Arthur’s words fell calmly into the air. But to Chad and his men, they sounded like a joke. A bad one. For a split second, there was silence. Then— Laughter exploded.Although Arthur had beaten a few men, so what? those were the weak ones who carried no real weight.with Storm still standing, Chad was confident Arthur shouldn't be able to hurt him. Storm threw his head back, gripping his club as if he’d just heard the funniest thing in his life. “Regret?” he sneered. “You hear this guy?” The goons around him laughed even harder, some pounding their weapons against their palms, others deliberately kicking at Arthur’s car as if to provoke him further. Chad’s lips twisted. His face was still flushed, anger and humiliation mixing together into something ugly. “You really think you’re still in the mall?” Chad said coldly. “This is the parking lot. No livestream. No pretty girl. No

Chad groaned on the ground, clutching his ribs, every shallow breath a reminder of just how badly he’d underestimated Arthur. Around him, Storm and the remaining goons nursed bruises, staggered, and cursed under their breath. The mall’s usual chatter had dwindled into stunned murmurs as people whispered among themselves about the man who had just shredded twenty armed thugs without breaking a sweat.The noise of approaching heels drew the crowd’s attention. Grace finally arrived, her hair slightly disheveled from traffic, cheeks flushed with frustration. She stomped her foot, her pouting fury sharp enough to make heads turn.“What on earth…?” she muttered, her eyes scanning the chaos.Onlookers quickly filled her in.“Did you see the way that guy moved?” one man said, awe thick in his voice.“Yeah,” another replied, wide-eyed. “It was like watching an action movie. How can one man take down twenty men in under a minute? Is he even human?”“Who cares?” a

Xavier’s fingers shook violently as the phone connected. He didn’t wait for the usual pleasantries or cautious inquiry—this was life and death.“Sir! Someone bought my company without my permission! You have to help me! I didn’t put it out to be sold!” Xavier barked into the receiver, desperation cracking his voice.There was silence for a moment. Then, lazily, almost as if swatting away a bothersome fly, the emperor replied.“I know.” His voice was calm, almost bored. “I saw the transaction myself.”Xavier froze mid-breath. “You… you knew?”“Yes. And I can do nothing.” The emperor’s words landed like an avalanche. “The person who bought your company… even I cannot touch them. Consider this… a matter beyond your reach. Beyond mine as well.”“W-what?!” Xavier’s voice cracked, disbelief morphing into panic. “You mean… there’s nothing—nothing—you can do?!”The emperor’s tone didn’t change. “Nothing.”Xavier’s heart sank deeper than he thought possible.A brief pause, and then—click.The

The clerk moved with purpose, leading Jessica and Arthur past rows of industrial machines—sewing stations, overlockers, steam presses, fabric cutters—stacked neatly like weapons in an arsenal. Jessica’s hands clenched lightly at her sides. This was new territory, a place she had studied from books and videos but never set foot in—not with the possibility of owning all this. Her heart was racing, adrenaline mixing with awe. Arthur noticed immediately, glancing at her from the corner of his eyes. “Relax,” he said, calm, low. Jessica exhaled slowly, nodding, but she couldn’t stop her gaze from flicking to the other people in the office. A handful of well-dressed, well-heeled clients were waiting. Two looked like they were hoping to buy some machines to start their own little businesses—greed and ambition written across their faces. A few others sneered subtly, their eyes full of disdain as they sized up Jessica and Arthur. Plain. That’s what they saw. Plain clothes, simple cuts. But

The music faded, replaced by cheers that rolled across the open space like a wave.Someone from the band laughed into the mic. “Alright, alright! Calm down—before the speakers explode.”But the crowd wasn’t calming down.Too many eyes were locked on Arthur.It had started the moment he stepped closer to the stage. Tall. Calm. That quiet kind of presence that didn’t need to announce itself. Girls in the crowd began whispering, nudging each other, pointing. Phones lifted. Screens glowed.The MC, keen on this was swift to action. Beatrice noticed it instantly.Before she could even process it, the MC leaned toward Arthur with a grin. “Hey, man,” he said loudly, voice echoing through the speakers. “You look like you’ve got lungs. Ever tried singing?”The crowd erupted, excited the MC had listened.“Sing! Sing!”“Let him sing!”Arthur frowned slightly. He hadn’t planned for this. He came here to spend time—quiet time—with Jessica. Not to get dragged into a spotlight.He glanced sideways.