Chapter 6

Mistfall Estate was nestled halfway up the side of Mount Mistfall. Situated near the sea, it was shrouded year-round in mist rising from the water, making it seem like an otherworldly place.

Guards were stationed all year round at the base of the mountain, adding an extra layer of mystery to the place.

At that moment, a black Maybach was parked by the roadside at the bottom of the mountain.

Two well-dressed men stood about ten yards away from a security booth, glancing up the winding mountain road with growing impatience. Anyone familiar with the upper echelons of Cloudcove would have instantly recognized them.

They were none other than Franklin, chairman of the renowned Franklin Group, and his only son, Sean.

"Dad, the owner of Mistfall Estate is far too arrogant. We've been waiting for half an hour!" Sean grumbled with a look of frustration.

"Silence!" Franklin chided, keeping his voice low. "Your 25th birthday celebration is in a week. Do you know what it means if we can get the owner of Mistfall Estate to attend the party? Everyone in Cloudcove would revere you, and no one would dare to offend you!"

Even after hearing that, Sean remained nonchalant. "Is he really such a big deal? And in any case, with my current status, no one would dare to offend me, either. Considering our family's social standing, why would we need to curry favor with someone else?"

The Webb family's social standing?

Sneering, Franklin looked up the foggy mountain road, his eyes filled with reverence. Sure, in the eyes of the ordinary people, the Webbs did indeed have a prestigious standing in society. Alas, in the eyes of Kane Swanson, the owner of Mistfall Estate, they were probably nothing more than ants.

Franklin would never forget what happened that stormy night two decades ago.

The Fanghood was a criminal organization that had ruled Cloudcove for three decades. They had the power to do whatever they wanted. But somehow, they ended up offending the owner of Mistfall Estate.

As a result, they were wiped out in a single night. Despite numbering over 3,000 in total, not a single one of them escaped alive. Moreover, the leader's body had been strung up over the city gates for three days as a warning to everyone.

Following that, the power dynamics in Cloudcove shifted overnight with the reshuffling of all the most powerful factions. At the time, Franklin had gritted his teeth and seized that opportunity to rise up the ranks. That was the only reason why he managed to build Franklin Group into what it was today.

Since that day, Mistfall Estate remained silent, keeping such a low profile that most people didn't even know the place existed. However, Franklin knew full well that all of the so-called powerful factions in Cloudcove were nothing more than a joke compared to Kane.

Kane, the owner of Mistfall Estate, was the real king who ruled over Cloudcove!

"Dad, the security guard is coming over!"

A security guard stepped out of the security booth and walked up to Franklin.

Smiling, Franklin asked courteously, "Has Mr. Swanson agreed to see us?"

Eyeing Franklin, the security guard said coolly, "Mr. Swanson wants you two to get lost."

Franklin's smile froze. He stood in awkward silence with a face full of disappointment. He wanted to say something, but the security guard turned around and walked off.

"What the fuck? What's he so smug about?" Sean exploded. He'd never been treated this way before.

Expression stiffening, Franklin quickly covered Sean's mouth, snapping, "Shut up! Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Franklin only let out an exhale of relief when he confirmed that the security guard hadn't turned to look at them. His forehead was covered in sweat.

Even a security guard at Mistfall Estate wasn't someone they could afford to offend.

"I guess you're not going to be that lucky. Let's go, then," Franklin said with a sigh before dragging Sean back toward the car.

Just then, Sean spotted someone, and his eyes went wide. "What the fuck? It's that bastard! That's him, Dad! He's the one who jinxed me by saying I got cancer. He scared me half to death!"

Sean immediately recognized Damian, who'd given him quite a fright yesterday. He did indeed have all the symptoms Damian had mentioned. Thus, when he heard it was cancer, he dashed to the hospital for a checkup, only to hear that he was otherwise healthy apart from a bit of liver inflammation.

Having realized he'd been tricked, Sean was infuriated. He would've gone after Damian to settle the score with him if Franklin hadn't dragged him here. Who would've thought he'd run into Damian outside Mistfall Estate?

"Oh, it's you. Your mouth stinks. You must've feasted on quite a bit of shit yesterday, huh?" Damian remarked with a grin.

"I'll fuck you up!" Sean roared, his expression stormy as he tried to lunge at Damian.

However, Franklin stopped him and growled, "Do you want to die by causing trouble right outside Mistfall Estate? If you've got a problem, save it until we get back!"

Sean stopped, but he continued to glower furiously at Damian. Meanwhile, Damian ignored Sean and walked up to the security booth.

"Hold it. This is a private estate. Kindly leave at once!" the security guard said coldly.

With a faint smile, Damian declared, "I'm looking for Mr. Swanson. Please pass him a message from me. To bestow salvation with the left and eternal damnation with the right."

The security guard's expression shifted at once.

"Please wait here while I notify Mr. Swanson," he said politely before immediately hurrying up the mountain.

Over in the distance, Franklin and Sean were both dumbfounded.

"What the hell? What did that punk say anyway? The security guard's running like his life depends on it."

Sean could still recall the look of reluctance on the security guard's face when they approached him earlier. He probably would've ignored them completely if Franklin hadn't humbled himself and spent ages beseeching him.

Even so, all he did was make a phone call.

Who knew that as soon as Damian finished speaking, the security guard would go running up the mountain, abandoning his post altogether?

Franklin narrowed his eyes, feeling rather stunned. He had a feeling Damian was no ordinary man.

Meanwhile, Damian stood beside the security booth, scanning the surroundings with a glint in his eyes.

"There are over a hundred hidden sentries just around the booth," he murmured. "Mistfall Estate is no ordinary place. I wonder if Alden's message carries any weight."

He was still caught up in his thoughts when, out of the blue, a black Rolls-Royce with the number plate CC 88888 came down the mountain road, followed by a convoy of cars behind. It was an imposing sight.

Seeing this, Franklin felt his hair standing on end.

"Quick, Sean. We need to leave at once. That's Mr. Swanson's car!"

Franklin dragged Sean into the car as if they were fleeing for their lives.

"Why are we leaving, Dad? Since Mr. Swanson has shown up, we can go up to him and invite him in person. Maybe that way, he'd find it hard to reject us," Sean remarked in confusion.

Heart clenching, Franklin smacked Sean on the back of the head, snapping, "You foolish young man! Do you think you can stand around and watch Mr. Swanson? Who knows if you end up seeing something you shouldn't? You could lose your life, okay?"

After taking a deep breath, he added in all seriousness, "Listen carefully now. There's a high chance that man, Damian Luther, is acquainted with Mr. Swanson. From now on, unless absolutely necessary, you have to make sure you don't offend him, you got that?"

"Yes, I got it," Sean casually replied, though he didn't take it to heart.

Damian was just a country bumpkin. Why did Sean have to worry about offending him? He hadn't gotten even with Damian for what happened yesterday yet!

At the same time, the Rolls-Royce stopped at the security booth. The car door opened, and an old man in a three-piece suit with a stern, dignified expression disembarked. Dozens of people followed close behind him.

He walked up to Damian and eyed him carefully before saying in a deep voice, "Hello, young man. I'm Kane Swanson. What did your message mean?"

Upon seeing Kane, Damian felt a little apprehensive. Kane exuded such an imposing air that it was obvious he was a powerful figure.

Alden had said that if he took out what he brought with him, Kane would immediately fall to his feet, but he didn't think that was possible. Would Alden have set him up on purpose?

Nevertheless, it was too late for Damian to change his mind. Steeling himself, he grinned at Kane and said, "You'll know what I meant once you see this."

He pulled out an object Alden had given him and showed it to Kane. He had also gotten ready to flee, just in case Kane got angry.

However, as soon as Kane saw what Damian was holding, he fell to his knees. Looking quite emotional, he cried out, "I've been waiting for you all this time, sir, and you're finally here!"

What the heck? It actually worked?

Damian was stupefied.