Henrietta's unexpected statement sent shockwaves through the entire hall! What was going on? Henrietta actually claimed that her medical skills were inferior to Sebastian's? She couldn't be serious, could she?"I'm baffled! What do you mean, Miss Henrietta?""She's the rising star of Steinberg medical world, a prodigy, and she's saying her skills aren't as good as Sebastian's?""This is madness! She must be out of her mind! Doesn't she realize she's putting Ms. Lucero in a tight spot?"As the murmurs and discussions spread among the attendees, the hall erupted into chaos.Upon hearing Henrietta's words, Mabel's expression mirrored her astonishment. She hurriedly rushed down from the stage, pulled Henrietta aside, and anxiously asked, "Henrietta, do you realize what you just said?""I do." Henrietta nodded calmly.Mabel's face darkened instantly, her tone turning cold. "You need to go back on stage right now and claim that your earlier statement was just a joke. Sebastian's suc
At that time, Mabel didn't even need to do anything for Sebastian's reputation to be ruined completely."Alright, got it. I'll arrange it now." The assistant immediately understood when he heard Mabel's words.Mabel sneered coldly as she looked at the assistant's receding back. She muttered, "Sebastian, let's see if you're still so lucky in the next round of the competition. As long as you mess up once, your reputation will be ruined once and for all!"…Meanwhile, Rosalie and Sebastian left the venue.When they reached the entrance, they bumped into Whitney and Theresa.The four of them looked at each other awkwardly.Sebastian didn't want any further misunderstanding with Whitney, so he said to Rosalie, "Let's go.""Alright." Rosalie nodded and hooked her arm around Sebastian's as they walked to the parking lot.Whitney looked at Rosalie and Sebastian's back, and her lips trembled. She wanted to say some things to him.Theresa knew what Whitney was thinking, so she shook he
Sebastian's expression shifted, and after a moment of hesitation, he sighed with resignation. "You're right. I did hide the truth about my medical skills from you, but it wasn't intentional. I just wanted—""That's enough, don't bother explaining," Whitney interrupted coldly, flicking her hair over her ear. "You don't need to explain anything to me. We're divorced. If you really wanted to explain, you should have done so three years ago!"Upon hearing this, Sebastian furrowed his brow slightly and sighed. He knew Whitney was still angry."Even if I explained, would you believe me?" Sebastian countered, his gaze earnestly fixed on Whitney.Whitney's heart skipped a beat at his question. She turned to face Sebastian directly and stared at him. "You think I wouldn't have believed you?"Sebastian didn't respond, his cold demeanor already deciding his answer."Sebastian! Why would you think I wouldn't? If, and I mean if, you had told me three years ago, would I not have believed you?
"Sebastian's performance tonight was because of his own abilities, not because of me." Rosalie smiled.Whitney, with a slight furrow in her brow, responded, "Is that so? Well, I hope he can continue to prove himself in the upcoming competitions.""He will," Rosalie said with a flick of her hair.With that, the four of them went their separate ways. Sebastian, feeling exhausted, had Rosalie drop him off at Robert's herb store. After a short while, Rosalie left.In the store, Sebastian lay on the bed, unable to sleep. His mind was filled with thoughts of Whitney's words that night.Meanwhile, Whitney lay in her villa, also unable to sleep. She was thinking about Sebastian's words, as well as the scenes of him and Rosalie on stage.Whitney's heartache and anger grew as she thought more about it. That damn bastard!Then, Whitney got up and dragged Theresa to the living room to drink with her. As they drank more, Whitney's inner thoughts began to pour out."Theresa, why, why doesn
Upon seeing the check, Sebastian's expression changed, but he quickly composed himself and replied with a slight smile, "Mrs. Griffin, you've misunderstood. My relationship with Rosalie isn't—" "Is the money not enough for you?" Madison interrupted, her laughter devoid of warmth, as if she saw through Sebastian's tactics and schemes. Mockingly, she continued, "So, how much do you want before you're willing to leave my daughter?"Sebastian frowned, feeling somewhat offended by the implication."Do you think being with your daughter means aiming for her money?" Sebastian asked unhappily.Madison chuckled as if hearing a joke. "Sebastian, I'm an experienced person. I know exactly what's going on in your mind. I know my daughter likes you, but that's not enough for you to speak to me with such confidence and audacity. "The reason I'm sitting here today, face to face with you and trying to discuss and resolve this matter, is because I don't want Rosalie to be angry or upset because
"I can also make you infamous, a pariah that everyone shuns!" Madison said coldly before turning and leaving.Sebastian's face darkened, his brows furrowing as he watched Madison get into her car and drive away. With a sigh, Sebastian reluctantly left the café.Meanwhile, Lorraine Carlton received news that her son, Louis, had been severely injured and even potentially rendered infertile. It prompted her immediate return from abroad to the country.In the ward of Citizen Hospital, adorned in designer labels and exuding a cold demeanor, Lorraine angrily slapped Brad across the face. "Useless! You can't even protect your own son. I must have been blind to marry you in the first place!"Brad remained rooted to the spot with his head bowed, too intimidated to utter a word. Despite being one of the top figures in the Steinberg business world, holding the title of one of the leaders of the pharmaceutical industry, Brad was nothing in the eyes of his wife, Lorraine.Why? Because Lo
"Yes, Ms. Carlton." The person on the other end of the line responded.After Lorraine hung up, she looked coldly at Brad, who looked uncomfortable. She said in a displeased tone, "You're becoming more and more cowardly, Brad!"Brad opened his mouth and said, "Honey, let's not be impulsive. Whitney is Dr. Ballard's ex-wife. If we capture her and Dr. Ballard goes mad, the consequences will be dire.""I'll take care of this, alright?" Lorraine said angrily, "Who cares about Dr. Ballard? Have you gone mad? Your son has been beaten up so badly, but instead of thinking about revenge, you're actually trying to tell me not to be impulsive?""Honey—" Brad tried to explain.However, she glared at him and said in an icy voice, "You don't need to intervene. I'll take care of it myself!"She added, "Who the hell is Dr. Ballard? How dare he touch my son? I'll make him wish that he was dead!"Lorraine looked at Louis, who was lying in bed in a coma. She turned and walked out of the hospital wa
The phone in Mabel's hand fell to the floor.The man in a gray suit with the scar, Morris Glewer, walked up to her. He raised his foot and crushed the phone under it!Whitney panicked. She rushed toward Mabel and shook her anxiously, "Mabel! Mabel!""Asshole! Who the hell are you? What do you want?" Whitney looked up and glared at them.Morris smiled sinisterly. He waved his hand and said coldly, "Take them away!"At once, a few burly, black-suited men stepped forward swiftly. They stationed themselves on either side of Whitney and began dragging her out of the conference room.Whitney struggled desperately as she shouted, "What do you want? It's broad daylight, and you're kidnapping me! This is a crime!""Call the police! Hurry up and call the police!" Whitney yelled at the company executives and shareholders, who were frozen in fear. They finally reacted. Some of them got up to try and stop the men. Others pulled their phones out to call the police. However, there was anothe
Samson glanced at Sebastian. He took a deep breath and said to Arnaud, "Thank you for sparing me, Uncle Arnaud."He gave Sebastian a few final reminders before leaving the hall with Preston.Once they were gone, Arnaud pointed at Duo and said to Sebastian, "Tell him to leave too."Sebastian waved a hand at Duo."I'll wait for you at the entrance, my lord," Duo said. "If anything happens, I'll be here as soon as you call!"He gave Arnaud a cold look before striding out of the hall.Arnaud watched him leave and smiled approvingly. He beckoned to Sebastian. "Come, sit!"Sebastian didn't hesitate. He crossed the hall and sat in the chair opposite Arnaud."Do you know why I asked Andreas to bring you back here?" Arnaud asked impassively. Sebastian shook his head expressionlessly. He said in a cold voice, "It's probably because of the emerald token in my father's possession."Apart from using him and Whitney as leverage against Samson, he couldn't think of any other reason.Arnau
"The Blessed Child! The Blessed Child has finally come to our family!"The black-robed old man who had been sitting beside Arnaud stood up, looking pleased. He couldn't hide his excitement as he turned to Arnaud and said, "Arnaud, our family is going to prosper!"Only Rexton and Milton looked extremely displeased. Braxton and Roland looked pained, as if they had lost something of great value. They were practically thumping their chests in regret!The Blessed Child had been foretold by one of the heads of the family centuries ago. No matter how far the Ballards declined, the prophecy said that after a few hundred years, a Blessed Child would appear—someone who could lead the family's revival!The only proof of the Blessed Child was for him to enter a master-servant oath with a Devora."Prosper? What a joke!" Hugo scoffed, holding Virtus firmly. "Weren't you all just clamoring about killing the two of them?"At Hugo's words, Arnaud's expression changed slightly. "When did I say tha
"Hugo!"Arnaud, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them wide. He eyed Hugo with a conflicted expression as he asked, "Have you forgotten the agreement the Thornes made with us ten years ago?"Hugo smiled coldly and put one hand behind his back. "That was the agreement you made with the Thornes. I'm only following Ms. Thorne's orders to protect Samson and find the emerald token. If Samson dies in this battle, how am I supposed to explain that to her?"He pointed at Sebastian and added, "He's Ms. Thorne's flesh and blood. Your family has no right to punish him! If the Ballards insist on killing them today, don't blame me for going on a killing spree!"When Hugo had finished, Sebastian finally realized that Hugo was from Isabella's family and that he had stayed at the Ballard Estate to protect Samson.It was clear that Isabella hadn't held a grudge toward Samson. In fact, she had sent an expert to stay behind to protect him in case anything happened.Arnaud's
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