The slap was so powerful it sent Ferris’s glasses flying. The force spun him around, and he stumbled backward, crashing heavily to the floor.
His fall knocked over a table, causing a loud commotion. The door burst open immediately, with Lara anxiously asking, “Ms. Adams, what’s going on…”
She trailed off, covering her mouth in shock at the sight of Ferris sprawled on the floor.
She had assumed they were up to something scandalous, even knocking over furniture in their passion. She had hoped to catch a glimpse of Georgia in a nasty position, something to make her feel guilty for life.
Lara held quite a grudge against Georgia, fueled by jealousy. But instead of the scene she’d imagined, she was met with this unexpected sight.
As the door opened, curious onlookers flooded in, all gasping in surprise.
Ferris, the big shot of Hiphia’s financial circle, the esteemed Ferris, was lying there in such a pathetic state. His face looked like it had been slapped hard – a sight no one had expected to see.
Georgia’s heart raced at the scene. She grabbed Kayden’s arm tightly, whispering urgently, “Kayden, how could you be so reckless? He’s not what you think. He has many ways to get back at you.”
Many ways? So what? To Kayden, Ferris was no more significant than a plant. No, that would be insulting to plants – at least they produce oxygen. Ferris didn’t even have that going for him.
Kayden turned to look at Georgia’s worried face, giving her a reassuring glance. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I told you, as long as I’m here, no one can bully you. Remember, no one.”
He raised his voice for the last part, deliberately reminding the onlookers, especially Lara.
Ferris’s head was still spinning. Holding his red, swollen cheek, he sputtered angrily, “You’ve got guts, kid! You dare to hit me?”
He struggled to his feet, face contorted with rage. This slap hadn’t just struck his face; it had shattered his image. With so many of his admirers watching at the door, this was nothing short of public humiliation.
In all his years, he’d never suffered such an insult. He’d always lived on a pedestal, and now some nobody had slapped him in the face. This was a slight he couldn’t possibly swallow.
If he didn’t teach this upstart a lesson, he wouldn’t be Ferris!
Seeing Ferris’s seething anger, Kayden let out a cold laugh. He took a step forward, causing Ferris to stumble back several steps, instinctively covering his face in fear of another blow.
He had to admit, that slap had scared him. It hurt like hell, a searing pain.
But to save face, he pointed at Kayden, blustering, “You’re finished! Your life ends here! I promise, after today, you’ll regret this. And you, Georgia, Adams Group is done for. I’ll make sure your company faces consequences beyond your imagination!”
This was no idle threat – Ferris had the power to follow through. The women at the door were shocked to hear it.
Kayden responded with a casual “Oh?” then said nonchalantly, “Is that so? Well, if you’re that powerful, let me strip away everything you’re so proud of, starting right now.”
He pulled out his phone and made a call. After a moment, he spoke into it, “From this moment on, I want Ferris blacklisted. Erase him completely from the financial world. He’s not to be employed anywhere in the country’s financial sector. And spread the word overseas – anyone who hires him is disrespecting me. Oh, and make sure his reputation is utterly destroyed.”
With that, he abruptly ended the call.
The entire room fell silent, everyone staring at Kayden in disbelief. Who was this guy? How could he be so powerful as to blacklist Ferris with a single phone call? And ruin his reputation to boot?
Everyone knew Ferris’s reputation. He was a household name. Many who envied him had tried to bring him down, only to fail spectacularly. Ferris was thought to be untouchable.
Was it a self-comfort? Surely, after Ferris’s threat, Kayden must have made that call just to comfort himself.
“Ahahaha! AHAHA!” While everyone was still processing, Ferris burst into laughter. Clapping his hands, he sneered, “How amusing! You’re quite the entertainer! Did that call even go through? I saw your phone screen was still black. Who were you calling? Trying to make a fool of yourself?”
A wave of murmurs swept through the crowd at the door. People looked at Kayden, dumbfounded. Some at the back couldn’t help but laugh, mocking him.
“This guy’s hilarious. Making fake calls and empty threats. Last time it was just an old tech guy without any real power. This time he’s up against the real deal. He’s done for. I wonder what Ms. Adams was thinking, marrying such a blowhard.”
“Hey, give the guy some credit. At least he can fix computers, right?”
Kayden remained unfazed. “No worries. You’ll soon see if that call was real or not. I guarantee within five minutes, you’ll be begging me for mercy. And if you don’t? Well, everything you’ve done will be exposed to the world.”
He fixed Ferris with a steady gaze as he said this last part. Ferris snorted, pointing at Kayden and barking, “Come after you? Oh, I’ll come after you alright. I’ll make sure you disappear completely, starting today.”
He might be outnumbered here, but that didn’t mean he was afraid. He’d make sure Kayden regretted his actions today. With that, he stormed towards the door, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.
Everyone who caught his gaze felt a chill, worried for Kayden’s fate.
Lara turned to the crowd at the door, snapping, “What are you all gawking at? Get back to work!”
As people dispersed, whispered conversations broke out. “Do you think Ferris meant what he said, or was he just blowing off steam? Is our company really finished? If it is, what’ll I do… Am I going to be unemployed again?”