However, she didn't close the door, as if leaving it open for Sebastian.Of course, Sebastian knew what Rosalie was up to, so he just sighed helplessly.The next day, Sebastian was woken up by his phone ringing incessantly. He took a look and found that it was from an unknown number."Hello, who's this?" Sebastian asked politely the moment he answered the call."Sebastian, is Whit with you?" The person who called him was a woman who sounded very anxious."And you are?" Sebastian frowned as he found the voice very familiar."I'm Theresa! Is Whit with you?" Theresa asked coldly.Sebastian frowned once again and said unhappily, "Ms. Livington, do you think she'd be here, considering our relationship?""She's not with you?" Theresa mumbled in confusion. Then, she hung up.Sebastian's expression turned ugly, and he muttered, "Crazy woman."Tossing the phone aside, he got up and freshened himself up before working out.Rosalie got up and left the room just when Sebastian finished
"Ms. Sutton?" Hans was taken aback by the sudden request but quickly responded. "Understood. I'll mobilize our people across the city to find Ms. Sutton.""Mm hmm," Sebastian replied curtly before hanging up, his expression darkening.Whitney had been missing for 12 hours? Still, she was an adult; she could take care of herself. Hence, Sebastian wasn't that concerned.Just then, a black Range Rover pulled up outside the convenience store. The door swung open, and a man in a black suit stepped out. His demeanor was authoritative yet respectful."Excuse me, are you Mr. Sebastian Ballard?" he asked politely.Sebastian frowned slightly, nodding. "Yes. What's this about?"The man bowed slightly, showing deference. "My employer, Mr. Turner, would like to invite you to lunch. Would you be available to join him?""Mr. Turner? James?" Sebastian asked, his curiosity piqued.The man nodded, confirming Sebastian's suspicion. "That's correct."Sebastian chuckled and asked, "What, is he in
Sebastian's opinion of Abel raised slightly. This was no ordinary man; he was calculative, patient, and had a knack for handling difficult situations."Okay, Mr. Carlton, right?" Sebastian replied, his tone calm. "Just be direct. I've got other things to attend to, so let's not waste time."Abel frowned slightly, showing a hint of irritation, but quickly regained his composure. Even though he tried to hide it, Sebastian noticed the subtle shift in his expression."Mr. Ballard, it's best to resolve conflicts rather than escalate them. I hope you can say something to the Sunway military region to release my brother and sister," Abel explained. He'd been working tirelessly for the past few days, reaching out to his contacts, but to no avail.The Sunway military region had made it clear that the order to detain Abel's siblings came directly from Draco, and no one could overrule it. The only way to change the situation was to gain Sebastian's forgiveness.Abel was taken aback when
"What did you say? Kidnapped?" Sebastian's expression turned grim, his brow furrowing deeply as a tense air filled the room."What's going on?" Sebastian asked coldly.Hans quickly explained, "Mr. Ballard, I don't have all the details yet, but our intel indicates that Ms. Sutton was abducted by a gang tied to a casino.""A casino?" Sebastian frowned, confused. When did Whitney get involved with people from a casino?"Where is she?" Sebastian asked urgently.Hans replied, "We're still looking. I've sent out teams to find her, but Steinberg is big. It might take a while."Upon hearing this, Sebastian's expression turned cold. Rage surged through him.Despite his divorce from Whitney, Sebastian couldn't remain indifferent to her abduction. "Find Whitney's whereabouts as soon as possible. Use any means necessary!" he commanded."Yes, Mr. Ballard."After Sebastian ended the call, James rose with concern. "What happened, Mr. Ballard?""Whitney has been kidnapped," Sebastian repli
Seeing Dante's hesitation, Crystal snapped and started hitting him with her fists while yelling, "You idiot! That's your sister! Tell me where she is, now!""Mom!" Dante shouted, grabbing her shoulders to hold her still, his eyes wide with desperation. "Listen, she's safe, I swear. I just hid her for a bit, just to keep her out of the way. It's not what you think. I just need to take control of the company… I need to prove myself!""Mom, please help me, help me do this!" he pleaded, hoping to sway her. "If I can run Frostwave Corporation, I can make it bigger and better than ever! I can make the Sutton family one of the most powerful families in Steinberg!" Crystal pushed him away, tears streaming down her face. "How could you be so stupid, Dante? She's your sister! How could you do this? No, I'm telling your grandmother everything. Don't worry; I'll ask her to go easy on you. I won't let you get into too much trouble," she said, turning to leave.Dante panicked and dropped to his
"I told you to get it!" Sebastian barked angrily.Mabel flinched, her face going from white to red. "Oh, you think you can yell at me, Sebastian? Fine! I'll get it. But if you don't find Ms. Sutton today, I'm not letting this slide!" she snapped back. She stormed off in a huff, but within five minutes, she'd found what Sebastian needed—a handful of protective charms and some blessed pens."Here's what you wanted," she said with her arms crossed, glaring at him. "Now, what's this all about?"Sebastian took a quick glance at the items and replied coldly, "Leave me alone.""Excuse me? Hey, I went through all that trouble to find this stuff, and now you want me to leave?" Mabel was fuming.What the hell was Sebastian up to?"Do you wanna find Whitney or not?" Sebastian asked, his voice as cold as ever.Mabel's expression shifted, and she hesitated for a moment before saying, "I… fine! I'm leaving! Let's see what kind of mess you can make without me!"With a huff, she turned and s
Fergus hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright! I'll head over there with a team. We'll see what we find!"He hung up and turned to his bodyguard. "Gather a dozen guys and get to the junkyard, pronto!""Yes, Mr. Cobb," the bodyguard replied, ready to move.…The junkyard in Steinberg's western district couldn't have been more desolate. Located around 30 miles from the city center, it was a long drive, about an hour under normal conditions. The area was mostly barren land waiting to be developed. It was the perfect hideout for anyone looking to stay off the radar.At the heart of the junkyard, in a large, empty warehouse, Whitney sat bound to a chair. Her hands and feet were tied, and a gag kept her from screaming. She could only manage muffled groans through the cloth. Not far from Whitney, two tattooed young men were lounging. They drank beer, munched on beef jerky, and watched short videos on their phones."Bro, this chick is a total smoke show. Ain't it a waste just
Instantly, the scrawny man's arm froze in midair. He let out a blood-curdling scream while clutching his arm. Dropping to his knees, he writhed in pain and yelled in agony."Who's there?" the other man shouted. He grabbed a machete and glared at the rusted iron doors. A figure emerged from the doorway, each step slow but deliberate, radiating an air of menacing aggression."You two are dead meat," Sebastian said coldly, his voice dripping with murderous intent. The air around him seemed to vibrate with sheer malice. Even Whitney could feel it as she shuddered at the intense atmosphere.She stared in shock at Sebastian, who had appeared like some kind of hero to save her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she was overwhelmed by relief. She never expected him to be the first to find her.Sebastian raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you okay?"Whitney nodded furiously, tears streaming down her cheeks as she said, "I'm fine… I'm okay…"Whitney suddenly felt so wronged and aggrieved
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
Rexton's pupils constricted, and the muscles in his face twitched. He stared at Samson with a wary look in his eyes. He and Samson were two minor stages apart. It was no laughing matter. If the two of them began to fight, Rexton would be sure to die if he didn't have any external assistance."What's the matter? Are you scared?" Samson sneered as he asked in a cold, accusatory tone. That flipped a switch in Rexton's head. His expression changed instantly, and he turned a fierce look on Samson. "Afraid?" he asked through gritted teeth.As he spoke, Rexton seemed to make up his mind. He slowly reached into his pocket and took out a pale blue paper charm, which looked thicker than usual.The paper charm was oppressive to look at. Sebastian instinctively sensed a threatening energy approaching!Even Samson looked wary when he saw the paper charm."Uncle Rexton, this is a Soulcrush Charm. Great Uncle Arnaud has clearly said that no one in the Ballard Estate is allowed to use spiri
Sebastian immediately felt the pressure around him drop. The feeling of being pinned down disappeared as well."How dare you—"Before Rexton could finish, a shadow flashed past him, and Samson popped up right in front of him.Samson stuck out his finger as if it were a sword and tapped him on the chest. Although Samson hadn't used any strength, Rexton could see the murderous look in his eyes. There was a dot of scarlet light that swirled around Samson's finger. A crimson rune was gradually appearing, and there was a chilling, murderous sensation in the air. Sebastian gasped. He had finally realized how the mystic spells should be used, and he was in awe. It wasn't that Sebastian was unable to do it. It was just that up until then, he had only seen the mystic sect apprentices of the secular world. Perhaps their understanding of how to use mystic spells was too superficial, which was why Sebastian's perception had also been affected.Realization only dawned on him when he saw
At Rexton's roar of fury, everyone turned to look at Samson, who was still standing there quietly without moving."A traitor? Murder?"There was finally a flicker of emotion on Samson's face. A sudden glimmer of light flared in his eyes, which had been devoid of life for a long time."Rexton, you know very well how your father died!"As Samson spoke, he walked toward Rexton with a steady step as he said, "I admit that I've wronged Sebastian and his mother. I was just too soft-hearted back then. That's why I believed your lies and tried to keep the big picture in mind for the Ballards, but look at how you've treated me!"There was suddenly a cold glint in Samson's eyes, and he said in a thunderous tone, "You set up a series of traps and tried to kill and torture my wife and son!"You pursued them until the ends of the earth! If my mentor hadn't rescued Sebastian, do you think he'd still be alive today?"Did you just accuse me of murder? Did you ever think of the fact that we're f