Brook abruptly stood up from the lawn and burst into frustration. Sylvia had completely disrupted his plans, and he couldn't decline without facing dire consequences.

"Argh!" he shouted in exasperation. "Why is my life so miserable?"

The service staff of the Williams family regarded him with bewilderment.

After taking a deep breath, he promptly dialed Misty. "M-Misty... Um... I have prior commitments later, so I'm afraid our plans for today need to be... canceled."

"You scoundrel!" Misty snarled. "Are you trying to make fun of me? Don't you dare show your face again!"

Hearing Misty's outburst, he quickly moved the phone away from his ear. By the time he wanted to explain, she had already hung up.

Brook sighed bitterly. "Sylvia, my dear sister, I'm sacrificing my own happiness for you."

With that, he retrieved his phone and instructed his associates to scour the city for Eric.

-

Eric's phone was powered off. He pounded the sandbag with powerful punches, releasing his frustratio