The Protector (The Return of God Of War)

CHAPTER 1​

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. “What the hell 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?”

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 2​

“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 bastard! 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!”

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 3 ​

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?”

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 4 ​

“Huh?”

Samuel froze, and so did the rest.

What does he mean?

Samuel frowned. “Are you saying that you’re the God of War?”

Levi smiled. “Yes, I am the God of War. But I never knew you.”

The crowd burst into laughter; Samuel especially laughed his head off.

Even old man Harry was amused as he had never seen such a sensationalist before.

Clown!

Levi is such a clown.

“Gosh, Zoey, your husband is hilarious!” Melanie, Samuel’s wife, derided. “He called himself the God of War, just to prove himself and save his pride! Do you even know who the God of War is? He’s the commander-in-chief of nine military regions who can wipe off a clan with just his words! What? Is the prison a war zone? Jeez, Zoey, what a husband you have there. I feel terrible for you!”

The others also tried to get a word in. “Don’t bring him out in the future, Zoey. You might not think it’s embarrassing, but we do!”

“Yeah, don’t ever let him attend any of our family banquet in the future. The Lopez family wants to preserve our reputation!”

“Aaron, your family is really rotten. I’m so disappointed in you.” Harry gave Aaron a dark look.

“God! What sin have I committed in my previous life to deserve this?”

Aaron and Caitlyn looked down, their expressions ugly.

This is the most humiliating day ever!

Zoey sat in the corner. In the face of many insults and derision, she didn’t utter a single word, but tears rolled down her cheeks silently.

Never in her mind would she expect to be confronted by such humiliating moments.

Zoey looked at Levi, feeling a little disgusted.

She didn’t mind that Levi was imprisoned, nor did she mind the stigma of him having gone to prison.

All she cared about was Levi’s attitude.

Initially, she thought that he would start from scratch and live a practical life after he got out of prison, but the Levi Garrison right now was a bitter disappointment.

He’s so unrealistic! A sensationalist! Not to mention his damned pride!

What a buffoon!

Zoey didn’t want to admit that this was her husband.

“Okay, aren’t you the God of War?” Samuel refused to let Levi off so easily. “There will be a welcome banquet tomorrow night in North Hampton, specially dedicated to welcome this big shot! I hope to see you there!”

Samuel was up to date.

Indeed, there was such a banquet.

As Levi had decided to settle down in North Hampton, the higher-ups had assigned him as the deputy of North Hampton, which was more reasonable.

After all, his purpose of being here was uncertain, and everyone was afraid of this big shot.

It was easy to cause panic.

For this reason, North Hampton had decided to host a welcome banquet.

“Oh? Can you also attend such a welcome banquet, Samuel?” Harry couldn’t help but ask upon hearing their conversation.

Samuel squared his shoulders and smiled. “I just received two invitation cards!”

In fact, Samuel had gone out of his way to buy two invitation cards for two million just to show off at the family banquet today.

All those present looked at Samuel in awe.

Now that’s two million well spent! He thought to himself smugly.

“Can you get any more of this invitation card, Samuel?” Harry asked cautiously. “If so, your father and I would like to expand our horizons!”

Fabian gazed at Samuel with anticipation in his eyes.

“I’ll get it no matter what!”

Samuel flat out agreed, although he could feel the burn in his pocket.

That’s another two million there!

“It’s just a matter of one phone call!”

Samuel made a call and purchased two more invitation cards.

“Say, Zoey,” Melanie said, scooting over to Zoey. “Will I see you at the banquet tomorrow? Hahaha…”

Zoey’s face darkened, knowing that Melanie was embarrassing her on purpose.

Not long after, a black car stopped in front of Golden Port Hotel, with a man in a suit walking in soon after.

“Aren’t you Riley, the secretary?”

Harry quickly went up to greet him upon realizing who the visitor was.

Riley, who came into contact with the upper management every day, was the secretary of the North Hampton Office Building.

Surely, he had to show his respect.

“Greetings, Mr. Lopez. I’m here for one simple purpose—to send the Lopez family ten invitation cards for tomorrow’s banquet!”

After dropping off ten invitation cards, Riley left in a hurry.

It was a mission assigned to him from the head secretary of North Hampton.

At this moment, the head secretary of North Hampton was sitting in the car outside.

He was afraid of meeting the legendary God of War.

The words of his big boss echoed clearly in his ears, Every important family member of the God of War’s father-in-law’s family must attend tomorrow’s banquet. He was to send out the invitations in a low-profile manner while keeping the identity of the sender unknown.

Hence, he had assigned Riley for the task.

Levi said nothing when he saw this scene.

Samuel, however, was taken aback.

What’s going on?

Didn’t I just buy two invitation cards?

Why did they send us ten cards at once? And who was it again? Riley, the secretary?

“You’re the best grandson-in-law, Samuel,” Harry guffawed. “To have the secretary from the office building send us ten invitations at once with just a word; the Lopez family is proud of you!”

Fabian was all smiles.

“Damn! You’re amazing, Samuel!”

Shaun regarded Samuel with admiration.

“Melanie has indeed married a good man! You’re surely the happiest woman in the world! Unlike Zoey, who married a criminal!”

…

“I’m sorry that my husband is too amazing, Zoey. Just say the word if you need our help in the future. But I dare not get too close to you, though,” Melanie paused. “Lest someone tries to jump his sister-in-law…”

Zoey could feel her anger boiling up.

It was obvious that Melanie was insulting her, but she couldn’t do anything about it; Samuel’s ability to have the secretary from the office building send the invitation cards in person with just a phone call was just too over the top.

Besides, an invitation for a banquet of this level wasn’t something the Lopez family could easily obtain.

Aaron and Caitlyn, on the other hand, were even more envious.

With a son-in-law like that, I bet we’ll wake up with a smile every morning.

Life will be all about counting money.

Right, isn’t Samuel’s brother in love with our daughter?

However, the couple couldn’t change Zoey’s mind, so they didn’t muse out loud.

Meanwhile, Samuel was completely flummoxed by the whole thing.

Where in the world do I find connections in North Hampton?

They must be mistaken.

But since it’s at this point now, I guess I should just go along with it.

It’ll make me look good, anyway!

Samuel chuckled. “I’m sorry, Grandpa. I could only get us ten invitations. After all, there aren’t many places available for this kind of banquet.”

Harry grinned from ear to ear. “You’re the cream of the crop, Samuel! Here, let Grandpa give you a toast!”

Upon seeing this, Aaron was green with envy.

“Grandpa, why don’t you distribute these invitations?” Samuel said.

“Sure.”

Harry had four children in total. Everyone received an invitation, all except for Aaron’s family.

The last few remaining invitations were given to Shaun and some of his favorite grandchildren.

“Thank you, Grandpa!”

Shaun and the others flourished the invitation cards in their hands before Aaron’s family.

Without a word said, Aaron’s family bowed their heads and remained silent.

In Harry’s eyes, they were no better than the younger ones, and they acknowledged it. They could only blame themselves for being worthless.

Just then, someone’s voice broke the silence. “Why didn’t we get an invitation?”

It was Levi.

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 5​

Everyone laughed themselves silly at Levi’s question.

“Do you think your family is qualified to get an invitation? Have you guys ever contributed to the Lopez family?” Shaun retaliated directly.

“Yeah! Dream on! Can you guys be any more shameless to expect to receive an invitation?” Henry questioned unabashedly.

Zoey and her parents had given up on all hope.

They looked at Levi with nothing but disgust in their eyes.

However, Levi let out a cold snort. “It’s for my sake that this invitation is given to you! I intended to give them to my in-laws, and they were given to you passingly.”

“Have some pride, Levi!” Fabian exploded. “Clearly, Samuel got these invitations through his connections. What the hell has it got to do with you?!”

“Yeah! Who the hell do you think you are?” Samuel’s anger mounted. “How dare you try to take credit for this?”

Soon after, Henry pointed at Aaron. “Just look at your son-in-law, Aaron! Do something about him, and don’t bring him to our next family banquet! We cannot tolerate such insolence!”

Levi was about to say something when Zoey pulled him outside. “Come with me!!!”

She couldn’t stand him any longer as hot torrents of grief coursed down her face.

“Levi, please, don’t embarrass me anymore. I really can’t hold on if you keep this up!”

Levi wiped away her tears and asked, “Do you want to attend the banquet, Zoey?”

“Who wouldn’t want to? Didn’t you see the look in Mom and Dad’s eyes?” Zoey said grumpily. “But there’s nothing we can do, even if we want to go. It’s not like you can get us in, can you?”

“I can!” Levi said decisively.

This was too much for Zoey to handle. Her temper sparked, and she turned on her heels, trying to leave.

“Zoey, why don’t you trust me?” Levi asked.

“How am I supposed to trust you when you’re behaving like this?” Zoey replied with a question of her own.

Levi chuckled. “I’ll definitely get you inside. I, Levi Garrison, am a man of my word!”

Zoey nodded. “Okay, I’ll trust you just this once! If you can’t do it, we’re over!”

“Deal!”

“Fine, I’m going all out on this one!” Zoey said resolutely while wiping her tears. “I don’t need this stupid pride! I’m going to continue to attend this family banquet and tell everyone that my husband is capable of getting an invitation for tomorrow’s banquet too!”

“Okay, ladies first. Let me just make one call.”

…

“Azure Dragon, tell Jesse I’ll attend the banquet he’s hosting tomorrow,” Levi said once the call went through.

“What? So you agree to attend the banquet? Thank God! The higher-ups were so worried that you won’t give Jesse this honor!”

“Yes, I’ll attend. But please ban some of the people from this event…”

“Roger that, Sir! I’ll make the arrangements now!”

Returning inside, Levi saw Zoey holding her head high, looking as proud as a peacock.

It was obvious that she had made the announcement as many pairs of eyes were fixated on him.

“Say, how do you guys think this punk got the invitation? By stealing?”

“Who knows if he bought it for the sake of pretending!”

Samuel laughed. “Don’t you guys know that one invitation cost over one million?”

“Aaron’s family owes Grandpa about three million. How can they afford to buy an invitation?”

Right then, dinner was served, marking the start of the family banquet.

“I think the four of them can just have a bowl of noodles each. There’s no need to serve them. What do you guys think?” Henry asked.

Samuel laughed. “Let’s just feed them. Otherwise, it’ll look like Grandpa is mistreating them.”

“Alright then.”

Other tables were bustling with noise and excitement, with everyone toasting each other and currying favor with Samuel, but it was deadly silence at Levi’s.

Aaron glanced at Samuel, then back at Levi, sighing, “What’s the point of getting envious? Such is my fate!”

Caitlyn glowered at Levi. Can today be any more humiliating?

However, they didn’t dare to leave without the old man’s permission and could only continue to suffer from the humiliation in awkward silence.

Right then, Samuel came over with a glass of wine, followed by a group of people who had been paying court to him.

He walked past Levi and stood before Zoey. “I was going to introduce my brother to you, Zoey. He’s so much better than me! But it seems that you’re not fortunate enough to enjoy a good life. It’s a pity that you have a bad taste in men!”

Aaron and Caitlyn sighed.

If only Levi didn’t show up, Zoey would have been with Chris, and our family would have been rich again.

How amazing is that?

But sadly, it seems that we are plagued by poverty!

Soon, the family banquet ended.

“Let’s go to my house. I want to have a good talk with my grandson-in-law regarding the Lopez family’s future development and tomorrow’s banquet. All of you must sit in and listen. It’ll be good for you,” Harry instructed.

Aaron and Caitlyn looked at Harry in anticipation, hoping that the Lopez family would lend a hand to alleviate their current livelihood.

But little did they know Harry responded, “Aaron, you guys can go back on your own!”

Aaron hesitated a little. “Dad, but I…”

“No buts! We don’t need you here. Besides, your good son-in-law just came back from prison. I don’t want him to stain my place with bad luck!” Harry said, then left with the crowd.

Before leaving, Samuel, Melanie, and a few others stood before Levi, waving the invitation cards in their hands. “Don’t disappoint me tomorrow night. Don’t say you know me if you can’t get in. I can’t afford to throw my reputation down the gutters.”

Levi snickered. “You’ll never know who’s the one who can’t get in when the time comes.”

“Alright then. We’ll soon see about that.”

Everyone left happily with an invitation card in their hands, leaving Aaron and his family sighing and groaning.

Aaron cast a deep glance at Levi.

If only he could bring honor for the family…

It’s a pity that he just got out of prison. Even surviving is a problem for him.

After that, Levi followed Zoey home.

Compared to the Garrison family, this was his home—a home where a woman had been waiting for him for six years.

Back home, Levi took the initiative to lay a mattress on the floor, but Zoey let him sleep on the bed instead.

Thereafter, he lay on the bed while Zoey continued to draft a plan at the desk.

“What are you doing?” Levi asked.

“I’m drafting a proposal for an ecological park development project at West City. Even if the chance of success is not even one percent, I’m going to try my best to win this bid!” Zoey smiled.

Until the following night, not once did Zoey complain about him, nor did she show a long face.

But she couldn’t help it anymore as it was almost time for the welcome banquet.

“Levi Garrison, I trusted you so much and bet everything on you. But where’s the invitation? How on earth am I supposed to believe you now? I’d thought you would come up with ideas to get us in, but you didn’t step out from this house nor made a phone call the moment we came home last night. Do you think the invitation will just fall from the sky?”

Aaron and Caitlyn added, “What are you waiting for? Zoey had made a big promise last night. If you don’t make this happen, there won’t be a place for us to live in the Lopez family in the future.”

Levi glanced at the clock. “It’s almost time. Just follow me.”

Driving in Aaron’s Haval, they arrived at Paradise Villa, where the God of War’s welcome banquet was held.

“Zoey, I will prove to you now that I can do it!”

Levi pulled Zoey and headed towards the entrance.

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 6​

“Well, well, look who’s here. If it isn’t Aaron and his criminal son-in-law.”

Along with the mockeries, Harry and the others had arrived with bags of gifts consisted of fine wine, wild ginseng, tea, and so on in their hands.

The Lopez family’s plan was simple—to butter up the God of War as much as they could.

“I didn’t expect you to come, Zoey,” Melanie said as she moved closer to Zoey, her voice laced with sarcasm. “Where’s your invitation card? Show it to me. It’s easy to purchase counterfeit ones these days.”

Melanie, Samuel, and the others were not the slightest bit convinced that Levi could get an invitation.

Just look at their status, there’s no way they can get an invitation to the banquet!

It’s like saying pigs could fly!

“I…”

Zoey hesitated because there was no invitation card, to begin with.

“Come on. What are you hiding?” Melanie laughed. “Don’t tell me your invitation card is made of gold that I can’t even take a look at it?”

Zoey clammed up, her head lowered.

“Aaron, show us your invitation card!” Harry demanded upon noticing the couple’s odd demeanors.

“Dad, I…”

Aaron panicked.

“What? You won’t obey even your own father’s order? Hurry up and show it to me!” Harry bellowed.

Aaron panted heavily and could only tell the truth. “Dad, we don’t have an invitation card… It was Levi who brought us here…”

Soon after they heard it, Samuel, Melanie, and the others laughed so hard that their belly hurt.

“You’re such an idiot!” Harry glared at Aaron. “What a disgrace to have a son like you!”

Sensing the mass’ scoffing eyes and ruthless laughter, a fresh swell of rage rose in Aaron as his last piece of dignity left in front of the Lopez family vanished without a trace.

Zoey, too, hated Levi to the core, knowing that they had lost all respect from the Lopez family.

“How shameless of you to attend the banquet without an invitation!”

“Let me tell you a fact. No matter how hard you try, your family can never enter this gate!” Samuel taunted.

“Let’s go inside, Grandpa,” Melanie said as she held onto Harry’s arm. “Don’t let them get in the way.”

“You’re right. Knowing them is such a disgrace.”

The Lopez family shot daggers at Levi and hurried towards the gate.

Aaron was about to say something when Levi said, “Dad, look. They won’t be able to get in.”

Standing at the entrance of Paradise Villa were dozens of security guards who were hired to maintain order at the scene.

Samuel took out twelve invitation cards and handed them over. “For twelve, please.”

He said that as he straightened his back, looking proud.

After all, how many were there who could take out twelve invitation cards at once?

But the next second, the security guard said expressionlessly, “You people are restricted from entering and are banned from attending the banquet!”

“What?”

Samuel and the others thought they had misheard the security guard.

“That’s impossible! Riley, the secretary from the Office Building, sent us these invitations in person yesterday!” Harry argued.

Samuel put on a haughty face. “This is my invitation card. Let me in this instance! You can’t afford to mess with me!”

Thud!

Suddenly, a truncheon rested on Samuel’s head.

“Do you not understand human language? You people are restricted from entering! Must I explain to you in action?”

With the cold truncheon aiming at his head, Samuel was so frightened that he almost peed his pants.

But with so many eyes watching him, he mustered his courage and struck back. “I dare you to touch me! Don’t you know who I am? Let me speak to your supervisor!”

Wham!

The security guard knocked him down straight away with the truncheon; Samuel had completely wet his pants, and the Lopez family was all the more petrified.

“What are you guys waiting for? Scram!” the security guard barked.

The Lopez family helped Samuel up and made a dash.

“You were right. They couldn’t get in.”

Aaron was shocked at the scene that unfolded before him.

At that moment, Levi smiled and held Zoey’s hand. “We should get inside!”

“Don’t! We’re going to get ourselves killed. How are we supposed to get inside when Samuel and the rest can’t even get through the security checkpoint?” Aaron and Caitlyn said and back-pedaled in fear.

Zoey’s delicate body trembled as well. “Yeah, can we really get inside? We don’t even have an invitation card!”

“Didn’t you say that you’ll give me one last chance? How do you know if you don’t try?” Levi smiled.

“Okay, I trust you!” Zoey held Levi’s hand tightly.

“Officers!” Melanie’s voice was heard just as the four of them approached the security checkpoint. “Although they are members of the Lopez family, my grandfather had long kicked them out of the Lopez family! They are not related to us!”

“Yes, officers. They have nothing to do with the Lopez family,” Harry said in a flustered voice. “Please don’t take offense at us!”

Levi looked back and sneered.

Such heartless creatures!

When they arrived at the security checkpoint, Zoey even closed her eyes. To be honest, she’d rather die today than being humiliated.

Aaron and Caitlyn shared the same sentiment.

Harry and the others didn’t leave. They were hiding in a distance, intending to watch Aaron and his family make a fool of themselves.

“Welcome, Mr. Garrison and his family! You are our most distinguished guest. Invitations are not required!”

Upon hearing that, Zoey opened her eyes to see dozens of security guards lined up in two rows, saluting them.

As if they had entered fantasyland, Zoey and her parents made their way inside Paradise Villa.

Harry and the others, who were waiting for a good show outside, were completely dumbstruck.

“They… They went in? How is that possible?”

Truth be told, Zoey and her parents felt like they were on cloud nine when they saw the Lopez family’s incredulous faces.

Aaron looked around, still in disbelief. “That was easy. How did you pull that off, Levi?”

It was only then did they feel that their son-in-law was somewhat useful.

At the very least, they managed to redeem themselves from the humiliation they had suffered.

Caitlyn smiled. “Levi also had connections in North Hampton before this, no?”

“You’re right, Mom. I have friends,” Levi replied.

Zoey looked at Levi suspiciously. She had a hunch that things were not that simple.

Almost none of his friends stepped forward when he was in trouble.

There were many who put the boot in instead…

Would anyone help him?

In the villa, Zoey and his parents were careful of their every movement.

After all, they couldn’t afford to break anything or offend anyone on such an occasion.

“Zoey, is that you? What are you doing here? Am I seeing things?”

Suddenly, a voice of surprise sounded from behind.

Zoey’s eyes were filled with disgust when she saw the incoming person.

The four people that were coming her way were dressed in tuxedos and had the bearing of royalty.

The man in the lead was Derrick Johns, the son of the president of Apex Group.

He had lusted after Zoey for ages, even offering millions to sleep with her, but she remained unmoved.

As an act of revenge, Derrick had caused Zoey’s well-developed company to go bankrupt.

“Why can’t I be here?” Zoey said coldly.

Derrick looked Levi up and down. “Is this your criminal husband? Did he bring you in?”

Upon that, he leaned in closer to Zoey and gave a lubricious chuckle. “I don’t care how you guys got in, but with my powers, I can send your husband back to jail again and get him locked up for a decade or two!”

Zoey believed Derrick could do it, given his expedients and abilities.

“What do you want?” Zoey looked at him warily.

“As long as you promise to keep me company, I swear I won’t trouble him! Otherwise, I’ll definitely send him in again!”

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 7​

“You wish!”

Zoey would rather die than agree to such a condition.

“Fine. Just you wait!”

Derrick grinned insidiously before turning to leave.

Noticing Zoey’s pale complexion, Levi grasped her hand and asked, “Zoey, what happened? Who’s that guy just now?”

Zoey shook her head. “It’s nothing!”

However, she knew Derrick wouldn’t let this rest, so she was perturbed along the way.

Halfway through, a large group of people suddenly surrounded the four of them.

These people were members of the security team, each pointing at them with a gun.

Zoey was scared out of her wits. Her face drained of all colors as she gripped Levi’s hand tightly.

Likewise, Aaron and Caitlyn were paralyzed in terror, as they knew that it was Derrick’s revenge.

The leader of the group, decked out in combat suits, looked at them with cold and merciless eyes under the protective goggles. “Mr. Johns, is this the criminal that you were speaking of?”

“Yes, Mr. Lewis!” Derrick replied. “This guy’s fresh out of prison today. How is he qualified to attend such a banquet? I suspect he has something up his sleeve! If anything crops up on this occasion, can you afford to bear this responsibility, Mr. Lewis?”

“What? Is this for real?”

Ethan Lewis, the deputy team leader of the security team, was responsible for the safety inside. He wasn’t aware of how they had come in.

Derrick flashed a complacent smile at Zoey, then said to Ethan, “No matter what’s the situation, Mr. Lewis, I suggest we arrest him first! We need to get rid of any possible risks!”

“Right! How could he attend this banquet right after he was released from prison? Check their invitations first!” Ethan said coldly.

Zoey and her parents were dumbfounded.

What invitation cards! There were no invitation cards at all!

“Hand over the invitations!” Derrick spoke in an overbearing manner.

“We don’t have them,” Levi replied placidly.

“Haha. Did you hear that, Mr. Lewis? They have no invitations at all! Something is definitely fishy here!” Derrick was elated to hear that they came without any invitation.

“Men, arrest them!” Ethan gave his orders.

At that point, Zoey was already freaking out.

Mom, dad, and I will definitely be fine even if we’re arrested. But Levi will certainly be subjected to Derrick’s manipulation and get sent to jail again.

“Wait! We came in through the security checkpoint. What makes you think we don’t have the right to be here?” Zoey said indignantly.

“That’s impossible!” Derrick sneered. “An invitation is compulsory to enter this place! Even the host of today’s banquet, the God of War, needs an invitation! Something is not right if there’s no invitation!”

“Yes, that’s a first for me as well,” Ethan said with certainty, knowing that everyone, including the tycoons, came with invitations today. “Take them away!”

Aaron and Caitlyn squeezed their eyes shut in horror.

Zoey, too, was terribly frightened.

“Accept your fate, Zoey!” Derrick chortled. “This is the consequence of rejecting me!”

“Whoever told you that one must need an invitation to get in?” Levi’s voice sounded abruptly.

Everyone halted and stared at him with surprise.

Just then, Zoey tugged on Levi’s sleeves, signaling him to stop talking, while Aaron and his wife looked even more horrified by Levi’s retort.

Is he courting disaster?

Levi merely patted her shoulders. “Trust me again, will you?”

“Okay.” Zoey nodded.

After that, Levi’s gaze landed on Ethan. “Call your supervisor and ask him this—can Levi Garrison come in without an invitation?”

“Hahaha… Is he retarded? Who does he think he is?”

Derrick and his companions laughed so hard that their stomach hurt.

But Ethan was angered by Levi’s words, so he did as he was asked. “Okay, I shall ask the team leader if he knows you.”

Standing beside them, Derrick laughed heartily and was happy to see Levi make a fool of himself.

By then, many people had gathered around at the commotion, causing Zoey and her parents to lower their heads in embarrassment.

This is an embarrassment!

Ethan consulted Clement Phillips, the security team leader, through his headset.

When the voice came through the headset, his complexion turned for the worst. His eyes were filled with fear and trepidation as he looked at Levi.

“I-I… I got it, S-Sir…” Ethan stammered as he struggled to make out his words.

Derrick, who was unaware of the situation, looked at Ethan with anticipation. “How is it? Mr. Lewis?”

Slap!

The answer he got in return was an unexpected hard slap on the cheek that sent him flying seven to eight meters away. His mouth was full of blood, and he even lost a few teeth.

“Mr. Lewis, w-why?”

Derrick’s eyes widened as he stuttered.

Ethan stepped forward and threw another punch, causing blood to spurt from Derrick’s wounds.

“Why? You abused your power and deliberately made things difficult for Ms. Lopez! They may not have an invitation, but they are our honored guests who came in through proper means! But you! You had disrupted the order and dampened the mood of the banquet! Men, arrest him and lock him up for a few days!” Ethan ordered.

The two security guards next to him stepped forward and grabbed Derrick, dragging him away as if he were a lifeless corpse.

“Mr. Garrison, Ms. Lopez, a thousand apologies for the trouble!”

Ethan dared not stay there any longer as he led his men and hurried off.

The unexpected twist made Zoey and her parents dumbfounded.

What just happened?

Didn’t they come to arrest us?

Why was Derrick arrested instead?

What’s going on? This happened right after he reported his name.

The three of them gazed at Levi, with Zoey eyeing him doubtfully.

“Aren’t you going to explain what’s going on?” Zoey started.

“It’s simple! We may not have an invitation, but we came in legally, so we’re safe. And what Derrick did just now has disrupted the order of the banquet. You guys saw the horde of busybodies just now, no? That’s a bad impression right there. If the God of War learned about what transpired just now, forget about Derrick, even Jesse Nielsen himself can’t bear this responsibility.”

“I get it now,” Aaron responded immediately. “It’s fine as long as we prove that we came in legally!”

Caitlyn nodded. “Yeah, that should be it.”

Though Zoey felt that something was amiss, there seemed to be no loopholes in his explanation. To her, it sounded perfectly logical and reasonable.

Yet, the moment Levi turned his head, his eyes flickered.

He had heard what Derrick said just now. Instead of locking him up for a few days, he was determined to let Derrick rot in prison.

The dinner banquet was simple, but the people who attended were so great a personage that Zoey and her parents dared not make a sound once they were seated.

“Mom, Dad, why are you guys so tense? Walk around. Wouldn’t it be nice to make friends and meet new people?” Levi smiled.

Aaron and Caitlyn exchanged glances. But in the end, they decided to stay rooted to their spot.

Zoey tilted her head, giving Levi a once-over. “Aren’t you afraid?”

Levi’s outward tranquility gave Zoey and her parents an illusion that he was accustomed to such an occasion.

“Why should I be?” Levi said.

Zoey pondered. He must be accustomed to it from facing vile and vicious people in prison.

Thus, she stopped asking.

In the meantime, there were more and more people arriving at the banquet.

Escorted by big crowds in front and behind, Jesse and a few other North Hampton big shots had arrived as well.

“Hmm? Aaron, I’ve noticed that everyone came with gifts. Even Nielsen’s secretary is carrying a gift box of some kind. I think it’s just us who came empty-handed,” Caitlyn observed.

The rest of the family caught a glimpse, and it was indeed so.

Everyone else brought gifts except for their family.

It was obvious as they were sitting at the corner, unmoving while the others had gathered together, waiting to present their gifts.

“It’s because we didn’t understand the rules. I wasn’t aware of it,” Aaron said as his head drooped.

“Yeah. But Dad, Samuel, and the others had thought about it,” Caitlyn said. “Did you see the gifts in their hands just now?”

Zoey sighed. “It’s all my fault. I wasn’t sure if we could get in.”

Aaron nodded. “Should I arrange for someone to send some gifts now? There’s still time.”

Levi quickly refused. “Mom, Dad, just relax. Perhaps the God of War doesn’t like gifts.”

“No, this is the least we should do,” Zoey said.

However, Levi let out a light chuckle. “I think the God of War will appreciate those who came empty-handed. Do you believe me?”

“I don’t.” Zoey shook her head.

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 8​

“Did you guys see that? They came empty-handed.”

“Do they not know the rules? Or do they not respect the God of War at all?”

“I don’t think I’ve seen them before. Who are they? Did they sneak in?”

…

Soon, everyone noticed Aaron and his family.

Hearing the various mutterings, Aaron wished the ground would swallow him up.

This is too embarrassing.

It differed from being humiliated in front of someone familiar.

First of all, they didn’t have any sense of presence in this place. And second of all, they were just nobodies among the many big shots.

It was a kind of psychological humiliation.

Not long after, the room was in turmoil.

Everyone had shifted their gaze to a few men walking in, dressed in military uniform.

The leader of the group was a bona fide King of War, who carried one star on his shoulder.

His imposing aura had everyone speechless.

“A quick introduction. I served at the Eastern War Zone, code-named Azure Dragon. I’m the God of War’s right-hand man!”

Azure Dragon scanned the area domineeringly.

Aaron and his family shuddered in fear when they saw this scene.

“Man, this God of War is too scary! Even his right-hand man is the King of War!”

“Indeed! The God of War is Erudia’s first war God with five stars!”

Caitlyn was so anxious that she was about to cry. “We should have at least brought something. What will happen to us if he thinks we are disrespecting him?”

“Azure Dragon, may I ask when is the God of War arriving?” Jesse asked.

Azure Dragon smiled. “Truth be told, the God of War is already in our midst right now. He tends to keep a low profile and hardly ever attends such events. It’s beyond my expectation that he actually came.”

His words brought on a storm as people looked around frantically in search of this man.

“Stop searching,” Azure Dragon said sternly. “But keep in mind that the God of War has your every word and action in check. I will act as the mediator today. You can find me if there’s anything you need.”

“Well, isn’t this a hint?” Aaron whispered upon hearing this.

And the rest seemed to have understood his meaning as well.

“North Hampton Winston Gonzales presents the God of War with a pair of Legendary Pearl!”

“North Hampton Evergreen Chamber of Commerce presents the God of War with a two-hundred-year-old wild ginseng!”

“North Hampton Apocalypse Club presents the God of War with a McLaren P1!”

…

Everyone at the venue rushed to the front to present their extravagant gifts, in which mansions were also on the list.

Seeing them presenting their gifts one after another, Aaron and Caitlyn bowed their heads in utter embarrassment.

Even Zoey wanted to make a run for the exit.

On the stage, Azure Dragon looked at the mountain of gifts piled up before him. His expression turning colder by the minute.

“What do you mean by doing this?”

Azure Dragon’s voice shocked the audience.

Even Jesse, the governor of North Hampton, held his tongue.

Everyone looked at Azure Dragon, not quite understanding what he meant.

“Are you insulting the God of War?”

“No, no. Absolutely not.”

Azure Dragon’s words scared the life out of everyone.

“Mark my words! This is what the God of War hates the most! Don’t use your tricks on the God of War! By doing so, you’re only looking down on him!” Azure Dragon reproached, and everyone understood at once.

Is the God of War short of money?

Not at all!

The God of War has unparalleled wealth and power!

“Please hold your anger, Azure Dragon! We were in the wrong!”

Azure Dragon glanced at the crowd. “Did anyone not give a gift just now?”

Everyone looked at each other and found that there was no one who didn’t present their gifts.

“Dad, raise your hand! This is your chance!” Levi reminded.

Zoey and her parents had been listening. They were relieved to hear that the other party didn’t like receiving gifts. Even so, they weren’t audacious enough to raise their hands.

“Zoey, raise your hand if you trust me. It’s definitely a good thing!”

Zoey raised her hand, and everyone looked over.

Azure Dragon fixed his eyes on Zoey. “Good, very good! Your attitude is right to come empty-handed! That shows your respect for the God of War! Good job!”

Hearing the King of War’s compliments, Zoey and her parents stood up subconsciously, overwhelmed by the flattery and honor.

“What’s your name?” Azure Dragon asked.

“Nice to meet you, Azure Dragon. My name is Zoey Lopez. This is my father, Aaron…”

Zoey introduced her family courteously.

“Very good. I shall remember your names. I will give priority to you and your family for any good things in the future!” Azure Dragon pledged.

Everyone in the room was amazed, including Jesse.

Zoey and her parents expressed their gratitude in a fluster.

They never dreamed that such a blessing would fall into their laps.

Even at the end of the banquet, they felt like they were floating in the clouds.

“God, this is all real.”

Aaron even pocketed a few name cards from big bosses who had expressed their goodwill to him.

“You’re so lucky, young lady!” Caitlyn beamed.

Zoey looked at Levi. “Mom, it’s all thanks to Levi! He expected that the God of War doesn’t like gifts and encouraged me to raise my hand. I wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t for him!”

“Levi has really knocked our socks off tonight!”

“Indeed. Do we even have the chance to attend this banquet if it wasn’t for him?”

Aaron and Caitlyn’s impression of Levi changed for the better.

“That’s your luck,” Levi said. “I just asked a friend to get us a few invitations, that’s all.”

Right then, Zoey regarded Levi with a rather different look.

It’s as if everything was within his control tonight, as if he’d solved everything with just his words.

Could it be that he has some influential background?

Maybe he’s behind all this today?

But how is it possible? He was imprisoned for six years!

Zoey dismissed that idea soon after.

It had been a long and thrilling night, but fortunately enough, it was a happy ending.

Aaron and Caitlyn felt dizzy with excitement now that they had redeemed and especially proven themselves to the Lopez family.

However, Harry called just then, and it was Aaron who picked up the call.

“You and Zoey don’t have to go to work from tomorrow onwards!”

“What?”

Harry’s cold and merciless voice sounded from over the phone. “You guys have disappointed me so much. When will you pay back the 2.8 million you owe me?”

“Dad, I…”

“Well, since you can’t pay back, I’ll take back the company and get Samuel and Melanie to take over the business. You’re on your own!” Harry hung up.

Aaron’s phone fell to the ground with a thud.

After learning about what happened, Zoey and Caitlyn sobbed, hugging each other.

“What’s wrong?” Levi asked.

“Grandpa took back the company,” Zoey sniffed. “We’re unemployed now.”

“Hmph, they’ll regret this!”

Meanwhile, at the Lopez residence, Fabian asked gingerly after Harry hung up the phone, “Is it okay for us to do that? Levi doesn’t have any influential background, does he?”

“Dad, I’ve already asked around,” Henry said. “My friend’s former classmate works at the Municipal Water Conservancy Bureau, and he was there at the banquet. He said that Levi is just a nobody who relied on a friend to get inside. What’s more ridiculous, only their family didn’t bring any gifts. As if that wasn’t embarrassing enough, they even took it seriously when they heard that the God of War didn’t like receiving gifts.”

Everyone cracked up when they heard what happened.

Harry then let out a cold snort. “I must take back their company and make them jobless for disgracing me at Paradise Villa!”

He was simmering with anger because of the incident today.

It was Henry who hatched the plot to have Harry take back the company.

“That’s right. They’re a bunch of ungrateful buffoons who never treat Grandpa with respect!” Samuel chimed in. “I swear I’ll make their life miserable!”

Harry looked at Samuel, his face full of anticipation. “The Lopez family depends on you now, Samuel. I don’t think we can make it to West City’s ecological park development project tomorrow, but it’s okay. You have to work harder, Samuel, and get us more projects through your connections.”

“Don’t worry, Grandpa,” Samuel replied.

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 9​

That night, Zoey barely slept a wink.
“Don’t dwell on it too much and go to sleep,” Levi comforted. “Harry will come to you in person and ask you to go back to support the business.”

Zoey glared at him. “You think Grandpa will come to me in person? Please, I would thank the heavens if Dad and I can get our jobs back.”
“Don’t worry. I meant what I said. Harry will ask you to go back!”
Levi turned around, went to the balcony, and made a call. “Azure Dragon, put Nielsen on the line…”
The next morning, Harry woke up to a call from the Ministry of Construction, inviting the Lopez family to attend the bidding for the ecological park development project.

It was a pleasant surprise, as Harry didn’t expect to have the chance to take part in the bidding given their qualifications.
Harry quickly gathered the Lopez family in the living room. “I heard before that someone is preparing to take part in the bidding. Who was it again?”
“Dad, it’s Zoey!” Henry answered instantly. “She’d drafted a detailed proposal. But how could she take part in the bidding with her family’s ability?”
Harry stroked his chin. “So you’re saying Zoey has a detailed proposal, and we can take part in the bidding with that proposal?”
“Yeah! Zoey is still competent!”
“Where’s Shaun? Hurry over to Aaron’s and get that proposal! Who would have thought that this bunch of trash would still be useful!”
…
In the meantime, Levi, Zoey, and her parents were having breakfast in silence when a knock was heard on the door.
To their surprise, it was Shaun.
Shaun appraised the house with a glance. “You guys are living here in this dumpster? Is this even a hundred and fifty square meters?”
“What are you doing here?” Aaron asked, clearly displeased at him interrupting their peaceful morning.
“I’m here to get the proposal for the ecological park development project. The Ministry of Construction has informed us that we are going to take part in the bidding,” Shaun said.
“No way!” Zoey turned him down flat. “I drafted this proposal myself. Do it yourself if you’re going to bid for this project. This has nothing to do with me. Besides, I was fired.”
Shaun glowered at her. “Fine. I’ll let Grandpa talk to you!”
At that, he handed his mobile phone to Zoey.
“What’s going on with you, Zoey? Aren’t you going to hand over the proposal? Do you not acknowledge me as your Grandpa?” Harry’s angry voice echoed as soon as Zoey answered the phone.
Zoey welled up in tears. “You fired me, Grandpa. What do you need my proposal for? I won’t yield!”
“Hmph, what do you mean? If you don’t hand over the proposal, the Lopez family will break off all relations with you lot today!”
Zoey was all tears upon hearing that.
Levi rose to his feet. He rummaged for the proposal and handed it over to Shaun before consoling Zoey.
“Now, that’s more like it.”
Shaun looked at this family with ridicule written all over his face.
Meanwhile, Zoey and her parents looked disappointed when they saw Levi handed over the proposal.
Isn’t that a cowardly move?
What’s the use of having such a husband?
“Why did you give him the proposal?” Zoey questioned.
“Listen to me. Harry will definitely ask you to go back,” Levi asserted. “We need to go somewhere today.”
“How can I trust you like this?” Zoey raised her voice.
“You guys shall get a divorce if Dad remains silent!” Aaron added crossly.
“Deal!” Levi agreed.
On the other side, after securing the proposal, Samuel and Melanie were entrusted with the important task of taking over Zoey’s company, Imperial Meadows Limited.
Thereafter, they headed straight to the office building responsible for the ecological park project, where there was already a long queue when they arrived.
Thinking that all the Lopez family’s property would belong to him in the future, Samuel’s breathing hastened.
After waiting for one hour, it was finally Samuel’s turn.
Samuel was about to give a long-winded introduction of himself as soon as he entered the office with Melanie when the person sitting at the opposite piped up, “The Lopez family?”
“Yes, that’s right!” Samuel answered quickly in a dazed.
Melanie immediately handed over a stack of papers. “This is our project proposal! Please have a look!”
North Hampton Ministry of Construction was responsible for the approval and decision of this project. The person in charge on-site was Orlando Jennings, the leader of the Ministry of Construction management.
“Why didn’t Ms. Zoey or Mr. Aaron come?” Orlando asked straightforwardly, putting the Lopez family’s proposal under his hands.
“I beg your pardon?”
The question stunned both Samuel and Melanie.
“Allow me to introduce myself, Mr. Jennings. My name is Samuel, Samuel Robertson. I’m the key person in charge of this project of Lopez Group. As for Zoey and Aaron, they have been fired from Lopez Group. May I know why are you asking for them, Mr. Jennings?” Samuel asked curiously.
Hearing that, Orlando nodded with relief. “Oh, is that so? Alright then. You may leave now. The Lopez family is hereby disqualified from participating in the bidding for this development project.”
With that, Orlando pushed the proposal to the front, leaving Samuel and Melanie slack-jawed.
“M-Mr. Jennings, what do you mean?” Samuel faltered.
“Are you saying that this has something to do with Zoey, Mr. Jennings?” Melanie asked.
“Yes, that’s right. After inspections by the leaders, they have discovered that Lopez Group is a very suitable candidate for this project, especially Ms. Zoey’s Imperial Meadows Limited. Hence, it was decided tentatively to have Lopez Group’s Imperial Meadows Limited take on this project. But since Ms. Zoey has been fired, the Lopez family has no business in this matter any longer. We’ll have to choose again,” Orlando explained patiently.
Though it was said to be a preliminary tentative decision, the final decision had been made, and everyone knew what it meant.
“Mr. Jennings, Zoey may have been fired, but we took over Imperial Meadows Limited. You’re right to choose us. These are some documents regarding the takeover,” Samuel said, handing over a pile of documents excitedly. “Imperial Meadows is our responsibility, Mr. Jennings!”
Unexpectedly, Orlando slapped his hand away, scattering the documents all over the place.
“Scram! Don’t you understand a word that comes out of my mouth? I want Ms. Zoey to present me with her proposal. No one else from the Lopez family can replace her! We want to authorize this project to Ms. Zoey and Ms. Zoey only! Do you understand?” Orlando said, pointing at Samuel’s nose.
“Why does it have to be Zoey, Mr. Jennings?” Melanie asked sheepishly. “I’m Melanie Lopez, Zoey’s sister. I’ve studied abroad, and I’m much more capable than Zoey in many aspects. I can handle this project just as well, Mr. Jennings!”
Samuel nodded. “Yeah, Melanie is capable! So much more capable than Zoey!”
“Leave now!” Orlando threw the proposal on the table to the ground. “I’m telling you, unless Ms. Zoey comes in person tomorrow at eight o’clock sharp, the Lopez family will not have the qualification to compete in this project, and I will strike the Lopez family’s name off the list!”
“Get out now before I call the security!”
Orlando’s secretary pushed and shoved them out.
It was only then they realized the reason the project was designated to the Lopez family was not because of the Lopez family’s strength but because of Zoey.
“What did the little b***h, Zoey did to be given such a huge project?” Melanie was surprised.
“No wonder the Ministry of Construction called and invited the Lopez family to take part in the bidding! It’s because of Zoey,” Samuel stated the obvious.
As soon as they returned to the Lopez residence, Harry asked, “Samuel, how was it? Did we pass the preliminary selection?”
Samuel wore a gloomy expression. “Melanie, tell Grandpa!”
Melanie told the facts just as they had happened.
“What? It has to be Zoey?” Harry was astounded.
“Yeah, Mr. Jennings has hinted that this project will be assigned to Imperial Meadows Limited, but it has to be Zoey to seal the deal! We almost offended them,” Samuel said.
Thereafter, Harry sent Henry and Fabian to negotiate, but both of them were kicked out as well.
After thinking about it, Harry finally said, “Then go look for Zoey now! Restore her position and secure this project first!”
“Please hurry, Grandpa,” Samuel urged. “If they don’t see Zoey at eight tomorrow, they’ll give this project to someone else.”

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 10​

This time, not only Shaun but Samuel and Melanie also followed.
“What are you guys doing here?”

Aaron was furious to see the three of them, but he didn’t expect them to be so polite.
“Uncle Aaron, Aunt Caitlyn, where’s Zoey?”
They were carrying all kinds of gift boxes in their hands, which made Aaron and Caitlyn even more puzzled.
“Zoey? She’s not at home,” Caitlyn said.

Melanie grinned. “Where did she go, Aunt Caitlyn?”
Caitlyn shook her head. “No idea. She went out with Levi early in the morning.”
“Oh, okay, Uncle Aaron, Aunt Caitlyn. Please give us a call when Zoey comes back. We’ll be off then.”
Aaron and Caitlyn were all the more bewildered when the three of them left.
“What are they up to? Even giving us gifts? Are they sucking up to us?”
“Don’t tell me that Levi’s words actually came true?” Caitlyn mused. “It seems that I’m unable to see through him anymore.”
At this time, Levi and Zoey were wandering about aimlessly at their alma mater.
At Levi’s suggestion, Zoey had turned off her phone.
It was already evening when Samuel and the others exited the Lopez residence.
They didn’t go far. In fact, they were waiting in front of Zoey’s neighborhood.
After waiting for three hours, Levi and Zoey had yet to return.
Harry had also checked in on them several times.
“Where the hell is she? Call Zoey now!”
Samuel grew impatient as he smoked one cigarette after another.
Right that instant, Melanie dialed Zoey’s number.
“The number you have dialed is currently unavailable…”
Her expression stiffened upon hearing the automated message.
“She turned off her phone…”
“What? Is she doing this on purpose?” Samuel spat with sudden fury.
Shaun also tried to call, and sure enough, her phone was off.
“But Zoey doesn’t know what’s going on. Isn’t this too much of a coincidence? Why did she turn off her phone?” Melanie said in surprise.
“Oh yeah, who knows Levi’s number? He’s with Zoey right now,” Samuel asked.
“I don’t.”
“Let me ask Uncle Aaron and Aunt Caitlyn.”
After asking, Melanie shook her head in dismay. “He just came back the day before yesterday, so they don’t know his number too.”
“F**k!”
Samuel lost his temper.
Right then, Harry called to inquire again.
Samuel passed the phone directly to Melanie.
“We don’t know where Zoey is, Grandpa. They left home early in the morning. Her phone has been switched off, and no one knows Levi’s number. Even Uncle Aaron and Aunt Caitlyn have no clue.”
Hearing this, Harry was more anxious than anyone else.
The Lopez family’s social status would increase tenfold if we secured this project.
“Then keep searching! I want this settled by tomorrow morning!”
Harry mobilized every connection of the Lopez family to look for Zoey and Levi in North Hampton, including Zoey’s classmates, friends, and colleagues.
However, Zoey’s whereabouts were not known at all.
“Do you guys think Zoey has left North Hampton?” someone said.
Harry was so frightened that he almost had a heart attack.
He glared at Henry and huffed. “You wastrel! It’s all your fault for coming up with that stupid idea! Why did we fire them and took back their company? Just how much will we lose if we can’t find Zoey by tomorrow? More than a billion?”
Henry’s heart lurched. “Dad, I didn’t know things will turn out like this. Who could have ever thought that Zoey is the key! Why did the Ministry of Construction set their minds on Zoey in the first place?”
“Hurry up and find her! If you can’t find her by eight tomorrow morning, I’ll take back your company as well! You and your family won’t get a single cent!”
“Dad, I’ll get to it right away!”
Henry almost wet his pants upon hearing his father’s threat.
“What are you guys still doing here?” Harry glared at Fabian and the rest. “Get searching! Unless you want to see a billion goes down the drain!”
“We’re on it!”
That night, the entire Lopez family didn’t rest and had been looking high and low for Levi and Zoey.
By this time, the both of them had long since gone to bed at a hotel.
Zoey was so exhausted from walking all day that she fell asleep right away without even turning on her phone.
Everyone had been calling and searching for Zoey all night, but to no avail.
It was almost dawn, and Harry’s heart could barely take it anymore.
“If we missed out on this project, I’m taking three times more of each family’s dividends this year! And Henry, I’ll be taking back your company. Do whatever you want, you incompetent punks!” Harry chided, slamming the table.
Henry paled and said in a low voice, “Dad, maybe they went out to play, and their phones died. They’ll turn it back on once it’s charged.”
“You think I’m a child? This wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for you!”
Saying that, Harry gave Henry a tight slap.
“Okay, it’s almost seven now. They should have charged and turned on their phones by now, yes? Try calling them now!”
Henry trembled as he dialed Zoey’s number, and to his surprise, the call went through.
“Hey, are you crazy for calling at this hour?”
It was Levi who answered the phone.
Everyone was astounded and ecstatically happy at this moment.
“Levi, it’s me, Uncle Henry!” Henry said immediately.
“Oh, Henry. Why did you call? Are you insane?”
Henry was about to explode when he heard that, but he kept his cool. “Levi, where’s Zoey? Put her on the line. I have something important to tell her.”
“She’s still sleeping. Just tell me if there’s anything important,” Levi rejected directly.
Henry tittered nervously. “Levi, it was a mistake to take back Imperial Meadows and fire Zoey. We decided to recall Zoey and let her take over Imperial Meadows Limited again. Come to the Lopez family mansion with Zoey now. Your Grandpa is asking for the both of you!”
“Oh? Reinstatement, eh? No thanks. Zoey has got a new job,” Levi said before hanging up immediately.
“I’m going to kill this bastard!” Henry exploded.
“You idiot! Call them again and asked for their whereabouts!”
Harry gave Henry another slap.
“Okay, okay.”
Henry called again. “Levi, I know we’re in the wrong! This was a mistake on our end. I swear there will be no next time. Give me your address, and I’ll go pick you guys up, okay?”
“What do you think you’re doing? Do you think you can just fire and reinstate someone as you please? Zoey is not a tool for you to mess around with!” Levi snapped.
“You guys can ask for anything as long as Zoey comes back,” Henry said promptly. “Salary is not a problem!”
“Fine, this is what’s going to happen. You want Zoey back? Sure, but whoever fired her in the first place shall be the one to invite her back!”
“It was me! I’ll be the one to invite her back!” Henry said.
“No, you don’t have the right to do that. It was Harry who fired her. Get Harry to come in person! Otherwise, Zoey is never going back!”
Levi was adamant.
Rage nearly consumed Harry when he heard this.
“What? You want me to invite that lass back in person? Are you courting death, Levi?”
At this moment, he could feel nothing but humiliation.

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 11​

In actual fact, Zoey had been awake for a long time now, but she didn’t make a sound.
She looked at Levi wonderingly.

He was right.
The Lopez family really wants me back.
But why?
Zoey’s heart leaped into her throat when she heard Levi requesting Harry to come pick her up in person.

Harry had always been high and mighty. Never in a million years would he accept Levi’s proposal. Levi was just provoking him by having him personally invite her back.
“Fine. Forget it if Harry refuses to come! Bye!”
Levi hung up.
“Are you crazy?” Zoey nudged him. “How could you ask Grandpa to come and get me? I say we go back on our own and forget about everything. There seems to be something very serious going on based on their tone.”
“Don’t. Just wait. Three, two, one…”
Sure enough, Zoey’s phone rang as soon as Levi finished counting down.
“Dad has agreed to go pick you guys up,” Henry’s helpless voice sounded. “Now give me your address!”
“University City’s Borrman Hotel!”
“And your room number?”
“You don’t need to know that. We’ll go down on our own when Harry arrives,” Levi said.
This was to prevent Harry from not coming.
“Huh? Is Grandpa really coming?”
Having been living in Harry’s shadows since she was a child, Zoey was frightened down to the soles of her shoes.
“What are you nervous for? He’s here to invite you back,” Levi said with a smile on his face.
Zoey was so terrified that she had forgotten Levi’s predictions from before—Harry will invite you back in person.
About half an hour later, a Mercedes Benz came to a halt in front of the hotel with Harry appearing in their line of sight.
“Come on. Let’s go down.”
Zoey was still trembling as she grabbed Levi’s arm, not letting go.
When Harry saw Zoey, he subconsciously yelled, “Zoey, you… Oh, get in the car! Grandpa has something important to discuss with you!”
Zoey was dumbfounded to see the pleasant smile on Harry’s face.
When did Grandpa ever smile at me?
In the car, Harry started, “I’ll get down to business, okay, Zoey? Haven’t you been working on West City Ecological Park development project before this? Well, now’s your chance. Mr. Jennings from the Ministry of Construction asked for you to submit the proposal and elaborate the plans to them.”
“You must do your best! I believe you can do this!”
And so, a few minutes before eight, a confused Zoey and Levi arrived at the office building responsible for this project.
“Ms. Lopez, you’re here,” Orlando greeted, shooting up to his feet and went up to welcome them. “Would Ms. Lopez and this gentleman like tea or coffee?”
“Tea for me and coffee for her,” Levi said curtly as he sat down graciously.
Zoey, however, was completely dumbstruck.
He’s Mr. Jennings! The person in charge of management for the Ministry of Construction!
Even Joseph Garrison has to bow down to him when he sees him.
Why is he so courteous to me?
“Did you hear that? Now go and make the arrangements,” Orlando said to his secretary.
“Ms. Lopez, please, have a seat,” Orlando said respectfully to Zoey.
“Come on. Sit,” Levi said, seeing that she was transfixed, he pulled Zoey to sit beside him.
Soon, the coffee and tea were served.
Zoey lifted her cup with both hands, still shaking while Levi crossed his legs, flaunting the bearing of a tyrant.
Orlando stood before them like a server, reverent and respectful.
He didn’t even dare to glimpse at Levi.
He’s that legendary man!
Taking in a deep breath, Zoey stood up and handed over the proposal. “M-Mr. Jennings, I’m Zoey Lopez. Nice to meet you. This is my proposal! Please have a look!”
Orlando chuckled. “Your ability speaks for itself, Ms. Lopez. We can leave the proposal aside. You have our full confidence.”
Cough…
When Orlando’s eyes met Levi’s terrifying ones, he quickly took over the proposal and studied it with a few other project leaders, with Zoey explaining at the side.
About half an hour later, Orlando got up and said with a smile, “We were right about you, Ms. Lopez! It’s perfect! The plan is ninety-five out of a hundred! After revising some details from our end, it’s perfect now.”
“Does that mean we got the job?” Levi asked.
Orlando nodded. “We received thirty-three bidding documents from the preliminary selection, and so far Ms. Lopez has the highest score! We have inspected Imperial Meadows Limited and Lopez Group’s capabilities before this, and you guys are basically qualified to take on this project! Now we just have to go with the flow and sign the contract three days later.”
Zoey knew it was all cut and dried!
Levi got up, pulled Zoey away and said passingly, “Thank you…”
“What? No, no. This is what we should do!”
Hearing Levi’s words of gratitude, Orlando was so scared that he almost got down on his knees.
Even after coming outside, Zoey still felt as if she was dreaming.
“Zoey, how was it?” Harry and a dozen others gathered around her.
“Grandpa, we passed the preliminary selection and my score was the highest, ninety-five! Mr. Jennings asked me to drop by three days later to sign the contract. I… We will be responsible for the development of this project. But they are still going through the process, so we have to keep it a secret!”
Zoey originally wanted to say that she would work on this project on her own, but seeing Harry, she instinctively changed her tone.
“Very good! I’m so proud of you, Zoey! You’re the Lopez family’s hero!”
Harry was excited, and so were the others.
After all, it was a major project of one billion.
For as long as Zoey could remember, Harry had only complimented her twice.
The first time was when she married Levi, an upstart six years ago.
And the compliment this time felt surreal to her.
“Zoey, are you sure we’re getting this project and all we have to do is sign the contract three days later?” Harry asked again, still feeling a little unsettled.
Zoey nodded. “Yes, Grandpa. I’m sure!”
“Okay, that’s a load off my mind!”
Harry heaved a sigh of relief.
Thereafter, Levi, Zoey, and the Lopez family dispersed and returned home, respectively.
“That was so unexpected, Dad!” Henry chortled. “We really got the job! I’ve asked my friend to ask Mr. Jennings’ secretary about it, and it’s true!”
Harry’s face was glowing. “Yes, it’s a great joy for the Lopez family.”
“Grandpa,” Samuel said, after hesitating for a long time. “Are you really going to give Zoey full authority to handle this project? I’m afraid that with Levi’s wild ambition, this project will have nothing to do with us when the time comes.”
Harry laughed. “Oh, Samuel, I’ve thought about that! Didn’t you hear me just now? Now that the project is ours and all we need is to sign the contract three days later, Zoey has no more use-value for us. Besides, can her small Imperial Meadows Limited develop a project of one billion?”
“So, you guys will go and sign the contract three days later! I only gave Zoey a nominal position. I don’t intend on having her take part in the development of this project.”
Samuel laughed sinisterly. “That’s a sick move, Grandpa!”

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 12​

Back home, Aaron and Caitlyn looked at Levi incredulously. “You were right. Dad really came to invite Zoey in person.”
“Dad, it seems you’ve lost this bet,” Levi said, smiling.

“But how could this project fall into our hands? There are so many stronger companies out there. Why would they choose us?” Aaron pondered out loud.
“Yeah, why did they insist on having me sign the contract?” Zoey blinked, waiting for Levi’s explanation.
She couldn’t help but think that Levi was behind all this. It was as if every word he said would come true.
“Don’t you guys remember what Azure Dragon said at the banquet that night?” Levi asked.

“I get it now!” Aaron said immediately. “It was all Azure Dragon’s intentions! A big shot sure does honor his promises! I mean, who else do you guys think could order Mr. Jennings around?”
Zoey smiled bashfully. “I thought Azure Dragon was just making a casual remark.”
“The words of a big shot must be fulfilled!” Levi beamed.
“Gosh, my family is about to go through the roof once we take over this project! Cook your best dish, Caitlyn. It’s a celebration,” Aaron said.
Perhaps it was because of their good mood, Levi looked much more pleasing to the couple’s eyes.
“Don’t worry about finding a job, Levi,” Zoey said. “Just stay with me.”
“Sure. I’ll make sure to assist you well.”
Three days later, Levi and Zoey suited up, ready to go over and sign the contract.
“Levi, I think I should give Grandpa a heads-up. They’re very concerned about this after all,” Zoey said.
“I don’t think that’s necessary. This is none of their business, anyway,” Levi said.
“Still, I think I should give them a call.”
Zoey dialed Harry’s number.
“What’s the matter, Zoey?”
“Grandpa, I’m just giving you a heads-up that we’re going to sign the contract now.”
“Oh, that, your sister and Samuel are already on their way there, so you don’t have to go. Don’t worry. They’re going to sign on your behalf! Just leave this matter alone and go to work at Imperial Meadows in peace,” Harry said, hanging up soon after.
Zoey was so startled that she almost dropped her phone.
“What is it?”
“Grandpa said that this matter has nothing to do with me and someone has already gone to sign the contract on my behalf,” Zoey sniveled.
Levi’s blood boiled upon hearing that.
The Lopez family is just as shameless as the Garrison family!
“Don’t worry. No one can take away what belongs to you,” Levi said in a low voice.
He turned around and drafted a message, sending it directly to the leader of the Ministry of Construction.
Meanwhile, a dozen of entrepreneurs had gathered at the bidding site, waiting for the announcements of the result.
Ultimately, it was Carlos Wayland, the deputy leader of the Ministry of Construction, who made the announcement.
“I hereby announce that the West City Ecological Park project will be developed by Imperial Meadows Limited of Lopez Group!”
The audience burst into an uproar at Carlos’ announcement.
No one could understand the logic behind Imperial Meadows’ victory.
Samuel, Melanie, and the others who went as representatives of Imperial Meadows rose to their feet and accepted the congratulations from the people around them.
“May we have the representative of Imperial Meadows Limited come to the backstage to sign the contract?”
The person who was ultimately responsible for the signing of the contract was still Orlando Jennings.
The deputy team leader only came to announce the result.
“Hmm? Where’s Ms. Zoey?”
Orlando looked up at the few of them with disgust in his eyes.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you again, Mr. Jennings,” Samuel greeted. “Zoey currently has too much on her plate, so she has sent us to sign the contract on her behalf instead.”
“Besides, the result of the bidding has been made and we’re set on taking on the project. What’s the difference between who should sign and who shouldn’t, Mr. Jennings?” Melanie chipped in.
“Oh, there’s a huge difference, my friend,” Orlando snickered. “Let me ask you a question, for example, if you’re here on behalf of Ms. Zoey to sign the contract, will you be signing her name or someone else’s name?”
“I…” Melanie was stumped.
Surely, they weren’t intending to sign Zoey’s name, but Harry’s.
Wouldn’t Zoey become the sole possessor of the project if they signed her name?
“By the way, Mr. Jennings,” Shaun added. “You may not be aware of this, although the Lopez Group has many subsidiaries, the president is Mr. Harry Lopez, who has absolute control of all companies. This time the contract will be signed under Mr. Harry’s name, and Zoey has also agreed to this.”
Orlando shook his head. “That won’t do! We’ve appointed Zoey Lopez to oversee this project. I don’t know who’s this Harry Lopez that you speak of. But since you people have said so, I’ll give Ms. Zoey a call. If she agrees, I’ll approve it on my side as well.”
The trio became flustered at once, knowing that Zoey had been kept in the dark and never agreed to this.
“Ms. Zoey, may I ask if you consented for someone else to sign the contract on your behalf and with Mr. Harry’s name at that?” Orlando asked straightforwardly once the call connected.
Upon hearing that, it dawned on Zoey that the project would have nothing to do with her from now on if she gave her consent, and if she didn’t, she supposed her grandfather would hate her for life. It was a decision she had to make between interests and her grandfather.
“I… I a…”
Zoey hesitated for a long time and was about to agree when Levi seized her phone.
“No! They didn’t even call! What’s going on? Worse comes to worst, we’ll just give up on this project. Just give it to whoever wants it,” Levi said.
Hanging up, Orlando gave Samuel and his companions a death stare, his face gloomy.
Realizing the graveness of this matter, they lowered their heads and dared not look at Orlando.
“I’d made myself very clear, didn’t I? This project has to be accomplished by Ms. Zoey from beginning to the end! No one else can replace her! If you insist on this, I can only replace someone else! There are so many people who can handle this project.”
“Listen, if you want this project, get Ms. Zoey to come and sign the contract now! Otherwise, we’ll take it as you’ve forfeited!”
Hearing Orlando’s words, the three of them ran like the wind.
“What? It has to be Zoey? I thought anyone could sign the contract!”
Harry was flabbergasted when he learned about it.
“Dad, what should we do now?” Henry asked. “Do we really have to let Zoey take over this project?”
“There’s no other way. But even after Zoey takes over, most of the profits will still be in our hands. Zoey is still obedient to me; we’ll just give them a little something when the time comes. After all, her small Imperial Meadows Limited can’t afford to work on this project by themselves. They’ll need our help,” Harry said.
“But Grandpa, how are we going to get Zoey to sign the contract? This has happened for the second time now,” someone asked.
“Hmph, I’ll go pick her up myself,” Harry sneered. “I won’t take no for an answer. Give her a call first!”
After the call went through, it was Levi who answered. “Huh? You guys don’t have to come. We’re busy.”
At that, Levi hung up directly.

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 13​

Everyone in the Lopez family was baffled.
Zoey would have agreed, but with Levi around her, they weren’t so sure about that.

“What do we do now? Who knows if Zoey disappeared with Levi again. If we don’t find them by afternoon, Mr. Jennings will consider us to have voluntarily given up on the project,” Samuel said anxiously.
“Hmph, she’s threatening me! Even going as far as to give me terms!” Harry retorted, then made a call. “What’s the meaning of this, Levi? You don’t want this project anymore?”
“That’s right, it has nothing to do with me, anyway! Weren’t you guys trying to lay Zoey off? We might as well leave this project alone,” Levi retaliated.
“Levi, Grandpa has no other meaning,” Harry toned down. “Come and sign the contract with Zoey. In the future, Zoey will be in charge of this development project. That’s what Mr. Jennings wants too.”

“Well, I’m not so sure about that. I’m afraid that Zoey would be laid off at any time.”
“Name your conditions, Levi. How can I get Zoey to sign the contract?”
Harry was infuriated, but he couldn’t help it.
“Conditions? Number one, Imperial Meadows Limited will fully develop this project, and no other companies of Lopez Group shall be directly involved. Number two, Imperial Meadows Limited shall be separated from Lopez Group and become an independent company. But Zoey has agreed to hand over some parts of the development project to you. I mean, we should all make money together, right? As long as you agree to the conditions mentioned, I’ll bring Zoey over to sign the contract right away!”
Harry blew a gasket after Levi finished speaking.
Levi is getting Zoey to cut all ties with the Lopez family.
In other words, the Lopez family will have nothing to do with this project, and it depends on Zoey if we want to get a piece of the pie.
But at this critical juncture, we should sign the contract first.
I must have this project.
Harry drew in a deep breath. “Okay, I agree!”
“Verbal promises are not enough. We should go through the formalities immediately,” Levi said.
“You…”
How I wish I can skin him alive! He’s not giving me a chance to think.
“Fine. I’ll send someone to get it done!”
…
In just three hours, Harry had completed all the formalities.
Imperial Meadows Limited was completely separated from Lopez Group and became Zoey’s company.
“Okay, we’ll go and sign the contract now!”
Levi brought Zoey to the bidding site and successfully signed the contract with Orlando.
So I’m in charge of a major project of one billion?
From bankruptcy to taking on such a huge project…
Zoey didn’t dare to think too much about it.
With the contract signed, Harry and the others were overwhelmed with mixed feelings.
“Isn’t Levi being too ruthless? He’s burning all our bridges,” Henry said.
“The nerve of him! Can Zoey even handle this project alone? Can she even sign this contract if it wasn’t for the Lopez family?”
“Yeah, she’s monopolizing everything. I refuse to accept this!”
Shaun, Melanie and the others were upset.
“Don’t worry, you guys,” Fabian chuckled. “We can still get this project! Even if Imperial Meadows Limited has become independent, Dad still owns thirty percent of their shares. Besides, developing a one billion project is not something anyone can pull off. Every bit of human and financial resources is indispensable. It’s impossible for a small company like Imperial Meadows to handle this alone.”
“Yeah, Imperial Meadows Limited is almost bankrupt now, and they still owe Grandpa money,” Shaun said. “Where will they get the funds to work on this project?”
“Well, there’s no need to consider Levi; he’s just a piece of trash, and Zoey has no connections of sorts in North Hampton. They’ll have to beg us to invest in them when the time comes.”
“Hahaha…”
Henry smirked. “Dad, I think we should impose a little pressure on them and get back the 2.8 million first!”
Harry laughed heartily. “You’re the worst, Henry. But that should do it! Shaun, go over in a moment and ask for our money!”
…
Aaron and Caitlyn had been informed.
They were so excited that they specially prepared a meal and waited for Levi and Zoey to come back.
However, Zoey looked glum despite signing a big contract.
“Mom, Dad, we’ve completely offended Grandpa this time! I bet they’re going to hate us for life.”
“Just ignore them! Our status has been the lowest in the family all this while and your Grandpa doesn’t even care about us! This time, we must make a name for ourselves and prove it to him!” Aaron said.
“Yes, I must work hard!”
“Levi,” Aaron said. “Although you contributed nothing to this incident, our family seems to be doing well after you come back. Come, let’s have a drink!”
Just as Aaron brought out a bottle of fine wine, Shaun arrived.
“Grandpa sent me here, Uncle Aaron! This is an IOU. Please return the 2.8 million that you owe us.”
Shaun’s statement hit Aaron and his family like a thunderbolt.
“Grandpa said that he’s going to make an appointment with a foreign specialist to seek medical advice, and he has no money now, so he can only ask you guys to pay him back,” Shaun added. “It’s a little urgent, so you must settle your debt in three days. Otherwise, Grandpa’s health will only deteriorate!”
Shaun left after he gave them the distressing news.
“What’s wrong?” Levi asked.
Zoey bit the bottom of her lips and said, “We’re doomed. There’s no money, not at the company nor at home! The company has just started operating again, and we don’t even have half a million in our account. As for the family, we almost couldn’t afford to pay my brother’s tuition fee.”
Zoey had a younger brother who was studying abroad and was still relying on the family for financial support.
“I knew it,” Aaron sighed. “Dad wouldn’t have let us off that easily. I knew he would drive us into a corner until we pay him back.”
Zoey’s face was drained of all color and animation. “It’s not just about paying them back, we also need funds for the development project. We don’t even have the initial funds to start the project. Investment is needed, but it’s difficult. The project may be shelved when the time comes and the other party might even terminate the contract!”
“You don’t say! We’ve been warned by the bank and we can’t even borrow a single cent now.”
Aaron was on the verge of tears.
After all that talking, it all boiled down to this—money!
They could have solved everything if they had the money, but a man without a penny was no man at all.
Besides, it wasn’t just a matter of a penny now, but 2.8 million!
“I’ve seen this coming,” Aaron continued. “Your Grandpa is tricking us into giving them this project by forcing us to borrow money from them and have them invest in us.”
“If there’s no other way, let’s just give it up and give it to Grandpa,” Zoey said helplessly. “Now that Imperial Meadows Limited is in our hands, let’s take it one step at a time!”
“Why should you give it up?” Levi spoke. “2.8 million is not a problem! Just leave it to me!”

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 14​

Everyone looked at Levi in bewilderment. “What? Leave it to you? You just got out of prison. Do you have the money?”
“I… I’ll come up with something.”

Levi had a card with him, but he didn’t know how much was inside.
“Don’t force yourself and do anything that is out of line! We’ll just let it go if things don’t work out,” Zoey said, looking at Levi worryingly, afraid he would do something extreme.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it,” Levi replied, holding her hands.
The next day, Levi went out alone.

As soon as he arrived at the intersection, a Maybach came to a halt at the side.
Azure Dragon got down from the car and ushered Levi to get in.
“Any updates on the Garrison family? Is anyone coming to apologize?” Levi asked.
Azure Dragon shook his head. “Not one of them are repenting.”
A cold glint flashed across Levi’s eyes. “It’s time to show them a little something.”
Arriving at the bank, Levi withdrew five million cash in one go.
The staff at the bank looked at him, appalled, and was especially horrified to see the man in military uniform standing next to him.
That’s the King of War!
Hans, the general manager of North Hampton Bank’s head office, came to serve in person.
In the end, he and Hailey, a tall woman with a pleasant-looking face, helped to carry the briefcases of cash from the VIP passageway.
Hailey couldn’t help but steal a second glance at Levi, who seemed familiar to her.
“His identity is so intimidating, even our chief almost ran over here.”
After sending them off, Hans drew in a deep breath.
“Who was that, Mr. Lowery?” Hailey asked curiously. “Is the one next to him in a military uniform someone famous?”
“That person is a bona fide King of War! Having the King of War as his follower… Think about it,” Hans said lowly.
“Damn!” Hailey gasped in shock.
“So don’t mention about today and keep everything confidential.”
Hailey nodded. “Understood!”
“No matter who asks, just say it’s a loan, and forge a receipt or something.”
“Yes, sir!”
…
At night, when Levi returned home carrying five briefcases full of cash, Zoey and her parents were dumbfounded.
They counted them three times, and lo and behold, there were indeed five million.
“W-Where did you get so much money? Please don’t tell me it’s from the loan sharks.”
Zoey freaked out.
“What loan sharks! Don’t worry about it! Anyhow, I got the money, so use this to solve your urgent problem first,” Levi said.
“Yes, let’s solve this first,” Aaron concurred.
“But 2.8 million is enough! Why did you get five million?” Zoey asked in confusion.
“You’ll see when the time comes.”
…
Upon hearing the news that they were going to pay up, Henry came to collect the money himself.
“Damn, Aaron. That was fast,” Henry jeered. “You sure there’s 2.8 million? It must be hard on you. I’d thought you couldn’t afford to pay us back.”
Aaron glared at him. “That is none of your concern. Anyway, I’ve put together 2.8 million, and that settles our debt!”
“Who said it’s 2.8 million?” sneered Henry, changing the subject. “We need to take the many days of interest into account. Here’s the IOU. Including the interest, it should be about five million plus, but we’ll just charge you five million.”
“What? Five million? How is it five million? Even the loan sharks are not as demanding as you!”
Aaron and Zoey were thunderstruck.
“Dad lent it to us unconditionally back then,” Caitlyn said. “How can there be interest?”
“My dear Caitlyn, you are so naïve! Dad borrowed the money to help you, but we’re all entrepreneurs; let’s not bring familial affection into this matter. What can I do if you people didn’t read the IOU carefully?”
Zoey and Aaron took the IOU and calculated them, and indeed there was interest.
They finally knew why Levi had brought five million.
However, it was obvious that the IOU had been amended!
How cruel!
I can’t believe Grandpa is doing this to me!
Am I just an outsider to him?
Zoey teared up.
Aaron too was crestfallen.
Is he even my biological father?
How could he use such dirty tricks on us?
“What? You won’t admit it? Okay, fine! I’ll sue you then!” Henry sniggered.
“Why wouldn’t we?! Five million, right? Here, take it!”
Levi put five briefcases of cash in front of Henry.
After checking them, Henry and a few others were gobsmacked.
Its real money! And there’s exactly five million!
Levi recorded the scene and tore up the IOU.
“Where did you get five million?”
Henry was on the verge of doubting reality.
“That’s none of your business. Get lost!”
Levi chased them out.
At the Lopez residence, everyone was staring at the five million on the table with eyes and mouth wide agape.
“How did they get this money? Did they go all out to collect five million just to prevent us from touching that ten billion project?”
Fabian arrived just then.
“Dad, I’ve found out that Levi borrowed these five million! He seems to have some property that can be used as a collateral,” he said.
“Are you sure?” Harry asked seriously.
“I’m sure! The person in charge of this transaction was Ms. Hailey Stinson, the senior director of North Hampton Bank’s head office. I somehow managed to contact her, and she admitted herself it was a person named Levi Garrison who borrowed it. I’d spent a hundred thousand to get a copy of the invoice!”
After receiving the invoice, Harry confirmed it was true.
“Haha, borrowed? Let see how he’s going to pay it back.”
“The biggest question is, how are they going to work on this project? They would still have to come to us in the end!”
…
Zoey felt it was too surreal to solve such a big issue.
She was touched when she learned from the Lopez family that it was Levi who borrowed the money to settle their debts.
“We should bring in investments and start the project as soon as possible!”
“But that’s another big problem there. We’ll need lots of funds to develop this project.”
According to Zoey’s budget, a start-up capital of thirty million would be required and at least seventy million would be needed subsequently.
Aaron gave a low moan of despair. It was too difficult a task to accomplish.
“Do you have any idea?” asked Zoey, looking at Levi.
Levi smiled. “We’ll just look for big companies then. We’ll try door to door. This project is a gold mine! I’m sure many companies will be interested.”
Zoey nodded. “I know that, but I’m afraid they’ll ask for a lot in return once they agree. There will be many overlord terms!”
“There’s no harm in trying, right? You’ll never know if there’s someone who would invest with no strings attached if you don’t try,” Levi beamed.
“How is that possible?”
Zoey was deeply suspicious.

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 15​

If truth be told, it was a matter of Levi’s words regarding the investments.
“Oh yeah, don’t you worry,” said Zoey suddenly. “I’ll pay back the five million; hopefully we can reel in some investments as soon as possible.”

“There’s no need for that. Why are we even discussing this topic?”
Levi smiled.
“But you also have to pay back the money, no? How are you going to do that? You haven’t got any money.”
At that, Levi nodded.

“Once we earn enough money from this project, I’m planning to get a house. It’s inappropriate of us to stay with Mom and Dad,” Zoey added.
“Do you still remember our marital home?” asked Levi, remembering suddenly.
“I do. You designed that villa yourself, and it was perfect! What a waste,” Zoey sighed.
“I’m going to take back that villa,” Levi said.
“That villa belongs to the Garrison family now, Levi. Don’t do anything reckless. You can’t fight them,” Zoey persuaded.
“Don’t worry.”
Levi was determined to take back what the Garrison family took from him.
The next day, Zoey was busy looking for investment while Levi stayed home. He wanted to let Zoey run into a stone wall before making the necessary arrangements.
Aaron and Caitlyn looked at Levi who was smoking on the couch, their brows furrowed and they looked sullen.
“Put out the cigarette and come with me! I have something to tell you!” said Aaron coldly, glaring at Levi in revulsion.
Levi stubbed out his cigarette and followed suit.
“Dad, just fire away!”
Aaron’s brows knitted tightly together into a deep frown. “Are you not aware of our situation now?”
“I think we’re good.” Levi smiled. “We got the project and as long as we reel in some investments, Zoey and our future will be bright as day.”
“Yeah, and it’s because Zoey has a promising future, you’re at risk.”
“What?” Levi’s expression changed from delight to puzzlement.
“You should know that once this project is accomplished, Zoey’s net worth will increase by a few billion. She’ll gain a foothold in North Hampton in the future. Do you think you’ll still be worthy of her then?” Aaron said solemnly. “I’m not questioning your abilities, but you have to understand that you just came out of prison and things are different from six years ago. It won’t be easy to start a business again. The gap between you and Zoey will only grow.”
“That’s right,” Caitlyn agreed. “You’re lazing around and doing nothing all day! You don’t even have a decent job. Do you think you’re worthy of my daughter?”
“Exactly! Just imagine how humiliating will it be for Zoey if you’re still her husband by then.”
“We will find a proper time to discuss this with Zoey regarding your divorce! This is for the best, for both you and Zoey! Just prepare yourself,” Aaron sighed.
Levi chuckled. “Mom, Dad, is this what they mean by burning the bridges?”
“What do you mean, burning the bridges? Do you really think that it was you who secured this project? You only butt in a little. It’s because of Zoey’s ability that we got this project, okay?”
“Yeah. In simpler words, this matter has nothing to do with you!”
Levi could only give a half-suppressed laugh in this regard.
“Rest assured, Mom and Dad. I’ll make Zoey the happiest woman in the world!” Levi proclaimed.
Caitlyn glared at him. “And how do you intend to do that? You don’t even have a house! I could have believed when you had that big villa before, but now? You’re just a pauper with zilch! Not to mention you’re staying at my house! Aren’t you ashamed?”
“Just leave for a few days. I don’t want to see you for a while.”
“Yeah, Zoey has been busy recently, and she’s easily distracted when you’re around,” Aaron added on.
Having been kicked out of the house, Levi wasn’t angry.
This was what he owed Zoey.
Downstairs, a Rolls-Royce Phantom pulled over.
Azure Dragon got out of the car and greeted, “God of War, after you!”
Levi got into the car.
“Aaron, come, quick!” Caitlyn, who was watching through the window, suddenly shouted. “I think Levi just got into a luxury car.”
Aaron hurried over and saw a Rolls-Royce driving past his house.
“That’s a Rolls-Royce Phantom! The car owner must be a big shot! How could’ve Levi gotten into this kind of car?” Aaron said quickly.
“I just saw a figure from the back who looked a little like him. I guess I worried too much,” said Caitlyn with relief. “If he can afford to drive a Rolls-Royce, would we even be staying in this hundred square meters dumpster?”
Aaron snorted. “You’re still hoping on this gigolo?”
“Yes. I hope he starves to death.”
In the car, Azure Dragon asked, “Where to now, Sir?”
“To the Royal Villa!”
I must take back my villa!
“Sir, I’ve found out that the person living in your villa right now is Matthew Green! He’s the current general manager of Skyline Media under Garrison International!”
“He’s currently Ashton’s trusted aide! After betraying you, he immediately devoted himself to Ashton.”
Ashton was Levi’s Uncle, Jacob’s son. He had a reputation for being a man about town. And it was he who said that he wanted to marry Zoey at the banquet that day.
He had been coveting Zoey for a long time now.
Levi’s gaze went cold at the mention of Matthew.
He was once his trusted aide, his henchmen.
It was Levi who promoted him. If it hadn’t been for him, he would have committed fraud and gone to prison.
Levi could still remember that after his downfall, Matthew had become the Garrison family’s lackey who immediately contacted the media reporters to smear his name.
He had even forged a good deal of evidences of Levi’s ‘supposed’ crime and successfully sent him to prison.
Thinking about how Matthew once looked respectful before him, Levi found it ridiculous.
Very soon, he arrived at the Royal Villa.
Standing before the villa that he personally designed, rage bubbled just below the surface of his mind.
The nerve of him to stay at my marital home!
Die!
Upon noticing the two of them, the villa housekeeper came out and asked, “What are you people doing here and who are you looking for?”
Levi grinned. “I’m here to look at my house!”
“What? Your house? Are you sick in the head?”
“I’m telling you, the owner of this villa is Matthew Green, Mr. Green of Skyline Media!” the housekeeper sneered.
Levi tugged his lips into a wider grin. “Then did Matthew tell you who was the previous owner of the villa?”
“You think I care? I only know Mr. Green!”
Right at that moment, a Porsche Panamera pulled in.
The housekeeper immediately went to open the door.
Matthew, dressed in a suit, came down with a secretary supporting him at the side. The secretary, who was dressed in business attire, was hot. Her long legs wrapped in black stockings were especially attractive.
Seeing that they came back together, it was obvious they were up to some shenanigans.
“Who are these people?” Matthew asked, displeasure was written all over his face as he looked at the two people standing in front of the villa.
Levi slowly turned around. In the split second when their eyes met, Matthew got the shock of his life.
It just so happened that he had gone on a business trip during the Garrison family’s celebration banquet, so he didn’t meet Levi until today.
Meeting Levi right now, he could feel nothing but blind terror.
It differed from the rest of the Garrison family. Matthew had a psychological fear and awe for Levi.
Especially since he had done something despicable toward him; he couldn’t look Levi in the eye.
“Life seems good, eh, Mr. Green?” Levi asked with a smile on his face.
“W-W-What are you doing here?” Matthew asked, trembling.
“I’m here to have a look at my house!”
Levi sized up the villa.
“This villa has nothing to do with you now. So leave!” Matthew said, bracing himself and looking at Levi.
Levi smirked. “And if I don’t?”
Matthew’s secretary, Queena, glowered at Levi. “Who do you think you are? How dare you behave like a barbarian? Leave now! Or I’ll inform Mr. Ashton, and you’ll be sorry for this!”
At the mention of Ashton, Matthew suddenly got a newfound courage and he retort, “Levi Garrison, taking into consideration that you were my boss, I will not make things difficult for you. So please leave now!”
“Who do you think you are to make things difficult for me?” Levi disparaged.
“Why don’t you take a look at yourself in the mirror, Levi? You’re a nobody now! How dare you talk to Mr. Green like that?” Queena sneered. “Get down on your knees and crawl your way out!”

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 16​

“Slap them!”
Levi ordered softly.

Azure Dragon stepped up and gave a tight slap across Queena’s face.
His slap came with such shearing force that it knocked her off her feet and sent her flying almost eight meters away.
It ripped her flesh apart with deep cuts across her skin, and a few blood-stained teeth popped out from her mouth. Her hysterical screams filled the air, which sounded as if she was being butchered.
Matthew was stunned.

“D-Don’t you even dare lay a finger on me,” he quivered, “or I’ll call the security…”
Slap!
The slap from Azure Dragon came thick and fast, which made him see stars. Blood spurted out like a fountain from Matthew’s mouth. It almost knocked him out.
“P-Please don’t kill me….please don’t kill me…” Matthew shriveled and pleaded.
Gone was his usual shrewd and bossy demeanor when he was the big daddy of the corporate world. He was now just as powerless and utterly hopeless like a trapped animal!
“I want you to move out of the villa by eight o’clock tomorrow morning.” Levi ordered, “Or you’ll live to regret for not heeding my call.”
“This is my villa and I shan’t let anyone stain it and pollute the place.” Levi said with a cold spark in his eyes.
The villa had been the den of Matthew and his guys for the past six years. Levi dreaded to think what kind of filth they had brought with them to the villa – which was absolutely intolerable for someone like him, who had an obsession for cleanliness.
“What?” Matthew could not believe his ears.
What makes you think I’ll give you back the villa, you little rotten punk? You’re just someone who’s fresh out from prison!
Levi took off shortly after he had issued the final notice to Matthew.
Meanwhile, Matthew did not return home but headed straight for Ashton, taking his secretary along with him.
Oblivious to what had happened at the villa, Ashton was having a swinging good time at the club, tucking himself between a blonde on his left and a brunette on his right.
“Something terrible has happened, Mr. Garrison!” Matthew shouted as he dashed into the club, “It’s a disaster!”
He recounted what happened at the villa to Ashton, making it sound worse than it actually was.
“There’s nobody but you who can help me now, Mr. Garrison.” Matthew said piteously, “Look at how badly we’ve been beaten up by Levi.”
Indeed, the swollen faces and puffy eyes of Matthew and Queena resembled more like the faces of pigs than human, which threw Ashton into an instant rage.
“Levi, you son of a b****!” Aston gritted his teeth, “Who do you think you are? How dare you beat up my subordinate?”
He threw a bottle of beer to the floor, smashing it.
“What a useless piece of crap you are!” he glared at Matthew scornfully, “How could you let him trample all over you like this?”
“Mr. Garrison, he’s got someone with him who’s a real tough guy.” Matthew bemoaned, “He’d even warned he would kill the both of us if we don’t handover the villa tomorrow.”
“What’s the big deal? It’s just Levi.” Ashton huffed, “He’s just a nobody to me. Let’s see if he’s got the guts to harm me when I bring my men to the villa tomorrow.”
“It’d be safer to bring more men with you, Mr. Garrison.” Matthew advised, “I’m afraid you’d be outnumbered by Levi’s men at the villa tomorrow.”
“Oh yeah? How about I bring Trey along with me then?” Ashton’s eyes gleamed with bloodlust as he spoke.
“That would be a slam dunk!” Matthew said with renewed confidence, “Everybody knows what Trey is capable of. It’ll be just a piece of cake to him!”
Trey was the notorious gang leader in North Hampton with several hundred men under him, known for their brutality and savageness.
He had stained his hands with the blood of so many enemies that he had virtually lost count of the exact number.
Trey had a good relationship with Ashton over the years, rendering his services whenever Ashton needed help in one of his malls.
All Trey had to do was to send over his men armed with axes and knives. That would be enough to scare the hell out of anyone and make them pissed in their pants.
Meanwhile, Zoey had just returned home after a long day to find that Levi was not in the house.
“Mum, Dad, where’s Levi?”
“I have no idea,” Aaron shrugged without even looking up, “perhaps he has gone to look for a job?”
“Let me give him a call.”
Zoey was about to make the call when Aaron stopped her. “You should focus on your career instead of wasting your time on Levi, Zoey.” he advised, “He would only be a distraction to you if he hangs around in the house all the time.”
“What do you mean by that, Dad?” Zoey stared at her father incredulously.
“That’s true, Zoey.” Caitlyn chimed in, “Can’t you see you’re poised for something huge? You’re in an entirely different league now, and you mustn’t let him smear your name.”
“Dad, mum, how could you say such a thing?” Zoey chided her parents for being ungrateful, “You know I wouldn’t even stand a chance if it wasn’t for Levi who had given me the invitation card to the banquet. It was Levi who helped me bag the project!”
“I know he played a role in this project.” Aaron agreed, “But it was your ability and credentials that eventually won you the contract. It has nothing to do with him.”
“Levi could give me advise. I have no qualms about his ability.”
“So you’re just going to let him cling on to you like a parasite that gives you advise?” Aaron snorted, “There’s no way we’d let him stick around with you, unless he elevates his status to be on par with you.”
“Yes, that’s absolutely true!” Caitlyn nodded, “We’ll never agree to it if he stays in his current condition.”
“Argh! You guys are simply unreasonable!” Zoey shook her head irritably, “Forget about it, I’ll go look for him myself.”
Zoey knew that Levi must have been chased out of the house by her parents. She called up Levi and beckoned him to come back.
Soon Levi was back in the house and he followed Zoey to her room.
“Don’t be mad with my parents, Levi. All you need is a little time to work things out, which I’m sure would help you make your comeback in no time.” she offered her encouragement.
“What about your end?” Levi asked, “Any luck on roping in the investments you needed?”
“It’s frustrating.” Zoey sighed, “Everybody has their own demands. It’s impossible to please everyone!”
“Don’t worry. Let me come along with you.” Levi consoled her, “I’m sure we could make it happen.”
“By the way, can you come with me tomorrow, Zoey?” asked Levi, “I’d like to take you to a place.”
“Sure.”
The next morning, Levi brought Zoey to the villa. The time was exactly eight o’clock.
“I’ll be getting our villa back today, Zoey.” Levi said with conviction, “This is supposed to be our house after we’re married. There’s no way I’ll let someone else stay in our place!”
“Huh?” Zoey was at a loss.
“What nerve you have to show up today?” Matthew grinned with malice when he saw Levi and Zoey.
“Have you already moved out of the place?” Levi asked coldly, “I’m taking back my villa today.”
“Who the hell are you to take away the villa from Ashton Garrison? You must be out of your mind!” A high pitch voice pierced through the air like the shrills of a high-stung cat.
It was the voice of Ashton Garrison, who had brought with him a large group of men.
Immediately, they surrounded Levi and Zoey.
A middle-aged man donned in a classic suit stood beside Ashton. He was cradling in his hands two shining walnuts that gave out a clacking sound. The thick, long scar across his face was impossible to overlook. It exuded an aura of evil.
The man was Trey, the big daddy of North Hampton’s underground society.
Everybody was well aware of his merciless killings and the hundreds of men that worked under him. They would avoid him like the plague.
Trey had brought more than a hundred men with him to the villa today. This was what Matthew had wanted to see.
The ghastly look on the faces of these thugs gave Zoey the chills as she nestled herself closer to Levi.
Ashton was all too delighted to see Zoey at the scene. He leered at her with a lewd smile on his face.
He had set his eyes on her for some time now, and today would be just the perfect opportunity to pin her down. He planned to sleep with her once they had beaten up Levi and made him a cripple.
“What brings you here, Levi?” asked Ashton, in his usual smugness.
“I’m here to take back my villa.” Levi replied with a stony look.
“Your villa?” he screeched, “What makes you think this villa belongs to you, idiot? This is my villa and I’ve given it to Matthew.”
“I’ll never forget how you’ve put me to shame the last time when you pissed off my VIP.” Ashton stepped up and gave Levi a shove, “It’s payback time now, kiddo! I’m going to break all your limbs before I take her away and make her mine!”
“Let’s go now, Levi” Zoey pleaded, “We’re hardly their match.”
“Where do you think you’re going? It’s all too late now!” Ashton shrieked, “Do you think you’d get away from Trey and his men?”
Clack! Clack! Clack!
More than a hundred of Trey’s men zeroed in on Levi and Zoey, waving their steel rods and various other lethal weapons as they tried to intimidate the both of them.
Levi was unfazed. He dialed a number and belted out his instructions, “Azure Dragon, send over a regiment from the North Hampton’s camp now. I want everyone to be armed in full battle gear!” Levi mumbled in his deep voice.
Gripped with fear, Zoey was hardly paying attention to what Levi had just said over the phone, while the rest of the crowd failed to make out what Levi had uttered with his low, deep voice.
“So it looks like you’re getting somebody to help you? And you’re even asking them to put on some kind of gear?” Ashton sneered sarcastically, “Fine, I can’t wait to see what kind of help you’ve enlisted to bail you out of this.”
Trey smirked as he looked at Levi with an amused curiosity.
Zoey on the other hand was shivering all over in horror, she felt as if she was standing on the edge of an abyss.
After about ten minutes, the security guards at the gates of the Royal Villas turned wide-eyed and mouth agape when they saw loads of war trucks, one after another, stormed into the premise. Each truck was full of soldiers.
A few of the trucks were even loaded with heavy artillery.
“Do you think there are more than a thousand soldiers in those trucks?” asked one guard.
“Holy cow! This is an entire regiment!”

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 17​

Levi’s villa unit belonged to lot A-88.
Unbeknown to Ashton and his men, the troops had formed a squarish formation surrounding the lots of A87, A88, A89 to B88.

Each of them stood on full alert, armed with fully loaded firearms that are ready to fire the first strike.
All they need was a command.
Outside the villa.
“So what’s the situation now?” Ashton was still grinning his grotesque grin as he taunted Levi, “Where are your men? Are they all having cold feet now?”

Levi signaled with a click of his fingers.
The next moment.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The ground seemed to move under their feet as a synchronous marching of troops roared across the silent air.
“What’s going on here? What’s all that sound?”
Trey’s men looked around frantically, bug-eyed and tense as dogs.
The marching was getting denser and louder, the rhythm was so uniform and disciplined that it almost turned into a deafening boom.
“What the hell is that?”
Trey’s men froze when they saw the approaching troops coming at them from four corners.
Matthew, Trey and Ashton were shell-shocked and rooted to the ground like statutes. Everybody was muted with horror.
Never had they seen such a formation in front of their eyes. The soldiers aligned themselves in uniform rows, each armed with the deadliest weapons fit for a war!
Thud! Thud! Thud! The thumping continued.
Soon the troops stood in position, forming a human barricade as they occupied the four corners and fenced everybody in.
Everyone lifted their guns and aimed their barrels straight at Ashton and his group of men.
Crack!
Racks of heavy machine guns were set up with their positions adjusted accordingly to point straight towards Aston and his men.
Not to mention those massive weapons that include mortar and artilleries…
Clang! Clang!
The clanging sound of rods and other metal weapons resonated in the air. Trey’s men had dropped their weapons and raised both hands in fear.
A few of them had even pissed inside their pants.
A strong, pungent smell of ammonia suffused the air.
Trey himself had dropped the walnuts and lifted his hands as well.
For decades, he had ruled the underground triads with his brutality and violent means. He had seen it all and had never been fazed by any opponent.
He could take down dozens of men in one go, breaking their ribs and even slashing their throats. These were all cakewalk to him.
Yet the scene in front of him belonged to a totally different league. War that was confined to the television was now playing out right in front of his eyes!
Thump!
Matthew dropped to the floor on his knees and pleaded, “Please let me go. I have nothing to do with this!”
Ashton stared at the guns pointed at him. Those soulless clanks of metal stared back at him like a plethora of ghostly eyes. It made his face turned ashen and his legs wobbled with fear.
“N-Neither do I. I have done nothing as well.”
The unexpected twist of events had absolutely stupefied Ashton. He had never imagined Levi could summon an entire regiment with just one phone call…
Zoey was blown away as well by the dramatic turn of events. She needed a while to recompose herself before she turned her gaze to Levi.
She felt like she saw a magical halo glowing above Levi.
How is it possible that he summoned such a huge regiment with just a phone call?
A man stepped forward among the troops.
He had two gold stripes and three stars embroidered on the shoulder of his military uniform.
They could tell he was an army official.
“Steven Shaw, Colonel of North Hampton’s First Metallic Regiment, reporting for duty, Sir! We are here to protect the God of War, Sir!”
Steven Shaw cast an ambiguous glance at Levi as he raised his left hand to present a military salute.
Another man in military uniform stepped up from the opposing direction. He had a large gold star embroidered on his shoulder and a group of soldiers at his heels.
He had the colossal air of a warrior, he was none other than the King of War.
“The First Metallic Regiment had completely surrounded the compound, General Azure Dragon! Awaiting further orders, Sir!”
Steven Shaw ran up to Azure Dragon and present another military salute.
Azure Dragon took off his gloves and asked in his impersonal voice, “Do you know who owns this villa?”
“C-Could it be that it belongs to the G-God of War?” replied Ashton with a tremulous voice, while his body jerked uncontrollably as if he was having a seizure.
“Bingo.” Azure Dragon gave a set smile, “All the villas in this area belong to him.”
Ashton sucked in a deep breath. He was so gripped with fear that he almost passed out.
Trey was palpitating in horror when he heard the name. It drained his face of all color and immobilized his body, it was as if his soul had departed and left him with a hollow shell.
He would have never dared to step foot in here if he had known this area belonged to the God of War. It was as good as stepping into the gates of hell.
“Why did you bring your men here?” Azure Dragon glared at Ashton and Trey, “Are you trying to take down the God of War?” he snarled.

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 18​

Thump!
Thump!

…
Ashton, Trey, and Matthew, along with over a hundred of their men went down on their knees.
“It was all a misunderstanding. Just a misunderstanding…”
It was quite a spectacular scene to see over a hundred men going down on their knees, bending over their bodies and slamming their heads on the floor as they beg for forgiveness.

Zoey was so choked with fear that she almost fainted.
The turn of events could not be more theatrical than this.
How could so many thugs all turn into a bunch of crying babies all at once?
“Zoey, why don’t you get inside the villa and let them do their stuff?” Levi suggested.
The petrified Zoey gladly took his advice and dashed for the villa.
“Sir, please, I really have nothing to do with this. I’m just somebody who was hired by Mr. Garrison to act under his instructions…”
“Yeah, we’ve got nothing to do with this!”
…
Trey and his men were desperate to draw a line from Ashton by shifting all the blame to him.
Ashton was so contorted with fear that he spat out a mouthful of blood.
“Let them go!”
What came as a shock to Ashton, Trey and Matthew was when they saw it was Levi who gave the order.
His order prompted Azure Dragon to wave them away, “Get your ass out of here and don’t let me see you again!”
It was clear as day that it was not Azure Dragon, but Levi, who was calling the shots. Could it be that Levi…
It all pointed out to one scary truth they all dreaded to know.
Trey and his men tumbled and stumbled as they fled the scene at their quickest pace, fearing they could end up with a bullet in their heads.
“Please let me go, L-Levi, I’m innocent as well. It was Ashton who…” Matthew tried to dissociate himself from Ashton as well.
“Tell me, Azure Dragon, how do we punish a traitor?” Levi turned to Azure Dragon and smiled abruptly.
“All traitors would be slaughtered!” Azure Dragon gave a deafening roar.
Matthew was on the verge of a complete collapse.
But he knew it was all too late. This was the fate for traitors. Matthew must die!
The doomed fate of Matthew scared the daylight out of Ashton, who instantly got down on his knees to beg for his life “We are family, my dear brother. Please forgive me for not knowing your true identity.” cried Ashton, “We are all waiting for you to come home. I’m sure everybody would be thrilled to see you home again!”
Ashton played the emotional card as his last resort to save his own life.
“Don’t you remember how you guys have broken all my limbs and threw me to the streets like a dying dog?” Levi said sarcastically, “Is that how you’re supposed to treat your family?”
“Oh, that’s just a misunderstanding, my brother.” Ashton was almost to tears, “I’m sure it’s nothing but a misunderstanding!”
“Didn’t you just said that you want to sleep with my wife too?” said Levi as he walked closer towards Ashton.
“That’s just a joke, you know,” Ashton felt his legs were going jelly as he stuttered, “nothing but a j-joke, my brother…”
“What makes you think you can joke about something like this?”
Levi struck a killer punch right into Ashton’s face, which made him see stars and blacked out instantly.
“Send him back to the Garrisons! Tell them that this is my first present for them!”
Levi ordered, his face devoid of expression.
“Understood, Sir!” Azure Dragon replied subserviently.
“Well done, Steven Shaw.” Levi eyed him with satisfaction.
“Greetings to you, Sir!” A yelp from Steven Shaw led the whole of First Metallic Regiment to raise their right hand uniformly to present a military salute.
Levi reciprocated with a standard salute.
When he entered the villa, what greeted his sight was Zoey all curled up on the sofa, quivering with fear.
The spectacular scene today had left her numbed with shock.
She did not even have the courage to glimpse out of the villa.
“It’s alright now, Zoey.” Levi hugged her, “Everything’s over. The villa now belongs to us.”
“Are you sure?” Zoey lifted her head, her tone was uncertain.
“I’m sure!” Levi reassured her, “But I plan to tear down the house completely and rebuild from scratch. There’s no way we can move in now after those thugs had stayed in the house before.”
“I need to ask you something, Levi.” Zoey asked after she had recomposed herself “I want you to be absolutely upfront with me.”
“Sure, what do you want to know?”
Zoey bit her lips in hesitation, “What is your relationship with the God of War and Azure Dragon?” she demanded, “I need you to tell me nothing but the truth!”

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 19​

“I’ve already told you at the family banquet before,” Levi nodded, “I am the God of War.”
“There you go again.” Zoey dismissed his words and rolled her eyes, “You and your blabber.”

She did not believe his confession, and thought that he was just trying to brag around.
“Alright,” Levi said with a helpless shrug, “I have nothing to do with them.”
“But then how did you get Azure Dragon to show up with just a phone call?” she asked, puzzled, “Not to mention he even brought an entire regiment with him?”
“It was all a coincidence, when I was here last night and found out that Azure Dragon was staying in the same vicinity, I was sure that the God of War must be nearby as well.” Levi made up an explanation, “I know Ashton is bringing his men to the villa today, so I tipped off the authorities in advance. I told them that somebody is trying to harm the God of War, that’s why they sent over an entire regiment to protect him.” he could only put up a lie to appease her.

“That makes perfect sense to me now.” Zoey found his explanation plausible, “I recalled Azure Dragon said the God of War lives around here, which explains why he’s on high alert when Ashton and his men came to the villa.”
“Do you want to take any of the stuff home with you? There’s no way I’m going to stay here!” Levi said with an air of disgust.
“No, let’s leave them here.” Zoey shook her head, “It would only cause mum and dad to get curious if they see us moving our stuff home.”
At Rivervale Mansion, North Hampton.
It was one of the most luxurious mansions in North Hampton. The place was the family mansion of the Garrisons, who had just listed their company shares on the stock exchange.
It had yet struck nine o’clock in the morning and it was still early for the Garrisons to leave for work.
Most of them were still in the house when they carried Ashton into the mansion.
Soon, every member of the Garrison family knew something terrible had happened to Ashton, and they immediately sent him to the hospital.
Joseph, Jaycob, Ben and everybody else rushed to the hospital.
“How’s Ashton doing?” Joseph asked.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Garrison.” the doctor sighed after he had examined Ashton’s condition, “I’m afraid Ashton is not showing any response, he’s now in a vegetative state.”
“What do you mean he’s in a vegetative state?” Jaycob could not believe his ears, “You mean my son has become a vegetable?”
“Ashton suffered from an extremely severe impact that turned him into a vegetable.” the doctor explained.
“Who was the one who sent Ashton back to the mansion?” asked Joseph, who had slipped into a dark look.
“They were two guys we’ve not seen before, dad.” Ben lowered his voice, “They left as soon as they sent Ashton back to our house. But they did leave a message…”
“What’s their message? Spit it out now!”
The aura from Joseph was one of pure oppression.
“They said that this is the first present sent by Levi.” Ben promptly spilled out the words.
“What? You mean this is a present from Levi?”
“So it was Levi who’s behind all this?”
“I’m going to skin you alive, Levi!” Jaycob flew into such a rage that he almost flipped the table.
“Tell me, where is Levi now? I’m going to bash his brains in and squash him like the disgusting roach that he is!”
Jaycob was cursing and swearing like a madman, oozing violence and malice.
“Hold on, Jaycob.” Joseph mused over the message from Levi, “Levi said that this is just his first present, so we should expect for his second and third present to come in no time. Looks like Levi has just turned the tables on us, he’s letting us know that he’s now the one calling the shots instead!”
Joseph placed his hands behind his back and gave a brittle laugh.
“I’ve asked Bryan to find out what actually happened, dad.” Ben informed Joseph, “I’m sure he’ll update us soon.”
Soon after, they saw Bryan come running towards them, panting for air.
“I’ve found out what happened, grandpa, dad, Jaycob.” Bryan rasped, “Ashton and Levi had gotten into a brawl because of Royal Villa, which left Ashton being beaten up by Levi.”
“How could this be possible?” Joseph bemoaned, “Didn’t Ashton used to hang around with Trey, that triad leader? How could Levi have beaten the both of them and turned Ashton into a vegetable?”

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 20​

“I can’t figure it out too, since they told me Trey and Ashton had brought over a hundred men with them. So what caused Ashton to end up in such a bad shape?” Bryan shared with them his findings, “I’ve checked with Trey but he refused to say a word about it. All he did was warn us to stay away from Levi and don’t mess around with him.”
“What? How could this be true?” cried Ben in disbelief, “Doesn’t this show that Levi had scared the shit out of Trey? There must be something about Levi that made Trey said such a thing.”

“Judging by his words, it sounds like Trey is terrified of Levi.” Joseph nodded, “What’s going on here? Wasn’t Levi just released from prison? Where did he find the support to oust Ashton and Trey from the villa?”
Bryan’s wife, Victoria, was quick to offer her opinion, “I bet Levi must have become mates with some crooks when he was in prison and garnered their support, dad.” she gave a sly smile, “That could have given Levi the ammunition to stand up to Trey and his men.” While Trey might hold some influence, he was pale in comparison with the real big crooks on the streets.
It was probably one of those crooks who had teamed up with Levi to take out Trey and his men. I mean, didn’t Levi issued us a warning during the banquet to celebrate our share listing last time?
He demanded us to repent and offer an apology in one month’s time, or we will have to defend with all we have if we refuse to apologize. It all pointed to the possibility that Levi must have garnered the support of some influential and powerful crooks to back him up.

“Yes, I’m sure that must be the case!” Joseph could not agree more with Victoria, “Levi must have found some real big shots while he was in prison to back him up, so he’s now coming after us!”
“Looks like we’ve underestimated this little b*****d.” Ben stroked his chin and said meditatively, “He’s no pushover indeed.”
“I don’t give a heck what big crooks that’s backing him up,” Jaycob snorted, “I’ll get even with him for turning my son into such a horrible state!”
Vengeance and hatred had blinded Jaycob.
“There’s no way we would let him off, Uncle Jaycob.” Bryan pointed out, “But we need to get a good grasp of the situation before we strike. We must find out who is backing him and what tricks he has up his sleeve. Even though we are not afraid to confront him directly, we still need to do it the smart way.”
Joseph nodded in agreement, “Bryan’s right. We should play our cards wisely.” Levi is too naive if he thinks he could triumph over us simply because he had ousted Trey. What a joke! Trey is nothing more than just one of our lackeys. Our family is almost untouchable in North Hampton.
Besides, we have powerful connections in all kinds of sectors including politics, business, military, and even the mafias and thugs. So what if Levi had some big crooks as his backup? There’s no way he could hurt our family, he won’t be able to harm even a single hair of the Garrison family!
“You’re right. Levi is too gullible to think he could trample over us with the help of some big guns.” Jaycob’s eyes gleamed with a bloodthirsty look, “I’ll flip open all his cards so he’ll never be able to play any tricks on us again. That’s when we would make him pay with his blood!”
“But I have a bad feeling about this.” Rick said with an ominous tone, “Levi is someone who is cold and calculative. I’m pretty sure he must have it all worked out inside his head. We’d better not be too reckless about it.”
“I think you’re getting a little paranoid about it, Uncle Rick.” Bryan smiled over it, “There’s nothing for us to fear given our status and influence now. We are as solid as they come. Whatever tricks Levi try to play on us will never work.”
“I agree with Bryan.” Joseph chimed in, “There’s no need to be too worried by that, Rick.”
“I don’t know about this, but I think it’s better to be safe than to be sorry,” Rick sighed, “it’s just that I can’t shake the feeling that something’s wrong!”
It was against Rick’s reticent nature to say such a thing, but he had an awful premonition that something bad was going to happen.
He knew there was more to Levi than meet the eye. Levi is simply no pushover in any aspect!
…
At night.
Aaron lashed out at Levi the moment they reached home. “What do you think you’re doing? Are you looking to get Zoey into trouble?” he snarled, “Get out of my house if you don’t want to stay here!”
“What’s going on, Dad?” Zoey and Levi were astounded, “What did Levi do?”

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 21​

“Don’t think we are ignorant of what you’d done to the Garrison family,” Aaron scoffed, “they have warned us to prepare ourselves for a bloodbath.”
“Why do you have to piss off the Garrison family? Are you looking to get yourself killed?”

Caitlyn and Aaron were raving mad.
“If it’s not for Zoey, I’d have kicked you out of our house a long time ago.” Aaron spat with such fury that his veins stood out in his neck, “You could have been sleeping at the streets by now!”
Zoey did not want to aggravate the hostility of his parents towards Levi, but she felt Levi had acted too rashly as well.
We were lucky to have Azure Dragon bail us out this time. But what about next time? Will we get lucky again?

“Who are you to step on the toes of the Garrison family?” Caitlyn glared at Levi with total contempt, “You don’t even have a place to stay on your own!”
“Mum, Levi actually has the villa…”
Zoey was trying to explain to her mum that Levi had just got his villa back, but Caitlyn cut her off abruptly, “Don’t give me that crap about his villa. He’s simply a ticking time bomb, you shouldn’t hang around with him all the time. I’d rather you use your time to source for investors instead!”
“You should know well that the Garrison family is untouchable, not even the Lopez family could hold a candle to them. We’ll be doomed should the Garrisons decide to come at us. I’m warning you, Levi, I’ll get Zoey to seek a divorce with you if you ever dare to infuriate the Garrison family again!”
The next day.
Zoey and Levi planned to source for investors for their upcoming project. They were about to leave the house when Caitlyn reminded Zoey, “It’s going to be the National holidays soon and your cousin is coming over to spend the holidays with us. Can you go and pick her up as your dad and I are too busy with our chores?”
“Sure, mum.”
Levi knew both Aaron and Caitlyn had got their hands full at the moment. Caitlyn worked in the hospital while Aaron had just started a small business.
It was another frustrating day for Zoey. Every investor she met had snubbed her proposal.
However, Levi watched quietly without interfering. All he did was take down the names of those companies who had snubbed Zoey’s proposal.
The string of ill-luck days for Zoey had left her with no choice but to hold back her project as long as she could, since she could not source the investments she needed to kick-start her project. She was just three days away from the commencement date, as stipulated in the contract.
It had definitely stressed Zoey to the extreme.
Aaron and Caitlyn were exasperated and wore a worried look on their faces.
“Don’t be too worried, Mum, Dad.” Levi gave a placid smile, “I’m sure the investors would show up when the time comes.”
He said it with an air of confidence, since he knew he had made all the necessary arrangements.
“You should just keep your mouth shut!” Aaron flared, “Of course it’s easy for you to say that, since it’s none of your business!”
Ding Dong…
The doorbell sounded. It surprised them to see Shaun at their doorstep.
“It’s good that you’re all here, Uncle Aaron and Aunt Caitlyn. Grandpa would like all of you to come for a family meeting tonight.”
Shaun left promptly after he had relayed the message.
Shortly after, Levi, Zoey and her parents came to the family complex of the Lopez family.
It was a vast complex that comprised several buildings. Its structure and scale were one of the most affluent and lavish in North Hampton.
Zoey instantly felt animosity in the Lopez family’s members looks when they greeted her. It was as if she had just snatched away the love of their lives.
It dawned on Zoey and her family that they were no longer seen as part of the Lopez family anymore, now, they are seen as enemy who had taken their cake away and have it all to themselves.
“Come over here, Aaron and you guys. Take a seat.” Harry and the rest of them greeted them with an unusual friendliness.
“How’s your project going along, Zoey?” Harry asked once everybody was seated.
“There’s a major issue with the funding, grandpa!” Zoey sighed, “We’re just three days away from the commencement date but I’ve yet to rope in investors for the project.”
“Hahaha….Didn’t I told you that this is too large of a project for a small company like Imperial Meadows?”
“That’s right, it’s good to know your own limits. Don’t act like some big guns when you’re just nothing but a soft and limp fry!”
…
Everyone started to mock Zoey when they heard about her funding problem.
Zoey and her family could only put up with their sarcasm in silence since she could find nothing to rebuke them. The lack of funding had now put her entire project into jeopardy.

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 22​

“I’m a bit offended, Zoey.” Harry smiled ruefully, “How could you forget about your own family?”
“Grandpa, I…”

“You should have come to me instead. The Lopez Group could work out something for you. You know it’s well within our means to take on that Ecological Park project of yours.”
“I could even provide the startup capital for your project!” said Harry seriously.
“I bet there’s going to be some conditions attached to it?” Levi drove straight to the point. “Or you wouldn’t be so kind as to provide the funding.”
He had seen through the ulterior motive for Harry to fund the project.

“Good, I like to deal with smart people.” Harry grinned, “It’d save me a lot of my time.”
His words prompted Samuel Robertson, who was sitting next to Harry, to pass over the contract to Zoey.
“Take a look at this, Zoey.”
Zoey immediately studied the contract when they passed it to her.
The content was straightforward.
The contract stated that Lopez Group would get up to ninety percent of the profits for the Ecological Park project for providing the funds to Imperial Meadows Limited.
It sent Aaron into a fit of rage after he read the contract.
The Lopez family are simply too cruel to ask for such a huge chunk of the profits.
Aaron was utterly pissed off. He felt that Harry had never regarded him as his own son, but just another prey he was targeting.
“Don’t be mad, Aaron and Zoey. Think about it, in three days’ time, the project would be automatically annulled if you can’t come up with the funding.” Harry’s grin was sly and pernicious, as if he was trying to lure the bait to the hook, “You would end up without a cent once the project was annulled. But if you accept our funding, you’d still get a ten percent cut out of the profits. That would translate to quite a considerable sum of a hundred million. It’s up to you to decide…”
“Unless you’re confident to pull in the funds that you need before the stated deadline.”
Given the tight deadline of just three days, Harry was pretty sure it was nigh impossible for Zoey to secure the funds she needed for the project. This would only leave her with no other options but to agree to his terms.
It would make the Lopez family the biggest winner with a whopping ninety percent of the profits. Even Mr. Jennings could do nothing about it.
“That’s true, Aaron.” Henry chipped in, “We should work together since we’re family. Let’s share the profits instead of having the cake all to yourself.”
“There’s no hurry to sign this. I’ll leave you guys alone to discuss it among yourselves.”
Harry and his company left Levi, Zoey and her parents to talk things out.
“Why don’t we just agree to their terms, Zoey?” Aaron and Caitlyn persuaded, “At least there’s still something left on the plate for us. You should know better that your chances of getting the funds are almost as good as zero!”
Their words almost swayed Zoey to put her name down on the contract. But she held back and sought Levi’s opinion.
“Don’t sign it!” Levi was adamant.
“Trust me, Zoey! I’m sure that I can secure the funding you need before the deadline expires!”
A fuming Aaron intervened before Zoey could fumble out a reply, “Don’t give me that crap again! Do we hold you responsible if we lose that hundred million? I firmly believe we should sign it.”
Zoey was in a dilemma as she eyed Levi skeptically. She did not have complete faith in Levi’s words.
“Alright, how about this?” Levi shrugged, “Since we have three days left to go, why don’t we hang on till the last day to see if we could pull in some investments?” he suggested, “It’s still not too late to sign the contract by then.”
“Sounds like a plan!”
“I could work with that!”
Everybody gave their nods of approval.
The same goes for Harry and his men. They agreed to the suggestion readily.
They were certain that Zoey would never secure the investments that she badly needed in just three days’ time.
…
For the next three days, Zoey worked tirelessly from day to night to meet with potential investors for the project.
Yet, there was nothing to show for all her efforts.
Those who were interested demanded a ridiculous amount of return for their investments.
It would make more sense to work with Harry, since his offer was more or less the same than the rest.
Three days passed by without a trace. The deadline was set on tomorrow before ten o’clock to kick start the project, once over the given time, the project would be automatically annulled.
“Come on, we’ve got to sign the contract with Harry now.” Aaron stood up and said.
“What’s the hurry? Why don’t we just wait a little longer?” Levi tried to dissuade them from signing, “We have all the time till next morning eight o’clock to sign it.”
“Let’s wait until tomorrow morning, Zoey. Don’t sign the contract today.” Levi instructed.
“I need to step out for a while.” Levi left the house after he urged Zoey to stay patient for one more night.

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 23​

Levi left the house to meet up with Azure Dragon, whom he had instructed to wait for him outside the house.
“What can I do for you, Sir?” Azure Dragon asked.

“I want you to contact these companies.” Levi handed him a list of company names.
The following morning.
Zoey was woken up by Aaron in the wee hours of the morning.
“Where the hell is Levi? I presume he was out last night to source for funding, but what’s taking him so long to come back?” Aaron said disapprovingly, “He just can’t do anything right. He’s a born loser, a good-for-nothing!”

It angered Zoey to think that Levi did not even bother to inform her when he knew he would be out the whole night.
“We’d better sign the contract before it’s too late. Let’s meet up with Harry now!”
Harry and his men were already standing by at the family mansion when Zoey and her family arrived.
An euphoric smile hung on their faces as they greeted Zoey and her family.
It was all too gratifying for Harry and company to see the three of them come begging with their tail between their legs.
“You should have known better than to make a fool out of yourself, Aaron.” Henry and Fabian jeered at him, “Can’t you see that there’s no way you guys could ever get the investments?”
Aaron lowered his head and said feebly, “We’re here to sign the contract, dad.”
Anger welled up in his chest when he thought of Levi.
Had it not been Levi who advised them to hold back for three more days, they would have signed it on the same day when it was offered to them, It would have seemed more like a respectable deal at that time.
It had become anything but respectable in the eyes of Harry and his company now that Aaron had to beg them for the contract. Knowing the contract was now the last resort for Zoey, it would only make Aaron looked desperate and defeated in the eyes of the Lopez family.
Aaron and his family had never felt such humiliation before. This is all thanks to Levi.
“Yes, we are ready to sign it now, grandpa.” Zoey informed Harry.
“Sure, we can sign the contract. But there will be a change of terms.” Harry’s expression changed and he curled his lips into a grim smile, “We are no longer asking for ninety but ninety-five percent of the profits now. The remaining five percent would be yours.”
“What? Didn’t we agreed on a ninety percent cut for you and ten percent for us?”
A sudden terrible pang of shock hit Zoey as she stared at Harry incredulously. Harry had just dropped a bombshell on her.
“Don’t you know the terms changes accordingly?” Harry said scornfully, “That’s our offer. Take it or leave it.”
Knowing the ball was now in his court, Harry knew it was he who called the shots. The change of terms seemed justifiable to him since it was Zoey who desperately needed the contract.
Zoey winced at the cold-bloodiness of these people!
She bitterly resented her grandpa for his callous and selfishness.
“Fine then, I’ll pass! I’ll give up the project altogether!” she said in a fit of rage, “Nobody would get a dime out of it!”
“How could you say that, Zoey? Five percent would still give us fifty million, at least there’s something for us!”
“Your mum is right, Zoey. We can’t afford to lose it, just sign it!”
The relentless pestering from Aaron and Caitlyn left Zoey with no choice but to sign the contract.
“Stop! Don’t sign the contract!”
Just as Zoey was about to ink the contract, Levi showed up and halted her.
“There’s still time before the deadline,” he wrung away the pen from Zoey’s hands, “why do we have to sign it now?” he questioned.
“What do you think you’re doing, Levi?” Aaron almost wanted to slap Levi across the face “Why are you stopping us from getting the fifty million? Is it because you’re jealous you’ve got nothing for yourself?”
“Ten minutes! just give me ten minutes! Once the time is up you can do as you please.” Levi glanced at his watch and said, “You can sign it in ten minutes’ time!”
“Alright! I’ll give you another ten minutes to prove yourself!” Aaron muttered through gritted teeth, “Make sure you produce something in ten minutes’ time, or I’ll never forgive you for the rest of my life, much less allow Zoey to stay with you!”
“Okay!”
The unyielding attitude of Levi intrigued Harry. He was curious to see what would happen in ten minutes’ time.
“Alright, let’s wait for another ten minutes.”
Henry and the rest giggled with excitement. They could not wait to get their popcorn ready to watch some hilarious comedy in ten minutes’ time.
Ten minutes passed in a flash. Everything was at status quo.
“Just sign it!” Henry threw the contract in front of Zoey. He was certain there would be no white knight coming to her rescue.
Vroom! Vroom! Vroom!
At the same moment, a thunderous roar of engine noises filled the whole of the Lopez family mansion.
It attracted the curiosity of everyone to step out of the building.
What greeted their eyes was a succession of luxury cars making their way into the Lopez family mansion. They all came to a halt when they reached their building.

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 24​

It was a succession of top end luxury cars which included Maybach, Rolls Royce, and many more.
Each of these cars could easily cost over tens of millions!

The Lopez family looked on with a dazed expression. What the hell is going on here?
What are all these cars doing here?
Everyone went pop-eyed when they saw the faces of the people who alighted from the cars. They were a group of impeccably dressed, middle-aged men and women who carried an overpowering air of status and power.
Each of them carried a business savvy look synonymous to the directors of some top corporations.

“Huh? Isn’t that the President of Far East Investments, Mr. Feliciano Hayes? What brings him here?”
“Look, that’s the General Manager of Orc Investments Limited, Mr. Roberto Norris!”
“Isn’t that guy the boss of Starlight Property Development Limited, Mr. Lorenzo Woods?”
“Oh, my god! Even Pedro Zinno, the President of Hercules Property Development Company, is here too!”
…
Fabian, Henry, and the rest of them murmured among themselves into a frenzy.
The names they had murmured were the super-rich and powerful leaders who ruled the corporate world of North Hampton. Each of their net worth were in billions.
Lopez Group looked so insignificant in the eyes of these super rich. Any one of them could easily take out the Lopez Group without even battling an eyelid.
The scale and grandeur of so many big shots coming together was a sight to behold for Harry and his men.
It almost took their breath away.
Harry led Fabian and the rest to hurry themselves forward and greeted the billionaires with fawning attention; “Greetings, Mr. Zinno, welcome….”
However, nobody responded to their greetings. All the billionaires walked past them as if they were non-existent and headed straight to where Levi and Zoey were standing.
“How could it be?” Harry said in disbelief, “Could it be they are here to provide funding for Zoey’s project?”
Harry’s eyes widened in stupefaction, his jaws stiffened with astonishment.
Zoey froze when she saw the billionaires walking towards her. She wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her. These were the same group of people she had approached before to solicit for their interests in her project, and they had all rejected her proposal.
What’s going on? What are they doing here?
“Hello, Ms. Lopez. I’m Feliciano Hayes from Far East Investments!”
“Good afternoon, Ms. Lopez. I’m Pedro Zinno and I represent Hercules Property Development.”
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Lopez. I’m Lorenzo Woods from Starlight Property Development.”
…
All the billionaires introduced themselves in a humble manner towards Zoey.
Everybody gasped in awe.
Harry and the others from the Lopez family were utterly lost for words.
It was beyond their wildest imagination to think that these billionaires would show up to fund for Zoey’s project.
Zoey was still trembling inside even though she tried to recompose herself, “H-Hello everyone…how are you…”
“Don’t be nervous, Ms. Lopez! We’re here to discuss our cooperation on the project!”
Feliciano Hayes flashed a cheesy smile, “Far East Investments would be interested to invest one billion into your project, Ms. Lopez!”
Lorenzo Woods counter-offered immediately, “Ms. Lopez, Starlight Property Development would be willing to provide up to two billion to fund your project!”
“No, Orc Investments is willing to invest up to three billion!”
“We are more than happy to provide up to three billion in funding and even take over the construction of your project. Please let Hercules Property Development be your partner instead!”
“Spark Corporation would invest up to five hundred million in your project! We would not ask for a share of your profits, Miss Lopez. All we want is to offer our sincere help!”
…
It was like some bidding war that had gone out of control. Every billionaire was competing to provide funding for Zoey’s project.
The highest bidder had offered to invest up to seven hundred million.
Everyone was reluctant to give up on the project, which could not had taken more than a billion in total.
But the bidding war had skyrocketed the total available funding by ten times its original amount.
The unexpected twist of events caused Harry’s blood pressure to shoot up exponentially, causing him to pass out on the spot.
Samuel, Shaun and the rest were almost on the verge of puking blood.
What the hell is going on here?
Why is everyone behaving like maniacs?
It was an earth-shattering feeling for Zoey as well.
She could still recall the smug and dismissive look in their eyes when they snubbed her initial proposal.
Yet the same group of people were now lining up to impress her, begging her to let them invest in her project.
Aaron and Caitlyn were too emotional to say a single word. They could only respond with their quivering bodies.
“Calm down, Zoey.” Levi put his arm around her to offer his support, “Why don’t you say a few words to show your appreciation for their interest in your project.”
“Right, I’m so glad that all of you are keen to invest in my project.” Zoey composed herself and said, “All of you are welcome to invest in my project!”
“Really? That’s good to hear it from Ms. Lopez herself.”
All the billionaires let out a hefty sigh and wiped away the sweat on their brows after they heard this.

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 25​

“However,” Zoey added, “I’m afraid you have misunderstood the amount of funding that I’m seeking. The amount you’ve mentioned is way beyond what I’m asking for. All I need for the project is only a hundred million.”
“Just name any amount, Ms. Lopez.” Lorenzo Woods said with an air of indulgence, “Unless you’re asking for tens of billions, I’m ready to pump billions into your project.”

The words of Lorenzo Woods sent Harry’s blood pressure up a few notches when he heard he was ‘ready to pump billions into your project’. His legs wobbled, and he saw stars spinning around his head.
Zoey’s mind was in a whirlwind as she quivered in her reply, “Everybody, I am humbled by your overwhelming interest in my project. But a hundred and fifty million would be more than enough for my project.”
“How about this?” Feliciano Hayes swept his eyes across the room and suggested. “Since there are fifteen of us here, why don’t we each come up with ten million?”
“That would be the perfect solution! It would give each of us an opportunity to help Ms. Lopez.” Feliciano Hayes said, “Make sure we are not treating this as an investment or loan. It should be a giveaway to Ms. Lopez!”

Gulp!
Aaron and Caitlyn were swallowing so hard that everyone could hear them gulped.
A hundred and fifty million giveaway to our daughter?
What makes our daughter turned into a money spinning machine all of a sudden?
Everybody is begging for her to take their money.
“No, it can’t be a giveaway.” Zoey insisted, “We should treat it as an investment.”
“It’s alright, Ms. Lopez. Ten million is nothing to us!”
“Yeah, it’s just some petty cash to me.”
Each billionaire insisted they should treat the ten million as a giveaway to Zoey.
“Hey, didn’t you hear what she’d just said?” Levi snapped, “She said it should be an investment.”
Levi’s sudden bawl made the billionaires shuddered with horror.
“Yes! Sure! Indeed! It should be an investment!”
Everyone nodded emphatically.
“So, ladies and gentlemen, would you mind coming to my company, Imperial Meadows Limited, to ink the contract?” Zoey asked.
“Of course, we are more than willing to come anytime to sign it!”
They continued their frenzied nodding of heads.
“I’m sorry, grandpa.” Before stepping out of the mansion, Zoey walked up to Harry and said apologetically, “I can’t accept your terms now, but I can assure you that the Lopez family will definitely have a share of the project.”
“You!”
Harry was breathless with anger as he pointed a trembling finger at Zoey. He let out a cry and finally passed out.
Levi and company soon left the mansion amidst a wave of awe mutterings and under the envious looks in everyone’s eyes.
It had been an emphatic victory for Zoey and her family.
It restored Aaron’s self-esteem to think he had finally regained his position in the Lopez family.
The signing went smoothly, and the funds all came in as promised.
Zoey was able to launch the project within the stipulated deadline.
Everything was smooth and went accordingly as planned.
It was already nighttime when they finally made it home.
Zoey and her family were staring at Levi with interrogating eyes.
“What’s happening here, Levi?” Zoey asked, “I’m sure you have something to do with it.”
“Yes, it was all orchestrated by me.” Levi admitted.
“But how did you do it?” Aaron was still feeling the effects from the shock, “It’s simply inconceivable!”
“It’s simple, actually.” Levi quipped, “All I did was show them the details of the project and let them know that this project is too good to be missed.”
“That’s impossible.” Zoey said warily, “Isn’t that what I’d just done when we first presented our project to them? What makes them snub my proposal when I’m sure I had given them a more detailed explanation than yours?”
“That’s because I’ve mentioned some names like Orlando Jennings, Azure Dragon and God of War.” Levi explained, “They agreed to it once they knew the whole story.”
“This…” Zoey went silent. She knew it was something she could never do, given her obstinate nature.
“Haha, even though we are hardly connected to God of War, these shrewd businessmen changed their stance once they find out that the God of Way has something to do with this project, they’d even start buttering up to Zoey immediately.” Aaron gave a broad grin.
“That’s right.” Caitlyn agreed, “Since it was Orlando who decided on the project, with Azure Dragon keeping a close tab on its progress. These billionaires must have been under the impression that Zoey had garnered the support of all these people as well.”

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 26​

Their explanation seemed plausible to Zoey.
So, it was only because they wanted to please the big guns like Azure Dragon and Orlando that these billionaires showed up in person to invest in my project.

“So did you explain to every one of them in person?”
Zoey looked at Levi and felt her heart ached when she thought about what Levi must have gone through to get the support of those billionaires.
“Yes, I did. It was quite tiring indeed.” Levi smiled gently.
In actual fact, all he needed was just a call. His word was almost as good as a decree.

“I owe it to you, Levi.” Zoey said with heartfelt gratitude, “It’s all because of you that we’re able to pull this off.”
“You’re right. All credit goes to Levi. It was him who had turned the situation around, I had almost given up hope.”
Aaron was extremely pleased with Levi’s performance today.
“I am still grappling with what’s happening, actually.” Caitlyn gushed.
She was starting to see Levi in a more positive light now.
“Levi, why don’t you change into a new set of clothes since you’ve been wearing them for a while.” Caitlyn said, “Just put the clothes in the laundry basket and I’ll get them wash at the hospital. I am on duty tomorrow and I need to get my uniform washed as well.”
“Sure, mom.” Levi simpered, “Thank you.”
The following day.
Zoey and Levi left the house to follow up on the project while Caitlyn took her laundry to the hospital’s laundry department.
Here, she could wash her clothes and get them sterilized as well.
The principal reason was because it was free and convenient since she worked in the hospital.
She had been using the laundry department to do her laundry ever since her family condition went downhill because of Aaron’s failing business.
“Hey, you’re taking your laundry here again to save on your utilities bill?” A woman walked in and asked in a penetrating voice, “Must you be such a cheapskate? Didn’t your family used to run a large company?”
The woman’s name was Jelena Keaton. She worked in the same department with Caitlyn.
Along with Caitlyn, she was tipped as the favorite to be the department’s next assistant supervisor. There had always been bad blood between the two.
The nomination for the department’s assistant supervisor would be out anytime soon.
Neither of them liked each other, since Jelena was a prickly character who would taunt Caitlyn whenever she saw the opportunity to do so.
“What’s that got to do with you?” Caitlyn refuted, “You’re not the one who’s paying the utilities fees anyway!”
With Jelena gone, Caitlyn emptied her laundry into the basket.
Just when she was about to toss Levi’s clothes into the washer, she found a lump in his pocket.
“What a careless chap! How could he even forget to clear his pockets?”
Caitlyn emptied the contents out of the pocket.
There was a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, both were of a navy green color. Caitlyn did not read the words engraved on the cigarette box and lighter.
If only Aaron was here, he was bound to recognize them instantly. Those were war zone cigarettes that no amount of money could buy!
One would need special connections to have access to those types of cigarettes.
The rarest of them would be those with a sniper logo. They were so rare that even the big guns could not get their hands on those cigarettes.
As it turns out, those cigarettes were only provided to the Special Operations Regiment…
“He should really cut down on his smoke.” Caitlyn frowned and dumped the cigarettes into the dustbin, “They could only do him more harm than good!”
Then there was Levi’s wallet.
Caitlyn thought for a moment and opened it up.
There was some loose change inside the wallet, together with Levi and Zoey’s marriage photo.
The only items remained were two small cards, a few chips and an identification pass.
One of the two cards was a black bank card. “This guy’s a pauper. How much money could he have in that card?” Caitlyn scoffed and put aside the bank card.
Little did she know that the black card was the worldwide limited edition American Express card with no spending limit attached to it. once used, It could even haul a plane to return to its port of embarkation, even when it had already taken off.
The other remaining card was a navy green card with a sniper logo on it.
The bunch of chips hardly interested Caitlyn. Her focus was on the identification pass.
It was a red color document with ‘Officer Pass’ written on it, which bore the symbol of the Divine Guard Unit.
“Huh! An officer pass for an ex-convict?” Caitlyn sneered, “Do you think that would make you a true officer?”
On second thought, she flipped open the Officer Pass.

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 27​

“What is this? God of War?” Caitlyn squinted her eyes to read the name written on the document, “What’s written here? Garrison something?”
Caitlyn was trying to figure out the full name on the pass when she was startled by a voice from behind, “What are you looking at, Dr. Black?”

Caitlyn had to put the pass behind her before she could get a good look at the name.
“Oh, nothing.” Caitlyn grinned.
The voice belonged to Jelena Keaton, who was eyeing Caitlyn suspiciously.
“I see, fine.” Jelena shrugged and left.

Unbeknown to Caitlyn, Jelena had been standing behind her while she was checking the Officer Pass. She had even quietly taped down the process with her cellphone.
Jelena sheepishly sneaked to a discreet corner of the hospital and took out her phone.
“Officer, I want to report a theft by Caitlyn Black of The Third District Hospital Cardiac Surgery department.” she whispered over the phone, “I saw with my own eyes that she had stolen an Officer Pass along with a bank card. There was a bunch of chips too, I bet there must be some confidential information inside. I have even taped it down as proof, Officer.”
“Whose Officer Pass is that? Did you see the name and rank?” The officer asked from the other end of the call.
“Oh, it belongs to the God of War, Officer! I am absolutely sure of that. I have the photo and the video to prove it.”
“Okay.”
Shortly after, the sharp shrills of police car sirens filled the air. A succession of police cars stormed into the compounds of the Third District Hospital.
A herd of police officers donned in bullet-proof vests charged into the main building.
Soon, Caitlyn was arrested and tucked into the police car. She was utterly confused and frustrated.
The police took away the rest of the stuff, including the photos and videos taken by Jelena Keaton, which would be used as evidence against Caitlyn.
They brought her directly to the City District Police Station, where the defenseless Caitlyn sobbed and wept woefully.
The nature of the incident alarmed the Captain of Patrol Squad, Xavier Fields, since it involved the theft of an Officer Pass.
He inspected the Officer Pass carefully with his naked eye.
“This couldn’t be fake. It’s a genuine Officer Pass!” he sucked in a deep breath and said, “This is unbelievable! It belongs to God of War!”
The others suggested, “We need to be absolutely sure about this, Captain. Why don’t we get someone from the military to examine it?”
“Yeah, I’ve just informed my buddy, Steven Shaw to come and check it out. He’s from the First Metallic Regiment of North Hampton, he should be here anytime now.”
“Captain, we’ve checked through the bunch of chips and those cards. But we were not granted the level of authority to access them.”
“Let’s wait awhile then.” Xavier Fields ordered, “I want you guys to interrogate that woman we’ve just caught!”
Inside the interrogation room.
Caitlyn could hardly stop herself from shaking, even though she had almost run out of tears.
“Come clean with us! Where did you get those documents and cards?”
“T-They belonged to my son-in-law!” Caitlyn said nervously.
“Stop spouting rubbish!!! Do you know the importance of this Officer Pass?”
“I-I have no idea…” Caitlyn stared at them blankly.
“This is an Officer Pass that belongs to the God of War!” The officer yelled at the top of his voice.
Boom!
Caitlyn felt like something had exploded inside her head and clogged her brains.
“Do you know there are military secrets inside the wallet? You are now being accused of divulging top state secrets! If you refuse to come clean with us, you’ll be liable to face some real serious charges!”
“Tell me! Where did you steal the wallet and the Officer Pass?” the interrogation officer snarled abruptly at Caitlyn.
Caitlyn was sick with fear. She could feel nothing now but blind terror.
“I-I-I…this stuff belongs to my son-in-law…I’m not lying, I stole nothing…” Caitlyn sobbed.
Meanwhile, Steven Shaw had arrived at the office of the Patrol Squad.
“Where’s the Officer Pass?” Steven hurried over to ask for the pass.
“Here it is!”
Steven Shaw wasted no time in giving his utmost attention to inspect the pass.
After looking at it thoroughly for almost a minute, he put down the documents and sighed, “Yeah, it’s authentic all right!”
“This Officer Pass belongs to the God of War! Where did you find it?” he asked.
“It came from a woman.” said Xavier Fields, “It seemed like she has stolen it from somewhere.”
Steven Shaw seemed to recall something as his expression changed. “Can you find out the name of that woman,” he inquired, “ I need to know.”

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 28​

“Sure. Can you find out the name of that woman in the interrogation room?”
“What is it? Caitlyn Black? Are you sure it’s Caitlyn Black?”

Xavier Fields gave the name to Steven Shaw.
Steven Shaw hoicked Xavier Fields to a discreet corner when he heard the name.
“You’ve got the wrong person! Caitlyn Black is the God of War’s mother-in-law!”
“What? Oh, my God!” Xavier Fields got the shock of his life.

“Listen, Xavier.” Steven instructed, “Just block any information and take it that nothing has happened today. Remember, don’t let out any word about it! I’ll inform Azure Dragon and we’ll leave it to the God of War to deal with this.”
“Alright, I’ll do as you say.”
Xavier Fields was still reeling from the sudden shock. He could hardly stop the quivering in his legs.
…
Levi was with Zoey when he received the call from Azure Dragon. He came down to the police station after they briefed him about the matter.
He took back his wallet from Xavier Fields without making a fuss about it.
Xavier and his men could finally heave a deep sigh of relief.
“Just leave the rest to me, God of War.” Xavier suggested, “I’ll follow up with Ms. Caitlyn Black and make sure everything’s back to normal.”
Levi nodded, giving his approval.
“You may leave now, Ms. Black!”
Inside the interrogation room, Caitlyn was so relieved to hear those words. It brought her to tears again, however, this time, it was the tears of gratitude.
“It was all a misunderstanding, Ms. Black. You’re free to go now, since we found out that the Officer Pass was a fake document. But please remind your son-in-law not to use such fake documents to swindle anyone, he could be arrested for it!”
“Sure, Officer!” Caitlyn nodded fervently, “I’ll make sure he gets the message!”
“Your son-in-law is waiting for you outside. You may leave now.”
Caitlyn walked out of the interrogation room.
Her temper flared the moment she saw Levi standing by the counter, waiting for her.
“Mum…”
“Don’t call me mum, I’m not your mum!” Caitlyn fumed, “You almost landed me in deep shit, you fool! Why do I have such a wicked son-in-law?”
It filled Caitlyn with resentment to be treated like a thief when they arrested her and took her to the police station. She had never been to a police station before, and never did she imagined that her first visit to the station was under such deplorable circumstances.
“You should leave Zoey for good. You’ll only ruin her future with those dirty dealings you’ve picked up in prison!” she ranted, “How dare you come up with the idea of making a fake Officer Pass?”
“The pass was real, Mum.” Levi scratched his nose in frustration, “I did not carry a fake pass with me.”
He could only blame his own carelessness, for he could have prevented the disaster.
“What makes you say the pass is real? Do you think you’re more professional than the officers here? I bet you must have been using it to cheat and swindle innocent folks like me. You’d better not get Zoey involved in your vices, or I shall never let you get away with it!” Caitlyn blasted out at Levi, “I’m giving you one last chance and I’ll keep it from Aaron and Zoey about this. You’ll be out of my house for good if I catch you doing this again, you hear me?”
Caitlyn was so full of rage she was about to explode.
“Alright, mum.”
With that said, they left the station and Levi sent Caitlyn back to the hospital.
When she was back at the hospital, Caitlyn was expecting everyone to cast weird glances at her at the hospital.
Contrary to her expectations, everyone behaved as if it was just an ordinary day at work.
What’s going on?
Didn’t a huge commotion happen just now? How could everyone react with such indifference?
“Are you alright, Dr. Black? I was so worried for you. Thank God you’re back!”
“I know I have been mean and crude towards you in the past, and I’m terribly sorry for that.” Jelena came up to her and said, “I’ve backed out from competing for the post of assistant supervisor now, since I believe you’re the better candidate for the job. I’ve informed the hospital about my decision.”
Caitlyn was completely overwhelmed when Jelena Keaton apologized to her and even offered to back down from the post of assistant supervisor.
It was a post they had both been eyeing for years!
She’s backing out from it?
What the hell is happening here?
Don’t they know I’ve just been arrested and sent to the police station? They’ve even seen it with their own eyes!
But why is everyone behaving so oddly now?
The same goes for Jelena, she seemed petrified of me.
The rest looked equally terrified too.
I could see from their faces and the look in their eyes. I could feel it!
There’s something fishy about this. I’ll check with Levi!
Caitlyn took out her phone and called Levi, “What’s going on here, Levi? Are you hiding something from me?”

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 29​

“I’m not hiding anything from you, mum.” Levi repeated, “The pass is real.”
“Huh! Do you think I’m a fool to take your word?”

Caitlyn hung up the call when she heard him kept insisting that his pass was real.
She was now certain this had nothing to do with Levi.
Caitlyn concluded that the police must have instructed the hospital to put up a normal front and act as if nothing had happened, in order to avoid tarnishing its reputation.
The project went smoothly for the days that followed.

But they would soon need to halt it because of the upcoming stretch of National holidays.
“Levi, can you go pick up my cousin at the University of North Hampton? Her name is Abigail Rogers.” Zoey said to Levi, “I’ve sent her number to your phone.”
She could not take time off from the project at this point of time, so she sought Levi’s help to pick up her cousin.
“Sure, leave it to me!”
“But shouldn’t her name be Abigail Black?”
Levi gave her a quizzical look.
“That’s because Abigail has adopted her mother’s surname.” Zoey explained.
Levi called up Azure Dragon after leaving the construction site. “Get me a car, Azure Dragon.” he ordered, “I want to keep a low profile, so a normal car will do.”
Soon after, Azure Dragon showed up with the car.
It was a Maserati Executive GT.
“Whatever!” Levi shook his head helplessly and got into the car.
He parked his car at the main entrance of the east building of the University of North Hampton.
He waited for almost half a day, but there was no sign of Abigail.
Another thirty minutes gone by and Abigail was still nowhere to be seen. Levi took out his phone and dialed the number Zoey had given him.
“Hello, who’s this?”
A pleasant voice answered the call.
“This is Levi, your brother-in-law. I’m here to pick you up at your school!”
“Huh? I thought Zoey said she was too busy to fetch me?” Abigail said in a surprise tone, “I was thinking of going back on my own.”
“Where are you now?” asked Levi, “I’ll come over and pick you up!”
“I see. I’m currently at Dynasty KTV, VIP room 666!”
“Okay, wait for me. I’ll be there shortly!”
In the KTV room, Abigail had just hung up the call when her friend asked, “Who’s that on the phone, Abigail?”
“It’s my brother-in-law, he’s coming to fetch me.”
Abigail knitted her brows in disdain.
“Oh, do you mean that ex-convict, Levi? I know that guy. Everybody in North Hampton knows about his shabby past.”
“So he’s coming to fetch you? Are you sure? Haha!”
“Don’t you feel ashamed to be seen around with a guy like him?”
Abigail clenched her jaw amidst the mockery of her friends. She regretted for having agreed to let Levi come and fetch her.
It was a mere slip of tongue that made her agreed to it. I should have refused it right away.
“Why do you need him to fetch you, Abigail?” A guy asked. His name was Yannick Zann, Abigail’s classmate. He had been wooing her for quite some time. “Why don’t I give you a ride home instead. Didn’t you just see that I’d just got my new car, the BMW x5?”
He came from a rich family who ran a chain of hotels.
The party had been his idea as well.
What the others didn’t know was that he had a sinister motive for holding the party, he wanted to get Abigail drunk so that he could take her to a hotel and rape her.
Dressed in shorts and a cute sling blouse, Yannick could not peel his eyes away from Abigail’s long slender legs and her exposed shoulders which showed her fair skin tone. His blood was raving inside him.
Abigail shrugged. “But my brother-in-law would be here soon.”
“That’s easy. Why don’t you just ask him to go back on his own?” Yannick persuaded, “You know it’s so difficult to get everybody together for a drink.”
Yannick’s desire grew even wilder when Abigail smiled at him. Her rosy cheeks resembled two juicy cherries.
“Come on, let’s have fun and get some booze!”
Abigail’s besties chimed in and suggested they should play some games to encourage her to drink more. They were acting in cahoots with Yannick.
Their motive was to get Abigail drunk.
A few minutes ensued before the door to their VIP room was swung open, Levi walked in.
“Who are you, mister? What are you doing here?”
A few guys stood up and raised their voices at Levi as they flex their muscles in front of the ladies.
Levi gave them the cold shoulder, and merely looked around for Abigail.
When his eyes finally caught sight of Abigail, his gaze settled on her and he said, “I’m here to fetch you, Abigail.”
“Hahaha, so he’s that infamous brother-in-law of yours, Abigail?” Yannick jeered, “I’ve heard so much about him, about how he’d taken advantage of his brother’s wife and how he attempted to murder his adoptive parents. It’s no wonder they called him the ingrate who bit the hand that feeds him. He looked every bit like that type of person to me!”

 

[skye]

CHAPTER 30​

“Hahahaha..,”
The rest of them cackled.

Abigail felt utterly disgraced. How she wished there was a hole for her to hide herself without being seen.
She muttered in dismay, “This is so embarrassing! How could Zoey have asked him to fetch me?”
She refused to even lift her head to look at Levi.
Levi ignored the guys who kept taunting him.

“Shall we leave, Abigail?” he asked.
Abigail finally raised her head and looked straight at Levi, “Why don’t you just head back on your own? I don’t need you to fetch me. I know my way home.”
“But Zoey insists that I pick you up.” Levi’s patience was waning, “Come on, let’s go.”
“Hey, you! Didn’t you hear what Abigail said? She asked you to leave her alone. Are you deaf or something? Who do you think you are to insist that Abigail to leave with you? Get lost!”
“Yeah, Yannick will send Abigail when the party’s over.” The classmates cum lackeys of Yannick tried to get rid of Levi, “You’re not welcome here! Get your ass out of here!”
“You’d better leave with me now!” Levi’s eyes never left Abigail. He knew what nasty tricks her classmates were trying to play on Abigail. “I’ve promised Zoey to fetch you and that’s what I’m going to do!”
“I’m asking you to leave!” Abigail snapped, “Why do I have to go with you when I don’t even know who you are? I’ll go back on my own!”
Boom!
The door to their VIP room was blasted open by a forceful kick.
A guy was kicked into the room.
“What happened to you, Peyton?”
Everybody got up to help Peyton to his feet once they recognized he was one of their classmates.
Another girl was then shoved into the room. Her beaten face had swollen to the size of a pumpkin.
“Oh my God! What happened to you, Mae?”
Abigail and the rest rushed forward to lift her up. They were getting worried.
A teary Mae sobbed, “I ran into a group of bullies when I came out of the restroom. Peyton was trying to protect me so they beat him up too!”
At the same time, a few nasty looking fellows stomped their way into their room.
“Well, well, what have we got here? These little sexy students looked yummy to my eyes! Oh, what a grand feast we’ll be having tonight!”
The group of thugs drooled when they saw Abigail and her female classmates.
Their lecherous gaze swept across the pairs of fair, slender legs with salacious intent.
“So you’re the ones who had beaten up my pal?” Yannick stepped up and asked coldly.
A dozen of Yannick’s classmates stood up behind Yannick. They were all staring at the group of thugs with bulging eyes.
There was no reason for them to fear the thugs, given their numbers.
Besides, they could not wait to show how macho they were in front of their female classmates.
“Yeah, we’re the ones that whacked him upside down, so what?”
The leader of the thugs, a guy with his hair dyed in a freakish silver color, taunted Yannick with an amused look.
“I want you to apologize, or I’ll beat the shit out of you!” Yannick warned, determined to flaunt his bravery in front of Abigail.
“Hahaha, this is so funny it almost choked me, guys. Do you really think a few lame students like you could beat the shit out of us? What makes you think we’ll be taken in by your words? Just because you outnumber us?”
“Hahaha…”
The group of thugs chuckled in response to Yannick’s threat.
“Go! Get our men here! Tell our boss there’s a dozen of young schoolgirls here waiting for him! Get him over here, quick!”
The next moment, the expression on Yannick and the other guys turned wide-eyed, their mouths opened to let out a silent scream.
The thugs had called in their men. There were dozens of them with iron rods and shiny knives in their hands. They waved their weapons with a bloodthirsty look in their eyes.
They all gazed at Abigail and her classmates with a devilish grin, whilst they blocked the exit of the VIP room.
The students had never encountered such a ghastly scene before in their young lives. It scared the living daylight out of them and made them pissed their pants.
Even Yannick was starting to wobble.
Slap! Slap! Slap!
The silver-haired thug smacked at Yannick’s face and sneered, “So what now? Where’s that gutsy look of yours now?”
“Brother, please forgive me. I-I was wrong…”
Yannick’s shoulders drooped and his body slumped like a deflated balloon as he surrendered.
Slap!
The silver-haired thug landed a tight slap on Yannick’s face.
Bang!
Next, the thugs shoved and kicked at Yannick with such force that it made him spew out a fountain of blood.
The VIP room had now gone completely silent. Everyone muted and held their breath. They could only whisper a prayer in their hearts.