******The Mutt wasn’t alone. Instead, his partner, the other brute ordered to attack with him, was still waiting for his cue.And around them loomed more than a dozen thugs… each one eager and bloodthirsty, their eyes filled with the kind of hunger that only violence could satisfy.They had been watching her like wolves waiting for a wounded deer to stagger right from the start.So, even if she beat the Mutt and even if she destroyed his partner. What then?There would still be more of them.She could win fights, yes… but she wasn’t sure she could win the war that would follow. Not without breaking herself in the process.The reality of that truth settled in her chest, cold and crushing. But she forced it down, perfectly understanding that no one could ever know… no one could be allowed to see her weakness.So she straightened her spine, lifted her chin, and stood like a statue carved from defiance itself.Her calmness wasn’t just a weapon… it was armor, because every second

******The gang leader’s arrival had been nothing short of theatrical… his intention clear from the start.He hadn’t come merely to collect a protection fee from Red and cause trouble, no.He had come to shatter her, to crush her spirit before everyone, and turn her name into a fearful warning whispered by all. He had wanted the crowd to see what would happen to anyone foolish enough to stand beside her and against them.He had planned to use one stone to kill many birds… to humiliate her, drive her restaurant out of business or from the community, reclaim his dominance, and restore his reputation through one swift, ruthless display of power.But as things spiraled now… the stone had ricocheted, and now, it was coming straight back for his face.The more he realized it, the more his jaw locked tight until soon, his teeth ground together so hard that it sounded like gravel.His breath hissed between clenched teeth as rage flooded his veins, ch

******Actually, the gang leader had deliberately chosen to go after Red first... not only because it was an order from his boss... yes, his boss, but because he knew that once she was conquered, the rest would fall easily, like catching a slow-moving snail.In fact, they would probably submit to his gang on their own accord and pay their security fees without being asked; after all, their beloved and most respected heroine would already have been dealt with.And with the way things were unfolding now, that dream no longer seemed so far-fetched.For this reason, he let the crowd rage on for a moment longer, savoring it like a fine drink. Then, when their fury reached its peak, he took one deliberate step forward.His boots crunched over debris, the sound unnervingly crisp against the chaos.“All of you are furious, right?” he said suddenly.The words weren’t shouted… there was no need, because his voice alone already carried all the pressure of it… sounding eerily cold, cutting

******Red’s eyes instantly snapped in the direction of the voice that had just sounded.It came from one of the three giant thugs staring at her like wolves had finally cornered their prey, his scarred cheek currently twisting with a grin so cruel that it made her stomach churn.The faint humor in his tone couldn’t hide the darker pleasure behind it… the thrill of domination, and the glee of watching someone weaker break.His gaze on her was sharp and demeaning, the look of someone who saw her not as an opponent, but as something to be crushed beneath his heel without the slightest chance of being able to fight back.“Since you are so desperate to act strong,” he drawled, a lazy, arrogant, and condescending smirk curling his lips as he rolled his shoulders, “why don’t you prove it now? Go on... show us that so-called strength of yours. Let’s see if you’re anything more than show.” It sounded so arrogant that all the bystanders couldn’t help but feel furious, fuming in rage, wo

******Before the “Mutt” was sent flying away…Across the street, in a stunning, high-end, star-rated restaurant named Maple Leaf, roughly 150 feet away from Auntie Matilda's restaurant, the real puppeteers sat in comfort.Inside, behind the glass on the upper floor, a man in his early thirties lounged in a chair, smugness written all over his well-fed face.Around him, five young women in short, revealing uniforms hovered, attending to him like obedient pets.Two clung to him, one on each side, his hands shamelessly roaming under their clothes… one groped beneath a shirt, the other beneath a skirt.Another woman stood behind, massaging his shoulders, while a fourth knelt before him, rubbing his legs.The last one stood beside him, feeding him with wine and chicken, her hand trembling slightly as she lifted each piece to his lips.On the seats beside him sat several other men… his lackeys, all dressed sharply but wearing the smug expressions o