As Sonia spoke the hateful words without taking her eyes off him, Jason remembered when one of the prisoners pushed a warden, and the latter hit his head against a rail and fainted.

When the other wardens came over to ask them to point out the offender and nobody answered, they were flogged with rods on their bareback after which they were asked to lie down, face up while the sun blazed.

Jason had thought that was the most painful thing he would have to endure but the statement from Sonia caused him more pain than the inhumane treatment of the wardens.

“What are you saying, babe?” he asked in disbelief, he took a step forward but was jerked back aggressively by the men beside him.

Sonia who saw that he couldn’t get to her smiled in derision “Are you deaf? I have no idea that prison affected people’s hearing as well these days”

“That is not a thing for a delicate flower like you to discover, after all, darling,” Matteo said beside her as he raised her hand and kissed her hands with his eyes on Jason.

Muscles twitched aggressively in Jason’s clenched jaw but he held himself back.

Sonia giggled as she enjoyed the attention of her fiancé, who would have genuinely become her husband now if not for Jason’s interference. She became angrier at the thought that the honeymoon in the Bahamas could be delayed because of this loser that did not know his place.

“This jailbird seemed to have a problem with understanding. It must have something to do with what they give them in the prison. Look here, Jason. I would advise you to turn right on your heels and leave this place before you rue the day you were born”

“No, darling. Not even for your sake will I let go of this old… friend of yours. He had insulted me, caused chaos during our beautiful wedding, and look at you, my darling. The beautiful creation customised for you from Italy has been ruined by this peasant”

“Yes,” Sonia’s anger renewed as she looked down at her gown again. Her kewpie doll’s face scrunched as she wagged her finger towards Jason “Yes, darling. Teach him some lessons. Let me go change and once you are through and refreshed, we can continue”

She turned to her maid of honour and just as she was about to give her instructions, she heard from behind her

“I never did realize that you are such a heartless bitch. I guess you played your game so well that I overlooked the fact that you are such a slut”

“Who are you calling names, you bastard? Sheila, remove my train!” Sonia shouted at her maid of honour.

Her lengthy train was the type that could be removed from the body of the gown. Sheila unclipped the train and held it as she saw her friend stalk towards her ex-boyfriend. Sheila’s opinion about her friend’s involvement with Matteo had earned her the cold shoulder from Sonia for more than two years.

They only reconciled recently so Sheila kept her opinion to herself and watched the show just as every other person that was still present.

“Who the hell do you think you are? Coming in here like an idiot to ruin my perfect wedding, humiliating me and my husband? Do you think I would wait around for a nobody like you when a man like Matteo wants me? Are you nut?” Sonia raised her hand to slap Jason but he jerked off the man holding his right arm and held her hand mere inches away from his face.

Sonia’s eyes widened as she felt the strength of his hands on her hand and she momentarily feared that he would crush her pampered hand. She knew he was surrounded by Matteo’s men, her men though so she dismissed her fear.

“It would have been better for you to keep acting the damsel in distress you know, at least I could have still had some illusions about it. But right now, not only do you show the true bitch that you are; I can see just how ugly you are beneath that soft skin of yours”

“What are you all standing around for?” she yelled at the men who had not done anything else apart from surrounding him. The one whose hand Jason jerked off was having a tough time holding him back even as Jason spoke to Sonia with a mocking smile on his face.

Jason dropped her hand that he held with a look of distaste on his face and that angered Sonia more. Not only had he called her ugly, but now he found her unattractive? That was unacceptable!

“Take this bastard and lock him up again! For a longer time than before this time. He needed to learn his lesson!” she turned her back on him and walked back towards Matteo, satisfied that they would obey her. She was their new mistress after all. Almost.

The leader of the men looked at Matteo and he nodded slightly. The men with Jason ordered him to move.

Jason sighed. There was no avoiding this. He thought as he saw Silas running towards where the crowd were whispering to one another excitedly.

This would make for the juiciest gossip in a long time. The wedding of the year had turned out to be such a circus.

Gasps went through the crowd as Jason, who had turned as if he intended to go with the men, suddenly feinted and took the man to his left down with a swift sweep of his leg. The man crashed against the chairs that had been vacated and the women closer squealed as they scampered to safety.

In a split second, Jason had pulled back his arm clenching his fist. He threw it forward with a force that knocked the other man backwards, they recovered quickly enough and came on to him again.

In a surprising move, he struck both men simultaneously. Before they could recover, his feet scissored in a way that left the men gasping for breath and they stay down. Other men came at him from all sides.

Matteo smiled to himself as he knew that Jason wouldn’t be able to fight off that many. What was the idiot thinking?

He turned to Sonia who was looking at Jason with widened eyes as she wondered how he was able to make those moves. Jason looked hot to her at that moment with the way he moved. If only he was as wealthy as Matteo. She thought fleetingly.

Matteo frowned as he saw the enraptured look on Sonia’s face and he forgot what he was about to tell her as anger filled him.

“Take that bastard down, I say! He is not allowed to leave this place of his own will. Beat him down!” he yelled in a way that had Sonia look over at him a bit fearfully.

He gave her a cruel grin and turned his gaze back to the fight.

Even though his men were trained, they have been with his family for years. He could see that the blows and kicks that managed to connect with Jason’s body were not slowing him down.

With a combination of kickboxing, Muay Thai, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Matteo saw the way Jason ploughed through his men effortlessly. He had heard of the mixed martial arts before and he knew that his men wouldn’t be able to withstand the bastard in no time.

Even though they kept standing up as he knocked them down methodically, Matteo knew that was just a matter of time.

No way was he going to allow this peasant to walk out of this place today. Not after he humiliated him so.

He smiled to himself as he collected his phone from his phone bearer and dialled a number.

“Get back, Sy” Jay shouted, the first statement he had made since he started fighting. He need not stress himself as he knew that these men were nothing compared to what he had been prepared for but when he saw his friend facing off with one of the men who was almost twice his size. He lost his cool.

And swore as a blow glanced off his ear. Damn it, Sy.

As he held the man who boxed his ear in a headlock that had him gasping, Jason shouted “Get out of here, Sy”

Silas who was just thinking he had probably bitten off more than he could chew as the man he faced advanced on him, shouted “The hell I will get out of here while you get beaten to a pulp”

Jason rolled his eyes as he blocked one blow and delivered a kick to another. Before he could look back again though, he realized that a hush had fallen on the crowd.

Oh shit. He thought as he saw men with Insignia of the Aces of Concannon approaching with none other leading them but the dreaded godfather himself. Jason turned to see the signal godfather made with two fingers that they should accost him.

The Fitzgeralds men retreated immediately.

"Damn," Jason thought as he blamed himself for not having a backup. Well, he hoped Sy was able to get away. There would be no getting away for him.

Still, he fisted his hands and waited for the men to reach him. He was not going down without a fight.

"Stop!" Godfather shouted just before they surrounded him.

Adrenaline pumping furiously, Jason looked at the man again and saw him looking wide-eyed with reverence at the plain-looking ring on Jason's finger.

Well.