Marco spat blood and curses In one go.


    "You... you''re dead neat! And now you''ve made the rest of us dead neat, too!"


    He was all wild eyes and trembling rage, but Alex just cocked his head, looking about as threatened as a bored housecat.


    "That so?" Alex replied, voice t, like he''d rather turn on his hee than waste another word.


    "Stop!" Megan jumped to stop him, arms stretched wide like a rickety fence.


    "You bastard! You dare mess with Jasper Drake? Do you have any clue what you''ve done? We''ll all pay for this!"


    Alex nced from Megan to Marco, his expression as cold as a Janary wind.


    "I don''t care."


    "But we do!" Sophia cried, voice shaking as she stepped closer.


    "You''ve ruined us! Jasper''s father won''t stop at you; he''lle after everyone tied to you!"


    "You''d better turn yourself and beg forgiveness," Megan warned, her voice trembling. "Don''t take us all down with you."


    "That''s right!" Marco sneered, still hugging his battered nose, using Megan as a shield. "You must be out of your mind to hurt Mr. Drake''s son."


    A few murmurs rippled through the crowd, anxious whispers chasing one another like gusts of a gathering storm.


    "He should''ve quit while he was ahead," someone muttered.


    "Why fling that knife and drag us into his mess?" another chimed in.


    The knot in Alex''s gut tightened. He''d stepped in to protect Sophia and now they were treating him like a rabid dog.


    Jason Paige-one of Jasper''s toadies-threw his sneer into the ring.


    "So you can fight, big deal. Ever heard of power and status? The Drakes have both. They''ll make you grovel for the rest of your days."


    “He''s just some poor guy who happens to be ex-military and now Kingston''s hired muscle. Not worth risking our necks over," Marco shouted.


    "Let''s just hand him over. Why should we all suffer for his stupidity?"


    Those words whipped around Alex like a cold wind, and people began circling in, fear morphing into anger, then into me. Marcotched onto Sophia''s wrist and pulled her toward the door.


    "See how this is going, Sophia? He is trouble-nothing but it. Let''s go exin ourselves to Jasper before that lunatic father of his shows up."


    "But


    Sophia wavered, ncing at Alex, clearly torn.


    "Move it, Miss Sophia!" Megan barked, practically dragging her out. "Before Han Drake storms into our front door!"


    With that, they slipped through the entrance, leaving Alex to face the growing hostility of the crowd alone.


    Some guests hesitated, their expressions torn between fear and guilt, but others closed in on Alex, muttering about how it would be easier to appease the Drakes by offering him up.


    "What''s the matter? Scared?" Jason Paige taunted with a smug grin, his voice dripping with arrogance.


    "Since you''ve got no guts, get on your knees and bow down to me! Maybe, just maybe, I''ll help you beg for forgiveness from


    Han Drake-If you put me in a good mood."


    **


    Another voice chimed in, egging him on. "Yeah, stop standing the like a fool! Hurry up and grovel to Mr. Drake!"


    Jason Jabbed a finger into Alex''s chest, leaning closer with a snee


    "Listen up, punk. Don''t say I didn''t give you a chance," Jason sneered, his voiceced with arrogance.


    "Do you have any idea how close 1 am to Han Drake? If you get on your knees and beg, maybe just maybe I''ll consider helping you. But if you don''t, well... don''te crying when things get ugly."


    Alex stayed silent, his expression unreadable.


    ''Arrogance, huh?" Jason spat on the floor, his disdain palpable. "What does it matter if you know how to fight? Without power or status, you''re nothing-a nobody."


    He leaned in, his voice dripping with mockery. "Just a foot soldier. To people like me, you''re worth less than the dirt under my shoes."


    "Are you aware that you''re ying with fire?" Alex asked, his tone calm but carrying an edge sharp enough to cut.


    Jason''s smirk only widened. "ying with fire? Not only do I want to y with fire-I want to y with your life! Believe it or not, my money could turn your friends and family into your enemies. I''ll show you what real despair feels like. Living will seem worse than death!"


    A dark shadow crossed Alex''s face as Jason spoke.


    His hand shot out, gripping Jason''s middle finger.


    "You asked for this," Alex said, his voice low and dangerous.


    With a quick, sharp motion, Alex bent the finger backward, eliciting a scream of pure agony from Jason. The finger twisted unnaturally, pointing where it had no business going.


    "You bastard!" Jason howled, clutching his hand.


    "How dare you hit him again!" someone shouted, the usations flying thick.


    "You''re a dead man!" another screamed.


    "Stop it!" Jasmine Kingston''s voice cut through the chaos like a whip.


    She stepped forward, her expression cold and unyielding.


    Jason, still reeling from the pain, nced at Jasmine.


    "Miss Kingston, I''d advise you to stay out of this. That man is already marked. Han Drake doesn''t forgive. Touching his son is signing your own death warrant!"


    Jasmine''s lips curled into a frosty smile. "So you''re afraid of Han Drake, but not of me?"


    She took a step closer, her heels clicking sharply on the floor. "Let me show you why that''s a mistake."


    She turned to an older man standing nearby.


    "Joe," she called calmly.


    "Yes, Miss?" the man replied, stepping forward with a slight bow.


    "How long would it take to ruin Jason Paige and his entire family?"


    Joe adjusted his sses, his expression unbothered.


    "Ten minutes, Miss." He paused, then added, "Five minutes if I use all the resources at the Kingston family''s disposal."


    Jasmine''s gaze locked onto Jason, her voice dripping with icy anger. "Make it three."


    "Consider it done. " Joe pulled out his phone and made a single call


    "Jason Paige and Paige Telmunications," he said, his tone brisk. “Bankrupt


    in three minutes."


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