Jaxon Rocco immediately dropped to his knees, his face filled with shock and fear. He cried out, “Please bless the Rocco family with prosperity for generations! Please forgive us, please forgive us!”
As he finished speaking, Jaxon bowed his head to the ground in reverence. Following his lead, every member of the Rocco family, including the women and children, knelt down as well.
They all raised their voices toward the ancestral shrine, shouting, “Please bless the Rocco family! Bless the Rocco family!”
At that moment, the atmosphere in the Rocco family became almost otherworldly. They knelt as if worshiping a deity, their reverence palpable.
Kayden and Wood Faulkner stood motionless, their eyes filled with puzzlement as they watched the peculiar ritual unfold.
Soon, the tremors in the ground ceased, and everything became still again. After about ten minutes of silence, Jaxon Rocco exhaled deeply and hurried into the ancestral shrine.
Once Jaxon disappeared inside, Mrs. Rocco slowly stood up from the ground. She swallowed hard and asked Kayden, “Mr. Scott, were you frightened?”
Kayden shook his head slightly. Frightened? How could he possibly be?
In a calm voice, he asked, “What’s inside the Rocco family’s ancestral shrine?”
Mrs. Rocco gazed at the shrine with a distant look in her eyes. “That’s where our Grandfather resides-a guardian deity of sorts.”
Hearing this, Kayden nodded thoughtfully. No wonder the ground had trembled so violently.
It seemed this “Grandfather” was no ordinary presence. His strength must rival Kayden’s own. A single roar that could shake the earth was a power that even Kayden could not fathom. The strength of this Rocco Grandfather was truly formidable.
These prominent families, Kayden mused, always had their peculiarities.
The Rocco family had their Grandfather; the Scott family had a mysterious guardian too-Asad. Kayden still remembered his battle with Asad. He had been no match for him. If Asad hadn’t shown mercy, Kayden would have long since perished.
It stood to reason that each of the four major families must have their own guardian deity.
As Kayden pondered this, Mrs. Rocco spoke softly. “When I first married into the Rocco family, I heard rumors about Grandfather. I was curious-how could the Rocco family have a Grandfather who’s existed for centuries? What kind of being was he?
“So, out of curiosity, I went to the ancestral shrine. Inside, it was filled with memorial tablets. Behind the tablets, there was a large iron door with a heavy lock. I couldn’t see what was behind it, but I could feel something approaching me.
“It felt so real, and then… I blacked out.
“When I woke up, the family head declared me the new matriarch. Since then, I’ve always wondered if it was Grandfather who chose me for the role.”
After hearing her story, Kayden frowned and asked, “So you’ve never actually seen this Grandfather?”
Mrs. Rocco nodded. “No, I haven’t. Perhaps the family head has, though. He frequently visits the shrine.”
She hesitated before adding, “Mr. Scott, our family head has a peculiar temper-unpredictable and volatile. Please don’t take his words to heart. He wasn’t always like this. After my husband died, and then he lost three of his sons, he changed.”
There was a trace of sorrow in her voice as she sighed.
Kayden raised an eyebrow and asked, “Are you saying people in the Rocco family keep dying?”
Mrs. Rocco nodded slightly. “Yes, it’s true. Every three years, someone dies. My husband was the first, then three others followed. They were all young men, none of them over forty.”
If this had happened in an ordinary family, they would have been wiped out by now.
At that moment, Jaxon Rocco emerged from the shrine. He seemed to have had some sort of revelation, as his demeanor was now much more relaxed.
“All right,” he said, “take him to settle the payment. Once he’s paid, he can take his things and leave the Rocco family. I look forward to seeing you at next year’s auction.”
It seemed the earlier tension had dissipated, and he was no longer dwelling on it.
But Kayden, unfazed, spoke up with a calm yet firm voice. “Actually, Mr. Rocco, there’s something I need to tell you. I don’t have any money.
“Yes, I was wealthy before, but my assets have been frozen, and my accounts are sealed. So, I’m broke.”
His words were like a thunderclap. Jaxon Rocco, Mrs. Rocco, Liam Rocco, and all the Rocco family members nearby froze in shock.
“What did you say? You don’t have any money?” Jaxon’s eyes bulged with fury.
“Mr. Scott!” Mrs. Rocco grabbed Kayden’s arm and whispered anxiously, “What nonsense are you talking about?”
This was beyond anything Mrs. Rocco had anticipated. She never imagined Kayden would be bold enough to show up at the Rocco family auction without any money, let alone spend such an astronomical amount.
Seven hundred and fifty billion dollars.
Seven hundred and fifty billion!
That was no small sum, no matter how you looked at it.
Mrs. Rocco was now filled with regret. She had invited Kayden to the auction, and if he couldn’t pay, the repercussions would be disastrous. It wasn’t just a matter of money-it was about the Rocco family’s honor and Kayden’s integrity.
Liam Rocco was equally stunned. He couldn’t forget the way Kayden had spent money so freely, like a true heir of a wealthy family. But now, this? Was Kayden insane?
Kayden remained calm and said, “Yes, I’m telling the truth. My money has been frozen.
“I bid on those three items for three reasons. First, I genuinely liked them and found them useful. Second, I wanted to outbid Cyrus Nightbane. Third, I wanted to meet the head of the Rocco family.”
His reasoning was sound, his logic impeccable.
But it didn’t change the fact that he had no money.
“You… you… YOU!” Jaxon Rocco’s entire body trembled with rage, his face darkening. “You insolent fool! Do you think you can toy with the Rocco family?”
Kayden’s expression remained steady. “Mr. Rocco, there’s no need to overreact. I made my bids for a reason, and I will pay you-but not today. You can write me an IOU.”
An IOU.
An IOU for seven hundred and fifty billion dollars.
This was madness.
“Ridiculous! An IOU for seven hundred and fifty billion? You’ll never be able to repay it!” Jaxon Rocco’s voice shook with anger. “You came here just to cause trouble for the Rocco family, didn’t you?”
“Who brought this man to our auction?” Jaxon roared.
Mrs. Rocco bit her lip and stepped forward. “It was me, family head. I invited him. If you want to blame someone, blame me. I can have my family cover the seven hundred and fifty billion for now.”