91Allvar’s breath hitched, but before he could react, his body seemed to move on instinct. He grabbed the leader by the collar and, to his own surprise, lifted him off the ground with ease. 'I didn’t know I still had it in me,' he thought, feeling a surge of muscle memory from his MMA days flood back into his limbs. “Let’s make this clear,” he growled, his face inches from the thug’s. “You either start talking... or I start breaking things that won’t heal.”The thug’s eyes widened in panic, but he clenched his jaw. "Do your worst," he rasped, trying to mask his fear.Allvar raised an eyebrow, almost amused by his own reaction time. Guess I’ve still got it. He loosened his grip slightly, sighing dramatically. "You know," he mused, "I really didn’t want to do this. But I guess you’ve left me no choice." With a swift movement, faster than he expected from himself, he slammed the thug back down onto the concrete, hard enough to knock the wind out of him. Damn, that was a clean move.Th

93Meanwhile, Allvar’s car cruised through the quiet, dimly lit streets, his thoughts still racing. He flexed his fingers around the steering wheel, his knuckles stinging from the blows. Adrenaline still hummed in his veins. It felt good to be back in action, to remind himself that he hadn’t lost his edge. But Derek’s audacity gnawed at him.Derek Hawthorne… Allvar’s fists clenched involuntarily. He’d known the guy would try to escalate things eventually, but to send thugs? That was low, even for him. Derek clearly didn’t understand who he was messing with. And now, Allvar hated him even more.“Gonna regret it, Hawthorne,” Allvar muttered under his breath.As he turned onto the street leading to his family’s estate, Allvar sighed. He really didn’t want to run into anyone tonight. Especially not Mr. Lorentz. 'Please Mr. Lorentz don't be there!'That man had eyes everywhere, and the last thing Allvar needed was a lecture—or worse, his father getting involved.He didn't want to have to

95Derek swallowed hard, his heart racing. "I won’t do anything stupid, Father," he said, his voice carefully measured.Victor stopped in his tracks and turned, narrowing his eyes. “You’ve already done something, haven’t you?”Derek froze, his throat tightening as he forced a casual shrug. "No, of course not."Victor’s gaze sharpened, his cold blue eyes boring into Derek’s. He stepped closer, his presence looming. “You better not be lying to me, Derek. The last time you acted without thinking, you almost ruined everything. I need you to be smarter than that."Derek’s palms started sweating. "I know, Father. I haven’t done anything reckless this time. I promise."Victor’s brow furrowed. “Promises don’t mean much when you’ve already broken them so many times.”Derek shifted on his feet, trying to hold his composure. "I won’t make the same mistake again. I’ve learned from it."Victor wasn’t convinced. “What exactly have you learned, Derek? That you can’t just throw your weight around wit

97“Nothing?” Victor’s brow arched skeptically, his gaze sharp and unforgiving. “You call that nothing? You’re shaking like a damn leaf, boy.”Derek forced a laugh, though it came out strained. "Just a little on edge. I didn’t hear you come in."Victor’s expression darkened. He stepped closer, his towering presence making Derek feel even smaller. "Don’t give me that crap. You’ve been acting strange ever since we talked. What’s going on?"Derek opened his mouth, then closed it, scrambling to come up with something convincing. "Just... a lot on my mind lately," he said quickly, hoping the excuse would be enough.Victor wasn’t having it. He crossed his arms, his eyes drilling into Derek. "A lot on your mind?" he echoed mockingly. "What exactly is it you’ve got on your mind, Derek? And it better not be something stupid. Because I swear to God, if I find out you’ve been up to something behind my back again—""No!" Derek cut in, his voice rising in panic. "I haven’t, I swear. I wouldn’t—"V

99The next few days were a blur of anxiety for Derek. The thug's calls became more frequent, each one more insistent than the last. He ignored them at first, hoping they'd stop on their own. But the constant buzzing of his phone was both an annoyance and a looming threat. Every time his phone lit up, his pulse quickened.By the third day, Derek couldn’t take it anymore. He picked up the phone, glaring at the unknown number flashing across the screen. His thumb hovered over the "Answer" button, but he hesitated. “What do they want?” he muttered, pacing the length of his office. “I’ve already paid them what they asked for. Why the hell are they still calling?”He considered asking Ethan for advice but quickly dismissed the idea. The less anyone knew about this, the better. He was in deep enough already. Derek eyed his phone like a snake poised to strike. Just as he was about to silence the device for the tenth time, it rang again. This time, the name of the thug’s contact appeared: “H