Kate raised her head. "I wanted to express my gratitude through more appropriate methods, but everything I could think of to help you wasn't within my abilities. I'm no match for you; everything I could do, so could you. It's not like I could hang around you every day, observing you to see what you needed. At the same time, I don't think that's appropriate behavior between friends." She stopped here, unable to continue making things up anymore. Her mind was a mess, and she didn't even know what she was saying. She lowered her eyes to her feet and exhaled. "Well, that's all I wanted to say. I'm sure you understand exactly what I mean—whatever happened between us, whether good or bad, ends here. Things will spiral out of control if we continue like this." With that, she spun around and hurried out of the room.Darius stared in the direction she'd left as if his eyes had been glued to the door. This lasted until Edward stepped forward to stand between him and the door, making him return

Darius didn't want to miss even the slightest change in Teivel's expression. He watched as Teivel rolled his eyes at him, then pursed his lips, feeling aggrieved. "I saw that, and I know it's not a good thing. I don't think I did anything to deserve that, though."Teivel sighed, looking helpless. "If you were mature enough, you wouldn't be asking me this. I didn't want to say these things to you, but since you insist, I don't mind telling you everything. After you passed out, I handled the three black-robed people and scanned their memories to find out what had happened. Of course, I should also mention that I used Pearl Chamberlain's body to do all this, so she knows about all this. Obviously, she couldn't see me, so she thought some unknown force in the universe protected you. Still, she received a shock and had a fever for a few days, but she's already collected herself and accepted everything she witnessed. She also seems quite happy about this turn of events."Teivel exhaled and

A few seconds later, Teivel spoke with the utmost confidence. "You did it on purpose. You've already guessed where things were going, and you believe I'll undoubtedly fail based on everything I've said so far. That's why you're saying this."Darius' brows raised as his eyes widened in shock. Then, he shook his head at once. "No, what you're saying now is merely a guess. However, I can tell you the truth; I haven't tried to reason or make assumptions about the relationship between you two." Upon saying that, his eyes lit up with curiosity. "Sir, I know you're emotional now, but I can only think of one reason for your reaction—you believe you're going to fail."　　The corners of Teivel's lips twitched as he shook his head. "No. I didn't seek out your grandfather because I firmly believed he did those things for your safety; he wanted to protect you. No matter what, I refuse to be the villain; I can't bring myself to harm an elderly man who loves his grandchild that much."While cocking

The security guard crawled to Darius' bedside and reached up to grip the ends of Darius' sleeve. Tears welled in his eyes before he spoke. "I'm sorry for doing this to you, but I didn't have a choice—they threatened me! I have an adorable son whom they took from me. They said they'd hurt him if I didn't do what they wanted. As a father, I can never let that happen to my son, so I chose to save his life over yours. I know this is a grave sin. That's why I never asked you or God for forgiveness when I did it. Every second I injected that drug into your medication, I prayed someone would catch me, so I wouldn't have to bear the weight of regret."He sat on the ground, slumping weakly as he continued, "I don't know if someone superior like you would understand the pain of us average folk. We put our blood, sweat, and tears into earning a decent living, but the best we'll ever get is only enough to feed us. Sometimes, our salaries aren't able to support our children's education. Despite m

"Because you used your wealth to harm others! Yet, an ordinary person like me is left to bear the consequences of your actions! I wouldn't have hated you if I was the one getting kidnapped—but they took my son! He's still a boy and has just learned to speak! I don't understand what my boy did to deserve this. Is it merely because I know you—no, you and I are merely strangers whose lives don't intersect. Yet, it's because of you that my son has to suffer!" the security guard cried with all his might, trying to vent his sorrows.Darius pursed his lips at that truth. He couldn't deny that the security guard's life had gotten negatively impacted because of him. Thus, he stood again and bowed deeply under the security guard's nervous stares. "I'm not the kidnapper of your son, but you're right; my presence has caused him harm."While saying that, he heaved a heavy sigh and took out a card from his wallet, extending it toward the security guard. He maintained a neutral tone while explaining

The security guard trembled so much that his voice sounded shaky. "Aren't you trying to kill me because my presence has caused your employer's shameful state to spread online? This situation has likely damaged his reputation, which could lead to a reduced income for the Reid family and a sharp drop in their share prices. God knows what other negative impacts there'll be."Bridget's lips twitched as she raised a brow at Darius, who reacted the same way at her. They were both taken aback by the security guard's unfounded panic."Continue what you were doing, Bridget." Darius spoke up, then turned to look at the security guard. "Based on the loud thump when you knelt, I can confidently say you've hurt your knees. I suggest you leave this room at once if you're that frightened."Surprisingly, the security guard didn't move a muscle. That elicited a sigh from Darius, who crossed his arms and said, "I agree with those negative implications you mentioned. However, I need to remind you this—

"And that's the last thing I want to happen," said Borisin.Bridget didn't understand what was going on, so she glanced over at Darius, who waved her off. "Everything's fine," Darius stated, "You can leave now. Take your knife with you, and don't worry about the camera. Leave it here."A smile spread across Borisin's face as he nodded.Despite that, Bridget held her ground, hesitating for a few seconds. She was worried about Darius' safety but trusted her senses as an enlightened martial artist enough to know none of the police officers harbored ill will. Thus, she cautiously placed the camera on the table. Before she left the ward, she curled her lips, pointed at the camera, and sneered, "Just a reminder, but the camera is still live. No one has dealt with the broadcast yet, which is strange since I informed Miss Erin about it. Based on Miss Erin's manner of dealing with things, the live broadcast should've gotten shut off long ago."Borisin casually placed one hand above his head

Darius' smile vanished as he pointed ahead at the camera.Borisin nodded but said nothing. He merely turned to look at the other officers, who immediately understood and glanced at the camera. The police unit then brought it out of the room to destroy it for good. What happened next was unknown to Darius. All he did was sigh deeply at Borisin, stating, "It's been a long time since we met, yet you look extremely tired."Smiling and shaking his head, Borisin said, "Things like a lack of rest are unimportant to me. I'm more worried about you; you passed out for half a month because of some unknown toxin. During your absence, the Reid family's dynamics have changed again. Everyone now views you differently, too. I believe you should host another family meeting to confront them.""Yes, I heard plenty about the Reid family's state these days." Darius raised both brows. "Also, I've already encountered most of the Reid family members. I know they bear plenty of malice toward me and have alre

Alas, Darius couldn't do so because it was risky. Not to mention, he needed Teivel's help should he face any more dangers in the future. Chest sinking with helplessness, Darius moved his hands around, making several smooth, flowing motions with his figures like the book's sketches. Although he didn't understand what they meant, he could tell the actions ignited a bridge between him and the impossible. It was an excellent form of cultivation that allowed him to improve himself. Much to his delight and shock, he could actually feel his powers growing as he followed Teivel's instructions. Likewise, his body felt stronger while his life force multiplied and reached higher temperatures than ever. Despite how warm the energies got in his body, he didn't feel uncomfortable. That continued until the last bit of hot life force disappeared from his body. At that point, Darius opened his eyes and felt his physical, mental, and martial abilities had reached a new peak. He hopped off the bed wit

"—I know you two are strong people! My son's still young, and I swear he's innocent in the matter! I'm the one at fault! I did it of my own volition, so I'll face whatever legal punishments come my way!" Borisin sneered while pulling the former with more force. His lips curved slightly, but he wasn't smiling. Instead, his smile dripped with utter hostility as he corrected, "What you've said is ridiculous; saving your son is in the police's job description, so we'll naturally do all we can to rescue him. Also, us saving him doesn't depend on whether you get punished by the law or your willingness to accept said punishment."He didn't bother speaking anymore after that. The security guard would try to break free occasionally. However, after several attempts, the other officer barked, "Enough! You've crossed the line. If not for our captain's tolerance toward you, I would've stuffed your mouth long ago to keep you quiet! Our captain doesn't care about you now, so if you continue to whi