The Heir's Return

Chapter 17. Magnificence II

Javon's eyes narrowed. That was a threat that crossed the line. He lifted his foot from Javier's chest, then, in a swift and unexpected move, kicked hard right between the man's thighs.

"AAAAARRGGGHHH—!"

Javier's scream was no longer human. It was the high-pitched, piercing squeal of a slaughtered animal. He instantly curled up like a shrimp, clutching his groin, gasping for breath as his face turned from red to purple.

"You... you've gone too far!" Oliver finally found his voice, pointing at Javon with a trembling finger. "Do you really think the Edelweiss family has no one who can subdue you?!"

Javon turned to him, a cynical smile on his lips. "With your mediocre abilities? Perhaps in your next life."

That sentence silenced them all.

Javon looked around, his gaze sweeping over every face in the room. Wherever his eyes fell, everyone simultaneously bowed their heads, not daring to meet the gaze of the apex predator.

"Look at this," he said with a tone of calm mockery. "The great Edelweiss family. So many people, yet not a single one can be relied upon."

Suddenly, from behind the crowd, Aleesha's voice shrieked. "Sherly! If you dare to leave with him today, don't you ever think of setting foot in this house again!"

A trace of deep sadness flickered across Sherly's face. It was the house she grew up in, even if it was full of bitter memories. But then, that sadness hardened into steel.

She lifted her chin. "A filthy house like this," she retorted, her voice clear and firm, "is better left behind!" She looked at Javon. "Let's go."

Javon nodded. He strode away with Sherly, walking past the wreckage of the Edelweiss family's pride. Lina quickly grabbed a bag of documents and scurried after them.

As they disappeared down the corridor, Javon's voice echoed back, cold and full of promise. "The Edelweiss family's debt, don't ever think of running. I will collect it, cent by cent. And one day," his voice dropped to a deadly whisper, "I will make you all kneel, begging for her to return."

When his voice finally faded, the real hell broke loose inside the villa.

"Arrogant beast! We must teach him a lesson!"

"Call the elders! Destroy his Forger Enterprise! Turn him into a beggar!"

At the peak of his rage, Oliver grabbed a golf club from its stand and began to rampage, smashing every vase and ornament within reach. The roars of frustration and the sound of shattering porcelain became the Edelweiss family's symphony of despair.

Meanwhile, Javier was taken away by a private doctor. Lying on a bed, he stared at the ceiling with a venomous expression. "Javon," he whispered to the emptiness. "I want to see him die. Die in the most painful way imaginable in front of me."

***

Outside the Villa.

The cool night air felt like a liberation. Javon carefully sat Sherly in the passenger seat of the car. Lina got into the back.

"My legs... are inconvenient," Sherly said softly. "Lina has always taken care of me. Let her come along."

"Of course," Javon replied. "We'll find a place for you to rest first."

He hadn't finished speaking when Sherly's expression suddenly changed drastically. Her face tensed, and she pressed on her knees with both hands.

"It hurts! It's hurting again!" she hissed, her features contorting in pain. The adrenaline from the fight had worn off, and now the pain from her old injury returned with full force.

"Miss Sherly!"

"Let me see."

Under the dim interior light of the car, Javon gently lifted her trouser leg. Her knee was slightly swollen and red. He didn't need to look any longer.

"We need to treat this immediately," he said with a tone of absolute calm. "It can't be delayed."

He hurried to the driver's seat, started the engine, and the car sped away from the Edelweiss residence at high speed.

Sometime later, in a modest apartment in the east of the city, the lights suddenly flickered on, splitting the darkness. Javon immediately went to the bathroom to wash his hands, while instructing Lina to help Sherly lie down on the sofa.

"It hurts so much..." Sherly trembled, her body curling up against the pain.

"Don't be afraid, Miss. The Master must have a way!" Lina tried to soothe her, though she herself looked anxious.

Javon came out a moment later. In his hands was a dark, precision-made wooden box. He opened it on the coffee table.

Inside, lying on a bed of black velvet, dozens of silver needles gleamed under the light. Their tips were sharp, reflecting the light like star fragments.

Lina gasped. "Master... you..."

Sherly heard the sound and forced herself to look. Her eyes widened in horror at the sight of the rows of needles. "Wait... what is that? Acupuncture?" Panic was audible in her voice. "It's useless! I've tried all the doctors, acupuncture had no effect at all!"

Javon knelt beside her, his hands gently holding her leg still. He looked straight into her eyes, and in the depths of his gaze was a conviction so absolute it was frightening.

"They were useless," he said in a deep voice. "Not me."

He took a single silver needle, pinching it between his thumb and forefinger. "Hold on for a moment. You'll see for yourself."