Chapter 102 High Expectations

Nelson Beaumont had every reason to panic.

On their way there, he had inquired about Liam Thompson's identity from Shane. Shane had asked him a single question that drove him to despair.

"How does the Nelson compare to the Reeds, Parkers, and Browns?" That was all Shane had to ask for the implication to be crystal clear.

Nelson Beaumont realized then, to his horror, that his son had crossed someone of an untouchable status, someone who could crush the Nelsons as easily as any of the three great families.

"Are you here to plead on his behalf?" Liam Thompson ignored Nelson Beaumont and turned to Shane, speaking indifferently.

"I wouldn't dare!" Shane shuddered before quickly responding.

"I just heard about the trouble here, so I came to see if you needed anything."

To Shane, Liam Thompson was akin to a deity—a man who had once saved his life, not to mention one he wouldn't dare cross.

"All right, you handle this," Liam Thompson said coolly.

"Amelia came for an interview at the company, and Mr. Nelson, that playboy, wanted her for himself. When Amelia resisted, he tried to force himself on her. If I hadn't been with Amelia today, he would've succeeded!"

"What do you think we should do about this?" he asked.

Shane shuddered at his words.

Had he succeeded, the entire Nelson clan would be looking at a surefire demise!

"Mr. Beaumont, what are you waiting for? Do you really want to see your entire family wiped out?" After taking a deep breath, Shane shouted angrily at Nelson Beaumont.

"If you won't do it, then I will!"

Nelson Beaumont took a deep breath, exhaling heavily.

He knew he had no other choice!

He picked up a knife from the coffee table and walked unsteadily towards Nelson Ashford.

"Dad, what are you doing? I'm your son; you can't kill me," Nelson Ashford pleaded, his face was pale.

"Ashford, you're an adult. You must face the consequences of your actions," Nelson Beaumont said, tears streaming down his face. "If you don't die, over a hundred others from the Nelson family will die because of you."

"Don't blame me... in your next life, be someone who lives quietly."

With immense pain in his eyes, he struck with the knife.

"No!" Nelson Ashford screamed hysterically.

The knife pierced straight through his heart.

Thud!

Nelson Beaumont collapsed to the floor, aged decades in an instant.

Five minutes later, Liam Thompson, Shane, and Eagle exited the office building.

"Mr. Thompson, is Amelia all right?" asked Shane respectfully.

"Did Nelson Beaumont come to you seeking your support to propel the Nelsons to the top of CUG City's elite?" Liam inquired coolly.

"Mr. Thompson, indeed he had that in mind, but I didn't agree," Shane hurriedly replied.

"Mm-hmm!" Liam Thompson nodded slightly, "He is biting off more than he can chew."

"I'll take that to heart, Mr. Thompson!" Shane responded respectfully.

"That'll do," Liam Thompson waved his hand dismissively and headed towards his car.

The next morning, the urban scene was ablaze with one headline across all offline media—it conquered every front page, while online platforms were saturated with the same story.

Unsurprisingly, the news captured everyone's attention immediately.

The reports indicated that the Heart of the Universe, freely given away the day before yesterday in River City, was set to make its debut in CUG City the following evening.

This time, there would be no restrictions on attendance. Anyone interested in the Heart of the Universe could visit CUG City Plaza at 8 p.m. sharp to marvel at its splendor.

The news also mentioned that this extraordinary gem would be presented as a proposal gift to a lucky young woman.

The entire city's focus converged on this event, catapulting the spectacle's allure off the charts.

Remember, this "Heart of the Universe," during its River City tour, had invitations priced at nearly two million apiece—yet they were priceless for their demand.

Now the opportunity to witness it live and for free had women all over the city in a frenzy, many foregoing food and drink in eager anticipation of the next day.

Meanwhile, there was immense curiosity about which fortunate lady would receive this rare treasure as a marriage proposal.

Time flew by quickly, and before anyone knew it, the next day arrived.

In an even more exaggerated fashion than the day before, all local TV stations in CUG City began broadcasting the news in rolling subtitles continuously from midnight.

Additionally, observant folks noticed that the city, with every street big or small, was adorned with festive mascots. The top ten towering buildings in CUG City all had colorful hot air balloons fluttering above.

Moreover, centered around CUG City Mansion, within a ten-kilometer radius, massive LED screens had sprung up overnight.

From the morning, traffic control was enforced. Except for emergency vehicles, all other traffic was restricted. Companies within the area gave their employees a day off.

Within the controlled zone, security was tight, with security officers positioned at intervals, all standing alert and proud.

Starting at 9 a.m., people began to crowd into the area, naturally hoping to secure a prime spot to witness the "Heart of the Universe" up close.

Everyone entering the controlled area was given a friendly reminder: once the event officially commenced, photography, video recording, and all cell phone signals would be blocked until the conclusion of the festivities.

The rationale behind such precautions was, of course, to prevent any inadvertent exposure of Mr. Thompson's identity.

By late afternoon, the main thoroughfares within the controlled area were swarming with people. A rough estimate put the crowd at several hundred thousand, if not a million.

Thankfully, the combined efforts of Shadow Gang and the Security Division had deployed thousands of officers, ensuring the event was well-organized and controlled.

"Mom, Dad, sis, hurry up! Liam's almost here!" Avery Harris urged at her home around 5:30 PM, her voice tinged with anxiety.

"Avery, what’s the rush? We've got plenty of time!" Kimberly retorted with a glare.

"It's well past five! If we're any later, I'm worried we won’t even be able to get in; it must be packed already!" Avery replied.

"Liam Thompson said it’ll be fine. What are you worried about? You don’t trust him?" Matthew Harris chuckled.

"But what if something goes wrong!" Avery insisted. "It's better to be early than late. Come on, you're killing me with this dawdling!"