Chapter 48: Lucas’s First Private Army
As Lucas opened the message Bianca had sent him, he originally expected it to be something trivial.
However, after reading the contents, even he couldn’t help but freeze for a moment.
A look of surprise quickly appeared on his face.
The message stated that, as compensation for everything that had happened to Aria, ownership of the Grand Dustford Hotel had officially been transferred to him.
The Grand Dustford Hotel.
The most luxurious and prestigious hotel in the entire city.
A landmark known by practically everyone in Dustford.
Government officials hosted banquets there.
Business tycoons held meetings there.
Celebrities and important guests always chose it whenever they visited the city.
And now...
He was the new chairman.
Even Lucas hadn’t expected Xavier’s family to move so quickly.
A grin immediately spread across his face.
"This old man really knows how to apologize."
Without wasting another second, Lucas rushed downstairs.
His footsteps echoed throughout the villa.
Noah and Elena were sitting in the living room watching television when they heard the commotion.
Before they could ask what was happening, Aria also came running downstairs from the second floor.
"What happened?" Aria asked curiously.
"Why are you smiling like that?"
Lucas sat down on the sofa and waved his phone excitedly.
"I’ve got good news."
The entire family looked at him.
Lucas didn’t keep them waiting.
"The Grand Dustford Hotel belongs to us now."
Silence.
For several seconds, nobody reacted.
Then Noah blinked.
"What?"
Elena thought she had misheard.
"The Grand Dustford Hotel?"
"The one downtown?"
Lucas nodded.
"The very same one."
Aria’s eyes widened.
"That’s impossible!"
"Isn’t that the most famous hotel in Dustford?"
Lucas laughed.
"It was."
"Now it’s ours."
The three of them stared at him as if he had suddenly lost his mind.
Seeing their expressions, Lucas quickly explained everything that had happened with the mayor, Owen Foster, and Xavier’s intervention.
The more they listened, the more shocked they became.
By the time he finished, Noah was completely speechless.
Even Elena didn’t know what to say.
After all, they had spent their entire lives as ordinary people.
Now they suddenly owned one of the most valuable businesses in Dustford.
The situation felt unreal.
It was then that Lucas remembered something else.
"Oh right."
"I also hired bodyguards."
"What?"
All three of them looked at him again.
Lucas calmly explained his concerns about Aria’s safety and everything that had happened recently.
Noah immediately shook his head.
"We’re just ordinary people."
"Why would we need bodyguards?"
Lucas smiled.
"Dad."
"We stopped being ordinary people a long time ago."
"Whether we like it or not, people are paying attention to us now."
Hearing this, Noah fell silent.
The incident with Owen had already proven that.
Lucas then continued,
"As for the hotel, I’ll transfer the chairman position to you."
Noah nearly jumped out of his seat.
"To me?"
Lucas nodded.
"Of course."
"You and Mom can manage it."
"I don’t have time for that kind of work."
In Lucas’s eyes, even if the hotel generated several million dollars every month, it wasn’t worth spending his energy managing personally.
His attention was focused on something much bigger.
Without waiting for Noah to argue, Lucas directly called the number Bianca had sent him.
After the call connected, he calmly instructed them to transfer ownership and chairman rights to Noah Gray.
The other side processed the request immediately.
Less than ten minutes later, everything was settled.
Noah was officially the new chairman of the Grand Dustford Hotel.
The entire family still felt as if they were dreaming.
Just few days ago they had been worrying about bills and daily expenses.
Today they owned a luxury villa and one of the city’s most famous hotels.
The speed of the change was simply unbelievable.
Before anyone could fully digest the news, Lucas’s phone rang again.
He glanced at the screen.
The call was from Titan Group.
"Mr. Gray."
"The personnel you requested have arrived at the main gate."
Lucas slowly stood up.
Finally.
The bodyguards were here.
The whole family was naturally curious about the private bodyguards Lucas had hired. After receiving the call that they had arrived, Noah, Elena, and Aria followed him toward the main gate of the villa.
The moment they arrived, all three of them were stunned.
Twenty people stood neatly outside the gate in two straight rows. Ten men and ten women, all dressed in black suits and carrying themselves with an extraordinary temperament. Even standing silently, they radiated an invisible pressure that ordinary people simply could not possess.
These were not ordinary security guards.
They were martial artists.
Although Noah and the others knew nothing about martial arts, they could still instinctively feel the difference. The sharp aura surrounding these people made them appear more like soldiers returning from a battlefield than bodyguards.
Aria couldn’t help but whisper, "Brother... are all these people ours?"
Lucas smiled and nodded.
The shock in Noah’s heart became even stronger. He had originally assumed Lucas would hire one or two bodyguards at most. He never imagined his son would bring in twenty all at once.
After exchanging greetings, Lucas stepped forward and pointed toward his parents and sister.
"These three are the people you will be protecting from now on. My father, my mother, and my sister."
His tone suddenly became serious.
"I don’t care how you arrange your shifts, but I want twenty-four-hour protection. No matter what happens, there must always be people around them. If anything happens because of negligence on your part, I don’t care who you are. Even if you’re a Xiantian Martial Artist, I’ll make sure you pay an unimaginable price."
The bodyguards immediately looked at one another.
Some of them had felt slightly dissatisfied when Lucas first spoke. After all, they were among Titan Group’s elite personnel and possessed considerable strength. Being lectured by someone so young naturally made them uncomfortable.
However, the moment Lucas casually mentioned Xiantian Martial Artists, their expressions changed.
In the entire Titan Group, there was only one confirmed Xiantian expert—the Chief Instructor. That was a legendary figure whom all of them admired and respected.
Yet Lucas spoke of Xiantian Martial Artists as though they were nothing special.
The bodyguards instantly became cautious.
Although Lucas looked young, nobody believed an ordinary person could casually spend tens of millions hiring elite bodyguards. Coupled with his knowledge of martial arts realms, it became obvious that he possessed an extraordinary background.
Any remaining contempt quickly disappeared.
Seeing the change in their expressions, Lucas continued calmly.
"Of course, I reward loyalty and competence."
"As long as your work satisfies me, I will personally provide additional bonuses on top of Titan Group’s salary."
The bodyguards immediately became interested.
Lucas smiled.
"Outstanding performance will receive no less than ten million dollars at the end of the year."
The atmosphere instantly exploded.
Even the most composed among them couldn’t maintain their calm.
Although Titan Group listed their annual salary at three million dollars, after various company deductions, most of them only received a little over two million.
A ten-million-dollar bonus was enough to completely change the lives of many of them.
Several bodyguards who already had families felt their breathing become heavier.
At that moment, any dissatisfaction they had toward Lucas completely vanished.
Protecting three ordinary people was already one of the easiest assignments they had ever received. Now there was even the possibility of earning such an enormous reward.
In their eyes, Lucas had immediately become the most generous employer they had ever encountered.
Seeing their reactions, Lucas knew his objective had been achieved.
Fear alone wasn’t enough.
Money alone wasn’t enough.
But together, they produced excellent results.
"Since nobody has any objections, select five people who can drive and come with me to Silvermont. The rest of you can begin arranging protection duties here."
After speaking, Lucas turned toward Noah.
"Dad, please arrange accommodations for everyone at Grand Dustford Hotel. From now on, their food, lodging, transportation, and daily needs will all be handled there. Make sure they receive the best treatment possible."
Noah could only nod blankly.
His mind still hadn’t fully processed everything that had happened today.
Few days ago, they had been an ordinary family worrying about daily expenses.
Today, they owned a luxury villa, controlled the most prestigious hotel in Dustford, and had twenty elite bodyguards protecting them around the clock.
Even now, it still felt like a dream.
After making the arrangements, Lucas selected five bodyguards and headed toward Silvermont.
The bodyguards were somewhat surprised when they discovered that their incredibly wealthy employer didn’t even own a personal vehicle yet. Instead, Lucas simply called two ride-hailing cars and led them to the city.
Upon arriving in Silvermont, they went directly to the largest luxury dealership in the area.
Lucas spent less than half an hour making his selections.
Three top-tier Land Rovers.
Three fully equipped Mercedes-Benz off-road vehicles.
The total cost approached ten million dollars.
The sales staff were ecstatic, while the bodyguards standing nearby were silently shocked.
Only now did they truly understand just how wealthy their new employer was.
To Lucas, spending nearly ten million dollars on vehicles seemed no different from an ordinary person buying groceries.
After completing the purchase, Lucas glanced at the time and realized it was almost time for him to return to school.
He immediately called his mother.
"Mom, I’m heading back to campus for a while. If anything comes up, call me immediately."
After ending the call, Lucas looked out the window at the passing scenery.
With his family’s safety finally secured, he could focus his attention elsewhere.
