The Tyrant Billionaire

"I've heard about that. The Japanese are bad, I hate them," Taylor said.

"I served in the Marines. After the war broke out with Japan, I fought in many battles and killed over thirty Japanese soldiers with my own hands," Hardy explained.

Taylor was astonished at Hardy's admission of killing over thirty people.

"Were you scared during battles?" Taylor asked.

"At first, yes. But once the fighting starts, fear fades away. Seeing my comrades fall around me, I only wanted to avenge them," Hardy said.

"Have you been wounded?" Taylor asked again.

"Of course, many times. The most serious was last year during the battle in Iwo Jima. It was intense; over 30,000 Americans were killed or wounded. I was shot through the chest." Hardy pointed to his chest.

Taylor's eyes widened upon hearing that.

"I nearly died that time but miraculously survived after months of recovery. By then, the war was nearing its end, and I retired," Hardy recounted.

Taylor felt happy to hear that Hardy had survived such a severe injury.

"Mr. Hardy, you're truly brave. I admire you!" Taylor exclaimed.

That was enough to earn admiration, kids are easily impressed.

"Let's continue practicing shooting. Remember, even in the new movie, Matilda had to learn how to use a gun," Hardy said.

"Okay, Mr. Hardy. I'll try my best," Taylor encouraged herself.

They explored various guns. In the afternoon, Hardy took Taylor out for an excursion into the mountains, where they had a wild time until the evening, when Hardy finally took Taylor home.

In the car, Hardy asked Taylor how she felt.

Taylor smiled. "I've never felt so relaxed and carefree before today. There is no one to nag me about what I should or shouldn't do. Being with you, Mr. Hardy, feels really comfortable."

"Hehe, then I'll come pick you up again tomorrow."

When Sarah saw her daughter's short hair, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Taylor, what happened to your hair?"

Taylor touched her short hair and laughed. "Mr. Hardy took me to get it cut. It's like Matilda's hairstyle from the movie."

They entered the house, and Taylor gulped down water from a cup.

"Taylor, mind your manners," Sarah quickly reminded her.

"In the movie, Sarah is like this, she's a girl from the slums who drinks water in big gulps. Mr. Hardy taught me this," Taylor explained.

"Uh..."

Sarah was at a loss for words again.

She sat down next to her daughter and asked, "Taylor, what did you do all day today? How did Mr. Hardy train you?"

"In the morning, we went to the shooting range. Mr. Hardy taught me how to shoot. The movie's heroine also learns to shoot to avenge her parents and siblings. It's amazing I couldn't hit a single shot, but Mr. Hardy hit the target every time."

"What did you do in the afternoon?" Sarah asked again.

"We went to the mountains. Mr. Hardy taught me to relax and told me some scenes from the movie to imitate. We practiced while playing," Taylor replied.

Sarah felt even more delighted to hear that Hardy had discussed movie scenes with her daughter. This indicated that Mr. Hardy was satisfied with Taylor, increasing her chances of getting the lead role.

"Mom, Mr. Hardy said, to experience the heroine's emotions, he wants me to relax more, whether at home or outside," Taylor explained.

Sarah was taken aback.

Why did she feel like her daughter was taking advantage of the situation?

This was quite different from her previous demands.

"This is what Mr. Hardy asked for, for the sake of the movie," Taylor added.

Sarah smiled helplessly.

When Sarah was young, she was also an actress and had put in a lot of effort to get a role. She understood how difficult it was to get a role.

Taylor's opportunity this time was even more rare, she was the female lead. Even if it required more effort, Sarah felt it was worth it.

"Alright, Taylor, let's go along with what Mr. Hardy wants," Sarah said.

Excited, Taylor called out and ran upstairs to take a shower.

Sarah shook her head helplessly.

After Taylor finished her shower, she laid on her bed.

The more she thought about it, the more excited she became.

Her mom had promised not to control her like before, she could finally be free, and it was all thanks to Mr. Hardy.

Thinking of Hardy, the girl recalled the scene of the shooting range and felt her cheeks involuntarily flush again.

Was this how Matilda felt when she interacted with Leon?

That night, Taylor dreamed.

A dream belonging to a young girl.

The next day, Hardy came to pick up Taylor again.

This time, Taylor was smart and didn't wear makeup. She wore shorts, boots, a T-shirt, and a jacket, with slightly tousled hair.

As soon as Hardy parked the car, Taylor ran out of the house and opened the passenger door, hopping in. "Good morning, Mr. Hardy."

Hardy noticed that the girl was much brighter today compared to yesterday, completely different from the delicate princess he had first met.

The car started.

Taylor turned to Hardy and asked, "Mr. Hardy, where are we going today?"

"Today, I'll show you the life in the slums. Are you scared?" Hardy asked.

Taylor shook her head.

"I told you, I can handle hardships."

The car arrived in the downtown area.

After they got out of the car, several burly men approached respectfully, and Ivan spoke to Hardy, "Boss, this is one of the dirtiest and messiest areas in downtown."

"Keep an eye on the car. I don't want to come back and find it stolen."

"Don't worry, nobody can steal your car here," Ivan assured, patting his chest.

Taylor curiously looked at the men. They didn't seem like good people, yet they treated Mr. Hardy respectfully.

Hardy took off his suit jacket and handed it to Ivan, unbuttoning his cuffs and rolling up his sleeves, looking more casual now.

"Let's go in." Hardy said to Taylor.