Darius' tone was calm, and he smiled. "I know my absence over the years has given everyone plenty of opportunities to show what they're made of. It's a good thing, and I don't want this sort of competition to stop. However, I hope everything we do is for the betterment of the Reid family." He paused, then continued, "I believe you all understand what I mean. I've already experienced a number of unpleasant battles since my return to the Reid family…" Darius swept a cold gaze over the crowd and eventually fixed it on Patrick. "I have yet to look into them because I know they're just results of internal strife." He cocked his head and smiled again. "I've tried my best to treat all members of the Reid family with friendliness and an open heart; I hope to build long-lasting relationships with all of you, if only because the same blood runs in our veins. However, if you have other thoughts or find wealth to be more important than blood, I don't mind changing my attitude." Besides James a

Darius sat down silently and started observing the people below. He smirked when he saw Patrick scanning the crowd and searching for someone. Then, he pulled out his phone and started typing out a message. The partygoers slowly lapsed into silence.Darius narrowed his eyes. Patrick's actions had suddenly reminded him of something. The members of the Reid family prided themselves on being wealthier than other wealthy families, but the consortium's accounts weren't as loaded as they thought. Despite that, the world still thought the Reid Consortium was filthy rich. This situation was similar to that of Almiron City, whereby outsiders had thought it was a well-to-do city when it was actually poor. It seemed like an easy illusion to create, but one only had to take a closer look to realize how tough it actually was. Darius slowly turned to focus on Patrick. He hadn't considered this before, but now that it was laid before him, he couldn't ignore the issue. The Reid family's bodyguards ha

Patrick slowly retracted his hand. He was still trembling, but he pursed his lips, looking indignant. "Darius, I know you're powerful, but so what? You're nothing but a vile person who only knows how to eavesdrop on others!" His chest heaved with agitation.Darius shook his head. He moved to stand before Patrick, then grabbed him by the collar and lifted him to his feet. Suddenly, the realization dawned on him, and he whipped his head around to glare at Stephen. "Stephen, you've been lying to me this whole time! You're already on Darius' side, aren't you?"Stephen broke his silence. "Didn't you already figure that out long ago? That's what you accused me of earlier, didn't you? I don't think you need me to answer you."Patrick pointed a trembling finger at him, his chest heaving with rage. "You're too cheap!"Darius frowned, finally out of patience. He said, "Now that I'm here, whatever you've planned for tonight is going to fall through. You cannot defeat me, be it in terms of brains

Patrick lowered his head and pulled his phone from his pocket. When he saw the notification on his screen informing him the livestream was over, an ugly look crept onto his face. He immediately ran after Darius, stood in his way, and glared at him menacingly. "I've tried being patient with you, but you obviously don't appreciate it. Do you know the sort of predicament you're in right now? You've been foiling my plans every step of the way! It looks like I'm gonna have to show you how meaningless you are to the Reid family!" He held his head high, looking proud of himself.Darius stopped, wanting to see what else Patrick had up his sleeve. At the very least, he wanted to see why Patrick was confident he could act this way. Darius tucked his hands in his pockets and looked at Patrick calmly. Patrick's nerves were too frazzled to pay attention to his surroundings. When he saw Darius had stopped, he blurted out, "You may have been announced as the Reid family's heir, but did you notice h

Patrick's head flew up at Darius' words, and he widened his eyes in shock. He parted his trembling lips and stammered, "H-how did you know about that?"Darius tucked his hands in his pockets and gave him a scornful look. "Don't tell me you thought it was a secret exclusive to only yourself." Patrick gaped at him. Indeed, that was what he'd thought. To his shock, Darius showed him some photos and videos. Patrick didn't say a word when he saw them; he knew Darius would spread these photos and videos all over the internet unless he apologized immediately. Then again, there was no guarantee Darius would let him off the hook even if he were to do so—he knew he wouldn't. His breathing sped up as his gaze flicked between Darius' face and the phone. After a long moment, he rasped, "Why are you showing me this? What do you want now?"Darius' mockery grew. He casually sat on a nearby chair, crossed his legs, and smiled at Patrick. "I've wasted too much time on you. Now, I only need you to ans