"You're talking nonsense." Kayden's eyes turned bloodshot, feeling nauseous to his stomach. Why did he have a nephew like Lloyd?"I genuinely care about Sophie, but you and Kerrigan are full of lies and deceit toward her. It's because of you that Sophie ended up with depression. Haven't you hurt her enough? Why use her against me?"Kayden's hysterical demeanor pleased Lloyd greatly. He had feared Kayden would remain indifferent. It seemed Sophie did hold a significant place in his heart."Uncle Kayden, my patience is wearing thin. I didn't come here to negotiate with you today. You should understand what I mean." Lloyd glanced at his watch, clicking his tongue twice. "The place Sophie went to is crowded with tourists, and the mountain roads are treacherous. If anything were to happen, the outcome would be dire.""Don't you lay a finger on her!" Kayden grew desperate, attempting to fight Lloyd.As soon as he stood up, though, Lloyd's bodyguards subdued him.Lloyd sneered. "The gre
Lloyd got ready for a video call with the other side. After a few beeps, the call was connected. "Uncle Kayden, if you have anything to tell Sophie, better do it now."Kayden stared at the phone screen in horror, but all he heard was a man's desperate cries. "Ah! Spare me! Spare me!"The scene was clearly off, and the voice didn't match.Lloyd quickly took the phone and what he saw infuriated him. Instead of Sophie, his men were all sprawled on the ground, clutching their stomachs in agony. Sophie, however, was nowhere to be found.Lloyd gritted his teeth, demanding, "What's going on over there?!"Everything he had arranged had been ruined. Who was behind this?Unfortunately, there was no response from the other side. The wails of Lloyd's men felt like a slap to his face, leaving his cheeks burning with humiliation.Suddenly, there was a bang. The bodyguards controlling Kayden were all kicked away.Owen swaggered in, brushing nonexistent dust off his clothes. With a deadpan exp
Kayden grasped the gravity of Lloyd's intentions and swiftly instructed Owen, "Go quickly. Don't fret about me."Ignoring Kayden's warning, Owen cracked his knuckles, flexed his muscles, and boldly addressed Lloyd's bodyguards, "All of you, come at me together. I don't have time to waste dealing with each of you individually."His words dripped with arrogance, further inflaming Lloyd's bodyguards. Despite Owen's evident skill, his disdain was palpable.Enraged, the bodyguards exchanged glances before collectively charging at Owen.Bracing himself, Owen pulled back his right leg for action.Kayden anxiously observed from the sidelines. Even if Owen emerged victorious from this altercation, he would undoubtedly sustain injuries. Kayden couldn't suppress his disdain for Jade. She had the means to rescue Sophie, yet she allowed Owen to take such a reckless gamble.The bodyguards lunged at Owen, but he suddenly shifted his stance, crouching and shielding his head. In the heat of the m
Unfortunately for Lloyd, the journalists weren't going to let him off the hook so easily. They crowded around the door, demanding a reasonable explanation for his actions today.The esteemed CEO of the Zeal Group was caught red-handed, bringing bodyguards to his own uncle's doorstep. His attitude was arrogant, and his words were brazen. Even when caught in the act by the journalists, he showed no remorse.Lloyd looked at the journalists blocking the entrance in rage, his fists clenched tightly. Apart from Jade, he couldn't think of anyone else who could have gathered so many journalists here within such a short time."What should we do? We can't force our way through," one of the bodyguards whispered to Lloyd, analyzing the situation. "There are too many journalists. If we try to force our way out, it could easily result in injuries. If they write about it, it will have a significant impact on the Zeal Group.""No matter what you do, I must leave here," Lloyd insisted.The more jo
The bodyguard's words shook Lloyd out of his composure. He knew all too well the power of that talk show host. If the host caught him in his vulnerable state, he wouldn't let him off easy."Mr. Lloyd, we can't hesitate any longer," the bodyguard urged as he saw Lloyd struggling with his decision. "If we don't leave now, it might be too late."Lloyd gritted his teeth and shut his eyes tightly."Let's go," he muttered through clenched teeth.Several bodyguards swiftly escorted him toward the backyard, where Lloyd exchanged clothes with one of them in a secluded spot. Donning Lloyd's attire, the bodyguard slipped on sunglasses and headed to the front yard.Meanwhile, the other bodyguards widened the hole in the corner of the wall, making it large enough for one person to pass through.They beckoned Lloyd, saying, "Mr. Lloyd, come quickly. There's no one here."Lloyd scanned his surroundings, ensuring there was no one nearby. With caution, he instructed the bodyguard, "You go first
Lloyd, accompanied by his bodyguards, fled in shame, trailed by journalists forming a long queue behind his car.After the dispersal of the crowd, the Zeal mansion's tranquility finally returned."Ms. Severin, thank you," Kayden sincerely expressed his gratitude to Jade. Had it not been for Jade's plan, how easily could Lloyd have fallen into their trap?With this commotion, the tide had turned in their favor. Many discussed how Lloyd, with his youthful arrogance, was unfit to lead the Zeal Group.Meanwhile, Kayden, typically understated, swiftly became the object of public adoration. Surrounded by journalists at the Zeal mansion, he had remained composed, earning a following of fans.Jade pushed Sophie toward him with a smile. "No problem. I merely did what was necessary."Jade was deeply moved by the love between Kayden and Sophie and took immediate action upon learning of Lloyd's plan to kidnap Sophie to threaten Kayden. Not only did she thwart his scheme but also orchestrated
A few days later, Kerrigan's case went to trial. Lloyd hired the most famous lawyer for him, instructing the attorney beforehand that they could only win and not lose.The lawyer was under immense pressure—everyone knew this case was difficult to win—but Lloyd offered him a hefty sum. Despite the challenges, he was determined to proceed."Understood, Mr. Lloyd."Satisfied, Lloyd nodded. He had prepared extensively for this trial. Losing was not an option. Since Lloyd's previous incident had caused the Zeal Group's stocks to plummet, he didn't attend the trial in person. However, he could see everything that happened in the courtroom clearly.The judge arrived, as did others, followed by the plaintiff and defendant. Kayden and Kerrigan met again, both looking particularly resentful.After over a month in custody, Kerrigan had aged significantly, barely recognizable with his once-dark hair now white, adding a decade to his appearance. In contrast, Kayden seemed rejuvenated after h
Jade swaggered in, took a seat in front of Lloyd, and looked at him with a cold smirk. "I'm here to tell you that you won't win this lawsuit."Lloyd gritted his teeth, glaring at her. She was just a woman he didn't take seriously, yet he had repeatedly fallen into her traps. It wasn't that he wasn't cautious enough, it was just that Jade was incredibly cunning. It seemed like she was born to thwart him, knowing all his weaknesses and exploiting them every time they clashed."What do you mean?" Learning from past experiences, Lloyd didn't dare to confront Jade rashly again and adopted a somewhat appeasing attitude."Jade, I remember I haven't offended you. Even if I did in the past, it was unintentional. After all, everyone loves beautiful things. You wouldn't hold a grudge against me for that, would you?" Lloyd really didn't understand why Jade bore such resentment toward him. If he had known earlier, he wouldn't have provoked her or even entertained the idea of recruiting her under