Leo quickly stood in front of Sophia, his face turning cold as he addressed Jessica, “Mom, please don’t create a scene here. Sophia has already been through a lot today. Don’t further affect her mood.”
Being reprimanded like this by Leo in front of relatives, Jessica felt somewhat embarrassed. However, after experiencing Leo’s aggressiveness on several occasions, she lacked the courage to be unruly and petulant in front of him. At least, while they were in this villa, Leo’s word was law, and she had to keep a low profile.
But for Ethan, who had received the money, his confidence surged again. He slapped his phone onto the sofa and rose to his feet, pointing at Leo as he yelled, “You good-for-nothing! Do you not understand your status and position in this house? How dare you speak to my Aunt Jessica like this!”
Seeing Leo completely ignoring him, Ethan had forgotten about the pain Leo had inflicted on him a few days ago, and he continued to berate him, “Since you don’t seem to know your place in this house, let me tell you! In this household, you’re nothing but a freeloader. If it weren’t for my Sister Sophia and Aunt Jessica supporting you, you’d be a stray dog or, no, a pariah!”
“You piece of trash, it seems you’re itching for a fight, huh? Do you want me to break your legs before you feel comfortable?” Leo’s ominous words pierced Ethan’s ears like a needle.
Ethan was the type to forget the pain once his wounds had healed. Now that he had the money in his hands, he felt more emboldened and couldn’t resist stepping forward, shoving Leo, “A useless freeloader dares to act like someone powerful in front of me. If you have the guts, make your move. Watch me not call the cops to deal with you!”
Unexpectedly, when Ethan shoved him, Leo was pushed back several steps, his body swaying, and nearly falling to the ground. At this moment, Leo’s complexion suddenly turned somewhat pale. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and he had a pained expression.
Unfortunately, the evil fire sealed above his left chest had once again flared up at the most inconvenient time. This time, the pain was even more intense, making Leo feel as though he had been stabbed with a knife down to his bones.
Had Leo not exerted all his efforts to suppress it with his spiritual power, he might have fainted right then and there.
Leo’s abnormal reaction stunned not only Ethan but also Jessica, Alex, and the others present.
Wasn’t Leo always confident and domineering? What was happening to him today? How had he suddenly become so weak and fragile?
Thinking that Leo was suffering a relapse from his injury at the cold storage, Sophia immediately rushed to his side, supporting him, and anxiously inquired, “Leo, what’s wrong?”
Leo shook his head vigorously, indicating he was fine. However, it was evident to everyone that he wasn’t.
Leo’s sudden vulnerability prompted Jessica to revert to her usual aggressive manner. She jeered, “Leo, are you pretending to be a coward? Ethan only pushed you slightly, and you’re acting like this. Are you trying to extort money or scam us?”
“Mom, can you please refrain from making things worse?” Sophia was now genuinely concerned about Leo’s condition. “Leo, let’s go to the hospital.”
It was an opportunity not to be missed. If they didn’t deal with Leo while he was vulnerable, when else would they?
Ethan was filled with excitement. It appeared that he would have the chance to personally exact his revenge for the beating he had received from Leo a few days ago. Pulling Sophia, who was supporting Leo, he taunted, “You piece of trash, weren’t you acting all high and mighty a few days ago? How did you become a weakling all of a sudden?”
Paige also knew an opportunity when she saw one and quickly urged, “Ethan, a few days ago, Leo hosted you in his unique way. We’re leaving tomorrow, and I think it’s only fair that you entertain him just as Leo did.”
Ethan found his mom’s suggestion quite reasonable, so he flexed his fingers as if preparing for a fight.
Sophia was alarmed by Ethan’s actions and shouted, “Ethan, Leo is your cousin-in-law! What are you thinking?”
“What am I thinking? Of course, I’m here to help my cousin-in-law loosen up,” Ethan replied with a wicked grin.
“Mom, what are you waiting for? Stop Ethan!” Sophia pleaded, feeling desperate.
Jessica had wanted to deal with Leo for a while, and now that she could use Ethan to do it, she had no intention of intervening; she preferred to stand aside and enjoy the show.
Nora, who was in the kitchen, heard everything and couldn’t help but walk out. She implored Jessica, “Miss Jessica, Mr. Bloomer is your son-in-law. Please stop this.”
Jessica shot Nora a disdainful look and shouted, “A servant should stay out of the affairs of the master’s family. Get lost!”
Nora, though somewhat frightened by Jessica, did not leave but stood by Sophia’s side, ready to protect Leo with her body.
Ethan had reached his limit and kicked Nora to the ground. He then pointed at Sophia in anger, “Sophia, you better step aside. This is between me and him, and I don’t want to harm you.”
Sophia remained protectively by Leo’s side and said firmly, “Ethan, if you dare lay a hand on Leo today, I won’t be your cousin anymore, and I won’t let you off the hook.”
To Sophia’s threat, Paige sneered, “Sophia, are you trying to protect this good-for-nothing? A few days ago, Leo not only hit our dear Ethan, but he also hit me. Our dear Ethan was merely returning the favor.”
No sooner had Paige finished speaking than Ethan’s fist came swinging towards Leo’s face.
Sophia didn’t back down. She attempted to shield Leo with her raised hand.
Leo pushed Sophia aside slightly with his right hand and grabbed Ethan’s fist with his left. What followed was the unmistakable sound of bones grinding.
“Scum, how dare you act so audaciously in front of me!” Leo harnessed what little remained of his Spiritual Power due to suppressing the evil fire.
A sharp crack.
Immediately, agonizing screams erupted from Ethan’s mouth, akin to the cries of a pig being slaughtered. In that instant, Ethan felt as though massive stones were crushing his hand, causing him severe pain that nearly made him faint.
“Ethan, remember this: in my eyes, you’re nothing more than a piece of dog excrement, that’s all!” Leo’s voice was ice-cold, devoid of any emotion.
Paige was horrified by what she saw, and she yelled, “Leo, release Ethan now!”
Even Jessica, who had been prepared to watch Ethan take on Leo, now panicked and exclaimed, “Leo, don’t go crazy! Release Ethan!”
Leo let go of Ethan’s hand, then gave him a swift kick.
Ethan flipped over and hit the ground, cradling his injured hand and wailing in pain.
Clearly, all five fingers on Ethan’s right hand were broken.
Paige rushed to Ethan’s side, her face turning deathly pale. She watched him as he dangled his injured fingers and couldn’t help but burst into tears.
Leo’s body swayed a few times, and he couldn’t prevent a few traces of blood from seeping from his mouth.
“Leo, I’m taking you to the hospital right now!” Sophia quickly reached out to support Leo.