THE DEJECTED SON-IN-LAW

8

"What are you doing here?" The moment Serena spotted Cal, the smile vanished from her face, replaced by visible disgust.

Grace was even more furious. "What the hell? You country boy actually followed us here? Didn't you learn your lesson today?"

"I'm warning you—if you keep bothering Serena, I'll have someone break your legs!"

Cal ignored Grace, his eyes fixed on Serena. "Mrs. Whitmore asked me to bring you home. It's not safe here."

"I know. I'll call my mom myself. It's none of your business. Just leave." Serena's tone was icy as she remained seated, showing no intention of moving.

Cal opened his mouth to speak, but Grace shoved him aside.

"Did you hear her?"

"Serena told you to leave."

"Why are you still hanging around?"

"If you don't go, I'll call security!" Grace threatened.

After a moment's consideration, Cal said nothing more and found a corner to sit in.

Before long, he noticed several men not far away, occasionally glancing toward Serena and her friends with predatory interest.

After a while, one of them stood, walked to the bar, exchanged words with the bartender, and discreetly slipped him something.

Then Cal watched as a waiter carrying three glasses approached Serena's table.

"Ladies, tonight is Red Rose Bar's anniversary celebration. Each of you receives a complimentary cocktail specially crafted by our head bartender."

"Please, enjoy."

The waiter placed the drinks before Serena and her friends.

Rain and the others thanked him politely.

"Come on, let's toast together, sisters."

"To Rain's acting career."

"To our Rain, future star of the entertainment industry! And to our Serena, who'll soon be the richest woman in the region!"

"When that happens, I'm counting on you two to support me." Grace raised her glass, about to drink with her friends.

But at that moment, an arm shot out and snatched the glass from Serena's hand.

"That's enough. Time to go."

Cal poured the drink onto the floor.

"What are you doing?"

"Are you insane?"

Serena stared in shock. She hadn't expected Cal would dare dump out her drink.

Grace was livid. "Who the hell do you think you are, you country boy?"

"Whether Serena goes home or not is none of your business!"

"If you don't leave right now, I'll call the police and report you for harassment!"

She pulled out her phone.

Rain tried to mediate. "Forget it, Grace. He means well."

Ignoring them, Cal addressed Serena again. "Are you leaving or not?"

Serena refused to even look at him, turning her head away in cold indifference.

"See? Serena doesn't care about you," Grace sneered triumphantly.

"Fine. Don't regret this."

Cal's patience evaporated. He spoke once more to Serena before turning to leave.

As the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

He'd done everything he could. If they didn't appreciate his efforts, there was nothing more he could do.

"That country boy is seriously deranged!"

"Serena, how did your grandfather get so confused as to arrange such a marriage for you?"

Grace looked disgusted as she called the bartender over for replacement drinks.

Serena said nothing, but just thinking about Cal irritated her.

Only Rain stared at the drink before her, lost in thought.

"Rain, why aren't you drinking?"

"I have to say, this new cocktail is quite tasty."

"Serena, you should try yours too," Grace urged.

And so, the three friends drank.

Soon after, Serena and her companions began feeling weak, their vision blurring.

Finally, overcome by drowsiness, they collapsed onto the table.

"Brothers, let's move!"

"One each—carry them upstairs!"

Seeing Serena and her friends slumped over the table, several men who'd been watching them rushed forward and carried them toward the top floor of Red Rose Bar.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Let those girls go!"

A few concerned customers in the bar spoke up.

But before they could finish, burly men kicked them to the ground.

"Tonight's events—I suggest you all pretend you saw nothing," the leader warned coldly.

"Otherwise, you'll offend the Dragon Tiger Gang, and you'll die very unpleasant deaths."

At the mention of "Dragon Tiger Gang," everyone fell silent. No one dared say another word.

They were ordinary people—it wasn't worth risking their lives against one of Riverton's most powerful underground forces over a few strangers.

---

Soon, Serena and her companions were brought to the attic on the top floor.

"Dragon, Tiger—we've brought them," a subordinate reported respectfully.

Before them sat two middle-aged men drinking tea. One bore a green dragon tattoo on his arm—the Dragon Tiger Gang's leader, Victor Cross, known as "Dragon." The other wore a white tiger tattoo and was the deputy leader, Rex Malone, known as "Tiger."

Victor nodded with satisfaction. "Well done. Put them on the bed. You're dismissed."

After the subordinates left, Victor approached the unconscious women.

"I've heard about Whitmore Industries' CEO, but I didn't expect her friends to be this stunning too."

"Tiger, looks like we won't be lonely tonight."

Victor groped Grace's chest, a lewd smile spreading across his face.

"Enjoy yourself."

"I'm not interested in women."

Rex replied coldly, then sat with his eyes closed in meditation.

"You martial arts fanatic—you care about nothing else," Victor said with a helpless smile.

He paid Rex no more attention. Taking out his phone, he snapped several photos of the unconscious Serena and sent them to someone.

Then he approached the bed, selected the prettiest one, and began tearing off her coat without hesitation.

But just as Victor was about to indulge, the closed window suddenly flew open!

A gust of cold wind swept through, followed by a thin figure appearing in the attic like a ghost.

"Who... who are you? How did you get in here?" Victor was shocked.

This was the sixth floor. How had the intruder entered?

Cal ignored him, looking at the three drugged women on the bed and shaking his head helplessly.

"No choice—my master owes the Whitmore family a debt. What can I do?"

He turned to Victor. "Friend, this girl is the descendant of my master's old friend."

"Give me some face and let me take her."

Cal pointed to Serena.

After his initial shock faded, Victor finally regained his composure.

"You're here to rescue her on behalf of the Whitmore family?"

"More or less. I'm currently head of security at Whitmore Industries. Protecting my boss falls within my job duties," Cal answered honestly.

Victor burst out laughing. "A security guard?"

"I see old Shane Whitmore is getting senile—thinking he can save his daughter by sending a lowly security guard?"

"Tell Shane I'll borrow his daughter for one night and return her tomorrow."

"Consider it a lesson."

"If he doesn't obediently hand over the supply contract Thornton Enterprises wants, the Whitmore family's days ahead will be very difficult."

Victor sneered dismissively.

Hearing this, Cal frowned. "So you have a grudge against the Whitmore family?"

Victor sneered back. "What? From your tone, do you plan to avenge them?"

"You're right." Cal replied calmly.

*Bang!*

The moment the words left his mouth, Cal's foot shot out.

Victor screamed as his ribs cracked and he flew backward, crashing into the wall.

The commotion quickly drew attention from outside.

Soon, more than ten men burst through the door. "Dragon, what's happening?"

"Are you blind? Get him! He's the first person who dares cause trouble at Dragon Tiger Gang headquarters!" Victor clutched his chest, shouting in pain and fury.

At his command, the dozen men grabbed iron rods and charged at Cal.

But before they could touch him, he'd knocked them all down with practiced efficiency.

Enraged, Victor grabbed his phone and shouted, "Everyone!"

"All of you, get up here now!"

Red Rose Bar was Dragon Tiger Gang headquarters. At Victor's call, gang members drinking downstairs rushed up en masse.

Dozens of them poured into the room, filling every available space.

"Kill him!"

"I don't believe it—with dozens of Dragon Tiger Gang members, we can't take down one security guard?!" Victor roared.

---

A dozen seconds later.

Looking at his subordinates writhing in pools of blood across the floor, Victor's face went deathly pale.

"Brother... I'll... I'll give you face."

"These... these three girls—you can take them all." Victor smiled ingratiatingly, trembling as he offered Cal a cigarette with shaking hands.

Cal shook his head. "My master said, when cutting weeds, remove the roots. Since this is revenge, we must see it through to the end."

*Thud!*

Cal kicked Victor again, and this time he collapsed to the ground, spitting blood and bile.

"Tiger, aren't you going to intervene?"

"Do you really want to watch me get beaten to death?" With no other options left, Victor turned his last desperate hope toward the man who'd been sitting on the sofa with closed eyes throughout the chaos.

The man finally stood.

His eyes snapped open, a flash of lethal intent appearing and vanishing in an instant.

He looked at Cal with cold appraisal. "Years ago, I forced Samuel Whitmore to commit suicide."

"Tell me, young man—how do you want to die?"

"Will you do it yourself, or should I?"

Cal's expression turned ice-cold. "Old man, *you* killed him?"

"You ask too many questions," Rex shook his head.

He'd lost his patience and immediately attacked.

*Bang!*

Without another word, Rex threw a fierce punch that struck Cal's chest squarely with explosive force.

But Cal remained utterly unscathed—not even a hair out of place.

What?

Rex's eyes widened in genuine shock for the first time in years.