At the same time, Jaden stepped forward and raised his fists, his posture calm and grounded. There was no wasted movement, no unnecessary flourish. He had no intention of dragging this out.He planned to end it immediately.Bam!His fist shot forward.Obidiah reacted instinctively, swinging back with brute force. Vex followed a split second later, aiming for Jaden’s ribs.Their fists collided head-on.Crack! Crack!The sound was sharp and sickening, like dry branches snapping underfoot.The next instant, both Obidiah and Vex staggered backward.Their arms hung at unnatural angles.“Arghh!”“Arghh!”The screams tore through the lobby as pain surged through their bodies. Obidiah collapsed to one knee, clutching his arm as his face twisted in agony. Vex fared no better. His breathing turned ragged as sweat broke out across his forehead.Broken.Both arms.Clean fractures.The remaining guards froze in place, stunned by what they had just witnessed.Jaden stood there calmly, rolling his s

Richie sat on the massive wooden chair at the center of the hall, his posture relaxed yet oppressive. Xander, Elias, and several core members of the Verrick family stood around him, forming an invisible wall of authority that pressed down on everyone present.He looked down at Vane and Nora with a mocking smile tugging at his lips.“Hah,” Richie scoffed. “Vane, do you really think you are qualified to be a member of the Verrick family?”Vane stiffened. His mind went blank for a moment before fear crept up his spine. He bowed slightly, his voice cautious and unsteady. “Mr. Verrick, I do not understand. Please enlighten me if I have done anything wrong.”Richie did not answer immediately.He leisurely reached for the teacup on the coffee table, lifted the lid, and blew gently on the surface before taking a slow sip. The deliberate pause made the silence in the hall unbearable.Only after setting the cup down did he speak, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “You raised a very good daughter.

Richie let out a snort filled with contempt. His gaze swept over Selena like she was something filthy that had crawled into the hall.“Selena Verrick,” he said coldly, “do you know how many crimes you have committed against this family?”He did not wait for her answer.“First,” Richie continued, his voice sharp, “you disgraced the Verrick name by getting pregnant before marriage. Worse, you married the homeless man who defiled you. You dragged our family’s reputation through the mud and turned us into a laughingstock.”Selena clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.“Second,” Richie went on, “you were selfish and unfilial. You openly defied Old Master Xander and the elders. After building your fortune, you gave nothing back to the family that raised you. You acted like the Verrick blood in your veins meant nothing.”The murmurs among the family grew louder.“Third,” Richie said, his eyes turning icy, “you ordered Jaden to assault Vex and Obidiah. They are members of the V

But Jaden stood right where he was, unmoving and unafraid.His expression did not change. There was no panic in his eyes, no instinctive retreat. It was as if the whip was never a threat to begin with.Before the leather whip could reach his face, Jaden lifted his hand and caught it midair.The sharp crack everyone expected never came.Instead, silence slammed into the room.Richie’s brows snapped together as his relaxed posture stiffened. Shock rippled through the crowd like a sudden chill.How did he stop it?That whip was swung with full force. Anyone else would have had their skull split open.The man holding the whip froze, his mouth hanging open as he stared at Jaden’s hand wrapped tightly around the leather. His fingers trembled.He snarled and pulled with all his strength, veins bulging in his neck.The whip did not move even a fraction.Jaden looked at him coldly, as if he were nothing more than a nuisance. With a casual tug of his arm, he yanked the whip back.The man stumbl

Nora was clearly displeased by what had happened. Her usually calm expression carried a rare hint of anger. Vane sat beside Selena in silence, his jaw tight, his eyes dark. The disappointment was obvious. The people they had once called family by blood had shown their true faces, and it left a bitter taste that words could not wash away.Selena noticed their expressions and took a slow breath. Instead of letting the frustration consume her, something inside her hardened. Her eyes sharpened, and her posture straightened. Whatever emotions lingered were quickly buried under resolve.She would not let anyone hold her back again.Over the next two weeks, Selena and Vane threw themselves completely into their work. They barely rested. Meetings followed meetings, documents piled up, and every decision was personally reviewed. This project was no longer just about profit. It was about proving a point.The pharmaceutical factory in Phoenix had officially been completed during that time. The f