Meanwhile, a guest has arrived at White Hall. It was Shane Tomen, the heir to a rich family in


    Southstream.


    He was in his twenties, having recently returned afterpleting a master''s degree abroad.


    He was ssmates with Kim during their middle school years and had been infatuated with her since


    Kim was already pretty maiden since then.


    He confessed his feelings to Kim when they graduated and was devastated when she rejected him,


    saying that she was underage.


    It was why he chose to further his studies abroad, and years had passed when he learned that Kim


    was engaged to the heir of the Yaffe family of Riverton.


    He was once again miserable, as the Yaffes were backed by Flying Sword Sect.


    His family consisted of generations of business folk, but they stood no chance against the Yaffes, who


    had the edge in physical violence. Hence, Shane had to give up under his father''s stern dissuasion.


    But he soon heard news of the entire Yaffe family being wiped out.


    "Could someone up there be watching over me?" he mused just then.


    He quickly settled all business he had abroad—including a pregnant girlfriend—and hurried back to


    Southstream.


    He visited White Hall the very next day and was now in Kim''s guest room.


    Taking a sip of a yellowed tea, he leveled a look of worry at Kim. "I heard the Yaffes were wiped out, so


    I was worried. It really keeps people on edge, the way those sect members go all out to ughter each


    other."


    Kim, however, waspletely distracted, only serving some in tea leaves and not the ones she


    handpicked.


    "Yeah. It''s not surprising given the terrible things they were usually up to," she murmured.


    Shane was delighted to see that she was not sentimental about the Yaffes, even believing that this was


    his hour.


    Adjusting his sses, he smiled. "Does that mean you''re free now?"


    "Free?" Kim rested her chin on her hand as she snorted darkly. "How am I free? I still have to suffer my


    father''s arrangements."


    "Mr. White?" Shane frowned as he reached for her hand, but Kim withdrew hers as if jolted.


    Her reaction left him displeased, but he smiled anyway. "In that case, I will appeal to your father for


    your sake, so that he''ll free you."


    "Really?" Kim''s eyes lit up with hope, but it was gone soon enough. "Forget it. My father is stubborn


    and self-obsessed—he''d never listen."


    "Don''t worry, he''lle around with me here," Shane assured her, patting his own chest. "You can run


    away with me if he still refuses. I was going to start the greatest empire ofmerce that Southstream


    Têxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    has ever seen. That''s why I''ve returned—I''m sure that with my brains and my connections, your father


    will be satisfied."


    Kim frowned as Shane''s meaning could not be clearer, but before she could speak, the doors were


    opened violently.


    Eron strode in, glowering at Shane in disdain. "Dream on, boy. My daughter already has a better fiance,


    and you''re insignificant inparison. Do you understand?"