Richard had always tried to be considerate about his son’s humiliating past. Still, every now and then, he could not help but accidentally bring it up. After all, eating literal crap was not something easily forgotten.

Meanwhile, over at the Haywoods…

Roy set down his teacup and asked, “Xavier, what’s the latest on eliminating that bastard?”

Xavier’s sharp-jawed face was full of murderous intent. “The killers we sent were either stopped outside The Sovereign Residences or killed inside, their bodies dumped in the sewage canals.”

Roy scowled. “500 million was too tempting. Every lowlife out there thought they could take advantage of the Haywoods. Seth’s body is still lying in the ice casket, waiting for a proper burial. You need to speed this up.”

Xavier’s tone turned ice cold as he nodded. “Don’t worry, Father. The moment Andrew laid a finger on our family, his death was sealed. Those who’ve died so far were just trash. This time, I’ve prepared something special for Andrew – a full-course meal that’ll make him choke on it.”

Roy looked at his son, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. “Xavier, did you leverage your ties to the military?”

Xavier gave a slow shake of his head and smiled. “Father, we don’t just casually use military connections. For a punk like Andrew, calling in the army would be like using a missile to swat a fly.”

Roy raised a brow. “Oh? If not the military, then who did you bring in?”

Xavier snorted. “My reach and influence aren’t something those amateurs hired by the Goldings can compare to. This time, I’ve got the Blood Wolf Mercenaries from the Srovika Federation. Sure, a few of their grunts got taken out, but their deputy commander, Andarov Markovic, hasn’t even made a move yet. He and I go way back–saved each other’s lives before. Now that a few of his men have been killed, Andrew has become his personal revenge project.”

Roy sneered. “Just the fact that you got a foreign mercenary group involved says everything about your capabilities. Soon enough, Andrew’s head will be laid at Seth’s funeral, where he’ll beg for forgiveness before he dies!”

Xavier kept his face expressionless. “I already said it—if I don’t kill Andrew within three days, I’ll take my own life in front of Seth’s casket, and I always keep my word.”

Meanwhile, over at Gabo Creek Province, Derek had his hands full but still made time to summon Chantelle into his office.

“Talk to me–what’s the latest with Andrew? I’ve heard there are Srovika mercs popping up all over Blumedale lately! These bloodthirsty savages… if they follow the rules, fine, I’ll treat them like tourists. But if they’re here to cause trouble? Sorry, they’ll leave in body bags.”

His expression darkened as he slammed a hand on his desk.

The entire Gabo Creek Province was under his jurisdiction, and Blumedale was the crown jewel of it all. Of course, he knew foreign mercenaries were sneaking in. And frankly, he had never had much patience for their kind.

Chantelle gritted her teeth. “Originally, Andrew was living inside The Sovereign Residences and had the backing of its secret leadership, so things were relatively under control. But that lunatic suddenly decided to have their security detail removed—he asked for it himself! Now, every assassin tempted by the sky-high bounties from both elite families is going to flood into the estate like sharks smelling blood!”

Derek looked completely stunned. “What did you say? Andrew requested that The Sovereign Residences withdraw their protection?”