The woman shuddered, her body trembling under the oppressive gaze of Kayden Scott. She bit her lip, wanting to retort, but the intensity in his eyes made her swallow her words whole.
The foreign man, witnessing this scene, was drenched in cold sweat. He hurriedly shouted at the female manager beside him, “Where’s your boss? Get your boss here, now!”
The female manager jolted as if struck by lightning. Shaking off the shock from watching ten burly guards knocked out cold, she rushed forward, spreading her arms to block Kayden Scott’s path. “Don’t cause trouble! Do you even know whose restaurant this is? This is Cohen’s place. I’ve already called him, and he’s on his way. He’ll be here any minute!”
Cohen was a well-known figure in Inassea. Having spent years abroad, he revered foreigners and went as far as opening this Western-style restaurant in Seclela, prioritizing service for foreigners. His arrogance, demeaning Seclela locals, stemmed from his reliance on underground forces. It was said he had a network of criminal gangs in Inassea and was tight with Nathan Atkinson. The Atkinson family, the unchallenged powerhouse of Inassea, could make anyone feel suffocated just by their name.
Kayden Scott, however, wasn’t fazed in the slightest. Big shots, bullies, self-proclaimed kings-none of them could stand tall before him.
Sophie Walsh, on the other hand, visibly stiffened at the mention of Cohen’s name. It hit her like a bolt of electricity. She clung tightly to Kayden Scott’s arm and stammered, “Kayden, you shouldn’t mess with him.”
She had heard about Cohen from her roommates, who loved gossiping about local power plays. “Cohen works for the Atkinson family heir!”
The Atkinson family heir! That could only mean Nathan Atkinson, who had actually been dead for some time. The Atkinson family had kept the news under wraps, so very few knew of Nathan’s demise.
Kayden raised an eyebrow, confused. “He’s one of Nathan Atkinson’s people?”
Sophie nodded firmly. “Yes, he is.”
“Maybe you should call Sariah Faulkner,” Sophie suggested reluctantly. “Nathan Atkinson’s been chasing after her. If she puts in a word, Cohen wouldn’t dare lay a finger on you.”
Sophie didn’t want to resort to this, but she saw no other way out. She wasn’t scared for herself, but she couldn’t bear the thought of Kayden getting hurt because of her. If it hadn’t been for her impulsiveness, today’s conflict wouldn’t have spiraled out of control.
But Kayden wasn’t buying it. To him, this pretentious restaurant was long overdue for a shutdown. Instead of blaming Sophie, he admired her guts. He chuckled darkly and said, “You think I’m scared of Nathan Atkinson?”
Sophie blinked, stunned into silence. Who wasn’t afraid of Nathan Atkinson? The mere mention of his name could make most people scurry away. Could Kayden really not be afraid?
Then again, maybe this was a case of rivals clashing over the same woman. Nathan Atkinson had been pursuing Sariah Faulkner, after all. Kayden might be holding a grudge over that. Sophie kept her musings to herself, choosing not to argue further.
Kayden turned to the female manager and asked, “Cohen’s on his way?”
This restaurant had no business staying open, and with the boss coming, it was the perfect time to announce its closure. He also wanted to see what kind of character this man was, one who enforced such a bootlicking policy towards foreigners. That nonsense wasn’t going to fly on his watch.
The female manager straightened her back, smirking smugly. “Yes, Mr. Saunders is on his way, and trust me, you’re not leaving until he gets here.”
She thought Kayden had paused his actions out of fear upon hearing Cohen’s name. Puffed up with confidence, she folded her arms and wore a gloating expression.
Kayden gave a slight nod, calmly pulled out a chair, and sat down. “Fine. I’ll wait. And when he gets here, I’ll deal with him too.”
The manager’s heart skipped a beat. She thought she must have misheard him. But seeing his calm demeanor, she wasn’t so sure anymore. She had no choice but to wait for Cohen to come and put this guy in his place.
Grinding her teeth, she shot Kayden a murderous glare.
Sophie, standing behind Kayden, gulped nervously. She had no idea if Kayden could handle what was coming.
About five minutes later, an Audi pulled up outside the restaurant. A middle-aged man in his forties stepped out and entered. He wore a sharp suit, his long blonde hair and matching mustache dyed a bright gold. If not for his Seclela features, one might have mistaken him for a foreigner at first glance. His outfit screamed a desperate desire to emulate Westerners.
Two burly men in black followed closely behind-clearly his bodyguards.
“Who’s causing trouble in my territory?” Cohen bellowed as he walked in, his tone that of a king addressing a guilty subject. His eyes fell on the ten guards lying unconscious on the floor, and his expression darkened.
The manager came alive, standing tall as she rushed to him. “Boss, it’s him! He attacked Mr. Stewart and even hit Mr. Stewart’s girlfriend!”
Hearing this, Cohen didn’t reprimand Kayden right away. Instead, he turned to Stewart. When he saw the blood at the corner of Stewart’s mouth, his face shifted dramatically, going from arrogant to utterly panicked. He stumbled over to Stewart, looking as though someone had desecrated his ancestors’ graves. “Mr. Stewart, are you alright?” he stammered.
Classic! Kayden thought. One look and he could tell this guy was a high-level bootlicker. Moments ago, Luke had been the picture of bravado, but now, seeing Stewart beaten to a pulp, he was practically groveling. No wonder this guy could come up with such shameless slogans for the walls.
Stewart, basking in Cohen’s groveling, acted like a master addressing his servant. “Mr. Saunders, look at this!”
He raised his hand, showing a swollen, reddened knuckle.
Then he pointed to his face. “And this-look at my face! All of this happened in your restaurant!”
“And my girlfriend!” Stewart added, his tone dripping with righteous indignation. “She was hit too! How could you let someone like that into your restaurant? How could you allow such savagery?”
Cohen’s terror deepened. He bent over in a flurry of bows and apologies. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Stewart, so sorry! I’ll make sure you’re avenged for every ounce of pain you’ve suffered.”