"Barnie, what’s going on? Why is this happening?” Lucas glared at Barnie once more, demanding an explanation. But Barnie was at a loss for words. For the first time in his life, he struggled so much to find the right words.“I’ll count to ten. If by the count of ten you four still haven’t shown yourselves, our security will drag you out,” Wales announced from the stage.He began counting: “One… two…”Lucas stared at the stage, his face pale. Lisa was equally distressed. If they didn’t confess, if they continued to pretend ignorance until the tenth count, they’d be embarrassed—dragged out of the ballroom in front of the guests.Such a thing had happened before at the prestigious Dominion Group tender auction. Should they really experience it again?“Five… six…”The once buzzing ballroom was now completely silent. Apart from Wales on stage, no one in the room spoke. Lisa and her brothers tightly covered their mouths, though their eye movements and expressions betrayed the chaos within
Lisa and her brothers were stunned. Hotel security officers grabbed their arms and dragged them towards the side door of the ballroom."Let me go! This is extortion! Let me go!" Lisa screamed, struggling against their grip.The security officers ignored her, showing no special consideration because she was a woman.Lucas and his two younger brothers exchanged worried glances, silently questioning what they should do. But no one offered a solution.The four of them were pulled out of the ballroom, and, as Wales had instructed, the security officers continued dragging them until they were outside The Majestic Grand."Get out of here! Don’t ever show your faces around here again!" one of the officers said, shoving Lisa so hard that she stumbled onto the sidewalk.Lucas and his brothers met the same fate. The scene caught the attention of nearby pedestrians, who watched Lisa and her brothers with puzzled expressions, but that was all they did.The security officers returned to the hotel;
Luisa's face transformed from bright to dark. Her eyes widened, her pupils dilated."Scott, what’s happening here? Who are these people?" she asked softly.Scott heard her but didn't reply. He stared at the armed men forcing their way in as if memorizing their faces.Then he glanced at Zach, who nodded. He did the same to Lombard, and Lombard nodded too."Everyone stay where you are! No one try anything funny!" the same armed man shouted.Several guests turned to Zach, waiting for his command. They were soldiers from Battalion I, led by Zach. Though not in uniform, each hid a pistol and was ready to fight.Zach shook his head, signaling them to wait. The moment to strike hadn't arrived yet."Which one of you is Scott? Is that you?" the armed man asked loudly, pointing his gun at Scott."Yes, I'm Scott. Do you have business with me?" Scott replied, stepping forward.He could have moved further, but Luisa held him back. His wife shook her head, looking at him anxiously."Come here! Now!
The mafiosos of The Crimson Brotherhood in the ballroom stared at Scott with tense expressions. Even though they outnumbered him, Scott had the advantage right now because he held their boss hostage. The powerful and intimidating aura emanating from Scott's body convinced them he wasn’t bluffing.Alex, Alfonso's right-hand man in The Crimson Brotherhood, also sensed the unusual aura Scott possessed. Unlike the other mafiosos, Alex appeared relaxed. Silently, he moved one hand behind his back, retrieving a hidden trident.“You bastard! How dare you do this to me! If you think you can walk out of here alive after this, you're wrong! Dead wrong!” Alfonso shouted, clutching Scott’s leg.He intended to lift Scott's leg and roll to the side, but for some reason, Scott’s leg felt impossibly heavy, like he was gripping an iron pillar, not a leg.“Are you stupid or what? If I wanted, I could kill you this very second. The fact that you’re still breathing is because I’m allowing it,” Scott said
Alfonso's face grew increasingly pale. His mouth hung open. Why had soldiers suddenly stormed into the ballroom, aiming their rifles at his men? Who had sent them?"I said drop your weapons! Now!" the soldier barked again.The members of The Crimson Brotherhood, including Kevin, turned in unison to Alfonso, waiting for him to give the order.Alfonso finally nodded. At once, his men dropped their weapons. A moment of clattering noise filled the room.The soldier who had spoken gave instructions to the other soldiers to secure The Crimson Brotherhood members, Kevin among them. Kevin looked bewildered and dazed.Scott glanced at Kevin, remembering the man's earlier threats, and pointed at him, saying, "Hey you! I still have business with you!"Kevin turned to face Scott, startled. He didn't yet know who Scott was, but he could read the situation and was sure these soldiers were on Scott's side.Anyone in the room would have noticed that, although the soldiers didn't show it directly, the
"Somebody here needs to explain this situation to me!" Thomas demanded loudly.He and Scott were still locked in a stare. Scott remained silent, unblinking."What that woman said doesn't reflect what really happened," Zach said as he stepped forward.Thomas shifted his gaze to him, scrutinizing."You’re the new Chief of Police in Mildenbrough, aren’t you?" Zach asked."Yes. And who are you?" Thomas shot back, curtly."I’m the commander of Battalion I in this city. You can call me Zach."Thomas narrowed his eyes, scanning Zach from top to bottom. His interlocutor wore a suit that was far from military in appearance. Yet, he radiated a strong aura."In other words, these soldiers are under your command? You’re the one who deployed them here?" Thomas asked."Correct," Zach replied."And what's the problem here?"Zach pointed to Scott and said, "This gentleman is my friend. He got married today. Suddenly, these mafias barged in and forced the wedding to stop. They even threatened my frien
At the Mildenbrough City Police Station...In the interrogation room, Thomas and Scott sat across from each other, separated by a long table and the walls."Don’t treat me like a child. I know you’re hiding something," Thomas said, his eyes locked on Scott with intense seriousness.Scott gave a thin, crooked smile. "And what could I possibly be hiding from you, Officer? I’ve said everything I need to say," he replied.Crash!Thomas slammed his hand on the table, standing up and leaning forward to glare at Scott."Mr. Lombard and General Zach aren’t just anyone. They’re two of the few people with such significant influence. They wouldn’t have defended you like that if you weren’t someone of importance," Thomas said.Scott raised an eyebrow slightly, meeting Thomas's gaze without a hint of inferiority or intimidation."Tell me, who are you really? What do you have that makes them treat you so specially?" Thomas pressed further.Scott’s smile widened a bit more."I think you’re asking th
"You want me to make him rot in prison?""Yes, Officer. Only if you promise to do whatever it takes to make Scott rot in jail will I let you enjoy my body."Thomas squinted. He drummed his fingers on the table again.He'd love to see Scott locked up and rotting behind bars. The problem was, that Scott was protected by Lombard and Zach. Putting Scott in prison meant picking a fight with them. Was Thomas ready to take on two influential men at once?Lisa could sense Thomas's hesitation by studying his face. To her, this was an unexpected golden opportunity. She couldn't let it slip away.So she started to act, pretending to adjust her dress while touching her boobs. She saw Thomas's eyes immediately fixed on them."If you think my request is too much for you, Officer, I guess our conversation is over. I want to go back to my cell and wait for my father to take me home," Lisa said.Her confidence soared. She felt completely at ease now. She even lifted her chin a bit, showcasing her smoo