《Almighty Father System》


 Chapter 1: Almighty Father System, On.

    Chapter 1: Almighty Father System, On.A young woman, seemingly in her mid twenties took a deep breath as she stood before a door. It was as if she was scared to open the door and go inside. However, after gathering her composure she opened the door and went inside with a bright smile.


    She said, "Ufff, what a hectic day, honey. Fat Rita was almost blasting a hole in my brain today, you know. Well, what can be done, some people are meant to be like that. How are you feeling today?"


    She turned to look at the bed, where a man was laid. The person had long hair, and his body barely had any resemblance to humans, it was all skin stuck to bones. The man opened his eyes and turned them to follow the movements of the young lady.


    She said, "I am sorry, I was delayed because of work. Are you okay?"


    The man blinked his eyes slowly as he looked at her. The young lady said, "In a few minutes, Doctor Kaya will be coming over. Today is your monthly follow up."


    The man exhaled a bit sternly as he blinked his eyes twice. The young lady smiled and said, "Do not be upset, it is necessary that we do the check up."


    As soon as the young lady stopped talking, the doorbell rang and a bell-like voice sounded, "I got it."


    Soon after that, a middle-aged lady, dressed in modest attire appeared at the door. She smiled at the young lady who was sitting beside the bed and said, "Good Evening, Snow."


    The young lady was called Snow, she was fair and very beautiful, but her eyes appeared to be very stressed. Snow stood up and bowed slightly as she said, "Good evening to you as well, Doctor Kaya."


    Doctor Kaya waved her hand and said, "We have known each other for three years now, can you stop being so formal with me. Forget it, you never listen to me. Only, Little Lily is obedient."


    A small head popped up from behind her with a bright smile on her face. The little girl nodded and said, "Doctor Granny is also lovely."


    Her voice was akin to a silver bell, dispelling all negativity. Doctor Kaya turned around and picked her up in her arms, and walked closer to the bed. She turned to look at the young man lying in the bed, and she could not hide her sorrow. She asked, "How are you feeling today, Leo?"


    Leo blinked in response to her question but his eyes were locked to his daughter, Little Lily. The girl was also looking at him with a smile on her face. Snow came over from the other side of the bed and took Lily from the doctor who bent down to check Leo. She took a pulse and checked his breathing with a stethoscope and finally she used her hands to feel his limbs and torso.


    After half an hour she said, "Snow, you have been regular with the massage. His blood circulation is looking good."


    Snow smiled but the sadness in her eyes could not be hidden. Lily looked at the doctor and asked, "Doctor Granny, will Baba get better if we massage him?"


    Kaya was a doctor who specializes in NeuroScience, she knew better than anyone else that it was impossible for Leo to ever get better and be normal. The young man had a spinal and cerebral injury, his central nervous system was so damaged that it was a miracle that he was still alive.


    She cast a gaze at Leo, who was looking at his daughter with affection, and then at Snow who was holding back her tears because of the question. Kaya did not wish to lie but she did not have the heart to tell the truth to the child as well. She nodded with a smile, and Lily said, "Then, Lily will massage Baba, too."


    She patted Snow on her shoulders to let her down, Snow was afraid, worried that Lily might harm Leo, from the corner of her eyes she caught Leo blinking hard, and she thought, ''Why are heavens so cruel with good people.''


    She put Lily on the bed and reminded her to be careful and gentle so as to not harm her Baba. Kaya gestured for Snow to come out of the room, and Lily began to gently squeeze Leo''s arm with her little hands.


    ...


    Kaya stood against the kitchen counter, looking at Snow who was making her some tea. She sighed and said, "I know that you do not want to face it but the situation is not looking good. It is a miracle only that he can still be conscious and blink his eyes, but for how long this miracle will last, no one can guarantee that Snow. Why don''t you send him to the nursing home? I will help you apply for the funds if that is the reason."


    Snow turned around with a cup of tea and shook her head as she said, "Money is not an issue, the issue is that I do not wish Lily to stay away from Leo. It may seem like I am in pain but Leo gave up everything he had to stay with me. His condition is a price he paid to be in love with me, Kaya. I will not give up on him. Earlier, when he was in coma I thought probably he would not wake up, but when he did and he looked at Lily, his eyes radiated the same light they did when he was normal. As absurd as it may sound, but Lily is the reason he is living, and I will not take that reason away."


    ...


    While the two women were talking outside in the kitchen, Lily was gently massaging Leo''s arm. The young man looked at her with a radiant gaze. After a few minutes, Lily said, "Baba, I will do the other arm."


    As she said this,''Ping: Congratulations, host your daughter affectionately massaged your body fulfilling the requirement for comprehensive motor skill repair. Time to complete: 167: 59: 59.''


    Yes, Leo was not a normal man, he was blessed with a system right when he was on the edge of death.


    Snow came inside the room, after sending off Kaya, and saw Lily massaging the other arm, and she smiled with affection. She turned her gaze to look at Leo, who was sweating and she quickly moved up to his side. She asked, "Are you in pain?"


    Leo looked at her and blinked once. Snow patted her his shoulder lightly and said, "Bear with it, I will get the meds." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo blinked twice and then turned his eyes to Lily. Snow understood what he meant and she walked up to Lily and picked her up as she said, "Baba needs to rest, we will now go and eat dinner before Lily goes to bed. Tell Baba good night."


    The little girl smiled at Leo and said, "Good night, Baba, I will see you in the morning."


    Leo blinked once and Snow said, "I will be right back."


    She took the child away, and Leo closed his eyes. He saw a progress bar looming in his consciousness, it was progressing slowly but it was moving. He saw that the restoration time was that of one week.


    He thought, ''I will bear with it, the physical pain is much less than what I have suffered all these years. I will bear with it.''


    He did not notice when Snow came in and pushed in the painkiller IV, as he focused on the memories that were playing in his mind to gradually forget about the pain.


    ...


    Next morning, Snow woke up with a start and quickly rushed to check on Leo. She rushed inside the room, and worriedly checked Leo. The young man opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Snow who was checking every inch of his body.


    The young lady saw this and froze, Leo could not move even an inch for the past three years apart from blinking his eyes. She rubbed her eyes and when she opened it again, Leo was smiling at her. Snow pinched herself and covered her mouth. The young man opened his mouth and made a sound, "Anow."


    His voice was hoarse, and the sound was weak. It took all that he had to make this silly nasal sound, but Snow could not stop her tears at this moment. She sat down on the bed and placed her head on his chest as she bawled.


    While crying she said, "In the dream, I saw the goddess of health appear before you and give you a boon, that you will be fine. I cannot believe this is really happening."


    Leo smiled, he knew who this goddess was. The system must have implanted this dream in Snow''s mind, because this girl was very spiritual. Leo rubbed his chin gently against her head and made a nasal sound, ''Mmm''


    Snow regained her composure and said, "Wait till Lily finds it, she will be so happy. I will call Kaya over to check you first."


    Leo looked at her face and shook his head gently and Snow looked at him confusedly, as she asked, "Why?"


    Leo took a deep breath and blinked his eyes to her. Snow thought for a bit and thinking about his past, she nodded and said, "Fine, we will keep it a secret."


    An alarm rang and she said, "I will take Lily to school."


    Leo nodded and Snow left after changing the IV bag which was how Leo consumed the necessary nutrients. The young man closed his eyes as he thought, ''Soon, I will stand back.''

 Chapter 2: Recovering Quickly.

    Chapter 2: Recovering Quickly.Leo was confined to his bed, and he grit his teeth through the pain. Time did not seem to pass, every second was so agonizing for him that it felt like a day for him.


    It was evening when Leo sensed some relief, his limbs and the rest of the body was no longer feeling as if it was under a sledge hammer. The door of the room was pushed open and he saw Snow coming in, and she was followed by Lily.


    The young lady saw him gathering his senses, and found him covered in sweat as she said, "I will clean you, just one minute."


    Snow was going inside the washroom to grab a pail and sponge, when Leo turned his head to the side properly and asked, "Lily, did you miss Baba?"


    As soon as he said this, Snow froze, and Lily jumped with excitement and exclaimed, "Ma, Baba called Lily! Baba talked to Lily!"


    Snow also forgot about the sponge, she rushed to the side of the bed and asked hurriedly, "Leo, say it again, can you, please."


    She did not realize that her words were all jumbled up. Leo smiled softly and said, "It has been hard for you, right, love."


    Snow covered her mouth and tears began to drip from her eyes. Lily climbed the bed and asked, "Baba, can you talk to Lily more?"


    Leo smiled and said, "Yes, what should we talk about? How about the things Lily learned in school today? Will you tell me?"


    Lily nodded happily and began to tell him about what she learned. Leo''s was still a bit raspy, but Snow could spend the rest of her life listening to him. The young lady watched the father and daughter talk for half an hour, before she realized that Leo was still covered in dry sweat. She said, "Lily, you go and take a bath, Ma will clean Baba."


    Lily looked at her in protest but Leo said, "Lily, Baba will talk to you after you have bathed. This is not a dream."


    Lily was very reluctant and Snow said, "Baby, Baba needs to clean up, see he has so much sweat on him."


    Lily sighed and then left the room. The house was a modest two bedroom unit, and Snow shared room with Lily. The young lady looked at Leo and then grabbed the sponge quickly to clean him. She had a vibrant smile on her face the entire time.


    She could sense Leo showing some strength in his movements, and after she was done cleaning, the young man asked, "Snow, where is this place?"


    Snow smiled and replied, "The Angor city."


    Leo frowned and asked, "Did they trouble you?"


    Snow shook her head and replied, "No, they cannot be bothered with me. Although life has been hard, I can still hold a good position in the school. My interaction with them is non existent."


    Leo nodded and then he took a deep breath as he closed his eyes. Snow patted his hand and said softly, "Do not think much, they will reap what they sowed."


    Leo opened his eyes, and Snow was surprised to see them red. The young man said, "They will pay for what they did. Lily deserves to be the successor of the legacy that her grandparents left behind. I will get it back for her, and I will settle all the accounts with them when I get better."


    Snow heard the resolve in his voice, and she knew that Leo would not give up even if she wanted him to live a normal life. Leo calmed down and he looked at her as he said, "Do not worry, I will not put you and Lily in trouble."


    Snow smiled and shook her head. She said, "Your condition is like this because of me, so it does not matter what you do, I will support you."


    Leo nodded gently. A few minutes later, Lily came over with a book in her hand. She wanted to talk a lot with Leo, the young man also smiled and accommodated her. Lily lay next to him and gave the book to Snow as she said, "Ma, you read us this book, I got it from Wayne."


    Leo asked with a raised brow, "Who is wayne?"


    Lily turned around and said, "Wayne is my friend, Baba. He is blonde and so handsome."


    Leo frowned and said, "Baba is also handsome, you know. Just wait, in a few days, you will be charmed."


    Lily and Leo began to bicker, and Snow had an amused expression on her face. She did not expect her husband to have such a strong possessive feeling for their daughter, and she was happy because of this.


    She opened the book, and began to read the story. Leo was surprised that this book was about cultivation, and then he looked at Snow with a doubtful gaze. Snow sensed his eyes and blushed, and she was about to say something when Lily said, "Baba, you should be like Shi Lang, strong and smart. Ma loves him."


    That said, she turned over, and put her arm over him as she fell asleep.


    Shi Lang was the protagonist of this story and he was a very strong cultivator. Leo looked at his wife and found her hiding her face behind the book. He couldn''t help but smile and said, "It''s okay, I also like Amelia."


    Snow was surprised but when she looked at Leo''s face, she understood that he was messing with her. She snorted and said, "I am going to cook."


    Leo was being fed on IV bags, and he was still not able to move around so he did not ask for food. Snow put the book on the side, and was about to lift Lily when Leo asked, "Can you let her stay here for some more time?"


    Snow was surprised but then she realized that Leo loved Lily and this was the first time she has been this close to him. All her life, Lily has only seen her father from a distance, and just recently Snow allowed her to touch Leo. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She nodded and left the room, Leo turned his gaze to the side and found Lily sleeping with her mouth slightly open, ''Ping: Your daughter wished for you to be strong, generating an attribute panel. All the attributes can be increased by working on them.''


    Leo saw a holographic panel appear in his vision.


    Name : Leo Cardinal


    Age : 24


    Level : Beginner Father


    Strength : -1


    Stamina : -1


    Intelligence : 5


    Speed : -5


    Skills : None


    Talent : You are a waste of space.


    Items : None


    After reading the last three attributes, Leo almost coughed up a mouthful of blood. Then he closed his eyes to sleep.


    ...


    Life during the last week was a roller coaster. Leo was now able to move his limbs but he was still too weak to do things like walking or sitting. He had a catheter attached to his genitals so he had to wait for Kaya to come and remove it.


    Soon, it was the end of the week, Kaya came over and when she entered the room to check Leo. She was shocked, "This is a miracle!"


    She exclaimed as soon as she saw Leo moving his head. With an excited smile, she held his hands and feet to check for movement and she was elated. After calming down, she said, "Leo, we can go to the hospital and you can get checked, I swear that after the data has been collected, you will not be held back as a medical subject."


    Leo looked at her and said, "I agree, but instead of the Hope Garden hospital, can you do these tests in the People''s first hospital?"


    Kaya was stunned but then she nodded and said, "Good, I will arrange it and we can get it done in the morning tomorrow."


    Leo nodded, he did not want to go to the big hospitals because of his history. His history was not simple to begin with.


    The next day he went through tests and the results were all comparable to that of a normal human. Only his muscles were degraded. Kaya told him to undergo physiotherapy and so they did. Leo knew that his wife did not earn that much and it was putting a strain on her. So the first thing he did after coming home was, he told her a secret, "Snow, come here, I want to talk to you about something."


    Snow sat next to him and asked, "What is it, honey?"


    Leo looked at her and said, "My dad used to give me a bulky pocket money, and I used to put half of it away in a secret account that was not under the knowledge of my family. After all that happened, I am sure that my accounts must have been frozen, but can you try and login to this one account and see if it is still working?"


    Snow nodded and was about to grab her laptop when Leo said, "No, go to the internet cafe, and check from there. If the account has been discovered and closed, your log in might ping them."


    The lady got worried but she still nodded and left the house. Lily asked, "Where is Ma going?"


    Leo smiled and said, "Ma is going to check something, how about Lily playing that word game with Daddy?"


    "Yay!" Lily cheered and the game began.


    Leo was also enjoying the game, but his stage was bigger than the small word game, he was going to play a game where he will change the world for his daughter.

 Chapter 3: Villa Reward.

    Chapter 3: Villa Reward.After an hour, Snow came back home and she found Lily frowning hard, while Leo had an amused expression on his face. He looked at Snow and gestured with his eyebrow.


    Snow smiled and came over to his side, she spoke in a low voice, "The account is accessible, but only one million is available for withdrawal. It says there that you have invested the rest of the funds in some policies and schemes that would still take some time to mature."


    Leo nodded and said, "Well, is that amount enough to pay off the debts or medical bills due?"


    Snow nodded and said, "It is enough to get you better physiotherapy, and I do not have much of a debt accumulation, these days, Doctor Kaya and her organization has helped us a lot."


    Leo nodded and said, "Let us do this, pay off the debt, book a physiotherapist to come home and help, and donate a small amount to Doctor Kaya''s organization."


    Snow nodded and Lily said, "Baba, I have a word."


    Leo looked and asked dotingly, "What is the word?"


    Lily replied confidently, "Millions." S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Snow was perplexed but Leo chuckled and said, "Little trickster, you picked up when your Ma said Million."


    Lily blushed a little but then she said, "No, Ma said million, and Lily said Millions, so my word is different, and I win."


    Leo chuckled and replied, "Fine, you win. What do you want?"


    Lily thought for a bit and said, "I want a big doll house."


    Leo smiled and said, "Good, we will order one now, and Baba will pay for it. It will be my first gift to my princess."


    Lily cheered, "Yay!"


    Then the trio began to search for a doll house on the internet, and after a couple of hours, Lily found a doll house that looked like a western manor and said, "Baba, this."


    The doll house was big enough to occupy half the living room. Snow frowned and said, "No, this is so big, where will we put it?"


    Leo was also thinking about this, but then he saw the expectant look in the eyes of his daughter, and he said, "We will decide about that when the doll house is delivered to us. For now, just order it. Worst comes to worst, we will open one room at a time."


    Lily nodded forcefully and hugged Leo as she said, "You are the best Baba."


    In Leo''s mind a notification went off, ''Ping, as a reward of buying a doll house for your daughter, and making her happy, you have obtained the property rights of the single family villa in North Star Community. The documents and the keys would be delivered to you within an hour.''


    Leo was surprised and asked, ''System, the source of this property transfer is legitimate, right?''


    ''Ping: Don''t worry host, it is all legitimate and you can accept it without any worries.''


    Leo sighed internally, although he had some reservations about the system and he was still doubtful, but it was what it was. He looked at Snow and said, "Snow, can I get some water."


    Snow quickly moved, and fetched him a glass of water, one hour passed in a blink, and the doorbell rang. Snow was surprised by the sudden sound and went to check who it was. Lily also followed her mother with curiosity, while Leo dozed in his wheelchair.


    Snow opened the door, and found a young blonde girl standing outside. She wore a corporate suit and her figure was curvy. Snow furrowed her brows and asked, "How can I help you?"


    The lady smiled politely and asked, "May I ask if Mr. Leo Cardinal lives here?"


    Snow nodded and replied, "He is my husband, what is this about?"


    The lady bowed and answered, "Hello, Ma''am, I am Anastasia Qubet, I am here on behalf of Trinity Real Estate. Mr. Cardinal has bought a single family villa from us in the North Star Community. I am here to hand over the purchase agreement and the property deed."


    Snow was shocked, and she invited Anastasia inside the house. She was humbled when she saw the modest decoration in her living room and blushed as she asked her to sit down, and looked at Leo who was dozing off, thinking when this guy even had the time and money to buy such an expensive property.


    Lily went close to her father and patted him lightly on his leg. Anastasia saw this and was surprised, she did not expect that the owner of such a prestigious property would be confined to a wheelchair, and look so pitiful.


    Snow caught this look in the eyes of the official and frowned, she disliked when people looked down on Leo.


    Leo opened his eyes, and looked at Snow in askance. The latter made the introductions and Leo turned his attention to Anastasia. Who noticed that despite being in a wheelchair, his eyes were sharp, which even surprised her. She regained her composure and said, "Greetings, Mr. Cardinal. Here are the documents, and I would need you to sign one final paper to assure that the handover has been completed."


    Leo nodded and read the documents slowly, before he nodded, and asked for a pen. Anastasia gave him a pen and Leo Cardinal signed his name on them. The official congratulated them and Snow asked her to stay for tea, but the lady declined and left stating that she had some work to do.


    Snow frowned, because she could sense that this was not the real reason. Leo was not a fool either, when he saw Snow getting upset he smiled and said, "Do not bother with her, in the future she will be nothing more than a passerby."


    Snow regained her smile and nodded, Lily asked, "What is this paper? It is so soft, can we make a boat with it."


    The lady''s face changed and she quickly collected the paper and looked at Lily and remarked, "My ancestor please do not make boats out of the property deed."


    Leo found this address funny and Lily asked innocently, "What is a proper deed."


    She could not pronounce property, and Leo said, "It is the ticket to enter a big house."


    Lily looked at her father and asked excitedly, "Really? Can we live in a big house?"


    Leo nodded and began to answer the questions his daughter asked, such as when will we go, what will we do there, who will be her friend, and what about school.


    The young man answered all the questions patiently before Lily went to her room to finish her homework. Snow came to Leo, and massaged his hands as she asked, "When did you get that house?"


    Leo smiled, he expected her to come and question, so he had prepared an answer already, and replied, "It was during my college, the Cardinal Family has always been business savvy, so, I bought this place when they had just started the project. It took five years for completion."


    Snow cast him a prolonged gaze and asked, "Leo Cardinal, how much more are you hiding from me?"


    Leo smiled and replied, "You will know in the future."


    Snow smiled and asked, "What do you think about this house? Should we move in there? I mean, we might have to cross paths with them, no?"


    Leo nodded and said, "We will have to cross paths eventually, however, unlike the past, this time I will not underestimate them. Everyone will pay for what they have done to me and my family."


    Snow shivered a bit and asked, "Leo, can you really not let go of it? What they did to you back then almost... Is it necessary?"


    Leo turned his head to look at her, Snow avoided his gaze but the young man said softly, "Snow, I do not blame you, because I know you are thinking for my well being. However, I assure you, that I will not do anything that I am not confident of or something that will put you two in danger.


    That being said, I have to be filial to my parents as well, I cannot just let these people walk away from their sins. My parents never harmed anyone, I only seek your understanding."


    Snow took a deep breath and said, "I understand, but I hope that you do not rush into the storm unprepared."


    Leo nodded and after asked Leo to bring him to his room. Tomorrow, the physiotherapy will begin and they will also move into the new house to begin their new life.


    Leo looked forward to the day where he could hold his daughter in his arms and do things for her, earn rewards and at the same time, avenge himself. Yes, he loved his daughter, but he knew where his limit was without the system.

 Chapter 4: North Star Community.

    Chapter 4: North Star Community.Time seemed to have grown wings, and Leo seemed to have replaced his blood for steroids. He was regaining his motor control back with every day of Physiotherapy and also with the help of his cute daughter.


    Every evening after school, Lily would come and ask Leo what he did in physiotherapy and also imitate the exercises that the doctor told him. Snow watched all this with great amusement, because the father and daughter would tease each other and yet they would smile at each other all the time.


    Sometimes Lily would act like she got upset and Leo would coax her, and try to make it up to her. After a week, Leo was able to walk with the help of a cane. Yes, the doctor himself was shocked, but when Kaya came over and told him that Leo had been confined to a bed with no hope of ever even raising his head, the guy understood that Leo was a miracle.


    At the end of the week, the doll house ordered for Lily was delivered, and Snow was thinking which part of the doll house they should assemble when Leo decided to put his foot down, and asked, "How about we take this to our new house and place it there? I am sure that place has a lot of space."


    Lily jumped and cheered, "Yes, Baba is the best."


    She dashed over, and then carefully got on the couch to kiss him on the cheek. Leo smiled and held her in his arms. Snow was surprised and asked, "Are we really moving there so fast?"


    Leo said, "It is our house, why would it be too fast to go there? In the next few days, they will be charging us for the maintenance facilities, while this place would also deduct rent. In my opinion, it is a waste of money to not move there."


    Snow thought and replied, "What you said, makes sense, so how do we do this? Should we go to that side and check what the condition there is like and then decide about the exact moving date?"


    Leo nodded, and said, "As you say."


    Snow then said, "Let''s get ready then."


    The people then began to change their clothes. Snow put on a white one piece dress with a pair of matching heels, and tied her hair into a bun, while Lily was dressed in a frock with black top and white lower.


    Leo wore a loose black shirt, and black pants, although the clothes looked a size too big on him, but with his hair tied in a bun, he looked like a rustic personality adding to his looks a bit. He had grown a shallow stubble and did not wish to shave it so quickly.


    He got an idea about how the system worked, so he decided to use all the opportunities he could find to milk it. The trio came out of the building, and Leo looked at his surroundings through the sunglasses on his nose. He had not been out for years now, even when they were going to the hospital, he was taken in an ambulance.


    This was his first outing, and while they waited for the cab, he looked around, as he suddenly said, "Is this the southern suburbs?"


    Snow nodded and asked, "Do you remember this place?"


    Leo shook his head and said, "Not much, but that tower you see, that was made by the Cardinal Infra."


    He used his chin to point at a tall skyscraper in the distance. Snow nodded and stayed silent. A few moments later, a taxi stopped before them. Snow opened the back door, and the family of three got inside.


    Leo said, "Master, North Star Community please."


    The master was surprised for a second, but then he nodded and drove away. Lily would sit very quietly and Leo asked, "Lily, are you excited for the new place?"


    Lily replied softly, "Yes, Baba."


    Leo was surprised to see that Lily was acting so refined and asked, "Baby, what happened? Are you upset?"


    Lily shook her head and replied with a faint smile, "Ma said, good ladies should be polite and reserved when outside."


    Leo was stunned, even the taxi driver was taken aback, and then the young man chuckled, as he asked, "And why is that?"


    Lily said, "Ma said, there are many reasons, one is to prevent people from making fun of us, and second is to prevent people with bad intentions taking advantage of us."


    Leo looked at Snow who felt embarrassed, and realized that it was not something that she taught Lily, but the child was imitating her mother. Snow had been living frugally, never spending much on her own skin care, and other things. Lily watched them and developed similar habits, and was now even imitating Snow''s behavior as well.


    He raised his hand to pat her head before he said, "It''s okay, in the future, you can act like how you want to."


    Lily raised her head, and asked, "Really?"


    Leo smiled and nodded as he said, "Really."


    The driver said, "Little brother seemed to be very doting with the princess."


    The middle-aged man was smiling and Leo replied, "Yes."


    A child and two grown ups in the back bantered all the way to the gates of the North Star Community. The guard on the entrance came out of his cottage, and stopped the taxi. The driver lowered the glass and the guard said, "Commercial Vehicles are not allowed."


    Leo leaned forward and said, "I am an owner in this community, you can check the owner''s group."


    The driver and the guard, both were shocked, and Leo said, "My name is Leo Cardinal, I own unit number 06."


    The guard looked at the confident young man in the back and said, "Please give me a moment, Sir."


    He dashed back inside the cottage and picked up a tablet, sure enough the details were confirmed and the guard was shocked. He broke out in cold sweat, thankfully he did not try to dismiss this guy for being crazy.


    He went back and said, "Sir, you can take the caddy provided by the community but cabs are not allowed inside."


    Leo nodded and asked, "Master, I apologize but such are the rules. How much do I need to pay you?"


    The man mentioned a figure and Snow paid the bill before the trio got off the cab. The guard then assigned a junior guard, and had him drive the caddy back to the core area where Villa number 6 was located. The community was very mildly decorated, but Leo knew that this place was very luxurious.


    Only the truly rich people preferred to live in such places. They did not like to show off too much. Leo nodded internally when he saw this place, although, it did not stand anywhere in comparison to the Cardinal Mansion where he lived in the past but it was better than a small apartment.


    The journey in the caddy was calm and well paced. Lily looked at the vibrant atmosphere, and remarked, "This is a good place, very nice flowers they have planted here."


    Leo smiled and said, "Then how about we also plant some in our garden?"


    Lily nodded and said, "Baba, I want to do it myself, you can help me."


    Snow patted the little melon and said, "Daddy will do it for you, and you will help him. What if you hurt yourself?"


    Lily pouted and Leo said, "Well, how about this? Lily can select which flowers she wants and we will plant them, and Lily will be the supervisor."


    The little girl asked, "Baba, what is a supervisor?"


    Leo replied gently, "The one who makes sure that the others have done their job well."


    Lily exclaimed, "Then I get to be your boss? Like Miss Wanda is to Teacher Cleo? So cool. Hahaha, I will scold you."


    Leo and Snow chuckled along with the little troublemaker. The guard said, "Sir, this is Villa Number 6." S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo nodded, and the family of three got off the caddy and they entered the villa, with a key Snow took out. Lily watched the place with her eyes wide open and she exclaimed, "This is so beautiful."


    Before them stood a two floor single family villa. Snow took a deep breath, and looked at Leo with a smile. The young man reciprocated the gesture and they walked in to explore their future nest.

 Chapter 5: Queen & Chariot.

    Chapter 5: Queen & Chariot.Leo and Snow entered the house holding the hands of their daughter, and Lily burst with joy, she ran around like a little butterfly fluttering in the garden full of flowers. The young man smiled and said, "Snow, can you go with Lily, I have seen this place earlier, now I want to rest a little."


    Snow nodded and Leo sat down on the couch, while the mother and daughter moved around the house, Leo leaned back on the couch and thought, ''System, bring up the attribute panel.''


    Name : Leo Cardinal


    Age : 24


    Level : Beginner Father


    Strength : 2


    Stamina : 1


    Intelligence : 6


    Speed : -1


    Skills : None


    Talent : You are a waste of space.


    Items : None


    The young man took a deep breath. Although he has improved a lot, it was not even close to what he wanted to achieve, even basic humans had stats that were way better than him. These days, as he improved, the progress slowed down a lot.


    After a few minutes, Lily came back and sat down next to him as she panted. Snow followed behind her slowly, and Leo asked, "Lily, did you like it?"


    Lily replied, "Yes, baba, it is so big. We have a big garden in the back, and I want the room across from you and ma, so that I can rush in when I want to. I will place all my toys in my room, on the side, and that tea table too, we will have a tea party."


    Leo smiled and gazed at his daughter dotingly. Snow also listened to the little bird chirp beside her, before she said, "Leo, we can give away some stuff from the old house, and bring some of the stuff that we need."


    Leo nodded and said, "We will do as you say."


    Snow and Lily talked, and Leo provided some inputs regarding the decoration and stuff. After some time, Snow said, "Lily will have a week off for the spring festival next week, then we can move in here. What do you say?"


    Leo nodded and said, "It is fine, also, can we take her to visit my parents?"


    Snow smiled and said, "Yes."


    The family spent a few hours inside the house, and then they left after calling a cab at the door of the community. Leo was tired by this commute, but he did not complain. When they reached home, Leo lay in his bed, and fell asleep.


    Lily stood beside her mother, as she cooked dinner, and asked, "Ma, when will Baba get fine?"


    Snow replied calmly, "It will be slow, but he will be fine very soon baby."


    Lily nodded but then she said, "Can I take him to my father''s day meeting in the school?"


    Snow replied, "If he is medically fine, then, yes."


    Lily nodded with a smile and said, "I will pray to the goddess that Baba gets better soon."


    ...


    One more week passed quickly, before the family prepared to move out. Snow gave away the medical equipment in the house to Dr. Kaya, and Leo walked out of the house with a cane. His steps were a bit stronger than last week, and his face looked healthier as well.


    The young man took a deep breath, and thanked Kaya with a slight bow. Kaya shook her head and helped him up. She said, "Leo, Snow has suffered a lot, now that you are recovering, I wish you both happiness and look after each other."


    Leo smiled and replied, "Thank you, Doctor. I will make sure that she has a better life."


    The people from the building, who knew Snow, came forward, and wished them well, while Leo just smiled silently. He did not know anyone here, everyone only knew Snow and Lily. They got in the car, and the movers followed behind them.


    Lily looked at a toy chariot. She said smilingly, "Baba, you know, Ma said to me that one day a prince will come to find me on a white horse."


    Leo looked at Snow and said, "What are you thinking, teaching her all this?"


    Snow chuckled and Leo looked at Lily and said, "Baby, why do you want a prince? Who knows how many princesses he has?"


    Lily opened her eyes in surprise and asked, "Then Baba, what should I do?"


    Leo smiled and said while brushing her hair, "Grow up to be brilliant, and become a queen. The prince will bow to you."


    Snow was surprised and wanted to say something, "Then Baba, how many princesses do you have?"


    Leo was left speechless, and Snow raised her eyebrow as she said, "Now answer."


    The young man took the challenge, and said, "Your mom is the Queen and I am a King. I have only one Princess, and that is you. I bow to your mother, and then you. A king is better than a prince."


    As he said this, the young man replied with a smug expression on his face. Snow clicked her tongue and remarked, "Sneaky."


    Lily had a thoughtful expression on her face. After some minutes, she said, "If Ma is a Queen, and she gets you. Then I will get a King as well."


    Leo leaned back in the seat while the cab driver and Snow erupted in laughter, and while bantering, they reached the North Star Community. The guards were already informed of their arrival and they took them inside. The movers and packers were also allowed inside.


    Snow coordinated the work with the laborers, while Leo watched over Lily and told her fun stories, making the girl chuckle every few minutes, until she gradually fell asleep with her head in his lap.


    Snow watched the two and shook her head with a faint smile, both the people had a habit of sleeping with their mouths slightly open. She finished paying the people, and then went inside the kitchen to use some basic ingredients to make a soup and noodles, while she boiled a few eggs for Leo.


    The father and daughter pair woke up as they smelled the food, and Snow poked the noses of both the people and said, "Greedy ghosts."


    The house was radiating with a warm energy. Night came quickly and the trio slept in the same bed for the first time. Leo looked at Snow and Lily who were sleeping beside him, and thought, ''I will not let you two suffer as long as I have a breath left in my body.''


    After a bit, he gradually fell asleep.


    ...


    The next morning, Leo woke up to a loud cry. He sat up in the bed, due to his weak physical fitness his brain reacted slower than it optimally would. He walked out of the room and found Lily crying in distress while Snow was trying to calm her down.


    He rushed up to her and asked, "Baby what happened."


    Leo had not gained proper mobility, so he directly sat down beside Lily and asked her with concern. Snow saw him, and she said, "Lily, see Baba is here, please calm down." S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lily was bawling, and did not hear it. Leo gently patted her head and asked, "Lily, baby, tell me what happened? Are you okay? Did you get hurt, sweetheart?"


    Lily fell in his arms while crying hard. She said while trying to breathe hard, "Baba, my chariot broke. It was the first toy mom gave me."


    Leo sighed and patted her back gently as he said, "By the time you come back from school, Baba will fix the toy."


    After a few minutes of cajoling, Lily calmed down, and went to school with a pair of red eyes, and although Snow did not say anything, it was the first toy she ever bought for Lily, she was saddened as well, but with her maturity she did not mind.


    The chariot was made of clay and it was very delicate. Leo sat on the couch after he sent the two away with his eyes, as they did not want him to come out and get tired. The wind in the morning was a bit cold, and so, Leo was told to stay inside.


    The young man picked up the pieces of the toy, and tried to put them together, but he found that some fragments couldn''t be realigned. He thought about what to do, and then the system notified, ''Ping: Host, in order to enable you to complete the wishes of your daughter, the system is giving you the skills of a master potter, and you can use the clay to mold a chariot on your own.''


    Leo sensed blood rush to his mind as information began to pour in and when he adjusted his state of mind, he almost wanted to cry the tears of blood as it would need him to do a lot of manual work which was a bit hard for him.


    ''Ping: Host, it is about the trust your daughter puts in you. So, please try to work hard.''


    Leo sighed and then he picked up the new phone that Snow got him the other day, and looking through some shopping applications, he ordered a pack of clay which would be delivered by noon, and in the meantime, he decided to check on a few people from his past.

 Chapter 6: Hard Work Is Rewarding.

    Chapter 6: Hard Work Is Rewarding.While waiting for the delivery, the young man used the phone to look for the people from his past. He used the mobile phone to search for the news, and he typed a name, "Echo Cardinal."


    The next second, Leo found what he was looking for. Echo Cardinal was his cousin, born to the second son of the Cardinal family, his Uncle, Vincent Cardinal. It was Echo who pushed him in his current situation. Leo hated this person the most because in the greed to control the Cardinal family, this scumbag was used by the others.


    From the news, Leo could see that in the past three years, the Cardinal Family was reduced to just a shell of what it was in the past. Echo Cardinal loved vanity and in the past few months, he has been incurring losses, because his allies ditched him.


    Leo looked up for the so-called allies of the Cardinal family, and he spent two hours only researching what they have been up to these days. As he was getting deep into the research, the doorbell rang. Leo took a deep breath as he stood up from the ground and with the support of his cane, he walked up to the door.


    Outside, there was a community employee, who was responsible for collecting the deliveries from the main gate outside, and then bringing them to the owner, this was a security measure.


    Leo thanked the person and asked him to put the big carton inside the garage and unpacked the things slowly, and began working. He kneaded the clay with his hands and made a few balls, before covering them up with plastic to keep them moist.


    Leo wiped the sweat on his forehead and then he began to make slabs and cut them out. With the information that the system gave him, these things seemed easier to do, but Leo understood why the system gave him this skill. Pottery required patience, and the art of learning to let go.


    Leo had a faint smile on his face as he began to work. He matched the dimensions of the chariot perfectly and then made wheels separately. The original toy could not move, but Leo wanted this one to move, and after he was done with the chariot.


    He decided to use his skills to fix the old one as well. After all, the new one was a gift from him, but the original was a gift from Snow, and Lily loved her mother as well, that was why the child was crying so much in the morning.


    Leo was tired, and his face had turned pale but he wanted Lily to be happy. He took his lunch in the garage as well, and went back to work. The clay did not need to be put in the kiln, it dried under the air on its own.


    Leo then took time to paint it with acrylic paints and finally sprayed it with a coat of clear resin that dries up quickly. It was four in the evening when he finished the whole thing and brought the chariot inside to the living room. He sat in the rocking chair by the window, with the chariot placed on a small table before him.


    However, because he was so tired, gradually, he fell asleep. Leo did not even realize when Snow and Lily came back home.


    ...


    Snow opened the door and Lily walked inside slowly, apparently she was still upset. Snow came inside and called for Leo, "Leo..."


    The man did not reply, so she changed her shoes and was about to go into the bedroom, when she found him sleeping in the rocking chair. She sighed in relief, because Leo was fine, she knew that he was still very frail and so she was worried about him.


    Suddenly, she noticed the identical chariots placed on the small table, and a smile appeared on her face, she sighed and said, "Lily, my darling, look Baba made you the toy like he promised. Don''t be upset anymore love."


    Lily raised her head, and followed Snow''s finger, before she dashed over to the table and slowly approached her sleeping father. Snow wanted to stop her but the girl gently held Leo''s hand.


    Leo woke up from the touch and groggily raised his head to look around and smiled at Lily as he said, "Are you back, my love? Baba, made you a chariot, it moves as well."


    Snow felt her eyes stinging as she wiped the water that was about to drip. She could sense how tired Leo was, and yet he was so patient with Lily that it touched her heart. All these years while she was looking after him, Snow had been wondering if Leo would ever blame her for what he suffered, or would he resent her for this.


    However, when he woke up, with each passing day, she found that Leo was unlike what she thought he would be. She calmed her mind before walking over to the pair and picking up the toy that Leo made, she was surprised, she did not expect him to have such a skill, and smiled.


    She asked, "I did not expect you to be so talented."


    Leo looked at her with a doting expression and asked, "So, did you fall in love with me because I used to look good?"


    Snow acted shocked and asked, "How did you figure that out?"


    The couple fell silent before laughing a little. Lily inspected the toy and carefully spun the wheels before exclaiming, "They moved."


    Leo told her that he made moving wheels because this chariot belonged to his princess and that she should take it out to ride in battles.


    Lily looked at him and crossed her little arms across her before replying, "Baba, you are so silly, why would Lily need to go to war? Even if I do, how will I fit on this small thing? Where will I find the horses?"


    Leo and Snow were shocked before they laughed again, and the atmosphere became harmonious. After dinner, Lily went to sleep holding the Chariot, and Snow came to her own bedroom, to find Leo. The young man was half asleep when Snow came to his side and gently said, "Don''t work so hard. What if something happened?"


    Leo replied softly, "It is all worth seeing you two smile. That is all that I need."


    Snow sighed and shook her head as she held his hand and fell asleep. Following next morning, Leo began to use pottery as a means of exercise, and craft many things.


    It was the third day when Lily came back from the school with her mother, and sat down beside Leo as she said, "Baba, you know, Wayne''s mother is a live streamer, she got a new car. He is such a show-off, I don''t like him."


    Leo looked at her scrunched expression and held her little face in his hands gently and said, "Good that you do not like Wayne, we will get a car soon as well. Come let us select one right now." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That said, he took out his mobile and the two people began to see cars. Snow turned her head from the kitchen and watched two heads bobbing together on the phone screen and shook her head thinking, ''These two really are blood relatives.''


    After a few minutes, Lily selected three cars, and Leo nodded, complimenting that his daughter was just like him, and knew what cars were good. He pecked her on the cheeks and Lily hugged him as they both mingled with each other.


    ''Ping: Host, your daughter likes three cars. To fulfill your daughter''s wishes, please work hard as a streamer, and reach the milestone of one thousand subscribers to get one of the cars that she liked.''


    Leo smiled and understood that in order to become an Almighty Father, he had to work hard and the system would not give him just anything for free, and he liked it. People would be grateful for the things that they worked hard for.

 Chapter 7: Daddy’s Molding A Car Is Online.

    Chapter 7: Daddy''s Molding A Car Is Online.The next day, Lily and Snow left for work and Leo was left alone at home, again. The young man finished his physiotherapy and sent off the attendant before he went to the garage thinking about how to become a streamer.


    Another thing that he needed to think about was what would he stream? As he was pondering on the question, he looked at the clay before him and decided to stream some pottery and clay sculpting.


    He downloaded the app, and turned on the streaming app, he positioned the camera at his workstation and hid his face. In the garage there was a table that has become his workstation.


    Leo started streaming, but he did not get much traffic, not that he expected the channel to explode from the get go and started kneading the clay.


    ...


    A teenage girl was scrolling through the new stream channels to kill boredom when she found a pair of hands kneading the clay very skillfully. The visual effect was very satisfying and after watching it for a few seconds, she checked the name of the channel and chuckled.


    Her roommate was also bored and asked, "Ting, what are you watching?"


    Ting replied, "There is a channel and the person is kneading clay, I think, but the channel name is so funny."


    The friend leaned over and asked, "What is it?"


    Ting replied with a smile, "Daddy''s Molding A Car."


    The other girl also smiled and she said, "Ask him what he is doing."


    The girl opened the comment section and sent a message.


    ...


    Leo was kneading the clay when he heard a notification sound and found a viewer on his channel. He was surprised but when he saw the question floating on the screen, he replied, "I have some skill for pottery and clay sculpting, so I thought about streaming and earning money. Thank you for coming over, well, how about this, since you are the first viewer, I will sculpt something that you like. Tell me."


    ...


    Ting and her friend were surprised, she looked at her friend and then replied, "Sculpt a butterfly."


    ...


    Leo looked at the prompt and replied, "Okay, I will explain to you what I am doing as I sculpt. If you like the stream then please like the channel, after all, I have to buy my daughter a car."


    Then he began to use various tools from the kit and began to tell the girls what he was doing. The two of them were captivated by the moves, and the slow but satisfying process of how an irregular ball of clay was turning into a butterfly. Leo said, "You see, the clay I am using is called air dry clay, the sculpture will dry in a few minutes when left alone, and then we can color it, and in the end, two coats of resin spray will preserve the paint and add gloss to it."


    ...


    Ting saw the whole process and began to communicate with the comments. Leo did not hide anything, he told her where to get the clay and the things that someone should keep in mind when they are just starting with it.


    Ting''s friend asked, "Ask him how he got into it."


    Leo made something up, "I used to be a naughty child, and many times broke my mother''s precious china vases, and sculptures. So, one day as a punishment she got me into the classes to understand how much hard work is put behind this, and so that''s how I got into it."


    While they were talking the butterfly dried and Leo picked up the paints to color the butterfly, and then sprayed resin on it. He used a blow gun to dry the resin quickly and showed it to the camera.


    ...


    Ting''s friend said, "Ask him if he is willing to sell it to us."


    Ting said, "We should give him a gift, and then ask in a nice way, Ellen. He is a new streamer, and asking him to give his work to us is not nice."


    Ellen nodded in agreement.


    ...


    Leo was looking at the butterfly when he saw a notification on the screen. A flower bloomed there, and a text appeared, ''Ting gifted you with a flower.''


    Leo was surprised and said, "Thank you, for your gift. It means a lot. Please subscribe to the stream so you can receive a notification in the future, and if you come back next time, I will make something you ask me to."


    That said, he was about to disconnect the stream, when Ting asked, "Host, would you be giving away the things you make in the future?"


    Leo smiled and said, "Yes, when I reach a thousand subscribers, I will give away the first ten objects I made for free."


    Ting commented on 666 and Leo disconnected the stream and went inside the house to have his lunch and order more clay for his future streams and also ordered a kiln to brisque.


    Leo went inside the house and ate his lunch. The rest of the day was boring, in the evening Lily and Snow came back home. The warmth of the family was a precious thing for Leo and he loved when Lily would come home and tell him about how her day was, and what she learned and chat with him.


    Snow was resting beside them and asked, "Honey, how was your day? We both go out and you stay at home. Are you not bored?"


    Leo smiled and replied, "No, I am not bored, today I started to stream my pottery and sculpting skills on the Star Chaser Platform."


    Snow was surprised and asked, "That is a surprise, what did you make?"


    Leo smiled and pointed at the butterfly on the table. Lily was surprised and Leo said, "Baby, you can play with it but be careful. It is a give away gift. When I reach one thousand subscribers, I will give it to one of them."


    Lily nodded and inspected the butterfly before she said, "Baba, I also want to learn this."


    Leo smiled and replied, "Well then on Sunday I will teach you."


    Lily cheered and after dinner the trio turned in.


    ...


    In the national university, Ting was talking to her friends about the stream. The girls found it very childish, but when Ting played the video they found that it was interesting.


    Many heads bowed and looked at the screen while they heard Leo talking slowly. At this moment, one person came over and asked, "What is going on here?"


    Ting raised her head and said, "Good that you came, Mel, can you inspect this video and tell us something about it." S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ellen on the side replied, "Oh, yeah, Mel is learning ceramics. She must know how much of what this guy said is true."


    Mel was a blonde and could be called beautiful. She was pursuing fine arts, and was forced to audit the video. However, shortly after, she exclaimed, "The heck where did you find this guy? Do you know who he is?"


    Ting shook her head and said, "No, I don''t know, it just popped up on my feed when I was scrolling, is it bad?"


    Mel shook her head like a rattle and said, "No, this is good, so good that even Ivan would have to work hard to match the standard, here see this."


    She began to tell them about what she perceived from this video and said, "It is very helpful and enlightening to me. Give me the link to this room, I will subscribe and learn from him to flex at my classmates."


    Ting and the rest of the girls chuckled before the former told Mel about the give away, and Mel said, "Girls, I think we all should subscribe to his channel, even if you are not learning pottery or ceramics, you will find it very soothing to watch. This is almost like therapy."


    Then Ting shared the link and all the people began to subscribe to the channel one after the other, and the word spread. The video was shared in their family groups as well.


    The elders at home loved watching such things, and they easily subscribed to the channels as well.


    ...


    In the morning, Leo woke up, took the delivery of the clay and asked the people to set up the electric kiln in a corner. The website was very efficient, they delivered the goods within twelve hours, and the quality also did not have a low standard either.


    In the afternoon, Leo turned on the stream and he was surprised when he found that he gained hundred subscribers in a night. After thinking about it, he mumbled, "Maybe it is the protagonist halo."


    Then he sat down on the chair, and began streaming for the day. Same as yesterday, he pointed the camera at the workstation and kneaded the clay while waiting for the people to join the stream. He wondered what the people would ask him to make today.


    ...


    Ting received a notification, ''Bing: Daddy''s Molding A Car Is Online, Join the stream now!''

 Chapter 8: Troubled Lily.

    Chapter 8: Troubled Lily.Ting was in class, she quickly took out her wireless earpods, put one of them inside her ear, and opened the stream. She was not alone, a few other girls also joined in and began to listen in to what Leo was talking about.


    On the other side of the campus, Mel also received the notification and opened her streaming app as she was sitting leisurely in the class. They did not have much going on today as the teacher was absent.


    Her deskmate looked at her and asked, "Mel, what are you watching?"


    Mel showed the screen and the others also became interested, they wanted her to share the phone when the girl said, "You guys, subscribe to his channel if you want to watch, why bother me. Shoo."


    The boys and girls chuckled and all took out their phones and subscribed to the channel.


    ...


    Leo saw more people joining in on the stream and said with a smile, "Welcome to all the newcomers, well, I have just finished wedging the clay, so if you wish to see that, kindly wait till the next session. This brings us to the next question, what would you like me to make for you today?"


    Mel quickly typed, ''You made a butterfly yesterday, how about you make some flowers today?''


    Leo looked at the prompt and said, "Okay, I will make a few flowers then."


    He began with his work and the audience were captivated. He began to explain things as well, and he showed them various methods and styles of making flowers from clay. His speed was steady and his voice was calm, everyone who watched the video learned a lot.


    ...


    Mel did not know that her teacher came up and was standing behind her, with her eyes fixed to the screen. After half an hour, when Leo finished making all the flowers he picked up a circular cardboard and used scissors to refine its shape as he said, "Sometimes we do not have space to put big sculptures, so at a time like that we can use a wooden or a ceramic tile to make three dimensional objects on them. The process of making flowers on a tile is very interesting."


    Then he used a spatula to mix his clay with water and made a slurry kind of mix of it, before he began to use it and make flowers and ferns.


    Mel''s teacher commented, "What a wonderful use of spatula. As if a painter had been given a brush and is drawing a beautiful woman."


    Mel and the rest of the students nodded before they turned around and were shocked to see their teacher, they instinctively turned off the screens, when the middle-aged lady frowned and said to Mel, "I am still watching, turn it on."


    Mel was surprised but she did as she was told. The teacher nodded and sat down beside him. She said, "You all are getting extra classes, I will not mind that, but don''t take advantage of this person. He is streaming to make a living, so you should pay him in some way to help him. Understood?"


    Mel and the rest replied, "Yes, Madam Florence."


    ...


    Leo sighed as he finished with the clean up and said, "Well, cleaning up the workstation is also very important, and this brings us to the end of this stream. I am grateful for you all to sit along and watch me do my thing. I hope you liked the stream, if you did, please share the channel and ask your friends to join. When we reach a thousand subscribers, we will hold a give away, and the objects made during the first ten streams will be given away for free."


    As soon as he said this, his screen flooded with gifts. Leo did not show his face but thanked the people with sincerity and turned off the stream.


    He did not know that on the other side, Madam Florence had also joined the subscriber list and sent the two videos to her peers, and said, "What do you old lot think? This person seems very young but today I learned something from him."


    ...


    Leo rested till the evening, as he did not color his flowers today, because he wanted to wait for Lily to come and help him with it. The little one had expressed that she wanted to color the things with him so he obliged.


    In the evening, the kiln that he ordered also arrived and the technician helped him arrange it in a corner. The young man thanked the technician and gave him a small tip as well.


    Then he waited for the two ladies to come back, and when they did his heart bloomed. However, he found that his daughter was not her cheery self and asked, "Lily, what happened? Did anyone say anything to you?"


    Snow smiled and Leo asked her with a gesture and she shook her head to leave the living room to change her clothes, leaving the two of them to handle it on their own.


    Lily raised her head and said, "Baba, am I fat?"


    Leo raised his brows and then shook his head as he asked, "Why do you ask so?" S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lily looked down at the floor and asked in a quivering tone, "Today I asked Wayne to be my friend, and he said that he does not want to be my friend because Lily is fat. The whole class made fun of me."


    Leo saw her tears falling on the ground and his heart palpitated. He reached out and pulled her in an embrace as he said, "No, Lily is not fat. Wayne is mean, tomorrow, Baba will go to school with you, and then I will talk to your teacher about this. How dare they tease my baby like this."


    For some unknown reason, he felt very annoyed and angry when he thought about this. Snow came back and said, "I already talked to the teacher, but they said that children need to be molded slowly, they will make sure nothing like this happens again."


    Lily was sobbing and said, "Liam has always been saying that I don''t have a father, and if I complain to the teacher they all call me a tattletale. I don''t want to go to school anymore, they are bad people."


    Snow opened her eyes wide, and asked, "When did this happen? Why didn''t you tell me?"


    Lily said, "When Baba was sick. EEE...."


    She was bawling louder with every minute passing by, Leo raised his hand to stop Snow and began to coax Lily but his eyes were burning with rage. The students might be children and unaware of the gravity of their words but how can teachers ignore such a thing?


    At this moment, Leo realized that he didn''t even know the name of his daughter''s school. He looked up at his wife and asked, "What school does Lily go to?"


    He was embarrassed that he neglected such a thing but then again his condition never allowed him to care about such things. Snow replied, "Daffodils. It''s located near the old neighborhood."


    Leo nodded and said, "Tomorrow, I will take Lily to school."


    Snow hesitated but then she nodded, and the young man coaxed Lily by telling her to calm down as he had a surprise for her. The little girl asked what it was, and Leo led her to the garage, where the two of them painted the flowers together, and Lily cheered up a little.


    Leo carefully taught her and when she made a mistake, he patiently fixed it while explaining things to her calmly and also praised her when she did good.


    Leo sighed when he looked at his daughter and said, "Lily, tomorrow, let us go to meet your grandparents on the way back."


    Lily nodded with a smile and said, "Mom said that last time we could not go because you could not travel much. This time we will take cookies for them."


    Leo nodded and sent her back inside the house as he applied a coat of resin on the objects, before following Lily.


    ...


    In the morning, Leo put on a black shirt, grey pants and a pair of leather shoes with a watch on his hand. The watch looked minimalist but it was a luxury item. It was a keepsake of his father, and the shoes on his feet were also from the time when he was rich so they were of decent quality too.


    If someone was to see him, they would find that Leo was a dashing young man and the aura he radiated was also very noble.


    Snow saw him coming out of the dressing room and she was surprised, for a moment, she was dazed thinking about the first time she saw Leo. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks. The young man was walking slowly, but he had given up on the cane.


    His daily workout in the therapy had increased his endurance slightly below a normal person.


    Lily came out dressed in a black shirt and grey shorts. She also had black shoes on her feet and a white watch on her wrist. The father daughter duo looked so much like each other in their mannerism that Snow could not help but feel emotional and her eyes turned watery.


    Leo and Lily approached her and the young man asked, "Snow, what happened?"


    The lady shook her head and hugged him as she whispered, "Thank god for having mercy on us. Thank god for you recovering."


    Leo smiled gently and said, "Thank you, for never giving up on me, Love."


    Lily looked at the two of them and said, "Can you adults do this later? I will be scolded if we are late Baba."


    Snow and Leo broke the hug and chuckled at the little one''s words, and Leo bowed his head and said, "Lead the way, Young Miss Cardinal."


    Lily raised her head and said, "Please hold my bag and follow me."


    The two set out leaving Snow chuckling behind as she also prepared to head to her job.

 Chapter 9: Vanquishing Demons For The Little Darling.

    Chapter 9: Vanquishing Demons For The Little Darling.A skinny youth held hands of a toddler doll as they walked down the sidewalk heading to the gates of the community, from where they hailed a cab and headed to Lily''s school.


    The young man looked at Lily and found that she did not seem to be her usual cheery self. Leo held her small hand and said, "Baby, I told you that day that you should not be overly sensible, Baba is here to take care of everything now."


    Lily raised her head to look at him and nodded but she did not say much. She was just three years old, but she had developed maturity beyond her age. It was true that tragedy made people grow up quickly.


    ''Ping: Host please dispel the concerns in the mind of your daughter.''


    Leo did not know what the reward would be but since he figured out the way the system worked, he realized that it would be something related to schooling only. He nodded as he patted the little jade hand on his thigh.


    After twenty minutes, the two stood in front of the school building. There were many parents who were dropping off their children. Leo held Lily''s hand and was about to go inside the school premise when a middle-aged woman walked over and said, "Lily, you are late again."


    Leo frowned, he checked his watch and said, "Excuse me, who are you? How can you say that we are late when we are clearly ten minutes earlier before the class should start?"


    He did not lower his voice, and many parents looked over to them. The middle-aged woman raised her gaze and asked curtly, "Who are you?"


    Leo''s gaze turned cold, how could he not see the rude behavior of this lady? He said calmly and indifferently, "Leo Cardinal, father of Lily Cardinal. Now, who might you be?"


    The lady replied, "I am Bartha Scholes, Lily is in my class."


    Leo did not bother and asked, "Why did you say that we are late?"


    Bartha Scholes replied, "It is Lily''s duty to clean the class today."


    Leo narrowed his gaze and asked, "Since when did pre-kindergarten students need to clean the classes?"


    Many parents looked over, and one of them said, "This brother, you seem to be new, this school has a practice where they teach the students to be responsible and cleaning duty is assigned to groups every week."


    Leo nodded and asked Lily, "Baby, who else is in your group?"


    Lily hesitated and wanted to say something when Bartha interrupted, "Sir, you are delaying everyone. Can you please ask her this later?"


    Leo raised his head and cast a cold gaze over at her, which shocked Bartha. He said, "I am not stopping anyone, they are free to go inside and attend the class, also, this is pre-kindergarten. Is it necessary to impose such strong and harsh parameters to discipline children? Are you running a military organization?"


    Bartha did not know how to talk to this unreasonable person. She wanted to say something when Leo asked her, "As the class teacher, are you aware that your students have been teasing my daughter, repeatedly calling her fat, and telling her that she doesn''t have a father?"


    Bartha''s face changed and so did the other parents who were present at the place. She impatiently said, "Don''t make trouble here, none of the children in my class act wild like this. It is your daughter who is lying for your attention."


    Lily tightened her grip on her father''s palm tightly and her tears fell down. Leo sensed this, and crouched down. He could sense that other parents had begun whispering to each other while looking at them. He wiped the tears off her cheeks and said, "Lily, we did not give up when Baba was sick, right? Then why are you crying when you did not do anything wrong? I trust that you would never lie to Baba about anything, tell me, did you tell your teacher about the teasing?"


    Lily raised her head, and she found Leo looking at her with a smile, and she nodded before she started bawling and said, "She put me in a group with Wayne and Darlon, they both bully me, they also broke the chariot that you made for me. They do not help me in cleaning at all. I told her but she told me to go away. She said that they were not lying and I was abandoned by my father."


    Bartha''s face changed and when the parents saw Lily crying they were confused. Bartha yelled, "Little bitch, how dare you lie?"


    Leo stood up from the ground and asked coldly, "What did you just call my child?"


    Bartha froze, when a tiny voice sounded, "Uncle, Lily is not lying."


    A young boy spoke, and beside him stood a strong man in his early thirties. He was surprised and asked, "Theo, what are you talking about?"


    Theo said, "Dad, Miss Bartha favors Wayne, and does not punish him when he bullies others. He also snatched my pencils the other day but Miss Bartha did not say anything. She said it is just a pencil and I should not mind such things."


    Probably infected by Theo''s courage, another little girl stepped up and said, "Uncle, yesterday Lily showed us the chariot you made for her, and Wayne asked her to give it to him. Lily said that she will not give because Wayne is not her friend.


    Wayne said if she gives it to him, he will be her friend. Lily then gave him the chariot and Wayne threw it on the ground. Lily complained but Miss Bartha said that it was her fault to bring such a delicate thing to school."


    Leo turned to look at the teacher, and then he asked, "Where is the principal''s office?"


    Bartha did not have any slightest hesitation on her face, and said, "There." as she pointed at a room on the side.


    Leo held Lily''s hand and walked over to the Principal''s office with other people in queue. They all wanted to create a drama but Leo was so calm that it shocked them. When they reached the principal''s office a mature old man was sitting behind a table, Leo nodded to him and said, "I am Lily''s father, I would like to withdraw her name from your school."


    The principal was surprised and asked, "What is the matter?"


    Leo replied calmly, "We have moved away from the area, and the commute takes a long time. I hope you can complete the process quickly."


    The principal frowned and said, "Well, since it is a withdrawal from your side, the school is not bound to refund the advance and the balance amount. Is that okay?"


    Leo nodded, and the old man took out a withdrawal application template and handed it to Leo. The young man filled the details in the form, and Lily was watching everything from the side. She was speechless, and after ten minutes they walked out of the room with a receipt.


    Theo''s father wanted to ask Leo something, when Leo took out his phone and dialed the emergency number. The call was connected quickly and the person asked, "Hello 121 what is your emergency?"


    Leo spoke calmly while looking at Bartha, "My daughter has been subjected to harassment by her class teacher. The effect is so much that my daughter refuses to go to school. Several other children are subjected to the same treatment. I suspect that the school is involved in some shady business. For safety reasons I have withdrawn my child from the school. Can you tell me what I should do now?"


    The surrounding people fell silent and they opened their eyes wide, they did not expect Leo to be so ruthless. In their nation, the laws for child welfare were so strict that if this school was found guilty, all the teachers and faculty members would end up in prison and their license would be revoked.


    Bartha was stunned. On the other hand, the operator asked Leo about the address, and he cooperated smoothly. The operator dispatched a patrol team to come over and check the situation. The other parents also had some concerns and following Leo''s example, they also withdrew the names of their children quickly.


    The principal was surprised, and when he came out of his office to check what was going on, he found a police car parked at the gates. He froze in his spot. The investigation was quick and efficient. They asked Leo a few questions and the children came forward to testify as well.


    Theo''s father turned out to be a cop as well, so he asked that the children are not traumatized by repetitive questioning. Bartha was questioned and asked to report her teacher''s license number.


    The lady could not answer, and when she was forced, it was discovered that she was not registered as a teacher at all. The school was doomed and for the final nail in the coffin, Wayne and his mother came late to school, and when they were questioned, Wayne''s mother accepted giving gifts to Bartha as a token of gratitude, and she was shocked to find that her son was a bully.


    It turned out that Bartha had created a false image of Wayne before his mother, making him seem like a good boy. The facade fell apart and Bartha was put under arrest on the spot along with the principal.


    Although it all sounded quick, the process consumed the entire morning. Lily looked at the cops taking away Bartha and the Principal, before she asked, "Baba, what would Lily do now?"


    Leo smiled and with some effort he picked her up in his arms and said, "Little darling, you don''t have to worry. Baba will find you a better school and you will go there. No one will bully you ever again."


    That said, he pecked her cheek and Lily buried her head in his shoulder. She said, "I love you, Baba."


    Leo smiled and patted her back as he replied, "I love you more, baby."


    ''Ping: Host, congratulations on vanquishing the demons your daughter faced. You are rewarded a trustee position in the Primus Trust, they are responsible for seventy two schools all over the country, and the students can study from pre-kindergarten to high school level in the same institute. They are one of the best institutes in the nation.''


    Leo was surprised, but he asked, ''System, how did I vanquish the demons Lily was facing? I only acted out of anger.''


    ''Ping: Host, children are very perceptive. They are often told to behave well or they will be put in prison. Although your daughter suffered at the hands of the teacher, when she witnessed the lady being taken into custody, her belief that bad people are always punished became stronger. This is why her demons have been vanquished.''


    Leo nodded and then he said, "Baby, can I put you down, Baba is not yet at the peak of his health."


    Lily nodded, and when Leo put her down she wiped the sweat on his forehead with her handkerchief, and then pecked his cheek. They said goodbye to the rest of the people, took a cab and headed to the cemetery where Leo''s parents were buried. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    Please vote with power stones and add the book to collections if you like it. Thank you.

 Chapter 10: Waves In The Board.

    Chapter 10: Waves In The Board.The cab stopped before the cemetery and the two people stepped out with a bouquet of white flowers, held by the skinny young man. Leo held Lily''s hand as he flung her bag on his shoulder and held the flowers while walking inside the cemetery.


    They walked through the rows of tombstones, and Lily asked, "Baba, what are these stones for?"


    Leo replied patiently, "These stones are placed here by the family of the people who went to the god''s home. This is their new post box. You can send flowers, food, wine, and other things that those people liked and it is magically sent over to them."


    Lily widened her eyes, she looked around and was very fascinated by the designs of the tombstones. Leo could sense what she was thinking and said, "Baby, it is bad to give such post boxes to the people who have not yet gone to live with god. God will get angry."


    The little girl sighed and said, "I really wanted to have one so that my friends could send me things directly at our home."


    Leo was left between laughter and tears. Such was the innocence of the children. He shook his head and made a pah pah sound from his mouth to drive away the ill ideas.


    Shortly after, they reached a couple of tombstones. These stones were very simple. They did not appear to be something that a millionaire couple would have when they have passed away. Leo clenched his fist, and mumbled, "Wait for me Vincent and Echo, I will make sure that you both don''t even get a burial."


    He stepped forward and knelt before the tombstones. He sighed and took a deep breath before he said, "Ma, Pa, I have brought your granddaughter to meet you today. Her name is Lily, and she is now three years old. I am sorry that I took so much time, but I guess you know what happened to me.


    I hope you watch over Lily and Snow. Bless me so that I can finish the incomplete things and see through the end of those who betrayed us."


    He bowed his head and prayed for a bit before he turned around and beckoned Lily to come close to him. The little girl was watching her father with great curiosity, and after she walked close to him, she was about to kneel down, when Leo held her shoulders and said, "In our family girls do not kneel to anyone. Just pray to them, and grandpa and grandma would look after you from the heavens."


    Lily smiled and prayed with her eyes closed, she asked the two spirits to bless her parents and stay happy on the other side. After a few minutes, Leo decided to leave the place as he had to work as well.


    ...


    While the two people were taking a cab back to the North Star Community, a few middle-aged people, two men and three women were sitting inside a conference room. They were discussing the sudden arrival of a new board member.


    One man with oval glasses on his nose asked, "Who is this new member? Also, how did he get the membership? Melanie, do you know?"


    A lady sighed and replied, "Aston, I am not the internet. Don''t you know that the information on how someone got their way in is confidential? Can you just call the person from his file and ask what he wishes to do?"


    Aston sighed and took out his mobile phone before he opened a file and dialed a number in it. The call was connected and Aston said, "Hello, am I talking to Mister Cardinal?"


    The call was on speaker so the rest of the people could also hear a calm voice from the otherside, "Yes. Who is this?"


    Aston replied, "Greetings, Mister Cardinal. My name is Aston Arc, I am the secretary of the Primus Board. The board wanted to ask you if you would like to join us for a meeting?"


    Leo replied, "Well, Mister Arc, I appreciate that the Board members took initiative to call me over for a meeting but I am recovering from a medical ailment and it is a bit difficult for me to go out of the house. I seek your understanding on this."


    Aston looked at the others, who exchanged a gaze and nodded to Aston, who said, "The board understands your difficulties, Mister Cardinal. As a new member of the board, would you like to give any instructions?"


    Leo replied calmly, "I am a junior and it is not yet my place to instruct the board. You and everyone else has been keeping Primus school networks on the right path for so many years, and I really respect that.


    Though, there is one thing that I would like to do, I wonder if it is possible."


    The people shook their heads as if they had expected this to happen. Leo continued and said, "Just today I found a school, Daffodil play court, where children were abused and were put under the care of an unlicensed teacher. This situation has deeply affected the students, and some of them even withdrew on the spot. It is a serious matter, so I was thinking if the Angkor City Primary wing can take them in."


    The rest of the people were surprised and Aston asked, "Sir, is that all?"


    Leo replied positively and said, "One of these few kids happens to be my daughter. She has been bullied and as a former student of the Primus Mid and High Wing, I know the standards there. I can be rest assured that my daughter would learn from the best and strive to be the best. I wonder if that is possible."


    Aston chuckled lightly and said, "Sir, you do not have to worry, it is completely possible. Every trustee can enroll their children in the schools."


    Leo thanked the man before he said, "If possible then please do not make my existence on the board public. It creates too much buzz and I want my daughter to grow up as a normal person with good moral values."


    Aston and the rest of the people agreed and assured him that they will abide by the situation and that the admission of his daughter will be taken care of for free. Leo only had to submit the information to them online and Aston would take care of the matter.


    Aston put down the phone and said, "Madam Ruby, the admission of the children from that school is left to you, and the press announcement can be put aside till it is really necessary, what do you think? Jim, Madam Dalia."


    Madam Ruby was responsible for the section that handled charity work for the children, and Madam Dalia was the face of the board, managing public relations. Jim was the legal counsellor. Aston was the Board Secretary.


    Just before Jim and Madam Dalia could say anything, the last person on the board said, "Did you just say that his name is Cardinal?"


    Aston looked at the file and said, "Leo Christopher Cardinal. He seems to be in his mid twenties. Why do you ask, Vivian, do you know him?"


    Vivian sighed and said, "I think you all also know him, Leo Christopher Cardinal, son of the biggest donor of the Primus Trust, Christopher Sabbath Cardinal, the deceased Business Mogul."


    The people opened their eyes wide, and Dalia asked, "Didn''t they say that Leo went mad from the shock of his parents death?" Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Vivian narrowed her gaze and said, "It appears that the word of Vincent Cardinal is not true, from now on this news does not get out of this room. If it does, I will find out who is responsible for it and I will destroy that person completely. Do you all hear me?"


    The people nodded, and Jim said, "We all heard that he wishes to keep his identity a secret. If we breached it, it will be a legal action and directly revoke the position on the trust of all of us, according to the bylaws, so I hope you all know what you want to do."


    ...


    Leo and Lily had come back from outside and the young man was resting after the phone call. Before he stood up and said, "Lily, if you are done with the lunch, should we go and make a chariot?"


    Lily got excited and she followed Leo in the garage. The young man brought a high chair for the girl to reach the work bench with ease. Leo asked, "Baby, do you want to stream with Baba?"


    Lily smiled and nodded as her eyes sparkled and she exclaimed, "Yay!"

 Chapter 11: Little Princess Steals The Show.

    Chapter 11: Little Princess Steals The Show.Leo smiled as he set up the phone on the side using a tripod and began streaming. He taught Lily how to knead a clay ball, and gave her a small portion to deal with. The child did not mind getting her hands dirty and Leo liked her making funny faces while she was at it.


    Soon, the loyal viewers began to join in. Leo saw them all asking about who the little girl was, Lily had her own charm and she attracted more attention. Leo smiled and said, "Well, I was not speaking earlier because I was waiting for you all so I don''t have to tell you over and over again.


    The little doll working hard on a clay dough beside me is my darling daughter, Lily. Baby, look at the camera and say hello to the aunties and uncles."


    Lily sweetly raised her head and waved at the camera. Today she was wearing a black top and grey shorts like Leo and had a small bun on her head, making her look very adorable and classy.


    She said, "Hello aunties and uncles, support my Baba."


    Leo chuckled and said, "Naughty one, when did I tell you to ask for support?"


    Lily stuck out her tongue and changed the topic, as she asked, "Baba, is this done?"


    Leo checked her clay and then clapped as he said, "Yes, very good, it looks like you are gifted with clay. Good, this is a perfect clay ball."


    He cut the clay dough from the middle in two parts and showed it to the people and told them that it was Lily''s own effort that she kneaded the clay ball.


    He then looked at the screen and asked, "Would it be okay if I ask my daughter what she wants to make today?"


    The commenters flooded the screen with a yes, and Leo asked, "Special Guest, Lily, what shall we make today for the audience?"


    Lily pretended to think out loud and asked, "Can this be used to make chocolates?"


    Leo chuckled and shook his head.


    ...


    Ting: Hahaha, host''s daughter is too cute.


    Mel: AWWWWWWWWW, I wish I have a daughter like this in the future, she looks like a doll.


    Professor Clay: The technique she used is really good, it seems that the Host has a good potential to become a teacher.


    Many such comments flooded the screen but Leo was focused on talking with Lily.


    ...


    After a round of acting, Lily asked, "Baba, can we make a fish with this clay?"


    Leo nodded and said, "Yes, come, Baba will teach you."


    Then began a session of how to lead the children to enjoy craft and appreciate it. Leo did an action and Lily followed it, when she made a mistake, Leo corrected it and told her not to mind that.


    Two pairs of hands began to move and the people were mesmerized. The old viewers were captivated by the fact that Leo can have his daughter learn so much so quickly and that she was interested in this almost lost art form.


    After two hours of constant work, two fishes, one small and one big were formed and then Leo picked up his tools to carve finer finishing touches and details onto the fish.


    Lily said hurriedly, "Baba, I also want to carve, Gulu."


    Leo stopped and asked, "Who is Gulu?"


    Lily pointed at the small fish before her and said, "This is Gulu, my fishie."


    Leo chuckled and so did the people watching the stream. The young man took her hand and began teaching her how to carve the clay gently. In the end they used a sponge to clean the surface and make it smoother.


    The fishes seemed to be leaping in the air. The small fish was exquisite but it still needed a lot of work to master the level where Leo was, but Lily had done a marvelous job to make sure that the fish looked like a fish.


    Lily asked when Leo said that they were done, "Baba, when can we paint it?"


    Leo replied, "That will be next sunday, clay takes some time to dry and that is when we will paint it with everyone."


    Lily nodded and then she looked at the camera as she said, "Uncles and Aunties, if you liked the stream please like and share. Lily will see you... Baba, when will Lily come here again?"


    Leo smiled and poked her nose as he said, "When you have a holiday next time. Okay?"


    Lily nodded heavily and then turned around with a smile and said, "Lily will come to see you all on Sunday, Lily has no school then, hehe." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo shook his head as he told her to go to the side and wash her hands before he said, "Well folks, thank you for joining in today, and thank you for all your love to Lily and the channel. I will see you tomorrow."


    ...


    The day came to an end, Lily was tired from the hard work in the garage and fell asleep, while Leo waited for Snow to come home. In the evening when Snow came home, Leo told her about the things that happened at the school, and just when she was feeling guilty for overlooking these things, Leo consoled her and told her that Lily would be going to Primus Elementary.


    The good news impacted the mood and lifted her spirits, after resting for a bit, Snow went to the kitchen and unlike daily, Leo followed her in. He sat on the kitchen counter, and Snow asked, "What are you doing here?"


    She was surprised, and Leo said, "It has been three years since we chatted with each other properly. How have you been?"


    Leo caught her by surprise, and Snow felt warm in her heart. She did not blame him for not talking to her earlier, but she was gratified that he thought they should talk like this.


    She replied softly, "I have been fine."


    Leo looked at her stature and said, "Second Lady Snow Marlins, are you going to lie to the father of your child?"


    Snow froze in her actions and raised her head to look at him. Leo said, "You always say that I have given up a lot of things, but what about the fact that you also turned away from the life of a noble to look after me and bring Lily to this world?"


    Snow revealed a faint bitter smile and said, "It has never been a big thing. They treated me as a bargaining chip and staying with you was the best decision that I made back then. Yes, we have faced ups and downs, but things are better now. Don''t worry, I am fine."


    Leo looked at her as she chopped vegetables with her head down, and got off the counter before he hugged her from behind and put his chin on her shoulder. Snow was surprised, but she did not shove him. His warm yet frail stature made her feel safe and belonged.


    Leo said, "You know that whenever you cry, your hair looks weird."


    Snow rebuked, "No they don''t, you are just messing with me."


    Leo smiled and tightened his grip around her waist. He said, "Love, I know that I owe you a lot of things, more than that, I owe you my life. Had it been anyone else, they might have left me to die in some ditch, but it was you who looked after me, and saved me. I can never repay this debt, but I will try my best to make up for all that you have been through, so I hope that you also share your troubles with me."


    Snow did not say anything, she was chopping the vegetables as her tears dripped from her eyes continuously as she nodded gently. Leo also did not push her and held her as long as he could.


    In his heart, Snow and Lily were the most important. After dinner, Snow took Lily to bed, and the young man watched them from the door threshold.


    At this moment, a notification went off in his mind, ''Ping: You have reached thousand subscribers on the Streaming Channel. Reward: Five percent shares in Wagoner Automobiles.''


    Leo took a deep breath and asked, ''System, you said earlier that you will be giving in a car that Lily liked, why offer the shares? Those are worth Billions.''


    ''Ping: Host, thanks for your effort and dedication, you have completed the task early, and thus the reward has been upgraded. All three cars that Lily likes belong to the Wagoner sister companies, thus, the shares were a better option.''


    Leo was stunned, he did not know what to do, as he was shocked to hear this. He asked, ''System, how did you explain the process of me getting a hold of these shares?''


    ''Ping: Host, the amount of money you saved in the bank account has been invested by the bank in different sure profit companies. The system just multiplied the returns, it is not going to be questioned, please do not worry.''


    Leo sighed and wondered what would the morning be like.

 Chapter 12: Fairy School.

    Chapter 12: Fairy School.Leo went to bed, and woke up early. Today was the day when he started the light workout sessions recommended by the physiotherapist. Snow was still in the bed, she had her own time to get up in the morning, so Leo did not bother her.


    He went out, did some basic warm up and then followed with squats and inclined pushups. For the current Leo even five pushups were a project, but he managed to do a bit more than he was told to. He took a shower, and then he made a little breakfast.


    Snow woke up, she realized that she was getting late and was in a rush. Leo said, "It''s okay, you can go and grab a bite outside. I will take Lily to the new school."


    Snow sighed, she pecked his lips and then rushed out of the house. Lily was also ready to go out. She wore a clean and crisp white frock with a pair of bellies. Leo smiled and then said, "My dear princess, it would have been nice if mom had some extra time to give you a hairstyle."


    Lily nodded and said, "I think you should learn how to style hair as well Baba, I hear that men who can do hair are liked by women. Ma would love you more."


    Leo was surprised, he scooped up the little one in his arms and tickled her a little before he asked, "Where did you learn all this from? Huh?"


    Lily giggled in his arms, but the next moment, Leo heard a notification in his mind, ''Host, to complete your daughter''s wish, you are granted with the basic skills of a hairdresser. With every successful and likeable hair style, you will receive experience points to upgrade the skill level.''


    Leo sensed a surge of warmth in his head as the information was unveiled for him. The young man took a deep breath and calmed down after a few moments. He then opened his eyes and said, "Come, Baba will give you a hairstyle, and make you a pretty princess."


    Lily was surprised and said hurriedly, "No! Baba, I was joking."


    Leo could see that she was lying and he rolled his eyes and said, "Kiddo, do you think I cannot tell if you are lying or not?"


    Lily froze, and then she was placed before the dresser where her mother combed her hair, and put on some minimal makeup everyday. Leo looked at the almost barren dresser and his heart clenched, he decided to go and buy some stuff for Snow later in the day.


    He picked up the comb and gently untangled Lily''s hair before he used his hands to make a pair of french braids on the side of her temples and pinned them at the back of the head.


    Lily was surprised, although Leo was moving very cautiously and he was clumsy, he did a satisfactory job and Lily looked ten times more adorable with this look. She raised her head to look at her father and asked, "Baba, are you a god?"


    Leo was stunned for a second and then he smiled at her as he shook his head asking, "Why do you think I am a god?"


    Lily shrugged and said, "Gods can do anything."


    Leo shook his head and said, "My dear it is the one who can do anything that becomes a god, and not the other way around. Also, by anything, it means good things, not bad."


    Lily was confused and Leo poked her nose as he said, "You will understand what I mean in the future for now, let''s head to the school."


    Leo collected all the documents that were needed, and then they hailed a cab from the community gates before they drove away. One of the security guards looked at them and said, "Boss, don''t you think Mister Cardinal is very low-key?"


    The Boss in his mouth was the superior posted on the gates. He looked at the junior guard and said, "The stronger one gets, the less they need weapons. Mister Cardinal is probably someone who believes in that philosophy. Anyway, our task is to secure the neighborhood, and not talk about the affairs of the rich. Do you hear me?"


    ...


    The cab stopped at the gates of Primus Elementary. The school was a small castle, inside the building there was a completely different world.


    Leo called Aston on his mobile and asked, "Hello, Mister Aston, it is Leo, I am at the gates, can you send someone over?"


    Aston quickly responded, "Yes, Sir. I will ask a guard to lead you inside, please wait a moment."


    Leo agreed and after two minutes, a security guard approached him and asked, "Excuse me, are you, Mister Leo?"


    Leo nodded and said, "Yes."


    The guard bowed slightly and said, "Sir, the Principal has asked you to come in. Please follow me."


    Leo nodded and then followed the burly guard inside the castle. They took a small golf cart to cut the distance short. Lily asked, "Baba, is this a school?"


    Leo nodded and said, "Yes, this will be your new school. Do you like it?"


    Lily nodded while gazing around curiously and said, "This is like a fairy tale castle."


    Leo smiled and patted her head as he said, "You are a fairy, a little pixie. So, Baba arranged for you to study here. Be good to others when you go to class, okay?"


    Lily nodded sincerely, and the guard smiled at the interaction between the two. He hardly got any chances to come in contact with the families of the children who studied here. Although the students did not create any fuss here, they were not warm to the others as well. Such was the pressure on the scions of the rich houses.


    They reached the castle gates, and then Leo walked inside after thanking the guard. Lily followed his habits, she thanked the guard with a sweet smile on her face, and held her father''s hand as they walked inside the big reception room.


    Leo had just come inside when an attendant dressed in a royal blue colored office uniform approached her and asked politely, "Good morning, Sir, how may I be of help?"


    Leo greeted her back, "Good morning, I have an appointment with the principal. Can you tell me where I can find her?"


    The attendant gestured for him to follow her. They did not exchange names, firstly, Leo was not interested in this, and secondly, it was unnecessary.


    The attendant knocked on the door, and went in after being granted the permission, and almost instantly, Leo was called inside with her. The young man walked inside the office, where he spotted a lot of portraits of great personalities hung, similar to the corridors outside.


    Leo looked to his left after entering the office and found an old lady sitting behind a huge mahogany table. He took a couple of steps forward and greeted her, "Good morning, Madam principal."


    The old lady nodded and gestured for the attendant to leave. She then said, "Please have a seat, Mister Cardinal."


    Leo nodded, and led Lily forward as he first pulled a chair for her, and then sat down beside her. Lily was a sensible child and was very well behaved. The old lady scrutinized the little girl for a prolonged moment and then said, "She seems to be very well behaved."


    Leo smiled faintly and looked at his daughter as he said, "She is fine. Lily, what do you say to someone when they compliment you?"


    Lily chirped, "Thank you, Ma''am." S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The old principal then asked Lily a few questions, such as her name, age, her favorite colors, and poems. The basic stuff that a child should know. Then the lady asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up, Lily?"


    Leo did not object, he was curious as to what Lily wanted to be. Usually, children would all say that they want to be a doctor, or a few fancy terms they have heard from the elders, or the second most common answer would be to follow their parents.


    However, Leo and the Principal were taken aback, when Lily said, "Ma''am, can I answer this question later? I have not yet decided what I want to be, but I want to learn."


    The Principal could not help but reveal a smile and said, "You are a good girl. In a minute, a teacher will come and take you to the class. Today, you should familiarize yourself with the people and the school. Okay? I look forward to your time here, Lily."


    Lily sighed and replied with a smile, "Thank you, Ma''am."


    The old lady called a teacher who would be responsible for teaching Lily, and after a brief exchange with Leo, the teacher provided a few details to contact her or the class, before she left with Lily.


    Leo waved at his daughter, and then the Principal said, "Mister Cardinal, please submit the documents, I will ask the administration office to go through the procedure, and as a member of the board, your child can go to school here for free."


    Leo bowed to the old lady and said, "Thank you, Ma''am."

 Chapter 13: Glimpse Of Past.

    Chapter 13: Glimpse Of Past.Leo finished the formalities and then left the school, he was told to come and pick up Lily at three in the afternoon, and it was still only ten in the morning.


    So, Leo decided to head out to the shopping mall and buy a few cosmetics and perfumes for his wife. Just as he came out of the school, his phone rang.


    Looking at the unknown number, Leo accepted the call while waving down a taxi across the road, and asked, "Yes, who is this?"


    From the other side a calm voice greeted him, "Hello, am I talking to Mister Leo Cardinal?"


    Leo affirmed and the other party continued, "Greetings, Sir. I am Lewis Ross, General Manager of Wagoner group."


    Leo replied, "Hello, Mister Ross. Anything I can help you with?"


    Lewis Ross asked heartily, "Well, Sir, the head office has authorized me to sign the authorization document as you are the new shareholder and board member. Also, in the Sunshine Nation, you are the biggest shareholder so they asked me if you have any instructions."


    Leo got in the cab and said, "Well, if I am correct, your office is located in Angkor City, right? If you have time, then you can send someone from your side to find me at Atlas Kitchen in the Sundial Mall. I will be having my lunch there. As for instructions, well, Mister Ross to be frank with you, I am aware of the company policies, so it does not matter what I say, the final word belongs to Mister Alam, and I would be happy with the steady inflow of my annual dividends."


    Lewis Ross was humbled by the straight ideas of this guy. He then said, "Yes, Sir. I will be sending my assistant over to you to sign the documents."


    Leo suddenly recalled something and asked, "Well, I do have one favor, I wonder if I have any privileges as a shareholder? Like any discount on the vehicles manufactured by the Rings?"


    Lewis Ross replied, "Well, I would have forgotten had you not asked me, you can go with my assistant, she will arrange the vehicles for you from the nearest dealership and it will be on us, apart from the limited addition ones, I hope you understand."


    Leo obviously nodded and then the taxi zoomed through the traffic. Shortly after, he came to the Sundial Mall, and went straight to the cosmetic shops. He did not splurge, because he knew that Snow would not like that.


    He picked a few eyeliners, then a compact foundation pack, a couple of nice perfumes, and then some lipsticks. After a few minutes, he made his way to the Atlas Kitchen.


    He came to the door, this was a moderately high end place, and Leo had been a frequent visitor in the past. An attendant came to greet him, and Leo said, "Table for two, if someone comes looking for me, please guide them. My name is Leo Cardinal."


    The greeter nodded and then he led Leo to the table in the corner. There were not many guests at this hour, and a soft piece of classical music was playing in the background, soothing the nerves. Leo had just sat down, when a surprised voice called him out, "Leo, is that you?"


    The young man turned to look at the side and found a young woman, dressed in loose but fashionable garbs. He looked at her and said, "What do you want with me, Alina?"


    Alina approached his table and asked, "Is this how you greet old classmates?"


    Leo looked at her and said, "That is something you should ask your husband and not me, or did you forget how he humiliated me back then?"


    Alina choked up and took a deep breath to calm down and said, "I am no longer together with him."


    Leo raised his eyebrow and then snorted, "What does that have to do with me whether you are with him or not? You stood there in silence watching him as he made me beg and humiliated me. None of you are worth talking to in my eyes. Please leave."


    Alina clenched her teeth and just when she was about to pick her bags and leave, her face turned pale and she sat down on the chair across from Leo. The young man obviously noticed the bulging belly, but it had nothing to do with her.


    Alina calmed down after a few minutes, and said, "I have long wanted to tell you that I apologize for my mistake, but I never found the opportunity to. As you can see, I am pregnant and this is my ninth month. I will leave the city after giving birth to the child, and never come back here. I know that asking you to forgive me is too much, but I will still do it because I do not want my child to come and bear the results of my karma."


    Leo sneered and said, "Now that you are about to give birth you realize what you did wrong? Then what about me? What wrong did I do? What was Snow''s fault? What about my child? Who suffered for the past three years?


    What about the time I was confined to the bed because your boyfriend trampled on my spine after my parents'' funeral? What about all that I suffered? You want me to act like a bigger person but if you knew what I felt like when I could only see my child from a distance without any hope of ever touching her, you would know what I have been through because of your selfishness.


    Alina, give me one good reason to forgive you, and if it is really a good one, I promise I forgive your actions."


    Alina looked at Leo with red eyes, the young man did not speak loudly, but it was the calm in his voice that made her understand how cold Leo had become. She closed her eyes and calmed her mind, as she said, "Leo, if you cannot do it for me, then do it for your best friend, Jimmy Shelby, your best friend. He is the father of this child."


    Leo opened his eyes wide and asked, "What did you say?"


    Alina sighed and said, "After what they did to you, I was disgusted by them and started distancing myself. One night, my drink was spiked and they took me to that bastard. It was Jimmy who broke inside and saved me. He also thrashed that worthless crap, Carole.


    After that he took me away. For one year, we both did not set foot in Angkor City. Then Carole''s family moved their business to the Pinnacle City.


    When Jimmy found out about what happened to you and Snow, he almost went crazy in rage. It was his mother who stopped him from coming over, they tried to look for you, but you and snow seemed to have vanished.


    It is one of Jimmy''s biggest regrets that he could not help you that time, but you know his condition. Only last year his business managed to gain a foothold and thus we decided to have a child. I am here for the delivery and then I will leave."


    Leo asked, "Where is Jimmy?"


    Alina replied, "He will be coming over tomorrow."


    Leo nodded and then took out a pen from his pocket and wrote a line on the tissue paper. He slid that tissue to Alina and said, "Give it to Jimmy and come meet me on Sunday then we''ll talk."


    Alina looked at the tissue and there was a phone number written on it. Leo said, "Alina, if you tried to warn your old flame about me, I will destroy you, regardless of everything that you have said just now, I will make you regret ever crossing me."


    He said that because if this woman really was deceiving him, it would affect his family and he did not wish to disturb the hard fought peace they have attained now.


    Alina left the restaurant and shortly after an office lady walked in with her high heels. Leo had just placed an order and was thinking about what happened just now. He did not expect to come across someone from his past. However, then thinking about it, in Angkor City, this encounter should not be that surprising to him.


    The attendant on the front came beside Leo and said, "Sir, this lady is looking for you."


    Leo raised his head and nodded as he stood up. He gestured to the lady to sit down, and said, "I apologize for the commute but I had things to do."


    The lady shook her head and replied, "Director Cardinal, please do not embarrass me like this. I am just doing my job. Please take a look at the documents and then we can go over to collect the vehicles."


    Leo nodded, and picked up the dossier placed on the table by the lady. He gave it a thorough read and then used his pen to sign the name at the end, and he smiled, "Thank you for your aid." S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The lady smiled and replied, "Congratulations, Sir."


    Leo said, "We can have a light lunch here and then we can take the car. How many vehicles are allocated to my quota?"


    The lady replied, "Five vehicles, Sir. No special editions."


    Leo nodded and told her the three vehicles, he said, "Among these three, please have the dealership prepare one before 2 PM, I would like to pick up my daughter in the car she likes. The other two can be delivered to my home later."


    The lady nodded and quickly dialed a number to make arrangements. The food was served, and Leo began to eat. He did not mind that he was eating with someone else, because he never touched anything that the lady ate. In his mind and heart, only his family was important, the rest were insects that were to be manipulated for gains.


    This was not because he had a system, but because in the past when he and his parents used to help everyone, that practice led them to suffer so much that they were reduced to corpses and he almost died. So, Leo decided to never do the same thing in the future.


    Leo did not mind becoming a villain in order to protect his family and his own happiness. This world did not deserve kindness without reason.


    This is the Antagonist that caused Leo to suffer so much, and he will introduced in the distance future. For now, just a little glimpse at what he suffered.

 Chapter 14: Lily’s Chariot.

    Chapter 14: Lily''s Chariot.Leo left the restaurant with the assistant in her car. They drove for about an hour and arrived at the rings dealership. The young man was greeted by a logo of three rings intersecting each other and forming a three leaf triangle in the center with three semicircles forming a united boundary outside.


    The assistant led Leo inside, and soon, a middle-aged man wearing a tuxedo trotted over. He greeted the assistant and the latter questioned, "Is the vehicle ready?"


    The man nodded and gestured them over to the side and said, "The car has been prepared and all the formalities have been completed, we just need a signature from the owner."


    The assistant turned to look at Leo and said, "Director Cardinal, would you like to inspect the vehicle?"


    Leo nodded silently and the middle-aged man understood that this young man was the buyer. He took the initiative to open the door for Leo. The young man nodded faintly as he sat in the driver''s seat.


    He pressed the ignition button and put the car in neutral before he revved the engine. The car purred and Leo nodded as he said, "It is good. Let''s finish the formalities, I have to be somewhere by three. Also, can you tie a pink ribbon at the center of the hood?"


    The middle-aged man nodded and said, "It will be done in a bit, please come with me."


    Leo got out of the car, and then finished the signing. The assistant stood at the side silently as Leo waited for the final registration documents which would take a few minutes to print.


    The process was not a hassle and after a few minutes, Leo drove the car out while the middle-aged man promised him to deliver the other two vehicles in a couple of days. He asked the lady on the side, "Miss Skylar, who is this gentleman?"


    The assistant sighed and said, "Mister Dill, he is a shareholder in the board of Wagoner. Keep this information to yourself and make sure that the cars you have sent to him don''t have any problem, and also make sure to follow up on the servicing, okay?"


    Mister Dill was shocked but he quickly nodded, thinking that it was a good thing that he met a big shot today.


    ...


    Leo drove cautiously, because it had been a long time since he handled a car. As he was cruising, he clicked his tongue and said, "Sure enough, my baby has taken after me. She has good taste."


    He drove the car outside the Primus School building and parked on the side of the road as he waited for Lily to come out in the next few minutes. However, at this moment, his cell phone rang. He could not recognize the number and frowned. While he was deciding whether he should pick the call or not, the device fell silent.


    But the next moment, it rang one more time. Leo picked up the call and put it next to his ear. He said, "Hello."


    "Leo, that''s really you.", a deep voice sounded from the otherside.


    Leo frowned, he recognized this voice but still, he asked, "Who is this?"


    His reply obviously left the other party dazed, and he replied, "This is Shelby, Jimmy Shelby."


    Leo replied, "Oh, well congratulations on the marriage and the baby on the way."


    Jimmy took a deep breath and said, "That, Leo, I will explain everything to you when I meet you. I will be in the city tomorrow. I will tell you exactly what happened. Please believe me that I wanted to come and find you the very next day but.."


    Leo did not let him complete and said, "You can save it for the meeting. I have something to do so I will go. Call me when you come to the city."


    Jimmy agreed and then the call was disconnected. Leo opened the door of his car, and walked up to the school gate where a few parents were already standing to pick up their children. Some parents have listed their children for the bus service as well, so the crowd at the gate was limited.


    Shortly after, Leo spotted Lily walking over holding the hand of a young lady. From the navy blue and white uniform of the lady he was assured that this person was a teacher in the school.


    The teacher greeted the parents and one by one she let the children leave with their guardians and soon it was Leo''s turn. He stepped up and said, "Hello, I am Leo, Lily''s father."


    The teacher was surprised and then she smiled politely and looked behind her where Lily was talking to a couple of children, and said, "Lily, your father is here."


    Lily turned around and then she dashed over to Leo. The young man patted her head and said, "First say bye to your friends properly, and then thank the teacher for taking care of you."


    Lily nodded and then went back to say bye to the kids and then she bowed to the teacher and said, "Thank you for looking after me, Miss Verse."


    The young teacher smiled and said, "Have a good day,Lily. Be good."


    Lily nodded and then she held Leo''s hand as the two of them walked side by side. Leo asked, "Did you have fun?"


    Lily replied sweetly, "Yes, Baba."


    Leo asked again, "Did you learn something?"


    Lily replied again, "Yes, Miss Verse praised Lily because I learned how to count to fifty."


    Leo said, "Very good. Keep learning and you will become a Queen."


    The little girl nodded heavily and then she asked, "Why are we not calling a taxi?"


    Leo picked her up and then looking into her crystal like eyes, he asked, "Well, we are not taking a cab, because Baba bought the car that Lily wanted. See."


    He pointed her to look at the car and the surroundings echoed with a hearty cheer of a little girl. Leo chuckled and kissed her cheek. Lily also hugged his neck and pecked his cheeks as she praised him, "Baba, is the best."


    Leo shook his head and then put Lily in the back seat as he asked, "Shall we go and surprise Ma with this chariot? What do you say, Queen Lily?"


    Lily clapped her hands and excitedly said, "Yes!!"


    sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 15: Dad’s Padded Jacket.

    Chapter 15: Dad''s Padded Jacket.Leo drove the car slowly and called Snow once they were on the road. The young lady accepted the call, and worriedly asked, "Leo, is everything alright?"


    Leo replied with a smile, "Yes, I am fine, can''t I call you if I have nothing to do?"


    Snow smiled on the other side and questioned, "What nonsense are you spewing now? What is going on?"


    Leo said, "Well, I have picked up Lily from her new school, and this place is closer to your office as well. So, we thought we would come and go back home together. What do you think?"


    Snow was surprised and then said, "Yes, yes, I will be free in a few minutes, I will wait for you at gate number two. Okay?"


    Leo agreed and told her to wait for him. Then he drove the car through the traffic, and arrived at the place where Snow worked. This was a school operated by the government and Snow was a maths teacher for the middle grader. Leo slowly parked the car before Snow, who was standing around and looking for them to arrive. Leo said, "Lily, open the door and get down. Surprise her."


    Lily giggled and said, "Baba, you are so naughty."


    Snow saw a moonshine blue car before her and she frowned. She was about to push the door open and walk away when the rear door was pushed open and a crisp voice rang in her ears, "Ma, where are you going?"


    Snow was stunned as she turned around quickly, and then she found Leo getting off the driver''s seat. The young man looked at her with a smile on his face and cheered softly, "Surprise!"


    Lily also cheered and said, "Surprise!"


    Leo smiled and walked over to her and said, "This is Queen Lily''s new chariot."


    Snow took a deep breath and asked, "Tell me what is going on?"


    Leo smiled and replied, "Let''s go home and talk then?"


    Snow nodded and then the family got inside the car and drove away. Lily began to look outside, and Snow asked, "Now, tell me."


    Leo smiled at her and said, "You remember the money that you could not take out from the bank the last time?"


    Snow nodded, and Leo said, "So, the bank had invested it in a few places that assured profits. One such investment was made in the Wagoner group and today when I encashed the scheme, my investment was worth five percent equity in the company. After the authorization signature, I got this car as a gift. There will be two more, but they will be sent home later."


    The lady was surprised and then she took a few minutes to calm down and said, "Do we need those two cars?"


    Leo said, "They are SUVs so they can be used for my official work in the future. You can use this one to drive to work and drop Lily to school."


    Snow looked at him and the young man said, "Leo, are you sure that it is safe?"


    Leo nodded and replied, "It will be fine, I will make it so."


    Snow fell silent and then said, "Okay, I will follow you."


    Leo smiled and reached out to grab her palm. They drove home, and suddenly, Leo said, "I came across Alina today, she is married to Jimmy Shelby now." S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Snow was shocked, and asked, "What the heck!!!"


    Lily raised her head and said, "Ma, language, we have kids on board."


    Leo chuckled and said, "Yes, Ma, be good, it is bad to cuss."


    Snow glared at him and then Leo told her about what happened, however, Snow was not impressed, she said, "I don''t want to say anything bad, but those people, they deserve what happened to them for being the way they acted, as for Jimmy, I expected better from him and so it is my fault. I won''t mind what you do with them, but if they try to get cozy with me or Lily, I will beat them up."


    Leo nodded and said, "I respect that you are so honest about it and those are my thoughts exactly, if they want to have goodwill they have to earn it or just take a hike."


    Snow nodded and then she led Lily inside. Leo changed his clothes and then he went to the garage, because he had to stream. He made a promise that he would be holding a giveaway, so he engaged in a conversation with the viewers after they joined in.


    "Hello, everyone, we reached the mark of a thousand subscribers. I am very grateful to you all, and so, I will be holding a giveaway as I promised earlier. We have nine items, and today I will be making the tenth item for the give away.


    It will be a big piece, life size, and it will take two weeks to dry before I can put it inside the kiln for bisque firing. So, let us begin."


    Leo chatted with the viewers as he kneaded the clay and described it to them. The old subscribers, like Ting and Mel, were asking the questions mostly while the old professor in the viewers was just listening silently. Leo molded a big fish and then used a fine needle tool to carve details on it.


    He made scales, and then he made fins with such a gentle touch that the details did not even seem to be there but they were all so fine that once he was done with the work it would all come out nicely.


    The old professor suddenly said, "Host, if you someday wish to hold an auction tell me about it, I will be the first one to bid. Your work is class apart."


    Leo thanked the person, but he did not think much about it because he did not know if he was really worth it at all. He said, "Well, that would be all for today. I apologize because I was late, had to pick Lily from school. Also, if any of you have children who are in schools, please make sure that the school faculty has all the necessary licenses required to teach a child."


    Then he briefly told the people about what Lily suffered at school, and closed the channel after thanking the viewers who cussed the school organization and the people behind it.


    ...


    Inside the house, the family finished their dinner, and Lily was lying on Leo''s tummy pestering him to tell her a story.


    Leo thought about it and opened a light novel application on his phone and began to read her a story of a young man who won a lottery and then became one of the biggest tech giants in the nation, and then the world.


    After the story finished it''s fist arc, Lily said, "Baba, is that guy in the story you?"


    Leo shook his head and asked, "I am here, how can I be there?"


    Lily thought for a bit and said, "Ma told me once that Grandpa had a big computer company?"


    Leo nodded with a tinge of sadness sparking in his eyes, and Lily asked, "Where did that company go?"


    Her innocent question almost made Leo laugh but then he said, "It was taken away by bad guys."


    Lily frowned and said, "When Lily grows up, I will take that company back from the villains for you, Baba."


    Leo smiled dotingly as he embraced the little one in his arms, and the next moment, the system''s voice sounded, ''Ping: Host, the daughter wishes to win back the company and so, the system rewards you with a entrepreneur kit box. Please check to see the content. Keep striving hard to excel at fatherhood.''


    Leo looked at the little figure in his arms and said, "Lily, you are baba''s little padded jacket."


    Lily giggled and looked at him as she said, "Baba is Lily''s big blanket."


    The room echoed with laughter and Snow sighed from the side, "You two, do I have any place in this family?"

 Chapter 16: Lily Betrays Baba.

    Chapter 16: Lily Betrays Baba.Leo put Lily to sleep and moved to his own bedroom with Snow. The lady held his hand as she slowly fell asleep while talking. However, Leo had something to do, so he thought, ''System, open the entrepreneur kit box.''


    The system pinged and a few holographic cards appeared in the void before Leo. He took a deep breath and focused his gaze on the cards. The first card was labeled, ''Work Capital'' below which it said, hundred million rens.


    Ren was the city of the Clover Nation. Leo sucked in a deep breath, he did not expect so much working capital on his hand, this amount alone could open a lot of doors for him. The amount can be redeemed when the company has been established.


    Then he turned to look at the other card, and it said, Product blueprint. Leo was surprised and found that the first phone was a mobile phone. He frowned a little and then he reached out to tap the card. The information of the technology was etched in his mind.


    Leo understood that the entire gamble of this mobile was based on the software. After a few minutes, he calmed down, and then looked at the next card, it said golden manager. This card would be used to summon a manager that would be hundred percent loyal to Leo and have the skills to handle every business aspect.


    Leo could play the shopkeeper, and that was what he wanted. Then he looked at the last card, and it had a question mark on it. When the young man reached out to touch the card it said that he can only redeem the card when he has sold one million units of his mobile phone.


    Leo thought for a bit and did not mind it. He began to plan how he wanted to go about this plan and gradually he fell asleep.


    In the morning, Leo woke up early, finished his work out and then cooked breakfast for his wife and daughter, before he went to take a shower and had a meal when the two of them woke up. He did not rush to the garage to start streaming, but took a pen and paper and began to write down the things he needed to do to start a company.


    As he was thinking about the name of the company, his gaze fell on the small butterfly that he had made earlier and smiled. The company was named Butterfly Technologies.


    Leo took out the golden manager card and tapped on it. The system asked, ''Ping: Host, do you want to summon a golden manager for your company?''


    Leo replied, ''Yes.''


    ''Ping: Host, would you like to summon a new manager, or would you prefer a manager who already exists in the world and has great aspirations.''


    The young man thought for a bit and asked, "What is the difference here?"


    ''Ping: Host, the person you summon would be hundred percent loyal to you, but they would not have a will of their own. They will lack the human touch. On the contrary, the people you hire from existing selections, they will have a strong ambition and compassionate touch to them but they will lack loyalty.''


    Leo frowned, he asked, "How much loyalty would it cost me to get an ambitious and smart manager?"


    ''Ping: The difference would be twenty percent, however, over time with the success of the company this loyalty can reach as high as 99%. The final one percent will keep the other person in a position where they can tell you if you are going astray.''


    Leo sighed and said, "Well, this is not a big deal. I will take the existing manager for my company."


    ''Ping: The manager has been selected, and they will find you after you have registered the company officially.''


    Leo did not say anything, and he left the house to go to the government offices to complete the procedure for company registration. It was two in the afternoon when he came back home.


    Clover Nation was the third biggest country in the nation and it was a relatively young nation, but in terms of development it was still a bit lagging, so to promote young people to do something on their own, the government made sure that such procedures became simple and easy to access.


    When Leo came home, he ate a light lunch and went to the garage to continue with his pottery streaming. The young man was growing into a bigger influencer these days. Every session more and more people stepped in the channel and gifted him with coins on the app.


    Leo finished the session after showing the people how a kiln works. He also used glazing techniques for the first time and the people who did not know anything about pottery were surprised when they saw him doing that.


    Leo finished the stream, and when he was about to retire for the day, he got a call from Mister Dill, who said that he was coming over with the two other cars. Leo gave it a nod, and informed the security at the gates to make sure the delivery vehicle is not stopped at the gates.


    Mister Dill was very efficient, and he was keen on talking to Leo, but the young man only exchanged a few words with him. Leo knew that connections in this world were useful and for that reason he made Mister Dill feel very comfortable around him.


    The cars were delivered and they were parked in the driveway, because Leo used the garage for his pottery sessions. The driveway could accommodate two cars, and since these two were SUVs they occupied the complete space. It would be hard to park the sedan he got yesterday.


    Just when he was thinking about what to do, Leo''s phone rang again. He picked it up and on the other side a calm feminine voice sounded, "Hello, is this Mister Leo Cardinal, founder and owner of Butterfly technologies?"


    Leo replied, "Yes, who am I talking to?"


    The person replied, "I am Percie Hibiscal. Would it be fine if we fix a meeting? I am a little curious about the situation of your company." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo thought about it and asked, "Miss Hibiscal, I am recovering from a severe medical condition and it is not yet possible for me to go outside Angkor City. However, if you are interested in meeting me within the city, I would like to invite you for lunch tomorrow."


    Percie Hibiscal agreed to the meeting quickly and said, "You can set the time and place, I will come over."


    Leo called her to the Atlas Kitchen, the same place where he had gone yesterday. The appointment was fixed and Leo asked her about her resume and Percie said that she would send it to him by email. Leo shared his email, and got inside one of the SUVs and drove it outside the house.


    He parked the car next to the wall. He was given the space for two cars inside the house and two outside as guest parking slots. Since he didn''t have any guests, this slot was put into use.


    In the evening, Snow drove over, and Lily was surprised to see the big cars. The family of three clicked a few pictures together and then went inside the house.


    Leo suddenly thought of something and said, "Snow, I don''t have any proper pictures with Lily. How about we gather together tomorrow at the Sundial Mall and click a few pictures in the evening?"


    Lily cheered, "Yay! Lily wants to dress up like a princess."


    Snow smiled and shook her head as she said, "Fine, but you will have to eat all the greens today. Miss Verse told me that you were being picky."


    Lily pouted and said, "But they taste so strange. Why do I have to eat them?"


    Leo chuckled and said, "Come here. I will tell you why."


    Lily walked over to his side, and Leo had her sit in his lap as he leaned back in the rocking chair and it began to sway. He said, "I also did not like to eat greens, but one time I fell down. Baba broke his right arm. The doctor said that I should eat greens but I did not want to. Your grandma was so scared and worried that she cried.


    I felt that I was a bad baby, so I decided to start eating greens. Do you want Ma and Baba to cry if you grew up to be weak? I think my princess is a good baby. No?"


    Lily frowned and then she said, "I am a good baby, but I don''t like them sweet. Ma and Teacher do not put in spices."


    Snow was listening from the side and opened her eyes wide. Lily had never complained about her cooking and now she was saying that she made the greens sweet. Leo smiled and said, "Fine, Baba will make it for you. We will make it spicy."


    Lily nodded and looking at the resentful Snow she said softly, "Ma, it is Baba who said I can act out. Lily does not want to but Baba said I should be a baby."


    Both the adults were stunned and then Leo said, "Little traitor, selling out Baba to gain Ma''s favor."


    Then he began to tickle Lily and the house echoed with her bell-like voice.

 Chapter 17: Grievances & Truth.

    Chapter 17: Grievances & Truth.The night passed slowly, and Leo woke up in the morning. He carried on with his morning routine and made breakfast. Snow woke up early in an attempt to stop him from doing that as she was worried about his health. The lady glared at him, as he smiled at her sheepishly and then went to the shower.


    Leo dressed up in his blue shirt and black pants. Snow asked him with a surprised expression, "Where are you headed looking so dope?"


    Leo was stunned for a second and then he walked up to her and held her waist in his arms. He rubbed his nose against hers and said, "I am headed out for a meeting. I registered a company yesterday, and today I need to hire someone."


    Snow was surprised and Leo pecked her nose as he said, "It was a surprise for you and Lily, I would have told you when the company was operable."


    The lady tilted her head and asked, "Why did you tell me now then?"


    Leo replied with a faint smile, "A good man should not hide things from his wife. You asked as I told you. However, I will not tell you what type of company we are."


    Snow smiled and the two shared a warm embrace as she said, "I will not ask you too much. I just hope that you do not neglect your health and stay happy."


    Leo tightened his grip around her a little and said, "Thank you. You should also take care. Also, I will drop Lily on the way to the meeting, you can leave with ease. Just pick her up when you come back, I will come back to deal with the stuff in the garage, and later move the workstation to the terrace balcony."


    Snow nodded and said, "You were very smart by enlisting her for the daycare program, there are a few more children there so she will not feel bored and I will not have to hurry around to pick her."


    Leo shook his head and said, "I would have picked her up daily by myself, but today I have something to do. Well, if my plan changes, I will call you."


    Snow nodded, and then Leo went out of the house after saying bye to Lily who had just woken up and was being a clingy koala on his leg.


    ...


    Leo got in a SUV and drove it out of the community. The reason he moved so early was because Jimmy Shelby had texted him, saying, ''I will wait for you at the old spot.''


    Leo wanted to see what this guy was up to. As he was driving, he asked, ''System, bring up the attribute panel.''


    Name : Leo Cardinal


    Age : 24


    Level : Beginner Father.


    Strength : 4.5


    Stamina : 3


    Intelligence : 7


    Speed : 3


    Skills : None


    Talent : Ceramic Artisan.


    Items : None


    The young man found that his stats had improved significantly and he felt a bit more confident in terms of handling the situation. His destination was a place called the Victory Garden.


    This place was a tourist attraction that was managed by the state. It was made for the sake of people who sacrificed their lives in order to win the wars in historical periods. The entire structure was five hundred years old.


    In their college years they would come over to the garden to relax and talk. This was also the place where Leo would come with Snow.


    The young man parked his car in the parking complex outside the garden and entered the garden. He walked slowly, looking around recalling the good times he spent in this place, however, a figure fell in his gaze and the nostalgia crumbled away.


    The young man took a deep breath and watched the two figures sitting under a pavilion from a distance. Jimmy Shelby and his wife Alina were talking to each other while looking around every few minutes. Leo waited, and angled himself behind a tree to avoid being seen.


    He decided to check for any traps and circled the pavilion. He did not find anyone, the footfall in this place was very low because it was not yet the peak of tourist rush.


    After thinking for a long time, he walked forward, and he put his hands in his pockets. His steps were calm, and confident. Leo fixed his posture a little because he did not want these people to see his soft side anymore.


    Jimmy Shelby reacted to Leo''s steps and stood up in a reflex. He wanted to rush over, but just as he took a step forward, he matched Leo''s gaze and froze.


    After a couple of moments, Leo was standing five meters away from Jimmy with his face devoid of expressions. Jimmy wanted to say something, but he did not seem to have any energy to articulate his feelings.


    Leo sat down on a bench placed next to the pavilion entrance and said, "Have a seat. Your wife is getting anxious, it is not good for the child."


    Jimmy nodded and sat down next to Alina. He asked after taking a deep breath, "How have you been?"


    Leo replied, "Confined to a bed, not able to eat, drink, or shit without tubes. Won''t say it was good, but I survived, and now I am back to living a normal life."


    He leaned back and put his leg over his other leg. Jimmy froze again, Leo asked, "Why do you seem so shocked? Didn''t Alina tell you what they did to me?"


    Jimmy shivered, he quickly said, "Leo, I did come back to look for you but I could not find you at all, and Carole had also sent out his goons to look for you. I was beaten up by them as well. They broke my leg and then dad took me back home.


    Over the years we came to the city from time to time but could not find you."


    Leo looked at his so-called best friend and asked, "Did you not know in which hospital I was? Or could you not have asked the staff there for my address on discharge when you did not find me there? Jimmy Shelby, I treated you like a brother. Your inability to help my family was not something I held you guilty for, but your incompetency to look after my daughter and wife as you said you would. That is why I hold you in contempt. I am not seeking an apology, nor an explanation. I only want to know what you want from me?"


    Jimmy and Alina were stunned. The latter already knew what Leo would do when they met the second time. She had told Jimmy that his best friend had changed completely but they did not mind it because of the drastic things he faced in his life, this change was inevitable.


    However, him closing the door of his heart over Jimmy, the guy he grew up with and stayed friends with for seventeen years, this was a shocker.


    Jimmy asked, "Are you doubting my effort to look for you?"


    His words brimmed with the feeling of pain, but Leo replied, "Snow was pregnant when I was attacked. I spent eight months in the hospital, unconscious. You could not find me in that long time. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She took care of our child with me in bed, and also worked on her own, you could not find us then. Tell me, what would you do if you were in my place?"


    Leo fell silent and watched the couple across from him. Jimmy was numb, he was staring at the floor, while Alina was looking around as she did not know what to think of herself either.


    Jimmy stood up from his spot and took two steps forward and fell to his knees. Alina was shocked, and Leo, while he was shocked in his heart, he did not let it show on his face.


    Jimmy was still shivering as he spoke with a quiver, "When I was taken back home by father, Carole had approached my mother. He threatened to kill my father if we tried to look for you. To prove his point, he shot her in the leg.


    Alina was still hidden away so she did not know about this, but the impact of this event was so much that my entire family was shaken. Mom still has some trauma symptoms that trouble her. I was forced in a situation to choose between my parents or you.


    I am kneeling here because I just want to tell you that everything that you did for me was never forgotten. However, I have to look after my parents too. Carole''s family took your parents, because of their business success, and I saw you break down, crumble into shards.


    I was scared of that, and I did not have the guts to drag you even deeper in this swamp. I held back for one year, but then I tried to look for you again. I found the address that Snow gave the hospital, but it was Cardinal Mansion. I apologize for not being there, but I hope you understand my side of the story as well."


    Leo was staring at his friend blankly, and he stood up. He calmly pulled Jimmy back on his feet and said, "I am relieved to hear all this, but I have just stood back on my feet. It will take some time to restore things. I hope you understand."


    Jimmy nodded, Leo backed off and looked at his watch before he said, "I have to be somewhere soon, let us catch up some other time. Look after your family well, focus on the delivery of your child."


    After a few words, the two parties parted, and Leo watched the couple leave in a car, as he thought about confirming the information he was provided.

 Chapter 18: Honesty & Kittens.

    Chapter 18: Honesty & Kittens.Leo got back in his car and then drove to the Atlas Restaurant. It was close to the agreed upon time, and he did not want to leave a bad impression on his future commander. Leo asked for a table for two and sat down.


    He ordered a cup of orange juice, and waited for a few minutes before the order was served and Percie Hibiscal arrived dressed in a silver office attire. A blazer and a white blouse-shirt under it paired with a silver pencil skirt and matching heels.


    She named Leo and the greeter led her straight to the table. The young man stood up from his seat and extended his hand towards her as he said, "Hello, I am Leo Cardinal. You must be Miss Hibiscal."


    The lady had soft facial features and her grey eyes were sparkling with a lot of cunning. She nodded faintly and said, "Hello, Mister Cardinal."


    Leo nodded and said, "Have a seat."


    They both sat down and Leo asked her if she would like to eat anything but the lady passed the offer as she claimed to have eaten a late breakfast.


    Leo did not force her either and said, "May I have a look at your resume?"


    He noticed a flash of surprise in her eyes, but she still followed through and handed him a dossier. The young man opened the file calmly and began to go through the certificates and the other documents that stated her qualifications and experience in a golden halo.


    He closed the file and asked, "With such an impressive resume, you could have gone to any big company and they would have hired you with their heads on the platter. Why did you choose to contact me?"


    Percie Hibiscal seemed to have expected this question and said, "I have a friend in the Industry Registration Office, and she mentioned to me in passing that a company has been registered with the most unique name and employee dynamics. I couldn''t help myself, and looked up for your number and called."


    Leo looked at her calmly and then he sighed as he said, "I expected better from someone who can make Tyrant Group make a Net Revenue of 700 million in two years."


    Percie Hibiscal pretended to be confused and Leo went on to say, "You have worked in Tyrant Group for three years, however, during the rest of your career you have been chasing them very consistently. All the companies that you worked in the past seven years, have some tie ups with the subsidiaries of Tyrant Group.


    From what I know about the Tyrant group, there are only two reasons for you to have quit. One, they did not give you the seat that you wanted, and two, if they did give you the seat at the table, you realized how fucked up they are.


    Since you approached me, I think it should be the second one, right? Carole Primus, made a move on you? Or harmed your family members. One thing or the other, you did not part on good terms with him. Am I correct?"


    Percie Hibiscal took a deep breath and said, "I did not expect that the fallen young master of the Cardinal Family would have such a strong insight."


    Leo shrugged and replied, "There are many things that we do not expect. Can you now tell me, why come to me? Or I can go back home and play with my daughter."


    Leo checked the system panel, and found that the loyalty of this lady was set to 70 points. The lady sighed and said, "The truth is that Carole Primus had some intentions towards me. I shunned him on many occasions, but last time in the board meeting, he took credit for all my hardwork, and so, I decided to quit and came here to relax with my friends. I would have gone back to look for work in some other companies, but at this moment, Tyrant Group is a top company.


    They have swallowed and digested so many small businesses that it has become a cluster of the business world. The small companies don''t dare to take them on, and the big ones, they don''t want to risk what they have. So, my friend told me about you, and how Carole is responsible for your downfall. I thought about approaching you."


    Leo nodded and said, "I appreciate the honesty more than brown-nosing, Miss Hibiscal. I believe in coincidences, so I will give you a benefit of doubt. Tell me, what do you want?"


    Percie looked at his calm eyes and said, "You set up a company with a hundred million ren cap in work capital. I thought if I join you, it would lead me to have the resources that I need to get back at Tyrant Group."


    Leo smiled and asked, "You have a good sense of humor."


    Percie blushed a little, they stayed silent for a bit and then Leo asked, "What if I take a gamble with you? Will you be able to put my company in the top players within a year?"


    Percie nodded and confidently, "Yes, given the connections I have, I will be able to do it."


    Leo took a deep breath and said, "Then, I will appoint you as the CEO of Butterfly Technologies."


    Percie took a deep breath and said, "I will not disappoint you."


    Leo nodded and said, "I registered the company, and I will give you a product design. You will handle everything from setting up an office, and all the other things that are needed to make a company operational."


    Percie was surprised and couldn''t comprehend how Leo was giving her such a big responsibility. The young man waved at the waiter to bring the check and said, "I have only recently recovered from trauma and need to heal properly, at the same time. I would love to spend time with my daughter and bond with her. This is why I need someone who has a good head on her shoulders."


    Percie was even more surprised to hear such a reason, but she nodded and said, "I understand."


    The waiter brought the bill, and Leo told Percie where he lives so that she can finalize an employment agreement and they will sign it later at his home.


    Percie agreed, and then they went their separate ways. The young man drove his car toward Primal Elementary School. On the way, he called Snow, who said that she has fixed an appointment with a photographer but due to some technical issues, they can only do it tomorrow.


    Leo thought about it and checking the time on his phone screen he decided to wait in the parking lot. He picked up Lily, who was chirping about the things she did at the new school, as they drove home.


    Leo had a doting smile on his face and listened to her with great patience. Lily asked, "Baba, what gift would you give Lily on her birthday?"


    Leo thought for a bit and realized that he didn''t even know the birthday of his daughter. He clenched his fists around the steering wheel and said, "Whatever you want my love."


    Lily thought about it and said, "I think Lily wants a cat."


    Leo smiled and said, "Okay, then when your birthday comes we will go to pick up a cat for you. Tell me, what color cat do you want?"


    Lily said, "I think a wise cat, a gray one. Like the one they have in that cartoon, Talia. I will name my cat, Momo."


    Leo chuckled and said, "Okay, a wise gray cat and we will call it Momo."


    Lily cheered and began to talk about the other kid who celebrated her birthday in the class and she gave them candies. The girl invited everyone to the party, and so did her parents. Earlier when Leo was waiting to pick up Lily, a young couple had asked them to come over, but Leo made an excuse after wishing the little girl.


    Lily did not mind it, she was very sensible knowing when to not talk. The other party also did not make things difficult because they knew from their child that Lily was a newly enrolled student so they understood the privacy and trust factor.


    ...


    Leo came home, he fed Lily, and then put her to bed for a nap, before he went to the garage, he picked up Lily''s identity card. Her date of birth was mentioned there and Leo found that her birthday was just a week ago.


    The young man took a deep breath and cursed himself. When he calmed down, Leo walked to the garage and began streaming. He began to stream.


    ... S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the evening, Leo finished talking to someone, he said to Snow, "Love, I will go out to meet with someone for a bit. I will be back soon."


    Snow asked, "Who is it? Can''t you go in the morning?"


    She was worried a little, Leo smiled and said, "Don''t worry, I am fine, it will be alright. I am going to meet a PI, because since Jimmy has made such claims, I want to see them through."


    Snow thought for a bit and sighed as she said, "Fine, do what you need to, but please be careful."


    Leo nodded and pecked Lily''s cheek before going out. The young man was past the phase where he was a pampered kitten, with everyday spent on a bed, the wounded soul was now raging like a lion, ready to hunt the enemies of the past.

 Chapter 19: Vision For Future.

    Chapter 19: Vision For Future.Leo drove the black SUV through a minimal crowd and parked it on the side outside a night market. This place was bustling with pedestrians, mostly students who came to eat and drink with their cohort.


    Leo was given this spot as a meeting location by the person he contacted through the internet. He looked around to find the shop he was called at, and after a few moments, he came across a shop called, ''Samsara Noodles.''


    The name sounded odd, but when you look around, you will find that the entire place was filled with such names. Leo did not think much about it because his own company was called Butterfly Technologies.


    Leo entered the shop and found himself a seat. He then opened the inbox of the contact and sent him a text that he was waiting. Shortly after an average looking middle-aged man walked inside the shop and looked over to the chef who was cooking behind the counter and said, "Boss, one big ramen and a beer."


    The chef raised his head and replied happily, "Coming right up."


    The middle-aged man then sat down before Leo and leaned back in the chair, as he asked, "So, what do you want me to do? Tail your wife and find out about her affair? Or your brother and dig up some dirt on him?"


    Leo narrowed his gaze at the man and said, "You better control your mouth. I am paying you to find out a few things, if you are too loose with your tongue then I can obviously find some other alternatives."


    The man suddenly flinched and sat up straight in his chair. He did not expect this young man to be so cold and professional. He said, "I apologize for my tardiness, but it has been long since I started this thing and people usually approach me for these sorts of tasks only."


    Leo opened the cloud storage from his phone and showed the man a picture and said, "This person is the target. I want you to find out about the major events in the past three years of his life."


    Then he typed a message and sent it along with the picture of Jimmy to the man. The man looked at the text and found the details such as address and key figures around the person were well listed properly.


    The shop owner came over to fetch the man with his order and said, "Marco, this is your order."


    Marco nodded and said, "This gentleman would be paying you the bill."


    Leo nodded and then paid the bill. Marco asked, "I don''t even know your name, how am I supposed to give you the details?"


    Leo looked at him calmly, and said, "You can message it all back to me."


    That said, he left the place and Marco received a message on his phone. Half the money for the assessment was given to him, and the other half would be sent in after the detection was complete.


    ...


    Leo drove the car and he came across a diversion. He sighed as he called Snow to inform her. As he was driving, he suddenly realized that he was passing through an area that was not unfamiliar with him. This place was called Mulberry Lane, the place where all the rich used to live. This was the place where his family home, Cardinal Mansion, was located.


    Leo subconsciously slowed down the vehicle as he moved forward and finally he saw the arched gates of a mansion, one of the biggest in the entire area, illuminated with focus lights. He could see a couple of guards inside the side cottage. However, they were all new faces.


    With a heavy heart, Leo pressed the accelerator and left the place. He knew that it was not the time to mingle with these people. They were way too strong for him to take action.


    When Leo reached home, he found Lily sleeping in Snow''s arms as the latter walked around the living room. He was surprised and asked, "What happened? Is she sick?"


    Snow shook her head and Lily suddenly raised her head and hand to reach out to Leo. The young man quickly took her from Snow and the latter said, "She had been waiting for you. This little girl has become naughtier."


    Leo smiled and coaxed Lily to sleep. They covered her in a blanket before they came to their own room. Snow asked, "What happened? Who did you meet?"


    Leo smiled and told her about Marco. Snow was surprised that Leo went to such lengths but it was only wise that he checked everything. After some thought she said, "In my school, there is a girl called Symphony Primus, and I have a feeling that she is somehow related to Carole''s family. However, upon checking her student information I found that her father''s name was left empty. So I have no idea what is going on."


    Leo thought about it and said, "Unless we have any proof that she is related to Primus, we can let her be, after all, she serves us no value. As for the future, let''s see how it unfolds later."


    Snow understood that Leo would not budge from his path of vengeance, and she did not want to sway him as well. She always thought that this man was kind and loving, but she also told him to have boundaries.


    Leo was a child who grew up loved and stress free, so he saw the world through a glass of goodness, and this was why he suffered so much. She liked the change in him, and approved of it.


    She was lying beside Leo and said, "Love, good night."


    Leo turned to his side and embraced her properly before pecking her forehead and they gradually fell asleep. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    Percie Hibiscal was sitting before her laptop and looking at the faces of a few people that she was holding a conference with. The people were looking back at her in a daze, and one of them asked, "Boss, where did you find this? You understand how helpful this design is?"


    The lady nodded and said, "I know, however, this is not the complete design, I want to ask you, if you all wish to come and join the company? I assure you from the ambition and clarity I saw in the eyes of that guy, I am sure that we would be anything like a typical tech company."


    The people all began to discuss and after a few minutes, they nodded, but one of them asked, "Why is that man giving you so much control on the company set up? I mean, doesn''t he want to fill his own people in the company?"


    Percie nodded and said, "I was thinking about that as well, but from the information I found about him, he does not seem to have his own family. He does not seem like a person who would trust others easily, and he is blunt enough to break your face with his words.


    All in all, what I want to say is, he is a solid businessman. The reason he gave me the CEO designation, is because I asked him to, and he decided to take a gamble in my character. So, please be nice, and stop wasting time in interrogation."


    The people chuckled and one of them said, "I will turn in my resignation tomorrow. They will keep me for a month of notice. Do you think it would be alright for me to come over then?"


    Percie nodded and said, "That would be fine, at the moment, I need the tech and the finance personnel on ground. Also, do not tell them where you are going because the boss behind me has some bad blood with Tyrant."


    The people nodded, these were all guys who were wronged in some way or the other. After the discussions, Percie disconnected the call, then she began to look through properties, and OEM partners to get the goods fabricated.


    The butterfly technologies company entered the cocoon phase and when the product comes out in the market it will shock the people.


    ...


    The next morning, Leo finished his workout, then he cooked breakfast, since he had nothing else to do, he helped Lily get ready and did her hair as well. He gained one point in the hairstyling skills and pinned them nicely.


    After a hearty breakfast, Leo took Snow and Lily to their destinations, and followed up with the photographer. However, when he found that they were still having trouble at their place, he decided to look for another shop.


    As he was moving around, he heard pleasant music flowing in his ears. He turned to the side and found a music shop. He came to a stop and saw a little girl and her mother were practising piano.


    As he watched the two of them, a thought clicked in his mind, "What if I teach my Lily music? She will grow up to be so elegant, like a fairy."


    A smile surfaced on his face and the system said, ''Ping: Host, congratulations for your vision of your child''s future. For every song your daughter learns, you will gain the skill to play another song. Grow together with your daughter and be almighty.''

 Chapter 20: Ring & Tone.

    Chapter 20: Ring & Tone.Leo pushed the door of the store, and the doorbell chime disturbed the Mother and Daughter duo playing music. The lady looked over and smiled as she stood up to greet Leo. The young man smiled and said, "Hello, are you the owner of the store?"


    The lady nodded and replied, "Yes, I am the owner here. How can I help you?"


    Leo replied calmly, "I would like to buy a Piano, can you recommend one for me?"


    The lady nodded and waved her hand and said, "Well, there is some sound quality difference between standing piano and grand piano, whether it be price or the sound quality."


    Leo thought for a bit and said, "I would prefer a better quality one. The price is not an issue. I just wish to give my daughter the best."


    The lady smiled and then pointed towards a black grand piano. The surface of the piano was shining like a mirror. It gave off a noble aura. Leo liked the instrument and quickly made the payment. The lady did not ask much, but just when they were confirming the order, Leo said, "Do you provide maintenance services as well?"


    The lady nodded, she took out a card from the drawer and said, "You can contact me on this number and I will check the instrument. However, it would not be free."


    Leo nodded and said, "That''s alright."


    After a few minutes, Leo left the store and came to the shop where he intended to get the pictures clicked. The store was called Memorabilia.


    Leo entered the shop and fixed the appointment. After a few minutes, the people did not say much and put them on the evening slot. Then Leo went back home, and streamed a session to the people, where he said, "Well, we have reached the thousand subscriber match, the ten winners in the give away are, Xiao Ting, Mel, Professor Ceramic, Big brother Stone, Madam Petal, Grimslayer, Yang Hong, Ikrar, Ramya, and last but not the least, Amilia."


    He then asked the two people to reach out to him in the inbox so that he could arrange for a shipping order and have the articles delivered to them. He said, "You all do not have to worry, the shipment can be done in the lockers of the Pack-it storage boxes and you can collect it yourself. So, you only have to tell me the contact number or the nearest storage box."


    After discussing the situation with the viewers and reaching an agreement, he disconnected the stream before he drove out again to pick up his daughter from the school. Snow also took off from work one hour early.


    They both came to the shop and the photographer took the people for make-up. The photoshoot was a big deal, Leo did not dare to take it casually, this was an important moment for him, as this would be the first time when he shares a picture with his daughter.


    They put on various dresses, Hanfu, and suits. While Lily was dressed in an attire which matched both of her parents. For the first picture, Leo was dressed in a black suit, while Snow was dressed in a white gown. They both held Lily in their arms, who was wearing a black and white dress. The family of three smiled brightly and the photographer was surprised for a moment before he remarked, "Marvelous!"


    Click! Click! Click!


    The shutter clicked continuously, and pictures piled up in the storage card. Leo was a complete daughter slave, he smiled brightly when he was looked in the eyes of his daughter and wife. Lily and Snow were the two people who were his world, and that was it.


    ''Ping: Host, congratulations on clicking pictures with your daughter for the first time. You are rewarded with professional camera set up expertise. May you strive on the path of being the Almighty Father.''


    They clicked pictures for two hours and then the photographer approached Leo and asked, "Sir, your family is the best model that I have ever clicked pictures of, can I use these pictures for my advertisement? I am willing to pay you forty percent of my monthly profits."


    He was very hopeful but Leo didn''t care. His good mood was ruined completely when he heard this and said, "No."


    The unhesitant tone of his voice made the photographer freeze. Leo looked at him and coldly said, "I came here to get pictures clicked, and I hope you respect my privacy. I will not disturb your peace as long as you do not bother mine."


    The photographer was shocked, and then he gulped while nodding quickly and said, "I understand, you will have the photos ready by tomorrow evening."


    Leo nodded and then he left with Snow and Lily. They were driving in two different vehicles, Lily ditched her mother again to be with her father, and Snow sighed as she said, "You better ask your Baba to eat your leftovers now, traitor."


    Leo chuckled and pecked Snow''s cheeks as he said, "Come on, don''t be like this. Lily loves you too."


    Lily snuggled with Leo and said, "Yes, Ma, I love you."


    Snow drove ahead of Leo and Lily. The little girl looked at her father, and said, "Baba, you know Teacher Verse has a ring on her hand and it is so pretty."


    Leo asked, "Oh, really?"


    Lily nodded and said, "I asked her where she got it and she said her husband gave it to her."


    Leo raised his brow and Lily said, "Baba, why haven''t you given Mama any ring?"


    The young man shivered, and realized the meaning of this question. He smiled and said, "Baby, I will give your mama a ring very soon. It will be a good one. Don''t worry."


    ''Ping: Host, issuing task, propose the mother of your daughter to be your lawfully wedded wife. Time duration: twenty four hours.''


    Leo sighed but he understood the importance of this task. He said to Lily, "How about tomorrow? I will get your mother a beautiful ring, something that will make her smile brightly."


    Lily nodded with a smile and said, "Ma likes simple things."


    Leo reached out and pinched her nose gently as he said, "I know that already little princess. Don''t worry. Baba will not disappoint you."


    ...


    The couple reached home, and Leo looked at the Living room before he said, "Snow, tomorrow, a piano will be delivered at home. Where shall we place it?"


    Snow was surprised and asked, "What is it all of a sudden? Why did you get a Piano?" Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo shrugged and said, "I stay at home daily, so I want to do something. I used to play it in the past and so I thought about getting one so that I can teach Lily a basic level of Piano so that she has more options to choose her future occupation or anything she wants."


    Snow thought for a bit and then after looking around she pointed in a separate area, where they should be dining but they were not.


    After some discussion, they decided to utilize the space for the Piano. Lily was confused looking at the two adults and placed her hands on her hips. She sighed and spoke exasperatedly, "Oh lords, I have no idea how these older dance so much while talking."


    Leo and Snow froze, they looked at their hands, and found that their daughter was calling them dancers because they used too many hand gestures.


    The young man looked at Lily and said, "You naughty baby, wait, Baba will catch you and teach you a lesson. You dare to tease us."


    Lily chuckled and yelled, "Catch me if you can Baba."


    The two people dashed around the house. Leo did not catch her, but he pretended to be slow and missed Lily from a few inches everytime causing the young lady to chuckle. Her laughter filled the house and made the scene very cheerful.


    Snow began to cook food and called the two of them over to eat. The family had dinner, and then Leo spent one hour telling Lily a story. When he came out of the room after putting her to sleep, he found Snow leaning back on the couch frowning.


    His heart ached a little as he walked up to her and asked, "What happened?"


    Snow shook her head and said, "Nothing, I am just tired from the work."


    Leo noticed some redness on her toes and he sat down next to her. He lifted her feet and placed them in his lap, before he massaged them gently. Snow was surprised and wanted to say something to stop him when Leo said, "Don''t think much. I am just doing my bit for you."


    Snow looked at him gently and nodded. While she was grateful to have him in her life, Leo was thinking how foolish he was to have not realized the fact that Snow was his girlfriend and they had yet to get married officially.


    Thinking about this, he recalled the tragedies of his life again. However, now he was used to it and his state of mind did not change much.


    He looked up and gazed at Snow and said, "I will give you the best that I can, and never let you suffer, Snow."


    Snow smiled and said, "I will do the same, Love."


    The two of them looked at each other in silence before they said, "I love you."


    It just so happened that they were in sync and then they heard a sweet voice, "I love you two too."


    The two chuckled and went to tease the little girl before putting her to bed.

 Chapter 21: Maestro Cardinal Senior & Junior.

    Chapter 21: Maestro Cardinal Senior & Junior.The next morning, Leo finished his workout, and after helping Lily dress up, he sent the two of them off to work and came back in to rest on the couch. He took a deep breath as he was figuring out what to do when his phone rang.


    He looked at the number and connected the call. From the other side, Marco said, "Hello, greetings, I am calling to tell you that the verification results came out to be true. Jimmy Shelby did face a lot of trouble in the past three years, this is his second child, the first one met a mishap during the commute to hospital.


    His wife has been in therapy for trauma, and same with his mother. She has been consulting Doctor Fusen Parley. She has not yet stabilized but living a normal life is not a problem for her."


    Leo nodded and said, "I see, well, thank you. Shall I deliver the rest of the amount to you like the last time?"


    Marco replied, "That would be much appreciated."


    Leo agreed to deliver the amount in the evening at the Samsara Noodle Shop. The conversation ended and Leo was thinking on what to do with Jimmy Shelby. After all, although the person was his friend in the old days, he held great importance as well. However, times have changed and the same was true about his emotions.


    The young man took a deep breath and sighed, "Fucking hell, why do I have to deal with this shit? Couldn''t he have stayed back in the village and be happy with Alina? Bastard."


    Leo was pondering over it and to divert his mind, he checked the inbox in the streaming application. He checked the ten addresses and told everyone to wait for a few days, as the articles would need to be glazed and then he would post them.


    At noon, he received a call from the Piano store and the lady told him that the instrument was out for delivery. Leo asked how long it would take for the order to be delivered and she told him to wait for a couple of hours.


    Leo went to the garage and then turned on the stream. He prepared the glazes, and said, "Well, I have a surprise for you guys. In the coming days, we will build sculptures on a life-like scale. Then it would take a few minutes for the project to dry up. We will then put it in the kiln." S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ting asked, "Host, what would you still be streaming in the meantime?"


    Leo thought for a moment and said, "Well, I intend to give my daughter some lessons in Piano and see if she likes it. So, if you all don''t mind, I can stream some lessons here till the sculptures dry up."


    The people were surprised and Mel asked, "Host, do you still know how to play Piano?"


    Leo replied positively and said, "Yes, I have taken some lessons in the past. My mother used to say that music was a noble art, if you can master it, you would be able to practice patience and virtue in your character. So, I want my daughter to have some patience and virtue when she grows up."


    The people praised him as Leo used a pick up tong and placed the articles inside the Kiln. Then he set the Kiln and closed the door of the shed, before putting up an additional barricade by moving his table on the side.


    Leo turned off the stream after that and just when he was about to grab a meal, the security officer on the front gate of the community called him to confirm that there was a delivery truck heading for his place. Leo approved and soon the truck to the front of his house. The young man came to the door, and found that some of the Neighbors had gathered to see what was going on.


    Don''t think that rich people didn''t like the drama. They just didn''t get involved in it. Leo paid no mind to the rich peanut gallery and signed the documents needed before the cargo company guys brought down the instrument using a ramp. Leo then guided them to bring the Piano inside the house, and told them where to place it.


    It just so happened that the spot was right beside a big french window. It seemed to be very scenic. Leo smiled when he looked at the set up and then he thought about camera angles that he needed to stream the lessons properly. After a few minutes, he picked up his car keys and headed out to the Sundial Mall.


    Leo was going to buy a set up for his streaming channel and that included a couple of high definition cameras, a high performance laptop, and a few other things. He was quick in his decisions as he knew what he wanted and after thirty minutes he went to the laptop store to buy a laptop from the same brand as his mobile to facilitate screen mirroring and casting.


    It was close to three, so Leo called Snow and told her that he was going to pick up Lily so she doesn''t have to worry about it and head back home directly. As he was driving the vehicle towards the house, Lily asked, "Baba, what is all this?"


    Leo replied, "This is a setup that Baba got forgotten streaming. I have a new idea to use."


    Lily was a curious child so she asked, "Baba, what is it?"


    Leo smiled and said, "That is a little surprise."


    The little girl looked at him with a calm gaze and asked, "Is it good?"


    Leo shivered, he had acted on a whim but he didn''t know if Lily would like it or not. The young man sighed and calmed down and said, "Well, if you don''t find it good, we can give it away."


    Lily thought for a bit and asked, "Baba, did you spend a lot of money?"


    Leo smiled and shook his head as he replied, "No, don''t worry about that."


    Lily nodded and turned her head to look outside the window, she did not say much, and Leo could not figure out what she was thinking. They reached home, and Leo took her to the bedroom to give her a change of clothes and a light meal. Lily asked while eating, "Baba, where is the surprise?"


    Leo replied, "Baby, why don''t you take a nap first, and then Baba will show you the surprise when you wake up. I will prepare for the big unveiling."


    Lily smiled and nodded very sweetly. Leo sighed and remarked, "My baby is so gentle. Baba loves you."


    Lily replied, "Lily loves Baba too."


    Leo reached out and pecked her cheek and Lily put her arms around his neck and she pecked his cheek as well. The young man smiled and then he took her to her room. He told her a short story while massaging her legs and put her to bed.


    After everything was done, Leo came out, cleaned the dishes, and then he took the camera setup to the side. He used a tripod mount to place a camera focused on the keys of the Piano. His hand movements would be visible to the people with ease. Then he placed another camera on the right of the camera, from where Lily''s face and his foot on the pedal would be visible. He then connected the cameras to the laptop using the wifi networking feature of the devices.


    When he was done with that, he ran a trial to confirm the angles. Snow arrived home at this moment and asked, "What is going on with the Cameras, Honey?"


    Leo replied, "I am setting it up the cameras for streaming. I intend to teach Lily some songs so she can master music as well. It will cultivate patience in her character."


    Snow shook her head and said, "Leo, you are worrying too much."


    Leo smiled and said, "I like it, Love. I have missed out a lot of time with her. This is my way of making it up."


    Snow did not say anything and just rested as he set up things. Shortly after, Lily woke up and came over. She saw the Piano, and stood there in a daze. She asked Snow, "Ma, what is this?"


    Snow replied, "This is a Piano that Baba got for you."


    Lily looked at Leo who was smiling at her and walked over. Leo took her in his arms and patted her back gently. The young man took a deep breath and said, "Well, do you want to try?"


    Lily thought for a bit and said, "You play first."


    Leo nodded and went to sit on the stool. He then used his phone to remotely access the laptop and turned on the Streaming, and after a few muscle relaxing exercises, he said, "Well, this is the first performance, so I hope you all pardon me for any mistakes. Lily is the VIP judge tonight, hope she likes it."


    That said, he began playing the basic chords on piano and then he shifted to play a song that was unlocked in his mind, ''Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.''


    The world was different but the basic things were all same. The song was pleasant and then it entered the variations, which made Lily open her eyes wide. In Leo''s gaze, the keys were glowing, and he could see which key to play next. Although he was not a professional, he was not bad as a beginner.


    After the song came to an end, Leo looked at his daughter, and asked, "Did you like it?"


    Lily nodded and said, "Yes. Can I learn this too?"


    Leo smiled and said, "Yes. Come on. Let''s play together."


    So, the Maestroes began to practise their skills.


    ...


    Please vote with power stones and golden tickets. Add the book to library and leave comments. Your inputs mean a lot.

 Chapter 22: Shopping Presents.

    Chapter 22: Shopping Presents.Leo finished the day on a high note, and bade farewell to the viewers before having dinner and turning in for the day. They were sitting in the living room, when Snow asked, "What are you thinking about?"


    Leo replied, "You remember the private investigator I told you about?"


    Snow nodded and Leo told her that he needed to go and give him the rest of the payment tonight. Snow asked, "What about the investigation results?"


    Leo replied, "I will check the evidence he gives me today. On the call he said that the story checks out. So I think it is alright. Although I will let go of my grudge, I have no intention to bring him back in my life. This should be apparent as he has been texting me these past couple of days, but since I did not reply, he stopped."


    Snow thought and said, "While I may be a bit too paranoid about getting involved with Jimmy and Alina, I think that if he is trying to reach out you should talk to him a bit. Leo, I will not stop you since you have decided to take this path, but if this is what you want to do, do it properly.


    Alina was once the sweetheart of Carole Primus, she must know a few things that nobody did. Jimmy also would be wary of approaching us too much because I am sure that the impact of Carole''s doings is not wasted on him yet.


    Since you plan to play chess on a broader scale, better consider these people your pawns and use them wisely."


    Leo was surprised but then he recalled her real identity and his state of mind also underwent a change. He nodded and said, "Thank you, My love. You have taught me a good thing."


    Snow smiled and said, "It is my pleasure, Honey."


    The two sat together for a bit and then Leo left the house in his Suv. He parked the car outside the market, and traversed the place on foot.


    Marco was sitting inside the shop and he was eating the ramen like last time. Leo sat across from him, and asked, "The evidence."


    Marco frowned but when he saw the uncaring face of the young man, he took out a yellow paper envelope. Leo also did the same, and they both exchanged at the same time. The young man took a peek at the content and said, "I will contact you in the future. If you work well, the payment won''t be shabby."


    Marco smiled and said, "Rest assured, I will do my best. It was nice doing business with you."


    Leo then left the shop and went straight to his car. Then he drove away, and opened the envelope only when he was back inside his house. Snow looked at the content which confirmed that the story Jimmy told was true, and asked, "What do you intend to do now?"


    Leo thought for a bit and said, "How about I go to the hospital and check up on his wife and child?"


    Snow nodded and said, "Tell me if you need me to go there."


    Leo shook his head and replied, "It is a bit too soon for you to ''forgive'' them. Just wait for a few days. Also, can we get a cat?"


    Snow was surprised at the randomness of this question and asked, "Where did this come from?"


    Leo replied, "Lily wants a cat. I promised to get her one for her birthday."


    Snow frowned and then sighed, as she said, "Fine, but you have to get the cat litter trained and also properly vaccinated. You will have to brush her daily, and cut her nails regularly. I do not want to see any marks on my furniture. Do you understand?"


    Leo nodded forcefully and saluted her. He said, "Yes, Ma''am."


    The two then went to sleep and Leo began to think about getting a ring for her along with the cat.


    ...


    The next morning, Leo worked out and then prepared a light breakfast for the trio, and went to take a shower. Lily woke up a bit late and Snow helped her dress up and Leo then sent the girl to the school. Snow also went to the office on her own.


    Leo received a call from Percie Hibiscal, he was called for a meeting. Leo agreed and asked her to come to an animal adoption center. Percie was surprised but she agreed as well.


    The young man dressed up properly, and left the house in his car. After half an hour of driving, he arrived at the animal shelter and found a luxury sedan parked on the side of the road. The young man spotted Percie Hibiscal standing in the shade on the side.


    They waved at each other and Leo called her over to his side. They stood outside the shelter and Leo asked, "Is there anything?"


    Percie nodded and said, "I have documents that need to be signed."


    Leo extended his hand and the girl gave him a file. Leo opened it and flipped the pages, after a few minutes, he took a pen and signed the document. The process of manufacturing the mobile phone was authorized. Leo said, "Would you like to come in and help me select a cat for my daughter? We can talk about work there as well." S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two of them entered the center and Leo approached the reception counter, and asked, "Hi, do you have cats for adoption?"


    The person behind the counter smiled and said, "Greetings. Thank you for taking interest in this noble cause. Yes, we do have a few kittens up for adoption. If you could follow me."


    Leo nodded and the two people followed the person inside the center and Leo asked, "What did you want to talk about?"


    Percie replied calmly, "President, the first product would be going through beta testing soon. Have you decided on a name?"


    Leo thought for a bit and said, "Do you have any suggestions?"


    Percie replied, "Butterfly Monarch. What do you think?"


    The young man shrugged and said, "Good enough, however, make sure that the hardware and the software all are checked thoroughly. Also, get the tech team to apply all the patents they can find. Keep the assembly plant tight on security."


    Percie Hibiscal nodded and agreed to the suggestions. The shelter operative led them to the place where a few kittens were placed inside different cages. They all appeared shy and adorable. Leo looked at the cages and he found that this place only had one gray kitten.


    The gray kitten was looking at Leo but as soon as their eyes matched, the kitten turned away and acted as if it didn''t see him. Leo smiled and walked up to the cage and crouched on the ground before he asked, "Little one do you want to come with me?"


    The gray kitten turned to look at him and meowed. Leo smiled and tapped the floor with the tip of his finger and he looked at the staff, "Do you provide litter training here?"


    The staff nodded and replied, "She is already trained. She might not look like it but she is one month old."


    Leo nodded and said, "I will take her."


    The staff smiled and said, "Please come with me. We can write you up immediately."


    Leo nodded and told Percie to go back and handle the work if she was done here. The lady left and shared the information about the company office.


    The staff led him to deal with the paperwork and when everything was finished, "You can come over tomorrow and take her home. I will have her dewormed and go through other health checks."


    Leo agreed and left the place to head to the Sundial Mall. He was going to buy a diamond solitaire for Snow. His speed was fast, the young man came to one of the best jewellery shops and was greeted by an attendant.


    Leo nodded and asked, "Can you recommend a solitaire ring?"


    The attendant smiled and said, "Please come with me, Sir."


    They came to the section where rings were showcased and after some pondering, Leo selected a ring and asked, "How much is this worth?"


    The lady checked the price and then reported, "This is worth 8,999 Ren."


    Leo nodded and said, "I''ll take it. Please wrap it up nicely."


    The lady nodded and after paying Leo left the store with the ring. Then he bought a few things that were needed for the kitten, pair of brushes and cat food. After a few minutes, Leo headed back home, and emptied the kiln.


    He began to pick things up and called up the courier company to pick up the orders and transfer them to the addresses of the viewers. Leo had finished his work and was about to have his lunch when Jimmy called him.


    Leo picked up the call and said, "Hello."


    Jimmy said, "Leo, Alina is in l


    abor. Can you come over? I am feeling very anxious."

 Chapter 23: Heartfelt Emotions.

    Chapter 23: Heartfelt Emotions.Leo was shocked to receive the call at this hour. He assured Jimmy to calm down and then walked out to his car. On the way he called Snow, and once the young lady picked up the call, he said, "Snow, Jimmy called me and he said that Alina is in labor, and he wanted me to go over there. I agreed to it, can you pick up Lily?"


    Snow agreed calmly and said, "Leo, be careful."


    This wish was to remind Leo to not let his emotions and humanity get the better of him. Snow was wary of everyone from their past, and it wasn''t uncalled for. Leo replied calmly and then he drove to the hospital quickly. It did not take long for him to go to the reception and ask the nurse where Alina was being treated.


    ...


    Leo walked through the corridor holding a bag of fruits and supplements. He spotted Jimmy sitting on a chair, shaking his leg quickly as if a motor was installed in it. Leo moved closer and sat down on the side. Jimmy saw him and was surprised. Leo asked, "What, did you think I would not come?"


    Jimmy nodded and replied, "Yes, I did think that you would not come. You haven''t been talking to me lately."


    Leo shrugged and leaned back in the chair. Jimmy looked at him and subconsciously asked, "Is it really this tense when a child is about to be born?"


    Leo shrugged and replied, "I was in a coma when my daughter was being delivered. I have no idea. Snow never talks to me about those days, because she sorta hates me for being incapacitated."


    The last sentence was akin to a joke, but it made Jimmy blush in embarrassment. After a few minutes of silence Jimmy started shaking his leg again. Leo asked, "All these years, you have been troubled by Carole, does he not know about today?"


    Jimmy shook his head and replied, "No, had he known, that bastard would have done the same thing as the last time."


    As he said this, his fist clenched tightly. Leo could see that Jimmy was getting angry visibly and he asked, "How are you doing these days?"


    Jimmy nodded and replied, "Learned farming from dad, and I watch the fields these days. Not only that, I have a small shop at home so we can live fine. It is a cozy life."


    Leo nodded and talked a little more about Jimmy''s family. Jimmy calmed down as the two people caught up with each other. A few minutes later, the nurse walked out of the Operation Theatre and said, "Mister Shelby, congratulations, your daughter has given birth to a son."


    Jimmy stood up from the chair quickly, and asked, "Thank you, sister."


    Leo also stood up and thanked the nurse for giving the good news, and extended his hand to congratulate Jimmy, but the latter was so excited that he pulled Leo in an embrace. Leo was surprised but he did not push him back. After calming down, Jimmy asked, "Sister, what about my wife? Is she alright?"


    The nurse nodded and said, "She is just tired from the labour, you will be able to see her shortly."


    Jimmy asked, "And the child?"


    The nurse told him that the child was taken in for cleaning and will be given to the couple soon, but he could see the child going through different first-time check-ups. Leo watched everything calmly, and after a few minutes, when Alina was pushed out of the room, Leo felt his heart clench as he shivered.


    Jimmy rushed up to hold her hand and Leo stood there, watching them walk away. He realized that Snow must have gone through something similar and that too on her own. He did not realize that there were tears falling from his eyes. The young man could not help but shiver and sit down on the bench on the side.


    In this moment, where he was supposed to use Jimmy and Alina to learn more about his enemy, he unexpectedly learned about his wife. The feeling of not being with her in a situation where she needed her the most made him feel pained. When he had first woken up in the hospital, he thought everyone had abandoned him.


    Leo remembered how Snow had brought a tiny pink figure wrapped in layers of towels and clothes to his ward. He recalled how pale and weak she looked at that time. His wife carried such heavy burdens on her shoulders and she did not say anything in return. Not ever, not once.


    Leo calmed himself and stood up from the chair while wiping his tears. He did not even greet Jimmy and walked away. He drove his car to the school, and picked up Lily.


    The little girl was blessed with terrifying perception and she asked, "Baba, are you upset?"


    Leo nodded and said, "Yes."


    Lily frowned and turned to the side, and said, "You can talk to Lily. Ma also used to talk to Lily when she felt sad in the past."


    Leo was having a hard time controlling his emotions, and when he heard this, his eyes turned misty again. He quickly recollected himself and said, "No baby, you do not have to worry about the older people yet. When you grow up and become a big girl. Baba will tell you everything, I promise."


    Lily extended her pinky finger and said, "Pull the hook and swear to hang for a hundred years."


    Leo hooked the pinky finger with her and they reached the school where Snow was a senior teacher. He parked the car in the guest parking lot and then he carried Lily in his arms, and went inside the building.


    The building was almost devoid of students, only a few of them could be seen wearing student council armbands. One of these students spotted Leo and asked, "Hello, Sir, can I help you?"


    Leo nodded and asked, "Can you tell me where I can find Miss Snow Cardinal?"


    The young man smiled and said, "She might be in the teachers office room. You can go through the stairs there and it is located on the first floor."


    Leo thanked the student and walked away with Lily. The two of them came to the door of the staff room. Leo placed Lily down, and adjusted his clothes, before knocking the door. A calm voice sounded from inside, "Come in."


    Leo slid the door to the side, and he spotted a few teachers sitting on chairs and going through the documents on their desks. The young man took a deep breath and cleared his throat before he said, "Hello, I am looking for Teacher Snow."


    Huh! sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A sudden exclamation sounded from the side and everyone looked at Snow who stood up in a shocked gaze. The young man took a deep breath and said, "Hello.."


    Snow trotted up to him and asked, "What are you doing here?"


    Lily said, "Baba and I came to pick you up."


    Snow looked down and her eyes turned misty. A senior teacher coughed and asked, "Teacher Snow, won''t you introduce all of us?"


    Snow turned attentive and then turned her head to look at the senior teacher and said, "Miss Kelvin, this is my husband, Leo Cardinal, and you all know Lily."


    Lily stepped up and waved her hand to all the teachers with a smile and said, "Good evening, Miss Kelvin, Miss Rosa, Teacher Song, Teacher Dan. How are you doing?"


    Lily was a star of the scene, wherever she went, she would captivate older people. Leo took a step forward and then he bowed to the teacher and said, "Hello, I am Leo Cardinal, thank you for looking after Snow all these years. If you all do not mind, I would invite you all for lunch this sunday at our home."


    Snow also bowed down and invited the people for lunch and they agreed as well. After a few minutes, the trio walked out of the school. Leo took out his phone and called for a driver, and told him to drive the sedan behind them.


    Snow got in the SUV and said, "Why did you call a driver, I could have driven the car."


    Leo shook his head and replied, "No, you have been working too hard, I will drive you from home to school and come to pick you everyday."


    Snow wanted to protest when she noticed something off in his voice. She had spent three years taking care of him, understanding his needs and everything just from a slight change in his expression, so now that he could talk and express properly, can she not sense his expressions now?


    She asked, "What happened? Are you okay?"


    Leo shook his head but then he said, "I visited Jimmy and Alina, and the things I saw there, I realized that my choices caused me to miss the moments where you needed me the most. I have failed you, Snowie."


    Snow brought her hand to cover her mouth and she shivered. Leo called her Snowie only in times when he was really sad and heartbroken. She reached out and held his hand and said, "It was all in the past, Leo. Don''t worry, it will be fine now that we are together."


    Leo wanted to cry, when Lily peeked over from the gap between the seats and said, "Baba, don''t cry. Lily will feel sad."


    The young man sighed and replied, "Yes, baby, I will not cry."


    Overwhelmed by emotions, the family headed home.

 Chapter 24: Gifts & Opportunities.

    Chapter 24: Gifts & Opportunities.The family came to the house and Snow took Leo to his room. Overwhelmed with emotions, Leo felt a bit exhausted. He could not explain this feeling but even though his body was healing his soul was tired. This would take a long time to heal, but as long as he still has things to learn about himself and his family, the process would keep on going.


    Leo took a nap, and when he woke up, he found Lily sitting next to him. She was massaging his temples and when Leo woke up, the little angel asked with a worried expression, "Baba, are you okay? Do you want me to call, Ma?''


    Leo felt for a second that his daughter was worried that he might return to being the vegetable that he was a few days ago. He smiled, sat up and pulled the little girl in a warm embrace calmly as he said, "No, I have you with me, I don''t need anything else."


    Lily sighed and snuggled her head in his chest and said, "I was so worried that something was wrong with you."


    Leo patted her small back gently and after coaxing her the two of them went outside the room. Snow was cooking soup and some other things, but the worry on her face was evident. She was also feeling the same thing as Lily.


    Leo carried the little girl inside the kitchen and said, "Love, I apologize for making you worry."


    Snow was startled and then she took a deep breath to calm her mind and turned around to look at the young man with a faint smile. Leo knew that although she was smiling her eyes were wandering all over him. He smiled and pulled her in an embrace as well, as he said, "I wanted to give you something."


    Snow asked, "What is it?"


    It was evening, and Leo thought it was the right time to give Snow the ring that he bought and so he turned off the gas and led her outside the kitchen. They stood in the living room, with Lily standing on the couch, looking at the two elders curiously.


    Leo took out a box from his pocket and knelt on the ground. He opened the box and looked up to his stunned ''wife'', "Snowie, all these years, we have been together through thick and thin. Without realizing it, you became my world. I really love you, I apologize for being so late to fulfil my promise, but would you still want to marry me?"


    Snow had tears in his eyes, and then she nodded and said, "Yes!"


    She was choking through her words, but she still managed to say it, Leo reached out to hold her hand and then put the solitaire on her ring finger. Leo stood up and the two exchanged an affectionate embrace. Leo held her face and then kissed her lips gently.


    Lily put her hands on her eyes but she still peeked through. After a few moments when Lily put her hands away she said, "Baba, I also want a ring."


    Leo chuckled and replied, "Alright, but why do you want a ring?"


    Lily jumped onto him, and Leo hastily caught her and she said, "I will marry you too. I come included with ma."


    ''Ping: Host, you receive a gift package as your daughter said the golden words.''


    Leo chuckled and rubbed his nose against her and said, "Yes, my love, I will get you a very pretty ring."


    Snow smiled at the two of them and she also embraced them as she said, "I love you both so much..."


    After sharing affection, the people all had a meal and then went to sleep. While Leo and Snow were laying in bed, the latter asked, "Are you really okay?"


    Leo rubbed her back gently and said, "Yes, I am fine. Don''t worry."


    After a pause the young man asked, "What should we do for Lily''s fourth birthday?"


    Snow thought for a bit and said, "It happens to be sunday the day after tomorrow. We can invite the teachers in my school over with their families. They all have kids so she won''t be alone. Also, you are getting her a cat so that should be enough."


    Leo thought about it and said, "Okay, I will invite a friend as well. We will order the food from outside, you don''t have to work hard."


    Snow hummed in agreement and the two gradually fell asleep.


    ...


    The next day, Leo woke up and after finishing his routine, he drove Lily to her school and then dropped Snow at her workplace. He then drove around the city when he suddenly recalled a gift package that he received last night. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ''System, can you open my gift package?''


    ''Ping: Host, opening the package. The content have been stored inside the glove box.''


    Leo reached out and opened the glove box and a few documents slipped out. After checking them out, Leo raised his brow. It was the patent rights for a future technology and the process to manufacture. After analyzing the documents properly, his breath picked up a pace. He realized that the gift was something that could change the shape of the tech world as he knew it, and this realization made Leo smile as well.


    In the documents, the process of manufacturing an advanced lithography machine. Leo decided that he would hand this over to Percie Hibiscal, and have this new processor power his mobile in the future.


    After a few minutes, Leo calmed down and called Percie. He asked, "Did you set up an office?"


    Percei rolled her eyes and said, "Yes, we have an office. Do you want to visit?"


    Leo nodded and asked her for the location. Percie Hibiscal was quick as she sent him the location. Then he drove the car around and came to the location. He found that Percie Hibiscal has rented out a ten floor building. While the first two floors were used by the normal paper pushing staff, the third to fifth floors were refitted with testing chambers and assembly lines.


    The top floors were where the tech team and the administration teams were posted, they dealt with the marketing and the top floor was designated for the CEO, and there were a couple of conference rooms.


    Leo parked the car below the building and saw a steel sign studded to the walls of the building, naming it Monarch Tower.


    The young man remarked, "Name is so domineering yet the size is so small."


    After saying that, he held the documents in his hands and entered the building. The lady sitting behind the reception counter quickly asked, "Excuse me, may I help you?"


    Leo took out his phone and called Percie Hibiscal. The lady in turn called the reception and told her about Leo''s identity. The young man took the elevator and came to the top floor. He came to Percie''s office and knocked on the door.


    The lady called, "Come in."


    Leo pushed open the door and walked in to find Percei looking through some documents and signing them. Leo walked up to her table and placed the papers before her. Percie raised her head and asked, "What is this?"


    Leo gestured for her to see the paper on her own, and then he moved to stand before the french window. He tied his hands behind his back enjoying the view.


    Percie read the document and she stood up from the chair in a shock. She exclaimed, "Where did you get this from?"


    Leo turned to cast her a disdainful look and began to look out of the window again. Percie gulped as she inspected the document before she said, "What do you want to do with this?"


    Leo looked at her and said, "As a business person, the applications of this should be obvious to you. Let me remind you once again, Miss Percie Hibiscal, I hired you so that my company runs smoothly, and makes profit. I didn''t hire you to ask me these nonsensical questions."


    Percie Hibiscal took a deep breath, she did not mind that Leo reprimanded her, but the fact that he saw her so gaffe, was totally shocking.


    Leo did not say much following this but after a few minutes, Percie said, "I have an idea, if you do not mind. We can manufacture this machine and follow a B-2-B model. Product Services."


    Leo shrugged and said, "I will leave the final decision of how you want to do it on you, but I want you to make profit. Also, on the coming Sunday, it is my daughter''s birthday. You are invited for lunch."


    Then he gave her the location of his house on the phone. Then he left the building again to head back home and start streaming. From what he remembered about the platform, he could earn money as soon as he got one thousand subscribers. So, he was going to use that as well. He was not someone who would waste any opportunity coming his way.

 Chapter 25: Daddy’s Cooking.

    Chapter 25: Daddy''s Cooking.Leo began streaming and after a few minutes, he calmed down and the young man took a deep breath. After a few minutes, the viewers joined in and he began to talk with them while he prepared the clay calmly.


    The topic varied from what he was going to make next and what song he would teach Lily later. The young man smiled and said, "The next sculpture would be a garden gnome. It is said that they protect the house from evil energies. As for the song, I would change the track only when Lily learns this one completely. It is not a good thing to rush the process of learning like this."


    The people agreed and many teachers complimented him. Leo was given a few gifts, (I hope someone gifts me as well.) before he finished the pottery session and went inside the house to rest. While he was leaning against the couch, he turned on the news, and a scene was playing on the TV.


    "This is live from Advent Primary School. Just half an hour ago, seven children fell victim to the cruelty of a corrupt business of fake food material. The seven children have been taken to the hospital. We have with us the principal of the school, Mrs. Dimso.


    Principal Dimso, can you tell us what is going on here? How did this happen?"


    The middle-aged woman had swollen eyes and her expression was an epitome of distress. She said, "We have an in-house meal program for the students. Last week we changed our tiffin supplier for a better menu. Today when we gave the children the food, they all fell sick and when we took them to the hospital, the doctor diagnosed them with food poisoning.


    After analyzing the components flushed out of their stomachs, the doctor said that it was all fake food made with harmful chemicals that caused this issue. I apologize to the parents of the children who suffered because of us, and the school will provide them with an explanation and sufficient compensation."


    The reporter nodded and said, "It is very kind and considerate of you to do this, Principal Dimso. The police have arrested the accused Kitchen Owner, and also are conducting an in-depth investigation. Sonia, over to you."


    A blonde woman appeared on the screen and said, "Thank you, Steve. Folks as you all see, food safety and nutrition is a big concern in the modern days. Please be mindful of what your child is eating and where the items are sourced from."


    Leo mumbled, "If I could cook, I would have fed Lily good nutritious food daily and make sure she does not have any possibility to come across such a danger. They should hang that bastard for playing games with their lives. Fucking capitalists."


    ''Ping: Host, detecting your strong wish to feed your daughter with nutritious and tasty food, you are given a skill, Nutri-chef. The system will provide you with the knowledge of nutrient value and combination of various cooking ingredients and at the same time the skill is upgradeable with constant practice.''


    Leo was stunned and then he fell in a daze, his head grew numb, and only stabilized after a few minutes. He took a deep breath and mumbled, "God, so much knowledge, my brain might swell."


    ''Ping: Host, brain does not swell from info but blood circulation flaws. The phenomenon is similar to how you get an erection.''


    Leo palmed his face and said, "Can you speak nicely?"


    He calmed down and thought about the first recipe he should make for his daughter, and then he stood up and headed to the kitchen. After checking the ingredients, Leo prepared them all and put them in the fridge before he left home to pick up Lily and Snow.


    After witnessing Alina''s condition in the hospital, he had become extremely sensitive regarding the things the mother and daughter had to deal with and didn''t want them to do anything more than necessary.


    Snow was an ambitious person and thus he did not tell her to stay home after he recovered, and the other reason was to keep her mind away from the things he does. It was not that he didn''t trust her, but because he did not want her to worry over him.


    The pick up was smooth, and just when he was parking the car, his phone rang. He looked at the number and frowned, Snow also saw the name on the caller ID, and said, "Go on, I will take Lily inside."


    Leo nodded and picked up the call, and said, "Hello..!"


    Jimmy said from the otherside, "Leo, where did you vanish yesterday? I got so caught up with Alina and the baby that I missed your departure, I am sorry. Is everything alright?"


    Leo leaned back in his seat and said, "Well, I recalled how I was never there to look after Snow, so I went to her, and then came back home. Everything is fine, what about your side? Is Alina and the child coming around okay?"


    Jimmy chuckled and said, "Yeah, Alina is recovering and the baby is healthy. Hahaha, I am inviting you to the 100 days meal in advance along with Snow and your daughter. So, do not miss out, Mom would like to see you as well."


    Leo hummed but did not give out a quick answer, and Jimmy went on to tell him about how fragile the child is, after Leo had enough, he disconnected the call and went inside the house.


    Snow asked, "What did he say?"


    Leo looked around and found Lily was going to her room for a nap. He told Snow about the conversation and the lady said, "You can decide upon that when the time comes. You sit, I will cook dinner."


    Leo shook his head and said, "Let us cook together, I have been reading some cooking articles and watching shows as well. I want to try something. You can guide me."


    Snow was surprised but she nodded, and said, "Try in small quantities." S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo put on a sad expression and replied, "Your distrust causes me great pain."


    Snow chuckled and rebuked him, "Don''t dramatize it, even you, yourself don''t have complete confidence."


    The young man took out the ingredients he had prepared earlier, and Snow inspected them before she said, "Well, this looks decent for the first attempt. Good job."


    Leo chuckled and said, "Thank you, Chef."


    Then he began to cook and Snow supervised him on the timing and the instinct. Leo knew the recipe but he wanted to increase his skills quickly and understand the logic behind the instincts of a chef that he had gained from this cooking skill.


    After an hour, Lily woke up and dinner was served. The menu was simple but fulfilling, it had egg scrambles, and a soup, with some whole wheat noodles in it.


    Lily and Snow began to eat the food, and the little girl exclaimed, "Oh, this is nice. Mommy, you made good food today."


    Snow was surprised, Lily was a picky eater and she did not like to eat from just anywhere but today she was praising the food, which was rare. Leo still had a lot to learn about his daughter, so he was just happy.


    Snow said, "I didn''t cook today, your Baba did."


    Lily froze and raised her head with a shocked expression on her face. Leo and Snow looked at each other and the little girl said, "You know Baba, in the school, they told us to bring something cooked by our fathers. With you here, Lily will win."


    Leo smiled and said, "Love, it is not a competition."


    Lily nodded and replied, "I know, but everything that we do, we should strive to be the best at it. So, if Baba cooks for Lily, it would be the best."


    Leo smiled, and poked her little nose as he said, "You have become very intelligent."


    After the meal, Snow took on the task of cleaning the dishes while the father and daughter sat down on the stool to practice piano. Leo brought Lily up to speed with a quick recap and then they began the streaming.


    Lily remembered the basic notes, and Leo patiently guided her to fix the mistakes she made. The viewers commented with their questions and Leo answered them while teaching Lily about posture correction, his way of speaking was so mellow with her that the little girl followed his instructions down to the T.


    The people were shocked by her speed of learning the song. They did not know if it was because of the way Leo taught her, or she was naturally so smart.


    After the lesson was finished, Leo took the little girl to help her with her homework, and then put her to bed. Snow came out and said, "I watched you two play, it was nice."


    Leo smiled and replied, "I got her birthday gift all sorted, will bring her to collect it in the evening tomorrow. What do you think?"


    Snow nodded and said, "She would be happy to see that you care and love her so much."


    Leo pulled her in his arms and after mingling with each other, they both fell asleep.

 Chapter 26: Cat Sister.

    Chapter 26: Cat Sister.The next day, Leo did Lily''s hair, and helped her get ready. Then he took her and Snow to their respective schools. The young man came back home, had a cup of tea and was thinking about what to do, when he said, "System, show me the attribute panel."


    ''Ping.''


    Name : Leo Cardinal


    Age : 24


    Level : Beginner Father


    Strength :6


    Stamina : 6


    Intelligence : 7


    Speed : 5


    Talent : Ceramic Artisan. Hairstyling, Nurti Chef, Piano Maester.


    Items : None


    (From now on, the skill tab would be replaced by Talent tab permanently.0


    He clenched his fist and mumbled, "I should be able to improve my physique further with some focused training now. Let''s see how that goes."


    As he was thinking about it his phone rang and it was Percie Hibiscal. The young man accepted the call and asked, "Yes, what is it?"


    Percie Hibiscal replied, "Sir, the first sample units of the phone are done. Would you like to see them?"


    Leo nodded and said, "Yes, do you want me to come over, or would you send someone over to deliver me them?"


    The lady replied, "I will send over the Director of Tech and Research, you can learn more about the situation from him, also I was thinking if we could enter the phone in various competitions and earn some prestige before going to the market?"


    Leo agreed and said, "Whatever can help us gain a foothold in the market. Be legal, and follow the rules, I don''t want any stupid controversies."


    The latter replied in positive and the conversation was put to an end. The young man took some time to prepare the ingredients for lunch for himself, it was a means to practise his skills.


    Then he went to the garage, and began to stream the process of making miniature gifts. His garden gnome had been completed a day before with ease. His strength and stamina had improved significantly and so did his proficiency with clay.


    Mel posted a comment, "Host, why are you making these small things?"


    The young man replied calmly, "Yes, it is a return gift for the people coming over for my daughter''s birthday lunch."


    The comments were filled with birthday wishes, and the people gifted Leo with a few coins as well. The young man finished his session and then headed off to pick Lily from school.


    He called the school and asked them to let her go a bit early. At 2 PM, he picked up Lily, who asked as soon as she saw him, "Baba, why so early? I had a drawing class later."


    Leo smiled and replied, "Baby, Baba has a surprise for you. It had to be picked up early."


    The little girl was surprised and asked, "What surprise?"


    Leo poked the tip of her nose and said, "You need to wait, little one."


    Lily pouted and turned her head away. Leo drove the car with a faint smile and they reached the animal shelter, and went in with Lily. The little girl was curious and looked around the place.


    The person behind the counter was the same guy who attended to Leo the day before yesterday, and he nodded with a smile. He said, "Everything is ready, you can take her away after completing the formalities."


    Leo nodded and asked the man to bring up the paperwork. The man placed a few papers on the counter and said, "I will get her over."


    Lily watched the man leave as her father read the documents, and she asked, "Baba, what is this place?"


    Leo smiled while filling in the details on the forms, and replied, "You will know in a few minutes. I promise, you will love it."


    Lily pouted again and said, "Ma said that people who hide things are baddies. Baba, please don''t be a baddie."


    Leo was left between tears and smiles. He picked up the little girl from the ground and had her sit on the counter top while he filled the forms. The man came back but he was holding a basket in his hand.


    Lily locked eyes with a small grey kitten that was huddled in the basket and looking at the surroundings very curiously. The man placed the basket on the counter and approached Leo to check the paperwork and then he said, "You can take her away, if you need any help such as putting her up for adoption again, then please contact us first. But I hope you can cherish her."


    Leo nodded, and said, "Lily, this is what you wanted for the birthday, right?"


    Lily nodded in a daze, her eyes were locked with the little kitten. She asked, "Can I pet her?"


    Leo exchanged a gaze with the staff, and then said, "Yes."


    The animals in the shelter were not uptight as many strangers would visit the place and pet them. Lily inched closer to the basket and said, "Hello, I am Lily."


    Then she raised her small palm and reached out to pet the back of the little kitten, but the gray fur ball hissed, and Leo''s gaze turned cold. If this little thing dared to repay the kindness of his daughter with rebellion then he would not take it in and let her stay in the shelter.


    Lily was startled but then she spoke softly, "Don''t be afraid, I won''t harm you."


    The kitten seemed to have perceived her intention and calmed down. Lily gently petted the back of the kitten a couple of times and took her hands away. Then she turned around and jumped to hug Leo and kiss his cheeks while cheering, "You are the best Baba." sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo felt warm in his heart and the two people carried a small basket outside the shelter and quickly into the car. The kitten was curious about the world outside but at the same time it was very timid too.


    The young man watched Lily sitting in the back seat talking to the cat. He said, "Lily, I know that you love the kitten, but Ma has set some ground rules. You cannot take her to bed, and will have to help baba cleaning and grooming her. Okay?"


    Lily saluted him and said, "Yes, Commander."


    Leo chuckled at her antics and they came to pick up Snow. The young lady was waiting for them on the sidewalk. After she got inside the car, Lily cheered and introduced her to Momo, her cat sister.


    Leo found it funny, but Snow shook her head. The young man asked, "Was the day hard?"


    Snow nodded, and went on to tell him about her day while they drove home. Tomorrow was sunday, they had a lot of things to prepare.

 Chapter 27: Foundation.

    Chapter 27: Foundation.Leo and Snow wrapped up the day, and Lily went to sleep after she was tired of observing the kitten. Momo was successfully named, and while she had yet to adjust to the name completely, she was not hostile to Lily.


    Leo had already set up the litter box, and the small area for her to sleep. Momo was a nocturne, and Leo and Snow noticed her cautiously peeking around the surroundings and the different rooms while they discussed many things regarding the birthday party.


    Snow said, "I had placed an order for a gift for her, so I will need to rush and collect it in the morning. Also, we need to make the cake. All these years, I have baked a cake at home, so I want to continue that."


    Leo thought about it and said, "I will collect the gift that you mentioned, and also buy some decoration supplies. The forecast says it will be clear and pleasant tomorrow, although the wind has started to get a bit colder, it is not bad when the sun is out. Shall we hold a barbeque?"


    Snow asked, "Won''t that be a bit too candid?"


    Leo thought and said, "It is a child''s birthday party, so I am guessing there would be a few children coming with the teachers? How about you also invite some people from the old neighborhood as well? It will add on to the atmosphere, and it is a sunday, people won''t mind unwinding with meat and beer."


    Snow thought about it and said, "Well, they are not expecting us to host them in a seven star hotel so this makes sense. It is up to you. But we will need Barbeque grills as well."


    Leo nodded and said, "I will get two of them from the super store, also some charcoal to add that smoky flavor, but the grill will be electric. We can''t have the neighbors yelling over the pollution."


    Snow nodded, and then she picked up her phone to call various people from the old neighborhood, who have been helpful to her. She invited them over with a bright smile on her face. Leo knew that she was happy, Snow had always been a crowd charmer, and she loved to initiate get togethers from her days in college. It has been years since she got such a chance, so obviously, she was happy.


    Leo picked up his own phone and posted a notice in the community group. This was to inform them about the party at his place and that it might cause some inconvenience as the guests would be coming over, so he asked for a special permission to allow their vehicles to come in and the guards to use the tour carts to drop the people who arrive by cabs.


    The managing secretary of the community initiated a process where he got approval from the immediate neighbors and then informed Leo of the arrangements being processed.


    ...


    Percie Hibiscal was looking through a few reports and a couple of young men stood across her desk. She raised her head and asked, "Is it true?"


    The two people nodded and said, "The patent was granted very quickly as this is the first machine in the entire nation. Boss, the military wants to discuss the exclusive rights for the chip production."


    The lady furrowed her brows and said, "These bloody uniforms are always thinking of ways to control stuff. I will meet with the boss in the morning, and then discuss it."


    The young men nodded, and one of them said, "Do you think his opinion would matter?"


    Percie raised her gaze to look at the guy and said, "Don''t worry, let''s see what he has to say. Then I will intervene. I am not losing our golden goose."


    ...


    In the morning, Lily woke up with great enthusiasm and dashed to find Momo, but the kitten was sleeping after spending the night roaming around the house. Leo picked up his kitten and took her to the washroom where he helped her brush her teeth and wash her face as he said, "Momo is a kitten, she needs a lot of sleep. If you disturb her too much, she will hide. So, when you see her in the future, act like you are the boss, and she will come to you."


    Lily asked, "Really?"


    Leo nodded and pecked her little nose as he said, "Happy birthday baby."


    Lily smiled and replied to him with a thank you, as she hugged his neck. This was the first time Leo had wished her and thus Lily was very happy.


    ''Ping: Host, you have made your daughter realize the warmth of a father on her special day for the first time. You are her knight in the shining armor, who will protect her forever.


    To make sure that you can meet her expectations you are rewarded with a simulation realm where you can undergo martial training to increase your fitness and skills.


    You can use the simulation realm for one hour a day when you sleep. One hour in the real world is ten hours inside the simulation.''


    Leo was surprised by this reward from the system and asked, ''System, why not give me martial skills directly?''


    The system replied, ''Ping: Host, sudden surge of martial knowledge would make you vulnerable as your basic foundation wouldn''t be firm. Martial arts is akin to a pagoda tower, you build floors, but also need to pay attention to a better foundation for overall stability.''


    Leo understood and the two of them left the washroom. Then after breakfast, Lily stayed home with Snow to bake the cake while Leo drove out to buy the supplies. He bought two grill machines, several kilograms of chicken tenders, and various sauces and oils along with a small pouch of coal.


    Then he headed straight to the shop where he collected a dress that Snow had selected for Lily. Although Leo had the money that would allow him to buy a better dress, this thing was designed by Snow herself, and it looked like an inverted lily flower.


    Another reason behind him not buying an expensive dress was so that he can teach Lily about gratitude. Sometimes emotions become the foundation of lives, and while money can go away, it is the bond between the people that keeps things strong and tight.


    Leo came back home and found Snow and Lily talking with Percie Hibiscal, who was sitting on the couch. He frowned slightly when Lily hopped over to him and said, "Baba, your friend is here. She got me chocolates."


    Leo smiled and poked the forehead of the little one and said, "Come, I got you Ma''s gift. You can see it in a while."


    Lily followed him, and as Leo placed the package of the dress on the table he said, "Miss Hibiscal, you are rather early for the event, I wonder if you have something official to discuss."


    Percie Hibiscal noticed his tone, and instinctively stood up from her spot and said, "Yes, President, I have something to discuss with you. It is rather important, so I came early."


    Leo sighed and said, "Why don''t give me a minute with my wife, and I will get back to you."


    Percie nodded, and Leo gestured for Snow to come with him. Lily said, "Can I introduce Momo to Miss Hibi?"


    Leo nodded with a smile and left with Snow, it seemed that the little one could not pronounce the last name with ease.


    In Lily''s room, Leo said, "She is the CEO of the company I founded and that''s all."


    Snow was taken aback and asked, "When did this happen?"


    Leo replied, "A few days ago, the operations began and the first product would be coming out soon. I did not tell you because it was supposed to be a surprise and I thought what''s better than this? I have put all the shares under Lily''s name and we will be acting Presidents till she comes of age."


    Snow raised her brow and asked, "Did you do this to prevent outsiders from buying shares? This is an effective method."


    Leo nodded and said, "It will keep us under the radar as well."


    Snow nodded thoughtfully and said, "I understand, don''t worry."


    Leo nodded, and only let out a breath after looking in Snow''s eyes for a few moments. He assured that she was not jealous or hurt by this. The latter smiled and said, "Mister Cardinal, are you thinking I would be jealous of her?"


    Leo almost nodded but then shook his head, because while Percie was a beautiful woman, Snow was even more beautiful than the latter. She just needed to get rid of her stressed appearance.


    Snow chuckled and shook her head as she said, "I am fine, you can go and handle business, the cake will be done in a few minutes, I will have to ice it. I will dress up Lily while you decorate and prepare the garden."


    Leo gave her an okay signal and went out. He had business to deal with.


    ... sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Please add the book to library and vote with power stones.

 Chapter 28: Virtual Realm.

    Chapter 28: Virtual Realm.Leo and Percie walked out of the living room, the guards that Leo had asked to help him with moving the grills were about to finish work, and the young man said, "Why are you here so early?"


    Percie Hibiscal smiled a bit embarrassedly and said, "Sir, it was very urgent or I wouldn''t have bothered you."


    Leo nodded, gesturing for her to keep going as he took out a couple of notes from his pocket and stuffed them in the hands of the guards before sending them away.


    Percie Hibiscal said, "The lithograph machines gained the patents, but it has caught the interest of the government and the military wants to buy exclusive rights to use the machine."


    Leo replied, "Refuse them and if they persist, I will come forward. You can arrange a meeting at that time." S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The lady nodded and then she watched Leo prepare the ingredients for the food. Shortly after, Snow came out with Lily dressed as a flower, and the little one said, "Baba, why is Momo so sluggish?"


    Leo looked at the kitten and with a smile he said, "Baby, did you feed her anything? She had not eaten anything since last night, and probably that''s why she isn''t eating. Come, we will feed her."


    Leo fed the cat with Lily, while Percie Hibiscal helped Snow with the decorations. After a while the guests began to pour in and Snow greeted and welcomed them all with a big smile on her face.


    She was a very good hostess and set the mood just right. Leo did not have to do much, he just handled the food and had small talk with some people who came over to wish him well. Lily was happy to see the old friends and was having fun. The young man watched everything with a faint smile on his face. This scene before him seemed to be a distant fantasy in the recent past but today, it became a reality.


    After half an hour, Snow said, "Well, everyone, gather for the cake cutting."


    The people gathered, and Snow brought out a cake and Lily walked over with a smile on her face. The mood was very light and festive. Leo also walked over as the cake was placed on the table and then under the claps of the guests, Lily cut the cake with a plastic knife.


    Then she picked up a small bite and fed it to her mother, followed by her father. Leo pecked the little girl and said, "Happy birthday my love."


    Lily pecked him back and said, "Thank you baba, I love you a lot too."


    Leo smiled and then the guests began to hand in gifts to Lily. After a couple of more hours, the party came to an end, and it was evening. Percie Hibiscal was the last to leave, before the family could have some time for themselves.


    They were all sitting inside the house, when Leo stood up from the couch and sat down on the piano. He began to play the tune of Happy Birthday on the keys, and Lily smiled faintly as she blushed and leaned against her mother''s shoulder.


    Snow also smiled, and asked, "Lily, why are you blushing?"


    Lily remarked in a small voice, "Baba looks so handsome. Everyone was praising his food, and how softly he was speaking."


    Snow nodded, and suddenly, Lily rushed up to Leo, who was still playing the piano and said, "Baba, will you be my King in the future?"


    Leo was surprised, and then he chuckled as he said, "It would be my pleasure, Baby."


    Lily blushed and stuffed her head in his waist.


    ''Ping: Your daughter just said, ''I will marry daddy, in future.'' indirectly, you have received seventy percent stocks in Lockey Law Firm.''


    Leo was surprised but he did not have the mind to explore this reward now.


    ...


    In the morning, followed by the routine, Leo dropped Lily and Snow to their workplace and came back to his house. He sat down on the couch with his eyes closed and was about to try the new simulation realm when his phone rang.


    The young man picked up the call, and a stern voice sounded from the other side, "Hello, am I talking to Mister Cardinal?"


    Leo sighed and replied, "Yes, who is this?"


    The person introduced himself as Keval Nyay, the Director of the Lockey Law Firm. Leo asked, "What is it that you wish to talk about?"


    Keval Nyay replied, "Sir, we just heard about your acquisition of the shares of the law firm, and wanted to ask if you have any instructions?"


    Leo thought about it and said, "Every associate, partner, senior partner of the firm should take on pro bono cases from this very moment. If you have two paying cases, then one pro bono should be there. Is that okay?"


    Keval was shocked and expressed his agreement and then Leo said, "I want a person who is an expert in military law code, and forceful acquisition. If you do not have any such person, then create one. Your best lawyer, I want him to take out time for the issues that I might have. If that is not possible, then find me someone capable of dealing with the above two aspects. Be it a rookie, it doesn''t matter. Just get someone ready."


    Keval was shocked to hear this, it meant that something was going on, and as a lawyer, he replied, "Yes, sir. I will get things done."


    Leo disconnected the call, and he closed his eyes as he gradually relaxed, and said, "System, can you initiate the virtual realm?"


    ''Ping: Host, command received, as soon as you fall asleep, the consciousness would be taken to the simulation realm.''


    Leo nodded and leaned back on the couch to relax, and gradually his consciousness faded, and he began to fall in the empty space which was nothing but endless white on all ends.


    Leo wanted to ask a few questions when a mechanical voice sounded, "Please select a skill you would want to practice, Martial Combat, Gun-Fighting, Knife skills..."


    Leo was shocked and then he smiled and said, "This is heaven."


    And then he began to practice his martial skills.

 Chapter 29: Facing The Enemy?

    Chapter 29: Facing The Enemy?Inside the virtual realm, Leo was practicing things with the help of an old figure before him. The young man did not know who this person was. However, since it was helpful to him, Leo did it without holding back. His stamina was questioned multiple times, and whenever he did something wrong, he was thrown to the ground and smacked in the face by the figure that helped him.


    Leo could not wait for the scenario to end. After ten hours, when Leo came out of the virtual realm, he felt as if his body was made up of lead. Every inch of his physique was sore and he felt that even breathing was a task.


    However, he did not feel upset, on the contrary, he had a smile on his face, because when he was laying on the bed while sick, he begged the gods and the demons to enable him to feel nothing else but pain again. He was so desperate to feel his body that he did not mind if it was pain.


    After resting for another half an hour, the pain reduced a lot and Leo stood up to get himself some nourishment. He made himself a high protein milkshake and then he made some of it for Lily and Snow as well.


    After having his meal, the young man went to the garage and began to stream. His viewers were waiting for him eagerly, and after finishing his streaming, Leo picked up the car keys and left the house quickly to pick up his family.


    As he was moving out of the house, he heard a soft meow, and picked up the kitten in his arms. He scratched her chin and asked, "Do you also want to go out?"


    The kitten meowed, as it licked Leo''s finger. The young man replied, "Fine, if you want to, come along."


    ...


    Lily was surprised to see Momo in the back seat when she got on, and began to tease the kitten while telling Leo how her day was.


    The young man chatted with her while they reached the school to pick up Snow, who called Leo and told him to come up.


    Leo was surprised at first and then he moved with Lily and Momo to the staff building. Just when he was about to go to the staff room, Snow came through an alleyway and grabbed his arm. She startled him and said, "Come this way, quick."


    Leo sensed a feeling of urgency on her face, and he tugged on Lily''s arm to follow Snow. They quickly came to a room, where a few old teachers were sitting, and they all greeted Leo with a smile on their faces.


    Snow said, "Mrs. Kristen, can you look after Lily for a bit. I have to take Leo somewhere, we will be back shortly."


    These people had just come to the lunch hosted by the family and so they were familiar, and agreed to Snow. After Lily was settled inside, Snow grabbed Leo''s arm and led him to the terrace of the five floor building.


    Leo asked, "What are we doing here?"


    Snow took a few deep breaths and said, "You remember I told you about that child with the Primus name?"


    Leo nodded, he had a vague expression of the name, and asked, "Is she really connected to the Primus Family?"


    Snow replied, "I just saw Joss coming in to meet with the principal. A few days ago, someone tried to bully the girl, and she told her mother about it. However, when her mother raised a complaint she was dismissed by the board. The child was being bothered continuously, but today, Joss showed up with the child and her mother. From what I caught on was he came on behalf of the child''s father. You know what it means?"


    Leo nodded and said while looking at the horizon, "She is Carole''s child. Joss would not move for anyone but that shit head. Also, if Joss is here, that means so is Carole."


    Snow took Leo to look at the front of the school, and pointed at an extended car parked in front of the gates, and said, "That is where I think he is."


    Leo clenched his fist when he saw the car, and asked, "Did he see you?"


    Snow shook her head and replied, "This place is not visible from the road, the boundary wall is a bit too high for peeking through the car."


    Leo nodded and said, "It is not yet the time to engage Carole, but if possible, can you get me all the details about the child and her mother. I want to see if they can be used as weapons."


    Snow looked at him with surprise but then she nodded with a smile and said, "Your resolve has improved."


    Leo smiled and replied, "Thanks to the word of my wife, or I would have stayed the same old stupid man."


    That said, he took out his phone and called Jimmy. The latter replied that they were still in the city. Leo asked him to meet for dinner.


    Jimmy agreed, and Snow asked after the call was disconnected, "Do you think he is linked with all this?"


    Leo shrugged and replied, "Only one way to find out. I will go out in the evening and ask him what is going on."


    The young lady nodded and they watched the scene for a few minutes, before three people appeared at the school gate. Joss went to the car while the two people stood near the gates, then the burly muscled man came back with a bag in his hands and gave it to the mother of the child before giving her some words and then he left in the car. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Snow asked, "What do you think he said?"


    Leo replied calmly, "Probably told her to take the money and not bother him. That is all, no worries, we will find out what is going on here when the time comes."


    Snow nodded as they both returned downstairs to pick Lily and they left the school in their car. On the way, Leo was maintaining vigil and he decided to learn anti tracking skills in the virtual space in the future. They would come in handy.

 Chapter 30: Protective Daddy.

    Chapter 30 - Protective Daddy.The trio came home and Leo''s mood was a little heavy. After all, he was so close to his lifelong enemy, yet his vengeance was so far. Leo understood that he could not act before he secured his family. Last time, his father was blindsided because he trusted the people that were the most venomous and it caused their downfall.


    Leo sat in the living room, and was thinking about what he should do when Lily said, "Baba, do you know Miss Verse taught me something very wise today."


    The young man snapped back to reality and asked her with a smile on his face, "What did she teach you?"


    Lily replied, "We were all painting, and I was thinking about what I should be painting but I could not make up my mind, so Miss Verse told me to pick up the brush, and dip it in paint then I should just make any stroke that I want to.


    I asked her how it would be a painting if my strokes were messy, and Miss Verse replied, ''Sometimes, it is necessary to live in the moment and not know what you want to do. One should relax and enjoy the moment of confusion. Eventually they will find the way ahead. I should not hold back and just go along with what''s ahead of me.''


    Miss Verse is so wise, but sometimes her words make my brain swell."


    Leo was stunned, at the moment he was thinking about the things that he should be doing in the future while he had yet to get a foothold in his present. This anecdote from Lily taught him to deal with the present first and then think about the future, and also, sometimes when our mind cannot find a way to move ahead, it was good to take a pause and relax.


    The young man looked at the little doll who was holding her head in her palms, and chuckled as he said, "Come, let Baba see where you have swelling."


    Then he caught hold of Lily''s tiny figure and began to tickle her. The house echoed with their chuckles and loving banter. Leo then took Lily for the Piano lesson and also streamed on the side when he read a comment.


    A viewer asked him what he should do if he wanted to learn piano but his budget is short. Leo thought for a bit and said, "You can buy some electronic keyboard which is under your budget and practice on that. See, this is the simplest solution, or you can see if there are groups that allow you to join and learn for free, but make sure you do proper research and not fall prey to some shady organizations."


    The viewer replied, ''You are just saying that because you don''t want to help me. Why don''t you hold a give away?''


    Leo was surprised and replied, "It is not possible."


    The viewer replied, "Why? I have checked online, the entire set up of streaming that you have is half a million, why not share it with us?"


    Leo replied, "Half a million of investment and yet I don''t earn much from this streaming job. You sound like an able bodied person, are you sure you want to beg for alms here?"


    The person was not humiliated, instead he replied, "I know how your daughter looks, do you believe that I will track her?"


    At the end of the comment were a few evil laughter emojis, and Leo picked up the phone in his hand. His face was still out of the frame, the young man stared at the name of the commenter and spoke in a deep voice, "Little Majin Lord, if you apologize for the comment right now, that will be the end of it. I will not pursue you. But if you don''t, I will look for you, I will find you, and then I will beat you to the pulp."


    The entire comment section sorta froze up.


    ....


    Ting and Mel were watching the stream with many other girls in the dormitory hall, and they shivered, but Mel said, "Damn the host is so macho. He threatened a viewer, and gave me goosebumps."


    Ting rolled her eyes and pointed at a girl who was shivering and said, "Your goosebumps fall short to the orgasm that Maso Cleo just had."


    ...


    A young man with golden rim glasses was sitting inside his room holding a phone. This nerdy young man was the one who was commenting on Leo''s stream, and what started as initially looking for trouble and having some fun escalated so quickly that he was scared shitless.


    Yes, the young man could sense the pure malice in Leo''s voice from the other side. He wanted to say that he was sorry, but he gulped and found that his body could not move.


    Just then Leo said, "Fine then, I hope you can stay this calm when I see you in future."


    That said, he was kicked out of the stream.


    ...


    Leo closed the stream and patted Lily on her head and said, "Go, wash your hands and we will have dinner."


    Lily nodded and Leo called Percie. The lady picked up the call and greeted, "Good evening, Boss."


    Leo replied, "Good evening, can you patch me up with your tech head, I need his help with something."


    Percie nodded and she patched Leo with the tech head, and the young man asked, "Someone commented that they would track my daughter. Can you tell me if we can track him down?"


    The person replied, "Umm Boss, it will take some time and I will need specific information."


    Leo listened to the man and then asked when he could meet him. The person replied that he was still working that night. The young man checked the time and said that he would come over in a bit.


    This shocked the tech head, and after the call disconnected, he asked, "Boss, is he for real?"


    Percie Hibiscal replied, "He probably wants to scare the other person and that''s it. He is a protective father, so don''t worry."


    S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 31: Daddy Streamer.

    Chapter 31 - Daddy Streamer.Leo finished dinner, and then he took his phone and said to Snow, "Don''t wait for me, something is up at work, I will be back when it is finished."


    Snow rolled her eyes and said, "Did you think I did not hear you threatening that viewer or your convo with Percie?"


    Leo was stunned and then he scratched the back of his head. She picked up her phone and said, "Here, that viewer commented after you closed the stream. He came in from another account and said that he was only trying to piss you off and not make any threats or cause big trouble."


    Leo frowned and Snow said, "He is a teenager, they do many things that make no sense and that is all. Let it be, next time I will not intervene."


    Leo sighed, and said, "I will not pursue him further, but he needs to know that this was the last time he acted this irresponsibly."


    Snow sighed, she knew that Leo was not going to stop and pecked his cheek as she went back to her room.


    ...


    Leo drove his SUV to the Monarch Tower and quickly came to the eighth floor, where the tech department was located. He walked over to the small office, and knocked on the door.


    A tired voice sounded from inside, "Come in."


    Leo pushed open the door, and found a middle-aged man staring at a glaring screen and his fingers were lying across the keyboard. Only one thing filled the room and that was the clicking noise from typing.


    The man raised his head and was startled but his hands were still moving. He said, "Boss, you came!"


    Leo nodded and asked, "What are you working on?"


    The man replied, "The application market integration system."


    Leo nodded and said, "I will give you the information that you need to track that man after you are finished with your work."


    The man nodded and replied, "But it will take me an hour."


    Leo nodded and said, "I will be sleeping in the lobby till then. Don''t rush, take your time." S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That said, he left the room and shocked the tech director.


    Leo did not care about his shock, he came to the lobby, lay down on the couch and closed his eyes to fall asleep because he wanted to use this time to train in the virtual realm.


    Leo spent his time learning the anti tracking skills, and the basic self defense skills inside the virtual realm, but what he did not realize yet was the change in his aura everytime he practiced.


    After an hour, when Leo woke up, he found that the tech head was waiting for him on the side. He sat up, his body still feeling a bit sore as he said, "I am sorry, I really fell asleep, also, I didn''t get your name earlier."


    The tech head replied, "My name is Rama Kashyap."


    Leo nodded and then he took out a video from his phone and opened the comment section before locating the comment and giving it to Rama. The latter took the phone and said, "Boss, I will find it in a bit."


    Leo nodded and saw Rama take out a laptop and then he typed some commands and after half an hour, he said, "This guy is sitting in the dormitory of the seventh tech college hostel. His name is Alvin."


    Leo nodded and said, "Thank you."


    Rama smiled and asked, "Shall I show you the User Interface that we have prepared?"


    Leo agreed, and went along with him to see the products that were ready to hit the market soon. The young man spent the entire night with the tech department and learned a lot. He also communicated a lot of ideas to the people to improve the product user interface.


    Rama gained a new understanding of his boss. This man was not throwing money, but he just did not say much because he did not know about these technical things. He was willing to learn from them and wasn''t over bearing.


    Rama and the rest of the team came to the ground floor to see Leo off in the morning, and the young man drove away.


    ...


    Leo did not care about the impression he left on these people, he came to a flower shop, bought three dozen flowers and a big card. He wrote a small message in the card, and sent a bunch of white roses over to an address and a name. While he took away a red rose bouquet along with a bunch of lilies.


    Leo drove the car home with a faint smile on his face.


    ...


    Alvin had just woken up and his head felt a bit heavy. He heard loud knocks on the door of his room and he stood up angrily as he asked, "Who the fuck is knocking so early in the morning?"


    It was seven in the morning, Leo had spent money on a flower shop that procured fresh flowers every morning, and sent them to Alvin. The nerdy chubby student opened the door, and found his friend standing outside in a tracksuit.


    The latter was panting and he said, "Al, someone sent you white roses. Your peach blossom fortune is blooming."


    In boys'' hostels, things like flowers can only be sent by a girl. Well, at least that''s what they all thought. Alvin grabbed his glasses and dashed out of the room.


    When he reached downstairs a delivery guy was standing over with a lush bouquet in his hands. He looked at the chubby guy and asked, "Are you Alvin?"


    The young man nodded hurriedly, with his eyes brimming with expectations. The delivery man handed over the flowers and said, "This is a special card for you, have a good day."


    Alvin smiled and took out a hundred ren note and tipped the delivery guy, who thanked him and left. Alvin did not open the card before the others, and amidst the hooting he dashed back to his room and closed the door, ignoring the teasing calls of his friends.


    He opened the card quickly with an eager smile on his face, but when he finished reading the card, his legs turned soft and he fell to the ground.


    ''I know who you are, Little Majin Lord. This time, because of your timely apology, I will let you go. However, if you try to act out in the future, I will make sure you pay. Have a good day, and don''t cause trouble.


    Daddy Streamer.''


    ...


    Leo returned home, and found Lily waiting for him. He surprised them both with flowers, and Lily said, "Baba, today is the Bring your dad day. Please come with me."

 Chapter 32: Daddy Maestro.

    Chapter 32 - Daddy Maestro.Leo was surprised and asked, "Baby, why didn''t you tell me about it yesterday?"


    Lily scratched the back of her head and said, "Well, I wanted to tell you but you were lost in thought before the piano class and then you left for some work at the company. I thought I would wait but you are only coming now. Does it mean that you cannot go with me?"


    As she said this her eyes were glazed with tears. Leo hurriedly scooped her up in his arms and spoke softly, "How can I not go? Haven''t I been waiting for such a day to come? Just give me five minutes, I will quickly change my clothes and take a shower. Okay? Then we will head to the school after dropping off mom."


    Lily nodded, and Leo pecked her nose, as he said, "Baba apologizes for being so busy."


    Lily shook her head and just hugged him silently. Snow watched this scene from the side, and said, "Okay, don''t worry about me. I will drive, we have a girls night today. Also, little princess koala, get down from your golden tree. Baba needs to clean up."


    Lily chuckled a bit and Leo settled her down, before he hastily went to the washroom, took a cold shower, and changed into a crisp white shirt and grey pants paired with black leather belt and shoes and a simple watch on his hand.


    Lily nodded and held his hand. Snow hurried after the two people and said, "Leo, you didn''t have any breakfast."


    Leo replied without turning back, "I will grab something outside, don''t worry."


    Then he scooped up Lily in his arms and the two dashed out, leaving behind Snow who watched them from the door threshold and waved her hand at them.


    ...


    Leo and Lily were heading to the school and the young man asked, "How have you been at the school? Are the teachers nice?" S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lily nodded and said, "Miss Verse takes good care of us all and they teach us patiently too. Some children are a bit snobbish but nothing big."


    Leo looked at her from the rear view mirror and smiled faintly. He said, "Don''t mingle with the snobs, but observe them closely. These people are great examples to learn what you should not do."


    Lily nodded and said, "Ma also told me to observe the people more and learn if they do a good thing. I have learned one thing, the mannerism of these snobby children is very elegant. I copied a few things from them."


    Leo replied with a smile, "I am so proud, my baby is so intelligent."


    Soon, they reached the school parking lot. Leo got down and opened the door for Lily to step down as well, and just when he was about to take her inside, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind, ''Ping: Host, today is the day where your actions will affect Lily''s image directly. Please try your best and you will get the corresponding rewards based on your performance.''


    Lily held onto Leo''s hand and when she found that the young man was not walking, she asked, "Baba, is everything alright?"


    Leo woke up from the stupor and nodded to her before they walked inside the building. The young man found that Lily had recognized all the pathways correctly, and led him straight to the classroom where a young teacher was talking with a few men and children were grouping up together.


    Leo cleared his throat and knocked on the door. Lily stepped up and bowed to the teacher slightly as she said, "Good morning Teacher, I apologize for being late."


    Miss Verse smiled slightly and shook her head and said, "Good Morning to you as well Lily. It''s okay, you still have a few minutes left before the class starts. Come inside."


    Leo looked at the people standing inside and he had some vague idea of their identity. These were some people who did business with his family in the past. However, since his father was the face of the company, and he has been missing for three years, the people seemingly had no recollection of Young Master Cardinal.


    Leo thought, ''Echo seems to have done a good job taking my place.''


    He entered the classroom, and greeted Teacher Verse, "Good Morning Miss Verse, thank you for looking after Lily these days. I hope she hasn''t caused any trouble."


    Miss Verse shook her head and replied with a faint smile, "You worry too much, Sir. She is a good child."


    Miss Verse had been instructed by the principal when Lily was admitted in the school, that Leo''s identity was not to be revealed and thus she addressed him as Sir.


    Leo also agreed as he wanted to keep it quiet for the time being. Miss Verse said, "How about you gather at the back with the rest of the fathers and come forward when it is your turn?"


    Leo nodded and turned around to go to the back of the class where a few more males were standing, and he found Lily gazing at him and she waved with a smile on her face.


    Leo smiled and waved back as he moved to the back. He greeted the fellow fathers with a polite nod and stood there with his hands folded before his chest.


    ...


    Snow came to the school, and she went to the staff room. She logged into her teacher''s account and began to look for the details of the student, Symphony Primus. This was the weapon for the vengeance of his husband but they had to handle it with care or it could backfire.


    ...


    Leo was standing among the crowd clapping his hands as a young father moved to the side after finishing his introduction and demonstration of some grooming skills. These rich men all had fancy skills that were of no use and could not be displayed in a small classroom, such as golf and stuff.


    So, they all picked up some rubbish skills such as comedy and stuff. What amused Leo was that these people did these things with changing faces, and even Teacher Verse had a hard time controlling her laughter.


    Finally, after an hour, it was Leo''s turn, he was called over together with Lily. They were the last to perform because Lily''s roll number was at the end of the list as she was a new student.


    Leo held her hand and walked over to stand before the class. Lily said, "Hello everyone, this is my Baba. His name is Leo..."


    Leo did not wait for her to finish and raised his hand to wave at the class and spoke in a jovial tone, "Greetings, I am Leo, you can call me Uncle Leo, or Lily''s Dad. I am twenty four years old, and I run a small business. My hobbies are to spend time with Lily, cook food for her, and teach her things while playing with her. My favorite person is Lily too, well, it''s a tie between my wife and daughter."


    The children chuckled and one of the boys asked, "Uncle Leo, yesterday Lily said that you have been teaching her piano. Can you play something for us?"


    Leo looked at Lily and said, "Only if Lily is playing along with me."


    The children cheered, "Come on, Lily, play something."


    Lily blushed and Leo patted her head with a doting look in his eyes. Lily asked Miss Verse, "Teacher, can we use the piano?"


    Miss Verse nodded and Lily led Leo to the standing piano on the side, the two people took seats on the stool, and Lily whispered, "Baba, I only know ''Twinkle Twinkle''. Would that be okay?"


    Leo smiled and said, "Yes, why wouldn''t it be? You have mastered the first six variations, let''s play. If you feel like you don''t remember them, leave it to me. I will play for you."


    Lily nodded with a smile, and her eyes surged with confidence. Children were always looking for respect and encouragement from their elders, and Leo had understood this very quickly. So, instead of scolding Lily, or burdening her with greater expectations, he simply guided her.


    The two began to play and the soft playful melody echoed in the room. After the first variation they entered the second smoothly, and while the students were enamored, the parents were surprised and finally felt embarrassed by their previous actions.


    After the fifth variation, Lily stopped playing as she was not confident with the sixth, and Leo went on to play, and he increased the tempo of the song to finish it quickly. When he finished, everyone clapped, and a few students said, "Lily, your dad is awesome."


    A young boy said, "Uncle, can you teach us too?"


    Leo was surprised and Lily had a worried expression on her face. How could this escape her father, and the young man said, "I only teach Lily at home, so it is not convenient, but you can ask Miss Verse and I am sure that the teachers would arrange a good instructor for you all. Then, you all can play together and have fun. How does that sound?"


    The children were fascinated by the idea of playing music together, and the gathering came to an end. At this moment, Leo heard a notification in his mind, ''Ping: Congratulations on passing the task with flying colors. You showed your support for Lily by playing the piano with her, and you also showed that your soft side belongs to your child only, by diffusing the teaching demand of so many children.


    You are awarded with seventy percent shares of the Yulu Streaming Platform.''

 Chapter 33: Play Date With Daddy.

    Chapter 33 - Play Date With Daddy.Leo was surprised to hear this notification. He took out his phone and checked the details and valuation of Yulu. This was the same platform where he had been streaming these days. He did not expect that the system would give him the shares to quick media. In the future this would come in handy.


    The reason Leo felt happy when he got this reward was because of reaching this platform. In the world where most of the people were watching fast and quick entertainment, Yulu was the tycoon of the field. They had a twenty four percent market share and the content that was showcased on this platform can really drive the public influence.


    Leo smiled and Lily asked, "Baba, why are you smiling."


    The young man effortlessly scooped up the little darling in his arms and said, "I am so happy that my baby mastered so many variations. I am so proud of you."


    Lily smiled shyly and placed her head on his shoulder as she coyly said, "Baba, I could not play the sixth even when you said I can. I am sorry."


    Leo''s heart melted and his soul was already wrapped around the little finger of his daughter, he coaxed her and said, "It is not a big deal. With more practice you will be able to play it all in the future. What is the hurry? The big thing is do you enjoy playing music?"


    Lily nodded and Leo smiled as he pecked her cheek. Then the two of them got in the car, today the classes were dismissed early as the students would not be able to focus after having fun with their parents.


    Leo did not mind, he took Lily back to the car, when his phone rang. He saw the number and then after some thought he picked up the call, and said, "Hello."


    From the otherside, Jimmy said, "Hello, Leo. I wanted to ask if we can reschedule our dinner?"


    Leo raised his eyebrow and asked, "What happened? Is everything alright?"


    Jimmy chuckled wryly and said, "Well, you see, these days our sleep has been affected very much. So, the little one just fell asleep, and I don''t think I will be able to come over at night. Alina also needs rest these days, so how about we meet the day after tomorrow, my aunt would be coming over then."


    Leo thought about it and nodded, as he said, "Yes, that''s fine."


    After a small talk, Leo disconnected the call, and drove the car home. Just when they were passing through a bustling market, Lily said, "Baba, would you like to go out on a date with me?"


    Leo was surprised and then he smiled as he said, "It would be my pleasure, baby. Where do you want to go?"


    Lily pointed to the market and said, "I want to go there and try window shopping with you. Can we do that?"


    Leo nodded and replied, "Yes, we can. I will find a parking spot and then we will do whatever my darling wants."


    Lily chuckled and said, "Baba, you are so sweet. Lily loves you."


    Leo chuckled, and then he found a parking spot. Then the pair got down the car. Lily held onto Leo''s hand as the two of them walked around the place. The little girl would stand and observe the things in the display windows of the stores.


    The funny thing was, most of the stores in this market specialized in confectionary, and food. Leo almost laughed out loud looking at her serious expression.


    After a round of the market, Lily said, "Baba, can we buy that watch?"


    Leo looked at the watch she was pointing at and asked, "Yes, we can, but love, this is a man''s watch."


    Lily smiled at him and said, "I know, I want to buy it for you, but I don''t have any money. Can you buy it? In the future when I grow up, I will buy you a nice watch."


    Leo smiled and sighed as he picked up the little girl and said, "I will wait for that day."


    ''Ping: Host, it is often said that daughters are the lovers of past life who follow you in the present. Your daughter just expressed a genuine desire to give you something.


    You are rewarded with a ten times rebate card. Whatever you spend on the date with your daughter, will be returned to you ten times more.


    Note: The purchase should be intended for or by your daughter only.''


    Leo was surprised that the system would hand him a rebate card, but he did not mind, and happily took Lily inside the shop. They arrived at the counter, where a middle-aged gentleman greeted them with a smile, and asked, "Hello, sir, what can I help you with?"


    Leo replied with a calm face, "My daughter just saw a watch outside in the display cabinet, can you show that to us?"


    The man nodded and said, "Sir, please, come with me."


    Leo and Lily followed the man and came to the display window. He carefully put on a pair of gloves and picked up the watch from the showcase and turned around to show it to Leo and said, "Sir, this is one of the most prestigious watches in our shop. It is called Zenith, manufactured by the Royale brand.


    The aesthetic of the watch is minimalist. The casing of the watch is made from one single piece of titanium and steel alloy. The movement of the watch is the revolutionary Zenith Neo Oscillation. Instead of a traditional wheel and spring, this movement uses an oscillator. This oscillator is made from a single piece of monocrystalline silicon and vibrates at a frequency of 15 hertz which is equal to 108000 vibrations per hour.


    The strap is made from the finest pieces of cow leather, and it is held together with the finest silk from the land of golden crystals."


    Leo nodded, and he liked the watch''s appearance and asked, "How much does it cost?"


    The old man smiled politely, and replied, "This one would cost you about ninety nine thousand rens."


    Leo nodded and turned to pay the old man, when Lily said, "Baba, we should get one for Mama, as well."


    Leo nodded with a smile,and asked, "Have you selected a watch for Ma?"


    The shopping spree began. Leo found a children''s watch in the shop and packed it up for his daughter, and then they went ahead to buy clothes, food items, and probably, it was because she had taken after Leo, Lily only went to the branded stores.


    The taste they had in many things was similar, and Leo did not mind. He would buy her anything she wanted, but he did tell her to be responsible as well.


    After three hours, Leo found his hands loaded with twenty bags. Lily was walking ahead of him with a spring in her step. She was a piglet in the pigsty.


    Leo shook his head with a smile on his face and they arrived at their car. After they got in, Leo said, "How about we have lunch outside as well?" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lily shook her head and said, "They don''t make food as good as you do, Baba. Lily loves your cooked meals."


    Leo smiled, and at this moment, his phone buzzed. Leo had spent around a million ren outside. He bought expensive watches, jewelry, branded clothes, and perfumes for the three of his family.


    The system decided that the shopping spree came to an end when Lily decided to go home, and the rebate was credited into his account. Leo checked and found that he received nine million ren. This was a considerable capital given that he did not have any big expenses.


    They duo drove home, and Lily went to her room. Leo knew that she was tired and wanted to take a nap, he used this time to cook a meal for them both and also turned on the streaming from the kitchen.


    The viewers came over, and they were shocked to see the set up. Soon, the comments began to flood, and Leo smiled as he said, "Today, daddy will be cooking some healthy food for his daughter. I will share the recipe with you all, I hope your children also like it."


    Meanwhile, in the office of the same platform, Yulu, someone was sweating like they had come out of a swimming pool. This person was Edna Stein, the director of talent acquisition.


    Recently an account had gained some traction, and she was thinking about how to get that man to put a contract with their platform, right when she was about to issue an invite, she found out in the meeting of the higher ups, that this person was the new shareholder, and she almost told the guy to make some money from his channel.


    After a long time she calmed down and mumbled, "These rich people sure know how to play."

 Chapter 34: Information & Security.

    Chapter 34 - Information & Security.Leo was cooking the food when his phone rang. He raised his hands and reached out to accept the call but found that his hands were stained. At this moment, Lily hopped inside the kitchen.


    The young man said, "Lily, dear can you accept this call for me?"


    Lily nodded and with a smile used her pink finger and tapped on the accept button. She picked up the phone and said, "Hello, this is Lily Cardinal speaking, who is this?"


    Leo raised his brow and watched Lily interact with the other person, and after a few moments she said, "He is a bit occupied at the moment, can I take a message? Or ask him to call you back as soon as he can?"


    Leo was surprised by the fact that Lily could communicate this well to a stranger. The little girl thanked the person for calling and disconnected the call. Before she said, "Baba, the person said you can reach them back on the same line, they wanted to talk about something important."


    Leo nodded and washed his hands in the sink before he wiped them on the apron and picked up the little girl in his arms and asked, "Where did you learn to talk like that? So wise and mature."


    Lily replied softly, "When Ma used to fall asleep in the past, I would take messages from Doctor Kaya or her office. She had very light sleep so I learned from her about how to take messages."


    Leo felt his heart clench a little but then he calmed down and said, "Thank you Lily."


    He pecked her nose, and Lily asked after giggling, "Baba, I am hungry."


    Leo replied, "The food is ready, your highness. I shall serve it right away."


    Leo had finished the streaming earlier. He put Lily down, and served her food on a plate with a nice presentation and small garnish. He also served himself a serving and while eating he said, "I have to go pick up Snow. Would you come along?"


    Lily shook her head and said, "I will stay home with Momo, today it is my turn to brush her."


    Leo smiled as he said, "Fine, then lock the doors, and all the windows. The tab is on, and I will open the emergency window on it. If you need anything, just tap and Baba will know. We will come back straight home."


    Lily nodded with a smile and Leo helped her setup everything. He checked all the windows, and locked all the doors. Then he set the tab before kissing Lilly goodbye. As he stepped out of the house, he thought that he should get a guard dog as well, but it wasn''t very convincing.


    Leo took his car and drove out of the house, his speed was quicker than usual, and his thoughts were occupied by Lily''s well-being. The young man was a total daughter slave, and so his anxiety went along with his character.


    He reached Snow''s office, picked up his phone and called the lady to inform her that he was waiting for her outside and that he was alone. Snow also understood that he was worried about Lily so she said, "I am ready, just picking up my bag and coming in two minutes."


    Leo agreed and waited for his wife to come down while he kept tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. As he was waiting his gaze fell on the pair of mother and daughter walking over to a taxi and getting in. They were Symphony Primus and her mother, however, Leo detected a trace of heartache on the face of the young girl. He detected it because he had been in the same state when his parents left him.


    As he was watching the pair, the window of his car was knocked. Leo opened the door from the internal console, and Snow got in. The young man turned the key and they were off.


    Leo did not speak much, but Snow said, "I found you something interesting."


    The young man raised his brows and asked, "What would that be?"


    Snow smiled and said, "Remember Symphony, I took down notes of everything from her student file. I did not copy it so that the administration would not look into it, but I clicked pictures of the file directly from the screen."


    Leo was surprised and asked, "When did you become a spy?"


    Snow smirked and said, "Why not, I had to make sure that Carole or Echo couldn''t find me. Did you think I hid all this time because I was lucky?"


    Leo nodded thoughtfully as she did have a fair argument. He asked, "So what did you find from the file?"


    Snow replied as she opened her phone''s gallery, "The situation of her household is turbulent. She is a single child but her mother is living with her maternal grandparents. They are very old, and so she has to support the elders. She is a single breadwinner, and Symphony is someone who works part time as a babysitter. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her grades are average but last week her grandmother was rushed to the hospital in an emergency. She missed school for three days, and while her mother was trying to gather the money, she probably could do it without reaching out to Carole."


    Leo nodded and said, "Makes sense, but what do you think about their relationship dynamics?"


    Snow shook her head and replied, "That scumbag is the same age as us, but he is a playboy through and through. He would not settle for her or someone who brings him no benefit. Also, just so you know, Symphony is ten years old.


    Her mother is around twenty seven, so from what I speculate, she was a young mother, and Carole was a teen father."


    Leo turned the car to the left and said, "Carole is twenty six years old, so yes, he must have been fifteen when he took action, and now given that he is the face of the Tyrant group, I doubt if he would ever want his past to come over and harm his image. So, he must have thrown some change to Symphony and her mother."


    Snow nodded and said, "Symphony''s mom turned in an application to rename Symphony from Primus to Rouge."


    Leo nodded and said, "See, he wants to clean this up nicely. Had it been the past he would have used his goons to make the entire family disappear."


    Snow nodded as they pulled inside the drive way of the house, and Leo sighed. The lady asked, "What happened?"


    The young man sighed and said, "I was so worried about living with her alone at home. I was even thinking of getting a babysitter or a nanny to look after her if we are outside, but then I could not convince myself of trusting any human with Lily."


    Snow smiled and said, "Protective Daddy, get a robot then."


    Leo was stunned and then he said, "Yeah, makes sense, I will get a guard robot."


    ''Ping: Host, your desire to protect your daughter from any intruders have been registered. You are rewarded with blueprints of a multifunctional robot that can serve the purpose of a butler and guard at the same time.''


    Leo took a deep breath as the information poured inside his head and after a moment, the couple entered the house and found Lily sleeping on the couch with Momo snuggling in her arms. Snow leaned over to Leo and said, "The Memories store called, the pictures are developed and ready to be picked up. Shall we go out tonight to collect them?"


    Leo nodded and then he walked over to pick the little girl and move her to the bed for a better sleeping position.

 Chapter 35: Little Trickster.

    Chapter 35 - Little Trickster.Leo tucked in the little girl in her room, and sat down with Snow. He picked up her feet and placed them in his lap as he massaged them slowly. Snow leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. Leo noticed the redness around her toes that was caused by wearing shoes for a longer duration.


    He said, "Today, I went out on a date with my daughter, and we shopped a lot. She has taken after her grandmother."


    Snow opened her eyes slightly and asked with a smile, "What did you buy?"


    Leo told her what they bought and Snow was surprised. She did not expect the father daughter duo to spend so much money. She was about to say something to the young man when he said, "I have been making good money so we are no longer short on it. Don''t worry."


    As he said this he recalled the call he received earlier. The young man picked up his phone and then he redialed the number from his logs, and after a few rings the call was connected.


    Leo said, "Hello, Leo Cardinal speaking."


    From the otherside a calm voice sounded, "Hello, sir, this is Elvin Stein. I am the CEO of Yulu media. We heard that you acquired seventy percent stocks in the company. Firstly, congratulations and thank you for your trust. I wanted to ask if you would like to take over the administration of the company."


    Leo replied softly, "Calm down, Mister Stein. I did buy the stock, but that was only to earn good money from an investment return. However, I do have a few instructions if you don''t mind."


    Elvin Stein took a deep breath and braced himself as he said, "Yes, sir. Please tell me."


    Leo said, "Firstly, introduce a verification system where the parents are needed to approve the usage of the platform for them. There must be strict rules about the content being streamed as well. See, Mister Stein, the influence of the internet on children and the youth is far stronger than what many people can understand, what they watch is what models their brains and persona. So it is our responsibility to make sure that what they see on our platform is good content that makes them a better human."


    Elvin Stein was surprised and then he said, "Sir, I completely agree with you. It is indeed our responsibility to make sure that the content we show is good, and I will initiate a team to come up with algorithms to monitor the content and also the verification for permissions."


    Leo nodded and said, "In the short term, the revenue might come down, but in the long term, it will make a big difference."


    Elvin agreed and the conversation ended amicably. Snow opened her eyes to look at Leo and asked, "When did you buy stocks in Yulu?"


    Leo smiled and replied, "I had invested in as a ghost investor when it started, and only now the contract I had with the others matured and the shares were transferred. Dad made all these arrangements wanting to give me some foothold in the world when I take a stride."


    The young lady did not doubt because Mister Cardinal was known for his ability to seek in the future and make decisions that reaped him great benefits.


    The couple rested for a bit, Leo massaged her legs and made sure she rested well before they went out in the evening. In the evening, Leo reminded her to change her clothes and dress up nicely so that they can go out while he went to Lily''s room.


    The little girl also woke up and dressed up under Leo''s instructions. The young man changed his clothes as well, they were all dressed in the new clothes that Lily had selected for them, and they looked like a rich bunch, however, none of the things they wore were flashy.


    The young man decided to drive out in the sedan. The distance to the shop was not much but they drove in a slow fashion. Lily looked at Leo and said, "Baba, I want to eat some candy."


    Leo nodded while keeping his eyes on the road and said, "You will get some after dinner, and I will buy extra, but only one candy for a day, okay?"


    Lily chirped, "Yes, Baba, you are the best." Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Snow pursed her lips and said, "Love, how come you never ask me what I want to eat?"


    Leo smiled and said, "Because I know that your heart beats for Tres Leches or a nice Tiramisu. You don''t like overly sweet things."


    Snow nodded in satisfaction and she turned around in her seat to look at Lily in provocation. Lily asked, "Why are you smirking, Ma?"


    Snow turned around and said, "Where am I being smug?"


    Leo smiled and Lily said, "Ma, you are naughty. I won''t share my candy with you."


    Snow chuckled and said, "It''s okay, Ma can buy her own candy. I can still have your Baba buy me candy."


    Lily shook her head and said, "Baba, you will buy candy for only Lily, right?"


    Leo was stunned and he said, "I can buy it for you both, no?"


    Lily shook her head and said, "You cannot love us both equally, I do not agree. Ma don''t steal my Baba."


    Leo usually found his daughter very sensible but at this moment he found a side of hers that was very possessive. Snow said, "I don''t have to steal your Baba, he is my husband."


    Lily and Snow continued to tease each other, but then suddenly, Lily started crying. Leo was shocked and so was Snow. The young man happened to be inside the parking lot, and after parking his car he went to the back seat and picked Lily in his arms and began to coax her.


    Snow felt guilty that she made the little girl cry, and as the three of them got out of the car, Leo said while patting her back, "Baba, will get you candy, and not get any for Ma."


    Snow was walking behind the two of them, she did not mind Leo saying such things as it was something that would get Lily to calm down but then she saw Lily raise her head to look at her with a similar smirk like the one she had shown earlier. Snow was shocked and she mouthed, "You little trickster."

 Chapter 36: Dramatic Dinner.

    Chapter 36 - Dramatic Dinner.Leo and the two ladies came to the store, and the photographer recognized them immediately. He smiled and welcomed them in and he said, "Mister Cardinal, your family pictures are a once in a lifetime assignment for me. They are my most proud work. Please come, I will show you."


    Leo and Snow were taken aback by the enthusiasm he showed. After following him to the back room, they found the wall covered with the photos of their family, and the three people posing in harmony. Leo looked at the pictures and nodded with a smile.


    He said, "Can you wrap all these frames?"


    The smile on the photographer''s face vanished, and just when he wanted to say something, Leo said, "From now on you will be the only person I will contact for professional photos of my family."


    The person smiled widely and nodded forcely as he thanked Leo. Then he carefully packed the frames, and even delivered them to the car in the parking lot where Leo stored them inside the trunk and went back to Snow and Lily.


    The two ladies were waiting for him inside the private room of the restaurant reserved by Leo in the evening. When the young man was passing through the corridor of the restaurant, he heard a voice and his body froze.


    The voice belonged to one of his arch enemies, Echo Cardinal. Leo''s fists clenched and blood began to rush to his head as his heart began to pick up pace, in an instinct to walk in and kill the guy. Just when he was about to take a step, a sweet voice rang in his ears, "Baba, you are late, we have been waiting for you."


    Lily came out of the adjacent room, and grabbed his hand. Leo froze, he looked at Lily''s smiling face and his mind began to weigh the options. On one side was the child who gave him another chance at life, and was the biggest source of joy. While on the other side was the path which would take him to a dead end.


    He forced himself to calm down, and nodded to Lily as they both entered the room and closed the door. Lily smiled at Snow, who seemed to be getting out as well, and said, "See, I told you I can sense Baba."


    Leo raised his head to look at Snow and found her sighing in relief. The lady then looked at Lily and said, "Sit down, and talk softly."


    Lily was confused by the sudden change in the atmosphere, but she was still too green to know what it was. Leo sat down next to Lily and asked softly, "Did you place an order?"


    Snow shook her head and replied, "I didn''t, earlier when I came in, I heard Echo''s name being taken in that room. I was waiting for you to come over."


    Leo said, "I heard him speak and rage took over me, Lily came at the right time, we are not yet ready."


    Lily raised the menu card and asked, "Baba, what is this word?"


    Leo took a look and taught her how to pronounce it. He then pressed the button on the small calling machine on the center of the table and a waiter walked in shortly after and Leo told him the order, then he asked, "Excuse me, there seems to be a guest in the room over there."


    As he did that, he pointed toward Echo''s room that was visible from the crack of his door. The waiter looked back and he looked around before he replied in a low voice, "That is Young Master Cardinal''s room, Sir. Is there any problem?"


    Leo shook his head and took out a note from his pocket, and slipped it in the waiter''s hand as he said, "Well, can you tell me what is going on with him?"


    The waiter was surprised and then he bent his back a little more before he said, "He is here to vent his loss in business just like every other weekend. After a couple of hours, he will break a few things, flex his card to pay damages and then leave with the help of his guards. He is not a good thing to come across."


    The waiter then looked at Snow and said, "Ma''am, I suggest that you stay inside the room for sometime. That man is well known for his notorious behavior. Last week he tried to force himself on a police officer''s niece. He was saved only because his father compensated the person handsomely."


    Snow nodded solemnly, and then Leo placed an order before the waiter left. The room was extremely dull, Snow could see that Leo was thinking about something, and then she asked, "Should we leave early?"


    Leo shook his head and Lily complained, "Why shall we leave? We have just ordered the food."


    Leo smiled and said, "Yes, we have ordered the food. We will leave after we have eaten properly."


    Lily nodded, and asked, "Baba, why didn''t you stream piano today?" S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo thought and replied, "Well, music is art, if you dwell on art daily it becomes a routine, and routines are dull and boring, so it is important to take a break once in a while."


    Lily thought and the two people began to talk. Snow looked at them, while she felt happy that their relationship was so strong, she felt as if she had been reduced to a sideliner. Shortly after, the waiter came inside, and Snow handled serving the food in different plates.


    Lily ate with small bites, but she was a budding foodie so she ate a healthy amount. The family was enjoying the meals, when suddenly a loud voice flooded the room.


    Lily was shocked and her spoon dropped on the side. Leo turned around and hugged her as he said, "It''s okay, Baba is here with you baby."


    Lily was a gentle soul and such loud sounds scared her. The voice obviously belonged to Echo Cardinal, who just flung open the door of his room and was cursing Carole Primus.


    Leo''s gaze turned cold, he knew that Carole had left Echo hanging to dry after using him. He turned his head to the side, and he could almost sense the guard walking past the door of his room with Echo hanging on his shoulder.


    As he was passing, Echo Cardinal yelled, "That fucking bastard Leo, it is all his fault. Motherfucker could have found any other bitch, but no, he had to make his bed with the so-called princess. They both fucked us all. If I find him again, I will kill him. I will chop him to pieces and piss on his corpse."


    The voice faded slowly, and Leo took a deep breath to calm himself. He looked at Lily and smiled as he said, "Are you okay now?"


    Lily nodded slowly, and Leo raised his head to look at Snow who was staring at the door of the room with a cold gaze. Yes, Snow was not a weak woman, she was the scion of a modern royal family. Her temper and pride was very high. Had it not been for the fact that she walked away from all that she could have inherited, she would have the power to kill Primus family and Echo Cardinal with ease.


    It was after she gave up the inheritance that these cowards started targeting Leo. The family continued with their dinner, and at this moment, Leo''s phone rang. The young man saw that it was Percie Hibiscal. He sighed and picked up the call and said, "When are you ever going to fix your timing to call me, Miss CEO?"


    The lady on the other side replied, "I only called you now, because I have good news and a bad one."


    Leo raised his brows and said, "Tell me both, start with the bad one."


    Percie Hibiscal took a deep breath and said, "The Military Administration Department has called us over for a meeting regarding the lithography machine."


    Leo nodded and said, "I understand, I will be there, and I have arranged for legal counsel already so it is not something you need to worry about. Now, the good news?"


    Percie Hibiscal replied in a calmer tone, "The test results are in, the phone units have been cleared, and the first batch is ready to roll out. We will begin the influencer marketing tomorrow and next week we will open the sales."


    Leo closed his eyes and nodded, then he said, "I want you to look into the industries that are owned and controlled by Cardinal Group. I want you to find out how many stocks does the Primus family or the Tyrant group hold in Cardinal Group. Okay?"


    Percie Hibiscal nodded and said, "I will have the information ready by the morning."


    Leo nodded and said, "I will see you then."


    Snow looked at him with some questions and Leo smiled as he said, "We will be ready to counter attack these people soon."


    This phrase was enough to bring a smile on Snow''s face, and Lily said, "Can I get some candy and dessert now?"


    The couple had almost forgotten about this, and they chuckled and Leo poked Lily''s nose as he said, "My baby is the sweetest, she can have all she wants."


    The private room echoed with Lily''s cheers, and while her parents gazed at her with pure love, in the back of their minds, hatred for their enemies was brewing stronger and thicker.

 Chapter 37: Ready For War!

    Chapter 37 - Ready For War!Leo and the family came back home from the dinner, and they began to hang the picture frames on the walls with Lily directing them. The couple did not mind dancing to the tunes of the little lute. After they were done, Lily had one candy as Leo promised her and then brushed her teeth to go to bed.


    Snow was also tired, and she said, "Love, I am thinking about taking a day off from work tomorrow."


    Leo looked at her face and asked, "You can take the day off if you want to but are you feeling unwell? Shall we visit the doctor in the morning?"


    Snow smiled and shook her head as she said, "You are worrying too much. Aunt Flo is coming to visit me, likely tomorrow, and so I will take a couple of days off to nurse myself."


    Leo frowned and said, "Yes, you take days off, and I will cook healthy and tasty food that you like."


    Snow smiled and said, "Thank you."


    Leo shook his head and held her hand in his, before he said, "You take a shower and go to rest, I will talk to the counsel because I have something to do tomorrow morning."


    Snow nodded and left the living room after telling him to not overdo it. In the back of her mind, Leo was still not completely recovered, and he needed some more time before he could dedicate himself to prolonged hours of work.


    Leo stretched his body and his bones issued mellow crackling sounds before he picked up his phone and called Keval Nyay, the director of the Lockey Law Firm.


    The call connected after a number of rings, and a groggy voice sounded from the other side, "Hellooo!"


    Leo said, "Hello, Director Nyay, I apologize for calling you so abruptly and that too at this hour. This is Leo Cardinal."


    After a few hurried sounds, Keval Nyay spoke again, "Hello, Sir. It is alright, I was about to get up for a glass of water anyway, please tell me what can I do for you?"


    Leo shook his head and thought, ''Even big lawyers kiss your ass if you hold shares in the firm.''


    He then proceeded to say, "Earlier, I had called you to arrange a good attorney for me to handle the matters that might put me against the Military. Do you remember?"


    Keval Nyay realized that the conversation was serious, and said, "Yes, sir. I have appointed one of our best on the job. Although she is a bit hard headed, that will be a crucial attribute that you will need when dealing with the military."


    Leo nodded and said, "Can you pass me the details and also inform that person that I will be picking her up in the morning as I will need her expertise to handle a few things?"


    Keval Nyay did not have any reasons to disagree and confirmed that he will arrange it right away, and Leo disconnected the call after wishing him a good night.


    He did not care what Keval would do, but he wanted to get things done and that was it.


    After the call he went to his room, took a shower, and then after a few minutes, he embraced Snow who hummed softly and placed her arm on his and they spooned to sleep.


    Well, Leo did not exactly sleep, but he went to the virtual realm, and spent ten hours there learning. He alternated between martial arts and gun fighting, then moved on to driving skills, and psychological knowledge.


    It was not going to be easy to deal with the military officers. The night passed quickly and he woke up according to his biological clock. He finished his workout and then he cooked a light meal for the family.


    Recalling that Snow mentioned about her periods, he boiled some water and brown sugar before filling it up in a thermal flask. Lily woke up and similarly Snow also came out of her room. The little girl hugged Snow as she said, "I don''t want to go to school."


    Snow smiled and said, "What is the occasion?"


    Lily replied while snuggling, "I want to stay home with you. It has been a long time. I miss you."


    Leo looked at the two and asked, "How come this feels like a bad review for me?"


    Snow chuckled and asked, "Is it possible for her to take a day off from school?"


    Primal Elementary School was strict and known for its discipline. Leo thought for a bit and said, "I will try to get the consent from Miss Verse."


    Lily peeked out from her mother''s embrace and said, "Hurry Baba, if you fail, I will have to rush."


    Leo shook his head and then he made a call to Miss Verse. In front of the teacher his aura was reduced, and he humbly said, "Good morning, Miss Verse, I am calling to inform you that Lily has caught a cold. Although she can move around, I was wondering if she can take a day off to rest, after all we wouldn''t want other children to catch the same, right?"


    After some back and forth between the two, Miss Verse wished Lily to get well soon and approved her sick leave. Lily and Snow were looking at the young man completely surprised. The latter said, "I did not expect you to have such high skills to weave an intricate story on your feet. Leo Cardinal, you have surprised me."


    Leo rolled his eyes and said, "You both exploit my love and then make fun of me."


    The girls chuckled and Leo went into his room to dress up before he said, "Snow, I will be going out for work, and might be delayed, so have lunch on time, also call me in case of emergency."


    Snow nodded and replied, "Yes, mom."


    Leo poked her nose before he kissed his daughter and then he left the house dressed in a formal suit.


    ...


    Leo made a stop at the Butterfly Technologies where he called over Percie Hibiscal, and then he called the number that Keval Nyay had texted him.


    The call connected and a calm voice sounded from the other side, "Hello. Who is this?"


    Leo replied, "I am Leo Cardinal? Your boss must have briefed you about me."


    The person replied, "Yes, Sir. I have been briefed, and was waiting for your call. How can I help you?"


    Leo thought for a bit and said, "I will send you a location, come over quickly. I will reimburse your fare. Also, wear formals as we have a meeting afterwards."


    The lady was surprised but she agreed and then the call was disconnected. Leo went inside the building and sat down in the waiting lounge. He browsed a few magazines that were placed there, and saw an article about the sinking Cardinal Group. This article gave Leo a taste of mixed feelings.


    He began to think what he should do in this matter, and as he was thinking about a plausible counter attack, Percie Hibiscal broke the silence shroud with her heels.


    She greeted Leo with a slight bow and said, "President, we have three hours to prepare."


    Leo nodded and said, "Shall we head to the employee lounge and have a cup of coffee? The counsel that I have arranged for us should be coming over soon. Till then, you can lead me through the marketing and sales plans for the mobile."


    The lady nodded, she was somewhat used to the behavior of this eccentric boss of hers. The staff had yet to arrive, it was just eight in the morning, and the company did not have a cafeteria service at this hour. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They came to the employee lounge on the second floor and made themselves coffee, as they sat down Percie Hibiscal began to tell him about the marketing and sales plans. Then she told him about the projected profit and as soon as she said that, Leo said, "All the money that we are supposed to pay in taxes, channel it to charities and earn goodwill. This government supports charitable deeds, and this will also give us the chance to register more consumer goodwill."


    Percie Hibiscal nodded and said, "I was about to tell you the same. The entire administration agrees to do this."


    Leo sighed and said, "The government is clever, they directly regulated the funds in tax revenue to the NGOs and other charity institutions. This reduced corruption, and promoted development."


    Percie replied, "They only did this with the income tax, the rest is still going to them, so yes, they are clever."


    The two people began to discuss some reward system in the company itself, when the receptionist rushed over and said, "Boss, a lawyer called Fragrance Optimus has come over, and is looking for the President."


    Leo nodded and said, "Send her over."


    Shortly after, a young lady dressed in black and white formal suit came inside the lounge with a small bag in and a laptop in her hand. She had doe eyes, a round face, with a sharp chin and evident dimple spots on her cheeks. However, Leo noticed a tattoo of a lioness peeking through the flowers on the back of her left palm.


    Leo stood up and extended his hand towards her, as he said, "Hello, Miss Optimus, I am Leo Cardinal, nice to meet you. I hope you are ready for the war."


    His aura of a boss hit Miss Optimus, and the seemingly shy lady smiled brightly before she extended her hand and said, "Greetings President Leo, I am Fragrance Optimus, nice to meet you. Always, Sir."

 Chapter 38: No Nonsense.

    Chapter 38 - No Nonsense.Leo Cardinal, Percie Hibiscal, and Fragrance Optimus were sitting around a small table inside the employee lounge, preparing for the upcoming meeting.


    Leo Cardinal said, "So, Miss Optimus..."


    Before he could continue, Fragrance Optimus smiled and said, "I apologize for interrupting you, Sir, but you can address me as Fragrance or Frag. This Miss Optimus feels a bit too uptight to me unless I am against the opponent in court or a formal setting. I think here we are all batting for the same team."


    Leo was surprised and so was Percie Hibiscal. They exchanged a glance and the young man nodded, as he said, "Fragrance, the thing that needs your expertise here is this."


    He pushed a document to her and said, "This is the latest achievement of the company, we have just finished the tests and gained a patent, and as before we could even taste the fruit of our labours, the military is ready to bite us in the ass. What do you think would be the plausible method to diffuse this situation and protect our interests?"


    Fragrance looked at the two people and said, "May I look at the document before making any comment?"


    The two people nodded and Fragrance ran her gaze through the contents of the document. After a few minutes, she sighed and said, "Boss, if you guys have achieved this, then you are about to change the face of Fortune Country''s tech world completely. No wonder they want to seal this."


    Percie Hibiscal raised her brow and asked, "What do they stand to gain from this?"


    Fragrance replied, "Well, let us understand how the military seizure works. Usually, they simply do it if the technology is too damaging to the nation, for example, the Samsara Prosthetic Scandal. Those prosthetics were based on a foreign technology and they did more harm than good to the soldiers who received them.


    Secondly, they do it when they think that the tech involved in the issue would make a big splash in the foreign market and strengthen the already strong economies. They work in the complete interest of the country and the rest has nothing to do with them."


    Percie Hibiscal frowned and said, "We stand to make a lot of profit from this tech, how are we strengthening the foreign economy?"


    Fragrance smiled and said, "If you license this tech to someone outside, or it gets stolen. Do you think they will not try to understand or copy it? The Kirin Chipset came out as one of the finest in the world a few years ago, and then within three months of licensing it to the foreigners, the whole thing became outdated by the Elf Chipset. This is why the military had tried to acquire that tech as well. The sole goal of this particular department is to make sure that the home nation prospers before anyone else."


    Leo nodded and then asked, "What is the solution?" S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fragrance looked over with her bright eyes and said, "Here is what we can do..."


    After discussing for an hour, the meeting came to an end, and Leo asked Percie to make preparations. Then they all set off in the same car and Leo drove the vehicle to the centre of the city to the military administration offices. The place was akin to a different world from the civilian side. As soon as they passed the gates, the guards checked their car, and then guided them to a space designated for the civilians.


    Following that they went through another frisk check before entering the building. Percie and Fragrance were walking half a step behind Leo before they were brought to the lobby outside an office and told to wait.


    Percie Hibiscal looked around the decoration and commented, "There is something different about the decorations in a military facility. Everything adds to the imposing air."


    Leo Cardinal did not bother to comment on his remark. He took out his phone and texted Snow to ask how she was feeling. Fragrance looked around curiously and said, "The air is so heavy in this place, I feel suffocated."


    A few minutes later, an adjutant came over, and said, "The colonel will see you now, this way."


    The trio stood up and followed the adjutant inside the office, where they found an old Colonel sitting behind a mahogany desk, smoking pipes. The old man had neat grey hair and his eyes were still as sharp as a blade. The adjutant said, "Sir, Mister Cardinal, Miss Hibiscal, and Miss Optimus."


    The old officer nodded and said, "You may leave."


    The adjutant saluted the man and walked out of the room. The old officer looked at the three people for a bit before he said, "Have a seat."


    Leo first pulled the chairs for the two ladies and then he sat down. He did not do this because he wanted to look nice, but because military officers all considered themselves gentlemen of the highest pedigree. Leo learned this in the virtual realm, and thus he followed.


    Sure enough, his action did catch the eye of the old man and he asked, "So, you are the President of the Butterfly Technologies who refuses to give into the military acquisition."


    Leo Cardinal smiled and replied, "Yes, sir. I may owe the favour of national security to the military, but I am sure that I have paid that back in the terms of taxes I have paid and the respect I have given to the soldiers. Had it been you, would you consider sharing the medals that you have won by spilling blood with me?"


    The old Colonel raised his brows, and his sharp aura assaulted Leo Cardinal and the two. He asked, "How dare you compare my medals with your machines?"


    Leo Cardinal was unbothered. He smiled and said, "It is not me who compared these two things, Sir. It is your department. How dare you try to hijack the livelihoods of thousands of people that will be produced by this machine? Shall I take the legal route here and complain about this to the supreme court, and publicize this issue before you can realize the importance of this ''machine''?"


    This threat and question were something that Fragrance Optimus had asked him to bring up right off the bat. It might be true that the military had the right to flag anything that could compromise the national benefits, but the point of employment countered the military analysis directly.


    The old colonel was surprised that Leo Cardinal was unbothered by his aura, and even dared to put up threats when he was inside a military facility. He took a deep breath and asked, "Since you know the importance of the technology, you should know what can happen if someone with ill-intentions gained access to it, right?"


    Leo nodded and replied, "I know, but at the same time, fear is not a good thing when you wish to advance. I am willing to propose a method that would ensure that the technology is safe and will only benefit the nation."


    The old man asked, "Tell me then what do you have in mind?"


    Leo looked at Percie Hibiscal, who took a deep breath and said, "Colonel Yu, we are willing to run the chip manufacturing plant in cooperation with the military where your department can see where the chips are being used, and sold. You can also investigate our clients before we finalize any deals with anyone.


    We are willing to stay contained to the domestic markets, and not sell our product to the foreign companies. This will cost us billions in profit and I hope this price is enough to show that we are sincere in our approach."


    Colonel Yu thought about it and said, "What if I do not agree?"


    Fragrance Optimus said, "We will file a case of strong-arming us, despite exploring a cooperative and win-win path. The meeting today must have been recorded in the directory of the military office and similarly every word that we have spoken till now must have been recorded as well. Since you are handling a civilian organization, you have to try us in the civilian court, where laws are in our favor as long as we are not in the wrong."


    Colonel Yu looked at Fragrance and Leo said, "This is Frag, I mean, Fragrance Optimus, the legal counsel of the Butterfly Technologies."


    The old man thought for a bit and then said, "I will tell you the final decision after the meeting with the higher ups. I thank you for coming all the way over."


    Leo did not expect the old man to concede so amicably, but then he thought about the older ginger being spicier, and he said, "Colonel, fifty percent of the profit that we make from the sales of the processing chips, I will donate it to military welfare and the martyr funds. So, I hope that you can let us commercialize this operation without much trouble. Let us not hurt the sentiments of respect that exist among the commoners."


    Colonel Yu was surprised, and he nodded before repeating his earlier words. Leo stood up from the seat, and helped Percei and Fragrance before leaving the room.


    Colonel Yu leaned back in his chair, before he rang the bell and the adjutant came inside. The old man said, "Call a meeting with the officers of the technological department and also the acquisition staff."


    The adjutant saluted and left the place.


    ...


    Fragrance waited till they left the military compound and sighed as she said, "Looks like we won?"


    Percie nodded, and Leo said, "I don''t think it is set in stone at the moment. However, it was a good battle. Fragrance, would you like to take over the role of the legal counsel of Butterfly Technologies, officially?"


    Percie was surprised but not in objection, this would reduce her workload a lot, and she approved Frag''s skills.


    The latter said, "Boss, I am just working on this assignment because of Director Keval telling me. I have just joined and cannot leave the firm."


    Leo nodded and replied, "I will talk to Keval, this will be considered an internal transfer, however, don''t reveal the information about this to anyone."


    The ladies understood the meaning and were shocked, soon Leo dropped them in front of the Monarch Tower, and drove home. His wife and daughter were home and he had to cook them lunch.

 Chapter 39: Busy Day & Eminent Battle.

    Leo drove back to his home and as soon as he came inside the living room, he found Snow sitting on the couch while Lily was playing the piano. It was a serene scene and he did not wish to disturb it by abrupt entry.


    The young man leaned against the wall of the entry corridor and took a deep breath as he watched the entire scene play before his eyes patiently. As Lily stopped playing the piano, Snow clapped and said, "Leo, don¡¯t you have any tips for your daughter?"


    Leo raised his brow and asked, "When did you find out about me?"


    Snow smiled and replied, "The moment your car entered the driveway. We have a digital guard system, remember?"


    Leo smiled at his slip up and walked over to her, and Lily came running to him. The young man scooped up the little girl in his arms and said, "My baby is such a genius, she has mastered the seventh variation without my help."


    Lily smiled and said, "My Baba is a good teacher."


    Leo smiled and at this moment, the system pinged, ¡¯Ping: Host, your daughter has acknowledged you as a good teacher. You have gained a teaching boost. As long as you personally teach any subject to your daughter, you would receive a hundred thousand ren, and secondly, your daughter¡¯s knowledge retention potential has been improved by twenty percent permanently.¡¯


    This notification brought a smile to his face. The young man took a deep breath and said, "Well, thank you, my genius student. What else do you plan to do today now that you have finished playing piano?"


    Lily thought for a bit and said, "I want to learn that spinning clay thing."


    Leo chuckled and said, "Love, it is called the Potter¡¯s wheel. Yes, after lunch, Baba will teach you."


    Lily nodded and Snow said, "Princess Lily, can you now please take the shower that you promised?"


    The little girl nodded and Leo put her down before she took off. Snow asked, "How did it go?"


    Leo nodded and briefly narrated the situation that led them to the military administration and finally said, "From what Fragrance Optimus has told me, it will turn out in our favor."


    Snow nodded and said, "Okay¡­"


    As she was speaking, her face scrunched up. Leo knew that it was a cramp because of the periods. He stood up and went inside the kitchen, then looking around he could not find the hot water bag. He picked up his phone and ordered one hot water bag on an instant delivery application.


    Then he went out and crouched before Snow, and held her hand. The cramp did not last long but the pain seemed to have drained her energy completely. Leo then placed one of his hands around her shoulders and the other under her legs before he picked her up in his arms. Snow was surprised by his strength. In her mind, Leo had yet to recover, but she was surprised how easily he picked her up.


    She was about to ask him to put her down when Leo said, "Don¡¯t worry, I am fine now. You don¡¯t have any weight either." sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Snow smiled and said, "Oh, really?"


    Leo smiled and carried her back to their bedroom on the first floor. Then she placed her in the bed, and took off his coat as he lay down behind her and coiled his arm around her waist before he gave her belly rubs. Snow smiled faintly. Leo had always been this kind with her. He observed even the tiniest thing about her and made sure to do his best.


    Thinking about it, she asked, "Leo, how can you always care so much?"


    Leo hummed and replied while rubbing her belly, "You know in this world there are many people who wish to be cared for, who wish to be loved, yet despite all their efforts and sincerity, they cannot do anything for the ones they loved. Be it the fact that the person they love is unable to reciprocate their efforts, or any other circumstance. Not everyone is destined to find the ones they love. So considering that I am the lucky one, I should be caring toward the one who reciprocated my feelings, and fought against the circumstances, right?"


    Snow thought about it and then she said, "I never thought it would be such a deep topic."


    Leo smiled and wanted to talk more when Lily peeked in the room from the door and said, "Baba, can you dry Lily¡¯s hair? I feel cold."


    Leo stood up from the bed and said, "Yes, coming."


    He turned to look at Snow who nodded, and the young man left the room to follow behind the little doll. Leo used the hair dryer and carefully dried her hair, and at the same time he used a comb to untangle them. The young man then tied her hair very nicely and a holographic panel appeared in his eyes. It was a point addition in his hair styling skill.


    As soon as he finished combing her hair, the guard called on the intercom, asking if he had called for a delivery. Leo gave them an affirmation and after a few minutes, he collected the product from the front gate. Then he made a hot water pack for Snow, and gave it to her. The young lady thanked Leo before the young man went inside the kitchen to cook food.


    The day was hectic, but he enjoyed it. Lily shuttled between the two people every few minutes, and her questions about different things left the couple between laughter and tears. After lunch, as promised, Leo picked up Lily and went to the garage where he started his streaming and said, "Hello, viewers, I apologize for not being present to stream these days. I had a few things to do. So today, we will teach Lily how to use the potter¡¯s wheel."


    The people cheered for Lily, and the little girl sat down on the stool, before Leo began to teach her how to center the clay ball, and then the process of coning. The boost kicked in and Lily understood his words much easily. Leo left her to practice and set up the dried sculptures inside the Kiln.


    He came back and sat down behind her. Then he used his hands as support and taught her how to create a small vase. The process was smooth and steady, before it finished and Lily began to clap her muddy hands, cheering, "Baba, we made it! Haha, Lily made a vase! Lily made a vase!"


    She began to hop around the garage while singing and clapping her hands. The young man smiled and then he said bye to the viewers before closing the stream channel. What he did not know was that his teaching boost applied to all the people, and not only Lily.


    All the people who have been following his channel and learning various skills, were also gaining a lot and this increased Leo¡¯s popularity among the people.


    ¡­


    In the evening, after dinner, Leo was sitting in the garden of the villa. It was the first time that he was sitting here, and at this moment, his phone rang. He picked up the call, and it was Marco, the detective he had hired. At noon, he sent a text to the guy and asked him to contact.


    Marco greeted, "Hello, old friend, how can I help you?"


    The young man replied, "Echo Cardinal and Vincent Cardinal, I want their daily routines, shady work links, and everything negative about them in my grasp. If you can find me evidence of their bad nature, I will give you one million ren in bonus above your standard charge."


    Marco was stunned and then he said, "You got it. Send me the details and I will get back to you within a week."


    Leo nodded and sent the details. Then he leaned back in the wicker chair, as he began to skim through the companies owned by the Cardinals at the moment. This data was provided to him by Percie Hibiscal. The young man thought of the businesses they owned, and he used a pen to tick out the ones that were waste.


    The young man took a deep breath and said, "These people sure know how to turn money into shit."


    He picked up his phone again, and called Percie Hibiscal, before he said, "Percie, start buying the stocks for Cardinal Group. Do it in portions so as to not raise any alarms."


    The lady nodded and did not ask why Leo wanted to do what he wanted to do. She had her own sources to do a background check on the identity of her young boss. The story shocked her, and it was so much that she was now impressed and trustful of Leo¡¯s actions.


    Then Leo called Keval Nyay and said, "Director Nyay, I would like to assign the firm with an issue. You can locate all the people who have suffered under the hands of the Cardinal Group. Be it a small matter, even if it is a guard that has been scolded by the Cardinals, gather them, and then prepare a lawsuit against the company and the owners under all and any charges that fit them. I will fund it personally, you do not have to think about resources."


    Keval Nyay was shocked, but he agreed.


    Leo was gazing at the stars when Snow came over and placed her hand over his shoulder, as she asked, "Are you ready?"


    Leo nodded and said, "The swords are drawn, it is time to set the battlefield."


    The long due battle between the Cardinals was about to begin, and it was just one of the many that would come his way.

 Chapter 40: Possessive Daughter & Twisted Daddy.

    Leo was driving his car with a pouting princess sitting in the back. Today Lily was wearing a sky blue colored skirt. Leo knew why she was angry, this kid wanted to stay back at home once again. However, Leo did not agree, it was important that while they pampered her, they also needed to keep her in discipline.


    Leo sighed as the car stopped at a traffic signal and said, "Baby, please don¡¯t be angry."


    Lily snorted and turned her head to look outside the window. She took a deep breath and said, "You just want to send me to school so that you can be with Ma. You don¡¯t love me."


    Leo wished to cry but his tears had dried up, and he asked, "Why do you think that is the case?"


    Lily snorted but did not reply. The young man took a deep breath and said, "Love, I have an event to attend, I will not be at home for long. Plus, all these years, your Ma did not take a day off work, and still cared for me. Is it not fair to say that I will care for her when she is sick?"


    The little girl lowered her head as if she was thinking deeply and asked, "Then who do you love more?"


    Leo was surprised and he said, "Ofcourse, I love my darling more."


    Lily narrowed her gaze, she could feel that something in this statement was wrong, but she could not tell what exactly it was. She nodded, and her mood improved.


    Leo did not know how his daughter grew up to be so possessive. She was even competing with her mother in this manner. The car drove to the gate of the school. He helped Lily out of the car, and the little girl beckoned him closer. Leo crouched down and then she pecked his cheek and said, "I love you Baba."


    Leo smiled heartily and pecked her back as he said, "I love you too, Lily."


    Then she went inside the school, with Miss Verse, who was there to receive the students. The two waved at each other and Leo got back in his car. He picked up his mobile and sent a message to Snow, "Our daughter is a possessive soul."


    Then he drove to the Opulence Arena. This place was known for holding some of the biggest events in the city. Be it film launch events, fashion shows, award shows, or gaming tournaments.


    So, to gather even more attention, Butterfly Technologies booked the hall for launching their mobile phone. They had invited all the influencers that helped them promote the product early on, along with many media representatives as well.


    Leo parked his car, and as he got down, he found that Snow had replied to him, "Haha, so you finally understood that your princess is an angel with horns. Huh?"


    The young man smiled and then asked her how she was feeling and walked inside the venue. He was greeted by Rama Kashyap. The tech head greeted Leo with a smile on his face, and said, "Boss, the chairman is waiting for you inside."


    Leo nodded and Rama silently led him to the back stage, where Percie Hibiscal was communicating with a bunch of people. She smiled and excused the people, when she spotted Leo coming in.


    She approached him and suddenly frowned as she asked, "President, why are you dressed up so casually?"


    Leo shook his head and said, "It is fine like this. Can you arrange for a face mask?"


    Percie was surprised and asked, "Boss, you don¡¯t want to show your face?"


    Leo shook his head and replied, "I want to create a mystery element around myself. This way the people will have more questions and curiosity about the products and the company. It will give us a marketing edge."


    Percie did not have too much stress, but she could not say otherwise, after all, this man was the president of the company. She nodded and looked at one of the staff members from her side to quickly get a nice face mask.


    Leo called the chairman of the Yulu streaming platform, Elvin Stein and told him to arrange for a promoted channel that would be streaming the launch event live. Elvin did not have any problem, and agreed to do it.


    ¡­


    Percie Hibiscal stood on the stage glimmering with the spotlight and said, "Thank you all of the friends from the media, for coming and joining us at the launch event of the Butterfly Monarch."


    She was greeted with a warm round of applause. Yes, this event was just akin to a publicity stunt for them. In the past week, the influencers have done a lot of marketing for their product. The most shocking fact of the campaign was that all of them were completely satisfied with the mobile.


    Be it price, be it specs, or be it the performance. The people praised it and even were ready to replace their old phones. Although they still mentioned the points that could be improvised in the final product, and they were paid, the people did not think that this was a biased opinion.


    The company had only invited a few people who were known for their honest operation and opinions. They even broadcast the meeting where all the terms were discussed.


    Percie said, "Today, we are going to unveil the first of the many products of the Butterfly Tech company. For that, I would like to call upon the President and the founder of the company, Mister X."


    That name alone caused some people to exchange glances and soon Leo Cardinal climbed the stairs and came to the stage with a white mask on his face. Only his eyes were visible to the people but the sharp aura he had an intimidating effect on them all.


    The young man held a microphone in his hand and nodded to Percie who took a step back before giving the center to him. Leo said, "Thank you, Percie, and greetings everyone."


    The crowd was silent but they were all itching to ask Leo a few questions about the reasons behind why he was hiding behind a mask, but before anyone could heckle, Leo said, "I am sure that everyone of you wants to know why is my face covered with a mask. However, we can discuss that after we have finished the product launch."


    As soon as he finished speaking, a video began to play on a huge screen behind him. Leo turned around to watch as well, after all this was the first time he had watched the video. All he knew about the mobile was from the blueprints that he gave to the company. He just wanted to know how it was being presented to the world. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Soon, a butterfly appeared fluttering through the void and it landed on a flower, however, after a few seconds, it flew again, and the flower turned out to be a wallpaper that was zoomed in by the camera.


    Then began the introduction of the phone, and after a few minutes the video stopped. Leo said, "Well, so that was the AV, I must say that the graphics team has worked really well on it."


    A few people laughed and Leo said, "So, the company designed the phone from scratch and while we are new, we can assure you that we don¡¯t compromise in standards. Nor do we hold back in terms of performance. For the first batch we partnered with Helios seven, the latest chip was used to power each one of these devices.


    I don¡¯t think I need to elaborate on the capabilities of the processor. Let us see the combination of the processor with our phone.


    You get a 6.1 inches LTPO Oled display, with the resolution of 1316x 2932 pixels, and 120 hz refresh rate. The brightness goes as high as 2400 nits. It has a 290 hz touch sampling rate, with P3 wide color gamut, and 1500 Hz high frequency PWM dimming¡­"


    Leo went on and on about the features and the internals of the phone. This shocked the entire company staff, because if they were to be asked to go and explain all this even they might need to look at a paper. However, Leo, who had not stepped in the company for more than three times, was now just shooting bullets at the media.


    The session lasted for one hour before it all came to an end, and then began the question and answer session. Leo said, "Alright, ladies and gents, we can begin with questions and answers. One at a time please."


    He looked around and asked a reporter, "Yes, Sir, please go on."


    The person said, "Hello, Sir, may I ask what would be the selling price of the device?"


    Leo replied, "It would be priced for twenty thousand ren, we will be starting with the budget phone segment."


    Then the reporter sat down and a lady raised her hand. Leo nodded to her and she asked, "Mister X, why the mystery?"


    Leo chuckled and said, "My daughter thinks I am very handsome and she doesn¡¯t want me to show my face outside."


    The people were amused, and the lady asked, "Don¡¯t you think it will affect the sales of your product? After all, how will you show that your company is credible?"


    Leo replied, "Ma¡¯am, if you wish to ask for credibility, then you must know our company has set up seven hundred service centers all over the country before selling the device out. This is our resolve and statement, we are here to stay."


    The lady was shot down and she sat down. Till now, the conference was moving smoothly and suddenly a person raised his hand and asked, "Sir, it is said that the Pristine Mobiles, owned and run by Cardinal Group is the king in the budget phone market. Will your product not be in contradiction with them?"


    Leo looked at the person for a prolonged moment and said, "Trash."


    Everyone was stunned, Leo said, "Had it been the old administration which was led by the visionary Mister Cardinal, I might have been worried, but this new bunch of people, Mister Echo, and Mister Vincent, their business skills are just trash and we all know this."


    He dismissed the Cardinal group directly, without hesitating for even a second, and the media got what they wanted. The scent of controversy that fueled their higher sales.


    After a bit, the session ended, and Leo said, "Starting tonight, the product will be going live on all the major market places, and digital shopping platforms. Hope you all like what we are doing here at Butterfly Technologies."


    ¡­


    At noon, Leo came back home, and Snow was sitting on the couch as she said, "Congratulations, now the battle has begun."


    Leo nodded with a smile and said, "They will try to attack us now. So let us see what they have in the store, because I am sure they won¡¯t be ready for what I have in store."


    Snow smiled and placed her feet in his lap, and Leo frowned as he said, "What will Lily do if she knew that I massaged your feet?"


    Snow chuckled and joked, "You just challenged the Cardinal Group and you are scared of your four year old daughter. How twisted are you!"

 Chapter 41: Failure.

    The product went live at midnight, and Percie and the rest of the big shots were sitting in the conference room. Someone asked, "Boss, shouldn¡¯t the president be here"


    Percie shook her head and said, "Don¡¯t bother him. His mood is completely that of a flaring dragon. If you wish to continue working, then just focus here."


    The people were surprised, this was quite a serious ultimatum. Percie had already called when the sales were about to go live, and she received a scolding that almost made her cry.


    ¡­


    Leo was strolling outside a hospital ward at this moment and his face was pale. Snow was sighing repeatedly as she watched him and said, "Leo, she is fine now, can you stop feeling so anxious?"


    Leo frowned and said, "How can I calm down? She is having such a high fever. I will get to the root of this."


    Snow sighed, in the noon when the couple drove to pick up Lily, they found that the girl was low in energy. After coming home, Lily went to take a nap, but then she did not come out after an hour. Leo thought that the child was probably just tired.


    However, when he went to find her, he was shocked. Lily was having a high fever and her face was blushing a lot. He called Snow, and then the two rushed to the hospital. Leo did not care about the traffic, and he even jumped two signals. At the entrance of the hospital, two traffic cops caught up with them.


    They wanted to charge Leo, but when they were causing delay in the treatment of his daughter, he was about to fly off the handle. Finally, Snow intervened and told them what was going on and she paid the fines on the spot while Leo took the little one inside the hospital.


    Then the doctor said that it was probably because Lily had contracted some infection and thus she fell sick. They said that Lily can be taken back to the hospital, but Leo insisted that they keep her for observation.


    The doctor was helpless and agreed. During this time, Percie Hibiscal called Leo, asking him to come over and he said, "Do you need me to come over for such a silly thing? Is your resume just for show? If you really want me to come over for such a thing, then write down your resume and get lost."


    He did not care about anything apart from the health of his daughter. Had it not been for Snow, he would have called Miss Verse and asked her how Lily caught the infection in the middle of the night.


    All that he could do was walk outside the ward, as Lily slept inside peacefully. It was midnight and a nurse came over, and she said to Snow, "Ma¡¯am, the hospital guidelines only allow one of the parents to stay overnight. Could you please¡­"


    She was hesitating to ask one of them to leave. Snow nodded and thanked her with a smile, and said, "Love, you should go home. I will stay here."


    Leo froze and turned to look at her in a reflex as he shook his head strongly and said, "No, you can drive back home and take a rest. You need to go to work in the morning as well. I will stay here."


    Snow saw his expression and sighed as she said, "Do you understand where your daughter gets this possessive trait of hers? You both are from the same mold."


    Leo took out the car keys and gave them to Snow. He did not wish to leave Lily¡¯s side even for a second, but then he accompanied her to the parking downstairs and said, "Drive carefully, and call me once you reach home."


    Snow nodded and left after telling him, "Don¡¯t panic, children fall sick and it is only natural. Your daughter is no different, she will be fine very soon, so don¡¯t worry."


    Leo nodded on the surface and in his mind he was thinking about what could be the real cause behind his daughter falling sick all of a sudden.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile in the conference room, the sales counter was climbing steadily. The numbers were being refreshed every minute, and after an hour, they managed to sell a thousand units.


    Percie frowned and said, "Well, it will take some time for the sales to reach the expectation. Ray, make sure that the delivery experience of the customers is special."


    Ray was the director of the customer relation department and he nodded at the command. Then he excused himself and left the room to call the people below him and mobilize the employees.


    ¡­


    Soon, morning came. Snow came over to the hospital before heading to work. She was not as worried as Leo because in the course of three years, Lily had fallen sick multiple times. She used to panic a lot in the early phases but then she got used to it, as the sickness was not serious. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was passing through the corridor when she heard a nurse say, "It is so hard to see parents like that young man on the second floor. He has been awake the whole night worrying for his daughter."


    Another nurse chimed in, "Is that all you saw? That sir is so daring that he was about to charge at two cops who were trying to stop him when he came inside the hospital."


    Snow smiled faintly as she shook her head and entered the elevator to reach the second floor. When she came to the ward, she found Leo standing against the wall with his eyes stuck to Lily and his expression was that of complete distress.


    Snow was ready to see this, but the sight of her man being so worried and distressed just broke her heart. The last time she saw him like this was when his parents died. Finally, she understood how much Leo loved Lily.


    It was not because of the system that he loved her, but it was because she was literally a reason for him to continue living. Snow came over and said, "Leo."


    Leo looked at her and smiled faintly, Snow sighed and held his hand as she said, "You have been blaming yourself over this all night. It was not your fault that this happened."


    Leo sighed and said, "Well, if you say so, Snowie."


    At this moment, Lily turned to her side and woke up. Leo rushed over to her side, and asked her softly, "Baby, how are you feeling?"


    The girl replied drowsily, "I am feeling turtle baba."


    Leo was confused and Snow said, "She is feeling a bit slow, because she just woke up."


    The young man nodded and then he saw Snow give the girl some water. Lily woke up properly and asked, "Baba, where are we?"


    Leo replied while brushing her hair, "We are in the hospital baby, you were sick so we came here."


    Lily nodded and said, "I must have caught something that Sebastian had."


    Leo nodded and said, "I will ask your teacher, what this is about. After a bit, we will go home, and you can rest properly."


    ¡¯Ping: Host, now that your daughter has woken up. It is time to settle the account. Your business has been sanctioned by the system unless you can get to the bottom of this situation and find out what happened to your daughter.


    The motive here is to teach you that you need to be on your toes. Your daughter was low on energy and it was an early symptom of her catching sickness. You could have asked her if something was wrong and easily avoided this night in the hospital. Children are unable to articulate their condition, and it is a parent¡¯s job to watch out for them. You failed the job, and so you are being penalized.


    To restore your business, please find out how she fell sick within twenty four hours."

 Chapter 42: Solution & Sales.

    Leo took a deep breath, he did not mind that he was being punished by the system for this. It was indeed his fault. The young man took a deep breath and then he waited patiently for the doctor to come over for the morning rounds.


    It was ten in the morning when the doctor came over to check the situation. He asked Lily a few questions and said, "You are clear to go home, little one. Here is your reward for quick recovery."


    He reached inside his pocket, and took out a lollipop. He gave it to Lily, who smiled and thanked him. The doctor looked at Leo and said, "Mister Cardinal, if I may have a word with you."


    Leo nodded, he had calmed down now that Lily has woken up. He winked at the little girl and walked out after she smiled. The doctor hung his stethoscope around his neck and he said, "I understand that you love your daughter a lot, and it must be painful to watch her fall sick, but I would like to say this to you, Sir. If we don¡¯t fall sick, our bodies would not develop any immunity. This is why next time, when a doctor says that your child is fine, please believe in them."


    Leo nodded and said, "I apologize, Doctor. I will pay attention in the future."


    The doctor nodded and left with his team. Leo sighed, he went inside the room and found Lily playing with the Lollipop in her hand. She looked at him and smiled brightly. Leo could not help but get close to her and put his arms around her.


    Lily asked softly, "Baba, what happened?"


    Leo shook his head and replied, "Nothing my love, I was just worried about you. I love you so much."


    Lily held his arm and said, "I also love you Baba."


    A nurse came in after knocking on the door, and said, "Excuse me, Sir. You can pay the bill and go home."


    Leo nodded and replied before he picked up Lily in his arms and walked out of the room. They reached the reception counter, and Leo paid the bill before he took Lily to the vehicle and headed home.


    While they were on the road, Leo¡¯s phone rang. The caller was Miss Verse. The young man frowned but he calmed down and picked up the call. He said, "Hello."


    The girl replied, "Hello, Mr. Cardinal. This is Teacher Verse from the Primal Elementary school. I wanted to ask why Lily has not come to school today?"


    Leo asked, "Miss Verse, I have just come out from the hospital. Lily was admitted there last night because she had a high fever."


    The teacher was surprised and Leo continued, "Miss Verse, I wanted to ask you something regarding this issue. Can you tell me if someone else in the class was sick?"


    The teacher replied, "Well, a student was complaining about having a headache, and a cold."


    Leo said, "I understand, well, I will be bringing Lily over to the school tomorrow."


    That said he disconnected the call, and did not give Miss Verse any politeness. The lady also did not expect such a rude response and was left staring at the phone screen.


    Leo disconnected the call, and then dialed the number of the manager of the Primus Trust, Aston Arc. The call was connected very quickly and picked up as well. Leo asked, "Hello, Mister Arc. Are you doing well?"


    Aston Arc replied, "Yes, Mister Cardinal. Thank you for your blessings. I have been fine. Please tell me, do you have any instructions?"


    Leo hummed slowly and said, "I would like to ask if we can possibly set a new rule in the school?"


    Aston Arc frowned, but then he replied with the truth, "Yes, depending on the consequences of the rule, we can set a new rule."


    Leo said, "I would like to set a rule that if any child is feeling sick, then the parents should not send them to school, and also to prevent any false sick leaves, medical certification by the in-house Doctor is necessary."


    Aston Arc thought about it and said, "Sir, I will discuss this with the board and tell you about it in a few days."


    Leo sighed and replied, "Mister Arc, I understand that you and the rest of the trustees are very busy, but the thing is, my daughter just caught an infection because a parent was careless and sent their child to the school. If such cases persist, it would harm other children as well. Don¡¯t you think that we should take a swift decision on such a matter? After all, it is our duty and responsibility to ensure that the child not only gets a quality education but also a healthy learning environment."


    Aston Arc was silent, he thought about it and said, "Well, I do agree with your concern but such a decision would need votes from all the trustees. The next meeting is scheduled in a couple of hours. I will surely bring this matter up there."


    Leo nodded and said, "I would also like to join the meeting remotely if you allow me. I might sound a bit too critical, but still I would like to convey my opinion to them all."


    Aston Arc nodded and said, "Sir, I will connect you to the loud speaker when the meeting begins."


    ¡­


    Leo reached home, and Lily said, "Baba, I am hungry."


    The young man said, "I will make you some soup. Okay, just give me ten minutes."


    Leo nodded and then he got her settled in her room, and moved to the kitchen before he boiled a few tomatoes, and made an egg drop soup for Lily. It was quick, filling and light, as she was just recovering from sickness.


    Lily ate the soup and then she fell asleep. The fever had drained her energy and recovery would take some time.


    He coaxed her to sleep, and gradually fell asleep beside her, because he was also awake the whole night. The young man woke up only after a couple of hours, when his mobile buzzed in his pocket.


    He found that it was Aston Arc, who was calling him. He went out of the office, and then moved to the living room as he picked up the call.


    He asked, "Hello."


    Aston Arc replied, "Mister Cardinal, the trustees have gathered and I have presented your proposal to them. However, they still wish to hear your opinion about it."


    Leo took a deep breath and replied, "Yes, it is fine. Greetings everyone. As you all know what I proposed, I will just state my case in a simple manner. Today a common cold got my child to the hospital. What if there are multiple students falling ill from the same infection? Is it not our responsibility to ensure that our students stay healthy? If you think I am over reacting then it is fine. I would drop this matter right now, after all, it was not the child at the fault. It was the careless parents who did not care enough about their child."


    The people were silent for a few moments, before one of them said, "Mister Cardinal, we understand what your concern is, the new rule will be applied in the morning tomorrow, we will pass a guideline for all the schools and make sure that the parents are held accountable for taking proper care of their children."


    Leo thanked them and said, "You all have my gratitude, ma¡¯am. Thank you very much."


    ¡­


    The call was disconnected and Aston Arc said, "Why did you all agree with such ease?"


    Melanie, another board member said, "Think about it, how would you feel if your child felt sick because of someone else¡¯s mistake? Today, it was a common cold. What if we have a critically ill child in the school, and something like this happened to him? What if someone gave their cold to a child just before exams? Would you bear the responsibility? Students are assets of the future, we cannot overlook this issue."


    The meeting came to an end with a set of guidelines passed along the entire network of Primal Schools, be it elementary, primary or secondary level.


    Snow came back home and she found Leo and Lily sleeping with each other silently. She smiled at them and headed to the kitchen to cook food for them.


    Leo woke up in the evening, when a voice echoed in his mind, ¡¯Ping: Host, you have solved the problem, and the sanctions are now lifted. Please make sure that you take precautions in the future and do not repeat the same mistake.¡¯


    The young man did not care about any sanctions, but he was seriously worried about Lily. He cuddled the little girl, who placed one of her legs over and across his chest, and fell asleep again.


    ¡­


    Percie was planning to leave the office, when a young lady rushed in the cabin and said, "Boss, the sales are climbing, and it is maddening! You need to see it."


    ... S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Please leave reviews if you like the book so far. It will be great help to achieve a rank. Please take out some time. Thank you.

 Chapter 43: Internal Strife.

    Leo was getting ready to go to bed for the day, when Percie Hibiscal called him. The young man picked up the call and said, "Miss Hibiscal, I apologize for my behavior last night, I was just about to call you about this."


    Percie Hibiscal was shocked, and then she said, "You don¡¯t have to worry about that, President, I understand that you only said those things because your daughter was not doing well. Please do not worry.


    I am calling you to inform you that within the last couple of hours, our inventory has been sold out."


    Leo smiled and replied, "It is all thanks to your hardwork and marketing strategy. Congratulations. Make sure you reward the workers of the OEM plants and the employees of the company properly when the profits turn in."


    Percie Hibiscal agreed and said, "Yes, Sir. I only wanted to share some good news."


    She was about to disconnect the call when Leo said, "Miss Hibiscal, don¡¯t relax just yet. Now that we have entered the market, the real battle will begin. The Cardinals will attack us, and you know their Modus Operandi, right?"


    Percie Hibiscal replied, "I do, I had the staff looking out for them. No matter what they come at us with, it won¡¯t affect us, however, I was thinking if we should also prepare some counter attack for them?"


    Leo nodded and replied, "That would be kind of you. Miss Hibiscal, make sure you do the damage so that I can buy the stocks." Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The young lady nodded and chuckled and replied, "I understand. I will bring them down sir."


    ¡­


    The call was disconnected and Snow came inside the room. She looked at him and asked, "Something happened?"


    Leo smiled and replied, "The inventory ran out. While it is a good thing, I am sure, the so-called kings of the business will be retaliating against us soon."


    Snow lay down beside him and asked, "Echo Cardinal?"


    Leo nodded and put his arms around her as he said, "Are you ready, Missus? The morning would be turbulent."


    Snow smiled and pecked his lips as she said, "You know, I am."


    The two frolicked around for a bit before they went to sleep. However, not everyone was blessed with the same fortune. The newspapers were running after the story.


    Vincent Cardinal was standing next to the vintage european style window of the Cardinal Mansion, holding a glass of whiskey in his hands. The man had fat accumulation on his belly, and his hair was gray.


    He took a sip of the liquor as he looked outside the window and asked, "Qasim, what do you think? Are they going to be a threat to us?"


    A muffled voice sounded from the speaker placed on the study desk, "Well, I have confirmed, they did sell out the first batch within twenty four hours. Also, that mystery president is targeting us. He called us trash publicly."


    Vincent did not comment, but took a sip of his liquor and said, "It is true, after my brother passed away, we have been reduced to the shell of what we were. Indeed we are a heap of trash, but what happens when a heap of trash falls on the head of those who stand under it?"


    Qasim said, "They die from suffocation."


    Vincent replied, "Then get to it. I need to see the results by the evening tomorrow."


    Qasim replied, "Sir, that Percie Hibiscal was an employee of the Tyrant Group."


    Vincent frowned and said, "I don¡¯t think that Carole or his father would say anything about this. You can deal with her as a separate person, but do not drag in the Primal Family. Those people are not a good bunch."


    Qasim sighed and said, "But President, they were our partners in the past."


    Vincent¡¯s gaze changed and he said, "The past is just the past, it has nothing to do with the present. Don¡¯t bring this up anymore."


    After saying that he turned around and walked up to the table and pressed the button to terminate the call on the intercom. Shortly after, a young man walked inside the study, it was none other than Echo Cardinal. His gaze was filled with intoxication and his feet were unsteady as well. He looked at Vincent and asked, "Who the fuck is this Butterfly Technology, president?"


    Vincent placed his glass on the table, walked up close to his son and slapped the latter hard. Echo Cardinal staggered and fell to the ground before he raised his head and asked, "What the fuck is wrong with you dad?"


    Vincent Cardinal took a deep breath and went back to the table to pick up his glass and said, "You always complain that I compare you to Leo, right? You want to know why I do that? Because I wanted you to be better than him. Was I wrong? Maybe, but had that kid been around, this butterfly technology would have crumbled before it even launched the first product.


    Look at you, don¡¯t even have the ability to stand straight, and do something on your own for once. Loser. Without the aid of Carole Primus, you are nothing but a third grade errand runner, and I am disappointed to be your father."


    It seemed like the relationship between the father and son was not very tight.


    Echo Cardinal glared at his father before he stood up and said, "If you wanted me to be better than your priced nephew, then you should have paid attention to me when I was growing up instead of fucking around anywhere you could find a hole.


    Vincent Cardinal, if you have this much pride that you think I would be nothing had it not been for Carole Primus, then why the fuck did you agree to plot against your own brother?"


    Vincent Cardinal shivered and shouted, "Shut up!"


    Echo laughed and said, "Did it hurt to hear the truth? I am not the only one who would have been nothing. If I am a third grade errand runner then you are just a second grade parasite."


    Vincent Cardinal threw his whiskey glass at Echo in rage, but the latter ducked and said, "Kill me like you killed them. Do you think I am not aware that it was also you, who told Carol to finish Leo while he can, otherwise the future would be worrisome."


    Vincent Cardinal lunged at Echo, and then the latter moved away as he said, "I am leaving old man. I hope you die soon."


    That said, Echo walked out of the study and left the place. Vincent stood in his spot, panting and breathing hard as he rubbed his left chest. It would be a lie to say that his heart did not ache watching his only son speak to him like this.


    He clenched his fist and then calmed himself as he retired to his room.


    ¡­


    The next morning, Leo dropped Lily off at school, and apologized to Miss Verse for his rude behavior. At the same time he made a visit to the principal¡¯s office. He discussed an issue about charity through the Primal School Fund, and helping the children in remote areas or poor families to get a better quality education.


    Then he came back home, Snow had left for work on her own. The young man opened the laptop, and played the economics news. He began to monitor the stock exchange. As soon as he saw anything that was falling down, he would invest a small amount of ten thousand ren in the shares.


    These companies were all subsidies of the Cardinal Group. This was the situation of the Cardinal Group, a slow but steady decline. While he was placing his bombs, Percie Hibiscal called him, and reported, "Boss, the cardinals have started making their moves. They have pulled back the small OEM manufacturers from supplying us with parts."


    Leo hummed and said, "These small manufacturers are forced in a corner, trying to buy a few of them out, and keep the production going with what we have in the inventory. As for the counter, it is up to you."


    CEO Hibiscal smiled and replied, "It should be coming live pretty soon, I hope you are ready."


    Leo raised his brow and said, "I am looking forward to it."


    Sure enough after a few minutes of the call disconnection, a news was played on the channel.


    "This is Stephanie Marshal, reporting live from the Pristine Restaurant here in Angkon Capital. Just now, this prestigious restaurant and the symbol of luxury culinary shops, have been raided by the officers of the Food Safety Bureau and Cops alike. It was reported that the chefs are infusing a small dosage of drugs in the food, which has overtime caused the people to be addicted to the food served here. What¡¯s shocking is that this establishment is run by Echo Cardinal, the young master of the famous business family who lost the elder Master and his wife in a car accident."


    As she was talking, suddenly the cops began to lead the staff members of the restaurant to the cars, and took them in. The reporter got very excited again and started reporting the situation.


    Leo smiled and said, "I wonder if Vincent will disown his son, or would his heart explode before he could do anything."

 Chapter 44: Daddy Is A Badass Businessman.

    In the afternoon, Leo drove the car out of the house to pick up Lily from the school. He carefully observed if his daughter was feeling low or anything of that nature. However, when she told him that she was fine and her energy seemed normal, Leo drove themselves back home.


    The first thing Lily did after entering the house was to wash her hands and dash over to the little grey kitten, Momo, who was sleeping on the dining table. Lily petted the kitten lightly and said lightly, "Momo, today Lily made a collar for you in the class."


    She then dashed back to her room, then back to the kitten with a small pink collar in her hand. Leo was surprised and asked, "Baby, where did you get this collar?"


    Lily smiled brightly and said, "I made it in the class. Miss Verse taught me."


    Leo nodded and looking at the cute collar he patted Lily¡¯s head and said, "Good job."


    Then he served her with food, and Lily took a small nap afterwards. In the evening, Snow returned home, Leo greeted her with a hug. Since it was the third day of her periods she did not have much pain and her mood had stabilized.


    Leo made her a cup of green tea, and served it with some cookies. Lily woke up and they sat down for a piano lesson and stream session. Leo did not rush her to teach new things, he explained, "Well, Lily fell sick and missed practice for a couple of days, now she is fine, so we will start with a revision of the past lessons."


    Lily nodded and then they began with the lesson. Snow leaned back on the couch and enjoyed the light music with hushed voices of Leo guiding Lily and the stream viewers.


    One hour later, the streaming session came to an end, and Lily got up the stool to deal with her homework and Leo entered the kitchen to brush up some food for the people. With dinner settled, the family was about to retire when Leo¡¯s phone rang.


    He raised his brow and then he picked up the call. The person on the other hand was Marco, "Hello, meet me at the usual spot, I have some good stuff."


    Leo agreed and told him that he would be coming over in half an hour. He picked up a black hoodie from his wardrobe and put it on. Snow saw this and asked, "Anything serious?"


    Leo shook his head and replied, "Going to meet a PI, had them look into the recent lives of the Cardinals"


    Snow nodded and said, "Be careful, I will wait for you." S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo nodded and was picking up the keys of his car, when Snow said, "Take the sedan, it¡¯s black and will be hard to track."


    The young man raised his head and asked, "Miss Marlins, where did you get this knowledge?"


    Snow smiled and said, "Excuse me, Sir. It¡¯s Second Miss Marlins."


    Leo chuckled and then understood that she must have experienced this in her life with her family. After kissing her, he left the house in the black sedan. Lily watched the scene and asked, "Ma, you said that Baba was a businessman before I was born, is he going off for business at this hour?"


    Snow nodded and said, "Baby, your Baba was not just a businessman."


    Lily tilted her head and asked, "What do you mean?"


    Snow replied with a smile, "He was a Badass Businessman."


    Lily was stunned before she chuckled while repeating the phase.


    However, unlike the last couple of times, Leo did not enter the place first, he walked around the shop to see if there was someone monitoring the place. He had been learning such things in the virtual realm and slowly getting a hang of them. After concluding that the coast was clear, the young man entered the shop and sat across Marco, who was gulping down a morsel of noodles.


    The detective raised his head and pushed over a brown envelope. He said, "There is some good evidence in here, I hope you can achieve what you are seeking."


    Leo nodded, and used his phone to directly transfer the money that they agreed upon, and he said, "If I need your services in the future, I will call you. However, I hope that you can keep your mouth shut about me."


    Marco nodded and replied with a serious expression, "I know. Have a good night."


    Leo picked up the envelope and left the restaurant. He did not get in his car directly but circled the place to discover any tails on him. When he found nothing, he got in his car and drove away. Leo did not open the envelope right away, but drove to the Monarch Tower and went inside with the envelope.


    The office was not yet completely empty, there were still the tech people working in. Leo came here because he needed an extra pair of eyes to analyse the material in his hands.


    He came to the top floor, and as expected, he found Percie Hibiscal¡¯s office lit. The secretary outside saw him and stood up in greeting. Leo waved at her to sit down and knocked on the door.


    Percie replied, "Come in."


    She was busy going through some documents so she did not know who came in. Leo looked around and asked, "Are you dealing with something important?"


    His voice startled Percie, and she raised her head in a shock. After a moment, she let out a sigh and asked, "President, what is going on? Did you need something?"


    Leo nodded and beckoned her over to the couch and the table as he took out the material and spread it over the place. There were some pictures and some documents. Leo glanced at the pictures and smirked, as he said, "Miss Hibiscal, you are missing out on a treat here."


    Percie finally woke up from the daze and walked over to him, and when she glanced at the pictures, she exclaimed, "Where did you get these, Sir?"


    Leo replied calmly, "That is not the right thing to say at the moment, is it Miss CEO."


    Percie took a deep breath, and she said, "I know, Sir."


    Leo passed him a document and said, "The evidence of some business run by Echo Cardinal, and the pictures here link them all to the shady things he has been doing. The designer clothing industry is a front to sweatshops and forged luxury products. From the looks of it, all these operations are sophisticated, and large.


    Without internal support it is not possible for them to run this so efficiently and walk out in daylight."


    Percie was shocked, the more she looked into these things the more she feared Leo¡¯s efficiency. Let alone her, even Leo was shocked about how Marco got all these in four days. He said, "Get your sources to confirm these things. If it is all concrete solid, dump it to the gates of all the media channels. Expose Echo Cardinal, and I will ask the Lockey Law Firm to enter public litigation appeals to the courts about all these things."


    Percie nodded and said, "I will get someone to make multiple copies of these."


    Leo took out his phone and called Keval Nyay, the call was connected quickly and the latter asked, "Hello, Mister Cardinal, what can I do for you?"


    He said, "Firstly, I want Fragrance to be assigned as my exclusive attorney, and she will be posted in the Butterfly Tech office. The company will handle her salary, as for your firm. I am sending some material to you, if you can use it properly, then the firm will rise above the rest, Mister Nyay."


    Keval was confused, and said, "As you say, Sir. I will be here to receive the things. As for Fragrance, I will inform the Human Resource department to handle the issue. We will give her quarter of her previous salary. She is a talented lawyer and I don¡¯t wish for her to play from some other firm and screw me up."


    Leo chuckled and agreed with him before the call was disconnected. Percie instructed her secretary to handle the copying task and then she asked, "Sir, what should we do about the OEM companies that are holding back our parts."


    The young man turned to look outside the big windows and said, "Sometime you have to enter the gray area to get things done. I think it is about time we also take that step."


    Percie Hibiscal was surprised, and then she heard Leo say, "Arrange a meeting with the worker union heads and deputies from these firms. Give them some money to come over."


    The lady was quick witted and she finally understood what Leo meant by going to the gray area. Initially she thought he would do something cruel like murder or arson, but now when she realized that he intended to dig a hole in the walls of the companies, she was relieved.


    Percie Hibiscal was a talented manager, but this was the first time she has faced trouble from the suppliers and although she had people who had been trying to negotiate with the owners of these companies, she understood that it was not going to be easy.


    As she was admiring Leo¡¯s thought, he said, "Send your people out to deal with the raw material suppliers, enter long term contracts and if they breach the contracts, have them pay ten times of the money, and vice versa. It may seem high for them, but they will not refuse long term orders. Despite the final product, the raw material in these tech devices is often the same. Do you understand what I mean?"


    Percie nodded and replied, "This is a way to negate the future possibility of price hikes and at the same time, delay in supply. However, what would you gain from meeting the workers?"


    Leo smiled and replied, "You will know what will happen, Miss Hibiscal, just believe me."


    The war had begun and Leo intended to finish it in one fell swoop.

 Chapter 45: Subduing The Enemies.

    Leo came back home for the day, and found Snow sitting on the couch reading a novel. He asked, "Why are you up till now?"


    Snow replied, "I was waiting for you to come over."


    Leo smiled when he realized that Snow was waiting for him and then he walked up to her and asked, "Can you take a day off tomorrow?"


    Snow shook her head and said, "I cannot, exams are coming and my bunch of students is behind in terms of syllabus."


    Leo nodded and said, "If you can take a day off, you would be able to watch a good show on the news."


    Snow smiled and replied, "Well, I will follow it on mobile when I Can. I hope they suffer."


    The young man nodded, and the two of them retired to bed.


    ¡­


    The people from the Cardinal group were at ease, because they thought that Butterfly Technologies was having a hard time negotiating new terms with the OEM company owners. However, it would not be that simple.


    In the morning though, Cardinal Group was dealt with a big blow. Various media channels were breaking out the news of financial frauds and undercover black operations. Then, came shocking news that the police were on the lookout for Echo Cardinal, who was hiding somewhere.


    Vincent Cardinal sat in his office looking at the television screen calmly, and with every passing second his eyes grew colder. He looked at his right-hand man, Qasim, and said, "Is this what you mean when you say that these people were rookies?"


    Qasim gulped and Vincent said, "Go handle damage control, and find that idiot son. He needs to surrender and protect the image of the company. We will find someone else to take responsibility for his actions."


    Qasim nodded quickly and dashed out to mobilize the public relations team and stuff. As he watched the news play, he thought about who was the person who made such a scene.


    ¡­


    Leo dropped Lily to school, and Snow to her work place before he went to the office of the Butterfly Technologies. He parked his car in the parking lot and came to the top floor.


    He noticed a few men were sitting in the conference room looking around at the room and talking to each other with wary expressions. He waited for a few minutes and found Percie Hibiscal coming over with her secretary.


    The young CEO took over the set of files from the girl behind her and said, "President, the people are here."


    Leo nodded and asked, "Did they come over organically or did you have to spend some?"


    Percie Hibiscal smiled and replied, "Who would do anything for free in this world?"


    Leo nodded and then the two of them went inside the room. An employee was standing inside, and said, "Everyone, this is Miss Percie Hibiscal, CEO of the company."


    The people were dressed in modest clothing, and looking at the clean and pristine Percie Hibiscal, they stood up. The young lady waved her hand to them and pulled the chair for Leo to sit on. The latter did not have any hesitation as well. He sat down, and said, "Have a seat everyone."


    The people sat down, and realized that this young man held a bigger authority than the young lady. Leo gazed at all the people, before he asked, "Well gents, you are invited here today for something that has the potential of changing your lives."


    The five men sitting before him were taken aback by the big claims and one of them asked, "Sir, what do you want to say?"


    Leo replied, "I want to hire you and all the workers beside you. My company will arrange accommodations for those who don¡¯t have any and also provide insurance, and a pension fund. Your salaries will be increased by fifty percent as well. So, take a moment and think about it."


    His words left the people in a daze, even Percie was shocked. Leo looked at the disbelieving men and asked, "Sounds too good to be true, right?"


    The people nodded, and Leo asked, "Tell me what is the combined income of the people who work in the five factories?"


    One man said, "We work in Crystal OEM, and combined all the men earn about two million. We have a hundred men."


    Followed by this the rest of the people also reported their numbers and the stats were very close. Leo nodded and said, "Well, I will give you all a better offer. I want you all to organize your people in a group, and go on a collective strike against the owners. For this, I will pay you three months of salary in advance. All your men, which is around Thirty million Ren. This seems plausible right?"


    The people thought for a bit and one middle-aged man asked, "Sir, how long would you want us to strike for?"


    Leo smiled and replied, "For two weeks. Sounds fair?"


    Another man raised his hand and said, "Sir, can we think about it?"


    Leo nodded and stood up as he said, "You have a couple of hours to think about it. I will come back to get your answer. However, know this, if you did agree, all the things I said earlier, they will be possible as well. I won¡¯t hide it from you, I intend to force your bosses for a soft sale."


    That said, he left the room with Percie. The men were gobsmacked and one of them said, "This young man seems very familiar. Also, his terms are not bad either."


    Someone stood up to counter and the debate kicked off.


    ¡­


    Leo and Percie were sitting inside the latter¡¯s office, and she asked, "Boss, I understand what you want to do, but was it necessary to tell these men about your plans? What if they went out and leaked?"


    The young man smiled and said, "Do you think that will work on them? At the moment, they are following Vincent Cardinal, and what¡¯s about to happen is something that the old codger won¡¯t be able to help them with."


    Percie was stunned, this strategy was obviously a death bolt. The factories will suffer losses when the workers go on strike and then they can strong arm them to buy the factories off their hands.


    Leo took out his phone and called Yulu head office. He said, "Miss Stein, good morning to you as well, I wanted to ask you if you can have the algorithm highlight the fact that some people have been trying to block my business?"


    Percie took a deep breath and calmed down. She did not know how this fallen Young Master Cardinal had so many contacts, but the fact that he did, it was shocking, and not only did he have contacts, he was able to mobilize them as per he willed. This was amazing.


    Leo looked at her face when he finished the call and said, "You just have to take care of the business at hand. If someone is trying to make moves in the background, you can handle them at your own pace. However, if you face something that you cannot handle, tell me. I will see what to do about them. I want this company to be profitable, and I want that soon. Do you understand?"


    Percie Hibiscal nodded, the bossly aura coming from Leo was something that intimidated her and made her feel accountable for her job. She was thankful to him in a way and at the same time, she was worried what he might do to her if she failed.


    After the decided time, Leo stood up and went inside the conference room. He looked at the five men and asked, "So, leaders, what have you thought?"


    One of the men said, "Sir, if you are willing to give us a written agreement that after you buy the factories, you will retain us, we will agree to the strike, and you must keep the promise you made earlier."


    Leo put his hands inside his pockets and said, "I will give it to you, but will you also give me a written agreement that you will keep this transaction a secret? If you dare to even peep the words to anyone, I will have you arrested for double playing and scamming me. If you agree, I will agree as well."


    The people did count for such a thing and they resolutely agreed. Had Leo showed even one bit of hesitation, then they would not have agreed.


    The agreements were brushed up quickly, and they were very simple. The worker union leaders agreed with them and nodded. After which the money was mobilized and they left. On the other hand, Percie¡¯s team had returned after signing a long term exclusive contract for the raw materials.


    The OEM¡¯s didn¡¯t have any raw material and they did not have any workers as well. Leo fucked them up and within a week, he will have his own factories. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this moment, his phone rang and he frowned, "Hello, Miss Verse."


    "Mister Cardinal, can you please come to the school quickly? Lily had a fight with a child."


    Leo stood up in a snap and said, "I will be right there, please look after her for the time being."


    His eyes changed from the collected boss, to a demon from hell.

 Chapter 46: Protective Daddy Acquires A New Enemy.

    Leo drove his car to the school, and unlike the last time, he managed to keep his calm. He did not call Snow either as he didn¡¯t want her to get worried. The young man parked the car outside the school. Then he got out and walked through the corridors, heading directly to the principal¡¯s room.


    When he was about to reach the place, Miss Verse intercepted him and Leo asked, "Where is Lily?"


    Miss Verse replied, "She is inside the staff room."


    Leo nodded and then asked, "Take me to see her, please."


    Miss Verse could sense a cold vibe radiating from Leo¡¯s body. The young teacher shivered and quickly took Leo to another wing where the staff room was located. The young man spotted a young man who was sitting next to a boy child with her neck raised high.


    When this lady saw Leo walking over, she was surprised. After all, Leo was dressed in clean and crisp clothes for the meeting and he looked dashing. However, when she met his gaze, she stopped breathing for a second.


    His aura was that cold. Instinctively she placed her hand around her child¡¯s shoulder. Leo gazed at her and then at the boy beside her. Teacher Verse said, "This way, Sir."


    She pushed open the door of the staff room, and Leo followed inside. As he did, Lily saw him and exclaimed, "Baba! UUU¡­"


    Leo turned to his side, and Lily came rushing to his arms. He crouched down and surrounded her in his embrace. The young man closed his eyes and did not say anything and just patted her back as he calmed himself and his daughter. After a few pats, he said, "Baba is here, don¡¯t worry. No one will hurt you now. Calm down my love."


    His voice was as soft as a whisper and Verse who was listening to him from the side was not shocked to see this softness. She took a deep breath and Leo picked up Lily in his arms as he asked, "Lily, what happened? Tell me."


    Lily sobbed and said, "The food.. Theo tried to snatch my tiffin. I didn¡¯t agree and he said it was not good, and poopy. I told it was not. He teased me¡­ and then threw the box.. on the ground."


    Leo patted her back gently and asked, "What happened then?"


    Although he sounded soft, Verse and the rest of the teachers could see that his eyes were getting cold. They all gulped in nervousness. People who could rein their emotions intimidated everyone around them.


    Lily said, "I told him to say sorry, he pushed me."


    Leo took a deep breath and asked, "Are you hurt?"


    Lily showed him her elbow and said with teary eyes, "Baba, it hurts."


    Leo saw that her elbow was red and swollen. He placed his hand on her elbow as he looked at Verse. The teacher hiccuped and said, "We had the in-house doctor check it. He said that she is fine, the trauma is from a strong impact."


    Leo asked, "Where were you when all this happened?"


    Verse was intimidated by the question and said, "I was helping another student with her tiffin. It all happened very quick, Sir. I apologize."


    Lily said, "Miss Verse caught me when Theo pushed."


    The chill in Leo¡¯s eyes reduced a little and he asked, "Where are the parents of that student?"


    Verse nodded and said, "Mrs. Elliot is sitting outside."


    Leo nodded and asked, "What was her reaction to this whole thing?"


    Verse gulped a mouthful, and Lily said, "She said I am a bad child."


    The young man smiled and coaxed his sobbing daughter, before he said, "Miss Verse, did Lily lie?"


    The lady shook her head and then Leo said, "Call them inside, let us hear what she has to say."


    Verse went outside the staff room to call Mrs Elliot inside with her son Theo. Shortly after, the three of them came inside. Leo was still coaxing his daughter who buried her head in his neck. The young man wished to get her to a hospital directly but since the in-house daughter said that it was just simple blunt trauma he did make a big deal out of it, also Lily was moving the hand normally albeit some pain.


    Mrs. Elliot took the lead, "So, you are the father of this girl. See, I want to make it clear that my Theo is not¡­"


    Before she could say anything else, Leo looked at her with a gaze brimming with contempt and mockery. Just one gaze made the lady quite down and Leo took the lead, "I have Miss Verse as a witness. I am sure there are monitoring cameras inside the classroom as well. Do you mean to say that your son is innocent despite all this?"


    Mrs. Elliot realized that she was indeed blurting nonsense, and tried to cover up, "This gentleman, such skirmish between children is obvious, after all, they are all young and dumb." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo shook his head and replied, "Your son might be dumb but not my daughter. You don¡¯t know anything to make comments like this. I have never taught my daughter to fight with others. The teachers are a witness, how your son threw food, and mocked my daughter upon her denial to not share it.


    Look at her arm, had something serious happened to her, I won¡¯t have spared any of you."


    In the last words, his voice was calm, but his eyes were raging. Mrs Elliot was blushing, after all, didn¡¯t she know that her son was too spoiled. She said, "Sir, how about I compensate for the damage?"


    Leo scoffed and said, "It is because of rich and uncaring parents like you that the younger generation grows up to be nothing but menace. Do you think I lack your petty money? If you could spend some time learning how to raise a child, you probably have a better offspring. However, this thing. Look at him, so casually standing over there and looking around haughtily. Do you really think that if you did not tell him the difference between right or wrong he would be doing any good to anyone?"


    At this time the door of the staff room was pushed open and a middle-aged man walked in. He looked at the scene before he looked at Leo and said, "Sir, I understand that your daughter was hurt but aren¡¯t you crossing a line here? What do you mean to say here exactly?"


    Leo looked at the newcomer and asked, "So, I am guessing you must be the father?"


    The man nodded and reported, "My name is Carlos Elliot. Theo is my younger son."


    Theo latched himself to Carlos¡¯s thigh and did not dare to look at Leo, because this uncle scared the shit out of him.


    Leo nodded and asked, "Mister Elliot, do you know what your son did?"


    Carlos shook his head and Leo replied, "Then how about Miss Verse leading you through the whole incident? Then we will talk."


    Verse was quick, she knew that Leo was not a simple person, that day when Lily fell sick, and the next day new guidelines were issued were enough proof. So, she narrated the whole incident and to make sure that the Elliots could not raise any doubts, she played a video footage, which captured the two children cleanly.


    Carlos Elliot clenched his fist, and looked at his son. He was a man, and no matter how much he loved his child, he could not shirk the responsibility now.


    Leo looked at Carlos and said, "Mister Elliot, I have no enmity with you, and I understand that you love your child. However, similar to you, my daughter is my pride, joy, and life. I will never allow anyone to wrong her.


    I may have taken this incident as a small bump, but the way your wife just defended your son. I cannot help but worry if your son will do something like this again."


    Carlos Elliot took a deep breath and said, "I understand your concern. I will discipline him when we go back home."


    As he said this, he looked at the boy, who was now holding on to his mother. At this moment, the principal walked in. Leo greeted her with a nod and Lily said, "Good afternoon, Madam Principal."


    Carlos bowed his head slightly, with his wife, and saw that Theo did not say anything. He smacked the back of his head and said, "Greet the Principal. Have you not even learned this much?"


    Theo shivered and greeted the lady before the Principal said, "I have been informed of what happened in complete detail. I will ask the teachers to look at him more closely and this will be a warning for Theo. Mister Elliot, this is Primus Elementary, we are pridefully the best school in the nation and I will not have anyone stain that position. If your son does something like this once more. I will directly expel him."


    Carlos and his wife froze, before the man closed his eyes and sighed as he said, "Yes, madam. I understand. Thank you for your leniency."


    Then he smacked the back of his son¡¯s head and said, "Apologize to your classmate, you bear child. How dare you hurt a fellow student? I said."


    Leo did not stop, how dare this kid harm his treasure. Theo stepped up and bowed his head as he said, "I am sorry, Lily. I shouldn¡¯t have done those things. Please forgive me."


    Lily looked at Theo and then she turned her head as she said, "Baba, my arm is hurting."


    Leo looked at the boy and said, "Don¡¯t do such things in the future."


    The boy nodded meekly and Leo said, "Miss Verse, Madam Principal, I will take Lily home, she is hurt and seems to be shaken from the incident."


    The two people nodded, and Carlos said, "Mister¡­"


    Leo replied, "Cardinal."


    Carlos did not think much about it and said, "Mister Cardinal, I apologize on my son¡¯s behalf."


    Leo nodded and left the school. However, Carlos Elliot thought, ¡¯You dare to make me bow, I will show you what I can do, Cardinal.¡¯


    Leo did not know, but he had just acquired a new enemy.

 Chapter 47: BUSY BIZZY.

    Leo and Lily first went to a hospital, where a doctor checked Lily¡¯s arm, and after a few tests he confirmed that it was just some blunt impact trauma and gave them some ointments. Leo thanked the doctor, made a stop at the pharmacist before they went back home.


    On the way, Lily said, "Baba, I heard that Theo¡¯s father is a big business man, would he create any trouble?"


    Leo was surprised and asked, "Why do you say that?"


    Lily shrugged and said, "While I was waiting inside the staff room, I heard from the teachers that he was a bad person."


    ¡¯Ping: Host, your daughter is worried about you. Please look into the matter to prevent any mishap that would cause your daughter to be distressed.¡¯


    Leo¡¯s frown deepened, the coincidence of the task was a bit too abrupt. Thinking about it, when he recalled the scene of walking out of the staff room, it was sure that Carlos was indeed gazing at him with hatred, however, Leo did not think it would be a big issue, and ignored it as his mind was occupied with Lily.


    When they reached home, he applied the ointment to Lily¡¯s arm and then went inside the kitchen to make her some lunch while doing so, he called Percie Hibiscal. The lady picked up the call quickly, and said, "Boss, I was just about to call you. The strike plan has been initiated and all the OEM plants have been closed."


    Leo nodded and said, "Well, that is unimportant. Help me look into this man called Carlos Elliot. He seems to have a notorious impression among the people."


    Percie Hibiscal nodded and said, "I will check right now."


    ¡­


    In the evening, Snow came back, and found Lily sleeping on the couch. She noticed a slightly blushed patch of skin on her elbow and her brows furrowed. She asked Leo, who was also napping on the side, "Love, wake up."


    Leo woke up slowly, and yawned, "Yes, Snow. What happened dear?"


    Snow pointed at Lily¡¯s arm and asked, "What is this about?"


    Leo shook his head and narrated what happened, and Snow sighed. Lily was her child, how could she not feel bad watching her daughter getting hurt over and over again?


    She said, "I think we should go and visit the buddha temple on the western hills outside the city."


    Leo smiled and asked, "Since when did you start believing in the Great Goddess Of Mercy?"


    Goddess of mercy was an idol worshipped by the people of the Clover Nation. She was said to be one of the holy trinity and known for her compassion and merciful conduct towards her followers in the mythological times.


    However, she was still loved by the masses even now. Leo remembered that his mother also worshipped the Goddess Of Mercy. Snow rolled eyes at him and said, "Ever since you fell sick, and I had Lily, I have been praying. It helped me keep calm. However, I have never gone to the temple in the western hills."


    Leo thought for a bit and it did make sense. He said, "We can go when you have the next off."


    Lily woke up shortly after, and since they could not play Piano, she took the job of the camera man and began to help Leo stream the ceramics workshop. She made sure that Leo¡¯s face is not shown during the process.


    Many viewers tried to bribe her. Some said they would give her dolls and toys if she could reveal the face of her father. However, Lily was very smart and said, "Uncle Hyperion, my Baba will get me all the dolls I want."


    "Aunty Jing, my Baba already gives me two candies a day. I am not allowed to eat more or my teeth will rot. Ma will get angry."


    Leo chuckled from time to time. At this moment, Mel joined the group and commented, "Host, can you come to my exhibition tomorrow? This is the first time I am displaying my work in a public space. I would really like you to come and grace. My teacher also wishes to meet you."


    Lily did not know how to respond so she said, "Baba, Sister Mel is inviting us to an exhibition. What should I say?"


    Leo raised his head and looked at her in confusion. Lily looked at him with hopeful eyes and said, "Please, can we go?"


    Leo was surprised and asked, "Why do you want to go there?"


    Lily thought and said, "I want to see what an exhibition is."


    ¡¯Ping: Host, take your daughter to the exhibition and try to instill a progressive thought process in her mind from a young age.¡¯ Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lily sighed and asked, "Fine, when is it? Tell her to inbox me the details."


    Lily conveyed the message and the chat exploded. Many people wanted to join and watch the exhibition, but Mel did not bother with them. The stream was disconnected and Lily returned the phone to Leo, and the young man checked the details that Mel sent him on the inbox, before he replied to her about the time he would be visiting with Lily.


    The venue was located in the city itself, and surprisingly near the Monarch Tower. Lily went back inside the house to study a little while Leo began to clean up the garage. He did not want her to stay over because it would get dusty.


    His phone rang, and Leo accepted the call on speaker, Percie Hibiscal said, "Boss, Carlos Elliot runs a couple of bars and clubs in the city."


    The young man nodded and said, "Alright."


    Percie said, "Another good news, the police have located Echo Cardinal. It is very possible that he would be arrested."


    Leo clenched his fist and said, "Okay. Thank you."


    The young man stood at the threshold of his garage before he thought for a bit and picked up his phone and dialed a number. On the other hand, "Hahaha, Mister, I did not expect you to look for me so early."


    Leo said, "I have an assignment for you. I will pay you a million. Look into the accident of Mister and Mrs Cardinal, that happened four years ago."


    Marco took a deep breath, and said, "Mister Cardinal, you do understand that the accident happened years ago. It will be really hard to confirm anything."


    Leo replied, "I know, but I still want you to give it all you¡¯ve got."


    The other person fell silent and said, "Fine, I will look into it. You can hold the money, I will only take my share if I can really find something."


    Leo nodded and the call was disconnected. Snow came over from the side, and helped him from behind. She asked, "Are you still trying to find out what happened to Mom and Dad?"


    Leo nodded, and Snow sighed before she replied, "Find Echo, if you found him, I am sure he will talk about it all."


    The young man frowned and asked, "He is on police radar, it will be difficult to get close to him. If he gained any clue and fled from the place, I might be pushed to the center. Don¡¯t worry, all will be unveiled in due time."


    He looked forward to the coming day, as it was about to get busy.


    ¡­


    Leo woke up the next morning, he drove Lily to the school, and happened to cross paths with Carlos Elliot. The latter smiled amicably but the cold flash in his eyes didn¡¯t escape Leo.


    The young man thought of something and he kissed Lily on her cheek before handing her over to Teacher Verse. He got inside the car, and drove over to the company. Since he had nothing to do at home, it was better that he handled the company he set up. After all, they were at war with the Cardinal Group, and Leo wanted to make sure that the enemy suffered.


    He made sure that none of the people could find out about him. He would drive his sedan, which was luxury but not flashy. At the same time, he had called the dealer of the rings automobiles, Mister Dill, and had a similar model dispatched for Percie Hibiscal as well.


    The CEO refused but Leo told her it was a company asset. She had no other choice but to take it. The sales were steady, after the first batch, the speed slowed down but it was steady. They received good reviews from most of the customers, but there were still some who wanted to nitpick, and since they couldn¡¯t satisfy everyone.


    Leo did not have an office of his own, so he was just sitting and looking at the files outside Percie Hibiscal¡¯s office, in the waiting lobby. He did not mind it, all that he cared about was his work.


    All the money was being invested in the purchase of shares of the Cardinal Group and companies operated by them. Many people saw the situation and they wanted to jump ships, how could Leo not help such people.


    In the past two days, he now held more than twenty percent stocks in seven of the companies that were owned by Cardinal Group. Percie Hibiscal had her own people move in, announce the takeover as proxy for Leo Cardinal, and then they began to turn the tides around slowly. However, the results would still take a few days, and in the meantime, Cardinal Group would have suffered a lot of losses.


    ¡­


    Vincent Cardinal was looking at the reports and his face was livid. In the past few days, they have been reduced from second highest shareholders to third or fourth highest shareholders in seven companies.


    He raised his head and asked, "Qasim, what is going on? Who is making so many moves?"


    Qasim replied, "Sir, the person behind Butterfly Technologies is likely the man behind the shadow."


    Vincent gnashed his teeth and slammed his hand on the table hard, as he demanded, "What the fuck does he want?!"


    Qasim sighed and replied, "I have tried everything in the past few days, we are searching for clues, but the information is very strongly covered. As for enquiring through the commercial board office, that is impossible, Sir."


    Vincent took a deep breath and calmed himself, and said, "Arrange a meeting with the CEO of the Butterfly Technologies."


    Qasim gulped and said, "I have tried, but she keeps refusing us any appointment. She has even said bluntly that we are competitors and there is no need for us to communicate."


    Vincent scoffed and said, "Since they do not understand the easy gentle approach, go, give them a hard one."


    Qasim was surprised, and asked, "Sir, are you serious?"


    Vincent raised his head to glare at Qasin and asked, "Does it look like I am joking? Go, get things done."


    Qasim rushed out of the office, and Vicent mumbled, "A butterfly in the end is just a winged insect. Watch how you flutter in despair."


    ...


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 Chapter 48: Exhibition & Urgency.

    Leo spent the morning as usual, and then at noon, he picked Lily back from school, before carefully doing her hair, and preparing a dress for her. The young man was preparing to take his princess to the exhibition. He had called Snow as well, and it turned out that she would be working late today as she had to check the exam answer sheets and mark them.


    Leo had no other option but to take Lily alone. The two of them dressed up in a casual pair of clothing, a white shirt and blue jeans. They both matched the look with white sneakers as well. Lily¡¯s shirt had a flower print running along the front while Leo¡¯s was plain.


    The young lady looked at her small bun from the side profile and said, "Baba, would I sound boastful if I said that Lily would grow up to be a great beauty in the future?"


    Leo was surprised and then he chuckled as he crouched down and embraced the little girl in his arms and said, "Not at all, if you ask Baba, then I would say my Lily is a great beauty even now."


    Lily giggled and said, "Baba, you are so silly. Now Lily is a great cutie."


    Leo was left speechless again and he chuckled before he pecked her cheeks and the two people tied their watches on their wrists and walked out of the house.


    Leo drove the SUV for the night, because he wanted to save the sedan for office use. As for Snow, he decided to buy another car which is small and quick, as Snow liked them.


    The two people arrived at the gallery and as Leo got out of his car, he had a white mask on his face. Lily had asked him why he put on the mask, and Leo told him that he did not want some people to recognize him and do bad things.


    Lily nodded and patted her chest as she said, "I will protect you."


    Leo smiled at her antiques and praised her with sweet nothings. These two were very protective and possessive for each other. Leo got inside the gallery, and went to the section where the ceramic work was displayed.


    Lily looked at the sculptures and said, "Baba, they are so pretty."


    Leo nodded and said, "Yes, they are."


    As they were looking around, Lily suddenly raised her hand to wave at a lady as she said, "Sister Mel, Lily is here."


    Her bell-like voice echoed through the gallery and everyone turned to look at her which caused her to freeze. Leo shook his head and whispered something in Lily¡¯s ears. The little girl nodded and bowed slightly and said, "I apologize for disrupting you, Uncles and Aunties."


    The people saw that she was a little kid, so while they were disturbed they did not mind. Many people smiled and even praised her for being quick. The atmosphere was restored, although Leo pampered his daughter a lot he did not wish to have her grow pompous about it. Manners were important to shape the character, and he wanted his daughter to be the goddess that others could only look up to.


    Mel slipped away from the gazes of the two elders who were talking to her and came over to Leo and Lily. The young lady had neck length blonde hair and sparkling hazel eyes. Leo did not care if she had been dyeing her hair or was it the natural color. She looked confident and it suited her.


    He approved of her character, and waited for her to finish greeting Lily. After all, the little one was the more important person in this picture. Mel was wearing a blue shirt and black pant paired with black flat sole bellies. She smiled and offered her hand to shake with Leo and said, "Hello host, I am Mel Gawein."


    Leo held the tip of her fingers briefly before letting go and said, "I am Leo Cardinal, nice to meet you."


    Mel smiled and nodded as she asked with a curious gaze, "Why are you wearing a mask? Is everything alright?"


    Leo nodded and replied, "I have a pollen allergy so it is a precaution when I go outside the house."


    Mel nodded in understanding as she asked, "Sir, do you like any of the articles here?"


    Leo nodded and pointed at a set of vases as he began to discuss them with Mel. Lily was just standing there, listening to the two of them. At this moment, an old lady walked up to Mel and asked, "Mel, someone wants to buy that vase set."


    Mel was surprised and said, "Teacher, I just finalized the deal of those vases with this gentleman."


    The old lady frowned, and then she looked at Leo. Just when she was about to ask who this person was, a calm voice interrupted them, "Madam Florence, it is fine if Miss Mel has already sold it. After all, it is first come first served, won¡¯t you agree, Sir?¡¯


    Leo gazed at the person and nodded, his face was calm, but his mind was racing. The person standing before him was none other than one of the people who was responsible for ruining his family business.


    This man wore a royal blue business suit, he had grey hair on his temple and was a rich boss in the Angkor City. He stretched his hand out to Leo and said, "Hello, I am Jamal Kastur. President of Seaman Malls."


    Leo was calm, he reached out to shake his hand and said, "Leo."


    That was it, he did not believe in revealing his identity to this man in full detail. He let go of the hand and said, "Miss Mel, I will pay you now, and you can deliver the articles at my address after the exhibition ends."


    Mel nodded and Leo used his phone to quickly make a transaction, before he received a call from Percie Hibiscal, and his eyes turned cold. He said, "You hold the fort, I will be coming over in a bit."


    He said to the people, "I apologize, something urgent came up, I have to leave." sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mel and Madam Florence bowed while Jamal nodded. Leo took Lily¡¯s hand as they left the exhibition. Jamal mumbled, "I wonder what happened that caused him to leave so abruptly."

 Chapter 49: Patient & Prepared.

    Leo held Lily¡¯s hand and got in the car. The little girl asked, "Baba, why are we leaving? We did not watch the exhibition properly."


    Leo replied calmly while taking the car out of the parking lot, "We will come tomorrow, right now. Something happened and Baba needs to handle it."


    Lily asked cautiously, "Baba, is it bad?"


    Leo smiled and shook his head. However, things were not good. Just now he received a text saying that Percei Hibiscal met with an accident, and someone tried to wreck the company office. Although the people called police quickly, which caused the goons to run away.


    Leo drove to the hospital first. The people in the company were unharmed and the goons only damaged the property. He parked the car, and carried Lily in his arms.


    As he made his way to the emergency department, Lily said, "Baba, why did you say that it was not bad, when I asked?"


    Leo smiled and pecked her cheek before replying, "So that you don¡¯t feel worried."


    Inside the emergency department their was complete chaos, Leo was about to ask a nurse, when he located Percie Hibiscal sitting on the side with a bandage on her forearm. He walked up to her and asked, "Percie, are you okay?"


    Percie raised her head and said, "Boss, how did you get here? I am fine. It is the driver who got severely injured."


    She told him that the driver had a fractured leg and some head trauma. Leo immediately told the company finance department to mobilize funds for compensation and medical expenses. He did not meet with the family of the injured because he did not wish for Lily to witness such an intense scene at a young age.


    Although she had seen him confined to a bed, it was not filled with the wailing and desperation of the loved ones. Percie got up to her feet and said, "I heard that some goons attacked the office, shall we go there?"


    Leo shook his head and said, "You should take a rest."


    Percie shook her head and said, "No Boss, I am the CEO of the company, I won¡¯t back down in the face of adversity. Those people think that they can intimidate me, but they are wrong, I will have them pay the price."


    Lily got infected by her spirit and said, "Yes, Aunty Percie."


    Leo was confused if he should laugh or cry because his daughter seemed to think that Percie was a great general. He said, "Fine, come along, I will take you over."


    Leo drove the car and Lily was talking with Percie in the back, asking her if she was really okay, or did she get hurt somewhere else. Percie could see that Lily was genuinely worried and assured her that she was fine.


    They arrived at the office quickly and found the cleaning staff at work already. Leo learned that the two security guards were injured. It was not serious but the goons outnumbered them five to one. Thankfully they managed to stop them from laying hands on the receptionist.


    Leo clenched his fist, he knew who could have done this. This incident would cause a great impact on the company¡¯s morale. He said, "Stop cleaning."


    The janitors raised their heads, and Percie waved them to leave. Leo looked around and said, "Percie, call the media, have them cover what happened here. I will get Elvin to mobilize the water army, and a few streamers who love chaos. Capture the public opinion."


    Percie nodded and Leo said, "I will make sure that they pay for what they have done."


    Then he picked up Lily and walked out of the office to pick up Snow. Lily asked, "Baba, what happened there?"


    Leo said, "Some bad people want to harm Baba, and so they broke the office."


    Lily frowned and said, "Bad people, they should be beaten."


    Leo nodded, and the system prompted, ¡¯Ping: Beat up the goons and get the ownership of the Pinnacle Security Company.¡¯


    The young man almost lost control of his car, but then he calmed down. It was a good thing, with this, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the security issues of his office and family.


    ¡­


    He picked up Snow, then they went home. He called Marco, and asked, "Do you know who could have made a move against me, and tried to destroy my office upon the command of Cardinals?" sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Marco said, "The Cardinals have been in touch with the Seventh Street Gang. Those people are crazy, a crew of twenty, small time goons, and mainly focus on assault and small time muggings."


    Leo nodded and asked, "Send me where they can usually be located."


    Leo thanked him before he put down the call. Then he went in and found Snow, had dinner, before he said, "I have to go and see to work. Will be back late."


    Snow nodded and said, "It¡¯s okay, but take care."


    Leo nodded, he left the house and made a stop at the Sundial Mall. He bought a peaky cap, black hoodie. A battery operated nail gun, and metal baseball bat.


    He took a swing with the bat to check if it was good enough and then paid for all of it in cash. Then he changed his clothes inside his car, put on the black hoodie, and cap before he loaded the nail gun with a cartridge and drove off to the address that Marco told him about.


    The young man arrived at the location after an hour, and then he stayed inside the driver seat as he waited. Across the road, a pub was bustling with activity, and it was not the right time to take action.


    Leo had been practicing and learning close combat, digital battle skills, and his level was better than most of the humans. Since these people dared to be so excessive, he did not mind returning the favor.


    He looked out of the window, and mumbled, "I will make you all pay, soon."


    He waited quietly, like a patient snake waiting for the right time to strike its prey.

 Chapter 50: Bloody Daddy.

    The night fell, and the people began to leave. It was half past two in the morning and the streets were sparsely populated. The young man took out his bat, hid it in his black hoodie, and then holding the nail gun, he got out of the car.


    Slowly he walked to the entrance of the pub, and a couple of young men blocked his path right outside. One of them raised his hand and said, "Yo, where do you think you are going? The pub is closed."


    They were drunk, and did not notice the nail gun Leo held behind his back. The young man asked, "I need some help from the brothers in seventh street. I am willing to pay. Can you help me?"


    The two young man looked at each other and the other guy asked, "Did you bring money?"


    Leo nodded then he moved his hand and fired two nails at the feet of the two people.


    ARGH!!! ARGHH!!!


    They screamed as the nails stabbed through their feet, however, before they could react, Leo took out a black bat and swung it at the back of their heads.


    The two people were knocked out. Leo did not kill them but the force was enough to put them to sleep. Inside the virtual realm, Leo could pick up the things that he wanted to learn but he could only move on to the next one when he had finished mastering the last one.


    Knowing down people was one of the things that he thought would come in handy if his enemies ever attacked him. What shocked him was the fact that there were many ways to knock out a person.


    The two people fell down like logs, then Leo walked inside the pub without raising his head. There was a security camera there, he would take away the disk later but first cleaning up.


    Leo entered the pub, and saw that a few people were still playing around with a couple of girls. He counted six men and two girls. He dashed towards them. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The people were immersed in pleasure, had he moved slowly, someone would have noticed him, but he was quick to cover ten meter distance, and then before they could even react. The nail gun displayed its efficiency.


    PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!


    He did not target their feet this time. He aimed at their biceps, and thighs. Two of the most painful regions of the human body, because of higher muscle contents and nerves.


    Then he swung the bat, bonked them all and knocked them out. The girls wanted to scream but he aimed the nail gun at them and said, "If you screamed, I will shoot you in the mouth."


    The two girls were shocked, and Leo said, "Get lost, go home before I change my mind."


    At this moment, one guy rushed over from the side door leading to the back, he yelled, "Hey! What the fu¡­Argh!!!"


    Leo had turned around and shot the man with a nail, precisely in the thigh. Then he walked over and shot one more time, before knocking him out. It may seem like a simple set of actions, but Leo did not wish to kill anyone. He was here to make them understand what it meant to mess with him.


    Then the young man walked through the side door, and found a middle-aged man talking to someone on call, "Fucking get here, someone is beating the people up."


    Leo threw his baseball bat, and directly knocked the man out cold. Then he walked over, picked up his bat, and the phone to hear the other side saying, "Fuck, we will be over in twenty minutes."


    Leo disconnected the call, and then began to gather all the people outside the pub across the street. He did not care if they were bleeding. He went back inside the pub. Fired the nails at the bar, and carelessly threw the bottles of alcohol all over the place, covering it up.


    Then he found his way to the control room, first he disabled the sprinklers, then he took out the hard disks, paper, and pen. He wrote a note, and put it in his pocket before he went back, picked up a few bottles and poured their contents along his way outside.


    The area of the pub was small, and the big part of it was located in the back where there were a lot of couches, probably for the gang members to rest or host parties.


    Leo used a lighter that he found from the bar counter, and lit a fire. The flame followed the trail of alcohol and the entire pub was set on fire.


    Without the sprinklers and the alcoholic fumes trapped inside the place all began to burn quickly. Then he walked up to the middle-aged man, stuffed the note in his shirt, and left the place.


    ¡­


    The gang members woke up with pain and saw that the pub was set on fire. They shivered, they woke up the middle-aged man and then left the area before the cops could come. They were all groaning in pain as they moved.


    After half an hour, a gang doctor was treating them in a different hideout when a young man dressed in a graphic t-shirt walked in. There were about thirty people inside the place, and they all fell silent.


    The middle-aged man took out the note and bent his back as he said, "Boss, he left this."


    The young man took the note and it said, "You are not the only player, I could have killed your men with ease by leaving them inside the fire. However, I always give the enemy a chance. The same courtesy has been extended to you, and I hope you cherish it, because next time, I will take off your heads for real."


    The young man sighed and asked, "Did any of you get a good look on his face?"


    The people shook their heads and the young man nodded before he asked, "Did you get in a scuffle? Land a blow on him?"


    The people shook their heads and the young man said, "So, he came in, beat you up, burned the pub, and then left clean."


    The people nodded and the young man rubbed his temples and asked, "What was the last job that you all took?"


    The middle-aged man said, "Demolition of the Butterfly Technologies."


    The young man nodded and said, "I see, investigate them. I want to know who in the city has the guts to rain on me like this."


    The people nodded and the young man left before he crumpled the note and threw it in the bin.


    ...


    Your gifts, power stones and golden tickets are need to pump up the author so that he could do 4 chapters a day. Please support and buy privilege as well.

 Chapter 51: Force Acquired.

    Leo reached his home in the wee hours, and got inside. He found Snow sleeping on the couch. He shook his head as he quietly approached her and picked her in his arms before heading to the bedroom.


    Snow woke up in his arms but she was in deep sleep so only snuggled close and fell asleep again. Leo tucked her in, took a shower. He went over to Lily¡¯s room. Usually, they closed the door but it wouldn¡¯t be locked.


    They did this so in case Lily needed their help, they could go in. She was a child after all, and while it was essential to be independent, they also needed to be watchful.


    Leo opened the door a little, peeked at the face of his princess smiling in her sleep and went back to his room. As he lay on the bed and embraced Snow gently, a voice echoed in his mind, ¡¯Ping, the pinnacle security company ownership has been transferred to you. Soon, the executives will come over to meet.¡¯


    Leo raised a question, ¡¯System, what do you say the loyalty of these people would be to me? They are all retired soldiers from different countries. If they decide to betray me, do you think I would be able to stand up to them? Forget about me, would my wife and daughter be able to handle that?¡¯


    ¡¯Ping: Host, please do not worry, they all have been conditioned by the system and as time passes you will get strong enough to stand tall among them. Their loyalty to you is ninety-nine percent. The one percent is deducted to make sure that you listen to their suggestions when necessary and so that they keep your feet grounded, it is very easy to get a bloated head and float away. Remember, Icarus died from flying too close to the sun.¡¯


    Leo nodded and closed his eyes to fall asleep. In the morning, when he woke up, he found that Snow and Lily had already left home, they left him with breakfast and a note on the side fridge.


    The young man was mentally exhausted which caused him to sleep for a longer time than usual. He checked his phone and found a message from Percie, who said that they seemed to have an advancement in the five OEM plant deals.


    Leo gave her a go-ahead and turned on the Television. The news recap showed a brief footage of Percie Hibiscal holding a press conference in her demolished reception area, and countering the people who did this by showing condemnation and police involvement.


    Leo checked the general trend of the news on his phone and found that the public was really supporting Butterfly Technologies.


    Leo nodded and began his stock investment and capture operation. Suddenly, his phone rang. He picked it up and asked, "Yes, who is this?"


    The other person replied, "Hello Sir, this is Ellysa Carter, I am the general manager of Pinnacle Security. May I ask when would be a good time to meet you?"


    Leo replied after a thought, "I am in Angkor City, the Clover Nation, when you come over, you can give me a call and we will arrange for a meeting."


    To his surprise, Ellysa Carter replied, "Sir, I am already in Angkor City."


    Leo smiled and remarked, "As expected of the top five companies, I think you know my residence as well?"


    Ellysa replied positively and Leo told her to come over to his house. He had a few things in his mind and with the help of this company he would be able to deal with them quickly. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The young man finished his workout, and then took a shower before dressing up in casual attire. He picked up his laptop and began to write some code, the things that he learned inside the virtual realm were going to help him build a better foundation. He did not wish to rely on the system too much because the tasks it gave out often depended on what Lily wanted and not his needs.


    It was half past eleven when the watchman on the community entrance called him about a motorcade. Leo confirmed it and let them come in.


    ¡­


    Ellysa was sitting in the back seat of a car and beside her sat a man, whose eyes were akin to a knife. He asked, "Elly, is it really happening?"


    Ellysa nodded and said, "Mark, I am telling you not to look down on this man. He bought the company without letting anyone catch a whiff and holds complete equity."


    Mark shook his head and said, "You misunderstand, I am not doubting him. However, all this still feels like a dream to me. Especially looking at his file. A man who can overcome spinal injury and full body paralysis, this is crazy. What if we train him? Won¡¯t he become a killer king?"


    Ellysa did not raise her head from the file and said, "Don¡¯t tell me all these things, I am just the general manager. You manage the tasks. Now shut up."


    The cars stopped and the two got down followed by eight people from two other cars. They all went inside the villa after Leo remotely accessed the gates, and just when Ellysa was about to knock, Leo opened the door, and nodded to them.


    He looked at Ellysa and gestured to her to come inside. She was accompanied by Mark. Leo had already placed glasses filled with water on the table, and said, "Have a seat."


    The two sat down, and Ellysa said, "Sir, this is Mark Shin. He is the Taskmaster, responsible for personnel recruitment and deployment when tasks are issued."


    Leo nodded and said, "Nice to meet you. So, what do you have on your mind that needs a meeting?"


    Ellysa asked, "Do you want us to relocate the base of operations?"


    Leo shook his head and said, "Impractical. Instead, I want you to assign me a personal team of guards. Other than that the operations stay the same. You can deal with it."


    Ellysa and Mark were surprised and Leo said, "Yes, I do have one task that you need to carry out."


    Mark nodded and said, "Sir, if it is within the Clover Nation, it would be difficult."


    Leo shook his head and replied, "I am aware how strict the Clover Nation is, you all must be on their radar from the moment you entered the nation. I want you to go back, and locate this person."


    He turned on his laptop and all the details about Echo Cardinal were displayed in it. Leo had tracked him down, because this loser was still using the same phone number. He said, "The two nations do not have any extradition treaty signed and thus Echo Cardinal is able to have an easy life in Lama Country. I want you to catch him alive. Bring him to the Fuku Islands, and then call me. I want to see him before he is thrown to the Blue Hounds."


    Mark patted his chest and said, "It will be easy, I assure you that within forty eight hours the results will be out."


    Leo nodded and after a few more topics, the people left, leaving behind eight guards. Leo leaned in the couch and mumbled, "I wonder how your screams would sound, Echo Cardinal."

 Chapter 52: Jealous?!

    Leo stayed home relaxing calmly, before it was time to pick up Lily from the school. On the way, he received a call from Percie Hibiscal saying that the police had located and apprehended the car driver who crashed into her.


    It turns out that the man was a repeat offender and he was hired anonymously by someone to do this. Leo and Percie knew who the person was behind this entire sham but they had no proof.


    As the young man drove, he realized that a couple of SUVs were following him at a steady pace. He sighed and parked on the side before he got down. He was so engrossed in his fantasy of dealing with Echo Cardinal that he forgot about the guard teams left for him.


    When he got off the vehicle, the guards also followed. Leo approached them and looking at the eight men dressed in black suits and vigilant expressions, he asked, "Who is the leader?"


    One man stepped up, he was six feet four, with a burly build. His origins appeared caucasian, but Leo did not concern himself with that. The man said, "I am Kyle, Boss."


    Leo shook his head and said, "Kyle from now on you all will call me President Cardinal, or Sir. Don¡¯t call me boss. Is that alright?"


    Kyle nodded and replied, "Yes, Sir."


    Leo nodded and said, "From the arrangement with Ellysa, your accommodation has been decided already. So, send half of your team to the place where you guys will live."


    Kyle nodded, and Leo took out his phone as he said, "Here, input all the contact details of you all. You will work in two shifts. Two teams, round the clock, you can split and decide the rotations by yourself.


    I want two of each team to shadow my wife, Snow Cardinal, she is a teacher in the Aspire High School. Okay?"


    Kyle nodded again, and Leo said, "I want one person from each team to keep a shadow watch, if anyone tries to come closer to me, or tries to look in to my identity, be it my professional or personal life, you will inform me. Can you do that?"


    The people nodded, and Leo said, "The team leader will tag along with me. Also, there is a spare vehicle at home, you can use that as well."


    Kyle nodded and said, "Sir, give me five minutes, I will make the arrangements."


    The young man nodded and went back in his car after taking his phone. He sat in the driving seat because just because these people were his guards, he did not wish to treat them like servants. When a man is not driving, he can focus on spotting irregularities outside.


    Leo was not yet so strong to sense such things, so while he focused on the traffic and navigation, Kyle or the other team leader beside him can handle these things.


    Kyle came back and was looking at him from the driver¡¯s seat window when Leo waved his hand to the man indicating him to sit in the passenger seat.


    The two then headed to the school. Leo picked up his phone and called Snow. The lady picked up the call and talked in a hushed voice, "Hello, honey, is it urgent?"


    Leo replied, "I have sent two people to guard you from a distance, don¡¯t worry too much about them if you see a black SUV on your heels." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Snow replied, "Okay, I will talk about this when I get home."


    Leo knew that his wife would not settle for anything less. She was a sensible human and while she supported him silently, she did have the right to ask questions as well.


    Kyle looked at Leo and asked, "Sir, we have one more team as a back up. Shouldn¡¯t we work full capacity?"


    Leo smiled faintly as he turned the car, and said, "Kyle, in angkor city every rich guy has a big security detail, as if they are about to be killed. However, the fact is that even if they don¡¯t have anyone targeting them, this show-off will attract attention.


    I prefer to stay low-profile and avoid unnecessary gazes from looking over too much. Since you have mentioned the additional team, I suppose you have eight more people, right?"


    Kyle nodded and Leo said, "Deploy then to the Butterfly Technologies office, six to guard the building and two to maintain the shadow monitoring. Anyone tries to get too close, nab them and tell me. Okay?"


    Kyle agreed, he was surprised by the way Leo did things. Usually people would surround themselves with guards and think they are safe from everything, ignoring the need for constant monitoring.


    He picked up his call and assigned the second team to the task, while Leo called Percie Hibiscal and told her about the arrangement.


    That done, they reached the school, and Leo found Lily waiting for him at the school gate. He got out of the car, and came to her with a smile as he checked his watch and asked, "Miss Verse, there is still a few minutes left, right?"


    The teacher nodded and said, "We finished today¡¯s activities early and the students gathered in the garden to play tag. Lily recognized your car from a distance and so, here we are."


    Lily raised her head as if she was looking for a praise. Leo smiled and picked her up in his arms and said, "You are so smart."


    The girl nodded while humming, and Leo took her small school bag from Teacher Verse, before they went back to the car.


    Lily was surprised to see Kyle, and Leo said, "This uncle will protect us from bad guys."


    Lily nodded and said, "Hello Uncle."


    Kyle revealed a smiled and said, "Hello, Young Miss Lily."


    What? You think the guard is not serious enough. God damn those cringe books, a veteran is also a human, so what if they have walked the rivers of blood? People from the army protect the civilians, and so their heart is alive, and they are not cold blooded machines. Get it?


    His words were like honey to an ant. Lily turned to look at Leo and said, "Baba, this uncle is a good guy."


    Leo chuckled and said, "Yes, he is, because he called you, Young Miss."


    Lily scoffed and said, "You are just jealous, Baddy!"

 Chapter 53: Daddy Gets A Gift.

    Leo and the other two drive the car back to the house. Snow drove herself so she would be coming back on her own as well. Kyle was observing Leo, and in this small trip from school to home, he found that the young boss loved his daughter a lot.


    Kyle could detect the changes in his micro expressions. As soon as Leo took his gaze away from Lily, his eyes would turn cold. The veteran could not tell if Leo¡¯s indifference to the world was a facade or was it the love in his eyes that was a mask.


    However, one thing was sure, Leo was not someone to be messed with. Pinnacle Securities was one of the biggest companies in the world, with a total net worth of several billions. Yet, this young man managed to acquire the company with such ease that he shook the entire structure.


    What shocked the people even more was that none of the competitors knew about this identity while he was doing all this.


    After coming home, Lily went to play with Momo, the gray kitten, which was being pampered with treats thrice a day and growing fluffy and fat.


    Then she brushed the kitten carefully under Leo¡¯s supervision, and then went off to take a nap. Leo had assigned Kyle and the other guard, Marley outside and they could rest in the small guard cottage if they wanted to. He also ordered a few supplies such as a coffee machine and other things to make sure that the guards are not hungry.


    ¡­


    When Lily woke up, it was time for Snow to return from work. The little girl embraced her mother for a bit before her grogginess cleared and Snow asked, "Leo, what is going on?"


    The young man was cleaning the camera lenses as he said, "I bought a few shares in the Pinnacle Security Company. They usually operate in the Stag Nation. Yesterday, someone paid a few people to attack Percie and demolish the office front. I thought it was about time to call them over."


    Snow frowned and said, "I understand what you mean, but can you tell them to dress up a bit casual? The black suits attract a lot of gazes."


    Leo nodded with a smile and replied, "I will have them change this."


    Then he looked at Lily and said, "Baby, come over, it is lesson time."


    Lily skipped over and Leo turned on the streaming. The little girl sighed as she ran her fingers over the keys and said, "These days I have been so stacked that I cannot even do what I love? What a shame."


    Leo and Snow raised their brows and the chat went crazy. People loved Lily, and they started asking questions to Leo if he taught her to say such things. The young man replied, "I never teach her what to say, believe it or not, this is all her own talent."


    Lily looked at him with furrowed brows and asked, "Why do I feel you are teasing me? You speak bad about the Princess, baddy!"


    Leo was left between tears and laughter when he saw her face. He joined his hands and said, "My darling, how dare Baba say anything bad about his Princess? I swear, I did not say anything bad."


    Lily flicked her hand with her chin raised high as if a princess pardoning a plebian. Then the lesson began.


    ¡­


    While they were playing piano, on a distant place called Fuku Island, a group of people dressed in some tactical gear were surrounding a villa complex.


    The sky was dark and the surroundings were silent. A ten men team infiltrated a villa without any disruption and then made their way inside the structure. They were here to nab someone, that person was called Echo Cardinal.


    Yes, these men were sent here by Mark Shin, and they had one objective, to transport Echo Cardinal to Angkor City. They scoured the entire house before they heard a few sounds coming from the master bedroom.


    The two people in lead shook their heads and then they prepared to breach the room. Two men covered the two sides of the door, and then they nodded to the third guy, who raised his right leg and kicked the door hard.


    The impact caused the door to open with force and then they rushed in. Echo Cardinal was having a good shag session and he was completely intoxicated. Just as he turned around to look at the people, one of them charged up and smashed his forehead directly with the butt of the gun.


    Echo was knocked out and the girl was shot with a tranquilizer. Then everything happened quickly, as the people were leaving, they left the girl in a safe spot, and set the house on fire.


    ¡­


    The next morning, Vincent received a call from one of his contacts, and he picked it up, "Yeah Travis? Does he need anything?"


    Travis replied, "Sir, something big happened."


    Vincent furrowed his brows and asked, "What happened?"


    Travis replied, "Sir, the young master is missing and the house was set on fire. We cannot locate him."


    Vincent rose from his dining chair and asked with shock, "What did you say?!"


    While on the other side of the city, Leo received a call from Mark.


    Mark said, "President, the package has been delivered. Kyle will take you over."


    Leo nodded and said, "Thank you for delivering in such a short period."


    Mark chuckled and said, "No biggie, see you soon."


    Leo got up quickly, dressed up, and when Snow found him, he said, "Love, I am going to deal with something, can you take Lily to school?"


    Snow raised her brows and asked, "What is it?" S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo smiled brightly and said, "A gift has been delivered. I am going to unwrap it and check what is inside."


    Snow put on a serious expression, she did catch some of the words from the call, and said, "Go, don¡¯t get your clothes dirty."


    Leo nodded, leaned in to kiss her and left the house with Kyle.

 Chapter 54: Family.

    Leo came out of the room, and hurriedly approached Kyle who was waiting for him. The young man nodded and said, "Leave the rest to guard the house. Escort Lily and Snow from a distance like the usual."


    Kyle nodded and then gave instructions to the team, and said, "Sir, the second team would be coming over in a bit so they will take the charge."


    Leo understood and said, "Alright."


    Then he got in the car, and Kyle took the passenger seat. The young man asked, "Where to?"


    Kyle opened the navigation app on his phone and the two left home. Kyle could see an almost psychotic excitement sparking in Leo¡¯s eyes, the way he stepped out of the house in a rush, this was something that he had seen many times in his line of work.


    ¡­


    Lily woke up and drowsily walked out of her house, and entered the master bedroom. Snow was awake already, when she saw the little girl beside her, she picked her up and they both lay side by side. Snow asked, "Are you looking for Ma?"


    Her voice was very gentle, as if a feather floating in the wind. Lily shook her head slightly and said, "Baba.."


    Snow was left between laughter and tears, as she poked her daughter¡¯s little nose and asked, "Have you forsaken Ma now that you have Baba?"


    Lily replied by turning around and hugging the lady as she said, "Baba spent less time with me, so I am making it up. I love you too."


    Snow was surprised and sighed as she gently embraced her treasure in her arms and let her lay on top of her. She couldn¡¯t figure out how this child came up with such thoughts, but nevertheless, she was grateful that her daughter was so sensible.


    Initially she used to worry about how Lily and Leo would bond, because Leo was confined to the bed. When he recovered, she was surprised to find how much love he had in his heart for Lily. Gradually the focus shifted and she began to worry if Lily would sideline her strict mother for her pampering father.


    However, just now all those worries were dissolved by a single sentence. Snow closed her eyes and smiled as she thought, ¡¯To think I was worried about something like this simple. Well, unlike me, Lily¡¯s thought process is not conditioned to think about gaining leverage and advantage all the time. I guess this is the reason that our family managed to withstand such a storm and as for the Marlins, tch, forget it, I am a Cardinal now.¡¯


    ¡­


    Leo and Kyle arrived outside an abandoned factory. This place was located inside Angkor City itself, but was abandoned because of a fire accident a few months ago. The government had yet to clear the place and so, it was derelict.


    Kyle led Leo inside the factory, and the young man found a team of people hiding in the shadows and monitoring the situation. Leo frowned and said, "I am hoping they did not bring in any weapons."


    Kyle shook his head and replied, "Sir, Clover Nation¡¯s arm control is very strict, even some of the high level government officials can¡¯t carry them past the country borders, let alone us. However, we do have cold weapons like crossbows and bow and arrows to protect ourselves if a fight breaks out."


    Leo nodded and quickly they came to the center of the factory, where among the two lanes of machines, a young man was tied to the chair. His face was covered with a thick black rag. Leo looked at Echo¡¯s stance and asked, "He is knocked out?"


    Kyle looked at the person beside the chair, who stepped up and nodded as he said, "Sir, I am Gavin. We intended to tranq him and nab him. However, this wastrel was intoxicated on drugs when we got there, so all we could do was use blunt trauma."


    Leo frowned and said, "My plan would have to be changed. Well, wake him up first, and bring me his phone."


    The man stepped up and handed Leo a gold plated phone, causing him to shake his head. Leo opened the screen and Kyle said, "It¡¯s locked."


    Leo calmly walked up towards Echo, placed his thumb on the screen and it was unlocked. He stood up and remarked, "Easy does it."


    Then he began to check the contents of the phone, and as he suspected, all the details of his illegal operations, be it drugs, or gambling dens, all of them were recorded digitally.


    Then Leo found a folder in the storage which said, ¡¯Vincent Cardinal.¡¯


    Leo furrowed his brow, and he was about to check the contents of the folder when Echo groaned. One of the guards had injected him with adrenaline to wake him up. Leo took out his own phone and transferred the folder Vincent Cardinal in his phone.


    He then asked, "Do you have any tech guy here?"


    Gavin nodded and said, "Mylo, come over. Sir, he is responsible for covering our tracks and is the best techie."


    Mylo came over, and his physique did not look like a tech expert, instead this guy was the most buffed up of all the men here. Leo handed Echo¡¯s phone to Mylo, and said, "Remove the traces of data transfer from it, and delete the folder Vincent Cardinal from the roots. Leave the rest as it is."


    Mylo nodded and dashed away with the phone. Leo turned his gaze to look at Echo, who was groaning and shaking his head. Gavin saw that Leo was looking around, and then Leo asked, "Chair?"


    Gavin arranged for a chair quickly, and as he sat down, Echo asked, "Who¡¯s there? Bastard, how dare you tie me up? Do you even know who I am? I am telling you, open my hands or my Dad will kill you. Let me go!!!" sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo watched his effort to shake off the binds, and heard his screams. He chuckled lightly, before he began to laugh out loud, and his voice echoed through the entire factory. As if a demon from hell had stepped out of its cage and carnage was about to be unleashed.


    ...


    I¡¯m beggin¡¯ beggin¡¯ youuuu, now put your loving hand out darlin¡¯....


    Please vote with power stones and golden tickets. Your gifts are very important to keep the author inspired and greedy enough to write and make sure he doesn¡¯t fuck up the story... Please.

 Chapter 55: Preparing A Return Gift.

    Leo laughed as he heard Echo screaming and demanding to be released, after he calmed down, he said, "Why don¡¯t you try and guess who I am?"


    Echo was shaken, the laughter sent chills down his spine, and Leo said, "Hello, mic check, one, two, three¡­"


    Hearing this phrase, the young man tied to the chair froze and began to shiver. He raised his still covered head. Leo gestured for Gavin to take off the rag.


    The latter did as he was told, and Echo Cardinal¡¯s face was exposed to the air. His forehead had a thick scab and was slightly swollen, and his hair was disheveled, and his eyes were red.


    Echo Cardinal did not look anything like his usual elegant young master self. He stared at Leo in stupor and asked, "You aren¡¯t dead."


    Leo did not reply and said, "Gavin, can you rough him up a bit more?"


    Gavin nodded and before Echo could think about anything, a punch landed on his cheek. The impact caused the chair to fall down on the side, and Echo hit his head on the floor. Gavin picked up the chair back on, and went back to the side. He said, "Sir, his bone might snap if I beat him."


    Leo nodded and said, "Well, find me a pack of cigarettes."


    Gavin nodded and took out a pack from his own pocket. Leo said, "Light one up, and the next time he talks back, leave a burn mark on his face."


    Gavin, Kyle, and the rest of the men were shocked, how calmly Leo said this. Echo on the other side chuckled and said, "So, you finally show your true color, Knight Of The Cardinals. Hahaha, such a shame your deadbeat father is not here to witness how his decent and innocent son tortures his own blood."


    Leo looked at Gavin who was still stunned and stood up from the chair. He slowly walked up to Gavin, took the pack of cigarettes, and then lit it up with a lighter, before taking a puff and stubbing the smoldering end right on Echo¡¯s earlobe.


    Echo screamed from the burn. Leo took his hand back and handed the cigarette to Gavin and went back to the chair. He said, "So, Echo let us cut the short. It does not matter to me how you did those things back then, what matters is that you did them.


    You planned my parents car accident, you leaked the company secrets to Carole. Then you also tried to kidnap Snow. Well, that is three strikes. So, you can die."


    Echo shivered, his rage turned into fear, because he understood that Leo was not the same as he used to be in the past. Leo said, "Echo, I will give you one chance. You can take your pick, an easy death, painless and quick, or a death filled with agony?I assure you, these men are very apt when it comes to such things."


    Gavin had regained his composure, they no longer thought that their boss was a greenhorn and he nodded as he said, "I can skin him alive, and then let him see his stomach and innards being pulled out."


    Echo shivered and said, "Leo! Spare me! Please spare me, I will confess my crimes and go to prison, you will never hear about me ever again."


    Leo shook his head and said, "You could have let my parents go, but you did not. So why should I? You have ten seconds to consider."


    Leo began to count slowly. Every time he counted, Echo pleaded louder, the anticipation of death made him babble, he began to confess his crimes and beg for mercy.


    Leo did not give a damn, after he said, "Ten." S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Echo froze, as if he was the timer. Leo asked, "What have you decided?"


    Echo shook his head, he was already sweating a lot, but now, his bladder also began to sweat. Gavin frowned and took a step back. Leo looked at Echo and said, "I had wanted to ask you, after you have taken away everything from my parents, be it the house, the business, the dignity. Why kill them? If you can tell me the truth, I will let you go, I swear."


    Echo saw a ray of light at the end of the tunnel and he raised his head as he asked, "Really?"


    Leo nodded and said, "I will keep my word, won¡¯t lay a hand on you."


    Echo thought for a bit and said, "It was Vincent, he was the one who planned the accident with Carole and not me."


    Leo clenched his fists but did not show it on his face and asked, "Why?"


    Echo gulped and said, "Carole wanted to kill you because of Snow. He wanted to have her for herself, and that was why he approached me. That day when Uncle and Aunty signed off their equity to my father, they left the manor to the place where you were waiting.


    Carole had hired a hitman to kill you. He came over, and found that Vincent was not happy. The man felt that even after acquiring everything his status was not high enough. Carole hated you so much that he decided to take the last pillar of support from you. He told Vincent and the old man agreed.


    He said, "If you can kill them, it would shatter Leo¡¯s mind. Then you can have him beg for it before you kill him."


    Vincent did it to feed his own vanity and status. He wanted to erase the memories of Mister Cardinal from the minds of the people."


    Leo said, "My father sold the equity so that the debts of the people who supported him in the project could be paid off. Had it not been for the constant pressure from the Primal Family, he wouldn¡¯t have done that. Your father didn¡¯t feel happy because he knew that he could never do what my father did.


    Well, Echo, thank you for telling me the truth. Gavin, have someone send him on his way. I have something to do."


    Echo did not understand what was going on, but Leo stood up from his chair, and turned around to leave with Kyle, when screams echoed, "Leo, you liar!! You bastard!! You promised to let me go!!!"


    Leo did not bother, he replied, "I said I won¡¯t lay a hand on you, I didn¡¯t say my friends won¡¯t. After all that you have done, Echo, believe me, I would have killed you with my own hands had it not been for some considerations."


    Then he left the factory and waited for a few minutes. Kyle looked at him a few times and Leo said, "If you have something on your mind, tell me what it is?"


    Kyle gulped and asked, "Sir, you have such enmity with them, then why didn¡¯t you kill him yourself? We could¡¯ve erased all the tracks that you were even here."


    Leo smiled and said, "Kyle, killing someone is not hard, but the aftermath is what scares me. I don¡¯t wish to go back home and look at my daughter with the scenes of bloodshed brewing in the back of my mind. Before you kill someone else, you need to kill a part of you, and I am not ready for that yet. I won¡¯t be easy on those who offend me, but I will not kill with my own hands until it is absolutely necessary."


    Kyle nodded and said, "Not many people can have a rational thought process like you, Sir."


    Leo chuckled and said, "My wife told me to not dirty my clothes, I am just following orders here."


    He was happy that Echo was dead, but that did not mean he would go crazy, because out of many enemies only one was dealt. He took a few deep breaths to calm down before Gavin came out of the factory, and he nodded to Leo, as he asked, "Sir, what should we do now?"


    Leo smiled and said, "A return gift to my uncle."

 Chapter 56: Unwound & Shock.

    Leo and Kyle left the place calmly, it was still early in the morning so not many people caught sight of them. Leo took out his phone and he wanted to look at the content of the folder that Echo had dedicated to Vincent, however, just as he was about to open the folder, his gaze fell on the date mentioned on the upper left corner of the screen.


    The young man sighed and leaned back in his seat. Kyle asked, "Sir, is everything alright?"


    Leo replied, "I almost forgot that tomorrow will mark the completion of a month since I woke up. I wonder if I should take Lily out."


    Kyle smiled and replied, "You still have time to prepare for it Sir. Why do you sound so melancholic?"


    For a second Kyle even thought that his boss was dramatizing the situation. However, the next moment Leo said, "You know about my history and yet you ask me such a thing, Kyle?"


    The man was stunned and after a brief moment he nodded and said, "I do, Sir. To be honest, when I was told that you recovered from the condition after three years, it basically felt like a lie, however, seeing you in real life. It shook the basic understanding I had about this world. My mom used to say that miracles happen. Looking at you, I can believe her words."


    Leo shook his head and said, "The real miracle is my daughter. Had it not been for her, I wouldn¡¯t be here."


    While Leo was being serious, Kyle thought his boss was just passing the credit. The young man closed his eyes as they drove home. He no longer wanted to look at the folder in his phone, he was thinking about the day out with his daughter.


    ¡¯Ping: Host, such activities are like landmarks in the memories of a human. They play a great role in shaping their personality. Arrange an outing that your daughter won¡¯t forget. Reward: Lottery Wheel.¡¯


    Leo raised his brow and thought about what the lottery wheel could be about, but then he threw it to the back of his head. He said, "Kyle, before you leave for rest, please tell Gavin to handover the phone to a police officer, and also, write a note to my uncle when they send the gift back. Tell him to be prepared about what is coming for him."


    Kyle nodded as he focused on driving the car. Leo felt that all the energy that he had built up these days had been drained. One of the enemies was dead, and although it was not overly relaxing, it felt good to unwound the tension.


    The young man reached home just in time to see Lily and Snow leaving home. Leo smiled at his daughter and picked her up in his arms as he embraced her.


    Lily also embraced him back and silently. Snow looked at Leo¡¯s face, and smiled faintly. Lily asked, "Baba, are you okay?"


    Leo replied, "Yes, my love. I am fine."


    Then he pecked her forehead and put her down before he approached Snow. They embraced and Leo said, "One down."


    Snow let out a sigh and said, "Okay, go visit Mom and Dad."


    Leo nodded and said, "Yes. Take a day off tomorrow."


    Snow nodded with a smile and said, "Okay."


    Then the two of the left with a couple of guards in tow. The young man watched them leave, before he went inside the house, took a shower and went to bed. He was tired and wanted to sleep, so he did.


    When he woke up, Momo was sitting on his chest, he smiled and asked, "Are you hungry, little one?"


    Momo replied softly, "Meow."


    Leo picked her up and went to the kitchen before pouring a little amount of cat food in the bowl, and said, "Lily has spoiled you so much."


    Then he changed into a black linen shirt and blue denims before heading out of the house. He found that the guard team had changed, and interacted with the leader of the team who was stationed outside.


    He nodded and shook hands with the person as he said, "Well, Jock, let¡¯s head out."


    Jock nodded and then they got in the car. While they were headed to the cemetery, Vincent Cardinal received a call that made him cancel everything and rush back to the mansion.


    As soon as he entered the house with Qasim, he yelled, "Alan! Lui! Where the fuck are you guys?" S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, he received no response. He looked at Qasim and said, "Go find out where these bastards are, quick."


    That said Qasim dashed inside the house to check what was going on, and Vincent moved towards the coffin lying in the center of the living room. The old man played brave, but his heart has been palpitating ever since he heard that Echo has vanished.


    He was busy mobilizing all his contacts, but the result came back as nothing. Vincent only had one son, and despite the bitter hate relation they had, it was very unsettling for him.


    He knelt down beside the coffin and then he took a deep breath before he traced his fingers to a latch. Vincent was sweating profusely, his body was shivering and his face was flushed, an evident sign that his blood pressure was spiking quickly.


    The old man used his strength but he could not open the lid of the coffin. An ominous feeling was drowning him, but he had to see what was inside to make sure that it wasn¡¯t his son.


    He took a deep breath and exerted some more strength, at this moment, Qasim suddenly returned and spoke hurriedly, "Boss! Lui and Alan, they are both¡­."


    He could not finish his words before Vincent shouted, "What the fuck are you doing!? You gave me a scare. What happened to those two?!"


    Vincent did not realize that the fright had caused him to open the lid of the coffin and while he turned away to shout at Qasim, the latter was stunned because he could see what was inside the coffin.


    Qasim shivered, and his legs turned soft as if they were made of jelly and he fell on his knees. He mumbled, "Young.. Young¡­"


    Vincent frowned and snapped, "What the fuck is wrong with you?"


    Qasim¡¯s face had turned pale at the moment and he shiveringly pointed at the coffin. Vincent clicked his tongue and turned to look around as his world froze. The shock of seeing his son dead before his eyes was too much for him, and as he watched Echo¡¯s pale body his world began to spin and then a drop of blood trickled from his nose as he fainted beside the coffin.


    Qasim reacted quickly, "Boss¡­"


    ¡­.


    Leo knelt before the tombstones of his family and he said, "Echo has gone down. Soon, Vincent will follow. I came here today because I wanted to tell you about it. Also, to pray for Lily. Please look after her and Snow. I miss you, but I will be fine."


    The young man closed his eyes as he placed two stalks of white lilies on the tombstones.

 Chapter 57: Different Battles Of A Man.

    Leo came back home, and opened his laptop to make arrangements for tomorrow. At this moment, he also turned on the Television and began to look at the news just like usual.


    While he was searching for the things he wanted to do for his daughter the next day, he heard a news, "Just in, the fugitive that the police has been looking for in several cases these days, Mister Echo Cardinal has been found dead, and his body was delivered to his father at the Cardinal Mansion. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The premise of the death is yet to be clarified, but the police have taken control of the scene, and the body has been sent to the coroner¡¯s office for postmortem. The personal assistant of Chairman Cardinal, Qasim Beig, was the one who reported the incident and claimed that the family was not in contact with the deceased for the past few days since the issue came to light.


    Another twist in the story is that after discovering about his son, Mister Vincent Cardinal had a blood hemorrhage, and is currently receiving treatment in the First Hospital. His condition is assumed to be critical."


    Leo raised his brow and tilted his head to look at the screen before he mumbled, "The day after tomorrow, I will decide your fate as well, Vincent Cardinal."


    Then he called Jock inside the house, and said, "Have a seat."


    Jock sat down and Leo said, "Tomorrow, I plan to take my family out for the day. Arrange your details accordingly and all of you, dress up casually."


    Jock nodded and said, "May I ask where we would be going?"


    Leo began to tell him about the plan calmly and Jock took down the details on his phone quickly. When he was done dealing with it all, Jock went out to discuss this with Kyle and his other teammates, while the young man headed to the kitchen and made a call to Percie Hibiscal.


    The young lady responded quickly and asked, "President, anything I can do for you?"


    Leo replied, "Apart from taking down the OEM monopoly, please start buying out the Cardinal Group stocks. What is the trend?"


    Percie Hibiscal replied, "From a source inside the Tyrant Group, I found that they are willing to sell all their shares. I have gotten people to buy them all discreetly. As for the shares in the hands of Vincent Cardinal, they amount to thirty percent. We already have enough to get a seat on the board, however, I sense that you want to dethrone him completely."


    Leo replied, "Good speculation, get me as many of them as you can, because the Cardinal Group will vanish as soon as I step inside that office."


    The CEO nodded, and Leo began to cook some food. Soon, it was time to pick up Lily, and he went out after cooking. Jock took the role of the driver, while Leo scrolled his mobile, looking at the messages from his viewers who wanted him to do something new.


    Leo thought about it, and by the time he made a decision, they had arrived at their destination. The young man picked up Lily without a hiccup and while they were getting inside the car, he asked, "Lily, what do you say, we bake a cake together for mom?"


    Lily¡¯s eyes sparkled and she asked, "Can we?"


    Leo nodded and the girl said, "Yes, I will be Chef Lily."


    Leo smiled and said, "Jock, let us head to the supermarket, Chef Lily needs to buy some supplies for the cake."


    Jock nodded and Lily said, "Uncle Jock, do you also like cakes?"


    The man was surprised and then looked at Leo who said, "Go ahead, the young miss asked you something."


    Jock nodded and replied, "I used to eat the cake my mother used to make for me when I was about your age, Young miss."


    Lily hummed and then said, "Lily will also make a cake for you all. Ma told me that you work hard to keep us safe, and we should be grateful. I will give you a piece of my cake."


    Leo was happy that his daughter was so kind, but at the same time he felt very jealous as well. He did not wish to share even the wind that his daughter used to breathe with other humans, but he could not act out like that, so he smiled patiently.


    Then they made a short stop at the supermarket and bought a lot of stuff that was needed to bake a cake. Lily was fluttering around like a butterfly and when she got tired, Lily got her to ride his shoulders, and the girl cheered.


    ¡¯Ping: First shoulder ride for the princess. Reward, War Horse Stamina, permanent upgrade.¡¯


    Leo was shocked, he did not expect that this simple gesture of his would get him such a reward, after paying the bill, they came back to the car, and Leo waited for them to leave the parking lot before he thought, ¡¯System bring up the attribute panel.¡¯


    Name : Leo Cardinal


    Age : 24


    Level : Beginner Father


    Strength :7


    Stamina : 12 (Permanent Augmentation)


    Intelligence : 8


    Speed : 6.5


    Talent : Ceramic Artisan. Hairstyling, Nurti-Chef, Piano Maester.


    Items : None


    Leo thought about it for a second and he said, ¡¯System, describe the level tab.¡¯


    ¡¯Ping; It is a surprise to see that the host has finally understood that the level tab can be expanded to see further details.¡¯


    Leo almost wanted to scold someone when the tab expanded, and Leo saw a bar that was half filled. He thought about it and a few numbers appeared above the bar, ¡¯456/1000¡¯


    Leo asked, ¡¯Explain to me how these numbers break down.¡¯


    ¡¯Ping: For every specific task that has been issued by the system you gain from twenty to fifty points. Apart from that the side quests that you perform successfully, such as combing your daughter¡¯s hair, and picking her up from school, etc, you get five to ten points.¡¯


    Leo furrowed his brow and asked, ¡¯Why wasn¡¯t I told about this?¡¯


    ¡¯Ping: To prevent you from using these moments of bonding and love as opportunities to farm points. Host, the system aids you to be a good parent, and not an overpowered cliche that will not understand his true purpose and blindly follow the path of power.¡¯


    Leo thought about it and said, ¡¯Well, what you said is something that I agree with. I know that the system is dependent on the will and wellness of my daughter, but I would have treated her the same even without the task points or your existence. Hmm, can these points be used?¡¯


    ¡¯The usage of the points will be explained when you level up to intermediate father.¡¯


    Leo nodded, and when he was thinking about it, the system said, ¡¯Ping: Host, help Lily bake a nice cake, and gain a surprise gift.¡¯


    The people reached the house, and Leo took a deep breath and asked, "Chef Lily, are you ready for battle?"


    Lily nodded with a sparkling smile, "Yes, Baba!"


    Then the two vanished inside the kitchen, with little Momo following behind them.

 Chapter 58: The Cardinals Are Cooking.

    Leo put on his apron and then he started the streaming. Many people joined in to watch him, and then Lily greeted them all, "Helloooo, everyone. Today, Baba and Lily will be baking a cake."


    Leo smiled and said, "Welcome to Cooking with Daddy, and today we have the special guest on the show, Chef Lily."


    Lily played the role very nicely and she waved her hands to everyone with a sparkling smile. Then Leo made a Tada sound before he pulled out a cute flower printed apron from behind him, and said, "Since Chef Lily is making an appearance then we will give her a special apron."


    He put on the apron around her neck, and Lily took a swirl before she asked, "Baba, I like this."


    Leo smiled and said, "I am happy that you do."


    The young man then took out a small sized chef hat and placed it on her head. Lily opened her mouth wide and then she exclaimed, "Yay! Lily has a chef hat. Haha, I will show Stella."


    Leo nodded and then he looked at the little kitten before he said, "Well, Chef, how about you handle the mascot and I handle the cake. Ofcourse I will do everything under your supervision."


    Lily picked up the little kitten and said to the camera, "Everyone, this is Momo. Baba got her home for my birthday. Isn¡¯t she cute?"


    The comments were raining, and Lily frowned as she said, "Baba, can we not slow down these flying words? I want to read them but they fly very quickly."


    Leo chuckled at the term that she used and then he changed the settings. Every time someone commented the next person would have to take a small break of five seconds.


    He said, "I know that you all have a lot of questions, but today Lily wants to talk to you all, so I hope that you accommodate her."


    Then he began to prepare the ingredients for the cake and he said, "The reason Lily is taking the supervision role is because we will be using some appliances that are not safe for her to interact with."


    The people understood that he was concerned about Lily. Leo was not paranoid, although cakes can be made without using knives, but the oven and the blender were still something that could harm Lily. Obviously, he would be there, and ask her to participate but since it was the first time, he wanted to make it as safe as possible.


    He took the dry ingredients inside a glass bowl, and said, "Chef, it is time for you to mix them up."


    Lily placed Momo on the side of the counter and poked her nose, "Don¡¯t go anywhere, okay?"


    Momo meowed as if saying ¡¯yes¡¯ to her. Then the little girl washed her hands first and said, "Although I brush Momo daily, there is still a chance that her hair might be present on my hands. So, Ma says that while we should love everyone, we should also stay clean. Please wash your hands before cooking."


    The chat was flooded with gifts (unlike the story which is not being gifted by you guys, seems like you don¡¯t like it at all.), Leo then gave her a spatula and guided her to mix them all properly.


    Then he mixed in eggs and then took out the blenders, before asking Lily to handle Momo, in case the kitten got scared from the sound of the machine.


    ¡­


    While the two people were baking cakes, Snow was dealing with something that would aid their plan for revenge. Yes, it was not only Leo who lost everything, but also Snow, who suffered a lot.


    The turmoil of watching the one you love break into shards and unable to do anything was greater than breaking down. Snow gave up everything for Leo, not because he was rich or anything, but because he was sincere.


    She always thought that it was because of her that Leo suffered so much, and whenever she thought like this, her guilt intensified the rage in her heart. Many times she wanted to call back home and have her family kill Carole and his family. However, that would mean giving up Lily and Leo. She couldn¡¯t do such a thing. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At the moment, she was sitting inside the staff room, and across from her sat a young girl, hazel blonde hair, brown eyes, her face was devoid of positive energy.


    Snow sighed and asked, "Symphony, you have been a brilliant student all these years, can you tell me why are your grades falling down so sharply and they are not improving either."


    Symphony shook her head and said, "I am sorry, Miss Snow, but I haven¡¯t been studying properly, but I promise that I will do better in the next exams."


    Snow shook her head and said, "Symphony, raise your head. Look at me. I will not scold you, child. I promise."


    After a few moments, Symphony raised her head and Snow asked, "Is everything alright at home?"


    She could not directly jump the gun and scare away the teenager, could she?


    Symphony shook her head hurriedly, and Snow reached out to hold her hand. She said, "Symphony. I know about the name change application your mother put in."


    Symphony flinched and wanted to pull her hand back when Snow held it firmly and said, "Don¡¯t run away from it. Did you think that no one would detect that you have been working two jobs and barely have any time to study? Did you think that we teachers are machines that would not understand the plight of our students?"


    As she was asking these rhetorical questions, Symphony couldn¡¯t hold on the tears in her eyes, she began to sob softly, and her arms became weak.


    Snow stood up from her chair and came to stand beside Symphony, before she patted the girl¡¯s head. Symphony buried her head in the stomach of her teacher and began to bawl.


    Snow felt bad for the child, but in her mind she sighed and thought, ¡¯If not for the fact that your mom fell for that asshole. Your life would have been completely different, my dear. Why can¡¯t a streak of lightning hit him and relieve the world of him?¡¯


    After a few minutes, when Symphony calmed down, Snow picked up a few tissues and handed them to the girl before she said, "You have been working to ease up some burden for your mom, and grandparents, right?"


    Symphony nodded, and Snow said, "How much do you earn per week?"


    The girl replied in a soft voice, "Five hundred, Miss Snow."


    Snow picked up her bag and said, "I will give you one thousand, and from now on, you have one job, and that is to tuition my daughter for two hours everyday. Usually my husband is home, but he gets busy sometimes and my daughter lacks a playmate."


    Symphony was shocked, and Snow said, "Don¡¯t think even for a second that I am taking pity on you. I am just giving you a better option. This way you will earn more and have the time to study as well. Symphony, I really hope that you can gain the top position again, you have always been my best student and I just cannot see you ending up like this."


    The waterworks began one more time. After a few minutes, Snow gave Symphony one thousand ren, and called her mother about the situation. The other party was very grateful. She was someone who Carole met outside the college, but then after giving in to the path of quick success, she was thrown into the world where everything was earned through bitter battles.


    So, now Symphony¡¯s mother was a better human and she was independent as well. While her hand was tight when it came to finance, her values have been corrected and she was grateful to Snow for this gesture.


    After this whole thing was settled, Snow leaned back in her chair and thought, ¡¯Pawn is acquired, now she needs to be groomed and trained for the war that is to come.¡¯


    Yes, she was not as kind as to go and help Symphony for nothing. She had been conditioned for a long time to look at the losses and the gains from childhood, and the only time she closed her eyes was when she fell in love with Leo, the guy who did not care about such things.


    However, the world desecrated her, and thus she decided to use Symphony as a card in her deck. A card that will deal a significant blow to Carole Primal.


    She packed up her stuff and moved out of the school. The guards on duty followed her, and when she reached home, she greeted Jock and his partner with a nod.


    She went inside the house and was drowned with a fruity aroma, and headed to the kitchen, only to find Lily and Leo smiling at each other, Snow asked, "What is going on here? What did you make?"


    Lily dashed into her arms and said, "We made a cake. Lily spread sprinkles on it. Baba will take it out."


    Snow smiled at her and said, "I look forward to the cake."


    She gave Leo a look, and the young man raised his brow. Snow said, "Let us eat first."

 Chapter 59: Silly Smile.

    Lily distributed the cake to Jock, and the rest of the guards, and it was one slice per person. The family had their dinner inside the house. Leo asked the guards about their arrangements, and Jock replied that they will eat back at their accommodation.


    Leo nodded and soon Kyle took charge while Jock and his people left the place. The young man told Lily a story, and tucked her in before he came out in the living room where Snow was sitting calmly on the couch.


    Leo sat next to her and leaned back on the couch to relax a little, as he asked, "So, what did you want to talk about earlier?" S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Snow smiled and said, "So, today, Symphony Primus, came into the staff room. Her class teacher, Fat Rita, was scolding her and the girl had no way out.


    I stepped in, and took over to counsel the child, after all, she used to be a good student. However, ever since Carole showed his true colors, she has been forced to work two jobs instead of one, and thus her marks have been dwindling.


    I gave her a generous offer, and now she will look after Lily on weekends, while making a thousand ren weekly and studying as well. So, what do you think?"


    Leo thought for a bit, and said, "Well, it is good that you got her, but I think that thousand ren is a bit less."


    Snow rolled her eyes, "Mister big tycoon, I am a teacher remember, I have a limited salary."


    Leo was stunned, then he took out his phone, these days he had been earning from trading and streaming as well, so he transferred half of it to Snow directly.


    Snow frowned and said, "You know I don¡¯t like that, right?"


    Leo nodded with a smile and said, "I know that you do not like others giving you money, but I am giving it to you so that you can take care of it. I am whimsical, who knows if I will give it all away." Enjoy new stories from NovelFire.C?m


    Snow scoffed, she knew that he was only making things up, but while she cherished her dignity and self reliance, she didn¡¯t mind taking money from Leo either.


    The young man looked at her from the side, and moved closer to her as he said, "Snowie, do you mean to say that even if we love each other our things are all separate?"


    Snow felt guilty all of a sudden, and she turned around to clarify things to Leo, but the next moment, the young man took possession of her lips by surprise.


    They had not been intimate with each other for a long time now, and despite her silence she did miss his touch. Usually they would cuddle, but both the people were young and so, they needed more than just cuddles.


    After the kiss the scene escalated very quickly and the two went inside their bedroom.


    2000 words omitted- there are children here, you lusty people.


    After a couple of hours, Snow lay on her back as she stared blankly at the ceiling while huffing and puffing for breath. Leo lay next to her with a calm smile on his face.


    The young lady took a few minutes to calm herself, and asked, "What the heck happened to you?"


    Leo chuckled and said, "I have been working out."


    Snow turned to look at him and said, "Babe, what workout can cause such a change? Is this why you asked me to take a day off tomorrow? My legs are numb, and so is everything below my waist."


    Leo turned to look at her, and said, "It could be your charm that caused me to let loose like this, no?"


    Snow blushed faintly as she recalled what just happened. The young man smiled and tucked her hair behind her ears as he cuddled her to sleep.


    ¡­


    The next morning they all woke up, and Leo prepared a nice breakfast. He went out to check on the guards, and found Kyle talking to his team mates.


    All of them became alert quickly, and Leo waved his hand, "It¡¯s okay, relax. I just came to ask if you have clarified the security details for the day?"


    Kyle nodded and replied, "Yes, sir. We have already settled it. You don¡¯t have to worry about it."


    Leo nodded and told them to go and collect the food that was about to be delivered and eat before they leave for the day.


    Lily woke up, and she came out of the room holding an equally sleepy kitten, Momo, in her arms. Leo scooped her up and pecked her cheeks, before he asked, "Love, do you want to go to the amusement park with Ma and Baba?"


    The girl opened her eyes wide, and asked, "Really?"


    Leo chuckled at her dubious question and kissed her nose before he nodded and said, "Yes, my darling."


    Lily exclaimed, "Yayyyy!!!"


    Momo, the sleepy kitten woke up instantly and moewed in protest. Her sleep was disturbed. Lily pecked Leo¡¯s cheeks many times before she said, "I have always wanted to go to an amusement park. Finally, I can do it. I love you Baba. You are the best."


    Leo smiled dotingly at his treasure before he put her on the ground, and then helped her clean her teeth, and take a shower. He then dried her body before dressing her up, and doing her hair in a pair of pigtails.


    With Lily dressed up, Leo took a shower, after Snow, and they both got ready as well. However, while they were dressing up, and all, there was a sexual and romantic tension in the air. Snow looked radiant, and she even styled her hair, looking like the belle she was, on the other side, Leo dressed up in a white shirt and grey denim which looked surprisingly good.


    When the couple came out of the room and sat down on the dressing table, Lily kept looking at them one by one. Snow asked, "What happened, Lily? Is there something on my face?"


    Lily nodded and Snow asked cautiously, "What is it?"


    Lily replied, "You have a silly smile on your face, same like Baba. You look at each other and start smiling, are you both okay?"


    Snow and Leo were stunned, they both didn¡¯t expect to be caught by a toddler.

 Chapter 60: Lily Is A Flatterer.

    Leo and Snow shook off the subtle shame that crept up their faces, and ignored the remark. Then the family got ready for the outing, Leo carefully prepared a small bag of goodies for the girl. As they were stepping out of the door, Momo chased after them, and Lily turned to look at the kitten and said, "Momo, be good. We will be back soon."


    The kitten made a noise, and Lily sighed before she turned to look at her father and asked, "Baba, can we not take her along with us?"


    ¡¯Ping: Host, these little wishes are the challenges that will be used to judge your performance during this outing.¡¯ S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo crouched down and said, "Young Miss Lily, although we can pay a huge sum of money to take her inside the amusement park. However, you have to understand that many people in the world are allergic to animals. What if something happened to them? What if Momo got hurt? Would you like to cause trouble for others?"


    The little girl began to ponder on his words calmly before she looked at Momo and said, "Momo, I love you, but I can¡¯t take you with me. So, be a brave girl, and stay home. I will come back soon, and I will bring you treats."


    Lily coaxed Momo and then the trio went out holding hands. Lily was a bit down in the dumps, but Leo wanted Lily to understand that money was not omnipotent and that they should be mindful towards other humans.


    They got in the sedan, and moved out. One SUV followed them at a distance of ten meters, while the other team had traveled over to the amusement park beforehand to make sure that everything was alright.


    Leo was driving when his phone rang, Snow picked it up and said, "Hello."


    The person on the other side said, "Ma¡¯am, this is Percie, the tickets that President Leo asked me to arrange have been arranged. You can go inside the park and enjoy the VIP privilege."


    Snow thanked her and then disconnected the call before she checked the messages and said, "We have the tickets. Percie included for the guard as well."


    Leo nodded and said, "I wanted her to do this, I am not sure if Vincent has found anything about us. Thus, I would not take any risk."


    Snow nodded, Lily asked, "Who is Vincent?"


    Leo looked at her in the rearview mirror, and he said, "Someone who owes Baba a lot of debt."


    Lily nodded and asked, "What is debt?"


    Snow smiled and said, "Debt is when someone takes something from you on a loan."


    Lily thought for a bit and then said, "Like I gave Edilen my eraser but she did not return?"


    Snow nodded and said, "Yes, correct."


    Lily hummed and asked, "So, is this Vincent person a bad guy?"


    Leo agreed and replied, "Yes, he is a bad person."


    Lily nodded and said, "Bad people should be punished."


    Leo replied calmly as he drove through the traffic, "He will be punished, my love, and soon."


    Snow placed her hand atop his and patted it so that he could calm down. The young man took a deep breath and focused on driving the vehicle.


    ¡­


    Jock and his people were standing right outside the amusement park entrance, and one of the men asked, "I don¡¯t understand why the boss needs so much security? I mean, he looks like a calm person, why would anyone try to attack him?"


    Jock turned to look at the person and said, "Amil, there are things that you should not talk about in our line of work, don¡¯t you understand that?"


    Amil scratched the back of his head and said, "Bro, don¡¯t be like this. We all know that Boss suffered a grave tragedy and now that he is back on his feet, could it be that his old enemies would try to make a move against him? Why wait for these people to come at our doorstep? Delta team can take care of it all, can¡¯t they?"


    Jock narrowed his gaze and looked around before he asked, "So, you think that everything should be handled by the Delta team, why should the company hire you then?"


    Amil was at a loss for words, and Jock sighed, he patted the man on his shoulder and said, "Amil, from what I can tell, Boss doesn¡¯t want to just avenge himself but he wishes to destroy these people thoroughly. He is a man who savors every bit of his deeds. I have seen him handle Echo Cardinal, and I am telling you, don¡¯t cross him."


    The people nodded before one of them said, "They are here, Captain Kyle pinged."


    Continue your journey on NovelFire.C?m


    Jock nodded and said, "Take one last look, and then get ready."


    ¡­


    Leo parked the car in the parking zone then he picked up Lily in his arms and slung the supply bag over his shoulder before holding hands with Snow and walking ahead.


    The three of them wore parents and child outfits, blue denims and white round-neck t-shirts with comfortable white sneakers. They walked over to the VIP gates, and Snow took out the digital tickets. The young attendant at the gates checked the tickets, and then bowed to them slightly as she said, "Hello, Sir, Ma¡¯am, I am Vivian, and today I will be your guide. Please follow me."


    She led them through the gates, and then began to explain about the other parts of the park, before she noticed that Leo was carrying a bag. She smiled and approached him before she said, "Sir, you can hand over the bag to me, I will carry it for you."


    Leo gave her the bag, and then Vivian walked ahead before Lily beckoned to Snow, and whispered, "Can we not have a man leading us? This sister is smiling at Baba too much."


    Snow was stunned and then asked, "What is the problem with that? I am not jealous."


    Lily snorted and said, "Why would I be jealous? Baba carries me in his arms, I am his princess, not the other person. I just don¡¯t like her trying to get close to Baba. Ma, you have to protect our home."


    Leo sighed and said, "Baby, you know I can hear you, right?"


    Lily nodded confidently and said, "I know Baba, but Ma needs to protect you."


    Snow asked, "Why is that? Will someone eat your Baba?"


    Lily held Leo¡¯s face in her palms and said, "My Baba is a beauty. The people outside chase beauty."


    Leo was stunned before he laughed and embraced Lily, meanwhile Snow remarked, "Flatterer."

 Chapter 61: Amusement.

    Vivian led the family around the park, and they were given a VIP treatment. They rode the rides that were meant for Lily, as she was still not very tall so they could only ride some simple rides, but Lily enjoyed every moment.


    Her giggles kept the two adults alert and excited. After they finished one round of the trip, Vivian led them to take a small break in a rabbit farm, where Lily sat in Leo¡¯s lap and leaned on his chest.


    The young man massaged Lily¡¯s legs and arms worried if the little one got tired. After a few minutes, Lily said, "Bliss!!" as she sighed.


    Snow smiled at her antics and asked Vivian, "What is the plan now? We have already finished the kid¡¯s section, right?"


    Vivian nodded and replied, "Yes, ma¡¯am, we have finished the majority of the kid¡¯s section, and now only a couple of them are left but Young Miss Lily already refused to go on them alone.


    If you want we can go to the animal park, or perhaps catch some lunch in the Wonder Food Court. If you wish to go on rides, then you can definitely try the haunted house or the escape room."


    Lily asked with her eyes closed, "What is an escape room?"


    Vivian replied, "Young Miss, you would be sent inside a room, and the room will be locked from outside. Then you will have to use the things inside the room to find a clue if you wish to get out. If you finish the task within a couple of hours, you will get a special prize from the park, and if you broke the record, then you will get a lifetime pass which will allow you to visit the park when you wish." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lily seemed to have smelled the blood and she became a shark that was out for a hunt. She took a deep breath and said, "Yes, we will try the escape room."


    Leo sat silently in his chair, he did not say anything during this conversation, the two ladies took the lead and that was it. He smiled and stood up as he asked, "Okay, let¡¯s go there."


    The trio began moving again, surrounded by the guards. Suddenly, Leo said, "Shall we eat something before we enter the escape room? Lily will get hungry."


    Everyone nodded and they came to the food court, where Vivian got them a menu card, and everyone ate a tasty meal. The guards also ate their fill, and when they were settled, they came to a separate building. It looked like a house, but the windows were barred and grilled.


    Leo looked at the place before he said, "Let¡¯s go."


    Vivian led them forward, and told the staff there to let the people inside. Not many people use the escape room, because it was too time consuming and brain rattling.


    The staff unlocked the door and Leo entered the room with his family. The lighting inside the house was a bit dim, and Lily stuck close to Leo¡¯s chest. Snow asked, "Do you have any plans in mind?"


    Leo nodded and said, "We will need to search for the clues."


    Then the two of them began to look around the place. Everything was set up like a standard house. Snow thought for a second, and said, "The standard setting is a bit too crazy, no?"


    Lily saw a piano from the side and said, "Why do they have a piano here?"


    Leo shrugged, and Lily told him to put her down. Then she walked up to the piano and played a note.


    Dung!


    As soon as she played the note, the entrance to the room closed down, and a shutter appeared in the place of the entrance. Then the light also dimmed to almost darkness. Lily was frightened and she dashed back to Leo.


    The young man took a deep breath and patted her back as he said, "The game has started."


    Snow tapped his shoulder and pointed at the TV, where a stopwatch appeared counting the time since the challenge began. Snow took out her phone and then turned on the flash light. The light from the ceiling was too dim.


    Lily asked, "What should we do now?" Discover hidden stories at NovelFire.C?m


    Leo moved towards the piano and said, "The game started with the piano, so is there a chance that the stop trigger is also here."


    Snow looked at the room and said, "Lily, count the furniture here."


    Lily looked around and said, "One couch, one table, one book case, one single chair, one stool, one side table, and one lamp."


    Snow turned around to face Leo and they both said at the same time, "Seven notes."


    Leo played the seven notes on the piano, and the light turned bright.


    ¡­


    Outside in the monitoring room, Kyle and Vivian were watching them along with the security personnel, and Vivian said, "To think they are so smart."


    Kyle did not react, he knew that the people he served were not simple.


    ¡­


    Leo said, "One press of the key sealed the door, and then it also dimmed the light. Seven keys brought back the light. Shall I try playing them in reverse, see if the door opens?"


    Snow nodded and Leo said, "Lily, you play it."


    Lily was hesitant, after all, her play earlier caused the light to go out and the door was sealed as well. She asked, "Really?"


    Leo smiled and beckoned her over as he said, "You are my lucky star, and even if we fail, we should not be afraid."


    Leo made sure to make her feel that if she failed, it was a collective failure and not her own.


    As he said this, Lily walked over, and then she played the seven notes one by one in reverse.


    Swish!


    The sealed door was unlocked. The three of them walked out of the room together, and then Snow said, "Lily, next time¡­"


    Lily raised both her hands and said, "I am not touching anything."


    Leo chuckled and said, "Baby, don¡¯t be so scared. It is all fine now."


    ¡­


    They tried to see if the main gate opened up but it wasn¡¯t. Snow said, "I think we need to solve all the rooms one by one before we can get out of the house."


    Leo nodded and then they began to make their way from one room to the other. They first scouted the rooms and then they selected the ones with the hardest themes first, and then they moved to the easiest ones.


    They used the same logic as last time, finding the odd one out, triggering the trap, and then solving it. The people watching in the monitoring room were shocked, and they were questioning how smart these two people were to solve these things so quickly.


    After forty five minutes, they appeared outside the house, and Vivian stood there with a gift hamper. Lily was cheering, she was so happy that both her parents had to tell her to calm down.


    Then Vivian said, "Sir, Ma¡¯am, there is still an hour before the park closes, would you like to do anything else?"


    Leo asked, "Would it be possible for us to go and ride on the Ferris Wheel?"


    Vivian nodded and said, "Yes, Sir. I will arrange it right away."


    Lily asked, "Which ride is a Ferris Wheel?"


    Snow was carrying the little girl in her arms and said, "There, the big one."


    She pointed at the Ferris Wheel, and Lily said, "Baba, can I ride it too?"


    Leo nodded and replied, "Yes, you can. Did you think Baba and Ma would go on a ride alone without you?"


    Lily did not say anything and just hugged Snow. The little one was tired after playing extensively for the whole day. They came to the Ferris Wheel, and Lily raised her head to look at the giant wheel. She exclaimed, "It looked so small from a distance."


    The elders chuckled, and Vivian brought them all to the boarding area. There were a few more people who were there with their dedicated guide, but none communicated.


    Leo and Snow got inside a cabin and the door was closed automatically before it began to move, and then paused before a bell sounded inside the cabin and the ride began.


    The speed of the ride was not too much and the cabin was stable as well, however, Lily was still a bit wary and to divert her mind, Leo asked, "Snowie, remember when we had our first Ferris Wheel ride together?"


    The lady nodded and asked, "Did you think I will forget it?"


    Lily got curious and asked, "Was it fun?"


    Leo nodded and said, "That was the first time I kissed your ma."


    Snow blushed a little and retorted, "You dare say it was a kiss? You hooligan, you basically took advantage of the chance."


    Leo chuckled and replied shamelessly, "Had I missed that chance, would you still be here?"


    Snow snorted, and turned to look away. Lily asked, "Baba, don¡¯t worry, if Ma doesn¡¯t want to kiss you, Lily is here. I will kiss your cheeks forever."


    She snuggled in his chest, and Leo melted as he embraced her and said, "Yes, baby, thank you so much my darling. Baba loves you."


    Lily replied, "Lily loves Baba too."


    Snow looked at the two of them, "Would you like me to step out of the cabin?"


    The father and daughter chuckled and Leo pulled Snow in his embrace and said, "Without you, we won¡¯t exist Ma. Forgive us."


    Lily pecked Snow on her cheek and said, "I love you too."


    Snow sighed and leaned on Leo¡¯s shoulder as she said, "What do I do with you two sweet talkers."

 Chapter 62: Visiting The Sick.

    Lily hugged Leo and with the slow movement of the Ferris Wheel, she relaxed and fell asleep in his arms. Snow was sitting with her head leaning on his shoulder, when Leo asked in a hushed voice, "Snow."


    The young lady raised her head and asked with a head gesture, ¡¯What is it?¡¯


    Leo replied with a question, "Shall we hold the wedding ceremony after Vincent is done?"


    Snow smiled and nodded, as she said, "Yes."


    The two looked at each other tenderly and as the cabin reached the precipice of the ride, they kissed each other¡¯s lips and the ride continued. Lily asked, "Can you tell me what you wished for?"


    Leo shook his head and replied, "Once you tell someone the wish doesn¡¯t come true."


    Snow smiled and replied, "You finally learned. Good."


    Leo nodded as the cabin came back to the ground and they got out. Vivian saw them at the gates of the park, and when they were about to exit the park, Snow said, "Miss Vivian, I don¡¯t want to be vulgar and offer you a monetary tip, please tell me if there is something we can do for you."


    Vivian waved her hands and replied, "No, ma¡¯am, it is my job to guide the guests and I get paid enough for that. Please, don¡¯t worry about anything like this."


    Snow frowned, and she looked at Leo, who said, "Give her your number Snow, if she is ever looking for a better job, then we will help her."


    That said, Snow exchanged contact details and they got in the car. Leo was tired, and Kyle took the initiative to drive them home followed by two SUVs filled with the rest of the guards.


    Leo said, "Kyle, it has been hard on you guys these week."


    Kyle shook his head and said, "Sir, it is not hard. This was considered a dream for us after what we have seen in the past."


    Leo hummed and leaned in his seat with Lily in his arms. At this moment Kyle said, "Sir, I have something to report. Should I wait till we get home?" Experience tales at FreeNovelFire


    The young man raised his brow, and after some thought, he was about to deny, when Snow said, "Tell me, what is it?"


    Kyle looked at the rear view mirror and the young man nodded slowly before Kyle said, "Well, sir, you asked us to keep an eye on the Butterfly tech office."


    Leo hummed, and Kyle said, "We picked up a few goons who were sniffing around for your scent. They want to know who is behind the Butterfly Tech."


    Leo opened his eyes and asked, "Did you counter check them?"


    Kyle nodded and said, "They belong to the South Street Gang."


    The young man narrowed his gaze as he turned to look outside the window, the car was silent. Snow did not interfere in how Leo wanted to handle these things, because one thing she was sure about was that if anyone tried to cross him now, he would not spare them.


    As for her, she may be gentle, but she was not weak at all. The young man thought for a bit and then said, "Kyle, we will see them in the morning, if you have yet to silence them."


    Kyle nodded and said, "Sir, it is not that easy to silence people in this city. No place to hide them."


    Leo nodded and said, "I understand, I will think about this issue, because from the looks of it, we might need some grounds to put these people."


    Snow said coldly, "Kyle, do you know that ashes make good fertilizers?"


    Kyle shivered and he almost drove the car to the divider, but then he regained his composure and replied, "Yes, Ma¡¯am."


    Leo added, "Find out who they are and who will be left behind if they are silenced. Then we will decide."


    Kyle nodded as he sneakily wiped the sweat on his forehead. They all came home, Leo tucked Lily in her blanket before he stretched his limbs and said, "Snow, I am going to visit the sick."


    Snow was about to head into her room when she froze, and after a few moments, she said, "Bring them flowers so that they can feel better soon."


    Leo chuckled and embraced her from behind before he went in to change his clothes and came out dressed in black shirt and pants, and kissed Snow on the forehead.


    He came out of the house and found that Jock and his team were about to take charge. The young man said, "Jock, can you stay guard the house for a couple of hours more, I will be back soon."


    Jock and his team nodded, before Leo got in a car with Kyle and his men. Kyle asked, "Sir, where are we going?"


    Leo replied, "First People¡¯s hospital. We will pick up a bunch of black roses on the way and also have someone cover the cameras, I don¡¯t want to be seen."


    Kyle nodded and said, "Understood, Sir." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He gave a look to the people in the back row and they all gave him a thumbs up. Soon they picked up black roses from a flower shop. As they were all dressed in black, the person even told them to be strong and expressed his condolences.


    Leo and the four people arrived at the entrance of the hospital and then Kyle sent in two men to ask about Vincent Cardinal¡¯s ward number, and the other guy went to the monitoring room, where he threw a couple of cash wads, and asked the people to manipulate the system for a few minutes.


    Kyle said, "Vincent Cardinal is in the VIP ward on the fifth floor."


    Leo nodded and replied, "Good, let¡¯s go."


    He walked through the corridors. It was almost time for dinner, and there were not many people in the building. Even the staff was working on half capacity so they managed to reach the fifth floor with ease, and then Kyle said, "Room Number Six."


    Leo nodded, and as he approached the room, his aura turned cold and indifferent. Kyle was walking half a step behind him, and subconsciously took back another half a step. He has seen many situations and brutal blood shed, however, Leo gave him a vibe that did not belong to a man, but a beast that was ready to tear everything and everyone into shreds.


    ...


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 Chapter 63 63: Vincents Horror.

    The young man stood outside the door, and stopped. After a few moments, he pushed open the door and went inside the room. Vincent Cardinal was laying in a bed, with a few medical machines connected to monitor his condition. His face was pale, and his brows furrowed. Leo spoke in a low voice, "Indeed, you cannot run away from your demons, especially when you sleep."


    He walked close to the bed and then he placed the bundle of black flowers across Vincent''s chest. Then he looked at the side table and used the handle of a knife to poke the place where the saline needle was connected.


    The sharp pain made Vincent shiver and he opened his eyes. He looked around to see what caused the pain, when he froze. He saw a pale Leo looking at him with a smirk, and the latter said, "I knew you wouldn''t be incapacitated like this. The brain hemorrhage and everything else was a facade you made to save the remaining dignity of the Cardinal Group. Still relying on the tricks that my dad taught you, Vincent. You are such a parasite."


    Vincent was so shocked that he could not say anything, because in his mind, Leo Cardinal was dead, how could he come here and say such things to him? He shivered in his bed, and said, "Le..Leo, h..how?"


    Leo smiled and leaned closer to the old man as he said, "I love it when you call my name shivering in fear. Tell me Vincent, did you have fun all these years after you took control of the Cardinal Group? Did you have fun sitting on the chair my Father gave up? Did you have fun sleeping in his room, wearing his cologne and watches? Did you enjoy driving the Antelope(Car name)? Did you have fun when I delivered Echo in a coffin to you?"


    Vincent opened his eyes wide, and Leo continued to intimidate him, "Did you think I would let you go because you are a member of my family? Did you think I was still that naive and happy go lucky, Leo? Hahaha, such a fool you are, Vincy."


    His tone was akin to that of a man chatting with an old friend, but his eyes were so cold that Vincent seemed to have frozen to the core of his being. The young man did not keep on talking, he pulled the stool and sat down there as he looked at Vincent. The lighting inside the room was dim, and the air felt heavy.


    Leo looked Vincent right in the eye, and asked, "Are you thinking that perhaps you are having a nightmare?"


    Vincent nodded, and Leo used his thumb and gauded it against the saline needle, and asked, "Does it still feel like you are sleeping, dog?"


    Vincent winced, and just when he was about to yell for help, Leo stood up and gagged Vincent with the stem of the flowers. Vincent tried to protest but he sensed a strong stinging sensation coming from his mouth. Leo said, "Resist more, and the thorns will shred your mouth. Then you won''t be able to talk to anyone at all."


    Vincent froze again, but Leo chuckled and a spark of mania flashed in his eyes as he began to shake the flowers while gagging Vincent. The thorns did their job, and they left multiple light and deep gashes on the inside of his mouth.


    After a few minutes, Leo took out the bundle of flowers and then he let go and said, "Your end will be like this too Vincent, I will make you lose everything, and then I will have you give up the last thing you have, your own life. I will not kill you, but I will make you kill yourself. When the time comes, I will tell you where to do it, till then, just sit back, prepare yourself, because you can''t do anything.


    Remember what you used to call me? The Lion of the Cardinals, now, the lion is back, and he is going to hunt you, the one who left a wound on his soul.


    A wounded lion is always more dangerous than a healthy lion, Vincent. Thank you for this lesson of yours. The game has begun, happy hunting, to me."


    Leo laughed, he was akin to a maniac, he did not care about anything, at this moment, the hatred in his heart had completely occupied his being and if possible, he would have chopped up Vincent and fed his corpse to the maggots, but that would be too easy for such a parasite.


    Leo calmed down after a few minutes, and then said, "For now, goodbye, but we will meet again soon. Till then don''t die."


    Then he stepped out of the ward and closed the door behind him. Vincent took a few minutes, before he threw away the bundle of flowers and sat up on the bed. His mouth was burning and it was bleeding as well. He could not even move it, because if he did, it would ache even more.


    His eyes were brimming with fear, and his face was pale as well. He pressed the attention button and called for a nurse, as he shed sweat. His mind was a wreck and he didn''t even know what to think.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Leo and the guards got back in the car, and they left the place. Kyle thought about something and asked, "Sir, what if Vincent Cardinal tried to team up with Carole Primus?"


    Leo smiled and replied jovially, "I will simply have to destroy Carole sooner than planned, what else."


    Kyle asked, "Sir, how can you be so calm? We are already at war." sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo chuckled and replied, "The war started four years ago, and now I am ready, no matter what they have to throw, I will return it ten fold."


    With that Leo returned home and began to devise the plan to destroy Vincent Cardinal, after all, he intended to keep his word, and make Vincent suffer something worse than just lose, similar to what the latter did to his parents and him.


    ...


    Please vote with golden tickets, and Power stones. That is the only way we can rank higher. I wish to give out more chapters, and success is the best motivation, you know. Please support, thank you. Also, don''t be shy to leave comments, I value them a lot.

 Chapter 64 64: Round One.

    Leo reached back home, and found Snow reading a book while she sat on the couch. The lady asked, "Did you give him the due respect?"


    Leo nodded and said, "I even brought him black roses, you know how costly they are? Well, I still thought, I should not be materialistic and so I had him taste the stem of the flower, he said it was sweet and his mouth was red."


    Snow raised her from the book, and asked, "Aren''t we talking like a couple of psychopaths?"


    Leo shook his head and replied, "No, it is not psychotic, this is selective outrage."


    The young man sat next to his wife and the two of them cuddled with each other, and Snow asked, "What do you intend to do now? What if he mixed up with Carole?" S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo nodded and said, "Well, I do have an idea about that so tonight I will be working on a little surprise for Carole."


    Snow raised her head and then she saw Leo smirking, it was sure that this young man had come up with a plan to mess with Carole and ensure that Vincent doesn''t get any help from his old partner in crime.


    The two of them chatted for a bit and the young lady retired to her room as she had work in the morning. Leo closed his eyes, and entered the virtual realm, where he went through two tests, one was a sniper test and the other was a computer expert test.


    He managed to pass them, and came out. The time flow inside the virtual realm was ten to one. Even with so much time on his hands the young man did not manage to gain a high rank and the system acknowledged the result as B-grade.


    Leo sighed, ''System, you sure are harsh.''


    ''Ping: Host, do you think that people who stand on the picks have it easy? Some shed sweat, some shed tears, and some shed blood. If you gain everything with ease, you don''t cherish it enough and in the end the same behavior is passed to your successors. That isn''t how a father should be.''


    The young man nodded and said, "I understand."


    Then he stood up, took out his laptop and made himself a cup of coffee, before he got to work. He entered the dark net and then he fished out about Carole or Tyrant Group.


    Then he selected a few threads that were of his liking, these were all digital footprints of the Tyrant Groups tax embezzlement. Leo knew that Carole and his family were just a bunch of high class greedy dogs, and thus, they might have left something behind.


    After processing the threads, Leo compiled a fraction of the data in a mail, and then he sent it to Carole directly. Then he picked up his mobile, connected it to the laptop and dialed a number.


    The wait only increased his hatred for Carole. After a few moments, the call was disconnected, and Leo did not give up, he persistently called Carole, who was at the moment meeting with a few government officials.


    The constant ringing of his phone irritated him a lot so he tossed his phone to his right hand man, Jax, who came out of the special room, and picked up the call, asking, "Who is it?"


    On the other side of the call, Leo initiated the voice scrambler and said, "Check the mail, and I will call you back in a few minutes."


    Jax frowned, and then he thought about how the voice was scrambled, he moved back inside the room, and Carole looked at him for a second, Jax made a gesture and the person stood up and said, "Mayor, it appears that something has come up, I am thankful that you gave me some of your precious time. This meal was on me, and feel free to have fun before you go home."


    The mayor smiled and nodded as he watched Carole leave the room.


    ¡­


    Outside the room, Carole asked with a frown, "What is it?"


    Jax said, "Boss, someone asked you to check your mail."


    Carole clicked his tongue, and then Jax said, "The voice was scrambled."


    This was what ticked off the young man, and he opened his mail. The next moment, his face turned pale, and he asked, "Did the person tell anything else?"


    Jax replied, "He told he will¡­"


    As he was speaking the phone rang again. Carole picked up the call, and hurriedly asked while moving through the corridors, "Who is this? How did you get access to this information?"


    Leo replied, "Shut up, dog. If you want to die miserably, then keep on barking and I will send these files to the government. Let us see if your so-called Tyrant group and continue to stand."


    Carole fell silent again. Leo replied, "Now, do you want to live or die, decide."


    Carole was sweating already, and he said, "Live, sir."


    Leo chuckled and said, "Such a good dog. Well, from now on, if you mingle with the Cardinal group, we will take down your entire family. If you think we are just lying, then shall I list all the fake accounts that you have registered over the years to launder your black money?"


    Carole was shocked, and Leo continued, "Are you thinking why are we targeting Cardinal Group? They offended our dignity. That fucker Echo, he called our group a clown show, and now he is rotting in some corner of a hospital morgue alone. Humph, motherfucking son of a pig. Now do you understand what I asked you to do?"


    Carole was shocked once more upon knowing that Echo was dead. He replied, "I understand, I will not mingle with the Cardinals at all, just leave me alone."


    Leo scared this idiot even more, "If you tried to back track me, I will know and then you won''t survive, even if you saw me before yourself. So, mind your actions. Do what you want to do, but don''t try to make a move, or I''ll know."


    The call was disconnected and followed by this came a text, "I warned you because you are not my enemy, but you are not my friend either, I want twenty million ren, transfer them in this account, 5664XXX88 by tomorrow morning, or¡­"


    Carole clenched his fist and wanted to flung his phone when he recalled that the account number was on his phone. He made a call to his secretary, and said, "Jen, I want to dump all the stocks of the Cardinal group first thing when the market opens. Do you understand?"


    The secretary replied positively and then Carole used his phone to call another number and told them to pass on twenty five million ren to the spoken account number and not to run any enquiries. He sent five million extra as a sign of goodwill and to show that he was willing to lower his stance as long as the people did not harm him.


    After he was done, a few minutes later, a message came in, "Good doggie."


    Carole finally smashed his phone against the ground and yelled, "Fuck you! Bastard! Arghh, you better not come before me!"


    Jax was surprised and asked, "Young Master, what happened?"


    Carole turned around and glared at Jax as he said, "What would happen? It is all because of that bastard Echo Cardinal and that wastrel whoring father of his. I almost got into a big mess."


    Jax looked around, before they began to chat.


    ¡­


    Leo looked at the number flashing on his laptop screen, and chuckled before he created a blockade and then rerouted the money to his account. Then he went to the stock market, and reserved all the stocks for the Cardinal Group. He knew that Carole would dump them all because he listened to his conversation with his secretary.


    Well, he was not foolish to trust his enemy. He also used the money of his enemy to fund his own campaign. As for the five million, Leo decided to give them to Symphony and her mother.


    In the morning, the young man woke up and finished his routine. As he came back to the house, he saw that the guards were also sparring with each other.


    He asked, "Kyle, can I join you guys for a spar?"


    Kyle was surprised and then he hesitated, but Leo said, "It is alright, don''t worry, I have trained."


    Kyle nodded and then the two of them took positions five meters away from each other and Kyle said, "Sir, first contact calls for a stop."


    Leo nodded, it meant that as soon as one of them makes light contact, the match is over. He raised his fists and placed his right fist under his chin while the left was slightly ahead of it.


    The guards saw this and exchanged gazes, because at least in terms of posture, Leo had nailed it. Kyle shot a punch and Leo stayed still, he saw that Kyle didn''t take a step and was trying to intimidate him, but as the latter retrieved his fist, Leo advanced and threw a jab of his own. Kyle was caught off guard and the fist stopped two inches away from his nose.


    Leo smiled and took a step back, "I won the first round."


    This remark covered a broader context, the spar, and also the battle with Vincent and Carole.


    Kyle took a deep breath and asked, "Sir, ready for round two?"


    Leo nodded and said, "I thought you''d never ask."

 Chapter 65 65: Kill Or Not To Kill...

    The young man finished sparring with Kyle and went back inside the house. Although the two of them always stopped when they were about to make contact because they didn''t have any protection gear.


    However, Kyle was surprised that after a best of seven rounds, he was only able to win four. This was a close competition. None of the people expected such a thing, Leo didn''t come across as a fighter to them, despite his lean muscles, his behavior had always been of a person who relied on pen then a sword.


    Leo came back inside the house, and he found a small head peeking at him from the brim of the door of her room. He asked, "Love, what are you looking at?"


    Lily walked over slowly and said, "Baba, you are so strong. You can fight with that tough Uncle Kyle."


    Leo smiled and crouched down before her, however, he didn''t rush to hug her as he was covered in sweat. He asked, "Do you like it that Baba is strong?"


    Lily nodded and then she looked down at her toes and asked, "Baba, can I also become strong?"


    Leo was surprised then asked, "You want to learn boxing?"


    Lily nodded, and Leo said, "Well, before we teach you boxing, we will have to train your stamina. It will be very boring, baby. Are you sure?"


    Lily nodded and replied, "I won''t be bored if Baba teaches me."


    Leo smiled and then he patted her head gently and said, "Okay, we will talk with your mother, and if she agrees then we will train you."


    The young lady nodded and then she followed him with a skip in her step. Then she hopped in the bed, and Leo went inside the shower. Lily climbed over Snow and hugged her tight.


    Snow woke up and hugged her daughter back as she asked, "Why am I being love bombed so hard right in the morning?"


    Lily smiled and said, "I saw Baba fighting with Uncle Kyle, he was so strong. He said if you allow it, he will teach me as well, I am so excited. Ma, can you please say yes?"


    Snow smiled a little and remarked, "So, this hug is a bribe. When did you learn such a tactic, little miss?"


    The two of them frolicked around and Leo came out of the washroom. He was dressed in a business suit and Snow sat up in the bed with Lily in her arms. She asked, "Are you going to work today?"


    Leo nodded and said, "I cannot bring down Vincent from here." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He did not tell her that he was going to meet with the goons of the South Street gang to look into him. They had been captured by the security team and it was time he met with them.


    Also, he was not lying either, he did wish to go to the office and see how Percie Hibiscal will work today.


    Snow nodded and said, "Well, that is fine, just be careful and don''t skip meals."


    Leo nodded and he walked over to the two of them. He sat down at the edge of the bed, and asked, "Shall I train Lily?"


    Snow looked at the little girl and said, "Yes, it is fine for you to train her but make sure she is not too tired or injured."


    Leo nodded and replied, "I understand, don''t worry."


    Then he leaned in to kiss Snow on her forehead and then kissed Lily on her cheeks as he hugged her. He said, "Snow, I will arrange someone to channel a sum of Five Mil to the Rouge family under my company name. Get me their details. Since Carole doesn''t need them, I will keep them as important cards in the deck."


    Snow raised her brow and Leo chuckled as he said, "I got the money from Carole himself, think of it as me holding him at the tip of my finger."


    The young lady was shocked and then she said, "I am sure that he is not aware that it was done by you or he would have puked some of his black blood."


    Lily raised her head and asked, "What is black blood?"


    Leo knew that this question was out of his syllabus and he handed over the little girl to his wife and walked out of the room.


    He came out just in time to meet with Jock and his team amidst a shift change. Leo asked, "Jock, do you know where the goons of the south street are being held?"


    The man nodded and Leo said, "Good, lead me over to see them, and the rest of you follow the usual routine. However, from now on, be extra vigilant, the enemy can try anything. Alright?"


    The guards nodded and then Leo left the house. Jock drove the car as Leo sat in the passenger seat. The young man took out the cell phone and was about to call Percie Hibiscal when he realized something.


    He quickly moved through the folders, and found the file that was titled, Vincent Cardinal. This folder was obtained from Echo''s phone.


    With great curiosity, Leo opened the folder and he found there to be a few documents and a few video files. The young man looked through all the documents, these were the evidence of tax fraud, quality issues, and even bribes.


    Leo ignored them and moved over to look through the videos, one of them recorded Vincent meeting with a politician and offering him bribes to get a project. The young man frowned, these all were just things that could get Vincent Cardinal cancelled by the rest of the world, and probably a few years in prison but that was not enough.


    Leo wanted him to suffer even worse, after killing Echo, he realized that it was still too easy. Killing an enemy left a void in his heart, and they didn''t suffer enough.


    While thinking about it, Leo played the last video, and the content made his killing intent soar.


    ...


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 Chapter 66 66: Tick-tock.

    Leo watched the video and Jock shivered on the side. In the video, Vincent was talking to Carole Primal and they were happy that the plan was executed so cleanly and following how the couple ended up in the hospital.


    However, suddenly, Vincent said, "Growing up I used to hear stories about how tenacious Chistopher was as a child. Looks like they did have some truth to it."


    Carole chuckled and said, "Cockroaches are often tenacious. What is so great about that?"


    Then they found out about Leo looking for Vincent to help his parents. Only Vincent had the money that was needed to operate on his parents. His own savings could not be mobilized at that time, however, Vincent just played helplessly saying he gave up all the money to Christopher to buy the stocks in the company.


    Leo was made to kneel before Carole to gain some money but by the time he could even meet Carole, his parents had left the world. The young man didn''t even have the money to arrange for a funeral, and sold his mother''s jewelry, the things that she wore during the accident.


    The rage caused Leo''s eyes to turn red, Jock said, "Sir, we are here."


    Leo tore his gaze away from the mobile screen and then found himself at the familiar abandoned factory. Jock said, "After the last time, master Mark got this place."


    Leo nodded as he got out of the car and walked inside the facility. Unlike the last time, the facility was clean and it had better illumination.


    In the same exact spot where Echo was tied, three men were tied to chairs, they were also stripped naked and five men were watching over them.


    Leo raised his brow and asked, "Jock, who are these people?"


    Jock replied, "Sir, they are the backup division. They were sent over by the Taskmaster, they are old soldiers of the Clover nation so they are not under as much scrutiny as we are."


    Leo nodded and asked, "Did they squeak?"


    Jock looked at the person who was handling the issue here, and said, "Game." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Game was a strong built man, he stepped forward and said, "Captain, they aren''t professionals, just some goons. I got the basic details here. The enemy can be easily handled."


    Leo shook his head and said, "Game, I don''t doubt your skills or your means, but I have always learned that a dragon has to be wary of a local snake. Tell me about them first."


    Game nodded, and then he said, "Sir, the South Street Gang is run by a young man, Simon Silence, everyone calls him Young Master, and he is a very cunning young man. Ever since the gang was formed, he had never been booked by the cops. All the operations are commanded by him, and he disciplines his people well. His father used to be a magistrate, and his mother is critically ill.


    The young man actually had some beef with the old thug of the southern slums, and after beating him in a fair fight, Simon Silence was acknowledged by many. Over the past two years, he managed to sit down with a few bosses and then they all began to run errands for them.


    After two years, they began to collect small protection money from the Southern shopping streets and they cleared the clutter of the place. They have quite a reputation for the fact that they are all goons. You can call it fear or respect, but the people don''t say many bad things about them. They are not financially very strong, and Simon Silence is the only one among them who ever saw the college."


    Leo nodded and said, "Arrange a meeting with this Simon Silence, if he comes peacefully, fine, if he doesn''t bring him to me. Okay?"


    Jock gestured to Game, who replied, "Alright, Sir. I will get it done."


    That said, Leo looked at the three men and said, "Cover them up, the weather is getting colder, and feed them properly."


    Game nodded and Leo left with Jock. They didn''t know what Leo was thinking about, but they agreed to him as long as he didn''t put himself in danger.


    ¡­


    The car then moved around the city and came to the western finance district where the Monarch Tower was located. (Correct me if the direction is messed up.)


    Leo went inside the office, and he noticed the guards standing alert. The atmosphere was calm, and it lacked the previous harmony, ever since the demolition took place.


    Such things can''t be pushed, and it would take some time for them to resume the flow here. The young man took a deep breath and after a few minutes, he appeared in the lobby before Percie Hibiscal''s office and sat down on the couch.


    The secretary noticed him and immediately informed the lady. Percie came over quickly and asked, "President, why are you sitting here? My chair is your chair. Please sit inside."


    Leo was surprised by this sudden warmth, and he nodded before following her inside the office, he thought, ''System, what is her loyalty status?''


    ''Ping: Host, Percie Hibiscal is 82% loyal towards you.''


    Leo thought about it and asked, "How is the acquisition process going?"


    Percie replied, "By lunch hour, you will have almost 90% equity in the Cardinal Group. The rest is reserved for the high level employees according to the company by laws."


    Leo nodded as he was aware of it, and said, "Who is your best cleaner, and repair staff?"


    Percie Hibiscal was surprised and asked, "President, you want me to place my people in the higher positions?"


    Leo nodded and said, "I believe in the skill you have shown, and I know that while you still have some ideas, as long as I am bringing in profit, you won''t rebel. So, it is not a problem to have your people manage my property."


    Percie Hibiscal nodded, she had been told that while she was a good general, Leo was still the King. He had been silent about everything she had been doing this whole time, however, he wasn''t ignorant.


    Leo took out his phone and said, "I will be using your computer station, also can you have them create an office for me on the R&D floor? I want to try and make my own products."


    Percie was surprised and said, "You can have an office here."


    Leo shook his head and replied calmly, "Too inefficient in information exchange."


    Percie sighed and nodded, while Leo plugged the mobile to the computer, and then sent a folder to Eldin Stein, before he picked up his mobile and called the person.


    He said, "Miss Stein, I want you to fan the flames. Okay?"


    The lady understood what was going on and agreed to get results. One copy of the evidence was sent to the relevant authorities as well. It was time for a huge explosion in Angkor City.


    ¡­


    Please vote with golden tickets and power stones. Only with your support can the book gain higher rankings. Thank you for your support these days, I will start working harder as I feel better.

 Chapter 67 67: Starry Skies.

    The package Leo sent to Eldin Stein caused the lady to suck in a cold breath as she sweated. The folder contained shocking information about Vincent Cardinal, the business mogul who was recently admitted to the hospital because he suffered a hemorrhage after his son died.


    However, from the content, it was sure that not only the son, even the father might die if he found this information circulating in the world outside.


    She quickly got to work, there was a big section of people who had been making a living by producing conspiracy theories and capital criticism, so she found the most reliable one among them and asked this person to broadcast the content of the package on the web. She also arranged for many high profile streams to join the stream and gather as many eyes as possible.


    The broadcast began, and a bespectacled man appeared on the screen of many people, he said, "Hello, everyone welcome to the Corrupt World streaming channel. Usually we come up with the conjectures of how the Capitalists are screwing with us, however, today we have been blessed with something that not only proves that our world is corrupt, but also how close the corruption is to us."


    The man took a brief pause, and looked at the comments before he said, "I am not lying you stupid people. If I had no evidence in my possession would I be inviting the big hosts to sit and give their opinions about the entire facade?


    Please welcome Miss Yaya, the queen of folk singers, and Mister Brotha Alvin, the car connoisseur¡­" S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The introduction went on, the top streams from basically all the sections were present there, and they all joined in the stream. The platform combined the streams of these seven people together, and all the viewers could see who was talking.


    The bespectacled man said, "I am Amore, your host for the day, and now we can unveil the evidence to back our thoughts. Corruption comes from men, and the man we are going to talk about today is Vincent Cardinal.


    Yes, the one who was recently in the news because of his son''s murder. Well, you all should be aware that Echo Cardinal was accused of operating underground rinks of drugs, prostitution and even extortions.


    The whole world was sympathizing with Vincent Cardinal thinking that his son had become a stainful existence that demeaned the legacy of late Mister Christopher Cardinal.


    Then we sympathized about the bizarre fashion in which Vincent found out about the death of his son. The extent was so much that even some of my viewers wanted to send him flowers, well, I am glad I didn''t, why? See for yourself."


    Multiple digital prints of the documents that proved the money laundering done by Vincent Cardinal and Echo Cardinal were showcased on the screen for everyone to see. Other than that, a few video clips were also made public, and with such big evidence, the people erupted.


    ¡­


    Leo was sitting in the temporary office set up in the research and development department. He was following the trending topics on the internet while writing a code. The value of the Cardinal group stocks began to plummet and Leo kick started the frenzy buying scheme.


    He only stopped at noon, and Percie Hibiscal called him on the intercom, "President, congratulations on regaining the possession of the Cardinal Group."


    Leo nodded calmly and said, "However, the battle isn''t done yet. Have the police taken any action?"


    Percie Hibiscal nodded and said, "They have, I had Fragrance track the progress and she is using her contacts as we speak."


    Leo raised his brow and asked, "She has contacts now? I thought we hired a brilliant rookie."


    Percie Hibiscal smiled and said, "Sir, she is rather formidable when it comes to her tasks. Don''t be fooled by those dimple cheeks, she is a blade that cuts without drawing blood."


    Leo chuckled and said, "Well, I am taking off, you carry on with the technicalities of the share transfer process."


    That said, he disconnected the call and left the company with Jock. He was going to pick up Lily from the school. The trio then came back home, and while on the way, Lily said, "Baba, you know there are so many stars in the sky."


    Leo looked at her and nodded as he said, "Yes, there are many stars in the sky. Did you learn about stars in school today?"


    Lily nodded and said, "Yes, and Miss Verse asked us to draw a painting. She said we can take help from our parents."


    Leo smiled and said, "Okay, then do you have colors to paint?"


    Lily thought for a bit and said, "I do have crayons. Will they work?"


    The young man sighed, he has again missed out on something essential for children. He said, "We will go to the supermarket and buy you some colors."


    Lily clapped her hands and said, "Yay!!"


    Children loved colors, doodling could be seen as an exercise that improved their fine motor skills, boosted confidence, promoted creativity and last but not the least, self expression. To think that he wanted to be an almighty father and his daughter was lacking the basic tools she needed to do this.


    ¡­


    In the supermarket, Leo had Lily stand in the shopping cart and then they made a round to the stationery aisle and they bought a lot of things, canvas, drawing books, crayons, pencil colors, acrylics, fine quality brushes, and color pallets. Lastly he bought a big color case so that all the things that Lily wanted to use would be stored neatly as well. One thing that Leo made sure was that the colors were toxin free.


    ''Ping: Host, you have bought your daughter the first set of expression tools, colors. You are rewarded with the shares of Pixel Studios, this small studio often produces animated movies that are loved by children and are focused towards teaching them some good manners.''


    They came home, Leo served Lily some food, and then Lily took a nap with Leo sitting in the living room and spending an hour of training in the virtual realm. Since he had the time, he might as well use it to grow stronger.


    ¡­


    When he woke up an hour later, he sighed, Leo was shocked, numb by the amount of knowledge that was present in this world and how he, who claimed to be a literate person, didn''t know shit. He made himself a cup of coffee and went to check if Lily had woken up and he found her to be brushing Momo.


    After a few minutes, he asked, "Lily, ready to paint?"


    Lily nodded and then the duo began to set up a canvas with Lily sitting on the stool with colors beside her on the table. The girl asked, "Baba, where do I begin?"


    Leo smiled and said, "What comes to your mind when you think of the starry sky?"


    Lily thought for a bit and said, "I think of stars that I used to watch from the window of your room in the old place."


    Leo then began to guide on how to create the outline of the idea that she had, and then he taught her how to color. Maybe it was the teaching buff that he had gained earlier when teaching Lily how to play the piano that he was able to get through her and she managed to compose a decent painting for a toddler.


    The back of a little girl''s head was illuminated under the starlight. The young man took a deep breath and said, "Well, Lily, this is a wonderful painting. Now all you have to do is to sign your name on it."


    Lily thought about it and said, "Baba, everyone writes their name, so boring. I want to draw a lily. Is that fine?"


    Leo nodded and then taught her how to do it, and Lily painted a flower on the bottom right corner. Leo smiled and clapped his hand as he said, "Let''s leave it to dry, go and wash your hands."


    Lily left and Leo picked up a pencil before he began to mention the date and time when the picture was completed on the back of the canvas.


    Then he carefully placed the canvas on the side of the room before he went outside in the living room again. Lily came back to sit beside him and asked, "Baba, what are we going to do now?"


    The young man thought for a minute and said, "We can do what you want us to do love. What do you want to do?"


    The door of the house was pushed open and Snow walked in, Leo stood up to get her some water and the trio sat on the couch. Lily said, "How about we watch the stars tonight?"


    Leo and Snow looked at each other, before they agreed and a system ping sounded, ''Ping: Host, ensure that your daughter enjoys the star gazing. Reward: Space Travel Box.''


    Leo raised his brow and he was shocked.


    ...


    Please vote with golden tickets and power stones. Only with your support can the book gain higher rankings. Thank you for your support these days, I will start working harder as I feel better.

 Chapter 68 68: Starry Sky.

    Leo stood up from the couch and said, "Snow, can you handle dinner? I will go and prepare the backyard for stargazing."


    Snow nodded and then she said, "I will make some snacks for the night as well."


    Lily stood up and looked at the two of them. Snow asked, "What are you looking at, Kiddo?"


    The little girl said, "I am thinking if I should help Ma, or Baba."


    Leo smiled and said, "Well, Baba is heading out to buy a few things, so you can help Me till I come back and then lend me a helping hand. Okay?"


    Lily nodded quickly and then she dropped Leo to the gate and went in to help Snow. The young man got in the car, and Jock insisted on accompanying him.


    Leo was scrolling through his phone when Jock said, "Sir, the meeting with Simon Silence has been arranged. That guy invited us to the pub on the south street."


    Leo shook his head and said, "I burned that pub, I am not interested in going there. Call him to a nice restaurant at noon."


    Jock nodded, the two people came to the supermarket and quickly Leo grabbed a couple of inflatable mattresses, and anti-skid bed sheets. Then he also got some snacks, a bottle of wine, and glass lanterns.


    Then he loaded the stuff in the car and headed back home. On the way he received a call from Percie, who said, "President, all the share transfer documents have been signed and notarized. You now own the Cardinal Group. Mister Vincent holds a thirty percent equity but that is all."


    Leo nodded, and said, "Send someone to him, and say, that we will buy the stocks off his hands and give him the money that he needs to hire a lawyer for his trials. Since you are working so hard, Miss Hibiscal, I will allow you to hold five percent of the equity of the company, given that you fish out the money to buy it all."


    Percie fell silent for a moment, and then said, "Five percent seems a bit too less, no?"


    Leo chuckled and replied, "Greed is not a good thing, Miss Hibiscal. The offer stands till the morning, think about it, and then decide."


    Percie Hibiscal sighed and disconnected the call. Jock asked, "Sir, why are you giving her the equity?"


    Leo smiled and replied, "Jock, this woman is very ambitious, and unless she sees any profit, she will not put in the work to revive the dwindling Cardinal Group. This is a bait that I have thrown so that she can put in some extra effort. Damage control is not an easy thing."


    Jock nodded, he didn''t understand business, and what seemed like a big amount of equity at the moment, it was just a drop in the ocean compared to what Butterfly group would become in the future. Leo didn''t want to revive Cardinal Group, but he wanted to rebrand it, the same old integrity wrapped in a new foil.


    They reached home, Jock and another guard helped him unload the stuff from the back of the car. Leo went inside the house to check what the Mother and Daughter duo were doing.


    He found Lily playing the piano with Momo resting on the hood of the instrument, and Snow was working in the kitchen seemingly cleaning up after the dinner prep.


    He sighed and said, "I didn''t think it would take me that long. You are already done cooking the food."


    Snow smiled and replied, "I have longer experience of working in the kitchen than you."


    Leo smiled and nodded, the system didn''t make him a know-it-all. To become better he had to practice and gradually he would grow stronger.


    He said, "While Lily is playing the music, I will go out to set things up."


    The young man came to the backyard, and used an inflator pump to fill the mattress with air, before setting it up on the ground. He then covered the mattresses with the sheet and went back in to grab a few cushions, before finally lighting up the lanterns and set them up around the garden to illuminate the place a bit.


    Snow came out and smiled after watching the set-up. Then she said, "Come in, let us eat first."


    Leo nodded and then he moved inside the house with her. The dinner didn''t last long, and then they brought Lily out. The little girl opened her mouth wide, and she cheered, "Yay!! So, pretty!! Baba, I love it."


    Snow smiled and said, "Then thank Baba, he worked hard to set this up."


    Lily hugged Leo''s leg and said, "Thank you, Baba. I love you."


    Leo smiled and patted her head gently before they sat down on the mattresses and lay down on their backs to watch the stars. Lily asked Leo, "Baba, why are they all big and small?"


    Leo replied, "The distance. It is just like how some buildings close to us look bigger, while the ones farther look small. The stars that look bigger are closer than the smaller ones."


    Lily thought for a bit and remarked, "They must be very far to look so small."


    Leo nodded, and then he began to show her the constellations. The little girl found it very fascinating how stars connected to each other and formed shapes.


    Gradually while watching stars, Lily fell asleep, and Leo went inside to bring over some quilts to cover her up. The wind at night was slightly colder, and he didn''t want the girl to catch a cold. Snow complained and said, "Well, who is getting me a blanket?"


    The young man chuckled and picked up the wine bottle from the side, and two glasses. He said, "I won''t get you a quilt, but have some wine."


    The two of them had drinks, and chatted in a soft voice, about the things they have been doing lately and the topics switched from one to another, suddenly, Snow asked, "What do you think is going on to happen with Vincent?"


    Leo replied, "What he is destined to suffer, what else?"


    Snow shook her head and replied, "I was thinking if you would handle it on your own." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo denied shaking the head and replied, "No, I am not a demon. He will suffer humility and also the right punishment that he deserves."


    The night moved on slowly as the couple sat there watching the sky filled with stars. A notification sounded in his mind, ''Ping: Host, the commercial space travel box has been rewarded to you, claim it when you wish.''

 Chapter 69 69: Little Goblins Day At Work.

    The next morning, Leo woke up and dropped Lily to school before heading to his office. He went directly to the office of the Technology Head, Rama Kashyap. The latter had just come in for work and was having a cup of coffee. Upon seeing Leo he offered him a cup and asked, "Good Morning, President, do you want anything?"


    Leo nodded and questioned, "Can you tell me your opinion on commercial space travel?"


    Rama Kashyap was surprised by the sudden question and then he said, "While I do think it will be a life changing experience for many, the research required to realize this tech would take a long time and a lot of money as well."


    Leo nodded and replied, "I understand, your point is valid." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rama Kashyap then asked, "What made you ask this all of a sudden?"


    Leo replied with a smile, "Well, I was sitting in the backyard watching the stars with my daughter and wife. That gave me an idea. So, I thought about exploring this direction."


    Rama Kashyap smiled and said, "Spending time with children can indeed give us a lot of ideas."


    The young man nodded and retreated back to his office where he opened up the computer and began working quickly. He was copying the program from his mind. The program would allow the company to make a better processor chip for the future products and since he had complete secrecy enabled on his system, he could prepare the programs for space travel as well.


    Leo was ambitious, he wanted his daughter to see the beauty of the world from the widest point of view. Growing up his parents instilled him with the values to be kind to the world. The young man wanted to be a good father, and wanted to give his daughter the same values that his parents gave him.


    He wrote the code very quickly and then he went to pick Lily from the school. Jock parked the car outside the school and said, "Sir, we found out about someone named Carlos Elliot trying to find out about you."


    Leo raised his brow and asked, "Who is this guy?"


    Jock took out the information on his phone and showed it to Leo. The young man was surprised and said, "I didn''t expect this guy to be dragging on for so long. What do you think we should do Jock?"


    Jock replied calmly, "We should crush everyone who holds ill-will towards us."


    Leo chuckled and said, "Had it been so simple the world would be barren of the human race. Well, this guy seems to be doing all this because he holds a grudge that I humiliated him for not teaching his son well. If I go and destroy him for such a small issue then it would make me look petty, however, if he tries to reach more than his worth, we shall let him know what power is."


    Jock nodded and replied, "I will tell someone to give him the message. Shall I handle this myself?"


    Leo agreed as he opened the door and went out to pick up Lily. Miss Verse greeted Leo with a smile and said, "Sir, the painting that Lily submitted today has gained a lot of praise from the fellow teachers, so on the behalf of the school, I would like to recommend that you cultivate her art skills."


    Leo thanked her and assured that he would do what''s best for his daughter, and at the same time he took back the canvas from Miss Verse and brought Lily over to the car. The little girl greeted Jock and asked, "Uncle Jock, why are you and Uncle Kyle not together? Why do I see him and you at separate times?"


    Jock smiled and replied, "Young Miss, Kyle works different shifts, and so you see him later than me."


    Lily pouted and said, "The world of adults sure is tricky to understand."


    The young man smiled and Lily said, "Baba, tomorrow I will go to work with you."


    Leo was surprised and asked, "What do you mean by going to work with me?"


    Lily replied while looking outside the window, "Miss Verse said that we have to go to visit where our parents work and then write an essay on our observations."


    Leo nodded and said, "Okay, then tomorrow we will go there."


    Lily hummed as she began to sing a nursery rhyme. They came home, took a nap, and then moved to stream an episode of ceramic sculpting. Today, the piano was on a break and the people liked the pair of father and daughter working together making sculptures.


    The night passed quickly and in the morning, the two of them dressed up in matching attires again, Leo took her to his office. Lily wore a pink dress with a grey flower embroidered on it. The young man wore a blush pink colored shirt and paired it with grey pants, and black shoes.


    Snow looked at the two of them and asked, "Love, why does it feel like you both have purposefully matched your entire wardrobes?"


    Lily and Leo exchanged gazes and then shook their heads. Snow narrowed her gaze and the two looked away from her. As if Snow couldn''t if the Daughter and Father pair were head over heels for each other. She sighed and said, "I want dresses to match yours as well, or you can forget about me cooking the blueberry cake this sunday."


    The two people coaxed her and then they went out after wishing the lady a good day. Snow watched them with a silly grin on her face and she shook her head before heading inside to get ready for her own job.


    ¡­


    Leo and Lily arrived outside the Monarch Tower, and the young man held her hand leading her inside as he explained about the place and the things they do over there.


    Lily was certainly fascinated and well attended to. The employees realized that she was the President''s daughter, and they began to volunteer to show her around the various sections.


    After every few minutes, some young women from staff would offer her a treat, and the little girl would compliment her and pocket it.

 Chapter 70 70: At Work With Daddy.

    Leo had not even brought Lily to his office yet, when the girls from the sales and marketing team flocked around and gifted her with candies. Lily was shocked and then she inched closer to Leo before looking at him in askance.


    The young man smiled and nodded. Lily began to accept the candies and her inherited skills came into play, to every girl she would say, "Thank you, pretty sister."


    The endearing term of Pretty Sister, was something very well received and they all rained her with compliments. After a few minutes, he said, "Ladies, if you would, I have to show her all the other places as well."


    The tide of beauty receded and Leo then took Lily around while telling her the various things the people did in different departments. At the same time, he guided her on how to take notes. Although she was slow, she did not miss out on anything that Leo taught her.


    Then after a brief tour of the testing center in the office, Leo led her to the Research & Development department. The people here were all nerds and they spent most of their time in front of the computer, and their fingers created chaotic music.


    Lily looked at the rows of people, and holding the pencil in her hands she began to count, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine¡­"


    She counted up to twenty and asked, "Baba, what are these uncles and aunts doing?"


    Leo smiled and replied, "When we create something new, we have to test a lot of things, these uncles and aunties are testing those new things."


    Lily was surprised and asked, "Why is it necessary to test? On the floor before this, they were throwing that silver thing around, and drowning it and putting it in machines. You said that was testing as well."


    Leo chuckled and said, "I will tell you, come."


    He was leading her to his office, when the sound of high heels caused him to turn around and look at the source. The person approached quickly and said, "Good Morning, President Leo."


    Leo sighed and replied, "Good morning to you as well, CEO Hibiscal."


    Lily recognized Percie and said, "Good morning, Aunty Percie."


    Percie smiled and greeted her back before taking out an orange candy from her pocket. She then looked at Leo and said, "I understand that you don''t wish to interfere too much in the operations, but this company is still yours. The employees here would agree with me when I say that you have made a significant impact in our lives. The wages we all earn are the highest in the market.


    We have enough rewards, you have given us all the taste of what it feels like to work in a healthy environment. We can finally finish on time and go back home to our families. This is all thanks to you, since you have done so much for us, it is only decent for us to reciprocate the gesture. My office is yours."


    Leo wanted to refuse when Percie said, "All the things that you used as a decoration have been placed in my office. I will be sitting here from now on."


    The young man thought for a bit and sighed as he replied, "Fine, you all boss me around."


    Lily pouted and said, "Baba, are they bullying you?"


    Leo chuckled and picked up his little darling in his arms and Percie said, "Sweetie, your Baba is the big boss here, how dare we bully him."


    Lily was surprised, but then she nodded, and said, "Baba, I want to see your office."


    Leo nodded and then after introducing her with Rama Kashyap the young man went upstairs to the top floor. The entire office had been redecorated in a hurry, and only the table decoration had been swapped along with the computer system.


    The rest of the office seemed very monotonous, and Lily frowned as she asked, "Baba, why is this place so gloomy."


    Leo was surprised and asked, "Then what do you suggest we do to make it bright?"


    Lily thought for a bit and said, "Can I do it for you?"


    Leo nodded and then asked, "What do you need? Baba will get it for you."


    Lily shook her head and said, "I will have Auntie Percie help me, you come and see the place in the evening."


    Leo was surprised when the system notified, ''Ping: Host, your daughter intends to decorate your office for you, allow her a free hand. This is a gesture of care from your daughter, and only when you allow her to be herself will she learn to be a better person. Reward: Fifty percent stake in Utopia Research Center.''


    Leo smiled and pecked Lily on the cheek and said, "Good baby, you can ask Auntie Percie for help, and stay with her. However, make sure that you eat well at noon."


    Leo nodded and suddenly saluted him. Leo called for Percie and then asked Jock to select two of the best and the most trustful guards from the office security to guard Lily. Jock was quick to arrange the details and as he did this, he reminded Leo, "Sir, we have a meeting arranged with Simon Silence."


    Leo narrowed his gaze and agreed to the young man before he looked at Percie and said calmly, "I will leave Lily in your care, I will be back as soon as possible, don''t let her out of your sight, and get her whatever she wants."


    Percie nodded and said, "Don''t worry, President, my words earlier were not empty claims."


    Leo nodded and then left the office with Jock, but his heart wasn''t settled. He called Snow from outside his office, and said, "Can you come over to see Lily? I have to meet someone and it isn''t safe for her."


    Snow replied in affirmative and said that she was leaving right away. She didn''t have any classes today, and the result had been distributed already so the students took a day off as well. Leo informed Percie about Snow''s status and the former agreed to wait for her.


    ¡­


    Leo and Jock were in a car going around the city, it took them half an hour to reach the designated place of meeting, and Leo received a text from Snow that she had reached the office as well.


    The young man let out a sigh of relief and then he looked at Jock, as he asked, "Did you scout the place?"


    Jock nodded and replied, "It''s clean, our men are inside."


    Leo got out of the car and put on a mask. Jock followed and entered the place called, "Harmony Teahouse."


    The young man remarked, "Quite ironic, don''t you think?"


    Jock smiled and then they walked inside. Inside the entire teahouse only one person was sitting with his gaze fixed at a glass of ice tea. Leo walked over, and the young man raised his gaze to look at the newcomer.


    Leo confidently sat down across the young man and asked, "Simon Silence?"


    His voice was a bit muffled because of the mask. Simon Silence nodded faintly and asked, "What''s with the mask?" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo replied, "Just an aversion to show you my face."


    Simon Silence frowned for a moment and asked, "May I ask why have you called me here?"


    Leo replied calmly, "Simply because I wanted to see who has the guts to walk inside my company and damage my place."


    Simon stretched his hand on the table and leaned forward as he cockily asked, "What do you intend to do?"


    Leo smiled, and as if he had practiced for a million times, he picked up a button knife from the spoon stand and then holding it in reverse he stabbed it between Simon Silence''s fingers.


    Simon was shocked, and so was Jock, he was ready to take a step ahead when Leo took back the knife and said, "Mister Silence, just now, I didn''t miss. What you did was business, and what I did was vengeance. If you are trying to start a war, then I assure you, all your men and then you would be put six feet under very quickly.


    I don''t wish to spill blood, so simply speaking, I called you here to give you a chance. I wonder if you would like to hear about it."


    The confidence and composure displayed by Leo caused Simon to feel uneasy. He had always thought he was calm and cruel but this man, who dared to attack at the slightest provocation and exploited the slightest error made by the opponent, this man gave him a scare. Simon didn''t show it but his back was covered in cold sweat.


    He said, "I am listening."


    Leo nodded and said, "From now on, start a security company, I will give you the funds to register the company, your men are strong but they are unruly, if you wish to live well, then do well."


    Simon and Jock were surprised, they did not understand what Leo intended to do here. However, after a brief moment of silence, Simon nodded, and Leo said, "We will contact you after a week, I hope you have an answer ready."


    That said he stood up and quickly left the teahouse with Jock in tow. The two men didn''t understand what he meant just now.

 Chapter 71 71: Daddy Got Schooled.

    Leo got back in the car with Jock, who asked, "Sir, what did you mean in there?"


    The young man smiled and replied, "If anyone from Pristine Security steps onto the land of Clover Nation, they would be scrutinized. So, there is a limited number of people that I can hire, right?"


    Jock nodded, and Leo continued, "In Angkor City, there are many thugs who are doing nothing but feed on people. The ironic fact is that the people even fear these guys. So, instead of making them enemies, just use them as a tool in a way where they can earn enough. It''s not as if I am the only one that needs protection, right?


    These people are mostly driven by the lust of recognition and power. Give them a little of both and they stay in line."


    He wanted to establish a domestic security company and run in cooperation with various markets, the protection fee would become a management fee. Leo wanted to start a property management company and for that he found the very apt staff. The gang members were all loyal to Simon and if he told them to do something, they would do it.


    This is why the young man did not hesitate and exerted dominance on Simon Silence.


    Jock drove back around the city, Leo was in no rush to go back to the office before lunch. Lily told him to come back at lunch, as they wandered around, he thought about something and picked up his phone before calling Percie Hibiscal. The latter picked up the call, and asked, "What can I do for you sir? Lily just went out with Madam Snow."


    Leo nodded and asked, "Can you tell me if we got the Cardinal Mansion''s possession?"


    Percie Hibiscal replied, "Not as of yet, however, shouldn''t the mansion be under Vincent Cardinal''s name?"


    Leo smiled and replied, "Nope, my father bought that house as a residence of the CEO, and it comes under one of the company assets. So, please check the status of the house."


    Percie replied, "Give me a few minutes."


    Leo wanted to check if the possession of the house had been given to the new company president. If yes, then he would like to visit the place and renovate it as per his need. He was sure that Vincent must have changed the decoration according to his taste, and Leo didn''t want even a single wisp of Vincent or Echo''s persona in the house.


    A few minutes passed, and Percie called back, as she said, "Sir, the house has been registered under the highest shareholder name, Vincent Cardinal is given a month''s time to vacate the house."


    Leo sighed and replied, "Fine, that would be all."


    The call was disconnected and Leo said, "Jock, you can drive around or something, I will take a nap."


    Jock nodded and slowed down the vehicle to cruise around the city while Leo reclined the passenger seat and entered the virtual realm, all this while he had never slacked in his training and the results were visible to all the people.


    After an hour when they reached the office, Jock waited to awaken Leo, who took a few minutes to reset his mind and got out of the car. He was on time, it was just after lunch, and Lily should have finished decorating.


    Leo walked inside the building and directly took the elevator to the top floor. He was just about to exit the elevator when Snow called him. The young man came out, picked up the call, and Lily asked, "Baba, where are you?"


    Leo smiled and replied, "Outside the office."


    Lily exclaimed and then Leo found the little figure running up to him with a big grin spread across her face. The young man scooped her up in his arms and asked, "So, now can I go on to check the office?"


    Lily nodded and the young man walked over slowly, he found that the blinds of the office had been drawn completely to hide the interior.


    When he walked inside, Leo was surprised, he asked, "Did you do all this?"


    Lily nodded and said, "Ma helped me, do you like it?"


    Leo replied, "I love it, my dear."


    Lily giggled and Leo pecked her cheek. As soon as one entered the office, they would be greeted by a big vase with a live cherry blossom tree inside it. The fallen leaves on the black floor added a rustic charm to it.


    On the left of the tree was a couch set, a premium leather couch with a stone table in the center. Paired with subtle side lamps, and behind the big couch, a painting that Leo cherished, the girl and the stars, drawn by none other than Lily herself.


    The young man took a deep breath and asked, "Where is Snow?"


    Lily pointed at the concealed door that led to a washroom, and as if waiting for the door to be pointed at, Snow came out. She looked at Leo with a smile and asked, "What do you think, is this good?"


    Leo nodded and said, "The best."


    Lily said, "Baba, you haven''t seen your work table yet."


    In the place of the previous sleek table, now stood a mahogany table, with a leather chair on the back. Leo asked, "Where are my computers?"


    Lily giggled and said, "You will see them when you go there."


    Leo raised his brow as he glanced at his daughter, and asked, "Little miss, are you up to some mischief?"


    Lily shook her head and said, "It is a surprise."


    The young man sighed and walked over to the leather chair. He sat down with Lily in his arms, and asked, "I still don''t see them."


    Lily reached over and patted the table. All of a sudden, a grove opened in the table and three seamlessly connected displays were raised from inside the table. Leo was surprised, and then he asked, "Who thought of this?"


    Snow smiled and replied, "She did. She asked the salesman if they had anything that could be magical for her techie baba."


    Leo couldn''t help but chuckle when he heard this. Lily asked, "Baba, why are you laughing? Is this not magical?"


    Leo shook his head and looked at Lily dotingly before he said, "My darling, the real magic is you."


    Lily smiled and then she buried her head in his chest as she said, "Baba, you tease Lily. Humph, baddie."


    Leo and Snow laughed as they enjoyed the antics of the little girl when suddenly he realized that the ceiling was filled with glow in the dark star stickers. He smiled and said, "Love, that is the best thing in this office."


    ''Ping: Host, it is sensed that you really liked the decorational changes in the office, and your daughter enjoyed doing things for you. You are rewarded with fifty percent stakes in Utopia Research Center. A representative of the management will be calling you soon.''


    The young man took a deep breath and asked, "So, did you learn anything from today? Would you be able to write a good essay?"


    Lily raised her head and nodded, before she said, "I will go out and talk with those pretty sisters and ask them what they do." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo frowned and Snow said, "Okay, but don''t leave the building and stay with Uncle Jock."


    Lily nodded and then Snow led her to the door of the office and told Jock to look after her. The young guard was flustered but then he nodded and said, "Yes, Madam."


    Snow watched the two of them leave and came back to sit across the table from Leo and asked, "Where did you go all of a sudden?"


    She was curious where he went in a hurry that he had to leave Lily with someone else. The young man did not hide, he said, "I went to meet with the goon leader that Vincent hired to demolish the place. Had to settle the account, or it would make them think we are an easy nut to crack."


    He did not tell her that his settlement had been paid in screams and groans. Snow asked, "Well, if it is all settled then that''s good."


    Leo nodded and asked, "Why did you let her go alone?"


    Snow looked at him and shook her head before she said, "Protection to a limit is necessary and should be done, but I am not letting you make my daughter a green house plant. If you want her to fly high when she grows up, you need to teach her about the world. Okay? Also, she is followed by Jock, so take it easy.


    Mister Leo Christopher Cardinal, I am laying down a ground rule, if you try to look at her as if she is a canary, I will be the first to smash your cage and then smack that handsome face of yours so that you can come to your senses. Do you hear me?"


    Leo sat up straight and replied, "Yes, Missus."


    ...


    Please vote with golden tickets and power stones. Only with your support can the book gain higher rankings. Thank you for your support these days, I will start working harder as I feel better.

 Chapter 72 72: Lily, The Lucky Star.

    Snow gave Leo a light dressing down before the family decided to return to their nest. Lily was very busy during the evening as she wrote the essay with great detail. Leo wanted to see how she was doing, but Snow forbade him and she guided Lily herself.


    She was worried that Leo would have written the entire essay himself. He was worried about Lily''s work assessment. The young man was thrown in the kitchen to cook. After he was done with his work, Leo was washing his hands and found himself pouting when he caught his reflection in the window glass.


    The young man suddenly chuckled and said, "I understand how you must''ve felt back then Dad."


    Leo''s mother also used to scold his father in the same manner. As he was reminiscing about the old times, he heard the mother and daughter pair coming over, and quickly served the dinner.


    At the end of the meal, Lily said, "Baba, my winter vacations are starting in two weeks, what will I do then?"


    Leo put up a thoughtful expression and said, "Well, you have almost mastered the first ten variations on the piano, so during the four week vacation, you can practice for different songs and apply for the school recital.


    Then you can paint some more, or, we can go out for camping. What do you think?"


    Snow looked at the two of them and asked, "Aren''t you forgetting that she would have holiday homework to deal with?"


    Leo and Lily looked at each other and the latter said, "We will finish the homework first and then go out, why do you have to spoil the fun?"


    Snow raised her brow and said, "I am just keeping you two in line. If I don''t do it, you two will set the world on fire."


    Lily covered her mouth and said, "Ma, am I that bad in your eyes."


    Snow poked her nose gently and said, "You are a goblin."


    Lily chuckled and then she walked around to tap Leo on shoulder and said, "Baba, you are it."


    Then began a game of tag between the three, and the house echoed with their chuckles. Only after an hour did they quit, and Lily went to bed. She was tired but she wanted to hear a story from Leo and Snow.


    The young couple came to their room and lay down together, Snow looked at her husband and asked, "Are you upset that I scolded you today?"


    Leo shook his head and replied, "No, why do you think I would feel bad about it?" Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Snow turned to her side and faced him as she asked, "Did you think I won''t see your slouched shoulders?"


    Leo smiled and he also turned on his side to look at them as he said, "It was just a momentary thing, nothing more. Don''t think about it."


    Snow snuggled close to him, she did not apologize because it was necessary for her to tell Leo when he was going overboard. The young man said calmly, "Don''t feel bad, it is good that you can discipline me like this. Or who knows if I spoiled Lily too much? It is better that you scold me now so that we don''t regret it in the future."


    The couple gradually fell asleep. The next morning the people resumed their routine, and Leo started coding back in the company. Life was boring if he wasn''t facing his enemies. In the afternoon, he received a call.


    "Hello, am I talking to Mister Cardinal?"


    Leo replied, "Yes, who is this?"


    The person said, "Hello, Sir. This is Amara Hak calling from the admin board of the Utopia Research Center. Is it a good time to talk?"


    The person was very polite and very calm, Leo replied, "Yes, it''s okay. Tell me what the issue is?"


    Amara replied calmly, "Sir, we just received the notice that you have acquired half of the research center stocks. So, we want to ask if you have any instructions?"


    Leo thought for a bit and replied, "Yeah, well, I do have a project that could use some brilliant minds. Can you arrange a meeting with the aviation research scientists in the research center, in the coming week?"


    Amara nodded and replied, "Yes, I will inform you about the date and timing by the evening."


    Then Leo disconnected the call and after a few minutes, he finished his daily coding and then he left the office to go and pick up Lily from school.


    This was his daily life since he didn''t have to face anyone deliberately making a move against him. As for the competition, he didn''t care about that, his product had gained traction and it was selling like hotcakes.


    Kyle had come over to take charge of the duty and said, "Sir, Simon Silence reached out and he has agreed to the proposal."


    Leo nodded and replied, "Well, arrange him and his goons to go under training. I will ask Percie Hibiscal to send someone to groom Simon, and you can take anyone from your reserve team to train the men for a month."


    Kyle nodded and they reached the school. Leo picked up Lily and asked, "Love, what do you want to do today?"


    Lily thought for a bit and replied, "Nothing, just play the piano."


    The young man nodded and replied, "Good, we will prepare for the recital. Okay?"


    Lily agreed and they headed home.


    Three days passed in a blink, the father and daughter pair had selected a music piece for the recital after the vacations, and just as Leo was picking up Lily from school, he received a call from Percie Hibiscal, "Sir, the issue of the Cardinal Mansion has been sorted, we have the possession."


    Leo took a deep breath and asked, "Can I go and take a look?"


    Percie replied, "Yes."


    The young man disconnected the call, he picked up Lily in his arms and spun her around as he said, "You are my lucky star, Lily. Baba loves you."


    Lily giggled as she spun around and said, "Yes, Baba, Lily loves you too."

 Chapter 73 73: Reclaiming The House.

    Leo took Lily to the Cardinal Mansion, after he finished talking to Percie Hibiscal, the journey was small but to Leo it felt the longest of his life. The young man had spent his entire life in the mansion that was taken away by the man who ruined his entire family.


    Kyle drove swiftly and they reached the Mansion gates. The guard stepped up to stop the car, and Leo lowered his window to gaze at the person. The guard froze in his steps, and his face turned pale.


    Leo opened the door and alighted the car as he asked, "So, Mac, was it? How are you doing?"


    The guard gulped and Leo smiled as he asked, "Are you afraid that I would do something to you for the way you treated me the last time I came to this place?"


    His voice was calm and collected, but the way he looked at the guard was so cold that it sent shivers down his spine. The last time Leo had come to this place, he was here to beg Vincent Cardinal to give him some money for his parents'' operation, but the guard didn''t even let him go inside and shoved him away telling that Vincent had gone to meet Carole in a pub.


    The guard shivered and said, "Young Master, it was Vincent, who told me to do that or he will sack me. I have a family at home to feed, I had no other option."


    Leo shook his head and replied, "Doing your job is not a bad thing, Mac. However, given the fact that it was my father who paid for your sister''s education, and your mother''s operation, you disrespected me, and that too when I was seeking help for the treatment of your benefactor. That is something that doesn''t look good, and I won''t let it go. Are you aware that this Mansion has changed owners?"


    Mac nodded, and Leo replied with a smile, "Good, the new owner is me. Now, you can pack your bags, and get going. Okay? I will give you three months of severance pay in advance, but if I see you the next time I come here, I will not be so kind."


    The guard nodded and took a step back, as he headed inside the guard cottage. There were two more guards at the doors, and they seemed new. They saw that their boss had been fucked over by the young man, and they began to wonder if Leo would target them as well.


    Leo looked at them and said, "I hope you both do your job well, and don''t try to act like you own the place, is that clear?"


    The people nodded, and Leo said, "Now open the door, I am going to see the house."


    They disregarded Mac, and pushed open the big wooden gate at the entrance and Leo walked through the threshold of his house. Suddenly, before putting his foot on the ground he recalled something and turned around to walk to the back door of the car, and picked up his daughter in his arms.


    Lily looked around and asked, "Baba, where are we?"


    Leo smiled and replied, "This is where Baba was born, and lived with Grandpa and Grandma."


    Lily was surprised and her curiosity peaked, as she asked, "Can we go inside and see?"


    Leo nodded and gestured for Kyle to follow them. He wasn''t sure if Vincent had any loyalists in this place who might try to jump him. The young man was not worried about himself, but with Lily in his arms, extra precaution was needed. Kyle parked the car at the gate and followed them on foot.


    They walked on the walkway and Lily gasped, "Such a big garden!"


    Leo nodded and replied, "Yes, your grandma used to dedicate her Sundays to personally look after the shrubs. The shrubs all used to be Night-blooming jasmines. As soon as the sky turned dark the place would carry the fragrance of the flower in the air."


    Lily smiled and said, "Must be nice."


    Leo nodded and he said, "Well, someone made a lot of effort to remove the shrubs and planted these fancy all-season flowers."


    Lily shook her head and said, "Look at them, all so colorful no aesthe-thick."


    Leo chuckled and corrected her, "It''s aesthetic my love."


    They went inside the house and Leo was not disappointed, Vincent had indeed changed the entire place. Lily asked, "Baba, these decorations don''t sound like what you described."


    Leo nodded and said, "No worries, I will get someone to restore all of them properly, and then you will get to see how it used to look. For now, let''s get home."


    Then the trio left the house. Sitting in the car, Leo thought about Vincent and called Percie, as he asked, "What happened to Vincent?"


    The lady replied, "Nothing, he is still in prison, and they are not going to let him go after such a pile of evidence."


    Leo thought and nodded as he said, "Good, remind me when his verdict is out. I will bring him flowers."


    Percie hummed and then the call was disconnected. When the people reached home, Leo cooked a meal for Lily. After lunch the little girl went to sleep and Leo contacted the interior designer who had originally designed the Cardinal Mansion, Abode Interior.


    The naming sense was not too good, but they did quality work and were now a middle-tier company. The young man called the reception desk after looking for the number online, and said, "Hello, I am Leo Cardinal, may I ask if Miss Synergy is there?"


    The receptionist replied, "Miss Synergy happens to be in a meeting, may I take your message?"


    Leo replied, "Please tell her that Leo Cardinal called and needs her consultation on the refurbishment of the Cardinal Mansion."


    The receptionist recorded the message, and then the call was disconnected. Leo then cleaned up his streaming setup, before taking an hour of virtual training on the couch.


    In the evening, Lily woke up and then he began to teach her the piano music piece, Love''s Sorrow. The two of them were so focused on training that they did not realize about Snow coming back from work and she was followed by a young girl with her. After the lesson, Lily turned around and asked with curiosity, "Ma, who is this?" sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Snow replied while her gaze was fixed to Leo, "This is your aunt, Spring Marlin."


    The lady smiled and said, "Hello, Little Niece."

 Chapter 74 74: Relatives?

    Lily was surprised and so was Leo but he did not show any surprise on his face, he cleaned up his piano and then stood up to face the new person. The woman looked very similar to Snow, about seventy percent.


    The young man came and stood next to Lily and asked Snow calmly, "What is going on, honey?"


    Snow saw that his eyes were still gentle when he looked at her, and she let go of a breath, and just when she was about to say something, Spring Marlins stood up from crouching position and remarked, "You must be Leo Cardinal."


    Leo turned to look at the lady, he could sense the hostility in her gaze and his own aura changed. A spark of surprise flashed in Spring''s eyes, she suddenly chuckled and asked, "Are you sure that you want to look at me with those eyes?"


    Leo turned around to look at the entrance and yelled, "Kyle."


    The two ladies were surprised, the door opened and Kyle walked inside the room, before Leo said, "Lily go inside your room, and lock the door."


    Lily was very sensible and dashed inside her room and locked the door. Leo walked up to Spring while talking to Kyle, "I am assuming she came in with guards?"


    Kyle replied, "Four of them, Sir."


    Leo nodded and said, "Immobilize them."


    Kyle didn''t wait for another second and went outside the house. Spring opened her mouth and she was about to yell, when a cold palm gripped her throat. Snow was shocked, she lunged and said, "Leo, what are you doing, let her go."


    Leo looked at his wife and asked, "Did you think that someone would come into our house, act as if they own us, harm you, and I would watch from the side?"


    Snow was surprised, and Leo said, "The bruise on your wrist, and the blush on your cheek gave it away, love."


    Snow looked down on her wrist and found that a purple bruise was peeking through her sleeve, and there was a tint of blush on her face which was covered up by foundation coating.


    Leo knew Snow very well, she did not go out with the makeup but came back with it. Leo turned to look at Spring Marlins and asked, "So, First Miss Marlins, how are you liking the stifling feeling?"


    His hand didn''t come off her neck and his grip was tightening up. Snow was worried that he might do something to her and said, "Leo, it wasn''t her who did this to me, it was her guard."


    Leo looked at her eyes and sensed that she wasn''t lying. He let go of Spring, who fell on the ground and coughed hard with tears forming in her eyes. Snow quickly crouched and rubbed her sister''s back to ease the breathing but Leo didn''t say anything. He only watched whatever happened from the side.


    After a few minutes when Spring calmed down, she glared at Leo with such strong hatred in her eyes, however, his calm and indifferent sight was akin to a bucket of ice water that extinguished any and all intentions she had in mind.


    The young man sat down on the sofa, and Snow helped her sister up. She said, "I will get you some warm water."


    Snow wanted to leave when Spring held her hand and shook her head. She was having trouble speaking with her throat almost squashed, but her eyes apparently told Snow that the first miss of the Marlin noble family was afraid of someone.


    Leo looked at Snow and said, "Love, have a seat."


    Then he stood up and went inside the kitchen and came back with a first-aid kit. He sat next to Snow and then quickly began to apply a pain relief ointment on her wrist and then used some wipes to clean up her face. As his gaze landed on the bruised and swollen cheek, his eyes turned cold and he said, "First Miss Marlins, how much do you love your guard who did this to my wife?"


    Spring Marlins shivered, she never expected that Leo would be so aggressive with her. Seeing that the lady wasn''t going to answer him, Leo asked, "Snow, tell me what happened?"


    She said, "Spring showed up at the school, and she wanted me to bring her to you so that she could talk to you about the Lithography machine your company has developed. I told her that I don''t want to and she should go through the official channels. She said that she was here sincerely and meant no ill-will.


    For some reason I just couldn''t hold back and told her that we are not a family anymore as I have been disowned and she should leave. She was standing close to me and I pushed her shoulder. Her guard intervened and held my wrist a bit tightly before he slapped me. Spring told him to stop right away and even berated him."


    Leo went in the kitchen again and brought out a couple of ice cubes wrapped in the kitchen towel and applied it against her cheek as he said, "She didn''t react fast enough. However, she should have told her guards to stay away from this issue."


    At this moment, Kyle came inside the house and said, "Sir, the guards have been subdued and immobilized."


    Leo asked, "Anything special about them?"


    Kyle shook his head and replied, "They seem to be people from the Stag Nation Army."


    Leo hummed and said, "Ask them which one hurt Snow, and break his dominant hand. Leave the rest alone."


    Spring and Snow were shocked, the latter said, "Leo, don''t do this, they are from the military. It will cause you trouble."


    Leo shook his head and replied, "This is not the Stag nation, they are not here on a diplomatic visit. The ''so-called'' Marlin noble family is here to beg me to sell them the tech developed by my company, and that too unofficially. They are inciting me for treason and also, they harmed you, as my wife, you are automatically the citizen of the Clover Nation. If there will be trouble, it will be for them."


    Kyle nodded and Spring was shocked to see that Leo was so clear even when he was angry. She saw Kyle turning around and leaving the house when she said, "Wait, please wait. Leo, stop him, I apologize on behalf of my guard."


    Leo turned to look at her, and said, "Stop Kyle."


    Kyle nodded and stood on the side. Spring looked at Snow with a pleading gaze, and the latter said, "Hear her first."


    Leo looked at his wife and asked, "Why are you still asking me to listen to her? Wasn''t she very haughty when she came here to disown you that day? You might have forgotten what happened, but I haven''t. What did she say then? That we were destined to be forgotten in the rivers of time and shit. Then why is she here now?"


    Spring Marlin lowered her head as she recalled all that. Snow also shivered as she recalled the scene, and said, "This time they are in mortal danger, and thus they want us to help them."


    Leo shook his head and replied, "I can''t give up the technology, it is military supervised."


    Spring raised her head and asked, "Can''t you talk to them about establishing a diplomatic partnership?"


    Leo looked at her with disdain and said, "If you want to, then follow the official route, and apart from that I will never give you any special preference. Now, you may leave."


    Spring was almost choking when she heard this, she was a nobel how dare Leo talk to her like this. However, she was aware that it wasn''t her home. She stood up and said, "I apologize for what happened in the past."


    The young man didn''t respond and Snow, who knew that Leo wouldn''t budge at all, didn''t say anything either. Spring looked at the two of them and walked out of the house. Leo said, "Kyle, send her guards away too. Also, call in the ones following Snow today."


    Kyle nodded and then left. Snow said, "It wasn''t their fault that I suffered. I told them not to come inside the school. I wasn''t expecting Spring to come out of nowhere."


    Leo shook his head and replied, "I am not calling them in to blame them, I just want to reset the arrangement for your security."


    Snow caught the sign of worry in his voice and asked, "You are worried about something, aren''t you?"


    Leo nodded and replied, "Yes, Spring is not someone who would settle down easily, I am worried about the things that she might do, so I want to prepare for a rainy day. Okay. I hope you understand that I am doing what is the best for us. I can''t trust the rest of the Marlins."


    Snow nodded and after some moments she said, "I didn''t expect that the past would become such an unexpected trouble."


    Leo patted her hand and consoled her as the guards responsible for her safety came in with their heads bowed. The young man looked at them and said, "We are headed to a rough patch, I want you to do everything possible to make sure that Lily and Snow are safe. Nothing else, don''t hesitate from now on, and follow them at all times, okay?"


    The two nodded and left the house, while Leo sighed as he speculated the things Spring could do.


    S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 75: Calm Before The Storm.

    The night passed quickly, and the next morning, Lily came looking for Snow, because last night after Spring left, she found that her mother had a bruise on her face. Although Leo coaxed her that it would be alright, the young lady was still worried about them.


    She only calmed down after checking that Snow was fine and most of the swelling had gone down. Last night the lady had fallen asleep after being exhausted by the sudden appearance of her elder sister. Leo stayed up all night long and used the iced handkerchief to nurse her.


    He prepared Lily for her school, and then he drove Snow and Lily to school. All along the way, the guards followed them in a black SUV, the young man did not spot anyone suspicious, and after making sure that Lily and Snow were secure, he headed back to the office.


    Percie Hibiscal happened to be waiting for him. The lady approached him and said, "There is something I need you to decide."


    Leo sat in his chair and asked, "Is it about the Marlin Technologies contacting you regarding a collaboration?"


    Percie Hibiscal nodded and asked, "Yeah, I don¡¯t know what to do, they do come with the recommendation of the Stag Nation royalty."


    Leo shook his head and replied, "You do remember the terms of agreement with the military for authorizing us to control this thing, right?"


    Percie sighed, and Leo said, "Miss HIbiscal, as much as I wish to make a fortune and profit from this tech, I also know that we need to keep it off the foreign hands. If you are itching so much to trade with the people from the Marlin family, how about I sack you, and then you can go and do what you want?"


    Percie Hibiscal sensed that he wasn¡¯t joking, her trust value had only reached ninety in Leo¡¯s eyes, and she had a big probability of doing something to screw him. Leo sighed and said, "Miss Hibiscal, don¡¯t forget your initial goal. The Tyrant is still standing tall and we have just taken root. If you wish to win a battle you would end up losing the war."


    Percie Hibiscal was brought back to reality by his words, she realized something and said, "I apologize, President, I will handle this matter properly."


    ¡­


    In the center of the city, Spring was standing in front of a tall window and gazing at her cellphone. Her gaze was cold enough to cause the room to freeze, and after a few minutes, she dialed a number on her cell, the call was connected and she said, "Father, Leo Cardinal has refused to collaborate, and intimidating Snow doesn¡¯t have any effect."


    A hoarse voice sounded from the other end, "Hmm, what about that little bastard child of theirs? Can we put her to use?"


    Spring wasn¡¯t surprised, the Marlin family would go to any lengths to get what they wanted. The young lady said, "Father, this is the Clover Nation, and they seemed to have hired a lot of guards around them. My protection detail was even taught a lesson by them yesternight. I don¡¯t think it is safe for us to make such big moves."


    The man on the other side said, "Hmmm, well you can lay low, I will send Trevor over, and he will handle this task. Make sure you grab the opportunity when it presents itself."


    Spring nodded and then she disconnected the call. She raised her head to look at the scenery of the bustling city and mumbled, "I apologize Snow, but it seems that your Lily is about to wilt."


    ¡­


    Leo was sitting inside his office, and he was constantly typing codes on the computer, before his door was knocked, and he said, "Come in."


    The door was pushed open and Rama Kashyap came inside, Leo raised his brow and asked, "Rama, what brings you here?"


    The latter smiled and replied, "Sir, our team has designed a simple product, and we wish for you to see it."


    Leo stopped coding and asked, "What is it?"


    Rama took out two buttons, they didn¡¯t look anything out of the ordinary, just a couple of silver buttons. Rama said, "These are detector tags. Usually the biggest problem faced by the people these days is tracking their luggage¡­"


    He gave a small presentation to Leo who nodded from time to time, and then Rama said, "Sir, these two buttons can be tracked over from anywhere in the world as long as there is cell phone reception."


    Leo raised his brow and picked up a button, he looked at the product carefully and said, "This thing is one inch in diameter, and two millimeters thick. How does it work?"


    Rama then began to explain the working of the product and then Leo asked, "This is a complete product or a prototype?"


    Rama said, "This is a prototype, we have designed a detection app as well, which syncs with the maps of the surroundings and you can find where your luggage is."


    Leo nodded and said, "Grab hold of the marketing and sales department, come up with a campaign and let¡¯s see if we can actually capsize the gains on this. To be honest, it is a good product, but we have to understand that not every product sits well with the consumers."


    Rama nodded and replied, "Certainly Sir, I will get going and you can expect the presentation by tomorrow at the latest."


    Leo nodded with a smile and suddenly he said, "Can I keep these two?"


    Rama chuckled and nodded as he said, "These were meant for you, Sir. Maybe you can help us with the data gathering."


    Leo nodded and thanked the man before he leaned back in his chair. He was thinking of giving these two tracking devices to Lily and Snow. After all, it would add a circle of security around them.


    ¡­


    The young man left the office and went to a jewelry store where he asked the people to get him two shell like pendants and placed the trackers inside them. He didn¡¯t intend to tell Snow anything about the trackers because it would worry her.


    After he was done, the young man went to pick up Lily and came back home. He had been in touch with the guards beside the two girls the whole day, and they reported that the situation was calm.


    At home, Lily brushed Momo, the kitten, and Leo said, "Baby, I have a gift for you."


    Lily¡¯s ears perked up and she turned around to look at him. Leo showed her the chains and asked, "Which one do you like?"


    Lily smiled and pointed at the pendant which was shaped like a butterfly. Leo smiled and placed it around her neck and the little girl asked, "Baba, does it look good on me?"


    Leo nodded and replied, "Yes, it does."


    Lily chuckled and then she hugged him to say thank you. He stood up thinking how to go and pick up Snow, when Jock came up and said, "Sir, a young lady Miss Symphony Rogue has come over and she says that she is here to look after Young Miss."


    Leo nodded and said, "Bring her in, and Jock, make sure you keep an eye on her, okay?"


    Jock nodded, and then Leo turned to look at Lily and said, "From now on, every day, Symphony will come to look after you. I will be home, but if there is a moment when I or Ma have to go out you won¡¯t be alone. Okay?"


    Lily frowned and said, "Can I not stay with Momo?"


    Leo smiled and scooped her in his arms as he said, "Baby, if you stay alone, and you need anything, how will Momo get it for you? It is not a bad thing, but it will give Baba and Ma the relief to know that you are safe."


    Lily still didn¡¯t want to have a stranger around her, and said, "Uncle Jock and Uncle Kyle can look after me, no?"


    Leo chuckled and asked, "Then who will guard us if someone comes in? Don¡¯t worry, do you trust Baba? She is a good person."


    Lily didn¡¯t reply quickly, and Jock came over, "Sir."


    He called for Leo who raised his head and saw Symphony Rogue before him, and said, "Hello, so you are Symphony."


    The girl nodded a bit timidly and replied, "Hello, Sir. Miss Snow told me to come over and look after Lily."


    Leo agreed and looked at the bag on her back and asked, "Did you come directly from the school?"


    Symphony nodded and Leo said, "I have a portion of food inside the kitchen, please help yourself. I am heading out for a bit, so communicate with Lily." sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then he looked at the little girl and said, "I will get you that dress up doll and that remote control car you wanted if you stay good? At least, give it all a try. Okay?"


    Lily thought for a bit and nodded. Leo smiled and kissed her cheek and she did the same before the young man left the home with one guard, and Jock stayed behind.


    ...


    Please vote with power stones and golden tickets. The output will increase from tomorrow. Thank you for your support all these days. Been busy with the stockpiling issues so that I can keep up with the later chapter flow.

 Chapter 76: Taking The Edge From The Dagger.

    Leo picked up Snow from her school, and the latter asked, "Did Symphony come on time?"


    Leo nodded and replied, "Yes, she did, however, I am worried about something else."


    Snow asked, "What do you mean?"


    Leo sighed as he drove the car, and said, "Call me paranoid, but your family should be aware of the Primal family being enemies with us, right? What if that wacko Spring went to meet that dog Carole? It would cause us some trouble."


    Snow shook her head and replied, "You haven¡¯t yet understood the level of ego and pride that the Marlins have. They would prefer dying but never ask anyone else to help them. Do you think if they worked like this the royal family of the Stag Nation would hold them in such a high regard? My father is a Lance of Prosperity."


    Leo raised his eyes and asked, "Are you complimenting your father?"


    Snow shook her head and replied, "No dummy, Lance of Prosperity is a title given to someone who handles the tasks like acquiring tech, resources, businesses, and other things to ensure the prosperity of the nation, by any means necessary."


    Leo remarked, "You know that he does sound like a government recognized mafia in plain language, right?"


    Snow nodded and replied, "If you say it to their faces, they might thank you for the compliment. The things they have done over the years have been anything but simple."


    Leo¡¯s expression turned somber and he asked, "Can you tell me how things work there? After all, he is your father."


    Snow looked outside the window and said, "The first step is to acquire things through a legal route, without any trouble to anyone, and even pay in appropriate compensation."


    Leo nodded, and Snow continued, "Second is pressurizing the target. It could be digging dirt on the target to blackmail them, kidnapping someone from the family, or if the assignment demands, killing someone important to the target."


    Leo gripped the steering wheel tighter and asked in a solemn tone, "For real?"


    Snow nodded and said, "In the chain of command, Spring is called the Needle. She usually handles the acquisition legally."


    Leo questioned, "Who handles the forceful means?"


    The young lady said, "Trevor."


    As she said this, her hands trembled. Leo noticed this and quickly held her hand before he asked, "Is he that dangerous?"


    Snow nodded, and took a deep breath before calming herself down, and asked, "You remember the scar on my back?"


    Leo nodded as he said, "That faint mark that you always say is a birthmark?"


    Snow smiled bitterly and nodded, as she continued while looking outside the window, "It wasn¡¯t a birthmark, Trevor gave it to me when I was ten. I was sitting in the garden when one of his hounds broke the leash and attacked my caretaker. I poured a kettle of hot water at the hound to make it stop.


    The hound was hurt and it ran away, later that night Trevor found out what happened and he came to the dining hall. My father was there but he didn¡¯t say anything when Trevor burned my back with his cigar. I was wailing and crying but none of them stopped.


    To them, I was even less important than a dog that went mad from rabies. So, I would rather just think of that scar as a birthmark."


    Leo clenched his fist and blood rushed to his brain. He was silent the entire way home. Snow sensed his emotional turmoil, but she couldn¡¯t say anything, after all, she had been suppressing the same rage in her heart all these years.


    They parked the car, and Leo said, "Snow, if he comes to Clover Nation and tries to make a move against us, would you hold me responsible for countering?"


    Snow shook her head and said, "My father married into my mother¡¯s family. Spring and Trevor are the children from his first marriage. They aren¡¯t my real siblings. You can act however you want. "


    Leo was surprised and asked, "How can they disown you then?"


    Snow clicked her tongue and replied, "It is because my mother¡¯s family has gained a lot of wealth and prestige since my father came into picture. They are willing to accommodate him as long as he is useful. The world of the rich and powerful is never run by emotions but by riches and power. So, I had no value. The only person who might still care about me is my mother, who is unable to do anything. After all, if she said anything, won¡¯t the family disown her as well."


    Leo nodded and sighed as he said, "Your family dynamics are literally crazy." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Snow smiled faintly as they both entered the house. They found that Symphony was tutoring Lily about Piano, but Leo frowned after hearing a few notes. He walked up to them and asked, "Where did you learn the piano?"


    His sudden appearance startled Symphony and she played a note a bit too loud. Snow turned over to look at them and asked, "What happened?"


    Leo replied calmly, "I was listening to them play just now, although her technique is nice, the notes she played are wrong. So, I wanted to ask where she learned to play."


    Snow nodded and asked, "Symphony, where did you learn to play the piano, child?"


    The young lady timidly replied, "My grandfather used to play, he has a wall piano at home, but I cannot play much now, the piano doesn¡¯t work, and that¡¯s why I misplayed the notes."


    Leo smiled and said, "I see, you can practice here with Lily, but only after I have finished giving her lessons, you can learn from the side and come up to ask any doubts."


    Symphony was surprised and confused, she didn¡¯t expect Leo to offer something like this. She shook her head and replied, "Sir, I can¡¯t afford Piano lessons, they are very costly."


    Leo chuckled and waved his hands as he said, "Don¡¯t worry about it, teaching you at the same time as Lily doesn¡¯t make much of a difference."


    While he had many concerns on his mind, he didn¡¯t forget to groom Symphony as a weapon that he needed against Carole Primal.


    Snow knew his purpose and didn;t stop him instead she encouraged him. The night was deepening and the Symphony stood up to bid farewell. Leo assigned a guard to drop her off, they had dinner and then Lily went to sleep.


    Snow saw Leo grabbing his laptop and went to her room as well. Her mood was heavy because of her family, she put up a brave front in front of Leo but her heart was unsettled.


    Leo entered the Dark web, found information on Trevor Marlins, and then he designed a small program that would alert him as soon as Trevor entered the country. Since this man was coming over with ill intentions there was a big chance that he wouldn¡¯t come through the legal route.


    Leo couldn¡¯t control them, but he knew who could. He picked up his phone and called Mark, the taskmaster for the Pristine Security Company.


    The call connected in an instant and the person said, "Hello, President. Is there something you need, Sir?"


    Leo replied, "Can you track Trevor Marlins for me?"


    Mark exclaimed and asked, "You mean the dagger of the Marlins, Sir?"


    Leo nodded and affirmed with a yes. Mark replied, "He is an old customer and an hour ago he contacted our asset in the Clover nation to buy some supplies."


    Leo sneered and asked, "Do you know why he is asking you for all this?"


    Mark shook his head and replied, "Sir, we can¡¯t ask them what they want to, it¡¯s bad for business."


    Leo chuckled and said, "He is coming over to target me, haven¡¯t you investigated me, Mark?"


    The taskmaster was surprised and then quickly recalled Leo¡¯s data, he said, "Sir, I will inform the asset to not go through with the deal. It is our mistake."


    Leo clicked his tongue and said, "This last moment denial is also something bad for the business, Mark. Let them go through with the deal, but I want to know every step that Trevor takes in the Clover nation. Do you understand? I want to be one step ahead of him."


    Mark thought and shivered, this man, Leo, was too cunning, he wanted to play the pig and hunt the tiger. He gulped and replied, "Understood Sir, I will get you the updates directly."


    Leo nodded and said, "Since you can arrange weapons for Trevor, find a legal way to get some for the security detail here as well. I don¡¯t want to lose to some two dime murderer."


    Mark chuckled nervously and said, "I will inform the general manager about this."


    Leo finished the call and he sighed with relief, thinking that his enemy wanted to make a move against him and they chose his own knife. What a lucky coincidence.


    ¡¯Ping: Host, please resolve the dangerous situation without involving your daughter. This will save her from trauma and you will be rewarded with a weapon license.¡¯


    Leo was surprised but then he nodded and accepted the task.

 Chapter 77 77: Emotions & Logic.

    Leo was still sitting on the couch and he asked, ''System, how can I get a firearms license in Clover Nation? Even the political leaders don''t have that privilege. Only military guards and leaders can command a firearm.''


    ''Ping: Host, the rewards are to make sure that you can do the best that you can for your daughter. Given your sense of responsibility, the firearms would allow you to protect your daughter from any mortal danger that may come her way.


    That being said, just now you talked to Mark about the acquisition of a license, the system will just make the process easier. Nothing that will raise any flags.''


    Leo nodded; he had always wanted to know the reasons behind how the system would get him a firearm license so he directly questioned the system. After the small conversation, Leo checked the laptop for any pings and went inside his room. Snow had yet to fall asleep, she sensed Leo''s warm hands coiling around her waist and the young man said, "Don''t worry, no harm will come to you or Lily till I am breathing. On the contrary, those who wronged you will pay for their deeds."


    His speech was stable, and his voice was akin to a whisper which made her let go of her pent-up emotions. She turned around and buried her head in his chest. Leo sensed her crying silently but he didn''t tell her to stop. Many times, in life one had to just be present for their loved ones. Every human being has their own way to process their grief, some like to talk, some like to sleep, and some just need you to be there as they release it all.


    Leo knew that he had to be Snow''s pillar of strength and her wall of protection. All those years when she looked after him, he had spent many nights crying about it, and Snow just sat there, patting his hand gently watching him with a gaze brimming with love and care. This time, it was his turn to reciprocate the gesture.


    He held her in his arms as the young lady cried her heart out for half an hour before she fell asleep. The young man finally closed his eyes, and then entered the virtual realm, where he practiced nothing but martial arts and gun fighting. That was all, he did not underestimate Trevor, just because he had enough information on him.


    The night passed silently and Leo woke up earlier than Snow. Her mind was just exhausted, it wasn''t calm. After cleaning up, Leo checked his phone and found that Mark had texted him a few times while he was sleeping. It turned out that Trevor had arrived rather quickly and had even met up with the asset to collect the goodies.


    Leo thought about it and then he saw Lily walking out of her room while yawning. He couldn''t help but smile at her, and picked her up in his arms. Lily rested her cheek on his shoulder and asked, "Baba, why do kids have to go to school daily? Don''t they say we should not be stressed at a young age? What if I didn''t grow tall because of this?"


    Leo chuckled, he kissed her cheek and said, "My love, you will be the most beautiful girl in this world for Baba. Since you are feeling stressed, how about we arrange for you to stay at home? I will talk to Miss Verse."


    Lily opened her eyes wide and said, "Really?"


    Leo nodded and the little girl hugged him tightly as she kissed his cheek repeatedly and praised him for being the best baba. Leo was left between laughter and tears, he couldn''t understand how this kid would only praise him when he arranged for her to miss school.


    He carried her inside his bedroom and said, "Your Ma is feeling a little low, how about you look after her when Baba goes out for some work?"


    Lily became serious and asked, "What happened to Ma?"


    She was a considerate child and very sensitive when it came to stuff that affected her family. Leo coaxed her saying that Snow was under the weather and that was all. Lily calmed down and Snow, who was already half awake, played along. The parents both didn''t want her child to be bothered by such things, and so they tactfully diverted the attention.


    Snow stayed home, and Leo dressed up to head out. He was wearing a black shirt and a black pants with black shoes. Snow saw this and said, "Love, be careful."


    Leo nodded to her, she knew that the colors he wore changed with his mood. Since he was wearing black, he would be heading to deal with the threats.


    ¡­


    Leo came out of the house with Jock and three other people, including Kyle, who was pulling an extra shift. Jock and Kyle were two captains in the teams and they were very good. The rest of Kyle''s team was at the house, and they had been instructed to stop anyone from approaching the house. Even if Spring Marlin made a move, she won''t be able to get inside the house.


    Trevor was currently outside the city, so his chances were still low. Jock was driving, and he asked, "Sir, where are we heading?"


    Leo replied, "Western highway, exit the city, and then we will locate the target. Understood?"


    The people nodded as they drove through the traffic heading to the western outskirts where in a shallow forest, a group of people were camping. There were five men, all dressed in tactical attire, and one of them said, "Boss, are we really doing this here? Like they gave us these handguns."


    A man with gray hair sat on a fallen tree trunk with a cigar in his mouth. He raised his head to look at his teammate and said, "Paras, don''t annoy me. I am tired, and so are you all, take a rest, we have work to do in the evening."


    They all nodded and sat down under the trees with their eyes closed, and Trevor, the man with gray hair, maintained vigil.


    S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 78 78: Daddy In Woods.

    Leo and his men reached the vicinity of the forest outside the western outskirts of the city. They were at least fifty kilometers away from the city and no government service was active in this place. They alighted the car, Kyle took out a bag from the back of the car, and took out several throwing knives.


    He gave a few to Jock and then he saw Leo stretching his hand forward. Kyle was surprised and asked, "Sir, can you really use them?" S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo smiled faintly, took one of the throwing knives, weighted it in his hand and flicked it a few times before he threw it at a tree nearby. Kyle walked over to the tree and found that half of the knife was stuck inside the trunk. He had to exert some effort to pull it out. He said, "Well, I didn''t expect you to have such skills, Sirs."


    Leo shook his head and took three such knives and at this moment a commercial car drove over from the other side of the highway, and four men got down from it. Jock looked at the man and said, "Jinx, when will you learn to be punctual?"


    The middle-aged man on the other side chuckled and said, "Had to make sure that the enemy wasn''t moving much."


    Jock shook his head and pointed at Leo, "This is President Cardinal."


    Jinx nodded and stretched his hand to greet Leo. The latter shook it firmly. Hand shakes were often the basic test of strength between men and Leo didn''t seem weak. Jinx said, "Sir, one of the bullets that I gave them is an active tracker one. They won''t be able to tell it apart."


    He turned around and took a tablet from his men before giving it to Leo and said, "This tablet and that bullet are marked on the map here for detection and navigation."


    Leo nodded, and Jinx looked at Jock as he sighed and replied, "I knew you won''t ask for help but seriously, heading inside a forest to face five armed elites with throwing knives? Has the task master been a bit to lenient on you guys?"


    Then he snapped his fingers and another man came over and took out three hand guns. Jinx said, "Three mags each, and thirteen bullets each mag. They have about the same, so be careful when you use them. Also, Jock, use those knives to clean up the traces and collect all the bullets, the rules here are tighter than my virgin asshole."


    Kyle frowned and said, "Jinx, can you watch your mouth."


    The latter realized that Leo was frowning, and he said, "I apologize brothers, but that Dagger Marlin is a pain to deal with. This is the third time I am dealing with him and he is such a nitpicker. Like this country is so strict that I cannot find my undergarments and he want me to get him high quality new guns. Do me a favor, shoot him in the butt when you are done."


    Leo took the gun from Kyle, and loaded it with one hand before he jerked it on to the side and ejected the magazine and caught the bullet that was ejected from the chamber. The people were shocked, but then the young man loaded the bullet back inside the magazine and loaded the gun as he asked, "Do you have any protective gear?"


    Jinx woke up and nodded, they quickly provided the gear and after putting it on, Leo said, "Let''s go, I don''t want them to have much rest. If what I speculate is right, they will invade the city at night and then ambush us."


    Jock and Kyle nodded and the trio just entered the tree line, and gradually they vanished. Jinx gulped and looked at the young man left behind as he asked, "Chris, did you guys teach him that?"


    Chris shook his head and said, "Never. Also, Jinx, watch yourself around him."


    Jinx was surprised and asked, "What do you mean? He doesn''t look very dangerous."


    Chris looked at him and said, "Would you be so menacing to put the corpse of your enemy in their living room?"


    Jinx imagined the scene and shivered. He nodded and said, "I will be leaving now, tell me if you need anything."


    Chris nodded and watched them leave the place, heading back to where they came from.


    ¡­


    Leo moved inside the forest, his speed was steady and he was carefully avoiding any twigs on the ground. His silent walking caused Kyle and Jock to reassess their boss. The two of them were veterans, and had training for all this, however, Leo, given the speed he displayed this young man was definitely on par with them if not superior. How? They had no idea.


    Kyle was in the lead, and he was also monitoring the situation on the tablet. Suddenly he stopped and said, "Boss, five hundred meters away."


    Leo crouched on the ground and said, "Watch out for traps they might have set. Walk low, and maintain a single file. Shoot anyone apart from Trevor that you see."


    The two men nodded and they began to walk slowly but carefully. After covering twenty meters, Kyle stopped and gently blew on the dried leaves on the ground. Beneath the leaves he found a very thin metal wire. He sighed and used a throwing knife to cut the wire, and continued moving.


    They were slow but they were steady, and after half an hour, they covered the final four hundred meters. Leo slowly stood up and took cover behind a tree. He could see through the trees, there were five men, all seemed to be sitting silently, however, he noticed one guy on the side, sitting on the tree trunk.


    The glance was just a millisecond long. In his training, he was taught that people who have killed could sense if someone watches them for prolonged moments. Leo took out his knife, and then he looked at Jock and Kyle who nodded to him, positioned themselves in a way where they could take aim at two different people, and Leo raised his hand letting the knife fly.


    The battle had begun and Leo had made the first move, but would he be able to draw the first blood?

 Chapter 79 79: Bloody Daddy Strikes Hard!

    Swish!


    The throwing knife flew from his hand, and before the guard could react, it lodged in his neck cleanly. Jock and Kyle were not behind as well, they raised their hands and flicked the knives at the closest targets.


    However, the three swishing sounds have alerted the enemy. Trevor raised his head, and yelled, "Enemy! Take Cover."


    Although he alerted the people quickly, they were still attacked. They were sitting on the ground and getting up from that position was not easy. Kyle and Jock were trained people, and they exploited the chance and dealt critical blows to their two targets.


    Leo, on the other hand, had already switched from the knife to the handgun, he released the safety and taking an aim quickly fired a shot.


    Bang!


    He said, "Hit on the right shoulder."


    His bullet hit the fourth guy who was running behind the tree. This quick reaction from his side led to one death, and three injured.


    Only Trevor, who was the furthest and hiding behind the tree trunk was untouched. Kyle and Jock also took out their guns and took shots at the two critically stabbed guys.


    Bang! Bang!


    The forest fell silent. Three deaths, one injured and one safe. Leo looked at Jock, and gestured to him to go around the trees and take out the already injured guy who was hiding behind the tree.


    Jock nodded and silently moved away. Leo then looked at Kyle and pointed at the tree where Trevor had hidden. Kyle raised his gun and aimed at the trunk ready to fire as long as Trevor flinched.


    Leo waited patiently, and just when he was thinking what to do, Trevor asked loudly, "Who are you guys? Do you know who you are attacking?"


    Leo replied, "I do actually, Dagger Of Marlins. Your reputation precedes you."


    Trevor asked, "What do you want? Who sent you?"


    His voice regained the calm element from before, Leo thought of something and asked, "Don''t you know whom you have offended recently?"


    Kyle looked at Leo and was surprised, this guy was trying to lure Trevor out, and he was playing the mental tug-of-war.


    Sure enough, given the sudden change in situation, the death of his teammates reduced Trevor''s calm. He knew that the other party was a trained team, he spoke begrudgingly, "Damn it, Richter family, it must be them."


    Leo didn''t say anything, he didn''t underestimate the enemy at all. Trevor was an experienced person, if Leo agreed to the name used just now, and it turned out to be a bluff, then he would be trapped in his own game.


    Trevor said, "Look, I will double whatever the amount that Richter is paying you guys."


    At this moment, Jock had successfully flanked the enemy, and fired a shot.


    Bang!


    Followed by that a dull thud sounded, confirming the fall of the last guy on Trevor''s team. Leo said, "Well, not everything can be bought cheap Trevor Marlins. You have no way out, why not surrender to your fate and save yourself some trouble?"


    He looked at Kyle and told him softly, "Cover me."


    Kyle was surprised and was about to say no, when Leo walked ahead and said, "How about this, you come out, and we fight hand to hand. If you win, you can leave."


    His steps were calm, and as he walked his aura seemed to grow strong. Leo was confident that he can take down Trevor.


    Trevor raised his armed hand above the trunk and was about to fire, when Kyle shot.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Three shots were fired, and the last one managed to graze the pistol in his hand, sending it flying in the distance. Leo chuckled and said, "I am giving you the last chance, come out and fight, or we will have to hunt you down."


    Trevor asked, "How can I believe your words?"


    Leo stopped walking and asked, "Don''t you know the situation you are in? Do you have any other option but to trust my words?"


    He was really thinking if fear had caused Trevor to grow dim in mind for real. As he was thinking, Jock positioned himself in the line where he could see Trevor. He said, "I have him, Sir."


    Leo clapped his hands and said, "Good work. Mister Marlins, why don''t you come out? Even if you kill me, my friend in the woods will blow your brains out, and don''t underestimate him, he never misses a shot."


    This forced Trevor in a corner, and a cornered beasts would always find a way to jump over the wall. He raised his head and stood up from the ground. He saw Leo, and was shocked as he mumbled, "Leo Cardinal."


    What greeted him back was a black muzzle and a flash, followed by a loud, Bang!


    Leo shot him in the leg. The young man smiled and said, "Technically, you should call me, Mister Cardinal, understand filthy dirt blood."


    Trevor was in a lot of pain, and he was kneeling on the ground because his left knee was shot, but when Leo called him dirt blood, he clenched his fists tightly, and asked in a muffled voice, "What did you say?"


    Leo smiled and replied, "I called you Dirt blood. Isn''t that the term used for the children born out of wedlock in the stag nation? You are such a person, born outside the wedlock? Like from what I know your father is a spineless parasite that gave up his family and name to enter the Marlin house, then he brought you and that bitch, Spring in the family?


    Is there anything more that you need to be called Dirt Blood?"


    Trevor was trembling with rage, while Leo was smiling with a grin. He then raised his gun again and fired a shot, Bang! This time he hit the left shoulder of the man before him. He said, "Why are you trying to act smart? Calling that old pig of a father from here, what would he do? Put a bounty on my head?"


    Then he calmly approached Trevor and took out the phone from his back pocket. The injuries had made it difficult for him to put up much struggle against Leo.


    Kyle and Jock also came over quickly and Leo looked at the mobile before putting it on the ground and stomped hard on it.


    The devise was destroyed, and Leo said, "Jock, take this back and melt it all."


    Jock nodded and picked up the broken mobile. Leo turned to look at the man who was laying on the ground with his right hand covering his left hand, and bleeding left knee, however, his vision was growing a little hazy. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He asked, "What do you want?"


    Leo kicked Trevor in the face, causing the man to groan in his half dizzy state and then he placed his right foot his right leg and said, "You came here with the intention to harm my daughter and wife. I made sure that you won''t be walking out alive.


    Then Snow told me about how you burned her back, and I made sure that I will avenge her grievances as well. Initially I wanted your body to be sent back to your family, so that they could bury you, but now, no, I will have you buried here in this very place and since you didn''t come here legally, I doubt if anyone would spare any effort to look for your corpse."


    Trevor raised his right hand, with red eyes, filled with rage, but, Bang!


    Leo shot through his right shoulder as well, Trevor was completely disabled. The young man looked at Kyle, and asked, "Do you have a cigarette on you?"


    He was careful to not use any names. Kyle passed on a cigarette and lighter. Leo lit up the cigarette, and then he burned a couple of marks on his back, although Trevor didn''t feel much, because he was already in much more pain, Leo was satisfied and then he said, "Shot him in the head. Burn him and his buddies, and then bury them."


    Kyle and Jock nodded, Leo walked to the side, his face had turned pale already. His first attack had killed someone, even if it was a distant kill, that man still died at his hands, and the scene of the knife going through the neck, and the blood spray seemed to have been etched in his mind. Followed by that, he shot another man, and now, he deceived Trevor.


    These were the few things that he never thought that he would do, and now that he had done them, he felt nauseated. After distancing himself from the place, he could help but hold onto a thick trunk and retch out his breakfast.


    Bang!


    Leo raised his head to look behind him, and he saw Trevor falling down and his brain matter splashing on the rotten trunk. His innards crawled and he puked over the bushes one more time. Today, he had come face to face with the biggest vices of life, killing someone.


    He wondered if the effects of today''s encounter would change him as a person. While he was thinking about it, Kyle and Jock began to clean up and dispose of the bodies.

 Chapter 80 80: Double Reward.

    Leo finished with disposing the bodies and it was already past noon. The young man was still a bit shaken from the scene he witnessed during the fight, and Kyle had to help him get inside the car before they headed back to the city.


    Leo closed his eyes, and then he entered the virtual realm where he asked the system to create a scenario where he had to witness such gory sights. The system warned him, ''Ping: Host, if you take this route then you might end up becoming a colder person.''


    Leo had his own reasons and said, ''The after effects of what happened there are strong and I won''t be able to adjust even if you give me ten days, let alone ten hours. I am aware for sure that Spring Marlin will find that Trevor is missing and then she would try to contact me to probe. If I couldn''t stay focused it might lead her to catch onto something. I can''t have that.''


    The system heeded his reasoning and then began a loop where Leo was fighting in the jungle and his gun training took a more surreal turn. For the next ten hours in his mind, Leo was just killing, killing, and then killing some more. Gradually, his uneasy heart became used to the sight of blood, and it also cleared his conscience that there was nothing wrong in killing those who hold the intention to harm him or his family.


    The car entered the city and then Leo headed home. The journey took him a couple of hours, and he was exhausted. Just when they were about to reach home, Leo sat up and opened his eyes. Kyle was sitting next to him in the back seat, he instinctively clenched his fist, because he sensed the aura of a killer radiating from Leo.


    He wasn''t alone, even Jock sensed this. They both exchanged a quick glance and saw Leo looking out of the window, before he fished out his mobile, and began to scroll through the few pictures of his family that he had downloaded from cloud. His aura was reined a little, and then he even smiled as he saw Lily''s picture.


    The young man had calmed down after watching the pictures of his loved ones. After a few minutes, he calmed down and then he said, "Well, guys, thank you for your help today."


    Kyle shook his head like a rattle and said, "No Sir, what are you saying, we only did our job."


    Leo shook his head and said, "I will have them give you three a special bonus later on. Don''t worry, I don''t treat my people badly."


    Kyle and Jock wanted to say something when the guy driving the car said, "Long live, Chairman."


    Leo chuckled as he turned his head to look outside the window of the car again.


    ¡­


    The people got out of the car, and Leo asked, "Kyle, how long do you think it would take the people to locate their remains?"


    The man shook his head and said, "Never. We burned them, and then buried them in five different locations. The only thing they can locate is the shooting sight and we have removed all the bullets from their as well. You can rest assured, Sir, it won''t come back to us. I will have Jinx leave the country right away, and Milo will handle the monitoring system."


    Leo nodded, and said, "Send someone to monitor Spring Marlin, I want to know every step that she takes."


    Kyle nodded and went to arrange things as Leo entered the house, and as soon as he did, two little figures ran up to him. Leo was surprised, and then he bent down to pick up Lily in his arms who giggled and as he was about to walk inside, a soft meow reminded him that the kitten was also there.


    The young man bent down again, picked up Momo with his hand and placed her on his shoulder as he walked in. Lily chuckled and said, "I told Momo that if she greets you, I will give her treat."


    Leo chuckled and said, "What do you get out of it?"


    Lily replied, "I get to see you smile."


    Leo was stunned for a second and then he pecked her cheek as he said, "Thank you, my love."


    They came to the living room, Leo put Lily back on the couch and Momo hopped down while meowing as well. Snow peeked out of the kitchen and said, "Honey, why don''t you take a shower? I will finish cooking till then?"


    Leo nodded and replied, "Yes, be back in a few."


    He went to his room, took out his pajama and a t-shirt before he went to the washroom. He took a warm shower, washed his hair, soaped himself properly, to make sure that nothing from the sight, sticks to him. Then he came out of the washroom, put his dirty clothes, and shoes in a bag before he went out of the house and gave them to Jock before saying, "Burn them."


    Jock nodded and agreed, they would have done the same thing because washing doesn''t take away the traces of blood, and gun fire. Just because you can''t see, doesn''t mean that the blood isn''t there.


    ¡­


    Inside the house, the family had a warm meal, and then they all played a round of scrabble. Leo and Lily teamed up but they still lost to Snow, who then enjoyed an extra scoop of ice cream. Leo coaxed Lily before he gave her his own ice cream, and then put her to bed.


    The little girl was obedient and she fell asleep very quickly. Leo then retired to his room and he fell on the bed with a dull thump. Snow was applying some cream on her hands, and asked, "Is it done?"


    Leo replied with a humming sound, and Snow came over to his side, and rubbed his back as she gently asked, "Are you hurt?"


    The young man shook his head and said, "No, those people were taken down by surprise, we had complete advantage."


    Snow nodded before she asked, "Can you tell me what happened?"


    Leo didn''t have any trouble, and recited the entire scene unfolding, from the moment he entered the woods, he told her everything about the guns and the attitude of Trevor Marlin. After listening to it all, Snow let go of a sigh and said, "You did good."


    Leo nodded and then he hugged Lily in his arms before asking, "I was thinking if I should reveal myself to the world. What do you think?"


    Snow smiled and replied, "I will not think of anything, you should have made a decision already before you asked me. So, I will follow along."


    Leo nodded and the two of them lay in the bed embracing each other. As the time passed, Snow fell asleep, while the system notified, ''Ping: Host, you have cleared the task of eradicating the threat without involving your daughter, you are rewarded Fire Arm Possession License.''


    Leo smiled and was about to feel happy when the system said, ''Ping: Host, earlier when you came home, your daughter said that she wanted to see you smile. That is a very pure expression of the love she feels for you. To make sure that you carry out your responsibilities, system is rewarding you, with a random gift box.''


    Leo saw a random gift box appear in the void, it looked like a hologram, and Leo thought, ''Open.''


    The box was opened and a notification sounded in his mind, ''Ping: You have obtained three chances of vital recovery. Once used the opportunity will be rendered useless. Can be used on immediate family members and limited to subordinates.''


    Leo was shocked, and then he thought what a good thing it was to win from a random box. However, he quickly calmed down and began to think about the future.


    ¡­


    On the other side of the city, Spring Marlin was pacing inside her luxury suite. She was looking at the screen of her phone time and time again. Suddenly, the phone rang, startling her. She took a deep breath and picked up the call.


    The hoarse voice of her father sounded from the other side, "Get out of that country right away."


    Spring Marlin was shocked and asked, "What happened?"


    The person replied, "Trevor is missing, we cannot contact him, and even his last location is not known to us. Until we can find him, come back."


    The call was disconnected, and Spring stood in her spot frozen. Her face turned pale, and she clenched her fists. Just then her guard walked in and said, "Young Miss, we have gathered the information you wanted us to. Leo Cardinal has a big enemy, Carole Primal, the young managing director of the Tyrant Group."


    Spring raised her brow and said, "Very well, let''s see what value does Carole Primal holds, and how we can use him. However, first, we need to head back home. Let''s go. We leave in an hour."


    sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 81 81: Daddy Is A Hooligan!

    Leo and Snow woke up in the morning and they found Lily sleeping between them. Sometime in the late hours, she came over and moved to sleep between the two of them. Leo didn''t get up fearing that he would wake his treasure up. However, Snow had mastered this trick early on and she slipped out of the quilt.


    The lady saw her husband and daughter sleeping in a funny position and she picked up the phone from the side, and clicked a few pictures.


    Lily''s left leg was laying across Leo''s chest and her right foot was stuck to his cheek. The young man had a dazed and sleepy expression on his face. She smiled after clicking the pictures, before she said, "I will make you some coffee."


    Leo hummed and stayed inside the bed. He didn''t want to do anything today as he was recovering from the exhaustion of yesterday. After a few minutes, Snow came into the room with some fruits on a plate.


    Leo wanted to get up but Snow shook her head and said, "Rest, I know what is happening to you. It is good to rest."


    The young man caught the hint in her voice, and he smiled as he asked, "You hid it from me so well."


    The implications were that Snow has killed in the past as well. The lady fed grapes to him while she smiled and said, "They made me hunt a deer back when I was twelve. It is a tradition of the family. The cruel fact is that the deer was raised by me. The royalty of the stag nation is a twisted bunch." S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo raised his brow and asked, "I thought that deers and antler-ed animals were protected there."


    Snow nodded and replied, "Yes, they are as long as you haven''t raised one, or you are not from the noble class. The founding queen loved Jade Doves, so they are protected, but the fact is that she loved roasted jade doves. The ones with power twist the facts as they want.


    Funny thing though, the founding queen passed away from a skin infection. The bugs in the Jade Dove''s body survived the high temperatures and when the queen ate it, you can figure the rest."


    Leo sighed and said, "Love, you could have just kissed me and I would wake up, you know?"


    Snow chuckled and then she left the room again, while Leo sat up and gently scooped Lily in his embrace as he leaned against the headboard.


    The little girl woke up but she was still drowsy, and snuggled in his chest. Snow came over with a cup of coffee and passed it to Leo. Who carefully blew on it and took a sip.


    Lily peeked at the cup and asked, "I also want hot chocolate."


    Snow smiled and said, "Okay, in the evening. I will make it for you."


    The little girl asked, "Why can Baba have it then?"


    Leo was just about to have his second sip, and hearing her, he stopped. Snow was about to reply, when Leo suddenly said, "Yes, I will also have it in the evening. Too much coffee is bad."


    Snow was surprised, because hardly ever had she seen Leo give up his morning coffee. The young man put the cup on the side table and hugged Lily a bit more before he said, "Lily, come let us get ready, you have school, and Baba has office."


    The little girl nodded and then the two went to the washroom and they stood before the mirror, brushing their teeth.


    Earlier, the system had pinged, ''Ping: Host, toddlers are often imitating what their parents or close ones do. Thus, it is better if you avoid doing things that you wouldn''t want her to do as well. As a reward, the system will detoxify your bowel and cure the dependency you have on coffee.''


    This was the reason why Leo didn''t think much and gave up the coffee. Over the years, he had developed the dependency on Coffee to initiate a bowel movement in the morning. After he recovered from the ailments, he again found himself itching for the bitter taste of coffee every morning.


    The system was aimed for him to make him a good father, an over powered almighty one. So how could it let Lily copy the stupid habit of her father.


    After the brush, Leo took a dump and when he came out of the shower, he seemed to have rejuvenated and was humming a song. He put on a coral blue shirt, gray pants, with a black belt, and shoes. He also found a coral blue blazer.


    Snow looked at him and asked, "What''s up, Mister Cardinal? Trying to impress the hotties at work?"


    Leo chuckled and walked over to her. He pinned her to the wall gently and held her chin as he looked in her eyes and said, "The biggest hottie is already head over heels for me. What do I need those green tea bitches for?"


    Snow opened her eyes wide and Leo kissed her lips hard. The young lady was just about to respond when Leo broke the kiss and said, "Ma, what are you doing? Lily will get late for school."


    He winked at his wife and left to pick Lily who had finished her breakfast and just when he was about to step out of the house, he turned and said, "See you at night, beauty."


    Snow snorted and said, "He has become such a hooligan."


    Then she touched her lips and a silly grin appeared as she began to humm a song too. The two of them knew that the Marlin Family had suffered a big blow and they won''t be coming back soon.


    ¡­


    Leo dropped Lily to the school gates, kissed her before watching her vanish in the building with Miss Verse beside her. Then he and Jock left the place, with one guard stationed in a commercial sedan.


    As they were heading to the office, Percie Hibiscal called and asked, "Sir, did you get into any trouble with the military?"


    Leo shook his head and said, "No, what happened?"


    The lady replied, "A captain is here, waiting for you in the lobby."


    Leo said, "Okay, attend to him properly and I will be over there¡­"


    Jock replied, "Eight minutes."


    Leo passed the ETA to her, and disconnected the call. As soon as he finished that, he received the call from Mark, who said, "Hello Sir, good morning, just now we received a confirmation from the government of the Clover Nation. You have been granted a firearm licence. However, they have asked for a high payment."


    Leo frowned and asked, "What is that?"


    Mark said, "They will be sending over an officer to verify the needs that we have stated."


    Leo nodded and after some small talks the call was disconnected. The young man took a deep breath and calmed down. After exactly eight minutes, they reached the office, and Leo headed to the lobby with big strides.


    He spotted an officer sitting in the lobby silently. He approached the guy and said, "Hello, Sir. I am Leo Cardinal, I assume that you are looking for me?"


    The man stood up from his seat and nodded as he asked, "May we talk in private?"


    Leo nodded and said, "Please, follow me."


    He respected soldiers, and so he was very patient and servile as long as they didn''t act overboard. The young man led the officer directly to his office, and had him sit down before he locked the door, and took a seat as well.


    The young man asked, "Would you like to have anything? Tea or Coffee?"


    The officer shook his head and said, "I will get straight to business, we found that you are the new owner of the Pristine Security Company based in the Regal Nation."


    Leo nodded, and the officer continued, "They have asked the government to provide you with the permission to carry firearms in the boundaries of the Clover nation. They stated that you have been targeted by the Marlin family and other big forces for the sake of your new technology."


    Leo nodded and said, "Yes, that is true¡­"


    After that he narrated how Spring Marlin threatened him, and his wife was hurt. He also clarified that his wife was formerly a recognized member of the Marlin family.


    Finally the captain nodded and said, "Well, if it is that much trouble, why not hand that technology over to the military?"


    Leo smiled and replied, "I have addressed this issue to Colonel Yu already. I won''t be explaining anything to you Captain. If you are done with the verification, I would like to get back to my work."


    He was politely showing the door to this guy who was calling him incompetent in an indirect manner. The captain narrowed his eyes, and thought, ''Using street smarts makes you nothing but a bum.''


    Then the captain stood up, took out a small black book from his pocket and placed it on the table as he said, "The amount of weapons, and the models that you can use are listed in there, please use it responsibly. This license is given just for safety empowerment and is not a license to kill."


    Leo stood up and said, "I will keep that in mind, Captain, wish you a good day too."


    The episode came to a close, but what Leo didn''t know was that another wave of trouble was heading his way, and it wasn''t small.

 Chapter 82 82: Bombs Away!!!!

    Leo had just sent out the Captain and he was going through the dark web. This was his daily routine, he wanted to monitor the movements of his enemies. Earlier, he was using it only to track Carole, but now he was doing it for the Marlin Family and anyone else who might be gazing towards Butterfly Tech.


    Just when he was about to finish and get to work, he noticed something that made him narrow his eyes. It was an email that Spring Marlin''s subordinate sent to Carole Primal.


    Leo had been learning the Dark Web manipulation and tracking in his space these days, and the last time he called Carole, he implanted a strong malware. If Leo used it too much, he would be found and someone would counter him, but he only monitored and never manipulated things.


    Looking at the unread statement of the email, he smirked, opened the content and his killing intent surfaced. This email had a few pictures of him, Snow and Lily attacked in the amusement park. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo didn''t know how Spring got a hold of it, but she did. He deleted the email, and then blocked Spring Marlin and all her subordinates. However, Leo didn''t stop there. He began to write a code, and using a few video editing software to a high level, and composed a video of Trevor and Spring duking it out with each other in the bed, and then he found a few public squares in the Stag Nations.


    ¡­


    Stag Nation had a vibrant cultures and many of the capital squares were covered with big screens that played advertisements or important tournaments.


    Today, as well, just like the usual day, the people were going to work, and all of a sudden, the screens turned black, before the video began to play on it. The pedestrians were shocked, and they stopped. Someone raised his hand towards the screen and asked, "Hey, that''s Spring Marlin, no? That big idol?"


    Many people opened their eyes wide, and began to record the whole incident and circulate it around the internet. Within a few minutes, the entire scene had reached the common households, and the entire nation was in a state of disbelief.


    Leo did what he had to, and now Spring Marlin and her father would be a bit busier in handling the crisis. Even if they knew that it was a deliberate attack, they could not prove who did it.


    The young man was malicious and he didn''t give a damn about what happened to the reputation of his enemies. He finished dropping a small bomb and then he sat down to code, but before he could even punch a code, his phone rang. The young man frowned, he checked who was calling and picked up the call.


    It was Amara Hak, the manager of the Utopia Research Center. The call connected, and the lady said, "Hello, I apologize for calling you out of nowhere sir. One of the key professors of the aeronautics and space research Program, Dr. Amina Yulu, intends to resign from the center and take up a position in the Highland University in the Stag nation.


    I wanted to ask you if you would like to meet her and try to pursue her, because she is a key figure and without her the research program would lose a capable leader, and you might have to wait till we can hire someone new."


    Leo sighed and said, "Well, the temperament of the scholars have always been unpredictable. I will meet them right now. Ask all the researchers to join in on the video conference."


    Amara nodded and replied, "I will contact you within twenty minutes, Sir."


    Leo nodded and replied, "Thank you, Miss Hak."


    The call was disconnected and then he began to extract the things from his Commercial Space program box. The details were all placed on an encrypted Pendrive. Leo quickly uploaded the information on his computer, and then began to look through it trying to understand some of it.


    Twenty minutes passed in a blink and his phone rang again. Amara gave him information to join the encrypted chat room. Leo nodded and then he joined the chat room, and the people were surprised to look at the young man.


    Leo was also surprised to look at the scholars sitting on the other side of the screen. They were all very refined in appearance and he said, "Greetings, Professors, I am Leo Cardinal, and it is my pleasure to meet you. I know who each and everyone of you is, and you also know your colleagues.


    Amara told me that Professor Amina intends to leave the job as the research group head in the center and head to the Stag Nation, however, before you make your final decision Professor, may I ask you something?"


    Amina Yulu raised her glasses with her middle finger and nodded. Leo asked, "All these years you all have been trying to figure out a stable way of reaching the peak of the atmosphere and achieve a successful outer space anti-gravity research, and you also wish to research more about the atmosphere as well, am I correct?"


    The lady nodded, then Leo clicked a few times with his mouse and shared some things that he took out from the pendrive. He didn''t give them the complete thing online because if it got leaked in the transfer, it would be a big issue.


    The professors looked at the data for the next ten minutes, and the other people were also there. Leo said, "Professor, if you continue working with us, I assure you that I will not spare any effort on the project. I will give you the funds and you can take complete credit for the research as well, because the data that I have is still missing a lot of things. So, it is your call, because within the next two years, the Utopia Research Center in cooperation with Butterfly Technologies, is going to achieve commercial and low altitude space travel."


    His words caused the lady to look up from the data on the screen and she took a deep breath before she asked, "When can I expect the delivery of this Data?"


    Leo smiled and replied, "When all of your teammates sign the Non-disclosure agreement. I will say the bad things first, if you betray me, I will destroy you."


    Amina Yulu nodded, and neither did the other people raise any objection on this matter, because they were sure that this person would destroy them. Amina Yulu replied, "I will discuss this with my team, can you tell us how much money you intend to put in?"


    Leo looked at the card placed on his table, this thing also came in with the data pendrive. He checked the balance of the card and he said, "Five hundred million ren. That should be enough even if you all start living like kings for the next year while working."


    The people were shocked, in their entire career they have never seen an investor this generous. The young man said, "I will hold seventy percent of the equity over the results and the management rights. The money and the crucial data I am providing does need to be compensated properly. You can now discuss the situation with your team, Professor, I will wait for the confirmation by the evening."


    Amina and the rest of the people nodded and then Leo disconnected the call. He called over Jock, and the young guard came inside with a look of askance in his eyes. Leo said, "Can you arrange a trip to the Howling Mountains? I have to go over to the Utopia Research Center next week."


    Jock nodded and agreed, however, suddenly, Leo said, "Wait, forget it, I have to take Lily camping anyhow, so I will take her to the mountains directly."


    Jock asked, "Won''t you let us come along, Sir? How can that happen?"


    Leo shook his head and replied, "It is simple, I want to give her a camping experience and not a training camp vibe. You guys have been working hard these past few days, take a rest, go out and mingle."


    Jock smiled and then he nodded as he walked out of the office. Leo began to focus on his work.


    ¡­


    In the Stag Nation, Spring was shivering as she stood in the study. She wasn''t shivering in fear, but rage. After all, she was watching the artificial video that denounced her and Trevor as an adulterous incestual couple. She smashed her phone on the ground and yelled, "Fuck! Fuck! Fucking Bastards! Who the hell did this! I will kill his entire family along with him! Arghhhh!"


    She saw a vase and kicked it down on the ground, scattering the porcelain all over the floor. A hoarse voice sounded, "Can you get a grip of yourself? What will acting like a rabid bitch get you?"


    Spring turned to look at the owner of this voice and narrowed her eyes, "You really expect me to calm down? Hector Marlin, has your blood turned cold?"


    Hector Marlin picked up a paper weight from the side and flung it at her face. Spring hurriedly dodged and the old man said, "My son is missing and now this. I have to handle it patiently, because from what it appears to me, we are at war. So, shut your beak and let me think."

 Chapter 83 83: Lessons.

    Leo didn''t know that the bomb he dropped on the Marlin family had caused big trouble for them. The young man was engrossed in typing the codes on the screen. He has been working on the framework of a computer operating system that was better than any of the currently used ones.


    Leo was very ambitious, he had an entire team that was focusing on the mobile and they wanted to enhance it so that they could achieve better sales. Rama Kashyap had said that he would be coming over with a few prototype versions of the new operating system changes in the second update and consult with him.


    The young man had agreed, after all, he was the boss of the company and since he was coming over to work, then he should do some of it. Soon, the clock struck two, and Leo packed up for the day. He went downstairs with Jock and headed to pick up Lily.


    He was the president, but he had appointed a CEO below him to handle almost everything when it came to the operations. However, if there was something that was beyond Percie''s scope, she would come to him for advice.


    As he was walking out of the office, he met a face that he hadn''t seen in a few days, Fragrance Optimus was coming inside the building. She smiled brilliantly and Leo reciprocated, as he asked, "How are you settling down here?"


    Fragrance replied, "It is okay, I can use some nice music in the background, although I love classical, but the slow pace makes me feel sleepy over time."


    Leo chuckled and said, "From now on, you can change the music inside your office, just play whatever helps you be more productive, and also, if you need anything don''t hesitate in reaching out."


    Fragrance nodded and then Leo got in the car, and they waved bye to each other before the latter vanished outside the company gates.


    ¡­


    Leo leaned in the seat, and thought, ''I have no idea why, whenever I see Fragrance, I feel like I have seen her somewhere. Well, let''s hope it''s not something bad.''


    The young man arrived in front of the school, rather quickly, and found Lily standing with Miss Verse, who was also holding the hand of another child. Leo narrowed his gaze a little, this kid was the same guy who hurt Lily the other day in a scuffle, Wayne Elliot.


    Leo walked over and didn''t pay attention to the kid, he smiled as he looked at his daughter. Lily smiled and jumped in his arms, and Leo gave her a gentle spin before he pecked her cheeks and asked, "How was your day?"


    Lily replied, "Miss Verse taught us how to keep the surroundings clean." S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo nodded and asked, "Did you thank Miss Verse?"


    Lily stuck out her tongue and then turned to face Miss Verse as she said, "Thank you for your teachings today, Miss Verse."


    The teacher smiled and replied, "You''re welcome, Lily."


    Leo nodded to the teacher and thanked her for looking after Lily before they turned around to walk away from the place, and Lily said, "Baba, do you know, Miss Verse gave Lily a star."


    Leo raised his brow and saw the little girl take out a small plastic lapel pin from her pocket and said, "I hid it from everyone. I knew Wayne wanted to have this pin for some time."


    The young man smiled and said, "Good baby."


    They got in the car, and Leo said, "Jock, take us to the Sundial Mall, we will have lunch outside and then we will shop for some equipment."


    Jock nodded, and Lily asked, "Uncle Jock, what do you like to eat? Today I won a star, so I will ask Baba to treat you. When I grow up and earn money, I will treat you then."


    The guard was surprised and then smiled as he said, "I will eat whatever you are having, Young Miss."


    Leo smiled and asked, "Lily, how did you earn the star?"


    He wanted to know what caused her to get the star, and the little girl said, "Today, we were having a music class, and Miss Verse was singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars. So, I asked if I should play the piano with her. Miss Verse agreed, and then I played the piano.


    Other students also wanted to learn, so I taught them how, and later, Miss Verse gave me the star."


    Leo took in a breath, and couldn''t help but feel proud as he patted the head of his daughter. He said, "It is a good thing to share knowledge. The more you share it, the more it grows."


    Lily nodded, and while they chatted, the trio arrived at the mall. Leo and Lily followed by Jock entered a fast food shop. Lily wished to eat noodles, and this place made clean and nice noodles.


    Leo didn''t order much for himself, he first watched his daughter eat, the bowl was too big for Lily and then the young man finished the leftover before asking for another serving for himself.


    Lily asked, "Baba, why didn''t you eat early?"


    The young man replied, "I did it so that I can teach you that food is not to be wasted. At home, when you leave something behind, it is eaten by me and Ma. Sometimes we store it in the fridge, but in hotels, no one saves the food. While we can enjoy food in special venues, in this world there are people who would kill others for just one morsel of the same food that we might throw out."


    The little girl was surprised and asked, "Really?"


    Leo nodded and then looking at Jock he said, "You should ask Jock, he will tell you if what I said is true or not."


    The little girl looked over at Jock, who said, "Yes, Young Miss, what your father said is true. I have seen such people, and believe me, it is not good to waste food."


    Lily nodded seriously and said, "Baba, from next time, I will only order how much I can eat."

 Chapter 84 84: Camping Shopping.

    Leo nodded with a smile and then after paying the bills the trio moved to the shop where they sold trekking and camping equipment. The shop was a brand outlet called, Swish.


    The trio entered, and Lily''s eyes sparkled as if she had just witnessed a new world. The young lady took a deep breath and began to look around quickly. Leo picked her up, and had her sit inside the shopping trolley, before leading her to the section where they bought a big camping tent that could accommodate five people.


    Then they bought three sleeping bags, followed by some tools to help them light fires, and at the same time, they bought bug repellents, and Leo specially bought eight animal deflecting trap lights.


    These lights were to be erected around the campsite and they would flash with strong lights and cause the nocturnal enemies to run away. Then Leo brought Lily to the attire section, he got her a pair of camping shoes, cargo pants, a nice puffer jacket as the weather was getting colder. He also got her a pair of gloves, beanie, and sunglasses. His little princess was armed to the teeth.


    He bought a matching set for Snow, and himself as well. Then he bought a fire extinguisher and some first-aid kits as well. Swish was a brand that dealt in fifty thousand different sport centric merchandise. You could find everything here. The young man bought three folding chairs as well.


    Just when he was about to pick an air gun, Lily asked, "Baba, why are you buying a gun?"


    Leo replied, "So that we could hunt some rabbits."


    Lily suddenly opened her eyes wide, and asked, "You want to kill cute bunny rabbits?"


    Leo suddenly felt a knife driven through his heart, his daughter was still too young after all, and she loved everything cute. He looked at her and said, "No baby, why would I kill cute rabbits? This is to scare away big animals that might attack us."


    Lily shook her head and said, "No, I don''t believe you, please don''t kill rabbits. Please.."


    She held onto his hand and begged, how could Leo refuse his treasure? He put down the gun and said, "See, fine now? Can I buy a fishing rod to catch some fish?" Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lily looked at the fishing rod and then she nodded. Jock watched the scene with much amusement from the side, because he knew what Leo was capable of but all his skills were rendered waste in the eyes of his daughter.


    Leo then looked at Jock and said, "We might need a hunting knife to gather some wood and also for cleaning the fish, Jock, I will leave that to you. Just select something nice, and I will use my firearms license to claim it at the counter."


    Jock nodded and moved to the knife section. Meanwhile, Leo took Lily to the reception counter and began to check out the stuff one by one. Many people would think about the usage of a firearm license when buying a hunting knife, however, it was also a weapon that could kill.


    There were only a few of them circulating through the market in the Clover Nation, and if you don''t have a firearm license, then you would have to settle for those flimsy multipurpose pocket knife tools, which had a blunt blade in it.


    Leo wanted a real knife, he was heading to the forest for the first time, and wanted to cover all the bases that he could. Soon, Jock came over with a black knife which was seven inches big and had a reverse curve to it.


    Leo was surprised and asked, "They are really selling it here?"


    Jock nodded and replied, "I was surprised when I saw it too. I asked one of the guys if this was really allowed and he said that Swish had acquired government permission, they cannot sell more than five of these in a city over the duration of a year."


    Leo took hold of the Khukri and then gave it a leisurely swing which caused the operator to open his eyes wide. Leo chuckled and took out his firearm license and said, "I will be buying this."


    The man nodded and quickly processed the bill because as a fellow citizen he knew what it meant for someone to have a firearm license. This was a big shot.


    After they finished shopping, the people headed home, and Jock handled the knife carefully. When they came home, Snow was already there playing with Momo in the living room, she raised her brows looking at the stuff and asked, "Do you guys intend to live in the woods from now on? What is it with so much stuff? You guys go out shopping and come back with so many things everytime. Leo, if I find that anything is unnecessary, I am returning it, okay?"


    Leo nodded, and Lily said, "Ma, we didn''t buy useless things. Here see, this is the tent¡­"


    Lily began to tell Snow about the stuff, and Leo slipped the knife back in Jock''s hand and said, "Hide it under the driver seat carefully, or she will really throw it out."


    Jock nodded and hurriedly excused himself from the scene. He sighed when he thought about the situation inside the house. Leo was the boss of wild men outside the confines of his house. In there, he was a slave to his wife, and even more than her, his daughter.


    Jock couldn''t help but feel bad about the people who would be willing to end up on the wrong side of this young man. The entire security team feared Leo because they knew that if someone tried to rub him the wrong way, they would be dealt with an iron fist, and if they even as much as looked at his family with bad motives, then the recent ending of the notorious Dagger Of Marlin would be his end.

 Chapter 85 85: Heading To The Mountains.

    Leo and Lily pacified the volatile Snow, and the young man realized that his wife didn''t eat gunpowder, but she was menstruating. He sighed as he wondered why women would always have such weird reactions during this period. However, the way the human mind and hormones worked was too complex for Leo to understand.


    The family finished the dinner, and life continued on. Percie Hibiscal was surprised when Leo told her that he would be heading out on a road trip. She found it odd, and Leo told her about the engagement with the Utopia Research Center.


    Percie Hibiscal was even more shocked when she heard this, she couldn''t understand how Leo managed to acquire the stakes in the research center. At the same time she was curious as to what the project was to which Leo smiled and didn''t answer.


    She understood that Leo didn''t want to divulge it, and just when her imagination was running wild, the young man said, "When the time is right, you would be the first person to know. At the moment, we are just in the research phase and keeping more people in the loop is not wise, the professors asked me to maintain the secrecy of the matter for as long as possible."


    The day came to an end, Leo handled the formation of the new company Silence Protection. He held ninety percent shares, after all, he injected a lot of his personal capital in the project, and it was his men who were training the goons about how to be a guard.


    Simon Silence didn''t have any rejection because he has been dealing closely with Kyle and Jock. He knew that compared to these people he was just an ant that could be squashed whenever necessary and won''t be missed.


    Simon had accepted his fate not because he wasn''t strong, but because he wasn''t smart either. Leo had issued high rewards for the guards, and they were all bought over to his side. The goons were all people who worked as petty thugs because they had no qualification to get a proper job.


    However, Simon wasn''t too worried, he knew that as long as he did his duty diligently Leo wouldn''t discard him.


    While some were feeling that Leo was their savior, some people were hating on him. One such person in Angkor City was Carlos Elliot. The man was sitting in his office, and was thinking about how Leo has that aura of superiority.


    He hated Leo from the moment when he confronted the latter at school. He also hated the fact that Leo rendered him speechless and made his son, Wayne, apologize to him before all the teachers.


    This whole thing made Wayne lose his original behavior. Carlos thought that his son was being silent and depressed, he never thought how Wayne had become sensible these days and didn''t create any trouble for them.


    He clenched his fist, and suddenly the door of his office was knocked and Wayne entered. Carlos smiled and rushed to meet his son, as he asked, "Wayne, this is a pleasant surprise. How did you come here today?"


    Wayne replied, "Mum brought me over."


    Carlos raised his eyes and found his wife coming in as well. The lady sighed and said, "Honey, look at him. Now he wants to go camping because of that girl."


    Carlos furrowed his brows and asked, "Which girl?"


    Wayne replied, "Lily. Miss Verse was asking all of us what we would do during the vacation, and Lily said that her family is going to the mountains up north for camping. I want to go camping as well."


    Carlos was surprised and he thought about something and said, "Well, then how about we go to the beach? We will stay there for seven days as well, and you can learn how to snorkel?"


    Wayne shook his head and said, "Why the beach? Why not mountains?''


    Carlos sighed and said, "My boy, your mum has asthma, if we go to the mountains in this weather, she will fall sick. Also, the beach in Goma City is farther than the mountains."


    After a good to and fro, they managed to coax Wayne into going to the beach. Carlos then called in his secretary and said, "Alam, arrange a few men to rob someone in the mountains."


    Alam was surprised but he nodded left after receiving his instructions.


    ¡­


    The week passed away, and Leo had just finished his session in the virtual realm. Tomorrow morning, they would be leaving the house to head to the mountains, and before that, Leo and Snow had finished packing everything. The young man, however, had another thing to deal with.


    Last time when he took Lily to the amusement park, he had received a lottery wheel from the system and he had been holding back his urge to use it. He wanted to use it only when it was necessary or special.


    So, he took a deep breath while laying in the bed, and the lottery wheel manifested before his gaze. The young man took a deep breath and thought, start.


    The lottery wheel was divided in three sections, white, red, and silver, and a fine hairline streak of gold between the three colors. The system had told him that he had the maximum probability of drawing something from the three big sections, however, the golden barrier lines were also prize sections but the probability of ever unlocking them was less than .000001 percent.


    After a few moments, the young man said, ''stop.''


    The wheel slowed down, and gradually it came to a stop. While Leo was not being overly optimistic about drawing a gold prize, he was also praying to not get the lowest of them all, the white grade prizes.


    The lottery wheel stopped at the red section. The needle was really close to touching the golden partition and Leo sneered thinking, ''Fate sure knows how to tease people.''


    The system chimed, ''Ping: Host, you have occupied danger perception skill. This skill will allow you to vaguely detect the intention that other people have against you.''


    Leo found this skill somewhat useful, and he nodded. The night passed by fleetingly, and in the morning the couple was raided by a little goblin that dashed in their room, and burrowed between them as she said, "We are getting late, you elderly people are so slow."


    Lily was very excited and forced to wake up, the couple looked at each other thinking if this kid even went to sleep.


    Leo and Snow got out of bed, and they began to prepare for the outing. Apart from one pair of clothing, and thermal clothes, the rest have been packed and placed in the SUV.


    They had so much stuff that Leo had to fold half the back seat and place the stuff inside with Kyle''s help. After having breakfast, the trio got in the car, and Lily asked, "Hmm, Baba, Uncle Kyle and Uncle Jock are not coming with us?"


    Leo shook his head and said, "Since we are going for a vacation, they should also get a vacation, no?"


    Lily nodded and said softly, "Baba, you are so kind."


    Snow rolled her eyes and said, "Sweet mouthing your father in the morning. Such a charmer you are."


    The two of them loved to bicker with each other over Leo, and the young man smiled as he drove the car. His speed was stable and his senses were sharp.


    However, when they were about to exit the city, Leo sensed someone gazing at him. He looked outside the window and found that from the otherside, Carlos Elliot was gazing at him.


    He didn''t know what it was about, or how this guy ended up here at this time. Looking at his stance, he was obviously waiting for someone. Leo didn''t think much and continued on his way.


    On the way, Lily and Snow were singing some travel songs before the car reached the highway, and the little girl fell asleep. Leo looked at Snow and said, "You should catch some sleep as well, because the drive will take about ten hours before we even reach the foot of the mountains." Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Snow shook her head and replied, "How about this, you let me drive now, and then after five hours, I will give it to you, this way, you will be fine in the mountains, and then I will rest. You know I get dizzy up there."


    Leo smiled and then he parked the car in the rest zone on the highway before he got down the car and changed seats with Snow. The two had a lot of plans for their trip, they wanted Lily to have the best experience and also enjoy the trip themselves, after all, it had been ages since they left Angkor City.


    However, they didn''t know that someone had lain a trap for them in the mountains and it was about to be triggered.

 Chapter 86 86: Bumpy Road.

    Snow drove the car, while Leo put on his glasses on the driver''s seat and fell asleep. In the back, Lily was also secured in her travel seat, and she was sleeping soundly as well.


    Snow made sure to drive carefully and even when she made any turns the movement wasn''t too strong. After five hours of driving, Snow felt a bit tired, because she didn''t have the habit to cruise this long and that too when two people were sleeping next to her.


    Sleep was very contagious, she patted Leo''s shoulder and the young man woke up from slumber. They parked the car in the rest area, Leo stretched his body and washed his face before he took control and drove ahead. He was steady in his driving and after a couple of hours, Lily woke up, she wanted to eat something.


    Snow had packed some snacks to munch on the way, however, Leo still asked, "Should I park in the coming rest area so that she can move around a bit? She hasn''t got any exercise today."


    The young lady thought for a bit and agreed, as she said, "Yes, that should be fine."


    The highway had a lot of exits to go to various cities and Angkor City happened to be located in the northern part of the Clover Nation. There were many resting zones, at every one hour or sixty kilometer gap. Apart from this, there was an emergency zone, however, one could not and should not stop in that lane unless it was an emergency.


    They came to the resting zone, and Leo parked the car in the slot. Snow said, "I will go and get it refueled. You should take Lily to the store and see if we should buy some more snacks."


    Leo nodded, and then he and Lily made their way to the convenient store in the rest area. The young man understood that Snow wanted him to accompany Lily because it was a new place, they didn''t know anyone and if they came across any trouble, then Leo was more apt in protecting Lily than snow.


    The little girl walked inside the store and the first thing she said was, "Baba, I need to go to the washroom."


    Leo was surprised but quickly looking around he located the washroom and took Lily over. The little girl went in and Leo stood outside like a guard. He saw many people in the surroundings, but he didn''t trust anyone. What if any of these decent looking people turned out to be a predator?


    After ten minutes, his anxiety peaked and he was about to dash inside, he saw Lily coming out, and heaved a sigh of relief. He hurriedly checked and asked, "Baby, are you alright?"


    Lily nodded and chuckled as she said, "Baba, I went in the toilet and not some battle."


    Leo sighed and said, "Yes, you are a big girl and Baba is stupid."


    Lily smiled and hugged him tight. She knew that he was just concerned about her. The two people picked up a few snacks and paid the bill before heading out, where Snow was already waiting for them.


    They put the stuff inside the car, but didn''t get in, Leo guided Lily to follow him in a set of stretching exercises, and Snow joined in. After fifteen minutes, they got inside the vehicle and headed to the mountains.


    In the car, Lily asked, "Baba, where will we camp?"


    Leo smiled while driving, he said, "First, we will drop a package to the Utopia Research Center, and then we will camp on the mountainside nearby."


    Lily was curious and asked, "What is the Utopia Research Center?"


    Snow replied, "It is a place where a lot of scholars try to come up with new things like medicine, technology to help society become better."


    Lily exclaimed, and asked, "So what are we going to deliver there?"


    Leo chuckled and he said, "Well, I will tell you if you promise to keep it a secret for me."


    Lily nodded quickly and enthusiastically said, "Yes, yes, I promise Baba."


    Leo smiled and said, "Well, what we are going to deliver is the information on how to fly closer to the moon and the stars."


    Lily was shocked, she opened her eyes wide and asked, "Then can we touch the moon one day?"


    Leo nodded and said, "When you grow up, we would be able to touch the moon, and who knows, we might be able to live there as well?"


    Lily clapped and said, "I wonder if the Moon is just as beautiful as it looks from here."


    She raised her head and through the panoramic sunroof she could see the stars. The mountains weren''t densely populated and the light pollution was low, the stars shined brilliantly and as they drove deeper in the mountains the roads became darker and the sky became brighter.


    Lily watched the stars, and gradually she fell asleep. After a few more kilometers, Leo suddenly stopped the car and Snow asked, "What happened?"


    Leo looked at the road and turned the lights to high beams. Snow was surprised, because she noticed half a dozen men standing in the middle of the road. She asked in a soft voice, "Who are these people?"


    Leo turned on the fog lamps as well, and found that the people were holding sticks and machetes. His expression turned grim and he said, "Mountain Raiders."


    Snow was surprised and asked, "In this age? There are still people who do such things?"


    Leo nodded, he undid his seat belt and said, "They won''t give up easily, and we would be left to fend for ourselves in this wilderness. So, I am going to confront them, don''t worry I can take them. However, when I go out, take the driving seat and be ready."


    Snow understood his meaning, and she saw that the few men were now approaching the vehicle. From the corner of her eye, she saw Leo bending over, and taking out a black stick like object from under the seat. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He said, "Don''t worry, I have a firearm license. The dash cam will record everything."


    That said, he opened the door and got down the car. Snow knew that it was not the time to bicker, or question, so she swiftly changed positions, locked the car and assumed a ready to drive away position.


    ¡­


    Outside the car, Leo didn''t approach the men quickly, he took out the kokri and hid it behind his back. He did all this while he stood behind the light throw, because he didn''t want the bandits to see he had a knife.


    He approached the men and asked loudly, "Folks, what''s the matter? It is dangerous to stand in the middle of the road when it is dark, you know."


    The six men were surprised, usually people saw them and either they turned away quickly or they shivered, however, this was the first time they have seen someone so brave to call them out.


    One of the men said, "Yo, pretty boy, I didn''t think you would be so brave. Come on, now, hand over the valuables, and the car keys, we don''t want to harm you and your family."


    Leo sighed and asked, "Brother, you all want money right? Even if you take all the valuables and sell the car it would fetch around a hundred thousand, yes? How about I give you all fifty thousand ren each, instantly? Can you let me go? My daughter is just a four year old, brothers, please be merciful."


    His offer shocked a few people. They looked at each other and one of them said, "Fools, if he walks away, what will the boss do to us? Just rob him as we were told."


    Leo smirked, and after the dialog, the bandit charged at him with a machete in his hand. Leo took a step forward, he bent down, and slashed with the Kokri. However, to prevent trouble, he used the blunt edge of the blade and hit the knee of his opponent.


    The sudden movement caught the bandit off guard, and his knee was hit hard. So hard that everyone heard a ting sound. The bandit fell on the ground groaning and wailing, "Bastard! Kill him all of you!"


    The rest of the bandits also charged over, but Leo displayed great agility and counter attacked each one of them. His movements confused the bandits and within two minutes, they were all lying on the ground, groaning in pain. The young man sighed and said, "You should have taken the money. No? Now would you like me to give you all ten thousand each so that you can seek medical attention, and also tell me who set you up for this?"


    Five minutes later, Leo came to the driver''s side, and Snow shifted back to her seat. The young man got in the car, and they drove away after the bandits moved to the side.


    Snow asked, "What happened?"


    Leo shook his head and replied, "Just an insect back home. I will deal with that guy upon returning."


    After an hour, it was eight in the night when they came upon the entrance of the Utopia Research Center, the guards were surprised when Leo told them that he was here for an appointment with Professor Amina Yulu.

 Chapter 87 87: Camping.

    Leo drove inside the research center and found that Professor Amina Yulu had come to the gate of the building and Leo could see the sparkle in her eyes. Lily looked at her through the glass and asked, "That granny looks like she is waiting for her Baba to bring her ice cream."


    Leo was stunned for a second and then he chuckled as he got out of the car. The young man made the introduction of the people and after a few minutes of conversation. Leo handed over the small pen drive and said, "All that you need is in here, but please promise me that you all will keep it under wraps and also won''t be careless with your healths once you start the research."


    Amina Yulu smiled and said, "Mister Cardinal, we may be old, but we understand that if we were to pass away while still in the middle of research, someone else will step in to share the credit and the fame that comes after a successful completion. So, don''t worry, we won''t be careless."


    Leo nodded, and then they were led by the doctors to the mess hall, where a highly trained chef served them a sumptuous dinner. After the meal, Lily expressed her curiosity about the place, and the family of three took a tour under the lead of Amara Hak, the liaison and the manager of the place.


    Amara told Lily about the roles of the different labs and some different machines that she knew about and the couple watched their daughter be fascinated by it all. It wasn''t until late night that they finished the tour, and Lily fell asleep in Leo''s arms. The young man discussed with Snow and they agreed to spend the night in one of the quarters that were kept vacant and clean for visitors.


    Amara was considerate enough to have arranged for the room in advance. The night passed without any dream, but Leo did take a course of wildlife survival in his virtual realm, and he woke up in the morning according to his biological clock. He didn''t disturb Snow and Lily before he walked out of the room, and took a small run around the research facility.


    All along he noticed that the security of the place was solid. This place also dealt in research for military at times and thus they had armed security guards around as well. Some of the patrolling guards did question Leo but let him go when they saw his VVIP visitors card.


    Coming back, Leo found that the two ladies were up and getting ready. They had some light breakfast in the cafeteria where Lily, unable to hold back her curiosity went up to some research scientists and asked them a few questions like, "Sir, why did you become a scientist?"


    Many old doctors were surprised by this sudden incursion but they replied delightfully after all, Lily was just that adorable. It was almost noon when they bade farewell to the people and drove away, heading deeper in the mountains.


    Lily was silent, and Leo asked, "Love, are you thinking about something?"


    Lily hummed and asked, "I wonder what I will be when I grow up? Will I be a soldier? Will I be a scientist? Will I be a businesswoman? Ugh, future sounds so stressful."


    Snow chuckled but quickly covered her mouth and stifled her laughter. Leo himself was left speechless, and he said, "Yes, so, that is why, focus on the moment that you are in, my dear. In this life, there are many things that we wish to control and think about, but not everything works the way we want it to work. It is not a machine that we designed, and even the machines that we design can malfunction for various reasons, right?


    So, enjoy the moments, and learn all that you can and all that you want to. You know what I mean?"


    Lily nodded and said, "I understand, Baba. Some of it."


    Leo fell silent and focused on driving, after a couple of kilometers, they drove to the side of the road and the SUV was put in a four wheel drive mode to climb the somewhat smooth mountain. Lily felt excited when this happened and the young man then stopped his car on a relatively flat surface on the side of the hill.


    He helped Snow and Lily get down and the little one inhaled the fresh air rather dramatically, before she commented, "So fresh, it feels like I ate a mind candy."


    Snow smiled amusedly at her daughter''s exaggeration. However, they turned around to look at Leo and found him looking at the scenery seemingly thinking something. Lily asked, "Baba, what are you thinking?"


    The young man replied, "I am thinking about setting up camp around here. Let us get started."


    Snow asked, "What do you need us to do?"


    Leo shook his head and replied, "I will clear the space, gather the stones and set up the tent. You can go down there and gather some water if we are running short on it. We will boil it later."


    Lily looked at the two people and said, "Someone lend me their mobile please. I want to take pictures and record the things you do."


    Leo smiled and handed her the mobile after turning on the camera. Lily recorded the video and did commentary. She also asked Leo many questions like, "Baba, why are you piling up the stones in a circle?"


    Leo replied, "We will be setting a vampire inside the circle and the stones will prevent it from spreading along the ground and harming us later on."


    He quickly began to clean the site and then he began to gather twigs and wood from the surroundings and set them up inside the stone circle. Snow came back with two big bottles of water, and said, "There are a lot of fish in the water."


    Leo nodded and said, "I will fish later, let us set up a tent first."


    Snow agreed and then they began to set up the tent while Lily recorded everything. The whole thing took them one hour, and when the tent was set up, Snow took the phone from Lily, who dashed inside the tent and flung herself on the soft inflated base and bounced while Giggling.


    Leo sighed and said while looking at his wife, "Thankfully I got us a cushion based tent. This little goblin would have gotten hurt."


    The lady chuckled and replied, "How smart of you Mister Cardinal."


    The trio frolicked inside the tent with each other. The tent could hold five people inside and this gave them enough space. After a few minutes they came outside the tent and Lily looked at the firewood as she asked, "Baba, can we start the fire now? It feels a little cold."


    Leo nodded, how dare he overlook the fact that the wind was causing his princess to feel uncomfortable. He took out an ignition stone and beckoned Lily to come over.


    Snow picked up her phone and recorded the process. Leo gathered some wood shavings on a big stone and showed Lily how to rub the knife like part of the ignitor against the stone to produce sparks and then asked her to do it while facing the wood shavings.


    Lily was a bit surprised and unconfident because her movements were stiff. Then Leo knelt behind her, and held her hand gently before performing the same movement and the sparks lit up the wood shavings after repetitive strikes.


    Lily was surprised to see the smoke rising from the shavings and Leo placed the smoking fragments inside the stone circle and used a small window he purposefully left at the bottom of the three layered stone boundary to blow some air.


    The air ignited the dry wood twigs and sticks, after a minute, the fire was set. The surroundings began to heat up as well, and Lily sat down on the ground with a smile.


    Then Leo set up the animal repelling traps that he got earlier and took out his knife as he said, "Snow, I am going down to gather the woods."


    Snow nodded and said, "Be careful."


    That said, Leo moved downhill as there were a few old trees standing at the bank of the rivers. He used the big knife to gather a lot of wood and tied them up with a rope before heading back uphill. When he was on his way up, he paused for a second, because on the ground he noticed a few rodent marks.


    There was an itch in his heart to hunt them but recalling how Lily was so adamant about not harming the cute rabbits, he sighed and continued on his way while muttering, ''We are not predators, we are not predators.''


    The system''s voice sounded, ''Ping: Host, you have abandoned your desire to hunt for the sake of your daughter. You are rewarded with basic fishing skills, and a buff to catch a fish which increases fifty percent of your chance to catch a prey.''


    Leo was surprised and said, ''Thank you for your prompt buff system, I was worried we might go hungry and have to rely on snacks.''


    ... S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    You want more chapters? Bribe the Author with gifts, or smack his face with power stones. Take control of the man who controls the destiny of Leo Cardinal, this is your chance. I, for one, wish to see him buried under the golden tickets, and power stones so that I can drive his ass to work more.

 Chapter 88 88: Fishing.

    After climbing back up to the mountain, Leo took a deep breath and said, "Well ladies, how about we go down and catch some fish?"


    Lily sprang up to her feet and said, "I will carry the bucket."


    Leo chuckled and nodded, as he went up to the car and took out all the stuff, the fishing rod, and then the small bucket that would be used to carry the fish back up. He didn''t intend to kill the fish right after catching, he wanted to make sure they stayed fresh till he finally cooked them.


    The trio moved down the hill and Leo was very careful when he led the two down. Snow was still able to mind her step but Lily was a child and she didn''t know how dangerous can slopes be once you stumble.


    After a few minutes, they appeared at the banks of the stream, and Leo took some minced meat bait, and carefully lumped it around the hook, and cast the line in the distance.


    Then he sat down and closed his eyes. The system skill made it so that he could sense the movement of the line a little better than a complete newbie. Lily asked, "Baba, when will we catch a fish?"


    Snow replied, "When you stay quiet. You know they get scared when there is loud noise."


    Lily was surprised and asked in a hushed tone, "How can they even hear it all? They don''t have ears."


    Leo wanted to laugh his head off, when he sensed that Snow was looking at him seriously. She took a deep breath and said, "So, when we say something, we create vibrations. The fish can sense these vibrations and thus they become alert. You will learn in the future, darling."


    Lily nodded, and Leo suddenly sat up straight and said, "Shush."


    The two ladies calmed down, and sensing the movement on his fishing line, Leo was about to pull the fish out when the movement ceased. The young man frowned, thinking that the fish ran away, he let go of the lever to pull the line, but as soon as he did so, the line was pulled from the otherside.


    Leo held onto the lever and he began to play the pull and let go tactic with the fish. He let the thing pull once, and reeled thrice. After a few minutes of patient reeling, he jerked the fishing rod and a big fish about half a meter big flew out of the stream before it landed on the shore, still flipping around.


    Lily was stunned, and then Leo went over, placed his foot on the side of the fish, took out the hook and carefully held it in his hand before moving it to the bucket.


    Lily was surprised and said, "I also want to catch a fish."


    Leo chuckled and beckoned her to come beside him. Then he taught her what he knew and they cast the line and sat down waiting. Snow watched the two of them and after some thought she said, "Why don''t you stream this to the people? I have noticed that these days, you don''t stream anything."


    Leo shook his head and said, "Streaming was just something I did when I was looking to make some money, what purpose would it serve now?"


    Snow shook her head and said, "I followed you, and I saw how people loved what you taught them. They liked it when you helped them. You can make it big in the field of art, Leo. Why not try?"


    The young man was lost in a deep thought, when the system rang, ''Ping: Host, what your companion said does make sense. If you continue leveling up your stats, you will become a known personality in the field of art and then your daughter will also gain more knowledge. For every ten times you showcase your skills, you will gain five points of skill update.''


    The young man thought about it and then he nodded, as he said, "You do make a fine point, Snowie. I will work hard."


    Snow smiled as she looked at him, and then Lily suddenly said, "Oh, it shook!"


    Leo handed his phone to Snow, who opened the streaming app swiftly and began to stream. She made sure to keep Leo''s face out of the frame. The people who were Leo''s loyal followers, they all rushed up as if piranhas that smelled blood.


    The young man greeted the people and said, "The past few days have been busy and here we are, camping in the Terra Mountain Range of the Clover Nation. We found a stream and we are teaching Lily how to fish. Though, for the sake of fairness, I am a noob myself. So, it is all trial and error. Just know Lily hooked a fish, let''s try to reel it out."


    The comments began to flow in and many people saw Lily following the instructions of reeling and letting go. Leo guided her while holding the rod steady. After a few minutes, they gave the rod a big tug and the fish flew out of water before it landed on the ground. Lily quickly ran up to the fish and placed her foot on the side of the fish as she exclaimed, "Baba! This is squishy."


    Leo chuckled and went over to help her collect the fish in the bucket and said, "Not bad for the first catch, my love."


    Snow watched them catch fish and Leo talked to the viewers and he mentioned that his wife was the cameraman today, causing the viewers to cheer up and send gifts.


    ¡­


    In a magnificent manor garden, an old man was walking with the help of his cane. Every few minutes, he would raise his head and look at the door of the manor. After a few minutes, the door opened and a well dressed middle-aged woman came out in a set of sports outfit.


    She looked at the old man and sighed before she asked, "What do you want Hector?"


    The old man was Hector Marlin and today he came here to meet his wife, yes, his wife, Anastasia Marlin. The old man said, "Ana, can you¡­"


    Anastasia looked at her husband coldly and said, "You no longer have the right to call me that. Do you understand?"


    Hector stopped in his speech and took a deep breath before he asked, "Lady Marlin, can you ask our daughter¡­" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Anastasia spat on the ground beside her, without caring about her regal behavior and asked, "How conveniently you call her your daughter when you want to ask her something, is a new height of hypocrisy, you greedy old coot. I feel ashamed looking at you and I curse the day when I fell in love with you.


    I knew you would come over here to ask about that filthy seed of yours that went missing in the Clover Country. However, I didn''t expect you to be this fast, but I understand, after all you are the hound raised by the family.


    Also, where is your bitch of a daughter? Is she too ashamed to walk out of that gilded room she snatched from my daughter?"


    Anastasia Marlin was not an easy person to deal with, she hated the son and daughter Hector brought with her because only she knew how they treated her and Snow in the past.


    Hector clenched his hand around the handle of his cane very tightly and Anastasia said, "You need to get going, I have a routine to follow, unlike some people the rest of the Marlin family has begun to wake up from their delusions. Don''t let me see you again, get lost."


    Then she left to run around the manor, without caring for the fact that Hector was gazing at her with a gaze that could kill people if he had the power.


    As she ran away from Hector''s gaze, she took out a small old phone and held it to her ear after dialing a number, the call connected after a few minutes and she said, "I request an audience with his Majesty, it is time."


    Then she continued with her run, and only she knew what she was thinking.


    ¡­


    On the other side, Leo and Lily caught six fish together and Snow helped them with the streaming. Then the family went back up the hill and the sun was about to set. Leo took out a set of chef knives, some other supplies and condiments before he began to stream how to cook fish and Lily became his assistant.


    Snow suddenly received a message on her phone and after reading the content, she was surprised. So much that the phone fell on the ground with a thud.


    Leo noticed this and quickly approached her after telling Lily to stay away from the flames. He quickly asked, "Love, what happened? Are you okay?"


    Snow gulped and said, "My mother just sent me a message¡­"


    ...


    You want more chapters? Bribe the Author with gifts, or smack his face with power stones. Take control of the man who controls the destiny of Leo Cardinal, this is your chance. I, for one, wish to see him buried under the golden tickets, and power stones so that I can drive his ass to work more.

 Chapter 89 89: Serenity.

    The young man took a deep breath when he heard that Snow''s mother has messaged her. He asked, "What did the message say?"


    Snow gathered herself and sighed before she said, "Mom said that she has demanded to be excommunicated from the House of Marlin."


    Leo was surprised and asked, "Why the sudden action?"


    The young lady shook her head and replied, "I have no idea, she only said that she would be coming over in four days, and then she will talk to us."


    Leo furrowed his brows, and Snow asked, "If you mind, I can tell her to put up in a hotel."


    The young man shook his head and asked, "I don''t mind, but why do you wish to forgive her?"


    Snow smiled faintly and said, "All these years, I received a small fund of money from some old friends, in reality it was Mom who had been helping me. Otherwise, how could I have brought up Lily and support the us?"


    Leo was surprised again; however, he calmed down and asked, "So, your mother helped you all this while from shadows? Then why did she support Hector when that guy released the disowning statement?"


    Snow shook her head and replied, "The waters of the noble families run deeper than you think. There are a few reasons of she might have held back from supporting me openly. A crucial reason could be that they would have disowned her along with me, and then we would have been left with nothing."


    Leo nodded and said, "Makes sense given how vindictive your family elders are, I can totally imagine them doing this. If I remember correctly, your mother was the second in line to inherit the high chair of the Marlin family, right?"


    Snow nodded and said, "Yes. As for the excommunication request, hardly ever a noble has done this, and when they do, it is accepted and agreed upon without any further question. Uncle Mormon would be happy to see that mom has decided to walk away. He will get the High chair."


    Leo nodded and said, "It is no use of speculating these things, let us wait for her to come over and talk."


    Snow smiled and then the two of them went out of the tent to handle the cooking and answer the questions Lily had accumulated in the meantime. The duration wasn''t big but Lily loved to find reason and logic behind how things worked in the world. Leo and Snow encouraged her to ask questions so that she could develop a better intellect as she grows.


    Leo filleted the fish with ease, and then deboned it before he tossed it inside the ceramic pan with some garlic and oil. After shallow frying the fish, the young man added the condiments he had prepared earlier and served the fish in plates.


    Lily asked, "Just fried fish? No sauces, no veggies?"


    Snow said, "We can go back home if you want Baba to cook sauces for you."


    The little girl shook her head akin to a rattle and said, "No, this is fine, we should live a simple life and maintain high thoughts."


    The couple laughed at her words and they began to eat while enjoying the view of the setting sun. The meal was completed and then Leo made sure to clean up after himself, and then they unfolded the chairs and sat down by the campfire. Lily sat between the two elders and asked as she looked up at the stars, "There are so many stars in the sky here compared to back at home. Why is that?"


    Snow told her about the light pollution and Leo listened to them. He appeared calm on the surface but in his mind, there were many things going on. He was thinking about his projects back at home, and then he thought about the new enemy that popped up on him, Carlos Elliot. The night began to darken, and the family passed their time telling stories, and singing songs.


    It was about nine in the night and the wind got colder, and Leo said, "Lily, Snow, let''s go inside. It is getting colder here."


    Lily frowned and said, "But I want to watch the stars."


    Leo smiled and said, "I have a surprise for you, come."


    He led the little girl inside the tent and then from one of the corners above, he pulled a zipper and removed the colored layer of the tent fabric replacing it with a clear plastic dome. Lily looked up and she was surprised. The young man said, "You know, these mountains happen to be one of the three places where you can see magic lights."


    Lily looked at him curiously and asked, "Baba, what are magic lights?"


    Snow came inside the tent and closed the zipper behind her. She turned the lantern on dim setting and they laid down on the sleeping bags. Lily was successfully led astray and Leo gave his wife a grateful gaze. As they were just getting comfortable with the feeling of sleeping in the wild, the sky changed.


    A wavy green and blue light erupted from the horizon and appeared in the sky. It was akin to a painter mistakenly spilling his colors and the boring canvas turned into an interesting work of art.


    It was the first time that the trio was witnessing such a grand sight with their eyes. Snow took out her phone and began to click pictures. Lily said, "I want to click a picture outside the tent. All three of us. Please.."


    The parents pampered her and it wasn''t gonna harm them. So they moved out, clicked a picture by setting a timer on the phone and dashed back inside. Lily was mesmerized and gradually she fell asleep while looking at the magic lights.


    Snow looked at Leo and asked, "What are you thinking about?"


    The young man replied, "Had it not been for Lily, would our lives be so serene?"


    Snow shook her head and said, "You know, many times I felt weak, but it was because of her and your connection that I stayed strong and managed to drag through those days. You always say that it is my strength that kept us together. You are only half right, it was our love for this little goblin that kept us connected."


    Leo smiled and nodded. He held her hand and said, "We managed that, we can manage anything."


    Snow narrowed her gaze and asked, "You are saying that because you think my mother would be a difficult person?"


    Leo shrugged and replied, "I didn''t say anything."


    Snow playfully hit his shoulder and Lily turned around in her sleeping bag. The night passed quickly, and after waking up, the family of three continued with their leisurely life. They caught fish and bathed in the river. They played some games, and talked about nature. None of them were worried about the situation down the mountain.


    After three days of camping, Leo and Snow decided that it was time to go back, because Lily''s school would open soon, and they would hold a recital. The young lady had yet to prepare. Although the place was a paradise, but it would take some time for Leo to reach so far that he could make a mansion here. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lily was upset when she heard that it was about time they went back home. However, Leo and Snow promised her that they would bring her here every winter break. The girl was suspicious of the two adults and thus she reached out and tied them in a pinky promise.


    ''Ping: Host, you have triggered the pact feature. You have made a pact with your daughter that you would bring her to the mountains every winter break, and it is a long term task. For every time you keep the promise, you would gain credibility points that could be used to upgrade skills, or exchange for goods in the future when the system shop is unlocked.''


    Leo was surprised but then he smiled and said, ''Thank you system.''


    He looked at Lily and scooped her up in his arms as he kissed her cheeks and said, "You are my lucky star."


    Lily chuckled and asked, "What did I do now, Baba?"


    Leo was caught off guard and he chuckled as he shook his head and said, "You did nothing, but you came into my life and made me happy. You are my lucky star."


    Snow also walked up to the pair and said, "Then why am I being left out from this hug? Am I a black hole?"


    Leo sighed and Lily asked, "Ma, what is a black hole."


    Leo raised his hands in surrender and said, "You brought it upon yourself."


    Then began a big round of questions and answers, and Leo watched them from the side with a smile on his face. These two people were the reason of his peace and they were his solace in this chaotic world. In short, they brought him serenity. Looking around Leo thought that one day, he would build a manor here and call it Serene Lily Manor.

 Chapter 90 90: Mother-in-law.

    The trio got in the car and then they drove down the mountain. The journey down the mountain was more exciting for Lily than it was to climb the slope. Leo had been taking lessons in the virtual realm to improve his driving skills.


    After a few minutes, they were on the highway and Lily said, "How come good rides end so quickly?"


    The parents smiled and Leo said, "Love, open the tab and try to learn the music sheet for the song you have to play for the recital."


    Sounded like Leo was a slave driver, but actually he was going to train her imagination. Lily asked, "How do I remember it without playing the keys?"


    Leo smiled and said, "Do you remember the tone of the keys?"


    Lily nodded and replied with a yes. Then the young man said, "Close your eyes, and imagine that you are sitting in front of the Piano. Then you can imagine yourself playing the music notes. No need to be fast, just remember the key placements. You can move your hands accordingly as well."


    Lily nodded in agreement and she began to follow the tips just as Leo told her, and they drove on the highway. After fifteen minutes, Lily fell asleep, and Snow asked, "Did you do this so that she could sleep?"


    Leo nodded and replied, "Imagination takes a toll on the energy we have, and I just want her to get used to this consumption. Gradually she would be able to visualize things better and a lot of skills would improve."


    Snow smiled and nodded, she turned on the music in the car, and it played soft romantic songs. The couple hardly had the air where they could be romantic with each other. Thankfully, Lily was a heavy sleeper.


    On the way they passed the research center, but Leo didn''t go inside and continued heading back to the city. Snow and Leo took turns to drive continuously. The young man had the stamina of a horse, but Lily was exhausted.


    After coming back home the young man carried the little girl inside the bedroom and tucked her in. Snow also took a shower and retreated to sleep. Leo approached Kyle who was on the night shift and asked, "How is it going Kyle?"


    The guard replied, "All good, Sir. How was your trip?"


    Leo nodded with a faint smile and then said, "Find me the details on Carlor Elliot, and I want his daily routine, also use the sources of the Pristine Security Company to leak the news that Trevor Marlin has been killed."


    Kyle was surprised but he nodded. Leo went back in and after a shower, he fell asleep as well.


    ¡­


    In the morning, he woke up a bit late from his sleep and then he headed out to find that Snow was setting up breakfast and Lily was sitting all dressed up. He asked, "Why are you up so early Lily? You can sleep when it is vacation time."


    Lily shook her head and said, "Early worm gets the bird." Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Snow froze, and Leo broke out in laughter as he said, "Baby, it is ''early bird gets the worm.'' not how you said it."


    Lily looked at Snow, who nodded and she stuck out her tongue. The family of three had breakfast and just Leo dressed up to head out to work, when Kyle came over, and said, "Young Miss, Miss Symphony is here."


    Snow nodded and said, "Lily, you will stay with Sister Symphony, and be good. I will monitor you through the cam."


    Lily nodded and said, "I will practice the Piano with her. Also, Ma, can we take Momo to the vet? She hasn''t been checked lately."


    Leo smiled as he scooped up his little darling and said, "In the evening, I will drive you over to the vet and we will drop Sister Symphony to her house as well. Okay?"


    Lily nodded and kissed his cheek. The young man returned the gesture as he pinched her little nose gently before heading out. Symphony greeted him at the door before getting inside the house. Snow also had work and she was followed by another couple of guards.


    ¡­


    Leo and Kyle sat in the car, and the young man asked, "Any progress about what I asked you?"


    Kyle smiled and replied, "Fortunately, we have found that Carlos Elliot used to do a few shady dealings in the past. He has a record in the crime registry. Also, these days, he is busy seducing a young girl from the Angkor City University."


    The young man smiled and then he replied, "Well, click some pictures and then send them to his wife with a detailed letter, giving her enough time to secure wealth and assets for herself and her son. Tell her to divorce Elliot as soon as possible before I launch a stroke on them."


    After a few minutes, they reached the office and then Leo headed to his office. He used the triple extreme system to the fullest, on one screen he opened the emails that he received from Percie Hibiscal. On the other two screens he opened the dark net to trace the movement of his enemies.


    As he suspected, the Marlin family has used their own method to suppress the video he leaked. He smirked and then he looked at Carole Primus, after a few searches he found that Spring had indeed tried to contact him, but thanks to the blockade set up by Leo in the past she couldn''t get through directly.


    It took him a few minutes to detect that Spring was going to attend the same event as Carole. However, looking at the country they were in, Leo chuckled and said, "Spring season is about to end too."


    The young man picked up his phone and dialed a number. The call was connected swiftly, he asked, "Mark, am I bothering you?"


    ¡­


    In a distant country, Mark was having a good time with a couple of beauties in his bed, then he put up a bitter smile and replied, "President, do you need anything?"


    Leo spoke on the other side, "How about I tell you that a certain type of witch is currently dwelling near you? Would you like to inspect her?"


    His ambiguous tone surprised Mark. The young man said, "Spring Marlin is in the country, how about you go and nab her. Tap her till you train her. What do you think?"


    Mark was shocked, he sat up quickly and asked, "President, are you serious?"


    Leo chuckled and then his voice suddenly turned cold as he said, "That woman dared to have ideas towards my child. She dared to slap my wife. She needs to die the most brutal kind of death that is possible. Make a video while fucking her, and then give it to me through the dark net. I will handle the rest."


    Mark took a deep breath and said, "Yes, sir. It will be done."


    Leo disconnected the call, and then he got to work. On the other hand, Kyle was busy preparing everything for the package to be sent to Elliot''s house. The day passed normally, before a breaking news flashed before Leo''s eyes, ''Just now we have received the news from the ambassador of the Stag Nation, it appears that the second lady of the Noble house of Marlin has decided to retire and give up on her noble rights.


    It is being said that she did this to prevent internal struggle from consuming the harmony of her family. However, some experts are saying that it could be because of the recent debacle of Spring Marlin. She is being blamed for taking the fall.''


    Leo raised his brow and said, "It seems that my mother-in-law has decided to leave one last gift for her husband."


    It was evening when he received the call from Snow, and the latter said, "Leo, can you take a trip to the airport?"


    The young man was at a loss, and then he sighed and replied, "Fine."


    ¡­


    In the evening, Leo drove a sedan to the airport to pick up his Mother-in-law, Mrs. Anastasia Marlin. He arrived ahead of time, because Snow told him that her mother didn''t like to wait for anyone.


    While Leo was waiting in the parking area, Jock was standing outside the arrival terminal with a placard marked with Anastasia''s name. Leo was going through a few details on his mobile when Jock arrived and knocked on the door.


    The young man alighted the car and saw another guard placing the luggage inside the trunk. He looked at the other side and found a middle-aged woman dressed in an elegant cotton olive green blouse paired with a beige loose pant.


    She was scrutinizing Leo from head to toe. The young man was also looking at her before he bowed her head and said, "Greetings, Madam Marlin."


    The lady was surprised and raised her brow, "Are you that slow on catch up? I am no longer a noble lady."


    Leo smiled and replied, "Nobility doesn''t need a title, it comes from inside."


    His words caused Anastasia to smile and she said, "I think I know how you managed to charm my daughter."


    Leo shook his head and replied, "She was the one who charmed me, and I must say, the last rumor you created, very nicely done."


    ...


    You want more chapters? Bribe the Author with gifts, or smack his face with power stones. Take control of the man who controls the destiny of Leo Cardinal, this is your chance. I, for one, wish to see him buried under the golden tickets, and power stones so that I can drive his ass to work more.

 Chapter 91 91: Youre Kidding, Right?

    Anastasia rode in the same car with Leo, and the two of them were silent for the initial part of the trip. She asked, "You don''t seem to hold me in a bad regard. Why is that?" sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo replied, "That is because I know how to maintain clean accounts. You didn''t do anything wrong to Snow, on the contrary, you helped her sneakily over the years. If anything, I am grateful to you, but please don''t mistake it as good bonding. I am willing to try things that can make my family happy but the rest, I will judge as time passes."


    Anastasia nodded and said, "Straight forward and logical enough. I didn''t expect someone who had been troubled by life to have such a high intellect. I must say, I am impressed, Mister Cardinal."


    Leo replied calmly while his gaze monitored the traffic, "Life teaches you a lot of things, Madam Marlin. I am also impressed that you stuck to your daughter even if it was in a limited capacity, and the way you planned ahead is also worth my respect."


    The two of them were not brown nosing each other, on the contrary, this formal conversation was an exchange of emotions. Leo wasn''t a rage-blind fool, who would go and start killing people for whatever reason. He had a very broad point of view.


    Anastasia thought for a bit, her lips parted but she didn''t ask anything. Leo noticed this and said, "If you wish to ask me anything, you can, I will reply truthfully."


    The middle-aged lady raised her brow and asked, "If you are extending the courtesy then, may I ask, what became of Trevor Hardol?"


    Leo noticed that she addressed Trevor with his own name. Hardol was Hector''s family name before marrying into the Marlin house. The young man nodded and said, "Ashes."


    Anastasia was surprised and then she looked at him with her eyes wide open. Leo said, "He came to my country, and dared to plan against my daughter. I also found out how he harmed Snow in the past and so I settled him."


    The lady shivered, she looked at Leo once more and the young man asked, "Did you think that I was perhaps a good guy? Well, it depends. For my enemies, I am the worst thing that could happen to them."


    Anastasia calmed down, and then she said, "I never liked them."


    Leo nodded and said, "Then you won''t mind what I have arranged for Spring also."


    Anastasia raised her brow and asked, "What is that?"


    The young man shook his head and replied, "Let''s just say, it is about time someone trained her to behave like she was perceived by the people."


    Anastasia was a noble, and had seen the most cunning and cruel people in the political corridor over the years, however, this young man was probably the only one she couldn''t gauge. From his words one fact was proven, Spring was in his control.


    As they were closing to the house, Leo asked, "If something were to happen to Hector Marlin, would you feel bad?"


    Anastasia shook her head and said, "You do what you want with him. The reason I married him was because he took advantage of my vulnerability when the man I loved died in the war."


    Leo raised his brow and asked, "So, that is why you married him and the world thinks that it was a love story."


    Anastasia sneered and replied, "I was pregnant with Snow when he stepped up as a valiant warrior who wanted to preserve my image in the public, however, the people didn''t know the truth. The family agreed to the marriage because of my cousin''s ploy. Otherwise, Hector, humph, he isn''t worthy to even walk my dogs."


    Leo nodded and asked, "Snow knows the truth?"


    Anastasia nodded and replied, "I told her very long ago."


    Leo furrowed his brow and Anastasia said, "She was very young at that time, and since she had to grow up addressing Hector as her father, she basically overlooked the fact. Children crave for fatherly attention and she sought that from Hector. Anyhow, nothing matters, after all, none of them were there for her."


    As they finished talking, the car moved through the gates of the residential complex and they parked inside the house. The first thing Anastasia noticed was the guards that were gazing at her with sharp gazes as well.


    She hummed and said, "Your guards are competent."


    Leo didn''t comment, he took out the luggage from the vehicle and dragged the trolleys inside the house. Lily and Symphony were playing the piano. Leo smiled and approached the two of them, as he said, "Snowie, she is here."


    Snow was inside the kitchen, she came out in a hurry, without even taking off her apron. She saw Anastasia standing in the living room looking at her. The mother and daughter met each other after years, even though they had done video calls secretly, but the physical presence of a person had a completely different emphasis.


    The brave and composed Snow rushed over and embraced her mother, who was a tad bit surprised but then the noble and elegant lady also embraced back. Anastasia was old, but Snow was her daughter, her own flesh and blood. How could she maintain that cold and noble appearance after meeting her most beloved person on this whole planet.


    The two of them shed silent tears, and didn''t notice that two pairs of eyes were gazing at them. Leo sighed, he felt envious of Snow, because while the young lady could embrace her mother again after all this time, he couldn''t. He took a deep breath and calmed himself down, as he said, "Lily, go, get Momo, we will drop Symphony back to her home and then take Momo to the vet."


    Lily nodded but then she beckoned Leo close and when the young man picked her up in his arms, she asked, "Baba, who is that person?"


    Leo smiled and pecked her cheek as he said, "Your Grandma."


    Lily opened her eyes wide and exclaimed, "You''re kidding, right?"


    ...


    You want more chapters? Bribe the Author with gifts, or smack his face with power stones. Take control of the man who controls the destiny of Leo Cardinal, this is your chance. I, for one, wish to see him buried under the golden tickets, and power stones so that I can drive his ass to work more.

 Chapter 92 92: Daddy Is A Knight.

    Leo was stunned by Lily''s reaction and the other people also looked at them. Snow couldn''t help but break out in a chuckle, when she looked at Lily''s eyes wide open. She calmed down after a few moments and said, "Baby, why do you think your Baba would joke about this?"


    Lily looked at Snow, and pointed at Anastasia as she said, "She doesn''t look like Grandma."


    Snow was amused, and Anastasia asked curiously, "Then what do I look like?"


    Lily thought for a bit and replied, "Umm, you look like Ma''s elder sister?"


    Now, it was Leo''s turn to open his eyes wide. This kid was so slick that both the ladies were thrown into an emotional chaos. Snow narrowed her eyes and asked, "Am I that old in your eyes?"


    Anastasia waved her hand and said, "Snow, I love your daughter so much more now. Come child, come to grandma."


    Lily shrank back in Leo''s embrace, and Anastasia raised her brow. Leo said, "She is a bit shy, just give her sometime. Love, we are going to the vet."


    Snow nodded and watched the man carry his daughter in his arms as if they were running from a prison. Symphony was at a loss but she quickly picked up her bag and greeted the two ladies before following the two people.


    A moment later, Leo came back in while Lily peeked at her mother from the door, as her father picked up the kitten and wished the two ladies a good time and came out.


    When they got in the car, Lily patted her chest and sighed, "Ma can be very scary."


    Leo rubbed his forehead, he found that his daughter had a knack for drama. He sighed and said, "Honey, can you not call your mother old? She is just twenty five, you know. We had you early in our lives."


    Lily nodded and said, "But, Baba, you saw how Grandma looks right? She looks like an aunty."


    Leo then spent half an hour educating her on how age is a sensitive topic for women and how they should never be called a few certain words. Jock was driving the vehicle with a smile on his face. If somebody asked how he felt working in this house, then he would say it was a bliss.


    They reached the avenue where Symphony lived and Leo got down from the car. He looked at the surroundings and said, "Symphony. Can I say something to you?"


    Symphony nodded and asked, "Yes, Sir. Did I do anything wrong?"


    Leo shook his head with a faint smile. He said, "Snow told me about the situation at your home. If you have any emergency then feel free to call me. Okay?"


    Symphony nodded, and Leo continued, "I am not your family, but you can think of me as your elder brother. So, next time, if you want to talk about anything, even if it is personal, you can come to me or your Teacher Snow. Don''t worry about those rich brats at school. You are better than them, and you can beat them all with your eyes closed. Okay? Stay strong, you have us watching your back."


    His simple nonsensical words touched the heart of the teenager because he displayed conviction in his tone. Symphony wiped the few tears that gathered on her eyelids and nodded hurriedly as she greeted him with a bow and dashed inside the building.


    Leo watched her for a bit, before he got inside the car and they drove away. Lily asked, "Baba, what were you talking to with Sister Symphony?"


    Leo shook his head and replied, "I was telling her how to be strong. She doesn''t have a father to protect her, so I told her that I will be her big brother, she can come to me if she need. From now on, you also take care of her, if you notice anything odd, you tell me. Okay?"


    Lily nodded, and then after fifteen minutes they reached the vet, where they got Momo checked and her hair washed and trimmed. The little girl watched everything with great interest, but Jock and Leo were talking about something else.


    Jock asked, "Sir, aren''t you paying a bit too much attention to that girl? I mean, I can understand that you have your reasons, but what if someone detects us through her?"


    Leo shook his head and said, "Jock, you don''t understand how cruel Carole can be. He really has no intention of reconnecting with that child. He used the fee incident to directly cut off ties, and even had her name changed. Snow has checked, the changes were made thoroughly even in the government directories. He doesn''t have the habit of looking back and that''s why he will suffer. Symphony is the song of his demise and I am the conductor of this grand magnum opus. This is why I want to win Symphony''s trust and nurture her into a sword that cuts deep but doesn''t draw blood. I want Carole to face what I faced, but even worse than me."


    Jock stopped speaking, as he knew that Leo was by no means a hero. He was a coin which had two sides, and once he flipped, it would be a scene of utter destruction.


    After an hour, Momo was ready to be taken home, and Lily began to shop for collars, and other cute accessories. She would even try some on Momo instantly. Leo shook his head and said, "Love, buy less, Ma will scold us."


    The little goblin instantly became disciplined. In the end, they walked out with catnip scented cat food, two collars, two new brushes, and four bags of litter gravel, and one Cat tree. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo didn''t know what he should say, but since he had money, saying ''No'' to somethings that brings his daughter a smile was something he wouldn''t say.


    When they reached home, in the garden, Lily stuck close to Leo and held his pants. The young man shivered and picked her up. He said, "Don''t be afraid, I will talk to your Ma. She will not scold you, just promise not to say such things in the future. Okay?"


    Lily kissed his cheek and hugged him tight as she said, "Baba, you are Lily''s best knight. You protected me from Mother Dragon."


    Leo wanted to chuckle but he said, "No bad comments!"


    Lily hurriedly nodded and stuck her tongue out.


    The system pinged, ''Ping: Host has been addressed as the best knight. You have been rewarded with a permanent skill, Calm in Chaos, and Brave in Need.''


    Leo closed his eyes for a second and his mindset had some minute changes.


    ...


    You want more chapters? Bribe the Author with gifts, or smack his face with power stones. Take control of the man who controls the destiny of Leo Cardinal, this is your chance. I, for one, wish to see him buried under the golden tickets, and power stones so that I can drive his ass to work more.

 Chapter 93 93: Surprise Attack, Success!

    Leo went inside the house with Lily and Momo in his arms. They spotted Snow and Anastasia sitting on the couch talking about the old days holding hands with each other. Leo could detect that while Snow was happy to have been reunited with her mother, Anastasia had some guilt in her eyes.


    Leo didn''t meddle with it, he put Lily down and said, "Little one, I am going to shower and when I come back, we will play the piano and try to adjust to the opening of the song, okay?"


    Lily nodded and said, "Okay, Baba, I will go and change clothes."


    Leo nodded and he went into the room, Lily placed Momo on the ground and was about to leave as well, when Snow said, "Lily, come here for a second."


    Lily flinched, and pouted just then she saw Leo coming back from the room, and kissing Snow on the cheek as he whispered something to her. The young lady blushed a little but she nodded. Then she looked at Lily and beckoned her to come over.


    Lily approached with caution, afraid that Snow might scold her, but instead, she was picked up by Snow, and made to sit in her lap. Snow held her gently and asked, "Why do you do things that make you fear me? Can''t you be a little less naughty?''


    Lily didn''t reply but only nodded softly. Anastasia watched the two people and said, "Lily, would you like to see what I got you?"


    The little girl looked at Anastasia with some hesitation and Snow patted her back and said, "Don''t you like gifts? Now grandma has gotten you something, check it out. Who knows, you might like it."


    Lily nodded and then Anastasia took her to the room where Snow had put her things, and then after a few minutes, Lily the money grubber exclaimed, "Yay!"


    She dashed out of the room holding a set of big nice dolls and said, "Ma, look, these are Shadow Kitty dolls."


    Shadow Kitty was a cartoon that she watched and it was very popular among kids. The dolls were actually plush toys that Lily loved. Anastasia followed behind her with a smile and said, "I had no idea what to get but then Allore told me about these."


    Snow inspected the dolls with a smile and asked, "Did you thank Grandma?"


    Lily stuck out her tongue and said, "Thank you, Grandma."


    Anastasia bloomed with a smile and replied, "You''re welcome my dear."


    Lily was getting ready to play with the dolls, when Leo came out of the room. He looked at the dolls an asked, "So, Lily, are we still practicing?"


    Lily hesitated and the young man said, "Fine, you can take a day off, as you have played it already with Symphony."


    Lily smiled and said, "I love you so much Baba."


    Leo kissed her cheek and tickled her a little and said, "Naughty one, you only love Baba when Baba spoils you."


    Snow chuckled and then said, "I will go and start cooking."


    Leo then headed to the Piano and sat down on the stool. While he was preparing to start a stream, he thought of something and said, ''System, attribute panel.''


    ''Ping:


    Name : Leo Cardinal S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Age : 24


    Level : Beginner Father


    Strength :8


    Stamina : 12 (Permanent Augmentation)


    Intelligence : 8


    Speed : 7.5


    Talent : Ceramic Artisan. Hairstyling, Nurti-Chef, Piano Maester.


    Items : None''


    Leo thought of something and said, ''Expand the level tab.''


    ''Ping: Beginner Father: 670/1000''


    Leo asked, ''Why are the other buffs not listed here?''


    ''Ping: Updating¡­''


    After a few minutes, the refreshed panel appeared before his eyes, ''Name : Leo Cardinal


    Age : 24


    Level : Beginner Father


    Strength :7


    Stamina : 12 (Permanent Augmentation)


    Intelligence : 8


    Speed : 6.5


    Talent : Ceramic Artisan. Hairstyling, Nurti-Chef, Piano Maester.


    Items : None


    Buffs: Horse Stamina, Calm In Chaos and Brave In Need, Three Vital Recovery chances, Danger Perception.


    Leo nodded and then he turned on the stream and said, "First of all, I apologize for the delay in streaming, but have been busy with some things. Today we have a special treat. I will be conducting a piano class and after the class you would be able to access the video from our recent vacation. Thank you for your support, let us begin."


    Leo began to play the song that he had prepared, and as he played he answered different questions from the audience. He didn''t know that Anastasia was surprised by his skills. She was playing with Lily but her ears were trained at her son-in-law.


    Before coming here, she had conducted a basic investigation on Leo''s life recently and she was shocked to find that he was the person behind the Butterfly tech company. What surprised her even more was that his company wasn''t shabby at all. They were climbing the graph rather stably. What''s more was the fact that this guy could play the piano pretty well as well. His command over the instrument and music was so good that Anastasia was surprised.


    She was a noble lady, and had been attending such gatherings or competitions over the years but never had she ever met with someone as talented as Leo.


    Leo continued playing the music, and Lily finally couldn''t help herself and joined him. The young man smiled and guided her through the progressions patiently, and Lily grasped the tips quickly. Snow came out of the kitchen but found that the two were still playing and she sat down on the couch, where Anastasia said, "He can definitely shine in the world of music, you know. I have never seen someone so good. Does he have any music history?"


    Snow replied, "He took lessons in his childhood but these days he has been working on his own and improving his own skills. I have no idea how he does it, but everytime he touches the piano, the notes he hits resonate with my heart."


    Anastasia sighed and said, "I would have loved to roll my eyes at this moment but this is surely a good concert here. Your husband is impressive."


    She was surprised to see that Leo was so versatile and he was so steady as well. After the class, the four of them sat down around the dining table and ate their meal while chatting about the things that happened during the day.


    After dinner, Lily said good night to everyone and went to bed. Anastasia also wanted to rest as she had been traveling all day. Snow went to her room because she had work in the morning. However, Leo sat around, pretending to be watching a soccer match on the TV, but he was waiting for a call from Mark.


    Thinking about his enemies, he stood up and left the house. He found the guards all on duty and he approached Kyle. Kyle looked at Leo and asked, "Sir, anything you need?"


    Leo nodded and asked, "I arranged Jock to make a move against Carlos Elliot, what happened to that?"


    Kyle revealed a bitter smile and replied, "We delivered the package, but his wife seems to be adamant on finding out who we are. She thinks all that we did was a lie and is a forgery."


    Leo frowned and said, "How can this be, I didn''t think she would trust Carlos this much. Well, I will look into it."


    Kyle nodded and watched Leo walk inside, and sighed. Jock had told him that Leo was going to make a move against Carlos but he didn''t think it would be this soon. After a few minutes, Leo took out his laptop, and began to type the codes in it.


    He accessed the dark web, looked for Carlos Elliot, and then found his pictures from the traffic cam and other public places. It just so happened that Leo found the man to be present in the Ginger Hotel with his girlfriend.


    He smiled, opened the parents group in his mobile, and found the number of Mrs. Elliot. He then entered the dark web again, and sent the lady a text.


    ''Mrs. Elliot, this is Elf from the Ginger Hotel, Mister Elliot had a nasty fall and is currently in great pain. He has asked for you to come over quickly and head directly to room number 566.''


    He made sure that the message was delivered and the lady saw it. After that, he had to watch silently.


    ¡­


    Mrs. Elliot was a virtuous lady, despite her lax behavior towards her son, the rest appeared fine. When she was cleaning the kitchen top, she heard the message notification and as soon as she read the message, her face turned pale. She made sure that Wayne was sleeping, and that their were a few staff members in the horse, before she took a sports car and left the house in a hurry.


    The staff members were surprised, and one of them said, "What happened to Madam?"


    The people shrugged and went back to their work.


    ¡­


    The lady arrived at the Ginger hotel, and after reaching room number 566, she directly knocked on the door, and when the door opened, Carlos Elliot''s screams echoed throughout the hotel.


    ...


    You want more chapters? Bribe the Author with gifts, or smack his face with power stones. Take control of the man who controls the destiny of Leo Cardinal, this is your chance. I, for one, wish to see him buried under the golden tickets, and power stones so that I can drive his ass to work more.

 Chapter 94 94: Love Makes Stronger.

    Leo got up early in the morning and was heading out of the house. He saw Lily was up and Anastasia was also dressed in her sporty attire. Over weekends Leo would sometimes take Lily out as she wanted to be strong like him but after some distance she would need to ride his shoulders, so Snow told her to stay home.


    Today, she had worn her own sports set and was following Anastasia in her stretching routine. Leo asked, "What is going on?"


    Anastasia said, "I have a habit of getting up early and going for a run. Keeps me fit. Lily woke up early as well, and said that she wanted to follow. I thought, why not?"


    Leo nodded and then he went inside the kitchen after asking, "Would you like to have something before heading out?"


    The lady shook her head and Lily said, "I will have what you are having, Baba."


    Leo had an amused reaction and asked, "Are you sure you want the same?"


    Lily narrowed her gaze and then nodded. Leo came back with two empty tall glasses, placed them on the table. Then he took out a box of eggs from the fridge, and cracked open four for himself in one glass. He looked at Lily and asked, "Do you want one?"


    Lily scrunched up her nose, and asked, "Are you going to eat them like this?"


    Leo nodded and with a swift motion swallowed the eggs down. He said, "It is good protein."


    Lily shivered and said, "Disgusting. Yuck, ewww."


    Leo chuckled and said, "Fine, you should stick to some fruit juice. Picky eater."


    He served her with the juice, and then the three of them headed out of the house. Leo waved one of the guards to follow him and handed him a small jacket. Anastasia noticed this but didn''t say anything. She realized that Leo was a very considerate father. While he spoiled Lily, he also made sure that she didn''t always act recklessly and integrated a little responsibility in her actions.


    The three of them ran at their own paces. Leo was a little slow, following two meters from Lily, and it looked like he and Anastasia were just walking fast. After two hundred meters, Lily slowed down, and Leo said, "Let''s pick up the pace."


    He took the jacket from the guard, wrapped Lily up, and then lifted her above his shoulders and began to run faster. Anastasia was surprised, and Leo said, "I will go ahead, Cal, you escort her."


    Cal nodded and watched as Leo sprinted away. Anastasia mumbled, "He didn''t seem to be exaggeratedly strong."


    Cal replied, "When young miss is out with him. Sir takes it slow, otherwise, he is on par with an elite, and runs ten miles around the villa complex and maintains a considerably stable pace."


    Anastasia was surprised, it seemed that her son-in-law wasn''t that simple. She looked in the distance and saw Lily spreading her hands as if she was a plane. She smiled as she thought, ''Life doesn''t look so stale with a granddaughter.''


    ¡­


    Leo came back home drenched in sweat and Snow looked at Lily, he couldn''t help but intervene and said, "Don''t scare her like this Snow. I can carry her around and it''s not bad that she wants to be better."


    Snow sighed and said, "I am only looking at her because this naughty child left the basin tap turned on. You overprotective knight in the sweaty tracksuit."


    Leo chuckled and said, "Sorry, I thought¡­ Well, I will get ready and they will drive you to work before heading to the company."


    Lily asked, "Will I be staying home with Grandma?"


    Snow nodded and said, "Symphony will come over at noon."


    Lily nodded and she got out of her father''s arms after giving him an exaggerated kiss. She didn''t mind that he was dirty, but the young man said, "Baby, I am sweaty."


    Lily chuckled and said, "It tastes salty."


    Snow hurriedly took the naughty child back to the bathroom, and Leo entered the washroom. After a few minutes, Leo dressed up and came out of the bedroom holding the phone to his ear, and he said, "Well, acquire them. What is the problem?"


    Percie Hibiscal on the other side was discussing something related to work. Leo sat down on the chair, when Lily came and patted his thigh. He picked her up and had her sit in his lap. The little girl began eating from his plate while Leo talked a bit with Percie.


    When he was done, he began to share the food with Lily and the two ate their breakfast. Anastasia couldn''t help but take out her phone to record the scene and when Leo said, "Love, Baba needs to get to work."


    Lily hopped down from his lap and beckoned at him. Leo bent down and Lily reached out to pat his shoulder and gently tug on his tie. Leo was surprised and Lily said, "Ma always does it when you wear a suit. Today, I did. Now you look the most handsome Baba."


    Leo smiled and spoke while embracing her, "You are the most beautiful and most loving daughter. Baba loves you so much."


    Lily pecked his cheek and said, "Lily loves you more."


    Leo gave her a kiss and Snow said, "How come I never get such love?"


    Lily sighed and walked over to Snow, before she pretended to fix her hair and pecked her cheek as she said, "I love you too, Ma. You are so jealous."


    Snow was stunned, she patted the bum of the little one gently and kissed her cheek hard and said, "I love you too, you naughty goblin."


    Lily dramatically said, "Grandma, look, now I have lipstick on my face." S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Anastasia chuckled and Snow kissed her other cheek too before leaving home with Leo. The two people got in the sedan and Leo drove, the car with an SUV behind them.


    He said, "I will arrange a car to pick up Symphony, can you talk to her mother?"


    Snow nodded and asked, "Have you thought about what we should do now?"


    Leo nodded and replied, "We will focus on gaining a higher standing in the market. I suggest that you come over to join the company. The sales department is a bit lagging."


    Snow thought for a bit and said, "I will put in the resignation notice today, within a month, it should be settled."


    Leo nodded and said, "I will send you some money later, try to get back in touch with Day Trading."


    Snow agreed and said, "What are you doing about the taxation?"


    Leo shook his head and replied, "We have been doing a lot of charity and I intend to ask the government about subsidies."


    Snow frowned and shook her head, "Wait for a month. Expose the charitable deeds, then pay the taxes. Capture the public opinion and then ask the government. They will return the taxes paid and in the future you will have a better chance to cooperate with them."


    The young man thought and said, "Fine. It works in our favor."


    Snow wasn''t just a teacher in some high school. She was the university topper who aced the Finance and Marketing department three years in a row. Even Leo was second best compared to her business acumen and taxes. This was why she agreed to give up the teaching job and also to join his work.


    Leo had a feeling that it would be a crucial step for them to grow stronger. The enemy they had was the Tyrant group, they were not even ten percent of what the Tyrant group was capable of. Leo wanted to rise high enough to at least match Carole Primus in status before initiating an attack.


    After a few minutes, they reached the school, and Snow left after kissing his lips. Leo sighed, he watched Jock get in the driving seat and the young man thought, "This war has been going on for a few years, it doesn''t matter if it takes a little more time. After all, revenge is best served cold. I don''t mind waiting for a bit longer."


    ''Ping: Host, in the morning, your daughter kissed your sweaty cheeks to show her adoration for you. She expressed the love in her heart regardless of your condition. She also tried to straighten your clothes and tie, to show that she likes you looking better. You are rewarded with two points for strength attributes. So that you can always protect the happiness of that innocent soul back home.''


    Leo was stunned, and then he sensed some warmth spread across his body and after a few minutes, he felt as if his body had gotten stronger significantly. He thought for a bit and asked, ''System, what is the meaning of 10 attribute points?''


    System replied, ''Ping, host, 10 is the limit of a human body. There are people who can grow past the limit, but they are very rare. Now, if you are in a battlefield, you would be able to fight according to the norms of a special soldier.''


    Leo frowned and he thought, why did he need such power?


    ...


    You want more chapters? Bribe the Author with gifts, or smack his face with power stones. Take control of the man who controls the destiny of Leo Cardinal, this is your chance. I, for one, wish to see him buried under the golden tickets, and power stones so that I can drive his ass to work more. For every 100 stones, 1 chapter more.

 Chapter 95 95: Sudden Change.

    Leo was sitting inside the car, when he heard the system notification and asked, ''System, bring up the attribute panel.''


    Name : Leo Cardinal


    Age : 24


    Level : Beginner Father


    Strength :10


    Stamina : 12 (Permanent Augmentation)


    Intelligence : 8


    Speed : 6.5


    Talent : Ceramic Artisan. Hairstyling, Nurti-Chef, Piano Maester.


    Items : None sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Buffs: Horse Stamina, Calm In Chaos and Brave In Need, Three Vital Recovery chances, Danger Perception.


    The young man thought about what would be the purpose of all this power, but he couldn''t derive a conclusion. Soon they reached the office and life continued. Carlos Elliot was going through a bitter divorce with his wife, and he didn''t have much time to pay attention to him.


    Days passed and soon an entire week was done. During this week, Leo had grown quite familiar with Symphony, and Anastasia. However, he still addressed her as Ma''am. Although Anastasia wanted him to call her Mother, but he couldn''t get himself to.


    Snow intervened and told Anastasia to give him some time. The lady agreed and didn''t bring the topic up again. Today, it was the day of the school recital. The family of four were now getting ready. Today, Lily wore a royal blue frock dress with a white tussle around it.


    Leo was wearing a royal blue tuxedo with a white shirt inside, and he accessorized it with a red satin tie and pocket square. He was combing Lily''s hair gently and held them in a nice bun with small red flower head pins.


    They both were dressed in a father and daughter matching costume, and outside, Snow was wearing a royal blue gown as well. Anastasia preferred a solemn white dress for the evening. The two of them were talking when they heard footsteps from Lily''s room.


    They turned to see Lily walking out holding Leo''s hand. Anastasia quickly picked up her phone and began to click pictures. Lily smiled, shyly before she began to pose for her grandma bashfully. The people were amused by this. After a quick session, Leo said, "We will travel in one car, Kyle and Jock will follow in the SUVs."


    They nodded and then got in the cars and drove away. The location of the recital was the Grand Century Hotel. This hotel was one of the biggest and the most popular places in Angkor City. Many high profile events were held here, and Primal Trust also held the Winter School Fest in this place.


    The School Fest was held in the form of a recital to keep it low key, but the invited guests were all high profile people. They came over to donate a lot of money to the trust, and so, this was a fundraiser. The people came over to pour in money and gain connections, after all, the alumnus were all high earning and powerful people.


    After an hour, Leo and the family arrived at the door of the hotel, and a couple of wallet boys opened the doors for them. Leo shook hands with one of them and gave them a tip before he went inside the hotel with the ladies.


    Kyle, Jock and the rest of the guards also followed them in and ran rudimentary checks in the hotel. The security was tight, and it was clear. Leo led the family through the corridors and they came to the big auditorium.


    The school staff was present there and they greeted the attendees with smiles and guided them to the seats as well. Leo happened to be the board member of the Trust and thus his family were arranged to sit in the front row.


    Lily looked around and asked, "Where is my seat?"


    The young man smiled and replied, "You will be going backstage and then teacher Verse will look after you till it''s time for your performance."


    Lily pouted and said, "Unfair."


    Leo coaxed her as he led her backstage. Snow watched them leaving and sighed, Anastasia asked, "Why do you sigh?"


    The young lady replied with a smile, "Sometimes I feel like I am a third wheel between the two of them. Ever since Leo has recovered, Lily and his bond has grown so well that it leaves me envious."


    Anastasia nodded and replied, "It is natural. Leo has nobody left beside you and Lily. Those years when he was unable to do anything and could just watch Lily being taken care of by you. I don''t even wish to imagine what sort of hell it would have been raging in his mind."


    Snow nodded and she said, "Forget it, let us not think about the past."


    The two people were embroiled in their own world, and didn''t notice that many people were looking at them confusedly, thinking about their status, after all, not everyone could get the front row seats.


    A few minutes later, Leo came back with a complicated expression on his face. Snow asked, "What happened?"


    The young man replied, "She said that if she performed well, I would have to arrange for them to sit with us from next time on."


    Snow chuckled and said, "You have spoiled her rotten, Mister Cardinal."


    Leo smiled faintly and sat down beside her. Soon, the rest of the Trustees and management of the board arrived and they all greeted Leo. The internal staff knew the identity of this young man and this was done so that if he had any desire to guide the organization, he wouldn''t be shunned away.


    Everyone sat down and Miss Verse, dressed in a sophisticated gown stepped on the stage. She said, "Ladies and Gentlemen¡­"


    She carried on with her speech and then she began to invite the performers on stage. Lily was scheduled somewhere in the middle of the itinerary.


    There were a total of ten performances and between every performance, the school showcased a small presentation of the charitable work they have done in the past.


    Leo was watching rather uninterestedly. He was only here to see Lily play, apart from that, nothing else mattered. Suddenly, his brows flinched, he looked around but couldn''t put his finger on what was happening.


    Miss Verse appeared on the stage once again, and she said, "Now, I would like to call upon the youngest of the performers tonight, a student from the primary wing, Lily."


    The people could see a grand piano being moved to the center of the stage, and then shortly after, everyone saw a little girl dressed in a regal gown stepping on the stage.


    Her movements appeared a little stiff, and Leo said, "Come on! You can do it!"


    He spoke rather loudly and Lily turned to look at him. She saw him smiling at her, along with her mother, and she calmed down before skipping to the stool.


    The people chuckled and clapped gently. Lily sat down on the stool, and sensed the keys before she took a deep breath and soft sounds began to flow through the auditorium.


    The song she played was called, Love''s sorrow. It was a great piece, but it wasn''t written for the piano. However, the little girl played the notes accurately, and the crowd was stunned. The tempo variations, and the confident yet calm execution was something they didn''t expect from this child.


    They didn''t know when, but the song came to an end. Lily stood up from the stool, walked two steps forward and bowed to the people. Leo and Snow took the lead in applauding her. Followed by the guests as well.


    Anastasia was holding onto the camera recording the entire process. However, just when the applause calmed down, a man dressed in a black suit dashed over the stage, and Leo saw the man holding an assault rifle.


    He was about to charge, when the man fired a few shots at the ceiling and the people began to wail and scream. Followed by this many people, who were acting as the waiting staff, took out handguns and fired a couple of shots at the ceiling before aiming the guns at the guests and yelling, "Stay down or you will be shot!"


    Snow grabbed Leo''s arm, as she saw the man on the stage grab Lily from the back of her neck and fire another round of bullets as he said, "Silence! Or this kid will die. Silence! I said!"


    Time seemed to have stopped, Snow wanted to call out but she covered her mouth, and Anastasia fell back in her chair. In the big auditorium, only Lily''s cries echoed.


    Leo''s gaze turned cold, and he patted Snow on the hand as he helped her sit down. One of the waiters from the side approached him and pushed him from the back, as he cussed, "Didn''t you hear? Sit down or you''ll be shot."


    Leo''s strength had increased to the maximum level, and his mind was calm now. He turned around and sat down, he said, "That is my daughter, don''t harm her, please."


    He spoke in a low voice and the waiter thought Leo was afraid. The waiter turned around and said, "Boss, that little girl is his daughter."


    The man on the stage, hit the back of Lily''s head with the butt of his gun, and knocked her out. He walked to the edge and handed Lily to the man and said, "Give her to them. Such a noisy brat."


    The waiter brought Lily over and gave her to Snow who checked if Lily was injured seriously.


    ''Ping: Host, these men ignored the plea of a father, now show them the wrath of a father. Reward: Will be calculated after the task completion.''


    ...


    You want more chapters? Bribe the Author with gifts, or smack his face with power stones. Take control of the man who controls the destiny of Leo Cardinal, this is your chance. I, for one, wish to see him buried under the golden tickets, and power stones so that I can drive his ass to work more. For every 100 stones, 1 chapter more.

 Chapter 96 96: Daddy Is Injured.

    Leo was gazing at the waiter, he didn''t care if the system issued a task or not. He knew one thing only, that he had to kill these men.


    The waiter locked eyes with Leo and aimed his gun at him as he said, "What are you staring at?"


    Leo looked at the man and said slowly, "I told you, not to harm her. I told you, but you didn''t listen."


    The waiter approached Leo and stood half a meter away from him as he asked, "What would you do?"


    Leo took a deep breath, he leaned a bit forward, and his fist dug in the abdomen of the waiter. The movement was so quick that the assailant couldn''t even react. The gun fell, but before it could fall down, Leo caught it. He aimed it directly at the man on the stage.


    Bang!


    The man on the stage didn''t expect this and he was hit right in the shoulder and fell down. Leo quickly used his foot to push away the waiter, and then re-aimed his pistol, before squeezing the trigger, Bang!


    Someone yelled, "Boss!"


    Leo quickly turned to look in the direction, and he caught sight of an assailant raising his gun, but Leo was quicker, he squeezed the trigger once again, Bang!


    Earlier when he was checking the surroundings to confirm his danger perception, he had noticed six waiters, two were down, that meant four more were left. His danger perception again picked up the threat and he turned his gun and fired a shot.


    Followed by this, he quickly fired three more shots, and the auditorium descended into silence. The shootout had left the people in a state of shock. Many of the faint hearted even fainted directly.


    Suddenly, a lady screamed, and she was joined by many people. Leo raised his head to look at the people and said, "Shut up!"


    His voice was so loud that it shocked everyone and they fell silent. Leo asked, "Is there any doctor present? My daughter is hurt, please check her."


    Suddenly, Leo sensed a strong danger behind him. He turned around and saw that the man on the stage had raised his gun again and it was aimed at Snow and Lily. Leo quickly moved over and fired a shot.


    Bang! Bang!


    The people ducked and gasped, although Leo managed to shoot the assailant but he was still a little slow and got hit in the shoulder.


    The assailant fell down, and Leo groaned. Snow sensed something and looked at him with her eyes wide open. She asked hurriedly, "Leo, are you okay?"


    Leo nodded, but he didn''t turn back until he calmed down, and got used to the pain. He turned around and his left shoulder was bleeding profusely, dyeing his blazer crimson. The young man looked around and asked, "Is there any doctor present here?"


    One man stood up and walked over with some sweat on his forehead. He said, "I am a doctor."


    Leo nodded and said, "Thank you doctor, but can you please check her?"


    The doctor looked at him in surprise and said, "You have a bullet wound, sit down first."


    Leo did as he was told and sat down in his seat. Then he took off his tie. The doctor checked Lily and said, "She is fine, just some light swelling on the back of her head. She will be fine. We can use ice to treat her."


    Snow nodded and said, "Doctor, please check my husband, he is bleeding a lot."


    The doctor moved to check on Leo and he said, "The bullet is inside, we need to get you to the hospital as soon as possible."


    Just then, Kyle ran inside from the side door, and looked around before coming to Leo''s side and whispering something in his ear. The young man sighed and nodded, as he said, "Doctor, it appears to me that we are on our own for some time now."


    The doctor asked, "What do you mean?"


    Leo stood up and looked at Kyle as he said, "Get Jock and the rest to cordon the corridor leading here, and then get the people from the backstage to move over, and close the doors. Take the weapons from the fallen and let us guard here."


    Kyle nodded, and Leo turned around to look at the guests, who were whispering to each other. He could see that they were scared, but now was not the time to cower, and so he said, "Ladies and Gentlemen. I am Leo Cardinal, and I am the trustee of the Primus School board. I would like to have your attention, because what I am about to say might be even more shocking than what happened just now." sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There were about a hundred people inside the auditorium, and the rich and privileged were so scared that instead of running, they were frozen in place which was a good thing in the given circumstances.


    The young man took a prolonged gaze at the faces of the people and said, "The hotel is under attack. We are surrounded by a group of terrorists. We cannot leave the place now, or we will catch fire outside for sure."


    Someone asked, "How do you know that the hotel is surrounded?"


    Leo looked at Kyle, who stepped forward and said, "I am the leader of the twelve men squad responsible for President Cardinal''s safety. We are all former special forces members, and I assure you that we are not lying. The network connection is still on, and you can go to your social media, I am sure there must be a buzz there."


    The people quickly took out their phones and began to check the internet and sure enough the truth set a buzz. Just when they were thinking about what was going on, Leo wobbled on his feet. The doctor supported him quickly, and had him sit on the chair.


    He began to look around asking, "Do we have a first-aid kit?"


    Snow asked, "Doctor, what is going on? Is he okay?"


    She quickly handed Lily to Anastasia and knelt beside Leo while she patted his face gently and said, "Keep your eyes open."


    Leo looked at her and nodded, he had been bleeding all this time. Jock brought over all the people from the backstage, and the children rushed to their parents. Kyle said, "Axel, attend to the boss, the rest of you, procure the weapons and ammunition and move, don''t touch the bodies."


    A young man quickly rushed over to Leo''s side, and said, "Young Miss, let me."


    Snow moved a distance, and Axel examined the wound as he said, "Sir, it''s gonna hurt."


    Leo nodded to him, and then the young man took out a knife, cut through the sleeve, and then he grabbed the red tie from the side, and tied it above the wound with great pressure causing Leo to grunt.


    Axel looked up and said, "Joel, pass me that whiskey bottle."


    The doctor looked at the quick operation and asked, "Sir, what are you doing?"


    He was baffled, and Axel said, "I was a field medic for the Stag Nation SS. Don''t worry, I know what I am doing."


    Joel, a blonde young man dashed over with a bottle of single malt. Axel opened the bottle, poured some of the liquor on the wound, and Leo winced, then everyone saw Axel pouring some liquor on his small knife, and then passing the bottle to Leo as he said, "Chug down some of it, the pain will lessen."


    Leo took a deep breath and said, "Snow, turn away, don''t look at me."


    Snow watched him drink the liquor with great chugs, and closed her eyes. However, the rest of the people saw Axel making a small cut on the wound, and then digging the tip of the blade inside the wound while Leo''s face twisted from the pain before he let out muffled groans, and then finally, while Axel began to twist the knife to get under the bullet, he couldn''t help but let out a scream.


    Leo was not an overpowering strong man, he used his vacant hand to smack Axel, but the doctor quickly grabbed it. The doctor was shocked to find how strong Leo was, even after putting his entire strength he was able to barely hold on to Leo''s arm.


    The doctor groaned, "Hurry, I cannot hold him any longer."


    Axel grit his teeth and with a lever yank he dislodged the bullet and took it out, before saying, "Done."


    He and the doctor moved back half a step as Leo groaned and gasped. The pain lessened but it was still there, and he was still going through it. Snow stepped forward and held his hand as she took a deep breath, and saw Joel coming over with a first aid box.


    Axel went through the content and said, "From those food trolleys get me a couple of sugar sachets."


    Joel dashed around quickly and got the sugar. Axel tore the sachets and poured the content over the bleeding wound and said, "Powdered sugar will help stop the bleeding."


    Then he used an antiseptic liquid and doused it over and around the wound before dressing it up cleanly. He said, "Sir, don''t move the hand too much, or it might start bleeding. This is just the first-aid."


    Leo nodded and looked at Kyle as he said softly, "Go out, and clean up anyone that you can see."


    Kyle revealed a bitter smile and said, "I apologize Sir, but the enemy has assault rifles. We won''t be able to deal with them efficiently. We should just guard here."


    The young man sighed and nodded, as he closed his eyes, and said, "Give me an hour to rest, and then we will see how to handle it."


    ...


    You want more chapters? Bribe the Author with gifts, or smack his face with power stones. Take control of the man who controls the destiny of Leo Cardinal, this is your chance. I, for one, wish to see him buried under the golden tickets, and power stones so that I can drive his ass to work more. For every 100 stones, 1 chapter more.


    For now we have 248 stones, Sunday I will upload 2 extra chapters, excluding the one that I do daily.

 Chapter 97 97: Taking Charge. (Main Chapter.)

    Leo lay in the chair with his eyes closed and entered the virtual realm. He honed his skills for combat, because he knew there was no other way for them to get out of here.


    Then after he came out of the virtual realm, he took a deep breath and asked, ''System, how can I use the Vitality revival without revealing it to the world? Can I use it on my daughter?''


    ''Ping: Yes, host, you can use the vitality revival on your daughter. She will wake up in five minutes, and the revival will also cure most of her trauma. As for you, the system will limit the revival to make up for the blood lost earlier, the wound would not be healed until and after you have consulted a doctor.''


    Leo asked, ''You really can delay a process midway?''


    ''Ping: Host, the system is built for guidance and convenience of the host, if the system can justify where the funds came from, or the fire arm license, then recovery processes can be regulated as well.''


    Leo nodded and said, ''Go ahead, do it.''


    He felt his strength recovering slowly as the system worked his magic. Leo opened his eyes and he found Snow leaning on his shoulder, he patted on her hand and asked, "Love, I am okay now."


    The young lady nodded but her hand didn''t loosen around his arms. He consoled her for a few minutes, and then Anastasia said, "Lily, don''t worry dear, grandma is beside you."


    She spoke very gently so as to not give Lily a start. Snow let go of Leo and attended to Lily. The young man got up from his chair, and he looked at the Doctor and said, "Sir, if you don''t mind, can you see if anyone else also needs help? Quite a few of them must have suffered from shock."


    The doctor checked Leo once and said, "I will get to it now, Mister Cardinal. Please call me if you need me."


    Leo nodded and then he turned to look at Lily who had yet to wake up properly. He turned to look at Kyle and Jock who were standing a couple of meters away from him. He asked, "What is the status?"


    Kyle said, "Sir, the SWAT forces outside have taken charge, and they are keeping them busy. However, there are still people rushing in. They are going door to door and catching hostages. It won''t be long before they come here also."


    Leo looked around and after some thought he asked, "Do any of you have any contacts in the government? Can you ask the authorities what they are doing about the rescue?"


    One lady raised her hand and stood up as she said, "I am Carmine Mitch, I work as the secretary in the Capital Office. I asked a few people and they said that it is underway. However, they aren''t giving anything concrete."


    Some people frowned, and Leo said, "That is normal, it is a war like situation, they cannot trust anyone who is trapped inside because who knows if the terrorists are getting help from the inside as well."


    Someone stood up and asked, "Then why should we trust you? What if you are the one helping them?"


    Leo reached into his pocket and then took out the firearm license. He showed it to the public and said, "If you think I am helping them, I won''t have killed seven of them directly."


    The red book in his hand caused many people to choke the negative things they were about to say. It was indeed true, why would Leo kill the seven people if he was the one helping them, and also why would the terrorists knock out his daughter.


    It wasn''t that Leo wanted to flex his license, but it was a condition for the license holders to carry it everywhere so that if need be they can help the forces, and this license also allowed them some emergency services.


    Just when he was about to say something, he heard a soft voice, "Baba."


    Leo dropped everything, turned to walk over to his family, and he scooped Lily in his arms. The little girl hugged him with all her might. Snow and Anastasia were much calmer now, but they were still a little unsettled. They couldn''t coax Lily in this situation.


    The young man, however, had the buff, calm in chaos and brave in need activated. He patted the back of his daughter gently and said, "Jock, go find out the blueprint plan of this floor. It should be pasted on some door or emergency exit. Also, while you are at it, leaving the main door, block every entry point, including the emergency one."


    Jock nodded, and took two men with him as he moved quickly. Leo then looked at Axel and said, "You and Joel should help the doctor and treat the elders and the kids. Try to soothe their nerves so that they get out of shock."


    After a few minutes, a few pop sounds were heard from the entrance door. Leo said, "Lily, can you stay with Ma, Baba has to handle a few things. How about you go to sleep and then when we finish things here, I will buy you an ice cream milkshake that you like."


    Lily shook her head and Leo patted her back as he asked, "Do you want to go home?"


    Lily nodded and the young man said, "Then let Baba deal with these things, please. You are my brave princess, yes?" S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lily sniffled and then nodded. Leo propped her up and kissed her cheeks as he said, "Baby, don''t cry, Baba will be back in a quick moment."


    Lily nodded and held back her tears. She was scared, but due to the system remedy, she was feeling a little better. Leo kissed her cheek one more time and said, "Good baby, I will be back. Okay?"


    He handed Lily to Snow, and said, "Axel, Joel, Santana, Douglas, you are going to guard my family with your life. You hear me?"


    These were the guards who usually followed Snow, so they were more familiar with her. They nodded and then took positions around the two ladies. Leo then said, "Jock, you and Kyle are with me. The rest will block and guard the entry points here."


    The guards nodded and moved around quickly. One of the people from the crowd asked, "Mister Cardinal, what are you going to do?"


    Leo turned to look at the person and said, "Mister Aston, the event was organized by the school, and as a member of the trust, I am just going there to assure that our guests can leave safely."


    Aston was the board manager, and he gulped when he saw Leo shooting the people earlier. However, after some thought, he nodded and said, "Okay. Please be careful."


    The young man nodded and then he looked at Snow, who was holding Lily. She gazed back at him and said, "No more injuries."


    Leo nodded and turned around to go out with Kyle and Jock. The two of them gave him a handgun. Jock said, "They might be coming for the corridor soon. What do you suggest Sir?"


    They were both trained soldiers, but last time when they assaulted Trevor, they realized that Leo was a good commander as well. He was decisive and didn''t waste much time either. The young man inspected the weapon in his hand and then he looked at Kyle, who was holding the assault rifle and said, "We will take turns to shoot and Kyle you are the suppressor among us. If we receive heavy fire, you will counter it with bursts. If you have a clear shot, take it. Shoot to kill."


    The two men nodded, and exchanged gazes. They were right, Leo was a good commander, he made use of their weapons properly and came up with an approach on the go. The three of them stood in the corridor, and they were reading the map pasted on the wall beside the fire extinguisher.


    Leo took off the extinguisher and then handed it to Kyle as he said, "This will work as a smoke screen, keep it hidden."


    Then he looked at the wood chopper ax and tucked it behind his back and then undid the safety of the gun as he said, "Firstly, we need to make our way to the security room. That is where all the electricity controls are, and so is the monitoring station. The terrorists must have set a point of operations there. We dismantle that, and coordinate with the forces outside."


    Jock nodded and said, "Call it good or bad, the security station in this property is located on the same floor as us. However, it will draw significant fire if we head there."


    Kyle nodded but he sighed and said, "No other way, if we pin all our hopes in holding down the auditorium, who knows if they attack the doors with heavy ammunition or explosives?"


    Leo hummed and said, "Let''s go, and tell me when you find a power socket. We need to take out the lights."


    The three of them assumed echelon positions and moved forward tactically.


    ¡­


    You want more chapters? Bribe the Author with gifts, or smack his face with power stones. Take control of the man who controls the destiny of Leo Cardinal, this is your chance. I, for one, wish to see him buried under the golden tickets, and power stones so that I can drive his ass to work more. For every 100 stones, 1 chapter more.

 Chapter 98 98: Daddy Commando (1/3 Extra Chapter)

    Leo was on the left, half a step ahead of him on the right was Kyle with the assault rifle, and on the right it was Jock. After a few meters, Jock said, "Sir, we need to change the formation."


    Leo agreed and said, "Then you two arrange it, I will follow."


    Kyle said, "We walk closer to the wall, and try to be silent with the steps. I will take points and Jock will be my guard. Sir, you are behind us, if you see a clear line, take the shot."


    Leo nodded and followed their arrangement. They moved quickly and after twenty meters, Kyle raised his hand to alert them about the first corner coming up.


    Leo tapped Jock, who then tapped Kyle and they approached the corner. The tap was a signal to confirm that they were ready. Kyle stuck to the wall and when he was close to the corner he stopped. He peeked over, and then raised two fingers. Jock took half the step out and conveyed that he would cover the other side of the corner and take down the two assailants.


    Kyle looked at Leo, and the latter told him to exchange positions with him. Kyle shook his head but Leo made a few signs that conveyed that if he used the assault rifle it would alert the other terrorists. Leo conveyed that he would be careful, and the young guard sighed and nodded. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He exchanged positions. Leo didn''t peek quickly, he took out his cellphone and used the front camera to check the situation before he confirmed where the assailants were. They were checking door to door, finding people to take hostages. Leo took a deep breath and saw the assailants enter a room. He quickly gestured to Jock as he entered the corner and just then the terrorists came out of the room.


    Leo was a beat quicker than the Terrorists and Jock.


    Bang! Bang!


    Two bullets and two heads. Leo shot the men clean and neutralized. He said, "Sorry, I saw them entering the room and thought it was a good chance."


    Jock looked at the two corpses and said, "It was a good shot, Sir."


    Kyle also nodded, and then the young man said, "They came to this side while searching for people, so they should be the only ones here. The next corridor might also have a team of two. Counting the seven in the auditorium, we have nine people. This is a pre planned strike."


    The two nodded, Kyle said, "We can take all the gear from these guys, they have kevlar, assault rifles, and even knives."


    Jock and Kyle began to carefully search and salvage, while Leo maintained vigil. After a few minutes, Kyle said, "They have walkies."


    Leo said, "Try to change the channels and frequencies and see if we can connect with the forces outside."


    Kyle shook his head and said, "Sir, it doesn''t work like that in real life. The radio equipment is very sophisticated these days, and tapping them is also difficult. However, we can use these to keep an eye on their movements."


    Leo shook his head and replied, "This area is under monitoring, they should already be aware by now."


    He pointed at the CCTV on the other end, which was focused in their direction. Sure enough, they heard hurried footsteps, and Leo spoke while he took one assault rifle, "Ready?"


    He turned around and walked out of the corridor with the gun against his shoulder and just a blink later, three men appeared at the end of the corridor. The distance was sixty meters, Leo had set the gun at semi-automatic, and quickly, he squeezed the trigger.


    BANG! BANG! BANG!


    He could hear that Jock and Kyle were also fighting behind him. However, they hadn''t managed to kill the enemy. Leo turned back, and yelled, "Grenade out!"


    The fire from the otherside paused for a bit, and Leo raised his gun again and shots were fired, "Bang! Bang! Bang!"


    Three more down, Kyle and Jock were shocked, the latter asked, "Sir, you didn''t toss out the nade?"


    Leo shrugged and said, "I don''t have a nade. I just bluffed, and if it was a real bomb, I would have said, ''Frag out''."


    The two men sighed and Leo took charge. He collected the gun ammo from the fallen and then he said, "Jock, can you confirm that the next corridor is clear?"


    Jock understood his intention and left after nodding. Leo wanted to make sure that the people from both the corridors were cleared so that none of them could come and attack them from behind, or reach the auditorium.


    Leo and Kyle also dashed quickly, they confirmed that the two corridors on the basement were clear, they had to get to the last corridor only where the terrorists were. However, before that, Leo said, "Kyle, let us seal the entry and exit point of the basement here."


    Adjacent to the second corridor, there was a nice big entrance to the basement. While it looked like it was glass doors, many times the hotel held auctions and they were also conducted in the auditorium where the school was holding the function.


    The two of them searched and located a small button, Leo fired a bullet and a bulky steel shutter rose up from the ground and covered the entire entrance. No human could now go in or out.


    Leo sensed a great danger approaching him and quickly turned around to spot two terrorists peeking through the corner on the third corridor. Leo pushed Kyle to the side and jumped on the ground quickly before the spot they were standing at was showered with bullets. Leo quickly returned fire, his thumb turned the firing mode to automatic and the entire corridor echoed.


    Bang!Bang!Bang!Bang!Bang!


    Leo emptied the entire clip, and he stood up from the ground, took out his handgun and dashed to the corner while firing at the corner.


    The two terrorists were suppressed and then the young man took out the ax from behind his back, and it just so happened that the terrorist was poking out again, and Leo hacked the weapon down at his skull without any hesitation.


    Meanwhile, Jock exploited the fact that the three corridors were connected through two parallel corridors, he approached the enemy from behind and made a shot to kill the other guy.


    Kyle caught up to Leo and the three of them were panting heavily as they smiled slightly.


    ¡­


    You want more chapters? Bribe the Author with gifts, or smack his face with power stones. Take control of the man who controls the destiny of Leo Cardinal, this is your chance. I, for one, wish to see him buried under the golden tickets, and power stones so that I can drive his ass to work more. For every 100 stones, 1 chapter more.

 Chapter 99 99: Connecting With The Army. (Main Chapter)

    Leo wanted to enter the security room but Kyle said, "Sir, let us in first."


    The young man nodded, and then two men entered quickly. Leo heard a couple of shots being fired inside, and after five minutes, Kyle came out and said, "Sir, it is clear."


    The young man saw his arm was bleeding, and he asked, "Are you okay?"


    Kyle nodded and replied, "Just a gash, there were two guys who used knives."


    Leo nodded, and then he said, "Go back to the auditorium, get treated and then come back with two more guys. Tell the people that the situation here is under control and now we have to wait for the police or the military to come and rescue."


    Kyle nodded and Leo sat down on the chair with a puff, earlier when he pushed Kyle away, his left arm was hurt slightly. He was tired, not physically, but mentally. The last time he went through the stimulation of repeated killings, and thus he didn''t puke this time, however, he was exhausted. IT was not easy to stay on his toes all the time while shuttling through the corridors.


    Thanks to his enhanced reflexes, the situation didn''t turn bad. As he was sitting in the chair, he raised his left hand and checked the time. He looked at Jock, who was gazing at the monitor screen. The latter said, "Sir, it doesn''t look good. Although the bulk door has been closed, there are still around ten people in the building who are rounding up the guests from the corridors and rooms."


    Leo asked, "Where are they gathering these hostages?"


    Jock said, "Second floor lobby. There is a big ballroom there."


    Leo nodded and asked, "Turn off the jammers, I will contact someone and tell them what is going on here."


    Jock was quick, he located a couple of jammers and said, "Boss, if I remotely turn them off, we would have a few minutes time to contact outside, before someone detects us."


    Leo nodded and said, "Every two minutes, turn them on, and then turn them off. We will use oscillation communication."


    Jock was surprised but he nodded quickly, in his mind he thought, ''Boss has such knowledge of everything that it makes me feel ashamed. How is he so calm about it today? Guess, the incident last time really changed him.''


    He quickly turned off the jammers and said, "Sir, it''s off."


    Leo picked up his phone and then he called Percie Hibiscal. The lady picked up the call, and the young man said, "Percie, right now me and my family, along with hundred other people are gathered in the Grand Century Hotel. We have taken down around a dozen terrorists and blocked the basement entrance. Can you contact Colonel Yu and see if he has any way to get us out of here?"


    Percie Hibiscal was watching the news on the TV and she was suddenly shocked to hear all this. She was thinking about how to reply, when Leo said, "Snap out of the shock! Contact Colonel Yu, and first send me his number. I will call him five minutes later, tell him we are turning the jammers on and off to avoid being spotted. Hurry up, we have ten minutes before they notice the sealed basement."


    The call was disconnected, and Percie quickly gathered her thoughts before she found the contact number of Colonel Yu and sent it to Leo before calling the number directly. The other party didn''t take the call quickly, but Percie didn''t give up and kept calling one after the other. In the past two minutes, she made around sixty attempts.


    The other party didn''t even disconnect the call before that, finally when the call was picked up, the other person yelled, "Has the world ended? Can you not understand the situation at the moment? Why are you ringing my phone? I have many things to deal with at the moment."


    Percie replied, "The inventor of the machine you wanted to confiscate is none other than President Leo Cardinal, at this moment, he is inside the Grand Century Hospital, he said that they have secured the basement and will be contacting you in two minutes, you better be free at that time, Colonel or it might cost you a lot."


    Colonel Yu asked, "How can we trust what you said is true?"


    Percie replied, "His daughter was a performer at the Primal School charity event. The rest you can check if it is true or not."


    The call was disconnected, leaving Colonel Yu baffled. He took a deep breath and then he picked up the intercom device at his table and dialed a number, the call went through and Colonel Yu said, "Connect me to the person handling the Grand Century Hotel attack, I have crucial intent for them."


    The operator was quick and the call was patched through various departments, Colonel Yu relayed the information and then came to some understanding of the situation. As he was on the call, his mobile rang, and he said, "I am getting a call from the source, I will relay the instructions to them."


    He placed the call on hold and accepted the call from Leo.


    ¡­


    The young man called Colonel Yu and said, "Hello, is this Colonel Yu?"


    The other side replied in positive and said, "Mister Cardinal, I am sending you the number of the person who is handling the situation outside the Grand Century Hotel. Please cooperate with him and provide them with as much information as you can."


    Leo nodded and then disconnected the call quickly. Shortly after, he received the number on his phone and looked at Jock, who nodded, and the young man dialed the number. The call went through quickly and the person picked up and directly asked, "Mister Cardinal, do you have any casualties in the basement?" S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo shook his head and said, "We have two minor injuries, the rest are just shocked. Sixteen terrorists have been neutralized."


    The other person was shocked and then he said, "I see that you are using the oscillation communication method."


    Leo replied in positive and the person said, "If you have any walkies or radio system from the terrorists, let us connect on the frequency, XX.XXX"


    The young man nodded and after a few minutes, he said, "Alright, Sir. I will handle that right away."


    Leo disconnected the call, and looked at Jock as he said, "You heard him, right?"


    Jock nodded, and Leo said, "I am going back to the auditorium. You guys communicate with the Military, and tell me if I am needed."


    That said, Leo went back to the auditorium.


    ...


    TIME TO BURY ME WITH POWER STONES AND GOLDEN TICKETS Y''ALL....

 Chapter 100 100: Daddy, Be Brave! (2/3 extra chapter.)

    Leo moved back to the auditorium, on the way back, he spotted Kyle and three more people heading to the security room. He said, "Kyle, give me a walkie, I would like to listen in to the progress."


    The man nodded and handed over the walkie to him. After a few moments, Leo went inside the auditorium and found the people were silent, they all felt worried about the situation. After all, they were all rich, and how could they have foresaw the sudden change in the situation.


    Leo''s arrival attracted a lot of attention. The young man saw the children sniffling as they hugged their mothers and he said, "We have managed to contact the military team outside. My guards are coordinating with the instructions from them. Things will be fine soon, please don''t worry too much. In these tough situations, we need to be more united."


    Lily raised her head from Snow''s embrace and mumbled, "Baba."


    Leo smiled at her, he sat down, picked her up in his arms and then patted her back calmly. Lily looked at the bandage on his shoulder and asked, "Baba, does it hurt?"


    Leo clicked his tongue and said, "No, baby. I am fine. Are you hurt?"


    Lily scratched the back of her neck and said, "Not anymore, but I was when that man held me."


    Leo nodded and patted her back with his left hand and with his right he held onto Snow''s palm. His wife was a strong woman, but she also needed consolation every now and then. Snow looked at him and said, "I feel so exhausted even though I haven''t done anything."


    Leo nodded and said, "It is normal. However, don''t worry."


    Lily asked, "Baba, you are so strong, can''t you do anything?"


    Leo sighed and he heard a voice in his mind, ''Ping: Host, raise the morale of the people in the hall. Cooperate with the military to make sure that the people are calm.''


    The young man asked, ''System, aren''t we already coordinating with them?''


    ''Ping: Host, you have assigned your men to do it, but your personal involvement would be the one decisive factor.''


    Leo took a deep breath and replied, ''Okay.''


    He said, "Lily, sit on the chair, Baba will try to do something."


    Lily''s eyes sparkled but she still got down his lap sensibly, and Leo stood up from his chair with the walkie in his hand. He looked around and said, "Mister Arc, can I have you over here for a moment?"


    Aston Arc, the manager of the Primus Board came over, and asked, "Anything I can do, Mister Cardinal?"


    Leo said, "In the crowd, I spotted some elderly ladies and gents. Could I trouble you to ask if they have any medical condition? Or if they need any medicine? It is very late, and I think if we can relay the information regarding these elders to the medics, they would be able to prevent any medical mishap from occurring later."


    Aston Arc nodded and then he said, "Yes, I will get to it right away."


    The manager was a resourceful man, and he knew almost all the people in the crowd. He quickly began to ask if anyone had some underlying situation that they needed to be wary of. After half an hour, Aston Arc came back with four cases of heart issues, and he had meticulously listed the medicine they needed.


    Leo nodded, and tuned into the frequency given to him by the Military Officer and then he changed the channels, before calling the person out. He confirmed the call signs from Jock, and then held the transmitting button, "This is Dart, Executioner, do you copy? Over."


    The next moment he received a reply, "This is Executioner, go Dart. Over."


    Leo said, "Executioner, we have four elders with underlying heart situations. Can you inform the medics to be ready, just in case? Over."


    The other person replied, "Roger that, Dart. Good work. Over."


    Leo replied, "May I ask, what is the status? Over."


    The military officer said, "Unable to breach, trying aerial approach. Over and Out."


    Leo clicked his tongue, everyone was looking at him and Aston Arc asked, "Sir, what did he mean by the last message?"


    Leo sighed and replied, "I am not sure, but let''s see how it unfolds."


    Aston Arc nodded, and then he went back to his seat. The young man walked around. He was feeling restless, and anxious. Snow looked at him and took a deep breath before she said, "Axel and Joel are here, we are fine. You go and do what you need to do. Don''t worry, we will be fine."


    Leo stopped and looked at her, and asked, "What do you think I should do?"


    Snow smiled and said, "Show Lily how brave her father is. Save as many as you can. Did you think I wouldn''t notice why you are feeling restless?" S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The young man thought about it and smiled as he said, "How did I ever come across you?"


    Snow chuckled and said, "It is your good deeds."


    Leo smiled and leaned in to peck her, then he picked up Lily and kissed her cheek as he asked, "Would you be alright?"


    Lily nodded and said, "I will be good."


    Leo handed her to Snow and then he walked out of the auditorium and headed to the security room. His steps were calm but they were filled with confidence. The moment he stepped out of the auditorium, the gears in his brian began to turn very quickly.


    He reached the security room and heard Kyle and the boys cussing out, calling the military incompetent. He asked, "What is going on?"


    Kyle said, "They asked us if we can go out and clear the terrorists from the ground floor. The bulk door is already under attack. It might come apart at any moment."


    Leo turned to look at the shutter and indeed it was trembling. He looked at the screen on the side, and picked up a gun as he loaded it and said, "Since they cannot come in, we have to head out anyways. At the moment, the terrorists must be facing a lot of pressure from outside and we have the chance to take them down. Let us earn some merit, and make them understand that you guys are not mercenaries, but soldiers who might have taken different paths in life, but you don''t stand with terrorism and shady stuff."


    That said, he flung the strap over his shoulder and turned around to face the shutter. He was ready to kill any and all terrorists he saw.

 Chapter 101 101: Daddy Is Pissed!

    Leo loaded his weapon and took a deep breath, and focused on dealing with the trouble in the way. He was aware that it wouldn''t be easy, but he had to do it. Kyle said, "Sir, I think it would be better to avoid confrontation."


    Leo thought for a bit and said, "You are right, I didn''t intend to confront them. Jock, do you see anyone on the Ground floor?"


    Jock switched through the cameras and said, "Negative. They are located on the second floor, a few on the second, and the basement."


    Leo nodded and said, "There are two elevators in the basement that open up near the auditorium. If we use the elevator shaft to get up, and target them from there, it would be easy, no?"


    There were five guards, all equipped with sub-machine guns or assault rifles, they were shocked to see that Leo could come up with something like this. The people looked at each other and nodded quickly.


    Leo said, "Let''s go then."


    He moved first, followed by Kyle and his team. Jock was left behind to man the security room and he locked it from the inside.


    Leo and the five men came to the elevator shafts and the young man said, "Three in each shaft, Jock has turned off the electricity and the backup generator. We have three minutes to climb, unlock the first floor gates and take down the enemy before taking cover. However, it would be loud, so four will tackle and two will play back up to cover from anyone who comes down from the first floor."


    The people nodded and they used a key Kyle had grabbed from the maintenance box in the security room. That place was used for more than one purpose and there were many important things present.


    Kyle opened the door to the shaft and the people went inside. It was not too dark, as the shaft had an emergency lighting system which worked independent of the power system. The guards climbed up using the metal bars on the wall that acted like ladders.


    They all gained a footing on the cross beams inside the shafts, and Kyle said slowly, "I will unlock it, and then we can open them together."


    On the other side, Leo nodded and watched as Kyle unlocked the safety system which prevented the doors from being pushed open. The young man counted with his fingers and when he reached zero. The men pulled open the doors, Kyle and Leo were the first to leap out of the doors.


    Leo had already raised his assault rifle, and he had taken aim as well. Before his feet even touched the ground, he fired the first shot.


    Bang!


    The terrorists were also so busy shooting and kicking the sides of the shutter that they didn''t even realize that some were shooting at them. Leo was clever, he didn''t shoot the man at the back, but at the front. The people were so engrossed that they didn''t realize as the blood splattered on the shutter.


    Then Kyle also joined Leo followed by the rest of the people.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    They fired tactically and within three seconds the party attacking the shutter was neutralized. Leo then waved his hand and everyone took positions in the cover. With the lights coming from outside the ground floor was still dimly illuminated, and Leo said, "Three of you hide here and cover the stairs. If any bastard comes down, shoot them."


    The people nodded, and Kyle asked, "What about us, Sir?"


    The young man looked at the entrance and said, "We can either play to be the hero, or we can handle the enemy out there to let the soldiers come in. What do you think?"


    The guards all looked at Leo and then they nodded, Kyle said, "Sir, let us call those uniforms inside, this way we will save them some face."


    Leo chuckled and said, "Good."


    He picked up the walkie in his hand and then he said, "This is Dart to Executioner, do you copy? Over?"


    "Go for executioner. Over."


    Leo replied, "We have taken control of the ground floor, and the basement is still blocked and secure. We will try to open the door, and provide support from the inside. Can you tell us how many men are blocking the main gate? Over."


    The other side was shocked and they had no idea, how to answer the question, until a few seconds later, another person said, "Dart, well done, there are fifteen men blocking the main gate, the rest are surrounding the hotel and firing from the cover, you don''t have to worry about that just focus on the men outside the main gates. Also, they have set an EID on the main gate, so don''t act rashly, we can help you diffuse it from here, confirm status after inspection. Over."


    Leo nodded and waved his hand to Kyle, who moved behind him with another man as they covered the distance of seventy meters cautiously looking for any enemy hiding in the shadows ready to jump on them.


    Twenty meters away from the door, Kyle knelt on his knee as he took position behind the formation and said, "Delta, be quick about it. I have the back."


    Delta replied, "Roger captain."


    Delta was the only one next to the door, Leo and Kyle were lying prone on the ground twenty meters away. The two people were very anxious, Leo would be lying if he said that he was fine.


    After five minutes, Delta sighed and said, "Its done, Cap."


    Kyle and Leo stood up and they moved closer to the door. Delta said, "Bastards had hidden seven relay circuits, that''s why it took some time."


    Kyle frowned and said, "Seven Circuits? Isn''t that exclusive to that asshole Claud?"


    Delta nodded and said, "Big chance he is up there on the second floor."


    Kyle clicked his tongue and said, "It would have been nice to kill him with my own hands."


    Delta coughed and looked at Leo, however, the young man wasn''t interested in the conversation of the two people, he was looking outside the door, checking the positions of the terrorists.


    There were five three meter thick stone pillars outside the hotel that served as the porch. Across the porch and the driveway lay a big garden which was now empty and the military was at least two hundred meters away from the pillars. There was no cover in the lawn, even if they were to use the tactical shields they won''t be able to come closer.


    Leo spotted ten terrorists hiding behind the pillars. Two of them occupied one pillar, and then he leaned to the left and the right as he said, "The person outside said there are fifteen of them. I see ten. The other five seem to be a bit troublesome to locate."


    The two men nodded, and Leo picked the walkie before he said, "Executioner, do you read? Over?" S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Go, Dart, Over."


    Leo said, "We can spot ten assailants, negative on the five others. Can you provide better information? If we attack now, then the other five will overwhelm us and The ones in the surroundings will also gather. Over"


    Executioner replied after a few seconds, "The moment you open fire, we will take out the five, we have them under sniper scope."


    Leo thought about it and he nodded, just when he was about to push open the door, a loud voice echoed in the surroundings, "Dear citizens of Angkor City, this is Claud Jan Tai. The leader of the Cobra Assault Force. I understand that you all consider me to be a terrorist, but I don''t care. So, if you haven''t thought about sending out a negotiator, I will start killing people in about the next ten minutes. If you tried to enter the hotel, that would be equal to setting off the twenty kilogram of RDX I have planted over the establishment. One click and the place will become rubble and bones. So, you have ten minutes to decide if you want to negotiate or shall I reduce the number of the oxygen consumers inside the hotel. The time starts now."


    The message caused the terrorists outside to chuckle and even celebrate. Leo felt sick in his stomach and he was boiling with rage so much that he wanted to kill them all. However, even he knew that this one message caused the situation to falter so much that even if the military wanted to enter the building, they wouldn''t dare.


    Right then, his walkie went off, "Dart, do you copy? This is executioner, hold on, and wait for the next instruction before making any move."


    Leo frowned and his grip around the gun tightened so much that it was shivering and his hand turned pale. Then he raised the walkie up to his mouth and said, "Roger, Over and Out."


    That said, he tossed the walkie to Kyle and said, "You wanted to kill Claud, yeah? Let''s go, I also want to kill him, and we have ten minutes to do all that. Call out everyone apart from Axel and Joel. Tell them to shift the guests to different rooms. Get moving. I am pissed off."


    Leo was really pissed off, he wanted to kill this man so much right now that he might not even rely on the gun.

 Chapter 102 102: Quick Action.

    Leo and the rest of the people nodded, after three minutes, Axel and Joel informed him that the evacuation had been completed. After a few moments, a ten men squad had been organized. They all wore kevlar vests and held weapons.


    Leo looked at Jock and Kyle and he said, "Now, you two will take charge, we will move in two teams. We will split and perform a swipe. You see a terrorist, you shoot one, also, keep the comms on, Jay is sitting in the monitoring room, if there is a team of enemy that we need to use flanking methods on, then he will guide us."


    On the radio they heard, "Roger that, Sir."


    The two teams climbed the stairs quickly, the first floor had about ten more people. Most of the assailants were the people from the hotel staff. This was an insider job, and outside there were fifty people in total.


    As they moved through the dim dark corridors, Leo said, "They planned such a high scale attack, almost a hundred people, imagine the planning time for all this."


    The people nodded and Kyle said, "It isn''t that simple Sir. I am sure that Claud is acting on someone''s orders. He doesn''t have the guts to kick start such a big assignment on his own and that too without any chatter in the circle."


    Leo nodded and he sighed, it was not his job to find out who did what, he just wanted to take his family and get back home. He was tired and irritated by the way things were.


    Suddenly, he noticed the people stopping. They had placed him in the center of the formation, to ensure his safety. Although they were shocked by how apt he was in shooting, they still didn''t wish to risk it at all.


    Leo squinted his eyes, and he located a couple of figures walking around leisurely, one of them said, "Did they manage to break that shutter on the ground? It has been silent for some time now."


    The other guy was about to reply, when two gunshots echoed in the surroundings and the two of them fell to the ground. They both had holes in their foreheads. Leo said, "I said, if you spot them, you kill them. That is how we make up for time, or do you wish for that maniac to kill the hostages?"


    The people were stunned, but this command made them all wake up and they sped up to rush through the places quickly. In total they killed seven men and the other team settled five as well.


    Leo looked at the watch on his wrist and said, "It is about seven minutes, we have three more minutes to clean up the second floor, but we need to do it as clean and silently as possible. What do you think?"


    Jock nodded and said, "We have gathered a few knives, they should be enough to ensure a clean and silent approach."


    Leo thought for a bit and then he nodded as he said, "Good, although we might need to rely on guns, but first try and use the knives." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The people nodded again and they moved up through the stairs. There was eerie silence on the second floor. Leo sensed something and patted the guy ahead of him and he patted the shoulder of the guy before him.


    Everyone stopped and Leo stepped to the side and shook his head while hinting with his chin to look at the floor. Jock was in the lead, he turned on the small flashlight attached to the under barrel of the gun.


    Immediately he found an almost invisible thin metal string a few inches above the floor. He took a deep breath, and tracked the wire to the edge of the steps and found a cluster of grenades attached to the wire.


    He gulped and looked behind him. Had he taken the next step, everyone would have turned to a mix of flesh and blood stains. Then he took out a small knife and cut the wire free. The tripwire was solved, and they continued moving up.


    As they were reaching the door of the second floor, they could hear all kinds of voices coming from the corridor outside.


    "Do you think they will agree to the demands?", asked a terrorist.


    Another person replied, "They have to agree or the blood of the prime minister would be on their hands. They cannot get away from this."


    Leo and his people were shocked, the terrorist continued talking, "I saw the wife of the Prime Minister earlier, Chief said he was going to do her. Well, this man would be already dead, so I guess she does need someone in her."


    Leo paid attention and found that the voices of the people were moving away from them, and he nodded before Jock and the rest of the people filed through and came inside the corridor. Leo said, "Knives first, then guns."


    The people nodded and they split into teams of two and moved through the shadows, hiding behind the covers. Soon, they took action, they crept up to the people patrolling the corridors with their knives, slit their throats in one smooth cut and then dragged the people inside the rooms to hide their bodies. Out of the estimated twenty people, they had killed ten within a few moments.


    Leo had managed to make his way towards the big lobby where the hostages were being kept and there he noticed eight men surrounding the hostages, and one of them was sitting on a rocking chair with his eyes closed.


    The expression on his face was very calm. Leo averted his gaze, as he knew that if his killing intention was leaked, this man might also sense him. Leo was not afraid, but he didn''t wish to give this guy a chance to attack the hostages. Otherwise, the authorities outside would blame him and his men for this.


    Leo pulled back silently and then regrouped with his men, he told them about the arrangement of the enemies, and he said, "Take a sync shot, take down the guards, and I will disable Claud from moving."


    Kyle thought for a bit and said, "Boss, you counted nine men, there should be ten. Earlier when we counted the people we found ten people here. The numbers don''t add up."


    Leo thought for a bit and asked, "Could Claud me hiding?"


    Jock nodded and replied, "That is very likely to be the case, but where would he be hiding?"


    The young man closed his eyes and said, as he said, "Among the hostages."


    The people were shocked when they looked at Leo, the young man said, "It is often the darkest under the lamp. I am sure he is hiding among the hostages, and if we are to take action, we need to ensure that he is killed at the same time as his men."


    Kyle nodded and said, "I have seen him once but I am sure that he must have come up with a disguise."


    Leo thought for a few seconds and said, "Take down the nine people and I will find Claud and take him out."


    Jock furrowed and asked, "But how, Sir?"


    Leo replied, "The one who acts stable is Claud."


    Indeed, if someone can manage to stay calm even in the times of great peril, it would be abnormal. The people nodded, they rushed through the corridor of the dim lit second floor, and before the enemy could even react, they all selected their targets, and fired together.


    BANG!


    The collective sound of nine guns going off was too loud and it shocked the people, as many of them yelled and wailed in fright.


    Leo was standing behind his men, and he could see that everyone was shivering in fear, apart from the gaze of one man. This man was screaming but his eyes were calm. The man raised his hand, and Leo noticed a dead-man''s switch in his hand.


    Had it been someone else, they would have hesitated and held back, but Leo, no chance. He was holding a knife and as soon as Claud revealed his hand, Leo threw a knife.


    Claud didn''t expect it, something like this to happen, he couldn''t react even if he wanted to because he was tired as well. The knife was stabbed directly inside through his wrist, making him unable to let go of the dead-man''s switch.


    Leo said, "All of you, clean up the space, and guide them to the ground floor, Jay, contact those outside that they can rush in now, we have taken Claud in custody."


    That said, the people began to guide the hostages down, while two men took the struggling terrorist leader into custody. Leo walked over to Claud and shot him in the knee and also the two shoulders.


    The terrorist was surprised by the ruthlessness. He looked at Leo and the young man punched his face, he didn''t stop until Jock pulled him back and said, "Sir, he will die."

 Chapter 103 103: Aftermath.

    Leo was panting, he wanted to kill Claud directly with his bare hands, however, he was being held back by Jock and his people. They were worried that if Leo really killed this guy, it would become a troublesome situation for Leo.


    The hostages were escorted outside the building, and Kyle said, "Sir, Madam and Young Miss are headed to the hospital. Madam wanted to confirm that Young Miss didn''t suffer from any major injury."


    Leo nodded and was about to say something when people wearing black tactical combat gear and holding guns rushed over. The guy in the lead said, "Hold your hands where I can see them!"


    The people all raised their hands but Leo didn''t move. The man on the other side noticed this and aimed his gun at Leo as he said, "This is the last warning, raise your hands."


    The young man clenched his fist, and closed his eyes as he raised his hands and the people came forward to check them for any weapons. However, suddenly Leo sensed someone grabbing his arms and turned them behind his back.


    The young man opened his bloodshot eyes and suddenly turned around, then he grabbed the handgun from the holster of the soldier and shoved the barrel directly in his mouth.


    The actions were so quick that the soldiers couldn''t even react. Leo said in a cold voice, "Dare to shackle me! You dare to shackle my men who fought here, doing your jobs for you! No wonder the standard of the Military has turned out to be this. Nearly eighty men waltzed in the city, with arms and ammunition enough to destroy the capital. Yet you were busy conducting the so-called exercises, and saluting the politicians dressed in complete ceremonial attires.


    Now that everything has been dealt with, you are trying to shackle me? If any of your incompetent buddies dared to move from their place, I will have your brain splattered on the wall, and then before they can kill me, I will kill four more, and that is a promise."


    The scene was completely silent, just then a pair of footsteps echoed, and a man dressed in a simple uniform looked at the situation as he asked calmly, "What is going on here?"


    Leo recognized this voice and said, "Your pawns are trying to shackle me and my men after we have finished your jobs for you."


    The other person also recognized this voice and said, "You must be Leo Cardinal. I apologize, my boys were just following the protocol. It was not to harm you."


    Leo clicked his tongue and said, "Protocol, then why didn''t your people follow the protocol to protect us from this whole ordeal. If I remember correctly, the first protocol is to save lives, I have a bullet wound on my shoulder, and it is still green. Yet, your men not only aimed a gun at me, they even dared to cuff us.


    Do I need to remind you of civilian rights? Or do you suspect that we are involved with this bunch of human trash?"


    The people were left speechless, Leo was acting very aggressively. The commanding officer frowned and he was about to explain that this needed to be done so that the suspicion could be clarified. However, before he could even think of what he wanted to say. Leo spoke again, "My four year old daughter was knocked out by the blow of a gun to the back of her head. She is now among the hostages who have been taken to the hospitals. I am here, fighting, bleeding, worried about my family and there you are, acting mighty and commanding.


    I can understand that you need to interrogate us about the situation and how it proceeded, but can you not treat us with respect? I used to think soldiers were the epitome of humanity as they risked their lives for the people they didn''t even know, but it appears that it was all a wishful thinking of mine."


    His words directly humbled the soldiers, and even the commander. The young man retracted the gun, disassembled it and threw it on the ground as he said, "Do what you must do."


    He sighed, just now he was very agitated, but when he thought of why he did all this, his rage calmed down. He could have beaten up a few soldiers here, but that would not do him any good. That was why, he sighed and let the soldiers do their jobs.


    The commander waved to his men, and they stepped to the side, he stepped up and said, "Mister Cardinal, what you and your men have done here is remarkable. Not only did you neutralize the threat, you saved the lives of many people. We are really thankful to you. However, please understand, we need to know the ins and outs of the situation."


    Leo nodded and apologized for his behavior. The Commander then went on to introduce himself, Major Hardin. Leo and the rest cooperated with him, and Major Hardin recorded their statements right there, in the hotel lobby while Leo received medical care.


    After another hour, Major Hardin confirmed that there was nothing wrong with the statements and all of them had almost similar testimonies. The Commander sighed and said, "Mister Cardinal, you are free to leave, for the actions that you and your men took, I would request the higher-ups to award you."


    Leo shook his head and said, "Forget it, Sir. I don''t wish to get drawn inside the mess of politics and power struggle. I have my own business to take care of. The government approved my firearm license and that was why I was able to help out here. Otherwise, I would be waiting for you all as well. I don''t need an award."


    Major Hardin chuckled and said, "Over the years, I have seen many people longing for the medals, but you are the first one who doesn''t want any. Don''t worry, it would be an internal ceremony and your records would be sealed. Your actions were taken for the protection of the citizens, and in a way, you are one of us. We always watch out for our own people."


    ¡­


    After conversing with Major Hardin, Leo and his men were escorted to the Hospital, where Lily was about to undergo an MRI test to confirm the situation of her cranium. The young man came to the lobby where Snow and Anastasia were sitting, and he asked, "Where is Lily?"


    Snow replied, "Inside the lab."


    She stood up and looked at Leo before asking, "Are you okay?" S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo nodded and gently embraced her. He was tired, extremely tired, so much so that he could fall asleep in her arms at the moment. He was not alone, but everyone was the same.


    After the hug, he went to the side where from the circular glass peephole he could see the medical professionals conducting the test. The entire thing didn''t take too long, and a few minutes later, Lily came out of the room and Leo picked her up.


    The young man asked the doctor following behind, "Doctor, how is she?"


    The Doctor smiled and said, "Everything is fine, Mister Cardinal, just a little swelling. It will go away by the morning."


    After a few minutes, the family sat in a taxi and they were headed home. It was already a few hours in the morning, Lily was sitting between Anastasia and Snow as she asked, "Baba, did Miss Verse and the rest reach their homes safely?"


    Snow replied, "They did, since they were not injured, they were just lightly questioned by the authorities and after giving their statements they all reached home."


    Lily nodded and Snow said, "Love, everyone in the auditorium has been expressing thanks to you for taking action at that time."


    Leo nodded and said, "That is fine, I just did what I had to do."


    Snow shook her head and didn''t say much. The cab driver looked at Leo and asked, "Young man, are you coming from the Grand Century? Was it really as horrible as they say? I heard that even though most of the hostages were rescued, there were still thirty casualties."


    Leo sighed and said, "I am unaware of the casualties, old sir, but yes, it was horrible. None should suffer such hardships. These terrorists deserve the most brutal fates."


    The cab driver nodded and soon they reached the house, the Taxi stopped outside the community and the guards at the door took them inside. Leo said, "I will go to take a shower first."


    Snow said, "I will help Lily clean up as well. Mom, you should go to bed."


    Anastasia nodded and said, "Tonight, stay with Lily."


    The couple nodded and then they went on to clean up, before long they came back to bed, Leo was laying in bed, and Lily was snuggling with Snow. The lady told the little one that Leo was injured and so she should not bother Leo.


    The young man closed his eyes and the system pinged, ''Ping: Host, task has been completed, assessment complete, you are rewarded with¡­''


    ....


    You want more chapters? Bribe the Author with gifts, or smack his face with power stones. Take control of the man who controls the destiny of Leo Cardinal, this is your chance. I, for one, wish to see him buried under the golden tickets, and power stones so that I can drive his ass to work more. For every 100 stones, 1 chapter more.

 Chapter 104 104: Heather & Daisy.

    Leo was laying in his bed, and in his mind, the system panel was glowing.


    ''Ping: Host the assessment is complete, you receive ten free attribute points, blueprint to craft the white heather & daisy defense armament, strengthening potion, three month fortune card.''


    Leo was surprised he understood the free attribute points, and the fortune card, however, he didn''t understand what the nine daisy defense armament and the strengthening potion were all about.


    He said, ''System, can you explain what this defense armament means?''


    ''Ping: Host, daisy is a flower that represents protection. The heather & daisy armament will prevent the wearer from life threatening harm in nine situations. It will also have a chance of restraining the people from having ill-thoughts toward the wearer to some extent as daisy symbolizes innocence and purity. It will cleanse the dirty minds.


    You can craft this armament by mixing the powder of dried heather & daisy flower in glaze and water acquired from a holy and clean water surface, then you can sculpt the clay in the shape of two different flowers and the armament would be ready.''


    Leo thought about it and asked, ''What about the strengthening potion?''


    ''Host: This potion can be consumed by your kin and it will help elevate their physical strength slowly, prolong their lives, and also passively enforce mental calmness so that they could handle crucial situations.''


    The young man took a deep breath and closed his eyes to sleep. The night passed very quickly and the young man woke up because of his biological clock. He recovered very quickly, and turned to look at the timid figure drooling all over his chest. He couldn''t help but smile.


    After a few minutes, he slowly put the girl to the side and got up to go for his jog. Just when he came out of the house, he found that Axel and Joel were still standing guard in the garden. The young man took a deep breath and said, "Axel, Joel, why are you guys not taking the day off?"


    Axel smiled and said, "Sir, we aren''t tired, after all, last night our role was just that of a fencesitter."


    Leo shook his head and said, "You might think that you didn''t play a big role, but I am grateful that you stayed behind to look after them. Thank you."


    He bowed his head and Axel quickly stepped forward to stop him and said, "Sir, please do not shame us. We are your guards and we should have prevented something like this from happening in the first place."


    Leo shook his head and said, "Forget it, what happened happened, let''s focus on the present. I will be heading out for a walk."


    The guards wanted to stop him as they thought he had just taken a bullet to his shoulder, but Leo left in a blink. They exchanged gazes and sighed in defeat.


    While running, Leo was thinking about the situation if he should ask Major Hardin to get the hostages to sign the non-disclosure agreement to prevent them from speaking about him. However, thinking about it, such methods were usually wasted. Someone would inevitably speak and it would spread.


    The one thing that he could ensure was to get in touch with Aston Arc, and have him appeal to the guests in the auditorium to hold their mouths. The rest of the people didn''t see much of him in the dim lit space as they were busy running away.


    He reached back home and then went straight to the kitchen. He brushed up a simple meal and then thinking about it, he asked, ''System, the strengthening potion.''


    The system replied, ''In the refrigerator, the bottle of probiotic has been modified by the system.'' S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The young man was surprised and asked, ''Couldn''t you have given me a colorless and odorless potion directly?''


    ''Ping: Host, the system cannot manifest things out of nothing, but making changes to the things is easy. This is also in accordance with establishing a logic behind things.''


    Leo thought and stopped arguing about it. He took out the bottle that the system had changed, and it turned out that the content of the bottle was indeed different from that of the other bottles. The scent of the probiotic beverage was faintly sweeter. Leo divided the probiotic in two equal halves and mixed it with normal probiotics, before bringing it back to his room.


    Snow was up, but she was still laying in bed, gazing at the ceiling in a daze. Lily was sleeping snuggling closer to the lady. She came back from the stupor when she noticed Leo standing next to her. The young man sighed and asked softly, "Are you thinking if what happened yesternight was a dream?"


    Snow nodded and Leo shook his head as he sighed. He said, "Don''t worry, aren''t we all safe?"


    The young lady nodded and then she sat up from the bed. Lily whined a little but as Snow patted her back she went back to sleep. Leo handed her the probiotic and said, "Take it. From now on, we should use this often. It is helpful in digestion and keeps the mood good."


    Snow frowned and asked, "Aren''t you thinking about what happened last night?"


    Leo shook his head and said, "When I woke up in the morning I was indeed thinking about what happened last night. These things I did, and the way we managed to come out of that hell, however, it is still not something that would hold me back. I am thankful that God gave me another day with you and Lily. I cannot change what happened in the past, and would rather make the best of the moment. If anything, yesterday was a lesson on how life is so fickle and random."


    Snow looked at her husband and smiled as she said, "You, when did you become so wise?"


    Leo looked back at her and said, "Isn''t it all thanks to being with you? The wisest decision of my life was to propose to you in college."


    Snow smiled even brightly and then she took the glass of probiotic and chugged it down in one go. Leo saw that Lily was also peeking at him so he smiled at her and asked, "What are you looking at, Darling?"


    Lily rubbed her eyes and asked, "Baba, does your arm still hurt?"


    Leo shook his head and Lily sat up before crawling into his arms. The young man could understand that as a child she was feeling very needy at the moment so he didn''t stop her and even coaxed her into drinking the probiotic.


    Then the mother and daughter began to go through the daily motions and Leo waited for a bit before he took a shower and came out dressed in casual white polo t-shirt and blue denims. Snow asked, "Where are you going?"


    Leo replied, "I am going to buy some flower pods for the garden. It looks very bland."


    Snow nodded, and Lily said, "Baba, I also want to go."


    Leo smiled and said, "Yes, come."


    Snow looked at him worriedly, and he assured her that it would be fine. Anastasia also said, "Snow, life doesn''t stop for anyone. What happened wasn''t in your control, so don''t bother much about it. Also, Lily should go out and rewrite the things she sees around her."


    Then the young man took the little girl out and they got in the car directly. Lily asked, "Baba, what flowers will we get?"


    Leo told her and then Lily began to ask a lot of questions about what different flowers meant, and Leo talked to her while they drove to the nursery south of the city.


    While they were driving, Percie Hibiscal called Leo and asked, "President, are you okay?"


    Leo replied, "I am fine now, thank you for asking, Miss Hibiscal. Is there anything that you need?"


    Percie Hibiscal replied, "Sir, the date of our new product launch is getting closer so Mister Kashyap wanted to consult with you about finalizing the product. He was hesitating to contact you given the circumstances, so, it fell upon me to ask, could you spare us some time?"


    Leo smiled faintly and said, "I am thankful to the concern you all have shown, but I am fine. However, I won''t be coming to the office, it would be better if you can send over the tech team to my house with the final products. I will check them there."


    Percie Hibiscal replied, "I will inform them. What time would be a good time, Sir?"


    Leo thought about it and replied, "In the evening, if they don''t mind. The family members are resting at the moment so, by the evening it should be fine."


    Percie Hibiscal nodded, and made some small talk. She made sure to ask about Lily and Snow separately before disconnecting the call.


    Soon, the pair of father and daughter reached the nursery and then Leo carried the little girl inside the settlement that was covered with a lot of young plants.


    Lily beamed and said, "So many flowers, how many flowers are we going to buy Baba?"


    Leo smiled and said, "Twenty, apart from two, you can select all that you like."


    Lily clapped her hands and held his face in her palms and said slowly, "Baba, you are my hero."


    Leo smiled and pecked her forehead as they began to shop flowers for Lily.


    ...


    You want more chapters? Bribe the Author with gifts, or smack his face with power stones. Take control of the man who controls the destiny of Leo Cardinal, this is your chance. I, for one, wish to see him buried under the golden tickets, and power stones so that I can drive his ass to work more. For every 100 stones, 1 chapter more.

 Chapter 105 105: Treasure & Trouble.

    Leo and Lily spent half an hour inside the flower nursery, and they picked up a lot of flowers. Lily liked a variety of hibiscus and apart from White Heather and Daisies, Leo didn''t stop her from buying what she liked.


    Then suddenly, the little girl said, "Baba, how will we take these flowers back to the Mansion you showed me."


    Leo froze in his steps and then he realized that she was talking about the cardinal mansion. He smiled and said, "We can get gardeners to move them all in big pots. Do you want to plant them in the front yard?"


    Lily shook her head and said, "I remember you told me that Grandma liked to have Night Blooming Jasmines in the garden. So we will plant these in the back."


    Her simple words almost made Leo shed tears. He didn''t feel anything when that bullet hit him, but now, he was shivering and it took him a few minutes to calm down. Lily walked up to him and held his hand while looking at the flowers around her. She said, "Baba, look, a butterfly."


    She drove his thoughts away from the overwhelming emotional scene. The young man took a deep breath to calm down, and the system said, ''Ping: Host, your daughter cares deeply about your emotions. While she understands that you love your parents, she also loves her parents and doesn''t wish for you to cry.


    You are rewarded with a matching set of pendants for your family, Tears of Athena.''


    Leo was surprised by the sudden reward and asked, ''What is this pendant for?''


    The system replied, ''Ping: Athena was the goddess of wisdom in another world. Saddened by the fall of her dear ones, she cried three drops of tears. These drops turned to diamonds and the system has managed to send them to your house in the guise of a gift from the Primus Board for your valiant actions last night.


    The tears of Athena would help you calm down when facing extreme emotions and keep them from getting the best of you.''


    The young man was surprised and then he accepted the gift. He was used to it now. After paying the money to the nursery manager, Leo had them load the flower pots in the back of his SUV along with herbal organic fertilizers and medicines to prevent the plants from catching pests.


    They were driving back home when Leo realized that it was about time when the work at the mansion came to an end. The architect firm had promised him that they would finish the work within half a month, however, they needed to leave the house vacant so that the smell of the paints and everything could be removed.


    They reached home, and Leo got to work. He selected the spots with Lily beside him and began to dig holes and move the flower pods from the small pots to the ground after adding fertilizers and pesticides under the roots.


    The process took a long time and when the sun was about to set, they finally managed to complete the task. Leo went back inside the house, and found Symphony sitting on the couch with a book in her hand and Lily sitting beside her. The two of them were reading a comic and giggling from time to time.


    Snow was inside the kitchen and Anastasia was looking at the Television through her golden glasses and said, "Leo, do you have any intention of expanding to the Stag Nation."


    The young man shook his head and replied, "They charge too much tax, and tariffs, I am not yet done stabilizing at home, who has the time to meddle in the dirty waters there, no offence."


    Anastasia nodded and replied, "None taken. The sovereign is getting ahead in his age and he might not last long, the situation of the Stag Nation will turn to muck. So, better not go there."


    Leo looked at her and said, "I won''t go there, but I will not give up the opportunity to make money from the stock market."


    Anastasia chuckled and said, "Good." S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lily looked at the two of them and said, "Why do older people care about money so much? Lily can live happily with just one candy."


    Leo smiled at her and said, "My love, money has a greater usage."


    Lily asked, "What is it?"


    Leo smiled and said, "If you have enough money, you can buy a candy factory, and share it with the people you like. It also allows you to help out the people in need."


    Lily was stunned and began to think for a while before she said, "Then how much money would I need to buy factories that make cotton candy, sour lime candy, and litchi candy?"


    She began to count on her hands and after a while scratched her head as she said, "Baba, can you give Lily the money to buy candy factories? I will share it with the world."


    ''Ping: Host, buy your daughter the candy factories she likes, and overhaul them into high level brands, however, apart from the money needed to keep the factories afloat, the rest should be donated to charity. Reward: Investment tip worth millions.''


    Leo sucked in a deep breath and then said, "Good, I will handle it, but you will never get any money from it. Only candies, the money made in profit will be handed to the needy people. Deal?"


    Lily nodded decisively. Anastasia was shocked to see that Leo pampered her so much, and Symphony was a little envious. It was not jealousy, but the simple longing of having a father who might have pampered her the same way.


    Leo went to take a shower after he said, "In a few minutes, the people from the company would be coming over, Snowie, can you host them for a bit."


    The lady looked at him from inside the kitchen and gave a reassuring smile. Leo wanted to walk up to her, but he saw her glare, and made a beeline to the washroom. He was dirty from all the work outside in the garden, and Snow didn''t like mud on the floor.


    ¡­


    Rama Kashyap and two more people got down the car, and when they came to the gate of the villa, Axel and Joel scrutinized them. The latter put a hand on the weapon inside his holster and said, "Please wait here, we will inform Sir."


    Rama Kashyap nodded, they were used to having tough guards at the company office now, so they weren''t startled to see that Leo''s guards carried weapons. After a few moments, Axel came out and opened the gate for them and said, "Thank you for your understanding. This way please."


    He led them through the walkway, even if it was just the two of them, they didn''t dare to relax, but even worked with a greater sense of responsibility. When they saw Leo killing the people in the auditorium, they were sure that their boss wasn''t simple.


    Rama Kashyap came inside the living room, where Snow greeted them with a smile and had them sit down before Symphony carried over a tray of glasses filled with water, and Snow asked, "Would you like to have some juice or tea?"


    Rama Kashyap drank a glass of water and said, "We had the evening tea at the office right before heading here, Ma''am. Please don''t bother."


    Snow smiled and asked them a few random questions such as how the work atmosphere was and if they were stressed. She was not just a host, she was a scholar, and when talking to the people, she was assessing the direction Butterfly tech was heading into. Anastasia was not present there, she was in her room as she thought it was Leo''s business and she should not intervene at all.


    Leo came out of the bedroom dressed in casual loungewear. The young man greeted Rama Kashyap and the rest as he asked, "The product is ready?"


    Rama nodded and looked at the man beside him and said, "Steve, take it out."


    Steve picked up a briefcase and then opened it by entering the code, and revealed a silver notebook inside. Rama presented it to Leo, who began to test it, as he said, "It is light, but doesn''t feel flimsy. Good. Where is the test report?"


    Steve took out a stack of documents from the briefcase and handed it to Leo. The young man went through the documents and said, "Rama, this is all good. You guys are the backbone of the company. With this, the market will know that we are delivering good products only."


    Rama thanked him and then Leo said, "I will get the plastic recycling plant to come up with a way to design a recycled plastic housing for this notebook. Can you pump the RAM and Graphic memory to make it a gaming laptop?"


    Rama nodded and said, "Yes, sir, we do have plans for that. It will be ready within a week."


    Leo nodded and said, "Just make it durable and supportive of heavy gaming, and editing. That would do."


    The meeting didn''t last long, and the people left. Then Axel came in and said, "Sir, a package was delivered earlier, it skipped my mind to give it to you."


    Leo waved his hand saying it was not a big deal as he took the package that bore the seal of the Primus Board. Snow asked, "What is this?"


    Leo pretended to be unaware and shrugged as he said, "We will know after opening it."


    While he was ripping rewards, someone far away from the Clover nation, a middle-aged man was glaring at the screen which showed a few soldiers transporting Claud. The man said, "I want to see who destroyed my plans. Just wait, I will treat you the same as you have treated my son."

 Chapter 106 106: Striking Fast.

    Leo gave Snow and Lily a pendant to wear, before the little one, with the help of her mother, put the last pendant around his neck. That done, Leo sensed that the temperature of his body had grown a little colder. They all had a meal, and then went to bed.


    Leo accredited the increased attributes for his sensing abilities. After a few minutes, mentally exhausted Snow fell asleep. It was harder said than done that one night of rest could help someone overcome the trauma from such a life threatening event. Lily had calmed down a little, and she had gone to sleep on her own, the Tears of Athena worked almost instantly as if magic. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The young man lay in bed, and after closing his eyes, he said, ''System, attribute panel.''


    Name : Leo Cardinal


    Age : 24


    Level : Beginner Father


    Strength :10


    Stamina : 12 (Permanent Augmentation)


    Intelligence : 8


    Speed : 6.5


    Talent : Ceramic Artisan. Hairstyling, Nurti-Chef, Piano Maester.


    Items : Tears Of Athena


    Buffs: Horse Stamina, Calm In Chaos and Brave In Need, Three Vital Recovery chances, Danger Perception.


    Leo continued, ''Expand the leveling bar.''


    The leveling bar was expanded, ''Ping: Beginner Father: 970/1000''


    The young man sighed internally, he didn''t expect that the last task would allow him to gain so many points. He was so close to the next level, but it didn''t bother him for much, he looked at his other attributes, and said, ''System, add two free attributes to intelligence, four to speed, and two more to strength. The remaining two attributes would be added to Stamina.''


    ''Ping: Refreshing¡­''


    Name : Leo Cardinal


    Age : 24


    Level : Beginner Father


    Strength :12


    Stamina : 14 (Permanent Augmentation)


    Intelligence : 10


    Speed : 10.5


    Talent : Ceramic Artisan. Hairstyling, Nurti-Chef, Piano Maester.


    Items : Tears Of Athena.


    Buffs: Horse Stamina, Calm In Chaos and Brave In Need, Three Vital Recovery chances, Danger Perception.


    The young nodded and then he entered the virtual realm. This place was just for him to train himself, but it had one more quality, and that was to recreate his body exactly as it was in the real world.


    The young man began to train and gradually his real body also went through the changes, adjusting to the new strength. Morning came quickly, and Leo woke up as per his usual routine. The young man moved out of the bed. He found that Lily had also woken up and she was dressed up in her tracksuit.


    He smiled and got her a glass of juice and then they both headed outside together. The routine was not abandoned, after Lily tired up, the young man picked her up and had her ride his shoulders as he ran.


    The little girl made cheering noises. The wind was getting colder and Leo thought if he should go winter shopping for the family.


    Soon, they reached home, Snow and Anastasia collaborated to cook breakfast. Leo smiled at Snow and said, "How come you look so radiant today?"


    The young lady looked at him amusedly and said, "Well, Leo Cardinal, are you flirting with me?"


    The young man ate his food when he said, "I might be flirting but I am also telling the truth. You can ask Mom."


    After that he left the two ladies sitting on the chairs in a daze, and headed to the office after kissing Lily on her cheeks. The ladies were stunned because they didn''t expect Leo to address Anastasia as mom.


    It was a good thing, and they felt happy. With just the three of them home, Lily decided to groom her kitten, that has grown a little bigger.


    ¡­


    Leo went to the office, and sat down in his chair, before he looked at Percie Hibiscal who was scrutinizing him profusely and he said, "I am fine, can you go and handle your work. The new product launch is coming, and you cannot make any mistakes."


    He shooed away the retainer and then leaned back in the chair, before he started the computer system. A few minutes later, he entered the dark web. Major Hardin had told him to be extra cautious, as this was a conspiracy bigger than what anyone could imagine, and behind Claud was his father, and also someone from the Political and Military corridor.


    Since Leo had disrupted their plan, he was sure that these people would use their identities to get back to him and then threaten his family. This was why he didn''t want to wait for anyone to attack him.


    He had his own methods to deal with these people and while it may sound harsh, when has the world been a nice place? These people almost led his daughter and family to suffer and thus he was going to eradicate the people regardless of who they were and where they were.


    He used the Dark Web to connect to Marco. The philandering young man happened to be in the gym when he got the video call request from Leo. He knew that it was a secure call, so he didn''t hesitate in accepting.


    The call connected and he said, "Sir, I was about to call you to check on you. How are you doing?"


    Leo shook his head and replied, "I am fine, how are things going on your side?"


    Marco replied, "It is fine, just one or two more days, and I will have the results."


    They were talking about Spring, who was being kept as a captive by Marco. Leo nodded before he said, "You must have heard about the terrorist attack in the Grand Century Hotel, right?"


    Marco nodded and said, "Kyle and the others reported to me about it, they asked for better equipment, now that you have the firearm license we can get you the kevlar and other things."


    Leo nodded and spoke leisurely, "You can arrange those how you like. I have another task, look into the mess, and find out who is behind the shadows. I want to know who it is. You can kill, or torture, I don''t care about the method, but the results. I want them. You have a week, and anyone who is trying to look into the incident, keep a track of them and tell me what is going on."


    Marco could sense that Leo was very upset, and nodded quickly as he said, "Yes, sir. I will find them out as soon as possible."


    Leo said, "I don''t want to know who is who, just find them, and give out a contract on their heads. I want the masterminds to leave the world and it doesn''t matter if they die from a bullet through the head, or get in a car crash. Give the artists a little creative liberty. As long as no innocent soul is involved it would be fine."


    Marco nodded and said, "I will get it done, Sir. You can rest assured."


    Leo nodded, and disconnected the call, before he began to surf through the Dark Net. He found out about the movement from Carole Primal, it seems his father was sick and Carole was eager to gain command so there was a war of succession going on and Carole was trying to gain as much leverage as he could.


    Leo thought for a bit, he had a lot of options, he could support Carole''s siblings and have him lose out on many things. However, that was not fun, he held the entire Primal family in contempt, and for them they had to suffer. If they fought each other, then it would be nice as they will inevitably damage each other.


    Leo spun a pen on the edge of his thumb and then caught it. He did this repeatedly and he smiled and said, "Well, this will work."


    During the war of succession, the Primal Family was investing heavily and trying to gain collaborative partners to expand the business reach. So, the best way to increase the damage was to attack them where the guard was weak.


    The Primal Family was fighting over domestic business and power as it was their backyard, but they were overlooking the businesses overseas, many of them were located in the Stag Nation.


    Leo thought for a bit and called his Mother-in-law. The call was connected and Anastasia asked, "Hello, Leo, is everything alright?"


    She was a little confused as to why Leo called her, and not Snow. The young man said, "Mom, would you like to have lunch with me at my workplace?"


    Anastasia raised her brow, she was a noble and her mind worked faster than the businessmen and businesswomen in the world. Business might be a battlefield, but politics was eternal warfare. She took a deep breath and asked, "What is it about?"


    The young man replied, "A chance to gain the favor of the Stag Nation Nobles."


    Anastasia frowned and asked, "Why would I want their favor?"


    Leo chuckled and replied, "Because even though you are no longer a noble, you are still someone with great connections. They need this chance, and if you give it to them, won''t they be happier?"


    Anastasia asked, "What do you mean?"


    Leo replied, "We will discuss it over lunch. You can bring Lily and Snow along."


    The lady agreed and Leo began to formulate the plan of how to convince the old lady.

 Chapter 107 107: Cruel Family.

    Leo sat in his office, he was reviewing the few documents that were sent to him. Some were related to space research, and some were about the financial trend of the company. Butterfly company was raging on in the market for a brief period of time. They have gained a lot of popularity and were selling nationwide like hotcakes.


    The young man was feeling good looking at the reports and then he picked up his intercom and said, "Send Miss Percie to my office."


    Percie had taken up the office on the floor below, they had changed the conference room to a smaller version and although she lost the biggest office in the building, she still held the second biggest office in the company. Receiving the call, she made her way to the floor above, and Leo said, "Have a seat."


    Percie Sat down before him and he skimmed through the reports as he said, "I am planning to open a branch that will handle the investment and acquisition of brands and start-ups. Snow will head it, she is credible and her skills are good as well. I would like you to collaborate with her."


    Percie was surprised but then she nodded and said, "I will do it well, shall I start looking for competent recruits?"


    Leo thought for a while and said, "Yes, just prepare some resumes and she will go through them later."


    Percie nodded and Leo said, "Find a piece of land, and buy it out. Kick off the Tech Park project."


    The young lady nodded and said, "I will get to it right away. A few days ago we found a suitable piece of land and it is open for bidding."


    Leo thought for a bit and said, "Good, I am sure it would be a lease, but that will do. Get it and start the project. Later on, when the construction starts, get the designers to pay attention to rain water harvesting, wind energy inlets, and solar energy inlets. At the same time, the connectivity to the main city should be fluent. Lastly, reserve a small area as an entertainment zone."


    Percie nodded and said, "The capital flow would be massive. Even if we cooperate with the other companies, it would cause us to lose control."


    Leo shook his head and said, "Develop the park in different phases, first, the main office building. Mortgage the land to the bank, and use the money to construct and direct a share of income to pay it all off. I will have the Yulu, and Pioneer Securities income diverted for the construction of the tech park.


    However, I want competent architects and not just anyone who would design bizarre looking buildings in the name of aesthetics. The entire tech park should be eco-friendly and well planned. Do you understand?"


    Percie nodded and said, "I will heed your words, Sir. You will not be disappointed."


    The young man nodded and let her go. These days, he has been noticing that Percie wanted to get more power. She was an ambitious person, and with the control of funds, sitting idly, she was antsy. The best way to defuse her was to announce that he would be bringing in Snow as the head of the capital investment and at the same time kicking off the tech park which would be under her supervision.


    The tech park would keep Percie busy and she won''t entertain the thoughts of acquiring more power. Leo was a cruel businessman and he knew how to control his pawns very well.


    After an hour, he was thinking about calling Snow, to check if they would be coming over, but just when he was about to pick up his phone, the door of the office was knocked, and he said, "Come in."


    A small head popped in and Lily said, "Baba!"


    Then the little one dashed over to his side and Leo picked her up in his arms as she snuggled in his chest. Leo asked, "What made Lily come here?"


    Lily raised her head and said, "I missed you, so I wanted to surprise you."


    Snow, who entered behind Lily, rolled her eyes and said, "You both call each other to meet and then act as if you had no idea, such drama loving pair you are."


    The pair looked at each other and chuckled. Leo noticed that Anastasia was looking around at the office and he said, "Lily decorated the office for me, with the help of her mother."


    The old lady nodded and said, "This is a nice decoration. Lily, Snow, well done." S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lily chuckled and said, "Thank you, Grandma."


    Then she looked at all the papers scattered on the desk and asked Leo a variety of questions, who answered them all with great patience. Snow said, "Axel."


    Axel and Joel were her personal guards, and they followed her everywhere, similar to how Kyle and Jock would shadow Leo. Axel pushed the door open and asked, "Yes, Madam."


    Leo took the hint and said, "Lily, why don''t you go and inspect the office for me? Tell me if anyone is slacking, okay. I will give you a surprise upon your return."


    The young lady nodded and then said, "Rest assured Baba, I will make sure they all work nicely."


    Then with big steps the little lady walked out of the office and Axel followed her. Leo then locked the door, and looked at the plate of food served by Snow.


    He sat down on the couch as he picked up the plate and began to eat. The two ladies didn''t ask him directly about what he called them here for. After finishing half of his food, Leo said, "I called you over because of a few things. First, the finance company will be set up soon. Snow, you should now give up on the teacher job."


    The young lady nodded, and then Leo turned to look at Anastasia and asked, "Mom, how would you feel, if I dropped a bomb that destroyed your husband?"


    Anastasia raised her brow and asked, "I would like to know the formula of this bomb."


    The young man nodded and said, "Spring was trying to get in touch with my mortal enemy, so I had her abducted by Marco, the taskmaster of Pinnacle Securities. Right now, she is being trained."


    Snow asked, "What kind of training?"


    She was curious, and Leo said, "Trained to be a pet that will answer every call made by Marco."


    The two people were surprised, and Leo said, "She harmed you in the past, and then she tried to use Lily as a chip to bargain with me. Initially, I wanted her to die. However, when Trevor came over to the nation, I finished dealing with him. I realized that killing someone didn''t suit me. Since then, I have looked forward to making my enemies suffer.


    So, we have two options, one is that I can have Spring finish her training, and then approach Carole, then sabotage his plans. Or, I can send her back to the Stag nation where I can unveil that she is a pet to the public. The damage to the enemies would be significant."


    The two ladies looked at Leo and were shocked, they didn''t understand how he was talking about such things without as much as a change on his face, however, then realizing that he didn''t hesitate in killing his cousin and sending his corpse to the living room to damage the heart of his uncle. Why shall he hold back when retaliating against the people who were his enemies?


    Anastasia said, "Snow, you speak your mind first."


    The young lady calmed herself, and said, "If you send her to Carole, what is the guarantee that he will suffer a significant damage?"


    Leo raised his brow and nodded for her to continue, Snow said, "Send him to Carole, but always have her treat him below her. Have her seduce him so much that after a few months, Carole should feel scared to imagine his life without her."


    Leo was surprised and said, "Hmmm, Pet of the Pet?"


    Snow nodded, and continued, "Let her help him get the throne of the Primal Family, and after that, when you are ready, take down the Primal family, and also, her image of a noble."


    The young man nodded and said, "The long view, I see. Makes sense. Mom, what about you?"


    The elder lady thought for a minute and said, "For Spring, take the long approach, and for the rest of the Marlin family, they are too deeply tied to the Royal family, so now that the market is about to explode, you can use this chance to move through various holes and earn money.


    The Marlin family doesn''t have that much capability, they have been dabbling in shares with the help of other houses, I can have the other houses, pull back a little and this way, we will earn a lot as well."


    Leo nodded, and he said, "Good, let''s do it this way."


    The plan was set and now, they would take action on a united front.


    ¡­


    You want more chapters? Bribe the Author with gifts, or smack his face with power stones. Take control of the man who controls the destiny of Leo Cardinal, this is your chance. I, for one, wish to see him buried under the golden tickets, and power stones so that I can drive his ass to work more. For every 100 stones, 1 chapter more.

 Chapter 108 108: Businessman.

    The three adults were still sitting inside the room and they were discussing how to integrate Spring in Carole Primal''s life. After a few exchanges, Leo asked, "Will nobody concern themselves about how she has been missing for the past few days?"


    Anastasia shook her head and said, "If you can get her to say that she was just in seclusion to relax, none would inquire much, would they?"


    Leo nodded, and said, "I will have that arranged. So, Hector Marlin, what about him? From what I know, he is a well reputed noble in the Stag nation."


    The lady waved her hand and said, "I will settle that right now."


    She picked up her phone and dialed a number. The call was connected, and a calm voice sounded from the other side, "Marlin Estate."


    The lady said, "Susan, may I talk to my elder brother, please."


    The person replied, "I will inform, His Grace right away. Please hold on."


    Leo raised his eyebrow and then a few minutes later, a matured voice sounded from the other side, "Hello, Anna."


    Anastasia said, "Good evening, Brother."


    "Good evening, since you are calling me, it must be important."


    The old lady nodded and said, "Can you issue the decree to dissolve my matrimonial alliance with Hector? I am no longer a noble, I gave up my title, but the matrimony is still recognized by the family. Remove him and his spawns from the family ledger, only Snow shall be there."


    The man on the other side, asked, "Why so sudden?"


    He questioned but his voice was stable. Anastasia replied, "You know very well why. The hound dared to look at my child with bad gazes. I agree that it was a mistake on my side, but regardless, Snow carries the blood of the Marlin family. Some outsider shouldn''t have been allowed to step in and dishonor her."


    The old man took a deep breath and said, "Fine, they have served their purpose already, however, it will take six months, you are aware of the procedure better than the rest."


    Anastasia nodded and said, "I am, it would take six months to officiate the absolvement but you can take away his privileges right away. I wish to see him suffer for what he did."


    The man on the other side thought and replied, "I will get that done within twenty four hours. Would that be fine?"


    Anastasia nodded and said, "Tell mother, I will find some time to visit her at the coming event."


    The man hummed and said, "It''s her birthday and not an event. I will prepare the wine you like."


    The lady nodded and said, "See you soon, Your Grace."


    The man replied, "Good night, Anna."


    The call was disconnected and Anastasia said, "Earlier, when I was about to give up the Noble life, Hector had come to find me, he requested that I give him a month before dissolving the marriage, after all, I always had the intention to do so. When I found that he sent Trevor after you guys, that was the perfect chance."


    The two young people nodded, and Leo picked up his phone as he discussed a few things about how to approach the investment project.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Lily put her hands behind her back and walked through the office premise with her chin raised slightly higher. She was wearing a black jumpsuit paired with white shoes which matched a white belt across her waist. She looked very cute in the attire, and her hair swayed slightly as she walked.


    Many girls from the marketing department saw her and came to greet her. The little girl used her skills and began to ask them questions about work and atmosphere. She said, "Big sisters, if you have any trouble, I will ask my Baba to solve it, but you all should work well and strive to gain a higher standing."


    Her words seemed to be honey to these ants, they all were perked up and promised her that they would work hard. The company had been treating them nicely and they were given nice benefits as well, so how could they not work well?


    After finishing her round of candy collection, Lily came back to Leo''s office and found that the door was locked, she knocked and waited for Snow to open the door and got in the office, still with her hands behind her back. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo looked at her and asked with a smile, "So, Young Miss Lily, do you have any suggestions? How can we make the office a better place?"


    Lily looked at her father and tapped her feet on the ground as she said, "You can add a few cats so that the employees can pat them and feel calm. Work stress can bring wrinkles."


    Leo raised his brows and asked, "Who told you that?"


    The little girl replied, "I asked the same question to the ladies in the marketing department. They told me they are stressed about a lot of things. A cat or a dog would be nice. Also, I noticed some of them have tiny plants on their desks, maybe give them each a plant to care for, that would help them feel better."


    Leo nodded and said, "I have taken your suggestion and will discuss it with people over the next weekly meeting."


    Snow checked her watch and then said, "Leo, I will take mother and Lily for some shopping."


    Leo nodded and said, "Go ahead, I have a few things to deal with."


    Then he escorted the trio down stairs and came back to his office. Just when he sat down on the chair, his phone rang. It was Percie, she said, "Sir, I just found that the Seaman Malls are asking for a higher profit from sales to allow our Kiosks inside."


    Leo frowned and then the scene from the ceramic exhibition flashed before his eyes, he mumbled, "Jamal Kastur, that greedy pig."


    Percie Hibiscal asked, "What did you say, Sir?"


    Leo shook his head and said, "Nothing, well, tell our Kiosks to move out of there decisively, I am not giving that bastard a single penny. On the contrary, since he wants to earn from our efforts, I will make sure he coughs up a bit of his own."


    Percie Hibiscal asked, "Sir, what do you have in mind?"


    The young man replied, "It is simple¡­"

 Chapter 109 109: Action Plan.

    Leo put down the phone after he told his plan to Percie Hibiscal who shivered in her chair. She didn''t expect that Leo would take such a cold route to deal with a minor pricing dispute.


    He wanted to destroy the Seaman Mall network. She wanted to advise him against it, but the young man didn''t give her a chance. He only said that he was going to destroy this mall chain, but how would he do that, that was another thing.


    Leo leaned back in his chair, and called the chairman of Yulu broadcasting, "Hello, Miss Stein."


    The person replied, "Good afternoon, President, what can I do for you?"


    Leo said, "We have many luxury brand streamers, right?"


    Miss Stein agreed and Leo said, "Tell them to go to the nearest Seaman Mall and then stream about the luxury brands there. At the same time, have them ask the store owner or manager if the Mall management has asked for a higher price to let them operate in the establishment."


    The lady on the other side, raised her brow, and said, "Sir, this might create a dispute between Seaman Mall and our platform."


    Leo shook his head and replied, "Seaman Mall is not the only place where these streamers could go to broadcast the luxurious items. I want this done by the evening, and every streamer who can bring a positive result on the extra charge issue will receive a bonus of ten thousand. However, tell them that the result should be concrete, and not some fake conspiracy, or we will cancel their accounts for providing wrong information. You understand?"


    The lady nodded and said, "I will have them dispatched right away."


    Leo agreed and then he called Percie Hibiscal once again and said, "Send someone to the Hall of Commerce and have them file a complaint that the Seaman Mall management tried to extort more money, and they wanted to change the terms of the rental contract before the time of the previous contract expired."


    Percie Hibiscal nodded and agreed, after all, despite everything, they were extorted, and it was their right to file a complaint. Percie said, "I will get Fragrance to deal with this." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo nodded and said, "By the coming evening send people to collaborate with us and we will file a collective complaint against the management of the Seaman mall. At the same time, ask them to close their shops and we will pay them the compensation for daily business loss, but don''t let them extort, just pay the average money they make."


    Percie nodded, the man income was generated by middle level clothing stores, and the food court. The luxury brands didn''t have a daily footfall, so they don''t earn much daily. This was why Percie didn''t mind. Even if these businesses closed shops for a week, the impact on the mall''s image would be significant and with the complaints filed, they wouldn''t have to worry much either.


    Clover Nation allowed the tenants to go rent free if they have filed a complaint. However, not many people knew about this law and thus hesitated in making complaints. They used to think that it was a hassle to go through all these things.


    ¡­


    In the evening, Leo received word that there were about seventy such vendors who have been asked to pay higher prices than what was discussed earlier. However, contrary to what Leo estimated, these people were all domestic brand owners, and their brands were small compared to the high level ones from the western side of the world.


    All of them agreed to file a collective complaint because these people had an impression that the mall only asked them. The management operated in such a sneaky manner that even some neighboring shops didn''t know what was happening.


    Fragrance had specifically called everyone and talked with them regarding the situation and asked them to come forward for the collective complaint. She was a girl and her charms were enough to capture the attention of everyone whom she interacted with.


    It was six in the evening, when Leo was packing up his stuff, and Fragrance knocked on his door. Leo said, "Come in."


    The young lady walked inside and greeted Leo with a smile. She said, "Seventy shops have filed the contract with me to file a complaint collectively. One of them was intending to close his business so they backed out."


    Leo nodded and said, "That is not a problem. One business doesn''t really make much of a difference."


    Fragrance nodded, and Leo asked, "Frag, if you have anything to say, then say, why do you hold back?"


    The young lady took a deep breath and calmed her mind before she asked, "Sir, actually, I wanted to ask if the company''s charity fund can divert some attention to the orphanages set up in western deserts."


    Leo raised his brows and asked, "What do you mean? Is there something special about that place? I mean, we give out uniform donations to all, right?"


    Western Deserts was a place which faced a war ten years ago, and suffered a lot. It was even said that place was an orphan state because thirty-five percent of children there had lost their families to war.


    Fragrance nodded and said, "After the war, the government has initiated a lot of plans to rehabilitate the land and the people. However, not many people are keen on adopting someone else''s child. I have a cousin who is engaged in some charitable work there, he told me that the children really lack quality living. The establishments they are housed in are too congested and the education infrastructure is also in decline. So, if you could do something, it might be nice."


    Leo thought for a bit and said, "I will bring this up to the administration and we will survey the area before meaning a good plan, don''t worry."


    Fragrance nodded and replied, "I would be heading to the Hall Of Commerce and file a complaint in the morning."


    Leo nodded and then after a small talk the two of them descended the building together while talking. When Leo was getting in the car, he said, "Frag, I look forward to a flawless victory."


    Fragrance smiled and agreed as she said, "I will get it done, Sir. Don''t worry."


    Leo smiled and then the car drove away. Fragrance mumbled, "Why does it feel like I have seen him somewhere before?"

 Chapter 110 110: Naughty Butterfly.

    Leo returned home, and before heading inside, he took a look inside the garden, as expected, he found a couple of daisies and white heather fallen on the ground, he carefully picked them up and then he went inside the house.


    Lily was practicing Piano, Anastasia was standing beside her with a faint smile on her face. The young man asked, "Where is Snow?"


    Anastasia replied, "In the kitchen."


    Leo nodded, and walked towards the Kitchen. He found that Snow was cooking something and she had her earphones on. Peeking from the side he found her watching a video on the foreign trade market analysis.


    He embraced her gently from behind and she turned to the side and pecked his cheek as she said, "Go wash up, the food is ready."


    Leo sighed, he kissed her cheek and then said, "You have changed so much Snowie, at first, you couldn''t help yourself from tearing my clothes and now you are telling me to go away. Ugh, women."


    The lady rolled her eyes at him and said, "Are you sure you want to play a hooligan with Lily at home? She catches everything and will someday say it before other people. Then don;t come crying to me that your image in the public is gone."


    Leo realized that he couldn''t tease Snow, and left the kitchen but not before giving her perky butt a hard squeeze, causing Snow to suck in a deep breath. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The young man took a quick shower and put up a casual blue t-shirt and white lowers before he came to the kitchen. He held the small flowers from earlier, and found a small Mortar and Pestle.


    Snow looked at him and asked, "What are you doing?"


    Leo shook his head and said, "Trying something for a new ceramic work."


    The young lady watched him put the four dried flowers inside the mortar and then use the pestle to grind them into fine powder. The process didn''t last long, the cold wind had caused the flowers to wilt and they were drying fast.


    After he was done with the grinding, he took the mortar to the garage. Snow asked, "Don''t be late for dinner."


    Leo nodded and came to his work table inside the garage. He located the box of transparent glaze on the ground and poured in the powder before giving it a good stir. He went back inside to have dinner, and Snow asked, "Baba, what are you going to make this time?"


    Leo smiled and said, "It is a surprise for you, and Ma. None are allowed to enter the garage."


    Lily tilted her head and asked, "What about grandma? Will you not make anything for her?"


    Leo had expected something like this but he said, "I will, when the time comes you will know."


    The young lady nodded, and just as Leo was about to take a sip of his soup, he heard the system''s sound, ''Ping: Host, create a gift for Anastasia Merlin, your daughter wishes for you to give her so that the relationship of the family can grow stronger. Reward: Empress Ring.''


    Leo wanted to ask what the Empress Ring was, but he decided to find out about it after completing the task. The dinner was quick, and Leo decided to finish the Heather & Daisy defense armament tonight only. He had been given the blueprint but it was nothing complex. The main parts of the armament were the two flowers that he would be making.


    Thinking about it, he decided to make the flowers first and then decide if they would be pendants or rings or something else. Leo turned on the streaming channel, and began to knead the clay as he said, "Tonight we would be creating a ceramic wearable piece."


    The viewers joined quickly and Leo began to guide them about the piece he wanted to make.


    Viewer A: Host, what is the idea behind selecting these two flowers?


    Viewer B: Yes, Host, same question.


    Leo looked at the questions and said, "White Heather is a symbol of protection and Daisy is a symbol of purity and innocence."


    The people nodded, and Leo told them what he was going to do before he divided the kneaded clay into small portions and then he sculpted the two flowers as close to the real flowers as he could and then placed them on the side under a small plastic tarp like greenhouse he made in the past.


    Then he went on to make twenty small flowers all as big as a Yuan Coin. If someone was to wear them, nobody might even notice until they were really close, that it was a piece of ceramic jewelry. Leo was very patient through the process, but what he didn''t know, his surprise was not actually a surprise.


    Leo calmly sculpted the flowers, and spent a couple of hours inside the garage. The guards on duty saw him and were impressed, the ferocious tiger who would brave dangers to save his family also had the calm that was needed to handle clay so delicately.


    After Leo finished his work he went back inside the house, in his room, where he was planning to sleep, he found Lily sprawled on the bed, with a mobile in her hand. She was looking at Snow, with her back towards the gate and said, "Baba made flowers with the clay."


    Leo froze just when he was at the threshold of the room. Lily continued, "Ma, what do you think he wants to make? A vase? A cup?"


    Snow could see Leo, but she didn''t tell Lily, and said, "How would I know? Baba told you that it would be a surprise, right?"


    Lily replied, "It will be a surprise, I will act like I am surprised when he gives those flowers to me. But what does he want to make?"


    That said, she buried her head in the pillow and Snow looked at Leo with a gaze that seemed to be saying. ''See, this is your lovely butterfly. See how naughty she is, planning to fool you.''


    Leo turned his head away as he defied logic and said, ''She is caring about how I would feel, she is not fooling me. Hmph!''

 Chapter 111 111: Cardinal Returns Home.

    Leo spent the night in Virtual Realm training in various things. In the morning, he and Snow went out for a run along with Anastasia, and Snow joined them as well. The physical enhancement potion had given her the urge to jog around as well.


    The family ran around the block before Leo dropped them at home and continued his jogging. When he finished his runs, he found that the house was empty, and Kyle, who was on duty said, "Madam and Young Miss have gone to school, and Elder is out to sightsee the place."


    Leo sighed and said, "Fine, carry on."


    That said, he went inside the house, took a shower and then ate his breakfast. Then he changed his clothes and headed to work. He was anticipating good news waiting for him, however, as soon as he reached the office building and was walking past the reception area, someone dashed over, grabbed Leo''s collar and yelled, "Bastard! What have we done to you? Why are you taking such a heavy hand against us?"


    Leo looked at the hands and then looked at the person as he said, "Kyle."


    As soon as he said this, Kyle stepped up and coiled his thick arm around the neck of the assailant and the rest of the guards also stepped up and they suppressed the man. Leo gazed at the person, who was now held down by the guards, and said, "Leave him."


    Kyle looked at Leo, and waved to his men. They all let go of the man one after the other, however, they were still standing very close to him. If the man wanted to make a move, they would subdue him with ease.


    Leo asked, "Who are you, and what do you want?"


    The person opened his eyes wide and asked, "You don''t know me? Then why have you sent me the legal notice? I am the general manager of the Seaman Mall Management Company. It was just a simple price issue, why did you drag the whole company in? I will lose my job."


    Leo looked at the man and said, "Kyle, throw him out, and call Fragrance. I want a restraining order against him."


    The man yelled, "No! You cannot do this, please listen to me, it was all Jamal Kastur''s doing. I am innocent."


    Leo looked coldly at the man and said, "If you are innocent then testify against Jamal Kastur. Also, the small amount in your mouth comes out from the hard work my people do. If you and your boss want to beg, then do so at the traffic signals." S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He waved his hand and then went back to his office. The guards worked quickly and the middle-aged man was ousted from the office. However, the dread on his face vanished, and he took out the phone from his pocket and said, "Sir, he didn''t harm me, on the contrary, he threatened me with a restraining order."


    Leo was sitting in his office and Kyly stood before him. The young man used a wooden stirrer to mix his coffee a little as he said, "From now on, unless someone has an appointment, or holds a company identity card, must not be allowed inside. If it is an employee, scan their fingerprints and match with the data before letting them inside."


    Kyle nodded and replied, "Sir, this Jamal Kastur, should we deal with him?"


    Leo shook his head and said, "Call Simon Silence for me. It has been a long time since we have been feeding that dog. He should know where to bark, and where to bite by now."


    Kyle smiled and said, "I will get him over within half an hour."


    Kyle was dismissed and Leo picked up his intercom to call Fragrance. The call went through but nobody picked it up. Leo didn''t call her again, he was not a tyrant. After ten minutes, as expected, Fragrance called him, and he picked up the receiver as he asked, "Hello.."


    Fragrance greeted him and Leo asked, "Can you file a restraining order against Jamal Kastur, his immediate family members? I don''t want that bunch near me."


    The young lady was surprised but then she agreed. The call was quick and the details were left on Fragrance. The authorities in the Clover Nation were serious, they took action and within half an hour, all the offices of the Seaman Mall networks and management company were raided and the discoveries left the officials in a shock. The financial embezzlement, and tax evasion opened up in front of the media, and not only that, one of the warehouses was found to be stuffed with narcotics.


    The cops who were engaged in this task reported things back, and the Superintendent office acquired the arrest warrant against Jamal Kastur.


    Everything happened very fast, Jamal Kastur didn''t ever expect that he would be trapped in something like this. He was rattling his brain to find out how this happened.


    ¡­


    Leo sat across Simon Silence, and was having a cup of tea with a calm expression. The latter said, "Sir, I have a doubt."


    The former raised his brow and said, "Go on."


    Simon asked, "You are not from the streets, how did you know that Jamal is involved in the drug trade?"


    Leo sighed and took a sip of the tea before he said, "Echo Cardinal, the second wastrel of the Cardinal Family, he was my cousin, and he often bought drugs. One time, I caught him buying from Jamal Kastur. However, at that time, I held back the information thinking that it would do harm to my family''s image. But now, it came in handy."


    Simon Silence nodded and said, "I have a few tapes where Jamal can be seen dealing with VIP foreigners who come over for travel. These tapes can be handed over to the Police department and they will handle Jamal for sure."


    Leo raised his brows and said, "That would be good. The financial issue was a small hurdle, I didn''t expect that the Narcotic issue would become the final nail in his coffin. However, if you had all the information, why didn''t you give it to the police first hand?"


    Simon smiled and said, "Knowledge is Power, that''s what I believe in, and one shouldn''t flaunt their power unless it is necessary."


    Leo thought for a bit and then said, "Good, haha, well said."


    The tea was settled, and so was another person who caused the downfall of his family. Jamal Kastur had contracted his father''s company to construct several malls in the city, and later on, under the influence of Carole Primal, this guy breached the contract and that caused the financial chain to break down. His role was that of a pawn, but now that he made an empire on the back of his family, it was going to fall apart regardless.


    ¡­


    Leo finished his work and returned home. One week passed, and things progressed smoothly. As he was about to enter the house, he received a call from an encrypted number. He accepted the connection request and asked, "Marco, is it done?"


    The person on the other side replied, "Yes, Sir. She is ready, and I have sent her to visit Carole. However, this plan would take a very long time, Sir. She is no longer a noble, and the war of succession in the Primal Household would not allow Carole to approach her more provocatively."


    Leo nodded and said, "I am aware of that, just simply do what is necessary. She is just out of training, there is a big chance that she might break free. So, keep her close, and maintain complete control."


    Marco agreed and the call was disconnected, Leo sighed and said, "Well, Carole sure is dedicated to power, to think he would defend against Spring as well. Tch, too bad he crossed me, sooner or later, I will have his head."


    That said, he went inside the house, took a shower to clean up, and then found Momo walking aimlessly around the house. Lily had gone with Snow, to decorate the Cardinal Mansion and couldn''t play with the little one. Leo picked her up and stroked the back of her neck as he rested on the couch. He was told to stay home as the mother and daughter wanted to prepare a surprise for him.


    The young man sighed and said, "Without the two of them, the world feels so bland."


    Momo meowed with perfect timing. The young man said, "Well, little momo, let''s go, we have to complete the defence armament for Lily."


    He picked up the slightly bigger kitten in his hand and then headed to the garage with big steps. He had already brisqued and glazed the articles, and it was time to finish them turning them into jewelry.


    As he opened the kiln, he found that the articles had a subtle golden glow to them. Carefully picking them out of the kiln, Leo was surprised, he felt as if the articles were made up from metal and not clay. The system said, ''Ping: Host, the defense armament is indestructible, until it has to fend off a life threatening force.''


    Leo deliberately dropped the clay flower from his hand and let it crash on the floor. However, the flower didn''t shatter and scatter, but it held on without even a chink. Leo nodded, and then began to attach safety pins at the back of the flowers with a strong adhesive and he even made some bracelets and anklets.


    After a couple of hours, he even attached a couple of flowers to Momo''s collar as well. The kitten didn''t know what this man was doing but for the sake of catnip cookies, she took it all.


    Lily and Snow came back with Axel, and Joel. Anastasia had gone away to visit a friend of hers. Snow looked at Leo and said, "It''s all set, we can move in the morning."


    Leo nodded and said, "I would like to arrange for someone to clean the house regularly, just in case we decide to come back over, after all, this is the first place which we can call home in real sense."


    Snow nodded and said, "I agree with you."


    The night was a quiet affair, and in the morning, the family moved into the Cardinal Mansion. Leo was greeted with the exact same familiarity as he had in the past. He couldn''t help but look toward the couch, and for a second he thought his mother was sitting there with a newspaper in her hand as she smiled towards him.


    He shivered and Snow held his arm as she said, "Welcome Home, my love."

 Chapter 112 112: Ma Goes To Work.

    Leo woke up and looked at the surroundings only to be overcome by a feeling that it was all a dream. He pinched his thigh and only when he sensed pain did he calm down. After that night when he lost his ability to move, he never imagined that he would be able to reside in his house.


    He stood up from the bed, freshened up, and then he got dressed in his workout attire. As he came out of the room, in the corridor, he spotted Lily was doing her warm up routine. He asked, "Lily, baby, how do you always wake up before Baba?"


    The little girl smiled and replied, "Hehehe, Lily has set her alarm clock ten minutes behind. I am so smart."


    Leo was surprised and then he frolicked with the little goblin before Snow also came out of the room. She asked, "If you two have finished, then shall we go?"


    They headed out for their morning run. The security detail has been upgraded. Two men guarding the terrace entrance, one guard for each floor. The earlier twelve men squad has been multiplied by two, so that they could all work in shifts and not have much exhaustion.


    Pristine Security was the one that paid for them directly so it was not an issue. The General Manager, Ellysa Carter was very business savvy and they have made many investments. If Leo was look in the depth of the wealth flowing on the side of Pinnacle Security, he might drown in it.


    The family of three ran around the mansion, before they headed out and ran along the periphery of the building. Leo had Lily riding his shoulders, although she had improved, she still needed to work a lot, and while Leo was supportive, he didn''t want her to harm her body as she was still growing.


    While running around the mansion, Leo scanned the surroundings and found that the prestigious families were still there. In the past his neighbors didn''t have much of a difference with his parents, but it was not a close bond as well, after all, just because you didn''t slap the smiling face, it didn''t mean you like to smile.


    The trio returned home, and cleaned up before they gathered in the kitchen. Snow wanted to hire a chef, but Leo shook his head and said, "I will cook, what do you need the chef for?"


    However, the maids for cleaning were indispensable. They had five maids in the house, each one responsible for one area, and they were all recommended by Pinnacle Securities as they were trained in the professional school dedicated to this subject and they had high salaries, also generated and provided by the company.


    The family dined, and then they got in one car to head to their destinations with a SUV following them. They dropped Lily to the school, and then headed to the office of Butterfly Technologies.


    In the past week, Leo had split the space of his office in half, and a new office was constructed. This was the place where Snow would work from, for the time being. The company has also hired a lot of people for her department. The staff was really looking forward to meeting with Snow, after all, they wanted to see who was the wife of their handsome boss, and the mother of the little princess.


    Lily had a wider fan base then Leo, just so you know.


    Leo drove the car to the office gates and then he got down the car, before moving to the side, and pulled the door for Snow. The young lady stepped down the vehicle dressed in a black and white formal suit, and her golden hair fell on her shoulder. She had a fair complexion and her features were refined. The strengthening potion made her skin and body revitalize and she looked better than ever before.


    She smiled at Leo and said, "You do know that you are the boss here, why did you pull the door for me?"


    Leo chuckled and replied, "You are the boss for me."


    The couple held hands and entered the building. The staff who came across them greeted them in the lobby, before they took the elevator and headed to the top floor directly. As Snow entered her office and placed her bag on the table, she said, "I will go down and introduce myself to the finance department."


    Leo nodded and went to his own office and handled his own things. He wasn''t playing a hands off shopkeeper. In the afternoon, he had to attend the event for the launch of the laptop from the company. He had to go through the key points of the speech and highlight the product.


    ¡­


    Snow was acquainted with Percie Hibiscal, who introduced her to Harvey Haze. A middle-aged man who was an alumnus from a reputed university in the Stag Nation, and very well versed in finance and capital flow management.


    Snow greeted him and asked him to take a look at the finance department personnel. Harvey agreed and then led her to the seventh floor where the finance bullpen was set up, and in the elevator he said, "We have a small team that is currently managing the company finance department, while the rest of the people have been assigned to monitor the stock market changes, and everytime we find something worth trying, we invest a small sum of money in there. Apart from that we have some people who are screening the recently launched start-ups to see if we can acquire any."


    Snow nodded and asked, "How many such start-ups have been acquired?" sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Harvey shook his head and said, "We haven''t acquired any at the moment. They all are young and wish to make a dent in the world on their own."


    Snow smiled faintly and said, "I will look into it."


    She had been regularly training herself these days, and managed to grasp the skills she had back in college, however, she knew that life was different than what it was inside the classroom.


    She looked at the people working in their cubicles, and some were discussing things. Harvey took the initiative and said, "Everyone, listen here."


    The people raised their heads and Harvey said, "This is President Snow Cardinal. She will be handling the Finance Department from now on."


    The people were not surprised, they all knew that the President''s wife was coming to the company to handle the capital. They all stood up and said, "Greetings, President Snow."


    Snow nodded to them all with a faint smile on her face and she said, "Thank you everyone. I am glad to be here. Although I am the director of the finance department, I am not here to disturb your work. The company finance department will follow the previous arrangement and if needed, you can consult with me."


    The people from the company finance flow division nodded and Harvey also nodded, he looked a bit gratified after all, he was handling this job for sometime and put in a lot of effort as well.


    Snow continued, "The Stock Market investment team, I would like to have a meeting with all the people ten minutes later. Please prepare a rough list of the places we have invested in, and the average profit and loss from these investments.


    Lastly, the Acquisition team, I would like to have a meeting with you guys as well, and I want a similar list, about the potential businesses and their future scope of growth as per your speculation. I will give you twenty minutes to prepare. I hope we all can work together to make a better future for ourselves."


    She didn''t say any polite stuff like, ''I''ll be in your care'' etc. Damn she was the President''s wife, and these people were in her care. After delivering her word, she moved to the conference room directly with Harvey Haze beside her.


    Ten minutes later, the Stock market team came in. They greeted Snow and passed on the list. Snow looked at the list for a few minutes before she said, "You should all focus on investing in commodities, and metals. Stay alert about the stir in Stag Nation market. When the prices fall, buy as much of the top ten listings in their market as you can. Got it?"


    The people nodded and Snow nodded as she sent them out before the Acquisition team came into the room. Snow looked at the lists and said, "Arrange a meeting with the founders of the companies that are involved in tech. Also, speculate the market size and returns of the food and beverage related companies, and prepare firm reports on how much money they would consume if we want to scale them."


    The people nodded and Snow kept on talking about stuff, and finally she said to Harvey, "I understand that the land procurement deal for the Tech Park is under your joint supervision?"


    Harvey nodded and said, "Yes, we have filed a tender, and the process is underway."


    Snow nodded and said, "Well, that is good. I will be in my office, if you have anything that you want to go through, don''t hesitate."


    After she left, Harvey mumbled, "She is like the sword held by the King."

 Chapter 113 113: Experiences & Value.

    After dealing with the finance department, Snow came to meet Leo, and told him things about the staff. The young man agreed with the way she dealt with things. Then he said, "You can handle this however you want to. I have hands full with Tech Development."


    Snow then left his office to handle a few things on her own. Just because they have delegated the work to people doesn''t mean they could sit back and relax. They had to do their own research when it came to making profit.


    At noon, Percie Hibiscal called him, "Sir, the event is about to begin."


    Leo sighed and said, "I will be there within a few minutes."


    He stood up, and picked up his phone before heading out of the office. He looked at Snow''s office and found that she was staring at the computer screen, and he poked his head inside as he asked, "The event is about to begin, do you want to come along to watch?"


    Snow shook her head and said, "I have a meeting with a founder in about fifteen minutes."


    Leo was surprised and Snow chuckled as she said, "Love, they are young and have some time on their hands so they agreed quickly."


    The young man frowned and said, "Hey, we are not old either. You are the forever blooming rose in my heart."


    Snow blushed a little as she said, "Shoo, I have work, and you are getting late."


    The young man left, he didn''t mind if Axel or Kyle heard his words. In every team of guards, there were two captains, for example, Leo was shadowed by Jock or Kyle, and similarly, Snow was shadowed by Joel or Axel.


    Leo got in the elevator and headed to the Grand Century Hotel. After the terror attack, the place had gone through extreme restoration and they have even hired retired soldiers as guards. The military investigation was quick, and after finding the officials who were corrupt and allowed the terrorists to work in the company were all apprehended, and these days, the hotel was trying it''s best to regain its footing in the market.


    So, holding the launch event here gave them a huge discount and the Media was definitely more interested in covering the event because they have all been hooked by what made a prospering company come over to the Grand Century and that too after such bloodshed.


    Some people even called the Butterfly company, The spooky tech company because of some reasons. Leo had his face covered the last time, and now this hotel as the venue, they could not understand what was going on through the minds of the management.


    ¡­


    Percie Hibiscal didn''t take the stage this time. Leo directly picked up the microphone and appeared on the stage. His face was still covered and he said, "Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for coming over."


    The people looked at him and the cameras all began to flicker with flashes. Leo chuckled as he closed his eyes and asked, "You guys want to turn me blind by wearing a mask? How cruel is the media?"


    A few people smiled and Leo said, "Well, have some patience, I will give you all the answers, but first, let us see the product we have for you."


    A high definition AV was played on his que. The background was a big screen they had erected for this purpose only. The people saw a laptop that was sleek and simple in looks and then the AV showed how many tasks they can perform on the device.


    Leo gestured to his right hand side and a beautiful girl stepped on the stage as she placed the laptop on the podium and Leo said, "Thank you, Sara."


    The crowd applauded in a symbolic manner, and Leo walked up to the laptop before he said, "Under your seats, there is a laptop, from the same batch as mine, please take it out and use it for various things that you want to do."


    The reporters and the guests all began to fish out the devices as Leo said, "The Butterfly Tech has designed a completely new User Interface and an operating system that allows you to handle various preferences as per your own wishes in a simplified manner.


    We have named it, Gardener 1. For example, you wish to download a game, but there are a few other software that are already lined up. The time to download the game will be longer if it went for the typical loop distribution setting. So, what you need to do is, you hold onto the butterfly button which is sitting on the side, and say, ''Download the XXX on top priority.''


    And, Voila!"


    The reporters and the tech vloggers began to use the laptop and there were some exclamations when the people explored the UI and the OS. They were astounded by how neat it looked and yet at the same time it had so many fun elements to it.


    After fifteen minutes, many people had decided the good and the bad first impressions of the product. Leo stood on the stage and he said, "There is good, and then there is bad in the product, so I hope that you all understand it is not a perfect product, but an attempt of improvising and evolving technology. Now, we will begin the question and answers."


    The reporters raised their hands, and unlike whatLeo expected they actually posed a technical question, which was answered by Leo with great ease. He also addressed the topics that were related to the original questions in a very sorted fashion.


    Finally after an hour, someone asked, "President X, we want to know, why did you select this auditorium as the venue? Are you not afraid that the bad luck would leave a mark on you?"


    Leo chuckled and shook his head as he said, "In this hotel, when the terrorists were rampaging, I was one of the people present in this auditorium. For what you call bad luck, I would call it good luck that I managed to walk out of it all unscathed.


    So, for me, this place holds a great value. It is not the place or the things that are unlucky, but our experiences that makes us tag things in such a manner." S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The people paused before they clapped and Leo said, "You all can take the units in your hand back as a gift, the team outside will provide you with the rest of the accessories with it. If you wish to get the device serviced, contact the after sales team directly, and they will help you. We also dish out a five year warranty, which is the longest in the entire market. Another thing is, if anyone tries to open the laptop without following the secret protocol, the processing chip will directly be destroyed."


    The reporters were shocked and Leo said, "This is a method we came up with to protect the technology from being snatched. Thank you, we hope for your cooperation."


    The event was wrapped up and Leo came backstage. He looked at the time and said, "Kyle, we are heading home."


    The guard nodded and the two of them headed back home, Percie would handle the following proceedings. As they drove back home, Kyle said, "Sir, there is some chatter on the dark web."


    Leo raised his brow in the passenger seat and asked, "What is it about?"


    KYle replied, "From the information I have found, Claud seemed to have come over to kill a political leader in the country. They planned all this within six months. It just so happened that the Minister fell ill at the final moment and didn''t enter the City. Later the people found out about the spy and a look out notice was issued against Claud and his right hand men. This forced them into a corner and they decided to raid."


    Leo clicked his tongue and asked, "Which minister was it again?"


    Kyle replied, "Minister Khaiber."


    Leo chuckled and said, "To think that this monster had such luck. Now I feel bad, I should have let Claud go and deal with this asshole."


    Kyle furrowed his brow and Leo said, "When Khaiber is agriculture minister, and he is famous for sanctioning the sale of Chemical Pesticides in the nation. This decision led to the land degradation where these pesticides were tested and in the 1980''s the entire Corn Bowl was hit with a famine. The nation had to seek foreign aid.


    In the early investigations it was hinted that the minister had taken kick backs, and thus, he was one of the culprits who didn''t do his job properly causing thousands to die of starvation, and many more in food riots. He should have died a long time ago."


    Kyle nodded and they reached home. Leo asked, "What about the open contract for hunting down the people involved in this whole episode?"


    The guard replied, "The Taskmaster said he would reach you personally when he gets the name of all the people."


    Leo nodded, and said, "Okay, I will talk to him on my own."

 Chapter 114 114: Daddy Gotta Clean Up.

    Leo went into the house, he made way directly to the bedroom on the second floor. The area was a well spread 5000 square feet, with two floors. The first floor had a living room, a music room, a kitchen and dining room, along with two guest rooms, and three toilets.


    The second floor was where the study and the bedrooms were located. Leo had his parents room restored and left as it was when they were alive. He was not yet ready to let go of their memories. Another bedroom belonged to himself and Snow, while the third room was given to Lily. All these rooms had attached washrooms.


    The second floor also fashioned a study as big as the living room, with an extensive book collection and a classic wood table, and a sofa set. Apart from this, there was a front yard, back yard, and a staff dormitory in the backyard, which was refitted to the best decor and interior.


    Finally came a basement under the house where the garage was. Although Leo didn''t have many cars, his father did. Vincent changed everything that his father liked, but even the enemy desired to own those cars. There were many vintage sports and luxury cars that many people in the city only dreamt of seeing.


    The young man changed his clothes and then he moved to the music room, where Lily was playing the grand piano with Symphony tapping her feet against the floor, counting beats.


    The young man waited till the piece was finished, and then he said, "Love, you have improved."


    Lily sighed and said, "Baba, I still made fifteen mistakes."


    Leo chuckled and said, "Come, let us work on rectifying the mistakes together."


    Then the three of them began to play the piano and soon it was time for Symphony to get back home. She greeted Leo and Snow, before Leo asked a guard to drive the girl back. Snow had cooked the dinner, as she came back sooner than Leo.


    The dinner was light, and Leo asked while eating, "When will mom come back?"


    Snow replied, "I Called her yesterday, she would be coming back tomorrow morning."


    Leo nodded and asked, "Lily, how was school?"


    The little one sighed and said, "How else could it be Baba? I am simply tired of learning so much. Why are humans born like this?"


    Leo was left between laughter and tears. He said, "Knowledge is a necessary tool for humans to survive. Without knowledge we won''t be able to survive, similar to how animals learn hunting, we need to learn the knowledge."


    Lily pinched her tiny chin and then said, "Hmm, what you said does make a point baba, you are smart, good."


    Leo sighed and bowed his head as he said, "Thank you for your praise, your highness."


    Lily raised her chin and waved her hand as if dismissing a commoner. Snow leaned over from the side and flicked her finger at the forehead of her daughter and said, "Behave."


    Lily rubbed her forehead and then after a small walk in the garden, the ladies retired to their rooms. Leo came to the study and called Marco. The call was quickly picked up and the other side greeted him. Leo asked, "So, how is the progress?"


    Marco said, "Sir, we have confirmed seven people who were linked in this."


    Leo nodded and said, "Go on."


    The man said, "Three businessmen from the Nipon Nation. They funded the whole operation because they wanted to get Khaiber dead because he cheated them. Claud led his mercenary team, followed by three other groups, Iron Mongers, Silent Daggers, and Battle Junkies.


    Although the fighting forces of these three teams are finished, the agents who recruit people are still living a lavish life. They moved on pretty quick. Last but not the least, Juan Alex. Claud''s father, and also a big name in the streets of the international arm trade. As long as you have money, he will supply you. Apart from a Nuke, he can get his hands on anything."


    Leo was thinking on how to kill these people, when the system said, ''Ping: Host, you have always wanted to make the world a better place for your daughter. So, why not start from these seven people. For every one of these people you eliminate, you will be rewarded with a breakthrough in Aerospace tech and space probing tech, the prize is not limited to that.''


    Leo took a deep breath, after all this became a big undertaking all of a sudden, however, he liked the sound of it. So, he took a deep breath and said, "Marco, I want to know their locations, and have you been trailing them?"


    Marco nodded and said, "We have their locations and also we have been trailing them for the past week, I am basically aware of everything that they did. What happened, Sir?"


    Leo shook his head and replied, "Nothing much, just want to kill them with my own hands."


    His words were calm, and they shocked Marco so much that he froze. Leo looked at the screen for a bit and then said, "Give me the locations."


    Marco nodded, and quickly sent out a list of coordinates. Leo used the computer in the study to look at the locations and then he came up with an idea to cover his traces. He said, "I will send you a list of coordinates, then you will arrange for your people to come and pick me, take me to the targets, and then drop me back. I will also send you the list of weapons that I need, but for that, I want you to summarize the most important things that they do in their routine, be it weekly or be it daily. Do you understand?"


    Marco nodded as if he was a wooden puppet and said, "Yes, President, I will get it done."


    That said, the call ended, and Leo leaned back in his chair. He swiveled his chair and caught the sight of his family picture. It was him, Lily, and Snow just before they left for the winter recital.


    He mumbled to himself, "Lily, you will never suffer like this till I am alive."


    ¡­


    He went to sleep, and when he woke up in the morning, he began to think what excuse he would give his wife for the trip. After all, even if he manages to finish it all smoothly, it would still take him a week at the minimum. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The young man suddenly looked at Snow and said, "Love, when do you plan to hold the wedding ceremony?"


    His words shocked her, and Snow found herself in a daze. Leo looked at her and asked, "What happened? Did I say something wrong?"


    Snow shook her head and a smile bloomed on her face, as she said, "No, you didn''t say anything wrong, I was just surprised, because I wasn''t expecting you to say this."


    Leo shook his head and said, "While I am crazy about revenge, I am aware that such things should be settled as soon as possible. I love you, and I am already very late. Our daughter is four years old."


    Snow shook her head as she held his arm while snuggling, "You think too much. It was not your fault that the ceremony was delayed for this long. You had the intention to marry me on the first day I agreed to be your girlfriend. So, you aren''t late, the time wasn''t right then."


    The young man took a deep breath and said, "How do you always manage to look at the positive in all the negative?"


    Snow chuckled and said, "Well, if I can fall for you, then is it not obvious that I am always capable of looking at the positive in the negative, Young Master Cardinal?"


    Leo coiled his arms around her and pulled her over himself as he looked in her eyes and said, "I will take that as a compliment."


    Snow chuckled and pecked his lips, and just when Leo was about to return the gesture in full capacity, the door was knocked and a small voice sounded, "Baba, we are getting late for the jogging. Are you okay?"


    Snow chuckled and Leo, left with no other option, let go of the girl in his arms as he stood up and opened the door and found Lily looking at him with her sparkling innocent eyes. He picked her up in his arms and then kissed her cheeks hard as he said, "Sometimes I wish you were a cute little nugget so that I could bite you."


    Lily tilted her head to look at her mother and asked, "Ma, what did you do to my Baba? He was all nice last night."


    Snow broke into a burst of laughter, and Leo pretended to take a bite at her, causing Lily to clammer for a few minutes before the family dressed up and headed out. It was on their way to the office, when Leo said, "I will be travelling for the next week, it might extend by three more days if the things I am looking for are not available."


    Snow was surprised and curious before she asked, "What is this travelling trip for all of a sudden?"


    Leo smiled and replied, "To get you some wedding gifts."

 Chapter 115 115: On Ground.

    Leo surprised Snow by saying that he wanted to go and shop stuff for the wedding. He continued to tell her that he really wanted to give her a good wedding and that was it. Snow seemed to have eaten honey and entered the office with a charming smile on her face.


    The employees greeted her and Leo, and the couple replied with big smiles. The mood in the butterfly technologies office was always nice, because even when the boss acted coldly, he didn''t bother his employees at all.


    Leo got on his computer, and began to book tickets, and asked Ellysa to use her connections in the governments to get him the E-Visa. Travelling in this world was easy, and not hectic at all. If you have the right contacts, there were a thousand reasons that would get you the permit to cross borders.


    Leo gave her two days, as he needed to pack his stuff as well, he can''t just pick up his bag and go hitch a ride, after all, his itinerary would be confirmed by the government officials and he would have to answer if the immigration officer asked him stuff.


    ¡­


    After finishing the day, Leo came back home, and found Anastasia in the living room. She greeted him with a smile and asked, "How was the day?"


    Before he could speak, Lily, who came back with her father chimed, "My day was good, I won a star! I recited the legend of Little Red Bull perfectly, Miss Verse said Lily is a genius."


    Leo was amused by her expressions and smiled as he said, "Day was okay, I will have to pack today, as I might be going out for a week tomorrow night."


    Lily pouted at this and snorted as she turned her head away. Anastasia chuckled lightly as she looked at her granddaughter and asked, "Lily, you don''t want your father to go?"


    Lily snorted and sat next to her grandmother and said, "He is going alone to shop for Ma, why can''t I go? I am a good girl."


    Leo rubbed his forehead, and Anastasia gestured to him to explain. He sighed and said, "I want to give Snow some gifts that are GI products of a few places. I will be traveling by flights and barely staying the night in five different places. How can I take her with me? I am shopping for the wedding ceremony."


    Anastasia was surprised but then she looked at Lily and said, "Baby, you will get tired from such long flights. That is why Baba is not taking you over in such a hurry."


    Lily puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms across her chest. Leo sighed, and walked up to her. All the while traveling from school to home, he was worried that the little girl would be upset and throw a tantrum. His fears came true as this happened. The young man took a deep breath and sighed as he crouched next to her and said, "Lily, I am not going there for fun, and I promise, I will buy things for you as well. Baby, don''t be like this. Please. How will Baba be able to calm down if you are like this?"


    The little girl looked at his face and sighed as she said in a small voice, "But I will miss you so much when you are gone."


    Leo smiled and held her small hand in his big palms and said, "I will be away, never gone. I will call you every day in the evening."


    Lily sighed and then said, "Fine, I want you to buy me something nice."


    He nodded and replied, "It will be as you say." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lily then hugged him and said, "Try to come back sooner, maybe?"


    Leo chuckled and pecked her cheek and replied, "Yes, I will try to come sooner."


    He told her a white lie, and that was it, Lily''s emotions were settled and then Leo began packing. Snow came back a little later than him, she helped him with packing a few things, and that was it.


    ¡­


    Two days passed in a blink, and the young man got a green flag from Ellysa and he came back home to pick up his bags, and after a quick bye to Snow and Anastasia he got in the airport. The father and daughter couple were attached at their hips. In the morning, Lily was crying when she realized that Leo would be leaving, and looking at her, Leo was sulking as well.


    The young man went through the security check, and boarded the plane with ease. On the flight, he had a business class, and he used his laptop to go through the details of his first three targets.


    These people were responsible for funding the terrorist attack. The first guy was called Ayume Harden, he was the CEO and President of the Harden Bio Chem. This company made its fortune by selling petro-chems and gradually transitioned into the big market of pesticides and insecticides.


    They were a big name in the field and have done many ground breaking discoveries. However, Khaiber''s betrayal was a stain in their eyes. How could someone cross them and walk away clean?


    Leo read the details and found out that Ayume Harden had a habit, or more like a superstitious belief. To fulfill this practice, he would ride a bike uphill. However, he was paranoid as well, so the entire hill was his property.


    The young man confirmed a lot of things looking at the report. Marco was a capable man, and he had highlighted the entire route and the infiltration plan as well. There was only one chance to get this done and that was the summit of this hill where Ayume Harden would be gazing down at the city afoot.


    The young man decided not to look at the profiles of the other targets, one at a time to save himself the hassle. He raised his hand to signal the hostess. The pretty lady came over to him and asked, "How can I help you, Sir?"


    Leo replied, "A glass of your best wine."


    The lady nodded and quickly got him a glass and served the wine straight from the bottle. Perks of flying in business class, and also the pain to pretend. Leo stirred the wine, coming from a rich and affluent family he was not unknown to the art of wine tasting.


    He took a light sniff and then nodded at the lady before sampling the sip and looking out of the window. The young man finished his wine and then he went inside the virtual realm. He went there to stimulate the assassination plot. The virtual realm had this feature and he liked it a lot.


    After an hour, it was time to wake up and continue resting. The flight transit lasted for six hours. Leo didn''t bring any guards with him, because Marco had prepared a team for him in every location. After going through the immigration, Leo came out of the airport and found a Black SUV waiting for him.


    He walked over to the vehicle calmly before a slightly shorter man looked at him, and bowed, "President."


    Leo nodded and got in the car. The vehicle moved through the traffic and the driver said, "Sir, everything that you asked for has been prepared. The meet up and infiltration is arranged in three hours. The next window would be six hours later."


    Leo replied while gazing at the bustling traffic outside, "Can we get to the rendezvous point in three hours?"


    The driver nodded and replied, "Yes, sir, the border is not that far from here."


    Leo hummed as he tapped his fingers on the leather armrest, "Indeed, Olympus continent needs better border management."


    He was in a small country on the Olympus continent, called Nike, a country named after the goddess of victory in this culture. The driver asked if they should head to the rendezvous point directly or would Leo like to rest, and the young man choose the former.


    They left the city, came to a highway, and the driver floored the accelerator. The highways in Olympus continent were called the hell and heaven of drivers, because there wasn''t a speed limit here.


    After couple of hours, they stopped in a resting zone, and Leo got down from the car. He stretched his body, and the driver opened the boot, as he said, "The border crossing is five kilometers away from here, the agent will be coming over shortly, please change into tactical gear, Sir."


    Leo nodded, changed into a black tactical suit. Picked up the sub machine gun, and checked it quickly as he looked at the star filled sky and said, "Someday, I should bring Lily over, she loves stars."


    I was still noon back at home, and Leo had six hours before he would have to call Lily. After five minutes, he heard a low whirring sound and looking in the distance, he found a bike hidden among the woods, and a figure sitting over it, signaling them with a flashlight.


    The driver said, "Sir, the agent will take you over. I will wait for you to comeback."


    Leo nodded at the driver and moved toward the bike. Daddy had taken the role of a hitman and he was going to kill some people.


    ...


    Came to travel, and to find some inspiration for the story. Hope you guys are ready for what is about to come.

 Chapter 116 116: Daddy Hitman.

    Leo traveled through the dark woods on a bike, and he found that the rider was using a night-vision google to move through the clutter quickly. His moves were controlled and Leo didn''t feel unsafe at all. It was as if this man had used this method many times.


    They traveled for three hours before the person said, "Sir, we have arrived in the vicinity of Harden Cliff."


    Hearing the voice, Leo found that the rider was surprisingly a girl.He nodded and said, "Thank you, would you be waiting here when I finish the job."


    The person nodded and then Leo got off the ground and vanished in the darkness. He was also using a night-vision, specially prepared for him by Marco, because he knew about the conditions here better than Leo.


    Ayume Harden was a teenager when he rode his bike up the cliff on a rainy sunday. After that sunday, his life changed, because he won a lottery. At that time he didn''t think much, and life continued, but when he was chasing his first girlfriend, she dared him to ride a bike up the hill if he wanted to marry her, and he did, she married him, and bought over huge fortunes in tow.


    After that, he climbed this hill every sunday, one time the government wanted to initiate a campaign of demolition and Ayume Harden intervened. He directly bought out the hill and the land surrounding it. That was how rich he was, too bad, he made the wrong enemy.


    Leo moved through the woods, and trekked the lengths of the cliff in utter darkness, however, his speed was so quick and movements were so efficient that it seemed like he was a monkey. No, it was all thanks to the boosted attributes. He had the stamina of a horse, and he also had practiced all these moves in the virtual realm.


    The young man stepped out of the woods, and he found that the place was calm, there were no residents in the surroundings, and only a huge number of vacant houses standing on the ground, and the only place that had electricity was the road where Ayume Harden would be riding his bike.


    He found the summit, the road that reached the highest point wasn''t exactly the peak of the hill. The security had sealed the road, and there was a fence around the hill that Leo had to cut through. He looked around the place and then made his way to the woods that were on the other side of the road.


    He found a vantage point that allowed him to sit in the dark and have the complete view of the summit parking. He knelt on the ground, and calculated the distance, it wasn''t more than several ten meters, he could kill Ayume Harden by throwing a big stone to his head.


    The wait commenced, it was already seven in the night and the sky had already turned dark. This was how things were in this location, sun rose early and set early as well. Leo found himself to be very agitated and closed his eyes to calm down.


    He only opened his eyes when he heard the light sound of an engine rumbling. He looked at the uphill climb of the road and after a few minutes, the target was in sight. Leo peeked through the scope, but soon he frowned.


    This wasn''t Ayume Harden, the guy was climbing slowly, while looking around. Leo clicked his tongue and hid behind a tree. Without making any movement. Turned out the guards were all very serious about their jobs, they would come first to check if the surroundings were clear.


    The man on the bike turned around and then rode back downhill, and the sound of the engine only sounded after thirty more minutes. The person rode very steadily and in a few minutes, he appeared on the summit and parked his bike in the parking, took off his helmet and walked up to the railing to overlook the city. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo had aimed for the head, but then he decided to aim for the right shoulder, and squeezed the trigger.


    He was using a small submachine gun, which was suppressed, and so the sound was only as loud as someone spitting on the side.


    Ayume Harden felt a wave of pain and wailed, "ARGHHH!!!"


    Leo quickly got out of his cover, dashed over to Ayume Hatsume, and stuffed a handful of wild grass he picked up from the woods just now. This choked the middle-aged man, and Leo said, "You have a lot of questions and you have a lot to say as well, however, the only thing that you can do at the moment is to understand that you have no control over your life. The moment you decided to fund the terror invasion against the Clover nation, you signed your death warrant."


    Ayume Harden''s pupils constricted, he tried to struggle, but Leo shot him in the abdomen at point blank range. The struggle immediately came to a halt. Leo then shot Ayume in the heart, and said, "You have ten seconds to die."


    Then he stood up from the ground, and emptied the magazine on his face, disfiguring him completely. Ayume could not be more dead, even if he wanted to. Leo then searched the corpse and the equipment, to assure there weren''t any cameras hidden. After a five minute check up, and double checking everything, the young man rushed down the summit vanishing into the dark woods.


    Ayume was deader than dead. His men would take some time to locate him and that would be enough for Leo to cross the woods. After traversing through the woods twice in an hour, Leo was somewhat slow. Still he managed to cross the fence again, by leaping over it and then found the rider waiting for him.


    The two of them slowly rode away. They moved slowly because the engine, although muffled, still gave off a little sound, and if any human caught it, they might chase them. Ayume was a man who grew up in the border town, and thus it became very easy for them to handle this assignment, however, not everyone on the list had such a story of superstition. Also, after the death of one of them, Leo was sure that the old foxes would surely gather together and give up on their particular habits for sometime. Along with that came the heightened security. This was one reason why Leo didn''t read these files sent to him by Marco and decided to take out the easy one first.


    They returned to the border, and as Leo was getting off, the sun had climbed up on the horizon, he said, "You did good, have Marco send me your details, and I would have you transfer to Angkor City, you can fit into my Wife or Daughter''s security detail. If you want to, that is."


    The girl nodded and said, "Thank you, Sir."


    That was it, then Leo got back in the car, where the old driver was, and drove back to the city where he was supposed to shop a few things. They had a small villa in this place, and it was very tight on security, so they went to the villa. It was too late last night when Leo came, and now it was too early to go out and shop. Leo decided to rest a bit and wait for the word from Marco before deciding what he wants to do.


    ¡­


    In the morning, after a quick bite, the young man came to the most high class market. Though this was the border nation, but it was very high capital generating place in the world and so, the infrastructure was all developed on a scale similar to that of any other big city.


    They came to the market that was just opening up, and Leo asked, "Ben, which shop is trust-worthy in this place?"


    There were so many people dealing in the product that he wanted Leo to make up his mind.


    Ben, the driver, said, "Sir, over the years of being here, I have set up a shop by myself, if you want to, you can take a look there. Otherwise, we can go to Elegance Jewels."


    Leo was surprised when he found that the driver had a shop that was dealing in Crimson Jade. He looked at him and said, "Let''s head to your shop."


    Ben nodded and respectfully led him through the sparse crowd, and they came to a medium level shop called, "Carter Jewel."


    Ben spoke sheepishly, "The General Manager has a share in it, and so, I named the shop after her. It is a good brand name, now."


    Leo understood what was going on, Ellysa Carter was a high business acumen woman, so it was obvious. After they entered the shop, a few sales women greeted them, and Ben said, "Show the President what he wants, and be honest with the pricing."


    Crimson Jade was a gemstone mined in this region, and it was similar to Rubies, but the crimson of this gemstone was always darker in the core, and lighter on the outside. While many people scoffed at it, this Crimson Jade was proven to aid in blood circulation due to its pseudo magnetic nature. Leo wanted to use it to make a set of jewelry.


    He selected a few big raw gems, and talked with Ben to get them processed and shipped over to Angkor City, before he picked up a couple of diamond studded butterfly earrings with a single cut crimson jade in the center and said, "Pack these for me, I will bring them back for a little goblin."


    Ben smiled and got to work.

 Chapter 117 117: Taget Two.

    Leo sat in the flight headed to the second nation with the motive to handle the second target, who was also the second biggest fund investor of this entire facade. He was called Markus Deville, resident of Salva, a small city in the state of Cannis, capital of Taura nation.


    The nation that was widely known for its vibrant culture, and amazing nightlife. Markus was one such person who made his fortune by selling happiness to people in the night. However, later, someone introduced him to a Chem trade, and using his connections and pull in the market, he became the biggest raw material provider for all the people who had a chemical plant.


    To set up a chemical plant in the Clover Nation, he teamed up with his old partner, Ayume Harden and bribed Khaiber, however, at the end moment, Khaiber turned away, and unable to swallow such a bone, the people arranged a hit to take out a cabinet minister.


    The process didn''t end up with the result they wanted. They had been looking for a chance to attack one more time, however, it was not that easy as the government had stepped in and if they were caught, it would mean a lot of loss. So they couldn''t help but wait for a chance.


    Leo read about Markus Deville, and found that this man loved soccer. It was something he swore by, and he even owned a stake in a major team. This man had missed a lot of things in his life, but he never missed the home game of this team.


    Leo doubted if this guy would go and really go and attend a game even now, after all, Ayume seemed to be in close connection with him. The young man spent the entire time of his flight thinking about various things that could affect the course of action. After six hours, the flight landed, and the first thing Leo did was to call Lily. It turned out, the little girl had slept early yesterday, because she was exhausted from the play day in school.


    Time zones were a tricky thing, but at this moment, they both were under the brightly lit sky. Leo was only four hours ahead of the people in Angkor City, and so, it was the right time for him to call home and check on the family.


    He called Snow, and the young lady picked up real quick. She looked at him all dressed up in a suit and asked, "Well, Mister Cardinal, where are you going dressed up like a chick magnet?"


    Leo smiled and replied, "You hooligan, who are you trying to hit on? My wife and daughter will not spare you."


    Snow chuckled and asked, "Are you okay? You are not fatigued are you?"


    She really worried about him running around like this, after all, she knew that he had just finished dealing with the terror attack not long ago. She knew that something about him was different and that he was always working harder than the rest. This sort of care was not phony and if something really happened to Leo, she would not be okay.


    The young man knew about the demons this girl suffered from, and said, "I am fine, Love. Don''t worry, also Marco has assigned a personal guard for me in all the places I have to go, I am fine."


    Snow nodded and asked, "Did you call to talk to Lily?"


    After asking this she winked sneakily, and Leo understood that Lily was around and he said, "You know Snow, I miss her so much more than I expected. I promise, after I finish this thing, I will not go out on such long trips without her. I really want to rush back home and hold her in my arms."


    Snow nodded, and looked across the screen and asked, "Lily, did you hear what Baba said?"


    Lily nodded with a smile and said, "Yes."


    Snow gave her the phone and said, "You talk to baba, and I will finish the breakfast."


    Lily took the phone and left the kitchen to sit down on the couch in the living room. She waved at Leo and the young man asked, "How are you doing, my darling?"


    Lily replied joyfully, "I am feeling better now. I wanted to talk to you yesterday, but I fell asleep. Baba, do you know? I came second in the race Miss Verse organized. I got a candybar. I have saved it, we will eat it when you come back." Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo replied, "Yes, we will, and we will make you a castle of the candies I will bring."


    The two began to talk and endear each other from time to time, and Snow who was able to listen in the kitchen was amused by the amount of cuteness revolving around the two of them. Who would believe that Leo, the guy who handled seven terrorists in a blink, was capable of such softness."


    She shook her head and looked at the side, her mother came into the kitchen with a smile. The conversation lasted for twenty more minutes, and at the end of it all, Lily was smiling from ear to ear and that was it.


    ¡­


    On the other side of the phone, Leo put down his phone, and a faint smile was set on his lips as he leaned back in the seat of his car. The vehicle moved through the traffic and the young man said, "Xavi, drive me to the Jewelry Market, I want to buy Andalusite."


    The driver nodded and replied, "Yes, sir."


    Andalusite was a stone that showed different colors from different angles of observation. This stone was very well matched with the Crimson Jade Leo had bought earlier. As they reached the market, Xavi led Leo to a shop and introduced the shop to be the most trustworthy and reputed place in the city.


    Leo went in and inspected the goods and without any bumps, he bought a few carved stones, and they were ready to be shipped. He didn''t find anything that was suitable for Lily and decided to shop her some luxury brand clothing, and shoes, along with candies.


    He moved along with Xavi, when Marco called him, "Sir, there is an update."


    Leo nodded and asked, "What is it?"


    Marco replied calmly, "Markus Deville was told about the death of Ayume Harden, not only did this man not care about it, he also didn''t change his schedule. He is very clear that he is him, and Ayume was Ayume."


    Leo pondered on this while his gaze scanned through the luxury clothing items on the display windows, "Hmmm, so he is going to stick to his routine?"


    Marco confirmed, and Leo said, "Good, get me a sniper rifle and also a ticket to the Soccer match of the two teams. Have someone place that rifle above the stadium ceiling, over the parking lot."


    Marco nodded and said, "I will get it done, Sir."


    That said, the call was disconnected, and Leo bought over three items for Lily, and then went back to his hotel to rest. He was a tourist here, so he had to leave some alibi.


    The young man lay in his bed, and closed his eyes to rest and enter the virtual realm. He began to practice the set up, and during these ten hours, he also came up with a way to disguise himself and how to get away from that crowded place.


    When he woke up after an hour, he called Xavi and asked him to get him a black set of jersey for the home club, and another thing that he did was to purchase a set of water soluble kelp. Xavi was confused why Leo would do that, but the man did it anyway.


    In his room, Leo made a pair of gloves from the kelp and kept it inside his varsity jacket pockets. In the evening, he left the hotel early to reach the stadium one hour early. He entered smoothly, and then he sat down in the stands for a bit, talking to the other people around him about the latest development of the club team and stuff like that.


    Then he checked his watch and asked a guy to keep his seat as he would go and buy some beer for everyone. People loved free beer, and the people who bought it.


    Leo quickly moved through the incoming flow of people, found a secluded corner, and then moved through the staircases, and reached the top floor. Xavi had suggested that they buy out a security guard, but Leo advised against it. He just avoided the security cameras by using the emergency exit. He found himself standing on the access door to the roof, and went out quickly.


    He dashed around at his top speed, came to find the gun case placed next to a ventilation shaft, he picked it up, set it up, all done in a flowing movement, and then he moved close to the edge of the roof. At the entrance of the parking lot, a VVIP convoy was moving, belonging to the guests.


    Leo had seen a long stretched car that Markus used for his travel, and thankfully, that vehicle happened to be stranded at the end. Leo took aim, and he waited patiently.


    Fifty seconds later, the car came to the entrance for the VVIPs and stopped. The door opened, and Markus stepped out of the vehicle. Leo squeezed the trigger, and with a puff, the bullet flew through the void and straight through the man''s skull.


    The people on the ground froze, but Leo smirked and vanished from his position. Now, he needed to head back and play the game.

 Chapter 118 118: Assessing The People.

    Leo hid the gun and the fallen empty shell inside the ventilation shaft, and quickly made his way to the lower levels of the stadium. He stuffed the kelp gloves in his pants and then headed to the washroom to quickly dispose of them.


    In the meantime, Markus Deville had confirmed that the boss was dead, but they now had to apprehend the killer or they would lose their heads. They contacted the stadium management and directly sealed off the exits and called in for more people to help them check, at the same time they informed the police.


    The young man took a deep breath, went directly to the beer counter and said, "Miss, Six full pitchers."


    The lady behind the counter nodded with a smile and she began to fill the glasses, as Leo made the payment with his card. He magically managed to fit all six glasses, with one liter beer in each one of them, in his hands and carried it around cheerfully singing the songs to praise the home club.


    The people chuckled and some joined him in singing. Leo came back to the stands and the whole process from the movement he left his seat, and coming back took him around fifteen minutes. The speed was still normal to the people, who were busy celebrating and there was so much crowd.


    Leo passed on the glasses and they began to sing. His eyes ran around and he spotted how the guards had begun to take charge of the positions and were gazing at the spectators with a hawk-like gaze.


    The young man didn''t bother, he only sent a text to his people telling them that he would come back to the hotel late, and then go directly to the Airport.


    The people in the stadium had no clue that one of the owners of the home team had passed away, they were all happy and having fun. The match also started like nothing was wrong, but on the exit, the police were recording statements from the people who were heading out for various reasons.


    After a few minutes, they began to gradually profile the suspects, after all, there were around two thousand people here, how were they supposed to investigate. This was a soccer match and they won''t just smile and let you call them a killer.


    ¡­


    After the game, Leo hung around with the people sitting next to him, and they drank in the bar to celebrate the win, and the vibe was jolly. The young man finished his party and made his way back to the hotel in a taxi. He went straight to his room, and then took a hot shower to relax a little.


    This whole time he was thinking if someone was keeping tabs on him. That was why he went to socialize with the people from the stadium. He changed his clothes and then he picked up his suitcase to leave the hotel.


    His driver was always there, and the journey was convenient. Leo got on the plane and flew to the third destination. The young man could have taken a charter plane but he didn''t want to attract the attention, the procedures of chartering a flight would definitely make him a top lister, and what would he do if some international agency came to his door asking him why he was in the vicinity where the murder happened?


    The young man had managed to get away in two cases, as for the next assignment, he would need to pick a method that would look more like an accident.


    The plan took off, and he began to read about the third target, the person who arranged the funds for the operation. She was called Sahiba Hayat. The lady was a young entrepreneur, but she had inherited a large amount of wealth after the unfortunate passing of her Mother.


    Her mother was a great personality and she created the company, "Amcura" from the ground up on her own. They were the biggest drug manufacturing firm, however, this passion for her work left Sahiba neglected, and she decided to tell her mother what she could do.


    She was a successful young woman, but her desire to succeed had clouded her mind and thus she landed herself in a mess. She was not sure what the results would be, and she could totally afford the loss, but some desires are better to be culled.


    Leo kept thinking what he should do, and then by mistake he clicked on the ''next'' button. He raised his brow as he looked at the details of this person and thought about it as he mumbled, "Maybe an accident is really possible."


    The fourth target in the file was the man who acted as the handler for one of the three mercenary groups that were involved in this mess and that man also lived in the neighboring town. Although it was a recently acquired property, and something that he treated as his retirement home, the coincidence was too much. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leo decided to leave Sahiba Hayat alone for the time, and handle this handler called Parveen Alam. He was alone, and he lived in a reclusive manner, Leo was happy that he found this easy of a pray. The flight lasted for seven hours, before Leo got down on the ground and called his family.


    Lily told him the things she did, and Leo told her the things he did, and then he asked Snow, "How are you?"


    Snow looked at him through the screen and said, "Had it not been for the fact that our daughter has gone to sleep, you might have forgotten me, ryt?"


    Leo shook his head and said, "It is not like that, Lily just needs more attention, after all, my wife is a big girl with a big heart and big brain."


    Snow snorted and said, "I want you to get me a nice hand crafted stall, winters are coming and if you came home without the stall, you can make bed in the backyard."


    Leo froze and asked, "Come on, I cannot be so bad to be ousted to the backyard, at least the couch?"


    Snow shook her head and said, "That is a ten thousand yuan couch, you think I would let you lay there and ruin it? Mister Cardinal, you need to learn that I am now the Lady of the house, while you are the king outside, I am the queen inside."


    Leo chuckled and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, I shall get you the stall."


    Snow nodded and replied, "Good boy."


    They chatted for a little bit and then the young man told her that he had reached the car, and the call was disconnected. He found the driver, and it was a girl. He nodded to her and she greeted him with a bow, and then they got inside the car.


    The lady asked, "Sir, where shall we go?"


    Leo thought for a bit and said, "Get me to the market where I can buy some nice handmade clothing articles. Also, arrange a bike for me, offroad."


    The girl nodded, and said, "Praveen Alam has been laying low, and he thinks that if he stays in a recluse, his enemies won''t find him."


    Leo raised his head to look at her and smiled as he said, "If I kill him, would the people here make a fuss?"


    The girl shook her head and replied, "Almshire is a small country, here money can buy you everything, even the seat of the prime minister. However, the biggest problem is how you keep that thing in your possession. Parveen Alam bought a house in the dilapidated town to get away from everything. While it is true that he can get away, but for how long?"


    Leo chuckled and said, "You are good, Zeenat. Do you like working here? What is your story?"


    Zeenat shook her head and replied, "I was born in this country, Sir. However, this place took away a lot from me as well. Family, peace of mind, and even human emotions. I was shot in the back of my head, and the bullet damaged my emotional center before leaving me half an inch from the death door. A passing soldier saved me, and taught me everything. Then, Taskmaster scouted me and recruited me as an agent."


    Leo nodded and then he said, "How about you come along and work in my daughter''s security detail?"


    Zeenat nodded calmly but then asked, "Why me, Sir?"


    The young man looked outside the car window and gazing at the dusty roads, he said, "You lack human emotions, but you make up for it with your logic. I have seen the report of your work made by Marco, so it is sure that you are a good person. However, if you ever tried to harm my daughter, I will make sure that you regain your emotions, only to suffer the pain they bring. So, be careful when you answer me. Do you really want to work for me?"

 Chapter 119 119: Gifts From Enemy.

    The young man leaned back in the car, while Zeenat focused on driving. She didn''t say much about the offer he made, because she was seriously thinking about things. Her inability to express emotions was something that caused her to hesitate because she needed to work in close proximity with the child. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They came to the market, and Leo selected a few stalls and shawls from different shops of all different varieties. The young man picked a variety of colors as well, indigo blue, beige, black and white. Then he picked up a few traditional dresses that were suitable for children.


    The dresses came from a local fashion brand which blended the tradition with a little touch of modernized trends and so it didn''t look too odd. The young man smiled as he sat down back inside the car, and said, "Zeenat, drive to the hotel. The sun is setting and it is time."


    Zeenat nodded and said, "Yes, sir."


    They arrived at the hotel and then Leo took a cool shower, before he arrived at the parking lot, where Zeenat was standing beside a motorbike, and she was inspecting every part of it carefully. Watching Leo arrive, she said, "I have checked it, Sir. It is clean."


    Leo nodded and then took the keys from her. Zeenat handed him a small fanny pack and said, "This has a suppressor and a Colton Piece with ten copper mag."


    Leo nodded and turned on the bike, and the GPS turned on. Zeenat stepped beside him, and said, "Sir, the coordinates can be uploaded from your mobile directly."


    Leo nodded and then set his phone in a holder, and then typed in the coordinates, and said, "I will see you in a bit."


    Zeenat nodded and watched as Leo rode the vehicle out of the parking lot. She raised her head and walked away from the spot.


    ¡­


    Leo revved the bike to its highest as he merged with the highway. The bike was meant for off-roads, but Leo wanted to take the Highway for a little bit before he went down the highway and made his way to the so-called down with his bike.


    After half an hour, he entered a town and the roads became rugged and patchy. After an hour, he came to the vicinity of another town, but this one was even more remote than the one he had just been through. However, the place was clean, and nature friendly.


    Leo rode around the place, before parking his bike in the thick bushes. It was sunset, and on the way he had seen that the people were closing their shops and returning home. The houses were quite a distance apart from each other.


    The young man had located the villa where Parveen Alam lived, his place was a small two-floor house, and he had a big garden farm around it. Leo opened his fanny pack, checked the dismantled gun, put it all together quickly and then loaded the magazine.


    Then he used the cover of the setting sun to run through the streets. After eight hundred meters, crouched beside a waist high fence. However, he wasn''t in a hurry to go inside, he surveyed the place, and found a few cameras equipped around the place, and then he thought of using another method to get closer to Parveen Alam.


    He stood up, approached the main gate and found an intercom and a buzzer there. He pressed the switch and waited while looking around. A few seconds later, a voice sounded from the machine, "Yes, who is this?"


    Leo sighed and said, "Hello sir, I am a traveller, and while I was passing by, my motorbike broke down. I was wondering if you have a tool kit that I could borrow?"


    The person from the otherside, didn''t reply again, and Leo began to think that he probably failed, and he frowned a little, thinking that the target was probably a coward. The next moment, the person asked again, "Why are you traveling through Almshire? Where are you from?"


    Leo replied, "Well, I have been surveying some locations to set up a vineyard, and while Almshire is dry, it is a good place to store the wine and let it age. I am from Angkor City, Clover Nation."


    The person asked, "The one where they attacked the hotel?"


    Leo shrugged and replied, "I have been travelling for the past three months, sir. I have no idea, well, if you don''t want to help out, I will ask someone else, thank you anyways."


    That said, he took a deep breath and turned around to walk away. He knew that Praveen Alam was probing, and he was probably even checking his face through the Dark Web. Just as Leo was about to leave, the door of the house opened and a middle-aged man walked over with a big guard dog following behind him. The man carried a simple red box in his hand.


    He appeared before Leo while smiling faintly. He stood behind the gates and extended his hand to give the box to Leo, and said, "Here, the tool kit you asked for. It is rare to see someone from the Angkor Nation come here."


    Leo shook his head and replied, "I have seen this place on the net, the way they travel through the desert at night is very fascinating to me. So, I had to come someday, so why not now?"


    Parveen Alam chuckled and asked, "You said that you want to open a vineyard?"


    Leo shook his head, "No, it is a warehouse. To store wine and ferment it. The vineyard is already set up in the Cardiff mountains in Clover Nation."


    Parveen Alam nodded and replied, "Indeed, that place has good fruit sources."


    Leo was surprised and asked, "Are you also a wine master?"


    The words shocked the other party and he laughed while shaking his head and replied, "No, no, I am not a winemaster, I am just someone who likes to read."


    Leo nodded with a bright smile on his face, and then he frowned as he looked at the dog beside Parveen Alam, and asked, "Hmmm, why is your Dingoo red in color?"


    Parveen smiled and replied, "This guy is a mixed breed."


    Leo nodded in understanding, and said, "Well, sir, I have to go, how about I give you my contact details? That way when I come back for the second time, I would be able to find you, and pay you the favor."


    Parveen saw Leo opening the fanny pack, and reaching in, his eyes narrowed, and he reached out behind him, but Leo was not slow either, he grabbed his gun and took it out to first shoot the dog in his hind legs.


    Parveen was taken aback, what kind of human would shoot a dog first. Instinctively he turned to look at a side and all he saw was darkness. Leo quickly shot him in the head as well. He hopped over the fence, looked at the whining dog, and frowned as he mumbled, "I am sorry, your loyalty is the reason I had to act."


    Dingoo was a breed that was known for its ferocious aggressive actions when somebody targets its master. They were almost spiritually connected to their masters, and would fight till the bitter end.


    Leo shot the dog one more time, and then he dragged Parveen and the Dingoo towards the backyard. Earlier when he was riding around the town, he noticed that many people had installed compost tanks in their houses.


    They would dump their degradable trash there and then let it ferment for months. Then add water in the mix, and extract the homemade fertilizer, to support the crops.


    Parveen''s house also had a compost plant, Leo dumped the body inside the tank. Then he went inside the house, found sugar and water and pumped a few liters of it inside the tank. The next thing was to dig a pit and bury the dog.


    Leo was not a good human, but the loyalty of this dog, who bared his canine at Leo even after being shot in the hind leg, demanded his respect.


    After settling this, he went inside the house, searched for the CCTV station, wiped out everything, and then did a thorough search again, and found a hidden compartment under the living room floor, and discovered another small CCTV station.


    He wiped it all as well. Then he went through the mobile he found on Parveen''s person and found out his account was raked up with nearly fifty million yuan. He smiled and said, "This blood money will be used to redeem your soul a little."


    He directly sent the details to Ellysa via text and asked her to get the code broken, and inject the money in the charity fund. Then just when he was about to leave the house, his gaze fell on the toolbox that was laying on the side of the driveway. He bent down to pick it up, but just when he was about to open it, the system pinged, ''Ping: Warning! Vital Recovery does not support reincarnation.''


    Leo froze, he realized that this thing was a bomb, and he was about to trigger it, cold sweat appeared on his forehead as he took a deep breath to calm down, and then something clicked to him and he smiled before saying, "Thank you Parveen, another precious gift you left me."