Julian Roscente rested his chin on one hand, lips curling in amusement.
"Mr. Crosier, weren't you just swearing to repay someone's debt? Why the sudden silence?"
The crowd erupted in laughter as Darren Crosier clenched his fists.
"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. How does it feel to be humiliated?"
"Don't take it personally. That woman specializes in manipulation. You're hardly the first to fall for it."
"Did everyone see how eagerly he groveled? Like a dog wagging its tail for scraps!"
The taunts pierced Darren like icicles, stripping him bare.
Unable to retaliate, he redirected his fury toward Sophia Sullivan.
"You bitch! How dare you make a fool of me!"
Reputation meant everything to Darren. This public disgrace shattered his restraint.
"Forget the debt! You assaulted someone earlier. Today, I'll deliver justice myself!"
With a roar, his hulking frame charged forward like a raging bull.
His bear-like physique and bloodshot eyes sent onlookers scrambling back.
Several women gasped behind their hands.
"Darren's lost his mind!"
"Crossing him is suicide!"
"Get back! He won't hold back when he's like this!"
His fist descended with a whoosh, leaving no room for mercy.
Yet Sophia stood motionless, her gaze calm as still water.
Too slow.
This brute left himself wide open. In the past, he'd have died a hundred times over.
As the meaty fist neared, the crowd held its breath.
Crack!
The sound of shattering kneecaps echoed.
Darren collapsed, knees smashing against the stone pavement.
"My leg—!"
His agonized scream turned his face ghostly white.
No need to check—the injury was undoubtedly gruesome.
As he prepared to curse, a tall figure stepped protectively before Sophia.
Ethan Sullivan's black shirt outlined his imposing frame, his aura radiating menace.
"Pathetic rage masked as bravado. How laughable."
His glacial stare pinned Darren in place.
"Apologize to Sophia. Otherwise... you'll regret the consequences."
Pain made Darren flinch instinctively, but the demand ignited fresh fury.
"Go to hell! Think I'm some pushover?"
He writhed like a maggot, struggling to rise.
"Fight me like a man!"
"Your wish is my command."
Ethan leisurely removed his tie.
The black silk coiled around his knuckles, glinting coldly as he tightened his grip.
"Let's see what you're made of."
Before the words faded, fists rained down like a storm.
Darren barely registered the movement before his collar yanked him face-first into the ground.
The sickening thuds of flesh meeting stone continued relentlessly.
Spectators cheered as the bully howled in pain.
"Karma! This pig's bullied people for years using his family name!"
"Evil meets its match!"
"Look at that swollen face—perfect for a hog!"
"Where's your hero act now? Crying for mommy?"
"Only tough against women, you coward!"
Everyone knew the truth: Darren pretended to defend Chloe Evans while ignoring Julian and Ethan—targeting only the vulnerable.
Bloodied and bruised, Darren screeched, "My uncle's coming! You'll beg for mercy when he arrives!"
Ethan's eyes frosted over.
"Still not learned your lesson."
His military boot crushed Darren's hand with a sickening crunch.
The scream that followed could wake the dead.