Aspen stood up gracefully and said, "Well then, Christie and I will take our leave. And I'd like to offer my early congratulations to you on your inevitable dominance of Jayrodale's underworld—this will create an even better foundation for our partnership." Atlas was thoroughly pleased with himself. He boasted, "Ms. Stevens, you clearly have excellent foresight, knowing that I'll soon control all of Jayrodale's underworld. Before long, you'll witness the golden age of our Northern District." Just then, one of Atlas's top lieutenants entered with a troubled expression and signaled urgently to speak with him. Atlas maintained his composure and said smoothly, "In that case, ladies, please excuse me from seeing you out." "Farewell, Mr. Giordano," Aspen replied with a polite smile. After leaving the Northern District, Christina turned to Aspen. "Aspen, investing 150 million dollars just like that makes me nervous." Aspen exuded complete confidence as if everything was already perf
Atlas' man quickly said, "Mr. Giordano, please calm down. These photos are from an unknown source and might not tell the whole story, and we should investigate first. Besides, Mr. Moore is our ally, and if we let this scandal tear us apart, wouldn't that play right into our enemies' hands?" Atlas snapped out of his rage and nodded repeatedly. "You're right! I almost lost my head there." His expression darkened as he realized these photos were likely Natasha's or Dylan's handiwork, meant to drive a wedge between him and Finley. "Dylan, Natasha, you're both quite devious," he muttered through gritted teeth. "But unfortunately for you, I'm not so easily manipulated." He silently vowed to deal with them both as soon as possible. Just then, another of Atlas's trusted men burst in, looking even more distressed than the man before. Atlas frowned. "What now? Why does everyone look like they're at a funeral?" The man's face was grim as he reported, "Mr. Giordano, I just received w
After his furious outburst, Atlas continued in an ice-cold voice, "Besides, even if this is Dylan and Natasha's trap, what do I have to fear? Do you think they'd dare to make a move against me on Rhodes family territory?" His men had to admit he had a point. Even if it was a trap, who would dare touch Atlas when he brought all his Northern District enforcers? Still, what truly terrified them was the possibility that Finley really was fooling around with Atlas' woman. In their world, there were certain unwritten rules, and messing with another man's woman was asking for a brutal death. … Ten minutes later, over a dozen SUVs screeched to a halt in front of the Rhodes family hotel. Atlas led the charge with dozens of his Northern District muscle trailing behind him, storming toward the hotel entrance. Michael was still lounging at the entrance with his legs crossed. He muttered, "Mr. Moore, I'm sticking my neck out for you here. You've got some nerve going after Mr. Giordano's
However, Michael was not ready to give up just yet. He struggled to his feet, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth while silently cursing Finley for getting him into this mess. He grabbed a nearby security guard and barked urgently, "Quick—use the stairs and warn Finley and Yvonne to escape through the back door!" The guard, startled by Michael's intensity, stumbled away toward the stairwell. Afterward, Michael frantically tried calling Finley, but the phone was still off. At least Atlas' men would need some time to search all the rooms. There was still a slim chance of avoiding disaster. … Meanwhile, Andrew, Dylan, and Natasha were seated at a cafe across from the hotel, calmly sipping their coffee. "Darling, your plan worked perfectly. Atlas just stormed in with his men," Natasha said excitedly to Andrew. "Now we just sit back and enjoy the show?" Andrew set down his coffee with a smile. "We'll enjoy the show alright, but first, we need to block all the escape rout
Atlas had personally shown up with his crew. Even with Finley's usual reckless bravado, he could not help but feel a pang of guilt and sheer terror. Meanwhile, Yvonne went pale as a ghost when she heard Atlas was there. "Atlas… is here? A-Are you sure?" she stammered, her voice trembling, tears already welling in her eyes. Finley shoved her clothes at her and barked, "Put them on! If we're caught lingering, neither of us is getting out of this alive!" Yvonne, shaking uncontrollably, burst into tears as she fumbled with her outfit. She cried, "This is all your fault! You're the one who wouldn't take no for an answer! You drugged me, Finley! You forced me into this—I'm the victim here!" Finley's face turned beet red as rage consumed him. Seeing her blame him while still not dressing herself drove him to the edge. He spat, "You lying tramp! Were you forced, or were you the one itching to get involved? Don't pretend you didn't know what you were doing! And now that it's done,
At the hotel's front entrance, Michael felt his heart pounding in his chest. "Mr. Giordano, we've searched every room, but there's no sign of them," one of Atlas' men reported. Atlas stood with his hands behind his back, his face cold and unreadable. On the other hand, Michael let out a long sigh of relief. 'Thank goodness Finley managed to escape,' he thought. At least now, he would not have to bear the consequences of this disaster. "Mr. Giordano, like I've told you before, you must have made a mistake," Michael said with a forced smile. "Our hotel isn't even open for business today." Trying to sound as casual as possible, Michael was eager to get Atlas to leave before something went wrong. However, Atlas gave him a sharp, icy glare, and Michael forced himself to stay calm, staring back without flinching. After all, he reasoned, Finley and Yvonne had already slipped out the back. Even if Atlas suspected something, he would not have any proof. Without evidence, there was n
Atlas' hand swung fiercely, landing a thunderous slap across Yvonne's face. "You bitch! At this point, you still dare to lie to me? I'll kill you!" he roared with unrestrained fury. The force of the slap sent Yvonne flying several feet across the room. She crashed to the ground, coughing up blood before falling limp and motionless. Michael watched in horror, his heart pounding as cold dread seeped into his veins. Atlas was not just angry—this man was ready to kill. "Mr. Rhodes," Atlas growled, his piercing gaze locking onto Michael. "Didn't you swear to me that this filthy pair wasn't in your hotel?" Michael stumbled backward, his voice shaking. "Mr. Giordano, I… I didn't—" Atlas did not wait for an explanation. With a wave of his hand, he barked, "Take this lying fool outside. Don't kill him—I don't need the Rhodes family breathing down my neck—but make sure he suffers. I want him begging for mercy, wishing he were dead." Two Northern District enforcers grabbed Michael w
Atlas snatched a few items from one of his men and threw them hard into Finley's face. "Finley, you claim that you and Yvonne came here just to rest and that nothing happened," Atlas growled, his voice sharp and cold. "Then open your eyes and tell me—what are these?" Finley shakily removed the items from his face, only to freeze in horror. His face turned crimson as he recognized the objects: two pairs of underwear that he and Yvonne had left behind in their frantic escape. Atlas's jaw tightened as he ground his teeth. He then grabbed one of Finley's lost red heels and a roll of crumpled tissues and tossed them at Finley with a forceful thud. However, he was not done. With a look of utter disgust, Atlas flung several used condoms at Finley, each hitting its mark. Finley recoiled in horror, dodging the sordid items as best he could. Around him, the Northern District men stared—some with anger, others with icy indifference, and a few with subtle disdain. Atlas was not the onl
With a sickening snap, several bones shattered under Logan's brutal kick, and Archie let out a bloodcurdling scream that made everyone's scalp tingle. "Mr. Keller, please, stop! I'm begging you! I was wrong! I was talking shit! I apologize—I apologize!" Archie flailed on the ground like a dying animal, completely stripped of his earlier arrogance. His body trembled violently, his face twisted in agony, but he did not dare show the slightest bit of temper as he groveled before Logan, crying and pleading. Logan casually strolled over and slapped him twice more across the face, with ruthless, bone-jarring force. Archie's head snapped to the side so hard it almost seemed like his neck would break, and his screams grew even more pitiful. Yet, not a single Hopkins fighter moved to help him. All of them stood frozen, faces pale with fear, too terrified to even breathe loudly. Logan's voice was calm but icy. "Tonight, if Andrew doesn't accept your apology, not a single one of you
"Andy, I'm here!" In the midst of the tense, frozen atmosphere, only Logan and Andrew seemed relaxed, chatting like old friends without a care in the world. Andrew chuckled. "Logan, you're acting way too friendly!" For once, Logan's face flushed slightly red with embarrassment. Truth be told, he and Andrew were not actually that close. However, orders were orders—George had made it clear that they had to secure Andrew's favor no matter what it took. If Andrew did not show much enthusiasm toward the Keller family, then Logan had no choice but to make up for it by being overly enthusiastic himself. "If you don't like it, how about you be the older brother and I'll be the younger one?" Logan's attitude was ridiculously accommodating as if he had no pride left to defend. No matter how awkward it felt, Andrew was someone the Keller family absolutely had to win over. Watching all this unfold, Tiana, Jameson, and the Hopkins crowd were even more stunned. It almost seemed like Loga
By some twisted stroke of luck, Archie's manhood—though bruised and swollen—had not been completely destroyed. While he silently thanked the heavens, his hatred for Tiana grew even deeper. That seductive married woman? He was determined to have her tonight, no matter what it took. Just then, Jerry and a dozen of the Rhodes family's top fighters finally arrived on the scene. Jameson, seeing that his people were in place, narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Mr. Hopkins, you really want to keep pushing this?" Archie let out a twisted laugh. "Mr. Rhodes, your wife hit me. That punk by your side hit me too! Do you really think someone like me, who cares this much about his reputation, is just going to let that go?" Tiana scoffed. "So what if we don't let it go? Mr. Hopkins, you're nothing more than a disgusting maggot. What are you going to do about it?" Archie screamed, his face flushed with rage. "Tiana, you filthy bitch! Do you think you're better than me? Tonight, I'll make
"This way, Mr. Lloyd, Mr. Rhodes, Mrs. Rhodes, and Ms. Rhodes—please!" Justin had completely changed his attitude, now grinning with over-the-top enthusiasm. He was practically bowing, a world apart from the snobby arrogance he had shown earlier. Tiana smiled faintly and said, "We'll be dining in the Celestial Suite now. That won't be a problem, right?" The manager nodded so fast it looked painful. "No problem at all, Mrs. Rhodes. Please, right this way!" Jameson patted Andrew's shoulder reassuringly and whispered, "Andy, don't worry. I already called our people. Jerry and the others are on their way." Andrew chuckled lightly. "Mr. Rhodes, there's no need to mobilize the whole family.The Hopkins? I can handle them myself." Jameson shook his head, thinking Andrew was just putting on a brave face. He believed Andrew, being new to Blumedale, could not possibly fend off the Hopkins on his own. Meanwhile, Andrew casually excused himself during dinner to make a quick call to
Everyone could tell Andrew was no ordinary martial artist. After all, he had taken down the Hopkins men like it was nothing. Nonetheless, the fact that he kept going and even dared to lay hands on Archie was pure suicide. "That little bastard is dead meat! Archie's gonna skin him alive!" someone hissed. "Yeah! It's one thing to slap us around, but hitting Mr. Hopkins? Does he think he's untouchable?" "Just wait. This fool's been used like a pawn by Mrs. Rhodes. Once the real Hopkins heavy hitters show up, he's gonna get slaughtered right here at The Palace!" Meanwhile, Archie caught another few brutal slaps from Andrew. Chunks of his thick beard went flying through the air. Archie howled, "You little punk! You've pushed it too far! If I don't kill you tonight, I'll change my damn last name to yours!" Grimacing with rage, Archie pulled out his phone and snarled into it. "I just got attacked at The Palace. Bring the whole crew over—now! "Yeah, you heard me. Tonight, I'm w
The others around them sneered and snickered. "Kid, you're all skin and bones. Do yourself a favor and get lost." Another chimed in, "Mr. Hopkins doesn't even take the entire Rhodes family seriously. What makes you think you stand a chance, you low-level nobody?" "Heh, did you all hear it earlier? Tiana said they are his in-laws. Damn, this kid hit the jackpot. Tiana and her daughter? Both absolute knockouts." One remarked, "No kidding. That lucky punk, I envy him like hell. If it were me, I'd be laughing in my sleep. Bagging a mother-daughter pair? That's the dream, man… pure heaven." A few filthy-mouthed degenerates let loose with their vulgar fantasies, and the air instantly grew more volatile. The tension between both sides was now on the brink of exploding. Tiana let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Looks like Mr. Hopkins isn't the only one talking shit tonight. Some of you have even more sewage coming out of your mouths." She turned to Andrew, her smile sharp as ice. "Come
Justin instantly sensed something was about to spiral. He rushed forward and tried to defuse the tension. "Mr. Hopkins, please calm down. We're all just here to have a nice dinner—no need for this." Archie clutched his swollen cheek, his face twisted with rage. "Calm down? Get out of my face! If you say another word, I'll end you too!" Justin flinched and quickly backed off, no longer daring to speak. However, as he glanced toward the Rhodes family, his eyes burned with resentment. He cursed them for being foolish. Despite knowing they could not go up against the Hopkins, they still had to throw punches. He could not help but think they were just asking for it. Lauren's voice rang out cold and firm. "Mr. Hopkins, what are you trying to do? Start a war?" Archie bellowed with laughter. "Big mouth on you, you little bitch! With your trashy Rhodes family, you're not even qualified to go to war with the Hopkins!" He sneered, eyes gleaming. "But don't worry—I'm not just gonna tak
Justin's face twisted in discomfort, but before he could say anything, a loud voice boomed across the entrance. "Mr. McGrath, you can step back! If Mrs. Rhodes wants to dine in our Celestial Suite, then she's more than welcome!" As the voice faded, a burly man with a thick beard strode over. The giant crystal ring on his hand and the heavy gold chain across his chest made it clear—this man was rich, but absolutely tasteless. Jameson snorted coldly. "The Hopkins family sure has some nerve, snatching up someone else's reservation like it's nothing." Archie Hopkins cracked a wide grin, revealing a mouth full of blackened teeth, and laughed without a care. "Mr. Rhodes, you sound way too naive!" Archie shrugged and said, "In this world, it's all about money and muscle. The Hopkins family's got both. So stealing a little dining room from the Rhodes family? It's nothing." Tiana's voice turned icy. "Since you're admitting it's theft, then do us a favor and get the hell out." Arch
The place Jameson picked for dinner was one of the most well-known upscale restaurants in Blumedale—The Palace. "Andy, you might not know this, but around here, this spot is top-tier," Jameson said as he adjusted his tailored suit and smiled. He added, "It's not like I'm trying to flaunt my wealth or anything. But sometimes, even if you don't care for appearances, you've still got to show up with style!" Andrew chuckled and replied, "Mr. Rhodes, I get what you're saying." Tiana spoke up coolly, "Jameson, no need to put on this kind of show in front of Andrew. Otherwise, you'll just end up looking ridiculous. This guy probably poops in places you haven't even dreamed of stepping into." Jameson froze for a second, clearly shocked. "Well now, Tiana, you're really singing Andy's praises today. Could it be… the classic case of a mother-in-law who's starting to really like her son-in-law?" Tiana gave a snort. "This has nothing to do with liking him. I'm just telling the truth."