2025-12-08 20:57:57Thom's words felt like a hard slap to Madam Lena. Her face turned red with anger, and her voice rose without caring about the guests watching.
"How dare you talk like that!"
"No, you are not part of this family!"
"You are a bastard child! This is not your house. Leave right now!"
Rachel swallowed hard, her body tense.
Madam Yosie covered her mouth, afraid that even a small sound would make things worse.
Edmund lowered his head, trying to distance himself so he would not get dragged into Madam Lena's anger.
But before Madam Lena could continue her outburst, Frank quickly grabbed her arm.
"Mother, stop!" he whispered urgently. "We have to act polite. Do not make a scene."
Madam Lena glared at him. "You are defending him? He even dared to come here without an invitation!"
"We cannot fight right now," Frank whispered even more quietly while glancing at the gate. "General Darlene is here."
Madam Lena froze.
General Darlene?
The third richest person in the entire state?
He had never once agreed to attend any of their family banquets. The Lanster name was not even big enough to attract someone of his level.
But now, in the distance, a strong man in a special military uniform walked toward them. Dozens of elite soldiers surrounded him in a perfectly disciplined formation.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Guests straightened their posture. Phone cameras slowly lifted. Soft murmurs of amazement spread through the crowd.
Madam Lena took a deep breath and quickly put on her best smile. Frank and his relatives stood taller, trying to look elegant and dignified.
When General Darlene reached them, Madam Lena greeted him with a very polite and formal gesture.
"Welcome to our family banquet, General Darlene. Your presence is very unexpected. We are honored."
General Darlene replied with a small but polite nod. "Hm."
For a moment, his eyes moved. He saw Thom standing a few steps behind the Lanster family.
It was only a brief glance, but all the elite soldiers around them held their breath at once.
General Darlene actually wanted to salute him. How could he not? Thom was their King of War. One of the most dangerous and most respected men in the country.
But General Darlene knew very well that Thom did not like to be honored in public.
The King of War was a humble man. He did not like his identity to be exposed. He ordered all his subordinates to act as if he was an ordinary person, as long as they were not in a military operation.
So General Darlene held himself back. He lowered his gaze and looked at Madam Lena again.
"I just came to look around," he said calmly.
Madam Lena smiled proudly, as if General Darlene's arrival was the highest form of respect for her family.
She had no idea that the elite soldiers were still watching Thom...and watching how Thom showed no reaction at all to the presence of a high-ranking general.
As if to Thom, General Darlene was just an ordinary man.
The Lanster family noticed it too, shocked by how disrespectful Thom was for not saluting or showing manners to General Darlene.
They held their breath, certain that Thom would be punished for standing so close to General Darlene without giving even the slightest greeting.
Benny and Frank exchanged a panicked look, then slowly moved closer to Thom.
Frank whispered sharply from the side. "Are you crazy? Give a salute now! That is General Darlene. If he gets offended, your small career will be destroyed. You could even be kicked out of the military!"
Benny added with a mocking tone. "Do not forget your status. You are a low-ranked soldier. One small mistake and you will end up homeless. Stop acting arrogant and salute!"
Behind them, Rachel also tried to help, though her voice was full of frustration.
"Please, Thom," she whispered, her face burning with embarrassment. "At least show some respect. Do not be stubborn like this. You are making us look bad."
Madam Yosie bowed her head in shame. Edmund covered his face with his hand, afraid of attracting the attention of the important guests.
Everyone knew the rumors about General Darlene.
A ruthless general.
A man who hated even the smallest act of disrespect.
A figure who, if offended, would not hesitate to ruin someone's career with a single sentence.
Some guests even held their breath while waiting for his reaction.
But Thom stayed silent. He did not even show the slightest intention to salute. He stood tall, holding Shenina in his arms, looking straight ahead without fear.
General Darlene looked at Thom again.
The air grew even quieter.
Every second felt painfully long.
Rachel bit her lip.
Frank held his breath.
Madam Lena was ready to see Thom humiliated in public.
Many guests whispered, guessing what punishment General Darlene would give.
But what happened shocked everyone.
General Darlene spoke. "It is fine."
Only two words, yet the entire mansion courtyard fell into stunned silence.
He did not punish Thom for not saluting him?
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Chapter 65: REVENGE 1: Completed
Thom looked at Benny with an expression that was hard to read. His face was calm—too calm for someone who had just been riddled with bullets. His lips moved slowly, his voice low yet firm, as though every word had been chosen with care. “If you are trying to kill me, it will never succeed,” Thom said. “Because I have long been acquainted with death. I can even restrain it myself, holding it back from ending my life.” The words made Benny’s breath hitch. His body trembled beyond his control, cold sweat trickling down his temples. “Y-you’re going to kill me…?” Benny asked in a shaking voice, almost a whisper. His feet retreated step by step until his back struck the iron table behind him. He was certain this was the moment Thom would repay everything—the betrayal, the bullets, the hatred aimed at him. But instead, Thom stepped closer, slowly, without haste. Each step made Benny’s heart pound harder, as if it were about to leap out of his chest. The distance between them closed. “I
Chapter 64
“What are you going to do, Benny?” Romi asked, his voice trembling.Benny let out a long breath. His hands were still shaking, the pistol cold and heavy in his grip. “I heard everything. Every word you two said from beginning to end. Not a single thing was missed.”Thom looked at both of them with a flat expression, then spoke casually. “So which part made you this miserable?”Benny snapped his head slightly toward him, his eyes red, his jaw clenched. “Shut up, Thom!” he shouted. “I have no business with you. I only hate Romi!"Benny’s gaze returned to Romi, filled with hatred and long-buried pain. “Why did you have to be my father? I never wanted you to be my biological father.”Romi fell silent for a moment, then slowly stepped closer before remembering that the gun was still pointed at him. “Benny,” he said in a low voice, trying to coax him, “have you forgotten that I’ve been the one protecting you all this time? When your scandal nearly destroyed your name, I was the one who clea
Chapter 63
Thom looked at Madam Lena once more. His gaze was no longer merely cold—it was firm and absolute, like a verdict that could not be challenged.“Stepmother,” he said slowly, his voice calm yet crushing, “I’ve already told you. Leave. Now.”Madam Lena trembled violently. Her legs no longer felt like her own. She turned toward Romi, who stood frozen in terror before Thom. Romi’s eyes were wide, filled with panic he could no longer conceal.“No, Lena… don’t,” Romi struggled and cried out, his voice breaking. “Help me. Don’t leave me alone with him. You know I can’t die here. You can’t let this happen!”Romi’s sobs were pitiful, but they no longer moved anyone’s heart.Madam Lena broke down, her chest tight, her mind spiraling with guilt, fear, and exhaustion after years of living in lies. She looked at Thom again, searching for a crack, for mercy.But all she found was resolve.At last, with trembling steps and ragged breaths, Madam Lena obeyed Thom’s command. She turned and walked out of
Chapter 62
The explosion of gunfire shattered the air without warning.One shot, two shots...Then several bullets tore through the space from an unseen distance, striking Thom’s body from a direction no one could pinpoint.“AAARRHH!” Madam Lena screamed, the sound breaking off halfway as if her chest had forgotten how to breathe. In her panic, she believed Thom was dead. Her knees buckled, her body nearly collapsing if not for the wall behind her holding her upright.Romi froze, then a thin smile of relief crept onto his battered face. His men had moved. They had saved him. They had shot Thom.But the very next second, the world seemed to stop turning.Amid the thin haze of smoke and the sharp stench of gunpowder, Thom was still standing. His body remained upright, facing the wall—unfallen, unmoving, without the slightest sign of injury. There was no blood. No groan of pain. Only a terrifying silence.Slowly, Thom turned his head to the left. The movement was calm, unhurried, as if the gunfire
Chapter 61
Romi had returned to his headquarters, an old building steeped in the scent of damp wood and cigarette smoke that had long seeped into the walls. He sat in his grand chair, forcing himself to appear calm even as his fingers trembled faintly against the armrest. Thom stood before him—upright, silent, his unblinking gaze fixed on Romi as if he were assessing trapped prey.“What did you want to talk about?” Romi finally asked, keeping his voice as steady as he could.Thom did not answer right away. His stare pierced through the room, making the air feel heavier with each passing second. “You look restless,” he said quietly. “Are you feeling nervous now, Uncle Romi?”Romi let out a short laugh, dry and clearly forced. “No. What do you mean?” He stood, turning away as he walked toward a small table in the corner of the room. His hand reached for a bottle of water, pouring it into a glass. He drank it in one long swallow, as if the liquid might ease the tightness in his chest. “Would you li
Chapter 60
The room fell into instant silence, as if the breath of everyone inside had been strangled at the same time. Madam Lena was the first to react. She rose abruptly, her chair toppling backward with a sharp scrape.“What do you mean?” Her voice trembled, balanced between fury and disbelief.Thom did not answer right away. Instead, he calmly picked up a spoon, took a small portion of food from the Lanster family dining table—the food prepared for them—and brought it to his mouth. He chewed slowly, as if the situation around him meant nothing at all. Every passing second felt like an insult to those watching him.After swallowing, Thom finally spoke, his voice flat yet unmistakably clear. "I have acquired Lanster Company. From this moment on, legally and officially, the company belongs to me.”“That’s impossible!” Frank shot to his feet and slammed his palm against the table. Plates and glasses rattled violently. “You’re lying! This is just one of your tricks to scare us!”Thom lifted his
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