Ten minutes later, Jodie received a call from the company's finance department.
"There's been a massive wire transfer—five hundred million just landed in our corporate account."
Her eyes widened in shock as she looked at Veil, who had just ended a call. "What? A five hundred million transfer, and it arrived in just ten minutes? Even if it came from a personal account, the bank would've questioned it thoroughly!"
After all, no matter the bank, any sudden movement of that much money would send alarms blaring. Standard protocol would involve multiple verifications, sometimes even requiring a high-level executive to personally check things over.
Veil casually shrugged. "My mom's company is right next to the main branch of the merchant bank. My aunt is the deputy director there. One stamp from her and the transfer gets pushed through."
"I…"
Jodie opened her mouth but couldn't say a word. The words just got stuck in her throat.
What seemed impossible in her world… Veil had settled with a single phone call?
"I heard you're the direct heir of the Lancaster family from Luxhaven City?" she asked, finally taking the initiative.
Veil nodded. "Yeah. Why?"
Jodie narrowed her eyes. "The Lancaster family in Luxhaven City… even putting your father's political career aside, just from your mother's side alone, you're the only heir. So why are you here in Veyport City? Wouldn't it be better to enjoy life as one of Luxhaven's elite second-gens, waiting to inherit the family empire?"
Veil rolled his eyes and scoffed, "You think being born into a prestigious family makes things that simple? You think inheritance comes easy? Forget me—look at yourself. Is the Murphy family treating you well?"
That hit a nerve. Jodie's lips tightened. "My situation is… complicated. But you're different—you're the legitimate heir! Don't tell me the Lancaster family has a hidden love child who's more impressive than you?"
"No, nothing like that." Veil shook his head. "But you've no idea how suffocating it is to stay in Luxhaven City. I'm at that age now—grandpa, dad, even my mom's side, they're all pressuring me to take over. If I stayed, every hour of every day would be scheduled to the minute."
"Sure, if I stuck around, I'd be guaranteed a star-level political rank in a few years. Even if I took a minor position in some random small city, I'd still be in a top leadership role before I hit forty. Or if I joined the company, I'd be handed control of assets worth hundreds of billions. But so what? Work is meant to serve life. If I'm trapped in work every day, what kind of life is that? What's the point of being alive if I lose my freedom?"
Jodie's eyelids twitched uncontrollably. Listening to Veil's righteous bragging, she had the sudden urge to rip off the stiletto heel of her patent leather pumps and shove it in his mouth to shut him up.
And yet, for some reason, when he said those final words with that warm, relaxed smile… a tiny part of her actually agreed with him?
Wait, what?
Jodie shuddered and snapped herself out of it. "Fine then, why don't you make another call? Transfer over another eighty to a hundred billion while you're at it. The more you invest, the more we can profit. If I had known money came this easy to you, I wouldn't have stopped at five hundred million."
Veil immediately refused. "No way. You think getting money is that simple? Even my allowance takes two to three months of paperwork. For now, five hundred million is it. But don't worry—if you've asked for help, I'll find a way. Whatever it is you want to pursue, go for it. I'll be there to back you up all the way. Just remember, behind every successful woman, there's always a man who believes in her."
He added with a smirk, "One more thing—try not to be so impulsive in front of me. I'm the kind of person who gets fired up when others are."
Click!
Veil placed a hand on the nearby drawer and gently slid it open, revealing a glimpse of a bunny-girl outfit tucked inside.
Jodie had been feeling warm inside from his earlier words. That sense of being believed in—it was something she deeply valued, something rare.
But the moment she caught a flash of color from the drawer, her heart skipped a beat. She jumped up without a word and bolted.
It was broad daylight, and she had serious things to deal with. If Veil did get fired up and dragged her into some nonsense, she'd be out of commission for half a day. Nothing would get done.
As she disappeared down the hallway, her graceful figure swaying, Veil sighed to himself.
He had just been thinking of paying Julia a little visit to collect some emotional "interest" when his phone rang again.
It was Saoirse.
The moment the call connected, she spoke quickly. "Veil, I need information on Scorpion. Kosdy Murphy has lost it—he's raised the bounty to a full billion. If the Black Dragon Society can deliver intel, the money transfers immediately. I can offer you a ninety-ten split."
Veil chuckled coldly in his heart. He already had his people shadowing Kosdy Murphy's every move. Of course, he knew what was going on.
No wonder the Black Dragon Society and the authorities had come up empty. Who could they blame?
Scorpion was just that good at hiding. He'd disappeared to a remote mountain village. If Veil hadn't planted people in haystacks nearby, working shifts to monitor him around the clock, no one would've known the guy was practically moving in.
After a pause, Veil spoke.
"I don't like that split."
Saoirse sounded stunned. "Ninety-ten isn't enough? Kosdy's only offering that much because the Black Dragon Society has numbers. If he hired a private investigator, he wouldn't even pay half that bounty."
Veil shook his head. "It's not that it's too little. I just don't like the ratio."
"Five hundred million will do. Have it wired to Lancaster Global Investments' corporate account."
He sounded indifferent, not pressing for more.
After all, Saoirse was still one of his key sources for villain value.
Thinking back to Jodie, who had just stormed off, Veil couldn't help but smile.
She asked Kosdy Murphy for money, and he wouldn't give her a cent.
Yet here he was, flipping the script—selling a bit of intel and pocketing the exact amount, redirecting Kosdy's own money back to Jodie.
And when she received it?
She'd remember him.
Was this what they called… winning a girl's heart using her dad's money?
Under Saoirse's persistent questioning, Veil finally gave up Scorpion's location, and also sent word to Kai to withdraw the surveillance team immediately, leaving no loose ends behind.
Before hanging up, Saoirse didn't forget the real reason for her call. Her tone was more like giving an order than asking a favor.
"Tonight. Queen's Bar. My parents want to meet you."
Without waiting for Veil to respond, she ended the call.
Veil remained seated, phone still pressed to his ear, a strange expression flickering across his face.
Meeting Saomi already?
That's way ahead of schedule…
Which means Daisy will probably show up at Queen's Bar tonight as well?
After a moment of contemplation, he couldn't help but think—this might actually be a good thing.
After all, everything was unfolding exactly as he'd planned.
He'd already sold out Scorpion's location. It wouldn't be long before Kosdy Murphy received the fabricated intel that Roy was the one who murdered his son.
The two would definitely go at each other's throats.
And tonight—tonight would be the perfect time to eliminate Roy.
If the plot kept dragging, who knew whether the heroine would still provide villain points after Roy's death?
And if those points stopped coming in, wouldn't that just make every move he made a losing trade?
He wasn't the kind of guy to enjoy doing charity work.
...
That Night.
Queen's Bar.
A neon-soaked paradise of sin and debauchery.
The dance floor pulsed with the beat, filled with women dripping sweat, moving to the rhythm with seductive grace. The scraps of clothing they wore had long since slipped from their original places.
Around them, the men looked like hungry wolves, forming a circle, waving their hands in the air, swinging their hips, bobbing their heads to the booming bass.
In the midst of this chaos, a lone booth held a disheartened Daisy, nursing a drink, her expression dark and moody.
She'd called Lisa. No answer.
Went to her place. Slammed door.
It was like they were strangers now. Total disconnect.
Her heart hurt—really hurt—as if she'd lost something vital. Restless and overwhelmed, she'd come to drown her emotions in the noise and liquor.
Only this kind of chaos could silence the turmoil inside.
"Milk, please."
A familiar voice echoed from the adjacent booth.
Daisy looked over, startled. "You?! What the hell are you doing here?"
Veil didn't respond. He took the milk bottle from the bartender, popped the cap with a soft pssh, and drank it straight from the bottle.
He stared at the smiling bartender for a long time—long enough to make the guy lower his head uncomfortably. No reaction.
Sigh.
Veil shook his head with a touch of disappointment.
He was drinking milk, damn it. If this were a protagonist, he'd be mocked for it.
Then the protagonist would whip out a black VIP card and buy ten thousand bottles just to prove a point, making the bartender open every single one.
What a perfect setup to flex… and yet the bartender didn't even give him a cue. He just ducked his head and moved on.
Villain life, huh?
Why was it so damn hard to pull off a cool moment these days?
Daisy, oblivious to his internal monologue, frowned and snapped, "Are you stalking me?"
Veil rolled his eyes. "You insane or something? Picking a fight just for fun? What, you memorize the citizens' code of conduct and got nothing better to do?"
"You—!"
Daisy was seething, but his retort choked her words right back down. She jabbed a finger toward his face. "Fine! Then don't talk to me!"
For once, Veil obliged. He even made a show of zipping his lips, running two fingers across his mouth like he was sealing them shut.
Silence.
A tense, awkward one.
Moments later, a group of men in black suits approached, led by a burly man with a brutal expression. They surrounded Daisy's booth like sharks encircling prey.
"Who are you people? What do you want?" Daisy leapt up, suddenly sober from fear.
The big guy—clearly the leader—scowled. "Daisy Falkner, right? The Falkner heiress from Luxhaven City? Your old man left a stash behind in Veyport, didn't he? You know where it is. Start talking. Details. Now."
Daisy panicked. "W-What stash? I-I don't know anything about that!"
"You don't?" The man sneered. "Guess I'll just have to take you with me. Until we find that treasure, you're coming along for the ride."
Daisy Falkner. Originally from Veyport City.
Her grandfather had been a notorious thief during the chaotic years of war, hoarding untold wealth—gold, silver, the works—before hiding it away during the conflict. Rumor had it, he died from a stray shell, body blown to bits. The treasure? Gone with him.
But some folks, especially the descendants of his old comrades, didn't believe that for a second.
They believed the Falkner bloodline had the secret buried deep.
Gai was one such descendant—his grandfather had served under Daisy's grandfather. He knew the stories.
Back when the Falkners were in Luxhaven, he never had the guts to move on them. But now? Daisy was in Veyport. Alone. In a bar.
Perfect opportunity.
"Take her," Gai ordered.
The men moved in, experienced and efficient. They blocked off bystanders, stopped phones from recording—clearly professionals.
Daisy was terrified. She could argue with Veil all day long, but in front of these goons, she was just a frightened girl.
She turned to Veil, tears brimming in her eyes. "Help me… please help me. I swear, I really don't know anything about any treasure!"
She'd heard the rumors too, sure. But the location? Even her father didn't know—probably not even her late grandfather.
It was a plot hole in the original story. The author never filled it in.
Veil knew she was telling the truth. But Gai didn't care.
The men closed in.
Daisy's voice trembled. "I was wrong, okay? I'm sorry. Veil, please… save me. I apologize, alright? I'll apologize however many times you want!"
She regretted coming out alone tonight. No bodyguard, nothing.
What was she supposed to do? Use a 'Fury Punch of Feminine Despair' on these brutes?
Veil, still sipping his milk, slowly made the same zipper gesture across his mouth. Silent.
Daisy completely broke down. She cursed herself through gritted teeth.
"I'm such an idiot… please, save me! I'm begging you, just say something!"
Veil took another sip. Calm, unfazed.
Then finally, with the gentlest tone and a subtle smile, he said,
"Call me daddy… and I'll save you."