Whitney frowned and glanced at the snow lily on the table. Before she could say anything, Crystal hurriedly said with a smile, "Very well, Ms. Griffin, we'll give you the snow lily."Following suit, Dante chimed in with a forced smile, "Yes, yes, it's all yours."Rosalie chuckled lightly and headed toward the counter, reaching out to take the snow lily. However, Whitney suddenly raised her hand, her fair fingers pressing firmly on the box. With a hint of firmness in her tone, she said, "Ms. Griffin, I'm sorry, but Mr. Harmon has already sold the snow lily to us."In that fleeting moment, Whitney made a bold decision. She refused to let go! She refused to lose to Rosalie, especially not with Sebastian present!Upon hearing this, Rosalie's eyebrow raised in displeasure as she questioned, "Ms. Sutton, do you know what you're saying?"Crystal and Dante beside her grew anxious. Initially, they hadn't wanted to yield, but now that they knew Rosalie's identity, they dared not compete.
"Mr. Ballard, did I do something wrong?" Rosalie asked, sounding guilty. Sebastian chuckled. "No."Then, they left Lockwit Traditional Medicine after Rosalie bought the snow lily.…Whitney returned to the company, standing angrily by the floor-to-ceiling window as she glared at Rosé Corporation across the street. "Sebastian! You jerk!" she cursed under her breath. Crystal and Dante followed her in, both sitting on the sofa with sour expressions."Winnie, what's the deal with Ms. Griffin? How did she end up with that jerk, Sebastian?" Crystal asked, clearly perplexed.Dante, equally disgruntled, rubbed his cheek and muttered, "And I got slapped! Damn it! Just thinking about it makes me furious! She's just some lady from the Griffin family, what's with all the pretense!"Whitney turned toward them, glowering at Dante. "Could you tone it down a bit?"Dante grimaced. He looked frustrated as he asked, "Winnie, what's the deal with that useless guy? How did he end up with the G
Crystal frowned and asked, "You mean your sister gave Sebastian money or property?""Probably," Dante answered."Definitely not! Everything that is ours remains ours! How can that trash get anything?" Crystal was furious.Dante continued, "Also, I heard that Sebastian's small shop will turn into a medical research lab next month. The renovation fee cost a lot!""That small shop of his? How much can it be worth?" Crystal scoffed.Dante thought it over for a moment before saying, "I'm not sure about the specifics, but I've heard that Sebastian's shop isn't classified as commercial property. "It's part of an old residential area that was renovated. If it's torn down, it could probably be divided into three houses, plus he might get millions in compensation!""What? Three houses and millions of dollars?" Crystal was shocked.Dante quickly added, "Mom, Winnie must've helped with securing the shop, right? Then, basically, that shop is hers! Don't you think it's natural for us to tak
Upon hearing Sebastian's response and noting his demeanor, Crystal instantly frowned, clearly displeased. "What brings you two here? You don't welcome us?""Yeah! Trashtian! Don't forget, it was my sister who helped you secure this storefront! Can't we come and take a look?" Dante followed, his tone arrogant and confrontational.Sebastian frowned at their aggressive demeanor. His expression darkened as he asked, "What do you want from me?""Hey, Sebastian, we came all this way, and you're just going to make us stand at the door? You won't even invite us in for tea or something?" Crystal rebuked, clearly displeased.She noted his change since the divorce. Was this how he treated his former mother-in-law now?"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and invite us in!" Dante arrogantly demanded.Sebastian, feeling resigned, sighed and said, "Come in then."With that, Crystal and Dante relented. They snorted, held their heads high, and walked into the shop.After glancing around, Crysta
Their constant arrogant babbling attitude stunned Sebastian. At the same time, he was provoked.Did they come all the way just to lecture and warn him? Trying to make things hard for him? Sebastian didn't even talk badly about Whitney after the divorce, yet they blamed him for all the rumors about her!He tried his best to control his anger.At this time, Dante saw the change in Sebastian's expression and said coldly, "Why? Upset? Do you feel bad now? Remember who my sister is! She's the future queen of the business world in Steinberg. "Many men would like to pursue my sister, so who do you think you are? You didn't even feel grateful for having her and even fooled around. What the hell!"Sebastian's face darkened when he heard those words.What rotten luck did he have for him to bump into these two people today? They came just to lecture him!No matter how calm and nice Sebastian was, he was still infuriated by their words.He glared at Dante and said coldly, "Dante, you'd
When they heard Sebastian admit it, Crystal and Dante exchanged glances, grinning widely. "Fine. Since you've admitted it, you'll have no problem with me asking you for this shop, right?" Crystal grinned slyly. Dante added. "Did you hear us clearly, Sebastian? From now on, this shop is ours. You can move out now." Sebastian's expression turned even more grim when he heard this. Was this what they had come here for? They had been passive-aggressive to him. They had humiliated and threatened him. They weren't here to talk about his divorce with Whitney at all! They wanted the shop! Sebastian laughed self-deprecatingly. He felt that both mother and son were laughable. He had received no compensation at all in his divorce from Whitney. All he had left was this shop. Now they were here to try and take this shop for themselves? How shameless! Crystal and Dante's expressions changed when they saw the scornful smile on Sebastian's face. They knew that he was mocking them. How
Dante spoke roughly to Sebastian. Not only did he not let go, but he held Sebastian's collar more tightly. He even raised his fist to punch Sebastian in the face! If the punch had made contact, it would have knocked Sebastian unconscious. Crystal saw it but didn't try to stop him. All she did was look on coldly. In her eyes, Sebastian was a complete asshole. It was perfectly alright for her son to teach him a lesson! She felt that a punch was nothing. It would even be okay to injure him or cripple him. After all, he was just a good-for-nothing loser. However, the next thing that happened shocked Crystal. Sebastian raised his hand and grabbed Dante's wrist. Dante was surprised. He shouted angrily, "How dare you fight back?" He exerted his strength, but his fist remained firmly in place. He couldn't move an inch! Damn! Sebastian was surprisingly strong! "It's not my fault that you won't listen to good advice," Sebastian said coldly. His expression changed, and he exer
Dante nodded and said, "Okay, Mom."Not long after that, Whitney got a call from Crystal. She was at the Frostwave Corporation office, going through some documents. "What? Dante's arm is broken?" Whitney was shocked when she heard the news, especially when Crystal said that Sebastian was the one who had beat him up! "Alright, I'm coming over," she said urgently.Whitney knew Dante well. He was lazy, complacent, and a typical rich playboy. He would often end up making a mess of things, and he was arrogant. Their parents and grandfather had spoiled him. However, Whitney had no choice. She only had one little brother, and the entire family doted on him. She had lectured him several times, but it was no use.Whitney just hoped that her brother would stay out of trouble. She didn't mind if he spent some money. But now, according to Crystal, Sebastian had broken Dante's arm… Whitney was confused! Her first reaction was disbelief.She knew Sebastian well, and she knew that he
Sebastian threw his head back in laughter. He strode forward, standing in the center of the hall, and said coldly. "Ungrateful? How could you have the audacity to say such a thing?"Even if I'm surrounded by enemies, you Ballards can forget about making me submit! It's just death, after all. If I even blink, then I won't call myself a man!"Everyone there stared at Sebastian."How dare that brat be so cocky? If he's not punished, it'll be a disgrace to our family rules!""He should be given the death penalty!""It'll be a disaster if we just let him be, and it'll only bring trouble for our family. Please give the order, and we'll kill him at once!"The entire hall was in an uproar. Even Preston, who had been speaking up for Sebastian and Samson, sighed in resignation.Since Sebastian had already made his stance clear, Preston couldn't help even if he wanted to.Sebastian had roused the anger of everyone there, and Arnaud had closed his eyes and wasn't saying anything. He was cl
Sebastian was just about to step forward when Samson hastily waved a hand at him and said, "Sebastian, the grudges of the Ballard family from over ten years ago have nothing to do with you. Don't get involved!""But—"Sebastian's gaze sharpened as he turned to look at Milton. There was an icy glint in his eyes. Samson shook his head slightly at Sebastian. The Ballard Estate had at least ten experts at the eighth level of the Eldoria realm. At Sebastian's current level, trying to fight them would only bring him big trouble."Sebastian, one must learn how to adapt to the situation," Samson whispered into his ear using voice projection. "Today, I will exchange my legs for your and Whitney's freedom. Think of it as a payment for what I owe you and your mother."Sebastian clenched his fists tightly. He hated himself for being too weak. He couldn't even protect his own family in a place like the Ballard Estate, where many experts were gathered.However, he would never allow anyone to
"Do you accept it, Samson?" Arnaud asked harshly when he saw that Preston hadn't said anything else. He turned to look directly at Samson.Samson smiled bitterly and turned to look at Sebastian before raising his head to look at Arnaud, who was sitting high above them. He said, "Uncle Arnaud, I was the reason for everything that happened. I wish to ask you not to trouble Sebastian.""What are you talking about?" Preston was agitated. He stood up again and yelled, "There must still be an investigation about who was right and who was wrong. Why should they break your legs?"As he spoke, his eyes blazed with fury. He looked at the thin old man and said furiously, "Milton, you old bastard! How can you be so shameless at your age? Tell me! Did you embellish the story to Arnaud?""Uncle Preston!" Samson stopped him quickly and sighed slightly. "Forget it. It's my fault for bringing such huge trouble upon our family back then."I admit that I have let our family down. Since imprisoning m
As the man in the black robe yelled, the entire hall fell silent at once. The thin old man threw the black-robed old man a disgruntled look, but he returned obediently to his seat.Once the noise had died down, Preston stepped forward and swept an icy gaze over the crowd who were present. "You call yourself the elders of the family?"The monument of our ancestral dragon is right in front of you. How could you bully two young members of the family in front of it? Don't you feel any shame?"Besides, how dare you speak before Arnaud does?"After the harsh scolding they received from Preston, no one in the crowd dared to protest. Sebastian nodded involuntarily. It appeared that Preston did have influence in the Ballard family. At least no one had interrupted his scolding, including Arnaud and the man in the black robe.Preston huffed angrily and bowed to Arnaud, who sat in the middle. "Arnaud, I've brought Samson and Sebastian!"Preston went over to the chair next to the black-robe
"Sebastian, I won't be going in. Remember, don't say anything without being spoken to, and don't be impulsive!" Andreas said softly in Sebastian's ear when they reached the door to the hall. He then walked over to the crowd, which was packed on both sides of the hall.Samson and Preston walked into the hall without any change in expression. Sebastian hesitated for a moment before hurrying to catch up.When they reached the entrance, the two old men reached out to stop them and said to Preston, who was in the lead, "Preston, I'm afraid that it wouldn't be a good idea for you to go in. Everyone knows that you're biased toward Samson's family. If you get into an argument with Arnaud, then—""Nonsense!" Preston yelled furiously. He spoke in a menacing tone to the two old men. "Don't try those tricks with me. Today, I'm going to be the voice of reason. Who among you can do anything to me?"With that, he pushed them aside and strode into the hall.The two old men gazed after his ret
The Ballard Estate's resources were unfathomable as it was. Could Isabella's family be even more powerful than theirs?Sebastian clearly remembered that both he and Samson were under the Sacred Medicine Society. They even had the same mentor.The Sacred Medicine Society was above all the other mystic martial arts sects. Even the sect leaders of the Nine Sects were very respectful toward his mentor.If Samson really was from the same sect as Sebastian, then his mentor had clearly been unable to save him. Wouldn't that mean that the Sacred Medicine Society was no match for the Ballards?Wouldn't that mean that Isabella's family was an even greater entity?"If my mother's family is really that powerful, why couldn't they rescue my father? There would also be no reason to let me join the Sacred Medicine Society either, right?" Sebastian asked probingly. It seemed as if Andreas had never even thought about such questions. He smiled and shook his head. "You probably don't know about a
As they stepped out of the courtyard gate, Samson suddenly turned and lowered his voice as he said to Sebastian, "I didn't treat you and your mother well. Please don't hold it against me."Sebastian felt even more conflicted. After everything he had been through, he knew very well that there were times when one really had no choice. When Samson saw that Sebastian was looking at him with a conflicted expression, he patted him on the shoulder and gave him a warm smile. Then he took a token from Preston and walked out of the yard.They followed Preston as he walked toward the east, where there was a majestic-looking building."Why are you helping me?" Sebastian suddenly turned and asked Andreas in a low voice. Andreas glanced at him and gave him a long, cryptic smile. "Do you think I'm helping you? I'm helping myself while doing so!""Oh?" Sebastian looked at Andreas in confusion, his brow knitted. Even Rexton had mentioned that Andreas was in Arnaud's favor. Why would he need t
When Rexton and the others had gone, Preston turned to look at Samson and said irritatedly, "You little rascal. Would I ever hurt you?"Besides, you've been here in isolation for ten years. Why hasn't your temper changed at all? Couldn't you show me some respect in front of all those people?"Samson glanced at Preston but didn't answer.Preston huffed and ignored him. He turned and looked Sebastian up and down instead."Hey, kiddo. Over ten years have passed in just the blink of an eye. You've probably forgotten me. I even gave you candy back then! Come over here and call me Great Uncle Preston!"Sebastian looked at him in surprise. It was true that he didn't have much of an impression of what had happened over ten years ago. However, he could tell from what Preston had said and done that his attitude toward Sebastian's family was completely different from Rexton and the others.Beside Sebastian, Andreas kept shooting him meaningful looks. Sebastian finally smiled and said, "Hell
Although the old man looked as if he was over 60 years old, his expression was sharp and lively, and his skin was smooth as a baby's. It gave him a youthful air.Even the severely injured apprentices all scrambled up from the ground when they saw him. They hastily bowed and said, "Greetings, Great Uncle Preston!"Even Rexton had no choice but to suppress his anger. He bowed sullenly to the old man and said, "Greetings, Uncle Preston."Preston Ballard glanced at Rexton and turned to shout angrily at the apprentices, "If I hadn't come, were you planning to tear the Ballard Estate apart? Look at all of you! Get out of here right now!"Despite the scolding they had been subjected to, none of them dared to protest. They all lowered their heads and slunk out of the yard. Preston glared angrily at them as they went and snorted. "What an embarrassment to the family!"Then he smiled slightly and looked at Samson and Sebastian as he asked, "Samson, do you have anything to say?"Samson lo