<b>Chapter </b><b>752 </b>
Elsie’s gaze flickered with a hint of surprise.
“Unannounced guests aren’t typically weed at the Velvet Haven.”
“But Harvey just called. He insists we roll out the red carpet for Mr. Fairhaven.”
The underling spoke in hushed tones, “And that’s not all. Harvey also instructed you to keep a sharp eye on Mr. Fairhaven tonight. Any slip–ups, and we need to capture it on video as evidence.”
Having been Avery’s right hand for years, Elsie grasped his intent in a heartbeat, her reply icy, “Understood.”
Once the underling departed, she turned herplex gaze back to the screen. Now, a convoy of luxury cars followed Jareth’s limo, storming into the underground parking like a cavalry charge.
But those cars just parked silently in the shadows, making no further moves. However, it gave Elsie a premonition of a storm brewing on the horizon.
Meanwhile, Gary, flushed and buoyant from drink, staggered into the parking lot with the aid of his bodyguards. His legs were jelly; his words slurred. Yet his mouth ran like a broken faucet, cursing the Fairhaven lineage from Jareth to Barry, oblivious to his own ties with the Fairhaven family.
As Gary and his entourage reached the center of the parking lot, a blinding set of headlights suddenly shone on him, forcing him to shield his eyes instinctively. Then came a thunderous roar of an engine that echoed across the vast, empty space.
“Mr. Fairhaven! Look out!”
J
<b>Gary</b>, his head swimming in booze, only realized the danger when a sleek, ck Bentley charged towards him <b>at </b>full speed, with no sign of slowing down, as if it intended to mow him down right there!
In <b>the </b>nick of time, not a single soul stepped in front of Gary <b>– </b>they all scattered like rats from a sinking ship!
<b>“</b><b>Ah</b><b>! </b><b>Stop</b><b>! </b>Don’te any closer, Ahhh!!”
A scream tore through the chilly air! The Bentley screeched to a halt just half a meter from Gary, bumping <b>against </b>his beer belly to the extent where even though the impact didn’t send him far away, it made him <b>tumble </b><b>a </b>few <b>meters </b>before <b>he </b>crashed to <b>the </b>ground.
“Ugh!<b>” </b><b>Pain </b><b>surged </b>through him<b>, </b>and he vomited <b>up </b>the gourmet feast from earlier<b>, </b>covering himself <b>in </b>its <b>foulness</b>.
In <b>agony</b><b>, </b><b>he </b><b>manage </b><b>to </b>scramble <b>to </b><b>his </b>feet<b>, </b><b>retreating </b>and retching<b>, </b><b>“</b><b>What </b><b>are </b>you waiting <b>for</b><b>?! </b><b>Get </b>them!”
Before the <b>echo faded</b><b>, </b><b>a </b>dozen thugs in ck, <b>armed </b>with <b>machetes</b>, emerged from the shadows<b>, </b><b>encircling </b><b>them</b>. While <b>stepping </b><b>into </b><b>the </b><b>light </b>first, and <b>into </b><b>Gary’s </b><b>bloodshot </b>view, was a <b>face </b>of <b>stunning </b><b>beauty </b>yet <b>deadly </b><b>intent </b>– Lily<b>! </b>
Realization <b>dawned </b><b>on </b><b>Gary</b><b>, </b><b>and </b>he frantically <b>reached </b>for his phone<b>, </b><b>shouting </b>in panic<b>, </b>“What <b>are </b><b>you </b><b>still </b>waiting for?! <b>Get </b>them <b>now</b><b>!</b><b>” </b>
His henchmen, seeing <b>no </b>escape<b>, </b>braced <b>themselves and </b><b>charged</b>. <b>Under </b><b>the </b><b>cloak </b><b>of </b><b>night</b>, screams <b>and </b><b>the </b>sound <b>of </b><b>snapping </b>bones <b>filled the </b>air. <b>The </b>vast <b>parking lot </b><b>turned </b><b>into </b><b>a </b><b>grim </b>battlefield.
<b>Silence </b>fell. Amidst <b>a </b>pool <b>of blood</b>, <b>Gary </b><by </b>battered and <b>bloodied</b><b>, </b>his <b>expensive </b><b>suit </b><b>shredded </b><b>to </b>ribbons. <b>He </b><b>knelt </b>like <b>a </b><b>dog</b><b>, </b>with <b>Lily’s </b><b>elegant </b>leg pressing <b>down </b>on <b>his </b><b>back</b><b>, </b><b>pinning </b><b>him </b><b>to </b><b>the ground </b>as <b>he </b>pleaded <b>In </b>pain<b>. </b>
Dean <b>respectfully </b><b>opened </b><b>the </b><b>car </b><b>door</b>, <b>Jareth </b><b>stepped </b><b>out</b><b>, </b>his tall, <b>imposing frame </b><b>effortlessly </b><bmanding </b><b>the </b><b>blood </b><b>stained </b><b>ground</b><b>. </b><b>He </b>walked <b>over </b><b>to </b>Gary <b>and </b><b>stood </b><b>still</b>; <b>his </b><b>presence </b><b>alone </b>sent <b>shivers </b><b>down one’s </b>spine
Chapter <b>752 </b>
“Uncle Gary,” he sneered, his voice cold and dark.
Gary trembled uncontrobly, chilled to the bone. He used to resent this young man for not respecting his elder. Now, hearing him call “Uncle“, Gary felt nothing but dread.
“Jareth, we’re family. I watched you grow up, boy!”
Gary’s arrogance had vanished, reced by desperate pleading, “Let’s talk this out; everything’s negotiable<b>, </b>right?”
“Fine. Let’s talk.” Jareth’s eyes were void of light, his tone casual, “Dean<b>, </b>bring it out.”
“Yes<b>, </b>Mr. Jareth Fairhaven.”
Dean pulled out a share transfer agreement from his briefcase and crouched down, offering it to Gary, “Mr. Gary Fairhaven<b>, </b>please sign and thumbprint here.”
Gary watched the document with bloodshot eyes, realizing he couldn’t y the shrinking turtle any longer. He pounded the ground, yelling, “Jareth, this is extortion! You’re robbing me in broad daylight!”
“I am<b>, </b><b>so </b>what?<b>” </b>Jareth smirked without humor, his eyes dreadfully chilling, “Compared to what you did to my wife, this is nothing. But I’ll make an effort. The old give way to the new, right?”
Gary’s face twisted in rage, his mouth twitching uncontrobly. How could he sign this document? Signing it meant being cast out of the Fairhaven Group forever, with no chance for aeback. It was a fate worse than
death!
<b>“</b>Jareth, you’re not a mob prince anymore; you’re the CEO of the Fairhaven Group! This is abuse of power, your
CEO seat is on the line.”
He couldn’t finish his sentence before a sh of steel caught his eye! In a swift motion<b>, </b>Jareth snatched <b>the </b>machete from Lily and chopped off Gary’s right arm!
“Ah!!” Gary’s scream was agonizing.
Lily and Dean<b>, </b>along with all of Jareth’s men, watched unfazed. This was the Jareth they knew<b>, </b>a <b>man </b><b>of </b>few words but decisive action.
His rtionship with Ms. Abernathy <b>had </b>softened the devilish Mr. Jareth Fairhaven, making him more humane. <b>But </b><b>Gary</b>, in his folly<b>, </b>had <b>turned </b>Mr. Jareth Fairhaven back into a demon.
<b>Jareth </b>pressed Gary’s severed arm <b>into </b><b>the </b>blood on the ground to leave a thumbprint on the <b>document</b><b>, </b><b>and </b>then tossed <b>the </b><b>limb </b><b>aside </b>with disgust.
<b>The </b><b>thumbprint </b><b>is </b>done. As for <b>your </b>signature<b>, </b><b>I </b><b>can </b>forge <b>that</b>. Thanks for your <b>generosity</b><b>, </b><b>Uncle </b><b>Gary</b>. <b>From </b>now <b>on</b><b>, </b><b>I’m </b><b>the </b><b>second</b><b>–</b>
<b>shareholder </b><b>of </b><b>the </b>Fairhaven <b>Group</b><b>, </b><b>right </b><b>after </b><b>Barry </b><b>Fairhaven</b><b>. </b><b>Leave </b><b>one </b><b>hand </b>for yourself, <b>so </b>you <b>can wipe </b>your own ass,<b>” </b><b>the </b><b>man said </b><b>with </b><b>a </b><b>nonchnt </b>air <b>of </b>superiority<b>, </b><b>sliding </b><b>back </b><b>into </b>his <b>car</b>. Like <b>shadows</b>, Lily <b>and her </b>crew <b>vanished </b><b>without </b><b>a </b><b>trace</b><b>. </b>
Left <b>writhing </b><b>in </b>pain <b>and </b><b>clinging to </b><b>life</b><b>, </b><b>Gary </b><by </b><b>there</b><b>, </b><b>clutching </b><b>his </b><b>severed </b><b>arm</b><b>, </b><b>“</b><b>Jareth</b><b>, </b><b>you’ll </b><b>pay </b><b>for </b><b>this</b><b>! </b><b>The </b>suffering <b>I’ve </b>endured <b>today</b><b>, </b>I’ll reim <b>it </b><b>from </b>you <b>a </b><b>hundredfold</b><b>, </b><b>a </b><b>thousandfold</b><b>!</b><b>” </b>
After <b>Gary </b>was whisked <b>away</b><b>, </b><b>the </b>Velvet <b>Haven’s </b>parking lot was a <b>scene </b>of <b>chaos</b><b>. </b>Soon <b>enough</b>, <b>two janitors </b>arrived with mops and buckets<b>, </b><b>wiping the </b>crime <b>scene </b>spotless <b>with </b>swift <b>strokes</b><b>, </b>erasing <b>any </b>sign <b>that </b>something <b>had </b>ever <b>happened</b><b>. </b>
<b>In </b>the room, <b>Elsie </b><b>watched </b><b>the </b>doctored surveince footage <b>on </b>her <bputer</b><b>, </b><b>her </b>fingers <b>trembling </b>with <b>tension</b><b>. </b>In <b>this </b>version<b>, </b>Jareth <b>didn’t </b><b>exist</b>.
Suddenly, a rhythmic <b>knocking </b><b>on </b><b>the </b><b>door </b><b>broke </b>the silence. <b>Elsie </b><b>quickly </b><b>shut </b><b>her </b><bptop and </b><b>went </b><b>to </b><b>answer </b>
it
<b>Ms. </b><b>Archer</b><b>, </b><b>as </b><b>per </b><b>your </b><b>instructions</b>, we’ve cleaned <b>up </b><b>the </b>scene, said the <b>strikingly </b><b>handsome </b><b>guard</b><b>, </b><b>his </b>demeanor <b>one </b>of utmost respect
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Elsie looked around anxiously and quickly pulled the guard into the room, locking the door behind them.
<b>“</b>Thank you. I know there’s a lot at stake with this task, but don’t worry. If anything goes south, I’ll take <b>the </b>fall. You’ll walk away unscathed.”
<b>The </b>guard frowned, “Ms. Archer, you shouldn’t even say that. Had it not been for you speaking on my behalf two years ago, Mr. Chambers would’ve had my head! I owe you my life. It’s only right that I do this for you!”
Touched, Elsie managed only a wry smile, “Then I should thank you too. True loyalty is a raremodity <b>in </b>the Velvet Haven.”
The guard blushed, his worries surfacing again, “But <b>Ms. </b>Archer, why risk so much for Jareth? Is he worth it?”
“Is it worth it? I don’t know. I just follow my heart,” Elsie’s eyes were clouded withplexity.
The guard ventured cautiously, “You have a thing for Mr. Fairhaven?”
“Where did your mind wander off to?” Elsie let out augh, her cheeks tinged with red, pretending to look casually at the neatly hung ck trench coat on the rack, “Maybe it’s because I’ve lived in the shadows for too lòng. The less light I see, the more I long for it.”