After sending the text to Jonah, Adrian returned his attention to the standoff between Zachary and Owen. Zachary looked like he could shit his pants at any moment, and beads of sweat trickled down his temple as he tried to swallow the panic clawing at his throat. His mouth opened and closed with no words coming out because he couldn’t bring himself to say anything. Owen loomed like a shadow over him, the menace in his posture unmistakable. His one good eye gleamed with dark intent as he repeated his question in a growl. “Zachary, where is my money?” Zachary’s hands trembled, and he took a shaky step backward, almost bumping into his bodyguards that now seemed powerless under the weight of Owen’s men’s menacing glares. He barely managed to steady himself as his mind scrambled for an excuse. He had gambled away almost everything he had garnered to pay Owen back—the embezzled company funds, and the money he had scammed out of unsuspecting customers in the name of an investment. His gr
Owen’s men tensed and released Adrian instantly as if they had been electrocuted by him. Jonah walked over to where Adrian stood and their eyes met in unspoken understanding before he turned his attention to Owen. Owen didn’t look like the intimidating mob boss he had been a few minutes ago. Instead, he looked like a man on death row, his one good eye widened in what looked to be alarm and even a hint of fear. He subconsciously did a double take while trying to control his heart rate that had picked up as a result of Jonah’s presence. “Mr. Leigh…” he breathed, his voice unsure. Jonah didn’t waste time with pleasantries. “I’m glad you know me. No need for introductions then,” he stated, his gaze trained icily on Owen as he continued, “I’ll cut to the chase. This investment company is under the ownership of the Alpha Group, hence you have no business dealing with it. Zachary Lynn acted alone, so you will deal with him, and him only.” Owen nodded frantically. “Of course, of course…”
The receptionist, a professional looking young woman, momentarily glanced up in surprise at Flynn’s demand before her demeanor returned to its calm state. “Sir, Miss Smith is only to be seen by appointment.” Flynn’s face twisted with irritation, the receptionist’s calmness fueling his frustration. “I don’t need an appointment,” he snapped, his tone dripping with arrogance. “Do you even know who I am?”The receptionist’s blank stare made it painfully clear—she had no idea who he was. Beside him, Lilian’s expression mirrored her brother’s frustration. Her lips pressed into a thin line, clearly expecting things to have gone their way by now.Before Flynn could retort further, the sound of footsteps echoed through the lobby as a figure entered the reception hall. Adrian, calmly and confidently strode toward the receptionist’s desk, drawing the attention of Flynn, Lilian and the receptionist to himself. When Flynn’s eyes locked onto him, recognition flared in them, followed closely by a b
Flynn’s heart plummeted, and his hands dropped to his sides as he staggered back, his face draining of color. Lilian, who had been standing tensely beside him, looked at him with wide eyes when she saw his reaction.“Flynn,” she drawled wearily, her eyes searching his face. “What did Dad say?”“We’re finished,” Flynn whispered in disbelief and looked toward the floor, unwilling to meet her eyes. “This…this can’t be happening!”“But it is,” Adrian replied dryly. “You both shouldn’t have crossed the line by threatening my wife.”Flynn’s knees hit the marble floor of the lobby with a dull thud, and his body trembled as he jerked forward, clutching Adrian’s legs with desperate hands. “Adrian, please! I…I was wrong!” He begged, his voice cracking as his earlier arrogance was now nowhere to be found. “I shouldn’t have threatened your wife! Heck, I shouldn’t have underestimated you. Please, don’t do this to my family!” His words stumbled over each other and his grip tightened on Adrian’s le
Adrian’s jaw clenched the moment Anita said the name, Lilian Holt. That woman was proving to be a thorn in his flesh. He recalled the vague words that she had said to him at Alpha group—about leaving Anita a little reminder of what she planned to do. “So, she was referring to these nail marks?” He thought as his jaw clenched even tighter. At that moment, he concluded that Lilian was a threat to Anita’s safety and resolved to get her bodyguards that would protect her, albeit discreetly, because he didn’t want her asking questions or getting suspicious. While he was still deep in thought, Regina’s high pitched voice resounded through the living room. "That wench! Who does she think she is?" Regina ranted, her hand gesturing wildly. “If I ever see her, I’ll give her a slap she’ll never forget in her lifetime!” “And you—” Regina suddenly shifted her aggression to Adrian, her eyes narrowing into slits. “If you weren’t such a poor and useless husband, Anita wouldn’t have been in thi
Adrian turned toward the source of the commotion, his gaze narrowing as he recognized the woman who had raised her voice. It was Serena, his former neighbor from when he lived with his mother. His mind raced back to those days when he worked multiple jobs after he had dropped out of school, trying to scrape together enough to cover his mother’s medical bills. Serena, kind-hearted as she was, offered to keep his mother company and help out with household chores while he was away. Then, one day, without a word, her family packed up and left the apartment complex. He hadn't seen her since—until now, and judging by her outfit, it seemed she was a waitress at the bar. His attention fixated on her as he tried to understand what had happened. His curiosity was quelled when a young man dressed in designer clothing shot up from his seat and grabbed her by the hair. "You filthy wench!" the man spat, yanking Serena’s head back further. “You dare slap me?” Serena’s eyes watered, but she d
Tyler’s sneer deepened as he stared at Adrian’s calm demeanor, which ticked him off to the core. He had expected him to tremble, heck even show a hint of fear at the mention of Owen Stark’s name. But clearly, the loser was hell-bent on putting on a brave front. “You think you’re so tough, huh?” he scowled, pulling out his phone and quickly scrolling through his contacts. “Let’s see if you maintain this act when Owen gets here.” Once he found Owen’s contact information, he swiftly clicked on it and made the call, staring at Adrian with a triumphant grin as if he had already won. As soon as Owen picked up, Tyler put the phone on speaker, his tone switching to one of feigned distress. “U-Uncle Owen, I’ve got a problem at the bar located in Bourdillon street. Someone laid his filthy hands on me and beat my bodyguards unconscious . I’m in pain as we speak. Please come over and teach him a lesson!” Owen’s voice was dark and threatening as it echoed through the speakerphone. “No one l
Tears streamed down Tyler’s face as his lips quivered. “I-I’m sorry for assaulting and t-threatening you,” he sputtered, his words jumbled as blood dripped from his lips. “I’m so sorry…” Serena shifted uncomfortably on her feet, unsure of how to react. It was only a few minutes ago that Tyler had her in the same position he was now in. Now, he was groveling at her feet and looking weak, pitiful even. She couldn’t bring herself to reply to his apologies and instead averted her gaze from him. Adrian, who wasn’t yet done with punishing Tyler, spoke up again. “Now onto the second punishment,” he moved his gaze from Tyler to Owen, who readied himself to comply with Adrian’s next order. “Make him eat all of that broken glass over there,” he pointed to the pieces of broken glass lying on the floor behind Tyler. Tyler’s eyes widened in horror. “No… no, please… I—” He didn’t finish his sentence as Owen yanked him up to his feet and dragged him towards the broken glass, then he signaled