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She redeemed her sister with 200,000 yuan, and spent a night with a man. Five years later, she returned to the United States with her cute baby, but she never expected that the man who was with her that night was...

Chapter 1 Homecoming

It was a dark night when heavy curtains shrouded the room in complete darkness.

Two bodies were pressing against each other in bed. The man's breathing was heavy; he had a sturdy physique, and his manners were rough.

Nicole was so in pain that there were a few times when she had wanted to push the man away. However, upon thinking of her mother, who was in the hospital, she forced herself to fight back the urge to resist him. She gritted her teeth, letting him have his way with her again and again…

After a long, long time, the man finally fell into a deep sleep. Enduring the discomfort, Nicole staggered out of bed, put on her clothes, and left.

Wearing exquisite makeup, Queenie Anderson walked to the room door at a leisurely pace. "How did it go, sis? Did you service Young Master Joseph well?" Blatant smugness showed in her eyes when she saw Nicole's sorry figure. So what if Nicole is pretty and excels in her studies? In the end, she only deserves to substitute for me, doesn't she?

Nicole's voice was cracked and gravelly as she gritted her teeth while lifting her stubborn and pretty little face up. "Don't forget what you've promised me, Queenie."

"The 200,000 has been transferred to your account," Queenie replied while tossing Nicole's cell phone back to the owner. Then, in a mean voice full of disdain and mockery, she added, "I won't forget about that, of course. That's the money you've prostituted yourself for, after all."

Her venomous words stabbed Nicole in the heart like a dagger, but Nicole couldn't be bothered that much. After taking back her phone, she rushed to the hospital.

After Nicole completely disappeared from her sight, Queenie let out a cold snort and opened the door to the suite with a wiggle.

Joseph Mann was the Mann Family's youngest son. Despite his unsavory reputation, his father, Robert Mann, was very fond of him, for Joseph was born when Robert was in his older years. Joseph was plied with drinks tonight, so he wouldn't know about the switch. When he sees the blood in bed, he'll definitely take responsibility for what has happened! If it weren't for Joseph only preferring virgins, I wouldn't have given up the opportunity to Nicole! Queenie thought to herself.

However, as soon as she undressed and got into bed, the man in bed suddenly awakened. At once, he seized her throat with his strong, large hand, exuding a terrifyingly murderous aura through his every pore. "Who are you?" His voice was husky, with a slight trace of lust from him having just slept with someone, but his demeanor was unusually commanding.

A dumbfounded Queenie looked up, only to find unexpectedly that the man on top of her wasn't Joseph. He was Colton Gardner, the person currently at the helm of the Gardner Family—a family for whom the Mann Family was far from being a match...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
👉Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!
Install the APP to search for the title📚 "Right Person, Wrong Time"
This book contains matured content Enjoy Romance Now🥰

He promised her that he would love her and treasure her like no one else, so she thought she had found bliss. Until his first love appeared and he broke their original vow. When the two met again after five years, she was accompanied by a six-year-old child,the man requested, "Vivian, let's get back together." Vivian scoffed, "You're five years too late!" However, he responded, "It's never too late when it comes to you."
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Chapter 1 Please Marry Me
Arriving at the Civil Affairs Bureau, Vivian William was utterly dismayed to discover that the man whom she was supposed to get her marriage certificate with had yet to arrive.
It was already more than half an hour past their agreed-upon time. Just as she was about to contact him, he called her instead.
As soon as she picked up, his furious voice blared out through the phone, “Vivian William, you liar! Have you forgotten about the sort of shameful things you’d done back in university? How dare you even think about marrying me now? Let me tell you something. That will only ever happen in your dreams! It has become rather clear to me now, seeing as you were quick to bring up marriage despite us only knowing each other for three days! If it weren’t for my ex-girlfriend having studied in the same university as you, I would’ve gotten tricked by you! You shameless woman!”

Click to READ more👉👉Title：🔥🔥🔥I Married A CEO In A Flash🔥🔥🔥

He promised her that he would love her and treasure her like no one else, so she thought she had found bliss. Until his first love appeared and he broke their original vow. When the two met again after five years, she was accompanied by a six-year-old child,the man requested, "Vivian, let's get back together." Vivian scoffed, "You're five years too late!" However, he responded, "It's never too late when it comes to you."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 1 Please Marry Me
Arriving at the Civil Affairs Bureau, Vivian William was utterly dismayed to discover that the man whom she was supposed to get her marriage certificate with had yet to arrive.
It was already more than half an hour past their agreed-upon time. Just as she was about to contact him, he called her instead.
As soon as she picked up, his furious voice blared out through the phone, “Vivian William, you liar! Have you forgotten about the sort of shameful things you’d done back in university? How dare you even think about marrying me now? Let me tell you something. That will only ever happen in your dreams! It has become rather clear to me now, seeing as you were quick to bring up marriage despite us only knowing each other for three days! If it weren’t for my ex-girlfriend having studied in the same university as you, I would’ve gotten tricked by you! You shameless woman!”

Click to READ more👉👉Title：🔥🔥🔥I Married A CEO In A Flash🔥🔥🔥

She redeemed her sister with 200,000 yuan, and spent a night with a man. Five years later, she returned to the United States with her cute baby, but she never expected that the man who was with her that night was...

Chapter 1 Homecoming

It was a dark night when heavy curtains shrouded the room in complete darkness.

Two bodies were pressing against each other in bed. The man's breathing was heavy; he had a sturdy physique, and his manners were rough.

Nicole was so in pain that there were a few times when she had wanted to push the man away. However, upon thinking of her mother, who was in the hospital, she forced herself to fight back the urge to resist him. She gritted her teeth, letting him have his way with her again and again…

After a long, long time, the man finally fell into a deep sleep. Enduring the discomfort, Nicole staggered out of bed, put on her clothes, and left.

Wearing exquisite makeup, Queenie Anderson walked to the room door at a leisurely pace. "How did it go, sis? Did you service Young Master Joseph well?" Blatant smugness showed in her eyes when she saw Nicole's sorry figure. So what if Nicole is pretty and excels in her studies? In the end, she only deserves to substitute for me, doesn't she?

Nicole's voice was cracked and gravelly as she gritted her teeth while lifting her stubborn and pretty little face up. "Don't forget what you've promised me, Queenie."

"The 200,000 has been transferred to your account," Queenie replied while tossing Nicole's cell phone back to the owner. Then, in a mean voice full of disdain and mockery, she added, "I won't forget about that, of course. That's the money you've prostituted yourself for, after all."

Her venomous words stabbed Nicole in the heart like a dagger, but Nicole couldn't be bothered that much. After taking back her phone, she rushed to the hospital.

After Nicole completely disappeared from her sight, Queenie let out a cold snort and opened the door to the suite with a wiggle.

Joseph Mann was the Mann Family's youngest son. Despite his unsavory reputation, his father, Robert Mann, was very fond of him, for Joseph was born when Robert was in his older years. Joseph was plied with drinks tonight, so he wouldn't know about the switch. When he sees the blood in bed, he'll definitely take responsibility for what has happened! If it weren't for Joseph only preferring virgins, I wouldn't have given up the opportunity to Nicole! Queenie thought to herself.

However, as soon as she undressed and got into bed, the man in bed suddenly awakened. At once, he seized her throat with his strong, large hand, exuding a terrifyingly murderous aura through his every pore. "Who are you?" His voice was husky, with a slight trace of lust from him having just slept with someone, but his demeanor was unusually commanding.

A dumbfounded Queenie looked up, only to find unexpectedly that the man on top of her wasn't Joseph. He was Colton Gardner, the person currently at the helm of the Gardner Family—a family for whom the Mann Family was far from being a match...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
👉Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here!
Install the APP to search for the title📚 "Right Person, Wrong Time"
This book contains matured content Enjoy Romance Now🥰

👊😡After 15 years, he came back, saw his wife and daughter living on the street, angry on the spot, a short message to 100 billion group bankruptcy
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In Erudia, a private jet landed at North Hampton Airport, where all international flights experienced an eight-hour delay because of it.

At the private passageway were five men in suits and leather shoes, standing as straight as a javelin.

Every now and then, they would raise their wrist to look at the time, for a big shot was coming to town.

The upper-class society of North Hampton had learned about his arrival, but no one had the capability to get an inch closer to the private passageway.

Even the richest man in North Hampton who came to pay homage was chased away.

Finally, there were movements coming from the passageway.

“God of War!!!” the mass cried out, their eyes filled with awe and veneration at the sight of the undefeatable legend of Erudia.

He, who was dubbed the God of War, was the one and only five-star war God in the history of Erudia.

Once, he'd inflicted a crushing defeat on the strongest battalions in eighteen countries. He was an overbearing and formidable man.

He who overwhelmed the world with his unparalleled power had even created the Five Great Wars Regiment, Cavalry Regiment, and many more.

...

Setting foot on his homeland, Levi Garrison was overcome with emotions.

Once upon a time, he used to be an orphan who was abandoned on the streets of North Hampton and then adopted by the Garrison family.

However, the Garrison family had never been fond of him.

His adoptive parents, who had a tendency to beat and scold him, treated him like an outsider.

As for the outsiders, they treated him as a nobody.

But he didn't care a stiver. He had always been proud of his surname since he was a child, and he strived to bring glory to this family when he grew older.

At last, Levi had established Levi Group, the largest dark horse in North Hampton's business community.

With billions of assets, it ranked among the forefront of North Hampton, pushing the declining Garrison family to the top.

However, not only did the Garrison family showed no signs of appreciation, they even harbored dissatisfaction towards him. Jealous of his success, they regarded him as a thorn in their flesh and coveted Levi Group.

No matter his wealth and power, unless they were in control, he was just an outsider in the Garrison family's eyes.

Eventually, on Levi's wedding night, the Garrison family plotted a frame-up against him by getting him drunk before tossing him onto his sister-in-law's bed. They wanted to create the illusion that he was doing something untoward to her and was caught in bed by his brother and adoptive parents.

That night, the Garrison family had brutally broken his limbs and left him on the road like a wild dog.

Not only was he handicapped, but he also had to take the flak for something he didn't commit.

From an upstart in the business world, he had become the target of disdain overnight.

And the next day, he had been punished for several crimes and sentenced to six years in prison.

He could never forget the ruthless and sinister faces of everyone in the Garrison family and the ridicule of his friends, classmates, and business partners.

More so, he could never forget the disappointment on his newly wedded wife, Zoey's face.

He had regarded the Garrison family as his home and devoted himself to the family.

Yet, they treated him like trash.

It felt as if a knife was being twisted in his heart every time he thought about this.

How he hated the Garrison family!

But who would have thought that Levi had been secretly transferred away from prison to join the military?

In a few years, he dominated the military world and became the one and only five-star God of War.

Now that he came back, the Garrison family ought to stay on their toes.

“How's it going, Azure Dragon?” Levi asked.

Azure Dragon, the commander of the Five Great Wars Regiment, took a step forward and said respectfully, “Sir, I'm afraid your wife, Ms. Zoey Lopez will remarry at ten o'clock tonight!”

Ever since Zoey's husband was sent to prison on their wedding night, she had been living like a widow.

Only God knew how much pressure she was put under.

And right now, the person Levi couldn't wait to see the most was Zoey.

After a moment of hesitation, Azure Dragon continued, “To add on, Sir, the Garrison family is holding a successful listing celebration banquet at the Crystal Palace Hotel tonight! Many people had invited the God of War just now, including the Garrison family, but I didn't accept nor refuse directly.”

“What time?” Levi asked tersely.

“Eight o'clock, Sir.”

“Okay. Tell the Garrison family I will attend the banquet!”

Since the time for the two events didn't clash, Levi gladly accepted the invitation.

The celebration banquet for the public listing of Garrison Group was held at North Hampton's Crystal Palace Hotel.

With the help of Levi Group, they had become a rich and powerful family in one fell swoop.

The hall was bustling with noise and excitement, and sounds of glasses clinking could be heard ringing in the air every now and then.

“God bless the Garrison family,” said Joseph, the head of the Garrison family. “The younger generations are the stars among men. Garrison Group is now listed and has become an upstart in North Hampton!”

Joseph's three sons and daughter welcomed their guests with bright smiles on their faces.

The younger generation of the Garrison family was all the smugger and prouder because, after today, the Garrison family would become a powerful family, and they would become one of the top rich kids.

Most of the guests who attended today's banquet were from the top circle in North Hampton.

“Garrison, do you know what happened today?! Your celebration party is nothing compared to that.” They were gossiping about the major event that had happened today.

“Yeah! I heard that a big shot has arrived in North Hampton!”

“The richest man in North Hampton wanted to meet him but was shooed away. Apparently, he's not qualified enough!”

“So? Jesse Nielsen had been waiting for five hours in advance at the airport!”

Joseph nodded. “Yes, I know about that too. I even sent someone to invite this big shot to the celebration party!”

“No way! Why would this big shot attend such a party?”

No one believed it.

In fact, as an upstart, Joseph was just trying his luck.

“Dad!” shouted Jaycob, the second eldest son of the Garrison family could be seen running over. “The big shot has accepted our invitation to attend our celebration banquet! He's on the way!”

“Jesus! God has indeed blessed the Garrison family!”

Everyone in the Garrison family could barely conceal their delight as this was their chance to reach the sky in a single bound.

The grandchildren of the Garrison family gathered together, sunshine flooding their souls.

Levi's brother, Bryan, and sister-in-law, Victoria, smiled. “Well, it all starts with Levi's imprisonment that the Garrison family is at where we are today...”

“Right, speaking about Levi, do you guys know today's the day that kid gets out of prison?!” somebody asked abruptly.

“Really? Isn't that bad luck? Why did he have to be released on such a big day?!”

“Please, please, please don't come back! He's the Garrison family's biggest disgrace!”

Victoria's lips tugged into a sneer. “Speaking of which, Levi is the crowning glory of the Garrison family's status today.”

“That's what he's supposed to do!” Bryan said. “He should contribute to the Garrison family for raising him, an orphan! His multi-billion Levi Group means nothing. To put it bluntly, he's just a dog raised by the Garrison family!”

Someone gave a chortle. “As a matter of fact, I've been interested in Levi's wife for a long time now. She's still widowed, and I'm so going to marry her!”

The man's remark caused gales of laughter.

“Everyone, stop what you're doing. I have an important announcement to make,” Joseph said and went on to announce that the big shot was coming.

A thunderous applause was heard.

But when the applause had died down, there was still someone clapping.

The sound was loud and clear, approaching from afar.

On the red carpet, a man came clapping, looking bold and energetic.

His stride gave off a majestic and imposing aura, which made the mass hold their breaths.

“It's Levi!” Bryan and Victoria exclaimed.

Suddenly, all eyes were riveted on him.

“I forgot this little brat got out of jail today!” Levi's adoptive parents spoke in unison.

Ignoring the astonished gazes darted at his way, Levi walked step by step towards Joseph.

“A little bird told me that the company is now listed. How are you feeling, Joseph? Are you happy?”

Levi flashed him a meaningful smile.

“How dare you show up here, you insolent brat! And what did you just call me?” Joseph's fury sprang to life.

“Who let him in? Didn't you know he just got out of prison? How inauspicious!”

Bryan rose to his feet. “…… are you doing here, Levi?”

Levi sized him up. “Why can't I be here?”

“Well, for starters, you're an orphan! The Garrison family has raised you, but you were ambitious and ungrateful. You had inordinate ambitions for your sister-in-law, and you wanted to take possession of the Garrison family! You'd even tried to kill your parents when things go south! Have you no conscience? Do you have any sense of morality left in your heart?”

“You've lost your reputation in North Hampton, and everyone knows that. Have you no shame to have the brass neck to come round here?”

“Everyone knows why you're back. You want to leech off the Garrison family; you want our money, isn't it?!”

“You've long been expelled from the Garrison family, you ungrateful wretch! The Garrison family has nothing to do with you! Now, get lost!”

Levi's adoptive parents rose to their feet and pointed at his nose, hurling abusive remarks at him.

The Garrison family's brazenness of distorting the truth was mind-bending.

How disappointing!

He had thought they would feel somewhat apologetic after six years, but they were unexpectedly more aggravated.

They took everything from him, crippled him, and ruined his reputation, turning everything upside down and making everything his fault instead.

The Garrison family didn't have the slightest bit of compassion to speak of.

Bryan zipped towards Levi, assessing him condescendingly. “Hmph! Don't you just want money now that you're back?”

Flap!

Bryan threw a credit card to the ground and lifted his foot, shaking his leather shoe. “My vamp is dirty. Lick it clean, and the one million in this card is yours!”

His words elicited a fresh burst of laughter as the crowd looked at Levi as if they were looking at a dog.

“Oh my! One million? That's more than enough to cover his living expenses. I bet he'll lick it!”

Victoria gave a wry look.

“On your knees!” Bryan roared, seeing that Levi was glaring at him. “Now, lick my shoe!”

Levi stared at him coldly and held his peace.

“Kneel!!!”

Bryan rushed to Levi and pressed his shoulders, forcing him to kneel, but the latter didn't budge.

“I said kneel!!!”

Bryan struggled to rivet him to the spot.

“Drop dead!”

Levi suddenly slapped Bryan in the face, sending him flying almost eight meters away.

Silence engulfed the room; one could even hear a pin drop!

Unbelievable!

Everyone in the Garrison family was stupefied.

What did Levi just do?

Did he just knock Bryan to the ground with a single slap?

Plod!

Bryan was about to get up when Levi stepped on him, crushed him, and crossed over him.

Looking at the approaching Levi, Joseph instinctively stepped back.

Levi went up the stage and adjusted the microphone stand.

Everyone looked at him, wondering what he was going to do next.

“Listen up, everyone...”

“I'm sure you remember what happened six years ago, yes? For the love and care I had received from the Garrison family during childhood, I'm giving you one month to kneel before me for three days and three nights to repent your sins!”

“Remember, that's everyone from the Garrison family!”

“If I don't see any shadow within a month, the outcome is simple—I swear I'll wipe off every single one of you here today!”

Levi's voice was low and deep.

But as soon as he finished, the crowd was laughing like a drain.

“Did prison life eat his brain or what? What conceited nonsense is he spouting?”

“The Garrison family right now is a juggernaut in North Hampton. He's just a criminal. Isn't it a pipe dream to destroy the Garrison family?”

“Did he knock his brain loose or something?”

...

“Bear in mind that I have limited patience. You only have one month! Of course, you may gather your strengths and connections to fight against me! I'll be waiting.”

Levi then took his leave straightaway, disregarding the mockeries of the crowd.

“Stop right there, you *! Did I tell you to leave?”

Ben, Levi's adoptive father, wanted to stop him.

“Ben, let him go!” Joseph said. “It's a big day today. I don't want to see bloodshed!”

He was afraid about the impact that would bring about if the big shot saw this.

“Yeah! There are so much more opportunities to take care of him!”

“He's in luck that the big shot is on his way!”

With that, Levi left the place under the watchful eyes of hundreds of people.

After Levi had left, Joseph asked anxiously, “Jaycob, where's the big shot? Isn't he here yet?”

Jaycob looked dazed. “According to the time, he should have arrived long ago. Let me ask...”

After making a phone call, Jaycob blanched. “Dad, the big shot was here, but he left already.”

“What? The big shot was here?”

“The big shot said that the Garrison family are a bunch of unworthy stupid pigs!”

“I get it. He must have left in a fit of rage after witnessing the ruckus that brat had created!”

“He must have thought that the Garrison family disrespected him!”

Joseph trembled with rage. “That brat will pay for this!”

The multitude reacted accordingly.

Levi has ruined the Garrison family's glorious event!

He just pissed off the big shot!

That's equivalent to cutting off the Garrison family's chance to reach the sky!

Levi Garrison is indeed the sinner of the Garrison family!

At that moment, the Garrison family wished to skin Levi alive.

His adoptive parents, brother, and sister-in-law especially hated him to the bone. “Just you wait, Levi!”

After leaving Crystal Palace Hotel, the next person that Levi was going to look for was his wife, Zoey Lopez.

In this life, he owed no debt to the Garrison family, nor his friends and classmates, but Zoey.

He had been imprisoned on the second day after the wedding, making Zoey lose her reputation. That even put her through six years of widowhood.

This woman has carried too much on her shoulders for six years.

But now that I'm back, I'll hold your hand, and we'll conquer the world together!

After hesitating for a long time, Levi pressed the doorbell.

Thud!

The young woman dropped her mobile phone to the ground as the door opened.

Upon taking a closer look at Levi's face, Zoey broke down in tears.

“Zoey, quick, just get the parcel and come in. It's almost time for the family banquet! Your grandfather is going to settle your marriage at the family banquet tonight. You can't get away from this!”

“Yeah! Quickly get dressed! Your grandfather is going to set you up with someone else!”

Zoey's parents' voices sounded from the inside.

“Zoey, I'm back!” Levi said excitedly, wanting to fling his arm around her, but Zoey slapped his hands away.

“Why did you come back? I've already forgotten about you...”

Zoey's voice was choked with sobs.

Very soon after, Zoey's parents, Aaron and Caitlyn, came out, looking horrified.

“How dare you have the nerve to come back? Do you know how much criticism my family has suffered because of you? Especially Zoey. Do you know how much she has suffered for the past six years?” Zoey's father, Aaron, reproached.

Meanwhile, her mother, Caitlyn, pushed and shoved Levi. “You should know that this relationship between you and Zoey is impossible in this life the moment you went to jail! You're a criminal! You're just a street rat in North Hampton! You're only putting Zoey in harm's way by coming to see her!”

Naturally, Levi had known of Zoey's sufferings for the past six years, including her refusal to remarry because of him.

Levi put on a serious face. “This time, I'm back for good. I won't leave Zoey ever again. I will grant her a bright future and let her own the world!”

Levi's declaration had Aaron and Caitlyn hooting with laughter.

“You've spent six years in jail. How are you going to give Zoey a future?” Aaron asked with a sneer.

“Yeah! With your mouth?” Caitlyn chimed in. “There's a limit to talking big!”

Nonetheless, Levi smiled. “Don't worry. I'll reclaim what I lost in those years! I'll destroy the Garrison family in a month!”

“Levi!” This time, even Zoey couldn't bear to listen to his nonsense any longer. “Can we be more realistic? It doesn't matter if you just get out of prison. Can't you just be down to earth and start anew? I believe that you will make a comeback one day, but you can't just indulge in tall talk. Do you know just how powerful the Garrison family is right now? And besides, today's era is a far cry from what it was six years ago!”

“Zoey, trust me,” Levi said earnestly. “I can make the Garrison family bow at my feet with just a word!”

Preposterous!

Levi's bravado nearly drove Zoey and her parents round the bend.

Having been caged up for six years, did he finally lose his mind?

“Fine. If you say so,” Zoey said, shoving her mobile phone to Levi directly. “Then prove it! I'd like to see how you make the Garrison family bow their heads with just one word!”

“I...”

Levi was stunned.

It was true that he could exterminate the Garrison family with his words, but he had given them one month; it would be too uneventful to destroy them now.

“See, you can't do it, can't you? Then don't you ever talk big if you can't!”

Zoey smashed the phone to the ground, marking her wrath.

Following that, her parents pushed Levi away. “Go now. You're not welcome here. We've got a family banquet to attend!”

“No. Mom, Dad, let him in!”

“What do you mean, Zoey?”

“I won't remarry. My husband is back.”

...

Aaron and Caitlyn couldn't talk her round, so they could only let him in.

After that, Zoey took Levi to her bedroom.

“Since you're back, you're still my husband. I don't care about the gossips. Besides, I believe you're innocent, and anyone with discerning eyes can see that it was the Garrison family who'd framed you!”

Levi could feel the warmth in his heart.

She trusted him, and that was more than enough for him.

“But you must promise me to start from zero and be down to earth. I believe you will achieve something great with your ability! I'll give you five years!”

“That's unnecessary,” Levi said. “Just give me one month. In a month, I'll de—”

“Shut up! I don't want to listen to your nonsensical and unrealistic talks! Why can't we just be realistic?” Zoey shouted.

“Even if you have nothing now, as long as you take one step at a time, I believe you'll get back on your feet!”

Levi shut up obediently.

“I bought you these six years ago.” Zoey took out a suit from the cupboard. “Change into it at once and follow me to the family banquet!”

“Zoey, what is up with you?”

Seeing Levi all dressed up, Aaron and Caitlyn were naturally dissatisfied.

Zoey clung onto Levi's arm. “Mom, Dad, Levi is my husband now! I will make myself clear to Grandpa tonight!”

Aaron and Caitlyn looked daggers at Levi, sighing helplessly, “For Heaven's sake!”

The Lopez family banquet was held at Golden Port Restaurant, where they contracted the entire restaurant.

Naturally, the Lopez family was not as powerful as the Garrison family, but they were considered above average in North Hampton.

When Zoey and her family arrived at the main hall, they were greeted with strange and jesting gazes.

In the past, when Zoey and Levi had gotten married, Aaron's family status was the highest in the Lopez family.

But after Levi's downfall, Aaron's family had experienced a seismic shift in life, and their status in the Lopez family took a nosedive as they became the subject of ridicule, especially during family events.

“Look! Is that Levi beside Zoey?”

“Yeah! It's really him! He's released from prison already?”

All eyes fell on Levi at once.

Harry, the head of the Lopez family, snorted and turned a blind eye to the four of them.

The old man's favorite now was Fabian, his eldest son, and his family.

Mainly because Fabian's son-in-law, Samuel Robertson, was of mixed ethnicity who was born rich and had lived overseas.

This time, Harry was going to set up Zoey with Samuel's younger brother, Chris, who had been casting covetous eyes on Zoey for some time now.

With no one paying attention to them, Aaron and his family could only find a place to sit first.

As they were about to take their seats, a voice was heard. “No, Aaron. You guys can't sit here.”

It was a reminder from Henry, the second eldest son of the Lopez family.

“What?”

“There are sitting arrangements to the family banquet this time.”

Aaron looked puzzled. “How so?”

“There are four tables for the family banquet! And it's decided according to the family contribution!”

“For example, the first table is given to the family who contributed over five million to the family in a year; a million for the second table, a hundred thousand for the third table, and less than a hundred thousand for the last table, or should I say no contribution at all!”

Henry smiled smugly. “Our family has made good profits this year, and we've contributed just about five million to the family. So excuse me, but this table here is ours.”

“Of course, you can also sit at the first table without contributing. That is if your family has tens of millions of assets.”

“Unfortunately, we couldn't be any clearer about your family's situation,” sneered Maddison, Henry's wife. “Now that there's an ex-convict in your family, I'm sorry that you guys can only sit at the last table!”

“Mom, Dad, as far as I know, Uncle Aaron and his family didn't contribute much to the family last year,” said Shaun, Henry's son, walking over with a glass in his hand. “Their company went bankrupt, and they even borrowed over two million from Grandpa. Clearly, it's a negative contribution. It's unfair to the relatives sitting at the fourth table! I say we add a fifth table for negative contributors!”

“Yeah, I agree!”

The rest of the Lopez family concurred.

“Okay, we'll do as Shaun says! This shall motivate you people!”

Harry gave his consent.

“Hurry up and sit down. Don't just stand there and make a fool out of yourselves.” Harry glared at Aaron.

With that, Aaron and his family walked over to the fifth table quietly.

“Which table should a ten billion contributor sit at?” asked Levi suddenly, pulling Zoey's arm.

Levi was the one and only five-star God of War, and wealth to him was just a number.

In fact, he didn't know exactly how much he had, but he could still fork out ten billion casually for the family contribution on behalf of Aaron's family.

As soon as Levi said that, everyone was stunned at his query.

After a few moments of silence, the crowd blossomed into an enormous belly laugh.

“Ten billion? You must be kidding me! Even the aristocratic Garrison family may not have that much money!”

“This kid must have a loose screw in the head to come here and embarrass himself!”

“Hey, Aaron. Did you know you have a son-in-law worth ten billion? Hahaha...”

Sensing the jeering gazes and titter from the people around, Aaron and his family wished the ground could swallow them whole.

This is embarrassing!

Too embarrassing!

Zoey's temper sparked, and her eyes blazed with rage.

“Levi Garrison, is it not enough for you to talk big at home that you have to come here and embarrass me? Do you think you haven't done enough after all these years?”

Zoey trembled as tears silently rolling down her cheeks.

“But I do have ten billion!” Levi said helplessly.

At this time, no one bothered to listen to Levi's sheer bull because the star of the day, Fabian's son-in-law, had arrived.

Everyone, including Harry, went out to the entrance to greet him.

“I'm sorry to keep everyone waiting.” Samuel wore an apologetic expression.

“Your flight was nearly ten hours late. What's up with that?” Harry asked in concern.

Samuel smiled. “Grandpa, don't you know? A big shot has arrived in North Hampton, and North Hampton Airport was sealed off for eight hours.”

What? Is there such a thing?

“Who's this big shot to have the airport sealed off, Samuel?” Harry asked smilingly.

“It's not just that. It's said that a hundred planes escorted the private jet of that big shot, and there were a hundred thousand people guarding at the airport.”

“Damn!”

“What?”

The crowd gasped in shock.

“He's the commander-in-chief of nine military regions, the God of War of Erudia. Haha, you may not believe it if I say this, but I met this great man when I was at a gathering abroad, and we even exchanged numbers. I didn't expect him to take up a post in North Hampton! I'll ask him out sometime in support of the Lopez family. That way, you'll gain a foothold in North Hampton in no time,” Samuel said loftily.

“God! That's incredible! How did you even get to know someone like him?”

“My brother-in-law is so cool!”

“The Lopez family's son-in-law is one of a kind! Of course, except for one!”

Everyone looked at Samuel with veneration; the old man was all the more impressed, Aaron and Caitlyn begrudged Fabian's son-in-law, and Zoey was envious as well.

But she believed that in five years, Levi, too, could make her grandfather proud.

Yet, unbeknownst to them, Levi was actually barely stifling in his laughter.

This kid is quite something to know that I've arrived.

But his ability to make up nonsense is even more impressive.

“You're saying you know the God of War?” Levi asked.

Samuel raised his head. “Yeah, we had a drink together. Is there a problem?”

Levi chuckled. “Then why don't I recognize you?”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here
Install the APP to search for the book title "God of War: Pinnacle" Read more exciting content immediately

👊😡After 15 years, he came back, saw his wife and daughter living on the street, angry on the spot, a short message to 100 billion group bankruptcy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Erudia, a private jet landed at North Hampton Airport, where all international flights experienced an eight-hour delay because of it.

At the private passageway were five men in suits and leather shoes, standing as straight as a javelin.

Every now and then, they would raise their wrist to look at the time, for a big shot was coming to town.

The upper-class society of North Hampton had learned about his arrival, but no one had the capability to get an inch closer to the private passageway.

Even the richest man in North Hampton who came to pay homage was chased away.

Finally, there were movements coming from the passageway.

“God of War!!!” the mass cried out, their eyes filled with awe and veneration at the sight of the undefeatable legend of Erudia.

He, who was dubbed the God of War, was the one and only five-star war God in the history of Erudia.

Once, he'd inflicted a crushing defeat on the strongest battalions in eighteen countries. He was an overbearing and formidable man.

He who overwhelmed the world with his unparalleled power had even created the Five Great Wars Regiment, Cavalry Regiment, and many more.

...

Setting foot on his homeland, Levi Garrison was overcome with emotions.

Once upon a time, he used to be an orphan who was abandoned on the streets of North Hampton and then adopted by the Garrison family.

However, the Garrison family had never been fond of him.

His adoptive parents, who had a tendency to beat and scold him, treated him like an outsider.

As for the outsiders, they treated him as a nobody.

But he didn't care a stiver. He had always been proud of his surname since he was a child, and he strived to bring glory to this family when he grew older.

At last, Levi had established Levi Group, the largest dark horse in North Hampton's business community.

With billions of assets, it ranked among the forefront of North Hampton, pushing the declining Garrison family to the top.

However, not only did the Garrison family showed no signs of appreciation, they even harbored dissatisfaction towards him. Jealous of his success, they regarded him as a thorn in their flesh and coveted Levi Group.

No matter his wealth and power, unless they were in control, he was just an outsider in the Garrison family's eyes.

Eventually, on Levi's wedding night, the Garrison family plotted a frame-up against him by getting him drunk before tossing him onto his sister-in-law's bed. They wanted to create the illusion that he was doing something untoward to her and was caught in bed by his brother and adoptive parents.

That night, the Garrison family had brutally broken his limbs and left him on the road like a wild dog.

Not only was he handicapped, but he also had to take the flak for something he didn't commit.

From an upstart in the business world, he had become the target of disdain overnight.

And the next day, he had been punished for several crimes and sentenced to six years in prison.

He could never forget the ruthless and sinister faces of everyone in the Garrison family and the ridicule of his friends, classmates, and business partners.

More so, he could never forget the disappointment on his newly wedded wife, Zoey's face.

He had regarded the Garrison family as his home and devoted himself to the family.

Yet, they treated him like trash.

It felt as if a knife was being twisted in his heart every time he thought about this.

How he hated the Garrison family!

But who would have thought that Levi had been secretly transferred away from prison to join the military?

In a few years, he dominated the military world and became the one and only five-star God of War.

Now that he came back, the Garrison family ought to stay on their toes.

“How's it going, Azure Dragon?” Levi asked.

Azure Dragon, the commander of the Five Great Wars Regiment, took a step forward and said respectfully, “Sir, I'm afraid your wife, Ms. Zoey Lopez will remarry at ten o'clock tonight!”

Ever since Zoey's husband was sent to prison on their wedding night, she had been living like a widow.

Only God knew how much pressure she was put under.

And right now, the person Levi couldn't wait to see the most was Zoey.

After a moment of hesitation, Azure Dragon continued, “To add on, Sir, the Garrison family is holding a successful listing celebration banquet at the Crystal Palace Hotel tonight! Many people had invited the God of War just now, including the Garrison family, but I didn't accept nor refuse directly.”

“What time?” Levi asked tersely.

“Eight o'clock, Sir.”

“Okay. Tell the Garrison family I will attend the banquet!”

Since the time for the two events didn't clash, Levi gladly accepted the invitation.

The celebration banquet for the public listing of Garrison Group was held at North Hampton's Crystal Palace Hotel.

With the help of Levi Group, they had become a rich and powerful family in one fell swoop.

The hall was bustling with noise and excitement, and sounds of glasses clinking could be heard ringing in the air every now and then.

“God bless the Garrison family,” said Joseph, the head of the Garrison family. “The younger generations are the stars among men. Garrison Group is now listed and has become an upstart in North Hampton!”

Joseph's three sons and daughter welcomed their guests with bright smiles on their faces.

The younger generation of the Garrison family was all the smugger and prouder because, after today, the Garrison family would become a powerful family, and they would become one of the top rich kids.

Most of the guests who attended today's banquet were from the top circle in North Hampton.

“Garrison, do you know what happened today?! Your celebration party is nothing compared to that.” They were gossiping about the major event that had happened today.

“Yeah! I heard that a big shot has arrived in North Hampton!”

“The richest man in North Hampton wanted to meet him but was shooed away. Apparently, he's not qualified enough!”

“So? Jesse Nielsen had been waiting for five hours in advance at the airport!”

Joseph nodded. “Yes, I know about that too. I even sent someone to invite this big shot to the celebration party!”

“No way! Why would this big shot attend such a party?”

No one believed it.

In fact, as an upstart, Joseph was just trying his luck.

“Dad!” shouted Jaycob, the second eldest son of the Garrison family could be seen running over. “The big shot has accepted our invitation to attend our celebration banquet! He's on the way!”

“Jesus! God has indeed blessed the Garrison family!”

Everyone in the Garrison family could barely conceal their delight as this was their chance to reach the sky in a single bound.

The grandchildren of the Garrison family gathered together, sunshine flooding their souls.

Levi's brother, Bryan, and sister-in-law, Victoria, smiled. “Well, it all starts with Levi's imprisonment that the Garrison family is at where we are today...”

“Right, speaking about Levi, do you guys know today's the day that kid gets out of prison?!” somebody asked abruptly.

“Really? Isn't that bad luck? Why did he have to be released on such a big day?!”

“Please, please, please don't come back! He's the Garrison family's biggest disgrace!”

Victoria's lips tugged into a sneer. “Speaking of which, Levi is the crowning glory of the Garrison family's status today.”

“That's what he's supposed to do!” Bryan said. “He should contribute to the Garrison family for raising him, an orphan! His multi-billion Levi Group means nothing. To put it bluntly, he's just a dog raised by the Garrison family!”

Someone gave a chortle. “As a matter of fact, I've been interested in Levi's wife for a long time now. She's still widowed, and I'm so going to marry her!”

The man's remark caused gales of laughter.

“Everyone, stop what you're doing. I have an important announcement to make,” Joseph said and went on to announce that the big shot was coming.

A thunderous applause was heard.

But when the applause had died down, there was still someone clapping.

The sound was loud and clear, approaching from afar.

On the red carpet, a man came clapping, looking bold and energetic.

His stride gave off a majestic and imposing aura, which made the mass hold their breaths.

“It's Levi!” Bryan and Victoria exclaimed.

Suddenly, all eyes were riveted on him.

“I forgot this little brat got out of jail today!” Levi's adoptive parents spoke in unison.

Ignoring the astonished gazes darted at his way, Levi walked step by step towards Joseph.

“A little bird told me that the company is now listed. How are you feeling, Joseph? Are you happy?”

Levi flashed him a meaningful smile.

“How dare you show up here, you insolent brat! And what did you just call me?” Joseph's fury sprang to life.

“Who let him in? Didn't you know he just got out of prison? How inauspicious!”

Bryan rose to his feet. “…… are you doing here, Levi?”

Levi sized him up. “Why can't I be here?”

“Well, for starters, you're an orphan! The Garrison family has raised you, but you were ambitious and ungrateful. You had inordinate ambitions for your sister-in-law, and you wanted to take possession of the Garrison family! You'd even tried to kill your parents when things go south! Have you no conscience? Do you have any sense of morality left in your heart?”

“You've lost your reputation in North Hampton, and everyone knows that. Have you no shame to have the brass neck to come round here?”

“Everyone knows why you're back. You want to leech off the Garrison family; you want our money, isn't it?!”

“You've long been expelled from the Garrison family, you ungrateful wretch! The Garrison family has nothing to do with you! Now, get lost!”

Levi's adoptive parents rose to their feet and pointed at his nose, hurling abusive remarks at him.

The Garrison family's brazenness of distorting the truth was mind-bending.

How disappointing!

He had thought they would feel somewhat apologetic after six years, but they were unexpectedly more aggravated.

They took everything from him, crippled him, and ruined his reputation, turning everything upside down and making everything his fault instead.

The Garrison family didn't have the slightest bit of compassion to speak of.

Bryan zipped towards Levi, assessing him condescendingly. “Hmph! Don't you just want money now that you're back?”

Flap!

Bryan threw a credit card to the ground and lifted his foot, shaking his leather shoe. “My vamp is dirty. Lick it clean, and the one million in this card is yours!”

His words elicited a fresh burst of laughter as the crowd looked at Levi as if they were looking at a dog.

“Oh my! One million? That's more than enough to cover his living expenses. I bet he'll lick it!”

Victoria gave a wry look.

“On your knees!” Bryan roared, seeing that Levi was glaring at him. “Now, lick my shoe!”

Levi stared at him coldly and held his peace.

“Kneel!!!”

Bryan rushed to Levi and pressed his shoulders, forcing him to kneel, but the latter didn't budge.

“I said kneel!!!”

Bryan struggled to rivet him to the spot.

“Drop dead!”

Levi suddenly slapped Bryan in the face, sending him flying almost eight meters away.

Silence engulfed the room; one could even hear a pin drop!

Unbelievable!

Everyone in the Garrison family was stupefied.

What did Levi just do?

Did he just knock Bryan to the ground with a single slap?

Plod!

Bryan was about to get up when Levi stepped on him, crushed him, and crossed over him.

Looking at the approaching Levi, Joseph instinctively stepped back.

Levi went up the stage and adjusted the microphone stand.

Everyone looked at him, wondering what he was going to do next.

“Listen up, everyone...”

“I'm sure you remember what happened six years ago, yes? For the love and care I had received from the Garrison family during childhood, I'm giving you one month to kneel before me for three days and three nights to repent your sins!”

“Remember, that's everyone from the Garrison family!”

“If I don't see any shadow within a month, the outcome is simple—I swear I'll wipe off every single one of you here today!”

Levi's voice was low and deep.

But as soon as he finished, the crowd was laughing like a drain.

“Did prison life eat his brain or what? What conceited nonsense is he spouting?”

“The Garrison family right now is a juggernaut in North Hampton. He's just a criminal. Isn't it a pipe dream to destroy the Garrison family?”

“Did he knock his brain loose or something?”

...

“Bear in mind that I have limited patience. You only have one month! Of course, you may gather your strengths and connections to fight against me! I'll be waiting.”

Levi then took his leave straightaway, disregarding the mockeries of the crowd.

“Stop right there, you *! Did I tell you to leave?”

Ben, Levi's adoptive father, wanted to stop him.

“Ben, let him go!” Joseph said. “It's a big day today. I don't want to see bloodshed!”

He was afraid about the impact that would bring about if the big shot saw this.

“Yeah! There are so much more opportunities to take care of him!”

“He's in luck that the big shot is on his way!”

With that, Levi left the place under the watchful eyes of hundreds of people.

After Levi had left, Joseph asked anxiously, “Jaycob, where's the big shot? Isn't he here yet?”

Jaycob looked dazed. “According to the time, he should have arrived long ago. Let me ask...”

After making a phone call, Jaycob blanched. “Dad, the big shot was here, but he left already.”

“What? The big shot was here?”

“The big shot said that the Garrison family are a bunch of unworthy stupid pigs!”

“I get it. He must have left in a fit of rage after witnessing the ruckus that brat had created!”

“He must have thought that the Garrison family disrespected him!”

Joseph trembled with rage. “That brat will pay for this!”

The multitude reacted accordingly.

Levi has ruined the Garrison family's glorious event!

He just pissed off the big shot!

That's equivalent to cutting off the Garrison family's chance to reach the sky!

Levi Garrison is indeed the sinner of the Garrison family!

At that moment, the Garrison family wished to skin Levi alive.

His adoptive parents, brother, and sister-in-law especially hated him to the bone. “Just you wait, Levi!”

After leaving Crystal Palace Hotel, the next person that Levi was going to look for was his wife, Zoey Lopez.

In this life, he owed no debt to the Garrison family, nor his friends and classmates, but Zoey.

He had been imprisoned on the second day after the wedding, making Zoey lose her reputation. That even put her through six years of widowhood.

This woman has carried too much on her shoulders for six years.

But now that I'm back, I'll hold your hand, and we'll conquer the world together!

After hesitating for a long time, Levi pressed the doorbell.

Thud!

The young woman dropped her mobile phone to the ground as the door opened.

Upon taking a closer look at Levi's face, Zoey broke down in tears.

“Zoey, quick, just get the parcel and come in. It's almost time for the family banquet! Your grandfather is going to settle your marriage at the family banquet tonight. You can't get away from this!”

“Yeah! Quickly get dressed! Your grandfather is going to set you up with someone else!”

Zoey's parents' voices sounded from the inside.

“Zoey, I'm back!” Levi said excitedly, wanting to fling his arm around her, but Zoey slapped his hands away.

“Why did you come back? I've already forgotten about you...”

Zoey's voice was choked with sobs.

Very soon after, Zoey's parents, Aaron and Caitlyn, came out, looking horrified.

“How dare you have the nerve to come back? Do you know how much criticism my family has suffered because of you? Especially Zoey. Do you know how much she has suffered for the past six years?” Zoey's father, Aaron, reproached.

Meanwhile, her mother, Caitlyn, pushed and shoved Levi. “You should know that this relationship between you and Zoey is impossible in this life the moment you went to jail! You're a criminal! You're just a street rat in North Hampton! You're only putting Zoey in harm's way by coming to see her!”

Naturally, Levi had known of Zoey's sufferings for the past six years, including her refusal to remarry because of him.

Levi put on a serious face. “This time, I'm back for good. I won't leave Zoey ever again. I will grant her a bright future and let her own the world!”

Levi's declaration had Aaron and Caitlyn hooting with laughter.

“You've spent six years in jail. How are you going to give Zoey a future?” Aaron asked with a sneer.

“Yeah! With your mouth?” Caitlyn chimed in. “There's a limit to talking big!”

Nonetheless, Levi smiled. “Don't worry. I'll reclaim what I lost in those years! I'll destroy the Garrison family in a month!”

“Levi!” This time, even Zoey couldn't bear to listen to his nonsense any longer. “Can we be more realistic? It doesn't matter if you just get out of prison. Can't you just be down to earth and start anew? I believe that you will make a comeback one day, but you can't just indulge in tall talk. Do you know just how powerful the Garrison family is right now? And besides, today's era is a far cry from what it was six years ago!”

“Zoey, trust me,” Levi said earnestly. “I can make the Garrison family bow at my feet with just a word!”

Preposterous!

Levi's bravado nearly drove Zoey and her parents round the bend.

Having been caged up for six years, did he finally lose his mind?

“Fine. If you say so,” Zoey said, shoving her mobile phone to Levi directly. “Then prove it! I'd like to see how you make the Garrison family bow their heads with just one word!”

“I...”

Levi was stunned.

It was true that he could exterminate the Garrison family with his words, but he had given them one month; it would be too uneventful to destroy them now.

“See, you can't do it, can't you? Then don't you ever talk big if you can't!”

Zoey smashed the phone to the ground, marking her wrath.

Following that, her parents pushed Levi away. “Go now. You're not welcome here. We've got a family banquet to attend!”

“No. Mom, Dad, let him in!”

“What do you mean, Zoey?”

“I won't remarry. My husband is back.”

...

Aaron and Caitlyn couldn't talk her round, so they could only let him in.

After that, Zoey took Levi to her bedroom.

“Since you're back, you're still my husband. I don't care about the gossips. Besides, I believe you're innocent, and anyone with discerning eyes can see that it was the Garrison family who'd framed you!”

Levi could feel the warmth in his heart.

She trusted him, and that was more than enough for him.

“But you must promise me to start from zero and be down to earth. I believe you will achieve something great with your ability! I'll give you five years!”

“That's unnecessary,” Levi said. “Just give me one month. In a month, I'll de—”

“Shut up! I don't want to listen to your nonsensical and unrealistic talks! Why can't we just be realistic?” Zoey shouted.

“Even if you have nothing now, as long as you take one step at a time, I believe you'll get back on your feet!”

Levi shut up obediently.

“I bought you these six years ago.” Zoey took out a suit from the cupboard. “Change into it at once and follow me to the family banquet!”

“Zoey, what is up with you?”

Seeing Levi all dressed up, Aaron and Caitlyn were naturally dissatisfied.

Zoey clung onto Levi's arm. “Mom, Dad, Levi is my husband now! I will make myself clear to Grandpa tonight!”

Aaron and Caitlyn looked daggers at Levi, sighing helplessly, “For Heaven's sake!”

The Lopez family banquet was held at Golden Port Restaurant, where they contracted the entire restaurant.

Naturally, the Lopez family was not as powerful as the Garrison family, but they were considered above average in North Hampton.

When Zoey and her family arrived at the main hall, they were greeted with strange and jesting gazes.

In the past, when Zoey and Levi had gotten married, Aaron's family status was the highest in the Lopez family.

But after Levi's downfall, Aaron's family had experienced a seismic shift in life, and their status in the Lopez family took a nosedive as they became the subject of ridicule, especially during family events.

“Look! Is that Levi beside Zoey?”

“Yeah! It's really him! He's released from prison already?”

All eyes fell on Levi at once.

Harry, the head of the Lopez family, snorted and turned a blind eye to the four of them.

The old man's favorite now was Fabian, his eldest son, and his family.

Mainly because Fabian's son-in-law, Samuel Robertson, was of mixed ethnicity who was born rich and had lived overseas.

This time, Harry was going to set up Zoey with Samuel's younger brother, Chris, who had been casting covetous eyes on Zoey for some time now.

With no one paying attention to them, Aaron and his family could only find a place to sit first.

As they were about to take their seats, a voice was heard. “No, Aaron. You guys can't sit here.”

It was a reminder from Henry, the second eldest son of the Lopez family.

“What?”

“There are sitting arrangements to the family banquet this time.”

Aaron looked puzzled. “How so?”

“There are four tables for the family banquet! And it's decided according to the family contribution!”

“For example, the first table is given to the family who contributed over five million to the family in a year; a million for the second table, a hundred thousand for the third table, and less than a hundred thousand for the last table, or should I say no contribution at all!”

Henry smiled smugly. “Our family has made good profits this year, and we've contributed just about five million to the family. So excuse me, but this table here is ours.”

“Of course, you can also sit at the first table without contributing. That is if your family has tens of millions of assets.”

“Unfortunately, we couldn't be any clearer about your family's situation,” sneered Maddison, Henry's wife. “Now that there's an ex-convict in your family, I'm sorry that you guys can only sit at the last table!”

“Mom, Dad, as far as I know, Uncle Aaron and his family didn't contribute much to the family last year,” said Shaun, Henry's son, walking over with a glass in his hand. “Their company went bankrupt, and they even borrowed over two million from Grandpa. Clearly, it's a negative contribution. It's unfair to the relatives sitting at the fourth table! I say we add a fifth table for negative contributors!”

“Yeah, I agree!”

The rest of the Lopez family concurred.

“Okay, we'll do as Shaun says! This shall motivate you people!”

Harry gave his consent.

“Hurry up and sit down. Don't just stand there and make a fool out of yourselves.” Harry glared at Aaron.

With that, Aaron and his family walked over to the fifth table quietly.

“Which table should a ten billion contributor sit at?” asked Levi suddenly, pulling Zoey's arm.

Levi was the one and only five-star God of War, and wealth to him was just a number.

In fact, he didn't know exactly how much he had, but he could still fork out ten billion casually for the family contribution on behalf of Aaron's family.

As soon as Levi said that, everyone was stunned at his query.

After a few moments of silence, the crowd blossomed into an enormous belly laugh.

“Ten billion? You must be kidding me! Even the aristocratic Garrison family may not have that much money!”

“This kid must have a loose screw in the head to come here and embarrass himself!”

“Hey, Aaron. Did you know you have a son-in-law worth ten billion? Hahaha...”

Sensing the jeering gazes and titter from the people around, Aaron and his family wished the ground could swallow them whole.

This is embarrassing!

Too embarrassing!

Zoey's temper sparked, and her eyes blazed with rage.

“Levi Garrison, is it not enough for you to talk big at home that you have to come here and embarrass me? Do you think you haven't done enough after all these years?”

Zoey trembled as tears silently rolling down her cheeks.

“But I do have ten billion!” Levi said helplessly.

At this time, no one bothered to listen to Levi's sheer bull because the star of the day, Fabian's son-in-law, had arrived.

Everyone, including Harry, went out to the entrance to greet him.

“I'm sorry to keep everyone waiting.” Samuel wore an apologetic expression.

“Your flight was nearly ten hours late. What's up with that?” Harry asked in concern.

Samuel smiled. “Grandpa, don't you know? A big shot has arrived in North Hampton, and North Hampton Airport was sealed off for eight hours.”

What? Is there such a thing?

“Who's this big shot to have the airport sealed off, Samuel?” Harry asked smilingly.

“It's not just that. It's said that a hundred planes escorted the private jet of that big shot, and there were a hundred thousand people guarding at the airport.”

“Damn!”

“What?”

The crowd gasped in shock.

“He's the commander-in-chief of nine military regions, the God of War of Erudia. Haha, you may not believe it if I say this, but I met this great man when I was at a gathering abroad, and we even exchanged numbers. I didn't expect him to take up a post in North Hampton! I'll ask him out sometime in support of the Lopez family. That way, you'll gain a foothold in North Hampton in no time,” Samuel said loftily.

“God! That's incredible! How did you even get to know someone like him?”

“My brother-in-law is so cool!”

“The Lopez family's son-in-law is one of a kind! Of course, except for one!”

Everyone looked at Samuel with veneration; the old man was all the more impressed, Aaron and Caitlyn begrudged Fabian's son-in-law, and Zoey was envious as well.

But she believed that in five years, Levi, too, could make her grandfather proud.

Yet, unbeknownst to them, Levi was actually barely stifling in his laughter.

This kid is quite something to know that I've arrived.

But his ability to make up nonsense is even more impressive.

“You're saying you know the God of War?” Levi asked.

Samuel raised his head. “Yeah, we had a drink together. Is there a problem?”

Levi chuckled. “Then why don't I recognize you?”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here
Install the APP to search for the book title "God of War: Pinnacle" Read more exciting content immediately

👊😡After 15 years, he came back, saw his wife and daughter living on the street, angry on the spot, a short message to 100 billion group bankruptcy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Erudia, a private jet landed at North Hampton Airport, where all international flights experienced an eight-hour delay because of it.

At the private passageway were five men in suits and leather shoes, standing as straight as a javelin.

Every now and then, they would raise their wrist to look at the time, for a big shot was coming to town.

The upper-class society of North Hampton had learned about his arrival, but no one had the capability to get an inch closer to the private passageway.

Even the richest man in North Hampton who came to pay homage was chased away.

Finally, there were movements coming from the passageway.

“God of War!!!” the mass cried out, their eyes filled with awe and veneration at the sight of the undefeatable legend of Erudia.

He, who was dubbed the God of War, was the one and only five-star war God in the history of Erudia.

Once, he'd inflicted a crushing defeat on the strongest battalions in eighteen countries. He was an overbearing and formidable man.

He who overwhelmed the world with his unparalleled power had even created the Five Great Wars Regiment, Cavalry Regiment, and many more.

...

Setting foot on his homeland, Levi Garrison was overcome with emotions.

Once upon a time, he used to be an orphan who was abandoned on the streets of North Hampton and then adopted by the Garrison family.

However, the Garrison family had never been fond of him.

His adoptive parents, who had a tendency to beat and scold him, treated him like an outsider.

As for the outsiders, they treated him as a nobody.

But he didn't care a stiver. He had always been proud of his surname since he was a child, and he strived to bring glory to this family when he grew older.

At last, Levi had established Levi Group, the largest dark horse in North Hampton's business community.

With billions of assets, it ranked among the forefront of North Hampton, pushing the declining Garrison family to the top.

However, not only did the Garrison family showed no signs of appreciation, they even harbored dissatisfaction towards him. Jealous of his success, they regarded him as a thorn in their flesh and coveted Levi Group.

No matter his wealth and power, unless they were in control, he was just an outsider in the Garrison family's eyes.

Eventually, on Levi's wedding night, the Garrison family plotted a frame-up against him by getting him drunk before tossing him onto his sister-in-law's bed. They wanted to create the illusion that he was doing something untoward to her and was caught in bed by his brother and adoptive parents.

That night, the Garrison family had brutally broken his limbs and left him on the road like a wild dog.

Not only was he handicapped, but he also had to take the flak for something he didn't commit.

From an upstart in the business world, he had become the target of disdain overnight.

And the next day, he had been punished for several crimes and sentenced to six years in prison.

He could never forget the ruthless and sinister faces of everyone in the Garrison family and the ridicule of his friends, classmates, and business partners.

More so, he could never forget the disappointment on his newly wedded wife, Zoey's face.

He had regarded the Garrison family as his home and devoted himself to the family.

Yet, they treated him like trash.

It felt as if a knife was being twisted in his heart every time he thought about this.

How he hated the Garrison family!

But who would have thought that Levi had been secretly transferred away from prison to join the military?

In a few years, he dominated the military world and became the one and only five-star God of War.

Now that he came back, the Garrison family ought to stay on their toes.

“How's it going, Azure Dragon?” Levi asked.

Azure Dragon, the commander of the Five Great Wars Regiment, took a step forward and said respectfully, “Sir, I'm afraid your wife, Ms. Zoey Lopez will remarry at ten o'clock tonight!”

Ever since Zoey's husband was sent to prison on their wedding night, she had been living like a widow.

Only God knew how much pressure she was put under.

And right now, the person Levi couldn't wait to see the most was Zoey.

After a moment of hesitation, Azure Dragon continued, “To add on, Sir, the Garrison family is holding a successful listing celebration banquet at the Crystal Palace Hotel tonight! Many people had invited the God of War just now, including the Garrison family, but I didn't accept nor refuse directly.”

“What time?” Levi asked tersely.

“Eight o'clock, Sir.”

“Okay. Tell the Garrison family I will attend the banquet!”

Since the time for the two events didn't clash, Levi gladly accepted the invitation.

The celebration banquet for the public listing of Garrison Group was held at North Hampton's Crystal Palace Hotel.

With the help of Levi Group, they had become a rich and powerful family in one fell swoop.

The hall was bustling with noise and excitement, and sounds of glasses clinking could be heard ringing in the air every now and then.

“God bless the Garrison family,” said Joseph, the head of the Garrison family. “The younger generations are the stars among men. Garrison Group is now listed and has become an upstart in North Hampton!”

Joseph's three sons and daughter welcomed their guests with bright smiles on their faces.

The younger generation of the Garrison family was all the smugger and prouder because, after today, the Garrison family would become a powerful family, and they would become one of the top rich kids.

Most of the guests who attended today's banquet were from the top circle in North Hampton.

“Garrison, do you know what happened today?! Your celebration party is nothing compared to that.” They were gossiping about the major event that had happened today.

“Yeah! I heard that a big shot has arrived in North Hampton!”

“The richest man in North Hampton wanted to meet him but was shooed away. Apparently, he's not qualified enough!”

“So? Jesse Nielsen had been waiting for five hours in advance at the airport!”

Joseph nodded. “Yes, I know about that too. I even sent someone to invite this big shot to the celebration party!”

“No way! Why would this big shot attend such a party?”

No one believed it.

In fact, as an upstart, Joseph was just trying his luck.

“Dad!” shouted Jaycob, the second eldest son of the Garrison family could be seen running over. “The big shot has accepted our invitation to attend our celebration banquet! He's on the way!”

“Jesus! God has indeed blessed the Garrison family!”

Everyone in the Garrison family could barely conceal their delight as this was their chance to reach the sky in a single bound.

The grandchildren of the Garrison family gathered together, sunshine flooding their souls.

Levi's brother, Bryan, and sister-in-law, Victoria, smiled. “Well, it all starts with Levi's imprisonment that the Garrison family is at where we are today...”

“Right, speaking about Levi, do you guys know today's the day that kid gets out of prison?!” somebody asked abruptly.

“Really? Isn't that bad luck? Why did he have to be released on such a big day?!”

“Please, please, please don't come back! He's the Garrison family's biggest disgrace!”

Victoria's lips tugged into a sneer. “Speaking of which, Levi is the crowning glory of the Garrison family's status today.”

“That's what he's supposed to do!” Bryan said. “He should contribute to the Garrison family for raising him, an orphan! His multi-billion Levi Group means nothing. To put it bluntly, he's just a dog raised by the Garrison family!”

Someone gave a chortle. “As a matter of fact, I've been interested in Levi's wife for a long time now. She's still widowed, and I'm so going to marry her!”

The man's remark caused gales of laughter.

“Everyone, stop what you're doing. I have an important announcement to make,” Joseph said and went on to announce that the big shot was coming.

A thunderous applause was heard.

But when the applause had died down, there was still someone clapping.

The sound was loud and clear, approaching from afar.

On the red carpet, a man came clapping, looking bold and energetic.

His stride gave off a majestic and imposing aura, which made the mass hold their breaths.

“It's Levi!” Bryan and Victoria exclaimed.

Suddenly, all eyes were riveted on him.

“I forgot this little brat got out of jail today!” Levi's adoptive parents spoke in unison.

Ignoring the astonished gazes darted at his way, Levi walked step by step towards Joseph.

“A little bird told me that the company is now listed. How are you feeling, Joseph? Are you happy?”

Levi flashed him a meaningful smile.

“How dare you show up here, you insolent brat! And what did you just call me?” Joseph's fury sprang to life.

“Who let him in? Didn't you know he just got out of prison? How inauspicious!”

Bryan rose to his feet. “…… are you doing here, Levi?”

Levi sized him up. “Why can't I be here?”

“Well, for starters, you're an orphan! The Garrison family has raised you, but you were ambitious and ungrateful. You had inordinate ambitions for your sister-in-law, and you wanted to take possession of the Garrison family! You'd even tried to kill your parents when things go south! Have you no conscience? Do you have any sense of morality left in your heart?”

“You've lost your reputation in North Hampton, and everyone knows that. Have you no shame to have the brass neck to come round here?”

“Everyone knows why you're back. You want to leech off the Garrison family; you want our money, isn't it?!”

“You've long been expelled from the Garrison family, you ungrateful wretch! The Garrison family has nothing to do with you! Now, get lost!”

Levi's adoptive parents rose to their feet and pointed at his nose, hurling abusive remarks at him.

The Garrison family's brazenness of distorting the truth was mind-bending.

How disappointing!

He had thought they would feel somewhat apologetic after six years, but they were unexpectedly more aggravated.

They took everything from him, crippled him, and ruined his reputation, turning everything upside down and making everything his fault instead.

The Garrison family didn't have the slightest bit of compassion to speak of.

Bryan zipped towards Levi, assessing him condescendingly. “Hmph! Don't you just want money now that you're back?”

Flap!

Bryan threw a credit card to the ground and lifted his foot, shaking his leather shoe. “My vamp is dirty. Lick it clean, and the one million in this card is yours!”

His words elicited a fresh burst of laughter as the crowd looked at Levi as if they were looking at a dog.

“Oh my! One million? That's more than enough to cover his living expenses. I bet he'll lick it!”

Victoria gave a wry look.

“On your knees!” Bryan roared, seeing that Levi was glaring at him. “Now, lick my shoe!”

Levi stared at him coldly and held his peace.

“Kneel!!!”

Bryan rushed to Levi and pressed his shoulders, forcing him to kneel, but the latter didn't budge.

“I said kneel!!!”

Bryan struggled to rivet him to the spot.

“Drop dead!”

Levi suddenly slapped Bryan in the face, sending him flying almost eight meters away.

Silence engulfed the room; one could even hear a pin drop!

Unbelievable!

Everyone in the Garrison family was stupefied.

What did Levi just do?

Did he just knock Bryan to the ground with a single slap?

Plod!

Bryan was about to get up when Levi stepped on him, crushed him, and crossed over him.

Looking at the approaching Levi, Joseph instinctively stepped back.

Levi went up the stage and adjusted the microphone stand.

Everyone looked at him, wondering what he was going to do next.

“Listen up, everyone...”

“I'm sure you remember what happened six years ago, yes? For the love and care I had received from the Garrison family during childhood, I'm giving you one month to kneel before me for three days and three nights to repent your sins!”

“Remember, that's everyone from the Garrison family!”

“If I don't see any shadow within a month, the outcome is simple—I swear I'll wipe off every single one of you here today!”

Levi's voice was low and deep.

But as soon as he finished, the crowd was laughing like a drain.

“Did prison life eat his brain or what? What conceited nonsense is he spouting?”

“The Garrison family right now is a juggernaut in North Hampton. He's just a criminal. Isn't it a pipe dream to destroy the Garrison family?”

“Did he knock his brain loose or something?”

...

“Bear in mind that I have limited patience. You only have one month! Of course, you may gather your strengths and connections to fight against me! I'll be waiting.”

Levi then took his leave straightaway, disregarding the mockeries of the crowd.

“Stop right there, you *! Did I tell you to leave?”

Ben, Levi's adoptive father, wanted to stop him.

“Ben, let him go!” Joseph said. “It's a big day today. I don't want to see bloodshed!”

He was afraid about the impact that would bring about if the big shot saw this.

“Yeah! There are so much more opportunities to take care of him!”

“He's in luck that the big shot is on his way!”

With that, Levi left the place under the watchful eyes of hundreds of people.

After Levi had left, Joseph asked anxiously, “Jaycob, where's the big shot? Isn't he here yet?”

Jaycob looked dazed. “According to the time, he should have arrived long ago. Let me ask...”

After making a phone call, Jaycob blanched. “Dad, the big shot was here, but he left already.”

“What? The big shot was here?”

“The big shot said that the Garrison family are a bunch of unworthy stupid pigs!”

“I get it. He must have left in a fit of rage after witnessing the ruckus that brat had created!”

“He must have thought that the Garrison family disrespected him!”

Joseph trembled with rage. “That brat will pay for this!”

The multitude reacted accordingly.

Levi has ruined the Garrison family's glorious event!

He just pissed off the big shot!

That's equivalent to cutting off the Garrison family's chance to reach the sky!

Levi Garrison is indeed the sinner of the Garrison family!

At that moment, the Garrison family wished to skin Levi alive.

His adoptive parents, brother, and sister-in-law especially hated him to the bone. “Just you wait, Levi!”

After leaving Crystal Palace Hotel, the next person that Levi was going to look for was his wife, Zoey Lopez.

In this life, he owed no debt to the Garrison family, nor his friends and classmates, but Zoey.

He had been imprisoned on the second day after the wedding, making Zoey lose her reputation. That even put her through six years of widowhood.

This woman has carried too much on her shoulders for six years.

But now that I'm back, I'll hold your hand, and we'll conquer the world together!

After hesitating for a long time, Levi pressed the doorbell.

Thud!

The young woman dropped her mobile phone to the ground as the door opened.

Upon taking a closer look at Levi's face, Zoey broke down in tears.

“Zoey, quick, just get the parcel and come in. It's almost time for the family banquet! Your grandfather is going to settle your marriage at the family banquet tonight. You can't get away from this!”

“Yeah! Quickly get dressed! Your grandfather is going to set you up with someone else!”

Zoey's parents' voices sounded from the inside.

“Zoey, I'm back!” Levi said excitedly, wanting to fling his arm around her, but Zoey slapped his hands away.

“Why did you come back? I've already forgotten about you...”

Zoey's voice was choked with sobs.

Very soon after, Zoey's parents, Aaron and Caitlyn, came out, looking horrified.

“How dare you have the nerve to come back? Do you know how much criticism my family has suffered because of you? Especially Zoey. Do you know how much she has suffered for the past six years?” Zoey's father, Aaron, reproached.

Meanwhile, her mother, Caitlyn, pushed and shoved Levi. “You should know that this relationship between you and Zoey is impossible in this life the moment you went to jail! You're a criminal! You're just a street rat in North Hampton! You're only putting Zoey in harm's way by coming to see her!”

Naturally, Levi had known of Zoey's sufferings for the past six years, including her refusal to remarry because of him.

Levi put on a serious face. “This time, I'm back for good. I won't leave Zoey ever again. I will grant her a bright future and let her own the world!”

Levi's declaration had Aaron and Caitlyn hooting with laughter.

“You've spent six years in jail. How are you going to give Zoey a future?” Aaron asked with a sneer.

“Yeah! With your mouth?” Caitlyn chimed in. “There's a limit to talking big!”

Nonetheless, Levi smiled. “Don't worry. I'll reclaim what I lost in those years! I'll destroy the Garrison family in a month!”

“Levi!” This time, even Zoey couldn't bear to listen to his nonsense any longer. “Can we be more realistic? It doesn't matter if you just get out of prison. Can't you just be down to earth and start anew? I believe that you will make a comeback one day, but you can't just indulge in tall talk. Do you know just how powerful the Garrison family is right now? And besides, today's era is a far cry from what it was six years ago!”

“Zoey, trust me,” Levi said earnestly. “I can make the Garrison family bow at my feet with just a word!”

Preposterous!

Levi's bravado nearly drove Zoey and her parents round the bend.

Having been caged up for six years, did he finally lose his mind?

“Fine. If you say so,” Zoey said, shoving her mobile phone to Levi directly. “Then prove it! I'd like to see how you make the Garrison family bow their heads with just one word!”

“I...”

Levi was stunned.

It was true that he could exterminate the Garrison family with his words, but he had given them one month; it would be too uneventful to destroy them now.

“See, you can't do it, can't you? Then don't you ever talk big if you can't!”

Zoey smashed the phone to the ground, marking her wrath.

Following that, her parents pushed Levi away. “Go now. You're not welcome here. We've got a family banquet to attend!”

“No. Mom, Dad, let him in!”

“What do you mean, Zoey?”

“I won't remarry. My husband is back.”

...

Aaron and Caitlyn couldn't talk her round, so they could only let him in.

After that, Zoey took Levi to her bedroom.

“Since you're back, you're still my husband. I don't care about the gossips. Besides, I believe you're innocent, and anyone with discerning eyes can see that it was the Garrison family who'd framed you!”

Levi could feel the warmth in his heart.

She trusted him, and that was more than enough for him.

“But you must promise me to start from zero and be down to earth. I believe you will achieve something great with your ability! I'll give you five years!”

“That's unnecessary,” Levi said. “Just give me one month. In a month, I'll de—”

“Shut up! I don't want to listen to your nonsensical and unrealistic talks! Why can't we just be realistic?” Zoey shouted.

“Even if you have nothing now, as long as you take one step at a time, I believe you'll get back on your feet!”

Levi shut up obediently.

“I bought you these six years ago.” Zoey took out a suit from the cupboard. “Change into it at once and follow me to the family banquet!”

“Zoey, what is up with you?”

Seeing Levi all dressed up, Aaron and Caitlyn were naturally dissatisfied.

Zoey clung onto Levi's arm. “Mom, Dad, Levi is my husband now! I will make myself clear to Grandpa tonight!”

Aaron and Caitlyn looked daggers at Levi, sighing helplessly, “For Heaven's sake!”

The Lopez family banquet was held at Golden Port Restaurant, where they contracted the entire restaurant.

Naturally, the Lopez family was not as powerful as the Garrison family, but they were considered above average in North Hampton.

When Zoey and her family arrived at the main hall, they were greeted with strange and jesting gazes.

In the past, when Zoey and Levi had gotten married, Aaron's family status was the highest in the Lopez family.

But after Levi's downfall, Aaron's family had experienced a seismic shift in life, and their status in the Lopez family took a nosedive as they became the subject of ridicule, especially during family events.

“Look! Is that Levi beside Zoey?”

“Yeah! It's really him! He's released from prison already?”

All eyes fell on Levi at once.

Harry, the head of the Lopez family, snorted and turned a blind eye to the four of them.

The old man's favorite now was Fabian, his eldest son, and his family.

Mainly because Fabian's son-in-law, Samuel Robertson, was of mixed ethnicity who was born rich and had lived overseas.

This time, Harry was going to set up Zoey with Samuel's younger brother, Chris, who had been casting covetous eyes on Zoey for some time now.

With no one paying attention to them, Aaron and his family could only find a place to sit first.

As they were about to take their seats, a voice was heard. “No, Aaron. You guys can't sit here.”

It was a reminder from Henry, the second eldest son of the Lopez family.

“What?”

“There are sitting arrangements to the family banquet this time.”

Aaron looked puzzled. “How so?”

“There are four tables for the family banquet! And it's decided according to the family contribution!”

“For example, the first table is given to the family who contributed over five million to the family in a year; a million for the second table, a hundred thousand for the third table, and less than a hundred thousand for the last table, or should I say no contribution at all!”

Henry smiled smugly. “Our family has made good profits this year, and we've contributed just about five million to the family. So excuse me, but this table here is ours.”

“Of course, you can also sit at the first table without contributing. That is if your family has tens of millions of assets.”

“Unfortunately, we couldn't be any clearer about your family's situation,” sneered Maddison, Henry's wife. “Now that there's an ex-convict in your family, I'm sorry that you guys can only sit at the last table!”

“Mom, Dad, as far as I know, Uncle Aaron and his family didn't contribute much to the family last year,” said Shaun, Henry's son, walking over with a glass in his hand. “Their company went bankrupt, and they even borrowed over two million from Grandpa. Clearly, it's a negative contribution. It's unfair to the relatives sitting at the fourth table! I say we add a fifth table for negative contributors!”

“Yeah, I agree!”

The rest of the Lopez family concurred.

“Okay, we'll do as Shaun says! This shall motivate you people!”

Harry gave his consent.

“Hurry up and sit down. Don't just stand there and make a fool out of yourselves.” Harry glared at Aaron.

With that, Aaron and his family walked over to the fifth table quietly.

“Which table should a ten billion contributor sit at?” asked Levi suddenly, pulling Zoey's arm.

Levi was the one and only five-star God of War, and wealth to him was just a number.

In fact, he didn't know exactly how much he had, but he could still fork out ten billion casually for the family contribution on behalf of Aaron's family.

As soon as Levi said that, everyone was stunned at his query.

After a few moments of silence, the crowd blossomed into an enormous belly laugh.

“Ten billion? You must be kidding me! Even the aristocratic Garrison family may not have that much money!”

“This kid must have a loose screw in the head to come here and embarrass himself!”

“Hey, Aaron. Did you know you have a son-in-law worth ten billion? Hahaha...”

Sensing the jeering gazes and titter from the people around, Aaron and his family wished the ground could swallow them whole.

This is embarrassing!

Too embarrassing!

Zoey's temper sparked, and her eyes blazed with rage.

“Levi Garrison, is it not enough for you to talk big at home that you have to come here and embarrass me? Do you think you haven't done enough after all these years?”

Zoey trembled as tears silently rolling down her cheeks.

“But I do have ten billion!” Levi said helplessly.

At this time, no one bothered to listen to Levi's sheer bull because the star of the day, Fabian's son-in-law, had arrived.

Everyone, including Harry, went out to the entrance to greet him.

“I'm sorry to keep everyone waiting.” Samuel wore an apologetic expression.

“Your flight was nearly ten hours late. What's up with that?” Harry asked in concern.

Samuel smiled. “Grandpa, don't you know? A big shot has arrived in North Hampton, and North Hampton Airport was sealed off for eight hours.”

What? Is there such a thing?

“Who's this big shot to have the airport sealed off, Samuel?” Harry asked smilingly.

“It's not just that. It's said that a hundred planes escorted the private jet of that big shot, and there were a hundred thousand people guarding at the airport.”

“Damn!”

“What?”

The crowd gasped in shock.

“He's the commander-in-chief of nine military regions, the God of War of Erudia. Haha, you may not believe it if I say this, but I met this great man when I was at a gathering abroad, and we even exchanged numbers. I didn't expect him to take up a post in North Hampton! I'll ask him out sometime in support of the Lopez family. That way, you'll gain a foothold in North Hampton in no time,” Samuel said loftily.

“God! That's incredible! How did you even get to know someone like him?”

“My brother-in-law is so cool!”

“The Lopez family's son-in-law is one of a kind! Of course, except for one!”

Everyone looked at Samuel with veneration; the old man was all the more impressed, Aaron and Caitlyn begrudged Fabian's son-in-law, and Zoey was envious as well.

But she believed that in five years, Levi, too, could make her grandfather proud.

Yet, unbeknownst to them, Levi was actually barely stifling in his laughter.

This kid is quite something to know that I've arrived.

But his ability to make up nonsense is even more impressive.

“You're saying you know the God of War?” Levi asked.

Samuel raised his head. “Yeah, we had a drink together. Is there a problem?”

Levi chuckled. “Then why don't I recognize you?”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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👊😡After 15 years, he came back, saw his wife and daughter living on the street, angry on the spot, a short message to 100 billion group bankruptcy
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In Erudia, a private jet landed at North Hampton Airport, where all international flights experienced an eight-hour delay because of it.

At the private passageway were five men in suits and leather shoes, standing as straight as a javelin.

Every now and then, they would raise their wrist to look at the time, for a big shot was coming to town.

The upper-class society of North Hampton had learned about his arrival, but no one had the capability to get an inch closer to the private passageway.

Even the richest man in North Hampton who came to pay homage was chased away.

Finally, there were movements coming from the passageway.

“God of War!!!” the mass cried out, their eyes filled with awe and veneration at the sight of the undefeatable legend of Erudia.

He, who was dubbed the God of War, was the one and only five-star war God in the history of Erudia.

Once, he'd inflicted a crushing defeat on the strongest battalions in eighteen countries. He was an overbearing and formidable man.

He who overwhelmed the world with his unparalleled power had even created the Five Great Wars Regiment, Cavalry Regiment, and many more.

...

Setting foot on his homeland, Levi Garrison was overcome with emotions.

Once upon a time, he used to be an orphan who was abandoned on the streets of North Hampton and then adopted by the Garrison family.

However, the Garrison family had never been fond of him.

His adoptive parents, who had a tendency to beat and scold him, treated him like an outsider.

As for the outsiders, they treated him as a nobody.

But he didn't care a stiver. He had always been proud of his surname since he was a child, and he strived to bring glory to this family when he grew older.

At last, Levi had established Levi Group, the largest dark horse in North Hampton's business community.

With billions of assets, it ranked among the forefront of North Hampton, pushing the declining Garrison family to the top.

However, not only did the Garrison family showed no signs of appreciation, they even harbored dissatisfaction towards him. Jealous of his success, they regarded him as a thorn in their flesh and coveted Levi Group.

No matter his wealth and power, unless they were in control, he was just an outsider in the Garrison family's eyes.

Eventually, on Levi's wedding night, the Garrison family plotted a frame-up against him by getting him drunk before tossing him onto his sister-in-law's bed. They wanted to create the illusion that he was doing something untoward to her and was caught in bed by his brother and adoptive parents.

That night, the Garrison family had brutally broken his limbs and left him on the road like a wild dog.

Not only was he handicapped, but he also had to take the flak for something he didn't commit.

From an upstart in the business world, he had become the target of disdain overnight.

And the next day, he had been punished for several crimes and sentenced to six years in prison.

He could never forget the ruthless and sinister faces of everyone in the Garrison family and the ridicule of his friends, classmates, and business partners.

More so, he could never forget the disappointment on his newly wedded wife, Zoey's face.

He had regarded the Garrison family as his home and devoted himself to the family.

Yet, they treated him like trash.

It felt as if a knife was being twisted in his heart every time he thought about this.

How he hated the Garrison family!

But who would have thought that Levi had been secretly transferred away from prison to join the military?

In a few years, he dominated the military world and became the one and only five-star God of War.

Now that he came back, the Garrison family ought to stay on their toes.

“How's it going, Azure Dragon?” Levi asked.

Azure Dragon, the commander of the Five Great Wars Regiment, took a step forward and said respectfully, “Sir, I'm afraid your wife, Ms. Zoey Lopez will remarry at ten o'clock tonight!”

Ever since Zoey's husband was sent to prison on their wedding night, she had been living like a widow.

Only God knew how much pressure she was put under.

And right now, the person Levi couldn't wait to see the most was Zoey.

After a moment of hesitation, Azure Dragon continued, “To add on, Sir, the Garrison family is holding a successful listing celebration banquet at the Crystal Palace Hotel tonight! Many people had invited the God of War just now, including the Garrison family, but I didn't accept nor refuse directly.”

“What time?” Levi asked tersely.

“Eight o'clock, Sir.”

“Okay. Tell the Garrison family I will attend the banquet!”

Since the time for the two events didn't clash, Levi gladly accepted the invitation.

The celebration banquet for the public listing of Garrison Group was held at North Hampton's Crystal Palace Hotel.

With the help of Levi Group, they had become a rich and powerful family in one fell swoop.

The hall was bustling with noise and excitement, and sounds of glasses clinking could be heard ringing in the air every now and then.

“God bless the Garrison family,” said Joseph, the head of the Garrison family. “The younger generations are the stars among men. Garrison Group is now listed and has become an upstart in North Hampton!”

Joseph's three sons and daughter welcomed their guests with bright smiles on their faces.

The younger generation of the Garrison family was all the smugger and prouder because, after today, the Garrison family would become a powerful family, and they would become one of the top rich kids.

Most of the guests who attended today's banquet were from the top circle in North Hampton.

“Garrison, do you know what happened today?! Your celebration party is nothing compared to that.” They were gossiping about the major event that had happened today.

“Yeah! I heard that a big shot has arrived in North Hampton!”

“The richest man in North Hampton wanted to meet him but was shooed away. Apparently, he's not qualified enough!”

“So? Jesse Nielsen had been waiting for five hours in advance at the airport!”

Joseph nodded. “Yes, I know about that too. I even sent someone to invite this big shot to the celebration party!”

“No way! Why would this big shot attend such a party?”

No one believed it.

In fact, as an upstart, Joseph was just trying his luck.

“Dad!” shouted Jaycob, the second eldest son of the Garrison family could be seen running over. “The big shot has accepted our invitation to attend our celebration banquet! He's on the way!”

“Jesus! God has indeed blessed the Garrison family!”

Everyone in the Garrison family could barely conceal their delight as this was their chance to reach the sky in a single bound.

The grandchildren of the Garrison family gathered together, sunshine flooding their souls.

Levi's brother, Bryan, and sister-in-law, Victoria, smiled. “Well, it all starts with Levi's imprisonment that the Garrison family is at where we are today...”

“Right, speaking about Levi, do you guys know today's the day that kid gets out of prison?!” somebody asked abruptly.

“Really? Isn't that bad luck? Why did he have to be released on such a big day?!”

“Please, please, please don't come back! He's the Garrison family's biggest disgrace!”

Victoria's lips tugged into a sneer. “Speaking of which, Levi is the crowning glory of the Garrison family's status today.”

“That's what he's supposed to do!” Bryan said. “He should contribute to the Garrison family for raising him, an orphan! His multi-billion Levi Group means nothing. To put it bluntly, he's just a dog raised by the Garrison family!”

Someone gave a chortle. “As a matter of fact, I've been interested in Levi's wife for a long time now. She's still widowed, and I'm so going to marry her!”

The man's remark caused gales of laughter.

“Everyone, stop what you're doing. I have an important announcement to make,” Joseph said and went on to announce that the big shot was coming.

A thunderous applause was heard.

But when the applause had died down, there was still someone clapping.

The sound was loud and clear, approaching from afar.

On the red carpet, a man came clapping, looking bold and energetic.

His stride gave off a majestic and imposing aura, which made the mass hold their breaths.

“It's Levi!” Bryan and Victoria exclaimed.

Suddenly, all eyes were riveted on him.

“I forgot this little brat got out of jail today!” Levi's adoptive parents spoke in unison.

Ignoring the astonished gazes darted at his way, Levi walked step by step towards Joseph.

“A little bird told me that the company is now listed. How are you feeling, Joseph? Are you happy?”

Levi flashed him a meaningful smile.

“How dare you show up here, you insolent brat! And what did you just call me?” Joseph's fury sprang to life.

“Who let him in? Didn't you know he just got out of prison? How inauspicious!”

Bryan rose to his feet. “…… are you doing here, Levi?”

Levi sized him up. “Why can't I be here?”

“Well, for starters, you're an orphan! The Garrison family has raised you, but you were ambitious and ungrateful. You had inordinate ambitions for your sister-in-law, and you wanted to take possession of the Garrison family! You'd even tried to kill your parents when things go south! Have you no conscience? Do you have any sense of morality left in your heart?”

“You've lost your reputation in North Hampton, and everyone knows that. Have you no shame to have the brass neck to come round here?”

“Everyone knows why you're back. You want to leech off the Garrison family; you want our money, isn't it?!”

“You've long been expelled from the Garrison family, you ungrateful wretch! The Garrison family has nothing to do with you! Now, get lost!”

Levi's adoptive parents rose to their feet and pointed at his nose, hurling abusive remarks at him.

The Garrison family's brazenness of distorting the truth was mind-bending.

How disappointing!

He had thought they would feel somewhat apologetic after six years, but they were unexpectedly more aggravated.

They took everything from him, crippled him, and ruined his reputation, turning everything upside down and making everything his fault instead.

The Garrison family didn't have the slightest bit of compassion to speak of.

Bryan zipped towards Levi, assessing him condescendingly. “Hmph! Don't you just want money now that you're back?”

Flap!

Bryan threw a credit card to the ground and lifted his foot, shaking his leather shoe. “My vamp is dirty. Lick it clean, and the one million in this card is yours!”

His words elicited a fresh burst of laughter as the crowd looked at Levi as if they were looking at a dog.

“Oh my! One million? That's more than enough to cover his living expenses. I bet he'll lick it!”

Victoria gave a wry look.

“On your knees!” Bryan roared, seeing that Levi was glaring at him. “Now, lick my shoe!”

Levi stared at him coldly and held his peace.

“Kneel!!!”

Bryan rushed to Levi and pressed his shoulders, forcing him to kneel, but the latter didn't budge.

“I said kneel!!!”

Bryan struggled to rivet him to the spot.

“Drop dead!”

Levi suddenly slapped Bryan in the face, sending him flying almost eight meters away.

Silence engulfed the room; one could even hear a pin drop!

Unbelievable!

Everyone in the Garrison family was stupefied.

What did Levi just do?

Did he just knock Bryan to the ground with a single slap?

Plod!

Bryan was about to get up when Levi stepped on him, crushed him, and crossed over him.

Looking at the approaching Levi, Joseph instinctively stepped back.

Levi went up the stage and adjusted the microphone stand.

Everyone looked at him, wondering what he was going to do next.

“Listen up, everyone...”

“I'm sure you remember what happened six years ago, yes? For the love and care I had received from the Garrison family during childhood, I'm giving you one month to kneel before me for three days and three nights to repent your sins!”

“Remember, that's everyone from the Garrison family!”

“If I don't see any shadow within a month, the outcome is simple—I swear I'll wipe off every single one of you here today!”

Levi's voice was low and deep.

But as soon as he finished, the crowd was laughing like a drain.

“Did prison life eat his brain or what? What conceited nonsense is he spouting?”

“The Garrison family right now is a juggernaut in North Hampton. He's just a criminal. Isn't it a pipe dream to destroy the Garrison family?”

“Did he knock his brain loose or something?”

...

“Bear in mind that I have limited patience. You only have one month! Of course, you may gather your strengths and connections to fight against me! I'll be waiting.”

Levi then took his leave straightaway, disregarding the mockeries of the crowd.

“Stop right there, you *! Did I tell you to leave?”

Ben, Levi's adoptive father, wanted to stop him.

“Ben, let him go!” Joseph said. “It's a big day today. I don't want to see bloodshed!”

He was afraid about the impact that would bring about if the big shot saw this.

“Yeah! There are so much more opportunities to take care of him!”

“He's in luck that the big shot is on his way!”

With that, Levi left the place under the watchful eyes of hundreds of people.

After Levi had left, Joseph asked anxiously, “Jaycob, where's the big shot? Isn't he here yet?”

Jaycob looked dazed. “According to the time, he should have arrived long ago. Let me ask...”

After making a phone call, Jaycob blanched. “Dad, the big shot was here, but he left already.”

“What? The big shot was here?”

“The big shot said that the Garrison family are a bunch of unworthy stupid pigs!”

“I get it. He must have left in a fit of rage after witnessing the ruckus that brat had created!”

“He must have thought that the Garrison family disrespected him!”

Joseph trembled with rage. “That brat will pay for this!”

The multitude reacted accordingly.

Levi has ruined the Garrison family's glorious event!

He just pissed off the big shot!

That's equivalent to cutting off the Garrison family's chance to reach the sky!

Levi Garrison is indeed the sinner of the Garrison family!

At that moment, the Garrison family wished to skin Levi alive.

His adoptive parents, brother, and sister-in-law especially hated him to the bone. “Just you wait, Levi!”

After leaving Crystal Palace Hotel, the next person that Levi was going to look for was his wife, Zoey Lopez.

In this life, he owed no debt to the Garrison family, nor his friends and classmates, but Zoey.

He had been imprisoned on the second day after the wedding, making Zoey lose her reputation. That even put her through six years of widowhood.

This woman has carried too much on her shoulders for six years.

But now that I'm back, I'll hold your hand, and we'll conquer the world together!

After hesitating for a long time, Levi pressed the doorbell.

Thud!

The young woman dropped her mobile phone to the ground as the door opened.

Upon taking a closer look at Levi's face, Zoey broke down in tears.

“Zoey, quick, just get the parcel and come in. It's almost time for the family banquet! Your grandfather is going to settle your marriage at the family banquet tonight. You can't get away from this!”

“Yeah! Quickly get dressed! Your grandfather is going to set you up with someone else!”

Zoey's parents' voices sounded from the inside.

“Zoey, I'm back!” Levi said excitedly, wanting to fling his arm around her, but Zoey slapped his hands away.

“Why did you come back? I've already forgotten about you...”

Zoey's voice was choked with sobs.

Very soon after, Zoey's parents, Aaron and Caitlyn, came out, looking horrified.

“How dare you have the nerve to come back? Do you know how much criticism my family has suffered because of you? Especially Zoey. Do you know how much she has suffered for the past six years?” Zoey's father, Aaron, reproached.

Meanwhile, her mother, Caitlyn, pushed and shoved Levi. “You should know that this relationship between you and Zoey is impossible in this life the moment you went to jail! You're a criminal! You're just a street rat in North Hampton! You're only putting Zoey in harm's way by coming to see her!”

Naturally, Levi had known of Zoey's sufferings for the past six years, including her refusal to remarry because of him.

Levi put on a serious face. “This time, I'm back for good. I won't leave Zoey ever again. I will grant her a bright future and let her own the world!”

Levi's declaration had Aaron and Caitlyn hooting with laughter.

“You've spent six years in jail. How are you going to give Zoey a future?” Aaron asked with a sneer.

“Yeah! With your mouth?” Caitlyn chimed in. “There's a limit to talking big!”

Nonetheless, Levi smiled. “Don't worry. I'll reclaim what I lost in those years! I'll destroy the Garrison family in a month!”

“Levi!” This time, even Zoey couldn't bear to listen to his nonsense any longer. “Can we be more realistic? It doesn't matter if you just get out of prison. Can't you just be down to earth and start anew? I believe that you will make a comeback one day, but you can't just indulge in tall talk. Do you know just how powerful the Garrison family is right now? And besides, today's era is a far cry from what it was six years ago!”

“Zoey, trust me,” Levi said earnestly. “I can make the Garrison family bow at my feet with just a word!”

Preposterous!

Levi's bravado nearly drove Zoey and her parents round the bend.

Having been caged up for six years, did he finally lose his mind?

“Fine. If you say so,” Zoey said, shoving her mobile phone to Levi directly. “Then prove it! I'd like to see how you make the Garrison family bow their heads with just one word!”

“I...”

Levi was stunned.

It was true that he could exterminate the Garrison family with his words, but he had given them one month; it would be too uneventful to destroy them now.

“See, you can't do it, can't you? Then don't you ever talk big if you can't!”

Zoey smashed the phone to the ground, marking her wrath.

Following that, her parents pushed Levi away. “Go now. You're not welcome here. We've got a family banquet to attend!”

“No. Mom, Dad, let him in!”

“What do you mean, Zoey?”

“I won't remarry. My husband is back.”

...

Aaron and Caitlyn couldn't talk her round, so they could only let him in.

After that, Zoey took Levi to her bedroom.

“Since you're back, you're still my husband. I don't care about the gossips. Besides, I believe you're innocent, and anyone with discerning eyes can see that it was the Garrison family who'd framed you!”

Levi could feel the warmth in his heart.

She trusted him, and that was more than enough for him.

“But you must promise me to start from zero and be down to earth. I believe you will achieve something great with your ability! I'll give you five years!”

“That's unnecessary,” Levi said. “Just give me one month. In a month, I'll de—”

“Shut up! I don't want to listen to your nonsensical and unrealistic talks! Why can't we just be realistic?” Zoey shouted.

“Even if you have nothing now, as long as you take one step at a time, I believe you'll get back on your feet!”

Levi shut up obediently.

“I bought you these six years ago.” Zoey took out a suit from the cupboard. “Change into it at once and follow me to the family banquet!”

“Zoey, what is up with you?”

Seeing Levi all dressed up, Aaron and Caitlyn were naturally dissatisfied.

Zoey clung onto Levi's arm. “Mom, Dad, Levi is my husband now! I will make myself clear to Grandpa tonight!”

Aaron and Caitlyn looked daggers at Levi, sighing helplessly, “For Heaven's sake!”

The Lopez family banquet was held at Golden Port Restaurant, where they contracted the entire restaurant.

Naturally, the Lopez family was not as powerful as the Garrison family, but they were considered above average in North Hampton.

When Zoey and her family arrived at the main hall, they were greeted with strange and jesting gazes.

In the past, when Zoey and Levi had gotten married, Aaron's family status was the highest in the Lopez family.

But after Levi's downfall, Aaron's family had experienced a seismic shift in life, and their status in the Lopez family took a nosedive as they became the subject of ridicule, especially during family events.

“Look! Is that Levi beside Zoey?”

“Yeah! It's really him! He's released from prison already?”

All eyes fell on Levi at once.

Harry, the head of the Lopez family, snorted and turned a blind eye to the four of them.

The old man's favorite now was Fabian, his eldest son, and his family.

Mainly because Fabian's son-in-law, Samuel Robertson, was of mixed ethnicity who was born rich and had lived overseas.

This time, Harry was going to set up Zoey with Samuel's younger brother, Chris, who had been casting covetous eyes on Zoey for some time now.

With no one paying attention to them, Aaron and his family could only find a place to sit first.

As they were about to take their seats, a voice was heard. “No, Aaron. You guys can't sit here.”

It was a reminder from Henry, the second eldest son of the Lopez family.

“What?”

“There are sitting arrangements to the family banquet this time.”

Aaron looked puzzled. “How so?”

“There are four tables for the family banquet! And it's decided according to the family contribution!”

“For example, the first table is given to the family who contributed over five million to the family in a year; a million for the second table, a hundred thousand for the third table, and less than a hundred thousand for the last table, or should I say no contribution at all!”

Henry smiled smugly. “Our family has made good profits this year, and we've contributed just about five million to the family. So excuse me, but this table here is ours.”

“Of course, you can also sit at the first table without contributing. That is if your family has tens of millions of assets.”

“Unfortunately, we couldn't be any clearer about your family's situation,” sneered Maddison, Henry's wife. “Now that there's an ex-convict in your family, I'm sorry that you guys can only sit at the last table!”

“Mom, Dad, as far as I know, Uncle Aaron and his family didn't contribute much to the family last year,” said Shaun, Henry's son, walking over with a glass in his hand. “Their company went bankrupt, and they even borrowed over two million from Grandpa. Clearly, it's a negative contribution. It's unfair to the relatives sitting at the fourth table! I say we add a fifth table for negative contributors!”

“Yeah, I agree!”

The rest of the Lopez family concurred.

“Okay, we'll do as Shaun says! This shall motivate you people!”

Harry gave his consent.

“Hurry up and sit down. Don't just stand there and make a fool out of yourselves.” Harry glared at Aaron.

With that, Aaron and his family walked over to the fifth table quietly.

“Which table should a ten billion contributor sit at?” asked Levi suddenly, pulling Zoey's arm.

Levi was the one and only five-star God of War, and wealth to him was just a number.

In fact, he didn't know exactly how much he had, but he could still fork out ten billion casually for the family contribution on behalf of Aaron's family.

As soon as Levi said that, everyone was stunned at his query.

After a few moments of silence, the crowd blossomed into an enormous belly laugh.

“Ten billion? You must be kidding me! Even the aristocratic Garrison family may not have that much money!”

“This kid must have a loose screw in the head to come here and embarrass himself!”

“Hey, Aaron. Did you know you have a son-in-law worth ten billion? Hahaha...”

Sensing the jeering gazes and titter from the people around, Aaron and his family wished the ground could swallow them whole.

This is embarrassing!

Too embarrassing!

Zoey's temper sparked, and her eyes blazed with rage.

“Levi Garrison, is it not enough for you to talk big at home that you have to come here and embarrass me? Do you think you haven't done enough after all these years?”

Zoey trembled as tears silently rolling down her cheeks.

“But I do have ten billion!” Levi said helplessly.

At this time, no one bothered to listen to Levi's sheer bull because the star of the day, Fabian's son-in-law, had arrived.

Everyone, including Harry, went out to the entrance to greet him.

“I'm sorry to keep everyone waiting.” Samuel wore an apologetic expression.

“Your flight was nearly ten hours late. What's up with that?” Harry asked in concern.

Samuel smiled. “Grandpa, don't you know? A big shot has arrived in North Hampton, and North Hampton Airport was sealed off for eight hours.”

What? Is there such a thing?

“Who's this big shot to have the airport sealed off, Samuel?” Harry asked smilingly.

“It's not just that. It's said that a hundred planes escorted the private jet of that big shot, and there were a hundred thousand people guarding at the airport.”

“Damn!”

“What?”

The crowd gasped in shock.

“He's the commander-in-chief of nine military regions, the God of War of Erudia. Haha, you may not believe it if I say this, but I met this great man when I was at a gathering abroad, and we even exchanged numbers. I didn't expect him to take up a post in North Hampton! I'll ask him out sometime in support of the Lopez family. That way, you'll gain a foothold in North Hampton in no time,” Samuel said loftily.

“God! That's incredible! How did you even get to know someone like him?”

“My brother-in-law is so cool!”

“The Lopez family's son-in-law is one of a kind! Of course, except for one!”

Everyone looked at Samuel with veneration; the old man was all the more impressed, Aaron and Caitlyn begrudged Fabian's son-in-law, and Zoey was envious as well.

But she believed that in five years, Levi, too, could make her grandfather proud.

Yet, unbeknownst to them, Levi was actually barely stifling in his laughter.

This kid is quite something to know that I've arrived.

But his ability to make up nonsense is even more impressive.

“You're saying you know the God of War?” Levi asked.

Samuel raised his head. “Yeah, we had a drink together. Is there a problem?”

Levi chuckled. “Then why don't I recognize you?”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here
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The little girl was bullied, so she called her uncles. After hearing the news, 8 uncles came to her with 8,000 bodyguards
..........................................................................................................
Lambridge City, Promenade 1st Villa Area - the Hatcher Mansion.
Today was the Lantern festival. Colorful lights were decorated around the house, giving a touch of warmth to the cold atmosphere of the Hatcher family.
Suddenly, a scream echoed across the mansion.
"Ah-"
Followed by thudding, a large-bellied woman fell from the stairs!
Everyone was surprised and hurried toward her.
Stephen Hatcher, the president of Ador Hatcher Corporation, quickly asked, "Debbie, are you alright?"
The woman's face turned pale when she saw fresh blood trickling down her legs. Horrified, she replied, "Stephen, it hurts… Our baby… Quickly, save our baby!"
The house's madam, Paula Anderson, panicked and asked, "What happened?!"
Debbie looked toward the top of the stairs with tears in her eyes.
Everyone looked up and saw a girl, about three years old, standing at the top of the stairs. Upon seeing everyone's gaze, she hugged the toy rabbit in her arms tightly in fear.
Richard Hatcher roared angrily, "Were you the one that pushed Debbie?!"
The little girl pouted. "It's not me, and I didn't…"

While crying, Debbie begged, "No… Dad, it's not Lilly's fault. She's still young, and she didn't mean it…"

Her words quickly reaffirmed that it was Lilly's fault.

Stephen's eyes darkened, and he immediately ordered, "Lock her in the attic! I'll deal with her once I return!"

The other hurriedly sent Debbie to the hospital while the servants dragged Lilly upstairs.

Even when a shoe fell off, she kept a stubborn face and did not beg or cry for help.

No light or heat could reach the dark and cold attic. The windows squeaked as if a monster would appear at any moment…

Lilly hugged her stuffed bunny tightly and curled up in a corner.

It's so cold…

The truth was she never pushed anyone, but no one believed her.

As it was cold spring weather, the snow and the wind made their way into the attic through the window cracks, piling layers of coldness onto little Lilly.

Soon, an entire day had passed by.

No one cared about Lilly, and no one even knew that Debbie had punished her the day before. She was already in a daze as she had yet to eat anything.

Richard had ordered that she was not allowed to leave until she admitted that it was her fault.

"Mommy…"

Lilly's lips were turning purple from the cold, and she was shivering. She could only close her eyes and mumble, "Mommy… I didn't do anything wrong… It's not my fault…"

She knew that her mother had died from an illness a year ago.

After her mother passed on, her dad found another woman, and soon the woman was pregnant with a baby…

However, the woman was two-faced. She was only nice to Lilly when others were present; otherwise, she would act like a demon punishing her.

Mommy… Lilly thought as she squeezed her toy rabbit's ears before losing consciousness.

Not knowing how long it had been, the door suddenly opened with a loud bang.

Stephen was furious when he picked up the unconscious Lilly, dragging her down the stairs and throwing her outside into the snow!

Lilly shivered from the cold surface and struggled to open her eyes…

"Daddy… I'm hungry…" She muttered.

Stephen scoffed. "You killed Debbie's unborn child, and the first thing you're telling me is that you're hungry?! I can't believe I have such an evil daughter!"

Lilly's eyes were hollow, and she could not speak as she was frozen stiff.

The more Stephen looked at her, the angrier he became. Why is she still acting stubborn despite being at fault? You malicious child!

"It is my fault as a parent that you're behaving this way! Now that you've killed your unborn brother, who knows if you will start murdering people when you grow up? As your father, I must teach you a lesson!"

He looked around and picked up a broom from the corner, snapping the broom head off.

The thick broomstick landed on Lilly's body with a thud, causing her to scream in pain!

"Is it your fault?!" Stephen glared.

"It's not me. It was really… not me!" Lilly bit her lips and maintained a stubborn face.

Stephen was getting more furious upon hearing her words. "Then are you saying your stepmother willingly fell down the stairs?! Why would she want to fall after being six months pregnant?!"

He could not help but think back to what happened in the hospital. Debbie was bleeding heavily, and the doctor had declared her situation as critical twice, but even on the brink of death, she insisted on asking him to not blame Lilly!

She said that Lilly was still young when her mother passed away. She was simply afraid that her baby brother might get the attention away from her and did not mean to push her.

Stephen felt angrier as he thought. He beat Lilly while scolding, "You're still trying to deny it! Stop denying it!"

With every sentence, Lilly would get hit by the broomstick.

He was so engrossed in hitting her that he did not even realize that his phone had fallen out of his pocket. When Lilly was severely beaten, he finally stopped, so she lay paralyzed on the snowy ground.

"Stay here and kneel until your stepmother is discharged!"

Stephen tugged his tie after he scolded her and left the broomstick behind before walking away.

He had been feeling irritated recently as his company had been facing a loophole for half a month and had yet to receive help resolving it.

Then today, Debbie fell from the stairs and lost their unborn child, losing the only hope for the Hatcher family.

The consecutive unfortunate events stressed him, and he could not help but vent it all out on Lilly.

Lilly's rabbit toy had already been beaten to pieces. She tried to stand up but fell back onto the snowy ground with a thud…

She felt that she was on the brink of death.

If I die, will I finally be able to see mommy?

At that moment, she heard a blurry voice.

"Lilly, call for your uncle! Your uncle is Gilbert Crawford, his phone number is 159xxxxx..."

"Call…" Lilly opened her eyes and noticed the black phone lying in the snow. Her survival instincts kicked in as she desperately crawled toward it.

"159…"

Lilly stuttered and stammered, her stiff fingers struggling to move, and finally, she managed to make the call…

**

Meanwhile, Hugh Crawford lectured at a courtyard house in Clodston, "Another year has passed. Gilbert Crawford, when will you take the test for the Chief Physician role?!"

The eight brothers of the Crawford family looked at each other while Gilbert touched his nose.

Suddenly the old man changed the topic and asked,

"Also, it's been four years, and have you not found your sister?"

The looks on the brothers' faces changed, with their lips pursed. Their indifferent eyes now had a slight hint of sorrow.

Their younger sister, Jean Crawford, was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia at a young age. Since then, she had been carefully nursed by the Crawford family as she went through blood transfusions, anti-infection treatments, and bone marrow transplants…

However, her condition worsened and even affected her memory.

Then, four years ago, she suddenly went missing.

Gilbert was a physician at the Shercaster Cancer Hospital and was in charge of Jean's treatment.

That day, he had to save a critically ill patient, and it was at that moment… that Jean disappeared.

For the past four years, guilt and regret had been tormenting him. Even with his outstanding medical talent, he had been unable to move forward since then.

The Crawford family had eight sons, and Jean was the only daughter.

After their daughter's disappearance, Bettany suddenly fell ill, and Hugh's temper grew unstable.

A heavy stone lay in the hearts of everyone in the Crawford family, rendering them restless.

The eldest son, Anthony Crawford - the CEO of the Crawford family's business empire - worked day and night tirelessly, causing his health to worsen and requiring him to take daily medication.

The third son, Bryson Crawford - the outstanding pilot of Swift Airlines- failed the psychological tests and had been resting at home for the past four years.

The others…

The study room fell into silence before suddenly, Gilbert's phone rang!

Chapter 2 Get Her Out Of Here

Hugh had his rules, one of which was that phones should be turned off during morning meetings.

Gilbert quickly retrieved his phone and was about to end the call.

Hugh scolded, "Take it!"

Gilbert then coughed. "Dad, it was an unknown number, I…"

Hugh put his teacup aside and ordered, "Take the call and put it on speakers!"

Bryson and Jonas looked pitifully at Gilbert.

Gilbert had no choice but to pick up the call and put it on speakers.

They were taken aback when they heard a small voice.

"Hello… is this uncle? I'm Lilly Hatcher… My mommy is Jean Crawford… Are you my Uncle Gilbert?"

The little girl's voice was weak and indescribably monotonous, like a small robot, with no discernible emotions in her tone.

The looks of the Crawford family changed drastically!

Clack… Hugh's pen cap dropped from his hand.

They could not utter a single sound, as if everyone had their throats strangled.

The child's tender voice sounded again on the other end of the phone.

"Uncle… I'm so cold and hungry… I didn't push my stepmother, but they don't believe me… Daddy dragged me to the gate to kneel… but I'm cold… Uncle, will you help me…"

As she spoke, her voice grew weaker and weaker.

The sound of the snowstorm blowing could still be heard from the other end of the call, but her voice had abruptly stopped.

Gilbert finally got back to his senses and grabbed his phone, holding it close to his mouth as he yelled frantically,

"Hey, Li-Lilly? Where are you? Tell me your location now!"

However, there was no response.

Hugh, panicked, stood up, and his previously rigid and stern look had already gone as if he had aged in an instant.

" Investigate the number and location. Now!"

**

Lilly passed out before finishing the call and dropped the phone in the snow.

Stephen then returned to look for his phone and saw Lilly lying there, not moving.

He kicked her and snarled, "It'd be better if she's dead!"

Four years ago, he found a woman on the street who was poorly dressed and in bad condition. He took her back to his apartment out of kindness.

After the woman cleaned up, he discovered that she was gorgeous.

She had amnesia and appeared to be confused. As Stephen was enamored by her cuteness, he took care of her.

Like a fool in love, he doted on her, telling her to not force herself to do anything as he cared for her…

Now that Stephen thought about it, he found it revolting.

Who knows if a beggar like her was taken advantage of when she was wandering about the streets?

Otherwise, why doesn't Lilly have any resemblance to me?

Although suspicious, Stephen never wanted to do a paternity test because if it turned out that he was not the father, he would be the most foolish man in South City!

Stephen grabbed his phone and walked away. He continuously made calls in his warm study room.

"Hello… Mr. Burton, it's me, Stephen! I'm wondering if you’re acquainted with the Crawford family from Clodston?"

"Greetings, Mr. Ledger! Happy new year! Are you acquainted with the Crawford family? Oh, my company's just having a minor issue…"

**

The snowstorm outside the study room was intense, and Lilly was still lying on the snow. It was only a matter of time before the day got dark.

She was a little conscious but could no longer force her eyes to open.

She had never cried since her mother died. Even if her father abused her, she never shed a single tear.

Yet, she wanted to cry at that moment.

When she called her uncle, there was no response from the other end.

Do they hate me too? Then no one likes me at all.

What about mommy? If I die and mommy sees me, will she hate me too?

Lilly's lips, turning purple from the cold, were pressed together as she kept thinking.

Mommy… I won't cry… Lilly's a good girl…

Suddenly, she heard a loud noise.

About seven cars arrived at the Hatcher mansion, and a man wearing a black down coat got out of the first car and opened the mansion's gate!

As there was a massive snowstorm, the snow had already covered Lilly's petite figure.

Gilbert anxiously looked around. On the phone, Lilly said she was kneeling at the gate!

Suddenly his face turned pale as he noticed a small pile of snow at the gate.

He immediately rushed over and shoved the snow away, causing his hands to redden from the cold. Finally, he found a small figure under the snow!

"Lilly?!"

Gilbert hurriedly picked up the young girl, and the moment he saw Lilly's face, he knew that this was their Lilly - her face was a splitting image of their sister when she was young…

Their most beloved and cherished sister's child - Lilly!

Lilly felt as if she had fallen into a warm embrace, and the person had even taken off their coat to wrap her around.

Lilly was numb from being frozen for too long, and after feeling an instant of warmth, she still felt bone-chillingly cold, causing her to shiver uncontrollably.

Lilly struggled to open her eyes and finally saw the man before her - he looked somewhat similar to her mother but also different.

Lilly's lips twitched as she asked weakly, "Are you… uncle… I didn't push anyone… uncle…"

At that moment, Lilly was murmuring as she had lost consciousness.

She was like a cold, emotionless robot compared to Gilbert's agitated self.

Gilbert was on the verge of crying.

The young child in his arms was only wearing thin sleepwear - pure cotton autumn clothing - with no padding at all.

Her small face had already turned purple from the cold, and her lips were cracked and turning dark.

Like a frozen sculpture, her tiny figure could not move, making Gilbert afraid that he would break her with a single touch.

"Lilly… Uncle's here, and I'm bringing you home."

Gilbert choked. He could not imagine how Lilly managed to survive independently with her condition.

He was even scared to think she would have died if they arrived later.

Gilbert carefully held Lilly, focusing solely on her. He rushed back to the car.

"Lilly, stay with me." Gilbert's voice turned hoarse as he urged, "Don't sleep… Lilly, can you say something to uncle? Lilly…”

Lilly had already lost consciousness.

Hugh staggered a little as he rushed over. Seeing Gilbert's piled-up clothes, he anxiously asked, "How is she?"

Gilbert was already panicking. "Quick, we must go to the hospital now!"

The Crawford family felt their hearts were in their throats and immediately headed toward the hospital.

Meanwhile, Stephen, who had just received the news of their arrival, hurriedly rushed downstairs with a mixture of excitement and elation on his face.

When the Crawford family was rushing into the mansion, they were stopped by the security guard. Once Anthony revealed his name, the guard quickly went to inform Stephen.

As he was wracking his brains trying to find a way to be acquainted with the Crawford family, Stephen was taken aback by the news!

Although he did not know why the Crawford family suddenly appeared before the mansion, he knew he had a chance as long as they were there.

There's hope for the Hatcher family, after all!

Suddenly, Stephen remembered something and quickly turned to a servant, saying, "Is Lilly still lying in the yard? Get her out of here immediately!"

She had cursed her mother to death, and now my company will go bankrupt from her curse too.

Stephen would not allow her to ruin this opportunity to meet with the Crawford family.

Read Next Chapter Now👉

"Who are you? How dare you enter my bedroom!" Patrick Willoughby's voice was as cold as a frozen lake.
"I'm your bride," Wendy Clark replied naturally as she did not fear him whatsoever.
She looked at the man in front of her in surprise as her new husband turned out to be the seriously wounded man that night.
It so happened that Patrick was in a dazed state that night, so he could not see Wendy's appearance clearly.
As such, she felt that this man was an interesting character since he was rumored to be a dying person with a weird temper. She was elated because everyone in the Clark Family thought that Patrick was breathing his last and would refuse to allow him to marry their precious daughter.
In truth, Patrick was someone who lived the good life. He was both wealthy and handsome. In the end, the unfavored daughter of his born to his ex-wife took advantage of him.
If the Clark Family were to be made aware of this, they would be so exasperated that they would die from the anger.
"I'm offering you 7.5 million to repair a videotape. Deal?" As a top hacker, Wendy was never short of such huge orders. She merely wanted to obtain the medical canon that belonged to her, so she answered, "There's no deal."
She did not have the time to deal with such matters.
"You really don't know what's good for you!" Seated on the table was Patrick, who was angered to the point where he couldn't eat his breakfast. He had already offered a good deal for an easy job, but the top hacker refused to accept it!
Wendy had no idea what Patrick was angry about, but for him to be this mad, a big shot must have offended him. What she did not know was that the only one who could anger Patrick was Wendy herself.

Click to READ more👉👉Title：Ceryl's Comeback in Woodspine Heights

"Who are you? How dare you enter my bedroom!" Patrick Willoughby's voice was as cold as a frozen lake.
"I'm your bride," Wendy Clark replied naturally as she did not fear him whatsoever.
She looked at the man in front of her in surprise as her new husband turned out to be the seriously wounded man that night.
It so happened that Patrick was in a dazed state that night, so he could not see Wendy's appearance clearly.
As such, she felt that this man was an interesting character since he was rumored to be a dying person with a weird temper. She was elated because everyone in the Clark Family thought that Patrick was breathing his last and would refuse to allow him to marry their precious daughter.
In truth, Patrick was someone who lived the good life. He was both wealthy and handsome. In the end, the unfavored daughter of his born to his ex-wife took advantage of him.
If the Clark Family were to be made aware of this, they would be so exasperated that they would die from the anger.
"I'm offering you 7.5 million to repair a videotape. Deal?" As a top hacker, Wendy was never short of such huge orders. She merely wanted to obtain the medical canon that belonged to her, so she answered, "There's no deal."
She did not have the time to deal with such matters.
"You really don't know what's good for you!" Seated on the table was Patrick, who was angered to the point where he couldn't eat his breakfast. He had already offered a good deal for an easy job, but the top hacker refused to accept it!
Wendy had no idea what Patrick was angry about, but for him to be this mad, a big shot must have offended him. What she did not know was that the only one who could anger Patrick was Wendy herself.

Click to READ more👉👉Title：Ceryl's Comeback in Woodspine Heights

Chapter 1 The White Snake Tattoo
Were girls with tattoos considered indecent? This was prejudice! Since tattoos had become trendy, and for the sake of individuality and beauty, even girls would get tattoos. However, one must ensure that they get their tattoos from a professional!

Due to me being a cheapskate, something terrible happened after I had the tattoo and nearly died as a result.

Celeste Loughby was my name and I was 20 years old. There was a brown birthmark the size of a fist under my collarbone, which was why I wouldn't dare to wear low-collared clothing. After trying to get rid of it twice with laser treatment, the birthmark grew again within half a year and the color deepened. As a result, I was afraid to undergo laser treatment again.

When I started college, my roommate noticed my birthmark and told me I could get a tattoo to cover it up. Coincidentally, her family owned a tattoo parlor, and she even showed me a carp tattooed on her back shoulder. The brightly colored fish looked great on fair skin, so I was slightly tempted to do it. After asking her for the address, I went there the following day.

The shop was located on Windmill Street. It had a small door, and her father was the only one in the shop. The interior decoration of the shop was elegant and antique, but a foul odor permeated the air. I thought it was the smell of pigments, so I didn't pay much attention.

My friend's last name was Yales, so I addressed her father as Mr. Yales. After hearing that I wanted to cover up my birthmark, he took out a box wrapped in animal skin from behind the counter, opened it, and pulled an album out.

As he flipped through the album and showed it to me, he said, "Since you're Mindy's friend, I'll be honest with you. Your birthmark is too large and dark to be covered by an ordinary tattoo. I have a special pigment that can guarantee to cover up your birthmark, but I can only draw the ones available on this album."

All the images in the album were dragons, phoenixes, and other monsters or beasts. Imagine a girl getting a green dragon tattoo! Wouldn't that look too tough?

"Mr. Yales, don't you have other patterns that are more feminine? Like flowers or something."

"Tattooing flowers in front of your chest has a bad meaning. How about this?" He turned the album to the last page.

The last image was of a white snake with silver scales that glistened as if reflecting the sunlight. It looked nothing like an image but a real snake coiling on paper. It's beautiful, but tattooing a snake…

"I'll do it for you at no cost. If I cannot cover up your birthmark, there will be no charge. If I can, then you will only be charged half the price. You are beautiful, so you can help me to promote my shop in school." Since Mr. Yales could tell that I was still hesitating, he added, "There are a lot of young girls getting snake tattoos these days because they think it looks beautiful. Since you're Mindy's friend, I won't lie to you."

I grew up in a single-parent household and wasn't rich, so upon hearing that I could get a beautiful snake tattoo for half the price, I immediately agreed. So, I followed him to the workshop. The workshop was small; there was only a bed, his tools, a table on one side and a tablet on the table, but the tablet was blank. Nothing was written on it.

As soon as I entered the workshop, the stench odor intensified, and it seemed as if something had rotten, which was very pungent. I covered my nose and asked, "Mr. Yales, what is that smell?"

Instead of answering my question, he pretended not to smell it. He told me to lie on the bed while he went to the table beside me, lit three candles, and mumbled something I couldn't hear.

After that was done, he walked over and held my hand. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain, and I looked down to see that he had poked my finger with a needle, causing blood to quickly drip into the tattoo ink bottle.

Then, he held the ink bottle up and smiled at me with his head lowered. "It'll hurt a little. Try to bear with it."

Mr. Yales was a skinny man with a pallid face. When he smiled, his eyes crinkled into a slit and with his lips curved upward, he looked… like a gray rat. My thoughts had frightened me and by the time I tried to focus again, I saw him concentrating on drawing the tattoo for me with a serious expression on his face.

Sure enough, I was hallucinating.

He had tattooed meticulously, which took him more than two hours to finish the job. Once he was done, I could see a white snake on my chest with its body covered in silver scales that looked incredibly realistic. However, the brown birthmark underneath the white snake was still visible, which created an unsightly image of the white snake swimming in mud.

"It didn't even cover my birthmark." I regret getting the tattoo.

However, Mr. Yales seemed pretty satisfied with his artwork. When he realized I was on the verge of tears, he finally comforted me, "Your birthmark will disappear after tonight. If it's still there, come back and find me tomorrow."

Since his shop was here, and he was the father of my classmate, I thought he would not be able to run somewhere else, so I agreed to wait it out for a day.

Back in the dormitory, I didn't show it to others because the tattoo was ugly, so I went to bed early.

As I was dozing off in the middle of the night, I felt a huge, cold hand sliding into my pajamas. This sensation caused goosebumps all over my body, especially the areas that he had touched. I shuddered and opened my eyes. When the moonlight streamed through the window, I glimpsed a man holding me down in the dimly lit room.

The man had a very handsome face with three-dimensional features, fair skin, dark orbs, and a perfect face shape. When I looked at him, my heart began to race uncontrollably. It wasn't because of butterflies but because of fear. From such a close distance, I could clearly feel his cold breath, and his neck was covered with silver scales. He looked like… a snake!

Chapter 2 Demon Mark

"Ah!" I was absolutely petrified and instantly covered my eyes with my hands.

This has to be a dream, right? Yes, it must be!

The man grabbed my wrist, pressed my hands down on the bed, and then ordered me in a stern voice, "Open your eyes!"

I shook my head. Even taking another look was terrifying for me.

"Please spare me, lord. I have never done anything disrespectful to you—"

"Don't be afraid. I won't harm you. Open your eyes." The intimidating voice conveyed a terrifying sense of oppression.

I didn't want to open my eyes, but they opened involuntarily. Then, a handsome face appeared in front of me, and I stared at him. I had to admit that he was indeed handsome, but sadly, he wasn't human…

He smirked as he noticed me staring at him blankly. "Are you satisfied with me?"

His smile was like a blooming snow lotus; it was cold yet alluring. This had to be how a beautiful deity looked like. Nonetheless, the next moment, his words convinced me that he wasn't any deity!

"I'm very satisfied with you. This time, they chose a good sacrifice."

Sacrifice? I'm a sacrifice! Even though I'm already a sacrifice, he said he won’t harm me!

Tears trickled down from the corners of my eyes as I begged for mercy in a trembling voice, "P-Please let me go… I don't want to die yet. I can offer you alternate sacrifices, like meat, poultry, delicacies from all over the world… You can choose whatever you want—"

"Do you think I'll eat those?" His lips pressed against the side of my neck as he spoke. When his cold lips pressed against my neck, I thought he would bite me in the next second.

I was on the verge of breaking down as I sobbed, saying, "I ate garlic today, so my blood reeks of stench. I'm not tasty at all. Please don't bite me… Let me go, lord. I can do whatever you want as long as you don't kill me—"

"Can you really do anything?"

"Of course!" I hurriedly answered him.

He chuckled lightly and whispered in a deep, seductive baritone as he exhaled coldly, "I want you."

Once he was done speaking, he didn't even bother asking for my consent before tearing off my clothes and getting inside. I attempted to fight back, but my inexperienced body was unable to put up any sort of resistance to his teasing. After an intense fight, I felt possessed, gradually falling under his control. Unfortunately, he didn't seem tired, and I couldn't remember how many times he tortured me. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore and passed out.

A moment before I passed out, I heard him whisper, "My name is Cassius Boyd."

It was Mindy who woke me up. When I opened my eyes, she was standing beside my bed with a blushed face. Then, she bent over and covered me with a blanket, and it wasn't until that point that I realized I had been lying in bed naked. This explained why Mindy's face turned crimson.

I also blushed and wanted to sit up, but just as soon as I moved, there was a tearing pain shooting through my lower body, and my waist was so sore it felt like it had been broken. This painful feeling reminded me that everything that happened last night was not a dream. When I quickly lowered my head, the birthmark had vanished, and a silver snake with gleaming silver scales coiled around my chest.

"Celeste, stop dreaming! I'm asking you something!" Mindy questioned me. "What's the matter with you?! Tattoos can't be done blindly. How could you ask for a scaled dragon tattoo? If you want to get an animal tattoo, you can always choose a dragon or a snake. Even though a scaled dragon is cultivated from a snake, it has indecent intentions. Before it becomes a dragon, it is considered a demon. You've tattooed a demon on your body, Celeste."

I was dumbfounded when I heard that. "Isn't this a silver snake?"

"A snake tattoo will not have scales. However, your tattoo has scales but no horns. This is a scaled dragon."

It was no surprise that I thought this silver snake was more majestic and beautiful than the pictures on the Internet. It turned out to be covered in dragon scales! It was a snake that was transforming into a dragon. How could it not be prettier than snakes?

Then, Mindy asked, "The person who tattooed you is too careless. Where did you get it?"

When I looked at her, I suddenly doubted that the man from the day before was her father.

She continued, "There is something wrong with this tattoo. I will take you somewhere to remove it. If you like snakes, I'll get my dad to give you a new tattoo when he returns from our hometown. I guarantee it'll look better than this one."

Her father was in her hometown. Clearly, the man I saw last night was not her father. I either went to the wrong place, or someone pretended to be her father and tried to hurt me. I didn't have time to think about it, but I knew everything strange began with this tattoo.

I couldn't wait to remove it right away, but my body was so weak I couldn't even stand up. After resting for a long time, I forced myself to get up in the afternoon and dragged her to locate the store from the day before.

On the way, I asked Mindy if she had heard any unusual sounds or movements last night. She responded by telling me no, but she had to come over and wake me up this morning because I was moaning.

I was even more terrified after hearing that. When the man was there at night, Mindy and the others could not hear anything. They were only able to hear me after the man had left in the morning. That would also mean no one could hear anything if he killed me!

I was trembling with fear, but we finally arrived at Windmill Street. I dragged Mindy and walked in. From a distance, I saw a group of people in front of yesterday's store. I pushed through the crowd, only to see yellow banners barring the crowd from entering and police officers scurrying through the store.

"What's wrong with this store?" Mindy asked the surrounding people.

"The owner is dead," someone answered. "He's been dead for a week."

My head immediately buzzed. Was the owner dead? Then, who was the one who did the tattoo for me yesterday?

Chapter 3 Forming A Sect

A policeman came out carrying the shop owner's body. A stretcher was covered with a white cloth, and when it passed in front of me, the white cloth was suddenly blown up by the wind. The corpse on the stretcher was the man who tattooed me yesterday! He was very thin, and his face seemed to have turned purple and devoid of life, just as I had seen him the day before.

What exactly was going on? Didn't they say he had died for a week? Was my tattoo done by a dead person yesterday?

"Celeste? Celeste!" Mindy called me. "You don't look so good. Are you okay?"

I wanted to fill her in on everything that happened the day before, but when I thought about it, anyone in their right mind wouldn't have believed me.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. "Mindy, I think I got it wrong, and this isn't the right place. I don't want to look for it anymore. When will your dad come home? I'll ask him to remove it for me."

"He's taking the train tonight and will arrive tomorrow afternoon."

Do I have to wait until tomorrow? What if the man returned to find me again tonight?

"Celeste, why are you crying? What's wrong?"

When I saw Mindy's flustered face, I realized that tears had begun streaming down my face.

"I-I'm scared..." I was terrified.

"You didn't have to be so scared after I told you that you have a demon tattoo! It's just a tattoo," she replied. When she saw how frightened I was, she added, "If you're still worried, I'll take you to a place to get a talisman. The owner of Benevolent Hall is an old friend of my dad, and my dad claims his friend has a deity spirit inside him. So, the talismans he draws are all imbued with deity spirit, which keeps people safe."

Nodding my head fervently, I immediately agreed. "Let's go right now."

Benevolent Hall was located in a run-down area of Coatia. The storefront was a small frontage of a remodeled residential building with the outer part open to the public while the inner part served as a small house. The words "Benevolent" were broken on the tattered signboard outside and below it were funeral wreaths, chrysanthemums, candles, and other stuff were placed at the door. There were shrouds hung on both sides of the store as well as an inner glass display case containing various urns.

Mindy led me into the store and shouted loudly, "Mr. Lee, you have a customer!"

"Coming!" The curtain behind the counter opened, and a chubby old man came out.

Mr. Lee looked to be in his seventies. He wore a singlet and shorts, a pair of flip-flops, had a fan in his hands, a bald head, and wrinkles all over his face. He looked no different from any ordinary old man.

After looking me up and down, his expression suddenly became respectful. "Please come with me."

Please?

I thought Mr. Lee was being polite to me, but as soon as I took a step forward, he glared at me. "Wait here, you two."

Mindy and I were the only ones in the shop. If he wasn't calling Mindy or me, who was he calling?

At this very moment, a gust of cold air blew past me as if an invisible person had just passed me. My head buzzed, and I almost fell to my knees. That thing couldn't have been following me around, could it?

Mr. Lee quickly confirmed my suspicions. Two minutes later, he emerged from behind me and said, "You've been chosen by the Household Deity. He's following you and wants you to form a sect for him and invite him in."

Forming a sect for him and inviting him meant I had to become a disciple. I even had to offer help to people, accumulate virtue by doing good deeds, and help the Household Deity achieve His merits as soon as possible.

My hometown was in Haladi, and my grandmother believed in the Household Deity. When I was young, I followed her around and witnessed a priestess who danced to invite deities. It was not an exaggeration to say that she looked like a complete lunatic while wearing a mask, hopping around, dancing, and singing incomprehensible songs.

Then, I begged, "Please, sir. Please help me. I don't want to be a disciple—"

Before I could finish what I was saying, I was hit in the face by a sudden gust of chilly wind, and it blew on my neck. I took a deep breath and felt as if my neck was being strangled by a pair of invisible hands. I thought of the man from the previous night standing in front of me, choking my neck. My scalp went numb, and I was so frightened that tears kept rolling down my face.

Mr. Lee hurriedly uttered, "Mr. Deity wouldn't come to you for no reason. It was your family who did something wrong to Him first. He's already being lenient for not taking revenge on your family and only making you his disciple. If you still want to live and want your family to be safe, you should immediately agree to His request."

Though the pair of hands on my neck exerted some force, it didn't hurt me. It just made me feel how real and existent he was. I was so frightened that my legs went limp, not daring to disagree anymore.

"I promise; as long as Mr. Deity lets me and my family go, I am willing to do everything."

After saying that, I could feel the cold breeze on my neck circle around my cheeks as if patting them before disappearing.

To form a sect, one had to be led by a senior who was also an experienced disciple, and they were called guides. Naturally, Mr. Lee became my guide.

I lived in the school dormitory, and we were not allowed to set up any form of an altar, so Mr. Lee said he would place it in his place first. He tidied up a room, brought red paper and a brush, and wrote the name—Mr. Cassius Boyd. Then, he pasted the red paper on a wooden sign and handed it to me. "Put this tablet in the room, light three candles, and bow three times. Your deity's surname is Boyd, and he is the brother to the head sect owner of the Boyd Family. Their seniority is very high among Household Deities, so make sure to be filial, do good deeds, and don't make Mr. Deity upset."

I nodded while bringing the tablet and tribute into the room. After I had set up the tablet and tribute, I lit three candles, kneeled down, and bowed. Once that was done, I turned around and fled the room since I was the only one there and felt tremendous fear. Before I could reach the door, a pair of strong, cold arms grabbed my hands.

"Why are you running away? Are you scared of me?" His voice was low and cold.
Click to READ more👉👉Title：🔥🔥🔥Celeste's Magic Mole🔥🔥🔥

On the night of her wedding, Rachel Hudson sat on the edge of the bed with a bitter taste in her mouth that extended deep into the bottom of her heart. Amber Hudson was unwilling to marry the disfigured eldest son of the Burton Family, so her father had asked Rachel to take her place instead. After that, she was carried into the Burton Residence with neither a wedding ceremony nor wedding guests like a bride who couldn’t rise to the occasion, making her utterly disappointed with the Hudson Family.

Just then, the creak of the door being pushed open interrupted her thoughts, and she looked up to meet a man’s long, narrow, and sharp black eyes.

It was Justin Burton, her current husband. He was tall and slender but not burly, whereas his angular face and tightly compressed lips made him look cold, arrogant, and aloof—just like a commanding hawk in the dark night. However, his originally handsome face was regrettably marred by a scar. It ran from his forehead to his chin, lending him an air of ferocity.

Rachel subconsciously averted her eyes under his penetrating gaze. Suddenly, he said with absolute certainty, “You aren’t Amber Hudson.” The lady before his eyes was obviously more beautiful than Amber.

Rachel instinctively put out her hands and gestured to him.

Justin frowned. “What are you doing?”

Rachel was startled for a moment. It was only then did she realize with the benefit of hindsight that he couldn’t understand her sign language. After smiling an embarrassed smile, she took out the paper and pen she had brought with her, wrote down a sentence, and showed it to him.

The next instant, she saw the man’s completely frosty eyes. He let out a sneer and said, “What does Jefferey Hudson mean by this? He knows that I want Amber, yet he sent a mute, illegitimate daughter over on purpose?”

The words ‘mute, illegitimate daughter’ caused Rachel’s breath to pause, and she slowly dropped her eyes. The next instant, the man lifted her chin and asked with a voice as chilly as the water in winter, “Does the Hudson Family think I’m so easy to fool?”

Rachel’s tiny hands clenched into fists in her sleeves. He’s furious. Is he going to throw me out right away? If that’s the case, what about Grandma’s medical expenses… she thought to herself. She wanted to explain, but she could only feel her throat tighten under the man’s chilling gaze.

As her eyes slowly dimmed, the man suddenly ordered, “Come here.”

This is… Is he allowing me to stay? Rachel was delighted at first, but she then thought of what she was about to face. She slowly became nervous, and a thin sheen of sweat coated her palms.

Upon seeing her hesitation, Justin thought she had chickened out. He then demanded impassively, “I’m very dissatisfied with the fact that your family has substituted the bride with someone else. But now that you’re already married to me, you have to fulfill your obligations as my wife.”

Rachel bit her lower lip, lay flat, and turned her face to the left. Then, she heard a mocking sneer as it reached her ears. “I’m asking you to wait on me while I take a bath.”

Rachel’s face, which was as white as porcelain, turned red instantly. She swiftly sat up and saw the man coldly enjoying how she had made a fool of herself. Anger filled her eyes, and she thought to herself, Is he having fun while making fun of me?

Justin’s eyes narrowed slightly, and his voice turned grim. “What are you waiting for?”

Rachel suppressed her emotions and slowly walked up to him, but she accidentally scratched his skin with her clumsy fingers. Suddenly, Justin grabbed her wrist and closed in on her. “Did you do it on purpose?”

Rachel was dumbfounded for a moment. Then, she shook her head with confusion in her clear eyes.

As Justin stared at her, another pair of clear and bright eyes unwittingly appeared in his mind, reminding him of the Hudson Family—the chief culprit who had destroyed those very eyes. He promptly sneered and said, “I had no intention of touching you tonight, but since you can’t stand being lonely, I can only help you out.”

One night later, Rachel woke up with her body aching all over. However, Justin was nowhere to be seen, and only the slightly cool smell of tobacco lingered in the air.

Rachel dragged her fatigued body to the bathroom and took a shower. She first saw a beautiful middle-aged woman sitting on the sofa after coming downstairs, but the latter simply stared at her coldly with her arms folded across her chest.

Rachel had seen this woman in the photo her father had shown her. She was Sue Praham, Justin’s maternal aunt. It was said that Justin lost his parents as a child and was brought up single-handedly by Sue until Arthur Burton, the Old Master of the Burton Family, brought them back to the Burton Residence. Justin built his own business empire with his own abilities, and he had always been filial to Sue as if she were his biological mother.

At this moment, Sue looked Rachel up and down before saying, “Jefferey Hudson, that old fox, didn’t keep his word. He knew that we wanted Amber to marry into the family, yet he sent you—a mute—instead. Does he think the Burton Family is a garbage recycling center? I always wonder why Justin keeps you around, but since things have turned out this way, you’d better behave yourself. Don’t think you will have a meteoric rise by marrying into our family. We, the Burtons, aren’t fools. All right, go and prepare lunch first. Since you’ve married into our family, you should be a virtuous wife!” The large Burton Residence was obviously not short of servants, but Sue ordered a newcomer who had just married into the family to prepare lunch.

Rachel dropped her eyes in the face of Sue’s sharp gaze. Even though the woman was making things difficult for her on purpose, she couldn’t fight back for the time being. A woman with neither power nor influence could never disobey these people, so she could only avoid trouble whenever possible. As such, she merely turned around and went to the kitchen. It’s just a meal, so it’s not a big deal, she thought to herself.

However, her concession didn’t earn her respect. Instead, Sue took it for granted by assuming that Rachel was weak and could be easily bullied. She let out a cold snort and curled her lips before saying, “As expected, you’re simply unpresentable!”

Rachel paused for a moment and then left as if nothing had happened.

Soon after that, Justin returned from his company. As Sue smiled and asked him to have lunch, he turned around and immediately saw Rachel bustling about in the kitchen with an apron on. He knitted his brows, but Sue lied with a smile when she noticed this. “She insisted on preparing lunch herself. Perhaps she wants us to taste her cooking,” she said.

Justin nodded his head without saying anything else.

Rachel had lived with her grandmother since she was a child, so she was pretty good at cooking and doing household chores. She soon made four dishes and one soup before serving them at the dining table. The servants saw how virtuous and capable she was, yet they had little respect for this newly married wife of the family. In the eyes of the public, only those of the lower classes would serve people; after all, the upper-class people were to be served.

Throughout lunch, every single person including the servants focused their attention on Justin while ignoring Rachel as if she didn’t exist. She felt ill at ease because of this, wanting to get away from such an atmosphere. Hence, she casually took a few bites, nodded to them, got up, and went upstairs.

After Rachel left, Sue curled her lips and complained, “She’s so rude. Does she think she can look down her nose at everyone because she’s mute?”

Justin picked up his documents right away and began reading them without raising his head.

When she saw that he wasn’t responding to her words, Sue rolled her eyes and continued, “Justin, the Hudsons don’t know what is good for them. They have simply insulted us by palming off an inferior and giving us a mute! How dare they expect you to give financial aid to their family business? I think they must be dreaming!” Sue was aware of her nephew’s means and wasn’t worried about the Hudson Family taking advantage of him; she simply couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable at the thought that they had taken such an unpresentable mute as a wife, for it would inevitably cause her to be laughed at by the wives of other families when she went out.

However, Justin still gave no response—he didn’t even have an expression on his face.

When she saw that he obviously didn’t want to talk about this subject, Sue said with an ingratiating smile, “Julian is finally coming back after studying medicine in France for so many years. He can’t call a mute an in-law, can he? People will laugh at him if word gets out about this. Just get rid of that mute after a while. I’ll help you look for someone else to assume the position of Young Madam Hudson, okay?”

At last, Justin gave a response this time. He glanced at her expressionlessly and replied, “I know what I’m doing regarding this matter, so don’t worry, Aunt Sue.”

Sue’s face froze at the cold and distant tone of his voice. After he left, Mrs. Duncan, one of the servants at the Burton Residence, came up from behind and comforted Sue in a whisper, “Please don’t think too much of it, Madam. Young Master Justin said so because he’s worried that you’ll be overburdened with worries.”

Sue sighed with a worried expression. “How could I not overthink it? Justin’s personality has changed a lot ever since he was rescued from the human traffickers. He’s no longer as easily approachable as he used to be when he was a child. Even though I have been living in ease and comfort ever since he brought me to the Burton Residence, I know that he blames me deep down inside. If it hadn’t been for my carelessness, he wouldn’t have been abducted by the human traffickers and suffered so much.”

Mrs. Duncan’s lips quivered, but she didn’t know what else to say. She thought to herself, Young Master Justin has been invincible in the commercial world over the past ten years, but he has also become increasingly unfeeling and indifferent. It’s no wonder the Madam is so worried about him.

Meanwhile, the Hudson Residence was ringing with cheers and laughter. Blessed with incredibly pretty looks, Amber was holding Jefferey’s arm as she pleaded like a spoiled child, “Please buy me a Maserati, Dad. Our family received 10 million from the Burtons, so we don’t have to worry about money anymore!”

Jefferey was sitting on a chair and reading a newspaper. Upon hearing her words, he turned his head and glared at her peevishly. “How could you have the cheek to ask for a luxury car? You refused to marry into the Burtons when you were asked to. I really have no idea what you were thinking about. The Burtons are so rich; would you not have whatever you wanted once you married into the family?”

Amber wrinkled her nose with a disdainful expression. “Dad! Justin Burton looks extremely ugly and is said to have an eccentric character. It disgusts me just to think about him, so I’ll never agree to marry him! Rachel, that forsaken mute, married him in my stead, didn’t she?” she protested before pausing for a moment. Then, she rolled her eyes and smiled slyly. “I would be willing to get married if I were to marry Julian Peters, though. He is said to be a Doctor of Medicine in France. He’s such a handsome and promising young man, which is pretty close to my ideal type of person.”

She’s the apple of my eye, after all—I have spoiled her ever since she was a child. I can’t force her to marry someone she dislikes, but she has become more and more unreasonable as I spoil her, Jefferey thought to himself. He poked Amber in the nose and replied, “Julian Peters is Sue Praham’s son, not the heir of the Burton Family. What’s so special about him? Besides, Justin Burton will not be made a fool of easily. Where was I supposed to find a substitute for you in a short time if it weren’t for her?”

Amber raised her chin disdainfully. “Even if she wasn’t there to substitute for me, there would be someone else. Perhaps she’s only too eager to marry into the Burtons! A mute who cannot speak should simply be grateful for being able to marry into a wealthy family!”

Jefferey merely smiled without saying a word. Only he knew that he had forced Rachel to marry Justin using her grandmother’s life-saving money, but there was no need for his little princess to worry about this. Even though Rachel was also his own daughter, a mute who had been left in a remote mountain village for many years before resuming her relationship with him had no comparability with a beloved daughter who had been spoiled and doted on since childhood. Moreover, unlike Amber, Rachel couldn’t win glory for the Hudson Family.

As the father and daughter were chatting happily, the company suddenly called. After Jefferey answered the phone, his countenance changed all of a sudden. “What did you say? The funding from the Burton Family is empty? That’s impossible!” Then, his face became increasingly grave as the person on the other end said something.

Amber was seated near Jefferey, and she turned ghastly pale when she heard that the money that should have come to their hands was gone. “What should we do, Dad?”

Jefferey knitted his brows as he thought of something. Then, he uttered bitterly between clenched teeth, “What a b*stard Justin Burton is! How dare he play tricks on me? How could he go back on his word after I married my daughter to him?”

“That ugly monster is simply too annoying!” Amber thanked her lucky stars. “It’s lucky that I didn’t marry him. It’s crude for that sc*m to go back on his word!” Then, she looked at her father and asked hesitantly, “What should we do next, Dad?”

Jefferey collected himself and pondered for a moment. “Since he’s being unkind to me, he shouldn’t blame me for being treacherous. Don’t forget that Rachel is now one of the Burtons.”

Amber smiled instantly when she saw how her father appeared to have a card up his sleeve. She thought to herself, Dad has always been wise and resourceful. Well, Justin can only resign himself to getting ripped off!

In the meantime, Rachel was mopping the floor while Sue sat on the sofa and drank some tea, eyeing the other woman in a nitpicking manner. “Be sure to mop the floor clean. As the daughter-in-law of the Burton Family, you ought to manage your household with industry and thrift. You shall sweep and clean up the rooms every day from now on. Mrs. Duncan is an old servant of the Burtons, so we shouldn’t keep overworking her. Share some of her burdens as you should since we Burtons don’t want a lazy daughter-in-law,” she said. She despised this mute, but she couldn’t drive the latter away in a flagrant way. After all, it was mainly out of concern for the Burton Family’s reputation that had lasted for 100 years. Therefore, she wanted to make Rachel back out and go away herself in the face of hardships. “Of course, if you feel wronged, you may leave the Burton Family. All right, I’ll be having afternoon tea with someone else outside very soon. Hurry up and work, and don’t be lazy!” After finishing her sentence, she picked up her handbag and went out.

Rachel watched until Sue had gone out before she heaved a long sigh. She thought to herself, Sue Parham is simply too difficult to deal with, and it’s quite tiring to get along with her.

————————————
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The little girl was bullied, so she called her uncles. After hearing the news, 8 uncles came to her with 8,000 bodyguards
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Lambridge City, Promenade 1st Villa Area - the Hatcher Mansion.
Today was the Lantern festival. Colorful lights were decorated around the house, giving a touch of warmth to the cold atmosphere of the Hatcher family.
Suddenly, a scream echoed across the mansion.
"Ah-"
Followed by thudding, a large-bellied woman fell from the stairs!
Everyone was surprised and hurried toward her.
Stephen Hatcher, the president of Ador Hatcher Corporation, quickly asked, "Debbie, are you alright?"
The woman's face turned pale when she saw fresh blood trickling down her legs. Horrified, she replied, "Stephen, it hurts… Our baby… Quickly, save our baby!"
The house's madam, Paula Anderson, panicked and asked, "What happened?!"
Debbie looked toward the top of the stairs with tears in her eyes.
Everyone looked up and saw a girl, about three years old, standing at the top of the stairs. Upon seeing everyone's gaze, she hugged the toy rabbit in her arms tightly in fear.
Richard Hatcher roared angrily, "Were you the one that pushed Debbie?!"
The little girl pouted. "It's not me, and I didn't…"

While crying, Debbie begged, "No… Dad, it's not Lilly's fault. She's still young, and she didn't mean it…"

Her words quickly reaffirmed that it was Lilly's fault.

Stephen's eyes darkened, and he immediately ordered, "Lock her in the attic! I'll deal with her once I return!"

The other hurriedly sent Debbie to the hospital while the servants dragged Lilly upstairs.

Even when a shoe fell off, she kept a stubborn face and did not beg or cry for help.

No light or heat could reach the dark and cold attic. The windows squeaked as if a monster would appear at any moment…

Lilly hugged her stuffed bunny tightly and curled up in a corner.

It's so cold…

The truth was she never pushed anyone, but no one believed her.

As it was cold spring weather, the snow and the wind made their way into the attic through the window cracks, piling layers of coldness onto little Lilly.

Soon, an entire day had passed by.

No one cared about Lilly, and no one even knew that Debbie had punished her the day before. She was already in a daze as she had yet to eat anything.

Richard had ordered that she was not allowed to leave until she admitted that it was her fault.

"Mommy…"

Lilly's lips were turning purple from the cold, and she was shivering. She could only close her eyes and mumble, "Mommy… I didn't do anything wrong… It's not my fault…"

She knew that her mother had died from an illness a year ago.

After her mother passed on, her dad found another woman, and soon the woman was pregnant with a baby…

However, the woman was two-faced. She was only nice to Lilly when others were present; otherwise, she would act like a demon punishing her.

Mommy… Lilly thought as she squeezed her toy rabbit's ears before losing consciousness.

Not knowing how long it had been, the door suddenly opened with a loud bang.

Stephen was furious when he picked up the unconscious Lilly, dragging her down the stairs and throwing her outside into the snow!

Lilly shivered from the cold surface and struggled to open her eyes…

"Daddy… I'm hungry…" She muttered.

Stephen scoffed. "You killed Debbie's unborn child, and the first thing you're telling me is that you're hungry?! I can't believe I have such an evil daughter!"

Lilly's eyes were hollow, and she could not speak as she was frozen stiff.

The more Stephen looked at her, the angrier he became. Why is she still acting stubborn despite being at fault? You malicious child!

"It is my fault as a parent that you're behaving this way! Now that you've killed your unborn brother, who knows if you will start murdering people when you grow up? As your father, I must teach you a lesson!"

He looked around and picked up a broom from the corner, snapping the broom head off.

The thick broomstick landed on Lilly's body with a thud, causing her to scream in pain!

"Is it your fault?!" Stephen glared.

"It's not me. It was really… not me!" Lilly bit her lips and maintained a stubborn face.

Stephen was getting more furious upon hearing her words. "Then are you saying your stepmother willingly fell down the stairs?! Why would she want to fall after being six months pregnant?!"

He could not help but think back to what happened in the hospital. Debbie was bleeding heavily, and the doctor had declared her situation as critical twice, but even on the brink of death, she insisted on asking him to not blame Lilly!

She said that Lilly was still young when her mother passed away. She was simply afraid that her baby brother might get the attention away from her and did not mean to push her.

Stephen felt angrier as he thought. He beat Lilly while scolding, "You're still trying to deny it! Stop denying it!"

With every sentence, Lilly would get hit by the broomstick.

He was so engrossed in hitting her that he did not even realize that his phone had fallen out of his pocket. When Lilly was severely beaten, he finally stopped, so she lay paralyzed on the snowy ground.

"Stay here and kneel until your stepmother is discharged!"

Stephen tugged his tie after he scolded her and left the broomstick behind before walking away.

He had been feeling irritated recently as his company had been facing a loophole for half a month and had yet to receive help resolving it.

Then today, Debbie fell from the stairs and lost their unborn child, losing the only hope for the Hatcher family.

The consecutive unfortunate events stressed him, and he could not help but vent it all out on Lilly.

Lilly's rabbit toy had already been beaten to pieces. She tried to stand up but fell back onto the snowy ground with a thud…

She felt that she was on the brink of death.

If I die, will I finally be able to see mommy?

At that moment, she heard a blurry voice.

"Lilly, call for your uncle! Your uncle is Gilbert Crawford, his phone number is 159xxxxx..."

"Call…" Lilly opened her eyes and noticed the black phone lying in the snow. Her survival instincts kicked in as she desperately crawled toward it.

"159…"

Lilly stuttered and stammered, her stiff fingers struggling to move, and finally, she managed to make the call…

**

Meanwhile, Hugh Crawford lectured at a courtyard house in Clodston, "Another year has passed. Gilbert Crawford, when will you take the test for the Chief Physician role?!"

The eight brothers of the Crawford family looked at each other while Gilbert touched his nose.

Suddenly the old man changed the topic and asked,

"Also, it's been four years, and have you not found your sister?"

The looks on the brothers' faces changed, with their lips pursed. Their indifferent eyes now had a slight hint of sorrow.

Their younger sister, Jean Crawford, was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia at a young age. Since then, she had been carefully nursed by the Crawford family as she went through blood transfusions, anti-infection treatments, and bone marrow transplants…

However, her condition worsened and even affected her memory.

Then, four years ago, she suddenly went missing.

Gilbert was a physician at the Shercaster Cancer Hospital and was in charge of Jean's treatment.

That day, he had to save a critically ill patient, and it was at that moment… that Jean disappeared.

For the past four years, guilt and regret had been tormenting him. Even with his outstanding medical talent, he had been unable to move forward since then.

The Crawford family had eight sons, and Jean was the only daughter.

After their daughter's disappearance, Bettany suddenly fell ill, and Hugh's temper grew unstable.

A heavy stone lay in the hearts of everyone in the Crawford family, rendering them restless.

The eldest son, Anthony Crawford - the CEO of the Crawford family's business empire - worked day and night tirelessly, causing his health to worsen and requiring him to take daily medication.

The third son, Bryson Crawford - the outstanding pilot of Swift Airlines- failed the psychological tests and had been resting at home for the past four years.

The others…

The study room fell into silence before suddenly, Gilbert's phone rang!




Chapter 2 Get Her Out Of Here


Hugh had his rules, one of which was that phones should be turned off during morning meetings.

Gilbert quickly retrieved his phone and was about to end the call.

Hugh scolded, "Take it!"

Gilbert then coughed. "Dad, it was an unknown number, I…"

Hugh put his teacup aside and ordered, "Take the call and put it on speakers!"

Bryson and Jonas looked pitifully at Gilbert.

Gilbert had no choice but to pick up the call and put it on speakers.

They were taken aback when they heard a small voice.

"Hello… is this uncle? I'm Lilly Hatcher… My mommy is Jean Crawford… Are you my Uncle Gilbert?"

The little girl's voice was weak and indescribably monotonous, like a small robot, with no discernible emotions in her tone.

The looks of the Crawford family changed drastically!

Clack… Hugh's pen cap dropped from his hand.

They could not utter a single sound, as if everyone had their throats strangled.

The child's tender voice sounded again on the other end of the phone.

"Uncle… I'm so cold and hungry… I didn't push my stepmother, but they don't believe me… Daddy dragged me to the gate to kneel… but I'm cold… Uncle, will you help me…"

As she spoke, her voice grew weaker and weaker.

The sound of the snowstorm blowing could still be heard from the other end of the call, but her voice had abruptly stopped.

Gilbert finally got back to his senses and grabbed his phone, holding it close to his mouth as he yelled frantically,

"Hey, Li-Lilly? Where are you? Tell me your location now!"

However, there was no response.

Hugh, panicked, stood up, and his previously rigid and stern look had already gone as if he had aged in an instant.

" Investigate the number and location. Now!"

**

Lilly passed out before finishing the call and dropped the phone in the snow.

Stephen then returned to look for his phone and saw Lilly lying there, not moving.

He kicked her and snarled, "It'd be better if she's dead!"

Four years ago, he found a woman on the street who was poorly dressed and in bad condition. He took her back to his apartment out of kindness.

After the woman cleaned up, he discovered that she was gorgeous.

She had amnesia and appeared to be confused. As Stephen was enamored by her cuteness, he took care of her.

Like a fool in love, he doted on her, telling her to not force herself to do anything as he cared for her…

Now that Stephen thought about it, he found it revolting.

Who knows if a beggar like her was taken advantage of when she was wandering about the streets?

Otherwise, why doesn't Lilly have any resemblance to me?

Although suspicious, Stephen never wanted to do a paternity test because if it turned out that he was not the father, he would be the most foolish man in South City!

Stephen grabbed his phone and walked away. He continuously made calls in his warm study room.

"Hello… Mr. Burton, it's me, Stephen! I'm wondering if you’re acquainted with the Crawford family from Clodston?"

"Greetings, Mr. Ledger! Happy new year! Are you acquainted with the Crawford family? Oh, my company's just having a minor issue…"

**

The snowstorm outside the study room was intense, and Lilly was still lying on the snow. It was only a matter of time before the day got dark.

She was a little conscious but could no longer force her eyes to open.

She had never cried since her mother died. Even if her father abused her, she never shed a single tear.

Yet, she wanted to cry at that moment.

When she called her uncle, there was no response from the other end.

Do they hate me too? Then no one likes me at all.

What about mommy? If I die and mommy sees me, will she hate me too?

Lilly's lips, turning purple from the cold, were pressed together as she kept thinking.

Mommy… I won't cry… Lilly's a good girl…

Suddenly, she heard a loud noise.

About seven cars arrived at the Hatcher mansion, and a man wearing a black down coat got out of the first car and opened the mansion's gate!

As there was a massive snowstorm, the snow had already covered Lilly's petite figure.

Gilbert anxiously looked around. On the phone, Lilly said she was kneeling at the gate!

Suddenly his face turned pale as he noticed a small pile of snow at the gate.

He immediately rushed over and shoved the snow away, causing his hands to redden from the cold. Finally, he found a small figure under the snow!

"Lilly?!"

Gilbert hurriedly picked up the young girl, and the moment he saw Lilly's face, he knew that this was their Lilly - her face was a splitting image of their sister when she was young…

Their most beloved and cherished sister's child - Lilly!

Lilly felt as if she had fallen into a warm embrace, and the person had even taken off their coat to wrap her around.

Lilly was numb from being frozen for too long, and after feeling an instant of warmth, she still felt bone-chillingly cold, causing her to shiver uncontrollably.

Lilly struggled to open her eyes and finally saw the man before her - he looked somewhat similar to her mother but also different.

Lilly's lips twitched as she asked weakly, "Are you… uncle… I didn't push anyone… uncle…"

At that moment, Lilly was murmuring as she had lost consciousness.

She was like a cold, emotionless robot compared to Gilbert's agitated self.

Gilbert was on the verge of crying.

The young child in his arms was only wearing thin sleepwear - pure cotton autumn clothing - with no padding at all.

Her small face had already turned purple from the cold, and her lips were cracked and turning dark.

Like a frozen sculpture, her tiny figure could not move, making Gilbert afraid that he would break her with a single touch.

"Lilly… Uncle's here, and I'm bringing you home."

Gilbert choked. He could not imagine how Lilly managed to survive independently with her condition.

He was even scared to think she would have died if they arrived later.

Gilbert carefully held Lilly, focusing solely on her. He rushed back to the car.

"Lilly, stay with me." Gilbert's voice turned hoarse as he urged, "Don't sleep… Lilly, can you say something to uncle? Lilly…”

Lilly had already lost consciousness.

Hugh staggered a little as he rushed over. Seeing Gilbert's piled-up clothes, he anxiously asked, "How is she?"

Gilbert was already panicking. "Quick, we must go to the hospital now!"

The Crawford family felt their hearts were in their throats and immediately headed toward the hospital.

Meanwhile, Stephen, who had just received the news of their arrival, hurriedly rushed downstairs with a mixture of excitement and elation on his face.

When the Crawford family was rushing into the mansion, they were stopped by the security guard. Once Anthony revealed his name, the guard quickly went to inform Stephen.

As he was wracking his brains trying to find a way to be acquainted with the Crawford family, Stephen was taken aback by the news!

Although he did not know why the Crawford family suddenly appeared before the mansion, he knew he had a chance as long as they were there.

There's hope for the Hatcher family, after all!

Suddenly, Stephen remembered something and quickly turned to a servant, saying, "Is Lilly still lying in the yard? Get her out of here immediately!"

She had cursed her mother to death, and now my company will go bankrupt from her curse too.

Stephen would not allow her to ruin this opportunity to meet with the Crawford family.

Read Next Chapter Now👉

👊😡After 15 years, he came back, saw his wife and daughter living on the street, angry on the spot, a short message to 100 billion group bankruptcy
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In Erudia, a private jet landed at North Hampton Airport, where all international flights experienced an eight-hour delay because of it.

At the private passageway were five men in suits and leather shoes, standing as straight as a javelin.

Every now and then, they would raise their wrist to look at the time, for a big shot was coming to town.

The upper-class society of North Hampton had learned about his arrival, but no one had the capability to get an inch closer to the private passageway.

Even the richest man in North Hampton who came to pay homage was chased away.

Finally, there were movements coming from the passageway.

“God of War!!!” the mass cried out, their eyes filled with awe and veneration at the sight of the undefeatable legend of Erudia.

He, who was dubbed the God of War, was the one and only five-star war God in the history of Erudia.

Once, he'd inflicted a crushing defeat on the strongest battalions in eighteen countries. He was an overbearing and formidable man.

He who overwhelmed the world with his unparalleled power had even created the Five Great Wars Regiment, Cavalry Regiment, and many more.

...

Setting foot on his homeland, Levi Garrison was overcome with emotions.

Once upon a time, he used to be an orphan who was abandoned on the streets of North Hampton and then adopted by the Garrison family.

However, the Garrison family had never been fond of him.

His adoptive parents, who had a tendency to beat and scold him, treated him like an outsider.

As for the outsiders, they treated him as a nobody.

But he didn't care a stiver. He had always been proud of his surname since he was a child, and he strived to bring glory to this family when he grew older.

At last, Levi had established Levi Group, the largest dark horse in North Hampton's business community.

With billions of assets, it ranked among the forefront of North Hampton, pushing the declining Garrison family to the top.

However, not only did the Garrison family showed no signs of appreciation, they even harbored dissatisfaction towards him. Jealous of his success, they regarded him as a thorn in their flesh and coveted Levi Group.

No matter his wealth and power, unless they were in control, he was just an outsider in the Garrison family's eyes.

Eventually, on Levi's wedding night, the Garrison family plotted a frame-up against him by getting him drunk before tossing him onto his sister-in-law's bed. They wanted to create the illusion that he was doing something untoward to her and was caught in bed by his brother and adoptive parents.

That night, the Garrison family had brutally broken his limbs and left him on the road like a wild dog.

Not only was he handicapped, but he also had to take the flak for something he didn't commit.

From an upstart in the business world, he had become the target of disdain overnight.

And the next day, he had been punished for several crimes and sentenced to six years in prison.

He could never forget the ruthless and sinister faces of everyone in the Garrison family and the ridicule of his friends, classmates, and business partners.

More so, he could never forget the disappointment on his newly wedded wife, Zoey's face.

He had regarded the Garrison family as his home and devoted himself to the family.

Yet, they treated him like trash.

It felt as if a knife was being twisted in his heart every time he thought about this.

How he hated the Garrison family!

But who would have thought that Levi had been secretly transferred away from prison to join the military?

In a few years, he dominated the military world and became the one and only five-star God of War.

Now that he came back, the Garrison family ought to stay on their toes.

“How's it going, Azure Dragon?” Levi asked.

Azure Dragon, the commander of the Five Great Wars Regiment, took a step forward and said respectfully, “Sir, I'm afraid your wife, Ms. Zoey Lopez will remarry at ten o'clock tonight!”

Ever since Zoey's husband was sent to prison on their wedding night, she had been living like a widow.

Only God knew how much pressure she was put under.

And right now, the person Levi couldn't wait to see the most was Zoey.

After a moment of hesitation, Azure Dragon continued, “To add on, Sir, the Garrison family is holding a successful listing celebration banquet at the Crystal Palace Hotel tonight! Many people had invited the God of War just now, including the Garrison family, but I didn't accept nor refuse directly.”

“What time?” Levi asked tersely.

“Eight o'clock, Sir.”

“Okay. Tell the Garrison family I will attend the banquet!”

Since the time for the two events didn't clash, Levi gladly accepted the invitation.

The celebration banquet for the public listing of Garrison Group was held at North Hampton's Crystal Palace Hotel.

With the help of Levi Group, they had become a rich and powerful family in one fell swoop.

The hall was bustling with noise and excitement, and sounds of glasses clinking could be heard ringing in the air every now and then.

“God bless the Garrison family,” said Joseph, the head of the Garrison family. “The younger generations are the stars among men. Garrison Group is now listed and has become an upstart in North Hampton!”

Joseph's three sons and daughter welcomed their guests with bright smiles on their faces.

The younger generation of the Garrison family was all the smugger and prouder because, after today, the Garrison family would become a powerful family, and they would become one of the top rich kids.

Most of the guests who attended today's banquet were from the top circle in North Hampton.

“Garrison, do you know what happened today?! Your celebration party is nothing compared to that.” They were gossiping about the major event that had happened today.

“Yeah! I heard that a big shot has arrived in North Hampton!”

“The richest man in North Hampton wanted to meet him but was shooed away. Apparently, he's not qualified enough!”

“So? Jesse Nielsen had been waiting for five hours in advance at the airport!”

Joseph nodded. “Yes, I know about that too. I even sent someone to invite this big shot to the celebration party!”

“No way! Why would this big shot attend such a party?”

No one believed it.

In fact, as an upstart, Joseph was just trying his luck.

“Dad!” shouted Jaycob, the second eldest son of the Garrison family could be seen running over. “The big shot has accepted our invitation to attend our celebration banquet! He's on the way!”

“Jesus! God has indeed blessed the Garrison family!”

Everyone in the Garrison family could barely conceal their delight as this was their chance to reach the sky in a single bound.

The grandchildren of the Garrison family gathered together, sunshine flooding their souls.

Levi's brother, Bryan, and sister-in-law, Victoria, smiled. “Well, it all starts with Levi's imprisonment that the Garrison family is at where we are today...”

“Right, speaking about Levi, do you guys know today's the day that kid gets out of prison?!” somebody asked abruptly.

“Really? Isn't that bad luck? Why did he have to be released on such a big day?!”

“Please, please, please don't come back! He's the Garrison family's biggest disgrace!”

Victoria's lips tugged into a sneer. “Speaking of which, Levi is the crowning glory of the Garrison family's status today.”

“That's what he's supposed to do!” Bryan said. “He should contribute to the Garrison family for raising him, an orphan! His multi-billion Levi Group means nothing. To put it bluntly, he's just a dog raised by the Garrison family!”

Someone gave a chortle. “As a matter of fact, I've been interested in Levi's wife for a long time now. She's still widowed, and I'm so going to marry her!”

The man's remark caused gales of laughter.

“Everyone, stop what you're doing. I have an important announcement to make,” Joseph said and went on to announce that the big shot was coming.

A thunderous applause was heard.

But when the applause had died down, there was still someone clapping.

The sound was loud and clear, approaching from afar.

On the red carpet, a man came clapping, looking bold and energetic.

His stride gave off a majestic and imposing aura, which made the mass hold their breaths.

“It's Levi!” Bryan and Victoria exclaimed.

Suddenly, all eyes were riveted on him.

“I forgot this little brat got out of jail today!” Levi's adoptive parents spoke in unison.

Ignoring the astonished gazes darted at his way, Levi walked step by step towards Joseph.

“A little bird told me that the company is now listed. How are you feeling, Joseph? Are you happy?”

Levi flashed him a meaningful smile.

“How dare you show up here, you insolent brat! And what did you just call me?” Joseph's fury sprang to life.

“Who let him in? Didn't you know he just got out of prison? How inauspicious!”

Bryan rose to his feet. “…… are you doing here, Levi?”

Levi sized him up. “Why can't I be here?”

“Well, for starters, you're an orphan! The Garrison family has raised you, but you were ambitious and ungrateful. You had inordinate ambitions for your sister-in-law, and you wanted to take possession of the Garrison family! You'd even tried to kill your parents when things go south! Have you no conscience? Do you have any sense of morality left in your heart?”

“You've lost your reputation in North Hampton, and everyone knows that. Have you no shame to have the brass neck to come round here?”

“Everyone knows why you're back. You want to leech off the Garrison family; you want our money, isn't it?!”

“You've long been expelled from the Garrison family, you ungrateful wretch! The Garrison family has nothing to do with you! Now, get lost!”

Levi's adoptive parents rose to their feet and pointed at his nose, hurling abusive remarks at him.

The Garrison family's brazenness of distorting the truth was mind-bending.

How disappointing!

He had thought they would feel somewhat apologetic after six years, but they were unexpectedly more aggravated.

They took everything from him, crippled him, and ruined his reputation, turning everything upside down and making everything his fault instead.

The Garrison family didn't have the slightest bit of compassion to speak of.

Bryan zipped towards Levi, assessing him condescendingly. “Hmph! Don't you just want money now that you're back?”

Flap!

Bryan threw a credit card to the ground and lifted his foot, shaking his leather shoe. “My vamp is dirty. Lick it clean, and the one million in this card is yours!”

His words elicited a fresh burst of laughter as the crowd looked at Levi as if they were looking at a dog.

“Oh my! One million? That's more than enough to cover his living expenses. I bet he'll lick it!”

Victoria gave a wry look.

“On your knees!” Bryan roared, seeing that Levi was glaring at him. “Now, lick my shoe!”

Levi stared at him coldly and held his peace.

“Kneel!!!”

Bryan rushed to Levi and pressed his shoulders, forcing him to kneel, but the latter didn't budge.

“I said kneel!!!”

Bryan struggled to rivet him to the spot.

“Drop dead!”

Levi suddenly slapped Bryan in the face, sending him flying almost eight meters away.

Silence engulfed the room; one could even hear a pin drop!

Unbelievable!

Everyone in the Garrison family was stupefied.

What did Levi just do?

Did he just knock Bryan to the ground with a single slap?

Plod!

Bryan was about to get up when Levi stepped on him, crushed him, and crossed over him.

Looking at the approaching Levi, Joseph instinctively stepped back.

Levi went up the stage and adjusted the microphone stand.

Everyone looked at him, wondering what he was going to do next.

“Listen up, everyone...”

“I'm sure you remember what happened six years ago, yes? For the love and care I had received from the Garrison family during childhood, I'm giving you one month to kneel before me for three days and three nights to repent your sins!”

“Remember, that's everyone from the Garrison family!”

“If I don't see any shadow within a month, the outcome is simple—I swear I'll wipe off every single one of you here today!”

Levi's voice was low and deep.

But as soon as he finished, the crowd was laughing like a drain.

“Did prison life eat his brain or what? What conceited nonsense is he spouting?”

“The Garrison family right now is a juggernaut in North Hampton. He's just a criminal. Isn't it a pipe dream to destroy the Garrison family?”

“Did he knock his brain loose or something?”

...

“Bear in mind that I have limited patience. You only have one month! Of course, you may gather your strengths and connections to fight against me! I'll be waiting.”

Levi then took his leave straightaway, disregarding the mockeries of the crowd.

“Stop right there, you *! Did I tell you to leave?”

Ben, Levi's adoptive father, wanted to stop him.

“Ben, let him go!” Joseph said. “It's a big day today. I don't want to see bloodshed!”

He was afraid about the impact that would bring about if the big shot saw this.

“Yeah! There are so much more opportunities to take care of him!”

“He's in luck that the big shot is on his way!”

With that, Levi left the place under the watchful eyes of hundreds of people.

After Levi had left, Joseph asked anxiously, “Jaycob, where's the big shot? Isn't he here yet?”

Jaycob looked dazed. “According to the time, he should have arrived long ago. Let me ask...”

After making a phone call, Jaycob blanched. “Dad, the big shot was here, but he left already.”

“What? The big shot was here?”

“The big shot said that the Garrison family are a bunch of unworthy stupid pigs!”

“I get it. He must have left in a fit of rage after witnessing the ruckus that brat had created!”

“He must have thought that the Garrison family disrespected him!”

Joseph trembled with rage. “That brat will pay for this!”

The multitude reacted accordingly.

Levi has ruined the Garrison family's glorious event!

He just pissed off the big shot!

That's equivalent to cutting off the Garrison family's chance to reach the sky!

Levi Garrison is indeed the sinner of the Garrison family!

At that moment, the Garrison family wished to skin Levi alive.

His adoptive parents, brother, and sister-in-law especially hated him to the bone. “Just you wait, Levi!”

After leaving Crystal Palace Hotel, the next person that Levi was going to look for was his wife, Zoey Lopez.

In this life, he owed no debt to the Garrison family, nor his friends and classmates, but Zoey.

He had been imprisoned on the second day after the wedding, making Zoey lose her reputation. That even put her through six years of widowhood.

This woman has carried too much on her shoulders for six years.

But now that I'm back, I'll hold your hand, and we'll conquer the world together!

After hesitating for a long time, Levi pressed the doorbell.

Thud!

The young woman dropped her mobile phone to the ground as the door opened.

Upon taking a closer look at Levi's face, Zoey broke down in tears.

“Zoey, quick, just get the parcel and come in. It's almost time for the family banquet! Your grandfather is going to settle your marriage at the family banquet tonight. You can't get away from this!”

“Yeah! Quickly get dressed! Your grandfather is going to set you up with someone else!”

Zoey's parents' voices sounded from the inside.

“Zoey, I'm back!” Levi said excitedly, wanting to fling his arm around her, but Zoey slapped his hands away.

“Why did you come back? I've already forgotten about you...”

Zoey's voice was choked with sobs.

Very soon after, Zoey's parents, Aaron and Caitlyn, came out, looking horrified.

“How dare you have the nerve to come back? Do you know how much criticism my family has suffered because of you? Especially Zoey. Do you know how much she has suffered for the past six years?” Zoey's father, Aaron, reproached.

Meanwhile, her mother, Caitlyn, pushed and shoved Levi. “You should know that this relationship between you and Zoey is impossible in this life the moment you went to jail! You're a criminal! You're just a street rat in North Hampton! You're only putting Zoey in harm's way by coming to see her!”

Naturally, Levi had known of Zoey's sufferings for the past six years, including her refusal to remarry because of him.

Levi put on a serious face. “This time, I'm back for good. I won't leave Zoey ever again. I will grant her a bright future and let her own the world!”

Levi's declaration had Aaron and Caitlyn hooting with laughter.

“You've spent six years in jail. How are you going to give Zoey a future?” Aaron asked with a sneer.

“Yeah! With your mouth?” Caitlyn chimed in. “There's a limit to talking big!”

Nonetheless, Levi smiled. “Don't worry. I'll reclaim what I lost in those years! I'll destroy the Garrison family in a month!”

“Levi!” This time, even Zoey couldn't bear to listen to his nonsense any longer. “Can we be more realistic? It doesn't matter if you just get out of prison. Can't you just be down to earth and start anew? I believe that you will make a comeback one day, but you can't just indulge in tall talk. Do you know just how powerful the Garrison family is right now? And besides, today's era is a far cry from what it was six years ago!”

“Zoey, trust me,” Levi said earnestly. “I can make the Garrison family bow at my feet with just a word!”

Preposterous!

Levi's bravado nearly drove Zoey and her parents round the bend.

Having been caged up for six years, did he finally lose his mind?

“Fine. If you say so,” Zoey said, shoving her mobile phone to Levi directly. “Then prove it! I'd like to see how you make the Garrison family bow their heads with just one word!”

“I...”

Levi was stunned.

It was true that he could exterminate the Garrison family with his words, but he had given them one month; it would be too uneventful to destroy them now.

“See, you can't do it, can't you? Then don't you ever talk big if you can't!”

Zoey smashed the phone to the ground, marking her wrath.

Following that, her parents pushed Levi away. “Go now. You're not welcome here. We've got a family banquet to attend!”

“No. Mom, Dad, let him in!”

“What do you mean, Zoey?”

“I won't remarry. My husband is back.”

...

Aaron and Caitlyn couldn't talk her round, so they could only let him in.

After that, Zoey took Levi to her bedroom.

“Since you're back, you're still my husband. I don't care about the gossips. Besides, I believe you're innocent, and anyone with discerning eyes can see that it was the Garrison family who'd framed you!”

Levi could feel the warmth in his heart.

She trusted him, and that was more than enough for him.

“But you must promise me to start from zero and be down to earth. I believe you will achieve something great with your ability! I'll give you five years!”

“That's unnecessary,” Levi said. “Just give me one month. In a month, I'll de—”

“Shut up! I don't want to listen to your nonsensical and unrealistic talks! Why can't we just be realistic?” Zoey shouted.

“Even if you have nothing now, as long as you take one step at a time, I believe you'll get back on your feet!”

Levi shut up obediently.

“I bought you these six years ago.” Zoey took out a suit from the cupboard. “Change into it at once and follow me to the family banquet!”

“Zoey, what is up with you?”

Seeing Levi all dressed up, Aaron and Caitlyn were naturally dissatisfied.

Zoey clung onto Levi's arm. “Mom, Dad, Levi is my husband now! I will make myself clear to Grandpa tonight!”

Aaron and Caitlyn looked daggers at Levi, sighing helplessly, “For Heaven's sake!”

The Lopez family banquet was held at Golden Port Restaurant, where they contracted the entire restaurant.

Naturally, the Lopez family was not as powerful as the Garrison family, but they were considered above average in North Hampton.

When Zoey and her family arrived at the main hall, they were greeted with strange and jesting gazes.

In the past, when Zoey and Levi had gotten married, Aaron's family status was the highest in the Lopez family.

But after Levi's downfall, Aaron's family had experienced a seismic shift in life, and their status in the Lopez family took a nosedive as they became the subject of ridicule, especially during family events.

“Look! Is that Levi beside Zoey?”

“Yeah! It's really him! He's released from prison already?”

All eyes fell on Levi at once.

Harry, the head of the Lopez family, snorted and turned a blind eye to the four of them.

The old man's favorite now was Fabian, his eldest son, and his family.

Mainly because Fabian's son-in-law, Samuel Robertson, was of mixed ethnicity who was born rich and had lived overseas.

This time, Harry was going to set up Zoey with Samuel's younger brother, Chris, who had been casting covetous eyes on Zoey for some time now.

With no one paying attention to them, Aaron and his family could only find a place to sit first.

As they were about to take their seats, a voice was heard. “No, Aaron. You guys can't sit here.”

It was a reminder from Henry, the second eldest son of the Lopez family.

“What?”

“There are sitting arrangements to the family banquet this time.”

Aaron looked puzzled. “How so?”

“There are four tables for the family banquet! And it's decided according to the family contribution!”

“For example, the first table is given to the family who contributed over five million to the family in a year; a million for the second table, a hundred thousand for the third table, and less than a hundred thousand for the last table, or should I say no contribution at all!”

Henry smiled smugly. “Our family has made good profits this year, and we've contributed just about five million to the family. So excuse me, but this table here is ours.”

“Of course, you can also sit at the first table without contributing. That is if your family has tens of millions of assets.”

“Unfortunately, we couldn't be any clearer about your family's situation,” sneered Maddison, Henry's wife. “Now that there's an ex-convict in your family, I'm sorry that you guys can only sit at the last table!”

“Mom, Dad, as far as I know, Uncle Aaron and his family didn't contribute much to the family last year,” said Shaun, Henry's son, walking over with a glass in his hand. “Their company went bankrupt, and they even borrowed over two million from Grandpa. Clearly, it's a negative contribution. It's unfair to the relatives sitting at the fourth table! I say we add a fifth table for negative contributors!”

“Yeah, I agree!”

The rest of the Lopez family concurred.

“Okay, we'll do as Shaun says! This shall motivate you people!”

Harry gave his consent.

“Hurry up and sit down. Don't just stand there and make a fool out of yourselves.” Harry glared at Aaron.

With that, Aaron and his family walked over to the fifth table quietly.

“Which table should a ten billion contributor sit at?” asked Levi suddenly, pulling Zoey's arm.

Levi was the one and only five-star God of War, and wealth to him was just a number.

In fact, he didn't know exactly how much he had, but he could still fork out ten billion casually for the family contribution on behalf of Aaron's family.

As soon as Levi said that, everyone was stunned at his query.

After a few moments of silence, the crowd blossomed into an enormous belly laugh.

“Ten billion? You must be kidding me! Even the aristocratic Garrison family may not have that much money!”

“This kid must have a loose screw in the head to come here and embarrass himself!”

“Hey, Aaron. Did you know you have a son-in-law worth ten billion? Hahaha...”

Sensing the jeering gazes and titter from the people around, Aaron and his family wished the ground could swallow them whole.

This is embarrassing!

Too embarrassing!

Zoey's temper sparked, and her eyes blazed with rage.

“Levi Garrison, is it not enough for you to talk big at home that you have to come here and embarrass me? Do you think you haven't done enough after all these years?”

Zoey trembled as tears silently rolling down her cheeks.

“But I do have ten billion!” Levi said helplessly.

At this time, no one bothered to listen to Levi's sheer bull because the star of the day, Fabian's son-in-law, had arrived.

Everyone, including Harry, went out to the entrance to greet him.

“I'm sorry to keep everyone waiting.” Samuel wore an apologetic expression.

“Your flight was nearly ten hours late. What's up with that?” Harry asked in concern.

Samuel smiled. “Grandpa, don't you know? A big shot has arrived in North Hampton, and North Hampton Airport was sealed off for eight hours.”

What? Is there such a thing?

“Who's this big shot to have the airport sealed off, Samuel?” Harry asked smilingly.

“It's not just that. It's said that a hundred planes escorted the private jet of that big shot, and there were a hundred thousand people guarding at the airport.”

“Damn!”

“What?”

The crowd gasped in shock.

“He's the commander-in-chief of nine military regions, the God of War of Erudia. Haha, you may not believe it if I say this, but I met this great man when I was at a gathering abroad, and we even exchanged numbers. I didn't expect him to take up a post in North Hampton! I'll ask him out sometime in support of the Lopez family. That way, you'll gain a foothold in North Hampton in no time,” Samuel said loftily.

“God! That's incredible! How did you even get to know someone like him?”

“My brother-in-law is so cool!”

“The Lopez family's son-in-law is one of a kind! Of course, except for one!”

Everyone looked at Samuel with veneration; the old man was all the more impressed, Aaron and Caitlyn begrudged Fabian's son-in-law, and Zoey was envious as well.

But she believed that in five years, Levi, too, could make her grandfather proud.

Yet, unbeknownst to them, Levi was actually barely stifling in his laughter.

This kid is quite something to know that I've arrived.

But his ability to make up nonsense is even more impressive.

“You're saying you know the God of War?” Levi asked.

Samuel raised his head. “Yeah, we had a drink together. Is there a problem?”

Levi chuckled. “Then why don't I recognize you?”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here
Install the APP to search for the book title "God of War: Pinnacle" Read more exciting content immediately

"Who are you? How dare you enter my bedroom!" Patrick Willoughby's voice was as cold as a frozen lake.
"I'm your bride," Wendy Clark replied naturally as she did not fear him whatsoever.
She looked at the man in front of her in surprise as her new husband turned out to be the seriously wounded man that night.
It so happened that Patrick was in a dazed state that night, so he could not see Wendy's appearance clearly.
As such, she felt that this man was an interesting character since he was rumored to be a dying person with a weird temper. She was elated because everyone in the Clark Family thought that Patrick was breathing his last and would refuse to allow him to marry their precious daughter.
In truth, Patrick was someone who lived the good life. He was both wealthy and handsome. In the end, the unfavored daughter of his born to his ex-wife took advantage of him.
If the Clark Family were to be made aware of this, they would be so exasperated that they would die from the anger.
"I'm offering you 7.5 million to repair a videotape. Deal?" As a top hacker, Wendy was never short of such huge orders. She merely wanted to obtain the medical canon that belonged to her, so she answered, "There's no deal."
She did not have the time to deal with such matters.
"You really don't know what's good for you!" Seated on the table was Patrick, who was angered to the point where he couldn't eat his breakfast. He had already offered a good deal for an easy job, but the top hacker refused to accept it!
Wendy had no idea what Patrick was angry about, but for him to be this mad, a big shot must have offended him. What she did not know was that the only one who could anger Patrick was Wendy herself.

Click to READ more👉👉Title：Ceryl's Comeback in Woodspine Heights

👊😡After 15 years, he came back, saw his wife and daughter living on the street, angry on the spot, a short message to 100 billion group bankruptcy
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In Erudia, a private jet landed at North Hampton Airport, where all international flights experienced an eight-hour delay because of it.

At the private passageway were five men in suits and leather shoes, standing as straight as a javelin.

Every now and then, they would raise their wrist to look at the time, for a big shot was coming to town.

The upper-class society of North Hampton had learned about his arrival, but no one had the capability to get an inch closer to the private passageway.

Even the richest man in North Hampton who came to pay homage was chased away.

Finally, there were movements coming from the passageway.

“God of War!!!” the mass cried out, their eyes filled with awe and veneration at the sight of the undefeatable legend of Erudia.

He, who was dubbed the God of War, was the one and only five-star war God in the history of Erudia.

Once, he'd inflicted a crushing defeat on the strongest battalions in eighteen countries. He was an overbearing and formidable man.

He who overwhelmed the world with his unparalleled power had even created the Five Great Wars Regiment, Cavalry Regiment, and many more.

...

Setting foot on his homeland, Levi Garrison was overcome with emotions.

Once upon a time, he used to be an orphan who was abandoned on the streets of North Hampton and then adopted by the Garrison family.

However, the Garrison family had never been fond of him.

His adoptive parents, who had a tendency to beat and scold him, treated him like an outsider.

As for the outsiders, they treated him as a nobody.

But he didn't care a stiver. He had always been proud of his surname since he was a child, and he strived to bring glory to this family when he grew older.

At last, Levi had established Levi Group, the largest dark horse in North Hampton's business community.

With billions of assets, it ranked among the forefront of North Hampton, pushing the declining Garrison family to the top.

However, not only did the Garrison family showed no signs of appreciation, they even harbored dissatisfaction towards him. Jealous of his success, they regarded him as a thorn in their flesh and coveted Levi Group.

No matter his wealth and power, unless they were in control, he was just an outsider in the Garrison family's eyes.

Eventually, on Levi's wedding night, the Garrison family plotted a frame-up against him by getting him drunk before tossing him onto his sister-in-law's bed. They wanted to create the illusion that he was doing something untoward to her and was caught in bed by his brother and adoptive parents.

That night, the Garrison family had brutally broken his limbs and left him on the road like a wild dog.

Not only was he handicapped, but he also had to take the flak for something he didn't commit.

From an upstart in the business world, he had become the target of disdain overnight.

And the next day, he had been punished for several crimes and sentenced to six years in prison.

He could never forget the ruthless and sinister faces of everyone in the Garrison family and the ridicule of his friends, classmates, and business partners.

More so, he could never forget the disappointment on his newly wedded wife, Zoey's face.

He had regarded the Garrison family as his home and devoted himself to the family.

Yet, they treated him like trash.

It felt as if a knife was being twisted in his heart every time he thought about this.

How he hated the Garrison family!

But who would have thought that Levi had been secretly transferred away from prison to join the military?

In a few years, he dominated the military world and became the one and only five-star God of War.

Now that he came back, the Garrison family ought to stay on their toes.

“How's it going, Azure Dragon?” Levi asked.

Azure Dragon, the commander of the Five Great Wars Regiment, took a step forward and said respectfully, “Sir, I'm afraid your wife, Ms. Zoey Lopez will remarry at ten o'clock tonight!”

Ever since Zoey's husband was sent to prison on their wedding night, she had been living like a widow.

Only God knew how much pressure she was put under.

And right now, the person Levi couldn't wait to see the most was Zoey.

After a moment of hesitation, Azure Dragon continued, “To add on, Sir, the Garrison family is holding a successful listing celebration banquet at the Crystal Palace Hotel tonight! Many people had invited the God of War just now, including the Garrison family, but I didn't accept nor refuse directly.”

“What time?” Levi asked tersely.

“Eight o'clock, Sir.”

“Okay. Tell the Garrison family I will attend the banquet!”

Since the time for the two events didn't clash, Levi gladly accepted the invitation.

The celebration banquet for the public listing of Garrison Group was held at North Hampton's Crystal Palace Hotel.

With the help of Levi Group, they had become a rich and powerful family in one fell swoop.

The hall was bustling with noise and excitement, and sounds of glasses clinking could be heard ringing in the air every now and then.

“God bless the Garrison family,” said Joseph, the head of the Garrison family. “The younger generations are the stars among men. Garrison Group is now listed and has become an upstart in North Hampton!”

Joseph's three sons and daughter welcomed their guests with bright smiles on their faces.

The younger generation of the Garrison family was all the smugger and prouder because, after today, the Garrison family would become a powerful family, and they would become one of the top rich kids.

Most of the guests who attended today's banquet were from the top circle in North Hampton.

“Garrison, do you know what happened today?! Your celebration party is nothing compared to that.” They were gossiping about the major event that had happened today.

“Yeah! I heard that a big shot has arrived in North Hampton!”

“The richest man in North Hampton wanted to meet him but was shooed away. Apparently, he's not qualified enough!”

“So? Jesse Nielsen had been waiting for five hours in advance at the airport!”

Joseph nodded. “Yes, I know about that too. I even sent someone to invite this big shot to the celebration party!”

“No way! Why would this big shot attend such a party?”

No one believed it.

In fact, as an upstart, Joseph was just trying his luck.

“Dad!” shouted Jaycob, the second eldest son of the Garrison family could be seen running over. “The big shot has accepted our invitation to attend our celebration banquet! He's on the way!”

“Jesus! God has indeed blessed the Garrison family!”

Everyone in the Garrison family could barely conceal their delight as this was their chance to reach the sky in a single bound.

The grandchildren of the Garrison family gathered together, sunshine flooding their souls.

Levi's brother, Bryan, and sister-in-law, Victoria, smiled. “Well, it all starts with Levi's imprisonment that the Garrison family is at where we are today...”

“Right, speaking about Levi, do you guys know today's the day that kid gets out of prison?!” somebody asked abruptly.

“Really? Isn't that bad luck? Why did he have to be released on such a big day?!”

“Please, please, please don't come back! He's the Garrison family's biggest disgrace!”

Victoria's lips tugged into a sneer. “Speaking of which, Levi is the crowning glory of the Garrison family's status today.”

“That's what he's supposed to do!” Bryan said. “He should contribute to the Garrison family for raising him, an orphan! His multi-billion Levi Group means nothing. To put it bluntly, he's just a dog raised by the Garrison family!”

Someone gave a chortle. “As a matter of fact, I've been interested in Levi's wife for a long time now. She's still widowed, and I'm so going to marry her!”

The man's remark caused gales of laughter.

“Everyone, stop what you're doing. I have an important announcement to make,” Joseph said and went on to announce that the big shot was coming.

A thunderous applause was heard.

But when the applause had died down, there was still someone clapping.

The sound was loud and clear, approaching from afar.

On the red carpet, a man came clapping, looking bold and energetic.

His stride gave off a majestic and imposing aura, which made the mass hold their breaths.

“It's Levi!” Bryan and Victoria exclaimed.

Suddenly, all eyes were riveted on him.

“I forgot this little brat got out of jail today!” Levi's adoptive parents spoke in unison.

Ignoring the astonished gazes darted at his way, Levi walked step by step towards Joseph.

“A little bird told me that the company is now listed. How are you feeling, Joseph? Are you happy?”

Levi flashed him a meaningful smile.

“How dare you show up here, you insolent brat! And what did you just call me?” Joseph's fury sprang to life.

“Who let him in? Didn't you know he just got out of prison? How inauspicious!”

Bryan rose to his feet. “…… are you doing here, Levi?”

Levi sized him up. “Why can't I be here?”

“Well, for starters, you're an orphan! The Garrison family has raised you, but you were ambitious and ungrateful. You had inordinate ambitions for your sister-in-law, and you wanted to take possession of the Garrison family! You'd even tried to kill your parents when things go south! Have you no conscience? Do you have any sense of morality left in your heart?”

“You've lost your reputation in North Hampton, and everyone knows that. Have you no shame to have the brass neck to come round here?”

“Everyone knows why you're back. You want to leech off the Garrison family; you want our money, isn't it?!”

“You've long been expelled from the Garrison family, you ungrateful wretch! The Garrison family has nothing to do with you! Now, get lost!”

Levi's adoptive parents rose to their feet and pointed at his nose, hurling abusive remarks at him.

The Garrison family's brazenness of distorting the truth was mind-bending.

How disappointing!

He had thought they would feel somewhat apologetic after six years, but they were unexpectedly more aggravated.

They took everything from him, crippled him, and ruined his reputation, turning everything upside down and making everything his fault instead.

The Garrison family didn't have the slightest bit of compassion to speak of.

Bryan zipped towards Levi, assessing him condescendingly. “Hmph! Don't you just want money now that you're back?”

Flap!

Bryan threw a credit card to the ground and lifted his foot, shaking his leather shoe. “My vamp is dirty. Lick it clean, and the one million in this card is yours!”

His words elicited a fresh burst of laughter as the crowd looked at Levi as if they were looking at a dog.

“Oh my! One million? That's more than enough to cover his living expenses. I bet he'll lick it!”

Victoria gave a wry look.

“On your knees!” Bryan roared, seeing that Levi was glaring at him. “Now, lick my shoe!”

Levi stared at him coldly and held his peace.

“Kneel!!!”

Bryan rushed to Levi and pressed his shoulders, forcing him to kneel, but the latter didn't budge.

“I said kneel!!!”

Bryan struggled to rivet him to the spot.

“Drop dead!”

Levi suddenly slapped Bryan in the face, sending him flying almost eight meters away.

Silence engulfed the room; one could even hear a pin drop!

Unbelievable!

Everyone in the Garrison family was stupefied.

What did Levi just do?

Did he just knock Bryan to the ground with a single slap?

Plod!

Bryan was about to get up when Levi stepped on him, crushed him, and crossed over him.

Looking at the approaching Levi, Joseph instinctively stepped back.

Levi went up the stage and adjusted the microphone stand.

Everyone looked at him, wondering what he was going to do next.

“Listen up, everyone...”

“I'm sure you remember what happened six years ago, yes? For the love and care I had received from the Garrison family during childhood, I'm giving you one month to kneel before me for three days and three nights to repent your sins!”

“Remember, that's everyone from the Garrison family!”

“If I don't see any shadow within a month, the outcome is simple—I swear I'll wipe off every single one of you here today!”

Levi's voice was low and deep.

But as soon as he finished, the crowd was laughing like a drain.

“Did prison life eat his brain or what? What conceited nonsense is he spouting?”

“The Garrison family right now is a juggernaut in North Hampton. He's just a criminal. Isn't it a pipe dream to destroy the Garrison family?”

“Did he knock his brain loose or something?”

...

“Bear in mind that I have limited patience. You only have one month! Of course, you may gather your strengths and connections to fight against me! I'll be waiting.”

Levi then took his leave straightaway, disregarding the mockeries of the crowd.

“Stop right there, you *! Did I tell you to leave?”

Ben, Levi's adoptive father, wanted to stop him.

“Ben, let him go!” Joseph said. “It's a big day today. I don't want to see bloodshed!”

He was afraid about the impact that would bring about if the big shot saw this.

“Yeah! There are so much more opportunities to take care of him!”

“He's in luck that the big shot is on his way!”

With that, Levi left the place under the watchful eyes of hundreds of people.

After Levi had left, Joseph asked anxiously, “Jaycob, where's the big shot? Isn't he here yet?”

Jaycob looked dazed. “According to the time, he should have arrived long ago. Let me ask...”

After making a phone call, Jaycob blanched. “Dad, the big shot was here, but he left already.”

“What? The big shot was here?”

“The big shot said that the Garrison family are a bunch of unworthy stupid pigs!”

“I get it. He must have left in a fit of rage after witnessing the ruckus that brat had created!”

“He must have thought that the Garrison family disrespected him!”

Joseph trembled with rage. “That brat will pay for this!”

The multitude reacted accordingly.

Levi has ruined the Garrison family's glorious event!

He just pissed off the big shot!

That's equivalent to cutting off the Garrison family's chance to reach the sky!

Levi Garrison is indeed the sinner of the Garrison family!

At that moment, the Garrison family wished to skin Levi alive.

His adoptive parents, brother, and sister-in-law especially hated him to the bone. “Just you wait, Levi!”

After leaving Crystal Palace Hotel, the next person that Levi was going to look for was his wife, Zoey Lopez.

In this life, he owed no debt to the Garrison family, nor his friends and classmates, but Zoey.

He had been imprisoned on the second day after the wedding, making Zoey lose her reputation. That even put her through six years of widowhood.

This woman has carried too much on her shoulders for six years.

But now that I'm back, I'll hold your hand, and we'll conquer the world together!

After hesitating for a long time, Levi pressed the doorbell.

Thud!

The young woman dropped her mobile phone to the ground as the door opened.

Upon taking a closer look at Levi's face, Zoey broke down in tears.

“Zoey, quick, just get the parcel and come in. It's almost time for the family banquet! Your grandfather is going to settle your marriage at the family banquet tonight. You can't get away from this!”

“Yeah! Quickly get dressed! Your grandfather is going to set you up with someone else!”

Zoey's parents' voices sounded from the inside.

“Zoey, I'm back!” Levi said excitedly, wanting to fling his arm around her, but Zoey slapped his hands away.

“Why did you come back? I've already forgotten about you...”

Zoey's voice was choked with sobs.

Very soon after, Zoey's parents, Aaron and Caitlyn, came out, looking horrified.

“How dare you have the nerve to come back? Do you know how much criticism my family has suffered because of you? Especially Zoey. Do you know how much she has suffered for the past six years?” Zoey's father, Aaron, reproached.

Meanwhile, her mother, Caitlyn, pushed and shoved Levi. “You should know that this relationship between you and Zoey is impossible in this life the moment you went to jail! You're a criminal! You're just a street rat in North Hampton! You're only putting Zoey in harm's way by coming to see her!”

Naturally, Levi had known of Zoey's sufferings for the past six years, including her refusal to remarry because of him.

Levi put on a serious face. “This time, I'm back for good. I won't leave Zoey ever again. I will grant her a bright future and let her own the world!”

Levi's declaration had Aaron and Caitlyn hooting with laughter.

“You've spent six years in jail. How are you going to give Zoey a future?” Aaron asked with a sneer.

“Yeah! With your mouth?” Caitlyn chimed in. “There's a limit to talking big!”

Nonetheless, Levi smiled. “Don't worry. I'll reclaim what I lost in those years! I'll destroy the Garrison family in a month!”

“Levi!” This time, even Zoey couldn't bear to listen to his nonsense any longer. “Can we be more realistic? It doesn't matter if you just get out of prison. Can't you just be down to earth and start anew? I believe that you will make a comeback one day, but you can't just indulge in tall talk. Do you know just how powerful the Garrison family is right now? And besides, today's era is a far cry from what it was six years ago!”

“Zoey, trust me,” Levi said earnestly. “I can make the Garrison family bow at my feet with just a word!”

Preposterous!

Levi's bravado nearly drove Zoey and her parents round the bend.

Having been caged up for six years, did he finally lose his mind?

“Fine. If you say so,” Zoey said, shoving her mobile phone to Levi directly. “Then prove it! I'd like to see how you make the Garrison family bow their heads with just one word!”

“I...”

Levi was stunned.

It was true that he could exterminate the Garrison family with his words, but he had given them one month; it would be too uneventful to destroy them now.

“See, you can't do it, can't you? Then don't you ever talk big if you can't!”

Zoey smashed the phone to the ground, marking her wrath.

Following that, her parents pushed Levi away. “Go now. You're not welcome here. We've got a family banquet to attend!”

“No. Mom, Dad, let him in!”

“What do you mean, Zoey?”

“I won't remarry. My husband is back.”

...

Aaron and Caitlyn couldn't talk her round, so they could only let him in.

After that, Zoey took Levi to her bedroom.

“Since you're back, you're still my husband. I don't care about the gossips. Besides, I believe you're innocent, and anyone with discerning eyes can see that it was the Garrison family who'd framed you!”

Levi could feel the warmth in his heart.

She trusted him, and that was more than enough for him.

“But you must promise me to start from zero and be down to earth. I believe you will achieve something great with your ability! I'll give you five years!”

“That's unnecessary,” Levi said. “Just give me one month. In a month, I'll de—”

“Shut up! I don't want to listen to your nonsensical and unrealistic talks! Why can't we just be realistic?” Zoey shouted.

“Even if you have nothing now, as long as you take one step at a time, I believe you'll get back on your feet!”

Levi shut up obediently.

“I bought you these six years ago.” Zoey took out a suit from the cupboard. “Change into it at once and follow me to the family banquet!”

“Zoey, what is up with you?”

Seeing Levi all dressed up, Aaron and Caitlyn were naturally dissatisfied.

Zoey clung onto Levi's arm. “Mom, Dad, Levi is my husband now! I will make myself clear to Grandpa tonight!”

Aaron and Caitlyn looked daggers at Levi, sighing helplessly, “For Heaven's sake!”

The Lopez family banquet was held at Golden Port Restaurant, where they contracted the entire restaurant.

Naturally, the Lopez family was not as powerful as the Garrison family, but they were considered above average in North Hampton.

When Zoey and her family arrived at the main hall, they were greeted with strange and jesting gazes.

In the past, when Zoey and Levi had gotten married, Aaron's family status was the highest in the Lopez family.

But after Levi's downfall, Aaron's family had experienced a seismic shift in life, and their status in the Lopez family took a nosedive as they became the subject of ridicule, especially during family events.

“Look! Is that Levi beside Zoey?”

“Yeah! It's really him! He's released from prison already?”

All eyes fell on Levi at once.

Harry, the head of the Lopez family, snorted and turned a blind eye to the four of them.

The old man's favorite now was Fabian, his eldest son, and his family.

Mainly because Fabian's son-in-law, Samuel Robertson, was of mixed ethnicity who was born rich and had lived overseas.

This time, Harry was going to set up Zoey with Samuel's younger brother, Chris, who had been casting covetous eyes on Zoey for some time now.

With no one paying attention to them, Aaron and his family could only find a place to sit first.

As they were about to take their seats, a voice was heard. “No, Aaron. You guys can't sit here.”

It was a reminder from Henry, the second eldest son of the Lopez family.

“What?”

“There are sitting arrangements to the family banquet this time.”

Aaron looked puzzled. “How so?”

“There are four tables for the family banquet! And it's decided according to the family contribution!”

“For example, the first table is given to the family who contributed over five million to the family in a year; a million for the second table, a hundred thousand for the third table, and less than a hundred thousand for the last table, or should I say no contribution at all!”

Henry smiled smugly. “Our family has made good profits this year, and we've contributed just about five million to the family. So excuse me, but this table here is ours.”

“Of course, you can also sit at the first table without contributing. That is if your family has tens of millions of assets.”

“Unfortunately, we couldn't be any clearer about your family's situation,” sneered Maddison, Henry's wife. “Now that there's an ex-convict in your family, I'm sorry that you guys can only sit at the last table!”

“Mom, Dad, as far as I know, Uncle Aaron and his family didn't contribute much to the family last year,” said Shaun, Henry's son, walking over with a glass in his hand. “Their company went bankrupt, and they even borrowed over two million from Grandpa. Clearly, it's a negative contribution. It's unfair to the relatives sitting at the fourth table! I say we add a fifth table for negative contributors!”

“Yeah, I agree!”

The rest of the Lopez family concurred.

“Okay, we'll do as Shaun says! This shall motivate you people!”

Harry gave his consent.

“Hurry up and sit down. Don't just stand there and make a fool out of yourselves.” Harry glared at Aaron.

With that, Aaron and his family walked over to the fifth table quietly.

“Which table should a ten billion contributor sit at?” asked Levi suddenly, pulling Zoey's arm.

Levi was the one and only five-star God of War, and wealth to him was just a number.

In fact, he didn't know exactly how much he had, but he could still fork out ten billion casually for the family contribution on behalf of Aaron's family.

As soon as Levi said that, everyone was stunned at his query.

After a few moments of silence, the crowd blossomed into an enormous belly laugh.

“Ten billion? You must be kidding me! Even the aristocratic Garrison family may not have that much money!”

“This kid must have a loose screw in the head to come here and embarrass himself!”

“Hey, Aaron. Did you know you have a son-in-law worth ten billion? Hahaha...”

Sensing the jeering gazes and titter from the people around, Aaron and his family wished the ground could swallow them whole.

This is embarrassing!

Too embarrassing!

Zoey's temper sparked, and her eyes blazed with rage.

“Levi Garrison, is it not enough for you to talk big at home that you have to come here and embarrass me? Do you think you haven't done enough after all these years?”

Zoey trembled as tears silently rolling down her cheeks.

“But I do have ten billion!” Levi said helplessly.

At this time, no one bothered to listen to Levi's sheer bull because the star of the day, Fabian's son-in-law, had arrived.

Everyone, including Harry, went out to the entrance to greet him.

“I'm sorry to keep everyone waiting.” Samuel wore an apologetic expression.

“Your flight was nearly ten hours late. What's up with that?” Harry asked in concern.

Samuel smiled. “Grandpa, don't you know? A big shot has arrived in North Hampton, and North Hampton Airport was sealed off for eight hours.”

What? Is there such a thing?

“Who's this big shot to have the airport sealed off, Samuel?” Harry asked smilingly.

“It's not just that. It's said that a hundred planes escorted the private jet of that big shot, and there were a hundred thousand people guarding at the airport.”

“Damn!”

“What?”

The crowd gasped in shock.

“He's the commander-in-chief of nine military regions, the God of War of Erudia. Haha, you may not believe it if I say this, but I met this great man when I was at a gathering abroad, and we even exchanged numbers. I didn't expect him to take up a post in North Hampton! I'll ask him out sometime in support of the Lopez family. That way, you'll gain a foothold in North Hampton in no time,” Samuel said loftily.

“God! That's incredible! How did you even get to know someone like him?”

“My brother-in-law is so cool!”

“The Lopez family's son-in-law is one of a kind! Of course, except for one!”

Everyone looked at Samuel with veneration; the old man was all the more impressed, Aaron and Caitlyn begrudged Fabian's son-in-law, and Zoey was envious as well.

But she believed that in five years, Levi, too, could make her grandfather proud.

Yet, unbeknownst to them, Levi was actually barely stifling in his laughter.

This kid is quite something to know that I've arrived.

But his ability to make up nonsense is even more impressive.

“You're saying you know the God of War?” Levi asked.

Samuel raised his head. “Yeah, we had a drink together. Is there a problem?”

Levi chuckled. “Then why don't I recognize you?”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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On the night of her wedding, Rachel Hudson sat on the edge of the bed with a bitter taste in her mouth that extended deep into the bottom of her heart. Amber Hudson was unwilling to marry the disfigured eldest son of the Burton Family, so her father had asked Rachel to take her place instead. After that, she was carried into the Burton Residence with neither a wedding ceremony nor wedding guests like a bride who couldn’t rise to the occasion, making her utterly disappointed with the Hudson Family.

Just then, the creak of the door being pushed open interrupted her thoughts, and she looked up to meet a man’s long, narrow, and sharp black eyes.

It was Justin Burton, her current husband. He was tall and slender but not burly, whereas his angular face and tightly compressed lips made him look cold, arrogant, and aloof—just like a commanding hawk in the dark night. However, his originally handsome face was regrettably marred by a scar. It ran from his forehead to his chin, lending him an air of ferocity.

Rachel subconsciously averted her eyes under his penetrating gaze. Suddenly, he said with absolute certainty, “You aren’t Amber Hudson.” The lady before his eyes was obviously more beautiful than Amber.

Rachel instinctively put out her hands and gestured to him.

Justin frowned. “What are you doing?”

Rachel was startled for a moment. It was only then did she realize with the benefit of hindsight that he couldn’t understand her sign language. After smiling an embarrassed smile, she took out the paper and pen she had brought with her, wrote down a sentence, and showed it to him.

The next instant, she saw the man’s completely frosty eyes. He let out a sneer and said, “What does Jefferey Hudson mean by this? He knows that I want Amber, yet he sent a mute, illegitimate daughter over on purpose?”

The words ‘mute, illegitimate daughter’ caused Rachel’s breath to pause, and she slowly dropped her eyes. The next instant, the man lifted her chin and asked with a voice as chilly as the water in winter, “Does the Hudson Family think I’m so easy to fool?”

Rachel’s tiny hands clenched into fists in her sleeves. He’s furious. Is he going to throw me out right away? If that’s the case, what about Grandma’s medical expenses… she thought to herself. She wanted to explain, but she could only feel her throat tighten under the man’s chilling gaze.

As her eyes slowly dimmed, the man suddenly ordered, “Come here.”

This is… Is he allowing me to stay? Rachel was delighted at first, but she then thought of what she was about to face. She slowly became nervous, and a thin sheen of sweat coated her palms.

Upon seeing her hesitation, Justin thought she had chickened out. He then demanded impassively, “I’m very dissatisfied with the fact that your family has substituted the bride with someone else. But now that you’re already married to me, you have to fulfill your obligations as my wife.”

Rachel bit her lower lip, lay flat, and turned her face to the left. Then, she heard a mocking sneer as it reached her ears. “I’m asking you to wait on me while I take a bath.”

Rachel’s face, which was as white as porcelain, turned red instantly. She swiftly sat up and saw the man coldly enjoying how she had made a fool of herself. Anger filled her eyes, and she thought to herself, Is he having fun while making fun of me?

Justin’s eyes narrowed slightly, and his voice turned grim. “What are you waiting for?”

Rachel suppressed her emotions and slowly walked up to him, but she accidentally scratched his skin with her clumsy fingers. Suddenly, Justin grabbed her wrist and closed in on her. “Did you do it on purpose?”

Rachel was dumbfounded for a moment. Then, she shook her head with confusion in her clear eyes.

As Justin stared at her, another pair of clear and bright eyes unwittingly appeared in his mind, reminding him of the Hudson Family—the chief culprit who had destroyed those very eyes. He promptly sneered and said, “I had no intention of touching you tonight, but since you can’t stand being lonely, I can only help you out.”

One night later, Rachel woke up with her body aching all over. However, Justin was nowhere to be seen, and only the slightly cool smell of tobacco lingered in the air.

Rachel dragged her fatigued body to the bathroom and took a shower. She first saw a beautiful middle-aged woman sitting on the sofa after coming downstairs, but the latter simply stared at her coldly with her arms folded across her chest.

Rachel had seen this woman in the photo her father had shown her. She was Sue Praham, Justin’s maternal aunt. It was said that Justin lost his parents as a child and was brought up single-handedly by Sue until Arthur Burton, the Old Master of the Burton Family, brought them back to the Burton Residence. Justin built his own business empire with his own abilities, and he had always been filial to Sue as if she were his biological mother.

At this moment, Sue looked Rachel up and down before saying, “Jefferey Hudson, that old fox, didn’t keep his word. He knew that we wanted Amber to marry into the family, yet he sent you—a mute—instead. Does he think the Burton Family is a garbage recycling center? I always wonder why Justin keeps you around, but since things have turned out this way, you’d better behave yourself. Don’t think you will have a meteoric rise by marrying into our family. We, the Burtons, aren’t fools. All right, go and prepare lunch first. Since you’ve married into our family, you should be a virtuous wife!” The large Burton Residence was obviously not short of servants, but Sue ordered a newcomer who had just married into the family to prepare lunch.

Rachel dropped her eyes in the face of Sue’s sharp gaze. Even though the woman was making things difficult for her on purpose, she couldn’t fight back for the time being. A woman with neither power nor influence could never disobey these people, so she could only avoid trouble whenever possible. As such, she merely turned around and went to the kitchen. It’s just a meal, so it’s not a big deal, she thought to herself.

However, her concession didn’t earn her respect. Instead, Sue took it for granted by assuming that Rachel was weak and could be easily bullied. She let out a cold snort and curled her lips before saying, “As expected, you’re simply unpresentable!”

Rachel paused for a moment and then left as if nothing had happened.

Soon after that, Justin returned from his company. As Sue smiled and asked him to have lunch, he turned around and immediately saw Rachel bustling about in the kitchen with an apron on. He knitted his brows, but Sue lied with a smile when she noticed this. “She insisted on preparing lunch herself. Perhaps she wants us to taste her cooking,” she said.

Justin nodded his head without saying anything else.

Rachel had lived with her grandmother since she was a child, so she was pretty good at cooking and doing household chores. She soon made four dishes and one soup before serving them at the dining table. The servants saw how virtuous and capable she was, yet they had little respect for this newly married wife of the family. In the eyes of the public, only those of the lower classes would serve people; after all, the upper-class people were to be served.

Throughout lunch, every single person including the servants focused their attention on Justin while ignoring Rachel as if she didn’t exist. She felt ill at ease because of this, wanting to get away from such an atmosphere. Hence, she casually took a few bites, nodded to them, got up, and went upstairs.

After Rachel left, Sue curled her lips and complained, “She’s so rude. Does she think she can look down her nose at everyone because she’s mute?”

Justin picked up his documents right away and began reading them without raising his head.

When she saw that he wasn’t responding to her words, Sue rolled her eyes and continued, “Justin, the Hudsons don’t know what is good for them. They have simply insulted us by palming off an inferior and giving us a mute! How dare they expect you to give financial aid to their family business? I think they must be dreaming!” Sue was aware of her nephew’s means and wasn’t worried about the Hudson Family taking advantage of him; she simply couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable at the thought that they had taken such an unpresentable mute as a wife, for it would inevitably cause her to be laughed at by the wives of other families when she went out.

However, Justin still gave no response—he didn’t even have an expression on his face.

When she saw that he obviously didn’t want to talk about this subject, Sue said with an ingratiating smile, “Julian is finally coming back after studying medicine in France for so many years. He can’t call a mute an in-law, can he? People will laugh at him if word gets out about this. Just get rid of that mute after a while. I’ll help you look for someone else to assume the position of Young Madam Hudson, okay?”

At last, Justin gave a response this time. He glanced at her expressionlessly and replied, “I know what I’m doing regarding this matter, so don’t worry, Aunt Sue.”

Sue’s face froze at the cold and distant tone of his voice. After he left, Mrs. Duncan, one of the servants at the Burton Residence, came up from behind and comforted Sue in a whisper, “Please don’t think too much of it, Madam. Young Master Justin said so because he’s worried that you’ll be overburdened with worries.”

Sue sighed with a worried expression. “How could I not overthink it? Justin’s personality has changed a lot ever since he was rescued from the human traffickers. He’s no longer as easily approachable as he used to be when he was a child. Even though I have been living in ease and comfort ever since he brought me to the Burton Residence, I know that he blames me deep down inside. If it hadn’t been for my carelessness, he wouldn’t have been abducted by the human traffickers and suffered so much.”

Mrs. Duncan’s lips quivered, but she didn’t know what else to say. She thought to herself, Young Master Justin has been invincible in the commercial world over the past ten years, but he has also become increasingly unfeeling and indifferent. It’s no wonder the Madam is so worried about him.

Meanwhile, the Hudson Residence was ringing with cheers and laughter. Blessed with incredibly pretty looks, Amber was holding Jefferey’s arm as she pleaded like a spoiled child, “Please buy me a Maserati, Dad. Our family received 10 million from the Burtons, so we don’t have to worry about money anymore!”

Jefferey was sitting on a chair and reading a newspaper. Upon hearing her words, he turned his head and glared at her peevishly. “How could you have the cheek to ask for a luxury car? You refused to marry into the Burtons when you were asked to. I really have no idea what you were thinking about. The Burtons are so rich; would you not have whatever you wanted once you married into the family?”

Amber wrinkled her nose with a disdainful expression. “Dad! Justin Burton looks extremely ugly and is said to have an eccentric character. It disgusts me just to think about him, so I’ll never agree to marry him! Rachel, that forsaken mute, married him in my stead, didn’t she?” she protested before pausing for a moment. Then, she rolled her eyes and smiled slyly. “I would be willing to get married if I were to marry Julian Peters, though. He is said to be a Doctor of Medicine in France. He’s such a handsome and promising young man, which is pretty close to my ideal type of person.”

She’s the apple of my eye, after all—I have spoiled her ever since she was a child. I can’t force her to marry someone she dislikes, but she has become more and more unreasonable as I spoil her, Jefferey thought to himself. He poked Amber in the nose and replied, “Julian Peters is Sue Praham’s son, not the heir of the Burton Family. What’s so special about him? Besides, Justin Burton will not be made a fool of easily. Where was I supposed to find a substitute for you in a short time if it weren’t for her?”

Amber raised her chin disdainfully. “Even if she wasn’t there to substitute for me, there would be someone else. Perhaps she’s only too eager to marry into the Burtons! A mute who cannot speak should simply be grateful for being able to marry into a wealthy family!”

Jefferey merely smiled without saying a word. Only he knew that he had forced Rachel to marry Justin using her grandmother’s life-saving money, but there was no need for his little princess to worry about this. Even though Rachel was also his own daughter, a mute who had been left in a remote mountain village for many years before resuming her relationship with him had no comparability with a beloved daughter who had been spoiled and doted on since childhood. Moreover, unlike Amber, Rachel couldn’t win glory for the Hudson Family.

As the father and daughter were chatting happily, the company suddenly called. After Jefferey answered the phone, his countenance changed all of a sudden. “What did you say? The funding from the Burton Family is empty? That’s impossible!” Then, his face became increasingly grave as the person on the other end said something.

Amber was seated near Jefferey, and she turned ghastly pale when she heard that the money that should have come to their hands was gone. “What should we do, Dad?”

Jefferey knitted his brows as he thought of something. Then, he uttered bitterly between clenched teeth, “What a b*stard Justin Burton is! How dare he play tricks on me? How could he go back on his word after I married my daughter to him?”

“That ugly monster is simply too annoying!” Amber thanked her lucky stars. “It’s lucky that I didn’t marry him. It’s crude for that sc*m to go back on his word!” Then, she looked at her father and asked hesitantly, “What should we do next, Dad?”

Jefferey collected himself and pondered for a moment. “Since he’s being unkind to me, he shouldn’t blame me for being treacherous. Don’t forget that Rachel is now one of the Burtons.”

Amber smiled instantly when she saw how her father appeared to have a card up his sleeve. She thought to herself, Dad has always been wise and resourceful. Well, Justin can only resign himself to getting ripped off!

In the meantime, Rachel was mopping the floor while Sue sat on the sofa and drank some tea, eyeing the other woman in a nitpicking manner. “Be sure to mop the floor clean. As the daughter-in-law of the Burton Family, you ought to manage your household with industry and thrift. You shall sweep and clean up the rooms every day from now on. Mrs. Duncan is an old servant of the Burtons, so we shouldn’t keep overworking her. Share some of her burdens as you should since we Burtons don’t want a lazy daughter-in-law,” she said. She despised this mute, but she couldn’t drive the latter away in a flagrant way. After all, it was mainly out of concern for the Burton Family’s reputation that had lasted for 100 years. Therefore, she wanted to make Rachel back out and go away herself in the face of hardships. “Of course, if you feel wronged, you may leave the Burton Family. All right, I’ll be having afternoon tea with someone else outside very soon. Hurry up and work, and don’t be lazy!” After finishing her sentence, she picked up her handbag and went out.

Rachel watched until Sue had gone out before she heaved a long sigh. She thought to herself, Sue Parham is simply too difficult to deal with, and it’s quite tiring to get along with her.

————————————
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On the night of her wedding, Rachel Hudson sat on the edge of the bed with a bitter taste in her mouth that extended deep into the bottom of her heart. Amber Hudson was unwilling to marry the disfigured eldest son of the Burton Family, so her father had asked Rachel to take her place instead. After that, she was carried into the Burton Residence with neither a wedding ceremony nor wedding guests like a bride who couldn’t rise to the occasion, making her utterly disappointed with the Hudson Family.

Just then, the creak of the door being pushed open interrupted her thoughts, and she looked up to meet a man’s long, narrow, and sharp black eyes.

It was Justin Burton, her current husband. He was tall and slender but not burly, whereas his angular face and tightly compressed lips made him look cold, arrogant, and aloof—just like a commanding hawk in the dark night. However, his originally handsome face was regrettably marred by a scar. It ran from his forehead to his chin, lending him an air of ferocity.

Rachel subconsciously averted her eyes under his penetrating gaze. Suddenly, he said with absolute certainty, “You aren’t Amber Hudson.” The lady before his eyes was obviously more beautiful than Amber.

Rachel instinctively put out her hands and gestured to him.

Justin frowned. “What are you doing?”

Rachel was startled for a moment. It was only then did she realize with the benefit of hindsight that he couldn’t understand her sign language. After smiling an embarrassed smile, she took out the paper and pen she had brought with her, wrote down a sentence, and showed it to him.

The next instant, she saw the man’s completely frosty eyes. He let out a sneer and said, “What does Jefferey Hudson mean by this? He knows that I want Amber, yet he sent a mute, illegitimate daughter over on purpose?”

The words ‘mute, illegitimate daughter’ caused Rachel’s breath to pause, and she slowly dropped her eyes. The next instant, the man lifted her chin and asked with a voice as chilly as the water in winter, “Does the Hudson Family think I’m so easy to fool?”

Rachel’s tiny hands clenched into fists in her sleeves. He’s furious. Is he going to throw me out right away? If that’s the case, what about Grandma’s medical expenses… she thought to herself. She wanted to explain, but she could only feel her throat tighten under the man’s chilling gaze.

As her eyes slowly dimmed, the man suddenly ordered, “Come here.”

This is… Is he allowing me to stay? Rachel was delighted at first, but she then thought of what she was about to face. She slowly became nervous, and a thin sheen of sweat coated her palms.

Upon seeing her hesitation, Justin thought she had chickened out. He then demanded impassively, “I’m very dissatisfied with the fact that your family has substituted the bride with someone else. But now that you’re already married to me, you have to fulfill your obligations as my wife.”

Rachel bit her lower lip, lay flat, and turned her face to the left. Then, she heard a mocking sneer as it reached her ears. “I’m asking you to wait on me while I take a bath.”

Rachel’s face, which was as white as porcelain, turned red instantly. She swiftly sat up and saw the man coldly enjoying how she had made a fool of herself. Anger filled her eyes, and she thought to herself, Is he having fun while making fun of me?

Justin’s eyes narrowed slightly, and his voice turned grim. “What are you waiting for?”

Rachel suppressed her emotions and slowly walked up to him, but she accidentally scratched his skin with her clumsy fingers. Suddenly, Justin grabbed her wrist and closed in on her. “Did you do it on purpose?”

Rachel was dumbfounded for a moment. Then, she shook her head with confusion in her clear eyes.

As Justin stared at her, another pair of clear and bright eyes unwittingly appeared in his mind, reminding him of the Hudson Family—the chief culprit who had destroyed those very eyes. He promptly sneered and said, “I had no intention of touching you tonight, but since you can’t stand being lonely, I can only help you out.”

One night later, Rachel woke up with her body aching all over. However, Justin was nowhere to be seen, and only the slightly cool smell of tobacco lingered in the air.

Rachel dragged her fatigued body to the bathroom and took a shower. She first saw a beautiful middle-aged woman sitting on the sofa after coming downstairs, but the latter simply stared at her coldly with her arms folded across her chest.

Rachel had seen this woman in the photo her father had shown her. She was Sue Praham, Justin’s maternal aunt. It was said that Justin lost his parents as a child and was brought up single-handedly by Sue until Arthur Burton, the Old Master of the Burton Family, brought them back to the Burton Residence. Justin built his own business empire with his own abilities, and he had always been filial to Sue as if she were his biological mother.

At this moment, Sue looked Rachel up and down before saying, “Jefferey Hudson, that old fox, didn’t keep his word. He knew that we wanted Amber to marry into the family, yet he sent you—a mute—instead. Does he think the Burton Family is a garbage recycling center? I always wonder why Justin keeps you around, but since things have turned out this way, you’d better behave yourself. Don’t think you will have a meteoric rise by marrying into our family. We, the Burtons, aren’t fools. All right, go and prepare lunch first. Since you’ve married into our family, you should be a virtuous wife!” The large Burton Residence was obviously not short of servants, but Sue ordered a newcomer who had just married into the family to prepare lunch.

Rachel dropped her eyes in the face of Sue’s sharp gaze. Even though the woman was making things difficult for her on purpose, she couldn’t fight back for the time being. A woman with neither power nor influence could never disobey these people, so she could only avoid trouble whenever possible. As such, she merely turned around and went to the kitchen. It’s just a meal, so it’s not a big deal, she thought to herself.

However, her concession didn’t earn her respect. Instead, Sue took it for granted by assuming that Rachel was weak and could be easily bullied. She let out a cold snort and curled her lips before saying, “As expected, you’re simply unpresentable!”

Rachel paused for a moment and then left as if nothing had happened.

Soon after that, Justin returned from his company. As Sue smiled and asked him to have lunch, he turned around and immediately saw Rachel bustling about in the kitchen with an apron on. He knitted his brows, but Sue lied with a smile when she noticed this. “She insisted on preparing lunch herself. Perhaps she wants us to taste her cooking,” she said.

Justin nodded his head without saying anything else.

Rachel had lived with her grandmother since she was a child, so she was pretty good at cooking and doing household chores. She soon made four dishes and one soup before serving them at the dining table. The servants saw how virtuous and capable she was, yet they had little respect for this newly married wife of the family. In the eyes of the public, only those of the lower classes would serve people; after all, the upper-class people were to be served.

Throughout lunch, every single person including the servants focused their attention on Justin while ignoring Rachel as if she didn’t exist. She felt ill at ease because of this, wanting to get away from such an atmosphere. Hence, she casually took a few bites, nodded to them, got up, and went upstairs.

After Rachel left, Sue curled her lips and complained, “She’s so rude. Does she think she can look down her nose at everyone because she’s mute?”

Justin picked up his documents right away and began reading them without raising his head.

When she saw that he wasn’t responding to her words, Sue rolled her eyes and continued, “Justin, the Hudsons don’t know what is good for them. They have simply insulted us by palming off an inferior and giving us a mute! How dare they expect you to give financial aid to their family business? I think they must be dreaming!” Sue was aware of her nephew’s means and wasn’t worried about the Hudson Family taking advantage of him; she simply couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable at the thought that they had taken such an unpresentable mute as a wife, for it would inevitably cause her to be laughed at by the wives of other families when she went out.

However, Justin still gave no response—he didn’t even have an expression on his face.

When she saw that he obviously didn’t want to talk about this subject, Sue said with an ingratiating smile, “Julian is finally coming back after studying medicine in France for so many years. He can’t call a mute an in-law, can he? People will laugh at him if word gets out about this. Just get rid of that mute after a while. I’ll help you look for someone else to assume the position of Young Madam Hudson, okay?”

At last, Justin gave a response this time. He glanced at her expressionlessly and replied, “I know what I’m doing regarding this matter, so don’t worry, Aunt Sue.”

Sue’s face froze at the cold and distant tone of his voice. After he left, Mrs. Duncan, one of the servants at the Burton Residence, came up from behind and comforted Sue in a whisper, “Please don’t think too much of it, Madam. Young Master Justin said so because he’s worried that you’ll be overburdened with worries.”

Sue sighed with a worried expression. “How could I not overthink it? Justin’s personality has changed a lot ever since he was rescued from the human traffickers. He’s no longer as easily approachable as he used to be when he was a child. Even though I have been living in ease and comfort ever since he brought me to the Burton Residence, I know that he blames me deep down inside. If it hadn’t been for my carelessness, he wouldn’t have been abducted by the human traffickers and suffered so much.”

Mrs. Duncan’s lips quivered, but she didn’t know what else to say. She thought to herself, Young Master Justin has been invincible in the commercial world over the past ten years, but he has also become increasingly unfeeling and indifferent. It’s no wonder the Madam is so worried about him.

Meanwhile, the Hudson Residence was ringing with cheers and laughter. Blessed with incredibly pretty looks, Amber was holding Jefferey’s arm as she pleaded like a spoiled child, “Please buy me a Maserati, Dad. Our family received 10 million from the Burtons, so we don’t have to worry about money anymore!”

Jefferey was sitting on a chair and reading a newspaper. Upon hearing her words, he turned his head and glared at her peevishly. “How could you have the cheek to ask for a luxury car? You refused to marry into the Burtons when you were asked to. I really have no idea what you were thinking about. The Burtons are so rich; would you not have whatever you wanted once you married into the family?”

Amber wrinkled her nose with a disdainful expression. “Dad! Justin Burton looks extremely ugly and is said to have an eccentric character. It disgusts me just to think about him, so I’ll never agree to marry him! Rachel, that forsaken mute, married him in my stead, didn’t she?” she protested before pausing for a moment. Then, she rolled her eyes and smiled slyly. “I would be willing to get married if I were to marry Julian Peters, though. He is said to be a Doctor of Medicine in France. He’s such a handsome and promising young man, which is pretty close to my ideal type of person.”

She’s the apple of my eye, after all—I have spoiled her ever since she was a child. I can’t force her to marry someone she dislikes, but she has become more and more unreasonable as I spoil her, Jefferey thought to himself. He poked Amber in the nose and replied, “Julian Peters is Sue Praham’s son, not the heir of the Burton Family. What’s so special about him? Besides, Justin Burton will not be made a fool of easily. Where was I supposed to find a substitute for you in a short time if it weren’t for her?”

Amber raised her chin disdainfully. “Even if she wasn’t there to substitute for me, there would be someone else. Perhaps she’s only too eager to marry into the Burtons! A mute who cannot speak should simply be grateful for being able to marry into a wealthy family!”

Jefferey merely smiled without saying a word. Only he knew that he had forced Rachel to marry Justin using her grandmother’s life-saving money, but there was no need for his little princess to worry about this. Even though Rachel was also his own daughter, a mute who had been left in a remote mountain village for many years before resuming her relationship with him had no comparability with a beloved daughter who had been spoiled and doted on since childhood. Moreover, unlike Amber, Rachel couldn’t win glory for the Hudson Family.

As the father and daughter were chatting happily, the company suddenly called. After Jefferey answered the phone, his countenance changed all of a sudden. “What did you say? The funding from the Burton Family is empty? That’s impossible!” Then, his face became increasingly grave as the person on the other end said something.

Amber was seated near Jefferey, and she turned ghastly pale when she heard that the money that should have come to their hands was gone. “What should we do, Dad?”

Jefferey knitted his brows as he thought of something. Then, he uttered bitterly between clenched teeth, “What a b*stard Justin Burton is! How dare he play tricks on me? How could he go back on his word after I married my daughter to him?”

“That ugly monster is simply too annoying!” Amber thanked her lucky stars. “It’s lucky that I didn’t marry him. It’s crude for that sc*m to go back on his word!” Then, she looked at her father and asked hesitantly, “What should we do next, Dad?”

Jefferey collected himself and pondered for a moment. “Since he’s being unkind to me, he shouldn’t blame me for being treacherous. Don’t forget that Rachel is now one of the Burtons.”

Amber smiled instantly when she saw how her father appeared to have a card up his sleeve. She thought to herself, Dad has always been wise and resourceful. Well, Justin can only resign himself to getting ripped off!

In the meantime, Rachel was mopping the floor while Sue sat on the sofa and drank some tea, eyeing the other woman in a nitpicking manner. “Be sure to mop the floor clean. As the daughter-in-law of the Burton Family, you ought to manage your household with industry and thrift. You shall sweep and clean up the rooms every day from now on. Mrs. Duncan is an old servant of the Burtons, so we shouldn’t keep overworking her. Share some of her burdens as you should since we Burtons don’t want a lazy daughter-in-law,” she said. She despised this mute, but she couldn’t drive the latter away in a flagrant way. After all, it was mainly out of concern for the Burton Family’s reputation that had lasted for 100 years. Therefore, she wanted to make Rachel back out and go away herself in the face of hardships. “Of course, if you feel wronged, you may leave the Burton Family. All right, I’ll be having afternoon tea with someone else outside very soon. Hurry up and work, and don’t be lazy!” After finishing her sentence, she picked up her handbag and went out.

Rachel watched until Sue had gone out before she heaved a long sigh. She thought to herself, Sue Parham is simply too difficult to deal with, and it’s quite tiring to get along with her.

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