15 Million Reasons For Revenge

Chapter 5: Cross housholds are finished

The air turned sharp.

Clara’s words cut through the noise like a blade of ice, and the statement rolled across the club like a chilly breeze.

Every face around us went pale. Even Donovan had goosebumps crawling up his neck. His expression was composed, but his eyes betrayed him. He was nervous. Terrified, even.

And Damian...

He looked like someone had just pulled the ground from under him. His jaw slackened. His pupils trembled as he stared at me, as if trying to process the impossible.

Alina wasn’t much better. She just stood there, eyes hollow, lips slightly parted. The same woman who used to mock me, who’d call me useless and broke, now looked like her brain had short-circuited trying to understand what was happening.

The “loser” they’d stepped on like dirt was suddenly standing beside someone they couldn’t afford to offend.

Clara’s gaze hardened. Her lashes lowered slightly as she gave a single, subtle signal with her eyes.

One of the bodyguards behind her stepped forward immediately.

“Rex,” Clara said softly, her tone calm, commanding.

The man nodded once and moved like a shadow. His steps were silent but heavy, his presence suffocating.

Damian blinked, snapping out of his daze. He stumbled backward, his voice shaking.

“W–wait! Miss, there must be a misunderstanding! Please! Listen to me!”

Rex expression was stone-cold; his eyes were empty of empathy. He didn’t hear Damian’s words—only Clara’s command.

He reached for Damian’s throat, but a blur of motion cut across him.

Someone blocked the path.

The man’s build was familiar—too familiar. My gut twisted.

It was Johnny, Donovan’s bodyguard.

The same bastard who had beaten me to a pulp just hours ago.

I clenched my fists, my jaw tightening in disgust. Clara must have caught the grimace on my face, because her gaze flicked toward the man—and her tone turned razor-sharp.

“Rex, cripple him.*”

The bodyguard’s lips curled into a cold, cruel smile. He didn’t hesitate.

With a single, clean motion, Rex swung his fist.

Whoosh—!

The air split from the sheer force of the punch. Johnny barely had time to react. With Damian cowering behind him, he couldn’t dodge. He had no choice but to throw his own punch.

BAM!

The crack of bone echoed like thunder, followed by a high-pitched, guttural scream.

“AAAHHH!”

Johnny’s face contorted in agony. His fingers twisted at odd angles, his knuckles split open. Beads of sweat rolled down his temples as he stumbled back, his body trembling violently.

Two steps—then three—before he dropped to his knees.

The man who once looked down on me like trash now grovelled on the floor, broken by a single punch.

Rex didn’t stop there.

His eyes glinted dangerously as he raised his leg—

BAM!

The kick sent Johnny sprawling. His head hit the marble floor with a sickening thud. He didn’t get back up.

Then Rex turned his attention to Damian.

“D–don’t come closer!” Damian shouted, voice cracking. “You can’t touch me! My family will protect me!”

His legs were shaking uncontrollably. His confidence, his arrogance—gone. He looked like a frightened child about to cry.

“Stop! I said stop!” he yelled again, his words trembling. “Mr. Donovan! Mr. Donovan, please save me!”

His voice broke into desperate sobs. “You—you’re good friends with my grandfather, right? It’s me, Damian Cross! You have to save me!”

Donovan’s face twisted, a sneer curling his lips.

“Good friend, my ass,” he said coldly, stepping forward. “You dumb bastard—you offended Mr. Cole. You’re finished. You, your family… all of you.”

The words hit Damian like bullets. His knees buckled, his body trembling uncontrollably.

Donovan then turned toward me and Clara, adjusting his jacket and bowing low. His tone shifted instantly, becoming polished and reverent.

“Mr. Cole,” he said smoothly, voice dripping with respect. “Your reputation precedes you. I truly regret that such trash dared offend you in my establishment. This is my failure.”

He paused, glancing at Clara before continuing with a humble smile.

“Please, allow me a chance to redeem myself. I promise, I’ll handle this matter personally.”

I studied him quietly.

Donovan was a snake—no doubt about it. A self-made tycoon who knew exactly how to survive. His instincts were razor-sharp, his words carefully calculated.

He had already made his choice—to abandon the Cross family and attach himself to me.

Before I could respond, Clara moved closer—too close. Her arm slipped around mine, soft and warm. I froze slightly as her chest pressed gently against me through the thin fabric of my shirt.

Her voice brushed against my ear, low and teasing.

“Donovan’s one of the snakes in Lisle City,” she murmured, her tone smooth as silk. “He wants to suck up to you—ride your coattails, if you’ll let him.”

Her lips ghosted a smirk.

“If you wish, he’ll make a very obedient dog. If not… we can let him crawl back into the gutter where he belongs.”

To Clara, the dignified tycoon of Miami City was only qualified to be a dog?

I didn’t know whether to laugh or tremble. The way she said it made even a man like Donovan look small. I couldn’t quite follow her thoughts, but one thing was clear: Clara was dangerous. The Cole Group’s influence wasn’t just powerful—it was terrifying.

Donovan caught my eye, waiting for my decision like a soldier awaiting orders. I nodded slightly.

“Do as you please,” I said.

Excitement flickered in his eyes. He turned toward Damian, patted Rex on the shoulder, and said coldly, “Leave the rest to me.”

Within seconds, over a dozen muscular men emerged from the Mirage Club. Each one carried a club. Donovan pointed at Damian. “Beat the shit out of him.”

“Yes, sir!” they shouted in unison.

Damian froze. His eyes darted wildly, his body trembling. An ugly yellow stain spread down his legs, dripping onto the pavement. The stench hit almost immediately. Alina, standing beside him, gasped as the liquid splashed onto her feet. Her expression went blank, her body shaking like a leaf in a storm.

“Don’t—!” Damian screamed before the first hit even landed. He collapsed to his knees in fear, sobbing uncontrollably. The once-arrogant bastard was now a pitiful heap, crawling toward me.

“Ethan—no—sir, Mr. Cole!” he stammered, his words tangled in tears. “I was wrong! I shouldn’t have messed with you! I shouldn’t have hit on your girlfriend! I’ll return Alina to you, I swear—she’s yours! Please, forgive me just this once!”

Return?

The word made my stomach churn.

As if Alina was some possession he could hand back whenever it suited him. My fists clenched, anger pulsing through my veins. I gave Donovan a silent signal.

Donovan’s lips curved into a grim smile. “Do it.”

The men dragged Damian into a nearby alley. A moment later, the sound of clubs striking flesh filled the air.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The crunch of breaking bones and Damian’s gut-wrenching wails echoed against the walls, seeping into the night. His cries mixed with the dull rhythm of blows until it became an ugly symphony of pain.

When I looked back, Alina’s face was as pale as marble. Her body trembled uncontrollably, her lips quivering. Tears streamed down her cheeks, streaking her ruined makeup until she looked like a drowned ghost.

“Ethan…I—I made a mistake. Please… forgive me. You loved me so much back then. You’ll forgive me, right?”

If this were before, maybe I would have. Maybe her tears would’ve meant something.

But now, they only disgusted me.

Before I could speak, Clara stepped forward, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. She came to stand in front of me, her cold perfume mixing with the metallic scent of blood in the air. When she looked at Alina, it wasn’t anger—it was pure disdain, the kind of look a queen gives a beggar.

“You’re Alina, right?” she asked, her tone calm and cutting. “Mr. Cole’s ex-girlfriend?”

Alina lowered her head. “Yes…”

Clara sighed softly, her expression unreadable. “Tch. Mr. Cole, you really have bad taste in women.”

I blinked, stunned by her bluntness.

“With your wealth,” she continued, her tone growing sharper, “what woman can’t you have? Why choose this… whore?”

Alina’s head snapped up in fury. “Who are you calling a—”

But Clara’s smile stopped her cold. That icy, superior smile.

In that moment, Alina realized exactly where she stood. If Clara was the aloof frost moon—radiant, untouchable—then Alina was nothing more than a worm crawling in the dirt.

Even standing near Clara made Alina’s whole body tremble.

I could see it in her eyes — the panic, the shame, the suffocating discomfort. Just being in Clara’s presence made her want to crawl into a hole and disappear.

“Ethan…Please,” she said, choking back tears. “Let’s fix things between us. We can repair our relationship. I know—” she placed a trembling hand over her heart, “I know deep down, you still love me. Right? I won’t ever cheat again. You’ll be the only one in my mind. How about it?”

I looked at her — the same lips that once smiled at another man while I watched helplessly from the crowd. The same voice that once mocked me in front of everyone.

A cold laugh slipped out of me before I could stop it.

“Alina,” I said, my tone sharp as glass, “do you remember the face you made that night at the club?”

Her expression broke. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she shook her head weakly. “I made a mistake,” she sobbed. “A big mistake. I must’ve lost my mind back then, but didn’t I already apologize? Why can’t you forgive me, Ethan?”

Her voice cracked, turning accusing. “We’ve been together for so long. Did you really let go of your feelings for me that easily?”

I said nothing. I just stared at her — at the woman I once thought I couldn’t live without. Now, all I saw was emptiness. Even her tears couldn’t move me anymore.

Then, from the alley behind us, the screams finally died down.

The sound of breaking bones faded into silence.

Donovan’s men dragged Damian out, half-dead. His arms and legs were twisted at unnatural angles, his face swollen and disfigured. He whimpered softly.

I watched him for a moment. Watched both of them — Damian, broken beyond recognition, and Alina, shattered in spirit.

But instead of satisfaction… all I felt was nothing.

My anger was gone. My desire for revenge had dissolved into smoke.

“Let’s go,” I said quietly to Clara.

She turned her gaze toward me, her expression unreadable. Then she nodded.

“Okay,” she said softly. “I’ve already arranged a hotel for you.”

Without another word, she stepped closer, slipped her hand around my arm, and began leading me toward her car. Her touch was firm but gentle, her presence steady — like a storm that had finally calmed.

As we reached the car, Donovan jogged over, wiping the sweat from his brow.

“Mr. Cole,” he said respectfully, pulling a card from his pocket. “This is my business card. If anything comes up, just give me a call. I’ll be at your service.”

I took the card and nodded. “Thank you.”

He smiled. “You’re welcome.”

The car door closed with a soft click, muffling the chaos behind us. But just before we drove off, I caught sight of Donovan turning back toward Damian. His smile shifted into a sneer.

“Kid,” Donovan said, his voice dripping with mockery, “go tell your grandpa this— the Cross family is finished.”

And with that, the door shut completely.