2025-04-18 15:22:32If it were a normal circumstance, Nicolas would have thought to tread carefully, but Natalie's life was at risk. He didn't know what these people had ingested in her system or done to her. She needed to be attended to immediately.
“I don't care about your dumb vultures," Nicolas bit back, ignoring the gasps that filled the room. “Step away from her!"
The leader scowled at Nicolas. “You dumbass. You're new here, aren't you?” He eyed Nicolas like he would a gum under his shoe. “I wasn't talking about vultures-"
"I don't want to know,” Nicolas met his gaze. “Tell them to step away."
The group abruptly erupted in a fit of laughter. “Who is this man? What has given you this confidence to dish out orders like this?” One of the thugs said.
“Do you even know who he is?" They asked, pointing to their leader who tipped his chin up.
"He doesn't know who he's dealing with,” another gritted out.
“You had better take your slut and get out of here,” another said, then pointed at Natalie. “This one is ours."
Nicolas didn't feel the energy he felt earlier course through him again, but as he curled his hands into fists, he was certain that he'd beat them to a pulp than leave without Natalie.
The leader stepped forward. “Take the warning,” he began slowly, “and get the fuck out of here. One call to my brother and you and your fucking slut will be dea-"
"Back off!”
The leader looked away from Nicolas to look at who owned the voice.
He smirked, his eyes raking Nora's body. “Feisty," he licked his lips.
"What do you think, boys?" He asked as he moved toward Nora.
They laughed, "Make her yours, boss.”
Nicolas now had to protect two people. His wife's sister who had never disrespected him and the woman who had joined the team that saved him.
The leader stopped before Nora. Nicolas was about to push him back when Nora caught the leader's hand midair.
Nicolas stepped back, surprised.
Nora, with his gaze on the leader’s shocked one, twisted his hand and… snapped it!
Even Nicolas gasped along with the rest of the crowd in the room. The other thugs cowered back, eyes widened in fear and shock.
The leader fell to his knees and let out a bloodcurdling scream as he held his hand.
The thugs gaped between Nora and their leader with sheer horror.
They hadn't expected that Nicolas would not back off like the others always did whenever they heard the Iron Vultures name. But that didn't shock them as much as Nora's strength but then, they knew that their leader had never really been strong. His only power and confidence was flaunting his brother's name.
“What are you waiting for? Deal with her!" he yelled at his men as he cried, nursing his hand.
His men knew better than to have their arms twisted too. So instead of attacking Nora, they rushed to his side, calling out, “Ben! Are you okay?”
“How can I be, you idiots? “He cried. “You stood there and watched that bitch ruin my arm.”
They consoled Ben as he howled in pain. “I swear my brother will kill you. He'll avenge me, you witch!"
Nicolas got over the shock of Nora's feistiness and mercilessness and hurried to Natalie's side. He removed her hair that was smeared on her face, took her phone from the table and gently picked her up bridal style in his arms.
Natalie's eyes drifted open when she felt hands on her. With a hooded gaze, she glanced up at Nicolas. Upon recognizing him, she began to sob softly, her arms tightening around him.
“What happened?” Nicolas asked softly.
"Ben,” she whispered in a slurred voice. "It was after my classes,” her eyes drifted close before she opened them again and continued. “My classmates.” Her gaze fell on Ben who was still crying and she pointed at him. “He drugged me,” she managed to say coherently. “My classmates betrayed me."
"Shut the fuck up, bitch! Who cares about you?”
Nora stepped up beside him. She lowered herself beside him and whispered coldly, causing Ben to shiver. "Call anyone a bitch one more time, boy and I'll snap your neck.”
“It's not me!” Ben cried as he crawled away from Nora. He turned his hateful gaze on Natalie. "It's my brother. He took an interest in Natalie and asked me to get her. He orchestrated everything. Please, leave me alone.”
Nora cocked her head to one side. “And where is this brother?"
Ben, thinking Nora was scared, smirked wickedly. “He'll be here soon. He'll get here and you and him,” he pointed at Nicolas who had stepped closer to him, "will all be in his hands. He'll deal with you two mercilessly. My brother spares no one who crosses him.”
Both Nicolas and Nora stared at Ben with indifference.
Ben opened his mouth to speak again, but Nicolas shut him up with a brutal kick to his jaw.
Ben let out a pained cry as he held his jaw, unable to speak anymore. He tried to speak, but he was in so much pain. At this point, the other thugs’ longing gazes were on the entrance as they hoped for Ben's brother to step in and save them.
The onlookers watched, trembling in fear. Fear for themselves and for Nicolas and Nora. They all knew Ben's brother, Ivan. They knew Ivan to be a ruthless and merciless figure. And they knew that Nora and Nicolas might not make it alive with what they just did to his brother.
“What's happening here?"
Time seemed to stop as the cold voice shook the room. The atmosphere turned icy as the owner of the voice demanded to know who was causing trouble in his bar.
“I asked a question. Who dares to cause trouble in my bar!" His voice was low, yet it made almost everyone tremble in its wake.
The crowd immediately stepped away from Nicolas, because the newcomer was none other than Ben's brother, Ivan.
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Nicolas watched Ivan saunter toward them, his shoulders high and his jaw set with the confidence of a man you'd think has the world in his palm. Behind him, several muscular men streamed in.Interesting, Nicolas thought, intrigued.“Who is causing trouble in my bar?" The man demanded with authority. His eyes landed on Natalie in Nicolas' arms and a lecherous expression crossed his face. Finally, he could have her.He regarded Nicolas and Nora for a while. Briefly, he glanced at his brother who was still on the floor, cradling his arm and jaw. He resisted the urge to shake his head as he looked away. His weak brother had eventually allowed a woman to defeat him. Shame.Ivan tucked his hands in his pocket, and returned his attention to Nicolas and Nora.“First, I want you to place the girl in your arms on the couch behind you,” he gestured toward the couch in the booth behind Nicolas with his chin. “Then, the both of you should get on you knees and crawl out of here. Those are the only
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The receptionist froze on the spot. Blood drained from her face.The hotel owner?She itched to turn in Nicolas direction and give him one last look, but she couldn't. She wouldn't even be able to look him in the eye.She had completely forgotten about the black card. During their orientation, they had gotten long explanations for the holders of gold, silver and bronze cards. The orientation for the black card had been a whole topic on its own. There was just one black card.In her entire year working there, all card colors have been used except for the black one. It was easy for her to just tuck it at the back of her mind such that when it finally came, she couldn't remember that it was the revered black card that they had always looked out for.But…Nicolas hadn't looked like someone who could own such a distinguished card.She turned to Nicolas’ direction, her head bowed down in shame as she pleaded. She couldn't mess up her job. “I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to treat you the way
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Nicolas drew back, cringing. Now that she put it like that, it sounded quite… wrong. “You vomited all over your body. I had to take off your dirty clothes." Natalie blushed. She didn't even bother to hide it. “That was so sweet of you." She briefly sniffed her robe and her body. She glanced up at him again, eyes alight. "You gave me a bath too?" She grinned.Nicolas found her reaction to the situation unusual. Other girls would be mortified about what he had done. “I had to clean you up.”She blushed again. She moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulders. "Thank you, Nicolas." Her head was tipped up as she sighed dreamily and smiled.Natalie didn't even wonder why Nicolas was divorcing her sister because she didn't care. Her sister never deserved him and she's had the longest crush on him since she could recall. It was what she didn't know she had always wanted. She began to imagine a life with Nicolas and the blush on her cheeks spread further to her neck. Maybe Nicolas
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As those words echoed in Nicolas’ ears, he could only come to two conclusions.A prank. A mistake.“Young master? Are you there?" Nicolas felt a surge of headache. He let out a soft groan.”Can you stop with the joke?” He hissed, staggering to his feet.“What joke?" The person on the other end of the line quipped, confused.Nicolas leaned against a tree to steady himself, but he realized that… he didn't have to do that!He pushed away from the tree and stared at his hands. His body hummed with an overwhelming strength. He felt the itch to burst into a race, the urge to outsource this insane energy he felt.“Young master. Are you alright? We-”"Who are you?” Pissed, Nicolas asked. He was about to end the call, when he glanced around one more time. “Look, I'm not sure where I am-" "That's okay, young master. We've locked into your location through the energy fluctuations of your heirloom necklace." "My heirloom-” Nicolas stopped when his hands automatically went to his necklace.The
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CHAPTER 10
Nicolas drew back, cringing. Now that she put it like that, it sounded quite… wrong. “You vomited all over your body. I had to take off your dirty clothes." Natalie blushed. She didn't even bother to hide it. “That was so sweet of you." She briefly sniffed her robe and her body. She glanced up at him again, eyes alight. "You gave me a bath too?" She grinned.Nicolas found her reaction to the situation unusual. Other girls would be mortified about what he had done. “I had to clean you up.”She blushed again. She moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulders. "Thank you, Nicolas." Her head was tipped up as she sighed dreamily and smiled.Natalie didn't even wonder why Nicolas was divorcing her sister because she didn't care. Her sister never deserved him and she's had the longest crush on him since she could recall. It was what she didn't know she had always wanted. She began to imagine a life with Nicolas and the blush on her cheeks spread further to her neck. Maybe Nicolas
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CHAPTER 7
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CHAPTER 6
Nicolas watched Ivan saunter toward them, his shoulders high and his jaw set with the confidence of a man you'd think has the world in his palm. Behind him, several muscular men streamed in.Interesting, Nicolas thought, intrigued.“Who is causing trouble in my bar?" The man demanded with authority. His eyes landed on Natalie in Nicolas' arms and a lecherous expression crossed his face. Finally, he could have her.He regarded Nicolas and Nora for a while. Briefly, he glanced at his brother who was still on the floor, cradling his arm and jaw. He resisted the urge to shake his head as he looked away. His weak brother had eventually allowed a woman to defeat him. Shame.Ivan tucked his hands in his pocket, and returned his attention to Nicolas and Nora.“First, I want you to place the girl in your arms on the couch behind you,” he gestured toward the couch in the booth behind Nicolas with his chin. “Then, the both of you should get on you knees and crawl out of here. Those are the only
CHAPTER 5
If it were a normal circumstance, Nicolas would have thought to tread carefully, but Natalie's life was at risk. He didn't know what these people had ingested in her system or done to her. She needed to be attended to immediately.“I don't care about your dumb vultures," Nicolas bit back, ignoring the gasps that filled the room. “Step away from her!" The leader scowled at Nicolas. “You dumbass. You're new here, aren't you?” He eyed Nicolas like he would a gum under his shoe. “I wasn't talking about vultures-" "I don't want to know,” Nicolas met his gaze. “Tell them to step away." The group abruptly erupted in a fit of laughter. “Who is this man? What has given you this confidence to dish out orders like this?” One of the thugs said.“Do you even know who he is?" They asked, pointing to their leader who tipped his chin up."He doesn't know who he's dealing with,” another gritted out.“You had better take your slut and get out of here,” another said, then pointed at Natalie. “This on
CHAPTER 4
First, it was the unfamiliar ache that came at the remembrance of how he had parted ways with his wife. Then the sudden realization dawned on him. He now had the power.The heartache was replaced by rage, as ferocious as how hurt he had been when he saw his wife and her lover together.And right then, he swore to take revenge on his wife and her lover. He would teach each of them a lesson that will make them upright individuals for the rest of their lives.Nora was about to say something when Nicolas' phone rang in his pocket, catching him off guard.He was disoriented for a while before he finally reached for it in his pocket.His brows pulled down at the caller's ID on his phone's screen.“Natalie?" He mouthed.Unlike Sarah, his wife's younger sister always respected him and treated him like a human. He wondered if she was okay. For a moment, he secretly hoped that she called on behalf of her sister. But even he knew that was very unlikely. Sarah hadn't looked like anyone who would
CHAPTER 3
As those words echoed in Nicolas’ ears, he could only come to two conclusions.A prank. A mistake.“Young master? Are you there?" Nicolas felt a surge of headache. He let out a soft groan.”Can you stop with the joke?” He hissed, staggering to his feet.“What joke?" The person on the other end of the line quipped, confused.Nicolas leaned against a tree to steady himself, but he realized that… he didn't have to do that!He pushed away from the tree and stared at his hands. His body hummed with an overwhelming strength. He felt the itch to burst into a race, the urge to outsource this insane energy he felt.“Young master. Are you alright? We-”"Who are you?” Pissed, Nicolas asked. He was about to end the call, when he glanced around one more time. “Look, I'm not sure where I am-" "That's okay, young master. We've locked into your location through the energy fluctuations of your heirloom necklace." "My heirloom-” Nicolas stopped when his hands automatically went to his necklace.The
CHAPTER 2
Sarah's scream pierced the air as Nicolas stormed into the room, his eyes blazing with anger and hurt. The atmosphere was electric with tension. "How can you do this to me Sarah?" he says softly, the pain evident in his voice.Sarah looked shocked at the interruption but a sneer soon replaced it. "And so?" She taunted, her voice dripping with malice.Alex laughed. “So, your husband was actually eavesdropping? So much for a useless man.”Nicolas's face twisted in rage, and he launched himself at Alex, but Sarah intervened, her hands grasping at Nicolas's arms. "Stop, Nicolas! Don't be stupid!" she snapped at him.But Nicolas shook her off, his eyes locked on Alex. "You're using my wife, aren't you?" Nicolas accused, his voice venomous."Sarah knows what she wants, and it's not you," Alex sneered.Nicolas turned to Sarah, his eyes blazing with rage. "Can't you see that he's just using you? You're just another pastime to him. When he's done with you, he'll fling you aside and move on t
