Chapter 2 Betrayal

However, Ryan never could have imagined that Joel had secretly bribed the teahouse owner and staff, and added drugs to the tea that night. After finishing the tea and concluding the business deal, Ryan drove Violet back to her apartment. She had studied in Fregend and owned a place there. When they reached the apartment building, the effects of the drug kicked in. Ryan and Violet lost control, their senses clouded, and they ended up in her apartment in a daze. They were alone in the apartment ... And he took Violet's virginity! How could Ryan touch her, the legitimate daughter of the Fyres? Even though the Howells were the top family in Fregend at the time, Fregend was just a small city. How could they compare to the Fyres, one of Aetheria's eight great families? It was like comparing an ant to an elephant. Moreover, Ryan had openly gone to Violet's apartment, and left only the next day. With the Fyres' influence, it didn't take long for them to find out. There was no way to hide it. Furious, the Fyres didn't give Ryan a chance to explain, nor did they give the Howells any time to react. In a single night, the Fyres nearly destroyed everything the Howells had built in business. However, thanks to Violet's intervention, the Fyres didn't go to extremes. They spared the lives of the Howells, choosing not to escalate the situation. At that moment, the Kanes took full advantage of the situation. Relying on their careful preparation and the stolen business secrets from the Howells, the Kanes effortlessly consumed what was left of the Howells' shattered industries—fishing, shipping, glass manufacturing, and more—sweeping them up completely. What made it even worse was that after the Kanes had completely taken over the Howells' businesses, Logan Kane, the head of the Kanes, brought his son Joel to their doorstep, relishing in humiliating and mocking them. Unable to bear the blow, Ryan's father suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and passed away. At his funeral, not a single one of his friends, associates, or even relatives who had benefited from the Howells' kindness showed up. Only a handful attended, leaving the family to mourn in solitude. After a desolate funeral, Ryan's mother hanged herself, following her husband in death. His younger sister, Lily Howell, with blood and tears in her eyes, looked at him with a mix of hatred and sorrow. Pointing at his face, she screamed three words, "I hate you!" That night, Lily left a suicide note and jumped into the sea, and her body was never found. As for Ryan, Joel had him brutally beaten, his limbs broken, and buried alive in the forest near Firesoul Mountain, close to Fregend. Had it not been for the old man's timely arrival and his miraculous healing skills, Ryan would have perished, no matter how many lives he had. Ryan vividly remembered that night, heavy rain pouring down, as if the heavens were crying. Joel was burying him alive, stomping on his broken limbs with a ferocious face, and repeatedly banging his head with a shovel! What stayed with Ryan the most was Joel's cruel grin, his mocking, victorious laughter echoing with each word he said. "Ryan, my dear Mr. Howell, my good buddy, your father died because of you, your mother followed him, and your young sister even jumped into the sea to take her own life! "You, the fine gentleman of Fregend, killed your own parents and sister, you're the first in history to do so, hahahaha ... "And just so you know, it was me who bribed the tea house owner to spike your tea with drugs while you and Violet were there. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be where you are now. "Heh, when the Fyres family came to investigate, they traced everything back to me. But I cried and swore it was all because you had ordered me to bribe the tea house owner to spike your tea, since you had improper intentions towards Violet. "I couldn't refuse you, after all, I'm your best friend. You saved my life, and the Kanes owe their existence to the Howells. If I didn't listen to you, you'd have killed me and wiped out the Kanes. "The Fyres family believed me without question and didn't bother to waste time with someone like me, a nobody. They gave me a few slaps and moved on, only interested in taking revenge on you, the ‘mastermind'. "And as for how quickly the Kanes devoured the Howells, well, that's because I relied on my relationship with you to steal the core business secrets of the Howells. "Ryan, I admit it, you've been good to me, like a real brother. You've saved my life more than once! "I had nothing before, but by following you, I gradually gained wealth, status, and everything I never dared to dream of. "But I just can't stand it! It's our first time being humans, so why do you get to be born noble, the first gentleman of Fregend? "Why do you get to have someone like Abigail Xander, the most beautiful woman in Fregend, fawning over you? Why is it that when I try to talk to her, she ignores me?! "I hate it, I can't accept it. So I'm going to destroy you, not just you, but your whole family, the Howells. And guess what? I did it! "Look at you now, like a dead dog. Even asking for a quick death is a luxury. Pathetic and disgusting!"