Chapter 5 The Darling of River City

Petra was dumbfounded. Wait, what? How is this guy so good at fighting? He was in a coma just moments ago! How is this possible? This is ridiculous. "Argh!" A pained groan echoed through the room. Philip's face turned red as he struggled to breathe. "Liam, please, you have to calm down!" Petra snapped out of her shock and rushed over to Liam, trying to pull him away. "Let him go! You're going to kill him!" Liam released his grip and tossed Philip to the ground like he was nothing. "Trash. Think you can kill me? I could crush you with one hand." Liam seemed to regain some composure. After all, this wasn't Etheria—he couldn't just go around killing people here. "Cough! Cough!" Philip kept coughing, gasping for air. "Grandpa, Liam just woke up. His mind isn't clear yet. It's best not to provoke him," Petra said, her voice suddenly soft as she clung to Liam's arm. "Honey, calm down. Let's get out of here for now. I'll take you home." Petra pulled Liam along as they left. She figured it was best to leave quickly. Besides, it suddenly struck her that she didn't know Liam as well as she thought. She needed to talk to him—deeply. No one stopped them this time. It wasn't until Liam and Petra disappeared through the door that Philip managed to catch his breath. "That d*mn bumpkin! He actually tried to kill me! I'll make sure he pays!" Philip yelled furiously, pulling out his phone to call for help. But before he could dial, his phone rang. He picked up. "It's me ... " "What? Tyra's awake?" Meanwhile, in the heart of River City, a car pulled up to the gates of an Efrario-style villa. Crystal was still dressed in her doctor's coat. She hurriedly got out of the car and rushed inside. As she ran, her chest bobbled up and down. Sitting quietly in the garden was a woman in a white dress, her long hair cascading to the ground. Though her stunning face looked pale, when she heard the footsteps, she smiled warmly. "Crystal, it's been a while." "Tyra, y-you're awake?" Crystal's voice trembled in disbelief. The woman before her was Tyra Mallin. She was once the darling of River City—a prodigy who, by the age of twenty, had mastered control over billions in assets. Once hailed as the most beautiful woman in River City, Tyra had fallen into a sudden coma four years ago. Despite the Mallins spending fortunes and seeking out the best doctors, nothing worked. The world had lamented her fate, and even the Mallins had started to give up hope. But not Crystal. They had been best friends, after all. "Yes, I'm awake," Tyra said softly, sighing. "I had the longest dream. When I woke up, the dream was over, and so was my sleep." "It's ... It's so good you're awake," Crystal stammered, tears of joy welling up in her eyes. She reached for Tyra's hand. "Let me check your condition." After a quick examination, Crystal was stunned. "Tyra, this is a miracle. You're perfectly healthy! I can't find anything wrong!" "It's funny, actually," Crystal mused. At the hospital today, a man who had been in a coma for three years unexpectedly woke up. He was jumping around like he'd never been sick at all." Crystal bit her lip as the memory came back to her. No one had ever touched her like that before! But she couldn't really hold it against someone who'd just woken from a coma. "Crystal," Tyra said, interrupting her thoughts, "I heard you've spent the last few years researching how to wake people from comas. Perhaps today's events are the result of a breakthrough in your research. Tyra smiled. "I wish that were true," Crystal sighed. "Honestly, I've made no real progress. You waking up was just a lucky accident. "And that guy from the hospital, Liam White. He's not even my patient." Suddenly, Tyra grabbed Crystal's hand, her breathing quickening. "Crystal, you said his name is Liam?" "Liam White? His name means 'strong-willed warrior'. Why?" Crystal was puzzled. "Do you ... know him?" Tyra took a deep breath, trying to calm the emotions swirling inside her. "No. I don't know him," she said softly, though her mind was filled with a whirlwind of memories, growing clearer by the second. Could it be you, my love? ... Meanwhile, away from Snowden Estate, Petra had pulled the car over to the side of the road. "Since when do you know how to fight?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Ms. Snowden, you never really knew me to begin with," Liam replied without much thought. Petra struggled to find the right words. She pulled out a contract. After thinking for a moment, she added two extra zeros to the penalty clause. Then she handed it to Liam. "This is our marriage agreement. Sign it," she ordered. "It's Saturday, so City Hall is closed, but we'll get the marriage license next Monday. "And just so we're clear, if you try to sell me off again, you'll have to pay a billion dollars in damages!" If this guy loves money so much, I'll bind him with it! Liam signed the contract without hesitation. Since he couldn't find another easy way to make money, he'd have to make do with Petra's deal. "Let's go. I'll treat you to a feast," Petra said, satisfied as she tucked the contract away. She looked rather cheerful. After driving for another ten minutes, they arrived at a fancy restaurant. As they exited the car, a couple emerged from the restaurant. The woman was strikingly seductive, and the man was built like a bodybuilder. "Oh, look at this! Petra, finally giving up to put on the act, huh?" The woman sneered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "River City's virtuous CEO is finally out here cheating?"