Chapter 168
Author: Lamina
last update2025-08-10 22:20:22

The soft glow of candles danced across the white tablecloth at Le Bernardin.

Crystal glasses caught the warm light, casting tiny rainbows on the polished surface.

Ethan sat across from Lara, his dark suit perfectly tailored, but his expression unreadable.

She looked stunning in a simple black dress, her hair falling in soft waves around her shoulders.

She picked up her wine glass, taking a small sip before setting it down carefully. “The food here is amazing."

“Father has good taste in restaurants,” he replied, cutting into his fish with precision.

She tried again, leaning forward slightly. “Do you remember the first time we met? You were so serious, even then. I thought you might never smile.”

“I smile when there’s a reason to.”

The silence stretched between them.

“So,” she said, twirling her wine glass between her fingers, “how do you think we’re doing? With the whole… performance, I mean. Do you think people are buying it?”

“Lara.” His voice was quiet but firm.

"You know this i
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  • Chapter 168

    The soft glow of candles danced across the white tablecloth at Le Bernardin. Crystal glasses caught the warm light, casting tiny rainbows on the polished surface.Ethan sat across from Lara, his dark suit perfectly tailored, but his expression unreadable. She looked stunning in a simple black dress, her hair falling in soft waves around her shoulders.She picked up her wine glass, taking a small sip before setting it down carefully. “The food here is amazing."“Father has good taste in restaurants,” he replied, cutting into his fish with precision.She tried again, leaning forward slightly. “Do you remember the first time we met? You were so serious, even then. I thought you might never smile.”“I smile when there’s a reason to.”The silence stretched between them. “So,” she said, twirling her wine glass between her fingers, “how do you think we’re doing? With the whole… performance, I mean. Do you think people are buying it?”“Lara.” His voice was quiet but firm. "You know this i

  • Chapter 167

    With everyone now sitting around the shiny table, feeling tense and nervous—except for Mr. Lorenzo and Damian—and wondering what this meeting was actually about, Damian decided to break the awkward silence.He clapped his hands together after looking around at everyone’s faces.“I can still see you’re all confused and shocked,” he began calmly."But don’t freak out. There’s really nothing to worry about.“​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Mrs. Patterson, her bruised face still showing the marks of her ordeal, leaned forward with desperation in her voice. "Mr. Hayes, you said you were here to save us. What exactly do you mean when you say you’re here to save us, but we won’t be leaving these suffocation walls?”Damian scoffed, shaking his head with amusement. “The joke’s on you if you all thought I was here to be your Messiah. Especially after how you did absolutely nothing when Magnus was bringing my world crashing down.”Mr. Richard’s brow furrowed as suspicion crept into his voice. “So, is this your

  • Chapter 166

    Sitting in the plush corner were Damian, Mr. Lorenzo, and Warden Fletcher, the prison warden.Damian held a crystal wine glass filled with deep red wine. He took a slow sip, savoring the moment before placing the glass on the polished side table. A wry smile played across his lips as he watched their shocked faces.“Damian?” Mr. Richard said again, still unable to process what he was seeing.Dr. Williams quickly elbowed him in the ribs. Realizing his mistake, Mr. Richard forced a nervous smile and quickly corrected himself.“I mean… Mr. Hayes. What are you doing here?”Damian’s smile widened. “Saving your lives, obviously.”Mr. Richard’s brow furrowed in confusion. "Saving our lives?”For the first time since they’d entered, Damian raised his gaze to meet theirs directly.“I heard that life here has been a living hell for you since the day you arrived.”None of them could find words to respond.They had no idea where Damian was going with this.Suddenly, the door opened again. Two

  • Chapter 165

    Mr. Richard’s heart pounded as they followed The Reaper’s lieutenant through corridors he’d never seen before.They passed through the main cellblock, where inmates pressed against their bars to watch the strange procession.Finally, they reached a section Mr. Richard had never seen in his three weeks here—a maintenance area filled with pipes and electrical panels. The walls were older here, made of crumbling brick instead of concrete.“Where… where is this place?” Dr. Williams whispered nervously to Mr. Richard, his voice barely audible.“I’m as confused as you are,” Mr. Richard whispered back, his eyes darting around the unfamiliar surroundings.But they dared not ask The Reaper or his gang members.Suddenly, The Reaper stopped at what looked like a maintenance closet door. To Mr. Richard’s amazement, the heavy steel door swung open to reveal a dark staircase leading downward.They descended into what seemed like an underground tunnel. The air grew cooler and damper with each step

  • Chapter 164

    In the prison yard of Western River Correctional Facility, surrounded by high barbed wire fences and guard towers, Mr. Richard lay curled on the ground. His expensive suit had been replaced by an orange jumpsuit that was now torn and stained with dirt and blood.“Look at the big shot now!” One of the inmates sneered, delivering another kick to Mr. Richard’s ribs.He gasped, spitting blood onto the dusty ground. Three weeks ago, he had been sitting in Heritage Club’s Private Lounge with a few others, all of whom were now inmates like him in one of the country’s most dangerous prisons.Dr. Williams cowered nearby, his face swollen beyond recognition.Mr. Thompson pressed his back against the chain-link fence, trying to make himself invisible as two more inmates approached him with cruel grins.“Please,” Mr. Richard wheezed, struggling to breathe. "We can pay you. Whatever you want.”The lead inmate, a man with a spider web tattoo covering his neck, laughed harshly. “Pay us? You ain’t

  • Chapter 163

    At Magnus' mansion, Ethan sat comfortably on the balcony in one of the plush outdoor chairs, his phone in his hand. On the screen, a viral video played showing Vanessa being dragged out of Copper Group.In the video, the security guard had a firm grip on Vanessa’s arm as she struggled against him. Her expensive dress was wrinkled, her perfect hair now messy from fighting. She kicked and screamed, her high heels scraping against the marble floor of the lobby. Her expression was filled with desperation and humiliation as shocked employees gathered around. Some even pulled out their phones to record her humiliating moment, completely ignoring her pleas for them to stop.The satisfying sight made his lips curl into a satisfactory smile.After watching the video for the third time, he scrolled through the internet. She was trending in every headline."CALLUM CONSTRUCTION HEIRESS DRAGGED OUT OF COPPER GROUP LIKE TRASH”"VANESSA CALLUM’S DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO SEDUCE CHAIRMAN BACKFIRES SP

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