Minutes later…Neil finally stopped talking, his voice dry from explaining every detail—from the moment they entered the Griffin estate to the way the Griffins dodged questions and how the elders exchanged looks with fake, half-baked reactions.He had laid everything out. Every single word he heard. Everything that had happened in the mansion, including what he did to Lisa that made her snap.Tedmond sat in silence, the device now resting on the table in front of him, untouched. His fingers tapped once, twice against the wood.“Why did you piss Lisa off, though?” Tedmond asked, genuinely curious.To him, it seemed unnecessary. Lisa was someone who twisted her words and behavior to suit the moment. She often acted based on immediate circumstances and then changed her stance when something else came up.Neil leaned back in the chair, stretching his arms over his head before letting out a deep breath. Then, glancing at Tedmond with a half-smirk, he asked,“Is there anything more dangerou

Upon seeing the look on Thomas’s face, Tedmond’s brows arched. Just from that expression, he could tell the gang wasn’t just large—it was powerful.And getting his phone back wasn’t going to be an easy task.Thomas let out a slow breath. “They’re not just some street punks,” he muttered. “They’re part of a syndicate. A real one. Ex-military, most of them. Armed, trained, and completely unafraid of the law. They don’t just rough people up—they erase problems.”Tedmond’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t look shaken. “So what? I’m supposed to let a bunch of thugs run around with my phone like a trophy?”It wasn’t that Tedmond didn’t believe Thomas. He didn’t think the ones the Griffin family had hired were all that dangerous.They looked more like lackeys. Rough around the edges, sure, but not the real deal. Just pawns, not players.“I’m guessing those idiots at the Griffin mansion were just bottom feeders,” Tedmond said calmly. “The real syndicate must be behind the scenes. Probably gave th

Thomas still sat on the couch, his gaze fixed on his wristwatch. He was about to stand and go get Marek himself, but just as he glanced once more toward the stairs, he saw Marek descending.There was a certain stillness about Marek, the kind that made even the air hesitate. His black shirt hung open at the collar, sleeves rolled just above his forearms, revealing pale skin marked with old, unflinching scars.His boots echoed against the marble steps—slow, deliberate. Like the man himself, every step carried weight.A slim man hurried behind him, eyes filled with concern as he tried to catch up, hoping to reach Thomas before Marek did.The murmurs among the guards died instantly. Even those who pretended not to watch shifted subtly toward the staircase. It was as if the room held its breath.They all dared not continue their rumors with him nearby. Even though they spoke behind his back, they were still terrified of him. After all, he could take them all on without breaking a sweat—and

Tedmond thought about it for a while. Hino’s suggestion wasn’t bad at all. It sounded like something that would piss Max off enough to stop protecting Lisa.From what Neil said, Max had only gone there to check if Lisa was the one who released him, but ended up deleting the footage without even confirming it.If he saw the message now, he would believe it was Lisa who let him out. That alone was going to be useful.Once they started suspecting Lisa, they’d stop looking for who really did it. And the faster they believed she was behind it, the quicker they’d come after him.That was enough time—for now.“I’ll add it,” Tedmond said. “Great suggestion, Hino.”Neil’s face twisted into a frown. He didn’t like that Hino had come up with something useful before he did. Still, he was glad the idea was helpful.“Thanks, young master,” Hino said with a smile.Tedmond gave a small nod and turned back to the laptop in front of him. The moment Neil saw that, he quickly moved behind him to see what

Lisa immediately froze as Otis grabbed her. She knew he would be mad when he found out, but she had no idea he would be this furious. Furious enough to hit her.Sure, she had seen him beat others before, so it shouldn’t have surprised her. But now she was part of the family. He shouldn’t be doing this to her.His grip on her hair tightened, and Lisa sobbed, grabbing at his wrist, trying to ease the pain. But he didn’t let go.“You think I wouldn’t find out? You think I’m stupid?” he bellowed. His face was red, veins bulging, fury pouring out of him like a volcano that had waited too long to erupt. “All this while you’ve been sitting there, pretending to be loyal, pretending to love Max, meanwhile you were plotting with the very bastard who stole from me?”“Otis, please!”“No. Don’t you dare!” His face twisted with rage. “You helped that bastard take everything from me, and now you want to play innocent?”He looked around, his eyes landing on Max.“And you,” he spat. “You knew and stil