Areli nodded, her sharp gaze fixed on Darnell. “Yes, join me for a small charity event tonight.”
“There will be an auction, and all proceeds will be donated to the One Cent Foundation. Spectrum Pharmaceuticals has been invited, and the headquarters asked me to attend.”
“I’ve heard that many celebrities from Whiteville will be there, and even the usually low-profile members of the Pasmore family might show up.”
Areli’s lips parted slightly. “I’m not very comfortable in such settings, so having you there would be reassuring.”
Darnell saw through her intentions. “Reassuring? Or just a shield?”
Areli was annoyed. “Are you coming or not?”
“I’m coming!”
Seeing the paper cutter in Areli’s hand, Darnell quickly surrendered. He was also concerned about Toby making a move.
He wanted to stay close to protect Areli until he could locate and eliminate the base of the Baycliff people, then maintain some distance from her.
Areli, seeing Darnell’s compliance, snorted contentedly, “That’s more like it.”
“By the way, you mentioned the Pasmore family might attend. Are they impressive?”
Darnell looked curious. “I’ve never heard of them.”
“Whiteville is full of hidden talents. There are many things you haven’t heard of.”
Areli glanced at Darnell and typed on her keyboard. “Do you know Abbigail Cornish? She’s the goddaughter of the Pasmore family.”
“Abbigail has offended many powerful people but is still thriving because she has the Pasmore family as her backing.”
Darnell’s eyes widened slightly. “The Pasmore family does seem formidable.”
To withstand pressure from various powerful forces and protect Abbigail was no ordinary feat.
“Indeed, especially considering who backs them-the big shot, Mr. Rhodes…”
Areli spoke with pride but stopped abruptly. “Never mind. You wouldn’t understand even if I explained.”
“Just focus on improving your sales performance.”
Darnell, eager to hear more, stumbled to the ground with a thud.
Areli declined Darnell’s lunch invitation, so he reluctantly left the office.
He originally planned to invite Casey, Shayla, and Bailee but received a message from Nick at the elevator.
Changing his lunch plans with the three women, he discreetly placed Areli’s shirt in his car trunk to have Tia find Toby.
Then he left the parking lot and got into a business vehicle belonging to the Apex. He had some loose ends to tie up today.
Thirty minutes later, Darnell arrived at Whiteville’s northern dock.
This was the Apex territory. Many workers here were members of the Apex. Although not as prominent as other international docks, it remained an important cargo hub in Whiteville.
When Darnell arrived, it was lunchtime for the workers, leaving the place deserted with a pleasant river breeze.
Stretching his arms, Darnell was greeted by over ten members of the Apex, who clearly recognized his status within the gang.
Nick emerged from a yacht with a smile and approached Darnell with long strides. “Good afternoon, Mr. Halford.”
Darnell returned Nick’s smile with a hug. “Where are they?”
“In the lower deck.”
Nick patted Darnell’s back before releasing him with a grin. “I didn’t want to disturb you, but they’ve been detained for some time now. Their mental and physical states aren’t great.”
“If we don’t deal with them soon, you’ll only find corpses when you come by next time.”
“Mr. Halford, please come aboard. I’ve prepared food and drinks. We can enjoy ourselves while watching the show.”
Nick led Darnell to an open-air platform on the yacht’s second floor-a semicircle of comfortable sofas surrounding a long table filled with exquisite food and drinks.
Lobster, crabs, barbecue, sashimi, and foie gras-everything one could desire. Without hesitation, Darnell found a seat.
As Nick poured wine for him, he instructed his two trusted aides, “Bring them out.”
The two aides immediately went down to the cabin.
Darnell swirled his wine glass gently before asking Nick casually, “How have things been these past few days? Any retaliation from the Axe?”
“No,” Nick replied cheerfully with confidence in his voice.
“We’ve crushed the Axe twice already. Valentin is hiding like a coward while Rex hasn’t returned yet-and police are keeping tabs on them too-so they lack both strength and courage for revenge.”
Darnell sipped his wine and smiled at Nick’s growth. “The Axe may have suffered losses, but it hasn’t suffered any serious injuries, and the police pressure is limited.”
“After all, their attention is focused on Steve and the jewelry store heist, so you should still be careful and bring along a few more people.”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Halford.” Nick looked confident. “I’ll be careful. I have over twenty people with me and three shotguns. I can ensure my safety no matter what.”
“Besides, I’m no longer a useless wreck consumed by wine and women. For over a month, I haven’t touched a single woman. I’ve been sharpening my skills with blades and guns every day.”
“I can take on four at once now.” Nick demonstrated his punches and kicks, moving with surprising agility. He had indeed improved significantly compared to before. “Not bad, right? Of course, compared to Mr. Halford, I’m still leagues behind.” He then poured more wine for Darnell and laughed, “Mr. Halford, with your skills, why not take me on as your disciple and teach me a few powerful moves?”
Darnell paused slightly, then chuckled wryly. “You’re already the young master of the Apex, second to none. Learning to manage people is far more important than mastering martial arts.”
“Besides, Callum is far more impressive than I am. Just his ironclad head alone leaves me in awe. You should consider making Callum your mentor.”
Hearing this, Nick looked a bit helpless. “I’ve learned martial arts from Callum long ago, but his style is too tough for me to master.”
“Six years ago, I tried to learn how to break stones with my chest from him, and I ended up bedridden for three months. Then I tried learning how to headbutt bells, and I ended up with a bloody head.”
“Mr. Halford, just give me a few pointers.” Nick’s face was full of anticipation. “I promise I won’t let you down.”
Darnell looked at Nick’s hopeful expression and gently clinked his glass against Nick’s. “I’ll give you a chance. You can come find me at Woodsea every Saturday.”
He planned to hand Nick over to Garrett and the others for some refinement. Although it wouldn’t yield any stunning transformations, it would help temper Nick’s character. However, this made Darnell feel a bit resigned. Taking Nick as his disciple would only deepen his influence over the Apex. If Luca were to accidentally die, he would truly become the supreme ruler of the Apex.
Nick was stunned at first but then joyfully shouted, “Thank you, Master!”
At that moment, several disciples from the Apex threw two men onto the deck. “Mr. Halford, Mr. Dane, we’ve brought them.”
The two men were tightly bound, looking weary and dazed, their faces still showing signs of fear.
It was Eliezer and Brian.