Chapter 3 Who Said I Was Dead?

• Holiday Hotel by the Grandline Suites Hotel.
• The luxurious banquet hall on the third floor was brightly lit.
• The Duncans filled the room, raising glasses and indulging in exquisite dishes. Laughter and chatter echoed through the space, their faces beaming with joy and contentment.
• Alan Duncan, the head of the third branch of the Duncans, swirled his wine glass with a grin. "The rise of the Duncans really started when Eric was thrown off that cliff five years ago.
• "Remember how things were back then?
• "Wherever we went, people would say, 'Oh, you're so-and-so from the Goodwell family, right?'"
• "But now, people only sing the praises of the Duncans and look up to us.
• "As for that Goodwell, who knows which ditch he died in? His body's probably been picked clean by wild dogs.
• "The Goodwells used to be on top of the world, but now? One's crippled, the other's gone nuts, barely surviving in some slum. Isn't that just perfect?"
• Alan, caught up in his excitement, lifted his glass toward the woman at the head of the table—a stunning figure with rimless glasses and a cool, commanding presence.
• That was Monica, the chairwoman of Duncan Group and the head of the whole Duncans.
• Five years ago, Monica managed to take over Goodwell Corporation by posing as Eric's wife and the main heir, shooting the Duncans from a nobody to one of Ciderbrook's new power players.
• And now, with a marriage alliance with the Porters just around the corner, the Duncans were set to skyrocket even higher!
• "Uncle Alan, you're drunk."
• Monica didn't lift her glass; just gave Alan a quick glance and said calmly, "I got a call from Eric's phone today. I've already sent a lawyer to look into it, but no news yet."
• Then, she paused and dropped a bombshell that left everyone stunned. "Eric—he might be back!"
• "Monica, that joke isn't funny at all!"
• "That Goodwell's been dead and buried in some ditch for a long time ... "
• As Alan laughed and shook his head, his words abruptly choked off. A sudden, chilling glare had cut through the room, and his eyes widened in shock.
• Right after, everyone heard a loud, eerie crack!
• Everyone turned to look at Alan, who'd been holding his glass and cracking jokes. A thin line of blood appeared on his neck, quickly growing longer.
• In a shocking moment, his head and body separated, and a geyser of blood shot up!
• "Who said I died at the bottom of the cliff?"
• A chilling voice came from the doorway.
• As soon as the voice was heard, everyone in the room shivered at the same time.
• Tonight was supposed to be a festive engagement banquet for the Duncans and the Porters, filled with joy and cheers.
• But suddenly ...
• A flash of cold steel, and Alan's head simply fell off!
• Everyone stared in shock, barely believing what they were seeing. They touched the blood spattered on their faces in disbelief and looked back at Alan's severed body lying on the floor.
• The sight before them had many of the women of the Duncans screaming in terror.
• Just as everyone was frozen in fear, a chilling voice cut through the air, making the whole room feel cold and grim.
• They turned to look for the source of the voice and saw a young man in a black suit walking in from the entrance.
• He was tall and imposing, moving with a powerful, strong presence.
• "Who is that?"
• "That's ... Eric!"
• "Didn't he die in that cliff fall five years ago?"
• A lot of people recognized Eric.
• After all, his name was well-known among the Duncans five years ago, and everyone had heard of him!
• The Duncans had only gotten where they were by stepping on Eric.
• When Monica saw who it was, her eyes widened in shock.
• She had personally drugged Eric five years ago and then had him thrown into an abyss, with no trace of his body ever found.
• How could he still be alive?
• "Did you just kill my Uncle Alan?"
• Monica adjusted her glasses, forcing herself to suppress the shock she felt as she looked at Eric.
• Though his sudden appearance was stunning, she had grown a lot over the past five years.
• Especially after teaming up with the powerful Porters, her experience and skills had grown a lot since then.
• Even with her uncle's gruesome death right in front of her, Monica's expression remained unchanged. Instead, she mustered her courage and fixed Eric with a cold, questioning stare.
• "You were part of the plan to push me off that cliff five years ago, weren't you?"
• Eric didn't answer Monica's question and just fired back with his question.
• In response, a fleeting hint of panic crossed Monica's eyes, quickly replaced by a mask of cold indifference. "Eric, just because you've picked up a few skills doesn't mean you can come onto Duncans' turf and cause trouble!
• "I've seen plenty of people with a bit of martial arts training over the past five years. You're nothing new to me."
• As Monica tried to divert Eric's attention, she subtly signaled her bodyguards from behind her.
• Catching on immediately, they reached for their guns, ready to take Eric down.
• Suddenly, a blinding flash of steel cut through the air!
• Clatter!
• Thud!
• The gun and the bodyguard's bloodied right hand fell to the ground, dropping in a shocking turn of events.
• "Argh ...
• "Arghh!
• "My hand, my hand!"
• The bodyguard fell to the ground, clutching his bleeding severed hand and wailing in agony. The gruesome sight was enough to make everyone there shiver.
• With a smooth motion, Eric sheathed his knife and turned to face Monica, his eyes reflecting a cold, hard edge.
• So it was her!
• She was involved in what happened years ago.
• Eric noticed everything—from the flicker of panic in Monica's eyes to her covert orders for the bodyguard to draw a gun.
• It all suddenly clicked for him!
• He'd had doubts for years about who was behind his fall from the cliff.
• If someone had drugged his drink, it had to be someone close to him.
• In the past five years, Eric had suspected a lot of people around him, but he never thought to doubt Monica.
• She had been his closest ally, the person he trusted the most.
• But the reality was ...
• "Haha ... "
• He suddenly laughed, a knowing smirk on his face, and pointed at the bodyguard groaning on the floor. "Monica, don't you have anything to explain to me?"
• "There's nothing to explain," Monica said, shaking her head and laughing as if she'd heard the biggest joke.
• "Eric, if I were you, I'd just forget about what happened five years ago and never look back.
• "If they find out you're still alive, I can't even imagine what your future would look like."
• She lit a cigarette, squinting at Eric with a cold gaze. "And me?
• "Eric, I know you hate me.
• "But did I do anything wrong?
• "No!
• "Partners are like birds in the same forest, but when disaster strikes, they fly their separate ways.
• "It was you, Eric, who foolishly crossed paths with such powerful figures. Do you really expect me to go down with you?
• "Cut the drama already!
• "Five years ago, you were already dead, and as your wife and your legal primary heir, was it wrong for me to take over your company?
• "Ask any judge or police officer—who can accuse me, Monica, of wrongdoing?
• "Yet here you are, killing Uncle Alan. Do you think this is just going to end well?"
• Monica flicked the ash from her cigarette, pointing at Eric with a cold, unfeeling tone. "You will die tonight!"
• Before the words had fully left her lips, a series of hurried footsteps echoed from outside the banquet hall.
• A large group of people was rushing in.
• Before they even arrived, their voices were already heard.
• "Who's this pathetic stray dog thinking he can act up in front of my fiancée, Damian?"