AN UNDERSTATED POWER

0002

“Don’t let Morow State’s prosperity fool you,” he said, his tone as calm as ever.

“Behind all the success lies dangers far greater than you can imagine.”

He stepped closer, his gaze locking onto Seraphina’s face, as if penetrating her soul.

“In Anoma County, tens of thousands live without proper compensation. Why? Because a giant factory was built illegally, leaving the people there without homes or a proper livelihood.”

Not waiting for her response, he continued.

“And Boxa County? A welcoming playground for gangs smuggling weapons and drugs. Their influence runs wild, controlling the streets and intimidating local authorities. They only stay in check because I’ve been holding them down.”

Max took a short breath, then spoke with a sharper edge to his voice.

“Then there’s Cexl County. Greedy businessmen ran Ponzi schemes, and now thousands have lost everything. Unemployment is skyrocketing, inflation is out of control. Without me? No one could stop it!”

“And don’t forget Debua County,” he added, his tone grim.

“It was just hit by a massive storm. While the rescue operations are over, they’re now facing post-disaster destruction that no one is ready to handle.”

He leaned closer.

“And then there’s the issue at the border—the ‘Lord of the Abyss’ trying to rebuild their illegal trade routes.”

“Everything is under control because I’ve been handling it! I’ve kept all these factions in line, ensuring chaos doesn’t spread.”

“Haha… Really? Oh, how scary!"

Seraphina let out a small, mocking laugh, her voice sharp with derision.

"Do you realize how shamelessly boastful you are?” she sneered.

“Don’t you think all of that just sounds like a bunch of self-aggrandizing stories to make yourself look important?”

She stepped closer, her lips curling into a subtle yet cutting smirk.

“Do you really believe that without you, everything would fall apart? You seem to think far too highly of yourself.”

Seraphina’s gaze remained icy as she continued, her voice sharp as a blade.

“You know what, Max,” she began, “don’t forget you’re just an orphan. All the comforts you enjoy now? They’re because of my family!”

“Even if you’ve achieved something, it’s only because my family supported you! Do you really think Morow State can’t function without you? What a joke!”

She stopped right in front of him, looking him up and down as if assessing something worthless.

“Without my father’s influence, you wouldn’t be anything! You wouldn’t even be standing here in this villa.”

Max remained silent, his jaw tightening as her words pierced through the air.

“And now,” Seraphina continued, her voice filled with conviction, “my father will take back his power.”

“He’ll take over Morow State, making it better and more prosperous. To me, you’re nothing more than a pawn.”

“The Lancaster family, the wealthiest in the capital, will soon form an alliance with my family. When that happens, my new fiancé, Dominic Lancaster, will take over the management of Morow State.”

“Do you know what will happen? In a year, Morow State’s GDP will easily exceed $30 trillion.”

She smiled cruelly, her eyes fixed on Max as if he had already lost.

“And you? You’ll spend the rest of your life in prison!”

Max stood motionless, his expression unreadable, though his eyes burned with a cold fire.

Seraphina folded her arms across her chest and added with a tone dripping in disdain.

“You should worry about yourself. The future of Morow State no longer requires your involvement.”

One of the officers stepped forward, pulling a pair of handcuffs from his belt.

Max knew his fiancée’s family must have long devised a grand scheme and he couldn’t escape or clear his name at this time.

However, he didn’t intent to resist.

Over the past four years, he had been constantly dedicating himself to a bring positive change to this state.

He was truly a bit exhausted.

Now, he might have finally got the chance to take a long nice break.

But before the officer could get any closer, Max shot him a cold glare.

That single look froze the officer in place, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead.

Even his colleague standing nearby hesitated to move.

Max spoke in a low, firm voice, “I’ll walk on my own.”

With calm, deliberate steps, Max began walking out of the villa.

The two officers stood in confusion for a moment, trying to process what had just happened.

After a few seconds, they snapped back to reality and rushed to catch up, panting as they tried to keep pace with Max.

But they no longer dared to cuff him like a common criminal.

The atmosphere was thick with unspoken tension, making Max seem less like a suspect being taken in and more like a ruler issuing commands.