2024-10-28 14:56:18The hall fell into an abrupt silence, every eye fixed on Liam as if he were the main act of a circus. Then, the quiet was shattered by bursts of loud, derisive laughter.
"A hundred million dollars?!" Carl repeated, barely containing his mirth.
"How desperate is this man?" Melissa scoffed, her contempt unmistakable.
"Does he truly believe we're that gullible?"
"You? A hundred million?" Yona sneered, her eyes narrowing. "You're out of your mind."
Mia felt her cheeks flame with embarrassment. She couldn't fathom how Liam was making such a fool of her.
What an insufferable boaster!
How could he continue to posture so arrogantly when it was clear he didn't possess a hundred million dollars?
She stormed over to him, her eyes ablaze with indignation, and clutched his hand firmly, pulling him aside.
"Please stop this!" she implored whispering, her brow furrowed in irritation.
"You're not just humiliating yourself, but me as well."
"I know I asked you to play along, but I have everything under control, and you're ruining it with your absurd lies! Do you really think anyone here believes you have that kind of money?"
"But..." Liam tried to interject.
"Enough! You've said enough, so just stop and don't say anything else!" she demanded calmly.
Liam surveyed the room, witnessing the rest of the family still laughing at him.
He sighed, raked a hand through his hair, and turned back to Mia,
"I'm not lying," he said softly, "I have no reason to deceive anyone."
Carl smirked triumphantly and stepped closer, "You know you don't have to feel ashamed."
He looked down at Liam,
"Look around, no one here is buying your ridiculous story. I know you must feel out of place among us, but if you let go of your pride, maybe I can help you. We always need people like you for the menial tasks and running errands."
He spoke in a condescending tone.
"So if you're thinking about a career change..." he paused for effect, chuckling,
"Oh wait, I might be assuming too much. Do you even have a job?" Carl grinned as if he'd made a witty remark.
"If you're looking for a job, perhaps I can assist. I'm the manager at Space Corporation—the largest company in Springfield, I'm sure you're aware. I could probably find a department for you, Liam."
"Did you at least get a college education?" His voice dripped with sarcasm.
Liam stood quietly, one eyebrow raised.
"Space Corporation?" He smiled slightly.
He was the heir to the Maron family, worth trillions, Space Corporation was his one of his family's business.
Carl laughed, "Oh, of course. A country bumpkin might not know Space Corporation...But I believe you could start with a janitor? How about 3000 dollars per month? It must be a great income for you."
He approached Liam, placed a hand on his shoulder, his expression darkening.
"We look out for each other in this family, consider this an act of generosity towards you."
"Huh, that's interesting," Liam said with a calm smile.
"What is?" Carl tilted his head, puzzled.
"I won't be the janitor of Space Corporation, I'm actually here to take over as the new CEO of the company." Liam replied, his tone casual.
The moment those words left his lips, the entire hall burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Mia pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head, utterly embarrassed. At this point, she couldn't fathom why Liam was continuing with this farce.
Liam looked around again, nonplussed by their reaction. Everything he said was the truth; why didn't they believe him?
Carl shook his head, barely containing his amusement,
"CEO of what company? Losers Inc?" He mocked.
"You're pathetic," he said, shaking his head.
"You're so desperate to appear wealthy, you'd say anything just to get people to think you are, but all you are is a poor liar. Men like you disgust me." Carl sneered.
"I don't know where you got the news that we would have a new CEO, but the new CEO is supposed to be at the welcome banquet tonight, so why are you here?" He asked.
Liam shrugged, "I was supposed to attend the company's welcome banquet tonight, but I canceled it for dinner with all of you."
The room fell silent, though everyone seemed tired of hearing what they believed to be more of Liam's absurd claims.
Carl laughed loudly, glaring at Liam.
"Are you high?Mia...As your brother-in-law, I don't really suggest you to marry this...crazy person." Carl said, chuckling dryly.
To prove his words, Carl took out his phone.
He explained, "Even though I had no qualification to join this banquet, my supervisor, the vice-president would be on this banquet for sure."
He typed, "Sir, how was the banquet? Hope you enjoyed it. When could we meet our new CEO?"
Carl smiled confidantally, "See? Your lie will be exposed soon."
Saying this, Carl's phone buzzed. But when he saw the message, his smile was rigid.
"The banquet was canceled."
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Latest Chapter
Fracture
Aria“Please,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Just let me go.”For a moment, the man didn’t move. Neither of us did, we just stood there in silence torn over what to do next. But then, his jaw tightened and he stepped closer, not aggressively, more like someone approaching a cliff he didn’t want to fall from.“You don’t understand,” he muttered. “You shouldn’t be out of your restraints.”“I can tell you don’t want to do this.” My breath shook. “I saw it that night. You hesitated. You’re not… you’re not like the others.”He flinched like the words stung him.“Don’t say that,” he said quietly. “Don’t make this harder.”I took another step, slow and cautious, keeping my hands where he could see them. “You’re a good man. I can feel it. Whatever Ellen told you, whatever she promised you, this isn’t who you are.”He shut his eyes, but still I could see the pain ripping across his expression as he ran a shaking hand over his face. “You need to stop talking.”But his voice cracked even as
The Meeting
AriaMy eyes were closed for a long time after Ellen walked out of the room following her threat, but my mind was clawing at every sound.I laid on the cold concrete floor exactly where Ellen had left me, and my body twisted at an angle meant to suggest unconsciousness. My wrists burned where the rope dug into my skin and my cheek stung from the slap she’d given me when I refused her ultimatum.‘Leave Zion or destroy him.’The madwoman actually believed threatening the man I loved would bend me. But Ellen made one mistake. She must have thought I couldn’t still hear.I listened through the slow and shallow breaths as two of her new allies entered the warehouse. Their boots echoed between the steel beams.“She’s not going to talk,” one said.“She doesn’t need to,” another replied. “Tonight fixes everything. Ellen’s meeting the guy at the abandoned shipyard.”My pulse stopped the moment I heard them. Shipyard. Right then, the thought suddenly occurred to me. She’s luring Zion.My stomac
The Deadline
ZionI couldn’t sleep or even blink after George gave me the information on the mercenaries, or as it turned out, a hidden network. Every second without Aria felt like someone carving pieces out of my ribs. I paced the length of the woods endlessly, trying to piece things together. Who were these men? What did Ellen have to do with them?Detective Mallorwe had guards stationed around the estate, and drones sweeping the grounds, units patrolling the city border… and still, nothing. Nothing but the echo of Aria’s scream in my skull.Suddenly, my phone buzzed. At first, I stared at it like it was a hallucination. But the second I saw the attached video thumbnail of Aria unconscious, tied, and bruised, my breath left me suddenly. I hesitated for a moment, but then opened it. It was truly her. Her breathing was shallow and her wrists bound.And Ellen’s voice could be heard behind the camera. “Zion… if you ever want to see her alive, you’ll come alone. I’ve sent you the coordinates.”The vi
Ellen’s New Game
AriaI sat on the concrete floor with my wrists tied behind my back and the faint hum of generators echoing somewhere behind me. Every now and then, I heard voices, they tried to be quiet and sounded professional, not like street criminals. These men moved like they were trained for war. And for some reason, they ended up working for Ellen… I still couldn’t process that part.But then the metal door creaked, and my entire body tensed as I heard the footsteps approach delicately, almost graceful. Only one person walked like that in this nightmare. It had to be her.Ellen stepped into the dim cone of light, folding her arms with an eerie calm. She looked refreshed, almost peaceful, as if she’d slept well knowing she had me trapped here.“Good morning, Aria,” she said softly.I glared at her. “It’s still night.”“Well,” she tilted her head, “for you, it doesn’t make much difference, does it?”She walked closer, and her heels tapped on the concrete with a rhythm that made my skin crawl. T
Unleashed
Aria“Ellen,” I whispered, trying to keep myself steady even when her name tasted like poison on my tongue. She stood in front of me, emerging from the darkness of the room like she’d been carved out of the shadows themselves. The faint, sickening smile on her lips told me everything I needed to know. That she wanted this. She wanted me.Before I could speak again, the masked man behind me shoved something over my nose, a cloth drenched in something chemical and my vision spun as soon as I inhaled it, and my strength started fading. Ellen watched me with quiet amusement, like someone observing a struggling insect.“Sweet dreams, Aria,” she murmured.And then the world stopped.ZionWhen Aria’s scream tore through the safehouse, my blood ran cold. I sprinted so hard down that my legs barely felt like they were going to break off. The guards were shouting into radios, and all the alarms were blaring. The air was thick with panic, but I heard none of it. All I heard was Aria. And then no
The Vanishing
AriaThe moment I screamed, everything exploded into chaos. The cold air from the broken window whipped across my skin, and before I could even process the sound of boots thundering toward my door, something…someone yanked me backward. My body hit the jagged edge of the frame, and the pain shot through my ribs as my legs kicked uselessly at the air.“Let go!” I shouted, clawing at the gloved hand clamped around my mouth. My fingers scraped the fabric but it wasn’t enough to keep me in place.Zion was shouting my name somewhere behind me. The guards too. The whole place had gone loud, frantic, but all I could hear clearly was the violent thud of my own heart slamming in my ears.The masked intruder didn’t waste a moment. They hoisted me through the window as if I weighed nothing. My elbows scraped the concrete as we dropped to the ground outside. I gasped, and fought the stars sparking in my vision.“Let me go, you psycho! I swear…” I twisted, trying to break free.“Quiet.” The voice s
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