All Chapters of The Strong-Willed Sean O'Connor: Chapter 181
- Chapter 190
272 chapters
CHAPTER 181
Sean crept through the woods, his boots pressing into the damp soil, crushing twigs and leaves beneath his feet. Shafts of afternoon sunlight filtered through the canopy, scattering gold across the forest floor. His fingers toyed with the sleek invitation card as he walked, the glossy gold letters catching the light.Event Gala — 8:00 PM, Wednesday Night.Tomorrow. That gave him time. Sean checked his watch, then glanced at the card again, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. A whole day left to prepare.He slipped the card deep into his pocket and lowered his gaze back to the undergrowth. His sharp eyes swept over patches of grass and moss, searching carefully for the herbs he had come to find. Every few steps, he crouched to brush aside leaves, the earthy scent of soil thick in the air.If he could find the herb he was after, he’d be able to prepare something Liana could use before the event. After all, he wasn’t even sure he would find anything useful there. The forest was one of the
CHAPTER 182
Sean narrowed his eyes. The man hadn’t shifted an inch. Not a twitch. Not even the rise and fall of his chest from where Sean stood. The same sprawled arm. The same leg bent awkwardly beneath him. Dust clung to his cheek, but he hadn’t brushed it off.Sean rose slowly, herbs still cradled in his hand, and studied him longer. A leaf drifted down from the tree above, landing on the man’s shoulder. It stayed there. No reaction.A faint frown tugged at Sean’s face. The man lay there without a stir—no breath, no twitch, not even the shift of a finger.Sean stepped closer, boots crunching softly against the soil, his gaze locked on the man’s fingers. They looked limp and lifeless, but Sean didn’t trust that.His steps drew nearer, the weight of his boots sinking into the earth. He stopped just above the man. That’s when he saw it—barely there, a faint shiver running through the man’s shoulders. The body wasn’t still after all. His fingers twitched against the dirt, trembling like they were
CHAPTER 183
Nodding at the attendant who had led him there, Sean stepped through the heavy double doors, the warmth of the gala wrapping around him. Crystal chandeliers dripped golden light over the marble floors, and the murmur of masked voices swirled like music.Every guest wore a mask: gold, silver, velvet, and feathers, hiding identities while revealing elegance in posture and dress.He picked up a crystal flute from a passing attendant and let the cool, sparkling liquid settle in his hand. Raising it slightly, he moved toward a quiet corner, leaning lightly against the edge of a gilded column. From here, he could observe without being observed.A group of women nearby caught his attention. Their masks were delicate, patterned intricately to catch the chandelier’s light. One wore a crimson dress that hugged her curves, while the other wore an emerald gown that flowed softly as she moved, the fabric swishing with each step.A subtle perfume of rose and sandalwood trailed behind them, mingling
CHAPTER 184
Seeing the faint grin on Sean’s face, the proud, confident look immediately drained from the man’s features. He had expected hesitation, a flicker of fear—anything that would show he held the upper hand. But there was nothing.“You… you’re not scared?” the man demanded, disbelief cutting through his tone. “Not even a little? No hesitation, no flinch… nothing. Who are you?”Sean’s eyes met his steadily from behind the mask, calm and unshaken. He hadn’t thought the man would expect fear from a few words spoken. After all, nothing the man had said was truly threatening, let alone terrifying.He raised his glass slightly, as if the man’s outrage were nothing more than background noise.“I have no reason to be scared,” Sean said evenly. “And I have no reason to compete with you. Whatever you think I’m here for… you’re wrong.”The man’s jaw tightened, disbelief slipping into irritation. He stepped closer, menace dripping from his low, dangerous voice.“Not here to compete?” he echoed, incr
CHAPTER 185
Despite Stefan’s words, Sean didn’t answer immediately. His gaze stayed fixed on the stage curtain, his expression unreadable. The muffled shuffle of attendants behind the curtain hinted that the auction would begin soon, yet he didn’t move, didn’t react, didn’t even acknowledge Stefan.For Stefan, that silence was worse than any insult. His fingers drummed impatiently on the armrest, jaw tight beneath his mask. He tilted his head toward Sean, narrowing his eyes.“You think you’re better than me, huh?” he muttered, low, almost sulking. “Sitting there, acting like you’ve got nothing to prove.” A short, bitter laugh escaped him. “Well, maybe you don’t. But I do.”Sean finally glanced at him, eyes cool and detached, then looked away as though Stefan weren’t even there.That single, dismissive look made Stefan’s irritation flare.He leaned forward suddenly, voice sharp but hushed.“Don’t look away from me like that! Answer me at least once, damn it!”Sean shifted slightly in his chair, cro
CHAPTER 186
Sean’s gaze flicked toward him for the briefest moment, calm, empty, unreadable, before returning to the coral onstage.Stefan’s lips curled. He wasn’t finished.“Or… maybe you’re just here to spy on me. Isn’t that it? Sitting back here like some shadow, not bidding, not moving. You think I can’t tell?”He leaned back with a huff, arms crossing tightly, pouting through his irritation. “Pathetic.”Around them, the bidding war raged hotter.“Three hundred thousand!”“Three hundred and fifty!”“Four hundred!”The audience gasped and whispered, but Stefan’s focus never left Sean—waiting, baiting, desperate to see if the man would finally snap or stay maddeningly silent.Sean didn’t flinch at Stefan’s words. Not even a twitch.His eyes stayed on the stage, on the rare coral sitting under the lights as if it were a holy relic. The way the crystal-like branches caught and bent the golden glow was striking, otherworldly even. But Sean couldn’t help wondering what made it so valuable that the r
CHAPTER 187
Sean’s eyes locked onto the pendant, the faint gleam of its silver threads pulling his attention tighter than he expected. Unlike the coral, this wasn’t just a pretty decoration meant to dazzle a crowd.The obsidian drop seemed to hum with its own presence, an energy that lingered even under the artificial glow of the stage lights.He leaned back slightly, studying the faint shimmer that pulsed through the stone. It wasn’t a trick of the light. The glow wasn’t random—it beat with rhythm, deliberate and alive, like the slow thrum of a heartbeat.‘This isn’t just some legend spun to raise the price,’ Sean thought, narrowing his eyes. ‘There’s something real here. Something beneath the stories they’re selling to the crowd.’His gaze followed every curve of the stone, the way the threads of silver seemed to shift and catch in ways metal shouldn’t. If one stared too long, it almost felt like the veins inside the pendant moved, flowing slowly, as though something coursed within it.Around h
CHAPTER 188
Seeing the man wave at him, Sean held his gaze. He was certain now—the wave wasn’t recognition. It was a challenge. A provocation.The blonde raised his bidding paddle high with deliberate arrogance, tilting it toward Sean in a mocking gesture. As if inviting him to play along. As if asking: ‘Will you fight me for it, or will you fold?’The crowd stirred, whispers carrying through the chamber. They weren’t blind; they saw the silent exchange.“Is he… taunting him?”“It looks like he wants a bidding war.”“Between those two? This could get ugly.”Sean’s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression calm, but the curl of his lips betrayed a sliver of cruel amusement. The blonde wasn’t here for the pendant alone. He was here for him.The auctioneer, oblivious to the tension, raised his gavel. “One point five million, going once…!”The room hushed, everyone leaning forward.“Going twice…!”Stefan turned toward Sean, his smirk flickering with curiosity. He had waited all night to see what this m
CHAPTER 189
‘An additional enemy?’ Sean thought, his gaze flicking to Stefan before sliding past him and back to the auction stage. ‘I don’t think so. Not everyone is like you, Stefan.’To Sean, the blonde man wasn’t an enemy. Just someone who needed to learn a lesson, and Sean had already given him one. Nothing more. It wasn’t enough to spark true hatred.The auction went on. Item after item appeared on stage, bids rose and fell, voices buzzed, yet Sean remained still. His eyes held no interest.Until—“Next, we present a rare herb,” the host announced, his tone brightening. “This herb is known to greatly assist with breathing problems. For those suffering from such conditions, it is invaluable.”Sean’s eyes snapped to the stage. His calm demeanor shifted. For the first time since the second item, real interest stirred on his face. His gaze locked on the herb, fingers tightening slightly on the armrest.‘If I get that herb, I can help her. This isn’t something I can let slip by.’If he could ref
CHAPTER 190
Hearing the people murmur, Sean had spent the time thinking of a price to say, and while Stefan kept the man company, he quietly measured how far he was willing to go. After deciding, he finally lifted his paddle and spoke the number out loud.The hall went dead silent the instant his voice fell.Sean’s brow twitched slightly. ‘Why did they go so still? Was the price really that shocking?’Before he could even finish the thought, the silence was shattered.Murmurs exploded from every corner, rising into a storm of voices.“Ten million?!”“Did I hear that right?!”“He must be crazy!”“No—he must be loaded. Who even is he?!”“That price is outrageous!”“Unbelievable… just unbelievable!”The noise swelled until it drowned out everything else. The host’s voice, the shuffling of attendants, even the creak of chairs—the roar of countless overlapping whispers, gasps, and exclamations swallowed all of it.It was as if the entire hall had lost control, their astonishment thundering louder than