. ¡°What do you mean by that? Please package the outfits for me. I¡¯ll pay for them immediately!¡± Darius said to the sales lady in a determined tone. He was going to show them what he was made of! ¡°Please package it for him. I¡¯d like to see him pay for it. But I can assure you that this person here is just here to waste your time.¡± David chimed in. He was greatly enjoying the little drama that was going on. Darius didn¡¯t bother replying him. By now everyone in the store had gathered to watch the drama that was unfolding. The salesdy packaged all the outfits that Darius had chosen neatly before scanning the price for all of them. ¡°The total cost of the outfits is $610,000.¡± The salesdy said. Darius didn¡¯t care about the price. Even if it was 1 million dors, he would have paid for it without hesitation. He wanted to show Sarah that he was no longer miserable and poor anymore. Sarah and David sucked in a cold breath when they heard the price. $610,000? That was insanely expensive! They were even more worried when they noticed the carefree expression Darius had on his face. He didn¡¯t seem to care about the price of the outfits at all. Was this really the Darius who couldn¡¯t afford a meal of $100 before? ¡°Would you be paying by cash or card?¡± The salesdy asked. Darius thought about it and decided to pay by card. ¡°I¡¯ll be paying by card.¡± Darius answered. He brought out the ck card that was given to him by his grandfather and handed it over to the salesdy. With great anticipation, everyone watched as thedy took the ck card and swiped it across the machine. They wanted to know if this imed pauper would be able to afford several outfits worth $610,000. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Sarah and David on the other hand were also as shocked as Darius. They didn¡¯t expect to run into someone like Darius in a ce like this. David Lesley had taken Sarah out today to spoil her with luxurious gifts. He had already bought them for her and wanted to get a few more outfits before they called it a day. However, they did not expect Darius to be here as well. Slowly, the expression of shock on Sarah¡¯s face slowly morphed into one of anger. She was instantly irritated when she saw Darius. David too was brimming with anger at the sight of Darius. He could never forget the humiliation Darius had caused him on the night he asked Sarah out. He hadpletely ruined the popr image he was trying to build for himself. Since that night, he had hated Darius guts. He had promised to deal with Darius, but Darius had been nowhere to be found since that night. Who would have thought that he would finally find him here? ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± Sarah asked; anger evident in her tone. Darius felt his heart tug painfully when he heard the tone with which Sarah questioned him with. This wasn¡¯t the Sarah he knew and courted for six months. He never knew that a person could change to such extent because of money. ¡°I asked you a question. Answer me! What are you doing here?¡± Sarah asked again. She didn¡¯t know why, but she was very agitated when she Darius. Darius sighed before answering her. ¡°I don¡¯t have to report my every action to you now, do I?¡± Darius said. ¡°What problem do you have with my being here? Last I checked this was a mall that everyone could enter.¡± Darius stated. Although he was hurt when he saw both of them together, he didn¡¯t want to waste any time exchanging words with them. He just wanted to pay for his outfits and leave. Sarah had an ugly expression on her face. She didn¡¯t like the way Darius talked back to her. She was about to give her reply when she saw therge amount of shopping bags ced neatly on the floor. ¡°Oh? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re here to purchase some clothes.¡± Sarah said mockingly, and a vicious expression could be seen on her face. Darius didn¡¯t like her mocking tone. He didn¡¯t do anything to her so why was she picking on him? ¡°Please excuse me.¡± Darius said. He didn¡¯t want to waste anymore time talking to them. Besides, people shopping in the store were already beginning to pay attention to their small squabble. ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere you peasant!¡± Sarah shouted. She too had noticed that people were beginning to take notice of their squabble so she wanted to use the opportunity to put Darius down as much as possible. Darius frowned, but decided to stay back. He wanted to see what Sarah had under her sleeve this time. However, Sarah didn¡¯t talk to him. She rather fixed her gaze on the salesdy beside Darius and spoke in a loud voice so that everyone watching them would hear her clearly. ¡°Why are you attending to this peasant? Can¡¯t you see the outfit that he¡¯s wearing?¡± Sarah started. The sales lady frowned when she looked at Darius again and noticed his outfit. She was a new salesdy here so she didn¡¯t pay attention to Darius outfit. She just wanted to attend to him so that she could gain her commission from the sales. However, it seemed that it was a huge oversight on her part. The person she wanted to sell the outfits to was dressed so poorly. He looked like he could barely afford to feed himself! Sarah noticing that the salesdy was beginning to waver and doubt Darius continued talking. ¡°Do you really believe that someone dressed as poorly as him would be able to afford all these clothes?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°Let me even tell you. I know this guy personally and he is really really poor. He can¡¯t even afford a $100 meal for his self talk more of buying this much outfits from Louis Vuitton!¡± Sarah eximed. That seemed to convince the salesdy as she now looked at Darius in a new light. Truthfully speaking although Darius was tall and handsome, it did nothing to hide the cheap clothes that he was wearing. It seemed absurd that someone whose total outfit didn¡¯t cost up to $30 wanted to buy so many clothes at Louis Vuitton. ¡°I suggest you call the security to throw him out. He might be here to steal these outfits instead of pay for them after all.¡± Sarah concluded, crossing her arms and looking smug. Darius could no longer keep quiet and bear the insults and usations that Sarah heaped on him. He noticed that the people present were beginning to look at him strangely. He did not care about what people thought about him, but he could not bear to be insulted like that. ¡°What do you mean by that? Please package the outfits for me. I¡¯ll pay for them immediately!¡± Darius said to the sales lady in a determined tone. He was going to show them what he was made of! ¡°Please package it for him. I¡¯d like to see him pay for it. But I can assure you that this person here is just here to waste your time.¡± David chimed in. He was greatly enjoying the little drama that was going on. Darius didn¡¯t bother replying him. By now everyone in the store had gathered to watch the drama that was unfolding. The salesdy packaged all the outfits that Darius had chosen neatly before scanning the price for all of them. ¡°The total cost of the outfits is $610,000.¡± The salesdy said. Darius didn¡¯t care about the price. Even if it was 1 million dors, he would have paid for it without hesitation. He wanted to show Sarah that he was no longer miserable and poor anymore. Sarah and David sucked in a cold breath when they heard the price. $610,000? That was insanely expensive! They were even more worried when they noticed the carefree expression Darius had on his face. He didn¡¯t seem to care about the price of the outfits at all. Was this really the Darius who couldn¡¯t afford a meal of $100 before? ¡°Would you be paying by cash or card?¡± The salesdy asked. Darius thought about it and decided to pay by card. ¡°I¡¯ll be paying by card.¡± Darius answered. He brought out the ck card that was given to him by his grandfather and handed it over to the salesdy. With great anticipation, everyone watched as thedy took the ck card and swiped it across the machine. They wanted to know if this imed pauper would be able to afford several outfits worth $610,000. Chapter 14 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 14 Everyone waited to see the light scanner on the machine turn green, signaling that Darius had indeed paid for the outfits. However, that was not what happened. The machine¡¯s light turned red, which meant only one thing. ¡®His transaction was declined.¡¯ Sarah and David all burst intoughter when they heard the beep sound after the machine turned red. It turned out that they were right. Darius was just posing as a rich person after all. He only came here to waste their time. They were right. Darius could never afford to buy clothes worth $610,000. They were really delusional to believe for a split moment that he could afford it. Dana, the salesdy who helped Darius choose the outfits was very sad and disappointed. She had thought that with the confidence that Darius showed when he offered to pay for the outfits that he really had the means to pay. It seemed that it was all a lie after all. Several people who had gathered to watch the drama unfold started gossiping loudly. ¡°Wow can you believe that? He actually chose several outfits worth $610,000 when he couldn¡¯t even pay for it.¡± ¡°Right? I¡¯ve never seen someone so shameless before in my life.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t he feel any remorse? He¡¯s literally here to toy with the staff here.¡± ¡°Why was he even allowed to enter here in the first ce? Didn¡¯t the security see how he was dressed? They should focus more on things like this.¡± Sarah and David gloated as they heard the derogatory remarks directed at Darius. Sarah felt indescribably d at the drama unfolding before her. She was very happy to see Darius being ndered continuously by various people. Meanwhile, Darius was having the shock of his life. He clearly knew that there was 10 billion dors in that card, as his grandfather would never lie to him, so why wasn¡¯t he able to pay for the outfits? Darius looked around and noticed the people were making derogatory statements about him. He sighed. He thought about paying for the outfits by transferring the money with his phone, but decided against it. From what he could see, the people here were hell bent on ndering him. They would never believe that he had the capabilities to pay for the outfit. Sarah, having had enoughughter about Darius situation spoke up again. This time there was a huge smile on her face. ¡°See? I told you that he¡¯s very poor. He¡¯s nothing but a pretender. Pay for clothes worth $610,000? As if! He¡¯s just here to toy with you. It¡¯ll be in your best interest to send him out now; otherwise some of those outfits might really go missing.¡± The sales here came in here iming to buy clothes worth $610,000. Meanwhile he cannot even afford a meal of $100.¡± Gary frowned when he heard David¡¯s narration. There was someone who was really bold enough to pull such a stunt at this store when he was around? He shifted his gaze to Darius and stared at him in an intimidating manner. ¡°Is this true, young man?¡± he asked domineeringly. If this young man really came here and pulled such a stunt he would make sure that he was never going to walk out of this store properly again. However, Darius was unfazed when he saw the manager¡¯s intimidating stare. He just handed out the ck card that his grandfather gave him and said. ¡°I think there¡¯s something wrong with your machine.¡± Darius stated boldly. While he pleaded with Dana, he would not allow an outsider to look down on him, no matter who the person was. ¡°Oh?¡± The manager muttered; his brow furrowed. However, his eyes widened in surprise after he grabbed the ck card from Darius and examined it intently. Everyone waited to see the light scanner on the machine turn green, signaling that Darius had indeed paid for the outfits. However, that was not what happened. The machine¡¯s light turned red, which meant only one thing. ¡®His transaction was declined.¡¯ Sarah and David all burst intoughter when they heard the beep sound after the machine turned red. It turned out that they were right. Darius was just posing as a rich person after all. He only came here to waste their time. They were right. Darius could never afford to buy clothes worth $610,000. They were really delusional to believe for a split moment that he could afford it. Dana, the salesdy who helped Darius choose the outfits was very sad and disappointed. She had thought that with the confidence that Darius showed when he offered to pay for the outfits that he really had the means to pay. It seemed that it was all a lie after all. Several people who had gathered to watch the drama unfold started gossiping loudly. ¡°Wow can you believe that? He actually chose several outfits worth $610,000 when he couldn¡¯t even pay for it.¡± ¡°Right? I¡¯ve never seen someone so shameless before in my life.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t he feel any remorse? He¡¯s literally here to toy with the staff here.¡± ¡°Why was he even allowed to enter here in the first ce? Didn¡¯t the security see how he was dressed? They should focus more on things like this.¡± Sarah and David gloated as they heard the derogatory remarks directed at Darius. Sarah felt indescribably d at the drama unfolding before her. She was very happy to see Darius being ndered continuously by various people. Meanwhile, Darius was having the shock of his life. He clearly knew that there was 10 billion dors in that card, as his grandfather would never lie to him, so why wasn¡¯t he able to pay for the outfits? Darius looked around and noticed the people were making derogatory statements about him. He sighed. He thought about paying for the outfits by transferring the money with his phone, but decided against it. From what he could see, the people here were hell bent on ndering him. They would never believe that he had the capabilities to pay for the outfit. Sarah, having had enoughughter about Darius situation spoke up again. This time there was a huge smile on her face. ¡°See? I told you that he¡¯s very poor. He¡¯s nothing but a pretender. Pay for clothes worth $610,000? As if! He¡¯s just here to toy with you. It¡¯ll be in your best interest to send him out now; otherwise some of those outfits might really go missing.¡± The sales lady had already changed her view of Darius. She thought he was a genuine customer, but it turned out that he was just here to waste their time. As someone who led him around the store, she naturally felt the angriest at Darius. ¡°Sir, it would be in your best interest to leave. You¡¯re unable to pay for these outfits so I¡¯ll return them back.¡± Dana said. Darius was unwilling to ept this. He understood where Dana wasing from. Who wouldn¡¯t be angry if someone came to their store and selected a lot of goods but wasn¡¯t able to pay for them? At least Darius knew that he would be angry if he were Dana. ¡°Please wait. Scan the card again. I¡¯m telling you that I can afford it.¡± Darius pleaded. He didn¡¯t want his intentions to be misinterpreted by Dana. ¡°Oh please. It¡¯s obvious that that is a fake card that has no single penny in it. Don¡¯t let him waste your time anymore.¡± Sarah chimed in, enjoying this moment greatly. Darius ignored Sarah and talked to Dana to scan the card again. However, Dana was having none of it. ¡°Sir, please leave the store. If you keep on disrupting our business hours, I will have no choice but to call the security personnel.¡± Dana said firmly. She was beginning to get disgusted by Darius level of shamelessness. Darius was about to reply when a loud voice echoed in the store and a tall man appeared. ¡°What is going on here?¡± The man asked in an authoritative tone. Immediately everyone turned to look at the man. The man was neatly dressed in one of Louis Vuitton rare suits that cost over $70,000 which showed the man was no ordinary person. He looked to be in histe thirties and was fairly good looking. He walked slowly again until he got to where the people had gathered before speaking again. ¡°I asked a question. What is going on here?¡± The man repeated his question, ncing at the staff present. ¡°Manager Gary!¡± Dana and the other staff present yelled while bowing deeply. The person present was none other than the manager of the Louis Vuitton store. He rarely made appearances, unless there were important personnel present, so his presence here was shocking to everyone present. However, he had heard themotion from his office and decided to come down to take a look at the problem. ¡°Good day Mr. Gary. I¡¯m David Lesley, son of Jack Lesley.¡± David said, introducing himself to the manager. He knew that the manager of this store was also a big shot, as this wasn¡¯t the only store he managed, so he wanted to get on his good side. The manager responded lightly to David¡¯s greeting and then spoke again. ¡°Don¡¯t you all have mouths? I asked what is going on here?!¡± The manager shouted. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much Mr. Gary.¡± David started. ¡°This peasant here came in here iming to buy clothes worth $610,000. Meanwhile he cannot even afford a meal of $100.¡± Gary frowned when he heard David¡¯s narration. There was someone who was really bold enough to pull such a stunt at this store when he was around? He shifted his gaze to Darius and stared at him in an intimidating manner. ¡°Is this true, young man?¡± he asked domineeringly. If this young man really came here and pulled such a stunt he would make sure that he was never going to walk out of this store properly again. However, Darius was unfazed when he saw the manager¡¯s intimidating stare. He just handed out the ck card that his grandfather gave him and said. ¡°I think there¡¯s something wrong with your machine.¡± Darius stated boldly. While he pleaded with Dana, he would not allow an outsider to look down on him, no matter who the person was. ¡°Oh?¡± The manager muttered; his brow furrowed. However, his eyes widened in surprise after he grabbed the ck card from Darius and examined it intently. Chapter 15 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 15 Chapter 15 ¡°This! Where did you get this?¡± Gary asked in a low and confused tone. He waspletely stunned. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Darius asked, slightly frowning. Sarah and David, along with Dana and the other onlookers were confused at Gary¡®s sudden behavior. They were sure that he was going to kick Darius out after exposing him for the liar and pretender he was, but that was not what happened. Gary couldn¡®t help but look Darius up and down once again, but still shook his head. He was the mana ger of this store and had been doing it for years, so it was natural that he recognized that the card was out of the ordinary. 1 N?velDrama.Org owns this. At a nce, he could tell that the card was a customized card made exclusively for the head of a top business orpany. However, the appearance of the male in front of him was not matching w ith what he imagined. He certainly didn¡®t look like someone who controlled such an astronomical amou nt of power and wealth. He was about to confront the said peasant when he remembered something vit al. Just a few days ago, there was a rumor among the upper echelons about the ownership of a top con sortium being transferred to another individual. However, there was little known about the individual, as all information about the individual had been tightly protected. Gary suddenly felt beads of sweat gathering on his forehead. What if this individual here was the perso n who was granted ownership of the consortium? It was a terrifying possibility when he thought about it. It all made sense when he thought about it like that. Otherwise, how would be in possession of that exclu sive card? If he treated him badly in anyway, he wouldn¡®t even know how he died! ¡°Of course not sir. Wee to our store. I¡®m very sorry for any inconveniences we¡®ve caused.¡± Gary said in a polite tone. His attitude had taken a 180 degree turn when he thought of this individual being the head of a top consortium. He knew he couldn¡®t afford to offend this person. Darius smiled when he saw that the manager¡®s attitude had chung u. It was no surprise that he was abl e to be the manager of this luxurious store. He certainly had the qualities. ¡°Please pardon her ina dequacies. She doesn¡¯t know the weight behind this card.¡± Mr. Gary said while ring at Dana, the sale sdy, which made her shrink back in fear. She wasn¡®t dumb and she saw that from the way Mr. Gary tr eated Darius, he had to be somebody important. ¡°Why don¡®t youe inside? We can conclude the transaction there.¡± Gary said politely, even bowing lightly to Darius,pl etely stunning the onlookers present. Darius nodded in acknowledgement of Gary¡®s behavior and hospitality before making his way to the sp ecial room he was directed to. It seemed David was grossly irritated by Gary¡®s sudden treatment to Darius. He didn¡®t understand what made Gary to treat Darius that way, so he felt that Darius had used some unscrupulous means to make Gary do his bidding. ¡°Excuse me Mr. Gary. I think there has been some mistake here. This individual is very poor and is cert ainly unable to pay such an exorbitant amount of money for those outfits. I suggest that you throw him out because he might be trying to scam you.¡± David said politely to Mr. Gary. He couldn¡®t stand the way Mr. Gary was treating Darius with respect. Gary coldly snorted when he heard David¡®s words. While Mr. Lesley was a reputable business man in t he Mayflower district, it was nothingpared to the head of a consortium. Who did this person think h e was to advise him on matters regarding his store? Even his father would not dare to do that. ¡°I suggest you watch your words. The individual in question is a very important VIP of ours.¡± Gary said coldly. Sarah who came from a lower middle ss background naturally felt intimidated by the likes of Gary, a manager in this luxurious store, but she cou ldn¡®t bear to hear Gary call Darius a VIP. What a joke. If Darius was a VIP then she might as well be the VIP of this store! 2 ¡°Mr. Manager, I think you¡®re mistaken. That peasant really can¡®t afford a meal worth $100. I know this because we¡®re from the same university. How would he be able to buy several outfits worth $610,00 Mr. Gary was now annoyed at their antics. Were they trying to get him killed? If he had followed their words in the first ce he wouldn¡®t even be standing here the next day. A However, that didn¡®t mean that he would tolerate them trying to sabotage him. While he might be acquai ¡°I believe you are here to shop and purchase some items. Please get to your business. If you keep mak After hearing this, although David and Sarah were greatly unsatisfied and bitter, they turned and continu It was especially so when after 20 minutes Darius came out from the room all smiles with the manager f girlfriend and her boyfriend a second nce. Chapter 16 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Darius walked out of the store happily. He felt very much fulfilled after the small episode in t he store. He walked for a few minutes with the shopping bags in his hand before stopping. Darius¡® stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn¡®t eaten anything yet. He wanted to eat at the Sky Golden Hotel, but he had a lot of shopping bags on him. Taking the shopping bags to the hotel would be quite inconvenient for him. Besides, he really needed to change his outfit, or he might not even be granted entry this time. Darius hailed a taxi and got in. He decided to drop his newly purchased outfits at the dorm before going to the hotel to dine. The ride back to his dorm was uneventful, and so was his walk. Apart from the asional stares and gossips fro m the students, there was nothing out of the ordinary. He entered his dorm room and saw that it was sti ll empty. Even though two hours had passed since he left for the mall, his dorm mates were not yet bac k from school. Darius kept the shopping bags neatly and out of sights from his dorm mates. He didn¡®t w ant to answer any unnecessary question that would stem from them seeing the shopping bags on his b ed. When he was done, he changed into one of the new outfits he had bought. The outfit fitted him perfectl y, which made Darius smile. His self esteem was boosted when he wore the outfit. It seemed that dress ing well really had its own perks. Darius suddenly groaned. After his brief episode with Sarah, he had c ompletely overlooked the fact that he needed to buy new shoes too. His whole outfit was ruined by the fact the shoes he wore were worn out. Darius sighed. There was nothing he could do now. He was far too hungry to go back to the store and g et some new shoes. It didn¡®t matter much anyway. He would go and get some new shoes after eating. Right now, eating was his priority. The hunger pangs were no longer ignorable. Darius exited his room and hailed a taxi to the Sky Golden Hotel. On his way there, he remembered the series of events that had led him there in the first ce. It had just been a few days but a lot had happ ened in those few days. Darius alighted from the cab and stood in front of the grandiose entrance to the hotel. Unlike the first time he came here, he wasn¡®t impressed by the 7¨C star hotel anymore. His grandfather¡®s mansion had way more grandiose than this hotel. However, when he saw the array of cars in the parking lot, he couldn¡®t help but suck in a cold breath. He couldn¡®t wait f or his two cars to arrive. When he entered the hotel after greeting the two security guards stationed at the door, he was immedia tely received by a hotel staff member. The security men found Darius¡® face to be familiar, but couldn¡®t pl ace where they had seen him before. They had no idea that the young man in question was the same i ndividual they had reported to the police a few days before. It was understandable though, as Darius n ow lookedpletely different from a few days ago. ¡°Hello sir. How may I help you?¡± The hotel staff member asked politely. ¡°I¡®m here to eat.¡± Darius answered. ¡°Do you have a membership card sir?¡± The hotel staff member asked again. Darius frowned. He realized he didn¡®t have a membership card after all. He had no clue that he needed a membership card to eat here. He reasoned that if David and Sarah could dine he re, all that was required was money, which he didn¡®t think would be an issue for him because he now h ad a lot of it. ¡°No. I don¡®t.¡± Darius answered. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Sir, our meals are very exquisitepared to other ces. Our ingredients are all first ss and so are dine here.¡± The hotel staff member said. (0 ¡°How do I be a member then?¡± Darius asked. He was getting very hungry and just wanted to get th up $1,000,000, you get a gold membership card.¡± The hotel staff exined. Darius nodded before bring to go for the silver or bronze membership card. Despite her surprise, she led Darius to the reception des The process was smooth and straightforward. Darius was offered a special room reserved for gold mem Darius sat down to eat after being offered a good table in an excellent spot in the hotel with various luxury meals on the table. Howev Chapter 17 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 17 Chapter 17 The threedies who walked in looked extremely familiar to Darius, especially the one in the middle, which made him wonder where he had seen them before. He was still looking at thedies intently when the l ady in the middle noticed someone staring at her. She had noticed someone staring at her, which she ignored as she was so attractive, but when she loo ked at Darius, she recognized his face but couldn¡®t recall where she had met him. A single nce at his table filled with luxury meals showed that the person was probably very wealthy, as being able to dine here meant that he had a membership card. The least membership card cost $10 0,000 which meant that he clearly had $100,000 to spare for food. ¡°ire, what are you looking at? Let¡® s go.¡± Hera, one of thedies who apanied her spoke up. ire nodded lightly and burned Darius face into her mind before leaving. As she came from a well¨Cto¨C do family she also had a membership card. Although it was a silver membership card it was still something noteworthy. She had promised to take her friends to go dine at the Sky Golden Hotel, but she hadn¡®t had much time on her hands to do so. She was only able to fulfill her promise now. Darius watched her walk away until she was out of sight. She looked extremely beautiful with an hourgl ass figure and extremely fair skin. Darius also burned her face into his head before diving into his meal. The meal lived up to all of the anticipation. It truly deserved to be this pricey. Darius had never had such a delectable mea l. Darius let out a sigh. Sarah¡®s breakup with him was understandable. She couldn¡®t let go of the opportun ity to eat here and shop in luxurious stores. It was still no excuse for her, because if she had stayed with him, he would ha vevished her with even more of the luxuries she desired. Darius stopped thinking about it and focused on his food. He was incredibly hungry after all. Darius quickly finished up his food before letting out a contented sigh. He brought out his phone and checked the time. He saw that he had spent over an h our eating here. He stood up and started making his way towards the exit. He still needed to get some new shoes after all. He hailed a taxi and went back to the shopping mall again. This time he didn¡®t spend his time wandering around a nd just went straight to the first store he saw, which was an Armani store, As soon as he entered the store, he looked around for a while, looking around at the hundreds of shoes, flip¨C flops and sneakers that cost thousands of dors. N?velDrama.Org owns this. He looked for a few seconds before his eyes came to rest on a pair of sneakers. He checked the. price tag and let out a low whistle. The pair of sneakers cost $20,000. Darius was rich now, but he still had some hesitation in him after livi ng a frugal life. He was still trying to get rid of the mentality that he was poor and wanted to ept his n ew identity as a rich person soon as possible. This was obvious from the fact that he had paid 1 million dors at o nce just for a meal. After packing the pair of sneakers, he went around and selected other footwear that he liked; shoes, sneakers, sandals and others. He wanted to have many shoes that would fit with his numerous outfits. When he was done, he headed to the counter to make payments for his purchases when he heard som eone shouting behind him. He was just about to ignore him when he heard a p sound after which a s cream followed. ¡°You bitch!¡± Darius stepped up to where the action was taking ce out of curiosity. Several others had already gat hered to see the action unfold. When Darius arrived on the scene, he was able to get a good look at th e reason for the gathering. A young man of his age stood motionless, looking aggressively at ady who appeared to be a year you dressed, indicating that he came from a wealthy family, and he had multiple tattoos on his body. The you dressed. Her clothes were even a little worn and torn. ¡°You fucking whore! Are you blind?! Do you know The youngdy was already scared out of her mind. She was very poor so she certainly didn¡®t know how much the shoes were worth. She had bee life. She could only pray that the young man would not have the time to spare on a peasant like her. However, her prayers were not answered. The young man in question was very furious. He was a huge so he couldn¡®t ept someone staining his shoes, especially when the person in question was someone ¡°I¡®m very sorry sir. I apologize for my mistake. Please forgive me!¡± The youngdy yelled, bowing her he However, the young man didn¡®t even give her apology a second thought. Instead, he yanked her hair roughly and gave her two hot p When Darius watched the young man¡®s treatment of thedy, he felt himself be enraged beyond co This did not sit well with Darius, who had previously been in thedy¡®s shoes. He walked right towards th Chapter 18 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 18 Chapter 18 The young man looked at Darius with a very livid expression on his face. He couldn¡®t believ e the kind of luck he had. First, a no¨Cname bitch had stepped on his shoes and while he was disciplining her, another idiot hade to y hero at his expense. Did the person want to die? He tried to yank his hands off the stranger¡®s grip but the stranger¡®s grip was just too strong. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡®t know who you are but I suggest you unhand me this instant. Otherwise it won¡®t end well for you. ¡± The young man said angrily. The people in the crowd all watched this scene with bated breaths. They had thought this would be a o ne sided beat down for thedy who had offended this big shot, but they didn¡®t expect another person t o step out from the crowd and stand up for thedy. Thedy herself felt very shocked. She clearly did not expect anybody to stand up for her. She thought that she was already doomed, but now it seemed t hat that wasn¡®t the case. ¡°I won¡®t unless you promise to let thedy go.¡± Darius stated firmly, tightening his grip on the young ma n¡®s hands. Although the young man was beginning to feel pain from the grip on his hands, he didn¡®t dar e show it, unless he might lose his prestige in front of the nowrge crowd. ¡°Let her go? Do you know w hat she did?¡± The young man hollered. ¡°Isn¡®t it just a pair of shoes? Does a pair of shoes really warrant such violent behavior from you that you would dare hit a helplessdy?¡± Darius stated, his eyes zing as he spoke. ¡°A pair of shoes you say? As if!¡± The you ng man eximed. ¡°This isn¡®t just a pair of shoes; this is a limited edition collection from a very famous shoemaker! There are only 10 of them in the entire world! How on earth could a normal pair of shoes c ompare. And now this whore has ruined it!¡± The young man eximed. He was very agitated and felt his anger even rising the more when he recalled how rare the pair of shoes was. The revtion from the young man set off a wave of gossip among the crowd. They had no idea that th e pair of shoes was so expensive and rare. ¡°My My! A pair of shoes from a limited edition collection?!¡± ¡°I magine how expensive that would be!¡± ¡°Tsk Tsk. The girl would have taken the me alone but this you ng man is involved now.¡± ¡°He was just trying to be a gentleman, but he really should have been more c areful.¡± The person who was the most shocked was the salesdy. Who would have thought that the pair of sh oes she stepped on was something so rare and expensive? H thought of the amount that would be needed for constion if it ever came down to that. She had been d a few seconds ago that she had gotten someone who would possibly stand up for her. But now she was sure that it was a baseless hope. No sane person would continue to defend her after hearing the history behind the pair of shoes. However, the main reason why the young man told Darius about the origin of the shoes was that he wa s unable to overpower Darius. While Darius was dressed inly, his raw strength convinced the young man not to use violence against Darius. In reality, the shoes were far from rare. They were created by a reputable shoemaker, but the ims th at they were part of a limited edition collection and that there were only ten in the world wereplete l ies. There were more than 10,000 shoe brands in the world. He merely made up that tale to frighten Da rius away so he could focus on thedy without any interruption. On the contrary, Darius couldn¡®t care less about the history behind the shoes. Even if there were only two of the shoes in the whole world, that was no reason for him to treat a human like that. Even th ough they were poor, they were still humans. Or were a pair of shoes more important than human lives? ¡°I suggest you let go of my hands now. If you do, I¡®ll overlook your slight misconduct and not deal with y ou too. However, if you insist to stay and defend this bitch, then don¡®t me me for anything that happe ns.¡± The young man warned. Darius didn¡®t flinch even after hearing the young man¡®s warning. ¡°Can you tell me how much that pair of shoes costs?¡± Darius asked in a cold tone. His question stunned everyone present. Why was he asking for the price of the shoes now? What did t hat have to do with the situation at hand? Just as they were thinking that, a sudden thought shed through their mind. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me? Is he trying shoes?!¡± Someone muttered. ¡°That¡®s ridiculous. The shoes are from a limited edition collection! It¡®s going The young man himself was shocked. This young man still didn¡®t leave. Instead he was trying to pay for The youngdy was very touched, but even her felt that this was going too far. If the young man hadn¡®t i free. She didn¡®t want the man to spend a huge sum of money on a pair of limited edition collection shoes on her behalf. She was already grateful for his help. ¡°Sir, please don¡®t go any farther than this. I¡®m d that you were willing to stand up for me but this situation is solely Darius gave her a friendly smile but said nothing. He wasn¡®t just doing it for her. He did it to show that it w In a harsh tone, he turned back to the young man and inquired again. ¡°Can you tell me how much that p Chapter 19 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 19 The young man looked at Dar ung man looked at Darius for a brief second before bursting out intoughter. Darius stood still and wat ched the manugh for a few seconds. When the man was doneughing, he wiped a fake tear from th e corner of his eye before speaking. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What? You want to pay for the shoes?¡± The young man asked. Darius remained silent and only stared at the young man, showing how dead serious he was. ¡°You can¡®t be serious. How do you even want to pay for the shoes when you can¡®t even afford a decent pair of shoes?¡± The young man asked in a mocking ton e. Everyone immediately moved their eyes to Darius¡® shoes. When they saw the worn out shoes he was wearing, another round of whispering and gossip broke out. ¡°He¡®s asking the price for the limited edition collection shoes while he can¡®t even afford a nice pair of shoes?¡± ¡°I can¡®t believe my eyes. What sort of vanity is that?¡± ¡°He must be probably trying to impress thedy. After all look at his outfit, in ordinary .¡± Thedy who stepped on the young man¡®s shoes felt her heart leap to her throat. She didn¡®t pay attention her defender¡®s outfit, but when she did the tiniest bit of hope she ha d about him being able to pay for the shoes flew out the window. Although his outfit was very neat and presentable, he didn¡®t look like someone who could afford to pay for the sh oes, especially not after she took a look at his worn out shoes. The young man smirked before speaking. ¡°Sure. I¡®ll tell you. This pair of shoes cost 1 million dors.¡± The young man replied in a haughty tone. Everyone sucked in a deep b reath when they heard the price for the shoes.. 1 million dors? That was absolutely ludicrous! There was no way that a pair of shoes would cost 1 million dors. It waspletely unbelievable! Thedy felt tears welling up in her eyes. Now she had really done it this time. She had never seen that amount of money before in her life, so how would she be able to pay it? Even the young man who was standing up for her would not be able to pay such a huge sum for the shoes. The young man smirked as he watched Darius face closely for any change in his expression. Once again he had made up a lie regarding the price of the shoes. He had made up another falsehood about the price of the sho es. They didn¡®t cost more than $10,000, but he had increased the price by a factor of 100 to entice Darius to go. He assumed that even if Darius had any cash on him, he would not pay such an outrageous price for a pair of shoes. He didn¡®t care about getting paid for the shoes in the first ce. He merely desired to put Darius in his proper ce D arius smirked as he looked at the young man. He wasn¡®t a fool. He knew that the other party was under estimating him and didn¡®t believe that he could actually pay 1 million dors for the shoes, so he was g oing to use that to his advantage ¡°Sure. I¡®ll pay the money to you. You must, however, pledge to apologize to thedy appropriately until she epts the apology. Deal?¡± Darius stated, his eyes glimmering with mischief. He was trying to per suade the young man to ept the deal. The young smirked before replying to Darius ¡°I¡®ll ept your deal under one condition.¡± The young man said. He couldn¡®t ept a deal where he¡®ll b e the only one who would face a penalty. ¡°You¡®ll kneel down and beg for my forgiveness if you don¡®t pay the money in five minutes.¡± the young m an said in a scornful tone. ¡°Deal.¡± He didn¡®t believe that the young man could actually afford to pay such an amount of money and was trying to bluff him into epting the deal. Darius didn¡®t say anything more and brought out his phone. He collected the man bank details and type d away on his phone. Everyone watched the scene with rapt attention. They wanted to see the oue of the drama and not miss any tiny detail. Darius raised his head from his phone and smirked. ¡°It¡®s done.¡± He said confidently. ¡°It¡®s done? What do you mean¨C?¡± The young man started, but was cut short by the buzz in his phone. He brought the phone and looked at it. However, his expression changed from that of pride to one of di sbelief. The young man couldn¡®t believe his eyes. The man in front of him could really pay 1 million dors for a pair of shoes?! His heart began to pound erratically. Anyone who could afford such arge sum of money was not your average Joe. His parents¡® worth is unlikely to exceed $5 million. From what he could see, this person was worth a lot more than his entire family! ¡°Apologize to her now.¡± Darius stated coldly. While 1 million dors would seem extravagant in their eyes, it was nothing worth mentioning to h to see, but then again he had made a deal with Darius. He couldn¡®t go back on the deal now. ¡°I¡®m sorry for my behavior earlier. Please ept my apology.¡± The young man said, bowing lightly to thedy he pped several times just a few minutes ag What had happened surprised thedy in question. To her, everything seemed like a dream. She was st The young man¡®s head remained bowing for a few minutes, before thedy believed that he was actually apologizing to her. Not wanting to take the ca The young man raised his head up and looked at Darius briefly. Darius remained where he stood with a young man felt his heart squeezing. His pride had been dealt a huge blow today. He quickly turned back the store. Several individuals dispersed as soon as he left, but not before casting several nces at Darius. The d fight. It waspletely unexpected. Chapter 20 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 20 Darius paid no attention to the nces the onlookers gave to him. He picked up his shopping bags full of the s hoes he selected and was about to head to the counter to pay for his goods when he felt someone tug on his shirt. He turned back and saw that it was thedy he saved. He took a closer look at thedy and saw that she was really beautiful. She was tall, although not as tall as him, probably 180 cm, with f air skin and beautiful blonde hair. She also had an hourss figure which her poor clothing did little to h ide. The girl stared back at Darius, and then looked back at her feet. She was too afraid to speak up, b ut she didn¡®t want to let Darius go just like that. He had just paid 1 million dors on her behalf. Even th ough to him it might seem like nothing due to how rich he was, to her it was something very touching. After fidgeting for a few seconds, she finally had the courag e to speak up. ¡°Hello.¡± She muttered; her voice very meek. Darius didn¡®t reply and kept staring at her, waiting for her to speak up. When she saw that Darius didn¡®t respond, she finally braced herself to speak up. ¡°Thank yo u very much for your help sir. If you didn¡®t even help me I don¡®t dare imagine what would have happene d to me.¡± Thedy said, her voice still shaking from the fear she had when she recalled what happened earlier. Darius sighed. Hepletely understood her fears. He had been poor his whole life so he had been in these kind of situations before. Back then he had wished that he had someone to help him out, but that wasn¡®t what happened. This was why when he saw thedy being mistreated he instantly felt v ery angry at the young man. ¡°What¡®s your name?¡± Darius asked in a soothing voice. ¡°Helen.¡± Thedy r eplied, still looking downwards. ¡°Look at me Helen.¡± Darius said; his voice inviting. Helen obeyed and looked up at Darius. Darius smiled at her and she felt her heart melting at his smile. She looked like she had finally found the man of her dreams. Not only was he extremely wealthy, he wa s tall, handsome and most importantly he was very kind! N?velDrama.Org owns this. Most of the rich people she had seen were always arrogant, mean and haughty. It was no surprise she instantly fell for Darius at once. ¡°It¡®s nothing. I just can¡®t stand such behavior, especially when it¡®sing from a fellow male.¡± Darius sa id. Darius smiled at her again and turned around to leave, but thedy he helped called him back again. ¡°I¡®m incredibly sorry to bother you, but can I have your contact?¡± Helen asked shyly, her cheeks beet re d. She had never asked for a man¡®s contact before and neither had she given a man her contact details for various reasons. For one she was very poor, so she had to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. As such she didn¡®t ha ve time for any type of a rtionship with a man. Another reason was that she was a student at Lockwood University, another top university in the neighborhood, so the little free time she was not working she channeled them towards her studies. Also, many of the men she had met just wanted her for her body. They always had perverted and lecherous gazes when they looked at her, so it was n ot a surprise that shepletely shut out men in her life. However, after the events that urred today, she broke her irond rule and took the initiative to ask for his contact. Darius smiled at her, making her heart beat rapidly before giving her his contact. After he did so, he turned around and left Helen to her thoughts. Helen blushed as she watched him leave before turning around and rushing out of the store. She check ed the time on her phone and saw that over an hour had passed since she arrived at the store. She gro aned when she thought about her boss that was still waiting for her to arrive with the shoes. She was s urely getting a pay cut there was no doubt about that. She had gone quite a far distance from the store when she let out a loud groan, attracting the attention of people nearby. In her bid to leave in a hurry, she had forgotten to ask her benefactor something very important. She didn¡®t ask him for his name. Helen sighed. It was all good. After all she had managed to get his contact. It was better to have his con Darius on the other hand stood in front of the counter about to pay for his shoes. The bill had summed u He promptly paid for his shoes before making his way out of the store. He boarded a taxi back to his dor When he arrived in his dorm room, he saw that it was still vacant. Knowing his roommates, Darius assumed that the lectures for the day had already ended and that they had gone to the club to look for women. He exhaled a sigh. He hadn¡®t been to the club all these while because he was too busy to go to one. Pe After arranging his shopping bags of shoes like he did to his clothes, hey down on his bed. He needed deserved rest because the day¡®s events had left him exhausted Chapter 21 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Darius woke up the next morning earlier than his roommates. Just like he guessed they had indeed gone to the club and came back veryte in the night. That wasn¡®t even the worst part. They had not onlye backte, but they also came back very drunk. The y probably didn¡®t have a lecture today, which was why they could afford to sleep this leisurely.Darius too k his bath and dressed up in his new outfit and shoes. He now lookedpletely different from his past self when he attended sses. He gave his roommates one more nce before shaking his head and leaving the room.Darius had no car yet, he decided to walk to his lecture venue. As he walked to hi s venue, several expensive cars passed by him including Ferraris, Audis, Mercedes and several sleek s edans. Darius didn¡®t pay them any heed. He now had two super cars of his own. All he needed to do w as to wait for Bruce to deliver them; then he¡®d be driving to ss in an expensive car too.Darius thought s soon shifted from that of cars. He had a lot of things to do and he had only done little. Changing his w ardrobe was only one thing out of the several things he needed to do.He still needed to get a new apartment. It was time for him to move out from the dorm. Now that he had the money, he needed a better ce to stay. He also remembered what his grandfather had told him. He was now the head of the Reid consortium. There were many businesses under the consortium that he couldn¡®t handle alone so he needed to get an assistant as soon as possible. He decided to create time to visit his businesses to see how they wer e doing.After walking for a while, Darius got to his lecture venue. However, the wee he received w as far from ideal. While it looked like it had been months since the break up between him and Sarah ha ppened because of the incidents that had gone by, in reality it wasn¡®t even up to a week. Therefore, the details of the incident were still fresh in their mi nds.. Once Darius came into their line of sight, various students started gossiping about him. They still r emembered the fight he had with David clearly.¡°Hey look. It¡®s Darius again.¡±¡°Just look at him. How can he be so shameless?¡±¡°I can¡®t believe him. Of all people he could go after he went after Sarah.¡±¡°He¡®s so delusional.¡±The people gossiping about Darius all spoke in audible voices as if they wanted Darius to hear him so he was able to hear them cle arly.Darius paid them no heed. If only they knew how much he had in his bank ount. If they did then he was sure that they wouldn¡®t be ratting off their mouths now.Before Darius continued walking, a famili ar sports car came into the clearing. Everyone instantly recognized the Porsche as it belonged to one o f the richest guys on campus.Darius frowned when he saw the familiar sports car. From his encounters with David Lesley it was safe to say that he hated him. It was even confirmed when he and Sarah came out of the car. Darius clenched his fists tightly when h e saw the two of them share an intimate kiss in front of the student crowd, with loud cheers sounding in the background.In the middle of their kiss, Sarah locked eyes with Darius and Darius swore that he co uld make out a smirk on the corner of her lips. Darius instantly felt his heart squeezing tightly. It was cle ar what she meant by that smirk. She was doing it on purpose to spite him. Darius turned his face away from them, but his heart was hurting severely. Even though Sarah was no longer his girlfriend, he had l oved her with all his heart. He didn¡®t want to admit it but seeing both of them together made him very h urt. He walked to the ss and took his seat, ignoring the gossips about him. They were all gossips anyway, and would surely die down when the time was right. The lecture hall eventually becam e full after a short while. The lecture began as soon as the lecturer entered. Darius focused intently on t he lesson as usual, blocking off any thoughts of Sarah and her betrayal, and in an instant, an hour had passed. T he lecture ended rather quickly. Darius and the other students started to leave, but the lecturer interrupted and stopped them in their tracks. ¡°I assume everyone knows about our next charity g, right?¡± The professor enquired.When Darius heard about the charity g, he scowled. Since he enrolled at this university, he had no good experiences with the charity g.As implied by the event¡®s name, the charity g served as both a g and a fundraiser. In the name of phnthropy, many wealthy university students utilized this as a means of showing off their money. Darius was unable to attend the event because of his finan cial situation. Hecked a quality suit, and he had no money to give for a charitable reason. How could he give what he didn¡¯t have to charity when he couldn¡®t even provide for himself? ¡°Due to the decision made by the higher ups, this year charity g would be a bit different.¡± The lecturer said.E veryone began talking as soon as they heard that. Since everyone was aware that the charity g had always been conducted in a single manner, they were all interested to learn what the new change to th e traditional method would entail.¡°I wouldn¡®t waste your time on this because I¡®m sure you¡®re all curious about it.¡± The professor said when he noticed his students¡® earnest and curious looks.¡°The charity g this year will be a joint event with Kingston University, Lockwood University, and Evergreen University.¡± Chapter 21 Darius woke up the next morning earlier than his roommates. Just like he guessed they had indeed gone to the club and came back veryte in the night. That wasn¡®t even the worst part. They had not onlye backte, but they also came back very drunk. The y probably didn¡®t have a lecture today, which was why they could afford to sleep this leisurely. Darius took his bath and dressed up in his new outfit and shoes. He now lookedpletely different fro m his past self when he attended sses. He gave his roommates one more nce before shaking his head and leaving the room. Darius had no car yet, he decided to walk to his lecture venue. As he walked to his venue, several expe nsive cars passed by him including Ferraris, Audis, Mercedes and several sleek sedans. Darius didn¡®t p ay them any heed. He now had two super cars of his own. All he needed to do was to wait for Bruce to deliver them; then he¡®d be driving to ss in an expensive car too. Darius thoughts soon shifted from that of cars. He had a lot of things to do and he had only done little. Changing his wardrobe was only one thing out of the several things he needed to do. He still needed to get a new apartment. It was time for him to move out from the dorm. Now that he had the money, he needed a better ce to stay. He also remembered what his grandfather had told him. He was now the head of the Reid consortium. There were many businesses under the consortium that he couldn¡®t handle alone so he needed to get an assistant as soon as possible. He decided to create time to visit his businesses to see how they wer e doing. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. After walking for a while, Darius got to his lecture venue. However, the wee he received was far fro m ideal. While it looked like it had been months since the break up between him and Sarah happened b ecause of the incidents that had gone by, in reality it wasn¡®t even up to a week. Therefore, the details of the incident were still fresh in their mi nds.. Once Darius came into their line of sight, various students started gossiping about him. They still r emembered the fight he had with David clearly. ¡°Hey look. It¡®s Darius again.¡± ¡°Just look at him. How can he be so shameless?¡± ¡°I can¡®t believe him. Of all people he could go after he went after Sarah.¡± ¡°He¡®s so delusional.¡± The people gossiping about Darius all spoke in audible voices as if they wanted Darius to hear him so he was able to hear them cle arly. Darius paid them no heed. If only they knew how much he had in his bank ount. If they did then he was sure that they wouldn¡®t be ratting off their mouths now. Before Darius continued walking, a familiar sports car came into the clearing. Everyone instantly recog nized the Porsche as it belonged to one of the richest guys on campus. Darius frowned when he saw the familiar sports car. From his encounters with David Lesley it was safe to say that he hated him. It was even confirmed when he and Sarah came out of the car. Darius clenched his fists tightly when he In the middle of their kiss, Sarah locked eyes with Darius and Darius swore that he could make out a sm gossips anyway, and would surely die down when the time was right. The lecture hall eventually became as usual, blocking off any thoughts of Sarah and her betrayal, and in an instant, an hour had passed. Th lecturer interrupted and stopped them in their tracks. ¡°I assume everyone knows about our next charity g, right?¡± The professor enquired. When Darius heard about the charity g, he scowled. Since he enrolled at this university, he had no go As implied by the event¡®s name, the charity g served as both a g and a fundraiser. In the name of this as a means of showing off their money. Darius was unable to attend the event because of his financ the decision made by the higher ups, this year charity g would be a bit different.¡± The lecturer said. Everyone began talking as soon as they heard that. Since everyone was aware that the charity g had ¡°I wouldn¡®t waste your time on this because I¡®m sure you¡®re all curious about it.¡± The professor said when ¡°The charity g this year will be a joint event with Kingston University, Lockwood University, and Everg Chapter 22 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 22 Chapter 22 The charity g was a joint event with Kingston, Lockwood and Evergreen University? Everyone let out gasps of shocks when they heard the announcement from the professor.The three uni versities coborating for the events were all top universities in their districts. They all had top students attending their universities and of course majority of the students there were of wealthy background.Da rius scowled deeply when he heard this news. He hadn¡®t even gotten over the incident that happened at thest g he attended. He didn¡®t even want to remember t he horrible night he had at all.He hadn¡®t wanted to go, but his roommates had forced him to go and Rud d even borrowed him one of his suits. After much encouragement he decided to go. As he expected, he was ridiculed and shamed by everyone when he was asked to contribute $200 to the money pool so that the orphanage could raise money to purchase hearing aids for deaf kids. Darius wanted to help, he really wanted to, but he didn¡®t have that kind of money. He didn¡®t even eat a meal th at cost more than $20, and yet he was ridiculed because he was asked to provide an amount of money that was 10 times his feeding meal.That wasst year. Now it wasn¡®t just one university but three universities that were hosting this g.Darius let out an exasperated sigh. It didn¡®t matter. Even th ough he was now rich, he couldn¡®t get over the embarrassment of more than 5,000 studentsughing a t him. He decided to just stay home and not attend the g. It was even more reason for him to get his own apartment. If he stayed in the dorm, his roommates might force him to go to the g again.¡°Also, we decided to add a little twist to the g.¡± The professor said mischievously, garnering the attention of the students again.¡°The student or group who contributes the most money or valuables to the charity organization will be granted a one week leave from school.¡± The professor dered.¡°What? A one week leave from school?!¡± ¡°Really?!¡±¡°Pr ofessor, are you serious?!¡±His deration brought out a lot of reaction from his students. A one week le ave was very attractive and enticing to the students. Darius himself wasn¡®t exempted. He was incredibly tempted by the idea. He had a lot o f projects and things he needed to do. A one week leave would really give him a. lot of time toplete the projects.However, he made up his mind not to go. He would get them done with the little time he h ad.¡°The date for the g has been fixed for two weeks from now. The venue for the g will be posted on the school website. That will be all. Have a nice day.¡± The professor said beforeexiting the lecture ha ll.Immediately he left, everyone in the hall started discussing loudly about the uing g. The fema les had already started making ns to purchase several luxurious gowns at Chanel and Prada, expen sive perfumes and different jewelries and essories.Darius stood up quietly and exited the hall, leavi ng his ssmates to their noisy discussion. He looked at the schedule on his phone and saw that he sti ll had two more sses before the day ended. As someone with a perfect attendance record, there was no way Darius was skipping the sses to go and look for a new apartment.There was still thirty minut es before the next ss started, and Darius recalled that he hadn¡®t had his breakfast yet. He thought a bout going to the Sky Golden Hotel to have his meal, but he decided against it. It was too far from his s chool and he would surely end up arrivingte to the remaining lectures or end up missing the lectures altogether. Having made up his mind, he decided to have his meal at the nearest restaurant to his lecture hall.He walked briskly towards the direction of the restaurant. He di dn¡®t want to risk goingte and being questioned by the lecturer. After 10 minutes of walking, Darius arrived at the said restaurant. There was only 20 minut es left for him to have his meal and leave for his ss to make it there on time.He quickly ordered his meal which cost over $600. He picked a table closest to the exit and sat down to eat.It only took 5 minu tes to gulp down the whole meal, and counting the few minutes he used to purchase and make paymen ts for his meal over 8 minutes had gone already, leaving just 12 minutes on the clock.Afterpleting h is meal, he picked up the bottle of water on the table to leave the restaurant with. In his haste, he didn¡®t notice someone entering the restaurant the same time he was leaving, making both of them collide with each other.The bottle of water in his hands slipped, spilling the contents on the person¡®s clothing.Dariu s noticed the individual after hearing a startled shout. When he could properly see the person¡®s apparel , he let out a little scream.The wearer was clothed in blue jeans, a white shirt, and white sneakers. The white clothing was now entirely see¨C through because the water had rendered it moist.Darius didn¡®t scream because of that. It was because he person who was wearing the white shirt was ady.To make sure he wasn¡®t mistaking something, D arius took another nce at her chest region. Darius could clearly see something from the white shirt th at had turned transparent.Thedy was not wearing a bra!She didn¡®t wear a bra because of her enormous, supple br easts, which was understandable.¡°Sweet lord, oh God! I am truly sorry.¡± Darius expressed his remorse in an anxious ton e. He grabbed the woman¡®s huge breasts without her consent as he felt remorse for spilling hiswater on her clothes and tried to clean the wetness off her clothes.However, instead of the thank you that Darius was expecting from thedy, what he got were two hot ps in return! Chapter 22 The charity g was a joint event with Kingston, Lockwood and Evergreen University? Everyone let out gasps of shocks when they heard the announcement from the professor. The three universities coborating for the events were all top universities in their districts. They all had top students attending their universities and of course majority of the students there were of wealthy b ackground. Darius scowled deeply when he heard this news. He hadn¡®t even gotten over the incident that happened at thest g he attended. He didn¡®t even want to remember t he horrible night he had at all. He hadn¡®t wanted to go, but his roommates had forced him to go and Rudd even borrowed him one of his suits. After much encouragement he decided to go. As he expected, he was ridiculed and shamed b y everyone when he was asked to contribute $200 to the money pool so that the orphanage could raise money to purchase hearing aids for deaf kids. Darius wanted to help, he really wanted to, but he didn¡®t have that kind of money. He didn¡®t even eat a meal th at cost more than $20, and yet he was ridiculed because he was asked to provide an amount of money that was 10 times his feeding meal. That wasst year. Now it wasn¡®t just one university but three universities that were hosting this g. Darius let out an exasperated sigh. It didn¡®t matter. Even though he was now rich, he couldn¡®t get over t he embarrassment of more than 5,000 studentsughing at him. He decided to just stay home and not attend the g. It was even more reason for him to get his own apartment. If he stayed in the dorm, his roommates might force him to go to the g again. ¡°Also, we decided to add a little twist to the g.¡± The professor said mischievously, garnering the atten tion of the students again. ¡°The student or group who contributes the most money or valuables to the charity organization will be granted a one week leave from school.¡± The professor dered. ¡°What? A one week leave from school?!¡± ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°Professor, are you serious?!¡± His deration brought out a lot of reaction from his students. A one week leave was very attractive an d enticing to the students. Darius himself wasn¡®t exempted. He was incredibly tempted by the idea. He had a lot o f projects and things he needed to do. A one week leave would really give him a. lot of time toplete the projects. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. However, he made up his mind not to go. He would get them done with the little time he had. ¡°The date for the g has been fixed for two weeks from now. The venue for the g will be posted on the school website. That will be all. Have a nice day.¡± The professor said before exiting the lecture hall. Immediately he left, everyone in the hall started discussing loudly about the uing g. The female s had already started making ns to purchase several luxurious gowns at Chanel and Prada, expensi ve perfumes and different jewelries and essories. Darius stood up quietly and exited the hall, leaving his ssmates to their noisy discussion. He looked at the schedule on his phone and saw that he still had two more sses before the day ended. As som eone with a perfect attendance record, there was no way Darius was skipping the sses to go and loo k for a new apartment. There was still thirty minutes before the next ss started, and Darius recalled that he hadn¡®t had his br eakfast yet. He thought about going to the Sky Golden Hotel to have his meal, but he decided against it . It was too far from his school and he would surely end up arrivingte to the remaining lectures or end up missing the lectures altogether. Having made up his mind, he decided to have his meal at the nearest restaurant to his lecture hall. He walked briskly towards the direction of the restaurant. He didn¡®t want to risk goingte and being qu estioned by the lecturer. After 10 minutes of walking, Darius arrived at the said restaurant. There was only 20 minut es left for him to have his meal and leave for his ss to make it there on time. He quickly ordered his meal which cost over $600. He picked a table closest to the exit and sat down to eat. It only took 5 minutes to gulp down the whole meal, and counting the few minutes he used to purchase and make payments for his meal over 8 minutes had gone already, leaving just 12 minutes on the clock . Afterpleting his meal, he picked up the bottle of water on the table to leave the restaurant with. In h is haste, he didn¡®t notice someone entering the restaurant the same time he was leaving, making both of them collide with each other. The bottle of water in his hands slipped, spilling the contents on the person¡®s clothing. Darius noticed the individual after hearing a startled shout. When he could properly see the person¡®s ap The wearer was clothed in blue jeans, a white shirt, and white sneakers. The white clothing was now en through because the water had rendered it moist. Darius didn¡®t scream because of that. It was because he person who was wearing the white shirt was a To make sure he wasn¡®t mistaking something, Darius took another nce at her chest region. Darius co transparent. Thedy was not wearing a bra! She didn¡®t wear a bra because of her enormous, supple breasts, which was understandable. ¡°Sweet lord, oh God! I am truly sorry.¡± Darius expressed his remorse in an anxious tone. He grabbed the breasts without her consent as he felt remorse for spilling his water on her clothes and tried to clean the wetness off her clothes. However, instead of the thank you that Darius was expecting from thedy, what he got were two hot ps in return! Chapter 23 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 23 Chapter 23 ¡°You pervert!¡± Darius held his cheeks with his right hand. He looked at thedy who had pped him and finally got a clear view of her. Beautiful wasn¡®t even the right word to describe her. She had long, lustrous red hair that was scarlet and had a lovely luster. Her eyes were a stunning shade of blue, and her lips were a stunning shade of pink. Words cannot even begin to express how stunning she appeared; her face was wless and free of any ws. She wasn¡®t as tall as Darius, but she was still tall. She was incredibly tall for a woman at about 185 cm. Darius brought his gaze down to her see through shirt, ncing at therge breasts and pink buds that were visible to him. Darius only needed to take one look at her to realize that she was more attractive than his ex girlfriend. She was heads and shoulders above Sarah with her hourss body and fair skin. Darius finally brough t his attention to her face, but all he could make out were thedy¡®s angry eyes. ¡°Done looking?¡± The w oman asked in a very arrogant manner. Before Darius could even respond to her question, two hot p snded on his uncovered cheek again. ¡°You are disgusting!¡± The woman spoke, her voice dripping with disdain. She couldn¡®t believe he r luck! She had rushed here to have a quick meal before she went to her ss, but she ended up colliding wit h a stranger. Instead of apologizing to her, he tantly and shamelessly grabbed her breasts and massaged them in public! Wasn¡®t that sexual harassment?! As if that wasn¡®t enough, even after she pped him for his inappropriate disy, he still went on to ogle her lecherously, showing no remorse for his actions. Could anyone ever be more disgusting? In her entire life, she had never witnessed a pervert that disgusting and revolting! Darius on the other hand felt extremely wronged. He was just admiring how beautiful she was, yet all h e got were two harsh ps on his face and beingbeled a pervert. ¡°You disgusting perverted scum! H ow dare you put your hands on ady¡®s chest? And in a public ce at that! Have you no shame?¡± The dy spat angrily at Darius. Her loud voice attracted the attention of several diners, and soon a small crowd formed around the duo. N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°Hey. Isn¡®t that Pearl Chambein?¡± Someone in the crowd muttered. ¡°You¡®re right. It is Pearl Chambein.¡± Another person replied. ¡°Wow I never expected to see the number 3 ranked beauty of the campus here. This is such a surprise. ¡± ¡°Yeah me neither. But why does she look angry? And who¡®s that guy beside her?¡± ¡°I don¡®t really know, but he looks really familiar.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah I¡®m sure I¡®ve seen his face somewhere. I just can¡®t remember where.¡± ¡°Well think harder. I think that he must have really gotten under Pearl¡®s skin. I have never seen her that angry before.¡± ¡°Oh! I know him now!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes! His name is Darius Reid. He¡®s a student at the Business Management department. He went viral on Groove a few days ago. Damn how could I forget him?¡± ¡°Groove? What did he do?¡± ¡°You know nothing don¡®t you? What do you even spend your free time doing?¡± ¡°Just tell me man.¡± ¡°Well, he was rumored to be in a rtionship with Sarah Ginn, the 5th ranked beauty on campus, but e veryone thinks it¡®s a lie.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well for one he¡®s really poor, and two Sarah Ginn is already in a rtionship with David Lesley.¡± ¡°By David Lesley you mean that David Lesley?¡± ¡°Yes that David Lesley.¡± The conversation between the two wasn¡®t discreet, and soon enough everyone knew about the incident that happened a f ew days ago. Once they did, the way they all looked at Darius changed. They couldn¡®t believe the audacity of the well known peasant. Even after lying about being in a rtionship with the 5th ranked beauty, this peasant had actually dared to set his eyes on the 3rd ranked beauty in the school. ¡°Wow I can¡®t believe his audacity.¡± ¡°He really has the gall to go after Pearl. Doesn¡®t he know the difference between them is like the sky an d the earth?¡± ¡°Well he¡®s certainly bold. I¡®ll give him that.¡± Pearl, thedy who Darius collided with was the third ranked beauty in the whole of Kingston University. a very wealthy family, therefore she didn¡®tck anything. Her family, the Chambeins was a very reputable family in their district. Apart from being from a reputable and wealthy family, Pearl was also intelligent. She was the perfect ex Pearl looked at her molester and red at him with zing eyes. She looked around and saw a crowd gathering already. In as much as she wanted to condemn Darius, she absolutely hated cro embellishing events to suit their own taste. She red at Darius, burning his face into her mind before speaking. ¡°Just so you know; this isn¡®t over!¡± Pearl eximed angrily to Darius before turning away and strutting of Darius let out a sigh, ignoring the chattering of the crowd around him. He turned to leave seeing that the looking one. He recognized right away that the bracelet must belong to the woman he ran into, so he felt obligated to give it back. She might be able to let go of the idea that he is a pervert as a result and develop a new pe It hadn¡®t been up to a minute since she left, so if he left now he would still be able to meet up with her. D Darius, however, arrived toote. He only caught a glimpse of her red hair as it vanished into an expensive Chevrolet Corvette V8. The sleek vehicle swung out of the parking Darius let out a sigh. He decided to keep the bracelet with him till he was able to give it to her. He checked his phone¡®s time and noticed that he just had a few minutes before his lectures began. He t Chapter 24 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Darius was finally able to make it to ss after a few minutes of walking briskly. Luckily, the lecturer wasn¡®t in the ss yet which meant that he wasn¡®tte. Darius took his seat and waited for the lecturer to arrive. Just a minuteter, the lecturer arrived and the lecture started. There wasn¡®t anything unusual in the lecture. After an hour, the lecture ended and everyone started to leave the lecture hall. As Darius stood up to leave, he heard several gossips flying around about him and his encounter with Pearl Chambein. Darius sighed. News really travelled fast. In just an hour the little incident with Pearl had already spread across the whole Business Management department. Not only that, the way most of his ssmates, especially the females, looked at him changed. Before he could notice that some of the females in his ss stared at him with pity, but now only disgust and repulsion was visible in their gaze. ¡°What a pervert. And to think that he was here parading as a pitiful soul.¡± ¡°I mean has he no shame. tantly grabbing ady¡®s chests in public? How insulting!¡± ¡°I thought that even if he was poor he would have some dignity and self respect. But now it seems that I was grossly wrong.¡± ¡°I¡®m even embarrassed to be in the same ss with him.¡± ¡°Look at his clothes. Who knows what vile thing he might have done to change his outfits?¡± Darius clearly heard all of their snide remarks but paid them no heed. He however paid them no heed. Even when he was poor he never demanded or needed their pity. They had never extended a helping hand to him when he was poor so why should he care about their false pity especially now that he was the head of the Reid consortium? Beingbeled as a pervert by such unimportant people did nothing to affect him so he didn¡®t even bother exining himself. He just walked out of the lecture hall leaving them to their thoughts. When Darius checked the time on his phone he saw that it was toote for him to search for a new apartment today. He checked his schedule and saw that he was free tomorrow, so he decided to search for a new one tomorrow. He was already tired from the day¡®s events so he decided not to walk back to his dorm. He instead boarded a school transport cab back to his dorm. When he got to the dorm, he saw that it was empty again. His roommates had probably woken upte and were now taking make¨Cup sses to meet up with the lectures that they missed. He checked the time again and saw that it was already 6 pm. After taking his bath and changing his outfit, heid down on his bed exhausted. He watched several videos on different social media apps to cure his boredom. Just as he was about to fall asleep, a notification shed across his screen. Alice? Darius knew who Alice was. Alice was Sarah¡®s roommate. He had seen them together a lot of times when he was still dating Sarah. Although he rarely spoke to her, the few times that he did she had left a very good impression on him. She was one of the few people that did not judge him because of his poverty. Alice wasn¡®t as pretty as Sarah but she was very pretty herself. Although she wasn¡®t part of the top 10 beauties in the campus, she was solidly part of the top 20. He also knew that she was a streamer. During her free time, she made several streams about different things, so she was a well known figure in the school. Many guys had asked her out on dates several times, but she turned them down for reasons best known to her. Darius decided to join the live stream. He clicked the join button on his screen and was instantly redirected to the main stream channel. ¡°Hello everyone! It¡®s your favorite streamer here again!¡± Several of Alice¡®s followers began tuning in as soon as she began her live stream. The number of viewers increased from o to 5,000 in just a few minutes, and more people kept showing up! Darius watched the stream with a nonchnt expression on his face. It was another of Alice¡®s casual streaming where she talked about what she ate for breakfast, how her day went and other uninteresting topics to her viewers. He was about to quit the live stream when Alice made a shocking announcement, prompting him to stay behind. ¡°To make today¡®s stream special, I have decided to introduce a surprise guest to you all!¡± Alice announced cheerily. ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, the one and only Sarah Ginn!¡± Darius had aplicated expression on his face the moment he heard Alice¡®s announcement. He knew that Alice and Sarah were close friends but he did not expect her to invite Sarah to her live stream. Because of Alice¡®s sudden announcement, Darius decided to continue watching the stream. He wanted to know why Alice suddenly invited Sarah to join her stream. A few seconds after Alice made the announcement, her viewers startedmenting rapidly, blowing up the wholement section. ¡°OMG it¡®s Sarah!¡± ¡°Goddess Sarah!¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Alice smiled to the viewers when she saw thement section blowing up. Alice was sure that her n to invite Sarah to join her stream was definitely a sess. ¡°Alright guys. As you all know, my lovely friend here Sarah is in a rtionship with the famous David Lesley.¡± Alice said. As she spoke, she turned her phone to where Sarah sat and gave her a close up view. Thement section exploded again when they saw Sarah in the live stream. Although Alice was a beauty, she was not on par with Sarah who was ranked 5th among beauties in the whole campus. Although Sarah was widely known by the student body to be in a rtionship, that didn¡®t mean that she didn¡®t have admirers. That single gesture increased the number of viewers from 10,000 to 20,000. ¡°¡®Today, my friend Sarah here has decided to do a question and answer session on my live stream, If you have any questions please don¡®t hesitate to ask. I assure you that she¡®ll answer all your questions, so go ahead and ask! And my lovely viewers, don¡®t forget to send gifts while you¡®re at it!¡± Alice announced before winking at the camera. ¡°Oh my God Alice you¡®re so beautiful!¡± ¡°Alice is my goddess!¡± ¡°Alice you¡®re the best!¡± [ilovealice213 just gifted Alice a spaceship!) A spaceship was worth around $500, which meant that someone had gifted Alice $500, and the question and answer session hadn¡®t started yet! ¡°Thank you so much ilovealice213 for your gift! I really appreciate!¡± Alice said cheerfully. A few fans gifted Alice five blue roses, with each blue rose valued at $100. This increased her profits from the stream to $1,000 from $500. Alice waited for a few seconds to see if she would receive more gifts, but when she didn¡®t she decided to go on with the question and answer session. The stream continued and was doing incredibly well until amenter asked Sarah a question. The instant Sarah came across the question, the expression on her face changed. Chapter 25 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 25 Chapter 25 ¡°Is it true that you were in a rtionship with Darius Reid?¡± Sarah face scrunched up when she read thement, but it was only for a few moments. She was on a live stream so she had to maintain a pretty face in order to please her fans that were watching the str eam. Thement section went wild when they saw that question. ¡°What do you mean by that? Of course it¡¯s false!¡± *Totally false! How would our goddess go out with that peasant?¡± ¡°I mean why bother ask?¡± ¡°Just look at her now. Her boyfriend David bought her a limited edition bag worth $6,000. Why would sh e date Darius when she could easily be with David?¡±. Sarah smiled as she watched them argue in thement section. She decided not to answer the ques tion. Since they were already going at it in thement section all she needed to do was stay still and smile. When Darius saw his ex¨C girlfriend on the live stream however, he immediately wanted to leave the stream. Seeing Sarah reminded him of their rtionships which brought him a lot of pain. He didn¡®t want to rem ember anything painful that moment he wanted to leave. Before he could leave however, ament wi th his name written on it popped up on the stream. ¡°I mean how delusional can one be? Someone who can¡®t even afford a $100 meal imed to be in a rel ationship with Sarah Ginn, the 5th ranked beauty in the campus, and you all are asking if it¡®s true. R x folks; it¡®s just Darius Reid ying with you all.¡± Darius was confused at first when he saw thement. Curiosity got the better of him and he decided to read through thements to see what brought his name into the conversation. After reading thements for ten minutes, Darius was inexplicably angry. He couldn¡®t believe what his eyes just read. There were so many nderousments about him that got him so pissed off. Several people called him a liar and an opportunist who only wanted to ride on the coat tails of Sarah¡®s poprity. Some even went as far to call him a maniptive bastard who made up such lies to garner pity from the student body. As Darius recalled the several meanments that he read his anger exceeded his patient limit. Angered, Darius decided to keep watching the stream. If only the people typing thements knew ho w much he was worth now, they would see how stupid they were. s, ignorance was bliss. The viewers asked Sarah a few more questions, including questions about her favorite color, her favorit e food, her preffered type in men and other questions before the question and answer session finally e nded. Alice saw that the viewers were still left unsatisfied from the question and answer session with Sarah, t herefore she was reluctant to end the stream. However, Sarah was already tired of answering question s, so she most definitely couldn¡®t extend the question and answer session. A brilliant idea suddenly s hed through her mind. What if her viewers had the opportunity to go on a date with either her or Sarah? Excited, Alice made a new announcement to her viewers. ¡°I know that you all don¡®t want my stream to end so soon, or do you?¡± Alice asked. Thement section exploded with replies to her question. ¡°Of course not!¡± ¡°No way!¡± ¡°We want more!¡± ¡°Please stream more!¡® Alice smiled when she saw their response to her question. She was right after all. Her viewers definitely didn¡®t want the stream to end so soon. ¡°So this is how it¡®s going to be. I¡®ll extend my stream for another thirty minutes. However, that¡®s not all. During those thirty minutes, the fan with the most gifts would get to go on a date with either of thedies present in this stream! Great right?!¡± Alice announced. Thement section exploded for the umpteenth time that night. It should be noted that the stream wa s mostly filled with people who didn¡®t see their selves going out on a date with any of the top beauties, so this opportunity was like a godsend to them. ¡°Is she for real?!¡± C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°A date with either of the beauties on the stream?!¡± ¡°Let me recharge my ount!¡± Sarah was taken aback by Alice¡®s unexpected twist to the stream, but she decided to go ahead with it. It of the wealthiest guys on college, so they couldn¡®t do anything threatening to her even if she refused. ¡°I know some of us fans haven¡®t recharged our ounts yet, so to keep thepetition fair, I¡®ll give eve fans. ¡°I¡®ll definitely be the one to take Alice out on a date!¡± ¡°Dream on! It¡®ll be me who will take Alice out on a date!¡± ¡°Alice? I¡®m sorry but I¡®ll be taking my goddess Sarah on a date.¡± Thement section soon turned into a battleground as several people fought with their keyboards aga Alice enjoyed the reactions she got from her viewers and therefore made no move to stop them. The mo streams the more popr her stream became. The number of viewers,ments, and gifts received were all considered engagements. As a result, it w It was too early to tell, but Alice had a feeling that her stream today would be monumental for her. Chapter 26 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Darius smiled when he saw that Alice was hosting apetition to let the top gifter go on a date with any of thedies in the stream. Didn¡®t they say that he was poor? He would show them! He thought about using his real name in his ount but decided against it. He didn¡®t want to bring unn ecessary attention to him; at least not yet. However, he wasn¡®t going to let them get away with this. He was going topletely ruin their chances of them being able to go out on a date with them. Wasn¡®t it money? He had a lot of it anyway. With that thought in mind, Darius recharged his ount with $5,000,000 at once. His ount instantly leveled up to lv99, 1 level away from level 100. His name also had a blue verification tick on it, a symbol that the ount¡®s owner had topped up more than $1,000,000. Darius wasn¡®t bothered at all that he was spendingvishly. The Groove streaming tform belonged t o the Reid consortium, meaning that he was just enriching himself. Finally the five minutes allocated to them to recharge their ounts was exhausted, prompting Alice to speak up. ¡°So the five minutes are up! And thepetition begins now! Remember, the more you gift, the higher your chance s of going on a date with any of thedies here including me. So don¡®t hold back and shower us with yo ur gifts!¡± Alice announced cheerily. Almost as soon as she finished talking, a notification shed across the stream. [Mr.rich.guy.177 just gifted Alice a gxy ship) Alice smiled broadly when she saw the gift. A gxy shi p was by no means a small amount as it was worth $1,000. The name Mr.rich.guy.177 instantly rose on the gift¡®s leader board rankings to number 1. Thement section went wild when they saw the gift¡®s notification. ¡°What the¨C?!¡± ¡°A gxy ship?!¡± ¡°Wow people are really rich huh?¡± ¡°Move aside peasants. I¡®m the one who¡®s going to go on a date with thedies.¡± Just as soon as thement was made, a notification shed across the stream¡®s channel. [kingcrafts_ just gifted Alice a skyscraper) ¡°The rich have arrived!¡± ¡°A skyscraper? Is there still a meaning to thispetition?¡± Alice could barely contain her joy when she saw the skyscraper gift. A skyscraper was worth $ 1.500, meaning that kingcrafts_had just paid $1,500 in order to get a chance to go on a date with them! And that wasn¡®t all. Just after kingcrafts jumped to number one on the gift¡®s leader board rankings, seve ral notifications shed across the stream¡®s channel. (zmeister just gifted Alice a world rose] (sacogun just gifted Alice a cruise ship x2] (nightcrawler23 just gifted Alice a golden throne x5] (sidonna just gifted Alice a diamond castle x10] Thi s went on for ten minutes and during those ten minutes the gift¡®s leader board rankings kept changing By the time twenty minutes had passed, the gifting had slowed down significantly and zmeister was the number 1 gifter. By that time, most of the fans had exh austed the money they had recharged in their ount. Alice couldn¡®t care about the slow gifting now. She had already amassed more than $20,000 in terms of profits from this single stream alone, which was way more than what she normally earned from a norm al stream. The gifting session had also pushed her stream poprity into number 28 in the top 30 popr stream at the moment. That single feat alone earned her over 10,000 viewers, increasing the total number of vi ewers on her stream to 60,000. ¡°Is that all you have? Remember that the top gifter gets to a go on a date with anydy of his choice pr esent on the stream!¡± Alice announced, trying to get her fans to gift more. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. However, her attempt failed woefully. Most of her fans weren¡®t that wealthy, as the wealthy fans only foll owed the top 10 popr streamers. They had already gifted her the ones they could afford. Alice saw that no one was gifting her anymore. She checked the time and saw that only four minutes were le ft before the thirty minutes were up. She decided to end thepetition early and announce zmeister a s the winner. However just as she was about to do that, a notification shed across the stream¡®s chan nel. Alice thought it was a little gift, but when she saw the golden color that apanied the notification, sh e instantly thought otherwise. The golden color was only present in a super gift and was apanied by a site wide broadcast, which meant that who ever gifted her stream gifted her a super gift. Alice wasn¡®t the only one who was surprised. The viewers watching the stream and other viewers/stream [Mr.ordinaryio just gifted Alice the universe] There was a brief period of silence, as everyone stared at th ¡°Someone please pinch me.¡± ¡°Someone gifted Alice the universe?!¡± ¡°We¡®ve got to check it out!¡± Just that single super gift changed the status of Alice¡®s stream. The number of viewers on her stream sh 60,000 to 100,000 in the span of a few minutes. They were all curious to see who the mysterious wealthy fan was. The poprity of her rank also shot up from number 28 to number 20, surpassing 8 live streams at once. Naturally, his name rose from the bottom to the top, surpassing zmeister as the top gifter with a fan valu The adjustments were expected because the universe was not just a super gift, but the most valuable super gift worth $25,000 When Alice noticed the blue verification tick on the gifter¡®s name, her heart began to race. She knew what the blue tick meant as a streamer. It signified that Mr.ordinary1o had rech Another golden notification shed across her stream¡®s channel, and a site wide broadcast followed, as her thoughts. [Mr.ordinary1o just gifted Alice the universe x2] Chapter 27 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 27 There was another period of brief silence when the notification shed across the stream¡®s channel The viewers watching the stream couldn¡®t believe this. The mysterious Mr.ordinaryo had just sent Alice two universe in a row. That was a whooping sum of $50,000. That was way too luxurious! Alice herself couldn¡®t believe what was going on. When she started thepetition she didn¡®t hope to g et more than $10,000 from gifts. She was plenty satisfied with the gifts she had gotten, yet this mysterio us fan had sent her two super gifts in a row. Alice wasn¡®t the only one who was shocked. The threedies on the stream including Sarah werep letely shocked by what they saw. They never knew that Alice had such a wealthy fan! The fanfare that apanied the super gifts pulled more viewers to Alice¡®s stream. More viewers flock ed to her stream for one single purpose. The presence of a verified ount was more than enough to pull them to her stream. Even some streamers including the top one all ended their streams in order to see who the mysterious gifter was. Darius scoffed when he saw the attention he was getting. Several people were admiring him and calling him several glorified names like King rich, Emperor of wealth and so many other names. Weren¡®t they the ones cursing him out and insulting him a few minutes ago? He wondered how stupid they would feel if they found out that Mr.ordinary10 was Darius Reid. (Mr.ordinaryio just gifted Alice the universe x5]. [Mr.ordinaryio just gifted Alice the universe x10] (Mr.ordinaryio just gifted Alice the universe x20] The fanfares apanying the gifts pulled a lot of viewers to Alice stream and soon enough the number of viewers on her stream s hot up to 400,000! That wasn¡®t all. The numerous consecutive gifts increased the poprity of her strea m and sure enough in just a few minutes her stream¡®s rank shot up from number 20 to number 1! By this time everybody was speechless. They werepletely tongue tied. Despite their shock, Darius was not nning on stopping anytime soon. He was going to show the m what a true noveau riche was. (Mr.ordinary1o just gifted Alice the universe x3] (Mr.ordinaryio just gifted Alice the universe x10] [Mr.ordinaryio just gifted Alice the universe x30] And in such manner, Darius gifted Alice continuously u ntil all the whole money he recharged had been exhausted. It was only then that he stopped gifting. By this time, Alice viewers had shot up to over 600,000. It was a record high for her, as she had never h ad that much viewers in her show. Everyone was dumbfounded. Alice couldn¡®t believe what she was seeing. She knew that some people were wealthy, but she had never seen someone as wealthy as Mr.ordinary1o. Her shock was understandable. After all he just gifted her 5 million dors, It was a crazy huge sum of money. She had never ever seen such a huge amount of money, yet someo ne had casually gifted her that exorbitant sum on her stream. Sarah herself was now fidgeting in her seat. She had thought that the highest gifter would not gift more than $10,000, but now it seemed that she was incredibly wrong. A fan had just gifted Alice 5 million doll ars. Originally, Sarah had nned to refuse anyone who asked her out on a date, but now she certainly tho ught otherwise. Even though David was one of the richest guys on campus, she seriously doubted if he could casually spend 5 million dors the way Mr.ordinary1o did. Thement section was quiet. The viewers were quiet. Alice herself was quiet. Everybody was quiet. N?velDrama.Org owns this. It waspletely inconceivable that someone would spend 5 million dors just to go out on a date wit h any of thedies on the stream. While they were pretty, they were certainly not worth paying 5 million dors just for a date. After a few minutes had passed and there was no more fanfare, Alice finally came to her senses. ¡°T¨C Thank you Mr.ordinaryio for your gifts! I really appreciate!¡± Alice eximed. Darius smirked before drop ping ament in thement section. ¡°It¡®s nothing. I just can¡®t pass up the opportunity to go out on a date with any of the beauties present.¡± Thement section that was quiet before exploded immediately when they saw hisment. ¡°What the¨C?!¡± ¡°5 million dors to go on a date?!¡± ¡°Wow. The rich are truly built differently from us huh?¡± Alice herself was surprised when she saw thement. Spending 5 million dors casually proved how wealthy he was. ¡°Say, Mr.ordinar you choose who you would like to go on a date with, are you by chance a student of Kingston University a student of Kingston University.¡± Mr.ordinaryio replied through ament ¡°Oh wow!¡± Alice eximed. S ¡°Okay Mr.ordinary1o. Who would you pick to go on a date with?¡± Alice asked. As everyone waited for his answer, both Alice and Sarah¡®s heart beat rapidly. Alice herself praved for he Thement section naturally wasn¡®t quiet during the wait, with the viewers arguing among themselves ¡°Sarah of course. There are no doubts about this one.¡± ¡°Sarah? Please be reasonable for once. Sarah a Several otherments flew in thement sections as they argued about who would be chosen. When Darius noticed the remarks, he burst outughing in his room. To be honest, Darius was uninteres stream. A few minutes after being asked the question by Alice, Mr.ordinaryio finally gave his answer. Chapter 28 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 28 Chapter 28¡°Alice. I want to go on a date with Alice.¡±Everybody had an expression of surprise when they heard his choice, but it was only for a few seconds. When they thought about it his choice seemed pretty normal. After all Sarah was in a rtionship with one of the ri chest guys on campus and although she was very beautiful, Alice was not so bad herself.Sarah¡®s face scrunched up when she saw Mr.ordinaryio¡®s choice. It irked her greatly that Alice was picked over her, b ut it was only for a split second after which she returned her expression to normal which was her smiling face.Alice let out a small victory dance in her heart. She was the one the rich fan had chosen to go on a date with! It was still very dreamlike to her that she had been gifted 5 million dol lars by a single person, and now the said person had decided to go on a date with her. Alice was someone who strongly rejected the idea of dating before, but she didn¡®t mind dating this obvi ous noveau riche. She could barely wait to see in him person. After asking him a few more questions, Mr.ordinary10 ount finally turned gray, meaning that he was no longer active.A few seconds after he went offline, several viewers started leaving the stream. The highlight of the stream was over. They had lost thepetition to some one they could neverpete with.Alice saw the multitude of viewers leaving the stream rapidly and sa w that it was finally time for her to end the stream.¡°Thank you guys so much for your support! I¡®ll see yo u in my next stream!¡± Alice said as she waved at the screen. Sarah and the two roommates also waved a t the viewers before Alice finally turned the stream off, ending the stream.Sarah and the two roommates smiled at Alice as they congratted her for a sessful stream, but Alice could see the bitterness an d envy in their gazes. It was expected. Even she would be jealous if someone gifted them a million doll ars, not to talk of 5 million dors. After they congratted her, she left the room to take her shower. By the time she was done freshening up, it was way past 11 pm and her roommates were now asleep. Wit h her hands trembling from anxiety, Alice brought out her phone and opened TextMe,another popr social media app and searched for Mr.ordinaryio¡®s ount on it.Unknown to m any, before the stream ended, Mr.ordinaryo had texted Alice his TextMe ount username and told her to message him on the app so that they could discuss the details concerning their date better.Sure eno ugh, she found his ount there. His name was even written in green which showed that he was activ e at the moment.Nervously, she typed a short message and hit send.Alice: (Hi. It¡®s Alice, the streamer o n Groove.]She held her phone and swung her legs as she awaited a response from him. A few seconds ter, she heard a notification ping from her phone.Mr.ordinary1o: (Hello) Alice: (Thank you so much for your gifts! I truly appreciate!) Mr.ordinary1o: [It¡®s nothing. Don¡®t bother about it.)Alice shuddered when she saw his reply. How rich could someone be to be so causal about spending 5 million dors like it was nothing? Of course, she didn¡®t know that Groove Inc. belonged to the Reid consortium; otherwise everything wou ld have been so much easier to understand. Darius gifted her that huge sum because basically it was g enerating more profits for Groove Inc.Alice: [When do you want to go on a date? You can pick the date. )Darius fell into deep thought when he saw her message. He had a tight schedule ahead of him so he d idn¡®t want to go on a date anytime soon. He still hadn¡®t gotten his cars, he still hadn¡®t gotten a new apart ment, and he still hadn¡®t visited some of thepanies he now owned. Mr.ordinary1o: (Sorry. I¡®ll be rea lly busy for a while. I¡®ll tell you when I¡®ll be free for a date if that is okay with you?]Alice felt downhearted when she saw his rejecti on. She didn¡®t know why but she felt bothered and hurt by his outright rejection.Alice: [Oh. I see. Alright then.]Mr.ordinary1o: (I have to go now. I have a busy day ahead of me tomorrow. Goodnight.]A few sec onds he sent thest message, his name that was written in green turned gray. He was no longer active.Alice sighed. While she didn¡®t expect to be rejected outright, she still had positive feelings. After all he promised to tell her when he was free so that they could n and fix a date for the date.Seeing that it waste, she was about to switch off her p hone when another ping came in. She checked her phone and saw that it was a message from one of t he top streamers on Groove.She scoffed when she read the content of the message. Basically they we re asking for a coboration stream with her in hopes of roping in the wealthy fan she just gained to spe nd more on them.Alice recalled that when she was a no¨C name streamer with few followers, she asked for a coboration stream with the top streamers and was tly refused. They didn¡®t even give her a chance. She had slowly worked her way up into a well know n streamer and now that she had gotten over 5 million dors from a fan they now wanted a coborati on stream with her.Alice found the concept absurd and amusing. Even now, they refused to engage in a genuinecoboration stream with her. They only wanted her to join them so that her wealthy fan could donate gifts to them.Without any ounce of hesitation in her, she declined their offer. She wasn¡®t desper oner. She wasn¡®t desperate. Even if she hadn¡®t received such gifts before she still wouldn¡®t do such a devious act as it went against her principlesShe started streaming primarily to support herself and her younger brother, who was the only family she had left after her parents died in a car ident. Now that she had gotten 5 million dors from streaming, there was absolutely no reason for her to bend to their will.Alice checked her phone¡®s time and saw that it wa s already past 12 a.m. She turned off her phone and climbed into her bed. She could finally rx now t hat the majority of her problems had been resolved. As a result, Alice fell asleep with a huge smile on h er face that night. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Alice. I want to go on a date with Alice.¡± Everybody had an expression of surprise when they heard his choice, but it was only for a few seconds . When they thought about it his choice seemed pretty normal. After all Sarah was in a rtionship with one of the ri chest guys on campus and although she was very beautiful, Alice was not so bad herself. Sarah¡®s face scrunched up when she saw Mr.ordinaryio¡®s choice. It irked her greatly that Alice was pick ed over her, but it was only for a split second after which she returned her expression to normal which was her smiling face. Alice let out a small victory dance in her heart. She was the one the rich fan had chosen to go on a dat e with! It was still very dreamlike to her that she had been gifted 5 million dors by a single person, an d now the said person had decided to go on a date with her. Alice was someone who strongly rejected the idea of dating before, but she didn¡®t mind dating this obvi ous noveau riche. She could barely wait to see in him person. After asking him a few more questions, Mr.ordinary10 ount finally turned gray, meaning that he was no longer active. A few seconds after he went offline, several viewers started leaving the stream. The highlight of the stre am was over. They had lost thepetition to someone they could neverpete with. Alice saw the multitude of viewers leaving the stream rapidly and saw that it was finally time for her to e nd the stream. ¡°Thank you guys so much for your support! I¡®ll see you in my next stream!¡± Alice said as she waved at the screen. Sarah and the two roommates also waved a t the viewers before Alice finally turned the stream off, ending the stream. Sarah and the two roommates smiled at Alice as they congratted her for a sessful stream, but Ali ce could see the bitterness and envy in their gazes. It was expected. Even she would be jealous if som eone gifted them a million dors, not to talk of 5 million dors. After they congratted her, she left th e room to take her shower. By the time she was done freshening up, it was way past 11 pm and her roo mmates were now asleep. With her hands trembling from anxiety, Alice brought out her phone and opened TextMe, another popr social media app and searched for Mr.ordinaryio¡®s ount on it. Unknown to many, before the stream ended, Mr.ordinaryo had texted Alice his TextMe ount userna me and told her to message him on the app so that they could discuss the details concerning their date better. Sure enough, she found his ount there. His name was even written in green which showed that he was active at the moment. Nervously, she typed a short message and hit send. Alice: (Hi. It¡®s Alice, the streamer on Groove.] She held her phone and swung her legs as she awaited a response from him. A few secondster, she heard a notification ping from her phone. Mr.ordinary1o: (Hello) Alice: (Thank you so much for your gifts! I truly appreciate!) Mr.ordinary1o: [It¡®s n othing. Don¡®t bother about it.) Alice shuddered when she saw his reply. How rich could someone be to be so causal about spending 5 million dors like it was nothing? Of course, she didn¡®t know that Groove Inc. belonged to the Reid consortium; otherwise everything wou ld have been so much easier to understand. Darius gifted her that huge sum because basically it was g enerating more profits for Groove Inc. Alice: [When do you want to go on a date? You can pick the date.) Darius fell into deep thought when he saw her message. He had a tight schedule ahead of him so he di dn¡®t want to go on a date anytime soon. He still hadn¡®t gotten his cars, he still hadn¡®t gotten a new apart ment, and he still hadn¡®t visited some of thepanies he now owned. Mr.ordinary1o: (Sorry. I¡®ll be rea lly busy for a while. I¡®ll tell you when I¡®ll be free for a date if that is okay with you?] Alice felt downhearted when she saw his rejection. She didn¡®t know why but she felt bothered and hurt by his outright rejection. Alice: [Oh. I see. Alright then.] Mr.ordinary1o: (I have to go now. I have a busy day ahead of me tomorrow. Goodnight.] A few seconds he sent thest message, his name that was written in green turned gray. He was no longer active. Alice sighed. While she didn¡®t expect to be rejected outright, she still had positive feelings. After all he pr Seeing that it waste, she was about to switch off her phone when another ping came in. She checked She scoffed when she read the content of the message. Basically they were asking for a coboration s them. Alice recalled that when she was a no¨C name streamer with few followers, she asked for a coboration stream with the top streamers and was Alice found the concept absurd and amusing. Even now, they refused to engage in a genuine coboration stream with her. They only wanted her to join them so that her wealthy fan could donate gifts to them. Without any ounce of hesitation in her, she declined their offer. She wasn¡®t desper oner. She wasn¡®t desperate. Even if she hadn¡®t received such gifts before she still wouldn¡®t do such a de She started streaming primarily to support herself and her younger brother, who was the only family she after her parents died in a car ident. Now that she had gotten 5 million dors from streaming, there w Alice checked her phone¡®s time and saw that it was already past 12 a.m. She turned off her phone and c Chapter 29 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 29 Chapter 29 The next day Darius got upter than usual. He looked around the dorm room and saw that the dorm room was empty again. Heughed when he saw that. His roommates had finally decided to attend sses like normal students atst. He picked up his phone to check if there were any messages for him and surprisingly there was one. Darius checked the message details and saw that the sender was his grandfather¡®s assistant Bruce, Cu rious, Darius opened the message and read its contents, Bruce: [Good day, Young Master Reid. This is Bruce. Your two cars have been customized to your taste and are now ready to be delivered to your new abode. Also, Mr. James is troubled by the fact that you haven¡®t paid a visit to any of thepanies listed under the Reid consortium. He told me to urge you to do it as soon as possible.) 1 He let out a sigh after reading the message. He could feel a headacheing on. He d ecided to visit one of hispanies after getting a new apartment. He was wondering where he was going to get a good apartment when a sudden thought shed through his mind. Wasn¡®t Bruce the one in charge of several businesse s before? Surely he would know a very nice apartment for him to stay in. Thinking so, he decided to text him back. Darius: [Hello Bruce. Tell Grandpa that I¡®ll do that as soon as I¡®m free. I¡®m very busy at the moment. Als o, I need suggestions for where to live. Do you know a good ce for me to live?] Darius¡® phone pinge d immediately after he sent the message, indicating the arrival of another message. Darius checked it and saw that it was Bruce who sent the message. He had replied to his previous mes sage as soon as he received it. Bruce: [Of course Young Master Reid! Leave it to me! Just give me a minute. I¡®ll send you the address to an apartment befitting your status!) Before thirty seconds even psed, Darius¡® phone pinged again. Darius grimaced when he saw that the message was from Bruce yet again. He told him to wait for a mi nute but not even thirty seconds had passed before he gave him a reply. Bruce: [Young Master Reid, I have found a suitable ce for someone of your status to live in. Go to Dr agon Estate. I have already informed the manager of your arrival. She will take you to the new apartme nt I have chosen for you.] Darius sighed. Bruce was just as efficient as always. It was good for him anyways. Now he didn¡®t have to bother himself looking f or an apartment. He would just go the one Bruce selected for him and make the necessary payments. He took his bath and dressed up in his new outfits leisurely. When he checked the mirror he saw that hi s hair looked a bit unkempt. He made a mental note to visit the salon when he was free. Darius packed up the few properties that he had in the dorm room. Apart from the clothes and shoes th at he bought recently, he really had no properties in the room. It was a testament of his poverty. He looked at the dorm room that he spent the past three years living before taking his few properties and making his way out of the dorm. When he got to the bus stop, he took a cab to the Sky Golden Hotel. He needed to eat breakfast before going to Dragon Estate. The reception he received this time was very different from the reception he received when he first visit ed the hotel. It was expected as he was one of the few high valued members with a gold membership. 1 As usual, he ate a luxurious and exquisite breakfast at his preferred table. He texted Rudd and his ro ommates while eating that he had gotten a high¨C paying job and that he would be moving into a new apartment from now on. He also requested Rudd¡®s bank ount information so that he could repay the $5,000 used to bail him out when he was detained . Of course, he would never tell his roommates that the reason he could now pay them back and get a n ew apartment was because he was the heir to a consortium worth an incalcble sum of money. They¡® d never believe him anyway, so it was best if he told them he¡®d gotten a good job. This would make it easier for them to ept. When he was done eating, he picked up neatly packed bags and went to the counter. There he booked a room that was worth $500,000 to keep his properties. To book a single room for a night in the hotel costs $25,000 for the cheapest room, while the most luxurious room cost $100,000 for a night. Darius quickly paid the $100,000 for the most luxurious room at once. He went ahead and paid for five nights at a go. He did so that in the off chance that he didn¡®t like the apartment Bruce picked out for him, he would have a ce to sleep till he found a suitable apartment. Once he was done lodging his properties in the room, he took a quick shower and changed his clothes yet again before making his way out of the hotel. He hailed a cab yet again as his cars were yet to arrive. When he told the cab driver that he was going to Dragon Estate, the cab driver gave him a strange look before agreeing to take him there. Darius nodded and settled into the back seat of the cab. The cab pulled out of the bus stop and began moving a few secondster. Darius exhaled softly as he sat back in the back seat. He was finally beginning his search for a new apartment . Chapter 30 Darius found himself driving through various luxurious buildings as the cab moved. Darius h ad never been to this part of town before, so he was taken aback by the opulence of the buildings. Finally after driving for over 45 minutes, the cab came to stop at a very luxurious gate. Darius waited fo r a few seconds for the driver to move forward but there was no sign of movement from the driver. Confused, Darius decided to ask w hat the issue was. ¡°Hello, could you please go further? Or is there a reason we¡®re stopping here?¡± Darius asked. When he heard Darius¡® question, the cab driver who was a middle¨C aged man, lightly shook his head. It seemed that his hunch was right after all. His passenger clearly ha d no clue how Dragon Estate worked. ¡°Pardon me Sir, but I really cannot go any further than this. Is this by chance Sir¡®s first visit to Dragon Estate?¡± the cab driver asked. Darius wondered how the cab driver could tell that it was his first time here but answered anyway. ¡°Yes it is.¡± ¡°Ah. I see. No wonder.¡± The cab driver said out loud. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Darius asked. He was curious to know why the cab driver looked at him the way h e did. ¡°Of course not. It¡®s just that taxis and public transportation are not permitted in Dragon Estate. It¡®s a co mmon rule around here. I assumed you were aware of the rule. That¡®s it.¡± The cab driver borated. Darius made a light realization sound. It was no surprise that the cab driver gave him an odd look when he said he was going to Dragon Estate. If he was going to Dragon Estate, he should have known that taxis and public transportation were not permitted. ¡°Oh. I see now. Thank you for your exnation.¡± Darius said, thanking the driver. ¡°It¡®s nothing sir.¡± Darius alighted from the cab and paid the money for the cab services before making his way towards th e luxurious gates. Darius hadn¡®t given the gates much thought before, but as he approached them, he realized how impressive they were. It appeared to be entirely made of gold. It had a regal app earance and was expertly designed. The gates had a detailed dragon logo on them, and the words¡± Dragon Estate¡± were neatly carved onto the top of the gates. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Darius wondered what over the top ce Bruce had arranged for him. He let out a sigh before moving forward. However, before he could get close to the gates, he was stopped in his tra cks by a loud voice. ¡°Halt!¡± Darius came to a full halt and looked in the direction where the voice wasing from. There, he notice while carrying batons and wearing uniforms. He could tell their professions just by looking at them. They ¡°Who are you and what do you want here?¡± One of the two security guards asked haughtily. When Darius looked at him, he realized that he was probably two or three years older than him and in h The other security guard was a man who was clearly older than his colleague. He looked to be in histe ¡°Good day sir. I apologize for my partner¡®s behavior. May I ask the reason you¡®re here?¡± The older man a and short. ¡°I see.¡± The older guard said. ¡°If that¡®s the case then you¡®re free to go in.¡± The older guard said. As he sp pocket and pressed the green button on the remote. Immediately he did so, the gates made a whirring s After Darius made it into the estate, the younger security guard could no longer hold his silence and blew his top at h and into the Dragon Estate! Are you trying to get us fired?!¡± The younger guard shouted. ¡°Rx Dan. We let strangers with expensive cars past the gates all the time. What¡®s the problem this tim ¡°Of course there¡®s a problern! Those strangers have expensive cars! This stranger clearly came here by Thomas let out a sigh. Dan was a good kid who always followed the rule of his job to thetter.¡® Thomas understood that he was just trying to do his job backfire more often than not. It was better to be flexible at times like this. 1 ¡°Look here Dan; sometimes you need to see the bigger picture. I have been working here for a long time now and you¡®re not my first partner. I have seen a lot of security guardse and go because they were being short sighted ¡°Don¡®t you wonder how I was able tost this long as a security guard here? Well that¡®s the reason. That stranger is clearly not an ordinary stranger. I have worked here for a long time so I can tell the signs of s Dan kept silent when he listened to Thomas¡® analysis. It was true that getting a job here at the Dragon E Dan knew how hard it was for him to get this job so he wanted to work here for as long as he could and will she do to us? Dan questioned, obviously concerned about the manager¡®s reaction to Thomas¡® choice. 1 ¡°I would ept full responsibility in that case.¡± Thomas said in a firm voice. Dan looked at him with worry Dan sighed and shook his head. The only thing he could do at this point was to hope that Thomas¡® gut in the stranger was a powerful one, because if he weren¡®t, the results would be terrifying. Chapter 30 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Darius found himself driving through various luxurious buildings as the cab moved. Darius h ad never been to this part of town before, so he was taken aback by the opulence of the buildings. Finally after driving for over 45 minutes, the cab came to stop at a very luxurious gate. Darius waited fo r a few seconds for the driver to move forward but there was no sign of movement from the driver. Confused, Darius decided to ask w hat the issue was. ¡°Hello, could you please go further? Or is there a reason we¡®re stopping here?¡± Darius asked. When he heard Darius¡® question, the cab driver who was a middle¨C aged man, lightly shook his head. It seemed that his hunch was right after all. His passenger clearly ha d no clue how Dragon Estate worked. ¡°Pardon me Sir, but I really cannot go any further than this. Is this by chance Sir¡®s first visit to Dragon Estate?¡± the cab driver asked. Darius wondered how the cab driver could tell that it was his first time here but answered anyway. ¡°Yes it is.¡± ¡°Ah. I see. No wonder.¡± The cab driver said out loud. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Darius asked. He was curious to know why the cab driver looked at him the way h e did. ¡°Of course not. It¡®s just that taxis and public transportation are not permitted in Dragon Estate. It¡®s a co mmon rule around here. I assumed you were aware of the rule. That¡®s it.¡± The cab driver borated.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Darius made a light realization sound. It was no surprise that the cab driver gave him an odd look when he said he was going to Dragon Estate. If he was going to Dragon Estate, he should have known that taxis and public transportation were not permitted. ¡°Oh. I see now. Thank you for your exnation.¡± Darius said, thanking the driver. ¡°It¡®s nothing sir.¡± Darius alighted from the cab and paid the money for the cab services before making his way towards th e luxurious gates. Darius hadn¡®t given the gates much thought before, but as he approached them, he realized how impressive they were. It appeared to be entirely made of gold. It had a regal app earance and was expertly designed. The gates had a detailed dragon logo on them, and the words¡± Dragon Estate¡± were neatly carved onto the top of the gates. Darius wondered what over the top ce Bruce had arranged for him. He let out a sigh before moving forward. However, before he could get close to the gates, he was stopped in his tra cks by a loud voice. ¡°Halt!¡± Darius came to a full halt and looked in the direction where the voice wasing from. There, he notic ed two individuals approaching him while carrying batons and wearing uniforms. He could tell their professions just by looking at them. The y were the security personnel. ¡°Who are you and what do you want here?¡± One of the two security guards asked haughtily. When Darius looked at him, he realized that he was probably two or three years older than him and in h is early twenties. However, Darius kept mute when he heard the security guard¡®s question. He didn¡®t lik e the haughty tone the guard used to question him so he decided to ignore the guard. ¡°I asked you a qu estion! Answer me!¡± The young security guard shouted. He was beginning to get pissed off by Darius¡® s tare and silence. The other security guard was a man who was clearly older than his colleague. He looked to be in hist e fifties. He narrowed his eyes and stared at Darius for a few seconds. He struck his coworker with his baton as thetter was about to snap at Darius. The younger security guard scowled at his more experi enced partner but sighed and moved aside to let him question Darius. ¡°Good day sir. I apologize for my partner¡®s behavior. May I ask the reason you¡®re here?¡± The older man asked politely. Darius finally reacted to his question and smiled at the older guard. ¡°I¡®m here because m y grandfather¡®s assistant told me toe here.¡± Darius replied, keeping his answer simple and short. ¡°I see.¡± The older guard said. ¡°If that¡®s the case then you¡®re free to go in.¡± The older guard said. As he s poke he brought out a remote from his pocket and pressed the green button on the remote. Immediately he did so, the gates made a whirring sound before they opened. Darius smiled at the old guard and ignored the younger guard before makin g his way past the gates and into the estate itself. After Darius made it into the estate, the younger security guard could no longer hold his silence and blew his top at his partner. ¡°¡®Thomas! What have you just done?! You let aplete stranger past the gates and into the Dragon Estate! Are you trying to get us fired?!¡± The younger guard shouted. ¡°Rx Dan. We let strangers with expensive cars past the gates all the time. What¡®s the problem this ti me?¡± The older guard, Thomas said. ¡°Of course there¡®s a problern! Those strangers have expensive cars! This stranger clearly came here by Thomas let out a sigh. Dan was a good kid who always followed the rule of his job to thetter.¡® Thomas understood that he was just trying to do his job backfire more often than not. It was better to be flexible at times like this. 1 ¡°Look here Dan; sometimes you need to see the bigger picture. I have been working here for a long time now and you¡®re not my first partner. I have seen a lot of security guardse and go because they were being short sighted ¡°Don¡®t you wonder how I was able tost this long as a security guard here? Well that¡®s the reason. That stranger is clearly not an ordinary stranger. I have worked here for a long time so I can tell the signs of s Dan kept silent when he listened to Thomas¡® analysis. It was true that getting a job here at the Dragon E Dan knew how hard it was for him to get this job so he wanted to work here for as long as he could and will she do to us? Dan questioned, obviously concerned about the manager¡®s reaction to Thomas¡® choice. 1 ¡°I would ept full responsibility in that case.¡± Thomas said in a firm voice. Dan looked at him with worry Dan sighed and shook his head. The only thing he could do at this point was to hope that Thomas¡® gut in the stranger was a powerful one, because if he weren¡®t, the results would be terrifying. Chapter 31 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Darius was obviously unaware of the conversation between the duo security guards. Instea d he was smitten by the luxury and opulence of the estate. The entire estate was crammed with opulent shops and sever al tall buildings. Numerous pricey sedans and sports cars sped down the street. The shops were notice ably superior to those found outside the estate. Darius had no idea that such an opulent location existe d. It seemed very surreal to him. In his fascinated state, he had forgotten that Bruce had never given him a specific location to visit. He o nly realized after a while that Bruce had only mentioned Dragon Estate and the manager. He brought out his phone and called Bruce. The phone didn¡®t ring once before Bruce picked up the call. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Hello Young Master Reid. Is anything the problem?¡± Bruce answered in an overly respectful voice. ¡°Hm. I¡®m at Dragon Estate now and I just recalled that you only mentioned the Estate and the Manager. There are several housing apartments in this estate. Could you please specify the exact ce you wa nt me to visit?¡± Darius exined. ¡°Absolutely Young Master Reid! It is a blunder on my part. Please par don my ipetence.¡± Bruce apologized worriedly, afraid of angering Darius. ¡°Don¡®t worry about it. Ju st tell me the exact location I have to visit.¡± Darius said impatiently. It was mid afternoon now and he was already running out of time. ¡°Yes yes. Please visit the Dragon Lord¡®s Imperial Residence and ask for the Manager there. She¡®ll drop whatever she¡®s doing and attend to you immediately.¡± Bruce said. ¡°Alright. Thank you.¡± Darius said bef ore disconnecting the call. ¡°Dragon Lord¡®s Imperial Residence? What¡®s with the corny names? This isn¡®t a Chinese movie.¡± Darius mumbled as he input the name into his Map direction on his phone. Darius followed the directions and after a few minutes of walking he finally arrived at his destination. Ho wever the sight before him rendered him speechless. He couldn¡®t find the right words to describe the sight before him. The Residence waspletely stunning. It was as imposing as a residence could be. Darius had seen sev eral high rise buildings on his way here but none of them couldpare to the building in front of him. Although the building was named Dragon Lord¡®s Imperial Residence, it was more of a penthouse. The gates in front of the Residence were by far more imposing than the gates to the estate itself. Darius walked slowly but confidently towards the building¡®s gates. Unlike the first time he approached the gates to the estate, no security guards appeared to stop him this time. It was expected as the security in the Dragon Lord¡®s Imperial Residence was of the highest ss. Not j ust anyone could enter the Dragon Estate as each person living or working in Dragon Estate had a verif ied identity. It was why they didn¡®t station or hire any security personnel to guard the entrance to the Re sidence. It was also the reason Dan was concerned about Thomas¡® decision to let an unknown stranger into the Dragon Estate. Although they asionally let strangers with expensive cars pass through the gates, th ey made certain to verify the identities of such strangers. Darius was the first exception, and the only p erson who had not had his identity verified before being allowed through Darius made his way past the luxurious gates and entered the lobby of the imposing residence. The lobby was just as extravagant as the exterior of the building. Several golden chandeliers hung from the luxurious ceiling of the lobby while the floors of the lobby were shiny and polished to perfection. The lobby was empty with only few people present. There was a female receptionist in the counter of th e lobby. Darius admired the interior of the lobby greatly. The superb andvish design of the lobby showed how expensive the residence was. The few people nced at him for a fleeting moment before going back t o their business. He approached the receptionist after he had finished admiring the lobby. The lobby was luxurious and d elicately designed, but it couldn¡®tpete with the Reid Mansion. Whenpared to his grandfather¡®s house, everything seemed subpar. It made him wonder how much money his grandfather had spent to make his mansion more luxurious than the lobby of the Dragon Estate¡®s most expensive residence. When the female receptionist noticed Darius approaching her, she cast a nce his way. The first thing she did was scan his outfit, which she did while smiling broadly. Her smile, however, froze when she saw his outfit. Despite the fact that Darius was tall and handsome, with broad shoulders and a well developed body, t he outfit he wore was very in inparison to the outfits of the people who usually visited the Dragon L ord¡®s Imperial Residence. Her evaluation of Darius instantly dropped to an all time low. She concluded that he was probably here to vi sit someone who lived here as there was no way such a person could afford the cheapest apartment here. Darius was o blivious of her thoughts as he walked up to her. He had no way of knowing what was going through her mind. ¡°Hello. May I speak with the manager of this residence?¡± Darius inquired. The receptionist ignore d Darius like he didn¡¯t even exist. What a joke. Meet the manager? As inly dressed as he was? Who did he think he was to demand a meeting with the manager? Who did he think he was to request a mee ting with the boss? Even reputable visitors were not guaranteed meetings with the manager, let alone a no¨Cname stranger. When a minute passed and the receptionist did not respond to his question, he assumed she had not h eard him correctly. He repeated his question to her as politely as he could. ¡°Hello. May I speak with the manager of this residence?¡± Darius inquired once more, raising his voice s o that the receptionist could hear him clearly. The receptionist finally responded to Darius. She could no longer ignore him now that he had made his v ¡°Do you have an appointment with the manager?¡± The receptionist asked bluntly. Darius frowned at the to be polite? Why was thedy being rude to him? ¡°I don¡®t, but¨C¡± Darius began to exin, but was abruptly cut off by the receptionist. ¡°I¡®m sorry, but unless you have an appointment with the manager, you are not permitted to see her.¡± The Darius scowled once more when he saw how rudely she was treating him, but he kept his cool and ignored her ¡°Okay. Could you please inform her that Darius Reid has arrived and wishes to see her?¡± Darius inquired. ¡°As I previously stated, you are not permitted to see the manager unless you have an appointment with next time.¡± The receptionist responded angrily. Darius red at the receptionist for a few seconds when he heard her reply. He couldn¡®t believe the attitude of the recept It was understandable that she did not want him to meet with the manager because he had not schedule Darius didn¡®t need anybody to tell him that the receptionist was looking down on him. He had spent so many years at the bottom of the society to not be able to kno by the receptionist¡®s demeanor, took his phone from his pocket and dialed Bruce¡®s number. Chapter 32 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 32 Chapter 32 The receptionist looked at Darius with contempt. She didn¡®t understand what he was trying t o do? Was he intending to use his phone to make a call as a disy of his strength? Darius noticed her contemptuous expression but ignored her. The pho ne rang only once before Bruce picked up the phone call. ¡°Young Master Reid! Is everything alright Young Master?!¡± Bruce inquired anxiously. ¡°Yes. Everything is alright.¡± Darius replied in a reassuring tone. Bruce let out an audible sigh of relief on the other end of the phone. The young master was alright ¡°If e verything is alright then why did you call Young Master Reid?¡± Bruce asked; confusion evident in his voi ce. ¡°Hm. I¡®m currently at the Dragon Lord¡®s Imperial Residence, and the receptionist has refused me a mee ting with the residence¡®s manager. Could you please notify the manager that I am waiting for her in the lobby?¡± Darius inquired cheerfully, his gaze fixed on the receptionist as he spoke. ¡°How dare she?! She¡®ll be there at once. Please exercise some patience young master.¡± Bruce said in a pleading voice. Darius nodded softly as he spoke to Bruce on the other end of the phone, unaware of the storm he had just sparked. ¡°Alright. Tell her to hurry. I don¡®t have all day.¡± Darius added. ¡°Certainly, Young Master Reid. Pl ease forgive me.¡± Bruce responded with a firm tone before hanging up the phone. Bruce shouted angril y as soon as he was certain the phone call was over. He was absolutely enraged! How dare they treat a member of the Reid family like amon guest?! Were the Dragon Lord¡®s Imperial Residence¡®s employees nning to die ? Would they have been the best apartmentplex in Dragon Estate if the Reid consortium hadn¡®t step ped in when they needed it the most? Or did they forget who owned 95% of the shares of Dragon Estate itself? Making a member of the Reid family unable to meet with a mere manager because of a receptionist? A nd not just any member, but the new head of the Reid consortium himself? He would give the manager a piece of his mind! He dialed the number of the manager of the Dragon Lord¡®s Imperial Residence, still enraged from the p hone call with Darius. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. [Dragon Lord¡®s Imperial Residence: Manager¡®s office] The manager, a stunning woman in herte thirties, sat behind a brown mahogany desk, WUIKIUS VIL JIBDET ol documents. Every month, the profits from the Dragon Lord¡®s Imperial Residen ce were absolutely astounding One quick nce revealed a number of documents stacked on top of the table. It was no wonder that s he didn¡®t meet with just anybody. She had so much work waiting for her that she was unable to toss the m aside just for the sake of socializing, However, she couldn¡®t trust anyone to handle the work other than herseli. Her secretary and personal a ssistant helped her out with other things such as managing her schedules and appointments and meeting with several prominent figures in her stead, It wasn¡®t that she didn¡®t want to delegate some of the work to her secretary, but she couldn¡®t She was w ell aware of how difficult it had been for her to reach this level. She literally had to go through hell to reach her current level. She would never have gotten to her current level witho ut Mr. Bruce¡®s assistance. She let out a sigh when she thought of Mr. Bruce. He was at a level that she couldn¡®t reach no matter how much she tried . The gap between them was like the distance between heaven and earth. It was insurmountable. Everything seemed so mundane to her when she became the manager of this residence and began ha ndling billions of dors in profit. The people she felt were the sky were no longer so unreachable. Inste ad they were now beneath her level and had to look up to her. Yet that wasn¡®t the case for Mr. Bruce. 1 Despite her current status she still had to bow her head and listen obediently whenever he was talking. He coul d easily dismiss her from her position with the snap of his fingers. It was just how powerful Mr. Bruce w as. Her phone, which was on the table, rang abruptly as she was reflecting, jarring her out of her reverie. S he frowned when she heard her phone ring. She usually put her phone on ¡®Do not disturb¡®mode as she didn¡®t want any distractions until she was done with her work. She was about to disconnect the call when she saw the caller ID. Im mediately she did, she stood up abruptly and answered in an overtly respectful tone. ¡°Mr. Bruce!¡± The manager spoke politely and respectfully. Mr. Bruce¡®s response, on the other hand, wasn¡®t what she expected. ¡°You ungrateful soul!¡± Bruce exploded; yelling at her from the other end of the phone. ¡°Is this how you treat your benefac The manager had a wronged expression on her face. She didn¡®t know what she had done to warrant suc ¡°Mr. Bruce please calm down. I assure you that I remember everything you¡®ve done to ce me where I Unfortunately, Bruce was having none of her pleas. ¡°Calm down?! You want me to calm down?!¡± Bruce h ¡°And you mean to tell me that you don¡®t know what the issue is?! How dare you?!¡± ¡°Didn¡®t I tell you that I have a very important guesting over? And that you were to treat him with the you out of your mind?!¡± Bruce yelled. Without even waiting for her response Bruce continued shouting. ¡°I¡®ll give you one opportunity to redeem yourself. That guest is waiting for you downstairs. If you don¡®t giv without even waiting for her reply he hung up. Chapter 33 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 33 Chapter 33 When the manager of the Dragon Lord¡®s Imperial Residence heard Mr. Bruce¡®s threat, she waspletely taken aback. He had repeatedly informed her that an extremely important guest would be arriving and that she should treat him with the utmost respect, but she had no idea that the guest ha d already arrived. If she had, she would have dropped what she was doing and attended to the guest i mmediately! Even though she was the manager of Dragon Lord¡®s Imperial Residence, she had witnessed how Mr. Bruce treated those who were obviously superi or to her. If Bruce could treat the people superior to her like ants, how important was the person who Mr . Bruce himself had referred to as an extremely important guest? without any dy the manager stood up, picked her phone and ran out of her office. She had to make amends for her actions no matter what otherwise she would have to face the brunt of Mr. Bruce¡®s anger! Meanwhile, in the lobby of the Dragon Lord¡®s Imperial Residence, the receptionist was ring at Darius with great contempt. She found his attitude to be unbelievable. Darius certainly appeared to be a well¨Cto¨C do person now that he had changed his poor clothes for very decent ones, but his outfit was still considerably below that of the people who usually visited the residence; therefore he was no one important in the eyes of the receptionist. Now such an unimportant person had demanded a meeting with the manager of this imperial residence , like as if he owned the ce. To make matters worse, he had not even booked an appointment with the manager yet! As if that wasn¡®t enough, the shameless stranger had made a phone call demanding the person on the other end of the line to inform the manager of his presence and tell her to meet with him. He even added that he was in a hurry! She couldn¡®t believe the level of shamelessness one had to have to pull off such a stunt. It was beyond herprehension. There was simply no way this stranger could be so important that the manager herself would have to meet him in person. Besides, she had seen several people who were important and she was sure that this stranger was not one of them. She was about to call the security personnel to chase Darius out of the building when someone rushed into the lobby. Darius and the receptionist both looked in the direction the person wasing from. The receptionist s aw that the figure looked very familiar but she couldn¡®t tell who the person was because of the distance between them. Only when the person approach her did the receptionist recognize who she was. It was none other than the manager of the Dragon Lord¡®s Imperial Residence herself! The receptionist was stunned! They rarely saw the manager of the Dragon Lord¡®s Imperial Residence except at official events and ceremonies involving the residence. What was she doing here? Wasn¡®t she supposed to be preupied with matters pertaining to the residence?! The manager rushed up to where Darius was and the receptionist standing behind the counter This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. and asked in an urgent tone. ¡°Has someone named Darius Reide here to look for me?¡± the manag er inquired, staring directly at the receptionist. ¡°Darius Reid?¡± the receptionist asked. She had certainly heard that name before. Almost immediately, Darius¡® handsome face popped up in her mind. It was as if Darius was reading her mind, because as soon as his face shed through her mind, a male voice sounded in the lobby. ¡°That would be me.¡± Darius spoke up, Darius spoke up, his gaze drifting to the m anager. The manager instantly turned to face Darius. The moment she did however, she was rendered speechl ess. Mr. Bruce had mentioned an important guest therefore she expected the guest to be someone who was either middle aged or older than Mr. Bruce himself. However that wasn¡®t the case! The guest she was t old to entertain was someone who looked to be in his early twenties. That wasn¡®t the only thing. Not onl y was he very young, he was very handsome too! The manager immediately bowed her head to Darius. Now wasn¡®t the time to be smitten by his looks. T his was someone who was unreachable to her and also someone she had to please at all costs. ¡°Wee to Dragon Lord¡®s Imperial Residence, Mr. Reid. It¡®s an honor to meet you sir.¡± The manager said in a very polite tone. ¡°Hm. Are you the manager of this residence?¡± Darius inquired casually. ¡°Yes sir. I am the manager of this residence.¡± The manager answered as politely as ever. Darius nodded lightly. The receptionist on the other hand wasn¡®t finding the situation interesting at all! She knew that she was in deep trouble! The moment she saw the manager rush into the lobby looking very flustered just a few minutes after Da phone call, she knew that Darius was no ordinary person. After all, no ordinary person could make the m the Dragon Lord¡®s Imperial Residencee down so quickly! The receptionist immediately turned to Darius, a pleading expression on her face. She hoped that Dariu ¡°What do you mean by that, Mr. Reid?¡± the manager asked, moving her gaze away from the receptionist Darius smirked. ¡°Well, I told the receptionist here thirty minutes ago to notify you of my presence, but she didn¡®t. She was also very rude to me, a visitor here. If she treats other guests here in this manner, it wou The manager¡®s demeanor instantly changed when she heard Darius¡® question. She shifted her gaze bac asking in a dangerously low voice. ¡°Is this true, Miss Maureen?¡± Chapter 34 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 34 Chapter 34 The receptionist; whose name was Maureen looked at Darius again with a pleading gaze. S he figured out that Darius was way higher than the manager herself in the social hierarchy therefore if Darius forgave her rude behavior then the Manager would naturally drop it. Unfortunately for her, Darius didn¡®t give her the time of the day. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I asked if what Mr. Reid here says is true Maureen?¡± the manager repeated loudly, narrowing her eyes at Maureen. ¡°It was a misunderstanding Manager Elle. I didn¡®t know that you were expecting a visitor. Please pardo n my impudence!¡± Elle begged. She saw that Darius wasn¡®t going to forgive her and neither was he goi ng to plead her case to the Manager. The only option left for her was to plead for mercy herself. ¡°So it is true then.¡± Manager Elle said in a sad tone. It was no wonder Mr. Bruce was very angry at her. The attitude that Maureen showed to Darius was not just uneptable but also very unprofessional. She sighed. It seemed that she had been very busy with other aspects of the residence that she had fo rgotten to keep the attitudes of her employees in check. ¡°Maureen, I told you personally that as a receptionist here that first impressions matters a lot didn¡®t I?¡± Manager Elle asked in a lucid tone. ¡°Yes you did Manager Elle.¡± The receptionist as answered remorsefully as she could. She figured out th at maybe if she showed how remorseful she was, the Manager was going to let her off the hook this tim e. ¡°I see. I¡®m d that you admitted that I informed you of that particr detail.¡± The manager said. ¡°Because you have disobeyed that rule by being rude and disrespectful to Mr. Darius here, Miss Maure en, you have just been fired.¡± The manager said in a cold tone. Maureen felt her whole world crashing down at that moment. She was unable to save herself from the consequence s of her action. It should be noted that any job in the Dragon Estate was a job with very high paypared to other ces. The benefits that came with the job were also very luc rative whenpared to other ces. In Maureen¡®s case, she wasn¡®t just working in the Dragon Estate, but working in the Dragon Lord¡®s Imp erial Residence itself, the most expensive housingplex in the whole of Dragon Estate. It was the dream job for her with an extremely high pay, feeding allowances and most importantly free amodation. The free amodation was definitely the best part to Maureen as she was able to li ve in the Dragon Lord¡®s Imperial Residence, and although it was the staff quarters, it was still a very lux urious ce for someone of her social status to live. That wasn¡®t the only benefits she had. She had constantly bragged to her friends about her working in the Dragon Lord¡®s Imperial Residence, enjoying the looks of envy and admiration on their fa ces whenever she mentioned it to them. It gave a false sense of superiority that she was better than he r friends. However that wasn¡®t the case now. She was no longer an employee at the Dragon Lord¡®s Imperial Resi dence, meaning that she was stripped of all the benefits that came with being one, A huge wave of regret washed over her as she stood motionless. If only she had been polite to Darius, all this wouldn¡®t have happened. Perhaps she might have even gotten rewarded by the manager for treating h er guest well. It was over for her now. She had nobody to me for her predicament. She was the one who brought this upon herself. ¡°I expect you to leave this ce in the next 2 hours. That should be more than enough time for you to g et your properties from the staff quarters and leave.¡± The manager continued in a cold tone. ¡°If you haven¡®t left the premises after 2 hours then the consequences will be very severe.¡± The manage r threatened. Satisfied with the punishment she had meted out to Maureen, she turned to face Darius, and now no tr aces of her cold attitude could be found. ¡°I¡®m sorry you had to see that Mr. Reid, and I¡®m sorry for her uncouth behavior towards you. It was defin itely my fault. I assure you that I will take full responsibility for my employee¡®s unprofessional behavior.¡± Manager Elle said to Darius in a pleading tone. Her heart was beating rapidly as she awaited a response from Darius. She had never met Darius befor e so she didn¡®t know if he would be satisfied with the dismissal of the rude receptionist or if her dismiss al was not enough to quench his anger. She had met several important people due to the nature of her job and she knew what kind of havoc th ey could wreak when they were offended. She sincerely hoped that Darius wasn¡®t one of them, otherwi se there wouldn¡®t be able to tell how far they had to go to pacify him. Darius on the other hand didn¡®t care about the dismissal of the receptionist. He was already used to bein looked down upon by various people. However, this did not mean that he was going to be merciful to Maureen. Frankly speaking, she deserve own downfall. Everything she got was as a result of her own doing. Darius sighed when he saw Manager Elle still bowing her head and waiting for a response from him. ¡°It¡®s alright, Manager Elle. I just hope that you keep a closer watch on your employees so that such a thi Manager Elle felt a huge sense of relief wash over her when she heard Darius¡® statement. ¡°Certainly Mr. Reid. I assure you that such a thing would never happen again!¡± Manager Elle dered w Residence! (That¡®s good to hear Manager Elle.¡± Darius said. ¡°Now that we¡®ve got that out of the way, I think it¡®s time ¡°Most definitely Mr. Reid.¡± The manager answered cheerily. ¡°This way Mr. Reid.¡± And with that statement, the manager led Darius out of the lobby and into a gold ted elevator. Chapter 35 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 35 The interior of the elevator was just like anywhere else in the Dragon Lord¡®s Imperial Residence, Luxuri ous, The whole elevator seemed like it was made of the most expensive materials. After a few minutes, the elevator stopped. Manager Elle pushed a button and the elevator opened. The duo exited the elevator and started walking in an equally luxurious hallway. Darius admired the luxurious designs of the hallway. Everything in the hallway was beautifully done and looked like a lot of care had been given to them to give them the beautiful look they had. ¡°Are you enjoying the view Mr. Reid?¡± Elle asked. She saw how intrigued Darius was by the various de signs in the hallway and inexplicably felt proud. She had put in a lot of work to make sure that only the best materials and best workers handled the designs in the residence. ¡°Actually I am.¡± Darius confessed. He was truly enjoying the view. Althoug h the designs still lost out to those in his grandfather¡®s mansion, it was still very beautiful. ¡°I¡®m d you do, Mr. Reid.¡± Elle said proudly as they walked down the hallway. After walking for another five minutes, Elle finally came to stop in front of two giant doors. The doors were just as striking as the other designs in the residence. Two dragon figures were exquisit ely ced on the handles of the doors, and with several diamonds ced in different parts of the door. ¡°Following Mr. Bruce instructions, I arranged the most luxurious apartment for you to stay in. I¡®m sure th at this apartment will be to your liking.¡± Elle announced as they both stood in front of the doors. Darius wondered what Bruce had told Elle that she decided to show him the most luxurious apartment i n the residence. As long as the ce was decent, then everything was alright. He didn¡®t need his new a partment to be overly expensive and overly luxurious.¡® Elle pressed several buttons on the door lock, ve rified her fingerprints and biometrics before the door opened. Darius watched all these with an intrigued expression on his face. The security to the apartment was top notch. When they both enter ed the apartment and stepped into the living room, Darius became speechless. He couldn¡®t believe wha t his eyes were seeing. It was like he was in a whole new world altogether! The floors sparked as they were polished to perfection, so much that Darius could see his reflection on the floors. The ceilings werevishly designed with various deluxe chandeliers hung on the ceilings. A veryrge TV hung on the wall of the living room, with several top notch electrical gadgets arranged n eatly beside it. The walls of the room looked like they were painted by a painter who was the best in his field. It was ve ry beautiful. Darius stood motionlessly and gazed at the living room. He was unable to hide the shock from what he saw, making it obvious on his face. (This is the living room Mr. Reid.¡± Elle spoke up, a hint of pride in her voice. She had worked tirelessly t o refurbish and redesign this apartment to make it the best in the residence as Mr. Bruce told her to. Therefore she was very proud of herself a nd satisfied when she saw Darius reaction to the living room. It meant that her hard work and sleepless nights were not in vain. 2 (This way to the bedrooms Mr. Reid.¡± Elle said again, sessfully drawing Darius attention back to her. Darius nodded and followed Elle past the living room and into another luxurious hallway. Several abstra ct paintings were hung on the walls of the hallways, gaining Darius attention. It created an aesthetic feel to the apartment. ¡°There are three bedrooms in this apartment, two guest bedrooms and one mast er bedroom. Which would you like to see first Mr. Reid?¡± Elle asked. ¡°Anyone is alright.¡± Darius answered. ¡°Okay. Then I¡®ll show you the master bedroom first.¡± Elle replied. They both walked to another luxurious door with Elle leadin g the way. She did the same security check she did at the entrance which required a pass code, fingerp rints and biometrics before the door swung open, granting them ess to the bedroom. When Darius saw the master bedroom, he was short of words to actually describe it. Calling it luxurious was an understatement. There was a king sized bed in the middle of the room, with several deluxe chandeliers hung on the ceiling. Not onl y that, the master bedroom was almost asrge as the living room itself. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. There was also a very huge balcony in the master bedroom. Darius was once again rendered speechle ss by the balcony. It was also luxuriously designed and had a soothing feel to it. The balcony was built at the top most floor o When Darius was done checking the master bedroom, Elle took him to the two guest bedrooms. Of course they were also luxurious, but they fell considerably short of the ma There were also other top attractions in the apartment. It had arge inbuilt swimming pool which was o ¡°It is a very good ce. I like it.¡± Darius said sincerely. He truly liked the apartment. It had everything he Elle let out an audible sigh of relief when she heard his response. She didn¡®t know what she would do if after all her hard work Darius still rejected the apartment. This was the best apartment in the ¡°How much would I need to pay for this apartment then?¡± Darius asked. He had a lot of money now. He Chapter 36 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 36 ¡°Do not worry about the price Mr. Reid. We wouldn¡®t dare demand a payment from you.¡± Elle said polite ly with a smile on her face. Darius looked at her with confusion in his gaze. ¡°What do you mean by that Manager Elle?¡± Darius asked in a confused tone. Elle looked back at Dariu s when she heard his question. Did he really want to pay for the apartment? Mr. Bruce had informed her strictly to cater to all the needs of the guest. Surely that included the payment for the apartment. Why was Darius then asking fo r the price of the apartment? Unknowingly to Elle, Mr. Bruce hadn¡®t informed Darius about the Reid Consortium owning 95 % of the shares of Dragon Estate, so Darius behavior was perfectly logical. After all there was no sane person who would inspect an apartment he liked and would not ask for the price. ¡°I like the apartment and would like to know the price for the apartment so that I can pay for it. Why wou ld you give such an expensive apartment for free?¡± Darius asked. Darius thought her response to be absurd. He thought that Mr. Bruce had only rmended him to th e ce because he would like the apartment, and he was able to tell the manager to meet with him bec ause they might have some business dealings with each other. He didn¡®t expect it to be more than that. When Elle saw Darius¡® confused response, she instantly knew what was going on. She knew that Mr. B ruce was someone high up in the secret but very powerful Reid family, and the fact that this handsome young guest also bore the Reid name gave away his identity as a member of the Reid family too.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. She guessed that Mr. Bruce had not informed him about the Reid ownership of the Dragon Estate and t his residence, which was why he was demanding to pay. She decided to answer his question and allow him to make the payments in order not to anger him. Ho wever the moment he made the payments, she would send the money back to Mr. Bruce. Like she men tioned earlier, she didn¡®t dare demand payments from a Reid, especially after they had done to help her. ¡°Pardon me Mr. Reid. It was a blunder on my part. I will definitely not give this apartment out for fre e.¡± Elle answered after she had thought it through. Darius nodded in satisfaction. ¡°That is reassuring. How much for this apartment then?¡± Darius asked again. ¡°That would be 750 millio n dors Mr. Reid.¡± Elle answered in a very professional tone. Darius whipped his head towards her at a frightening speed. ¡°750 million dors?!¡± Darius yelled. ¡°Yes Mr. Reid.¡± Elle answered professionally. Darius creased his eyebrows and asked in a low tone. ¡°Why is it so expensive?¡± ¡°As you have seen Mr. Reid, this apartment has everything you need in an apartment. We¡®ve also mad e sure that everything in the apartment is made from the most quality materials in the market, with seve ral facilities being state of the art.¡± ¡°Frankly speaking Mr. Reid, the apartment alone is valued at 600 million dors, but we have to add the wyer¡®s fees as well as the fees for several legal documents. Also, several maintenances need to be d one on the facilities in the apartment before it is ready for use. As all the facilities are the best and mad e from the most quality materials, their maintenance fees wouldn¡®t certainly be cheap.¡± ¡°Don¡®t worry Mr. Reid. I am one hundred percent sure that you will be very satisfied with the changes when we are done with the maintenances.¡± Elle said in a confident tone. Darius had aplicated expression on his face. Even though he was immensely wealthy he had neve r spent more than 5 million dors before. How could he suddenly move from spending 5 million dors to 750 million dors at a go?! Darius sighed. He had to admit that the apartment was certainly worth the price. He was in love with everything he saw in the apartment. He let out an audible sigh. He was certainly rich enough to pay for the apartment at once. As the head of the Reid Consortium, he should get used to spending such astronomical sum. After all that was the reason his grandfather had given him over fifteen billion dors wasn¡®t it? ¡°Alright, I¡®ll make the payment.¡± Darius said. He brought out his stylish phone and asked for the ount he was expected to pay the amount to, whi ch Elle gave to him professionally. After typing away on his phone for a minute, a ping echoed in the room they both stood. Elle brought out her phone and checked the notification she received. Elle removed her gaze from her phone and smiled at Darius before speaking. ¡°I have received the payment Mr. Reid. I¡®ll call the workers to get the work as soon as possible.¡± Elle sai d. ¡°However, you¡®ll have to be patient Mr. Reid. The maintenance and modifications will take quite some ti me to bepleted. When everything is done, you shall receive the keys and the receipt to the apartm ent.¡± Elle continued. ¡°How long will the maintenance take to bepleted?¡± Darius asked. Now that he had paid for the apartment , he wanted to move in as soon as possible. ¡°It should take up to two days but I¡®ll get the workers to get it done in a day, which means your apartment will be ready the day after tomorrow.¡± Elle answered. Darius nodded. He had finally gotten a suitable apartment of his liking. He checked the time on his phone and saw that it was already past 8 pm. He had spent his whole day at Dragon Estate. It was time for him to go back to the Sky Gold He said his goodbyes to Elle and exited the residence quickly. As no public vehicles were allowed inside As he walked, he desperately wished for his cars to arrive quickly. He was already tired of using the cab When he got to the gates, the older security guard was the one who opened the gates for him. Darius th When he got outside the gates, he quickly boarded a cab back to the hotel. After an uneventful ride, he f He responded to the receptionist greeting with a light nod and asked for his dinner to be brought straight to the room he booked and took the elevator to the booked room. By the time he came out of the bathroom after taking his shower and draped in nothing but a bathrobe, t Without changing his bathrobe, Darius walked to the door and opened it. ¡°Here¡®s your meal sir.¡± The waitress said. However when she brought her gaze to Darius her face heate ¡°Thank you.¡± Darius said, dragging the table with his meal into the room before closing the door. The waitress stood motionless outside the door even after Darius had closed it. Her cheeks began to he She let out a small shriek as several inappropriate thoughts shed through her mind. She pped herself lightly on her already red cheeks before making her way to the ho waiting for to deliver their food to them. He was extremely famished so maybe that was why his dinner seemed tastier than it usually was. As such, he finished his meal in less than five minutes. The fatigue from the day¡®s events finally caught up with him after he had had his fill. He made his way to Chapter 37 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Two days had passed since Darius visited the Dragon Estate in search of a new apartment. Elle had kept to her words so it took only one day for the maintenance in the apartment to bepleted. When Darius moved in to the apartment, it waspletely different from how it was during hisst visit. Everything had been repainted and redesigned to suit his taste, showing that the members of the main tenance team were no amateurs. As a matter of fact, it would be more urate to say that they were th e best of the best. Darius¡® exit from the dormitory did raise suspicion among the other members of the male dormitory, as his exit was too sudden for them to process. There was several rumors as to why Darius, a well known church rat in the dormitory suddenly moved out from the dormitory. Some people said that he had gotten a new job which paid very well, which was why he was able to afford leaving the dormitory. When they thought about it that way, they reasoned that his decision was perfectly logical. If he had ind eed gotten a good source of ie, it was understandable that he moved out from the dormitory. They remembered that he had also gotten some very decent clothes recently. In that case it was surely the money he got from the said job that he used to purchase the clothes. There were also several spections about his departure, but s they were just rumors as Darius kep t mute about the reason for leaving the dormitory. [Dragon Estate: Darius apartment] Darius came out of the shower after taking his bath with a huge smile on his face. He was happy today for two reasons. The first reason was that Bruce had called him earlier this morning to inform him that he would bei ng over to his apartment to deliver his two cars. Darius was obviously happy when he heard the news. He was already fed up with using the public transport vehicles. Not only were they time consuming but they were also slower than private owned ve hicles. He needed his own cars. It would save him a lot of trouble whenever he needed to go somewhe re. The second reason he was happy was because today was Saturday, a weekend, therefore he didn¡®t ha ve any sses to attend to today. After being incredibly busy the past few days, he decided that he nee ded a well deserved rest. He would just stay at his new home and rx. Just as he finished putting on some casual clothes, his phone which he kept on the bedside table rang He walked over to the bedside table and picked up his phone. When he saw that the caller was Bruce h e answered the phone call before cing the phone against his ear. ¡°Your cars are ready now Young Master Reid.¡± Bruce said the moment Darius answered the phone call. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Alright I¡®ll be there in a minute.¡± Darius replied before disconnecting the call. As he left his apartment h e was incredibly excited. After a whole week of waiting he was finally going to receive his cars. He walked do wn the hallways and into the gold ted elevator excitedly. Once he got the lobby he spared a fleeting nce at the counter. This time around it was a young male who was the receptionist. Maureen had been fired and another p erson was put in her ce. Darius sighed. Although he was annoyed by Maureen¡®s rude behavior, her dismissal w as necessary. As a front desk agent, she should have been more polite to him. She had probably treate d other guests that way. He only hoped that she had learnt her lesson and would do better at her new p lace of work. Darius nodded lightly to the male receptionist as a sign of greeting before making his way outside the lo bby. However when he stepped outside the lobby, he was rendered speechless by the sight he saw. Several Rolls¨CRoyce cars were parked neatly just outside the Dragon Lord¡®s Imperial Residence. Darius counted the Rolls¨C Royce cars parked outside and saw that they were six in number! That wasn¡®t all. In between the Rolls¨C Royce cars were his two sports cars, his Bugatti and his Lamborghini! When Darius saw the impressive lineup of cars and his two cars he instantly knew that Bruce was the o ne behind the extravagant disy of wealth. The question was why Bruce thought it necessary to bring several luxurious cars just to deliver two cars to his residence. As e xpected, when people saw the impressive lineup of cars they naturally started discussing about it. ¡°Who are they here for?¡± ¡°I don¡®t know but it¡®s got to be someone very important.¡± ¡°Aren¡®t those cars from the famous Rolls¨CRoyce Phantom Solid Gold series?! I just looked it up now on the inte!¡± ¡°What?! You¡®re right!¡± ¡°I heard that the starting price for those cars is 10 million dors, and those are clearly customized so it will definitely cost more!¡± ¡°And ¡°They also came with two very expensive sports cars too!¡± ¡°The owner must surely be some bigshot! There¡®s no doubt about that!¡± Darius who was right behind the duo discussing about the cars had aplicated expression¡® on his fac It should be noted that everyone who was a resident of Dragon Estate was someone high up in the societal ss, so they had seen their fair share this time was very different. The eight cars parked outside the entrance to the Dragon Lord¡®s Imperial Residence were very expensive cars that not just anyone could purchase. Not only were the ca It was no surprise that they hung around to see who the cars came to pick. When Darius noticed the crowd formning, he decided to turn away from it. He didn¡®t want to be the focus of attention right now. He decided to return to his house and call Bruce, asking him why he had made su sighed. Left with no choice, he turned back to where Bruce stood with Rolls¨C Royce and started walking towards him. Chapter 38 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 38 Chapter 38 ¡°Young Master Reid, your cars are finally here.¡± Bruce said in a very proud tone. As a matter of fact he was indeed very proud that he had finally delivered the cars to the young master. He h ad put a lot of effort to make sure that only the best materials were used to customize the cars. He was very sure that Darius would love it. Darius, on the other hand, did not enjoy the situation in the least. He could feel various stares the onloo kers gave him as he walked towards Bruce. He, however, ignored them. Even though he didn¡®t like the attention Bruce¡®s convoy brought, he decided to go with the flow. After all now that Bruce had already pl aced so much attention on him, there was nothing he could do but to ept it. ¡°Young Master Re¨C¡°Bruce started but was interrupted abruptly by Darius. ¡°Enough of your greetings, Bruce. I simply requested that you deliver my cars to me. Is this extravagant disy really necessary?¡± Darius inquired in an annoyed tone. When Bruce heard Darius¡® question, he sighed. ¡°Of course not Young Master Reid. If it were up to me I would have delivered your cars quietly, but unfo rtunately that was not the case.¡± Darius had a confused expression on his face. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± He asked. ¡°It was not my decision to bring these cars with me. Rather, it was the decision of your grandfather, you ng master Reid.¡± Bruce answered. Darius let out an audible exhale. So this disy was not Bruce¡®s decision but his grandfather¡®s instead. ¡°Alright. Can you tell them to leave now?¡± Darius asked. Since it was his grandfather¡®s decision there w as nothing he could do about it. Besides he had received his cars already. There was absolutely no nee d for them anymore. ¡°Certainly, Young Master.¡± Bruce responded with a light bow. He then pped his hands together. Imm ediately he did the doors to the Rolls¨C Royce cars opened and several men dressed in ck suits came out from cars before walking briskly t o Bruce. Bruce whispered something inaudibly to one of the men in suits. The man in the suits had a conflicted expression on his face, but it was only f or a brief moment before he nodded his head in agreement to Bruce¡®s words. The man made a signal to his colleagues dressed in ck suits before making his way into his Rolls¨C Royce. His colleagues followed suit and entered their respective Rolls¨C Royce cars. Few. secondster, the Rolls¨C Royce cars pulled out from the entrance and drove away, leaving just Darius two sport cars. ¡°Where ar e the keys?¡± Darius asked. Bruce put his hand inside the pockets of his immacte suit and produced two keys. He handed one of the keys to Darius. Darius collected the keys Bruce handed him and walked towards his two cars. He was thankful for the part time jobs he usually di d. It was because of them that he could drive very skillfully. He even had a driver¡®s license because of it . A few of his part¨Ctime jobs required driving as a necessary skill, such as being a taxi driver or delivering goods. He exhaled a sigh. Without those jobs, he would not be able to drive and would have been forced to attend driving school, which would have been very difficult for hi m. He opened the doors and got in his Bugatti. He started his car and drove away from the entrance to his apartment¡®s underground garage, leaving the stunned crowd behind. Few minutester, he arrived at the special parking lot reserved for him in the underground garage. It w as easily essible as he had an elevator in his apartment that led directly to the special parking lot reserved for him. An engine sound echoed in the garage a few seconds after he stepped out of his Bugatti. He turned toward the engine noise and watched as his second car parke d neatly beside his Bugatti. Before speaking, Bruce stepped out of the Lamborghini and handed over the keys to Darius. ¡°So, young master, what do you think about the cars?¡± Bruce inquired. When Bruce asked him the question, Darius realized he hadn¡®t taken a close look at the cars. He was i n a hurry to leave the entrance because of the crowd, so he didn¡®t pay much attention to the cars. He immediately turned to study his cars in details, focusing his attention on his Bugatti. At first nce, n othing seemed to have changed from when he first chose them, but after closer inspection, he noticed that a few changes had been made to his Bugatti. His Bugatti¡®s engine had been upgraded, and the interior had been customized to his preferences. The Bugatti was still ck, but his te number had been changed from the usual numbers to just ¡®REID.¡® The Bugatti received few changes, but his Lamborghini received extensive modifications. It, too, simr to the Bugatti had its color repainted from yellow to pitch ck, with various red stripes on the rims of t he wheels and on specific points of the body. Its license te was also changed to ¡®REID.¡® ¡°So, young master, what do you think about the cars?¡± Bruce inquired again. ¡°It is really great. I like the changes.¡± Darius answered, tearing his gaze away from the sport cars and tu ¡°I appreciate your help Bruce. Thank you.¡± Darius said in a sincere tone. ¡°It¡®s nothing Young Master. It¡®s my job to attend to your every need.¡± Bruce replied, bowing his head ligh ¡°Hm.¡± Darius hummed in a low tone. ¡°Well then, is there anything else you need young master?¡± Bruce asked. Darius thought about it before shaking his head in reply. ¡°No. None at the moment.¡± He had already got his apartment, his cars, and new outfits. All he wanted to This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Bruce bowed again when he heard Darius reply. He then turned to leave but stopped a secondter as a ¡°Young Master Reid, do not forget to visit thepanies your grandfather told you about.¡± Bruce said. When Darius heard Bruce¡®s reminder, he let out a low groan. For a long time, his grandfather had been wishes. He said goodbye to Bruce and began walking towards the elevator to his apartment when his phone ran Chapter 39 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Darius took out his phone from his pocket and looked at the caller ID as he walked towards the elevator. He saw he didn¡®t know the caller from the ID and decided to ignore the call. He disconnect ed the phone call and went up to his apartment, He went to his lounge in the apartment and sat down to rx with a ss of very expensive wine he to ok out from the deluxe wine cer in his apartment, He poured the wine into a ss cup and took a sip from it. He let out a contented sigh as the exquisite t aste of the wine hit his taste buds. Idle, he brought out his phone and decided to go through his unread messages. He had been very bus y the previous days so he hadn¡®t had much time to check his messages. When he checked his messaging app, he saw that he had a lot of messages. He quickly checked the messages, but was disappointed when he read the contents of the messages. Majority of the messages were from his dorm mates who were asking him if he had truly gotten a high paying job and was now living alone or if he was just putting up pretenses. Darius scoffed when he read the messages. He couldn¡®t be bothered with what they thought about him. He was no longer on their level anyway. Besides most of them were just asking to know if he had truly gotten a high paying job as if he truly did then they wouldn¡®t have anyone to look down on or make them feel better about themselves. However, it wasn¡®t just such messages that he received. There were also several messages from his ro ommates asking about his well being. Rudd: [Hi Darius. How have you been now? Where did you go all these while?!] Greg: (Hey Darius! How have you been man? We all miss you! Rudd misses you the most. Marcus too! Tell us how you doing man!] Marcus: [Darius! You better treat us to a meal someday soon!] Darius smiled heartily when he saw the messages. He truly missed his friends. Now that he thought ab out it he had only gone on outings with them on few asions. He made a mental note to go out with t hem soon. He replied their messages happily with a smile on his face. When he was done, he checked the messa ge that he got from Alice. Alice: (Hi. I just wanted to know if you have decided on a day for our date yet.) Darius read the message with a nk expression. If he were honest with himself he still thought it too e arly to go on a date with Alice. Even though he had gotten a new apartment and his cars, he still had to visit hispanies. However, putting off the date with Alice was not a good idea. It had already been a few days since he p romised to inform her of the date. It was almost as if he was avoiding her. He texted Alice his response, sighing. Darius: [I¡®m sorry for not replying earlier. I have been very busy with a lot of things. Once I¡®m done I¡®ll d efinitely inform you of the date.] Darius had just sent out the text message when a notification for another message popped up on his p hone screen. Unknown: [Hi. I called earlier but you didn¡®t answer my calls so I decided to text you.] Darius clicked the message and was redirected to the main chat. His message history with the person was empty which meant that Darius had nevere in contact with the person before. Darius: [Hi. Have we met before?) A few seconds passed before Darius got a response. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Unknown: [Yes we have. You saved my life.] When Darius read the reply he had a confused expression on his face. Save someone¡®s life? When did he ever do such a thing? All his life he had been poor. It had barely been a month since he discovered his wealth. He still had a l ot of things to do, so when did he ever go about saving people¡®s life? He barely had time for himself! Darius: [I¡®m sorry but could you tell me how I did so?] Another few seconds passed before Darius got a response. Unknown: [We met at the Armani store where you saved me by paying a sum of one million dors for a random stranger you just met.) The moment Darius read the message the events of that came crashing down his mind. He had indeed helped ady he met at the Armani store when he went to purchase his shoes. However it was too much to say he saved her life by just that single gesture. He sighed. If he remembered correctly thedy¡®s name was Helen, and he had actually given her his co Helen: (Yes I¡®m Helen. I¡®m very d you remembered my name. It means so much to me.] Darius smiled lightly Darius: [It¡®s nothing. Is there a reason you texted me?] Helen: (It¡®s nothing serious. It¡®s just that I didn¡®t get your name thest time we met. I hope, it¡®s not too m he hadn¡®t actually given her his name. He was in a bit of a hurry the day they met so he didn¡®t give her h Darius: [Of course not. You can call me Darius.] Helen: (Thank you very much Darius. I greatly appreciate your help the other day. If there¡®s anything you to help you with the best of my capabilities.) Darius smiled lightly again. He could tell how sincere Helen was being from the messages alone. She w Unfortunately, Darius was aware that Helen couldn¡®t do much for him because she was at least as poor Darius: (Alright. I¡®ll call you if I ever need your help.] There was no response from Helen, and her name turned gray from green, signifying that she had gone offline. Darius was just about to go offline as well when another notification shed across Chapter 40 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Andrew: (Darius Reid? You¡®re joking right? What can that poor and miserable person donat e to charity for God¡®s sake?] Darius frowned as he read the message. He was alone at the time, sipping wine and going about his business. Why was his name being brought up again? Curious, he clicked on the message notification and was redirected to his department main chat. There, he scrolled up and read the previous messages to see why his name was being inentioned. After five minutes, he had read all the previous messages and was caught up with thetest message i n the main chat. Darius had a cold expression on his face after he read through the messages. As usua l, he was being looked down on by his ssmates. His ssmates had been discussing the uing charity g in the main chat. Most of them had alre ady picked their outfits and who they were attending the g with. It was understandable. Although Dar ius didn¡®t like and enjoy the previous charity gs he attended, that didn¡®t do anything to remove the pr estige the charity g held. It wasn¡®t just wealthy students who attended the charity g. Several influe ntial figures in the society also attended the charity gs. The buzz surrounding this year charity g was even more insane. Three of the top universities in the districts were co¨C hosting the charity g this time which meant that the g this time would surely be better and livelier than it wasst year. It was during the discussions that his n ame was brought up. Someone had asked if Darius would be attending the charity g. Darius didn¡®t k now whether the person was asking out of curiosity or was asking just to mock him, but from the respo nses the person got, Darius guessed that the person did it to mock him. Trey: [Darius attending the gal a? Please let¡®s say something reasonable and believable.) Rey: [I mean, he is someone who couldn¡®t e ven donate $200 to charity at thest g. What is he hoping to achieve by attending the g this time?] Victor: [He better note. This is not just the regr charity g. Both Lockwood and Evergreen universities are also taking part in this g. If he at tends the g he¡®ll be nothing but a disgrace and an embarrassment to Kingston University.] Darius scoffed when he read their messages. The expression on his face was extremely cold. Although he knew he wasn¡®t very popr among his ssmates he didn¡®t expect them to talk ill of him openly in the main chat. At first he swore that he wasn¡®t going to attend the charity g, but after seein g their messages he started thinking otherwise. Why was he even afraid of them finding out his identity in the first ce? Why did he even want to hide his identity as a rich heir from them? Now that he thought about it his choice was indeed a silly one. He was the head of the Reid consortium, a very affluent conglomerate. What could his ssmates do to even hurt him? Wasn¡®t the main reason they were looking down on him because of his poverty? It was even the reason Sarah left him for David, because David was significantly richer than him. Darius was still thinking about this when his phone pinged loudly, signifying another message in the ma in chat. Clinton: (The venue for the charity g has just been confirmed!] Trey: (Really?!) Clinton: [Yes! It¡®s on the official website now!) Rey: (Well tell us the venue for the g then!] Clinton: [Of course! It¡®s the Sky Golden Hotel!] Immediately Clinton mentioned the location for the g the main chat exploded. Almost every ssmate of Darius who was online started texting madly in the group chat, blowing the main chat up. ssmate 1: [The Sky Golden Hotel?!) ssmate 2: [Are you serious?!] ssmate 3: (You¡®re not jokin g right?!] Their reactions were perfectly understandable. The Sky Golden Hotel was the best hotel in th e surrounding districts. Not anyone could enter it because of the expensive price required to enter it. Now that the charity g was being hosted in the same Sky Golden Hotel, it meant that they now had t he opportunity to visit the best hotel in the district. ssmate 4: (Wow! It is true! The venue is really the Sky Golden Hotel!] ssmate 5: (The three universities are really going all out this time huh?] ssmate 6: [It¡®s good for us either way. We get to visit the best hotel in the district.] Darius smiled coldly when he saw their messages. The Sky Golden Hotel? Wasn¡®t he a gold member th ere, the highest rank for a member in the Hotel? He wondered what they would think when they found out that he was actually a gold rank member in the hotel. He made up his mind. He was going to attend the g this time. He was going to show them that he wa no longer a poor and miserable person. He wouldn¡®t allow himself to be looked down on anymore. He was going to show them a new Darius Reid. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Making up his mind, he sent a message to the main chat. Darius: [Hello. I know some of you are wonde There was a brief moment of silence as everyone was taken aback by Darius¡® message. When they reco ssmate 1: (Darius is attending the g?] Rey: (Why won¡®t he? He¡®s so poor so he will definitely not miss the opportunity to visit the Sky Golden H Trey: [I mean how shameless could one be? There¡®s nothing to say here. He¡®s just going to make a fool There were a few more nderous messages, but Darius ignored them. They could mock him all they wanted. It didn¡®t make a difference. He would be having thestugh anyways Chapter 41 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 41 Chapter 41 The days flew past with himzing about. He was enjoying the features of his apartment a li ttle too much. He had never been so rxed in his life before. He had watched movies in his private movie theatre, something he didn¡®t usually have the luxury of doi ng due to his very busy part time works schedule, drank wine while watching various streams on Groov e with ssical music ying in the background, and ate dinner in his balcony while overseeing the wh ole of Dragon Estate. Life was truly rxing these past few days. He didn¡®t justze about however. His grandfather had called him several times and reminded him of hi s duties. Therefore he took some time to study the documents his grandfather sent him about the Reid consortium. There were also discussions and rumors about his message to attend the charity g. Despite sending his message to the main chat and informing them about his decision to attend the charity g, many p eople still found it unbelievable. Darius was a well known peasant and the events and embarrassment he went through at thest g was still fresh in everyone¡®s mind. It was the main reason why they found his decision to attend the gal a unbelievable. Darius of course paid such rumors and discussions no mind, ignoring thempletely. He was only foc used on the things he deemed important. Just like that, several days passed and it was the now the day of the g. Darius woke up early as usual. He took a quick shower and had a light breakfast. This time around he wasn¡®t dressed in a bathrobe so the waitress who delivered his breakfast to him had a bit of reprieve.N?velDrama.Org owns this. He checked his phone and saw that the time for the charity g had been fixed for 7 pm. He looked at t he time on the antique clock in his bedroom and saw that it was 9 am, which meant that he had over ni ne hours left before the g begun. He sighed. There were some things he needed to do before he could say that he was ready for the g. He had to visit the hair salon. His hair was a mess. He couldn¡¯t go to the g with his hair looking roug h. He had decided to show up in style therefore he needed to look very ssy. With those thoughts in mind, Darius headed out of his residence. He dressed casually as usual, but this time his steps had a different vibe to it. Maybe it was because he had epted his identity as the h ead of a consortium and no longer nned to suppress it, his steps seemed way confident than usual. He walked confidently to his private garage after exiting his elevator. He contemted for a few moments on which cars to choose to drive to salon with, and ended up choosing the Lamborghini. He decided to reserve the Bugatti for the charity g. He got into his Lamborghini and drove out of the garage, entering the main street. He drove speedily to his destination which was the hair salon. His Lamborghini was naturally a very eye catching and expensive car, so when such a car pulled into th e parking lot of the hair salon, everyone instantly focused their attention on the car. They were even more shocked when Darius alighted from the car. The owner of the car didn¡®t seem to be older tha n 20 years of age! How could such a young person afford such an expensive car?! Darius ignored the stares he got from the onlookers and walked straight to the receptionist behind the c ounter. There he purchased the membership card meant for VIPs and booked a session with the best hair stylist they had. The hair stylist was usually very busy and picky with her customers, but when she heard from the recep tionist that the customer had arrived in a car worth millions of dors, she instantly agreed to have a session with the customer. After a few minutes, Darius was in a private room with the said hair stylist. This time around it took longer for Darius hair to be done. As someone who was always very busy, apart from the basic hair routines he carried out he didn¡®t do anyt hing else to his hair. After a few hours, the hair stylist was done. When Darius looked into the mirror to observe the changes to his hair, he was rendered speechless by what he saw. His hair looked so different from before. It was nowpletely ck and had a very nice sheen to it! N ot only that, his hair was styled differently from the way he usually styled it. This style entuated his h andsomeness even more! Darius thanked the hair stylist sincerely for his actions and even gave her a very generous tip, after whi ch he exited the salon. When he got back to his apartment, there was a delicate wrapped box on the table in his living room. Cu Inside the box was an extremely eye catching diamond wristwatch. Beside the wristwatch was a note. D ept this gift young master Reid. I¡®m sure that you will need it very much tonight.¡® ¨C Bruce. He smiled warmly after reading the note. Bruce was certainly very thoughtful otherwise why would he se Darius however underestimated the value of the wristwatch. It was a very rare Rolex wristwatch that Bru If Darius had known how much the wrist watch cost, then he would have surely berated Bruce for buying him such an expensive gift! He took a shower and dressed up. When he took a look at the mirror he was shocked at what he saw. He could barely recognize himself. The three piece suit he wore was a very ssy one which looked magnificent on him, hugging his musc handsome than he was before. He went straight to his private garage and got into his Bugatti before driving off. As he drove, there was a cold smile on his face. He was going to give his ssmates the shock of their Chapter 42 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 42 Chapter 42 (Sky Golden Hotel; 7:30 pm] The Sky Golden Hotel, the best hotel in the district was extremely busy. Several people dressed in ck and white uniforms walked about busily attending to various tasks inside the hotel. The hotel was luxuriously decorated, more so than it usually was. Beautiful chandeliers were hung up on the equally luxurious ceilings. The floors of the hotel were polished to perfection, reflecting the light from the chandeliers. It wasn¡®t only part time staff that could be seen moving about. Several people dressed in very luxurious attires walked about the hotel lobby, taking asional sips of wine that were served by the waiters and waitresses in the ck and white uniform. One didn¡®t need to be told that the people dressed luxuriously were the students and affluent figures who were invited to the g. Several people dressed luxuriously also gathered just outside the entrance to the hotel lobby. Most of them were just arriving with their equally expensive cars, garnering the attention of the several people who remained outside. It was during such moments that a sleek ck Ferrari LaFerrari drove and came to a stop just in front of the gathering outside. Naturally, the appearance of the sleek car created discussion among the people in the gathering ¡°Wow! Isn¡®t that a Ferrari LaFerrari?!¡± ¡°Yes it is!¡± ¡°I wonder who that car belongs to.¡± ¡°It belongs to a wealthy person that¡®s for sure!¡± One of the valets quickly ran up to the car and opened the door to the driver¡®s seat. When the person who drove the car alighted from the car, everyone¡®s jaw dropped! The driver of the car was none other than J Fox, the number two beauty in Kingston University! J Fox was indeed worthy of being called the number two beauty of Kingston University. She had incredibly beautiful blonde hair, full lips, sexy long legs, attractive blue eyes and to top it all an hourss figure! That wasn¡®t even the icing on the cake! J Fox was also acknowledged as the top ten richest figures in the whole of Kingston University! If J Fox, the beautifuldy they saw was acknowledged as the number two beauty in Kingston University, how beautiful would the number one be?! J Fox handed the keys to the valet who ran up to her before walking straight to the hotel lobby, ignoring the stares she got from people. A few seconds after she arrived in her Ferrari LaFerrari, another very expensive looking car drove into the clearing. ¡°Woah! Isn¡®t that the Zenvo TS1 GT!¡± ¡°It truly is!¡± ¡°Look at that baby! Is this the power of the rich?!¡± This time around when the owner of the car alighted from the super vehicle it was the girls who screamed and made all the noise. The driver of the car was none other than Daniel Lockwood, one of the richest students in Lockwood University and the son of the Dean of Lockwood University itself! Daniel Lockwood, born to the powerful Lockwood family and heir to the Lockwood fortune was the dream type for many girls. He was tall, handsome, and most importantly he was rich! He handed his keys to the valet who ran up to him before making his way to the hotel lobby. N?velDrama.Org owns this. By the time two more influential figures arrived and made their way to the hotel lobby with as much fanfare as the ones who came before them. By this time, the entirety of the garden outside was now filled with several people who were looking forward to seeing wealthier students and figures arrive. Just like that, several expensive and luxurious cars appeared and stopped before the red carpet; Ferraris, Bugattis, Aston Martins, Rolls¨CRoyces, Bentleys, and several other luxurious cars. The owners of the cars were well recognized among the people and were treated like celebrities, as they were mainly among the top ten beauties or richest figures such as Harry Adams, Leah Minnie, and many others among Kingston University, Lockwood University and Evergreen University. A Bentley Mulliner Bacr car drove into the gathering. The luxurious vehicle instantly garnered everyone¡®s attention again, turning their attention to the owner of the vehicle. When the owner of the sleek vehicle alighted from the car, everyone, mostly the girls instantly fixed their attention on the owner. The owner of the vehicle was none other than Chad Materazzo, one of the richest students in Lockwood University. He was tall, handsome and most importantly rich, therefore gaining the admiration of many people. Another female alighted from the vehicle. She was very beautiful and was dressed in a very beautiful red dress that entuated her hair color, making her even stand out more. Of course she was Chad¡®s girlfriend, Anna Carrington, and also the number 1 beauty of Lockwood University. Before everyone could even take in the beauty of Anna Carrington, another expensive sports car arrived at the gathering. Everybody once again directed their attention to the Porsche Carerra GT sports car that just arrived. When the owner of the vehicle alighted from the vehicle, their gazes were immediately fixed on him. The owner was of course David Lesley together with his girlfriend and the fifth ranked beauty Sarah Ginn. The duo immediately sensed the presence of each other and immediately walked up to each other with their girlfriends following them closely, and started ring wildly at themselves. ¡°Chad¡± David said coldly. ¡°David.¡± Chad replied just as coldly. The atmosphere instantly turned incredibly tense from the stare off between the two males. Everywhere was so silent that one could hear if a pin dropped on the floor! A few seconds passed by and just as David was about to break the silence, the sound of another sports car arriving echoed in the gathering. Everyone instantly turned to face the sports car in hope of recognizing the owner of the car. However when they looked at the car they found out that they had never seen such a car in Kingston University, Lockwood University or Evergreen University! The sleek car looked very masculine and elegant and at a nce one could tell that it was clearly the most expensive car that had arrived at the gathering so far! There was also the fact that the license te was customized with only the name ¡®REID¡® written on it. Before anyone could get over their shock, the door to the car opened and a very striking figure alighted from the car. Chapter 43 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 43 Everyone instantly turned to look at the figure who alighted from the stylish sports car. The car itself was so intimidating. They immediately knew that the owner was definitely not an average person! When the figure fully alighted from the car, everyone¡¯s jaw instantly dropped. They couldn¡¯t believe what they were seeing. The figure was very handsome, with masculine features and a very attractive face to boot. His three piece suit was impable and so was the diamond Rolex wristwatch on his wrist. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. The figure was none other than Darius Reid. ¡°Woah! So handsome!¡± ¡°Is he a student in either of the universities?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Although he looks very familiar, I¡¯m sure that I haven¡¯t seen him somewhere before.¡± ¡°He must be someone very important that¡¯s for sure!¡± While others were still struggling to remember if they had seen or met Darius before, Sarah was studying the new rich neer closely. Although she was taken aback by how attractive he looked, she couldn¡¯t shrug the feeling of familiarity she felt when she looked at him. Darius paid everyone who were staring at him no heed. He had arrived in a ssy way so it was expected that he was the centre of attention. He was about to walk towards the hotel lobby when he suddenly heard his name being shouted. ¡°Darius?!¡± Darius stopped and turned to face the direction he heard his name. There he saw Sarah his ex girlfriend with her arms linked with David. There were also two people who stood where David and Sarah stood. The male was equally as handsome as David while thedy beside him was also beautiful. He maintained the cold expression on his face when he saw Sarah¡¯s arm linked with David¡¯s. After all these while he had finally gotten over his love for Sarah. He no longer wanted to be in a rtionship of any sorts with her. She had left him for someone else and had probably moved on. It was time for him to move on too. The name that Sarah called out wasn¡¯t just audible to Darius. It was audible to everyone present as the atmosphere before Darius¡¯ arrival was very tense. For that reason they were able to hear when Sarah called out Darius name. ¡°Darius?¡± Someone muttered. For some reason the name sounded very familiar to them, just as the neer also looked familiar to them. There was another brief silence, and as if struck by lightning, everyone¡¯s eyes suddenly widened as if they had suddenly received a realization. ¡°Darius? As in Darius Reid?!¡± It was unknown who shouted it, but once the person did, everyone instantly focused their wide eyes on Darius. ¡°Are you kidding me?!¡± ¡°My God! It is truly him!¡± The rich neer who arrived in a very fancy and expensive looking sports car was none other than the well known peasant in the whole of Kingston University, Darius Reid! Everyone gazed at Darius in disbelief. It was no wonder that they couldn¡¯t recognize him at once. He lookedpletely different from the image they had of him in their minds. Both David and Sarah looked at Darius with shock visible on their faces. They couldn¡¯t believe their eyes. The Darius they knew was someone who could barely afford a meal of $50 and was someone who was unable to bring out $200 to donate to charity. How on earth could someone like that arrive to this charity g looking very ssy and in a very fancy car at that?! Sarah was the most shocked out of the two. She was someone Darius had courted for over six months therefore she was very sure that Darius was a poor and miserable person. He was someone who could barely feed himself! How on earth did he be someone who was able to drive a very fancy car to the charity g?! Not only that, he was also twice as handsome as he was before! Sarah¡¯s gaze turned incredibly cold. She red at Darius with fire burning in her eyes. She couldn¡¯t believe that Darius became incredibly rich overnight. Instead she believed that Darius had been rich all the while he courted her and just pretended to be poor so that he could test her loyalty to him. Sarah didn¡¯t regret leaving Darius for David. She was very satisfied with her rtionship with David. Rather she was very angry at the fact that Darius hid his wealth all these while and pretended to be poor. She thought that he was just ying her. Little did she know that Darius became rich only recently. Her hatred for Darius grew expially. She now hated Darius with every bone in her body. She just wanted to see him miserable and poor just like he was before. She didn¡¯t want Darius to be happy at all. She wanted him to suffer. David and Chad had broken off their stare off because of the neer. If they were being truthful to themselves they were slightly intimidated by the neer, but they could not show it, otherwise they would be admitting defeat. Meanwhile Chad¡¯s girlfriend Anna Carrington was smitten instantly by Darius. As a student of Lockwood University she had no idea of Darius¡¯ past as a poor and miserable student in Kingston University, so when she saw how cool he looked when he arrived in a fancy sports car and how handsome he was she was instantly smitten by him. When Anna felt Chad¡¯s gaze on her, she instantly removed her attention from Darius. Chad looked at her with a frown before making his way to the hotel lobby with Anna following closely, but not before ring at Darius. David and Sarah repeated the same gesture as Chad and his girlfriend, making their way to the hotel lobby but not before ring at Darius. Darius, obviously, had no idea what they thought of him and didn¡¯t care. He handed the key to a valet who had approached him before making his way to the hotel lobby with a cold smil on his face. He was looking forward to the charity g¡¯s main event. It was there he would disy the power of a Reid. Chapter 44 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 44 When Darius entered the hotel lobby, it was still as busy as it was before his arrival. Several luxuriously dressed people were still walking about having light discussions and lightughs from the discussions. Darius attracted a lot of attention as he walked. Many people already heard of his dramatic and ssy arrival from their friends who were outside when he arrived so the stares of surprise they gave when they saw him was natural. The students of Kingston University however where rendered speechless when heard about his arrival. The Darius Reid they knew was poor and could barely afford good clothing, so their shock when they saw him in the hotel lobby dressed very ssy was understandable. ¡°Is that really Darius Reid?¡± Someone asked, his toneced with disbelief. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s him!¡± Someone replied. N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°But he looks so different.¡± ¡°It¡¯s him. I¡¯m in the same Business Management department with him so there¡¯s no way I could be mistaken. I¡¯m one hundred percent sure that it¡¯s him.¡± The two people weren¡¯t the only ones having such conversations. Other people were also stunned by Darius¡¯ new look. It felt very surreal to them. Darius paid the discussions and gossips about him no heed. Instead he walked to the stand were cocktails were kept and took a ss of wine for himself. After over thirty minutes had passed, everyone finally arrived to the g. Pearl Chambein, the third ranked beauty in Kingston University was among the people who camete to the g; therefore she missed the scene where Darius arrived dramatically. When everyone had arrived and were now waiting in the hotel lobby for the event to start, a middle aged man dressed exquisitely in a white suit pped his hands loudly, making the chatters in the lobby to die down. When he saw that he had sessfully garnered everyone¡¯s attention, he spoke. ¡°I thank you all for making the time despite your busy schedules toe to this charity g. As the name suggests, this is a charity g aimed to raise money for the less privileged and unfortunate children all around the world.¡± ¡°This means that any money raised from this g is for the purpose of charity. I trust we will be kind enough to raise enough money to give these children a better life. Thank you once again.¡± Loud ps erupted from the audience when the man finished his speech. Darius himself pped louder than the rest. He could wholeheartedly empathize with the unfortunate children as he was one of them when he was growing up. As much as proving his ssmates wrong and showing everyone who looked down on him that he was no longer the same as before was satisfying, he also attended this g for the purpose of charity. Putting a smile on a sad child¡¯s face was a noble deed and he was very d to be able to perform that noble deed. Darius was still sipping wine from the ss cup he took from the cocktail counter when a very beautiful lady walked up to him. Darius looked at thedy who walked up to him. She was very beautiful with long ck hair that was styled neatly, a very attractive face and an equally attractive body. As she walked up to Darius she garnered the attention of many people in the hall. Their attention was naturally fixed on Darius so when they saw ady walking up to him, and a very beautiful one at that they naturally turned their interest to both of them. Darius felt that thedy was very familiar and that he had encountered her before, but couldn¡¯t ce where he had seen her. When thedy was within talking range of Darius, she smiled heartily before speaking up. ¡°Hello Darius.¡± Darius took another sip of wine from the ss he held in his hands before replying. ¡°Excuse me, have we met before?¡± Thedy had a hurt expression on her face, but it was only for a split second before her expression turned to normal. ¡°You don¡¯t remember me?¡± thedy asked in a slightly hurt tone. ¡°No I don¡¯t, sorry.¡± Darius replied. The lady sighed before speaking up. ¡°It¡¯s me, Helen, the girl you saved at the Armani store, remember?¡± Darius nearly dropped the ss of wine on the floor when he heard her response. This beautifuldy was Helen?! Of course he remembered Helen. However the image he had of her and what he saw now were completely different! The Helen he saw was definitely not as beautiful as this! He looked at Helen again and saw that she was staring at him closely. He coughed lightly before speaking up. ¡°Ah yes. I remember you now. How have you been?¡± Helen smiled wholeheartedly again. She was incredibly d that her prince charming in Darius remembered her. More so, he even asked her how she was doing! ¡°I¡¯ve been fine thank you.¡± Together, the two of them made small talks. When everyone saw them talking and conversing with each other, they were shocked. Helen friends who hade with her were even more shocked than others. They had seen when Darius arrived in a very fancy sports car, so they knew that he was not someone on their level. How then could Helen, the poorest of the lot converse freely with him? Heck they even looked like they were long term friends! Darius finally ended the conversation with Helen and was once again staying on his own. He took another sip of wine from his ss cup when he heard the man¡¯s announcement. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for the main event of the charity g, the auction!¡± the man announced. The auction was the main event and highlight of every charity g. During the auction several items like paintings; sculptures and so on would be disyed for the audience to bid on. The highest bidder would then win the item while all the money generated would go to charity. The man pped his hand lightly and three men dressed in ck and white uniform appeared with an item that was covered with a cloth. The man signaled the uniformed men to remove the cloth from the item; and when they did so everyone, including Darius sucked in a cold breath. The item was an abstract painting of nature which was incredibly beautiful! Theplexity of the painting gave the artwork so much beauty that they were instantly smitten. ¡°This is a painting by 11 year old Chekrav Russels. She titled it ¡°The beauty of Nature.¡¯ As you can see, it is an incredible stunning piece. It will be a great addition to your collections.¡± The man in charge of the auction exined. Everyone pped lightly when they heard the man¡¯s information about the artwork. They all looked at the artwork with fire in their gazes. They were determined to get it. ¡°This artwork is valued at $30,000 as its starting bid, with increments of no less than $1,000. Without further ado, we shall proceed with the auctioning of the artwork.¡± As soon as the manmenced the auctioning, the bidding war started. ¡°$31,000!¡± ¡°$32,000!¡± ¡°$35,000!¡± Darius smiled when he heard their bidding prices. Didn¡¯t they always look down on him because he was unable to donate $200 at thest charity g? This time around it won¡¯t be the case. Two minutes passed and by now the bid had risen to $50,000. ( ¡°$50,000 going once! Twice! ¡­¡± Just as the man was about to announce the third and final confirmation, a loud voice abruptly interrupted him. Chapter 45 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 45 ¡°$100,000.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. There was a brief silence when everyone heard his voice. They couldn¡¯t believe that someone was bold enough to raise the bid by twice the amount of the previous bid. Everyone instantly turned to look at the person who raised the bid that high. To their utmost shockit was none other than Darius! Darius stood still with his left hand in his pocket and a ss of wine in his right hand. His posture and nonchnt stare made him look so handsome and attractive that a few girls had red tints on their cheeks. Pearl, J, David, Sarah, Helen, Chad, Anna and other several wealthy figures looked at Darius with different expression written on their faces. Pearl and J looked closely at Darius. They both epted that Darius was indeed very attractive, but that wasn¡¯t the reason they looked at him. They felt his face to be very familiar. J Fox, the second ranked beauty in Kingston University had no idea, but she had indeed met Darius before. It was when Darius had recently gotten his wealth and purchased the gold membership card to eat in this same hotel the charity g was hosted. She had gone to the hotel with two of her friends who were also beautiful, although they were not as beautiful as her. The main reason why she couldn¡¯t remember Darius was because he looked so different and twice as handsome as before. Pearl also thought the same thing as J. She had clearly seen Darius before, but she couldn¡¯t recall where. Darius appearance had changed too drastically to be easily linked to how he looked before. Sarah had disdain written on her face. She believed that Darius just wanted to spite her and show her how much richer he was which was the reason he raised the bid by such a ridiculous amount. David also had a simr thought to Sarah. He hated Darius with all his heart therefore anything that Darius did seemed like an eyesore to him. It was incredibly infuriating to him. However contrary to their thoughts, Darius didn¡¯t raise the bid of the item to spite them or throw his weight about. He just sincerely loved the painting and felt that $50,000 was too little of a price for the painting. Besides, the amount he used to buy the painting would be given to charity; therefore the more he spent the better. ¡°$100,000 going once! Twice! And sold!¡± ¡°The incredible painting ¡°The beauty of Nature¡¯ has been sold to Mr. Darius Reid for a sum of $ 100,000! Thank you very much Mr. Reid!¡± The man announced. Everyone instantly burst into loud gossips when they heard who the painting went to. ¡°Darius Reid?!¡± ¡°How is this possible?!¡± ¡°He was unable to donate $200 at thest charity g, so how on earth is he able to afford such a huge amount of money?!¡± Their shock was understandable. Not everyone was outside when Darius arrived in a very fancy sports car, so they still had the belief that he wasn¡¯t a rich person. However this single feat of acquiring the painting for a $100,000 had proved them wrong and pped them in the face! Darius smiled but said nothing. He only raised his ss to the announcer as a sign of acknowledgement. The next item on disy was a sculpture of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. It was carved by a fourteen year old teenager and its starting bid was $100,000, a far cry from the starting bid of the painting This time around Darius refrained from bidding. There were still different items to be auctioned and he didn¡¯t want toe off as proud and arrogant. He decided that he would bid only on items that he liked, and he would bid a substantial amount of money to acquire the items. The sculpture was finally auctioned off to Pearl Chambein for a high sum of $210,000. She had gotten into a bidding war with ady for Evergreen University, but finally came out on top. When the announcer announced her as the winner of the bid there was a huge smile on her face. She was a huge fan of Greek myth and Aphrodite was her favorite Greek god, therefore she instantly fell in love with the sculpture. The next two items were also items that Darius wasn¡¯t interested in, and they sold for $ 130,000 and $190,000 respectively. The fifth item however was something that Darius could not overlook. It wasn¡¯t just him, but other people at the g too. Darius had fallen in love with wine over the few days he stayed at home. During that period, he had researched intensively on different wines. Therefore you could imagine his shock when he saw a 150 year old wine on disy! The wines that he had in his wine cer were barely 2 to 3 year old, so he couldn¡¯t imagine how good a 150 year old wine would taste! He knew he had to get it at all costs. Darius wasn¡¯t the only one with such thoughts. Several people also had simr thoughts. Even those who hadn¡¯t bid before were ready to go all out on this one. Pearl also wanted to bid for the wine. She knew that her father was a huge fan of wine and loved the older wine. Her father had worked incredibly hard for the family to raise them to their current status. Her father¡¯s birthday was in a few weeks and without a doubt this wine would be the best birthday gift for father. She made up her mind to get the wine no matter the price. ¡°As you can see, this is one of the oldest wines in the world at 150 years old. I can assure you that this is surely a delicacy. The starting bid for this wine is $300,000 with increments of no less than $10,000.¡± As soon as the man announced themencement of the auctioning the whole hall erupted and an intense bidding war started. ¡°$310,000!¡± ¡°$350,000!¡± ¡°$400,000!¡± The people who were not wealthy quickly shied away from the bidding war. They epted that only the wealthy ones would spend so much for a bottle of wine. Even with their withdrawal, the bidding war didn¡¯t end. Instead, the price of the wine kept rising After a few minutes, just when everyone thought the wine¡¯s price couldn¡¯t be raised any further, a loud voice proved them wrong. (1 million dors!¡± Chapter 46 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 46 1 million dors?! Everyone turned to the person who made such a ridiculous bid. Of course, it was none other than Darius Reid! Darius took another sip of the wine from the ss cup in his hand, but his gaze was fixed on the wine on disy, ignoring the stares he got from other people. However unlike the first time when he bid $100,000 for the painting the others didn¡¯t back down this time. This time around the bigshots were involved in the bidding war. ¡°$1.1 million!¡± Someone shouted a few seconds after Darius raised the bid. ¡°$1.15 million!¡± Another person counter bid. ¡°$1.2 million!¡± ¡°$1.3 million!¡± ¡°$1.5 million!¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. the bid. 1.5 million dors? Wasn¡¯t that a bit There was a brief pause immediately too much? Everyone turned to face the person who made the bid. This time around it was David Lesley who ced such a high bid. A David felt proud when he saw many people looking at him. $1.5 million dors wasn¡¯t a little sum, but he could afford to spend that much. He only had $500,000 left before the money allocated to him by his father ran out. He however believed that that amount of money was enough to win the bid for the wine. David had little to no interest in wine. However he felt the need to win the bid for the wine. He didn¡¯t want Darius to steal the spotlight anymore. Unfortunately, David underestimated the interest the bidders had in the wine. As someone who wasn¡¯t a wine lover he didn¡¯t understand the appeal a 150 year old wine held to them. ¡°$2 million.¡± It was Darius who raised the bid this time. He knew at once what was running through David¡¯s mind, but was unbothered about his behavior. He didn¡¯t want to involve himself in David¡¯s childishpetition, which was why he raised the bid by half a million dors. Darius thought that this bid would end the bidding war, as many people abstained from bidding when they heard Darius bid. Although they were indeed very interested in the wine, $2 million was too much of a price for just a bottle of wine. A few seconds passed and there was no other bid. ¡°$2 million going once! Twice! ¡­¡± David gritted his teeth in anger. He couldn¡¯t afford to bid anymore as he would be unable to outbid Darius; but at the same time he didn¡¯t want to see Darius win this bidding war. Sarah on the other hand couldn¡¯t believe that the person in question was truly Darius. How did Darius be so rich to be able to spend $2 million so casually on something as silly as wine?! Just as the announcer was about to confirm Darius as the winner of the bidding war, a voice interrupted him. ¡°$2.5 million.¡± Everyone burst into loud chatters when they heard the price. This was way too much for the bottle of wine. Everyone, including Darius, all turned to see the bidder but were rendered speechless at the identity of the bidder. It was none other than Pearl Chambein he third ranked beauty of Kingston University! Pearl looked at Darius with fire zing in her eyes. She finally knew why Darius looked so familiar. It was because he was the shameless and disgusting pervert who grabbed her breasts in public! Although Darius had changed drastically from how he was before, no matter how handsome he looked to Pearl, he was still nothing but a shameless pervert. She had sworn to get back at the pervert, but who would have thought that the pervert was actually rich enough to pay $2 million for a bottle of wine? Darius also recognized Pearl as thedy he ran into at the restaurant. He had looked for her severally to apologize and clear up the misunderstanding she had of him, but he was unable to find her anywhere. Now that he had finally found her, she was now in a bidding war with him. Darius sighed. While he might be sorry for his actions towards her, he didn¡¯t n on losing out on the wine because of her. He was sure that he would win the bidding war, and with that thought, he ced his new bid. ¡°$3 million.¡± Loud gasps could be heard when they heard his bid, but it was cut short by Pearl¡¯s counter bid. ¡°$3.2 million.¡± Pearl red at Darius as she made her bid, however Darius ignored her re. Instead, he ced his own bid, which was a shocking amount. ¡°$4 million.¡± Pearl looked at Darius with fire in her eyes. If looks could kill Darius would have died tons of time. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she red at Darius, she couldn¡¯t kill him. This time around the amount he offered was way past the amount Pearl could afford. She had no choice but to ept defeat. ¡°$ 4 million going once! Twice! And sold!¡± the man announced happily. Although the money was meant for charity, he was still happy that people would spend so much for the sake of charity. When the man announced Darius as the winner of the bidding war for the wine, everyone couldn¡¯t help but start pping. The way they all looked at Darius changed drastically. He could no longer be associated with the word ¡®poor¡¯. Helen knew that Darius was rich, but she didn¡¯t expect him to be this rich. He just spent $4 million for a bottle of wine! It was a ludicrous expenditure! Darius paid the stares they gave him no heed. He just drank from the ss cup he held in his hands slowly. After Darius won the bid for the wine, several other items were auctioned. This time around Darius refrained from participating in any of the bidding wars. He was content with his painting and wine. A few hourster, the whole charity g finally came to an end. The auction had generated over $30 million in profits, which was a very huge sum of money. It would go a very long way in aiding the people in need. Darius could feel the stares of various people on him as he exited the hotel lobby. He knew that by the time his feat at this year g spread, he would no longer be seen as a poor person anymore. Darius got into his car and drove to his apartment. He took his shower and had a light dinner before lying on his bed. He thought about the events at the charity g and broke out in a huge smile. He made sure to fulfill his objectives at the charity g, and he did just that. Now, nobody would look down on him anymore. With such thoughts shing through his mind, a feeling of aplishment overwhelmed him and Darius went to sleep with a smile on his face. Chapter 47 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 47 Chapter 47Darius woke upter than usual the next day. It was expected as the charity g had ended later than he expected. However Darius wasn¡®t bothered. He was the person who donated the most at the charity g as he spent a whooping sum of $4.1 million; therefore he was granted a one week leave by the University.Darius decided to visit some of thepanies listed under the Reid Consortium after much dy. He spent the days before the charity g reading through the documents his grandfather sent him regarding the Reid consortium. He hadn¡®t gone because he had to take care of pressing needs and didn¡®t have enough time, but now that he was given a week off by the university, he finally had enough time for himself.Darius had a quick shower and an exquisite breakfast. Since he was going to visit apany today he decided to dress officially. He wore a suit pants and shirt with equally high quality leather shoes before making his way to his private elevator. When he got to his garage he got into his Bugatti and drove off. After a few minutes, he arrived at the headquarters of Nix Inc., the company he nned on visiting first. Nix Inc. was thergest technologypany in the country, with a lot of qualified employees working there. Every year they produced innovating and top electronic gadgets that cost a fortune to purchase. 1It was the number one choice for any person who was a computer geek to work in as they provided all the materials needed for them to improve their skills. Darius couldn¡®t still believe that such a toppany was now registered under his name with him holding 90% shares in thepany. Darius came to a halt just outside the entrance to the Nix Inc. building. He parked his elegant sports car neatly before alighting from the vehicle.When the security guard saw Darius alighting from such an expensive looking car, he immediately knew that Darius was someone very important, therefore he made up his mind to treat him with the utmost respect he could offer. Darius walked confidently to the entrance where he saw the security guard stationed. When Darius was within talking range the security guard spoke up. ¡°Good morning Sir. Wee to Nix. Inc. May I see your identification card?¡± the guard asked politely.Darius put his hands inside his pocket and brought out a sleek leather wallet. He swiftly brought out a ck and gold card and handed it to the security guard.The security guard collected it and checked it, however when he saw the ¡®R¡® logo on the card, he trembled from shock!The ck ¨C gold card was given to Darius by Bruce a few days ago when he was studying the documents his grandfather sent him. He was told to use it as a means of identification whenever he visited anypany and he would be granted entry, therefore Darius didn¡®t know how much weight the card held.The card only contained his basic information therefore he thought it was just a normal identification card with the only difference being the color, so he was naturally stunned by the security guard¡®s response when he gave him his identity card.The security guard had seen several of those types of identity cards before. He had seen the bronze, silver and even gold ted identity cards, which was the one the upper echelons of Nix Inc. used, but he had never seen a ck ¨C gold ted card!He looked at Darius once more, but this time there was reverence in his eyes. The ck ¨C gold card the man showed him proved that this man was a big shot, even more than the upper echelons in thepany!The security guard instantly opened the huge ss doors, and allowed Darius entry into the Nix Inc. building. Darius nodded his head lightly as a sign of greeting and approval before making his way inside the building. The inside of the building was very busy with several office workers walking around attending to various tasks. When Darius stepped into the building, his appearance drew the attention of several office workers. They looked at him for a brief moment before going back to their work Darius didn¡®t pay them any mind. Bruce had already called the upper echelons of the Nix Inc.pany and informed that the new Head of the Reid consortium would be arriving and they should be await his arrival.A few minutes after Darius arrival, several high ranking people in thepany came down to meet him. The attention that the people brought redirected their attention to Darius. This led to several gossips regarding their appearance. ¡°Isn¡®t that the Director of the Administrative department?¡±¡°It is! The General Manager of the Marketing department is also here!¡±¡°Wow! So many big shots!¡± ¡°I wonder who they¡®re here for.¡± They soon came to stop in front of Darius. They were shocked when they saw Darius. One of the people couldn¡®t help but ask ¡°Are you Darius Reid?¡±¡°Yes that¡¯s me.¡± Darius answered confidently.Everyone sucked in a cold breath when they heard his response. When Bruce had informed them of the Head of the Reid consortium¡®s arrival they expected a middle aged man just like Bruce. They didn¡®t expect the Head to be someone so young! He looked like he was barely twenty! How could someone so young wield so much wealth and strength?! 1 Darius saw their looks of disbelief and smiled. It was understandable that they were shocked by his age.Finally someone coughed loudly, snapping the others out of their thoughts. Even though the head was not what they expected, they still had to perform their duties.¡°Wee to Nix Inc. Mr. Reid. Let us show you around.¡± The man who coughed earlier said.Darius nodded and let them show him around thepany. Together, they showed Darius around various departments in thepany.Darius was shocked again during the tour of thepany. It was way above his expectations! It was no wonder that thepany was the tenth wealthiestpany in the world!Several minutes passed with them touring thepany. Darius noticed that his guides were already tired from showing him around the company, so he decided to give them a rest. While they were resting, he decided to continue the tour by himself.He checked several other departments in thepany. After a few minutes he noticed that he had gotten to a quiet part of thepany. Afraid of getting lost in the hugepany, he decided to turn back. He was just on his way back when he heard a loud shout behind him.He turned towards the sound and saw a figure running out of the office behind him. A few seconds after the figure ran out another person, a male, ran out of the office. The male grabbed thedy¡®s arm and dragged her towards him roughly. ¡°LET ME GO!¡± Thedy yelled, thrashing about wildly at the male figure. Angered, the male raised his hand and was about to bring it down on thedy¡®s cheeks when a cold voice stopped him short. ¡°What¡®s going on here?¡± Darius woke upter than usual the next day. It was expected as the charity g had endedter than he expected. However Darius wasn¡®t bothered. He was the person who donated the most at the charity g as he spent a whooping sum of $4.1 million; therefore he was granted a one week leave by the University. Darius decided to visit some of thepanies listed under the Reid Consortium after much dy. He spent the days before the charity g reading through the documents his grandfather sent him regarding the Reid consortium. He hadn¡®t gone because he had to take care of pressing needs and didn¡®t have enough time, but now that he was given a week off by the university, he finally had enough time for himself. Darius had a quick shower and an exquisite breakfast. Since he was going to visit apany today he decided to dress officially. He wore a suit pants and shirt with equally high quality leather shoes before making his way to his private elevator. When he got to his garage he got into his Bugatti and drove off. After a few minutes, he arrived at the headquarters of Nix Inc., thepany he nned on visiting first. Nix Inc. was thergest technologypany in the country, with a lot of qualified employees working there. Every year they produced innovating and top electronic gadgets that cost a fortune to purchase. 1 It was the number one choice for any person who was aputer geek to work in as they provided all the materials needed for them to improve their skills. Darius couldn¡®t still believe that such a top company was now registered under his name with him holding 90% shares in thepany. Darius came to a halt just outside the entrance to the Nix Inc. building. He parked his elegant sports car neatly before alighting from the vehicle. When the security guard saw Darius alighting from such an expensive looking car, he immediately knew that Darius was someone very important, therefore he made up his mind to treat him with the utmost respect he could offer. Darius walked confidently to the entrance where he saw the security guard stationed. When Darius was within talking range the security guard spoke up. ¡°Good morning Sir. Wee to Nix. Inc. May I see your identification card?¡± the guard asked politely. Darius put his hands inside his pocket and brought out a sleek leather wallet. He swiftly brought out a ck and gold card and handed it to the security guard. The security guard collected it and checked it, however when he saw the ¡®R¡® logo on the card, he trembled from shock! The ck ¨C gold card was given to Darius by Bruce a few days ago when he was studying the documents his grandfather sent him. He was told to use it as a means of identification whenever he visited anypany and he would be granted entry, therefore Darius didn¡®t know how much weight the card held. The card only contained his basic information therefore he thought it was just a normal identification card with the only difference being the color, so he was naturally stunned by the security guard¡®s response when he gave him his identity card. The security guard had seen several of those types of identity cards before. He had seen the bronze, silver and even gold ted identity cards, which was the one the upper echelons of Nix Inc. used, but he had never seen a ck ¨C gold ted card! He looked at Darius once more, but this time there was reverence in his eyes. The ck ¨C gold card the man showed him proved that this man was a big shot, even more than the upper echelons in the company! The security guard instantly opened the huge ss doors, and allowed Darius entry into the Nix Inc. building. Darius nodded his head lightly as a sign of greeting and approval before making his way inside the building. The inside of the building was very busy with several office workers walking around attending to various tasks. When Darius stepped into the building, his appearance drew the attention of several office workers. They looked at him for a brief moment before going back to their work Darius didn¡®t pay them any mind. Bruce had already called the upper echelons of the Nix Inc.pany and informed that the new Head of the Reid consortium would be arriving and they should be await his arrival. A few minutes after Darius arrival, several high ranking people in thepany came down to meet him. The attention that the people brought redirected their attention to Darius. This led to several gossips regarding their appearance. ¡°Isn¡®t that the Director of the Administrative department?¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°It is! The General Manager of the Marketing department is also here!¡± ¡°Wow! So many big shots!¡± ¡°I wonder who they¡®re here for.¡± They soon came to stop in front of Darius. They were shocked when they saw Darius. One of the people couldn¡®t help but ask ¡°Are you Darius Reid?¡± ¡°Yes that¡¯s me.¡± Darius answered confidently. Everyone sucked in a cold breath when they heard his response. When Bruce had informed them of the Head of the Reid consortium¡®s arrival they expected a middle aged man just like Bruce. They didn¡®t expect the Head to be someone so young! He looked like he was barely twenty! How could someone so young wield so much wealth and strength?! 1 Darius saw their looks of disbelief and smiled. It was understandable that they were shocked by his age. Finally someone coughed loudly, snapping the others out of their thoughts. Even though the head was not what they expected, they still had to perform their duties. ¡°Wee to Nix Inc. Mr. Reid. Let us show you around.¡± The man who coughed earlier said. Darius nodded and let them show him around thepany. Together, they showed Darius around various departments in thepany. Darius was shocked again during the tour of thepany. It was way above his expectations! It was no wonder that thepany was the tenth wealthiestpany in the world! Several minutes passed with them touring thepany. Darius noticed that his guides were already tired from showing him around thepany, so he decided to give them a rest. While they were resting, he decided to continue the tour by himself. He checked several other departments in thepany. After a few minutes he noticed that he had gotten to a quiet part of thepany. Afraid of getting lost in the hugepany, he decided to turn back. He was just on his way back when he heard a loud shout behind him. He turned towards the sound and saw a figure running out of the office behind him. A few seconds after the figure ran out another person, a male, ran out of the office. The male grabbed thedy¡®s arm and dragged her towards him roughly. ¡°LET ME GO!¡± Thedy yelled, thrashing about wildly at the male figure. Angered, the male raised his hand and was about to bring it down on thedy¡®s cheeks when a cold voice stopped him short. ¡°What¡®s going on here?¡± Chapter 48 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 48 The male ceased his actions and turned to face the intruder who interrupted him with a frown on his face. ¡°What are you doing right now? Don¡®t you have work to do? Or are you tired of working here?¡± The man asked the intruder angrily. Darius, the intruder scowled when he heard the man¡®s question. The man had mistaken him for a worker here and was using his authority to chase him away. It meant that the man was up to no good. Darius ignored the man¡®s questions and walked towards thedy in question. Thedy had a look of relief on her face when someone appeared in the secluded area. ¡°Hello. What is the problem?¡± Darius asked thedy in a gentle voice. Thedy moved farther away from the man and moved closer to Darius subconsciously. Darius was as charming as ever, with his voice very soothing. His masculine features provided thedy with a sense of security hence the reason why she moved closer to Darius. ¡°This man is the problem!¡± Thedy answered, pointing her fingers at the male in question. Darius scowled when he heard her response. ¡°What did he do?¡± Darius asked again. ¡°I came here to apply for a job since I¡®ve heard a lot about Nix Inc., but who would have thought that thepany is just filled with perverted men!¡± ¡°Not only did he refuse to interview me the proper way, he also tried to force himself on me! Even after I refused and left his office, he still kept chasing after me!¡± Thedy exined, ring at the man with her eyes zing. Darius was inexplicably furious when he heard her answer. However, he decided to keep a calm head and hear the story from both sides before making a decision. He turned to face the male and asked in a cold voice. ¡°Is everything thisdy said true?¡± The male looked at both of them and scoffed. N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°You don¡®t seem to be a worker here, since you don¡®t know me, and yes, everything she said is true. But what can you do about it?¡± ¡°My word isw here, and I have the power to destroy you if I want. If you turn a blind eye to this and go back to where you came from, I will pardon you, but if you don¡®t, then you can¡®t me me for what happens to you.¡± The man said haughtily. Darius looked at the man coldly when he heard his reply. He did not even try to hide or deny the fact that he was forcing himself on someone he was supposed to interview. The fact that he was straightforward in admitting to the deed meant that manydies must have fallen victim to his advances. If he wasn¡®t here by chance he might have seeded in having his way thedy! Darius was furious. The man was painting a bad image for thepany. If such people weren¡®t properly taken care off they would kill thepany from the inside! ¡°I see. I wonder if you will have the audacity to say such when I am done with you.¡± Darius stated coldly. The man narrowed his eyes at Darius. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± The man asked. ¡°Threaten?¡± Dariusughed. ¡°Not at all. This is a promise.¡± Thedy looked at Darius closely. There was admiration in her gaze. This gentleman was a stranger she just met now yet he was willing to stand up to that scum on her behalf. As if on cue, the upper echelons that were showing Darius around thepany suddenly appeared. When they spotted Darius at the other end of the hall they quickly rushed over. ¡°Mr. Reid!¡± Darius turned back and faced the people who were walking towards him briskly. ¡°Mr. Reid! Where have you been? We¡®ve been searching all over for you!¡± Darius ignored their questions and waited for them to walk up to him. When they did, he pointed to the man who wanted to force himself on thedy and asked. ¡°Who is he?¡± They all turned to face the person who Darius pointed to, after which a brief silence followed. They couldn¡®t answer the question! Nix Inc. was apany that was globally acimed. The people who were showing Darius around were all top upper echelons with gold ted cards identification. They were people who were rarely seen, and were always busy. Thatbined with therge amount of workers Nix Inc. had made it understandable that they had no idea who the man was. That wasn¡®t the case for the man. The moment he saw the line¨Cup of the upper echelons treating Darius with so much respect, he started panicking. The upper echelons were people someone of his status weren¡®t allowed to meet. He wasn¡®t even allowed to talk to a single one of them. Yet they were now acting very subservient to the intruder. He instantly knew that the intruder was someone of impressive background! ¡°I asked a question. Who is he?¡± Darius asked coldly. One of the upper echelons nced at the man who had already started sweating profusely, and asked him a question. ¡°Where is your identity card?¡± The man shakily brought out a silver card and handed it to the upper echelon member. The member collected it and handed it over to Darius. Darius read the details of the identity card before handing it back to the member. ¡°This man here is a repeat sexual offender.¡± Darius started. He went on to tell the upper echelons the crimes the man had potentiallymitted and what he admitted to doing. By the time Darius was done speaking, the man was already on his knees begging for mercy. No trace of his earlier arrogance could be found. Darius ignored the man¡®s tears. He had no pity for the man. He was a scum and should be duly punished for his actions. The upper echelons red at Danny after Darius was done speaking. They had no idea that the head of the Innovative Research Department was such an evil person. What¡®s more that he had to be discovered by the owner of thepany. That was putting them in such a bad ce and making them look ipetent! ¡°I want you to make sure he is held ountable for all his crimes. Also make sure that the new Departmental head is a morally upright and just person. Such a thing must not repeat itself again. Is that clear?¡± Darius asked. ¡°Yes of course.¡± They answered. Without further dy, the security personnel were called over, after which Danny was arrested and handed over to the police. Darius then dismissed the upper echelons. He told them to properly interview thedy he saved and to give her a job if she was fit for the position. Done with his affairs at the Nix Inc., Darius exited the building and got in his car before driving off. He still had otherpanies to visit. Chapter 49 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 49 Darius then spent the whole day visiting variouspanies listed under the Reid consortium, from various toppanies to various luxury hotels and resorts, including restaurants. By the time the day was over, Darius was very exhausted. He checked the lists ofpanies he had visited and nearly copsed from shock. He hadn¡®t even visited 10% of the totalpanies he was supposed to visit. At this rate he would die from fatigue before he even finished visiting thepanies. Perhaps this was the reason his grandfather was always on his tail and reminding him to get a personal assistant. He certainly could not do this on his own. 1 Darius got home exhausted and stumbled into his bathroom. After taking a long shower and having his dinner, he plopped onto his bed and fell asleep. The next morning Darius woke up refreshed and energetic. He took his phone from the bedside table and checked his schedule. He only had one ce to visit today before he worked on the weekly report of thepanies under the Reid consortium. It was the only 10 star restaurant in Greenfield Estate, a top estate in the district. Although the estate wasn¡®t as wealthy as Dragon Estate where Darius lived, it was a noteworthy one nheless. Darius dressed up and took his elevator down to his private garage. He debated for a few seconds before deciding to use his Lamborghini. He got into his car and drove off. The distance from Dragon Estate to the restaurant was a bit far, as it would take Darius 2 hours to reach there if he drove at top speed. He was d that he had his car now. If he still had to use the public transport system, it would have taken more than twice the time needed before he got to his destination. Darius had only driven 10 minutes into his journey when his phone rang. Without checking the caller ID he connected the phone to his car¡®s Bluetooth system before answering the call. ¡°Hello.¡± Darius said. ¡°Hello. It¡®s me, Alice.¡± Darius sighed when he heard that the caller was Alice. He had promised to take her out on a date but kept postponing the date. He had been incredibly busy therefore he didn¡®t have the luxury of going out on a date with Alice yet. He decided to take her out on the date today since he had a whole week to himself. He didn¡®t know when he would be free to go out on a date again. Besides, he was one his way to a restaurant already. He could use this opportunity to take her out with him too. It would be killing two birds with one stone. ¡°Where are you now?¡± Darius asked Alice. ¡°Me? I¡®m at the female dormitory now. Why are you asking?¡± Darius checked the time on his car¡®s dashboard before replying. ¡°I¡®ll be there in thirty minutes. Be ready, I¡®ll be taking you out on the date we agreed today. Is that okay with you?¡± Darius asked. There was a brief silence before Alice gave her response. ¡°Yes it is.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡®ll see you soon.¡± Darius said before disconnecting the phone call. He made a u¨Cturn and started speeding towards the female dormitory. (Female Dormitory] The female dormitory was busy as several females were walking around dressed in comfortable outfits and discussing among themselves. Their topic of discussion was mainly about the events that transpired at the charity g. ¡°I¡®m telling you! Someone paid $100,000 for a piece of painting and still paid $ 4 million for a bottle of wine!¡± Ady said, emphasizing on the $4 million as she spoke. ¡°But that¡®s ridiculous!¡± Anotherdy replied. $ 4 million was a ludicrous amount of money. How rich could one be to spend it on a bottle of wine?! ¡°That¡®s not even the best part. This person also got into a bidding war with Pearl Chambein and won!¡± ¡°Are you for real?!¡± As they were still discussing about the events that transpired at the charity g, a very sleek sports car pulled into the main street and stopped just outside the entrance to the hotel. Instantly everyone¡®s attention was fixed on the car. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Wow! Such a beautiful car!¡± Thedy who was narrating the events at the charity g eximed. ¡°I wonder who the owner is!¡± ¡°You dummy! Shouldn¡®t you be wondering who he¡®s here for?¡± Thedy rebuked her friend. ¡°Why?¡± Her friend asked; feeling wronged. ¡°Because if we know who he¡®s here for then we can be friends with the person and get closer to the owner!¡± thedy exined to her friend exasperatedly. It wasn¡®t just them who were stunned by the appearance of the beautiful sports car. Out of curiosity some of them searched for the car on the inte and were even more shocked when they saw the price of the car. It was a Lamborghini Veneno Roadster that cost around $6 million! And from the search results the car on the street was a customized one, so the price would be three times the original, which summed up to a ridiculous sum of 18 million dors! While they were still in shock at the price of the car, Alice came down from her dormitory room all dressed and started walking towards the Lamborghini. Darius had called her earlier and told her that he was waiting for her outside the dormitory in his car. She didn¡®t think much of it at first, but when she saw the Lamborghini, her expression 23 mirrored that of the fellow dorm mates. She knew that Mr.ordinary10 was a rich person, but she was still in shock at his car. She was itching to know what the identity of Mr.ordinary10 was. When the dorm mates saw Alice walking towards the Lamborghini, they instantly put two and two together. The Lamborghini was here for Alice! Expressions of jealousy and envy suddenly appeared on their faces. Alice had always proved uninterested in the affairs of men, so how did she suddenly bag a wealthy man for herself? The door opened as soon as Alice was close enough to the Lamborghini. A few secondster, the car sped out of the dormitory, leaving the onlookers to their thoughts. Chapter 50 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 50 When Alice saw the owner of the car, she was momentarily stunned. Darius however paid her no heed and continued driving. Alice couldn¡®t believe her eyes. Even though he had changed his hairstyle and appearance and looked completely different from before, she could never forget him. Mr.ordinary1o, the person who spent 5 million dors to gift her and owned such an expensive car was none other than Darius Reid, the ex¨C boyfriend of her close friend Sarah Ginn! ¡°Judging from the way you are gaping at me it seems that you remember me.¡± Darius said, not taking his eyes off the road as he spoke. ¡°Of course I do! How could I forget you?!¡± Alice eximed. Alice remembered vividly how Darius had chased Sarah with all of his strength. It was his relentless efforts that struck a deep impression on her. She knew that Darius loved Sarah with all his heart during that period, which was why she was very shocked that Sarah would leave Darius for David. Whenever she looked at Darius when he was courting Sarah she mainly felt pity for him, but when she looked at him now only endless confidence and masculinity emanated from him. He was so much different from the Darius she knew before. Everything that urred during the stream finally made sense to her. Why someone she didn¡®t know spent 5 million dors on her, and at the same time chose her for the date. It made perfect sense if the person was Darius. A sudden thought suddenly shed through her mind. If Darius was wealthy enough to spend such ludicrous amounts of money easily, why was he then living as a peasant? He was evenbeled as a peasant by the whole school. Just as she was about to ask Darius, another thought shed through her mind. Darius must have wanted to keep his identity unknown and find a person who truly loved him because of him and not because of his money. It was a pity that Sarah left him for David. If she had been a bit patient, she would have enjoyed the rest of her with a caring man like Darius. If Darius could see what was going through her mind, he would have thrown her out of his car. He was pretending to be poor so that he could find true love? As if! He barely had enough to eat! He had to scrape and struggle for every penny he got, so how absurd was the idea that he would endure such torment and the ridicule he was subjected for love? ¡°That¡®s good to hear.¡± Darius smiled. Alice blushed lightly when she saw Darius¡¯ smile. She always knew that Darius was very good looking, but he seemed twice as attractive as he was before. The remainder of the journey was spent in silence. Alice was too shy and nervous to ask Darius where he was taking her for a date. She certainly wasn¡®t close enough to talk to Darius like a friend, as she only knew him because of Sarah. She hoped for Darius to speak up, but Darius didn¡®t say anything either. 1 After two hours of driving, Darius came to a stop at a very imposing building. He parked his car neatly before getting off the vehicle with Alice following closely. The restaurant was really worthy to be rated a 10 star restaurant. The exterior of the building was superbly designed, making it stand out from other buildings in the street. Beside the entrance to the restaurant was a small but visible sign board with the name of the restaurant written intricately on it. Darius strode confidently towards the restaurant as he was the owner after all, but Alice remained still. The imposing appearance of the restaurant had already intimidated her. With a quick nce she already knew that anything that was sold here would be insanely expensive. Even after knowing the fact that Darius was very wealthy, she still felt uneasy eating at a ce like this. The price for dining at a ce like this would surely be sky high! Darius had walked a few steps when he noticed that Alice wasn¡®t by his side. He turned back and saw Alice standing still. ¡°What¡®s the problem?¡± Darius asked. ¡°Can we dine at another ce? Dining here would be very expensive.¡± Alice replied in a low voice. Darius smiled before walking over to where Alice stood. Although Alice wasn¡®t among the top ten beauties in the campus, she was still incredibly pretty; otherwise she would not have arge fan base to support her streams. She looked very innocent as she spoke, like a rabbit surrounded by ferocious wolves, igniting Darius¡® protective spirit. He walked over to her and held her hands assertively. ¡°Don¡®t worry about anything and leave everything to me.¡± Darius said confidently before walking towards the entrance while holding Alice¡®s hands. Alice felt a wave of security wash over her as Darius held her hands. She had never felt so safe before. Her whole outlook on Dariuspletely changed that moment. Her heart started beating rapidly as Darius held her hands, and her cheeks werepletely red. Together they entered inside the luxurious restaurant. 1 The interior of the restaurant was just as one would expect a 10 star restaurant to be. It wasvishly designed, with gold and diamond chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. There were already a few people dining in the restaurant with ssical music ying in the background. It usually took several months before one could book a reservation at this restaurant, but as Darius had a special identity, Bruce had made sure that his treatment would be different. It was why he was allowed entry into the restaurant without a reservation.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. A waiter soon appeared and guided Darius to the best table in their restaurant. There were already several cuisines neatly arranged on the table, with a bottle of red wine too. Darius and Alice both sat down to dine. As they ate, Alice kept stealing nces at Darius. She had asked him a few questions but Darius had refused to answer. He only promised to answer when he was done with his meal. Her heart fluttered and beat rapidly whenever she nced at Darius. Darius noticed her nces but ignored her. Left with no choice, Alice focused on finishing her meal. After a few minutes of eating in silence, the pair finished their meal. Alice was about to speak, as she was eager to ask Darius various questions, when someone walked over to their table. Chapter 51 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 51 Both Alice and Darius looked up at the person who walked up to their table. Darius had a calm expression when he saw the person, but the same couldn¡®t be said for Alice. Her eyes were as wide as saucers. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. The person who walked up to their table was Michael Finn, the sole heir of the Finn conglomerate! Michael Finn was Alice¡®s ssmate in high school two years ago. Back in their high school, Michael Finn was a very popr figure. He always had tons of people looking up to him and following him about. He was handsome, intelligent and rich, so it was no wonder that many people wanted to be his friend. Alice on the other hand was not so rich. She never even believed herself to be in his level so she didn¡®t pay attention to him. However, rumors started flying that Michael was interested in Alice. Alice thought it to be a lie as she didn¡¯t have anything to offer him, but when she heard that he rejected the advances of several of her schoolmates, she started having wild thoughts. Few weekster, Michael asked her to be his girlfriend in front of the whole student body. Being the na?ve high school girl she was, she epted his proposal and became his girlfriend. Unfortunately for her, that was the beginning of her nightmares. Michael Finn came from a very established household, where he was pampered and treated as a king, therefore he was very possessive. Only three days into their rtionship, he forbade her from speaking to any of her male school mates. Anytime she was caught disobeying his rule, the male in question would suddenly withdraw from the school, and nothing would be heard about him anymore. When her male friends and school mates heard Michael¡®s rule, they steered clear from her, isting her. All of them refused to talk to them anymore, afraid of bringing Michael¡®s wrath on themselves. It was a dark period of time for Alice. Just when she thought it couldn¡®t get any worse, he gave her a new rule that forbade her from talking to her female friends. She was only allowed to talk to him and him alone. The worst thing was that there was no one Alice could turn to for help. Her parents had died in a car ident, leaving her alone in the world with her younger brother who was still too young. She had tried asking her teachers and the police for help, but because the Finn conglomerate was a powerful one, they refused to offer her help. Left with no choice, with the little insurance her parents left her with after their death, she got on a ne with her younger brother and left with no intention ofing back. However what she didn¡®t expect was that after two years, she would meet the person who once gave her nightmares on her date with Darius. While she was still staring at Michael with wide eyes, Michael spoke up, jolting her out of her reverie. ¡°It¡®s been a while hasn¡¯t it Alice?¡± Michael said; his eyes scanning Alice over as he spoke. It 119 Thatto: 51 had only been two years since hest saw her after her departure, yet she was even prettier than she was two years ago. If she was just a budding seed two years ago, she was now a fully blossomed flower. His eyes burned with passion as he saw how innocent Alice looked and he could feel his possessiveness over her resurfacing. Back then when she left him without so much as a goodbye, he nearly went mad with rage. Of course being the sole heir of a conglomerate, he naturally knew where Alice ran to. However he was instructed not to chase after her by the Patriarch of the Finn conglomerate, so despite his intentions, he had no choice but to obey. He had been incredibly busy after she left, as he was trying to further elevate the status of the Finn conglomerate. Before he became involved in the family business, he always believed his family to be invincible; but that mindset changed when he became actively involved in the family business. It turned out that there were various families that were more powerful than he could even fathom. There were so many of them who could squash the Finn conglomerate with so much as the snap of a finger. The Finn conglomerate were not even worthy of being mentioned beside them. Due to that reason, he channeled all his ambitious spirit towards elevating the Finn conglomerate. Nheless, despite his busy schedule, he still did not forget about Alice. His desire for her still burned fiercely in his heart. He had made up his mind to see her when he was done with his business. Who would have thought that he would be meeting her here today? ¡°Hi Michael.¡± Alice said; trembling as she spoke. Even after two years, the trauma that Michael inflicted on her had yet to fade. ¡°Do you know him?¡± a clear voice suddenly spoke up. Michael then turned to the direction of the voice. When he saw Darius sitting calmly and staring at him nonchntly, his possessive attitude red up. ¡°Who is he?¡± Michael asked; his voice incredibly cold. Alice trembled when she heard his voice. It was the same voice that gave her sleepless nights and various nightmares. The memories of her rtionship with Michael came flooding back. One of his rules was that she was never allowed to disobey him. Therefore as if programmed like a robot, she immediately answered his question. ¡°He¡®s my friend Darius.¡± Alice answered. Darius frowned when Alice answered Michael¡®s question. He looked at Alice and was about to condemn her when he noticed her trembling. Not only that, she was fidgeting with one of the rings she wore on her index finger. It was almost as if she was terribly afraid of something. ¡°A friend?¡± Michael asked, his voice even getting colder. ¡°Get up. We¡®re leaving now.¡± Michael ordered. He paid no heed to Darius¡® presence andpletely ignored him. Alice stood up involuntarily and smiled apologetically to Darius. She was about to speak when Darius beat her to it. ¡°What do you think you are doing Alice?¡± Darius asked in an eerily calm voice. Michael scowled when he heard Darius question. However he maintained his silence. He deemed Darius as inferior to him and didn¡®t want to have a conversation of any kind with him. He had been with Alice in the past and knowing her, she would surely agree to leave with him. Alice smiled apologetically again. ¡°Michael and I have a bit of past, so I¡®m sure he just wants to catch up. I¡®m sorry to end the date like this. I¡®ll make it up to youter I promise.¡± Alice said. ¡°Alice let¡®s go.¡± Michael urged her impatiently. Darius spoke up again as Alice was about to leave with Michael. His voice was incredibly dangerous this time, sending shivers down their spines. ¡°I¡®ll ask again. What exactly do you think you¡®re doing, Alice?¡± Chapter 52 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 52 Alice flinched when she heard Darius¡® question. She turned back slowly while holding her breath. Darius sat still on his chair still maintaining his calm expression. However his demeanor was completely different from before. It was as if he changed from a friendly dog to a Lion as he calmly sat on his chair watching her. Alice gulped slowly before speaking up. ¡°Don¡®t worry Darius. I know Michael. We are just going to have a talk and catch up with the past. You don¡®t need to bother about it.¡± Alice exined. ¡°You still haven¡®t answered my question Alice.¡± Darius replied calmly. Alice sighed. She knew that Darius wasn¡®t the person he was anymore, as he was incredibly wealthy, but they were dealing with Michael Finn here, the sole heir of the Finn conglomerate! When she was in a rtionship with Michael back in high school, no one had agreed to help her when she mentioned the situation she was in to them. That only showed her how powerful the Finn conglomerate was. Although Darius was rich, she felt that his wealth was not enough to go against Michael. She believed that he was only standing up for her because he had no idea how terrifying Michael was. Alice was about to speak again, but Michael beat her to it. ¡°Forget it. I¡®m not wasting my time here. Come here!¡± Michael said. As he spoke, he grabbed Alice¡®s arm roughly and dragged her with him with the intention of leaving the restaurant. He had only gone two steps when he felt an arm mp down tightly on his shoulders. He ignored the hand on his shoulder and tried to move forward, but was unable to. He tried again, but it was futile as the grip on his shoulder was too strong. Left with no choice, he turned back to face the person. Darius stood still with his hand on Michael¡®s shoulder. He didn¡®t care who Michael was or what his rtionship with Alice was. ording to what he saw from the single exchange he had with Alice, he guessed that Alice and Michael had a bit of past together, but it was far from a peaceful one. Alice who was all bubbly and smiling a few minutes ago suddenly started trembling and shaking because of Michael¡®s arrival. In fact, she looked like she was terrified of Michael. Darius would never allow someone like that to leave with Alice. Besides, he brought Alice out for a date. How could he allow aplete stranger to leave with Alice? Michael on the other was very irritated when he saw Darius¡® hand on his shoulder. It was like as if a bug was crawling on his skin. However despite his irritation, he became incredibly vignt. Even after exerting a bit of force, he was unable to get Darius¡® arm off his shoulder. It only meant that Darius was not an average person and his personal strength was impressive. Not wanting to lose out to Darius, he let go of the hand holding Alice¡®s hand and put them to the hand on his shoulder. Only then did he manage to get Darius¡® hand off his shoulder. He red at Darius when he seeded. Although Michael was tall, he was still a bit shorter than Darius. Therefore when he red at Darius it only irked him the more that he was shorter than Darius, because it felt as if Darius was looking down on him. A few seconds of silence passed, before Michael spoke up, unable to bear the silence anymore. ¡°You¡®ve got a lot of nerve, holding on to me like that.¡± Michael said in an icy tone. ¡°I should be telling you that. What do you think you¡®re doing by forcefully taking my date away?¡± Darius countered in an equally icy tone. ¡°Date?¡± Michael asked. His gaze instantly turned frosty. He turned to Alice and asked in a chilly tone. ¡°What does he mean by that?¡± Alice started panicking when she heard Darius say they were on a date. She knew how insane Michael could be whenever he felt that he was in danger of losing her. She had nned to draw Michael¡®s attention away from Darius as she didn¡®t want to involve Darius in her rtionship struggles and expose him to Michael¡®s wrath, but Darius¡® answer had just ruined that possibility. ¡°I mean what I said.¡± Darius said, answering in ce of Alice. Michael was even more irritated when Darius answered for Alice. ¡°I see you have a death wish.¡± Michael threatened, ring at Darius. ¡°It¡®s you who have a death wish.¡± Darius countered. The veins on Michael¡®s forehead twitched from anger. He was about to retort when a loud ringing tone echoed where they stood. Michael put his hand into his pocket and brought out his phone. He was about to ignore the phone call, but when he saw the caller ID, he changed his mind. Both Darius and Alice watched as Michael turned away from them to answer the phone call. About thirty secondster, Michael ended the call. He looked at where they stood and spoke in an audible voice. ¡°This isn¡®t over.¡± Michael threatened. He nced at Alice for a brief moment before finally making his way out of the restaurant. Darius scoffed at Michael¡®s threat. He thought of him as nothing but a coward. He was still scorning Michael in his mind when he heard a loud sound beside him. He turned and saw that it was Alice who had fallen to the floor. Her two hands were trembling greatly and she was too scared to stand on her two feet. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Darius helped her up to her feet and directed her to his car. He wondered what kind of rtionship that Alice had with Michael that just a single appearance from him would put her in such a mess. He wanted to ask her, but when he saw how disoriented Alice was, he refrained from doing so. She wasn¡®t in the right state of mind now, and would not be able to answer his question He drove speedily back to the female dormitory. Thirty minutes into the ride, Alice finally got a hold of herself. Even at that, she refused to speak up and just kept staring at the window. 1 hour 30 minutester, Darius came to a stop outside the female dormitory. Alice alighted from the vehicle ¡°Are you alright?¡± Darius asked. He couldn¡®t just allow Alice to leave like that. Alice mustered up a smile at his question. It was not his fault that she was a mess, but he still had the heart to care genuinely about her well being. ¡°I¡®ll be fine. I knew that this isn¡®t how the date is supposed to end, but I¡®m contented with this already. Thank you.¡± Alice replied. She waved at Darius before walking towards her dormitory Darius sat in his car, staring at Alice until she was no longer in his line of sight. After confirming that she had arrived safely at her dorm, Darius took onest look around before driving off Chapter 53 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 53 The next few days were incredibly tough for Darius as there were only two days before the one week leave granted to him ran out. He had spent the majority of liis time in the study room going over several documents regarding the Reid consortium. However despite his efforts, he had yet to even finish 10% of the work he was supposed to do regarding the Reid consortium. After signing one more document, he leaned back into his chair and sighed. There were still several documents arranged neatly on the table waiting for him to go through them. He finally understood what his grandfather meant. There was no way he could handle this work alone. He had fully focused on working during the past few days, yet he had covered so little. He dared not imagine what the case would be when he resumed school. At this rate lie would not even be able to get 1% of the work done. Darius sighed once more. He looked at the antique clock in his study room and saw that it was already time for lunch. He had worked overnight and was so engrossed in his work that the time flew quickly He hastily took a shower before having his lunch. As soon as he was done eating, his phone pinged, signaling the arrival of a message. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Darius checked the message and saw that it was from Bruce. It was a message updating him about one of the business deals he needed to finalize. There was also a file attached to the message Darius connected his phone to hisptop and opened the file. He spent the next ten minutes reading the documents in the file, and when he was done he let out a sigh. He was needed to finalize the deal was between Nix Inc., a subsidiary of the Reid consortium and Numbers Int¡¯l. Numbers lut¡¯I was a locally acimedpany which was founded by Rob Bertrand. Rob had founded thepany from scratch and built it into the business empire that it was today. It was a software basedpany, just like Nix Inc., and many people had very high expectations for it. They had expected it to grow into a mammoth business empire that would go head to head with the tycoon that was Nix Inc. in the tech world. It had that much potential. Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case. Rob Bertrand, the CEO and founder of Numbers Int¡¯l had died suddenly six months ago. It came as a shock to the business world. Before luis death, he had held a press conference where he promised the release of an innovative technology that would change the world. Yet not even a day after press conference, he was dered dead. Many people had imed that hispetitors in the tech world were responsible for his death, however as there were no evidence even after research to prove their involvement in his death, there was nothing the authorities could do. Although Numbers Int¡¯l were not as colossal as Nix Inc. which was under the Reid consortium, they still held considerable weight in their district. Before the death of Rob, thepany had a worth of over $350 million. It was a considerable sum of wealth. That all changed after Rob¡¯s death. With no genius mind to lead the software basedpany to glory, thepany growth went downhill. The stock prices were the first to get hit, with the stock price of thepany dropping over 1,000%. Coupled with that, the quality of tech products released by thepany also dropped massively. This resulted in a huge loss of sales for thepany. Unable to bear the weight of the losses, the rising company was finally dered bankrupt. Unwilling to let apany with huge potential die out, his grandfather had ordered the upper echelons in the Nix Inc. to obtain ownership of Numbers Int¡¯l. The upper echelons instantly obeyed, and after a series of negotiations and deliberation, Numbers Int¡¯l finally agreed to sell 100% of their shares to Nix Inc for $50 million, a far cry from what the software company was actually worth. With total agreements between both sides, the only thing left was for Darius himself to sign the agreement. It was something that needed both his presence and his signature. The upper echelons were also hosting a meeting regarding thetest technology they developed. Darius¡¯ presence wasn¡¯t necessary as they would still send the details and conclusion of the meeting to him, but since the meeting was held on the same day his presence was required, he saw no reason not to attend the meeting. Despite the fact that Darius found the circumstances surrounding Rob¡¯s death strange, he did not bother too much about it. The business world was a battlefield, and it was not umon for people to die the way Rob did. Darius leisurely dressed up in his quality office outfit before making his way to his private garage. He had no choice than to put his search for a suitable personal assistant on hold as he had more pressing matters to attend to now. He got into his Bugatti and drove off. After a few minutes, he got to the Nix Inc. headquarters. This time around, the security guard didn¡¯t bother to ask Darius for his identification. Darius visit the previous time had left a deep impression on him. His background and identity was far too scary for someone of his status. When he entered the main lobby of the Nix Inc. headquarters, the upper echelons came down to wee him. Before his arrival, they had made sure to warn the workers that their superior would be visiting the headquarters for a business deal and that they were to be at their best behavior, and anyone who didn¡¯t obey the rules would be dismissed immediately. Such measures were needed if they didn¡¯t want a repeat of what happened during his previous visit. As they guided Darius to the conference room, each of the workers all bowed lightly as a sign of respect to him when they walked by. Even if most of them had no idea who Darius was, the fact that the upper echelon apanied him during his visits not once but twice proved that his identity was far from ordinary. It was only right for them to pay their respect to him. After a minute or two of walking, the upper echelon guided Darius to an imperial conference room. When they entered the conference room, Darius was shocked by what he saw. Chapter 54 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 54 They all stood up and bowed lightly as Darius walked in. It showed that they were not ignorant about the powerful background Darius had. Only when Darius had sat down at the head of the conference table did the other people in the room sit. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. The senior secretary to one of the upper echelon¡¯s higher-ranking members passed several documents to Darius before passing them around to the others present. When everyone had received the documents, the secretary stood beside her superior. It was time fo The meetingmenced with the unveiling of the new products invented by the various researchers in the Innovative research department. Darius maintained a stoic face as he scanned the documents given to him, but he was shocked at what he saw. The Nix Inc. really proved why they were worthy of being the number i techpany in the country. The documents contained the list of the products and the details about them, along with starting price for theirunch. The upper echelons started engaging in various discussions regarding the products, with them asking Darius for his input from time to time. After two hours, the whole board present finally concluded the meeting about theunch of the new products. The date and venue for theunch was already chosen and the documents regarding the launch signed by Darius. With the first agenda on the meeting concluded, it was time for the second agenda, which was the takeover of Numbers Int¡¯l. Although Darius had already reviewed the files sent to him by Bruce, he still reviewed the documents the senior secretary handed over to him. The documents this time contained minute details about the softwarepany Numbers Int¡¯l, ranging from the smallest worker to the employees at the highest level. It was expected, as any takeover the Reid consortium was involved in was carefully monitored. They had to make sure that everything was in ce before they took ownership of thepany. Darius read through the documents leisurely. From the files Bruce sent him, Numbers Int¡¯l was a company with huge potential, but from what he read now, many of the employees were actually subpar. He guessed that Rob must have been the one who singlehandedly raised Numbers Int¡¯l to the level it was at before his sudden death. Darius frowned as he read through the details of the upper echelons of Numbers Int¡¯l. When he signed the documents, he would have to dismiss every one of the Numbers Int¡¯l employees. He couldn¡¯t have such people working for him. He was still mulling over what improvements could be done to the softwarepany when he came across an employee details on the documents. He read it dutifully as he did the other details, but as he read further, his look of nonchnce suddenly changed to shock. When he was done reading the details about the employee in the documents, he brought out his phone and sent a message to Bruce. Darius: (Look into this person for me and send me every of her detail.) It didn¡¯t take a few seconds before Darius¡¯ phone pinged, signaling the arrival of a message. Sure enough, Bruce had replied his message. Bruce: (Certainly Young Master.) Darius, satisfied with Bruce¡¯s response, now focused on the meeting. Another hour passed with them discussing the various ideas that could help improve the softwarepany. After another thirty minutes passed, the upper echelons finally concluded the meeting. What followed after was straightforward. The contracts between the twopanies were reviewed carefully again by thepanywyers before Darius finally signed the contracts. Havingpleted the tasks he attended the meeting for, Darius waved them goodbye before leaving the conference room, allowing the upper echelons to conclude the meeting they had today. His strides were swift as he walked to his car. He had barely sat down in his car when his phone pinged again. Of course it was a message from Bruce. With how efficient Bruce was, he had already completed the task Darius requested of him. Excited, Darius opened the file attached to the message and started reading. By the time Darius was done reading the file Bruce sent to him, there was a huge smile on his face. Erin Chrysalis was ady who came from a very poor family who lived in the countryside, an underdeveloped area. She had gone to the local school in her countryside and bagged a schrship up to the tertiary level due to her incredible performance. Due to her poor background, she had to work part time jobs in college so that she could take care of her basic needs as her schrship only covered her tuition and amodation, a situation Darius could rte to. However even with her poor living conditions, she made sure to send enough money to her ailing parents back in the countryside. When she finished her college education, she had spent a whole year searching for a suitable job. Unfortunately, no one wanted to employ her without demanding something from her in return. When she was at herst ends, her savior in Rob Bertrand appeared. Just weeks after he founded Numbers Int¡¯l, she applied to be an employee at hispany. At that time, they were still sharing a measly office building in a downtown area. Rob himself had interviewed her, and because of his upright character, Erin was given the job. Together with Rob and few other workers, they all worked tirelessly and watched Numbers Int¡¯l grow to the software giant that it was. Erin was the happiest of them all when she witnessed thepany¡¯s rapid growth. She had watched thepany grow from being worth a few thousand dors in a downtown area to apany worth over 350 million dors. She was even promoted to the position of vice president of thepany. Sadly, not all good thingssted. It was the case in her story. Just after she built a big house in the countryside for her parents and was beginning to enjoy the fruits of herbor, misfortune came knocking on her door. The founder of thepany she worked for and her mentor, Rob Bertrand suddenly died just after announcing the release of histest products. When she heard the news, she had gone numb with shock Howe someone she spoke with clearly on the phone the previous day was suddenly dead? She found it simply unbelievable. Before she could even process the shock she received from his death, the shares of thepany started dropping rapidly. As the vice president of thepany, she pushed her grief away and focused on keeping thepany afloat. In the end, all her efforts were useless. She was not a software engineer or a researcher, so she couldn¡¯t help thepany in that aspect. Unfortunately that was the core of Numbers Int¡¯l. As there was no genius mind to maintain the quality of the products from thepany, the shares of the company hit rock bottom. Stuck between a rock and a hard ce, the board of directors in thepany called a meeting. They had decided to sell thepany to their directpetitor and the tycoon in the tech world, Nix Inc. for a sum of $50 million. Erin was at a loss. Even after her efforts, three months was all it took for thepany she worked blood and sweat for to be history. Unable to stomach the turn of events, she was now a regr at Eve bar, an average bar in her district, where she drank away all her sorrows. Darius smiled again as he recalled the details about Erin. After days of racking his mind on where to get his personal assistant, he finally found someone who was just perfect for the job. He looked at the time on his watch and saw that it was just the time the bar would open. He started his car and drove off speedily. Chapter 55 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 55 Darius drove his car at top speed as he wanted to arrive at Eve bar as soon as possible. He was naturally breaking the speed limits as he drove, which drew the attention of various traffic officers to him. However when they saw the customized license te and the expensive looking sports car, they turned a blind eye to his high speed. Such a person would definitely have a powerful identity. As long as he didn¡¯t get involved in a road ident, they could overlook his misgivings. After one hour of driving at top speed, Darius finally arrived at his destination. The outside of the bar was already busy, with the loud music from inside the bar echoing outside the building. There was a long queue of people waiting to enter, showing that the bar was a popr one. When Darius pulled into the parking lot with his sports car, his arrival naturally drew a lot of attention ¡°Wow! Such an expensive sports car!¡± A male in waiting in the queue said. The moment the bouncers saw the expensive looking sports car, one of them instantly walked up to the sports car. As bouncers who had worked here for a bit of time, they knew that anyone that could afford such an expensive car was not a trivial person. The owners would most likely be heirs to powerful business empires,panies or families; therefore they enjoyed being treated differently from other people. When Darius alighted from the sports car, the females suddenly had hearts in their eyes. So handsome! Darius, havingpletely embraced his wealthy identity was aplete spec of a male. The females were blushing deeply as they looked at Darius while the males had expression of jealousy on their face. Not only was he handsome, he was also very rich! The world was not a fair one indeed. ¡°This way Sir.¡± The bouncer said, before guiding Darius to the bar through the entrance meant for VIPs. Soon enough, they were inside the building. Darius tipped the bouncer generously before making his way to an unupied table. After ordering a bottle of the most expensive wine avable, he sat down and started looking around. The bar was loud and rowdy, and stank of alcohol and sweat, but Darius wasn¡¯t bothered. He only had one purpose foring here anyways. Once he aplished his purpose, he would leave. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Darius spent the next thirty minutes looking around the bar while waiting for the arrival of . Erin Chrysalis. Just when he thought that she wasn¡¯t going to show up today, Darius finally caught sight of her. She was dressed in a sensual ck gown that was a bit exposing, with her hairpletely white under the dim lighting in the bar. Her entrance garnered the attention of many men who were lusting after her. However Erin rejected all of their advances and ordered a drink Sure enough, as soon as her bottle of vodka arrived, she started drinking immediately. Darius watched her empty the contents of the first bottle of vodka. He couldn¡¯t help but apud her alcohol tolerance. He would have been knocked out by a single bottle of vodka if he were in her ce. His alcohol tolerance was very bad after all. Twenty minutes went by quickly. Apart from her emptying the contents of the bottles and the asional disturbance from the males who wanted to drink with her, nothing else happened. Darius wanted to talk to her, but couldn¡¯t find a way to do so. He was afraid of having his intentions misinterpreted by her. If that happened it would be very difficult to recover from. First impression mattered a lot after all. He was still thinking of how to approach her when two men came over to her table. Due to the loud music sting from the speakers and the distance between them, Darius couldn¡¯t hear what the conversation among the trio were all about. After a minute he noticed that Erin had a pissed expression on her face. He guessed that she said something mean because a few secondster the two males who walked over to her table had angered expressions on their faces. The trio argued for a few more minutes before leaving her table in anger. Darius saw this as his opportunity to approach her. However before he could make his own move, Erin got up from her table and started walking towards the exit after leaving the money for the drinks on her table. Darius was shocked at her actions. The reports had clearly stated that she usually spent 4-6 hours in the bar before leaving. However what was this situation? Barely thirty minutes had gone by and she was already leaving. Darius cursed under his breath before getting up from his chair and hastily chasing after her. He had to achieve his objective today. He walked as fast as he could, but inadvertently lost her in the crowd. By the time he exited the bar, she was nowhere to be found. Darius sighed. He had no choice than toe back again tomorrow. He had hoped toplete his business and hire Erin to be his personal assistant today, but it seemed that wouldn¡¯t be the case anymore. Disappointed with the oue, he started making his way towards his Bugatti. He had only covered a small distance when he heard a loud scream. Darius debated whether to ignore the scream or not. The surrounding was very dark after all with little moonlight. It was not umon for some couples to get steamy during such days. Perhaps that was the source of the scream. After debating internally for a few seconds, curiosity got the better of him and he decided to check it out. If it was what he thought it was, he would leave immediately. He was not a pervert after all. Havinge to a decision, he walked towards the source of the scream. However the sight he encountered was the least of his expectations, and was one that filled him endless anger. Chapter 56 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 56 Erin was being held roughly by the two men. Her ck gown was torn in some ces and their hands were groping her breasts roughly. She tried to struggle with all her strength but she was too weak for them. Not only that, one of the two men had mped his hands tightly on her mouth so that she would be unable to cry out for help When Darius saw the unbridled lust in the gaze of the two males and the tears dripping off Erin¡¯s face, his eyes went red from rage. He didn¡¯t need anybody to tell him what they wanted to do to her. Their actions said it all. They wanted to rape her. ¡°What do you think you both are doing right now?¡± Darius asked in a very icy tone. The two men jolted from shock when they heard Darius¡¯ voice. They didn¡¯t expect anybody to be here at all. ¡°How did you find us?¡± one of the males asked Darius. ¡°That should be the least of your problems now.¡± Darius replied coldly. The other male removed his hands from Erin and started walking towards Darius menacingly. ¡°I will overlook your presence if you choose to leave quietly now. If you don¡¯t, then don¡¯t me me for what happens to you.¡± The male said threateningly. Darius however scoffed at his threat. ¡°I should be the one telling you that.¡± Darius replied just as threateningly. ¡°If you choose to leave now. I will overlook your crimes. If you don¡¯t, then don¡¯t me me for your misfortune.¡± The male scowled when he heard Darius reply. ¡°Since you have refused to follow the easy way, I won¡¯t mind teaching you a lesson the hard way.¡± And with that statement, the male lunged at Darius. Darius expected his move. He effortlessly evaded the first punch the male threw at him before retaliating with a punch of his own. His counter punchnded squarely on the jaws of his opponent. His opponent staggered back from the hit. There was considerable power in that punch. Unknown to him, Darius had been practicing some martial arts during his free time. Thatbined with his already athletic body made him a formidable opponent. The two of them exchanged blows for a few moments before separating once more. The male now had a serious expression on his face. He had greatly underestimated Darius¡¯ strength, From the few blows they exchanged, it was evident that he was on the losing end. His aplice saw that his friend was losing, so he roughly pushed Erin to the ground before joining his friend in the fight against Darius. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. When Darius saw that the two of them decided to gang up against him, he didn¡¯t panic. From the first exchange he had with his first opponent, he could tell that he was significantly stronger than the duo. Sure enough, only after a few minutes, the two males dropped to the ground. They were beaten brutally by Darius with ck eyes and fractured ribs. On the other hand, Darius was unscathed. 1 They couldn¡¯t believe their luck They just had to run into someone that was significantly stronger than them. It was unlucky for them, but they had lost the fight. The fight between the trio was not silent, so it attracted the security personnel to their location. Darius exined to the security personnel why he beat them up. They also became angry when they heard his reason. They promised to hand them over to the police and took the offenders-with them, leaving Darius alone with Erin. Darius looked over at where Eriny still on the ground. She had fainted from the shock Darius sighed. He scanned her body and let out a sigh of relief when he saw that she only had light injuries on her. He carried her gently to his car and ced her carefully in the passenger seat before driving off. [Dragon Lord Imperial Residence, Darius apartment Erin woke up with a banging headache She turned over on the king sized bed and took a bottle of water that was on the bedside table to quench her thirst. When she was done, she stood up and walked dazedly to the bathroom in the room to relieve herself. She was still seating on the toilet seat when it hit her. This wasn¡¯t her apartment. As a matter of fact, she had never been here before. Everything here seemed to be ten times more expensive than what was at her apartment. She was sure that whoever brought her here must be very wealthy. She rushed out of the bathroom and looked at herself in the huge mirror in the room. It was then she noticed that she waspletely naked. She immediately grabbed the stylish ck bathrobe and covered herself. She couldn¡¯t help but start panicking. How on earth did she get here? She forced herself to calm down. She had to tread carefully at times like this. After thinking it carefully, she still didn¡¯t know how she ended up here. Thest thing she remembered was being rough handled by two disgusting men she rejected at her regr bar. Was it possible that she was raped and kidnapped by the two men? She couldn¡¯t remember everything that happened that night clearly after all. She was still deep in thought when the door to the room opened and a person walked in. She instantly tensed up, but when she caught sight of the person who walked into the room, her eyes widened in shock The person who walked into the room was extremely handsome. In addition, he was much taller than she was. He was wearing a bathrobe that was simr to hers, but his was decorated with numerous intricate golden dragon designs. She was also intimidated by his regal demeanor. For a moment, she forgot that she was in a ce that waspletely unknown to her and was simply mesmerized by his demeanor. It was only when she heard him speak that she came to her senses. ¡°Erin Chrysalis, what do you think about working for me?¡± Chapter 57 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 57 Erin looked at Darius with confusion disyed on her face. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡®Work for him?¡¯ She didn¡¯t even know who he was! As a matter of fact, she didn¡¯t know how she got here. While she was still trying to figure out where the heck she was, someone appeared and without even offering an exnation, he candidly asked her to work for him. Erin wanted fo curse at him, but considering the fact that she didn¡¯t know him, and neither did she know this ce, she withheld her curses. The man could be very dangerous andsh out at her if she misbehaved. . The only reason she was a bit calm was because she was sure that the man bore no resemnce to the duo who wanted to rape her. Although it was a bit dark at the time of the assault, she still remembered the faces of the two men clearly. ¡°Excuse me sir, but I don¡¯t even know you, neither do I know what you do for a living. I don¡¯t even know how I got here. How on earth am I supposed to answer your question?¡± Erin replied in an exasperated voice. Darius coughed lightly when he heard her response. His question was indeed out of the blue, and Erin truly didn¡¯t know how she got here. He should first exin to her how she got here and calm her down before proceeding to the next step. ¡°You¡¯re right. I was indeed in too much of a haste.¡± Darius started. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself.¡± ¡°My name is Darius Reid. I am a third year student of Business Management at Kingston University.¡± Darius said. Erin eyes widened when she heard Darius¡¯ introduction. Kingston University? That was a top university in the country! The young man must be very brilliant to actually get into the university. Not only was he extremely handsome and rich, he was also very intelligent! She was certainly impressed at that, and her outlook on Darius improved drastically. Darius had no idea that his introduction had improved Erin¡¯s impression of him. He went ahead to exin the events that had transpired at the bar after she fainted. As Erin listened to Darius exnation, her heart melted. The young man had put himself in danger and fought two strangers he was meeting for the first time just to protect her and make sure that they didn¡¯t have their way. It was a very brave gesture, something that she least expected from Darius. When Darius was finally done with narrating the events, Erin was very touched by his kindness. She also felt very at ease even though she was in an unknown ce. This was the first time she met someone who was willing to go the extra mile for aplete stranger. ¡°I heard what happened to your formerpany.¡± Darius said. Now that Erin had calmed down after knowing how she came here, it was time for him to present his offer once more. Erin looked at the ground when Darius spoke. The mention of her formerpany always brought tears to her eyes. She deemed herself as ady with a very strong mindset, however when the company she puked blood and sweat for crashed, she could not handle the bacsh. Otherwise why would she resort to drinking at Eve bar every day? Darius noticed her be dejected when he mentioned herpany and felt sympathy for her. It was not easy for someone to ovee such a disaster. ¡°I really admire your talent. Even with many sponsors and investors pulling out you managed to make thepanyst an extra three months before its crash. That is something very noteworthy.¡± Darius praised. His praises weren¡¯t just empty words. Not just anyone could make apany that didn¡¯t receive funding from any of its investors or sponsors keep on functioning for an extra three months. It was a feat that required enough experience, grit and hard work to achieve. This particr achievement impressed Darius greatly. It was why he was so invested in making her his personal assistant otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have done so much to hire her. ¡°It would be a waste of godly talent to let you spend the whole night drinking at a bar.¡± Darius said. He crossed his legs and poured himself a ss of wine before taking a sip. Erin found it very hard to focus on his words when she saw his gesture. He was just that attractive! ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Erin asked, finally tearing her gaze from Darius¡¯ handsome face and focusing on his words. ¡°I¡¯m here to offer you a chance at redemption by working for me.¡± Darius replied calmly. Erin frowned slightly at his words. Although she was eternally grateful and felt very indebted to Darius for his benevolent acts, she didn¡¯t bear any thoughts of working for him. Even though Numbers Int¡¯l was no longer existent now, it was still a formidablepany in its prime. She had watched the company grow from scratch and was very attached to it therefore she didn¡¯t feel inclined to work for anotherpany so soon. She was about to reject Darius, but Darius abruptly stood up, causing her to swallow her words. Darius left the room and after two minutes he came back with several documents. ¡°These are the documents and contract regarding the work I want you to do for me. I want you to go through the documents before making a decision.¡± Darius said as he handed the documents to her. Erin collected the documents reluctantly. She already made up her mind not to be moved by the contents of the documents, but that resolve was instantly broken after reading the documents for two minutes. By the time she was done reading the contents of the documents, her eyes were as wide as saucers. Chapter 58 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 58 When he saw her response, Darius smiled triumphantly. It was exactly as he had predicted. He inquired once more, this time in a confident tone. ¡°So Erin Chrysalis, what do you think about working for me?¡± Erin didn¡¯t answer him immediately. She was still stunned by the details in the documents and the contract offer that he offered. The documents contained the list of severalpanies that were globally acknowledged. As a former vice president of Numbers Int¡¯l, she naturally knew several of thepanies mentioned in the documents. The least of thepanies in the documents was worth at least $30 billion, which was an astronomical sum! Even the nemesis of Numbers Int¡¯l, Nix Inc. was listed in the documents too. Although she was extremely shocked by thepanies listed in the documents, her shock reached a new high when she read the contract details. The contract stated that she was to help manage the severalpanies that were listed in the documents. However, her shockrgely came from the benefits she would receive if she signed the contract. A monthly sry of $10 million, an already furbished apartment, a car of her choosing, and various bonuses and add-ons! It was understandable why Erin was so shocked. Even her former job as the vice president of Numbers Int¡¯l didn¡¯t pay her so much money!! Erin looked at Darius warily; as for him to offer her such a job meant that all thepanies that were listed in the documents belonged to him. Just how powerful was he that he was able to obtain ownership of thesepanies? She couldn¡¯t help but shiver. His identity was too scary. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have gone over the details by now. I cannot certainly handle all these by myself, which is why I need you to assist me.¡± Darius said. Erin looked at him even more warily. Since he was so rich and powerful, he would surely be able to get anybody he wanted to work for him. Why did he have to be bent on making her work for him? There was surely more talented people than her that he could choose, so why her? Erin however did not voice herint out. She was nning on rejecting the job offer before, but not anymore. Where else would she find a job that paid so much money? This was a very great opportunity for her. She would be insane to miss out on this. She still had her ailing parents to take care of after all. ¡°I await your response.¡± Darius reminded Erin. Erin looked up from the documents before smiling at him. ¡°It¡¯ll be my pleasure to work for you, Mr. Reid.¡± Erin answered. This was her ticket to stardom. Although she didn¡¯t know what aspect of her intrigued Darius, she was d to have caught the attention of a big shot. She vowed to dedicate herself to fulfilling all of his demands until he regarded her as indispensable to him. Darius was very satisfied with her response. After a series of ups and downs, he finally got himself a capable assistant. It was very fortunate as he was resuming lectures the next day. With Erin at the wheel, he could now manage to focus on his education. He needed his degree after all. ¡°Alright. Please sign the contract so that we can get started right away.¡± Darius said. Erin was confused about what he meant, but signed the contract anyway. She passed the contract to Darius after signing it. Darius then put his own signature on the contract before putting the documents away. ¡°Get dressed. Your clothes are in the wardrobe. They got stained yesterday so I ordered for them to be washed and repackaged.¡± Darius said before exiting the room. Erin sighed and walked over the luxurious wardrobe. True to his words her clothes looked like they were just bought from a clothing store. She wore her ck gown and styled her white hair. When she took a look in the mirror after she was done, she blushed lightly. For a 27 year old, she was incredibly stunning. Her white hair made her look more like a movie star and not an office worker. She had wless skin and an hourss figure. Coupled with the sexy ck gown she wore, she was sure to turn heads wherever she went. Not long after, the door opened and Darius walked in. He was dressed in casual wears, but his tall and muscr figure with his attractive features made him stand out. Together the duo made their way to Darius¡¯ private garage. When Erin saw Darius¡¯ two sports cars, she was stunned. They looked so expensive! She was sure that she would have to work for a whole year at Numbers Int¡¯l before she could afford such a car. Darius got into his Lamborghini, and Erin did the same. Darius then sped out of his garage. After driving for over twenty minutes, he parked neatly at a store. It was a high rated clothing store, one that not just anyone could enter. As they had high price tags on most of their clothes, it was mainly reserved for the wealthy. The people at the store were all shocked when they saw the Lamborghini drive in. It was by far the most expensive car to visit the store that day. They were even more shocked when both Darius and Erin alighted from the vehicle. ¡°Is he a movie star? He¡¯s so handsome!¡± ¡°Look at thedy with him too. They must both be movie stars!¡± ¡°Yeah. Otherwise how would they be able to afford such an expensive car?¡± Erin was not used to such attention as she rarely had to deal with crowds, so she subconsciously cowered behind Darius. Darius thought nothing of it. He had been poor since when he was young, therefore he was already used to people pointing fingers at him. Now that he was rich, the only thing that changed that the expressions on their faces changed from disgust and shun to admiration and envy. Darius led Erin into the store and started picking out various outfits for her. He had looked into her background and knew that she had sold inajority of her properties to have some little cash, therefore she didn¡¯t have much outfits left. Erin was very touched by his gesture. She knew that everything in this store was very costly, but Darius still brought her here to shop. It was a very heartwarming gesture. She vowed once again to do her very best in her work Darius, unaware of the loyalty his action just earned him continued picking out various outfits. As his personal assistant, he couldn¡¯t allow her to be dressed in subpar outfits. It would only dent the image he had built for himself. Thirty minutes went by with Darius picking out outfits. Erin joined in from time to time to give her input on his choices. They finally finished selecting various outfits and went to the counter to pay.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Chapter 59 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 59 Chapter 59 ¡°Erin! Is that you?!¡± Darius and Erin both turned to the direction of the voice. Erin in particr was surprised when she heard her name. The voice of the person sounded very familiar to her. She wondered who the person who called her name was. Soon enough the person came into their line of sight. Erin face instantly morphed from one of surprise to irritation when she saw the person. It was none other than her college ssmate, Vanessa Floyd. Vanessa and Erin both attended a highly rated college in their district. Although it was a far cry from universities like Kingston University, which Darius attended, it was still a top university. Vanessa and Erin were both regarded as the goddesses of their college. Not only were they incredibly beautiful, they were also very brilliant book wise, as they came out with top results after every exam. However, despite being worshipped by both students and lecturers in the college alike, the two did not get along with each other. Vanessa most especially hated Erin passionately. The reason was because she was always ced second to Erin. For someone with a very huge ego, she could not ept that she was ced second to Erin. She always thought she was better than Erin in everything, and therefore it was uneptable for her to be second to her. Her mindset sparked the beginning of an intense rivalry with Erin. The two had battled it out throughout their course of study in the university and much to Vanessa¡¯s displeasure, Erin emerged on top every single time. When they both graduated from college, they went their separate paths. As Vanessa¡¯s father was part of the upper management in a toppany, she didn¡¯t have a hard time getting a job. That wasn¡¯t the case for Erin however. Vanessa was very happy when she heard that Erin hadn¡¯t gotten a job. It proved that she was indeed superior to Erin. Even though her father had pulled some strings for her to get a job, she still started from the most basic rank avable All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Due to her brilliance, in just one year, she rose from a bottom office worker to be part of the upper management in the clothingpany. Pleased with her work input and brilliant ideas which the company benefited greatly from, they transferred her to this branch to be the manager of the store. There were even talks of promoting her to be on the same level as her father in thepany. While all these were happening, Erin was still out searching for a job. When sheter got a job, Vanessa naturally knew about it. She didn¡¯t ce much interest in it because thepany Erin chose to work for was a very shabby one. When thepany rose to fame however, Vanessa felt threatened once again. Just as Erin was about to surpass her, herpany fell and crumbled. Over two years had passed since theyst met each other, but the dislike and rivalry they had for each other was still very much present. As such, the duo red at each other with unbridled dislike. Darius looked at the neer with curiosity. Vanessa was definitely worthy to be called a goddess, with wless skin, an hourss figure and a very beautiful face. Although she was not as beautiful as Erin, she was very close. From the way she called Erin¡¯s name, he guessed that she probably knew Erin from somewhere. However from the way Erin responded to her presence, he wasn¡¯t sure of was if they had a good rtionship with each other. ¡°Fancy seeing you here Erin.¡± Vanessa said; a sickly sweet smile on her face. ¡°Same Vanessa. It¡¯s been a while.¡± Erin replied tly. ¡°I was really shocked to see you here. I mean anything at this ce is super costly; andst I heard you sold majority of your properties. How are you able to shop here?¡± Vanessa asked. Although it seemed like she was just asking a friendly question; that was far from the truth as anyone could hear the underlying mockery in her tone. Erin frowned when she heard Vanessa¡¯s question. It was obvious that Vanessa had looked into her for her to know that she sold majority of her properties. It annoyed her greatly. If she was alone, she wouldn¡¯t mind giving Vanessa a piece of her mind, but now that she was with Darius, her employer, she decided to swallow her response. ¡°I trust that you didn¡¯te here just to talk to me. As you can see, I am very busy, so I¡¯ll be taking my leave. Please excuse me.¡± Erin said curtly. Vanessa¡¯s face turned red from embarrassment at Erin¡¯s reply. She, who was more sessful than Erin was being ignored by her?! She couldn¡¯t ept it. She was about to retort but Erin had already made her way to the counter with Darius. It was then Vanessa noticed Erin wasn¡¯t here alone. She was too focused on Erin that she didn¡¯t notice that she was here with a person. She tried to get a closer look at the person because his back was turned to her when the person suddenly looked at her. Vanessa jaw dropped when she saw the person¡¯s face clearly. He was extremely attractive! She wondered how Erin managed to get someone so attractive by her side. ¡°The total cost would be $2.4 million.¡± The cashier said. Both Erin and Vanessa sucked in a cold breath when they heard the price. $2.4 million?! That was way higher than Vanessa¡¯s yearly earning! As far as Vanessa knew, Erin could definitely not afford that much. Howe she now selected several outfits amounting to that much? Darius was the only one not moved by the high price. He was about to hand over his debit card to the cashier when Vanessa walked up to the counter. The cashier instantly paled from shock when she saw Vanessa. ¡°Manager Vanessa!¡± ¡°Hello Windt.¡± Vanessa greeted the cashier before turning to face Erin. ¡°Do you take the staff at this store for fools, Erin Chrysalis?¡± Vanessa demanded in a haughty tone. Erin frowned at Vanessa¡¯s words. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Erin asked indignantly. The total sum of the outfits you selected amounts to $ 24 million, but you can¡¯t even afford a $500 outfit. Do you think you can make fun of us workers at the store.¡± Vanessa asked, annoyance evident in her tone Erin blushed red in anger and shame at Vanessa¡¯s words. How shameless could she be to expose her financial conditions so easily in public? Darius frowned at Vanessa¡¯s words. Although he had no idea the two of them shared, he felt that Vanessa had indeed gone too far with her words. ¡°That is no way to speak to a customer. As the Manager of this store shouldn¡¯t you be mindful of your words?¡± Darius said in a reproachful tone. ¡°Customer? A customer that can¡¯t even afford the cheapest outfit in this store is not worthy to be called a customer.¡± Vanessa said rudely while ring at Erin ¡°And if we can afford it?¡± Darius retorted, ring at Vanessa as he spoke. He did not like the way she spoke to Erin. She was now his employee, therefore he wanted her to be treated with respect ¡°Ha! If both of you can afford such a sum, then I will kneel on the floor and apologize for my rudeness!¡± Vanessa eximed. She strongly believed that the duo could not afford such a sum and was only saying such to put on airs. Darius smiled knowingly before handing the debit card to the cashier. As the cashier collected the card and swiped the card on the machine, Vanessa gazed at the machine intensely. She expected to see a red light showing that the payment had been declined; however what she saw was a green light instead, indicating that the payment was sessful. Erin was not shocked that Darius was able to pay $2.4 million easily, as she knew his identity. Unfortunately that wasn¡¯t the case with Vanessa She had no idea what Darius identity was, which was why she made such a rash bet with him. If she knew his identity she would never make such a rash bet with him! Darius looked at Vanessa with a confident gaze. He disliked people who looked down on others, therefore he felt d now that Vanessa was put in her ce. Vanessa expected Darius to ask her to fulfil her promise, and was thinking up excuses on how to avoid such humiliation as she was the manager of the store, but Darius did nothing of the sort. He just collected his card and the outfits he purchased before exiting the store with Erin, leaving a humiliated Vanessa behind. Chapter 60 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 60 The rest of the afternoon was spent with Darius buying several things he deemed necessary for Erin. He contacted the Elle; the manager of Dragon Lord¡¯s Imperial Residence and instructed her to direct him to a suitable apartment. Soon enough, Darius phone pinged signaling the arrival of the message. Darius took a quick nce at it before driving to the apartment. The apartment was a two hour drive from Darius residence. It was very luxurious and stylish. Although it was not as ssy as Darius¡¯ apartment, it had everything that Erin needed. Erin¡¯s jaw dropped in shock when the agent in charge of handling the house told them the price for the apartment. It was an astronomical sum of $200 million! It waspletely ridiculous. She was about to persuade Darius to look for a cheaper apartment for her when the agent¡¯s phone pinged loudly. The agent showed the message to the duo, confirming that the transaction was a sessful one. Erin felt unnerved when she saw Darius spending so much money at once, but when she remembered the list ofpanies registered under his name, she thought otherwise. $200 million was just a measly sum for him. Without any dy, he drove to the best car dealership in the district. When the car dealers saw the very expensive Lamborghini drive in, they all sucked in a cold breath. As car dealers, they naturally knew how expensive the car was, especially when everything about the car was customized! Their eyes shone as Darius maneuvered the car neatly. The only thing they saw where dor bills. The car dealers started infighting amongst themselves as they knew that whoever sold a car to the owner of the car would earn a lot inmissions. When Darius and Erin alighted from the car, several of the car dealers were struck speechless by their beauty. It was just like a scene out of a movie, and the car dealers were not wrong to think such as both Darius and Erin looked like movie stars. By the time they were able to snap out of their mesmerized state, a male car dealer had already approached Darius and Erin. ¡°Good day kind sir and miss. Wee to H cars dealership. How may we help you?¡± the male car dealer greeted in a very polite manner. Darius was pleased with the car dealer greetings. He was mainly used to hearing scornful and snide remarks whenever he visited ces to purchase some things, so such polite greetings were definitely a nice change to him. ¡°Thank you. Can I see the list of avable sport cars you have for purchase this moment?¡± Darius asked just as politely. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ¡°Certainly Sir.¡± The car dealer said as he handed over a handbill to Darius. Darius went through the list of cars on the handbill. There were a lot of cars in the handbill that caught his fancy, but in the end he opted for the best one on the list. ¡°Take us to this car.¡± Darius said, pointing to a sports car on the handbill.¡± The car dealer nodded and led the duo to the spot where the particr car was parked. As Erin walked behind Darius, she wondered what car he chose and how much he was going to spend this time on a car for her. Soon enough after walking for a minute they got to the said spot. When Erin saw the car she involuntary let out a scream of shock Meanwhile, Darius had a satisfied look on his face. Without being told, the car dealer started exining several details about the car. ¡°This is a Lamborghini Aventador. It is avable in ck, silver, white and yellow colors. It has a ¡­¡± ¡°How much is it?¡± Darius asked straightforwardly, interrupting the car dealer¡¯s passionate exnation about the engine of the sports car. Darius could not be bothered to hear more about the car. It was why he chose the best car dealership in the district. If they couldn¡¯t live up to their reputation, then they would not have beenuded as the best in the district. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take the car for a test drive?¡± The car dealer asked tentatively. Ever since he started working here, all the customers had always taken the car they chose for a test drive. This was the first time he was meeting a customer who had no interest in such. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Just tell me how much it is.¡± Darius said nonchntly. ¡°$710.000 sir¡± the car dealer said excitedly. If Darius was able to pay for the car upright, then he would earn over $100,000 frommissions! ¡°Okay. Bring the white version now. We¡¯re taking it.¡± Darius said as he typed on his phone. A few secondster, the car dealer received a confirmation that the exact amount had been transferred to the company, and hismission paid into his ount. With beaming smiles, he handed over the car keys and the documents of the car for Darius to sign. When they were done with all the paper work, Darius handed the car keys to Erin. ¡°This is your car now. Due to the nature of your work, you¡¯ll need it a lot. It will make your work easier.¡± Darius said. Erin collected the car keys in gratitude. She was extremely grateful to have a boss as thoughtful as Darius. Not only did he buy her new outfits, he also bought her a new house and a new car. Darius saw her smiling at him as he handed over the car keys to her. He frowned lightly before speaking up. ¡°I¡¯m not doing all of this for free. I¡¯m doing it to make your work more efficient. The moment I see that you are not performing up to my expectations, you will lose this job.¡± Darius said. He had to make sure that she was aware of this fact. He only spent the amounts that he spent because he deemed it necessary. If she thought that he was doing it for charity then she was grossly mistaken. ¡°I understand Mr. Reid. I am truly grateful for the opportunity you have given me. I would not dare take it for granted. Rest assured. I will provide you with satisfactory results.¡± Erin replied seriously. She knew how rare the opportunity she got was. There was no way that she would have gotten a job that paid her a monthly sry of $10 million so easily. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and she would be a fool to fumble it. 1 Darius was satisfied with her response. He had finally gotten his personal assistant. With this, he could now freely focus on his studies and other aspects of his life. He nodded lightly at Erin who stood beside her new car, before getting into his own car and driving off, leaving her to her thoughts. Chapter 61 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 61 The Consortium¡¯s Heir chapter 61 Chapter 61 With the issue of his personal assistant sorted out, Darius could finally rest easy. Now he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about his workload. The only thing he needed to do was sign the important documents that needed his signature and leave the rest to Erin. His sleep that night was a peaceful one. The next morning Darius woke up earlier than he usually did. His one week leave the university granted him for being the highest contributor at the charity g was finally over, and he was resuming school today. 1 As he prepared for school, Darius wondered how his ssmates would behave when they saw him now. He had checked the ss main chat on his messaging app a few times so that he could be up to date with the happenings at school. During the few times he checked, he saw that they had mentioned him a lot of times. The events at the charity g had spread to the majority of the student body. Details of how Darius arrived in a very fancy sports car, outbid both Pearl and David and became the highest contributor in the charity g had spread so much that there were now different and exaggerated rumors in tandem with the truth. There were also several rumors about Darius himself. As someone who was known by the student body to be a very poor student, his sudden elevation to one of the richest students in the university was very shocking. In all honesty, it was quite unbelievable. There were many spections about how he suddenly became so rich. Some said that he had gotten a high paying job; after all he was quite brilliant, while others said that he had gotten a rich woman to sponsor him by offering her special services. This was also quite believable, as Darius was incredibly good looking and attractive. There were also other bizarre rumors and spections, but they were all off the mark. Despite the rumors and spections, there was no changing the fact that Darius Reid was no longer a pauper. Darius took his shower and had his breakfast before exiting his apartment. On his way down to his private garage, he did not forget to send his grandfather a message, informing him that he had finally gotten an assistant to help him out. After confirming the message had been sent, he got into his Bugatti and drove off. The drive to the university was a quick one. After thirty minutes, he parked his car neatly at a parking space close to where his lectures were being held. It was not that he didn¡¯t want to drive his car to the lecture hall. He just didn¡¯t want to deal with the crowd that such a conspicuous car would gather at the moment. He was already runningte for ss, and he arriving in such a fancy car would inevitably cause a dy that might result in him missing the ss. The lecture hall was only a two minute walk from the parking lot, so Darius was sure that he would be able to make it in time before the lecture started. As he walked, several people turned to look at him. Darius lookedpletely different from his past self; therefore they couldn¡¯t tell where they had seen him before. Darius noted their stares but paid them no heed. When he got to the lecture hall, the rowdy ssroom instantly fell quiet. Unlike the onlookers Darius met on his short walk to the lecture hall, his ssmates were different, as they instantly recognized him at once. Unlike before when they would start gossiping and making snide remarks about Darius, it wasn¡¯t the case this time. They all stared at Darius apprehensively. His status had been greatly elevated in their eyes, so they knew that they had to tread carefully with him now. Darius didn¡¯t bother about it as he had long gotten used to receiving stares. When he was still a pauper, he had no friends among his ssmates. They all avoided him because he was poor. Now that he was rich, they still avoided him, but for the opposite reason now. They found it hard to approach him now that he was wealthy for fear of offending him. Darius walked confidently to his seat and sat down. Their wariness would onlyst a while. Soon enough, they would get over their shyness and start wanting to be his friend not because they liked him, but because of the benefits they could get from being his friend. It was how life was. The lecturer came in at that moment, signaling the start of the ss. Everyone finally stopped stealing nces and focused on the lecture. As intriguing as Darius¡¯ rise to wealth was, the lecture still took priority over him. Darius would not hand them certificates after all. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. The rest of the school hours passed peacefully. Soon enough, it was 1 pm, the time his lectures for the day ended. Darius was certainly pleased with how the day went. He was on his way to the parking lot when his phone abruptly rang. He checked the caller ID and saw that it was Marcus, his former roommate and friend who was demanding a video call. A warm smile appeared on Darius¡¯ face before he epted the call. ¡°Hello Darius!¡± Marcus voice sounded excitedly from the other end of the phone. ¡°Hello Marcus!¡± Darius replied just as excitedly as Marcus. ¡°It¡¯s been a while man! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve forgotten about us! You¡¯ve been so busy heh? No more time for US. Is that it?¡± Marcus asked yfully, but Darius could hear the undertone of hurt in his voice. Darius sighed inwardly. Indeed he had been so busy the past week that hepletely forgot about everything else. The only things that were on his mind were his work and getting a personal assistant, therefore he felt very guilty when he heard Marcus¡¯ usation. ¡°Of course not. How could I forget about you?¡± Darius denied immediately.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just been very busy this past week, which was why I was unable to call or text. I¡¯ll make it up to you guys today. I promise.¡± Darius pleaded. ¡°How would you do that? Oh I see that you are close to your department building. Did you attend sses today?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°Yes I did. Didn¡¯t I promise to take you all out for a meal? Well I¡¯m very free now. What about you?¡± Darius asked. ¡°Oh. I¡¯m free now. Rudd and Greg are still busy, but they will be done in a few minutes. We can meet up and have that meal today.¡± Marcus affirmed. ¡°Alright. Wait for me there. I¡¯lle meet you now.¡± Darius said. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll be waiting.¡± Marcus replied happily before disconnecting the call. Darius smiled warmly for a brief moment. He thought about driving his car to meet them, but decided against it when he remembered that his car was a sports car with only two seats. There were three of them, including him making it four. There was no way they would be able to fit into his car. Darius sighed. He had indeed made a slight blunder when choosing his cars. Out of excitement, he had forgotten that a situation like now mighte up. He might have to get another car that was very convenient and spacious soon. After all, he couldn¡¯t keep driving his fancy sport cars to every destination he went. With that thought, he turned and began walking toward his three closest friends. Chapter 62 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 62 The walk to his friends¡¯ location was a short one. After walking for five minutes, he got to his friends¡¯ location. When he was still a short distance away from his destination, he caught sight of Marcus and Greg discussing. A smile unknowingly crept up on his face at the sight of his two friends. Delighted, he increased his pace and walked up to them. ¡°Darius!¡± Greg eximed when he saw Darius. He was not present the time Marcus had a phone call with Darius; therefore he had no idea that Darius decided to hang out with them. It was pleasant surprise for him to see Darius. ¡°What¡¯s up Greg?¡± Darius replied; smiling heartily as he gave Greg a bro hug. ¡°I¡¯ve been alright man. We missed you. Where have you been?¡± Greg asked as he hugged Darius ¡°I¡¯ve been really busy these past few days, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m free now. We can hangout for a while.¡± Darius replied pleasantly. Just as Greg was about to reply Darius, Rudd appeared in their line of sight and started walking towards them. He was finally done with his studies for the day. When Rudd saw Darius, his reaction was more profound than the rest. He hugged and kept asking him questions. It wasn¡¯t until Marcus interrupted him did Darius get a breather. After suggesting that they should continue the questioning at a restaurant, Darius and his roommates boarded a cab to a restaurant. Marcus, Greg and Rudd were shocked when they reached their destination. The Sky Golden Hotel was a very luxurious hotel meant for ssy people. A single meal at the hotel cost over $ 20,000, and you were only allowed to dine if you had a membership card. If the food cost so much, the membership card would surely not be cheap! of course, the reason why they were skeptical about Darius¡¯ ns was because they had no idea Darius was now very rich. They didn¡¯t attend the Charity g as Rudd¡¯s grandmother fell sick. They visited his grandmother in the vige and spent a week there after taking leave from the university so that they could nurse her back to good health. When they came back from Rudd¡¯s vige, they were very upied with their studies and didn¡¯t have time for chit chats and gossips. As a result of this, they had no idea that Darius was the top contributor at the charity g, and neither did they know of his wealth Darius noticed their looks of apprehension and smiled inwardly before speaking. ¡°Come on guys. What are you still waiting for?¡± Darius said. The three of them looked at each other before Marcus spoke up. ¡°Darius, this is Sky Golden Hotel. Everything here is so expensive. I doubt that we could afford it. Why don¡¯t we try another ce?¡± Marcus said. He knew that Darius wasn¡¯t that financially stable and thought that Darius wanted to treat them here because he felt indebted to them, so he tried to talk him out of it. Darius knew what they were thinking, but he didn¡¯t rify the reason he brought them here ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it and trust me.¡± Darius said before making his way to the entrance. Left with no choice, Marcus, Greg and Rudd followed him. If they couldn¡¯t afford the meals, they could always leave. It wouldn¡¯t hurt for them to indulge in Darius whims a little. The interior of the hotel was as exquisite as ever, with numerous ssy people seated and having deluxe meals. Marcus, Greg and Rudd looked at their clothing and felt embarrassed. It was way inferior to the people present in the hotel. Darius was dressed casually, however his style still seemed different and ssier than theirs. They expected to be treated with scorn because of their inferior dressing, however they were at a loss for words when a receptionist walked up to Darius and greeted him politely. Darius was a gold member of the Sky Golden Hotel, and after witnessing his feats at the charity g, they now knew to treat with more respect than usual. Darius¡¯ roommates didn¡¯t know this detail naturally, so their shock was understood. ¡°Good day sir. We¡¯re pleased to serve you today. How can we help you?¡± The receptionist asked politely. ¡°I¡¯m here with my friends.¡± Darius replied, gesturing to the shocked trio behind him. ¡°Direct US to a table and serve US the best meal avable on the menu.¡± ¡°Certainly sir.¡± The receptionist replied before pping her hands softly. Secondster a waiter dressed neatly in uniform appeared. She gestured to the waiter before making her way back to her spot. ¡°This way please.¡± The waiter said politely, guiding the four of them to a luxurious table in a corner of the hotel. Just seconds after taking their seats, more waiters appeared and arranged so many exotic dishes on the table in mere seconds. When they were done, they left the table quietly, leaving the four of them to their meals. Marcus, Greg and Rudd all stared at Darius with skeptical looks on their faces. This arrangement was too sudden for them to digest. However they had no choice but to go through with it. Rudd took a bite of the meal on his table and resumed his questioning of Darius. Soon enough, the table of four was filled withughter and happiness. The meal Darius was having with his former roommates was one of the best in his lives. His roommates had been there for him when he needed them the most, and he was d to see that they were equally as happy as he was. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°So Darius, do you have any ns of being in a rtionship anytime soon?¡± Rudd asked suddenly as they were having their meal. At this question the table fell silent as everyone stopped talking. They turned their attention to Darius and stared at him intensely, as they did not want to miss his slightest reaction. Darius fell silent for a few moments. He knew why Rudd asked him that question. He most probably wanted to know how hurt he was after Sarah broke up with him. ¡°No. I don¡¯t have any n of being in a rtionship now. I have so many things to focus on at. the moment. Maybeter, I will consider it.¡± Darius answered with a pained smile. His rtionship with Sarah was a disaster. Despite all the efforts he put in, Sarah still ditched him for David He was terribly hurt by her actions, but that was in the past. Although he no longer had any romantic feelings of any sort towards Sarah, he decided to stay away from intimate rtionships for the time being. Besides he still had a lot of work to do. As such, he did not see himself being in a rtionship so soon. ¡°So what about you Rudd? How long do you n on staying single?¡± Darius teased, instantly making Rudd the centre of attraction on their table. Rudd smiled proudly when he heard Darius¡¯ question. Darius was in for a surprise if he thought that he was still single. ¡°I¡¯m no longer single!¡± Rudd dered proudly. Darius, Marcus and Greg instantly burst into loud cheers when they heard his deration. Rudd, the least outgoing one of them all had gotten a girlfriend? It was a miracle! ¡°When did this happen?!¡± Greg asked in excitement. ¡°Last month.¡± Rudd answered happily. ¡°You better introduce US to her soon.¡± Greg said cheerily. ¡°Certainly!¡± Rudd replied happily. The atmosphere surrounding the table was a jolly and happy one. Darius and the rest finally picked a day next month toe and hang out like this. Rudd also promised toe with his girlfriend on that day, which made Greg and Marcus anticipate the day eagerly. After chitchatting and having fun for one more hour, Darius finally called it quits. He checked the time and saw that it was already gettingte. Darius signaled the waiters toe with their bill. The waiter approached their table quickly with the bill for the meal and handed it to Darius. Unfazed at the amount on the bill, Darius brought out his ck bank card and handed it to the waiter; which the waiter left with. A few secondster, the waiter announced that they had sessfully paid for the meal. After waving goodbye to each other, Marcus, Greg and Rudd boarded a cab to their dorm, while Darius boarded a cab to where his car was parked. By the time he got to where he parked his car, it was alreadyte in the night. He unlocked his car and entered his car. He turned the ignition on and was about to drive off when his phone rang He looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Helen. When he picked the phone call and ced the phone to his ear, a loud scream echoed from the other end of the phone. Before he could make sense of it, Helen¡¯s voice sounded in his ears. ¡°Mr. Reid! Please save me!¡± Chapter 63 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 63 A frown crept onto Darius¡¯ face the moment he heard her scream on the other end of the phone. He didn¡¯t need to be told that Helen was in danger. Thest time they met was at the charity g, and apart from the light conversation he had with her before the auction, he hadn¡¯t spoken with her again. ¡°Where are you now?¡± Darius asked calmly. He knew that getting her location was of paramount importance. Anything else could take back seat in the face of her location. ¡°I¡¯m at the VIP section, room 38 of HKN Diamond Hotel.¡± Helen replied in a shaky voice.¡± Pleasee fast. I¡¯m in-¡± Before Helen couldplete her sentence, the phone call disconnected. Darius gripped his phone tightly before releasing his grip. He let out a short breath before speeding out of the parking lot. i. As he drove at top speed, he connected his phone to the Bluetooth system of his car and made a phone call. The call rang once before the person picked up. ¡°Where is HKN Diamond Hotel?¡± Darius asked curtly, going straight to the point. He knew that the longer he spoke, the more Helen was exposed to danger, and therefore this was no time for curtsies. ¡°Give me a second, Mr. Reid.¡± Erin, the person on the other end of the phone answered briefly. It was a bit surprising that Darius thought to call Erin and not Bruce, but looking at it from another perspective it was indeed the right choice. Bruce had been filling in for Erin and was performing the jobs a personal assistant was supposed to do. Now that Darius had gotten a personal assistant, it was only natural that such matters fell to her. ¡°HKN Diamond Hotel is a s star hotel in Blueberry district and close to Lockwood university. It is owned by the Erihal Group and is worth over $5 billion.¡± Erin answered just 10 secondster. She was incredibly efficient with her job. ¡°Is there a problem Mr. Reid?¡± Erin asked hesitantly. ¡°Contact the Manager of the Hotel and tell him to dispatch security personnel to VIP section, room 38 of the hotel now.¡± Darius ordered before disconnecting the call. He checked the distance from his current location to the hotel in his car inbuilt GPS system and frowned when he saw that he was over an hour away from the said hotel. Nevertheless he stepped on the elerator and increased his top speed. He had already done what he could for now by telling Erin to inform the Manager of the situation at hand. He could only hope that the security personnel would be able to keep the danger at bay until he arrived. (HKN Diamond Hotel; VIP section, room 38] Helen held her hands to her mouth inside the toilet of the VIP room. Her heart pounded rapidly as she hid inside the toilet. She could hear the cold and mercilessughter of Luke Erihal and his friends who brought them here. Helen hadn¡¯t wanted toe, but her roommate had coerced her to apany her. Kris, Luke¡¯s best friend had asked Helen¡¯s roommate Dee out on a date. Ecstatic, Dee had invited her to apany her to the hotel with Kris and Luke, Helen refused at first, but s the allure of the famous and luxurious 8 star hotel had proven to be too much of an attraction for her to let slip. Therefore she agreed to apany her roommate. She only began to regret her choice when she met with Luke Erihal, Kris best friend. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Not only had he leered at her, seemingly undressing her with his eyes, he had also touched her inappropriately several times. Helen had heard of Luke Erihal, as he was a prominent figure in the Lockwood University. He was tall, handsome and most especially rich. Among the wealthy students in Lockwood University, only a select few, including Daniel Lockwood, could stand on the same stage as Luke Erihal. Luke Erihal however had a bad reputation with him. There had been several reports of how he had forced himself on severaldies who rejected his advances in the campus, and also destroyed anybody who challenged his authority. Unfortunately, there was no damning evidence against him, as his wealth and influence made sure of that. The other wealthy students who could stand on the same stage with himpletely avoided his company. While they might be on the same level as him, they were not more powerful than him. It would do them no good to be in conflict with him. Helen had never expected to be on the receiving end of such treatment now. It seemed that the rumors about him were all true. ¡°What is Helen still doing in the restroom? Dodies businesses take that long?¡± Luke asked with annoyance on his face. ¡°Rx Luke. We¡¯ve already spiked their drinks. Very soon the aphrodisiacs will kick in. When that happens, we wouldn¡¯t have to do a single thing.¡± Kris answered with a smile on his face. This was the ploy they had used to get severaldies toy with them. Kris never had any interest in Dee. He only used her to get Helen to apany her. Luke had seen Helen before in a ss and vowed to have his way with her one day. Kris naturally offered to help his best friend, and that was how theyid this trap for her. ¡°Anyways, you don¡¯t have to worry. There¡¯s no ce for her to escape to.¡± Kris concluded in a sinister tone. Helen heard their conversation from the restroom and closed her eyes. She gripped her phone tightly and prayed in her heart. It had already been thirty minutes since she called Darius. Is he not going to help her? Finally Luke and Kris couldn¡¯t wait anymore. Dee¡¯s drink had already been spiked, so she waspletely knocked out; and only Helen was left. Was Together, Luke and Kris both dragged Helen out of the restroom after she refused toe out and ced her on the sofa. Luke tore her clothes and threw it in a corner of the room. She screained as loud as she could, but s, the room was soundproof, hereby rendering all her efforts useless. Very soon, Helen was left with only her underwear. Luke had a crazed expression on his face when he saw Helen¡¯s exposed skin. Although Helen was poor and therefore didn¡¯t pay much attention to how she looked, that did nothing to hide the fact that she was a pure beauty. He took off his shirt and unbuckled his trousers, determined to get to business immediately. Just when Helen thought that she no help would being for her and closed her eyes, the door to the room immediately sprang open. Startled, Luke turned to face the intruder with rage on his face, but swallowed his words the moment the intruder stepped into the room. The intruder looked around the room, and an intense aura erupted from him at what he sam. He removed his gaze from the room and red at Luke before speaking in a very dangerous and icy tone ¡°You must have a death wish. Luke Erihal.¡± Chapter 64 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 64 Luke was instantly intimidated by the intruder¡¯s icy demeanor. Even still, he managed to regain his composure He could not allow himself to be intimidated by the intruder. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing now?¡± Kris asked angrily, ring at the intruder as he did so. Who gave him the keys to get inside the room in the first ce? He had ruined the fun with his arrival just when Luke was getting to the good part. Darius was naturally the intruder. He had driven like a mad man on his way here,pletely ignoring the trafficws that were set in ce in the country. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that his car had a customized license te, he would have had scores of traffic vehicles on his tail and even probably spend the night in a police cell. When he got here, he charged straight to the Manager¡¯s office. Erin had done her job wlessly and convinced the Manager to hand over the key to Darius when he arrived. The Manager had refused at first, but once he heard that the person demanding for the key was a Reid family member, he relented immediately As the Manager of HKN Diamond Hotel, how could he not know what Luke Erihal did behind closed doors? Of course he knew, but as Luke Erihal was the son of Ian Erihal and a member of the Erihal group, he turned a blind eye to all his actions. He deactivated the CCTV cameras in the room he committed the crimes and covered for him many times, so that there would be no ring evidence against Luke When Erin called him and informed him that a Reid was demanding for the keys to Luke¡¯s room, he instantly gave him the keys. The Reid family was far scarier than the Erihal group, as the former could crush thetter with just a single phone call. When faced with such choices, it was ringly obvious what his decision would be. Darius collected the keys and rushed to the VIP room immediately. When he entered the room and saw Luke trying to force himself on Helen, and the state that Helen was in, he instantly lost his anger. These two were nothing but scumbags! N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ¡°I should be the one asking you that question.¡± Darius replied icily. He turned his gaze to Luke and asked in the same icy tone ¡°You are a member of the Erihal family. Do you need to resort to dirty tricks like these to get what you want? Or are you so disastrous in bed that no girl would want toy with you?¡± Luke¡¯s face flushed red from anger when he heard Darius condescending words. His words no doubt struck a nerve in him. How dare a measly peasant insult his dignity? Not only that, he even had the audacity to insult his prowess in bed. It was uneptable! There was no way he could take such an insult lying down. He had to make him pay for his vile words. With those thoughts swirling in his mind, Lukeunched himself at Darius. He swore to beat him up and make him eat those words. Luke was a very athletic person, and he practiced several martial arts techniques. As such, he expected his fight to be an easy win. However, what he experienced was far from his expectations. His opponent was in fact very skilled! Darius easily evaded his first punch, before retaliating with a heavy right hook Luke saw stars the moment Darius¡¯ right fist connected with his jaw. Not giving him a moment of reprieve, Darius unleashed several powerful punches to his face. In a matter of seconds, Luke¡¯s handsome features had been severely damaged. Unable to bear the sight of his best friend being beaten up, Kris joined Luke and fought against Darius. The result was expected. He was beaten just as severely as his friend. Dariusunched a very powerful kick to the ribs of Kris, and there was a very audible ¡®crack¡¯ sound, signaling that his ribs was probably broken, before a very loud scream followed. Kris shook silently before staying still. He had fainted from the pain. Lukey still on the ground. He was beaten badly and unable to move anymore. Darius was just about to deliver the same powerful kick to Luke when a soft voice echoed in the room. ¡°Darius¡­¡± Darius froze for a brief second, before retracting his already outstretched leg. Luke involuntarily let out a sigh of relief at Darius¡¯ decision. He had seen what became of his friend after being on the receiving end of such kick. If he had received the same kick as his friend, the aftermath might have even been harsher than kris¡¯ own. Darius walked over to where Heleny on the sofa. When he saw how miserable and vulnerable she looked, his protective instinct burst out at once. Her innocent look in her underwear also served to incense him, but he suppressed his primal feelings. He could not bring himself to think about her that way with the traumatizing events she just passed through these past few hours. Meanwhile, Helen was incredibly relieved to see Darius. She was extremely d that he heeded her call and came to her aid. At that moment, severalplex feelings passed through her mind. This wasn¡¯t the first time he hade to her aid. He had spent $1 million the first time they met, and this time he even dared to go against Luke Erihal despite his impressive background. When she thought deeply about all what Darius had done for her sake, she truly believed him to be her guardian angel. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Helen said in a genuine voice. Darius smiled softly but said nothing to her. He instead took off his jacket and covered Helen exposed body. As Darius was way taller than Helen, his jacket went all the way to her mid thighs, covering the most important parts of Helen¡¯s hourss figure. He then carried her in his arms as she was still too shaken to walk on her own and started walking towards the exit. When he was about to exit the room, Luke voice sounded behind him. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but I¡¯ll make sure you regret this.¡± Luke threatened. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± Darjus replied icily, before exiting the room with Helen in his arms. Chapter 65 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 65 Darius walked quickly to the spot he parked his car. As he walked the embers of rage still burned fiercely in his heart. He was very dissatisfied with the beating he gave Luke. He felt that Luke deserved way more than the beating he received. However despite how disgruntled he felt about it, he didn¡¯t act on his feelings. Taking Helen back to safety took precedence over anything now. He unlocked his car and ced her gently in the passenger seat and got into the driver¡¯s seat before driving off at full speed. As Darius drove, he couldn¡¯t help but throw asional nces to where Heleny curled up on the seat. Anger bubbled again in his heart when he thought about what Luke and Kris wanted to do to her. If he hadn¡¯t managed to arrive in time the consequences would have been very severe. He turned his gaze away from her and focused his gaze on the road. Nevertheless there was a very cold glint in his eyes as he drove. Helen wellbeing took precedence for now, but that wouldn¡¯t be the case forever. He promised to make them pay for their actions. By the time he was done with them, the only feelings they would have left was that of regret. After thirty minutes of driving, Darius arrived at Helen¡¯s dormitory. He had wanted to drive her to the hospital, but Helen had insisted severally and firmly that she waspletely alright. She convinced him that she was just shaken and that all she needed was a good night sleep. Darius had no choice but to comply with her actions, and therefore brought her directly to her dorm. Helen alighted from his vehicle without Darius¡¯aid. During the course of the journey here, she was finally able to stop her trembling. She didn¡¯t know why it suddenly stopped, but she guessed that Darius provided her a great sense of security, making her feel incredibly safe in his presence. ¡°Thank you foring to my rescue and bringing me here safely.¡± Helen said in a sincere tone; while gazing at the floor. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Anytime you¡¯re in danger just let me know. I¡¯ll be there as soon as possible.¡± Darius reaffirmed. ¡°Also, about your roommate, I have arranged for her to be sent to the hospital. Rest assured, I have made sure that she¡¯ll be treated by the best doctors present.¡± Darius added. Helen smiled softly at his words. Although the weather was cold, Helen felt herself melt at his words. Not only had he taken good care of her by rescuing her, he also made sure that her friend was taken good care of. Such kindness was incredibly hard to find in this period, and she was extremely d that she was able to come in contact with someone who was that kind at heart. Darius turned and was about to enter his car when he felt someone pulling him back Before he could make any sense of it, the next thing he felt was a pair of lips on his. Darius¡¯ eyes widened in surprise; but Helen showed no sign of stopping. Instead, she pried his mouth open with her lips and inserted her tongue in his. Darius was too shocked to resist, and ten seconds after she initiated the kiss, Helen broke off the kiss. She panted for breath as her heart beat rapidly, while her cheeks flushed red from the aftermath of the kiss. Darius was about to say something to her but she shook her head. Flustered, she turned her back to Darius and ran as fast as she could to her dormitory room. Darius was still shocked by her actions; her kiss hade out of the blue after all. He however managed to calm himself down. He had no idea that she thought about him romantically and was even bold enough to kiss him deeply, so now that she had made it known, he was at a loss on what to do. He sighed. There was nothing he could do about it now. He would think about itter. There were still pregsing matters that he needed to attend to. [Ivy Residence, Room 81] Luke sat down on a chair beside the inbuilt mini bar in his apartment. Several empty bottles of alcohol were scattered around the table, while another half bottle of alcoholy in his hands. He downed the contents of the bottle at once before flinging the bottle at the wall in anger. He was indeed very angry as the day had been a very bad one for him. Not only was he not able to have his way with Helen, he had also gotten beat up by a lotal stranger, and even had his best friend hospitalized He had never felt so humiliated and powerless in his life. It irked him so much. He grabbed another full bottle of alcohol and downed half of the contents at a go. He then looked at the clock on the wall with anticipation. He should be getting the phone call at any moment from now Just as he had those thoughts, his phone rang. He picked it up immediately and without waiting for the caller to speak he asked in a very impatient voice. ¡°Have you gotten the information I asked you to?¡± ¡°Yes. I have sent the files to you, but-¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Thank you for your work.¡± Luke replied impatiently; and without waiting for the person to finish his sentence, he disconnected the phone call. He quickly opened his e-mail and saw the file the person sent to him. Delighted, he opened it and read it. After ten minutes, he leaned back on his chair and took a drink from the bottle of alcohol on his table. There was a smile on his face. He had ordered for the intruder to be investigated and have his information sent to him. He wanted to retaliate, but he needed to make sure that the intruder was not someone on the same level as him. Therefore you could imagine his joy when he finished reading the report. The intruder¡¯s name was Darius Reid, and was a 20 year old student in Kingston University. He was very poor and miserable before, but has recently shed that status and title. He was the highest contributor at this year charity g donating a sum of $4.1 million. Luke smiled. Although the file mentioned that they weren¡¯t sure how he suddenly became wealthy overnight, he wasn¡¯t bothered about that. He didn¡¯t care about how much he had What he cared was about the background, and from what he could see, Darius had none. He only had his wealth going for him. This meant that he was free to do whatever he wanted. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Luke tried to stand up, but hissed in pain at the wounds that his body was covered in. He had no choice but to remain seated. Even at that, the pain wasn¡¯t enough to dampen his happiness His pride and dignity had been trampled on by a nobody, which had never happened to him before. He couldn¡¯t let this one go. ¡°Just you wait, Darius Reid!¡± I¡¯d have you begging at my feet sooner or ¨ªater?¡± Chapter 66 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 66 The next two days went on as usual for Darius. He went to sses as usual, practiced his martial arts and made some time to rx. Now that majority of his work had been delegated to Erin, he now had some free time for himself. The situation with Helen was however a bitplicated. Although he was still shocked about the kiss from Helen, there was nothing he could do about it as Helen had put him in a bind. He had gone to the hospital today as her roommate was being discharged. He drove her roommate to her dormitory personally with the hopes of fishing her out, but the result was the same as other days. Since she kissed him on the night he saved her, Helen had avoided him like the gue. He had called her several times to keep her updated about the progress of her friend in the hospital, but she had refused to pick any of his calls. He only got reports from Erin that she visited the hospital regrly during the time her roommate was hospitalized. Frustrated by her antics, he had no choice but to drive her roommate to the dorm. He figured out that at least she would wee her roommate since she cared about her so much. Yet, even after waiting for ten minutes, Helen refused toe out. Left with no choice, he drove away from the dormitory. Since she had refused to see him then so be it. Helen watched Darius drive away from the dormitory with frustration on her face. She herself was very confused as to why she suddenly kissed Darius that night. From what she had seen Darius was someone that was way above her ss. He was very wealthy, tall and handsome, while she was a poor and struggling student. As such, she didn¡¯t believe that someone like Darius would look favorably on her romantically, hence why she refused to pick his calls or talk to him. However, Helen was wrong from the beginning, as Darius wasn¡¯t calling her or drive here to discuss about the kiss. On the contrary, he just wanted to make sure that she was okay. Not everyone would be able to bounce back from what Luke did to her and her friend. He wanted to make sure that such unlucky events had not affected her in any way. Sadly, as she had refused to talk to Darius, she had misunderstood his intentions. After his visit to Helen¡¯s dorm, the rest of the day went on as usual for Darius. When sses were over, he decided to stay behind in the library to go over his notebooks and study. The semester exams were fast approaching after all, and although he no longer needed the schrship to continue studying at the university, there was no harm in maintaining his status as a top student in the university. As such, Darius immersed himself in his notebooks and textbooks. Due to how engrossed he was, time seemed to fly by, and by the time he removed his head from his books, he saw that it was already 9 pm. He quickly started packing his books. The library closed by 9:30 pm every day, which meant that he had only thirty minutes left for him to leave, otherwise he would be locked inside the library. He was sure that it wouldn¡¯t be a pleasant experience. Soon enough, he finished packing books and hurried down the steps in haste. By the time he was outside the library, it was already 9:20 pm. The reason it took twenty minutes was because he had to return the textbooks that weren¡¯t his to the shelf he brought them from, otherwise he would be penalized by the librarian when she discovered it. Relieved that he managed to beat the time, he walked leisurely to the parking lot where his car was parked. As he walked however, a sense of foreboding came over him. He stopped walking and abruptly turned around, but could see nothing except the darkness. The whole area was dark as the moon was not full that night. Darius felt that he was being followed, but after repeating the process and checking his back three times, he chalked it up to him being paranoid; but that did not stop him from being incredibly vignt. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. He walked for over ten minutes, and asionally nced back to see if he was truly being followed; but his search always proved him wrong. However, Darius instincts told him that he someone was on his tail. He suddenly stood still when he got to where he parked his car. He then faced back and shouted into the darkness. ¡°I know you¡¯re there. Come out.¡± The only response Darius got was an eerie silence. The silence made him feel so uneasy. He was about to yell again when a gravelly voice echoed in the darkness. ¡°You¡¯re awfully vignt for a non-awakened. That¡¯s quite interesting.¡± Darius¡¯ hair suddenly stood on end when he heard the gravelly voice. Something about the voice was very off putting to Darius. He made his skin crawl. Darius hated to admit it, but at that moment, he was incredibly afraid. ¡°Who are you?! Come out!¡± Darius yelled loudly; trying to chase away his fear. However the trembling in his voice gave his fear away. ¡°You¡¯re afraid. That¡¯s normal.¡± The voice sounded again; and this time Darius could hear his voice right beside his ears. ¡°Come out! Stop being a coward by hiding in the shadows!¡± Darius yelled. The voiceughed, but his laugh sent shivers down Darius¡¯ spine. After a few moments, the voice replied. ¡°If that¡¯s what you wish.¡± Then a figure appeared from the darkness. His features were very hazy, and shrouded by the darkness of the night. Darius could feel his heart beat rapidly at the sight of the person, but he forced himself to calm down. ¡°Who are you? And what do you want from me?¡± Darius asked. Right now, all his instincts were screaming at him to get away from that figure. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know who I am; and as for what I want from you?¡± the man said slowly in his gravelly voice. Darius¡¯ heart sped twice as fast when the man suddenly stared at him. ¡°That¡¯s simple. I want your life.¡± Chapter 67 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 67 Darius heart beat sped up even more when he heard the man¡¯s deration. At that point he knew that the man bore only hostile intentions towards him. He wanted his life? That put Darius in a dilemma. From the aura the man gave off, Darius knew that he was no match for him. However there was something that confused him. ¡°Why do you want to kill me?¡± Darius asked. He had not done anything evil or bad to warrant someone to suddenly appear and try to take his life. He had always maintained a low profile since he became wealthy, so he was genuinely confused at this man¡¯s appearance ¡°No hard feelings. I got a job to kill you. It¡¯s as simple as that.¡± The man replied. ¡°Who sent you?¡± Darius asked again. He was very curious about that. ¡°That I cannot answer; as it is against my rule to rat out my employer.¡± The man started.¡± Besides, you don¡¯t need to worry about that. You will not be leaving here alive anyway.¡± As soon as the manpleted that statement, heunched himself at Darius. The only thing Darius saw was a sh before a heavy blownded on him. The moment the blownded on him, Darius seriously considered the possibility of him leaving this ce alive. The blow was far from ordinary. He had been involved in several fights in the past before, and had surely received a lot of blows. However none of the blows he received couldpare to the man¡¯s own. The force of the hit sent him sprawling, and he rolled across the ground for a few seconds. He only came to a stop after forcefully hitting an iron pole. Darius saw stars as hey on the ground. That single hit had done a number on him, and he was sure that a bone or two of his were broken. Darius tried to stand up, but his body wouldn¡¯t cooperate. He had been practicing martial arts since he found out that he became wealthy, and was well versed in kick boxing. His powerful body and strong legs already gave him an edge when he started practicing the martial art. He had trained everyday for the past one month without fail, and had made so much progress that he didn¡¯t see himself suffering a defeat against anyone should he get involved in a fight; yet it seemed that it was all for naught as he was unable to perform even the simplest of routine to fight back against his assassin. He forced himself to stand up from the ground, forcibly tearing one of his muscles. The pain was almost unbearable, but he gritted his teeth. No matter how hopeless it seemed, he could not allow himself to be beaten so badly without offering any resistance. The two of them shed again, but the result was the same. Darius was beaten pathetically by the assassin. The assassin offered him no reprieve of any kind. His blows were harsh, painful and bone chilling of course, the fight between the two generated a lot of noise, especially when Darius asionally screamed out in pain. By the time five minutes had passed, Darius was a former shell of himself. His arms and legs were bent in the opposite direction, and his chest was caved in. His ribs were also broken, and there were several nasty bruises on his skin. There was a huge pool of blood on the ground where Dariusy, creating a gory sight. The man walked towards Darius as hey on the ground writhing in pain. He looked at him for a few seconds before sighing. ¡°My employer said to make you Sutter a lot before I kill you, but seeing you tight with everything you have struck a chord in me. Therefore I have decided to end your suffering.¡± The man said: Darius looked at the assassin with rage in his eyes. Now that the assassin hade closer to him, he could now clearly make out his features. The assassin had pale skin. It was so pale that it was almost white. There were also several tattoos on his skin, with the most prominent one being a triangr tattoo on his right hand. The man also had a long and nasty scar on his right cheek. Darius burned the tattoo signature into his mind. The assassin talked like he was doing him a favor by killing him sooner thanter, but in the end it was a hypocritical act. The assassin brought out a gun and aimed it at him. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, a sh light shone in the area. ¡°This is where the noises have beening from Jim.¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± When the assassin heard the voices, he knew that the noises from their fight had attracted the attention of the security personnel. Hastily, he attached a silencer to his gun and shot Darius. Darius screamed out in pain when the bullet prated his skin. The assassin frowned and wanted to shoot him again, but Darius¡¯ scream had already attracted the attention of the security personnel. ¡°The scream came from that direction! Let¡¯s go there! Quick!¡± one of the security personnel shouted. The assassin debated for a moment whether to shoot him end his life, but when he saw how miserable Darius looked, he decided against it. With his injuries, even the best hospital wouldn¡¯t be able to treat him. He¡¯ll surely die sooner orter. With those thoughts, the assassin melted into the shadows just as the guards appeared at the scene. The two guards noticed something out of the ordinary but their thoughts were overshadowed by Darius¡¯ gory sight. ¡°My God! What happened here?!¡± one of the security personnel shouted. The sight was a very gory one. They never expected that the noises they¡¯ve been hearing to be . the cause of such a gory sight. As they were still in shock at the sight before them, Darius let out a loud groan, bringing them back to their senses. ¡°Quick! He¡¯s still alive! Call for help immediately!¡± One of the security personnel brought out his phone and dialed for help immediately, while the other rushed to where Dariusy in his pool of blood. He tore out a piece of white cloth and started using it to help reduce the bleeding on Darius¡¯ wound, when Darius suddenly gripped the security guard¡¯s shirt. ¡°Call¡­ Erin ¡­ now ¡­¡± Darius muttered with all the strength in his body, before everything went ck. Chapter 68 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 68 (Reid Mansion) James Reid, Darius¡¯ grandfather and former head of the Reid consortium was going through some documents in his study. The documents were a report of how well Darius had been performing as the new head of the Reid consortium. Ever since he handed the leadership of the Reid consortium down to Darius, his life had been very basic. Apart from the asional reports of how thepanies were faring, hepletely detached himself frompany matters. He would have not demanded the reports of how thepanies were faring, but he needed to know, as Darius was merely a student and still new to the business world. Therefore he was d when he read the reports and saw that Darius was doing incredibly well. There were even increases in the stock of thepanies. James sighed. He was indeed d, as it proved that his grandson was just as shrewd as the rest of the Reid family when it came to business. He sighed again. He was now getting older as he was 72 years old now. He no longer had the energy to handle a consortium asrge as the Reid consortium. He was always worried about who would inherit thepany, and which led him to have so many sleepless nights. Therefore one could imagine his joy when he finally found Darius. He was even dder that Darius was handling everything perfectly. With what he read from the reports, he didn¡¯t need to worry anymore. He was still deep in thought when the door to his study abruptly opened. He jolted out of his reverie and was about to scold whoever entered for hisck of courtesy, but when he saw the panicked look on Bruce¡¯s face, he refrained from doing so. ¡°Mr. Reid! There¡¯s trouble!¡± Bruce eximed in an equally panicked voice. James frowned at Bruce¡¯s words. In all the years Bruce started working for him he had never seen him get so worked up. Even when he lost his son and daughter-inw in a car ident Bruce was still more composed than this. What could have possibly happened that would make him lose his cool so much? ¡°What is the problem Bruce? Calm down.¡± James replied calmly. ¡°It¡¯s Young master Reid! He¡¯s in trouble!¡± Bruce answered exasperatedly. The expression on James¡¯ face changed drastically at Bruce¡¯s words. His grandson was in trouble? ¡°Lead me to him immediately!¡± James bellowed immediately; standing up from his chair and rushing out the door. There was no longer calmness in his strides or demeanor. ¡°Certainly Mr. Reid!¡± Bruce replied. Together the duo walked briskly outside the mansion. There, three silver limited edition Rolls Royce cars were neatly parked, with enough bodyguards stationed near the cars for security. Bruce and James entered the Rolls-Royce in the middle, and the bodyguards closed the door before entering the driver¡¯s seats and drove off, exiting the mansion. When the car pulled out of thepound, James turned to Bruce and questioned in an rmed tone. ¡°What exactly happened to my grandson?! What kind of trouble is he in?¡± ¡°I got a call from his personal assistant an hour ago. She said Darius was attacked by an unknown person and is in a critical condition. He was injured so badly and was in a terrible state when he was found by the security personnel. He was transferred to the hospital immediately, but his injuries are too severe, and they are not sure how long he can live for.¡± Bruce exined the situation at a go. 1 He was in Venus city for a personal assignment when he received the call from Erin. As Venus city was quite the distance from the Reid mansion, he had toe here by Helicopter. By the time he arrived, an hour had already gone by. James paled even more at Bruce¡¯s words. His grandson was attacked? And was in critical condition at that? The situation with Darius was even more serious than he thought! ¡°Drive to the hospital as fast as you can!¡± James eximed, hollering at the driver to increase his speed. ¡°Yes sir!¡± came the driver¡¯s response before stepping on the elerator, increasing the speed. They were now driving as fast as the Rolls-Royce could go. On the journey, James kept fidgeting on his seat. He was incredibly worried about the state of his grandson. Just months after finally finding him, such a tragedy happened. He shook his head at that thought. No matter what happened he could not allow Darius to die He had to live at all costs! ¡°What about the attacker? Have you found any information about him?¡± James asked. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes. Someone had the audacity and effrontery toy a hand on a member of the Reid family, and not just any member, but the head of the Reid consortium himself. He could not overlook such action, especially when the victim was his grandson. ¡°I¡¯ve ordered our men to look into it Mr. Reid.¡± Bruce answered. He too was shocked that someone had the guts to hurt a member of the Reid family. ¡°Good. Make it quick. I¡¯ve been too low profile nowadays so some people must think that we¡¯re now easy to deal with.¡± James said. Bruce was about to reply when the car came to a stop. At that moment, the driver¡¯s voice echoed in the car. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived at the hospital now Mr. Reid.¡± The bodyguards alighted from the other two Rolls- Royce and rushed to James¡¯ Rolls-Royce. They aligned themselves neatly in two rows, garnering attention from the onlookers in the hospital. They then opened the door to the Rolls-Royce, which James and Bruce alighted from. The onlookers started gossiping at the sight they witnessed. ¡°Who are those people?¡± an onlooker asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but they must be big shots! Those cars are limited edition Rolls-Royce, and there are only five of them in the market. They must be insanely wealthy to afford three of them, and customized ones at that!¡± another onlooker replied. James and Bruce already used to the attention they brought entered the hospital hastily. They walked straight to the VIP room where Darius was hospitalized. When they got to the entrance to the room, a lady walked up to them. ¡°Good day Mr. Reid. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± Erin said politely. James looked at thedy with scrutiny. He knew thedy was Erin Chrysalis, Darius personal assistant. Her white hair was roughly packed into a ponytail, and her eyes had dark circles. It showed that she hadn¡¯t had a wink of sleep that night and was under extreme pressure. James nodded to her as a sign as greeting and was about to talk when a middle aged man dressed in a doctor¡¯s uniforin exited the VIP room Darius was hospitalized. ¡°Mr. Reid. We¡¯re d to have your presence here.¡± The doctor greeted. He had already read the patients information and knew that the old man present was the patient only guardian and grandfather. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. James nodded as a sign of greeting, albeit he did so impatiently. He was not interested in exchanging pleasantries, and only wished to see his grandson, hence his impatient attitude. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re worried about your grandson, so let¡¯s go in now.¡± The doctor said. James reply had showed him his stance, therefore he decided to skip further pleasantries and cut straight to the chase. Chapter 69 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 69 james Bruxce and Erin all had surprised expressions on their faces when they entered the room and saw Darins on the hospital bed James in particr had the most surprised expression out of the three ¡°How severe are his injuries Jamnes asked in a choked voice The doctor nced at him and sighed before answering in a professional manner. ¡°His ribs are fractured, his right and left arms are broken; his left leg is temporarily paralyzed after being shot with a poisoned bullet, with risks of being permanently paralyzed, and his night ankle is fractured.¡± James closed his eyes for a brief moment after he heard the Doctor¡¯s answer. Alter a minute of silence, he asked the Doctor a question ¡± What are the chances of him surviving this ordeal?** 10%¡± The doctor answered James closed his eyes again it was even worse than he expected A 10% chance meant that he had only one out often times to survive this ordeal. There was another moment of silence, as James krpt staring at Darius lying on the bed. He looked to be in deep thought after contemting for over five minutes, he let out an audible ¡°I guess that no choice¡± James muttered, before turning to Bruce with clear eyes. ¡°Arrange to hnehin transported to the Reid Mansion immediately.¡± James ordered, and then turned to the doctor ¡°Thank you for your efforts I¡¯ll be taking my leave now ¡± James said, before leaving the hospital room Bruce immediately pot to work Erin offered to help with the transfer procedures, but Bruce turned her down. Although he was shocked by James¡¯ sudden decision, he had no choice than to go along with it. Soon enough, a luxurious ambnce van was prepared, after which Darius was wheeled into. With everything set in ce, the three luxury Rolls-Royce drove out of the hospital, with the ambnce following suit. The ride to the Reid mansion was quick and uneventful After one hour thirty minutes of driving, the vehicles arrived at the Reid mansion Darius was quickly wheeled on a stretcher into the room he stayed in during his previous visit to the Reid mansion. Everyone was both confused and curious as to why James suddenly demanded for Darius to be transported from the hospital to the mansion as it was obvious which the better choice for Darius to stay was, but as James did not disclose the reason to them, they dared not voice their disagreement with his choice. After confirming that Darius was settled in properly. James went into his study. Before he entered, he warned everyone not to disturb him no matter the situation. Inside his study, James went over to his personal safe. He inputted the password to the code, his fingerprint and scanned his right eye before the safe opened. Usually a safe was supposed to contain either very important documents; huge sums of money or very important jewels. However that wasn¡¯t the case when James opened the safe. Instead of the aforementioned items to be inside the safe, all that was there was a single red button. James pressed the button and a shocking thing happened. The floor in the room suddenly gave way, revealing a stairway right in his study. James walked to where the stairs appeared and descended down the stairs. He had built the stairs a while back; and it led to a safe room where something very important was stored. James walked for over five minutes after descending the stairs before appearing before arriving at a gold ted door. He input his pass code and went through a series of biometrics verification; even stricter than the ones he went through at first. It was only when hepleted thest verification did the door opened. Although the interior of the safe room was luxuriously decorated and screamed opulence, the only thing inside the room was a tattered and old book, and a bottle of clear golden liquid. James walked up to the where the items were kept in the centre of the room and picked up the bottle of golden liquid. He gazed at the bottle of golden liquid with aplicated look in his eyes, before sighing. He started walking towards the exit, but nced back at the tattered book. After having an internal conflict with himself, he took the tattered book with him and exited the safe room. The safe room was a room he had built to safeguard something very important. The bottle with the golden liquid was a very rare potion that was in possession of the Reid family. The founder of the Reid family had saved a very prominent figure back in the days, so as a reward he was handed twelve bottles that contained potions which could heal any injury, sickness or poison no matter how dangerous or severe the injuries were, and a book that contained the procedures to follow to awaken Qi. Over the course of the years, the bottles of potion were used only during extremely hopeless cases, such as the one James was facing now, therefore reducing the amount of bottles from twelve to one. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. When James saw how severely injured Darius was, he had no choice but to make use of thest bottle to cure him. Darius was the head of the Reid family and his grandson, so he was even more inclined to use the bottle to save him. After retrieving the items from the safe room, he ascended the staircase and walked back to his study room. He walked back to the safe and pressed the red button, returning the state of the study to how it was before making his way to the room Darius was admitted. His eyes scrunched up in worry when he saw how severe Darius¡¯ injuries were, and it tugged at his heart painfully. He then walked up to where Dariusy and opened the bottle containing the golden liquid before forcing the contents of the bottle down Darius¡¯ throat. After emptying the contents of the bottle, James kept the bottle on the bedside table and gazed at Darius with worry in his eyes. As James expected, just three minutes after drinking the bottle, a series of miraculous events urred. Chapter 70 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 70 The injuries on Darius¡¯ body started healing at a pace visible to the naked eye. James watched the process intently. He had no doubts that the golden liquid could cure Dariuspletely. However despite his trust in his liquid, he could not help worrying for his grandson. The healing process went on for over five minutes due to the severity of the injuries Darius obtained, with James watching over Darius during the duration of the healing. During the duration of the healing process, smelly ck pus kept being ejected from Darius skin. James quickly called the attention of the maids in the mansion. The ck pus wasn¡¯t the only thing that was ejected from Darius body. His hair was also shed, and new one could be seen growing on his bald head. He shifted a lot on the bed and at a single nce one could tell that he was in severe pain. The maids quickly got to work the time they arrived. They undressed him neatly and washed off the ck pus off his skin before changing his sheets. James monitored the condition of his grandson closely. He only breathed a sigh of relief after Darius¡¯ condition stabilized. He looked at his grandson sleeping soundly after beingpletely healed from his injuries by the potion. He then smiled softly and adjusted his sheets to make him sleep morefortably before exiting the room. Darius woke up feeling very refreshed and energetic. It was as if his body was filled with abundant energy. He felt that his martial arts routines that took him an hour or more toplete could be completed in less than thirty minutes! Darius was still enjoying the feeling of newly found strength in his body when he remembered something crucial. Thest thing he remembered was being attacked by a very powerful assassin and calling for help. If he could remember correctly he was severely injured by the assassin. He even thought that he was going to die. However not only was he alive, he was also in extremely good shape. All the injuries he sustained were gone like they were never there in the first ce too! He looked around and noticed another peculiar thing. Although this room looked very familiar, he was a hundred percent sure that this wasn¡¯t his room in his penthouse in Dragon Estate. It took him a minute to recall that this was his room in his grandfather mansion; however he was utterly confused as to how he arrived at his grandfather¡¯s mansion. He stood up from the bed in confusion and paced around the room deep in thoughts. However he only walked a few steps before eximing in shock. As he paced around the room, he had walked past a luxuriously designed mirror in the room. The mirror wasn¡¯t what made him exim in shock; rather it was the figure in the mirror that made him exim in shock. Darius had a hard time believing that it was his reflection he saw in the mirror. Before he was attacked, he knew that his was very handsome; however the figure in the mirror was nothing His body had the most notable change. Just like his face, his current body was aplete upgrade to his previous one. Due to the hard work that he had engaged in the past, he had a very well developed body, with muscles in the right ce; yet his current body was way more attractive than before. His skin, hair, muscles and bones also underwent several changes, leaving Darius as confused as one could be. He had no idea why his entire appearance changed so drastically. He was still looking at himself in the mirror when the door to the room opened and a maid entered. The maid was humming a song as she entered the room, but when she saw Darius, her eyes widened in shock. Darius had just woken up after being treated five minutes ago, therefore he was just dressed in ck shorts. As such, his lean but muscr body was totally exposed to the maid. When she saw Darius exposed body and muscr chest, her cheeks heated up as she blushed hard and turned red. She had cleaned his body before, but due to the gravity of the situation, she never had the opportunity to study his body. The case waspletely different now. Darius turned to look at the maid and arched his eyebrow at her strange behavior. The maid noticed Darius gaze and gathered herself before dying the reason for her visit. ¡°Young Master Reid. Pardon my intrusion. I was sent here to clean the room as it is my duty. I had no idea that you were already awake.¡± The maid exined. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Darius replied nonchntly. ¡°Yes Young Master Reid. If you are done, Master Reid would like to speak with you in his study.¡± The maid said as she stood at the exit to the room. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be there in five minutes.¡± Darius replied before the maid left the room. Darius quickly put on a decent outfit before exiting his room and making his way to his grandfather¡¯s study room. He remembered that thest time he was there was when he just discovered his identity and arrived at the Reid mansion for the first time. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. He got to the study room and knocked twice, and only entered the room after receiving permission from his grandfather. The interior of the study room was just how he remembered it to be. James Reid, his grandfather sat down behind therge mahogany desk. On the table was a bottle of wine and two ss cups. When Darius entered the study room, his grandfather raised his head from the table and gazed at his grandson with love in his gaze. Even after feeding him the golden liquid he was still worried that Darius would not heal. It was only after seeing Darius awake and in good health could he finally put all his worries to rest. Darius grandfather emptied the bottle of wine and filled the ss cups on the table before handing one over to Darius. Darius sat down opposite his grandfather and had just taken a sip of wine from the ss cup on the table when his grandfather broke the silence. ¡°What exactly happened Darius?¡± Darius furrowed his eyebrows, but went over the whole details of the attack on him, not leaving anyone out. James listened to his grandson narration with utmost attention and a stoic face; but his eyes widened in shock when Darius mentioned that the assassin had a triangr tattoo on the back of his palm. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s what you saw?¡± his grandfather asked in a pensive tone. ¡°Yes. I am very sure. Although I was severely injured, I caught a clear glimpse of his detail.¡± Darius affirmed. Darius grandfather reclined back into his seat and seemed to be deep in thought. After a minute of silence, James finally spoke up. ¡°I think I know who the culprit is.¡± Chapter 71 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 71 Darius turned to his grandfather with shock in his eyes. His grandfather knew who the culprit was? ¡°You know who the culprit is?¡± Darius asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Darius grandfather replied. ¡°How bold.¡± Darius grandfather sneered. ¡°They dared to harm you;pletely ignoring your identity as a member of the Reid family.¡± ¡°Are they not afraid of the Reid family anymore?¡± Darius grandfather asked in a cold tone. Darius looked at his grandfather and felt shivers run down his spine. The look his grandfather had on his face was the look of someone who had been in charge of apany that was on top of the food chain for over 40 years. Darius was still a student and was yet to graduate from his university, so it was completely normal that his aura paled to that of his grandfather who was a seasoned veteran. However that didn¡¯t stop Darius from asking his grandfather who the culprit was. He was incredibly curious to know who sent an assassin after him. He had not offended anyone recently and was always respectful to people. Why then would anyone send an assassin after him? ¡°Grandfather, could you tell me who the culprit is?¡± Darius asked. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes. The triangr mark on the back of the palm of the assassin is a trademark tattoo of the bodyguards of the Erihal group. They perform their dirty deeds and are considerably stronger than average humans. I just didn¡¯t expect them toy their hands on a member of the Reid family.¡± James answered angrily. He couldn¡¯t believe the audacity of the Erihal group. Even after conceding several business projects for them, they ignored all his deeds andunched a deadly attack on his grandson. They must be seeking death! Darius eyes widened in surprise when he heard his grandfather¡¯s answer. He had note in contact with anyone from the Erihal group apart from Luke Erihal, which he beat to a pulp after his attempt to rape Helen. Who would have thought he had such a vile character? Not only did he not feel any iota of remorse, he even had the heart to send a professional and trained assassin to take his life. How evil! Darius was a hundred percent sure that Luke was the person behind the attack on him, as he had even threatened him when he rescued Helen. Darius felt extreme anger bubble up in his heart as he thought about it. In the end he only had himself to me. If only he was as strong as the assassin, then he wouldn¡¯t have been injured so badly. When he recalled his fight with the assassin, brief anger¡¯ welled up in his heart. He had practiced several martial arts including Kick boxing and Taekwondo, but even that was not enough to help him defeat the assassin. He was still lost in his thoughts when his grandfather¡¯s words jolted him out of his reverie. ¡°I know what you are thinking.¡± His grandfather started. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it for now.¡± He reached into the drawer in the mahogany desk and brought out the tattered book. He dusted it carefully so as not to remove the other pages before handing the book over to Darius. ¡°Take this book. Follow the procedures in the book everyday for thirty minutes before you practice your martial arts. It will help you improve your strength greatly.¡± James said. Darius collected the tattered book from his grandfather¡¯s hands and went through it. The book contained several strange breathing exercises with different tiers. Darius looked at it skeptically before shrugging it off. It was a gift from his grandfather, which meant that he had to cherish it with his heart; after all he knew that his grandfather had his best interest at heart. ¡°You should go back to your room and rest now. Although it seems like you arepletely healed, you still need to be careful for the next three days.¡± His grandfather suggested warmly. Darius nodded his head lightly. He wholeheartedly agreed with his grandfather¡¯s suggestion. He was still feeling a bit weak as a matter of fact. Perhaps after resting for three days he would be back to full health. He thanked his grandfather sincerely for his help before exiting the study room. His grandfather maintained a smile on his face as he spoke to his grandson, but the moment his grandson left the room, a sinister gaze appeared on his face. He picked up his phone and gave Bruce a phone call. The phone rang only once before Bruce picked up the call. ¡°The Erihal Group was behind the attack on my grandson. You know what to do.¡± James ordered angrily before disconnecting the call without waiting for a response from Bruce. Since the Erihal Group took his kindness and merciful act towards them for granted, he would remind them just how powerful and unforgiving the Reid consortium is. He sat down on his seat and took a sip from the ss of wine on the table. [HKN Diamond Hotel; VIP Section, Room 41) Luke Erihalid on a very luxurious king sized bed in a room in the VIP section of the HKN Diamond Hotel. Beside him on the bedy a nakeddy. She was incredibly pretty with swelling twin peaks and a curvaceous behind. Beads of sweats rolled down from Luke¡¯s well developed upper body. It didn¡¯t take a genius to know that the two people on the bed had been involved in some intense sexual activities. Luke nced at thedy who was sleeping peacefully after several rounds of intimate sessions. His lips turned upwards and a triumphant smirk crawled on to his face. This was how it should be. He could get anydy to spend the night with him if he so wanted. There shouldn¡¯t be anyone capable of stopping his actions! His eyes turned crazed as he thought about Darius. He had gotten a report from the assassin he ordered that Darius had been severely injured by him. He was very d at the report. Although he would have preferred that Darius was killed, this also worked fine as well. The assassin informed him that the injuries were too severe and he would probably die in a few days. Luke let out a sinister chuckle. He remembered how humiliated he felt when Darius beat him up and insulted his dignity as a man in front of Helen. He wanted to be the one who beat Darius up, but he knew that he couldn¡¯t win Darius in a fight. He could only settle for the aid of the assassin. Now that Darius was out of the way, he could now renew his pursuit for Helen. This time around there would be no one to stop him. He was still relishing in his joy when his phone rang. Excited, he picked the phone call without checking the caller ID. The excited expression on his face instantly faded when he heard the voice from the other end of the phone. ¡°What exactly have you done this time, Luke Erihal?!¡± Chapter 72 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 72 Luke flinched in fear when he heard the caller¡¯s question. As for what the identity of the caller was and why he could make Luke flinch in fear, the answer was very obvious. The caller was none other than the current head of the Erihal Group and Luke¡¯s father, Ian Erihal! ¡°Are you deaf?!¡± Ian bellowed from the other end of the phone in rage. ¡°N-No sir!¡± Luke stuttered fearfully. ¡°I asked you a question! Answer me!¡± Ian bellowed in rage. Luke flinched again in fear, but said nothing. He could not bring himself to answer his father¡¯s question. He dared not tell his father that he made use of his private bodyguards to take out a nobody. It wasn¡¯t because he severely injured Darius, but because he made use of his father¡¯s special bodyguards even after the harsh warning his father gave him. Ian let out an audible sigh of frustration at the other end of the phone. Over thirty seconds passed before Ian finally broke the silence. ¡°I see you have refused to talk. No problem, I¡¯ll find out the truth myself!¡± Ian dered before disconnecting the call Luke trembled from fear after Ian disconnected the phone call, but he forced himself to calm down. His father Ian Erihal was the head of the Erihal Group, and had three sons, with him being thest son. His two brothers were incredibly brilliant and were currently studying outside the country. Although people refused to say it out loud, everybody knew that the two brothers werepeting with each other for the position of head of the Erihal Group, hence their equally brilliant records. As for Luke, no one even considered him to be a threat. Their thoughts were perfectly normal and on point. Even though he was younger and still just a university student, not only was he bad at education, he was also involved in several controversial cases. Not only that, he was also rude, arrogant and extremely condescending towards other members or workers in the Erihal Group Sadly no matter how angered or disgusted they were by Luke, there was nothing they could do. He was the son of Ian Erihal after all. Not to mention his father covered for him a lor several times, and used his influence to sweep his many crimes under the rug As such, Lukepletely feared and respected his father. He lonew fully well that if he were to lose the protection of his father, there would be no chance of redemption for him. It was why he forced himself to calm down. What made his father suddenly veil at him? Apart from sending a member of his private bodyguards to secretly fall Darius he had not done anything out of the ordinary. He even spent three days in the hospital and was only discharged recently. Luke fell deep into his thoughts. No matter what conclusion he arrived at he couldn¡¯t help but feel that he hadmitted a grave mistake. (Erihal Headquarters, Erihal Group) Ian Erihal grasped his head with his two hands. There were dark circles under his eyes, showing how much stress he had been since thest 24 hours. What started as a normal workday for him had turned out to be his worst nightmare. The Erihal Group was a wealthy conglomerate that was worth up to $200 billion, but they were now on the verge of being bankrupt! Their major investors and shareholders had pulled out from all their ongoing projects, making them lose billions of dors at once. Their stock price had also witnessed a free fall in the stock market, dropping over 1,000% in thest 24 hours. 1 Ian knew that this misfortune was as a result of targeted action from a very powerful figure; otherwise there was no way that a conglomerate worth over $200 billion will suddenly lose more than half of their net worth in 24 hours! As he was stillmenting the crisis hispany was facing, his personal assistant rushed into his office without knocking. Ian was about to reprimand him out of reflex, but with what was going on in the company at the moment, he knew this wasn¡¯t the time to be strict with the rules. ¡°Mr. Ian! The branches of ourpany in different countries have just witnessed several setbacks! All the deals they signed and were close to signing are now being called off. Considering the amount of money they¡¯ve invested, they are hurting terribly from this move!¡± His assistant announced with a panicked voice. Just as he expected, his personal assistant brought more bad news for him. Ian slumped down to his seat in his office. There was no doubt about it now. This was an attack by a figure that was way powerful and scarier than the Erihal Group. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. However Ian was very confused by the sudden attacks on hispany. He had not offended anyone that shouldn¡¯t be offended recently, so why was he being targeted? The only people he had gotten into a quarrel with were his business rivals, and they certainly did not have the power or capability to make hispany suddenly bankrupt. Who then was behind the attacks on hispany? He was still lost in his thoughts when his phone abruptly rang. He quickly answered the phone call and ced it to his ear thinking that it was a call from the workers in hispany regarding the huge mess they were in, but was surprised when the caller spoke from the other end of the phone. ¡°You have the nerve to send your bodyguards after my grandson.¡± The caller used. What grandson? Ian questioned in confusion. He removed the phone from his ear and checked the caller ID, but nearly dropped the phone in shock James Reid?! Why was James Reid using him of attacking his grandson? Ian didn¡¯t know why, but he had a bad premonition when he heard his words. If James Reid was the one behind the attack on the Erihal Group¡­ He shook his head. He dared not think about such a possibility. He quickly replied James, denying the usation ced against him. ¡°You¡¯re sorely mistaken, Mr. Reid!¡± Ian yelled frantically. ¡°I would be insane to do such a vile act. Please reconsider!¡± ¡°I hope this will teach you a lesson not to take my mercy for granted.¡± And with that statement James disconnected the call. ¡°Mr. Reid? Mr. Reid?!¡± Ian yelled, but there was no response from him. Terrified, he ordered a background search on James Reid grandson; however nothing important came up. It was to be expected. It was only the information the Reid consortium released to the media that would be avable. The only thing avable to the public was his general details. Yet that wasn¡¯t enough to make Ian give up. After one hour of intense research, he finally understood what happened. By the time he knew what happened, there was intense fury in his eyes. It was so intense that his assistant shivered in fear. 1 Ian turned over the huge mahogany desk in his office before yelling at the top of his voice. ¡°Luke Erihal you son of a b*tch!¡± Chapter 73 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 73 Chapter 73 (Reid Mansion] The past three days had been smooth sailing for Darius, as while the Erihal Group were battling bankruptcy on different fronts as a result of James Reid concentrated attacks, he was recuperating peacefully from his injuries. He woke up this morning as early as usual, and was still brimming with energy. He obeyed his grandfather¡¯s words and practiced the breathing techniques in the book his grandfather gave him before practicing his martial arts routines. As he practiced over the days, he found out that the moves were executed easier than before. The moves that used to be rigid were now executed as fluidly as water. Not only that, the time taken to perform all his routines cut short by more than half! He also noticed that his kicks and punches had increased in power, and he could process things faster than usual. Unknowingly to Darius, the golden potion that his grandfather used in treating him not only improved the external attributes of the body, but also the internal aspects. It was why his brain power was improved. If there was a way to check his lifespan, he would also be shocked to see that his life span had been extended! 1 Darius was oblivious to the effects of the golden liquid, and therefore did not think that far. When he was done with his martial arts routines, he took a quick shower before joining his grandfather in his study room. As expected, his grandfather was rxing in his study. There was a book in his hand while a half empty bottle of exotic whiskey on the mahogany desk when Darius walked in. He took a seat opposite his grandfather. His grandfather arched an eyebrow at Darius sudden visit. During the past three days they had only spoken to each other a few times as Darius was mainly recuperating inside his room. ¡°Grandfather.¡± Darius greeted politely. His grandfather waved his hands in response to his greetings but did not remove his eyes from the book. Darius knew his grandfather was an avid reader hence he wasn¡¯t bothered about that. He simply went ahead and stated the reason he wished to speak with his grandfather. ¡°I am fully healed now, so I would be leaving here today.¡± Darius said. When James heard his grandson¡¯s words, he removed his gaze from the book and stared at his grandson with concern in his eyes. ¡°Are you sure that you havepletely healed from your injuries?¡± James asked concernedly. ¡°I am fine now.¡± Darius answered. ¡°Are you sure?¡± James asked. ¡°Why not stay for a few more days?¡± ¡°Thank you grandfather, but I can no longer afford to stay here. I have a lot of work waiting for me and a lot of documents to sign. Besides, our exams areing up too. I have to study too.¡± Darius replied, politely rejecting his grandfather¡¯s suggestions. Although Darius didn¡¯t mention it, he also wanted to leave so that he could find and exact his revenge on Luke. He had no idea that the whole Erihal Group were now facing the brunt of Luke¡¯s vile deed, and wanted to take down Luke himself. James didn¡¯t give up trying to persuade Darius to stay behind, but Darius turned him down every time. It wasn¡¯t until Darius promised to return in the near future that James agreed to leave. As Darius cars were now parked at his penthouse in Dragon Estate, his grandfather arranged for him to be driven back in the Rolls-Royce cars. He had arranged for Bruce and twelve other bodyguards to escort him, but Darius who didn¡¯t want to draw so much attention to his self by taking the bodyguards with him declined the gesture, but his grandfather was having none of it. In the end, his grandfather agreed to take a step back but only if he allowed Bruce and three other bodyguards to escort him. Exasperated and backed into a corner, Darius had no choice but to agree to his arrangements. Soon enough, three beautiful white Rolls-Royce cars white the name ¡¯REID¡¯ customized on the license tes drove to where Darius and his grandfather stood. By then Darius had changed into a casual but ssy looking outfit, and he looked incredibly attractive. The bodyguards exited the cars orderly and opened the door for Darius to get in. Darius, not used to this kind of treatment was a bit einbarrassed but got in anyway. He knew that it was his grandfather¡¯s way of expressing his concern for him. When he was settled, the bodyguards closed the doors and got into the driver¡¯s seat before driving off, leaving the mansion behind. Along the way Darius instructed the bodyguards to drive him to his university. He had checked his departmental group chat and saw that an important lecture was about to begin in thirty minutes time. As he had missed three days of lectures due to his injuries, he made up his mind not to miss this one. Meanwhile at the venue where the lecture was to take ce, a lot of students had arrived at the venue and were now discussing among themselves. Surprisingly, the topic of discussion wasn¡¯t what was going on in the university, but about the crisis that the Erihal Group was facing As one of the top universities in the district, gossips in Lockwood University were easily carried around the two other universities, Kingston University and Evergreen University. Luke Erihal, who was a well known figure mainly in Lockwood University, was now known in the other two universities. As Erihal Group was now on the verge of bankruptcy after three days, and such, all the evil deeds Luke was involved was now being exposed by the media. Details of how he forced himself on several women, beat up and severely injured so many innocent people for no reason and other evil deeds could now be found on the inte. Everyone was repulsed by his evil deeds. They had no idea that Luke Erihal was that kind of person. They all thought that he was a kind person because of how he behaved in public, and but now that they had seen his true colors, they were disgusted by him. However, although the students were shocked by Luke¡¯s evil deeds, they were even more shocked at how the Erihal Group suddenly became on the verge of bankruptcy. The wealthy ones among the students knew that the Erihal Group had offended who they shouldn¡¯t have, and were now being targeted by that entity, but they had no idea who the entity was. As they were still engaging in several discussions regarding Luke Erihal and the Erihal group, something truly shocking happened, leaving them utterly speechless.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Chapter 74 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 74 Three beautiful Rolls Royce drove into the venue for the lecture Everyone present had a shocked expression on their face when they saw the expensive line up of the white Rolls Royce cars. The Rolls Royce came to a stop and three intimidating, bodyguards all dressed in ck suits alig hted from the vehicles. The intimidating aura of the three bodyguards gave the students a fright. They could tell that the three bodyguards all had top notchbat skills. Such fanfare made th em wonder the identity of the figure in the second Rolls-Royce cor. A bodyguard opened the door to the Rolls- N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Royce and when the person in the car stepped out, the students all had bewildered expressions on their faces. The person was none other than Darius Reid! Everyone there knew who Darius Reid was. After he donated S4.1 million to charity and outbid p earl Chambein in the auction at the charity g, they knew that he was no longer a poor person like before and his name had been widespread in the university, bu t they were incredibly shocked at this disy of wealth! Sarah who was present at that moment was feeling very unpleasant when she saw Darius arrive i n three beautiful Rolls- Royce cars. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder how their rtionship would have turned out if she did n¡¯t leave Darius for David, but there was nothing she could do now. Darius was now rich, and even more handsome than he was before. She believed that there was no way he would conside r getting back with her anymore. This showed to show how pretentious of a person Sarah was. Now that Darius wasn¡¯t as miserabl e as she thought he was, she was now having second doubts about her rtionship with David. I f she knew how rich Darius currently was, she would definitely dump David without a second thought! Darius walked towards the lecture hall with a stoic face, with the three bodyguards following him . Bruce had wanted to follow him, but Darius had pleaded for him to remain in the car. He didn¡¯t want to draw more attention than necessary to himself. As he walked , he noticed that the stares of everyone were on him, which made him feel ufortable. He had wanted toe alone, but his grandfather had personally instructed them to take him t o his destination, therefore he had no choice than toply with his grandfather¡¯s arrangement s. Now that he had gotten to his destination, he could finally dismiss the bodyguards. He quickly dismissed the bodyguards after thanking them politely. The bodyguards were relucta nt to leave, but when they saw his intimidating gaze, they quickly backed down. Even though the y felt obligated to obey Mr. Reid, the person in question was the grandson of their master. They didn¡¯t want to get on his bad side. Soon enough, they drove away in all three Rolls-Royce, leaving Darius behind. Darius breathed a sigh of relief at their departure. He then walked to his ss room and took his seat. Darius ssmates all had shocked expressions on their faces at the turn of events before them. Not only had he arrived in three expensive Rolls- Royce, he had also arrived with bodyguards! Everyone knew that only high profile figures were e scorted by bodyguards; and although it was not every high profile person who employed the se rvices of bodyguards, it was still a service exclusive to the wealthy people. At this point they all started questioning Darius¡¯ identity among themselves. They knew that he was rich, but this was way above their expectation. Thedies in his ss in particr even stare d at Darius like they wanted to eat him at that moment! Darius was very ufortable at the stares he received, but there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn¡¯t just tell them to stop staring at him, as that would put him in a very awkward situation. As such, he had no choice but to endure the stares that were directed at him. Finally, the door to the lecture venue opened and the lecturer walked in, saving Darius from the ufortable situation he was in. As the lecturer walked in, all the gossips and stares died dow n, returning the much needed peace to the lecture hall The ss went smoothly as expected. As it was an important lecture, everybody was intently focused on the lecture. Their exams wereing up soon and since the students knew how vital the lect ure was for them, they ced a hundred percent focus on the lecture. oc After an hour, the lecture came to a conclusion. Everyone started packing up to go home when a blue Lamborghini Gardo drove hastily into the clearing, stirring up dust as it did. The students instantly paused what they were doing and shifted their attention to the car that just arrived. They all had curious expre ssions on their faces. The car cost around S150,000, so whoever was driving such a car would be no ordinary person. Darius also looked at the car with mild curiosity. Though he wasn¡¯t moved by the cost of the car, he was interested in knowing who the car belonged to. The car door abruptly opened, and a person exited the vehicle. When the students present saw the entire figure, they a II had surprised expressions on their faces. Their surprise was perfectly understandable, as the fig ure was none other than the person whose name was on everyone¡¯s lips an hour ago, Luke Erihal! Chapter 75 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 75 The looks on everyone¡¯s faces instantly changed. At first they were surprised by the appearance of such a shy and expensive sports car, but when they saw who the car belonged to, any trace of surprise and admiration they felt for the owner of the car vanished immediately. They now had looks of contempt on their faces. It was expected, as the crimes Luke Erihal had committed weren¡¯t petty ones. They were grave ones, and not only that, he was even a repeat offender! Luke noticed the looks of contempt directed at him, but could care less about that. He didn¡¯t care about what some students thought about him, especially at this crucial juncture. His family was on the verge on being bankrupt, and it was a well known fact that if they were unable to receive external funds to improve their stock prices, by the end of today, the Erihal Group would cease to exist. The top business tycoons knew that the Erihal Group had most definitely offended a tall figure in the corporate world, which was why their Group was now being targeted and on the verge of bankruptcy. The only way for them to get back on their feet was hem to get back on their feet was to pacify whoever they offended. The business tycoons had researched who the Erihal Group had offended, but they came up with nothing. In the end, they informed all their heirs and high ranking staff to stay low-key for now. If the mysterious person could afford to make the Erihal Group bankrupt in less than 72 hours, then theirs would take even less time! Naturally, Ian Erihal knew this fact as well. He had pulled all the connections that he had at his disposal yet he was unable to save hispany from going under. Since he knew his son Luke was the offender, it was expected for Luke to apologize and plead for mercy for his misdeeds. Luke himself knew how dire his situation was. He knew he was only able to ignore the consequences of his crimes and go scot free because of the protection of his father. Now that the Erihal Group was in dire straits, his prior cases were now being dug up. If he was unsessful in convincing Darius to spare them, he might have to spend a lot of years behind bars. Meanwhile, the moment Darius saw Luke alight from the sports car, it took him all he had not to rush up to him and attack him. He was boiling in rage! Luke hadmitted a severe crime, yet the only thing he got from Darius was a beating. Instead of being remorseful for his crime, he had the audacity to send an assassin after Darius. He was clearly aiming to take his life! Darius red at Luke coldly. His re intensified when Luke walked up to Darius. Just being in the same ce as Luke irritated Darius greatly. Luke was a vile person after all. Perhaps Luke unexpected appearance was even a good thing. He had sworn to take revenge on Luke for his attempt to take his life. As a matter of fact, he was just going to get to that when he got home. Who would have thought that Luke would appear before him? It didn¡¯t matter what brought Luke here. It was a great opportunity for him as he could finally settle all the grievances he had in his heart. ¡°My God how shameless can one be?¡± A student gossiped; her toneced with contempt. ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡± Another student chimed in. ¡°I mean, even after all the allegations leveled against him, and the situation his family is in, he still has the pride to strut around in campus with his sports car?¡± the first student said in a disgusted tone. They all knew of the crisis the Erihal Group was facing; hence they expected Luke to be giving in all in reviving thepany. His current action therefore made little sense to them. Coupled with the facts that they now bore deep grievances against him after reading the several crimes hemitted on the inte, they spared him no mercy. Darius had a look of surprise on his face at their words. He had no idea that his grandfather had already taken matters into his own hands and punished the Erihal Groud o As they were gossiping audibly, Luke heard everything they said, but he didn¡¯t respond. Instead he kept on walking towards Darius. The gossips increased in volume when they saw Luke walking towards Darius. It became even louder when they noticed Darius was ring at Luke with unbridled hostility. They all wondered what was going on. When Luke got closer to Darius, there was a brief stare off he did the least thing that anyone present would expect. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. He knelt down and ced his head on the ground, bowingpletely to Darius! There was a brief moment of silence, before everyone started talking loudly. ¡°What is going on?!¡± ¡°Are my eyes deceiving me?!¡± ¡°This can¡¯t be real!¡± They all had exaggerated reactions at what happened. It was understandable, as the sight before them waspletely unbelievable. They all knew Luke Erihal to be a proud man with arge ego. As someone who was the member of the Erihal Group, he was always rude and arrogant. It was shocking that the rude and arrogant person was now on his knees before Darius! Now that they looked at Luke closely, they noticed that his former high and mighty attitude was nowhere to be found. He looked very unkempt, like he hadn¡¯t taken his bath in days, which was very out of character for him. They were too blinded by his shy arrival; otherwise they would have noticed his shabby appearance earlier. Darius looked at Luke kneeling before him. Being the observant person he was, Darius deduced what the situation was from the gossips of the students and arrived at a fitting conclusion. As far as he knew there was no other person capable of making the Erihal Group go bankrupt in 72 hours except his grandfather. He figured out that the reason Luke appeared before him was to beg for pardon. As expected, Luke¡¯s next words confirmed Darius¡¯ hypothesis. ¡°Please pardon me and save my family!¡± Luke begged loudly in a very distressed voice. The students all turned to each other in confusion. They were confused as to why Luke was suddenly begging Darius for pardon. There was no reason for Luke to beg Darius to save his family, unless ¡­! The students¡¯ eyes widened in surprise as they realized what had happened. Wouldn¡¯t this mean that Darius was the one responsible for the bankruptcy of the Erihal Group?! Chapter 76 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 76 The students all sucked in a cold breath when they arrived at that conclusion. Such conclusion m eant that Darius was even more impressive than they thought. It was very unnerving that such a brilliant figure was frolicking in the university as a poor and wretched fissure! Darius on the other hand was still ring at Luke with unbridled hostility. He didn¡¯t care a single bit about Luke¡¯s apology. He wasn¡¯t a saint or a martyr, so how was he supposed to forgive some one who came afterliis life? II was simply an irreconcble action! He was also having a hard time believing that Luke was truly remorseful for his actions, Perhaps he was only willing to beg for lenjency because the protection of the Erihal Group would be non existent if the Erihal Group went under. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I cannot help you out. I have no idea who is behind the targeted actions toword th e Erihal Group, therefore there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± Darius said coldly. Even though he was itching to beat up Luke, he reigned in his anger. He couldn¡¯t just attack Luke out here in the open, especially in front of his fellow students. He was also being honest with his answer; and was even willing to go as far as put his difference s with Luke aside that moment. Even if he hade to the conclusion that his grandfather was b ehind the bankruptcy of the Erihal Group, it was still a deduction. He couldn¡¯t really tell unless he spoke with his grandfather and confirmed his deduction. ¡°Please! I¡¯m sorry for my crimes! Please save my family!¡± Luke begged loudly. He hadpletely discarded his pride and humble d himself before Darius in front of the student body. When Darius saw how sincere Luke¡¯s plea was, he had aplicated expression on his face. Even though he was feeling aggrieved and boi ling with rage at Luke¡¯s attempt to take his life, he still had human empathy. Seeing Luke in such a miserable state made him feel a little bit sorry for him. Darius however didn¡¯t reply to Luke¡¯s plea. He instead turned his back and started walking away f rom Luke. He still needed to confirm if his grandfather was the one behind their downfall before he decided on what to do next. ¡°Look at him. He looks so pathetic.¡± A student gossiped when they saw the pathetic state Luke w as in. ¡°Hmph! Serves him right!¡± another student chimed in. She did not feel the tiniest bit of pity for L uke, not after reading through his crimes hemitted on the inte. They were just too vile! Luke raised his head from the floor and looked around. He saw that Darius had ignored himpletely and left him there,pletely disregard ing his plea for mercy. Luke confidence level was severely hit at Darius¡¯ actions. He in fact was not the least remorseful f or his actions. Not even one single bit! The only reason he was here was because his father had informed him of how dire his situation was and yelled at him greatly. As a result, he swallowed his pride and came here dressed shabbily in order to earn pity points. However, he did not expect Darius to not even spare him a single nce at all! He looked around once more and saw that majority of the students were looking at him with co ntempt, pily or indifference. Luke couldn¡¯t stand that. Even if they were not students of Lockwoo d University, they still had peers and friends there. As such, his shameful situation would definitel y be broadcasted around the whole Lockwood University! Luke clenched his fists as he red at the ground. He had never been so humiliated in his life be fore. In the end it was all Darius fault! If it weren¡¯t for Darius, he would have had his way with Helen. If he had gotten his way with Helen, he wouldn¡¯t have to make use of his father¡¯s bodyguards. If he didn¡¯t make use of his father bodyguards to severely injure Darius, his grandfather would never have gotten involved. ved. If his grandfather had not gotten involved, the Erihal group will still be very much alright. They wouldn¡¯t have been in danger of bankruptcy. If his family wasn¡¯t in danger of bankruptcy, he wouldn¡¯t have to kneel before Darius for mercy. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. In the end, it all boiled down to Darius. Darius was the one who was responsible for him and his f amily misfortune. As if to make matter worse, he had even set Luke up to be ridiculed by the rest of the student body! Luke¡¯s pride and ego couldn¡¯t deal with such tant disy of disrespect. Since Darius had refused to help him and his family, he had nothing left to live for. With his family business going bankrupt and no one to protect him, he would spend majority of his years behind bars. It was an oue he I east desired. There was a crazy glint in his eyes. All this had happened because Darius existed in the first ce . If he didn¡¯t exist, then none of this would have happened, and he would still be on top of the world like before. Since that was the case, it would be better to take care of Darius right then. As such, he fumbled in his pockets and brought out a knife before getting up from the ground and dashing towards Darius. He was aiming to kill Darius. The students who were mocking Luke all let out frightened screams at his sudden action. Their screams reached Darius ears, and coupled with the foreboding he felt looming over him, he turned back in time to see Luke running with full speed at him with a knife in his hands! Chapter 77 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 77 Darius was incredibly shocked at Luke¡¯s action, but he recovered very quickly. After drinking the golden liquid, he had received a tremendous boost to his physical attributes and hisbat pro wess also received a drastic power up.He quickly leapt back beforeunching a powerful kick to Luke¡¯s wrist. The kick was incredibly po werful, dispossessing Luke at once. The kuile fell from his hands andnded a safe distance from Luke.Everyone present breathe in a sigh of relief at the turn of events. They thought that Luke would b e sessful in luis attempt, but luckily Darius was well versed inbat, therefore thwarting Luk e¡¯s murder attempt.Darius stared at Luke with unchecked hostility. One look at himn and one could tell that he was incredibly furious!He was a fool to have ever felt an iota of sympathy towards Luke. He thought that the dire situation his family was would make him remorseful of his actions since he was the one who put them in a difficult situation in the first ce, but it was far from his expectations. Not only did he not feel any form of remorse at his crimes, he was even bold enough to try to take his life in broad daylight!Darius red at Luke. His re wasvery bone chilling, and it sent shivers down Luke¡¯s spine, who was on the receiving end of the att ack.This was the second time he had tried to take his life. It was indeed true that a leopard couldn¡¯t c hange his spots no matter how hard it tried. It was the same for Luke; he couldn¡¯t change his vile character no matter how hard he tried.Darius now understood why his grandfatherhad made the Erihal Group on the verge of bankruptcy. If he didn¡¯t show that he wasn¡¯t someon e that should be trifled with, his foes would keep trampling upon him.If he had taken care of Lukewhen he found him trying to force himself on Helen, none of this would have happened in the fir st ce.Luke on the other hand was now panicking greatly. Now that his attemptto end Darius¡¯ life had failed, he was in an even direr situationthan before. Darius re was even more soul piercing, sending shivers offear down his spine. Before Luke could even get a grip of himself, a blinding pain assaulted him his cheek. Darius had punched him right in the jaw!Luke screamed loudly and fell to the floor in pain. Darius had no idea that his physical attributes had increased tremendously, so his punch was incredibly powerful. It was so powerful that it alm ost broke Luke¡¯s jaw.Darius was about to continue his assault on Luke, but loud sirens sounds started echoing inAll content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. the distance, which made him halt his actions.A quick witted student had called for the police when shesighted the knife in Luke¡¯s hands. This action hadundoubtedly saved Luke¡¯s life, as Darius would have definitely killed him if it weren¡¯t for their arrival.1.3More than three police cars arrived at the scene, creating a loudmotion. The second the poll ce cars arrived, several policemen alighted from the cars.They walked over to where Lukey on the floor with handcufis in their hands.¡°Mr. Luke Eribal, you are under arrest for the attempted murder of Mr. Darius Reid. This is necess ary to allow the prompt and effective investigation of this offence and to prevent escape. You ha ve theright to remain silent, anything you Sey can and will be used against you in the court ofw.¡± The policeman said as he handcused Luke,The Erihal Group had finally gone under, meaning that therewas no longer any protection for Luke He was no longer under the shelter of his father¡¯s influenc e and it was finally time to face the repercussions of his actions.The police men arrested Luke and took him into their custody. Darius was very aggrieved at the way the events yed out. He wanted to release all the pent up anger he harbored towards Luke , but was unable to do so now that Luke was in police custody. No matter how aggrieved he was, he had no choice but to ept it.After Lukewas arrested by the policemen, everyone finally left the lecture venue. However, the events that happened undoubtedly raised Darius¡¯ status in their hearts, especially after he defended himself properly against Luke¡¯s murder attempt. There was no doubt that this would be broadcasted aro und the whole university.Thenext day went on as usual for Darius. He meditated, practiced his martial arts routine, and took a quick shower. He was about to have his breakfast when he received a phone call. He checked th e caller ID and saw it was his personal assistant Erin. Seeing that, he quickly answered the phone call.¡°Hello, Mr. Reid.¡± Erin said. Without wasting a single minute, Erin went straight to the point. Now that Luke was in police custody to pay for his crimes, and his father also in custody to face the repercussions of covering up Luke¡¯s crimes, the whole Erihal Group was in shambles.So many of the company workers had resigned, and the few left were also thinking of resigning. Erin then suggested that Darius purchase the whole Erihal Group now that they were at an all ti me low from the two Erihal brothers, and then revive thepany in his name.Darius thought about it and saw that it was indeed a great idea. As such, he gave Erin the permis sion to go ahead with her idea.Erin thanked Darius beforedisconnecting the phone call. Darius let out a small smile after the call disconnected. He was d that he had gotten himself a personal assistant with great foresight.The acquiring process was very smooth and waspleted in less than a day. In the end, Darius bought the whole Erihal Group from Luke¡¯s brothers for 20 billion dors. He was bei ng very generous, as the Erihal Group wasn¡¯t worth that amount with the crisis they went throug h The brothers quickly agreed to such a huge sumof money. After all with such a huge amount, they would be able to live the rest of their lives without any worries.Darius then named thepany ¡®West Antics Inti.¡¯ and handed over the management to Erin after signing all the documents.Luke was now convicted and would most likely be spending the rest of his years behind bars. He h ad also acquired his father¡¯spany. Although he didn¡¯t get to take matters in his own hands, th e fact that Luke was being punished for his crimes was enough for him. Chapter 78 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 78 The following days were peaceful for Darius. Helen still refused to pick his phone calls or reply his texts, leaving Darius at a loss on what to do. Since the matter with Luke had been settled, he then focused on his studies. The second semester exams were fast approaching and he needed to pass effortlessly. After two weeks of intense studying and preparation, the semester exams came to a conclusion. As expected, Darius was the best student in the exams when the result came out, Darius had an apathetic response to that. He had always emerged as the best student in all the exams he had taken since he got admitted to Kingston University, so this time wasn¡¯t any different to him. 1 Now that the exams were over, the students were given a two months break, before they resumed school for the next semester. This meant that when school resumed for the next session Darius would be in his final year of study. The whole student body was bustling with excitement after seeing their results. Majority of the students in Darius Business Management department had passed the exams with ease, therefore exining their joy. They were even happier at the two months break that was given to them. They started discussing among themselves about the ns they had for the break. They made mention of several luxurious restaurants, entertainment vis and tourist attractions. Darius listened in on their conversation as they discussed. Their discussion made him recall that he didn¡¯t have any n currently. Just as he was thinking of what he would do during the two month break, his phone rang. He checked the caller ID and saw that it was Erin, his personal assistant. He quickly answered the phone call and ced his phone to his ear. ¡°Hello, Mr. Reid.¡± Erin said professionally. ¡°Yes, Erin. Is anything the matter?¡± Darius asked. ¡°Mr. Reid, regarding the West Antics Int¡¯l acquisition, there are several documents that you have to sign personally before we proceed.¡± Erin answered. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll head over immediately.¡± Darius replied before disconnecting the phone call. He walked briskly to where his Bugatti was parked, as he hadn¡¯t retrieved his Lamborghini from maintenance shop. He got into his Bugatti and drove off from the parking lot, eliciting iooks of admiration and envy from the few onlookers present, N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. He switched on his car inbuilt GPS system and input the location for his newpany, following it closely. The journey was without incident. When he arrived at the former Erihal Group Headquarters building, he parked his car neatly in the parking lot. He got out from his car and looked around the headquarters. It was incredibly deserted. Not a single soul was present outside the building, 11 He shook his head lightly before entering the building. The interior of the building was the same as the exterior. It was empty and lifeless. Darius was a bit skeptical about the lifelessness of thepany, but quickly thought otherwise. After all since the Erihal Group was no more and he was yet to formally complete the procedures of registering thepany; it would be strange if he could see workers moving around the building. He walked briskly to the conference room and entered the room. Three people with his assistant were already waiting for his arrival in the conference room. As such, the moment he entered the conference room, they all stood up and bowed, acknowledging his presence. ¡°Wee Mr. Reid. We¡¯re grateful to be blessed with your presence.¡± The leader of the three strangers greeted. They knew that the young man in question definitely had a very impressive background if he was able to pay 20 billion dors at once to purchase a conglomerate group. Therefore they hoped to leave a favorable impression on him. Darius waved lightly to them, responding to their greetings, before taking his seat at the head of the table. Erin walked over to where he was seated and handed over several documents to Darius. Darius read through them and saw that they were several documents regarding the formal registration of his company on his name. It took him over two hours to finallyplete the signing and formal registration processes. When he was done, thepany ¡®West Antics IntT was finally registered as both a local and international company. Darius felt a huge sense of aplishment at that moment. It had only been a few months ago since he discovered his identity as wealthy heir, but he was now the founder of his ownpany. It was a very impressive feat indeed, as Darius was still just a university student! He thanked Erin generously for her insight and the help she offered. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Mr. Reid. I¡¯m just doing my job.¡± She downyed his thanks humbly, but there was an affectionate and admiring shine in her eyes. Darius was about to respond to her shiy reply when his phone rang. He didn¡¯t nce at the caller ID before picking the phone call. ¡°Darius.¡± The caller said once the call connected. Darius knew who the caller was the moment he heard his voice. It was none other than his grandfather! ¡°Grandfather.¡± Darius answered in a surprised voice. He had no idea why his grandfather suddenly called him. ¡°I heard about your acquiring of the Erihal Group.¡± Darius¡¯ grandfather said. Darius was a bit shocked at his grandsather¡¯s statement. It had not been long since he purchased the group, and the transaction was very low-key, yet the news had already reached his grandfather. It was indeed a bit scary. ¡°Yes. I felt it was a huge waste to let thepany die out, so I purchased it and registered it under my name.¡± Darius answered, There was a brief moment of silence, before his grandfather spoke up. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll like to discuss with you about that. I¡¯ll be meeting you at thepany location.¡± Darius instantly declined his grandfather¡¯s suggestion. He felt his grandfather was too old to be moving around recklessly and was worried for his grandfather¡¯s health. ¡°I¡¯ll drive to meet you now!¡± Darius said hurriedly; however, his grandfather was having none of it. IL ¡°Nonsense! I¡¯m already on my way! Just send me the address!¡± his grandfather insisted adamantly. Then he hung up the phone without even waiting for Darius to respond. Chapter 79 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 79 Darius let out a helpless sigh at his grandfather¡¯s words before sending thepany¡¯s address to his grandfather¡¯s e-mail. There was nothing he could do than to obey his grandfather¡¯s wishes. He quickly exited the conference room with Erin following closely behind. He rushed downstairs and stood at the entrance to the building to wait for his grandfather. Just thirty minutes after he sent thepany¡¯s address to his grandfather, three beautiful white Rolls- Royce cars pulled up outside thepany¡¯s building. The bodyguards who escorted his grandfather alighted from the Rolls-Royce cars and opened the door to a Rolls-Royce car. His grandfather and Bruce then alighted from the car slowly. The bodyguards quickly surrounded his grandfather and Bruce, providing them maximum security from any security threats. Darius quickly walked over to his grandfather and greeted in a polite voice. ¡°Grandfather! You didn¡¯t really need toe over here!¡± However his grandfather just waved off his greeting. He didn¡¯t have time to spare for pleasantries. ¡°Take me to the conference room at once. We have a lot to discuss.¡± His grandfather ordered. Left with no choice, Darius could only do as his grandfather wished. He instructed some of the bodyguards who escorted his grandfather to remain behind and guard the building while the rest of the bodyguards escorted them inside. They then walked briskly to the conference room. On their way there, Darius noticed that his grandfather kept ncing around the interior of thepany. Darius could tell that he was very unsatisfied with the interior of the building, however Darius said nothing. When they got to the conference room, his grandfather instructed both Bruce and Erin to wait outside. Bruce instantly obeyed his instruction, and Bruce and Erin took their seats just outside the conference room. Darius and his grandfather then both entered the conference room. His grandfather took the seat at the head of the table, while Darius sat close to his grandfather. When they were settled in, his grandfather spoke up. ¡°I am really pleased with your foresight.¡± His grandfather started. ¡°It didn¡¯t cross my mind to purchase the Erihal Group. It is indeed a wise move.¡± Darius¡¯ grandfather praised. Darius blushed slightly at thepliments. If he were being honest he was just like his grandfather. He had no intentions of purchasing the Erihal Group. If it weren¡¯t for Erin¡¯s timely advice, he would not have considered it at all. ¡°Actually, grandfather, it wasn¡¯t my idea to purchase the Erihal Group. It was rather my assistant¡¯s idea.¡± Darius said. He didn¡¯t want his grandfather to misunderstand him, and thereby overestimate his abilities. Darius grandfather however had little reaction to Darius¡¯ confession. It didn¡¯t matter if it was Darius idea or his assistant¡¯s idea. II took nothing from the ingenuity of the idea, ¡°To be honest, I wanted you to build your ownpany corliec Even though the Reid consortium is a very affluent group, and you¡¯re currently the consortium¡¯s head, you are still a university student for you to lead the Reid consortium, you still need a lot of experience¡± His C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. randratier said, Darius¡¯ eyebrow twitched when he heard his grandfather¡¯s statement. It showed how annoyed he was! Who was il wlio abruptly made him the consortium¡¯s head the same day he wos found? It was his brandfather of course! Now his same grandfather was lecturing about experience! When his grandfather noticed his grandson eyebrow twitching a wave of nostalgia hit him. He was also a bit embarrassed at that moment, When he had discovered his grandson was still alive, he was overwhelmed by a lot of emotions, and therefore hurriedly appointed him as the head of the Reid consortium. However it just dawned on him that he had made a hasty decision. Darius was just 2? years old and a third year university student. There was no way that he would have the experience to lead the whole assois of the Reid consortium. Even at that, he was d that he had given Darius ess to a few of the assets that the Reid consortium owned. He was sure that Darius had garnered a bit of experience from the few months be managed the assets, and that when he grew hispany to be a titan in the corporate world, he would be able to manage the whole assets effortlessly. ¡°Ahem. His grandfather couched lightly. ¡°I admit I was indeed too hasty in the past.¡± His grandfather admitted remorsefully. ¡°But I was just thinking about the future of the Reid consortium.¡± Darius nodded lightly in agreement. He understood where his grandfather wasing from, ¡°I understand grandfather.¡± Darius said quickly. He didn¡¯t want his grandfather to feel bad about his decisions, ¡°Alright. So what do you have in n for yourpany?¡± his grandfather asked straightforwardly, ¡°I n on creating an investmentpany.¡± Darius answered steadily. Hebad thought deeply about it and came to that conclusion. Since several of the assets he owned were already giants in different fields, it would be self destructive to create anotherpany and focus in that same field, but it would be a different case if he created an investment group If hispany were based on investments, then they could dabble in many fields both locally and internationally, indearn profits by investing inpanies or projects with huge potential. It was a very solid design, Darius¡¯ grandfather was indeed pleased with Darius¡¯ ns for hispany. It was truly an inventive aspiration ¡°That¡¯s a great objective.¡± Darius¡¯ grandfather praised sincerely. ¡°However, to start up an investmentpany, you need a lot of capital.¡± His grandfather pointed out. Darius fell silent at that. It was true that he needed a lot of capital to start up his investment group. While he was indeed very wealthy, he had just used all the money he had to acquire the Erihal Group from Luke brothers. As such, he didn¡¯t have more than a few thousand dors on him. His grandfather naturally knew about his situation, therefore he spoke up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the capital. I¡¯ll give you a considerable sum as capital.¡± His grandfather said indifferently. Darius felt ted after hearing his grandfather¡¯s words, but before he could celebrate his small victory, his grandfather¡¯s next words cut his joy short. Chapter 80 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 80 ¡°I can only give you the capital to start up yourpany under one condition.¡± Darius¡¯ grandfat her dered in an authoritative tone. Darius gulped slowly at that, but braced himself to ask the condition. ¡°What condition, grandfather?¡± Darius asked tentatively. ¡°You have to make a profit of five times the original capital I give you in one year.¡± His grandfath er answered domineeringly. Darius eyes widened in surprise at his grandfather¡¯s condition. He had to make five times the original capital in a single year?! That was a very tall condition, es pecially for him! Darius had only little experience which was gained only after managing a few assets like Nix Inc. and other businesses for a few months. Even at that, he had not made five times the profit they usually earned. Darius was feeling very unpleasant at that moment, but he forced himself to calm down. He had not yet known how much his grandfather was willing to giv e him as capital. Hopefully it won¡¯t be a very As Darius was beginning to see a glimmer of hope, his grandfather next words once again crush ed his spark of hope. ¡°I¡¯ll be giving you 50 billion dors as capital, which means that next year you should have made a profit of 250 billion dors.¡± His grandfather said imperiously, Darius eyes bulged wildly in shock at that statement so billion dors?! It was theplete opposite of what he expected! He was imperting his grandfather to give him a capital of about 1 2 billion dors. That way. he would be providing profit of 5 10 billion d ors at the end of the year Bulth waspletely beyond his expectations h andfather had give n more than ten times the Distus was feeling very contacted at that moment, but before he could even thunk further esbou st his situation, his grandfather stood up suddenly ¡°I¡¯ll fita Viry professional teatro enovate this pidine ta t it look more That¡¯ll be all I¡¯ll be taking any lev a nta pentathet it before leaving the confer ri, leavini lita post b ehind As soon to seppel of the conferme room, broth red bowed deeply rolm in stead of abruptly and lie wavedbehly at that is propose and thieted for line to follow his before making 11 Way out of the empty building As he walked, he thought deeply about his actions towards his grandson. He indeed thought tha t it was a bit of a stretch for an inexperienced Darius to make so much profit in a year, but he kn ew that he had no choice but to do so. He knew that Darius was still inexperienced when it cam e to matters like this, and what better way to make Darius more experienced than to throw such a challenge at him? James was sure that if Darius could ovee this challenge, he would be way more capable than he was now! He let out a helpless sigh as he walked. As soon as he came out from the building, the bodyguar ds rushed out and surrounded him. Without even uttering a word, the three beautiful white Rolls- Royce cars appeared and drove to where he stood. A bodyguard from the side instantly rushed t o the door of the Rolls-Royce and opened it while bowing deeply. James and his assistant Bruce got into the white Rolls- Royce car in the middle, before the bodyguard closed the door. A few secondster, the three be autiful white Rolls-Royce sped off. At this time, Erin was inside the conference room with Darius. Darius had a dejected look on his f ace as he recounted some details of his conversation he had with his grandfather to Erin. Darius was really troubled at that moment. Two hundred and fifty billion dors was no joke. He I et out a troubled sigh. While others were busy scraping for money to get by, Darius was busy thi nking on how to spend so much money. Although Erin was indeed really troubled at the moment, she was not as troubled as Darius was. She felt that he was thinking too much about it. They still had a year to make the required profit. It wasn¡¯t something they should rush. It took a lot of time before she managed to convince Darius to not ce too much worry on it, b ut Darius was finally convinced. The rest of the week passed quickly. The former Erihal Group headquarters was demolished and renovated into a very regal building. It was twice as regal as it was before. Darius didn¡¯t know ho w much N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. his grandfather had spent on the renovations, but Darius knew that his grandfather must have sp ent a very hefty sum. While the renovation was going on, Darius wasn¡¯t idle. That was far from it. He and Erin took their time in scouring through the details of several people who were searching for jobs, as well as experienced veterans in the corporate world. After several days of sleepless nights, Darius finally got 40 new employees for hispany. The number of employees was supposed to be more than that, but majority of them were skeptical a bout ¡®West Antics IntT; after all it was a newly establishedpany with no background. Anyone would be skeptical about leaving a well establishedpany and working for apany with no name and backgr ound. Darius wasn¡¯t too miffed about that. He was extremely confident that with enough time, he would be able to attract even the most experienced of employees, He was still thinking about his business matters when his phone rang. He quickly picked up his phone up, thinking that the call was rted to business matters and answered the call withou t checking the caller ID. \Nhen he heard the caller¡¯s voice, his eyes widened in surprise. The phone call turned out to be fro m someone he least expected! Chapter 81 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 81 The caller was Helen! It had been close to two weeks since Darius rescued Helen from Luke¡¯s vile actions. After taking her to her dorm, she kissed him on the lips and ran off before he could even react. After that day, he had tried to get in touch with her; not because of the kiss, but because he wanted to know if she was doing alright as he guessed that she might have gotten a huge scare. Contrary to his expectations, Helen refused to pick any of his calls at all! Not only that, she totall y refused any meeting with him at all, leaving Darius at a total loss on what to do. She waspl etely avoiding him. Darius had no choice but to leave her for the time being. He had no idea why she was avoiding him, but he respected her choice. He still had a lot of things to do, so he couldn¡¯t spend his whole time thinking about Helen¡¯s refusal to meet with him. Therefore one could imagine how surprised he was when he saw that the caller was Helen. He di d not expect her to contact him so soon. ¡°Hello, Darius.¡± Helen greeted in a low but audible voice. She had decided to call Darius because she felt incredi bly guilty about how she had been ignoring him. ¡°Hi, Helen.¡± Darius answered. There was a tinge of impatience in his voice lowever. He still had se veral matters to overlook and documents regarding hispany to sign. He was incredibly busy at that moment and therefore he was not in the mood to exchange pleasantries and engage in small talk with Helen. ¡°Are you busy right now?¡± Helen asked hesitantly. She could hear the impatience in Darius¡¯ voice and being a very observant person, she guessed that Darius was greatly upied at the moment. As such, she ski pped all pleasantries and went straight to the reason why she called Darius. ¡°Would you be willing to have a meal with me next week?¡± Helen asked timidly. Her heart was be ating very rapidly at that moment. She was ny percent sure that Darius would decline her invi tation, especially after she ignored him for weeks. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet.¡± Darius answered honestly. He was too busy right now to create time for a me et up with Helen. It was only after he concluded his affairs here that he would be able to meet u p and have a meal with her. ¡°Oh. Alright.¡± Helen responded dejectedly. Now that she thought about it, avoiding him all these while wasn¡¯t a reasonable thing to do. She should have at least met with him and told him that t he kiss she gave him was done out of impulse. That way, the atmosphere between them wouldn¡¯ t be so weird now. Darius heard Helen¡¯s dejected voice and sighed softly. Although he bore no romantic feelings to words her, he was still very worried about her well being. Sadly, he was too busy to meet up with her. However, not wanting to disappoint Helen and make her feel sad, he decided topromis e ¡°I¡¯ll be busy for some time, but I assure you that once I¡¯m done I¡¯ll give you a call regarding that meal.¡± Darius said, Helen nearly jumped up in joy at Darius¡¯ words, but forced herself to remain calm. Even then, the re was a very huge smile on her face, ¡°Certainly!¡± Helen replied happily. Darius smiled softly at her happy response before disconnecting the phone call. Once the phone call was disconnected, Helen threw her phone on the bed before jumping up se veral times in her dorm room. She was incredibly happy at that moment, Why did she kiss Darius? Wasn¡¯t it because she had already fallen for him? Are you kidding? Which girl in her right senses wouldn¡¯t fall for Darius? He had saved her twice, and was willing to spend a huge sum of money for her when they were s till strangers. How many men were willing to do that now without demanding something in return? He was not only was tall, handsome and wealthy, he was also very kind! He wasn¡¯t like the previo us men she had met before who looked down on her because of her poor background and chased after her with money. In other words, Darius was her dream man and prince charming. She knocked herself hard on the head for taking so long toe to this realization. What if som eone else had stolen Darius¡¯ heart during the time she was avoiding him? How would she live wit h that then? Helen knew that now was not the time to be passive anymore. If she didn¡¯t up her game, then a perfect guy like Darius would be snatch ed away by other vixens! Meanwhile in his office, Darius sneezed loudly at that moment. He wiped his nose with his handk erchief and furrowed his eyebrows. Someone must definitely be gossiping about him at that moment; but as it was impossible for hi m to know who, he turned his attention back to the documents on his table and continued worki ng. The next eight hours flew by, and Darius waspletely immersed in his work. The only time he paused was to eat his lunch. Aside from that, he waspletely focused on his work. He just fini shed signing another document when he heard a knock on his office door. ¡°Come in.¡± Darius said. The door opened and Erin walked in. She was still as beautiful as ever, but her radiance was not enough to hide the dark circles that were forming under her eyes. As the newpany was seve rely understaffed, even with Darius¡¯ help, Erin still found herself doing three times the work Dariu s did. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Erin greeted Darius with a light bow before speaking ¡°Mr. Rejd, you have a visitor.¡± Chapter 82 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 82 Darius frowned slightly at Erin¡¯s words as he wasn¡¯t expecting a visitor anytime soon. However since this person hade to see him, he figured that he should entertain the person. ¡°Let the visitor in.¡± Darius said. Erin nodded in agreement before exiting the office. Secondster, the door to the office pushed open and a man stepped in, with Erin following suit. One look at the man showed that the man was an ordinary business man. He was dressed in a w orn out ck suit that had several patches on it, and his shoes were equally worn out. Even thou gh Darius was sure that he was middle aged, the wrinkles on his face made him seem way older t han he actually was. ¡°Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Mr. Reid!¡± the man greeted in a very polite voice. He e ven gave a light bow as he spoke. Darius merely smiled in response to his greetings. He had seen his outfit and knew that he was a n ordinary, or perhaps even a struggling business man, but there was no scorn in his expression. He recently became rich after all. What kind of person would he be if he was arrogant and conde scending to someone when he was just as poor before? ¡°Please have a seat, Mister¡­¡± Darius trailed off. The man had not introduced himself so there w as no way Darius would know his name. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. The man instantly knew what Darius was asking of him and spoke up in a respectful manner ¡°Pardon me, Mr. Reid!¡± He eximed. ¡°It¡¯s incredibly silly of me to not introduce myself to someo ne of your status yet.¡± Darius merely smiled in response to his words; however his eyebrows were a bit furrowed. He wa s extremely ufortable by the amount of ttery that the visitor offered him. The visitor was very observant and noticed that Darius was not interested in his pleasantries; therefore he went s traight to the point. ¡°My name is Zack Lyle.¡± The man said. Darius simply looked at him in silence, indicating him to go ahead with his statement. ¡°Ahem-¡°the man coughed lightly. When he Darius was beginning to run out of patience, he quic kly spoke up and stated the reason for his visit. ¡°Pardon my impudence Mr. Reid.¡± Zack started. ¡°I am the owner of a small businesspany. We were doing well recently, and even managed to get a project with a conglomerate group. We had already signed the contract and were waiting for our rapid grow th when the conglomerate group in question suddenly encountered some troubles.¡± ¡°As a small businesspany, I wanted no part in what seemed to be a squabble between two g iants in the business world, so I withdrew from the project.¡± ¡°However, I had already invested majority of the profits and capital mypany generated into the project, so when I pulled out, I was left with n othing.¡± ¡°I thought I would be able to handle it, but the bacsh from the withdrawal gave mypany a severe hit I tried to contact other several multinational groups in the city to try and invest in iis, but they all refused.¡± ¡°In the end, I had to use my personal assets and inoney to pay oil majority of my employees¡¯ sr y as they were no longer interested in working for me.¡± Zack said. There was an undertone of hur t in his voice ¡°As for the reason for my visit here, I did some research and discovered that this is a rtively ne w company. Since the location it is founded is metropolis, city, it would be incredibly tough for y our company to gain . foothold in the city¡± Zack mentioned tactfully. Seeing as Darius full attention was ced on him, he continued speaking, ¡°For yourpany to be attan in such a metropolitan city, you will need several experience d employees.¡± Zack added ¡°And why are you telling me all these?¡± Darius asked straightforwardly ¡°Ahem -¡± Zack coughed lightly at Darius¡¯ straightforwardness before answering ¡°The truth is that I traveled a long distance toe here, and I was fortunate that a good numbe r of my employees were willing to continue working for me, even when mypany was only ge nerating losses.¡± ¡°I came here to ask for your assistance. Please take in mypany under your wing¡± Zack concl uded and bowed deeply to Darius, Darius fell silent once more at his request. After listening to Zack¡¯s exnation, he understood th e reasons behind his actions. Hispany was on the verge of being folded, and after searching, no conglomerate groups were willing to invest in his third ratepany. Desperate, he was left with no choice tha n to seek the help of a rtively newpany. To be honest, Darius was indeed tempted to employ Zack. He could see the shrewdness of a very experienced and veteran business man in Zack¡¯s eyes. He was sure that Zack would be a very gr eat asset to his However, Darius didn¡¯t want to employ aplete stranger. He had to make sure that Zack was a very trustworthy person before he added him to his company¡¯s ranks. As such, Darius was very conflicted at the moment. Zack stood and watched Darius; his heart beating profusely as he did. Even after being offered a seat by Erin, the pretty assistant, he had refused to have a seat. He was incredibly tensed at the moment, as his wholepany depended on Darius. When he came to search for apany, he only wanted to receive some investment funds from a wealthy firm; so when he saw the very imposing and regal building of West Antics Int¡¯l, he w as very excited. He quickly took his time and did some research. He was shocked to find out that it was a rtively new investmentpany. Yet from his research, even though West Antics In t¡¯l was a very newpany, they were able to fork out a huge sum of money for renovations! That wasn¡¯t what shocked him the most. Although it was a very low-key transaction, after digging around several media outlets, it was mentioned that thepany had forked out over 2 0 billion dors to buy a conglomerate group! It was then that he changed his mind. Seeing the r egal and imposing headquarters of thepany, and coupled with the media reports, he knew that West Antics Int¡¯l was a very wealthy group. Now that he was here, rather than asking for investment funds, it would be wiser to be employed by the group and grow along with them. One could understand the pressure he was feeling at that moment. If Darius refused to employ him and his employees, it would be a huge blow for him. Just as he arrived at that conclusion, Darius raised his head and looked at Zack with a firm gaze. He hade to a decision. Chapter 83 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 83 Chapter 83 ¡®Til give you a call soon, Mr. Zack.¡± Darius said. In the end, he could not just employ a complete stranger. He needed to do some research and make sure that Zack was a trustworthy person before he employed him. ¡°Certainly Mr. Reid.¡± Zack replied. He had a dejected expression on his face, but still made sure to be polite to Darius. Although Darius didn¡¯t ept him, he didn¡¯t outrightly reje Ct him either. He could only wait for his phone call. If he didn¡¯t receive any phone call from Darius after a week, then he would ask for investments. Zack bowed lightly again before exiting Darius¡¯ office. When he left, Darius motioned to Erin. Erin naturally understood what her superior wanted, so she nodded in response. He wanted her to research about Zack and see if he was trustworthy. If he was, then there was no ha rm in employing him. As soon as Erin left his office to fulfill that task, his phone rang once more. Darius checked the caller ID and saw that it was Bruce. He quickly answered the phone call and pced the phone to his ear. ¡°Hello, Young master Reid.¡± Bruce started politely. ¡°Yes Bruce; is anything the problem?¡± Darius asked, going straight to the point. He was now incre dibly busy and didn¡¯t have time for idle talk. ¡°Yes. There is a business gathering in Ashville city, and only the top business giants are invited. Your grandfather was naturally invited, but he told me to pass th e invitation to you. As you are building your newpany, you will definitely meet other busines smen like you and benefit from this gathering.¡± Bruce said. Darius fell silent at that. It was true that hispany was still very new, and since he was starting his business in a metropolitan city with out the support of the Reid family, he was bound to struggle in the initial stages. Yet that would not be the case if he attended the business gathering. After all, many wealthy and top businessmen would be present. It would be a great opportunity to connect with them, both personally and business wise. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be sure to attend.¡± Darius answered. Bruce heaved a sigh of relief at that. He thought that Darius would reject the invitation offer, but that wasn¡¯t the case. He readily epted it instead. ¡°The gathering is in one week from now. That¡¯s all.¡± Bruce concluded. Darius thanked him and disconnected the phone call before focusing on his work. There was still a lot of work for him to do. It took only two days for Erin toplete her investigation of Zack Lyle. When Darius read her re port, he was incredibly stunned. II turned out that Zack Lyle was a brilliant business man! As a matter of fact, he was already on his way to recognition in his city. It was a pity that the con glomerate group got caught in a nasty conflict. If it weren¡¯t for that, he would have risen to be a first rate businessman easily. Darius was sure that even if he didn¡¯t employ Zack, with his sharp business acumen and shrewdn ess, it would only be a matter of time before he got back on his feet. All he needed was an invest ment. It was even more shocking when Darius discovered the amount of workers that were willing to k eep working for Zack. It was well over 500! It was certainly very impressive that in apany of over 1,000 workers, Zack had managed to retain over 500 of them that were extremely loyal to hi m. Erin had taken the time to go through each and every one of the worker resume, and she discov ered that all the 500 workers had clean history and background, were very hard working, and we re also exceptional in their own fields. Darius then strongly believed that his encounter with Zack was a blessing in disguise. If he could employ the service of all 500 workers and Zack, hispany would have a much needed boost i n terms of manpower. After all, he didn¡¯tck the money to employ them. Darius quickly made a phone call to Zack and informed him of his decision to employ them. Zack was profoundly happ y at Darius¡¯ decision. Even though it waste in the night, he took the public train and rushed ov er to the West Antics Int¡¯l building. He met up with Darius and thanked him profusely for his decision. Darius was a bit embarrassed at how ear nest Zack was being at that moment. After a few minutes, Darius finally convinced Zack to stop t hanking him. Zack had to return to inform his staff of the good news because he hade from another city that was far away from where Darius had founded his newpany. Although he wasn¡¯t sure whether all five hundred workers would agree to mov e with him as they certainly had families that they had to cater for, he still had to inform them of thetest development. Darius and Zack talked for a few more minutes beforeing to a conclusion. Zack promised to return with the rest of his employees in a week¡¯s time and thanked Darius onest time before e xiting the office. Darius was definitely happy after Zack left. He was still a university student after all, so he couldn¡¯t always be at thepany. When the two month break given to them by the university was over, he would have to return to the university. This would mean that his original responsibilities would fall back to Erin, and surely she couldn¡¯t handle everything alone. Now that Zack was here, he didn¡¯t need to worry about that anymore. Darius and Erin then immersed themselves in work, caring little for anything else. As they were s everely understaffed, they naturally had to do more work than usual. Even the forty employees w ere disgruntled at the amount of work they had to do, as they had to work overtime, and even si eep over several times in order to get their tasks done. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. However, no matter how disgruntled they felt, they dared not express it. The reason was because their sries were twice as much as the nomal sries for their jobs. Therefore, the only thing th ey could do wasin on the inside. Just like that time flew by, and it was now the day for th e business gathering in Ashville city. Chapter 84 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 84 (Dragon Estate, Dragon Lord¡¯s Imperial Residence) Darius woke upter than usual. He had workedte into the morning the previous day, which was the reason he woke upter than usual. Fortunatel y, he was able toplete all of his work because of his all nighter. By the time he woke up, it was already mid noon. He then performed his morning routines which included his martial arts and meditated. As Darius practiced his martial arts, he noticed that his moves were even more fluid than before. It was as if they got better and more powerful with each practice routine, leaving Darius utterly confused. He had no idea that his grandfather had used an ancient potion to heal him of his injuries, and it was the golden potion that improved his physical prowess and made his martial arts moves stronger and more powerful than before. Darius didn¡¯t think much about it, and took a quick shower when he was done with practicing his martial arts. IS He was having his breakfast when his phone rang. He checked the caller ID and saw that it was Bruce. He then answered the call. ¡°Hello young master Reid.¡± Bruce said respectfully. ¡°Hello Bruce.¡± Darius answered. ¡°I¡¯m calling to remind you about the business gathering in Ashville city. Do you need me to send someone to pick you up?¡± Bruce asked politely. ¡°No. I¡¯ll be attending on my own.¡± Darius replied. ¡°Thank you for your worry though.¡± ¡°Certainly young master Reid.¡± Bruce answered bitterly. He could only ept his Darius¡¯ decision. Darius then disconnected the phone call. He knew that Bruce was probably following the orders of his grandfather, but if he agreed to Bruce¡¯s request, then his grandfather would go way over t he top, and it was something that Darius didn¡¯t want. He was still eating his breakfast when another call came in. This time around it was from Erin, his personal assistant. Darius answered the call immediately. They conversed for some minutes befo re Darius disconnected the phone call. The reason Erin called was because of a document Darius overlooked. Darius asked her to e mail the document to him. He was about to disconnect the phone call when something shed in his mind. He had been so busy with work that hepletely forgot to infonn Erin about the business gath ering. If she hadn¡¯t called now, he would have totally forgotten to extend an invitation letter to h er. Darius then extended an invitation letter to her. Even though Erin was usually very busy, she imm ediately put aside all her work without hesitation and agreed to go the gathering in Ashville city. Darius was a bit shocked at her enthusiasm and willingness to attend the business gathering. He half expected her to turn down his request since she was usually very busy, but that wasn¡¯t what happened. She instead eagerly epted his request. Darius however didn¡¯t think too much abou t her decision. They conversed for a few more minutes before Darius disconnected the phone call. He then dressed up for the business gathering. As Ashville city was quite a considerable distance from Dragon Estate, Darius needed to leave early, if not he would bete to the gathering He put on a pair of refined suit, and a pair of luxurious leather shoes. He still wore the same expensive wristwatch that Bruce had gifted to him for the c harity g some months ago. When he was done with his dressing up, he took the elevator to hi s private garage. He then got into his Lamborghini and drove off. [Iris Hotel, Ashville city) Outside a very luxurious hotel, a huge number of people were gathered outside. There was a red carpet spread out, and a lot of journalists and reporters were present. B eautiful hostesses moved around busily, weing the people present, while the security guard s moved about, making sure to maintain order in the crowd. ¨C The reason for such a scene was well known. The business gathering that Darius was invited to b y his grandfather was an annual event at Ashville city, and only the top businessmen were invited . Apart from the businessmen, high ranking celebrities were also invited. The event for the gathering was even Iris Hotel, the only ten star hotel in the city. There were onl y a handful of ten star hotels in s country, and Iris Hotel was one of them. As such, such crowd pull waspletely normal. After all, many of their favorite celebrities woul d be present, and they would be able to see them in person. If they were lucky, they could even take a picture or two with them. At that point, the attendees for the business gathering began to arrive. A very ssy Maybach ca r pulled up right next to the red carpet. The bodyguards present hastily rushed to the car and op ened the door for the person seated inside. A middle aged man then alighted from the vehicle. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s really him! It¡¯s Mr. William Jung of the Jung Group in the flesh!¡± an excited voice exi med. It wasn¡¯t only him that recognized William Jung, because as soon as he alighted from the c ar, several voices cheered loudly. The journalists and reporters all started taking pictures at a rapid rate, since it wasn¡¯t every day they saw wealthy and prominent figures like William Jung As he walked, a g representing his status as a VIP was raised. Every VIP who attended was prepared to show something off to present their identity and business. SHOW William Jung was all smiles as he waved to the crowd under the protection of two bodyguards, b efore stepping past the hotelvish doors. After his arrival, several other VIPs which included celebrities as well started making their appearance. Numerous luxury cars flooded the scene, with a lot of top businessmen and celebrities already pr esent. By this time, everybody was bubbling with excitement. The journalists and reporters were particrly busy taking pictures. After all, most of the VIPs were unting their luxury cars and w ealth to show how powerful and wealthy they were; and as how they arrived would be published in the papers the next day, none of them wanted to look inferior to anyone. The crowd¡¯s excitement seemed to suddenly escte as a very dazzling sports car, unlike any of the previous ones, arrived at the scene. It was very shocking to say the least. Although most cars present were very luxurious, none were as luxurious and spectacr as this sports car! All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. While everyone present were still reeling in shock about the car, the doors to the car opened, an d a young man alighted from the vehicle. Chapter 85 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 85 The crowd present dll let out surprised gasps when the young man alighted from th e car. He was incredibly handsome! With a very attractive face, a well built body, and very clear skin, he was even more handsome th an the male celebrities and models that arrived earlier. They were not just shocked by his attractive appearance, but also by his ssy entrance. The car that he drove to the gathering looked incredibly expensive, and one nce told them that it was a ss above the other cars the businessmen and celebrities came with. The paparazzi and the media people present hurriedly took pictures of the incredibly handsome young man. Although they had not seen him before, the fact that he was present at the gatherin g, and with such a dazzling car nevertheless proved that the young man was of impressive backg round. Of course, the young man in question was none other than Darius. Darius was thest person to arrive to the gathering, as he had driven a very far distance. He loo ked at the crowd with an impassive expression on his face before walking towards the hotelvis h doors, ignoring the loud cheers behind him. When Darius stepped inside the hotel, a surprised expression crept onto his face. The hotel truly was a prime location to host several top businessmen and celebrities in the country. The interior of the hotel was duly decorated with the best of materials, and it was extremely eye catching. The chandeliers were cut from the most exquisite of jewels, and the floors were polishe d to perfection. As Darius walked around, the businessmen spared him some nces, but it was only for a few se conds before they continued their prior activities. Even though Darius was very attractive, most o f them didn¡¯t know him. The hall was soon very busy, as people moved from one ce to another, while those that remained in one pl ace were engaged in business rted discussions. Everyone knew the purpose behind the gathering. It was a gathering to bring several top businessmen together, and also to make connections. Of course, one could also conclude some business or project deals on person al terms in the gathering. It was especially so for the celebrities The actors and actresses, musicians and movie directors were all here to search for top business men to invest in their movies, recordbel or projects. As such, the hall was very busy, as everyon e was moving around with different purposes. It was exactly why the businessmen present paid little attention to Darius. They were not present when he arrived in such a dazzling sports car, otherwi se they wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to strike a conversation with bim. His presence and the car he dr ove proved that his background was a very strong one, and they would be sure to benefit from it Darius wasn¡¯t bothered about their indifferent behavior to him. He expected it since the people present didn¡¯t know his identity; and he was only here because of his grandfather, he didn¡¯t c e much attention to their behavior. He took a ss of sparkling wine from a server that passed by him and took a sip before resting his back against the cool wall. As he was rxing amidst the loud chatter, he noticed several of the businessmen and male celebrities ncing frequently towards a direction. Having his curiosity aroused, he also stole a nce at the said direction. A smile unknowingly br oke out on his face when he saw the cause of their unrest. It was his personal assistant, Erin Chrysalis! Erin lookedpletely astounding and breathtaking. Her white hair was styled to perfection, and she was dressed in an equally stunning white gown. The white gown showed a bit of cleavage, exposing a bit of her well rounded breast s, while there was a slit on the gown, showing off her long legs and fair skin. The males present in the building found themselves ring with lust. They had never seen such a perfectbination of sexy and innocent. Even Darius himself found himself heating up at how outfit. However he quickly controlled himself. He didn¡¯t want to have such dirty thoughts about his personal assistant. There was also another beautiful and charmingdy beside Erin. Although thedy wasn¡¯t as beautiful and sexy as Erin, she was n ot far off. She had blonde hair which was styled to perfection, and an hourss figure that could set off the primal lust in men, just like Erin. Thedy and Erin conversed freely, creating a pleasa nt sight to watch in the hall. Darius felt that thedy was incredibly familiar to him, but couldn¡¯t ce where he had seen her before. Nevertheless, he started walking over to where Erin stood conversing with the otherdy. When Darius began walking, the businesspeople and male celebrities took note and began watc hing him with interest. Their looks of interest however changed to those of scorn and sneers whe n they discovered that his aim were the two extremely beautiful females in the hall. The reason for their scorn was quite obvious. Several of the businessmen and celebrities had gon e up to strike a conversation with Erin, but she turned them all down. Her actions put the businessmen and celebrities who were not used to rejection in a sour mood, but since they knew nothing of her background, and which group she worked for, they dared no t start trouble and left. They knew that before you could be present in the gathering, you had to be of impressive background. Besides, Erin was too beautiful. They didn¡¯t want to be on the bad side of such a beautifuldy. As a result, it was obvious why they looked at Darius unfavorably. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Some people are just too full of themselves. Do they think that because they¡¯re a bit good looki ng everything would bend to their will?¡± A businessman questioned scornfully The businessman who asked the question was n Roberts, the director of Dream Investment Gr oup, a very outstanding investment group in s country. He was a well known figure in the busine ss world, and had several prettydies at hismand to service him He was among the businessmen who walked up to Erin to strike a conversation with her. Even th ough he was balding and had a potbelly, as the director of Dream Investment Group, he expecte d his name to hold some weight, and even impress her. Contrary to his expectations, Erin didn¡¯t s pare him a single nce! Dejected, he had no choice but to leave. Her actions dealt a severe blow to his self esteem. There fore, he was especially angry when he discovered Darius¡¯aim. Everyone felt the same way n did, because even the most attractive male celebrities had faile d to capture Erin¡¯s interest. They expected a repeat of earlier failures, but Erin¡¯s actionspletely surprised them! Chapter 86 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 86 Erin was conversing with the prettydy jovially when Darius started walking towards them. She noticed himing towards her, but hastily turned her face away. She had been approached by several businessmen, but turned them all down. She thought the male approaching them was an other one of such businessmen hoping to try his luck. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. 1 was ¡°You¡¯ve arrived.¡±A male voice said. She had made up her mind to ignore him, but when she heard the male¡¯s voice, she turned her h ead around in shock. As she suspected, the male who approached her was Darius! Excited and relieved at his appearance, she did somethingpletely shocking. She threw hersel f at him, hugging him tightly in the presence of everyone. The people present all had shocked expressions on their faces, including thedy beside Erin. n Roberts could barely believe his eyes. This was a tant p to his face. His face turned red fro m anger. Darius himself was equally as shocked. He did not expect her reaction at all. Erin¡¯s perfume was V ery pleasant, and her swelling breasts sank into Darius rock hard chest, stimting him. Unable t o withstand the stimtion, Darius was about to push Erin gently away from him, but Erin willingly separated from him. There was a triumphant smile on her face as she separated from Darius, but as Darius was still re covering from the stimtion he received, he was unable to notice it. After a few seconds, he finally got a hold of himself. He then took the opportunity to take a proper look at the beautifuldy w ho was conversing with Erin before his arrival. It was then he recognized who she was. She was M Smith, an A-list actress for Berry Entertainment Agency, Darius knew her mainly because Rudd and Greg, his two friends were huge fans of M, She was a well known actress who had starred in several top movies, and Greg and Rudd both had severa I banners of her which they hung on the walls of their dormitory room. They even had numerous items and souvenirs of M Smith. Darius let out a smallugh when he thought about them. If they knew that he was meeting with their goddess now, his two friends would have skinned him alive. Darius was however curious about one thing. He had no idea how Erin became acquainted with an A- list actress. ¡°Mr. Reid, this is my former high school ssmate, M Smith.¡± Erin introduced M to Darius wh en she saw his confused gaze. Darius let out a small smile at that. Erin and M were actually high school ssmates, which was why they were acquainted with each other. By this time, the businessmen had all removed their attention from the three people. They had s everal things to discuss among themselves; hence they didn¡¯t have time to win the affection of a woman they knew little about. n Roberts on the other hand didn¡¯t follow the steps of the other businessmen. He stood still a nd kept on ring at the trio. As the director of Dream Investment Group, he was always used to people ttering him. He could always get anydy he wanted. Hence, Erin¡¯s rejection came as a shock to him. He had never been so humiliated before, Chat B6 A wicked glint shone in his eyes at that moment. There was no way he could take such humiliatio n lying down. ¡°Yul, isn¡¯t that M Smith, the A- list actress of Berry Entertainment Agency?¡± n asked Yul, a tall andnky man with beady eyes , who was his personal assistant. ¡°Yes, she is the one.¡± Yul answered respectfully. ¡°How impudent!¡± n eximed angrily. A director from Berry Entertainment Agency had sough t the help of several investment groups to invest in their uing movie. They had demanded a huge sum of 100 million dors for the movie. Although many investment groups were interested in investing in the movie, especially since the A- list actress M Smith would be starring in it, the price for the investment naturally put them off. If by any chance the movie flopped, the amount they could lose would deal a very heavy blow to their business, especially in such apetitive field. n was the only one who had stepped up and invested the required 100 million dors for the movie, albeit he didn¡¯t do it for free. The dir ector had persuaded several female actresses to sleep with him before n finally invested in th em. Naturally, he was extremely interested in M Smith, but as she had already made a name for he rself, the director was unable to persuade her to spend the night with n. n was beside himself with joy when he saw that thedy beside Erin was indeed M Smith. T he time he had spoken with Erin, M was yet to make her appearance, which exined his joy when he saw that M was acquainted with Erin. Still happy, he walked over to where the three of them conversed with confident steps. Erin noticed him approaching them, a frown subc onsciously crept on to her face. She recognized him as the sleazy businessman who hade up to her before. Even though plenty other people had c ome up to her before, she remembered the man clearly because she was disgusted at the way his eyes seemed to undress her without any regard for her feelings. She was exceptional! y harsh in her rejection to his advances. Darius noticed Erin¡¯s difort, and turned to see n approaching them; but before he could say anything, n was already close to them. ¡°We meet again, beautiful.¡± n said confidently when he got to where they stood. He didn¡¯t even spare Darius a single nce, only focusing his attention on Erin. Erin merely grunted in response. Even though she was disgusted by him, he was still the director of a prominent investment group. She didn¡¯t want to go overboard. ¡°Why don¡¯t you introduce her to me, M?¡± n asked tactfully when he noticed that Erin wasn¡¯t warming up to him. Both Darius and Erin turned to M with curiosity in their gazes. They didn¡¯t know that she was f amiliar with n. M had a wry smile on her face. She also hated n to the core. Not only was he shameless, he was also a perverted bastard. If she hadn¡¯t made a name for herself in the movie industry, perhaps she would also have been forced by the director to sleep with him. She wanted to ignore n, but when she saw the warning glint in his assistant¡¯s eyes, a shiver ra n down her spine. Left with no other choice, she introduced n to them. She understood what n¡¯s intentions were when he approached them. He clearly wanted to ma ke use of her to get closer to Erin. She also understood his assistant¡¯s warning nce. If she didn ¡®t cooperate, he would withdraw his 100 million dors investment fund. M certainly knew what was at stake h ere, hence she had no choice than to y along and obey him. Chapter 87 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 87 ¡°This gentleman here is n Roberts, the director of Dream Investment Group¡± M said, introducing n to them, albeit unwillingly Erin¡¯s eyebrow perked at that S country was arge one, and the business world was verypetitive, therefore it was hard for apany to rise to prominence Dream Investment Group was one of the companies that had risen to prominence amidst the harshpetition among business groups in S country She had expected the director of the investment group to be apetent and impressive person, but she was disappointed at the discovery It turned out that the director was a balding and perverted man. Darius eyebrows¡¯ also perked up at that. Given that hispany was also investment based, he had searched for his directpetitors in the business world, and Dream Investment Group was among them Since Dream Investment Group was located quite a distance from hispany, he didn¡¯t expect to meet personnel from the investment group so soon, especially the director of the group He now understood why his grandfather pushed the invitation to him. Despite how far away Dream Investment Group was located, the director still attended the gathering. It was safe to say that no one here could be underestimated ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± n tteringly said to Erin. Erin was about to respond, but Darius interrupted her. ¡°We¡¯ll be taking our leave now, Mr. n.¡± Darius said tly before turning and walking away with Erin following him closely, leaving M alone with n and Yul. M could only smile apologetically at n, even though she felt very d on the inside n blushed with embarrassment at the way they left him hanging awkwardly. He couldn¡¯t believe that Darius didn¡¯t show him any iota of respect Just as he was about to blow his top, a loud voice echoed in the hall. The moment the voice echoed, the hall instantly became silent. Everyone, including n, immediately ceased their discussions and focused their attention on the podium in the hall, A man who appeared to be over fifty years old stood atop the podium in the hall. Despite his grey hair patches, he was tall and handsome even in his old age. He was clothed in a luxury white suit, with several expensive rings adorning his fingers At first impression, he appeared to be any other sessful businessman. However, as he stood there. one couldn¡¯t help but notice the powerful aura he exuded The reason was simple, as the owner of the voice was none other than Tyrell Sanders, the head of the Sanders Groups and the host for the gathering today The Sanders Groups was a very affluent and influential group in Scountry, which was evident since Tyrell was able to attract several top businessmen and celebrities around the country to the gathering Everyone wanted to get in his good books, so no one dared to speak up the moment they heard his voice, Tyrell had a s¨¢lisfied look at the respect he was given He cleared his throat lightly before speaking *1 would like to thank you all for humoring my invitation and gracing this hall with your presence ¡± Tyrell ad humbly As we all know the purpose of this gathering is for us businessinen to connect andwork with one another. Tyrull continued in a graceful tone He continued voraking for few minutes, and at the end of his speech, several ol the people present began to p When the ps died down, he spoke up once more ¡°Before I take my leave. I would like to introduce one more person to us.¡± Tyrell started. Everyone looked at each other in confusion when they heard Tyrell¡¯s words Who was Tyrell Sanders? He was the head of Sanders Group, a very affluent business group. Even to meet with him was extremely hard, and yet, the same Tyrell Sanders imed that he wanted to introduce someone to them. Everyone eyes lit up at that moment. Tyrell introducing someone to them only meant one thing The person must have a very impressive background! ¡°Mr. Darius Reid, pleasee up.¡± Tyrell announced politely The people were also stunned by his polite tone, but maintained their silence. They all wondered who Darius Reid was that he would be able tomand such respect from someone like Tyrell Sanders, The people present all looked around enthusiastically as they didn¡¯t want to miss who the individual was, so when they saw the young man who majority of them ridiculed and scorned before walking up to the podium, they were extremely shocked. ¡°The young man from before is Darius Reid?!¡± They couldn¡¯t believe their eyes. n eyes were as wide as saucers! He was twice as shocked as his fellow businessmen after all, he had put up an arrogant disy in front of Darius. He felt incredibly stupid now, as the person he was showing off was someone who Tyrell Sanders treated with respect Darius had no idea what the businessmen thought about him, as he was also surprised. He had never met Tyrell Sanders before, therefore he had no idea why he suddenly called him to the podium. Nevertheless, Tyrell was the host of the gathering, and therefore he was certainly someone very influential since he could hand his grandfather an invitation letter, he decided to respond to his call. It would be in bad taste of him and extremely embarrassing for Tyrell if he ignored his call. Tyrell was very d when Darius walked over to him. As the head of a very influential group, he naturally knew how far apart the Reid Consortium and Sanders Group were. If he could please James Reid grandson, Darius Reid, it would be very beneficial to his group. This is Mr. Darius Reid, the founder of West Antics Int¡¯l, an investmentpany. Tyrell started. ¡°He is new to the business world, and is looking for promising projects to finance As long as you can provide him with promising projects, you have a high chance of receiving investments Injections.¡± Tyrell concluded The businessmen eyes shone greatly with eagerness when they heard Tyrell¡¯s statements. As he had mentioned earlier, the main purpose for their attending the gathering was to gain connections that would help their business greatly All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. As top businessmen, they certainly had several projects that needed a hefty sum of money to kick start them, but they were unable lo get several Investment groups to aid them due to their unreasonable demands Just when they were at a dead end, Tyrell introduced them to a new Investment group Donus was surprised at the way the busine9smen clustered around him when he came down from the podiun He didn¡¯t expect Tyrell¡¯s introduction to be so effective He knew that Tyrell seemed to be very influential, but it seerned that he had underestimated the range of his influence After answering to yver al pleas and questions by The businessmen, he had no choice but to direct them tinn He couldn¡¯t handle all the businessmen who clustered around him alone n Roberts watched the current turn of events with a hateful gaze Unfortunately, since Tyrell Sanders was the host of the event, and had taken it upon himself to introduce Darius to them, he dared not try anything funny He could only stand still and watch the events happening from the side Chapter 88 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 88 The rest of the business gathering went smoothly. There were no conflicts or altercations with any businessman in the gathering. Just after thirty minutes Tyrew Sanders introduced Darius to the businessmen, Erin received numerous business cards from the businessmen present Majority of them had already booked an appointment with Erin already, and would be visiting their company soon to proceed with the applications for the investment funds. If they passed the screening process, Erin promised them that their projects would receive ample funding Darius was very d that he attended the gathering, The gains that he received were not little, and the networking ability the business gathering offered was no joke. With majority of the businessmen applying for investment funds, he was sure to secure several promising projects. Those promising projects would hereby improve his chances of earning two hundred and fifty billion dors in profit As for n Roberts, he could not be bothered about him. There were always arrogant people everywhere in the country. It was truly a shame that the Director of Dream Investment Group was such a person There was no way he would consider forming an amicable rtionship with such a person (West Antics Int¡¯l; Headquarters] It had been one week since the business gathering, and the West Antics Int¡¯l building was bustling with life. Darius had informed Zack Lyle that he agreed to employ him in hispany, after which Zack had travelled to his city to bring back majority of his former employees. A week had passed since then, and Zack was set to arrive in the afternoon During the one week period, Darius and Erin had been incredibly busy. Apart from the forty employees they poached from otherpanies and employed before, they employed another sixty people, making the total number of employees reach the three figure mark. It was still a very pitiful number, as even after their employment: there were still a lot of work left for Darius and Erin to tend to. They had once again underestimated theworking effect of the business gathering they attended, as theirpany received a sudden influx of numerous promising projects that needed funding These projects ranged building entertainment centers and simr buildings to sponsoring numerous movies Although many of the projects required quite the sum to invest in, as Darius wasn¡¯tcking in funds, he didn¡¯t hold back in his Investments The most promising projects from the numerous projects submitted received huge sums of money Darius knew that to earn back five times the capital, he needed to invest a reasonable amount of money, the amount that could yield such profit The influx of projecis naturally required more manpower, which was what Darius¡¯pany was locking. A hundred employees were far from the desired amount he needed in thepany, and he found his sell yearning for Zack¡¯s relurn The numbri of employees that Zack would return with if he seeded was not a small number after all. und it would really reduce the amount of work that he and Enn did He wou going through some important documents in his office when he heard his phone png, signaling the arrival of a message Darius picked up his phone and checked the content of the message. Coincidentally, the message he received was sent by Zack. When he finished reading the message, a huge smile broke out on his face. The content of the message stated that Zack was sessful in his quest, and he had convinced six hundred employees, a hundred more than the estimated number to start afresh with him in West Antics Int¡¯l. As a matter of fact, they were already on their way to thepany, and would be arriving in less than forty minutes Darius was very d at the news. To be honest, he hadn¡¯t even expected Zack to bring back the said five hundred employees he retained. After all, they were giving up their lifestyles in their city and starting apletely new one. Even though Zack said five hundred were willing to follow him, Darius thought it inevitable that arge number of employees would chicken out and refuse to apany Zack on his new challenge However, it was theplete opposite that happened. Not only did arge number of employees not chicken out, even more employees agreed to join him at West Antics Int¡¯l. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. It wasn¡¯t just Darius that was shocked by the turnout. Even Zack himself was shocked. He had no idea what made the employees suddenly change their mind, as he had spent five days trying to convince them to join him at West Antics Int¡¯l. He had already concluded that they were not joining him, but on the day of his travel, over a hundred employees, including those who had vehemently refused his suggestions and pleas suddenly showed up at his doorstep and begged him to take them with him. Although he had no idea why they suddenly changed their mind, it didn¡¯t matter to him. The more that followed him, the better it was for West Antics Int¡¯l. He figured out that if he should bring back a good number of employees with him, his position in West Antics Int¡¯l will skyrocket. Darius then informed Erin to purchase a housingplex in the city, one that was big enough to house six hundred employees. It was the least Darius could do for his soon to be employees. What kind of a chairman would he be if he couldn¡¯t provide a decent ce for his employees who left a very far city to start afresh in his company? It would be very insensitive of him. After all, that was one of the reason majority of the employees refused toe in the first ce. Erin did as Darius instructed her, and purchased a superb housingplex in a high end residential area, Thirty minutester, numerous taxi vehicles pulled up in front of the regal building When the six hundred employees alighted from the taxi vehicles and saw the imperial building, they werepletely stunned, While they were still gawking at the imposing building, a very handsome young man in his twenties came out from the regal building and weed the six hundred employees outside The moment Zack saw Darius exiting the building, he rushed over to him and bowed deeply, completely shocking the six hundred employees. They were utterly surprised as to why Zack would suddenly bow to a young man in his twenties, until they heard his next words Chapter 89 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 89 ¡°Everyone, this is the chairman of West Antics Int¡¯l, Darius Reid.¡± Zack announced respectfully. When they heard Zack¡¯s words, their eyes widened in shock, and they stared at Darius incredulously. The chairman of such a wealthypany was this young man in his early twenties?! It waspletely unbelievable. Before agreeing to Zack¡¯s proposal, they did some intensive research on West Antics Int¡¯l, and were astounded at their discovery They immediately saw the potential in thepany. If they joined at the early stages now and worked hard enough, in the next two or three years, West Antics Int¡¯l would rise to be a business titan. By that time, their status in thepany would be very high. They had also searched for the chairman of thepany, but were unable to find any picture or concrete information about him. This further incensed their interest in thepany, as not any person couldpletely remove his information from the inte. They suspected the chairman to be a very terrifying and influential figure. One could then imagine their shock when they were told that a young man in his twenties was the chairman. They couldn¡¯t match the terrifying and influential image with Darius at all! Darius smiled knowingly at the employees. He didn¡¯t need to be a genius or a mind reader to know what they were thinking ¡°Good day everyone. I am Darius Reid, the founder and chairman of West Antics Int¡¯l. Wee to mypany¡± Darius said, confirming Zack¡¯s earlier statement. The employees looked a bit skeptical at that moment. They were beginning to wonder if they made the right choice. After all, since the chairman was so young, it would be right to say that he didn¡¯t have any experience in the business world. How then could they rise to be a business titan in the business world? Darius knew what they were thinking, but said nothing. He only smiled cryptically at them before turning to Zack N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ¡°Mr. Zack, please give them a tour of the building. I¡¯ll inform the Chief of human resources of their arrival and make the necessary arrangements.¡± Darius said, before departing the scene, leaving the employees behind with Zack. The employees were a bit depressed at their discovery. It seemed to them that they had made a rash decision. They let out a sigh of remorse, but there was nothing they could do. Now that they were here, they could only try their best. Zack obeyed Darius¡¯ words and led the six hundred employees on a tour of the building. By the end of the tour, the six hundred employees were no longer depressed. Instead, their eyes shone with enthusiasm and eagerness The tour had quelled majority of the doubts in their heart. The West Antics Int¡¯l building was just too spectacr The media outlets they read were not lying when they said that West Antics Int¡¯l was a very weallhy investment group, as the amount of money that was put into renovations was no joke! When llwy were done with the lour, they walked over to the department of the chiel of human resources, Since Darius had already informed the chief of the arrival, he was not surprised when he saw them The chief handed them the employment contracts that had been prepared prior to their arrival and asked them to sign them When the employees read through the employment contracts, they were pleasantly surprised, as the benefits that were offered in the contracts were simply ludicrous! They were offered more than five times their previous pay at Zack¡¯spany, and that was not including the bi-annual and annual bonuses Not only that, they were also offered a housingplex in a high end residential area by thepany, The employees were very touched. They had been reluctant to move because they were afraid of being homeless and starting over in a new city. They didn¡¯t expect that thepany would think so far ahead and secure a housingplex for them. Moreover, the housingplex was in a high end residential area. It was certainly not a small amount of money that was used It was an incredibly generous act by thepany The employees were filled with gratitude when they read the benefits of the contracts. As they signed the contracts, they promised inwardly to put in their very best to work for the glory of thepany Zack¡¯s treatment waspletely different from the rest of the employees. The terms of his contract were far more lucrative than the other contract offers. Not only was he gifted a personal vi worth close to a million dors, he was also gifted an equally expensive luxury car His position in thepany was also elevated, and he was ced just a level below Erin, with room for further promotion if he performed exceptionally well After the contracts were signed, the employees were all handed theirpany ID cards by the chief of human resources They were then showed their various areas of work by the chief. When every employee was settled in the reports were sent to Darius Darius was very satisfied with the oue. The workload had been too much for just hundred employees to handle Now that the workforce had been bolstered with over six hundred employees, their speed of progress would definitely increase by tenfold With the current addition, Darius could finally take a well deserved rest. He had not time for himself since he founded thepany three weeks ago since he had a lot of work to do. Now that he had tackled the employment issues, with Zack and Erin in charge of thepany, he could focus on other things He decided to take a trip back to Dragon Estate Even though he had a newpany now, he still had to perform hie duties as the head of the Reid Consortium Chapter 90 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 90 The trip back to Dragon Estate was uneventful. Now that the major problems guing West Antics Int¡¯l had been tackled, he didn¡¯t need to worry about it anymore. With someone as experienced as Zack in thepany, Darius could rest easy. When he arrived at his penthouse suite in the Dragon Lord Imperial Residence, he was a bit exhausted which was normal, as the distance from West Antics Int¡¯l headquarters to his penthouse was very far He took a long and rxing shower, and then had a sumptuous dinner. When he was done, he put on a lush ck bathrobe andy on his king sized bed. Idle, he put on his phone and started surfing through several social media apps on his phone An hour passed in that manner, with Darius surfing the social media appszily He remembered that it had been a long while since he logged in to his Groove ount, therefore he opened it As a member who had spent five million dors on gifting a female streamer, his ount name, Mr.ordinary 10 had a verified tick next to it, proving his status as a high ranked member. The moment he logged in a site wide broadcast urred in the app [Mr ordinary 10 has logged in to the Groove) The moment he logged in, there was uproar in thement sections of different broadcasters Commenter 1 Mr.ordinary 10 is back?! Commenter 2: This is mind boggling news! Commenter 3: It¡¯s been over two months now! It wasn¡¯t only thementers that were shocked. The broadcasters were also very shocked Although it had been more than two months since Dariusst logged in to Groove due to how busy he was, none of the broadcasters could forget Mr.ordinary 10. Why? It was because Mr.ordinary10 had spent five million dors to gift a broadcaster Five million dors! It was an astronomical sum If they could receive five million dors, then the majority of them would not need to broadcast at all. They could live the fancy life they always wanted without any worries Darius naturally was unaware of themotion his appearance in Groove had sparked. He just wanted to rx after working so hard these past months, and decided to open Groove since it had been a while since hest logged in Minutes after the broadcasters caught wind of Mr.ordinary 10 arrival, they immediately put more effort in their live streams Even those that were still resting from the previous live streams they concluded recently gritted their teeth and began another live stream Why were they doing this? The reason was obvious They needed to do this in order to gain Mr ordinary10¡¯s attention. If they manxved to impress him, he mighi gift them a very huge amount of money. Hence, the broadcasters all untered a lightpetition with one another, baliling to gain the attention of Mr.ordinary 10 clorun, still unawop of the citontlum ol events kept on welching the live stream of various broadcasters. He nced at his ount and saw that it was empty. He had exhausted the five million dors he gifted Alice two months ago and did not bother to top up his ount. He then leisurely added one million dors to his Groove ount, and then turned his attention back to the live stream The live stream he was currently watching belonged to an exotic dancer named Jasmine. The moment Jasmine saw Mr ordinary 10 among the people watching her live stream, her heart started beating rapidly She became incredibly nervous She knew this was her chance at fame if she managed to please Mr.ordinary 10, therefore she put in twice the effort in her exotic dance, hoping to entice Darius. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Jasmine had an incredibly sexy body, and she was a very talented dancer. She used to be a performer in many famous dance troupes before, but the pay had been very unsatisfying, therefore she quit Her friend advised her to join Groove and dance in her live stream, so she heeded her advice. It worked out incredibly well for her, and she was able to earn more than twice her usual pay in the dance troupes she used to perform in Darius was a twenty year old hot blooded male, whose only intimate action with ady was a surprise kiss with Helen, so one could not me him when he was entranced by Jasmine¡¯s seductive body and exotic dance [Mr ordinary 10 just gifted jasmine the dancer the universe 5) There was a brief period of silence, as everyone stared at the notification in shock. Secondster, the comment section in various streams exploded. ¡°As expected of a noveau riche!¡± ¡°A super gift!¡± ¡°Mr.ordinary10 is really amazing!¡± Jasmine was beside herself with joy at the notification. She thought she was seeing things. A universe cost twenty five thousand dors, yet Mr.ordinary 10 had gifted her the universe five times, meaning that he gifted her a hundred thousand dors That was definitely no small sum! She couldn¡¯t hope to gain five thousand dors after one month of dancing on her live stream, but now she had received more than ten times the amount in a single live stream While Jasmine was celebrating her gains, her fellow broadcasters were incredibly jealous. They wanted Mr.ordinary 10 to notice them too, so they tripled the efforts they put in their live broadcasts After watching Jasmine dance for a few more minutes, he exited her broadcast room and moved on to other live streams, and the live streams that caught his attention received several super gifts By the time Darius was tired of watching live streams, there was only two hundred thousand dors in hig Groove ount ll wos already 1 am by that time, so Dorius logged out of Groove When tus naine turned inactive on the tform, the streamers that had yet to receive any gift from him rwond andmented grief, while those that had received gifts from hun were extremely happy, and hised hurn to the sky Dalius unverstandably, way oblous of this and was now atxou to sleep Just as he was about to turn if thin il pierd, and onesnagu notification appeared He decided to read the message since he was curious. However, his eyes were filled with shock after reading the message. Pearl Chambein, the number three ranked beauty of Kingston University was in big trouble. Chapter 91 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 91 Pearl Chambein was the number three beauty in the whole of Kingston University. Just like her title, she was incredibly beautiful, and Darius had previously had several interactions with Pearl The first time was when he was eating out in a restaurant. He had crashed into her identally and spilled water on her clothes. In his bid to apologize, he wiped the water on her clothes with his hands, but what he got were two painful ps from Pearl. He was alsobeled a perverted scum by her He had definitely left a very bad first impression on her that day The second time was during the charity g. Both he and Pearl had their eyes on a 150 year old wine which was auctioned at the charity g. They both had a bidding war for it, and in the end Darius had won the bidding war and the wine by cing a bid of four million dors This further served to worsen the rtionship between him and the third ranked beauty of Kingston University If it were before he solved the problems in hispany, he would not have bothered himself too much about the news. After all, he and Pearl were not on good terms at all Besides, he still had pressing matters to attend to then That wasn¡¯t the case now as he had resolved the matters concerning hispany Curious to see what kind of trouble the third ranked beautynded herself in, he opened the ss group chat and started reading through the messages Stan: (Our goddess Pearl is in trouble!) Clinton (What do you mean she¡¯s in trouble Stan?] Timmy Yeah, what do you mean?) Stan (This is top secret information, but I heard that Pearl¡¯s father, Mr. Chambein offended someone in the business world, hence they¡¯re targeting hispany. I Xander (Woah! Really? Timmy (Do you know who they offended, Stan?] Stan: (of course. He offended Mr. Wilson Gillette from the Gillette Group. As for what the offence is, I¡¯m not sure about that. However, the matter is truly a grave one. Laura (This is incredibly shocking! Stan (I¡¯m telling you! If things remain the way they are, then Chambein Corporations will be annexed by the Gillette Group) By the time Darius was done reading the messages in the ss group chat, he had a rough grasp on what happened. It turned out that Mr Chambein, the chairman of Chambein Corporations had offended Mr Wilson Gillette, the chairman of Gillette Group As Stan didn¡¯t know the specifics, there was naturally no way for Darius to know what had actually happened Pearl Chambein was the third ranked beauly in Kingsion University. However that wasn¡¯t the only thing about Pearl Everyone knew that she came from a wealthy background, which was evident by the fact thol she was able to bid more than three million dors for a bottle of wine at the charity galo Hence, it was quile unbelievable to Darius that her father was now being suppressed by the Gillette Group Darius didn¡¯t know much about either the Gillette Group, or Pearl¡¯s fatherpany, Chambein Corporations. Therefore, he decided to do some research on thepanies He spent more than two hours reading various articles about the twopanies, and when he was done, some aspects became clearer to him: From his research, the Chambeins Corporation was co-founded by Liam Chambein, Pearl¡¯s father and Trevor Kellick, Liam Chambein¡¯s close friend. Chambeins Corporations was a Real Estate basedpany, and both Liam and Trevor had built it into what it was now Together, the two of them had elevated Chambein Corporations from a smallpany to apany worth over $100 million Meanwhile, unlike Chambeins Corporations, Gillette Group¡¯s information was a bit vague There was no clear information about the business group background. All that was said was that it was a top business group worth over $300 million. Darius naturally had no idea of the two businesspanies prior to the Pearl incident, which was completely normal, aspanies like Nix Inc., were in a whole different league of their own In the end, both Chambeins Corporation and Gillette Group may be considered mediocre at best. After all, Nix, Inc. was a multibillion-dor enterprise. It was impossible topare it to corporations with worth in the millions, such as Chambeins Corporations and Gillette Group Even though he didn¡¯t know much about thepanies, it was obvious from what he researched that Chambein Corporation could not afford to go against the Gillette Group. Thetter was worth more than three times the former after all Darius wasn¡¯t really interested in the conflict between the Chambeins Corporation and the Gillette Group: after all, he and Pearl didn¡¯t get along. Furthermore, he reasoned that Pearl¡¯s father would almost certainly have strong connections or prominent people he could call on to back him up. There was no need for him to get involved in something so trivial. Despite that, Darius was interested in the Gillette Group. It was strange that majority of the information on the business group was vague, so he decided to ask for Bruce¡¯s help. Erin was busy in West Antics Int¡¯l. so he couldn¡¯t call her to help him with this Bruce answered the phone call almost immediately, promising to provide Darius with an in-depth review of the Gillette Group the following day. Despite his curiosity as to why Darius was examining a minor business group, he dared not ask questions All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Darius thanked Bruce genuinely before disconnecting the phone call, pleased with his reaction. He then ced hrs on the bedside stand before retiring for the night Even though he wasn¡¯t interested in the conflict between the twopanies, he was curious to know what secrets the Gillette Group had Chapter 92 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 92 The next morning. Darius woke up muchter than he usually did. This was expected, as he slept very late the previous day He began his morning routine as soon as he woke up. He practiced the meditation techniques in the tattered book his grandfather gave him, before practicing his martial arts. Once he was done with his morning routine, he took a quick shower to freshen up. After taking his shower, he had a waitress send his breakfast up to his room. He was almost done with his breakfast when his phone rang He checked the caller ID and saw that it was Bruce who was calling him. He answered the phone call and put the phone on speaker ¡°Hello Young Master Reid ¡± Bruce greeted the moment the call connected ¡°Hello Bruce Darius responded coolly. ¡°I havepleted the in-depth review of Gillette Group I have also added the cause of the conflict between Chambeins Corporation and Gillette Group to the review * Bruce said. ¡°Alright Thank you for your help Bruce¡± Darius said sincerely Even though he knew how efficient Bruce was when it came to matters like this, he was still surprised by Bruce¡¯spetence. Moreover, he had even added the cause of the conflict between the two business groups despite him not asking for it it was a pleasant surprise as he was slightly curious to know the cause of the conflict ¡°It¡¯s nothing young master Reid Bruce replied humbly Darius hummed lightly in response to Bruce and disconnected the phone call. He then hastily finished up his breakfast before entering his study room There, he would study the review that Bruce sent him in detail. (Greenspring Residence] Greenspring residence was a high end residence area in Almiron city, the city which the Chambeins lived in It was a luxurious residence area which was mainly built for the wealthy and affluent families in Almiron city The roads of the residence were neat, and the security in the residence was top notch, as each of the security guards were not ordinary people with such impressive features and benefits, it was obvious as to why such a residence area was reserved for only the wealthy and affluent families in Almiron city The Chambeins were an example of such affluent family, as they could afford to live in Greenspring residence Inside a beautiful vi along the streets of Greenspring residence, orge crowd was present in the vi The almiosphere in the vi was very lense, and there were no smiles on the faces of the people present The prople present were obviously members of the Chambein family, and the reason for the tense anyosphere was also very obvious inchonany woje in deep trouble A middle-aged man sat in a corner of the room, a tired expression on his face Although he was in his early forties, he seemed to have aged ten years and so seemed to be in his early fifties One nce at him and one could tell that he was going through a very tough time. He had heavy dark circles under his eyes, and his previously ck hair was already turning white from stress He also looked very thin, as if he hadn¡¯t eaten for weeks, and seemed like he could copse at anytime. Anyone would be extremely shocked once they saw the pitiful looking man, as the pitiful looking man was none other than Liam Chambein, the co-founder of Chambein Corporation! As there was a crisis in the Chambeins, every member of the Chambeins was present, and of course that included Peart Thepany he and his close friend had built from scratch to be this sessful was in danger of running out of business. They were now being targeted by the powerful Gillette Group The influence the Gillette Group had on Chambeins Corporations was shocking to say the list. Just a week after offending them, four bank presidents had reached out to them. They demanded the Chambeins Corporation to pay back the amount that was loaned to them immediately The Chambeins Corporation had borrowed over $10 million from each bank to ease their cash flow, and now that they were suddenly asked to pay back, it put them in a very precarious situation. If they paid back the loan now, they would be in danger of restricting their cash flow Liam, why not call Mr Wilson and ask him to reconsider?¡± A female in her mid sixties asked Liam tentatively She was Liam¡¯s aunt, and owned a small businesspany The sess of herpany was based on Chambeins Corporation backing If her nephew lost hispany, hers won¡¯t be so smooth sailing What do you mean by that Tara?!¡± Another family member rebuked Liam¡¯s aunt instantly ¡°But Jules. Tara started, but what was cut off impatiently by Jules ¡°No buts! The Chambeins will never yield to someone so vile like Wilson!¡± Jules dered with a tone of finality Jules, if we don¡¯t yield now, the Chambeins will never have a foothold in Almiron city! Are you willing to sacrifice the sweat of everyone here because of your pride? Tanner, Liam¡¯s younger brother asked angrily This isn¡¯t a matter of pride Tannerl Jules yelled back angrily N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Sure enough, a heated argument soon broke out with everyone yelling at each other Pearl watched everything with a stoic face, but her heart was aching with immense guilt and pain The once cheerful Chambeins family was now al odds with each other because of her It was safe to say that she was the cause of the conflict between the Gillette Group and the Chartbeins The reason was because a week earlier she was approached by a young man who was interested in her and invited her for a meal She naturally turned down his invitation, as she didn¡¯t want to get involved with the young man Nevertheless, the young man had tried to coerce her to ept the invitation He even touched her in appropriate ces as he did 00 Anpared, she pped him twice and kneed him in the groin, before bealing him up ullerly hunting hun in prince of many onlookers prutyught that the matter would end that day byl never he wildest drearns did she expect that the young man was the son of Wilson Gillette, the chairman of Gillette Group! As a result of her rash actions, the Gillette Group had swiftly taken action against the Chambeins Corporation, and now the Chambeins were now in a precarious situation. Chapter 93 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 93 ¡°Stop yelling at each other¡± A weak voice said. The moment the Chambeins family members heard the voice, they immediately stopped yelling at each other and turned to the direction of the voice ¡°Grandpa!¡± Liam, Tanner and other members of the Chambein family shouted at the same time A few secondster, an old man could be seen descending the staircase in the vi. He was apanied by a man seemingly in his early seventies. Everyone present knew who the man was. He was their grandfather most trusted butler and assistant Tanner hastily arranged a sofa for his grandfather to sit. When his grandfather wasfortably seated, the butler emptied a bottle of water into a cup, and then handed it over for their grandfather to drink Their grandfather emptied the contents of the cup before setting down the cup on the table. ¡°I heard about the precarious situation of the Chambeins Corporation.¡± Evans, their grandfather started When the people present heard their grandfather¡¯s words, they immediately turned to re at his butler who stood beside him. The butler quickly averted his gaze, but one could see the beads of sweat rolling down his head. Of course it was only him that would tell their grandfather of the current situation, Their grandfather, Evans Chambein, was an old man in his eighties. He was already past his prime and was not in good health. For the sake of his health, all the members of the Chambein family hade to the conclusion to not divulge the current state of thepany to him. They were afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the shock of the news and further deteriorate his health Although on surface it seemed as if the whole sess of Chambein Corporation was built by Liam Chambein and Trevor Kellick, it was far from the truth With many toppanies in the Almiron city, how could a newpany suddenly rise all the way to prominence and be well known so easily? The truth was that the reason why Chambeins Corporation was overlooked by the toppanies and allowed to grow this far in Almiron city was because of Evans Chambeins. The top businesspanies knew that Evans Chambeins had connections with the Killick Group. which was an upper ss conglomerate group in Almiron city. As such, many of them let Chambeins Corporation be. However, it seemed that either the Gillette Group had no idea of Evans Chambein¡¯s connection with the Killick Group, or that they were not bothered by the Killick Group at all. It was another reason why the Chambeins were anxious. Any business group in Almiron city certainly knew about the Killick Group, so the fact that they were being targeted and suppressed so much even with that idea in mind was something shocking 11 showed that the Gillette Group had no thoughts of backing off at all, and they were not afraid of the Killick Group retaliation know what you are thinking ¡°Evans said when he saw his Liam and Tanner¡¯s furrowed brows ¡°Nheless, don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re underestimating me?¡± Evans asked, and a tinge of annoyance could be heard in his voice. ¡°Of course not, Grandpa, but this is something that you shouldn¡¯t involve yourself in. We can¡¯t keep relying on you every time we run into some trouble.¡± Tanner replied pleadingly. ¡°Yes Grandpa. Tanner is right. It¡¯s not ideal. If we keep doing such, we won¡¯t be able ovee troubles without your help.¡± Liam said. ¡°Besides Grandpa, everyone knows that the Killick Group is only our backer because of you. When you are not around anymore, you won¡¯t be able to protect the Chambeins Corporation.¡± Liam added. Evans sighed when he heard his grandsons¡¯ replies. They were right. The reason why the Chambeins Corporation could grow this far was because of his connection with James Killick of the Killick Group Even now, he wasn¡¯t sure if the Killick Group would agree to go against the Gillette Group for their sake. After all, even though the Killick Group was above the Gillette Group in terms of strength, it was not by much It would be too much of a stretch to request the Killick Group to take care of the Gillette Group on their behalf. If the Killick Group did so, it would greatly weaken them, and at the same time threaten their standings among other business groups in Almiron City Even at that he had to still try his best. There was no way he would stay idle while his son¡¯s sweat was at stake. ¡°Hand me my phone.¡± Evans said. The butler immediately reached into his pockets and handed him his phone Everyone present, including Pearl, knew what his intention was the moment he asked for his phone, and they couldn¡¯t help but get their hopes up. Evans typed in a phone number on his phone and made a call. The phone rang for some time, but no one answered the call. Just as everyone thought that the call wouldn¡¯t connect the call finally connected. ¡°Hello Mr. James! It¡¯s me, Evans Chambeins.¡± Evans said enthusiastically as soon as the call connected. ¡°Hello Mr. Evans.¡± James replied ndly. Since the phone was on speaker, everyone could hear James reply, and the dull response made them anxious. ¡°Mr James. I¡¯m calling to-¡± Evans said, but was rudely cut off by James. ¡°Mr. Evans. I¡¯m aware of the reason you¡¯re calling.¡± James started curtly ¡°However, it is unfortunate that I¡¯m unable to help you, Mr. Evans,¡± James concluded coldly Evans could barely believe his ears, and it was the same for everyone present James reply was the same as cold water being doused on their heads. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr Evans.¡± James said. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. His reply jolted Evans back to his senses. ¡°Not at all, Mr James¡± Evans responded wryly. ¡°Alright Have a nice day Mr. Evans.¡± James sald. You too. Mr James.¡± Evans replied before disconnecting the phone call He then put down the phone on the table before reclining in the sofa, Everyone present now had incredibly grim expressions on theirces. It was unexpected that even the Killick Group was reluctant to go against the Gillette Group I vang ini oul arvelul pigh It was unexpected, but it seemed that this was the end for Chambeins Corporation Chapter 94 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 94 (Dragon Lord Imperial Residence] 2 hours ago Darius entered his study room and switched on hisptop. He checked his inbox and saw that Bruce had already e-mailed him the in-depth review of the Gillette Group. Delighted, he opened the file and read through it. Darius was a bit surprised at the overview of the business group. From the overview, it was safe to say that the Gillette Group was a little above average in Almiron City, which was where their headquarters was located Now very curious, Darius read further into review As Darius read through the information on the Gillette Group, a myriad of emotions showed on his face, and by the time he was done reading the review, his curious expression was now reced with a nk one It was no wonder that the Gillette Group could thoroughly suppress Chambeins Corporations, as the Gillette Group was a subsidiary of Dream Investment Group! The document Bruce sent him contained all the major and minor events that the Gillette Group had been involved in since their formation, which was why it took him as long as two hours to finish reading the document. The documents also stated the reason why the Gillette Group was targeting Pearl¡¯s fatherpany. It was because Pearl had beaten up the son of Wilson Gillette, who was the founder of Gillette Group, after he had tried to sexually assault her. Darius chuckled dryly in his heart after reading the cause of the conflict. This was definitely something that Pearl would do. After all, his good intentions had been misunderstood by her, and he received two ps in return. Although it had been a while since that happened, Darius still bore some grievances over the issue. Darius, on the other hand, fully supported Pearl¡¯s decision to beat up Wilson¡¯s son. It was obvious that she was not at fault, and that Wilson¡¯s son was at fault. Besides, this was not the first time something like had urred. There had been a number of simr incidents involving Wilson Gillette and his son, Hank Gillette. Darius was both infuriated and disgusted by the Gillette father and son duo. They had made use of their lofty background to force so many innocentdies to do their biddings, and those who had resisted were crushed thoroughly. He was also disgusted at Dream Investment Group. Even after the altercation he had with n Roberts at the business gathering in Ashville city, he still had slight hopes for them, and chalked up n¡¯s disrespectful behavior to him, Now it seemed that he had made a wrong assumption. Since the Gillette Group was a subsidiary of their investment group, he expected them to pay close attention to the chairman of the group. Since the chairman of their subsidiary group was abusing his power andmitting vile deeds, then Dream Investment Group should have either reprimanded him or removed him from his position as chairman. The fact that he was still their chairman showed sloppy management from Dream Investment Group Darius sighed. Although he didn¡¯t want to get involved in this matter, he could not just sit idly by and let Wilson Gillette do what he wanted. He had to take matters into his own hands. Sighing once more, he took out his phone and a made a phone call. (Greenville Residence) Present time The members of the Chambein family all had dejected expressions on their faces. They seemed to see the downfall of their family. It seemed inevitable now that the Chambein family would fall from grace. After all, even the Killick Group, who usually helped them resolve minor issues refused to help them out this time. Evans Chambeins also had a defeated expression on his face. He thought long and hard, but there was no one that came to his mind that he could ask for help. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. At such a sensitive moment, Liam¡¯s phone rang Everybody immediately turned to look at Liam. Each of them had called their friends and anyone they could call to ask for help earlier, but their effort was futile as the only responses they got were rejections. Liam checked the caller ID on his phone and a hopeful expression crept onto his face. The phone call was from Trevor Kellick, the co-founder of Chambeins Corporations and his close friend Trevor, a co-founder of the Chambeins Corporation, was naturally concerned about the situation, therefore he went to seek the aid of his father to help resolve this issue. Since he was calling now, it meant that the meeting with his father was over. Liam hastily connected the phone call and put the call on speaker. ¡°Hello Trevor. Did your father agree to help us? Liam asked straightforwardly There was no need to indulge in pleasantries at a time like this. There was a brief moment of silence from the other end of the phone, before Trevor spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Trevor said. They could hear the defeat in his voice and thus guessed the meeting¡¯s oue from his words ¡°It¡¯s alright Trevor. You did your best.¡± Liam consoled, even though he was close to shedding tears. Trevor didn¡¯t respond, and a secondter, he disconnected the phone call. Liam sank to the floor in despair, staring nkly at the wall. Theirst hope was utterly crushed just some seconds ago. They¡¯d exhausted all options and there was nothing they could do anymore. Pearl had both a pained and guilty expression on her face. She couldn¡¯t help butment in regret. The entire ordeal her family was facing now was entirely her fault. If she hadn¡¯t lost her temper and beaten Hank up, her family would not be in this situation. Tears of anger and frustration escaped her eyes as she reflected on her actions. If only she wasn¡¯t so violent. If only she didn¡¯t visit the restaurant that day. If only. They were, in the end, only wishes. What had happened had happened. There was no way to turn back the hands of time. Evans noticed his great-granddaughter standing dejectedly in the corner of the hall sobbing silently. His heart ached terribly at that moment, and he couldn¡¯t help but yell out. ¡°Pearl! Stop crying! None of this is your fault.¡± Evans admonished her weakly. Pearl hurriedly wiped the tears off her face, but everyone had already seen her crying. ¡°That¡¯s right Pearl. Don¡¯t cry. No one is ming you for this.¡± Jules said heatedly. ¡°If there¡¯s anyone to me, it should be Hank!¡± Jules added angrily. Pearl didn¡¯t say anything. Even if they didn¡¯t me her, she still believed that she was the cause of the conflict between the twopanies While everyone was still pondering what to do, Liam¡¯s phone rang again. He dejectedly answered the phone without examining the caller ID. The caller¡¯s following words, however, jolted him to his feet. Chapter 95 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 95 The family members present turned to Liam in astonishment. They did not expect that Liam who looked so dejected would suddenly spring up to his feet invigorated. Liam looked around the room with his eyes widened in shock. He hastily put his phone on loudspeaker so that they could hear the whole conversation before speaking Hello. Am I speaking to Liam Chambein?¡± the caller asked professionally from the other end of the phone ¡°Yes, I am Liam Chambein!¡± Liam answered energetically ¡°I¡¯ll repeat what I said earlier.¡± The caller said politely ¡°I am Zack Lyle from West Antics Int¡¯l, and I would like to invest in yourpany¡± Everyone, including Pearl, looked at Liam with their eyes widened from shock. Invest in theirpany?! They could feel their hopes being rekindled once more when they heard Zack¡¯s words, but they forced themselves to calm down. While it was great news that apany was willing to invest in them, they didn¡¯t think much about it. At most, it would be a small amount of money in exchange for some percentage of shares ¡°How much are you willing to invest Mr. Zack?¡± Liam asked hesitantly Since Chambeins Corporations had been forced to pay back the money they borrowed from the bank. they needed about $20 million to solve their cash flow issue Twenty million dors was by no means a little sum of money, so Liam wasn¡¯t expecting Zack to invest that much amount of money in theirpany, especially when it was probably in exchange of shares. Yet, Zack¡¯s next wordspletely stunned them. ¡°We are willing to invest $100 million dors in yourpany, Mr. Liam.¡± ¡°Ar-Are you serious? Liam asked incredulously. He thought his ears were ying a joke on him. ¡°Of course I am.¡± Zack answered as he chuckled lightly from the other end of the phone, but he was cursing greatly in his heart. Why wouldn¡¯t he be serious? Would he dare joke at a time like this? The chairman, Darius, had specifically called him and told him invest as much that was needed into Chambeins Corporation. He could only obey his superior and not question him, so he immediately reached out to Liam Chambein to inform him. As for their conflict with Gillette Group, Zack could not care less about a minor thing like that. The Gillette Group was not even worth mentioning in front of West Antics Int¡¯l. Zack was the head of a third ratepany before, therefore one could imagine his shock when he found out that the starting capital for investments in West Antics Int¡¯l was $50 billion. It meant that West Antics Int¡¯l was a multi-billion dor corporation! Wouldn¡¯t it be extremely unfair to pitch West Antics Int¡¯l against a business group that just had its worth in millions?N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Liam naturally didn¡¯t know what Zack was thinking: therefore he was very skeptical about Zack¡¯s intentions. He was afraid that Zack was only reaching out to them so that he would acquire more than 50% of the shares, hence bing the majority shareholder of Chambeins Corporation. ¡°Also, West Antics Int¡¯l has no need for any percentage of the shares of yourpany. Mr. Liam.¡± Zack said, clearing out the doubts in his mind. ¡°You don¡¯t need the shares? Liam asked disbelievingly. This was simply too shocking! Not only was he investing an astronomical amount of money in theirpany, he was also unwilling to ept their shares. What kind of domineering disy was this? Even the toppanies in Almiron city would not be able to bring out $100 million casually without it affecting them severely! ¡°Thank you so much Mr. Zack!¡± Liam eximed happily. He was close to bursting out in tears. Just some minutes ago, they could see the downfall of Chambeins Corporation, but now, someone had contacted them out of the blue and suddenly offered to invest in them, despite the fact that they were being pressured by the Gillette Group. It was nothing short of a miracle. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Zack replied nonchntly. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading over tomorrow with the contract for the investment.¡± Zack announced. The two of them continued talking for some time, and by the time they ended the call, Liam was all smiles It wasn¡¯t only Liam that was ted. Every other member of the Chambein family was incredibly happy. including Evans. They didn¡¯t know how it happened, but they had miraculously thwarted what looked like a great crisis. The atmosphere in the vi lit up, and in just a few minutes, everybody was celebrating with one another. Only Pearl found the situation to be a bit odd. Howe someone contacted them out of the blue and willingly invested $100 million in their company? What was more shocking was that he didn¡¯t even seem to be bothered about the Gillette Group at all. It only meant two things, and it was either the person was ignorant of the Gillette Group strength in Almiron city, or they couldn¡¯t be bothered about the Gillette Group, and Pearl was quite certain that it was thetter Pearl couldn¡¯t wrap her head around it, but since everyone was in a celebratory mood now, she decided to pursue the truth on her ownter. She had a notion that this matter wasn¡¯t as simple as it appeared, and that there was more to it than met the eye, Chapter 96 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 96 Meanwhile, while the members of the Chambein family were celebrating the miracle that happened to them, Darius was rxing on a chair beside his indoor pool with a ss of wine. He had already done his best to save Pearl¡¯s fatherpany. With the investment from hispany. they should be able to scale through this crisis. Regarding the Gillette Group, Darius vowed that the father and son pair will face the consequences of their crimes, both past and present, He couldn¡¯t stand the injustice done to the victims of their crimes. He had already told Bruce of this, and the father and son pair would be detained by the police shortly. Darius couldn¡¯t care less whether his actions would offend Dream Investment Group because the Gillette Group was a subsidiary of theirs. The influence that a consortium wielded was terrifying, and not something that just anyone could withstand. Darius stood up and removed his bathrobe at that moment, revealing his terrifically built body. He was left in a pair of swimming shorts. He then sunk further into the pool. The pool was maintained daily, so it was as clear as ever that Darius could see reflection in the pool. The indoor pool also had tempered ss as an extrayer of security and luxury, so he could see the sky clearly without the bright sun hurting his eyes. As expected of an apartment worth more than $700 million. Of course, Darius was still unaware that E returned the money to Bruce, so he basically didn¡¯t pay a dime to purchase the apartment. Less than two months ago, he was nothing but a poor and miserable person who was trying to earn money from part time jobs so that he could please his girlfriend. Now he could now decide the fate of a multi-million dor business group like the Gillette Group with just a single phone call. Such a change in power status was terrifying. Darius remained in the pool and soaked for a few more minutes before his phone rang. He checked the caller ID and saw that it was Zack. He reached out to his phone and answered the phone call. ¡°Hello Mr. Reid!¡± Zack greeted respectfully. ¡°Hello Zack.¡± Darius responded. ¡°I have followed your instructions and invested $100 million in Chambeins Corporation.¡± Zack reported. ¡°Alright, good work.¡± Darius replied indifferently. The two of them talked for a few more seconds, and after Zack was done reporting his actions Darius disconnected the phone call. Even though 100 million dors was a very huge sum of money, Darius didn¡¯t think too much of it. After all, Chambeins Corporation was a very capablepany He was sure that he would reap a lot of profits from his investment now, especially when he had to make five times the original capital. Any amount, no matter how small would be extremely beneficial at that time. Darius then stood up and exited the pool. The reason for his arrival in Dragon Estate was to visit the He showered and dried himself up, then dressed up neatly before taking the elevator to his private garage. There, he got into his Bugatti car and drove off. (Greenspring Residencel While everybody was still celebrating, Pearl seized the opportunity to escape from the celebration and come to her room. She couldn¡¯t believe that apany was willing to invest so much money in her father¡¯spany, and at the same time not ask for any percentage of the shares It was too good of a deal, so much that she thought it unreal; therefore she decided to look into it on her own. She switched on herptop and started scouring the inte for any news rted to West Antics Int¡¯l. ?Founder: Darius Reid> ?Net worth: N/A> ?No of employees: 1,021> Surprisingly, apart from the general review of the investmentpany, there was no more information about the investmentpany on the inte. Pearl had an incredulous expression on her face when she studied the general review of the investmentpany Thepany¡¯s worth was not recorded, and it was still a very newpany with a little more than a thousand employees. How on earth did they manage to invest $100 million in theirpany? Pearl was taken aback, but she persisted in her search for more information about thepany. She was certain that she was to me for cing her family at risk, and she didn¡¯t want to burden her family with another difficult issue, which is why she was thoroughly investigating the investment company After forty minutes of careful investigation, she came up with nothing solid. She was about to give up when a name on the screen of herptop drew her attention. It was the name of someone with whom she had a difficult rtionship. Darius Reid. She shook her head vigorously and shuddered faintly. There was no way the two people could be the same, yet her mind kept telling her otherwise. She studied the details closely, and everything matched perfectly. The name, the age, and even the details about the owner all pointed to the same Darius Reid she knew. Pearl looked like she was hit by a truck. It was no wonder West Antics Int¡¯l were willing to invest such a huge sum in theirpany. If the owner was truly Darius, then everything made sense!C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Pearl, on the contrary, wouldn¡¯t believe it unless she heard it directly from Darius. So, with trembling hands, she took out her phone and dialed Darius¡¯ number. Chapter 97 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 97 Darius had just finished meeting with the top executives of Century Enterprises, a toppany in Eden city which was under the Reid consortium when his phone rang 4 He checked the caller ID and saw that it was an unknown number However, he decided to answer the phone call ¡°Hello.¡± Darius said as he answered the call. There was a brief moment of silence before the caller spoke up. ¡°Hello Is this Darius Reid?¡± the caller asked. Darius was taken aback when he heard the caller¡¯s voice The caller was definitely ady This situation piqued Darius interest. He could feel like he had heard the caller¡¯s voice before, but couldn¡¯t ce where it was ¡°Yes, I am Darius Reid.¡± Darius answered There was another brief moment of silence When the caller didn¡¯t speak up for a few seconds, Darius couldn¡¯t help but break the ufortable silence ¡°Who is this and how I may help you?¡± Darius asked. There was a tinge of slight impatience in his voice as he asked, Albeit he was curious about the caller¡¯s identity, he was too busy to care too much about it There were still other enterprises and businesspanies he had to visit He simply didn¡¯t have the time to spare on this unexpected phone call ¡°Please pardon me. I am Pearl Chambein.¡± Pearl spoke up after hearing Darius¡¯ impatient tone ¡®Pearl Chambein? Darius thought inwardly No wonder the voice sounded so familiar It turned out that the caller was none other than the third ranked beauty in Kingston University Yet, there was a confused expression on his face. ¡°Why is she calling me? Darius asked himself He was genuinely confused at that moment. He made sure that Zack was the one who called the Chambeins and handled the matter between them and the Gillette Group The reason he did so was because he didn¡¯t want the attention that came with him handling the issue personally. It was better if Zack handled the matter That way, he would have time to focus on other matters Besides, he and Pearl were not on the best of terms now. He expected her to be furious after the turn of events at the charity g. So, why was she calling him now? While he was still contemting the reason for Pearl¡¯s call, Pearl spoke up. ¡°Be honest with me Are you the founder and chairman of West Antics Int¡¯l? Pearl asked straightforwardly. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Her heart was beating rapidly at this moment. This was a very crucial question for her She was both anxious and nervous to hear Darius¡¯ answer Darius was very surprised at Pearl¡¯s question. It was incredibly shocking and came out of the blue This wasn¡¯t what he was expecting at all He was also curious as to how she suddenly linked his identity with the chairman of West Antics Int¡¯l He made sure to remove most of his information from the inte, therefore it was incredibly difficult to link him to the chairman of West Antics Int¡¯l ¡°Please don¡¯t lie to me Be truthful Pearl requested softly Darius let out a helpless sigh at that ¡°Yes. I am the chairman of West Antics Int¡¯l ¡°Darius answered truthfully He had no qualms about being found out by Pearl After all, it was a widely known around the university that he was no longer a pauper There were even some rumors about him being from a super rich family. and that he had been hiding his identity all along Therefore, even if they discovered that he had apany. It wouldn¡¯t be too shocking Pearl was reeling with shock at this discovery Even though she expected him to be the chairman of West Antics Int¡¯l all along, it still came as a shock to her If Darius was the chairman of West Antics Int¡¯l, this meant that he was able to spend $100 million so casually It was simply ludicrous! How old was he? He should be slightly older than her, which meant he was still in twenties! What kind of background did he have to spend that much money so easily? She blushed scarlet red in embarrassment when she remembered pping Darius a few weeks before Darius was clearly above her in terms of wealth and was clearly her family¡¯s benefactor, yet she had pped him if Darius was a person who kept grudges, he would have chosen to ignore her when she needed help She let out a sigh of relief, as she had nearly chased away her benefactor with her harsh response that day At the same time, a weird feeling started formting in her heart Thank you very much for helping my family, and I¡¯m sorry for my actions earlier.¡± Pearl apologized sincerely ¡°It¡¯s nothing I helped your family because they deserved my help Besides, the Gillette Group needs to be held ountable for their actions.¡± Darius said indifferently ¡°No, it¡¯s not enough to thank you over the phone Allow me to buy you a meal ¡°Pearl suggested strongly Darius instantly turned down her offer. He had previously agreed to meet Helen for dinner; therefore he didn¡¯t have the option of dining with Pearl Before Pearl could persuade him to ept her offer, he waived her off and hung up the phone Pearl stared at her phone, stunned, before smiling bitterly. She hadn¡¯t expected Darius to tly refuse her offer to buy him dinner She had no idea what to make of it Nevertheless, no matter what happened, Darius was the one who saved her family. Since she couldn¡¯t meet with him now, she would patiently until school resumed She would then be able to express her gratitude Chapter 98 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 98 The next day, Zack arrived at the Greenspring Residence and headed straight to the Chambeins v There, he and Liam discussed the contract in details belore signing it The moment the contract was signed, Zack translerted $100 million to thepany¡¯s ount as promised, sessfully resolving the issue Afer signing the contract, Liam apanied Zack outside the vi He tried to invite him out for a meal. but Zack immediately turned hun down, saying that he had so many things to do, and this meeling was just one of them Liam had no choice but to ept Zack¡¯s words He didn¡¯t want to nisk oflending his benefactor by persuading him, so he simply chose to apany him C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Following Zack¡¯s departure, the family members of the Chambeins present wished Liam well before leaving Their departure was well expected, as they had their own businesses to attend to The only reason they were here was because their backer, the Chambeins Corporations was in trouble Now that the issue was sessfully resolved, there was no need for them to remain behind Few hours after the Chambeins Corporations received the investment funds from Zack, the news spread widely through the whole Almiron city The top business groups in the city were shocked at the news Everyone knew the influence the Gillette Group wielded in Almiron cily, so they were surprised at the fact that someone sti Chambeins Corporation Weren¡¯t they afraid of the consequences While they were still analyzing this, another stunning piece of news hit the city Wilson Gillette, the founder of the Gillette Group and his son Hank Gillette had been arrested by the police for their heinous crimes and were now awaiting trial in police custody Also, the Gillette Group was now being strongly investigated by the police, and was in danger of folding This was beyond everyone¡¯s expectations. With this piece ol news, it was sale to say that there was no longer a ce for the Gillette Group in Almiron city The top businessmen in the city knew at that moment that the figure that saved Chambeins Corporation was not an ordinary one if they could cause the dowll the Gillette Group, therefore they resolved to stay away from Chambeins Corporation in fear ol oflending the figure behind them It was still unknown to Liam, but this would make Chambeins Corporation develop faster than ever in Almiron city The following days were straightforward for Darius Nothing new happened aside from visits to several conimercialpanies and enterprises in the Reid consortium to check their growth Every day. Erin made sure to send reports of how West Antics Int¡¯l was developing in Capital city, the megacity Darius founded hispany ording to the reports, West Antics had secured a lot of promising projects that were quaranteed to generale long term polits Thepany was also progressing very rapidly, as they had now recruited more than five hundred employees to bolster their manpower Also, there were no external obstructions to the growth of thepany Majority of the high end businessmen in Capital city, which was the capital of Scountry, attended the business gathering in Ashville city, therefore they witnessed Tyrell Sanders of the influential Sanders Group personally weing Darius Reid, the founder of thepany himself Tyrell Sanders was a well known businessman, who wielded a lot of power, and he was not someone just anyone could meet, so the fact that he personally weed Darius proved to show how mysterious and powerful Darius background was As a result, they did not dare to try to impede the expansion of West Antics Intl, as they generally did with new enterprises in Capital City After all, the best resources were in the capital city, and with the top corporations alreadypeting for such resources, new enterprisesced hostile reactions Furthermore, West Antics Intl was an investing form. It would be extremely beneficial for them if they could form amicable rtionships with them. There was no reason to be unfriendly to a corporation that could potentially assist them in a crisis Darius, of course, was unaware of these details He was merely relieved that his business was doing well After all, the better hispany thrived, the more likely he was to gain five times the initial investment Primera Estatel Primera Estate was an estate where only most of the influential figures in Scountry usually resided it was heavily protected by top ss security personnel, and everywhere screamed opulence ?nside a veryvish vi, a short man with a balding head and a bulging stomach stood timidly in front of prolific doar There were two dragon heads designed intricately on the door and the short man couldn¡¯t help but break out in a cold sweat at the sinister aura the door gave oll Of course, the short man was none other than n Roberts, the director of Dream Investment Group If anyone from Dream Investment Group saw this scene, they would never believe their eyes While n Roberts was disliked by the other businessmen, this did not diminish the status he held in the society This was demonstrated by the fact that he was invited to the business gathering in Astuville city Now, the usually arrogant and haughty n Roberts was now timidly and obediently waiting outside a door It was simply unbelievable! How powerful was the person that he could make n Roberts so timid? After standing outside the door for more than an hour, a gravelly voiceced with authority echoed from inside the room ¡°Come in,¡± n breathed out a sigh of relief and pushed the door open then entered the room The interior of the room was just asvish as the rest of the vi There was arge brown desk on the Table, and a figure sat behind the table The figure was obscured by the darkness, and n couldn¡¯t get a clear look ¡°Speak The figuremanded imperiously The figure had such an imposing aura that n Roberts found it very hard to speak However, he could not risk offending this persona, so he forced himself to speak. ¡°The Gillette Group in Almiron city has been taken down and our ns to acquire Chambeins Corporations has failed.* n said fearfully. The figure didn¡¯t say anything, but n could feel the temperature in the room get colder by the second. Finally, after a few seconds of silence, the figure spoke up. ¡°Who is responsible for this?¡± ¡°A new investmentpany named West Antics Int¡¯l.¡± n answered. Chapter 99 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 99 ¡°West Antics Int¡¯l?¡± The figure asked domineeringly. Beads of sweat formed on n¡¯s head as the figure asked. His aura was just too overwhelming, and n felt like he had been submerged in a bucket of ice. ¡°Y-yes¡± n stuttered There another was a brief moment of silence, and the figure withdrew his suffocating aura before he finally spoke up ¡°Tell me more about thispany¡± n heaved a sigh of relief after the figure withdrew his aura before proceeding to tell the figure all the details he knew about West Antics Int¡¯l. As n spoke, the figure listened with rapt attention, and by the time n was done speaking, there was an indiscernible smirk on his lips. ¡°Interesting.¡± The figuremented ording to n, West Antics Int¡¯l was a new investmentpany based in Capital city, and the sole chairman was a young man in his twenties who was acquainted with Tyrell Sanders of the Sanders Group Perhaps, the young man had a very impressive background, which was why he could ignore the Gillette Group and save the Chambeins Corporation, However, he was still too naive. ¡°Find another business group and give them your full support. Our n remains the same.¡± The figure ordered with a note of finality. ¡°Certainly sir!¡± n eximed enthusiastically ¡°As for West Antics Int¡¯l, leave them to me.¡± The figure said cynically, n nodded timidly at his words. ¡°You can leave now.¡± The figure said nonchntly ¡°Yes sir!¡± n said fearfully before scurrying away from the room in haste. It was only when he was far from the room that he breathed out a sigh of relief. The figure was far too scary Meanwhile, after n left, the figure grinned widely before speaking out. ¡°Investigate this young man from West Antics Int¡¯l. The figure ordered It was stranoe because there was no one in the room at first nce. So, who was the figure conversing with? ¡°As you wish.¡± A hoarse voice sounded out of nowhere. Just as the voice sounded, the shadows in the room shifted significantly and a figure cloaked wholly in ck appeared in front of the mysterious persona. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him yet. It will be troublesome if he is part of them. I just need you to monitor him.¡± The mysterious persona said. ¡°As you wish.¡± The figure cloaked in ck replied ¡°Good That is all Report back to me in two days.¡± The mysterious persona concluded. This time there was no response from the cloaked figure, and the figure flickered blurrily before disappearing from sight The mysterious persona smiled sardonically. If the young man was indeed part of them, then he would consider taking another decision N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. if he wasn¡¯t then he would kill him. [Reid Mansion Inside the extremely luxurious Reid mansion, James Reid, Darius¡¯ grandfather was inside his study room, On the brown mahogany desk in the study room, several picture albumsy on the table In James Reid hands was another picture album. The picture album had pictures of Tristan Reid, his son, his daughter-inw, and Darius Reid, his grandson, seventeen years ago. The three of them had beautiful smiles on their faces, and were extremely happy Unfortunately, both his son and his daughter-inw were no longer alive, and he lost his grandson for over sixteen years. Luckily, after years of fruitless search, he was finally able to meet his grandson again As he stared at the picture, his gaze slowly turned cold. Although the ident happened a long time ago. it was still very fresh in his mind, as it was a traumatizing experience for him. The autopsy and investigation said they died from a car crash, but James didn¡¯t believe it. He knew that there was more to it than met the eye ording to the police, the car malfunctioned, causing their ident, but it was quite unbelievable because the Reid mansion¡¯s staff always made sure that the cars were well maintained Therefore, how could a malfunction be the cause of the crash? James Reid in his anger and bitterness had expended a lot of resources to search for the truth behind the ident for years, but he was unable to find anything rted to the incident This astounded James because the Reid consortium was an influential and wealthy conglomerate in S country, worth trillions of dors. The fact that they couldn¡¯t find anything even after searching for years meant that the people involved were no less powerful than them 1 If his spections were true, then he needed to tread very carefully around them. One wrong step could prove to be very costly for him, While he was still contemting about this issue, there was a knock on the door, jolting him out of his reverie ¡°Come in,¡± James called out The door opened slowly and Bruce walked in with a pile of documents in his hands. ¡°This is the report about the progress of West Antics Int¡¯l¡± Bruce said politely as he handed over the report to James James collected the report and read through it. He had directed Bruce to keep track of West Antics International¡¯s progress and report back to him. He needed to see if his grandson could lead the entire Reid consortium in his absence, because what he had shown him about the Reid consortium was only the tip of the iceberg 1 By the time he was done with reading the report, there was a solemn gaze on his face. Chapter 100 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 100 West Antics Int¡¯l was developing faster whenpared with other business enterprises in Capital city. but that didn¡¯t change the fact that it was a newpany Coupled with the fact that Darius information wasrgely hidden from the inte, many people woulde up with nothing solid when they investigated him. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Why was James worried? The reason was simple, Darius took down the Gillette Group, which was a subsidiary of Dream Investment Group. Despite the Reid consortium¡¯s terrifying influence in S country. he chose to remain passive for the time being after what happened to his son and daughter-inw He was aware that a mysterious figure backed the Dream Investment Group, so even when Dream Investment Group subsidiarypanies targeted other medium-sizedpanies in the Reid consortium, he didn¡¯t go too far in dealing with them, not until he figured out who was behind Dream Investment Group There were many things that were unknown, and even an influential financial group like the Reid consortium was not powerful enough to uncover it yet. However, Darius had jumped headfirst and dealt with the Gillette Group thoroughly dealing the Dream Investment Group a severe blow This was certainly troublesome, as it was unknown whether the mysterious figure would seat back and let this slide The more James thought about it the more worried he became Darius Reid was the only heir left in the Reid family to take his ce as head of the Reld consortium. If anything happened to him, it would be extremely devastating James shuddered at that thought. He could not let anything bad happen to Darius, no matter what He reached for his phone and called Darius at once The phone rang twice, but Darius didn¡¯t answer the phone call Worried, James called Darius again. However, Darius still didn¡¯t answer the phone call. It wasn¡¯t until the fourth ring that Darius finally answered the phone call ¡°Hello grandfather.¡± Darius voice sounded from the other end of the phone He seemed to have engaged in strenuous activities recently as his voice seemed out of breath ¡°Darius.¡± James said in a relieved voice. He was extremely happy that Darius was alright ¡°I¡¯m sorry grandfather. I was exercising some minutes ago, so I didn¡¯t notice your phone call on time Darius apologized genuinely ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± James said nonchntly. ¡°Alright. Why did you call me?¡± Darius asked curiously James sighed before speaking in a solemn tone. ¡°This is it¡­¡± He then went on to exin his theory about the Dream Investment Group, but made sure to keep the circumstances surrounding his son and daughter-inw¡¯s death a secret from Darius As Darius listened to his grandfather¡¯s narration, his carefree expression changed gradually, and by the time his ganther was done narrating his expression was just as solertin as his grandfather He had no idea that there was a mysterious figure backing Dream Investment Group and that the liqule¡¯s strength was geatly hidden If he had known, he wouldn¡¯t have been so straightforward in dealing with the Cliette Group In the end he could only chalk it up to his inespenence it he was more experienced, he wouldn¡¯t have made what now seemed as a rash decipon blindly it was a good thing the established West Antics Inti That way, he could continue to handle situations like these better The grandfather and grandson then conversed for a few more minutes That¡¯s all have to say now Remember to protect yourself in theing days.¡± James warned belore disconnecting the phone call Darius dropped the phone and lell into deep thought He really did not hve any idea about this mysterious person behind Dream Investment Group Alter managing some few assets of the Red consortiumt, he saw how powerful they were and therefore thought that they were invincible everywhere In the end, he was still too have Darius shuddered lightly as his thoughts turned to the mysterious persona There were stilfar too many things hidden tror his view Things didnt appear to be as simple as they appewed Primera Estate! 2 dayster The mysterious persona sat behind the table in the same opulent room His fingers were crossed and his chin was testing on his hands He aporared to be deep in thought Suddenly there was a slight Micker in the curtons of the room it was very minor and indiscernible to the eyes, but the mystenous persona qared deeply at the curtains it meant thut not even that tiny movement didnt escape his eyes Show yourself The mystenous persona ordered authoritatively The shadows in the room flickered, and the shadowy ligure from before emerged from the shadows What did you find the mysterious persona asked straightforwardly The young man name is Darius Reid He is currently in his final year of studies at Kingston University The vadowy fique answered in a horse voice However, there is something peculiar about him Maarity of his information have been wiped clean Apart from his general information nothing else can be uncovered about him the shadowy figure added aller vone seconds The mysterious persona femained silent at the shadowy figure¡¯s words The wtuation was now ticky Since the information about him waspletely obscured from their eyes, il made him hesitate a bit Datentremely powerful wd influential figures couldpletely hide a person¡¯s information from them TNS E Drivs had an extraordinary backgound anything bad happened to Darius, it would greatly He couldn¡¯t, however, just leave Darius alone. He needed to warn him about the dangers of going against them without thinking After thinking deeply for some minutes, he spoke up. ¡°How certain are you of seriously injuring him?¡± the mysterious persona inquired solemnly. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be awakened yet, so I¡¯m extremely confident that I can injure him seriously.¡± The shadowy figure answered after a briel moment of contemtion ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± The mysterious persona answered *Injure him severely and make him bedridden for a month, but do not kill him. He maye from a powerful family, and we don¡¯t want to start a war right now The mysterious persona stated if they killed Darius, his family¡¯s wrath would be too much to bear, but if they only injured him, their reaction would be modest. After all, they were no pushovers themselves, ¡°As you wish.¡± The shadowy figure said before flickering slightly and disappearing from sight. Chapter 101 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 101 (Dragon Lord Imperial Residence, Darius Residence) Darius was naturally unaware of the impending danger to his life and went about his daily activities as usual He performed the meditation techniques in the tattered book his grandfather gave him before practicing his martial arts As he practiced his martial arts daily, Darius found out that he was getting increasingly stronger after every practice session. It was certainly strange, as Darius didn¡¯t know the reason why he made such rapid improvements Moreover, he also noticed that his progress was now stalling When he first began practicing martial arts after the assassination attempt, his martial arts skills improved by leaps and bounds. However, his progress stalled nearly two months after the assassination attempt. It was as if he was at a bottleneck and needed something extra to break through Of course, the reason why Darius¡¯ martial arts skills improved greatly was because of the golden liquid his grandfather gave him when he was severely injured. The golden liquid was a liquid that could cure all types of injuries and at the same time greatly stimte the potential of a person, hence the rapid improvements in Darius physique and martial arts skills, The tattered book also yed a very big role in improving his skills, The meditation techniques were special breathing techniques that unlocked different meridians in the human body, hence enhancing and regting the flow of Qi in the body to ald awakening Darius was still way below entry level, so he had not yet awakened QI. Unsurprisingly. Darius had no idea that the tattered book and the golden liquid were responsible for his swift improvement, therefore he kept practicing as hard as he could After thest assassination attempt by Luke, he didn¡¯t want to experience such hopelessness anymore The day went by just like any other day, with him going through West Antics Int¡¯l new projects and investments, and soon enough, it was already night time. As Darius exited his study room, he couldn¡¯t help look at his surroundings There was this uneasy feeling he had, and it was the same as thest time he was ambushed when he was leaving the library He gazed at his surroundings vigntly, but was unable to notice anything odd. Still being cautious, he tensed his body in preparation for an ambush, but after waiting for some minutes nothing unusual happened. He thought he was being paranoid, but as the saying goes ¡®once bliten, Iwice shy Darius was not going to les his quard down As he made his way to his room, the uneasy feeling got more intense, and a cold sweat broke out on his beck N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. There was no doubt about it now He was in danger He had a one hundred percent trust in his out feeling, and right now his qut feeling was telling him that he was in danger, so Darius dared not take it for granted He suddenly remembered that his grandfather had warned two days ago to protect his sell He offended the mysterious persona behind the Dream Investment Group, so there was no way that he would stay still Perhaps, he had sent someone over to settle the score. Suddenly, a hoarse voice sounded in his room ¡°It¡¯s quite impressive you noticed my presence * The hoarse voice stated Darius jolted in shock the moment he heard the voice It was really true! There was indeed someone tailing him! Who are you?¡± Darius asked. Although he was frightened by the sudden appearance of the hoarse voice, his was voice was incredibly steady He concealed his fear so greatly that there was no iota of fear in his voice You don¡¯t need to know who I am.¡± The voice replied haughtily in a hoarse voice The curtains in his room suddenly started swaying wildly, and this scared Darius to a great extent The lights in his room went off, plunging the whole room into darkness When the lights came back on, a figure now stood in the center of the room The figure was dressedpletely in ck, with his facepletely covered by a ck mask There was ck mist on the surrounding the figure, which gave the figure a very intimidating appearance Moreover, there was a sinister aura continually emitted by the figure You should be lucky that your identity is unknown. The figure started contemptuously ¡°Because of that, I will not kill you However, you will be spending the rest of the month in the hospital That is my act of benevolence to you ¡± The figure concluded hoarsely His words made it seem as if he was passing a judgment on Darius, and this infuriated Darius greatly Angered, he yelled furiously at the masked figure in the room Who do you think you are to decide such The figure frowned irritably at Darius¡¯ words He couldn¡¯t stand being insulted by someone he could kill so easily ¡°You must have a death wishi¡± the masked figure retorted angrily As the figure yelled, his body began to flicker and then vanished from view. Almost Immediately, the figure reappeared in front of Darius and struck him in the chest with his palm. Ho intended to knock Darius unconscious and render him incapacitated with that single strike, but his eyes widened in astonishment the next moment. Chapter 102 ?Chapter 102 Darius couldn''t see the masked figure''s movement clearly, but he could feel a huge sense of crisis when the masked figure disappeared suddenly. When the masked figure reappeared in front of him, the sense of crisis he felt multiplied by tenfold. His instinct red up at that moment, and he raised his hands to block the attack from the masked figure Boom! A loud sound instantly echoed in the room. Darius flew back greatly from the force of the hit andnded against the wall in the room. His hands werepletely numb after the blocking the hit, and he could barely feel them. ''So strong!'' Darius thought inwardly. The attack from earlier was very strong and could have clearly rendered him incapacitated or worse if he didn''t manage to block it on time. Meanwhile, the masked figure was inplete shock. Prior to this attack, he had monitored Darius greatly and discovered that he had not yet awakened his Qi, so he wasn''t much of a threat to him. However what was this situation? Even though he had greatly reduced the lethality of his strike, he was a hundred percent confident that the strike would render Darius incapacitated and bedridden for a month, sessfullypleting his mission. Normally, Darius shouldn''t be able to see the strikeing, so his attack wouldn''t fail; but not only did his attack fail, Darius even managed to block it! The difference between an awakened martial artist and a non awakened martial artist was like the difference between a drop of water and the ocean. It waspletely iparable. Yet, Darius had managed to surpass that gap and sessfully block his attack. Of course, the distance between someone like the masked figure who was an awakened and Darius who wasn''t an awakened was astronomical, but there was one thing that was overlooked. The golden liquid. The golden liquid stimted Darius meridians each time he practiced the meditation techniques in the tattered book his grandfather gave him, so he was able to reach the peak of martial arts an ordinary person could reach. Right now, he was partially awakened, and needed the extra push to be an awakened. This was why he was able to block the attack from the masked figure. The masked figure looked at Darius warily. He didn''t expect his attack to be a failure. Seeing that Darius showed no sign of retaliation after some seconds heunched himself back at Darius. This time, he didn''t hold back in his strike at all. He was aiming to end this with one strike. Boom! Another loud sound echoed in the room, and the whole room vibrated greatly. showing the power of the strike was greatly improved. Darius flew back once more and crashed into his bedside table, breaking it However, the masked figure was even more shocked this time. Darius had sessfully defended against his attack, again! Darius noticed the figureing towards him, and just by instinct, he managed to sessfully defend himself against the attack. His arms were already numb with pain from the attack, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself to move them. If he continued to remain passive, then the consequences would be unbearable for him. While the masked figure was still in shock, Dariusunched himself at his attacker and tried to deliver a heavy blow to the figure''s midsection. When the masked figure came back to his senses, Darius was already in front of him. ''Such speed!'' The distance between him and Darius after Darius flew back from his attack was over 30 meters, but Darius crossed it almost instantly. Not even newly awakened martial artists had such speed! Nevertheless, the masked figure was a martial artist who had sessfully awakened and was capable of using Qi. He was still significantly stronger than Darius. He effortlessly evaded Darius'' first strike. Just when he wanted to catch a break, a leg appeared in his vision. Darius hadunched another kick. He didn''t give the masked figure anytime to rest. Boom! This time around it was the masked figure''s turn to fly back from the force of the hit. The room vibrated once more, showing how powerful Darius'' kick was. The figure shook off the attack and got to his feet quickly and thenunched himself at Darius. Darius expected the figure toe at him, so he alsounched himself at the figure. The two of them met in the middle of their joumey and exchanged blows with eachN?velDrama.Org exclusive content. other. Boom Boom Boom Boom! The blows they exchanged with each other were quite powerful, so much that the room couldn''t stop shaking. The staff at Dragon Lord Imperial Residence however couldn''t hear a single thing, and neither did they notice anything strange. This was because Darius'' apartment waspletely soundproof. As they exchanged blows with each other, the masked figure couldn''t help but feel shocked. He was an awakened martial artist, while Darius was not an awakened martial artist, yet Darius was capable of fighting him head on. That wasn''t the scary part. Darius was actually improving as they continually exchanged blows! When the fight began, Darius was barely able to defend himself, and he was able tond some painful hits, but as the fight progressed, he was not only able to defend himself properly, but he was also able topletely evade the attacks. He evenunched some effective counterattacks against the masked figure! Furthermore, Darius'' aura grew stronger as they battled. Darius had no idea his aura was growing stronger, nor did heprehend the significance of what this meant, but the masked figure did. Darius was on the verge of breaking through. If he seeded, he will be fully awakened and enter the martial arts world. Chapter 103 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 103 The two exchanged blows for a few more seconds before separating from each other As they stood apart from each other, the aftermath of the blows was evident on their bodies The masked figure ck outfit was now torn in many ces, and his body was riddled with injuries. The mask he wore hid his facial features from Dariuspletely, but there was blood on the corner of his lips, Darius himself wasn¡¯t faring too well Since he was alone at home, he had dressed in a single pair of shorts, and a casual shirt, therefore during the course of the fight, his clothing was unable to withstand the powerful blows, so they were just as ragged as the masked figure¡¯s outfit The masked figure looked at Darius warily. This current turn of events was far from what he expected, and it seemed like his original mission was now impossible toplete His eyes gradually turned cold Darius Reid had a lot of talent, so much that it was mind-blowing, and this was evident from the fact that he could go head to head with him, an awakened martial artist even when he wasn¡¯t an awakened one if he didn¡¯t end his life right here, he would grow to be a thorn in their sides He had to kill Darius here Darius who was still trying to catch his breath after expending a lot of energy suddenly felt a chill go down his spine A huge sense of foreboding appeared on his mind, and this was unlike the sense of crisis he felt before when the masked figure appeared. No. This was the scent of death. ¡°I admit it I didn¡¯t expect you to be able to fight me head on despite not being an awakened martial artist¡± The masked figure said in a hoarse voice, and his voice made Darius¡¯ hair stand up on edges ¡°I¡¯m afraid I no longer have the luxury of holding back. You can only me yourself for being so talented The masked figure stated with a note of finality, and with that statement, he stopped holding back. He released his full aura and stared at Darius domineeringly. As he released his aura, the temperature of the room became increasingly cold, until it was almost freezing As for whether the people behind Darius would retaliate, the inasked figure couldn¡¯t be bothered about that They were not afraid of anyone, and even the most influential family in S country would not be able to eradicate them If a war between them and a family broke out, they could alwaysy low and resurfaceter they had time on their side anyway As the mosked figure unleashed his auta, Darlus had a solemn expression on his face. Although the first atsassin that came after his life was strong, as he managed to severely injure him, this masked ligule Was on apletely different level fle aura he gave off was so sinister, and Darius could leel himself trembling inwardly Nheless, he had learnt his lesson the first tune He would never show his lear to the enemy so he quitted hus teeth and asked bravely Wh) are you wiat do you want from me The masked figure gazed deeply at Darius, and Darius felt like he had stepped into a freezing pond ¡°There¡¯s no reason for you to be aware Dead men don¡¯t tell tales¡± The masked figure replied, and with that, he vanished from Darius¡¯ sight. Boom! The masked figure reappeared in front of Darius and punched him right on the ribs. This time around, the masked figure didn¡¯t pull any punches, and put his full power in the punch Darius was unable to avoid the attack on time, so he received the full brunt of the attack Crack! The attack was powerful enough, and Darius felt a searing pain on his ribs The attack had broken his ribs Boom Boom Boom Boom! N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. The two figures shed again, wrecking everything in Darius¡¯ room, from the mirror to the bed to the wardrobe to the walls Nothing was spared. The masked figure expected the fight to be a simple affair He thought that once he unleashed his aura and stopped holding back, he would be able to easily take care of Darius However that was far from the case! As the battle progressed, Darius was able to track every single attack heunched, and the injuries that he inflicted on him were healing themselves It was something that the masked figure had never experienced before! How could an awakened martial artist lose to a non awakened martial artist? It was impossible! Crash! A loud sound echoed in the already wrecked room, and the masked figure crashed on the wall before copsing to the ground. His bodyy motionless on the ground, covered in severe injuries, His ck mask hade off after being shattered by one of Darius¡¯ powerful attacks, revealing a very pale face, so pale that it was almost white, and blue eyes that were widened in shock. What he feared from the beginning had finallye to pass Darius Reid had broken through, and be an awakened martial artist, Chapter 104 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 104 Darius turned to face the motionless masked attacker on the floor. He felt a strong sense of power in his body. It was like a volcano on the verge of erupting. Darius had no idea that he had now taken that extra step and be a martial artist. He only knew he felt much stronger than he did during the fight with the masked figure. The entire world seemed clearer than before. It was as if he had previously viewed the world through filters, and even his concept of time had changed. Everything seemed to have showed significantly. The masked figure, whose face was now exposed, red at Darius with hatred in his eyes. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do than to stay still. He had no idea that Darius would breakthrough during their fight, otherwise he would never have held back from the start. Moreover, Darius actually self healed several times during their fight. It waspletely ridiculous! He sighed. There was no use thinking about it now. He lost, and Darius won. He waspletely at Darius¡® mercy now. Darius studied the masked figure faced intently and frowned. The facial features were too unique. He was certain of one thing. His attacker was not from S country. The descendants of S country all had simr traits, but the attacker had a very pale skin, that it was almost white. It was a huge contrast with the usual characteristics of the citizens from S country. Darius was a bit puzzled at that moment. Didn¡®t this mean that the attacker was a foreigner? And if the attacker was truly a foreigner, why would he want him dead? He walked over to where the attackery and red at him hard. The intensity of Darius¡® gaze caused the attacker to shrink back in fear. Since Darius had be a martial artist, his aura was leaps and bound from the pitiful aura he had when he was not a martial artist therefore applying significant pressure on the attacker. ¡°Speak. Who are you?¡± Darius asked icily; ring at the attacker as he spoke. The attacker only red back at Darius but said nothing. Darius was enraged by the attacker¡®s silent response. He was already irritated because he had been attacked and his room had beenpletely destroyed. Yet, the attacker refused to answer his question. Angered, he kicked the attacker¡®s arm with immense force. Crack! The attacker screamed loudly in pain when Darius¡® legs connected with his arm. Darius was unaware that his strength had multiplied by tenfold now that he was a martial artist, so he didn¡®t hold back in his kick. As a result, his kick dislocated the attacker¡®s arm. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Darius thought the attacker was exaggerating when he screamed out in pain but he could not care less. The attacker had tried to kill him. There was absolutely no reason for him to show any mercy to him. ¡°I¡®ll ask again. Who are you?¡± Darius asked again icily. The attacker gritted his teeth in pain and didn¡®t respond, but he was cursing Darius deeply in his heart. When Darius saw that the attacker didn¡®t respond to his question, he repeated his earlier actions and kicked the attacker¡®s other arm; which prompted another scream from the attacker. ¡°You¡®re courting death!¡± the attacker yelled out angrily amidst the intense pain he was going through. Darius scowled at the attacker¡®s words. Even after losing and being at his mercy, he still dared to act so haughtily. He then kicked the attacker¡®s ribs in anger, eliciting another pained scream from the attacker. This sequence repeated itself for a few minutes, with Darius attacking different parts of his body while questioning him. By this time, the attacker was barely conscious. His both arms were broken, and so were his legs. His pale face was now covered with sweat, and he was in an unimaginable amount of pain. Darius was both impressed and frustrated at the attacker¡®s tenacity. Despite torturing and interrogating him harshly to find some answers, the attacker refused to speak. He then gave the attacker onest look before walking over to where his phone was. There was no need to continue interrogating him since he couldn¡®t get any information from him. He called his grandfather and told him everything that had happened. His grandfather was enraged by yet another assassination attempt on his grandson¡®s life and concerned for his grandson¡®s health. It wasn¡®t until Darius reassured him that he was alright that he finally calmed down. His grandfather wanted toe over, but Darius quickly dissuaded him. He didn¡®t want his grandfather to travel such a far distance for his sake. He instead promised to pay a visit to the Reid mansion. His room was already in shambles and he¡®d have to wait a while for the repairs to be finished. He then ended the call before calling the police and recounted the entire incident once more. He kept a close eye on the attacker while waiting for the police to arrive. Despite the fact that he had a lot on his mind, he pushed them to the back of his mind. They were all irrelevant right now, and he could think about themter. When the two policemen arrived at Darius¡® residence, they were astounded at the level of wreckage in his room. They asked Darius to recount the incidence of the attack to them once again, which Darius did for the third time. The policemen nodded their heads as Darius spoke and jotted down his narration. When Darius was done with recounting the incident, the policemen moved to handcuff the assant when the assant suddenly yelled. ¡°This isn¡®t over Darius Reid!¡± A frown crept on to Darius¡® face, but the next moment, his eyes widened in shock. ¡°Stop him!¡± Darius yelled out hurriedly. As he yelled, he rushed over to where the assanty on the floor. Sadly, he was still toote. Boom! A loud explosion echoed in the room, wrecking the already the wrecked room. The soundproof room was unable to contain the loud noise from the explosion this time, so the noise drew the attention of the staff from the Dragon Lord Imperial Residence. Darius was now an awakened martial artist, so he could defend himself. He stood up after the explosion and dusted the debris from his body before walking over to where the attackery. The assant was motionless on the floor with a lot of debris on his body, his blue eyes ssy. He had committed suicide by causing an explosion at thest moment. Darius was able to defend himself because he was a martial artist, but the two police officers were not so lucky. They were killed in the explosion. Chapter 105 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 105 Darius was both devastated and frustrated by the deaths of the police officers. He med himself for his slow response. He had no idea the assant would be so insane as to try to kill everyone in the room as ast ditch effort. If he had, he would have done everything he could to save the police officers. Many people who were present when the explosion urred rushed over to Darius¡® apartment secondster. The explosion was too serious of an issue to ignore. They soon arrived at Darius¡® apartment. Meanwhile, several phone calls had already been made to the police department before they rushed over. When the police officers checked their records and saw that they had already dispatched two police officers to the specified location, they dispatched arge number of officers to his apartment this time. When the staff and visitors at Dragon Imperial Lord Residence arrived and saw Darius¡® room in such a sorry state, they all sucked in a cold breath. It was as if a battle had taken ce here! They were even more taken aback when they noticed the three motionless bodies on the floor. It was then they suddenly realized that the cause of the explosion was far from simple. Not less than five minutester, arge number of police cars arrived outside the building and barricaded the entire Dragon Lord Imperial Residence, causing amotion. The police officers then rushed into Darius¡® wrecked room. They asked him to apany them to the police station after seeing three motionless bodies on the floor of his room and the chaotic scene in his room. There, they would take his statement about the whole assassination incident. 1 was N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. They then barricaded Darius¡® apartment. Since the situation was a little frightening, they needed to look into it meticulously. After that, the crowd dispersed with several questions in their mind. However, there was no one to ask what had happened, so they swallowed their questions and obediently left the scene. [Primera Estate] Inside the luxurious study room, the mysterious persona was leisurely reading through some documents in the study room while sipping a ss of wine beside him. However, his brows were furrowed in worry, betraying his leisurely demeanor. It had already been four hours since he sent out the masked figure, Jabal, to incapacitate Darius and make him bedridden or a month. ording to his previous report, Darius was not an awakened martial Why then was he taking so long? The mysterious persona closed the documents on his table and leaned back on his chair. He couldn¡®t shake off the feeling that something had gone terribly wrong. As he was still contemting on what could have gone wrong, a loud sound suddenly red in the room. The mysterious persona jolted from his chair in shock the moment he heard the loud sound. Impossible! His heart was filled with dread the moment he heard the sound. He dashed over to a safe in the far corner of the room and entered the pass code. By this point, no trace of his usual mystery or self¨C control could be found in his actions. He was absolutely petrified. He opened the safe and brought out a small red box before opening it. There were originally five red circles in the box, but now, there were only four. Thest circle had turned ck. The mysterious persona waspletely stunned at that moment. The five red circles were items used to monitor the safety of his personal bodyguards, and also make sure that they were unable to escape his grasp. No matter where they were, their location and well being would always be transmitted to him at all times There were five of them, and each of them was an awakened martial artist with incrediblebat skills. As long as each of the five circles shone red, it meant that no harm had befallen the bodyguards and they were alive; but if any of the circles stopped showing red and changed its color to ck, it meant that the bodyguard the red color belonged to had lost his life. Of course, the circle which had turned ck belonged to his fifth bodyguard, Jabal. The mysterious persona couldn¡®t make any sense of this. Even though Jabal was the weakest among the bodyguards he had, he was still an awakened martial artist and should be able to deal with Darius very easily. How on earth did he lose to Darius who was not an awakened martial artist? The mysterious persona sighed quietly and closed the small red box and stuffed in the safe back before locking it. He then walked over to the desk in the room and took his phone from the table before making a phone call. The call rung only once before the line connected. ¡°Sir.¡± A deep voice sounded from the other end of the phone. ¡°Have youpleted the mission I assigned to you?¡± The mysterious persona asked impatiently. ¡°Not yet. I just need a week more.¡± The voice responded politely. ¡°Round it off quickly ande back. I have a new mission for you.¡± The mysterious persona gave a commanding order and then abruptly disconnected the phone call without waiting for a response from the person on the other end of the line. There was no need to think about it now. Since Jabal was dead now without him knowing the reason why, it would be incredibly foolish of him to take any rash action concerning Darius without further investigation. What he needed to do was toy low and wait until his reinforcement arrived. What he needed to do was stay quiet and wait for reinforcements. He estimated that his reinforcement would arrive in four weeks. Therefore, he just had to stay low for four weeks. His gaze became cold as he leaned back in his chair, remembering Jabal¡®s death. Because of a single person, what should have been a simple mission had be moreplicated. He feared that if he didn¡®t take care of Darius Reid soon, he would not be able to aplish anything. Chapter 106 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 106 Meanwhile, while the mysterious persona was contemting about what to do with Darius. Darius was in the police station. Darius was asked to repeat the details of the attack from the beginning by the police officers in charge of the investigation. Darius was understandably furious upon hearing that, and with good reason. After all. he was being asked to recount the details of the attack for the umpteenth time. Darius was frustrated, but he had no choice than to do so. If he didn¡®t follow the instructions of the police officers, they would never allow him to leave. S country was a nation that ced a high value on the rule ofw and would always uphold it strictly. After Darius finished recounting the events, they requested specific personnel to conduct a quick scan of the deceased attacker¡®s face. It took some time for the results to show, but when they did, it was just as Darius guessed. The attacker was definitely not a citizen of S country because none of his information was recorded in the police database of S country. The police officers in charge of the case recognized the seriousness of the situation right away, so they informed their superiors and gave them the information about the investigation. After waiting in the police station for more than two hours, the officers finally gave him permission to leave When he stepped out of the police station, he noticed arge crowd had gathered at the entrance to the police station. The situation piqued Darius¡® interest, so he walked over to the crowd to satiate his curiosity ¡°That is such an expensive vehicle!¡± someone eximed in awe. ¡°Yes it is. I just looked it up on the inte, and you wouldn¡®t believe how much it costs.¡± Another voice eximed. ¡°How much?¡± the first person asked eagerly. ¡°It costs over ten million dors!¡± the second person answered loudly. His answer attracted the attention of the people in the crowd who had been paying attention to their conversation. They all had looks of astonishment on their faces. Ten million dors for a single vehicle? How extravagant! Darius interest grew as he listened to their conversation. However, he was not as enthusiastic as them. While ten million dors seemed like such a huge amount of money to them, it was nothing impressive to him. Darius was taller than the average person in the crowd, so he took a look at where the crowd was looking at and saw a very expensive looking ck Bentley vehicle parked at the entrance of the police station. The arrival of the expensive Bentley naturally caused amotion at the entrance to the police station. Such a car was estimated to be worth around 10 million dors, and only a big shot would be able to afford such a car. Why then was a big shot here at the police station? Darius turned around and started to walk back toward the bus stop as everyone was still trying to figure out who the big shot was and why he had shown up. His two super cars were parked at his apartment because he arrived in the police car earlier. He had no way of getting himself anywhere, so he would have to take the bus or the train to get to his apartment. He was caught off guard by thest ditch attempt of the assant; therefore his clothing at the time was damaged and renderedpletely inappropriate to wear to the police station. Because of that, he was only wearing casual clothing at the moment. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. However, despite his casual attire, he looked incredibly handsome and attractive. His attractive appearance did elicit some looks from the rapidly gathering crowd present, but their attention was quickly recaptured by the expensive Bentley vehicle. It was understandable, as it was not every day one could see vehicles that were worth 10 million dors. Darius had not taken two steps forward when the door of the ck Bentley vehicle opened. A bodyguard instantly rushed forward and apanied the person who alighted from the vehicle SO Of course, the figure who alighted from the vehicle was none other than Bruce. ¡°Young Master Reid!¡± Bruce yelled loudly towards where Darius was as he stood at the door of the Bentley Everyone instantly turned to the direction Bruce yelled at. They wanted to see who the young master was that someone would arrive in a very expensive Bentley worth more than 10 million dors just to pick him up. Their eyes and gazes nced over Darius and kept searching for who the mysterious young master Reid was. After all, with the way Darius was dressed, nobody would believe that he was the one that was here to pick up Darius naturally noticed their eager gazes as they looked for the young master Reid. He was a bit taken aback when he saw the expensive Bentley vehicle, but didn¡®t let it bother him. After all, he was no longer a stranger to wealthy vehicles, so he decided to leave. It was not until he heard his name being yelled loudly by a familiar voice did he turn back. s, the expensive Bentley belonged to his grandfather¡®s assistant, Mr. Bruce. ¡°Young Master Reid!¡± Bruce yelled loudly once more; before walking over to where Darius was. As Bruce started walking over to Darius, the crowd¡®s excitement reached a new high. They had searched Darius¡® area with their eyes thoroughly, but didn¡®t see any person worthy of being escorted by such an expensive car. Now that the one who arrived in the car was going over himself, they would finally get to see the young master. Bruce quickly arrived at where Darius stood and then greeted in a loud but respectful tone. ¡°Young Master Reid!¡± The moment the crowd saw Bruce greeting Darius with such respect; their eyes widened and threatened to fall out from their sockets. ¡°T¨Cthat young man is the young master Reid?!¡± someone yelled loudly; his toneced with disbelief. ¡°That¡®s impossible! He doesn¡¯t look like he even has a decent ce to stay!¡± another person in the crowd added in incredulity. Right now, everyone in the crowd was feeling the same as the two people who eximed loudly. Darius real identity came as a shocker to everyone. Bruce heard their grumbles and murmurs and could not help but scowl quietly in his heart. Even though he was used to the attention using such expensive vehicles brought, it didn¡®t mean that he enjoyed the attention. He wanted to order the two bodyguards beside the Bentley vehicle to chase the crowd away, but thought otherwise. How the crowd behaved was none of his business. He had more pressing things to attend to now. ¡°Are you alright young master Reid?¡± Bruce asked concernedly. ¡°I¡®m fine.¡± Darius answered coolly. ¡°Did you sustain any injuries? If not we¡®ll need to go to the hospital.¡± Bruce asked worriedly, ¡°I said I¡®m fine.¡± Darius repeated as he shed Bruce a smile. Bruce could only let out a helpless sigh at that. If Darius said he was fine, then he was fine. There was no use pestering him. ¡°Alright young master Reid. This way please.¡± Bruce said. The two of them started walking towards the expensive Bentley vehicle, and the crowd watched on in disbelief. A bodyguard quickly opened the door and ushered him in respectfully, and this scene stunned the onlookers once more. The doors to the expensive Bentley shut, and the Bentley drove off, leaving the bewildered crowd behind. Chapter 107 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 107 The ride back to the Reid mansion was smooth and uneventful. Both Bruce and Darius remained silent for the entirety of the journey. The reason was because he had nothing to say to Darius, and moreover, he could see that Darius didn¡®t want to be disturbed at all; therefore he chose to remain quiet. Darius didn¡®t notice Bruce stealing asional nces at him. He was far too deep in his thoughts at the moment The assant that attacked him was not a citizen of S country, so did this mean that his enemy was a foreigner? And if the enemy was actually a foreigner, how then was he able to spread his roots in S country? Furthermore, the motive behind the attack was still unknown by Darius. His grandfather had only warned him about his safety prior to the attack, but didn¡®t mention anything about the motive behind their attack. He found it hard to believe that anyone would go ahead and try to hurt him brazenly despite his identity as the heir and current head of the Reid consortium, but his assant had done just that. There were only two reasons that he could think of. Either they were ignorant of his identity as the head of the Reid consortium, or they believed that they were capable of withstanding the Reid consortium¡®s retaliation in S country. Darius didn¡®t know which of the options the reason for their attack was, and this put him in a dilemma. He sighed deeply. In the end they were all his spections, so they couldn¡®t be proven to be true at the moment. Therefore, he pushed the thoughts about the assants to the back of his mind. There was no use thinking about it now, so instead, he shifted his thoughts to the fight with the assant. He could feel that his body was currently very different from how it used to be before. He couldn¡®t tell what changes had urred in his body, but he was sure that it was certainly for the better. During the fight, even after sustaining injuries from the assant, he could tell that it didn¡®t hamper his fighting abilities at all. This was because his injuries began healing themselves on their own! Darius had no idea that this was because of the golden liquid his grandfather gave him. The golden liquid was very mysterious and extraordinary, but it was indeed very powerful. Not only did it heal all of Darius¡® injuries when he was severely injured, it strengthened his body greatly. Yet, it seemed that that wasn¡®t all it could do. It had managed to imbue Darius with a self healing trait! 1 This meant that Darius would be able to heal from any injury no matter how severe it was. Naturally, this also included toxins, poisons, and dangerous gases. It basically made Darius¡® body immune to such impurities. Darius was too focused on the fight with his assant to notice that the injuries that were inflicted on him were actually healing themselves on their own, otherwise he would have screamed from shock. He didn¡®t realize he was injury¨Cfree until the end of the battle, when he had defeated the attacker. He vividly remembered the assant¡®s powerful attack breaking his rib, so it seemed strange at the time, butter, when he checked his rib, he found it to be in perfect condition. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. In the end, he chalked up the self healing trait to the strange feeling he had in his body. Since both of them urred at the same time, he figured out that they were of the same cause. After more than two hours of driving, the Bentley finally arrived at the regal and imperial Reid mansion. Darius and Bruce both alighted from the Bentley and walked towards the luxurious Reid mansion ¡°Young master Reid; your grandfather is waiting for you in his study room.¡± Bruce said politely. Darius nodded his head and started walking towards the familiar study room. When he got there, he knocked twice on the door, and then opened the door without waiting for his grandfather¡®s response. When he entered the room, he saw that there was already another person in the room. It was a man who looked to be in histe thirties. He looked at the person briefly but had no recollection of the person in the study room. However, for him to meet with his grandfather personally, he knew he had to be someone very influential He didn¡®t think too much about it so he shifted his gaze back to his grandfather. ¡°Grandfather. I have arrived.¡± Darius greeted warmly. His grandfather gave the visitor in his room a meaningful stare and then stood up to wee his grandson Wee, Darius.¡± His grandfather said pleasantly. The visitor in histe thirties naturally understood the meaning behind the stare and stood up profoundly. ¡°Mr. James, I¡®ll be taking my leave now. I hope to meet youter. We haven¡®t finished with our discussion after all.¡± The man said meaningfully. ¡°Yes of course. We will continue the discussionter.¡± His grandfather replied indifferently. The visitor didn¡®t say anything at that moment and walked towards the door. Just as he was about to exit the study room, he took onest look at Darius. Darius turned back at that moment and caught him staring at him. The visitor had an indecipherable gaze in his eyes, but the moment their eyes locked with each other, he quickly masked the gaze in his eyes and appeared coolly under Darius questioning gaze. Darius could feel something from the man, but he couldn¡®t ce what it was. Just as he was about to speak out, the visitor exited the study room and closed the door. ¡°Have a seat Darius.¡± His grandfather said, pulling Darius¡® attention from the visitor who was left. ¡°Grandfather, who was that?¡± Darius asked as he took his seat. ¡°Nobody important.¡± His grandfather replied vaguely while avoiding Darius¡® gaze. Darius stared at his grandfather intently at his response. He could tell that his grandfather was hiding something from him. ¡°Why? Is something wrong?¡± His grandfather asked pointedly. ¡°No. It¡®s nothing serious.¡± Darius answered apathetically. He sighed quietly. Since his grandfather felt the need to hide it from him, there was no need for him to think deeply about it. He had many things on his mind to worry about anyways. Whenever his grandfather was ready to tell him, he would then find out. ¡°Are you alright, Darius?¡± His grandfather asked concernedly when he saw that Darius wasn¡®t thinking too much about the visitor from earlier. ¡°Yes I am.¡± Darius replied warmly. The two of them then discussed for a long time. By the time they were done discussing, it was already late morning. ¡°You should go back and rest now. It¡®s great that you are alright.¡± His grandfather suggested. Darius nodded in affirmation. He was indeed very worn¨Cout. He had stayed upte yesterday working on the reports that Erin sent to him. When he finally finished and wanted to retire for the night, he was attacked After sessful defeating the attacker, the police officers arrived and took him to the police station to get his statement. This made him to spend two stressful hours at the police station, after which he was driven straight to the Reid mansion, which led to the situation now. It was safe to say that he hadn¡®t gotten a wink of sleep for the past 24 hours. He dismissed himself from his grandfather¡®s study room and went to his room. He stumbled onto his king¨Csized bed out of exhaustion. A little whileter, he was sound asleep. Chapter 108 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 108 Chapter 108 The following morning, Darius awoketer than usual. This was anticipated because of his extreme exhaustion from the previous day¡®s events. He noticed that it was already 11 am when he looked at the time. He got out of bed and drank a bottle of water before going about his morning routine. Darius had no idea he had be a martial artist, so he meditated before practicing his usual martial arts moves, as instructed in the tattered book. Unbeknownst to him, those martial arts moves were no longer appropriate for him. They were only useful when he wasn¡®t a fully developed martial artist. He needed to alter his martial arts techniques now that he was a fully awakened martial artist because otherwise, he would make little to no progress at all. He finished his morning routine a few minutester. He stripped naked; exposing his ridiculously toned body, and went into the bathroom for a quick shower. After he finished showering, he changed into some casual clothing before leaving his room. His grandfather was already having his breakfast when he appeared at the stairs. When his grandfather noticed his appearance, the gaze in his eyes softened. ¡°Come over, Darius.¡± His grandfather said warmly; inviting him over to the table Darius smiled softly and walked over to the dining table. His grandfather locked his gaze on one of the maids standing beside him. However, because the maid¡®s attention was entirely focused on Darius¡® attractive body, she failed to notice his grandfather staring at her. He coughed loudly to get her attention while frowning slightly. The maid¡®s cheeks burned as she averted her gaze from Darius. The maid had flushed with embarrassment as a result of his grandfather¡®s actions. She understood his stare and nodded timidly before scurrying away. Darius took notice of this minor action. He shrugged as he noticed his grandfather staring at him intently. It wasn¡®t his fault that the maid was staring at him and that she failed to respond to grandfather on time. Nheless, he did not express his feelings. All he could do was smile helplessly. The maid reappeared a few secondster with a tray of food. There were several exquisite dishes on the tray, and it appeared to be quite extravagant for just breakfast. ¡°Isn¡®t this too extravagant for just breakfast?¡± Darius asked skeptically as the maid dropped the tray on the dining table. ¡°It isn¡®t. You need to eat well.¡± His grandfather replied stubbornly. ¡°But¨C¡°Darius started, but his grandfather interrupted him firmly. Darius sighed but said nothing else. There was no use arguing with his grandfather; and besides, he was extremely famished. He finished his meal quickly because it was so delicious. His grandfather gave him an affectionate look as he ate. He finished his meal in a short period of time. ¡°Are you busy today?¡± His grandfather asked suddenly just as Darius was about to exit the dining room. ¡°No, I¡®m not.¡± He answered after thinking for a brief moment. ¡°That¡®s good.¡± His grandfather remarked. ¡°I would like you to do something for me.¡± His grandfather added. Darius turned back to face his grandfather when he heard his grandfather¡®s words. He couldn¡®t help but get curious. ¡°What is it, Grandpa?¡± Darius asked curiously. His grandfather didn¡®t answer him immediately; instead he motioned his hands lightly. Secondster, Bruce appeared with a document in his hands. He bowed respectfully to his grandfather and handed the documents over to him before turning his gaze to Darius and greeting him politely. ¡°I want you to go to SVL Royal Hotel. I have a very important meeting with an associate there, but I will not be able to meet with him today. Therefore I want you to go in my stead.¡± His grandfather said courteously. ¡°That¡®s not a problem Grandpa. You don¡®t need to worry about it.¡± Darius said. ¡°Thank you. As for the person you¡®re meeting with, don¡®t worry about it.¡± His grandfather said. ¡°I have already informed him in advance that he¡®ll be meeting with you.¡± He then handed over the document to Darius. ¡°Just hand over this document to him. He¡®ll naturally know what to do.¡± His grandfather concluded. ¡°Alright Grandpa.¡± Darius replied politely. ¡°Bruce, prepare the cars and take him to SVL Royal Hotel.¡± His grandfather ordered. ¡°No. I¡®ll be fine by myself.¡± Darius quickly interjected. He knew how extravagant his grandfather could be, and frankly speaking, he wasn¡®t used to such attention yet. His grandfather frowned slightly was about to speak up, but Darius hastily spoke up. ¡°It¡®s just to meet with your associate and hand over the document. There¡®s no need to take so many cars. It¡®ll just attract unwanted attention.¡± Darius persuaded obstinately. ¡°But you¨C¡± ¡°Grandpa. I¡®ll be fine.¡± Darius said firmly as he looked into his grandfather¡®s eyes. His grandfather hesitated for a bit. It seemed like he wanted to speak more, but in the end chose to swallow his words when he saw his grandson¡®s obstinate gaze. ¡°Alright. Do as you wish.¡± He said helplessly. ¡°Thank you.¡± Darius said sincerely. ¡°I¡®ll be leaving now.¡± Darius added. Since he already had his shower earlier before his breakfast, there was nothing dying him from leaving now. Furthermore, he wanted to leave sooner so that he could finish the task as soon as possible. He went to the garage, where there were many expensive cars parked. The bodyguards in the mansion offered to drive him to his destination, but he declined. He didn¡®t see why he needed bodyguards to apany him when it was such a simple task. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Furthermore, their presence would only make him the center of attention. He didn¡®t want to be in the spotlight in any way following the recent assassination attempt. He eventually found a suitable simple car after a brief walk. It was a Mercedes Benz S ss, reportedly valued at $150,000. It fell short of the other cars in the garage. However, it was ideal for him. He then took the car keys from the staff member in charge of garage maintenance and got inside the car before driving off. Chapter 109 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 109 Chapter 109 The drive to the SVL Royal Hotel was a smooth and uneventful one. After more than 45 minutes of driving, Darius arrived at his destination. Darius parked the car neatly and alighted from the vehicle. Just a simple nce at the cars parked told Darius how luxurious of a ce SVL Royal Hotel was. It was even more impressive andvish than the Sky Golden Hotel back at Kingston district. However, he didn¡®t think too much about this. He then walked confidently towards the entrance to the hotel. Two very muscr security guards were stationed at the entrance to the hotel. Darius was an awakened martial artist now so he could vaguely feel the strength of the two security guards. Although he felt he could easily defeat them, the fact that they could threaten him slightly proved that the security guards were elite. The two security guards frowned slightly when they saw Darius approaching them confidently. He had come to the hotel dressed in the same casual clothing he wore back in the Reid mansion, so he looked very different from the usual big shots they were used to seeing. The security guards instinctively looked down on him the moment they saw him. They thought that he was just here to experience the feeling of being in a world ss hotel such as this one, which was normal. After all, after working here for a long time, they had seen their fair share of country bumpkins iming to be someone important. They expected Darius to be the same. Darius nodded politely at the two security guards and moved to enter the hotel, but the security guards immediately moved to block his view. ¡°Where is your invitation card Sir?¡± one of the security guards asked thoughtfully. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Darius was surprised when the security guards blocked his entry, but arched his brow when he heard their question. He had no idea that such cards were needed to enter the hotel. ¡°Sir, we can¡®t allow you to pass through without an invitation or membership card.¡± The second security guard said disdainfully. ¡°I had no idea such cards were needed before entry. Could you please let me through just this once? I have an important meeting with an associate soon, and I don¡®t want to miss it.¡± Darius pleaded sincerely. The security guards scoffed loudly at Darius¡® reply. It was just as they expected. Darius was just a country bumpkin whose aim was to experience how it felt to be in a world ss hotel. Hence, their tone took a sharp turn. ¡°No. We¡®re not allowed to grant entry if you don¡®t have any of the aforementioned cards.¡± One of the security guards replied scornfully. This time around they didn¡®t even bother to hide the contempt in their voice. Initially, they were wary about Darius. After all, several people have been deceived by the casual appearance of some prominent figures, and dug their own downfall. This was why they probed Darius by asking if he had an invitation or membership card. The prominent figures all knew that invitation or membership cards were needed to enter the hotel, so the fact that Darius was ignorant of thatmon knowledge convinced them that he was here for sightseeing. The truth was that one could still enter with or without the invitation or membership cards. However, they would never be allowed past the lobby of the hotel, as the other floors of the hotel needed the cards to be essed. Since Darius didn¡®t have any of the two cards, they believed that he was a country bumpkin who was there for sightseeing; therefore there was no need to grant him entry into the hotel. Darius frowned at the tone of their voices. He initially thought that he was mistaken when they received him coldly, but there was no mistaking it now. They were clearly being ruder than necessary to him. ¡°I should be allowed to meet with the receptionist at least, shouldn¡®t I?¡± Darius asked icily. Since there were being so rude to him, there was no need for him to be polite to them. ¡°Sir, you are not allowed not to enter this hotel without the proper required cards. Please leave now before we take drastic measures.¡± Aguard said. As he spoke, he approached Darius threateningly. Darius became furious at the security guard¡®s attitude. Even if he wasn¡®t with the required cards, he should still be granted entry into the hotel lobby. There he would inform the receptionist of his meeting with his grandfather¡®s associate. After all, his grandfather had given him the room number where they would be meeting. He believed that once the associate knew of his arrival, he would attend to him immediately. Who would have thought that the security guards would make things difficult for him? Darius red at the two bodyguards angrily. He angrily put his hands into his pocket and brought out his phone. He was about to phone Bruce when the loud noises of numerous cars arriving drew his attention. The two security guards also looked in the direction of the noises, and sure enough, the cause of the noises appeared. Six stunning silver Maybach vehicles pulled up imposingly right in front of the entrance to the hotel. The moment the security guards saw the Maybach vehicles, they immediately ignored Darius. For someone toe in such an extravagant way, he must be a big shot! The doors to the Maybach vehicles opened simultaneously and several bodyguards alighted from the vehicle. Then they aligned themselves neatly in a straight line, while one of the bodyguards who seemed to be their leader opened the door to the silver Maybach vehicle in the middle. A man who appeared to be over fifty years old then alighted from the vehicle. Despite his grey hair patches, he was tall and handsome even in his old age. He was clothed in a luxury white suit, with several expensive rings adorning his fingers. As he stood still, he exuded a regal and imposing aura. He was definitely someone very influential. 1 Darius who was pushed to the sidelines at his arrival narrowed his eyes at the man. He couldn¡®t but notice that the man was a bit familiar to him. He was sure that he had seen the man before, but because the bodyguards were escorting the man closely, he couldn¡®t see nis face clearly. The man started walking imposingly to the entrance of the hotel. However, he could tell that someone was staring at him intently, so he turned his head lightly to take a brief look at the person. The moment he did, however, he stopped movingpletely, his eyes widening in shock Chapter 110 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 110 Chapter 110 The man who arrived extravagantly with the six Maybach vehicles was of course none other than Tyrell Sanders, the head of the Sanders Group. In truth, SVL Royal Hotel belonged to the Sanders Group; but Tyrell Sanders was a very busy man, so he rarely visited the hotel. However, the case was different this time. He was supposed to meet with James Reid and discuss an extremely important business deal, but James had cancelled at thest moment, opting to send his grandson instead. Tyrell didn¡®t think too much of it, as the business deal was already at its concluding stages. All he needed to do was to sign the documents and finish some procedures. The meeting with James Reid was actually supposed to be held the next day, but James had cancelled it and put the meeting today. Tyrell was in a board meeting when his secretary informed him of the changes to the date; and the moment he was informed, he immediately put a stop to the board meeting and adjourned it for ater date before hastily rushing over. The business deal was just too crucial to the development of the Sanders Group, which was he did not hesitate in his actions at all. He was about to rush inside the hotel when he felt someone staring at him. He spared a brief nce at the person, but one could imagine the shock he felt when he saw the person. ¡°Mr. Reid?¡± He inadvertently blurted out in surprise. Darius was a bit surprise that the man instantly recognized him, but he covered it up with a smile. ¡°Mr. Tyrell.¡± Darius replied back coolly. Tyrell quickly moved away from his bodyguards and rushed over to where Darius stood. ¡°Mr. Reid!¡± Tyrell greeted tteringly. His actions elicited looks of confusion from his bodyguards present. They were confused as to why Tyrell was suddenly being so servile and humble to the young man at the entrance to the hotel. Moreover, the young man looked like he was just in his early twenties! This was Tyrell Sanders, the head of the Sanders Group. They had never seen him being so humble or polite to anyone. Even the higher ups in the government had to be polite to him. How far apart then was the background between the young man and Tyrell that he had to be so servile? Of course, if Tyrell could hear the thoughts of his subordinates, he would beat them to death! Pride? Status? What good was all that in the face of the head of the Reid consortium? The Sanders Group greatly needed this business deal, as it was extremely crucial to the further development of the Sanders Group in S country. If Darius was dissatisfied with his action; it would be disastrous! Therefore, he had to make sure that he pleased Darius, no matter what! The two security guards who were rude to Darius earlier suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. Although they had been wary from the start, it seemed that they hadpletely miscalcted, Mr. Tyrell?! As the security guards to the SVL Royal Hotel, they certainly knew who Mr. Tyrell was. This made the scene that urred in front of thempletely unbelievable. This young man was definitely no country bumpkin, and instead he seemed to hail from a very impressive background. If not, why would such a wealthy and influential person be so polite to him? ¡°Mr. Reid. It¡®s truly a pleasure to see you again.¡± Tyrell said tteringly. ¡°Please let¡®s go inside and discuss in details.¡± Tyrell suggested; and started walking towards the entrance; however when he saw that Darius didn¡®t follow him, he started sweating profusely. Why wasn¡®t Darius following him inside the hotel? Did he offend him without knowing? Tyrell felt his heart beat rapidly at that thought. He absolutely could not afford to offend Darius; otherwise the business deal would fall apart. Mustering up his courage, he asked Darius tentatively. ¡°Mr. Reid, is anything the problem?¡± Tyrell asked. Darius looked at the two security guards who refused his entry and then looked back at Tyrell before replying ¡°I wanted to enter earlier, but I didn¡®t have the required cards with me, so these two security guards refused to grant me entry into the hotel.¡± Darius answered coolly. The moment Tyrell heard Darius¡® answer, he erupted in rage. Fuming, he turned to the two security guards and red at them furiously. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Tyrell asked frostily. The security guards felt chills run down their spine at Tyrell¡®s frigid tone. As the head of a very influential business group, his aura and regal bearing was very intimidating to them. ¡°Please allow us to exin, Mr. Tyrell.¡± The two security guards pleaded in dread. They had no idea who the young man was, but they knew he was more powerful than they had imagined. Tyrell¡®s subservience to the young man meant they were in far more trouble than they had anticipated. ¡°Shut up!¡± Tyrell exploded in fury. He was too livid to listen to their exnation at the moment. Words could not express how enraged Tyrell was. Darius hade to meet with him and finalize the business arrangement he had discussed with his grandfather, which was critical to the development of Sanders Group. Where would he begin if Darius refused to proceed with the business deal because he was irritated by the two security guards? The fact that his grandfather sent Darius meant that all decision rested ultimately on Darius, and any decision of his was final. Yet, instead of pleasing him, the two guards had managed to N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. infuriate him. ¡°As from today, you both are dismissed from duty.¡± Tyrell dered authoritatively. ¡°But¨C¡°One of the security guards tried to plead, but Tyrell cut him off with a fierce re. ¡°If you dare speak, you both will be losing more than your jobs.¡± Tyrell threatened dangerously. The security guard immediately withdrew his plea and stopped talking. He didn¡®t want to enrage Tyrell any more than he already was, otherwise the results would be disastrous. They were both aware that they had dug their own graves. It would have been extremely beneficial to them if they had not been needlessly disrespectful to him before. However, they did the exact reverse. In the end, they had only themselves to me. Without even sparing the two security guards another nce, Tyrell shifted his attention back to Darius, his imperious aura turning docile, and spoke in a very polite tone. ¡°No one will dare stop you from entering now, Mr. Reid.¡± Tyrell said. Darius smiled at Tyrell and thanked him sincerely before the two of them entered the hotel, leaving the two dejected security guards behind. Chapter 111 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 111 SVL Royal Hotel was really worthy of being the best hotel in the district. The interior of the hotel was twice as luxurious as that of the Sky Golden Hotel, with expensive and deluxe chandeliers hung on the ceilings and several othervish decorations lining the hotel lobby. Tyrell sneaked a nce at Darius as he stared at the interior decorations and a wave of aplishment washed over him when he saw that Darius was impressed by the decorations. Their arrival in the lobby attracted attention from the few prominent people in the lobby, which was expected, because not only was Tyrell the owner of the SVL Royal Hotel, he had over ten bodyguards with him. Nheless, when they saw Tyrell being humble to a young man in his early twenties, they were shocked beyondprehension, and very curious about the young man¡®s identity. Just secondster after Tyrell and Darius entered the hotel lobby, a male receptionist walked up to them hurriedly. He knew who Tyrell was, so he was incredibly nervous. He was even more astounded when he saw how attentive Tyrell was to the young man beside him. The young man was definitely younger than him, yet Tyrell¡®s behavior to the young man showed him that he and the young man were worlds apart in status. ¡°Which room should I book for you, Mr. Tyrell?¡± The male receptionist asked respectfully. ¡°Book the diamond room.¡± Tyrell ordered imperiously. ¡°Yes Mr. Tyrell!¡± The male receptionist replied reverently. ¡°This way Mr. Tyrell.¡± The receptionist said and started leading the way to the Diamond room, with Tyrell, Darius and the ten bodyguards following them closely. They took the elevator to the 61st floor, which was the highest floor in the building, and where the Diamond room was located. Not just anyone could use the Diamond room in the SVL Royal Hotel, as it was the most luxurious and most expensive room in the hotel. Only the most prominent and influential businessmen could use the Diamond room, and to book a room cost more than $50 million. When they got to the room, the receptionist bowed modestly and exited the floor, leaving Tyrell and Darius alone. The two of them then made their way into the Diamond room. Tyrell instructed eight bodyguards to keep watch outside the Diamond room, while the remaining three bodyguards escorted him into the room. The interior of the room was the mostvish room Darius had ever seen. Every decoration in the room looked ridiculously expensive, and created a very beautiful sight in the room. There was a table that looked to be made of pure diamonds in the room, with a tray containing sumptuous meals on it. They were also two bottles of wine beside the meal. One of the bottles of wine was the ¡®Tinto Molleux¡®, an extremely rare French wine that Darius admired. Impressed, Darius took a seat on the plush sofa in the room, after which Tyrell did the same. When they were settled in, Tyrell was the first to break the silence, ¡°Mr. Reid, once again it is truly a pleasure to meet with you.¡± Tyrell said once more. Darius didn¡®t respond to him with words. Instead he hummed lowly and then brought out the document his grandfather gave him. Tyrell heart quickened when he saw Darius bring out the document. The document contained the contract details of a mega¨Cdeal worth over $5 billion; and Tyrell had gone all out in order to secure the deal. Once he signed the document, the influence of Sanders Group in Scountry would skyrocket. Darius had no idea how important the document was to Tyrell Sanders. After all, he was just here on the orders of his grandfather. He brought out the document from the envelope and handed it over to Tyrell, which thetter happily collected. When Tyrell was done with reading the contents of the document, he put to pen his signature on the document, and then handed it over to Darius. He was incredibly d that moment, and was over the moon at the sessful signing of the mega¨Cdeal. ¡°Thank you very much Mr. Reid.¡± Tyrell stood up from his seat and thanked Darius wholesomely. ¡°It¡®s nothing.¡± Darius replied indifferently, waving off Tyrell¡®s thanks. In truth, Darius didn¡®t do anything noteworthy. All he did was follow his grandfather¡®s instructions, so he believed there was no need for Tyrell to be so thankful to him. He should be thankful to his grandfather instead. with the mission his grandfather assigned to him sessfullypleted, Darius didn¡®t see the need to remain in the room with Tyrell any longer. ¡°Please have a drink before you leave, Mr. Reid.¡± Tyrell said. As he spoke, he had already filled a ss cup with wine and offered it to Darius. ¡°No need, but thank you for the offer.¡± Darius replied firmly. Even though he was a wine lover, and was dying to know how good the French wine tasted, he refused to have a drink because he came alone. As a result, he would need to drive himself hometer; therefore he needed to stay clear of wine or any alcoholic drink. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. He wished at that moment that he wasn¡®t so stubborn and insisted oning alone. By now, he would be enjoying the exquisite French wine. ¡°Alright Mr. Reid.¡± Tyrell said. He didn¡®t dare force Darius to have a drink. ¡°Let me show you the way out.¡± Tyrell suggested strongly. Darius knew that Tyrell wouldn¡®t take no for an answer, so he didn¡®t decline his request. Together with the three bodyguards, they exited the Diamond room. The eleven bodyguards then escorted Darius back all the way to the spot where his Mercedes Benz S ss was parked. Darius was about to enter his car when a huge sense of crisis came over him. As a martial artist, his ability to sense danger was now greatly improved, and he was extremely sensitive to danger. ¡°Mr. Tyrell!¡± Darius yelled out. He then quickly turned to Tyrell and pushed him away from the spot he stood forcefully. Just a split secondter, a loud sound echoed in the car park. Chapter 112 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Bang! A gunshot sound echoed in the car park, and a split secondter, a bodyguard fell to the ground andy motionless. He was dead. Tyrell¡®s eyes widened in surprise when he saw the body of the murdered bodyguard. He was certain that the bullet was intended for him, but he was pushed away at thest second by Darius, resulting in the bodyguard taking the bullet in his ce. Tyrell¡®s eyes clouded over in grief at the bodyguard¡®s dead body, before rage seeped into them. The gunshot was a lethal one, as the bullet pierced his bodyguard¡®s heart, killing him on the spot. Whoever the shooter was intended to end his life immediately, and not give him a chance to survive even with the help of world ss medical specialists. There was no way he was going to let such a person go scot free. ¡°Go after him!¡± Tyrell yelled furiously and pointed at the direction the gunshot came from. If looks could kill, Darius was sure that the shooter would be six feet under already. ¡°Do not let him escape! Bring him back to me, alive or dead!¡± Tyrell roared loudly. He didn¡®t care if the shooter was brought to him dead or alive; all he wanted was justice for his murdered bodyguard. Eight bodyguards immediately rushed towards the direction the gunshot came from, leaving the two bodyguards behind. ¡°Why are you two not going after the shooter?!¡± Tyrell asked the two bodyguards that were left behind angrily. ¡°We can¡®t leave you alone. If there¡®s another shooter or murderer lurking in the shadows, we will be unable to protect you.¡± The first bodyguard answered respectfully but firmly. ¡°Yes. Besides, the eight of them would be able to capture the shooter, and our presence is unneeded.¡± The second bodyguard added. Tyrell didn¡®t respond to them, as their answers were truly logical. In truth, he was afraid of being left alone by the bodyguards, incase another shooter was still lurking in the dark. If that happened, he wouldn¡®t be able to defend himself, Tyrell then turned to Darius who was standing by the side. His eyes were fixed in the direction of the gunshot, and he seemed to be deep in thought. ¡°Mr. Reid?¡± Tyrell asked tentatively. He knew that Darius was the one who saved his life at thest moment by pushing him away; so he was very grateful to Darius. He was about to speak again, but Darius interrupted him. ¡°The shooter has escaped. They won¡®t be able to find him.¡± Darius stated mysteriously. Tyrell was in shock at Darius¡® statement. ¡°What do you mean, Mr. Reid?¡± Tyrell asked; his voiceced with confusion and disbelief. Darius didn¡®t say anything and entered his Mercedes Benz S ss. He then started the vehicle and drove off, leaving the confused Tyrell and the two bodyguards behind. Tyrell looked at the leaving Mercedes Benz S ss in bewilderment. However, some secondster, the eight bodyguards returned with looks of dejections and frustration on their faces. ¡°Where is the shooter?¡± Tyrell asked, frowning slightly. ¡°We lost him.¡± A bodyguard replied dejectedly. Tyrell didn¡®t respond to them. Instead he stared at the quickly diminishing image of Darius¡® car, reying Darius¡®st words to him with aplex expression on his face. Darius naturally had no idea that the bodyguards had already returned to Tyrell¡®s side. As he drove, the only thing on his mind was the assassination attempt on Tyrell. He had no idea why Tyrell was shot at, but he felt that the shooter must have really wanted him dead, as he had the audacity to shoot at him in broad daylight. If he didn¡®t sense the iing danger a split second earlier, Tyrell would have really lost his life. Moreover, Darius could vaguely feel that after the shooter was unsessful in his murder attempt, he instantly packed up his weapons and escaped. His presence vanished from Darius¡® radar in less than thirty seconds. It was why Darius was very confident that the bodyguards would be unable to capture the shooter. Darius thoughts then shifted to his body. He could feel that the changes in his body were now more profound than they were the previous day. He was now very uneasy about this, because he had no idea why he was encountering changes in his body. In addition, he could sense that these changes were only the beginning and not the end of it. Darius was at a loss on what to do. As he was too deep in thought, he was hardly focused on the road he was driving. It wasn¡®t until he heard some loud screams that he focused his attention back on the road. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. When he returned his gaze to the road, he noticed an elderly man standing in the center of it. It was too late for Darius to steer his car away from the old man at that point. Crash! ¡°F*ck!¡± Darius yelled as his car crashed into the old man. Darius quickly controlled the car and pulled it to a stop before rushing out of his car. The elderly many motionless on the floor in a pool of blood. One nce at him led one to believe he was dead. People who were present when the ident urred rushed over to where the elderly many. When Darius got to where the old many, he pushed the crowd aside and moved in to check the old man¡®s pulse. Luckily, he could sense a weak pulseing from the old man. He breathed out a sigh of relief at that. This meant that the old man was not killed on the spot by his car. He took off the light jacket he wore and wrapped it around the old man¡®s bleeding wound before lifting him up and cing him gently in the back seat of his Mercedes Benz S ss. He then climbed into the driver¡®s seat, used his car GPS to find the closest hospital to his location, and sped there while ming hisck of attention. Chapter 113 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Darius drove as fast as he could, paying little heed to the traffic rules as he drove. He couldn¡®t care less about the traffic rules now, especially now that he had the injured old man with him. After driving speedily for more than thirty minutes, Darius finally got to the hospital. He should have gotten to the hospital muchter as the distance was quite far, but because of his high speed, he was able to get there earlier. The moment he got to the hospital, he called the paramedics over, after which they put the injured old man on a stretcher. Darius walked with them as they wheeled the injured old man into the hospital. It was then he took a closer look at the old man. Even though there was a significant amount of blood on the old man, Darius could see his body clearly. The old man looked to be in his mid sixties, and had a very developed body. He seemed very fit with a muscr body for an old man. It made Darius wonder how the old man was unable to avoid being hit by his vehicle. Some minutester, a doctor appeared and took charge of the injured old man. He then sent Darius out of the room after booking a private room to treat him. Darius was anxious about the condition of the old man, and pleaded with the doctor to be present as he was treated, but the doctor strictly refused. In the end, Darius could only sit down and wait till the treatment procedure was over. While he was waiting for the doctor to exit the theatre, his phone rang. He checked the caller ID and saw that it was his grandfather who was calling. He answered the phone call and ced the phone to his ear. ¡°Hello.¡± Darius said. ¡°I heard what happened. Are you okay?¡± Darius grandfather asked. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Darius eyebrows twitched at that. There was truly nothing that could be hidden from his grandfather. The ident happened not less than an hour ago, yet his grandfather already knew about it. ¡°I¡®m fine.¡± Darius replied. ¡°Good. What about the victim?¡± His grandfather asked. ¡°He¡®s receiving treatment right now.¡± Darius replied. ¡°. You¡®re at fault so make sure topensate him properly.¡± His grandfather added and then disconnected the phone call without giving Darius a chance to reply. Darius put his phone back into his pocket and sat down on the chaise longue and continued waiting for the doctor to be done with the treatment. After forty five minutes of waiting, the doctor finally exited the theatre. Darius quickly got to his feet and walked over to the doctor. ¡°How is his condition?¡± Darius asked anxiously. ¡°His condition has been stabilized now.¡± The doctor answered. Darius exhaled an audible sigh of relief at the doctor¡®s words. He had been incredibly worried about the old man all these while, and was relieved to know his condition had been stabilized. The doctor looked strangely at Darius. He looked like he had something to say to Darius, but changed his mind at thest moment. ¡°Can I see him now?¡± Darius asked. ¡°I performed a minor surgery on him, so he¡®s recuperating now. You¡®ll be able to talk to him when he wakes upter.¡± The doctor answered. ¡°Now if you¡®ll excuse me, I have some other patients to attend to.¡± The doctor said and left. Darius didn¡®t pay much to the doctor¡®s attitude. He took his sat down back on the chaise longue and fell into his thoughts. Even though he was not paying close attention to road, the ident was still quite sudden. It was as if the old man had appeared out of thin air; one moment he wasn¡®t there, and the next he was. Furthermore, his injuries appeared to be far too serious and grave to have been caused by a simple car ident. Darius was a little flustered at the time of the ident, so he didn¡¯t pay much attention to the old man¡®s injuries, but when the old man was ced on the stretcher, another look at him revealed that the injuries were far too severe for a car ident. While he was still thinking about it, a nurse came over to where he was seated with the medical bill for the old man¡®s treatment. It was a bit expensive to the ordinary people, but it was well within Darius ability. He collected the medical bill from the nurse and walked to the counter where the payments were made. As he got closer to the counter, some loud voices seeped into his ears. It was like an argument was about to break out. When he got closer to the counter, he could finally see the cause of the loud noises. ¡°Miss Vera, there is nothing we can do for your mother. If you cannot afford the treatment fees, your mother will be discharged from the hospital right now.¡± A nurse said exasperatedly. ¡°Please, just bear with me for one day. I promise you I will find a way toplete the payments.¡± The lady named Vera pleaded. ¡°Miss Vera, you¡®ve already said the same thingst week. I had to use my allowance fees to pay for your medical fees so that your mother could continue to get treated; but you were still unable to pay up.¡± The nurse replied in a frustrated tone. ¡°But¨C¡± Vera started, but the nurse cut her off. ¡°No buts Miss Vera. I have done all I could to postpone your payment so that your mother could continue to receive treatment, and right now, there¡®s nothing I can do anymore. If you are unable to settle your outstanding payments now, then your mother will be discharged from the hospital.¡± The nurse stated firmly. Vera slumped down to her knees in defeat. The medical bills were too expensive for her to pay. She lived with her mother all her twenty years of life with her father nowhere to be found. Her mother had worked so hard for her to enjoy the perfect childhood, but in the process her work had taken a severe toll on her health. Vera was at a loss for what to do because she had not expected her mother to be seriously ill. She had no choice but to admit her mother to Serene Hospital, the best hospital in the district, in order for her mother to receive the best possible care. Unfortunately, she was unable to afford the expensive treatment fees after three months, which led to the current scenario. Naturally Vera¡®s discussion attracted attention from several patients and guardians in the hospital, and as Serene Hospital was the best hospital in the district, so it was mainly used by the wealthy in the district, the wealthy patients and guardians all had looks of disdain on their faces at Vera¡®s discussion. They were very upset at the fact that someone as poor as Vera could receive the same treatment as them. Hearing about Vera¡®s situation deeply touched Darius. He could identify with Vera¡®s predicament because he was aware of the agony of poverty. He was about to move closer to her when a middle aged woman walked up to Vera and asked haughtily. ¡°What is the matter, Nurse Emily?¡± Chapter 114 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 114 Chapter 114 When Emily, the nurse who was speaking to Vera, turned around and saw the middle¨C aged woman, her eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Director Yul!¡± Emily eximed in surprise. The middle aged woman with a haughty demeanor was none other than the Director of Serene Hospital. Of course, as the Director of the hospital, she had a very high status in the hospital. ¡°Emily, what is the issue?¡± Director Yul asked with a frown on her face. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Emily hesitated to respond to the Director, but Director Yul red at her. Emily had no choice but to recount the events that had led up to this situation. She did, however, leave out several details about when she paid for the treatments with her own allowance fees. She was aware of how difficult Director Yul could be, and she didn¡®t want to make things more difficult for Vera. As Emily narrated the incidents, the frown on her face grew increasingly prominent. By the time Emily was done, she was sporting a very huge frown on her face. She turned to Vera who was slumped weakly on the ground and walked over to her. ¡°Miss Vera, if you are unable to pay the medical bills in the next five minutes, then we will discharge your mother immediately.¡± Director Yul stated mercilessly. Vera eyes widened in panic at her statement and rushed to hold her arm. ¡°Please no. You can¡®t do that.¡± Vera pleaded with merciful eyes. However, Yul pushed Vera¡®s hand that was holding on to her arm and stated cruelly with a hint of disgust in her eyes. ¡°Yes I can.¡± Darius frowned at Director Yul¡®s harsh tone. From what he heard, Vera¡®s medical bills were long overdue, and she needed to pay the rest of the medical bills otherwise her mother would be discharged from the hospital without fail. Darius knew that her mother was not yet healed from her illness, and discharging her from the hospital now would only aggravate her illness. Even though the hospital was right to discharge her after three months of treatment withoutplete payment, there was no need for Director Yul to be extremely harsh to Vera. Vera was dejected at Director Yul¡®s harsh response. She knew more than anyone how impossible it was for her toe up with the medical bills for her mother¡®s treatment in just five minutes. It was as good as discharging her mother five minutes earlier. Just as Vera thought that all hope was lost, a clear voice rang out in the hospital. ¡°How much are her medical expenses?¡± Vera looked up in surprise to see a young man in his twenties, like her, walking towards Director Yul. When he came into her line of sight, she was rendered speechless. The young man was incredibly attractive, tall and also very well built. As he spoke, there was an undertone of authority in his voice. Director Yul was taken aback at Darius question, but soon recovered her senses. She then sneered at Darius and asked in a disdainful tone. ¡°Why? Do you think you can afford it?¡± Director Yul asked. Even though she didn¡®t know who Darius was, she was sure that he had no idea how things worked at Serene Hospital. In fact, she believed that he only made that statement out of the sentiment he felt for Vera. This was because the medical bills for three months worth of treatment were nowhere cheap, especially at a renowned hospital like Serene Hospital. Moreover, Darius was dressed very casually. This threw the Director off, and made her look down on him considerably. Vera turned to Darius and spoke in a weak tone. ¡°Thank you mister for your kindness; I¡®m truly grateful. However, this is my problem to solve. Please don¡®t be bothered about it.¡± Vera said weakly. After looking at Darius casual outfit, she had the same line of thought as Director Yul. She strongly believed that there was no way Darius could afford her mother¡®s medical bills, so she didn¡®t want to burden him at all. It was then that Darius got a clear look of thedy¡®s face, as he had been at her back the whole time. He was pleasantly surprised at her facial features. Although she had ck circles underneath her eyes, which was probably because ofck of proper sleep, her facial features were still incredibly pretty. Instead of being repulsed, it made Darius want to help her out the more. He then turned to Director Yul and asked coldly. ¡°Are you going to show me the medical bills or not?¡± Director Yul¡®s eyes widened at his cold tone, before sneering at him. She then turned to Emily and asked harshly. ¡°Where are the medical bills?¡± Emily brought out the medical bills and handed it over to her. She stretched and snatched it from Emily¡®s hands before handing them over to Darius. Darius collected them and took a brief nce at the medical bills. When he was done, he smirked at Director Yul before stating in a calm tone. ¡°If I¡®m able to pay the medical bills, you¡®ll have to apologize to Vera and nurse Emily.¡± (TE Director Yul scowled and looked at Darius warily. Darius noticed her skeptical look and spoke in a taunting tone. ¡°What? Are you afraid that I¡®ll actually be able to afford the bills?¡± Darius taunted while staring at Director Yul straight in the eyes. Director Yul red up right at that moment, and anger overcame her rationality. ¡°Yes! I¡®ll apologize to both of them.¡± She agreed angrily. ¡°However if you¡®re not able to do so, you will leave this hospital this moment and nevere back here in your life again.¡± Director Yul added angrily. ¡°Sure.¡± Darius answered indifferently. Vera panicked when she saw Darius so easily agreeing to Director Yul¡®s condition. She knew Darius had someone who needed to be treated here, or perhaps he needed to be treated himself, which was why he was here. If he was barred from entering the hospital, he would be in big trouble! Meanwhile, Director Yul and the other onlookers looked at Darius as if he were a moron. He clearly had no idea how valuable the Serene Hospital was, or he would not have agreed to such an unfavorable condition. After all, what was an apology compared to being barred from the district¡®s best hospital? Darius didn¡®t bother with them. Instead he walked to the counter where the payments were being made. He then brought out his ck card and swiped it on the payment machine. While everyone expected to see his transaction declined, a loud robotic voice echoed in the lobby. Chapter 115 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 115 The moment they heard the robotic voice, all of them turned to look at Darius in shock. They could not believe their eyes at all. The young man was actually able to pay $270,000 without batting an eyelid. This meant that he surely had more than that amount with him! Vera, Director Yul and the onlookers in the hospital stared at Darius with a new light. Anyone who was able to bring out such amount of money on a whim was certainly someone impressive. Vera¡®s eyes shone with admiration as she looked at Darius. That moment, Darius was the most attractive person she had ever seen in her life, and his position in her heart soared drastically. Being the wise person she was, Director Yul immediately understood what Darius¡® action meant, so her attitude took aplete 180 degree turn. ¡°Pardon my rude behavior earlier. I was totally at fault.¡± Director Yul said meekly and shamelessly. Darius didn¡®t say anything to her and merely arched his eyebrows. Director Yul saw through his intentions and swiftly moved to obey them. ¡°Miss Vera and Miss Emily, I am sorry for my rude behavior earlier. I hope that you will find it in yourself to forgive me.¡± Director Yul apologized sincerely. Moreover, there was no hint of hesitation in her actions. Both Vera and Emily were rendered speechless at the sight before them. Although Darius had proved her wrong by paying the medical bills, it was still in question whether Director Yul would actually apologize to them. After all, no one knew how much Director Yul valued her dignity more than Emily. Yet the fact remained that she swallowed her pride and dignity to apologize to them despite the obviously ring status between them; and so decisively too showed how highly she rated Darius. When Darius saw how shameless she was behaving, he let out a wry smile. Indeed, if she didn¡®t know how to read the room and have such a shameless attitude, there was no way she would be able to be the Director of the best hospital in the district. ¡°Are you sick in anyway?¡± Director Yul asked Darius straightforwardly after apologizing to Vera and Emily. ¡°I am not.¡± Darius replied tly. ¡°Why are you here then?¡± Director Yul asked relentlessly. Darius sighed at her relentless attitude. Just as he was about to respond to her, a nurse approached him and spoke audibly. ¡°Mr. Reid, the patient is awake.¡± Darius nodded and started walking decisively towards the old man¡®s room. Director Yul stood still and watched as Darius left hurriedly. She wasn¡®t bothered about his hasty retreat. He would still visit the hospital frequently after all. There was no way that they wouldn¡®t meet in the future. She then turned to Vera and spoke sweetly. ¡°Now that your medical bills have been taken care of by the kind gentleman from earlier, you can be rest assured that your mother will receive the utmost care from us at Serene Hospital.¡± Vera could only nod lightly at Director Yul¡®s abrupt attitude change. However she was d that it was beneficial for her mother¡®s treatment. Meanwhile, Darius walked swiftly towards the old man¡®s hospital room. When he got there, he only knocked once, and without waiting for a response, he pushed the door open and entered the room. The doctor who performed the surgery on the old man was present in the room when Darius entered. He nced over at Darius but hastily removed his gaze a secondter and continued writing on his note. Darius didn¡®t notice anything strange about the doctor and therefore didn¡®t respond to the doctor¡®s presence. He instead walked over to the old man on the bed. The old man looked extremely weak at the moment, and it was as if he was mustering all his strength just to stay awake. ¡°Are you the one who hit me with your car?¡± the old man asked weakly. Darius sat down on the chair beside the old man¡®s bed and grabbed his weak hands. ¡°Yes I was. It was a grave mistake on my part; but don¡®t worry. This is the best hospital in the district. After a few days, you¡®ll be back to how you were before.¡± Darius answered cheerfully. ¡°It¡®s alright. I don¡®t me you.¡± The old man said weakly. Darius was about to speak again, but the doctor suddenly interrupted him. ¡°That¡®s enough. You can leave now. He is still injured and recuperating.¡± The doctor said firmly. Darius was a bit irritated at the doctor, as he had barely spoken with the old man, but he couldn¡®t refute his words. The old man was indeed extremely weak now, and it would be detrimental to his recovery if he kept speaking to him. In the end, he obeyed the doctor¡®s instruction and waved the old man goodbye before exiting the hospital room. Seconds after Darius exited the room, the doctor kept staring at the door with aplicated gaze. He then sighed helplessly before continuing to jot on his note. After Darius exited the hospital room, he suppressed the frustration he was feeling at the moment and went to the car wash. By the time he arrived, the bloodstains in the vehicle had beenpletely washed off by the staff there, and the Mercedes Benz looked as good as new. Darius paid the staff at the car wash ordingly and tipped them generously. He then drove back to the Reid mansion in a hurry. When he arrived at the Reid mansion, he handed over the keys to the bodyguards there and walked straight to the bathroom. After taking a long shower and changing into a new pair of casual wear, he exited the room and headed to his grandfather¡®s study. He had barely descended the staircase when he heard his name being called out. ¡°Young Master Reid.¡± Secondster, Bruce appeared at the edge of the stairway. He was dressed as immactely as ever; and there was a file in his hands. ¡°Please don¡®t bother yourself Young master Reid. Your grandfather stepped out for some important business, and he won¡®t be back today.¡± Bruce announced courteously. A slight frown edged itself on Darius¡® face, before he asked back. ¡°When will he be back?¡± ¡°He didn¡®t give me a specific date yet, but if I were to make an estimate, I presume he would be back in two weeks time.¡± Bruce answered politely. The frown on Darius¡® face became more prominent. His grandfather had suddenly embarked All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. He was confused at the sudden development, but there was nothing he could do. After expressing his gratitude to Bruce for the information, he returned to his room. He had barely sat down on the sofa in his room when his phone rang. He checked the caller ID and saw that it was Erin. Surprised, he picked up his phone and answered the call. Chapter 116 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 116 ¡°Mr. Reid! There is trouble!¡± Erin yelled anxiously from the other end of the phone the moment Darius answered the phone call. Darius frowned at Erin¡®s anxious tone. Since he knew Erin, she had always beenposed no matter the situation. Now that she was this anxious, he could guess that the matter wasn¡®t so simple. ¡°Erin, calm down and talk to me. What is going on?¡± Darius asked steadfastly. Erin took a deep breath and exhaled before speaking slowly. As she spoke, the frown on Darius ¡®face grew increasingly prominent, and by the time Erin was done talking, Darius had a huge frown on his attractive face. ¡°Okay. I got it. Thank you.¡± Darius said, and then ended the phone call abruptly. He then walked over to his bedside table and took the TV remote on the table before switching the TV in his room on. ¡± Anding next is news about the Chairman of the fast rising investmentpany in Capital City, West Antics Int¡®l.¡± The television station was the one of the biggest news channel in the whole country, and it had millions of viewers across country. The news channel wielded a very dangerous power, as they had a very large audience; therefore the majority of their news reached and influenced the public. If they reported negatively on a particrpany, the saidpany reputation would take a nosedive, and it was the same vice versa. ¡°West Antics International is a private investment firm that Chairman Darius Reid founded. Over the past few weeks, it has experienced rapid growth. This is true because they were able to invest in a number of valuable projects, such as the construction of the Invicta Bridge in Xana City.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°However, we received news from trusted sources that the chairman of West Antics Int¡®l was involved in a car ident this afternoon, and took down an elderly man in the ident. The elderly man has now been admitted to Serene Hospital, and is receiving treatment there.¡± ¡°As for the cause of the ident, the chairman was said to ...¡± The anchor continued speaking, but Darius watched the news with a stoic expression on his face. This was a tant attack on hispany, and even a fool could tell that someone was target West Antics Int¡®l. Darius was a bit unsettled at the moment, as he had no idea who was targeting hispany or the reason why, but he remained calm. The only weapon they had now was the media and the news about his car ident. Although it would deal some damages to the reputation of hispany, it wasn¡®t so bad that it couldn¡®t be controlled. The main problem was finding out who was behind this sudden attack Darius could feel a serious headache seeping into his head. So many things had happenedtely, and it made even the calm Darius flustered. The assassination attempt was the first. He had only recently sessfully defended himself against an assassination attempt, and as a result, he had been chased out of his home. He couldn¡®t go back because he no longer felt safe there. However, before he could rx, a casual meeting with Tyrell Sanders resulted in the death of a bodyguard due to another assassination attempt. He was unable to find out who the person behind the assassination attempt on him was, yet another person hade into y. It was obvious that this person was here to target hispany. Whenbined, all these events led to one bad thing after another. The most infuriating thing was that they all operated in the dark, while he was in the open. It was extremely upsetting. While Darius was still contemting about this issue, the surprised voice from the anchor suddenly reached his ears. ¡°Just in! We have received news from a trusted source that the elderly man involved in the car ident has just kicked the bucket!¡± Darius lurched forward from where he stood in shock. He couldn¡®t believe the news he just heard. The last meeting with the old man showed that the surgery was sessful. How could he just die like that?! At that moment however, his phone rang. Barely able to pull his self together from the shock he was feeling, he answered the call numbly. ¡°Mr. Reid. It¡®s Doctor Langhan from Serene Hospital.¡± Dr. Langhan said the moment Darius answered the phone call. ¡°Is the old man really dead?¡± Darius asked straightforwardly. Dr. Langhan was taken aback at Darius¡® straightforward question, but pulled his self together and answered professionally. ¡°Yes he has.¡± Dr. Langhan replied. There was sad andplicated undertone to his voice. ¡°Okay. I¡®ll being over.¡± Darius said and then disconnected the call. He forced himself to put matters about the news at the back of his mind and exited his room. He needed to visit the old man and pay his respects to him before anything else. The moment he exited the room, he came face to face with Bruce. It turned out that Bruce had been outside his room and was about to knock. ¡°Young Master Reid, I heard the news.¡± Bruce said solemnly. ¡°Of course. You should have heard about it by now.¡± Darius replied. Bruce had aplicated expression on his face, and it looked like he wanted to say something to Darius, but was struggling on whether to say it. Darius noticed hisplicated expression and smiled knowingly. ¡°Don¡®t worry. I¡®ll resolve this issue myself. I¡®m sure you¡®ll be busy with the tasks grandpa delegated to you.¡± Darius said with a smile on his face. Bruce didn¡®t say anything response, but bowed his head lowly. Darius let out a knowing smile and then tapped Bruce shoulders before hurrying away. Bruce looked at Darius¡® vanishing back and let out a rueful sigh. Darius was still very young, yet he was already thrown into the extremely harsh business world. Contrary to what Darius believed, his grandfather¡®s departure was not prompted by a business deal. Given that not much in Scountry could elude his foresight, he anticipated this development. However, he made no move to stop it. The business world was a battlefield, and Darius wouldter inherit the Reid Consortium. There, the challenges he would face would be a hundred times harsher than what he was facing now. The only way to prepare Darius was to let him experience some obstacles; otherwise he wouldn¡®t grow to be able to face his enemiester. Nheless, this didn¡®t mean that he waspletely abandoning Darius. Two weeks. If Darius wasn¡®t able to solve this issue in two weeks time, then he would take charge. Chapter 117 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 117 Meanwhile, Darius was already speeding towards Serene Hospital. Naturally, he had no idea about his grandfather¡®s ns. His thoughts were totally upied with the old man¡®s death. After minutes of driving speedily, Darius arrived at the hospital. He parked the car neatly and then rushed to the old man¡®s room, without paying any attention to anybody. When he opened the door, Dr. Langhan was already waiting for his arrival with an expectant expression on his face. ¡°Mr. Reid.¡± Dr. Langhan called out carefully. Darius ignored him and walked straight to the old man¡®s lifeless body on the bed. Darius didn¡®t say anything and stared at the old man¡®s body with aplicated expression on his face. Darius back was turned to Dr. Langhan, so he couldn¡®t see the expression on Darius¡® face. The two of them maintained a period of silence for over five minutes, before Darius finally spoke up ¡°What happened exactly? Wasn¡®t his condition stabilized already?¡± Darius asked. Dr. Langhan sighed forlornly before answering Darius¡® question. ¡°That was a lie. In truth, the old man was already severely injured before you hit him with your car. He was already destined to die, and even the aid of world ss doctors would be unable to save him.¡± Dr. Langhan said in a sad tone. Darius turned around and stared at Dr. Langhan in shock. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Darius asked; surprisecing his tone. Dr. Langhan then exined what he discovered from the old man¡®s body after an intense scan. It turned out that the old man already had several internal injuries that dated years back, and some that were recently inflicted. There was no way the old man would have survived those injuries. Perhaps if Darius didn¡®t hit him with his car, then he would survive a few more weeks before his death. Darius hitting him with his car aggravated his already grave injuries, hereby elerating the inevitable. After Darius heard Dr. Langhan¡®s exnation, an expression of realization appeared on his face. He now understood why Dr. Langhan was always cutting his meetings off. It turned out that the old man was already close to the end of his lifespan, and he didn¡®t want Darius to figure out that something was wrong with the old man. ¡°Why didn¡®t you tell me?¡± Darius asked calmly. ¡°The old man begged me to keep this a secret from you. He didn¡®t want you to be burdened by the truth.¡± Dr. Langhan replied sadly. Darius sighed at Dr. Langhan¡®s answer. In the end, Darius was responsible for aggravating the old man¡®s injuries, indirectly causing his death. ¡°I understand.¡± Darius said atst. ¡°He asked me to give you this.¡± Dr. Langhan abruptly said, pulling out a special piece of paper with equally special writings on it and handing it to Darius. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Darius collected the piece of paper with a confused expression on his face. After going through the contents of the paper, the confused expression on his face became even more profound. The special writings on the paper werepletely unreadable to Darius, and were written in a language Darius had never seen before in his life. He didn¡®t understand a single thing in the paper! ¡°Why did he tell you to give this to me?¡± Darius asked Dr. Langhan skeptically. ¡°I don¡®t know. He only said that it would be extremely important to you soon.¡± Dr. Langhan replied helplessly. Darius only became more confused at Dr. Langhan¡®s answer. Unfortunately, the person who handed Dr. Langhan the paper was now dead. There was no way he could find out the reasoning behind the old man¡®s actions. Darius tucked the paper into his pockets and waved Dr. Langhan goodbye before exiting the hospital room. He did, however, remember to pay hisst respects to the old man. Darius walked straight to his car after leaving the hospital. His phone rang just as he was about to start the car and drive away. He checked the caller ID and saw that it was Erin once more; so he quickly answered the phone call. ¡°Mr. Reid, the news concerning the ident has spiraled out of control. Several of our projects have been stalled because of the news.¡± ¡°The businessmen and the public are both beginning to question the morality of the chairman of West Antics Int¡®l, and they have tantly refused to continue any business talks until a satisfactory exnation is issued to them.¡± Erin concluded. ¡°Alright. I¡®ll be at the headquarters soon.¡± Darius said emotionlessly and then hung up the call. He clenched his teeth in rage at thetest development before calming down. He knew it was pointless to get worked up about the current turn of events. His opponent was still lurking in the shadows, and any misstep by him would be disastrous for hispany. He then switched on the car engine before driving towards Capital City where hispany was located. As he drove, he kept on calcting on how to handle the current issue. The fact that his opponent was able to sway one of the country¡®s most powerful news outlets demonstrated that he was no pushover. Darius knew what this attack on hispany signified. The otherpanies under the Reid consortium were only stable because of the influence his grandfather built. As the new head of the Reid consortium, he would surelye to be in charge of all thepanies. A massive financial group like the Reid consortium was not without its enemies. By that time, he would have been subjected to a slew of attacks from various financial groups and conglomerates with a vendetta against the Reid consortium. If he was unable to sessfully defend a singlepany under his name, how would he be able to defend hundreds ofpanies under the Reid consortium? Darius sighed and pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind as he drove. There was a lot going on right now, and he could only deal with one problem at a time. He first had to deal with the obvious attack on hispany. There was no way he was going to let his opponent have his way. Chapter 118 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 118 Chapter 118 [West Antics Int¡®l headquarters, Capital City.) The atmosphere in thepany¡®s regal building was dull and tense. The workers were all moving about their daily activities with gloomy and forlorn expressions, unlike the usual bustling attitude they had previously. The employees were not to be med however, as they had already seen the negative news about the chairman of theirpany. They were seasoned employees, so they knew how detrimental the effects of such news could be to theirpany. The higher ups, such as Erin and Zack, were more depressed at the situation at hand. Thepany was still a very new one, so they were feeling aggrieved about the current turn of events. If their chairman was unable to resolve this issue, then it would be a huge setback in their alreadyid out ns. The news had been embellished greatly by the media, so it had seeded in creating a false impression about the chairman of West Antics Int¡¯l. The public didn¡¯t know the full details regarding the ident, and they only believed what they were fed by the media, so it was understandable why they hurled insults and looked down unfavorably on West Antics Int¡®l. While Erin and Zack were at a loss on what to do, Darius arrived at thepany. After parking his vehicle, he entered the building and headed straight to Erin¡®s office. ¡°Mr. Reid!¡± Erin eximed in surprise when she saw Darius walking towards her in haste with a stoic expression on his face. It had just been less than an hour since she called himst, yet he was already present at thepany. She couldn¡®t imagine how fast he must have driven to get here so quickly. ¡°Call every higher ups in thepany and tell them that we¡®re having a meeting in five minutes.¡± Darius ordered as he nced at Erin and exited the office before continuing walking towards the conference room. Erin jolted back to her senses and nodded subconsciously at Darius¡® instructions before scurrying away to obey his instructions. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Thepany¡®s internal structure was no longer the same as it had been. With over 1,000 employees working currently in thepany and the number growing by the day, thepany would definitely not continue to operate in the same manner as before. When the higher¨Cups received Darius¡® orders, they immediately halted their actions and rushed to the conference room. They had been waiting for Darius to arrive and address the situation for quite some time. They dared not dally now that he was finally around to deal with the problem Sure enough, in less than five minutes, the conference room was filled with the higher ups already present. These higher ups were the core of thepany, and majority of them were handpicked by Darius painstakingly; therefore they heeded Darius¡® words with utmost respect. ¡°I trust we all understand why we¡®ve gathered here.¡± Darius stated tly. He didn¡®t want to waste any time on pleasantries, so he got right to the point. ¡°I¡®m certain that by now you all have seen the news and rumors about me circting on the inte.¡± Darius started, as he looked straight into the eyes of the people present. ¡°Well, they¡®re mainly false.¡± Darius said. The higher¨Cups, including Zack, breathed a sigh of relief when Darius rified his viewpoint. Although they had never believed the rumors about their chairman, they were relieved to learn that they were all false and that Darius had confirmed it himself. Darius then went on to exin the real incident behind the ident. Of course, he left out several details including when he paid for Vera¡®s medical bills and the special paper the old man left for him. There was simply no need to include them in his story. ¡°Now that we all know the truth behind the false rumors, we can say that everyone is on the same page.¡± Darius said after taking in the relieved expressions of his subordinates. He was well aware that he needed to improve his image in the eyes of his subordinates. His first step would be to eliminate any possibility of doubt. After all, it was a newpany, and while he was certain that they were loyal to him and thepany, the sense of unity between them had not yet formed. Darius then informed the higher ups to pacify the lower ranked employees. He was not a fool. He wasn¡®t a moron. The employees were probably wondering if they had made the right decision by leaving theirpanies and working for West Antics Int¡®l. They needed to be appeased in order for them to remain in West Antics Int¡®l. He then dismissed the higher ups and sent them on their way; and only Zack and Erin remained behind. ¡°Hand me the detailed reports you¡®vepiled so far.¡± Darius ordered authoritatively. Erin quickly fetched the reports and handed them over to Darius. Darius collected them from her outstretched hands and read through the reports. He had already informed Bruce to erase any news about his car ident and the old man¡®s death. With how efficient Bruce was, Darius was sure that in a few minutes time, the news would surely die off. In a matter of seconds, Darius was engrossed in the reports about thepany. It remained that way for over thirty minutes. Just when Erin and Zack thought that Darius would not separate himself from the reports, his phone rang. He checked the caller ID and saw that it was Bruce before answering the call. ¡°Young Master Reid, I have dealt with the issue. They are no longer any false news and rumors about you.¡± Bruce stated as soon as Darius answered the phone call. Darius smiled knowingly and thanked Bruce sincerely before disconnecting the phone call. He then took another long look at the reports Erin had given him beforeughing mysteriously. Capital City was the best city for apany to develop. It waspletely expected for a newpany like West Antics Int¡®l to be targeted by the titans in Capital City after witnessing its growth speed. After all, no one wanted anotherpany to grow strong enough topete for the resources with them. After reading the reports, he was sure that the person behind the rumors and news was from Capital City, and a pretty powerful adversary at that. Darius grinned. Now that the person had had his fair share of his fun, it was time for him to counterattack Chapter 119 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Erin and Zack both felt chills run down their spine as they looked at Darius who had a smileon his face. Although he was smiling, his gaze was extremely frightening. "Zack, bring methe list ofpanies that backed out from the projects we''re supposed to invest in." Darius suddenly said. Zack jolted from his thoughts in shock before hurrying away to obey Darius'' instructions. Secondster, Zack returned with a pile of documents in his hands which he then carefully handed over to Darius. Darius collected the documents and read through it, and just minutester, he gave his verdict. "Remove Terra International, Venus Inc., and Sky Industries from ourpany''s database." Darius issued an unexpectedmand. "From now on, West Antics Int''l will not have or entertain any form of business with these threepanies." Darius concluded with a tone of finality. Both Erin and Zack looked at Darius in astonishment. They didn''t expect his sudden decision at all. It was way too rash! Darius cklisted threepanies with worths in the hundreds of millions of dors, and also had a lot of power and influence in Capital City. Even though West Antics Int''l had far more money as a starting capital, the fact that thepanies were more influential than West Antics Int''l in Capital City did not change, as such power and influence was not something that West Antics Int''l could just build in a day. Working with them would be extremely beneficial, as West Antics Int''l was still a rtively newpany. As a result, Erin and Zack were both taken aback by Darius'' sudden decision to cklist the threepanies. "Mr. Reid, isn''t this too hasty a decision?" Zack asked tentatively. Erin kept silent as Zack questioned Darius, which meant she thought the same thing as well. Darius looked at Zack, who had a panicked expression on his face, and Erin, who had the same expression on her face despite her efforts to hide it, and smiled slowly before speaking. "Terra Int''l, Venus Inc., and Sky Industries have backed out from a total of seven projects which cost us quite a lot to acquire, including the Swallow park project; and about four of these projects have already been set to bepleted in the next four weeks." "Their backing out has left us several holes for us at West Antics Int''l to fix. It will be extremely unwise to continue to work with them in the future, regardless of their status and influence now." Darius exined slowly. However, Zack wasn''t convinced with Darius exnation, and gave hisAll content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. reason. "But Mr. Reid, thesepanies only pulled out of the projects because of the false rumors that the news channel spread. If we contact them now and exin the situation to them, I''m sure that they will request to rejoin the projects." Zack argued. Darius sighed slowly and looked at Zack. Sure enough, Zack still had the experiences of being the head of a third ratepany deep rooted in him, and it clearly affected his way of conducting things After managing a colossal technologicalpany like Nix Inc. for some time, Darius knew how these bigwigs thought. He knew that the only reason they partnered with West Antics Int''l was because of the seeminglyrge capital they had. It was hardly a secret, as bigpanies like theirs had their way of discovering things. Even if they didn''t know the exact amount West Antics Int''l capital was, they knew that it was big enough to give them a solid foundation in Capital City. As such, they were only with them for the benefits. They had no intention of helping them out if they encountered any crisis, as this was shown by the fact that the threepanies pulled out from the projects without hesitation the moment they encountered what could be called a '' small issue. They couldn''t even wait for Darius, the chairman of thepany, to issue a statement concerning the issue before backstabbing them. While Zack might be a bit overwhelmed by their status and influence and overlook this action of theirs, Darius won''t. There was no room for partnerships with companies like them. As for Zack, Darius believed that soon enough, when West Antics Int''lgrew to the level he expected it to, his mindset would surely change. Not everyone could easily adapt to the difference in status, and it waspletely normal for Zack to behave the way he was behaving now. "Just do as I say. I''m sure you''lle to understand sooner orter." Darius said calmly, without exining any further to Zack Although Zack was far from satisfied, and believed that they should still maintain their partnership with the threepanies, Darius was still his superior; therefore there was no way he could disobey him. He could only carry out his instructions, regardless of his thoughts about them. Zack exited the conference room to carry out Darius'' order, and now only Darius and Erin were left in the conference room. Darius slowly stood up from his chair at the head of the table and walked leisurely to the window in the conference room. Capital City was a very big and sessful city, with various luxury vehicles speeding past the road, and several office workers rushing about after a long day at work. Erin watched in silence as Darius watched the bustling city from the window. She couldn''t help but admire his side profile. Even though Darius was still dressed in his casual wear from the Reid mansion, the serene and tranquil aura surrounding him didn''t diminish one bit. He looked incredibly noble from that angle. Darius continued watching the bustling city from the window even after twenty minutes had gone by. By this time, Erin was already getting impatient. It was already veryte in the evening, yet Darius hadn''t made any move. After another ten minutes, Erin could no longer bear the silence and Darius inactivity. Just as she was about to speak up, a loud ping sound echoed in the silent conference room. Darius brought out his phone at that moment, and read through the message. The moment he finished reading the message, a chilling smile broke out on his face. 2 Now that his ns had finally been sessful, it was time for his opponent to have a taste of his own medicine. Chapter 120 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 120 Chapter 120 (Sterling Corporations, Capital City) The Chairman''s office; 10:00 am ¡¤ A man in hite fifties sat behind arge mahogany desk in what appeared to be a slightly above average office. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. He had a bald head, beady eyes that appeared shrewd, and an average face. The mahogany desk was littered withnumerous documents, and the man was busy scribbling on them. Suddenly, the door to his office opened abruptly, and an equally average man rushed into the office in a panicked manner. Hector Sterling, the current chairman of Sterling Corporation looked at the average man in distaste. The average man was of course his secretary, and his sudden entrance irked him greatly, as it interrupted his concentration. Just as he was about to rebuke his secretary, a loud voice cut him off. ¡°There''s big trouble President Hector!" the average man shouted frightfully. Hector frowned slightly at his secretary words, and forced his reprimand down his throat. ¡°What is it?" Hector asked, his tone dripping with disdain. There was no change in the expression on his face, so either the secretary didn''t notice or chose to ignore the disdain in his boss'' voice. ¡°The banks and loanpanies we took the loans from are suddenly questioning our ability to pay back, and are requesting for us to pay back in twenty four hours time, otherwise they would seize thepany''s assets!¡± The secretary eximed. ¡°What?!¡± Hector yelled and jolted to his feet. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Hector asked his secretary disbelievingly. His secretary didn''t answer his question immediately. Rather, he brought out two documents and handed it over to Hector. Hector collected them from the secretary''s outstretched hands and read through them. As he read through them, the expressions on his face became more and more ugly, and by the time he was done reading it, a thoroughly twisted expression was on his face. "Motherf*cker!" Hector yelled in anger and tore the documents to pieces. The document stated that if the loans were not paid in back in twenty four hours time, theirpany''s assets would be seized and auctioned off. The requests from the loanpanies and banks were simply outrageous. Hector had borrowed more than $200 million in total from the banks and loanpanies as one of the means to boost his already decliningpany. Yet, who would have thought that his decision would backfire? Sterling Corporations was one of the below averagepanies in Capital City, with a worth of over $20 million. However, they were one of the oldestpanies founded in Capital City Usually, the criteria, hence the reason the job fell to them. Hector naturally epted the task. He too was eager to push hispany to another level, as if he seeded, hispany would experience an upward growth spurt. Besides, he was already bitter at West Antics Int''l sess growth. There was no way he would shy away from hindering them. Since Sterling Corporation couldn''tpete with West Antics Int''l on an equal ground, he resorted to underhanded tactics. Using the influence the bigwig company had, he monitored and discovered Darius'' ident, then fanned the mes by embellishing the details of the ident, sessfully creating a negative image and impacting the positive reputation West Antics Int''l had built in Capital City. Hector forced himself to calm down despite the shock and rage he felt at the banks and loanpanies'' rash decision. There was no way that the loan providers and banks would suddenly demand that he fulfill the terms of the contracts when he still had two weeks to do so. Something had to be involved in this. While Hector was deep in thoughts contemting the sudden change in decision, his phone rang. He quickly picked up the phone when he saw that the caller was the bigwig who arranged for him to take down West Antics Int''l. "Check the TV, you moron!" The bigwig yelled angrily at Hector as soon as the phone call connected. The sudden yell perplexed Hector, but he obeyed the bigwig and switched on the TV in his office. However, he nearly fainted from shock when he saw the caption on the TV station. Chapter 121 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 121 Chapter 121 "Sterling Corporations are being investigated for tax evasion worth over $150million." Hector''s face became pale at the headline on the TV station. His eyes widened in shock at the news Tax evasion! This was why the bank and loanpanies suddenly demanded him to pay backhis loans in twenty four hours time! ¡°You''repletely ipetent, Mr. Hector.¡± The bigwig said, displeasurecing his tone. ¡°I can exin!" Hector said frantically, but the bigwig cut him short. "It was a pleasure doing business with you Mr. Hector. Sadly, our deal is off now.¡± The bigwig announced in a tone of finality before disconnecting the phone call abruptly. Hector looked at the phone in disbelief. He dialed the bigwig''s number the next minute. It rang only once before it disconnected again. The next time Hector called the number, it didn''t go through. He didn''t have to be a genius to realize he''d been blocked. "F*ck!¡± Hector yelled angrily and scattered everything on his desk, before slumping back to his chair. His eyes were bloodshot, and veins from agitation could be seen clearly on his head. He looked to have aged ten years suddenly. Hector''s mind was a mess at the moment. Hispany was already facing a huge decline, so it was normal for him to try and evade tax; otherwise he wouldn''t have been able to keep thepany running this long. Nheless, he was aware of how grave a crime tax evasion was in S country. As such, he made sure that the records of the tax evasion were hidden away in his personal safe. He had ensured that the entire process was wless, so how did anyone discover that he had evaded tax? Moreover, the TV station that broadcasted his tax evasion case was the same one he used to tarnish the reputation of West Antics Int''l. The culprit was basically telling him ¡®anything you can do, I can do better.'' Wasn''t this the same as pping him in the face? There was no use calling the bigwig to help him out now. He now saw him aspletely ipetent and useless, and therefore discarded him already. There was nothing he could do to gain his attention, much less ask for help. In the end, both West Antics Int''l and the bigwig didn''t lose anything from this episode. He was the sore loser in the end. While he was contemting about the drastic turn of events, his phone rang. He checked the caller ID quickly thinking that it was the bigwig who had a change of mind, but when he saw it was an unknown number; a wave of disappointment came over him. Nevertheless, he epted the phone call. "Hello?" HectorText ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. asked uncertainly. ¡°Mr. Hector.¡± A voice replied. Hector tensed up the moment he heard the voice. Although the voice sounded like it belonged to a very young person, there was an undertone of dominance and authorityced in it. It subconsciously made Hector tense up. ¡°Who are you?" Hector asked warily. ¡°I''m Darius Reid, the chairman of West Antics Int''l.¡± Darius answered calmly. Hector''s eyes widened at the revtion. Thest thing he expected was for the chairman of West Antics Int''l, thepany he attacked to call him. One could imagine the turmoil of emotions he was feeling at the moment. ¡°Mr. Reid." Hector said in a surprised tone. ¡°I''m sure you have seen the news by now, Mr. Hector.¡± Darius interjected abruptly. Hector subconsciously nced at the TV station and sighed. Reporters were already finding their way to hispany, and so were several news outlets. The police were most probably on their way to hispany too. Millions of citizens in S country had already heard about Sterling Corporation''s tax evasion case by this point. Inparison to the nonsense he spread about the chairman of West Antics Int''l, this was a far severe blow. He''d be finished by the time the police finished their investigations and found him guilty. Although Hector was slightly ipetent, he wasn''t a fool. The fact that Darius called him even after gaining the upper hand meant that Darius still had a need for him. ¡°What do you want?" Hector asked in an unyielding tone. Since he had already lost everything at this point, there was no need for him to be so reserved anymore. ¡°Who''s behind you?¡± Darius asked straightforwardly. Hector expected the question. After all, anyone would find out after a bit of investigation that Sterling Corporations did not have the influence to move BNC news station to report negatively on them. There had to be a more influential and powerful person behind them. ¡°What will I gain from this?" Hector enquired. There was no way he wouldn''t take advantage of this chance now that it hade to this. Using this as leverage, he could talk to Darius and work out a compromise. Nevertheless, his hopes were dashed by Darius'' subsequent words. "I don''t think you understand your situation now, Mr. Hector.¡± Darius started. "I''m not here to negotiate with you. I''m here to demand answers from you. Do you think I can''t find out myself if I don''t get the answers from you?" Darius asked coldly. Hector gritted his teeth in anger, but there was no denying the truth in his words. After all, he had indeed managed to discover his tax evasion crime, and bring it to light. If he truly wanted to find thepany behind him, he would surely be able to do so. Yet, Hector was unwilling to disclose the identity of the bigwig to Darius so easily; as once he did, he would lose the only initiative he held against Darius. While Hector was contemting whether to disclose the identity or not, Darius'' voice sounded again. "Tax evasion is a bold crime for one tomit in S country. I have already submitted most of the records and evidence to the police, but I kept some with me. If you tell me the company behind you, I will not disclose thest documents to the police." "That way, you will only spend five to ten years in prison, and I will destroy the documents; but if you refuse to cooperate, then be ready to spend the rest of your years behind bars.¡± "Don''t me me for being inconsiderate then. The choice is yours.¡± Darius concluded coldly. Darius'' words hit Hector like a train wreck. Even though his heart was reeling with shock on how Darius managed to discover the documents and evidence of his tax evasion, his mind was quickly weighing the pros and cons of each decision. ¡°How am I sure that you''re not lying to me?" Hector asked unconvinced. ¡°I have no reason to lie to you.¡± Darius replied calmly. After thinking hard for five minutes, Hector let out a defeated sigh. The choice he had to make was already clear. He was no match for Darius Reid and West Antics Int''l. Besides, the bigwig had already abandoned him. What was he hesitating for? ¡°Alright. I''ll tell you." Hector said in a defeated tone. "The person behind me is the head of the thirdrgest business group in Capital City, The Gold Group." Chapter 122 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 122 Chapter 122 (West Antics Int''l, Capital City) Darius'' eyes shone when he heard Hector¡¯s answer. The Gold Group! Darius had never expected that the person who was behind everything was the head of the Gold Group. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. "I see.¡± Darius replied calmly, despite the shock he felt. ¡°I¡¯ve toldyou what you wanted to know now. I hope you''ll fulfill your promise." Hector said between gritted teeth from the other end of the phone. ¡°Rest assured. I''ll keep my end of the deal." Darius smiled and replied, before disconnecting the phone call. After disconnecting the phone call, Darius interlocked his fingers, rested his chin on his fingers and fell into deep thoughts. The Gold Group was Capital City''s thirdrgest business group, with a worth in the billions of dors. Of course, the Reid Consortium could easily crush them, but Darius had not considered this option. The Gold Group targeted West Antics Int''l, not the Reid Consortium; therefore he would go against the Gold Group using the strength of West Antics Int''l, not the Reid Consortium. This discovery put Darius in a bind. The Gold Group had deep roots in Capital City, and a huge amount of influence, otherwise they wouldn''t be the thirdrgest business group in Capital City. West Antics Int''l clearly had no way of going against the Gold Group with its current level of strength. As for Sterling Corporations, Darius had never considered them his opponent. The tax evasion crime was just the fastest way to crush the already crumblingpany. Although he promised to destroy some evidence of Hector''s tax evasion, it was not enough for Hector to escape punishment from the law. Tax evasion was just one of the heinous crimes Hector hadmitted to save hispany. By the time the police were done with their investigation, his other crimes would be brought to light. By then, it would be useless even if the remaining evidence were not handed over to the police. The real opponent now was the Gold Group. They were the only opponent worthy of his time. He needed to work twice as hard to take them down without the Reid consortium''s influence. As Darius'' eyebrows were furrowed together as he was in deep thoughts, Erin watched him intently. There was a hint of admiration, respect and awe as she looked at him. When Darius received the text message the previous night, he immediately called the Director of BNC news station, the news station that reported the false news about him. When the Director discovered the identity of the caller, he was ovee with fear and shock. To be honest, BNC news would have not gone against West Antics Int''l, especially with such a measly attempt if it were not for the influence the Gold Group had in Capital City. They were just a news station. How could they hope to go against an influential conglomerate group like the Gold Group? Therefore, when the Director heard that the caller was the chairman of West Antics Int''l, he quickly adjusted his attitude and expressed his apology towards him. Even though Darius was a bit annoyed at the effects and damages BNC news station brought to hispany, he chose not to pursue it. The news station was a vital weapon in his hands, and if used appropriately, it could crush his opponents easily and thoroughly. Darius then disclosed his information regarding the Sterling Corporation''s tax evasion crime and advised them to broadcast it the following day on their TV station. Because the director was already anxious to please Darius, he quickly epted his offer. Furthermore, he could see by the quick rise of West Antics Int''lin Capital City that West Antics Int''l would only grow to be a very powerful force in the near future. As for how Darius managed to discover the well hidden documents and evidence about Sterling Corporations tax evasion, no one would expect that Hector''s secretary would be the one to sell Hector Sterling out. Darius wasn''tcking funds, and when benefits were involved, especially mary benefits, there was no way a secretary to the head of an already dwindlingpany would not be moved. For a sum of $1 million, Hector secretary sold him out quicker than anyone could expect. While one million dors was nothing of note to Darius, to people like Hector''s secretary, he would be able to livefortably in another city for the rest of his life. The rest of the events were smooth sailing and happened just as Darius expected, which led up to the current turn of events. If Erin wasn''t here, she wouldn''t believe that such an borate n happened in the conference room. In just a single night, Dariuspletely cornered the president of Sterling Corporations, and discovered the identity of the business group targeting him. Her respect for Darius shot up exponentially after this episode. Of course, Darius did not think that he did something so grand and impressive. The main reason his ns went ording to n was because Sterling Corporations was already on itsst legs. All he did was trigger a series of events that would have "happened sooner orter without the Gold Group''s intervention. Darius raised his head and sighed slowly. He didn''t have a wink of sleep the previous night, so he was extremely fatigued after everything. He stood up from the chair and stretched slowly. Even with the dark circles underneath his eyes, and his roughed up hair, he was still extremely attractive. "You should go back and take the day off. You need to rest." Darius said softly to Erin. Erin was about to refuse his order, but when she saw the firm look in his eyes she changed her mind and acquiesced to his order. She nodded softly and left the conference room. Darius'' eyes shone with appreciation as he looked at her retreating figure. She also didn''t have a wink of sleep and stayed with him until he resolved the issue hispany was facing. He was extremely impressed with her attitude. His thoughts soon shifted back to the Gold Group, and a frown appeared on his face. They were his greatest headache now. Darius sighed once again. With hispany''s current strength, there was no way he could take down the Gold Group so easily. Nheless, he already had the upper hand in the next sh with them. He already knew who was behind the attack on hispany, but the Chairman of Gold Group had no clue about Darius knowing he orchestrated the attack, thus giving him the element of surprise. All he needed to do was bid his time. They had be enemies the moment the head of the Gold Group bared his fangs at him, and their conflict was unavoidable. He only needed to ensure that by the time they shed, West Antics Int''l would be able to totally crush them. Chapter 123 ? The next few days were straightforward for Darius. When he got back to the Reid mansion that day, rted the basics of what happened to Bruce, but didn''t go into much details. He then took a well deserved rest. He had been so incredibly busy, as the meeting with Tyrell Sanders, the assassination incident that took Tyrell''s bodyguard''s life, the ident with the old man, and the attack on West Antics Int''l all happened in less than 48 hours. Darius was not a machine, so it was only normal that he would be extremely exhausted after dealing with such issues. Since his grandfather was noting back until two weekster, Darius felt that there was no need waiting for his arrival, especially with his busy schedule, hence he took the initiative to leave the Reid mansion. At most, he promised to return back to the mansion when his grandfather was back from his business trip. Darius then left the Reid mansion and went back to his residence at Dragon Estate. Of course, he took the Mercedes Benz S ss with him. He liked the nondescript value of the car. In circumstances where he needed to maintain a low profile, the car fit all the requirements. Most definitely, Bruce had no qualms about him taking the car with him. It was still the Reid''s property after all. It was alreadyte evening by the time Darius arrived at his destination. When he arrived at his residence, the police were still investigating the assassination incident that took ce in his residence. They seemed to attach great importance to the case, as the whole residential area was under strict surveince, with several uniformed policemen patrolling the streets, and even his residence was cordoned off, with four or more specially dressed policemen at standstill in front of his residence. Darius let out a sigh at the strict security enforced in Dragon Estate. Although Darius was pleased that thew enforcement agencies were paying close attention to the assassination case and the issue of security, he was still perplexed at the fact that he was unable to ess his house. Nheless, he had no choice but to go along with their decisions. There was no way he could argue with the police, after all, they were doing this to ensure the security of the citizens. Darius initially came to his residence to take some of his belongings back with him, however after seeing the strict security enforced; he decided to retrieve them at ater date. He then drove to Sky Golden Hotel and decided to stay there for the time being. He remembered that he purchased the highest ranking membership card some months back. He reckoned that the card would be useful now. After driving for more than thirty minutes, he arrived at the familiar Sky Golden Hotel. He parked his car neatly and made his way inside the hotel. There he made a beeline to the counter where payments were made. He then renewed his membership card immediately and ordered his dinner, then went to a table located close to the window to wait for his meal. Less than three minutester, a waitress approached his table with a tray of food. As she ced the tray of food on the table, Darius could see various exquisite dishes on the tray. The quality of the meal was evident, as the whole meal cost no less than five figures. At that moment, Darius'' stomach growled loudly, eliciting a shy look from the waitress serving his meal. When she looked at him, her cheeks flushed from how attractive he was. At that moment, Darius smiled softly, and the waitress who had been instantly smitten by his smile blushed even more before scurrying away shyly. Darius chuckled lightly before delving into his meal. He was extremely famished as he had not eaten much earlier in the day. When faced with such exquisite dishes during such hunger, it was only normal his stomach growled. He was only halfway his meal when some loud voices caught his attention. He raised his head and nced leisurely in the direction of the loud voice. He could make out two people, a male and a female, and they seemed to be in an argument with each other. Darius frowned slightly at the noises their arguments generated, but he decided to ignore it. The matter had nothing to do with him, and the staff at Sky Golden Hotel would certainly not let just anyone disrupt their business. Some minutester, Darius finallypleted his meal. He just dropped his pair of cutlery on the table when a charming voice drifted into his ears. "Darius Reid?" the voice asked curiously. Darius raised his head and came to face a very gorgeousdy. Thedy had blonde hair which was incredibly beautiful, full lips, sexy long legs which were further highlighted by the ck gown she wore, attractive blue eyes, and to top it all an hourss figure. In addition to all these impressive features, as she walked, she emitted a regal aura. It showed that she was not from a simple background. Although Darius was incredibly impressed by thedy''s gorgeous appearance, he did not let it show on his face, exerting full control over his facial expressions. Rather than answering her question, he asked her a question in return. "Who are you?" Darius asked in an even tone devoid of any emotion. The gorgeousdy arched her eyebrow at Darius'' counter question before a breathtaking smile emerged on her face. She was very surprised at Darius'' question, as this was the first time someone was looking at her with such clear eyes. All the men she met previously all looked at her with tant lust ring in their eyes, and one could easily imagine all the inappropriate thoughts running through their minds. She was already used to such behavior from them, as not anyone could still be rational in face of such beauty. Yet, Darius remained perfectly normal. Even if he was moved by her beauty, there was no way for her to confirm it with how well Darius hid his expressions.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Darius remained still and waited for the gorgeousdy to answer his question, but she kept smiling at him. He was just about to repeat his question again when thedy finally spoke up. "My name is J Fox, and it''s a pleasure to meet you, Darius Reid." Thedy answered politely. The moment Darius heard thedy''s name, an expression of surprise flitted across his face. It turned out that the gorgeousdy was none other than J Fox, the second ranked beauty in Kingston University! Chapter 124 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Darius looked at the gorgeousdy standing in front of him and quickly masked the surprised expression that flitted across his face. Nevertheless, albeit it was only for a few seconds, J Fox noticed his surprised reaction and felt pleased at that. That small instant was enough for her to know that Darius was surprised at her identity. It meant that Darius knew who she was. ¡°Are you not going to offer me a seat, Darius?¡± J said yfully. Her words jolted Darius from his thoughts, and he offered her a seat, before taking his back. Darius looked at J expressionlessly, but his mind was going through turmoil at the moment. He had no idea why J Fox, the second ranked beauty in Kingston University approached him. Darius was incredibly poor some months ago, so even though he often heard the stories and gossips concerning the top ten campus beauties, he never had the opportunity to interact with them. It wasn¡¯t until he discovered his true identity as the heir to the Reid consortium that he was able to come in close contact with them. Yet, with how busy Darius was, he didn¡¯t care about the top ten campus beauties at all; or rather, he didn¡¯t have the time to care about them. If it weren¡¯t for his dislike for the way the Gillette father and son duo conducted business, he wouldn¡¯t have helped Pearl Chambein at all. The father and son duo conducted business with utterly despicable means, and so many innocent people had fallen victims to their actions. There was no way Darius could let them continue to act as they pleased, hence the reason he stepped in. Thest time Darius was in close contact with J Fox was during the Charity g at this same hotel. Even at that, he didn¡¯t talk to her, so it was safe to say that they had nothing to do with one another. This was why Darius was skeptical at J¡¯s decision to approach him. Meanwhile, J stared at Darius with a yful but curious gaze in her attractive blue eyes. She had definitely heard of Darius Reid, as he was the infamous peasant of Kingston University. She had heard so many rumors of him, so much that they were impossible to count, including how he was unable to afford a meal. Of course, she simply shut out such news and focused on her studies. She hated to engage in idle gossips that were not beneficial to her in anyway. However, she was unable to block out the news of Sarah Ginn¡¯s break up with Darius for David Lesley, a well known wealthy student in the University. This was a matter that spread throughout the majority of Kingston University, so it was normal for someone of her status to have heard of it. As usual, she simply ignored such news again, but just a few weekster, Darius waspletely different from how she remembered him from the gossips. He was now driving a very luxurious sports car, and was able to spend over $4.1 million in the charity g. He even outbid the third ranked beauty in Kingston University, Pearl Chambein, in the auction held in the charity g! This was the beginning of her interest in Darius Reid. He was the perfect example of from rags to riches. The well known peasant in the university was now extremely wealthy. There was no one who wouldn¡¯t be curious. Surprisingly, after the charity g, Darius became extremely low-key again. Therefore, J barely received news about him again. After the semester¡¯s exams were concluded, J flew out of the city to take a vacation. She had just returned recently in preparation for the new semester, and decided to have a meal at the Sky Golden Hotel, as it was the most luxurious hotel in the district. Yet, she had just finished her meal and was on her way out when she spotted a familiar figure sitting by the window. Having researched Darius before, she instantly recognized the familiar figure sitting by the window. Who would have thought that she would meet with Darius when she just came to have a meal? ted by the turn in events, she approached Darius. The conversation that ensued between them now led to this moment. Contrary to what Darius thought, J didn¡¯t have any ulterior motive for approaching him. She was simply interested in him, and therefore approached him to satiate her curiosity. The two of them remained in silence for over a minute, and during their silence, a waiter came to clear the table since Darius was done having his meal. When the waiter was faced with J¡¯s gorgeous appearance, shock and lust overcame his mind, and he felt the need to possess her. Yet, he dared not act on his impulses. Anyone who could dine at the Sky Golden Hotel was certainly someone with a status way higher than him. He dared not cause any trouble, or he would be losing more than his job as a waiter. Besides, the young man seated across the gorgeousdy was extremely handsome himself. While he didn¡¯t know the rtionship the two shared, he knew it was not in his ce for him to cause any trouble, so he carried out his duties and left quietly. After the waiter¡¯s departure, J took the initiative to speak and finally broke the silence that the two of them maintained. Since J took the initiative to break the silence, Darius didn¡¯t want to turn her down outrightly. Hence, he continued the conversation with her. The two of them engaged in conversations about light topics, and J found her interest in Darius increasing with each sentence Darius spoke. Most of the men she had conversed with were barely productive, as the majority of their thoughts were filled with lustful desires, making her lose interest in the conversation altogether Darius, on the other hand, was nothing like them. He spoke freely with her, with no lustful intentions or ideas in his responses. J didn¡¯t know whether to be happy or angered at such a development. She was used to seeing men make a fool out of themselves when they saw her beauty. In as much as she refused to ept it, the fact that Darius was unaffected by her beauty was a significant blow to her ego. The conversation went on for more than thirty minutes before Darius called for it to end. During the course of the duration, Darius was able to know more about J Fox, and he slightly rxed his stance towards her. Even though they were not exactly friends yet, there was no harm in making her his acquaintance. ¡°Although I met you by chance today, it is a pleasurable meeting.¡± J said with a smile as she stood up from her seat. ¡°The pleasure is mine, Miss J.¡± Darius replied just as politely. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Please. There¡¯s no need for the pleasantries. Just call me J.¡± J said; the smile still on her face. ¡°Alright J.¡± Darius obeyed. He was already worn-out after the day¡¯s activities, and wanted nothing more than to book a room to rest. J noticed his fatigued look and smiled knowingly. As her eyes were trained on Darius as they walked, she didn¡¯t notice a young man walking towards their direction with a dark expression on his face. By the time J trained her eyes back on the road, she was already in close proximity with the man, and they bumped into each other. J had an apologetic expression on her face and was about to speak when the young man¡¯s words forced the words on the edge of her tongue down her throat. ¡°Damn it! You idiot!¡± Will you keep an eye on where you¡¯re going?!¡± the young man cursed loudly in anger. The expression of apology that had been on J¡¯s face instantly disappeared, and a cold expression appeared on her face. Chapter 125 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 125 Chapter 125 "Excuse me?" J asked in a voice devoid of any emotion, but Darius could tell that she was annoyed at themoment. "You heard me you bitch!" The young man replied harshly in anger. He was already in a worse mood after his n to get in bed with thedy he liked fell through, and was already looking for an outlet tovent his anger. Hence, he wouldn''t let the chance that he deemed heaven sent slip from his fingers. Darius frowned at the young man''s choice of words, and took a closer look at the man. Darius was now an awakened martial artist, so this meant that his mind power was now above the normal person; therefore heeasily remembered the young man as the one who was in an argument with a female close to an hour ago. He could tell because the voice was extremely familiar. If J Fox was merely annoyed before, this time she was truly infuriated. Bitch? It had been ages since someone dared use such a derogatory word to describe her. ¡°Watch your words. It was merely a small ident. Why are you being so unreasonable?¡± Darius asked with a tinge of annoyance in his voice. Although Darius was incredibly annoyed at the young man''s harsh words, he didn¡¯t wish to start a scene. He was already tired and wanted to end this quarrel as soon as possible. He didn''t know who the young man was, but he didn¡¯t want to waste anymore time quarrelling with him. However, the young man stared at Darius after he spoke with his eyes narrowed. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Unreasonable?¡± The young man asked arrogantly. "How dare you call me unreasonable? Do you have a death wish?!¡± the young man questioned haughtily. By this time, J could not bear the young man''s infuriating attitude anymore. ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± J demanded angrily. Although she had an incredibly angered expression on her face, it did nothing to diminish her gorgeous appearance. On the contrary, it only made her more beautiful. The young man looked over to J after she asked the question, and his eyes widened in surprise. So gorgeous! Thedy was extremely gorgeous! His eyes immediately lit up, and a lecherous and lustfullook instantly spread across his face. He was extremely displeased at the girl''s rejection to spend the night with him; therefore he was in a brooding mood. As such, he didn''t really pay much attention to her appearance due to his mood. Now that he did however, he bashed himself for being such a fool. When J saw the lecherous and lustful look that was obvious in the young man¡¯s face, she was instantly disgusted. Of course, this was the expression she was used to seeing on their faces. The ones that showed their thoughts of them wanting to rip her clothes off and devour her. While she was already used to such stares, it didn''t mean that she wasfortable with it. Moreover, the other men tried to hide theirs, but this young man did not try to hide his intentions at all. His expression only served to make her more ufortable, and she subconsciously shifted to stand behind Darius Althoughit was an extremely tiny movement, it did not go unnoticed by Darius. The young man was still lost in his delusions, so he didn¡¯t notice it. At this moment, all he could think of was ways he could undress J and pounce on her. He was extremely lucky he was that thedy he brought here rejected his advances. If it weren''t for that, he wouldn''t have bumped into this gorgeousdy, and his chances of getting together with her would be nil. "On second thought, I''ve decided to bepassionate to you. If you''re willing to spend the night with me, then I will overlook your mistake.¡± The young man said directly to J in a benevolent tone. It was as if he was giving her the greatest mercy by allowing her to spend the nightwith him. J looked at the young man like as if he was mentally deranged. Ignoring the fact that both of them were at fault in this issue, after the arrogant behavior he exhibited, and the unkindwords he uttered to her, did he seriously think that she would agree to his absurd request? Furious at his vile request, J moved closer to the young man and did what no one would expect from her. p! She pped him hard on the cheek. The loud sound of her palm hitting his cheeks echoed in the quiet cafeteria in the hotel, directing the attention of the diners to where they stood. The young man held his cheeks and looked at J whose bountiful chest was heaving up and down from angerand yelled in disbelief. "You pped me?!¡± Before the young man could even register what happened, another loud sound echoed in the cafeteria. p! J had pped him again, yet she didn''t seem satisfied at all. It was clear that the two ps were not enough to for her to vent her again. She had never been so infuriated before, and she wanted nothing more than to p himto death. The young man stared at J in disbelief, still struggling to believe the fact that J actually pped himtwice. However, when he registered the fact that J actually pped him twice, his expression turned into something ugly and twisted. ¡°You dirty whore!¡± the young man roared angrily. He had never been so humiliated and embarrassed before in his life. "You dare! You dare to hit me!" He immediately raised his hands and moved to p J in retaliation,but the hand never came down, because Darius realized his intentions and held his wrist tightly. Jonathan struggled to wring his hand free from Darius'' grip, but there was no way he could win against an awakened martial artist like Darius. ¡°Let go of me this instant, you ipetent swine!¡± the young man yelled angrily at Darius, but there was a hint of fear in his voice. Conversely, instead of obeying him like he expected, Darius tightened his grip on his wrist. ¡°Darius, please leave this to me. I will make him pay for his rotten behavior." J suddenly said. Darius looked at J and saw that her eyes were narrowed at the young man with hatred and fury zingin her eyes. He then let go of the young man''s wrist, albeit roughly. The young man stumbled back from Darius'' rough push as he wasn¡¯t strong, and fell face ton the floor. Humiliated, he turned to the both of them and bawled in an infuriated voice. ¡°If I don''t make youy in bed with me before midnight, then my name isn¡¯t Jonathan Long!¡± the young man, whose name was apparently Jonathan Long, threatenedin a dangerous voice. Chapter 126 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 126 Chapter 126 J arched her eyebrows at Jonathan''s statement. There was a hint of amusement in her eyes amidst the initialhatred and anger she felt towards the young man. Long? If what the young man said was true, then he should belong to the Long family. J nearlyughed at that moment. If it were any other person that were in her shoes, they would have trembled in fear the momentJonathan mentioned the Long family, but it couldn''t be the same for her. This was due to the fact that the so-called Long family were nothing more than lowly servants in comparison to her background! Jonathan mistook J¡¯s arched eyebrowsfor fear of the Long family, and became bolder in his threats. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Jonathan yelled. ¡°Weren''t you having fun pping me just now? I''ll call my dad right now to straighten you out!¡± He then whipped out his phone furiously and made aphone call. Less than two minutester he ended the phone call. All the while, Darius and J remained still where they stood and watched him with expressionless gazes. "It felt great didn''t it?" Jonathan started saying to them as soon as he ended the phone call. ¡°Just wait till my dad gets here. You will know the consequences of angering me!" Jonathan concluded angrily. J withheld the urge tough as she looked at Jonathan¡¯s furious expression. His actions to her were nothing more than a dog barking. Jonathan looked at J who was staring at him with a funny expression on her face. His heart skipped a beat at the expression and he felt uneasy, but he forced the unease he feltdown. Soon enough, he was pulled in again by J''s gorgeousness. J was just too beautiful, and he could feel the blood rushing to his lower half as he staredat her. ¡°Youngdy, you¡¯re really very beautiful. I''m very generous, so I''m willing to give you one more chance.¡± Jonathan said with the air of a benevolent ruler. "As long as you apologize to me and is willing to spend the night with me, I¡¯ll forgive your actions; otherwise when my Dad gets here,this matter won''t be so easy to resolve.¡± Jonathan spoke with a smile on his face. However, instead of eliciting a fearful reaction from J, the reaction he gotpletely overturned his predictions. J''s face contorted once more in anger, and before Jonathan could understand what happened, she appeared in front of him and gave himanother p to his face. p! How uncouth! She had never seen someone so shameless and lecherous in her life before. Jonathan was dazed once more, before the reality of the situation hit him. J had pped him once more. The moment he registered that fact, he could feel the anger rush to his head, and he felt dizzy. His cheeks now had two palm prints on the left side and one palm print on the right side, andit was very visible, further adding to the humiliation he felt. He wanted nothing more than to rush over and beat her furiously for the ps he received from her, but when he saw Darius standing threateninglyclose to her, he forced himself to remain still. From their brief encounter, he knew that he was no match for Darius, and should he anger thetter, it would not end with just some ps. Jonathan red at J with fury in his eyes. He had made up his mind to not let her off the hook again. When his father arrived, he would make sure that he would settle the debts for the ps by tenfold! Sure enough, it didn¡¯t take less than five minutes forJonathan''s father to arrive. Darius guessed that his father must already have been in the area, which was why he wasable to arrive so quickly. Jonathan''s father was in his early fifties, with average height and a head of full of hair having some grey patches in it. There was a sense of superiority in his steps as he walked, as if everyone was beneath him, andJ immediately guessed that he must spent a majority of his life looking down on people. When Jonathan saw his father, an expression of joy appeared on his face. After being oppressed by both J and Darius, he was itching to get back at them. He was unable to retaliate because of his inferior strength, but now that his father had appeared, there was no reason for him to hold back. "What is the problem, Jonathan?¡± Sawyer Long, Jonathan''s father asked when he came within hearing range of them. ¡°It¡¯s this stupid bitch!¡± Jonathan swore angrily. J narrowed her eyes at his obscene words, and her re made Jonathan tense up. When he saw that J didn''t interrupt him, he grew more confident as a result and chalked up her lack of reaction to his father¡¯s appearance. Jonathan immediately pointed to J and started exining what had transpired between them, while Darius and J watched him with amused expressions. Of course there was no way Jonathan would actually say the truth about what happened between them, so he embellished the story and painted J and Darius as theviins, and made his self the victim. By the time Jonathan was done with storytelling, J and Darius both had impressed expressions on their faces. If Jonathan was ever in need of a career, then he should consider storytelling as his top choice. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Sawyer had a dark expression on his face after Jonathan finished his story. Even though they were many loopholes in his son''s part of the story, he didn¡¯t question theauthenticity of the story; especially when so many eyes were on them. If he questioned his son now, wouldn''t it be the same as pping him across the face? ¡°Apologize to my son now, or I¡¯lltake action against you and your family. By then, even if you want to plead for mercy, it¡¯ll be toote to do so. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± Sawyer threatened authoritatively. From what he deduced from his son''s story, the handsome young man and the gorgeousdy were most likely ina romantic rtionship. The young man might have made use of some money to treat his girlfriend to a dinner, but in the end,such money was nothing in the face of the Long family. He was confident that he could crush thempletely without them being able to fight back. Darius wasn¡¯t surprised at his statement at all. The saying that the apple doesn''t fall far from the tree was right after all. Sawyer Long was just like his son. Darius'' expression became unpleasant because he was already annoyed by the entire ordeal. He would have been sleeping peacefully in his hotel room if it hadn¡¯t been for J. Yet, he now had to deal with two people who would not have been worth his time in the first ce. J noticed Darius'' unpleasant expression, and decided to stop entertaining the father and son duo. "You said that you were going to make and my family regret it earlier didn¡¯t you?¡± J turned to Sawyer and asked. ¡°I would like to see if you can follow up on such a bold im.¡± J saidand brought out her phone from her purse, before making a phone call. Chapter 127 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 127 Chapter 127 An ominous feeling came over Sawyer Long the moment J put the phone to her ears, but he remained still. As far as he was concerned, J was merely bluffing, and would not be able to do anything to him. The number J dialed rang only once before the phone call connected. ¡°Hello Miss Fox." A baritone voiceced with respect and politeness answered from the other end ofthe phone. ¡°Hello Zane.¡± J replied with a yful tone. When Zane heard J''s yful tone, he knew at once that something was wrong. From his experience of dealing with J, he discerned that some unlucky fellow had offended her, and she wanted to make him/her pay theprice. Nevertheless, he maintained his silence as he usually did and pretended that nothing was wrong. ¡°Is anything the issue Miss Fox?¡± Zane asked politely. ¡°Do you happen to know if we''re partnering with anypany or business from the Longfamily?¡± J asked yfully; but there was a hint of anger and disgust in her eyes as she spoke. ¡°I vaguely remember that we do have some partnerships with them. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Why do you ask?¡± Zane replied. ¡°I see. Terminate all business and partnerships we have with the Long family; and spread the word that anyone that partners with them is risking attracting our wrath on them. I''m sure that they''ll know the right decision to make.¡± J said firmly. "I''ll get to it immediately Miss Fox." Zane said before disconnecting the phone call. When Sawyer heard J''s words, he looked at her like he was looking at a mentally retarded person. At first, he was afraid that the gorgeousdy was from a very terrifying background with how confident she seemed earlier, but after the phone call, heseemed that he was worried for nothing. Who were the Long Family? The Long Family had businesses andpanies in a variety of industry, and were quite formidable. A youngdy that wasn''t above the age of twenty saying that she wanted to shutout the Long Family was no different from an ant iming to kill an elephant. It waspletely ridiculous. 1 There was also the fact that the phone call she made was not on loudspeaker,so he could not confirm if she was really on a phone call. Hence, he believed that her statement was nothing more than a bluff. As expected, Jonathan could not keep shut when he heard J¡¯s words and saw how arrogant she was acting intheir presence, even after his father had arrived. Shepletely disregarded his father! Jonathan, who clearly could not handle J¡¯s arrogance yelled out in anger. ¡°Who do you think you are?!¡± "Terminate partnerships and businesses with the Long Family? People like you are not even worthy to shine ourshoes! How dare you act so arrogant in our presence?¡± Jonathan yelled out in one breath. From the veins and red tint on his face, one could tell how angry he was. However, after his rant, J merely looked at him before replying rather calmly. ¡°You''ll soon know if I''m bluffing or not." Jonathan was about to retort, but Sawyer¡¯s phonerang at that moment, cutting him short. The moment his phone rang, the ominous feeling he sensed earlier returned in full, and he looked at J warily. Was it a coincidence that seconds after she ended the phone call his phone rang? Suppressingthe uneasy feeling he had that moment; he brought out his phone from his pocket and answered the phone call. The phone call onlysted twenty seconds, but his face kept paling with each passing second, and by the time Sawyer Long ended the phone call, he looked at Jlike he had seen a ghost. ¡°You. Who are you? What did you do?!¡± Sawyer asked; his disbelief evident in his tone. It turned out the youngdy truly had a formidable background; as the call was from one of the Long family longest business partner, and hecalled to inform them that they terminating their current contracts, and would no longer coborate with them in the future. It was extremely shocking to Sawyer! Yet, it seemed that Jonathan had yet to understand the severity of the situation,as he continued to run his mouth. "You''re nothing in front of the Long family! Let me tell you-¡± Jonathan had barelypleted his mocking statement when a loud sound rangin the cafeteria. p! It was a crisp and clear sound, and it carried substantial force with it. Sawyer Long had pped his son right across the cheek, and he didn¡¯t hold back at all. Jonathan looked at his father''s angry face that was staring right at him, and he felt a bad premonition at the sight. ¡°Father?¡± Jonathan asked in disbelief, his hands cupping his cheeks, but what he got in return was another p, even harder than the first one he received. p! "You idiot!" Sawyer Long bellowed in fury! Jonathan flinched in shock and ignored the biting pain in his cheeks. He had never seen his father this angry before. ¡°Who do you think you are?! How dare you stir trouble for us?! Do you think that the world revolves around you?!¡± Sawyer Long continuedshouting in anger. With how loud his voice was, he surely garnered the attention of the remaining people who were not paying attention to their quarrel before, and when they lookedat Jonathan with pitiful gazes, he felt humiliated beyond reason. Meanwhile Sawyer Long was utterly furious at Jonathan. He had never felt the urge to kill someone so badly before. He wanted to hit him again, but his phone rang once more, making his face even paler than it was. From what happened some minutes ago, he knew that no good news apanied the phone call. He then quickly turned to J and knelt down, forcing Jonathan to kneel with him. "Please forgive me and my son for our actions! We were ignorant and stupid! Please have mercy!¡± Sawyer pleaded as heknelt on the floor. He was close to tears at that point. If he knew how terrifying the youngdy''s background was, he would never have offended her. It only took one phone call for her to put the Long family businesses andpaniesin dire straits. Even as he knelt down and begged his phone was still ringing. He reckoned that by tomorrow, there would be no ce for the Long family to do business anymore. J cast a cold nce at the kneeling pair. She was uninterested in their pleadings. She''d met these types of people before, and they all ended the same way, not to mention that Jonathan had really offended her this time. She had no intention of showing them mercy. They had to bear the consequences of their actions. J and Darius both cast them a fleeting nce before leaving them behind as they walked away. Sawyer and Jonathan both felt angry and humiliated at J''sck of reaction to them, but they dared not voice it. They could only wallow in self regret. If they had not been impulsive in their actions, they would not have been reduced to this state. Jonathan''s eyes were filled with hatred and humiliation as Darius and J walked away. Since they had decided to ignore him and humiliate him thoroughly, he would make sure that they paid for their arrogancetenfold; otherwise, he wouldn''t be able to sleep properly anymore. Chapter 128 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Darius and J naturally had no idea that Jonathan was nning his revenge at that moment, and chatted lightly as they walked. They could not be bothered about what seemed to be a trivial quarrel, and an equally trivial person. J could see that Darius was no longer interested in continuing the conversation with her, so she decisively decided to leave him alone, but not before exchanging phonecontacts with him. Darius was a bit reluctant to exchange phone contacts with her at first, but after seeing how she made the so calledLong family bend with just a phone call, he decided to ept her contact details. He could see that from the brief phone call she made, she proved how formidable her background was. There was no harm in knowing someone with such a strong background. Darius then apanied her to the hotel''s exit and waved her off sincerely before making his way backto the hotel. Even though her appearance was a bit unexpected, he couldn''t deny that it was a pleasant evening. He made his way to the presidential suite he paid more than $100,000 for. Although he was reluctant to spend the night in the Sky Golden Hotel, he didn¡¯t have much of a choice after his residencein Dragon Estate was closed off. After taking a shower and changing into afortable night robe, hey down on the king sized bedand slept off. The next day, Darius woke upte in the morning. It was already 10 am the time he woke up, but although he woke upte, he felt very refreshed and invigorated. His body felt very light, and there was a bubbling explosive energy in his body. Darius was now an awakened martial artist, so basically he should not be tired even after all his activities, asmartial artists were significantly stronger than ordinary humans; but the golden liquid Darius'' grandfather fed him was very potent, so unknown to Darius, he was unable to fully integrate the liquid into his body, which was why only the self healing trait was developed, and why he felt so tired yesterday. Fortunately, he was finally able to integrate 10% of the liquid into his body after a long time, hence the explosiveenergy he felt when he woke up. There were special sets of routines that should be practiced to integrate the golden liquid into his body,but as Darius did not have it, it was understandable why he had only managed to integrate 10% of the golden liquid since he ingested it. Darius didn''t know why he had so much explosive energy within him, but he knew that he would not be able to get much done withoutgetting rid of it or toning it down, so without hesitating further, he started his morning routine. This time around, even after performing his routine like he usually did, he was unable to tone down the explosive energy within him. It wasn''t until he repeated the same routines three times with two times the original intensity did the explosive energy finallycalm down. Such an intense morning routine was supposed to wear him out, but contrary to that, he even felt more refreshed than he was when he woke up. He then took a long and rxing shower, before changing into his usual casual clothing. He rang the bell in the room and ordered for breakfast while he dressed up, as hewas incredibly famished after his intense work out. He just finished dressing up when the door bell rang. Of course, it was the waitress who had arrived with his breakfast. He quickly collected his meal from her and closed the door, ignoring the smitten look in hereyes, before gobbling down his meal. He was halfway with his meal when his phone suddenly rang. He nced at the caller ID and a surprised expression flitted across his face. This was because the caller was none other than J Fox. Darius was naturally surprised to see that it was J who was calling him; after all it was just yesterday that he mether for the first time. It was too unexpected for her to call him out of the blue. Nheless, he only hesitated for a few seconds before answering the phone call. ¡°Hello Darius!¡± J greeted yfully once the phone call connected. ¡°Hello J.¡± Darius replied politely in an even tone. J noticed that even though his tone was polite, there was still some level of restraint to it; thereforeshe decided to skip the pleasantries and go straight to the point. "I received an invitation to an auction at Vane city by a close friend of mine, and I have the option to bring someone withme; therefore I''m wondering if you''re interested on going to the auction with me." J said. ¡°An auction?¡± Darius asked, surprised. Darius arched his eyebrow at J¡¯s statement. While J might make the auction seem like a normal auction, Darius knew that it wouldbe far from that. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Considering the fact that J was from a very impressive background, it was evident that someone of her statuswould not be invited to an auction that was not befitting of her status. He was curious as to why she wanted him to attend it with her. Nheless, Darius had no need to go to an auction, even if the person inviting him was J,so he was about to reject her invitation, but her next words stopped him short. ¡°Yes. It''s a pretty high ss auction; so many interesting items would be put up for sale. I also heard that a courtyard vi rtively close to Kingston district is being auctioned too. I''m sure that you''ll be interested in some of the items being auctioned.¡± J answered. Darius hesitated after hearing J¡¯s answer. Indeed, he was in need of a new amodation, especially now that his residence at Dragon Estate was cordonedoff by the police force. Even though the presidential suite at Sky Golden Hotel was very impressive, it was still a hotel suite. The appeal it heldpared to a courtyard vi waspletely different. Coincidentally, a courtyard vi was put up for sale at the auction house, so it could only be described as a great opportunity for him. There was no longer any need for him to reject J¡¯s invitation. On the contrary, he was now thankful to her. ¡°When is the auction?¡± Darius asked in a softer tone. A triumphant smile broke out on J''s face when she heard his soft tone. She knew she had convinced him to attend the auction with her. ¡°The auction is by 8pm.¡± J replied. ¡°Okay. I''ll be there.¡± Darius promised and then disconnected the phone call. J looked at her phone screen after the phone call ended for some seconds, before letting out a mesmerizingugh. As sheughed, her eyes twinkled,plimenting her already gorgeous facial features. It was a beautiful sight. She initially didn''t want to go to the auction and had considered declining the invitation, butafter Darius agreed to apany her, the situation unexpectedly turned around and she now found herself looking forward to the event. Chapter 129 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 129 The rest of the day passed quickly and it was soon evening. Since the auction was being held in Vane city, Darius finished his preparations by 6pm. Vane city was an hour drive away from Sky Golden Hotel, and since he was not going alone but with J, he couldn¡®t bete to the auction. The auction was a high ss one, so Darius didn¡®t dare dress casually for the auction. He picked out the ssy three piece suit he wore to the charity g some months back, the quality shoes, and the limited edition wristwatch Bruce got for him. He looked incredibly dashing, and was way handsome than he was during the charity g. After being the head of apany for some time, he now had a sophisticated look to him. He exited the presidential suite and walked to the car park, ignoring the intrigued stares he got from the staff and people present in the hotel. He entered his car and inputted the auction¡®s house location in his car¡®s GPS system, before driving out of the hotel. After driving for a little more than an hour, Darius arrived at the venue for the auction. He parked his car neatly and then alighted from the vehicle before going towards the auction house. The auction house was easily the biggest and the best auction house in Vane city, with more than half of the city¡®s prominent people attending the auction regrly. The auction house was built with the best building materials, and it was almost as tall as a skyscraper. There were also more than thirty luxurious cars parked at the entrance to the auction house, and several influential people alighted from the luxurious vehicles and made their way into the auction house. Darius guessed that since the auction house was mainly reserved for the high ss people, many affluent individuals would show up, however he was still surprised at the amount of people that showed up, and the influence they held. There were also people like him who came from another city to attend the auction. Another peculiar thing Darius noticed was that despite the many influential and affluent people present at the auction, there were no paparazzi or reporters present. This minor detail showed that the auction this time was being held low ¨Ckey; therefore the paparazzi and reporters were not allowed to report on this. While Darius was still watching the people arrive at the auction, a white luxurious Maybach 62 Landaulet suddenly arrived at the venue. Of course, the arrival of the Maybach 62 Landaulet attracted the attention of the people present at the auction venue. After all, the Maybach 62 Landaulet was a luxury vehicle worth over $2 million. Even though it seemed littlepared to the sky high price of other vehicles, this particr Maybach was a customized one, so it would cost more than three times the initial price. This was not including the fact that the vehicle was also part of a limited edition series. This detail made it impossible for just anyone with a bit of money to afford the vehicle. One had to have a certain bit of status, prestige and background before you could buy the vehicle. With everyone¡®s attention on the vehicle, the Maybach came to a stop at the entrance. The door to the vehicle opened and a gorgeous blonde haireddy alighted from the vehicle. The gorgeous blonde haireddy was none other than J Fox. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Darius was a bit taken aback at J¡®s beauty. She was dressed in a sensual ck gown that hugged her body tightly, showing off her supple curves and hourss figure. Her fair and supple skin shone under the night sky, and all the men who were present at that time were smitten by her beauty. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Darius could now be considered her acquaintance, he would never believe that the person in question was still just a university student. The impression she gave off was not that of a university student, but that of a crown princess. J had a stoic expression on her face as she alighted from the Maybach and nced around the auction venue. The moment her eyes fell on Darius who stood still at an unupieder, a breathtaking smile appeared on her face. She ignored the stares of the people present and walked straight to where Darius stood before greeting him happily. ¡°Darius! You¡®re here!¡± J greeted happily. ¡°Yes.¡± Darius responded politely but curtly. He was not yet familiar with her, so he still felt the need to put some boundaries between them. Although he was now more open to her, the restrictions were still very much present. J pouted at Darius¡® curt tone but made noment about it. Instead she held his hands and guided him inside the auction house, ignoring the obvious looks of surprise and disbelief on the people attending the auction with them. Chapter 130 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 130 The inside of the auction house was bustling with activity, with many people walking about and discussing, eliciting an interested expression on Darius¡® face. There were several people at the exchange center, a ce where they could put up their items and goods for auction. The staff at the exchange center would then appraise their goods and determine how much it would be auctioned off for. Of course, the exchange center would not forget to take their 10%mission from the amount the items or goods were auctioned off for. The 10%mission was fixed, and would be deducted regardless of the amount the items or goods were auctioned off for. J noticed the interested expression on Darius¡® face and smiled softly before speaking ¡°Are you interested in putting up any of your properties, items or goods for auction?¡± J asked nonchntly, her eyes trained on the exchange center. Darius shook his head at her question, disying his answer. With his current wealth and status, there was absolutely no need for him to auction off any of his properties, items or goods. J smiled but said nothing else at his silent rejection. She then led him past the exchange center and into the main hall where the auction would be held. The auction hall was already upied with people, even though the auction would not begin until an hourter, and yet more people were still arriving. The main hall was luxuriously decorated, with the best of decoration materials used to bring out the beauty of the hall. It was easily one of the most impressive decorations Darius had seen in his life. Darius noted this with an impressed expression on his face, but before he could fully admire the decorations in the hall, J led him to another section of the hall. This section was solely reserved for the VIPs attending the auction. Darius and J both entered the VIP section and headed to private lounge 12 which was reserved for them and sat down. In their lounge, a particr style of curtain was used, making it hard for guests to see the interior of the lounge. Darius and J, on the other hand, could see everything that was going on outside the lounge clearly. The two of them then settledfortably in the private lounge and waited for the auction to begin. They didn¡®t have to wait too long before the auction started. After one hour, the guests finally arrived, and the auction hall was filled to the brim. When everyone was settled down and eagerly anticipating the beginning of the auction, the emcee appeared. The emcee was a beautifuldy in her mid thirties. She was dressed in a white gown that showed off her curves, and she had a mature charm to her. She was certainly charming, as the organizers of the auction would not allow just anyone to be the emcee. The emcee had to be charming enough to the guests; otherwise they would feel dissatisfied and less inclined to spend more money. The emcee smiled and greeted everyone present jovially. Her smile charmed the people in the auction, and the females present were no exception. The emcee on seeing that she had captured the crowd¡®s heart no longer hesitated and begun the auction. She pped her hands and two attendants drove a trolley containing a blue vase onto the stage. The blue vase was exquisite and beautiful, and one nce told that it had been crafted by a master potter. The emcee didn¡®t waste time and delved into the history behind the vase. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°This vase was crafted by the best potter in the mid 1700s, and is regarded as an heirloom of the Chen Royal Dynasty. It was seized as a spoil of war during the Chen war in thete 1800s. It is now being auctioned for a starting price of 10 million dors, with increments of no less than 1 million dors.¡± No sooner had the emcee finished narrating the history of the vase did someone ce a bid for the vase. ¡°11 million dors!¡± Someone shouted. ¡°13 million dors!¡± another person counted. Thisunched a bidding war in the auction hall, and more than ten people were involved. In the end, it was auctioned off for an astronomical sum of 60 million dors. Darius expected the vase to be worth a lot since it was an antique and an heirloom at that, but he didn¡®t expect the starting auction to end in a bid of 60 million dors. It was an astronomical sum; and Darius didn¡®t dare underestimate the wealth of the people present. J took a quick glimpse at Darius, curious to see his reaction to the money spent, but he remained stoic. She anticipated him to have a surprised expression on his face, but Darius, who was skilled at managing his facial expressions, didn¡®t have any obvious expression on his face. Disappointed, J pouted and turned her attention back to the auction. Thirty minutester, the auction was in full flow, with numerous objects having been auctioned off. The lowest sum spent on an item was 60 million dors, which was for the vase, while the greatest amount spent was 300 million dors, which was for a painting. Although Darius was significantly richer than the lots at the auction, he still felt very dizzy when seeing the amount of money spent in the auction. J who invited Darius also showed her prestige, as she purchased a rare sapphire bracelet for over 70 million dors. Although Darius knew J was from a very impressive family, he was still shocked at the fact that she could spend 70 million dors on a bracelet without batting an eye. Of course, if Darius¡® grandfather were here, he would have smacked Darius across the face. He had gifted Darius over 10 billion dors when they met for the first time, so why then was he shocked by someone spending 70 million dors on a bracelet? The auction went on for another five minutes, yet there was no sign of the courtyard vi being mentioned. Darius was already beginning to think that the courtyard vi wouldn¡®t be auctioned off anymore, so he was beginning to lose interest in the auction. However, the second heid his gaze on the next item up for auction, his eyes became bloodshot and his blood began to boil! Chapter 131 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 131 The item put up for auction was a brown leather book, and it looked ordinary, but Darius¡® blood kept boiling at the sight of the book. He could feel an innate connection with the book. and he could barely keep himself from rushing over to the stage and grabbing the book. J noticed Darius¡® keen attention on the book, but couldn¡®t understand why Darius was so interested in the book. After all, the book looked so ordinary and she couldn¡®t find anything special in as she looked at it. Just as she was about to question Darius about the book; the emcee¡®s voice echoed in the auction hall. ¡°Next, we have the ¡®Journals of Madra¡® up for auction. As we all know, Madra was the fifth and most sessful emperor. This leather books contain the journals of Madra, his exploits, and his insights from his reign.¡± As soon as the emceepleted her statement, majority of the people present eyes widened in shock The ¡°Journals of Madra¡® was a book with great value attached to it. It was lost in the Great War, and the aristocrats liad no idea where the book disappeared to after it was lost. Who would have expected the book to suddenly make an appearance here at the auction in Vane city? The emcee had a satisfied look on lier face after gaining the attention of the guests present, before speaking ¡°The starting bid for the book is 20 million dors, with increment of no less than 5 million dors.¡± The emcee stated. No sooner had the emcee concluded her statement did someone call out an opening bid. ¡°30 million dors!¡± the person stated confidently. ¡°35 million dors!¡± another person immediately countered. UN ¡°40 million dors!¡± another guest ced his bid instantly. The importance of the book could not be over emphasized to history lovers and schrs. It was something that greatly interested them, so they would naturally not be stingy when bidding for the book. Darius knew at once that he had to get the book. He could feel an innate connection to the book, and he would definitely regret it if he was unable to get the book. Hence, he ced his bid without any hesitation. of course, it was an astronomical sum. ¡°100 million dors!¡± Darius called out powerfully. There was immediate silence in the hall the moment Darius ced his bid. 100 million dors? That was five times the original price for the book! The people present were all sessful and wealthy people from all walks of life. Although the book was a very valuable one with rich history, it wasn¡®t so valuable that they would spend a J looked at Darius with astonishment in her gaze. She, like the rest of the guests present, was surprised at Darius¡® decision to spend a hundred million dors on the book When she recalled the rumors about how poor Darius was, and how he acted now, she sucked in a cold breath. She could barely connect the two people together. Darius ignored the stares the guests threw his way. He was d that J reserved the VIP section of the hall for two of them, as the guests couldn¡®t see him because of that. Otherwise, it would have been a troublesome case. The emcee regained her L After concluding the auction of the book, the emcee auctioned the next item that was brought in by the attendants, and it was auctioned for a fair sum of 30 inillion dors. Time flew by, and before Darius knew it, the time to auction the courtyard vi finally came. Darius had almost resigned to the fate that the courtyard vi, which was his original reason foring here, would not be auctioned off anymore, so he was very d when the emcee finally mentioned it. The emcee showed the pictures of the vi, and the attractions beside the vi. Darius was very impressed with the pictures he saw. The vi was veryrge, but not unnecessarilyrge. It was located in a serene area, and it had an artificialke in it. The interior of the courtyard vi was also beautiful and satisfactory. It perfectly suited Darius¡® tastes. The auctionmenced, and Darius won the bid for the courtyard vi for a sum of 200 million dors after a brief bidding war. J¡®s eyebrows itched at the way Darius spent his money. He had spent 300 million dors in a single night! It was an exorbitant sum, even for her. She could understand his reason for spending 200 million dors on the courtyard vi, as there was a bidding war, which made the value of the courtyard vi soar four times its initial price. However, the 100 million dors spent on the ¡®Journals of Madra¡® was nothing more than a waste of money in her view. The book was simply overpriced, and since Darius was not a history major in Kingston University, why was he so interested in the book? Darius noticed J casting exasperated and curious nces at him, but did nothing. In the end, J gave up and returned her attention back to the auction. The auction continued for another ten minutes before it finally came to an end. Darius waved J goodbye after thanking her sincerely for the opportunity she gave him. If it weren¡®t for her inviting him to this auction, he would not have gotten the chance to get the book, and even though he would find a new vi, he would have to expend more energy to find one that suited his tastes just like the courtyard vi. He stayed behind and signed the documents transferring ownership of the courtyard vi to him, and collected the keys before exiting the auction hall. As he walked, Darius fell into deep thoughts. This auction was a bit of an eye opener for him, as it opened new options for him to explore. Despite his impressive background as the heir to the Reid consortium, he had never attended an event like this; not because he didn¡®t have the status to, but because he didn¡®t pay much attention to events like this. He decided to be more open to auctions like these in the future. After all, with the presence of influential individuals always guaranteed, he may be able to purchase one or two important objects or goods in the future. Chapter 132 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 132 During the rest of the days after relocating to his courtyard vi, he practiced his morning routines daily without missing any day of practice. He made sure to be disciplined in that aspect. After his morning routine each day, he would then go over the reports and documents that were faxed to him by Zack and Erin. These documents contained the projects and progress West Antics Int¡®l had made in Capital City. West Antics Int¡®l had been growing rapidly in Capital City after he toppled Sterling Corporations, and they were now acknowledged as part of the top 20panies in Capital City. Capital City was a verypetitive area as it had abundant resources, so there was little to no chance for newpanies like West Antics Int¡®l to grow as it did, yet contrary to everyone¡®s expectations; West Antics Int¡®l grew to be part of the top 20panies in less than three months! Darius founded West Antics Int¡®l less than two months ago, yet he had already led West Antics Int¡®l to be part of the top 20panies in Capital City. It showed how terrifying Darius ability was. At the rate at which West Antics Int¡®l was growing, in the next two months, it would be solidlypeting among the top 10panies in Capital City! Of course, as West Antics Int¡®l grew, many top companies were envious of their growth, which made Darius wary. After all he had experienced the damages cause by their envy after the third ranked business group, The Gold Group, instigated Sterling Corporations to attack hispany. Even though he took care of the issue and greatly mitigated the damages they could have caused, he knew he still had to be wary of the Gold Group. As he monitored the progress of West Antics Int¡®l in Capital City, he naturally did not forget to monitor the progress of the otherpanies under the Reid consortium. He was incredibly busy during that period, as he had to sign and review tons of documents, and also make an appearance in the respectivepanies when necessary. As for his residence in Dragon Estate, it was still cordoned offExclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. by the police. The police had reached a dead end in their investigation, so there was no way of finding who ordered the assassination, as the assassin was dead. Darius didn¡®t have too much hope ced in the police¡®s investigation in the beginning. The person who wanted him dead would most definitely be a fool that would be easily caught by the police. The only thing he could do was directly improve his strength, so that in case another assassination was attempted, he would be able to defend himself easily. His grandfather returned from his business trip a week earlier than scheduled. This was normal, because the only reason he left was to observe Darius¡® ability to resolve the issue about hispany in the first ce. Since Darius was able to resolve it in less than 48 hours, there was no need for him to prolong his business trip, hence he came back quickly. Bruce naturally informed Darius of his grandfather¡®s return, but as Darius was too busy at the moment, he made up his mind to create time and visit his grandfather once more. Time passed quickly under Darius¡® busy routine, and the two months given to the students for their vacation after their exams psed. In the blink of an eye, it was time for Darius to resume school. Darius woke up quite early as it was the day his university was resuming for sses. A week prior to the day of resumption, many of his ssmates and former dorm mates who travelled outside the city, counties and various countries during the two months given to them for their vacation ended their vacation and returned back to their various homes. Of course, during the two month break, Darius had been very busy as he had a lot of official duties to attend to. He rarely left his vi during that period, and when he left, it was mostly to attend some important meetings, and he made sure not to spend too much time outside before he returned back to his vi. Although his schedule was very hectic, he made sure to follow the series of movements written down in the ¡®Journals of Madra¡® to the letter. As a result of his hectic schedule, he found himself looking forward to his university¡®s resumption. There was no one who would not get tired of doing the same thing over and over again, and Darius himself was no exception. If it weren¡®t for the fact that he could feel the effects the routines had on his body, he would have quit practicing the movements in the journal. He also kept in touch with his friends and former roommates, Greg, Marcus, and Rudd. They also went to distant areas for the vacation during the two month break and were now back, so he was quite eager to see them. Heughed lightly when he remembered some of the jokes Greg would crack online as he headed into his bathroom. After taking a brief but refreshing shower, he put on some casual outfit and entered the kitchen. There, he whipped up a light but satisfying breakfast. When he was done eating, he made his way to the open air garage in the vi, got inside his Mercedes Benz S ss and drove off. Chapter 133 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 133 Chapter 133 The drive to his university and smooth and unhindered, hence it took him only thirty minutes to arrive at his university from his vi. As this was the first day of a new semester and session, the environment was very rowdy. Pretty freshmen female students walked around the university with awe in their gazes. As Kingston University was one of the top universities in the country, its buildings and infrastructures were very impressive. It was no wonder the freshmen who were just seeing them for the first time were smitten. of course, the sharks in second year and third year students did not let the new female students who were like a bunch of fishes in a river waiting to be fished by the fisherman go freely. ¡°Hello, pretty. This building is the pride of the Engineering department. I can show you around if you want, that way you won¡®t get lost.¡± A second year student from the Engineering department said to a pretty female freshman. The female freshman student turned to the male student who offered to show her around the university, and when she saw his face, she blushed hard. The male student was tall and handsome, and he was dressed in designer and luxury brands from head to toe. An Audi car key was visible in his hands, coupled with thetest model of phone released from Nix Inc. The male student had paid a lot of attention to his dressing and spent heavily to make sure he looked attractive, and from how the female student was blushing, it seemed to have paid off, hence a satisfied and proud look appeared on his face. ¡°Alright,¡± The female freshman student smiled shyly and epted his offer, and interlinked her hands with the male student¡®s own. Scenes like these could be seen happening in different areas of the university. Not only that, various shy and expensive cars arrived at the university one after the other. Of course, one should not forget that Kingston University was mainly reserved for the wealthy, so it was expected for wealthy students to attend the university. It was during this rowdy period that Darius drove his Bugatti La Voiture Noire into the university. As expected, his arrival attracted a lot of attention. 1 The Bugatti La Voiture Noire was a top luxury sports car that costs millions of dors to purchase, and even more millions of dors to customize, hence its beautiful and elegant appearance. As such, there was no way it would not attract the attention of the students, especially when they were on the lookout for wealthy students. Darius maneuvered his car neatly and pulled it to a stop under the watchful gazes of so many students. The male engineering student felt both angry and extremely jealous the moment the Bugatti La Voiture Noire made its appearance. The Audi that he was proud of didn¡®t cost more than thirty thousand dors. Whenpared to a Bugatti La Voiture Noire that cost over twenty million dors, the difference was ringly obvious. What was more infuriating was that the female freshman student he was supposed to leave with was now rooted to the spot, her eyes fixed on the Bugatti La Voiture Noire parked neatly. All his preparations had been rendered null by a single vehicle¡®s appearance. It wasn¡®t only the male engineering student who was suffering from the same dilemma. Other male students who had originally gotten other freshmen female students to go out with them were now cursing greatly under the breath because of Darius¡® appearance. Of course, Darius had no idea that his appearance had messed up his juniors ns, and had now be the object of jealously and anger from them. The second he alighted from his car, both the male and female students all fell silent and stared him in shock. A secondter, fan girl screams could be heard around the whole area. Darius was now easily the most attractive student in the whole of Kingston University, so when these freshmen female students saw him, it was expected that they became his fans. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Darius who could usually handle any situation he found himself in was at a loss on what to do when faced with the fric screams and cheers. It was a situation he never expected to find himself in. Thedies left their various male counterparts and rushed over to where Darius stood beside his car. As they were new students, they had no idea about Darius¡® past as the poorest student in Kingston University, so they were unhindered in their actions. Darius who was swamped up by thedies had no idea how to escape this situation. As he was still contemting on what to do, his phone rang. His face lit up as the opportunity he was waiting for finally presented itself, and he quickly pushed aside the crowd ofdies before scurrying away at top speed to answer the phone call. ¡°Hello Darius.¡± The person on the other end of the phone greeted politely, but there was a tinge of nervousness in her voice. Darius¡® eyes shone the moment and a surprised expression appeared on his face the moment he heard the person¡®s voice. This was because the caller was none other than the well known Groove streamer he gifted five million dors some months back, Alice. He was truly shocked at that moment. More than three months had psed since hisst conversation and meeting with Alice. That time, he had taken her out for a date at a ten star restaurant under the Reid consortium, as Alice promised after he donated thergest amount of gifts to her in her live stream. Unfortunately, he was unable to enjoy his meal because an acquaintance of Alice showed up during their date and interrupted their meal. However, it seemed like Alice and her acquaintance had some weird history between them, so when he finally left, Alice was in a bad mood. As a result of her acquaintance unwarranted arrival, Darius ended the date earlier than expected, and drove her back to the female dormitory in the university which was where she resided. Since that time, there had been nomunication between them. One could understand why Darius was now surprised to receive her phone call out of the blue. ¡°Hello Alice.¡± Darius replied just as politely. ¡°It¡®s been a while since we¡®ve talked. Are you free right now? I want to treat you to corree. Alice offered meekly. Darius hesitated for a moment, and checked the time on his wristwatch. When he saw that there was still an hour left before his first ss of the session would begin, he instantly agreed to her offer. ¡°I¡®m free for the next one hour, so I¡®ll ept your offer.¡± Darius replied, a smile dancing on his lips. ¡°Alright, let¡®s meet at Anthony¡®s caf¨¦.¡± Alice said excitedly before disconnecting the phone call. Darius let out a small smile after Alice ended the phone call. Anthony¡®s caf¨¦ was a popr yet serene spot for students in Kingston University. It was frequently visited by romantic lovebirds, and was a superb spot to host a quiet date. This was why Darius let out a small smile when Alice chose the caf¨¦ as their meeting ce. Nheless, Darius didn¡®t split hairs about this detail. Since the caf¨¦ was just a ten minute walk from his current location, he decided to walk there. Meanwhile, back at the female dormitory, Alice let out an excited shriek when Darius agreed to the coffee date. She had not contacted Darius since theirst meeting because of how guilty she felt. She only mustered up the courage to call him today because this was the first day of the new school session. When she called Darius, she was incredibly nervous, as she didn¡®t know how he would react. Yet, it seemed that all her worries were for naught, as Darius didn¡®t react the way she thought he would Excited to see Darius again, Alice quickly dressed up in one of her best outfits, put on light make up, and grabbed her purse before exiting the dormitory. Anthony¡®s caf¨¦ was only a five minute walk from the female dormitory, so she was not worried about arrivingte. Unknown to her, as she walked, a covert ck sedan started tailing her. The driver of the ck sedan made sure to maintain an inconspicuous distance from her, so that the sedan would remain unnoticeable. Alice, unaware of the ck sedan tailing her, hastened her footsteps and walked hurriedly towards Anthony¡®s caf¨¦. Unable to contain her excitement and eager to reach the caf¨¦ earlier, she decided to follow a shorter route to the caf¨¦. Usually, Alice would never have followed the shorter route, as it was mostly deserted and lonely, hence a bit scary, but her excitement overruled her fear. Plus, she convinced herself that since it was broad daylight, and it would not take less than a minute to reach the end of the route, there was nothing that could go wrong. With that conviction, Alice made a short detour and walked through the route. The driver of the ck sedan was extremely happy when he saw Alice walk willingly into the deserted route. A deserted route was just what he needed, and Alice had provided it to him. The driver skillfully maneuvered the ck sedan and blocked the exit of the route. The doors to the ck sedan opened and four burly men alighted from the vehicle. The four burly men looked extremely menacing, and they had guns with them. Alice who had only taken three steps into the route went pale at the sight of the four men. She wanted to scream desperately, but no words came out from her mouth. She had gone dumb from fear. One of the four burly men approached Alice who stood rooted to the spot from fright and gave a sharp knock to the back of her head, making Alice go limp in his arms. He then carried her and pushed her unconscious body roughly into the sedan. Secondster, the sedan sped off. While the process seemed long, it all happened in less than forty seconds. In less than forty seconds, Alice was kidnapped. Chapter 134 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 134 Chapter 134 [Anthony¡®s caf¨¦] The interior of the caf¨¦ was quiet and serene. It was a bit empty, as not many people loved to have their dates in a caf¨¦, but one could still see a significant amount of people scattered across different tablesughing and discussing in low voices at a single nce. Darius was alone in his table, and a cup of ck coffee apanied him on the table. As Darius was incredibly attractive, both males and females kept stealing nces at him, the men jealous and envious, while the females smitten. Some bolddies even took pictures of him secretly. Darius of course noticed the stares he was getting, but he didn¡®t bother about it. Compared to the situation that urred with the freshmen female students when he arrived in his Bugatti earlier, the current situation wasn¡®t worth mentioning at all. He took another sip from his cup of ck coffee and let out a sigh. He nced at the ssy wristwatch strapped on his wrist and a frown crept unto his face. He had been waiting patiently at the caf¨¦ for thest thirty minutes, yet there was no sign of Alice. He had less than twenty minutes left before his first ss of the session began, and as a model student who had to survive on his schrship to remain in the university, he didn¡®t want to miss the ss. Darius felt angry that Alice had not showed up after thirty minutes. She was the one who called him out of the blue, yet she was nowhere to be found even after waiting so long. He fished out his phone from his pocket and dialed her number once more, but just like the ten previous times he dialed her number, it was unreachable. Unable to keep waiting anymore, Darius paid for his cup of coffee, left a generous tip for the waiter, and exited the caf¨¦. He walked leisurely to his lecture hall, since it was not very far, and he still had fifteen minutes left. At the current pace he was walking at, he would surely be able to get to his lecture hall on time. As he walked, an ominous feeling kept hovering over his head about Alice¡®s inability to show up, but he couldn¡®t ce his fingers on what it was. Although he hadn¡®t known Alice for long, from the few times he interacted with her, he knew she would never stand him up without informing him beforehand. Moreover, she was the one who invited him out this time. It made absolutely no sense for her to not show up at this time. This detail made her shunning the coffee date up even stranger. However, Darius wasn¡®t a god, so there was no way he could tell what was wrong. Still, he didn¡®t give up. He brought out his phone and opened the GPS tracker app he recently installed on his phone. The GPS tracker app was a new app that a subsidiarypany of Reid consortium recently produced. It was an app that could track anybody so as long as the phone was with them. Of course, otherpetitor apps could easily do this, but this app was very different, as it could pinpoint the exact location of the phone, while other apps would only give you a rough estimate of the location. Darius only had the app because he needed to test it at the time it was produced. He had no idea that the app would be so useful now. He silently thanked the department that designed the app as he input Alice¡®s phone number into the required box in the app. As expected, it only took twenty seconds for the app to locate where Alice. The moment Darius saw the location, his eyes widened in surprise. Yale city! The location of Alice¡®s phone read Yale city! Darius narrowed his eyes that instant. Yale city was more than an hour distance from Kingston University, so why was Alice who offered to treat him to coffee at Anthony¡®s caf¨¦ suddenly going to Yale city. What¡®s more was that ording to the app, the phone¡®s location was constantly changing, which meant that she was going even farther than Yale city. All of a sudden, the location that was reading clearly on Darius¡® phone went nk out of the blue. Darius was surprised at the sudden nk screen, but chalked it up to a technical issue from the app. He then restarted the app and tried to locate Alice again, but this time he was unsessful in his attempts. Darius immediately smelled foul y, and the ominous feeling that had been hovering over his head finally became clear. Although there was no evidence showing that Alice didn¡®t go to Yale city on her own decision, Darius couldn¡®t help but feel that there was a huge conspiracy about these sudden turn of events. He was 60% sure that she was not going to Yale city on her volition. His instincts told him that he had to get to the end of this matter, or the oue if he ignored it wouldn¡®t be one he would be able to bear. Without wasting any more time, he took a sharp detour and started walking towards his Bugatti. As he walked to his car, he made a phone call to the police. After all, what he had were just deductions, and a premonition. There was no solid evidence to support his im. The police were more professional than him in that regards, and with the array of resources at their disposal, they would be able to uncover more than he could. Meanwhile, while Darius was making a phone call to the police, Alice was in the ck sedan with the four burly men who kidnapped her. She was squeezed in between them in the backseat of the sedan, and as the sedan drove at high speed, she was greatly affected when the driver drove right past some potholes. The potholes made her unbnced, and she came into close contact with the two burly kidnappers beside her. She was very terrified of the burly men, so she dared not voice her difort at how ufortable she was. Alice remained as still as a quietke as the sedan drove, and it was unknown how long the sedan drove for, but just when her butt was beginning to get numb, the sedan came to a stop. The four burly men alighted from the ck sedan in hurried steps and roughly pulled Alice out of the vehicle. Alice screamed from fright, but before she could scream even further, a crisp sound was heard, and a burning sensation spread in her cheeks. One of the burly kidnappers had pped her. ¡°Shut up! One more sound from you and it won¡®t end with just a p!¡± the kidnapper who pped her yelled angrily. Alice nodded her head in fear, the stinging sensation and the very visible palm print on her cheeks giving her an indelible mark. She knew that if she offended them again by chance, it wouldn¡®t end well for her. The four burly men led Alice through a forest path, and walked for over twenty minutes in silence. Alice, who was still dressed in the outfit she picked for her coffee date with Darius, felt the insects biting her with gusto. Her outfit was clearly unsuitable for her to walk through a forest path, and with how quickly the burly men walked, she was afraid of being left behind, so she gritted her teeth and ignored the pain she felt. If asked to choose between wild animals and the kidnappers, she would definitely choose the kidnappers. The kidnappers were still humans after all. No one would love to be at the mercy of wild animals. After walking for another ten minutes, the four burly men finally came to a stop at a well built cabin. Alice who was already numb from the pain of the insect bites looked at the cabin in shock. Thest thing she expected to see was a cabin in the middle of a forest.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Moreover, this wasn¡®t your average cabin. It was a luxury cabin that must have cost millions of dors to build! Alice gulped and subconsciously remained behind. She didn¡®t want to go close to the cabin at all, but when the burly kidnapper who pped her earlier red at her coldly. She sucked in a cold breath and walked towards the cabin. As much as she didn¡®t want to enter the cabin, she also didn¡®t want to risk angering the burly kidnapper; therefore she obeyed him unwillingly and stepped into the cabin. The moment she stepped inside the cabin, a male voice, one that she could never forget, seeped into her ears. ¡°Did you miss me?¡± the male voice asked haughtily. Alice looked up to where the voice came from, shivering visibly from horror and fear, and when she saw the owner of the voice, her heart started beating rapidly against her chest. Chapter 135 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Jnr Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Alice couldn¡®t believe her eyes at the sight before her. The terror and fear she felt earlier increased tenfold in front of the owner of the voice. This was because the owner of the voice was none other than her high school ex boyfriend and heir to the Finn Conglomerate; Michael Finn! Michael Finn sat on a very luxurious white sofa as his grey eyes stared at Alice. He wore an impable white suit, with his hair jelled back and packed into a ponytail. His beard was clean shaven. He reeked of masculinity as he sat on the sofa, and he looked incredibly handsome. There was a table in front of him, and on the table was a half empty bottle of red wine, a rare brand that cost over six figures. His temperament was way mature and solid than it was three years ago. It was no wonder that so many of her high school friends wanted to date him, and were incredibly jealous when Alice was the one he chose. However, Alice knew that beneath those sparkling grey eyes was a scheming and brutal personality. If she had the power, she wouldn¡®t want anything to do with him at all. Michael Finn had a proud smirk on his face as he looked at Alice. He had waited so long for this day, the she would be finally brought to him, and it had finally happened. He was finally reconciled with his woman after more than three years. He stood up and walked towards Alice who had fallen to her knees from both fright and fatigue. Alice had walked hurriedly through the forest route, so her clothes were torn and dirty, and her hair was covered with leaves from the trees in the forest. Michael stretched his hands to caress her face, but Alice flinched and inched away from him. An imperceptible frown appeared on his face at Alice¡®s actions, but it barelysted a few moments before it disappeared. He was about to turn away from Alice when his eyes caught sight of a very visible palm print on her cheeks. He narrowed his eyes at the palm print on her cheeks and asked in a very dangerous voice. ¡°Who hit her?¡± Alice flinched again at how dangerous his tone sounded. Even though the question wasn¡®t directed at Alice, she could feel how angry he was from the tone of his voice. The four burly men who kidnapped Alice paled visibly at Michael¡®s question. They had been working under Michael for some time now, and they knew of his temper. Usually, they had kidnapped several people for him, and even tortured people who had gone against his wishes. Hence they were used to being brutal in their jobs. Before he ordered them to kidnap Alice, he made sure to inform them to treat Alice with the utmost care, and not a hair on her head should be hurt. However, they didn¡®t do that. Not only was Alice brought to him in a mess, one of them even had the audacity toy his hand on her. He could forgive them for Alice¡®s rough state, but he could never forgive the person whoid his hand on his woman. ¡°I asked you lot a question.¡± Michael stated in a cold voice. The four powerfully built kidnappers looked at each other briefly, before the kidnapper who pped Alice stepped out. Michael looked at the kidnapper and asked in chilly tone. ¡°You¡®re the one who pped her?¡± The kidnapper nodded his head timidly. Despite his heavily built frame, he was terrified of Michael. They had been working for him for a long time, so they knew how dangerous and brutal he could be when offended. ¡°Why?¡± Michael asked calmly. The kidnapper had barely opened his mouth to answer his question when a loud sound echoed in the room. Crash! Michael had smashed the half bottle of red wine against the brawny kidnapper¡®s head. ¡°How dare you?!¡± Michael yelled angrily,pletely shedding away his attitude of a very calm gentleman. The kidnapper fell to the ground with a loud thud, his hands grabbing his head as he fell. Soon enough, blood started pooling around his head from the wound he sustained on his head. However, Michael showed no sign of stopping. He raised the table the bottle of red wine was kept on, and smashed it on the body of the kidnapper. Crack! A loud bone crunching sound echoed in the room, and the table was smashed to pieces. The body of the kidnapper wasn¡®t well off either. His right arm was bent 90 degree in the opposite direction, creating a gory sight. The three kidnappers turned away from the scene, terror in their eyes. Alice held back a scream, completely horrified of the scene in front of her. If she wasn¡®t a strong adult, she would have peed herself in fear. Michael paid no attention to their reactions and still didn¡®t stop there. He kept on beating the kidnapper with the remainder of the table. The more he beat the kidnapper, more he recalled the palm print on Alice¡®s cheeks, and the more he recalled the palm print on Alice¡®s cheeks, the angrier he felt. It wasn¡®t until after five minutes of intense beating that Michael finally came to a stop. By the time he was done, the healthy muscr kidnapper from before couldn¡®t be recognized, and what was in his ce was a battered man with broken bones and severe injuries. Michael Finn had disyed his brutal personality once more. ¡°Take him out of here.¡± Michael ordered coldly, while wiping his hands stained with blood with a spotless handkerchief. The three kidnappers didn¡®t waste any second and rushed over to their batteredrade. They hoisted him up onto their shoulders and exited the cabin hastily to treat him, without even turning back. They were afraid they would end up in theirrade shoes if they wasted anymore time. Michael scoffed at their scurrying figures and turned back to Alice, a smile on his face. ¡°Now; where were we?¡± Michael asked gently, a charming smile gracing his lips. Although he looked incredibly handsome and charming with such a smile on his face, the only image Alice could see was one of a cold blooded devil. On the other hand, while Michael was beating up the kidnapper who pped Alice, Darius was speeding to Yale city, Alicest known location in his Bugatti. His phone call to the police proved to be very useful, and after expending a lot of resources, they discovered that Alice was indeed kidnapped. They were able to get their hands on the ck box footage of a car, and the car recorded when Alice was manhandled by four muscrly built men and pushed into a ck sedan. The kidnappers were not fools, and could be called top professionals in their profession. As such their car obviously had no license te, making it extremely hard for the police to track down the ck vehicle. The police immediately mobilized their top professionals, and started working hard to find where Alice was taken. The distance to Yale city was more than an hour from Kingston University, but Darius who was driving a super sports car worth millions of dors at top speed arrived at Yale city in less than twenty minutes. The policemen on traffic duty tried to caution Darius, but when they saw the luxurious sports car and the special license te, they refrained from doing so. The background of the owner was not something they could fathom or dare to annoy. As long as Darius didn¡®t cause any road idents, they would turn a blind eye to his high speed. While Darius was speeding to Yale city, he made a phone call to the chairman of the subsidiary company that produced the GPS tracker app. The phone only rang once before the chairman answered the phone call. ¡°Mr. Reid!¡± the chairman, Vita Layne answered excitedly but respectfully. ¡°I want the tech team of yourpany to use every means possible to find a close friend of mine.¡± Darius said curtly, ignoring Vita¡®s excited voice and going straight to the point. ¡°Certainly Mr. Reid!¡± Vita replied boldly. ¡°There¡®s no one that our tech team can¡®t find in this world! Leave it to us!¡± Vita yelled boastfully. Who was Mr. Reid? Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. He was someone who he couldn¡®t hope to meet on a normal basis. Now that the said big shot contacted him first to ask for his services, he would be a fool if he couldn¡®t fulfill it. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and there was no way he would let it pass. ¡°Good.¡± Darius said powerfully. ¡°If youplete this job well, I would reward you ordingly.¡± Darius added after half a second. Vita¡®s excited breathing became even more erratic from the other end of the phone, and Darius could imagine the short man sweating profusely from excitement. ¡°Rest assured Mr. Reid! This task you¡®ve entrusted to me will bepleted in no time!¡± Vita promised boldly. Darius then gave Vita Alice¡®s details before disconnecting the phone call, and let out a distressed sigh. He had no idea who the kidnappers were, so all he could do was pray that Alice could hang on until he found her. Chapter 136 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 136 Read The Consortium¡¯s Heir Chapter 136 ¨C Alice couldn¡®t believe her eyes at the sight before her. The terror and fear she felt earlier increased tenfold in front of the owner of the voice. This was because the owner of the voice was none other than her high school ex boyfriend and heir to the Finn Conglomerate; Michael Finn! Michael Finn sat on a very luxurious white sofa as his grey eyes stared at Alice. He wore an impable white suit, with his hair jelled back and packed into a ponytail. His beard was clean shaven. He reeked of masculinity as he sat on the sofa, and he looked incredibly handsome. There was a table in front of him, and on the table was a half empty bottle of red wine, a rare brand that cost over six figures. His temperament was way mature and solid than it was three years ago. It was no wonder that so many of her high school friends wanted to date him, and were incredibly jealous when Alice was the one he chose. However, Alice knew that beneath those sparkling grey eyes was a scheming and brutal personality. If she had the power, she wouldn¡®t want anything to do with him at all. Michael Finn had a proud smirk on his face as he looked at Alice. He had waited so long for this day, the she would be finally brought to him, and it had finally happened. He was finally reconciled with his woman after more than three years. He stood up and walked towards Alice who had fallen to her knees from both fright and fatigue. Alice had walked hurriedly through the forest route, so her clothes were torn and dirty, and her hair was covered with leaves from the trees in the forest. Michael stretched his hands to caress her face, but Alice flinched and inched away from him. An imperceptible frown appeared on his face at Alice¡®s actions, but it barely Alice when his eyes caught sight of a very visible palm print on her cheeks. He narrowed his eyes at the palm print on her cheeks and asked in a very dangerous voice. ¡°Who hit her?¡± Alice flinched again at how dangerous his tone sounded. Even though the question wasn¡®t directed at Alice, she could feel how angry he was from the tone of his voice. The four burly men who kidnapped Alice paled visibly at Michael¡®s question. They had been working under Michael for some time now, and they knew of his temper. Usually, they had kidnapped several people for him, and even tortured people who had gone against his wishes. Hence they were used to being brutal in their jobs. Before he ordered them to kidnap Alice, he made sure to inform them to treat Alice with the utmost care, and not a hair on her head should be hurt. However, they didn¡®t do that. Not only was Alice brought to him in a mess, one of them even had the audacity toy his hand on her. He could forgive them for Alice¡®s rough state, but he could never forgive the person whoid his hand on his woman. ¡°I asked you lot a question.¡± Michael stated in a cold voice. The four powerfully built kidnappers looked at each other briefly, before the kidnapper who pped Alice stepped out. Michael looked at the kidnapper and asked in chilly tone. ¡°You¡®re the one who pped her?¡± The kidnapper nodded his head timidly. Despite his heavily built frame, he was terrified of Michael. They had been working for him for a long time, so they knew how dangerous and brutal he could be when offended. ¡°Why?¡± Michael asked calmly. The kidnapper had barely opened his mouth to answer his question when a loud sound echoed in the room. Crash! Michael had smashed the half bottle of red wine against the brawny kidnapper¡®s head. ¡°How dare you?!¡± Michael yelled angrily,pletely shedding away his attitude of a very calm gentleman. The kidnapper fell to the ground with a loud thud, his hands grabbing his head as he fell. Soon enough, blood started pooling around his head from the wound he sustained on his head. However, Michael showed no sign of stopping. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. He raised the table the bottle of red wine was kept on, and smashed it on the body of the kidnapper. Crack! A loud bone crunching sound echoed in the room, and the table was smashed to pieces. The body of the kidnapper wasn¡®t well off either. His right arm was bent 90 degree in the opposite direction, creating a gory sight. The three kidnappers turned away from the scene, terror in their eyes. Alice held back a scream,pletely horrified of the scene in front of her. If she wasn¡®t a strong adult, she would have peed herself in fear. Michael paid no attention to their reactions and still didn¡®t stop there. He kept on beating the kidnapper with the remainder of the table. The more he beat the kidnapper, more he recalled the palm print on Alice¡®s cheeks, and the more he recalled the palm print on Alice¡®s cheeks, the angrier he felt. It wasn¡®t until after five minutes of intense beating that Michael finally came to a stop. By the time he was done, the healthy muscr kidnapper from before couldn¡®t be recognized, and what was in his ce was a battered man with broken bones and severe injuries. Michael Finn had disyed his brutal personality once more. ¡°Take him out of here.¡± Michael ordered coldly, while wiping his hands stained with blood with a spotless handkerchief. The three kidnappers didn¡®t waste any second and rushed over to their batteredrade. They hoisted him up onto their shoulders and exited the cabin hastily to treat him, without even turning back. They were afraid they would end up in their Michael scoffed at their scurrying figures and turned back to Alice, a smile on his face. ¡°Now; where were we?¡± Michael asked gently, a charming smile gracing his lips. Although he looked incredibly handsome and charming with such a smile on his face, the only image Alice could see was one of a cold blooded devil. On the other hand, while Michael was beating up the kidnapper who pped Alice, Darius was speeding to Yale city, Alicest known location in his Bugatti. His phone call to the police proved to be very useful, and after expending a lot of resources, they discovered that Alice was indeed kidnapped. They were able to get their hands on the ck box footage of a car, and the car recorded when Alice was manhandled by four muscrly built men and pushed into a ck sedan. The kidnappers were not fools, and could be called top professionals in their profession. As such their car obviously had no license te, making it extremely hard for the police to track down the ck vehicle. The police immediately mobilized their top professionals, and started working hard to find where Alice was taken. The distance to Yale city was more than an hour from Kingston University, but Darius who was driving a super sports car worth millions of dors at top speed arrived at Yale city in less than twenty minutes. The policemen on traffic duty tried to caution Darius, but when they saw the luxurious sports car and the special license te, they refrained from doing so. The background of the owner was not something they could fathom or dare to annoy. As long as Darius didn¡®t cause any road idents, they would turn a blind eye to his high speed. While Darius was speeding to Yale city, he made a phone call to the chairman of the subsidiarypany that produced the GPS tracker app. The phone only rang once before the chairman answered the phone call. ¡°Mr. Reid!¡± the chairman, Vita Layne answered excitedly but respectfully. ¡°I want the tech team of yourpany to use every means possible to find a close friend of mine.¡± Darius said curtly, ignoring Vita¡®s excited voice and going straight to the point. ¡°Certainly Mr. Reid!¡± Vita replied boldly. ¡°There¡®s no one that our tech team can¡®t find in this world! Leave it to us!¡± Vita yelled boastfully. Who was Mr. Reid? He was someone who he couldn¡®t hope to meet on a normal basis. Now that the said big shot contacted him first to ask for his services, he would be a fool if he couldn¡®t fulfill it. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and there was no way he would let it pass. ¡°Good.¡± Darius said powerfully. ¡°If youplete this job well, I would reward you ordingly.¡± Darius added after half a second. Vita¡®s excited breathing became even more erratic from the other end of the phone, and Darius could imagine the short man sweating profusely from excitement. ¡°Rest assured Mr. Reid! This task you¡®ve entrusted to me will be . Darius then gave Vita Alice¡®s details before disconnecting the phone call, and let out a distressed sigh. He had no idea who the kidnappers were, so all he could do was pray that Alice could hang on until he found her. Chapter 137 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Michael and Alice both had surprised looks on their faces. They were extremely shocked to see Darius walking past the door. Darius sudden entrance relieved and delighted Alice, who was about to agree to Michael¡¯s demand. She got up from her knees and threw herself into Darius¡¯ arms. Her actions inevitably softened the icy expression he had on his face. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. The moment Alice sank into his arms, all the fear she felt from the moment of her kidnap to this current moment melted away, and she cried loudly. She had never felt so secured before in her life, and different turbulent emotions rocked her. A dark expression appeared on Michael¡¯s face as he watched Alice throw herself at Darius. He was incredibly furious at the moment. ¡°How did you find us?!¡± Michael yelled angrily. He had spent a lot of money to build this cabin in the middle of the forest, so that he wouldn¡¯t be easily discovered by the police or private detectives. However, it had been less than 12 hours since his subordinates kidnapped Alice. How on earth did Darius find him so quickly? Darius fixed his gaze on Michael after hearing his question, and the anger he felt from earlier returned tenfold. He was extremely d that he was able to arrive on time. After driving in his Bugatti at top speed, he was able to arrive at Ophen Hills in an hour instead of the stipted three hours. After that, he spent over ten minutes searching relentlessly for the cabin in the forest. If it weren¡¯t for the minute tracks the kidnappers left behind in their wake, he wouldn¡¯t have found the cabin so quickly. ¡°Why did you kidnap Alice?¡± Darius asked angrily. ¡°That is none of your business.¡± Michael replied coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you found this ce, but you won¡¯t leave this ce alive!¡± Michael said threateningly. ¡°Come out!¡± Michael yelled, and almost immediately, the three heavily built men who kidnapped Alice appeared in the broken door and entered the room. The fourth kidnapper who was beaten severely by Michael was just treated recently and was still recovering. Darius instantly tensed up when the kidnappers appeared. He could tell that Michael had spent a hefty sum of money hiring these kidnappers, as they were incredibly threatening, even for him. They certainly had substantial amount of kills. ¡°The three of you listen closely. I want him dead.¡± Michael ordered coldly. The three kidnappers nodded obediently at Michael¡¯s words and started moving towards Darius, eliciting a frown from Darius, ¡°Stand back.¡± Darius ordered Alice in a steady tone. He then took off his jacket and covered Alice¡¯s shoulders with it. This happened in the span of five seconds, Alice felt warmer than ever when Darius casual but expensive jacket covered her shoulders, and the sense of security she felt increased exponentially. Every woman wanted their man to be able to offer them a sense of security, and this was true even in ancient times, and Alice was no different. This was why the feelings she felt for Darius intensified by tenfold. At this point, she would do whatever Darius instructed her to do without question. Michael saw Darius¡¯ actions and even became angrier than he currently was. ¡°Make sure you kill him!¡± Michael yelled cynically. Darius tensed up and stretched every part of his body to the extreme, and the three kidnappers did the same. The moment of silence and inactivity between them was just them weighing up each other abilities, and once they got a rough estimate of each other¡¯s strength, they would strike After one minute of staring each other down, the fight happened. Darius was the first one to rush forward,unching a powerful kick towards the direction of one of the kidnappers. Bang! A loud sound echoed in the room as Darius¡¯ legs connected with the stomach of the kidnapper. The kidnapper groaned loudly in pain when the kick connected, and flew back from the force of the kick Darius, who had meditated every morning and practiced the series of movements in the Journals of Madra¡¯ everyday had seen a significant improve in strength, and could not bepared with how he was during the assassination attempt. The three kidnappers looked at Darius with grim expressions after seeing his kick. They thought that he would be an easy fight, but his kick had shown them that if they didn¡¯t take him seriously, they wouldn¡¯t know how they lost. The two kidnappers who were still standing shared a brief nce with each other, then ran towards Darius and attacked him at the same time. The kidnappers were strong on their own right, so when faced with thebined of the two kidnappers, he inevitably felt a sense of crisis. sh! Darius raised his arms in front of him to block the attacks from the two kidnappers, but he still moved back more than five steps because of the force packed in the attacks. By this time, the third kidnapper had recovered from Darius¡¯ kick, and joined the fray and attacked Darius. Sounds ofbat filled the room as Darius engaged in a tough fight with the three kidnappers. Michael watched the fight with a very grim expression on his face. The fight had been going on for three minutes now, and it was very intense. After spending a lot of money to hire the kidnappers, he thought that they would be able to take care of any issues they encountered, yet the situation in front of him waspletely different from what he envisioned. Not only were they not able to take care of him after three minutes, they were even on the losing end of the fight! On the other hand, Alice was incredibly happy when she saw Darius holding his end against the three kidnappers. She never knew Darius was this strong. He seemed like the attacks were not even hurting him! Darius on the contrary, was under a lot of pressure when faced with thebined attacks from the three kidnappers. Unlike what Alice and Michael thought, Darius knew that any slip up would result in a fatal injury for him. The fight continued for two more minutes, and Darius was about tounch a finishing blow to one of the kidnappers, but the kidnapper dodged the attack at thest second. Unfortunately, as the room was a bit cramped for such an intense fight, this put Alice directly in the path of Darius attack. Darius narrowly moved his attack away from Alice, but this created an opening for the kidnappers to capitalize on. Crack! Three powerful blowsnded on three critical points on Darius body, and Darius flew back from the force of the attacks. The three kidnappers rushed over to Darius, not giving him any sign of reprieve. Faced with a slurry of attacks, and left with no way to defend against them, Darius was injured severely by the kidnappers. Just as one of the kidnappers wanted tond a critical blow to Darius¡¯ head, several bright lights shone onto the cabin, illuminating the cabin, and several loud helicopter sounds could be heard Darius let out a knowing smile the moment he heard the sounds. The police had arrived just in the nick of time! Chapter 138 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Outside the cabin, more than six police helicopters shone their bright lights on the cabin, and more than sixteen police vehicles surrounded the cabin. The policemen all alighted the vehicles fully armed with weapons and trained them on the cabin and were ready to shoot at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°This is the police! Keep your hands in the air and exit the cabin obediently; otherwise we will be obligated to use forceful means.¡± A police officer who seemed to be in charge of the rescue operation said loudly. Michael, who maintained hisposure during the duration of Darius¡¯ fight with the kidnappers could not maintain hisposure when faced with such an extravagant line up of policemen. ¡°What are they doing here?!¡± Michael yelled loudly, his face paling in horror. The appearance of the police made him incredibly panicked. As the current head of the Finn conglomerate, he could not be involved in any controversial issues, or the hard work he and his ancestors had put to grow the Finn conglomerate would be rendered useless! Michael wasn¡¯t the only one panicking. The kidnappers were even more panicked than Michael at the arrival of the police. This was expected, as their boss Michael came from a wealthy background, so they wouldn¡¯t dare kill him. However the same couldn¡¯t be said for them. They were henchmen at most, and based on Michael¡¯s character, he wouldn¡¯t mind them taking the fall for him. Darius forced himself to his feet, and stood in front of Alice while the kidnappers were still surprised by the appearance of the police. Although his injuries were severe, the self healing trait of the golden liquid was already kicking in, so Darius was able to move about fairly easily. ¡°The police has arrived, and they are fully prepared, so there¡¯s nowhere for you to run. Turn yourselves in, and this issue won¡¯t beplicated further.¡± Darius said to the kidnappers between gritted teeth. The kidnappers looked at one another after hearing Darius¡¯ statement, different thoughts running through their mind. Nheless, the subtle gaze they shared with one another agreed on one thing, and they were leaning towards Darius¡¯ statement. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him! There is a way for us to get out of this unscathed. Just trust me!¡± Michael yelled loudly, afraid that the kidnappers would really be convinced by Darius¡¯ words. Darius took note of the change in the expression of the kidnappers, and pressed further. ¡°There are already several fully armed police officers waiting for the order to raid this cabin. If you don¡¯t concede now and turn yourselves in, they will be forced to use unscrupulous means. By then, no one will be able to save you.¡± Darius started. ¡°On the other hand, if you turn yourselves in now, you will surely be shown leniency when tried for your crimes. The choice is yours.¡± Darius concluded; his eyes still trained on the three kidnappers. The four kidnappers shared a nce with each other, and let out a sigh. They then raised their hands and moved right into the spot where the bright lights from the helicopters were shining and yelled loudly. ¡°We surrender!¡± Michael had a horrified expression at his subordinates¡¯ concession and roared loudly. ¡°What the hell do you think you three are doing?!¡± ¡°Do not believe that son of a bitch!¡± Michael yelled crazily; yet the kidnappers showed no sign of obeying Michael¡¯s yells. Even though they were subconsciously afraid of Michael, they were not fools, and they knew which decision was right for them. ¡°Put your hands on your head ande out!¡± the police officer in charge of the case yelled into a loudspeaker. The four kidnappers shared a nce with each other and exited the cabin, their hands on their head. Darius shared a brief nce with Alice, after which she followed the kidnappers outside the cabin. Michael¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot when he saw Alice escaping his grasp once again, but there was nothing he could do now. . The police were outside, and Darius was standing close to Alice. After Darius held his ground against the four kidnappers, Michael didn¡¯t think he could outmatch Darius in a fight. As soon as Alice exited the cabin, several medical personnel rushed forward to examine her; carefully leading her to the ambnce dispatched in case of injuries. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Darius let out a sigh of relief when the kidnappers surrendered. He thought they would go crazy from the pressure the police applied and do something stupid, but luckily they still had a clear grasp of their situation.¡± ¡°Mr. Michael Finn, your involvement in this kidnapping case has been confirmed. Please exit the cabin and turn yourself in, or you will put yourself in an even more disadvantageous position.¡± The police man in charge of the rescue operation yelled loudly into the loudspeaker. ¡°You!¡± Michael bellowed angrily and pointed at Darius in fury. He wanted to speak, but he was so angry that he could not get the words out of his mouth. Darius looked at him coldly, and said in an icy tone. ¡°You brought this upon yourself, and you have no one but yourself to me.¡± Darius stated; and also started making his way out of the cabin. Michael red at Darius for a few seconds, beforeughing loudly. ¡°If I can¡¯t defeat you, then we just have to die together!¡± Michael roared manically in a crazed tone. Darius felt a malicious feeling the moment Michael startedughing, so he turned to face him immediately The moment he did however, his eyes widened in shock; for Michael had pulled out a menacing pistol, and aimed it at him! Chapter 139 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Beads of sweat drooped down Darius¡¯ face when faced with the menacing pistol in Michael¡¯s hand. The safety of the pistol was off, and the moment Michael pulled the trigger, a bullet would be embedded in Darius¡¯ heart. Darius felt genuine fear when faced with the gun trained on his heart. He wasn¡¯t a fool, so he knew that with the amount of training he had now, there was no absolutely no way he could dodge a bullet. The instant Michael shot him, Darius would be a goner. Alice¡¯s eyes widened in shock and horror the second she saw the menacing pistol in Michael¡¯s hands; and her heart started pounding rapidly. Her blood immediately ran cold, and she had never felt so much fear in her life before. ¡°Wait!¡± Darius bellowed loudly just as Michael was about to pull the trigger. Michael paused and looked at Darius with a sinister gaze; while the police officers outside the cabin moved closer to the cabin the moment they saw a firearm in Michael¡¯s hands. ¡°Do you have anyst words?¡± Michael asked sinisterly, the gun still trained on Darius¡¯ heart. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± Darius pleaded. ¡°There is still a chance for you to make aeback. At most you just have to face charges for kidnapping. With your wealth and status, you wouldn¡¯t spend more than five years in prison; but the moment you shoot me, even if I don¡¯t die, you will be charged with attempted murder.¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°This time, you will not be able to worm your way out of this no matter your status. Are you sure you want to do this?¡± Darius pleaded, trying to speak sense into Michael. Michael looked at Darius andughed manically. ¡°You took my woman away from me, and now you¡¯re pleading for leniency. Do you think you¡¯re in any position to plead for mercy?¡± Michael asked cynically. ¡°You¡¯re right. The moment I shoot you, I would no longer be able to save myself. Even then, I still have to kill you.¡± Michael stated firmly; and with that statement, he pulled the trigger on the pistol. Bang! A split secondter, Darius only felt something solid embed itself on his chest, and he swayed unsteadily for a few seconds before his whole world turned ck. ¡°Darius!¡± Alice screamed loudly the second the bullet connected with Darius¡¯ chest. Her heart squeezed painfully as she watched Darius sway unsteadily on his feet before dropping to the ground, a pool of blood forming around his feet. She tried to run towards Darius who was lying motionless in the cabin, but the police forcefully held her back Gunshot sounds soon rang out in the forest, scaring the wild animals and birds in the forest area. Of course, the gunshot sounds were from the police, who had shed all forms of civility with Michael and opted for the forceful approach to arrest him. Since he had shot a civilian, there was no need to be so cautious with him. Sure enough, the round of shooting was brutal, and a bullet struck Michael¡¯s arms. With the remaining strength he had left, he brought out a smoke bomb he prepared for the worst case scenario and threw it into the clearing,pletely obstructing the police officers¡¯ view. He then fled into the vast forest using the secret route he had prepared beforehand. However, no matter how prepared Michael was, he was going up against the police. Coupled with the fact that he was shot and was already bleeding, his physical condition could clearly not keep up with a high speed chase. ¡°He¡¯s fleeing into the woods! After him!¡± A police officer with keen eyes shouted after spotting Michael¡¯s fleeing figure amidst the thick smoke. Immediately, more than half of the police officers went into hot pursuit, while the remaining police officers stayed behind to guard the area. Some policemen ran into the cabin and wheeled the critically injured Darius out of the cabin on a stretcher and handed him over to the medical personnel present. Meanwhile, Michael was running as fast as he could in the dark forest, but he could hear the footsteps of the police officers on hot pursuit. It waste in the night, and the forest was dark, but the police were fully prepared with bright lights and torches lighting up the dark forest. The police hounds were also tracing Michael¡¯s scent, and were leading the police in the right direction. Michael gritted his teeth and ran; his calm and rxed demeanor nowhere to be found anymore. His impable suit was stained with blood and dirt, and several scratches could be found on his skin, but he could not care less about that. He was just focused on evading the police and making it to safety. Completely focused on running away, he didn¡¯t notice a dark figure had suddenly appeared in the middle of the path he was running on. By the time he focused his attention on the path, it was toote for him to slow down, so he crashed directly into the figure. ¡°Son of a bitch!¡± Michael cursed angrily; but there was also a bit of fear in his voice. He never expected to suddenly see someone in the middle of the forest when he was running from the police. Moreover, he could barely see this figure, and a creepy aura kept emanating from the figure, eliciting goosebumps on his skin. ¡°Who are you?¡± Michael asked fearfully. ¡°Michael Finn?¡± The figure asked in a gravelly voice, ignoring Michael¡¯s question and returning it with a question of his own. The figure¡¯s voice had apelling force to it, and Michael feltpelled to answer his question, ¡°Yes I am Michael Finn. Who are you and what do you want?¡± Michael asked shakily. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know who I am, and as for what I want, that is very simple. My master wishes to see you, soe with me.¡± The figure answered. Michael looked at the figure with aplex gaze. He could hear the sounds of the police hounds barking, and knew that the police officers were drawing nearer to his location. ¡°How do I know that you¡¯re not after my life?¡± Michael asked skeptically. He didn¡¯t feel inclined to follow the figure just like that. ¡°Your life is basically over the moment the police officers arrest you. If you don¡¯t want to follow me and struggle for a few more seconds before you¡¯re finally arrested, be my guest.¡± The figure said nonchntly. He certainly wasn¡¯t bothered about Michael¡¯s survival. ¡°Alright! I agree! I¡¯ll follow you.¡± Michael gritted his teeth and said in a pained voice. ¡°Good; now let¡¯s get out of here.¡± the figure said and grabbed Michael hands, leading him out of the forest. Just a few secondster, the police officers arrived at the spot Michael met the mysterious figure. However, they couldn¡¯t find any tracks to follow from that spot onwards. It was like he just vanished from the face of the forest. The police officers didn¡¯t give up though, and searched the forest thoroughly for any sign of Michael. Unfortunately, they were unable to find anything. Just then, a message came from the police officer in charge of the kidnapping case. ¡°Did you find him?!¡± the police officer¡¯s voice came urgently from the walkie-talkie. The police officers shared nces with each other before one of them replied dejectedly. ¡°No chief. We lost him.¡± Chapter 140 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 140 ¡°What do you mean by you lost him?!¡± The chief police officer in charge of the kidnapping case yelled into the walkie-talkie. The police officer with the walkie-talkie grimaced at his superior¡¯s harsh tone. He knew that they would be receiving an earful the moment he returned from the search. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s exactly what I said chief. There¡¯s no track anymore. We can¡¯t find him at all. It¡¯s almost as if he just disappeared from the forest.¡± The police officer replied bitterly. ¡°And you want me to believe that?!¡± The chief police officer yelled angrily. ¡°Chief-¡± ¡°Never mind. I shouldn¡¯t have trusted you lot with something so important. Come back now; and don¡¯t let me wait for you more than necessary!¡± The chief police officer yelled furiously and ended the conversation. The police officer sighed and raised his head to the other police officers before yelling. ¡°Stop searching and pack up! We¡¯re going back!¡± The police officers obeyed his orders and started packing, and in less than a minute, the once rowdy forest was now empty and silent once again. Back at the cabin, Darius had been given world ss emergency treatment and was now wheeled into an ambnce. The paramedics were all present in the ambnce, and were now about to leave. Alice whose heart was wrenching at Darius¡¯ injury was restricted entry into the ambnce Darius was wheeled into; but this only served to increase her worry and rightfully so. The nearest hospital was located in the heart of Yale city, which was more than three hours away, so it was hard to say if Darius would survive during those three hours. Alice who was the victim of the kidnapping still needed to give her statement to the police, plus she was also dirty from the rough 36 hours she had, so she needed to clean up too. Just as she was getting into the police van, the police officers who embarked on the hunt for Michael arrived at the cabin. She could see the chief police yelling at them, but she couldn¡¯t make out what was being said. Before she could pay close attention to their discussion, the police van she was in started and drove off. The ambnce drove at top speed to the nearest hospital, while the paramedics in the ambnce kept on administering emergency treatment to Darius. There was so much blood around Darius, and as the bullet was just an inch away from his heart, it was unknown whether he would survive till they arrived at the hospital. However, the paramedics were soon shocked at Darius¡¯ perseverance. Despite the huge amount of blood lost, Darius was able to maintain his health just above the danger level! The paramedics had no idea that this was because of the self healing trait the golden liquid gave Darius. He was able to continually heal and maintain his health just above the danger level because of the self healing trait. Nheless, the self healing trait was not omnipotent, so unless the bullet embedded in Darius¡¯ chest was removed, Darius would never be fully healed; and if it wasn¡¯t removed soon, Darius¡¯ health would surely take a huge hit. Luckily, the ambnce was able to arrive at the hospital two hourster, one hour ahead of the scheduled time. The hospital had already been contacted ahead of time, so when the ambnce arrived at the hospital, Darius was quickly wheeled into the operating theatre and had the best of surgeons operate on him. Meanwhile, while Darius was being operated on, Bruce was driving Darius¡¯ grandfather to the hospital. ¡°Damn Darius! How many times has he gotten critically injured?! Is he tired of living?!¡± His grandfather cursed angrily; but the worry on his face and voice could not be hidden. The moment he was contacted by the hospital as Darius¡¯ next of kin, he immediately ordered Bruce to drive him to Yale city, not caring how far of a distance it was from the Reid Mansion to the hospital. This clearly showed how worried Darius¡¯ grandfather was. ¡°Who was responsible for his injury?!¡± His grandfather asked angrily, and the wrath of vengeance could be seen roiling in his eyes. ¡°ording to the police, it was the current head of the Finn conglomerate, Michael Finn who was responsible for his critical state.¡± Bruce answered. ¡°What exactly happened?¡± Darius grandfather asked with a frown on his face. Bruce then narrated what happened from the moment Darius discovered Alice was kidnapped, to the search for her, and to when he got shot by Michael. There was a deep frown on Darius¡¯ grandfather¡¯s face as Bruce narrated what happened, and the frown only deepened as Bruce kept narrating. By the time Bruce was done narrating the events that led to Darius¡¯ shooting in detail, there was a sinister frown on James Reid¡¯s face. Just as he finished narrating the events, Bruce drove the white Rolls-Royce into the hospital grounds. He parked the car neatly and alighted from the vehicle. He then led Darius¡¯ grandfather straight to the theatre waiting room where Darius was still operated on. In the waiting room was Alice, who had just finished giving her statement to the police. She had been there thirty minutes after Darius was wheeled into the operating room, and refused to leave for whatsoever reason. She even refused to take her bath and clean up, opting to wait until she heard the oue of Darius¡¯ surgery before doing such. When she saw Darius grandfather walk into the waiting room, the atmosphere became unbearably tense for her. After all, James Reid was the former head of a financial group whose wealth couldn¡¯t be measured. His aura wasn¡¯t something a normal person like Alice could handle. Darius¡¯ grandfather red at her angrily, as it was because of her kidnap that his grandson was fighting for his life in the operating theatre. His re made Alice very scared, but he didn¡¯t say anything to her and just sat down, also opting to wait for the oue of the surgery, while Bruce stood still behind him. After the three of them waited for an hour more, the door to the theatre room opened and the doctor in charge of Darius¡¯ operation walked out. Chapter 141 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 141 Chapter 141 The moment the doctor exited the operation theatre; Alice, Darius¡¯ grandfather and Bruce all rushed forward to meet him. They were very anxious about the oue of the surgery, and thest few hours of wait was very torturous to them. ¡°How is my grandson?! Is he okay?!¡± Darius¡¯ grandfather asked in a voice that left no room for a negative response. The doctor gulped when faced with Darius¡¯ grandfather¡¯s questioning. He didn¡¯t know much about the old man in front of him, but from his regal demeanor, he could tell that he was not someone he could offend. His years of experience as a surgeon told him that. ¡°Your grandson is very alright sir. The surgery was a 100% sess; and it¡¯s only a matter of time before he is back to full health.¡± The doctor said carefully, afraid that any of his words would anger the old man in front of him. Luckily; the old man didn¡¯t get angry at his words, and only breathed out a sigh of relief. Alice also made use of this opportunity to slip away from Darius¡¯ grandfather. This was the first time she was meeting a rtive of Darius, and his grandfather at that. Alice didn¡¯t want to engage in a conversation with him so soon, and since she had already confirmed that Darius was out of danger, she decided to take her leave now. She would visit himter when he was awake. Besides, she was really dirty and needed to take a shower. ¡°That¡¯s good. You did well.¡± Darius¡¯ grandfather said in a relieved tone. ¡°Bruce, make sure to reward him.¡± Darius¡¯ grandfather added after a second. The doctor didn¡¯t know the significance of James Reid¡¯s reward was, so he only smiled dumbly in response to his words. ¡°Another thing kind sir,¡± the doctor said carefully, gently attracting James¡¯ attention to himself once again. James turned to him and arched one of his eyebrows, while waiting for the doctor to speak. ¡°Ahem.¡± The doctor cleared his throat and spoke up. ¡°Even though the surgery is a 100 percent sess, the patient still needs to be monitored carefully, and is in need of some treatment procedures for faster recovery.¡± The doctor said in a low tone.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°And?¡± Darius grandfather asked impatiently. ¡°The equipments at this hospital are not enough to speed up his recovery. He will need to be transferred to a world ss hospital where all the equipments are present.¡± The doctor said. Darius¡¯ grandfather frowned, and made a mental note to make a hefty donation to this hospital. After all they were the reason his grandson was still alive now. ¡°Okay.¡± Darius¡¯ grandfather acquiesced. ¡°Then if you¡¯ll excuse me,¡± The doctor bowed and walked towards the restroom. He was tired after the long surgery and needed to wash up. After that, he would take a well deserved nap. James Reid looked at the theatre room where his grandson currentlyid and let out a sigh, before a sharp and ruthless glint appeared in his eyes. ¡°Get me everything there is to know about this Finn conglomerate. I would like to see what made them so bold.¡± James Reid ordered in an icy tone, and even Bruce felt a shiver run down his spine. The rest of the days went as nned. Darius was transferred the next day to a surprising yet familiar hospital, Serene Hospital. The hospital was one of the best in the district, with a lot of state of the art medical facilities and equipments, so it wasn¡¯t a surprising thought that Darius was transferred to the hospital. News of Alice kidnap couldn¡¯t be kept under wraps, especially when a huge entourage of police officers was on the road leading to Ophen Hills. Their movements certainly generated a lot of fanfare, and it only took a little investigation to find out the reason behind the police appearance. Darius and Alice then entered the spotlight, especially in Kingston University. Alice was greatly envied wherever she went as Darius; a well known wealthy student had ced himself right on the forefront of danger to save Alice. There was also the fact that Darius was handsome, and therefore he was the perfect example of a heart throb. Many students began wondering if he was now in a rtionship with Alice. On the other hand, the moment Darius¡¯ ex roommates and friends heard of his admission to Serene Hospital, they rushed over to the hospital immediately. As Darius was a very important figure, he was naturally admitted to the best room in the hospital, with three pretty nurses attending to him at every moment. There were also two policemen stationed outside his hospital room, as they had to protect him since his statement hadn¡¯t been taken yet. Even though it had been days since his surgery, none of the policemen dared to question Darius during his recovery period, especially after they had been scolded severely by their superiors for not being able to apprehend the culprit, Michael Finn. They had been instructed to wait until Darius was fully healed before taking his statement. When Darius¡¯ closest friends, Marcus, Greg and Rudd arrived at the hospital, they were denied ess to Darius¡¯ hospital room; but after learning that they were in fact Darius¡¯ close friends, the receptionist didn¡¯t dare hold them back anymore and granted them ess to his room immediately. ¡°Darius!¡± Greg hollered the moment he entered the room. ¡°Hey Greg.¡± Darius greeted back in a low voice. It was really a close shave this time. He didn¡¯t expect that Michael would suddenly pull out a pistol and shoot him. He was incredibly lucky that he survived this ordeal. ¡°How are you doing man?¡± Rudd asked; worry evident in his voice and expression. ¡°I¡¯ve been better.¡± Darius replied with a small smile on his face. ¡°That¡¯s great news. I was so worried when I heard what happened.¡± Greg started. The four of them then engaged in small talk, keeping the conversation light as they didn¡¯t want to stress Darius more than he already was. They were just in the middle of a conversation when the door abruptly opened. They ceased their conversation and turned to the door, but the moment the four of themid their eyes on the person who walked in, astonishment was written all on their faces! Chapter 142 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 142 Greg and his friends¡¯ astonishment were very understandable; as the person who entered the s room was none other than J Fox, the number two beauty in Kingston University! J was dressed casually, her blonde hair tied into azy ponytail. However, her casual dress did nothing to hide her ethereal like beauty and her hourss shape. Her beauty was even more pronounced by the casual clothing she wore. ¡°Darius! What happened to you?¡± J asked worriedly the moment she entered the room, and did somethingpletely shocking the next moment and threw herself right on to Darius whoy on the bed! Greg, Marcus and Rudd all had extremely shocked expression on their faces, like they had just seen a fish run onnd. This was the second ranked beauty in Kingston University! How on earth did Darius manage to get so close to J Fox?! Darius was also quite shocked himself, if not more shocked at J¡¯s behavior. While they knew each other, they could certainly be called acquaintances at most. They were certainly not close enough for her to hug him tightly. ¡°J, you¡¯re hurting me.¡± Darius said weakly. J twin peaks were buried against Darius¡¯ rock hard chest, and it was making it hard for him to focus, especially as J kept moving around in his arms. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Finally, after a few seconds, J separated from Darius¡¯ arms, giving Darius a well needed break ¡°Could you tell me what happened to you? When I heard that you were admitted to the hospital I was so worried!¡± J whined pitifully to Darius. Darius had no choice but to narrate the kidnapping event to J, but he made sure to keep the story short and concise. When he was done with his narration, J had an angry expression on her face. ¡°That bastard Michael Finn!¡± J cursed angrily. It wasn¡¯t just her who was angered by Michael¡¯s ridiculous behavior. Greg, Marcus and Rudd were also angry at Michael¡¯s behavior. Even though this wasn¡¯t the first time they were hearing Darius narrate what happened, they were still angered by Michael¡¯s behavior. ¡°How ipetent are the police? They even managed to let him escape after everything he did!¡± J said angrily. ¡°They have released his pictures to the masses and ced them on different social media tforms and even TV advertisements too. They have also ced a hefty amount of money on his apprehension by private investigators.¡± Darius said slowly. ¡°There¡¯s no way he can outrun the police. It is only a matter of time before he is apprehended.¡± Darius said with a lot of conviction in his voice. He was naturally pissed off when the police officer in charge of the kidnapper told him that Michael escaped, and rightfully so. After all no one would be happy if they were told that the person who put a bullet in their chest escaped the police and was now roaming free. Still there was nothing he could do other than to trust the police and hope that they were able to apprehend Michael and bring his crimes to book. Although Greg and his two friends were shocked by J¡¯s appearance, after seeing that she waspletely different from what the rumors painted her to be, they slowly warmed up to her. J also warmed up to them; showing no sign of the ice queen the rumors painted her to be. They were still in the middle of a conversation when there was another knock on Darius¡¯ hospital room. The five of them in the room shared a nce with each other, before focusing their stares on Darius. Darius was just as confused as them, as he was not expecting any visitor. While he was still guessing who came to visit him, the door to the room opened, and Alice walked in. Greg, Marcus and Rudd were all happy to see Alice. They knew her from the time Darius was dating Sarah, and were very d to see that she was doing okay after the kidnap scare. There was one person however who didn¡¯t have a smile on their face at Alice¡¯s appearance, and that was naturally J. Alice greeted the males in the hospital room, but the moment her eyes fell on J, the amicable expression on her face disappeared and a possessive one reced it. Darius didn¡¯t know it, but the first meeting between J and Alice was bound to generate sparks! ¡°Alice Voss.¡± Alice introduced herself to J coldly. She knew who J was, and like Darius¡¯ friends, she was surprised that he was acquainted with J Fox. However, rather than warming up to J, she was on guard. She had feelings for Darius, so there was no way she would not be able to tell that J had the look of someone fascinated by Darius. Although it wasn¡¯t as profound as hers, it was still there. This inevitably proved that J Fox was a huge threat, and her ethereal beauty only made the threat she posed bigger. ¡°J Fox.¡± J said, stretching her pale hand for a handshake with Alice. Alice epted the handshake, but they stared at each other, and sparks seemed to fly. Darius and his friends didn¡¯t know what was going on, but they could tell that there was a subtle hostile atmosphere between the two beautifuldies. J was just about to speak up when the traditional sound of a ringtone resounded in the hospital room. She nced at her phone and disconnected the phone call before smiling at Darius. ¡°I¡¯ll have to take my leave now. Something important came up, so I¡¯ll have to catch up with youter.¡± J said, and then shared a hostile look with Alice before making her way out of the hospital room Chapter 143 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 143 Chapter 143 After the mysterious figure took Michael away from the tracks of the policemen and helped him escape, they made their way towards a route the mysterious figure had prepared beforehand. The duo walked for more than an hour, which was very tasking for Michael as he was already injured by the police officers during the brief shootout. He was incredibly weak during the long trek, but the mysterious figure showed no sign of helping Michael. Luckily, after walking for more than an hour, they reached their destination. A ck car was parked under a huge tree. It was very inconspicuous, and was hidden properly from the naked eye. The mysterious figure walked towards the car and entered it, after which Michael followed suit. By this time, the bleeding on Michael¡¯s arm was too much for him to bear, and he was already fading in and out of consciousness. The mysterious figure nced at him and snorted before bringing out a small bottle which had green liquid in it. ¡°Take this and drink it at once. It will help stop the bleeding.¡± The mysterious figure said in a gravelly voice. Michael nced at the mysterious figure outstretched hands, skeptical on whether to ept the bottle or not. The mysterious man snorted again and said in a cold but mocking voice. ¡°You can choose not to drink it, but then I won¡¯t be able to guarantee that you stay alive till we reach our destination.¡± Michael frowned heavily at his statement, but he knew that he wasn¡¯t lying. He could barely stay conscious, and he knew that if he didn¡¯t take any medical care, he would surely lose consciousness. He epted the bottle from the mysterious figure¡¯s outstretched hands and opened it. He didn¡¯t have much of a choice anyway. He waspletely helpless with nowhere to escape to. He could only depend on the mysterious figure¡¯s help. The liquid had a very pungent smell to it, and Michael almost vomited when he put the bottle to his mouth. He was once again skeptical as to whether the liquid was poisoned, but after seeing the nonchnt attitude of the mysterious persona, he decided to bite the bullet and drink it. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Sure enough, after drinking the green liquid, the bleeding on his arm started healing up, and the pain on his arm lessened greatly. Although it didn¡¯t healpletely, the pain was now very bearable The mysterious figure gave an obscure smirk after seeing Michael gulp down the liquid before driving out of the forest, The journey was a long but tense one. As they were both on the run from the police, they had to avoid major routes and paths until they were out of the police influence in Yale city. Only then were they able to breate a sigh of relief, After more than six hours of driving, the ck car came to a stop outside avish vi. There were different top security personnel hustling around the vi, and at a single nce Michael could tell they were well trained. The mysterious figure parked the ck car neatly before speaking to Michael in a hoarse but cold tone. ¡°Get down. We¡¯ve arrived.¡± The two of them then alighted from the vehicle before making their way inside the vi. Michael was stunned by thevish and deluxe decorations in the interior of the vi. As he was born into an affluent family, he had seen enough of luxury decorations. However, the decorations in the vi werepletely different from the ones he had seen. They were more superior and more beautiful than the ones he had seen; and even the decorations in his family vi were subpar whenpared to those in this vi. This detail made him wonder how wealthy and powerful the person they were going to meet was. The two of them soon came to stop in front of a prolific door. There were two dragon heads designed intricately on the door, and Michael couldn¡¯t help but break out in a cold sweat at the malicious aura the door gave off. The mysterious figure knocked twice on the door before saying in a hoarse voice. ¡°I¡¯ve brought him as instructed.¡± There was a brief silence, and just when Michael thought that there would be no response, a gravelly voiceced with power said behind the door. ¡°Come in.¡± The mysterious figure didn¡¯t dy and opened the door, with Michael following closely behind. The interior of the room was luxurious enough, but Michael could barely appreciate the luxury of the room, because seated on a chair right across him was a mystifying person who was giving off a suffocating aura. Michael didn¡¯t have to be told that this was the master who wanted to meet him. The mysterious figure who rescued Michael bowed his head lightly before slipping out of the room, leaving Michael alone with the mystifying person. Michael stared at the figure with trembling legs, as he couldn¡¯t withstand the suffocating aura of the mystifying person. A few minutes passed before a sound finally echoed in the room. ¡°Who are you?¡± Michael asked tentatively; breaking the heavy silence in the room. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know who I am.¡± The person replied in a voice as cold as ice. ¡°Then why did you send someone to save me?¡± Michael asked in a confused tone. There was another brief moment of silence, before the person answered. ¡°Because we both have amon enemy we need to crush.¡± The person said in a malicious tone. He then looked up at Michael and said in an even more malicious tone. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to have your revenge on Darius Reid?¡± Michael eyes widened in shock at the person¡¯s question, and rage filled his mind. Hepletely hated Darius Reid after he ruined his n and made him an attempted murderer on the run from the police. He wanted nothing more than to crush him with his bare hands. The person smiled at Michael¡¯s face disying rage when he mentioned Darius¡¯ name. To move forward with his objectives, he needed to take Darius Reid out of the picture. With Michael Finn on board, his prospects of sess would skyrocket. He wasying a massive trap for Darius Reid, and by the time he released it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape. Chapter 144 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 144 After the mysterious figure took Michael away from the tracks of the policemen and helped him escape, they made their way towards a route the mysterious figure had prepared beforehand. The duo walked for more than an hour, which was very tasking for Michael as he was already injured by the police officers during the brief shootout. He was incredibly weak during the long trek, but the mysterious figure showed no sign of helping Michael. Luckily, after walking for more than an hour, they reached their destination. A ck car was parked under a huge tree. It was very inconspicuous, and was hidden properly from the naked eye. The mysterious figure walked towards the car and entered it, after which Michael followed suit. By this time, the bleeding on Michael¡¯s arm was too much for him to bear, and he was already fading in and out of consciousness. The mysterious figure nced at him and snorted before bringing out a small bottle which had green liquid in it. ¡°Take this and drink it at once. It will help stop the bleeding.¡± The mysterious figure said in a gravelly voice. Michael nced at the mysterious figure outstretched hands, skeptical on whether to ept the bottle or not. The mysterious man snorted again and said in a cold but mocking voice. ¡°You can choose not to drink it, but then I won¡¯t be able to guarantee that you stay alive till we reach our destination.¡± Michael frowned heavily at his statement, but he knew that he wasn¡¯t lying. He could barely stay conscious, and he knew that if he didn¡¯t take any medical care, he would surely lose consciousness. He epted the bottle from the mysterious figure¡¯s outstretched hands and opened it. He didn¡¯t have much of a choice anyway. He waspletely helpless with nowhere to escape to. He could only depend on the mysterious figure¡¯s help. The liquid had a very pungent smell to it, and Michael almost vomited when he put the bottle to his mouth. He was once again skeptical as to whether the liquid was poisoned, but after seeing the nonchnt attitude of the mysterious persona, he decided to bite the bullet and drink it. Sure enough, after drinking the green liquid, the bleeding on his arm started healing up, and the pain on his arm lessened greatly. Although it didn¡¯t healpletely, the pain was now very bearable. The mysterious figure gave an obscure smirk after seeing Michael gulp down the liquid before driving out of the forest. The journey was a long but tense one. As they were both on the run from the police, they had to avoid major routes and paths until they were out of the police influence in Yale city, Only then were they able to breathe a sigh of relier, After more than six hours of driving, the ck car came to a stop outside avish vi, There were different top security personnel hustling around the vi, and at a single nce Michael could tell they were well trained.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. The mysterious figure parked the ck car neatly before speaking to Michael in a hoarse but cold tone. ¡°Get down. We¡¯ve arrived.¡± The two of them then alighted from the vehicle before making their way inside the vi. Michael was stunned by thevish and deluxe decorations in the interior of the vi. As he was born into an affluent family, he had seen enough of luxury decorations. However, the decorations in the vi werepletely different from the ones he had seen. They were more superior and more beautiful than the ones he had seen; and even the decorations in his family vi were subpar whenpared to those in this vi. This detail made him wonder how wealthy and powerful the person they were going to meet was. The two of them soon came to stop in front of a prolific door. There were two dragon heads designed intricately on the door, and Michael couldn¡¯t help but break out in a cold sweat at the malicious aura the door gave off. The mysterious figure knocked twice on the door before saying in a hoarse voice. ¡°I¡¯ve brought him as instructed.¡± There was a brief silence, and just when Michael thought that there would be no response, a gravelly voiceced with power said behind the door. ¡°Come in.¡± The mysterious figure didn¡¯t dy and opened the door, with Michael following closely behind. The interior of the room was luxurious enough, but Michael could barely appreciate the luxury of the room, because seated on a chair right across him was a mystifying person who was giving off a suffocating aura. Michael didn¡¯t have to be told that this was the master who wanted to meet him. The mysterious figure who rescued Michael bowed his head lightly before slipping out of the room, leaving Michael alone with the mystifying person. Michael stared at the figure with trembling legs, as he couldn¡¯t withstand the suffocating aura of the mystifying person. A few minutes passed before a sound finally echoed in the room. ¡°Who are you?¡± Michael asked tentatively; breaking the heavy silence in the room. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know who I am.¡± The person replied in a voice as cold as ice. ¡°Then why did you send someone to save me?¡± Michael asked in a confused tone. There was another brief moment of silence, before the person answered. ¡°Because we both have amon enemy we need to crush.¡± The person said in a malicious tone. He then looked up at Michael and said in an even more malicious. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to have your revenge on Darius Reid?¡± Michael eyes widened in shock at the person¡¯s question, and rage filled his mind. Hepletely hated Darius Reid after he ruined his n and made him an attempted murderer on the run from the police. He wanted nothing more than to crush him with his bare hands. The person smiled at Michael¡¯s face disying rage when he mentioned Darius¡¯ name. To move forward with his objectives, he needed to take Darius Reid out of the picture. With Michael Finn on board, his prospects of sess would skyrocket. He wasying a massive trap for Darius Reid, and by the time he released it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape. Chapter 145 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 145 Read The Consortium¡¯s Heir Chapter 145 ¨C Of course, Darius had no idea that the mysterious person was the one who rescued Michael from the police and was now plotting against him with Michael¡¯s aid. He was still in the hospital, but was rapidly recovering due to the effects of the self healing trait the golden liquid gave him. He had been in Serene Hospital for two days now, and ording to the doctor, he would be discharged from the hospital in the next two days; and he was rmended to do some light exercises before his discharge. As such, Darius decided to walk around the hospital to heed the doctor¡¯s instruction. The atmosphere in the hospital was serene and tranquil, with the sounds of machines beeping echoing in the hallway. Darius walked unhurriedly, and a mncholic feeling slowly came over him as he walked. He could see the different people suffering from various illnesses restrained to their hospital rooms as he walked He could hear them speak in sad voices to their loved ones. He was well aware that some of them were having what would be theirst conversations as the minutes went by. It was during such moments that Darius heard a low s*b from the other side of the hallway. He ignored it and turned the other way, thinking it was a person whose rtive was on his deathbed and therefore was mourning his loss; after all there were no shortage of such people in the hospital. He had barely taken three steps forward¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨Cr¡ª-..¡ª-when he heard a harsh tone right behind him, and a frown crept unto his face. ¡°I have paid the money for my grandmother¡¯s treatment. Why won¡¯t you give her a room?!¡± a person sobbed angrily. ¡°Oh shut up! If I say your grandmother can¡¯t have a room then she can¡¯t have a room. Do you know who Mr. Joseph is?¡± another person Darius guessed to be the doctor replied mockingly. ¡°This is very unfair! My grandmother is suffering from Pneumonia, and if she doesn¡¯t get a room soon her illness will worsen!¡± The person pleaded in a weak voice with tears running down his eyes. ¡°Young man, I don¡¯t care if your grandmother has pneumonia or whatever illness. This room has been reserved for Mr. Joseph, and no one can take it away from him. Do you understand?¡± the doctor retorted in a scathing voice. Darius who heard the whole conversation felt rage bubble up in his chest at the doctor¡¯s statements. It seemed that the staff in Serene Hospital had a habit of tantly looking down on people. He then turned back and started walking towards the direction the doctor was and soon came into their line of sight. There was a young man who looked to be a little above twenty, probably twenty two years of age, with a dejected expression on his face, and a thin middle aged man in a whiteb coat with a mocking expression on his face. As Darius wasn¡¯t walking silently, his footsteps could be heard clearly by the two people. The two of them ceased their conversation and turned to Darius with inquisitiveness on their faces. ¡°What is going on here? Why wouldn¡¯t you give his grandmother a room?¡±. Darius asked angrily the moment he was within hearing range of the doctor. ¡°And who do you think you are to question my decisions?¡± The doctor retorted angrily. From what he could see, Darius was barely above twenty. How could he allow someone of that age to question his decision? ¡°You don¡¯t need to know who I am; what you are doing is wrong by all means. Don¡¯t you people at Serene Hospital have work ethics?¡± Darius asked scathingly, fury in his eyes. The doctor became embarrassed at Darius question, but the embarrassment soon turned to anger. ¡°Who do you think you are to question Serene Hospital work ethics?!¡± He yelled angrily. ¡°Security! Security!¡± The doctor bellowed furiously. He was going to kick Darius out of the hospital! The loud shouts of the doctor calling for security attracted the attention of several nurses, doctors, and even some patients as their curiosity made them flock to the direction of the noise. ¡°What are you calling security for? Are you nning to kick me out of the hospital?¡± Darius asked with a light smirk on his face. The smirk only served to infuriate the doctor even more, which made him increase his shouts for the security. It was during such shouts that a middle aged woman walked up to the three of them and asked in a haughty voice. ¡°What¡¯s the problem Dr. Hills?¡± Darius¡¯ whose back was turned to the middle aged woman immediately turned back to face the woman when he heard the familiar voice. The moment he did however; his eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Director Yul?¡± Darius asked in surprise. Director Yul also had a surprised expression on her face as she couldn¡¯t understand what Darius was doing the hospital! Darius¡¯ treatment was ssified top ss due to his sensitive identity, so Director Yul had no idea that Darius was in the hospital. She could still remember what happened thest time they met, and the experience reminded her that Darius wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled with. Dr. Hills who was very confident when calling for the security earlier started having second thoughts when he saw that the young man and Director Yul had some sort of history together. Sweat started pooling on his back, and he could feel that the following events wouldn¡¯t end in the direction he wanted it to. The doctors and nurses who gathered due to Dr. Hill¡¯s shouts all had the same thought. Director Yul was a big shot in the hospital, so the fact that Darius could converse freely with her made them pay close attention to Darius. ¡°I asked you a question Dr. Hills. What is the problem?¡± Director Yul asked again. Dr. Hills was about to exin, but Darius beat him to it. ¡°Why don¡¯t we let this young man here exin what happened?¡± Darius suggested while pushing the young man who was pleading with Dr. Hills earlier into the spotlight. The young man was a bit nervous with several eyes on him, but he narrated the whole incident that urred and the conversation between him and Dr. Hills Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. before Darius¡¯ arrival. As he narrated the events, anger appeared on the face of Director Yul. By the time he was done with narrating the events, Director Yul waspletely livid. With fury in her eyes, she turned to Dr. Hills and asked in a rage filled voice. ¡°Dr. Hills, is this true?¡± Dr. Hills wanted the ground to open up and swallow him that moment. He had no idea that the situation would attract Director Yul¡¯s attention. ¡°Answer me. Is what this young man said true?¡± Director Yul asked again angrily. ¡°Yes; but-¡± Dr. Hills started, but Director Yul cut him short. ¡°Dr. Hills, you are now fired.¡± Chapter 146 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 146 Chapter 146 ¡°Darius Reid?!¡± Mr. Joseph questioned in disbelief. As the General Manager of Torrent Automobiles he was considered a part of the upper echelon in thepany, so there was no way he hadn¡®t heard of the Reid Consortium. It was a financial group that Torrent Automobiles could never hope topete with, as just one of the companies under the Reid consortium was more than enough topletely crush Torrent Automobiles, which was a second sspany at most. Moreover, ording to his boss, there was now a new chairman in the Reid Consortium, and he distinctly remembered that the chairman¡®s name was Darius Reid. If this young man in front of him was truly the chairman of the Reid Consortium, then he had to adjust his attitude immediately! ¡°Do you know me?¡± Darius asked calmly, arching one of his eyebrows at Mr. Joseph¡®s sudden attitude change. ¡°Of course Mr. Reid! How could I not know you?¡± Mr. Joseph said cheerfully;pletely changing his attitude. His sudden change in attitude shocked everyone present; and even Director Yul was taken aback at Mr. Joseph¡¯s attitude change. The Mr. Joseph she knew was a very arrogant and conceited person; and he rarely treated anyone with respect; but he was now being so servile to someone, and moreover, the person was even more than a decade younger than him! This waspletely astonishing! The person most affected by the change was none other than Dr. Hills. A bad premonition suddenly overshadowed him when he saw how respectful his backer, Mr. Joseph was behaving to Darius. ¡°That makes things easier then.¡± Darius said slowly; a small smile now appearing on his face. ¡°What do you think about my earlier suggestion? Would you give me some face and cut my friend here Director Yul some ck?¡± Darius asked calmly, a small smile on his face. ¡°Director Yul right here is your friend?¡± Mr. Joseph asked; a surprised expression appearing on his face. ¡°Yes.¡± Darius replied tly. ¡°Ah. Of course she is.¡± Mr. Joseph said respectfully. He then turned to Director Yul and performed a very shocking act. He bowed his head down in apology! ¡°Forgive my actions earlier Director Yul. I was in the wrong. I will ept any room the hospital wishes to allocate to me. From now on, treat me like you would a normal patient. There is no need for the special privileges anymore.¡± Mr. Joseph said in a sincere tone. For a moment, Director Yul, Dr. Hills, and everyone present couldn¡®t open their mouth to say anything as their brains failed to register the sight in front of them. ¡®Mr. Joseph bowed his head to a mere Director in the hospital?¡® ¡®In addition, he even apologized to her?¡® ¡®Is this the same Mr. Joseph I know?¡® These were the thoughts running through their mind as they watched the sight in front of them. If they weren¡®t here when this happened, they would never have believed such a thing could happen no matter what. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. If it were anyone else, they wouldn¡®t be as shocked as this; but Mr. Joseph was a major shareholder in the hospital with a 25% stake in thepany! This made itpletely different. ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C Finally, Director Yul came to her senses, so she quickly helped Mr. Joseph up and said in a meek voice. ¡°There is no problem at all Mr. Joseph. I will make sure you have one of the best rooms to yourself.¡± Director Yul promised. What a joke. How could Mr. Joseph, a major shareholder in the hospital demand to be treated the same way as other patients? That waspletely unreasonable, so there was no way she would let that happen. Mr. Joseph then raised his head up and smiled respectfully to Darius; before turning his gaze on Dr. Hills who had sweat running down his back. ¡°Why didn¡®t you tell me that someone else has already paid for the hospital room? Are you trying to paint me in a bad light?!¡± Mr. Joseph questioned Dr. Hills angrily. Dr. Hills wanted the ground to open up and swallow him at that moment. He couldn¡®t understand how something that was supposed to end how he expected it to suddenly spiraled out of his control. ¡°But Mr. Joseph, you told me to get you a hospital room in five minutes no matter what. The only way for me to do that was to strip him of his room!¡± Dr. Hills pleaded pitifully. However, all he got in return was a heavy p from Mr. Joseph. p! ¡°How dare you?!¡± Mr. Joseph yelled furiously, but he kept ncing at the direction Darius stood. He needed to push the me of his actions to someone else, and since Director Yul wasbeled a friend of Darius, Dr. Hills was the most suitable scapegoat. Dr. Hills probably realized that after the heavy p, and he plopped down to the ground in disbelief, his hands on his cheeks. Mr. Joseph didn¡®t spare him another nce and turned to Darius before saying in a courteous tone ¡°Don¡®t worry Mr. Reid. I will take full responsibilities for my actions by paying for this young man¡®s hospital bills. He wouldn¡®t have to pay a single dime for his grandmother¡®s treatment as all the costs will be borne by me,¡± Mr. Joseph said courteously, Darius didn¡®t say anything in response for a brief moment, and sweat pooled on Mr. Joseph¡®s forehead. He had to please Darius no matter what. This was a situation of life and death for him. Darius merely nced at the young man in question, and when he saw a surprised yet happy expression on his face, probably d that he could save money for his grandmother¡®s treatment, he turned back to Mr. Joseph and smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± Mr. Joseph let out a sigh of relief at Darius words. It meant that Darius had decided not to push the issue further. It was insane, but since Darius learnt of this issue, the final oue had always rested in his hands. It was the power that came with him being a member of the Reid family. ¡°Let me walk you to your room Mr. Reid.¡± Mr. Joseph said politely, and when Darius didn¡®t reject his offer, he dly apanied Darius to his hospital room. The doctors, nurses, patients and Director Yul all gazed at Darius sturdy back as he walked side by side with Mr. Joseph. The whole turn of events of had left them with a crucial question. ¡°Just who was Darius Reid?¡± Chapter 147 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 147 Chapter 147 There was no other fiasco with the doctors or staff in Serene Hospital, and after two days as the doctor said, Darius was discharged from the hospital. The fast rate at which he was discharged was quite shocking to the medical personnel attending to Darius. The reason was because a critical wound like the one Darius incurred should have one bedridden for more than a month even after a sessful surgery, yet Darius was discharged in less than a week. : It waspletely unheard of. Of course, this was due to the self healing trait of the golden liquid, but as the medical personnel had no idea of the golden liquid in Darius¡® body system, their shock at his fast healing rate was understandable. Another peculiar thing was that the surgery Darius had left no scar on his chest! It was as smooth as an egg, and without the medical records, it would be impossible to tell that a surgery was performed on Darius. Darius had just finished changing from his hospital gown to his casual wear when he heard a loud knock on his hospital door. An equally loud voice soon followed suit. ¡°Mr. Reid!¡± a male voice sounded courteously from outside the hospital door. ¡°Come in.¡± Darius replied calmly.! The door opened and a young man in his early thirties walked in. Of course, the young man was none other than Mr. Joseph. Ever since the fiasco with Dr. Hills, Mr. Joseph had always made it a habit to stick to Darius. He completely shed his previous conceited and arrogant attitude and adopted a humble one. Everyone was shocked to see Mr. Joseph act so courteous and servile to Darius. It was a strange sight that it was almost bizarre. Darius however wasn¡®t affected by Mr. Joseph¡®s attitude. He couldn¡®t care less about a minor character like Joseph. This wasn¡®t the first time people were being servile and humble to him after learning his identity. He didn¡®t try to chase Joseph away either. He would only be in the hospital for two more days, and people like Joseph would neverpletely leave him alone even if he said so. After all this was his chance to elevate his status and that of Torrent Automobiles. He would never let a chance like this pass him by. Moreover, after Darius was discharged from the hospital, there would be little chance of them meeting in the future. They were inpletely different worlds after all. This was why Mr. Joseph was trying so hard to impress Darius during this short period. ¡°Mr. Reid, I heard you are getting discharged today, Is there anything you would like me to do for you?¡± Mr. Joseph asked the second he walked into the hospital room. ¡°None at the moment.¡± Darius replied tly while adjusting the cuffs on his shirt. Mr. Joseph didn¡®t say anything after Darius¡® statement and simply waited until Darius was done dressing up before apanying him out of the hospital room, After walking for a few minutes, the two of them exited the hospital. There was a very luxurious ck Bentley parked just outside the hospital doors, and Darius recognized the vehicle as the Bentley Bruce had used to pick him up from the police station when he was nearly assassinated in Dragon Estate. The appearance of the luxurious Bentley attracted attention as usual, but Darius was already used to it. Mr. Joseph who was beside Darius at that time however had his jaws wide open at the sight of the ck Bentley. As the General Manager of an automobilepany, Mr. Joseph was more adept and more knowledgeable about cars than anyone present, so he naturally knew how expensive the ck Bentley was. It was worth well over ten million dors! It was an amount that he was not sure he would be able to earn even after working as the General Manager of Torrent Automobiles for five years! .2 Darius walked over to where the ck Bentley was parked, the door already opened for him to enter. Once he got into the Bentley, the door automatically shut, and the Bentley sped out of the hospital ground. All the while, there was only one thought on Joseph¡®s mind. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡®He was d he had made the right choice.¡® Meanwhile, in the Bentley, Bruce was the one driving the luxury car, and this arrangement was demanded by James Reid, Darius¡® grandfather. ¡°It¡®s d to see you fully healthy once again.¡± Bruce said as Darius settled into his seat. ¡°Thank you.¡± Darius replied courteously. The rest of the ride was uneventful. Bruce and Darius kept having light conversation with each other, but as the journey went on, the interval between Darius replies became longer and longer. Eventually, there was no more reply from Darius, and when Bruce took a nce at the passenger¡®s seat through the mirror, he realized that Darius had fallen asleep along the ride. Letting out a smile, he slowed the Bentley¡®s speed in order to let Darius have enough sleep. They weren¡®t in a rush to reach their destination after all. By the time Darius finally woke up, Bruce was just five minutes away from the Reid Mansion. ¡°Sorry. I fell asleep halfway the journey.¡± Darius apologized sheepishly. ¡°It¡®s alright Young Master Reid.¡± Bruce replied with a smile on his face. Darius didn¡®t say anything after that, and soon enough, the Bentley came to a stop in the Reid Mansion Darius alighted from the Bentley and made his way inside the mansion. He didn¡®t go to room; but instead headed straight to his grandfather¡®s study room. It had been a while since hest met his grandfather, and knowing him, Darius guessed that he must have been very worried. Darius knocked twice on the sturdy study room door before opening it and entering the room, without waiting for a response from his grandfather, ¡°Darius!¡± His grandfather greeted happily, and there was a huge smile on his face the moment he saw Darius. Darius walked over to him and gave him a tight hug. They stayed in the hugging position for more than a minute before his grandfather finally broke away. ¡°Sit, and then tell me what happened exactly.¡± His grandfather said strongly as he took his own seat. Darius obeyed and took his seat before narrating the events surrounding Alice¡®s kidnap once again. When Darius was done narrating the incidents that urred, there was a tant expression of rage on his grandfather¡®s face. There was a brief moment of silence before Darius¡® grandfather spoke up. ¡°I would have already taken action against the Finn Conglomerate, but Michael Finn¡®s father, Maxwell Finn invited the two of us to dinner in IUV Xenon Hotels.¡± His grandfather said in a stoic voice. Darius arched an eyebrow at his grandfather¡®s statement. He didn¡®t expect that Michael¡®s father would invite him and his grandfather for dinner. ¡°Why?¡± Darius couldn¡®t help but ask. He was genuinely curious to know what Michael¡®s father reason was for inviting him and his grandfather for dinner. ¡°He didn¡®t say so.¡± His grandfather shook his head and replied. There was another brief silence, and both of them thought about the dinner invitation for a while before Darius¡® grandfather suddenly said in a domineering voice. ¡°He must want to plead for leniency with this invitation, so we will ept his invitation for dinner. However, if he doesn¡®t give us a satisfactory reason for us to be lenient with them, then even God will not be able to save them from the hell I will unleash on them.¡± Darius¡® grandfather swore, a dangerous glint in his eyes, and even though the threat was not directed at him, Darius felt chills run down his spine. Chapter 148 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 148 The dinner invitation was to be held at IUV Xenon Hotels in two days time, so there was no rush for the both of them to attend it. Darius had to admit that Maxwell Finn had a shrewd look to things. The reason was that Darius had just been discharged from the hospital, so it would bepletely counterproductive to invite him to on the day of his discharge. His decision to invite them two dayster was a thoughtful one, and even though Darius was heavily biased against the Finn Conglomerate, this at least scored them some brownie points in preparation for the uing dinner. The two days passed quickly without any major events happening, and it was now the night for the dinner. Darius who was now in tip top shape put in more effort in his dressing than usual. Usually on asions like these, he would dress casually, but this time he wanted to strike an impression on Maxwell Finn, ande out as overbearing. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. No matter what trump card Maxwell Finn had that he thought he could use to escape vengeance from the Reid Consortium, he needed to make sure that he was on the backseat on the negotiations from the very start. As such, he was dressed in a ck tuxedo that brought out his charm, with his hair neatly styled. He still wore the wristwatch Bruce got for him, as the wristwatch had a sentimental value attached to it. When he was done dressing, hepletely shed his image of a na?ve son of a wealthy consortium, and came off as a top head of the said consortium. There was this imperial aura surrounding him, and even his grandfather was taken aback at the aura he gave. Speaking of his grandfather, he was also dressed exquisitely and domineeringly in a ck three piece suit, a hat and an intricately designed cane. With a pair of round sses to top it off, hepletely nailed the mafia head look. Coupled with the fact that he had been the head of a financial group way longer than Darius was, his aura was even more suffocating and overbearing. Darius couldn¡®t help but let out a helpless sigh at that. Maxwell Finn was definitely in for a long night. ¡°Let¡®s go.¡± Darius grandfather said, and with that he walked past the hallway disyed with different artistic exhibitions, with Darius following closely behind. This time around, rather than James Reid favorite white Rolls¨CRoyce, a stunning ck Maybach was parked neatly, with Bruce waiting for their arrival in the luxury car. Darius gave a small smile as acknowledgement to Bruce as he and his grandfather got inside the vehicle, and Bruce returned Darius greetings with a smile of his own, before driving out of the Reid Mansion; his destination IUV Xenon Hotels. The ride to IUV Xenon Hotels, the only 10 star hotel owned by the Finn Conglomerate themselves was pleasant and uneventful. Darius and his grandfather engaged in light conversations along the way, ranging from how Darius¡® standalonepany; West Antics Int¡®l was faring to how he was adapting to his responsibilities as the heir to the Reid Consortium. Before the conversation between them could take a more serious tone, Bruce arrived at IUV Xenon Hotels. The hotel really lived up to its expectations as a 10 star hotel. This was expected, as it was one of the forefront ventures the Finn conglomerate had paid a lot of attention to. Everything in the hotel was of the best quality, so it was no wonder as to how it maintained its status as a 10 star hotel. It was said to rake in a whooping sum of over 100 million dors monthly in pure profits alone, which was an annual profit of 1.2 billion dors yearly. It was an astronomical sum, even for Darius. As they made their way to the private room where the meeting would be held, both Darius and his grandfather were impressed at the high level of management that had gone into managing the hotel. It wasn¡®t everyday they saw a hotel of this caliber. After walking more than three minutes, the two of them finally arrived at the location for the dinner invitation. There was already an expensively dressed waiter waiting for their appearance at the door, hence the moment he saw them, he bowed deeply and opened the door for them, before guiding them to their seats. The room they were having the dinner was spacious andvishly designed, and it was obvious that Maxwell Finn wanted to impress them before the dinner even started. There was a table in the center of the room, and on the table were many exquisite and delectable looking dishes Darius presumed to be made by a first ss chef. However, the most eye catching thing on the table wasn¡®t the meal, but a man in his early fifties that was seatedposedly beside the table. He had ck hair with some grey patches that was slicked back, and he was dressed in a brown three piece suit, and a limited edition Rolex wristwatch adorned his wrist. Like Darius and his grandfather, he had also decided to look his best. After all, this was a very important meeting for him and the Finn conglomerate. Of course, this man was none other than Michael Finn¡®s father and the current head of the Finn Conglomerate; Maxwell Finn. Chapter 149 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 149 Darius had a stoic expression on his face as he stared at the man seated beside the table filled with delicacies, and although he couldn¡®t look at his grandfather¡®s expression now, he could guess that he had the same stoic expression. Maxwell Finn was rtively handsome, and although he was old now, Darius could tell that he was a yboy in his younger days, and it wasn¡®t hard to tell where Michael Finn got his impressive looks from. Yet, while there were some simrities between the father and son, there were surely some differences between them. For one, Maxwell did not have the brutal and cunning impression his son had, and he looked somewhat gentle; but that made Darius a bit wary. After all, he knew one of the most basic rules in a meeting like this was never to judge a book by its cover. Although Maxwell Finn might look harmless right now, he could be more cunning and brutal than his son. They had the same blood after all. Maxwell Finn stood up as a sign of respect and weed both Darius and his grandfather to the table. ¡°Wee, Mr. James, Mr. Darius.¡± Maxwell greeted in a voice that portrayed humility as Darius and his grandfather settled into their seats. ¡°It¡®s a pleasure to meet the famed business mogul; James Reid of the Reid Consortium.¡± Maxwell stated as he settled down into his own seat. ¡°The pleasure is all mine.¡± James Reid replied calmly. ¡°The same goes for you as well, Darius Reid.¡± Maxwell said in the same humble tone, staring right at Darius as he spoke. However, there was an indescribable glint in his eyes as he stared at Darius. ¡°Me?¡± Darius asked skeptically, his tone betraying his confusion. ¡°Yes you. I¡®ve been following your exploits and I must say you¡®ve done a great job as the chairman of Nix Inc. and other subsidiarypanies.¡± Maxwell praised. ¡°Ah. I see. Thank you.¡± Darius responded in a tone thatcked conviction. Maxwell merely smiled at Darius¡®ckluster response and said nothing else. ¡°Please have your meal. I had the very best chefs in this hotel prepare the meals. I¡®m sure they would be to your liking.¡± Maxwell suggested happily as he shifted some of the food on the table closer to them. Darius frowned slightly and stole a peek at his grandfather. He was skeptical about eating the meal Maxwell prepared for them, but seeing his grandfather eating with gusto; he let out a sigh and also delved into his meal. Maxwell let out a small smile, and followed suit. Soon enough, only the sound of them eating could be heard in therge room. The meal was concluded in silence, and by the time they were done eating, fifteen minutes had already psed. Maxwell pped his hands twice and the expensively dressed waiter who showed Darius and his grandfather to their seats appeared and cleared the table, before leaving just as silently as he came. ¡°That was a pleasant meal.¡± Darius¡® grandfather said, breaking the fifteen minute long silence. ¡°I¡®m d.¡± Maxwell replied with a smile on his face. ¡°Good. Now let¡®s move on to the main reason we¡®re gathered here.¡± Darius¡® grandfather said without warning, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly became extremely tense. ¡°What is your purpose for inviting us here?¡± James Reid asked in an extremely cold voice. There was no longer any amicable atmosphere to the meeting, and it was now time toe out with guns zing. Maxwell Finn had aplex expression on his face. He had thought that after the pleasant meal, he would take charge of the conversation and ease into the reason he invited them out, but he seemed he had underestimated Darius¡® grandfather. With just a singlepliment, he had seized control of the conversation, and he was now on the back foot. This development had inevitably made things more difficult than he expected. ¡°I¡®m not here to beat around the bush, Mr. Maxwell.¡± James Reid said in an icy tone. ¡°Tell me why I shouldn¡®t take action against the Finn Conglomerate after your son tried to take my grandson¡®s life.¡± ¡°If you can¡®t give me a good reason not to, then I guarantee you that I will crush the entirety of the Finn conglomerate in just two days!¡± James Reid threatened furiously, and Maxwell felt chills run down his spine. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. James Reid was just too overbearing! ¡°M¨CMr. James, please calm down.¡± Maxwell pleaded; his composure no longer present. There was no doubt in the business circle that James Reid was a man of his word, and was someone that could not be offended at any cost. He could tell that James Reid was being truthful with his threat, and Maxwell knew that it would be cost even less than two days for the Reid Consortium to crush them; hence he needed to pacify them no matter the costs. ¡°Please calm down Mr. James. I know the gravity of the crime my sonmitted, which is why I have decided to make amends for them.¡± Maxwell said, rposing himself. ¡°I will give this hotel to Darius right here as a token of my apology.¡± Maxwell said calmly. ¡°Are you mocking me?¡± Darius narrowed his eyes and asked in a tone as cold as ice. If looks could kill, Maxwell would surely be six feet under. What a joke! He was nearly killed by Michael. Did Maxwell think that a measly 10 star hotel was enough to mitigate the damages caused to his life? The Reid consortium didn¡®t have shortage of 10 star hotels. This token of apology was nothing more than a sham in his eyes. Michael seemed to have anticipated Darius¡® response, so he replied in a calm tone. ¡°I wouldn¡®t dare mock you. It is truly just a token of my apology.¡± Maxwell responded wryly. Even James Reid grandson was overbearing, and clearly cut from the same coat as his grandfather. ?The Finn Conglomerate has nothing to do with the attack on your grandson; and it is solely my fault as a parent that I let Michael develop in the direction he went.¡± Maxwell started; his tone bitter. ¡°It is obvious that the Finn conglomerate is no match for your financial group, so we wouldn¡®t dare resist, especially when we are in the wrong.¡± ¡°As a result, we have taken a drastic action and decided to cut Michael off from the family tree.¡± Maxwell said resolutely. ¡°As from now on, Michael Finn is no longer a member of the Finn family, and hereby has no shares in the Finn conglomerate!¡± Chapter 150 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 150 The dinner invitation was to be held at IUV Xenon Hotels in two days time, so there was no rush for the both of them to attend it. Darius had to admit that Maxwell Finn had a shrewd look to things. The reason was that Darius had just been discharged from the hospital, so it would bepletely counterproductive to invite him to on the day of his discharge. His decision to invite them two dayster was a thoughtful one, and even though Darius was heavily biased against the Finn Conglomerate, this at least scored them some brownie points in preparation for the uing dinner. The two days passed quickly without any major events happening, and it was now the night for the dinner. Darius who was now in tip top shape put in more effort in his dressing than usual. Usually on asions like these, he would dress casually, but this time he wanted to strike an impression on Maxwell Finn, ande out as overbearing. No matter what trump card Maxwell Finn had that he thought he could use to escape vengeance from the Reid Consortium, he needed to make sure that he was on the backseat on the negotiations from the very start. As such, he was dressed in a ck tuxedo that brought out his charm, with his hair neatly styled. He still wore the wristwatch Bruce got for him, as the wristwatch had a sentimental value attached to it. 1 When he was done dressing, hepletely shed his image of a na?ve son of a wealthy consortium, and came off as a top head of the said consortium. There was this imperial aura surrounding him, and even his grandfather was taken aback at the aura he gave. Speaking of his grandfather, he was also dressed exquisitely and domineeringly in a ck three piece suit, a liat and an intricately designed cane. With a pair of round sses to top it off, hepletely nailed the mafia head look. Coupled with the fact that he had been the head of a financial group way longer than Darius was, his aura was even more suffocating and overbearing. Darius couldn¡®t help but let out a helpless sigh at that. Maxwell Finn was definitely in for a long night ¡°Let¡®s go.¡± Darius grandfather said, and with that he walked past the hallway disyed with different artistic exhibitions, with Darius following closely behind. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. This time around, rather than James Reid favorite white Rolls¨CRoyce, a stunning ck Maybach was parked neatly, with Bruce waiting for their arrival in the luxury car. Darius gave a small smile as acknowledgement to Bruce as he and his grandfather got inside the vehicle, and Bruce reluined Darius greetings with a smile of his own, before driving out of the Reid Mansion; liis destination JUV Xenon Hotels. The ride to IUV Xenon Hotels, the only 10 star hotel owned by the Finn Conglomerate themselves was pleasant and uneventful. Darius and his grandfather engaged in light conversations along the way, ranging from low Darius¡® standalonepany, West Antics Int¡®l was faring to low he was adapting to his responsibilities as the leir to the Reid Consortium Before the conversation between lich could take a more serious tone, Bruce arrived at IUV Xenon Hotels The hotel really lived up to its expectations as a 10 star liolel. This was expected, as it was one of the forefront ventures the Finn conglomerate had paid a lot of attention to. Everything in the hotel was of the best quality, so it was no wonder as to how it maintained its status as a 10 star hotel. It was said to rake in a whooping sum of over 100 million dors monthly in pure profits alone, which was an annual profit of 1.2 billion dors yearly. It was an astronomical sum, even for Darius. As they made their way to the private room where the meeting would be held, both Darius and his grandfather were impressed at the high level of management that had gone into managing the hotel. It wasn¡®t everyday they saw a lotel of this caliber. After walking more than three minutes, the two of them finally arrived at the location for the dinner invitation. There was already an expensively dressed waiter waiting for their appearance at the door, hence the moment he saw them, he bowed deeply and opened the door for them, before guiding them to their seats. The room they were having the dinner was spacious andvishly designed, and it was obvious that Maxwell Finn wanted to impress them before the dinner even started. There was a table in the center of the room, and on the table were many exquisite and delectable looking dislies Darius presumed to be made by a first ss chef. However, the most eye catching thing on the table wasn¡®t the meal, but a man in his early fifties that was seatedposedly beside the table. He had ck hair with some grey patches that was slicked back, and he was dressed in a brown three piece suit, and a limited edition Rolex wristwatch adorned his wrist. Like Darius and his grandfather, he had also decided to look his best. After all, this was a very important meeting for him and the Finn conglomerate. Of course, this man was none other than Michael Finn¡®s father and the current head of the Finn Conglomerate; Maxwell Finn. Chapter 151 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 151 Darius had a stoic expression on his face as he stared at the man scared beside the table filled with delicacies, and although he couldn¡¯t look at luis grandfather¡¯s expression now, he could guess that he had the same stoic expression. Maxwell Finn was rtivelyndsome, and although he was old now, Darius could tell that he was a yboy in his younger days, and it wasn¡¯t hard to tell where Michael Finn got his impressive looks from. Yet, while there were some simrities between the father and son, there were surely some differences between them. For one, Maxwell did not have the brutal and cunning impression his son had, and he looked somewhat gentle; but that made Darius a bit wary. After all, he knew one of the most basic rules in a meeting like this was never to judge a book by its cover. Although Maxwell Finn might look harmless right now, he could be more cunning and brutal than his son. They had the same blood after all. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Maxwell Finn stood up as a sign of respect and weed both Darius and his grandfather to the table. ¡°Wee, Mr. James, Mr. Darius.¡± Maxwell greeted in a voice that portrayed humility as Darius and his grandfather settled into their seats. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet the famed business mogul; James Reid of the Reid Consortium.¡± Maxwell stated as he settled down into his own seat. ¡°The pleasure is all mine.¡± James Reid replied calmly, ¡°The same goes for you as well, Darius Reid.¡± Maxwell said in the same humble tone, staring right at Darius as he spoke. However, there was an indescribable glint in his eyes as he stared at Darius. ¡°Me?¡± Darius asked skeptically, his tone betraying his confusion. ¡°Yes you. I¡¯ve been following your exploits and I must say you¡¯ve done a great job as the chairman of Nix Inc. and other subsidiarypanies.¡± Maxwell praised. ¡°Ah. I see. Thank you.¡± Darius responded in a tone thatcked conviction. Maxwell merely smiled at Darius¡¯ckluster response and said nothing else. ¡°Please have your meal. I had the very best chefs in this hotel prepare the meals. I¡¯m sure they would be to your liking.¡± Maxwell suggested happily as he shifted some of the food on the table closer to them. Darius frowned slightly and stole a peek at his grandfather. He was skeptical about eating the meal Maxwell prepared for them, but seeing his grandfather eating with gusto; he let out a sigh and also delved into his meal. Maxwell let out a small smile, and followed suit. Soon enough, only the sound of them eating could be heard in therge room. The meal was concluded in silence, and by the time they were done eating, fifteen minutes had already psed. Maxwell pped his hands twice and the expensively dressed waiter who showed Darius and his grandfather to their seats appeared and cleared the table, before leaving just as silently as he came. ¡°That was a pleasant meal.¡± Darius¡¯ grandfather said, breaking the fifteen minute long silence. ¡°I¡¯m d,¡± Maxwell replied with a smile on his face. ¡°Good. Now let¡¯s move on to the main reason we¡¯re gathered here.¡± Darius¡¯ grandfather said without warning, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly became extremely tense. ¡°What is your purpose for inviting us here?¡± James Reid asked in an extremely cold voice. There was no longer any amicable atmosphere to the meeting, and it was now time toe out with guns zing. Maxwell Finn had aplex expression on his face. He had thought that after the pleasant meal, he would take charge of the conversation and ease into the reason he invited them out, but he seemed he had underestimated Darius¡¯ grandfather. With just a singlepliment, he had seized control of the conversation, and he was now on the back foot. This development had inevitably made things more difficult than he expected. ¡°I¡¯m not here to beat around the bush, Mr. Maxwell.¡± James Reid said in an icy tone. ¡°Tell me why I shouldn¡¯t take action against the Finn Conglomerate after your son tried to take my grandson¡¯s life.¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t give me a good reason not to, then I guarantee you that I will crush the entirety of the Finn conglomerate in just two days!¡± James Reid threatened furiously, and Maxwell felt chills run down his spine. James Reid was just too overbearing! ¡°M-Mr. James, please calm down.¡± Maxwell pleaded; his composure no longer present. There was no doubt in the business circle that James Reid was a man of his word, and was someone that could not be offended at any cost. He could tell that James Reid was being truthful with his threat, and Maxwell knew that it would be cost even less than two days for the Reid Consortium to crush them; hence he needed to pacify them no matter the costs. ¡°Please calm down Mr. James. I know the gravity of the crime my sonmitted, which is why I have decided to make amends for them.¡± Maxwell said, rposing himself. ¡°I will give this hotel to Darius right here as a token of my apology.¡± Maxwell said calmly. ¡°Are you mocking me?¡± Darius narrowed his eyes and asked in a tone as cold as ice. If looks could kill, Maxwell would surely be six feet under. What a joke! He was nearly killed by Michael. Did Maxwell think that a measly 10 star hotel was enough to mitigate the damages caused to his life? The Reid consortium didn¡¯t have shortage of 10 star hotels. This token of apology was nothing more than a sham in his eyes. Michael seemed to have anticipated Darius¡¯ response, so be replied in a calm tone. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare mock you. It is truly just a token of my apology.¡± Maxwell responded wryly. Even James Reid grandson was overbearing, and clearly cut from the same coat as his grandfather. ¡°The Finn Conglomerate has nothing to do with the attack on your grandson; and it is solely my fault as a parent that I let Michael develop in the direction lie went.¡± Maxwell started; his tone bitter. ¡°It is obvious that the Finn conglomerate is no match for your financial group, so we wouldn¡¯t dare resist, especially when we are in the wrong¡± ¡°As a result, we have taken a drastic action and decided to cut Michael off from the family tree.¡± Maxwell said resolutely. ¡°As from now on, Michael Finn is no longer a member of the Finn family, and kirby has no shares in the Finn conglomerate!¡± Chapter 152 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 152 Darius and his grandfather both had shocked expressions on their faces when they heard Maxwell¡®s words. They understood the gravity of his words which was they were so shocked. ording to what Darius knew from his research, the Finn conglomerate load groomed Michael Finn from when he was a kid to be the heir to their conglomerate, Disowning Michael now and kicking him out of the Finn family meant that they wanted nothing to do with him anymore, and that their years of grooming and training him had gone down the drain, You could see why both Darius and his grandfather were shocked at the situation. It was a brutal and heartless decision. Darius turned back to look at Maxwell Finn after his statement. He now re¨Cevaluated Maxwell Finn¡®s ruthlessness as this decision showed that Maxwell Finn was even more ruthless than his son. Behind the humble and friendly face was a man who would do whatever was necessary to protect the interests of the Finn Conglomerate, and even his own blood was not spared. ¡°Are my words enough to convince you now, Mr. James, Mr. Reid?¡± Maxwell asked, breaking the silence among the three of them. ¡°Of course, that is not all. We will also concede three of our most crucial contracts to the Reid consortium, including the Saris Aquarium mega project and the Venus oil well project.¡± Maxwell acquiesced, a pained expression on his face. Darius was not yet in charge of the core operations of the Reid consortium, so he wasn¡®t too surprised by Maxwell¡®s words. However, it was a different case for his grandfather who was almost stupefied. James Reid knew that the Saris Aquarium was a project worth more than 800 billion dors, and was destined to bring in an annual profit of more than a trillion dors! The Venus oil well project wasn¡®t far behind the Saris Aquarium project, and it was estimated to bring in a bi¨Cannual profit of more than 500 billion dors. These two projects were extremely crucial to the Finni conglomerate and the fact that they were willing to concede three of their most crucial projects just to appease the Reid consortiuin showed how sincere the Finn conglomerate was, and also how powerful the Reid consortium was. ¡°I see. Well then, since you¡®re being sincere enough, we¡®ll call a spade a spade.¡± James Reid said after a brief moment of silence. Maxwell Finn let out an audible sigh of relief at James Reid words. He was relieved that he managed to appeal James; otherwise the consequences would have been very dire. Even though the conditions for the appeal were very crucial to him, it was surely worth it. ¡°The documents concerning the projects will be sent to your desk the next morning.¡± Maxwell added after a few seconds. Darius¡® grandfather nodded his head in approval at Maxwell¡®s words before standing up from his chair. ¡°We¡®ll be taking our leave now.¡± James Reid said calmly before walking out of the dining room, with Darius following him closely. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Maxwell remained in his seat as the two members of the Reid consortium exited the dining room; and there was only one thought in his mind, If I ever see Michael again, I¡®ll make sure to skin him alive! Meanwhile, while Maxwell was cursing his son for making him lose three crucial projects, Darius and his grandfather were seatedfortably in the back seat of the white Rolls¨CRoyce. There was an awkward silence in the Rolls¨CRoyce as both Darius and his grandfather hadplex expressions on their faces, but for different reasons. Darius wanted to ask what the problem was, butter refrained from doing so, opting to wait until his grandfather felt the need to talk before asking. He didn¡®t have to wait long, as after five minutes had passed; James Reid spoke up, breaking the awkward silence in the car. ¡°Something doesn¡®t add up.¡± Darius¡® grandfather said in a puzzled tone. ¡°What doesn¡®t?¡± Darius couldn¡®t help but ask. ¡°I don¡®t know what it is exactly, but I can¡®t put my finger on it.¡± Darius grandfather said; and he looked extremely ufortable. Darius didn¡®t say anything after that, but he was also worried as to what was wrong. He racked his brain hard but couldn¡®te up anything. Eventually, he sighed and stopped thinking about it. Darius¡® grandfather noticed that and sighed too. In the end, he stopped thinking about it and fell silent once more. However, he couldn¡®t shake off the feeling that he had overlooked something very vital and crucial. After the dinner with Michael Finn¡®s father, Maxwell Finn, everything returned back to normal. As Maxwell promised, the ownership of the 10 star hotel IUV Xenon Hotels was transferred to Darius. Darius then decided to change the name from IUV Xenon Hotels to simply Xenon Hotels, and the 10 star hotel became one of the many properties under Darius¡® name. As for the details regarding the Saris Aquarium mega project and the Venus oil well project, it was handled personally by Darius¡® Reid grandfather. The projects were far too important, and it was certain Darius didn¡®t have the experience to handle such important projects yet. Finally, two days after the dinner with Maxwell Finn, Darius departed from the Reid mansion returned back to his vi. By this time, it had been more than a week since the kidnapping incident, and sses were in full swing. He had been unable to attend sses for obvious reasons, but now that he was perfectly okay, it was time for him to resume sses. Chapter 153 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 153 (Two weeks ago) After the mysterious figure took Michael away from the tracks of the policemen and helped him escape, they made their way towards a route the mysterious figure had prepared beforehand. The duo walked for more than an liour, which was very asking for Michael as he was already injured by the police officers during the brics shootout. He was incredibly weak during the long trek, but the mysterious figure showed no sign of helping Michael. Luckily, after walking for more than an hour, they reached their destination. A ck car was parked under a huge tree. It was very inconspicuous, and was hidden properly from the naked eye. The mysterious ligure walked towards the car and entered it, after which Michael followed suit. By this time, the bleeding on Michael¡¯s arm was too much for him to bear, and lie was already fading in and out of consciousness, The mysterious figure nced at him and snorted before bringing out a small bottle which had green liquid in it. ¡°Take this and drink it at once. It will help stop the bleeding.¡± The mysterious figure said in a gravelly voice. Michael nced at the mysterious figure outstretched hands, skeptical on whether to ept the bottle or not. The mysterious man snorted again and said in a cold but mocking voice. ¡°You can choose not to drink it, but then I won¡¯t be able to guarantee that you stay alive till we reach our destination.¡± Michael frowned heavily at his statement, but he knew that he wasn¡¯t lying. He could barely stay conscious, and he knew that if he didn¡¯t take any medical care, he would surely lose consciousness. He epted the bottle from the mysterious figure¡¯s outstretched hands and opened it. He didn¡¯t have much of a choice anyway. He waspletely helpless with nowhere to escape to. He could only depend on the mysterious figure¡¯s help. The liquid had a very pungent smell to it, and Michael almost vomited when he put the bottle to his mouth. He was once again skeptical as to whether the liquid was poisoned, but after seeing the nonchnt attitude of the mysterious persona, he decided to bite the bullet and drink it. Sure enough, after drinking the green liquid, the bleeding on his arm started healing up, and the pain on his arm lessened greatly. Although it didn¡¯t healpletely, the pain was now very bearable. The mysterious figure gave an obscure smirk after seeing Michael gulp down the liquid before driving out of the forest. The journey was a long but tense one. As they were both on the run from the police, they had to avoid major routes and paths until they were out of the police influence in Yale city. Only then were they able to breathe a sigh of relief. After more than six hours of driving, the ck car came to a stop outside avish vi. There were different top security personnel hustling around the vi, and at a single nce Michael could tell they were well trained. The mysterious figure parked the ck car neatly before speaking to Michael in a hoarse but cold tone. ¡°Get down. We¡¯ve arrived.¡± The two of them then alighted from the vehicle before making their way inside the vi. Michael was stunned by thevisli and deluxe decorations in the interior of the vi. As he was born into an affluent family, he had seen enough of luxury decorations. However, the decorations in the vi werepletely different from the ones he had seen. They were more superior and more beautiful than the ones he had seen; and even the decorations in his family vi were subpar whenpared to those in this vi. This detail made him wonder how wealthy and powerful the person they were going to meet was. The two of them soon came to stop in front of a prolific door. There were two dragon heads designed intricately on the door, and Michael couldn¡¯t help but break out in a cold sweat at the malicious aura the door gave off. The mysterious figure knocked twice on the door before saying in a hoarse voice. ¡°I¡¯ve brought him as instructed.¡± There was a brief silence, and just when Michael thought that there would be no response, a gravelly voiceced with power said behind the door. ¡°Come in.¡± The mysterious figure didn¡¯t dy and opened the door, with Michael following closely behind. The interior of the room was luxurious enough, but Michael could barely appreciate the luxury of the room, because seated on a chair right across him was a mystifying person who was giving off a suffocating aura. Michael didn¡¯t have to be told that this was the master who wanted to meet him. The mysterious figure who rescued Michael bowed his head lightly before slipping out of the room, leaving Michael alone with the mystifying person. Michael stared at the figure with trembling legs, as he couldn¡¯t withstand the suffocating aura of the mystifying person, A few minutes passed before a sound finally echoed in the room. ¡°Who are you?¡± Michael asked tentatively; breaking the heavy silence in the room. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know who I amn.¡± The person replied in a voice as cold as ice. ¡°Then why did you send someone to save me?¡± Michael asked in a confused tone. There was another brief moment of silence, before the person answered. ¡°Because we both have amon enemy we need to crush.¡± The person said in a malicious tone. He then looked up at Michael and said in an even more malicious tone. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to have your revenge on Darius Reid?¡± Michael eyes widened in shock at the person¡¯s question, and rage filled his mind. Hepletely hated Darius Reid after he ruined his n and made him an attempted murderer on the run from the police. He winted nothing more than to crush him with his bare hands. The person smiled at Michael¡¯s Luce disying rarewlienilenlientioned Darius¡¯ name. To move forward with luis objectives, he needed to take Durins Reid out of the picture with Michael Finn on board, his prospects of sess would skyrockel. He wasying a massive trap for Darius Reid, and by the time lie released it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Chapter 154 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 154 He took out his phone and called Bruce ¡°I want to know if my friend was threatened at the casino.¡± ¡°Dear young master, I have investigated it clearly, but the master thinks it would be better to find out by yourself as you arrive there¡± He did not understand his grandfather¡¯s intention. He hung up the phone and continued to read the documents. Then, he saw the name on the document that made him vomit. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡®Dream Investment Group.¡® Darius¡® fist gradually turned as hard as a stone, and the tone of his voice was no longer calm, ¡°n Roberts, you better pray that this matter has nothing to do with you, or else you will definitely regret it for the rest of your life!¡± Just as the words left his mouth, he heard the pilot¡¯s nice voice, ¡°Young master, we¡¯ll bending in three minutes, so please get ready.¡± Darius put the tea cup back, sat on the sofa, and closed his eyes. The nended smoothly and the door opened quickly. Darius looked at the green grass and frowned ¡°what is this ce?¡± He looked suspiciously at a man and a woman who walked down from the cockpit. Darius¡® hands were clenched into fists, he was ready to attack. They noticed that Darius was cautious, and the woman spoke quickly,¡± Young master, it¡¯s a rule here, helicopters can¡¯t be parked elsewhere.¡± Darius nodded, but caution still surrounded him. The woman continued, ¡°Young master, there are no other nes here because it is privatend of the Reed family, please walk forward.¡± Darius took two steps backwards before speaking, ¡°You two, wait here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, young master, we cannot leave you by even twenty inches, that is the order we received and we must follow it.¡± said the man. ¡°I can let Bridget Manson be with you, she is no rival to you, but she can give up her life for you when there¡¯s danger.¡± Darius hesitated. For this was not the result he wanted. He turned his head to the man, ¡°I do not need it.¡± The man did not speak, Darius looked at him, ¡°Stay here and I will let you go with me when I have confirmed the truth in your words.¡± The man and the woman felt that Darius¡® reaction was not in the n, and after a short second of hesitation, they missed Darius. They had no choice but to run after Darius. Darius had to make sure that what they had just said was correct. Although they had a lot of opportunities to kill him just now, Darius was still not sure if it was simply because it was not yet the right time. While thinking in his head, his body had already reached the fence, and Darius saw other nes, perhaps it was true about the privatend. Not many, but they did exist. Darius was running so fast that his expensive jacket was turned into a mess by the wind. Darius¡® face was devoid of emotion until a security guard ran over to him. His face was full of anger. ¡°How did the beggar get in here? Please leave here immediately, this is not the ce you are supposed to be, or you will lose your life!¡± Darius looked at him waving the stick high in front of him, ¡°I don¡¯t like people who bully people like you, you better apologize to me right now, or I¡¯ll teach you a lesson. I don¡¯t usually like to threaten people like this.¡± The guard was shocked, but soon, he let out a scream, ¡°I can¡¯t believe someone could even dream in the daytime!¡± He looked at Darius, ¡°I¡¯m warning you, if you don¡¯t get out of here, I promise you, this stick will fall on you after yourst chance is wasted.¡± Darius hadn¡¯t been in a situation like this for a long time. He looked down at the clothes he was wearing today, obviously they were expensive, but even so, the guard still couldn¡¯t tell his wealth. The guard continued, ¡°I¡¯ve told you, don¡¯t me me for this.¡± It came to thest second when a helmet with a capital Rnded on the guard¡¯s stick. The next moment, Darius saw the guard and the stick flying in the air and finally on the ground. There was no shock on Darius¡® face. Darius stood still and looked at the guard who was holding his helmet with both knees in contact with the ground, his face disying an unhappy expression. ¡°Get up.¡± He spoke to the security guard in amanding tone. The guard had realized his earlier mistake and spoke to Darius with a trembling voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it was all my fault.¡± ¡°But I hope the young master will let me go, I need this job and the pitiful sry to feed my four children.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t get you fired, but I did get upset, because of your actions and words.¡± The guard began to tremble. He knew that the young masters of these consortium families had hobbies that they could not let others know about because most of them were perverts because of their wealth. Seems like the result was something he could not bear. However, he did not have any ways to refuse, he could only kneel pitifully on the ground and wait for the punishment from Darius, the man who was about to dominate his fate. With his hands in his pockets, Darius turned his head to look at a man and a woman wearing two in ck flight suits, both with big R¡¯s written on their clothes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear about this again, including from my grandfather¡¯s mouth.¡± After saying that, he looked down at the security guard. ¡°I can forgive you for only one time, and I hope you can know manners in the future like I do. However you worked pretty well as a security guard today.¡± The male pilot was still trying to catch his breath as Darius jumped over the fence. He had thought that Darius was just a simple, uneducated rich kid until he saw this scene. He knew he was totally wrong. Chapter 155 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 155 Darius did not know what people were thinking behind him.He only knew that he had been dyed for a long time, and that Rudd was waiting for his help. It was said that in the casinos of Slokus State, their eyes were wide when they killed people, even the blood flowing into their mouths would not make their faces change in any way. Darius picked up his pace the moment he hit the ground and practically bounced out. The two pilots, a man and a woman, followed him. The poor security guard on the ground was left unattended, only kneeling on the ground, watching in awe as Darius¡® back disappeared into the distance. His mouth trembled fiercely as he stood up and wobbled back to his post. On the other hand, Darius exited the airport in Slokus State. Unlike other ces, It was a casino outside, not stores or restaurants. He didn¡¯t see a taxi neither did the two pilots. After waiting for a long time, just as Darius was about to walk. The two pilots came out. While panting, the man said, ¡°Young master, we have equipped the vehicle and it is in the parking lot.¡± Darius felt like he had a ball of air stuffed in his stomach by this male pilot. ¡°You have seeded in making me feel angry.¡± The male pilot immediately tensed up and stood in a very standard military stance with his hands to his side. He was very worried about losing his well¨Cpaying job. But Darius obviously didn¡¯t have time to think about it; he was already on his way to the underground parking lot. As he went into the parking lot, he saw a ck Ferrari with the same big R written on it, parked closest to the door. ¡®R¡® means that the car was an asset of the Reid Alliance. Darius walked over and spoke to the driver, ¡°Please drive immediately.¡± The driver was also dressed in ck and came from the Reid Union. He looked at Darius in the rear¨Cview mirror, and there was incredulity in his eyes. The clothes on Darius looked like they were stolen and hadn¡¯t been taken care of in a long time. The driver thought as he stepped on the gas. When the car drove out of the parking lot, the driver already had an excuse for Darius. He spoke carefully, ¡°Young master, we have investigated a little about your friend. I would like to comment on that.¡± Darius¡¯s eyes lit up, this was exactly what he desperately needed right now. He didn¡¯t know this ce, but the driver had been here for many years, and what he didn¡¯t know, the driver should know. He nodded his head. The driver¡¯s voice became excited ¡°You are indeed dressed like a gambler who has lost his family¡¯s fortune, but the clothes you are wearing mean that you have a surplus of wealth left over to do it again, which would make you a very conspicuous casino target. And in the same ss as your friend who is about to be saved by you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that will make your meeting go more smoothly.¡± Darius looked at the mirror. In the rear¨Cview mirror was another version of Himself. He looked messy, indeed much like the driver had just said, and perhaps, the driver¡¯s analysis had merit. But, there was no way for Darius to ept that he had be like this again. As he was organizing his clothes, the phone rang. Seeing his grandfather¡¯s name, Darius then remembered that he had left the two pilots or bodyguards at the airport. He was so focused to get to the casino. He looked at the driver, ¡°I have seen the gate of that casino, I have left two people at the airport, go and get them here as well.¡® After saying that, Darius did not give the driver a chance to speak, he directly opened the door and jumped out. The driver felt his heart being torn in half and jumping out of his throat. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. He braked sharply. By the time he turned his head, Darius¡® shadow had disappeared. His eyes disyed panic, but it quickly turned to excitement. The young master was indeed someone special. With that thought in mind, he pushed the gas pedal as far as it would go and sprinted toward the airport. He was going to finish the job and give his little master the best impression he could! Darius straightened his clothes and walked to the door of that casino. It was his first time in such a ce. He was just about to walk in when he was stopped by someone. It was a woman, beautiful with a great figure. she was wearing an evening gown with a short skirt while being low on top. Darius¡® eyes passed by all her exposed skin and organs, finally settling on her face, ¡°You can¡¯t avoid being vulgar while being very voluptuous, so you can drop your unfolded arms and just start talking.¡± It was the first time the woman had ever beenmented like this, and her face turned red, embarrassment appeared, and finally, her breathing became rapid and her tone became less polite. ¡°You can¡¯t go in without money.¡± Hearing this, an icy smile appeared on Darius¡® face, ¡°Are you sure it won¡¯t be a loss for you if I leave today?¡± The woman, however, did not say anything, she even raised her eyebrows up. Darius felt ridiculous about it, but he didn¡¯t bother to argue, ¡°I generally don¡¯t like to do anything to people who work for capitalists.¡± When he finished, he wiggled his fingers and held out the special bank card he had in his pocket, ¡°You probably haven¡¯t seen this card before, after all, people with that kind of knowledge don¡¯t do things out of rudeness.¡± Chapter 156 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 156 The expression on Darius¡® face was showing the seriousness of his heart. The woman¡¯s face changed. She had lost control of her body when she saw the card. She recognized this card! Everyone had to recognize this card during pee¨Cemployment training! N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. So that they could serve the Reid family better. She had fantasied about earning a chance to enter the Reid family, and then, she would be Mrs. Reid. But she couldn¡¯t believe that the man she had been waiting for for so long was insulted to the point of anger by her. She stood still, all stiff, with only her eyes, still able to move, looking at the card, and began to think what she could do to salvage the situation now. Darius, however, put the card in his pocket ¡°Now, can I get in?¡± The woman saw the expression on Darius¡® face and still found herself unable to ept it. With her eyes on Darius¡® back as he walked toward the casino doors, she suddenly screamed, ¡°Stop! You liar! I know who you are, and you can¡¯t go in!¡± After saying that, she ran in front of Darius and opened her arms wide, blocking Darius¡® path tightly. Darius¡® eyes gradually lost their temperature, like the messenger of death. ¡°As you wish, I stopped.¡± He tried to hold his manner. ¡°But are you sure you want to continue this? My patience is about to run out. You better apologize for what you just said and let me in¡± When she heard this, she became even more convinced of her inner suspicions. Both of her hands were on her waist, her arms were propped up, and her voice was loud and sharp. ¡°I have made it very clear, you are a liar! An outright liar!¡± ¡°You¡¯re down and out, I can see it in your face! But now you¡¯re pretending to be rich with a fake Reid family card to make that lie seem more real!¡± A hint of mockery appeared on her face, ¡°You may not have a sensible estimate of your consequences. But I can tell you with my kind heart that you will be expelled by the Reed family, and there will be no ce for you in the whole country then!¡± Her face showed nothing but seriousness, and her heart was sure that her guess was correct. Just as Darius was thinking about how he was going to call the manager out, his phone rang again. Only then did he realize that he had just forgotten to answer his grandfather¡¯s call. Darius¡® face turned pale. This was not a good oue! As he tried to answer the phone while muttering, he heard thedy above start talking again. ¡°Now what? Trying you find someone who can get you out of here, liar?¡± Darius did not answer. The most important thing was to answer the phone now. He picked up the phone and heard the loud voice of his own grandfather on the other side of the line. James¡® voice was not angry. It waspletely different from the past, and there was even a bit of laughter that Darius hadn¡¯t heard in the past. ¡°You know what caused your current predicament? My disobedient grandson.¡± Darius¡® reaction was the same as James had thought before, he remained calm. ¡°Darius, you are still very young, and it is understandable that there are many things you do not know, so take the two bodyguards I gave you, they are excellent. They could help you in such a situation¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to go back to my rest.¡± James hung up. Darius heard the hang up inside and put the phone back in his pocket before he started looking around. It was a shock to Darius that his grandfather could see himself now. The woman, with a mocking disy on her face, said ¡°Do you hear what I said?¡± Darius sighed and looked at his watch, ¡°I¡¯ve wasted a long time on you, I¡¯ve never seen a woman as stupid as you.¡± ¡°I will let you know who is stupid, now get him out!¡± the woman said. Two securities showed up immediately and walked towards Darius. The woman turned around. However, before she made a few steps, she heard the painful screams from the securities. She quickly turned around and saw them lying on the ground. She couldn¡¯t believe he eyes. Darius stepped over the securities and walked over to the her, he took out his card coldly, ¡°Your presence has caused a lot of bad things happen to me today, I hope you can let me in now.¡± Darius finished the words, ignored her and walked towards the front door, ¡± I want to see my friend.¡± A group of security guards gathered around the him. They looked at Darius and a tangle appeared in their eyes. In fact, this kind of thing was somon that they chose to hold back, but this time was different from the past. They had no way to determine if this man could really bring in revenue for the casino, or if he was just a thief or a crook, or a poor man who no longer had any wealth, but still thought of turning back through gambling. Either way, it is something they can¡¯t see through. Darius did not have the time and patience to wait for their decision; he had decided to walk through the gate, even by force. ¡°You should know that I am not in a good mood. Forty minutes have passed since I made the decision to save my friend, but I still haven¡¯t seen the person in charge of the casino.¡± When the female manager heard Darius¡® words, she knew what had happened. However, at this moment, her thoughts were upside down. She didn¡¯t want the person in front of her to be from the Reid family. Because, this means that the casino has indirectly offended the Reid family. The thoughts in her mind could fill the whole casino, but the female manager¡¯s face did not change, still smiling as before. ¡°Sir, I already know what you want, I will take you up as soon as possible.¡± Darius¡® hands were in his pockets as he watched the female manager was on the phone. The female manager¡¯s words were still normal, but the voice on the other side of the phone was very arrogant. ¡°Look at what he¡¯s wearing, if it¡¯s under $150,000, just beat the man out of there.¡± Chapter 157 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 157 The manager cautiously shot a sideways smirk at Darius before lowering her head. ¡°My apologies, but I can¡¯t recognize the brand of his clothes as it doesn¡¯t seem well known. However, his clothes do look expensive.¡± Darius could tell the former¡¯s tone was full of mockery. That was when a confident voice said on the other end of the call, ¡°If an article of clothing has no brand, it must be a custom piece. I doubt someone that capable would show up at our casino. Likewise, there¡¯s no way this poor little boy would ever be acquainted with someone so wealthy.¡± The situation seemed like a joke to Darius, who kept silent the entire time and kept his hands in his pockets. Even so, his frosty eyes sent chills down everyone¡¯s spines. Darius eventually reached out to knock on the table twice before retorting, ¡°Aren¡¯t I supposed to grant your business more wealth through my patronage? Why did no one wee me? Instead, you left me out here alone. Is this how your fancy casino treats its customers?¡± Upon hearing his words, the person on the call flew into a rage and thundered, ¡°Listen here, you little punk! Our casino would never allow you, someone impersonating a member of the Reid family, through our doors! As for your friend, you can only save him after putting the five million dors on this table.¡± Darius¡¯ hands returned to his pockets as his eyes narrowed. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He did not believe the words of the person on the phone. After all, he knew Rudd had excellent control over things, so it did not make sense that thetter would have such a massive funding gap. Darius¡¯ rage was growing at that point. Even so, he could not do anything since he had yet to see Rudd in person. Thus, he shed them a nk look while asking, ¡°How did he end up owing you this amount?¡± Roaringughter came from the phone right then. Even the manager was chuckling. Meanwhile, Darius was the only one whose expression did not change. Moments passed before the manager ced the handset back onto the telephone, ending the call. Only then did Darius raise his head to meet the manager¡¯s gaze. Thetter smirked. ¡°You¡¯re already at our casino. Why else do you think your friend owes us money?¡± As Darius had expected, the other party¡¯s reason was the first thing he ruled out. He was unfazed since he knew such an excuse was a lie-Rudd would never gamble. With that in mind, his eyes narrowed to slits as he mmed the table. ¡°If what you said is true, you should ept my patronage, not refuse it!¡± The manager acted against what she truly felt, chuckling at Darius. ¡°Indeed. Unfortunately, we don¡¯t believe you. We think you¡¯re lying and pretending to be rich. While speaking, her eyes pierced Darius like des, revealing her disdain toward him. ¡°So that means you guys are after a life today, not money, huh?¡± Darius asked inly before raising three fingers. ¡°I¡¯ll give you till the count of three to reconsider.¡± His deration rang out. It was so loud that everyone within nine feet of the casino entrance heard his words, causing the scene to plummet into silence. Never had the manager witnessed this before. The utter stillness around them meant she needed to handle the matter well. Otherwise, there was no way she could bear the consequences. Thus, she looked over at Darius, her gaze hardening with determination. ¡°We run a casino. All we want is money.¡± ¡ª Seconds of silence passed, and she added firmly, ¡°The portion that is owed to us, of course.¡± Darius nodded, ¡°Time¡¯s up. That¡¯s the final count, and I¡¯ve already been very patient with you.¡± That was when the manager¡¯s gaze settled onto Darius¡¯ wrist, and her eyes instantly lit up. She knew the watch on his wrist was a limited-edition piece. It was worth 50 million dors, and only ten existed worldwide. Those facts alone indicated Darius¡¯ wealth and status. Panic overtook the manager¡¯s senses at that instant. She began to fear the consequences of her actions earlier. After all, a man like Darius was not someone she could afford to cross. Sadly, her behavior had utterly pissed off the young and handsome magnate before her. Her phone then rang. When the manager heard who was on the other end of the line, her every muscle trembled with fear. Saliva pooled in her mouth, causing her to purse her lips and frequently gulp. hoping to drain all the fluids. All she could do was stay on the phone call. The voice from the other endmunicated clearly as before. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the man¡¯s watch. Check his bank card now. If he has enough funds to gamble here, let him in and get someone to keep him company all night. Should he refuse to let you check it, or if he doesn¡¯t have enough funds, kick him out at once.¡± With that, the caller abruptly hung up. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Darius had overheard the entire exchange and spoke up before the manager could. ¡°I heard your superior¡¯s request, but I still have a question.¡± The manager began questioning the truth behind Darius¡¯ words after seeing how cooperative he was. Still, she could not do anything about her doubts, so she maintained her usual smile. Contrarily, there was something more menacing in Darius¡¯ expression. ¡°I¡¯m curious. What will happen after you verify my identity? What¡¯s the price you¡¯ll pay if I turn out to be who I say I am?¡± By that point, the manager was dumbfounded. No one had ever spoken this rudely toward her, much less threatened her. Regardless of how she felt, she knew there was only one option, as all eyes were on her. The manager looked up at Darius, certainty filling her gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll remove your friend¡¯s debt entirely on behalf of the casino. Also, I¡¯ll give you five million dors¡¯ worth of betting chips as a gift to use in the casino.¡± ¡°I want five million in cash.¡± Not a trace of hesitation came from Darius, whose hands were still in his pockets. ¡°Your demands are going a little too far,¡± said the manager, her face contorting with rage. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going out of linepared to my friend, who managed to rack up a debt worth five million dors at a casino, despite never gambling in his life and having great discipline.¡± The manager noticed how much Darius was praising Rudd. Given the onlooking crowd that seemed to believe Darius, the manager had no choice but to nod. ¡°I ept your demands.¡± Moments of silence passed. The manager became insecure, thinking her response did not have the frightening effect she wanted. Hence, she added, ¡°Our casino has operated for a hundred years! We¡¯ve never been wrong at evaluating others¡¯ wealth!¡± Subsequently, she reached out to Darius. The fear she felt earlier vanished as she stated loudly, ¡°Please hand me your bank card at once. I¡¯m a very busy person.¡± The onlookers around them then snapped to their senses and realized where they were. A few of them even began discussing the matter at hand. ¡°Does this guy even have a bank card to hand over?¡± ¡°I think I saw him taking out a ck toy card -¡± Darius¡¯ piercing gaze suddenly snapped over to thest person that spoke. That made the person choke on his words. It was as though an invisible rope had tightened around his neck. Chapter 158 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 158 The speaker dared not utter another word as he cautiously sat back in his seat. Darius no longer concerned himself with that man. After all, he knew the people gambling here were much poorer than him. Theirbined assets would not even amount to a fraction of his wealth. There was no way Darius would waste his time on such people. Hence, he promptly ced his ck bank card with the letter ¡°R¡± onto the table. The manager¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°I know many people worship Reid Consortium. Since you know of the Reid family, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re also aware of the family¡¯s social status. In having this bet against me, I hope you understand that a measly person like you cannot survive the wrath of our casino or the Reids.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget what you¡¯re saying to me now,¡± Darius responded, his voice devoid of emotion while he nced at his watch. Then, he ced his card onto the scanner. A second passed before the machinery let out a beep of approval and shed a green light. Everyone around them cheered at once. Only the female manager frowned, unable to rejoice in Darius¡¯ sess. She did not have the authority to grant him five million in cash as she had promised earlier. She only agreed to do it because she was sure Darius was poor. Little did she expect her judge of character to slip up Darius turned out to be rich beyond belief! Not to mention, his ck card was authentic. The manager¡¯s knees became weak as all her strength left her body. She slumped onto the ground but had both hands supporting her to ensure she would not fall miserably. Opposite her, Darius retraced his hands, tucking them into his pockets as he did before with his ssic nk stare. ¡°How will you fulfil your end of the bargain?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. Reid! I-I don¡¯t have the authority to hand over five million dors to you. That was a reckless promise I made out of the selfish desire that you would fail.¡± The manager trembled fervently, her gaze downcast as she dared not speak further. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. In truth, the manager was an attractive woman. Almost every man at the scene felt pitiful for the manager, except Darius, who frowned. ¡°You¡¯re pretty even when you¡¯re quivering. However, your act of fear isn¡¯t convincing enough.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re unable to fulfill your promise, I¡¯ll deal with this matter myself,¡± said the person in charge of the casino. He stumbled upon the two¡¯s tense conversation after exiting the elevator. Immediately, he lowered his head and exined, ¡°Dearest Mr. Reid, I apologize sincerely for everything. I had no idea Mr. Rudd was a good friend of yours. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have allowed all this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re toote. I¡¯ve given you plenty of chances to intervene from the moment I stood at your casino¡¯s main entrance.¡± Darius¡¯ gaze remained as frosty as ever. The chill in his eyes intensified when he noticed the bruises on Rudd¡¯s face. Then, he continued, ¡°Your casino¡¯s actions have greatly upset me. Plus, I warned you before boarding the ne.¡± The face of the person in charge turned paled. Even his forehead became dotted with beads of sweat. He wiped it away, locked eyes with Darius, and desperately pleaded. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. None of what happened was my intention. It was already toote when we received your warning.¡± Not a single thing changed on Darius¡¯ stormy face. The tension suffocated the person in charge, causing him to take deeper breaths. After pondering momentarily, he knelt. ¡°I genuinely am sorry, Mr. Reid. I understand that I¡¯ve made a lot of mistakes. What will it take for you to let us off the hook? I promise we¡¯llply with your every request.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already made my demands clear:¡± Darius rolled his eyes. A dark greyish look of hopelessness shrouded the face of the person in charge face. He no longer knew what to do as he thought, ¡°That¡¯s five million dors! It¡¯s the daily ie of our casino. If I handed that money over to Mr. Reid, my boss might kill me!¡± Despite seeing the former¡¯s bleak look, Darius felt nothing. ¡°I¡¯ve already given your casino too much of my time. I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡± With that, Darius looked over at Rudd and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here. I¡¯m sure everything will end once these guys pay the five million dors to anypany under Reid Consortium.¡± Rudd had been watching everything unfold behind the surveince screens. Thus, he was in a daze and remained that way as he exited the casino alongside Darius. s, the person in charge let out a skin-crawling screech right after they walked out the entrance, ¡°Security! Stop that man from leaving! The eyes of the person in charge were bloodshot while he climbed up off the ground. Desperation continued to ooze from him as he snarled, ¡°That man is here alone, and nobody recognizes him. Everyone knows that the young heir of the Reid family would never go anywhere unattended! This guy must be an imposter! He fully believed in the lies he spewed. Conviction shed in his steely eyes. ¡°Act now if you hear what I¡¯m saying! I don¡¯t want to hear any excuses! All I want is to see that guy¡¯s dead body!¡± The group of security guards working in the casino froze with nk expressions. They had heard about what happened earlier and disapproved of the person in charge¡¯s actions. Before them, the person in charge¡¯s lips quivered erratically as though every bit of logic in his brain had melted away. While the person in charge had lost his mind, the security guards remained sane. The only issue was that no matter who the guards chose to help, they would still suffer severe consequences. Seeing how no one was charging toward Darius, the person in charge could not help but shrill, ¡°Did you guys not hear me? Seize that Mr. Reid wannabe at once! I want him to die a gruesome death!¡± That only made the security guards stay in ce even more. After seeing the indecisive security guards. his usatory tone louder than before. ¡°There are many posers who can¡¯t endure the hardships that Mr. Reid has gone through! You¡¯re definitely an imposter! I¡¯m going to tell the Reid family about this!¡± As he said that, his flustered expression turned into one of shock before he involuntarily fell face-down onto the ground with a loud plop. Darius was no longer interested in listening by then. All he wanted was to leave. It took everything in Rudd to slightly open his swollen eye. Nevertheless, he could see Darius¡¯ actions clearly. Thetter had shrunk himself to speed up his movements. The two bodyguards arrived a littleter. When they did, Darius pointed at the casino¡¯s main entrance and dered, ¡°This casino wants me dead. As my bodyguards, I believe you two can produce good results. I want results that satisfy me and keep me safe at the very least.¡± Chapter 159 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 159 Their gazes met for a moment before Bridget joined Darius¡¯ side like always while Edward headed toward the casino. Darius trusted Edward¡¯s abilities, so he left for the airport. Bridget followed along with a slightly hesitative expression. ¡°Sir, you can move around on footter. You can use our family¡¯s own car.¡± Darius stopped, then looked at his shocked friend, whose jaw had dropped despite only being able to see through a slightly opened swollen eye. Darius knew Rudd¡¯s exaggerated expression was only because thetter felt shocked. Still, seeing that pleased Darius. He reached out to give Rudd¡¯s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. ¡°Don¡¯t be so surprised. I merely reunited with my family. It turns out that my grandfather is super wealthy, and so are my great-grandparents.¡± Those words did not ease Rudd¡¯s shock. Instead, he uttered a string of foul curses to disy how taken aback he felt. It was only after the car screeched to a halt before them and grains of sand flew into Rudd¡¯s parted lips did he shut his mouth. Darius had already gotten into the car by then. Meanwhile, a stunning woman dressed in a ck flight attendant uniform was opening the car door for Rudd, who thought, ¡°I must be dead. There¡¯s no way I can ever dream of such an experience!¡± He had no idea how to react except obediently enter the car to sit by Darius¡¯ side. In doing so, he caught a whiff of the flight attendant¡¯s perfume, which sparked his memories of another woman. Darius watched as his friend¡¯s countenance shifted from nkness to instant sorrow. He could no longer suppress his curiosity, so he asked, ¡°What exactly happened? You¡¯re not someone who would rack up a debt worth five million dors.¡± In response, Rudd exined that the reason was too sad for him to speak about. On the other hand, Edward punished the casino¡¯s staff, ensuring they suffered for their actions. Little did anyone know that an old man with a ck beard, who reeked of vomit, was watching Darius¡¯ car leave from an obscure corner. Something was menacing about the darkness swirling in the man¡¯s eyes as he targeted Darius once he exited the casino. The man stroked his beard while desire gleaned in his eyes. He mused, ¡°This young man seems powerful and has the scent of the mysterious potion on him. All I have to do is to catch him, so that I can live longer!¡± He took out a quill that looked ancient. Although, it would be more urate to describe the quill as a bald rod since there were barely any barbs left on it. Next, he took out a piece of toilet paper with an unknown brown substance he had somehow picked up. The old man unfolded the piece of toilet paper before scribbling an urate portrait of Darius¡¯ face onto it. Darius was still unaware of the dangers on the road ahead. He nced over at Rudd, who sat close to him, and said, ¡°I understand what you mean, but I¡¯m still very rmed by the entire ordeal. I doubt gambling is the reason behind your debt, so I¡¯ll need to ask you again.¡± Rudd knew his circumstances worried his friend a lot, so he did not show a hint of reluctance when saying, ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to answer your questions honestly.¡± Clearing his throat, Darius then began interrogating Rudd. ¡°You mentioned that your previous girlfriend was an employee at this casino. She was responsible for escorting guests into private rooms.¡± Rudd bitterly nodded. ¡°She never mentioned this, only that it was a part-time gig.¡± A lengthy sigh came from Darius, who eventually continued, ¡°So¡­ she knew she couldn¡¯t hit her work quota for this month and tricked you into gambling there?¡± Despite feeling humiliated, Rudd could not do anything but nod, admitting the truth. That left Darius sighing more deeply than before. His arm extended to give aforting pat on Rudd¡¯s shoulder. Bitterness shed on Rudd¡¯s face. He did not want that. Rudd always hoped to appear happy. Hence, his features warped as he fell somewhere between the two emotions. Seeing that tickled Darius¡¯ urge to chuckle, but he resisted. He shed a look of seriousness and assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The matter has been resolved. As for your ex-girlfriend, if you ever need her body to get through a lonely night, I can always have her taken out of custody.¡± Rudd¡¯s features darkened at once. He had not been able to let go of his ex-girlfriend. Otherwise, he would not have gotten tricked into gambling so easily. However, it was also then that he realized the interior of the car they were in felt different from regr vehicles.¡± This is animal fur!¡± Darius covered his ears and shifted in his seat, indicating his difort toward his friend¡¯s scream. Still, Rudd could not care less. All his attention was now on the car. It took a momentt before he finally realized how luxurious the car¡¯s interior seemed. His low spirits vanished right then. Discontent filled his gaze as he looked at Darius. ¡°We¡¯re good friends, aren¡¯t we? Why didn¡¯t you tell the other guys and me that you were this wealthy? Instead, you let us believe you got hired at a high-paying job.¡± Darius¡¯ lips curved upward, revealing his improved mood. He nodded. ¡°I started off as a penniless man who couldn¡¯t even afford a meal. Overnight, I became the world¡¯s wealthiest person, and that shocked me to no end. I was worried you guys would feel that way too.¡± ¡°I suppose I can ept your concerns.¡± Rudd gradually lowered his head in understanding. Following that, his eyes glimmered with hope at Darius, and he stated, ¡°You cost me the five million dors I would¡¯ve gotten back from the casino. But, as my best friend, I¡¯ll forgive it if you buy me a couple of meals at somece grand like the restaurant in Sky Golden Hotel.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Darius nodded with a genuine smile on his face. Rudd was no longer upset. Instead, he was over the moon with joy. He had always worried about Darius but was relieved that thetter now had someone affluent backing him up. The two men had a goodugh during the car ride. When they arrived at the airport, a man stood before their car. He was tall and wore a dashing ck aviator suit. Darius opened the car door to ask, ¡°Edward, how did things go?¡± ¡°Sir, I did as you ordered and shut the casino down. That specific establishment will never show its face to the world again.¡± Hearing that, Darius nodded with satisfaction. He walked around to the other side of the car to open the door when Bridget stopped him. She interjected, ¡°Sir! Why would you waste your energy on such an insignificant thing? How can we, your loyal bodyguards, rest with ease tonight if we allow this?¡± Inside the car, Rudd¡¯s lips twitched. He reached out to open the door before stepping out and smiling at everyone outside. ¡°I¡¯m not the young heir of the Reid family, so I¡¯m unqualified to enjoy your services. I do little things like opening the door myself.¡± Not a word came from Darius as he knew Rudd¡¯s statement was correct to some extent. Chapter 160 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 160 Darius felt it was necessary to draw a clear line between his subordinates¡¯ service to their superiors and thetter¡¯s friends. He waited for Rudd to alight the car before turning around and extending his arms wide.¡± Come along. Let¡¯s give you a tour of my private jet.¡± Once Rudd set foot on the airport grounds, he wondered if the ne they were boarding belonged to Darius¡¯ family. Now that Darius had confirmed that suspicion, Rudd¡¯s jaw fell agape as he muttered, ¡°D-Damn. It seems like you can afford plenty of luxuries now. Still, what shocks me more is that you still see me as your friend. You came to save me like you would¡¯ve done back then.¡± Seeing how touched his friend was, Darius blinked several times before replying, ¡°Duh. We¡¯re best mates, after all.¡± He had ascended the private jet¡¯s steps by the time he finished speaking. He looked at the door while motioning toward the jet¡¯s interior. ¡°Hurry up. We¡¯ve still got plenty of things to do.¡± Rudd immediately mbered aboard. Although he anticipated that the jet would be fancy, he was still deeply in awe. Witnessing thevish aircraft in person made his heart race so much that he could barely breathe. ¡°I had the same reaction when I first saw this jet earlier,¡± remarked Darius, who could rte to Rudd¡¯s wonder. Rudd adjusted his expression, trying to brush things off. ¡°I just assumed you bought this jet with your newfound wealth. It makes more sense that it belongs to your family. Although I¡¯m still taken aback by everything, I¡¯m growing numb. I¡¯ll be as cool as a cucumber in no time.¡± Amused chuckles rumbled from Darius¡¯ throat just then. ¡°I bet you won¡¯t even feel a thing toward surprises like these in the future.¡± Moments passed as Rudd sat next to Darius with a look of doubt. ¡°By the way, what do your parents do for a living?¡± Once Darius heard the word ¡°parents,¡± a frosty look shrouded his features. Although his grandfather did not reveal much, Darius had a rough idea about his parents¡¯ deaths after experiencing everything up till now. There was more to the so-called ident that killed his parents than met the eye. However, since his grandfather wanted to keep it secret, he chose to drop the matter. Rudd could tell Darius was drowning in unhappy thoughts as thetter¡¯s every pore seemed to radiate a grim aura. He paused to think carefully before asking, ¡°Did I ask about something 1 shouldn¡¯t have? Do your parents not treat you well?¡± ¡°No.¡± Darius shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve never met them. They died when I got separated from my family. Grandpa says it was a severe car ident that imed their lives. Though, I¡¯m certain that if it weren¡¯t for them, you and I would never have met.¡± By then, Darius had reigned in his emotions. His expression softened, which was a significant contrast from his earlier iciness. He continued, ¡°But it¡¯s all good now, I¡¯ve found myst living family member. I swear I¡¯ll hunt down the person who killed my parents and make them Pay! Now that Darius sounded like himself again, Rudd pursed his lips, putting on a determined and sincere look. ¡°You¡¯re right, and I¡¯ll do everything I can to help you!¡± That was a pleasant surprise to Darius, who nodded and grinned. ¡°Indeed. However, this is a dangerous task, so anyone involved will inevitably be in harm¡¯s way. That¡¯s why I won¡¯t allow you, my best friend, to partake in it.¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you today, I wouldn¡¯t have walked out alive from that casino.¡± Rudd chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I would¡¯ve lost a few body parts like a few fingers or a leg. Knowing my family, they¡¯ll never let someone wed inherit the family assets. Thus, i¡¯ll likely get kicked out without a penny to my name.¡± He then locked eyes with Darius, the utmost sincerity swelling in his eyes as he added, ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s fair that I do everything in my power to help you. Besides, we¡¯re supposed to be best mates who can rely on each other.¡± A warm, tingly feeling engulfed Darius. He no longer rebuked Rudd, which Rudd took as a silent admission of defeat. Thus, Rudd let go of his worries and began taking in his grand surroundings. Ever since he entered the aircraft, his mind had gone nk in shock. He gawked at the jet¡¯s interior with his eyes rounded and jaw lowered like a child in a candy shop Half an hour passed, and Rudd¡¯s mouth was still wide open with awe. It was amusing to Darius, but he did notment on it. Instead, he shut his eyes to get some rest. ¡°I¡¯ve been so busy these few days that I haven¡¯t had any breaks. Naturally, it also means haven¡¯t cultivated my abilities one bit. That¡¯s not good.¡± Just as Darius was deep in thought, Edward¡¯s voice rang through the in-flight announcement system. ¡°Sir, we¡¯ll bending shortly.¡± Darius nodded, then turned to say, ¡°We¡¯llnd soon, Rudd. Put away everything, stow your tray table, and fasten your seatbelt. Behave yourself as you would in an economy ne.¡± Rudd nodded. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Silence then ensued as Darius did not react in any way. Only after exiting the ne did Darius let out a long exhale. ¡°Rudd, this is my grandpa¡¯s ce.¡± He nced at the massivewn ahead without a hint of emotion. That was normal as he had already seen the same view many times. Contrarily, this was Rudd¡¯s first time seeing the ce. He was so excited that he could not utter a word or breathe properly. Suddenly, he plopped to his knees while clutching his stomach. Concern instantly showed on Darius¡¯ face. He knew there were no medical resources here since those were only avable in a hospital. Hence, he dashed ahead, squatted, and brought himself within Rudd¡¯s line of sight. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I can call an ambnce.¡± As soon as Rudd heard the word ¡°ambnce,¡± he shot to his feet and fervently shook his head. ¡°T- There¡¯s no need! I was just shocked. Your grandpa¡¯s house is bigger than all my family members¡¯ houses put together.¡± The corner of Darius¡¯ lip twitched. ¡°Quit being shocked. You¡¯re the first to see this ce, but I hope you can keep it a secret for my sake.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Rudd nodded right away. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it a secret. It¡¯s the least I can do as your best friend.¡± That was when Darius brought Rudd inside. However, to Darius¡¯ surprise, they bumped into someone right after entering the front door. He eximed, ¡°Grandpa?¡± James was understanding and shed a kind smile toward the two. ¡°I heard you were bringing a friend who just went through a tough time. I figured it was only appropriate that Ie out to meet him.¡± His words immediately relieved Darius of his nervousness. James could sense his grandson was now more rxed than before, so he chuckled and said to Rudd, ¡°Young man, you¡¯re my grandson¡¯s friend. That makes you an esteemed guest of the Reid family. Anyway, my name is James, and I¡¯m the previous owner of the Reid Consortium.¡± Chapter 161 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 161 Generous Hospitality ##James had a gentle look on his face as he extended both arms weingly. ¡°I hope God blesses you with better things, young man.¡± Rudd never dreamed that he could enter the Reid residence¡¯s front doors. After all, the Reids were rich beyond belief-to the point where someone like Rudd was unworthy of even mentioning their name. Now, alongside entering the residence, Rudd even got to experience such generous hospitality. The excitement caused his chest to tighten, leaving him breathless again. Seeing that, James put down his arms and chuckled. ¡°I suppose my presence might make things slightly awkward, so I¡¯ll be on my way now.¡± He then promptly turned on his heel to leave with his walking cane in hand. Rudd¡¯s jaw stayed agape for the longest time. Never in a million years did he imagine tycoons like the Reid family behaving kindly toward those with less wealth. Once Darius and Rudd were the only ones left in the hallway, thetter spoke up in a meek tone. ¡°Man, I¡¯m so nervous! 1 once asked a random person about the Reid Consortium, and would you believe it? People say that your family name holds many assets-enough to make you gods!¡± ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating. That¡¯s not true at all.¡± Darius chuckled while shaking his head. Before Rudd could rebuke him, the phone in Darius¡¯ pocket rang. Hence, he kept quiet, waiting as his friend answered the call. He eventually turned to look at the many photos and the famous painting on the hallway¡¯s walls. Rudd had seen that painting before. His grandfather wanted to purchase it during an auction. However, the painting¡¯s starting price alone had already exceeded thebined worth of his entire family. Because of that, Rudd¡¯s family could only give up on acquiring the painting. Little did Rudd know the painting his grandfather wanted to store in their basement privately would appear in the Reid residence¡¯s hallway. He could not help thinking, ¡°Damn. I wonder what the art pieces stored in the Reid family¡¯s private collections would look like. Not only that, but how much are they worth?¡± Knowing his best friend now lived in a well-off environment, Rudd no longer felt worried for him. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Meanwhile, Darius answered the phone and heard Erin¡¯s voice on the other end of the line.¡± Dearest Mr. Reid, your participation is essential for our uing task to seed.¡± It was crystal clear to Darius that his temporary vacation had ended at that point. Weariness weighed down his voice as he asked, ¡°What is it about?¡± Erin detected Darius¡¯ unwillingness but chose to ignore it. ¡°Many contracts and files are awaiting your signatures at the hospital. We also can¡¯tplete the procedures for coboration projects without you. Most importantly, the other chairpeople of the hospital want to schedule a meeting with you as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Darius nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll head over now.¡± Rudd happened to hear that and immediately walked over. ¡°Then I¡¯ll see myself out too. But um, can I hitch a ride with you?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Darius, who cocked a brow before pivoting on his heel. ¡°Hey, Rudd. Try to keep up.¡± Momentster, they arrived before a fleet of luxury vehicles worth a minimum of twenty million dors. Rudd¡¯s eyes widened again. ¡°Do all these cars belong to you?¡± The amazement in the former¡¯s tone made Dariusugh. ¡°Yes. Would you like to choose which car we¡¯ll leave in?¡± Rudd was quick to decide ¨C He chose a modified Lincoln with fancy interior lighting. It sparked a daydream of having many gorgeous models in miniskirts seated alongside him as he drove. On top of that, he pictured everyone holding tall sses filled with glistening red wine. Because that scene seemed perfect, he felt disappointed once he realized it was just a daydream. Rudd pouted as he took in the impressive but empty car. Darius quickly understood the reason behind that expression. It was only natural as he and Rudd had lived in the same dormitory for many years. Thus, he chuckled heartily. ¡°This isn¡¯t a stretch Lincoln limousine, so your fantasy will be unlikely to happen anytime soon.¡± Not expecting his friend to guess his thoughts, Rudd stiffened. His cheeks turned bright pink in seconds. Darius did not pay Rudd¡¯s reaction too much heed. Instead, he floored the elerator, driving onto the road at lightning speed. Despite this, his driving was steady and allowed for a smooth ride. Rudd¡¯s lips rounded while he eximed, ¡°Damn! This car is incredible! Why did I never realize a Lincoln could be this great?¡± ¡°Because Erin had this car custom-made on my behalf. It¡¯s different from other Lincolns,¡± answered a smirking Darius. Only then did Rudd nod in realization. ¡°Oh! So, it¡¯s just because my car isn¡¯t as good.¡± The two arrived at their destination-Serene Hospital. Darius opened the car door, but Rudd spoke before the former could step out. ¡°Go ahead with your work. I¡¯ll be on my way then. See you at school!¡± Darius¡¯ gaze settled on Rudd¡¯s cheery smile at that moment. Darius was initially worried that Rudd would drown in heartbreak after getting tricked by his ex-girlfriend. That was why Darius brought him along, Currently, Rudd¡¯s grin seemed more sincere and rxed than his previous pursed smiles. Darius did not ask him to stay. He exited his car and saw many people standing at the hospital¡¯s main entrance, waiting to wee him. Standing at the forefront were Erin and Emily. Once the two confirmed Darius was approaching them, they rushed to his side faster than anyone else to greet him. ¡°Sir, wee to Serene Hospital, where we dly provide a lifetime of healthcare service to all individuals.¡± Darius was pleased to hear such words of wee. He nodded and announced to everyone, ¡°I hope every staff member here will firmly stand by the hospital¡¯s one belief ¨C to ensure that all healed and recovered patients never return.¡± Those words were spoken with such force that everyone heard them, including those on the road outside the hospital. All gazes shifted toward Darius at once, but everyone only saw his back as Darius had already entered the hospital upon finishing his announcement. Erin followed behind him. Before she could greet her boss, whom she had not seen in a long time, he spoke. ¡°Erin, my friend is outside and needs a ride.¡± Mere seconds passed as Erin whipped out her phone, made arrangements, then put it back into her pocket. After confirming Rudd had secured a ride, Darius focused all his attention on the path ahead. He asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the director?¡± ¡°Director Lewis is en route to a social event.¡± Erin hurriedly rified on behalf of the new hospital director, Lewis Russell, ¡°Work has been challenging for Director Bench as he just started his post as director here, and he has no blood rtions supporting him¡­¡± Darius nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll back him. Also, you¡¯re free to assign such tasks based on your own judgment. There¡¯s no need to get my approval.¡± Erin¡¯s face lit up with a bright smile upon hearing that. Chapter 162 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 162 Erin had not expected this to happen. Darius offered to support Lewis, which would undoubtedly boost thetter¡¯s career. Those benefits would continue even if Lewis decided to leave Serene Hospital someday. Darius arrived at the office that Erin had set up for him. He noticed the gold que on the door, shining brilliantly, and exuding an aura of boundless wealth. He reached out to grab the doorknob, but once he made contact, the que fell. The crisp nging that followed made him freeze. Looking down, Darius instantly noticed a silvery, metallic hue on the back of the que. A smile curved on his face as hemented, ¡°It seems that there¡¯s a thief in the hospital.¡± Only then did his gaze meet Erin¡¯s. Thetter held her breath ever since the que fell. She never imagined this would happen. Erin lowered her head and inteced her fingers against her abdomen while formally apologizing, ¡°M- My apologies, Mr. Reid! It¡¯s my fault for not assigning tighter security.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Darius waved her off and continued, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll catch that thief. Every muscle in Erin¡¯s body stiffened at those words. She could notprehend the inner workings of Darius¡¯ mind, but she knew she had to execute his everymand. Hence, she nodded. ¡°Mr. Reid. I know what to do. I promise I¡¯ll do everything I can.¡± Darius nodded, indicating his approval before advancing into the office. Since there were only a few contracts to sign in the hospital, Dariuspleted his work in no time. He stood up, looked at Erin, and asked, ¡°Where are the hospital¡¯s members of the board?¡± Erin put away her phone and reported, ¡°Sir, they¡¯re currently at a seven-star hotel named Murray Hotel. It¡¯s not far from our hospital.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that ce.¡± A puzzled look appeared on Darius¡¯ face. ¡°You¡¯re correct,¡± Erin chimed in while nodding. ¡°This hotel became popr quite recently. It didn¡¯t exist before.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s drop by,¡± Darius said with a nod. ¡°I don¡¯t like having such formal asions at a public space.¡± Darius spoke from the backseat of the car, not a trace of warmth in his tone. It made Erin clutch the steering wheel tighter. She had never pictured herself making two mistakes in a row on the same day. That was something she could not ept. Lowering her head, Erin stated, ¡°I understand my work today has produced undesirable results. Rest assured. I¡¯lle up with a suitable punishment for myself.¡± That was not what Darius had in mind. Moments passed as his brain nked, processing his shock. It took some time before he responded, ¡°What you just said is not the result I desire.¡± Again, several seconds passed before he continued, ¡°What I want is for you to be more attentive to details.¡± Erin knew now was the best time to end the tense conversation. Hence, she pursed her lips shut. Having settled that matter, Darius closed his eyes. He mused, ¡°No matter how much rest one gets, those working in corporate jobs will always feel it¡¯s not enough. Even I get only a maximum of five minutes to rest.¡± Sometimeter, Erin¡¯s brows wrinkled into a concerned frown as she watched Darius through the rearview mirror. She knew Darius had rushed over after a tiresome flight. Sadly, she had no choice at that moment-she needed to wake him up. Despite Erin¡¯s attempt at speaking softly to cushion the blow, Darius¡¯ heart pounded with heard his name being called. His brows knitted as he opened his eyes. Although an impatient look took over his face, he did not actually feel that way. Darius¡¯ tone remained impassive like always as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s head in.¡± Erin had not noticed his shock or grumpy expression. She was busy calming her racing heart after hearing Darius¡¯ deep, husky voice when he woke up. This was a foreign feeling for Erin. It froze her to the spot, causing all her bodily functions to falter. She stayed that way until Darius noticed her. Darius found it perplexing and thought, ¡°Erin would never think of inappropriate things during work. Even if it¡¯s unavoidable, I won¡¯t ept this behavior from her.¡± Thus, he spoke quicker than usual. ¡°Erin, I think-perhaps you need a break.¡± Erin¡¯s cheeks turned as red as beets as she shook her head. ¡°T-That¡¯s unnecessary. I was just She faltered, not knowing what to say next. In all these years, she had never once lied to her boss. Today was her only exception. In hopes of brushing things off, she lowered her gaze, allowing herself to speak in her usual tone. ¡°I was thinking about something else.¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°But my full attention has returned to the present.¡± With that, she advanced toward the hotel, walking ahead of Darius. That was something she had never done before. Walking behind her, Darius was even more bewildered by her abnormal behavior. Nevertheless, he chose not to pry as he wanted to respect her privacy. When Erin arrived at the private room, her mind had already moved on from the events earlier. She stood outside the door with aposed countenance. Darius, too, no longer dwelled on the matter and entered the room straightaway. Inside, six people sat around a table without any food served. When the group noticed Darius entering their private room, they exchanged shocked looks. It was hard for them to grasp how a young man like him could be so powerful. After all, Serene Hospital had be Darius¡¯ overnight. Darius did not bother reacting to their baffled expressions, Seeing that, the group did not say a word either. However, when Darius was about to take his seat, one of the six suddenly called out, ¡°Waiter, bring out the food.¡±, Darius uttered, ¡°You have now met me. I may be another member like your, however, my shares in Serene Hospital far outweigh all of yoursbined.¡± Darius then turned to stride out of the room. The meeting did not go as he had nned. Little did he know that worse things would soon ur. A man in a chef¡¯s hat suddenly came over. Darius was quick to recognize him. It was evident the man knew Darius too. Seeing that, Darius shoved his hands into his pockets and kept his feet glued to the spot. Chapter 163 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 163 ¡°Darius. Long time no see. I hear you¡¯ve recently be rich,¡± George sneered. Darius¡¯ brows furrowed, forming a wrinkle on his once wless face. ¡°George Jennings? I never thought I¡¯d see you here,¡± he replied with his hands still in his pockets. Darius was unperturbed, as though nothing had happened. Contrarily, sheer hatred exuded from a scowling George. ¡°I assumed you¡¯d always work for your previous boss. It seems you¡¯re not as much of an asset to him as I thought,¡± Darius continued, unbothered by George¡¯s nasty expression. A scoff came from George just then. ¡°I left that job. My current boss made the right decision in hiring me.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡± Darius still could not care less. He doesn¡¯t want to argue with him. He wanted to leave but could not as George, who held a tray full of food, blocked his path. A storm brewed in Darius¡¯ eyes. His rage was so intense that anyone watching would get goosebumps. ¡°I¡¯m very foul-tempered, especially toward those I disagreed with in the past.¡± Darius kept the same posture throughout the confrontation and added, ¡°So, consider this yourst chance to move.¡± George did not take his words to heart. His face scrunched into a leer as he snapped, ¡°I don¡¯t know how you got in here, but you¡¯re pretty unlucky to have bumped into me. I¡¯ll have security kick you out!¡± He whipped out his pager after saying that. Excitement shed on his face while his body trembled, eager to humiliate Darius. Unfortunately, he had forgotten about the expensive dish on his tray. It tumbled onto the ground. Even if George surrendered all his assets and wealth, it would not make up for how much the dish cost. Not to mention, he had also broken the expensive te that came with the dish. A crisp shattering soon rang out. Darius nced at George¡¯s pallid face, sneering, ¡°Oh? Are you afraid now?¡± That sparked a rage in George, his cheeks reddening in an instant. He gawked at Darius with a face full of panic while musing, ¡°Damn it. If only no one were around. That way, I can pretend not to know anything and shove the me onto any random waiter today. But Darius is here! He looked at the te, and he knows what happened!¡± George pan¨ªcked. He had no clue how to get himself out of the sticky situation. However, he knew he was in big trouble unless he could resolve matters before his manager found out. All of a sudden, his eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s a brilliant n! I must be a genius!¡± he confidently thought. George then looked at Darius from top to bottom and bellowed, his voice increasing by the minute, ¡°Darius! You entered this private room without permission! You vited our hotel¡¯s rules! That alone was a huge misstep, but now, you did something worse!¡± Darius smirked. ¡°From the look of things, you intend to me me for breaking that te and dropping the dish, huh?¡± George tensed up, surprised that his expression had revealed his scheme before he could say it. Then again, he knew there was only one solution now that Darius had discovered his n make it a reality. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I was nning. What of it?¡± George looked at Darius with repulsion and arrogance swirling in his eyes. He then raised his chin while taunting, ¡°Everyone knows you snuck in. Therefore, nobody would ever question my word. Let¡¯s see if others believe you, a disgusting rat that came here unauthorized and ruined this dish, or whether they¡¯ll believe me, the waiter that caught you?¡± Darius did not react to the former¡¯s taunting. All he did was nod calmly while saying, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d like to see your manager and have a chat with him too.¡± That caused George¡¯s eyes to widen. He refused to believe that Darius could remain calm now that the manager was involved. Narrowing his eyes, George felt like he had overlooked something. It took a long while before he realized what it was- Darius¡¯ clothes. Darius wanted to speak when he saw George¡¯s eyeing his clothes, but thetter¡¯s roaringughter interrupted him. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re some bigshot just because you¡¯re wearing fake designer clothes? Have you forgotten who you really are? How dare you even ask to see my manager!¡± Darius slid his hands into his pocket as he previously did. Meanwhile, Erin had not moved one bit. She frowned, feeling confused and angry at the situation. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. George shed a haughty look at Darius as if he knew what thetter thought. He ridiculed,¡± Do you think I¡¯ll turn around and give you a chance to escape? Still, Darius ignored him. His focus was on the man in a ck suit approaching George from behind. He could tell that man was none other than the hotel¡¯s manager. Once Darius saw the manager¡¯s face, he cocked a brow, shing an even more unimpressed look than when he bumped into George earlier. Never did he think he would encounter both of them here. The manager was Alvin Kenyon. Alvin was the part-time manager at Darius¡¯ former workce. He was a fat, bald old man with some wealth who often used his money to sleep with women. That was also the motivation behind his many illegal deeds. However, because Alvin was rich, he would bribe others into epting punishment on his behalf. Darius clenched his jaw as he recalled the past. Back then, Alvin tried to strip a girl against her will. She had just started college and decided to work at theirpany. Because Alvin had the upper hand, he shifted the me onto Darius, causing thetter to get fired. Darius was not in a position to pet angry or protest at the time, but now, the tables had turned Thus, he spoke up before Alvin could make a move. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mr. Kenyon.¡± Alvin never thought he would see Darius again in a simr situation. His smirk curved so much that it made his eyes narrow menacingly. ¡°Long time no see. How¡¯s life? Have you gone from being a lowly employee to a beggar? What a pity. Beggars are strictly prohibited from entering our hotel¡¯s premises.¡± Chapter 164 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 164 Alvin then reached for the pager attached to his belt. ¡°If you call for security now, I¡¯ll make sure you lose your job, Mr. Kenyon,¡± Darius casually remarked, not taking the matter seriously even now. That was utterly uneptable in Alvin¡¯s eyes. His cheeks burned with rage as he snapped, ¡°Darius, you could¡¯ve gotten prosecuted if I hadn¡¯t let you off the hook! How dare you ignore how kind I was to you in the past? Not only that, but you¡¯re threatening me now? Oh, how I regret showing you mercy back then!¡± Darius snorted before drilling his gaze into Alvin. ¡°It seems you haven¡¯t realized how stupid you are now.¡± That only fueled the fire burning in Alvin¡¯s chest. While ring daggers at Darius, he snarled, ¡°You¡¯ll get what¡¯sing for acting this way!¡± ¡°It seems your vision has worsened after joining this ce.¡± Darius scrunched his face, sneering while intentionally brushing dust off his clothes so Alvin could get a better look at them. Alvin noticed the expensive outfit but became even more disdainful. ¡°So what if you stole some rich guy¡¯s clothes? A shiny new outfit can¡¯t disguise the truth. You¡¯re poor and always have been. Besides, affluent people don¡¯t brag about their clothes, so your actions only amplify your poverty.¡± Darius gnashed his teeth upon hearing those words. He could not care less about Alvin¡¯s opinions, but that did not mean he was patient enough to put up with thetter¡¯s yapping. His attention shifted toward Erin. ¡°This hotel has just started operating, so they¡¯re unlikely to have sufficient capital flow. I doubt their position within the market is stable either.¡± A victorious grin spread across Erin¡¯s face right then. She knew Darius was finally making his move against the two idiotic men that dared to challenge him. She paced over to his side. While doing so, she passed by Alvin and felt chills down her spine as if a predator was watching her. Frightened, she spun on her heel. Erin¡¯s features darkened once she realized Alvin was ogling her. Darius noticed Alvin¡¯s predatory gaze and immediately stood in front of Erin, blocking her from Alvin¡¯s sight. That further enraged Alvin. He balled his fists. Although he spoke in a lowered tone, everyone could hear his threat. ¡°Darius, it¡¯s the second time this has happened. I promise you, if you don¡¯t depart the premises at once, you¡¯ll spend the rest of your life regretting your actions now.¡± Ever since Darius stepped in, all Erin could see was his back. Still, she had never witnessed a man, regardless of his wealth, insult a more affluent man to defend a woman¡¯s honor. She felt such things only urred in romance novels. Yet, it was happening to her now. Overwhelming emotions filled Erin¡¯s heart in that instant. She was so moved by Darius¡¯ actions that tears welled in her eyes. However, all that vanished when she heard Alvin threatening to make Darius pay. That was not something Erin would ever allow. She came out from behind Darius, stepping forward while shooting a frosty look at Alvin. ¡°I hope you understand that by uttering those words, this hotel is already in danger of being shut down.¡± Alvin¡¯s creepy smile faltered at that moment. He then burst out in roaringughter. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard such a ridiculous thing in my life! You guys have quite an interesting imagination. Although, I do have to admit I¡¯m intrigued to know what¡¯s going on in your heads.¡± His amused smirk suddenly vanished as he bared his teeth and continued, ¡°Of course, I can offer you two an alternative if you¡¯ve realized your mistakes and wish to leave now.¡± Darius saw how Alvin¡¯s gaze lingered on Erin¡¯s body. He could tell thetter had ulterior motives toward Erin, so he stepped forward, wanting to interfere. s, things did not go ording to his n. Erin interrupted, ¡°What¡¯s the price you expect me to pay for us to leave this ce safely?¡± Darius¡¯ gaze grew murderously cold, but he did not say a word. On the other hand, Alvin shed a smug grin. ¡°Simple. You won¡¯t need to pay any price. All you have to do is have sex with me for a night, and I¡¯ll pretend none of this ever happened.¡± Erin had expected that. Even so, she could not help but fume at his shameless request. This time, Darius did not allow her to speak; He protectively stood before her once more. At that point, Erin did not n to step forward again. She decided it was better to let a man deal with the situation. Although she was Darius¡¯ secretary and should have defended him, that was not what she wanted to do. It was because she now had feelings for Darius and secretly wished to be protected by him. Her cheeks reddened like beets at that thought. Meanwhile, Alvin cockily assumed Erin was eager to have sex with him, but she did not because Darius stood in her way. Annoyed, Alvin glowered at Darius. ¡°You¡¯d best get out of the way! I¡¯m leaving with that prettydy behind you now. If you stop me, I¡¯ll make you pay for the te you broke and press charges against you for sneaking into this private room! I just got here, so I don¡¯t wish to make a scene. That¡¯s why I¡¯m giving you thisst chance. You don¡¯t have to pay for the expensive te or get in trouble if you move.¡± Darius¡¯ frown grew stormier at the man shouting before him. Eventually, he snapped, ¡°I¡¯ve wasted too much time on a worthless scumbag like you. You¡¯ll soon pay dearly for your actions.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already heard that empty threat from you multiple times,¡± said a smug Alvin, who simultaneously thought, ¡°If Darius is capable of punishing me, he would¡¯ve done it by now!¡± He went on, ¡°Darius, you¡¯re just a poor little beggar who previously ved away under my supervision for a living. What makes you think I¡¯ll believe vour current wealth is real? You must be lying to yourself.¡± It was then that a shrill voice sounded from afar. ¡°Who did this? Which one of you pissed off someone we can¡¯t afford to cross? Once I find you, I¡¯m going to make you pay!¡± As soon as Erin heard that voice, her body straightened, and prominent anticipation filled her eyes. ¡°Mr. Reid,¡± she began to exin. ¡°My ears tell me this person is Jeremiah Locke, the person in charge of this hotel. It seems the actions taken by West Antics Int¡¯l have paid off.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Chapter 165 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 165 Darius agreed with that statement, so he nodded while locking gazes with Erin. ¡°You¡¯re correct. This Jeremiah Locke guy seems efficient in monitoring his hotel¡¯s affairs. Even I think he deserves a bonus for reacting so quickly.¡± Erin smiled but kept mum. Meanwhile, Jeremiah, who had yelled earlier, was nearing Darius. Thetter made use of his advanced hearing to track Jeremiah¡¯s footsteps. Once he determined Jeremiah was within his attack range, he dashed ahead and kicked Alvin. Alvin did not expect Darius to do that. Then again, Alvin couldn¡¯t defend himself even if he anticipated the kick. Thus, he flew a distance away,nding on the ground next to Jeremiah with a blow. Jeremiah roared, rmed at the sudden appearance of something near his feet. He then kicked Alvin out of instinct. Not a squeak came from Alvin, who cked out immediately after. The only thing proving he was still alive was his subtle breaths. A smirk formed on Darius¡¯ face when he heard themotion behind him, indicating his mood had improved. Before Jeremiah could discern what had happened, he saw a tall and handsome but visibly younger man appear before him. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Jeremiah¡¯s eyes narrowed. Although he refused to admit it, he knew the person in front of him was a big shot. That seemed especially true when he saw Darius¡¯ clothes, which cost roughly his annual ie. Thinking that sent a quiver down his spine. ¡°To have so much wealth at a young age¡­ I doubt that it¡¯s because this young man is capable. It must be because he¡¯s being backed by his affluent family. Ugh, I can¡¯t stand people like that!¡± Jeremiah thought. Having thought that, he knelt without hesitation and cast a pleading look at Darius. ¡°Sir, I understand our hotel has hired some dissatisfactory employees. If you agree, I apologize sincerely and am willing to pay for the broken item and dish.¡± Darius grinned. ¡°The incident has gone on for a while, yet only two senior staff members havee over. I¡¯m beginning to question if your seven-star rating is real.¡± Jeremiah instantly understood the meaning behind Darius¡¯ words. Thetter wanted to acquire Murray Hotel. If Darius could not get the hotel, he intended to make its seven-star rating disappear. That way, the hotel would no longer be worth anything. It also meant Jeremiah¡¯s lifetime effort in starting this business would go to waste. At that thought, Jeremiah felt all his strength leave his body. He could not keep himself upright anymore. It was like his body was barely hanging on by a thread. Jeremiah slumped on the ground, the cogs in his head turning for a solution to keep his wealth to himself. Moments passed before a light bulb went off in his head. He thought, ¡°I know I¡¯m insignificant to my higher-ups, and Murray Hotel¡¯s wealth isn¡¯t worth anything to him, but calling in the big guns is myst option now. I can¡¯t show a hint of fear on my face. I can¡¯t let anyone know my n.¡± Determined, Jeremiah shot to his feet and spoke confidently with both hands on his waist.¡± I¡¯m warning you! I may be a benevolent person, but my superior isn¡¯t. He¡¯s a powerful man and will surely make you regret this!¡± Darius rolled his eyes. That left Jeremiah breathless with anger, but he forced himself to stand his ground. ¡°I¡¯m curious,¡± said an emotionless Darius, ¡°Who would make you the person in charge of this hotel?¡± Jeremiah choked. He now looked at Darius with sheer rage but still answered smugly, ¡°Dream Investment Group.¡± Darius¡¯ hands had been in his pockets all this while. The same nk look settled on his face. However, he secretly scoffed in his heart. Hearing the words ¡°Dream Investment Group¡± blew a fuse in him. However, he was also upset that he could not do much against thepany as the owner was vicious. Silence ensued as Darius pondered his next move. He seethed in his heart, ¡°Why? Why must I always tolerate thatpany¡¯s unreasonable behavior? I can¡¯t stand it!¡± He shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and mentally decided, ¡°I¡¯m going to make Dream Investment Group regret everything they did to me. Because if I let things slide like always, they¡¯ll continue to appear and cause trouble in my life. It happened back then, and it¡¯ll undoubtedly happen again. Well, no more. I won¡¯t give in anymore!¡± ¡°I know of thatpany. I had to face off against their chairman multiple times in the past,¡± said Darius, who had opened his eyes and approached Jeremiah by then. Moments of silence passed before he resumed, ¡°Before you start raging at me again, there¡¯s something we should discuss. I don¡¯t think you know who I am, do you? Then again, you were so busy worrying about the hotel. I doubt you had time to get a subordinate to investigate my background.¡± Jeremiah paled upon hearing those words. Darius shed an arrogant grin before he continued. ¡°So, I will graciously introduce myself. I¡¯m Darius Reid, the chairman of West Antics Int¡¯l.¡± All the color drained from Jeremiah¡¯s already pallid face. However, it was not because Darius was a member of the Reid family, as Jeremiah was not someone rich enough to know about the elites in society. Instead, thetter was shocked that Darius owned West Antics Int¡¯l. Jeremiah had previously done a lot of research when he looked forpanies to invest in his hotel. Thus, he knew about the animosity between Dream Investment Group and West Antics Int¡¯l, including thepanies¡¯ feuding chairpersons. Fear engulfed Jeremiah right then. He was intelligent and knew West Antics Int¡¯l was a newpany. Considering that, and how its chairman dared to challenge the more established, influential Dream Investment Group made one thing clear: West Antics Int¡¯l was a terrifying force to be reckoned with. Now that thepany¡¯s chairman, Darius, stood before Jeremiah, thetter knew he had made a grave mistake. It was when Jeremiah was brainstorming an apology that his phone suddenly rang. He paled again upon seeing his secretary¡¯s name on the caller ID. ¡°Crap. Ipletely forgot about the issue my hotel is facing! Plus, it slipped my mind that this Darius guy is someone who can turn me into a beggar overnight!¡± Jeremiah eximed inwardly. Before he could get on his knees to beg again, Darius spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m very disappointed that you hired Alvin Kenyon and George Jennings. Therefore, I¡¯ve decided to take legal action. Your hotel is now prohibited from changing its juridical person.¡± Jeremiah sighed in relief. Seeing that, Darius chuckled and borated, ¡°That position is mine and mine alone. I disapprove of using such sly tricks, but you left me with no choice. All you did was apologize without even bothering to know what actually happened. You didn¡¯t even punish those at fault. I think I need to teach you something.¡± Chapter 166 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 166 Jeremiah wanted to die at that moment. He knew Darius intended to make him pay until all his wealth was gone. Hopelessness clouded his eyes as he looked at Darius. ¡°Must you be so cruel? You caused trouble for this hotel! Even if Dream Investment Group doesn¡¯t take action against you, they¡¯ll make your life a living hell.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already heard simr threats like this multiple times today. Yet, no one has made good on their words so far,¡± replied a sighing Darius with his hands in his pocket. Jeremiah¡¯s face darkened. He knew Darius¡¯ mind had been made, so there was no turning back. Thus, he got off the ground, glowered at Darius, and spoke through gritted teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll end my life if I lose all my wealth. Should that happen, I¡¯ll make sure everyone knows you forced me to my death! That will spark endless public hatred toward you!¡± With every word, he grewcent, his eyes lighting up with anticipation. He wanted to see the fear and regret on Darius¡¯ face as thetter begged for forgiveness. s, that did not happen. Darius remained emotionless, except for his frosty eyes that bore into Jeremiah. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. That was the first time Jeremiah felt so frightened. It was as though his words earlier caused him to now bnce on a thin thread between life and death. He regretted everything. However, it was far too late. Darius kept his usual posture but parted his lips to dere, ¡°That makes perfect sense, and because I¡¯m someone who loves helping others, I¡¯ll grant that death wish of yours.¡± He then turned to leave while adding, ¡°Perhaps the matter might get resolved quicker than I thought.¡± Both associated with Darius¡¯ former workce, Alvin and Jenner gawked at Darius¡¯ retreating figure. However, neither of them said a word. Once Darius exited the hotel, Erin whipped out her phone and reported to him, ¡°Mr. Reid, 1 believe we can begin our next move now.¡± Darius shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the hospital.¡± Erin¡¯s mind went nk at that, but her body quickly responded by walking to the car and opening the door. She then waited for Darius to get in before making her way to the driver¡¯s seat, settling in, and starting the engine. Only then did she speak. ¡°Mr. Reid, why are we returning to the hospital? Also, you haven¡¯t had anything to eat yet.¡± Darius¡¯ brows furrowed. ¡°Call every chairperson when we get to the hospital. Tell them if they don¡¯t show up at the hospital¡¯s conference room within five minutes, I¡¯ll use my abilities to make their assets mine as punishment.¡± Earlier at the hotel, Erin did not enter the private room, so she had no clue what had happened. That was why her eyes rounded in shock at Darius¡¯ words. Nevertheless, she nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Mr. Reid. l¡¯ll do what I can to minimize the profits of the other chairpersons¡¯panies. Additionally, I¡¯ll ensure they sacrifice more or take higher risks before theirpanies can umte more wealth.¡± That answer satisfied Darius, who did not bother hiding his contentment. Seeing his improved mood through the rearview mirror instantly calmed Erin¡¯s pounding and anxious heart. They eventually arrived at the hospital¡¯s entrance. Erin parked the car before announcing with much more respect in her tone than before, ¡°Mr. Reid, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± Darius nodded. ¡°Inform those chairpersons of my hellish new rule!¡± Erin nodded. Darius kicked the conference room¡¯s door open when he entered. That way, he could ensure it was broken, which made it seem like he was livid. Although that was not how he truly felt, he wanted to put on a furious front. Erin had a rough idea about his intentions, so she was not frightened by his actions. Instead, she was eagerly looking forward to what he would do next. Subsequently, Darius sat on the chair and looked at his watch, thinking, ¡°It¡¯s almost time.¡± Yet, no one showed up. Only after Darius let out a long sigh and wanted to take action against all the absent chairpersons did a man charge toward the space, panting heavily. The man soon stood at the conference room¡¯s entrance. He took in the broken door, then noticed the many empty chairs in the room before settling his gaze on Darius. At that point, he shed a respectful look and stated, ¡°Sir, I was told you wanted every chairperson to come over. I¡¯m very sorry for making you wait this long.¡± Darius did not recognize the inan. He lowered his wrist and began scrutinizing the man from top to bottom. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you before, not even at the hotel earlier.¡± The man then shot him a nk look. It took a while before things clicked in his mind, and he nodded at Darius. ¡°Indeed. I didn¡¯t go to the hotel with them because it wasn¡¯t right. I felt it was disrespectful to you.¡± That response was different from what Darius had imagined. It not only piqued his curiosity, but it also left a favorable impression on him. ¡°What¡¯s your name,¡± he asked tly. The man promptly answered that his name was Adyev. He was grateful he had not suffered the same fate as the broken door on the ground. Relief and joy spread in his chest to know that Darius was not upset at him. ¡°You made the right choice.¡± Darius nodded before announcing, ¡°The five minutes are up.¡± He had gotten up and was nning to leave the conference room. Anxiety coursed through Adyev right then. ¡°Although our new chairman seems young and is likely a student, I can sense a stifling. ferocious aura emanating from him. Sometimes when he looks at me, it feels like his eyes are lethal daggers piercing me.¡± Despite thinking that, Adyev remained silent, not daring to voice his opinions. He also lowered his head and kept his gaze lowered. Meanwhile, Darius walked out as if nothing had even happened. Adyev did not know what Darius wanted to do, so he began pondering thetter¡¯s motivations. His phone rang. After unlocking the screen, his eyes grew wider by the second until he could not help but exim. Chapter 167 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 167 Jeremiah wanted to die at that moment. He knew Darius intended to make him pay until all his wealth was gone. Hopelessness clouded his eyes as he looked at Darius. ¡°Must you be so cruel? You caused trouble for this hotel! Even if Dream Investment Group doesn¡¯t take action against you, they¡¯ll make your life a living hell.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already heard simr threats like this multiple times today. Yet, no one has made good on their words so far,¡± replied a sighing Darius with his hands in his pocket. Jeremiah¡¯s face darkened. He knew Darius¡¯ mind had been made, so there was no turning back. Thus, he got off the ground, glowered at Darius, and spoke through gritted teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll end my life if I lose all my wealth. Should that happen, I¡¯ll make sure everyone knows you forced me to my death! That will spark endless public hatred toward you!¡± With every word, he grewcent, his eyes lighting up with anticipation. He wanted to see the fear and regret on Darius¡¯ face as thetter begged for forgiveness. s, that did not happen. Darius remained emotionless, except for his frosty eyes that bore into Jeremiah. That was the first time Jeremiah felt so frightened. It was as though his words earlier caused him to now bnce on a thin thread between life and death. He regretted everything. However, it was far too late. Darius kept his usual posture but parted his lips to dere, ¡°That makes perfect sense, and because I¡¯m someone who loves helping others, I¡¯ll grant that death wish of yours.¡± He then turned to leave while adding, ¡°Perhaps the matter might get resolved quicker than I thought.¡± Both associated with Darius¡¯ former workce, Alvin and Jenner gawked at Darius¡¯ retreating figure. However, neither of them said a word. Once Darius exited the hotel, Erin whipped out her phone and reported to him, ¡°Mr. Reid, 1 believe we can begin our next move now.¡± Darius shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the hospital.¡± Erin¡¯s mind went nk at that, but her body quickly responded by walking to the car and opening the door. She then waited for Darius to get in before making her way to the driver¡¯s seat, settling in, and starting the engine. Only then did she speak. ¡°Mr. Reid, why are we returning to the hospital? Also, you haven¡¯t had anything to eat yet.¡± Darius¡¯ brows furrowed. ¡°Call every chairperson when we get to the hospital. Tell them if they don¡¯t show up at the hospital¡¯s conference room within five minutes, I¡¯ll use my abilities to make their assets mine as punishment.¡± Earlier at the hotel, Erin did not enter the private room, so she had no clue what had happened. That was why her eyes rounded in shock at Darius¡¯ words. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Nevertheless, she nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Mr. Reid. l¡¯ll do what I can to minimize the profits of the other chairpersons¡¯panies. Additionally, I¡¯ll ensure they sacrifice more or take higher risks before their companies can umte more wealth.¡± That answer satisfied Darius, who did not bother hiding his contentment. Seeing his improved mood through the rearview mirror instantly calmed Erin¡¯s pounding and anxious heart. They eventually arrived at the hospital¡¯s entrance. Erin parked the car before announcing with much more respect in her tone than before, ¡°Mr. Reid, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± Darius nodded. ¡°Inform those chairpersons of my hellish new rule!¡± Erin nodded. Darius kicked the conference room¡¯s door open when he entered. That way, he could ensure it was broken, which made it seem like he was livid. Although that was not how he truly felt, he wanted to put on a furious front. Erin had a rough idea about his intentions, so she was not frightened by his actions. Instead, she was eagerly looking forward to what he would do next. Subsequently, Darius sat on the chair and looked at his watch, thinking, ¡°It¡¯s almost time.¡± Yet, no one showed up. Only after Darius let out a long sigh and wanted to take action against all the absent chairpersons did a man charge toward the space, panting heavily. The man soon stood at the conference room¡¯s entrance. He took in the broken door, then noticed the many empty chairs in the room before settling his gaze on Darius. At that point, he shed a respectful look and stated, ¡°Sir, I was told you wanted every chairperson to come over. I¡¯m very sorry for making you wait this long.¡± Darius did not recognize the inan. He lowered his wrist and began scrutinizing the man from top to bottom. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you before, not even at the hotel earlier.¡± The man then shot him a nk look. It took a while before things clicked in his mind, and he nodded at Darius. ¡°Indeed. I didn¡¯t go to the hotel with them because it wasn¡¯t right. I felt it was disrespectful to you.¡± That response was different from what Darius had imagined. It not only piqued his curiosity, but it also left a favorable impression on him. ¡°What¡¯s your name,¡± he asked tly. The man promptly answered that his name was Adyev. He was grateful he had not suffered the same fate as the broken door on the ground. Relief and joy spread in his chest to know that Darius was not upset at him. ¡°You made the right choice.¡± Darius nodded before announcing, ¡°The five minutes are up.¡± He had gotten up and was nning to leave the conference room. Anxiety coursed through Adyev right then. ¡°Although our new chairman seems young and is likely a student, I can sense a stifling. ferocious aura emanating from him. Sometimes when he looks at me, it feels like his eyes are lethal daggers piercing me.¡± Despite thinking that, Adyev remained silent, not daring to voice his opinions. He also lowered his head and kept his gaze lowered. Meanwhile, Darius walked out as if nothing had even happened. Adyev did not know what Darius wanted to do, so he began pondering thetter¡¯s motivations. His phone rang. After unlocking the screen, his eyes grew wider by the second until he could not help but exim. Chapter 168 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 168 ¡°Those who snickered will be sent to prison, where they¡¯ll pay for all their previous wrongdoings. As for those who didn¡¯t snicker, I¡¯ll let you off the hook by only taking your assets as punishment,¡± Darius dered. All six members opposite him paled drastically. Their legs wobbled like jelly as they lost all their willpower. Desperate, they wanted to grovel at Darius¡¯ feet and plead for his forgiveness, but they did not do so. Their pride stood in the way. They clung to the hope that Darius had likely made many enemies. They felt one of those enemies would try to take Darius down. An example was Murray Hotel¡¯s backer, Dream Investment Group, whom they figured could eventually get rid of Darius. Thus, they decided to wait for that to happen. Little did they know how wrong they were. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Dream Investment Group would never do anything to Darius again as they knew they were no match for him. Thepany¡¯s boss had also lost apetent bodyguard while trying to assassinate Darius. Although a new bodyguard was now in the picture, thepany would have to postpone their attacks. until said bodyguard returned to their side. The member who stood in front spat foul words at Darius, cursing without the slightest clue that his life was in thetter¡¯s hands. Darius raised his arm to look at his watch, then lowered it again. ¡°It seems none of you bothered to investigate my background before standing here and yelling at me. If you had done a little research, you¡¯d realize you have no authority to speak now.¡± The man was still processing those words but suddenly felt cold shes on his face. Then, in the blink of an eye, he trembled uncontrobly. He dared not open his mouth anymore as he lay on the ground. Despite his silence, his eyes revealed how he felt at that instant. Before Darius said a word, the man noticed the iing official and let out hysterical yells. ¡°Darius, how dare you mess with me? Don¡¯t you know doing so will put you in jail? You¡¯ve already got the money and now, you¡¯re attacking someone less wealthy like me!¡± Darius¡¯ gazezily roamed over to the man. ¡°Everything is already happening. I can go with this official and hand them your illegally obtained wealth. Or, I could add a twist to what you¡¯re using me of-|¡¯|| beat you up and pay the police some money to avoid jail time. Alternatively, I can bribe the police into letting me beat you guys up.¡± The man¡¯s face became ashen. He thought, ¡°There¡¯s no denying the feasibility of Darius¡¯ words. Everything he says makes sense, which means the chances of my survival are zero to none. Moreover, mypany doesn¡¯t have any funds for me to use as bail money! This is all Darius¡¯ doing!¡± He felt like a pair of invisible hands were suffocating him then. Even if it was just his imagination, he still could not breathe well. Hey on the ground, rxed his every muscle, and hoped he would eventually stop breathing. Thus he won¡¯t need to face a difficult life of debt and imprisonment. It was clear that he would not have such a chance. The official came over and cuffed his wrist before grabbing his cor and lifting him off the ground. The official, towering at six feet, nodded to Darius and expressed his gratitude with a firm voice. ¡°I thank you greatly on behalf of every official. Without you, our measly sry would be nothing short of pitiful. We would never umte much in the way of savings either.¡± Darius kept a nk expression throughout the exchange. He did not verbally express anything, but his faint smile seemed as though he was indeed responsible for the officials¡¯ increased sry. In reality, there was more to the situation. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I was only doing my job as a civilian.¡± Darius spoke humbly and sincerely. However, that was far from the truth. Darius felt that investing in officials and giving them money would bring him many unexpected benefits. However, it meant he could not rejoice over his current sess. Darius had nned this earlier but did not expect things toe to fruition so quickly. He turned to face Erin, shing her an approving smile. After all, none of his ns would work if it were not for her. Plus, she was incredibly efficient in making things happen. All that meant a great deal to Darius, who felt it was necessary to raise Erin¡¯s sry. The man refused to ept how things had turned out. His eyes widened with rage while he barked, ¡°You can¡¯t do this! You, officials, should preserve the sanctity of thew. It¡¯s your job. How dare you ignore your responsibilities for money? I can sue you for this!¡± Darius shook hands with the tall before putting his hands back into his pockets. When he heard what the man said, he turned to the official with a grin. ¡°I¡¯m confident you guys can handle this better than me. So, I¡¯ll entrust you with this.¡± The official was moved and believed every word Darius said. He nodded. ¡°Rest assured, Mr. Reid. We have plenty of experience with dealing with such things. We¡¯ll provide ideal results in the shortest time possible to please you.¡± Darius then pivoted to look at the other five members standing aside, their mouths dry with fear. ¡°I¡¯ve already said what I had to before offering you guys a chance, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve processed my words. by now,¡± he remarked. ¡°I don¡¯t know what your stances are in the matter, but I believe my message has sunk in. I hope you remember the consequences the next time you make a mistake.¡± He paused for breath before continuing, ¡°I can pay this official a lot of money for the chance to beat you guys up and make you pay a painful, immeasurable price. It¡¯ll only cost 50 thousand dors to beat one of you up, so doing that to all of you will cost 250 thousand dors. That¡¯s cheaper than a single bowl at my family¡¯s residence.¡± None of them spoke. Shock overwhelmed their senses when they learned the extent of Darius¡¯ wealth. None of them could afford to pay 50 thousand dors for a mere bowl, so they mped their lips shut, no longer daring to utter a word. That brought on a sense of relief in Darius, who finally got a break from listening to theirints. He then turned, ready to head back to his office as he still had to deal with the anxious person hiding behind the filing cabs. Chapter 169 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 169 Darius turned around and opened his mouth to say something. Before he could, he heard someone call out his name from behind. This surprised him because no one here knew who he was. Yet, there was no denying what had happened. His curiosity was piqued. He turned back to see a woman running toward him. She was getting closer. Darius put his hands in his pockets. He didn¡¯t say anything. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. As she approached him, he got a clear look at her face. However, her figure was what caught his attention -especially her long legs encased in pantyhose. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath, and it was all everyone present could see. She seemed to realize this and tried her best to slow her breathing. Gradually, she regained her composure. Only then did Darius¡® gaze move from her chest to her face. He had to admit that she was a beauty, but it was still no match for her delectable figure. He looked down and noticed her nervous expression. ¡°Were you the one who called my name earlier?¡± The woman nodded. ¡°Yes, Mr. Reid. I never expected you to stop for me, and I¡¯m honored. This shows you are a gentle, humble, and sessful man.¡± Darius walked down the stairs. In the past twenty¨Ctwo years of his life, he¡¯d heard people refer to him as either a beggar or a rich man, but no one had ever called him a sessful man. This was his first time feeling like his hard work was being recognized. Erin had been standing behind Darius. At this moment, she suddenly noticed that his aura was different from usual. She had never seen him like this before. Her instinct told her that the woman was somewhat special to him. She didn¡¯t want to think of him falling for another woman, but it seemed like there was no avoiding it. Perhaps it was already happening. She¡¯d always known that a man like Darius was a chick ma. She definitely wasn¡¯t the only one attracted to him. However, now that it was happening before her eyes, she couldn¡¯t ept it. ¡°No, this is wrong!¡± Erin realized what was going through her mind and quickly tried to get rid of those thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s not right to think that way!¡± Darius had no idea what was going on with her. His attention was entirely focused on the woman before him. She hadn¡¯t said a word since approaching him. He frowned and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have much time. If you want to say anything, you should be quick.¡± The woman¡¯s face was pale as she trained her eyes on him, showing her nervousness. Darius sighed and started to turn away. The woman knew this was herst chance and that she would lose it once his back was to her. She couldn¡¯t allow that to happen. ¡°Mr. Reid, nice to meet you. My name¡¯s Frederica Kuster, and I¡¯m the manager of Fantasy Clouds Hotel, a six¨Cstar hotel not far from here.¡± Thest part of her sentence caught Darius¡® attention. Though Frederica had yet to say anything else, he already had an idea of what she wanted¡ªfor him to use his money on her hotel. A satisfied smile started to form on his lips. ¡°You¡¯re smart, and you have a way with words.¡± He pulled a wad of hundred¨Cdor bills from his wallet, making one¡¯s heart race. However, it looked like he only thought of the bills as mere pieces of paper. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your hotel, but I can offer you a job.¡± Frederica¡¯s body started trembling uncontrobly. She couldn¡¯t believe her ears¨Cnever had she expected this to happen, not even in her wildest dreams! Yet, this was exactly what had happened. Despite her agitation and excitement, she couldn¡¯t help but worry. She didn¡¯t know what Darius needed her for, and she wasn¡¯t capable of doing just anything. If she were to make him lose any money because of her ipetence, Fantasy Clouds Hotel would disappear along with it. This wasn¡¯t a consequence she could bear. Therefore, she didn¡¯t allow herself to reach out for the money. Instead, she looked horrified and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want me to do, so I can¡¯t ept your money.¡± Darius looked even more pleased. He nodded and said, ¡°I need you to make Murray Hotel end up in a situation where it¡¯s neither profiting nor losing money and unable to get reliable suppliers. Keep this up till it loses its seven¨Cstar status. ¡°There¡¯s about 1.5 million here, and it¡¯s all yours. You can use it however you want. There¡¯s no need to tell me your ns. All I want is for you to give me a satisfying result in two months¡® time.¡± Darius sounded like he was talking about something as light as the weather. However, everyone present felt like they¡¯d suddenly gotten caught in a blizzard. He was so calm that it was terrifying, and it wasn¡¯t a situation they could handle. They silently turned away and left, not wanting to attract anyone¡¯s attention. Darius saw this, but he didn¡¯t say anything. After all, it meant nothing to him. He knew very well that there was someone in the filing cab in his office that no one else knew about. When Frederica saw that Darius was turning to leave, she quickly ran in front of him to stop him. ¡°Darius, ! have something else to tell you.¡± He wasn¡¯t pleased to hear her addressing him by name, so he said bluntly, ¡°You should only address me as Mr. Reid and not by my name. That¡¯s not a name that you should be uttering.¡± Frederica paled. This wasn¡¯t the result she¡¯d hoped to achieve, but it didn¡¯t seem like she had any alternatives. Chapter 170 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 170 Darius didn¡¯t want to spare Frederica even a single look. He could see her excitement and intentions, especially when her gaze was trained on him. He wanted to leave, and so he did. He didn¡¯t expect her to appear before him and stop him from leaving. He sighed. ¡°Is there anything else. you need from me, Miss Kuster?¡± Frederica¡¯s face became nervous when she heard him address her so formally. She started to tremble and sounded nervous as she said, ¡°Mr. Reid, I want to buy you a meal as thanks for sharing some of your wealth with me. I¡¯m also grateful that you didn¡¯t ask me to repay you in any way, not even with my body.¡± She bowed her head. Darius was unmoved. He knew what she meant, but he wasn¡¯t interested. Therefore, he said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat with you, and I have my reasons. Firstly, I need you to repay me¨Cby achieving what I wanted you to. Secondly, as I said earlier, I don¡¯t have much time.¡± When he was done saying what he wanted to, he didn¡¯t move. It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t want to- Frederica didn¡¯t seem to show any intention of budging. He sighed and started to look disappointed. ¡°I honestly wanted to help you because you¡¯re a smart woman.¡± He was about to summon the security guards to do their jobs when Frederica spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, and I didn¡¯t mean to make you mad. I really just wanted to thank you, but I¡¯ll leave now that I know you¡¯re offended.¡± After that, she fled. Darius watched her leave, feeling satisfied. He put his hands behind his back and turned to look at Erin.¡± You haven¡¯t spoken for a long time. What are you thinking about?¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Erin had already regained herposure and was like her usual self. She smiled and said, ¡°Nothing. It just urred to me that things have been going smoothlytely. While you were speaking, Zack sent me a message saying that all of their highest¨Cearning assets have be ours.¡± ¡°That really is good news.¡± Darius smiled, and it was enough to show just how happy he was. He started walking, and he soon arrived at his destination¨Chis office. The situation inside made him want to laugh, though. The person that had been hiding in the cab was no longer there. Suddenly, Darius couldn¡¯t help. thinking about how lucky he was. If he¡¯d turned up just a littleter, he definitely would¡¯ve missed the opportunity to see who this woman was. Yes, the person in the cab was a woman! She was trying to escape, but it was obvious that she¡¯d failed, even if she didn¡¯t know it yet. Darius was worried that he¡¯d scare her and make her fall out of the window if he were to open the door, so he didn¡¯t. He stood at the entrance and turned to Erin, putting his finger to his lips to signal for her to stay silent. She didn¡¯t know what was going on, but she could guess. Her eyes lit up, and she kept her lips tightly pursed. She pulled her phone out and showed Darius the screen showing a staff member¡¯s phone number. He shook his head and typed a message on his phone before showing it to her. ¡°I don¡¯t want her to be scared or get injured. Have someone get ready to catch her downstairs so that nothing happens even if she slips and falls.¡± Erin gaped at his words. He seemed like apletely different person today! The person he was referring to was a woman! This was the second time on the same day that he¡¯d gone against his principles for al woman. This worried her, but she still did as she was told. Darius could sense her negative emotions, but it wasn¡¯t his main concern currently. He wanted to know who was in his office, and the need was strong enough to confuse him. He didn¡¯t understand why this was happening, but he felt it was probably simr to his ability to sense danger. He stood at the entrance, still as a statue, and tried to make his breathing as light as possible. He stayed like this until Erin returned with the news that she¡¯d carried out his instructions perfectly. Only then did Darius move. He stretched his arms and pushed the door open as if nothing had happened. Then, he spoke to Erin, pretending to be talking about something he wanted. ¡°I need the hospital¡¯s recent financials and patient feedback.¡°He clearly heard the woman¡¯s breathing speed up after he said this. This made him think that she was probably salivating for his wealth. Erin knew that these documents were already on his desk. She was confused, but she finally understood when she saw his gaze travel between herself and the cab. Trying to hide herughter, she said, ¡°As you wish, Mr. Reid. Everything¡¯s been prepared in time for your arrival. They¡¯re in the cab, and I¡¯ll get them right now.¡± As she walked toward the filing cab, Darius heard the breathing of the woman outside the window race. A trace of a smile formed on his lips. Suddenly, something changed outside. The woman was getting closer to him, making his smile fade. A trace of iciness reced it, and he started to get mad. However, the woman couldn¡¯t see this. When he heard the breathinging from behind him, he smiled again. ¡°Let me see. The filing cab seems different from the way I remember it.¡± Erin¡¯s mind went nk, but as Darius¡® secretary, she had no choice but to keep the act up no matter what he wanted. So, an approving look crept onto her face, and she said, ¡°You¡¯re right, Mr. Reid. I thought so as well.¡± Darius¡® smile grew. ¡°Erin, I think I know what the person who snuck into the filing cab looks like now. The woman was around 5¡¯5¡± and weighed 110 pounds.¡± Chapter 171 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 171 Darius heard the woman¡¯s breathing speed up even more, showing her nervousness. He looked pleased with himself, and he stood up straighter. ¡°I¡¯m also guessing that she¡¯s quite pretty and has blond hair. She¡¯s probably also wearing a whitece mask.¡± The woman heard this. She wondered how he could tell what her hair was like from this angle and whether she¡¯d identally left a strand behind. She was so focused on this train of thought that she didn¡¯t register what he¡¯d said about the mask. By the time she did, it was toote. The curtains before her were suddenly drawn, and her mind went nk. It was good that Darius had prepared for this situation¨Cthe woman let go of the window and started falling from the twenty¨Ceighth floor. Fortunately for her, Darius caught her and dragged her back up into the office. The sudden rippling of his muscles made his brand¨Cnew shirt tear open. When the woman fell to the floor, her chest pressed against his bare arm, and her top was extremely low- cut. She learned this trick through her experience as a thief¨Cif she were to get caught, she could pretend to be someone¡¯s lover and buy herself some time to escape. It had worked like magic in the past. However, she never expected to actually have physical contact with anyone. She was quick on her feet and learned how to run away as quickly as possible. This was why it had never urred to her that something like this could happen. Now, she felt both angry and sad. Someone had touched her where they weren¡¯t supposed to, and it was only right for her to give them a tight p in return. Unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t something she could do at the moment because Darius was the one who¡¯d saved her from falling to her death. There was no way she could treat her savior like that. She tried to think of her next move. To Darius, however, the woman was probably so terrified that she didn¡¯t know what to say. When he saw how dazed she was, he said, ¡°So, what do you think? I¡¯m a pretty good guesser, aren¡¯t I?¡± An ugly look crept onto the woman¡¯s face because he was right. She couldn¡¯t ept it and didn¡¯t know what to say. Darius continued, ¡°Since you don¡¯t know where to start, I¡¯ll go first. You took the que in my office, right? Your first move should¡¯ve been to remove it from your pocket.¡± The woman didn¡¯t know how Darius knew about this. Her fear grew, and she remained silent. Until now, she still couldn¡¯t understand how he¡¯d caught her. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Of course, there was no way she¡¯d even be able to guess the true reason. Her teacher was from a mysteriousnd, and she refused to believe that there was anyone better than her in terms of noticing and controlling one¡¯s breathing and actions. When Darius saw that she remained unmoving, he reached a hand toward her pocket. She tried to dodge him by curling up in a corner, but to no avail He took the golden que out of her pocket and looked down at her. At the same time, Erin held her phone up to record what was happening. She said, ¡°I¡¯ve already looked into your background, Doris Gray. We know your modus operandi¨Cyou pretend to be involved with the men around to buy yourself time to escape. After finding out what you do, we put in ce a series of traps to counter your every move. There¡¯s no way you¡¯re going to get away this time.¡± Doris could tell what a hopeless situation she was in. She got to her feet, no longer looking terrified. She said, ¡°You¡¯re right, and you¡¯re also very smart. In fact, you guys are the smartest people I¡¯ve ever stolen from. It¡¯s too bad that even the almighty Reid family can¡¯t stop me. I¡¯ve still managed to steal something from you, and as long as I want to, I can leave with whatever I¡¯ve taken.¡± Darius smiled. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right, but the fact that you¡¯re still standing here before me shows that your curiosity got the better of you and made you fail.¡± Doris had to admit he was right. There was nothing she could say to refute him. She looked at him and said tentatively, ¡°Since you already know everything and have evidence of me being behind this, you should get someone to escort me out of here. At least, that¡¯s what everyone else would do.¡± He continued to smile, then crossed his arms and listened to her speak. This was her first time being treated this way in the eighteen years of her life, and she said, ¡°I have to say that there¡¯s something dangerously charming about you, and it attracts me. And that¡¯s why I¡¯m going to give you a chance.¡± Erin didn¡¯t expect to see yet another woman vying for Darius¡¯s attention right before her. She couldn¡¯t help but feel bitter, but there was nothing she could do about it. Darius was both amused and surprised by Doris¡® words. ¡°Are you trying to distract me and catch me off guard so that you can escape?¡± Doris was disappointed. This was the first time a man had ever piqued her interest, and she¡¯d been blunt with her intentions. He didn¡¯t believe her, though. He sensed her disappointment, so he said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be like that. It¡¯s only normal for me to think that way because of your actions earlier.¡± She could sense that he was trying to cheer her up, but it didn¡¯t really help. Erin could tell what Darius was thinking as well. She said, ¡°Sir, she¡¯s never done something like this before. Also, the first time she got caught stealing was two years ago, when she was sixteen. She used this exact same method with her victim at the time, and he epted it. He even tried to make a move on ner.¡± Chapter 172 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 172 This was beyond Darius¡® expectations. He widened his eyes in surprise and was curious to know how Doris dealt with that. He nced at her, but she didn¡¯t look too happy. She didn¡¯t want him to know how vicious she could be, but she could not shut Erin up. So, she bowed her head to hide her face from Darius. Erin saw this, but it didn¡¯t matter. She wouldn¡¯t do what Doris wanted, anyway. She said, ¡°She had a small de to protect herself, so she whipped it out and stabbed the man in the groin before running away.¡± Darius¡® lip twitched. He was about to say something to mock Doris, but Erin didn¡¯t give him a chance to. While trying to conceal herughter, she said, ¡°Sir, if I were you, I wouldn¡¯t be too happy. What I¡¯m going to tell you next about what she used to do will surprise you and make you mad.¡± This was his first time seeing Erin like this, and he was very curious to know what she was going to say. Erin said, ¡°Every person Miss Gray stole from was affluent but had done plenty of illegal or hical things. They used their wealth to escape from the consequences they should¡¯ve borne. Then, she would steal from them and give their money to the poor.¡± Darius frowned. He now understood why Erin hadughed. He turned to Doris and said, ¡°It seems you think I¡¯m one of them.¡± Doris¡® eyes turned icy at his words. If one were to look closely, one would also see a trace of regret in them. How could she have forgotten about something so important? Darius was someone who could do anything for money. At first, he insisted he was dating the prettiest girl in school. Then, he harassed another girl in the cafeteria. However, nothing happened to him because he was rich. He¡¯d even made a rival go bankrupt for having the nerve to be interested in the same woman as him! He was so hical that she couldn¡¯t stand it. She had to teach him a lesson! She chose to ignore the way she felt earlier. After all, she knew very well that she¡¯d trained hard over the years to make all these bad people get what they deserved. Darius could sense the frostiness in her gaze. He was no longer smiling as he said, ¡°Who told you about my personal matters? Why did you leave Medicia?¡± An ugly look crept onto Doris¡® face again. She didn¡¯t expect him to know so much about her. This meant that she¡¯d been on his radar for a long time. Or his wealth and influence were powerful enough to allow him to find out so much about her in such a short time. There were many answers to this question, but neither was what she wanted to hear. She knew that if she couldn¡¯t do anything to him today, she would have to pay the price. With this thought in mind, she no longer felt afraid. She red at Darius and said, ¡°I already looked into your past beforeing here, and I think you¡¯re rich but hical. You used your wealth to bankrupt a rival and even forced someone to be your girlfriend. When that failed, you ruined her proposal.¡± Darius became furious when he heard this. He looked down at her. This woman had broken into his office and scolded him for things that weren¡¯t even true. He was especially mad because it had something to do with Sarah. He couldn¡¯t resist wrapping a hand around her neck. It was slender, and his fingers easily circled it. This wasn¡¯t something Doris had expected. Her eyes widened, and she screeched, ¡°How dare you! You will regret about this!¡± Darius smiled, though hard to be noticed. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely wrong.¡± Erin could sense his anger but she didn¡¯t know what to do. She hesitantly took a step forward and ced a hand on his arm, trying to sound as gentle and harmless as possible. ¡°Mr. Reid, she¡¯s just a young woman who¡¯s been tricked. There¡¯s probably a better way to handle this. Would you like to give it some thought?¡± Her voice calmed him down a little. He took deep breaths, then let Doris go and put his hands behind his back. Doris gasped and tried to catch her breath. She¡¯d never felt this d to be able to breathe. He didn¡¯t say anything, merely watching her emotionlessly. After catching her breath, she ran over to Erin and hid behind her, keeping a hand on her arm. She shouted at Darius, ¡°This just proves how evil you are! You were going to kill me because you were angry!¡± After a few moments of silence, Darius said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have mentioned Sarah. She betrayed me in front of everyone, and I was thest to know she¡¯d cheated on me. I don¡¯t need to exin to you, but I¡¯m willing to let you off the hook this time because you¡¯re stealing from others for a good reason. However, you should also know that I¡¯m not always this kind, and if there¡¯s a repeat of this incident, I can¡¯t guarantee the result will be the same.¡± Doris didn¡¯t want to respond. She didn¡¯t believe him because she¡¯d never been wrong in her investigations, but he looked exceptionally serious¨Cas if he was telling the truth. She didn¡¯t know what the right thing was to do. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. As she pondered the matter, Erin said, ¡°I think you can check out the live stream rey from back then. You can watch it on your phone right now.¡± Doris met her gaze, then nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I know what to do now.¡± Chapter 173 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 173 She pulled her phone out of her pocket as she spoke. She kept a hand over her gaping mouth for the next ten minutes. After a long while, she turned to look at Darius, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about this. I had no idea you were so unfortunate.¡± Darius¡® expression turned cold. No one had ever described him as unfortunate before. His lips couldn¡¯t stop twitching. He couldn¡¯t even think of the right words to describe his feelings. In the end, he chose to remain silent. This didn¡¯t mean that his office was silent as well. Doris¡® voice was getting louder and louder. Darius crossed his arms and leaned against the wall while observing her. She was pretty and had plenty of room to grow, but how she made a living limmited her potential. That wasn¡¯t good, and he couldn¡¯t just stand aside and watch while it happened. So, he walked out of the room while she continued screeching. He said, ¡°Erin, I need you to find her an appropriatemunity college.¡± Erin was a bit suprised. She knew Darius was kind, and even if his wealth didn¡¯t always allow him to be so, he tried his best. This matter was different, though. Allowing a young woman who¡¯d survived by stealing from others to roam free wouldn¡¯t benefit anyone. However, Darius was her boss. She couldn¡¯t go against his wishes. She nodded and said, ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll have everything arranged as quickly as possible.¡± Darius couldn¡¯t tell what she was really thinking just by looking at her, but he could sense that she didn¡¯t like what he was doing. He didn¡¯t say anything, Erin had been like this a lottely. She wasn¡¯t aware that he¡¯d seen right through her. She turned to leave, already nning on sending Doris to the furthestmunity college she could find. Darius stood outside his office. He could still hear Doris screeching inside. The people that walked past bowed at him respectfully and kept their eyes trained on the floor, but he knew they were curious to know what was happening inside. He pushed the door open. Everybody¡¯s heads whipped toward the office. Darius¡® lips twitched, and he said, ¡°You guys can go now.¡± They quickly dispersed. He was about to walk into the office to talk to Doris when he noticed someone breathing next to him. He knew that it was her. So, he waspletely calm as he looked down at her nkly.. Doris couldn¡¯t help trembling with fear. No one had ever looked at her like that before. It made her feel like she was nothing but a dead body to him. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. When Darius noticed she was slowly inching away from him, he sighed and walked into the room. He sat down and looked at her, then said coldly, ¡°I hope you¡¯re as quick to apologize and ept your punishment as you are in humiliating and stealing from me.¡± She quickly said, ¡°Darius, I¡¯m sorry for the misunderstanding and harming you after believing something untrue. I¡¯m more than willing to apologize to you for my mistake.¡± She paused, then continued, ¡°Once again, I¡¯m sincerely and seriously apologizing to you. I hope you can forgive me and allow me to make it up to you.¡± Darius nodded. ¡°Apology epted. As your punishment, I hope you¡¯ll turn your promise into reality the next time you appear before me.¡± Doris¡¯s face turned paled. She didn¡¯t think he¡¯d use her words to punish her. She sneaked a nce at him to check his expression. Then, she almost jumped out of fear. He was looking right at her; his gaze was as cold as ice. She¡¯d never met such a gaze before, and she couldn¡¯t help but shudder. On the other hand, this was Darius¡® first timeing across someone who feared his gaze but didn¡¯t fall to their knees. He said, ¡°There¡¯s no skipping of the punishment. First, I want you to go to college. After that, I will have plenty of things from you.¡± Doris was taken aback. She wasn¡¯t yet eighteen, so it was only normal for her to still be studying. However, she didn¡¯t have the money to pay for it, so it had never urred to her. She wanted to speak but suddenly found that she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say anything. She still tried her best, though. ¡°Thank you so much. You¡¯re the first person to say that to me. To repay your kindness, I¡¯m going to tell you who¡¯s the one who gave me the false information about you and made me decide toe after you.¡± Darius was curious about this, but he didn¡¯t agree to it. ¡°You have to repay me by working for me.¡± Doris¡® mind went nk. She didn¡¯t expect him to be so insistent. Moreover, his words made her feel that he knew her better than she thought. It made her feel uneasy and nervous. He smiled. ¡°Look, the situation¡¯s clear¨Cthere¡¯s nothing else you can do aside from epting my offer.¡± She looked confused. ¡°What exactly are you up to? I¡¯m a thief, and no one in their right mind would hire me.¡± Her gaze turned wary. This whole situation was so odd. Darius said, ¡°Because you were stealing for the poor. Your way of helping them was wrong, but it was only because you couldn¡¯t think of anything else. Now, I¡¯m giving you a chance to stand under the sun. You can let everyone know about this.¡± Dorisughed and crossed her arms. ¡°Do you know how much money doing something like that would require? You¡¯re only one person, and there¡¯s no way you could be that rich!¡± Before she could say anything else, she felt like she was being blinded by something gold. She quickly covered her eyes, and it took her a while to process what was happening. Then, she dropped her hands, and her mouth went agape. Chapter 174 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 174 Darius smirked a little at the look on her face. This was what he wanted to see. Doris had never seen so much money in her life, not even in the vault of the man who imed to be the richest in the world. She¡¯d even felt pleased with herself and wondered what had happened to the money. Now, she knew. The man who stood before her was the one who was truly rich! If she could take the money with her, there was no telling how many mouths she could feed. She smiled at this thought. It was nonsensical, of course. At this moment, Darius said something that made Doris feel like she was dreaming. ¡°I had this money prepared with the intention of helping the poor. If you can graduate from college, you¡¯ll be fully in charge of it.¡± Doris felt like she¡¯d suddenly been transported to a different world altogether. There was no way a normal person would give a thief that much money¨Cespecially someone as rich as Darius. Then again, she¡¯d heard that these rich people tended to have odd fetishes¨C maybe this was his. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Now, she felt like she¡¯d stumbled upon the truth. This was probably a new trick that Darius had devised to lure her into his trap. Perhaps there was a catch somewhere, waiting to sentence her to a worse fate! When Erin returned, she saw that the office doors were wide open, and everyone could see what was happening inside. This included the massive box that was filled with gold bars. She didn¡¯t know what Darius and Doris were doing, but she knocked on the door anyway. Darius turned to nce at her. ¡°Come in.¡± She walked into the room with a folder in hand, then walked up to his desk and slid the folder over to him. The way she moved showed off her every curve, making Doris narrow her eyes. She made Erin jump when she suddenly said, ¡°You¡¯re gorgeous. Why are you working for someone like Darius?¡± Erin quickly regained herposure and said, ¡°Miss Gray, Mr. Reid saved me from the clutches of someone evil. If not for him, I would be nothing but a corpse, forgotten and rotting away in a trash can somewhere.¡± Doris was lost for words. She found it hard to believe Erin was telling the truth, yet it seemed highly likely. Darius wasn¡¯t flustered to see how much she still doubted him. He said, ¡°At this point in time, the truth has nothing to do with you. You should think about going to college.¡± He grabbed the folder in front of him, tore it open, signed it, and handed it back to Erin. ¡°Thepany will pay for her tuition.¡± Doris gaped as he heard Dockle Community College. She¡¯d never expected him to be serious. He was even paying for her tuition! Almost an hourter, she got into the passenger seat of a car. Erin was in the driver¡¯s seat, and Darius was in the back. Things started to sink in, and she turned to Darius, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure toplete my studies as soon as possible so that I cane to work for you.¡± Darius didn¡¯t say anything. Doris¡® voice was the only one that could be heard in the car. ¡°I believe you now, so I¡¯ll tell you everything I know. Someone by the name of n Roberts came to me and offered me 50,000 dors to steal from you, saying he¡¯d give me the money once the job was done. He told me about your past and even lent me hisputer so that I could see for myself. What I saw back then waspletely different from what I saw earlier, so I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Darius immediately felt ufortable when he heard that name. He frowned and repeated, ¡°n Roberts?¡± Doris didn¡¯t know what had happened between them, but she could sense that something had changed in him when he said that name. She realized she¡¯d probably made a huge mistake and helped a bad person. Erin confirmed her suspicions. ¡°Doris, you¡¯re much too naive. n Roberts is the president of Dream Investment Group. He once tried to make a move on me during a dinner party and even threatened me. He also tried to make us lose some business deals. Of course, he stopped pulling these tricks once he knew how wealthy Mr. Reid really was.¡± She remained expressionless as she spoke, but Doris was far from that. Her hands trembled violently, and she dropped her phone. Before she knew it, her face was streaked with tears of regret. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I really didn¡¯t know about these things. I know words mean nothing, but aside from apologizing, there¡¯s nothing else I can do for you guys.¡± Darius looked calm. ¡°It¡¯s over now, so there¡¯s no need for you to act like this. I don¡¯t like it.¡± Doris immediately stopped crying. She turned to look at him, her eyes filled with desperation and longing. ¡°Mr. Reid, I¡¯ll make sure to repay you with everything I¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not something you should be thinking about. If you don¡¯t forget about it, I¡¯ll have you thrown in jail.¡± Doris shut her mouth and turned to face the front. She was overjoyed to be be able to stay by his side, and she didn¡¯t want to leave. After a while, though, she started feeling ufortable because of the silence. She picked her phone up. Shortly after that, she shrieked, ¡°Mr. Reid, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re so considerate to the poor when you¡¯re so rich!¡± Even with his eyes closed, Darius could feel her gaze burning a hole in his face. He frowned and said, ¡°Have you already forgotten what I just said?¡± Doris shut her mouth again, but her eyes didn¡¯t leave him. His true identity was the master and only heir of the legendary, mysterious Reid Consortium! Most people had no idea what it was, but she wasn¡¯t one of them. Her teacher had been saved by a member of the Reid Consortium before, but he couldn¡¯t repay their kindness because he couldn¡¯t practice martial arts anymore. He¡¯d taught her everything he knew so that she could repay them on his behalf. To her, if she could repay the Reid Consortium, she would also be repaying her teacher for raising her. She nced at Darius a few times, wanting to tell him about this. However, she remained silent under his threatening gaze. Perhaps this was what her teacher had meant when he said the time was not yet ripe. Chapter 175 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 175 Doris didn¡¯t say anything else until they reached the college¡¯s entrance. When she heard Erin start to drive away, she suddenly spun around and cupped her hands around her mouth before shouting, ¡°Mr. Reid, I really do like you! I¡¯ll be here, and you cane over any time!¡± Her invitation was so obvious that it made Darius¡¯ vein twitch. His abilities only made her voice sound louder in his ears. ¡°Man, I was just thinking of going after her. Look at her face and those legs! Who would¡¯ve known she¡¯d be the type of woman to publicly confess her love for some rich man!¡± ¡°Oh, my God! There¡¯s another gorgeous woman in the car!¡± ¡°Come on, forget about it. Let¡¯s go. We obviously don¡¯t stand a chance here.¡± Darius raised an eyebrow when he saw the young men standing nearby stalk off. He seemed to understand what Doris was up to now. Sure enough, when he nced at her, he saw her cheeky smile. He didn¡¯t even need to think to know what had happened-she¡¯d used him! To his surprise, he didn¡¯t feel mad. On the contrary, he was amused. She was smart and clever, but it didn¡¯t turn him off. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Erin could see his expression through the rearview mirror. Darius could sense her eyes on him, but he didn¡¯t meet her gaze. He looked down at his phone and said, ¡°We can go now.¡± She jumped a little before stepping on the elerator. As the car sped along smoothly, he said, ¡°I thought you¡¯d have her enrolled in the furthest, poorest college you could find, regardless of how good or bad it was.¡± Erin¡¯s hair stood on end, and her breathing sped up almost uncontrobly, but she didn¡¯t falter. She took a long, deep breath before calming down. She grimaced and said, ¡°Yes, I thought about it, but that was all. She¡¯s useful to us, and she¡¯s very naive. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do something so selfish.¡± She felt her strength leave her after saying that because she didn¡¯t know how things would y out from there. Nothing else mattered anymore. She continued driving, mentally preparing herself to get fired. Darius didn¡¯t say anything for the longest time. Finally, he sighed and said, ¡°You¡¯re an excellent employee. I hope you¡¯ll ensure your heart is in the right ce in the future. You¡¯ve repeatedly overstepped the boundary, and I don¡¯t want to see it happen again.¡± Erin rxed a little at his words. She knew she¡¯d made it out alive this time, but she was on herst chance. If she were to make the same mistake, it would be the end for her. Darius¡¯ voice pulled her out of her reverie, immediately making her nervous. ¡°Someone¡¯sing. Have someone from the officee here and prepare to redistribute the assets of some of the other companies.¡± Erin didn¡¯t understand what he was saying. She was about to ask him more when she saw two ck cars suddenly appear before them. Instantly, her heart froze. She wanted to turn the car in a different direction, so she put the pedal to the metal and tugged on the emergency brakes. There was a loud bang that left the car shaking. The airbags exploded out and blocked her view. Darius knew that it was time to put his n in ce. He pushed the door open and said, ¡°Remember what I just told you.¡± When Erin finally managed to push the airbag away, all she could see was Darius¡¯ broad back. He stood before the car and faced several men in ck suits holding baseball bats. She watched with bated breath. This was such a dangerous situation that she couldn¡¯t control her movements. She reached out to open the door but quickly retracted her hand because she¡¯d remembered Darius¡¯ instructions. She breathed deeply to calm herself down before picking her phone up and calling Zack. At the same time, Darius leaned against his Bugatti Veyron and crossed his arms. His gaze was sharp as he looked at the men, and his tone was frosty. ¡°Which board members are you guys the bodyguards of?¡± He took in their looks of fear and knew he¡¯d guessed correctly. His expression turned mocking. ¡°I¡¯ve already seen what you look like, and I¡¯m sorry to inform you that you¡¯d fail to injure me even if you were to attack me all at once.¡± One of the bodyguards didn¡¯t like Darius¡¯ condescending tone and decided to teach him a lesson. He wanted Darius to know he was a professional bodyguard, not a pushover. And so, he shot at Darius. Darius already knew what went through his mind the moment the thought was formed. As an awakened martial artist, there was no way he would allow the bodyguard toe close to him. As a result, the bodyguard was sent flying before his feet even fully left the ground. Darius slowly put his hands down, then said, ¡°Although you guys were the ones to make the first move, I¡¯m still willing to give you a chance. Whose bodyguards are you? If all of you decide to stay silent, I¡¯ll make all the board members go bankrupt and let them know that you were the ones to rat on them.¡± He wasn¡¯t even standing up straight, but it didn¡¯t impede on his overpowering aura. This terrified the bodyguards, and they felt like they were suffocating in his presence. In that instant, Erin was as terrified as they were. She was still seated in the car and trying to put the airbag away after hanging up when she saw smoke rising from the front of the car. Her heart raced. She¡¯d seen a smoke bomb before, and it looked exactly like this. However, this thought only stayed in her mind for a few seconds because she was sure the smoke wasing from Darius himself. She didn¡¯t. know the reason for it, but she did know that she was safe as long as she was with him. Chapter 176 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 176 The bodyguards were sprawled on the ground, feeling like they were suffocating. The only emotion they could clearly sense was terror, but none of them showed it. Thissted until someone dropped to his knees. Everyone else followed suit. Darius stuck his hands in his pockets and looked down at them. ¡°Perhaps you guys have something to tell me?¡± The bodyguards had never been in such a pickle before, especially since they only had two options¨Cto die or to betray the one who pays. They didn¡¯t want to go for either of these options. Darius sighed, then raised his voice. ¡°I¡¯ll count down three.¡± Without giving them time to think, he immediately started counting down.. ¡°Three!¡± ¡°Two!¡± Before he could get to ¡°one¡°, someone broke down and shouted a name. He nodded expressionlessly. Then, he turned to get into the car. These bodyguards were just poor people that had been hired by the wrong people, so there was no need for him to go after them. They were going to be out of jobs soon, anyway. The moment he turned, he felt a sharp gust of winding toward him. At the same time, he saw the terrified and worried expression on Erin¡¯s face through the windshield. He¡¯d never seen someone express so many different emotions so clearly before, and he was moved. No one had cared for him so deeply before. This reminded him of his rtionship with Sarah. She¡¯d never done anything for him before. Even when he¡¯d had to sew his hand up after it¡¯d been shed open, she¡¯d only cared about getting her luxury items and bags. With thisparison, Darius suddenly had to admit how blind he used to be. Even with all these thoughts running through his mind, he was still vignt. Almost at the same time that he sensed the gust of wind behind him, he whipped around to be greeted by the sight of the first bodyguard who¡¯d tried to attack him. He praised the guy¡¯s guy when he saw the blood on the ground. Despite the strength behind his earlier blow, the bodyguard still wanted to give ambushing him another shot. Therefore, he only used half his strength to swing a punch at the bodyguard, which still sent him flying. The bodyguardnded on his back, finally sensing the pain in his chest and back. He opened his mouth to say something, but Darius beat him to it. ¡°You¡¯re more loyal than the other guys. It¡¯s too bad nothing¡¯s going to change, though, because your employer has other bodyguards here as well.¡± He spread his hands. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re disappointed to hear this: I don¡¯t intend to let any of them off the hook, but I¡¯ll sing your praises the next time I see your employer.¡± He stood up straight and continued, ¡°Based on my past record, you should¡¯ve been dead by now. You¡¯re lucky that I¡¯m in a good mood today. I¡¯ll let you live.¡± After that, he turned to head toward the car. He had yet to take a step when he heard the sound of an engine revving in the distance. He paused because he didn¡¯t know whether this was a threat to him. He was surprised to see Zack. ¡°You sure got here quickly.¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Zack was agitated when he saw Darius. ¡°My dear Mr. Reid, it¡¯s been a while since west met. How are you doing?¡± Darius couldn¡¯t helpughing at his formal greeting. ¡°I¡¯m great, thanks to your hard work.¡± Zack looked lost. Darius patted him on the shoulder, his smile growing wider. ¡°Alright, alright, I was just joking. Now, I¡¯m going to tell you why I asked you toe here.¡± Zack¡¯s expression became serious. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve already heard about what happened from Erin and looked into theirpanies¡® backgrounds. I can turn all of the assets belonging to five of thepanies into ours in a month, at most, but I can¡¯t guarantee I¡¯ll get the job done for thestpany.¡± Darius¡® curiosity was piqued. He raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up with that? Whosepany is it?¡± Zack handed the document he¡¯d been holding to Darius. ¡°This is everything I found out about that company, and its president¡¯s information is right at the front.¡± Darius flipped the document open and looked at the photo of the man on the first page. He nodded and said, ¡°This isn¡¯t the one I beat up.¡± Then, he went through the rest of the document. ¡°Gerald Godolphin, the heir apparent of the Godolphin family. He¡¯s the next in line to take over the family.¡± Things were fine until he got to thest line in the description. ¡°His wife is the daughter of Wilson Gillette, the president of Gillette Group.¡± Darius narrowed his eyes. ¡°If I am right, we helped someone from the Chambein family because of them.¡± Zack nodded. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Wilson¡¯s youngest son, Hank Gillette, had a crush on your ssmate, Pearl Chambein, but she wasn¡¯t interested in him. There was some sort of conflict between them because of this.¡± Darius nodded,, but there was an odd look on his face. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect such a huge age gap between Wilson¡¯s daughter and son!¡± Zack continued, ¡°The Chambein Group hasn¡¯t had much progress in its fight against the Gillette Group, and the Gillette Group seems to have found itself a mysterious backer recently. It made the Chambein Group suffer some massive losses.¡± Darius had alreadye to a conclusion. It was vague, but it was still a conclusion. He said, ¡°This guy¡¯s very mysterious, and his subordinates aren¡¯t to be trifled with. You need to protect yourself.¡± Zack looked grim. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sir. I¡¯ll take good care of myself and make sure nobody cany a finger on me.¡± Darius nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go to Almiron City when I have the time, and I¡¯ll let you know beforehand.¡± Zack nodded, looking excited. Chapter 177 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 177 Erin had stepped out of the car the moment Zack showed up. When she saw Darius walk toward the car, she hurriedly said, ¡°Mr. Reid, I think I¡¯m needed at thepany.¡± Darius nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I can drive, and I¡¯m definitely safe on my own.¡± He got into the driver¡¯s seat and stretched an arm out, resting it against the window. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath before driving off. Erin remained rooted to the spot, only moving when he was out of her sight. When she turned around, she was greeted by the sight of a face, which frightened her. She backed away, pping a hand over her mouth to ensure she wouldn¡¯t make a sound. Zack touched his face, feeling a little exasperated. He walked toward her, saying, ¡°I know you¡¯re madly in love with Mr. Reid, and my face can¡¯tpare to his, but it¡¯s not bad enough to terrorize you like that, is it?¡± Erin had already calmed down. She rolled her eyes at him and said, ¡°I have plenty of work to do. Also, I¡¯m not in love with Mr. Reid; I just admire him.¡± She turned and hurried away. Zack watched her leave and smiled: At the same time, Darius was counting the seconds. He needed to make a trip to Almiron City, which would take him at least an hour by flight. It wasn¡¯t a trip that could bepleted in a short period of time, so he needed to check in on the operations and finances of all thepanies under Reid Consortium before he left. However, before doing any of this, he had to return to Dragon Estate to change into something appropriate. Only then could he carry out his n. There was also something else he was worried about. Thest time he¡¯d been to Dragon Estate was when that despicable martial guy trashed his apartment, which was a long time ago. He wondered whether everything had been repaired by now. One and a half hourster, when he arrived at Dragon Estate, he knew he¡¯d been worried over nothing. The moment the security guard saw him, he gave him a concise report on everything that had happened since. ¡°Mr. Reid, I¡¯m so d to see you again. It¡¯s been a while since you came back here, and your apartment¡¯s been restored to be exactly the same as before. The key is with the manager, and he¡¯s personally held on to it all this time.¡± Darius nodded. He remembered the manager, Elle. He drove up to the main entrance, and all eyes were on him when he stepped into the building. This didn¡¯t bother him, and neither did their whispers. ¡°Is he the owner of all those cars? He¡¯s so young. Why hasn¡¯t anyone ever heard of him?¡± ¡°That just goes to show how much richer he is than we are. He¡¯s not someone we can gossip about.¡± The receptionist was excited to see him. ¡°Mr. Reid, it¡¯s been a while! Would you like to return to your apartment right now?¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± The receptionist made a small, elegant bow in his direction, putting him in a good mood. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. In truth, the receptionist was the one in a good mood. Her manager, Elle, had been extremely busy lately because she didn¡¯t know where Darius was. Though she knew the Reid family would ensure his safety, she still couldn¡¯t help but worry. That was why she¡¯d suddenly be overly strict with her staff, and they were exhausted. Now that Darius was back, it would definitely put Elle in a good mood. This meant that their torment would finally be over! At this moment, Elle was seated at her desk. She was holding a document, but it was the wrong way up. Situations like this had often happened since the officials brought Darius away. She wanted to call the Reid family to find out what was happening, but it would make her seem rude. She picked up her phone and put it back down again¡ªan action she¡¯d repeated countless times. The moment she put the phone down, it rang, infuriating her. She put it on speaker and screeched, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Though this had often happenedtely, the receptionist still dropped the phone fearfully. It ttered to the floor. This made Elle even angrier, and it showed in her tone. ¡°If you continue to be this careless, you¡¯ll be fired! The residents here are all affluent people, and you can¡¯t afford to scare any of them!¡± The receptionist paled. She nced in Darius¡® direction, her lips trembling. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to say a word. Darius stretched out an arm. When he saw that he¡¯d already been standing there for two minutes while someone threw a tantrum, he frowned. He bent down to pick up the phone, then said with a hint of impatience, ¡°I need my apartment key.¡± When Elle heard his voice, she felt her heart start to race. He was back! Mr. Reid was back! Her professionalism kept her from letting out a yelp of joy, though. Her voice returned to being steady and clear as she said, ¡°Mr. Reid, it¡¯s been a while. At most, I¡¯ll only need a minute to appear before you.¡± ¡°Okay¡± Darius¡® deep baritone rang out on the other end of the line. Elle hung up and ran out of her office as quickly as possible. Darius put the phone down, then turned to look at the ashen receptionist. He said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be like this since you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Elle¡¯s a good manager, and she won¡¯t really fire you. She was just in a bad mood.¡± The receptionist tried to force out a smile, but it wasn¡¯t convincing in the least. Darius knew she didn¡¯t believe him, but he didn¡¯t take it to heart. He merely nced at his watch. With five seconds left on the clock, he heard the sound of someone else approaching. He looked in Elle¡¯s direction and saw her staring at him, her eyes practically glowing. An ugly look crept onto his face. He didn¡¯t like it when women looked at him like that. He was about to say something when she approached him and respectfully presented the key with both hands. Chapter 178 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 178 Darius took the key. ¡°Thank you.¡± After that, he turned to head to his apartment. He stopped after a couple of steps and turned to look at A. ¡°This receptionist is great. A¡¯s expression changed, and she immediately nodded. ¡°I understand, Mr. Reid.¡± As Darius walked out of the lobby, he vaguely heard A say, ¡°You¡¯re doing an excellent job, so you can choose between getting a promotion or a raise. You should know that this is a special situation¨Cif you choose to be promoted, so be it, but I¡¯ll only give you a raise once you¡¯ve gained enough experience to match up to your position. However, I¡¯ll still give you all the power thates with your position.¡± The receptionist wanted to jump with joy at A¡¯s words. On the other hand, a small smile formed on Darius¡® lips, but this didn¡¯t stop him from heading to his destination. Just as he thought he would soon be at his apartment, he heard someone call his name. The voice was a little familiar, but it hadn¡¯t left a deep enough impression for him to remember. He stopped and turned in the direction the voice hade from to see a beautiful woman standing there. He recognized her¨Cshe was Pearl Chambein, the third most gorgeous woman in his university. She¡¯d once pped him, then thanked him for helping her. He put his hands in his pockets and watched as she approached him, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Darius narrowed his eyes. She was attractive, but perhaps her beauty would work better on someone else. He moved his gaze from her chest to her face and asked, ¡°Do you have something you need me for?¡± Pearl didn¡¯t answer him. She was still wondering why he hadn¡¯t shown any reaction to her body and had even averted his gaze so quickly. However, it wasn¡¯t a question she could bring herself to ask. Then, Darius¡® question registered in her mind. She felt disappointed but didn¡¯t forget what she was here for. ¡°Darius, I want to express my gratitude and do something for you.¡± Darius started to frown. He was about to turn her down when she continued, ¡°I know you don¡¯t need my gratitude, but it¡¯s all that I can give you.¡± Everyone in the lobby heard her. Darius didn¡¯t like how things were ying out, so he headed to his apartment. Pearl ran after him when she saw him ignore her. Her heels clicked rapidly against the floor. The rest of the people in the lobby all looked curious. Darius made his way to his apartment as Peal ran after him. He was much more powerful now that his martial arts skills had been awakened. He could hear Pearl struggling to catch her breath as she ran behind him, but to his surprise, she didn¡¯t let her exhaustion stop her. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Even though she¡¯d slowed down and could barely breathe, she persevered Darius didn¡¯t slow down, however. He was still miffed about what had happened earlier. He only stopped once he was at his apartment. He turned to say to Pearl, ¡°You¡¯re pretty fast.¡± She was taken aback and subconsciously wanted to gnash her teeth. She thought about just leaving, but she found that she was so exhausted she couldn¡¯t say a word. All she could do now was pant. On the bright side, Darius¡® attitude toward her had improved. At least he hadn¡¯t kicked her out without a second thought. She watched him walk into the apartment. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she followed him. She didn¡¯t go into his bedroom or sit in the living room. Her clothes were soaked with sweat because of her vigorous workout, and her hair stuck to her face. When Darius came out of the bedroom and saw her looking so disheveled, he had to admit that she still looked good. He sat down on one of the sofas and pointed at the one opposite him, saying, ¡°You can have a seat.¡± Pearl immediatelyplied, looking overjoyed. It made his mind go nk for a short while. Once again, he couldn¡¯t help but appreciate her beauty. Soon, however, he returned to his senses. ¡°I don¡¯t need your gratitude. I only helped your family because I despised Hank¡¯s actions.¡± The memory of what happened in the cafeteria reyed in Pearl¡¯s mind. She was smart enough not to bring it up. She could tell from Darius¡® genuine disgust that there had been a misunderstanding. Darius could feel her eyes on him, and he sensed the change in her gaze, but he didn¡¯t react. He merely looked at her silently. Only then did Pearl realize she hadn¡¯t answered him. Feeling slightly panicked, she quickly said, ¡°I¡¯m still extremely grateful to you, though. It may not mean anything to you, but it¡¯s all I have. Please, give me a chance to thank you.¡± Darius thought about it and noticed that she¡¯d chased after him several times now. He was worried that things would continue this way, so he agreed to her request. ¡°Alright, then. How do you intend to repay me? Make sure it doesn¡¯t waste my time, though.¡± Pearl was stunned. She¡¯d originally intended to invite him for dinner, but he¡¯d just made it clear that he wasn¡¯t willing to spend time on this. Several thoughts shed through her mind, but none of them met the mark. She couldn¡¯t suggest any of her ideas. Just as Darius was starting to lose his patience, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow for the first day of ss, then drop you back here at night. How¡¯s that?¡± His expression immediately turned steely, and Pearl felt like she couldn¡¯t breathe. She didn¡¯t know why his expression had changed so suddenly, and she couldn¡¯t even find the words to describe it. She bit her lip, unable to say a word through her fear. She wanted to repay Darius, but it seemed she¡¯d only worsened things. Then, she watched as Darius shot into the study and switched theputer on. She blinked, and there seemed to be a voice in her mind telling her the answer to her questions. Chapter 179 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 179 Pearl wasn¡¯t sure whether she¡¯d guessed correctly. She stood up and walked to the study, seeing Darius¡® fingers flew over the keyboard so quickly that she could barely see Them. She leaned against the door, unable to stop herself fromughing ¡°Do you need my help? I¡¯m willing to help you because of the favor you did the Chambein family.¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. The only reply she got was the clicking of the keyboard¡¯s keys. Darius didn¡¯t even spare her a nce, let alone answer her. It made her feel a little awkward. She finally walked over to him. She looked at the monitor and said, ¡°To repay your kindness, I¡¯ll stay here with you until you¡¯re done with your dissertation.¡± Only then did Darius look up at her, his eyes frosty. ¡°I¡¯m busy now, so please remain silent. Otherwise, I can¡¯t guarantee I¡¯ll be as mild¨Cmannered as I am right now.¡± This was the first time someone had spoken to her like that. A hint of displeasure shed across her face, but it quickly disappeared. If she were in his shoes, she¡¯d be annoyed too. She watched as he flipped through one of the books at top speed. He was going to reach thest page. soon. She stepped forward and grabbed the book he would need next, then ced it on the desk and pulled the book he was currently reading out of his hands once he was done with thest page. At first, Darius wasn¡¯t happy with this. However, he raised an eyebrow when he saw that the book that had been ced on the desk was the one he wanted to read next. ¡°How did you know I was going to go for this book?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m a student too, and I have exemry grades.¡± When these words were out of her mouth, she realized who she was talking to. Darius was at the top of their ss! She shut her mouth and silently watched as Darius rushed through his dissertation, asionally helping him switch books or getting him water. When it was just past 1.00 am, he heard his phone ring, but he didn¡¯t even flinch. He didn¡¯t even look away from his book, merely saying calmly, ¡°Pearl, answer the phone.¡± Pearl didn¡¯t even know when she¡¯d fallen asleep. Her eyes shot open when she heard Darius¡® voice, and she answered the phone before she realized what was happening. ¡°Hello, this is Pearl Chambein.¡± Then, she was answered by a long silence. The fog in her mind slowly started to clear, and she realized something¨Cshe was at Darius¡® apartment, and she¡¯d answered his phone! So, she hurried to exin herself, but before she could say anything, the voice of someone old rang out on the other end of the line. ¡°Did I call the wrong number?¡± ¡°No, you didn¡¯t.¡± The old voice said, ¡°He brought a woman home with him, and he¡¯s still awake at this hour?¡± Pearl quickly said, ¡°No, sir, that¡¯s not it. I¡¯m just here to help Darius.¡± Darius heard what was going on in the living room and stopped typing. He walked into the living room and saw Pearl looking panicked. He held out his hand, palm facing up. ¡°Give me the phone.¡± Pearl jumped when she heard his voice. She didn¡¯t expect him toe out here. Of course, this thought didn¡¯t linger in her mind for long. Soon, she would be filled with regret because of Darius¡® following words. ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s Darius.¡± His gazended on her. She understood that he was telling her to leave. So, she walked into the study and shut the door before sitting on the chair. It was still warm, making her blush. Darius sat on the sofa in the living room while speaking to his grandfather. ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s not what you think. I gave her family enough money to make them as wealthy as they used to be, so she wanted to repay me out of gratitude. I forgot that ss was resuming tomorrow¨Cno, today- and that I had yet to finish my dissertation.¡± Darius felt at ease now that he¡¯d exined himself. He didn¡¯t know whether his grandfather would believe him, but it was true. He only truly rxed when James said, ¡°I hope that you don¡¯t repeat this mistake and try your best to complete your studies. At the same time, don¡¯t forget about your duty as the master of the Reid Consortium.¡± ¡°Yes, Grandpa. I understand.¡± Darius nodded. James added, ¡°I¡¯ll have Bruce whip something up for you so that you don¡¯t starve.¡± After that, he hung up. Darius put the phone down when he heard the dial tone. He returned to the study and saw Pearl sitting on the chair next to his with her head on the desk. She¡¯d fallen asleep. He narrowed his eyes and walked over to the desk, saying, ¡°Pearl, I think you can head home.¡± This woke her up again, and she looked at him nkly. Her mind only started to operate when he sat down next to her because she smelled his cologne. It made her feel clean and happy. Now that she waspletely awake, she realized what Darius had said and what she¡¯d been thinking of earlier. She suddenly blushed and shot to her feet, covering her face with her hands. She was worried that he would see right through her. At the same time, she stole a nce at him. Unfortunately for her, she was in for a disappointment. Darius wasn¡¯t looking at her at all¨Che was busy working on his dissertation. Soon, however, sheposed herself. She was only here to repay Darius¡® kindness. She knew Darius didn¡¯t want to be disturbed at the moment, so she used her actions to reject his earlier suggestion. He saw this, but he didn¡¯t do anything. He waspletely focused on the book in front of him. When he finished, a new one appeared before him. He turned to Pearl and said, ¡°I know this is tough on you. I can finish my dissertation¡­¡± He was interrupted by someone knocking on the door, and she hurried out of the study. She didn¡¯t want to hear him tell her to leave again. After all, she¡¯d already been rejected several times, and her dignity was hanging by a thread. Chapter 180 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 180 Pearl opened the door, still caught up in her thoughts. When she saw the woman standing there, her eyes widened in shock. It was Elle, and she was holding a tray. She was a little unhappy to see the beautiful and attractive Pearl, but she soon shook it off. She knew her ce, Darius would always be out of her league and more like someone for her to worship. Elle smiled calmly and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I wasn¡¯t aware there was someone else here. I¡¯ll prepare another set for you.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Pearl was angry when she first saw Elle. After all, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for a woman to knock on a man¡¯s door in the middle of the night. However, she didn¡¯t expect Elle only to be here to deliver food. She felt a trace of regret at her thoughts. She quickly held up a hand to stop Elle from leaving. ¡°I¡¯m just here to take care of Darius, so there¡¯s no need to prepare anything for me.¡± Elle looked surprised. However, she quickly regained herposure and passed the tray to Pearl. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you with this, then. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± Pearl watched her leave before heading back to the study. Darius¡® senses were extra sensitive now that his martial arts skills had been awakened, and he could already smell the food when Elle showed up. He looked at his books, then said, ¡°You can leave that in a corner for now. I¡¯ll be done in two hours.¡± Pearl¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What? You¡¯re almost done already?¡± She put the tray on the table, hurried over to him, and then bent down to look at hisputer. Darius saw something barge into his line of sight, and he turned to look at it, then smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a little too close?¡± Only then did Pearl realize they were practically stuck together. She quickly backed away while covering her chest. She was about to say something when the clicking of the keyboard rang out. He was working on his dissertation again! She didn¡¯t dare to say anything lest it disturbed him, and he told her to leave again. She sat on a chair far away from him and observed his side profile. She heard of Darius about his poverty. Who would¡¯ve expected he would actually turn out to be the richest among them all? And why hadn¡¯t she ever noticed how handsome he was? He was the most handsome guy she¡¯d ever seen. If she had noticed him earlier, perhaps things would be different now. She was caught up in this train of thought when it suddenly urred to her that it was highly likely Darius was wealthier than she imagined. She¡¯d heard a lot about Dragon Estate and knew that the manager wasn¡¯t someone that anyone could meet. If one wanted to meet Elle, one had to be among the ultra¨Crich of the Country Sigma. Pearl¡¯s jaw dropped. This was a possibility that had never urred to her before. Moreover, she¡¯d seen the hostility in Elle¡¯s eyes when she¡¯d answered the door earlier. Rumor had it that Elle was wealthy and probably included in a list of the Country Sigma¡¯s richest. This wasn¡¯t an easy feat. If Darius could attract the attention of such a woman, there was no imagining how powerful his family and background were. As her imagination started running wild, Darius spoke up. ¡°I can eat now.¡± Pearl lost her train of thought. Before she realized what she was doing, she¡¯d already started to move. She only returned to her senses when she ced the tray before him, saying, ¡°Wait, what? Have you already finished your dissertation?¡± Darius shot her a look, seemingly not understanding her surprise. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? You seem surprised that I¡¯m done.¡± Pearl stared at him, then nodded vigorously at his words. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m shocked. It took me two whole weeks to finish mine.¡± Darius raised an eyebrow. He knew that some of these students from affluent families only chose to attend the sses they liked, so many didn¡¯t know how to do their dissertations. He didn¡¯t say anything about this, though. He¡¯d only found out about these things after bing wealthy, and he understood that it was only normal. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to find the right people to run hispanies for him. Pearl was still trying to process the fact that he¡¯d already finished his dissertation, so she didn¡¯t catch the look on his face. She walked over to him, and the light in her eyes amused him. ¡°Can I take a look at yourputer?¡± she asked. Darius got up and moved away from the desk while gesturing at theputer. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Pearl sat down, but the warmth from the seat no longer got her hot and bothered. She waspletely focused on theputer as she flipped through Darius¡® dissertation. As she read it, she realized just how ignorant she was. She looked away from theputer and trained her awed gaze on Darius, eximing, ¡°Darius, you¡¯re even more outstanding than I thought.¡± This was his first time receiving such high praise. He smiled and asked curiously, ¡°Where do you think I should be ced, then?¡± Pearl¡¯s gaze returned to theputer. ¡°You should be among the professors, of course.¡± Darius¡® smile widened. He walked over to the coffee table and lifted the cover, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s eat together.¡± Pearl immediately abandoned the dissertation. Her eyes practically glowed as she looked at him. ¡± Really?¡± The smile on Darius¡® face made her heart skip a beat, and if he didn¡¯t say what he said next, it would make her happinessst longer. He said, ¡°I¡¯m inviting you to eat with me not because I¡¯ve epted you but because you¡¯ve already repaid me.¡± She wanted to refute him, but she couldn¡¯t. She sat opposite him, not making a sound because Darius didn¡¯t like it. ¡°I¡¯ll leave after eating, then.¡± Chapter 181 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 181 Darius¡¯ first thought was to nod in agreement. But before he could do so, his gaze swept over a clock on the wall. It was already 3.00 am. By the time they were done eating, they would probably have two hours to rest. There really wasn¡¯t much point in having Pearl leave at this time. So, he said, ¡°You can choose to stay since we''ll need to leave in about two hours." Pearl blushed. She looked around, then lowered her head to look at the floor. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll sleep on the sofa.¡± Darius frowned, obviously dissatisfied with her suggestion. "I may not be the perfect gentleman, but I won''t allow a woman to sleep on the sofa." He then turned to walk to the sofa, but he heard Pearl running after him. He stopped and turned around to face her, her face was red with agitation. "Please, let me sleep on the sofa. I''m here to repay you for saving my family''spany, so there''s no way I''ll let you sleep there.¡± Darius nced at the clock and decided not to argue with her anymore.¡± As you wish.¡± He walked over to the bed andy down. At the same time, Pearly down on the sofa This was her first time sharing a room with a man, and she wondered whether anything would happen later. Her face burned, and her gazended on her chest. She was one of the prettiest women at Kingston University and had a wonderful figure. There was no way Darius would just go to sleep without making a move on her. She''d just convinced herself of this when, to her dismay, she heard the sound of his steady breathing. Her eyes widened, and shepletely forgot about going to sleep. She couldn''t believe that Darius had really left her here on the sofa while he slept soundly! She stayed up all night, pondering over this matter. She was still caught up in her thoughts when Darius woke up. He asked, "You don¡¯t look too good, and you didn''t get any rest. Was it because of the sofa?¡± Pearl had intended to keep this matter from him, and it hadn''t urred to her that he could tell what was going on with a single nce. She felt like she was going to suffocate from her exasperation. She clutched at her chest, wanting to say something to him. However, before she could, he''d already walked out of the room. She took a few deep breaths and quickly ran after him. Darius got into the car, checked the time, and then looked out the window. It was the first day of ss, and it wouldn''t be nice to bete. However, Pearl had yet to catch up. He thought about getting out of the car to see what had happened to her. Before he could do anything, he heard her heels clicking against the ground. It took less than a minute for Pearl to show up. He could tell from her red face that she¡¯d run all the way here. When she got into the car, he said, "I''m sorry. I forgot that you walk a little slower than I do." Pearl had been feeling angry, but it dissipated at his words. She put on an understanding expression and said, "That''s okay. I''ll try to speed up next time.¡± Darius raised an eyebrow. He could sense her insinuation, but he didn¡¯t want to think about it. After a while, Darius turned to look at her. Her face was crimson. He frowned and said, "You don''t look too good. Is it because you didn¡¯t get any sleepst night?¡± His voice made her jump, and she held a hand to her chest, forcing herself to stop thinking. "No, I''m fine. I''ll just take a short nap right now.¡± Then, she closed her eyes.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Darius didn''t say anything else and continued driving. They arrived at the university''s entrance an hour and a halfter. It was 7.00 am, and most of the students were starting to arrive. The parking lot was crowded, and everyone was chatting with each other. After all, they had plenty to catch up on after the break. The mor disappeared when Darius¡¯ Bugatti turned into the parking lot. He could clearly sense everyone''s eyes on him, but he didn''t allow it to bother him. He reached out to put a hand on Pearl''s shoulder, lightly nudging her to wake her up. She slowly opened her eyes, her face rosy from sleeping. He was tempted to touch it, but he held himself back. She wasn''t his woman. He put his hand down and looked at her emotionlessly. ¡°We''re here." Pearl was still dazed, so she didn''t realize how abnormal the silence engulfing them was. She got out of the car without a second thought and was overwhelmed by the wave of gasping. She was instantly alert and looked around to see everyone staring at her, their eyes filled with curiosity. They looked like they¡¯d discovered something unbelievable. When Darius saw her standing there, still as a statue, he got out of the car. " Why aren''t you leaving?¡± He saw her expression shift into a mixture of displeasure and excitement, and he frowned. "Are you okay?¡± Pearl''s mind started to race at his words. Then, she ran off, leaving him in the parking lot, still feeling lost. Things continued like this until he walked out of the parking lot. "God, I never would''ve expected Pearl Chambein to be that sort of woman.¡± ¡°Once upon a time, she and Darius had gotten into a conflict at the cafeteria. Back then, she¡¯d put on a show about being mad at him, and no one doubted." Chapter 182 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 182 "You know, that reminds me-I was there when it happened. Pearl definitely detested Darius, but here she is,ing to university with him. It must be because of his sudden wealth." "I would never have expected her to be someone like that. She''s the third prettiest woman in our university!¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Aman standing silently nearby suddenly said, "I have a different point of view. If even someone like Pearl''s starting to hang around him, just think about how rich he really is!" Darius stopped walking and put a hand in his pocket. An ugly look crept onto his face. He didn¡¯t understand why Pearl had fled earlier, but he now did. Once rumors started flying around about them, it wouldn''t be an easy feat to prove their innocence. However, the matter with the Gillette family had yet to be resolved. He couldn''t act like he didn''t know what was going on. So, he amplify his voice to the point that everyone present could hear him. ¡°I¡¯m chasing Pearl. We''re not officially together yet, but I hope you don''t spread misinformation." After that, he turned and left without a care. As for the three guys that had been speaking earlier... they were left squatting on the ground with their hands pped over their ears, looking ashen. They¡¯d never heard such a deafening sound before. Even now, their ears were ringing. It was as if they were suddenly caught in a vacuum. Actually Pearl didn''t leave. She was waiting for her grades. So, she heard Darius utter words she never thought she¡¯d hear him say. He was chasing her? In her wildest dreams, perhaps. Of course, she knew he was only saying that to protect her image so the other students wouldn''t think badly of her. The meaning behind his gesture only moved her more. Now, he would be the subject of their gossip, which he didn''t seem to think about. She was about to tell Darius this when he said, "There''s no need to worry about whatever''s going through your mind right now. It doesn''t bother me, and these things won''t affect me. You''re different, though." Pearl¡¯s mind went nk after listening to his words. She didn¡¯t know how this would affect her and looked at him in confusion. His expression was gentle as he said, ¡°It''s nothing much, really. It''s just that all others chasing you will disappear because of me." Pearl looked happy. She wanted to tell him that was exactly what she wanted, but he didn''t give her a chance to speak. "If anyone''s willing to treat you as well as they used to under such circumstances, you can actually consider epting them.¡± She didn''t expect Darius to say this and was taken aback, unable to speak. On the other hand, Darius had already turned and left. All she could do was stare at his retreating figure. She didn''t say anything to keep him here because she could tell he wasn''t too happy already. When she saw him like that, she suddenly found it hard to breathe again, and her expression turned cold. It was only then that she realized she truly had feelings for him. At this moment, Darius was already reaching the ssroom. There were three minutes left till ss started, and he had plenty of time to get there. As he thought about this, he continued to walk to the ssroom. By the time he got there, most people were already there. However, no one was sitting in the front row because today was the day the professors would speak to them about their dissertations. He walked to the front row and picked a seat that was right in the center. This showed how confident he was at the top of his ss! He had just arranged his books when the bell rang. He looked up at his professor, as he always did. This time, however, the professor looked furious. Of course, this was the only thing the other students could see. He could sense that the professor¡¯s anger was faked. Guilt and regret were concealed under the rage, which was made even more obvious when his gazended on Darius. At this point, Darius started to suspect something was up. He even had an idea of what would happen next. When the bell stopped ringing, the professor mmed hisptop on the desk, and the students watched with bated breath. "Darius Reid, stand up and answer my question.¡± Although Darius had already expected this to happen, he still didn''t feel toofortable. He got to his feet and smiled politely despite the professor''s bad attitude. "It¡¯s been a while, Professor Plinsky. How are you doing?" After Darius said this, he could sense Professor Plinsky¡¯s guilt increasing. However, it was still well- concealed. "Darius, I always thought of you as an exemry student. I never expected you to giarize someone else''s work! I read the paper that you submitted in the wee hours of the morning many years ago. Though you changed some of the data, there''s no denying that you stillmitted giarism." Darius frowned. Now, he''d figured out what was going on. Ward Plinsky was an outstanding professor, and he was very strict when it came to anything schrly. In the past, when Darius couldn''t turn up for ss because he had to work, Ward would never penalize him. He would even send him the relevant materials to catch up. All of this only made what was happening at the moment even weirder. Everyone gasped and started whispering among themselves. "My God! I can¡¯t believe Darius actually giarized someone''s work! He''s always been at the top of the ss.¡± "I bet it''s because he''s starting to neglect his studies now that he''s rich. When he was poor, he was always very punctual for ss. Once he became rich, he started ying hooky.¡± "Money really does change people. Wait, I''m rich too.¡± This elicitedughter from the people sitting nearby. Darius ignored theirughter, focusing his attention on Ward. "Professor Plinsky, can we talk about this in your office after ss?¡± He believed Ward had probably encountered something he couldn''t resolve, so he was left with no choice. Darius felt that he could probably give him a hand. If Ward agreed to his request, he could act as if nothing had happened. However, Ward turned him down. ¡®There''s nothing to argue about when ites to giarism. The truth is what it is.¡± Darius noticed that he couldn''t look him in the eye as he said this Chapter 183 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 183 Darius kept his eyes trained on Ward so he caught the resolution in his eyes. He didn''t say anything else and merely looked into Ward''s eyes. Ward was ufortable with the way Darius was watching him. His gaze was filled with helplessness and disappointment. However, he didn''t have a choice. He figured that since Darius had already tracked down his family, he was probably already privy to much information. So, he allowed himself to drop the mask of anger as he looked at Darius, revealing his guilt and regret. Darius didn''t know what was happening, but he could hear the officials¡¯ custom-made leather shoes tapping against the floor. He looked at Ward with a poker face and said, "Professor Plinsky, they''re coming, and I''ll go with them." Ward stared at his favorite student. As he watched Darius leave, he knew that this was the end of their rtionship. Darius could sense that Ward still had plenty to say to him. So, he walked slowly. He told himself to give Ward onest chance-if Ward had yet to say anything by the time he stepped out of the ssroom, he wouldn''t offer his help anymore. Right before he walked out of the ssroom, Ward suddenly said, "Darius, I can sense your reluctance to ept this, so I''ll tell you very clearly that there¡¯s no way you''ll be implicated for something that you haven''t done.¡± When Darius heard this, he retracted his foot and turned to face Ward, who looked relieved. Darius started to frown again, but he stopped when he saw Ward packing his books. Ward had never missed a ss, but his actions were enough to show that he didn''t intend to conduct this one. Darius looked wary, and he felt that Ward was probably going to do something that he couldn''t ept. Then, Ward confirmed his suspicions." My student made a huge mistake and broke thew, so I can''t possibly stay on as a lecturer here. I¡¯m going to tender my resignation immediately as an apology.¡± He looked at Darius as he said this, and Darius knew that he''d made this decision out of guilt. However, there was no way Darius would agree to it. He was about to speak when a hoarse voice rang out behind him. "Sir, it''s been a while. I never would''ve expected to see you here.¡± Darius turned around to see the official that had taken him away thest time. He nodded and said, "I¡¯m the one that''s being used of giarism, and I''m willing to go with you, but I have one request-1 want to bring Professor Ward Plinsky along with me. He''s the one who reported me.¡± The official wanted to turn him down because this had never been done before, but when Darius winked at him with a trace of pleading in his eyes, his mind raced. Then, he nodded. "I agree to your request." He turned, ¡°Are you Professor Ward Plinsky?" Ward had rxed at Darius¡¯ choice, and he nodded. "Yes. Yes, I am. I''m willing to assist in the investigation.¡± When they were gone, the students started discussing what had just happened. ¡°Oh, my God. I never thought I''d be able to witness something like that. I feel like I''m dreaming.¡± "I recorded it, and I''m going to upload it to all thergest social media tforms. It''ll definitely go viral!¡± Everyone present had a different opinion of the incident. On the other hand, the people seated in the car all had the same expression. Their eyes were wide with shock. "Why didn''t you try to contact me behind their backs, Professor? Did they have eyes on you at all times?" Darius had already listened to Ward¡¯s exnation and had difficulty imagining it. The official felt like he was dreaming. "It''s hard to imagine that something like that happened at my workce, and I waspletely oblivious.¡± Ward bent over with his head in his hands, feeling tormented. "I''ve been locked up this whole time, and they only gave me a few minutes this morning to make my decision. I had no other choice.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Darius looked guilty. "I¡¯m sorry, sir. I didn''t think that they''d kidnap your grandchild.¡± Ward''s eyes were filled with pain. In fact, one couldn''t even see the whites of his eyes because they were bloodshot. Darius met his eyes and found he couldn''t bring himself to say anything. The same could be said for the official. Silence descended upon them. After several minutes, Darius said, ¡°You can find a way to get me out of there, right?¡± The official looked fearful. ¡°I can''t guarantee anything, and there''s no way you''ll be able to find the child even if you were to get out of there." After a short bout of fear, the official calmed down. He met Darius¡¯ gaze with resolution. Darius gave it onest shot. "I have my ways, but you don''t. You''re only in charge of this ce, but my wealth can reach ces that you can''t. It can help me obtain plenty of information.¡± Ward didn''t want Darius to do anything illegal or against the rules, and he was ready to give in for the sake of Darius¡¯ innocence. However, he didn''t expect Darius to say he could use his wealth to solve the problem. He was agitated as he looked at Darius. ¡°Are you really willing to spend your wealth for my grandchild¡¯s sake? I know there are a lot of rich people who are still poor." There was a trace of helplessness on Darius¡¯ face, but he still smiled. "Of course, Professor. I¡¯m the one they were targeting in the first ce.¡± The official had already regained hisposure. He looked at Darius apologetically and said, "Even though I believe you, I still have to apologize because I can¡¯t do it. The most I can do is send you somewhere with a phone signal, and you''ll be on your own." Chapter 184 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 184 Darius nodded. This was the best option he had right now. When the official saw that he didn''t mind, he finally felt at ease. He now knew how wealthy Darius really was, and it wasn''t something that he could even begin to imagine. However, because of his job, he had no choice but to treat Darius like this, despite his reluctance. Under such circumstances, it would be hard to prevent Darius¡¯ impression of him from turning sour and, in turn, taking action to vent his frustrations. The official couldn''t think of any way to make this situation better. Soon, however, something worse urred to him. Judging from Darius¡¯ attitude, it would piss him off even more, and it wasn''t something the official wanted to see. He started feeling anxious again, but there were no other alternatives. If he were to keep this from Darius, it would probably only make him angrier. He kept shifting around, and both Darius and Ward noticed this. Ward looked apologetic again. ¡°I''m sorry about this mess. There''s something that''s troubling you, isn''t there?" The official''s eyes widened. "God, Professor Plinsky, you got me. ording to our guidelines, what you''ve done is a serious matter with serious consequences. But I can''t help sympathizing with you after listening to your side of the story, which means I can''t bring myself to handle this objectively. It''s not right for me to feel like this." Ward shook his head. "No, you just need to do what you''re supposed to. I, too, have to bear the consequences of what I''ve done." Then, he turned to Darius and sighed. "I''m sure you know that I''ve made a grievous mistake here. Now, I''m no longer a teacher and will never be in the future. I believe you understand this is because of what I''ve done." He turned to the official and said, "Darius Reid is the most outstanding student I''ve ever had, and you can trust him as I do. He won''t seek revenge or make you pay the price for doing your job.¡± The official looked at Darius, who took a deep breath and nodded. "That''s right. I won''t me you for this and disrupt your job.¡± While they spoke, the car continued to drive along steadily. Soon, they arrived at their destination. Darius opened the door and got out of the car, looking calm. It was as if he was getting out of his Bugatti. The officials stood behind him, and all four of them went into the building, after which Darius was escorted to a room with a ck door. He walked in and sat down under the bright lights. There was a table in the room. He sat on one side while two other officials sat on the other. The tall, burly official that had escorted him here didn''t leave the room, though. He stood by the door and waved at the two officials seated at the table. They looked at him in confusion, then got up and walked out of the room, leaving Darius alone. As the door was shut, he saw the official who''d brought him here dropping something on the floor. It was tiny and didn''t look like a phone, but Darius still walked over to it. He squatted and saw that it was a small key that had been wrapped up in what looked like cotton wool. He put it into his pocket. He didn¡¯t know what it was for, but it definitely wasn''t for him to break out of there. Darius recalled what the official had said about locking him up in a ce where he would be alone and with a phone signal. This key probably had something to do with that. He had just returned to the table and sat down when the door swung open. The two officials who''d sat across him came back in, not looking too happy. "Darius Reid, we''ve already looked into the matter. You were brought here to be given a final chance to exin yourself. As one of Kingston University''s top students, you should know what''s the right thing to do.¡± Darius now knew why the official who''d brought him here had left him that key-he probably knew something was wrong. So, he stood up and straightened his clothes while nodding. "I was already prepared for the possibility that you guys were not innocent from the moment I stepped in. And so, no matter what you say, I''ll admit to it. If you want to take me away, now¡¯s the time." The two officials shared a look and saw the anger in each other¡¯s eyes. They turned to Darius, their gazes turning hostile. "We thought you would¡¯ve known what the right choice was, but it seems that we were wrong. That''s why we''re going to teach you exactly the right choice to make under these circumstances, and we''re going to show you what you should and shouldn''t do." When Darius saw them take their shirts off and walk over to him, cracking their knuckles and smiling menacingly, he knew what they would do. A hesitant expression crept onto his face, but after some thought, he figured there was nothing to worry about with his wealth. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Therefore, he got to his feet and dodged one of the official''s attacks with a quick sidestep. Then, he took the opportunity tond a kick on his back, which sent him sprawling onto the floor. A crisp sound rang out. Darius knew his bones were broken and looked at the guy mockingly. "You''re pretty bad at this. I''d be worried if all you officials were like this.¡± Then, he turned to look at the other official. He was in an offensive stance but hadn''t made his move because of his horror. Darius said, "You have two options-either you take me to where I''m supposed to be, or you can end up sprawled on the ground like your colleague.¡± Chapter 185 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 185 The official couldn''t help but tremble. He¡¯d been watching Darius closely, but he still didn''t manage to catch what exactly he''d done. Now, all he could see was Darius holding two fingers up and his colleague sprawled on the floor. He knew that he didn''t have a choice. His hands trembled as he pulled out a pair of handcuffs, which made them jingle. He reached out to put them on Darius but couldn''t even bring himself to look at him. He held the handcuffs out for a while, but Darius didn¡¯t show any sign of moving. His hands were still in his pockets, and he looked at the official with displeasure. The official knew this, and his mind started to race. He had to think of a way to resolve this as soon as possible without offending anyone. Otherwise, he would probably end up worse off than his colleague. This wasn''t a consequence he could bear. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. So, he tucked the handcuffs away and looked at Darius, deciding to appease him. ¡°Darius Reid, you''re very smart, and you should know what the right choice is. I''m d to see that you do, which is why I won''t handcuff you.¡± Darius knew he was trying to appease his anger, but it didn''t change anything. He remained poker- faced as he said coldly, ¡°I already told you that you only have two options." The official knew what Darius¡¯ decision was, and he now had a better understanding of his personality. He held out a hand to gesture at the door. ¡°Come with me, please." Darius couldn''t help shaking his head at the official''s stupidity when he saw him bowing and looking sycophantic. He walked out of the room, not wanting to spare him another nce. The official who''d escorted him here was waiting by the door, and he''d heard everything that''d happened in the room. He was shocked by the other two officials¡¯ attitudes. When the door swung open, he met Darius'' eyes. On the other hand, the official escorting Darius stood straight and said loudly, "Donny Garcia, you''re the one who brought him here, so you should find a room to lock him up. The federal court will definitelye up with a just decision.¡± Only then did Darius find out the name of this official. Donny looked at him in confusion. He didn¡¯t know why things had turned out differently. However, when faced with Darius¡¯ nod of agreement, he could only y along. So, he led Darius to a room. They stopped at the door, and Donny slipped something into his pocket. Donny''s voice was barely above a whisper, but as an awakened martial artist, Darius could still hear him clearly. "I''ve already tampered with the surveince camera in this room, so you''re safe here and free to do whatever you want. The key that I gave you earlier can open all the doors here, and I trust that you won''t use it for anything else. My office is on the first floor, the sixth one on the left. You can come to me any time if there''s anything you need. Of course, you''ll need to avoid getting caught." As someone''s footsteps approached, he quickly locked the door, leaving Darius alone. Darius sat down and looked at the phone, suddenly smiling. Donny had slipped it into his pocket earlier. Based on this, he could tell that Donny was the type to keep his word, and if he was willing to, Darius wanted to employ him. This wasn''t something to think about at the moment, of course. He had to get out of here as quickly as possible, and he also had to find out who was behind this-was it Hank Gillette or n Roberts? He didn''t get much rest the night before, so he needed to catch up on some sleep now. Hey down on the bed, suddenly smiling again. Though the bed was no match for his own at Dragon Estate, it was still prettyfortable, and he could tell that Donny had prepared this for him. He closed his eyes to sleep, but the phone started vibrating. Darius¡¯ eyes shot open. He''d just gotten this phone and had yet to do anything with it. Logically speaking, no one would know about this number, let alone be calling him. He felt confused. He pulled the phone out and nced at the caller ID to see a familiar number. It was from Bruce! This surprised him. He didn''t expect Bruce to get wind of this so quickly and even manage to contact him. Darius cleared his throat before answering the phone. Bruce sounded anxious as he said, "Mr. Reid, I''m on the way to pick you up already, so don''t worry about a thing. I can¡¯t believe they actually locked you up in such a filthy ce as the detention center! I have to make them pay for this!" In contrast, Darius was calm. "No, I hope that you''ll stay still. I''m sure you already know what happened, and I will not tolerate being framed for something rted to academia. Also, I want to resolve this on my own. I have to try it out at least once." Another voice rang out on the other end of the line-an older one. "Based on what you''ve just said, I''m willing to give you this opportunity. However, you must get in touch with us when you find yourself in danger. We''ll also be keeping an eye on you, and if you don''te to us for help in a situation that we deem to be too risky, we''ll go to you instead." After that, the call was disconnected. Darius looked at the phone, raised an eyebrow, and then put it under his pillow. He tried not to think of the phone call andy down on the bed again, shutting his eyes. This time, however, he had no desire to sleep. Evidently, his grandfather wasn''t willing to let him resolve this matter alone. Chapter 186 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 186 That was why he needed to ensure his safety at all times. Everything else had toe after this. At the same time, he wanted to resolve this mess as quickly as possible. Therefore, he had to ensure his safety while being quick. His brain was already operating at peak capacity, but he still couldn''t devise a good n. Soon, however, he would realize that he''d overestimated his opponent. It was only expected. No ordinary person would imagine that their opponent was wealthy, powerful, yet obnoxious and arrogant. Things happened while he was still sleeping. He was resting when he heard the sound of several footsteps approaching. A voice rang out amidst the footsteps, and it belonged to Donny. "You might be wealthy, but the detention center isn''t a ce where you cane and go as you please. It¡¯s a right that¡¯s been granted to us by the federation.¡± Then, Darius heardughter. It came from someone who sounded young and probably wealthy, judging from the words he uttered next. ''The fact that you can say that just shows that you''ve yet to see the power that money can bring. We''ve given the federal government an ample amount, so I¡¯m giving you onest chance to disappear from my sight. Otherwise, I''ll ensure your fate is worse than everyone locked up here.¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Donny stopped walking. He looked in the direction of Darius'' room, feeling worried, but he didn''t say anything else. Instead, he pulled his phone out and sent him a text. Darius felt the phone vibrate underneath his pillow, so he quickly pulled it out and saw Donny¡¯s message. It read, "I''m sorry that I couldn''t stop him." He put the phone back underneath the pillow. He''d heard the whole conversation, and he didn''t think Donny had done anything wrong, nor did he need to apologize. So, he sat up in bed and crossed his legs, starting to meditate. There was something in his stomach that warmed him, and it made him feel comfortable. More importantly, many people were approaching. They were no match for him, he continued to meditate to prepare himself for an easy victory. He''d just gotten in the zone when he heardughter ring out nearby. It made him feel very ufortable, and he slowly opened his eyes. Then, he saw a young man with blond hair. His appearance was ordinary, and the only thing that stood out was his thick lips. "What''s your name?¡± Darius looked at him calmly, and this angered the young man. He red at Darius. "Is that the attitude you''re going to take with me?" Darius frowned and nodded. ¡°If you can answer me, please do. If not, I''ll just find out using my own methods." He stood up, keeping his eyes on the young man. "I''ve already made things clear. If you can''t understand me, I suggest you go to the hospital to check your brain." This only made the young man angrier. "I¡¯m Hank Gillette, and I¡¯ve never been this insulted in my life! You''re the first person to do so, so I''m going to show you the power of the Gillette family¡¯s wealth. Even if you get on your knees and beg me for mercy, I won''t let you off the hook!" He turned to re at the official standing next to him. "Open the door, you useless piece of trash!¡± Darius nced at the official. It was the one that he didn''t beat up earlier, and Darius had reason to believe that he was the one who''d brought Hank here. He turned back to Hank and said, "I didn''t expect you toe all the way here to see me. You even brought along so many useless people. They should''ve been left in the trash where they belong, yet you¡¯re bringing them with you everywhere you go as if they''re precious treasures, even expecting them to protect you." Heughed mockingly. Hank had never been subject to such treatment before, and he was so angry that he felt like he couldn''t breathe. He red at Darius, his eyes bing bloodshot. Unfortunately for him, Darius acted like he didn''t see any of this, making Hank¡¯s blood boil. He growled, "Get him and pin him to the floor! I want to step on his face and show him what a huge mistake he''s making right now!" Darius¡¯ gaze turned frosty at his words, and the temperature in the room started to drop because of his ice-cold rage. Hank couldn''t help but shudder from the cold, as did the people with him. Everyone wondered what was happening, but none suspected that it had anything to do with Darius¡¯ fury. Hank wanted to ask what was going on, but he was stunned by the person who''d suddenly appeared before him. He didn''t hear anyone''s footsteps, nor did he hear Darius speak, which exined his astonishment. However, Darius obviously didn''t intend to give him much time to be confused. He''d already wrapped a hand around Hank¡¯s neck and tightened his grip. Darius started to speak slowly, and his words made Hank feel like his heart would stop beating immediately. "Hank, you''re just not the type to learn from your mistakes. You''ve done countless things to harm or take many people''s lives, whether directly or indirectly, yet you''ve never been punished because of the Gillette family¡¯s wealth. "You first started bing interested in the opposite gender when you were thirteen, and you killed your ssmate and her father because of your curiosity. Back then, the Gillette family couldn¡¯t persuade the official in charge of that case to change his verdict because of his strong sense of justice, so your father had another one of your ssmates take the fall. He''s still in jail to this day. "On the other hand, you got a rush out of doing that and soon broke thew again." Hank now looked ghostly. He hadn''t expected Darius to know about these things, and he looked at him, wanting to say something. However, he couldn''t make a sound because of the hand tightening around his throat. He could only try his best to break free by kicking and iling. The bodyguards he''d brought with him were stunned by how things had yed out and they realised they had to do something. Chapter 187 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 187 They whipped their weapons out and aimed them at Darius. Unfortunately for them, he was an awakened martial artist. Before they even moved, he already knew what they would do. So, he dropped to the floor, still maintaining his grip on Hank''s neck, bringing him down with him. Darius quickly moved toward the bodyguards, forcing Hank to move with him. Darius could sense that Hank was running out of oxygen. It wasn''t the result he wanted, but he was fine with it either way. On the other hand. Hank knew what Darius was up to now. He wanted to tell his bodyguards to stop, but he couldn''t. When they came to a stop, his eyesight was blurry. However, he could still see that his bodyguards were already down. Only then did he realize that he couldn''t even beginprehending Darius¡¯ true abilities. The fact that Darius could do this showed how powerful and wealthy the force behind him was. It was definitely leaps and bounds ahead of the Gillette family. It wasn¡¯t a secret, and almost everyone else was aware of this. He found out toote, and Darius no longer had the patience to give him another chance. There was still one thing Darius didn''t understand¡ªwhy did Hank suddenly do this to him when they hadn''t even interacted before this? So, he said,¡± You''d better give me an appropriate reason to exin all these things you''ve done to me." Hank was terrified, but he still couldn''t stop himself from holding his head up high. ¡®The whole world knows that you spent the night with my woman, and it''s humiliating me! Isn''t it obvious that I''d be mad?" Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Darius looked at him disdainfully. "Firstly, she''s not your woman. Secondly, what will you do about it even if she is?¡± After that, he flung Hank away and watched as he struggled to get up. He put his hands into his pockets again, his gaze turned contemptuous. "If that''s all you''ve got, I suggest you get on your knees and beg me for forgiveness. I''ll consider pretending as if nothing''s happened. Otherwise, I guarantee that the whole Gillette family will have to pay the price." Hank raised his head, his eyes filled with hatred. It made everyone scared, except for Darius, who didn''t even bat an eye. "I suppose you''ve made your choice. If so, I''ll head to Almiron City as quickly as possible. I''m already looking forward to it.¡± After that, he strolled out of the room at a leisurely pace. Everyone else was left feeling shocked by his calm reaction. Erin was already waiting for him when he walked out of the building. When she saw him, she quickly got out of the car. She circled to the back seat to open the door for him, only getting into the driver''s seat after he was in the car. She didn¡¯t raise her voice, but her rage was apparent as she said, "Mr. Reid, they''ve crossed the line this time. They had absolutely no reason to treat you like that, and I''ll make sure they pay for this! After all, we''ve invested in them." Darius raised an eyebrow. This was news to him, and it was surprising.¡± Why didn¡¯t I know about that?¡± he asked. Erin''s eyes widened. "Sir, you''re the one who signed the documents back then. I was also surprised because I didn''t think investing in such an authority was the right move, especially after you promised your grandfather you''d earn such a huge sum.¡± Darius leaned back, looking grim. "When did you see this document? Who was the one who prepared it? I can guarantee I''ve never seen such a document before, let alone sign it." Erin paled. She turned to look at him, saying tremulously, "Sir, I received that document around the time of the establishment of West Antics International, and it was sent to my email from yours. I didn''t doubt it because your email ount was always highly encrypted, and your digital signature was on it. I even verified it!" As she spoke, she pulled over the car, stopped by the roadside, and reached into her bag to pull her laptop out. She located the document in less than two minutes and then handed herptop to Darius with both hands. He frowned and scrutinized the document seriously. Then, his face became void of all emotion. He was neither angry nor nervous, making Erin''s heart race. She lowered her head and said in a small voice, "Mr. Reid, I wasn''t meticulous enough in my checking. I should''ve done a final confirmation with you upon receiving this document. At the very least, I should¡¯ve called you to check, but I didn''t. I didn''t do any of these things." Darius tapped a finger against the seat, still expressionless. Just as Erin felt like she was going to suffocate, he said, "This has nothing to do with you. They¡¯ve probably had their eye on us since West Antics International was established. I''m curious to know who they are, though. Back then, we were nobodies and didn''t have any money. We shouldn''t have been on anyone''s radar. I have reason to believe that I caught their attention because I¡¯m from the Reid family, but you know very well that I¡¯ve taken measures to keep that knowledge private." The two of them started thinking about the things that had happened in the past. Without them realizing it, a few ck cars circled them. Chapter 188 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 188 By the time Darius realized they''d been circled, the men had already gotten out of the cars, and Hank was in the lead. He had to be held up by people on both sides to stand. There was dried blood on his face, and his eyes were red with fury. This was Erin''s second time encountering something like this, and she wasn¡¯t as nervous as the first time. Her breathing sped up, but she quickly calmed down. She turned to look at Darius. "Mr. Reid, what should we do now?" Darius pressed his fingers to his temple. Hank was the stupidest guy he''d ever met and was a waste of space. So, when he put down his hand and opened his eyes, all one could see was his frosty gaze. Erin knew the frostiness wasn''t directed at her, but she still shuddered. When Darius spoke, it made her tremble even more. He paused and looked at her but quickly averted his gaze. "You only need to do two things right now. Firstly, inform the university that I''ll be gone for a month. Secondly, get me a ticket to Almiron City." Erin started to frown when he said he would be away for a month. She didn''t think it was wise, but she had no right to object. She nodded and pulled her phone out. The people outside the car saw her actions and thought she was calling for backup. They couldn''t just stand by and watch that happen, so they reached out to open the car door. Unfortunately, they failed. Erin let out a yelp at their actions and dropped her phone. Darius could see how nervous she was, so he stretched and opened the door. At the same time, he said, "Don''t worry. They won''t be able to open the doors ore in here. Even if they manage to do that, they won''t be able to harm you." After that, he got out of the car without letting her say anything. She took a deep breath and bent down to pick her phone up when she heard the door shut. She started making the calls. Darius stretched his neck and arms outside the car before he looked at Hank. He said disdainfully, ¡°This is the second time something like this has happened to me in recent times. I didn''t bother keeping things under wraps, so you should''ve already found out what happened." Hank widened his eyes. "What are you talking about?¡± Inparison, Darius didn''t allow his surprise to show. He looked as calm as usual, but he was secretly shocked by how useless Hank was. As the heir to one of thergest corporations in the country, he hadn''t even bothered to do his research before acting. Then again, this was a good thing for Darius. He put his hands in his pockets and looked at Hank again. ¡®Thest person to do this to me is already dead. I''m sure that''s not the result you want, but if you continue like this, I don¡¯t mind helping you attain your wish." Hank gulped and tried to look Darius in the eye. The hatred in his gaze was tant, but he couldn''t help trembling. Darius knew Hank was scared because of what he¡¯d just said, but he didn''t seem to believe him. So, he decided to stick to his original n. He sighed and pulled his sleeve up to reveal his watch. He nced at it and said, "I''m on a tight schedule, so maybe I''ll just give you an idea of who I am right now. We''ll soon see each other again in Almiron City. We might even catch the same flight.¡± Hank''s fear dissipated at his words. He put his hands on his hips and threw his head back inughter. "Are you threatening me? You have no idea how average you look! I can''t bring myself to believe that you can actually do anything to me. Also, your words have just confirmed my suspicion that you''re lying. If you can really show your face in Almiron City, I''ll sweep everything that happened today under the rug." Darius¡¯ gaze was contemptuous. "I always knew that you weren''t too bright, but I never expected you to be this dumb. There¡¯s no guarantee that you''ll be able to return to Almiron City unscathed, but you''re already thinking about what you will do once you get back." He decided not to waste any more time on such an idiot. He raised his hands and tried to summon the warm energy he''d felt in his abdomen. He sensed a bolt of power being released through his palm, and his gut told him that was the energy. Sure enough, he was right. The people standing opposite him were quickly sent flying by the burst of energy. They were lifted off the ground and hurtled away, finallynding on the ground without so much as a sound. Darius looked at his palms. He''d expected the energy to be powerful, but he didn''t know that it would allow him to send someone standing two yards away flying without even taking a single step. Based on his estimations, those people had been flung about ten yards back and were now lying on their backs. They looked half-dead. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. This wasn''t the result he wanted. He didn''t want to injure them that badly, but it didn''t really matter to him. However, he felt that he probably had to refine his energy. It was the only way he could be a more powerful version of himself. Hank gaped at him. He didn''t expect Darius to be this powerful; he couldn''t ept it. In his mind, he and Darius were probably equal regarding their wealth or any other aspect. Even in the detention center, he''d only thought that Darius was slightly stronger than him and that his bodyguards couldn''t fight back because he''d been in Darius¡¯ hands. It had never urred to him that things had turned out the way they had because of how powerful Darius really was. Chapter 189 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 189 Hank was already starting to regret it, but no one was left to protect him except for two bodyguards. So, he grabbed them by the wrists and pushed them forward. ''You two, beat him up! You''re only allowed to stop when he''s on the ground, or I''ll hold you two responsible for this! And if you don''t buy me enough time to escape, I''ll..." He didn''t get to finish his sentence and stood there, mouth agape and eyes wide. Darius had suddenly appeared before him, and he was terrified. As far as he knew, no normal human could move at such a speed. Now, however, he was proven wrong. A scene he''d never even imagined had happened before his very eyes. This was beyond his understanding, and he was fearful. He turned to look at Darius, lips trembling. He stammered out, "W-what are you doing?¡± Obviously, he was terrified, but Darius didn''t intend to let him off the hook. The two bodyguards were dumbstruck. Darius was like a gust of wind. He''d disappeared before their very eyes and reappeared behind them. They felt like they were dreaming, but the screams that Hank was letting out were definitely real. They returned to their senses and whipped around to see a repeat of what had happened at the hospital-Darius had wrapped a hand around Hank''s neck, and Hank was starting to suffocate again. He couldn''t take it and iled around, shouting, ¡°Darius, you''re a martial artist!" Darius didn''t expect him to know about this. He frowned and said, ¡°I was going to let you go so that you could make it back to Almiron City alive, but it looks like that''s not a part of your n." Hank''s brain was already fogging up because of theck of oxygen, and after Darius spoke, he could feel his oxygen supply depleting faster than before. And this time, the paining from his neck was more intense. He opened his eyes to re daggers at Darius, but he was so scared that he started to cry instead. Darius couldn''t stand his tears and started to frown. He was about to reprimand Hank when he felt a gust of winding from behind him. It made him lose his bnce, and he knew it wasn''t a normal gust of wind. It hade from another martial artist. However, he still didn¡¯t let go of Hank. On the contrary, he kept a hand around his neck and turned around as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, his n failed. The gust of wind didn''tnd on Hank. Instead, it billowed past them and mmed onto the ground, turning the tar into pebbles. Darius stood with one hand behind his back while maintaining his grip on Hank''s neck. He could sense that this was out of the other martial artist''s expectations, which meant that he was hesitating. The other martial artist didn''t know what to do next, and this told Darius that he was there to protect Hank. Everything he''d done was to save Hank from harm. As Darius thought about how he would converse with the other martial artist, thetter spoke. ¡®You''re powerful, but if we were to get into a fight, we''d both be gravely injured. You won''t benefit from this." Darius didn''t move. He was still holding onto Hank¡¯s neck. The martial artist had been practicing martial arts for many years, and he couldn''t stand it when people ignored him like this. It''d been a long time since he''dst experienced this, so he made an appearance. And with it came a stronger gust of wind. Darius still managed to dodge it. After all, he was an awakened martial artist who was more powerful than most other martial artists. However, he was infuriated by the martial artist''s actions. He looked at a hole that the wind had torn on his clothes and the reddening skin underneath it, and his gaze turned frosty. When he looked up, Hank suddenly felt like he wouldn''t make it past this day. All of his arrogance disappeared, and all that was left was terror. He opened his mouth to beg for mercy, but before he could say anything, he heard the crisp sound of a bone breaking and knew it was his. His head drooped, and that was the end of him. Darius threw him onto the ground, exercised his arm a little, and took his jacket off to wipe his hand. Then, he threw the jacket onto the ground, looking disgusted. He took a deep breath and said, "This isn¡¯t the result I wanted, but I changed my mind when you showed up." Silence descended upon them. The martial artist hade here to protect Hank, but he didn¡¯t expect his presence to lead to his death instead. He didn''t know how to exin this to the Gillette family, although he didn''t need to. He walked out from behind the car and stood before Darius with his hands behind his back. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. "You should know that your actions will seriously damage my reputation and make me lose a lot of business, which will lead to me being unable to earn money. That''s going to make me really mad." Dariusughed. ¡®You''re not as badass as you think, so your threat means nothing to me." He looked at the martial artist, his eyes obviously belying his desire to spar with him. He¡¯d been training every day for some time but hadn''t shown much improvement. He''d tried to measure the improvement he''d made recently, but it was nothingpared to the improvement he''d shown during that fight with the martial artist in ck. He¡¯d been searching for another martial artist to fight but to no avail. Now that there was one before him, he didn¡¯t want to let the opportunity slip, even if the martial artist wasn¡¯t a willing participant. So, he reached out and controlled the energy, making it shoot out from his palms. Chapter 190 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 190 This was Darius'' first time actually harnessing this energy and trying to make it reach someone''s exact location. Naturally, he failed, and the energynded on the car next to the martial artist, making it explode. Once again, the tar was blown to smithereens. There was a sh of panic in the martial artist¡¯s eyes, but it quickly disappeared. His gaze turned disdainful as he looked at Darius. ¡®Your energy''s powerful, but the fact that you can''t control it means it''s basically useless to you." As he spoke, his body seemed to waver. Darius sensed the martial artist appearing before him, but something weird happened in the process-he could clearly see every single action the martial artist made, including how he came over. Another thing that surprised him was that everything around him seemed to happen in slow motion when the energy flowed through him. This idental discovery was a good one, and it made him smile uncontrobly. The martial artist thought he was mocking him and scowled. Soon, however, he pushed this thought out of his mind because he sensed Darius attacking him again. He''d thrown a huge portion of his power behind it this time. He believed this to be the remainder of his strength. If it wasn¡¯t... that was a scary thought. Then, he found that he didn''t have the chance to verify this because there was no way he could stop Darius¡¯ attack from causing him harm. He spat out a mouthful of blood. Darius put his hands behind his back after his attack, not expecting this to happen. He''d only used a small portion of his power, but it had already sent the martial artist flying. He shook his head and sighed. "I thought you were powerful, but it seems that we were both mistaken about your true capabilities. You''re nothing special, really.¡± It had been years since the martial artist hadst received such feedback. However, he couldn¡¯t deny it, and his face turned blotchy with embarrassment. He got to his feet, not saying a word as he looked at Darius. Then, he turned and ran. He was already moving as quickly as possible, but he was still no match for Darius. The moment he started to move, Darius had already caught him and knew what he was going to do. So, Darius moved just as the martial artist did. He ran to block the martial artist, stopping him from going elsewhere. The martial artist skidded to a stop when he saw Darius standing in his way. Of course, it wasn''t as if he had a choice. He squatted and pressed his head to his knees, saying tremulously, "I''ve lost, and I want to leave now." "Do you think you have a choice here?" Darius asked coldly. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. The martial artist trembled, unable to ept this. He looked at Darius and said, "If you''re willing to let me go, I''ll owe you one. You can bring up any condition you have, and I''ll do everything to satisfy you." Darius sneered and slowly stretched out his arms. The moment he moved, the martial artist felt uneasy. He knew that he was no match for Darius, and Darius¡¯ actions signaled his impending doom. He wanted to flee, but he wasn¡¯t capable of that and could only watch as Darius'' hands approached him. In ast-ditch effort, he reached out to block the attack. To his surprise, he found that he¡¯d seeded. He looked up at Darius in confusion. "Why are you doing this?" Darius didn''t answer him, merely speeding up his actions. The martial artist felt like countless Dariuses had appeared before him, and his hands were constantly moving. He''d been practicing martial arts for many years now, and Darius was the fastest person he''d ever seen. He was terrified, and it was because of this terror that he kept trying to flee. Darius wouldn''t allow him to, of course. He wanted to use this battle to improve his skills. Halfway through the battle, he heard the martial artist''s phone ring, as did the martial artist. Unfortunately for him, the call distracted him, and he could not dodge an attack that he would''ve managed to dodge any other time. This was out of Darius¡¯ expectations as well, and his attacknded on the martial artist''s chest. The blow wasn''t one that an unprotected heart could handle, and it exploded. Darius had not hoped for this to happen, and he felt frustrated. He looked at the martial artist, who nowy on the ground with his eyes wide with surprise. He sighed and shook his head, then leaned down to pick up the martial artist''s phone to see who was on the line. Who was this person who''d ruined his ns? When he saw the number on the screen and saw that it was calling from Almiron City, he could guess who it was. The moment he answered the phone, the person on the other end of the line bellowed, ¡°What''s happened to my son, you useless piece of trash?" Darius had never heard this voice before, but he already knew who it belonged to. "Wilson Gillette, I think we''ll see each other soon." After that, he hung up without waiting for a response. Then, he put the phone into his pocket. There were many bodyguards lying on the ground, but under the circumstances, they all chose to do the same thing-y dead. As Darius walked past them, he could sense their breathing speed up, but he didn''t say anything. They weren''t all innocent, but without Hank around, they wouldn''t likely continue to do evil deeds. There was no need to get rid of them. Anyway, he didn''t have the time for that. When he got to the car, Erin had already hurriedly opened the door. He got into the passenger seat and massaged his arm to make the blood flow and reduce the fatigue from his earlier activities. Chapter 191 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 191 As he stretched, he asked, "Have you taken care of everything?" Erin looked awkward as she shook her head. "I''m sorry about this, but the university refused to approve your leave because they said that you may not even be one of their students anymore." Her words made him realize what was going on. After a moment of thought, he nodded and said, "Take me to the university now. I think I need to discuss with the dean whether I''m still one of Kingston University¡¯s students." Erin had never doubted him, so she drove to the university. When they arrived, the sky had yet to darken, and the students still had ss. Darius headed straight for the dean''s office and knocked on the door. Soon, an aged voice said, "Come in." Darius walked in and met the dean''s eyes, clearly seeing the shock there. He didn''t expect to see this in the dean''s eyes, which made him suspicious. It was true that his sudden appearance was a surprise, but the dean''s reaction was still unexpected. He asked, "Dean Fletcher, you seem surprised to see me. Am I not supposed to be here?¡± The dean, Leon Fletcher, had already regained hisposure. He stood up and said sternly, "No, you''re not. Darius Reid, you''ve already been expelled. I don¡¯t know what you''re still doing here.¡± His tone was firm as he continued, "I know youe from an affluent family, but Kingston University won''t condone your actions." Darius sighed. "Your logic sounds infallible, but it''s really not. It¡¯s built on a lie.¡± Leon looked at the clock. ¡°It''s almost time for me to get off work, so you cane again tomorrow if you have anything to say.¡± He turned hisputer off and put his pen away before grabbing his coat and leaving the office. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. However, Darius stopped him as he got to the door. He turned to re at Darius. "Your actions are enough for me to get the security guards to kick you out." Darius shrugged. "If you think you''re capable of that, go ahead and do it. I can¡¯t guarantee what''ll happen after that, though." Leon knew Darius was threatening him, but he didn¡¯t seem to have any other choice. He''d heard about what had happened recently, and he knew he wouldn¡¯t have any way to deal with the consequences. Therefore, even though he felt like he was being humiliated, he still turned to look at Darius and said, "Perhaps you can let me know what exactly you want." "Nothing, really.¡± Darius was calm. "I just want to let you know that my expulsion was based on something that was unverified, so it shouldn''t havee into effect. If you choose to go ahead with this, I can always report this to the federation.¡± Leon pushed his sses up, looking angrier than before. "I think the truth is obvious! The authorities brought you away and locked you up! I don''t know why you''re here, but as the dean of Kingston University, I have to do something about this. I''ll make sure to bear the responsibility for my actions.¡± Darius¡¯ face was void of emotion. He didn''t think he needed to waste his energy on a person he wouldn''t see in the future. Leon didn''t know Darius¡¯ intentions. He was just mad because of Darius¡¯ reaction. So, he didn¡¯t consider his future at all. He said, "You can choose to stay here, and so will I. I''ve already contacted the authorities, and they''ll be here soon. You''ll be paying the price for your mistakes in no time.¡± Darius¡¯ lips curved into a frosty smile. "May I know what evidence you''ve collected to prove that I''ve reallymitted giarism, Dean Fletcher?" A trace of fear shed across Leon''s face, but it quickly disappeared. He said, "Professor Plinksy¡¯s the one who reported you, and I trust him unconditionally. As a professor, he must have verified this matter before making such a decision. Moreover, the fact that the authorities locked you up is proof enough!" Darius¡¯ smile grew, both in size and frostiness. "I''m surprised that someone told you about this beforehand.¡± Leon¡¯s resolute expression faltered. Darius'' words made sense-he wasn¡¯t supposed to know a thing about this matter before the court came to a decision. However, not only did he know about it, but he''d also brought it up to Darius¡¯ face. Darius¡¯ gaze was sharp. "It seems that you found out about this before Professor Plinsky did, Dean Fletcher. Professor Plinsky did nothing of the sort, which is why the authorities easily caught him. Now, he''s the one locked up in the detention center. And based on what he told them, he didn''t have any time to tell you about this." He didn''t continue. "You''re still suspected ofmitting giarism, and no one told me about that. Based on that alone, you have no right to stay on as a student of Kingston University." Darius wanted to spit in the face of his nonsense. "So, all I need to do is prove that my dissertation is an original work and that I didn¡¯tmit giarism?" His eyes were already filled with rage. Leon could sense this, but he couldn''t care less how Darius felt. Though he had lost this battle, he would win the war. He nodded and said, "Yes, exactly. The onus is on you to prove that you''re innocent." Chapter 192 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 192 After saying that, he looked like he was excited for the show to start. What Darius did next surprised him-he turned theputer on, looked for a dissertation Leon had written, pulled it up, and showed it to him. He said seriously, "I once read a dissertation that''s very simr to yours, and it was published three years ago. Dean Fletcher, I''d like you to prove that you wrote this dissertation independently and didn¡¯t copy someone else''s work." As he spoke, he pulled his phone out. "I hope that you''ll be able to give me a reasonable exnation. Otherwise, I''ll have grounds to suspect that youmitted giarism, and I''ll report you to the authorities.¡± Leon had imagined plenty of different ways Darius would react, but this definitely wasn¡¯t one of them. He took a deep breath and red at Darius, saying, "Are you sure that''s what you want to do? You¡¯re crossing the line here." Darius nodded. "We used the same methods, didn''t we? Why are you mad? Also, you don¡¯t have any way to prove your innocence, do you?" Leon retorted, ¡°Writing a dissertation isn''t an easy feat, and it''s normal for there to be repeated information-mine doesn''t have a lot of that. Moreover, if I can¡¯t prove my innocence, can you?" Darius looked pleased. "I know that people like you have plenty of dirty little secrets, which is why you''ll never have surveince cameras installed in your study. Mine does, though, and it can clearly show the words on my monitor or the data that I referred to." Leon''s jaw dropped. Never would he have expected there to be such a plot twist. Soon, however, he regained hisposure. "If you really had a way to prove your innocence, Professor Plinsky wouldn¡¯t have had you taken away. Also, I believe he must''ve spoken to you privately before publicly exposing your wrongdoings. Even if you refuse to admit it, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that it happened.¡± Darius rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you can keep telling yourself that. Look, just stop beating around the bush and say that the mastermind has already told you to expel me no matter what." Leon¡¯s expression changed instantly. He knew that Darius was clever and wasn¡¯t sure whether he''d slip up in front of him. So, after a short moment of hesitation, he nodded. "Yes, you''re right. Someone did tell me not to allow you to stay on at Kingston University, and he paid an astronomical sum. I couldn''t resist the money, so I agreed to do it." He stood up, his expression going from one of anger and disdain to pleading. "The money is important to me. I know your family is wealthy, and money isn''t an issue for you. Also, you''re the sole heir to your family''s fortune. That will not change even if you leave Kingston University without a degree. You''ll still live a cushy life, but I won''t." After that, he looked at Darius, trying to gauge his reaction. Unfortunately, Darius didn''t even blink an eye. Leon knew that he had no other choice. He had to make Darius pity him and give up on the idea of continuing to study at Kingston University. ¡°Darius, I know you''re a kind person..." Before he could continue, he saw Darius¡¯ hand close to his mouth. He immediately shouted, "What are you doing?¡± Darius put his hand down and said calmly, "I just wanted you to keep quiet and listen to me." N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Leon had never been treated like this before, but he knew he didn¡¯t have the right to say no. He stood still and shut his mouth, but he still felt mad. His rage reached its peak when he saw what Darius did next. Darius nodded, looking satisfied. ¡°Earlier, when you demanded I prove my innocence, I already told my secretaries about my suspicions, and they''ve already gone through all of your dissertations. Sure enough, they found something." He held his phone up and showed Leon the titles of four papers, making Leon''s eyes bulge. "What will it take for you to pretend none of this happened?" He red at Darius and forced out through gritted teeth. Obviously, his blood was boiling, but Darius ignored him. He shook his head and opened his mouth to answer Leon, but he was interrupted by someone knocking on the door. Pearl''s voice rang out. "Dean Fletcher, I think I have important information for you regarding Darius¡¯ case.¡± Darius didn''t expect her to show up at this moment. He looked at Leon, and Leon knew that he was allowed to handle this. He nodded, wanting to see what sort of information she had. If she were to provide falsified evidence, he could use it to eliminate both her and Darius. This would send everyone the message that he wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled with. With this thought in mind, he said, "Come in.¡± Pearl walked in and was shocked to see Darius there. However, she quickly returned to her senses and hurried to him before holding his hand. "What are you doing here? Were you sent here because you got into some conflict with the authorities?¡± Darius could see the concern on her face. Chapter 193 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 193 It was because of her concern that he showed no displeasure. On the contrary, he smiled and said patiently, "No, I''m here and not at the detention center because I¡¯ve already proved my innocence." Pearl let out a sigh of relief and patted her chest lightly. She smiled and said, ¡°If I''d known, I wouldn¡¯t havee here. I was worried that you''d be in danger if you couldn''t prove your innocence, so I came here to help you out. At the very least, I could ensure you''d still be a student here.¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Darius was moved by her words and curious to know what else she was up to. So, he shrugged and said, "You showed up in the right time. Dean Fletcher doesn''t believe the authorities¡¯ decision, nor does he believe what I told him. He doesn¡¯t want me to continue studying here." Pearl''s eyes widened in disbelief. "That''s ridiculous!" She turned to Leon and said, "Dean Fletcher, I''m sure there must be a misunderstanding. Maybe we can solve things if you let us know your concerns.¡± Before Darius could say anything, Leonughed. "Everyone knows about what''s happened to the Chambein Group. That puts you firmly on Darius¡¯ side, so it would only make sense for your so- called evidence to favor him." He leaned back in his chair, looking smug. This was Pearl''s first time seeing him like this. Her mind went nk, and she turned to look at Darius awkwardly. "What happened? I''ve spoken to Dean Fletcher before, and he wasn¡¯t like this back then.¡± Darius put a hand into his pocket and pulled his phone out. "I recorded it if you want to have a listen." Despite his words, he yed the recording without giving Leon and Pearl time to consider. Leon''s voice rang out, saying, "Someone did tell me not to allow you to stay on at Kingston University, and he paid an awful lot of money.¡± Darius paused the recording here and turned to look at Pearl. "I think this is enough for you to understand what''s going on.¡± Pearl was dumbstruck. She wanted to say something, but they suddenly heard the sound of footsteps approaching the office. Along with it came a man''s angry shouts. "Isn''t Kingston University supposed to be an excellent school? That doesn''t seem to be the case! I''ve already been here twice today to take two people away. Now, I''m here for the third time!" ¡®Tell me about it. In fact, the student was framed. Apparently, someone was jealous of him for being so outstanding and decided to nder him." Pearl gaped. She couldn''t ept that her dean was such a person, but it seemed she didn''t have any other choice. When Darius heard the noise in the corridor, he put his hand back into his pocket and looked at said baldly, "You¡¯re going to be taken away soon. If you have any requests, now''s the time to let me know, and I''ll consider satisfying you." Leon looked mockingly. ¡®There''s no need to be so pretentious. I''m sure this is exactly what you want to see." Darius raised an eyebrow, but he didn''t say a word. To him, there was nothing else to say. Leon was set on his path and wouldn''t listen to him. Anyway, judging from Leon''s choices, there was no need for him to say anything. The officials had probably lost their patience aftering to Kingston University multiple times on the same day. They kicked the door open unceremoniously. Darius turned to look at them. He didn¡¯t say anything when he saw that Donny wasn''t around, merely nodding at them. "Hello. I''m the one who called you." The official in the lead nced at him and nodded. "You should know what you need to prepare, then." "It''s ready.¡± Darius pulled his phone out. "He clearly intended to frame me, and I''ve recorded it on my phone.¡± The official looked slightly appeased. ¡®That''s great. We won''t have to go through unnecessary trouble, then.¡± Then, he looked at Leon. "Dean Fletcher, you muste with us, regardless of the truth." Obviously, Leon hadn''t expected Darius to really do this. His eyes widened, and he bellowed, "No, I can''t go with you! I''m the dean of Kingston University, and you have no evidence to prove that I did anything wrong! You can''t lock me up in the detention center!" The official didn¡¯t expect him to resist capture. His expression turned steely, and he said, "I have very little time to do a lot of things, and I''ve already wasted too much time because of Kingston University. It''d do you good to cooperate ande with me.¡± "Darius must''ve bribed you!" Leon raised his voice. "You were so friendly with him but not with me. Moreover, you have nothing to verify the authenticity of his so-called evidence, so you have no right to take me away." The official saw the fear on his face and sighed. "I find it hard to believe the dean of Kingston University said something like that. Your actions are a disgrace to the university." This hurt Leon. He copsed onto his chair, looking dazed. The official''s anger dissipated when he saw Leon stop resisting. He held out an arm and gestured for Leon to go with him. "No matter what the truth is, you and the person who reported you have toe with us." Chapter 194 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 194 Darius raised his arm, pulled back his sleeve to look at his watch, then ced his hands on the table. "You''ll have loads of free time in the future, Dean Fletcher, while I''ll be busier. If you want an easier time at the detention center, I suggest you stand and speed this whole process up.¡± Leon¡¯s eyes narrowed the slits at Darius. "You''re too arrogant, Darius Reid! Sooner orter, you''ll pay for it!" Darius did not respond to that. His expression remained nk as he put his hands in his pockets, turned toward the official, and said, "I think we should go now.¡± "I agree," replied the official in a neutral tone. Subsequently, Darius exited the space with the group of officials in tow. Pearl never imagined she would witness such a scene. Her jaw dropped, and she did not know how to respond. That continued until Darius stepped outside the dean''s office. Only then did Pearl finally soeak. "Darius, I think I should go with you because I can prove that you wrote your dissertation. Plus, I also witnessed half of what happened to you with Dean Fletcher.¡± Darius¡¯ lips curved before he shook his head. "No, that''s not an appropriate ce for a girl like you. Besides, I can handle these things alone. It won''t take too long, nor will I endanger myself." That was not the oue Pearl hoped for, but she knew she had no Say in the matter. All she could do was stand at the door of the dean''s office and watch him leave. It was not long before Darius arrived at the detention center again. He had just left this ce in the morning. Never did he think he would returnter in the day. On top of that, he never would have guessed his n would be so sessful. "The person controlling all of this is likely at Almiron City now,¡± Darius thought with a frosty re. ¡°How I wish I could be right in front of Gillette Group''s doors now. But that''s impossible because I haven''t gotten a leave of absence yet. Honestly, I have no clue who I should ask for approval..." He eventually got to the interrogation room and submitted all of his evidence to the officials. The officials there were people he had never met before, which meant they would judge things impartially. They epted Darius¡¯ evidence and informed him, "Donny will be likely to be punished for what he did. We hope you can speak up for him on the matter.¡± "Did your boss discover the things that Donny did for me?¡± Darius arched a brow, shing a look of disbelief. The officials shook their heads, and one replied, "No, that''s not the case. Donny came clean about everything to our chief. While we don''t think he did anything wrong, but still he broke the rules and had to be punished ordingly." Darius nodded before voicing his thoughts. "He was trying to help me. I won''t let him get punished for it. If the rules insist on holding someone ountable, I''ll bear that responsibility.¡± Hearing that, the officials nodded happily; Darius had done way more than they had hoped he would. "So, where do I go now?¡± Darius could not help asking after seeing them smile without giving him more information. Only then did the group snap to their senses. One of them gazed warmly at Darius and said, ¡°I think-l can take you to him." "That''s great!" Darius nodded, indicating he was grateful. Following that, the official walked ahead, guiding Darius. They soon arrived before a ck door that stood out from the others. The official could tell Darius was confused, so he exined to thetter," This room is specially prepared for officials who make severe mistakes. When that happens, the person gets detained until they realize their wrongdoings." Darius then recalled the room in this exact location on the floor above and frowned. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. "There aren''t any windows in this room," he stated with a voice full of certainty, shocking the official. The official eventuallyposed himself and replied, "Indeed. There are no windows or lights. You can''t even get food or water when detained in this room." Darius could ept the first two things, but thest bit went against his beliefs. Thus, he urged through gritted teeth, "I need to discuss Donny''s situation with your chief now." While the two were chatting at the door, a crashing sound came from inside the room-it was Donny. He had overheard their conversation. Panicked, he rushed to the door and threw his body against it, causing a loud boom. He yelled at the top of his lungs, "This matter has nothing to do with both of you! Please don''t speak up for me! The punishment I''m epting now is a result of my actions. I didn''t receive any unfair treatment or injustice.¡± Darius looked at the official beside him. Thetter shrugged before raising both hands, indicating he could not do anything about the situation. He then exined, "That''s how Donny is. Every one knows what happened to you, Mr. Reid, so everyone feels what Donny did is eptable. He didn''t need toe clean about it to our chief. However, he thinks differently from us. Donny admitted to everything and ended up in this state. Our chief was furious. He said Donny had to stay here for three days without food or water. But everyone''s worried that he can¡¯t survive it." Suddenly, the door rumbled again, and Donny yelled from the other side. He spoke fast, so it was challenging to make sense of his words. However, Darius could tell Donny did not want the former to interfere or speak up. A moment passed as Darius hesitated, he ultimately felt it was wrong to ept Donny''s opinions on the situation. Hence, he locked eyes with the official. "I need you to take me to your chief now. We muste up with a good way to resolve this.¡± The official gave a big thumbs up to Darius, praising him, "Donny made the right choice in helping you. You''re worth his efforts." Chapter 195 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 195 Darius and the official were no longer within Donny''s hearing range. Thetter, also Donny''s friend, kept silent the entire time. It waster when Darius decided to speak up. ¡°Are you worried Donny got detained because your chief has something to do with the mastermind behind my situation?¡± The official generously expressed their admiration for Darius, praising him,¡± You''re the top student at Kingston University, who''s genuinely exceptional and intelligent. That''s exactly how I feel. ording to our rules, Donny shouldn''t even get detained, at least not until the case closes. Moreover, he shouldn''t have received such a harsh punishment.¡± "It''s okay." Darius was calm as he exined, "No matter what horrible things they do. I''ll deal with the root of what made this happen once Donny''s matter gets resolved." The official''s eyes widened. Yet, it did notst as he immediately collected himself. "I can''t do much to aid you with that. All I can do is hope for your sess and pray for things to pass.¡± "That''s more than enough." After that, the two no longer spoke on their journey to the chief''s office. At that point, Darius had already made long-term ns for his uing journey to Almiron City. His patience was wearing out, so once he confirmed the chief was inside the office, he immediately opened the door to enter. Surprisingly, the chief did not feel offended by Darius'' unreasonable actions. His features were neutral as he calmly stated, "This is Philips Splinter''s office. May I know who you are and why you''vee to see me? Then again, I think you should know this before you soeak¡ªlf you don¡¯t have a valid reason for being here, I''ll lock you in our detention center''s cells, where you''ll stay for up to four years.¡± Theer of Darius¡¯ lips twisted into a sneer. "Then you won''t receive any pay because I¡¯m Darius Reid, the chairman of West Antics Int''l.¡± That caused Philips¡¯ countenance to shift. He could tell when the young man entered his office that thetter was Darius Reid. Likewise, he knew there were only a few reasons why Darius would show up here; either for academic fraud or to seek help in evading punishment for the former. Philips assumed that was an entirely different case from Donny, who had gotten detained for breaking the rules. He only recalled hearing the name of West Antics In. It¡¯s chairman during Donny''s detainment. Now, when Darius brought up the matter, Philips realized that Darius was also the chairman of West Antics Int''l. Not only that, but Darius¡¯ first sentence earlier made it crystal clear that Darius was not someone Philips could offend. Thus, it was unwise for thetter to do anything to Donny. Philips sighed deeply but steadied himself in no time. He then looked at the official that tagged along with Darius. "You can release Donny Garcia now. He made an excellent decision, so I''ll reward him with a bonus."Original content from N?velDrama.Org. The official beamed before turning to execute the order. The speedy thuds of his footsteps indicated how happy he felt with that oue. Nevertheless, Darius¡¯ focus was on something else. He boldly met Philips'' gaze. "I did a simple investigation on you beforeing here. You''re an exceptional official with firm principles, so I don¡¯t know what led you to make such a decision." Philips¡¯ brows drew close while his lips parted slightly upon hearing that statement from Darius. Yet, it was not long before his countenance returned to normal. ¡°I know you''ve figured out what I''ve done, including my dealings with others. That''s why I don''t intend to hide my motivations from you-l did it for the sake of my subordinates. You may be remarkable, but you''re still just a student with a wealthy and influential family background. You''d never understand my struggles." While speaking, Philips clicked some files rting to the matter on hisputer and showed them to Darius. He continued, "I wasn''t acting out of my own will throughout the situation. Still, I hope you understand this is the only choice I''m left with until you deal with those guys. I have to do it even if I feel guilty.¡± Darius nced at Philips before looking at the screen filled with documents. It turned out that they contained unimaginable information, including nearly every vile thing the Gillette family forced Philips to do. Confusion swirled in Darius¡¯ eyes. Although he did not speak, Philips immediately understood and smiled while nodding. "I''ve been waiting for victims of injustice to fight for their rights by filing appeals against the country''s decision. If those victins get a second chance, I intend to use various methods to submit the evidence to the court.¡± Darius had sat down, leaning his back against the chair. He did not know if he could trust Philips, even though he had no choice at that instant. Philips noticed Darius¡¯ internal conflict. He, too, leaned against his chair and motioned at Darius. "Donny being in detainment is the best option for him now. But don¡¯t worry, I won''t actually let him suffer from starvation and thirst. He''ll have decent living conditions in the detainment room. Most importantly, that''s the only ce where he''ll be safe." 1 Darius¡¯ eyes met Philips, staring thetter down. Only after confirming Philips was not lying did Darius stand with his hands folded behind his back. "It''s in your best interest to think that way. While I don''t need the world to be on the same page as me, I would still hope that no one would stand against me. Because that would mean the person opposing me isn''t a good person.¡± Darius spoke with the utmost seriousness before promptly turning to leave. Meanwhile, Philips did not expect the former to make such a hasty decision. He shot to his feet and asked, "Where are you off to now?" Darius halted. The question prompted him to turn so that he was facing Philips again. "I have ns to go to Almiron City and deal with the mastermind behind all of this. But before I leave, I must apply for a leave of absence from my university. However, Dean Fletcher refused to admit that I''m a student at Kingston University, so I''ll need to find someone who can tackle this issue." After saying that, Darius turned and bolted out the door without saying another word. Philips was left alone in the office. He slumped in his seat, contemting things. He was unsure why Darius had told him that, nor did he know what he should do. After pondering momentarily, he lifted the telephone handset while dialing Kingston University¡¯s student affairs office. Chapter 196 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 196 Darius arrived at the university gates and saw almost all of his lecturers standing there. He tensed, confused by that sight. However, he quickly snapped to his senses, approaching a lecturer who had taught one of his sses. "Professor Brown, because Professor Plinsky and Dean Fletcher are both dealing with some troubles, I don''t know who to ask regarding my request for a month''s leave.¡± Professor Brown was aware of everything that had transpired. Thus, he felt pity for Darius and was quick to nod. "I already know about your request and am giving you my approval." Darius did not expect things to go so smoothly. Nevertheless, he reached out to shake hands with Professor Brown, hoping to express his gratitude. After the handshake, Darius left the scene with lightning speed as he could not wait to be at Almiron City. Erin had sessfully booked flight tickets to Almiron City by the time Darius joined her in the car. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the airport since we already have the tickets,¡± said Darius, whose tone indicated his satisfaction. Erin''s eyes rounded as she drove slower and asked, "Shouldn''t we wait for those two bodyguards of yours? The ones from your grandfather?¡± ¡°Edward and Bridget?" A frown marred Darius¡¯ face. He had almost forgotten about the two before Erin brought them up. Curiously, he asked,¡± I haven''t seen those two since returning from the state. When did they tell you about wanting to go to Almiron City?" Erin shrugged before fishing for her phone. Then, she raised it toward Darius with a series of text messages on the screen. ¡®This text is from Mr. Bruce, and I think what he wrote makes sense.¡± Darius epted the phone, curiosity shing on his face. He read through the following text: "Miss Erin, I saw you booked a flight to Almiron City for Mr. Reid. I don''t think what you''re doing is right. However, since you¡¯re Mr. Reid''s most trusted aide and secretary, I''m in no position to criticize you. Still, I believe it''s essential to take Mr. Reid''s bodyguards along to Almiron City.¡± Darius¡¯ lips pursed with discontent upon reading that. "Bruce ims he won''t interfere, but it''s clear he¡¯s done a lot." Erin could sense his anger, but she did not feel Bruce''s actions alone could cause that. After pondering for some time, sheforted, "Mr. Reid, although Mr. Bruce can immediately find out about anything that anyone does in our country, I''m sure he just couldn''t get the information of those people at the time.¡± "Yourforting words are effective," said Darius with a softened look. "I feel much better.¡± He then sighed and crossed one leg over his other. "So, when will those two bodyguards arrive at the airport? I don¡¯t want to waste a second of my time because of them.¡± Erin could tell he was serious. She drove with one hand, parking the car on the roadside while typing and simultaneously reading a message on her phone. "Mr. Bruce, thank you for the advice. Your suggestion is indeed practical. However, I don''t know how to get Edward and Bridget to arrive at the airport on time. I doubt Mr. Reid would wait for them.¡± A notification rang out to indicate the message had gone through. Immediately after, another chime sounded. "Is that Bruce''s reply?" Darius asked. He felt it was unlikely that Bruce had read and replied to Erin''s message in such a short time. At the same time, he felt the message could only be from Bruce. While he was deciding between the two possibilities, Erin spoke. "It''s from Mr. Bruce. He says the bodyguards are already awaiting us at the airport. They''ve also purchased tickets for the seats next to ours." Darius could tell this was his grandfather''s doing, so he did not dwell on the matter any longer. ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± He nodded. Darius ended up seeing the bodyguards sooner than he thought. Their car did not even make it into the parking lot. Instead, they got stalled by a crowd at the airport¡¯s gates. Many onlookers had gathered to watch themotion. Darius heard a middle-aged woman ¡¯s voice from among them. She thundered, "You two have the words ''scumbag'' printed on your foreheads! Anyone can tell there''s something inappropriate going on between you guys. Why else would you show up at the airport instead of your assigned work units? My daughter has been courting you for such a long time! Instead of making it clear that you weren''t interested in her, you kept in contact! Yet, you show up with another woman at the airport?" The noise made Darius¡¯ brows pinch. ¡°Park along the road. We''ll walk from here," he instructed, knowing the crowd would not dissipate. Erin did as told. Just as they got out of the car, they heard two familiar voices from the crowd. The first sounded like a man who said, "You¡¯ve misunderstood, but please let us through because our chairman will arrive soon. If his safety getspromised, I swear I¡¯ll do everything to make your life a living hell! You won''t have a moment of peace!¡± That further angered the middle-aged woman as she raised her voice, "If so, you should be by your chairman¡¯s side now. Yet, you''re not! Not to mention, your entire outfit, down to your watch, looks cheap. You''re evidently a poor person. How could you ever serve a chairman!¡± "Mr. Reid." Erin raised a brow in confusion, adding, ¡®That man¡¯s voice sounds familiar. I wonder if the ¡®chairman¡¯ he''s talking about is you.¡± ¡°Your suspicion is correct. The man speaking is Edward.¡± Darius nodded. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. With a sigh, he shoved past the crowd toward a man and woman who stood alongside each other. The two were attractive people, so standing beside each other only amplified their good looks. That was why others easily misunderstood the two for being a couple. Darius wanted to go over and put an end to the matter at once. However, Erin¡¯s confused tone suddenly rang out. ¡®That''s odd. From what I remember, all of Reid Consortium''s bodyguards aren''t allowed to be in romantic rtionships or marriages.¡± Chapter 197 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 197 Darius halted upon hearing those words. He asked, "How long before our flight''s boarding time?" Erin nced at her watch before her features slightly softened. "We still have three hours to get our boarding passes." "It looks like we have plenty of time to resolve this issue," replied a sighing Darius. He no longer tried to intervene at that point. Instead, Darius found a quiet corner at the airport with a clear view of themotion. There, he sat down and got himself a cup of coffee. Erin sat beside him with a perplexed expression. "Mr. Reid, why aren¡¯t we going over to help them?" Amusedughter bubbled from Darius just then. "I believe this is something they, as bodyguards, should know to resolve." Not understanding Darius¡¯ intention, Erin kept quiet. She remained beside him and watched as he drank his coffee. Meanwhile, themotion downstairs intensified. The middle-aged woman grew more agitated, baring her teeth. "Edward, my daughter has never done anything behind your back! Why would you choose to be with this woman? Not only is she shorter than my daughter, but she¡¯s uglier too! She''s not even half as rich as my daughter." Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. She paused for a breath before resuming, ¡°Also, I hope you know my husband is a professor at a university. He¡¯s from the Brown family. I''m sure you know that family is renowned for producing many famous professors. Thus, my family isn''t just wealthy-we''re intelligent too! Not to mention that our wealth has been umted over many generations! If you date my daughter, you won''t have to do your lowly job anymore. We''ll provide for you on the condition that you and your child take the Brown family name. All of this is highly beneficial to you. You''re young and full of pride, so you might not like my offer. But I insist that you ept it. Otherwise, I guarantee you''ll regret saying no in the near future." Edward seemed unbothered this entire time. Only when he heard those words did his nk expression shift. He scoffed while scrunching his nose. "I¡¯ve never been interested in your daughter. She¡¯s the one who keeps pursuing me, invading my time and personal space. Now, you''re even publicly getting in the way of my work? It¡¯s uneptable. Consider this my final, patient warning to you-please leave. If my chairman arrives and gets upset with your behavior, I''ll make you pay dearly.¡± Hearing that, the middle-aged woman guffawed. ¡°Your chairman must be poor to hire a bodyguard like you. I can¡¯t wait to see him and m some spare change in his face so he''ll know his lowly ce. The same goes for you." Bridget, who stood aside, could not suppress her rage any longer. She balled her fists and retorted explosively, "I''ve had enough of you!" She then pulled up her sleeves, snarling, "I''m going to make things clear to you today! You''ll get a punch for every insult you made toward our chairman!" On the floor above, Darius had been keenly watching the drama unfold. An approving grin curled on his face. Although Erin did not detect any trace of anger from him all this while, she still heaved a sigh of relief wnen she saw his smile. "Mr. Reid, that woman seems off to me. Why does she keep bringing you up when arguing with the bodyguards?" Darius remained in his seat without reacting too much, but when he heard Erin''s words, he nodded and shot a sharp gaze at thetter. "Indeed. I thought the same. So, don''t you think those two bodyguards would realize it too?" Erin froze. "Mr. Reid, do you mean... those two aren''t good people?" ¡°No.¡± Darius shook his head, then looked down as he ced his phone into his pocket. "I believe my grandfather thinks I''ve been too discreet these days. Perhaps this incident is his way of expressing disapproval toward me. Or maybe people from Almiron City are here and want to see me unt my wealth, shocking everyone." He spoke while getting up and heading downstairs, his head turning from side to side. "Although this incident doesn''t do me any good, my grandfather has always hoped for me to remember this-i''m the heir to the Reid family, someone who can afford to step all over money like it''s a carpet. I suppose I''ve kept too low of a profile these days." A sigh escaped Darius¡¯ lips. Following that, he headed downstairs and announced, "Their poor chairman has arrived." He spoke with an unyielding force, exerting so much effort that his body heated up and his voice amplified. Everyone at the airport heard him. All eyes were on him now that he had spoken. Even so, Darius did not feel nervous. The crowd immediately parted, clearing a path for Darius, who confidently strode toward the middle- aged woman. The woman was short and stout like a penguin. Darius¡¯ eyes narrowed to slits. "I heard someone thinks I¡¯m poor and that my bodyguards are all unworthy lowlifes." Everyone fell silent. They gawked at Darius with their mouths wide open. "Wait. That''s this Edward guy''s chairman? He looks so young!" "I can''t believe it. Who would say he¡¯s poor?" "I think I''m crushing on him. Did you see the clothes he''s wearing? ¡®That''s part of Armani''stest collection! It¡¯s worth at least half a million!" "If someone like him is considered poor, then I must be the dirt on the bottom of one¡¯s shoes!" Darius listened to the crowd''s discussions and eventually cleared his throat. At that moment, everyone fell silent. They fixated on Darius, eagerly anticipating what he had to say. ¡°Edward, I think you should get fired. Your actions now have severely gone against thepany''s rules and will negatively impact thepany''s image," Darius stated. Edward¡¯s face nked when he heard that. By the time he snapped to his senses, Darius was already approaching the middle-aged woman. Desperate, Edward parted his lips but could not utter a word as he had never imagined this to happen. Seeing the speechless Edward, anxiety overtook Bridget''s senses as she rushed over to Darius. Chapter 198 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 198 Bridget ran to Darius¡¯ side, urging him, "Mr. Reid, I think you should give Edward another chance because this matter has been guing him for some time now. It''s usible for a girl to fall in love with Edward at first nce and obsess over making him her boyfriend. However, Edward doesn''t even remember meeting this woman''s daughter. He doesn¡¯t even know when they crossed paths! As for the rest of this woman¡¯s usations about our workce rtionship, that''s false as well!" Her gaze locked onto Darius¡¯ face, searching for any hint that thetter had changed his mind about firing Edward. Sadly, there was none. Even Erin did not know what Darius was nning. She felt his current actions were different from what she previously thought. Silence filled the space. However, the surrounding onlookers now stared at Darius with disapproval. They felt he was cruel for not protecting his employee in that situation. Little did they know their opinions would soon get proven wrong. Darius took out a check and handed it to Edward just then. ¡°I think you should set aside some time to resolve this matter. Here''s some money to do so. You can use it for anything, and you don''t have to exin it to me." Edward did not ept the check. Instead, his eyes seemed like they were about to pop out of their sockets. He muttered, "B-But, Mr. Reid, you said I''m unsuited to work at thepany.¡± Darius nodded. "It''s true, but I also despise this woman before you. Which means, I''ll allow you to stay with thepany if you can fix this situation." Edward still could notprehend Darius¡¯ motivations, but he knew he had a chance to stay by thetter''s side as a bodyguard. Thus, he epted the check. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. He parted his lips to speak, but Darius had already approached the middle- aged woman. ¡°I''m the chairman that Edward mentioned," Darius proimed. ¡°Tell me. What do you think now? Am I rich or poor?" The woman could tell Darius'' clothes were above average, and she had overheard the onlookers¡¯ discussions earlier. Thus, her heart raced with panic. Nevertheless, she regained her confidence upon recalling her mission. She raised her chin, ced her hands on her waist, and raised her voice. "Quit trying to fool me! You may look rich based on your outfit, but I won''t believe it! I doubt you can afford an entire set of clothing in this price range." A hand quickly pped on the woman''s face. This sudden action caused the woman to stumble to the ground. She held her cheek, red at Erin with utter shock, and screamed, "I don''t know who you are, how could you hit me" Opposite her, Darius stood with his arms crossed, his expression frosty. ¡°I didn''t do anything. Yet, you seem very afraid. The middle-aged woman sat on the ground with her eyes rounded at Erin. She could feel a burning sensation on her cheek, which obstructed her ability to think logically. She mbered onto her feet and glowered at Erin, her tone bing higher with each word. "Do you know what you''ve just done? Do you know who I am? How dare you hit me? Let me tell you this-you''ll have hell to pay for your reckless actions!" "I''d like to see how much I''ll have topensate you. I wonder if it''s as costly as this coat I''m wearing.¡± Darius noticed his surroundings, a smile graced his face. He found it amusing that people were focusing on the unfolding drama. None left to catch their flight, not even the man that stood near him. The man held a boarding pass, but ording to the time written on it, the flight had long departed the airport. Despite seeing that, Darius did not bother to inform the man about the missed flight. Instead, his focus returned to the woman . "You''ve caused quite the fuss for a while now. Tell me, what exactly do you hope to get out of this? Wealth? A contract? Or something else?" The middle-aged woman did not expect Darius to say that. Her eyes widened as she eximed, "Why would I want to sign a contract with you? I don''t wish to coborate. I merely want yourpany to disappear from this world!" Something clicked in Darius¡¯ mind. "It seems your daughter was once deeply hurt by me." "T-That''s a lie! You''re making that up!" The woman panicked. Again, Darius became devoid of emotion.¡± I''ve decided not to give you a chance anymore.¡± He straightened his back and approached the woman once more "I thought I was being nice enough to you, but it¡¯s evident you don''t respect nor value my patience.¡± The woman''s eyes grew wide as fear trickled into her mind. She began shaking her head with desperation, begging, "N-No! Please!" Erin made a phone call, wanting to investigate the rtionship between Darius, the woman, and the daughter. Unfortunately, all she discovered was that the woman downstairs was merely a pitiful cancer patient. The rest of the woman''s information was missing. That seemed abnormal, she took her outside the airport. Confusion filled Darius''s eyes. Chapter 199 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 199 By the time Darius located Erin, the woman had vanished. All that remained was the faint smell of blood in the air Erin did not feel he had to hide anything from Darius. "I broke her wrist and got her to admit why she did all that." While saying that, She looked at Darius, waiting for his response. Darius signed. Erin reached out to look at his watch. "If we had found out about this 30 minutester than we did now, we''d already be on the ne, facing a grave threat." Darius and the two bodyguards shared confused looks before they asked,¡± What exactly happened?" Neither of the three could imagine the severity of what was happening. After pondering for a while, she decided to reveal the truth. "At first, I didn''t think things were that serious, so I nned to give anyone involved with the earlier incident a warning. You know-give them a taste of pain. However, along the way, I caught a whiff of a peculiar odor that only belonged to aircraft paint. Those guys were here as flight passengers, which meant they shouldn''t have touched the ne. So, I got suspicious.¡± The three''s jaws hung wide open upon hearing that. They never imagined Erin could detect something was wrong from such a slight detail. Utter respect and admiration oozed from the way they looked at Erin. Yet, Erin did not think anything of it as he stoically continued, ¡®That''s why I interrogated that middle- aged woman in the shortest time possible. Her answer proved that my suspicions were correct. That''s what happened." Darius then looked at Edward. "Isn''t there something you should tell me?" Edward remained rooted to the ground, his muscles stiffening while his brain went nk. In truth, he had no clue what he needed to tell the former. Meanwhile, Darius felt that Edward was dense as a brick. He sat down on a nearby chair before speaking frostily to thetter. ¡®That woman was here to cause trouble for you. Regardless of her motivations, you seemed to be the weak point she kept targeting." Edward''s features contorted, revealing aplicated expression. "I understand what you mean now, Mr. Reid. You''re right. I should''vee clean about the matter with you. This is where Bridget and I differ¡ªI didn''t grow up under Reid Consortium''s care. I joined when I was 21 years old. Thus, my memories of my parents and childhood environment run deep. That woman exists in my memory because she and her daughter are from my past. ording to my parent''s wishes when they were alive, I was supposed to marry and have kids with that woman''s daughter. But that''s not what I wanted. Plus, her daughter was reluctant when I tried to fulfill my promise to marry her. That''s why I decided to go with Bruce after meeting him. I even told the woman and her daughter that I''d have nothing to do with them once I left with Bruce. Her daughter was quite pleased back then, so I have no idea why the woman would show up here now." Darius nodded, feeling somewhat epting of this answer. He reached out and waved his hand. Edward could have left at that point. However, he did not move, despite the former''s dismissive wave. "Mr. Reid, I know you want to fire me, but I''m sorry. That will only happen after we return from Almiron City." Darius silently narrowed his eyes at Edward, determining if thetter was trustworthy. He also found the situation odd due to his grandfather and Bruce''s recent behavior. After all, he knew the two were highly cautious and would only pick the best bodyguards to be by his side. "But it''s obvious that Edward isn¡¯t such a person. He can''t even guarantee my safety,¡± Darius thought. Edward felt ufortable being in the center of Darius¡¯ scrutinous gaze. Regardless, he dared not say a word because of thetter''s identity. He stood stiffly with his hands behind his back, his muscles tensing from anxiety. That went on for a long time. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Edward eventually felt an ache throughout his muscles. He could not help raising his chin but kept his gaze downcast as he was unable, nor did he dare, to meet Darius¡¯ gaze. "Mr. Reid, you can ask me anything. The current situation makes me nervous, and I''ll lose the most basic ability of a bodyguard- making sound judgments." He did not think Darius would respond. "As you wish," Darius said while nodding, much to Edward''s surprise. Then, he voiced the question in his mind. A nk look shed on Edward''s face but soon went away as he answered, "It¡¯s because I''m good at combat. Only I can take on three people at once among all of Reid Consortium''s bodyguards. My opponents can¡¯t escape defeat." Darius quirked a brow, not expecting that. He parted his lips to speak but immediately noticed two tall and burly men approaching from afar. The men fixated on Darius with murderous intent. Darius chuckled at that, thinking, "What perfect timing." He then raised his chin, motioning at the two men before holding Edward''s gaze. "Now''s the time for you to prove it then." Edward paused, uncertain of what that meant. Immediately after, he snapped to his senses, turned around, and looked in the direction Darius hinted at earlier. He glimpsed at the iing men before turning and lowering his head at Darius. "I understand, Mr. Reid. I''ll prove my capabilities to you, however..." A conflicted emotion marred his face. Darius knitted his brows, stating, "You can speak your mind. I dislike hearing iplete utterances or needing to guess the meaning behindplicated expressions." Hearing that, Edward candidly voiced his thoughts. "It''s just that those fighting those two won''t properly demonstrate my capabilities. They''re too weak." Chapter 200 The Consortium¡¯s Heir By Benjamin Chapter 200 Darius chuckled, feeling taken aback by Edward''s words. ¡®That doesn''t matter because you can prove your capabilities by speedily defeating them.¡± Edward nodded. As their conversation ended, two men appeared beside Edward. One of them swung their arm around Edward''s shoulders and said," Edward Elliott, we¡¯ve had a hard time tracking you down these years. We didn''t think we''d see you here." Edward, Bridget, Erin, and Darius were surprised that the other party did not immediately take action. However, Edward would tell the man had exerted a lot of force on his shoulder, which made his brows furrow. He remained unmoving but spoke with an irritated tone. "Shouldn''t you be happy to have found me?" The man''s face warped with rage. "We''ve always treated you well in the past, Edward. Why would you do this to us now? Besides, I need to know where our mom has gone. She said she saw you and came over but never returned to us, not even until now." Edward''s gaze shifted to Darius. He was unsure if he should tell the truth about what had happened to the two men, who were brothers. If he did so, it wouldplicate and dy Darius'' departure from here. Little did he expect Darius to speak up. "Your mother made a grave mistake, So I''ve already sent her down to the gates of hell. I can do the same for you two if you wish to join her that badly." The men gawked with sheer disbelief. "What did you say?¡± one of them eximed. The man then took Darius in from head to toe. ¡®Who''s this? Is what he said true?¡± Edward was well ustomed to Darius¡¯ attitude at that point. Thus, he shot the men an icy look. "Yeah, your mother crossed the line. I''m unsure whether you two were aware of her decision to act that way, but you¡¯ve already made a massive mistake by showing up here.¡± All emotions vanished from the men by then. Instead, a fiery hatred sparked in their eyes and soon spread throughout their faces. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. One of them red at Edward while the other scowled at Darius. Despite that, they shared the same thought, which the one standing before Darius voiced, "We would consider letting you guys off the hook if you had answered us nicely. What a shame, though. Since you couldn''t give us a Satisfactory response, there''s only one way to handle this¡ªyou''ll have to join our mother down there and keep herpany." Only a brief chuckle came from Darius. He parted his lips to speak, but it was then that an announcement rang out in the airport. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have begun boarding for the flight heading to Almiron City. Thus, we invite all passengers to approach the boarding gates for ticket inspection. Thank you." Darius finally raised his gaze off the ground. He looked at a boarding gate nearby before instructing with a much colder tone, ¡°Edward, finish them off soon. Let¡¯s not dy the flight." The brothers¡¯ gazes met, hatred and mockery gleaming in their eyes. One of them then put his hands on his waist while guffawing. "I''ve never been ignored like this before. It seems we''ve been too nice to you guys, and it''s giving off the wrong impression. Anyway, I hope you lot will hold your tongues during what we''re about to do because you''ll pay dearly for crossing us." Before Edward could respond, a snicker rang out. Although the environment was noisy, the brothers could still hear it. Their attention instantly shot toward Darius while pure hatred radiated off them. "Do you have a problem with what I said?" One of the brothers approached Darius, ring daggers at thetter. He wanted to say more, but Darius beat him to it. ¡°Edward, you have five minutes left. If you can''t settle this within five minutes, there''s no need for you to join me on this trip. " Upon hearing that, Edward¡¯s eyes widened. He then replied with quivering lips, "Rest assured, Mr. Reid. All I need are two minutes to get rid of them." Then, he speedily knocked the brothers to the ground with one punch, not giving them a chance to speak. Darius¡¯ mouth opened slightly in shock as he mused, "Edward''s capabilities inbat grew significantly since ourst encounter. Incredible." Contrarily, Bridget, who stood nearly, did not seem shocked by the oue. The brothers that got knocked over felt a ringing in their heads but still got back onto their feet. That was when Darius nced at Edward while tutting. "And here I thought a single punch from you would render these guys immobile. I have to admit that I''m a little disappointed." Edward glimpsed at Darius before quickly looking away with shame. "I''ll do exactly that now, Mr. Reid.¡± He then turned toward the brothers, whose bodies swayed as they struggled to bnce on their feet. The two had just stood when a blow got dealt to their faces, causing them to stumble once more. This time, they could not bring themselves to stand. Two control room personnel suddenly rushed over just then. They frowned while stating, "Fighting in such a public space will cost you guys greatly." Darius silently nced at Edward. However, no words were necessary, as Edward understood what was happening. He knelt, grabbed both brothers¡¯ cors, and growled, "We grew up together! Was it necessary to call the authorities because of our little brawl?" Although Edward was smiling, he gripped the two with force. The brothers red at him. One of them then turned to the control room personnel and loudly spoke while tearing up, "Don¡¯t trust a word he says! We did grow up together-but he abandoned our sister!" Chapter 201 Chapter 201 "Then, when our mother came over to get even with him, they killed her!" "Oh? Well, I haven''t heard such an absurd thing,¡± one of the control room personnel replied calmly, "We''ll investigate this matter. I''ll need you guys toe with me until we find out the truth." Darius could tell the personnel was not in a good mood, but he remained in his seat. The personnel nudged his spectacles before frowning at Darius. Even his tone took on a snarl. "Did you not hear what I said? I told you toe with me!" Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Darius continued to stay seated, not moving, save for his gaze that shot toward Edward. Upon seeing that, the personnel looked over at Edward. "I saw what happened earlier. You were the one who started the fight and beat them up." That was when the airport''s speakers recited Darius and his entourages'' names, urging them to board the ne. Darius stood, adjusting his suit before saying, "Before you decide to arrest us, you''ll need to look for their mother''s so-called dead body and investigate the ne." Each of the control room personnel''s faces darkened. Their job was to ensure every flight''s safety, after all. Hence, their attention snapped over to Darius as one of them asked, "What do you mean by that? Something''s wrong with the ne?¡± Darius yawnedzily before pointing at the brothers on the ground. ''These two reek of a paint unique to only aircrafts. I believe you guys should investigate the matter thoroughly." "You''d better be telling the truth. Otherwise, the consequences will be severe." The personnel narrowed his eyes at Darius. After saying that, one of the two control room personnel rushed to the airport apron while the other remained with the group. Darius speechlessly shrugged at the two personnel''s reactions. Soon, a series of arguments broke out from the airport apron. Darius looked over and saw a group of people marching toward him. He was an awakened martial artist, which meant his senses were heightened. That was why he could urately detect the wrath of the person leading the iing group. However, his focus was not on them at that moment. He looked at the brothers on the ground and pointed out, "Based on reason and my past habits alone, I should end you two with my bare hands..." The personnel watching over them red at Darius upon hearing that. Regardless, Darius ignored him and continued staring at the two while threatening, "So, both of you should be grateful for this control room personnel. It''s because he appeared that you guys survived up till now." The brothers were terrified to hear that, which Darius had expected. Thus, he nodded satisfactorily. Edward did not know what Darius was nning, so he merely stood by thetter''s side with a stern countenance. His gaze drilled into the brothers the whole time. "Mr. Reid, perhaps I can deal with these two," he suggested. Hearing that, the brothers did not hesitate to get off the ground. They reached out to bnce their bodies that still swayed. Then, they used all their might to run and hide behind the personnel. One of them even gripped the personnel¡¯s sleeve. "Please save us! We previously did something that angered them. But these guys are all quick to anger, so our lives are in danger now!" Darius rolled his eyes. "We''ve been sitting here this entire time while you guys were the ones who approached us. It''s all reflected in the surveince footage." The personnel grew frustrated at the group''s ceaseless bickering, so he thundered, ¡°That''s enough! Shut up, all of you, or you''ll get punished for starting a ruckus and speaking nonsense!" The nk look on Darius'' face remained unchanged. Meanwhile, the brothers were now full of fear. They were about to agree to the personnel¡¯s orders when the group of angry people arrived. Darius stayed in his seat, but his eyes roamed over the people before him. He primarily focused on the man at the group''s forefront, who had a deep frown. The man wore a pressed suit. Darius yawned, shutting his eyes while stating with certainty, "You''re the manager of this airport." That only enraged the manager even more as he barked, "You know me, huh? Then have you intentionallye to cause trouble at my workce?" Hearing that made Darius¡¯ eyes open, and he examined the former before shutting his eyes again. "I don''t know you. I merely saw the word ¡®manager¡¯ on your name tag." Moments passed before the shocked managerposed himself. "Then why have you informed the control room personnel something''s wrong with our ne? What are your intentions? Our airport''s security is the best in the country. Don''t you know your little usation means our flight can''t take off? We''ll have to financiallypensate many passengers and pay a hefty sum to examine the ne." "I¡¯m sure your boss would be much happier if you thought twice before speaking.¡± Dariuszily opened his eyes, then stood and adjusted his suit. The manager fell silent by then. He had always been proud of his height, but it now seemed inferior before Darius. In fact, Darius¡¯ presence brought about an upromising aura that the manager could never have. The manager locked eyes with Darius, replying, ¡°So why on earth would you do something that doesn''t benefit you and could cause losses for my workce?" Ascoff came from Darius, who sneered and said, "You said it yourself-this situation won''t benefit either of us. Thus, I''m only iming there''s something wrong because it''s the truth." Chapter 202 Chapter 202 ¡®That''s impossible!¡± the manager boomed, unintentionally attracting people''s attention. Flustered, he cleared his throat and waited for the right moment to exin, ¡°Our airport''s security members are professionals. Every aircraft has a dedicated safety inspector, so our nes will never falter. I bet you''re someone with ulterior motives. You must have gotten hired by ourpetitors to spread fake news!" Darius nced at the man from the control room and said, "I believe you guys can confirm whether I''m telling the truth or not. I''ve already wasted plenty of time in this airport, which is a tremendous loss on my part. So, I hope we can resolve this soon." The man nodded. Although the two came to an agreement, they did not consider the manager''s feelings. That caused the manager¡¯s eyes to widen with rage, and he thundered, ¡± You guys are being unreasonable! Our airport has nothing to do with the matter!¡± He then scanned Darius from top to bottom before shing a disdainful look. ¡°Look at you. Your clothes don''t look like they¡¯re worth much. Plus, I''ve never seen you before! I''ve checked your ticket purchase records, and it seems you¡¯ve never even bought a flight ticket from us before today. You should know that ourpany is the best among all other airlinepanies. That''s why our prices are much higher than theirs. Therefore, it proves that you have never bought a ticket from us before. Yet, you and your group suddenly bought expensive tickets from us today. I bet you got paid by our rivalpanies and are trying to defame us." The man from control room stood aside without speaking, but his eyes were on Darius, scrutinizing him. Darius felt his gaze shift upon hearing the manager''s words. He scoffed before responding, "It seems your eyesight isn¡¯t that good, despite you being an airlinepany¡¯s manager." While saying that, he crossed one leg over the other, adding, "If you had good vision, you would know the clothes I''m wearing, excluding any essories, are worth more than your yearly sry." The manager fell silent. He had to admit what Darius said was true. Even so, something clicked in his mind after a few seconds. He ced his hands on his waist again and spoke louder than before. ¡®That''s because thepany you''re working for provided clothes for you! Since they gave you money to purchase expensive tickets, they obviously had to get you a luxury outfit to match!" N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Darius¡¯ughter grew when he heard that. "If that''s the case, then the clothes they gave me, including all the essories on my body, are worth far more than what they''re paying me to defame you. I can easily leave with all these luxury items and not do the task." Erin stood behind Darius throughout the exchange, perplexity flickering in her eyes. She mused, "Mr. Reid isn''t normally a chatterbox, yet he¡¯s been talking more these two days. It may seem like he¡¯s in a good mood, but that¡¯s definitely untrue. I don''t know why he would do this. One thing''s clear, though, nothing good will happen if we continue to waste our time here." Her brows drew close, but she ultimately decided to y along with him. It was then that Darius¡¯ actions cleared her doubts. He waited until he saw someone approach before saying, ¡°I''m not a talkative man, but I''m willing to waste my time on you guys." He inteced his fingers, ced them on hisp, and then raised his chin at the manager. That made the manager''s cheeks flush. It was understandable since no one would like to hear they were wasting others¡¯ time. Hence, his eyes bore a hole into Darius. "Don''t look at me like that. I don''t like it," Darius said, enunciating his words slowly as he turned to meet the manager''s gaze. The manager blew up with rage again because of that. He stomped his foot and pointed at Darius, seething, ¡®That! That look of yours makes you seem uncivilized! Like you received little education since childhood! Your actions and words just now aren''t anything like a wealthy person''s. They''re enough to prove your current wealth doesn''te from you nor your family!" After that, the manager felt smug, like he had discovered another world of problems. He then glowered at Erin, adding, "And that woman beside you. She may try hard to act like your secretary, but in reality, the two of you could be in a scandalous rtionship! After all, her eyes have been on you this whole time!" Disdain filled his eyes when he uttered thest sentence. Only then did Darius cast a normal nce at the manager. However, his tone came out frosty. "Are you aware of your hateful gaze toward me now?" "W-What the hell do you mean by that? Everyone can tell you two are a couple who are out to scam people! There are many fraudsters like you in the world. There''s no way I''ll fall for your lies! Our airline company will neverpromise norpensate you just because you''re threatening us!¡± the manager said. Darius was still on the chair, shing a grin at the manager, albeit one filled with mockery. ¡®There''s this saying-a person with an ugly heart sees the world as being unsightly," Darius replied while tucking his hands in his pockets, standing, and locking eyes with the manager. "Anyway, your words have angered me. If you don''t apologize now, I promise you''ll regret your actions in the next ten minutes." It was then that the manager calmed down. He had been focusing on Darius¡¯ case all this time. Darius never seemed nervous in his eyes. However, he firmly believed his assumptions. The manager was extra confident after seeing Erin blush when he assumed she and Darius were a couple. To him, her reaction was evidence proving he was right. It was evident that the manager had many opinions regarding the matter. Those were unknown to Darius, nor did he want to know. Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Darius spoke straightforwardly. "I have some bad news for you. ording to my investigation, your lover holds 20% of this airline company''s shares. However, I own 51%. While the 20% grants your lover the status of being one of the top two major shareholders...¡± The manager''s face became pale. What shocked him more was that things had not ended there. ",..You''re not someone capable. All you did was rely on your looks to seduce your current lover. You''re only able to stand here and point fingers at me so rudely because your lover gave you this position," Darius continued. He then cracked his neck, adding while he examined the manager''s expression, ¡®There¡¯s more that I know, such as your lover''s husband. His and mypany rarely engage in coborations as he''s far too inferior." The manager suddenly had a rxed expression. Upon seeing that, Darius'' lips curled into a sneer. "Of course, those are merely my opinions. The same can''t be said for your lover. If her husband wanted to fire you and make you pay a heftypensation for your affair, your lover would agree without hesitation.¡± At that point, the manager''s eyes widened. He could not utter aplete sentence without stuttering. "Y-You''ve g-gone too far, Darius! H-How could you say such a thing!" Darius arched a brow, his face no longer harboring signs of a good mood. Everyone could sense an angry aura from Darius as he stared the manager down. Darius felt the urge to engage in physical violence but could not, as he had already wasted plenty of time on the matter. He sighed, wanting to continue. However, before he could continue speaking, the manager¡¯s rearingughter broke out. "You must be hallucinating!¡± The manager remarked. "Aren''t you aware of your identity? How could you have 51% of the airlinepany''s shares?" "I''ve met many people, but few are like you-the truth has unfolded, and it''s crystal clear that you''ve lost this argument. Yet, you remain in denial. It''s my first time seeing such a response. Perhaps I¡¯ve encountered someone simr in the past, but because of my foul temper, they never got the chance to continue with their delusions like you have." The manager rolled his eyes at the former. ¡®Things have clearly worsened. I''ll make you pay for everything you''ve said if you don''t show me proof of your ownership of the airlinepany''s shares!" That was when a sharp and loud voice yelled from afar, ¡°That¡¯s enough! Shut your damned mouth! At this point, we should break off our affair!" All color drained from the manager''s face upon hearing that. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Every fiber of his being trembled as he turned toward the approaching person. It was an attractive woman who donned a bodycon dress and held a bag worth several thousand dors. Darius also stared at the woman but soon tore his gaze from her. That was because he felt no need to express anything now that things had developed this far. However, the iing woman did not share the same sentiment. She ignored the manager, who tried to appease her. Instead, she walked toward Darius without slowing down. The manager''s jaw fell open as he could not believe what was happening before his eyes. When he wanted to voice his confusion, the woman spoke. "I heard about what happened from your bodyguard, Mr. Reid. I''m terribly sorry. There isn''t much I can do for you as my wealth falls short compared to yours. That''s why I''m granting you the chance to express your anger. I won''t interfere, regardless of whether you wish to kill him or do anything to punish him. All I ask is that you don''t release the wrath you feel toward him onto thepany." Her gaze pierced Darius, indicating she was confident her offer would seed. Darius looked at the manager before smirking. Turn around and look at this poor manager, who still thinks your rtionship with him is based on genuine love. He will never change just because of my sudden presence.¡± The woman sat in the chair opposite Darius just then, shooting him a frosty re before quickly recing it with a smile. "Rest assured. Regardless of whatever identity or rtionship he has with me, you''re free do whatever you please with him. Don''t worry about what I think.¡± The manager''s eyes widened as he doubted the woman''s seriousness. Nevertheless, his knees gave in, causing him tond on the ground with a loud thud. Despite his refusal to ept the truth, he knew now that Darius possessed boundless wealth and was someone he could not afford to offend. He then surprised everyone by cracking a grin. "I was sincere and put in so much effort toward you. Who would''ve thought that this is how you repay my love." The manager stared at the woman. Regardless of whatever he said or did, his gaze was so intense that it revealed how he felt clearly. He wanted the woman to give him a reasonable exnation. ¡®That''s enough. I have many things to do. As for the profit this airlinepany has yielded me, it''s nowhere near the earnings of my other ongoing business projects. So, if thispany yields little profit and makes me unhappy, I won''t hesitate to abandon it. I''ll sell off my shares at a low price." The woman paled drastically but knew she had no chance of opposing him. Chapter 204 Chapter 204 All the woman could do was get up and bow deeply at Darius. "I''m deeply sorry. This was my fault. I''m willing to pay any price to alleviate your anger and not get punished by you." The manager had already gotten apprehended by that point. Meanwhile, the man from control room stood aside and watched the events unfold without reacting. Curiosity flickered in Darius'' eyes as he watched the two people. It was his first time encountering such a situation. The woman could tell he was curious and quickly exined, ¡®These two have worked at our airport for many years, and they''re very knowledgeable about the airport''s ins and outs." "Don''t trust that woman, Darius!" the manager yelled without thinking twice. He was furious after being held down for some time. That interrupted the turning cogs in Darius''s brain, causing him to frown and focus on the pallid manager. Having caught Darius'' attention, the manager announced, "I may not know who you are, but I''m sure you''re the person that woman once mentioned. She previously told me about a family that reunited with their male heir. Her exact words were, ¡®They likely dug him up from the trash cans of society. I bet he can''t handle those responsibilities from the different environment he grew up in.¡± Something dark and sinister tainted the woman''s eyes just then. There was no change in Darius¡¯ expression, but he examined the reactions of everyone at the scene in detail, including the control room personnel''s amused looks. He eventually saw the woman ncing at one of the airport''s corners, causing security toe over and take the manager away. Darius looked at the two tall, burly security guards before raising a hand to stop their actions. "Please hang on. I''d like to hear what the manager has to say next." The woman''s face darkened as she bobbed her head. ¡°Why would you listen to him? There¡¯s no telling if we can trust his words.¡± "You''re the most talkative woman to ever speak to me," Darius said." Perhaps you''re unaware, but that is a trait I hate the most." It was like an invisible pair of hands were choking the woman right then. She could not utter even a squeak, her face increasingly warping with worry. Desperate, she shot an instructive look at the two security guards. ¡°Edward, Bridget," said Darius while he held his throbbing temple. ¡°Remove those two security guards from my sight. Now." His bodyguards had already taken action once they heard him speak. Thus, before the woman¡¯s security guards could say anything or react to the situation, Edward and Bridget pinned them to the ground. The two guards¡¯ arms got forcefully pressed against their backs. It hurt so much that they could not help crying out. Those pained groans instantly put Darius in a bad mood. He frowned while waving his hand, to which Edwardplied by taking the two security guards away. In the meantime, darkness shrouded the woman''s features as she never expected Darius to put her in such a humiliating position. Darius then looked at the manager, stating, "I dislike you, but I feel what you''re saying is the truth. You may continue talking if you''re able to recall anything more.¡± The manager fell into a dumbfounded stupor. It took some time before he said, ¡®There''s more I wish to say, but sadly, there''s not much else I can rat out to you." Ancod came from Darius. He then shifted his focus toward the woman. ¡°Is there anything you wish to say in response to his words?" At that moment, the woman''s eyes darted around frantically. That made it apparent to Darius that she wasing up with more lies to tell him. However, Darius was in no rush to call her out. He merely shut his eyes, wanting to see what other lies the woman would use to exin herself. All of that went unnoticed by the woman, who anxiously rified, "Mr. Reid, no matter what, please don''t believe what he¡¯s saying! That guy has lost his mind now that I chose to punish him for his rudeness." Darius snorted. Only a contemptuous sneer showed on his face. "And here I assumed you''d stand by your beliefs until the end. I never thought you''d turn out to be the same as everyone else." He stood while adding, ¡°Don''t worry. I won''t mess with this airlinepany for now." He turned toward Erin and instructed, "Reach out to the airport''s official management. I intend to contract all flights for the next 50 years, including those fortraveling passengers." Erin''s eyes lit up upon hearing those words. She nearly jumped onto her feet from excitement but did not. Still, her cheeks turned bright red as she eximed," That''s a great project, Mr. Reid! It never crossed my mind that we could operate this way. Rest assured. I''ll head to West Antics Int¡¯l to do so right away.¡± Just as she turned on her heel, she noticed therge crowd rushing into the airport''s hall with their luggage in tow. That instantly snapped her to her senses. She shed an apologetic smile at Darius, saying, ¡°Mr. Reid, I don''t think I can execute that task now as I still have to apany you abroad." Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Darius nodded understanding¡¯. Contrarily, the woman standing aside blew up with rage. She mocked," Don''t you two know what ridiculous things you''re saying now?" Hearing that, Darius and Erin stopped speaking, shifting their piercing gazes onto the woman. Even so, the woman was unfazed. Instead, the taunting smirk on her face curved even more as she boldly borated, ¡°Airline flights are crazy expensive, and they''ve always been under the government''s control. Acquiring an entire airline''s flights isn''t impossible, but you guys will never have the money to do it." Darius locked eyes with Erin. "As of now, every cent her airlinepany earns is equivalent to your duty in appeasing me. I¡¯m sure you understand what I mean." Erin instantly nodded. She then whipped out herptop, her fingers furiously typing on the keyboard, letting out several clicks and cks. Darius said nothing more. He just sat down on the bench. Meanwhile, the man from the control room should have left by then, but he did not. It was because he wanted to know how things would end. Thus, he watched Darius¡¯ every move. Although there was nothing hostile in his gaze, it still made Darius feel ufortable. Chapter 205 Chapter 205 Not a word came from Darius. All he did was shut his eyes and continue to rest. It was not long before Erin closed herptop and stood, her eyes gleaming. "It''s done, Mr. Reid." At the same time, her features loosened with signs of exhaustion. Darius opened his eyes, but before he could speak, the woman guffawed." Anyone can find out who owns the airline by searching it online. Besides, I''m thepany''s-" No longer patient, Darius shot onto his feet and red daggers at the woman. ¡°I hope you remember that I own more than half of this airlinepany''s shares. In other words, I have absolute control over thispany, which means I can rece thispany''s board and executive manager as I please." Fear coursed through the woman''s veins. She raised her head, casting a shaky look at Darius while musing, ¡°I''m the second major chairperson in thispany after Darius. I''m also the executive manager. In saying that before a crowd, Darius is making others question my authority! I can''t let him have his way anymore!" Determined, she stood up and smoothed her clothes. "I hope you know you''ll be in trouble with thew for saying all of that! The most obvious oue is that you''ll end up in jail!" Darius studied her with a predatory jeer. "I can sense your fear through your every action. Regardless, you should know I don''t care about your threats." He shrugged as though facing jail time was a walk in the park for him. The woman did not expect Darius, a mere human like everyone else, to react so stoically. It made her eyes widen in shock. "Are you aware of the consequences your current words will bring?" "I think," Darius sneered, "Rather than being concerned about me, you should worry about yourself. I know for a fact that I''ll be safe." Subsequently, he made a finger gun motion at the woman, raised it slightly, and loudly said, "Bang!" The woman jolted, and her sudden action caused the bench she sat on to drag against the ground with a bone-chilling screech. Dense silence filled the space just then. That was when Erin''s snickering broke out, and it caught Darius¡¯ attention. "What has happened?" Darius asked. "Mr. Reid, I think I''ve discovered something.¡± Not a tinge of fear showed on Erin''s face. Instead, her eyes slightly curved with the faintest hint of anticipation. She promptly passed her now-openptop over to Darius. On the screen was a map with a flickering and moving red dot, which immediately caused Darius¡¯ eyes to narrow in confusion. He braised a brow at Erin, who instantly understood what he meant and exined with a chipper tone, "Mr. Reid, the dot represents the husband of Elizabeth Wilson, the woman before us. He''s already gotten informed and is rushing over to us. His driving has far exceeded the maximum speed allowed on public roads. We can inform the police. That way, he can never show his face in front of us.¡± Elizabeth''s eyes widened, and she thrashed desperately to stand up from the bench. However, it was evident that the control room personnel would not let her leave. Otherwise, his hands would not be on her shoulders, exerting force to keep her in ce. Terrified, Elizabeth''s voice became a pitch higher as she shrilled, "You can¡¯t treat me like this! I haven''t done anything wrong!" The personnel nodded while calmly speaking. ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s true. But I¡¯m only doing this to prevent you from making a mistake. Of course, if you don''t need my help, you can always charge at Mr. Reid and get physical. I''ll then have to apprehend both of you, and you''ll end up paying a hefty sum as part of your bail.¡± Only then did Elizabeth rein in her emotions. She remained in the seat opposite Darius and looked up at the personnel. It took her a moment to force a smile at thetter. "Thank you, sir. I would''ve done something wrong if it weren''t for you." The personnel stayed in ce without a trace of emotion. That made Elizabeth feel so humiliated that she pursed her lips into a thin line. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Darius had his legs casually crossed while he sat on the bench. He could sense Erin''s gaze lingering on him throughout the incident. Glimpsing at his watch, Darius mused, "The ne''s examination has likely ended by now. There''s no way that flight is taking off. Then again, I can always go on the next flight that leaves in an hour.¡± With that in mind, he nodded and said, "Well done, Erin. Send her to the airport''s detention center for now. I''ll deal with her once my schedule frees up and I return from this trip." He got up, smoothed the creases on his suit, and then eyed the control room personnel. "I''m on a tight schedule, so I must leave now." "Sir!" the personnel interjected, brows drawing close. "I¡¯m afraid you can''t leave because there¡¯s no proof that what you imed about the ne is true. You''re free to go after we find evidence to validate your words. However, should that not happen, you''ll have toe with us. Besides, we can''t just ignore your disys of aggression toward ourpany¡¯s and manager." Adeep, lengthy sigh came from Darius then. Nevertheless, he returned to his seat, shing a nk look at the personnel. "I''ve already told you-I''m their superior and the head chairman of thispany. I don¡¯t think any of the airport¡¯s personnel, at least not you, are needed to interfere with my arguments against my subordinates." That shut the personnel up. After all, what Darius said was the truth. The personnel had no ce in resolving the matter. Thus, the personnel cast a helpless look at Elizabeth. "Miss Elizabeth, if this man is genuinely a major shareholder, we can''t settle the disputes between you two. All we can do is find a middle ground to resolve this conflict." At that point, Elizabeth knew there was no other way. Chapter 206 Chapter 206 Elizabeth boldly locked eyes with Darius, stating, ¡®You im to be the major shareholder with more than half of thispany''s shares, yet I''ve never seen you before. I can, however, apologize for everything that happened today if you can prove it.¡± Darius¡¯ brows creased into a frown. He reached out an arm, resting it on the bench¡¯s armrest while tapping his fingers against the metal. Growing irritation radiated from his very being as he replied, "ording to what I recall, I''ve proven it to you before." It was like a blizzard had erupted in Darius¡¯ gaze, causing the temperature around everyone to lower drastically. "And you should know that, as your superior, I¡¯m not obligated to prove myself to you. Instead, you should correct your current behavior toward me,¡± Darius added. He then stood and gazed at the group approaching them with a sneer. " Took you guys long enough." Shock coated the face of the control room personnel who went to confirm Darius¡¯ im about the ne. Nevertheless, the personnel kept mum and merely shot a look at the other personnel apanying the group all this while. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Thetter instantly understood the meaning behind that look. He nodded at Darius, announcing, ¡®The examination results have proved your previous ims are true." That was no surprise for Darius, nor did he care to ask about what went wrong with the ne. He locked eyes with the personnel, stating, ¡°I believe my secretary and I can now leave.¡± His stare made the hairs down the personnel¡¯s back stand. Although the personnel did not want to admit it, he felt his palms grow mmy with fear at that moment. Even so, he did not let his emotions get in the way of his work, so he forced himself to speak. "My sincerest apologies, sir. The two men that we¡¯ve detained im you killed their mother. I believe we still need an exnation for that.¡± Darius returned to his chair, leaning against the backrest as he sighed. He had forgotten about that matter entirely. That was when Edward stepped forward with his arms folded behind his back. A murderer''s aura exuded from his intense stare. He looked at the personnel and stated, ¡°I''ll go with you guys, as I''m responsible for that.¡± The personnel''s eyes narrowed, his gaze shifting between Darius and Edward. Darius stood just then. With his usual stoic countenance, he stepped in front of Edward and faced the personnel head-on. "Do you believe him?" "I don¡¯t." The personnel waved dismissively, shook his head, and resumed,¡± But I don''t believe you either. I won''t trust anything you guys say until there¡¯s evidence.¡± A frosty look clouded Darius''s eyes as he chuckled. "So, if I said I had to leave this ce..." The control room personnel understood what Darius meant, despite thetter not finishing that sentence. He shot a fixed re at Darius and emphasized, "If what those two say is true, you''ll have to return here even if you leave today. If we meet under those circumstances, know that the consequences you''ll suffer will be much greater." His features contorted bitterly by then. ording to the rules, he had no reason to arrest Darius unless he found evidence or a body to prove thetter was guilty. On top of that, all the personnel¡¯s efforts in settling today''s conflict were for naught. He could not do anything as Darius walked away from his sight. His bitterness did not go unnoticed. Darius sensed it, cocked a brow, then tucked both hands in his pockets and left without sparing the personnel another nce. Erin was quick to shut herptop and trail after him. Likewise, Edward, who had paled significantly throughout everything, chased after Darius too. Only after Darius, Erin, Bridget, and Edward sat in the ne did Edward''s breathing ease up. Darius detected the former''s change in breathing and said, "Should we encounter another issue in the future, I don¡¯t need you to step up." Those emotionlessly spoken words sparked fear in Edward. He immediately stood, hoping to apologize to Darius, when an attractive flight attendant came over. The flight attendant knitted her brows while snapping, ¡°Is this your first time on a ne? Don''t you know you''re not supposed to stand during takeoff?¡± Edward felt even more flustered. He had already caused too much trouble for Darius, so he knew it was unwise to get into a conflict with the flight attendant now. At the same time, the flight attendant''s loud voice caught everyone''s attention, causing them to look at Edward. Being a bodyguard, Edward had never been the focus of this many people''s attention. Hence, his cheeks turned as red as beets. He did not even know where to ce his hands. His lips quivered as all words failed him, and then he sat back in his seat and fastened his seat belt. She did not hold back while turning to walk the other way, remarking, ¡®Tsk. Clearly, he¡¯s a parvenu. It''s his first time travelling by ne, yet he¡¯s doing whatever he wants like he''s always been wealthy and powerful.¡± Edward¡¯s eyes narrowed. He hesitated for a second before giving in and exining, ¡°I¡¯m not someone wealthy. I''m just a regr bodyguard." That was the second time Darius got angered upon hearing Edward''s words. "As long as he purchased a flight ticket, he''s your customer,¡± Darius interfered, crossing one leg over the other. He also turned to look the flight attendant in the eye. "Moreover, I don''t see how him standing up has anything to do with his wealth. You should give me a reasonable exnation for your behavior, or I¡¯ll consider reporting this incident to your employer.¡± Then, he ced a hand behind his neck, massaging it to soothe his nerves. Although that was an insignificant action on Darius¡¯ part, the way his veins popped seemed incredibly sexy to the flight attendant, who could no longer tear her gaze away from him. Chapter 207 Chapter 207 The flight attendant''s cheeks took on a bright pink hue. Even her voice sounded much gentler. "Dearest passenger, we''re about to take off, so that man shouldn''t be standing up now as it will affect the take-off procedures. That''s why I lectured him. My actions also make the overall flight smoother for passengers like you." Her intentionally honeyed tone sounded like nails scratching against a chalkboard in Darius¡¯ ears. He was not impressed and could discern the woman''s nature, as well as what she was thinking of at the moment. "I don''t care what your thought processes is,¡± Darius said, "But I hope that you won''t cause me any more displeasure in the journey ahead." The flight attendant''s face turned pale, unable to ept what Darius said. It was shocking to her that Darius, a gentleman from top to bottom, could utter such harsh words. She stood rooted to her spot for the longest time before the in-flight announcement stated they would be taking off soon. Nheless, she ignored it. Her pointed gaze snapped toward Darius as she gritted her teeth, hatred gushing from her every pore. She seethed, "Don''t you know who I am? How dare you speak that way to me? Do you seriously think I''m just an ordinary flight attendant?¡± Darius reached up to massage his temples and responded, ¡°Firstly, you''re too loud. Secondly, your uniform tells me you''re exactly that-an ordinary flight attendant. Thirdly, get seated because the announcement says we''re taking off shortly. You shouldn''t stand now." The flight attendantpletely ignored Darius. All her attention was on the second argument Darius raised, and she growled, ¡°Let me make this clear. I''m no ordinary flight attendant! My dad owns this airlinepany!¡± "Is that so?¡± Darius raised a brow. "I got into an argument with your mother, Elizabeth, earlier when waiting to board." He then leaned back into his seat, shaking his head while scoffing at the flight attendant. "Now, Elizabeth''s daughter has jumped out of nowhere and has inappropriate thoughts about me, even after I''ve clearly rejected her advances." The flight attendant¡¯s eyes grew wide. Likewise, her voice sharpened like a de, piercing the air. "Enough! That woman isn''t my mother! She has no right to be anyone''s mother! She''s merely my dad''s lover!" Unperturbed by the situation, Darius asked, "Aren¡¯t you going to return to your seat so that this flight can take off?¡± Silence filled the entire cabin as all passengers looked at the flight attendant. The passengers would not have kept quiet if it were any other flight attendant dying things. They would have yelled and reported her for causing trouble. However, this specific flight attendant imed to be the daughter of the airline''s owner. That meant she was the future owner of the airline-someone they could not afford to cross. Thus, everyone mped their lips shut. No one spoke except for the captain''s anxious voice behind the in-flight speakers, questioning, "Kate Anderson, are you on the inte system now? Just answer this¡ª are you seated, and have you fastened your seatbelt?" No one responded to him. The captain''s frustrated tone rang out again. "Kate! Are you listening to me now? Are you encountering any trouble? Do you need assistance?" At that moment, Kate stood before Darius, hands on her waist as her breathing deepened. She fixated on Darius with a predator''s smugness and determination. Then, she spoke loudly. "I won''t leave until you admit you''ve underestimated my role. This ne won''t fly unless I get seated. Should you choose to stick with your stance, this flight will get dyed no matter what you do. You''ll never get to Almiron City on time.¡± Darius raised a finger to massage his temple. He never imagined it would be this difficult for him to travel to Almiron City. It seemed like all the incidents leading to this hinted his trip to the city would yield a negative oue. He let out a deep sigh, which prevented him from raging on the ne. Still, his eyes narrowed like frosty des at Kate. "You im your father owns this airline, yet you don''t know who I am," he stated with a deep voice. That was when Kate realized the mockery lingering in his tone. Her eyes widened as rage filled her gaze. "Darius Reid! I''ve made my identity clear at this point. This airlinepany is mine! I can provide you with boundless wealth, one that¡¯s beyond your ability to earn, if you agree to be my boyfriend. Also, you should feel honored that I''m showing interest in you instead of the many other men in this world." Following that, Darius raised his hand and gazed at the front and back of it, casually stating, ¡°I¡¯ve never disliked a woman so much in my life." She blushed, feeling humiliated by her current state. Thus, she shot to her feet and pointed a trembling finger at Darius. "Wait and see, Darius Reid! Thanks to your actions, you''re banned from taking any of our airline''s flights. It¡¯s a price you''ll have to pay for what you did to me." Kate mbered over to the inte system, grabbed the handheld transceiver, and spoke while smirking at Darius. ¡°Captain? It''s Kate here. I order you to stop the ne and remove Darius Reid, along with his group of friends, from this flight! Also, inform our airlinepany to ban these guys from purchasing another flight ticket from us! Those orders are finite until Dariusplies with my wishes!" With that, she hung up the inte system and stood proudly with her hands on her waist. It was then that the airne''s door opened. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Darius¡¯ brow quirked upon seeing that. He did not feel the door had opened because of the mindless woman before him. Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Darius was still curious about the situation. After all, ording to the airlinepany''s rules, a flight was unlikely to take off within an hour and a half if its door opened. The passengers were losing their patience at that point. They grew restless and began moring, causing a racket in the cabin. Only Darius remained unbothered by things as he sat in his seat. Meanwhile, Kate assumed that the door had opened because of her. A proud grin spread across her face just then. She was pleased with how quickly the captain had acted upon her orders. "How about it? Are you afraid now? Know that a ne won''t fly if I don¡¯t allow it. So, do as I say if you want to continue your flightfortably,¡± she said, smirking while raising her chin triumphantly at Darius. She felt as though things were going her way. Darius ignored her as he heard some familiar footsteps. He turned toward the door and saw two security apanying Elizabeth into the ne, their hands on her shoulder. However, the two were different from the ones before at the check-in gate. That caused Darius¡¯ eyes to narrow. Next, something even more shocking happened. They led Elizabeth to sit two rows behind Darius. Kate''s eyes rounded with shock. Nevertheless, she soonposed herself and approached Elizabeth with a snobbish sneer. "I never thought I''d see you here after ourst encounter at that hotel. I told you never to show up before me again, or I¡¯d make you pay. Yet, I''ll have to break my promise and greet you merrily since you''re showing up before me in such a shameful manner.¡± Darius let out a long sigh. He then looked at Erin, instructing, "Call Zack. I don''t want this airline company anymore.¡± That was when another person showed up at the airne''s door. His clothes ripped from squeezing past the thin gap from the almost closing airne door. Darius sighed again. In the meantime, the entire ne fell silent as Erin made a phone call. The neer''s gaze lingered between Kate and Elizabeth before eventually locking onto thetter. "Miss Wilson, I''ve got some bad news for you.¡± Darius could tell Kate¡¯s breathing became heavier and faster after hearing that. He arched a brow, feeling uninterested in the situation. Subsequently, he took out hisptop and wanted to continue reviewing contracts. "Shelvin, you¡¯re my father''s secretary! How dare you look at someone else?" Kate suddenly bellowed. Again, she ced her hands on her hips and widened her eyes. "Thispany belongs to my father, which means I''ll own it in the future. Therefore, you should inform me whenever anything happens!¡± Although Shelvin was too afraid to continue speaking to Elizabeth, he did not tell Kate what happened either. Silence engulfed the entire ne. At that moment, Erin leaned closer to Darius¡¯ ear, whispering, "Mr. Reid, things on Zack''s end are sessful. All involvedpanies will now terminate their cooperation with this airlinepany. Moreover, thispany has many outstanding debts, so they''ve current fallen into a state of economic crisis.¡± Because everyone on the ne was silent, many overheard what Erin said. Kate instantly turned to look in the opposite direction. Her actions were so quick that her hairpin fell off, and her hair loosened from her bun. Even so, she could not care less. All her attention was now on Erin as she stormed over to thetter. "What do you mean by what you just said?" A frown marred Erin''s face. Unsure of how to respond, she nced at Darius, seeking his advice. Darius understood what her gaze meant and immediately stood, protecting Erin behind him while lowering his head to re at Kate. Kate no longer focused on Darius. Money mattered more to her. Knowing her wealth was suffering a major hit, she let out a skin- crawling shrill,¡± That''s enough! I just want to know what the hell happened with thepany!¡± Darius raised a brow. He kept silent, cing both hands in his pockets while staring at Kate like she was an idiot. Despite seeing that reaction, Kate had no more energy to argue with Darius. At the same time, she knew he would never answer her, so she took a deep breath to calm herself. "I don''t know who you guys are or why you have such influence over things," she stated, "But I can promise you this¡ª''ll fulfill your wish if you guys spare my father''spany. All you have to do is ask.¡± "Perhaps you''re unaware, but I own 51 percent of this airlinepany''s shares.¡± Darius cocked a brow and added, "I''m not interested in acquiring thispany, nor do I care about whatever you can offer me.¡± After that, he sat down, fastened his seatbelt, and reclined the back of his seat before shutting his eyes. He continued, "I''m now in a foul mood because there have been many obstructions on my trip, stopping me from leaving this ce, even now." Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Kate clenched her jaw. Although Darius heard her action, he did not want to express his opinion anymore, so he kept his eyes shut. Opposite him, Kate stomped furiously, turning on her heel to thunder at the captain, who hade over but was too afraid to speak. She bellowed,¡± Take off as quickly as you can. I want us tond in Almiron City within 50 minutes." The captain''s eyes broadened. He did not need to think twice to know that was impossible, so he voiced his concern. Miss Anderson, that''s unattainable. Our regr flights take several hours.¡± Chapter 209 Chapter 209 Kate intended to say more, but Darius suddenly opened his eyes. His icy re sent chills down everyone¡¯s spines while he ordered the captain, ¡®You may fly this ne at its regr speed if you''re able to take off within ten minutes." Anxiously, Kate chewed on her bottom lip while scrutinizing Darius¡¯ face. Only after seeing his nk look did she realize he was serious. Thus, she nodded at the hesitant captain beside her. "Go. Get the ne to Almiron City as quickly as you can.¡± The seat in front of Darius was empty. Kate did not hesitate to sit there and buckle her seatbelt. "I don''t think that¡¯s your seat," said a frowning Darius. "Besides, it bothers me. He felt a hitch in Kate¡¯s breath but did not dwell on it. Instead, he shut his eyes. The ne soon took off. Silence ensued in the cabin as no one wanted to bring up what had happened before taking off. Throughout the journey, Kate kept looking behind her, but Darius¡¯ eyes did not open, nor did he show signs of wanting to speak to her. Some time passed when she could not hold herself back. She gazed at Darius, opening her mouth to speak softly but clearly. "Mr. Reid, I believe we can discuss things. We have the same enemy, after all." Erin¡¯s features stiffened with discontent as she mused, ¡®This woman eyed Mr. Reid from the start and kept trying to seduce him with her wealth. Ugh, I can stand that. Sadly, I had to tolerate her actions due to my inferior status and because Darius was awake. But I can''t keep my anger in anymore! Besides, Mr. Reid is currently napping, so this is my chance!" She parted her lips, wanting to shut Kate up, but Darius spoke beside her.¡± We may have the same enemy, but that doesn''t mean you''re not my enemy as well." Darius¡¯ eyes had opened again, revealing his stormy gaze. Achill tingled down Kate¡¯s spine, causing every muscle in her body to tremble.She clenched the hem of her skirt tightly, no longer daring to look at Darius. Eying his shoes, she squeaked, "Everything that happened earlier was my fault. I¡¯m willing to pay the price. All I ask is that you spare the airlinepany. Not to mention, you have shares in thepany too. If you resent my behavior, feel free to punish me in any way fit. I¡¯m willing to put up with anything. Please spare thepany. That way, you''ll suffer fewer losses, even if you don''t care about it.¡± Darius softly chuckled, but everyone could sense the sarcasm dripping from histone. ¡®That''s impossible. Then again, a better way to phrase it is, ¡®you''re toote." Knowing he could no longer rest on the flight, he opened hisptop to read through various contracts. Kate could tell Darius did not care about her. She pursed her lips while biting on her lower lip. Such pain was the only way she could stop herself from crying. Many overwhelming emotions washed over Kate then, but it was evident Darius could not care less. Kate knew that, so she stood and let out a long exhale before speaking loudly. "I''ll give you all the airlinepany''s shares for free. Just, please, spare my dad. He raised my family from scratch and did many things for thispany. It doesn''t matter if Elizabeth or I upset you. Both of us will bear the consequences.¡± Darius raised a brow and thought, ¡°When I first met this woman, she seemed unreasonable. On top of that, she was full of inappropriate motives and wanted to turn those thoughts into reality. This woman was so selfish then. Yet, now that things are bad, she managed to snap out of her previous mentality and sacrifice herself for her father''s sake. What aplex individual.¡± Despite the shock in his heart, he kept a stoic expression without reacting to Kate at all. Meanwhile, Elizabeth had overheard the entire conversation and could no longer tolerate things. She raised her voice at the two, objecting, "I disagree with what you''re doing! Your father has already agreed to give me thepany''s shares. We nned to head to the relevant departments and legally transfer all the shares to me, which means thepany is already mine! Your father may spoil you, Kate, but such an offer isn''t yours to make!" Kate met Elizabeth''s gaze with a look of mockery. "What do we do if Darius refuses to spare my dad? Huh? That guy is filthy rich! There''s nothing else we can give him to appease his anger." "No one said your father is in trouble. You''re the one making all of it up!" Elizabeth rolled her eyes, determination filling her eyes. She continued confidently, as though her every word was the truth, ¡®You''ve already made your intentions obvious. You had a crush on Darius, someone affluent, but he turned you down. All your actions now are to prove to Darius that you''re as wealthy as he is, that you''re worthy of standing by his side as an equal!¡± ¡®T-That''s not true!" Kate retorted, her eyes rounding with betrayal. ¡°You know it''s untrue, yet you''re using that lie to criticize me!" She took a deep breath, her hands forcefully gripping both sides of her waist as she could not stand such nder. Wanting to fight back, she parted her lips. That was when Darius¡¯ irritated tone rang out, interrupting, "I''m uninterested in the airlinepany. But I won''t spare your father either." Elizabeth''s eyes rolled while Kate paled. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. At that point, Darius was aware of who was genuinely worried about the man locked up in the detainment center and who was selfishly looking after herself. The women''s conflict improved Darius'' impression of Kate. Thus, he offered her a solution. ¡°I believe I can spare your father this once. That is, after I discuss with him and arrive at a happy conclusion." Kate finally released a deep sigh of relief. Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Kate bowed at Darius with the utmost respect just then. "There¡¯s nothing much I have to repay you. Regarding thepany''s shares, I''ll contact my dad and discuss things clearly with him. Also, my dad previously gifted me twopanies within the entertainment industry. While I can''t do much, I can give thesepanies to you." Both Darius¡¯ brows raised. He was very much surprised by the generosity of the woman before him, so he asked, ¡°What do you want in exchange for giving me thosepanies?" Kate did not expect Darius to react so candidly. Nevertheless, she knew he had likely agreed to her request then. After sighing in relief, she answered,¡± I hope my dad can have a better experience at the detainment center." Darius¡¯ hand that swiped at hisptop''s touchpad froze. He looked up at Kate, examining her serious expression before grinning. Yet, his grin was not because he was happy. "You think," he suddenly said, ¡®That your father can¡¯t contact you because I had someone lock him up at the detainment center?" Kate gritted her teeth. She was unable to maintain her polite smile anymore. ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s what I previously believed before you asked me this.¡± Gulping, she forced her body to stop trembling and added, "But it seems like I''ve mistaken things. I''m sorry." She immediately bowed again, asking, "Can you please tell me where my dad is now? And how do I contact him?" Theer of Darius'' lip quirked upward, indicating his sudden interest. He rubbed his chin before replying, "Your father got arrested by the authorities for speeding on the highway because he wanted to rush to Elizabeth¡¯s aid. ording to our country¡¯sw, there''s no way for you to reach his phone now unless you know where the authorities are holding your father. If so, you can head there and visit him." Darius expected Kate to react with utter panic, but that did not happen. Curious, he remarked, "You don''t seem worried." Kate nodded. "Although what I''m about to say will upset you significantly, I feel you''ll be even angrier if I don''t." Briefly quirking a brow, Darius¡¯ expression returned to its usual nkness as he silently continued reading through the contracts on hisptop. Although Kate did not understand what he was thinking, she made her next move based on what she believed and her opinions of Darius. She said, "You seem like someone who often dirties his hands. That''s why I was worried before that you had kidnapped my dad, who I can no longer contact, and tortured him. However, I believe it''s fair if my father pays for his wrongdoings in the detainment center. And since he''s safe there, I''m not worried." "You can sit down now if that''s the case,¡± replied a smirking Darius. ¡°I''ll discuss things with your father before he gets released from the detainment center. Then, I''ll decide on a suitable oue for today''s incident based on his behavior." Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Kate nodded. When she saw Darius was about to shut his eyes, she bit her lips. Darius was quick to sense a change in Kate''s breath. He opened his eyes again and looked at her. "Is there anything else you wish to tell me that you haven''t already?" Kate stepped forward to open up Darius¡¯ptop again. She exined, ¡°I doubt you''ll be able to rest after what I''m about to do next, so I suggest you continue scanning through those contracts of yours." Locking eyes with her, Darius realized she behaved differently from when he first boarded the ne. That piqued his curiosity, so he shed a smile at her. ¡°No, I can watch you while simultaneously flipping through my contracts.¡± As he spoke, he extended an arm as though motioning her to proceed with her n. "Go ahead and do as you please. I''m on your side." Kate could not suppress the wildfire burning in her chest anymore. Thus, when Darius approved of her actions, she did not hesitate to storm before Elizabeth. The two security personnel that restrained Elizabeth grew anxious upon hearing Kate¡¯s iing footsteps. Their breathing quickened, and their muscles contracted. Even their hands had reached down, ready to deploy the weapons attached to their waistbands. Darius watched everything transpire from his seat. An amused smirk appeared on his face. Meanwhile, Kate was unruffled by the two personnel''s reactions as she approached Elizabeth. That was the first time Elizabeth felt anxious throughout all of today. She could tell Kate seemed different from before. Gulping, Elizabeth wanted to get up and run. Yet, before she could do anything, a resounding p broke out while a burning sensation spread across her cheek. Then, she felt the sharp pain seeping into her skin. Elizabeth cupped her sore cheek and cried out. She had never experienced such humiliation before. Her eyes widened, hatred burning like a me as she glowered at Kate. "How dare you hit me? The rtionship between your father and me is enough to make me your mom-" Another p rang out. Kate''s voice lowered to a frosty growl. "My mom was a superb woman, not some whore that would break up someone else''s family! On the other hand, you are a lowly mistress that used the body to attain riches and influence!" All the passengers¡¯ eyes were on Elizabeth right then. Elizabeth flushed with humiliation. She had never been the focus of so many contemptuous gazes before, so her body quivered. At some point, a few shlights lit up. Elizabeth knew those were cameras aimed at her, and she desperately wanted to change everyone''s view of her. Hence, she forced her eyes to redden as she spoke with a miserable and trembling voice. "K-Kate, you''re still very young, so you¡¯ve misunderstood several things. Your parents¡¯ rtionship was in tatters long before I came into the picture. Your mother currently resides in an eastern country and hasn''t seen your father in many years. So, ording to thew, they aren''t husband and wife anymore, meaning I''m not a mistress like you im I am." Chapter 211 Chapter 211 "Besides, I genuinely love your father. I didn''t get together with him for his wealth," Elizabeth added. Whispers about the two women¡¯s argument broke out in the cabin. "I trust the one restrained by the security personnel." "That flight attendant clearly isn''t a good person. While she''s pretty, her sharp gaze makes it seem like she''s constantly plotting something vile.¡± "Indeed. Plus, I don¡¯t get it. Why would thatdy work as a flight attendant if she''s that rich?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Kate''s fists balled by her sides when she heard the discussions from her surroundings. She wanted to rebuke their ims but did not know what to say. Her breathing sped up alongside her heartbeat. That was when Darius interfered, dering, ¡°I think, as a woman under security personnel¡¯s restraint, she shouldn''t have the right to speak with anyone.¡± Only then did the two security personnel get up from their seats, no longer aszy as they were before. They scowled at Darius but did not say anything. All they did was stand, then nced at Elizabeth to say, "The situation is obvious. You shouldn''t be speaking at all now." Elizabeth paled, not knowing she was not allowed to speak to others after getting restrained by security personnel. Since she lived a wealthy lifestyle, she never felt like her actions were wrong. Thus, she glimpsed at the personnel before avoiding their gaze entirely. Smiling tensely, she replied, "It was only a few words. Besides, nder is a huge deal to me. I''m sure you guys understand. After all, it negatively affects others¡¯ impression of my rtionship and wealth. I can''t let such lies continue to spread." Her reaction was unexpected by everyone there. The personnel¡¯s faces warped hideously. "You should know the crimes youmitted are severe. If your current behavior persists, it implies you haven''t realized your mistakes. In that case, I''llbel everything you do now as misconduct and present it at court when deciding your punishment." Elizabeth''s eyes grew wide, and her voice sharpened like a dagger. "Are you aware of what you''re saying? I didn''t do anything! I merely said a few things to my fiance''s daughter. Must you guys treat me like this? Don''t you think it''s unfair to me?" The leading personnel ced a hand on his waist while propping himself against the chair with his other arm. He was so furious that his breathing quickened, rendering him speechless with rage. His gaze remained downcast, focusing on the ground. After some deep breaths, he shot a stern look at Elizabeth. "I''ve been lenient, but your actions have proven you¡¯re unworthy of my kindness. Therefore, I''ll take note of your every misbehavior from now on and bring them up during your trial.¡± With that, he returned to his seat, adjusted the micro camera attached to his cor, then leaned into the backrest and shut his eyes. None of the two personnel spoke to Elizabeth after that. It frightened Elizabeth into keeping her mouth shut. As a woman who relied on pleasing men for a living, she had sharp wits, which allowed her to survive in the world. That was also why she could tell the personnel meant every word in his threat. She knew she would receive no leniency from the personnel if she made the slightest sound now. They would treat her strictly as stated in the rules. Elizabeth inhaled deeply before leaning against her backrest and shutting her eyes. She thundered in her heart, ¡°This damned rule! I''ll change it if I ever get the chance!" Meanwhile, Kate''s breathing never stabilized as the rage boiled in her chest likeva. She ced both hands on her waist. Glowering at Elizabeth, she desperately wanted a reaction from thetter, but there was none. Elizabeth never imagined this would happen, so she did not know what to do at that moment. All she knew was that her inner rage was slowly consuming her then. However, the flight was still ongoing, so Elizabeth dared not stomp her foot to express her anger. She only swung her fists in the air before promptly returning to her seat. She then sat down with force, causing a loud thump to sound. Darius, who sat two seats ahead of her, was unbothered by that, his face expressionless. He knew from Elizabeth''s quickened breaths meant her rage was growing, and she would not let things end like this. Immediately after, Elizabeth shot onto her feet and snapped, "Kate, I''ve always been nice to you. I even saw you as a daughter of my own! Is this how you repay me? I put in so much effort to look after your father all these years, yet you seem to think everything I do is wrong. But I¡¯ve worked hard, and I''m sure you see my efforts! It''s not right to hurl such insults at me, even if you''re saying all that to ease my burden!" She spoke with haste, so she finished uttering those words before Kate could stand and retort. By the time Kate stood before her again, a victorious smile had spread across her face. Kate could not stand it anymore. She reached out to strike Elizabeth''s cheek but failed as a gun suddenly fired. Aregr person''s vision could perceive that Elizabeth''s body fell simultaneously to the firing. Contrarily, Darius, still in his seat, shut hisptop and turned around at lightning speed. He saw the man who rushed into the aircraft at the final moment to tell Kate and Elizabeth something was wrong with the airlinepany. The man dashed back to his seat at a speed regr people could not perceive. After recalling the events earlier, Darius confirmed the man¡¯s name was Shelvin. Soon, Shelvin returned to his seat and shed a look of shock fitting of someone not involved with the incident. Darius¡¯ eyes narrowed to slits. Even so, he fixated on Shelvin as thetter zipped back to sitting down. Upon seeing that, Darius thought, "He¡¯s undoubtedly an enlightened martial artist. The airline''s owner, Kate''s father, also known as William Anderson, owns a corporate group with a market value of around five billion. His other assetsbined are worth roughly 5.8 billion¡± Chapter 212 Chapter 212 "Although that seems like a lot of money, it¡¯s simply a speck of sand in the eyes of real tycoons. In particr, enlightened martial artists, sometimes called awakened martial artists, are a more precious resource than money. Thus, they get acquired by many wealthy people-Shelvin is an exception, though. His case is very much abnormal." While Darius was deep in thought, the entire cabin fell into chaos. After all, someone got shot to death in a ne many miles above the ground. That was enough to drive any passenger out of their mind. Even the two security personnel jolted awake from their rest at that point. Their heads turned rapidly, scanning every corner of the ne. Yet, they did not find out much, nor were the circumstances they were facing any better. Everyone was in hysterics. Some were screaming and rushing back to the end of the ne, wanting to distance themselves from the first-ss seats. At the same time, others wanted to know what had happened, so they rushed forward to see. Because people got up and moved around a lot, the ne began to tremor. That was when the captain''s voice rang out from the announcement speakers, urging, "Ladies and gentlemen, please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts. Regardless of what happened on the ne, we ask that you trust our staff''s abilities. We''ll do our best to guarantee everyone''s safety." Darius¡¯ head began to ache from the many screams all around him. He shut his eyes, returned to his seat, and sighed deeply. "I don''t think Shelvin killed Elizabeth for personal reasons," he thought, "So why would he do that? Hmm... I wonder..." Before he could act on his curiosity, some footsteps approached before halting in front of him. He opened his eyes, taking in one of the anxious security personnel whose face was flushed and covered with beads of sweat. The personnel''s face then contorted with rage, his eyes pinning onto Darius with evident outrage. Darius did not need to think twice to know what was happening. His eyes fell shut, and he remained seated. "I don''t know why you''re looking at me that way, but it''s making me ufortable. I may file a comint against you if you continue doing so." "You did this,¡± The personnel scoffed, his lips curling into a sneer. He used with the utmost confidence, "When I was arresting Elizabeth, my colleague, another personnel at the airport, informed me about your incident with her before you boarded this ne." Darius felt that all eyes were suddenly on him. Still, he ignored them, crossing one leg over the other and opening his eyes to meet the personnel''s stare. ¡®Then I''d like to know why your colleague didn''t immediately arrest me. Instead, he allowed me to board this ne without any supervision.¡± A frown marred the personnel''s face as he took several breaths to calm down. He then snarled through gritted teeth, ¡°That''s because you''re a sly criminal, so he couldn''t find any evidence to hold against you." Darius raised a brow without speaking, implying the personnel was nothing in his eyes. That did not go unnoticed by the personnel as he instantly blew up with rage. He balled his fists and raised one of them at Darius. Nevertheless, he held back from acting upon his anger for the sake of his job. His eyes were aze as he eyed Darius. "You must''ve done it! You practically have the words ¡®I''m a criminal¡¯ written all over you. I can tell you and Elizabeth are the same-you''re both ignorant toward others¡¯ lives. Throughout my many years of work, I¡¯ve never rashly judged someone for being a criminal. I decided based on evidence alone. However, in your case, finding evidence is unnecessary as you''re sly and wealthy enough to cover up your tracks!" The personnel then raised his chin, looking down at Darius with a smug grin. "Besides, there must be something between you and Elizabeth from your fight earlier. I bet she''s now dead because you two had an uneven distribution of profits!" Darius was starting to feel irritated by those assumptions. Even so, he kept a stoic countenance. That fueled the personnel''s smugness. The personnel raised his voice and spat a little as he spoke. "See? You''re not responding because you can''t refute the truth in my words! That means you''re admitting that my usations are correct!" Darius¡¯ brows furrowed. When he wanted to shut the personnel up forever, a woman''s voice rang out in front of him. "I think what you''re saying makes no sense because all of this has nothing to do with Darius. Elizabeth¡¯s sudden death in your custody means you two will have hell to pay and lose your jobs. That¡¯s why you¡¯re desperate to secure the person behind her death here. Through that, your contribution to the case can then save your jobs." Darius turned toward the source of that voice. His eyes widened as he saw someone from the row in front whom he had never expected to defend him. Kate''s gaze bore into both personnel as she pointed out, "From the beginning, none of you interfered during Elizabeth''s misconduct under your custody. After Darius raised the issue, you two glowered at him, which I felt was odd. Now, seeing how things have developed has proven my suspicions."Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 213 Chapter 213 The security personnel did not expect anyone to refute his statements. It felt like his authority was being questioned, which he refused to ept. Thus, he bellowed at Kate, "You''re not that great either! You knew Darius had bad blood with your father''s girlfriend, yet you chose to side with Darius! You even wanted Darius to be your boyfriend!" Kate''s heart raced upon hearing that. She felt her earlier actions were foolish and worried that Darius would get angry upon recalling how she behaved. She could tell Darius¡¯ attitude toward her had improved since then, so she cautiously eyed him at that moment. It was then that her eyes widened. She had not given it much thought when she turned to look at Darius. Thus, she never expected him to be looking at her. On top of that, he showed no hatred or annoyance-he was gazing at her with admiration and pride. "His eyes are stunning," she thought, "Darius is truly a handsome man." Getting stared at by him caused Kate''s cheeks to turn pink at the most unfitting time. Fortunately, she soon snapped to her senses andposed herself, turning her attention toward the personnel. "I can retrieve footage of your current actions from the ne''s surveince cameraster. All of this will get presented before the court, and I can assure you that you''ll lose your jobs." The personnel''s faces changed. That oue was what they feared the most, yet Kate was discussing it with such certainty, making it clear that the two would unquestionably lose their jobs. The lead personnel couldn¡¯t stand anymore, so he whipped out his gun and aimed it at Kate. ¡°You''ll pay for what you just said!" A secondter, he felt a chill creeping all over his face. He lost mobility simultaneously, unable to draw strength from his muscles. He eventually fell to the ground. All he felt was his face warming up like a hot iron, and even opening his lips felt impossible. He tried to open his eyes but failed. There was nothing he could do. Kate shut her eyes once the gun aimed at her. Although Kate was terrified, she could not bring herself to stand down as that was the first time a person had looked at her with such confidence. Not to mention, Darius was the only one who could help her father. There was no guarantee that Darius¡¯ subordinates would not me Kate''s father and make him pay back in kind if Darius got hurt. Thus, she needed to defend Darius now. Just when she thought she would join Elizabeth in hell for another argument, the other security personnel yelled out Darius¡¯ name. That shocked Kate, and she opened her eyes without thinking twice. She then saw the lead personnel lying on the ground, his face pallid while his eyes were round with fear. The personnel mbered onto his feet and stumbled toward the other personnel, whose features stiffened with shock. While thetter did not know what the former wanted to do, he still reached out to aid the former. "Gustav, are you alright?" What happened next startled him even more. The leading personnel, Gustav, did not answer. Instead, he opened his mouth to continually scream while stopping himself from grabbing the knife from his waistband. He cried, ¡°F-Fleming, hurry! Get this k-knife away from me! I-I can''t control myself!" Gustav stuttered so much that the second personnel, Fleming, could not understand what the former was saying. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Confusion shrouded every inch of Fleming''s face. Soon, Fleming''s eyes widened as Gustav grabbed the knife and stabbed his own shoulder. Thetter''s screams snapped the former out of his daze. Fleming gulped, released Gustav''s hand, and stumbled backward. However, he had forgotten he was on a ne, so he eventually backed into his seat. Fear then numbed his senses, rendering his limbs useless. No one knew what exactly had transpired. Meanwhile, Kate''s attention snapped over to Darius. Although she had no proof, she was sure Darius was behind the stabbing. Her breathing quickened, but her features were rxed. Darius was initially staring down the two personnel, but he turned to look at Kate once he heard her change in breathing. "You look like you already know what happened," he said with a smile and a casual tone. That put Kate''s anxiously beating heart at ease. She could not help chucking as she replied, ¡®Yeah. I have a rough idea. Still, I''m shocked-l never imagined you would be this remarkable. You look like a hero-the kind we see in movies!" Darius detected that Kate''s gaze and emotions toward him were different from before. Now, her eyes shimmered with much more likeability. Regardless, Darius did not ce all his attention on her for long. The two personnel had fallen to the ground by then. They looked at Darius with trembling gazes. Likewise, the gossiping passengers on board hid behind the backrests of their seats, not daring to come out. That was not the oue Darius intended for, so he said, ¡°I hope all of you can settle down now. Also, what I just did doesn''t mean anything. I merely wanted to show you guys that I have many ways to kill you if I wanted to, and you wouldn''t have any evidence to prove I''m behind it. However, I don''t n to do so. I¡¯m someone who values life and believes all wrongdoers deserve to get justly punished by the law. I would never give in to my emotions and harm anyone.¡± "I disagree." Suddenly, Shelvin rose from his seat. He raised his phone at Darius, whose eyes narrowed to slits upon seeing what was on the screen. Chapter 214 Chapter 214 The screen showed what happened after Erin dragged the older woman out of the airport earlier. Darius¡¯ eyes darkened like a hailstorm had broken out in his eyes. Not a word came from him. He looked at Shelvin and stated, "I don''t know who you are, and I can''t do anything if you decide to publicize that video. However, I believe you''re aware that doing so makes you my enemy.¡± Shelvin''s lips curved upward. "I know, but I''d still like to see you pay dearly. After all, I don''t like people who own vast riches." Darius¡¯ eyes narrowed. He never anticipated Shelvin to say such things. Even so, he remained stoic. He only nodded before returning to his seat and shutting his eyes. ¡°Then I wish you luck,¡± Bridget, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly said. She then took out herptop and gotfortable in her seat. That set off a sudden anxiety in Shelvin. He quickly shut off his phone, approached Bridget¡¯s side, and looked at herptop. Bridget ignored him all the while, her eyes glued onto the screen before her. Still, she remarked, "Edward, this is all your fault." Edward nodded and immediately stood from his seat. He walked over to the spot between Bridget and Shelvin, pivoted to face thetter, then stated with a low, icy growl, "You shouldn''t be standing here and trying to look at Bridget''sptop. It doesn¡¯t matter what your reasons are.¡± "I don''t like how you''re speaking to me," said Shelvin, whose eyes had narrowed. "You''re probably unaware, but you''re no match for me. Of course, I understand a young man like yourself has unlikely seen much of the world, so I doubt you''ll believe me. Thus, I intend to prove my superiority to you with my actions." It was the first time Edward had gotten criticized that way. Rage soon boiled under his skin as he felt Shelvin was provoking him. What surprised him was he could not react in time when a strong wind blew from opposite him. His legs struggled to stay rooted on the ground. Soon, he lost bnce and was nearly about to fall. That was a feeling he had never felt before. The fear gushing inside him caused his eyes to grow wide. Edward refused to give up just yet. He raised both fists, hoping gravity''s pull would help him bash Shelvin. s, Edward realized that was wishful thinking as it did not happen. By the time Edward raised his arms, his body had already stumbled backward. If it were not for the chair behind him and Bridget''s arm that supported him, he would have alreadynded on the ground. The turn of events drained all color from his face.He now knew he could not protect Darius, which made him feel very defeated. Behind him, Kate was in the same state. Sheer panic coursed through her veins as she shot to her feet, wanting to aid Darius. Unfortunately, the wind was so strong that she stumbled onto the ground without the support of her seat. The thud caused by her fall was barely audible through the howling wind. That wind came from none other than Shelvin, who casually raised an arm. He did not do anything but that simple movement. Still, as everyone''s eyes zed with fear, so did his. Everyone soon gawked at Darius. "That''s my most powerful move! Although it¡¯s not lethal, it can strike fear into the hearts of everyone around. So how can Darius stay in his seat as though nothing is happening? I won''t ept that! It''s as if my attack is powerless against him!" Shelvin seethed in his heart. In the meantime, Darius remained seated and was looking at hisptop. Not even a strand of his hair got tousled from the wind. Shelvin had been an enlightened martial artist for many years, but he had never witnessed such a scene before. His brows knitted as he stared alertly at Darius, asking, "Who are you? Why are you able to ignore my attack?" "And here I thought you could tell that we''re both enlightened martial artists," Darius casually said while he stood and straightened his clothes. His eyes locked onto Shelvin like a predator. "At first, I detected something on your body but decided not to question it. What I don¡¯t understand is why you''re targeting me. I have many enemies, but I don''t recall you being one of them.¡± When he said that, he could sense that Shelvin had let out a sigh of relief. Nevertheless, he did not allow thetter to be at ease for long. He added,¡± And that pisses me off even more. I boarded this ne like any other passenger, yet a stranger now targets me for no reason. He ns to ruin my entire life and kill me." All warmth had left Darius¡¯ voice when he spat thatst sentence at Shelvin. Before Shelvin could respond, he got smashed to the ground by an airborne attack. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. The ne shook violently once more. Shelvin gathered all his might to prop himself upright. At that moment, his eyes rounded with disbelief at Darius. One of his most powerful skills dealt no damage to the other party. Shelvin crawled over and groveled before Darius¡¯ feet. "I-I made a mistake, D-Darius. Because of my poor background, I took on this mission to harm you. But now, I understand that I''m no match for you, I hope you can show me mercy by not getting even with me for my earlier actions." Chapter 215 Chapter 215 Darius sat back in his, he could tell the man on the ground no longer nned to attack. Thus, Darius returned his attention to the contents of hisptop screen. Shelvin did not expect that from the former. He knelt on the ground and dared not move while letting out lengthy sighs. With time, he eventually felt he could not stay in that position any longer, so he cautiously looked up and nced sideways at Darius. That was when Darius¡¯ voice rang out. "Everything you''ve done till now remains a mistake until I allow you to get up. I''m being generous by only making you kneel now. If you can''t even fulfil this condition of mine, I suggest you try to kill me instead. Otherwise, you''ll suffer a more miserable end." N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Every muscle in Shelvin''s body tremored as he knelt and bowed his upper body against the ground.He sumbed because he knew Darius was serious about that threat. Thus, he gulped and looked up at thetter. "Then, what must I do for you to allow me to stand?" Darius¡¯ eyes narrowed at Shelvin. "I want to know how you managed to show up at such immacte timing and see me deal with that pesky woman. Also, why did that woman suddenly start trouble for Edward at the airport earlier?" "What? I don''t understand a word you''re saying!" Shelvin''s eyes hardened, trying to shoot a calm and collected look at Darius but failing. Darius took in the former with a look of mockery. "Since you''ve decided not to tell me anything, what else can you offer in exchange for me to let you go?" Shelvin leaned against the ground, his eyes darting around as he brainstormed. "Everything has turned out differently from the information I found about Darius,¡± he thought before gulping and continuing to kneel. He knew he needed to make a decision. Then, Darius looked up and did not see Kate¡¯s head peeking out from the seat in front of him. He found it odd as he did not see Kate leave the cabin at any point, so he stood. Shelvin was already terrified of Darius, so seeing thetter abruptly stand made him shrink backward in fear. Yet, he was surprised when he realized Darius'' focus was not on him. Thetter did not even spare a sideways nce at him. Instead, Darius walked ahead, eventually taken aback by the sight of Kate lying on the ground. Her eyes were shut, and it seemed as though she did not know what had happened. Darius instantly guessed the reason for that; it was because Shelvin''s sudden gust of wind caused her to trip, hit her head, and faint. She then remained unconscious until now. A deep sigh came from Darius just then. He turned to look at Shelvin, saying, "You were already at fault for killing someone. Now, you¡¯ve just made another mistake. I''ll keep this in mind and settle things with you once we get off this ne.¡± Shelvin did not fear those words. Instead, his eyes widened with relief as what Darius said implied he could leave this ne alive. Sadly, his hopeful outlook would soon get shattered. Darius returned to his seat, adding with his frosty tone, ¡®That is if you manage to get off this ne alive.¡± Eyes widened and heart racing, Shelvin was shocked that Darius was not nning to let him go. His voice took on more of a squeak as he rified, "Darius, although I came here intending to harm you, I didn¡¯t actually do it." ¡®That intention alone is enough reason for me to kill you. I don''t need you to do anything else now.¡± Darius yawned before adding, "I''m not an enforcer of thew, so the oue of things doesn¡¯t matter to me-it''s your motive and your actions throughout the event that matter to me.¡± Shelvin''s eyes were wide open. He could not express anything else apart from the terror he felt. After all, he had never encountered anyone like Darius in all his years as an assassin. Darius let out a long exhale after sitting down. He then instructed, "Edward, get the ne''s captain, or any other person in charge, over. Tell them Kate is injured and needs medical attention." Edward whipped around on his heel to do so at once, not doubting the former¡¯s orders. It was also then that Bridget shut her Laptop. She shot a determined gaze at Darius. "Mr. Reid, you can rx now. The video no longer exists on his phone, and he can''t ever retrieve it again." Darius quirked a brow before locking eyes with Bridget. "I didn''t know you had such skills." A proud smile spread across Bridget''s face. ¡°Edward and I may be proficient in fighting, but ourbat skills aren''t in the top ten ranking among all other bodyguards. Contrarily, we have many skills that others don''t. For instance, I''m well versed in computer science and driving while Edward specializes in management and medical practices.¡± His eyes rounded, shocked as he had always assumed it only took adeptbat skills to be a bodyguard for the Reid family. Now he knows that The Reid family''s bodyguards needed exceptional fighting skills, as well as many abilities and specializations within other fields. He now had a higher level of understanding toward Reid Consortium''s wealth. Some time passed before he nodded, asking, ¡®Those are both your areas of expertise, huh? Well, I''d like to know how you define expertise. To what extent are you two proficient in your skills?" Bridget beamed. That was the first time she revealed a sincere smile before Darius, as she reached a new level of understanding toward him. She mused, "He''s indeed a remarkable person who''s able to deduce many things from one piece of the puzzle like he''s doing now by asking that." Chapter 216 Chapter 216 "Darius isn''t asking about our level of expertise for his personal benefit," Bridget thought, touched that Darius had bothered to learn more about her abilities. It meant he was genuinely listening and learning about his bodyguards. "I once won first ce in a hackingpetition," she borated, "And Edward can do many things with his skills. Only he, among the other bodyguards, is able to perform challenging surgical operations." Darius leaned against the seat''s backrest, falling into deep thought. It took a while before he spoke. "Both of your levels of expertise seem superior to other experts in those respective fields. One can even say you''re both top in the world at what you do." Still groveling on the ground, Shelvin''s eyes shot open once he heard Darius '' words. "I didn''t find out about that information beforehand. If I had known, I wouldn''t have shown up today." With that thought, Shelvin did not hesitate to tear up and plead, "Mr. Reid, please forgive me! I didn¡¯t know your background before overhearing the conversation between you and thedy next to you. I wouldn''t havee here if I knew you were from the Reid family!" Darius chose not to respond and continued focusing on Bridget. "It must''ve been challenging for you two to endure bodyguard training camp." "Not at all, Mr. Reid." Another genuine smile curved on Bridget''s face. "We had food, clothes, and a roof over our heads. Furthermore, our lives weren''t under any threat. You''ve just reunited with the Reid family, so you probably aren''t aware of this-several wealthy families and consortiums require their bodyguards to kill one another during training. Only those that survive can be official bodyguards, who''ll remain alive temporarily until threatened." She paused to breathe before resuming, "However, none of that ever happened during the Reid family¡¯s bodyguard training camp." Darius nodded. He was initially furious to learn of how other families trained their bodyguards. It baffled him, and he could not understand their methods. He saw all human life as precious gifts. Hence, it upset him to learn some wealthy people thought differently. Yet, he soon fleetpride, knowing his family respected life as much as he did instead of supporting those cruel practices. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Seeing that Darius remained silent, Bridget continued, "Edward was one of those who lived a pitiful life. Several years ago, he struggled to keep himself fed. He grew up in a less fortunate background. Even after bing the Reid family''s bodyguard and receiving a high sry, his financial struggles persisted. That''s because he previously took out a loan with a high interest rate to survive his poorer days." Darius finally sensed something was off, his eyes narrowing at Bridget." You''ve sung many praises about him and his future this entire night. If you''re implying something, I hope you''ll speak candidly about it." Bridget scratched her head while shing an apologetic smile at him." Sorry, Mr. Reid. I''m unsure of how you currently feel toward Edward as he has made many mistakes, and you didn''t seem to like him before." Not a word came from Darius. Feeling awkward, Bridget rubbed her palms together and continued, "Mr. Reid, I personally think Edward struggled with his life before bing a bodyguard. So, he''s probably uninterested in dating or maintaining good rtions, especially with women. That''s also why I think he''s lying and taking the me for everything. I bet he has some difficulties." Again, only silence came from Darius, who pondered the matter. He thought about Sarah just then. After all, even when he was penniless, he was still willing to be in a romantic rtionship with her and even thought about marrying Sarah. Thus, he could not fully confirm that Edward was uninterested in love, even if thetter was poor at the time. That was when Edward returned. Seeing Darius and Bridget share a look made Edward nervous, and he curled both fists on the sides of his body while gulping. He then greeted Darius with a trembling voice, "I¡¯m back, Mr. Reid." Darius could sense Edward''s growing anxiety, so he exined, "I just learned about the Reid family¡¯s bodyguard training camp and some issues with your character. Now, I''m giving you onest chance to tell me the truth." Every part of Edward''s face stiffened as he stood silently. "Honestly," Darius added, sighing and shing a hint of disdain in his eyes. "I don''t think there''s a need for you to behave this way. I''m sitting here, patiently advising you that it''s yourst chance toe clean. If you continue lying, this man on the ground next to you knows everything and won''t bother helping you hide the truth." Despite facing the former''s dark gaze, Edward chose to stay silent. However, Shelvin could not take it any longer. He pressed both hands against the ground, propping himself upward and eximing, "Enough! I''ll tell you what happened! Edward owes many loans with high interest rates and has no way of repaying them. So, someone approached him and promised to erase all his debts as long as he disclosed your whereabouts." Bridget''s jaw fell agape when she heard that. She had never imagined such a thing would happen. Disapproval soon brimmed in her eyes that fixed on Edward. Yet, if one were to look closer, one would notice there was also a hint of an apology in her stare. Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Edward stayed rooted to the ground wordlessly as he did nothing wrong. He believed Darius was a justice person who would never let him suffer for anything he did not do. Everyone on board had conflicted thoughts, but none spoke except for Shelvin. He squawked with a pitchy tone, "Of course, Edward didn''t agree. However, he was very young and not a professional bodyguard at the time, so he had no idea that we put a tracking device on him once he entered the room. From that, we managed to track Darius¡¯ every action urately. The person then got Edward''s ex-fiance¡¯s mother to start trouble at the airport, dying things so we could tamper with the ne and ensure Darius died aboard. s, things turned out to be different from what we expected-we never expected Elizabeth to get involved. She somehow got on this ne too. We never nned to kill her." Darius¡¯ lips curled up into a cold smile. Shelvin knew Darius believed him when he saw thetter smirking. He calmly continued, "So when I boarded this ne, I received orders from the person behind everything, my employer, to end Elizabeth''s life whenever I see fit. Thus, I picked out the best timing to execute those orders." He then stretched all his fingers apart and rolled his sore shoulders back before concluding, ¡®That''s all I have to say regarding my part in this story." Annoyance flickered in Darius'' eyes. He glowered at Shelvin, balling his fists while raising them. The two stood about 10 feet apart, but once Darius did that, Shelvin''s arms instinctively shot up toward his neck because he could not breathe. With every second, the invisible force constricting his neck tightened. He gripped his neck and spoke hoarsely. "D-Darius, I believe you should let me go now. I didn''t wrong you in any way. Besides, I did everything you asked by telling the truth. I''m pretty sure I didn''t leave out any details. You can tell me if I¡¯ve done anything wrong, and I''ll correct it. There''s no need to turn to violence." His fearful gaze locked onto Darius as he uttered those sentences at lightning speed. Although Darius was an enlightened martial artist, it was difficult for him to understand every word clearly. Nevertheless, he had a rough idea of what was said. Seeing the sincere look on Shelvin¡¯s face, Darius knew the former was telling the truth. He loosened his fists slightly, but not entirely. Still, that alone was enough to give the former some relief. Shelvin opened his mouth wide, greedily sucking in every bit of air he could. He then looked at Darius, hoarsely stating, "I don''t know what I did wrong, but I hope you can tell me straightforwardly so I can amend my mistakes and make up for all the trouble I''ve caused, like wasting your time." Darius nodded stoically. "I''ll give you onest chance. Know that I won''t hesitate to send you down to hell, where you can mingle with Elizabeth for eternity if you cross me again." This time, no threats were necessary for Shelvin to take action; he immediately held his neck with eyes full of fear and nodded. "Mr. Reid, what information do you want in exchange for sparing my life? I promise to reveal everything I know." Darius lowered his arms, shut his eyes, then leaned back into his seat and crossed his arms before asking, "How were you at the private corner where I dealt with that older woman? Based on your abilities, it¡¯s unlikely that you can conceal yourself from me, so I bet someone was aiding you." Upon hearing that, Shelvin pped his forehead. "My bad. The situation has made me negligent, so I forgot to inform you how it happened. Basically, I arrived at the airportst night and was responsible for setting up the incidents that urred today, including the employees involved. So, I ced a tracker on the woman once she arrived at the airport in case things went out of hand. I knew things were no longer going ording to my n once she got dragged away. After weighing my options, I decided toe over and see what was happening." Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. "See what was happening?" Darius repeated. Shelvin sensed the disapproval in Darius¡¯ snide remark. However, thetter''s reaction ced him in a difficult position. He did not know what to say to make Darius stop picking on and questioning his every mistake. Desperate, he shed puppy dog eyes at Darius, hoping to appear innocent and pitiful. Many possible oues of today formed in Shelvin¡¯s mind. Yet, none of them came true because Darius never bothered to open his eyes or look at Shelvin. That was when Shelvin borated, "Edward was popr with thedies back when he attended school. I chose this specific family for my n because they weren''t good people. They did horrible things and harmed many innocent people by robbing and scamming them. That''s why I never intended for them to walk away alive when I asked them to participate in my ns-" Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Besides, I don''t want to, nor will I, allow them to live. After all, their recent schemes involve recruiting children to scam other families, which I can¡¯t tolerate." While saying that, Shevin boldly looked into Darius¡¯ eyes. "I believe you''re also aware of these things. Otherwise, you wouldn''t have acted against them." Darius¡¯ gaze bore into him as he nodded. "I''ve said many things to you today, and it''s significantly more than my usual conversations with my secretary. Among everything we discussed, yourst assumption is the most urate. It''s what I like to hear. Thus, from this point on until the nends, I want you to shut up unless you''re uttering facts. That way, I might stay in a good mood and allow you to leave this ne alive." Meanwhile, the captain had been on the ground in the row ahead, his fingers roaming over Kate''s head. After Shelvin and Darius¡¯ conversation dwindled, the captain meekly reported to Darius, "Kate''s not doing so good. She has suffered trauma to her head, but I''m unqualified to give her a proper diagnosis or treat her. I''ll need to make an in-flight announcement to see if we have a doctor on board. I hope this matter won''t affect your mood, sir." Darius found the captain, who stared at him timidly, amusing as it was not his intention to be frightening. Plus, he did not think he was a scary person. Nevertheless, he kept silent, shut his eyes, and nodded. Seeing the former behave like usual, the captain heaved a sigh of relief and patted his chest while leaving to make the announcement. Darius massaged his temples. Suddenly, he changed his mind when the captain was about to depart the first-ss cabin. He called out, "Wait." The captain halted in his step. While he feared Darius, he was equally terrified of his ruthless boss, Kate''s father, William Anderson. Kate was William''s only daughter. Although William had many lovers, no one could deny he deeply cared for and loved Kate. That was why the captain stiffened, unable to rx or return his hands to his sides. He stood frozen on the spot, visualizing how he would get fired after all this was over. It was also then that he snapped out of that thought, realizing there was no guarantee he could leave thepany alive if he were to upset William. Hence, he exhaled shakily, his arms flopping limply against hissides as he turned to Darius. "Sir, is there anything else you need? Kate''s situation is pretty urgent." N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Darius could tell the former was nervous, so he did not respond rudely. Instead, he stood and pointed at Kate, stating, "There''s no need for the announcement. I have my ways of resolving this matter." The captain was taken aback, his eyes widening at Darius while his jaw fell open. All words failed him in that instant. While he pondered how to react, he saw Darius approach Kate and knelt to rest a hand on her head. It looked like a scene straight out of a romance movie if not for Darius touching Kate''s wound. Seeing that, the guard could not stand by and watch. He yelled, "Please let go of Kate, Darius! Everyone on this ne might not survive if anything happens to her." Darius¡¯ eyes mped shut, feeling irritated by the former''s loudness. Erin instantly noticed that and understood how Darius felt. She whipped her head around, shooting a re at the captain. She raised a dismissive hand while saying, "Are you aware of how irritating you are when you talk? If I were you. I''d shut up at once and refrain from saying anything else. The lives of everyone here depend on my boss¡¯ actions now, so your current behavior isn''t helping!" The captain parted his lips, then shut them. In the end, there was nothing he could do but lower his head, his gaze downcast. However, that did not mean he was betraying his pledge to protect William''s daughter. It was because he could not refute Erin, who spoke the truth. Only after the captain fell silent did Darius¡¯ eyes open. Regardless of how he felt, the warm gas in his belly continued to pour out of his palms, seeping into Kate''s head injury, then entering her brain. Then, something shocking happened. Kate''s injury was speedily mending itself before everyone''s eyes. Her face, pallid due to the wound earlier, now regained some color. That sight was baffling to everyone there, including Erin and Bridget. However, the two were quick to snap out of their dazes as they had both received professional training to qualify to be beside Darius. They met each other''s gazes before speedily turning their backs to each other, blocking off Darius and Kate from anyone else''s view. The two scanned the crowd with eyes that resembled lethalser beams. Because of that, no one dared to look at them. Other passengers lowered their heads to avoid eye contact, used their phones, or pretended to be asleep. Darius knew what the two women were doing. His lips curved upward, pleased with their actions. That continued for about three minutes before Kate''s injury fully recovered. That was when Kate opened her eyes and noticed how close Darius was. Her head was practically leaning against his firm abs, so her cheeks turned bright pink in seconds. She struggled to sit upright but could not. It was then that she realized her entire body was leaning against him for support. Kate wanted to ask Darius what was happening. However, she was too flustered to speak after realizing her intimate position. She could only sit there, gawking like a fool at Darius as though her eyes were about to pop out. Her reaction amused Darius so much that he let out an airy chuckle. Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Kate had never imagined Darius smiling at her before, especially after she''de onto him so forcefully. Darius shook his head, then said, "I think you can stand up now that you''re feeling better." She was still dazed by his smile, so she stood up without a second thought. Then, she heard the despair in the captain''s voice. "No, wait! You shouldn''t do that! It''s much too dangerous now!" Unfortunately, it was toote, and his despair grew as he looked at Darius. Now, he had two options-to go along with what Darius wanted or to go against him. No matter which one he picked, he wouldn''t be able to live a peaceful life. So, he chose to leave She was still dazed by his smile, so she stood up without a second thought. Then, she heard the despair in the captain''s voice. "No, wait! You shouldn''t do that! It''s much too dangerous now!" Unfortunately, it was toote, and his despair grew as he looked at Darius. Now, he had two options-to go along with what Darius wanted or to go against him. No matter which one he picked, he wouldn''t be able to live a peaceful life. So, he chose to leave a good impression on the people who would make it out of this alive and win himself a ster reputation. He would show them that he was willing to die to protect his master no matter how dangerous it was, which meant that he would stop Darius. He hurried over to stand between Kate and Darius, his expression mixed with fear and anger. "How can you allow her to stand up? Do you know how hical it is for you to do something like this just to prove what a good doctor you are?" Darius narrowed his eyes, but he didn''t say anything. The captain became even more nervous at his reaction. He started to tremble, but he kept his voice loud as he said tremulously, "I''m sure we all saw what happened earlier. Kate suffered a serious injury to the head, and she was bleeding profusely. She should be in pain and feeling dizzy now, but you told her to stand up regardless of her condition. I think it¡¯s illogical for you to do that just because you saved her." Darius raised an eyebrow and nodded. "What do you think is the logical thing to do, then?" This surprised the captain. He subconsciously turned to look at Kate. Then, he saw a look that he would never forget. Kate''s gaze was filled with shock, confusion, disdain, and other emotions that he couldn''t discern. He remained silent, however, because he didn¡¯t know what to say. An awkward silence descended upon them. After a few attempts to speak, the captain finally managed to ask, "Are you feeling better now?" Kate moved her head around, saying nkly, ''Yes, I am. I feel perfectly fine." She put a hand to her head and massaged it vigorously, even messing her hair up to prove that she was okay. The captain''s jaw dropped at her actions. He stumbled backward, shaking his head as he mumbled," No, that¡¯s impossible. I saw your wound, and it was deep. There was so much blood! That¡¯s enough to show how serious the injury was. There¡¯s no way you could''ve recovered in such a short time." He turned to look at Darius. "I think you owe us an exnation." Darius smiled. It was mocking, but he still nodded and said, ¡®You''re right. Kate was seriously injured earlier, but that doesn''t mean I can''t make her recover quickly." Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Edward stood in one corner silently. He''d heard about enlightened martial artists before and always thought they merely had an additional source of power to tap into for fights. Never would he have imagined there to be other uses for it. In that instant, he suddenly wanted to join their ranks. His logic won out, though, and he stepped forward before looking at the captain. "I believe that you''ve heard of me before. My name''s Edward Elliott, and I''m an experienced surgeon. If you don''t know who I am, you can probably look me up on the inte." Silence greeted his words. The captain gaped and stared at him for the longest time, unable to blink or move. This was Darius¡¯ first time encountering such a situation, so it took him a while to process this. Edward walked up to him and looked disapproving as he said, "Sir, they¡¯re not worth your time, and you don''t need to operate on them personally. If anything like this happens again, you can tell me to handle it. I''m your bodyguard, and I''ll do anything you want me to." Darius sensed that he was making a request as a loyal subject. He realized that he shouldn''t have used his powers to handle the situation, so he nodded without a word. Edward sighed with relief at Darius¡¯ acquiescence, then turned to face the captain again. "I think we''ve managed to resolve the issue pretty well. As long as you keep silent, no one will know what happened here." The captain was still gaping at him, making him frown. He was about to say something when the captain shrieked, "My God! You''re Edward Elliott, you say? Of course, I know who you are! I doubt there''s any pilot who hasn''t heard of you-you''re the one who brought us all the benefits that we''re enjoying now, and all the obstacles you overcame have contributed to lengthening our lifespans." Edward didn''t expect him to know about those things. After a moment''s hesitation, he nodded and said, "Thank you for your gratitude." Chapter 220 Chapter 220 "Therefore, can you pretend nothing happened on this ne and continue doing what you''re supposed to? 1¡¯ The captain nodded without hesitation. He held a trembling hand out and said, "There''s no way I''ll turn down your request. May I shake your hand?" Edward shrugged and nodded. He rxed a little and said, "If you''re willing, I can take a photo with you." The captain''s face glowed with excitement. His lips were trembling so badly that he couldn''t say a word, and he''d even teared up. He shuffled over to Edward, then pulled out his phone with trembling hands and snapped a blurry photo. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Darius saw that there was no way to tell who was in the photo, so he smiled helplessly and took the phone from the captain. Then, he aimed the camera at them and said, "Let''s take another photo. The other one was blurred." Bridget walked over to Erin''s side, his hands behind his back as she gaped at the scene before them. It felt so surreal. When Erin heard how uneven her breathing was, she knew Bridget was shocked. She turned to look at Bridget and said, "There''s no need to be surprised. Mr. Reid must have his reasons for doing this. All we have to do is wait, and our questions will eventually be answered. You¡¯re being too obvious, and that''s not a good thing for Mr. Reid." Erin tried to keep her voice as low as possible so only Darius and Bridget heard her. A trace of surprise shed in Darius¡¯ eyes. He nced at Erin without anyone noticing, then put a hand behind his back before sliding the phone back into the captain''s pocket. "Alright, it''s time for you to get back to work. I don''t think you need to worry about Kate. She''s fine now." Kate was still shocked. She never would''ve expected someone who''d been extremely loyal to her father only to have eyes for Edward. Still, she was happy about this. After all, she wanted her staff to treat Darius as well as she did. Though the captain hadn''t been nice to Darius, he practically worshiped Edward, which was good enough. At least it wouldn¡¯t make things between him and Darius too awkward. She buried this thought deep in her mind, but the look in her eyes betrayed her. The captain wanted to continue speaking with Edward, but he knew not to be greedy. He forced himself to turn around and walk away from Edward. Darius narrowed his eyes. He was running out of patience. If the captain didn''t snap out of it, he would say something nasty. Fortunately, the cabin crew didn¡¯t allow that to happen. The captain only took a few steps when one of the flight attendants ran up to him and whispered something into his ear. Darius heard her clearly as an enlightened martial artist, but no one else did. She said, "Captain, the ne''s about tond. You have to return to the cockpit immediately." The captain didn''t say anything but quickly headed for the cockpit. Darius wanted to see this, so he didn''t say anything. He merely sat down in his seat and looked at Kate. "We should all sit down, shouldn¡¯t we? The ne should bending soon." Kate checked the time and nodded. "Yes, you''re right." Then, she sat down. Erin took her seat next to Darius, then started breathing deeply. Darius nced at her, making her nervous. She smiled and said, "Mr. Reid, I''m always like this when it''s almost time tond. Flying always exhausts me." She thought Darius was going to reprimand her, but she was wrong. He merely smiled and said lightly, "I thought you''d be tired because of everything that¡¯s happened. In fact, you were working hard before we boarded." Kate had never heard him use such a gentle tone before, and without even realizing what she was doing, she quickly whipped her head around to re daggers at Erin. She''d even opened her mouth to warn her off, but her rationality kicked in at this point and stopped her. After a short pause, she turned back around. Erin had caught her death re, but she didn''t say anything. Darius sensed the change in atmosphere and narrowed his eyes- this wasn''t something he wanted to see. Neither of these women belonged to him, and he didn''t want to waste time smoothing things out between them, but it seemed that he didn''t have a choice. However, he didn''t say anything since Kate hadn''t acted. When the nended, he took a deep breath. This was his first time feeling mentally exhausted after returning to the Reid Consortium, so the moment they could get off the ne, he got to his feet and strode off without a word. This was Erin''s first time receiving such treatment. Chapter 221 Chapter 221 Her eyes widened, and she looked confused. However, she only allowed herself to stay like this for a second before regaining herposure. She grabbed her things and hurried off the ne. She had to catch up with Darius. When Kate saw them moving, she got ready to get off the ne as well. Before she could do so, someone appeared before her. It was a man with blond hair and in features. She knew who he was- Darius¡¯ bodyguard, the surgeon. The captain practically worshipped him and treated Darius nicely because of him. So, she told herself to be nice to him. She forced out a smile and said, "You''re Edward, right? May I know why you''re stopping me from getting off the ne?" Edward looked at her seriously. "Because I''m a bodyguard. I can tell that you want to get close to Mr. Reid, and that''s not something that I can allow."Kate resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She was starting to dislike Edward already, but she couldn''t show it. As she pondered this, Edward said, "Mr. Reid will be in Almiron City for a long time. I don''t think you need to express your thoughts right now. Also, if my memory serves me right, the Anderson Group is very influential here. I suppose it''s something for you to think about." He stretched his neck, then continued, "I think I''ve overstepped my boundary as a bodyguard, so this is the end of our conversation. I hope that you won''t show up before Mr. Reid for the time being. Also, I hope that you''ll learn propermunication before the next time we meet. Otherwise, I''ll exercise my right and duty as a bodyguard." Without waiting for Kate''s reaction, he turned and left. Kate remained rooted to the spot, only returning to her senses once Edward was out of her sight. She shrieked angrily, "Edward, you''re just a bodyguard! You have no right to speak to me like that!" Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. It was toote, though. Neither Darius nor Edward heard her. At this moment, the four of them had already gotten into the car Erin had prepared. Edward was in the driver''s seat, Bridget was in the passenger seat, and Darius and Erin were in the back. Erin turned to Darius and said, "Mr. Reid, you didn''t have anything concrete nned for this trip before we came here, so I''veprepared a simple itinerary for you to go through. You''ll have to let me know what other ns you have." Darius nodded and said, "Okay." Erin handed him herptop. He quickly scrolled through the itinerary and said, ¡®This is fine. I don''t have anything else to add." Erin nodded and put theptop away. "Per the schedule, we should be heading to our hotel now. It¡¯s a five-star hotel, the best one that Almiron City offers. It''s called Umbrite Hotel. It has the best restaurant in the city and provides various cuisines. It also has a splendid view." Darius looked at her approvingly. This was exactly what he needed. The Reid Consortium hadn''t invested much in Almiron City because it wasn''t that well-developed, and he now needed to get more people interested in this ce. He was shocked by its size despite knowing that it wasn¡¯t well-developed. It had only taken them twenty minutes to get from the airport to the hotel. The hotel''s entrance was framed by a gilded door to show itsvishness. The security guards and valet stood at attention, but Darius¡¯ car didn''t pique their interest. None of them stepped forward to offer to park the car. This upset Darius, and he turned to look at the car. It cost half a million, which Erin had gotten in Almiron City. He could understand that the car was too cheap to make them spring into action, but he couldn''t ept the fact that their attitude was affecting their work performance. Erin''s heart started to race at the displeasure on Darius¡¯ face. She knew that he was starting to feel dissatisfied with the hotel, so she quickly got out of the car. "Mr. Reid, this is the best hotel that I could find in Almiron City. If you''re unhappy with it or with the car, I''llimmediately arrange for you to stay elsewhere. Please, don''t allow this to affect your mood." Darius looked at her, surprised. "I don''t mean that. I think these employees don''t have the right frame of mind. Theirckadaisical attitude has resulted in Edward being unable to park the car in the correct spot because he doesn''t know a thing about this ce." Realization dawned on Erin. She walked over to the employees and said, "I don¡¯t think that you people should be standing around here like this. You should be helping to park the car. Also, none of you came to wee us. This is a disgrace to your hotel¡¯s service standards." Chapter 222 Chapter 222 Her anger didn''t bring about the results she wanted. On the contrary, the security guards burst into laughter. One of them said, "I think you need to get this straight-you have no right to make any demands of us because your employer''s only driving a car that''s worth half a million. In fact, you don¡¯t even have the right toe up to us and talk to us. If not for that pretty face, you would already be t on your back." Their eyes trailed over Erin''s bodysciviously. To their surprise, this didn''t even make her flinch. The security guard who''d spoken wasn''t happy with this, so he raised his voice and said to the guard opposite him, "Look, I was right. This woman''s not the proper type-why would she be getting out from the back seat if she were that guy''s secretary? Unless, of course, she was giving him some extra special service." His meaning was rtively covert, but everyone presents still understood what he was getting at. They turned to look at Erin with pointed gazes, but she was still unaffected. She stood there and curled her lips, then said haughtily, "I''ve already recorded everything you''ve said, and I think both of you are going to be out of jobs soon." Based on past experience, these people would start feeling scared once she said that. To her surprise, things didn¡¯t turn out like that. The security guards stood there with their heads held high, and they looked at her mockingly. "If I were you, I wouldn''t have said something like that. You¡¯re just putting yourself in danger." Erin narrowed her eyes. "If that¡¯s a threat, I''m sorry to say that you''ve failed. My chairman won''t give up on me." The security guards shared a look, then threw their heads back inughter. Erin merely watched them silently. When they were finally doneughing, they looked at her again. The one that hadn¡¯t spoken much looked at the other and said, "Lyon, I think it''s time for you to show this beautiful woman what reality is like. She thinks that she¡¯s worthy of her chairman paying the price to protect her. In truth, she means nothing to him. Perhaps he doesn¡¯t even know what her name is!" Lyon nodded. "You''re right, Viktor. I''ll show them who''s boss." He walked down the steps, eyes trained on Darius. Erin¡¯s hands balled into fists by her side, and she got ready to give him a punch once he stopped in front of her. Unexpectedly, he walked right past her and headed toward Darius. She narrowed her eyes and looked at him worriedly, saying, "Mr. Reid..." Before she could say anything else, Darius held a hand up to stop her. She twisted her hands worriedly, but she didn''t make a sound. Darius stretched his neck and looked at Lyon. "You''re Lyon, right?" His deep voice carried emotions that Lyon couldn''t discern, making him ufortable. So, when he spoke, he didn''t sound as arrogant as before. "I -I think that you probably don''t know what that pretty littledy is called, so it''s likely that she means nothing to you." Darius looked at him calmly. "I think you can just be straight." When Lyon saw that Darius wasn''t offended, he widened his eyes, looking excited. He raised his voice and said, "If that''s the case, I''ll take it to mean that you''re someone who doesn''t like beating around the bush. I hope that my words will make youe to a realization. This woman¡¯s attitude wasn''t very pleasant when speaking to us earlier, and if you leave her out here with us while you enjoy your stay in the hotel, we can just end this debacle. You''ll still be an honored guest at our five-star hotel, and no one will know that you can only afford to drive a car worth half a million." He held his head up high to show how confident he was. He believed that no one would be able to resist this offer, but he was surprised by what happened next. Darius didn¡¯t avert his gaze. Instead, he lifted a hand and balled it into a fist. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Lyon subconsciously took a step back, then said warily, "I hope you''re not holding up your fist because of me and that it won''tnd on me. Otherwise, I''ll make you regret it." Darius didn''t answer him. Instead, he said coldly, "I want to know what would¡¯ve happened to the pretty littledy you were referring to if I''d done as you said." Lyon smiled, but it only made him look immoral. "Nothing much. She would''ve continued doing what she already does, but for a different person. Then again, I don''t think it matters to women like her who they serve. Don''t think I¡¯m pulling your leg. I''ve seen one too many..." Suddenly, he let out a cry of pain. Darius slowly lowered his hand. He looked at Lyon, who was crouched on the ground, then stepped over him. His eyes were trained on Viktor, but his words were directed at Edward as he said, "I¡¯m sure you know how to deal with such people." Chapter 223 Chapter 223 "Don''t worry, Mr. Reid. I''ll settle this." Darius nodded, then closed his eyes and fell silent. Viktor was terrified. He cried, "Darius, let me go this once, please! I didn¡¯t do anything-I didn''t even speak to the woman! I merely agreed with what Lyon said." Lyon''s eyes bulged. He spat on the ground and growled, "If you had the least bit of shame, you wouldn''t have said that. When we came across situations like this in the past, it''s not like you didn¡¯t get anything out of them. Now that the shit has hit the fan, you''re pushing all the me on me so that this dude will vent his anger on me. I''m not going to take this lying down, and you''ll pay the price for what you''ve done!" His tone was resolute and firm. It made Viktor''s face turn ghostly pale. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Darius¡¯ gaze traveled between the two of them. Then, he narrowed his eyes, seemingly having understood something. He took a deep breath before putting his hands behind his back and walking into the hotel. Edward followed him while dragging Lyon along by the cor. Lyon didn''t seem fazed, though. "Hey, brat. I bet you''re not from here. If you were, you wouldn''t be treating me like this. Do you know why? Because my uncle''s Wilson Gillette, the founder of Gillette Group!" He said this confidently, even trying his best to hold his head high. Darius stopped and turned to look at him. "So, your name''s Lyon Gillette?" Lyon looked proud. ¡®Yes, that¡¯s right. I suppose that means you''re not as ignorant as you look. So, you should get on your knees, apologize, and beg me to forgive you. Say that you''ll do anything to make it up to me, or I''ll do whatever I can to make your life a living hell. You don''t want to end up as a pile of bones frozen by the roadside, do you?" Darius sized him up. His hat was crooked because of the punch Darius had given him earlier, but he still looked unbelievably pleased with himself. This reminded Darius of the first time he¡¯d gone out looking for a job when he was fourteen. It was a cold winter''s day, and it was still snowing. The orphanage didn''t have many funds, so all he had on was a thin short- sleeved T-shirt under a long-sleeved shirt he''d scavenged from the trash, 1 For convenience''s sake, they weren''t allowed to leave the orphanage unless it was to go to school. So, this was Darius¡¯ first time leaving the orphanage alone. He could still remember how scared he''d been back then. Then, he found a restaurant and asked the owner in the smallest voice possible whether he needed someone to wash the dishes. There was nothing else he could do aside from this. Before being recognized as the heir to the Reid Consortium, Darius had been on the receiving end of all sorts of harsh treatment. The restaurant''s owner was no different. He was a bully whose life was filled with bitterness. To this day, Darius could remember the menacing gaze that had traveled over his body. He couldn''t help but tremble under it. The owner didn''t say anything for the longest time, and Darius felt like he would freeze to death. So, he forced out, "Sir, I''ve never worked before, but I grew up in an orphanage. I''m used to doing these chores, and I''m sure I can do a good job." At his words, the owner had exaggeratedly pretended to vomit. Then, he turned to the chef who was standing next to him and said mockingly," You''re a great employee, so I won''t cause trouble for you by hiring someone that''s obviously no better than a thief. I wouldn''t want him to steal our food, would I?" The chef smiled as well, but he still headed into the kitchen to get some food for Darius. Darius was grateful for this, but he felt humiliated. So, he shook his head. ¡®Thank you, but I¡¯m not here to beg for food. The orphanage provides food for us. I just want to find a job to earn my tuition." The chef dropped his smile. The owner reached out to take the food from him, then threw it at a stray dog who was digging around for food. After that, he said harshly, "If I were you, I would''ve fucked off long ago. As you said, you''re here for the money. There might not be any money in my kitchen, but there''s plenty of food, and that¡¯s worth something. Now, get the fuck away from here." He then shoved Darius so hard that he fell to the ground. Back in the present, Darius looked at the scars on his palm. He took a deep breath, suddenly finding that Lyon¡¯s expression was eerily simr to that of the restaurant owner''s. He didn''t enjoy being reminded of these things, so he narrowed his eyes and looked at Lyon contemptuously. This was Lyon¡¯s first time being on the receiving end of such a gaze, and it made him angry. He refused to take it lying down, so he started struggling, wanting to escape Edward''s grip. Unfortunately for him, all he managed to do was give himself a headache. He had no choice but to stop. He turned his head with difficulty, his gazending on Edward. "Hey, brat. You''d better let me go this instant, or I guarantee you and your gang will leave this hotel in coffins." Chapter 224 Chapter 224 Edward looked into his eyes and found that Lyon meant what he said. He believed that he had the ability to turn his words into reality. So, he narrowed his eyes. He could not understand this, but he didn''t say anything. He merely looked at Darius. Only when Darius nodded did he turn his cold gaze onto Lyon. Before anyone realized what was going on, he flicked his wrist and snapped Lyon''s bone, making him let out an anguished cry. Darius stretched his neck and looked at Viktor. "I know that everything that''s happened today will make your life difficult. If you need me to break your arm as well, I''ll be d to be of service." The blood drained from Viktor''¡¯s face. He had yet to recover from hisst bout of terror, so he remained rooted to the spot, trembling uncontrobly. His jaw went ck, but he didn''t say a word. When Darius saw him like this, he chuckled and said mockingly, "This guy''s essentially the same as Lyon. In fact, he''s worse. At the very least, Lyon has the guts to own up to the things he¡¯s done, and it¡¯s easy to see that he has no concept of right and wrong. This guy, however, knows very well that what he''s doing is wrong, but he continues to do it anyway." Viktor could sense the menace in Darius¡¯ gaze and tried his best to move. He dropped to his knees and repeatedly kowtowed with his foreheadnding on the ground with loud thuds. "Please, let me go." His voice was shaky, but he didn''t stop talking. "Even if you don''t, Lyon''s family won''t. You don''t need to dirty your hands dealing with someone like me. It¡¯ll just alert the authorities, and you''ll be punished." He looked sincere-as if he didn¡¯t want them to get into trouble. Darius didn''t believe him for a second. Instead of saying anything, he walked into the hotel. Except for the receptionist, the employees had all gone into hiding because of the ruckus outside. He walked over to the front desk and put Erin''s phone on the counter. When he looked at the receptionist, he saw her trembling all over. He sighed and said, "There''s no need to be afraid of me. I''m not here to rob you. In fact, I assure you that we booked rooms here through proper procedures, and now we''re here to check in. The only thing your emotions prove is that you''re not a very professional receptionist." He looked her in the eye. The receptionist''s eyes were big and bright, and she had longshes. Her blond hair, fair skin, white teeth, and red lips made her look like a perfect Barbie doll. However, when she heard Darius'' words, she became an angry rag doll. "Sir, I don''t think you can just peg me as unprofessional! There''s no one in this world who can smile at someone who had his bodyguard break someone''s arm as if nothing was wrong. I''m a human, not a robot. It''s impossible for me to put on a friendly smile to greet you." She spoke quickly, and the displeasure in her eyes was obvious. This amused Darius because her displeasure suddenly gave way to fear at the end of her sentence. She took two steps back, then bowed at him and said loudly, "Sir, I got ahead of myself! I realize my mistake now, so please don''t treat me like you treated Lyon. It''s not something I can handle! Also, I just started here. If you can forgive me, I''ll..." She chattered on, but Darius had already focused his attention on Erin. She''d changed her clothes in the car, perhaps because Lyon had managed toy a hand on her without her noticing. She was now wearing a ck pencil skirt, and it showed off her hourss figure. Darius gave her an appreciative look and said, "You look great in this skirt." Erin lowered her head shyly, exposing her slender neck to his eyes. He suddenly realized what was happening, so he stopped talking and turned back to the receptionist. "This ends here. Check us in now, or I¡¯m really going to lodge aint against you." The receptionist straightened up immediately and hurried over to theputer, her fingers flying over the keyboard. Thirty secondster, she ced four key cards before Darius. "Sir, these are the four suites that you''ve reserved." Darius raised an eyebrow. "How many rooms do the suites have? How many people can one suite amodate?" N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. The receptionist''s eyes swept over him and his entourage, and she immediately knew what he wanted to know. She said, "The normal suites only have two rooms with a bed each, so they can''t amodate four people. However, if you want to stay in the same room, I''d suggest taking the presidential suite. It''s more than enough to amodate four people, and each person will have their own space." Darius looked at her approvingly, then put the four key cards on the counter. Chapter 225 Chapter 225 "Now, I want you to change these four rooms into a presidential suite." The receptionist bowed at Darius politely again before reaching out to take the key cards. Before she could, an unpleasant voice rang out. "If my memory serves me right, anyone who wants to upgrade from a normal suite to the presidential suite has to fork out an additional thousand dors. Since you''re upgrading from four normal suites, you''ll need to pay four thousand dors. I doubt you''ll be able to afford it, judging by the rags you''re wearing." No one would be happy to suddenly be criticized or insulted by a random passerby. Darius narrowed his eyes and turned to look at the person who''d spoken. However, a hand caught him by the arm. He subconsciously looked at it and followed it upward to see that it belonged to the receptionist. He exhaled and said, "I don''t think we''re well acquainted enough for you to be doing this. It¡¯s not very appropriate." N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. The receptionist''s face turned crimson. She let go of him and bowed again, saying apologetically, "I¡¯m sorry, sir. I acted without thinking. You may not know who this woman is, so allow me to introduce you. She''s our lobby manager and a ster employee. She''s also a member of the Gillette family." The woman cut her off here. "I don''t think that''s information that you have the right to reveal! I''m going to take note of this and deal with youter." Her voice wasn''t easily discernible as masculine or feminine, and if one didn''t look at her, it was easy to mistake her for a young man. So, Darius didn''t bother hiding his surprise. And it was this surprise that truly made the woman''s blood boil. She bellowed, "Your gaze is extremely rude. Guards, drag this pauper out of here right now! If you don''t deal with him immediately, I guarantee you''ll regret being born." Then, she turned to look at the receptionist. "As for you, pack up your things and leave right now." The receptionist''s eyes widened, and she raised her voice without even realizing it. "Firstly, I want to say that''s an unreasonable decision. Secondly, you don''t have the right to fire me at all! You''re not a senior executive in this hotel. You¡¯re just a lobby manager. Also, you''re not a shareholder!" She was loud enough that everyone heard her clearly, and Darius could even hear their gasps. His interest was piqued, and he said to her, "If you''re really asked to leave this hotel, you can consider joining mypany. It''s newly established, so we need talents like yourself." Without a word, Erin stepped forward and put herptop on the front desk¡¯s counter. Her fingers flew across the keyboard. Darius raised an eyebrow at her actions. He''d never seen her like this before. After a moment''s thought, he understood what she was doing. Then, he saw her smile. She pushed theptop over to him and said, "This is all the information we have on the receptionist. Indeed, she''s well-suited to join West Antics Int''l. If she does join us, she''ll definitely be a good addition." Darius raised an eyebrow. It was hard for him to believe that he''d stumbled upon yet another talent. After all, they were a rare breed. Coming across Erin was already surprising enough. If this receptionist was another talent, there was no doubt in his mind that West Antics Int''l would be able to achieve its goal in no time. As he thought about this, he walked to the front desk to look at theptop. Then, he nced at the receptionist and said, "Alicia Rodriguez, a finance major whopleted her degree and postgraduate studies with flying colors. For some reason, all the interviews you attended after graduating went badly, and you failed to find a job in finance. Then, someone used you of cheating on the entrance exam to join a government body, and it was decided that you would never get a job there. This hasn''t been verified, though." As Darius continued looking through the information, he found that Alicia seemed to give up on her life after this. She didn¡¯t put in any effort to change her situation. Instead, she''d gone around working odd jobs. He looked at her. "So, that was the story of your life. I want to know now whether you have anything to say about it." In truth, Darius hadn''t read aloud all the information they had. All the usations of Alicia cheating on the entrance exam had originated from the same IP address. In other words, this issue could be easily resolved if one had the wealth and power to do so. Unfortunately, Alicia was nothing but an ordinary student. She didn''t have the means to turn her life around, which was why she''d kept silent. She took a deep breath, not expecting the things she''d long buried to suddenly be unearthed. She looked at Darius with her eyes wide, and she trembled as she said, "Don''t believe what they say. I''m innocent, and I did nothing of the sort. Trust me!" Her gaze was pleading as she looked at him. After the cheating incident, no one believed her when she imed to be innocent, not even her parents. Now, however, aplete stranger seemed to be telling her that they were wrong. Chapter 226 Chapter 226 To her, Darius was basically her lifebuoy. He was the only thing she could hold on to as she drowned. When Darius saw this, he wanted to help her rx. He nodded and smiled, saying, "I think that anyone with the money and power to go up against the Gillette family wouldn''t think of this as an issue. The reason you couldn''t resolve this before was that you had neither. Now, with me around, you have both. I need someone to help me take care of some things in Almiron City. So, this is the time for you to shine. I''ll give you a chance to prove yourself by resolving the issue that we''re facing now." Alicia¡¯s eyes widened again. She never would''ve expected toe across such an opportunity. Her eyes reddened, and she nodded vigorously. "I''ll definitely prove that you made the right decision by trusting me, regardless of my age." She wiped her tears away, then strode toward the entrance. She wanted to make things clear to the security guards, but she was surprised by the fact that there were none around. The sudden emptiness scared her a little because she had never seen the hotel¡¯s entrance so deserted. It made her nervous. This situation was different from what she was used to, making her anxious. So, she turned to look at Darius, her gaze one of confusion. He knew how she felt, but he didn¡¯t say anything, merely sticking his hands in his pockets. Alicia took a deep breath. She knew that this was Darius¡¯ test for her. She had to calm down and think of a way to deal with this. If she failed this, she would lose the chance to work alongside a rich and powerful man like Darius, and she would have to continue living her miserable life. The moment this thought formed in her mind, she pushed it away. If she were to fail this test, she wouldn''t even be able to continue living her miserable life because she¡¯d just offended the lobby manager big time. If Darius didn''t hire her, the lobby manager would find ways to tie her down to the hotel while forcing her to take on all sorts of debt. She could already see it happening. She exhaled and strode into the courtyard. Then, she sucked in a deep breath again and shouted as loudly as possible, "Where are all the security guards? If you don''t appear before me immediately, I promise that all of you will be fired, regardless of who your uncles are!" Though she didn''t name any names, everyone knew who she was referring to. They watched her with interest, sticking their heads out to see what she was up to. Alicia could sense the gazes on her. She took a deep breath, put her hands behind her back, and turned to face the entrance. This would help to hide the fact that she was so nervous she was trembling. No one answered her. She sucked in another breath and said, "I¡¯m going to count to three. If you appear before I''m done, I can forget about you ignoring me before this. And if you don''t, I¡¯m sorry to say that you''ll have to bear the consequences of my anger." After she said this, someone finally staggered out of one of the cars parked in the courtyard. It was Lyon, but he looked worlds apart from how he usually did. Certain parts of his face were normal, but the other parts were purple with bruises. The left side of his face was swollen, and he couldn''t open his right eye. This was probably thanks to Edward. Alicia didn''t expect to see him like this. She took a step back in surprise. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Lyon looked up at her. He thought he sounded bold and confident, but the blood on him and the pain coming from his body made him weaker than usual. He said, "You''d better be polite when speaking to me, or I''ll show you what it''s like when I''m mad! Of course, I''m sure you know how the other people before today ended up. You can take them as reference points. I guarantee you''ll be a hundred times worse than them." Alicia''s breathing sped up at his words. Her voice wasn''t as loud as before, but she sounded more resolute. "If I were you, I wouldn''t threaten someone looking like that. You have no right to!" She emphasized thest few words. Everyone could discern the meaning behind her words, and it pissed Lyon off even more. Alicia rxed her stance, and her breathing slowed down. She was already in the zone. She held her head up high and said, "You''re no better than a stray dog now, so you should keep your head down and do what a security guard¡¯s supposed to. Perhaps I''ll consider giving you some food to tide you over." The lobby manager was already seated on one of the sofas. She watched the debacle without making a sound. However, it was obvious that this was nothing more than a minor interruption to her day. She wasn''t bothered by it at all. Soon, she would know how wrong she was. She got to her feet and stuck her hands in her pockets while looking at Darius. "If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t be doing this. You don''t understand a thing about our hotel or me, so you don''t know what you''re dealing with. I''ve seen many people like you in the past, and none of them had good endings." The look in her eyes told Darius that she was confident he would be no better. He turned to look at her disdainfully, then said, "I could say the same to you." Chapter 227 Chapter 227 With that said, he turned to Erin. "It''s been a while now. I think we''ve been standing here for at least half an hour. It¡¯s probably time for you to give me an update." Erin''s fingers paused on the keyboard. She turned to look at Darius, then smiled and nodded. "Yes, sir. We can see some results now." As she spoke, she turned theptop to face him. "Mr. Reid, as you can see, we already have 10 percent of Umbrite Hotel''s shares. Our business partners provide 8 percent, and the remaining 2 percent is from the share market. Now, we''re the fifthrgest shareholder. I¡¯ve already contacted the third and fourthrgest, and as long as they hand over their shares totaling 35 percent, we''ll own 45 percent of this hotel. That will make us thergest shareholder." When she got to the end of her report, her gaze went from Darius to the lobby manager, and she smiled. Darius nodded. "That''s about as good as we can get. Continue working on it." Erin nodded, but she didn''t do as he said. Instead of turning back to herptop, she kept her eyes on the lobby manager. ¡®This woman, the lobby manager, is called Samantha Williams. She got the job because her father-our business partner owns 8 percent of the hotel''s shares." The people hiding in the corners poked their heads out again to look at Samantha in surprise. "I always thought she was arrogant because of her abilities or contributions to the hotel." Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. "Right? Turns out she knows nothing. She only got the job because her dad''s rich!" ¡®This ispletely different from what she told us!" Their voices weren''t loud, but the silence in the lobby still made their words audible. Darius and the gang were the only guests in the lobby at the moment. Samantha didn''t expect the truth about her identity to be exposed like this. She didn''t want to admit it, though. She red at Darius. "If you don''t admit you fabricated that, you''ll pay the price for defaming and ndering me!" Darius scoffed. No one knew for sure whether he wasughing, but it was obvious that he was disdainful of Samantha. Everyone present widened their eyes in surprise. ¡®Who''s this guy? I can''t believe he''s speaking to Samantha like that!" "Samantha''s nothing but an ordinary person now. The wealth that belonged to her family now belongs to this guy. I don¡¯t see why he can''t speak to her like that. If I were him, I''d probably act the same way." Samantha¡¯s expression turned venomous at their words. She said to Darius, "I don''t think your actions make you worthy of being called a man. Shouldn''t you at least tell me who you are and what you''re trying to achieve?" "I wouldn''t be so rude if I were in your shoes. I''m a client of your father''spany, and he relies on us heavily. Also, he needs an investmentpany to support his cash flow." He put his hands in his pockets, looking contemptuous. Samantha had been disdainful before, but she didn''t dare behave that way anymore. Her eyes were trained on Darius,. "Who the hell are you? How do you know that?" He nced at the clock on the wall, and his face became void of emotion." I''ve already wasted too much time on you people. You need to think about whether you''re worth it." She felt humiliated, and tears formed in her eyes. Her voice became tremulous as she said, "Darius Reid, I know you''re a wealthy person, much wealthier than I am. But you shouldn''t have done that to me when I did nothing to offend you." Darius narrowed his eyes. ¡®You''re not making sense at all. The surveince cameras and your colleagues have captured everything you did. Even if your colleagues don''t say anything for fear of retribution, there¡¯s still the surveince footage." He looked at the cameras, then smiled. "Of course, if you don''t believe me, perhaps there are other ways to make you exin yourself." He turned to Erin. "Have you taken down everything that she did?" Erin¡¯s fingers were still flying across the keyboard, but her eyes focused on Darius. She nodded, looking happy. "Mr. Reid, there''s no need for you to worry about that at all. I knew she wasn''t the good sort right from the beginning, so I always kept an eye on her. Moreover, the fact that she switched tactics so quickly just proves that she''s acting like this for a reason." Darius narrowed his eyes again. Chapter 228 Chapter 228 Darius¡¯ ears perked up, and he realized he could hear several carsing from a distance. His expression immediately turned icy. "I think I know why she''s doing this." Erin looked at him nkly. He sucked in a deep breath, then said, "Because the Gillette family will be here in ten minutes, at most." Erin and Alicia both frowned. They quickly got to their feet and hurried to stand before him, wanting to shield him with their bodies. They ended up standing shoulder to shoulder. Darius lowered his head and looked at them with a smile on his face." There¡¯s no need for you two to be so nervous. It won''t solve the problem. If anything, it''s just going to increase the time I need to spend on resolving this." The two women shared a look, but neither of them said anything since this was only their first meeting. Then, they averted their gazes and breathed deeply. As they fell deep into their thoughts, Darius stretched his neck. "Honestly, there''s nothing to worry about. The person behind this hotel is the Gillette family''s dog, and they''re not going to allow anyone to bully their dog. Now that we have 10 percent of this hotel¡¯s shares, it means that we have power over them. This will help hold the Gillette family back a little. It doesn''t mean much, but for the sake of their ego, the Gillette family won''t give up on their dog. Unless, of course, Wilson Gillette is as generous as I am and willing to pay a high price for his dog. I doubt that''ll happen, though." He shrugged, then leaned against a table nearby. "So, if I were you, I''d continue doing what I did before this." As Erin listened to him speak, her earlier nervousness dissipated, and she quickly calmed down. She turned to him and bowed her head slightly, saying, "I¡¯m sorry, sir. I lost control of myself earlier, but I''m fine now." Then, she walked back over to herptop and started typing again. Darius looked at Alicia, who still stood before him. "Lyon''s the most useless person I''ve ever met. He doesn''te from a wealthy family, nor does he have any talent. In fact, he doesn''t even have friends. So, you can go ahead and do whatever you want." Alicia''s eyes widened. "Mr. Reid, how''d you know I wanted to do something?" He said, "I don''t think you should be asking me questions, not with your identity." She felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over her. However, she quickly recovered and calmed down, then bowed her head. "I''m sorry, sir. I''ll ensure everyone knows that you''re the boss from now on." Now, this was what Darius wanted to hear. He nodded, then looked at Samantha, who was still on the floor. "Samantha, you can stop that now. The person you''re waiting for isn''t here yet, and perhaps he won''t being at all." Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Her eyes widened, and she wept silently. Then, she shook her head vigorously and cried, "He''ll definitely be here! He promised me!" "Well, maybe Hank Gillette''s soul is here right now." Darius looked up at the sky. "Look, maybe he''s hanging around here somewhere, looking down at you! But if you want him to appear before you, I''m sorry that it''s not possible because he''s dead. He died a long time ago." Samantha shot to her feet, ring at him with bloodshot eyes. "What the hell are you talking about? That''s impossible! Hank''s always been powerful and has an enlightened martial artist protecting him. How could a pauper like you, who can only afford to wear rags, have anything to do with him?" Darius looked at his clothes and smiled disdainfully. "Cut the crap. If I were you, I''d bethinking of ways to escape instead of continuing to offend me." Samantha''s expression turned murderous. She forced out through gritted teeth, "Do you know what you''re saying? What do you think you can do to me? I''m this hotel''s lobby manager! All the security guards have to listen to my orders! They should be protecting me. That''s their duty." Darius sighed. "I''ve lost all my patience. I already told you that I didn¡¯t like what you were doing, and if you continue like this, there''s no way we''ll be able to hold a civilized conversation. I can guarantee that there''ll be a repeat of what happened earlier." Samantha fell silent. She didn''t dare to make a sound because she knew that Darius could turn his threat into reality. She sat down and looked out the window resolutely, obviously insisting on waiting for Hank to show up. Darius saw through her right away, but he didn''t say anything. He merely walked over to Alicia, who was standing at the entrance, looking mad. He reached out to put a hand on her shoulder. "You don''t look too happy. Didn''t you manage to resolve the issue?" Alicia looked at him and shook her head. "No, I''ve already taken care of Lyon. He''s lying in the corner of the courtyard now." Chapter 229 Chapter 229 As she spoke, she pointed at a guy lying on the ground. Darius looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "You''re worried about the Gillette familying here." Alicia nodded. "Yes, sir. They''re extremely unreasonable and act based on their whims and fancies. There''s no way we can predict what they''ll do." She looked at Darius. "If we stay here, we''ll put ourselves in grave danger. Also, the fact that Samantha did a one-eighty worries me. It proves that she knows they''re almost here. We''ve kept an eye on her all this time, so I have no idea how she found out about that." Darius took in her frustrated expression, then walked into the courtyard. He put his hands behind his back and looked in the direction that the Gillette family''s cars wereing from. ¡®You''re worried that because the Gillettes know we''re here, they''ll be able to swiftlye up with a counterattack against us." Alicia didn''t expect him to understand her so well. She widened her eyes in surprise. Darius didn''t turn to look at her, though. Instead, a mocking and disdainful smile curved his lips. ¡®They might have a hundred and one ways to deal with us, but none of them will work against me. Otherwise, Hank wouldn''t have died by my hands." He stretched his neck. It allowed Alicia to sense his murderous intent, but all it did was bewitch her. He was so handsome to her now, and it dazzled her. Darius found it odd when he didn''t receive a reply. He turned back to look at her and asked, "So, what else are you worried about?" She shook her head. "Nothing. I¡¯m unbelievably reassured now." He nodded. At this moment, Samantha, who''d been weeping pitifully this whole time, suddenly stood up. She went back to looking like her usual self and moved to put her hands into her pockets. However, she stopped at thest second and brushed the dust off her clothes instead. Darius nced at her and clearly caught the disdain on her face. He knew that it was meant for him, and he narrowed his eyes. She was an odd woman, and it seemed that he had to change his impression of her. He felt that it''d be dangerous if he thought of her as a normal woman. So, he walked over to her. Samantha watched him approach, putting her hands into her pockets and sticking her chest out. She held her head high and looked at him. "What, are you going to apologize to me for your rudeness now, you pauper?" To her surprise, Darius¡¯ expression only became contemptuous. "You seem to have already forgotten about what happened earlier." Before he could continue, she cut him off shrilly. "What the hell do you mean by that? What do you mean I''ve already forgotten about what happened? Are you mocking my memory, or are you saying I''m insane?" Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Darius¡¯ eyes were already narrowed, to begin with, and at her words, he shut them. He needed a silent environment to think. This woman''s attitude was extremely odd. Also, her words seemed to be pointing out her current situation. But was there really someone so dumb? While he pondered this and failed toe up with an answer, he suddenly heard the sound of someone panting outside, but the Gillette family had yet to arrive. The only thing that piqued his curiosity about this was the fact that he hadn''t heard this slightly familiar pant despite listening to all the sounds around them. He turned to look at the entrance. In the next second, he saw a tall, blond man running toward them. Shelvin''s hair was mussed up because of the distance he¡¯d run. His shirt was unbuttoned, and the cor was flipped. His tie had gone missing long ago. He¡¯d never been this disheveled. However, he felt that he could look worse. He ran toward Darius, then flopped onto the floor by his feet, gasping for breath. Darius looked at him with a frown. "What are you doing? Is there something you''re trying to achieve by lying down at my feet?" Shelvin''s expression turned steely. He propped himself up with both arms and prepared to get to his feet. Darius cleared his throat. "You look just like a tortoise now, you know." Shelvin rolled his eyes. "Man, you''re savage. If not for you, I wouldn''t have run all the way here. Do you know how hard that was?" Darius put his hands in his pockets, then shook his head. ¡®That''s not exactly right. It might be tough for an ordinary person, but not for you. After all, despite your weaknesses, you''re still a martial artist." Shelvin looked exasperated. He red at Darius and said, "It looks like you''re not interested in what I''m about to tell you." Instead of saying anything, Darius merely let out a scoff. This made Shelvin''s exasperation disappear immediately. He smiled brightly and spread his hands, saying, "I was just joking, of course." Chapter 230 Chapter 230 "After all, you''re Darius Reed. I''ll do anything I can to help you. Darius looked at his watch. "I don''t have much time left for you. The Gillette family''s going to be here soon." Shelvin''s eyes widened as he looked at Darius in disbelief. "How''s that possible? Shouldn''t they have their hands full right now? Why would they show up here?" Darius nced at Samantha. "I think the answer to that probably has something to do with this woman, but I don''t know exactly what it is. You can look into the matter yourself and tell me the answer once you have it." He stretched his neck. Erin hurried over to him. She sized Shelvin up, then frowned. "Mr. Reid, what''s he doing here?" Shelvin was a little hurt by her question. He raised his voice in dissatisfaction and said, "Hey, you may be beautiful, but you can''t be so contemptuous of me! I''m a great guy, and plenty of women were interested in me even before I became an enlightened martial artist. They were practically dying for me to marry them, but that wasn''t what I..." Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Erin cut him off. "Yeah, I''m not interested in that. I need to speak to Mr. Reid about work, and I don¡¯t think you should be here." Shelvin gaped and looked at her in shock. "How can you say that? I''m here for your chairman''s sake, you know! I mean, it''s obvious that you like him, but you can''t insult me like that. It''s really hurtful, and I don''t think it''s smart to treat your future colleague like that." Erin looked at him in confusion, then turned to Darius. Darius raised an eyebrow but didn''t avert his gaze and continued looking at Samantha. Now, she looked like the professional lobby manager she was supposed to be. This was different from how she''d looked earlier and wasn''t the same as how she''d looked when she''d first appeared. Darius found this odd, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Just as he was deep in thought, a shrill scream rang out. He whipped his head around to look at Erin and found her lying on the floor. He frowned, narrowed his eyes, and then bent down to help her. As he did so, he heard Shelvin say, "My dearest Darius, you''ll thank me when you hear what I¡¯m about to say. This woman named Samantha Williams is Hank Gillette''s fiancee." Darius raised an eyebrow. Hank was the sole heir of the Gillette family. There was no way he would¡¯ve missed news of Hank getting engaged. He looked at Shelvin doubtfully, and it made Shelvin feel ufortable. He rubbed his nose and said, "You don''t have to look at me like that because I''m telling you the truth. It''s an unspoken tradition among wealthy families for the heirs or heiresses to have a childhood sweetheart who bes their spouse." Darius scrutinized him. When he was sure Shelvin wasn''t pulling his leg, he took a deep breath and said thoughtfully, ¡®That just makes things weirder. Samantha''s father is a business partner of mine, and his wealth isn''t enough to make the Gillette family recognize her as Hank''s future wife. However, that''s exactly what they did, and they did it long ago too." As Darius tried to puzzle this out, Shelvin said, "Before this, there were rumors that there was something off about this fiancee¡¯s mental state. I didn''t believe for a second that the Gillette family would choose such a person to be the future chairman''s wife-it was much too risky. Now, however, I believe it." Darius looked at him in confusion. "Why? Was it because of her mood swings? Also, it¡¯s not like you witnessed it. You only heard some rumors." Shelvin raised an eyebrow and looked at Darius in surprise. "Wait, you''re an enlightened martial artist-a powerful one, too-but you don''t know this? It''s common knowledge among martial artists." Darius said baldly, "Indeed, I don¡¯t. My awakening was an odd process, and nobody knew about it, so..." He shrugged. Shelvin¡¯s eyes lit up. He started trembling, then suddenly grabbed Darius¡¯ wrist. Darius looked at his hand with displeasure. He didn''t say anything, though. He wanted to know what Shelvin was up to. Soon, something surprising happened. Shelvin didn¡¯t do anything else after grabbing him. Instead, he looked at him with bright eyes and said, "Wait, so you''re the legendary genius?" Without waiting for a response, he nodded confidently and continued, "You have to be! Only a genius would be enlightened without anyone finding out!" Darius was a little lost for words, but he didn''t deny this. "Maybe you''re right, but I think you should let go of my arm and tell me why you think there''s something wrong with Samantha''s mental state." Shelvin immediately let go of Darius when he sensed the shift in his emotions, then took two steps back, keeping what he felt was a Safe distance between them. Chapter 231 Chapter 231 He cleared his throat and straightened his cor before saying, "It¡¯s a skill that we enlightened martial artists can use. You just need to direct that warm energy to your eyes to see everything you want anything at all, as long as you think about it." This came as a surprise to Darius. He widened his eyes and looked at Shelvin doubtfully, which Shelvin didn¡¯t appreciate. Shelvin took a deep breath and looked at Darius sincerely, then said, "Darius, I¡¯m not lying to you. Why would I when I want to work for you in the future?" He paused, then continued calmly, "If you don¡¯t believe me, you can try it. You''ll definitely see whatever you want to." Darius was still doubtful, but he couldn¡¯t suppress his curiosity. He tried to direct the energy from his abdomen to his eyes. What happened next shocked him ¡ªit was the exact scene he¡¯d imagined! Erin flushed when she saw him staring at her. She took a deep breath before saying, "Mr. Reid, you¡¯re making me shy, staring at me like that." As she said this, Darius felt his mouth go dry. He never expected his mind to conjure up such an image, which was why he couldn''t take his eyes off Erin ¡ªshe was butt -naked in his eyes. It was only when he registered what she¡¯d said that he returned to his senses. Then, he jumped slightly and quickly turned away. Erin didn¡¯t understand why he was acting so oddly, so she hurried over to him and reached out to steady him. "Mr. Reid, are you okay? Why did you jump? Do you feel unwell? Should I get you a doctor?" Darius¡¯ heart was calm as he listened to her concerned questions, but he was acutely aware of her hand on his arm. He pulled his arm out of her grasp and put it behind his back before clearing his throat to conceal his awkwardness. Then, he frowned and said, " I''m fine. You can let go of me now." Erin sensed the displeasure in his tone and quickly put her hand down, but she couldn¡¯t conceal her disappointment. Shelvin stood there silently, watching them. He turned to Darius and smiled knowingly, saying, "So, the view was pretty nice, huh?" Realization dawned on Erin when she heard his words, and her face burned bright red. She immediately kicked Shelvin behind his knee. He could''ve avoided her, but he knew that he¡¯d crossed the line earlier. He didn¡¯t dodge her, so he ended up falling to his knees before Darius. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. When Darius heard the sound of Shelvin¡¯s kneesing into contact with the floor, it made him wince. Shelvin didn¡¯t look too bothered, though, making Darius raise an eyebrow. It seemed that Shelvin was worthy of his respect. Soon, however, Darius pushed this thought out of his mind. Because Shelvin looked up at him, grinned, and mouthed, "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m aman, too, and I can understand how you feel. I¡¯ll take this kick on your behalf, but I hope you¡¯ ll be braver the next time. I''ll be waiting to attend your engagement party!" Darius rolled his eyes, choosing not to say anything in response. He put stuck his hands in his pockets and said coldly, "You keep saying you have something important to say, but you¡¯ve failed to do so. Tell me what you know about Samantha Williams." Shelvin knew that he was really out of patience now, so he quickly got to his feet and said, "You''ve already tried directing the energy to your eyes, right? And you saw whatever it was you were thinking of. Basically, your eyes can act as an X-ray, and no one will be able to hide anything from you. You''ll be a walking X-ray machine!" Darius didn¡¯t say anything. He merely turned to sweep his gaze over everyone present and found that Shelvin was right. It was like he¡¯d been introduced to a new world¡ªone he¡¯d never imagined existed. His gazended on Samantha. He could clearly see that the blood vessels in her brain weren¡¯t like the ordinary person¡¯s¡ªthey were all lumped together, and some of them had turned ck. They were probably dead. To Darius, this meant something really was wrong with her brain. This made his eyes widen, but it also made him more curious. With the Gillette family¡¯s wealth, there was no way they would choose a disabled person to be the future chairman''s wife. Yet, this was exactly what had happened. It was unimaginable, and he looked at her in wonder. Samantha couldn¡¯t hear their conversation. Chapter 232 Chapter 232 She saw Shelvin and Darius¡¯ eyes sweep over their surroundings and finallynd on her for the longest time, but they didn''t move. This made her feel uneasy. She frowned, then swiftly walked over to them. Then, she held her head high and said, "What are you looking at? I bet you¡¯ve been spending all your time ogling at women instead of working, judging from the fact that you can only afford to drive a car worth half a million. If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t just stand here and gape like an idiot; it won¡¯t earn you any money. You''ll just be depressed that none of these women you¡¯re ogling will be yours." Darius¡¯ lips twitched. Honestly, he didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be an easy feat to find someone wealthier than him, but it was obvious that Samantha disagreed with him. A trace of curiosity shed in his eyes and quickly disappeared. Samantha suspected she was seeing things, and since she couldn''t figure out what was happening, she stopped thinking about it. She stalked toward Darius and closed the distance between them, finally standing nose-to-nose with him. Darius grabbed her by the back of her neck without saying a word. " I''m not used toing into such close contact with anyone, and if you insist on doing this, don¡¯t me me for whatever happens next." Samantha''s eyes widened. She couldn¡¯t believe he''d said something like that to her, but she didn¡¯t seem to have a choice. As she got ready to stand her ground, she suddenly felt the grip around her neck tighten. Before she realized what was going on, the grip loosened. She¡¯d never experienced this, and she let out a cry of terror. Darius narrowed his eyes at her. "You may not know this, but I don¡¯t have the best of tempers. If you continue screaming, I guarantee you won¡¯t live to see the Gillette family." She didn¡¯t want to believe him, but she knew that she had no choice. She forced herself to shut her mouth. Darius exhaled. "Now, you just need to answer my questions. If you upset me at any point, I promise that you¡¯ll regret it." Samantha¡¯s expression turned murderous. She red at him and scoffed, but she didn¡¯t say anything. Then, she closed her eyes and turned her head away, not wanting to look at him at all. Darius could sense her rage, but he couldn¡¯t care less. He said bluntly, "You don¡¯t look like a normal person, and something seems to be wrong with your mental state. Why has the Gillette family tolerated you for so many years?" Samantha started iling. She red at Darius, the hatred in her eyes practically spilling over. "I don¡¯t understand what you''re talking about." Her breathing sped up, and her hatred turned into anxiety. "Cut the crap! It¡¯s not going to do you any good!" Darius looked into her eyes and saw her gaze darting around. He knew she wasn¡¯t telling the truth, so he sighed. "It looks like you still don¡¯t know what sort of circumstances you¡¯re under. Or is it because you think your father¡¯s influential enough to keep things under wraps and hidden from my investigation?" Obviously, Samantha agreed with his question. She still didn¡¯t say anything, though. Darius sighed again and looked at Erin. "She seems to be horribly mistaken about us. It¡¯s up to you to correct her." Erin nodded confidently and said, "Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Reid. [1] make sure she knows how wrong she is." She stretched her neck and ced her fingers on the keyboard again. Her actions made Samantha feel inexplicably anxious, reminding her of how quickly Erin had bought 10 percent of the hotel¡¯s shares. She¡¯d never seen someone work so quickly, so she wasn¡¯t too sure that Darius wouldn¡¯t discover her secret. The cogs in her brain whirred as she tried to think of a way to resolve this. Unfortunately for her, nothing seemed to work. She shut her eyes again and took a deep breath before looking at Darius. "I can tell you what you want to know, but you must let me go and return the shares you stole from my father!" Her gaze was defiant. Darius rolled his eyes at her. "I¡¯m going to have to correct you there. I didn¡¯t steal anything from your father; I bought them from him fair and square. Also, you need to understand that even if I did steal something from him, he¡¯d thank me profusely." Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Samantha¡¯s eyes widened at his words. Then, she sucked in a deep breath and spat at him. It didn¡¯t reach him, but this didn¡¯t stop Darius from getting mad. She felt the grip around her neck tighten, cutting off her oxygen supply. However, she looked ecstatic. "You''re angry now, aren¡¯t you? If you harm a hair on my head, I promise this will be thest day of your life." Darius narrowed his eyes. There was something odd about this woman''s body... She seemed to be telling the truth. Chapter 233 Chapter 233 No matter how much he refused to admit it, he knew she was telling the truth. However, he smirked and said, "Even if you¡¯re telling the truth, it doesn¡¯t bother me.I couldn¡¯t care less.You may not know this, but your father can''t harm me in any way.Perhaps it¡¯s because you¡¯re too naive, but you should know that saving the world isn¡¯t something we care about." He raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Erin.He saw that she already had some results from her investigation, so he flicked his wrist and and let Samantha go. She red at him, her eyes filled with hatred. However, it didn¡¯t bother him He walked over to Erin and leaned against the table, his eyes focusing on the monitor. "How is it? Do you have anything?" Erin smiled and nodded. "Yes, sir." She turned theptop to him and said, "The truth is shocking.I decided to delve into this from a different perspective and used whatever information we had to search for Samantha¡¯s father, Michael Williams. Indeed, he¡¯s a wealthy man and even wealthier than we thought. I also found that all his wealthes from the same source, which is a rare mine. The ore in the mine is indispensable when ites to manufacturing engines and certain chips, and it¡¯s irreceable. In our country, the production of these items is slowly being monopolized, so this mine is important to the Gillette family. The ore isn¡¯t exactly cheap, either. In their backdoor pre-nuptial agreement, it was stipted that Samantha Williams would bring along 20 percent of the mine¡¯s ownership with her, which would help to lessen the Gillette family¡¯s costs in purchasing the ore." This wasn¡¯t what Darius expected. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. He looked at Samantha with narrowed eyes and said, ¡®Now, that¡¯s something I didn¡¯t expect.Your father¡¯s not only great at amassing wealth but also at keeping secrets.When I think about such a well- kept secret being exposed because of you..." He scoffed. Samantha''s face became ashen.She was fearful because she couldn¡¯t refute him. Her father had always kept the fact that they owned amine secret, but it was now out in the open because of her. Suddenly, she didn¡¯t know what to do to make things better. On the other hand, Darius was truly surprised.He didn¡¯t expect there to be anyone who could hide this from the Reid family.He closed his eyes and exhaled, wondering whether anyone else knew about this. And if they did, what sort of role did they y in this? As he pondered this, the Gillette family''s cars finally arrived. Shelvin had been leaning against the wall, straightening up when he heard the cars. He looked at Darius vigntly and asked, "Mr.Reid, what should we do now? The Gillette family¡¯s here, and it looks like they brought help.I don¡¯t think we can handle them." Darius smiled faintly at his words and nodded. "You''re right about there being many of them, but they¡¯re weaker than you think." He yawned and continued, "I suppose it¡¯s good that they¡¯re here.We can deal with this as soon as possible so that I can get some sleep." This was what Wilson Gillette heard when he walked into the hotel. It infuriated him, and he strode toward Darius. "Hey, brat.You¡¯d better tell me whatever I want to know." Darius shrugged, not saying anything in response. This only made Wilson angrier, and he exhaled as his hands balled into fists. When he thought about the questions he wanted to ask, he tried to make himself sound amicable. "Darius Reid, I know that you''re a smart guy.Just tell me this¡ª where¡¯s my son? If you tell me what you know, I can pretend that none of this happened." Darius took in his serious expression and smiled. "I have the power here, don''t I? After all, I believe I¡¯m the only person who knows the answer to that." He lifted his chin. "If youy a finger on me, I guarantee you''ll never know where he is." Wilson didn¡¯t want to ede to Darius, but he knew this was his only choice. He took a deep breath and sized Darius up before finally forcing out through gritted teeth, "Darius, you¡¯d better remember what you''re saying right now.If anything happens to my son, you¡¯re the first person whose blood I¡¯ll be out for." He¡¯d done this so many times today that he was already sick of it. However, he still nodded. "Sure.I mean, I can just take you for a ride, but it¡¯s unnecessary." He watched as Wilson slowly raised a hand, then decided not to waste time on these people anymore.He said bluntly, "Hank¡¯s dead.I¡¯m sure you already know this; you just refuse to ept it." As he spoke, he quickly backed away and avoided Wilson¡¯s grip. No one expected Darius to just blurt the truth out like this, and silence descended upon them. The only sound that could be heard was Wilson¡¯sbored breathing, and they saw his eyes turn red. Though he¡¯d already found out about this long ago, he had yet to ept it. Chapter 234 Chapter 234 Now, however, he was being forced to, but he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. He looked at Darius with bloodshot eyes and roared, "This is all your fault! You''re the one who killed my son! He didn''t even do anything!" Darius¡¯ eyes widened as he looked at Wilson, raising his voice to say, "You can me me for killing him, but you can¡¯t say that he died in vain.He¡¯s done so many illegal and immoral things and escaped thew so many times because of you.He even killed someone because of his own selfish desires!" He paused, taking in Wilson''s bloodshot eyes and heavy panting, then calmed down and smiled. "I know there¡¯s no point in saying all this at this point." Wilson stalked toward Darius. "I think I¡¯ve been very patient with you so far, more patient than I¡¯ve been with anyone else.Yet, you harmed my beloved son." Darius frowned. "I don''t think we¡¯ve even met before today." He didn''t receive a reply from Wilson, however. Wilson just growled, "Look at you¡ªyou¡¯re no different than a pauper.You even injured my subordinates and had the nerve to buy 10 percent of my hotel¡¯s shares through dirty, underhanded means.But I haven¡¯tined about that, have I? I''ve been nice to you so far, but you killed my only son."Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Though Darius had already given up on talking sense into him, he still couldn¡¯t stand how Wilson kept going on and on like a broken record. He sighed and said, "I think there¡¯s probably some sort of misunderstanding here." The moment he said this, it seemed to ignite something in Wilson, who shot to his feet and pointed at him. His spit flew as he roared, "I saw it! There¡¯s no misunderstanding; it¡¯s all your fault! Everything''s your fault! If not for you, things would¡¯ve been so peaceful here!" Darius saw that there was no way they would have a normal conversation.He rolled his eyes, then knocked Wilson out. No one expected this, and gasps and shouts came from all around. There were even people who were screaming for blood. Darius shrugged, then stuck his hands in his pockets and looked at Wilson, who had copsed to the floor. He was so disheveled that no one would believe he was the chairman of the Gillette Group. Darius nced at Wilson¡¯s entourage, who were still watching him hesitantly. He frowned and said, "What are you guys standing there for? Isn¡¯t he your chairman? Are you really going to just let him lie on the floor like this?" They didn¡¯t know how powerful Darius really was, so at his words, they red at him and said, "How dare you say that! Why''d you knock him out?" "It¡¯s bad enough that you guys are dumb.Don¡¯t tell me you''re blind, too.Couldn¡¯t you see that something was wrong with your chairman¡¯s mental state? Shouldn¡¯t you be getting him to the hospital rather than asking me about this?" His patience was wearing thin, but it seemed that Wilson¡¯s entourage didn¡¯t realize this.They pointed at Darius angrily. "How dare you hurt our chairman! We¡¯ll show you who¡¯s boss!" One of the younger employees raised a fist and pounced on Darius. Darius quickly sidestepped this attack, making the young man fall t on his face. Then, silence descended upon them. No one else dared say anything, and Darius¡¯ lips twitched. He walked over to the young man, wanting to help him up, but he shuddered and fainted. Darius straightened up and stood with his hands on his hips while looking at the remaining employees. He sighed and said, "Look, juste here and take your chairman away, alright?" The employees trembled and hurried over to Wilson, helping him up with difficulty. They were trembling so badly that they almost dropped him. Darius shook his head, sure that if something were to happen to Wilson during this process, they would definitely push the me on him. Not that he cared. As he watched them struggle to hold Wilson up, he saw the very thing he was worried about happening. Wilson slipped out of their grip and fell to the floor, and the pain jolted him back to consciousness.He staggered to his feet and turned to look at Darius.He opened his mouth to speak but couldn''t bring himself to make a sound. In the end, he pped his hands. Instantly, Darius heard the sound of people whipping out their weapons. Wilson¡¯s eyes were still bloodshot, and he said hoarsely, "If you get to your knees and beg me for mercy, I¡¯ll make your death painless, seeing as how quickly you ended my son¡¯s life." Darius raised an eyebrow. "It looks like you know everything, then.Why¡¯d you still ask me about it? Was it because you thought I was too kind to do something like that? Is that why you refused to ept the truth?" Wilson''s eyes seemed to grow redder. He knew Darius was deliberately pushing his buttons, but he couldn¡¯t hold himself back. "I don¡¯t know why you keep trying to anger me, but you¡¯ve seeded.There¡¯s no way I''ll let you leave Almiron City alive now." Darius yawned and said, "Don¡¯t worry.It¡¯s not like I have any ns to leave anytime soon." Obviously, he wasn¡¯t fazed by Wilson¡¯s threat. Wilson¡¯s breathing sped up. Chapter 235 Chapter 235 He reached an arm out and quickly grabbed a gun from the guy standing next to him before he cocked it. Then, he aimed it at Darius and forced out through gritted teeth, "I¡¯ll show you there¡¯s no human more powerful than a gun!" However, in the next second, he felt the gun leave his hand. He remained rooted to the spot and slowly looked up to see the gun in Darius¡¯ hand ¡ªit was the one he¡¯d been holding earlier.He was about to make his move when a woman¡¯s crisp voice rang out. Darius found this voice to be a little familiar, but he couldn¡¯t ce it. He didn¡¯t move; part of him was distracted by the woman''s voice. However, most of his attention was still focused on Wilson. When Wilson heard the woman''s voice, he looked at Darius and said mockingly, "My, look at that.She was my future daughter -in-w, but she¡¯s so desperate to be with you now! And at the price of my son¡¯s life!" He gnashed his teeth as if he was biting down on Darius¡¯ flesh. Unfortunately for him, Darius didn¡¯t take his words to heart.He slowly lowered the gun. Standing next to him, Erin saw his eyes looking toward the hotel¡¯s entrance.She couldn¡¯t help saying, "Mr.Reid, now isn¡¯t the time to be distracted." Darius didn¡¯t even look at her.He merely turned his back to the wall and headed toward the entrance, saying, "Don''t worry.They won¡¯t have the guts to make a move now.Anyway, this is just a game.Even if they had the nerve to do anything, their skills aren¡¯t up to scratch." Erin knew he was right, but she didn¡¯t want him to head out to see that woman. Of course, she was also worried that he¡¯d be in danger when walking past Wilson¡¯s men. With all these thoughts in her mind, she opened her mouth to speak, but Darius was already gone. When Wilson saw her crestfallen look, a sudden bout of sympathy rose in him.He sighed and walked over to her, saying, "Look at you.You¡¯ve stayed by his side for so long now, but he doesn¡¯t even appreciate you.If you work for me, I¡¯ll definitely treat you much better than he ever could.Also, I''ll do everything I can to give you anything you want ¡ªall you have to do is say the word." Erin resisted the urge to roll her eyes.She crossed her arms and put on a fake smile, saying, "If that¡¯s the case, I''d look bad if I were to ignore your request, wouldn¡¯t I?" Wilson didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d already fallen into her trap.He put his hands behind his back, looking like his usual stern, serious self. However, the gleam in his eyes revealed his true thoughts. Erin said, "I want your wife and kids to disappear off the face of this world! Then, I want you to marry me, announce it to the whole world, and make sure everyone gives us their blessing.That¡¯s the only way I''ll know this marriage is a sign from above.Otherwise, I''d rather stay single forever." Wilson¡¯s jaw dropped, then he said coldly, "I was just ttering you earlier.How dare you speak to me like that! I can end your life in a split second!" As he spoke, he held up a hand and gestured at Erin¡¯s neck. This didn¡¯t seem to bring about the effect that he wanted, and he frowned. "There are only a few people who don¡¯t fear me, and the fact that you don¡¯t just makes me want to have you more." Erin scoffed. "All that shows is that your people are just too useless for words.Either that or they¡¯re putting on a show for you.I may not have worked long for Mr.Reid, but I¡¯ve learned how to tell whether a person¡¯s good or bad." Wilson''s expression turned murderous. His eyes shed, but he heard someone cock a gun behind him before he could do anything. In that instant, he stiffened, put his hands up, and slowly turned around to look at the hotel''s entrance. Darius was back. Next to him stood a woman who was even prettier than Erin¡ªat least, her figure was better than Erin¡¯s.It was Pearl. Wilson¡¯s jaw dropped, and he stared at Pearl greedily. He walked toward them without hesitation, then looked at Darius with dissatisfaction before saying, "I think it¡¯s a waste for you to be working here.I''ll find you something better." The dissatisfaction in his gaze morphed into contempt, but to his dismay, Darius didn¡¯t even spare him a nce. All he got was a mockingugh. "You''ll find me something better? What right do you think you have to be saying that? Is it because of your wealth or because you think you¡¯re a big shot? Do you think you¡¯re influential enough to have someone aid and abet you?" In truth, the moment Wilson spoke, he knew he''d said the wrong thing. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. He didn¡¯t think he had any other choice, though. At Darius¡¯ words, he subconsciously wanted to exin himself, but before he could do so, Darius sneered. "Also, you made it sound like I¡¯m your employee." Wilson had never thought of that, and neither did he dare. At this moment, Darius was like a savage wolf to him. He didn¡¯t dare make any false moves, let alone step on Darius¡¯ tail.He took a deep breath, then put his hands behind his back and looked at Darius seriously. "I made a mistake earlier, but I don¡¯t think you should be backing people into corners the way you¡¯re doing now.It¡¯s not going to benefit you in any way.You should know that there¡¯s a hefty price to pay for offending me." Chapter 236 Chapter 236 He looked at Darius confidently as if this was all part of his n. Darius narrowed his eyes. "Honestly, you¡¯re wrong." His original n was to deliver a devastating blow to the Gillette Group and reduce its worth exponentially, but it seemed that this wouldn¡¯t work out. Darius raised an eyebrow, then turned to look at Erin. "He hurt you earlier.Are you willing to let him off the hook?" Wilson narrowed his eyes at Darius¡¯ words.He felt deeply uneasy, but he didn¡¯t dare say anything. In fact, he didn¡¯t even dare look at Darius, afraid that he would identally reveal his true emotions. He sucked in a breath, thinking that this was his first time feeling so frustrated. He swore to himself that if Darius didn¡¯t end him right here and now, he would definitely find a chance to get revenge in the future.He¡¯d make Darius disappear off the face of this world. As soon as he thought about this, he sensed Darius¡¯ gaze change.He raised his head and stared directly into Darius¡¯ eyes, but he didn¡¯t see anything different. This only made him feel even more confused, and he gulped. He was about to say something when Erin shook her head. "No, it¡¯s fine.Thank you, Mr.Reid.You¡¯ve already taught him a lesson earlier, and I doubt he¡¯ll have the nerve to do something simr in the future." Darius raised an eyebrow.He knew Erin was only trying to appease him, but he didn¡¯t know why she was letting the matter go. Erin wasn¡¯t mad that he hadn¡¯t given her a response.She tugged on his sleeve and said in a small voice, "Sir, I think you should ask Miss Chambein what she thinks.Her expression¡¯s already shifted a few times now.Also, the Chambein Group¡¯s the one that¡¯s suffered the most at the hands of Gillette Group, and not..." Only then did Darius notice Pearl watching him with a painful look.He didn''t understand it, so he walked over to her with a frown. However, when he stood before her, she merely forced out a smile and said, "That woman''s beautiful." She was expressionless as she said this. This made Darius¡¯ frown deepen. He didn¡¯t want to continue on this topic, so he cleared his throat before saying, "The Gillette Group¡¯s done a lot of things to the Chambein Group, and both Wilson and Hank have tried to harm you.If there¡¯s anything you want to do to them, you can let me know.I''ll do my best to help you." His tone was as calm as if he was talking about the weather. Pearl forced out a slightly bitter smile and tried tofort herself by telling herself that things had worked out well¡ªDarius would never be hers alone, and no matter howpetent a rival Erin was, at least she would never beat her in terms of age! With this thought in mind, Pearl nodded and ced a hand on Darius¡¯ arm. "I¡¯m fine with anything, and I¡¯ll go with whatever you have in mind.I''ll be happy as long you are." Darius raised an eyebrow.He didn''t expect to hear this, and he¡¯d be lying if he were to say that he was completely unmoved by her words.So, he let out a soft sigh and patted her on the shoulder, his tone gentler than usual as he said, "What did youe here for?" Pearl suddenly pped herself on the forehead, the sound attracting everyone¡¯s attention. A proper smile curved her lips. "When I came to look for you, I met some nice officials.They told me that yourpany in Almiron City ran into some problems, so they were going toe and tell you about it.They didn¡¯t look like they held high positions, though, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s anything important." She looked innocent, but Darius had already narrowed his eyes. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Based on his experience and current situation, the authorities wouldn¡¯t bother tipping him off. This meant that these people were actuallying for him. His expression became frosty, and the temperature around him dropped. Pearl shuddered and linked her arm with his before asking in a small voice, "Are you mad? Did I do the wrong thing by bringing them here? Or are you worried about yourpany?" The more she spoke, the smaller her voice became because she knew she¡¯d done something to upset him. When he saw her like this, Darius sighed and rubbed her on the head. "Now, now.This doesn¡¯t have anything to do with you, actually.Also, shouldn¡¯t you be on campus? I doubt you managed to get any time off." Pearl¡¯s jaw dropped, and she looked at him disapprovingly. "How could I possibly wait around while you resolved this? You only went up against the Gillette Group because of me! Also, this is Almiron City.I grew up here, and the Chambein Group¡¯s roots are here.I can protect you better by being here with you." The loyalty in her gaze was obvious. It made Darius raise an eyebrow, but his voice was cold as he said, "If so, you can stay. Where are the officials that you mentioned?" Pearl was unaware that she¡¯d already made Darius mad. She smiled brightly, entuating her beauty, immediately turning her into the center of attention. However, it seemed that she wasn¡¯t aware of this. She looked at Darius seriously, hoping he would finally make room for her in his heart. Soon, she knew that it was impossible. Darius¡¯ attention had already shifted to the officials she¡¯d mentioned. Their presence was out of his expectation, and he wanted answers. Unfortunately, Pearl couldn¡¯t provide them for him because even she didn¡¯t know why they¡¯d left without her after getting out of the car. Chapter 237 Chapter 237 The car was still parked in its spot. As Pearl deliberated over what to do, something seemed to happen in the courtyard. Darius opened his eyes, and what he saw rendered him speechless. Four men appeared before him¡ªthree of them were burly and tattooed, and the remaining one¡¯s eyes kept darting around. Who knew what was going on in his mind? Darius narrowed his eyes. He didn¡¯t really want to have anything to do with them, but there didn¡¯t seem to be any reason for him to turn them down.He rolled his shoulders, then sighed and looked at them. "Bring on whatever questions you have." To his surprise, the official in the lead merely looked up at the sky before pulling out an order for arrest.This wasn¡¯t something Darius expected, so he narrowed his eyes even more. The women paled, unable to utter a word. Of course, this didn¡¯t bother him.He merely looked at the officials and nodded seriously. "You guys don¡¯t have to look so wary.I won¡¯t do anything to you; And I trust that you guys are good employees." His tone didn¡¯t go down well with the officials.He walked over to them and was pushed into the car. The official in the lead said with a frown, "Don¡¯t be so obnoxious, Darius.I spoke to my colleagues at the airport, and they didn¡¯t arrest you because they had yet to get any evidence.Now, however, we already have what we need.You¡¯re the only suspect that fits the bill." "Cut the crap.Since you¡¯re already here, let¡¯s go somewhere where we can talk! Don¡¯t let your ne tickets go to waste." When they reached their destination, he stretched his neck and walked toward the building with his hands in his pockets. The officials frowned when they saw him like this. One of them spat out, "Darius, you think too highly of yourself!" Darius looked at him with a trace of mockery. "Who do you think you are? How dare you speak to me!" The official''s eyes widened.He jumped and pointed a finger at his badge. Darius didn¡¯t even bother to respond. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. After walking into the conference room, Darius mmed the door shut, then turned around and leaned against the table with his arms crossed. There was no time to waste, and he didn¡¯t give the officials any chance to speak. "Since you guys came here with an order for arrest, you must already have enough evidence.But based on what I¡¯ve seen so far, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case.Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be ying nice." The officials didn¡¯t expect Darius to already see through them.He narrowed his eyes and looked at Darius warily, but at the same time, he looked excited. Darius rubbed his arms with a frown, then said with disgust, "Stop looking at me like that, or I¡¯ll gouge your eyes out!" After that, he chuckled. "Actually, no.Go ahead and give it a try." The three burly men mmed their hands on the table and shot to their feet, their muscles making their uniforms burst at the seams. N ovel book They red at him. Darius rubbed his temples, thinking they did not need to give him such death res.It wouldn¡¯t have any effect on him, anyway.He dusted off his hands, then shook his head at the official in the lead and clicked his tongue. Before the official could say anything, the person standing behind him got mad. He raised a fist and swung it at Darius, saying, "My name¡¯s Miguel." Darius didn¡¯t expect him to introduce himself, but he didn¡¯t have time to ponder this as Miguel¡¯s fist came hurtling his way.He frowned and swiftly dodged the blow. Before anyone realized what was going on, he had already shifted to stand behind the official and grip his neck tightly. The official paled instantly. He knew Darius was powerful, but this was out of his expectations. He¡¯d moved at the speed of light! The official¡¯s breathing sped up because he knew that no one would be able to stop Darius if he really wanted to kill him. He couldn¡¯t help but tremble, but he didn¡¯t say anything, merely deliberating his next move. Darius thought the official would interrogate him after bringing him here, but not a single question was asked. All the official had done was ponder. He stretched and said, "I¡¯m going to leave if you guys continue like this. Take all the time you need to think things through and remember to let me know when you¡¯re done." Then, he turned to leave. The three burly men appeared before him, and he sighed. "You three don¡¯t look like the brightest.If I were you, I¡¯d sit this out and wait for someone to predict the oue.I may not be able to see my own fate, but I can see yours." Standing next to them, Miguel¡¯s eyes widened. "R- really? Can you tell me what¡¯s going to happen, then? You seem to predict the future quite urately." Darius yawned and smirked. "If you keep harassing me, I guarantee I''ll make the first move." Chapter 238 Chapter 238 Miguel felt Darius¡¯ hand wrap around his neck, and it wasn¡¯t a nice feeling.He became especially angry when he heard what Darius said.He struggled to take a deep breath, his eyes bulging. It wasn¡¯t easy to do so because of Darius¡¯ grip, but he managed to force out, "Darius, you''ve made a mistake.As long as you admit to your wrongdoings or pay a fee, no one wille after you anymore.But if you harm me, it¡¯ll only worsen your crimes.You won''t be able to bear the consequences!" "Thanks for the advice, dude.But if I were you, I¡¯d think about this ¡ªyou were the one to attack me out of nowhere, yet you¡¯re telling me to think about the consequences." Miguel paled and widened his eyes in shock. "You¡¯re about to get locked up at the detention center! How dare you speak to me like that!" Darius looked at him, his face is void of emotion.His tone was mocking, though, as he said, "I wouldn¡¯t be saying things like that if I were you.After all, you have no idea how rich I am." Miguel stared at him. Despite his breathing difficulties, he still forced out augh. "I know that, as a young man, you want people to acknowledge you, but pretending to be rich isn¡¯t going to help you achieve that.On the contrary, it will only make things awkward for you." N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Darius didn¡¯t expect him to say that.He raised an eyebrow, then said, "What would you do if you were in my shoes?" This made Miguel falter.He hadn¡¯t thought about this.He opened his mouth a few times, but he ended up not saying a thing. Then, the skinnier guy who¡¯d been standing behind the three burly men finally showed his face.He stood before Darius with his hands in his pockets, looking like nothing could faze him.However, his gaze was sharp. Darius looked at him, a trace of surprise shing in his eyes. The skinny official looked slightly below 5¡¯5" when standing with the burly men, but now that he was closer to Darius, it turned out they were almost the same height. Darius nced at Miguel, whom he was still holding by the neck. His feet were still dangling about an inch from the ground, so Darius flung him aside. Miguel was sent flying. Judging from the time it had taken for him tond on the ground, he¡¯d probably been thrown about a hundred feet away! This made Miguel¡¯s eyes widen. Pain shot through his body as he staggered to his feet, and when he stumbled over to Darius, he said, "You¡¯re truly powerful." Darius didn¡¯t think his sudden friendliness was something he liked. N no vel ebook He frowned and asked, "Do you have something to say?" Miguel''s smile faltered, then he scratched his head and shook it. "No, I don¡¯t.I¡¯m just surprised.I never expected you to be able to catch me, let alone send me flying.In the past, if anyone were to send me flying like that, I¡¯d be able tond on my feet, but I didn¡¯t manage to do so this time despite flying a hundred feet away.You¡¯re the first person to make mend on my back." Darius couldn¡¯t bring himself to trust a guy who''d attacked him upon their first meeting. Obviously, Miguel sensed this and said, "Hey, why don''t you trust me?" Darius said, "I do.I already told you that, didn¡¯t I?" Miguel didn¡¯t believe him, but he said, "Yeah, yeah, whatever." Then, he heard Darius say, "If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t be sitting here.You¡¯d be better off getting yourself checked rather than trying to convince me of anything.Do you think want to sit here and waste time like this?" Miguel wasn¡¯t the sharpest knife in the drawer, so he said bluntly, "No, it¡¯s okay.I know my body, and I know I¡¯m perfectly fine.Also, I¡¯m curious to know how you became as powerful as you are now." Darius didn¡¯t say anything because he didn¡¯t know the answer either.He crossed his arms and leaned against the door, the atmosphere cooling around him. When everyone started to shudder, he raised an eyebrow, knowing that he¡¯d achieved his goal. Now, he only had three problems to take care of.He took a step forward and looked at Pa, who¡¯d shown up with the rest of the gang. "Any problems here?" Pa felt lost. She¡¯d run into these officials at the airport, so she hadn¡¯t had time to ask them what was happening.She turned to look at them, questioning them with her eyes. Chapter 239 Chapter 239 All she remembered was that she¡¯d walked into a room. Before she could even see what was in there, someone threw her a protective suit and shoved her out.She took in a deep breath and looked at one of the men she¡¯de here with. "Sorry, but I¡¯m here for an interview." The man nodded and gave her an encouraging look. "Good luck, then." Afterward, he gestured at the bodies with his jaw and walked away. Darius was now standing in the middle of the hall, and he was repelled by the bodies. This wasn¡¯t something that was supposed to happen. The skinny official, Borisin Martinez, narrowed his eyes, noticing Darius¡¯ odd behavior.He frowned, took a step back, and pulled out a walkie-talkie. "How Many more are there?" The voice on the other end of the line said respectfully, "Sir, those are all the bodies we found.There are seventy-two of them in total." Borisin nodded. "Where are the people who came with Darius?" The person on the line probably didn¡¯t expect him to ask this question. After a short pause, he said, "I think they¡¯re resting somewhere, but I¡¯m not too sure." Borisin narrowed his eyes, subconsciously wanting to reprimand the guy. In the end, though, he didn¡¯t say anything, merely letting out a sigh after a long silence.He turned to Miguel and said, "Go and keep an eye on Darius.I get the feeling he¡¯s a dangerous one." At this moment, in the lounge, Erin stood up with a frown. She looked at the other people present and said, "I have a bad feeling about this.I know that you three are powerful, so please track Mr.Reid down and take him somewhere safe.There¡¯s no need to concern yourselves with our safety." Pearl¡¯s eyes were red.She nodded vigorously at Erin¡¯s words. "Yes, she¡¯s right." Bridget got to her feet.She was frowning, but she tried to stay calm as sheforted the other people. "Calm down.Things may Not be as bad as we think." At this moment, someone knocked on the door. Everyone turned to look at it. When Miguel walked in, he was greeted by their looks of disgust. He stopped and rubbed his nose. "It looks like I¡¯m not really wee here." Erin let out a sigh of relief when she saw him like this, then put on a smile. "Hi there.May we know when Mr.Reid will be released?" Miguel frowned at her question. "He was released a while ago." In that instant, everyone in the room shot to their feet. After leaving Shelvin behind to protect the women, Bridget and Edward left the room with Miguel. At the same time, Darius returned to his original spot. Borisin raised an eyebrow when he heard his footsteps, then turned to Darius and said, "I thought you wouldn''te back." Darius ignored him and walked toward the bodies in the middle of the hall. Borisin didn¡¯t know what to say. Based on what he¡¯d seen so far, Darius was much too obnoxious for words, and he didn¡¯t like it. At the same time, he knew that there was a high chance he was just like Darius. His lips twitched subconsciously at this thought. He watched Darius to see what exactly was going on. A storm was brewing in Darius¡¯ eyes. "I¡¯ve lost all memory of everything that¡¯s happened since I got into the car.Before I knew it, I was brought here.What do you think happened between then and now?" Borisin¡¯s eyes widened at his words.He shot to his feet and jumped over the railing before stalking toward Darius. "What do you mean by that? Are you saying that I drugged you and had you brought here to push all the me on you? Darius raised an eyebrow. "Isn¡¯t that what happened? Don¡¯t tell me this didn''t ur to you at all." novelebook Borisin fell silent. "If I told you I had nothing to do with this, would you believe me?" He didn¡¯t harbor any hope as he said this. When Darius stepped into this room, acting so oddly, he realized that this whole thing was just a plot against him. The mastermind behind this wanted to kill two birds with one stone, and he¡¯d sessfully pulled it off. Something had happened to Darius, which Borisin hadn¡¯t expected. Unfortunately for the mastermind, Darius had woken up on his own. Then again, no one would believe him, especially since Darius had no idea who he was, and he wasn¡¯t anyone important. There was no way Darius would¡¯ve heard of him before. Sometimes, however, things just worked out well. Darius nodded and said, "I believe you, of course.Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have returned here.Either that or I would¡¯ve held a knife to your neck." No one dared to say anything after this. Logically speaking, Borisin should¡¯ve thanked Darius with a smile for understanding, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it because of the knife Darius was holding against his neck! When he saw his two guards looking at him in agitation, Borisin held a hand up to stop them. "Rx, you two." He carefully held the de between his fingers, pulled it away from his neck, and then sighed in relief.He frowned at Darius, "Have you discovered something?" N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Darius took a step back while rolling his shoulders. "It suddenly urred to me that you brought me here because you imed that you¡¯d found the old lady¡¯s body.After looking around, I didn¡¯t see her, so I decided to return just to confirm it.After all, this has to do with someone¡¯s life!" Borisin looked at him. "Didn''t you already figure this out in the car?" Now, Darius had an answer.He got into the car again. Chapter 240 Chapter 240 Borisin scoffed at him. "Aren¡¯t you worried there¡¯ ll be a repeat of what just happened?" Darius¡¯ temples throbbed, and it got on his nerves. He rubbed them lightly and said, "What¡¯s there to worry about? You¡¯re still alive, aren¡¯t you?" When he returned to the hotel, he saw a bunch of people crowding around the entrance.He stayed in the car and focused his attention on them. Sure enough, he heard an obnoxious voice ring out, saying, "Look, this is what you get for offending me! That dumbass Darius, hisckeys, and mistress haven¡¯t shown their faces here anymore, have they?" "Of course! As expected of Lyon! Man, who does that fucking Darius, or whatever his name is, think he is? I''ll teach him a lesson the next time he shows up here!" The people in the car frowned. After all, Darius had lost some of his memories for unknown reasons, and this wasn''t good news to them. Also, Erin was worried that it had something to do with his health.She¡¯d seen how much effort he¡¯d put into his work and studies. Just as she was worrying over this, Lyon showed up again. "I¡¯ll give him this¡ªhe¡¯s a lucky bastard.All those pretty littledies are falling over themselves to be with him¡ªeven that receptionist!" Erin¡¯s eyes widened. She hated the way Lyon talked about Darius, and she forced out through gritted teeth, "It looks like we went easy on him before." Edward nodded. "Yeah, you''re right.Earlier on, I didn''t want to go overboard because we had yet to figure out things here, but there¡¯s no need to hold back this time." Borisin, who was seated in the passenger seat, couldn¡¯t help his lips from twitching. He''d seen how terrible Lyon looked before¡ª his arm, leg, and even corbone had been broken. Was that their definition of "going easy" on someone? If they really wanted to teach him a lesson, would he still be alive? He cleared his throat at this thought, and everyone turned to look at him. He sighed and looked at Miguel. "I want you to stay with them until they leave Almiron City." Darius wasn¡¯t bothered by this.He was more annoyed by the fact that Lyon was out there bragging mindlessly. "You guys don¡¯t even know how gorgeous those women trailing Darius were!" This was followed by mindless catcalling and howling from hisckeys. He narrowed his eyes and asked frostily, "Did you guys hear that?" Borisin didn¡¯t say anything. Things had changed now, and he was the one who had to try to figure out what was going on. Edward and the others didn¡¯t need to consider this, though. They nodded and said, "Yes, sir." Darius sighed. "Erin, correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but this hotel has a baseball field, right?" Erin immediately knew what he wanted to do. "Yes, sir.I know where the baseball bats are kept." Borisin turned to re at him disapprovingly. "You¡¯re being too rash! If you get yourselves locked up because of this, even I won''t be able to help you." Darius¡¯ voice was colder than ever as he said, "Officer Martinez, you¡¯re making it sound like we¡¯re more than acquaintances." Borisin met his gaze.His eyes were deep, endless pools of darkness, and they made him feel like he was sinking into nothingness.He quickly turned back around andughed awkwardly. As he tried to think of something to ease the tension, Darius said, "I hope this doesn¡¯t happen again.Regardless of our rtionship, I won¡¯t let you off the hook if you do this again." Borisin shuddered and widened his eyes in fear. "Y-you know who Tam?" Darius scoffed.He didn¡¯t say anything. The driver parked the bus at the hotel¡¯s entrance. The crowd at the entrance turned to look at them. When Borisin saw that Darius didn¡¯t move, he said to the driver, "Just drive on in." To his surprise, Darius said, "No, there¡¯s no need.You can hang around for a while, though.I''ll probably need to go to the detention center with youter." Borisin was lost for words. After some thought, he realized there were no alternatives. He couldn''t stop any of these people. The door opened, and Edward was the first person to step out. Bridget was right behind him. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Lyon had been in the middle of his bragging, and the sudden appearance of a bus distracted him. Just as he was thinking about how he would vent his anger, the door opened. He stood with his hands on his waist and looked arrogantly at the people getting down. He didn''t believe for a second that this was someone he should fear. The next second, he paled when he saw who it was. He subconsciously balled his hand into a fist as he ced it on his leg. Suddenly, he remembered how much pain he¡¯d been in and released a tormented cry. Darius put his hands behind his back and looked at Lyon. "It¡¯s too bad for him that I don¡¯t n on letting him go." Borisin¡¯s lips twitched. "I might be able to help you out if they sue you for damages, but I can¡¯t do anything about paying your bail." Darius waved a hand. "I have nothing but money.There''s nothing to worry about, though.The most I¡¯ll have to pay if they sue me is three million.That¡¯s not even enough to buy half a car.What does it matter?" When Borisin heard how casual he sounded, he couldn¡¯t help rolling his eyes. Erin looked confused, but she didn¡¯t say anything. Darius would tell her about it if he felt that she needed to know, so she took a deep breath and turned to look at Lyon and his gang. Only a few minutes had passed, but they were all already lying on the ground. "Darius, I''ll show you how much my life is worth!" Chapter 241 Chapter 241 Darius heard someone roar outside, so he looked out and saw Lyon on the ground, covered in blood again. This wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d expected.He raised an eyebrow and met Lyon¡¯s hatred-filled gaze.He sighed. Borisin looked at him with a smile in his eyes. "I thought you¡¯d take his life like you did that olddy¡¯s." "Stop trying to frame me. Her death has nothing to do with me." Borisin narrowed his eyes. "Don¡¯t you think that sounds weird?" Darius nodded, propping his head up with his arm on the window. "It does." He crossed his legs at the knees and tapped his fingers against the seat''s armrest. "There¡¯s really no need for you to test me because all you¡¯re going to get is another lie." He wiggled his eyebrows and shut his eyes, not saying anything else. Borisin frowned at his attitude.His reaction wasn¡¯t within Borisin¡¯s expectations, so he didn¡¯t know what to say. Soon, the silence was broken. When the fighting ended, Bridget ran over to them. "Mr.Reid, I''ve already rounded everyone up.The hotel¡¯s safe for now." This was what Darius wanted.He opened his eyes, nodded, and got off the vehicle, breathing in some fresh air. Borisin¡¯s eyes narrowed again. Darius seemed to be different from the things he''d heard. Darius followed Bridget into the hotel but didn¡¯t hear anyone behind him after taking a few steps. He turned around to see Borisin standing a distance away from him with his hands in his pockets, seemingly deep in thought.He took a deep breath and called out Borisin¡¯s name, saying, "i think you shoulde with me.Our short-term targets should be the same since we¡¯re from the same family." Borisin didn¡¯t expect him to use the word "family" to describe their rtionship. He gulped and walked toward Darius, saying, "I may have my worries, but it¡¯s only right for me toe with you since you think of me as your family." Darius didn¡¯t expect him to say this.He raised an eyebrow. "I know very little about you." Borisin nodded. "Yeah, because my father and stepmother aren¡¯t important people in the Reid family." Though Darius disagreed with him, he didn¡¯t say anything. To his surprise, Borisin didn¡¯t continue. He turned to look at him and asked, "Aren¡¯t you going to say anything else?" Borisin shook his head. "No.There are too many people around, and they don¡¯t need to know about my past.It''s fine as long as you know so that we can work together better." Darius rubbed his nose. "I think there¡¯s something you¡¯ve misunderstood about me.I don¡¯t know who you are, actually.I saw you from a photo in my grandfather¡¯s study, which was taken when you were a child." Borisin gaped at him.He didn¡¯t expect the truth to be like this. After a long moment, he chuckled. "I see.I thought you knew who I was." Darius shook his head. If his eyes weren¡¯t fooling him, he¡¯d seen a trace of sadness in Borisin¡¯s eyes. This didn¡¯t affect him, though. He looked at Borisin emotionlessly and said, "I think it¡¯s only right for you to introduce yourself properly if you want me to help you." "The name''s Borisin." Borisin''s lips twitched, then he said while walking, "I was born before you were, so I¡¯m actually older than you." Darius wasn¡¯t bothered by this.He nodded and said, "Yeah, that doesn¡¯t really matter.I want to know when you realized we were both from the Reid Consortium." Everyone around them fell silent and looked at him, their eyes wide with shock. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Darius didn¡¯t know why they were looking at him like that, so he raised an eyebrow and looked back at them. Borisin put his hands back in his pockets and smiled while shaking his head. "Nobody from the Reid Consortium would actually thank someone." Darius disagreed with this, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Borisin was a little disappointed, but he quickly overcame it. His expression changed swiftly. When he saw that Darius wasn¡¯t responding, he shrugged and said, "If you¡¯re not willing to talk about this, we can change the topic to anything else.I¡¯m open to suggestions." He spread his hands. To his surprise, Darius still didn¡¯t say anything. There was a trace of panic in his eyes, and it was an odd reaction. It made him seempletely different from how he¡¯d been outside the hotel. After some thought, Darius asked, "Do you remember what just happened?" Borisin froze and blinked at him, looking lost. Darius sighed. "It¡¯s just as I thought." He turned to Edward, who was still standing next to Lyon, and said loudly, "Bring him along!" Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Borisin followed Darius.He had his own thoughts about this but couldn''t put them into action. On the other hand, when Edward heard Darius say his name, he flung Lyon aside without hesitation to go to him. However, the moment he had his back to Lyon, Lyon suddenly pounced on him and wrapped his arms around Edward¡¯s leg. He started wailing, "I know I¡¯ve made many mistakes, but I hope you can forgive me this time." Edward shook his leg. Lyon was clinging to his leg so tightly that his blood flow was restricted. He took a deep breath and forced out through gritted teeth, "Let me go, or I swear I¡¯ll never forgive you!" Lyon slowly released him. Edward moved away and gave him a look before heading to Darius¡¯ room. He was greeted by a shocking scene, making his eyes widen¡ªBorisin was gripping Darius¡¯ hand tightly, and he was crying.It was theplete opposite of his usual cold, steely image. Edward didn''t know whether he¡¯d been hiding this from them from the start or whether this was a new development, but he knew this was wrong. His shock onlysted for a few seconds. After that, he ran over to Darius. Darius didn¡¯t expect Edward to show up at this moment.He let out a sigh of relief and was about to ask Edward to take Borisin away when Edward made quick work of him. Borisinnded on the ground face- first. Edward said calmly, "Mr.Reid, he¡¯s taken care of.What should we do next?" Darius sighed. "Why don¡¯t you see whether there¡¯s anything abnormal with his body? When he brought me to the scene earlier today, I suddenly lost control of my emotions and lost a portion of my memories.I still haven¡¯t recovered them." He pressed his temples. "There¡¯s a sort of drug that does that," Edward spoke without hesitation. "I researched something like that when I was working at ab before this.The project was dropped when we were almost done, though.All the researchers were sent home, so none of us had the core form." Darius leaned against the window with his arms crossed, his fingers tapping lightly on his arms. "Is there any way to prove that this drug is the same as the one you researched earlier?" When he finished his words, he saw Edward pull out a needle and draw blood from Borisin¡¯s arm. Edward looked up at his words, traces of excitement in his eyes. "Sir, Ican find out what¡¯s in his blood by testing it right now.That way, I can see whether theponents are identical to the drug I researched.If the mainponents are the same, we¡¯ll pretty much be able to tell what¡¯s flowing in his blood now." Darius wanted to ask more questions, but his gazended on Borisin¡¯s arm.There was still some blood seeping out of the wound, but no one bothered to do anything. Of course, neither would Darius.He sat down and pinched the bridge of his nose. Too many things had happened today, and it was hard for him to cope. Edward looked at him and knew that this was probably an aftereffect of the drug.He stood up and walked over to him, pulling out a set of sharp needles. His gazended on the back of Darius¡¯ head, and he said, "Sir, if you¡¯re still feeling unwell, I can give you an injection or two." Darius saw the needles in his pocket and shot to his feet so quickly that Edward almost saw double. Edward watched as he jumped over the desk, and his jaw dropped. "Sir, there¡¯s really no need for that." This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. He slowly lowered the needle and put it back into its box. Darius let out a sigh of relief. Edward continued, "This is a treatment method from that mysterious country, and I¡¯ve tried it on myself before.It works like magic, and I do it to myself regrly." Darius didn¡¯t know how to react. After a moment¡¯s silence, he changed the topic. "Why do you think an experimental drug from yourb would appear here?" Edward¡¯s expression turned grim. "I don¡¯t know, sir.I feel like we¡¯ve ended up in some sort of maze, and it probably started from that woman¡¯s appearance." Darius closed his eyes and leaned back. "Someone seems to be leading us by the nose, and we¡¯re in a passive position.We have to end this as soon as possible." Before he finished his sentence, his phone started ringing.He opened his eyes, nced at it, raised an eyebrow, then answered it. "Bruce." Bruce sounded anxious. "Sir, I inadvertently learned that your trip to Almiron City isn''t going too well.If you need any help, please call me immediately.To the Reid Consortium, nothing means more than your safety." This time, Darius didn¡¯t hear his grandfather¡¯s voice on the other end of the line. It made him feel a little uneasy, so he asked, "Bruce, where¡¯s my grandfather?" "I¡¯m fine.You only need to worry about yourself." James¡¯ voice wasn¡¯t as anxious as it usually was, but it was very grim. "I have a gut feeling about this, and I think I have some evidence to prove that they¡¯re about to carry out some inhumane experiment.We don¡¯t know what exactly is going on yet, though." Darius and Edward shared a look, immediately thinking of the vi. Darius rubbed his temple and sighed. "Grandpa, I think I know what¡¯s happening." James¡¯ hand clenched the phone tightly. This was followed by Bruce¡¯s horrified exmation. "Sir, your hand!" Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Chapter 243 I Can¡¯t ##Darius heard some noise on the other end of the line, then his grandfather¡¯s resolute voice rang out. "Tell me everything you know." He knew there was nothing to hide about this, so he told James everything he and Borisin had seen and experienced. James sounded even grimmer after listening to him. "So, you mean to say that neither of you came into contact with anyone? No one injected anything into either of your bodies or force-fed you anything? Yet this still happened?" Darius rubbed his temple. "Yes, Grandpa. I¡¯ve tried my best to recall every detail, but I haven¡¯te across anything that seems out of the ordinary." "Alright." James hung up. Darius put his phone down and looked at Edward. "That drug you researched¡ªhow is it administered?" Edward met his gaze. "There are plenty of ways. One can drink, touch, or even breathe it in." "When do the memorypses start?" "The moment the drug kicks in.And that was the reason why it wasn¡¯t thrown into production¡ªthere was no way to control the time it took to act up.Some saw the effects earlier than others, but there were someb rats that only showed effects three to five monthster." Darius took a deep breath and nodded. "How long will it take to verify whether it¡¯s from thatb?" "Another eight hours, sir." Darius nodded again and leaned back while crossing his legs at the knee. "Well, since we don¡¯t have any updates on that matter, we can look into something else." "Something else? Is it..." Edward shook his head after some thought. "Sir, I can¡¯t think of anything else." Darius looked at him with a faint smile. "You don¡¯t need to y down your talents when you¡¯re with me.In fact, I want all the people around me to be worth ten of someone else." Edward lowered his head, not daring to speak. Darius sighed and continued, "Borisin took us away, didn''t he? What happened to Wilson Gillette?" Since they were on this topic, he nced at Borisin, who was still wondering what had happened to himself.He suppressed the urge to give him a kick and turned back to Edward. "Erin¡¯s probably going to be busy for some time, so I¡¯ll leave this up to you." Edward didn¡¯t expect things to turn out this way.He quickly raised his head and looked at Darius, shocked. "S-Sir, thank you." He didn¡¯t know what to do, so he took a step back and bowed respectfully. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. "I apologize for this, but when I joined the Reid Consortium, I decided to make protecting you my life¡¯s mission." Darius sighed at the resolute look on his face. "If you can give me an appropriate reason for that, I¡¯ll agree to it.But you need to understand this¡ª you¡¯ve turned down an order of mine, and if you can¡¯t give me a good reason, I don¡¯t think I can allow you to stay with me anymore." He didn¡¯t sound angry, but Edward knew he meant his words.He stiffened. Darius had given him two choices, but neither of them was what he wanted. However, it was obvious there wouldn¡¯t be a third option.He sighed and shut his eyes. "Sir, I can give you a reason.After graduating at the age of sixteen, the university hired me, and that¡¯s when I started doing experiments.After a few of the drugs that I¡¯d worked on achieved sess, more people started to know about me.They wanted me to work for them, but I''d never thought of leaving because a former professor of mine was with me.This onlysted for a year, though.One of the companies refused to leave me alone no matter how many times I turned them down, and one day, they lost control of themselves when trying to persuade my parents to see things their way." Edward¡¯s eyes turned red at this point. "From that day on, I lost my family.I hated them and stopped going home, spending all my time on my research.I wanted to use my research to get them off my back, but the university kept turning down my requests for grants.During that period of time, I was obsessed with producing a drug to stop more tragedies from happening.It never urred to me that this obsession of mine would lead to an even worse tragedy. "The owner of thepany that hurt my parents changed his identity and started anotherpany to reach out to me. When he found out about my thoughts, he immediately agreed to invest in my research, and I epted it without hesitation. That night, I returned to the university to pack my stuff without letting anyone know. Only when I got to my newb did I realize what a huge mistake I¡¯d made. Things werepletely different from what I''d imagined. They confiscated my phone and luggage, making me go through all sorts of data. "At the beginning, I didn¡¯t realize how wrong it was to conduct these experiments.It was only when they started bringing humans into the equation that I felt something was up.Also, based on my observations, none of those people hade voluntarily. As these things happened, we were forced to keep our mouths shut. Manyb assistants didn¡¯t know the proper procedures when conducting experiments, and their hands were filthy. They weren¡¯t professionally trained, and this made me feel suspicious. "T tried negotiating with the owner to let me leave, but it obviously didn¡¯t work. They locked me up and starved me until I gave in. After about two years, they allowed me to leave theb, but I had to marry a woman and live with her. Our neighbors were the security guards at theb, including that olddy. "One night, the house caught on fire. That¡¯s when I took the opportunity to escape." Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Chapter 244 hical Experimentation "But I had no money, ce to go, friends, or even family.There was no one [ could ask for help from," Edward continued, "I roamed the streets for three days, starving and freezing so much that I wanted to seek help from my professor.However, when I arrived at his home, I realized his door was locked, and it seemed like no one had been home in a long time. I asked around the neighborhood, but a neighbor suddenly called out my name and handed me my professor¡¯s house keys. I asked them what had happened to my professor but never got any answers. So, I lived in my professor¡¯s home for three years while searching for him. The authorities only revealed the truth when I was on the verge of breaking down." He paused for a breath before adding, "It turned out that my professor tried searching for me and discovered thepany''s hical experimentation in the process. He then informed the authorities and negotiated with thepany to hand me over. He even gave them his life¡¯s work and the data from his experiments, which he valued dearly. That was thest time anyone saw him¡ªhe vanished. From that day, I worked hard to earn a living and picked up various skills, including several types of martial arts. I did all that in hopes of one day locating my professor and rescuing him from thepany¡¯s clutches. "I eventually seeded." Edward¡¯s gaze had been downcast the entire time he spoke. Yet, when he said this, his head suddenly lifted his head, his eyes glimmering with unyielding determination. "But my professor had damage in his central nervous system after undergoing those hical experiments.He needed expensive treatment.That was when the Reid family approached me, promising to cover all my professor¡¯s living expenses and medical bills.They assured me that they would never abandon him until he either recovers or dies." Following that, Edward shot a firm look at Darius, stating, "That''s why I¡¯m very sorry, Mr.Reid.I understand your good intentions, but I can¡¯t take on such a responsibility." A moment passed as Darius pondered, "He¡¯s just been through a lot in such a short time, so, understandably, he¡¯s in denial.To be fair, Edward is a talented person, so I don¡¯t mind waiting a few minutes more." This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. With that in mind, he nodded and replied, "Okay.We¡¯ll keep things ording to your wish." The room then fell into a long period of silence. In the end, Edward could not hold himself back He nced at Darius and asked, "Mr.Reid, what do we do now?" Darius shut his eyes and sighed. "Where¡¯s Miguel right now?" Edward froze. He did not know the answer, so he retreated two steps before speedily replying, "Mr.Reid, please rest here for a moment. I''ll go find him." He then took another two steps back and zipped out the door like lightning. Only two minutes passed before he brought Miguel to Darius. Miguel reached out and pointed at the main door, many conflicting emotions swirling in his gaze that focused on Darius. Sensing that, Darius looked up from hisptop to see Miguel standing at the door and silently staring at him. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Perhaps Miguel had taken things too seriously that he trembled from head to toe upon hearing Darius¡¯ words. Darius arched a brow at such dramatic behavior. Yet, he did notment on it. Instead, he returned to his seat, centered himself, then spoke. "Come in." Only then did Miguel enter the room, standing stiffly before Darius.He did not move a single muscle, not even those around his eyes. Because of that, his eyelids covered most of his eyes, blocking them from Darius¡¯ sight. Even so, Darius did not care. He then pointed to the side, where a dazed Borisin Martinez sat, and said, "Your master had you keep a close eye on me recently.But it seems he wasn¡¯t doing too good himself, which makes me a little worried." Miguel¡¯s gaze traveled in the direction Darius pointed. Once he saw Borisin, his brows raised with fear.It was because Borisin sat there unmoving and did not even look at Miguel when he arrived. "That¡¯s uneptable!" Miguel thought. He straightened his spine, his red eyes glowering at Darius as he yelled, "What the hell happened? How did he be like this?" "He was exposed to an experimental drug, but the specifics of why he¡¯s like this is unclear." Darius¡¯ eyes dimmed as he spoke. Miguel could discern Darius¡¯ anger from thetter¡¯s low tone and concise speech.He sucked in a sharp but deep breath, rposing himself. Then, he uttered at a slower, more controlled pace, "Sorry about earlier.I was just so worried that I behaved out of line.I won''t do it again." "You''re both members of the authorities, so you have convenient ess to things like healthcare, so take him back with you now." After saying that, Darius waved dismissively at the door and redirected his attention onto hisptop screen. That rendered Miguel speechless, his mouth opening wide but not a word came out.He could not comprehend why Darius reacted that way, so he decided not to continue talking.He reached out, hooking his arm around Borisin¡¯s to drag thetter away. Much to his surprise, Borisin seemed more robust than before; thetter did not budge even when Miguel used all his strength. Eventually, Miguel stopped trying and turned to look at Darius. "What''s the meaning of this? Is it also because of the experimental drug?" Darius shook his head while meeting the former¡¯s eyes. "As much as I want to answer your question, I don¡¯t know¡ªbecause this experimental drug has never been approved for use." "Then how do you know about all this?" Miguel questioned loudly. Darius narrowed his eyes to slits. "I don¡¯t think this matter has anything to do with you." Seeing how Darius¡¯ countenance had drastically shifted twice in a short period, Miguel¡¯s breathing grew heavy. He then spoke in a low, almost growling tone. "I suggest you be more polite when speaking with me.Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re now involved ina homicide case!" Upon hearing that, Darius leaned back in his seat and crossed his legs. A scoff came from his lips, highlighting his unwavering confidence, even when facing Miguel¡¯s threat.He cocked a brow and smirked at thetter, but it was not because he was happy. "Isn''t the reason you guys approached me because you wanted to find evidence against me?" Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Chapter 245 While speaking, Darius directed his gaze at Borisin. "He''s a remarkable member of the authorities.s, because hees from the Reid family, it was much easier for me to obtain his personal information than you or the other authorities." Many expressions of shock, doubt, disbelief, and panic swirled in Miguel¡¯s stormy eyes. His chaotic emotions were notably different from Darius¡¯ stoicism. A lengthy sigh came from Darius. "Seeing that he¡¯s a Reid, I won¡¯t pursue this matter anymore.Nevertheless, I want the authorities to know this¡ªit¡¯s impossible for you guys to pin the old woman¡¯s death on me.After all, if I wanted to, I could easily kill someone." With that, Darius knocked on the desk before him, ordering, "Bridget, you can send them off now." Bridget appeared just then.Her gaze was as sharp as a dagger as it pierced through Miguel.She then motioned at the door. "This way." Miguel knew nothing would change even if he and Borisin remained here. Not to mention, despite spending little time with Bridget and Darius, he knew the two would not let him leave if he did not go now; Miguel was sure that he and his tworades outside the door could never win against Bridget and Darius. Thus, he shot onest look at Darius before kneeling to carry Borisin on his shoulder.He then left out the door without so much as a second nce. It was then that Darius let out a long exhale of relief. Meanwhile, Bridget reappeared at the door, holding a red letter. Darius noticed it through a sideways nce but soon shut his eyes again. "What¡¯s that in your hand?" Only then did Bridget snap to her senses.She looked down at the letter before dashing over to ce it on the desk before Darius. "It¡¯s an invite from the Gillette family for you to attend a banquet." A nk look shrouded Darius¡¯ face.He reached out to grab the invite, opening it and scanning its contents. Without warning, he mmed it onto the desk with a loud thud. "Wilson Gillette¡¯s got some nerve!" Bridget had worked by Darius¡¯ side for quite a while, yet this was her first time seeing him so upset.She lowered her head and kept mum but could not help wondering what was in the invite. Tickled by curiosity, her eyes darted toward the letter, trying to see what was on it. Darius detected her tense breathing almost immediately. His gaze roamed past her before he handed the letter to her, saying, "Just read it if you want to." Bridget quickly scanned the words on the invite, her brows knitting. The message read, "Darius Reid, I¡¯m shocked to learn your family name. However, I believe you¡¯ll be more shocked to know that, despite you being a Reid, I won¡¯t tolerate you in the slightest. Thus, I¡¯m sending you this invite out of respect for the Reid family. This banquet is also why I didn¡¯t make any decisions that day when you got apprehended by the authorities. That is why I hope and look forward to seeing you at the banquet." Bridget¡¯s face darkened once she finished reading that. Her hands curled into fists on both sides of her body. Even her voice tremored with rage as she asked, "Mr.Reid, are we attending this banquet?" Darius sensed the concern and hesitation in her voice, so he shot an unyielding look at her. "Yes." Determination and excitement flooded Bridget¡¯s narrowed eyes just then. "Understood, Mr.Reid.I''ll make the preparations at once!" Once she left, the room became quiet again. Darius entered the bathroom, where someone had filled the bathtub without him knowing. He dipped his fingers into the water and realized it was still warm, so he took off his robe, wanting to soak in the tub. Yet, he had just gottenfortable when someone opened the hotel room door from outside. A series of familiar footsteps soon rang out, but they were not supposed to be there. After a moment of hesitation, Darius heard someone taking off their clothes outside the bathroom. Hence, he frowned while quickly calling out, "Kate." Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. That was when a shriek tore through the air. Many footsteps rushed toward the room as concerned voices yelled, "Miss Kate! Miss Kate, what happened?" "Shit!" Darius could not help eximing while mming the sides of the bathtub. He hurriedly stood, grabbed his bathrobe, and put it on before exiting the bathroom. Outside, Kate had calmed down when she saw the person standing outside the bathroom from her peripheral vision. Her jaw fell agape as her eyes looked like they were about to pop. Darius approached her side, his icy voice questioning, "I''d like to know what the hell is going on." Kate turned to meet Darius¡¯s eyes at once, her forehead creasing as she exined, "I¡¯m currently residing here because I booked a room in this hotel." "I believe we¡¯ve been set up," said Darius as he sat, crossing his legs on a nearby couch. That instantly snapped Kate to her senses.She then spun on her heel, rushing to shut and lock the door in seconds. As a result, it lowered the noise of the moring men outside. Patting her chest, Kate exhaled deeply before turning to speak to Darius when she noticed the helpless grin on his face. All words failed her in that instant. After parting and pursing her lips several times, she eventually asked in a small voice, "W-Why are you staring at me like that? Did I do something wrong?" Airyughter came from Darius, who shook his head. "I may not know who¡¯s behind this, but ording to my spections, they¡¯re trying to frame us for having inappropriate rtions.By shutting the door, you¡¯re admitting that what they¡¯re about to say is true." Kate became as pale as a sheet. She shook her head at once, urging, "No! I can¡¯t let that happen!" It was then that someone knocked on their room door. Kate turned, and before Darius could say anything, she opened the door. Chuckling, Darius returned to hisptop and opened the voice recording app. He then sat down to type something. Elsewhere, Bridget and Erin were discussing the uing banquet. The former was looking up the map of Almiron City on her phone. Meanwhile, thetter researched simr information and was about to purchase some clothes as well as a luxury vehicle to prevent the incident at the hotel entrance earlier today from happening again. Chapter 246 Chapter 246 Erin saw a message appear on herptop screen. In it, Darius exined his current situation, causing her to frown. She looked up at Bridget, alerting, "Mr.Reid might be in trouble.I¡¯m unsure if he¡¯s sustain any physical injuries from this unforeseen situation." As soon as Bridget heard that first sentence, she put away the map she held and got up to leave. Only when she stood at the door did she hear thest sentence. Thus, she stopped to say, "I have some doubts." Erin smiled, nodding. "I understand what you¡¯re confused about, but you won¡¯t feel that way after reading the rest of what Mr.Reid has sent us." Erin¡¯sposure alleviated Bridget¡¯s anxiety at that moment. She mused, "Among everyone I know, no one cares for Darius more than Erin.So, if she¡¯s calm, it must mean Darius isn¡¯t in real danger." With that thought, she paced over to read the message on Erin¡¯sptop. Nevertheless, her lips twitched, and she could not hold herself back. "Thank you for informing me about Mr.Reid¡¯s situation, but I¡¯ve decided to go over anyway.I fear he¡¯s still exposed to danger since the enemy has many people on their side." Erin nodded, not stopping her from leaving. In the meantime, back at the hotel, Kate had opened the door. All the men yelling for her came rushing in. Their forceful entrance shoved Kate onto the ground. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Upon seeing that, Darius¡¯ finger twitched, but he did not n to help her. Kate massaged the back of her head, where a bald spot and her injury from the ne incident were. It had slightly healed but was now aching from the impact. The pain was so intense that Kate felt a little dizzy, unable to get from the floor.She hoped that Darius would give her a hand, but much to her disappointment, he did not move. Contrary to hisck of reaction, the men mored even more. Although their yells sounded angry, the looks on their faces suggested otherwise; it seemed like they were subtly trying to suppress their smiles. Darius remained on the couch with a stoic countenance. "You¡¯ve put in quite the effort to get me inside this room.Sadly, I¡¯m a busy person with limited time to waste.I might not be able to y along with your entire charade, so if there¡¯s something you wish to say, get to it." Silence engulfed the room again. The men¡¯s eyes were on Darius, shock coating all their faces. "W-What do you mean by that? How dare you imply that we set you up in this situation!" eximed the leader of the men, whose voice started out meek but eventually toughened as he found the perfect excuse to me Darius. He then spoke as if his assumptions were true. "Look at what you¡¯re wearing! What is your rtionship with our boss¡¯ daughter?" Kate remained on the ground, but her cheeks had taken on a reddish hue. She then scowled at the leader and thundered through gritted teeth, "Bilgi! Stop spewing lies about what happened! 1 won¡¯t spare you if you dare utter a word of nder against me! Who cares if you worked under my dad for a long time? Your current behavior has made it crystal clear that you¡¯re no longer loyal to my dad!" Her eyes were aze, especially when she saw the barely concealed smiles on the men¡¯s faces for - heir scheme¡¯s sess. While Kate thought about that, a doubt formed in her mind. That was when she noticed a ck, unknown.object in the corner of her hotel room. She was sure she had never seen it there before when she stayed in this room. Hence, she shot to her feet and raced over to the object. Darius paid attention to her every move just then. Simultaneously, Bilgi cackled. "Oh? You¡¯re much more intelligent than you seem, Miss Kate!" Kate whipped her head around so quickly that it did not even take a second for her fiery gaze to burn Bilgi. Even so, Bilgi was unafraid. His hands were on his waist as he arrogantly raised his chin at Kate. "Your dad is an excellent chairman, but he¡¯s recently been out of contact with everyone.That means all control over hispany goes to his daughter during his absence.In theory, you should inherit the company.However, your messy affair with this boy toy will likely cause unimaginable damage to the company¡¯s reputation, so you can¡¯t have thepany now!" Kate did not stop while the former was speaking. When he ended his speech, she had already grabbed the ck camera and red at him. Yet, much to her dismay, thetter was not frightened after seeing what was in her hands. That caused her to panic. With trembling hands, she uttered, "I-I have the surveince camera now.You¡ª" Thunderousughter came from Bilgi before Kate could finish her words. It left her fuming, her cheeks as red as beets, and she failed to say anything more. Having witnessed that, Darius stood from the couch.He approached Kate and nudged her to get behind him before glowering at Bilgi from above. "To be honest, I assumed you were a child based on your height when I first saw you." Then, hended a blow on Bilgi¡¯s nose before thetter could even react to that insult. Darius would never have done this in the past, but things were different now¡ªhe was a man of immeasurable wealth. Thus, he refused to suppress his anger anymore, knowing nothing good ever came from him tolerating others. Kate¡¯s mouth rounded into the shape of a big ¡®0¡¯ while her eyes glimmered at Darius.She never imagined that he would attack others in her defense. Bilgi plopped onto the ground, his hands cupping his face as he sneered at Darius. "My goodness! How dare you hit me? I¡¯ve never met such a bold boy toy in my life! While I understand you¡¯re selling your bodily services to Miss Kate, you should know this¡ªin Miss Kate¡¯s current situation, she no longer holds the prestige or worth of being ady.In fact, she even has to serve me to maintain a livelihood.As for you, if I asked her to leave you, do you seriously think she would choose you over her life?" Chapter 247 Chapter 247 Darius ced his hands in his pockets, condescendingly looking down at Bilgi and spitting. Without giving the matter another thought, he swung his foot onto thetter¡¯s stomach, then headed back tothe couch. Bilgiy on the ground.He struggled to turn his head toward Darius before coughing up blood. Only then did his hoarse voice ring out. "I guess you''re not very bright, so I¡¯ll punish you now!" His head whipped around to face the men in various formal suits behind him. They were staring at him with nk faces, which made his breathing quicken.He mmed both palms into the ground, forcing himself off the floor. "Why the hell aren¡¯t you guys doing anything?" he loudly barked at the men, his saliva sttering everywhere while he pointed at Darius. "Have you forgotten who the boss that¡¯s sustaining your livelihoods is? I¡¯m now ordering you guys to break this boy toy¡¯s legs! Let¡¯s see how he¡¯ll use his body for a living after bing a cripple!" Not a tinge of emotion showed on Darius¡¯ face. Meeting such an unbothered man for the first time made Bilgi quiver uncontrobly with rage. Yet, a light bulb suddenly went off in his head. He straightened himself after standing, and his sneer shot toward Darius like a bullet. "Are you someone wealthy? If so, why would you choose to be with Kate? She¡¯s useless!" he thundered. After saying that, he fervently shook his head as though he had lost his mind. He then corrected himself, saying, "No! Impossible! There¡¯s no way you¡¯re rich.If you are, you would know who¡¯s really in power here." Bilgi viewed himself as superior just then.His back straightened like before, exuding a cocky aura as if he were the king of the world. He jutted his chin while smirking at Darius. "It¡¯s okay, though.I understand you''re very young and want to go after your primal desires.However, I can tel] you that your pursuits will fail! Of course, you ignore my words, but when the hotel¡¯s security guards arrive five minutester and have to choose between believing you or me, you¡¯ll see I¡¯m not lying." He then swung his coat back while sitting on the couch, extending his legs and cing his right ankle onto his left thigh. s, his ns got foiled before the security guards even arrived¡ªErin beat them to it. She stood at the door, knocking on it. "Mr.Reid, I''ve brought the things you''ll need to prepare for tonight¡¯s banquet.I¡¯ll need you to assess them and try on the clothing options." Darius glimpsed at Bilgi, who sat beside him on the couch, then nodded. "Sure.Come in." Meanwhile, Bilgi could not take his eyes off Erin when she arrived. He gasped in his heart, thinking, "I¡¯ve never seen such an exquisite woman in my life! I suppose it proves Darius is wealthy.After all, a beauty like her would never appear by his side if he were poor.Then again, this woman seems naive.I bet she¡¯s never met an actual wealthy person.That must be why she''s sticking by Darius¡¯ side." With that thought, he smoothed out the creases on his coat and cleared his throat.He then spoke with a gravelly voice while reaching out to shake Erin¡¯s hand. "It¡¯s lovely to meet you, prettydy." Little did he expect Erin to frown, not bothering to spare him a second nce as she walked past him. Bilgi could not stand such rudeness.He reached out to grab her wrist, a greasy smirk of ill intent forming on his face. Yet, that smirk faltered halfway as Erin slipped away at lightning speed before he could grasp her.He looked up, eyes widening at Erin standing behind Darius. Her forehead creased while she shot Bilgi a murderous re. Seeing that, Bilgi inhaled sharply and waved it off. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. "Okay, I understand you¡¯re young and inexperienced with differentiating such things.So, I won¡¯t be mad at you.I¡¯ll even give you another chance.He locked onto Erin, shing a look of sincerity at her. "You should know the man beside you owns far less wealth than me.I can tell from his gaze." A brief silence ensued. Then, he spoke at a quicker pace. "I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re wed or not pretty.Instead, I¡¯m emphasizing how he chose to be with another woman, despite already having a stunning woman like you by his side." As he uttered that insult, he made sure to shoot a raised eyebrow at Kate. Erin¡¯s gaze quickly traveled toward Kate, then back onto Bilgi as she replied firmly, "I think you should take responsibility for everything you¡¯re saying.Because you''re not the only one with surveince footage of what happened here¡ªwe do too.First, this camera somehow appeared in our chairman¡¯s room.Then, you and your men suddenly barged in.We would never allow these things to happen, yet they did.Since you''re rich, I believe you¡¯ll have awyer to back you up.I doubt you need me to exin the consequences of having a part in these two things.Thus, please vacate the premises at once!" Bilgi had always believed no one would reject his advances. Hence, the undesirable oue made his features warp into a hideous scowl. He pointed at Erin, hissing, "You may be pretty, but your actions have pissed me off! I¡¯ll make you regret ever crossing paths with me today if you don¡¯t apologize now¡ª" Before he could continue insulting Erin, Darius¡¯ voice resonated in front of him. Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Darius looked down at his watch before calmly stating, "The banquet will start in four hours.We don¡¯t have time to waste on this man anymore.ording to what he said, the hotel''s security must be on the way.We¡¯ll let them decide who to trust when they get here." Erin nodded, then pped. The staff waiting outside the hotel room holding trays soon entered the room. They stood uniformly before Darius, slightly bowing so that Darius could see what was in their trays. Bilgi was about to yell at them but mped his lips shut once he saw the staff¡¯s behavior. He knew the staff¡¯s treatment toward Darius was out of his reach, even with his current wealth. That notion peaked when he saw what was on the staff''s trays. His jaw fell open, rendering him bbergasted. Meanwhile, Darius¡¯ attention was on the trays. Erin also focused on the trays, while only Bridget spared some of her focus on Bilgi. "Mr.Reid, here are the clothes, a necktie, a belt, and other essories you¡¯ll need for tonight¡¯s banquet," Erin stated while pointing at all the trays down the line in respective order. When she arrived at the secondst tray, she reached ahead and pulled out a fountain pen from the red velvety cloth. "Mr.Reid, this is a fountain pen, and I''ll keep it with me.I¡¯ll be by your side at all times should you sessfully negotiate a contract tonight." Darius quirked a brow, asking, "Is itmon in Almiron City to negotiate contracts at such banquets?" "Yes, Mr.Reid." Erin nodded with a smile. "ording to the information I have gathered, such contracts exist as many people, who are looking for investors, often bring contracts when attending banquets." Darius nodded, leaned into the couch, then shifted his gaze onto thest tray without speaking. With just one look at his countenance, Erin knew she should introduce the final item. She approached the tray, maintaining her formal posture while exining, "Mr.Reid, in this final tray is the car you¡¯ll drive." She lifted a car key from the tray, ced it into her palm, and presented it to Darius. "It''s a Bugatti, simr to your previous car.Unfortunately, because of time constraints, we couldn¡¯t modify it ording to your preferences." Darius took the car keys from her, replying, "This car is enough.I believe that, here in Almiron City, apart from the Gillette family -" He did not finish speaking as he suddenly detected a gust of wind charging from beside him. As a result, his arm shot forward to grab Erin, leading her behind him.He then retracted his arm and ced them on his legs, sandwiching the car keys between his palms and his knee. The spot where he swung his arm was where someone fell to the ground. Subsequently, Darius ced his foot right above the person¡¯s chest.He did not waste a second in interrogating, "Bilgi, I¡¯d like to know what you¡¯re trying to do now." Bilgi¡¯s eyes widened, but he could not turn his head to re at Darius as thetter stepped on his shoulder. All he could do was stay immobile on the ground. That predicament left a bitter taste in his mouth, so he thundered, "Darius, you must''ve lost your mind! If you continue acting this way, I promise you''ll have hell to pay when the security guards get here¡ª argh!" His pained cries reverberated throughout every corner of the hotel just then. On the other hand, Darius remained stoic as he exerted more force through his feet. Only after the Bilgi''s cries ended did Darius speak up. "If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t make such threats because they could get you in big trouble." "There''s no way! Someone like you could never be rich! I won''t believe it.Hand over those car keys now.I''ll confirm if it¡¯s a fake!" Bilgi growled, his arms thrashing around. Despite his loud voice, no one in the room responded to him.novel ebook What felt like forever passed before Darius¡¯ chuckles rumbled in the room. Immediately after, aloud thud sounded, jolting Bilgi. He looked up and saw Darius dangling the car keys before him. The distance between him and the keys was less than an inch, enough to ensure he could never reach for them. Even so, Bilgi could see and tell the key was a brand new, original key issued by Bugatti. All the energy drained from his body, causing him to go limp and pale. He could not ept it. Images of Darius filled his mind, and he began to tremble. That piqued Darius¡¯ curiosity, so he asked, "I see you¡¯re starting to be afraid. Why is that? What on earth could make you this frightened? Is it my wealth?" Bilgi could no longer utter aplete sentence by then. "D-D-D-Darius R-Reid! You own Reid Consortium!" he eventually willed himself to say. Toward the end, his voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard. That made Darius¡¯ ears ache.He sighed deeply, anger seeping from his every pore. Still, his voice remained neutral as he replied, "I¡¯m surprised you managed to find out about it.But sadly, it¡¯s toote." On the ground, Bilgi¡¯s mind was spinning in circles from the sudden revtion. He knew the Reid family protected their kin and had foul tempers, so he was unsure if he could leave the hotel alive now that he had offended a Reid family member. However, judging from Darius¡¯ current reaction, Bilgi felt the chances he could leave alive were slim. Thus, he thought, "I have to calm down and think of something." N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. That was when he noticed Kate¡¯s shoes moving across the room. Chapter 249 Chapter 249 Bilgi¡¯s eyes hardened with confidence. "Darius Reid, you may own immeasurable wealth, but this is Almiron City! Here, the Reid family¡¯s wealth can neverpare to the Gillette family¡¯s!" Darius frowned, not uttering a single word as he found it unnecessary to confirm nor deny Bilgi¡¯s statement. A long while passed, yet Bilgi never got a response. His confidence soared as Darius did not react, nor did thetter continue exerting pressure on his body. He jutted his chin, proudly trumpeting, "So, it doesn¡¯t matter how wealthy your family is because you need to respect the rules here! Also, I work for the Gillette family.I¡¯ve served them for a long time, so you should show me some respect to ensure your safety in this city." He was so confident that he forgot about Kate¡¯s presence entirely. Kate raised her foot and stomped it on Bilgi, a raging fire burning her eyes. "How curious.When exactly did you start working for the Gillettes? You im to have served them for a long time, so what kind of services did you offer them? Could it be those contract opportunities that got stolen from my dad¡¯spany, the Anderson Group?" "Shut your mouth!" Still sprawled on the ground, Bilgi mmed his fists against the floor before pointing at Kate. "You have no authority to speak here since your dad¡¯s whereabouts are unknown, and he¡¯s unable to manage thepany.Now, I¡¯m the only person you can contact who knows thepany like the back of my hand.If I were you, I¡¯d keep quiet or help myself off the ground! Do it for the sake of your dad¡¯s company or even ensure the stability of your future!" A murderous shade of red seeped across Kate¡¯s cheeks. She snarled through gritted teeth, "I¡¯ve never met anyone as shameless as you! Firstly, you and I know that it¡¯s my dad¡¯spany.Secondly, my dad isn¡¯t dead ¡ªhe¡¯s merely missing! Perhaps he¡¯s on holiday at a ce without any signal, or maybe he lost his phone and wallet but is on his way home.My dad will return! His absence isn¡¯t permanent like you¡¯re implying! Therefore, there¡¯s no need to worry about who¡¯s inheriting thepany!" Overwhelmed by the growing wrath within her, she babbled but ensured to enunciate clearly. She continued, "Besides, you''ll never have your way if things are as you say! As my dad¡¯s only child, I¡¯m the heir who''ll inherit hispany!" Bilgi was initially furious, but when he heard those words from Kate, he began guffawing as though listening to a joke.His palm smacked the ground to express the vigorous amusement he felt.He laughed for what felt like forever. That startled Kate, who instinctively jolted backward. Her brows furrowed as creases formed on her forehead. Even so, her gaze remained on Bilgi. Unable to tolerate hisughter any longer, Kate knelt to grab a fistful of his hair while thundering, "What are youughing at?" Bilgi¡¯sughter died as soon as the pain overwhelmed his senses. Yet, his eyes reddened with even more amusement. All thatughter made his voice a little hoarse. His eyes fixated on Kate¡¯s while he emphasized every word with the utmost seriousness, "It¡¯s because you¡¯re not your dad¡¯s only child.He¡¯s quite the fickle man who has more than one family." Kate felt baffled by that information, so much so that her grip loosened, and her knees unknowingly buckled as she sat on the ground. The sight of that reignited Bilgi¡¯s boisterousughter. Darius could no longer stand the state of things at that point.He pointed his toes toward Bilgi''s stomach before kicking with full force. It sent Bilgi crashing against a wall some distance away. His body dragged against the ground, his clothes ripping, which left no barrier between his skin and the floor. Only then did he finally stopughing. Darius let out a quick exhale before looking at Kate, still on the ground as she struggled to ept the truth she learned from Bilgi. Erin had silently remained aside this entire time, but now, she felt the need to speak up. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Thus, she approached Darius¡¯ side and informed him, "Mr.Reid, we must hurry.Ten minutes have passed." A dismissive wave from Darius instantly silenced Erin.She then obediently returned to stand by his side without uttering another word. Following that, Darius locked eyes with Kate, stating, "Bilgi is telling the truth, but it¡¯s because of this that you now have a chance." Shock flickered in Kate¡¯s widened eyes as she looked up at Darius. "Is what you''re saying now what I think you''re implying?" "My words can mean anything as long as it¡¯s what your heart desires," replied a shrugging Darius. At that moment, Kate¡¯s eyes filled with fear. "But I never thought to manage thepany.I used to think I would hire a professional and suitable business manager to keep things in check if thepany ever needed me.However, that won''t do now if my dad has other children¡ªI have to show up at thepany and gain everyone¡¯s respect!" Her forehead creased significantly with determination. "You can still hire a manager to help you," Darius said while shaking his head at her. He then leaned against the couch, his words more enticing than ever. "Although your dad is currently detained, I can control when he gets released.Besides, I¡¯ll unquestionably offer my help to you instead of your other siblings." Kate¡¯s eyes grew wide and glossy.She gawked at him, her lip trembling with gratitude.Still, the worry and doubt in her gaze grew. "I¡¯m extremely grateful that you¡¯re offering to do that, but I can¡¯t help but feel more nervous because I don¡¯t know why you would help me." Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Business Discussion "You¡¯ve hated me from the moment we met.Plus, I¡¯ve done many mean things to you.I never even offered to help you." Kate¡¯s voice grew softer. At that point, she dared not even look into his eyes. Seeing how nervous she was, Darius smiled and calmly stated, "That''s not true.You did help me¡ªyou just didn¡¯t realize it, further proving you¡¯re a good person at heart.Your actions weren¡¯t that bad.Plus, you¡¯ve already apologized and made up for it.You''ve done plenty to deserve forgiveness." Never did Kate imagine she would receive such behavior from Darius. Yet, she could not help but blush when she recalled thest time he showed kindness toward her. Kate wanted things to go ording to her wishes but dared not voice them out.Her breathing quickened as she stood and cast a firm look at Darius. "It¡¯s true.I really need your help, Darius Reid." Darius nodded smilingly. He was about to ask Kate for her opinion when some faint panting noises came from the door. Their attention immediately snapped toward the ground near the door, where Bilgi wriggled. Darius ced his hand back into his pockets before approaching Bilgi¡¯s side. He then lowered his head without bending over, leaving at least a six-foot height difference between them. On the floor, Bilgi could only look up at Darius, his heart pounding with terror. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Contrarily, Darius did not pay the matter much mind but spoke calmly instead. "I think you know who¡¯s the wealthiest person here now." That made Bilgi tremble so much that it seemed like even the ground was shaking. Unable to deny Darius¡¯ words, he wanted to flee but could not, as fear prevented him from moving his legs. All he could do was rely on his arms to support his body. His gaze locked onto Darius as he muttered, "I-I fully understand the mistakes I¡¯ve made." Both Bilgi¡¯s trembling tone and clumsy movements seemed funny to Darius. Even so, thetter did notugh.He merely towered over Bilgi, staring downward with a nk look. "I believe you''ve heard many things that you shouldn¡¯t." Grueling silence ensued after Darius said that. The tension horrified Bilgi so much that he could not stop quivering. Even his gaze felt shaky when he looked at Darius, causing thetter to appear as a blurry figure in his eyes. However, that simultaneously snapped Bilgi back to his senses.His arms pressed into the ground, allowing him to stand on his feet and stare Darius down. He had undergone several extreme mood swings in a short period, so Darius was no longer surprised if it happened again. That was why Darius kept a stoic expression while staring at Bilgi. On the other hand, it was the first time Bilgi saw Darius react that way. It instantly diminished the former¡¯s sudden burst of courage. Still, he mustered whatever resolve he had left to threaten Darius. He mimicked Darius¡¯ actions, cing both hands in his pockets and ring daggers at thetter. "I''ve been more than polite to you and even put myself in a lowly state.However, you refused to forgive me, so I¡¯ve decided not to y nice anymore." Darius shrugged without saying anything. Seeing how unbothered the former was, Bilgi let out a long exhale before emphasizing his following words, "To prove it, I¡¯ve already sent a distress message to the Gillette family by putting my hand in my pocket.They''ll send someone over soon to take me to tonight¡¯s banquet! But you? Hah! You¡¯ll never be able to attend the Gillette family¡¯s banquet, even if you use up all your wealth to do so! This is why I can offend you despite not being rich like you!" He assumed Darius would continue to insult him, or perhaps thetter would find some sense in his words. Yet, much to his surprise, the room fell silent. On top of that, Darius even yawned to indicate how bored he was. Bilgi¡¯s eyes widened again. "You''re gonna get in loads of trouble with that attitude!" Not a word came from Darius, who merely raised his arm to look at his watch. Rushed for time, he eventually pointed at the door and ordered, "You can leave now." Bilgi did not do as told. Instead, his lips curled upward at Darius. "Are you afraid now? That''s great, but it''s toote for you to be afraid!" Darius had not expected Bilgi to be this dim-witted.He rooted to the ground, eyes narrowing while silently waiting to see what other so-called threats thetter had to say.He felt this was the correct reaction after seeing what happened next. Bilgi nted both hands on his waist, feeling more arrogant now that Darius was silent. He even waved a finger at Darius while questioning, "Well, don¡¯t you think what I just said sounds familiar?" Darius extended his arm again, wanting to look at the time as he decided to give the former 30 seconds before he would react. He mused, "It''ll also give me some time to calm my rage.This way, I won''t miss my target when I take actionter." Meanwhile, Bilgi thought he was in danger when he saw Darius reaching out. He quickly knelt and wrapped his hands around his head, bracing for impact. Everyone was still in a dazed state upon witnessing that. Before they could react, Darius¡¯ lips quirked upward in amusement, his arms returning to his sides. Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Chapter 251 The Right Decision "Don''t do things that irk me anymore if you¡¯re that terrified of me.Otherwise, I can¡¯t promise you''ll still be breathing when you leave this ce today," said Darius. Bilgi trembled even more.He looked up and saw Darius smiling, yet thetter did not seem genuinely happy. That only worsened Bilgi¡¯s fear, causing his teeth to chatter from his increased trembling.He knew Darius was not kidding. Getting killed was an oue Bilgi did not predict for himself, and he was unsure if he could stop Darius from making it a reality. Thus, his knees wobbled like jelly once more, unable to support the weight of his body. His brain then went nk for some time. Only when his knee bashed into the ground, igniting a sharp sensation in his leg, did he finally snap out of his daze. As that happened, Bilgi could not help but let out a shrill that made everyone¡¯s skin crawl. His alert gaze fixed on Darius, yet thetter ignored him and strolled toward the couch instead. Bilgi had never imagined this to happen. Despite parting his lips, he realized there was nothing more he could say to Darius; thetter would never forgive Bilgi, no matter what Bilgi did now or how much he begged. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Hence, he felt the best option was to flee the scene at once. Determined to do it, he mmed his palms against the ground, pushing himself off the ground. Then, he hurtled ahead without fully standing up. About two secondster, he looked up and saw an iing group of people in ck uniforms. A smile immediately broke out on his face just then. He could not help it, as he felt the group¡¯s arrival meant he would turn out victorious against Darius. Knowing he was currently in a humiliating posture, he inhaled deeply to gather his courage before standing upright. Trembling with excitement and rage, he glowered at the security guards while pointing at the door, barking, "You guys got here far toote! I''ll report this to your superior and have them punish you! Don¡¯t be upset with that, though.You should be grateful you made it; otherwise, I can promise that you would all have lost your jobs if you had arrived slighterter¡ª" His saliva sttered everywhere as he spoke. On the other hand, the security team halted, their foreheads creasing at Bilgi. Their leader unbuttoned his cuffs while approaching Bilgi, remarking, "Your existence shocks me." That made Bilgi¡¯s eyes light up at once.He smugly rested his hands on his hips, standing in a wide stance. "-but since you¡¯re proactively trying to resolve my problems, I can pretend your tardiness never happened and forgive you guys." He waited until the leader was almost by his side before suddenly pping, turning, and charging toward Darius¡¯ room. Once there, he hammered his fist into the door. "Don¡¯t be a chicken, Darius! Open up now! Support has arrived to aid me, and they¡¯ll do nasty things to you, like how you treated me earlier! It¡¯s going to make me so happy!" That was when a burning sensation ignited on one of his cheeks. Bilgi then lost control over his body, and his head felt heavy as he stumbled to the ground.He eventuallynded on his back, struggling to turn himself over. It seemed as though he had not stood up at all today. Earlier, a crisp crack sounded when his head collided with the floor, which confirmed his belief that something was wrong. Still, he tried his best to wiggle and face the other direction, doubt clouding his now stormy gaze that snapped over to the security guards¡¯ leader. "Why did you do that to me? Aren¡¯t you here to help me? Don¡¯t you know I work for the Gillette family?" Those words came out quickly like a stabbing knife, but the man did not pay them much heed. Instead, he arrogantly dusted his hands and sighed. "I should be having my afternoon break if it weren¡¯t for you.Also, why does it matter if you work for the Gillettes? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a member of their family.You¡¯re merely apdog to them¡ªscratch that.You¡¯re a stray mutt that keeps trying to leech off them." Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Darius got dressed in the clothes Erin had prepared.He came out of the bedroom to look at himself in the mirror. Darius had always been handsome and tall, and Erin knew his body well, so she intentionally picked out clothes that would entuate his best features. Once he got fully armed in a nice suit, every inch of him glowed so much that he could light up any dark space. Erin even could not tear her eyes away from him. On the couch, Kate did not think twice before standing up when she saw Darius dressed like that.She desperately wanted to throw herself at him but knew it was impossible. So, she stood there, blushing like a schoolgirl. Erin wanted to chuckle at Kate¡¯s reactions but knew it was improper. Thus, she spun on her heel, looking at the door instead. "Mr.Reid, should we handle the situation outside?" "No need." Darius shook his head. "Security will make the right decision.We just have to concentrate on getting ready for tonight¡¯s banquet." Nodding, Erin kept quiet as she stood behind Darius.Sheter helped him put on his necktie and ensured all his essories were where they needed to be. Some time passed before Darius grabbed his car keys, cing one hand in his pocket while swaying the other as he walked. Soon, he stopped in front of the door. Erin was quick to step forward to open the door for him. Only then did Darius notice that Bilgi was still on the ground, despite it being silent outside the room for a long time. Many security guards surrounded Bilgi, preventing him from getting close to Darius, no matter how hard he tried. Darius lightly shook his head, then nced at the security guards¡¯ leader. "Why is he still here?" Chapter 252 Chapter 252 The security guards¡¯ leader panicked.He bowed deeply, exining, "1m terribly sorry, Mr.Reid.We wanted to toss him out of the hotel, but the hotel¡¯s previous lobby manager, Samantha Williams, phoned us and gave strict orders not to harm this man.She also told us to set him free." As the leader spoke, he cautiously eyed Darius before instantly looking down at the ground. Darius had noticed the former¡¯s actions but did not voice hisints. After all, he knew the security guards had no say in the matter, so they were innocent.He ced both hands on his hips, sighing. "So, as the head of security, you should be able to make your own judgments." The leader could not help but tremble just then. He could sense the aggression behind Darius¡¯ words and felt he had made the wrong decision earlier, endangering his current position. There was nothing else he could do except appease Darius so he could keep his job in the long run. "All right, Mr.Reid.I know what I have to do," he said while nodding. Then, he quickly bent down and strangled Bilgi, lifting thetter by the neck. The skin on the back of Bilgi¡¯s neck felt like it was about to rip.He frantically thrashed his legs around, wanting to get back on the ground. However, the more he panicked, the more things went wrong; he eventually fell,nding on his butt and wailing from the pain. Darius massaged his ears at that moment. Upon seeing that, the lead security immediately understood what thetter was feeling and rushed up to cover Bilgi¡¯s mouth. Only after the security guards left Darius¡¯ vision did his features soften. Erin found it odd and whipped her head around to face Darius. "Mr.Reid, I don¡¯t think you actually me them for not removing him." Following that, she saw Darius¡¯ gaze sh past her, and her heart dropped. She thought, "Crud, I made another serious mistake¡ªI shouldn¡¯t have assumed or tried to guess what Darius was thinking.But I couldn¡¯t help myself..." She lowered her head as the scene fell silent. A second passed. "You''re right.I don¡¯t me those guards.Still, they should¡¯ve known what they should and shouldn¡¯t do.As for you, there¡¯s no need to be so scared every time you say something wrong," said Darius before he walked forward. Not expecting the former to respond with such care, Erin¡¯s heart raced, and her breathing quickened. She was so upied with her excitement that she did not think about what Darius was doing now. It ensued until Darius stopped at about 35 feet away. He turned to ask, "Why aren¡¯t you catching up to me?" Only then did Erin snap out of it and chase after him. Once the two left the hotel corridor, Kate came out from Darius¡¯ room with a grim look. Jealously caused her body to tremble as she thought, "There must be more to Darius and Erin¡¯s so- called boss and secretary rtionship.I bet they¡¯re dating! No way.That can¡¯t be true!" She froze there, anticipation building on her face as she hoped Darius would turn to look at her or realize she had gotten left behind. Sadly, it was apparent that both of those things would never happen. She watched as Darius and Erin got in the elevator, the doors eventually closing. At that point, Erin could not help tilting her head to examine Darius ¡¯ expression. She asked, "Mr.Reid? Why didn¡¯t you ask Kate toe with us? I don''t think leaving her alone in your hotel room is a good idea." "Indeed." Darius nodded with a smile. It onlysted a second before his face returned to its usual calmness. "That¡¯s not a good idea, but it''ll save us from humiliation.After all, the hotel¡¯s current lobby manager is Alicia, yet Kate still managed to enter my room.I feel Alicia owes us an exnation." Erin¡¯s gaze became downcast as she refrained from speaking anymore. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. The elevator door opened right after their conversation ended. Darius then strolled to the front desk, where a new female staff stood. She had no clue who Darius was, so she treated him like she did with other patrons. shing him a sweet smile, she bowed and politely asked, "Is there anything I can help you with, sir?" "I''d like to see your current lobby manager, Alicia Rodriguez." Hearing that made the receptionist¡¯s smile stiffen. Nevertheless, she boldly attempted to ask, "I believe I can help with whatever it is you need." Not a word came from Darius. That was Erin¡¯s cue to step up. She stated, "I think you should respect your patrons¡¯ choices. And now, my chairman is asking to see your lobby manager." The receptionist could tell the two were determined, so she reached out to grab the corded phone and say, "Miss Alicia, there¡¯s a man and a woman in the lobby who wish to see you." She then hung up and bowed before Darius again, exining, "Please have a seat.Our lobby manager will be with you shortly." Darius did not move. Instead, he merely stood there and stared into the space ahead. A few seconds passed when the sound of high heels clicked in the lobby. The clicking grew louder, and Darius knew those were Alicia¡¯s footsteps. He rooted to the spot, cing both hands in his pockets while staring at the doorway where Alicia would soon enter. When thetter finally showed up, Darius arched a brow. Thest time he saw her was four hours ago, but it seemed like she had already be a different woman. Before, Alicia had an innocent beauty about her; nothing was imposing about her aura. Chapter 253 Chapter 253 Alicia now looked like a strong career woman. Darius locked eyes with her and was about to speak, but she suddenly ran in his direction. It sparked a grin across Darius¡¯ face as he knew Alicia was still the same, innocent girl at heart. As he stood there and stared at her, his clenched jaw loosened. All the while, Erin stood next to him. She paid attention to his shifting expressions, bitter disappointment forming in her heart. Yet, Erin did not verbalize her feelings or show them on her face. She knew such things would often ur in the future, especially if she wanted to stay beside Darius as more than his secretary. She needed to get used to him being popr among women. Regardless, Darius did not have the slightest idea of what Erin was thinking, and neither did Alicia. At that moment, Alicia had arrived before Darius and was formally bowing to greet him and Erin. "Thank you, Mr.Reid and Miss Erin.I don¡¯t know what kind of life I¡¯d be living now if it weren¡¯t for your help." Darius could tell she was sincere from her gaze. Even so, he sighed for the longest time before replying, "But the way you handle things at work still needs improvement."Alicia became as white as a sheet when she heard that.Yet, Darius continued, "Because a woman entered my hotel room today with a key, and it happened without anyone realizing it." Not a hint of liveliness showed on Alicia¡¯s face. Her gaze tremored as it struggled to meet Darius¡¯ eyes. Even her voice became as small as a squeak when she said, "I¡¯m sorry for my negligence, Mr.Reid! I''ll do my very best to investigate the matter and give you a proper exnation at once!" Then, she bowed as deeply as possible before rising and speeding across the lobby, her heels leaving behind a trail of loud clicks. Erin did not expect that reaction from Alicia. Shocked, she turned to look at Darius, stating, "She seems nervous, Mr.Reid." "Yeah," said a nodding Darius. "She¡¯s not skilled at hiding her emotions yet and will need some time to mature." That was when Erin noticed a rare patience from Darius that he never once showed her.It made her fists coil tautly. On top of that, she stared at Darius with conflicting emotions. She parted her lips, wanting to speak but eventually decided against it. However, Darius was an awakened martial artist; he had keen senses that could detect the emotions of those around him. Hence, he knew what Erin was feeling. Nevertheless, he chose not to express his opinion as he felt Erin herself needed to process those emotions. Darius then smoothed out his clothes and headed out of the hotel. When he arrived at the yard outside, he saw a brand-new car with no license te parked at the hotel door. With both hands in his pockets, he turned to look at Erin. "Is this the car I¡¯m taking today?" Erin sensed Darius was in a bad mood, so she lowered her head in shame. She even recalled how gentle and understanding Darius was with Alicia earlier, which only made her feel more aggrieved. Knowing it was unwise to express such things, Erin merely nodded and exined, "Yes, Mr.Reid.I felt a license te was unnecessary for the car as long as you, someone renowned, was sitting in it.Also, because Almiron City¡¯s government is still in a newly established state, they can¡¯t make official decisions yet, especially those involving wealthypanies." She thought Darius would be satisfied with her exnation but was shocked to see his features had hardened. "I can''t believe you''d have such an idea," he snapped. Erin had never been on the receiving end of Darius¡¯ happier moods, yet it was also the first time she had experienced such dissatisfaction from him. She stood there, trembling, parting her lips but unable to utter anything. Fear swarmed her senses, leaving her frozen as she stood there with her eyes glued to Darius. Meanwhile, Darius sensed her emotions but did not react to them.He just stood there, eyes locking on Kate, before he spoke with a husky but nk tone. "I know you''re frightened by how I¡¯m treating you. However, I¡¯m unsure if my behavior toward you now has also made you realize your mistake." Erin remained still, unable to muster even the slightest reaction. Getting no response from the former, Darius turned around only to see an unmoving Erin.Her expression and the way she stood stayed the same, as though time had stopped. Darius did not speak anymore regarding the matter. Instead, he walked to the car, reached out to open the passenger door, then got in. Only after hearing him open the door did Erin realize what she needed to do. She ran toward the driver seat, reaching out and inhaling deeply before getting in the car. When she fastened her seat belt, she realized the car keys were already inserted in the ignition. She pursed her lips at Darius while turning the key. "I¡¯m very sorry, Mr.Reid.This was my mistake¡ª" "Your reflection of what you did is wrong.It upsets me," Darius interrupted. Erin¡¯s eyes grew wide at him. "I-I don¡¯t understand what you mean, Mr.Reid." Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. A lengthy sigh came from Darius before he borated, "You¡¯ve remained by my side.Yet, you¡¯re behaving differently toward mepared to when you were in the previouspany.I¡¯m very disappointed.Perhaps it¡¯s because you¡¯ve developed many feelings you shouldn¡¯t have toward me, but I¡¯m sure you''re aware you tackle basic tasks well if you wish to stay by my side." All color drained from Erin¡¯s face at that point. She believed any woman would react bashfully when their secret crushes were revealed. However, to have their feelings get pointed out so candidly would undoubtedly make most women stiffen. So, although Erin gripped the steering wheel sturdily, she was so distracted by her emotions that she could not turn the car in another direction. Chapter 254 Chapter 254 Asigh slipped out Darius¡¯ lips when he saw Erin behaving that way.He reached over to press the autonomous driving function before speaking up. "You need to calm down and park the car along the road.We''ll continue this conversation then." Erin began taking many deep breaths. After she parked the car, Darius continued, "The mistakes you¡¯ve made today aren¡¯t because you messed up¡ªit¡¯s because your mentality has changed.You''ve be more arrogant, thinking we can use money as a crutch to do many things because we¡¯re rich now." In under a second, Erin¡¯s eyes looked like they were about to pop out. She turned to look at Darius, a whoosh sounding from her sudden movement.Her widened eyes soon met Darius¡¯ nk ones.She could not deny that Darius was right, and that this mentality was a mistake that she never realized she was making. Before she could respond, a loud bang sounded. Their car violently jolted forward and began driving on its own. There was nothing Erin could do to stop it, even if she pressed hard on the brakes. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. A frown marred Darius¡¯ face.He gripped the overhead handle with one hand while reaching out to pull up the handbrake. The car shook violently before screeching to a halt. By then, Darius leaned into the seat, shut his eyes, and exhaled for the longest time before smoothing down his clothes.He then got out of the car. Once he saw the vehicle that crashed into them, his eyes sharpened like daggers. Darius had seen that car¡¯s license te number during his investigation. The information he found indicated this car belonged to the Gillette family. With that in mind, Darius was ready to approach the vehicle when the sound of a driver¡¯s seat door mmed shut. Turning around, he saw Erin walking over with a more concerned expression than before. "What are you worrying about now?" Darius asked, his voice devoid of emotion. Yet, Erin misinterpreted his question as him being angry, so her heart pounded with panic.She stood before Darius with chattering teeth. "M-Mr.Reid, I-I¡¯m sorry! All of this is my fault!" Her gaze was downcast, focusing on the ground, so she did pay attention to Darius¡¯ countenance. All she could do was speak meekly and quickly. "If I hadn''t made the wrong choice with the license te, we wouldn¡¯t be stuck here, and none of this would¡¯ve happened." Darius felt even more helpless now that he knew what she was thinking.He sighed before consoling, "This ident has nothing to do with you.The way you¡¯re thinking now is dangerous.Perhaps you should try seeing a psychiatrist." While the two were engaged in their conflict, a man had alighted from the Gillette family¡¯s vehicle.He approached them and said, "I don¡¯t think now is the best time for you guys to argue.After all, you guys were the ones who crashed into my car." That instantly ended Darius and Erin¡¯s conversation.The two turned to scrutinize the man. Both had wide eyes but chose to keep mum, as they were unsure how to react. Even the atmosphere around them grew tense with silence. It went on until the man grew impatient. At that point, he locked eyes with the two and spoke up. "Are you guys mute or something? How dare you not say anything after crashing into my car? I¡¯ve never met anyone like you here in Almiron City! You two are lowering the quality of our great city by existing here, so you deserve to get punished!" With that, the person fished out his phone and pointed it at Darius and Erin. A sh then came from the phone. Not a word came from Darius throughout the exchange as he could see the greed shing in the man¡¯s eyes. From that, he knew what thetter wanted and decided against saying anything. Of course, Erin was unaware of Darius¡¯ ns. She let out a long sigh, her face hardening as she approached the man. Many negative emotions brimmed in her heart since she had been super anxious and Darius had just criticized her. Thus, those emotions overflowed, oozing from her all at once. She parted her lips, quickly speaking with a pointed tone. "Has poverty made you lose your mind? Could it be that you stole this car you¡¯re driving, huh? That must be why you can¡¯t afford the high prices thate with having this car, including its gas money, maintenance, and the modified interiors!" Her words confused everyone at the scene except Darius, who had one hand on his waist and the other against his car. Lips curled in amusement, Darius was eager to watch things unfold. The man in a ck leather jacket that came out of the Gillette family¡¯s car kept opening and closing his mouth. Ultimately, he did not utter a word as he had no clue how to refute Erin¡¯s nonsensical words. He inhaled sharply, wanting to say something when Erin beat him to it. She thundered at the top of her lungs, "You wanted to rebuke me yet did not know what to say, so you kept quiet, huh? That proves what I''ve been saying is true! Even if youe up with some logical reason now, I have reason to suspect you¡¯re pulling excuses out of your ass! Because anyone can easily make up a believable exnation for the crash after having so much time to think!" Irritated, the man could not stand listening to what else Erin had to say. He rolled up his sleeves and pointed at her. "You may be pretty, but that doesn¡¯t give you the right to show me up! Besides, money is not the only thing that matters in Almiron City¡ªthose with stronger fists get thest word in any argument!" He assumed Erin would be frightened by then, so he pretended like he was about to lunge at her. Little did he expect Erin to raise her voice, bellowing at him with a threatening growl in her tone. "Then your actions thus far prove you¡¯re not wealthy¡ªyou¡¯re just someone who uses brute force! Besides, the car that got crashed isn¡¯t yours.You can''t afford to pay for the damages to your car, so you¡¯re trying to get the corresponding money from my chairman and me to appease your boss." The man could no longer hold his temper. One of his feet stomped on the hood of his car, then he pinched the cor of his shirt and pulled it up. Chapter 255 Chapter 255 You''re saying I''m not wealthy? Do you see this shirt I¡¯m wearing? It¡¯s by a small designer from Ioblia, worth 3 million dors. I¡¯m 28 this year, and it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve been called poor. Honestly, your usation is hrious. Everyone in Almiron City knows me because I¡¯m a member of the Gillette family!" While speaking, the man cockily jutted his chin at Erin.He could already picture Erin groveling at his feet for forgiveness. Should that happen, he was more than ready to im her as one of his women. Yet, that did not happen, much to his dismay. Erin merely stood there with her eyes wide. "The Gillette family?" she said before letting out a frosty chuckle. "Oh, I know all about that family¡ªthey¡¯re filthy rich." A smirk curled on the man¡¯s face. However, it quickly vanished as Erin ced her hands on her hips.She thundered, "I¡¯ve heard plenty about that family, like how they used improper means to acquire massive wealth.Likewise, I know they¡¯ve continued to utilize unscrupulous methods to avoid legal sanctions! Sadly for you, this is why I¡¯vee to Almiron City! Your actions show me that all those rumors are true, meaning I don¡¯t have to hold back when dealing with youter on!" The man¡¯s breathing quickened after hearing that. Utterly enraged, he pointed at her, yelling, "I¡¯m Thomas Gillette, the first heir in line among everyone in the Gillette family! That means I own many of my family¡¯s business shares!" Erin did not expect that.She did not see any information about this man during her investigation of the Gillettes. Thus, Erin assumed the man was just a minor figure that happened to work for the family or some laughable person who thought he was crucial to them.She never took him seriously up until now. Stiffening like a statue, her hands gradually retracted from her hips and lowered to her sides.Her heart dropped with worry now that she had revealed her and Darius¡¯ motives for being in Almiron City.She cranked her tense body, turning to look at Darius. Although Darius could tell she was asking for help, he felt he didn¡¯t have to step in at that moment. Yet, it was clear that his secretary and the deputy general manager of hispany, Erin, could not resolve the issue.He strolled forward, casually cing his hand on his car¡¯s hood, and was very rxed despite the tension. "You guys got carried away with your chat earlier.Now, I¡¯d like to know this¡ªyou said we parked here and somehow crashed into your car that drove over from behind us.Did I get it right?" Thomas held his breath, realizing he could not discern what Darius was feeling. It was his first time struggling to detect others¡¯ emotions, so he instinctively straightened his back in a defensive position. Darius kept both hands in his pockets, his eyes calmly gazing at the former.His voice was stoic like always as he pointed out, "Oh? You¡¯re not speaking.Then, I¡¯ll take your silence as agreement to what I just said.Shall I continue?" Thomas instinctively nodded upon facing a calm Darius¡¯, but his features twisted into a frown immediately after, as he never intended to nod. Regardless, Darius did not give him time to ponder his actions. "I¡¯m shocked if what you imed about your background is true," remarked Darius, whose eyes locked onto Thomas. "Because I don''t think you can handle managing the Gillette family¡¯s businesses now with your poor eyesight andck of logic." Thomas¡¯ features warped hideously just then. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. He had heard such demeaning words several times since he took over his family¡¯spany. Even so, he did not think those opinions were urate. Unfortunately, he could not bring himself to argue against Darius¡¯ words. Something about thetter¡¯s collected look made him unable to speak in that instant. He just stood there, gawking like a fool. Meanwhile, Darius saw right through Thomas. It was understandable as he encountered many like thetter back when he was poor; those people owned average amounts of money but behaved recklessly like they were the wealthiest individuals alive. Thinking of that, Darius sighed and resumed, "Perhaps what you''re saying is true, but know that it¡¯ll only bring you more humiliation because even if you genuinely are a rich person, your wealth can never compare to mine. The only reason you¡¯re causing trouble for me today is that my car is new and doesn¡¯t have a license te ¡ªyou think I''m financially unable to afford a license te at the moment. Hence, you probably assumed I was wealthy but did not have much influence." "Then again," he continued while leaning against his car, "To your understanding of the elite social circles, those with wealth would also have authority.So, you concluded I was someone who''d just acquired my wealth and didn¡¯t have time to build my authoritative presence.That made me the perfect target for you¡ªyou n to threaten me with your ¡®superior¡¯ influence and get me to pay a massive sum for your damages.Your car never would''ve crashed into mine otherwise.This ident only happened because you came up with this n while driving behind me." While Darius¡¯ tone was calm, his every word spoke the truth and carried a lethal bite. It made Thomas¡¯ face darken as he drilled his gaze into Darius. He snarled frostily, "How did you know? I never told anyone about it, yet you figured it out.I can¡¯t ept this." As he spoke, he reached for the gun behind his waist, knowing it could easily and speedily clean up the situation. His actions were not subtle, so Erin saw noticed.Her blood rushed with trepidation. So, without much thought, she ran in front of Darius to shield him. That caused Darius¡¯ brows to knit. He reached out and grabbed Erin''s cor before tossing her aside in no time. Unable to resist Darius¡¯ strength, Erin got thrown a distance away.A loud gunshot tore through the air just as she made contact with the ground. It was then that a piercing scream came from her lips. Chapter 256 Chapter 256 "Darius!" Erin¡¯s amplified cries filled the air. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Then, she heard Thomas muttering a curse, which sent a chill down her spine.She did not dare stand and see what had happened to Darius. Instead, she remained frozen on the ground. "I¡¯m so sorry, Mr.Reid.I got here toote," a familiar voice suddenly spoke. "Bridget!" Erin thought, rising to her feet at an inhumanly fast rate.She then looked over the newly arrived car next to her, where a woman got out from the other side. Pressing her aching chest, Erin stumbled onto the ground again. Her legs had given in, and her mind went nk All her body could do was breathe at that point. On the other hand, Bridget saw Erin from afar and wanted to speak with her. Before she could, she saw Erin copse onto the ground. Bridget assumed Erin had gotten hurt, so she dashed over to Darius, stopping before him briefly to bow. "Mr.Reid." While she had not risen from her bow, her eyes continued to examine the other side of the car for Erin. Seeing that, Darius put his hands in his pockets and sighed lightly. "Go ahead and see if she¡¯s okay." Joy filled Bridget¡¯s otherwise hardened features. Nevertheless, she hurriedly resumed her usual stoic countenance and bowed at Darius again before rushing to Erin. There, she knelt to grab Erin¡¯s wrist, lifting thetter. "Don¡¯t worry.Mr.Reid is fine." Fear had caused tears to stream down Erin¡¯s face. When she heard what Bridget said, she nodded and tried to stand on her two feet. After taking a few deep inhales, she opened the newly arrived car¡¯s backdoor and got in. That confused Darius, so he did not say anything.He merely shot a raised brow look at Bridget. In response, Bridget raised both shoulders in a shrug. "Mr.Reid, Erin has shed some tears out of worry for you.Those tears probably ruined her makeup.It¡¯s unprofessional to neglect her appearance as your secretary, so she¡¯s sorting it out at once." Darius¡¯ lips pursed slightly, but he did not speak.He decided to look at Thomas instead. At that moment, Thomas knelt as Bridget had broken both his feet. Thomas could sense Darius¡¯ gaze on his body, so he could not help but quiver from head to toe.He could not defend himself as thetter was a powerful figure. Hence, his gaze ping-ponged everywhere, and his mind was busy brainstorming solutions to his current predicament. Despite his collected expression, he was panicking on the inside. He stuttered, "S-Sir, I know I¡¯ve done many horrible things.Please, I hope you can let me off the hook.How about this? Is there anything you want¡ªI can make it happen! I¡¯ll do everything I can to fulfill your wish, regardless of whether it¡¯s within my abilities." He struggled to raise his head and look at Darius, oveing the fear in his heart.He did so to prove his sincerity to thetter. Those actions made one thing clear to Darius. With his hands in his pockets, he curved his lips. Although, anyone could sense the disdain behind his smirk. "What you just said has made things very obvious.I believe I know what¡¯s going on.Sadly for you, I don¡¯t need your help because nothing you do now can make up for the humiliation you caused me earlier." Thomas¡¯ eyes widened in disbelief that Darius would refuse such an enticing offer. Deep down, he also pondered Darius¡¯ first two sentences as he did not understand what they meant. Thus, after pursing his lips into a thin line, he decided to rify his earlier offer. "I think you¡¯ve misunderstood what I said earlier.I mean to say¡ªI hope I can help out with what you came to Almiron City to do." A smile spread across Darius¡¯ face, but Thomas did not understand what it implied.So, he mped his lips shut, not daring to make even a squeak. All he did was cast a pleading look at Darius. Little did he know he was in for a bitter p in the face. Darius did not budge from seeing Thomas¡¯ look. Instead, his smile curved deeper. "You should know that you¡¯re of no value to anyone.I didn¡¯t even know someone like you existed in the Gillette family.Situations like this only ur if you¡¯re someone intelligent who knows it¡¯s best to hide your identity.However, it¡¯s clear that¡¯s not the case." A lengthy sigh came from him before he spun on his heel, heading back to the newly arrived car. "I¡¯m on my way to attend the Gillettes¡¯ banquet," he said, "I¡¯m sure we''ll see each other there if all goes ording to n.Should you decide to retaliate or discuss some things with me, we can always chat there." He then reached out to open the driver¡¯s seat door. Noticing his actions, Bridget quickly rushed to the passenger seat, wanting to get in. That was when Darius looked up and saw her.He stopped in his tracks, asking, "Didn¡¯t you drive here?" Bridget nodded but then quickly shook her head. "No, Mr.Reid.Edward drove this car while I rode shotgun.He''ll drive the Bugatti you were taking earlier to the banquet and join us there." Darius turned around to look at his previous car but quickly retracted his gaze. Without saying anything more, he got into the driver''s seat. Bridget could tell Darius approved of what she said from his actions. Hence, she joined him, getting into the front passenger seat. Once they got in, Darius caught a whiff of something fragrant in the air. He then behaved in a way he rarely did; without much thought, his body turned toward the backseat to find the source of the scent. What came into view was Erin, who now looked as she did way before the incident. Still, she continued to powder her face, hoping to look nothing short of perfect. Darius cocked a brow but did notment on it. He started the engine but soon heard another car trailing behind. Looking in the rear view mirror, he confirmed the driver behind him was Edward before driving ahead in silence. Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Following the navigation system¡¯s direction, Darius drove Bridget and Erin to the location of the banquet. Sometimeter, Erin finished fixing her makeup in the backseat. She felt awful for letting Darius, her boss, drive them all to the event, so she cleared her throat twice to speak. "Mr.Reid, based on my investigation, the banquet will ur at a location that the Gillettes are familiar with¡ªRemnard Estate, their family home.ording to tradition, their family gathers in that estate for significant events throughout the year.Earlier, when we encountered Thomas Gillette, I searched for photos of the Gillette family¡¯s events online and did not see him in any of them.Thus, I firmly believe that man has ulterior motives.Not to mention, it¡¯s quite an uncanny coincidence that he¡¯s showing up now.The Gillettes have always been arrogant.The family¡¯s focus isn''t on their money.Instead, the Gillettes are more concerned with whoever poses a potential threat to them.It¡¯s always been this way, so they¡¯ve never encountered any trouble.Therefore, I believe that Thomas is a foe." Pin-drop silence ensued in the car as Darius did not respond to her. Erin inhaled deeply, gathering whatever courage she had left to say, "But what shocks me is when I investigated the Gillette family¡¯s affairs again, I learned that majority of their business shares are indeed under Thomas¡¯ name.Such a transfer of share ownership should¡¯ve been revealed in the news.Plus, the legal procedures would take some time, so things shouldn¡¯t be as it is now." This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Darius continued to drive stoically. Being in the backseat, Erin had no way of discerning Darius¡¯ expression.She gulped, anxious as she did not know whether her words had upset him. Ultimately, she, too, fell gravely silent. Meanwhile, Bridget was in the front passenger seat and wanted to help Erin. She bit her lower lip, hesitating momentarily before speaking up. "I just discovered that the Gillette family¡¯s security guard was a ssmate of mine back in school.He umted numerous injuries after working as a bodyguard for the Reid family for many years, so he got himself a job as the Gillettes¡¯ security guard.I¡¯ve learned a lot about the family from him.For starters, Thomas Gillette used to be a bodyguard, and Gillette isn¡¯t really hisst name¡ªhe doesn¡¯t have one.Wilson Gillette, the patriarch of the Gillettes, only took Thomas seriously after thetter participated in a perilous and undisclosed mission for the family.Because of that, Wilson took in Thomas as a son.Some time passed before this got announced to the family¡¯s friends.The Gillettes even held a grand party to celebrate this." A frown marred Erin¡¯s face just then.She knew Bridget was only saying that out of good intent. Yet, she could not suppress the bitterness in her heart, so she interjected, "But these things didn¡¯t come up during my investigation.So, if the family did throw a grand party as your friend said, I would¡¯ve found information about it." While speaking, she shot several cautious and worried nces at Bridget. Hesitation lingered in her tone as she did not want to upset thetter. In the front seat, Bridget did not seem bothered. Instead, she shed a more amiable smile. "I reacted the same when my friend told me all of that.That¡¯s why he sent me all the photos from the celebration.I''ll text them to you after this.Also, I can tell you this with the utmost seriousness¡ªyou couldn''t find any information about the party because it was a secret.The Gillettes invited their closest friends and family but not the media, nor did they publicize it.Although it¡¯s possible to find some mentions of the event in media tforms, those will soon vanish under the family¡¯s orders." Everyone in the car, except for Erin, narrowed their eyes curiously. Erin was the only one who voiced her thoughts. "I''d like to know if this happened before or after Hank Gillette¡¯s death." Realizing that Erin was onto something, Bridget¡¯s eyes lit up.She then turned to look at Erin, who sat in the backseat, and said, "The party happened after.However, Wilson took Thomas in as a son before Hank¡¯s death." Erin nodded while staring into the distance, deep in thought.She no longer looked as miserable as before. Instead, she stated, "I think I know why that¡¯s the case.Because the Gillettes are arge family, many of their younger members are eligible heirs to their familypany.However, Wilson endured many hardships and founded thepany alone.In other words, the wealth and assets of the Gillette Group have nothing to do with the other Gillette family members¡ªthose things belong to Wilson.But he has no heir now that his son is dead.Hence, ording to thews of inheritance, all his wealth would go to his family." She paused for a breath, then added, "Wilson¡¯s getting old, so it won¡¯t be long before he retires.When that happens, there¡¯s no guarantee the heir to the Gillette family business and wealth will continue to treat Wilson well.In short, Wilson is looking out for his future.He initially took Thomas in because he wanted a backup family member to rely on in case things went wrong.But when his biological son, Hank, died, his ns changed entirely.That¡¯s why Thomas¡¯ session is Wilson¡¯s best shot at safeguarding his wealth." Anod came from Darius.He continued to drive calmly before finally uttering, "What you¡¯ve said sounds reasonable.However, there aren''t any facts to prove them.We should stay alert and examine what happens next to confirm those suspicions." In the backseat, Erin nodded obediently before taking a long inhale. Chapter 258 Chapter 258 Darius could tell Erin was still nervous. Even so, he no longer criticized her opinions nor spoke anymore. All he did was drive in silence. Stifled by the sudden tension, Bridget regretted riding shotgun just then.Sheined in her heart, "No wonder Edward refused to join us!" Pin-drop silence filled the car. Such a void was something Bridget had never experienced before, so it suffocated her.She opened her mouth but then kept quiet out of fear, giving up after failing to speak a few times. Not wanting to focus on the awkwardness any longer, Bridget decided it was better to look through the map on her phone instead. That way, she could concentrate on ensuring Darius¡¯ safety. When she scanned everyst detail on the map, she felt the car slow down. Numerous expensive cars had parked in the space ahead. Yet, none cost nearly as much as the car Darius drove. Thus, when he arrived at the road before Remnard Estate, everyone halted in their tracks, eyes glued onto his pricey vehicle. Envy and interest lingered in everyone¡¯s gazes, but Darius did not care about the attention he received.He honked at the car in front, prompting whoever was in it to hurry up. What happened next shocked Bridget and Erin; they watched as the driver ahead drove closer to the roadside, clearing a path on the previously blocked road. Darius knew the car was making way for him, so he arrogantly floored the gas pedal, driving down the road ahead at full speed. Next to him, Bridget¡¯s mouth had rounded into an "O" shape. It stayed that way for the longest time before she eventually turned her attention to Darius. "I can¡¯t believe that happened, Mr.Reid.I¡¯ve never witnessed such a thing in all the years I¡¯ve served by your side.Almiron City has continued to shock me, as I¡¯ve never encountered a ce with social rules like theirs.In fact, I¡¯ve never considered the possibility of such rules." Simultaneously, Erin, who was in awe, nodded to the former¡¯s words.She chimed in, "Mr.Reid, I didn¡¯t think such bizarre social customs could ur in real life.Don¡¯t the authorities or city officials usually handle these situations?" Her brows scrunched together with growing curiosity. While asking that, she opened herptop and typed across the keyboard at lightning speed, eager to learn why the city operated that way. Darius only focused on driving and did not answer the women¡¯s questions. The only time he spoke was when he calmly pointed out, "Look at the cars on both sides of the road; the further down we travel, the pricier these vehicles seem.There are a few¡ªnot more than three¡ª things out of ce so far, and they¡¯ve urred in the more than 100 cars we just drove past.Perhaps some attendees from wealthy families arrived here in less expensive vehicles on short notice.Alternatively, those people might be young heirs and haven¡¯t inherited their family¡¯s wealth or companies.Therefore, they¡¯re unable to afford higher-end cars." Bridget and Erin dropped whatever they were doing at once. They then examined the scenery outside their car for some minutes before nodding sternly. Darius had spoken the truth; the women had no reason to refute his exnation of the varying levels of luxury cars outside. As Darius parked the car, the entire estate¡¯s yard fell silent. That ¡®I was because it was a rare sight for another person, apart from the Gillette family members, to drive such an expensive car. Everyone stiffened like statues, fixating on the vehicle as Darius stepped out with Bridget and Erin in tow. The three appeared before the audience, standing in a triangr formation with Darius taking the lead. He strolled toward the security guard, where a table and an attractive hostess stood. Darius stood silently, both hands folding behind his back while his gaze fixed on the document on the table ahead. That alone made the security guard nervous.He gulped, then looked at Darius to ask, "Is there anything I can help you with, sir?" Darius nodded, tapping on the document. "This must be where guests register their attendance, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯ll just have to write my information on it." The security guard gnawed on his lower lip and replied, "Sir, I''d I love to help you with that, but I¡¯m sorry to say I have to see your invite first.I can¡¯t let you in without proof that you''ve gotten invited to this event.It¡¯s the rules, so I¡¯m sure a wealthy man like you will understand." Darius had both hands in his pockets. After raising a brow £¤ sardonically, he ced his palm against the table and leaned closer. "I forgot to bring it.However, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll allow me in once I mention my name." Hesitance shed on the security guard''s face. Yet, he noticed thevish clothing on Darius, then saw thetter¡¯s upscale car.He then shut his eyes and gritted his teeth, batting internally, before nodding. "I suppose I can break the rules for you.Please tell me your name then." "Darius Reid," said Darius with both hands behind his back again. He raised his chin, giving off an air of elegance and pride. The security guard nodded, sat down, and held the pen to write Darius¡¯ name. That was when the hostess near him voiced her doubts. "I don¡¯t recall seeing your name on the list of guests we invited, though." Brows knitted tautly, Darius turned to look at her.He did not ount for this to happen. Darius was prepared to deal with things should the security guard stop him. However, he never imagined he would receive a phony invite. Thus, he folded his arms behind him, stared at the hostess, and asked, "Is that so? Well, how can you prove what you¡¯re saying is true?" The hostess¡¯ lips curved into a polite smile at Darius just then. At the same time, a hint of malice flickered in her eyes.Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 259 Chapter 259 Darius knew that meant the hostess wanted to do something vicious or nned to ruin his reputation and humiliate him. Despite that, curiosity filled Darius¡¯ mind as he looked forward to seeing what tricks the hostess had up her sleeve. Thus, he silently stood there with his arms behind him. That reaction was not what the hostess expected.Her lips parted slightly in shock, but it onlysted briefly as she soon snapped out of her daze. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Then, she fished a document from her pocket and revealed it to everyone. "We invited 120 guests for tonight''s banquet, and ¡®Darius Reid¡¯ isn''t one of them.Furthermore, our guests have assigned hostesses who will lead them to their seats¡ªbut you don¡¯t have a hostess.Not to mention, you seem unaware of our customs, so I doubt you¡¯ve ever been on the guest list of the Gillette family¡¯s parties before." The hostess¡¯ voice grew louder by the second. "I believe everyone here knows only the wealthiest figures in Almiron city, or any other city, can appear in our guest list!" Confusion filled her face as she stared at Darius.She raised both brows and rounded her eyes like an innocent victim, hinting for thetter to exin. Because she looked so pitiful, it sparked anger in every male guest present, causing them to scowl at Darius. Seeing all those frowns entertained Darius, who did not bother to hide his amusement, so he chuckled sarcastically. "I know many of you here have little wealth.You guys assume you''re wealthy just because you received an invite from the Gillette family.That has also caused you guys to overestimate your status in society.Erin stood aside the entire time, but her jaw fell open right then.She could not believe Darius had candidly insulted everyone there.Her eyes became zed with worry, fearing that the men would attack Darius.Even so, she immediately concealed how she felt, thinking it was unwise to reveal her emotions since many cameras were recording outside the venue. She knew grave consequences would await if the cameras captured her faltering emotions. Hence, she stood behind Darius with a stoic expression. Even her gaze seemed empty. Bridget stood beside the former. Since Bridget had received professional training, she never once revealed how she felt on her face. Nevertheless, Bridget secretly felt thrilled by the twist of events. Never did she expect Darius to insult everyone at the venue. That made her blood rush so much that even her breathing quickened. Both women¡¯s thoughts were unknown to Darius.He stood rooted to the spot, hands behind his back as he stared the hostess down.He then spoke with a neutral tone. "So, let¡¯s talk about why you¡¯re here then." Something about his eyes felt sharp. Like a de, it pierced the hostess, who was too dazed to react. At the same time, she felt defenseless and began to tremble fervently.She stumbled two steps back, her eyes glossy with fear as she looked at Darius. That made Darius¡¯ lips curve upward. He rolled his eyes at her, taunting, "That pitiful look of yours doesn¡¯t work on me.It¡¯ll probably ignite a primal desire to protect you from the other men here, but I believe these guys can easily see through your greedy nature.That¡¯s why you''ll never get a happy ending, even though you''re working at a prestigious event like the Gillettes¡¯ party.Your dreams of marrying someone affluent won¡¯te true because all of Almiron City¡¯s upper-ss bachelors will ostracize you." The hostess¡¯ once rosy cheeks grew as pale as chalk.She could also sense that al] eyes were currently on her. The hostess'' chest rose and fell quickly from how flustered she felt. She met Darius¡¯ gaze and snapped, "You¡¯ve said many things, but they don''t make sense to me.Perhaps you''re hallucinating.Of course, why you¡¯ve insulted everyone isn¡¯t any of my concern.I was merely informing you that you didn¡¯t have an invite, meaning you¡¯re not a guest of the Gillette family, so you can¡¯t enter." With that, she straightened her back confidently. Although she locked eyes with Darius, her gaze still trembled with terror. Nevertheless, she pointed at the door, ordering, "You have two options now¡ªthe first is to leave, or you can continue to throw a fit.If you choose the second option, I''ll call security and have them escort you out.Although, that¡¯ll be humiliating for you, as I can¡¯t guarantee the guards won¡¯t cause a scene when kicking you out." Darius¡¯ hands had returned to his pockets by then.He sighed lengthily before dering, "I¡¯ve given you many chances, but it¡¯s clear you don¡¯t care for them." The hostess could tell Darius was threatening her, so her body trembled even more.Her knees grew weak like jelly, unable to support her body weight, causing her to fall on her butt. When the men around them witnessed such a scene, their hearts pounded with outrage. Not wanting to stand idly by, they turned their heads toward Darius, and one of them voiced their disapproval. "That''s not very gentlemanly of you! She''s only doing her job as a hostess, fulfilling the instructions of her superior! Don¡¯t you know her future depends on whether shepletes her tasks well? Besides, she could lose her wages for this month and starve! The same can¡¯t be said for you, though¡ªyou¡¯re rich! So, why would you make things difficult for the poor girl?" The person¡¯s voice rang out speedily, getting his message across in no time while he hid among the crowd. Since Darius was an enlightened martial artist, he turned to look everywhere, scanning the faces around him. Chapter 260 Chapter 260 Darius was sure he had looked at everyone present, yet he could not determine the source of the voice. That was because he did not see anyone open their mouths when the person spoke. It rattled Darius. Still, he kept a nk countenance with both hands in his pockets. "If any of you guys find those words reasonable," Darius said calmly, "Then you should be helping this hostess out instead of allowing her to stay here and start trouble." He sounded so unbothered that no one dared look into his eyes. In truth, he found it silly how the person''s retort made everyone, including the security guard earlier, glower at him in distaste. Thus, he turned to face Erin, instructing, "Thatdy looks like the epitome of all hostesses.Her dress, shoes, ne, earrings, and every little essory appears expensive.On top of that, her hands are smooth, free from any scars or wrinkles caused by hardbor.That said, I¡¯d like to know what she used to do before working here, and I believe you can give me an answer at once." Erin looked up at that moment, her face lighting up as she took ina look of trust from Darius.Her heart raced as she nodded and whipped out her phone in a split second. "I had the same doubts as you, Mr.Reid.Here''s all the information I found earlier." Following that, she shed her pearly whites, smirking at the hostess. There was nothing the hostess could do except stand her ground. Nheless, her breathing deepened as she balled her fists by her sides, her features hardening at Erin. "Quit beating around the bush! Since you im to know things, there¡¯s no need to utter such unnecessary things to attract everyone¡¯s attention.I have the utmost confidence that no one here will fall for your lies!" "Perfect." Erin¡¯s smirk broadened. "I''ll admit I''m shocked to hear you say that, Miss Gillette." Sharp inhales came from everyone at the scene. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Soon, every person held their breath, indicating how collectively startled they were by the truth. The Gillette family was the oldest and most renowned family in Almiron city. With that in mind, everyone was shocked to learn a daughter of the Gillette family had disguised herself as a hostess and weed others at the main door. After a long pause, everyone¡¯s foreheads scrunched up in confusion as they had never seen a Gillette family member that looked like the hostess before. Erin could tell the other guests were doubting her, but she did not care. Instead, she stayed emotionless and added, "You never received formal education from the Gillette family because you''re an illegitimate child.Also, before the Gillettes could do a physical checkup on you, they assumed you were a boy and took you in.That was the oue your mother desperately wanted, as she had worked hard for it over many years.Sadly, you ruined your mother¡¯s ns because you weren¡¯t properly educated, revealing your gender to everyone.Furthermore, the death of Hank, your half-brother, only made everyone more upset with your deception.That''s why the Gillettes have never publicly announced you as their family member." Despite Erin calmly revealing the shocking truth, everyone fell into a grave silence. It was because they were witnessing the unearthing of the Gillette family''s secret, something they should have never known. Their participation alone was detrimental; they knew no one could get away unscathed if this matter angered the Gillette family. Hence, all color drained from the faces of every guest. They then red daggers at the hostess and Erin. Not a single reaction came from Erin, however.She stood there with her hands by her sides, boldly meeting everyone¡¯s furious scowls. Erin could not care less if the people now had a negative impression of her; she did not rely on them for a living, after all. Unfortunately, things were different for the hostess.Her face darkened more than anyone present. It was hard enough for her to join the Gillette family from the start; her father was very disappointed when he realized she had been lying about being a boy all this while. Not only that, but he even got himself a non-biological son to inherit all his wealth rather than give everything to her. For that reason, she showed up in disguise today to meet other affluent acquaintances of the Gillette family; she wanted their help getting back into the Gillettes¡¯ good graces. Yet, it was clear as day that her n had failed. Everyone sneered at her, which meant none of them would ever help her now. The hostess stood frozen, her fists curling tautly as her breathing spiked. Desperate to resolve the situation, the cogs in her brain turned at the speed of light, but it was to no avail; the guests now saw her as a viin. All she could do now was alleviate their negative impressions of her. So, her gaze hardened, snapping over to Darius.She then announced with determination, "What you¡¯ve said is correct.However, I can¡¯t help myck of proper education or my blood rtion to the Gillettes.I didn''t choose to be born into this family either.Even so, I¡¯m working really hard to get back in touch with the Gillettes, as you¡¯ve all probably guessed.While my methods may seem shameful, this is myst option.You have a blessed, carefree life¡ªsadly, I don¡¯t." Chapter 261 Chapter 261 The hostess¡¯ eyes reddened. On the other hand, Darius narrowed his eyes.He felt thetter was quick-witted, or she would not have come up with such an excuse on the spot.His expression did not improve because of that. Instead, his nose scrunched up as he kept his hands in his pockets. "You aren''t actually working hard, though.If you were, you would''ve investigated all the guests¡¯ backgrounds beforehand and targeted other people.Consider this¡ªyou arrived in appropriate clothing and sessfully impersonated a hostess.Since you¡¯ve researched so much about hostesses, it¡¯s unlikely for you not to look up information on the attendees tonight.Thus, I can go as far as to say you¡¯re causing me trouble now because you found out the Gillettes and I are on bad terms.That¡¯s what led you to act the way you did toward me." Darius had keen eyesight; it was as though he could read every thought in the hostess¡¯ mind. That was when Erin, who stood aside, nodded sternly. "Indeed, Mr.Reid.Thisdy¡¯s name is Cerys Gillette, and she¡¯s hired many private investigators to look into the backgrounds of everyone attending tonight¡¯s banquet.She found out about us ten minutes before we received the Gillette family¡¯s invite, which means she knows everyone here like the back of her hand." "So," Darius said while jutting his chin and sneering at Cerys, "You''re well aware that you and I are the same¡ªI didn¡¯t grow up in the Reid family either.On the contrary, I have had a difficult life since I was young.Yet, you said I had a blessed life because you knew no one here had ever heard of me.You were sure they weren''t rich enough to run in the same circles as me or even know about my living environment during childhood.Therefore, everything you said earlier was to garner others¡¯ pity for your own benefit." Every word that came out of his mouth sounded crystal clear. At that point, everyone in the yard had taken out their phones to search for Darius¡¯ profile. Darius stayed in the same spot, his hands still resting in his pockets as he shrugged.His usual stoic countenance took over. "I''d be utterly terrified now if I were you because you''ve depleted my patience.I¡¯m sure your investigators have plenty of information on how I treat people who cross me.Likewise, I believe you¡¯ve mentally and physically prepared yourself for what¡¯s toe." Cerys¡¯ face paled just then. Fear lodged at the back of her throat, obstructing her so much that she could not even let out a squeak.She was deathly afraid of the information she found on what happened to those who had upset Darius. Among those that suffered from his wrath was Cerys¡¯ half- brother, Hank Gillette. With that in mind, she stiffened, all words failing her. Meanwhile, Darius¡¯ gaze swept past everyone at the scene. Silence ensued for what felt like forever. Cerys knew it was unwise to let things go on like that. She inhaled deeply, feeling she needed to decide on a reaction at once. Otherwise, Cerys would end up miserably, which was an undesirable oue for her. Ultimately, she decided to convince the guests she was telling the truth while painting Darius as the liar. She opened her mouth, uttering each word quickly, "I¡¯m shocked by your ims! If you¡¯re genuinely from the Reid family, you''d be driving a modified Bugatti instead of this unmodified one.Your current car isn¡¯t consistent with the image everyone associates with Darius Reid!" Darius still had yet to remove his hands from his pockets.He stood in ce and silently scrutinized Cerys, wondering how much more shameless she could get. A victorious grin crept up Cerys¡¯ face when the former did not respond. She mused, "Oh? I didn¡¯t think Darius would stay silent when facing my false usations.Perhaps his silence is from his guilty conscience¡ªmaybe he really is a fraud!" Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Feeling that was true, she raised her chin arrogantly at Darius as she informed everyone, "Moreover, he wouldn¡¯t be driving without a license te if he were really from the Reid family! That family is renowned for having strict morals, so none of the Reids would ever vite thew.So what if he could only purchase a brand-new carst minute? He should have plenty of wealth and resources to buy a local license te and drive legally on our city¡¯s streets!" Cerys shot a haughty smirk at Darius. Confidence oozed from her very being as she jutted her chin even more. That took Darius aback.He had never encountered anyone who could tell a lie like it was the truth, as though they wholeheartedly believed it.He kept his hands in his pockets but curled his lips at her. "What you just said is very contradictory.If the Reids are above breaking thew, then they wouldn¡¯t take advantage of their wealth to demand a license te from the authorities on the spot.They would go through the entire registration process." Erin stood behind Darius. Since there were many people around them, she refrained from revealing her emotions, but guilt flooded her chest.She mentally yelled at herself, "It¡¯s my fault.Mr.Reid turned down my n when we left the hotel, but I was so arrogant, thinking nothing could stand in the way of the Reid family¡¯s wealth.Still, I never imagined my actions would give others leverage against Darius!" She wanted to defend Darius, but all words had failed her at that moment. No matter what she tried to say, everything sounded wrong in her mind; it was not her ce to speak up. However, she could not hold her tongue at the next second when Cerys uttered something uneptable. Chapter 262 Chapter 262 "You iming to be Darius seems far too suspicious," Cerys pointed out. "Moreover, no one here knows you.People would surely recognize you if you were a tycoon¡ªor, at the very least, they would¡¯ve heard about you.What unnerves everyone here is how you''re an enigma to everyone here." Darius did not speak up to defend himself even then. On the other hand, Cerys¡¯ lips curled triumphantly.She was confident that all the guests would believe her over Darius if she continued voicing her suspicions. Hence, she announced at the top of her lungs, "You only showed up here because you wanted everyone to think you¡¯re wealthy! But is that the truth? No! Your actions and words from the moment you arrived can¡¯t prove that you¡¯re someone wealthy!" Darius had been standing for a long time, so his legs started to ache. After sighing deeply, he replied, "I¡¯d very much like to know this¡ªwhat are your motives for saying that about me?" That surprised Cerys as she gulped anxiously, knowing she was too deep in her lies to back out.She replied sternly, "I think you stole that teless car and drove it here to trick the guests.I bet you''re trying to scam them into fake business deals so you can run off with their money!" Absolute certainty filled her face when she spoke. Even her eyes glimmered with not a trace of doubt.It was as though Cerys was fully convinced that she was telling the truth. The entire thing seemed like a joke to Darius, who had never seen a person convince themselves into believing their lies. Meanwhile, every guest and onlookers eyes narrowed in disbelief. Still, they continued to look at Darius, and one of them yelled, "I think Miss Gillette¡¯s ims are true!" "Yeah!" Others collectively chimed in after hearing the former¡¯s words. "I think so too! I bet Miss Gillette¡¯s telling the truth.Plus, this guy doesn¡¯t seem trustworthy, to begin with." Darius did not remove his hands from his pockets, but he could no longer remain passive. While straightening out his back, he questioned casually, "If that''s the case, may I ask whether you¡¯ll let me into the event at all, Miss Gillette? Because I promise your rtionship with the Gillette family will worsen if I¡¯m to leave today." Although there was no hostility in his voice, the hairs down Cerys¡¯ arms could not help standing straighter as she trembled.She gulped, knowing Darius¡¯ was not kidding. Nevertheless, she refused to falter at that moment, so she gripped the table¡¯s edges with both hands to hold her ground, her veins popping from the pressure. Cerys then glowered at Darius, saying through gritted teeth, "You¡¯ve run a background check on me." She assumed Darius would retreat upon hearing that. To her dismay, Darius shrugged, nodded, then replied, "You sound so certain.You''re right to be so because I just looked up your information before you." Not a hint of color remained on Cerys¡¯ face anymore.Her chest hastily rose and fell as she could sense everyone¡¯s doubt toward her.She snarled in her heart, "No one would¡¯ve looked at me like this in the past because I¡¯m a Gillette.It didn¡¯t matter if what I said was outrageous¡ªnobody would dare doubt me! Everyone had no choice but to take my word as thew! But that¡¯s evidently not the case anymore.It seems like all the people here are actively questioning me!" Her breathing became shallow, growing quicker by the second.She had never been this humiliated before. Cerys wanted to continue challenging Darius, but he had already lost his patience. He took one step back, summoning, "Bridget!" At that point, Bridget was having a great time watching the drama unfold, finding Darius incredible for refuting all of Cerys¡¯ ims with ease. Regardless, when she heard her name, she instinctively stood straighter and responded, "Yes, sir!" The onlookers and guests that initially stared at Cerys now looked over at Bridget. Likewise, all the security guards at the scene felt nervous. Whispers soon broke out in every corner, umting into one loud discussion over time. Even so, no one could tell what everyone was saying since everyone¡¯s voices had jumbled up. Darius could not care less, though. He ordered loudly, "Tell this youngdy whose side the Gillettes will take¡ªhers or mine?" Bridget beamed with utter excitement, stepping forward at once. On the other hand, Cerys did not know what the two were doing but felt terrified, knowing she could not win against Darius. Thus, she spun around on her heel to flee, but it was toote; before she could even take one step ahead, she felt someone striking from behind her. She then lost her bnce and fell,nding face-first into the dirt before she could even shut her mouth. Cerys had never felt this much pain all through her life when her intelligent, scheming mother was still alive. In that instant, her cries rang throughout the yard, spreading in the air faster than the speed of light. Bridget retracted her leg, approached Cerys¡¯ side, and shrugged. Venom filled her tone as she spat, "Worthless loser." She then turned to look at Darius, asking, "What do I do next, Mr.Reid?" Not a word came from Darius as he heard footsteps rushing out from the massive estate. At the same time, he detected another person¡¯s footsteps approaching from the main street ¡ªthey were Edward¡¯s. Thus, Darius turned to look at the main entrance. Bridget could not hear anything, but she knew someone or something was sure to arrive soon, so she returned to Darius¡¯ side at once. Subsequently, she assumed an alert posture, perking up and folding both hands against her lower back. It was because she could not discern whether the iing person or object was harmless or a threat. That was when Darius noticed her hardened look.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Chapter 263 Chapter 263 A lighthearted chuckle came from Darius, who shook his head and said, "Don¡¯t worry.The person that¡¯s about to show up is Edward." Only then did Bridget let out a relieved sigh and return her hands to her sides. However, her brows soon twisted together as she asked, "Why did he get here sote? He drove behind our car, yet we''ve been standing here for some time, and he still hasn¡¯t shown up." Darius shook his head before exining with a smile, "I¡¯m sure it¡¯s because he couldn¡¯t get a parking near the entrance like us since he¡¯s driving the damaged Bugatti from earlier." Bridget raised her head slightly, then scrunched her nose and shed a thin smile out of embarrassment. "Apologies, Mr.Reid.I never thought he would get stopped from entering because of that." Finding the topic uninteresting, Darius did not voice his opinions on the matter anymore.He was, instead, looking forward to the person that would soone out of the vi. That was when the person stayed at the front door without speaking or doing anything. Even so, Darius did not care; he knew the other party would be the first to give in. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. After all, the loser of today was the Gillette family, whose mortifying secret had gotten revealed to the guests. Darius eventually dropped the thought as Edward arrived. Thetter glistened with joy, or rather, it was because a thickyer of sweat coated his face.His sweaty appearance indicated he had walked a long way to get here. Both Bridget and Darius felt bad that Edward had gone through so much. The former then looked at Edward and asked, "Why do you seem so happy? Did something happen?" Edward pursed his lips while looking at Bridget, which gave thetter a sense of foreboding. She immediately regretted asking that question, but Edward had already merrily answered, "You''re famous, Bridget ¡ªeveryone here knows you. In fact, the other bodyguards around became alert when you arrived. They informed their masters that you¡¯re a threatening person and urged their masters to leave at once." His shoulders kept rising and falling as he guffawed. Even his eyes lit up as he boasted, "Hah! I haven¡¯t seen anyone react with this much fear in many years! What amazes me more is all the bodyguards here know you, and they¡¯re as scared of you as the other bodyguards -in-training under the Reid family." At that point, Darius¡¯ breathing quickened, and his eyes narrowed. "Even if the two of you have much to chat about," he snapped, "I don¡¯t think now is the appropriate time to do so.We''re free to chat as you please at the hotel after we settle what we came here to do." An intense but inexplicable emotion radiated from his gaze as it swept past Bridget and Edward. That ignited a change in the two at once; they hurriedly took a step in opposite directions, creating a larger space between them. Darius kept silent after that, only ncing at the two briefly before turning the other way. All the guests, staff, and onlookers witnessed that entire exchange. Nheless, panic soon filled their faces when they felt the many security guards¡¯ breathing quicken. Everyone immediately looked at the guards, who had the same expression as Bridget earlier; they wanted to speak like Bridget hoped to exin herself to Darius. However, she refrained from doing so as it was not the right time, especially since Darius was now looking at the vi. Thus, her features grew taut as she ced her hands behind her back, staring strictly at the vi¡¯s front door. She felt whoever wasing out from there was unlikely a friend. Yet, there was no activity from the door for a long while. Darius ced both hands in his pockets, tilting his head slightly as he proimed, "Wilson Gillette, you¡¯ve been standing there for a while.If you don¡¯te out now, I¡¯ll assume you¡¯re in danger and shoot the door down to enter the vi.That said, I can¡¯t promise my marksmanship will be urate, as I¡¯m worried about your safety and might miss my shot." Only then did the door open to reveal Wilson. Although he seemed unbothered by the events, one could see the rage that consumed him from his narrowed and reddened eyes. Like Darius, his hands were in his pockets while he spoke. "You don¡¯t have an invite, so you¡¯re not allowed to enter.Please depart the premises at once, or else I might not hold back from taking action against you." "What you¡¯re saying is hrious." Darius¡¯ smile broadened. "Also, I never imagined the Gillette family to entertain such nonsense.I''ve always believed anyone who can start a massive and powerful family should have unyielding resolve like me." That was when he pulled out his gun, aiming at the vi¡¯s second floor before pulling the trigger. Immediately after, a person with a gun fell out the second-floor window, smashing the ss along the way. Darius ced his gun back in the holster around his waist and met Wilson''s gaze, dering, "Your motives got revealed too early, and it¡¯s all thanks to that brilliant, newly adopted son of yours.His words gave me a heads up on what you''ve been nning." Wilson grew pale. It was not because Darius had figured out his n but because thetter had subtly made so many movements that slipped his notice. Wilson did not even realize Darius took out a gun, aimed, and shot someone until thetter put the gun away.That alone indicated Darius had remarkable martial arts skills. "I don¡¯t recall any bad blood between us," Wilson calmly said, "As for the so-called n of mine, the person you shot was a bodyguard tasked with patrolling the event. The second floor is the best position for him to do so, as any dangerous idents won¡¯t be able to escape his notice. It seems you¡¯ve misunderstood me entirely, but I can rify and soothe any qualms you have toward me. He kept an untroubledposure, and even his tone sounded neutral, as though he were speaking the truth. That was when Darius shrugged. Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Darius did not care about whatever rhetoric Wilson brought up. Thus, he did not respond to thetter¡¯s ims and turned to look at Cerys instead, stating, "This young lady is your daughter, and I''ve hurt her." Only then did Wilson spare Cerys a nce. Yet, what baffled everyone at the scene was hisck of emotion toward her. All he did was nod and apathetically reply, "Indeed. She¡¯s my badly behaved daughter, which is why I¡¯m grateful you showed up and put her in ce, Mr.Reid." A scoff came from Darius as he thought, "Wilson¡¯s implying I purposely came to the banquet to punish his daughter." He did not verbally express his opinion but kept both hands in his pockets and nodded. "Yes, ve already punished your two misbehaving sons on your behalf, so I don¡¯t mind disciplining your daughter too.Though, I would never end their lives because I don¡¯t have any bad blood with you, Gillettes." Wilson¡¯s eyes grew wide in that instant. His heart rate spiked as he could tell there was more to Darius¡¯ words. He then thundered, "What the hell have you done to Thomas?" His voice boomed so loudly that it made everyone jolt and tremble. Some people even looked directly into his eyes without much thought. After silence hung in the air for a couple of minutes, everyone avoided looking at him. Their hearts pounded with anxiety as they had just learned something the Gillette family did not want them to. At that point, there was no guarantee that the Gillettes would do anything to threaten them. Having worried about this oue for the entire day, some guests wanted to leave. One of them stepped forward to bow deeply at Wilson. Subsequently, his face paled as he said through chattering teeth, "M-My apologies, M-Mr.Gillette.I don¡¯t think I-I can attend tonight¡¯s banquet anymore.Mypany just phoned and informed me of an issue with one of my projects.They need me back at the scene to resolve the issue now." All color had drained from Wilson¡¯s face by then.He knew it was a lie but had no reason to decline the former¡¯s request, so he nodded. "Okay.If you need any help, feel free to seek me out at once.I''ll do my best to help you in my personal capacity." Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. The person left the venue in tears as Wilson¡¯s offer moved him. At least, that was what Wilson thought. Still, Wilson did not imagine that about a third of his guests woulde up with various excuses to flee the scene after he allowed the person to leave. No one dared step foot into the vi. To make things worse, this was the first time something had gone wrong with a Gillette family banquet in decades. Wilson could not ept such defeat, so he glowered at Darius, no longer having the appearance of a benevolent host. "You caused this to happen and have now pissed me off.Let¡¯s hope you can bear the consequences of my wrath!" He stared determinedly at Darius, thinking thetter would also be angry or take action. It was only natural as thetter had always seemed rash throughout their previous encounters. Much to his shock, Darius did not utter a word. All Darius did was approach Cerys¡¯ side while keeping his gaze on Wilson. He exined, "Someone has plotted against me and tricked me into attending tonight¡¯s banquet.The thing is¡ªI¡¯m unsure if you¡¯re behind it or if Dream Investment Group is to me." He seemed so collected that Wilson could not figure out what was on his mind. Hence, Wilson kept mum, fearing he would say the wrong thing and identally let slip any secrets to Darius.He had plenty of research and witnessed enough incidents today to know that Darius was capable of getting information from others. Meanwhile, Darius still had not said much but turned to look at Erin. Since the two had worked together for some time, Erin understood what Darius meant from his gaze.So, she nodded and returned to the car. Wilson pursed his lips but returned to a neutral expression soon after. Despite that, he continued to scrutinize Erin with a smile. "I''d like to know what you, as Darius¡¯ secretary, are going to do if not stand here with him." Curiosity filled his eyes as he wanted to know whether Erin would tell the truth or lie. Little did he expect her to ignore him.She did not even stop nor turn her head to spare him a nce. Instead, she beelined into her car and sat in the backseat. That was the first time anyone had disregarded Wilson. Such humiliation felt foreign to him, causing his heart to beat faster with rage.He let out a quick sigh, mentally reminding himself, "I became a tycoon at a young age, and in the fifty years that followed, I¡¯ve never felt this pissed!" Enraged, he stared into Darius¡¯ eyes and snarled through gritted teeth, "You''re challenging my authority? Hah! You''ll have hell to pay for this!" Wilson then took one step back, pping once to summon the many men in ck who were hidden in every corner of the yard, each holding guns. A smug grin curled on Wilson''s face as he said, "You must feel frightened now, huh? I bet you didn¡¯t see them earlier.Well, let me tell you this¡ªno matter how much you beg, it¡¯s toote.I won¡¯t spare you." He continued gloating at Darius while speaking, but his smile soon faded when thetter did not appear as frightened as he pictured. Nothing had turned out as he had nned, and he refused to tolerate it. Brows drawing close, he questioned, "Why aren¡¯t you afraid about what''s happening now? About what¡¯s going to happen?" Darius stood rooted to the spot with a curt smile. "It seems your guests from earlier haven¡¯t told you about how their bodyguards were frightened." Chapter 265 Chapter 265 Confusion shrouded Wilson¡¯s face.He no longer needed to hide his emotions as he was now hell-bent on killing Darius. Thus, he did not conceal his desire to know what thetter meant. Yet, he also knew he would not believe it even if Darius had told him the truth, so he turned to look at his secretary. The secretary was a gorgeous woman in a bodycon dress with a deep V-neckline. Heels clicking, she approached Wilson¡¯s side and held aptop with her manicured hands. "Sir, I''ve just found out," she said in a voice as seductive as her appearance. It felt intentional. She pointed at Bridget while she continued, "Those bodyguards became nervous after this woman appeared.She¡¯s a skilled bodyguard and could¡¯ve easily taken down everyone earlier." Wilson¡¯s jaw dropped wide open.He felt it was impossible, so he examined his secretary with a look of suspicion. Seeing that made the secretary sway her hips as she stepped closer to Wilson, reaching out to grab his hand. "Why are you looking at me like that, Mr.Gillette? Don¡¯t you believe me?" Her eyes reddened, and she pouted at him. Much to her surprise, not a single person at the scene paid her pitiful disy any mind, except for Wilson. Wilson remained emotionless but circled an arm around his secretary''s shoulder, pulling her into his embrace. While doing that, his hateful gaze remained on Darius. "I know you''re someone with endless wealth, Darius.But your wealth doesn¡¯t matter here in Almiron City.The people only know one affluent household, and that¡¯s the Gillette family!" Shockingly, Darius did not seem bothered at all. In fact, nothing changed about thetter¡¯s behavior, which only ticked Wilson off more. The taste of bitter defeat and getting ignored became foreign to him after he shot to his wealthy status ten years ago¡ªuntil Darius appeared. Boiling rage and a determination to kill Darius exuded from Wilson¡¯s eyes that no longer remained stoic. Wilson stood tall before snarling in a low, threatening tone, "Men, get a move on! I want him dead at once!" The men in ck then aimed their weapons at Darius, firing simultaneously as a series of bullets getting loaded filled the air. Bridget was quick to vanish from where she stood. Apart from Darius, no one else at the scene could see where she had gone. All the others knew was that one-third of their guns mysteriously disappeared from their hands, and they had fallen on the ground within a breath¡¯s time. Unlike them, Darius was an enlightened martial artist and could see Bridget''s every action clearly, so he moved even faster than her while Wilson and the others were deep in thought. Thus, after Bridget had tackled one-third of the men in ck, she suddenly stopped and realized the others had also fallen to the ground. Beside her was Darius, whose shirt and suit had be creased from the speedy fighting.Her widened eyes swept past everyone around her just then. Edward looked as baffled as she did. He wanted to help out earlier but did not expect Darius, their young master, to beat him to it. Left without a chance to participate, Edward gawped with his mouth wide open at Darius. He knew Darius was highly proficient in martial arts but never imagined thetter would surpass him by this much. "Mr.Reid¡¯s fighting skills have grown significantly since we first met.The rate he¡¯s improving at is scary," Edward could not help himself from pondering, "If Mr.Reid never left the Reid family, I bet he would¡¯ve be a mighty figure by now.No one alive could ever defeat him in battle." He stood beside Darius with certainty brimming in his eyes, thinking, "I previously saw Mr.Reid as nothing more than a hardworking man with a wealthy background and insanely good luck.Hence, I willingly served by his side to do his every bidding.I swore to serve only Darius as long as I remained in the Darius family.But now? I can¡¯t help but have much more respect for him." Realizing his newfound sentiments, he ced a hand on his chest as though renewing his pledge to serve Darius. Even his gaze intensified with profound seriousness. Darius nced at him briefly but soon shifted his attention toward Wilson as he strolled over to the latter. Only after hearing Darius¡¯ iing footsteps did Wilson snap to his senses. He had never seen nor believed anyone could do what Bridget and Darius had done till now. Nevertheless, the entire ordeal happened before his eyes, so it did not matter whether Wilson believed it. He then locked eyes with Darius but could not stop himself from stammering, "D-Don¡¯te over here!" It took him a while to muster up the courage to break free from his frozen state and retreat backward. Sadly, he continued to stumble back out of fear. He tried to regain control over his legs, but they faltered, causing him to fall to the ground. It was his first time being in such a humiliating situation, so his face grew pallid. His eyes darted back and forth, scanning the ce as he took deeper breaths. The only saving grace at that moment was that no one was around to witness his fall. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Darius took in Wilson¡¯s every shift in reaction. He stood with his back straightened, towering and looking down at thetter¡¯s face. "I¡¯m sure you now have much more patience for what I¡¯m about to discuss with you." Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Wilson''s eyes trembled so much that they were about to pop out of their sockets. Facing off against Darius left him intensely frightened.His voice became hoarse as he asked, "W-What are you trying to aplish? I never invited you to tonight¡¯s banquet¡ª" "That''s enough!" Darius interrupted loudly. "I¡¯ve been more than patient with you.I can investigate how that invite appeared in my room and who delivered it to me.What I never expected was someone would use such immature tricks against me.Then again, perhaps you thought that making me show up with a fake invite to this banquet would embarrass me. Is that it?" Wilson¡¯s eyes grew dim with fear.It shocked him to learn Darius did not care about getting humiliated. Because of that, he never got to say the smug words he had prepared beforehand. All he could do was quiver on the ground like frightened prey. At that moment, Darius raised his chin while cing his foot on Wilson''s shoulder. "I sense another potent presence in this vi¡ª it¡¯s from an enlightened martial artist." That made Wilson pale.He could not deny the statement as it was the truth. Yet, at the same time, he could not reveal any more information to Darius; the martial artist Darius mentioned made sure Wilson was powerless from the start. Wilson was in his study one day when the martial artist snuck in and strangled him, ordering him to deliver an invite to Darius. That was all the martial artist said¡ªhe wanted Darius to be at Wilson''s banquet. At the time, none of Wilson¡¯s bodyguards could get to the study on time, so Wilson had no choice but to agree. Recalling that incident, Wilson suddenly noticed the simrities between the martial artist and Darius.His eyes became rounder and glossier as he asked, "What is your rtionship with that person?" He flipped from being on his back to kneeling and pressing his forehead into the ground.He cried, "I-I¡¯m so sorry! I made a grave mistake, and I realize it now.You¡¯re both skilled fighters, but I have nothing to do with your feud¡ªI never once thought about harming you! Of course, I never nned to attack him, either.However, he tracked me down and threatened to hurt me if I didn¡¯t do as he said.I couldn¡¯t let that happen!" While speaking, he looked up with teary eyes at Darius. Even so, Darius examined the former¡¯s eyes in detail and found no fear. He ced his hands behind his back while scrunching up his nose, sneering, "You don¡¯t have to put on this act of pity before me.Before I arrived in Almiron City, I learned all about how you made the Gillette family name so sessful.That only happened because you received financial backing from Dream Investment Group during your most challenging juncture.You then sought external financing by listing yourpany on the stock market.That¡¯s what led to the elite status of your family today.You¡¯ve cooperated with Dream Investment Group for a long time, so the enlightened martial artist standing in your vi is also someone I¡¯m very familiar with¡ªbecause I was once his disciple.The people we¡¯ve encountered thus far are all associated with the mysterious person behind Dream Investment Group.This mysterious figure always has a hand in Dream Investment¡¯s every investment project." He had spoken calmly, but his every word took the people at the scene aback. After all, he was revealing the Gillette family¡¯s top secrets. One could even say that no one else, apart from Wilson, knew these secrets. Yet, Darius had disclosed it all before strangers in that instant. Wilson shut his eyes, sighing deeply on the ground as he knew his mission had failed; Dream Investment Group would not react kindly to his failure. He recalled the scene at his study the other night when suddenly, an invisible force tightened around his neck, choking him on the spot. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Wilson parted his lips with all his might but could utter a word.His face turned red after he struggled to breathe for some time. Darius kept his hands behind his back while standing before Wilson.He could even hear thetter¡¯s neck cracking from the invisible pressure. On the other side, Wilson did not expect Dream Investment Group to punish him this cruelly for failing one minor task. At that point, it was evident that thepany had given up on their promise to him¡ªthey had decided not to avenge his son¡¯s death by murdering Darius. Bitter resentment filled his eyes just then.He refused to give up, eyes darting left and right while he struggled to take off his watch. Everyone saw it but did notment on it as they did not know why he did that. However, his reasons became clear when Wilson tossed his watch to Darius. That was not what Darius expected. The watchnded more than 30 feet away from Darius. Once it did, Wilson shot a pleading look at the former, who stood unmoving. Nevertheless, Darius could tell Wilson desperately wanted him to pick up the watch. Grave silence enveloped the scene. The man in a ck robe that stood inside the vi could not believe what he had just witnessed, so he balled his fists more. Wilson''s face then became as pale as a sheet before the man. Eventually, Wilson shut his eyes and let out one final exhale. Despite that, a satisfied smile spread across his face, knowing he had done the best he could. Likewise, Wilson knew Darius would pick up the watch that stored plenty of information on Dream Investment Group. In it were also the ns he had to threaten his way out of Dream Investment Group''s grasp but did not have the time to do. Throughout Wilson¡¯s life, this was the project he had spent the most effort nning. Wilson believed Darius would be moved by his efforts and put the watch¡¯s information to good use. Hence, it did not matter which side won in the end; Wilson was satisfied that he had gotten this far. He shut his eyes, feeling peaceful with how things had turned out, yet things did not go as he imagined. Instead, the invisible force around his neck loosened gradually alongside the menacingughter of the martial artist in the ck robe. It left Wilson sitting upright on the ground, but he kept his eyes tightly shut. Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Wilson dared not look at the man in the ck robe because he could sense an unprecedented rage emanating from thetter. Wilson was unsure whether he would still be breathing if he locked eyes with him. However, the man obviously did not care about that, as he was now focusing on Darius instead. In that instant, Darius sensed a powerful aura radiating from the man, which was more potent than the previous martial artist in the same ck robe he had encountered. He stood there and pondered for a while, unable to recall the name of thest martial artist. He then met the man¡¯s eyes and instructed his subordinates behind him with a cautious tone. "You three should get out of here as quickly as possible." Erin remained rooted, unwilling to leave. Even so, she got dragged away by Bridget and Edward, who each took one of her arms. Although she wanted to resist, the two bodyguards¡¯ strengths far surpassed hers.She wriggled with all her might but to no avail; her wrists did not budge from the two¡¯s iron grip. Bridget sensed the former''s movement, so she turned her head to look at Erin while sighing. "The more you thrash around, the longer it''ll take us to leave, meaning Edward and I can¡¯t return to assist Mr.Reid anytime soon." Only then did Erin stop resisting, albeit unwillingly. Still, she stared into Bridget¡¯s eyes and suggested, "Why don¡¯t you return to Mr.Reid? Edward can get me away from here." Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. It sounded like a foolproof n in Erin¡¯s mind. Sadly, Bridget turned it down sternly. "No.You don¡¯t understand our capabilities ¡ªEdward moves slower, so if not for me leading us away, you''d be wounded by both Mr.Reid¡¯s and that other martial artist¡¯s aura by now." Edward rolled his eyes at Bridget¡¯s insulting words but still nodded. "Yeah.Although Bridget could¡¯ve phrased it more politely, she speaks the truth." It was then that Bridget slowed down. Edward turned to look behind him and realized the Gillette family¡¯s home was no longer within sight. Frowning, he said, "I can take Erin from here.I¡¯m sure it¡¯s safe enough at this point.You, however, should watch out ¡ªwe both know that anyone who can fight against the overpowered Mr.Reid must be equally as strong as him." Bridget waved dismissively before rushing back to Remnard Estate, her figure shing into the distance like a shooting star. Then, Edward continued to lead Erin away. Erin could tell they were moving significantly slower than before because the wind did not feel harsh against her cheek anymore. As much as she wanted to peek behind her, she dared not, knowing it would only slow them down. Back at Remnard Estate, Darius and the man in the ck robe stared each other down. There was no movement from the man, yet his clothes swayed fervently as a massive gust of wind formed beside him. Not only that, but the wind spiraled quickly, turning into a voracious tornado that shot Wilson into the air. Darius only spared Wilson one nce before ripping his attention off thetter. He shared the same sentiment as Wilson in that instant ¡ªthat thetter couldn¡¯t survive a fall from that altitude. After all, Wilson was a regr human being. With that in mind, Darius tutted twice while shaking his head. That made the man in the ck robe adjust his mask to reveal his eyes. Staring at Darius, he asked, "I''d like to know the reason behind your current expression. Tell me, is it because you''re sorry for Wilson¡¯s inevitable demise?" "you talk too much." Darius rolled his eyes, adding, "Much more than your acquaintance that I previously killed." "Jabbar," the man said hoarsely but calmly. Darius could detect simmering anger in the man¡¯s tone. Still, he shrugged, shing a carefree expression at the man as though he did not view thetter as a threat. "Oh.So that¡¯s the name of the man I killed¡ªJabbar." Hearing those words sparked a wildfire of rage in the man. Nevertheless, the mes in his chest soon died as he was a martial artist and could regte his emotions.He then said, "I¡¯ve done some research on you¡ªyour existence in this world surprises me.You weren¡¯t an enlightened martial artist when Jabber got sent to kill you.However, in the months that followed the incident, you practically skyrocketed into being a mature martial artist.It¡¯s a pity you were never my disciple.Then again, I¡¯m excited to know a gifted person like you will soon perish in my hands." Darius¡¯ patience thinned as he listened to the former¡¯s speech.He initially came here to deal with the Gillette family, but he did not wish for Wilson to die this way, as he felt thetter had already received enough punishment. Besides, Darius still intended to im all of the Gillette family¡¯s wealth as his own. Thus, if Wilson were to die here, Darius could never aplish his objective here in Almiron City. After weighing his options, Darius charged straight at the man in the ck robe. Meanwhile, the man stood rooted to the ground while chuckling maliciously. Sheer arrogance dripped from his voice as hemented, "You''re very young and impatient; therefore, you''re destined to fail!" He was so confident that he could not dodge on time when Darius¡¯ fist neared his face. All he could do was haphazardly reach out to block the iing attack.He could not even mobilize the power within his body to warm himself. Hence, when Darius¡¯ fist collided with his palm, he knew it was hopeless, even if he mustered all the power in his body. The man had never witnessed martial arts skills as refined as Darius ¡¯_ At that point, he knew he would fail today because he could not fight Darius head-on under such circumstances. Even if he won by some miracle, he knew the fight would be demanding, and he would have to pay a very high price. Chapter 268 Chapter 268 The cogs in the man¡¯s brain spun at lightning speed, and he made his decision in under a second; he quickly stepped back when Darius ¡¯ fist came close to his face. Darius did not foresee that, so he did not pursue the former out of caution. Once his fist fully reached out, the man was already far away. "You truly are formidable," the man said while looking down at Darius and standing atop the Remnard Estate¡¯s concrete fence.He then fled, vanishing into thin air. Darius¡¯ figure flickered just then. He wanted to chase after the man I but was shocked that he could not detect thetter¡¯s aura in the air. The man did not leave any traces, so it was like he was never there. Because of that, Darius halted on the spot, no longer charging ahead. Another reason he did not move was that he felt the tornado dissipate once the man left. Thus, it left Wilson¡¯s body rapidly falling from almost 30 feet above the ground. Darius did not know if Wilson had suffered any injuries after being held that high up, but all he needed was for thetter to remain alive.So, heunched himself into the air, where Wilson''s body was approaching. He reached his arms wide to catch Wilson before theynded together. Darius¡¯ feet soon met the ground, but before he could stand still, he had already tossed Wilson aside. The friction between his body and the course dirt made Wilson open his eyes and look at Darius. However, he did not speak and only shifted his gaze upward at the sky. Darius detected a sullen hopelessness oozing from the former¡¯s eyes. He ced both hands in his pockets, lips curling upward. "You look funny right now.Sadly, I don''t have a mirror on hand.Otherwise, I¡¯d show you howical you look." Only then did Wilson finally react.He turned to cast a bleak look at Darius while sternly stating, "You¡¯ve won.Even if you decide not to act against me, my name will inevitably vanish from this city." Wilson assumed others would not hold back their opinions when facing a person close to death. Yet, little did he expect Darius to remain emotionless; not a change showed on Darius¡¯ nk face.It was as though thetter did not care about Wilson¡¯s death. Knowing that caused Wilson¡¯s eyes to narrow as hey on the ground, unable to decipher Darius¡¯ thoughts. He eventually said, "I¡¯m about to die, so you don¡¯t have to hide anything from me because there¡¯s nothing I can do to you now.Besides, you''re a powerful being, so I can never defeat you even if I wasn¡¯t injured like I am now¡ªhell, I can¡¯t do anything to you even at full health." Darius picked at his ears while listening to the former. Wilson¡¯s face darkened with rage as he felt like the object of Darius ceaseless taunting and humiliation, even though he was dying. While gulping, doubt flickered in his eyes. Having been through such an intense experience, Wilson finally snapped back to his senses, connecting the dots.His tone changed from desperation to curiosity as he asked, "Didn¡¯t youe to Almiron City to kill me?" That was when Darius¡¯ hand returned to his pocket, and he nodded. "It seems that your frightened self is pretty useful.At the very least, you''re able to speak normally now." Moments passed as Wilson examined Darius with wide eyes. He wanted to speak but felt a chill crawling down his spine, snapping him out of his unrealistic thought. Wilson knew it was unwise to anger Darius in that instant, as thetter could make him die miserably. Hence, he sat with his legs crossed on the ground, his eyes downcast. Silence filled the space after that, but Darius remained still. Curious, Wilson lifted his head slowly to glimpse at Darius¡¯ face, hoping to guess thetter¡¯s emotions. He then looked into a pair of eyes that seemed to grin yet simultaneously narrowed like daggers. Seeing that made all his hairs stand straighter with terror, so his gaze quickly shot elsewhere. He heard Darius¡¯ frostyughter bursting like thunder, but it soon vanished as though he had hallucinated, adding to his fear. Wilson shrunk to his knees, pressing his forehead on the ground as he quivered. Even his gaze trembled. It took a while before he pushed himself off the ground to look up at Darius. "You haven''t left after all this time," he uttered, "I bet you intend to do something with me, so go ahead¡ªtell me.Perhaps you¡¯re unaware of this, but I¡¯m very astute.I understand the tables have turnedpared to before the banquet.Likewise, I know deep down that if I don¡¯t receive your protection, Dream Investment Group will make me quickly and painfully vanish from this world." A bitter smile appeared on his face. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. "I can¡¯t guarantee that my wealth will still belong to my descendants after my death.Likewise, there¡¯s no telling if my ster reputation in life will change when I die.It¡¯s also possible that my riches will end up in the hands of my murderer, which I can¡¯t stand.Sadly, this is the cold, hard truth presented to me on a silver tter." Darius looked at Wilson¡¯s face before shing a smile as he realized something interesting; Wilson was telling the truth. Sighing, Darius replied, "Your son wouldn¡¯t have died in my hands if he thought the same as you now." What impressed Darius more was that Wilson did not appear aggrieved, nor did he bat an eysh, when the former brought up killing thetter¡¯s son. All of that showed Wilson had truly let go of their past quarrels Chapter 269 Chapter 269 At that moment, Wilson only wanted to get Darius¡¯ protection. Never in a million years did Darius think that would happen. Hence, he grinned in amusement, saying, "What you¡¯ve said has satisfied me, so I¡¯m willing to help." He cracked his neck while continuing, "Since you''ve already expressed your loyalty to me, I can straightforwardly tell you that I''vee here to obtain the Gillette Group¡¯s shares.Wilson¡¯s eyes grew wide with disbelief at what he had heard.He stumbled onto his butt, forgetting he was about to stand up. Moments of gloomy silence passed before he looked down, muttering, "Now that you¡¯ve told me your ns, I doubt I can say no to them.Please give me a few minutes to digest this information.It¡¯s too painful for me to take in all at once.After all, I¡¯m about to gift the riches I¡¯ve worked hard to get all my life to someone else for free.I -I doubt anyone can peacefully agree to such a thing in am- moment¡¯s notice." His voice tremored by the end of that sentence. Nevertheless, his eyes brimmed with determination as he shot a pleading look at Darius. Thetter nodded, leaving to sit on a bench in the yard. He kept quiet while doing so, but the silence and peace did notst as Cerys crawled out secondster from hiding in a random corner. Her entire body was covered in dirt, so much so that one could not see the true color of her skin. Even so, her eyes remained clear with determination. She parted her lips, shrilling louder than before, "You can¡¯t! Although you haven¡¯t publicly epted me as your daughter, our DNA proves we''re rted! I am your daughter, which means I have the right to inherit your assets! Thus, I don¡¯t agree with you transferring thepany¡¯s shares to Darius!" She exerted a lot of force to speak loudly, causing the dark greenish veins on her neck to pop. Darius was sure Cerys¡¯ heart was an equally repulsive color as her veins. Nevertheless, he did not speak and merely watched from the bench as the two Gillette family members argued. At the same time, he sipped from the coffee that he had asked Wilson¡¯s secretary to fetch him earlier. When Cerys shot to her feet, Wilson¡¯s secretary had already stood by Darius¡¯ side, not intending to leave. Darius could tell the secretary had stepped closer to him as the fragrance from her makeup and perfume overwhelmed him. "What you¡¯re doing now is very annoying to me," he snarled while frowning. He meant those words for Cerys, yet his eyes were on Wilson. At that point, Wilson was well aware of who he served, so he had been watching Darius closely. Once he heard what Darius said, panic filled his face, and he reached out to strike Cerys¡¯ cheek, causing her to fall.He then stood to shoot a pleading look at Darius. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. "I know you¡¯ re a generous man, Mr.Reid.All this while, I¡¯ve challenged you and made many mistakes.My son did the same but died after going against you.However, I¡¯m ready to ept your conditions now." Upon hearing the sudden monologue and seeing how nervous the former was, Darius arched a brow.He smiled, then tapped the coffee cup in his hands. That made Wilson¡¯s blood rush with anxiety.He had no clue why Darius was smiling or what thetter¡¯s smile meant. So, he stood unmoving, rubbing his hands together while stealing nces at Darius as he was too afraid to stare at thetter for too long. Meanwhile, Cerys never thought she would get pped, so she stiffened on the ground for the longest time.She thought she would never experience a life of violence anymore, but it appeared she was wrong.To make things worse, the one hitting her now was her biological father. It ignited a me of hatred in her eyes just then. She reached out to grab a sharp stone that had fallen to the ground when the tornado vanished. Once she held it, her body began to tremble with fear for what she was about to do. Despite how she felt, it did not stop her from doing what she wanted; she opened her mouth and shrilled, letting out a war cry. Cerys then charged off the ground with a speed only martial artists possessed. She stood with her back straight and unyielding resolve in her eyes, looking nothing like someone who had encountered their worst fears. Darius cocked a brow but did not speak. That was when Wilson noticed something was off. He turned to look at Cerys, eyes widening and pupils dting, when he saw the sharp stone in her hands. As it neared his head, he hurriedly squatted down. Fortunately, his instinct saved him while Cerys stumbled ahead due to her increased speed, thinking Wilson would not react in time. Ultimately, she tripped on Wilson, who squatted on the ground, and fell face forward.She also lost her grip on the stone during that process, so itnded in the dirt. Cerys¡¯ actions pissed Wilson off even more than before. All the while, Darius sat on the same bench without a trace of emotion on his face. Wilson¡¯s breathing soon slowed to its regr rate, proving to Darius that the former was a cruel person. It shocked Darius to witness such a sight because it felt like Wilson did not view Cerys as a daughter at all. Chapter 270 Chapter 270 If Darius had not done detailed research on the duo, he would have believed Cerys was Wilson¡¯s enemy from thetter¡¯s violence toward her. Wilson could tell Darius was now seeing him in a negative light. However, he refrained from speaking about Cerys and just stood there, watching Darius. "Now that it¡¯s no longer noisy out here," he said, "We can discuss the conditions for me transferring the Gillette Group¡¯s shares to you." Darius approvingly grinned as he scrutinized the former''s stern expression. That was the first time since Darius had arrived there that Wilson gave off the aura he should have had ¡ªthe authoritative energy of being the Gillette Group¡¯s chairman. Still, Darius sat there emotionlessly and quietly while sipping on his coffee. Yet, as he lifted his cup, Wilson¡¯s secretary reached an arm out to him.She also spoke in a more honeyed tone than before. "Mr.Reid, your coffee has gone cold.Why don¡¯t you hand it to me? I''ll fetch a fresh, piping hot cup for you." A stroke of joy appeared in the secretary¡¯s eyes as her hand came close to touching Darius¡¯. Unfortunately, what she hoped for did not happen, so her upturned lips soon grew tense.She had already pictured feeling the warmth of Darius¡¯ hand, but that heat drew further away when she was about to grab him. The secretary stood frozen with her upper body bent over. She did not know what to say or how to react to ease the awkward tension in the air. It felt like her career had been challenged like never before. While she pondered her next move, she noticed Darius¡¯ eyes on her. In that instant, she immediately ceased brainstorming and shed a warm smile at him, making herself appear innocent. "Mr.Reid..." That was when Darius put down his coffee cup and raised his hand to wave off the former. "I hope you¡¯re aware that Wilson Gillette is the man who owns you, not me." He had spoken neutrally, his tone devoid of emotion. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Because of this, his words came off as the truth rather than mere excuses. The secretary grew pale at once.She straightened her back, took her eyes off him, and looked at the ground with pitifully red eyes. As she did so, a soft whimper came from her lips. Nevertheless, she did not move away. Darius frowned. His good mood was practically gone by then. It made the air around them grow treacherously cold. Even so, the secretary clenched her jaw and insisted on standing there, knowing she could not continue to work in the Gillette Group if she did not secure a spot by Darius¡¯ side. That meant she could not enjoy the handsome sry offered by the Gillette Group anymore. Likewise, her prosperous lifestyle would vanish once the Gillette Group¡¯s shares got transferred to Darius. She thought long and hard at that moment, hoping Darius would take her under his wing. It did not matter if she had to endure humiliation to get what she wanted. Just as she was deep in thought, she suddenly felt a force tightening around her neck. "My apologies for beingte, Mr.Reid," Bridget¡¯s maic voice said from behind. She simultaneously reached out to cover the secretary¡¯s mouth. Then, she exerted some effort to lift the secretary off the ground, continuing, "I''ll remove this woman from your side now and ensure she never appears before you again." She did not move after that. Instead, she focused on Darius, and only after he nodded did she take action. Darius looked over at Wilson, whose eyes had grown stormy with rage. Thetter fixated on the secretary, that got taken far away the entire time. At that point, Darius¡¯ patience had run out. He cleared his throat twice before knocking his fist against the bench loudly. "Mr.Gillette, I believe we should speed things up.After all, we¡¯ve been stuck at this phase for quite some time now, so I can¡¯t guarantee I won¡¯t harm you if this continues." That made Wilson¡¯s heart drop.His body straightened as he quickly locked eyes with Darius, his stern and focused look returning to his face. "Sorry, my mind was elsewhere earlier.We can begin our discussion now." The scene fell into silence again after he uttered those words. He continued staring at Darius, noticing thetter was looking around with no intention of speaking; it was clear that Darius was allowing him to state his conditions. He thought, "What a difficult position I¡¯m in.Generally, whoever speaks the first in a business negotiation often is at a disadvantage." Asigh slipped out of him as he shut his eyes, the space between his brows narrowing painfully. Regardless, he pulled himself together and sincerely stated, "I can give all of the Gillette Group¡¯s shares to you, including those I previously transferred to my adopted son, Thomas.However, I have one condition¡ªI hope you can guarantee my safety, and I hope to continue being an affluent person." Darius knocked on the bench, then silently examined Wilson for the longest time. His intense stare made Wilson quiver so much that his face darkened.He never imagined a young man could invoke such fear in him. What angered him was that he could not shake off the terror in his heart. He shut his eyes tautly as though he were in pain as he said, "Of course, thepany¡¯s shares will undoubtedly be yours, regardless of whether or not you ept my condition." Following that, he felt a wave of relief washing over his previously tense body. He quickly opened his eyes and saw a satisfied grin on Darius¡¯ face. Chapter 271 Chapter 271 ¡°I¡¯ll ept your condition as you''re already being so generous,¡± Darius said while getting off the bench to stand. He shoved his hands in his pockets, turned, then headed for the Gillette family''s vi. "Since both our secretaries aren''t here, only you are avable to draft an agreement on our share transfer." Wilson shut his eyes. Yet, a secondter, he rushed up to Darius and entered his vi alongside the latter. A look of resignation shrouded his face like a dark cloud, but Wilson had to do so to survive. After all, there was no telling if he could keep Remnard Estate; perhaps the estate''s vi and every piece of furniture inside it would no longer be his if he disobeyed Darius. There were many thoughts in Wilson''s head, but he kept his face nk the entire time. When he entered the study, he found Darius sitting on the ergonomic chair behind the desk. Thetter even considerately turned the monitor and keyboard in Wilson''s direction, ready to have the agreement drafted. Wilson could not keep a collected expression. At that point, he finally realized everything he once owned was no longer his-they were now Darius Even the study that was his an hour ago had now belonged to thetter. Thus, he entered the room and could only sit at the desk as a guest. That set off an unprecedented heartache in Wilson. These emotions were so powerful that he could not disguise them. He took a deep exhale, raised both hands that were trembling, and willed himself to put them on the keyboard. The entire process took about three minutes. Then, he looked at the monitor screen, not saying anything more as he typed up the agreement without stopping. Opposite him, Darius remained calm as always. He casually reached out to grab and flip through some documents around. Suddenly, his brows twisted into a deep frown while he mmed a specific sheet of paper onto the desk. Never did Wilson think Darius would react with such anger, so themotion jolted him, his hands jerking against many keys at once. Fearful and unsettled, he immediately looked at Darius. Wilson then pursed his lips, wanting to ask Darius what had happened. Yet, when he noticed Darius¡¯ furious expression, he chose to keep quiet. Darius closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. Afterposing himself, he parted his lips to say, "Did you know that the Dream Investment Group has practically overpowered the Gillette Group and is making thetter a mere figurehead?" "Y-Yes," replied a trembling Wilson. Moments passed before he lowered his head and nodded. "I''m aware. And without me, their ns wouldn''t have gone so smoothly." A sharp inhale came from Darius, who did not expect the former to admit the truth candidly. He rammed his fist against the table, snarling with absolute certainty, ¡°Yet, you never intended to tell me about this before?" His piercing gaze drilled into Wilson as he saw thetter in a new light, thinking, "Wilson withheld critical information even though he was desperately begging me to spare him." Wilson realized how things seemed in the former¡¯s eyes. He became as pale as chalk, sitting stiffer than before with both hands by his side. "I-I can exin," he uttered with the utmost seriousness before falling silent and cautiously eying Darius. He figured there was no point exining if Darius did not want to listen, so he shot to his feet and calmly waited. "Go ahead. Try to exin it," said a nodding Darius. He then leaned back into the ergonomic chair, crossing one leg over the other. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Wilson felt an immense pressure radiating from Darius, which made him nervous again. He had never experienced such defeat before, so he was too busy thinking to raise the issue with Darius. Now, he was alone with some useless bodyguards and had to face off against Darius. He did not even consider the Dream Investment Group, which tried to murder him earlier, as it was crystal clear he could not rely on them. He mused, "Darius is a young man. Although hees from a very influential family, he doesn''t pose as much of a threat. He may be highly skilled in fighting, but it doesn''t mean he''s equally as intelligent. On the other hand, I''ve faced many of the Dream Investment Group''s members, all of which are remarkable in terms of brains and brawn-" That was when Wilson suddenly recalled in his mind, "I wasn¡¯t terrified when those guys surrounded me, though. But now, standing before Darius, I feel a growing terror gnawing at my insides. It''s been spreading, bing more intense since we first confronted each other. I''ve never felt this way before." His brows furrowed while confusion filled his gaze. Without giving it much thought, he caved into his curiosity and examined Darius. Meanwhile, Darius did not know what Wilson was thinking, but thetter''s gaze irritated him. So, he stood to grab a fistful of Wilson''s hair. "I believe I''ve continually been nice to you-kind, even-when our conflict today started. Yet, the way you''re repaying me now is putting me in all sorts of bad moods. I¡¯m pissed." Darius then tapped Wilson''s forehead twice with one finger. Although the former did not use much force, Wilson could feel himself lose the ability to stand. His head tipped forward, and he bowed without much resistance. Chapter 272 Chapter 272 Although it hurt for Wilson to bow since Darius was still grabbing his hair, he still did it. Darius¡¯ brow quirked. It shocked him to see the former doing that, so he loosened his grip and pped his palms together, dusting them. He then pointed at the keyboard, stating, "Starting now, I want you to finish drawing up the share transfer agreement. However, in addition to the agreement, you''ll hand over all assets, excluding cash, under your name to me.¡± Wilson''s eyes grew wide before hepliantly sat down. Yet, he did not touch the keyboard. Instead, he snapped icily, "You''re truly something, Darius Reid! I may have lost today, but your current actions have crossed the line!" He spoke in a controlled tone and seemed calm, as though he was not the one in danger. Yet, he was profusely sweating beneath his clothes. He knew if this continued for even a single minute, his sweat would seep into his clothes, revealing how anxious he secretly felt. That would mean he had lost the battle entirely. Thus, he sat before theputer and tried his hardest to stare nkly at Darius. Much to Wilson''s surprise, Darius saw through his ns with just a simple nce. He soon realized the taunting smirk on Darius'' face that got directed at him, giving him the chills. At the same time, he thought, "I''m probably overthinking this. There''s no way someone can see through others like they''re ss." At the same time, he thought, "I''m probably overthinking this. There''s no way someone can see through others like they''re ss." With that thought, he soothed himself into thinking things were fine. It was then that Darius spoke up. ¡°I can''t believe you''re still shooting your shot at negotiating with me, even at a time like this. While I know you genuinely intend to serve me, you have far too many thoughts that you keep to yourself. I¡¯m starting to get tired of you." He sat opposite Wilson again before dusting his pants off and saying, " Then again, perhaps you feel that all your assets and wealth will have nothing to do with me if you were to die today?" Toward the end of that sentence, Darius intentionally raised his tone like he was angrily asking a question. Hearing that made Wilson wobble in his seat. He then shot onto his feet as though the chair was covered in needles. His sudden movements knocked the chair over, but it did not bother him; Wilson was fixating on Darius with steely determination. "I don¡¯t think I''ve done anything wrong! I merely wanted to have some say in the matter!" s, his body betrayed him as beads of sweat formed on his forehead. "Fine then.¡± Darius flung the stack of documents from the desk onto Wilson¡¯s head. Then, he stoically announced "Since you''re so desperately in need of the rights to the Gillette Group, I won''t acquire it anymore. I won''t interfere with yourpany''s debts and future ownership problems either. And, as you probably figured out, I''ll align myself as the Gillette family''s enemy-l''ll ensure you guys won''t have a chance to develop any of your businesses." With that, he began strolling out the main door. As he passed by Wilson, he exerted force through his arm, mming the document regarding the Dream Investment Group''s ns onto Wilson''s head. That left a surface wound on Wilson''s head. Still, blood oozed from it, dripping down his face like he was in a horror movie. He did not pay any mind to the document by his feet. Instead, he held his wound without a shred of fear in his heart Wilson knew Darius¡¯ anger toward the matter proved thetter cared significantly about it. Thus, he felt Darius was pretending to leave as a negotiation technique to obtain more benefits. Wilson''s confidence slightly lessened when Darius opened the study''s door to leave. Still, he remained rooted on the spot, thinking there was a high possibility that Darius would return. So, Wilson did not do anything. That went on until he noticed Darius¡¯ faint figure nearing the main gates in the yard through the study''s window. To make things worse, thetter walked quickly as though he never intended to turn around. Only then did Wilson panic. He could not care less about his wound; his hands pressed against the desk tounch him ahead. Wilson felt such a rush of adrenaline and raced closer to the window the next moment. When he got there, he saw that Darius had already taken one step out of the main gate. Without thinking twice, Wilson yelled at the top of his lungs," Mr. Reid! Please wait! I''ll ept your conditions!¡± What further baffled him was that Darius did not stop or spare him a nce. At that point, Wilson knew he would lose hisst shot at survival if he did not make Darius stay. While Wilson pondered his next move, Darius¡¯ hand was almost on the car door handle. That was the breaking point for Wilson; he shut his eyes miserably but parted his lips to say, "Darius! In addition to all the conditions you just raised, I''ll also give you half of the cash I currently possess under my name.¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. It felt like he was ripping his heart in two by uttering those words. However, his rigid breathing soon eased as Darius stopped and turned around to face the vi. Wilson''s clenched jaw finally loosened. Sadly, his relief did notst long, as several military tanks arrived outside. "A massive incident happened earlier with that tornado. It won''t matter if media outlets don''t report this matter to the public-rumors have likely spread throughout the city by now. Thus, ording tomon sense, no one would show up here now. Therefore, these tanks¡¯ sudden arrival must be bad news!¡± Wilson pondered. His breathing grew heavy, knowing he could not take any more risks, given hispromised state. His chest tightened with panic as he thought, ¡°If Darius is unwilling to protect me now, I doubt I can survive an attack from a cheap bicycle, much less a battle tank.¡± He stood there, his countenance growing paler by the second as he ced all his hopes on Darius. Chapter 273 Chapter 273 A relieved sigh slipped out of Wilson when he saw Darius slowing to a halt. In his eyes, that meant the latter was willing to help him. However, he was oblivious to how Darius was one step ahead and had figured out the tank meant bad news. Darius had merely stopped to ponder the best course of action-to let Wilson die now or save him. He did not have to think for much longer, though, as a man soon exited one of the tanks and approached him with a baseball bat. Darius then quirked a brow before deciding to stay silent. Contrarily, the approaching man did not share the same sentiment. He stood before Darius, rage causing the tips of his ears to redden. He gripped the baseball bat so hard that even the veins running down his forearms popped. Still, he gritted his teeth, suppressing his wrath to say, ¡°I¡¯m Benji Anderson. I believe you''ve guessed my family background now that you know myst name." Darius¡¯ brows raised upon seeing the former. He never thought someone could behave so formally despite being furious. Impressed, he nodded and replied, "What''s your rtionship with Kate?" ¡°I''m her dad''s younger brother.¡± Benji jutted his chin while swinging the baseball bat over his shoulder. After making Darius see he was grabbing something, he fished a phone out of his pocket and tossed it at Darius. Darius did not want the phone. Yet, that was when Kate rushed over, and he could tell from her hitched breathing that she was in tears. Giving in, he sighed as he caught the phone that flew toward him. He then switched it on and saw a surveince video ying. Darius did not want the phone. Yet, that was when Kate rushed over, and he could tell from her hitched breathing that she was in tears. Giving in, he sighed as he caught the phone that flew toward him. He then switched it on and saw a surveince video ying. It showed him in a bathrobe, walking into the living room where Kate was getting changed. The video cut off right after he sat down on the couch. Eventually, Darius looked at the top of the screen, realizing the video was from a mainstream media tform. What''s worse, the video had already reached first ce on the most viewed ranking. That made Darius'' brows furrow. He opened thements section, where many shockedizens were discussing. "Oh! I recognize this man. He''s the top student at Kingston University." "Yeah, and he has a legendary family background! He''s the heir to a wealthypany but got separated from them when he was a kid." "That''s true, but why do I recall him having a girlfriend? I also remember him pestering her after they broke up. Does it mean his so-called love for her was a lie?" "My guess is that he now has so much money that he changed. He probably doesn''t need to focus all his effort on one woman anymore-he can get whoever he wants." Darius¡¯ eyes narrowed to slits at that moment. He knew suchments would negatively impact Reid Consortium''s subsidiarypanies, which was a price he could not afford to pay, nor should it have happened. While the former brainstormed a way to alleviate the damages to hispanies, Benji, who stood opposite him, spoke. "I don''t know what your silence means, but I can confirm this-I won''t approve of your rtionship with Kate before her dad returns. I don''t care what happened between you two. I only came to warn you! Stay away from my niece, and never show your face in Almiron City again!" He pointed his bat at Darius again, continuing, "I''ll let you leave if you promise to do what I said. Otherwise, I''m sure you know what will happen." Benji glowered menacingly at Darius while lifting the baseball bat high, ready to bash thetter''s head at a moment''s notice. That was the first thing Kate saw upon arriving at the main gates. Her eyes widened, and she cried out, ¡°No! Uncle Benji, please don''t hit him! We barely know each other! I swear nothing happened between us. Someone set us up in that video, so it''s not what it looks like. We can''t even stand being in the same room!" Her voice grew louder while her tone sharpened like a dagger, sessfully stopping Benji in his tracks. Benji''s arms hung in the air. Still, he spun around to shoot a disapproving look at his niece. "You''re young and don¡¯t understand the world well¡ªthis impoverished guy may pretend to love you, but he''ll do the same to others! As for his annoyance and whatever else he feels toward you, it''s all his n to make you interested in him! He wants you to desire him and do everything in your power to make him yours!¡± His words rained down ferociously like a hailstorm. Everyone''s jaws fell agape as it was their first time hearing such a silly assessment. Nevertheless, none of them, not even the people who arrived with Benji, voiced their thoughts. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Darius stoodposedly opposite Benji. He put his hands in his pockets, saying, "If only you had investigated the situation more thoroughly before showing up in front of me. That way, I wouldn''t have snickered at anything you said." He thought he had given a good enough warning to Benji, but thetter did not seem affected. Benji did not hesitate as he threw the baseball bat at Darius¡¯ head. That unsettled Darius, who did not think Benji would actually harm him. Regardless, he moved quickly, flitting aside to dodge the iing bat. The batnded a distance away with a loud thud. At the same time, it rammed into the ground so hard that dust and soil shot into the air. Some even sttered so far as to reach Darius¡¯ eyes. It was a shocking scene for Darius, who knew not all enlightened martial artists could achieve such force. Not even Shelvin had such ability. On the other hand, Benji looked forward to hearing what Darius had to say. Sadly, he did not get what he wanted. Chapter 274 Chapter 274 That ticked Benji off entirely. He picked up the bat again, hoping to strike Darius down. This time, things still did not go as he wanted because Kate ran over to defend Darius. Kate extended both arms in front, gripping Benji''s bat tightly and stopping it from lowering further. A reddish tinge seeped into the whites of her eyes and to her cheeks. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. "Uncle Benji, would you rather believe the guys who released this video instead of me? Don¡¯t you know those people framed me to get my dad''s wealth? Isn''t it too convenient that they uploaded this video now when my dad is missing? They''re the ones benefitting the most from this situation- not me and Darius!" Benji¡¯s face warped, still cautious but slightly convinced, so he retracted his bat. Feeling things click into ce, Darius raised a brow while examining the onlookers behind him. They had been standing around for some time but did not speak. Because of that, Darius assumed they were security guards or other staff members hired for the banquet earlier. If he had not looked at them now, he would have never noticed how their eyes gleamed with greed at the scene. That revealed their motives to Darius, and he also realized how Kate ended up in his hotel room. Even so, he decided to watch things unfold, not voicing his realizations. Meanwhile, the onlookers were initially nervous since they knew Darius could get them in trouble, as he was not actually poor. Yet, their anxiety diminished now that other wealthy figures had sought out their help to destroy Darius. At that moment, Benji''s silence toward Darius kept them on their toes. "Uncle Benji, you''re a grown man, so you should know better than to trust those nderers!" Kate snapped. At that point, Benji remained unmoving. His lips pursed into a thin line as he examined Darius once more. Only this time, his attention was not on Darius'' face but on his clothes. A frown marred Benji''s face upon realizing he had never seen nor heard of the brands Darius wore. "There are only two exnations for this,¡± Benji thought, "Firstly, Darius¡¯ clothes, including his shoes, are custom pieces from a clothing brand. The likelihood of that is low, though, because one would need a lot of money to achieve that. Not to mention, someone that wealthy would never take public transport. Such people have private jets, after all. That brings us to the second possible reason-these clothes are from substandard establishments where the poor shop.¡± He let out a long exhale at that thought. Thinking he was now calm and his mind was clear, he locked eyes with Darius while raising his bat again. He then thundered frostily, "You''re an intelligent man-hiding behind my niece without saying anything. You didn''t even respond to a word I said. That almost made me believe my niece''s words. Sadly, you shouldn''t have taken a public flight to get close to her." Benji convinced himself what he said was the truth. Soon, his features hardened with certainty, staring Darius down like thetter were a criminal. He ced a hand in his pocket while shaking his head disapprovingly. "You''re a fit and handsome guy. I don¡¯t doubt that your abilities can get you far in this world. Sadly, you''ve disappointed me by choosing the easy way out-tricking girls who seem wealthy and naive into falling for you." Darius did not expect the other party to arrive at such a bizarre conclusion after interrogating him for so long. He rolled his eyes, put his hands in his pockets, and dered, "I''ve stood here long enough and given you plenty of my patience. You''ve made your opinions of me crystal clear, so please leave now. You''re currently trespassing on my property." After saying that, he yawned to indicate how bored he was with the conversation. Although that was not how he truly felt, he wanted to quickly and peacefully resolve the matter. He chose not to argue but pointed at the door instead, stating, "If there''s nothing more you have to say to me, please be on your way.¡± That took Benji aback. Darkness swept across his face, but he remained deathly still while glowering at Darius. "I believe I¡¯ve made my point. You may not have much money now, but you''re young and can generate wealth over time. Moreover, your living conditions seem better than most unfortunate poptions; most aren''t strong or healthy but continue to work hard at their jobs." "Seriously? The nerve of this guy to think he can ¡®patiently¡¯ educate me." Rage curled in Darius'' gut while he shed a vicious smile and said "Okay, I think we can wrap this conversation up now because I''ve given you plenty of chances. I''ll let you off the hook because you''re a good person, although you''re too stupid toprehend the truth. However, the condition is you''ll have to disappear from my sight now." Benji''s eyes widened in disbelief at what he had just heard. He pointed at Darius, anger boiling in him and causing him to tremble. Even his voice came out shaky. "D-Do you know what you''re saying now? I¡¯m the one who''s choosing to let you off the hook! Shouldn''t you be the one to leave this ce? How dare you keep this facade up to fool my niece and me?" Darius nced at the former''s enraged state before looking at Kate and saying, "Thank you for stepping up to protect me earlier. However, I hope you realize that none of that would''ve happened if your family members hadn''t shown up in the first ce." Terror drained the ruddiness on Kate''s face in that instant. It was now her turn to quiver fervently, but she still nodded. ¡°I understand and am grateful you¡¯ve chosen to let my uncle go. No matter what it takes, I''ll get him out of here at once." Following that, she reached out and grabbed her uncle''s arm, pulling him toward the exit. Desperation lingered in her voice as she pleaded, "I Know you worry about my safety, Uncle Benji, but things aren''t as you think. What happened is not at all like those nderers say." Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Chapter 275 ¡°Let¡¯s leave for now. I promise I¡¯ll prove to youter that I¡¯m not lying/¡¯ Kate exined. The chaotic scene was what Wilson saw when he rushed out to the yard. He froze, unable to take another step now that everyone had seen him exit his vi. Wilson was in a dilemma as it was not appropriate for him to stay or leave, and even if he did try to excuse himself, there was no right way to do so. Benji¡¯s eyes were still glued to Darius, not bothering to spare even a sideways nce at Wilson. His fingers tautened around the bat again while his breathing grew heavy. Standing opposite the former, Darius kept his hands in his pockets. It seemed as though he was unperturbed, despite being the target of Benji¡¯s murderous res. That only pissed Benji off more. He ground his teeth against each other so hard that his jaw hardened. At the same time, he made sure to enunciate his following insult, ¡°Fucking scumbag!¡± Indeed, Benji saw Darius as nothing more than aplete scumbag. He felt annoyed, knowing thetter was poor but continued to act like an affluent man. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Toes curling with rage, Benji shot a disapproving look at Darius and thought, ¡°The nerve of this guy! How dare he persist with his preposterous farce? I can¡¯t believe it! My niece has always been a brilliant girl. How did she end up falling for this con artist?¡± While he was deep in thought and wanted to ask Kate the reason behind her feelings, the other members of the Anderson family that had joined him in traveling here spoke up. A feminine voice tore through the air, shrilling with excitement. It sounded so harsh that it startled the birds in the trees a distance away, causing them to fly for their lives. That disrupted the impasse between Darius and Benji, who immediately looked at the source of the shrilling. It was a woman with long, lean facial features and fried blonde locks. She wore brightly colored clothes, emphasizing her peculiar appearance even more. As she walked past the crowd and felt all eyes on her, she was not the least ufortable; the attention was thrilling her, as one of the many people staring at her was Wilson. She cupped her bright red cheeks and eximed, ¡°Wilson? Wilson Gillette, is that you? Is it actually you? Is this your home?¡± As soon as she spoke, Wilson instantly met her eyes and frowned with disgust. Nevertheless, he did not act on his annoyance since Darius was beside him. He nodded, replying, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me. Can I help you?¡± The woman secretly rolled her eyes. Deep down, she did not care for idle chatter with Wilson. However, she did not want to let such a good opportunity slip from her grasp; Wilson was, after all, an authoritative and wealthy figure in all of Almiron city. She hade up with many ways to secure a rtionship with Wilson, even if she had to be his mistress, but failed every time. Thus, she could not help approaching the man she once desired now that he was in front of her. Before she spoke, she sauntered toward Wilson, moving her slender legs slowly enough for everyone to appreciate them. Such a situation was rare for her. Wanting to make the most of it, she took her sweet time and prolonged her time in the spotlight. Unfortunately, Wilson had run out of patience by then. He barked, ¡°Cut to the chase! If you have nothing to say, then please stop where you are or leave the premises at once.¡± Never in a million years did the woman think Wilson would say such mean words to her. She stiffened on the spot, face turning pale as a sheet. She wanted to cry but could see the hatred in Wilson¡¯s gaze, so she backed out of her original n, her eyes darting everywhere as she tried to brainstorm a solution to her awkward predicament. Benji never thought he would be rted to someone so embarrassing. Unable to ept the situation, he pped his forehead and thought, ¡°How revolting! I can¡¯t believe a member of my family would stoop to such humiliating flirting tactics. Ugh, but I can¡¯t distance myself from her either- she¡¯s literally my family.¡± All he could do was snarl at the woman, his voice low like a threatening growl. ¡°Calypso! I suggest you stop whatever you¡¯re doing now. Don¡¯t forget why we¡¯re here!¡± Then, the suspicion in the back of his mind since childhood surfaced-it was that his little sister, Calypso, had always looked down on him. Only then did Benji realize Calypso never did what he asked since childhood, not because she was a mischievous and stubborn child, but because she did not respect him. He arrived at that conclusion as Calypso did not stop; instead, her head whipped in the other direction, not bothering to conceal the disgust in her eyes. That was his first time seeing such a look from his sister. It caused every muscle in his body to tense. Contrarily, Calypso paid no mind to his reaction and only yelled, ¡°Shut up, you moron! You can¡¯t even protect the Anderson family! Our brother¡¯s disappearance is bad because our family¡¯s enemies will eventually track us down and threaten our lives! Thus, we need an influential person on our side-someone others dare not question! Now, that man has appeared, so you should help me secure him!¡± Benji¡¯s jaw clenched tightly at that point. No matter how much he did not want to admit it, he knew Calypso was right. Still, his heart lurched sharply with difort at the idea. Plus, seeing the disdainful scowl on his sister¡¯s face made his breathing rigid as he stood frozen and silent. A smug grin slithered up Calypso¡¯s face. Then, she spun on her heel to race toward Wilson, lowering her body into the perfect curtsy while speaking in a honeyed voice. ¡°Mr. Gillette, I don¡¯t think you know me, so allow me to introduce myself- my name is Calypso Anderson, and I own 20 percent of the Anderson family¡¯s business shares.¡± She raised her chin, standing tall and proud about her ownership of the shares. Unlike her, Wilson shrunk slightly, feeling awkward by her brazen attempt to secure his alliance, especially since he was no longer the chairman of the Gillette Group. He helplessly pondered, ¡°This woman¡¯s greedy and flirtatious look should be directed at Darius instead of me.¡± Chapter 276 Chapter 276 Chapter 276 Wilson frowned, feeling distressed. He didn¡¯t know how to react to this. After a short moment of consideration, he decided to tell Calypso the truth. So, he turned around and looked at her. Before he could say anything, the person beside him cleared his throat. It made him jolt, and he turned to look at Darius. Then, he saw Darius turn away nonchntly as if nothing had happened. In that instant, Wilson tensed up. He understood what Darius had meant! This realization soured his mood because it was a skill only subordinates needed to have when dealing with their superiors. In his case, he¡¯d picked it up without even putting in the effort to. His expression becameplicated. However, he didn¡¯t dare look at Darius again after his hint. A few secondster, he turned back to look at Calypso. This was her first time experiencing the feeling of having his eyes on her, and she blushed. She fiddled with the hem of her clothes, and her tone was odd as she said, ¡°Mr. Gillette, when I was in middle school, the Gillette Group had yet toe into existence. Back then, you came to my school to give a speech, and that was when I found out what an amazing person you are. I¡¯ve been dreaming of speaking to you for years.¡± Wilson¡¯s lips twitched. He¡¯d heard too many people say these things, and he was sick of it. Others would gauge his reaction or test the waters before proceeding, but not Calypso. She was blunt and sincere, and he didn¡¯t often encounter this situation. This time, however, Wilson had let his imagination get the better of him. Calypso meant every word she said, but she didn¡¯t tell him that her teenage infatuation meant nothing compared to the wealth-orck thereof-that the Gillette family back then could bring to her. This was the reason why she hadn¡¯t approached Wilson after the speech to speak to him. Wilson would never know about this. He stood on the steps, looked down at the woman before him, and frowned. ¡°My patience is limited, so just cut to the chase and tell me what you want. If it¡¯s not too outrageous, I¡¯ll consider it.¡± The moment those words were out of his mouth, he regretted them because Calypso dropped to her knees. Wilson was shocked, but he didn¡¯t allow it to show. He remained upright, his face devoid of emotion as he said, ¡®Three, two¡­¡± Calypso¡¯s eyes widened. Was Wilson really being so heartless? Soon, however, she calmed down and told herself, ¡°It¡¯s okay. He doesn¡¯t know you now, so he doesn¡¯t know how perfect you are. Once you two spend enough time together, he¡¯ll know what a match made in heaven you two are. By then, there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll treat you this way.¡¯¡¯ Sheforted herself and calmed down in a matter of seconds. Then, she said, ¡°I¡¯m not asking for much. All I want is a small favor. I have a niece on the verge of getting tricked by someone, and she¡¯ll be scarred for life if that happens. Our hearts go out to her, but we can¡¯t help her because she¡¯s much too stubborn. I¡¯d given up all hope, but you showed up. You¡¯re like the sun to our dreary lives¡­¡± Wilson cringed. His tone was frosty as he said, ¡®That¡¯s enough! What the hell do you want?¡± This woman had said many things, but none of them meant anything. Calypso could sense how serious he was, so she gulped and said, ¡°I hope that you can be with my niece and show her what a truly wealthy person is like. She doesn¡¯t need anything from you-not your wealth or for you to marry her. You just need to show her what a wealthy person¡¯s life is like.¡± Wilson had never expected to hear something so mindless in his life. Despite his years in the business world, this was his first time losing control over his emotions so outwardly. He felt that this was all because of Darius. In his mind, he was cursing Darius, but he didn¡¯t dare look at thetter. He kept his eyes trained on Calypso and said, ¡°Your words have given me a huge shock.¡± Calypso sat down on the ground, her eyes darting around. She could sense that Wilson wasn¡¯t shocked in a good way. On the other hand, Darius looked at Benji as if waiting for the show¡¯s climax. Truthfully, he was curious to see how this seemingly honest and loyal man would react upon hearing his sister¡¯s suggestion for his niece¡¯s future. As expected, Benji didn¡¯t disappoint. An ugly look crept onto his face, but his lips were bloodless. His voice was shaky as he said, ¡°Calypso Anderson!¡± After that, he seemed to lose his strength, and his voice became softer. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like me being your brother, and I¡¯m sorry for that, but Kate is your older brother¡¯s daughter. His only daughter, I might add. Now that he¡¯s gone missing, you¡¯re sending her to an old man¡¯s bed! Do you think that¡¯s the right thing to do?¡± Benji fell silent and looked at Calypso, not wanting to miss any of her expressions. Since he was a child, he¡¯d known that he wasn¡¯t the smartest, but he¡¯d always thought he and his siblings got along swimmingly. All of them were nice to him, and over the years, they¡¯d never gotten into even a single fight. That didn¡¯t mean his siblings didn¡¯t get into fights, though. Benji had always thought it was because he¡¯d sessfully found himself a spot in their hearts and that they recognized him as their brother. Chapter 277 Chapter 277 Chapter 277 However, it turned out that he just didn¡¯t know his siblings well enough. In fact, perhaps he didn¡¯t understand them at all. For instance, he felt like Calypso was a total stranger. His eyes reddened at these thoughts, but he didn¡¯t cry. He stood there with his hands behind his back, slowly balling them into fists. Silence descended upon them. Calypso remained kneeling on the ground, her eyes still darting around, but she didn¡¯t say anything. Benji could already tell what her answer was. He didn¡¯t expect her to show her disdain for him so outwardly. He gulped and said hoarsely, ¡°Since you¡¯re not saying anything, I¡¯ll take it that you think I make sense and that you¡¯ve given up on your ludicrous idea.¡± Calypso red at him and shouted shrilly, ¡°Benji Anderson! Don¡¯t think you have the right to judge and interfere in my life just because you¡¯re two years older! You¡¯re a good-for-nothing loser, and you¡¯re trying to make me end up like you!¡± Darius admired the shocked look on Benji¡¯s face. From the corner of his eye, he saw Calypso suddenly shoot to her feet. However, instead of dusting herself off, she ran right at Darius. He resisted the urge to take an attacking stance and remained rooted to the spot. This didn¡¯t stop Calypso, though. She pointed at Darius, but her eyes were on Benji. ¡°You¡¯ve already given up on your original intention because of what Kate said! Look at this animal; he looks like he hasn¡¯t seen the sun in ages and is so weak! He doesn¡¯t have a modicum of skill in martial arts and looks like an idiot. Also, his clothes have never appeared in any fashion magazine or runway. All of this proves that he¡¯s nothing but a pauper without a future! Yet, you chose to ignore it because of Kate¡¯s words despite already knowing what a loser he is. Don¡¯t you remember how mad you were when he answered your question?¡± Calypso¡¯s voice was hoarse from all the shouting. As she pointed at Darius, she scrutinized Benji¡¯s expression. To her surprise, the anger on his face didn¡¯t recede because of her words. This was her first time encountering this situation. She raised her voice and said, ¡°You¡¯re my brother and Kate¡¯s uncle. You¡¯re also the person who¡¯s going to take over the Anderson family in the future, yet look at the decision you¡¯ve made!¡± She took in his expression again. This time, she sighed with relief because Benji¡¯s expression was what she expected-regret and guilt. As she rxed, she couldn¡¯t help but think disdainfully, ¡°How fake. I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m his sister. Whenever anyone mentions our family, it¡¯s bound to make him feel bad. Works every time.¡± However, she didn¡¯t allow this to show. Instead, she said, ¡°Benji, you¡¯ve really got me wrong. Aside from you, Kate¡¯s the only living rtive I have left. There¡¯s no way I can just stand by and watch her suffer. You¡¯re a man, and we¡¯re both women. I was just doing what I felt was the best for her from a woman¡¯s perspective.¡± As she spoke, she dabbed a nonexistent tearaway. She knew Benji would overlook such a detail. ¡°I have a failed marriage, and I¡¯m sure you still remember it.¡± Benji was even more agitated than she was when she said this. He grabbed his hair and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough! Enough!¡± After that, silence descended upon them again. Kate watched them, her face pale. She started swaying on the spot as if she¡¯d suffered a huge blow. Darius found this to be an odd reaction, so he turned to her and said, ¡°You seem to be in despair.¡± Kate didn¡¯t respond, merely staring into the distance. When Darius saw her like this, he couldn¡¯t help but remember how she¡¯d spoken up for him on the ne and how she¡¯d shielded him with her body even though she was so much smaller than he was. It made his heart soften a little. He tugged her to stand behind him, then looked at Benji. ¡°I don¡¯t know what your beloved sister¡¯s been through, but those are her experiences and opinions. She shouldn¡¯t be forcing them onto Kate. Otherwise, Kate would be nothing but a puppet, and you two would be the puppet masters.¡± When Darius had first started speaking, Benji had turned to look at him. However, as Darius continued speaking, Benji averted his gaze. He didn¡¯t look at Calypso, though. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. He felt that they both made sense, and he couldn¡¯t decide who to listen to. Calypso¡¯s eyes were practically spitting fire at Darius. If looks could kill, Darius would already be dead. Unfortunately, all she managed to do was infuriate him. He took in a deep breath and said, ¡°You¡¯re a terrible liar, and your brother¡¯s the only person who¡¯d believe you. In fact, let me make myself clear-l¡¯m not saying that none of us present would believe you. I mean to say that aside from your brother, nobody on this would believe you. Look, let¡¯s talk about something more important-it¡¯s been a while since the video was uploaded onto the inte.¡± Chapter 278 Chapter 278 Chapter 278 ¡°Kate¡¯s identity is all over the inte now, and someone could do anything to harm her at any time. Yet instead of thinking of a way to resolve this, you¡¯re allowing her to just stand here.¡± Benji¡¯s eyes widened, and there was a mixture of shock and regret in them. Darius looked at him with pity, but he didn¡¯t stop. He knew the words he was about to utter next would only be more hurtful. ¡°I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t think about this, but from the moment you brought your family here, you recognized my rtionship with Kate! From the second you showed up here, no one would believe you anymore, no matter what you said or what evidence you could provide.¡± Darius¡¯ voice wasn¡¯t loud, nor was he forceful. Still, Benji could feel that his shirt was drenched with sweat. He seemed to lose the strength to remain on his feet, so he slowly sat down and buried his head in his hands. Then, he grabbed his hair and tugged it harshly. Darius could see how much despair he was in, but there was nothing he could do about it. Kate stood next to him, wanting to tug on his sleeve, but she stopped herself. If anyone were to see any sort of interaction between them, it would give people the impression that there really was something going on between them. This wouldn¡¯t benefit either of them. Therefore, she held herself back. In fact, she didn¡¯t even dare look at Darius. Afraid that she wouldn¡¯t be able to control her emotions, she hurried toward Benji and squatted down before wrapping her arms around him. Then, her eyes reddened, and she started to cry because she could feel Benji weeping. To Kate, her Uncle Benji had always been a strong and resolute person. She¡¯d never seen him negatively react to anything, let alone cry. It was as if there was nothing in this world that he couldn¡¯t handle. At least, that was what she remembered. Now, however, he was crying in front of so many people because of her mess. Kate felt awfully guilty. If not for her uselessness, there was no need for Benji to be like this! She sniffled and calmed down, listening to the sound of her and Benji crying. It made her feel insecure-there were plenty of people here, but she and Benji were the poorest and on the bottom rung. These people shouldn¡¯t have been treating her so well. As she thought about this, she retracted her hands and stood up. Darius could sense her nervousness. He frowned and walked toward her, asking,¡¯ What¡¯s wrong? Has something happened? You aren¡¯t in a good mood.¡± Benji had been so overwhelmed by his sorrow earlier that he¡¯d been crying earnestly, which was why Kate could hear him. And that was also why his voice was hoarse now. His lips were also dry because he hadn¡¯t had any water. However, when he saw Darius¡¯ actions, he sniffled and stood up to look at him warily. ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t care what¡¯s going on between you and Kate, but you should be keeping a distance from her.¡± Darius raised an eyebrow and looked at Benji in surprise. At the same time, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. Benji had never seen so many emotions on Darius¡¯ face before, and his heart started to race. He said, ¡°I know there are many things you want, and we can discuss things. I hope you won¡¯t take your anger at me out on Kate.¡± He wanted to look away, but he didn¡¯t dare do so. Darius could see the pleading in his eyes, and it surprised him. He thought that Benji would choose the Anderson family over Kate when it came down to it, or at least, he¡¯d be at a loss for what to do. Now, however, Benji had obviously chosen Kate. It was such a contrast from the rash and angry man he¡¯d seen earlier. Yet this same rash and angry man was choosing to back down despite not trusting Darius at all. It moved Darius a little, so he didn¡¯t dy matters and nodded. ¡°Okay, I can do that. Also, I¡¯m not mad at you.¡± He shrugged and looked at Calypso, once again looking like he couldn¡¯t wait for the show to begin. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Benji¡¯s heart started to race again. He knew that he and Darius were on opposing sides, and he detested Darius. However, he didn¡¯t expect Darius to mock him so outwardly and obviously! He felt a little exasperated. This onlysted for a second, though. Something urred to him. Darius had just gotten into an argument with Calypso, who was his younger sister and Kate¡¯s aunt. On the other hand, there was a chance that he and Kate were going to get married soon. At this thought, the pondering look on his face morphed into one of grim disbelief. No man could treat his future wife¡¯s family like that unless he didn¡¯t intend to marry her at all. In fact, there was a chance that he didn¡¯t even care about Kate. He was only trying to get what he wanted! Benji¡¯s eyes darkened at this thought, and he turned to look at Darius again. His gaze was probing, as had happened many times before. From the moment Darius and Benji¡¯s conversation had ended, he had turned to focus on Calypso. Chapter 279 Chapter 279 However, when he sensed the shift in Benji''s emotions, he immediately turned back to look at Benji. Caught in the act, Benji stiffened. At the same time, he looked thoughtful. The Anderson family was affluent, so he''d seen many martial arts experts. None of them had the sensitivity Darius possessed, however. Benji found it hard to believe that such a sharp person was poor. In fact, if he could gain control of the Anderson family, he''d definitely want to take Darius under his wing, provided he had enough money to do so. Darius was surprised by Benji¡¯s pondering again, but it didn''t take long for Benji to return to his senses. Calypso looked furious. She clenched her fists tightly and swung them around, her voice like nails on a chalkboard as she screeched, "That''s enough! You''re such a disappointment! You''re my brother, and I''m the only person in this world that shares your blood. Yet, you''re protecting William''s daughter even though he''s already dead!" Silence descended upon them for one second after she said that. Then, Benji let out an agonized cry while Kate screamed, "What are you talking about? My father¡¯s not dead! He''s just not around at the moment! He''s..." She stopped short and whipped around to gaze at Darius, looking nervous and guilty. On the ne, she''d promised to listen to Darius. Now, however, she''d let the cat out of the bag. She didn''t know what to do to appease him. To her surprise, Darius didn''t seem to show any sort of reaction to her words. He stood there, looking curious and excited. It was as if he was watching a circus. Kate breathed a sigh of relief. Sne was sure Darius had heard her despite Benji''s cry being louder than hers, but he didn''t seem to be mad. This meant that he wasn''t affected by this matter, which gave her the confidence to deal with it independently. She turned back to Calypso and saw that her expression was exactly what Kate had expected. Anyone could catch the obvious worry and terror on her face, but Kate was the only one paying attention to her. Even if other people were to notice this, they would probably just think about how cruel Calypso was. And this cruelty had finally been exposed to her innocent and kind older brother. She was afraid that Benji would get so mad that he wouldn''t protect her anymore. So, no one ced any importance on her emotions aside from Kate. On the other hand, Benji¡¯s face was red with rage. His bellow had been so deafening that he hadn''t heard what Kate said. Kate''s gaze swept over everyone present, and when she was sure none of them had heard her, she rxed. Now, she just needed to deal with Calypso. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. She reached out to tug on Benji''s sleeve, and he immediately fell silent. He turned to look at her, his gaze apologetic as he said, "Katie, I''m sorry. It''s all my fault for turning a blind eye to so many things over the ears. I might have done things that hurt you in the past...¡± Kate felt that she couldn''t allow Benji to continue in this vein. She held a palm up and said, ¡°Uncle Benji, it''s not your fault." The moment she said this, she saw Benji blinking. She knew that he was about to say something sentimental, so she hurriedly said, "Aunt Calypso, since I was a child, I''ve known that you''ve only been pretending to like me.I was sad about it at one point, but not anymore. That''s why I moved out once I was independent enough. It wasn''t because of your conflict with my father, nor was it because of the women that constantly appeared by my father''s side. It was all because of you, my biological aunt!¡± Her voice was loud enough for everyone to hear, and their gazes allnded on Calypso. No one said anything because they''d already gotten more than what they wanted. If they were to cross the line, they doubted they¡¯d be able to pay the price. Calypso''s face turned beet red. She didn''t expect her niece to say such a thing to her. Before this, no one in their social circle thought she was nice. Now, Kate''s words only confirmed their suspicions. Her breathing sped up, and her eyes started darting around again. She didn''t think she could find a good way to resolve this, so she turned to look at Darius. Even if she''d already pulled this move, she still decided to make it happen again to distract everyone''s attention. Darius noticed that her eyes were on him again. He raised an eyebrow, a trace of curiosity shing in his eyes. He was honestly interested to know what Calypso would do to him this time. The moment this thought formed in his mind, Calypso had already made her move. Instead of scolding him from a distance as she''d done before, she''d dashed toward Darius so quickly that the wind from her movements swept Kate¡¯s hair. When Kate realized what had happened, Calypso had already appeared before Darius and reached up to grab him by the cor. Kate''s eyes widened in shock. Darius nced at her, and she started worrying that her eyes would pop out of their sockets. Chapter 280 Chapter 280 Darius didn''t say anything, though. There wasn''t any need to because Kate had already started screeching, "Calypso Anderson, let go of Darius this instant, and I''ll turn a blind eye to what you''ve done so far. Once my father''s back, I won''t tell him about this, either." Calypso quickly stopped when she heard this. Then, she whipped around so swiftly that her hair whipped against Darius¡¯ face. He frowned but didn''t say anything. Calypso wanted to let go of him but didn''t dare do so. She knew that someone of his wealth definitely had bodyguards protecting him, but for some reason, they hadn''t done anything to her. If she were to let go of him at this moment, there was no way Darius¡¯ bodyguards would let her off the hook. She discreetly took in her surroundings at this thought, but no one appeared. She rxed a little, looked at Kate, and said lowly, "Kate, your father''s still alive, isn''t he? You know where he is and how he''s doing.¡± Her tone went from being questioning to certain. Kate didn''t expect this to be the matter that concerned her the most and didn''t know how to answer her. She stood in silence and looked back at Calypso. Benji''s eyes widened and reddened, quickly filling with tears. He opened his mouth to ask Kate what was happening but ultimately didn''t. He shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and remained silent. Kate didn''t notice this; all her attention was on Calypso. Calypso was all she had eyes for at the moment. She shrugged, looking nonchnt. "Yes, you''re right-1 know where my father is and how he''s doing.¡± Amyriad of emotions shed across Calypso''s face, eventually forming a mask of agitation and joy. There was even an eptable amount of me and rxation in her eyes. "Oh, you. Why didn''t you tell us about this earlier?" She turned to look at a young woman among the crowd as she spoke. She dabbed her tears away and hurried toward her, reaching out to hold her hand. "Leah, did you hear that? Your uncle¡¯s still alive! Judging from the way your cousin looks, he must be doing fine. I bet it''s because your prayers have been granted.¡± She crossed herself and said softly,¡± God bless." A small snicker rang out, making Calypso¡¯s expression turn steely. Her eyes flitted across everyone present, but all of them were smiling. She wasn''t sure whether she could leave this ce without feeling humiliated today. After all, everyone knew what she was here for-to get rid of Kate and get her hands on all of William¡¯s shares. Just as she was wondering how to twist the situation to benefit her, Leah suddenly asked, "Why didn''t you tell anyone that you knew that Uncle William was still alive? Why did you allow us to experience such worry and sorrow?" She frowned as she looked at Kate disapprovingly. "I know you have issues with my mother, but you should''ve at least told Uncle Benji about it. You didn''t, and that''s what I find to be weird. Also, you''ve always been uncaring toward your family. As far as I can remember, you and Uncle William have always been getting into arguments. The more you detested him, the less you came home." Kate started to frown as she listened to Leah bring up the past. Finally, the look on her face turned ugly, and she said angrily, "What are you getting at? Just cut the crap.¡± Darius raised an eyebrow and looked at Leah, a trace of surprise shing in his eyes. She didn''t look like she belonged to the Anderson family at all ¡ªat least, none of his investigations into the Anderson family had revealed the existence of someone so clever. Also, one only needed a single nce to tell the difference between Leah, Kate, and the rest of their family members. Leah''s beauty was subdued, which waspletely the opposite of Kate and the rest of the Andersons- their appearances were bold, and they exuded confidence. However, when Leah spoke, she constantly averted her gaze. Darius followed her line of sight, but there was nothing there. From the moment he noticed this, he''d kept an eye on her. Leah didn''t notice this, though. On the contrary, she held her head up high and said confidently, "I think I have plenty of reason to believe that you''re the one behind Uncle William''s disappearance!" As she spoke swiftly, she pointed a finger at Kate. Kate didn''t expect her toe up with such a guess. In fact, Leah looked pleased with herself, which waspletely at odds with how she¡¯d acted growing up. Kate''s eyes widened, and the cogs in her mind whirred as she tried to process this. She stood there unmoving as she stared at Leah dazedly. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Leah suddenly became teary-eyed as she faced Kate, saying shakily, "Kate, I don¡¯t understand why you did this. Uncle William may have fathered many children, but he¡¯s never recognized them as his own. You''re the only one he¡¯s allowed to carry on the Anderson name! What¡¯s there for you to be dissatisfied about? Moreover, the Anderson family hasn''t had a matriarch for all these years- and it''s all because of you! No matter how deeply you hated Uncle William, you shouldn''t have harmed him!" Chapter 281 Chapter 281 Leah''s voice was firm, and her eyes were confident. Kate took a deep breath, clenched her fists, and started to tremble. As time passed, her trembling grew worse. Benji wasn¡¯t much better off, but he took a deep breath to calm himself down. Then, he ced a hand on Kate''s shoulder and said, "There''s no need to get mad over the things she said. She grew up with her mother and was educated the same way. Trust me-I may not be the brightest, but I''m definitely the best at telling right from wrong among everyone present.¡± Kate could tell he was trying his best tofort her, but she could sense that he wasn''t doing too well himself. She took a deep breath to calm herself, then turned to look at Darius with reddened eyes. "I think you helped me to make the correct decision." Then, she looked away. Calypso had already recovered from her earlier embarrassment. At Kate''s words, she shot to her feet and dashed over to Darius, grabbing him by the cor again. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. "It looks like William''s disappearance has to do with the both of you! You two must''ve conspired to harm him. As long as you free him now, I can sweep this whole thing under the rug.¡± Kate scratched her ear, feeling like this sounded familiar. Then, an ugly look crept onto her face. She started to tremble again, and her voice was shaky with rage as she said, "What''s that supposed to mean? What have I done to warrant you badmouthing me in front of the whole world? I want you to make things clear in the presence of everyone here!" She''d never been so enraged in her life. This made Leah and Calypso smile victoriously, however. Leah walked up to her, her face streaked with tears, and her voice gentle yet hoarse as she said, "Kate, there''s no need to hide the truth anymore. No matter what happened or what you intend to do, the cat will be out of the bag once we investigate this man next to you.¡± Kate paled. This was the first time in her life that she''d felt so helpless because she knew that Leah was right. If Darius didn''t want to help her, Leah and Calypso could find out what had happened as long as they looked into the matter. Who cared whether it was the truth? However, after spending some time with Darius, she''de to understand him a little. The possibility of that happening was close to zero. She stood there, not knowing what to do. At this moment, she wanted nothing more than to look to Darius for help, but she knew she couldn''t. She''d already caused too much trouble for him. She had no choice but to hold herself back, stopping herself from turning her thoughts into actions. She clenched her fists tightly, took a deep breath, and looked at Leah. She knew she had to say something. Otherwise, Leah would ensure the whole world knew about this. If that were to happen, people would think that Leah''s facies were true. Something unexpected happened when Kate opened her mouth. She was about to say something when Benji-who had been silent all this while-took a step forward and shielded her with his body. She was filled with a sun-like warmth. She looked at his broad back, as she''d done countless times as a child, and her eyes turned red. Tears started to streak down her face. Benji heard her weeping, and he frowned. He felt anxious, but he knew he couldn''t show it. However, he didn''t realize there was no way to hide his emotions from the smart people before him. He was like an open book to them, and they could tell exactly how he felt. Benji said, "I find the fact that you''re here odd. Darius was right; the moment I showed up here, it only made things worse for Kate. This reminds me of how you turned me down all those years ago when I wanted to use my connections to help your daughter when she was in trouble.¡± His face was devoid of his usual gentleness, and his eyes were cold andplicated. Calypso couldn''t help but tremble. She''d never expected her perfect n to fall through! Also, the brother that she¡¯d been taking advantage of for years had suddenly woken up and turned his back on her! This was all Darius¡¯ fault-he''d somehow gotten Benji on his team. Thus, this led to Calypso reaching out to grab Darius by the cor once again, despite them being further apart because Kate had approached him earlier. This time, however, Darius didn''t allow her to seed. He took a step back to stand shoulder-to- shoulder with Kate, then stopped. Calypso couldn''t touch him anymore. He straightened his cor and said to Bridget, who was standing nearby, "Take down how much this shirt costs and have this womanpensate me for it. Her rough actions have ruined it, and I can''t wear it anymore in the future.¡± Bridget put her hands behind her back and nodded calmly. Calypso''s face turned red with rage. She gritted her teeth and pointed at Darius, but her eyes were on Benji as she screeched, "Iloathe having to tell people you''re my brother, you know? Because I find it hard to believe that someone with whom I share the same blood is such an idiot! You''ve never had a mind of your own and never thought about the truth of the matter. You believe them all the same, whether it¡¯s Kate''s words or mine. The only thing that¡¯s consistent about you is the fact that you keep wavering!¡± Chapter 282 Chapter 282 ¡°If this were just between the two of us, I would still ept you as my brother. But that''s not the case! You''re using and hurting your sister because of Darius¡¯ words!" Calypso spat out. Her expression was twisted as she bent over and pounded herself on the chest. A trace of pain shed in Benji''s eyes at the sound of her fistsing into contact with her chest, but he didn''t waver this time. He shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and said, Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You''re no longer the sister I remember, and you''ve be apletely different person. Or perhaps, you''ve been lying to me since we were children. It doesn''t matter-not anymore. Too many things have happened for us to return to how things used to be.¡± Calypso gaped at him. Darius swept his gaze over everyone present, then raised an eyebrow and patted Kate on the shoulder. When she didn''t react, he smiled and reached out to push her jaw back up. Only then did she notice the warmth on her jaw. She backed away, then turned to look at him. Her lips moved, wanting to say something. However, in the end, she realized she was too nervous to say anything. So, she turned back to look at Benji and Calypso. Then, her hair stood on end. The expression on Calypso''s face was one she''d never seen before-it was a mixture of hatred and relief! As she tried to figure this out, she saw Calypso point at herself while looking at Benji. "You really are the world''s best brother!¡± She gritted her teeth as she said this, and her eyes were practically spitting fire. "Remember this-l¡¯m the one who grew up with you, not Kate! Since she was born, none of you have paid attention to me, not even our parents. When I was a child, they told me they''d leave 30 percent of thepany''s shares for me, but they never brought this up again after Kate was born. In fact, they stipted in their wills that I''d only be getting 5 percent!" The more she spoke, the shakier her voice became. At the same time, the hatred in her eyes grew. "Do you know what made things worse? They clearly indicated that Kate would be getting 40 percent! How can you possibly expect me to ept that?" Benji had an ugly look on his face. He didn''t know when Calypso had be so twisted or how long she''d been lying to him, but he was sure that she hadn''t started out like this. It took him a while to wrap his mind around this new discovery. Earlier on, he couldn¡¯t understand why she''d changed so much; now that he did, he was shocked. He bit his lips and took a deep breath. Calypso was vindicated when she saw him like this. At the same time, she found this whole situation hrious. She continued to pound on her chest, saying, "My heart''s right here, but it''s numb with pain because of the way all of you have been ignoring me!" Benji frowned. He opened his mouth to refute her. "None of us have ignored you. We''ve tried our best to treat you well; that''s why we..." He thought this would help her see things from his perspective. Unfortunately for him, Calypso didn''t show any sign of softening. On the contrary, she became even angrier. She let out a disparagingugh, the hatred in her eyes growing. "You know what? This is all my fault. I thought you guys would be able to understand me if I were to tell you the truth.¡± Benji didn''t say anything, merely shaking his head. After a couple of minutes of silence, Calypso suddenly exploded." Why are you shaking your head? Why didn''t you finish your sentence? Is it because you think there''s no hope for me because I''m so ungrateful?" She clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and continued, "I Know exactly what you were going to say! You were going to say you guys did everything you could to find me the best husband, right?" She suddenlypsed into silence. Then, she looked at Benji again, her gaze frosty. "You have no idea how hellish my life became from that moment on. Everything went downhill from there. I got stuck in an unhappy marriage because you guys forced me to get married! You guys were in a hurry to marry me off to someone I didn''t love, so I got a random man to marry me. When things started going bad, I apologized to you guys countless times and asked for help, but neither of you did. All of you chose to believe that bastard, and none of you were on my side! Ultimately, I gave up hope and decided to take matters into my own hands-that''s why I killed him. Otherwise, I¡¯d be the one six feet under now! Either that or I''d be handicapped in some way." She panted while staring into Benji''s eyes. At this moment, she prayed that he''d give her a reaction to show that he cared about her. Unfortunately, she was destined for disappointment. The light in her eyes slowly faded. Benji didn''t notice this, though. Chapter 283 Chapter 283 He was caught up in his shock at Calypso''s words. He opened his mouth a few times to say something but failed. It only made Calypso angrier. She panted loudly and turned away from him, her gazending on Darius. Suddenly, she smiled, making a chill run down the spines of everyone present. This didn''t include Darius, of course. He stood there with his hands in his pockets, looking exactly the same as normal. This surprised Calypso. She walked over to him, wanting to touch his face. However, she''d only started reaching out when he grabbed her wrist. Then, a sharp pain shot through her arm. This waspletely out of her expectations. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Her face twisted with pain. Darius looked at her, his face devoid of emotion and his voice calm. ¡°It''s been a while since Ist came across someone with such nerve. Let me try to recall how thest person died." He looked at her mildly, but it made her shudder. Despite this, she didn''t look away from him. Her hatred was obvious, and she didn''t back down. In fact, she spat at him. Benji wanted to step forward to stop her but ended up not doing so. Calypso noticed this andughed. "Why aren''t you getting him to let go of me? You shielded Kate when you thought Darius was going to hurt her. Do you know how many times I''ve experienced this? Ever since Kate was born, none of you have had eyes for me. It''s as if she was the only person all of you could see. You guys would give her everything she wanted, regardless of who the thing belonged to." She turned to look at Darius and continued, "I know you''re a wealthy man, but you should know that plenty of people are wealthier than you. In fact, one of them gave me a portion of his wealth in exchange for a small favor -to destroy you so that you wouldn''t be able to inherit your father''s fortune. And that''s why Kate appeared in your room. The video of you two together will soon be sent to her fiance. He''s wealthier than you can imagine andes from a powerful family. I was originally quite excited to see how things would y out, but it looks like I won''t have the chance to anymore-I doubt you''ll let me leave this ce alive." Her eyes were dull as she said, "Do you feel wronged that I''ve dragged you into this mess just because of my own hatred?" Darius found her question to be nonsensical. He raised an eyebrow, not intending to answer her. To his surprise, she didn''t seem to expect one. She continued, "Honestly, you''re not meless in this. You have so many women around you, and you seem to be involved with all of them.Someone took a photo of you with them and posted it online, so I decided to pick you for this.¡± Darius frowned and tightened his grip. Calypso was prepared for it this time, so she frowned without making a sound. She looked at Darius with a hint of contempt, but it didn''t bother him. His voice was frosty as he said, "So, you were the one behind what happened at the airport?¡± He stared into her eyes. Calypso didn''t think she''d have the chance to see him mad, and a trace of delight appeared in her eyes. She shook her head and said, "No, I had nothing to do with that. I thought about it, but I didn''t have the ability to do so. I''m thankful to whoever did, though.¡± This wasn''t the answer Darius expected. Calypso kept her eyes trained on his face so that she wouldn''t miss any of his expressions. She immediately caught the surprise and confusion in his eyes and smiled. "If I were you, that''d be the least of my worries now. Kate''s fiance. Holt Arnov, will be here in no time.¡± Her expression turned gleeful. "It''s too bad that I won''t be able to witness you two getting into a fight, but you''re not going to win. Holt''s a professional boxer, and he''s internationally renowned. Don''t worry-l''ll be waiting for you in hell. I''m sure you''ll join me in a second." Benji took a deep breath at her words and said grimly," Calypso, don''t say that. I won''t allow Darius to hurt you." Calypso didn''t expect to hear him say this. Despite her face paling from the pain of Darius¡¯ grip around her wrist, she still turned to look at Benji with shock. She smiled when she met his calm gaze and said, "You can drop the act; it''s not like I''ll believe you. Also, I¡¯m not a child. I won''t fall for your lies." Chapter 284 Chapter 284 Almost instinctively, Benji wanted to deny this. He''d already opened his mouth to speak, but Darius beat him to it. "Look, there¡¯s no need for you two to act this way because Calypso won''t make it out of this alive. I won''t allow someone who''s plotted against me repeatedly and wants to use me to achieve her hidden agenda to remain in this world." His tone was devoid of warmth. Benji frowned, feeling slightly anxious, but he didn''t dare to do anything too out of ce because of Darius'' abilities. He took a deep breath before saying seriously, "I can apologize to you on her behalf.¡± Before he could continue, Calypso cut him off shrilly. "Benji Anderson, that''s enough! I don''t need you to put up such an act in front of me. Anyway, it''s obvious that you two have your own issues to work out, so stop dragging me into your mess!" Benji was shocked at her words, but he quickly regained hisposure. He knew that once there was a misunderstanding between two people, it wouldn''t be an easy feat to resolve it. In the end, he looked at Darius again, wanting to give it onest shot. However, he didn''t expect that Darius wouldn''t even allow him the chance to speak. Before he could say anything, Darius had already turned to leave. To Kate, Darius had always been steady and calm. This was her first time seeing him move so quickly, and her heart started to race. She couldn''t watch him leave without doing anything, so she ran after him, stopping only when he did. She wanted to ask him what was happening and whether he needed her help, but she could only gasp for breath when she opened her mouth. Darius had heard her running after him, so he nced at her and patted her on the back when he saw her coughing from the cold air. "You can return to your room. Your fiance will be here at any moment." Kate stiffened, then slowly straightened up and gazed into the distance. A few secondster, a few cars appeared in her line of sight. Darius thought she cared about her fiance a lot, which exined why she''d dropped everything at the mention of his name. However, he immediately changed his mind when he felt her tug on his sleeve-something she''d never done before. He turned to look at her questioningly, then saw the fear and pleading in her eyes. "What''s happened? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Kate slowly calmed down as she listened to his steady voice. She took a few deep breaths, then said, "I hate him. Almost every time we saw each other, he¡¯d find a reason toy a hand on me. It''s been that way for the past two decades." This was out of Darius¡¯ expectations, and his expression froze. He wanted to ask her for more information to better understand the situation, but they were out of time. The cars were only fifty yards away from them. Kate started trembling, and he could feel how stiff she was. She probably didn''t even realize she was doing it. He reached out and tugged her hand away from his sleeve, noticing that she was bing stiffer by the second. He sighed and said, "Don''t overthink things. Whatever you''re imagining right now won''t happen, so go to your room. Wilson will protect you." Kate looked at Wilson doubtfully, but she didn''t have the time to hesitate. She gritted her teeth and headed into the vi. Calypso frowned. The situation was different from what the guy who''de to her had described, and her doubt peaked when Kate sessfully went into the vi. She couldn''t stand still, so she subconsciously lifted her hands to do something. She quickly stopped herself before putting her hands back down, not making a sound in the process because she knew both the guy who''d sought her out and Wilson were of the same nature-she couldn''t afford to offend either of them. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. At this thought, her heart started to race. Everything that had happened since Wilson''s appearance reyed in her mind like a movie, and she scrutinized it, not wanting to miss a single detail. Then, she paled. Perhaps it had been a mistake for her toe here in the first ce-how Wilson treated Darius was different from how he treated everyone else. Moreover, Wilson tried exining something to them but stopped after ncing at Darius. This meant that Darius was someone who could control Wilson; no one had the power to do this in Almiron City, not for the past few decades. Calypso''s eyes started darting around, but she dispelled these thoughts after a few seconds. This was because she saw Kate''s fiance, Holt, break into a smile the moment he got out of the car. His smile and words were enough to make Calypso rx. In fact, she looked at Darius with contempt. Holt immediately saw Darius when he got out of the car. Then, he smiled and said, ¡°I didn''t expect the man having inappropriate rtions with my fiancee to be the infamous pauper from my university!" Darius met Holt''s gaze, some memories surfacing in his mind at Holt''s voice. Chapter 285 Chapter 285 He smiled. "Ah, it''s you. I remember that you were expelled because of your bad record. Also, the university tested you psychologically and determined that you had a high propensity for violence.¡± As Darius spoke, he pulled his hands out of his pocket and allowed them to rest by his side. Though he didn''t think Holt was a threat, there was no denying that Holt couldunch a sudden attack on any of the people present. Holt looked at Darius andughed mockingly. He rolled his sleeves up and cracked his knuckles. "It looks like the beatings you received back in university didn''t leave much of an impression on you. You don''t seem to remember what we rich people are capable of, but I suppose they''re the ones to be med for not being able to teach you a lesson. It''s okay¡ªl''ll teach you a lesson on their behalf." He turned to face Darius. At his words, Calypso couldn''t hold herself back anymore. This was mostly due to her stupidity-earlier, she''d suspected Darius was a wealthy person! Her suspicions humiliated her, even if no one knew what had gone through her mind. This infuriated her because she felt like Darius had tricked her. She shot to her feet, pointed at Darius, and shrieked, "Holt, get him! Give him a good beating! Once he admits to his mistakes, I''ll serve Kate to you on a silver tter. We can talk about everything else after that." Her insinuation was obvious. Darius saw Holt''s Adam''s apple bob at Calypso''s words, and everyone present heard her loud and clear. They all smiled meaningfully, wanting to see how Kate felt about this. Unfortunately for them, Kate wasn''t around to hear this, so there was no way for their wish to be granted. They looked at Holt expectantly, and he didn''t disappoint. He waved at them and said, "It looks like we''ll be a family after today." As everyone apuded, he walked toward Darius, a trace of victory in his eyes. It was as if Kate was already his, giving Darius a thorough understanding of how shameless he could be. Holt stopped before Darius and frowned when Darius remained unmoved. "How can you be so rude? I''m your senior, aren''t I?Shouldn''t you be treating me with the respect I deserve? You''re looking at me like I''m your nemesis even when I haven''t done anything yet." He rolled his shoulders as he spoke. Darius didn''t even flinch. He didn''t think there was any point saying anything to Holt. Calypso obviously agreed with Holt. She pointed at Darius and screeched, "You have no idea how unreasonable he is! He was unbelievably rude to me, and you saw what he did to Kate. They were even staying at the same hotel!¡± Darius frowned. He couldn''t care less what people said about him, but Calypso had tested his patience for far too long. He didn''t think he could stand her for much longer, and his expression became frosty. The people around him felt the temperature start to drop, and they subconsciously shivered. Holt felt it as well, but he was confused by this sudden change in temperature. He looked up at the sky, not noticing anything unusual. So, he shook his head and pushed this to the back of his mind, going back to looking at Darius. "So, you were rude to my future aunt-inw, huh? I guess this means you have no objection to me teaching you a lesson, right? After all, you''re my junior and involved with my fiancee in a way that you shouldn''t have been.¡± As he spoke, he reached out to Darius. Darius remained unmoving with his hands behind his back. Everyone watched with bated breath because they''d all seen Holt in action before. They could already visualize how bad Darius would look once Holt was through with him. This didn''t include Benji and Darius himself. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. In fact, Benji couldn''t stop himself from letting out a chuckle. It stood out because of the silence, and it made everyone turn to look at him with looks of excitement and worry. He quicklyposed himself, suddenly realizing that he¡¯d made a huge mistake. He''d actually been mocking Darius! He resisted the urge to pull his hair out and smiled awkwardly at Darius, saying,¡¯ Sorry, I shouldn''t haveughed. I was just..." He trailed off, realizing that he couldn''t think of anything to exin his behavior. In fact, the reason why he''dughed was that he''d never seen Darius speechless before. He knew that Darius would definitely be the one toe out on top, but he couldn''t help feeling amused at Darius allowing Holt to make the first move. He didn''t expect tough out loud, and he looked at Darius anxiously. Benji was worried that his actions would reflect badly on Kate, making it harder for her to win Darius¡¯ heart. He could tell how much she liked him. Darius raised an eyebrow, not expecting Benji to apologize to him. He remained silent as he tried to think of an appropriate response, but it only made Benji¡¯s anxiety levels shoot up. He lowered his head. Chapter 286 Chapter 286 Benji looked at the ground and said seriously, "Even if I''ve offended you, I hope this won''t affect your rtionship with Kate. She''s very innocent, and even if she asionally does things that are hard to fathom, it''s only because she doesn¡¯t know it''s wrong. Her mother left when she was very young, and none of us taught her about these things. That''s why she''s so naive. So, please me me for everything she''s done wrong." After saying these things, Benji seemed to regain his strength. He raised his head and looked at Darius, continuing, "I know you''re a kind and reasonable man." When he met Benji''s eyes, Darius couldn''t bring himself to shake his head, but he didn''t want to let Benji off the hook so easily. After a few seconds, he came up with the perfect response-he shrugged, then looked away and focused on Holt, who''d been waiting for him with his arms crossed. When he met Darius¡¯ eyes, he put his arms down, his gaze mocking. "Are you ready to fight me?" He sized Darius up. You might be poor, but you''re definitely brave enough to do anything for love. It''s too bad that I''m your opponent, though.¡± Holt stretched his neck and said, ¡°You know what you remind me of? A poor, defenseless little chick. I can send you flying with a single punch, so I''ll give you a chance to back out of this.¡± Darius sighed, finally out of patience. He was about to make his move when he saw the pleased look on Holt''s face. "I remember you being very argumentative despite your poverty, especially when you were angry. It looks like you''ve learned to keep your mouth shut! I suppose plenty of people have taught you the ways of the world, but it''s a shame none of them taught you to respect others." He wiggled his wrists as he spoke. "I guess that¡¯s a lesson that I''ll have to teach you; remember to pay me when this is over, though!¡± He immediately threw a punch at Darius¡¯ face after saying that, but Darius didn''t even flinch. Kate watched them from the vi, feeling a cold sweat break out. She wanted to run out there to stop this, but she couldn''t. She knew things would only be more chaotic if she showed up. Holt''s eyes lit up when he saw Darius standing there. He could already see what would happen, and he gulped with excitement. Then, he felt something brush against his face. After that, he lost his bnce before crashing onto the ground, his eyes wide with shock. Hey on the ground, feeling like every bone in his body was broken, and he couldn''t get up. He turned to look at Darius with a horrified gaze, and it was only then that he noticed a beautiful yet inly dressed woman standing before Darius and looking down at him. Her gaze was so sharp that pain rocked through him when he met her eyes, so he quickly averted his gaze. Then, something urred to him, and he narrowed his eyes. Suddenly, he paled, remembering that someone had once told him Darius had be Kingston University¡¯s wealthiest person-he was actually from an affluent family but had grown up in poverty due to an ident. That same person had also warned him not to offend Darius because they were no match for him now. As this memory surfaced, Holt''s pale face turned ashen, and he started to tremble with fear. Darius smiled at him. "You know. I¡¯m surprised by your sudden change in attitude.¡± This was what he said, but there wasn''t a trace of surprise in his eyes. He merely stood there calmly with his hands behind his back, saying, ¡°It looks like you know who I am now." Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Holt quickly got up, but he didn''t stand up. Instead, he knelt before Darius, not even daring to look at him. He nodded and said, "Yes, I do.¡± He sounded like he was out of strength when he said this-he knew Darius wouldn''t let him off the hook. He waited for Darius to sentence him to death. Darius leaned back against the vi''s door, feeling amused, and it creaked under his weight. Holt started to tremble; the sound was terrifying to him. Darius could take his life at any second. The people that Holt had brought with him were stunned. They sized Darius up before turning back to Holt, and one of them said, "Boss, are you sure you don''t have the wrong guy? We''ve never heard about him before, and there''s no way we wouldn''t know anything about him if he were rich or some powerful character." He sounded so confident that the other men nodded. His words also made Holt-still kneeling on the ground-start to doubt himself. Had he misremembered? However, he was careful, so he stood up and bowed in Darius¡¯ direction. "Regardless of your identity, we were still wrong to act the way we did earlier." Chapter 287 Chapter 287 Darius knew that he was just in a rush to leave so that he could investigate him, so he didn''t keep him waiting. He said calmly, "You can leave if you want to, but there¡¯s a price to pay" His calmness made Holt doubt himself more. However, he didn¡¯t want to ruin his credibility by changing his attitude again, so he met Darius¡¯ gaze, forcing himself to remain calm. Before he verified Darius'' identity, he could only treat him as an equal. ¡°Name it¡ªl''ll give it to you as long as it''s something I can afford.¡± "Kate." This was Darius'' response. Holt was momentarily shocked by this, but he soon smiled and waved a hand. "Your wish is my command." He watched Darius closely, wanting to see his joyous expression. To his disappointment, Darius''s face remained devoid of emotion. Holt gulped, nning his next move. Then, he saw Darius wave a hand and say, "Get this straight- everything I said to you earlier has a time limit. If you''re still standing there when I change my mind, you''ll have to hold up your end of the bargain, but I won''t allow you to leave anymore.¡± Holt''s expression changed, feeling like he''d heard this somewhere before. He quickly turned and left without looking back. He''d brought plenty of men with him, and none of them had expected things to turn out like this. They remained rooted to the spot, unsure of what to do. When Darius saw that they didn''t show any signs of leaving, he stretched his neck and frowned. "It seems that you guys don''t seem to trust your boss much. He''s already gone, but you guys are still here." He was only making a simple statement, but the men ran away without another word. When they were all gone, he turned to look at Calypso. She¡¯d made such a fool of herself earlier, and her shrill voice had hurt his ears time and time again. Darius was about to say something to her when he heard someone hurrying toward him. He turned to see Benji standing before him, and he frowned. He thought Benji was here to plead on Calypso''s behalf, but he was wrong. Benji said seriously, "Now that Holt''s gone, we can continue with our earlier discussion.¡± "You mean when you wanted me to me you for all the mistakes Kate''s made? Because she didn''t have any parents to educate her?" Benji nodded. "Yes, that''s exactly how things were. I watched her grow up, so I should be held ountable for everything she does correctly and wrongly. Also, she hasn''t had many friends growing up, nor has she been exposed to much. She still has plenty of room to grow, and I''m sure she''ll make many mistakes in this process. I can¡¯t watch over her forever, though." He looked at Darius calmly. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Kate stood at the vi''s entrance, listening to their conversation. Tears rolled down her face; she cried for both Darius and Benji. She wanted to leave the vi, but Wilson blocked her every time she was close to seeding. This time, she decided to try something different. She was on the second floor and inched toward one of the windows. Wilson didn''t pay much attention to her since they weren''t near the entrance. He concentrated on the computer before him, wanting to finish up the agreement on the stock rights transfer before Darius returned. That way, he could leave this ce as soon as possible. He was reluctant to leave but didn¡¯t want to face Darius a second longer than necessary. Also, he didn''t want to bear the brunt of Darius¡¯ anger if anything were to happen. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a loud thud. He whipped around to see that Kate was no longer standing by the window. He had a bad feeling about this and hurried over to the window to see Kate scrambling to her feet outside the vi. She''d injured one of her legs whennding, dragging it behind her as she hurried over to Darius and Benji. Wilson ced a hand over his racing heart, thinking that he''d be the first person Darius would come after if he were in a bad mood. After thinking things over, he chose to remain where he was. On the other hand, Kate had already caught Darius¡¯ attention. He looked at her with a frown, then turned back to Benji. Benji wasn''t a martial artist, so he didn''t have Darius¡¯ sensitive hearing. But when Darius looked away from him, he instinctively followed his line of sight to see Kate hurrying toward them with an injured leg! He clenched his fists and ran over to her, pulling her behind him and looking into the distance. He didn''t see anything unusual, though. Benji turned to look at Kate in confusion, but he didn''t say anything when he saw her crying. After a moment of silence, he asked carefully, "Do you want to tell me why you''re crying? Perhaps I''ll be able to help you resolve whatever problems you''re facing." Kate looked up at him. When he saw that she wasn''t crying anymore, he sighed in relief. She looked at him carefully and asked in return, "Do you mean it?" Benji''s heart twisted when he saw her like this; he''d never seen her act so cautiously before. He nodded seriously and said, ¡°Of course." She broke into a smile. Chapter 288 Chapter 288 Kate said crisply, "If that''s the case, I don''t want you to get into a fight with Darius, nor do I want you to apologize to him." Benji''s eye twitched. He pursed his lips, eventually tapping her on the head without saying anything. Kate continued to look at him. She couldn''t tell whether Benji had agreed to her request. As she thought about this, Benji walked over to Darius. She watched him expectantly, but it quickly turned into disappointment because Benji didn''t do as she¡¯d hoped. He sighed softly, then said, "Look at how innocent she''s always been. It''s all because of me..." He didn''t get the chance to finish his sentence because Kate interrupted him. She stood between the two of them with her back to Benji, and he frowned, about to reprimand her. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. However, he couldn''t bring himself to do it because he knew that she was just worried about him. Kate looked up at Darius and took in his confused expression. She smiled and said gently, "I Know Uncle Benji''s probably done some things to offend you, as have I. I''ve never apologized to you properly nor thanked you for your help." After saying this, she tried to bow to him. He subconsciously reached out to stop her, then sighed and made her stand up straight. ¡°Alright, alright. I''m not mad about what happened in the past because you two had your reasons for your actions. Also, you two didn''t hurt anyone and were, in fact, the ones who''d gotten hurt." He retracted his hands when she looked at him gratefully. He looked away from her and focused on Calypso. She was still standing there with her eyes darting around, and Darius smiled mockingly. He couldn''t read her mind, but he could already guess what she was thinking about based on her expression alone. He said coldly, "I know what you''re thinking." Calypso froze and turned to look at him expectantly. She felt that since he was willing to take the initiative to speak to her, she probably still stood a chance of leaving this ce alive. Soon, however, she realized how wrong she was. Darius said calmly, "You can stop trying. No matter what you say or do, I won''t let you off the hook.¡± Calypso widened her eyes in shock. She was sure that Darius was deadly serious, but she also felt that he was pulling her leg. She couldn''t help thinking about how weirdly Holt had reacted to him, so she gave him a once-over. None of the things he was wearing cost more than a hundred dors, so he couldn''t possibly be wealthy. In fact, he couldn''t evenpare to an ordinary person. Yet here he was, acting so cocky with her. This infuriated her, so she put her hands on her hips and held her head up high, saying firmly, "That''s impossible! You must be lying. After all, you look so sly that there''s no way you can be telling the truth.¡± Darius stroked his face. He didn''t check his appearance often, but he was sure that he looked upstanding and handsome. He knew that Calypso wouldn''t agree with him, though. Not that he cared. Instead of responding to her, he said loudly, "Bridget!" She''d been standing in an obscure corner all this while, and she immediately showed herself when she heard Darius calling her. Kate''s eyes widened in horror when she saw Bridget-Bridget wasn''t walking toward Darius, but toward Calypso instead! She¡¯d never expected this to happen, and she wanted to say something to put a stop to this. However, she was so shocked that she failed to make a sound. Also, she didn''t really want to plead on Calypso''s behalf. The only thing that made her want to do so was the fact that Benji cared for Calypso and wanted to help her. In fact, he dashed over to Darius as quickly as possible and dropped to his knees before him. Everyone was shocked by this, including Darius. He shuffled away from Benji, not too happy with what was happening. He wanted to stop this debacle, but before he could say anything, Kate burst into tears. "Uncle Benji, I really don''t understand what you''re doing! Darius hasn''t done anything wrong, but you''re asking him to forgive Calypso unconditionally. Don¡¯t you see how unreasonable you''re being?" Benji lowered his head, looking distressed. After a moment, he looked back up at Darius and said, "I can''t deny that Kate is right, and I agree with her. However, I still have to apologize for wanting to see a different result. Calypso''s my sister, and no matter how huge a mistake she''s made, I still want to do everything I can to protect her from harm!" Chapter 289 Chapter 289 Benji thought that Darius would at least consider it. To his disappointment, Darius shook his head firmly. "I might have a slightly better impression of you now, but it''s not enough to stop me from going after someone who has repeatedly tried to harm me.¡± His face and tone were devoid of emotion, making it clear to everyone that Benji''s wish would never come true. Benji paled. He put his hands on his knees, seemingly wanting to get to his feet, but he failed. Calypso stood nearby, watching them. She didn''t expect Benji to go this far for her, especially when he usually acted like he couldn''t care less about her. Her heart skipped a beat, and she ced a hand on her chest as she walked toward him. The moment she started moving, Darius heard her footsteps. He frowned deeply and turned to look at her with dissatisfaction, but he didn''t stop her. She stopped before Benji and looked down at him. All Benji knew was that a pair of expensive-looking heels had appeared within his line of sight. He subconsciously looked up to see Calypso standing before him. He frowned and bowed his head again. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Calypso had felt the slightest bit moved by his earlier actions, but it now dissipated. She said shrilly, "You know how dumb you are, yet you''re still not thinking before you act. This will only make you dumber and make me hate you more!" She thought this would anger Benji, but she was wrong¡ªhe didn''t even blink an eye. She stomped her foot as she listened to his steady breathing and took in his calm expression. "You really are an idiot, and I can''t believe you''re my brother! Darius isn''t wealthy at all; he''s just putting on a show. In fact, I''ve already given you my reasons foring to this conclusion." Benji''s eyes widened at her words. He opened his mouth to speak but ultimately remained silent. He didn''t expect his sister to be so stupid-it was clear as day that Darius was extremely wealthy, but Calypso still insisted that she was right. He wanted to say a few things on Darius¡¯ behalf but chose not to. He knew that nothing would change Calypso¡¯s mind. She would only ept what she believed to be the truth. Calypso had put her hands on her hips when she''d spoken earlier. When she didn''t receive a reply, she put them down and red at Benji, who was still kneeling on the ground. She screamed, "Are you deaf? I''m talking to you!¡± Her face was filled with contempt as she pointed in Darius¡¯ direction. "I''ve told you this repeatedly, but you''ve chosen to believe him over me. Am I your flesh and blood, or is he?" Her gaze was trained on Benji as she said this, and her chest heaved. Unfortunately, Darius was the only one who caught the look on her face. He thought, "So, she still cares about her family." Kate had just recovered from her shock when she heard Calypso''s words. She frowned and said, "Things aren''t like what you think. Darius is extremely wealthy; I can vouch for him. Also, he has everything that a wealthy person should have!" Calypso merely crossed her arms at Kate¡¯s words, but Kate knew that she didn''t believe her. Her chest started to heave with rage, but she couldn''t find the words to convince Calypso. As the seconds ticked by, Calypso started looking more and more pleased with herself. When Kate saw this, she blurted out without thinking, "I know that you''re doubting me because I can¡¯t give you the answer that you want to hear, but all I can say is I was telling you the truth! Nothing can change that!" Darius watched them and reached up to rub his temples.¡¯ Look, there''s no point in arguing about this. As I said earlier, Calypso''s already dead to me.¡± Kate fell silent and looked at the ground hesitantly. Darius could tell what she was thinking, so he said, "I don''t think you need to keep getting upset over this. The fact that Calypso could do this proves that someone''s backing her up. I suspect that the mastermind''s someone from the Gillette family, but I don''t have any proof. Not that it matters anymore-she already admitted to getting someone toe after me." Kate gaped at him and asked, "What? When? Why didn''t I hear anything about that?" Darius¡¯ gaze swept over her. He didn''t want to answer her, but after a moment''s hesitation, he said, "Before I boarded the ne to Almiron City.¡± Chapter 290 Chapter 290 Darius didn''t allow them to ask more questions after saying that. He looked at Calypso''s waist and said calmly, ¡®You have a de tucked into your waistband now, don''t you? You must''ve put in a lot of effort to pick it up amidst the chaos earlier." Calypso paled, not expecting Darius to know about this. Earlier, when she was doing this, she''d kept an eye on Darius to ensure he wasn''t paying attention to her. She stiffened, at a loss for what to do. Benji suddenly looked up at Darius with a resolute gaze.¡± Darius, I¡¯m sure there''s a misunderstanding somewhere. Calypso might''ve made many wrong choices, but I''m positive she wouldn''t stab someone." Darius opened his mouth, then shut it again and massaged his temples. "I don''t think there''s anything further to discuss. If you have something to say about this, I don''t mind dealing with the both of you together.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Everyone''s expression changed at his words. Calypso looked expectant, and Kate looked worried, but Benji merely nodded. ¡°If you can prove that you''re right, I have no reason to go against you.¡± He was still kneeling on the ground, but his back was straight. It was a touching scene. While everyone''s eyes were on Benji, Calypso''s gaze was trained on Darius. Benji''s words had pulled her out of her reverie, and she looked doubtful. She found it hard to believe that Darius could withstand an attack from her de. At first, she''d felt slightly worried because he was already aware of the de tucked into her waistband, which meant that he would have his guard up. So, she pulled the de out and threw it onto the ground in front of everyone. Then, she started walking toward Darius. When Darius saw the scheming look in her eyes, he knew what she was up to. He took in the gleeful looksing from the other members of the Anderson family, raised an eyebrow, then turned to look at theputer screen. Calypso couldn''t be happier about this-she didn¡¯t expect him to underestimate her so much! So, as she walked over to him, she put a hand into her bag, preparing to pull out the other de hidden in there. Darius narrowed his eyes without saying a word, merely standing there with his hands still in his pockets. Benji watched Calypso trustingly. Darius sighed softly and shook his head. Benji was going to be disappointed this time. Suddenly, a white light shed before him, which was followed by Kate and Benji''s terrified shouts. They were so loud that no one heard the sound of the dending on Darius¡¯ body¡ªit was one of metal shing against metal. Calypso''s arm was still stretched out, and her eyes were wide with horror. She''d never been in this situation before and didn''t know what to do next. On the other hand, Darius was surprised to see that she was still standing before him despite her n failing. She hadn''t chosen to flee. He didn''t expect this, so he smiled. Wilson felt like he¡¯d been waiting for Darius for ages and was running out of patience. He''d already prepared all the necessary documents, so he printed them out and signed them before walking out into the garden. He was greeted by the scene of Calypso''s failed ambush, and his jaw dropped. "It looks like I''ve missed out on the fun. Can someone bring me up to speed on what''s happening here?" He didn''t receive an answer because the only people present were Darius and members of the Anderson family. Wilson rubbed his nose awkwardly and continued, "Uh, maybe I can just guess. Did Calypso try and fail to stab Darius?" He looked around at the people present, but no one answered him. Calypso had already calmed down. Things couldn''t get any worse from here, and she was out of alternatives. She retracted her arm and allowed the de to fall to the ground. Her expression remained calm as she looked at Wilson. "Are you sure you haven''t been lied to? This Darius character honestly doesn''t look like a wealthy person.¡± She kept her eyes trained on Wilson, and what happened next made her feel truly terrified-Wilson looked at her like she was an idiot, then burst intoughter. "I never would¡¯ve expected you to have the guts to say that about Darius! I don''t know whether to praise your courage or mock you for your ignorance." Calypso understood every word he said, but she didn¡¯t understand what he meant. She asked in a small voice, "Is he really a wealthy person?" Wilson nced at Darius. He hadn''t forgotten that Darius didn¡¯t want people to know about his true identity. However, to his surprise, Darius nodded at him. He grinned and turned back to Calypso, saying, "I have to be honest and say that you''re notpletely correct.¡± Chapter 291 Chapter 291 Calypso rxed at his words and started to look victorious. ¡®That must mean that he isn''t a wealthy person." Unfortunately for her, she was absolutely wrong. Wilson smiled with satisfaction. "Dariuses from one of the most powerful families in the world, and he has immeasurable wealth. In fact, he''ll be inheriting all of his family¡¯s businesses in the future," Kate said sincerely as she looked at Calypso, hoping to see her apologize. Though she didn''t like Calypso, she knew Benji wanted to help her. And so, she was doing what she could to help. However, she was disappointed once again. Calypso stood there with her arms crossed, looking mocking. She said sharply, "I know you''re desperate to be with Darius, and you''ve already thrown your family aside for him. In fact, when your dirtyundry was aired for the world to see, you decided to continue helping Darius for the sake of your rtionship rather than thinking of ways to protect our family''s reputation. That''s all that I''ve been getting from you." The look on her face made it clear that she would only believe what she wanted to believe. Kate opened her mouth, then shut it again. She didn¡¯t know what to say anymore. Obviously, Calypso wasn''t done yet. She turned to look at Darius and stuck her hands on her hips. Darius didn''t blink an eye. He knew that Calypso¡¯s doubt about his identity had long since been extinguished by her fear because she was sure that if she were to ept his true identity, there was no way he would forgive her earlier words and actions. It would mean she''dnded in this situation because of her own stupidity. If she were to acknowledge his identity, she would only be in for a worse punishment. So, no matter what anyone said, there was no way she would admit that she believed Darius was wealthy. Darius looked at her nkly. As he expected, Calypso took a shot at him again. "I thought you''d formed a n and approached Kate to get your grubby hands on her inheritance, but you should know that there¡¯s no way the Anderson family will allow you to get away with it, especially if you ask for too much. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Moreover, your n would only work if you¡¯d met certain conditions-for example, if you''d won the hearts of everyone present or if you were of some use to US. Unfortunately, you don''t meet any of these criteria, so I''ll be the first to say no to giving you even a single cent of our fortune! Your face alone is enough to tell me that you''re greedy, and it disgusts me." She gnashed her teeth and looked at him, hoping to see humiliation and hatred in his eyes. A few secondster, she stiffened, making her face look even more twisted than it already was. Darius saw all of this, so he smiled at her. The look on her face told him that she was reacting exactly how he wanted her to-perhaps even better. Calypso saw the satisfied look on his face, which only made her angrier. She started to stalk toward him, but he didn¡¯t budge. Earlier, when Darius had called out for Bridget, she''d been on standby near Calypso and hadbeled Calypso as a dangerous person. She saw Calypso move, but there was no way she would allow Calypso to get close to Darius. So, she dashed toward Calypso and gave her a heavy kick to the neck. Bridget was a professionally trained bodyguard, so there was no way Calypso could withstand such an attack. She copsed onto the ground, looking ghostly. She coughed for the longest time while trying to gather the strength to stand up, but she just couldn''t. Darius watched as she dug her hands and feet into the ground, trying and failing to get to her feet. Then, he turned to look at Wilson, who was still standing at the vi''s entrance. "You''ve been watching the show for long enough now. I think it''s time for you to make yourself useful,¡± Darius said. Wilson didn¡¯t expect Darius to suddenly speak to him, and he subconsciously straightened up. He looked at Darius with his eyes wide and gulped nervously. Darius sensed how nervous he was, but he didn''t care. He said, ¡®Tell Calypso about our rtionship and give this pitiful woman onest chance to know the truth." He found a ce to sit down. Kate stood next to him, her eyes darting between him and Wilson. She''d never imagined something like this would ever happen because of what Edward had told her before they¡¯d gotten off the ne. The Anderson family had some power and influence in Almiron City, but Darius had none, and he wanted the Anderson family to help Darius when he needed it. Chapter 292 Chapter 292 Kate had been prepared to give up her whole inheritance to help Darius, but it now seemed like things between Darius and Wilson werepletely different from what she¡¯d originally thought. She stood there and looked at Wilson curiously, thinking that Darius and Wilson must''ve reached an agreement. Perhaps Darius was a shareholder of the Gillette Group. As she tried to puzzle things out, Wilson closed his eyes and sighed, looking upset. He couldn''t bring himself to admit this, and he had to say it aloud in front of so many people. It was a huge insult to him, but he knew that this was exactly what Darius wanted. Darius knew that he hadn''t transferred the shares willingly, so he wanted to use this as a way to make him concede and yield to him-it was written all over Darius¡¯ face. Wilson couldn''t help but gnash his teeth at this thought. He hated that he was aware of all this but unable to change anything. He clenched his fists tightly and forced out through gritted teeth, "Darius has already bought over all of my assets, including the Gillette Group''s shares. Everything that you see here now belongs to him.¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Calypso was still on the ground. When she heard this, she scrambled to her feet, her shock seemingly overpowering her pain. She dashed toward Wilson, then looked at him closely. After a few seconds, her expression turned into one of heartache. She slowly reached out to hold his hand. Wilson wanted to dodge her the moment he realized what she was doing, but he sensed someone''s eyes on him before he could. It made him feel ufortable, so he turned to meet that person¡¯s gaze- it wasing from Darius. What scared him was that Darius lookedpletely calm, but Wilson sensed something else when he met Darius¡¯ eyes. Whatever it was, he knew that Darius was telling him not to turn Calypso down. Wilson couldn''t stop his lips from twitching. This was the second time Darius was stopping him from rejecting Calypso, and it made him feel like there had been a change in the power dynamic. It seemed that in Darius'' eyes, he wasn''t the founder of the Gillette Group or even a wealthy person- Darius just wanted to use his body toe into contact with other women to achieve his goal. This wasn''t something Wilson had ever experienced before, so an ugly look crept onto his face. He didn''t move his hand away, though. His fear of Darius stopped him from disobeying him, even if his mind told his body to move. Then, something shocking happened. Calypso looked at him with heartache, and her voice was both anxious and worried. "You''re the founder of the Gillette Group, and I know it must''ve been a difficult process. You shouldn''t have handed yourpany-your heart and soul- to him no matter how much he offered you!" This surprised Wilson. He had to admit that Calypso''s words echoed his thoughts. He nced at Darius, then quickly averted his eyes. Regardless of how much he agreed with her, there was no point in saying anything. Nothing would change. "I did it of my own volition-Darius offered me something that I couldn''t turn down, and I made the decision after considering a few other factors." As he spoke, he casually turned away to nce at Darius again, wanting to see his reaction. To his surprise, Darius didn''t seem to have heard him. His attention waspletely focused on Calypso. As he tried to puzzle this out, Calypso stomped her foot and said something that made Wilson think his life would being to an end soon. "You shouldn''t keep silent about this! You know very well that Darius¡¯ acquisition of the Gillette Group is a recipe for danger for the otherpanies in Almiron City-after all, the Gillette Group is thergest corporation here. You should be the first to speak up about this!" Calypso looked righteous as she said this. At the same time, Wilson could see the worry and anxiety in her eyes. She lookedpletely different from the woman who''d earlier wanted to frame and send her niece onto another man¡¯s bed. Darius narrowed his eyes and said, "Calypso Anderson, I¡¯ve given you long enough. I''m sure you''ve already said everything that you want to.¡± After he said this, Wilson felt the hand on his arm stiffen before letting go. Calypso turned to face Darius. She held her head high and said, ¡°Darius, I''m sure you won''t make life hard for Mr. Gillette because of me, right?" Darius crossed his arms andughed. "It''s a little toote for you to be saying that. In your heart, you already believe that I won''t take my anger toward you out on Wilson." Calypso looked awkward. Chapter 293 Chapter 293 Darius had once again guessed what she was thinking. She tried toe up with a reasonable excuse for herself but failed. Soon, she started to look fearful. It wasn¡¯t because she couldn''t think of a reason, but because Darius started to smile while looking at her for no reason whatsoever. To Calypso, this wasn''t a good thing. As she tried to think of a way to get herself out of this situation, Darius said, "Before you said anything, I truly had no intention of going after Wilson because he¡¯s innocent in all of this. However, I changed my mind when I saw your concern and fear. Perhaps punishing or tormenting Wilson would be a better way to torture you.¡± As he spoke, he turned to face them. Calypso stood there. She could clearly sense Wilson''s despair at Darius¡¯ words, and she turned pale. Wilson''s reaction told her that Darius wasn''t pulling her leg. He was truly wealthy and merely kept a low profile, but he would definitely walk the talk. Without any hesitation, she stood before Wilson with her arms stretched and looked Darius right in the eye. He raised an eyebrow, feeling that the people of Almiron City had this curious tendency to give him surprises in ces that he didn¡¯t expect. Calypso was one of them. Who would''ve expected her to truly care about Wilson? Darius turned to look at Wilson, who was frowning. Obviously, he was just as surprised and confused as Darius was. He watched as Calypso shielded him with her body and said, "Have we met somewhere before?¡± Calypso slowly turned to look at him, afraid that she¡¯d only been hearing things. When her gazended on Wilson, she felt breathless. When Wilson saw the look on her face, he felt sure that she''d been telling the truth when saying the things she¡¯d said the first time they met. This only confused him more, though. He opened his mouth a few times but couldn''t bring himself to ask the questions he wanted answers to. It had been years since he''de across such sincere feelings, so he was worried that if he voiced his questions, her feelings would disappear if he were to upset her. Darius watched them stare into each other''s eyes silently. Eventually, he lost patience and said, "Calypso, I don''t think you heard Wilson correctly. He was asking you a question earlier, meaning he doesn''t remember who you are. He doesn¡¯t think you''re familiar; he just believes that your feelings for him are real.¡± Calypso¡¯''s joy faded, but her gaze was still sincere and attentive. "I already introduced myself when we first met.¡± Her voice was so calm that it made Wilson frown. Before he could say anything, she continued, "You didn''t know me then, so it''s okay if you didn''t believe me. Now, please allow me to introduce myself again." She stopped here and waited for Wilson''s response. To her joy and surprise, Wilson allowed her to continue. She was about to when something infuriating happened-Darius beat her to it. "Earlier, she said that she fell for you when you gave a speech at her university. This was before you founded the Gillette Group." Wilson looked at her questioningly. Calypso wasn''t happy about being interrupted, but she still blushed under Wilson''s gaze and quickly nodded. Wilson started to search his memories. Before he could get far, Darius said, "Since you two already know of each other''s existence and feelings, you can treat it as a bonus from me.¡± He waved a hand. Bridget reached out and swiftly dragged Calypso to her side. Kate frowned and raised a hand, wanting to stop this. However, when she saw how Darius looked at her, she lowered her hand without saying a word. Calypso watched her actions and lowered her head. Darius nced at her sleeve, and his eyes filled with amusement. Then, he waved a hand. Bridget started to take Calypso away with everyone''s eyes on them. As they walked past Darius, the sound of metal nging as it fell to the ground rang out. Darius took a step back, allowing everyone to see what was happening. It was yet another de, and it was now curved. More importantly, the handle was still in Calypso¡¯s hand. She paled and looked at Darius in shock. Bridget widened her eyes in shock because she hadn''t noticed Calypso¡¯s actions at all. If not for Darius noticing the de in time, he would probably already be dead. This was an insult to her career, and she couldn''t control her fury.Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 294 Chapter 294 She swiftly gave Calypso a kick in the back, making her lose her bnce and hurtle toward the ground. However, Bridget was still holding on to her, so half of her body was on the ground while the other half was in the air. Then, two things fell out of her pocket, attracting everyone''s attention. Darius had been watching Calypso. He still had some questions for her, and he frowned when he saw the things that had fallen out of her pockets. He walked over to her and picked them up, an ugly look creeping onto his face when he realized what they were. Bridget felt it''d been a while since she¡¯d seen Darius like this. She wanted to see what he was holding but couldn''t because she was still pinning Calypso down. She couldn''t afford to let her guard down around such a cunning woman. Fortunately, Darius showed her what the things were. "This is surveince equipment. Everything that happened earlier has already been sent to someone.¡± Bridget frowned, then said seriously, "Her people must be around here somewhere.¡± Darius didn''t know about this, so he didn''t say anything. Bridget knew he was waiting for her to exin. "I had a signal blocker installed here beforehand, and I turned it on when we came here. I was worried that someone would record a video of you fighting and spread it, so I had to make sure there wasn''t any signal avable. It would only work if someone used shortwaves, like for remote controls." Darius raised an eyebrow. This was his first time hearing this, so he pulled his phone out and checked it. There should''ve been a full bar where the signal was, but it was currently empty. He frowned and looked at Calypso, who was facedown on the ground. She couldn''t look up at him, but she could still hear his footsteps. She couldn''t stop trembling when she saw Darius¡¯ shoes appear in her line of sight, but she didn''t dare respond this time. He smiled when he looked down at her and noticed that even hershes were trembling. He knew what she was going to do. Calypso started to frown because Darius¡¯ reaction wasn''t within her expectations. He didn''t swiftly get rid of her, which was unlike what that person had told her. As she tried to think of a way to end this, what Darius said next made her hair stand on end. "Are you thinking that I should be putting an end to you right now?¡± Everyone looked at him in shock. He leaned against one of the benches in the garden and sighed. Then, he shook his head and looked around at all the members of the Anderson family with a mocking expression. "You guys are stupider than I thought. As a well-protected woman, Calypso Anderson doesn''t have the ability to gather this many members of the Anderson family. I''m positive she can''t remember most of your names.¡± Their expressions changed. Darius stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, then he held Calypso''s wrist. It made her feel like her bones were going to shatter, and she lost the strength to speak. Benji watched this happen, feeling like he couldn''t stand by without doing anything. He took a step forward and said, "Darius." Suddenly, someone tugged on his sleeve. He frowned, knowing that it had to be Kate. He took a deep breath and made a difficult choice.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Darius¡¯ gaze flitted toward him, and when he saw that Benji didn''t continue, he said coldly, "If you''re still hoping to take her home, I''ll ensure that the rest of the Anderson family shares the me for the mistakes she''s made.¡± He removed his hand from Calypso''s wrist and looked around at everyone present. Then, he smiled and said, "Of course, if I were to do that, none of you would escape unscathed." He straightened up and stretched his shoulders, then took a step back. "You can take her away now.¡± After that, he sidestepped Benji and walked toward Wilson. "I suppose that the contract is ready since you came here to look for me." Wilson looked into his eyes, not daring to allow his true feelings to show. He didn¡¯t know how Darius would take it. He nodded stiffly and said, "Yes, I''ve finished drafting the contract per your request, so you can go through it now. You can sign it if you¡¯re okay with the terms; once that¡¯s done, the Gillette Group and everything under my name- excluding cash will belong to you." Chapter 295 Chapter 295 Calypsoy with her chest on the ground, her eyes widening as she tried to turn her head, wanting to frown bitterly at Darius but failing; it strained her neck too much to look at Darius. That, however, did not stop a boiling fury from surging inside her. The Anderson family suddenly kicked a loud fuss as Darius was about to enter the vi. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. He had not dealt with such disarray in a while, so it made him stop, shove his fingers into his ears, and sigh. Disdain swept past his now steely eyes as he growled, "Although Calypso can no longer speak on behalf of you, I can''t help wondering if she''s always been your leader in these past few years." Darkness shrouded the Anderson family members¡¯ faces just then. They could not confirm Darius'' assumption as it was not the truth. Seeing how everyone fell silent, Benji spoke up. "We haven''t kept in touch with them in the many years that passed. Still, from what we know, not much should''ve happened on their end.¡± Lips curling into a smirk, Darius remained unmoving and eximed with the utmost seriousness, "Oh... I see. So, your extended family has existed like tiny and insignificant grains of sand this past decade." That only darkened the Anderson family members'' faces more. Sheer hatred brimmed in their gazes, plunging into Benji as though they were des. However, this time, Benji did not flinch or cower; he merely held his ground and allowed them to scrutinize him as much as they wanted. Uninterested in them, Benji met Darius¡¯ gaze with sincerity while nodding. "Indeed. They''ve been just that-sand. That''s why I was also taken aback by their sudden appearance outside Remnard Estate." Benji also pursed his lips bitterly, thinking he was the biggest fool at that instant because, up until his family member''s intentions got revealed by Darius, Benji had always assumed they were genuinely here to help Kate out. He smiled and was friendly, even toward the family members that made things difficult for him in the past, on the journey here. s, they knew about Calypso¡¯s n but did not inform him. The thought of that alone made Benji clench his jaw. Among the Anderson family members in the yard was a much older man whose brows drew close as he marched toward Benji. He took wobbly steps with the aid of his walking stick. Yet, once he stopped before Benji, he was so enraged that he no longer needed the stick to stand upright. His features hardened, and he mmed one end of his walking stick against the ground while yelling at thetter without thinking twice, "I''m very disappointed in you, Benji! You''ll never rise to your older brother''s greatness! Your brother always put thepany first when he was the Anderson Group''s chairman! The family¡¯s needs-whatever they may be- would never hinder him!" With furrowed brows and curled lips, Benji sneered at the older man¡¯s remarks. That was the first time Darius saw such an expressioning from Benji. It did not even happen before when he had irritated thetter. Hence, it fascinated him. Meanwhile, the man, also the oldest member of the Anderson family, was shocked. He could not believe Benji would dare sneer at him. Flustered, his cheeks became red as beets while he hit his stick against the ground again. "How dare you look at me like that? I¡¯m your elder, which means you should treat me with more respect!" Courage shot throughout Benji''s veins at that moment. He boldly met the old man''s gaze and replied, "I wouldn''t say such things here if I were you because everyone here can tell I¡¯ve grown tired of your antics. Furthermore, they know how I''m about to treat you.¡± He rolled up his sleeve after saying that. Kate stood aside the entire time. Theers of her lips quirked upward right then, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not conceal her grin. That caught the attention of Darius, who could tell Kate was smiling. Although it intrigued him, he did not want to waste any more time on the Anderson family, so he turned the other way. "Perhaps you guys should discuss how to exact revenge on me first. Anyway, I have other things to deal with, so I wish you guys the best of luck in your nning,¡± he cheerily said as though he werementing on the weather. The Anderson family members grew tense upon hearing that. They then glowered at Benji in unison, thundering, "It''s all your fault! Why did you stop Calypso from dealing with Darius? If it weren''t for him, none of US would''vee here, and things wouldn''t have gotten this bad!" Benji was baffled, not expecting to be the target of everyone¡¯s anger. He felt like an outcast, surrounded by his fuming rtives. Still, he firmly believed no one wished they could vanish from this world more than them. Only then did Calypso mber onto her feet and emerge from behind the group. She sustained a severe wound from getting kicked by Bridget earlier, but she knew this was her best chance at fixing things. Thus, she mustered everyst bit of strength she had to stand even if her back ached, and she felt like her lungs had copsed entirely. In the meantime, Darius had already begun reviewing the contract in the vi. Opposite him was Wilson, who kept staring at him with raised brows. Wilson found everything about Darius was different from the background check he received about the latter. He parted his lips, wanting to ask Darius what was happening but ultimately decided not to. On the flip side, Darius had noticed Wilson¡¯s lips opening and closing but did not pay it any mind. Instead, he speedily flipped through the document on the desk. While Darius and Wilson finally signed the share transfer agreement, Edward and Erin raced out of a coffee shop by a random roadside. Chapter 296 Chapter 296 Bridget had dropped Edward and Erin off somece safe earlier. Once she left, the two found a coffee shop nearby, taking shelter until the dust settled with Darius and the Gillette Group. They sat down, but before they could order any drinks, they heard some people whispering from the table next to theirs. "Oh my god, why would anyone upload this kind of video online? Tsk! My eyes hurt from watching it...¡± a guy said while shaking his head at his phone. The second person eagerly looked at the phone and eximed, "Maybe it''s because the two people in that video are very famous! That guy''s Darius Reid, the top dog at Kingston University. What''s even more shocking is he used to be the poorest student there. It¡¯s just that he somehow became rich overnight." Upon hearing that, the first guy''s jaw fell wide open. "Woah," he replied, "! didn''t know that. Well, what about the girl in the video? She looks pretty. Although, nothing about her seems remarkable. Is she a celebrity?¡± "No, that youngdy is from the Anderson family," exined the second person. The first person then examined the video in detail,menting, "I don''t think there''s anything wrong with the video." A frown marred the second person''s face as he interjected,¡± Theoretically, there¡¯s nothing wrong. However, there was news not long ago that Darius Reid was dating the third- ranked beauty from his university, who''s also a youngdy from the Chambein family."This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Hearing that set off a siren in Erin¡¯s head; she knew there would be many negative implications if this information spread to others, so she shot to her feet, rushing toward the two young men. She snatched their phone, eyes glued to the screen as she spoke. "Sorry, boys. I need to see this video real quick." The two were not upset but instead widened their eyes at her. After seeing her grim expression, the guys knew they had discovered something huge. One of them stood, leaned closer to Erin''s ear, and asked in a subdued voice, "Excuse me. Are you and Darius also in a rtionship?" Every muscle in Erin''s face tensed for a split second. She eventually red daggers at the young man, startling him so much that he fell back onto his seat and dared not speak again. Edward approached her side at once, swinging an arm over her shoulder and leading her body in the other direction. A nk look coated his face as he turned to look at the two young men, addressing them calmly, "Unfortunately, I have two things to tell you-the first is that your guess is wrong. Secondly, we''re both employees under Darius, and we''ll continue to serve him for the foreseeable future. So, your little discussion earlier haspletely overstepped the boundaries of what we view as eptable." He then calmly picked up one of the men¡¯s forks, raising it before crushing it in his palm with ease. As both men fell gravely silent, he retracted his hand and fixated on them like a predator. Opposite him, the two''s gazes were downcast. They forced themselves to avoid meeting Edward''s nightmarish stare. That garnered a Satisfied nod from Edward, who wanted this oue. "I don''t want anyone hearing about this matter. If word gets out, know that I''ll hunt you two down.¡± With that, Edward smirked, then left to pay for the coffee that he and Erin never got to drink. There, he politely beamed like he had not aggressively threatened the men earlier. Edward did not immediately take action after exiting the coffee shop. Next to him was a silent Erin, who had not spoken to him since realizing his and Bridget''s superhuman speed. Taken aback by her passiveness, he arched a brow, exining, "Don''t worry. A car will arrive soon and take us back to Remnard Estate. This way, we''ll return much quicker. Worried thoughts swarmed Erin''s mind just then. She was in such a hurry to get there that she could not think about anything else and only stood on the spot. Nevertheless, Edward kept to his word. Five minutes after he nodded at her, a white car pulled up before them. Erin wanted to get into the back seat, but the driver got out of the car before she could even touch the door handle. The driver then raised an arm, tossing something from his palm over to her. At that moment, Erin stiffened, not daring to do anything. Yet, she could not help blushing in the next second as she had likely panicked for no reason. Erin turned to smile at Edward while presenting what the driver tossed at her. Earlier, when itnded in her hand, the metal pieces collided, letting out a clink that she was all too familiar with -they were the white car''s keys. Upon looking down at the keys in her palm, Erin''s jaw was no longer tense. She and Edward then respectively hopped into the passenger and driver''s seats. Her fast reflexes did not escape Edward''s notice as he was a trained professional. Thus, he could tell the slightest actions of others, be it Bridget or Erin. Still, he chose not to speak about it and focused on driving normally. Erin''s heart raced with more anxiety than before. Unable to suppress her feelings, she urged with an almost certain belief, "We should hurry. I doubt Mr. Reid knows about the video, or perhaps he''s in trouble because he would never allow such apromising video of himself to go online." Edward did not think reality would be as Erin had predicted, but he could note up with a logical exnation to quell her anxiety. All he could do was drive faster to the Gillette family¡¯s vi. As they drove ahead onto the road, many expensive sports cars traveled closer to them. Edward''s brows knitted when he saw the fleet of vehicles propelling toward his car. Although he had received professional training in avoiding car idents, Edward could not shake break away from the fleet-they had arrived far too suddenly for that to be an option. Chapter 297 Chapter 297 Edward frowned and hurriedly turned the steering wheel while exining to Erin, "We''re about to collide with the other party''s car. It can''t be avoided, but I can assure you that we won''t get hurt." Based on the few car chases he had experienced, he could tell that the other party''s driver did not want to harm them. Still, what happened next shocked him; Erin shook her head, saying, "No. What I''m most worried about now is Mr. Reid''s safety. I don''t care about anything or anyone. Not even getting into a car crash will faze me as long as I can get to Mr. Reid at once.¡± Fortunately, things turned out as Edward had expected; no one got hurt, nor did either side''s cars suffer any damage. Edward remained in his seat, massaging his temples. A raging headache pounded at his temples as he saw the many sports cars fleeing in the other direction. Not only that, but the drivers were all teenagers with brightly dyed hair, which meant they were all from wealthy families and seemed rebellious. That would make dealing with the scene difficult for Edward. He turned to cast a calm look at Erin and exined, "Don''t get off the car. If at any point you feel your life is at risk, or if I said it was, please run far away from here at once. Don''t hesitate.¡± "N-No!" Erin¡¯s cheeks instantly lost their color as she shook her head. Her gaze hardened with determination at Edward.¡± I can''t do that! We escaped together, so we should return to Remnard Estate together!¡± Edward froze on the spot. He ran a hand through his hair, continually tousling it as though he were trying to dig for a solution. The other party that crashed into them was a guy with blond hair. He got out of his car and did the same thing as Edward; he scratched his head. Eventually, his arm stiffened and dropped to his side as his nose scrunched up with contempt. "I bet you two are pretending to be pitiful! If you keep your pathetic act up, my patience will soon run thin, and I''ll make your life a living hell!¡± "I don''t think I heard you right. Perhaps you should repeat yourself." Edward''s brows formed a deep V shape while he shifted his attention from Erin to the blond, taking in thetter from top to bottom. As he said that, he intentionally ced a hand on his hip, revealing the gun in his holster. He could tell the blond was a regr civilian as they never appeared in their research files on Almiron City. It also meant they were unrted to the Gillette family. The blond then noticed the position of Edward''s hands and felt uneasy. That was because the blond himself was well- acquainted with that action. However, he had not legally obtained a gun ownership license yet, so he could not reveal his gun to Edward. Gulping, he took small steps backward. When he was pondering whether to flee, hispanions from the fleet of cars earlier returned. The blond rooted to the ground, lips pursing with a tinge of conflict. He weighed out the options in his mind, thinking, ¡°I could leave. But if I do, everyone who drove here with me will never see me as their leader again. I''ll be miserable if that happens.¡± While deep in a quandary, hispanions had already arrived by his side. One of them looked at Edward¡¯s hands and narrowed their eyes before reaching behind them in a sh. A gunshot tore through the air in the second. It caused Edward''s eyes to narrow as he mused, "These guys look young, so they shouldn''t be allowed to own guns. That means they''ve raced illegally on a public road and likely stole guns from their family members! This entire thing sounds ludicrous! But there''s no denying it happened because one of those brats is pointing a gun at me!" Following that, the group hopped out of their cars, their eyes lighting up with anticipation. Apart from the blond earlier, the other guys surrounded the one holding the firearm. "No way, Maurice! I can''t believe you have a gun!¡± The blond stood aside with both hands behind his back. His gaze remained downcast, so no one could discern how he felt at that moment. Edward noticed the former''s withdrawn behavior but was not interested in inspecting the matter. Instead, he spoke calmly to the group. "You''re all underage-you guys shouldn''t have guns! I''ve recorded everything on my phone. I''ll consider deleting the footage if you leave this ce now. If your refuse, I''ll just hand it over to the authorities. I''m sure they can track you wherever you try to run to.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Everyone''s faces grew stormy just then. Only Maurice shed a sneer at him, snarkily replying, "Indeed. What you said is true, and I can''t refute your words." A frown marred Edward''s face. Although the former agreed with his words, he knew there would be a catch. As expected,ughter broke out the next moment as Maurice shed him a menacing smirk. "So what if it''s true? Haven''t you considered that maybe you won''t be able to show anyone this video?" Never in a million years did Edward think a child could threaten others as though thetter had done so many times. Edward''s eyes narrowed, thinking Maurice should get taken under West Antics Infl¡¯s wing. While he thought about that, a loud bang sounded ahead, and his body instinctively knelt before he could see what was happening. A bullet soonnded some distance behind him. He could even feel the vibration as it crashed into the ground. Such brushes with death often happened in Edward''s life, so he calmly got off the ground, shing an unbothered look. The difference between today''s and his previous near-death experiences was it happened on the main road, and his opponent was a child. Then again, he shook away that belief, realizing there was not much disparity at all; because any kid like Maurice could also appear on the battlefield." Chapter 298 Chapter 298 "You''re a child, so I don''t want to aim my firearm at you. Consider this yourst chance to lower your gun,¡± Edwardmented with a neutral tone as he stoodposedly. However, Maurice saw the former''s calmness as fear. He retracted his gun, casually leaning it against his shoulder while jutting his chin. He sat in his car, shutting the car door while mocking Edward through the open window, "Don''t you think the way you''re speaking to me is counterproductive to what you want me to do?¡± Edward remained unmoving but had already narrowed his eyes. No one could tell how he felt since he spoke emotionlessly the entire time. "I''m curious-what do you mean by that? I''d like to know what you think my motives are.¡± Maurice''s eyes widened. He wanted to know whether Edward was genuinely curious or if thetter was trying to embarrass him. His face then warped hideouslypared to everyone else''s when he could not decipher Edward''s facial expression. He was both desperate and determined to know what Edward was thinking now, his face darkening as he focused harder on thetter. The experience was refreshing to Edward, who had never been scrutinized from head to toe by a child. Still, it did not feel nice, so he interrupted coldly, "You''ve been very impolite from the moment you appeared before me.¡± Eyes reddening with rage, Maurice''s arm shot forward, aiming his gun at Edward again. Meanwhile, Erin''s breathing grew rigid as she gripped the door handle tightly. She wanted to open it but did not because Edward''s gaze locked onto her. The fierceness and intensity in his gaze caused her to freeze, goosebumps prickling down her arm. Before she could snap to her senses, Edward was already studying Maurice like a predator. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. "You don''t have the guts to fire a second time,¡± he tly remarked. That was when the others booed Maurice, including the blond, who jeered the loudest and even pped. He could not hide the wide grin on his face at his arrogantpanion''s downfall. Edward noticed him but quickly looked at Maurice afterward, daring thetter to shoot. Throughout that time, Maurice did not fire again. Although he wanted to, he dared not do it for fear of having to exin things to his dad. After all, Maurice could easily cover up the first shot as him misfiring and identally hurting Edward. Things would be different if Maurice had shot the same person twice. With all that in mind, he froze on the spot with uncontrobly shaking hands. Eyes curving slightly from amusement, Edward looked at the petrified boy and said, "You''re a good kid, and you''re different from the others standing around you." He then returned to a nk expression while moving quickly, his figure flickering all over the space. Before Maurice could process what had happened, he realized his hand was empty, and his gun was now with Edward. Only then did reality hit Maurice. His lips rounded into a wide 0 shape while his trembling gaze settled on Edward. Earlier, Edward had guessed correctly-the gun was stolen. Maurice knew he was in deep trouble if he could not return the gun to his dad, so his jaw tensed. He kept staring at the firearm, his gaze pinning onto it regardless of how much Edward waved the gun around. Edward grinned before putting the gun into a spare holster around his back. While doing so, he kept his eyes on Maurice since thetter was the most fascinating child he had ever met. Opposite him, Maurice''s expression shifted from the excitement of getting away to confusion, then disbelief and regret. Fear eventually ate away at his mind as he asked, "Y- You''re going to take my gun away?¡± He licked his lips as he shed a pair of puppy dog eyes at Edward. Yet, disappointment soon shrouded his face when Edward nodded. "Yes, that''s the n,¡± said thetter. It was now Maurice''s lips that quivered. He stood there, unable to lift his feet as though they got cemented onto the ground. His eyes grew moist while he unknowingly lowered his voice, speaking meekly. "I can pay you. Just please-I need that gun back. It''s my dad''s favorite, and I brought it here without him knowing. If he realizes it''s missing and that I had something to do with it, he''ll surely beat me up..." The thought of that made Maurice''s eyes tremble. Even so, Edward held his ground. He ignored the boy''s request and stoically replied, "I''m more than aware of what you''re about to do and say." Maurice was speedily brainstorming a way to get the gun back. His eyes darted around, but their focus stayed on Edward''s waist. That alone was enough to tell Edward what the boy was nning. He just did not voice his revtion. Instead, he ced a hand on Maurice''s shoulder. Erin had been waiting in the car all this time. After seeing that things outside were under control, she could no longer force herself to sit still. All Erin could think about was Darius '' safety and reputation, knowing he would never let the video go online if he had more time to settle things. Therefore, she wanted nothing more than to aid him. "Not only is Edward unperturbed by the gravity of things, but he¡¯s also wasting our time by confiscating a kid''s gun! Ugh. Seriously? That boy is old enough to learn his mistakes from today!¡± Erin thought. She then rolled down the window and poked her head out, bellowing fiery words like she were a dragon. "What the hell are you doing now? We should be returning to Mr. Reid''s side at once!" It was the first time Erin yelled like that throughout the lengthy period Edward had served by Darius''s side. Chapter 299 Chapter 299 Taken aback, Edward whipped his head around to look at Erin. He immediately understood when he saw the beads of sweat on her forehead and the goosebumps all over her arms. Lips pursed, he headed back to her side. Time had never felt this slow to Erin before. Things already felt like they had been dragging on for a while, but Edward¡¯s slow pacing made things worse for her. She red daggers at him when he stopped to cast onest nce at the group of youngsters before finally running back to the car. Erin¡¯s gaze was equally as frosty as her voice by then. She was quick to bark at him, "Get in." That was the first time Edward had seen the icy side of Erin. However, he knew why she was upset, so he kept quiet and obediently got into the driver''s seat. Edward took longer than expected, not knowing how to respond to the group of youngsters that caused him so much trouble. He could tell some of the teenagers in the group were genuinely sorry but had to stick up for Maurice since they were friends. Edward had not interacted with other people for some time, so he did not know what to say except cast a deadpan stare at the group. He pondered how to react suitably while returning to the driver''s seat. As he reached for the door handle, he felt something shoving into his lower back. Given how tough and concave in the middle it was, Edward knew the item was not something harmless like a tree branch. He halted in his step but remained rxed with both hands in his pockets. "You know, sneaking up on me is dangerous,¡± hezilymented. While doing so, he fixated on the blond, who had snuck behind him. Some time had passed when Darius traveled to the scene. He watched the entire thing unfold, only stepping out of the crowd and revealing himself now that things had escted. Meanwhile, Edward grinned and spoke casually. "I¡¯m impressed. No one has held me at gunpoint like this for a long time. Then again, perhaps it¡¯s because I learned to wield a gun better than anyone else before you were born." He could tell the boy behind him was growing tense. Yet, immediately after, he heard a thump and no longer felt the gun''s barrel driving into his lower back. He then noticed an additional shadow on the ground-someone new had attacked the blond boy and was approaching Edward. Raising a brow, Edward spun on his heel to face the new person. "Mr. Reid? What are you doing here?¡± asked Edward, whose face had instinctively rxed. At that moment, Darius stood with his back straight and hands in his pockets. He looked down at the teenage boy while replying to Edward, "Bridget sensed that you and Erin were in danger. We happened to wrap things up at Remnard Estate, so we came over." Edward could not tell how Darius felt from thetter''s emotionless tone. Nevertheless, Edward heaved a sigh of relief, especially when he saw Darius¡¯ foot was on the blond boy¡¯s chest. On the other hand, Darius never thought he would see Edward being held at gunpoint by a young blond when he rushed over. Thus, he wasted no time in knocking over the boy to the ground. Only after Darius stomped on the boy''s chest and heard a pained cry did Darius realize something was off. So, he lightly flipped the boy over with the tip of his foot. That was when Darius saw the blond boy¡¯s youthful face and frowned. Moments of silence passed before he finally uttered, "You look like you''re only 15." No one imagined that would happen. Still, nobody reacted except for the blond on the ground, whose eyes turned red with rage. If Darius were an easily frightened person, he would undoubtedly quiver from being red at by the blond. Sadly, that was not the case-Darius was Darius, after all. He kept mum and exerted more force through his foot, setting off a louder and even more pained cry from the blond. A hint of annoyance shed past Darius¡¯ face, but it soon vanished as he reached out to massage his temples. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. "If you continue staring at me with that attitude of yours,¡± Darius ndly stated, "I can assure you that you''ll end up miserable." The blond''s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets from how bitter he felt. Even so, he refrained from rebuking. "I''m impressed. You managed to adjust your emotions in the nick of time,¡± said Darius, who sarcastically quirked a brow. At that point, the blond was about to blow his top for two reasons; firstly, he had never been helplessly stepped on by someone else, much less in front of an entire crowd. The second was that his family owned the most money and firearms among his friends, yet he did not have his own gun. On top of that, Maurice beat him to aiming a gun at Edward. Both these things could negatively affect his reputation, and they happened at the same time before his friend group at the scene. Darius frowned at the blond, whose eyes had shut but were rolling beneath his eyelids. "You held a gun against my staff, which upset me greatly. If that wasn''t enough, you''re rolling your eyes at me with that attitude and worsening my mood even more.¡± While saying that, Darius reached for his gun in the holster behind him. He was unwilling to frighten a teenager but felt it was necessary to teach the blond a lesson on gun safety, so he loaded his gun. When the blond heard the metallic clicking sound of a firearm getting loaded, his eyes shot open, and he spoke without thinking twice. "My attitude? What about it? Your staff was the one who drove onto the main road and crashed into my racing fleet. It''s all his fault! Yet, you guys didn''t apologize and are making me do it instead! I, Austin Anderson, have never apologized to anyone in my life, nor will I start now because I¡¯m not at fault here!¡± Hearing the blond''s family name caused Darius to freeze in his tracks. The cogs in his mind speedily spun as he found the situation too much of a coincidence. Chapter 300 Chapter 300 Austiny on the ground, watching as Darius fell deep into thought. He could not help smugly raising his chin, saying," Oh? Are you afraid now that you''ve heard my name? Let me tell you this-it''s toote to beg for my forgiveness now! Because, as the Anderson family¡¯s only heir, I won''t let you off the hook easily!¡± He simultaneously gripped Darius¡¯ foot, trying to push it off his chest. However, he soon clenched his jaw and narrowed his brows into a deep V when he failed to make Darius budge. Thetter''s foot stayed unmoving on his body like a massive boulder, and he could not do anything about it. Having depleted his strength, he stopped resisting. His arms sprawled on the ground as he gritted his teeth. "I''m warning you! Get your foot off me now and kneel to prove your gratitude toward me for sparing you! Because in two days, I might be Anderson Group''s chairman! I promise that you would''ve gotten shot to death if you had crossed me after I inherited my family''s business!" As Austin said that, he nced at the gun in Darius'' hand. A second passed when all color drained from his face. He then tried to get up again but failed; the pressure from Darius '' foot caused Austin''s body to m into the ground harder than before. It removed any of Austin¡¯s will to get back on his feet. He merelyy still with his eyes locked on Darius. Darius, on the other hand, was casually wiping his gun. He breathed regrly for the most part, save for one long sigh he let out before speaking. "How obedient of you. Seeing youply pleases me, but it''s a shame because you''re toote. If only you had thought to do so sooner." He pulled the trigger while saying that. Following that, the trigger lock clicked and released itself.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Fear thrummed in Austin¡¯s veins, causing him to stiffen like a corpse. He struggled to open his mouth and utter even a squeak. Nevertheless, he did his best to mutter, "W-Who are you? How do you have such a modern gun? There''s no way a poor person like yourself can own it!¡± "That''s funny. Where do you think I would get a gun like this if it weren''t mine?" Darius¡¯ brows drew close, yet he shed Austin a smile. He also bent forward, reaching out to aim the holster at thetter''s head. That made Austin turn even paler than before. Although he wanted to beg for mercy, he did not as his eyes darted everywhere, taking in his manypanions¡¯ faces. They could have left or even spoken up on his behalf to appease Darius¡¯ anger, but they did not. Austin clenched his teeth, thundering in his heart, "These useless idiots froze like statues the moment I got in trouble! They literally serve no purpose to me except for getting in my way!¡± A murderous tinge of red seeped into his eyes as he glowered at hispanions. He parted his lips, ready to kick up a fuss. Yet, when he noticed their cautious, almost pondering looks, hisst bit of common sense kicked in-he ultimately held back from insulting them. Unfortunately, his furious gaze made his thoughts more than clear to hispanions, so none of them were willing to defend him. They did not leave either, for fear that the tables would turn after they left. After all, Austin was right about one thing-his father, William Anderson, was missing, which meant only he could inherit the family business. Darius¡¯ gaze swept past the group of youngsters. The corners of his lips eventually curled upward into a sneer. Meanwhile, Austin could not tell what Darius¡¯ expression entailed. He assumed thetter was not nning to let him off the hook, so he grinned too. "Good choice," he quickly and lousy said with a no longer heavy tone. Likewise, he shot a hinting look at Darius¡¯ foot, then back at Darius. "Since you made the right decision, I''ll arrange for you to have a staff position in Anderson Group once I inherit thepany and my family''s wealth.¡± That only made Darius¡¯ nose scrunch up with even more distaste. Austin was quick to frown but thought, "Did I misinterpret his smile earlier? No, it can¡¯t be! No one would ever reject such a great job offer from a future chairman of a renownedpany.¡± Thus, he reached out and gently tapped Darius¡¯ shoe, saying, "I think this is where you take your foot off me.¡± Immediately after, he felt Darius'' foot sink deeper into his chest, pushing the limits of the pressure that his body could withstand. A chilling crack then filled the air while blood sttered from his mouth. Pain gnawed at Austin''s every muscle and bone, making it impossible for him to shut his eyes. Because of that, he saw Darius¡¯ foot retract right before he coughed up blood. "This guy knows! He did it on purpose, knowing that my body couldn''t stand any more pressure!" Austin snarled in his mind before raising a finger at Darius, wanting to voice his rage. Nothing but a smile showed on Darius¡¯ face as he ced both hands behind his back. "You''ve told plenty of lies to my face and perhaps to your friends, too,¡± he said. Complex emotions swirled in his eyes while he scanned every person at the scene. The other teenagers lowered their heads, not daring to look into Darius '' eyes. That elicited a scoff from Darius before he locked gazes with Austin again, pointing out, ¡°I don¡¯t know what makes you think the Anderson family''s assets will belong to you." He leaned against the car, sighing deeply. "Moreover, I''m puzzled by one thing-the Anderson family may not be part of the elite social ss, but why hasn''t anyone tried to look for your so-called ¡®father¡¯ now that he''s disappeared?¡± Chapter 301 Chapter 301 "Also, why hasn¡¯t anyone tried to confirm whether he''s dead or alive? The bulk of your family was in a hurry to publicly announce his death after failing to contact him.Not to mention, you and your family members wasted no time battling over your family¡¯s inheritance," Darius added. He leaned against the car, eyes boring into Austin with curiosity. Only Austin could see the former¡¯s expression as hey on the ground, facing directly at Darius, who looked down at him. His eyes darted left and right as he thought, "shit.I¡¯m in deep trouble now.This guy¡¯s right ¡ªno one has bothered to look for my nominal father, even though it''s been a while since he vanished.The only people searching for him are my stupid stepsister and this guy.However, I''m pretty sure Kate doesn¡¯t know him because she¡¯s an idiot.Contrarily, this guy clearly has superior wealth and abilities.Guys like him would never associate themselves with Kate, who only invites trouble into her life.That must mean this guy before me is purely targeting the Anderson family wealth!" At that thought, Austin¡¯s eyes narrowed alertly. Despite feeling overwhelmed by unbearable pain, he forced himself to sit upright and smile at Darius. The abrupt shift in his demeanor was so apparent that everyone except Darius felt confused. Unlike the others, Darius already knew what Austin thought when thetter¡¯s eyes darted around. That was the keen intuition Darius developed since bing an enlightened martial artist. He had tested out its uracy numerous times in the past, and it was never wrong. Thus, he knew it could predict what would happen next, as it always did in the past. I bet you''re after my family. My dad¡¯s disappearance has left the Anderson family¡¯s riches vulnerable. We¡¯re essentially a big, juicy piece cf meat everyone¡¯s eager to grab because they think we¡¯re defenseless." Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Austin¡¯s features rxed into a sly grin. It was as though he were stating facts, fully believing that he was the Anderson family''s only heir. Darius raised a brow but did not speak. Erin, who had been watching the entire time, notice Darius¡¯ slight nod and knew he no longer wished to speak to the ignorant blond boy. Hence, she walked over to the space between Dazius and Austin. "I believe you.should forma.ly introduce yourself before further discussing this matter with my employer." Austin tensed on the spot. His brows furrowed while he examined every inch of Erin¡¯s tody,menting, "You¡¯re gorgeous but I''m sorry to say we have nothing to do with each other, so I don¡¯t think you¡¯ re qualified to speak to me." H? raised his chin high as if his words were gospel, and Darius would undoubtedly do as he said. That was when Darius raised a brow at the boy again. He parted his lips, but what he said was entirely different from what Austin wanted to hear. "How old are you?" The question hardened every muscle on Austin''s face.It confused him so much that he instinctively asked, "Why are you asking me that? Shouldn''t you be gifting this hot employee of yours to me?" All warmth vanished from Darius¡¯ face, leaving only a dead gaze on his face. Austin did not expect that to happen. The sudden change of atmosphere sent a chill down his spine. Regardless, he stood his ground as he firmly believed he spoke the truth.He did not understand why Darius would get upset, so he confidently locked eyes with Darius, not backing down. Darius then turned to look at Edward and said, "I don¡¯t thinkI have anything more to say to this child." Edward immediately nodded. Although Austin had never heard of anyone important named Edward, he could tell what was about to happen from Edward¡¯s towering height and threatening posture. Even as thetter approached, he did not run; instead, he pointed at Edward and shrilled, "What the hell do you think you''re doing? Are you nning toy your hands on me? Let me repeat myself ¡ªI¡¯m the Anderson family¡¯s only heir! My family will not let you off easy if you dare harm me! They¡¯! definitely avenge me!" He shot a death stare at Darius after saying that. Much to his disappointment, Darius ignored him and got straight into the car. Upon seeing that, Erin did not hesitate to get into the car, leaving Edward behind. That was when Edward paced quickly toward Austin, raised his leg, and kicked thetter back onto the ground. All Austin felt was a chill spreading throughout his body, then his stomach went numb while the rest of his body tremored fervently. He mused, "Am I about to die? I doubt this man and his subordinates are kind enough to let me walk away alive, especially since he came here for the Anderson family¡¯s wealth." Edward¡¯s eyes narrowed viciously at the shriveled blond on the ground. He snarled, "I was nning to let you off the hook when you nearly crashed into our car earlier.Little did I know a brat like you would have such a death wish! How dare you pull all these tricks?" Still lying on the ground, Austin¡¯s eyes widened. Before he could muster up a retort, Edward smirked. Thetter¡¯s eyes were so frosty that they made the hairs down everyone¡¯s backs stand straighter. Austin quivered uncontrobly. What terrified him more was that all words had failed him; his teeth chattered so much that he could not speak. One corner of Edward¡¯s upper lip raised at that sight. He interrupted the former by saying, "7m pretty sure I know what you wish to say. Let me guess¡ªyou want to threaten me, saying that if I do anything bad to you, the entire Anderson family wille for me? That they¡¯!] cause trouble for me and maybe even kill me?" Chapter 302 Chapter 302 Austin was still on the ground, his eyes ssy with fear. Edward had guessed every word he intended to say.However, the way Edward said those words made them sound less threatening. "Unless...he and that other guy earlier were never afraid of my family in the first ce," Austin thought. Realizing that, he quickly turned to look at Darius, who now sat in the car. He continued to ponder, "This man owns thetest gun model, whiches with a hefty price tag.It¡¯s enough to purchase at least a quarter of Anderson Group¡¯s shares! If I hadn''t identally seen : the gun earlier, I wouldn''t have realized it was such an expensive model!" He then propped himself off the ground, sitting upright while still trembling. Throughout the process, he cautiously eyed Edward.He knew Edward was a skilled fighter and was worried thetter would stop him from trying to talk to Darius. If that were to happen, he would never get the chance to see Darius again. Fortunately, things went smoothly; Austin turned to look at Darius through the car window. Darius¡¯ attention was not on Austin at all. Even his gun was now missing. A tinge of disappointment shed across Austin¡¯s eyes, thinking he had imagined everything. Meanwhile, Edward''s brows twitched slightly. He then walked over to ce a hand on Austin¡¯s shoulder. Austin had just sat upright, but Edward¡¯s brief contact made him sprawl on the ground again. Following that, Austin zoned out, his mind no longer focusing on the present. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Yet, he soon noticed that Edward had run out of patience. His body broke out in an uncontroble tremor while his eyes widened. Sadly, Edward did not allow him to speak. Edward stomped hard onto Austin''s shoulder, calmly stating, "I hate that look of yours. All I want to do is gouge your eyes out, so it''ll take a lot of effort from me not to act on that urge." That only terrified Austin even more. Without giving the matter more thought, he shut his eyes, then thrashed around to break free. He assumed escape would be easy since Edward¡¯s foot did not exert much effort on him. s, he soon realized how wrong he was; Austin kept feeling a force pinning down his neck no matter how hard he thrashed about. He parted his lips to plead for mercy, but Edward cut him off coldly. Let''s talk about how you deceived your friends, huh?" At that moment, Austin trembled so much that his bones seemed to shake beneath his skin. Although he did not like the friend group around him now, he could not deny that they were the only ones who could save him now; he could not afford to cross them. Thus, he suppressed the fear in his heart and blurted out, albeit still trembling, "You must be joking, sir.I¡¯ve never lied to my friends." After saying that, his tongue darted across his dry lips as his eyes rounded desperately at Edward, who smirked in return. Austiny still on the ground.He did not make any movements nor speak, as he had already made plenty of mistakes today. Before he could decipher the meaning behind Edward and Darius¡¯ smirks, he decided it was best toy still on the ground. "Impressive.It didn¡¯t take this kid long to realize he was the problem.He¡¯s even refraining from making any more rash actions," Edwardmented in his mind while smiling in approval. Nevertheless, the boy¡¯s sudden realization was not enough to stop Edward from speaking. Still smirking, he attentively examined Austin, not wanting to miss out on any change in thetter¡¯s expression.He then enunciated each word slowly, "You''re not the heir to the Anderson family.Besides, there¡¯s no telling if William Anderson himself knows he has a son or that you¡¯re his child." The other teenagers that had remained silent all this while silent raised their heads, looking at Austin in unison. "Austin Anderson," one of them snarled through gritted teeth, "Is that man telling the truth? Are you not the secret heir to the Anderson family? And your father didn¡¯t send you away from home because he wanted to keep you safe?" Austin¡¯s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. He red daggers at Edward, kicking around with a growing force as he wanted to get off the ground. Simultaneously, confidence thrummed in his veins while he boomed, "What did you say? How dare you? You can say anything about me, just not this! William is my dad, and he promised to give the company¡¯s shares to me¡ªmy name is in his will! The Anderson family will belong to me if anything happens to him, be it him dying or disappearing! As for Kate, who he publicly ims is his daughter, she¡¯s not his biological daughter! She''s the offspring of my dad¡¯s ex-wife and some other man! Her existence proves my dad got cheated on! Dad merely kept Kate to distract the public from the cheating scandal.That¡¯s the only way he could protect me!" His gaze drilled into the car, piercing through to Darius by then.He could tell from a while ago that Darius was Edward¡¯s superior, which meant only Darius could save him now. Hence, he stretched his neck as far as it would go to yell at thetter. At that point, he had struggled so much that his voice grew hoarse. "H-Hey, m-mister! That guy who got into the car earlier! I know this guy holding me down belongs to you.Pleasee out so that I can exin things to you.I can also show you the share transfer letter my dad left with me." Darius leaned against the front passenger with his arms crossed.His gaze darted ahead, communicating with Erin at once. Erin had since shifted to the backseat. Her brows furrowing in that instant as she reported, "Mr.Reid, this Austin Anderson guy seems like he¡¯s telling the truth.However, what he says doesn¡¯t match the results of my investigation." Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Darius seemed veryposed and did not even open his eyes while he nodded. Then, he opened his eyes, saying, "I''ve considered the possibility of this." He rested his arm against the car window, fists curling as he continued wearily, "Given Austin¡¯s age, he wouldn¡¯t have the guts to behave this way if he didn¡¯t have someone influential supporting him.Not to mention, he could never afford such an expensive sports car." His deduction garnered a sharp inhale from Erin. ¡®Judging from his looks, someone must¡¯ve told him about his rtionship with William not long ago while spoiling him rotten to gain his trust.When I got close to him earlier, I noticed he had sunburn marks on his body and calloused hands¡ªsomething only manualborers develop," said Darius. He leaned further into the car seat, his eyes narrowing. "That person must¡¯ve lied to Austin.Also, I bet said person owns some of Anderson Group shares.Otherwise, Austin wouldn¡¯t have believed them." "Try investigating from this angle," Darius eventually said while massaging the back of his neck. Without waiting for Erin''s response, he immediately grabbed the door handle and alighted the car. Outside, Austin had lost all hope, thinking Darius would not give him another chance to exin himself. Yet, as he shut his eyes in preparation for death, he suddenly heard the car door opening.His eyes shot open while he whipped his head toward the sound; true enough, Darius was walking toward him. Hope reignited in his eyes after seeing that. No one expected Darius to step out of the car¡ªnot even Edward. Seeing the former approach, Edward halted and turned to look at Darius. He greeted with the utmost politeness, ¡®Mr.Reid." Darius nodded, but instead of approaching Austin, he went to Maurice. After getting his gun confiscated earlier, Maurice tried his best to blend into the background. He also knew Darius was not someone he could afford to cross when thetter first arrived at the scene. Maurice¡¯s breathing deepened while his body stiffened, his eyes quickly darting toward the ground. Darius did not expect the young boy to be even more fearful than ever by his mere existence. Thus, he stopped halfway. "Does your dad treat you well?" That immediately dispelled Maurice''s fear, sparking curiosity in him instead. His eyes widened as he looked up at Darius at once. Although he wanted to know why Darius asked that, he refrained from asking it since he dared not upset thetter. He nodded and repliedpliantly, "yeah, my dad treats me okay." Darius kept a close eye on Austin¡¯s expression the entire time. He noticed the increasing suspicion and alertness in thetter''s eyes, which made him recall the email he had received much earlier; it was from an official department in Ashweir City responsible for overseeing and enforcing traffic safetypliance on highway roads. When William Anderson got arrested, Darius had invested a lot of money into this department in exchange for updates and information on William. A long while had passed since, and there was no response from them, so Darius assumed his expenses were all for naught. Hence, receiving an update from them now was a pleasant surprise for him. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Not to mention, the email included detailed descriptions of William¡¯s every action while in jail. That far exceeded Darius¡¯ expectations in a good way. The email rified William¡¯s rtionships with others in a straightforward manner. For instance, they exined how Maurice came to be William¡¯s nephew; Maurice appeared at an orphanage¡¯s gates a month ago. He then lived there until he was five before getting adopted by a daughter from the Anderson family. However, she and her husband¡¯s family refused to acknowledge Maurice as their family member. That was why they named him Maurice and did not allow him to take their family name. The other information in the email was essentially the same as what Darius previously learned; William had many affairs that led to several unofficial families. Some of his mistresses and children knew of his identity, while others did not. William had five illegitimate children, excluding Kate¡ªMaurice was one of those five, but someone had switched him and Austin''s ces when they were children. Throughout the past few years, William hesitated whether to name the young Austin or his legitimate daughter, Kate, as his heir. Sadly, before he could decide between them, he got arrested while rushing to Elizabeth¡¯s rescue. Having been in jail, he could never keep his position as Anderson Group¡¯s chairman for long, even if he got released now. The other directors in thepany would never allow their chairman, the face of thepany, to be someone with such a negative image. Therefore, William intended to withdraw from thepany and bequeath his position to an heir once he could leave jail. At that moment, Maurice remained unmoving, his gaze downcast. Even so, he could feel Darius¡¯ gaze boring into him. Maurice dared not do anything since thetter did not speak to him. All he did was freeze in silence. Like him, nobody at the scene dared to speak when they saw Darius in such a contemtive mood. A long while passed before Maurice raised his head to look at Darius. Although he seemed tense, there was also a hint of calmness in his eyes when he spoke. "Sir, I know you re someone remarkable with plenty of wealth, so please feel free to tell me what''s on your mind." While speaking, his lips curled into a bitter smile, and he shrugged. "I¡¯m sure you can already tell I¡¯m not well-received by any of my so-called friends here.None of them genuinely like me." It felt like a weight got lifted off Maurice¡¯s shoulders when he admitted that. Deep down, he let out a sigh of relief, but it did not show on his face. He calmly locked eyes with Darius and continued, "They don''t treat me well, not because of something I did or howI behave¡ªit''s because my parents adopted me." His words shocked everyone at the scene. Nevertheless, he resumed candidly, "I always knew I had grown up in an orphanage and that my adoptive family only showed up when I was old enough to attend school." Chapter 304 Chapter 304 "My adoptive family doesn¡¯t treat me as well as the outside world believes.Also, the woman who took me away from the orphanage ¡ªwell, she makes it clear how sick she is of me.My adoptive mother often expresses how helpless she is when I get picked on by everyone else, but I can tell she, too, doesn''t like me," Maurice revealed, testing the waters as he cautiously looked at Darius. Yet, disappointment soon tightened his chest to know the answer he wanted never came. Darius continued to stare at Maurice, knowing what thetter was thinking.He secretly found it funny how the boy reacted. While everyone was still stunned by the sudden turn of events, he raised his hand, hovering it over Maurice¡¯s head. That caused Maurice to stiffen, holding his breath until the former''s hand rested on his head. Only then did he calm down. Darius quirked a brow but kept his opinions to himself. All he did was calmly point out, "You were hoping to see if I knew your birth parents and whether I could tell you about them." Maurice rolled his eyes. He thought he hid his emotions well, yet Darius had somehow seen through him and urately guessed his every thought. One thing he did not anticipate, however, was how to deal with the situation before him. Silence ensued at the scene, making things even more awkward. Everyone felt the tension, including Maurice¡¯s peers, who watched from the sides. Maurice was not focusing on this; his eyes were rolling at a specific person¡ªDarius. A deep frown eventually marred his face when he realized everyone¡¯s attention was on him. Despite his annoyance, Maurice could not do anything about it. While twiddling his thumbs, he suddenly had the idea to sneak away from the side of his car and then drive away before anyone noticed. His breathing grew shaky at that idea. Still, he kept a firm and vengeful gaze, eyes darting from the escape route he mapped out to Darius¡¯ eyes from time to time. Darius did not move at all. He raised his brow while fixating on Maurice, whose eyes still rolled sardonically. Getting called out earlier left Maurice feeling more ashamed than before. Since he had never been in such a predicament, he did not Know how to resolve it. Adeep sigh came from Darius. He could almost see his younger self in the blond boy before him. While the two had entirely different life experiences, Darius was once a confused young boy who could rte to how Maurice felt now. Thus, he pointed at Maurice¡¯s car and said emotionlessly, "If you don¡¯t wish to continue with your current lifestyle, I think getting in that car and leaving is the best option.Because your adoptive family isn¡¯t as perfect as you think." Maurice¡¯s head immediately shot upward, shooting a prying look at Darius. Standing opposite, Darius did not mind the former¡¯s prying eyes, though, as they resembled that of a cautious child.He knew very well Maurice was only reacting out of fear. On top of that, Darius himself had experienced that specific type of fear numerous times ¡ªMaurice was afraid of getting abandoned again. Not a word came from Darius, who only raised his chin higher and ced both hands behind his back. At that point, Edward finally understood what was happening between the two.His face then lit up with joy at the oue of things as he had taken a liking to Maurice. One could even say Edward viewed Maurice as a child of his own. From the moment Edward saw Maurice earlier, he believed thetter would have made the perfect child. Thus, his features softened as he approached Maurice''s side. "I know you have many fears and doubts, but I can swear to you with every ounce of my being that you can trust me.After all, I¡¯m sure you can tell how much I like you." Edward ruffled Maurice¡¯s hair and candidly revealed his sentiments to the boy. While speaking, he knelt to meet Maurice at eye level, trying to be as sincere as possible. "If you¡¯re okay with it, I hope you¡¯ll agree to be my son.I understand you have many concerns still, but I think you should give yourself a shot at a loving family." Those words were so full of love and sincerity that Maurice¡¯s eyes became glossary with tears.He had never experienced such emotions before, so he stiffened on the spot, not knowing how to react. Not getting a response from the boy, Edward dejectedly retracted his hand. Yet, as he did so, a pair of hands speedily reached out to grab him. It was the first time Maurice had felt such warmth and affection from an adult¡¯s gaze.It was almost too blinding, so he loosened his grip and looked down. His hands then crossed before his chest as though he were a pouting child. A tender smile spread across Edward''s face just then. "Is there something you wish to say to me?" Head shooting upward in a split second, Maurice blushed fervently, then lowered his gaze to his hands. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. That was not what Edward expected from the blond boy. It perplexed him, and he could not decipher what thetter was trying to do. However, Maurice was quick to quell the former¡¯s confusion in the next second, exining, "I thought you''d be upset..." Edward quirked a brow, still unable to catch up to Maurice¡¯s thoughts. That was when Maurice looked him in the eye with a grumpier countenance.His mood had soured slightly, so he mumbled, "Because I didn¡¯t ask for your permission before touching your arm." Upon hearing that, Edward¡¯s jaw tensed. He had pondered the many reasons behind Maurice¡¯s statement earlier, but he never considered this to be the cause. It set off aplicated swirl of emotions on his face. He thought, "This kid must''ve been mistreated by his family¡ª wait, but then again, that¡¯s just my assumption.I probably shouldn''t bring it up now." Following that, he stood with both hands in his pockets, asking, "Well, then.Are you willing toe with us? You can leave this ce behind, including your previous living conditions." Maurice instinctively nodded before he even uttered the word "yes." Chapter 305 Chapter 305 However, just as Maurice was about to say the word, he paused before shaking his head. Edward raised both brows in confusion, not expecting this to happen. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Immediately after, his brows furrowed tightly, and he wanted to ask why. That was when Edward caught sight of a hinting look from Darius.He immediately fell silent but secretly panicked, unable to hide the growing anxiety in his eyes as he stared at the blond boy. Maurice¡¯s gaze was downcast, his fingers twiddling while tears brimmed in his eyes.He willed himself to hold his breath. Not wanting anyone to see him break down, he kept his head down. Still, he replied loudly, "That''s a huge decision.Before I decide, I have to ask my adoptive mother¡¯s opinion." He then raised his head and no longer concealed his emotions, earnestly saying, "It doesn¡¯t matter how she treated me before.Without her, I might not have survived until now.Plus, she¡¯s given me plenty of financial aid throughout my life.I never expected her to treat me like her actual son.Thus, I think the life she¡¯s given me is pretty decent, even if you disagree." His two hands had fallen to his sides, fists still coiled tight. Unwavering determination gleamed in his eyes that now focused on Darius. In response, Darius cocked a brow. He then shifted his attention to Edward, stating, "You¡¯ll be responsible for everything associated with this child in the future." He did not waste his breath on Maurice after that because Austin had crawled some distance away and was nearing thetter''s car. Darius tilted his head to stretch it before sauntering toward Austin. Not ashamed of fear appeared on Austin¡¯s face when he heard footsteps approaching him from behind.His hands were already touching the sides of his car, after all.He figured he could flee as long as he got into the driver¡¯s seat now. Yet, just as he grabbed the door handle, he felt a blow getting dealt to his back. He then fell to the ground with his back facing upward again. There was no escaping, even if his hand was already touching his car seat; the wound on his chest prevented it, and now that he got kicked again, he could barely breathe. Austin wanted to beg for mercy, but his attack did not allow him to speak. "We''ve already given you plenty of time to get away earlier.Yet, it¡¯s remarkable that even after this long period, you barely even made it into your car.That just shows you¡¯re not someone who cares about family," Darius¡¯ voice rang out. While massaging his temples, he continued, "This entire matter revolves around the Anderson family.I initially nned to pretend I didn¡¯t know anything, but I never imagined we would meet in such a way.Since you¡¯ve taken an opposing stance against me before anything has even begun, you¡¯re now a risk I¡¯m willing to take, regardless of whatever happens in the future.The concept is simple.I¡¯m sure you understand." Fear caused his eyes to widen, and a tremor spread throughout his body. He quickly shook his head, murmuring, "I-I won''t! Please! I swear I won¡¯t go against you if you let me off the hook today." "It¡¯s toote for that now," said Darius, whose head shook. "I already know you well enough.Our interaction today has given me plenty of intel on your character, even more than I received in my investigation." Austiny on the ground. Disbelief coated his massive eyes as he gawked at the former. "I¡¯ve wasted more than enough time on you at this point.You should be grateful for my patience," Darius continued. A nk look settled on his face, allowing a calm aura to radiate from his body. Beneath him, Austin gritted his teeth as bitter rage thrummed in his veins. Still, he knew there was saving himself now, so he stopped resisting; every muscle in his body rxed. He flopped on the ground but still asked, "I''m curious.Since you''ve already decided what to do, why have youe to tell me this now? I doubt it¡¯s random¡ªyou must have a motive." Darius¡¯ brow raised, then he shed a slight smile while nodding. "Indeed, you guessed correctly.Before I got off the car earlier, I found some information I believe will pique your interest.It¡¯s about how your birth parents switched yours and the real son of William Anderson¡¯s ces.That¡¯s why you bear the Anderson family name today." His voice was neutral the entire time. Following that, he reached behind him while turning to look at Maurice. While doing so, he said to Austin, "Although you''re slightly idiotic, I believe you should be able to understand me at this point." Austin¡¯s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. He whipped his head around to lock eyes with Maurice, who beamed innocently under the sun. Next to Maurice was Edward, who the former nearly killed earlier. The two were merely discussing something. It almost seemed like a heartwarming scene from a movie. The sight set off a bout of jealousy in Austin''s eyes. Although everyone would agree the two looked happy, he felt Maurice was undeserving of any happy ending. His eyes darkened grimly with every growing second. Darius smirked, raising a brow in amusement at that situation whilementing, "I¡¯m very much surprised by your current expression." Austin did not think Darius would speak again. After all, he assumed thetter was dead set on killing him then and there, so terror shrouded his face. Austin mbered to his knees, his eyes darting toward Darius¡¯ direction.He could barely hide the grueling pain he was in at that moment. Even though Austin could not breathe, he refused to believe that was the end. He ignored the sharp pain to point at Maurice, then back at himself. "You''re saying someone switched his and my ces when we were children?" Chapter 306 Chapter 306 Even Austin¡¯s broken ribs did not hinder him from loudly voicing the shock in his heart.He gradually dropped his hand, widening his eyes and clenching his teeth at Maurice. "That''s impossible!" Darius shrugged but did not speak anymore. That was when a woman¡¯s voice rang out from a nearby car. Apart from Darius, no one else had noticed it arriving at the scene. Moments passed when Kate descended the car, her arms crossed, and chin held high at Austin. "Today is the first time I¡¯ve ever heard your name.I know my father secretly had more than one family and how he fathered many bastards." "However." This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. A corner of her lip curled as she sneered, "I don¡¯t care.What concerns me more is that your mother¡ª my aunt¡ªhad been plotting to inherit the Anderson family wealth many years ago.She even used the despicable method of switching yours and Maurice¡¯s ces without us knowing." Still kneeling on the ground, Austin paled as his gaze shifted from Darius to Kate. Austin had seen Kate on television many times and knew she was a rtively naive person. At least, among everyone at the scene, she was the purest and most easily fooled. Thus, Austin scrunched his nose and crawled, trying to approach her. Kate stood unmoving, her eyes locked on Austin withplicated emotions. In truth, she was willing to ept the boy as her half- brother when she first learned of his existence. However, she never expected to receive a scandalous document shortly after.It ryed information and evidence about how Austin was a fraud. Many years ago, Kate¡¯s aunt lied about her biological son, which was Austin, being Kate¡¯s half-brother. She then adopted Maurice to cover her tracks. All of that baffled Kate, especially when she heard how her real brother, Maurice, had been living a life full of torment all these years. It made her feel very ufortable, even though she had never met Maurice, nor did she initially wee the idea of a half- brother. She stood rooted to the spot, uncertainty clouding her once bright eyes. Maurice was already heading into Darius¡¯ car, but he halted when he heard Kate¡¯s voice. Then, he swung his head around to look at her. His gaze, akin to a brilliant beam, struck through her body. Sensing someone staring at her, Kate frowned and turned toward the side of Darius¡¯ car. An adorable teenage boy¡¯s face soon came into her sight, causing her features to soften. Although she was unwilling to admit it, she felt fond of the blond boy, which made her sigh. She then silently turned her head to face Austin, who seemed confused and had his hands on his hips. The truthing from Kate and Darius¡¯ lips puzzled him more. Little did he know he was once aware of the switch when he was much younger. It was just that a lot of time had passed, so he forgot. That was why everything seemed new to him. Austin pressed his hands against the ground in hopes of standing, but it was to no avail because his heart would ache every time he exerted force through his hands. That was only natural since his chest got injured earlier. Darius raised his wrist to look at the time before clearing his throat to announce, "I¡¯ve wanted too much time here." That instantly alerted Kate, who straightened her back. Austin was struggling to stand but suddenly felt a sense of foreboding when he saw Darius and Kate¡¯s interaction. He knew he would be in grave danger if his condition did not improve. Meanwhile, Kate had already stopped thinking about things. She stood still with her hands behind her back and spoke calmly. "I never saw you as mypetitor because I believe the Anderson family''s assets were the products of my father¡¯s hard work.Thus, those belong to him and have nothing to do with me.Of course, I¡¯ll be delighted if he¡¯s willing to bequeath them to me¡ª but I won¡¯t care too much if he doesn¡¯t.That said, many of the Anderson family members have tried to harm me in pursuit of my father''s wealth.That has made it clear to me that we may be a family, but money means more to them than blood rtions¡ªjust like how you¡¯re behaving now." A long but subtle sigh came from Kate. She then shook her head andmented, "You''re supposed to be my cousin, brother, or whatever.Yet, you''re treating me as an enemy because you¡¯ve fallen victim to your mother''s scheme." Hearing her disapproving sigh, Austin stopped resisting. He allowed his body toy t on the ground again as he raised his head and sneered at Kate. "How funny.Firstly, you¡¯re standing before me and saying many things, but you never mentioned giving up the Anderson family¡¯s wealth.Secondly, you didn¡¯t reveal what you¡¯re going to do next.I bet you¡¯re secretly going after the money too." He shut his eyes but shed a smirk while he taunted, "Don¡¯t be offended by my words.I''m not trying to humiliate you or cause you trouble.Besides, everyone here knows what you¡¯re doing ¡ª you¡¯re showing off your victory at iming the inheritance to me, your rival who''ll likely die tonight." Kate frowned and shook her head. Instead of anger, she adopted a gentler expression, knowing better than to me the boy for a fate he had no say over. "I know you might not believe me, but I still want to tell you this¡ª whatever you think I¡¯m trying to achieve isn¡¯t true.Seeing you run out of strength¡ªwell, I only wish for you and Maurice to live on and continue your carefree lives.Also, I hope to bond with you two through this incident.I want to up for whatever shorings you previously faced and ensure that both of you live happily." She stared straight into Austin¡¯s eyes, her gaze bold and unwavering.It was so intense that thetter felt ufortable, especially since he could not detect any malice from her. Chapter 307 Chapter 307 Austin¡¯s brows crinkled closer.His head shot upward as his eyes pierced through Kate, hoping to catch her off guard and see what she thought. Everything went as he predicted, but sadly, he did not see what he wanted in her eyes; there was a whirlwind of fear, anger, dissatisfaction, hurt, and many more emotions. The one feeling absent in her gaze was a raging desire for him to die. Before looking at her, he assumed she only felt hatred at that instant. If he had to dig deeper, he would have guessed there was a Sadistic joy in her eyes, eager to see him die. Yet, reality turned out different from what he had expected. Every part of his body tensed while a frosty aura radiated from him. It contrasted with Kate¡¯s warm and inviting presence, something he refused to wee with open arms. Kate lowered her head, simultaneously shivering as though the air was cold. It took her a while to discern what the boy¡¯s pointed stare meant; eventually, she realized he was angry. Still, she assumed his reaction was merely a fearful response toward his inevitable death for crossing Darius. Pursing her lips, Kate pondered her next move for some time, then turned to face Darius with a set of doe eyes. Her voice sounded small as she pleaded, "Darius, I know you¡¯re a good person.Austin may have made many mistakes, but he¡¯s just a boy who didn¡¯t have a role model or anyone to guide him on the right path while growing up! But now, I¡¯m willing to fill in that role for him.Please, can you give him a chance to live for my sake?" Warm tears filled up her eyes with every growing moment. Although, it was never her intention to appear desperate. Nevertheless, her body could not help reacting that way from the overwhelming pity she felt for the boy. Even her voice trembled as she spoke those words. Meanwhile, Austin felt a burst of energy in his body, allowing him to push himself off the ground. He temporarily ignored the intense pain in his chest, something he could not do before. No one paid much mind to that, though, as they were busy gawking at him. Because logically speaking, a person on his deathbed should not be attracting their murderer''s attention¡ªyet, Austin did so.He bared his teeth at Darius but surprised thetter with what he said next. "I¡¯m sorry for everything I did to you, Kate.But, since Darius is about to kill me, I might not have the chance to apologize or ask for your forgiveness.Nevertheless, I don¡¯t want you to beg him for mercy on my behalf anymore.He¡¯s an evil man." Darius shrugged, feeling Austin was unreasonable. Not wanting to waste another second, he narrated his actions while doing them. "Watch closely, kid.One has to load their gun, then take the safety off." A crisp click rang out, indicating the gun¡¯s safety lock had gotten deactivated and was ready for firing. Kate could not help but yell at Darius. Even so, she maintained a pleasing tone instead of aggressively screaming. At the same time, Kate had already rushed up to Darius¡¯ side, her trembling hands gripping his cor. She assumed doing this would work like it did several times before. Never did she expect Darius to only stare at her without responding. However, his stare felt icy, as if he had pushed her into a frozenke. Goosebumps prickled her skin in that instant. That was the second time he looked at her that way; the previous one was when they first met on the ne when she taunted him. She did not think she would ever be the target of his terrifying stare again, yet it happened. Every part of her body stiffened, and she dared not utter even a word before him. Perplexed by her reaction, Darius did not hide his emotions; he raised a brow, grabbed Kate¡¯s wrist, and led her behind him. He then turned to look at Erin, instructing, "Take her back to the hotel." Erin¡¯s expression did not change one bit. Despite how much it upset her to see Darius holding Kate''s hand, she nodded. "will do, Mr.Reid.I¡¯ll get it done." With that, she elegantly strolled before Kate, leading thetter to the car Kate had arrived in earlier and opening the back door. She stood slightly behind the door with her arms outstretched to prevent Kate from bumping into the hood. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Her voice sounded neutral, gentle even, as she said, "Go ahead, Miss Kate." Kate did not move, her eyes focusing on Darius with growing concern. That did not escape Erin¡¯s notice, so she calmly pointed out, "Miss Kate, the reason you''re reluctant to part with that boy is that your emotions have clouded your judgment.Whatever you may feel or think now is far from reality.The truth is that Austin simply doesn¡¯t deserve any pity." Only then did Kate snap out of her daze. Furrowing her brows, she shot an interrogative look at Erin. Much to her dismay, thetter met her gaze but was adamant about not rifying things. Kate knew her best option under the current circumstances was to get into the car. Still, she could not bring herself to leave, so she turned to nce at Darius again. What she saw next was Darius sitting in his car and staring at the road ahead. Not once did he look elsewhere nor at her. "Gosh, even his side profile is devilishly handsome..." she murmured. Little did she know that Darius was an enlightened martial artist, so he could still hear everything even if Kate had spoken with an inaudible tone. Seeing Kate lower her head in disappointment, Erin sighed and curtly said, "I know you¡¯re confused, and I¡¯ll exin things to youter." They then drove away, leaving Austin on the ground with his eyes wide.He never thought Kate would choose to abandon him. It left him in a state of shock, his lips parting but incapable of making a sound. More time passed before he ultimately mped his lips shut. Chapter 308 Chapter 308 Austin¡¯s attention was on Kate, who continued to gaze longingly at him but did not seem like she was getting out of the car anytime soon. Only then did he truly realize he was getting deserted. The youngdy, whose name appeared several times in the background research documents he asked for, now behaved far more mercilessly than her supposed "naive" nature. His jaw fell wide open as he cried, "what are you doing, Kate? I¡¯m your brother! So what if we have different fathers? We still share the same bloodline¡ªwe¡¯re both Andersons! I¡¯m just an Anderson on my mother¡¯s side.Yet, you¡¯re ditching me here? I know you¡¯re capable of saving me! It¡¯s just that you¡¯re not trying harder!" He yelled louder with every passing second.He would have run after Kate¡¯s car if not for the pain in his chest. On the other hand, Kate was frowning. Her chest tightened with guilt when she heard his hoarse cries. Panicked, she turned to look ahead at Erin, who did not hesitate to start the car and pull down the handbrake. It was evident that Erin did not n to stick around and wait for Austin. Kate turned the other way and saw Darius looking down at hisp while in his car. Based on her guesses, she felt he was likely working on aptop. When Kate looked up, Edward had already approached Austin, whoy on the ground again.She had no clue what had happened in between but could tell the view outside her window seemed peaceful. Nothing about the scene seemed like someone was about to die, except for the screaming teenagers that tried to flee. That final detail made everything click into ce; everyone¡¯s actions proved to Kate that Austin was unimportant to them. Thus, she gulped and asked meekly, "Miss Erin, about Austin...is there really no turning back for him?" One of Erin''s brows raised. Not a word came from her as she did not know how to respond. She thought, "Austin''s existence is indeed a mistake.Not to mention, he¡¯s done horrible things and hurt many people, including Kate.He¡¯s about to receive the punishment he deserves, yet Kate¡¯s here, trying to plead on his behalf? Why would she do this? Then again, I won¡¯t ept her reasons¡ªAustin¡¯s punishment is long overdue." At the same time, in the other car, Darius¡¯ lips curved into a sincere smile when he sensed what Erin was about to say. A frosty look took over Erin¡¯s face while she coldly replied, "What you said surprises me, Miss Anderson.There is, indeed, no turning back for Austin.He has harmed so many people, and the suffering he caused them is irreversible." While she spoke, her eyes remained glued onto the rearview mirror, taking in the way Kate¡¯s face warped. The final expression on Kate''s face seemed to say, "What do you mean? Why don''t I understand what you''re saying?" Erin could no longer maintain a controlled demeanor by then, so she stopped trying. "I know you have feelings for Mr.Reid.Many other outstanding women surround him daily, and I don¡¯t really mind their presence." Kate''s lips thinned while her eyes narrowed. It was because she knew very well what Erin meant; thetter implied she was not an outstanding or worthy enough of a woman to stay by Darius¡¯ side. Kate parted her lips, closed them, then repeated this motion several times before dejectedly lowering her head.She could not refute Erin¡¯s words, as they were the truth. Shutting her eyes, Kate let out a long sigh like she was surrendering. Just when she thought the conversation had lulled, Erin spoke up. "Therefore, if you can¡¯t improve yourself in every aspect to weather any storm alongside Mr.Reid, I hope you can at least stand firmly behind him.Don¡¯t cause him any more trouble." Those words took Kate aback, her eyes widening in disbelief at the former. She assumed Erin would intentionally start a catfight with her because they were both women, and she could tell Erin had a crush on Darius too. Kate was so baffled that she did not reply to Erin. Even so, Erin did not mind and continued with a neutral tone, "You''re the Anderson family¡¯s only heir.At least, that¡¯s what the outside world sees.If I were you, I¡¯d quickly go to thepany and get involved with their affairs.That way, no matter what happens¡ªeven if any more people get in your way or if your father returns, no one can take thepany from you.Having Anderson Group equals owning your father¡¯s wealth and authority.Likewise, you don¡¯t have to beg anyone for answers to your current questions.Someone will eventually deliver the information you desire to you." Silence befell the car after that. In the backseat, Kate was busy processing the weight of Erin¡¯s words. She had never heard of such a concept or dealt with something like that before, so it stunned her. After weighing her options and realizing there were no drawbacks to the n Erin suggested, she nodded sternly, thinking Erin was right. A grim silence filled the space during the rest of the car ride back to the hotel. Unlike the seriousness between the two women, the atmosphere in Darius¡¯ car was much livelier. Darius sat in the front passenger seat. He shut hisptop and leaned his back into the cushioned seat, his muscles tensing from the noise in the car. Behind him was an inquisitive Maurice, who could not stop bouncing around in the car while bbering. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. "Sir," Maurice said, "What¡¯s your name? I mean¡ªyour car looks expensive, and since you¡¯re giving me a ride in it, I feel I should address you formally." Darius snorted, wanting to ignore Maurice. However, the past ten minutes taught him that the teenager would only make more noise and speak louder if he did not respond. Hence, he gritted his teeth while enunciating each word, "My name is Darius Reid¡ª" Before he had even finished his words, Maurice''s chirpy tone rang out. "So, can I call you Mr.Reid?" Chapter 309 Chapter 309 "I¡¯ve always wanted live in a normal family, but I never got it.That¡¯s why I¡¯ve lost all hope of having that life." While speaking, he leaned against the backseat, sighing deeply. Only silence came from Darius as his nostrils slightly red without anyone noticing. The coppery stench of blood then hung at the back of his throat.It grew when Edward''s footsteps came closer to their car. At that moment, Darius knew things had gotten settled. Maurice had been looking out the car window for some time now. Thus, he saw everything that happened. Now that Edward had returned, Maurice turned to look at Darius with aplicated expression. All he asked was, "Mr.Reid? Are you someone with loads of money?" This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Darius instantly understood what the boy meant and responded with an unexpectedly calm tone, "That I am.However, I don¡¯t think poorer people should get killed at random or have their dignity attacked by others.I know what you¡¯re thinking¡ªI shouldn''t have executed Austin Anderson." Those candid words made Maurice¡¯s eyes widen. Yet, his gaze quickly returned to normal as he leaned into the seat, presenting himself with a calmer demeanor as he nodded. "Yeah, that¡¯s what I was thinking.He¡¯s the same age as me, and he¡¯s always gotten sheltered by his family, which makes him ignorant of many things.So, I feel you should¡¯ve tried to forgive him earlier." A grin curled across Darius¡¯ face just then. Although that was the case, his eyes became steely. Maurice could feel his bones trembling beneath his skin as he looked into the former¡¯s eyes. Intimidated by the suspense, he lowered his head at once to focus on the bottom of the car. Maurice knew it was probably wiser to speak or, at least, give a reaction to Darius. Sadly, he could not manage even a squeak as fear had lodged at the back of his throat. Not to mention, Maurice did not know how to alleviate Darius¡¯ discontentment. That was why he pursed his lips tightly shut, his gaze downcast. The longest time passed, and Darius never got a response from Maurice, so he raised his head and noticed the boy¡¯s gloomy expression from the rearview mirror. His brow quirked before his eerily amused expression vanished entirely. s, that only made Maurice¡¯s heart race more. His lower lip quivered while he thought, "I shouldn¡¯t have disagreed with Mr.Reid. That¡¯s a huge mistake. The whole thing is insignificant, but there¡¯s now a massive gap between us because I had to shove my honest opinions at him, and I don¡¯t know how to fix it..." The cogs in his brain spun faster as he desperately wanted to resolve the tension. Although, before he coulde up with an idea, Darius spoke up. "you''ve hung out with him for as long as you can remember," Darius said with absolute confidence. Maurice¡¯s heart dropped to his stomach. It was more than apparent how Darius knew Maurice¡¯s entire background and lifestyle like the back of his palm, despite only I crossing paths with thetter just recently. While Maurice was still brainstorming an appropriate response, his body was one step ahead; he stiffly nodded and said, "Yeah." Upon hearing himself, Maurice¡¯s back straightened out of shock while his eyes darted toward Darius.His chest rose and fell quickly with so much anxiety that it took him a while to collect himself. Only then did he sigh, slump his shoulders, and glumly hold his head with both hands. "You''ve already investigated everything about me, so there¡¯s no need to hold back from asking whatever¡¯s on your mind.I won''t lie to you anymore." After saying that, he resignedly met Darius¡¯ stare. Still, he did not expect Darius¡¯ dull expression to remain unchanging. Nothing about Darius was different. Even when the air conditioning¡¯s wind blew against hisshes, they remained perfectly in ce. Maurice then sat straighter and brought both knees together while resting his hands on them, looking obedient. Sensing that change in the former, Darius raised a brow before shutting his eyes, sighing, and resting back in his seat. "Very good.You¡¯ve made the right decision to behave this way¡ªsitting as though you can¡¯t hear a thing, even when you¡¯re gritting your teeth and making the leather-covered seats creak in your curled- up fists." He snarkily chuckled as he finished saying that, causing Maurice''s brows to draw close. Maurice parted his lips, wanting to speak. That was when someone opened the car door. There were many opinions Maurice wished to voice, but in that instant, he forced the words back down his throat. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead while his breathing grew rigid. At the same time, he shed a relieved smile at the person interrupting him, feeling grateful as he nearly fell for Darius¡¯ taunting. Yet, when he turned to face the driver¡¯s seat, doubt instantly erupted in his mind¡ªthe person joining them was not Edward. Instead, he saw a face that had suddenly vanished from his life and constantly reappeared on television many yearster. He even recalled seeing this person call his name on television several times. "If I recall correctly, he goes by Felix Katon now," Maurice thought, his eyes narrowing alertly. His reaction was natural since the person was a familiar face yet also a stranger to him. He mused, "Regardless of mine and Felix¡¯s rtionship, he shouldn¡¯t have randomly appeared before Darius like this¡ª especially not when I¡¯ve been watching out for my surroundings.Yet, somehow, I didn¡¯t notice Felix sneaking into the driver¡¯s seat." With that thought, he loudly interrupted the conversation between Felix and Darius, "Felix, I never thought we''d meet again under such circumstances." Perplexed, Darius raised a brow while shifting his attention and energy from Maurice to Felix. Chapter 310 Chapter 310 What Maurice heard next bewildered him, even though it was a detail from many years ago. Felix straightened his back almost instantly. He also adopted a strident tone as he exined, "Mr.Reid, he and his boss once came to propose a business coboration with mypany.It¡¯s just that they got kicked out." He did not borate on thetter half of the information as he believed rifying the first half was enough for Darius to guess what came next. Darius could tell Felix was a reasonable person, so he did not speak and merely turned to lean his back against the car seat before shutting his eyes. Maurice had more to say but did not know where to begin because he was too shocked. It took him a few moments to mull over his options. Eventually, he remained silent but kept a cautious eye on Darius and Felix. Maurice had figured Darius was insanely rich from thetter¡¯s overall behavior. However, he had sorely underestimated the extent of Darius¡¯ wealth; in fact, he dared not even guess how wealthy thetter was. On the other hand, Maurice had long lost contact with Felix, who had since be a household name as a famous actor and asional singer. Sometimeter in life, Maurice learned from a television interview that his expenses for an entire year were equivalent to the price of a single one of Felix¡¯s meals. Maurice was initially unbothered by this, but it broke his mind to hear someone with avish lifestyle like Felix addressing Darius with the utmost formality. Meanwhile, Felix took Darius¡¯ passive reaction as a cue to stop speaking, or else he would interrupt the latter''s rest. Thus, Felix mped his lips shut. Seeing that indicated to Maurice that he should not keep quiet. Still, he could not help speaking, especially when he saw Felix¡¯s gaze lingering on Darius. He had gotten ignored by Felix the entire time. At that point, Darius¡¯ breathing was deep and more rxed, indicating he had fallen asleep. "You haven¡¯t answered me, Felix," Maurice asked, deciding that was the perfect time to speak. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. His tone was subdued, fearing he would wake Darius if he raised his voice even slightly. "Why are you here?" "you''ve always been quite the cheeryedian as a child.I never imagined you would turn out this way," Felix remarked while rolling his eyes. He did not say anything more afterward, wanting to maintain the silence for Darius¡¯ rest. To his annoyance, Maurice refused to go along with it; the boy¡¯s arm speedily shot from the backseat to grip his shoulders. Not a trace of emotion showed on Felix¡¯s face as he stayed in the driver''s seat. As for the arm that clutched his shoulder, he paid no mind to it entirely. Maurice could tell the former was ignoring him. Although such a thing often happened in his past 15 years, he could not tolerate being disregarded by Felix. His chest sank deeply with rage as he stifled a growl. It was not long before Edward¡¯s footsteps neared the side of the car. Once Edward arrived, Darius did not open his eyes but reached up to roll down the window. Upon hearing that, Maurice retracted his arm, and his breathing became shallow. He peered at Darius while bobbing his Adam''s apple. Darius could tell the former''s gaze seemed to tip-toe around him cautiously. He even detected a hint of anticipation inside the boy''s eyes. Even so, he did not turn to address the boy¡¯s actions nor open his eyes. That was Edward''s first time seeing Darius behave this way. Although he had not served Darius for long, he could clearly tell those actions meant thetter was in a bad mood. Not knowing how to react to such an unprecedented situation, Edward could only lower his head as he froze by the passenger door. Apprehension oozed from his every pore, much like Maurice and Felix¡¯s reactions. Thetter two were equally, if not more, on edge because of Darius¡¯ frosty silence. Sensing the two¡¯s breathing had quickened, Darius gradually opened his eyes and said, "I agreed to let you keep Maurice Anderson around. However, that¡¯s one of the few decisions I¡¯ve ever made that I regret." Everyone, except for Edward, took a sharp inhale upon hearing that. A grim tone filled Edward¡¯s subdued voice as he said, "Rest assured, Mr.Reid.I¡¯ll keep a close eye on Maurice 24/7.I won''t let any issues in his life slip away from my watch.Likewise, I''ll train him to perfection before letting him appear before you again." Grave silence filled the car after that. Only the faint sounds of everyone¡¯s inhales and exhales could be heard. It ensued for some time before Maurice could not stand the suspense. He cautiously looked up, wanting to catch a glimpse of Darius¡¯ current expression. s, before his head raised entirely, he felt a force pressing his head back down. That was when Edward had turned to look in Maurice¡¯s direction but still maintained a respectful countenance. His voice seemed to split into two tones, one warning Maurice while the other gave a solemn promise to Darius. "If I fail to do so, I will make him disappear from this world." Not a single response came from Darius even after that. Edward¡¯s forehead grew sweatier by the second. He had always viewed Darius as easy-going, so this was his first time encountering thetter¡¯s cruel side. It made his eyes tremble in their sockets as he did not know what Darius wanted. The situation continued for what felt like forever, causing Edward to feel things were disadvantageous for him. A frown tainted his face at once. He realized they had been here for longer than nned, which was different from how Darius was rushing earlier. "In other words, Mr.Reid is way angrier than ever." With that thought, sirens went off in Edward¡¯s head. Goosebumps raised all over his limbs as he unknowingly pressed Maurice¡¯s head lower. The idea hit Edward so suddenly that his increased strength caught the boy off guard. Maurice was unprepared for that, so he acted ordingly to Edward¡¯s guidance, bowing his head at Darius. Chapter 311 Chapter 311 What shocked Maurice more was that he felt a surge of warmth in his veins when Edward forced his head to lower apologetically at Darius. He rolled his eyes before ultimately giving in, adopting a sincere and formal tone as he dered aloud, "Don¡¯t worry, Mr.Reid.I can attest to everything Mr.Elliot, who I¡¯m making my mentor now, has said.Alongside what he promised, I swear this under God¡¯s witness¡ªI¡¯m pledging loyalty to you now.If I ever harm you or your family, the Lord is free to condemn me with eternal punishment." The 15-year-old boy¡¯s promise rang out clearly and with great strength. Darius gradually opened his eyes, turned his head, and shot a raised brow at Maurice. It shocked him to receive such an intense promise because he had never thought about training Maurice Anderson or other strangers to be the Reid family¡¯s bodyguard. Thus, it took him aback to hear Maurice willingly wanting to be his bodyguard. "Not to mention, this kid is swearing his future away to me while knowing he''s the Anderson family¡¯s only male heir," Darius thought. His features softened ever so slightly as he massaged his temples. Still, he kept aposed look while asking, "Are you aware of how your promise affects your future?" Maurice nodded solemnly. There was even a trace of excitement flickering in his eyes. "I know, Mr.Reid.It means I''ll be a piece of property owned by the Reid family, and any of the Anderson family¡¯s wealth will have nothing to do with me." While speaking, he suddenly adjusted his feet to get on one knee in the car.He then ced his right hand on his chest and locked eyes with Darius.His gaze brimmed with so much sincerity that it never once shrunk away. Following that, he spoke with gravity. "Dearest Mr.Reid, I haven¡¯t lived well in the past years of my life.No one cared about me or paid any attention to my needs.All they did was punish me whenever I got mischievous or made mistakes.Their punishments have lessened over the years as I¡¯ve grown older, but I know it''s because they want nothing to do with me anymore¡ªthey¡¯re trying to distance themselves.Truthfully, today was the first time anyone ever showed concern for me, all thanks to Mr.Elliott." "I want to stay with the people who show me kindness and warmth." His eyes were full of tears as he looked at Edward. Then, he turned back to face Darius and said, "And that includes you, Mr.Reid.You paid attention to me and realized what Icked¡ªa role model and some guidance to go on the right path.You even tasked Mr.Elliot with fulfilling those tasks for my benefit.I can never ignore all that you''ve done for me." A smile broke out on his face while he continued, "I also heard that the Reid family treats their subordinates well.I don¡¯t have high expectations for life, nor do I hope to gain many materialistic things ¡ªhaving my basic needs fulfilled is more than enough.Based on the average sry given to the Reid family¡¯s staff, I¡¯m sure I can use the money modestly and keep most of it as savings.A life like that means I won¡¯t have to worry about much and will undoubtedly live a happier life.That¡¯s far more beneficial than if I inherited the Anderson family''s wealth.Besides, there¡¯s no guarantee I can live long if I try to take over the Anderson family.I¡¯m only 15, after all.Without anyone backing me, I¡¯ll have to navigate everything alone, which makes my future seem bleak and full of challenges.Even if I sacrifice everything I have and work hard, the money I earn may not necessarily be mine¡ªI¡¯d have to share it with others, something I refuse to do." Maurice paused to catch his breath before resuming, "Moreover, my so-called dad, William, has bred four other children apart from myself and Kate.Since Kate was born legitimately through William''s former wife, and I¡ªer, Austin¡ª got acknowledged on my behalf as an official family member, it¡¯s only fair that the other four get epted too.However, I believe this is a price the Andersons can¡¯t afford to pay ¡ªboth in terms of reputation and money.As for me, I don¡¯t wish to im William''s ex-wife as my mother on paper just to inherit the Anderson family¡¯s wealth.My birth mother died when I was little, but she left me a letter.I could tell from her scribbled message that she was likely in great pain when writing it." At that moment, Maurice¡¯s voice grew hoarse while the rim of his eyes turned red.It even sounded like someone was pinching his nose as he spoke. Nevertheless, he firmly went on. "Her letter proves that she loved me dearly.It¡¯s something that boundless wealth can never give me." His eye hardened by then. Raising his head to meet Darius at eye level, he said, "There¡¯s no reason why I shouldn¡¯t join the Reid family to stay by yours and Mr.Elliott''s side.novelebook Simrly, I see no point in fighting over the Anderson family¡¯s inheritance." Finally, Darius beamed with pride. He looked and waved at Felix, who was still in the driver¡¯s seat. "You can start driving now." Edward then hopped into the backseat while Felix nodded, stepping on the pedal. Meanwhile, Maurice¡¯s eyes sharpened like daggers in the backseat. Felix sensed a vicious aura piercing into the back of his head and knew it was Maurice. Brows furrowing, he wanted to call out thetter but dared not upset Darius. Thus, he took a deep breath in and suppressed his annoyance. That was when Darius opened his eyes, lips pursing as he sensed the tension from the man beside him. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. "Maurice, if you wish to serve the Reid family, thuy you must first learn to conceal your emotions better and not make everyone ufortable." Maurice lowered his head and respectfully replied, "Yes, Mr.Reid.I understand." Felix never thought Darius would defend him. In truth, he was secretly nning toin about the boy to Darius. Yet, when he heard Darius¡¯ stern reminder to Edward earlier, he knew Darius favored Maurice over him. "Darius would never waste as much time as he did on that child with me," Felix thought. It was then that Darius¡¯ calm voice spoke up. "Felix, I believe you should work on yourself too.novelebook At the very least, ensure you don¡¯t get distracted when driving.Because I feel you¡¯re unworthy of joining the Reid family if it''s so easy for you to lose focus." Felix immediately fell deadly silent and paid attention to the road ahead. Chapter 312 Chapter 312 #No matter what happened during the rest of the drive, Felix kept his attention on driving the car ahead safely and swiftly. Like the former, Maurice was in equal distress throughout the drive. He sat in the backseat with both hands on his knees, gripping his jeans tightly while his gaze remained downcast. Only through doing that could Maurice hold back from asking the many questions in his mind. He even felt Edward¡¯s gaze lingering on him several times, but he dared not raise his head to speak to thetter. Edward initially knitted his brows with concern at the boy, but after some time, Edward would turn away quickly and silently while his shoulders trembled. Moments would pass before he looked ahead again with reddened eyes. Of course, Maurice knew the reason behind that¡ªEdward was not crying out of worry for Maurice. Instead, it was because he found Maurice hrious. Maurice pursed his lips, not knowing what to do as he could not pinpoint why Edward wasughing. His doubts continued to gue him until they arrived at the hotel. Only then did Darius awake from his rest. Maurice was about to open the backdoor and head out of the car when Darius suddenly grabbed the car key from the ignition. That prevented anyone from opening the car doors. The sealed interior made everyone except Darius nervous. Darius looped the key around his index finger, flinging them around as crisp metal clinking sounds rang out. Grim silence filled the car just like that. No one dared to speak as they did not know why Darius had locked them in the car. The situation prolonged until Darius put the keys on hisp, resting both hands on the armrests beside him. "Do you guys know why I¡¯ve locked you in this car for so long?" The three looked at Darius. Edward and Maurice, who were in a friendly rtionship with Darius, shot him a helpless look. Meanwhile, Felix, who did not have the best rtionship with Darius, only nced at Darius before quickly looking away. Darius took in every detail of how the three reacted before finally answering his question. "Felix has been serving the Reid family since long ago.We just haven¡¯t contacted him since our company hasn¡¯t needed his services these few years.Even so, ourpany has continued to support his independent career to this day¡ª" Before the former had even finished speaking, Felix could not stop himself from nodding. "Indeed, that¡¯s the truth.Yourpany hasn¡¯t contacted me after giving me a boost in my career.I was starting to feel neglected and unimportant.novelebook Hence, I was very excited when you approached me this time." He simultaneously turned around to sh a smug grin at Maurice. He spoke while nodding determinedly. "I''ll prove my worth to you! Since you n to expand yourpany¡¯s business here in Almiron City, I''ll do my best to help you replicate your influential status in Ashweir City here!" Darius kept silent but could tell Felix¡¯s words were sincere. Behind him, Maurice detected Felix¡¯s ill intent and frowned.He wanted to rebuke, but as he opened his mouth, he subconsciously looked at Edward, then at Darius. Seeing them made him mp his lips shut and lower his head again. Seeing that reaction from the boy, Felix¡¯s proudly waving hands lowered, much like his diminishing excitement.Still, he jutted his chin at Maurice and enunciated his every word. "Therefore, let this be a warning to anyone holding grudges against me¡ªdon¡¯t get in the way of my glorious ambitions!" His voice boomed haughtily. Yet, for some reason, it did not yield the desired effect of piquing the others¡¯ anger. Instead, it made him sound pitiful. The corners of Darius¡¯ lips twitched. Then, he looked at Maurice and stoically said, "Since you¡¯ve decided to serve me, stay in Almiron City to train for now.Many tasks require cooperation from both of you to be a sess.You two may have some past grudges, but that¡¯s between you.I won¡¯t interfere with your private affairs,novelebook but I hope your conflict won''t cause any issues with your work." When Darius finished saying that, his smile turned frosty. It emitted such a chill that everyone''s hair stood straighter. They even quivered from how icy his voice was earlier. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Now that Darius had made his point, he picked up the key and pressed one of its buttons. A crisp chirp sounded to indicate the doors had gotten unlocked. Following that, Darius got out of the car without sparing any of the three another nce. Maurice stayed in the backseat, his jaw wide open as he was still baffled by Darius¡¯ words. He pondered, "I¡¯ve never thought about it that way.Felix and I have been doing the same thing all this while ¡ªwe worked ourselves to our bones for the same goal." The thought of that made his heart pound.He clutched his chest, turning to face Edward, thinking that thetter thuy was his only chance at negotiating the matter. Thus, he cleared his throat to ask, "Mr.Elliot, could you help me with this?" Although Maurice spoke vaguely, his gaze made everything clear to Edward. Edward, too, turned to lock eyes with Maurice. He wore a nk expression, and because he was busy weighing the options in his mind, the way he turned his neck seemed mechanical. It sent Maurice into a plight. He could not tell whether Edward, who sat beside him in the backseat, was a human or a robotic personality that Edward hade up with to decline his unreasonable request tactfully. Chapter 313 Chapter 313 Maurice and Edward¡¯s eyes locked on like mas for the longest time. As Maurice was about to speak up, he suddenly heard a disdainful snort from the passenger seat ahead. Felix had remained silent the entire time but secretly thought, "Hah! That Edward is practically a dummy at this point.I doubt he''ll respond to Maurice." Maurice¡¯s heart almost fell out of his chest when he reached to touch Edward¡¯s shoulder. As soon as he detected an abnormality with thetter, he retreated two steps away and withdrew his hand. "y-You! W-What on earth are you? How did you possess Mr.Elliott? H-He was just sitting next to me a moment ago!" he muttered. His voice tremored so much that it took Edward a long while to understand what he was saying. As Edward thought about how to respond, new emotions and spections arose in Maurice¡¯s mind. When Edward finallyposed himself, prepared an adequate response, and turned to look at the boy, he found thetter retreating while curling into a ball like a frightened animal. That instantly left Edward lost for words.His forehead creased with a frown at Maurice. Instead of voicing his appalled feelings, he tried to keep quiet. Still, helplessness grew like a hurricane in his heart.So, he took a few deep breaths as he massaged his temple. "If you keep behaving like that, I can¡¯t guarantee I won¡¯t throw you out on the streets this once." After saying that, Edward reached out to grab Maurice¡¯s belt, dragging thetter closer to him again. Maurice¡¯s arms shot downward to his belt, but even with both hands, he barely had enough strength to resist Edward¡¯s pull. When he snapped out of his shocked daze, he was already back to sitting beside Edward. Seeing the frowning Edward, he sighed and tested out the waters. "Mr.Elliott? Were you umm¡ªwell, if I may ask, where was your mind earlier?" Edward rolled his eyes, not hesitating to smack the back of the boy¡¯s head lightly. "I¡¯ve been in the car this entire time.I was merely thinking about other things, so I didn¡¯t respond to your question." He then raised a finger and added, "That was the first thing I wanted to tell you.Now, let¡¯s move on to the second thing.novelebook I know your imaginative mind leads you to many fantastical thoughts.You may turn those ideas into written fiction, but you shouldn''t use them to specte about others as you please." Maurice¡¯s eyes widened. That was the first time anyone lectured him about that, so he lowered his head gradually, his mind focusing on the empty driver¡¯s seat. Darius¡¯ presence still lingered in the air, despite him already stepping out of the car. He kept a close eye on the rearview mirror, where Maurice¡¯s every expression could be clearly seen. He could not help smiling when he noticed Maurice getting lectured and the boy¡¯s head lowering in apology without any retaliation. However, Darius¡¯ breathing shifted immediately after. The scene in the car amused him, but eventually, he felt a sudden chill down his spine. Tilting his head to the side, he realized Edward was also staring into the rearview mirror from inside the car, looking straight at Felix with a stoic countenance. Felix and Edward''s eyes met briefly; one would even say it was not enough time to blink. Still, it was enough to startle Felix into looking elsewhere. He ced a hand on his chest, taking a couple of quick breaths to calm himself. Throughout that process, he could still feel Edward¡¯s gaze burning a hole in the back of his head. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. It made every cell in his body stiffen as he gritted his teeth, turning around to bow his head at Edward. "I¡¯m sorry.We¡¯ve done things this way for many years, so I didn¡¯t realize my mistakes and left as I should''ve.Don¡¯t worry, though.It won''t happen again." That was when Maurice¡¯s voice rang out from the backseat. While he did not speak loudly, anyone could detect the trace of mockingughter in his voice. "And here I thought you were brave.Who''d have known you¡¯re actually quite the coward!" Not a word came from Edward, which only fuelled Maurice¡¯s arrogance. He ced both hands on his hips and raised his chin at Felix. "You''ve already made a mistake, so why don¡¯t you keep at it? There''s nowhere else to go but down the rabbit hole, am I right? novelebook I''ll believe you¡¯ re genuinely a courageous man if you keep going.Perhaps I might even improve my attitude toward you too." Maurice stared at Felix while saying that and could tell thetter was about to retort. Yet, once Felix¡¯s eyes briefly shifted to Edward, who sat next to Maurice, he decided not to say anything.He shut his mouth without hesitation. There was no longer a scowl on his face; All he did was roll his eyes. Then, he opened the door and silently got out of the car, heading where Darius had gone earlier. Long after Felix left, Maurice still stayed in the car. He lowered his head to hisp, holding his head with his arms while he stared at his feet. He yelled in his heart, "Who am I to taunt Felix for being a coward? That¡¯s not true, and I know it¡ª because I¡¯m the true coward.In the past 15 years of my life, Felix was the first person to show me what a friend could be.He cared for me.Yet, I was a confused child who didn¡¯t understand the warmth he showed me...so I responded through various negative means.I even acted like I didn¡¯t care when Felix left.Honestly, I don¡¯t know why I believed Felix had betrayed me all these passing years." Nevertheless, the love he suddenly felt from Edward earlier varied from Felix¡¯s friendship; thuy Edward''s willingness to take him in showed him what it was like to be protected by a family member. That was something Maurice had never felt before. Thus, it opened his eyes, making him more grateful than ever for everything he owned. Maurice even felt like he was willing to sacrifice his life to defend the happiness he now felt. While sitting in the backseat, his gaze grew firm with determination while his fists were coiled. Edward noticed Maurice¡¯s behavior but patiently waited until thetter¡¯s fists wer2 no longer trembling. Only then did he calmly state, "Perhaps you can try to let go of your past, be it your living habits, identity, or the things you learned." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!