Maisie Carlisle caught sight of Flynn and froze, her expression growing icy.
Flynn, a mere nobody, a backwater bumpkin-someone she wouldn’t have spared a glance at under normal circumstances-had dared to strike her at Harriet’s banquet.
It was unforgivable.
If her father hadn’t stopped her, Flynn wouldn’t be strolling freely through this night market. He’d already be six feet under.
“Well, well! Isn’t this the country bumpkin from Niarak? Look at you, daring to come all the way to Pelens! Trying to see the big city, huh?”
“You should get out more, see how vast the sky above Pelens is. Understand just how insignificant you really are.”
Maisie sneered, scanning Flynn from head to toe with open disdain.
This piece of trash from Niarak, with his petty influence, had actually dared to lay a hand on her? The audacity!
Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she mocked him relentlessly, her servants chuckling in the background.
Flynn remained silent, but his gaze grew sharper. He was piecing things together and had become certain of one thing: the Elixir of Vigor he’d sent to Harriet had been seized by Maisie Carlisle.
Suddenly, an icy chill filled the air.
Maisie and her servants shivered involuntarily. For a brief moment, when Maisie met Flynn’s gaze, a strange, bone-deep fear crawled up her spine.
How could a mere country boy have such a terrifying stare?
“Return the Elixir of Vigor to me, or I’ll break your legs,” Flynn said coldly.
For a split second, Maisie felt as though she were being watched by a predator-a dragon. Her face betrayed a flicker of fear before she quickly masked it with defiance.
“What Elixir of Vigor? I don’t know what you’re talking about!” she snapped.
Flynn narrowed his eyes. “Don’t bother lying to me. You took Harriet’s Elixir of Vigor.”
“Hand it over!”
Maisie let out a cold laugh. “Fine, you’re right. The Elixir of Vigor is with me. My father is keeping it safe, and Harriet agreed to it!”
Flynn scoffed. “Harriet’s gift doesn’t need Zion Watson to keep it safe.”
Maisie’s face darkened. “How dare you refer to my father by his name! Do you even know who he is? Ask around Pelens and the six neighboring cities! No one dares to speak of him like that-not even Mr. Richardson!”
Flynn chuckled. “If Mr. Richardson can’t, why can’t I?”
“You’re just trying to justify your theft. Shameless.”
Maisie’s anger flared. Flynn’s boldness and biting words were unbearable. “So what if I want to keep it for myself? What are you going to do about it?”
“If I want something, it becomes mine. Do you think Harriet deserves the Elixir of Vigor? A lowly country girl like her? Give me a break.”
“Oh, what’s this? Are you going to hit me here in Pelens? Go ahead, try it!”
“Don’t think for a second that just because my father is holding back, I won’t kill you!”
Maisie’s lips curled into a sneer. “Do you even know my status in Pelens?”
“Your status?” Flynn’s tone was mocking.
This wasn’t the first time he’d encountered such arrogance. Zion Watson’s lapdog, Xavier Caldwell, had said something similar before. The whole family was insufferable.
Maisie frowned, displeased with Flynn’s reaction. “Laugh all you want. Once Harriet marries into Ipholn, your days will be numbered!”
“Don’t think you’re off the hook just because you hit me. No one who offends me lives long.”
Flynn’s voice was calm yet unyielding. “Harriet won’t be going to Ipholn. And you won’t kill me.”
Maisie burst into laughter, as though she’d heard the most ridiculous joke. “Harriet won’t go to Ipholn? What, are you planning to rely on Niarak’s little forces to stop me? Do you even know who my father is?”
“Rely on others? Why would I need to?” Flynn’s lips curled into a faint smirk. “I’m more than enough on my own.”
The room erupted in laughter, even from Maisie’s servants.
One of the servants, who had served Maisie for over a decade, couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
Flynn didn’t seem to understand the power of the Hussain family, a dominant force in Shipmeda State. Even the most prominent families-the Sheppard, Gray, and Langford families-wouldn’t dare utter such arrogant words.
He was just a frog in a well, a big fish in a small pond.
Maisie shook her head in mock pity. “You really are a clown, aren’t you? Jumping around like a fool-it’s almost adorable.”
“How about this? Come and be my pet in the Hussain family. If you can keep making me laugh like this, I might just let you live.”
Flynn’s expression turned cold. “When I kill you, you’ll see how ‘adorable’ I really am.”
A sudden burst of killing intent radiated from Flynn.
In the blink of an eye, he grabbed Maisie by the throat. His grip was firm, his eyes half-closed, as if deciding whether to crush her neck.
“How thin your neck is,” Flynn mused, his voice calm but chilling. “A little pressure, and it would snap like a twig. And yet, the daughter of a nobody dares to act so arrogant?”
Fear flashed in Maisie’s eyes. Her face turned purple as she struggled for breath. “You… you can’t do this! I’m Zion Watson’s daughter! How dare you?!”
She had never encountered such defiance in her life. People usually cowered in her presence, yet this man from Niarak dared to choke her in Pelens?
Her servants were paralyzed with fear, dropping to their knees. None of them were fighters, and even if they were, who would dare intervene?
Maisie Carlisle didn’t need bodyguards. Her name alone was protection enough.
Flynn hesitated for a moment as Maisie’s words reminded him of his broader plans. Slowly, he loosened his grip and stepped back.
If it weren’t for his need to stick to the plan, Maisie Carlisle wouldn’t have left alive.
The servant let out a shaky breath, nearly collapsing before rushing to help Maisie.
“You’re lucky I’m sparing your pathetic life,” Flynn said coldly, his voice dripping with disdain. “But soon enough, you’ll be on your knees, begging to return the Elixir of Vigor.”
With those words, he turned and disappeared into the crowd.
Maisie erupted into a fit of rage, her body trembling. “That dog! That filthy bumpkin! I’ll kill him! I’ll kill him!”
Her servant sighed helplessly. “Mr. Watson doesn’t allow it, Miss. We’ll have to endure for now. Once Harriet marries into Ipholn, the master will take care of Flynn.”
Maisie sneered, her face twisting with fury. “Endure? He’s hit me twice already, and you want me to endure?”
“My father is too cautious, worried about upsetting Harriet. But killing Flynn? What’s the big deal? Harriet wouldn’t dare kill herself over it.”
Maisie’s eyes gleamed with malice. “If she does, I’ll slaughter the Hamilton family. Especially her cousin.”
Her servant froze, stunned by Maisie’s words.
Maisie’s voice turned cold and sharp. “Flynn said Harriet won’t go to Ipholn? Fine. When I return to Pelens, I’ll find Stellan Wallace. If my father won’t kill Flynn, Stellan will be more than happy to.”