Nathan and the others sitting beside Leander had been nervously scanning the room the entire time, terrified that someone from the Benjamin family might notice them.The moment Denzel arrived, their expression changed drastically.Livia clutched Nathan's arm tightly, her face as pale as a ghost"Nathan, it's Denzel. He's here!"Luke and the rest were shaken to the core, their expressions twisting with terror. When they realized Denzel was looking directly at them, their hearts sank.In the meantime, Nathan stole a glance at Leander, only to find him still had his eyes closed and resting.Helpless, Nathan lowered his voice to soothe Livia."Hmph." Denzel noticed their fear. Then, he dragged a finger across his own throatin their direction, revealing a cruel, bloodthirsty grin that scared everyone half to death."Leander!" Nathan patted Leander urgently."Denzel noticed us!"Hearing his words, Leander slowly opened his eyes and glanced in Denzel's direction. Then, he closed his eyes again."Don't worry. If anything goes wrong, I'll handle it."Hearing his words, Liana couldn't help but snort."I truly admire your ignorance, Leander. Denzel has his eyes on you, yet you are still talking nonsense. If I were you, I'd have slipped out the back already."Even as a member of the Southern Wyvern Blade, the Benjamin family's influence still made Liana feel immense pressure. Thus, she doubted that Leander had any capability to defy them.However, Leander stayed utterly unmoved. His silence only fueled Liana's annoyance, and she wished Denzel would teach Leander a harsh lesson.Denzel cast Leander one more chilling look but didn't act immediately.Tonight's banquet was hosted by him, so maintaining appearances was the top priority.With one sweep of his imposing presence, he moved toward Maeve.As he passed, wealthy elites instinctively stepped aside, giving him an unobstructed path.He walked like a crowned prince—highborn, authoritative, untouchable.Standing before Maeve, he gave a courteous bow."Miss Reyne, we will meet again."Hearing his voice, Maeve turned her head around. Upon seeing Denzel, her smile disappeared instantly."Mr. Benjamin, what do you want?"To Maeve, Leander was everything. The Benjamin family had once crossed Leander, so no matter how prestigious Denzel was, she would never show him any respect.Denzel's eyes darkened at her icy tone, but he forced a smile and said, "The banquet is about to begin. As tonight's host, I would like to invite you to the opening dance." Then, he extended his hand toward her.Around them, countless socialites and noblewomen looked at Maeve with jealousy. They wished they could be in Maeve's place.In Yelem, being favored by Denzel meant being a crown princess candidate_ perhaps even the future queen. Yet, this honor had fallen to a woman from Astria.Denzel extended his invitation to Maeve in front of everyone with confidence.einBefore this, the Royal Entertainment had already reached an agreement with him that they would arrange for Maeve to dance with him. In his eyes, although Maeve was an international superstar, she was still an artist under Royal Entertainment. Artists were expected to comply with the company's arrangements. Thus he wasnt worried that she would refuse him. After all, for a celebrity, the company's resources were the foundation of their career in the entertainment industry. If she offended the company, the consequence would inevitably be being sidelined. Just when Denzel thought Maeve was going to accept his proposal, a cold voice cut through the air."Sorry, Mr. Benjamin. I already have a date tonight," Maeve said before walking away.Her rejection stunned the entire hall.Denzel froze mid-gesture. Fury flashed in his eyes as he glared sharply at the Royal Entertainment manager beside him.noveldramaThe manager, Icana Wrenn, apologized quickly before chasing after Maeve."Maeve, what are you doing!?"To open the Yelem market, Icana had already promised Denzel that Maeve would dance with him. He assumed Maeve would obey for the sake of her career, but never did he expect she would reject Denzel so bluntly.He looked at Maeve and said angrily, "Denzel is the heir of the Benjamin family! Dancing with him is a huge boost for your MV promotion here.. You would be the center of attention tonight, so why would you refuse it?" "Mr. Wrenn, I already have a partner." Maeve's voice remained cold."I will only dance with him tonight." With that, she walked straight back to Leanderand leaned on his arm affectionately.BasAt the sight of this, Icana's pupils shrank. He rushed over and stared at Maeve, saying, "Maeve, stop this nonsense! Although your father shares in Royal Entertainment we've given you priority in resources, that doesn't mean you are the top celebrity here! You're an entertainer, and you will follow the company arrangements. I don't care who this young man is. You cannot refuse Denzel's invitation tonight!"Icana had long been fed up with Maeve's haughty and self-righteous behavior, andhe finally revealed his true colors today."Is that so?" Maeve rested her chin lightly on Leander's arm."From this moment on, I am no longer an artist under Royal Entertainment. I am terminating my contract."Hearing her words, Icana was in disbelief."Terminating your contract? You still have a year and a half left! You'll have to pay a penalty!""I'll pay whatever the amount is, just stop bothering me." Maeve didn't even flinch.Icana stood frozen, unable to process what had just happened. He never imagined that agreeing to a single dance on her behalf would lead to this. Before he could say anything, he heard a heavy series of footsteps approaching. Then, he turned around and saw Denzel striding toward them with a cold expression.Initially, Denzel was going to deal with Leander after the banquet. However, whenhe saw Maeve publicly reject him and walk straight into Leander's arms, he could no longer withstand this absurdity anymore.His chilling gaze swept over Nathan and the others, making them hold their breath in terror. Finally, his eyes locked onto Leander, and his lips curled in a vicious smile."I told you before that this isn't over. Since you dare walk into my banquet, I'll show you what happens to those who offend the Benjamin family."Then, he raised his hand.In that split second, dozens of black-clad enforcers stepped forward."Grab them. Tie them up and throw them into the Volga River!"After one day of simmering rage, Denzel finally struck.The moment his words fell, Livia and the girls trembled violently, and their facesdrained of all color.