
The airplane had just landed when Conor Grey stepped out of the cabin, dressed in simple, casual clothes that made him look no different from any other traveler.
A loose jacket, dark jeans, and a faintly lazy expression—no one around him could possibly guess that this man was the legendary founder of Phoenix, the one known across the underworld and business world alike as the ‘King of the Gods.´ Beside him walked Nick, his right-hand man whose tense posture contrasted sharply with Conor’s relaxed demeanor. Nick’s eyes moved constantly, scanning every corner of the terminal as though danger could appear at any moment. “Boss,” Nick muttered in a low voice, leaning slightly closer, “you really shouldn’t show your real face here. This is a public airport. Too many people. Too many eyes. If someone recognizes you—” Conor stretched lazily and interrupted him with a faint smile. “Relax, Nick.” His tone was calm, almost amused. “In this world,” he said casually, “there’s no one who can threaten me.” Nick fell silent, though the tension in his shoulders didn’t disappear. After years of following Conor, he knew that his boss’s confidence wasn’t arrogance—it was simply a statement of fact. Still, habits were hard to break. They walked toward the exit of the airport, blending into the crowd of arriving passengers. Golden Sparrow City. Just hearing the name stirred something deep in Conor’s chest. Years ago, this was where everything had begun—memories he hadn’t thought about in a long time, memories he had deliberately left behind. And now, after years of relentless work, battles, and endless responsibilities, he had finally returned. This time, he wasn’t here as the King of the Gods. He was just Conor. A man on vacation. Suddenly— A small figure dashed through the crowd at surprising speed, heading straight toward him. Nick’s eyes sharpened instantly. His body tensed like a drawn bowstring. “Boss, watch out!” But before he could make a move, Conor raised a hand to stop him. “It’s fine.” The next second, a soft thump sounded. A tiny pair of arms wrapped tightly around Conor’s leg. “Daddy!” The crisp, childish voice rang out loudly in the busy terminal. Nick froze. He stared in disbelief at the scene in front of him. A little girl, about three or four years old, clung to Conor’s leg with complete confidence, as if she had finally found someone she had been searching for forever. For a moment, even Conor was slightly stunned. Then he chuckled softly. “Looks like you misjudged the situation, Nick.” Nick’s face twitched awkwardly. Conor crouched down slowly, his expression gentle as he looked at the girl. She had big, bright eyes, a cute round face, and soft hair tied into two small pigtails. She was undeniably adorable. He reached out and lightly patted her head. “Hey there,” Conor said kindly. “I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else. I’m not your dad.” The little girl blinked at him. For a few seconds, she seemed confused. Then her eyes suddenly became watery, and she said pitifully, “But… Mommy showed me your picture.” She pointed at his face seriously. “You’re my daddy.” Conor: “…” For the first time in years, the man who controlled an empire and commanded twelve legendary figures found himself at a complete loss for words. Nick, standing nearby, looked as if his worldview had just collapsed. Boss… had a child? And he didn’t even know about it? Just as Conor was about to explain again, a clear and slightly anxious female voice called out from behind. “Lily!” A woman hurried toward them through the crowd. She was exceptionally beautiful—so much so that even in the busy airport, people unconsciously turned their heads to look at her. Her long hair swayed as she walked quickly, her elegant yet sharp features carrying a faint trace of urgency. When she reached them, she immediately pulled the little girl back. “Lily, how many times have I told you not to run off like that?” she scolded gently, though there was obvious worry in her voice. “What if you get lost?” However, Lily puffed up her cheeks and pointed confidently at Conor. “I didn’t run off!” Her voice was loud and full of certainty. “I found my daddy!” The woman let out a helpless sigh and finally turned to look at Conor, clearly intending to apologize for her daughter’s behavior. “I’m sorry, she—” Her words stopped abruptly. The moment her eyes landed on Conor’s face, everything froze. The apology stuck in her throat. Her expression changed instantly. The softness in her gaze disappeared, replaced by an icy coldness that could almost be felt in the air. Conor noticed it too. He looked at her carefully. The woman’s face… felt strangely familiar. Before he could recall anything, she suddenly stepped forward and pulled Lily behind her protectively. Then she stared at him, her eyes filled with anger that had clearly been buried for years. “So,” she said coldly, each word sharp as a blade, “after all these years, you finally decided to show your face.” Her lips curled slightly. “You bastard.” Nick nearly choked. Conor blinked, stunned. He had faced assassins, warlords, and billionaires who feared him, but this was the first time someone had greeted him like this in public. “What…?” Conor began. But the woman didn’t give him time to speak. Her gaze grew even colder. “Five years ago,” she said slowly. “Sky Grand Hotel.” Her voice carried a chill that made the surrounding air feel heavy. “Have you forgotten what you did that night?”Latest Chapter
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Then he looked at Conor.“You’ve made your point.”Conor nodded.“Excellent.”Arthur frowned.“Don’t sound so pleased with yourself.”“I wasn’t.”“You were.”“Perhaps a little.”Arthur let out a quiet breath through his nose.“You’re irritating.”“So I’ve been told.”“And arrogant.”“That’s debatable.”“And reckless.”Conor picked up his cup.“Also debatable.”Arthur stared at him.Then, unexpectedly, he laughed.“You really are something.”Conor smiled.“I’ll consider that a compliment.”“Don’t.”“Too late.”Arthur shook his head.Then his expression became serious.“Listen carefully.”Conor looked at him.“This city has changed.”“I noticed.”“There are people moving in the shadows. Old families are watching each other. New forces are appearing.”Conor said nothing.Arthur continued.“You may think refusing to give up a tea room is harmless.”“It was.”“Today.”Arthur’s eyes became cold.“But there are people who won’t stop at words.”Conor calmly lifted his cup.“Then I suppose I’l
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Arthur continued staring at Conor.“You’re either exceptionally confident…”He paused.“…or you have no idea what you’re dealing with.”Conor gave him a calm smile.“Perhaps I’m simply having a very good afternoon.”Nick couldn’t hold back his smile this time.Arthur noticed.“You find him entertaining?”Nick shrugged.“Occasionally.”Arthur looked at him.“And you?”“I’ve known him long enough not to argue with him over tea.”Arthur’s expression became thoughtful.“That explains your confidence.”“No,” Nick replied.“It explains my survival.”Conor glanced at Nick.“That was almost profound.”“Thank you.”“I wasn’t complimenting you.”“I’ll take it anyway.”Arthur stared at the two men.For the first time, his irritation was mixed with genuine amusement.But the manager was not amused at all.He stepped forward again.“Mr. Conor, I’m asking you one final time. Please leave.”Conor looked at him.“You’ve said that several times.”“And you keep refusing!”“Yes.”“Why?”“Because your ar
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He had simply remained calm. That made Arthur furious.Arthur’s hand had just touched the door when he stopped.For a moment, he remained completely still.Then he slowly turned around.The faint smile that had been on his face disappeared.“On second thought…”The manager immediately looked at him.“Mr. Hale?”Arthur’s gaze settled on Conor.“I don’t like leaving questions unanswered.”Conor took another sip of tea.“That sounds exhausting.”Nick lowered his head, hiding a smile.Arthur’s eyes narrowed.The manager, however, was no longer amused.“Sir, with all due respect, we’ve already explained the situation to him several times.”Conor placed his cup down.“You did.”“And yet you still refuse to leave.”“Yes.”The manager’s face tightened.“I’ve never dealt with a guest like you before.”Conor glanced at him.“You should broaden your experience.”Nick coughed lightly.Arthur’s expression flickered.The manager looked increasingly irritated.“Do you think this is funny?”“A litt
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Conor didn’t even turn toward him. Arthur raised his hand again. “Stay where you are.” The bodyguard immediately stopped. Arthur continued studying Conor.For several seconds, neither man spoke.The room was so quiet that the faint clinking of porcelain from the restaurant outside could be heard clearly.Arthur’s eyes moved slowly over Conor’s face.He was trying to determine what kind of man would remain this calm while surrounded by the Hale Family’s bodyguards.But Conor gave him nothing.No nervousness.No hesitation.Not even the slightest sign that he intended to back down.Arthur finally spoke.“You really don’t intend to leave?”Conor took another sip of tea.“No.”Arthur raised an eyebrow.“You know who I am.”“Yes.”“You know what the Hale Family represents in Golden Sparrow City.”“Yes.”“And you’re still sitting there?”Conor placed the teacup down.“You’ve asked me that three times.”Arthur’s lips twitched.“And your answer hasn’t changed.”“It won’t.”One of the b
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“Sir, this is Mr. Arthur Hale’s private room.” “No.” The manager frowned. Conor calmly corrected him. “It is a private room belonging to the restaurant.” The manager’s face became stiff. “Mr. Hale has used this room for years.” “And today, I’m using it.” The manager opened his mouth. Nothing came out. One of the bodyguards stepped forward. “You should leave.” Conor didn’t even look at him. “I wasn’t speaking to you.” The man’s expression darkened. “You don’t understand the situation.” Conor looked at him then. “I understand it perfectly.” “You are occupying Mr. Hale’s room.” “No.” The bodyguard frowned. “You’re refusing to leave.” “Yes.” The bodyguard’s jaw tightened. “Do you know who you’re speaking to?” Conor calmly lifted his teacup again. “No.” Nick almost laughed. The manager’s face turned pale. The bodyguards exchanged glances. They were clearly not accustomed to being dismissed so casually. Another bodyguard stepped forward. “You should think car
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Conor raised a hand.Nick immediately fell silent.Conor slowly turned his attention toward the manager.“We were here first.”His voice was calm, but there was a hint of displeasure beneath it.The manager forced a nervous smile.“Of course, sir. I understand.”“Then what’s the problem?”The manager hesitated.“The other guest is someone we cannot afford to offend.”Conor’s eyes narrowed slightly.“That has nothing to do with me.”“Sir…”“We reserved this room.”“Yes.”“We arrived before your other guest.”“Yes.”“Then why are you asking us to leave?”The manager’s expression became increasingly uncomfortable.“I sincerely apologize. But this particular guest has been using this room for many years.”Nick frowned.“So?”“He has always considered this room his private room whenever he visits the restaurant.”Nick let out a cold laugh.“Considered?”The manager nodded quickly.“Yes.”“That doesn’t make it his.”“I understand.”“Then stop wasting our time.”The manager swallowed.“Sir,
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