The Despised Son-in-law Is The Shadow Monarch

0003: Mud On The Dock

Three weeks had passed. Ships of Charlton Logistics were lined up on the docks, their black bodies shining with new paint in the light rain.

Every ship loading cargo was using the exact plans Lloyd Wallace made 6 months ago on an old laptop in a cold bedroom. But his name was nowhere on the ships.

Instead, big banners hung from the cranes with huge pictures of Mr. Ruze and Jane and golden words: Charlton Logistics— Expanding The Nation's Horizons.

A shiny red sports car drove fast down the narrow road by the pier. The engine was very loud, echoing off the metal containers.

Inside, Hayden Peterson was driving. He wore an expensive coat and a silk scarf. His family owned most of the city's buildings for 3 generations. He was rich and very arrogant.

Beside him sat Jane Charlton. She wore a cream coat. In the last 3 weeks, after getting the 45-million-dollar license, her family became like royalty. Every big rich family wanted to be their friend, and Hayden was the best catch.

"The port gave your family 3 more docks?" Hayden said with a smug smile, pressing the gas so the engine roared. "Not bad for a company that was in a small warehouse 2 years ago."

"My father is a visionary, Hayden," Jane said smoothly. "Once we removed the negative energy from our home, everything became good. We will make 80% more profit this quarter."

"Negative energy?" Hayden grinned heartily. "You mean that broke car-washer you married? The one my dad's assistant told me about?"

"He was a leech," Jane said, her voice becoming cold and full of disgust. "He lived off us for 3 years while pretending to work hard. I regret letting his dark cloud touch my name for so long."

Ahead on the dock, one man was walking alone toward the exit gate.

He wore a simple, clean olive jacket, black work pants, and strong leather boots. His hands were in his pockets. Lloyd had spent the morning at the private hospital where Mary was getting her second treatment from Catherine's best doctors.

Her heartbeat was steady, her color was coming back, and for the first time in years, Lloyd's heart felt light.

Hayden saw the back of Lloyd's simple jacket. A mean, evil shine came into his eyes.

"Is that him?" Hayden asked, with a cold, mean laugh. "The famous ex-husband walking around your new harbor like a lost dog looking for food?"

Jane looked through the window and saw Lloyd's straight back. "Yes. What is he doing near our ships?"

"Let's give him a proper harbor welcome," Hayden sneered.

Instead of braking on the narrow road, Hayden pressed the gas hard. The sports car went faster, tires screaming on the wet road.

Next to Lloyd, there was a big puddle of dark, dirty harbor water. Hayden drove straight through the deepest part of the dirty water at 50 miles per hour.

SPLASH!

A huge wave of muddy, oily water flew into the air like a wall, spraying toward the sidewalk.

Lloyd did not jump or scream. With a smooth step back, he moved half a step and turned his shoulder. The dirty water hit only his boots and pants, leaving his chest clean, but his boots were now covered in dirty mud.

Hayden braked hard 20 feet ahead. The sports car stopped, tires smoking a little.

The window rolled down softly. Jane leaned her elbow on the door, pulling her sunglasses down a little to show her mocking eyes.

"Well, well," Jane said, her voice sweet but mean, loud over the car engine. "Still walking around the docks, Lloyd? I see you haven't changed. Even after leaving my home, you're still hanging around places you can't afford."

Lloyd stood calm on the pier, his face serious. His eyes looked at Jane with a cold aura. He did not even look towards Hayden, like he was even there.

Hayden's smile twitched because Lloyd ignored him. His hand tightened on the wheel. "Hey! Broke boy! Didn't you hear my girl talking to you? You're standing on private property!"

Jane raised a gloved hand and laughed softly as she looked at Lloyd's muddy boots. "It's fine, Hayden. He's probably just desperate. He knows our family now owns the exclusive rights to this whole harbor."

She reached into her expensive handbag, took out a small blue plastic badge, and held it out the window between two long, shiny nails.

"My father's company is hiring deck hands to scrape rust off our cargo ships," Jane said with a superior smile. "It pays 15 dollars an hour. Since you used to wash cars, you're very good at wiping dirt. If you beg nicely right now, I can tell the manager to skip your background check and give you a mop."

Lloyd slowly took his hands out of his pockets. He took two calm steps toward the car, stopping just 3 feet from Jane's window. He was taller than Hayden in the low car, so both of them had to look up at him.

The aura around the car became colder. Jane's mocking confidence tightened as she looked into Lloyd's eyes. There was no pain, jealousy, or anger. Only a cold, vast emptiness, like a man watching ants on a table.

"Your family's trade license is very impressive, Jane," Lloyd said softly. His voice was low and steady, cutting through the car engine noise.

"Of course it is," Jane sneered, trying to sound confident again. "It's a 45 million dollar monopoly. Something you couldn't achieve in 10 lifetimes."

Lloyd leaned down slightly, his eyes piercing into hers so hard she could not breathe.

"The ships are big, Jane," Lloyd said quietly, with a faint, scary smile. "Just make sure your family has what it takes to handle them."

Jane blinked, slightly confused. "What?"

Before she could ask what he meant, Hayden hit the horn loudly, breaking the silence.

"Shut up, you crazy loser!" Hayden shouted, his face red because Lloyd showed no fear. "You talk nonsense to cover your poverty! We own the docks, we own the ships, and we own the cargo! Get out of our way before I call security to drag you out in handcuffs!"

Hayden stepped on the gas. The car's back tires spun, making blue smoke and stones fly as it raced down the pier toward the VIP office building.

Jane looked back through the side mirror. Lloyd had already turned his back on them, walking toward the main harbor exit without one look back.

A strange, cold shiver came to her stomach, but she shook her head and put her sunglasses back on. ‘He's just talking big,’ she told herself. He's nothing.’

Behind the glass walls of the main Port Authority building overlooking the harbor, a door clicked open.

A middle-aged man in a dark blue uniform with gold pins and silver medals walked out quickly onto the walkway.

It was Chief Director Richardson, the supreme boss of the city's ships, a man who reports directly to the federal government.

Director Richardson did not look at the red sports car driving away. He ran down the metal stairs, his face pale with nervous sweat, until he reached the archway where Lloyd was standing.

He stopped 3 feet away and bowed his body at 90 degrees, holding his breath until Lloyd turned his head.

"Lord Sovereign," Director Richardson said in a low, shaking voice, keeping his head bowed. "I am so sorry for the disrespect of those arrogant insects. If I knew Peterson's son would do that, I would have taken his car at the main gate."

"It doesn't matter," Lloyd said calmly, looking at his wet boots. "How are the deeds?"

Director Richardson stood up straight. He opened his leather bag and pulled out a heavy dark blue folder with a golden seal of the Nirvana Shadow Conglomerate. He opened it carefully, showing a thick stack of legal papers and maps.

"It is all finished, my Lord," Director Richardson said with awe. "While the Charlton family was celebrating their lease for the piers, Nirvana Group's private team secretly bought every single underwater deed, seabed lease, and sea channel right for this whole harbor."

He pointed to a detailed map of the bay. Red color covered every part of the water around the Charlton ships.

"In simple words, Sir," Director Richardson continued with a cold smile. "The Charlton family owns the metal ships on top. But you own the water under them, the ground under the water, and the narrow exit channel to the open ocean."

"And if I close the exit channel?" Lloyd asked softly.

"If you give the order, my Lord," Director Richardson replied instantly, "not a single Charlton ship can move an inch. Their ships will be stuck at the docks, and they will have to pay millions of dollars every day in penalties to international buyers for breaking contracts. They will be trapped in their own harbor."

Lloyd took the dark blue folder. He flipped through the pages, looking at his own signature in bold silver ink at the bottom.

He looked out across the misty water where three massive Charlton cargo ships were being loaded with millions of dollars of electronics.

"Not yet," Lloyd murmured, closing the folder with a quiet snap. "Let them load their cargo. Allow them to spend every penny they have filling those ships. A trap is only sweet when the rat thinks it is about to feast."

He turned toward a black car waiting quietly outside the port gate.

"Tell Catherine to start the next phase," Lloyd ordered, his voice fading into the wind. "Let's see how much money they need to borrow when their appetite gets bigger than their stomach.”