Chapter 1

He was just an ordinary person before being sentenced to prison. However, upon his release, presidents, war heroes, and even the head of the prison guards knelt before him, addressing him as Master. He had transformed from a nobody into a figure of mysterious and immeasurable abilities and strength.

He had become a kingmaker, capable of accessing the world's resources with ease. Despite this, his only wish was to live a low-key life, marry his fiancée, and provide the best for her and their parents.

However, things did not go according to his plan. His fiancée was no longer the person he once knew; she had become a cheater and materialistic. Now, he was seen as a common ex-convict with no future, and due to a one-night stand out of tipsiness, he found himself getting into a contract marriage with a pitiful but beautiful CEO.

Chapter 001 – Leaving Prison

*****

Ironclad Prison, located in the most uninhabitable and unwelcoming region of Elaria.

As implied by its name, this prison was constructed entirely from solid iron, with no hint of other materials and It was the most frightening prison ever created, holding not common criminals but formidable and ruthless ones such as warlords, high-level cultivators, mafia leaders, and those who had caused widespread devastation.

The main reason this prison was feared around the globe wasn't merely its solid iron structure; rather, its location in the coldest place on Earth.

Each day in this prison was a frozen hell, so unbearable that many warlords had died within its confines, while those who survived faced relentless and terrifying torture daily.

In one word, this prison represented the ultimate terror for every power on Earth, and no matter how strong you were, escape was impossible without being released.

…

“Have you guys heard? That demon will finally be released today!" an ex-terrorist whose face was glowing with excitement suddenly whispered in a gossipy tone inside a hall where thousands of prisoners were eating their breakfast of rock-hard bread and frozen congee.

As soon as the inmates around this person heard him, their eyes widened with astonishment, and they trembled with disbelief before gaping.

“How— how true is that?" asked a legendary scientist, who had once used an entire city for his research, his beard trembling with excitement and anxiety from the news.

“100%.” The ex-terrorist replied with confidence. “I got this information from a reliable source.” He added.

“This…” the breathing of everyone around the ex-terrorist quickened and a rare excitement began to fill them.

It was as if the most terrifying demon haunting their lives was finally going to be removed.

Astonishingly enough, it wasn't only this group that was excitedly discussing this topic, but rather, every single person in the vast hall.

Just at that moment, a calm, distinct footstep echoed, and as though the arrival of a scary entity, the massive space fell into pin-drop silence.

Everyone quickly lowered their heads with terror and focused their entire attention on biting into their frozen solid rock bread.

One might expect a fearsome figure to be behind such a terrifying footstep. However, it turned out to be a tall, 26-year-old man who appeared lean and harmless. He was very handsome and elegant, with a gentle demeanor, yet, what stood out most about him was his delicate appearance, which gave the impression that he wouldn't be able to handle a common chicken.

Aside from that, the young man appeared very lazy, but his eyes were brimming with wisdom and power.

…

Noting the terrified expressions on everyone’s faces, as if a death angel had arrived, the young man smiled wryly.

“Aren’t you guys celebrating a second ago that this father is finally leaving?” the young man, Xavier Wilson asked speechlessly.

“This…” the hearts of all the inmates, who appeared menacing and each at least three times the size of Xavier, all muscularly built, trembled upon hearing him.

“Master Xavier!” They shouted in unison, as they jumped to their feet, appearing like soldiers facing their commander.

“We—we definitely aren’t celebrating,” they cried with apprehension and Xavier studied their faces emotionlessly for a moment before snorting.

“Whatever,” he said calmly before crossing his hands behind his back, then like a sage who had transcended mortality, he walked unhurriedly through the hall, each step making the inmates’ heart thump louder in their chests as though scared that Xavier would attack them.

Soon after, his presence vanished from the hall, after which all the inmates collapsed nd began to breathe heavily, recalling the weight of Xavier’s presence.

“Ah!!! Finally!!!” the former kingpin of the prison, who had led all the prisoners before Xavier arrived abruptly sobbed.

“I can now get back my role,” he jubilated and was about to laugh excitedly when, without warning, a calm voice echoed through the hall, saying...

“If any of you dared to cause even the slightest trouble after I’m gone… hmph!”

Although the voice did not complete its threat, everyone broke out in a cold sweat from the power it held, especially the former leader and those who had begun to entertain their plans.

“Why won’t this demon free us even after leaving!” the inmates finally sobbed.

....

Meanwhile, at the entrance of the grim prison, a high-ranking prison guard, who had been waiting respectfully suddenly bowed deeply.

“I didn’t do it for you,” Xavier said calmly, dousing the guard’s fiery excitement with cold water and causing his mouth to twitch.

Unsure whether to smile or cry, the man eventually sighed. “Overall, thank you for putting those troublesome bastards in their place,” he said with an awkward smile, and with that, respectfully opened the massive gate for Xavier.

“You are free from now on,” he said emotionally. However, as soon as he finished speaking, Xavier’s gaze turned blank, causing the man to shiver slightly.

“Have—have I said something wrong?” he asked nervously and Xavier rolled his eyes.

“Do you really think I wasn’t free all this time?” he asked ironically, then not waiting for a response, he stepped forward and walked out of the prison that had held him for the past five years.

The prison guard wasn’t able to respond for a moment after hearing Xavier’s arrogant words, but then, he smiled wryly, unable to refute him.

He sighed after a moment and although Xavier had left, the warden couldn’t help but bow his head again, recalling all of Xavier’s achievements during his time in the prison.

“Take care,” he said with emotion before pressing the remote control in his hand again, sealing the massive gate once more until who knows when.

…..

Meanwhile, Xavier stood outside the prison, looking somewhat helpless. He had initially planned to welcome the sight of freedom, not expecting to be greeted by people who instantly knelt before him.

Undoubtedly, the world would be thrown into chaos if it were to witness the scene Xavier was observing.

Describing the identity of the people kneeling to him right now as terrifying was in fact an understatement.

At the forefront was Elaria’s president, flanked by the four gods of war who protect the entire country, Elaria’s divine physician, and the wealthiest person in the nation.

These seven were like gods to the entire Elaria citizen, yet they were currently kneeling to an ex-convict.

....

“Didn’t I warn you guys not to come see me off?” Xavier finally grumbled unhappily and the instant the seven heard him, they did not become mad instead smiled wryly.

"How could we not come to see you off, Master, on such an important day when you finally decided to leave for the main world?" the president replied with bright eyes.

Xavier was silent for a second before eventually shaking his head helplessly, unable to understand why the seven people were always adamant.

“You have seen me now, off you go,” he said after a second, trying to shoo the seven away, something only he dared to do in the entire world.

The seven exchanged gazes and smiled yet again, already expecting this.

“Master, we would have loved to escort you to the outside world and perhaps announce your esteemed identity, but since you’ve expressed a desire to return to your parents and fiancée for a quiet life, we can only see you this far,” the president said with a heartbroken tone as the seven of them stood up.

Xavier immediately rolled his eyes once more but remained silent.

Suddenly, the South God of War stepped forward, presenting a token while bowing. “Perhaps, you might need the army someday, so, the four of us decided to prepare this command token which you could use to deploy the army at will.”

Xavier, “_”

He stared blankly, but before he could react, the wealthiest person in the country also stepped toward him.

“Master, this is an Opal Card for the World Bank. It should be able to provide you with a slight financial assistance in the outside world.”

“Master, I’ve already informed the prime minister of your city that someone important will be arriving soon. You can call him anytime if you need anything,” the president added.

Looking at the people before him, Xavier, was silent for a second, then sighed after a moment of hesitation

“I will accept your gifts, then,” he said calmly as he accepted the presents.

Although he showed no outward signs of appreciation, the seven people in before him were instantly thrilled, having already thought Xavier would reject their presents.

Without a second thought, Xavier slipped the two items that could have caused a storm in the outside world into his pockets and then walked away and without looking back, boarded the chopper that had been waiting for him.

“Master Xavier.” The pilot bowed his head respectfully, and Xavier nodded calmly.

“I wish to keep a low profile, so you should just drop me at the outskirts of Riverton city.”

“This...” the pilot, who had been given a different directive by the president, hesitated for a moment before nodding respectfully. “Yes, Master Xavier.”

Upon hearing the pilot's response, Xavier gazed out of the window, and instantly, a look of longing appeared on his face.

“Jenifer, Mother, Father, I’m finally free after five years of missing you guys nonstop," he murmured to himself, his eyes abruptly welling up with tears.

…

At the same time, the seven people Xavier left behind continued staring at his chopper until it disappeared into horizon.

“Although the master said he was going to retire and lead a quiet life, why do I have this sudden feeling that his return to the outside world will only bring about storm?" the only woman in the group, one of the four gods of war abruptly muttered to herself.

“It obviously would,” the others responded matter-of-factly, their eyes suddenly shining with excitement for the soon to come future.

Chapter 002 – Getting Surprised Instead

*****

“Hehehehe. Do you know, I learned from a very trusted source last night that a powerful, erudite, and prominent Grandmaster is coming to our city today.”

“Huh? A powerful, erudite, and prominent Grandmaster?”

“You—you hadn’t heard the news?”

“Seems so.”

"Ugh! Whatever. According to the news, the prime minister, all the First-rank family leaders, and other major figures in our city have been at the airport since last night, waiting to welcome this god disguised as a man."

“Huh- Wow!”

*****

“Are they talking about me?”

Xavier, who had just entered the city and was appreciating the massive changes around him abruptly mumbled as he came to a stop, staring at the two men in suits walking before him.

He frowned intently the following second before subconsciously looking at the crowded walkway opposite him, which contained people going to work.

Xavier quickly joined and blended into the crowd to listen to their chatter and as it turned out, everyone was animatedly discussing the same topic: the arrival of an Erudite, powerful, and distinguished Grandmaster, a god of war, and a highly esteemed figure, as they call it, coming to the city.

The more Xavier heard the crowd’s gossip, the more astounded he became before he eventually did not know whether to laugh or cry.

“Didn’t I warn those guys that I just wanted to live a low-key life?” he wondered speechlessly before sighing helplessly as he imagined how his seemingly low key life would have been ruined even before it began if he had let himself be dropped off at the airport.

Xavier instantly felt a cold shiver run down his spine as the image of himself being knelt to by all the various leaders of the city crossed his mind. He swallowed hard and quickly shook his head.

“Fortunately for me, I’m smart enough to change the route,” he mumbled as he swallowed hard, and with that, decided to stop sightseeing the city that had changed so much in the past five years, almost appearing strange to him.

“Time to go see my woman,” he abruptly muttered and his eyes brightened so much in the following second before his breathing quickened with pure joy.

“Five years isn’t easy at all!” he sighed heavily with a nostalgic tone, momentarily losing his composure—something he had rarely done in the past five years.

Unable to wait any longer, Xavier hailed a taxi and got in. A little over thirty minutes later, he arrived at his destination and got out, then looking at the house that had barely changed in the past five years, his eyes grew bloodshot.

This was the house he had bought for himself and his fiancée five years ago, which they would move into after their marriage.

Xavier clenched his fists once again, adding all strength and causing them to crackle hard.

Five years ago, he was just an ordinary young man from a humble family who managed to labor hard and work his way into a middle-class financial position.

Although not big, he managed to start his own company and buy a house on a mortgage, while also owning a small car.

That was almost all of Xavier’s dreams back then and just as he was about to achieve the last, by marrying the woman of his dreams, everything was changed by an unforeseen incident that led him to jail.

Recalling all this, Xavier failed to handle the drop of tears that fell from his eyes.

He sighed heavily, then with his eyes having turned red from his contrasting emotions, pushed open the door he had yearned to walk through for the past five and walked into the villa.

It was still pretty much the same except for some little changes here and there.

Xavier’s heart couldn’t help but melt at this, at how his fiancée was still taking care of the villa and making sure he would meet it as he had left it.

‘It shows that she still loves and cares about me,’ he thought and the massive love he initially felt for Jennifer increased by several folds.

Perhaps all the powerful jade beauties, numbering in the hundreds, who had always envied the woman who had captured Xavier’s heart, would immediately commit suicide if they were to know that such a simple thing as taking care of a house would deeply touch the godly entity’s heart and cause his love to grow exponentially.

Unaware of this, Xavier, unable to contain his anticipation to see the face he had been longing for and imagining days and nights for the past five years, quickened his pace and began searching for his wife, eager to surprise her with his return.

“Could she be in our room?” he mumbled to himself after failing to find Jennifer anywhere else in the small villa and once Xavier muttered this, he wasted no time and quickly made his way to the master bedroom.

As he reached the door, his heart began to pound wildly with nervousness.

Right now, he was no longer the scary entity known as Master Xavier. Instead, he was just a weak young man who was going to die from nervousness and goosebumps.

Many imaginations quickly surge through Xavier’s head in the span of seconds before finally, he pushed open the door that felt heavy.

“Surprise!!!” he announced loudly, his voice filled to the brim with unhidden joy, but in the following second, his voice hung and his face became stiff.

Right on the massive bed before him, the matrimonial bed he had bought five years ago to be used by himself and his fiancée after they got married, two naked bodies were tightly entangled with each other, and they both seemed to be having their climax.

Xavier’s heart and body froze in an instant.

He couldn’t react nor do anything, feeling as though he were dreaming, and following this, his eyes widened in shock, and his jaw nearly dropped to the ground from disbelief.

Chapter 003 – Another Shock

*****

Of all the things Xavier had visualized his first meeting with his fiancée would be after five years, this definitely was never one of them.

He remained dumbstruck for a long time, gaping, with his head pounding hysterically in disbelief as he stared at the couple who wouldn’t tear from each other even after his intrusion, only stopping after they finished having their climax.

They finally glanced toward the door, wondering about the person who had dared to intrude on their room.

“Which motherf*cking bastard are you?” Victor, a short man with an unremarkable appearance, demanded with rage while Jennifer’s eyes grew cold, unable to believe that someone had dared to barge into her room while she and her partner were together.

Infuriated, Jennifer quickly rolled herself into the duvet on the bed and leaped to her feet, pointing aggressively at Xavier.

“You!!!” She barked, wanting to curse but then she went into a daze the next second, unable to believe her eyes.

“How—how could it be you? Weren’t—weren’t you only supposed to be back 15 years from now? How—“ she stuttered with shock, disbelief, and panic, staring at the face she had almost forgotten.

As soon as Xavier, who was still struggling to process what he had just witnessed, heard Jennifer, he found himself smiling in the most heartbreaking way anyone had ever seen.

“Yes, how could I be back now when I was sentenced to 20 years in prison?” he asked self-mockingly, his voice raspy and unlike his usual tone.

Meanwhile, a frown immediately spotted Victor’s face when he heard the exchange between his woman and the stranger, and being the possessive sort of person he was, became so ugly in an instant, glaring at Jennifer.

“I…” Jennifer immediately returned to her senses from this glare and subsequently, the expression of panic and disbelief on her face disappeared, only to be replaced by mockery.

“Don’t you know him?” She inquired, pointing at Xavier in disgust.

Still infuriated by how his woman had communicated with another man, Victor’s eyes flashed aggressively. “How am I supposed to?” he asked darkly and Jennifer smiled wickedly.

“He was the bastard you threw away into prison 5 years ago.”

“Huh…”

“Huh…”

It wasn’t only Victor who was dumbstruck, Xavier was as well.

His face returned to being dazed as he heard Jennifer, unable to believe how she had just addressed him.

“Did—did you just call me a bastard?” He asked with shock, making Jennifer give him the sort of stare he had never received from her since knowing.

“Aren’t you one?” She inquired with derision before seeming to have recalled something.

She immediately smirked. “Isn’t even calling you a bastard me trying to respect you when I was supposed to address you as a…. Priisoonner.”

That was all Xavier needed to hear.

His heart shattered into millions of pieces in an instant and he became suffocated.

“You… you… you just called me a—a prisoner?”

“And so what? Aren’t you one?” Jennifer snapped back, with contempt and sarcasm, causing Xavier to tremble, almost fainting the next second.

His ears began to ring hysterically as those words echoed repeatedly. Xavier’s eyes turned crimson red as he pointed at Jennifer in disbelief. “You… you actually dared to call me a prisoner?” His voice shook badly.

If anyone who had known Xavier during his time in prison saw him now, they would be completely stunned, feeling the need to repeatedly check their eyes and ears to believe what they were witnessing. The man who was always known for his unwavering calmness was now shaking uncontrollably.

“You—you… have you forgotten the reason I was imprisoned?” He suddenly inquired.

“Hahahahah! Obviously, I sent you to prison!” Victor, who had initially been too stunned after what Jennifer revealed to him abruptly laughed out loud.

He was a young master of an influential third-rated family, and for this reason, he had always been having his way since he was a child.

One thing he particularly enjoyed was taking other people’s women, especially right in front of their partners, but he had never experienced this level of fervor before.

He couldn’t help but tremble with excitement, wondering what Xavier must be going through, returning from prison and finding his fiancée and the person who sent him to prison making out in his house and on his bed.

….

After he finished speaking, Victor thought Xavier would completely lose it, thereby giving him the chance to teach him a lesson for the second time.

Contrary to his wish, however, Xavier did not react.

He only spared Victor a single glance before ignoring him, dumbfounding both Victor and Jennifer.

“You…” Jennifer opened her mouth, but then Xavier interrupted.

“My eyes might be deceiving me but isn’t that the guy who almost raped you five years ago?” he suddenly asked, glancing back at Victor as though he just recalled the face.

Both Jennifer and Victor instantly exchanged gazes, but in the next second, beamed.

“And thanks to you, we got together,” Jennifer responded making Xavier’s tongue become tied for a second with astonishment.

"I—I attacked him five years ago when I caught him trying to assault you and was arrested for it, eventually being charged with attempted murder," Xavier suddenly began, his voice trembling so severely that anyone who knew him would be chilled to the bone. "I wasn’t given the chance to get a lawyer and was immediately sentenced to 20 years in a prison meant for hardened criminals." He concluded before his eyes suddenly flashed with hatred.

“Not only have you betrayed me upon my return, but with someone like that?” He inquired with disbelief, curling his fists so much with pain as he felt his heart being clenched tightly.

Jennifer remained silent after hearing Xavier and Victor did not say anything, waiting for how Jenifer would react.

With that, the room turned silent for a while before suddenly, Jennifer scoffed with ridicule.

“You said you were sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for defending me?” She inquired coldly but continued before Xavier could respond, her voice turning icy cold. “Did I send you to defend me back then?” She demanded, stunning both Xavier and Victor to the core.

Xavier wasn’t able to react for a long time, while Victor, after struggling to control himself, finally erupted into laughter only after which Xavier regained his senses and felt his body go cold. Yet before he could say a word, Jennifer continued, her voice still dripping with coldness and scorn.

“You acted as though you were unjustly thrown into prison. Did you not attempt to murder my man five years ago? Criminal!”

Xavier’s vision immediately darkened while his head became light.

“You—you—you—you…”

“Me what?” Jennifer snorted with disgust. “Did I lie?” She asked, making Xavier finally unable to hold it anymore.

“To think I rushed out of prison for you, hoping to give you a lifetime of happiness and make up for everything you desired for the rest of my life!” He suddenly laughed bitterly, his voice dripping with pain, self-mockery, and disappointment.

No sooner had he finished laughing, however than two jeering voices responded to him.

“Did you just say you rushed out of prison?” Victor inquired.

“And you, an ex-convict who had stopped having life 5 years ago dare to tell me how you wished to give me a lifetime of happiness?” What a joke.”

The couple laughed as though they had heard a joke, but Xavier didn’t show any painful emotion, instead, said seriously after a moment;

“I could have given you the best life and made you the envy of all the ladies in this world if you had waited.”

“Fool,” Jennifer scoffed, her eyes filled with disdain as she stared at the plain dress on Xavier’s body.

“You couldn’t give me one percent of the life given by my man before you were imprisoned and you think you’d be able to do that now that you’ve become an ex-prisoner?” She asked with sarcasm.

Perhaps because his emotions were too disordered or for another reason, Xavier neither got angry nor hurt by Jennifer’s words. He simply realized that the Jennifer he had always loved might have disappeared the moment he was sentenced to prison five years ago.

With that, Xavier breathed deeply. Although deep down, he wanted nothing more than to destroy the cheating duo, he chose not to act on those whims.

“Since you’ve already moved on with your life, can you and your man at least get out of my house now? Also, I will need my company back,” he said calmly, his demeanor having turned indifferent.

The moment Jennifer heard him, however, she finally panicked.

“I…” she opened her mouth to speak, but then was interrupted.

“Which stupid company and house?” Victor asked, not hiding the mockery in him.

"Since you were rotting away in prison, and I couldn’t squeeze a dime out of you for the damage you caused, my babe and I decided to sell off everything you owned, tossing whatever pathetic scraps were left to your parents after deducting my medical bills."

”This!” Xavier’s eyes widened with disbelief.

Chapter 004 – The Feeling of Betrayal

*****

Xavier, with no background nor support whatsoever, had withstood the rain, blood, and hunger alone to create his company from scratch seven years ago and in a matter of two years, managed to turn it into a slightly successful company, with more than twenty employees.

He had handed it over to Jennifer after he was sentenced to prison five years ago, hoping that she’d manage it and from the profit made, take care of his parents.

Never in his life had he imagined that not only would she not take care of his parents, but would also team together with his oppressor and sell off his properties, a lie he obviously did not believe.

Xavier began to fume frantically, but eventually, clenched his fists to calm the rage that was on the verge of bursting out.

Meanwhile, seeing Xavier in this state, the adulterous pair before him had wide grins on their faces.

Jennifer felt not even the slightest trace of pity nor remorse for him and for betraying betraying him. She was even more pleased that she had quickly abandoned him, considering his present poor standing which was worse compared to five years ago.

“Are you going to weep now?” She suddenly inquired with a taunting voice, finally jolting Xavier back to his senses.

The following second, Xavier, who had never imagined any of what is as happening erupted with laughter, deeply startling the adulterous duo.

They exchanged confused gazes, wondering why Xavier would laugh when he was supposed to be loosing it, but then they smirked, realizing that it was a laughter of pain.

Perhaps, had the couple known the sort of person Xavier had become like those from the prison, they wouldn't have mocked his laughter, instead, they would have been scared to death and quickly kneel to beg for mercy, but unfortunately, they had no idea.

Xavier laughed with so much despair in his voice for a while before stopping all of a sudden and glance at Jennifer with an emotionless face.

“The guy who almost rapped you five years ago said you guys sold off all the properties I left in your care to manage and use its money to pay off his medical expenses, right?" he inquired coldly, causing Jennifer to go blank for a moment before her eyes nearly shot out flames.

“How dare you low-life ex-convict entity call my man a rapist?” she cursed but Xavier ignore her, coldly continuing, interrupting her outburst.

“I will leave everything to you then, but one thing I can promise you is that you, Jennifer Steezers will recall this day soon and regret it," he stated emotionlessly, then with his heart shattered into millions of pieces, turned around and walked away.

Earlier, Xavier had entered with a heart overflowing with joy and love, but now, as he left, his heart was burdened with sadness, disbelief, and hatred.

“Fool,” Victor snorted with disgust after a moment of comprehending Xavier’s threat.

“I will look back on this day and regret my actions? Jennifer asked ironically ignoring the sudden discomfort she was feeling. “Did he think this life is a Nollywood movie?" she chuckled loudly with derision.

With that, the two adulterous couple burst into laughter, heartlessly mocking Xavier without the slightest trace of pity for him.

Just then, Victor looked back at Jennifer, his heart filled with victory. “How about we go for another round?” He inquired playfully, making Jennifer blush.

“You naughty boy,” she murmured beneath her breath and then tapped Victor seductively on the chest, her face crimson red, and with that, Victor’s breathing became heavy.

Without a moment of hesitation, he hauled Jennifer into the bed and they started another round of action, not affected by the return of Xavier or his threat for revenge.

….

Meanwhile, outside the door, Xavier, who hadn’t left immediately clenched his fists with all the strength he could muster, even cutting into his flesh till blood sipped out.

Before long, his palm was covered in blood, but he didn’t notice. Instead, his eyes were filled with an expression he had never had before, not even on the day he was sentenced to prison or during his initial weeks there, which were marked by relentless bullying.

“What was I even waiting for?” He mumbled to himself after a while, recalling his foolishness of waiting outside the door, thinking he would be able to eavesdrop if Victor had forced Jennifer.

“To think I kept her in my mind all these years, using her promise of waiting for me to motivate myself whenever I felt weak,” he mumbled to himself, chuckling in the most painful way imaginable.

With this, Xavier cast one final glance at the door and then decisively walked away another moment of hesitation.

He did not even know how he reached the living room, but just as he was about to exit, however, he saw two people walking in, laughing.

They were Jennifer’s mother and brother, who noticed Xavier the instant he saw them.

“Burglar! What are you doing in my house?” Ava abruptly yelled, glaring cautiously at Xavier.

Xavier, seeing her, his eyes immediately reddened slightly, not offended as he understood that Ava had not recognized him.

She had been very good to him back then and she was the one he always ran to report Jennifer to whenever she offended him, given how she always sided with him and make Jennifer know her wrong.

“Aunty,” Xavier opened his mouth and called out with a raspy voice, dumbfounding the duo of mother and son who were getting ready to attack him.

They stared blankly at Xavier for a moment before; “Aren’t you that prisoner, Xavier?” They abruptly inquire in unison.

Chapter 005 - Jennifer’s Hatred

*****

“Huh?” Xavier went into a daze and couldn’t react after hearing how he was addressed.

‘Let’s assume Jennifer’s love somehow disappeared after years of him being away, what about them?’ He thought blankly.

Although Xavier was from a poor background before starting his company, Jennifer’s background had been worse than his.

They were homeless when Xavier met Jennifer, and Xavier, in his little, had gotten an apartment for the family, furnishing it. He also enrolled Michael, who had dropped out of high school into college, paying all his tuition in advance.

That did not still end there. Xavier even placed the entire family on a payroll, giving them the exact amount he was giving his parents every month, yet they still addressed him as a prisoner despite knowing the reason behind his time.

This was what Xavier was busy thinking when;

“Who release this prisoner?” Michael suddenly laughed, breaking Xavier’s dumbstruck state. “Weren’t you supposed to rot in jail?”

“And what if he was released from prison?” Ava inquired angrily, glaring fiercely at Xavier who became even more stunned, and then continued without giving him a chance to react.

"Don’t you realize this house belongs to me now, the in-law of the powerful Amodu family? How dare you, a worthless ex-prisoner, come here? Are you trying to stain the Amodu name?" she shouted, and Xavier trembled

Amodu was Victor’s surname, and now…

“You—you…” Xavier pointed, his mouth dropping with stupefaction.

“You what?” Michael rudely interrupted him, but then recalled something and a look of fear appeared on his face.

He quickly looked back at his mother and asked. “Did we not leave my brother-in-law with my sister before we left for the market?”

“This-“ Ava was stunned as soon as she heard this, then glared even more at Xavier.

“You bastard! Hope you hadn’t disrupted the relaxation of the two?”

“That’s not even the problem, mother!” Michael cried before continuing when he saw his mother’s confusion. “Have you forgotten that brother-in-law promised me a new car and you a new change of wardrobe? Would he still fulfill them if he misunderstands things and thinks my sister still cares for this prisoner?!” He yelled, dumbfounding Ava.

“This!” A look of fear appeared on her face as she panicked, and then without hesitation, she rushed away, anxiously yelping. “I need to go beg my son-in-law and convince him that my daughter has nothing to do with this low-life prisoner anymore!”

Michael instantly glared hatefully at Xavier once Ava was gone before growling. "I swear I'll take your life if you make my brother-in-law break his promise," he threatened and pointed at the door.

"Now, get your filthy prison-ridden self out of my house before I have you dragged back to where you belong," he growled ferociously.

Xavier feeling that everything was a nightmare shook slightly, but still; “Your house?” He inquired emotionlessly.

“Yes,” my house, Michael responded affirmatively, smirking arrogantly. “My brother-in-law bought it for my family,” he added spitefully, making sure Xavier understood after which he continued coldly. “Now, get going before I throw you out!”

Xavier unable to react for a moment chuckled, the massive pain in his eyes returning.

He eventually released a heavy sigh before deciding to leave when without any warning, Michael lounged at him.

“Bastard! I told you to get your useless prison-ridden body out of my house!” He yelled, throwing a heavy punch at Xavier’s face with all the strength he could muster.

Looking at Michael's well-built physique, it was obvious he was a gym enthusiast, making Xavier seem like a dwarf beside a giant, and for this reason, anyone's first impression would be that if Michael ever hit Xavier with his full force as he intended, Xavier’s face would immediately shatter and he would pass out, a reason why Michael decided to attack.

Contrary, however, just as the fist was on the verge of hitting Xavier, a sort of invisible force radiated from his body, sending Michael hurling back until he crashed into the wall.

He shot out blood from his mouth the next second and his face paled significantly.

He was dumbstruck for a moment, then his heart began to pound hysterically in his chest, staring at Xavier in horror as he couldn't understand what just happened.

Xavier, who hadn’t even moved a single finger from the beginning looked down at Michael, then not saying a word, he sighed heavily and walked out, no longer looking back.

No sooner had he disappeared, however than Michael, who had been scared out of his wit returned to his senses.

“Argh!!! The prisoner is trying to murder me!!!" he howled, his voice so loud it seemed to echo throughout the entire villa.

”This…” Ava, who had been excitedly peeping into her daughter’s bedroom through the keyhole was dumbstruck, but before she could react, the door was opened and a scared couple rushed out.

They were instantly dumbstruck upon seeing Ava but hearing the terrified voice screaming nonstop, they had no time for her, so they rushed away and Ava also ran after them.

”What happened? What happened!!”

They asked with fear, rushing toward Michael, who was seated in front of the puddle of blood before him.

Michael immediately sobbed as soon as he saw his family. He had thought he was going to die earlier after he felt the aura released from Xavier.

“Boohoo! Th-that prisoner suddenly attacked me out of nowhere! He tried to murder me in revenge!"

“This—” The trio were dumbstruck for a moment before their eyes became filled with rage.

Ava began to curse at Xavier and all his generations, wishing them all the evil in this world while Jennifer looked toward Victor, breathing heavily.

“You must avenge my brother,” she said with eyes filled with hatred.

Apart from her mother, Michael was the next person Jennifer loved most in her life, and now… she felt like tearing Xavier apart for daring to touch him.

She instantly regretted her slight hesitation back then when Michael and her mother pressured her to go to Michael after Xavier’s sentence.

‘I should have dumped him even before he was sent to the place he deserved!’ she thought hatefully.

As for Victor, he immediately smirked upon hearing Jennifer’s request. “That’s a little thing,” he responded, but when he saw that Jennifer didn’t seem convinced, he continued.

"I had him imprisoned five years ago with just a single call, and that was before my family became this powerful. Do you think getting him a death sentence now will be difficult?” He inquired and it was only then that Jennifer became relieved.

Unbeknownst to Jennifer, she harbored deep guilt for betraying Xavier, and unable to accept this guilt, she unconsciously transformed it into hatred, wishing every possible misfortune to befall him.

“Thank you,” she responded before urging her mother to take Michael to the hospital for treatment, then although she was no longer in the mood after the duo was gone, she had no choice but to follow Victor back to the room, seeing how excited he still was.

Chapter 006 – A Situation In The Pub

*****

Although Xavier tried appearing strong as he walked away from the house he had bought through his blood and sweat, he was very vulnerable.

His mind was in complete disarray, and he felt like a wreck, recalling the memory he did not know if he would ever forget in his life.

He was deeply pained, realizing he had wasted his love and emotions on someone who did not deserve them.

In addition to his pain, Xavier felt a deep sense of guilt, knowing that he had also punished his parents, which weighed heavily on him.

Although he knew his parents couldn’t have managed his company on their own, Xavier felt pained that he should have entrusted everything to them instead of the ungrateful woman.

For this reason, Xavier did not immediately look for his parents after leaving Jennifer—He had one idea how he would face them after five years of denying them the right to see and be protected by their son.

Xavier began to walk aimlessly around, various memories running through his head at the same time.

After strolling around for what felt like an eternity, he eventually found himself walking into a bar filled with heavy music and the heavy smell of alcohol.

“One of your strongest drinks, please,” he said to the beautiful bartender who appeared to have a weird countenance.

The lady looked at Xavier in surprise, and her eyes lit up as soon as she saw his handsome appearance.

“Hey, handsome. Seems you just suffered from a heartbreak. Do you need someone to talk to?” she asked loudly, but Xavier ignored her, making her instantly snort at the realization that Xavier was not interested in her goodwill.

With this, her eyes flashed fiercely, and l without hesitation, mixed the strongest alcohol in the bar for him.

‘Let’s see if you’ll be able to ignore me once you’re drunk,’ she thought with a scheming smile as she handed the drink to him.

Not knowing what she was thinking, Xavier accepted the cup and chugged the entire content without hesitation, badly startling the bartender.

She stared at Xavier as though he were an alien, unable to believe that he had just downed the strong alcohol in a single gulp.

“You—are you trying to kill yourself?” She gasped but before she could think much, Xavier handed his cup back to her.

“More.” He demanded, almost causing the bartender to fall off her feet.

“You—you—do you think getting yourself killed because a lady broke up with you is smart?” She inquired helplessly, hoping Xavier would reason and change his mind but he only stared emotionlessly at her.

“Make it two cups,” he stated coldly.

“You—you—” the bartender became frustrated before eventually becoming infuriated, realizing that Xavier was too arrogant.

“Whatever," she snorted and complied with the request.

After paying for the three cups he had ordered, Xavier took the two cups handed to him and turned to walk toward the back area of the bar when suddenly, his eyes went in a particular direction and he subconsciously became stuck in his tracks.

Although Xavier had been in prison for the past five years, he had met more people than he could have in his entire life, including numerous world-class beauties, yet, compared to the woman he was currently staring at, all the beauties seemed to pale in comparison.

But what really made Xavier stop in his tracks wasn’t this beauty herself, but instead, the expression she currently had on.

She appeared heartbroken, helpless, exhausted—with an emotion Xavier could deeply relate to. The look of someone who wished to cease living.

For some reason, Xavier’s heart ached, seeing this lady like this, especially when he saw the two men with sinister intentions beside her, continuously pouring more alcohol into her cup and persistently pushing it to her mouth.

He understood at a glance that they were trying to take advantage of her, but…

“What are you staring at, you brat?!” An aggressive voice abruptly broke through Xavier’s train of thought, and upon looking, he saw one of the two men glaring coldly at him.

“Get your ass moving now before I gouge your eyes out of their sockets!” The other snapped and Xavier, hearing their unhidden threat, frowned slightly, however, what does anything have to do with him?

‘I have my own to deal with,’ he thought and then looked away after which he moved to the last seat in the deepest corner of the pub and sat.

With that, he began to sip his alcohol, while wallowing in his misery.

The more he reflected, the more regretful and pained he felt, and he came to realize just how much of a fool he had always been.

‘How could I have loved a girl so much to the extent of going to prison for her?!’

‘To think I almost got killed the first few weeks of my time in prison, all because of love.’

‘To think my favorite time in the past five years was the time I think about her and our meeting after serving my time.’

“Argh!!!” Xavier suddenly growled under his breath and then ground his teeth hysterically against each other.

Perhaps the world would have been thrown into chaos if it knew that the renowned Master Xavier was currently sobbing and consumed by sorrow over a woman. However, since it remained unaware, Xavier, utterly devastated lost himself in basking in his grief until, suddenly…

“Lea—leave me alone!” A weak cry broke through his thought.

Xavier subconsciously looked toward the source and behold, it belonged to the jade beauty of earlier.

She currently appeared totally wasted.

“I’m—I’m not following you, evil men!” She uttered in her drunken state, pushing back the two men currently trying to make her follow them.

Although it was in a less crowded part of the bar, there were still several people present. However, despite witnessing the vulnerable woman about to be taken advantage of, no one showed any intention of intervening. Instead, they laughed and mocked the lady, happily enjoying the scene.

“Why don’t you follow the lion kings!”

“Hahahaha! The two kings are going to take care of you!”

***

Hearing the voices around them, the expressions of the two self-proclaimed Lion Kings, renowned for their dominating actions and their boastful claim of being the absolute ruler in their territory like the original Lion King, grew even more excited.

“You heard the crowd, right, beauty? Why don’t you just quietly follow this king and become one of my Lionesses?“

“That’s right. This Lion King’s body is already full and given how this Lion had never seen such a beautiful as you before, just follow us already! I promise we will not hurt you!’ The second menace guy also urged, trying to pull the intoxicated lady up.

One would think that since she was already wasted, she wouldn’t be able to resist after all the persuasion. But contrary, she strongly fought back

“You are—you are both evil! I—I won’t follow!” she said, hiccuping

“This…” the two lion Kings finally frowned with helplessness and frustration which eventually ended up turning to anger.

“Whether you like it or not, you are following us tonight!” The second Lion King coldly uttered and then resorted to using force.

“You—you… leave me!” the lady cried out in her drunken state, her face finally showing a hint of fear. However, too drunk to resist, she was unable to fend off the strong man's pull.

Realizing this, the lady subconsciously threw the leftover drink from her cup into the guy’s face, and instantly, the area fell silent. Even the DJ, who had been excitedly hyping the two Lion Kings subconsciously stopped his music.

No one could react for a moment, refusing to believe that someone had dared to pour a drink on one of the two evil Lion kings’ faces.

This silence lasted for a moment before everyone began to heave cold sighs, and then started shaking their heads in pity for the lady, already knowing what her fate would be.

With this, the few people around quickly ignored what was going on and returned to doing what they had been doing before.

At the same time, the eyes of the Lion King who got himself drenched in alcohol flashed fiercely.

“B!tch!” He suddenly growled, his voice booming within the bar and causing everyone to turn their heads.

They immediately sighed, realizing that another beauty was about to suffer. As they watched the Lion King raise her hand to strike the woman’s face, they all felt a sudden pity for her.

”I will fucking kill you!” The Lion King roared, finally throwing the hand he had raised, making some people shut their eyes, unable to watch.

Just as the palm was about to strike the now-terrified beauty on the face, with the club now in absolute silence, however, a gentle hand reached out and stopped it.

“Please respect yourself,” a lazy voice sounded.

For a moment, no one could react, unable to believe that someone had dared to interfere in the Lion King’s business.

Everyone quickly turned their heads to see who dared to intervene, and a moment later, they were left dumbstruck, their mouths agape in disbelief, as they questioned whether they had seen correctly.

“Had—had that weak-looking person just dared to involve himself in the Lion King's affairs?"

“Is he tired of living?” These two questions popped up in everyone’s mind.

Chapter 007 – The Situation Getting Out Of Hand

*****

The entire bar fell silent, with everyone staring blankly at the lean person holding a hand that was twice the size of his own.

No one could react for a moment, but eventually, the eyes of the Lion King, whose hand Xavier was holding, darkened with wrath.

“Brat! Weren’t you the one I warned earlier to mind your business?” He snapped, his voice brimming with unhidden killing intent.

Xavier, however, wasn’t bothered. Instead, continued maintaining his composed demeanor.

“This lady here does not want to follow you, why are you forcing her?” He inquired calmly making everyone instant exchange stunned gazes.

“This—this fool!” The bartender, whose gaze hadn’t left Xavier since the beginning scoffed with frustration and then hurriedly left what she was doing to rush over.

“Lion King, hahahah. Please don’t mind this friend of mine. He appears to be too drunk to know what he was doing,” she stated with a smile, tearing Xavier’s hand away from the lion king.

The Lion King quickly cast a glance at the bartender and growled but then hesitated before snorting.

“I will let him go on your account then,” he said unhappily before sparing Xavier a dangerous glare and then ignoring him, casting his unhidden hungry-filled gaze back at the terrified beauty.

“You’ve caused enough scene here already, let’s get going now,” he said darkly and threateningly before looking at his brother.

“Let’s pick her up,” he said and the first lion king nodded his head, scaring Grace to the core.

Although she was completely drunk and her mind was no longer functioning properly, she instinctively shrank back when she realized what the two were planning, her heart pounding fiercely with fear.

Grace had heard many times from news about something like this happening, but she had never expected to encounter it the first time she decided to run away from her comfort zone and drown in her sorrow.

She looked around for help but saw none. Instead, a few people watched her with pity, while the majority laughed, cheered on the Lion King, and praised the spectacle as a display of beauty.

Just as Grace thought she was doomed, however, the composed voice she had heard earlier, which she thought was that of a savior sounded again.

“Did I tell you that you can go with her?”

The entire bar became eerie silent again, but it was soon broken and before long hushed voices filled the entire bar.

“Is this guy a fool or what?”

“Instead of being grateful for the Lion King’s forgiveness, he still chose to push your luck?”

“Given his weak physique, wasn't he even supposed to keep a low profile instead of provoking people who could end his with a single snap!”

Everyone mumbled and even the bartender, who had earlier pleaded on behalf of Xavier was stunned for a while before she sighed helplessly.

She looked back to the Lion King and wanted to beg them again, but before she could open her mouth, they had already addressed her.

“I listened to you earlier because of my respect and appreciation, but please, don’t try your luck too much,” they said in unison, their voices laced with an unmistakable menace.

The Bartender immediately sighed upon hearing them and then looked at Xavier helplessly.

Eventually, she shook her head and glanced back at the Two Lion Kings. “Please, for my sake, don’t give him a life-threatening injury.”

“That, we can do,” the two responded and looked back coldly at Xavier.

“Since you hate minding your goddamned business so much, get your ass over here and move this b!tch to our room for us!”

The second King, whose hand Xavier had earlier held growled and the bar became silent again with everyone staring at Xavier, wondering what he would do.

Contrary to their thoughts, however, Xavier, who had been calm all along did nothing.

He just continued standing and watching lazily, acting as though he didn't feel the alarming intent closing in on him.

“Bastard! Are you deaf?!” The voice of the second Lion King boomed, sending the hearts of the hearers banging against their chests, but still, Xavier did not react.

This finally infuriated the two Lion Kings to the extent that they felt like killing someone.

“Please forgive me,” the second Lion King said coldly to the bartender, then not waiting for a response stormed toward Xavier.

“What I hate the most is people interfering in my affairs, offending me, and disrespecting my order. For daring to do all those, I’m going to castrate you,” he said coldly, then not waiting for any reaction, delivered a powerful kick to Xavier’s crotch.

As soon as everyone saw this, their hearts skipped a beat, following which, their entire body went cold. They sighed deeply, suddenly feeling strong pity for Xavier.

“He could have minded your business but unfortunately chose not to..”

“This made me recall the last person who offended the Two Lion Kings. Hadn't he become a past today, yet, another little guy will join.”

“What a stupid hero. Wouldn’t he live the rest of your life in pain and regret now, knowing he could have easily refused to help the needy,” the crowd sighed one after the other.

Even Grace couldn’t help but be scared to death, watching what was going to happen.

She opened her mouth, wanting to plead for mercy for Xavier, knowing she would never forgive herself if Xavier ended up getting hurt because of her.

“Plea-“ she began to cry out when without any warning, her jaw dropped and her eyes constricted sharply.

It wasn’t only hers, but literally everyone in the bar.

If Xavier was like a thin pole, the Lion King attacking him would be a small mountain—muscular and imposing. Yet, at this moment, Xavier was casually holding his leg in his hand.

That’s right and just then, a calm and composed voice filled with disbelief sounded.

“You will castrate me just because I don’t want you to commit a wicked deed?”

Chapter 008 – The Terrified First Lion King

*****

Bars are known for their constant noise, especially at night during operating hours, but right now, the entire bar is eerily silent with everyone within staring blankly as though they were seeing the most disbelieving thing in history, particularly the ones who knew the reputation of the two Lion Kings.

This silence lasted for a long time before eventually, the Lion King, whose leg was being held by Xavier returned to his senses and became deeply embarrassed which promptly changed to an incredible rage.

“Bastard! Let go of my leg!” He snapped ferociously, trying to force away his leg from Xavier’s lazy grasp. Yet, for some reason, he wasn’t able to move it an inch—It was as though the leg was being held by the large hand of a deity and not the seemingly weak Xavier.

“Are you deaf? I say let go of my leg!” He barked and Xavier instantly smiled slightly before nodding his head.

“Sure,” he responded before continuing just as the Lion King was about to heave a sigh of relief. “I will just repay you with what you wanted to do to me.”

“This!” Everyone gasped and saw something flash in their eyes before they could think, after which, a shrill scream that sounded as though someone was being butchered echoed.

Subsequently, Xavier let go of his hand and the Lion King was sent ricocheting away halfway across the bar.

“Ah!!!!!!” He wailed like someone whose skin was being torn away from his body, making everyone feel their hair standing at the end while wondering about what had just happened.

They all turn into statues in an instant which lasts for a moment before the first Lion King forces himself to return to his senses.

“Third—third brother! What’s with your cry?” He asked with fear before rushing toward his brother.

“Aren’t you embarrassing yourself too much? Yelling this loudly and painfully merely because a tiny ant that could easily be squashed to death with my fingers hurled you away?” He complained with dissatisfaction before bending over to help his brother up.

The following second, however, he paused slightly before his eyes widened significantly, after which a strong shill ran down his spine.

“What-“ his mouth hung open as he subconsciously moved his hand toward his brother’s crotch area.

“What’s—what’s blood doing here?” he inquired incredulously and then pressed down with his hand.

“Rahhhhhhh!!!!” The second Lion King’s roar intensified as if he were experiencing the most excruciating pain imaginable, and soon after, he fainted.

The bar became pin-drop silent after this until; “He wanted to castrate me, but I castrated him instead. That’s fair, no?” A calm and lazy voice inquired, making everyone shiver frantically with goosebumps crawling hysterically all over their skin, then they glanced at the speaker.

“He—he crippled the lion king?” Someone swallowed hard and mumbled doubtfully.

Just then, the first Lion King returned to his senses and he screamed. “How dare you castrate my brother?!”

“I’m going to kill you!!!” His voice filled to the brim with killing intent scaring everyone in the bar out of their wits.

“The Lion King is finally mad,” someone mumbled and ran toward the bar’s exit without hesitation, looking terrified to the core.

“Probably all the eyewitnesses here tonight are done for!” Another person mumbled fearfully as he also ran for his li…

Everyone, knowing how unreasonable the Lion Kings normally are quickly ran for their lives, and before long, only Xavier, the fainted Lion King, the first Lion King who had turned into a raging bull, the dumbstruck bartender, and a horrified Grace were left behind.

“Die!!!!” The First Lion King roared with rage and closed in on Xavier, throwing his tightly clenched fist at his face with all the strength he could muster.

Watching this scene, the hearts of the bartender and Grace trembled, knowing that there was no way Xavier would be able to dodge or survive the attack.

Although they weren’t the ones receiving it, they felt the strong force originating from it and trying to destroy them, making the two ladies shut their eyes just as the attack was an inch away from hitting Xavier’s face, unable to handle the scene that would follow.

They brace themselves, expecting a shrill scream, but then a deafening silence was what they heard, lasting for a long time until the ladies could no longer handle their confusion.

‘What happened?’ they thought and squinted open their eyes, wanting to sneak a peak at what had happened.

What came into their view the next second made their eyes widen in stupefaction.

“Am—am I dreaming?” The bartender mumbled to herself dumbly before quickly pinching her arm.

Having worked in the bar for a few years, she had long learned about the strength of the two Lion Kings, able to face the attacks of five able-bodied men without breaking a sweat, yet…

“You—you—you…” the Lion King, who had attacked Xavier with madness and hatred earlier finally returned to his senses and stuttered as he eventually experienced what his brother had gone through a moment ago and to say he was terrified right now was nothing but an understatement.

He had never thought the seemingly weak Xavier who looked like someone he could pinch to death with his fingers would be able to stop his punch with just a single hand.

He thought he was dreaming as he stared at Xavier casually holding his arm that was tightly bulging with his thick veins from exerting all his strength.

“You—you—who… who are you?” He finally completed and Xavier, staring composedly at him sighed.

“I didn’t want any trouble; I just wanted to prevent you from committing an immoral deed while enjoying my peace. Why did you and your brother have to push my hand?” he asked helplessly, leaving the Lion King and the bartender stunned.

‘You didn’t want trouble and yet you interfered in our business, even castrating my brother! What nonsense was that?!’ He yelled in his mind, almost sobbing, but dared not to speak out.

“Plea—please forgive me, master. I—I was just too blind to see the elephant in the room! Please forgive me!”

The bartender, “_”

‘Is this still the First of the two shameless and evil self-acclaimed Lion kings?’ She thought blankly before hurriedly glancing back at Xavier.

Her heart began to pound frantically in her chest and she became filled with curiosity for him, meanwhile, Xavier, not realizing what he had caused to the bartender suddenly gazed seriously at the Lion King.

Given how you and that fool behaved today and the things I learned, you two love getting ladies drunk so that you can have your ways with them, no?”

“I—I… “ The Lion King became further terrified.

If those who had run for their lives out of fear were to witness this scene, they would have been stunned to death, but since no one was there, they couldn’t have in their entire lives imagined what had transpired after they escaped.

“I—tonight was our first time and I have never had the intention of forcing myself on anybody,” the lion king sobbed, regretting why he and his brother hadn't ignored or begged Xavier to mind his business earlier.

“Please forgive me!” He pleaded desperately, wishing nothing but to escape right now.

Xavier watched the horrified Lion King without reacting for a moment, while the two ladies stared at him, waiting to see what he would do. Eventually, he sighed deeply.

“As I mentioned earlier, I only wanted to have some drink in peace.”

Chapter 009 – The Next Morning

*****

Inside a quiet, peaceful, and rough bedroom that has the appearance of a war aftermath, a sudden vibration sounded and the next second, two bloodshot eyes snapped open.

Very lazy to the peak and still sleepy, Grace, not seeing her present appearance twitched, wanting to pick up the phone ringing.

Just then, she felt a warm body against her skin, scaring her badly. She jumped back and stared with full alert, preparing to engage in case someone had intruded on her bedroom.

The following second, however, she saw probably the most handsome body she’d seen in her life.

Although the body was lean, it was well-built with no excess muscles or fat. Just as she liked it.

Though her heart skipped a bit at the sight of this body, Grace was able to ignore it, instead, her gaze slowly turned cold in an instant and she was about to yell when; everything that happened the previous night came crashing into her brain.

Her face paled the next second and she appeared to have done the most unforgivable thing of all time.

“How could I?” She mumbled dumbly before eventually sighing deeply.

The next moment, it was as though she wasn’t the one filled with deep regret just a moment ago—Her entire being turned emotionlessly cold in an instant.

She then glanced emotionlessly at the handsome man sleeping beside her for a moment before slowly picking up her cell phone and holding it to her ear.

“Where have you been, boss? Your grandfather, cousins, and uncles had long been waiting for you in the conference room.”

“This…” The emotionless look on Grace’s face changed significantly and she panicked for a moment, having forgotten the important meeting she had that morning.

“What time is it?” she thought to herself before quickly checking and upon realizing that it was already after nine in the morning, she felt like smacking herself on the face, wondering how she could have forgotten such an important meeting.

She took a deep breath before returning the phone to her ear.

“I will get be there shortly, keep them busy for me,” she said before hanging up the cell phone, not waiting to hear what the secretary was going to say.

Without hesitation, Grace crawled out of the bed and then gave Xavier an icy cold glare.

She felt like strangling the peacefully sleeping Xavier to death but then forced herself to breathe in again after which she bent over, wanting to pick up her scattered clothes.

Just as she made this single movement, however, it felt as though a blade had sliced through her legs, causing her to wince in pain and break out in a sweat.

Instantly understanding the cause behind this pain, she sent an even more hateful glare toward the still-sound-asleep Xavier, the urge to strangle him to death returning with a stronger force.

Grace gritted her teeth hysterically against each other. ‘I should get out of here before I commit a murder!’ she thought before managing to finally pick up her dresses and quickly wearing them.

Once done, she picked up her bag and walked out of the room without hesitation.

****

The bedroom returned to its tranquil state after she was gone and this lasted for thirty more minutes until Xavier, who had been sleeping soundly twitched.

The next moment, his eyes snapped open, and he let out a lazy yawn, following which he tilted his head to the side, producing a loud crack, and then sluggishly sat up.

Just then, he saw the sun streaming through the window, and he was greatly taken aback, the look of laziness in his eyes vanishing.

“Did I just sleep till the sun fully rose?” He muttered with disbelief while feeling as though he was dreaming, as he couldn't remember the last time he had slept for more than four hours.

Xavier took a moment to process this before eventually shaking his head and trying to recall where he was.

The next moment, however, his face went blank again, and this time a wry smile spread across his lips.

“To think that, not only had the love of my life, whom I was imprisoned for, moved on upon my release, but she was also sleeping with the person who imprisoned me in my house, with all my possessions gone,” he murmured, his voice heavy with pain.

He then chuckled self-deprecatingly after a moment as he remembered everything that had happened the day before, clenching his fists.

Xavier had hoped that getting drunk would help him forget the pain, which was why he allowed himself to get intoxicated the night before. However, the pain remained just as fresh as ever.

He heaved a deep sigh after a moment and got out of the bed while mumbling; “I should go and see my parents.”

At that moment, something caught the corner of his eye, and he quickly turned to look. In the next second, his eyes widened in shock.

“Blood?” He mumbled with confusion. “What’s blood doing in—in… wait!”

Xavier' went into a daze, staring blankly as everything that had happened after he got drunk the night before came crashing back into him.

“This!” His eyes widened as he couldn't believe the memories in his head.

“Did I just share a one-night stand with someone I newly met?” He muttered in a stupor, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Eventually, Xavier let out a wry chuckle before shaking his head. "Considering how she left, it's clear she doesn't want any relationship with me, just as I want."

As he uttered this, Xavier yawned lazily once more before gathering the bedding and putting on his clothes that were as well sprawled on the floor.

After doing all this, Xavier gave the bedroom a last glance before stepping out.

***

The room was on the second floor of the bar, and when Xavier reached the ground floor, he found it quiet and peaceful, a stark contrast to the chaos he had encountered the night before.

He glanced around, and seeing no soul present, dropped a wad of cash on the cashier’s table before leaving without looking back and just a little over five minutes later, the bartender from the previous night entered the bar, pushing a trolley of wines.

“Is he still sleeping?" she wondered and quietly made her way to the second floor to check the room where Xavier had been staying.

Realizing he was no longer there, she felt unexpectedly heartbroken and lost in her thoughts for a few minutes until the sound of footsteps jolted her back to reality, then giving the room one last look, she heaved a deep sigh before exiting and scurrying back to the bar.

“We’re not open yet!” she announced loudly upon arriving, but the next second, she was greatly taken aback to see the fierce and menacing figures standing there, each holding dangerous objects and glaring fiercely at her.

”Where is the bastard who castrated my brother light night?" the leader of the menacing group, one of the most notorious dons in Riverton City, asked coldly.

”This…” the bartender went momentarily daze, having never expected something like this.

She continued staring blankly until she hurriedly shook her head to snap out of her reverie.

“He has left,” she responded, stunning the people before her.

“Left?” Jazzy inquired blankly for a moment before glancing at his men with a fierce glint in his eyes.

“Did you guys hear that?” He inquired and immediately, a gang member hurriedly approached him.

Boss, I suggest you let us tear this place apart. I refuse to believe this bitch won’t provide the bastard who dared to harm your brother!"

Chapter 010 – The Mysterious Bar

*****

The gangsters glared at the speaker before hurriedly looking at their boss with a fawning expression.

“Boss, I suggest we take this b!tch to the base and turn her to your toy. I refuse to believe she won’t speak up in just a day”

“No boss, just give me the go-ahead to deal with her. She will divulge the bastard’s location in less than ten minutes!”

Without hiding their rivalry over their boss’s favoritism, the gangsters shouted out cruel ideas one after another, but surprisingly, the bartender, who heard all their wicked suggestions did not show even the slightest hint of fear; instead only frowned in annoyance.

"Do you even know what your brother did to earn his punishment?" she abruptly asked, cutting off the excited gangsters and glancing at Jazzy, who immediately shot her dagger-filled eyes.

"My brother went after a b!tch and some worthless nobody thought they could step in, making him choose to punish them—and so what?!" he sneered, his voice dripping with icy contempt and his eyes burning with rage.

"How dare some nobody interfere in my Brother's business and attack them?!" he asked with a voice dripping with fury before yelling. "They're only mine to punish, even if they were to steal other people's women and wipe out entire families!!!"

The bartender instantly became stunned upon hearing this, then staring blankly at Jazzy for a moment, she asked; "Do you know that your brother intended to castrate this so-called nobody in the first place?"

“And so what?!” Jazzy yelled aggressively, showing that he already knew the truth.

He would have already torn the bar down since the previous night, but he and the first Lion King had been occupied with frantically moving the second Lion King and searching for medical treatment. Although they eventually found a skilled doctor who saved his life, the doctor had to remove everything related to his manhood, leaving the Lion King powerless from then on.

"What am I even saying?!" Jazzy, recalling his now-useless third brother and the emotional turmoil of the previous night suddenly roared, shooting flame-filled eyes at his men, "Tear this bar down and take this b!tch after me! She must give me that bastard’s location!"

"Yah!!!" The gangsters, bubbling with excitement instantly yelped and then charged forward with threatening expressions, ready to destroy the bar. Just then, a casual voice interrupted: "You should know that even your boss wouldn’t dare mess with our bar, right?"

The voice came from the bartender, who had remained unfazed from the start, and no sooner had she finished speaking than Jazzy’s expression shifted dramatically as he instinctively recalled his boss’s stern warning before he left, informing him never to cause even the slightest trace of trouble for the bar, or he wouldn’t be able to help.

***

Not knowing the turmoil going through their boss’s head, the gangsters, hearing the unhidden mockery and playfulness in the bartender’s voice became several times infuriated.

"I'm going to knock all your teeth out today!" a guy with dreadlocks, closest to the bartender, suddenly shouted, and the next moment threw a punch.

The punch was so powerful that a single glance at it revealed its ability to knock even a rottweiler down. Yet, the bartender remained calm, watching with a smile that left all the gangsters bewildered.

Just as the punch was about to hit her, making a playful and disdainful smirk appear on the face of the guy with dreadlocks, a sharp pain suddenly struck him. He let out an involuntary yelp, and in the next moment collapsed, lying completely still.

Everyone in the bar was dumbstruck by this scene and in the next second, their jaw dropped, staring blankly.

“What—what just happened?” someone gasped in shock before quickly rushing to check on the guy, but then he realized that… he was already dead.

"This!" Everyone was struck with sheer terror, but above all, they were utterly confused.

“You—you!” Jazzy, the most terrified of all after witnessing the tip of the iceberg suddenly pointed at the bartender, but then he sighed.

“Are—are you guys really going to protect that—that bastard who destroyed the future and purpose of my brother?” He questioned, now covered in beads of sweat.

“And when did my bar say we are going to protect anybody?”

“Huh?” Jazzy was momentarily stunned, but the next second, something seemed to click. His eyes flashed with a wicked gleam and he let out a sigh of relief before lowering his head.

“I apologize for causing trouble to your bar,” he said earnestly before waving his hand. “Let’s go,” he announced.

“This…” the other gangsters became astounded to their core, staring with a dropped jaw.

“Bo...boss, our—our brother just lost his life here. Are we going to leave just like that?”

“Stay if you want!” Jazzy snapped in response before storming away, not waiting for anyone.

The remaining gangsters exchanged blank gazes at this sight before seemingly realizing something. They spared am unwilling gazes at their fallen comrade before sighing and rushing after their boss.

“Wait!” The bartender suddenly called out as they were on the verge of exiting, scaring Jazzy out of his soul.

“Who are you leaving that to?” She inquired, casually pointing her chin at the carcass on the floor.

Jazzy instantlylet out a sigh of relief before commanding two of his men to move the body, after which they disappeared out of the door.

The bartender remained silent for a second before suddenly, a scheming look appeared on her face.

"Being unjustly imprisoned, sent to that scary prison, and surviving it, I’m sure you must have a lot of secrets. Let’s see if I’m wrong, though I rarely am," she mumbled mysteriously to herself, and with that, she walked toward her counter as if the recent incident had never occurred.

Just then, she noticed the wad of cash on it and went stunned before the smile on her face returned.

“I thought you had run off with my money,” she chuckled and then picked up the money, yawning in the process.

…..

“First brother! Are we—are we really not going to avenge the third brother again?” The first lion king suddenly questioned with unwillingness, seeing his first brother returning empty-handed.

His eyes were currently crimson red and his face was heavily etched with hatred for Harvey.

“Not going to revenge who?” Jazzy, with a menacing face, inquired and a vicious look flashed in his eyes.

“Never!” He responded hatefully. “Even if we would need to chase the bastard who hurt the third brother to the end of the world, we will!”

"But… but that was the only place we could have gotten his image from the CCTV. How are we going to find the bastard now that you don't want us involved with the bar again?"

“Hehehe.” Jazzy laughed, not appearing mad at all. “You said you’d recognize the bastard even in your dream, no?”

“That’s right, first brother. I will recognize him even in the dark!” the first lion king responded hatefully.

“That’s settled then,” Jazzy chuckled wickedly, but seeing the confusion on the first Lion King’s face, he explained.

"My boss has a highly skilled artist. I'm sure that with your description, we can get a drawing of the bastard, which we'll share with all the brothers.”

“I refuse to believe we won't catch him soon if he's still in the city!"