“OF course!" Adrian nodded.

Still not convinced, Ariana turned to look at Holden. Holden nodded as well.

"I see. All right, then." Ariana decided to let them off the hook and walked to the dining room to have her breakfast.

Adrian breathed a small sigh of relief and winked at Holden. "Don't worry," he whispered. "I'll keep an eye on Sadie for you. I'll notify you if something happens."

"Thanks for that." Holden nodded in acknowledgment before standing up to follow Adriana to the dining room.

Meanwhile, in Conata. The underground casino was crowded with people.

Female staff dressed in skimpy clothes were going around the tables, serving their customers and pouring them drinks.

When the clock struck, a bell rang out in the establishment. Rapid clicking sounds followed as the gambling tables were folded by some advanced mechanism, and a fence rose from the floor of the center hall. Moments later, the gambling den had turned into an arena.

The clients, who had been blowing cash on their cards and chips just minutes before, swarmed around the arena. There was a collective roar as everyone yelled cheers.

In the pit were several cages containing different wild beasts. The animals themselves seemed used to the roaring of the crowd. They lay on their stomachs, slowly wagging their tails as they waited for the signal to strike.

Zayden was in the private seating on the second floor, smoking a cigar. He looked rather lonely.

Just then, a handsome blond walked over and joined him. "What's wrong, Zayden?" he asked, smirking. "What's got you so down this time?"

The man placed two glasses of wine on the table and prattled on under the pretext of distracting Zayden from his problems. But his eyes were filled with mockery.

After all, the incident in Eleymond was no small matter. In fact, it had been broadcast nationwide. Now, practically everyone knew that Zayden had turned over most of his enterprise in Mistlyn to the Fredrick Group. Holden had set him up and succeeded.

Seeing Zayden remain silent, the man decided to provoke him more.

“What brings you back here all of a sudden? Are you planning to stay here in Conata for good?"

Looking down at the arena, Zayden took a slow drag of his cigar. He had been quiet for a long time, feeling too embarrassed to tell the truth.

“Nothing much. I just haven't been here in ages. Figured it was about time for me to come back." Zayden forced a smile.

The blond man smiled back, though he was aware of the rumors in Eleymond. Still, he had to show respect to Zayden; after all, the people on the second floor weren't ordinary.

Even though Zayden had been tricked by Holden, his strength still couldn't be ignored. Zayden had made a lot of money in Conata. If he stayed here for a few more years, he could easily make a comeback.