Tristan immediately shielded me, facing off against the intruders.This sudden turn of events made me nervous. I stared in astonishment at the menacing group before me, led by the same man I'd seen confronting Cane earlier in the day.His fair complexion contrasted sharply with the intense malice in his eyes. Peering past Tristan, he locked eyes with me while grinning wickedly.Tristan stood firmly in front of me, ready for combat.The old man unexpectedly rose in fury when he saw Millard. He positioned himself in front of Tristan, glaring angrily at the intruders and shouting at them, clearly agitated.The leader, faced with this sudden defiance, glared back. His smile was sinister, sending shivers down my spine.He cursed under his breath.I whispered to Tristan, "They're Navi’s men."Tristan remained calm, standing steady in front of me. "Don't worry, Mrs. Chloe. Navi seems to have many tricks up his sleeve. This guy's just a vicious mutt."His words made me realize Tristan
Facing this murderous demon, I didn't feel as brave as I was pretending to be, but I maintained a facade of righteousness."Don’t you understand?" He taunted. "Let me enlighten you. This village is quite something. When I set it ablaze, everyone was sleeping soundly. One torch, one barrel of oil, and they were all gone. Fascinating, isn't it?" He boasted.He asked me, "Do you know why I did that? Because they defied me."His words left me dumbfounded. No wonder the village seemed so small. There was a harrowing tale behind it.I glanced at the old man who had smiled kindly at me moments ago, chatting away in a language I couldn't comprehend. Now, he lay cold and lifeless.The stench of blood filled the room.I thought I even detected a hint of a burning smell.The whole village had been burned alive, he said.He was a maniac."The old fool was quite resilient, wasn’t he? He was still kicking after all these years, and he dared to curse at me." He sneered, kicking the old man's
He suddenly became agitated, pacing back and forth, glaring at me. He laughed hysterically, then glared at me viciously, like a madman losing control.Tristan shielded me cautiously, ready to attack at any moment."I can’t believe Anson gave this to a little nobody instead of me. Anson, you've underestimated me!" He shouted. "Why did he choose you?"To be honest, his behavior shocked me. I speculated about his identity and realized he must have betrayed the Huffman family. He must have a grudge against them from the way he talked about Anson."Damn it! I joined the Huffman family when I was ten and did everything for him like a dog. He said one thing but did another. He said he treated me like a son, but that was a lie!" He yelled."Since you're from the Huffman family, shouldn't you have remained loyal? You joined the Huffman family at ten, right? How did you end up becoming Navi's lackey?" I asked disdainfully, though I softened my tone.I knew I couldn't confront him head-on s
"I mean, it’s a pity for you," I said calmly, my voice laced with regret.He looked at me, his anger seemingly abating. He seemed confused by my words."You were supposed to be a capable member of the Huffman family, but you've strayed from that path.”He suddenly looked at me as though he had found someone who finally understood him. With a hint of helplessness in his gaze, he complained, “He’s never valued me.”"What's your name?" I deliberately stalled for time, wanting to play mind games with him. I was hoping to get some information about where my father was."Millard Huffman," he said angrily. "All I remember is my surname, Millard.”"That’s a pity," I repeated.He looked at me, growing more impatient. "Stop beating around the bush and get to the point.""Anson gave you your name, right, Millard?” I wanted to confirm this with him."Yes, he did." He stood on a stool, studying me."He meant for you to remember your original surname, even if you had become part of the Huf
He looked at me, clearly unsettled."Do you know why I said that?" I asked Millard.He seemed taken aback by my sudden question but quickly asked, "Why?""Because before I came here, Anson told me that if I encountered any trouble, I should find someone specific," I said, pausing intentionally and looking at him.He immediately became eager, putting his leg down from the stool and asking, "Who?""Someone called Millard Huffman," I said firmly.I didn't know how I dared say that, but I did. My logic seemed clear, and I came up with it on the spot.I was taking a risk, but there was no turning back now. Hence, I continued, “He asked me to find where this person is. Oh, right. He wanted me to check if this guy is still working for Navi too.”“You're lying!” Millard roared.He was right. From my understanding of Anson, he wouldn’t give Millard a second chance, even if he knew Millard was working with Navi. Millard betrayed him, after all.Plus, he had so many men working for him.
I was impressed with myself. I managed to improvise so convincingly.In the future, when I no longer wanted to hustle in the business world, I would definitely write books. I was sure storytelling was my ticket to success.Even I almost got swept away by my own story.Millard looked at me, his gaze somewhat blank. He shook his head slowly and said, "No..."His confusion only fueled my satisfaction. I was confident that I had led his thoughts astray, and even his entourage seemed caught up in the moment."That's it. He said he shouldn't have rushed you into this, that he was too impatient with you. He's frustrated because he thought you could do better, but you let him down." I looked at Millard with open arms, expressing deep regret and pity.Millard wore an embarrassed expression. He was showing signs of nervousness and regret. Seeing his expression, I quickly added more pressure."Forgive me for being blunt, but have you ever reflected on this? If Anson hadn't saved you back t
"If he trusts you, would he keep you in the dark about who Rory is and where he's hidden?" I risked it all."But Stella knows. In his eyes, you can’t even be compared to a woman. Yet you're sacrificing everything for him. What exactly has Navi given you in return for such loyalty? Is it worth risking your life for him?" I struck his sore spot because I was certain it was what he cared about most.Sure enough, he turned to me abruptly, pointing a finger at me. "How dare you try to sow discord between us?"His expression changed quickly, making me nervous.But as I met his gaze head-on, I suddenly calmed down. I feigned anger and retorted, "You're just a puppet, unable to make your own decisions. Yet Anson still thinks about you after all these years.“If you had been as loyal to him back then as you are to Navi now, you would have risen to prominence in the Huffman family. At the very least, you would have been the top commander, with everyone else beneath you."But what about now
Millard looked at me calmly as I sat back down.I spoke again, asking, "Millard, do you understand the phrase 'turn over a new leaf'?""Don't believe her!" that guy shouted. "Take her away, Millard, and you'll earn a big reward. Do you know she's the boss's best leverage? I've known for a long time. She's Atlas’s weakness! Millard, listen to me!"I looked at Millard, feeling uneasy. This guy seemed cunning and insightful. It was now or never. If this scoundrel won, I was done for.Tristan chuckled sarcastically, saying, "Mrs. Chloe, there's no need to convince him anymore. When you go back, don't mention this. Just pretend you didn't see anything. It's useless to reason with such people. “They're content being lackeys and don’t care about being the head of anything. They're not interested."The scoundrel smirked. "You want to go back? Dream on."Hearing his words, I glanced at Millard. "It looks like I was right about you being a coward, letting this scumbag manipulate you."I