Yankel's expression darkened when he saw the cuts and scratches on the rosy skin of Linda's wrist. Although he had only been using her to fulfill his physical desires and did not truly love her, he still could not tolerate anyone laying their hands on her. If anything, he viewed her as his property, and he could not allow anyone to get away with violating him. He stomped over to Iska's side and snarled, "Mr. Walbeer, what are you waiting for? Capture that man right now! How can you allow a good-for-nothing like him to cross me? You have to punish him! That'll teach him not to mess with Yankel Bristow!"Iska fawned over him. "Of course, Mr. Bristow! I'll capture him and get to the bottom of this!"Brandishing his baton, he plodded toward Liam and said, scowling, "I'm warning you, you'd better cooperate with us. There's no point resisting. You're no match for all of us anyway. Do you see this? This is an electric baton, and it will electrocute you once it comes in contact with your s
Iska approached Kolten with an obedient look and bowed at him. "Mr. Reath, I apologize for causing such a commotion. We found a gatecrasher and were just about to capture him for further investigation! Don't worry, Mr. Reath, we've got this all under control now."Iska was overjoyed by this. By capturing the masked intruder, not only would he be able to get on Yankel's good side, but he would also demonstrate his dedication to his job. He would certainly be rewarded and perhaps even promoted for this!He was fully expecting to be praised for his bravery, but all of a sudden, Kolten reached out and slapped him. "You idiot! You f*cking idiot! Who are you calling a gatecrasher? Do you have any idea what you just did?"Iska was absolutely dumbfounded. He stared at Kolten, wide-eyed with disbelief. The guests were all equally stunned. They could not believe their eyes! Why had Kolten slapped his own head of security for doing his job?However, what happened next stunned them all even mo
Yet, as the scion of the influential Bristow family, it was unlike him to be out of the loop. How could he be clueless about such a big shot in Durham City?That thought made Yankel's brow crease, his face taking on a grave cast.Celena, who had been quietly standing behind Liam, stared at the unfolding drama with wide eyes. Her gaze flitted between the masked Liam and the rest of the room, a mix of wonder and disbelief in her eyes.Liam remained calm and composed, his face hidden behind the mask but his frosty demeanor unmistakable. His gaze swept over the gathered guests with a detached demeanor before resting on Kolten."This came out of left field, and it's not your fault, so don't beat yourself up over it," Liam said, his voice even.Kolten muttered his thanks and turned to face Iskra and the others, his body exuding an icy fury. "Iskra, what were you thinking, waving weapons at this man? Do you have any idea who he is? He's the owner of Misty Manor, the big boss of tonight's
As expected, Kolten's brow creased at the mention of Yousef. He spoke, "Oh? The young master of the Bristow family from the provincial city, I see. I'm acquainted with your father Yousef, actually. You could even say we're almost like an uncle and nephew."Yankel's demeanor eased, and he let out a silent sigh of relief. It looked like Kolten was willing to let things slide for his father's sake.Yankel's embarrassment faded, and he replied with a grin, "Mr. Reath, my dad always speaks of you when we're at home, saying you're the man he respects most. He's always told me to take a page out of your book."Yankel, a seasoned player in the game of high-stakes business, delivered his lines without missing a beat. Under normal circumstances, such buttering up would have earned him a few nods of approval from Kolten.However, Yankel had overlooked a crucial detail. He had crossed the wrong man, the enigmatic Liam, who, behind his mask, held more power than Kolten could ever claim.Sure e
Suddenly, all eyes were on Linda.Holding her stomach, Linda could hardly believe what she was seeing. As she was still trying to process what was happening, Iskra and a few security guards swiftly restrained her, binding her hands behind her back.Two guards quickly led Linda to the exit. She writhed in their grip, her face etched with panic as she cried out, "What do you think you're doing? Release me this instant! Do you have any idea who I am? I'm Mr. Bristow's right-hand woman. If you dare touch me, Mr. Bristow won't stand for it!"In the midst of the turmoil, Linda had completely forgotten that it was Yankel himself who had set her up to take the blame. Then, she frantically searched for Yankel, her pleas echoing through the chaos, "Mr. Bristow! Mr. Bristow! Please, you have to save me... Mr. Bristow..."It was not until Linda was out of sight that the crowd turned their attention back to the hall, only to realize that Yankel had slipped away unnoticed.The commotion had end
"She's gone back??" Liam's face became pale. Without a second thought, he snatched up a coat and barked at Kolten, "Keys! Now!"Kolten fumbled the keys to his Rolls-Royce into Liam's waiting hand. Liam bolted for the parking lot, jumped into the car, and slammed the gas pedal to the metal, racing home.He had to beat Celena home. If she arrived first, the jig was up.Celena had quickly washed up and changed into fresh clothes before slipping out of the manor.The evening's events had left her with no desire to linger at the party, especially since Cheryl and the others had made it clear the night's festivities were none of her concern.Deciding to leave, she strode out of the villa and dialed for a cab. Then, Celena sat in the back of the cab; her gaze lost in the neon dance of the city lights.Her thoughts lingered on the masked figure from the party. Something about Mr. Miller's voice, the way he moved, struck a chord of familiarity within her.After questioning the maid who h
Right then, Liam emerged from the kitchen, a cup of steaming pear and vanilla bean juice in hand, and plopped down beside Celena, inadvertently hiding the mask from view.With his usual easy smile, Liam handed the cup to Celena. "So, you're back early. Did everything go well at the party tonight?"Celena accepted the cup, her smile freezing for a split second at the mention of the party. She did not want to dredge up the evening's events. Setting the cup on the coffee table, she mustered a smile. "It went fine, pretty smooth. I was just beat, so I headed home.""Gotcha. Sip on some of this, it'll perk you right up."Liam caught Celena's eye with a subtle glance and smiled. However, beneath the calm exterior, his thoughts were racing.He had made it back just in time, beating Celena home—the thought of what might have happened if he had not sent a shiver down his spine.Celena listened and nodded, her stomach in knots. She did not really feel like eating, but Liam had prepared the
As those recent disasters replayed in his mind, Yankel's anger blazed hotter. In a fit of rage, he booted the coffee table, sending it tumbling.He rose, pacing the living room like a caged animal. Then, struck by a sudden thought, he snatched up his phone and dialed Woden with a vicious sneer.Yankel, since his embarrassing defeat by Liam, had benched Woden. The official line was to let him lick his wounds, but Woden knew the truth. He was out of the game.For days on end, the Woden had holed up in his dingy rental, nursing wounds and numbing his pain with cheap liquor. Liam was the thorn in his side, the reason he was in that mess to begin with.Then, out of the blue, his phone buzzed with a call from Yankel Bristow. A flicker of hope sparked in his chest as he answered, "Mr. Bristow, what do you need? You can rely on me. I'm ready to brave any storm for you!"Yankel's reply came with a sneer. "You know what it means when my own bodyguard gets bested by Sunniva's, don't you? How