Category: The Protecter Novel Free Online (Levi Garrison novel)

\”What is this? God of War?\” Caitlyn squinted her eyes to read the name written on the document, \”What’s written here? Garrison something?\”

Caitlyn was trying to figure out the full name on the pass when she was startled by a voice from behind, \”What are you looking at, Dr. Black?\”

Caitlyn had to put the pass behind her before she could get a good look at the name.

\”Oh, nothing.\” Caitlyn grinned.

The voice belonged to Jelena Keaton, who was eyeing Caitlyn suspiciously.

\”I see, fine.\” Jelena shrugged and left.

Unbeknown to Caitlyn, Jelena had been standing behind her while she was checking the Officer Pass. She had even quietly taped down the process with her cellphone.

Jelena sheepishly sneaked to a discreet corner of the hospital and took out her phone.

\”Officer, I want to report a theft by Caitlyn Black of The Third District Hospital Cardiac Surgery department.\” she whispered over the phone, \”I saw with my own eyes that she had stolen an Officer Pass along with a bank card. There was a bunch of chips too, I bet there must be some confidential information inside. I have even taped it down as proof, Officer.\”

\”Whose Officer Pass is that? Did you see the name and rank?\” The officer asked from the other end of the call.

\”Oh, it belongs to the God of War, Officer! I am absolutely sure of that. I have the photo and the video to prove it.\”

\”Okay.\”

Shortly after, the sharp shrills of police car sirens filled the air. A succession of police cars stormed into the compounds of the Third District Hospital.

A herd of police officers donned in bullet-proof vests charged into the main building.

Soon, Caitlyn was arrested and tucked into the police car. She was utterly confused and frustrated.

The police took away the rest of the stuff, including the photos and videos taken by Jelena Keaton, which would be used as evidence against Caitlyn.

They brought her directly to the City District Police Station, where the defenseless Caitlyn sobbed and wept woefully.

The nature of the incident alarmed the Captain of Patrol Squad, Xavier Fields, since it involved the theft of an Officer Pass.

He inspected the Officer Pass carefully with his naked eye.

\”This couldn’t be fake. It’s a genuine Officer Pass!\” he sucked in a deep breath and said, \”This is unbelievable! It belongs to God of War!\”

The others suggested, \”We need to be absolutely sure about this, Captain. Why don’t we get someone from the military to examine it?\”

\”Yeah, I’ve just informed my buddy, Steven Shaw to come and check it out. He’s from the First Metallic Regiment of North Hampton, he should be here anytime now.\”

\”Captain, we’ve checked through the bunch of chips and those cards. But we were not granted the level of authority to access them.\”

\”Let’s wait awhile then.\” Xavier Fields ordered, \”I want you guys to interrogate that woman we’ve just caught!\”

Inside the interrogation room.

Caitlyn could hardly stop herself from shaking, even though she had almost run out of tears.

\”Come clean with us! Where did you get those documents and cards?\”

\”T-They belonged to my son-in-law!\” Caitlyn said nervously.

\”Stop spouting rubbish!!! Do you know the importance of this Officer Pass?\”

\”I-I have no idea…\” Caitlyn stared at them blankly.

\”This is an Officer Pass that belongs to the God of War!\” The officer yelled at the top of his voice.

Boom!

Caitlyn felt like something had exploded inside her head and clogged her brains.

\”Do you know there are military secrets inside the wallet? You are now being accused of divulging top state secrets! If you refuse to come clean with us, you’ll be liable to face some real serious charges!\”

\”Tell me! Where did you steal the wallet and the Officer Pass?\” the interrogation officer snarled abruptly at Caitlyn.

Caitlyn was sick with fear. She could feel nothing now but blind terror.

\”I-I-I…this stuff belongs to my son-in-law…I’m not lying, I stole nothing…\” Caitlyn sobbed.

Meanwhile, Steven Shaw had arrived at the office of the Patrol Squad.

\”Where’s the Officer Pass?\” Steven hurried over to ask for the pass.

\”Here it is!\”

Steven Shaw wasted no time in giving his utmost attention to inspect the pass.

After looking at it thoroughly for almost a minute, he put down the documents and sighed, \”Yeah, it’s authentic all right!\”

\”This Officer Pass belongs to the God of War! Where did you find it?\” he asked.

\”It came from a woman.\” said Xavier Fields, \”It seemed like she has stolen it from somewhere.\”

Steven Shaw seemed to recall something as his expression changed. \”Can you find out the name of that woman,\” he inquired, \” I need to know.\”

\”However,\” Zoey added, \”I’m afraid you have misunderstood the amount of funding that I’m seeking. The amount you’ve mentioned is way beyond what I’m asking for. All I need for the project is only a hundred million.\”

\”Just name any amount, Ms. Lopez.\” Lorenzo Woods said with an air of indulgence, \”Unless you’re asking for tens of billions, I’m ready to pump billions into your project.\”

The words of Lorenzo Woods sent Harry’s blood pressure up a few notches when he heard he was ‘ready to pump billions into your project’. His legs wobbled, and he saw stars spinning around his head.

Zoey’s mind was in a whirlwind as she quivered in her reply, \”Everybody, I am humbled by your overwhelming interest in my project. But a hundred and fifty million would be more than enough for my project.\”

\”How about this?\” Feliciano Hayes swept his eyes across the room and suggested. \”Since there are fifteen of us here, why don’t we each come up with ten million?\”

\”That would be the perfect solution! It would give each of us an opportunity to help Ms. Lopez.\” Feliciano Hayes said, \”Make sure we are not treating this as an investment or loan. It should be a giveaway to Ms. Lopez!\”

Gulp!

Aaron and Caitlyn were swallowing so hard that everyone could hear them gulped.

A hundred and fifty million giveaway to our daughter?

What makes our daughter turned into a money spinning machine all of a sudden?

Everybody is begging for her to take their money.

\”No, it can’t be a giveaway.\” Zoey insisted, \”We should treat it as an investment.\”

\”It’s alright, Ms. Lopez. Ten million is nothing to us!\”

\”Yeah, it’s just some petty cash to me.\”

Each billionaire insisted they should treat the ten million as a giveaway to Zoey.

\”Hey, didn’t you hear what she’d just said?\” Levi snapped, \”She said it should be an investment.\”

Levi’s sudden bawl made the billionaires shuddered with horror.

\”Yes! Sure! Indeed! It should be an investment!\”

Everyone nodded emphatically.

\”So, ladies and gentlemen, would you mind coming to my company, Imperial Meadows Limited, to ink the contract?\” Zoey asked.

\”Of course, we are more than willing to come anytime to sign it!\”

They continued their frenzied nodding of heads.

\”I’m sorry, grandpa.\” Before stepping out of the mansion, Zoey walked up to Harry and said apologetically, \”I can’t accept your terms now, but I can assure you that the Lopez family will definitely have a share of the project.\”

\”You!\”

Harry was breathless with anger as he pointed a trembling finger at Zoey. He let out a cry and finally passed out.

Levi and company soon left the mansion amidst a wave of awe mutterings and under the envious looks in everyone’s eyes.

It had been an emphatic victory for Zoey and her family.

It restored Aaron’s self-esteem to think he had finally regained his position in the Lopez family.

The signing went smoothly, and the funds all came in as promised.

Zoey was able to launch the project within the stipulated deadline.

Everything was smooth and went accordingly as planned.

It was already nighttime when they finally made it home.

Zoey and her family were staring at Levi with interrogating eyes.

\”What’s happening here, Levi?\” Zoey asked, \”I’m sure you have something to do with it.\”

\”Yes, it was all orchestrated by me.\” Levi admitted.

\”But how did you do it?\” Aaron was still feeling the effects from the shock, \”It’s simply inconceivable!\”

\”It’s simple, actually.\” Levi quipped, \”All I did was show them the details of the project and let them know that this project is too good to be missed.\”

\”That’s impossible.\” Zoey said warily, \”Isn’t that what I’d just done when we first presented our project to them? What makes them snub my proposal when I’m sure I had given them a more detailed explanation than yours?\”

\”That’s because I’ve mentioned some names like Orlando Jennings, Azure Dragon and God of War.\” Levi explained, \”They agreed to it once they knew the whole story.\”

\”This…\” Zoey went silent. She knew it was something she could never do, given her obstinate nature.

\”Haha, even though we are hardly connected to God of War, these shrewd businessmen changed their stance once they find out that the God of Way has something to do with this project, they’d even start buttering up to Zoey immediately.\” Aaron gave a broad grin.

\”That’s right.\” Caitlyn agreed, \”Since it was Orlando who decided on the project, with Azure Dragon keeping a close tab on its progress. These billionaires must have been under the impression that Zoey had garnered the support of all these people as well.\”

It was a succession of top end luxury cars which included Maybach, Rolls Royce, and many more.

Each of these cars could easily cost over tens of millions!

The Lopez family looked on with a dazed expression. What the hell is going on here?

What are all these cars doing here?

Everyone went pop-eyed when they saw the faces of the people who alighted from the cars. They were a group of impeccably dressed, middle-aged men and women who carried an overpowering air of status and power.

Each of them carried a business savvy look synonymous to the directors of some top corporations.

\”Huh? Isn’t that the President of Far East Investments, Mr. Feliciano Hayes? What brings him here?\”

\”Look, that’s the General Manager of Orc Investments Limited, Mr. Roberto Norris!\”

\”Isn’t that guy the boss of Starlight Property Development Limited, Mr. Lorenzo Woods?\”

\”Oh, my god! Even Pedro Zinno, the President of Hercules Property Development Company, is here too!\”

…

Fabian, Henry, and the rest of them murmured among themselves into a frenzy.

The names they had murmured were the super-rich and powerful leaders who ruled the corporate world of North Hampton. Each of their net worth were in billions.

Lopez Group looked so insignificant in the eyes of these super rich. Any one of them could easily take out the Lopez Group without even battling an eyelid.

The scale and grandeur of so many big shots coming together was a sight to behold for Harry and his men.

It almost took their breath away.

Harry led Fabian and the rest to hurry themselves forward and greeted the billionaires with fawning attention; \”Greetings, Mr. Zinno, welcome….\”

However, nobody responded to their greetings. All the billionaires walked past them as if they were non-existent and headed straight to where Levi and Zoey were standing.

\”How could it be?\” Harry said in disbelief, \”Could it be they are here to provide funding for Zoey’s project?\”

Harry’s eyes widened in stupefaction, his jaws stiffened with astonishment.

Zoey froze when she saw the billionaires walking towards her. She wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her. These were the same group of people she had approached before to solicit for their interests in her project, and they had all rejected her proposal.

What’s going on? What are they doing here?

\”Hello, Ms. Lopez. I’m Feliciano Hayes from Far East Investments!\”

\”Good afternoon, Ms. Lopez. I’m Pedro Zinno and I represent Hercules Property Development.\”

\”Nice to meet you, Ms. Lopez. I’m Lorenzo Woods from Starlight Property Development.\”

…

All the billionaires introduced themselves in a humble manner towards Zoey.

Everybody gasped in awe.

Harry and the others from the Lopez family were utterly lost for words.

It was beyond their wildest imagination to think that these billionaires would show up to fund for Zoey’s project.

Zoey was still trembling inside even though she tried to recompose herself, \”H-Hello everyone…how are you…\”

\”Don’t be nervous, Ms. Lopez! We’re here to discuss our cooperation on the project!\”

Feliciano Hayes flashed a cheesy smile, \”Far East Investments would be interested to invest one billion into your project, Ms. Lopez!\”

Lorenzo Woods counter-offered immediately, \”Ms. Lopez, Starlight Property Development would be willing to provide up to two billion to fund your project!\”

\”No, Orc Investments is willing to invest up to three billion!\”

\”We are more than happy to provide up to three billion in funding and even take over the construction of your project. Please let Hercules Property Development be your partner instead!\”

\”Spark Corporation would invest up to five hundred million in your project! We would not ask for a share of your profits, Miss Lopez. All we want is to offer our sincere help!\”

…

It was like some bidding war that had gone out of control. Every billionaire was competing to provide funding for Zoey’s project.

The highest bidder had offered to invest up to seven hundred million.

Everyone was reluctant to give up on the project, which could not had taken more than a billion in total.

But the bidding war had skyrocketed the total available funding by ten times its original amount.

The unexpected twist of events caused Harry’s blood pressure to shoot up exponentially, causing him to pass out on the spot.

Samuel, Shaun and the rest were almost on the verge of puking blood.

What the hell is going on here?

Why is everyone behaving like maniacs?

It was an earth-shattering feeling for Zoey as well.

She could still recall the smug and dismissive look in their eyes when they snubbed her initial proposal.

Yet the same group of people were now lining up to impress her, begging her to let them invest in her project.

Aaron and Caitlyn were too emotional to say a single word. They could only respond with their quivering bodies.

\”Calm down, Zoey.\” Levi put his arm around her to offer his support, \”Why don’t you say a few words to show your appreciation for their interest in your project.\”

\”Right, I’m so glad that all of you are keen to invest in my project.\” Zoey composed herself and said, \”All of you are welcome to invest in my project!\”

\”Really? That’s good to hear it from Ms. Lopez herself.\”

All the billionaires let out a hefty sigh and wiped away the sweat on their brows after they heard this.

\”I’m a bit offended, Zoey.\” Harry smiled ruefully, \”How could you forget about your own family?\”

\”Grandpa, I…\”

\”You should have come to me instead. The Lopez Group could work out something for you. You know it’s well within our means to take on that Ecological Park project of yours.\”

\”I could even provide the startup capital for your project!\” said Harry seriously.

\”I bet there’s going to be some conditions attached to it?\” Levi drove straight to the point. \”Or you wouldn’t be so kind as to provide the funding.\”

He had seen through the ulterior motive for Harry to fund the project.

\”Good, I like to deal with smart people.\” Harry grinned, \”It’d save me a lot of my time.\”

His words prompted Samuel Robertson, who was sitting next to Harry, to pass over the contract to Zoey.

\”Take a look at this, Zoey.\”

Zoey immediately studied the contract when they passed it to her.

The content was straightforward.

The contract stated that Lopez Group would get up to ninety percent of the profits for the Ecological Park project for providing the funds to Imperial Meadows Limited.

It sent Aaron into a fit of rage after he read the contract.

The Lopez family are simply too cruel to ask for such a huge chunk of the profits.

Aaron was utterly pissed off. He felt that Harry had never regarded him as his own son, but just another prey he was targeting.

\”Don’t be mad, Aaron and Zoey. Think about it, in three days’ time, the project would be automatically annulled if you can’t come up with the funding.\” Harry’s grin was sly and pernicious, as if he was trying to lure the bait to the hook, \”You would end up without a cent once the project was annulled. But if you accept our funding, you’d still get a ten percent cut out of the profits. That would translate to quite a considerable sum of a hundred million. It’s up to you to decide…\”

\”Unless you’re confident to pull in the funds that you need before the stated deadline.\”

Given the tight deadline of just three days, Harry was pretty sure it was nigh impossible for Zoey to secure the funds she needed for the project. This would only leave her with no other options but to agree to his terms.

It would make the Lopez family the biggest winner with a whopping ninety percent of the profits. Even Mr. Jennings could do nothing about it.

\”That’s true, Aaron.\” Henry chipped in, \”We should work together since we’re family. Let’s share the profits instead of having the cake all to yourself.\”

\”There’s no hurry to sign this. I’ll leave you guys alone to discuss it among yourselves.\”

Harry and his company left Levi, Zoey and her parents to talk things out.

\”Why don’t we just agree to their terms, Zoey?\” Aaron and Caitlyn persuaded, \”At least there’s still something left on the plate for us. You should know better that your chances of getting the funds are almost as good as zero!\”

Their words almost swayed Zoey to put her name down on the contract. But she held back and sought Levi’s opinion.

\”Don’t sign it!\” Levi was adamant.

\”Trust me, Zoey! I’m sure that I can secure the funding you need before the deadline expires!\”

A fuming Aaron intervened before Zoey could fumble out a reply, \”Don’t give me that crap again! Do we hold you responsible if we lose that hundred million? I firmly believe we should sign it.\”

Zoey was in a dilemma as she eyed Levi skeptically. She did not have complete faith in Levi’s words.

\”Alright, how about this?\” Levi shrugged, \”Since we have three days left to go, why don’t we hang on till the last day to see if we could pull in some investments?\” he suggested, \”It’s still not too late to sign the contract by then.\”

\”Sounds like a plan!\”

\”I could work with that!\”

Everybody gave their nods of approval.

The same goes for Harry and his men. They agreed to the suggestion readily.

They were certain that Zoey would never secure the investments that she badly needed in just three days\’ time.

…

For the next three days, Zoey worked tirelessly from day to night to meet with potential investors for the project.

Yet, there was nothing to show for all her efforts.

Those who were interested demanded a ridiculous amount of return for their investments.

It would make more sense to work with Harry, since his offer was more or less the same than the rest.

Three days passed by without a trace. The deadline was set on tomorrow before ten o’clock to kick start the project, once over the given time, the project would be automatically annulled.

\”Come on, we’ve got to sign the contract with Harry now.\” Aaron stood up and said.

\”What’s the hurry? Why don’t we just wait a little longer?\” Levi tried to dissuade them from signing, \”We have all the time till next morning eight o’clock to sign it.\”

\”Let’s wait until tomorrow morning, Zoey. Don’t sign the contract today.\” Levi instructed.

\”I need to step out for a while.\” Levi left the house after he urged Zoey to stay patient for one more night.

Levi left the house to meet up with Azure Dragon, whom he had instructed to wait for him outside the house.

\”What can I do for you, Sir?\” Azure Dragon asked.

\”I want you to contact these companies.\” Levi handed him a list of company names.

The following morning.

Zoey was woken up by Aaron in the wee hours of the morning.

\”Where the hell is Levi? I presume he was out last night to source for funding, but what’s taking him so long to come back?\” Aaron said disapprovingly, \”He just can’t do anything right. He’s a born loser, a good-for-nothing!\”

It angered Zoey to think that Levi did not even bother to inform her when he knew he would be out the whole night.

\”We’d better sign the contract before it’s too late. Let’s meet up with Harry now!\”

Harry and his men were already standing by at the family mansion when Zoey and her family arrived.

An euphoric smile hung on their faces as they greeted Zoey and her family.

It was all too gratifying for Harry and company to see the three of them come begging with their tail between their legs.

\”You should have known better than to make a fool out of yourself, Aaron.\” Henry and Fabian jeered at him, \”Can’t you see that there’s no way you guys could ever get the investments?\”

Aaron lowered his head and said feebly, \”We’re here to sign the contract, dad.\”

Anger welled up in his chest when he thought of Levi.

Had it not been Levi who advised them to hold back for three more days, they would have signed it on the same day when it was offered to them, It would have seemed more like a respectable deal at that time.

It had become anything but respectable in the eyes of Harry and his company now that Aaron had to beg them for the contract. Knowing the contract was now the last resort for Zoey, it would only make Aaron looked desperate and defeated in the eyes of the Lopez family.

Aaron and his family had never felt such humiliation before. This is all thanks to Levi.

\”Yes, we are ready to sign it now, grandpa.\” Zoey informed Harry.

\”Sure, we can sign the contract. But there will be a change of terms.\” Harry’s expression changed and he curled his lips into a grim smile, \”We are no longer asking for ninety but ninety-five percent of the profits now. The remaining five percent would be yours.\”

\”What? Didn’t we agreed on a ninety percent cut for you and ten percent for us?\”

A sudden terrible pang of shock hit Zoey as she stared at Harry incredulously. Harry had just dropped a bombshell on her.

\”Don’t you know the terms changes accordingly?\” Harry said scornfully, \”That’s our offer. Take it or leave it.\”

Knowing the ball was now in his court, Harry knew it was he who called the shots. The change of terms seemed justifiable to him since it was Zoey who desperately needed the contract.

Zoey winced at the cold-bloodiness of these people!

She bitterly resented her grandpa for his callous and selfishness.

\”Fine then, I’ll pass! I’ll give up the project altogether!\” she said in a fit of rage, \”Nobody would get a dime out of it!\”

\”How could you say that, Zoey? Five percent would still give us fifty million, at least there’s something for us!\”

\”Your mum is right, Zoey. We can’t afford to lose it, just sign it!\”

The relentless pestering from Aaron and Caitlyn left Zoey with no choice but to sign the contract.

\”Stop! Don’t sign the contract!\”

Just as Zoey was about to ink the contract, Levi showed up and halted her.

\”There’s still time before the deadline,\” he wrung away the pen from Zoey’s hands, \”why do we have to sign it now?\” he questioned.

\”What do you think you’re doing, Levi?\” Aaron almost wanted to slap Levi across the face \”Why are you stopping us from getting the fifty million? Is it because you’re jealous you’ve got nothing for yourself?\”

\”Ten minutes! just give me ten minutes! Once the time is up you can do as you please.\” Levi glanced at his watch and said, \”You can sign it in ten minutes’ time!\”

\”Alright! I’ll give you another ten minutes to prove yourself!\” Aaron muttered through gritted teeth, \”Make sure you produce something in ten minutes’ time, or I’ll never forgive you for the rest of my life, much less allow Zoey to stay with you!\”

\”Okay!\”

The unyielding attitude of Levi intrigued Harry. He was curious to see what would happen in ten minutes’ time.

\”Alright, let’s wait for another ten minutes.\”

Henry and the rest giggled with excitement. They could not wait to get their popcorn ready to watch some hilarious comedy in ten minutes’ time.

Ten minutes passed in a flash. Everything was at status quo.

\”Just sign it!\” Henry threw the contract in front of Zoey. He was certain there would be no white knight coming to her rescue.

Vroom! Vroom! Vroom!

At the same moment, a thunderous roar of engine noises filled the whole of the Lopez family mansion.

It attracted the curiosity of everyone to step out of the building.

What greeted their eyes was a succession of luxury cars making their way into the Lopez family mansion. They all came to a halt when they reached their building.

\”Don’t think we are ignorant of what you’d done to the Garrison family,\” Aaron scoffed, \”they have warned us to prepare ourselves for a bloodbath.\”

\”Why do you have to piss off the Garrison family? Are you looking to get yourself killed?\”

Caitlyn and Aaron were raving mad.

\”If it’s not for Zoey, I’d have kicked you out of our house a long time ago.\” Aaron spat with such fury that his veins stood out in his neck, \”You could have been sleeping at the streets by now!\”

Zoey did not want to aggravate the hostility of his parents towards Levi, but she felt Levi had acted too rashly as well.

We were lucky to have Azure Dragon bail us out this time. But what about next time? Will we get lucky again?

\”Who are you to step on the toes of the Garrison family?\” Caitlyn glared at Levi with total contempt, \”You don’t even have a place to stay on your own!\”

\”Mum, Levi actually has the villa…\”

Zoey was trying to explain to her mum that Levi had just got his villa back, but Caitlyn cut her off abruptly, \”Don’t give me that crap about his villa. He’s simply a ticking time bomb, you shouldn’t hang around with him all the time. I’d rather you use your time to source for investors instead!\”

\”You should know well that the Garrison family is untouchable, not even the Lopez family could hold a candle to them. We’ll be doomed should the Garrisons decide to come at us. I’m warning you, Levi, I’ll get Zoey to seek a divorce with you if you ever dare to infuriate the Garrison family again!\”

The next day.

Zoey and Levi planned to source for investors for their upcoming project. They were about to leave the house when Caitlyn reminded Zoey, \”It’s going to be the National holidays soon and your cousin is coming over to spend the holidays with us. Can you go and pick her up as your dad and I are too busy with our chores?\”

\”Sure, mum.\”

Levi knew both Aaron and Caitlyn had got their hands full at the moment. Caitlyn worked in the hospital while Aaron had just started a small business.

It was another frustrating day for Zoey. Every investor she met had snubbed her proposal.

However, Levi watched quietly without interfering. All he did was take down the names of those companies who had snubbed Zoey’s proposal.

The string of ill-luck days for Zoey had left her with no choice but to hold back her project as long as she could, since she could not source the investments she needed to kick-start her project. She was just three days away from the commencement date, as stipulated in the contract.

It had definitely stressed Zoey to the extreme.

Aaron and Caitlyn were exasperated and wore a worried look on their faces.

\”Don’t be too worried, Mum, Dad.\” Levi gave a placid smile, \”I’m sure the investors would show up when the time comes.\”

He said it with an air of confidence, since he knew he had made all the necessary arrangements.

\”You should just keep your mouth shut!\” Aaron flared, \”Of course it’s easy for you to say that, since it’s none of your business!\”

Ding Dong…

The doorbell sounded. It surprised them to see Shaun at their doorstep.

\”It’s good that you’re all here, Uncle Aaron and Aunt Caitlyn. Grandpa would like all of you to come for a family meeting tonight.\”

Shaun left promptly after he had relayed the message.

Shortly after, Levi, Zoey and her parents came to the family complex of the Lopez family.

It was a vast complex that comprised several buildings. Its structure and scale were one of the most affluent and lavish in North Hampton.

Zoey instantly felt animosity in the Lopez family’s members looks when they greeted her. It was as if she had just snatched away the love of their lives.

It dawned on Zoey and her family that they were no longer seen as part of the Lopez family anymore, now, they are seen as enemy who had taken their cake away and have it all to themselves.

\”Come over here, Aaron and you guys. Take a seat.\” Harry and the rest of them greeted them with an unusual friendliness.

\”How’s your project going along, Zoey?\” Harry asked once everybody was seated.

\”There’s a major issue with the funding, grandpa!\” Zoey sighed, \”We’re just three days away from the commencement date but I’ve yet to rope in investors for the project.\”

\”Hahaha….Didn’t I told you that this is too large of a project for a small company like Imperial Meadows?\”

\”That’s right, it’s good to know your own limits. Don’t act like some big guns when you’re just nothing but a soft and limp fry!\”

…

Everyone started to mock Zoey when they heard about her funding problem.

Zoey and her family could only put up with their sarcasm in silence since she could find nothing to rebuke them. The lack of funding had now put her entire project into jeopardy.

\”I can’t figure it out too, since they told me Trey and Ashton had brought over a hundred men with them. So what caused Ashton to end up in such a bad shape?\” Bryan shared with them his findings, \”I’ve checked with Trey but he refused to say a word about it. All he did was warn us to stay away from Levi and don’t mess around with him.\”

\”What? How could this be true?\” cried Ben in disbelief, \”Doesn’t this show that Levi had scared the shit out of Trey? There must be something about Levi that made Trey said such a thing.\”

\”Judging by his words, it sounds like Trey is terrified of Levi.\” Joseph nodded, \”What’s going on here? Wasn’t Levi just released from prison? Where did he find the support to oust Ashton and Trey from the villa?\”

Bryan’s wife, Victoria, was quick to offer her opinion, \”I bet Levi must have become mates with some crooks when he was in prison and garnered their support, dad.\” she gave a sly smile, \”That could have given Levi the ammunition to stand up to Trey and his men.\” While Trey might hold some influence, he was pale in comparison with the real big crooks on the streets.

It was probably one of those crooks who had teamed up with Levi to take out Trey and his men. I mean, didn’t Levi issued us a warning during the banquet to celebrate our share listing last time?

He demanded us to repent and offer an apology in one month’s time, or we will have to defend with all we have if we refuse to apologize. It all pointed to the possibility that Levi must have garnered the support of some influential and powerful crooks to back him up.

\”Yes, I’m sure that must be the case!\” Joseph could not agree more with Victoria, \”Levi must have found some real big shots while he was in prison to back him up, so he’s now coming after us!\”

\”Looks like we’ve underestimated this little b*****d.\” Ben stroked his chin and said meditatively, \”He’s no pushover indeed.\”

\”I don’t give a heck what big crooks that’s backing him up,\” Jaycob snorted, \”I’ll get even with him for turning my son into such a horrible state!\”

Vengeance and hatred had blinded Jaycob.

\”There’s no way we would let him off, Uncle Jaycob.\” Bryan pointed out, \”But we need to get a good grasp of the situation before we strike. We must find out who is backing him and what tricks he has up his sleeve. Even though we are not afraid to confront him directly, we still need to do it the smart way.\”

Joseph nodded in agreement, \”Bryan’s right. We should play our cards wisely.\” Levi is too naive if he thinks he could triumph over us simply because he had ousted Trey. What a joke! Trey is nothing more than just one of our lackeys. Our family is almost untouchable in North Hampton.

Besides, we have powerful connections in all kinds of sectors including politics, business, military, and even the mafias and thugs. So what if Levi had some big crooks as his backup? There’s no way he could hurt our family, he won’t be able to harm even a single hair of the Garrison family!

\”You’re right. Levi is too gullible to think he could trample over us with the help of some big guns.\” Jaycob’s eyes gleamed with a bloodthirsty look, \”I’ll flip open all his cards so he’ll never be able to play any tricks on us again. That’s when we would make him pay with his blood!\”

\”But I have a bad feeling about this.\” Rick said with an ominous tone, \”Levi is someone who is cold and calculative. I’m pretty sure he must have it all worked out inside his head. We’d better not be too reckless about it.\”

\”I think you’re getting a little paranoid about it, Uncle Rick.\” Bryan smiled over it, \”There’s nothing for us to fear given our status and influence now. We are as solid as they come. Whatever tricks Levi try to play on us will never work.\”

\”I agree with Bryan.\” Joseph chimed in, \”There’s no need to be too worried by that, Rick.\”

\”I don’t know about this, but I think it’s better to be safe than to be sorry,\” Rick sighed, \”it’s just that I can’t shake the feeling that something’s wrong!\”

It was against Rick’s reticent nature to say such a thing, but he had an awful premonition that something bad was going to happen.

He knew there was more to Levi than meet the eye. Levi is simply no pushover in any aspect!

…

At night.

Aaron lashed out at Levi the moment they reached home. \”What do you think you’re doing? Are you looking to get Zoey into trouble?\” he snarled, \”Get out of my house if you don’t want to stay here!\”

\”What’s going on, Dad?\” Zoey and Levi were astounded, \”What did Levi do?\”

\”I’ve already told you at the family banquet before,\” Levi nodded, \”I am the God of War.\”

\”There you go again.\” Zoey dismissed his words and rolled her eyes, \”You and your blabber.\”

She did not believe his confession, and thought that he was just trying to brag around.

\”Alright,\” Levi said with a helpless shrug, \”I have nothing to do with them.\”

\”But then how did you get Azure Dragon to show up with just a phone call?\” she asked, puzzled, \”Not to mention he even brought an entire regiment with him?\”

\”It was all a coincidence, when I was here last night and found out that Azure Dragon was staying in the same vicinity, I was sure that the God of War must be nearby as well.\” Levi made up an explanation, \”I know Ashton is bringing his men to the villa today, so I tipped off the authorities in advance. I told them that somebody is trying to harm the God of War, that’s why they sent over an entire regiment to protect him.\” he could only put up a lie to appease her.

\”That makes perfect sense to me now.\” Zoey found his explanation plausible, \”I recalled Azure Dragon said the God of War lives around here, which explains why he’s on high alert when Ashton and his men came to the villa.\”

\”Do you want to take any of the stuff home with you? There’s no way I’m going to stay here!\” Levi said with an air of disgust.

\”No, let’s leave them here.\” Zoey shook her head, \”It would only cause mum and dad to get curious if they see us moving our stuff home.\”

At Rivervale Mansion, North Hampton.

It was one of the most luxurious mansions in North Hampton. The place was the family mansion of the Garrisons, who had just listed their company shares on the stock exchange.

It had yet struck nine o’clock in the morning and it was still early for the Garrisons to leave for work.

Most of them were still in the house when they carried Ashton into the mansion.

Soon, every member of the Garrison family knew something terrible had happened to Ashton, and they immediately sent him to the hospital.

Joseph, Jaycob, Ben and everybody else rushed to the hospital.

\”How’s Ashton doing?\” Joseph asked.

\”I’m sorry, Mr. Garrison.\” the doctor sighed after he had examined Ashton’s condition, \”I’m afraid Ashton is not showing any response, he’s now in a vegetative state.\”

\”What do you mean he’s in a vegetative state?\” Jaycob could not believe his ears, \”You mean my son has become a vegetable?\”

\”Ashton suffered from an extremely severe impact that turned him into a vegetable.\” the doctor explained.

\”Who was the one who sent Ashton back to the mansion?\” asked Joseph, who had slipped into a dark look.

\”They were two guys we’ve not seen before, dad.\” Ben lowered his voice, \”They left as soon as they sent Ashton back to our house. But they did leave a message…\”

\”What’s their message? Spit it out now!\”

The aura from Joseph was one of pure oppression.

\”They said that this is the first present sent by Levi.\” Ben promptly spilled out the words.

\”What? You mean this is a present from Levi?\”

\”So it was Levi who’s behind all this?\”

\”I’m going to skin you alive, Levi!\” Jaycob flew into such a rage that he almost flipped the table.

\”Tell me, where is Levi now? I’m going to bash his brains in and squash him like the disgusting roach that he is!\”

Jaycob was cursing and swearing like a madman, oozing violence and malice.

\”Hold on, Jaycob.\” Joseph mused over the message from Levi, \”Levi said that this is just his first present, so we should expect for his second and third present to come in no time. Looks like Levi has just turned the tables on us, he’s letting us know that he’s now the one calling the shots instead!\”

Joseph placed his hands behind his back and gave a brittle laugh.

\”I’ve asked Bryan to find out what actually happened, dad.\” Ben informed Joseph, \”I’m sure he’ll update us soon.\”

Soon after, they saw Bryan come running towards them, panting for air.

\”I’ve found out what happened, grandpa, dad, Jaycob.\” Bryan rasped, \”Ashton and Levi had gotten into a brawl because of Royal Villa, which left Ashton being beaten up by Levi.\”

\”How could this be possible?\” Joseph bemoaned, \”Didn’t Ashton used to hang around with Trey, that triad leader? How could Levi have beaten the both of them and turned Ashton into a vegetable?\”

Thump!

Thump!

…

Ashton, Trey, and Matthew, along with over a hundred of their men went down on their knees.

\”It was all a misunderstanding. Just a misunderstanding…\”

It was quite a spectacular scene to see over a hundred men going down on their knees, bending over their bodies and slamming their heads on the floor as they beg for forgiveness.

Zoey was so choked with fear that she almost fainted.

The turn of events could not be more theatrical than this.

How could so many thugs all turn into a bunch of crying babies all at once?

\”Zoey, why don’t you get inside the villa and let them do their stuff?\” Levi suggested.

The petrified Zoey gladly took his advice and dashed for the villa.

\”Sir, please, I really have nothing to do with this. I’m just somebody who was hired by Mr. Garrison to act under his instructions…\”

\”Yeah, we’ve got nothing to do with this!\”

…

Trey and his men were desperate to draw a line from Ashton by shifting all the blame to him.

Ashton was so contorted with fear that he spat out a mouthful of blood.

\”Let them go!\”

What came as a shock to Ashton, Trey and Matthew was when they saw it was Levi who gave the order.

His order prompted Azure Dragon to wave them away, \”Get your ass out of here and don’t let me see you again!\”

It was clear as day that it was not Azure Dragon, but Levi, who was calling the shots. Could it be that Levi…

It all pointed out to one scary truth they all dreaded to know.

Trey and his men tumbled and stumbled as they fled the scene at their quickest pace, fearing they could end up with a bullet in their heads.

\”Please let me go, L-Levi, I’m innocent as well. It was Ashton who…\” Matthew tried to dissociate himself from Ashton as well.

\”Tell me, Azure Dragon, how do we punish a traitor?\” Levi turned to Azure Dragon and smiled abruptly.

\”All traitors would be slaughtered!\” Azure Dragon gave a deafening roar.

Matthew was on the verge of a complete collapse.

But he knew it was all too late. This was the fate for traitors. Matthew must die!

The doomed fate of Matthew scared the daylight out of Ashton, who instantly got down on his knees to beg for his life \”We are family, my dear brother. Please forgive me for not knowing your true identity.\” cried Ashton, \”We are all waiting for you to come home. I’m sure everybody would be thrilled to see you home again!\”

Ashton played the emotional card as his last resort to save his own life.

\”Don’t you remember how you guys have broken all my limbs and threw me to the streets like a dying dog?\” Levi said sarcastically, \”Is that how you’re supposed to treat your family?\”

\”Oh, that’s just a misunderstanding, my brother.\” Ashton was almost to tears, \”I’m sure it’s nothing but a misunderstanding!\”

\”Didn’t you just said that you want to sleep with my wife too?\” said Levi as he walked closer towards Ashton.

\”That’s just a joke, you know,\” Ashton felt his legs were going jelly as he stuttered, \”nothing but a j-joke, my brother…\”

\”What makes you think you can joke about something like this?\”

Levi struck a killer punch right into Ashton’s face, which made him see stars and blacked out instantly.

\”Send him back to the Garrisons! Tell them that this is my first present for them!\”

Levi ordered, his face devoid of expression.

\”Understood, Sir!\” Azure Dragon replied subserviently.

\”Well done, Steven Shaw.\” Levi eyed him with satisfaction.

\”Greetings to you, Sir!\” A yelp from Steven Shaw led the whole of First Metallic Regiment to raise their right hand uniformly to present a military salute.

Levi reciprocated with a standard salute.

When he entered the villa, what greeted his sight was Zoey all curled up on the sofa, quivering with fear.

The spectacular scene today had left her numbed with shock.

She did not even have the courage to glimpse out of the villa.

\”It’s alright now, Zoey.\” Levi hugged her, \”Everything’s over. The villa now belongs to us.\”

\”Are you sure?\” Zoey lifted her head, her tone was uncertain.

\”I’m sure!\” Levi reassured her, \”But I plan to tear down the house completely and rebuild from scratch. There’s no way we can move in now after those thugs had stayed in the house before.\”

\”I need to ask you something, Levi.\” Zoey asked after she had recomposed herself \”I want you to be absolutely upfront with me.\”

\”Sure, what do you want to know?\”

Zoey bit her lips in hesitation, \”What is your relationship with the God of War and Azure Dragon?\” she demanded, \”I need you to tell me nothing but the truth!\”

Levi’s villa unit belonged to lot A-88.

Unbeknown to Ashton and his men, the troops had formed a squarish formation surrounding the lots of A87, A88, A89 to B88.

Each of them stood on full alert, armed with fully loaded firearms that are ready to fire the first strike.

All they need was a command.

Outside the villa.

\”So what’s the situation now?\” Ashton was still grinning his grotesque grin as he taunted Levi, \”Where are your men? Are they all having cold feet now?\”

Levi signaled with a click of his fingers.

The next moment.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The ground seemed to move under their feet as a synchronous marching of troops roared across the silent air.

\”What’s going on here? What’s all that sound?\”

Trey’s men looked around frantically, bug-eyed and tense as dogs.

The marching was getting denser and louder, the rhythm was so uniform and disciplined that it almost turned into a deafening boom.

\”What the hell is that?\”

Trey’s men froze when they saw the approaching troops coming at them from four corners.

Matthew, Trey and Ashton were shell-shocked and rooted to the ground like statutes. Everybody was muted with horror.

Never had they seen such a formation in front of their eyes. The soldiers aligned themselves in uniform rows, each armed with the deadliest weapons fit for a war!

Thud! Thud! Thud! The thumping continued.

Soon the troops stood in position, forming a human barricade as they occupied the four corners and fenced everybody in.

Everyone lifted their guns and aimed their barrels straight at Ashton and his group of men.

Crack!

Racks of heavy machine guns were set up with their positions adjusted accordingly to point straight towards Aston and his men.

Not to mention those massive weapons that include mortar and artilleries…

Clang! Clang!

The clanging sound of rods and other metal weapons resonated in the air. Trey’s men had dropped their weapons and raised both hands in fear.

A few of them had even pissed inside their pants.

A strong, pungent smell of ammonia suffused the air.

Trey himself had dropped the walnuts and lifted his hands as well.

For decades, he had ruled the underground triads with his brutality and violent means. He had seen it all and had never been fazed by any opponent.

He could take down dozens of men in one go, breaking their ribs and even slashing their throats. These were all cakewalk to him.

Yet the scene in front of him belonged to a totally different league. War that was confined to the television was now playing out right in front of his eyes!

Thump!

Matthew dropped to the floor on his knees and pleaded, \”Please let me go. I have nothing to do with this!\”

Ashton stared at the guns pointed at him. Those soulless clanks of metal stared back at him like a plethora of ghostly eyes. It made his face turned ashen and his legs wobbled with fear.

\”N-Neither do I. I have done nothing as well.\”

The unexpected twist of events had absolutely stupefied Ashton. He had never imagined Levi could summon an entire regiment with just one phone call…

Zoey was blown away as well by the dramatic turn of events. She needed a while to recompose herself before she turned her gaze to Levi.

She felt like she saw a magical halo glowing above Levi.

How is it possible that he summoned such a huge regiment with just a phone call?

A man stepped forward among the troops.

He had two gold stripes and three stars embroidered on the shoulder of his military uniform.

They could tell he was an army official.

\”Steven Shaw, Colonel of North Hampton’s First Metallic Regiment, reporting for duty, Sir! We are here to protect the God of War, Sir!\”

Steven Shaw cast an ambiguous glance at Levi as he raised his left hand to present a military salute.

Another man in military uniform stepped up from the opposing direction. He had a large gold star embroidered on his shoulder and a group of soldiers at his heels.

He had the colossal air of a warrior, he was none other than the King of War.

\”The First Metallic Regiment had completely surrounded the compound, General Azure Dragon! Awaiting further orders, Sir!\”

Steven Shaw ran up to Azure Dragon and present another military salute.

Azure Dragon took off his gloves and asked in his impersonal voice, \”Do you know who owns this villa?\”

\”C-Could it be that it belongs to the G-God of War?\” replied Ashton with a tremulous voice, while his body jerked uncontrollably as if he was having a seizure.

\”Bingo.\” Azure Dragon gave a set smile, \”All the villas in this area belong to him.\”

Ashton sucked in a deep breath. He was so gripped with fear that he almost passed out.

Trey was palpitating in horror when he heard the name. It drained his face of all color and immobilized his body, it was as if his soul had departed and left him with a hollow shell.

He would have never dared to step foot in here if he had known this area belonged to the God of War. It was as good as stepping into the gates of hell.

\”Why did you bring your men here?\” Azure Dragon glared at Ashton and Trey, \”Are you trying to take down the God of War?\” he snarled.