2025-11-12 00:52:17“Elysia Smith, pay back the money!”
The voice cut through the courtyard like a blade—cold, sharp, and unforgiving, colder than the harshest winter night.
Elysia Smith, who had been keeping her head lowered, suddenly looked up. Her peach-blossom eyes were already brimming with grievance, tears spilling down her face as she appeared fragile and wronged.
Bang!
Before she could even speak, George Cooper slammed his palm heavily on the table.
“Ryan Williams! Do you even know what day this is? If you’ve got issues, bring them up later!”
“This is a wedding celebration, not a place for you to cause chaos and ruin the harmony of the courtyard!”
His voice carried authority, thick with displeasure. As one of the senior figures in the courtyard, being openly ignored by Ryan Williams in front of everyone felt like a slap to his face.
But Ryan Williams only gave a faint laugh.
“George Cooper?”
“I’m here today precisely to cause trouble.”
“But not for you.”
He slowly lifted his gaze.
“I’m here for her.”
A flicker of anger crossed George Cooper’s face. He stood up abruptly, his belly shaking the table.
“You—!”
But Ryan Williams didn’t let him finish.
“What? You want to stand up for her?”
“Are you her family? Or her protector?”
George Cooper froze. His mouth opened, but no words came out.
The courtyard fell silent.
The other two senior men beside him exchanged glances, neither daring to intervene. The usual authority they carried suddenly felt hollow.
Even Samantha Parker, who had been about to explode, paused when Ryan Williams turned his gaze toward her and spoke first.
“Elysia Smith—return my family’s money.”
The words landed heavily.
Elysia Smith’s lips trembled. Behind her, Kevin Parker’s face darkened. His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. He looked ready to leap forward and smash Ryan Williams to the ground—but he held himself back.
Too many eyes were watching.
He could only swallow his anger.
“Ryan Williams!” Elysia Smith finally spoke, her voice soft yet firm. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I chose Kevin myself. He is a good man. I hope you can respect that.”
She wiped her tears gently, her tone shifting into something delicate yet persuasive.
“Today is my wedding day. If you’re here to drink, you’re welcome.”
“But if you’re here to cause trouble… everyone here will not allow it.”
Her words were calm, but every sentence carried hidden thorns.
Ryan Williams chuckled.
“Impressive.”
“A country girl like you, but your mind works fast. No wonder you chose the Parker family.”
That sentence made Elysia Smith’s expression stiffen instantly.
Before anyone could react, Ryan Williams continued, his voice turning colder.
“But today is your wedding day.”
“And it’s also the day I collect my debt.”
“Debts must be repaid. That’s only natural.”
Kevin Parker finally couldn’t hold back.
“How much do you want? Say it!”
His voice was sharp, filled with suppressed rage.
Ryan Williams didn’t even look at him.
“The bride price was ten dollars.”
“Gifts—eggs, flour, pork, soybean oil, miscellaneous items—add up to a little over three dollars.”
He paused briefly.
“Let’s make it simple. Fifteen dollars.”
Kevin Parker exhaled heavily.
“Fine. Fifteen it is.”
But before he could settle it, Samantha Parker’s face twisted in discomfort, as if she had swallowed something bitter. The money stung more than the loss itself.
Just as she was about to speak—
“Wait.”
Ryan Williams raised his hand again.
“I’m not done yet.”
The courtyard instantly fell silent again.
Then he turned his gaze back to Elysia Smith.
“You stayed in my family’s house for over two months, didn’t you?”
Elysia Smith’s body trembled.
She looked at him desperately, silently begging him to stop.
But Ryan Williams ignored her.
“Let’s calculate it properly.”
“In those two months, my family provided you with clothing. One set alone cost five dollars and eighty cents—official invoice from the supply store. No argument there.”
“Food expenses? Let’s say five dollars per month.”
He paused slightly.
“However, during that time, you also helped take care of my father and me, so I’ll deduct one month’s living costs.”
“But clothing still counts.”
“So altogether…”
He raised his eyes slowly.
“Twenty dollars.”
Every word hit like a hammer.
The meaning behind “taking care” lingered in the air, sharp and ambiguous. Some people in the crowd immediately understood the implication and exchanged strange looks.
Kevin Parker’s face darkened further.
Behind the crowd, Jason Holt let out a low, lecherous chuckle as he looked between Elysia Smith and Ryan Williams, his eyes lingering in a way that made others uncomfortable.
Andrew Fletcher stood frozen, his mind blank except for one thought:
Why not me?
Samantha Parker suddenly snapped.
Slap!
A loud, brutal slap echoed through the courtyard.
Elysia Smith’s face turned sharply to the side. A red handprint bloomed instantly on her fair skin.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
Ryan Williams, however, only sneered.
He knew exactly what this would cause.
The crowd began whispering.
“She really lived there for two months…”
“That doesn’t sound clean…”
“The Parker family really…”
“She should’ve just returned the money…”
The murmurs grew louder, spreading like fire.
Elysia Smith burst into tears.
“Mom! It’s not like that! We didn’t do anything!”
“Kevin, you have to believe me!”
Kevin Parker slowly exhaled.
At this point, he didn’t care anymore.
Whether true or not, she was already his wife.
And more importantly—he didn’t want to lose face in front of everyone.
“Fine.”
“Twenty dollars. We’ll settle it.”
He looked at Ryan Williams coldly.
“After this, Elysia Smith has nothing to do with your Williams family anymore.”
“Don’t even think about it again.”
Ryan Williams let out a low laugh.
“A used shoe I’ve thrown away?”
“You’re overthinking things.”
The crowd burst into laughter.
Kevin Parker’s face twisted with rage, but before he could rush forward, Thomas Carter grabbed him and pulled him back.
Ryan Williams stepped forward slightly.
“Let me make this clear today.”
His voice rose, echoing through the courtyard.
“From this moment on, the Williams family and the Parker family—cut all ties.”
“From now on, we owe each other nothing. We are strangers.”
“If anything happens in the future, don’t drag my family into it.”
His gaze swept across the crowd.
“Everyone here can be witnesses.”
“And I’ll say one more thing—”
“If anyone from the Parker family steps into my house again…”
His tone dropped lower, colder.
“Don’t blame me for treating them like thieves and breaking their legs.”
The courtyard went dead silent.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Then—
“Enough!”
A thunderous voice suddenly erupted.
An elderly man stood up, face full of anger.
As the most respected elder in the courtyard, he finally could not tolerate the situation anymore.
“What are you all doing?”
“On a day like this, you’re turning a wedding into a battlefield!”
“Where is your conscience?”
“If this continues, who in this courtyard will ever live in peace again?”
His voice carried authority—but also frustration, as if the entire situation had gone beyond his control.
The courtyard remained silent.
But Ryan Williams only stood there calmly.
His expression didn’t change.
Not even a little.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 48: Whoever Wants to Participate Can Participate
But since the Third Aunt had already spoken, Ryan Williams couldn't simply ignore her.He nodded in acknowledgment and then walked toward Kevin Parker one step at a time.In terms of age, Kevin Parker was older than Ryan Williams. In front of his wife and mother, he should have shown at least a little courage and dignity as a man.Yet as Ryan Williams drew closer, Kevin Parker immediately panicked and instinctively took a step backward.Elysia Smith looked at the man beside her and felt a wave of disappointment. Where was the confidence he usually displayed in private? Compared to the tall figure steadily approaching them, he looked nothing more than a coward.Ryan Williams strode forward with obvious disdain. The powerful pressure he exuded instantly silenced everyone around them.Thomas Carter's face darkened. Seeing Ryan Williams closing in, he assumed a fight was about to break out and immediately began considering how to deal with the situation.Samantha Parker was equally nervou
Chapter 47: The Miracle Worker’s F*e
"Director Finch? You still with us?"Caleb Davis watched the man. Graham Finch looked like he’d just seen a ghost—or maybe he was just rebooting. After a full minute of zero response, Caleb Davis gave up on being polite and started waving a hand right in front of the director's nose."Earth to Graham Finch. Anyone home?"The director blinked, the fog finally lifting. He looked at Caleb Davis with this weird mix of total awe and genuine terror. "What... what was that?"Caleb Davis just sighed. "Like I said, the original moves are a pipe dream. Unless you want a cast of contortionists who can pop their joints on command, we have a problem. So, what’s the plan?""We change it. Every bit of it!" Finch snapped out of it, his voice suddenly sharp.After watching Caleb Davis dismantle his own anatomy like a broken clock just to prove a point, the director wasn't in the mood to argue. Whatever Caleb Davis said was basically law now. The doubt was gone, replaced by this hungry, desperate kind
Chapter 46: Are You Guys Summoning an Old God?
The air on the set was so thick with tension you could practically choke on it.Director Graham Finch was pacing around like a caged lion, his chest heaving. He wasn't just annoyed anymore; he’d gone full-blown nuclear."Are you all brain-dead? Seriously? Pig brains, the lot of you!" he roared, his voice bouncing off the studio rafters. "Tell me, how many times have we had to cut because of these three moves? Twelve? Twenty?"Then came a string of Cantonese curses so creative and foul they could have stripped the paint off the equipment trailers."You call yourselves stars? You’ve got the guts to stand in front of my lens when you can't even control your own arms and legs? Get out! Go back to the country and herd pigs. At least pigs know how to follow a lead!"By the fifteenth retake, the Director’s legendary cool was ancient history. Every time he opened his mouth, he wasn't just talking—he was breathing fire.The actors, John Sterling and Chris Jaxon, stood there like statues in a f
Chapter 45: This is Premium Content—You’ll Have to Pay Extra!
Aristotle once said that human history is basically just one long history of war.Think about it. The second those scrawny prehistoric primates figured out they could lash a sharp stone to a stick and kill things ten times their size, the game was over. Humanity’s rise wasn't a question anymore—it was a done deal. And since that first spark of violence, we’ve never really stopped finding better ways to do each other in.From all that fighting, four legendary types of weapons eventually took over.First, you’ve got the Staff. It’s the foundation for everything else, a total shapeshifter—long, short, thick, thin, you name it. It’s basically the "Ancestor" of weapons.Then there’s the Spear. Its whole vibe is that an extra inch of length equals an extra inch of power, letting the weak take down the strong. It's the "King" of the battlefield.Next up is the Saber. This thing is all about raw, domineering power. You don't negotiate with a saber; you just crush whatever's in front of you. I
Chapter 44: Are You Actually a Eunuch?!
It was 7:00 PM when Graham Finch finally stumbled back into his hotel room. Honestly, he felt like he’d been hit by a truck. He dragged his weary bones inside, feeling every bit of his age—the kind of exhaustion that makes you realize you just aren't as young as you used to be.A few years back, the guy didn't even know what "finishing early" meant. Back then, he’d wrap a full day of shooting and dive straight into night scenes without blinking. He’d be wide awake until 2:00 AM, maybe giving some "private acting tips" to a lead actress, and only then would he catch some Zs. But today? Just sitting in the director’s chair for ten hours had left his back aching and his spirit feeling like a squeezed-out lemon."Man... I’m getting brittle," he muttered. He took a sip of some crazy-hot "Five-Treasure" herbal tea, which immediately fogged up his glasses.He slumped into his desk chair, adjusted his frames, and started the mind-numbing task of importing footage. The clock was ticking. It wa
Chapter 43: A Warrior Isn’t Scary, Until He’s Educated
Nobody saw this coming. One second, it was just a weird, cringey scene in the mall, and the next, it had spiraled into a total nightmare.The crowd just froze. You know that feeling when your brain can't quite process that something violent is actually happening? That was everyone watching this guy lunge at Lady Lorna, his jagged little dagger catching the nasty glare of the mall’s fluorescent lights. He was maybe five meters away—close enough to bridge the gap in about two seconds. To anyone watching, it felt like the blade was already halfway to her chest."Ah!!!"A few people screamed, and a lot more just covered their eyes, not wanting to see the "inevitable." There were a few guys who looked like they wanted to jump in, but they were just too far away. Their hearts were in the right place, sure, but their feet were way too slow.It’s over, everyone thought at the same time.But then, a voice—totally cool, calm, and honestly sounding a bit bored—sliced right through the panic."Ex
You may also like
WISH TO BE RICH
South Ashan79.2K viewsI Married a Beautiful Boss After the Breakup
Seafarer's Strike204.8K viewsJAMES WANE THE SECRET BILLIONAIRE
SHSA71.0K viewsThe Rise Of The Unknown Zillionaire Heir
Gem Lynne163.6K viewsRULE NUMBER ONE: DON'T MESS WITH MR. BURGESS
R. AUSTINNITE164 viewsHE LOST HIS DAUGHTER ONCE, NOW HE’S A RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE
Shadow hunter401 viewsThe Grand Warlord’s Accidental Marriage
Rex Magnus532 viewsAll Hail the Warden
Miracle69 views