Pedaling her bike against the biting wind, Aubree’s face had gone numb. “Once senior year is finally over, the very first thing I’ll do is get my driver’s license,” she grumbled to herself.


    Aubree tightened her jacket against the chill,pletely oblivious to the red-haired figure staggering out from the bar she’d just passed.


    Jacob’s bloodshot eyes locked onto the retreating figure. Before his alcohol-clouded mind could process what was happening, he’d already swung onto his motorcycle and roared off in pursuit.


    Jacob thought to himself, ‘Well, I hadn’t even gone looking for her yet, and she just fell right into myp.


    ‘Aubree, huh? So you’ve got some so-called connection with Bowen. Well, that paltry little acquaintance won’t mean a damn thing in *his* world.


    The roar of a motorcycle engine suddenly erupted beside Aubree’s ear. Before she could even identify the rider, a dark blur shot past-then, a bike skidded sideways, abruptly blocking her path.


    Everything happened in a split second-Aubree had no time to brake and crashed head-on into the motorcycle’s front.


    The impact sent Aubree reeling.


    Aubree barely managed to steady herself, narrowly avoiding an embarrassing facent. “What the hell is wrong with you?”


    Jacob didn’t even care about his motorcycle, reeking of alcohol, his bloodshot eyes fixed on her. He drawled menacingly, “Well, well, if it isn’t Aubree. Long time no see.”


    “What do you want?” Aubree demanded. He’d been digging into her past.


    Jacob scoffed, “What do I want? Wasn’t it obviousst time? Stop ying dumb. You’re just an orphan girl kicked out by the Wilson family-how the hell did you suddenly get so capable?


    “Looks like you’ve already been passed around by Bowen and Alvin. I’m from the Timbeke family. Do you know my sister? She’s married to Bowen’s older brother. Even Alvin has to call me uncle. Stick with me, and I’ll treat you right.”


    “Are you out of your mind?” Aubree was genuinely taken aback by Jacob’s family connections.


    No sooner had Aubree fallen out with Bowen than she ran straight into Jacob, hitting on her. She thought to herself, ‘Just my luck.’


    Most importantly, even in her previous life, she knew that Bowen deeply respected his elder brother, and, by extension, his sister-inw too.


    To make matters worse, there wasn’t a soul in sight.


    Aubree thought to herself, ‘Jacob is drunk-he might not actually be able to overpower me.


    The drunken man staggered closer, reeking of alcohol. Aubree’s muscles tensed. Seizing the opportunity, sheshed out with her backpack, mming it straight into Jacob’s face.


    Jacob clutched his face, howling in pain. “Fuck. When I get my hands on you, you’re dead meat.”


    Aubree didn’t hesitate-she bolted.


    “Fuck” Jacob lunged forward in pursuit, but just as he moved, a blinding beam of headlights suddenly cut through the


    +38.


    darkness. Instinctively squinting against the re, he heard the sharp clunk of car doors opening nearby.


    The next moment, a powerful kick mmed into him, sending him sprawling to the ground.


    Aubree fled without a backward nce,pletely unaware of the violent scene unfolding behind her.


    Jacob scrambled to his feet, clutching his sore ass. “Who the fuck just sucker-punched me?” he roared. But when he finally saw the three hulking men closing in, his blood turned to ice-he was scared out of his wits.


    ‘Did I piss anyone offtely?’ he wondered. Before he could even process it, Ethan, Samson, and Zachary instantly swarmed him and started beating the crap out of him.


    Jacob shouted, “Agh. Who the hell are you guys?. Do you even know who I am?”


    Jacob scrambled for cover, about to shout out his identity, then suddenly froze. ‘Wait. Isn’t this the guy who punched mest time?’ he thought. Aren’t they Bowen’s right-hand men?’


    Ethan sneered, “Huh? Cat got your tongue? Who the hell are you?”


    Samson barked, “Think you can get drunk and harass a girl? Beat the crap out of him.”


    Ethan and Samson traded taunts as they beat him, each blownding harder than thest.


    Zachary stayed silent, only grunting in acknowledgment as his blows grew heavier.


    “Fucking stop. Ethan, Samson, open your damn eyes and see who I am. I’m Jacob.” Jacob’s pleasure-seeking, frail frame was no match for the three-man beating, and he kept howling in pain.


    ‘Huh? They stopped?’ he wondered.


    The moment Jacob bellowed, the rain of punches abruptly stopped.


    ‘Now they’re scared, huh? Toote,’ Jacob thought with a chilling sneer, ‘Just wait till I see Bowen. I’ll make sure he makes those bastards pay dearly.’


    Before Jacob could straighten up, a powerful kick mmed into his gut, sending him flying three feet backward. “B-Bowen?”