Jerry couldn’t understand what was happening. He had expected them to demand something, break cameras, beat men, maybe steal, but now Marek had just said he didn’t want anything.That left Jerry so confused that he had no idea what to say. What answer could there be to something like that?“So, you want nothing?!” the young man in the surveillance room blurted out. “Then why are you holding our boss hostage?”Marek’s brows furrowed. He glanced at Neil, then back at them.“He’s weak enough to be held hostage. That’s all.”The words struck them harder than expected. They hadn’t thought about it when Marek seized their boss, but now… hearing it aloud made them realize the truth.‘Is the boss weak?’‘No… maybe he’s testing us.’“We’ll agree to your terms as long as you talk,” Jerry said cautiously.“We already spoke,” Marek replied bluntly.“Then what now?”“Your boss promised to help us get what we wanted,” Neil cut in before Marek could answer. “But instead of doing that, he lured us her

As expected, Tedmond wasn’t surprised. He knew they wouldn’t back down—they wanted trouble.His gaze slid past the men blocking the way, studying the ones behind them. They had been watching in silence the whole time, and Tedmond doubted they’d interfere. Still, he couldn’t be completely sure. Better to finish this quickly before they decide to step in.Tedmond’s eyes returned to the man in front of him. Calm. Unmoved.“What do you want?” he asked.The man’s face twisted with anger. Everyone else he had ever dealt with had shown fear. But Tedmond? Tedmond wasn’t even flinching. That calm look was driving him mad.Now he knew exactly what he wanted—to wipe that expression away, to replace it with terror.“What do we want?” the man snarled. “You’re still calm? Still standing there like nothing’s wrong when you’re about to get jumped by all of us?”His voice rose, sharp and mocking. “Brothers, hear me! Let’s teach these two a lesson. If we beat them down here and now, dinner’s on me toni

As soon as Tedmond spoke, the room fell silent. No one had expected such an offer, and their jaws dropped in astonishment.It sounded almost ridiculous—yet no one in their right mind would refuse it.Tedmond was right. The men with him were numerous, many of them the very ones the boss had set aside for future tasks. And the boss himself was at Tedmond’s mercy. If they fought, they couldn’t win. The consequences would be severe and unforgivable.Jerry turned to the others, searching their faces for guidance. Most looked back at him, silently asking what to do. But Jerry was frozen, uncertain, before finally meeting Tedmond’s calm gaze.“I’ll join your side,” Scar said immediately, raising his hand. “I could use some easy money.”Jerry’s jaw dropped. Scar had betrayed the boss before, but openly doing it again, without hesitation? That was unexpected.“What do you mean you’re joining them?” Jerry demanded. “We’re talking about the boss here!”Scar gestured toward Marek. “No way I’m fig

Lisa had been wandering for hours, unable to find a safe place to stay—until she thought of Tedmond.She hadn’t found a hotel where her husband couldn’t track her, and she still hadn’t been able to reach Tedmond. Her phone rang relentlessly, unanswered, and she began to wonder if he was deliberately ignoring her. But she refused to give up. She would keep calling until he finally picked up. And if he didn’t, she would find him herself and make him listen, no matter what it took.Stepping out of the hotel she had intended to check into, Lisa immediately hailed a cab and glanced at her phone again. Calls kept flooding in, distracting her from her goal. The caller ID read Max. Seeing his name, she realized he might already be looking for her. Thinking fast, she decided to answer. After all, if she couldn’t reach Tedmond, she still needed a way back to the Griffin family.Lisa swiped to answer, keeping her voice calm.“Hello?”“Where were you?” Max’s tone was sharp, almost accusing.Lis

Upon hearing the name Lisa, Thomas grew uneasy. He had just managed to pull Tedmond away from the internet to prevent him from seeing the news, and now Hino was receiving a call from her.Thomas’s mind raced. Tedmond had just finished a long, exhausting day, and the last thing he needed was to hear about the accident. He had decided: Tedmond would take a proper one-week break before being informed of anything serious.Just as Tedmond gestured for Hino to answer, Thomas moved quickly, gently but firmly, grabbing the phone.“Young master, please don’t answer that,” he said, keeping his voice calm but resolute.Tedmond blinked, confused. “Why not?”“It’s better for you to take a break and rest for a few days,” Thomas explained, eyes locked on Tedmond. “You’ve been working too hard lately. For this to happen, I’ll need to collect all your phones. Everyone’s phones. That way, no urgent calls or messages will reach you.”Hino and Neil exchanged glances. They didn’t understand why Thomas wan