“Flynn, today was the most satisfying drink I’ve ever had. You didn’t drink because you drove, but next time, we’ll drink at home!”
“I’ll test your drinking capacity!” James said, leaning on Flynn for support as they exited the Four Seasons Hotel.
Today, everything felt great-years of frustration swept away, leaving an unprecedented sense of relief.
With Flynn now part of the Duffy family, James thought, who would dare provoke them?
Flynn smiled softly. “Alright, next time we’ll drink to our hearts’ content!”
A simple promise, yet the Duffy family took it seriously. Mabel reminded Flynn not to hesitate to call whenever he had the time, saying she’d prepare dishes in advance.
She even asked about Flynn’s favorite foods, and Flynn, without holding back, named a few simple home-cooked meals-dishes his mother used to make for him.
Flynn had already begun to see the Duffy family as his own.
The four of them chatted and laughed as they headed toward the parking lot, only to spot Madeline standing by the fountain.
“Mia, have you seen Lord Valerian Nox?” Madeline approached them.
“Ah?” Mia glanced at Flynn, then replied, “Yes, we have. Flynn, he…”
“Flynn is trying to curry favor with Lord Valerian Nox, isn’t he?” Madeline interrupted, her tone laced with pity. “And in the end, Lord Valerian Nox didn’t even acknowledge him, right?”
“It’s not shameful to try and win Lord Valerian Nox’s favor, but you need to recognize your place!”
“Some people, no matter how much heart and soul you pour out, will never be moved by it.”
“No matter how hard you try to integrate into their world, it’s useless if you’re not from the same one.”
Layla had gone to Jade Dragon Mountain three times, and even then, Lord Valerian Nox ignored her.
So why would Flynn think he could form a connection with Lord Valerian Nox?
Mia nodded lightly and gave a bitter smile. “You’re not wrong. Some people, even if you show them your heart, may never appreciate it.”
Flynn and Madeline had married and divorced, something Jessica had mentioned on the phone just a few days ago.
Considering everything Flynn had done for the Kaur family in Niarak, Madeline’s words felt ironic.
Madeline, do you even realize what you’ve let slip through your hands? A fortune beyond imagination! An opportunity of epic proportions! A chance to easily step into the highest circles!
Something countless people dream of but never achieve, and yet, you personally pushed it out of the Kaur family’s door.
“Mia, since you understand, why don’t you try to talk some sense into him?” Madeline’s voice grew accusatory.
“Flynn’s attempt to curry favor with Lord Valerian Nox shows he hasn’t given up on the downfall of the Clark family!”
“It’s a childish, self-destructive dream, playing with fire! Immature behavior!”
She turned to Flynn, her voice tinged with helplessness. “You’re just a Semi Lesser Sovereign who managed to pull off a legendary business war with Sharp’s Group, earning maybe a few billion dollars in the process.”
“You might be far better off than me, but in Slatin, you and I are no different.”
“We’re both ants beneath the feet of Slatin’s elite. At our core, we’re small people.”
Madeline was dispirited.
She had hoped that today’s gathering would help her gradually blend into Slatin’s elite circles.
But in the end, they looked down on her.
They treated her as nothing more than a storyteller, of no value beyond that.
When she’d begged Wayne to call Chase Landford, people like Cora Caldwell had said she wasn’t even fit to be a servant.
Madeline’s pride had taken a deep hit.
If Layla hadn’t stepped in, she would have wanted the ground to swallow her whole.
This experience taught her a simple truth: connections are merely stepping stones. To earn true respect, one must have real power.
She was striving toward that goal, yet Flynn seemed intent on shortcuts.
He wanted to leap to the heavens, attempting to forge ties with gods while still a mere snake.
Madeline was deeply disappointed.
Pointing to a towering building in the distance, she looked at Flynn and said, “Do you know what that is? Titan Holdings’ headquarters in Ostrad.”
“You’d only be allowed on the first floor.”
“Do you know why? As Cora Caldwell and the others said, their bodyguards are all Semi Lesser Sovereigns. In Slatin, that level holds no advantages.”
“I, representing DreamDollars Investments, can make it to the third floor. The heads of Slatin’s top families might reach the twentieth floor. But the eighty-seventh floor? Even Lord Valerian Nox might not get in.”
“Do you know why? Because that’s the exclusive domain of The Raven King, an Earthly Sovereign-level Blademaster. He’s ten times stronger than Lord Valerian Nox!”
Madeline’s endless chatter irritated Flynn. He was about to interrupt when he suddenly frowned. “What? The Raven King is now an Earthly Sovereign-level Blademaster?”
“Yes, that’s what I’ve heard from Wayne and the others. The Raven King caused chaos in Haralu, unstoppable and unmatched. Rumor has it he’s now an Earthly Sovereign-level Blademaster,” Madeline replied.
If it weren’t for attending high-level gatherings with Wayne, she wouldn’t have known such detailed information about The Raven King.
That kind of intel was exclusive to the upper circles. Ordinary people wouldn’t even have access to the basics.
At most, they’d know The Raven King caused chaos, but not his exact power level or how he crushed his enemies.
This only strengthened her resolve to make a name for herself in Slatin.
The higher you stand, the more breathtaking the view.
“Interesting, interesting!” Flynn nodded, a satisfied smile on his face.
Two years ago, The Raven King had pledged allegiance to him when he was still a Semi Earthly Sovereign.
Advancing as a Blademaster was notoriously difficult, progressing several times slower than other cultivation paths.
Even with top-tier talent, it would take at least five years.
Flynn hadn’t paid much attention to The Raven King in recent years, assuming he was still a Semi Earthly Sovereign.
He’d even considered helping him advance upon his return. Who would’ve thought The Raven King had quietly reached the Earthly Sovereign level, becoming a Blademaster?
He must have already been at that level when he arrived in Ostrad. Otherwise, the Four War Gods and tens of thousands of top-tier experts at East Sea Airport wouldn’t have been so wary.
“Interesting? What’s so interesting? Hey, Flynn, I’m telling you this to help you face reality,” Madeline said, panicking when she saw the smile on his lips.
“You’re not thinking of trying to curry favor with The Raven King after failing with Lord Valerian Nox, are you?”
“If you do that, you’ll only humiliate yourself-and insult The Raven King in the process!”
“Are you done? If so, you can leave. I need to take my godfather and godmother home,” Flynn replied coldly, turning to help James toward the parking lot.
Madeline’s face darkened. “What do you mean? You think I’m annoying? You see me as an enemy?”
“You have no sense of manhood! I admit the divorce hurt you.”
“Maybe it even saddened you for a while.”
“But wasn’t part of it your fault?”
“You were a Semi Lesser Sovereign, skilled in medicine, and you kept all that from me!”
Flynn laughed outright. “So, you’re saying that if I had told you, we wouldn’t have divorced?”
“Yes! Er… No!” Madeline caught herself, suddenly furious. “What kind of person do you think I am?”
“I’m not someone who relies on men! And I’m not materialistic!”
“Otherwise, why would I have risked gaining nothing to plead with Mr. Clark on behalf of Mabel’s family?”
“And yet, you couldn’t do anything!”
Tears welled in Madeline’s eyes as she clenched her fists and yelled at Flynn.
“Flynn, do you know how Cora Caldwell and the others mocked me when I helped Mia find a job?”
“‘A wild bird on a phoenix tree will never become a phoenix! Not even fit to be their servant!’
“Do you know how humiliated I felt? And yet, I still tried to help. How dare you sneer at me?”
“Think what you want, but I have no regrets!”