The Tyrant Billionaire

Her purple eyes sparkled mischievously.

Hardy chuckled inwardly, recognizing her playful approach.

"You can tell him you're my girlfriend, and if any media ask, feel free to acknowledge it openly," Hardy replied.

After all, he wasn't a politician.

All his wealth was his own.

Who could object if he had multiple girlfriends?

Taylor's face lit up with joy. She jumped onto Hardy's lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him.

Hardy's hand instinctively slipped under her neckline.

Today, she was wearing a halter dress with a crisscross design at the front, with straps tied behind her neck.

The dress made it easy to reach in.

The texture was perfect; her development was impeccable, embodying youthful charm...

Hardy brought Taylor to the new chain supermarket. The two shopped as ordinary customers, and the experience was excellent. The supermarket was well-stocked, with items neatly organized, and the staff was very courteous.

There were many customers in the store, and the checkout lines showed the business was thriving.

A few people wandered around, discreetly watching the customers. Hardy quickly recognized these individuals as security staff. This approach had become standard in Hardy's supermarkets and was highly effective. Neither petty nor major thieves dared to cause trouble in his stores.

After shopping with Taylor, they left the supermarket and returned to the estate. It was a hot day, so they planned to go swimming, and Taylor went to change.

Meanwhile, Hardy picked up the phone and called Andy.

"Boss, what can I do for you?" Andy asked.

"It's about Taylor," Hardy said, explaining the situation with Nicky Hilton's pursuit of Taylor.

"Call the head of the Hilton family and let them know Nicky Hilton should behave himself. If he continues, Hardy Group won't hesitate to take action—against both Nicky and the entire Hilton family," Hardy said coolly.

"Understood, Boss," Andy replied.

When Hardy first heard the name Nicky Hilton, he remembered who the young man was—Elizabeth Taylor's first husband in a previous life. Taylor had married Nicky Hilton when she was only 18 years and four months old, but they divorced within months. During their honeymoon, Nicky had abused Taylor, leading to a rift that soon ended their marriage.

He hadn't expected that man to reappear in this life. Although Hardy didn't care about him, it still left an unpleasant feeling.

Conrad Hilton, head of the Hilton family, was reviewing documents at his office. With two major casinos about to open in Las Vegas and constant advertising on TV and in newspapers, the Hilton Hotel management team saw the potential for more business in Las Vegas. They recommended the group build a hotel there.

Of course, if they could add a casino, even better.

However, the Hilton family lacked the connections needed to secure entry into the Las Vegas casino business.

Conrad Hilton understood that if they wanted to establish a presence in Las Vegas, Jon Hardy, America's rising power player, was the key figure they couldn't ignore.

Without his approval, no one could make money in Las Vegas.

Even the American Mafia and other crime organizations acknowledged Hardy's dominance, which spoke volumes about his influence.

"Ring, ring!"

The phone on his desk rang. Conrad Hilton picked it up, and his secretary's voice came through, "Chairman, Mr. Andy, the president of Hardy Group, is on the line."

Conrad Hilton was momentarily stunned.

The president of Hardy Group? Why would he call?

But then he felt a thrill of excitement. Regardless of the reason, this might be an opportunity to establish a relationship with Hardy Group, perhaps even opening a line of communication with Jon Hardy himself.

He gestured for the secretary to put Andy on the line.

"Hello, President Andy, this is Conrad Hilton. I've heard so much about you, though we haven't met. May I ask what brings you to contact me today?" Conrad Hilton asked warmly.

Andy's tone, however, was cold. "Mr. Conrad Hilton, I'm contacting you on behalf of Mr. Hardy."

"Ah, Mr. Jon Hardy? What business does Mr. Hardy have with me?" Conrad Hilton asked.

"Your son, Nicky Hilton, correct?" Andy inquired.

Upon hearing his son's name, Conrad Hilton felt a sudden sense of foreboding, suspecting it wasn't good news.

"Yes, he's my son."

"In recent days, while Mr. Hardy was in Japan, your son Nicky Hilton has been continuously harassing Mr. Hardy's girlfriend, Ms. Taylor. Mr. Hardy is not pleased to hear about this."

Conrad Hilton's heart sank.

Internally, he cursed his son.

You damn fool.

It's bad enough that you spend your days indulging in luxury, but now you've gone and caused trouble. Of all the people you could mess with, you chose someone who even I can't afford to offend.

"Mr. Hardy has asked me to inform you that your son should behave himself. If not, Hardy Group will respond accordingly, and this response will extend to the entire Hilton family. I hope you understand the implications of 'a full-scale war,' Mr. Conrad Hilton."

With that, Andy hung up.

Conrad Hilton's hand holding the receiver trembled.

Full-scale war.

He knew exactly what that meant.

It involved every conceivable strategy: official, economic, and covert actions, with no holds barred.

Hardy's connections were formidable; everyone in America knew that President Johnson was his close friend. Hardy himself was a partner and leading figure in the California Consortium.

Recently, there were even rumors that he'd grown closer to other major financial consortiums while developing business in Japan.

Given these connections, offending Hardy would make life incredibly difficult for the Hilton family.

An economic assault.

Driving down stock prices, hostile takeovers, and other economic strategies—Hardy Group was backed by two major banks, Bank of America and Wells Fargo, giving it vastly superior financial power. If they decided to forcefully acquire Hilton assets, the Hilton family would struggle to resist.

Then there were the covert actions.

These were the most terrifying, especially in a service industry like Hilton Hotels.

Imagine gangsters causing disturbances, frequent complaints, hotel fires, transformers getting smashed, or finding cockroaches in the food.

There were endless ways to disrupt business.

Hilton Hotels had to maintain good relationships with local gangs and even pay protection fees to operate. But if they offended the Mafia controlling these gangs, it would be catastrophic. They wouldn't be able to stay in business.

"Dammit! Dammit!" Conrad Hilton cursed his son angrily.

He picked up the phone and called his secretary. "Mobilize everyone and get that damned Nicky here immediately! I need to see him right now!"

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