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last update2026-03-27 14:51:52

Olivia’s fingers trembled around the phone.

“T-There must be some mistake…” she stammered.

But the woman on the other side replied politely,

“There is no mistake, Miss Nelson. The Chairman personally approved your invitation.”

“We look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”

The call ended.

Silence…. Dead silence.

Everyone in the hall had heard every single word clearly because Olivia’s phone was on speaker.

Ronan stood frozen.

Emma’s mouth slowly fell open.

Even the servants looked shocked.

Olivia herself could barely breathe.

DragonTech… personally invited her?

How was that possible?

Then suddenly—

“Impossible!!” Emma screamed sharply.

Everyone jumped.

Emma pointed directly at Conor with an ugly expression.

“This has to be fake!”

Her voice became louder and louder.

“John already ran away from River City! There’s no way this loser could get a DragonTech invitation!”

She glared at Conor furiously.

“He must’ve hired someone to make a fake call!”

The shock on Ronan’s face still had not disappeared.

But after hearing Emma’s words, his expression became uncertain again.

That was right.

How could Conor possibly know someone from DragonTech?

Emma crossed her arms tightly and sneered at Conor.

“Grandpa, don’t be fooled,” she said coldly. “This loser is obviously acting.”

The others in the hall quickly nodded.

“That makes sense…”

“Right, how could DragonTech suddenly invite Olivia?”

“It must be fake.”

Olivia looked at Conor with complicated eyes.

Even she did not know what to believe anymore.

But Conor himself looked completely calm.

He simply shrugged.

“If it’s fake,” he said lightly, “then the truth will be clear tomorrow.”

His gaze swept across everyone calmly.

“What are you all afraid of?”

Emma’s face turned ugly instantly.

“You—!”

She gritted her teeth angrily.

“Fine!”

“Tomorrow I’ll personally expose your lie in front of everyone!”

Conor only smiled faintly and said nothing more.

Ronan narrowed his eyes at him for a long moment.

Finally, he spoke coldly.

“You can stay tonight.”

Olivia secretly let out a breath of relief.

But before she could relax completely, Ronan added harshly,

“Not upstairs.”

“He’ll sleep in the basement storage room.”

The servants immediately looked awkward.

That storage room was damp, dark, and filled with old boxes and broken furniture.

Even the Nelson family’s dog refused to stay there sometimes.

Emma instantly smirked proudly.

Olivia bit her lip softly.

“Grandpa, isn’t that a little—”

“I already showed enough kindness,” Ronan interrupted coldly.

Then he looked at Conor with contempt.

“If you don’t want to stay there, then get out.”

Everyone waited for Conor to lose his temper.

But instead—

Conor nodded casually.

“Sure.”

No anger.

No complaint.

No embarrassment.

Just calm acceptance.

Ronan looked even more disappointed after seeing that.

As expected.

A truly important person would never tolerate this kind of humiliation.

This proved Conor was exactly what he appeared to be—

A useless nobody.

Soon, a servant led Conor toward the basement.

Lily clung tightly to his hand the entire way.

“Daddy…” she whispered sadly. “Is it cold down there?”

Conor gently rubbed her little head and smiled.

“I’ve stayed in much worse places before.”

He was telling the truth.

Back during those bloody years overseas…

He had slept in deserts filled with sandstorms.

In frozen forests during heavy snow.

Inside ruined buildings surrounded by enemies.

Compared to those places—

A basement storage room was practically comfortable.

But nobody in the Nelson family knew that.

****

The next morning, the Nelson family arrived at the DragonTech summit venue early.

Luxury cars filled the enormous parking area.

Well-dressed businessmen and wealthy families walked in and out of the grand building one after another.

Everyone in the Nelson family wore their best clothes.

Ronan even changed into his favorite black formal suit.

But despite looking calm on the surface, the family was extremely nervous inside.

Especially after Carl stopped answering their calls.

Emma lowered her phone with an ugly expression.

“He still isn’t answering,” she said anxiously.

Ronan frowned deeply.

“We’ve already called him over ten times…”

Olivia quietly glanced at Conor beside her.

Meanwhile, Conor looked completely relaxed, as if he was only here for a casual walk.

That calm attitude annoyed Emma even more.

“Hmph,” she muttered coldly. “Let’s see how long you can keep pretending.”

Just then—

The family stepped out of their cars completely.

And suddenly Emma’s eyes lit up.

“Carl!”

Everyone quickly turned.

Sure enough, Carl was standing proudly near the entrance in an expensive suit.

Several people surrounded him while he spoke confidently.

He looked exactly like a successful young elite.

Ronan immediately smiled in relief and hurried over.

“Carl!” he called warmly.

Carl turned around casually.

But the moment he saw the Nelson family—

His expression froze.

For a split second, panic flashed across his eyes.

Why were they here?!

How did they even know this location?

Ronan quickly walked over and grabbed his arm warmly.

“Carl, why weren’t you answering our calls?” he asked anxiously.

Carl immediately forced out a smile.

“M-My phone broke,” he said quickly.

Then he lowered his voice seriously.

“You all came at the right time. But there’s bad news.”

Ronan’s expression changed.

“What happened?”

Carl sighed heavily and shook his head.

“The partnership slots are already full.”

“What?!” Emma cried out.

Carl nodded with a troubled expression.

“I tried my best last night, but too many powerful families came.”

“DragonTech’s requirements are extremely strict.”

The Nelson family instantly became nervous.

But before Carl could continue—

Emma suddenly pointed angrily at Conor.

“Grandpa, see?!”

“I told you this loser was lying!”

She sneered proudly.

“Carl is the one who got us in!”

Carl blinked in confusion.

“Huh?”

Emma crossed her arms proudly.

“Stop pretending to be modest,” she said immediately.

“Olivia received the invitation because of you, right?”

Carl became completely stunned.

Invitation?

What invitation?

Before he could even react—

A sudden commotion erupted near the entrance.

The crowd instantly became noisy.

“Oh my god…”

“She’s here personally?”

“Isn’t that DragonTech CEO’s secretary?”

“That’s Cristina!”

Everyone quickly turned toward the entrance.

Several black luxury cars had just stopped outside.

Then a tall woman in a white business suit slowly stepped out.

Her expression was cold and capable.

Dozens of security guards immediately surrounded her respectfully.

The entire atmosphere changed instantly.

Even wealthy businessmen lowered their voices nervously.

Because everyone in River City knew—

Cristina was the personal secretary of DragonTech’s mysterious CEO.

Everyone immediately looked toward Cristina.

Even though she was only a secretary, nobody dared underestimate her.

After all, she worked directly beside DragonTech’s mysterious CEO.

Her status was incredibly high.

Many rich businessmen wanted to flatter her but never even got the chance.

Cristina calmly took out her phone and looked at a photo on the screen.

Then her sharp eyes slowly scanned the crowd.

The entire entrance became quiet.

Many people straightened their clothes nervously.

Then suddenly—

Cristina began walking directly toward Carl and the Nelson family.

Carl’s heart instantly started racing.

For one second, he was shocked.

But then excitement quickly filled his face.

She came for me?

He hurriedly adjusted his suit and fixed his expression.

Then he quickly whispered to the Nelson family behind him.

“Stand properly.”

“And don’t speak carelessly.”

Ronan immediately nodded nervously.

Emma also became excited.

As expected of Carl!

Even DragonTech’s CEO secretary personally came to greet him!

Carl took a deep breath and confidently stepped forward.

A flattering smile appeared on his face.

“Hello, Miss Cristina,” he said politely while extending his hand.

But—

Cristina did not even look at him.

She walked straight past him.

Carl’s smile froze instantly.

His outstretched hand hung awkwardly in the air.

The Nelson family also became stunned.

Then—

Cristina stopped directly in front of Olivia.

Olivia looked completely confused.

Cristina’s cold expression instantly became warm and respectful.

She even took the initiative to extend her hand politely.

“You must be Miss Olivia Nelson,” she said with a gentle smile.

“Welcome to our partnership summit.”

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  • 30

    Conor didn’t look at them again. Not Ronan. Not Emma. They were no longer worth his attention. He turned. And walked away. Just like that. Leaving them behind. — The hallway was dim and silent. The destruction stretched further than the entrance—doors ajar, walls scuffed, traces of force everywhere. Conor moved through it without hesitation. His eyes were scanning and his mind was calculating. Then— A faint sound. A weak, uneven breath. Conor’s steps stopped. He turned his head slightly. There. Near the side corridor— A figure slumped against the wall. A housemaid. Bruised. Clothes disheveled. Barely conscious. Conor closed the distance in two strides and crouched down. “Hey.” No response. Her head lolled slightly. He reached out, steady but firm, tapping her cheek lightly. “Stay with me.” A weak groan escaped her lips. Her eyelids fluttered. “…M-ma’am…” she mumbled instinctively. Conor’s voice cut in, controlled. “Lo

  • 29

    Ronan choked, face already turning red, veins bulging as he struggled to breathe. “Y—you—” he wheezed, panic finally breaking through. Conor’s grip tightened. Just slightly. Ronan’s body jerked. A strangled sound tore from his throat. Emma rushed forward instinctively, hands shaking. “Stop—stop, please! You’ll kill him!” Conor didn’t even look at her. He didn’t blink. His voice dropped further and dead calm. “She is my daughter.” Conor’s grip didn’t loosen. If anything— It tightened just enough to remind Ronan exactly how fragile his life was in that moment. Ronan’s legs kicked weakly in the air, his face turning an ugly shade of red, breath coming in broken, strangled attempts. Conor’s gaze never wavered. Cold and unforgiving. “If you weren’t Olivia’s grandfather,” he said quietly, each word landing like a verdict, “you’d already be in hell repenting for what you just said.” Ronan’s eyes bulged slightly. His hands clawed desperately at Conor’s wr

  • 28

    His hands were trembling as he looked at the empty space. “This is Olivia’s fault,” he spat suddenly. “That woman—she brought this curse into our home!” Emma was as furious as Ronan. “Exactly, grandpa! She always ruins things!” Ronan turned sharply, eyes wild now. “And that man—Conor!” he snarled. “Who does he think he is? Acting high and mighty, provoking powerful families—this is what happens when fools play heroes!” He kicked a broken chair. “They’ve dragged us into this mess! They’ve ruined everything!” His gaze suddenly snapped toward a display case near the wall—shattered. Ronan rushed over, shoving aside splintered wood and broken glass with frantic hands. “No… no—where is it?!” He dropped to his knees, searching desperately through the debris. Then he saw it. Nothing. The velvet slot where it once rested was empty. “My watch…” his voice trembled, then broke into fury. “My $100,000 diamond watch—gone!” His face twisted with rage, veins standing out

  • 27

    The sound came first. Distant at first—then rapidly growing louder. WHUP—WHUP—WHUP— Helicopters. Multiple. The night air above the parking lot shifted as searchlights cut through the dim sky, sweeping across buildings and roads like searching eyes. Within minutes, black vehicles screeched into the area. Doors opened. Men in tactical uniforms stepped out quickly and professionally. “Secure the perimeter!” “Medical team, over here—now!” “Move! Move!” The store staff stood frozen near the entrance, overwhelmed. One of them stammered, “W-what is going on…?” No one answered him. Because the focus was inside the car. Conor had Olivia in his arms, carefully supporting her upright as she remained unconscious, her head slightly tilted, breathing shallow but stable. A medic rushed forward. “Sir—let us take her.” Conor didn’t move immediately. His eyes were still on her face. “…She fainted from shock,” the lead medic said quickly after checking her pulse

  • 26

    Another channel opened. Rapid reports. Satellite uplinks. Traffic anomalies. Security breaches. Nick scanned them like a man reading a death sentence in real time. And for the first time in a long while— He felt something close to fear. Not for himself. But for everyone else. Because he knew Conor wasn’t just angry. Conor was quiet. And in Nick’s experience, that version of him— was the one right before everything burned, many people may die tonight. Nick barely had time to register the flood of incoming commands before Conor’s voice cut back in—calm, controlled, but now edged with something far more dangerous than anger. “No.” Nick froze. Conor continued, each word precise. “Send people to the store immediately. Take Olivia to the hospital.” A brief pause. Then— His tone dropped even further. “Then find where my daughter has been taken.” Nick’s throat tightened slightly as he nodded, even though Conor couldn’t see him. “Yes, king. Already depl

  • 25

    Olivia’s voice shook. “She’s a child.” “I’m aware.” Another casual breath. “That’s why this is unfortunate.” A beat. Then— “Consider this the price for offending Titan Group.” Silence. The words hung in the car. Conor’s face went completely still. The voice on the phone didn’t stop. If anything, it sounded more entertained now. “You people really don’t learn, do you?” the man said lazily, like he was discussing something trivial. “Debt always gets collected one way or another.” Olivia’s breathing hitched again, shallow and broken. Conor’s jaw tightened so hard it looked like it might crack. On the line, the man chuckled. “And since Madam Olivia here is so… principled,” he continued, “refusing to cooperate, refusing to settle things properly, to sell herself to repay the debt—” A pause. Then, colder. “We’ll simply recover what’s owed in other ways.” Olivia’s voice came out barely audible. “…What are you talking about?” The man exhaled, almost

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