“This woman is outrageous! A divorced woman, asking for so much money? Cash-28. 88 million dollars! Why doesn’t she just rob a bank? And, a villa in the capital? That’s worth at least another hundred million! Unbelievable. Such a woman is terrifying.”
“Mom!” Luther stepped forward and hooked his arm around Marie’s, flashing a cunning grin. “If I can get Georgia, I’ll be able to join Elysium Gate. That’s what Asher Voss himself promised. Compared to joining Elysium Gate and becoming a figure in the Hermit sect, what we’re giving up now is nothing. Once I’m in, as an outstanding disciple, our family will hold sway even in the capital.”
“Besides,” he continued, his tone growing darker, “by then, Georgia will be completely at your mercy. You can torment her however you like. Once I’ve had my fill, I’ll kick her to the curb and publicly humiliate her. The higher she climbs now, the farther she’ll fall when I discard her. Don’t let the current situation fool you.”
As Luther finished speaking, his face twisted into a sinister expression, revealing his true intentions. Georgia was nothing more than a stepping stone for him to enter Elysium Gate-this was Asher Voss’s plan all along.
“Exactly! My son is about to bring glory to our family, so why fuss over trifles? This investment will bring us returns ten times over. After all, we’re networking with Asher Voss!”
“Fine, fine. You two are geniuses, and I’m the fool. Happy now?”
The three exchanged a knowing glance before breaking into sly smiles.
—
After destroying the Golden Threshold Society, Kayden returned to Hiphia, still searching for the real reason Georgia left him. Days passed without any answers.
Kayden was staying with Diomidis Stevens. Though the house was small, it provided enough space for him. He had even asked Diomidis if he knew Eldridge, but the man didn’t. Most of the people Diomidis knew were in the medical field-after all, he was a barefoot doctor.
Over the past few days, Nick and Christina had grown utterly in awe of Kayden. To them, he seemed to know everything, from the heavens above to the earth below-an utterly capable man.
Spending time with this group brought Kayden a rare sense of relaxation. He’d never had true friends or experienced the ordinary joys of life, but these people made him feel like he could finally connect with the world.
That day, Kayden was busy developing a medicine to heal Felicity’s facial scars. He was determined to find her soon.
After his fight with Godefroid, Kayden had recognized his own weaknesses. He wasn’t strong enough to defeat that old man. Godefroid had even warned him: if he couldn’t handle him, he had no chance against Hellblazer.
It was clear that Godefroid feared Hellblazer deeply. The organization loomed like a mountain, weighing heavily on the hearts of its enemies, sowing terror from start to finish.
Kayden planned to find Felicity, the girl with the Innate Spiritual Body, both to heal her and to remove her scars. However, the method of healing was extreme-it required intimacy with her. If he had better treatments available, he wouldn’t resort to such measures. But without the proper medicine, he had no other choice.
As he worked on the medicine, Nick suddenly burst into the room, his face tense as he looked at Kayden.
“What’s wrong?” Kayden asked calmly.
Nick swallowed hard before replying, “Master, that man named Luther is at the door, asking for you.”
Kayden froze for a moment. “Luther?”
“Yes, the one who took your wife. Master, should I send him away? I’m afraid you’ll lose your temper if you see him.”
Kayden’s expression remained indifferent as he replied, “No need. He’s not even worth my anger.”
With that, he stepped outside.
At the door, Luther stood with a look of disdain on his face.
The moment Luther saw Kayden, his expression shifted to a forced smile. Striding forward, he chuckled. “I was wondering where you’d gone. Didn’t expect to find you in a place like this. Can anyone even live in such a godforsaken, barren corner of the world?”
Kayden had no patience for banter. He scrutinized Luther briefly before asking bluntly, “What do you want?”
Kayden had never regarded Luther as a threat. In his eyes, Luther wasn’t even worthy of being called a rival. Not even a proper adversary. Crushing Luther would require no more than a flick of his finger.
Luther, dressed in a burgundy suit, his long hair slicked back, exuded the air of a self-assured man. He adjusted his hair with a casual gesture and leisurely paced back and forth.
“Oh, it’s nothing serious,” Luther finally said. “I just came to deliver this.” He held out a red invitation card. “Tomorrow, Georgia and I are getting engaged. I was worried you’d miss the news, so I brought this personally.”
Kayden glanced at the card, momentarily stunned.
Noticing the flicker in Kayden’s eyes, Luther sighed theatrically. “You should’ve realized by now how wide the gap is between us. You and Georgia aren’t even from the same world. Look at yourself-look at the people you surround yourself with.”
He gestured mockingly toward Nick and Christina, who stood behind Kayden.
“Look at this one!” Luther pointed at Nick. “A complete runt. Short and poorly dressed-those baggy clothes make him look even more pitiful. I doubt he’ll ever find a wife. He’s practically destined to die alone.”
Nick’s face turned red with anger. In southern regions, his height was average. His plain blue clothes, lovingly handmade by his mother, were priceless to him.
Just as Nick was about to retort, Christina grabbed his arm and declared, “Who says he can’t find a wife? I’m going to marry him in a couple of years. Unlike you, stealing people’s loved ones and shamelessly flaunting it. You’re despicable.”
Luther sneered. “A perfect match-a chicken with a toad. Look at you!” He gestured at Christina. “Short, fat, ugly, and if not for your chest, you’d have nothing going for you at all.”
“Enough!” Nick roared, his anger boiling over. “You can insult me, but you have no right to insult Christina! I swear I’ll kill you!”
Nick lunged at Luther, but before he could reach him, a strong hand grabbed him firmly.