Early the next morning, a private jet landed at Haven International Airport. It belonged to none other than Caleb Bolton, patriarch of the Bolton family and Elizabeth's grandfather. He had traveled two days after Elizabeth had recovered from her illness, so he was unaware of everything that had happened since then. Having just returned, he didn't immediately head to the Bolton manor; instead, he made his way to the Manchester Hotel to visit Alistair.So, imagine his surprise when he arrived at the Manchester Hotel only to be informed that Alistair was no longer staying in the penthouse.“What?” Caleb lashed out. “What do you mean Mister Reid is gone? I'm sure I made it clear that the penthouse was his permanent residence.”“Sir, I don't know.” The receptionist said in a panicked tone.She had already messaged the manager and was hoping for him to come quickly before Caleb lost his temper. Thankfully, it didn't take long for John, the manager, to arrive. “Lord Bolton, I had no ide

Soon enough, Marcus returned, holding a small USB drive. "Sir, the maintenance was a sham. The manager manually overrode the cloud sync. I’ve recovered the footage. It shows the receptionist handing Mister Reid a bag while two guards escorted him out. Isabella Heart was with him."Caleb closed his eyes for a second, a dark chuckle escaping his lips. "She did it. She actually did it. She threw Mister Reid into the arms of the Heart family."He turned back to John, his expression now one of absolute dismissal. "You’re fired, John. And don't bother looking for work in this city. I’ll make sure the only thing you’re qualified to manage is a prison laundry room.""Sir, please! Miss Charlotte said—""Get him out of my sight," Caleb commanded. Two of his personal bodyguards stepped forward, seizing John by the arms and dragging him toward the exit.Caleb turned to Marcus, his voice vibrating with a new, dangerous purpose. "We are heading back to the manor. It seems my daughter-in-law has fo

Meanwhile, over at the Chelsea Hotel, Alistair was meditating on the balcony when Isabella came to join him.“Mister Reid.” She greeted him with a warm smile. “Thank you for the accommodation this far, Miss Heart. However, I believe it is time I take my leave.” Alistair calmly remarked. “That's not a problem at all,” Isabella said. “I've already prepared a place for you to stay.”“Hmm?” Alistair raised a brow. Isabella flashed a smile as she took out two keys. One was a house key and the other, a car key. “I purchased a nice villa for you to stay in. You don't have to worry, it's in a quiet part of town so you won't be disturbed. Then, I got you a car to help with your day-to-day activities. A man of your standing shouldn't be moving around in a taxi. At least not as long as I'm around.”Alistair massaged his temples, realizing that Isabella had gone ahead to do too much. “Miss Heart…”“Mister Reid, I know you are inclined to refuse my gift, but I would like to plead that you ac

“I see.” Alistair nodded in understanding. “Any information on what exactly Adam Smith might want the alchemists to brew?”Beggar John shook his head. “Not at all. The Smith family has done well to keep the situation within their family under tight wraps.”“I wonder why,” Alistair muttered. “Whatever the case may be, it's turning out to be quite a big deal. In fact, I hear that some alchemists are coming together to form factions to stand a chance of winning the competition.”“That's not a problem.”“It might be.” Beggar John said, thinking Alistair didn't understand the gravity of the situation. “I heard that there might be ambushing some of the alchemists who would be coming for the competition. The more well-known names would most definitely rob any unknown alchemist that show up. I would implore you to be careful, Mister Reid.” Alistair chuckled, not at all surprised by what he'd heard. “Don't worry, I'll handle the situation, whatever it may be.”John remarked. “Perhaps you wo

The man’s eyes bulged. "It's... It's the Iron Cauldron Sect! Their young master, Zhang Wei, wants to clear out all the 'independents' before Adam Smith arrives! They've set up three more ambushes ahead!"Alistair let go, and the leader crumpled to the ground, gasping for air. "The Iron Cauldron Sect. I've heard of them. Mediocre alchemists with a talent for bullying."He walked back to his car and climbed in, revving the engine. "Go back to your master. Tell him 'Grandmaster Zen' is coming. And tell him to bring a better grade of poison next time. This one was boring."Alistair floored the accelerator, the Porsche screaming as it tore through the roadblock, leaving the masked men in a cloud of dust.As he drove toward the villa, he checked the invitation again.Adam Smith was a man of high standards, and if the competition had already devolved into a brawl, he wondered what was waiting at the manor.The fact that this was happening within the manor grounds meant that Adam Smith was co