Leo Gambino A Thousand Foes

010 Suspicious Person

The guard named James narrowed his eyes and nodded at Victor curtly, already convinced of Leonard's guilt. Someone from the reputed Langford family surely wouldn't make up false allegations.

He turned towards the suspicious young man and eyed him from head to toe. "Sir," he said in a stern and gruff voice. "Do you have an invitation?"

"I do," Leonard said indifferently. He owned the entire Consortium in the first place, but couldn't reveal that secret before Victor and Felicity.

Victor broke into laughter, shaking his head mockingly. "Oh, really? And where is it? Let's see this invitation of yours."

Felicity feigned excitement, clasping her hands together and bouncing on her heels. "Yes, show us! Hope you haven't mistaken a crumpled flyer from a street vendor as the gala invitation."

A few guests overhearing the conversation chuckled, feeding off the mockery. Leonard pretended not to have heard Felicity.

"Let's not waste time!" Victor snapped, turning back to the guard. "There's no way he has one! Gentlemanly courtesies are meant for the elite, not pedestrians like him! He doesn't belong here. Throw him out!"

James stepped forward, placing a firm hand on Leonard's shoulder. "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave—"

The young man grabbed James's hand and removed it with barely any effort. "Touch me again," he said, his voice dangerously low. "And you'll regret it."

The guard hesitated. Leonard's grip was tremendous, and the way he spoke with quiet confidence was frightfully chilling.

Victor, noticing the guard's reluctance, laughed aloud. "Oh wow, is this loser trying to act tough? What a joke!"

Felicity shook her head. "This is getting embarrassing. Just let them escort you out, Leonard. Save yourself the humiliation. Why get beat up on a beautiful Monday afternoon?"

Leonard rolled his eyes. Suddenly, with a flick of his wrist, he produced a sleek, matte black card, its surface embossed with the Eclipse symbol—the official insignia of the Consortium.

"This should suffice," he muttered to James.

"And what is this supposed to be?" Victor jibed. "Are you trying to pass off a movie discount card as the gala invitation?"

He and Felicity burst out laughing. The security guard squinted at the black card but didn't recognize it or understand its significance.

James's tone changed immediately. "Are you mocking our security arrangements, punk? Do you think a plaything like that could gain you entry into the Eclipse gala?"

"Kindly leave now, or I'll be forced to kick you out," he added sternly, making fists.

Leonard remained unmoved. "I have already warned you about touching me again. For your own sake, I'd suggest you call your supervisor and check with him before jumping to hasty conclusions."

Victor rolled his eyes. "Oh, please, drop the act! You failed to produce an invitation, flashing a fake card, and now you want the supervisor? There's no way the Eclipse Consortium would give entry to the likes of you!"

"Just accept you're a pathetic fraud!" Felicity urged.

James was offended by Leonard's raw warning. How dare a pretender from the streets challenge his authority and then demand to see his supervisor?

The guard decided to teach the young man a lesson. He reached out to grab Leonard's shoulder, this time, with force and speed.

But his hand grasped thin air. With a swift side step, Leonard dodged James's grasp.

SMACK! His backhand struck the guard's chest sharply.

It was an effortless strike, almost as if Leonard was just swatting at a fly, but surprisingly, the power it carried was otherworldly.

The burly guard, who weighed more than two ordinary men combined, was lifted off the ground and sent flying yards away.

It was like watching a kite slip from its owner's grasp and soar away. He didn't stop until he crashed into the boundary wall.

The deafening sound of the guard's collision, followed by the heavy thump as he hit the floor, echoed throughout the place.

Silence. Everyone's stunned gazes darted between the security guard sprawled on the floor and Leonard, who stood there casually, as if he hadn't just sent a man flying across the area.

Felicity's mouth hung open in shock. Beside her, Victor's eyes were comically wide like a pair of saucers.

It was as though time itself had paused, trapping everyone in a moment of sheer disbelief.

"Aargh!" James, the security guard, looked in terrible pain. But he was more baffled by Leonard's strength.

Clearly, he never expected that a young man from the streets he had thoroughly underestimated could have the power to send him flying like a rag doll!

"Pfft!" The security guard spat out a mouthful of blood as he staggered to his feet. He glared murderously at Leonard.

"You, punk, that was a lucky shot. You caught me unawares, and it got me off balance! Now, you must pay for it!"

Just then, a dozen guards rushed into the scene, armed and ready to attack. "Take him down! Make sure to break his legs and hands!" James bellowed ruthlessly.