One by one, each guest stepped forward with a look of grim determination.


    Every time someone approached, two sharp ps resounded-one across Be''s cheek, the other across Henry''s-before the guest left without so much as a backward nce.


    It was a relentless parade of humiliation, everyone too afraid to disobey the man whomanded them.


    While this sick assembly line of ps continued, a subordinate from Kingwell handed Alex a thick folder.


    The moment he read its contents, his expression darkened.


    Still, the pping went on, as if the guests were workers on a factory line.


    Be''s face swelled to twice its size, and Henry''s lips were puffed and raw. Tears streaked Be''s cheeks as she whimpered, "I''m sorry."


    Alex folded his arms, looking unimpressed.


    "Oh, really? Tell me, Be, have you ever forgiven anyone who begged you for mercy?"


    Be sniffled, her voice trembling, "Yes... I mean, if someone apologized—"


    Alex snorted. "Don''t lie to me. I''ve dug up all your dirty secrets in Vermont."


    "If you happened to despise someone just because she was prettier than you, you destroyed her face without hesitation."


    "No matter how much they cried or pleaded, you never stopped. Worse, I have proof your father tried to sweep it all under the rug-thirty-five cases in total, and eleven of them ended in murder."


    He tossed the documents on the floor, letting photos of countless victims spill out.


    The guests gasped at the gruesome evidence: battered faces, lifeless bodies, horror frozen in every image.


    "For decades, you''ve unleashed terror without anyone daring to give justice to your victims. Well, your overdue karma has finally arrived."


    He red at Be, then turned on her closest allies.


    "Marie, Cathy, Julie. You''re her best friends in this bullying spree. Each of you is just as twisted as she is. Now you''ll have one chance to make it right."


    The three looked like cornered animals.


    Their father owned majorpanies in Vermont, yet here they were, trembling before Alex.


    "Pick up those mping pliers. Each of you is going to rip out three of Be''s nails. Do it, and I''ll consider wiping your te


    clean."


    "But if you refuse-after all the hell you helped her unleash-you''ll kneel next to those two, and every single person here will line up to p your faces raw. So, what''s it gonna be?"


    The trio exchanged horrified nces.


    Marie swallowed, Cathy trembled, Julie looked ready to faint.


    Finally, they agreed, voices shaky. "We''ll... we''ll take the nails."


    Be''s eyes widened in terror.


    "No, please don''t do this!" she shrieked, voice ragged and desperate.


    Julie winced. "Be, we''re sorry. But your nails will grow back. Our lives won''t if we refuse."


    She looked away as Be sobbed and thrashed.


    Henry tried to speak through his own pain. "You-you have no idea what you''re doing," he spat.


    "Jericho Kane rules Vermont. He won''t let this go. You''d better stop now or risk making an enemy of the entire Kane family." Without warning, Alex raised his gun and shot.


    The bullet tore through Henry''s thigh, dropping him with a scream, blood soaking his pants-not fatal, but agonizing,


    "When Jericho Kane protects monsters like Be-monsters who prey on the innocent-it''s only a matter of time before someone stronger brings him to his knees."


    Alex''s eyes locked onto Henry''s, cold and unflinching, burning straight through him..


    "Don''t forget-Kane might oversee Vermont, but the people still have their king. And that king has warriors who aren''t afraid to do what must be done."


    He stepped in close, his voice a low, deadly whisper. "Jericho Kane won''t outrun justice. Not this time. Not ever."


    Henry let out a harsh, mockingugh.


    "You? You''re nothing but a grunt-some washed-up ex-military mutt ying boy toy to Jessica Kingston. I''ve seen your file, Alex. My intel misses nothing. Don''t think you can scare me with your tough guy act." (2


    He sneered. "You think you''re the king''s warrior? You''re just a discarded soldier clinging to a fantasy. You''ll die at Jericho Kane''s hands. That''s a promise."


    "Be smart-get on your knees, and maybe I''ll consider begging Kane to spare your pitiful life."


    Alex sighed, finally grasping the futility of speaking to a man who mistook his own shadow for the center of the world.


    "You bastard!" Barbie, one of Henry''s four female bodyguards-though built like a seasoned fighter-yelled and stepped forward, finally recovered from the initial knockout.


    She red at Alex. "You caught me off guard before, but now I''m taking you seriously. You won''t get away with this."


    Alex sighed. "I don''t like hitting women unless absolutely necessary. It''d be best if you pretended to be unconscious like the


    others."


    Barbie''s face twisted with rage. "Unlike them, I''m Barbie the Tiger w, champion


    of Muay Thai. I don''t lose. You should be terrified!"


    Henry tried to egg her on despite his injury, believing in her abilities.


    "Yeah, punk! Kneel down before you get destroyed! Barbie''s the Tiger w-he''s never lost a fight in his life!"


    The crowd erupted like a thunderp.


    "What?! That''s Barbie Somchai-the Tiger w?! The legendary transgender fighter who ughtered forty men in the arena?"


    "No way! The Tiger w''s actually here? This just went from brutal to historic!"


    "Tiger w? You serious? That name alone makes seasoned fighters piss themselves!"


    "There''s barely a handful in the world who can stand toe-to-toe with that beast. This man''s finished!"


    Gasps turned to cheers.


    Whispers turned to roars.


    The moment Barbie''s identity was revealed, the room transformed his name


    igniting awe, fear, and bloodthirsty anticipation.


    People whispered about Barbie''s reputation, fueling his pride.


    "What''s wrong, punk?" Henry taunted. "You were cocky a minute ago. Did the


    name "Tiger w'' scare you speechless?"


    Alex shrugged with an air of indifference. "Never heard of him."


    The crowd gasped and began hurling insults.


    "He''s an idiot, doesn''t even know Tiger w!"


    "He''s dead meat!"


    Barbie''s face turned deadly. "You''ll pay for that insult," he sneered


    "I don''t care who you are," Alex said, turning his stony gaze on Be.


    "Leave now, or I won''t hold back. I never liked harming women or transgender folks with a woman''s heart."


    Henry''s voice shook with terror. "Barbie! Just kill him already!"


    Barbie snarled and charged. "You want death, you got it!"


    He sprang into the air, arms outstretched like a hawk ready to shred its prey.


    The crowd roared in anticipation.


    But Alex simply lifted his gun and pulled the trigger.


    A single bullet lodged itself square between Barbie''s eyes.


    The fighter''s body jerked, then crashed to the floor, lifeless.


    Alex exhaled, a trace of weariness in his voice.


    "I''m done wasting my breath on idiots."


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