Just as the tension reached its breaking point, a voice suddenly cut through the air, stopping everyone.
It was Tony.
He watched Kayden with a sly smirk before strolling over to Kyler. In a low, calculated tone, he suggested, “Mr. Clarkson, I’ve got an idea. Sending all these guys to take him down-sure, you might win, but think about how that’ll look. Word gets around, and it won’t exactly scream ‘power.’ And do you think Nadia’s going to be impressed by that? Why not do it yourself? Challenge him one-on-one. We’ve got your back, and with this kind of crowd, there’s no way he’ll have the guts to refuse. He’ll probably back down on the spot. That way, you save face in front of your boys and show Nadia who’s really in charge. It’s a win-win.”
The guy known as “Jet” nodded in agreement. “Tony’s right,” he added.
Kyler mulled it over. It wasn’t a bad idea. Surrounded by his crew, with their sheer numbers and aggressive stance, there was no way Kayden wouldn’t feel the pressure. He’d have to fold.
With a confident grin, Kyler raised his hands, signaling for everyone to stand down. “Hold up! I’m taking this one myself-we’ll settle this man to man!”
Nadia’s heart skipped a beat. She frowned and leaned toward Kayden, whispering urgently, “Listen, don’t be fooled. This so-called ‘one-on-one’ isn’t going to be fair. He’s planning to take you out himself, and with all these people around, he’ll do whatever it takes. If you beg me, I can still help you out of this.”
At this point, she only wanted to see Kayden swallow his pride and admit he needed her help. After all, it was her fault he’d gotten mixed up in this mess by driving for her in the first place.
But when her words reached Kayden, he couldn’t help but chuckle.
Beg for mercy?
He glanced briefly at Nadia, shaking his head. “No need.”
Kayden took a step forward without hesitation, his voice calm but commanding. “Alright, let’s stop wasting time. Why don’t you all come at me at once? I’ve got better things to do.”
The crowd erupted into murmurs of shock and disbelief. Nadia’s eyes widened in astonishment. Was this guy crazy? Did he not see the hundred or so men surrounding him, ready to tear him apart? How could he be this reckless? This… arrogant?
Kyler’s face turned beet red with fury. “You’re dead!” he roared, his patience snapped. Without another word, he charged at Kayden, pulling a sharp knife from his jacket as he ran. His voice was a feral snarl, “I’ll kill you, you little punk!”
With that, Kyler lunged toward Kayden, the blade gleaming in his hand.
“No!” Nadia couldn’t stand it any longer. She rushed forward, desperately trying to stop Kyler. “Kyler, stop!”
Kyler let out a cold, mocking laugh and sneered, “What’s this? Are you actually begging for him?”
Nadia frowned, her voice steady but filled with concern. “He’s innocent, Kyler. I was just using him to get under your skin. For my sake, let him go.”
Hearing this only stoked Kyler’s fury. His own woman, pleading for another man? Even if nothing had happened between them, who would believe it now?
“Bang!” Just as Kyler closed in on Kayden, Kayden’s foot shot out with lightning speed.
Kyler was sent flying-yes, flying-ten meters through the air. If not for his guys breaking his fall, he could’ve easily been launched another twenty.
Nadia stood there, utterly dumbfounded. What just happened? That was brutal! When someone like Kyler corners them, most people would either freeze in fear or collapse, helpless. But this guy? He’d taken the offensive without hesitation, striking first and with terrifying strength.
Suddenly, it all started to make sense. No wonder he had been so confident. He wasn’t just some cocky nobody-he had real power.
Maybe he’d been trained in martial arts, like the Atkinson family, raised to fight from a young age.
But even so, he couldn’t possibly take on this many people, could he? There were over a hundred men here, all poised to attack. Surely, even he couldn’t handle that.
As Kyler’s men watched their leader get kicked halfway across the street, Tony couldn’t suppress the grin creeping across his face.
This was exactly what he had been waiting for. The spectacle was finally unfolding.
Kyler, on the other hand, had lost all shreds of dignity. His girlfriend had left him for someone else, he’d been humiliated in the car chase, and now-right in front of all his men-he’d been kicked like a ragdoll by the very guy he was so desperate to crush.
As the leader of the Young Master Gang, he had never been so publicly disgraced.
“Kill him! Kill him now!” Kyler bellowed, his voice cracking with rage, his hair standing on end as fury consumed him.
His men were ready to charge, but Tony’s voice rang out once again before they could make a move. “Hold it!”
Tony stepped forward, a smug smile playing on his lips. “Well, well, I never thought I’d run into you here, Kayden,” he said, his tone thick with mockery.
Kayden instinctively turned his head, sizing Tony up before responding with a cold smirk. “Looks like you’re not doing too badly. I should’ve just bankrupted your family when I had the chance.”
Tony let out a chuckle, shaking his head in mock disbelief. “You’re a riot, Kayden. If you’re so capable, why does your mother-in-law keep trying to set me up with your wife? Just a few days ago, she texted me, saying your wife’s being chased by some guy named Sheldon. She asked me to buy them a villa in the south district, or else your wife just might run off with him. Can you believe that? And if she does, how’s that my problem?”
Tony’s eyes gleamed with malice as he continued, “Let me give you a little truth bomb. All that dowry talk your mother-in-law’s been pushing? I don’t care about it. I just played along because I wanted a shot with your wife. Have you seen her? That body, that skin, that face-it’s enough to drive a man wild. And don’t even get me started on your sister-in-law. Fresh, innocent… I figured I could get to her through your wife.”
Kayden’s eyes darkened immediately, a murderous edge creeping into his gaze.
His voice was cold as ice as he spoke through gritted teeth. “You want to die?”
“Die?” Tony sneered, suddenly pulling a gun from his pocket and pointing it directly at Kayden.
He took five confident steps forward, his voice dripping with arrogance. “You want me dead? Come on, try it.”
Nadia’s heart raced, her mind spinning.
This was it-there was no way out now. No one could dodge bullets, no matter how strong or skilled Kayden was.
A gun was a gun; even the fastest or strongest man couldn’t outrun a bullet.
Kyler, seeing the tables turn, felt a surge of excitement. Finally, things were going his way. “Shoot him, Tony! Shoot this bastard dead! Do it!”
After reveling in his newfound power, Tony grinned and asked, “And if I do? What do I get?”
Kyler didn’t hesitate. “You’ll be our boss! From now on, you’ll be the leader of the Young Master Gang!”
That was it. Tony’s long-held dream was finally within reach. He’d always believed he was destined to lead, not follow. He said, “Good to hear that.”
“Hey!” Kayden suddenly called out, his voice cutting through the tension. “Tony, you’ve already committed two capital offenses. Your fate will be the same as Nathan’s.”
“Nathan?” Tony frowned, clearly puzzled. “You mean Fletcher’s nephew?”
Then, realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. His eyes widened as he gasped, “Wait… You’re the one who pushed Nathan off that building?!”
Clearly, none of them had any idea that Nathan was already dead!
Tony’s words left everyone in shock. Even Nadia couldn’t help but cover her mouth in disbelief. So that was it-Kayden had tangled with Nathan. No wonder he wasn’t afraid of dying. Realizing this, Nadia felt a chill run down her spine. She clenched her fists, suddenly anxious for Kayden.
Kayden laughed, the sound sharp enough to cut through the tension.
Without saying another word, he strode forward, his movements calm but purposeful.
Tony barely had time to react before-crack!-the sound of his finger-snapping echoed through the air.
The gun clattered to the ground, slipping from his now-useless hand.
Tony’s face twisted in agony, fear overtaking his every feature. His once-confident posture crumbled as terror gripped him, his body trembling uncontrollably.