In Mosgravia, Justin was seated behind a sculpted wooden screen in a tea room filled with incense smoke. Dressed in white, he looked elegant, divine, and otherworldly, like he had walked out of a painting. He was in the middle of a chess game with Sheryl."Sir, we got news from Solana City. Javier Beckett has completely given up on Betty," Sheryl muttered quietly. "The paternity test result you dropped at the press conference was a huge blow to Mr. Javier.""That was expected." Justin lowered his gaze. He said indifferently, "Sophia Kirkman was useless. You can't expect much from her daughter."I knew Betty wasn't a Beckett many years ago. I was aware of Sophia Kirkman's secrets as well.""Were you? Why didn't you call them out?" Sheryl looked taken aback. "Sophia Kirkman abused her position as the family matriarch to misappropriate company funds. Weren't you worried about her actions? What if she got her hands on the company stocks or made Javier Beckett her puppet as she took con
Preston quivered in fear and sweated profusely. The five injections represented revenge for five different victims.Oddly, even when Preston had his arm severed by Landon, or when he was shot three times at the swimming pool, he had never felt closer to death than this moment.Perhaps Jordan was right. Preston's courage to die seemed to fade away after being given a second shot at life.Jordan, with a steely look in his eyes, injected the first poison into Preston's chest. The cold needle pierced through the skin, causing Preston to writhe as though he was being electrocuted. His eyes popped out in agony as he moaned."The first injection is for Landon's late father, who is dead because of you. After this shot, your limbs will go numb, and you will experience convulsions." Jordan picked up the second syringe and plunged it into Preston's left rib. "This shot is for Mr. Cornelius. You will feel a sharp pain in your stomach, as well as a headache and nausea."Preston cast a pleading
Jordan was able to get away without a hitch thanks to the other car that stopped the police at the hospital. A black vehicle zoomed through the brightly lit Solana Highway. Landon was staring out the window. His eyes were empty and dark. Under the flickering lights, his face was alluring as usual but inexplicably desolate. It was as if he was a completely different person. Jordan observed him closely, searching for any trace of his presidential demeanor, but found none whatsoever. Landon was completely broken. "I didn't issue any orders. You shouldn't have done more than what I've instructed you to." After a long silence, Landon spoke up softly, "There are numerous opportunities to kill Preston. Yet, you chose the one time when it was the riskiest." "I'm sorry, Mr. Landon." Jordan lowered his head. He clenched his fists tightly. "It's just that… I really wanted him to die. He's considered lucky to even be able to live another day! "I'm sorry. I know that I've made thi
Jordan was initially taken aback. Then, he answered, "Alright. I'll look into it tomorrow." Landon was about to hang up when Penelope continued with her tirade on the phone."Landon Harper! I am your mother! I can't believe that you want to keep me locked up in an asylum. You're a madman! Let me tell you this… Even if the entire Harper Group ends up in your hands… even if you are now the head of the family, I am not afraid! I will give my all and use all of my connections to rescue Zoe! "Come and take my life if you're that capable! You're disowning me anyway… Well, I will not have such an ungrateful and ruthless man as my son! You are no longer my son!" "Okay." Without any hesitation, Landon hung up the call. His world was now quiet. Jordan stared at Landon in shock. After a while, he queried, "M-Mr. Landon, are you really cutting off ties with Madam Penelope? You have just taken over the entire Harper Group. I'm worried that the media will come up with nonsense if they h
Landon sat by the bedside, lifting Lauren's bruised hand and gently pressing it to his cheek. He rubbed her hand tenderly against his cheek before placing a delicate kiss on her palm. This was also how he typically showed her affection. He treated her like an incredibly fragile and precious object, guarding her with unwavering devotion. He had cared for her diligently, yet those monsters had mercilessly ravaged his beloved, dragging her through the mire and shattering her. "Lauren, I'm right here. Open your eyes and look at me, will you?" he implored, tears welling in his eyes, his lips quivering with emotion. "Wake up... Don't leave me alone."In the end, he remained seated like that until daybreak. Early the next day, Javier, accompanied by Rory, arrived to visit Lauren. Jasper was sitting outside the hospital ward. He hadn't slept all night. A conflicted look came across his eyes when he saw Javier, but he stood up anyway. "Have you been sitting here all night without s
Landon felt touched. He gazed at Javier, gratitude evident in his eyes. Though he opened his mouth to speak, words eluded him, leaving him in a momentary silence.Jasper, standing nearby, watched with surprise, his expression softening into a relieved smile. "Got it, Mr. Javier. I'll see to it right away!" Rory answered with a smile. Rory was about to leave when Landon stopped him. "There is no need to trouble yourselves. I still have a lot of work to do. Thank you for your kind thought, Mr. Javier." Upon hearing that, Javier decided not to impose. He nodded slightly and offered a quiet piece of advice. "Much has happened in your family recently. It must be an immense burden to bear alone. But don't forget to take care of yourself too. Lauren is my only daughter. If you crumble, so will her world." Days of exhaustion and helplessness weighed heavily on Landon. His body bore the scars of reality's harshness. At this moment, he was filled with a sense of warmth that he hadn't fe
Landon had beaten up Zoe quite badly. Two of her ribs were broken, so her treatment at the detention center was marginally better than Betty's. At least, Zoe was placed in a single cell, spared from the torments of other inmates. Zoe coughed up blood every day. She didn't even have the energy to cause a racket. Every day, she lay stiffly in bed and cried. "Help me… I'm going to die… I drank the blood of someone with HIV. I'm going to be infected… Save me, please!" Strangely enough, Betty's ruse had an effect. Zoe was plagued by constant fear, her days filled with bouts of vomiting triggered by the vile words she had heard.It was a shame that no one bothered about her. Despite her suffering, Zoe endured until the news of her impending medical parole revitalized her. In a sudden surge of energy, she sat up, laughing and crying hysterically in front of the prison guard and her attorney, Horace Finch, appearing unhinged."I knew it! I knew that Grandpa and Mom wouldn't abandon me!
The van experienced simultaneous punctures in both of its front tires. The driver lost control, causing the vehicle to crash into the left wall with a jarring impact, leaving the door dented and the front end mangled. It was a horrible sight. Fortunately, the officers had fastened their seatbelts, so they sustained only minor bruises. But Zoe, seated in the back row, was in a dire state. Wailing in agony, she suffered a head injury and had her left arm pinned by the door, with a metal plate slicing her flesh, causing profuse bleeding.Amidst the chaos, confusion arose. "Why did the tires go flat all of a sudden?" "It's too strange. Let's go and take a look!" Both officers got out of the van. The moment they bent down to inspect the tires, they both felt a sharp pain at the back of their necks. They lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground. When Zoe witnessed that, she wasn't afraid. Instead, she looked at the man in front of her with a gaze full of gratitude. Hopefully