“The photo editing on this is just too much-look, even the wall is distorted!”
“And the face? It’s like they maxed out the beauty filter; her chin could cut glass.”
In the front yard pavilion of Indigo Grove Estate, Flynn watched a video of a dancing beauty on his phone, visibly disappointed. None of the videos he scrolled through today were worth his time.
Other than two innocent-looking girls, the rest had maxed out the beauty filters. Their skin looked unnaturally pale, like a lifeless sheet, and their legs were stretched so long they resembled power lines. There wasn’t a shred of authentic beauty left.
“Lilia’s still the real deal. Where the hell has that woman gone?” Flynn muttered as he put his phone away, stretched lazily, and slumped back into boredom.
Just then, the grand gates of Indigo Grove Estate were flung open with a loud crash. Dozens of individuals strode in, exuding an overwhelming aura that surged like a tidal wave, smothering everything in its path. It felt as though they were about to raze Indigo Grove Estate to the ground.
They lined up on either side of the gate, their faces stern and cold, as if awaiting the arrival of someone of immense importance.
“Thirteen Lesser Sovereigns and twenty-three Great Grandmasters?” Flynn squinted, his gaze locking onto a familiar figure.
It was a face he would never forget.
Her flawless skin radiated a healthy glow. A high, defined nose and elegantly arched brows framed her features, exuding a regal and commanding air. Her lips were thin and tightly pressed together, the corners slightly upturned, hinting at an untouchable arrogance.
Her strides were firm and indifferent, her demeanor icy, as if she regarded everyone and everything with detached disdain. An unapproachable coldness emanated from her, creating an invisible barrier that kept the world at bay.
Tessa Watson. The direct descendant of the Watson family. Paxton’s mistress. The mastermind behind the Clark family’s schemes against his mother. A woman so venomous that even Paxton felt a measure of fear.
After ten years, she hadn’t aged a day. If anything, she looked even more youthful, as if time itself had favored her. Life among the wealthy certainly seemed to agree with her.
Flynn tore his gaze away from her and glanced over at Vicente Clark before letting his eyes land on the two older men beside him.
Semi Earthly Sovereigns?
Their aura was just as oppressive as Dario Bragg’s. Impressive. The Clark family had connections to such figures after all. Flynn couldn’t help but reassess these “lowly” individuals.
Arthur Everett and Milton Gray’s eyes met Flynn’s, a flicker of coldness and surprise flashing through their expressions.
The Clark family was the number one household in Slatin. Even their servants carried themselves with an air of elegance and discipline. Yet the man before them lacked even a shred of refinement, let alone the imposing presence of a true leader.
No, what they saw was an ordinary man.
Wait-wasn’t he supposed to be a Semi Lesser Sovereign?
A Grandmaster should at least stand tall and composed, exuding the poise of a master. A Semi Lesser Sovereign? Even more so. Vicente Clark was the perfect example:
Eyes level, chin slightly tucked, chest out, stomach in. His posture was upright, radiating confidence and authority.
And Flynn?
He sat slouched, legs spread wide, his gaze indifferent.
Even before Tessa Watson, he sat with his legs splayed across the stone bench in the pavilion-a posture that could only be described as blatantly disrespectful.
The atmosphere turned deathly silent.
For over ten seconds, neither side spoke a word, but the tension in the air was palpable, like the calm before a storm.
Tessa Watson’s icy eyes bore into Flynn, her killing intent sharp as a blade. She didn’t speak, but the sight of him brought a surge of uncontrollable rage to her chest.
She had loathed him for years. Seeing him now only reignited the fury she felt when he had slapped her across the face all those years ago.
And as if that weren’t enough, Flynn was Adrianna’s son.
Hatred upon hatred.
The moment their eyes met, Tessa Watson felt an almost overwhelming urge-to kill Flynn on the spot, even if it meant forfeiting the priceless body-refining elixir.
But reason ultimately triumphed over madness.
Talon Emberhart’s influence couldn’t be ignored, and the Clark family would never risk offending him.
Vicente Clark, however, was not as restrained. His aura surged, and he bellowed with a voice like thunder:
“You insolent fool! My mother has come to demand justice, and you dare not kneel and beg for mercy?”
An invisible force crashed down on Flynn like a mountain, threatening to crush him under its weight. Vicente’s fury rivaled that of Viola Brightmoon.
This half-brother of his had humiliated his mother a decade ago, even slapping her twice.
Vicente had wanted to kill Flynn ever since. But their first meeting had been about deceiving Flynn into handing over a medical book. Now that the book was in hand, and the Sleevers were pressuring him for Flynn’s body-refining formula, the time to settle the score had finally come.
Flynn said nothing. Instead, his legs spread even wider, as if silently mocking Vicente.
“You dare not kneel?!” Vicente roared, stepping forward, ready to force Flynn to the ground.
“Stop!”
A frantic voice called out. Madeline came running, her expression anxious.
Behind her trailed Layla, Cora Caldwell, and over a dozen second-generation elites from Slatin’s most powerful families.
“Mrs. Clark, Vicente,” Layla greeted Tessa Watson and her son with polite deference.
The others followed suit, bowing respectfully.
“Ah, Layla,” Tessa Watson said with a thin smile. “I heard about yesterday. I’ll make sure you get justice.”
Her gaze shifted to Madeline, her expression cold and detached. “Vicente, who is this?”
Vicente’s voice was equally cold. “She’s Matteo’s daughter. Father arranged for her to work at DreamDollars Investments.”
“Matteo?” Tessa’s eyes narrowed as her lips curled into a mocking smile. “Miss Kaur, is there something you need?”
Madeline bit her lip nervously. “Mrs. Clark, I… I came to ask you to spare Flynn, for my father’s sake.”
“For your father’s sake?” Tessa let out a laugh.
This girl had some nerve.
The Kaur family had aided Adrianna for over a decade. The fact that Tessa hadn’t retaliated against them was already a mercy. And now this girl had the gall to ask for a favor?
Still, Matteo had handed over the medical book. That, at least, made the situation worth considering.
Tessa’s smile widened. “Fine. For Matteo’s sake, I’ll spare Flynn’s life. But the final decision lies with Brody Brightmoon’s mother.”
She turned to Viola Brightmoon.
Viola, a seasoned Clark family loyalist, immediately caught on to Tessa’s intentions.
Her face hardened with feigned anger. “My son was partly at fault yesterday,” she said. “But Flynn went too far.”
“If he wants forgiveness, he must hand over the body-refining pill and leave behind an arm.”
Madeline exhaled in relief.
Good. As long as he lived, it was a fair trade. Losing an arm was a small price to pay for offending so many powerful families.
She glanced at Flynn, her expression softening, and was about to speak-
But Flynn slowly stood, his gaze locking onto hers with a piercing chill.
“You and the Kaur family,” he said in a low, icy voice, “gave my mother’s medical book to Paxton?”