Secret Scion

"It was my incompetence that caused this, Mr. Crawford. It's my hope that this will quell your anger." Hunter barked orders at his men who were groveling on the ground. "Scram! Hurry up and let Mr. Crawford in!"

Asher and Noelle were then welcomed into Hunter's office where the latter personally brewed a pot of tea and filled their teacups. He chuckled. "I'm not sure why Mr. Crawford and Ms. Steward have decided to pay me a visit. Do you have orders for me?"

"I heard that Ford is about to abdicate, and he intends to support you in taking his place. I'm here to offer you my congratulations." Asher smiled amicably.

Hunter's head was spinning a hundred miles per hour. Those from prestigious households in Rollinsford had never participated in the affairs of those on this path for years. Both seemed to have formed a tacit understanding to not interfere with one another. Yet, Asher was here. What was he trying to say?

"To be honest, Mr. Crawford, even if Master Ford gives up his business, it will still be incredibly difficult for me to take his place. There's no reason to congratulate me. But I'll certainly bear your sentiments in mind, Mr. Crawford."

Asher grinned from ear to ear as he spoke to Hunter. "If I say you can do it, you most certainly will be able to do it."

Hunter's eyes lit up at his words. "You're saying you'll help me ascend to Master Ford's position, Mr. Crawford?"

Asher's wry smile was as good an affirmation.

Hunter immediately got to his feet, his expression exuding glee. "If you can assist me in occupying the leading position, I'm willing to do anything for you with no complaints, Mr. Crawford!"

Asher's fame could be described as booming in recent days. Even Radley of the Leonards had suffered several incidents by his hand. If Hunter could scale the tree that was Asher Crawford, there would be no doubt that he would be the leader of the underground forces in Rollinsford. Asher gulped down a mouthful of tea. "I can help you, but I have one condition." "Go on ahead, Mr. Crawford."

"My condition is for you to return to the Hoffman estate and take over as head of the Hoffmans."

Hunter could not help but furrow his brows. Asher knew of his circumstances, which was something the former had not expected.

Asher continued, "No one can decide the circumstances of their birth. You may be an illegitimate son of the Hoffmans, but it's no easy feat for you to have reached this far through your own abilities. That is nothing to be ashamed of. Don't take it to heart. If you agree, I will guarantee your place as leader."

As the illegitimate son of the Hoffmans, Hunter had indeed carried quite a bit of infamy, which was also the driving force behind his perseverance over the years. He had dreamt of becoming the boss of Rollinsford's underground forces and making everyone in the Hoffmans regret treating both mother and son so ruthlessly. He wanted to double what the Hoffmans owed them. Therefore, he had no reason to reject Asher's proposal.

Hunter gave his firm answer after having pondered on the matter for a while. "I will be your subordinate from now on, Mr. Crawford. I am at your command!"

Noelle seemed conflicted as she watched Asher. She did not expect a person who was famous throughout Rollinsford to be subdued by Asher with just a few words.

She had severely underestimated Asher before this.

It was already dark by the time they left the club. Hunter personally saw them out and waited for the duo's silhouette to disappear into the night before returning to the clubhouse.

"Did you agree to Asher's terms, Hunter?" One of his subordinates inexplicably asked. Hunter may not be a match against the scions of the four great households, but his position in Rollinsford was absolutely unshakable.

His subordinate could not fathom why Hunter would willingly be someone else's pawn. "We're all here as drifters. We had to fight for our lives at the beginning. In the end, it's all about your connections. Whoever has the superior connections would thrive. Asher Crawford is a scion from the Capital City. I heard that even a person as powerful as Castor Yaeger submitted to him. What reasons do I have to reject him?"

Hunter lit a cigarette and took a drag. "Winston has been eyeing the position of leader. He's also Hallberg Leonard's god grandchild. If I don't make a move, Master Ford's seat will never come to me. Remember, the fact that Mr. Crawford came to me, must not spread. Have those who were beaten keep their mouths shut. Anyone who dares spread the word is screwed."

As night fell over Rollinsford, Bar Street lit up with neon lights flashing on either side of the sidewalk, signifying that the nightlife was about to begin.

"How many secrets do you have that I don't know about?"

Noelle was not in a good mood. Despite having been married for two years, she never knew that

Asher was a scion to the Crawford household in the Capital City, nor was she aware that he was some sort of martial arts expert. They were both such strangers even though they had cohabitated for two years.

She hated the feeling.

Asher glanced at Noelle. It was not difficult to tell that Noelle's eyes were filled with faint disappointment.

"There are no secrets. You just never cared before. So, I didn't take the initiative to tell you." Noelle felt terrible. Asher was right. She cared far too little for him when they were still together. It was now too late for her to show concern for him.

The moment they left Bar Street, Asher was set on hailing a taxi to return to the hotel. Noelle was reluctant to part as her eyes leapt from one corner to the next before finally saying, "I'm hungry. Shall we grab a bite? There's a snack street up ahead with unique snacks from all over the country."

Asher was also a little peckish and inclined his head in agreement, proceeding in the direction that she had pointed to.

Noelle closely trailed behind the man, having the sense of awareness to observe his feet to keep at his pace.

The environment of the snack street was not bad. Every small shop was crowded, and business was booming. Certain stores that were popular online were packed to the brim.

Noelle was not particularly famished. She had just wanted to spend more time with Asher and thus, had no opinion on what to get.

She knew that he favored food with stronger flavors, so she brought up spicy cajun pasta.

It did not take long before the plates of cajun pasta were served. Asher began to wolf it down which prompted Noelle to mutter, "Slow down. It's still hot."

Asher's motions seemed to have paused for a moment. This gesture of care was something she had never shown before.

"Oh yeah, has Erick troubled you recently?" He suddenly asked. "He was groomed by your grandfather to be his successor from the start, and he also sees himself as someone who was next in line. But you were the one who succeeded the Stewards in the end. He might hold a grudge. He's quite incompetent. I'm worried he would scheme against you. Better an outed enemy than a false friend. You have to be more vigilant."

"Are you that worried about me getting hurt?" Noelle looked at Asher with a burning gaze. This time, it was Asher who got embarrassed. He shoved a mouthful of pasta into his mouth before saying, "You're now the head of the Stewards. You've got a great responsibility on your shoulders. You can't slip up."

"Asher, you still care about me, don't you?" Noelle's face was beet red as she spoke, looking every bit sheepish.

Asher chose to keep to himself this time, opting instead to finish his pasta in a few mouthfuls. "Bill, please."

Noelle gave Asher a disappointed look. She had already taken the initiative. Why was he still so indifferent toward her? Did she have to get down on her knees and admit how much she regretted everything before he would forgive her?

She felt a tad bit of resentment bubbling away in her heart. She paid Asher no heed as they left the snack street and walked ahead.

Asher, on the other hand, could not understand what Noelle was thinking. He knew how much he loved her but a broken mirror could never be whole again. The cracks would remain even if it were put back together.

He quickened his pace to catch up to her. That was when danger suddenly enshrouded him. He was startled. This threatening feeling was familiar. It was the maestro that Garrett Schmidt had brought along with him-Rodrick Johnson.

Noelle was oblivious to the trouble that loomed over them when Asher suddenly grabbed her by her hand. She had assumed that he was willing to let go of the past and return to her side.

An expression of unbridled joy surfaced, but all she was met with when she turned to face him was his solemn and intense expression.

"Don't drive. Hail a taxi home." Asher was vigilantly watching for movement around him. "What's wrong?" Noelle frowned.

"Stop asking. Move," Asher said in a deep voice.

In the face of a master like Rodrick, even Asher seemed powerless. He could barely protect himself. How could he defend Noelle?

Noelle seemed to have caught on that something was wrong, but she remained adamant about staying by his side instead of running for her life.

"We're leaving together."

Asher grew incredibly frustrated and was about to protest when a dark figure approached. It was Rodrick, the maestro ranked ninth on the Capital City's Elite Ranking.