"Great-grandpa!" Daisy suddenly shouted, completely off-topic.
In her mind, her great-grandfather was already dead anyway—shouting his title was more like a tribute than anything else.
Her father was still alive. That title couldn't be thrown around so casually. Wouldn't that be a disgrace to her mother?
But that one shout—"Great-grandpa!"—gave Veil full-body goosebumps. He glanced down at her with a twitching expression.
Fuck!
Your great-grandpa got blown to pieces. Who the hell are you cursing at?!
"You all carry on, have fun tonight. I'm heading out first," Veil waved toward Gai and his group, stood up, and didn't even bother finishing his milk. He turned and strode off.
Seeing this, panic sparked in Daisy's chest. Her fragile determination was no match for the fear she felt toward Gai and the others. Her lips parted slightly, and then came a trembling, pitiful cry that tugged at the heart.
"Daddy…"
Veil acted like he didn't hear her and kept walking.
Behind him, a desperate scream rang out—hoarse and heart-wrenching.
"Daddy! Daddy!! Please! Please hurry! Come save me!"
Veil paused and slowly turned his head back, pointing at one of the thugs blocking the way.
"Do me a favor. Let her go for now."
"Fuck you…" the thug spat, just about to hurl a full curse—but Gai raised a hand and stopped him.
Gai wasn't some petty thug. He was an old-school, seasoned gangster. Back in the day, he had stood toe-to-toe with Saomi in Veyport City. After losing a turf war, he had withdrawn and built his empire in a neighboring city. By now, the power under his command rivaled even that of the Black Dragon Society.
And for years, Gai had never once stopped eyeing the Black Dragon Society's territory with ambition.
He could tell Veil wasn't some ordinary guy. He didn't underestimate him—in fact, he even smiled.
"You want me to do you a favor? You'll need to show a little sincerity."
Veil hesitated for a second, then said, "How about a gamble? If you win, you take her—do whatever you want. And I'll throw in a secret about a treasure on top of that. But if I win, she comes with me."
"Deal!" Gai's eyes lit up with curiosity. What kind of treasure secret could this guy be hiding?
Besides, as someone who rose to power through gambling, Gai wasn't about to back down from a challenge.
At the very least, it would be a good game. He'd get to enjoy the thrill again.
"You guys head upstairs and book a private room. I'll be there in a bit."
Gai didn't seem suspicious. One look at Veil's demeanor and aura was enough to tell he wasn't some nobody. With a wave of his hand, he led his men upstairs, dragging Daisy with them.
Daisy was in the middle of the group, looking miserable and teary-eyed. "I don't want to go upstairs with them…"
Veil turned his head back slightly, his gaze tightening for a moment.
Daisy's lips trembled. "Daddy…"
Veil waved his hand at her. "Be good. Daddy's busy right now—I'll come save you in a minute."
Then, with everyone watching, he walked back to the booth, sat down, and said to the bartender, "Another bottle of milk!"
Drink what you lack—he figured he needed the calcium.
…
Elsewhere, in the backseat of a stretch limousine, Saoirse sat between her parents, nestled into the leather seats.
Saomi looked like he was ready to explode, his expression like someone owed him a million bucks.
"What an arrogant display! Just because he's from the Lancaster family, he thinks he can walk all over me?
So what if the Black Dragon Society doesn't measure up to the Lancasters? He's still going to be my son-in-law! Is that how a man treats his future father-in-law? Making me come to him?
Once I see him, I'm going to ask—who the hell taught him how to behave?!"
He turned and glared at his daughter. "This is the man you chose? If I don't like what I see tonight, forget ever stepping through our door again. You'll be back to matchmaking, understood?
Lancaster my ass. Outrageous! I've never been treated with such disrespect in my entire life! Just wait till we meet—I'll show that brat how things are done!"
Xinly rolled her eyes with a snort. "If our daughter likes him, I support it. What do you know anyway? The Lancaster family's loaded—it's only natural they carry some pride. Besides, look at your daughter. Does she even match up to their standards?"
"What's wrong with my daughter?!" Saomi snapped. "Even if she's not perfect, I'm her father. That alone should earn some respect!
Now he's got me, the father-in-law, going to see him? In five thousand years of civilization, when has that ever happened?
The more you defend him, the angrier I get. No—this isn't right. I have to teach that punk a lesson!"
Saoirse sat across from them, arms folded, acting like she hadn't heard a word.
Truth be told, she wasn't even sure if Veil would show up.
As for getting him to come to their house?
Not a chance.
Based on her twelve in-depth "interactions" with Veil…
That one-way mirrored glass on the third floor—formerly their personal battleground—might give her a slim shot.
Anything beyond that? She didn't even dare to imagine.
Ten minutes later, the limo pulled up outside the Queen's Bar. The three of them stepped out with icy expressions.
The eight doormen bowed respectfully in unison. "Good evening, Chairman."
Inside the bar, they spotted Veil sitting in a booth, two empty milk bottles on the table in front of him. Their eyes met—Veil didn't even stand up. He casually waved toward the entrance.
"Over here!"
Saomi's face darkened instantly.
Unbelievable.
Absolutely outrageous.
Who acts like that toward their future in-laws? The father-in-law comes to you, and you don't even bother to stand?
Saomi's first impression of Veil was already terrible. No wonder people called him a notorious rich brat!
The three of them approached the booth, but before anyone could speak, Kai walked over, leaned in close to Veil, and whispered a few words.
Then, without another sound, he respectfully stood behind Veil.
Xinly and Saoirse both turned to look at Saomi.
He had been running his mouth in the car nonstop. Now that Veil was right in front of him, both mother and daughter were curious to see how he'd "explode."
"Veil…" Saomi began, just about to launch into his lecture.
But he was cut off.
"Uncle Saomi, Aunt Xinly, Saoirse—sorry, something came up just before you arrived. I've got to go handle it upstairs. Why don't you come along? Once I take care of it, we'll talk."
Without waiting for a reply, Veil got up and headed toward the second floor, Kai close behind.
When dealing with elders, the approach depended entirely on who they were.
Someone like Kosdy Murphy? Show him a little politeness, and he'd respond with the same fake courtesy.
But Saomi? He was the kind of guy who'd climb all over you the second you showed weakness.
Veil wasn't about to let that happen.
What he had in mind… was a very special kind of first impression.
After a moment of hesitation, Saomi still decided to follow them upstairs.
He wanted to see just what kind of tricks this so-called rich playboy was planning to pull.
But the moment he stepped through the door, his eyes landed on a familiar figure—Gai.
"Saomi (Gai)!"
The two men spoke in unison, eyes narrowing.
"You were invited?" Gai's face darkened as he stared directly at Saomi.
Saomi was quick on the uptake. His gaze flicked toward Veil, who stood to the side saying nothing, and without another word, he casually shifted his position, distancing himself slightly.
Anyone with a shred of perception could tell—Gai and Veil were at odds.
And Saomi disliked both of them. Especially Gai.
Even though Gai operated from the neighboring city, his reach had recently started creeping into Veyport. If not for his daughter's sharp instincts, the traitors within the Black Dragon Society might've stirred up a real storm.
Now he was happy to sit back and watch the two butt heads.
If Gai got crushed, he'd be the one to benefit.
Veil, on the other hand, didn't seem bothered by any of it. He flashed a lazy smile, as if none of this concerned him.
"They're not here to help me," he said with an air of nonchalance. "They just showed up, watching the fun. Let's get on with it. Let's gamble."
Saomi's expression shifted. "Veil, are you serious? You're gambling with him? Do you even know who he is? He's one of the Thirty-Six Kings of Gambling! Are you out of your mind?"
Maybe others didn't know, but a seasoned intel broker like Veil?
How could he not know?
Gai wasn't just some petty gambler—he was a legend.
The gambling world across the entire globe was divided into four elite tiers:
One Grandmaster of Gambling
Two Lesser Gods of Gambling
Thirty-Six Kings of Gambling
Seventy-Two Masters of Deception
And Gai… was one of the Thirty-Six Kings.
What did that mean?
It meant that out of the entire world, only 111 people had ever made it to the top of the gambling world. And Gai wasn't just on the list—he ranked in the upper half.
Years ago, Gai once won two hundred million dollars in a single night with nothing but his skills. Of course, after a deadly fallout, he only walked away with twenty million.
That was the turning point that pushed him into the underworld.
He realized that if he wanted to keep winning big, he needed power—not just luck.
Without influence, not only would he have lost his winnings—he might not have made it out alive.
And the reputation he earned as one of the Thirty-Six Kings? That alone saved his life.
"Ha! I didn't expect my old reputation to still hold weight." Gai let out a hearty laugh, eyeing Saomi with a mix of amusement and challenge.
"Looks like you've been name-dropping me in front of your daughter, huh?"
Saomi's face turned a shade darker. He didn't say a word, but he could feel himself being suppressed by Gai's presence.
He knew that when it came to gambling, he couldn't even compare. Not in a hundred years.
"We're screwed…"
Daisy, still trapped in the corner, listened to everything from afar.
When she heard Saoirse's whispered explanation, her eyes welled up with tears.
All hope drained from her heart.
She was doomed.