89Allvar smirked, rolling his shoulders as he approached, eyes gleaming with amusement. “Funny, I was just about to say the same to you.”The last two thugs exchanged nervous glances, clearly shaken by how quickly the tide had turned. One of them swallowed hard, his voice shaky as he shouted, “He’s a freakin’ fighter! How the hell are we supposed to take him down?”“Maybe if you all attacked at once, you’d stand a chance,” Allvar taunted, his voice low and dripping with danger. He tilted his head slightly, daring them to make a move. “But then again, maybe not.”The leader’s face twisted in frustration as he barked, “Stop standing around like idiots! Take him down! Now!”The two remaining men hesitated for a split second, exchanging one more glance before rushing at Allvar. The first swung wildly, fists flying, but Allvar was ready. He ducked under the punch with ease, his lips curling in a smirk, and delivered a brutal uppercut to the thug’s chin.The sound of bone cracking was unmi
90Allvar stood over the fallen leader, his foot resting lightly on the man’s side. He cracked his neck, then squatted down, his face just inches from the groaning thug.“So,” Allvar began, voice calm and almost conversational, “who sent you?”The leader gritted his teeth, refusing to meet Allvar’s gaze. “I’m not saying shit,” he spat.Allvar chuckled, shaking his head as if amused. “Of course you aren’t. Tough guy, huh?”The thug on the ground remained silent, glaring up at him. Allvar straightened up and glanced around at the unconscious bodies littering the alley. He scratched his chin thoughtfully before leaning back down, his tone casual but with an unmistakable edge of danger.“Let me guess,” Allvar said, tilting his head slightly. “You think by keeping quiet, you’re saving yourself from something worse later on, right?”The leader shifted uncomfortably but remained silent.“Trust me,” Allvar continued, his voice low and mocking, “whatever you think is going to happen if you tal
91Allvar’s breath hitched, but before he could react, his body seemed to move on instinct. He grabbed the leader by the collar and, to his own surprise, lifted him off the ground with ease. 'I didn’t know I still had it in me,' he thought, feeling a surge of muscle memory from his MMA days flood back into his limbs. “Let’s make this clear,” he growled, his face inches from the thug’s. “You either start talking... or I start breaking things that won’t heal.”The thug’s eyes widened in panic, but he clenched his jaw. "Do your worst," he rasped, trying to mask his fear.Allvar raised an eyebrow, almost amused by his own reaction time. Guess I’ve still got it. He loosened his grip slightly, sighing dramatically. "You know," he mused, "I really didn’t want to do this. But I guess you’ve left me no choice." With a swift movement, faster than he expected from himself, he slammed the thug back down onto the concrete, hard enough to knock the wind out of him. Damn, that was a clean move.Th
92Allvar’s knuckles still tingled from the blows as he climbed into his car, leaning back against the seat with a deep exhale. The small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips was almost involuntary. Derek Hawthorne. Of course, it was him. It wasn’t surprising that Derek had tried something like this, especially after that viral post, and Derek’s hatred had only grown worse since then.“Poor Derek,” Allvar muttered to himself, shaking his head as he started the car.He couldn’t wait to get home, away from the chaos of the alley and back to the quiet of his room. He prayed he wouldn’t run into Mr. Lorentz, the ever-watchful butler, or worse, his father. If either of them caught wind of what had happened tonight, they’d interrogate him until there was nothing left to hide.“Nope,” Allvar whispered, tightening his grip on the wheel. “This is between me and Derek.”The engine roared to life, and he pulled out of the alley, leaving behind the groaning thugs who’d dared to challenge him.
93Meanwhile, Allvar’s car cruised through the quiet, dimly lit streets, his thoughts still racing. He flexed his fingers around the steering wheel, his knuckles stinging from the blows. Adrenaline still hummed in his veins. It felt good to be back in action, to remind himself that he hadn’t lost his edge. But Derek’s audacity gnawed at him.Derek Hawthorne… Allvar’s fists clenched involuntarily. He’d known the guy would try to escalate things eventually, but to send thugs? That was low, even for him. Derek clearly didn’t understand who he was messing with. And now, Allvar hated him even more.“Gonna regret it, Hawthorne,” Allvar muttered under his breath.As he turned onto the street leading to his family’s estate, Allvar sighed. He really didn’t want to run into anyone tonight. Especially not Mr. Lorentz. 'Please Mr. Lorentz don't be there!'That man had eyes everywhere, and the last thing Allvar needed was a lecture—or worse, his father getting involved.He didn't want to have to
94“Sort of.” Allvar shrugged. “Look, some guys tried to rough me up. They didn’t succeed.”Mr. Lorentz’s expression hardened. “And you think that’s something to laugh about? You should’ve reported this to the authorities—or at the very least, to your father. You are not some... nobody off the streets. You’re the heir to the Falck empire.”Allvar exhaled sharply, trying to maintain his patience. “I know who I am, Mr. Lorentz. And I know how to handle myself. There’s no need to bother my father with every little thing.”“Every little thing?” Mr. Lorentz’s tone sharpened. “You look like you’ve just crawled out of a street fight, young master. This isn’t a little thing. What if something worse had happened?”“It didn’t,” Allvar insisted, his voice steady. “I’m fine. And it’s over.”The butler’s eyes narrowed even further. “You say that now, but if those men had connections—if this was more than just some random attack—”“I said I’ll handle it,” Allvar cut him off, his tone firm. “There’s
95Derek swallowed hard, his heart racing. "I won’t do anything stupid, Father," he said, his voice carefully measured.Victor stopped in his tracks and turned, narrowing his eyes. “You’ve already done something, haven’t you?”Derek froze, his throat tightening as he forced a casual shrug. "No, of course not."Victor’s gaze sharpened, his cold blue eyes boring into Derek’s. He stepped closer, his presence looming. “You better not be lying to me, Derek. The last time you acted without thinking, you almost ruined everything. I need you to be smarter than that."Derek’s palms started sweating. "I know, Father. I haven’t done anything reckless this time. I promise."Victor’s brow furrowed. “Promises don’t mean much when you’ve already broken them so many times.”Derek shifted on his feet, trying to hold his composure. "I won’t make the same mistake again. I’ve learned from it."Victor wasn’t convinced. “What exactly have you learned, Derek? That you can’t just throw your weight around wit
96Victor continued, his voice lowering, though the anger still simmered beneath his words. “You have to outthink him, not outfight him. That’s how we’ll win. If you keep acting rashly, we’ll both end up buried under your mistakes.”Derek nodded, trying to keep the rising dread from showing on his face. “I won’t act without thinking, Father. I’ve got it under control.”Victor stared at him for a long moment before turning away, gripping the edge of his desk. “No more reckless moves. The next time we strike, it has to be decisive. There’s no room for error."“I understand,” Derek murmured again, though his heart was pounding in his chest. He couldn’t go back now. He had to see this through, even if it meant defying his father.Victor gave him one last sharp glance, his voice heavy with warning. “Don’t disappoint me, Derek.”“I won’t, Father,” Derek replied, his voice firmer now, though unease gnawed at him from within.Victor lingered for a moment, eyeing his son with a mixture of doub